I can do what it says I can do. His television show is the highest-rated religious broadcast in the country. I didnt know. I had to say I dont know. He has a humility about him, a power and presence, an ability to use television, and hundreds of pastors are saying, This is changing our lives. It would not surprise me for Joel to be a dominant force in Christianity for quite a few years. Lisas assessment was even more positive: The reason they [compare Joel to Graham] is because the anointing is on him to bring in thousands, and thats what we saw with Billy Graham, and still see today. NOT EVERYONE WAS INITIALLY ENTHUSIASTIC about Joels becoming the pastor at Lakewood. Dodie once told me that her husband announced years ago, Someday, well be meeting in the Compaq Center. Lisa remembered that he had the Astrodome in his sights. Still, detractors aplenty exist, and the criticisms they raise pertain directly to Joels message, which is variously characterized as a barely baptized version of the secular doctrine of Positive Thinking or a damnable heresy that legitimizes materialism and endangers the souls of those who embrace it. I take a little different approach. In addition, all the major services are now webcast live. On this day, the vaguely dominatrix look of her high-heeled black boots, black mock turtleneck sweater, and long black leather coat with silver buttons down the front was erased by the warm friendliness she showered on her adorers: Hi, sweetheart. Gary Simons Resigns From Preserve Marriage - Bernews I spent a lot of time in India with my father. April Osteen Simons Amen. I feel like the church should be a force. FOR MOST PREACHERS, MONDAY IS A DAY OF REST. I dont see how I could get up there and preach that we need one hundred million dollars for the Compaq Center and have a poverty mentality. 921 posts. Dodie and daughter Lisa were active in the churchs ministry; younger daughters April and Tamara were faithful Christians; son Paul was in medical school; and the youngest son, Joel, was a freshman at Oral Roberts University, in Oklahoma. When he appeared on Larry King Live in late June, King asked him about the fate of Jews and Muslims, who dont accept Christ at all. Joel replied, Im very careful about saying who would and wouldnt go to heaven. His personal-appearance events are packing arenas in major cities around the country, including Madison Square Garden, in New York, where an extra night had to be scheduled to keep up with demand, and the American Airlines Center, in Dallas, where scalped tickets fetched as much as $100. Dodds contends that such criticisms come from a lack of experience and full knowledge of what we are doing. I sort of agree with them., Billy Graham, of course, is not an office in the Christian church that must be filled. It wasnt possible to probe the thoughts of these folks, but expressions on the faces of most indicated that they felt something significant had just happened. Regular viewers have no difficulty finding out when the tour will visit their city. But while in his mid-seventies, John developed some serious medical problems, including a heart condition that necessitated a pacemaker and high blood pressure that weakened his kidneys to such a degree that he required dialysis. We call other ministries. HBO Maxs Love & Death Needed a Home for an Axe Killer. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. April Osteen Simons I cant speak for the pastor, said Dodds, but I can see us having Lakewood Philadelphia, Lakewood Atlanta, Lakewood Detroit, and having Joel preach the message every week. You know, Daddy, I think one day he may be standing in front of that camera instead of behind it. Later that same week, on January 23, John Osteen died of a heart attack at age 77. She used to assist with her mothers jewellery company when she was a student at the University of Houston. For his part, as Joel has said, I am convinced that in twenty years well look up and realize that the Compaq Center isnt big enough to hold all the people. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Or, in a less complex assessment of divine transcendence. To show its appreciation, the books publisher, Warner Faith, had provided Joel with a private jet and liveried town cars to ease the burden of a book-signing trip that included events in Arkansas and Tennessee on the same day. TO WATCH JOEL AND THE LAKEWOOD team at work and to visit with them offstage is to become aware of dual narratives for explaining the ministrys meteoric success. On Joel Osteen Radio, SiriusXM Channel 128 each week, Victoria presents a live call-in radio program. April Osteen Simons At one level is a clear sense that the entire venture has been ordained by God and continues to operate under the direct micromanagement of the Holy Spirit. In my next book, Im going to be clearer about that. When I spoke with Joel about the financial scandals that have bedeviled some independent ministries, he revealed that the church did not currently make its budget available to the congregation but that the executive team had been discussing the need to do so. I grew up [in my fathers] church, he said, and I worked with him for seventeen years. I know how a church works. When the laughter subsided, he said, All right. Inevitably, some wonder about the wisdom of having a small family group exercise almost total control, with little outside accountability, over more than $60 million in annual revenue, a figure almost certain to grow in future years. (Among preachers, plagiarism has long been considered more homage than offense. Prime Minister Texas Monthly I was told that a woman who had represented Doubleday in the bidding for Joels book had told her successful competitor, You have just guaranteed the success of Warner Faith.. I encourage people to say what God says about you, to say, I am strong in the power of the Lord. I write my sermons and pray, and this is what comes out of me., What about issues of basic social justice, of structures that impede or block personal growth and prosperity, no matter how strongly one believes or how hard one prays? They believe in hell, but they dont talk about it much. April Osteen Simons, shares positive, hope-filled, practical insight on becoming a better YOU in every area of your life--mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. WebApril Simons is wife of Pastor Gary Simons, Sister to Joel Osteen. April Simons He then invited people with any special needs to come to the front of the stage to be prayed for, one-on-one, by a large team of prayer