ETC Ministries - Osteen Astray

Joel Osteen, it is safe to say, is considered one of the most popular “stars” in the so- called “Christian world.” As the leader of the nondenominational Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, Osteen has established the largest or nearly the largest congregation of more than 30,000 members. Lakewood purchased the humongous Compaq Center, the former home of the Houston Rockets and pumped in $95 million for renovating it as their new home empire. Other huge arenas throughout the nation bring tickets prices for Osteen’s appearances, through brokers, in the range of $50 to $100.

The reports indicate that the Lakeland mega-business church’s revenues have exceeded $55 million every year since 2004. Osteen’s book, “Your Best Life Now” brought in a cool $13 million from the publisher before it was released. In his books and sermons, Osteen has been characterized as “the smiling preacher” whom his audiences refer to his positive self-help preaching as uplifting.

I view Osteen’s sugarcoated donut theology may be something that tastes good but has no nutritional value. In other words, his sermon, are no more than teachings of greed, selfishness, the thirst and hunger for worldly wealth and has no substance as to the things of God. One may be able to bow down to this form of teaching, practice it, and become wealthy. But no riches have been stored in heaven. That’s a sad commentary.

The people who attend Osteen’s services have been and continue to be spiritually malnutritioned on his junk food theological diet. Today’s popular televangelists have spoon fed their viewers with sayings such as “judge not, lest you be judged” and other tidbits of scripture with the emphasis to be tolerant. It is in the same Mathew 7 that has the “judge not” message and also where we are to make discernments about others (judge them) for what they are, fakes, ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing.

How, as members of the body of Christ, are we going to discern the evil forgers?

How, as worshipers of God Almighty, are we going to be able to distinguish good works from bad works?

Matthew 7:13-23 is the core answers to the above questions.

Some wanna-bee christians surround themselves with a perverted belief system whereby they say, “It’s not for me to judge them because I don’t know their hearts.” All one has to do is open their ears to the Truth and listen to what these phony preachers have to say. Jesus had this to say about their hearts, “Those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart.” – Matthew 15:18.

The Joel Osteen interview with Larry King on June 20, 2005 revealed his inner heart and workings, obviously dismissing crucial beliefs of the Christian faith. The mouth of Joel Osteen broadcasted to the world his true inner being, the very depth of his heart.

One of the things Osteen accomplished was deny salvation, which is only through the redeeming blood of Jesus’ death.

Surprised at his response, King throws out a follow-up question in order to clarify his belief system.

It is here that Osteen denies that these people can be saved by the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. He states that their sincerity and love of God is the way to eternal life, without Jesus. The Apostle Paul had this to say, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” – 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Some people, who prefer to defend the mouth of Joel Osteen, may claim that he was caught unaware of the question and that he wasn’t prepared. The Holy Spirit prepares us especially if the matter is broadcast throughout the entire CNN world. There’s no other excuse.

Once the phone lines were opened, Osteen was given another chance to clarify his position on salvation.

I don’t think there was any intention on Larry King’s behalf to corner and trap Osteen in an embarrassing situation. I think he was trying to give Osteen a way to clear up his belief system, only to find out that Osteen was obstinate about how God will view the atheist’s heart. Those of us already know how God views the heart of man. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

Jesus reiterates the above Jeremiah scripture by stating, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” – Matthew 15:18-19

It was not until after the interview that Osteen received negative letters from his followers. Osteen determined from the letters and e-mails that what he stated in the interview had caused a fury; refusing to testify the redemptive salvation of Christ Jesus. Consequently, Osteen caved and sent out an apology, publishing the following on his website: (since has been removed; no page found)

Personally, along with my understanding of Scripture, I find Osteen’s apology ambiguous and his mouth/heart is far from the true Christian faith. How can he say that he “was unclear on the very thing in which (he had) dedicated (his) life?” It doesn’t make any sense. As far as I can perceive of his interview, he was absolutely clear in what he stated to Larry King. First and foremost, I am not talking about a beginner, but a person who claims to have been taught for 17 years under his Dad that earned him an ordination of being a “pastor.”

