I was at Hasting's book store the other day and noticed in the "Christian" section, an entire shelf devoted to the books from the Charismatic preacher-ess Joyce Meyer. It is reported that the annual budget of Joyce Meyer Ministries is very near 100 million dollars. In size, some of these TV megachurches put Osteen's to shame. IMO it is our New Age "Christian" television that feeds these cults.
I think it should be noted that the Reformers had the charismatics of their day in which they named "enthusiasts".
Calvin noted the enthusiast's attempt to bypass the Scripture and seek the Spiirt in the Institutes 1-9 "Fanatics Abandoning Scripture..." and especially 1-9-3 "Word and Spirit Belong Inseparably Together"
Rather then wade (which I highly recommend) through this in the Institutes one might simply reflect on the perspicuous words of Luther concerning this issue.
"I slap your spirit on the snout." (Commentary on Romans)
Denny
Roms 3:22-24
Denny
Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." [John 6:68]
Whatever his own flaws, Mike Spencer is right in calling on evangelicals to "out" Osteen and make clear to the watching world that he is "not one of us":
"If you want to read a book in which discontentment is encouraged, a book that shows God to be powerless apart from your power-filled thoughts and words, a book in which sin is minimized and renamed in every conceivable way, and a supposedly 'Christian' book that gives only trivial mention to Jesus Christ, Your Best Life Now is the book for you!"