"The Secret" Unveiled

I only heard about this book 'The Secret' on The Oprah Winfrey show back in 2009 - and I immediately bought a copy of it - believing that it can help me get what I want - and what I want was money, and lots of them. I was an unbeliever then. I really thought that this little book could actually be my ticket to a life of comfort and ease - but I was dead wrong. I was neither dirt poor, nor a rich man. But just the thought of having an unspeakable amount of money in your hands that you could spend on whatever and whenever you want was so enticing - but it's doubly frustrating and depressing because you just don't have it. That is where the enemy comes in - by deceiving you that you can get the prosperity you want by way of this book. In all reality, you are committing a great sin against God. 

A lot of Bible illiterate Christians today read this New Age book - not knowing that they are being deceived, being lead by seducing spirits. Last year during my exhortation in a prayer meeting at my former church, I was carrying this book as a teaching tool - to point out the demonic nature of it. I didn't know that a fellow church member also had a copy of this book. We talked it over and I advised him not to read the book anymore and that he should throw it away.

What is it all about?

'The Secret' is just one of the many New Age books that Oprah Winfrey promotes - along with 'A Course in Miracles' and 'A New Earth' on her show. This book is simply about getting what you want by using the law of attraction, or the power of positive thinking by way of visualization, declaration and positive confession. There are three easy steps (the book says) to get what you want: Ask, Believe and Receive. This is the reason why a lot of Christians are attracted into reading this demonically-inspired book - because it is so easy to follow the instruction, yet it claims to give you tremendous reward. But the question is, who are you asking it from?  On page 48 of the book we get the answer.

"This is really fun. It's like having the Universe as your catalogue. 

You flip through it and say, "I'd like to have these experience and 

I'd like to have that product and I'd like to have a person like that." 

It is You placing your order with the Universe. It's really that easy."

So, it's the Universe you will ask from, not our Lord God. I believe that the 'Universe' the book is talking about here is actually Satan, just in different name. After all, the Scriptures refer to him as the god of this world and thus fully capable to grant one's wishes at the expense of that individual's soul. We can see this in Matthew 4:8-9, where Satan tempted Jesus to give Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor - but in exchange Jesus should fall down on His knee and worship him. 'The Secret' will cause you to sin against God, just like what Balaam did to the nation of Israel. He can not curse them, and so by teaching Balak what to do, he let Israel curse themselves in a way. (You can read the full story of Balaam in Numbers chapter 22 through 25. This account is also recorded in Revelation 2:14.)

Name it, Claim it.

The New Age teaching such as the "power of positive thinking" and the "law of attraction" has slowly but surely infiltrated mainstream Christianity through megachurch prosperity gospel preachers like Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Robert Schuller, T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, to name a few, and who are nothing more than motivational speakers. They just repackaged this by calling it a different name. The "Name it, Claim it" doctrine, is a prosperity gospel, it teaches that you can have everything your heart desires, just simply ask it and you'll have it, twisting Mark 11:24 which says, "...What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.". It is of the Word of Faith Movement which teaches that Christians can access the power of faith and fear through speech. The basic doctrine being preached by this movement is that of wealth and health through positive confession. A lot of Christians have been deceived by these prosperity gospel preachers, believing that God really wants us to be rich and comfortable in this life while we await our place in heaven. They forget that with much tribulation we will enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22) - not with overflowing material blessings that we usually hear from TV preachers.

You can see the similarities and influences of the new age teaching on the power of positive thinking and law of attraction from these prosperity gospel preachers through the books they authored. Here are some of titles:

• Joel Osteen - "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential" (2004), "Living in Favor, Abundance and Joy" (2010), "I Declare: 31 Promises To Speak Over Your Life" (2013).
• Robert Schuller - "Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking" (1967), "Self Love" (1975), "Living Positively One Day at a Time" (1986).
• Creflo Dollar - "8 Steps To Create The Life You Want", "Total Life Prosperity", "You're Supposed To Be Wealthy".
• Joyce Meyer - "Me and My Big Mouth: Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose" (2002), "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" (2004), "Change Your Words, Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak" (2012).
• T.D. Jakes - "Positioning Yourself To Prosper", "The Greatest Investment", "Life Overflowing: Six Pillars of Abundant Living" among others.
• Kenneth Copeland - "Prosperity: The Choice is Yours" (1992), "The Laws of Prosperity" (1995), "Prayer: Your Foundation For Success" (1999).
• Rick Warren - "The Power To Change Your Life", "Daniel Plan: 40 Days To a  Healthier Life", "Purpose Driven Life".
• Paula White - "Birthing Your Dreams: God's Plan For Living Victoriously" (2003), "Daily Treasures (Words of Wisdom for a Power-Filled Life" (2004), "The Ten Commandments of Health and Wellness" (2007), "You're All That!" (2007).
• Clarence McClendon - "And When You Pray: The Key to Accessing the Presence of God" (2002), "Unlocking Dream Dimension: The Principle of First Fruit" (2003), "Beyond Personal Power: Experiencing the "God Kind of Faith"" (2003).
• Kenneth Hagin - "Words" (1979), "How God Taught Me About Prosperity" (1985), "You Can Have What You Say" (1988).
• Leroy Thompson Sr. - "Money Cometh: To The Body of Christ" (1999), "Money Thou Art Loosed" (1999), "Money With A Mission" (2000).

Watch this video of Leroy Thompson teaching his congregation how to attract money (wealth and prosperity) into their lives by way of the power of attraction and through positive confession. "Money, cometh to me now!" is their Mantra. A good example of Mammon worship.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, 

and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 

You cannot serve God and mammon. ~ Matthew 6:24 (AKJV)

Norman Vincent Peale. He's a minister and author of the book "The Power of Positive Thinking". He influenced and mentored TV evangelists like Robert H. Schuller and Rick Warren, and Rev. Billy Graham, who said at the National Council of Churches on June 12,1966 that, "I don't know of anyone who had done more for the kingdom of God than Norman and Ruth Peale or have meant anymore in my life for the encouragement they have given me."

I am God!/Little gods

In the New Age theology, they believe that with right meditation, we can receive enlightenment and will come to the realization that we are all gods, attaining the "Christ Consciousness", just like what Jesus had. In page 164 of the book, The Secret, says,

You are God in a physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. 
You are Eternal life expressing itself as You. You are a cosmic being. 
You are all power. You are all wisdom. You are all intelligence. 
You are perfection. You are magnificence. You are the creator, 
and you are creating the creation of You on this planet. 

The lie that says we can all be gods goes back from the garden of Eden - when Adam and Eve was deceived to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil - by the most cunning creature of all in the garden: the Serpent - the father of lies himself Lucifer.  In Genesis 3: 3-5 we read:

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, 
God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 
And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die: 
For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, 
and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

The "I am God" new age doctrine is not new to Christianity, and is based solely on pride. In fact, many of the Word of Faith Movement teachers and prosperity gospel preachers like Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Paula White and even the late TBN founder Paul crouch Sr. all believe that they are "little gods". They argue that since God is our Father, and we are the sons of God, therefore we must also be gods, or little gods. Incidentally, most false religions like Islam and Mormonism also believe that if they do good in this present life - when they die, they will either be like gods or be gods themselves. The Lord Yahweh says in Isaiah 45:5, "I Am the LORD, and there's none else, there is no God beside me..." , and in Revelation 22: 13, Jesus Christ says, I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." 

In this final hour, when the enemy does not rest to deceive all humanity into believing that God has planned for all of us to prosper with so much material blessings - we better be warned. Jesus was crystal clear in His admonition to the disciples that whoever would want to follow Him should take up his cross daily and share in His sufferings so that he too may be worthy to share in His glory. But most Christians today have different ideas - they love to twist Scriptures to tickle their itching ears and readily claim promises of abundant life that Jesus had promised in John 10;10. The Bible says that whoever lacks wisdom should ask God who gives it freely to those who desire it (James 1:15). With God's wisdom and discernment from the Spirit you can never go wrong in your walk with Him.

For Further Reading:
The New Age Theology, The Serpent's Lies: God Realization, and The Secret Revealed

Also  'Why I'm Against "Name It, Claim It" Theology' , "Is Name It, Claim It" Teaching Biblical?, Is There Power in Positive Confession?, and What does the Bible means by 'You are gods'/'Ye are gods' in Psalm 82:6 and John 10: 34?