Joel Osteen, Mormon, Muslims Visit the Pope

Joel Osteen, pastor of America’s largest church, was part of an ecumenical contingent that met with Pope Francis at the Vatican last week. Members of the party included Senator Mike Lee, a Mormon. The meeting was arranged by The International Foundation, which is the chief organizer of the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The Vatican meeting was “part of Pope Francis’ on-going efforts to bring unity among Christians” (“Pastor Joel Osteen,” Christian Post, June 7, 2014). Pentecostal Joel Osteen told the Houston Chronicle that he was honored and humbled to visit the Vatican. “You feel that deep respect and reverence for God,” he said. “I like the fact that this pope is trying to make the church larger, not smaller. He’s not pushing people out but making the church more inclusive. That resonated with me.” The next day, the busy pope met with Jewish, Muslim, and Druze leaders: including Israeli president Shimon Peres and Palestinian president Abu Mazen. For the first time in history, Islamic prayers and readings from the Quran were made at the Vatican (“Islamic Prayers to Be Held at Vatican,” Al Arabiya News, June 6, 2014). The building of the one-world church is progressing, but the devil’s plan (“the mystery of iniquity”) is under God’s ultimate control (“he who now letteth will let,” 2 Thessalonians 2:7), and prayer changes things in God’s universe. He who knows the beginning and the end and works all things according to His own will takes man’s actions and prayers into consideration. In an ancient time of apostasy, one man’s prayers accomplished mighty things. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (James 5:16-18).

(Friday Church News Notes, June 20, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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