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Good
ol' Joel who hates to disappoint anyone can now include
Satan in his fan club since Joel's denial of Satan's lair
means that religious people who just want a social club and
not be subjected to bible-based preaching can get on with
their lives without a worry or a care about whether they
could spend eternity in hell.
I
mean, look at this, this way. If I told you that you could
drive your car without insurance or be stopped for a traffic
violation, you would probably hoop it up and realize all of
the insurance premiums you could now save and you could
drive with wild abandonment.
If I
told you that you can engage in any illicit conduct of your
own choosing and whim and you would not have to face any
judgment about it after you die, what would you do? Would
you become a serial fornicator? How about a thief and a
cheat? A glutton? Consider scamming trusting senior citizens
out of their savings? Better yet, submitting false tax
returns and bogus social security claims and make a whopping
fortune!
I
mean, why not? If you can live any which way in this natural
life and avoid any penalty or rebuke for living a dastardly
lifestyle and with no eternal and lasting repercussions,
isn't it tempting to at least try something, wild and woolly
and edgy?
If I
were to preach to you under the authority of the Word of God
that you are a "good" person and that you can live your best
life now and that God is smiling down on you all of the
time, wouldn't you come to my "church" and lap up that sappy
stuff?
Would
you not be attracted to a doctrine of no costly repentance
and a doctrine of there being no hell?
Think
of it. My preaching or teaching could give you cover so that
you could avoid
any guilt
or avoid being confronted by a just and holy God who will
one day call you into account for the deeds that you have
done in the flesh.
Is it
not normal for people to run and hide or lie when they do
wrong or think that they are about to be found out that they
have lied, cheated, or have twisted facts to suit their
conscience?
But, if
I preach a "gospel" of you are OK and I am OK, then we can
get rid of this
guilt stuff
and not worry about future consequences of our bad acts and
behavior.
The
gospel according to Joel Osteen gives you permission to "do
your thing" and without a proper and awe-inspiring fearful
concern for the consequences possibly leading to an eternity
in hell.
Good ol'
Joel does not want to burden your already frazzled life with
a biblical doctrine of hell. A doctrine that Jesus, the Son
of God, repeatedly taught, explained and affirmed when he
walked the earth. This Jesus, without reservation, described
the nature of hell as being a place of anguish, torment,
suffering and eternal separation from the presence of God.
I
know....I know. Talking about hell and repentance may give
you a bad case of the "hee-bee gee-bees"; and you want to
believe that you are a good person. A nice person. A person
who gives to charities and volunteers at the local food
bank.
You are
someone who believes in the inherent goodness of mankind and
that each person has a "spark" of God in them.
You are
the type of person who adopts stray dogs. You send your mom
a card each Mothers’ Day. You are honest on your tax
returns. You even wash your car at least
every two
weeks even when it does not need it. You give alms to the
poor and are not a gossip or a busybody like those other
people.
But,
whom are you going to believe? A smiling Joel Osteen who
has not the guts or fortitude to preach a full gospel which
includes graphic descriptions of both a heaven and a hell;
and the need for repentance from sin or, are you going to
believe the whole gospel as found in the Bible?
Make
no mistake about it. Joel Osteen is viewed and heard by many
millions of people worldwide. You will not find Joel
preaching a "hell and damnation" sermon because he does not
want to offend people who are struggling and who do not want
to face or deal with a literal hell or the need for genuine
repentance.
Joel
wants to make your life comfy and he wants you to smile and
have a great life now and be prosperous and be in great
health. Joel's bread and butter is preaching and teaching a
watered-down soda pop gospel. A gospel that is blatantly
contrary to the very words of the Jesus that he seemingly
professes he knows and follows.
You
know, repenting is a tough thing to do. You may face
criticisms and ostracisms if you do an about face and turn
from your wicked ways and accept the gospel of repentance
that is found in the Word of God.
Family
members may scorn you. Co-workers may avoid you. Even your
spouse may rebuke you if you renounce a lifestyle that they
have grown to enjoy and accept and there you are
now...repenting and changing before their very eyes.
Your
newly-found life is a testimony against their lifestyle and
no one wants to be judged because you repented and no longer
do the things that you used to do.
Don't worry! With Joel Osteen, you can attend his mega
church or listen to him on the TV and feel good about
yourself and not be bombarded with, "come to the altar"
messages.
Joel
will affirm you as you are and demand no repentance of you
and much less tell you in no uncertain terms that you are
facing the fires of hell if you leave this world without a
personal relationship with the Jesus as revealed in the
scriptures.
No,
Joel is not a hell raiser and he has clearly said, "Hell No
to Hell!"
I take it
that if I, as a lawyer, was not to give you the full breadth
of the possible punishments for a crime that you had
committed but glibly glossed over it and tried to make you
feel good about yourself but yet the judge throws the book
at you, you would probably feel that you did not get
thorough legal representation.
You
would think, as you sit in jail (analogized to "hell") that
if you would have been noticed or informed about the
possible punishments awaiting you, you would at least have
had the opportunity to change your ways and walk the
straight and narrow.
But not
with Joel's approach. He wants to keep smiling and have you
smile when he preaches and teaches an incomplete and
feckless gospel.
Why?
He does not want to offend your sensibilities or have you
feel condemned and much less worry about being sent to a
devil's hell.
Is
Joel your gospel friend? You tell me. But for sure, Joel is
no hell raiser!
Contact
Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@juno.com
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