AN OPEN LETTER TO FANS OF JOYCE AND JOEL

AN OPEN LETTER TO FANS OF JOYCE AND JOEL

by Daniel Plunkett

If you've read my previous blog series, LEARN TO DISCERN,(click link to view) you may have been offended by some of what was said, and reasonably so. I wish there were a way to relate what's on my heart without offending anyone, but sometimes the truth hurts.   I've found that fans of people like Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer are extremely fond of them, and I understand why.  They both offer very positive messages and much of what they say is encouraging. And yes, they do talk about God and Jesus but, as I said in my previous articles, it must be stressed that what you think they are saying is not what they are really saying.

Confusing? I know it is, so please bear with me. Most people who listen to Osteen and Meyer have no idea about the theology and doctrines upon which their messages are based.  Many people who have been listening to them for years have never heard the term Word of Faith, yet that is the belief system they believe and promote.  In Learn To Discern, I go into much greater detail about Word of Faith, so here I'll just summarize.

Did you know that like all Word of Faith teachers, Osteen and Meyer both believe and teach the following doctrines:

- God created man out of a desire to reproduce Himself, therefore we are little gods?

- God lost control of our world when man sinned and therefore can't do anything for us unless one of us speaks it into existence?

- God sent Jesus to redeem mankind, but Jesus left His divinity (His Godhood) in heaven and lived His life doing miracles and raising the dead as just an ordinary man? (In other words, He was not God incarnate!?)

- Jesus actually became a satanic being on the cross, and therefore had to be tormented in hell?

- Jesus was the first man to get born again in hell and regain His divinity, therefore when we get born again we become just as divine as Jesus?

Friends, this isn't just doctrinal confusion; it is blasphemy. Worse yet, to uphold such beliefs, these people have to add to scripture, which is a serious sin. They claim these beliefs come from divine revelation, either to them or to their forerunners like Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland.  But please remember that no true revelation of God will contradict what's already been revealed in His Word.

Scripture has stern warnings about anyone who would preach "another Jesus;" "a different gospel."  And there is the problem. The God of scripture is not dependent on our words to act. Just ask Paul or Jonah.  The God of scripture did not reproduce little gods.  The Jesus of scripture never at any time ceased to be both fully God and fully man. Jesus never ceased to be divine, never had to go to hell and never had need to become born again.  Therefore, the God, Jesus and gospel of Word of Faith teachers are not the same as those of scripture. They truly are guilty of preaching another Jesus and another gospel.

Those are some main points. Secondarily, both Joel and Joyce tell us that scripture instructs us to "call those things that be not as though they are," to speak our desires into existence. Scripture actually tells us no such thing.  They are referring to Romans 4:17, which merely describes God as the only One who can do that!

I'm sure some of you will doubt that Osteen and Meyer actually teach all the things I've said they do. However, you can learn the truth the same way I did, by researching them. Their statements regarding all the doctrines listed above are not the product of word of mouth. Everything is in the public record. Their books and CD's, etc. contain all the teachings I listed.

Furthermore, their teachings on the Christian life blatantly contradict scripture. It is not always God's will for all of us to be perfectly healthy and wealthy. God is not pacing around in heaven hoping you'll say the right words to permit Him to bless you. Jesus guaranteed His followers that they would have trials, hardships, and persecutions in this life, but that He would be with them. 

Can you see now why the preaching of Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen is a different gospel from that of scripture? I hope so. I am truly sorry if I offended anyone but how cold hearted would I have to be to know that these people are lying to you, and not give you a warning? Stick with the Bible. The gospel within it is the truth.

As I've said, you can learn a lot more about these topics in my previous blog series, LEARN TO DISCERN.  It is the product of over three years of intense research, prayer and Bible study, triggered by my own encounter with another Word of Faith teacher. The Bible tells us to test the spirits. I did, and what I learned was shocking. If you read what I learned, I think you'll agree.