Pastor Joel Osteen addresses the Hurricane Harvey backlash he got

Pastor Joel Osteen came under fire for closing the doors of his church to Hurricane Harvey evacuees

and the preacher addresed that on Sunday during his first service since the hurricane hit and flooded Houston.

Preaching on Sunday at Lakewood Church, which was packed with thousands of worshipers, Osteen explained why there was a delay in opening his doors to evacuees. The pastor blamed internal flooding for the delay, and said a security company might have been responsible for turning people away. He also claims his megachurch was always open to the public, despite videos and eyewitnesses saying otherwise. 

Osteen went on to say that Hurrucane Harvey was part of a divine plan. He made statements like; "God knew that Houston could handle the hurricane," and "Quit being upset by something you can handle." He added, "God is in control of the universe and what he has spoken over your life will come to pass."

Watch the video below.