Positive Thinking and Prosperity Gospel!
How secular thinking has permeated into churches! In 1860 a writer by the name of Phineas Quimby. (1802 – 1866) was an American clockmaker, mentalist and mesmerist. His work is widely recognized as foundational to the New Thought spiritual movement. Quimby received little formal education. He suffered from tuberculosis in his youth, a disease that then had no cure, and was prescribed calomel by his doctor but all that did was to rot his teeth!
Positive thinking
Quimby began experimenting with his own ideas for a cure. He found that intense excitement (such as galloping on his horse) alleviated his pain for brief periods of time, and he became interested in the mind's ability to affect the body. He claimed that he had cured himself of the tuberculosis by his methods.
He then became fascinated by proponents of ‘animal magnetism’ or ‘hypnotism’ and he gave up his job as a watchmaker to become a travelling teacher and healer. Quimby claimed to heal people of ailments which doctors could not cure. Quimby told his patients that disease was caused by false beliefs, and that the cure was in the explanation of this.
Such teaching has been passed down and has even infiltrated into some churches but it is really a form of deception, a kind of pantheistic sharing of the divine nature which is a pagan concept. The teaching about a holy God who hates sin yet who has given us a Saviour, as found in the Bible, can lose it’s central emphasis. The message of the new teachers is now much more to do with health, wealth and prosperity on this earth. They have designed a God that is comfortable for them now. They have forgotten the Psalm in which God says,
“You thought that I was altogether like you?” Psalm 50:21
Most people believe in some sort of God, but think he is one who is to be honoured only slightly and only when kept within certain limits. This is not a real God who is deserving of total respect. This God lacks power. That’s the God that is popular today, not only in our nation but even in some churches. The power now lies with us.
There are many modern teachers advocating such views. They teach that God wants everybody to be healthy and he wants everybody to be successful and prosperous, but he has devised a plan to get that done by making everything dependent upon us. This popular God lacks holiness, he doesn’t worry too much about how people behave so long as it is in private and doesn’t harm others. He really does not believe that the wages of sin is eternal death and punishment an everlasting hell. He loves everybody unconditionally, he treats everybody with unconditional pity, and he would never send people to hell. His sense of justice is limited. His sense of righteousness is limited and, therefore, his holiness is limited. He’s also lacking in authority. He’s not really sovereign over all people, all creation, all events, and all experiences. He would like to be, and this is what he claims in the Bible, but that is really just an empty boast. This God is really not in control but man exercises the final authority. God has less freedom than man because God can’t choose. He can only offer; but it is man that chooses.
A few years ago Rhonda Byrne published a book called ‘The Secret’ which sold in the millions. At one point, it was selling at a hundred and fifty thousand copies a week. It is a pagan book based on a pantheistic view of the universe, that all things are one with God, all things are God, that we are God. This book says that we are light, that we are the “I am,” that we are truth, we are God. God is in us. We possess part of God in us, divine power. He wrote,
“It works every time and in every person. Just place your order and it is yours.”
The one true God does not share His person with anyone. We are human. We are not divine and the Bible teaches that we will face God in judgment over how we have regarded him. ‘The Secret’ is saying ‘If you can get in touch with the divine power within you, you have creative power, you can create your own world. In contrast the Bible says that everything that was made was made by God and for God, without Him nothing made that was made. He is the one who creates everything, sustains everything, controls everything, consummates everything, and that power belongs only to Him. But pagan pantheism says we all share that power, God is not really unique. It is a book that essentially says you have divine power within you; you’re part of the divine energy. In the book, there is something called the ‘Law of Attraction’ - the law of attraction. You attract a certain kind of reality to yourself. Your thoughts and your words attract this reality - literally create this reality. The sequence goes like this: (1) Know what you want; (2) Believe you will get it; (3) Visualize the fulfilment of it; and (4) Speak it out loud and you will bring it into existence.
