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Perfect for Babes in Christ
A babe in Christ will respond to this book's type of simplistic optimism. It is fine when you first become a Christian. But when you grow in Maturity, you will start to notice a few things about life.
"Take up your cross and follow me," said Jesus. Does this fit in with Osteen's full gospel? Or how about when Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all kinds of mean things about you. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven."
Osteen demonstrates that pop optimism sells. He leads the largest church. But "wide is the path that leads to destruction, and narrow is the way that leads to life," says our Lord.
Am I saying that Osteen is leading people to hell? No, I am not. But he is presenting a baby christian gospel, that does not understand that life on earth is meant to be a time of happy pessimism.
Yes, you can be a jovial pessimist. You can be a crotchety old wheezing geezer, who laughs at his latest misfortune, and prays that Jesus will come quickly. The people who seek happiness are the very ones who never find it. Because the pop optimist will experience severe setbacks every so often, and every time that happens, their phony money-grubbing "faith" will lessen.
The mature Christian will agree with the Old Testament patriarch known as Job. Because as Job says, "The Lord Gives, and the Lord takes away, BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."
Job knew that if the Lord gives you nice things, or if the Lord takes away those nice things, in EVERY circumstance you must bless God and praise him. If you get cancer, all your kids die, and your spouse spits in your face, you must say, BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.
You must lose your life to save it, said Jesus. If you want to get the true gospel, then rejoice in your sufferings, as he told us. Don't remain too long as a baby christian who is trying for a big job, big house, and is serving the false god known as Mammon. You might still be saved if you pursue that materialistic life... but you will live your whole life as a weakling, wimpy Christian, not a KNIGHT OF FAITH.
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