The Gospel Of Bo Sanchez And Why 'Christians' Turn To Him

If you happen to be a Filipino and a social media habitue at that, you'd definitely agree the name Bo Sanchez is big and popular. In fact many people diligently follow his series of posts on facebook and get excited for his next - and his legions of followers love to share them on social media.  It's hard to not like the person. His name alone rings out positivity, optimism and good vibes - the very stuff that titillate almost everyone. His quotes are too powerful to ignore that many take them as source of encouragement - either to drive them to work harder so that they become rich and get wealthier like there is no limit - or to get them convinced that investing in stock market is one surefire way to becoming millionaires - and foremost from his tips is how to achieve a healthy body and healthy relationships. So, who would not like to take his words and share them with friends?

Bo Sanchez is a professional self-help speaker and confidently eloquent. He knows what his audience wants to hear - and that's easily understandable why he has millions of adoring fans. Few would argue that Bo Sanchez is the Joel Osteen of the Philippines - as both men identify themselves to be "ministers of hope" - to the poor, the downtrodden, the weak, and those with low self-esteem - except for one significant dissimilarity: Bo is a proud Catholic and lay minister for that matter, as opposed to Joel who professes to be a born-again believer and pastor to arguably the largest megachurch in America.

Now, what is wrong with being a fan of these two guys if it is the message they bring that gives 'hope' to the hopeless and 'healing' to the infirm? Ain't this what the world needs amid all the troubles that encumber us? There is absolutely nothing wrong with the message if it all points to the Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of His word. For non-believers such as Filipino Catholics, we can see the spontaneity of this sort of admiration and their getting drawn to the message of Bo Sanchez. But how about born-again believers who have developed fondness for this man for his feel-good message and ultimately get convinced it is God's plan for them to be rich and truly happy here on earth? Is it because they are just staking their claim to their Father's wealth as co-heirs to everything that was promised to them? If so, how about that?

Peddling prosperity-only message

In the Evangelical community, Joel Osteen is discerned to be a false teacher who has built for himself and his family an empire at the expense of the millions of gullible followers that took on his bait of prosperity on earth with an assurance that they could live their best life now. He and his wife make up a power couple in both the Evangelical and secular communities. They are the darlings of media and adored by Oprah - simply because - their faces alone beckon 'hope and optimism' - the one you don't expect to get in another half century of your existence - from the true preachers of the gospel. So the next time you see people get on a stampede on  any given Sunday to hear them speak at Lakewood church, it is because people are increasingly growing in desperation to hear their trademark message of promotion, healthy relationships, taking back what's rightfully yours, and discovering God's plan to send you to places you've never been (maybe cruising the Pacific, climbing atop Table Mountain or maybe scaling the frozen Niagara?). It's all sky is the limit, because "your Father is a big God who takes pleasure in smothering you with his blessings".

Bo Sanchez, on the other hand was a name raised from obscurity but gained cultic following only in recent years for his similar brand of gospel through his books and sermons. He has expanded his clout internationally targeting Filipino communities around the world through seminars and conferences that carry a monotone message on ways to unlocking prosperity, perfect health, healthy marriage, and tips on keeping a fat bank account, and all the positives you can ever imagine. So, it's not surprising at all that millions of Filipino Catholics (and non-Catholics alike) adore Bo Sanchez for the inspiration he has given them.

These two pretty much stick to their guns: always speak of the positives and never give chance on the negatives - and that's easily obvious why they both have maintained great following through the years and exponentially thriving. Speaking of the negatives, the topic of sin and being accountable for it - is a strange commodity frowned upon by their target audiences, not for its stressful and depressing effect, but because they were a departure from their usual fodder, hence do not feature in any of their sermons. Anything that does not help to ease up the burdens of the weary (such as guilt from sin)  - is a "deviation from their calling" - so they contend that they stay in their lane: to proclaim only what helps, eases and alleviates - and not to rebuke, admonish and condemn. But on the contrary, while the scriptures convey of God's everlasting love and mercy to man, it also condemns the unrepentant, the unbelieving and all other sorts of sin. The good news is: a person is free to take the path whichever he wishes. After all, at some point, he has heard the truth.

Leading by example: practices often sidestepped and overlooked in church

Sometimes, it is upsetting to see churches doing very little to nurture their congregants with spiritual food to bring them into spiritual maturity and discernment. What mostly occupy our time in church do not contribute in our spiritual growth. Congregants even spend longer time debating what menu to prepare on their thanksgiving day, family day, couple's day; what game to be played on sports day; practicing all day their special number to ensure success on anniversary. But mind you, all this time only John 3:16 and John 11:35 remain in their arsenal. They are not even taught the things written in Matthew 24 and have no clue whatsoever about the things to come written in Revelation - because the pastor promises it's difficult to understand so the flock goes on to lap on formula till they find themselves writhing in spiritual diarrhea.

I heard a story from a colleague who once attended a worship service in a church close to where he lives, and had a front row seat to a cringe-worthy sermon from a female pastor who said that "there must be something wrong with your faith if you remain poor despite having access to the throne of grace". Needless to say, roughly a third of those in attendance shrank in their seats for playing part of her own statistics of those who either fell short in the faith department - or became recipient of a curse for not surrendering their full tithes to church coffer. Now, that is a really disturbing concern within the body of Christ. Seriously, that's just some insanely flawed theology driven by man's hedonistic desire to obtain anything and everything for his own satisfaction - and we are talking here of Christians - not some atheists or capitalists.

