Joel Osteen meets with Pope, praises Pope's ecumenism & inclusiveness "to take everyone in"

Christian News Network reports,

Megachurch speaker and author Joel Osteen was among a group of political and religious leaders who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday. According to reports, Osteen was part of a delegation organized by the International Foundation in an effort to encourage interfaith relations and ecumenicism. Utah Senator Mike Lee (R), a Mormon, Gayle Beebe, the president of the interdenominational Westmont College in California, and Pastor Tim Timmons, founder of South Coast Community Church also in California, were among those who who greeted the pope, along with Osteen.

“I just felt very honored and very humbled,” Osteen told local television station Click 2 Houston. “It was amazing. And even to go back into that part of the Vatican—there’s so much history there, the place that they took us through. You feel that deep respect and reverence for God.”

“I love the fact that’s he’s made the Church more inclusive,” he said. “Not trying to make it smaller, but to try to make it larger—to take everybody in. So, that just resonates with me.”

I bet it does. Please be warned that in no uncertain terms Joel Osteen is a false teacher, and so is the Pope. Gladly, not everyone has drunk the Kool-Aid, as this pastor bluntly demonstrates from the same article.

"Joel Osteen has joined the rank of all other popular ministries in bowing his knee to the anti-Christ system, and those that blindly follow his leadership will be the first ones in line with their hand out to be marked by the beast,” Pastor Mark Herridge Sr. of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Livingston, Texas told Christian News Network.

“Any Protestant ministry that links up with the pope and Catholicism is betraying the sacrifice of millions of faithful Christians that have died at the hands of this brutal, dictatorial and oppressive religion that has never represented the Church of the Living God as outlined in New Testament teaching,” he said"

GotQuestions discusses ecumenism, the notion that the church can be all-inclusive and partner with false religions in a spirit of tolerance and unity, and still be the church of Jesus Christ.

Walter A. Elwell, in The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, defines ecumenism as “The organized attempt to bring about the cooperation and unity among Christians.” 

...As seen with the publication of Evangelicals and Catholics Together, there is a major emphasis in our day on ecumenical unity among Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. Those who promote such unity state that both are Christian and both are viable, God-honoring systems of faith. But clearly the substantial differences between the two groups render ECT a ridiculous document. Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism are two different religions that practice and believe different things about how one is saved, the authority of the Bible, the priesthood of believers, the nature of man, the work of Christ on the cross, etc. The list of irreconcilable differences between what the Bible says and what the Roman Catholic Church says makes any joint mission between the two absolutely impossible. Those who deny this are not being true to what they say they believe, no matter which side they are on. Any Catholic who is serious about his faith will deny what a serious evangelical Christian believes and vice-versa.

Osteen was only comfortable in the first place inside the Vatican with the Pope because he is false. And yes, the "he" refers to both men.

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Further Reading

Bill Muehlengerg examines Osteen's teaching compared to scripture

One note of correction, in the above article, Muehlenberg says "Osteen is charging $850" to attend his stadium events. That's not quite the case. The figure of $850 is true, but it's scalpers who are charging those fees.

Comments

  1. shakes head in disgust..... NO WONDER it's going to be SOOO easy for all the world to "come together" under one umbrella ~ under ONE world religion very soon after the pre-trib rapture!! What with all the BIG WIG **FALSE** teachers still here & yet having one big group hug!!

    Left behinders will just naturally assume with these PREACHERS and religious leaders left here -- that they know what they are talking about when they suggest the whole world unite!!

    Anyone think we'd get this far along with the so-obvious in-your-face SIGNS before the rapture?
    And YES..... the rapture IS still pre-trib!! Do not give up hope! SOON!! Keep watch!

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  2. I read this article on Joel Osteen early this morning prior to your blog Elizabeth and was not surprised that Joel Osteen was one of the ‘invited’ to the Vatican but I WAS struck by his word ‘inclusive’ and his remark ‘not trying to make it [the church] smaller, but to try to make it larger’.

    1) Jesus often discouraged the large masses from following him. He wasn’t seeking the many. He knew the crowds were there for the signs and wonders and the loaves of bread. But as for Christ and His message, that’s when the crowds dispersed.

    “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” John 2:23-24

    “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” John 6:64-66

    2) The doctrine of justification by faith alone (and this must mean faith alone in Christ alone, not just a belief in the doctrine); this is the Gospel message that saves.

    The Roman Catholic church believes that justification is by faith PLUS works. The Vatican Council position has not changed. Those in the ecumenical movement seem to gloss over this eternally important point. This IS a false Gospel and will lead to damnation for the ‘many’. The only time the Apostle Paul spoke with such vehemence against something was against the false gospel. Twice he repeated his judgment on the ‘another gospel’ of ‘faith plus works’ in Galatians 1:6-9 – “let him be accursed”.

    Colette

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    Replies
    1. Thank you VERY much for the scriptures, Colette! God bless!

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    2. We are now seeing the rise of a new Billy Graham but this time without even the slightest pretense of Biblical doctrine. I'm sure the exits of Yankee Stadium will be filled with Catholic Priests just like the good ole days!

      satan never sleeps!

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  3. Osteen is a real tool of Satan. Honoring the pope and Rome is just his latest deception of his followers.

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  4. The RCC, Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen, Pope Francis, Beth Moore. The list is endless. How easily the masses are deceived. Swallow and follow instead of reading His Word, studying His Word and praying for direction, discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

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