Swimming with Sharks – Christians in Danger (Part Eight)

The ‘principles of New Thought’ that we shared in the last part of this series [International New Thought Alliance, INTA] help us understand how Christians have veered so far off course. I’ve reported through the years about the growing number of self-identifying ‘evangelical Christians’ who do not believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. Some believe Jesus was just a man, like any other man, who God chose to be spiritually ‘elevated’ because of His obedience to God’s Laws. Some believe Jesus is God’s ‘first created being’ – created for the purpose of creating the universe, then sacrificing Himself for it. Some believe Jesus did die on a Roman cross, but that He did not rise from the dead.

This fits well with the 9th ‘principle’ of New Thought – “We affirm expression of the highest spiritual principles in loving one another unconditionally, promoting the highest good for all, teaching and healing one another, ministering to one another, and living together in peace, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus and other enlightened teachers.” New Thought adherents, along with many people who claim to be Christians, believe that Jesus was one of many ‘enlightened teachers.’

The 10th ‘principle’ of New Thought is – “We affirm our evolving awareness of the nature of reality and our willingness to refine our beliefs accordingly.” Many church and denominational leaders would agree that Christianity can ‘evolve,’ thus needing ‘to refine our beliefs accordingly.’

Celebrities and Influencers

God calls His people ‘sheep.’ That’s a good description. Sheep are easily scattered and need a good shepherd to lead them toward food and safety. It reminds me of what Jesus asked the Apostle Peter after the Lord had been crucified and raised from the dead –

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-17

In the process of ‘restoring’ Peter, Jesus gave all believers an amazing insight into what a spiritual shepherd should do for God’s sheep: feed, tend, feed. I highly recommend all Christian pastors and teachers humbly memorize those verses and repeat them multiple times every day. If leaders of churches, denominations, and seminaries did that, what a different experience Christians would have now and would have had for many centuries.

Unfortunately, many church leaders have been more interested in thinking about themselves and their own spiritual ‘careers.’ Because of a desire to ‘get ahead’ in the Christian world (e.g. bigger church, better position in the denomination, seen on television, writing books, speaking at conferences, etc ), church leaders often abandon the Lord’s simple guide to Peter – ‘feed, tend, feed’ – in order to fulfill their selfish desires. The sheep are lost for the want of loving shepherds.

Wrong Thinking?

People who buy into ‘New Thought’ thinking believe that illness, lack of prosperity in this world, etc., stem from ‘bad thinking.’ Here’s the seventh ‘principle’ of New Thought –

“We affirm that our mental states are carried forward into manifestation and become our experience in daily living.” INTA

That idea permeates much of what Christians see, hear, and read on a regular basis. They are told that their problems are caused by ‘wrong thinking.’ If Christians would just ‘think right,’ they could be healed and prosperous (e.g. health and wealth). Though God’s Word does not support that as truth, Christians are swayed more by celebrities and influencers. How did that happen?

It happened because church leaders stopped listening to God. They listened to the world instead. That’s one of the dangers Christians face as they ‘swim with sharks.’ God has made it clear from the beginning that He knows best and humans should ‘hear’ Him and ‘obey’ Him –

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

As God said in Isaiah 51 –

“Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.” Isaiah 51:4-6

Notice that God does not promise health, wealth, and happiness during this ‘world system.’ His promise of prosperity is in the future ‘after’ His arms ‘will judge the people’ – after ‘the heavens’ vanish away like smoke and the earth grows ‘old like a garment.’ Prophets understand that, but many of today’s most prominent preachers and teachers don’t. They believe they can have it all here and now. That falls right into place with ‘New Thought’ principles. Here’s the 8th ‘principle’ of New Thought –

“We affirm the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven here and now.” INTA

Here’s the 6th ‘principle’ –

“We affirm that we are spiritual beings, dwelling in a spiritual universe that is governed by spiritual law; and that in alignment with spiritual law, we can heal, prosper, and harmonize.” INTA

If any of this sounds familiar, it should because that’s exactly what many Christians believe today based on what they’ve been taught. Ever heard of the New Apostolic Reformation Movement? Word of Faith Movement? The Prosperity Gospel? Same beliefs as ‘New Thought.’ Why so similar? Because they’ve all been bitten by the same ‘new thought sharks.’

These false teachers promote a false gospel where people who agree with them (and send them money) can ‘speak into existence’ whatever they want. That’s no different than the New Age and New Thought idea of the ‘law of attraction.’ You ‘attract’ to yourself whatever you want by ‘creating’ your selfish desires through your spoken words. How can anyone do that? Because they are ‘like God’ and have similar creative powers to God Himself. Nonsense, of course, but believed by hundreds of millions of people across the world today.

I’ve already written several free eBooks about the New Apostolic Reformation, so let’s look at the Word of Faith Movement.

Word of Faith Movement

The Word of Faith Movement also had its beginnings in the 19th century. Many historians point to a man named E.W. Kenyon as being the founder. He was a Methodist minister who moved into Pentecostalism during his journey through ‘New Thought’ – which is just another name for ancient Gnosticism. Just like the Gnostics of old, Kenyon believed he held the keys to health, wealth, and prosperity through ‘secret’ knowledge from God.

Kenyon influenced many people, including the man that many people call the ‘grandfather’ of the Word of Faith Movement – Kenneth Hagin Sr. Hagin, in turn, influenced Oral Roberts who was all about raising money. Roberts promised people that if they ‘planted’ a financial seed with him and his ministry, God would meet their physical and financial needs (‘believe it, receive it). Oral Roberts influenced Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, who many believe received the mantle of the Word of Faith Movement. Copeland is in his late 80’s and has turned to his children to continue running a family empire worth an estimated $300 – $750 million (some current estimates are as high as $1-billion).

One of the primary ways that the Word of Faith Movement has grown so rapidly is ‘mass communications.’ People like Oral Roberts, the Copelands, Benny Hinn, and other Word of Faith preachers have used television to great advantage to reach people across the world with their message of ‘health, wealth, and happiness.’ Their television programs were boosted by religious networks like TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) that promoted them across the planet. Others have joined in since, including T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Robert Tilton, Paula White, Marilyn Hickey, Rodney Howard-Browne, Jan and Paul Crouch, Bishop Eddie Long, and many others. All of them have personal fortunes worth millions of dollars that have come from people who donate to their ministries and purchase their ‘merchandise’ (e.g. books, video tapes, etc).

Christians I’ve known for years have fallen for the lies of Word of Faith preachers and teachers. Unfortunately, most were not open to what I shared with them about it being a false gospel. They continued to believe and practice these ‘New Thought’ teachings. Most of the people in the Word of Faith Movement I’ve known never experienced healing, prosperity, or happiness. It is sad that so many people have been misled, and even personally damaged, by Word of Faith preachers and teachers.

Next Time

I’ll wrap up our series in the next part with some thoughts about where Christians go from here. Until Jesus takes us ‘home,’ we’re going to be swimming with sharks. So, how do we do that well in addition to teaching our children and other Christians how to successfully navigate the dangerous waters that are ‘this present world?’

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Faith & Self Defense © 2026