Joel Osteen's Latest Book

Tim Challies points out a wonderful blog post on Joel Osteen's latest book.

There are two things that I find disturbing here (quoting the blog post):

I happened to catch Good Morning America’s recent interview with Joel Osteen, whom they introduced as being “bigger than a rock star,” with one of North America’s “largest congregations” and “millions of followers.” While showing images of him autographing bibles, they stressed that it is his simple message that “God wants you to do good” that has drawn so many to him and his message.

I didn't catch the show, I'll admit...but did you catch what the author wrote there? He was autographing Bibles? Who is this guy, the author of the Bible? Personally, it seems a tad presumptuous to sign my name in someone elses Bible like that, as if I had written the book.

That's not the real issue though...and I like how this writer puts it:

Paul is very clear in 2 Timothy 4:3 that “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.” Who doesn’t want to be encouraged? Who doesn’t want to be told that they can, in fact, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, that they can have a good day? The truth is that we all want to hear these things, but the truth is that this is not the Gospel message. While Osteen encourages us to look to ourselves, the Gospel demands that we look away from ourselves to Christ. Diotrephes was condemned for liking to put himself first (3 John 9), yet this is exactly what Osteen’s message is: you deserve to be first! Osteen’s message is nothing more than self-help and self-esteem loosely wearing “Christian” garb. It is not the message of the Gospel and we can do nothing more loving than point this out to the many who are having their ears tickled.

Joel Osteen’s newest book should not be sold in “Christian” bookstores, quite simply, because it is not a Christian book. It might be a book written by a Christian, but it’s message is not in line with the message of Christ. It is not enough, however, to critique the message, I firmly believe that we must pray for Joel Osteen. While some will find this a bit odd, Osteen has been given a tremendous platform and he will be held accountable for what he does with that platform. We must pray that God would bring Osteen’s message back in line with the Gospel.

Amen. These books are not the gospel, nor are they Christian. And I agree...we should critique the message and pray for Osteen himself.