When I first heard this on the news that the Lakewood mega-church was not opening up to take hurricane refugees I was looking for a good reason why Joel Osteen's church would not have done this. The reason that the mega-church was flooded was good enough for me but then came the reason from Osteen that it was because the city did not ask us for use of it. Joel just should have stopped with the flooding because the latter reason is a sorry reason especially for a Christian church.

When you consider all the preaching from conservative evangelicals against government and it's social programs on the basis that the church should be taking care of this instead of the government and then a church that should be exemplary of that ideology, based on that teaching, fails to preemptively act because "they didn't ask us to" you have to wonder just what that church really believes. So they believe that the church should be taking care of the refugee and poor instead of the government or don't they. They certainly should demonstrate that they are able to and WILLING to take care of the refugee and poor. Any true Christian church and people should because this is what we do.
I realize this is an incredible embarrassment to Osteen and his church but perhaps they should be embarrassed of preaching a prosperity gospel that actually looks down on the poor for, according to them, not being blessed by God.

There actually is an air of arrogance coming from many of these prosperity preachers and it is transferred in some cases down to their followers. Osteen teaches a gospel of kindness, understanding and forgiveness and it seems to me that preaching can certainly salve the tormented soul but the prosperity element reinforces a self-help mentality instead of a help others mentality. There is an elitist air to all of it as if Christians there need not really get their hands dirty in reaching down to others. Reactions to disasters like actions speak so much louder that words.
So consider the quote from below which I think captures so well the state of mind and being in churches like this:

"If these people are getting what they deserve, then the rest of us are under no obligation to help them, right? No need to feed, or clothe, or shelter them. The rise in the maliciousness of people and their utter disdain for the poor has coincided with the rise of the prosperity gospel."

A true Christian church should not have to wait to be asked by the government to act and help and above all have to be asked to help in a catastrophic situation like this.  This is a terrible witness for the evangelical church which is already taking a hit right now for it's support of President Trump.

So read this article and realize there is a growing repugnance among people to the prosperity preaching evangelical community. Jesus had the favor of the people during his ministry but that is tragically being lost today unless some serious adjustments are made.

Joel Osteen’s Reaction To Tropical Storm Harvey Reveals The Pitfalls Of Prosperity Gospel

Preaching that God rewards in material excess inevitably ostracizes the “have-nots.”

Religion has gone from Jesus telling his disciples “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” as he walked about the unwashed masses tending to the sick and feeding the poor, to “I will open my doors of my church when all the other shelters have filled up.” And it’s easy to hate on Joel Osteen with his shampoo commercial hair, thousands of dollars in capped teeth, a mansion a Saudi prince would say was too ostentatious, and best selling books that are basically a collection of inspirational sayings from office wall art.

But the real culprit is prosperity gospel.

Prosperity gospel’s tenet suggesting having faith, tithing, and donating to the church will bring wealth and prosperity to you is a big bunch of malarkey. Plant seeds of money and in return money, wealth, and prosperity will be sown, preachers say. It’s the Trump University of religious beliefs. It’s like a casino without the bright lights and loud sounds of the slot machines. It’s a ponzi scheme that Bernie Maddoff would have applauded.

And with prosperity gospel, you don’t have to hide your wealth. Flaunting it is how you receive more donations. Joel Osteen lives in a $10.5 million mansion. Creflo dollar has two Rolls Royces, a private jet and three multi-million dollar mansions. TD Jakes’ net worth is north of $140 million. Bishop David Oyedo’s church, Winners’ Chapel, seats 50,000 people and his net worth is $150 million. People seem to want a rich pastor. They truly believe that these guys deserve to have millions, and you can receive millions too if you give them your hard earned money.

But that’s the real issue. Not everyone can be successful. We all can’t and don’t have million dollar mansions like Osteen or Pat Robertson. So does that mean we haven’t prayed hard enough? What about the child who has leukemia? Or the person who lost their job? Or the thousands of people who had every possession swept away in a flood? These people didn’t do anything to deserve the problems they are currently having. So where is God’s favor for them? 

Prosperity gospel implies that if you aren’t prosperous, it’s because God has not blessed you. And that makes it easier to turn people away as Osteen did. If TD Jakes and the rest deserve to be rich, then the people who aren’t deserve to be poor. If these people are getting what they deserve, then the rest of us are under no obligation to help them, right? No need to feed, or clothe, or shelter them. The rise in the maliciousness of people and their utter disdain for the poor has coincided with the rise of the prosperity gospel.

So while Osteen is facing a PR crisis, the rest of the peddlers of prosperity gospel should take heed. To quote Ghandi  ― “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

- W. Island