A wolf in sheep's clothing Joel Osteen claims his megachurch is flooded and can't help those in need

Joel Osteen Fires Back at Critics ... Biblical Flood Shut Down My Church

Klamath Falls, OR— Joel Osteen's 17,000-seat Lakewood Church in Houston isn't opening its doors for rescue efforts because floodwaters just won't allow it ... according to the church. Joel Osteen's 17,000-seat Lakewood Church in Houston isn't opening its doors for rescue efforts because floodwaters just won't allow it ... according to the church.

Dozens of Houston-area churches, schools and community centers opened their doors to offer temporary shelter to survivors, while other local houses of worship organized volunteer teams to help with relief efforts. One church, however, drew criticism online for remaining shut. Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, a 16,800-seat indoor arena, announced on Facebook that it was “inaccessible due to severe flooding.”

Osteen and his wife live in a $10.5 million mansion in the upscale River Oaks neighborhood in central Houston. The neighborhood was hit with intense flooding over the weekend, with rescue teams coming to evacuate residents and their dogs. The preacher did not say whether his home was damaged.

Osteen is also a very, very wealthy man. Osteen believes in and preaches the “Prosperity Gospel,” which is effectively the belief that if you do good things, you will get material blessings from God. And it certainly works for Osteen, who lives in a $10.5 million mansion in Houston.

So many people are surprised that Osteen hasn’t opened up his megachurch, that was converted from an arena that seats over 16,000, to the thousands of people that have been displaced by flooding following Hurricane Harvey. It is unknown if the church is flooded. However, photos taken at and outside the church do not show flooding.

Osteen did cancel services on Sunday, saying that there was “flooding” at the church. But thus far, there has been no proof of that.

Osteen has tweeted, saying, “Victoria & I are praying for everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please join us as we pray for the safety of our Texas friends & family.”

Shortly after his post on social media, Twitter users began to ask why he hadn’t opened the doors of his megachurch to those currently homeless after the severe flooding from the storm. That would be the godly thing to do, right?

Many are wondering why one of the biggest and richest churches in the United States has refused to open its doors to the community that they supposedly serve?

For all we know, there truly was flooding inside the church. For Osteen’s sake, let’s hope so. Otherwise, refusing to help the poor and homeless at such a time may create hard feelings between the pastor and the community he serves.