Someone is unhinged if he opposes health and wealth. Who in his right mind would choose sickness and poverty, when Jesus came to deliver us from these scourges that the devil has afflicted on mankind? I have diagnosed the problem with the acronym ODS, Osteen Derangement Syndrome.

Whereas most people are cheered by seeing a smiling face, especially when things may not be going their way, people afflicted with ODA are soured by our smiley pastor, Joel Osteen. They even oppose his lovely wife.

I am going to reveal something to trusted FB friends. Please keep this information to yourself. We don’t want this widely known. I am Joel Osteen’s spiritual guard. Some preachers are in need of bodyguards but Joel needs a spiritual guard because he refuses to defend himself against his spiritual enemies. Someone has to do the dirty work. Joel has not asked me to do this, because he has a love for his enemies that goes beyond most of us.

Joel is too valuable in the Kingdom of God for his friends to allow his enemies to constantly malign his character and misrepresent his teaching and vainly attempt to destroy his ministry. Hard telling what misinformation (Joel would not want me using the L word) ODS people will perpetuate concerning this man and his angelic guards. After all, these people are not (hopefully) willing slanderers; they have a mental disorder, perhaps soured by personal rejection.

I ask those that I am confiding in to pray for me. For the zeal of God’s house (Lakewood Church) hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached Joel are fallen upon me (Psalm 69:9). Men have actually warned me that I am fallen and threatened me with for Hell for my role as Chief Guard of the house that Osteen built from what was originally a professional basketball arena of all things. Look what faith in God has wrought!

Joel is under attack from the wolves trying to tear down the sheepfold and scatter the sheep. Many of them do not even have a sheepfold of their own, which may be part of their problem.

One street witness minister insisted that I invite Joel out to minister with me in the marketplace. Lakewood Church is in the center of the business district of Houston. Joel doesn’t have to go outside like most of us evangelicals, he has up to 40 to 50 thousand eagerly entering into his gates weekly and usually a few hundred taking a stand for salvation at each service.

Who would not prefer the hardwood and cushioned seats of Compaq Center over the sawdust and benches of a tent? Perhaps someone afflicted with ODS?

Remember if you have any signs of this syndrome, Joel is ready and willing to help. I must warn you there is strong security at Lakewood. Who know what someone with ODS might actually do, although they are not known to be physically dangerous.

The greatest criticism of Joel Osteen is his wealth. There is no sin in gaining riches legitimately.

I suspect that a large portion of Osteen’s critics are in debt as a result of living beyond their means, which the Bible warns against. Others may be on the public dole, which means they are living on money forcibly taken from others. Both of these type criticizers tend to develop a victim mentality and are tail wagers. Osteen is a victor, who holds his head high. Selfish people resent his success. Right thinking people look upon him as a motivator.

Romans 13:8 exhorts, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Proverbs 22:7 teaches that “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the servant or slave of the lender.”

Some, like Osteen, are benevolently rich; others are selfishly rich and will attempt to keep the poor in a state of poverty and dependence upon the state. Osteen teaches men how to prosper and be independent from the government and the greedy (filthy) rich. Osteen removes the debtors’ excuse to be in debt and in a state of poverty.

Some of the rich and poor serve mammon; others from these classes have mammon serve them as they serve God. As men are diligent in service and stewardship to God and others in a relatively free economy, they should not be debtors or poor for long.

A free economy rewards those who are providing goods and services at a price people are willing to pay. As for Joel Osteen, he offers the inspiration for men to become achievers and live up to their full potential in service to God and their fellows. Not only that, his encouragement is freely offered! The thankful should reward him in return.

 

Brother Frank and I arrived at Lakewood about 10 AM for the 11 AM service on January 20, 2019. What a blessing it was to see thousands of Christians in downtown Houston coming to church on Sunday morning. We introduced ourselves at the information booth and we were immediately given VIP treatment by the lady who serves as Director of Missions. She encouraged us to get into Pastor Joel’s reception line as the 8:30 service was just dismissing.

I told Joel that I visited the old church with Holy Hubert Lindsey back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I forgot to mention Norval Hayes. Joel remembered Holy Hubert. He greeted everyone warmly and demonstrated a sincere interest in his visitors. Pastors were standing by to pray for any requests as there wasn’t time for Joel to do so. A pastor prayed for our Texas mission to the campuses.

