The Beast Markings of Joel Osteen

 

Joel Osteen blesses Houston’s new (gay) mayor Annise Parker

USA Today reports:

Annise Parker, the newly-elected happens-to-be-lesbian mayor of Houston was sworn in Monday and the opening prayer was given by … Rev. Joel Osteen.

Is your head spinning? Osteen heads the nation’s most mega of evangelical non-denominational megachurches, Lakewood Church in Houston where about 45,000 people cycle through a revamped sports stadium for services every weekend.

 Osteen has been all over telling folks (Larry King, Whoopi Goldberg) for years that homosexuality is not “God’s best.” I presume he means “God’s best choice” because otherwise I’m lost in the dropped or implied rest of the sentence. But “God’s best” is phrase Osteen never finishes so I’m just guessing.

 Yet, Osteen hasn’t joined the more strident wing of the religious right in damning gays. Indeed, Osteen takes heat from other evangelicals who condemn him for not laying down a line of fire about sin of any kind. That’s not his style, says the preacher known for his broad smile and sermons that God wants you to be happy. Osteen’s best seller was titled, Your Best Life Now

Now (hat tip to Mark Silk for pointing me to the Box Turtle Bulletin) writer Timothy Kincaid suggests to his gay readership that they look at Osteen more fully and fairly. Kincaid’s post (which carries a disclaimer that others on the staff of the webzine don’t necessarily agreed) says:

I think it would be useful for our community to adopt a more nuanced view of religious leaders. By doing so, we might find ourselves with unexpected allies. Joel Osteen does not agree with my understanding of Scripture; but his disagreement does not make him a hater or a bigot. And I recognize the value in having a lesbian politician — elected despite her opponent’s religion-based homophobic campaign — being given blessing by the pastor of the largest congregation in the nation.

The EX Daily Word for January 7, 2010

New Beginnings, Pt. 4

Prov. 11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Things have to change in 2010. People have to open their eyes and see what is really going on. The hype message won’t work this year, because there is a crisis in the land and it is exposing the agenda of the false prophets. They lied to us all while the getting was good and preached that 2009 was the year of growth, wealth, and financial independence, and yet they are downsizing their staffs and letting employees go? They didn’t see this bad economy coming and they wanted to pretend it was not going to happen, but it has. You see, when the music concerts and plays/dramas stop, the truth has to be dealt with and many of our pastors are not equipped to hear from God for real and preach the truth! They know how to entertain and bring a sermon, but do they really know how to prophetically prepare for the coming turmoil of our nation? Now many are cutting corners and trying to make ends meet and some are using get rich schemes and totally distorting the Gospel message of Christ. What happened to the plenty, the financial blessing, and the harvest? I have news for you people of God, if you have been standing for the truth and righteousness, don’t worry, you will have plenty. If you have stood up for the right thing and shunned the false thing, you will be blessed in this hour. 2010 is the year that will separate the real from the fake. No longer will folks just sit under a homosexual pastor, preacher, or choir director and allow them to totally suck the spiritual life out of them. We can’t sit back and just be entertained and you cannot entertain away the pain! Folks need God now and it takes those that really know how to get to him to stand in this hour. We can’t sit under pastors and preachers that are for the money and not the lives any longer.

God is separating and starting with the church so I encourage you to pray and fast until you hear from God about your situation this year. I’m not talking about laying off of sweets and sodas for a couple of days but I’m talking about really pushing the entire plate away, turning off the entertainment and hearing the voice of God. We have wasted so much time chasing these false prophets of Baal and these mega church messes. It’s time to find out where your meals will be coming from for real. The day of the Bishop flying in the jets, flossing on the Oprah show, and living the life of a rock star, while the congregation suffers from lack of Spiritual nourishment is over. That won’t work in this hour people. People need a real Word, a real relationship with God and some real answers from the Sunday sermon! They need pastors that have good marriages, good children, and success in their own homes to lead them in the time of lack and turmoil. God is putting an end to the game and he is transferring the wealth in this final hour to those that have been faithful to stand for him. Don’t sow another dime to a ministry that is lead by a carnal, selfish leader. If they are not leading Spiritually, then they are not your spiritual leader! Open your eyes saints. The hour is late. If you want a new beginning and God’s favor in 2010, do what he says and you will be sustained!