And not once did he declare Jesus is the only way to heaven. Not once in that interview did he acknowledge the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. And, as a so called pastor of the largest church business in America, refusing to confess that Jesus is the only means of salvation is without excuse; no apology can undo what came out of his mouth and revealed his heart.

There were other statements made during the interview that were found to be in opposition to God’s Word. Osteen’s belief system is that God is lovey-dovey and He is not a harsh God to those who deny Him. Again, Osteen’s mouth revealed the inner workings of his heart, full of deception and lies.

Proclaiming himself as a coach? A motivator? I’ve seen too many of his kind, the “get rich in the name of Jesus” type that have widened the highway on the road to hell. As a motivator, he has motivated me to write against those who deny the very core of the Christian faith.

Osteen claims that he does not condemn and that his preaching is not of the “fire and brimstone” manner. Probably the most “fire and brimstone” preacher was in fact Jesus Christ; he spoke more about hell than most any subject. And, Jesus was very serious about distinguishing life (eternal salvation) against death (eternal separation from God), and he was quite outspoken even to the point of condemning those in opposition. But, Osteen can’t find it in his heart to condemn anyone nor openly discern/judge against evil. His seemingly pious and sugar coated message tickles the ears of many, those who make monetary contributions to his deceptive cause and purchase his useless books.

The ambiguity continues in the Larry King interview. Osteen claims to believe the Bible literally and on the other side of the coin he purposely and willfully refuses to preach “fire and brimstone” Refusing to warn people of the impending disaster upon their souls is abandoning the Truth. I know, as a member of Ecclesia, those who are not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Osteen’s ambiguity will only cause many of his followers to dance down the wide and often traveled road to hell.

Anyone who preaches that they believe in the Bible and outright refuse to claim its warnings, not teach repentance from sin, and deny the redeeming power of Jesus Christ, has much to answer for. Osteen claims in the interview that homosexuals and abortionists are not sinners. Concerning the word “sin,” this is what he had to say:

You would think that a so-called taught “pastor” would use the word “sin” in his messages but, in the mindset of Osteen, it doesn’t exist. However, in the mindset of Jesus, it was always there. By the way, the words “sin,” “sins,” and “sinner” are listed more than 120 times in the New Testament alone.

What I can surmises from the teachings of Joel Osteen is that he wants his followers to enjoy a secular life, increase their secular wealth, and of course to give some of their secular money to his cause without the fear of God’s condemnation. If you’re into his game, the secular means of a mega-church and its mega-business, then have at it.

But… for those who desire to find their name in the Book of Life…
Realize that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself through seemingly good deeds in “helping others.” On the surface and to a secular world, your giving and helping others may appear righteous and pious. But to God, there are certain things that must be placed in order for salvation to be received.

One must acknowledge that they are a sinner, repent, seek His forgiveness, and believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It is through this process that one can be saved from eternal damnation.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
– John 3:16

Joel Osteen, pastor of the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, has written Your Best Life Now. Along with Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life, it has dominated the New York Times' "Self-Help" list for months. Because of its influence, and Osteen's national TV ministry, we summarize it here and then bring our critique. Osteen is a prominent leader in the Word of Faith Movement.

Your Best Life Now

Osteen, the youngish pastor of the Lakewood Church, inherited his father's ministry and has driven it to wider prominence and influence. He leads one of the largest Protestant Churches in the United States today. Osteen has written his best-seller as a "self-help" book following a psychological grid with Biblical principles to guarantee that his readers have their very best life "now." As he does so, he offers seven principles for success. They are: 1) Enlarge your vision. 2) Develop a healthy self-image. 3) Discover the power of your thoughts and words. 4) Let go of the past. 5) Stand strong against opposition and adversity. 6) Live to give. 7) Choose to be happy. Under these seven (Biblical perfect number) headings, Osteen offers many sub-sections.