Few years ago, after I rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, I had a privilege to enroll in a discipleship class where church members such as pastors, elders and even new believers from different local churches can be your classmates. One night after class, our class president (who was a preacher and elder) drove the five of us to a certain place where we initially thought we were in for a treat (I already had in mind what to order). But to our surprise, we were herded to a dark room where powerpoint presentation of some sort greeted us. (He then suggested "God gave us the privilege to act out on our faith because faith without action is dead. And it is God's plan to prosper us if we act out on our faith." Really?) We were then given forms to fill out and compelled to register in some networking business at his behest. Sure, he footed the registration fee as we were automatically registered to be his downline, but there is nothing worse than feeling violated for being put in a situation where we could not refuse. That moment we were like sheep awaiting slaughter. It was a travesty knowing we were better off as messenger of the gospel rather than some aloe vera salesman aiming to exceed his quota so that he could qualify for unrealistic perks promised to him.  But it didn't take long for one of us to muster a nerve, and called a spade a spade. And what used to be a great camaraderie had never been the same again - thanks to a distorted concept of prosperity.

These kind of stuff being taught in church and exemplified by many including elders are only one of many reasons why a lot of Christians gravitate toward the lure of earthly prosperity. That being said, they develop a thought pattern that Christians are not only guaranteed pompous welcome to the pearly gates but also a life of abundance and happiness on earth. Personally, this enlightens me a bit why a lot of Christians are into online networking slash pyramiding on facebook - it's because they thought the sky is the limit if they work out on their faith. And the strange thing is, you're grasping for any hint if this certain brother or sister is still the same person you meet at church for they sound very different on facebook. They would even taunt their critics and shrug off counsel from other Christians - all for prosperity's sake. You will even see how worldly their  goals have become by misusing the verse Jeremiah 29:11 as caption beside pictures of their colleagues waving bundles of cash. Meanwhile, their pastors are into prolonged  slumber for fear their precious sheep cum online entrepreneur might quit his/her ministry if admonished.

Contentment and humility is greater than  earthly prosperity

It is disheartening to even imagine Christians who are most visible in church can easily fall into a trap of earthly prosperity - and get entangled unconsciously in greed - while forgetting that the Jesus whom they claim to be their Lord and Savior was a perfect example of contentment and humility. Whatever happened to John's admonition of "being friend with the world is enmity with God"? Has the teachings in church evolved with time to keep the flock laying still in pews? Have church leaders realized that feeding their flock with meat has contributed to their dwindling number so that a revert to their familiar diet comes naturally as the next practical thing to do? Why a lot of our Christian brothers still religiously follow and get comfort from the advice of prosperity preachers such as Bo Sanchez and Joel Osteen? And why not find comfort to the truth of the gospel that whoever wants to be a disciple of Jesus must take up his own cross daily and follow Him? Last time I checked, Jesus did not promise a mansion on earth but in heaven. Why Christians do not pray for contentment and humility just like Agur who only prayed for his daily bread for fear He would forget the Lord if he would be given more than he needs (Proverbs 30:8)?

If a Christian does not see anything hideous with following prosperity preachers rather than following the example of Jesus, then it should be a major concern within the body of Christ. The enemy will have every reason to boast that his ancient tactic - though perennially exposed - is still his favorite weapon against Christians - and we seem to be oblivious it's wreaking havoc in the spirit realm. Besides, prosperity gospel puts on subtle nuances when juxtaposed with a Christian's claim on inheritance of God's favor and blessings (Psalms 5:12). And who would know the difference between what is right and almost right unless he is given discernment?

On the contrary, who might know the difference between a trap (from Satan) and a rightful claim (to God's favor) when both share resemblance with one another? However, a true disciple of Jesus Christ will always be equipped by the Holy Spirit with discernment and heavenly wisdom. Whereas, an undiscerning Christian does not seem to be troubled at all even if he is being gradually led away from the presence of God by his priorities (to obtain earthly prosperity). That's why the pop culture called prosperity gospel is an ever-thriving and classic weapon used by the enemy to keep Christians at bay from the presence of God. And all along, they believe they are in the right path - so long as they are warming the pews on Sundays.

The truly prosperous ones

Having been privileged to listen to 'amazing people' such as Joel and Bo to whom we credit for making our day for their wonderful words, who else would want to hear about people getting burned alive in cages, Christians beheaded en masse, babies cut in two, 12-year old girls being raped by dozens of ISIS men on a daily basis, and fellow Christians being burned alive and hacked to death in their thousands in Nigeria? The world is quickly rotting away before our very eyes, its moral decadence beyond repair, man's compassion for his kind in steep decline, selfishness abounds, people run to and fro to obtain what satisfies them - and so are Christians' spiritual perspective blurred by worldly priorities and therefore being oblivious to the sufferings of the humankind. How many times we Christians dropped to our knees and interceded for our Christian brothers and sisters who are being systematically murdered on a daily basis because of their faith? Or are we just too preoccupied petitioning God to grant us that long overdue promotion so that we could travel to places we've never been and live our best life now?

Clearly, those that are not born-again believers do not comprehend the true meaning of prosperity that Jesus wants us to aim for, but through the help of the Holy Spirit, true born-again believers are equipped with wisdom and understanding to comprehend what true prosperity is all about. The Bible is replete with people who completely grasped the essence of true prosperity: Stephen, Paul and Silas, Peter, James, John the Beloved - and many other early Christians who either got beheaded, sawn in two, fed to lions, among other gruesome methods of death; and even Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They all understood what prosperity meant, and they never blinked in order to obtain it - and we know what these men had to go through! Unfortunately in this age, Christians get in their droves, chasing their earthly dreams in the prosperity gospel their favorite preachers feed them. But when the time of reckoning comes, will we be given a platform to speak in our defense before a holy and righteous God? It's for us Christians to redeem the time. And time is not of abundance.

"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?