Suggested Reading: Psa. 55:22, Neh. 9:21, Psa. 112:2-3, Prov. 10:22

©2010 G. Craige Works All Rights Reserved

Nephilim’s Finest: Gaga Worship

Lady Gaga demands worship — and gets it

By Jim Abbott

The lady herself calls it “the church of Gaga” and she’s not shy about the commandments:

“Tonight you must free yourself as if it were the last night on Earth!” she implored the sold-out crowd of believers on Sunday at the UCF Arena. Since she was sprawled out on her back at the time, it was obvious that Lady Gaga was more than willing to show the way to freedom.

In a visually stunning and solidly musical performance that stretched more than 90 minutes, Lady Gaga pretty much justified the hype that surrounded a show relocated just weeks ago from its original home at Hard Rock Live. Looking at the monstrous stage, with its trio of massive stage-to-ceiling graphics and jumbo video screens, it was hard to imagine how the Hard Rock could’ve contained it.

A larger building also is required for Gaga’s sense of grandiose production and raw sexual energy. She’s part glittering Cher excess, part limit-bending Madonna attitude and part the craziest woman you’ve ever met.

At one point, she compared herself with Tinker Bell because she would die without the comfort of her fans. The sweetness of the sentiment was shattered in an instant when she shrieked: “Do you want me to die?? I can’t live without you!”

In exchange for such devotion, Lady Gaga offered of sea of special effects that makes other pop concerts look like high-school plays.

“It’s been seven minutes and I’ve done three costume changes,” she told the audience in the early going, an accurate reflection of a pace that continued all night, with nary a wardrobe malfunction. There was a lot of glitter, leather and skin, as well as odd fashion statements such an encore outfit that looked as if a car-seat headrest had been stuck to the singer’s back.

And, yeah, there was enough pumping and grinding to make Britney Spears blush. Sometimes, when things veered toward performance art – such as the video of a woman vomiting greenish-blue liquid on Gaga’s white dress – it was hard to see the point aside from sheer weirdness.

But just try to look away.

Musically, the singer’s songs were unleashed with such overwhelming volume and low-end that they bludgeoned listeners into submission rather than engaging them with hooky melodies that are more apparent in the studio versions. “Teeth,” with its sludgy beat and formulaic choreography, merely mined terrain that Britney has been excavating for years.

At other points, such as the solo piano rendition of “Speechless,” it was apparent that Gaga’s voice was strong and flexible, just like her body.

And, amid all the sex and splashy effects, that church image rang strangely true. The singer forged an impressive bond with the audience, which she takes great pains to include in the Lady Gaga mythology.

“My fans are the most important thing to me in the whole world,” she said, describing the concert as a place “where all the freaks are outside and we locked the doors, a place where you know you’ll always be free.”

A demanding, but benevolent, deity of the dance floor.

Anti-Christ Undertones?

New ‘Lost’ Promo Photo Turns Locke Into Jesus

Reported by Buddytv.com

 There has always been plenty of religious iconography on Lost, but the final season is getting rather obvious with two new promo photos that imitate Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Last Supper, with John Locke sitting at the center of the table just like Jesus Christ.

Lost is no stranger to painting John Locke as a Christ-figure.  Last season, when he tried to kill himself off the Island, Locke struck a fairly obvious Christ pose, complete with sandals.  Obviously The Last Supper also works since this is Lost‘s final season.

But while some religious groups might object to Lost using this famous image to promote its show, fans will be more curious about small changes in the two new photos released by ABC.

While the positions of most of the characters remain the same, there are some minor differences.  Ken Leung (Miles) and Emilie de Ravin (Claire) switch sides, pushing Jorge Garcia (Hurley) one seat in, while Michael Emerson (Ben) and Yunjin Kim (Sun) swap places.

Is there something special about these five characters who move while the others remain in the same places?  Why does Sun move away from her husband in the second photo?  Are these legitimate questions or are the producers just trying to mess with fans even more?