Osteen's Thesis

For Osteen "Happy, successful, fulfilled individuals have learned how to live their best lives now." (p. xi) They make the most of the present moment and, therefore, enhance their future. They don't focus on the past with low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy or inferiority and resulting negative experiences. Neither do they put off happiness for the future, a "someday attitude." They live fully in the present. Osteen promises that his seven simple steps will help us "stay positive" in the present and "believe in a brighter future." He claims, "By following the principles I'm going to share with you…you can be happy and fulfilled, starting today." To do this, you need to "rid yourself of some negative mindsets that are holding you back and start enlarging your vision." (p. x)

The Seven Steps

Step One: Get the right mental attitude. The battle is in your mind. Get rid of the old negative mind-set that destines you to fail. Reprogram your mind with an attitude of faith. Wrong thinking keeps you imprisoned in defeat. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Don't dwell on past pain. You can't be a victim and live in victory. (p. 32)

Next, you need to imagine the life you want to live and keep it before your eyes. Imagine success, health, abundance, joy, peace and happiness. If you keep this before you "nothing on earth will be able to hold these things from you." (p. 5) When Jesus says that you can't put new wine into old wineskins, he "was saying that you cannot have a larger life with restricted attitudes." (p. 6) But how do you do this? Osteen urges you to get up every morning and say, "I'm going to do something great." "This is going to be a great day." (pp. 8, 14) When you do this, you agree with God who "is trying to promote us, to increase us, to give us more." (p. 10) Since he "usually meets us at our level of expectancy, you must see yourself as happy, healthy and whole." Osteen adds, "You must make a conscious decision, an act of your will, to maintain an attitude of expectancy and keep your mind filled with thoughts of hope." (p. 16) If you visualize success, it will become a reality. "It is a spiritual principle as well as a psychological fact. We move toward what we see in our minds." (p. 18) Furthermore, you need to surround yourself with positive, successful people. They will reinforce your new mind-set.

With these changes, God can now help you. Osteen promises, "If you do your part, God will take you places." "Unfortunately, what you receive is directly connected to how you believe and what you expect." (p. 22) So think outside the box because God's dream for your life is much bigger and greater than you can imagine. He can do anything "if you will simply stop limiting Him in your thinking." (p. 23) Osteen adds, "God is a progressive God. He wants you to go further than your parents ever went." (p. 24) "You were born to win; you were born for greatness." For example, God doesn't want you to live in an apartment your whole life. "God wants to give you your own house. God has a big dream for your life." (p. 35) He wants to make "your life easier. He wants to assist you, to promote you, to give you advantages. He wants you to have preferential treatment" (p 38), and live "favor-minded." Osteen was upgraded to first class on a flight because of this mind-set and you can have the same thing happen to you.

To achieve this Osteen counsels that you need to start expecting and declaring God's favor in your life. Speak it out before you go to work every day. If you are struggling financially pray, "Father, You are bringing wonderful financial opportunities my way." They will come. Osteen promises, "You do your part and God will do his part." (p. 43) Step One then is to get the right mental attitude.

Step Two: Develop a healthy self-image. The battle is in your mind. You receive what you believe. "We will never rise above the image we have of ourselves." (p. 74) You speak, act and react in accord with the person you think you are. Your self-image is the unconscious "governor" that controls your actions and performance. Change it and you will change everything else about you.

You must adopt God's view of yourself. Osteen promises, "God sees you as a champion. He believes in you…. He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful, overcoming person." (p. 58) He continues, "You must reprogram your mind with God's Word; change that negative, defeated self-image, and start seeing yourself as winning, coming out on top." (p. 63) "God focuses on the things you're doing right; he sees the best in you." (p. 65) He wants you to have better heath, abundance, increase. So we need to get into agreement with him. (p. 79) This includes developing a prosperous mindset. Osteen writes, "God has already equipped you with everything you need to live a prosperous life. He planted 'seeds' inside you filled with possibilities, incredible potential, creative ideas and dreams." (p. 82) But his blessings are not automatic. You must do your part. You need to believe that you are blessed, see yourself as blessed and act as though you are blessed. You are made not for poverty but for prosperity. Osteen promises, "As his children prosper spiritually, physically and materially, their increase brings God pleasure." (p. 87)