Brother Frank agreed with me that we should take advantage of everything the church had to offer. Therefore, we attended the Communion service and one of the associate pastors gave a short message urging believers to not be content to be ordinary but to move in the supernatural as the disciples did when they passed the loaves and fishes which Jesus had blessed to the multitude.

The director of missions personally escorted us to the third row, which was included in the roped off section at the front of the church. We sat two rows behind Pastor Joel. The congregation entered into a dynamic time of worship. Anyone was invited forward for prayer, Brother Frank and I accepted the offer at the altar, which took about 10 minutes of the service. A sister prayed an anointed prayer over me.

Joel’s sister took up the offering with no attempt at pressure to give. Joel’s brother, Paul, gave an exhortation about winning soul’s and especially believing God for the salvation of our family members. A man, who grew up in the church but fell into deep sin, gave his testimony of returning to the Lord. Paul introduced an old couple who were the first youth pastors of the church back when Lakewood got started 60 years ago.

Joel preached one of the best messages I have heard him preach. His theme was that God wanted to demonstrate in a miraculous way to the unbelieving world that God’s grace was upon us all. God will give ordinary people the power to do the extraordinary in public for everyone to see.

Joel illustrated his point with the story of David and Goliath, the three young Hebrews thrown in the fiery furnace and Elijah calling fire down from heaven. Each miracle put fear in the hearts of unbelievers. David was treated with respect by his family members after killing the giant. Seeing the Hebrews saved from the fire, Nebuchadnezzar lifted the youths out of the pit and promoted them to high office, decreeing that anyone who spoke against their god should be torn limb from limb. The fire from heaven which Elijah called down even consumed the rocks. Then the people cried out, “The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.”

Joel knows how to tell these Old Testament stories in a lively manner and teaches how the lessons may be applied to our everyday lives. Joel also gave two New Testament examples supporting his thesis. Anyone who claims that Joel doesn’t preach the Bible does not know what he is talking about.

Joel never misses a beat when he preaches, no hem hawing around in the pulpit. After the sermon, he gave an at five-minute altar call for repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Dozens in our section stood as Joel led them in a sinner’s prayer.

Brother Frank and I went to the book store. Meanwhile, another long line formed in the lobby to meet our good pastor. We left the building at 1:15, Joel was still greeting guests. Afterward, his practice is to go to the editing room to edit his message for television. There was a Spanish speaking service at 2 PM and a youth service at night. There is a lot going on at Lakewood beside what people see on TV.

There was ethnic, racial and, I assume, economic diversity in the congregation. No big deal is ever made of this. It is natural, (or maybe I should say spiritual) to people discipled by Brother Osteen. We experienced a considerable amount of friendliness. It was an lovely time of worship and teaching and fellowship.

Why Joel has so many critics can only be attributed to ignorance, immaturity or, I fear, envy. Hopefully, not much of the latter, among those who name the name of Christ. Joel is like Trump in that he is either loved or hated.

What is perplexing is that he is despised by so many Christians. Most of whom have probably never heard one of his sermons but have judged him by sound bites cherry picked by his foes, usually not even from his sermons but television interviews where Joel usually does not speak at forthrightly as he does from his pulpit. Joel has his reasons, for this I am sure, for he is a smart man, far shrewder than the ones interviewing him or criticizing him.

The above is just some of the highlights of our morning, every minute of the three hours we spent at the church was blessed. Lakewood’s challenge in the new years is to take “new ground.”

So, watch out! You have not seen anything yet from “America’s Pastor,” who is reaching the world out of Houston, TX. He plays a big role in MAGA.

By the way, President Trump likes Joel Osteen. They both think big! What else would you expect from a Texan? Or for that matter, according to Joel, what else would you expect from any committed Christian with faith the size of a mustard seed.

 

One can learn more about a church from its mid-week service (if they even have one) than from the main show, which is on Sunday. This is the reason I watched and listened to Pastor John Gray, who speaks each Wednesday night at Lakewood Church in Houston. He is a middle-aged black Pentecostal preacher, old school (though dressed mod) with the usual oratorical skills of the race. When Joel hired him to build up this service, the mid-week service had about 2000 to 2500; his preaching had brought it up to 11,000.

