"I want you to get a bigger vision. There are exciting things in your future. Your future is filled with marked moments of blessing, increase, promotion. God has already ordained before the foundation of the world, the right people, the right opportunity. Time and chance are coming together for you. Why don’t you get your hopes up?" Osteen tells his audience. "Why don't you start believing that no matter what you have or haven't done, that your best days are still out in front of you." -- Joel Osteen from video clip featured in an October 2007 interview on the CBS program, 60 Minutes
Joel Osteen tells his listeners that God has ordained earthly prosperity for them. He says that God has set up people and opportunities from the foundation of the world for them to get an increase or a promotion. Does the Bible say that? Lets see...
The phrase "foundation of the world" is found in ten places, all in the New Testament. It is used to speak of secrets that Christ taught in parables; a kingdom to be occupied by believers after the judgment of the sheep and the goats; blood for which Israel is judged, love between the father and the son, ...etc. The references are listed below. And none of them refer to opportunities appointed to specific believers to reap prosperity.
- things which have been kept secret (Mat 13:35)
- the kingdom prepared for believers (Mat 25:34)
- the blood of all the prophets, which was shed (Luk 11:50)
- the love of the Father for the Son (Joh 17:24)
- believers chosen (Joh 17:24)
- the works (of God) were finished (Heb 4:3)
- blood of an inferior sacrifice shed many times (Heb 9:26)
- Christ, the lamb (1Pe 1:20)
- Christ, the lamb slain (Rev 13:8)
- names were not written in the book of life (Rev 17:8)
Osteen admits that he isn't qualified to teach the Bible and he doesn't feel called to do that. He wants to be a life-coach to the Church. He apparently doesn't mind making up doctrine to motivate Christians to do what he thinks they ought to do. He spent $100 million remodeling a basketball arena for preaching, but he forgot to include a cross in the sanctuary. He doesn't think he needs one, answering "I don't know" when asked why a cross isn't there.
People claim that he preaches the Gospel, but how can he do that when he leaves the cross out of it?