Step Three: Discover the power of your thoughts and words. Your thoughts determine your actions, attitudes and self-image. Therefore, "thoughts determine destiny." (p. 101) While the enemy plants negative thoughts in you, you need to think happy thoughts. If we are depressed and shift the "blame to God, Satan, anyone or everything - we will never be free and emotionally healthy. We must realize that to a large extent, we can control our destinies." (p. 103) To do this you must dwell on the promises of God's Word and keep a positive attitude of faith. "You must cheer up first, then God will turn your situation around." In Ephesians 4 Paul tells us to "be constantly renewed." Osteen comments, "In other words, you must change your thought patterns… When you think positive, excellent thoughts, you will be propelled toward greatness, inevitably bound for increase, promotion, and God's supernatural blessings." (p. 104) Why is this? Osteen answers, "God is positive! There is nothing negative about Him." (p. 105) Moreover, "Psychologists are convinced that our lives move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts." If you make positive confessions, "You are reprogramming your mind." "The Bible tells us that we need to be 'transformed by the renewing of our mind.' If you will transform your mind, God will transform your life." (p. 108)

As you do this, you are simply getting in line with the way God created you in the first place. For Osteen, "Before we were ever formed, He [God] programmed us to live abundant lives, to be happy, healthy, whole. But when our thinking becomes contaminated, it is no longer in line with God's Word." To change this, "Understand, you are not defective. God made you and He programmed you for victory." (p. 114) But, "If you don't believe, if you're negative, fretting, worried or upset, then supernatural changes will not be possible for you… Every minute you allow yourself to lapse into a negative attitude is a minute that God cannot work in that situation." (p. 118) The key is to choose the right thoughts - success, victory and progress. Now God will continually work in you.

Along with right thoughts, you need to learn the power of right words. They are seeds sown in your subconscious mind - so make them positive. Don't talk about the problem; talk about the solution. (p. 124) As we speak from faith and victory, it will come to pass. Osteen writes, "God has already done everything He's going to do. The ball is now in your court." (p. 132) We hit the ball by speaking blessing like the Patriarchs in the Old Testament. This will create blessing for us and others.

Step Four: Let go of the past. Forgive others, ourselves and God. Stop talking about your pain. "Unless you let go of the old, God will not bring the new." (p. 146) Like the man by the pool in John 5, "You must make the decision… Are you going to get up and get moving with your life?" (p. 152)

Don't let bitterness take root by burying pain in your unconscious mind. Rather, forgive those who have hurt you. This is for your sake, not theirs. (p. 159) Forgive to be free. Otherwise, you build walls that prevent God's blessing. (p. 161) Let God bring justice for you. He will fight your battles and promote you. Let go of past failures, disappointments and sins. Believe God for a fantastic future. (p. 178)

Step Five: Stand strong against opposition and adversity. You may not be able to change your circumstances but you can change your attitude. "God is waiting on you to get up on the inside. When you do your part, He'll begin to change things and work supernaturally in your life." (p. 190, italics mine) Be a winner not a whiner. Say, "I am full of God's can-do power." (p. 193)

Trust that God's timing is perfect. Trials strengthen your spiritual muscles. (p. 205) You find out what you are made of. God is refining your impurities to raise you to a new level. (p. 206) First he changes you, then he changes your circumstances. When life doesn't make sense, trust him for delivering and sustaining faith.

Step Six: Live to give. Don't dwell on your problems. Go help someone else. Ask, "Who can I bless today?" Show God's kindness, mercy and forgiveness. Keep your heart of compassion open. Osteen writes, "When God created us, He put His supernatural love in all our hearts. He's placed in you the potential to have a kind, caring, gentle, loving spirit." (p. 241)

Remember this principle, "The seed must lead." Plant good seed and the harvest will follow. We reap what we sow. As we plant, our selfishness is overcome. We must be more seed oriented than need oriented. God's law of harvest is, "In time of need, sow a seed." (p. 252) The size of the harvest depends on the amount of seed we sow. If we help someone, God will turn our difficult situation around. (p. 259)

Step Seven: Choose to be happy. Happiness is a decision not an emotion. It is not determined by circumstances. You need to believe: "Your best life starts today." (p. 269) Osteen writes, "If you'd change your attitude and start enjoying where you are right now, God would show up and begin to work in your life." (p. 273) You must "bloom where you are planted." Focus on what you can change. (p. 274) Like Paul, who "wrote more than half of the New Testament while incarcerated," learn to be content where you are. (pp. 276, 278)

Trust that God's timing is perfect. He lets trials come to strengthen your spiritual muscles. (p. 205) Through them you find out what you are made of. Through them your impurities are refined and you are promoted to a new level. (p. 206) God changes us before he changes our circumstances. When life doesn't make sense we need to trust God for delivering and sustaining faith.

