STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED!

Tonight Gina and I watched a few moments of "The year's most fascinating people" hosted by Barbara Walters. Over the years I have watched quite a few of her interviews and rarely found myself agreeing with her conclusions. But tonight was an exception. One of her most fascinating people was Joel Olsteen. Now, I do take exception with her calling him an evangelical. His theology is more akin to the self-help thinking that pervades our American society, than to Biblical doctrine. But in introducing him she said that his preaching is absent of sin, sacrifice and suffering. She even pointed out that many of his critics call his teaching 'Gospel light." She was right on target. He defended his practice of not preaching on social sins such as homosexuality, abortion, and gay marriage by claiming he was not called to address such controversial subjects. That is why I have trouble calling Olsteen an evangelical. Without the Biblical doctrine of sin, the substitutionary death of Christ, and the suffering of Christ and his followers, the Gospel is gutted. Olsten my 'pastor' (using the term loosely) the largest church in America, but his teaching is dangerous. The Church in America is overrun with apostate preachers teaching a so-called prosperity Gospel. Men like Olsteen may gain the accolades of the world, but only the Spirit anointed preaching of the Word of God will gain the Savior's thumbs up!