You want money, then know you want it, believe you will get it, visualize the getting of it (in other words, go through the emotions you would feel if you had it) and then speak it and it will happen. The book says it works every time with every person, just place your order and it’s yours\: that you have enough divine power - you have enough of God in you - to create your world. This is the same nonsense as Phineas Quimby taught.
Deepak Chopra is a prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternative medicine. He also believes he is God, or at least part of God.
The Shack
Another book that received great acclaim in some churches is ‘The Shack’ by William Young. It is about finding god in the shack. It has the same underlying message you have so much power in you that you literally can create reality by wishing for it and speaking out about it. ‘Name it and claim it’ is the underlying teaching. The internal creative power in us can be released by words that have supernatural power. There are obvious problems. The same lie Satan used in the Garden of Eden, "You can be God," is still being used by Satan today! Primarily God did not reveal himself as an obese African woman but as Jesus Christ. The heart of the book is also the so called ‘Law of Attraction’ which teaches that your thoughts and your words control the universe and attract to you the things you speak of. The book is built around much anti-Biblical thinking and the following are just some of these responses to the themes of the book with responses from the Bible. It is remarkable how many church people have been duped by such teaching. The following are some of the false teachings in the book:
1. God the Father was crucified with Jesus.
Because God’s eyes are pure and cannot look upon sin, the Bible says that God would not look upon His own beloved Son as He hung on the Cross, carrying our sins (Habakkuk 1:13; Matthew 27:45).
2. God is limited by His love and cannot practice justice.
The Bible declares that God’s love and His justice are two sides of the same coin – equally a part of the personality and the character of God (Isaiah 61:8; Hosea 2:19).
3. On the Cross, God forgave all of humanity, whether they repent or not. Some choose a relationship with Him, but He forgives them all regardless.
Jesus explained that only those who come to Him will be saved (John 14:6).
4. Hierarchical structures, whether they are in the Church or in the government, are evil.
Our God is a God of order (Job 25:2).
5. God will never judge people for their sins.
The Word of God repeatedly invites people to escape from the judgment of God by believing in Jesus Christ, His Son (Romans 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:1-3).
6. There is not a hierarchical structure in the Godhead, just a circle of unity.
The Bible says that Jesus submitted to the will of the Father. This doesn’t mean that one Person is higher or better than the other; just unique. Jesus said, “I came to do the will of Him who sent me. I am here to obey my Father.” Jesus also said, “I will send you the Holy Spirit” (John 4:34, 6:44, 14:26, 15:26).
7. God submits to human wishes and choices.
Far from God submitting to us, Jesus said, “Narrow is the way that leads to eternal life.” We are to submit to Him in all things, for His glory and because of what He has accomplished for us (Matthew 7:13-15).
8. Justice will never take place because of love.
The Bible teaches that when God’s love is rejected, and when the offer of salvation and forgiveness is rejected, justice must take place or God has sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for nothing (Matthew 12:20; Romans 3:25-26).
9. There is no such a thing as eternal judgment or torment in hell.
Jesus’ own description of hell is vivid. It cannot be denied (Luke 12:5, 16:23).
10. Jesus is walking with all people in their different journeys to God, and it doesn’t matter which way you get to Him.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6).
11. Jesus is constantly being transformed along with us.
Jesus, who dwells in the splendour of heaven, sits at the right hand of God, reigning and ruling the universe. The Bible says, “In Him there is no change, for He is yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 11:12, 13:8; James1:17).
12. There is no need for faith or reconciliation with God because everyone will make it to heaven.
Jesus said, “Only those who believe in me will have eternal life” (John 3:15, 3:36, 5:24, 6:40).
13. The Bible is not true because it reduces God to paper.
The Bible is God-breathed. Sure, there were many men through 1,800 years who put pen to paper (so to speak), each from different professions and different backgrounds, but the Holy Spirit infused their work with God’s words. These men were writing the same message from Genesis to Revelation. If you want to read more about the place of Christ in the Scripture, read “We Preach Christ” (2 Timothy 3:16).