Be a person of excellence and integrity. If you take care of what God gives you, he will more likely give you something better. He doesn't appreciate laziness or sloppiness. Live your life with enthusiasm and you will have the best life now.

Critique

Osteen begins with a psychological grid. He then fits his thin theology into it. By the nature of a "self-help" book, he starts with what we can do to change our lives. His thesis is that we are created with all the potential for success. However, most of us are ruled by a negative self-image based in our unconscious mind. The good news is that we can reprogram both. If we choose to see ourselves as successful, victorious, achieving, and increasing, and if we speak this into our psyche daily, our lives will improve. We will become what God originally intended us to be and we will be more successful than our parents. God wants us to increase, and it is by our effort, not by his grace (a word completely absent from this book) that we do so.

But does any thinking worth the name "Christian" begin here? Do we start with ourselves? Do we embrace a psychological analysis as our presupposition about human nature and how to change it? The historic faith answers, "No." We don't start with anthropology (human thought), we start with theology (divine revelation). If we accept the presuppositions of any philosophy or psychology, rather than Scripture itself, we immediately warp and pervert the truth. This is exactly what Osteen does.

For example, he claims that God is only a positive God. There is no negative in him. This means he is happy when we prosper. But what about his awesomeness, his holiness, his justice, his judgment, and his wrath? They are never mentioned. This leads us to the startling realization that Osteen also never mentions the blood of Christ, atonement for sin, the cost of forgiveness, etc. We look in vain for any consideration of the cross. He also never mentions the resurrection of Christ from the dead. He has no need to, because these foundational points of the gospel don't fit into his system. For Osteen, because God is only positive, he has created us with fully positive potential and we can reach this simply by understanding that this is who we are and by programming our unconscious mind accordingly. In this system there is no real Fall, and therefore no real judgment. Our problem is not rebellion but our negative self-image that comes from negative conditioning. Redemption is not deliverance from sin, Satan and wrath, redemption is the recognition of all the exciting potential that God has built into us and our reprogramming ourselves with positive thoughts, daily affirmations, and the expectations of progress, promotion and special favor. At whose expense (Who gets left in the main cabin when we fly first class?), Osteen never says.

Because Osteen begins with his psychological grid, he continually misinterprets Scripture. When Jesus warns that new wine cannot be put into old wineskins, for Osteen this means that you "cannot have a larger life with restricted attitudes." (p. 6) But clearly this is not what Jesus meant. He is not addressing "restricted attitudes." He is addressing the religious complaint that his disciples don't fast. But how can they? This is "wedding time," the time of celebration and salvation. Jesus is the bridegroom and they are his guests. You don't fast at a wedding. The new wine of the gospel demands new wineskins, new forms to hold it. This has nothing to do with "a larger life." It has everything to do with the old order of the law and Satan's kingdom passing away. The King has come and the Kingdom is breaking in upon them. This is the time of salvation. "Restricted attitudes" will not keep us from a "larger life," but missing Jesus, the Messianic-King, and the hour of salvation will. His "new wine' is himself. The old wineskins cannot contain him. He is exploding the old order of Judaism and its pious practices. It is time to repent, believe and enter the Kingdom.

Again, Osteen says that the Patriarchs in the Old Testament blessed their sons, so we must speak blessing to each other. This is a powerful word to build a positive self-image. But, in fact, the Patriarchs didn't simply bless their offspring. They prophesied over them and many words were words of judgment and destruction rather than words of promise (See Genesis 49). Because Osteen assumes that God is only positive, he romanticizes the Biblical record and distorts it for his psychological point. To keep God positive, he must eliminate much of the Old Testament, virtually all the writing prophets, and two-thirds of the Psalms (which are psalms of lament).. He must also eliminate the warnings of judgment in the New Testament that make salvation God's amazing gracious gift, rather than the self-discovery of all our hidden potential.