Pastor Gray opened by reminding the congregation that it was 20 years ago today, that founding pastor John Osteen passed to his reward. “We honor him tonight.” The widow, Doty Osteen, was in the service looking young, pretty and healthy. In 1981, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer with only months to live but the family relied on God’s report of life and health, not the doctors’ diagnosis of disease and death. After all these years, Doty remains a big player in the prayer squad at Lakewood.

The title of Pastor Gray’s message was, “GO GET IT!” His text was the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. He urged the people to do “their part’ if they are going to possess the promises of God. “Rise up for God’s glory; it is not a about you. Move and move now. Bethesda is here; the pool is here, here at Lakewood.”

He cautioned the congregation not to be too critical of the man, who had waited 38 years for his deliverance. He said, “At least he was by the pool. At least he was in church. He may not have had it all together but he was in the right place.” Most men never even get close enough to the water, which symbolizes the word of God, the truth. The pool also represents the church and the anointing oil by the elders.

“We always are asking God questions about why this happens or why something is not happening, putting all the responsibility on God. In this case God asks the question, ‘Wilt thou be made whole?’ In other words, Jesus was asking, ‘How bad do you want it?’ Jesus did not even bother to ask the man, ‘What is wrong with you?’ Nor did he tell him to get in the water. The miracle was not in the water; the miracle was in his heart and mouth. Nor did Jesus ask, ‘Do you want me to make you well.’”
Jesus just commanded the impotent man, “Rise, take up your bed and walk!”

“Men are often content to be partially free. To be completely free; we have to take personal responsibility. Misery loves company. Often people seek the company of other complainers and murmurers. The miserables will resent it, when one of their company rises out of the bed of affliction and walks away from their wretchedness, because it is evidence that they too can be made whole. But in reality, they don’t want to pay the price of wholeness. Don’t be satisfied with a partial healing or answer to prayer. Be made every whit whole!”

“God blesses when his reputation is at stake. He put his reputation on the line when he commanded the impotent man, ‘Rise up and walk!’”

Pastor Gray gave three point for receiving from God, whether it be healing, a job, a calling, a spouse, salvation, a financial need, etc.:
1. Eliminate distractions
2. Elevate determination, “It is my time; it is my turn. ‘PRESS toward the mark of the prize.’ His Word will come to pass.”
3. Eradicate doubt.

The Hebrew spies make the mistake of seeing themselves as grasshoppers instead of warriors and then they had the audacity to come back and speak to Moses that they were mere grasshopper instead of members of the army of the living God.

“Do something! Put on a suit even if you have no place to go. You are not going to get the job if you don’t apply for the job. ‘Faith without works is dead.’“

“The BLOOD of Jesus sets free!” shouted Pastor Gray. Joel’s critics tell me that Joel never mentions the blood, which is another point of misinformation. He preaches salvation through the blood (suffering and death of Christ).

The Osteens are actually in many respects old fashion; Lakewood, for a mega church, is about as close as you will get to “the old-time religion” with a flair of the new. For God loves to do a new work! Lakewood is Pentecostal, which may be the rub against his fundamentalist critics.

Three more points by Pastor Gray:
1. See what God sees; 2. Think what God thinks; 3. Speak what God Speaks.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”—Proverbs 18:21

“SPEAK LIFE, GO GET IT!” At the conclusion of his sermon, he had the congregation chatting, “GO GET IT!”

“Start clapping! Clapping shifts the atmosphere.” We often need to shift the atmosphere as did the lame man, when he took up his bed and walked. Be careful that you do not allow doubters and naysayers to be your circle of friends.

As happens at virtually every service at Lakewood, Pastor Gray gave an altar call. Among the crowd, which looked to be as large as the Sunday AM service we attended, many people stood confessing their faith.

Pastor instructed them, “Go to the New Beginnings room where there will be cake, cookies and refreshing drinks. No, I am only kidding; there will be none of that stuff there, just people who care and the Holy Ghost. You will get a free Bible and answers to any questions or additional prayer.”

Lakewood teaches men to take responsibility, which may be why so many oppose Joel. Some expect God to do everything.