Joel's latest Tweet of encouragement...

"Get up, each day, expecting God's far-and-beyond favor. Then you will see God show up and do amazing things in your life." (Via Twitter)

In his usual fashion, he sets up what are supposedly "biblical promises" presented in an "if/then" form. "You do this and I will do that." The majority of Pastor Osteen's "encouragements" are like this.

Granted there are promises of God which are in fact stated this way in the Bible but never to the exclusion of God's sovereignty. As he has stated it, God's actions in our lives are based on, and contingent on, OUR expectation and ability to "see" what it is we are demanding. (In his best selling book--Your Best Life Now--this is reiterated.) He equates this to "faith." This is not only wrong it is offensive to a holy God who does not operate capriciously or Who is coerced into action because of our demandingness.

In my forthcoming book--The Proper Pursuit of Prosperity--I give specific examples from Joel's writings showing the discouraging nature of what he advances as "encouragement."