When Osteen gets to Pauline texts he eliminates grace. Thus Paul's exhortation for us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, is turned into self-effort. Osteen misses the point of the passive verb. (Romans 12:2) Paul doesn't' say "transform yourselves," he says, "be transformed." The passive means that this is God's action rather than ours. The same error appears in his comments on Ephesians 4:23 where Paul tells us to "keep on being renewed." This exhortation is present passive. We are not to renew ourselves (by positive affirmation or any other psychological tool), we are to be renewed by the work of God's Spirit within us.

On page 276 Osteen makes a major historical blunder. He states, "The apostle Paul wrote more than half of the New Testament while incarcerated, often in tiny prison cells not much bigger than a small bathroom." First, Paul did not write more than half of the New Testament. A mere page count will show this. The Gospels and Acts account for 136 pages in the New International Version. Paul's letters account for 59 pages. Disregarding Hebrews, the General Epistles and Revelation, Paul's letters are less than half the first five books. Second, Paul did not write more than half of the New Testament "while incarcerated." In fact, his prison epistles are small and account for less than half of his works (5 out of 13). Third, we know little about Paul's prison cells. Acts shows him under house arrest in Rome (See Acts 28:30) Osteen's ignorance of Scripture makes him suspect to evangelical faith. With the size of his church, he could have at least had someone read his manuscript for Biblical accuracy. Such errors make him less than convincing on his overall thesis.

Not only does Osteen have no real place for the cross and the sheer grace of God, he also has no place for the transforming ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit isn't even introduced as an aid for our self-help. He is simply eliminated. As Gordon Fee says, for Paul, to be a Christian is to be a "Spirit person." There is no hint of this in Osteen's book.

In light of this, it is hard to say that Osteen writes as a clear Christian. He starts with his psychological analysis and puts the burden of change: moving from the negative to the positive, living in the moment, and reprogramming our unconscious mind, on us. We are the masters of our fate. If secular salvation means emotional well-being and material success, then it is up to us. God becomes our cheer-leader as we embrace and live out these psychological truths. Once we have done the work, we may get "our miracle," or a "supernatural" act of God, but this is all predicated upon the changes we make in our self-image and behavior. God's action is like the cherry on the ice cream sundae. The substance lies with us. We are simply affirming all the power and potential that he built into us in creation and that he is now delighted to see us recover.

The danger of this book is that it works. Its psychological grid and practical advice will be life-changing for many. Positive confession, abandoning a negative self-image (at least for self-acceptance), discovering a positive environment, being around "winners," and more tips for mental health, all work to some degree if practiced. But where is the power of God? Where is divine intervention, predicated simply upon grace? Where is worship, love, devotion and discipleship to Jesus? How does Jesus define our "Best life Now"? What does it mean to go to the least and the lost? What does it mean to identify not with winners but with losers, following the One the world thought was the ultimate loser as he hung on a cross? What does it mean to deny ourselves rather than to simply affirm ourselves? What does it mean to lose our life in order to save it? I would love to hear Osteen honestly answer these questions.

Perhaps we can understand Osteen emerging from Southern Fundamentalism with its negative, narrow legalism. Perhaps we can understand him when healing prayer in the form of "Miracle Services," no longer works. This would drive you to a self-help program, especially if your congregation was racially mixed, containing many who are just entering the economic and social mainstream. In fact, Osteen offers a sanitized form of the American Dream. Here is another way to self-betterment and self-fulfillment. But there is a viable grace based alternative.

It is centered on Christ who brings God's Kingdom, overturning the counterfeit kingdom of Satan. By the power of the Spirit he evangelizes the poor, drives out demons, heals the sick, and delivers the oppressed. He calls a new community into being to extend this ministry to the nations. as the his atoning death, his triumphant resurrection and reign, thoutpouring of his empowering Spirit, available to us today, and his glorious return, consummating his kingdom in the new heaven and the new earth. This makes all self-help languid. We must not settle for less than the kingdom message and ministry of Jesus. It is for us today.