The great mega churches that are in and surround Houston Texas are big bold and beautiful. They preach redemption, humility, prosperity, and helping thy neighbor.
Will the Houston mega churches open their beautiful interiors to the city that made their pastors multimillionaires? Will they care more about the people of Houston who are enduring a catastrophe never seen before or will they be more concerned about maintaining the “gold plated” interiors of their physical buildings? Will they put human beings over property?
These mega churches love to preach against the government. They love to preach about low taxes, in effect, a mouth piece for their most affluent benefactors. They do not pay taxes even as they receive all the service every other business gets from the government they rail against regularly.
Anyone who is watching the national and local coverage will notice one thing; the governments in Houston and sorrounding areas are overwhelmed by the flooding catastrophe, but they are functioning and saving lives. Only two people have died as of this posting, and given the breadth of the weather massacre, that speaks well for not only our local governments but for Southeast Texans helping each other.
According to Raw Story,
Celebrity pastor Joel Osteen is drawing intense criticism online for keeping his megachurch closed during Hurricane Harvey and instead offering social media promises of prayers.
The “prosperity gospel” minister preaches at a 16,800-seat arena at Lakewood Church near downtown Houston, which has suffered severe flooding after the hurricane made landfall and then parked over the city.
Osteen offered prayers in a Saturday afternoon tweet, but his critics asked for more.
https://twitter.com/JoelOsteen/status/901529457621688320
Joel Olsteen may be the poster boy for the failure of the Mega Churches. Now is the time for them practice what they preach, Now is the time that they emulate the man that they claim to serve. Would Jesus not have started opening the doors to his structures? Would he not be visibly helping people and not making proclamations on social media from the comforts that the people’s money paid for with their hard work unlike those of these wealthy pastors?
It is time for these churches to step up and make their presence known. They have used the tithes of Texans to enrich themselves. It is time for them to give back. It is time for them to at least give the semblance of believing what they preach by executing what those words mean to most.