I am grieved. I am angry. I am appalled. I am not going to buy this book. I am calling people to stay clear of this false gospel. There—I’ve said it. This is fundamentally false teaching. Some might say this is blasphemy. I’d say it’s ignorant and dangerous at best. It’s popular. It sells. And it’s toxic. This is not what our world needs. This is not what our God is offering. This is graceless, hopeless, truth less, and fruitless. If this is indicative of what this man teaches, then keep your distance.
Why the rant? Because I just visited my local Christian bookshop and found this volume prominently displayed in the new release section. I stayed a while and skim read the book. I arrived home, gathered my mail, and found this same book on the recommended Christmas reading list of a Christian bookshop catalogue. So, woe to me if I do not speak. If a blind man prepared to step off the edge of a cliff, I would take hold of him tightly. If my grandson picked a toadstool believing it to be a mushroom, I would snatch it from his mouth. So I say, beware this book. It might look real, it might look healthy, it might even reference the Bible again and again, but it will leave you unwell.
Pardon my naivety, but I opened this book expecting to read of the wonder and power of Yahweh—the one true God, the great I AM or maybe to be reminded of the wondrous I AM sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel. Instead I read the narcissistic promises of a ‘name it and claim it’ speech-faith preacher. Rather than hearing the call to humble myself before the God of all the earth, I am told to banish all negative thoughts and place ‘me’ at the centre. I am told to be positive or be quiet. No!
Osteen calls his readers to Speak These “I Am”s over Your Life
Please, whatever happened to I am undeserving, I am weak, I am a slave, I am rejoicing in suffering, I am being poured out like a drink offering? Where is the call to lose our lives for Christ’s sake? Why has the glory of God been replaced with the glory of self?
Joel Osteen, follow the example of Volkswagen, and recall your fraudulent books.
macarisms 
Well said Dave, in the last days many will be deceived by false teaching. Thanks for the warning. Blessings to you and your family this joyous Christmas Season from one NED to another. Carol.
Well said Dave. Slippery material indeed.
Well said Dave. A very slippery slope presented by Osteen.
Yes, well said! This kind of teaching is tolerated more than is sometimes realised, and we need to call it what it is- blatantly false teaching, a false gospel offering false hope.
Thank you David for speaking up.
If you regularly say, “I am making up my own self-centred religion” it will quickly become true!
Well said thanks Macca – this definitely warrants a rant!
Good on you for speaking up against it!
Best wishes,
Kylie [ð]
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