Living in the Last Hour

This statement was posted on a Christian artist’s Facebook page…

ABOUT JOEL OSTEEN: I usually don’t comment on this stuff but I feel I need to speak up. For some reason many credible church leaders are finding the need to dissect Joel Osteen as a speaker and even his credibility as a Christian. Even going after his wife and dissecting her words by the phrase as if they’re prosecutors and she’s on a murder trial. Folks this has got to stop. Joel is one of us. He is a God ordained bridge between the mainstream world and the church and we really need to protect our bridge. He’s a pastor. He’s not an evangelist. Though he does offer prayers for salvation, he doesn’t have to in order to fulfill his call. We have to see him for everything he is instead of terrorizing him for everything he’s not. He can not say everything we want him to say. But if we keep him in place he creates a hunger in people to go to their local churches and hear “the rest of the story”. The Bible says Some are called to reap, some to water and some to sow seeds. Joel is a world class seed sower. Who, by the way, is not afraid to water and reap. So let’s back off this key representative in the mainstream world. Satan loves it when we partner with him and destroy our own leaders. God has a seed sower for every generation. Wether it’s Norman Vincent Peale or Robert Shuller or Joel Osteen. We support our troops in the military, now lets support our troops in the church. Joel Osteen is one of our finest soldiers and he needs our support. Can I hear an Amen ?

This statement is awfully disturbing. I know I said I would not comment on this mess with the Osteen’s, but it has yet to die down. I thought I would follow with this…people are defending the Osteen’s character, their ministry, their sincerity, their abilities to bring others to Christ. Where is God? Where is Jesus? People seem more concerned with the audacity of fellow Christians passing judgment on the great and mighty Osteen than on Word of God and rightly dividing the Word. And they are doing the same thing in passing judgment…

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

I am amazed at how many Christians are using the “don’t judge” card. And the real truth is this…Only God knows the heart of any man…we don’t…so if we defend a messenger of God, we better make doubly sure that the messenger is indeed sent by God. We are to know the true believers by their fruit. Well…sometimes that can be a bit tricky…if you do not read the scriptures. Without knowledge of the Word of God..without reading the Word and having God reveal it to you, a person can pretty much believe anything that sounds like truth. I mean, we humans do the same in many other areas, not just with the things of God. Some people are easily ensnared.

This is not about the Osteen’s or any other false teacher, preacher, pastor or teaching. This is about Christians…no.. this is about people desperately seeking ” …” and finding “…” fill in the blanks.

2 Corinthians 3:15-18 “But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

There seems to be a lot of conversion, but very little in the way of transformation…and all of us can recognize transformation.

2 Timothy 3 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,  persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Luke 17  “Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sin