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Mega-Church Pastors Speak on Lavish Lifestyles
Orginally published on Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 8:36 AM
by Todd Rhoades
Here's an interesting article that quotes two mega-church, very financially successful mega-church pastors: Rick Warren and Joel Osteen. The story starts out by saying that Joel Osteen lives a remarkably modest lifestyle when compared to his financial success (he's not taken a salary for a couple years from his church, lives in the same house that he lived in 13 years ago, and until recently, still drove the car given to him by his late father). Warren has been a pretty good example (in my mind, anyway) of responsible living with great wealth. Here are two quotes that I found interesting from the two, when asked about the congressional investigation of a group of wealthy mega-church pastors:
Rick Warren:
“The opulent lifestyles of televangelists make me sick… Success in any area often creates a spirit of entitlement — ‘I deserve this’ — that is the exact opposite of servant leadership.”
Joel Osteen:
“While I never like to hear negative things about friends and other ministers, I choose to believe the very best in them.”
Osteen does go on to say this though: “I do believe that God wants us to be blessed, to have good marriages, to have peace in our minds, to have health, to have money to pay our bills. I think God wants us to excel. But everyone isn’t going to be rich — if we’re talking about money.”
Any thoughts?
Todd
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There are 4 Comments:
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Posted by andrew jones
Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 9:04 AM
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Posted by Stewart
Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 10:06 PM
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Posted by Don
Friday, December 07, 2007 at 12:56 PM
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Posted by
Saturday, December 08, 2007 at 3:18 PM
Post Your Comments:good on them! nice to see a code of living among the mega church pastors. we poor missionaries dont often have a choice in teh matter but i hope our code would be strong if we were given a lot of money.
In my opinion, Rick has become much more sensitive to this issue in recent years. It’s been great to see. We all have areas to grow and mature as Christ followers.
I appreciate Joel’s quote. I haven’t read his latest book, but the earlier one sure sounded a lot like ‘Health and Wealth’ gospel to me. He puts disclaimers about that heresy throughout the book, but evidence to the contrary was all throughout the book in the form of personal stories.
Sad to see that the government has to expose the charlatan’s. I wouldn’t have bet their riches that they would have the courage to stand up and be counted for their accounting issues and lavish lifestyles. What a farce they are. I’m tired of all the"safe" correct kinds of speak among the remnant that can’t or won’t just come out and tell the truth, that the prosperity gospel is a crock and those that promote it are liable. It is “sick and twisted” its no wonder our credibility is rapidly diminishing. Sad
Don,
The reason the government has to expose them is because:
1. American Christianity is so weak and lazy that most “Christians” don’t study the Sciptures to be able to discern false teaching when they hear it. These “evangelists” love that because they get wealthy over the ignorance of those who follow them.
2. Because they do not know Scipture, they are unable and unwilling to perform biblical church discipline. Why doesn’t Rick Warren or Joel Osteen step up and do the right thing and bring two or more brothers with them to stop these charlatans. They’d rather not be controversial so they sit back and allow these deceivers to lead these people into destruction.
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