A recent hoax spread through the Internet like wildfire. “Joel Osteen departs Christian faith“. Shock! Awe! Horror!
The scam reminded me of Winston Churchill‘s famous comment “A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its pants on”. It was a cruel hoax. But it made me think – what if it were true? What if he really packed his bags and said ‘deuces’? What would happen?
The E.N.D. Surely! The naysayers, atheists and Christian haters would have a field day. Welcome to the come-one come-all everyone’s-invited open-buffet feeding frenzy. On the menu? The church. Or at least it’s remains. And the media? My goodness the media! Forget sharks baying for blood. Unleash the Kracken!
Not to trivialize the matter. No doubt it would be terrible for the church. A man who has spoken powerfully into the lives of millions of men and women around the world giving up on his faith would be devastating. Faith would be shaken. Congregations would dwindle. If he really did say “There is zero evidence the Bible is the Holy word of God”, I’d imagine many Christians and churches the world over would suffer a crisis of faith. Televangelists (and preachers in general), already viewed with suspicion in many circles, would all becoming moving targets.
The honest truth is the fall-out would be significant.
But would that be the E.N.D?
HARAMU HAILALI – On the sporting field as a little boy, I remember the Swahili saying ‘haramu hailali’, which loosely translated meant ‘foul play never wins’. My much broader definition of it has to do with the fact that lies don’t win – truth does! And if there is one truth that has proven itself resilient over the years, it is the truth of the church, and the truth of the message of the Gospel. Through all its ups and downs, that truth always wins!
By all accounts and purposes, the church should have been dead and buried by now. R.I.P. Goodbye. Gone. Sayonara!
It should have died a thousand deaths, first under the weight of its own self-destructive leaders. The bloody crusades. The inquisitions. The pornographic papacy. The scandals of sex-starved priests. The antics of lavish living power-hungry televangelists.
Yet…Truth triumphs!
The church eulogy should have been read as it was crushed under the weight of persecution. From murderous Nero to the dreaded Diocletian, early church Christians were martyred and used as human torches. They were boiled in oil. Sewn in half. Beheaded. Crucified. Crucified upside down. Fed to wild animals. Stephen King would pee his pants at this horror!
Yet persecution never extinguished the Christian flame. It only fueled it and made it burn brighter. Martyrdom was glorified. Numbers grew.
Even today in places like China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan – the church is targeted for extermination, yet thriving underground churches continue.
Even in serious persecution…Truth triumphs!
And in the 21st century the church steps into the ring with arguably its most formidable opponent yet – post-modernism. If this truth refuses to die, then muddy the waters. Don’t kill the Christian. Don’t waste time discrediting their leader. Instead, make the world question the existence of truth. Absolute truth. Create doubt. “One truth? Really? Only one way? Surely there must be more”. Then flood the world with numerous worldviews to the point the Christian message is submerged under a deluge of seemingly innocuous alternatives. Multiply options. “One God? Really? You sure? Can’t there be more?” Introduce secular humanism. “Do we really need ‘A god?’ Can’t we be moral and ethical all by ourselves? What if there is no God (atheism)? Can’t I be one of those Gods?”
The church now has a real battle on its hands.
Yet, will a 21st century philosophy floor a truth that even fire could not burn, murderous threats could not extinguish and scandalous times could not diminish?
I think not! The church is immutable. Immovable. Eternal. The church will outlive every scandal. It will laugh in the face of danger. It will outlast alternate truths. This truth is dogged. Determined. Indestructible. It will never be down for the count. It will triumph.
Why?
Because the church is not man’s idea. The church is God’s idea. It is His plan A for the salvation of the world. And God has no plan B. God is deadly serious about every man, woman and child coming into contact with the saving and redeeming power of the Gospel, and discovering the life He created them for. God showed intent on guaranteeing its success – Christ Himself is the head of this church.
He will redeem in spite of the brokenness and frailties of church leaders. He will accomplish His purpose despite powerful waves of persecution and attack. He will imbue the church with strength and wisdom to ward off every threat. God is too heavily invested in the church to see it fail!
So if Joel Osteen threw in the towel and…
Scratch that!
Joel Osteen isn’t going anywhere. Even he knows…truth triumphs!
Reblogged this on thekenyaninme and commented:
what if Joel Osteen really quit..what if…okay shivers first then what?
This Joel Osteen hoax really got me thinking as well. Thanks for putting everything is perspective. Good stuff!
naturally the truth one is taught would be assumed to be the only one. A person born and raised in Saudi Arabia would be saying how Islam is the truth for instance. There is only one truth but christianity( based on the hebrew world view) like other religions is one of many ways man has tried to explain that truth.
Someone’s missing the point here. Regardless of your worldview, truth is a survivor. I’d love to see the worldview of the Saudi Arabian go through the upheavals of decades of serious persecution and scandal and see what happens to it.