It is obvious that such teaching is utterly opposed to that of the Bible, where God is a separate being from his creation:
“I am the Lord, that is my name; I will not give my glory to another.” Isaiah 42:8
This is a pagan pantheistic perspective that has been turned into a spiritual Ponzi scheme, making the people at the top of the pile very rich by preying on the material worldly desires of many people who hanker after this stuff.
Unfortunately this false thinking is being advocated by people like Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Fredrick Price, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Robert Tilton, a man named Coontz, Oral Roberts, Paul Crouch, on and on and on. It’s what they say. They all claim the same thing. As a Christian, you have the personal power to recreate life’s reality into exactly what you want it to be. And they do it in the name of Jesus! It is a lie that preys on the weak and the desperate who have nothing but fallen, corrupt, unregenerate, normal human desires.
Joel Osteen recently organised an event at Dodger Stadium in Houston with around thirty-five thousand people. He has a very large following.yet he is a pagan religionist in every sense. He’s a quasi-pantheist. Jesus is a footnote that satisfies his critics and deceives his followers.
His idea is that men have the power in themselves to change their lives. In his definitive book, ‘Your Best Life Now’, he says that anyone can create by faith and words the dreams he desires. Health, wealth, happiness, success - the list is always the same. Here are some quotes from his book, ‘Your Best Life Now’. Even the title betrays that his goal is to gain satisfaction in this life.
“If you develop an image of success, health, abundance, joy, peace, happiness, nothing on earth will be able to hold those things from you.”
The ‘Law of Attraction’ is a part of such doctrines.
Here’s another quote that describes what he thinks people should be seeking,
“All of us are born for earthly greatness. You were born to win. God wants you to live in abundance. You were born to be a champion. He wants to give you the desires of your heart. Before we were formed, He prepared us to live abundant lives, to be happy, healthy and whole. But when our thinking becomes contaminated, it’s no longer in line with God’s Word,”
By the way, God’s Word is not the Bible, God’s Word is that word that comes to us mystically, spiritually, that tells us what we should want. Here’s another quote.
“Get your thinking positive and He will bring your desires to pass. He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful person. You’re on your way to a new level of glory.”
How do you get there?
“Believe, visualize, and speak out loud.”
Same exact approach as the pantheists. Words release your power. Words give life to your dreams. Here’s another quote.
“Friend, there’s a miracle in your mouth.”
Isaiah objected to such thinking when he said,
“I’m a man of unclean lips and I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips.”
Here’s Joel Osteen’s prayer.
“I thank you, Father, that I have your favour.”
This sounds very much like the Pharisee in Luke 18 who prayed
“I thank you that I’m not like other people.”
The evidence he gives in support of this teaching is again self-centred.
“I know these principles are true because they work for me and my wife.”
It does work for him and his fellow leaders because they are at the top of the Ponzi scheme. He gives another example,
“Even finding a perfect parking spot at the mall.”
John MacArthur quipped in reply
“What about the little old lady you cut off to get into that parking - what about her dreams? Maybe she was born to lose. I mean, it’s so silly, so bizarre.”
Joel Osteen says,
“God has already done everything He’s going to do, the ball’s in your court. You have to take that part of God which exists in you and create your own reality.”
What is the source of this? Where does this come from? This is not just off-centered, this is satanic. Health, wealth, prosperity, the fulfilment of all your dreams and your desires, that’s what Satan always offers. That’s called temptation, based on the ‘lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’. That’s exactly what corrupt, fallen, unregenerate people want.
That’s why such approaches are so effective. A preacher can make people feel religious, and turn their desires, their temptations, into somehow honourable desires. What did Satan say to Jesus?
