Live Breaking News & Updates on Christian rock star america
Stay updated with breaking news from Christian rock star america. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Detailed text transcripts for TV channel - CNN - 20110127:08:01:00 vimarsana.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vimarsana.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
it's a matter of the standards. and so i just think we're blessed to be a blessing to help others. when you don't make money the focus of your life -- you got to work hard, you develop your talents. god can do amazing things. >> you can be rich and poor at the same time. >> i've met very unhappy rich people. it's interesting from a spiritual point of view. does money buy you happiness? >> no i don't think it does. money helps us. it's our exchange system. it doesn't buy you happiness. it doesn't buy you health. i'm happy because i have a great husband. i have fabulous children. i have people around me who love me and support me. >> weren't you happy before that? >> yes. when you say happy and poor. you're all rich, i don't feel rich. i don't feel rich monetarily. >> do you? >> i'm so frugal. i spend my money like i don't have anything. >> 20 million books. however million dvds.
that's the american dream. anyone can achieve anything if you work hard enough. >> i believe that's true. especially with god's blessings you can go even further. again, i think it's important to go back to this so we don't leave it on us. how can we bless others. how we can help those or fans. how can we build children's homes. >> how much money have you raised for other people, now? >> our churches have raised millions. >> do you know how much? >> no. >> how much have we given away? millions of dollars. personally we've given away millions of dollars too. i want to get off on this is you can -- you can work hard in america that's what it's about. but don't neglect your family. we're not saying run after riches. we're saying take time for your family. take time for the things that are important. even in this recession, you may be hard up, you may need a job but don't neglect the things that god has placed around.
the parents of the little girl. when i saw that heartbreaking interview. it's hard. it hits your faith hard when you see that happens. >> there's plenty of things we can't under. i just come back to the fact that i believe that god is good, that he gives us strength in these difficult times. even when i've experienced the death of my father, you know, and it's not as near a tragedy as that but i felt a peace -- >> that was an extraordinary moment in your life. your father says to you, after years of trying to persuade you, i need you to do the service. i want you to do this, joel. you finally agree. you do one service. and you are the stand in pastor. and your father dies the week after. >> yeah. >> that's an extraordinary set of circumstances. >> it really is. i don't believe there are coincidences in life. you don't preach for 36 years. i told him no. i tell him yes. five days later he dies.
>> 25 minutes. so 25 minute address. which you memorize? >> i do. >> do you ever use notes? >> i type what i'm going to say. if i go over it in a few hours. >> it's extraordinary. you wander around. you're very on top of it. very few people can do that on a at the time basis. >> my mother had a great memory. your memory the more use it the better it gets. you get it down. you know, i type like i'm going to talk and i just -- i try to focus -- i feel my gift is helping people to live a victorious life a christian life. making the scripture practical for us today. that's what causes people to come out. when you talk about how to have a good attitude in a down economy or how to have peace in the midst of a lot of turmoil. >> what makes you different? how are you different from other preachers. why have you emerged as the big telegenic superstar? >> i don't know.
you know it still amazes me because there are ministers that have more experience and, you know, they may be more educated or more talented. i don't know. i'm reaping the seeds my parents sowed pastoring the church. my parents stayed faithful there for so many years. >> what's the state of america spiritually, do you think? >> i'm an optimist and when we travel from city to city we see stadiums filled with people hungry for faith, hungry for hope. today there are churches all over that have thousands and thousands. i think feint america is at an all time high. >> i read contradictory reports. a lot of these figures are misleading. that actually when people count coming out of american churches
>> can you forgive the young man that shot the people in arizona. do you feel genuine forgiveness towards him? >> i may not right now but we have to get to the point. one thing that helped me and i try to help others. you have to walk in their shoes. i don't know where he came from. i don't know what his environment was. i can pretty much doubt that he had a good upbringing. most of these people we see in prison they didn't have upbringing like us. they lived out on streets. it's easier to have mercy when you think they didn't have a good shot. >> right now you find it hard to forgive him? >> just feel so bad for everything, and when i see him smiling i feel there's no remorse. >> there would be religious families involved in that horror and i can imagine they are going through a difficult thing. my grandmother said to me she renounced her faith because of the holocaust. she couldn't understand how a just god would allow that to happen. some of those families will be thinking where was my god when i needed him.
aren't you? >> i never think of it that way, piers. 12 years ago i never spoke in public before. so this is all relatively new to me. so, you know, it's amazed me. the blessings and the favor. i never dreamed people would watch me. first thing we d-my dad had a television program, we cancelled that. i said nobody will watch me on television. >> that's the truth. >> she talked me into it. the ministry took off. >> this is your emporium. it's not a service. what do you call. >> we call at it service. it meets where the houston rockets used to play basketball. >> when i was young i went to church it was no one, two, three inning like this. it was very quiet, very serious. there were about 100 people and the priest was normally pretty old. couldn't hear us. and it was very, very uncharismatic.
and if so, when? >> i don't know. i struggle with that. you know -- >> if osama bin laden was captured tomorrow, should he be executed? >> i think it would probably be a good idea. >> did michael vick deserve his second chance? >> absolutely. i think everybody does. my goodness, if we didn't, if we didn't, none of us would make it. so i'm happy for him. he served his time. i think he's remorseful. let's give him a chance. >> how many chances do you give people? in america, it's three strikes and you're out. is that enough? do you have to say to people, you've had your chances. >> i think at some point you're going to spend time in prison or reap the awards, but you never give up on them, even to the last dying breath. you say there's hope, you can have forgiveness and redemption. >> what would you like your epitaph to be?
that night, almost any time i walk into that building, i think god's dream for our life is bigger than our own. i'm sure he's looking down from heaven now. he saw me preach that one sermon, but i don't know that -- you know, where god is taking us, my dad's favorite show to watch was larry king. >> why? >> my dad, one time larry king was in town and i took my dad up there to meet him and i never dreamed i was on larry king for years and years. god has so blessed me. i don't know what my father would be thinking. >> will you feel the same way about meeting me, joel? >> i do, even better. >> millions of americans follow joel osteen's spiritual guide. but i want to get his take on some issues divide thing country today.