{"id":7869,"date":"2012-09-17T09:10:16","date_gmt":"2012-09-17T14:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theamericanjesus.net\/?p=7869"},"modified":"2012-09-17T09:10:16","modified_gmt":"2012-09-17T14:10:16","slug":"joel-osteen-publishes-new-book-of-magic-spells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/zackhunt\/2012\/09\/joel-osteen-publishes-new-book-of-magic-spells\/","title":{"rendered":"Joel Osteen Publishes New Book Of Magic Spells"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

Any fan of Harry Potter will tell you that magic spells are awesome.<\/p>\n

Say the right words the right way and your wishes will literally come true. It\u2019s all the fun of having a genie without the need of a magic lamp.<\/p>\n

Apparently, Joel Osteen is a big fan of magic spells.<\/p>\n

In his new book I Declare<\/em>, Osteen, that great bastion of theological insight, offers \u201c31 promises to speak over your life.\u201d (See the article below)<\/p>\n

While, to be fair, I have not read the book (nor will I), his premise is the literary incarnation of every sermon I have<\/em> heard him preach and both of them sound a lot like an Intro to Magic Spells<\/em> class Harry would have taken at Hogwarts (That combined with his usual nonsense about the problems and challenges in your life being the result of a bad attitude. Hear that Holocaust survivors? If your attitude had been a little better you probably wouldn\u2019t have had so many problems with that Hitler fellow).<\/p>\n

Why do I say Osteen\u2019s \u201cpromises\u201d are spells in self-help clothing?<\/p>\n

Because in Osteen\u2019s mind we have the power to force the universe, and by extension God, to conform to our will if we utter the right combination of words, or as he calls them \u201cpromises\u201d.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not prayer, nor is it a noble act of faith.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hocus pocus.<\/p>\n

Did Jesus talk about having enough faith to speak to a mountain to move and it would? Absolutely, but reading that passage as a formulation for theological spell casting demonstrates the fact that Osteen\u2019s literary interpretation skills are on par with a kindergartener, i.e. the word \u201cmetaphor\u201d is not in pastor smiley\u2019s vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Should we have faith that God can do great things in and through our lives?<\/p>\n

Of course.<\/p>\n

But there is a HUGE difference between praying and casting magic spells \u201cover your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prayer demonstrates a dependence on God and a willingness to accept the fact that we are not in control. Prayer also acknowledges that, like Job, even though we may posses great faith we cannot force or even compel God to act. We can only hope and trust in God\u2019s promises to be with us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.<\/p>\n

Magic spells demonstrate God\u2019s irrelevance in our lives. Sure we may invoke \u201cgod\u201d in our incantations, but the notion that one can \u201cspeak promises over your life\u201d and that those words of our own choosing are necessarily bound to come to fruition, that mentality harkens all the way back to the garden when Adam and Eve thought they could eat a magic apple and be magically transformed into God.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t happen for them and Osteen\u2019s magic spells won\u2019t work for him (or you) either.<\/p>\n

I know I\u2019m speaking to a brick wall here, by Osteen and his disciples need to come to terms with the fact that being a disciple of Jesus doesn\u2019t give you magical powers to bend the universe to your will.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a hazardous<\/a> path that leads to death.<\/p>\n

There is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel, but just like Jesus, we\u2019re problably going to have to go through hell before we get to heaven.<\/p>\n

Ok, enough already. That\u2019s my Osteen rant for the day.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the article about the book in question.<\/p>\n

Make sure you read it for yourself because Osteen\u2019s publishers are suckers who gave away a few magic spells in the preview (they\u2019re at the end of the article, so you\u2019ll have to click on the link).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, free magic spells today only at The American Jesus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re welcome America.<\/p>\n

\n

THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK AT JOEL OSTEEN\u2018S NEW BOOK \u2019I DECLARE\u2019: \u2018GOD NEVER ABORTS A DREAM\u2019<\/h4>\n

By Billy Hallowell, The Blaze
\n\u00a0
\nOn Tuesday, televangelist Joel Osteen will be releasing \u201cI Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life<\/a>,\u201d his new book aimed at helping readers delve into the Christian scriptures to find purpose and meaning.
\n\u00a0
\nThe hardcover aims to explore God\u2019s blessings in the areas of family, personal health, finances, overall individualistic outlook and overcoming obstacles \u2014 all important areas that impact individuals\u2019 lives. This morning, TheBlaze has an exclusive look at the book before it hits shelves.
\n\u00a0
\n\u201cI Declare\u201d is broken into 31 segments, as Osteen uses the structure to encourage readers to focus upon one theme each day over the course of a month. Throughout the book, the faith leader, who serves as the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, works to inspire readers to examine their lives in an effort to attain self-improvement and a deeper relationship with God.
\n\u00a0
\nIndividuals are encouraged to make specific declarations surrounding their personal lives and faiths. These proclamations are intended to help people progress in their personal\u00a0journeys.
\n\u00a0
\n\u201cI declare it is not too late to accomplish everything God has\u00a0placed in my heart. I have not missed my window of opportunity. God has moments of favor in my future,\u201c the introduction to \u201dDay Four\u201d reads. \u201cHe\u00a0is preparing me right now because He is about to release a special grace to help me accomplish that dream. This is my time. This is my moment. I receive it today! This\u00a0is my declaration.\u201d
\n\u00a0
\nThe chapter goes on encourage readers to abandon the excuses they may be giving for not accomplishing their dreams. Instead of avoidance, Osteen encourages people to push forward and to challenge themselves to succeed, regardless of the obstacles\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Any fan of Harry Potter will tell you that magic spells are awesome. Say the right words the right way and your wishes will literally come true. It\u2019s all the fun of having a genie without the need of a magic lamp. Apparently, Joel Osteen is a big fan of magic spells. In his new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3437,"featured_media":7875,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nJoel Osteen Publishes New Book Of Magic Spells<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Any fan of Harry Potter will tell you that magic spells are awesome. Say the right words the right way and your wishes will literally come true. 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