partners that includes Joel and Lisa and Dodie, herself a cancer survivor who specializes in praying for people with that disease. Web26.9k Followers, 225 Following, 921 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from April Osteen Simons~Hope Coach (@aprilosimons) aprilosimons. You have got to go with what they are watching. When Osteen was only two years old, her family relocated to Houston, Texas, as a result of her father taking a job with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). We need doctrine, but I think the average person is not looking for doctrine. She is a dynamic speaker, whose practical and insightful messages are impacting a whole generation of women and their children. Nearly half an hour before the official beginning of the eight-thirty service, worship leader Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff led a 64-voice choir through several numbers that provided background music as the thousands of congregants found their way to seats with the aid of an extensive corps of ushers, part of the thousand or so volunteers needed each weekend. New York Times bestselling author Victoria. I know that I am all for anything we can do to lift people. Since 1990, April is married to worship and praise leader, Pastor Gary Simons. The couple has been married for well over three decades, and have five children named Ariella, Christiana, Elliana, Savannah, and Garrison. Their son, Garrison, is father to a girl named Penelope, and their oldest child, Christiana, is mother to a son named Dean Levi. I come from the encouraging side. During the tour event in Dallas, Lisa made the somewhat surprising statement that if you look through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, every person who served him faithfully, God blessed financially. When I asked her about that later, mentioning Jeremiah, who spent time at the bottom of a well and died in captivity, and Stephen, who was martyred, and Paul, who made tents to support his missionary activities, she backed up a bit, noting that she had been thinking mainly about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: The Bible says they had a lot of things. Gary and April have been married for nearly 25 years and have 5 children, Christiana, Garrison, Savannah, Elliana and Arriella. 6 41w Lisa Hayden Elliana favors Lisa. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. The topic of Joels sermon was The Dangers of Procrastination, and he opened by identifying procrastination as one of the greatest enemies we will ever face. He then listed the kinds of things even well-meaning people put off: cleaning the kitchen, straightening up the garage, paying the bills, cutting back on spending (Listen carefully, Victoria), losing weight and getting in shape, giving up smoking, practicing good preventive medicine (Ladies, you know how important it is to have that regular checkup). Dodie Osteen and April Simons on "Marcus She is dedicated to giving women, kids, and families the tools they need to connect and thrive while building a solid foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Arlington, TX 76015. Joel signed another 750 books, bringing the total for the day to nearly 2,000, all without the slightest sign of fatigue or boredom. Nine months later, a Saturday night service drew 5,000 more. Another plausible choice was Jim Graff, who is married to the third Osteen daughter, Tamara, and who was the pastor of a church in Victoria. Follow. FOR JOEL Osteen, the 42-year-old pastor of Houstons mammoth Lakewood Church and the face of the worlds most popular religious television program, Mondays have become devoted to meeting his public. The first printing of Love Your Life was one of the biggest by any publisher in 2008, coming in at 750,000 copies. He also oversees an extensive Sunday school program, which is expected to involve 10,000 youngsters now that theyve moved into the Compaq Center. They are looking to ask, How do I let go of the past? How do I have a better marriage? What is wrong with me? If you want to reach the culture, you need to speak in their terms. In trying to account for his popularity, Joel mentioned several possible factorsthe head start he got by inheriting an already successful ministry, his youth, his consistently positive messagebut finally confessed, I dont know what it is. It kept me going. I watch you three times a day. You are so uplifting. I never dreamed that I could be one of the biggest givers in our church, and now I can. They share a passion to worship God and lead others into His presence and theyre talking about this and more on to https://t.co/yCcK4qAEeG, Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand https://t.co/k3t12Fg5nd. April Osteen Simons 26.9K followers. April Osteen Simons is hitched to laud pioneer Pastor Gary Simons and goes to Triumphant Church. But we are committed to reaching those who dont believe yet. October 19, 2017. E-mail: contactus@Daystar.com. The day before, he had preached to 30,000 people packed into 4 ninety-minute high-octane services and had now gone full tilt on one stage or another since daybreak. It was hard to drive on a Houston freeway without seeing John Osteens smiling visage shining down from strategically placed billboards. Not long after arriving at Hibbard Memorial, in 1958, John experienced and began to recommend to others what Pentecostal and charismatic Christians call the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which typically involves speaking in tongues and openness to other gifts of the Spirit, such as the ability to heal, perform exorcisms, and experience visions. She reminded the flock of the need to give a tenth of their income to the church and offered assurance that God would bless them abundantly for doing so, but the whole process, with hundreds of gray plastic buckets whizzing along the rows, took less than two minutes, putting a damper on suspicions that the Osteens are in it for the money. April Simons - Daystar Television Guest Guide Somebody asked me what I think of stem cell research. April Simons is the Co-Pastor of We Are The Church Triumphant along with her husband, Gary Simons. I noted that Billy Graham and other ministries associated with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability had been able to deflect much criticismand, in the process, erect a barrier against temptationby providing an audited financial statement to supporters. This spring, a webcam, updated hourly during the workday, enabled members to see how the work on the Compaq Center was going.