“Grab some satisfaction. Why are you hungry? You need to eat. You need to be healthy, whole. Why would you let yourself be unpopular? Dive off the temple corner everybody’ll be wowed. You’ll be the winner, you’ll be the champion. You’ll be the Messiah. They’ll hail you. And by the way, if you just look over the kingdoms of the world, I’ll give those to you, too.”
That’s Satanic. It’s the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life; it is hankering after worldly ambitions. The Bible is clear that we should not make this world our aim.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Such movements are all a part of the world and it’s all passing away. And why are these false teachers so successful at what they do? Why is Satan successful? Because his temptations, his lies might appear noble on the outside, are really in perfect accord with all the fallen, corrupt, selfish, proud, evil desires of sinners. This is a false kind of Christianity and a false view of God. The Bible repeatedly warns God’s people against listening to such deceivers.
The Bible teaches that God reserves the right to control the circumstances, events and experiences of our lives for His own ends and His own purpose and he wants us to rest secure in this. In the next world all will be different and that must always remain our ambition, whatever the cost now.
Power, money and fraud
It is not surprising that where people have a high expectancy of witnessing miracles and large sums of money are involved that the temptation to fraud is high. An analysis of the income of those who advocate these doctrines is most illuminating.
“God is touching hurting people around the world,” Popoff says in a recent video on his website, sitting in a wingback chair beside his wife, Elizabeth. “It’s always such a joy to share the reality of that joy. It’s a joy to share the reality of his saving power, healing power, delivery power, and … debt cancelling power! Amen!”
Peter Popoff had been a preacher for over three decades. Popoff’s basic message remained largely the same: that God wants people to be affluent and debt-free, and that Popoff is a prophet sent by God to help people transform their lives from poverty to affluence. He was a very popular preacher.
“Debt cancellation is part of God’s plan,” Popoff said in the video posted on his website, as a little dog sleeps in his lap. “That’s why God sent me to you. How would you ever know about miraculous debt cancellation, erasure of your debts, if someone didn’t tell you about it?”
Many times throughout his career, Popoff has been exposed as a fraud. The first big revelation happened on the Johnny Carson show in 1986, where the magician James Randi played secret audiotapes revealing Popoff’s scam as a faith healer. Before every revival event Popoff led, Popoff’s staff and his wife Elizabeth would interview audience members about their health problems., and they would collect prayer cards from the audience. As Peter worked the room, his wife would point out vulnerable people for him to approach, and tell him about their physical ailments, via a small radio receiver stuck in Popoff’s ear.
Not long after that show aired, Popoff declared bankruptcy. But the setback proved temporary. Popoff started again, and, within a few years, his “ministry” was earning more than $24 million a year.
Benny Hinn is another healing evangelist who has become very rich and his claims of supernatural healings have been denounced. A television documentary recounts that he prayed for a child dying from a brain tumour. The boy’s parents pledged a monthly sum to the Benny Hinn Ministries, but he died anyway. Rabbi Harold S. Kushner stated: “I hope there is a special place in Hell for people who try and enrich themselves on the suffering of others. To tantalize the blind, the lame, the dying, the afflicted, the terminally ill, to dangle hope before parents of a severely afflicted child, is an indescribably cruel thing to do, and to do it in the name of God, to do it in the name of religion, I think, is unforgivable.”
Todd Bentley is another healing evangelist whose ministry has been accused of fraud. His ministry was terminated because of repeated adulterous relationships and drug abuse.
Alph Lukau was born in Congo but went to South Africa to work for an investment company, but even then his dreams were to become rich. He became the leader of Alleluia Ministries. In one packed service he claimed to raise a man lying dead in an open coffin back to life. Former colleagues in the organisation have said that this was a scam as was his supposed healing of several who were came to his church in wheelchairs. He has also been accused of sexual misdemeanours.
Yet, presumably because people are drawn to the spectacular, men such as these still have a massive following.
