I dont’ know if you’ll believe this or not, but I really don’t like being negative.  It’s okay if you don’t believe me, because I’m not going to lose any sleep over it, I know my heart and mind and so does God and in the end that’s all the counts.

I mention this at the beginning of this post because I am going to be negative, and just want you to know that I wouldn’t have to do this if certain people would just preach the Gospel!

I’m referring to Sunday’s interview with Pastor Joel Osteen over at beliefnet. It’s typical Osteen, lots of hemming and hawing around any tough issue, lots of positive boiler plate thrown in, and as always topped by that undeniable Osteen charm and grace.  Here’s how the interview starts:

BELIEFNET: What’s your core message [at Yankee Stadium] going to be?

OSTEEN: My core message is that God is good, that he’s on our side, and even though times are tough and a lot of people are suffering I believe God can still bring us through, and that he has good days in the days ahead. So it’s all about hope and believing for better days.

So what’s wrong with this?  On the surface not too much.  After all God is good and will surely help all who call on Him in times of trouble, right?

Right.  But that wasn’t the question! He was asked what his core message would be, and he replied with some vapid happy talk about God being all goody, goody.

God being good and on your side is many things, but let’s be clear, it’s not the Gospel!

Compare Osteen’s core message with what the Apostle Paul said his core message was:

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 (NIV)

I wonder how much of this the people in Yankee Stadium will hear?  Not much is my guess, especially since Paul get’s so negative, talking about believing in vain and all that!  Ugh!

Oh, he’ll talk about Jesus sure enough, he always does.  And most Christians who hear it will just naturally add in the Gospel to what he says, and leave thinking he said things that he never said.

It’s more than sad, it’s down right pathetic, and a sign of the times that we live in.

Why so many Christians continue to watch him, buy his books and other material and continue to support a “ministry” that refuses to preach the real Gospel escapes me.

I just don’t get it, but it’s real alright.

Wake up people!