Joel Osteen wins this award for his lack of Gospel integrity.
Did you know that when P.T. Barnum heard about Spurgeon and the great crowds coming out to hear him he sent him a telegram with an offer of a large sum of money (and all expenses paid to and from America) to come and preach in his circus tents. [charge admission was the idea]
Spurgeon sent a short reply:
Dear Mr. Barnum, you’ll find my answer in Acts 8:20.
"But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money".
I have not watched Joel for some time but from what I remember, unlike many "Evangelical" ministries, he never asked TV viewers to send him money.
ReplyDeleteLOL, perhaps some of those Televangelists should be on Barnum's poster.
If P.T. Barnum were alive today, he would be busy every Sunday putting on his show at a mega church near you.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting about CHS and Barnum.
ReplyDeleteJO may not ask people for money, but he certainly deceives with a false gospel.
Not to mention Joel welcomed both Oprah and Tyler Perry with open arms at his church recently. To many people are watching him and not surrendering to Jesus, and I can't say his Gospel is false so much as there is no Gospel whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteHe does not have to ask for money they send it anyway. besides he is just following in his dads foot steps.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that Joel Osteen has nothing on folks like John Mac Arthur when it comes to money. LOL, maybe these guys should pose for a group poster?
ReplyDeleteInteresting note that CH Spurgeon for many years lived completely off his royalties from his books. Of course he used much of that for the many ministries that he had many of which are still in operation today. Now it is true at least from appearance that Osteen lives much more conservatively than Ed Young Jr., Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn and the others. But his theology (or lack thereof) is just as demonstrably completely as bankrupt as the others, and just as his father John. Come on he has a what on the stage of his Lakewood circus? That’s right the world!
ReplyDeleteJohn Piper is one of the few evangelical leaders I know of that lives a pretty moderate lifestyle. Most of them are wealthy and benefit greatly from the sacrificial contributions of their followers.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Osteen is a fraud, or at least so weak in the word that he should not be at the pulpit. If you ever saw his one-on-one with Larry King, or heard a few of his "sermons", you'll know what I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think the "pastor" most deserved of the award should be Ed Young, Jr. of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. Unlike his dad, Ed Young, Sr., of Second Baptist in Houston, a REAL preacher who knows the Bible inside and out, Eddie Jr. relies on gimmicks like parking a tank on the stage, or worse yet, a toilet. His latest stunt is a 24-hour bed-in with his wife on the roof of the "church", slated for this weekend. THOSE are things more along the lines of P.T. Barnum theatrics.
Kansas Bob, if you ever have the chance to see Osteen's mansion in the ultra-exclusive enclave of Houston known as River Oaks, you would reconsider that comment. Trust me on that one.
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