Paul message
Contrast such behaviour with what St Paul said when he was finding the ministry of telling people about Jesus difficult:
“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:2-5
The apostolic means of evangelism was to tell people about Jesus, who he is and that he is the only way for people to become right with God and have their sins forgiven. He saw that people were both lost and gullible. He and the other apostles used reason to convince people about Jesus. This was how he tried to share the news about Jesus at Athens:
“Now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, (Silas and Timothy who were going to join him there) his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present
Paul, in the city of Athens, confronts the reality of the unknown God. He says, “You worship but you worship in ignorance. With all the gods that you have here, you have nothing but idols, you have nothing but false gods. The one true God is unknown to you. All your worship, then, is misdirected, all your worship is an expression of ignorance, all your worship is, then, pointless and purposeless and accomplishes absolutely nothing spiritually because you don’t know the true God.” They are in the dark about the true God who is a distinct being from us just as Jesus is. They needed to be taught about the historic Jesus.
One of the most addressed themes in the New Testament is the problem of false teachers. Warnings about them abound in almost every New Testament book: the Gospels, Paul’s, Peter’s, and John’s epistles, etc. It was and is a major danger for the church. Paul warns about false teachers and teachings several times in 1 Timothy. Paul urges Timothy to command the false teachers to stop teaching false doctrines.
“These promote controversies rather than God’s work. - which is by faith. Some have wandered away . . . they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” 1 Timothy 1:3-7
“If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. . . . ” 1 Timothy 6:3
It is so easy for religion, even religion in the name of Jesus to be corrupted into a means of gaining money and power on this earth. Their followers will become men and women who are of -
“ . . . corrupt mind who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means of financial gain.” 1 Timothy 6:5
False teaching has been a threat in every age including the present. It threatens to keep many from the narrow road leading to salvation and instead leads them to the broad road of destruction. It appears that though these false teachers boast that multiple expensive cars, multiple mansions and aeroplanes are the evidence of God’s blessing, they are in fact the evidence of false teaching.
Teachers who emphasise health, wealth and prosperity are disrupting many churches throughout the world. The real gospel is all about who Christ is and what he did on the cross to save us. We Christians are Christ’s servants to achieve his ends by bringing glory to him whilst we are on this earth for just a short time. Our goal must be to please our Saviour and wait for his return, even if it means suffering now. Fraud, pretence and underhand means are not acceptable amongst followers of Jesus. What Paul writes confronts the use of miracles and deception to win adherents, he wants God’s church to rely on teaching God’s truth:
“Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:2-5
Living lives committed to promoting the Lord Jesus will be costly in this life. Paul finishes this chapter by reminding his readers that their present troubles will be rewarded in the next life but not necessarily in this:
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes on what is seen and not on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The famous chapter of Hebrews 11 reminds us that the men God considered to be great men of faith did not receive what was promised them in this life, but still remained faithful to living as God wants:
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40
Eric Liddell was a great athlete who played rugby and was in the athletics team of Scotland. He refused to run in the hundred metres sprint in the 1924 Olympics because it involved running on a Sunday which he considered to be the Lord’s day. It was a hard decision as he was a hot favourite and many were annoyed with him for keeping to his principles. However he considered that he was also running life’s race and therefore to keep to the Lord’s priorities was all important. He followed the example of the men of God in Hebrews chapter 11.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
Our perspective should also be eternity, not this world, as some false teachers advocate today.
Peter wrote to Christian churches who were being inundated by deviant teaching. Those who remained true to the apostolic gospel tended to suffer for keeping the historic Christ central:
“But even if you suffer for what is right, you are blessed” 1 Peter 3:14
“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed.” 1 Peter 4:14
There is no ‘name it and claim it’ here. Instead Peter emphasised that there is an eternal reward for all who remain faithful at living for Christ.
“And the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10
How Jesus Christ needs to become the focus of all who say they are teaching the Christian message again.
“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
BVP
This article contains material obtained from a talk given by John MacArthur at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014 and summarises information given in other articles on the web.
