Finally, the secret to the Universe uncovered? Today a closer
look at The Secret and what it claims is the key to happiness.
Today we just couldn’t resist helping you take a closer look at a
best selling phenomenon sweeping North America. It’s called
The Secret – and despite its name it’s gotten very
public.
The Secret is something a collection of authors claim is delivered in
all great religions of the world. They say it's a fundamental
"law of the universe" -- one that began at the beginning of time and
that always will be.
Today – we’ll critique what The Secret is – what,
beyond a bonanza of books and DVD’s, is The Secret really
marketing?
Listen
Up is looking at the positive thinking phenomena of The Secret – and if
we dare – we introduce a critic now. Dr. John Stackhouse studies
culture in his role as a philosopher and theologian at Regent
University, he’s a professor and author of several books and hundreds
of articles, he joined us from Vancouver, BC.
LU
is taking a closer look at the runaway success of The Secret
phenomena. Sue Augustine is a former sales executive, a motivational
speaker, and author, but Sue Augustine worries The Secret is moving
from magic to tragic.
Sue Augustine’s Story
As
a teenage bride, my parents knew what a mistake I was making marrying
someone with such a violent temper, and tried talking me out of it. As
my Dad was about to walk me down the aisle, he whispered, “It’s not too
late. Sue, you can change your mind.” Although I felt a prompting deep
inside to turn back, I went ahead anyway. Within a few weeks, I also
knew what a mistake I had made. The abuse started and lasted 11 years.
My
life became a blur of police sirens, family court, doctor’s visits, and
hospital stays. Most of the time I had black eyes, swollen lips and was
covered in bruises. There were more serious injuries like a fractured
jaw, broken nose and ruptured kidney. Several times I was left for
dead. Yet I had been taught marriage was forever - for better or worse
- so I kept going back believing and hoping it would get better. There
were times when the only thing that got me through the day were the
pudgy arms of my toddlers wrapped around my neck, chubby cheeks pressed
against mine, and little voices whispering, “It’s all right Mommy, he’s
gone now. Everything will be okay.”
Eventually, I knew if I
couldn’t make changes for myself, then I had to do it for my children.
I wanted to get off the tranquilizers the therapist had recommended. I
wanted peace, joy, and a new life for my girls and me. So I started to
look for answers … in all the wrong places. Spiritually, I went on a
search for “the truth” but got involved in many New Age teachings,
everything from positive affirmations and visualization to
contemplative prayer, fortune telling, astrology and horoscopes, and
transcendental meditation (TM) and yoga which both use altered states
of consciousness. I also studied various religions wondering if the
answer was there, but could not seem to find “the truth.” So I kept
seeking.
At that time, my children started attending
Sunday school on a bus with their friends. One night as I tucked them
in bed, they asked, “Mommy, are you in the army of the Lord?” I
thought, “Oh dear, my kids are in the army of the Lord and I don’t even
know what that is!” They were transformed and started checking the
calendar to see how many “sleeps” before going back to church! They
also talked different and said things like “Praise the Lord” and
“Halleluiah!” Little did I know they were praying for their Mommy’s
salvation.
While I went with them only once, I was very
touched. Before I could go back, I suddenly became very ill with a rare
blood disease. My doctor tested me for leukemia and a lot of other
serious ailments. He was baffled and called in specialists. Eventually
five doctors sent me home … to die. As I lay in bed knowing I was
dying, I began to talk to God. I said, “If there really is a God and
you hear me, I need to know how if there is a heaven and hell, and if
so, how to get to heaven.” In my spirit, I heard, “Read the Bible.” I
knew I had a little white Bible with a zipper in a box of childhood
memorabilia in the basement and went rummaging for it. When I took it
back to bed, I didn’t understand what I was reading. So I asked God if
He would help me understand.
Immediately I opened to the
verse, “You will know THE TRUTH and THE TRUTH will make you free!”
(John 8:32) The truth is exactly what I had been seeking! Then I turned
to John 14:6 “Jesus said, I am the way, THE TRUTH and the life. No man
comes to the Father but by Me!” I was so excited that I got out my
journal and recorded these as I went on to Romans 3:23 “For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God.” I knew that I too was a
sinner. Then back to the Old Testament, “Come now and let us reason
together says the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
(Isaiah 1:18) and back in the New Testament, “Except ye repent, ye
shall likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3) and then in Romans:
6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
10:9
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord Jesus and shalt believe
in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Finally,
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten
Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.”
That day I knew that I had
heard from almighty God! I said a prayer of forgiveness for my sins and
asking Jesus to come into my heart to be my Lord and Savior and the
master of my life. I knew I was saved and had a home in Heaven. I had
found “the truth.”
Later that day, I read in my Bible, “I will
not die but live, and proclaim what the Lord has done!” (Psalm 118:17)
I quietly prayed and asked God if He would heal my body so I would not
have to leave my girls without a mommy. It seemed so natural to believe
that my heavenly Father, who would come right into my bedroom and
reveal the truth about His love and heaven and hell, could make me
better. Within days I started to recover, and was miraculously healed.
Even my doctors said it could only be called a miracle! Shortly after,
God led my girls and I to a small apartment where we started a new
life. Eventually He brought a Christian man, Cliff, into my life and we
have been married 28 years. I remember promising God I would tell this
story whenever He gave me the opportunity.
It was 32 years
ago when I was born again, and I have never searched again. When I was
looking to other “religions” and New Age teachings, there was always
something new being offered. It meant switching from one to another,
always seeking yet another “truth.” Once we accept Jesus Christ, we
know that we know we have found the truth. There is never any need to
look farther. As the Bible says in Isaiah 8:19-22 (MSG): “When people
tell you: Try out the fortune tellers; consult the spiritualists; why
not tap into the spirit world? tell them No, we’re going to study the
Scriptures. People who try the other ways get nowhere – a dead end!
Frustrated and famished, they try one thing after another. When nothing
works, they get angry, cursing first this god and then that one.”
Robyn Moleiro
Life Coach – The Law of Attraction
“Learning to Live Joyfully” Robynm33@msn.com
Michele Gangbar
Metamorphoses And Women
sneekycleen@hotmail.com mgangbar@rogers.com
With all new ideas, you weigh the good with the
bad. In what we looked at today it’s good to realize your thoughts do
affect your life. But here’s what’s bad about the Secret phenomena
that we studied today; it leaves the impression that its all about
you, me – I’m on the hook for everything that does or does not happen
to me. It’s my fault when it’s good or bad because I or the people
around me, didn’t apply the Secret’s success principle of – ask –
believe – receive. The Secret says that principle comes from The
Bible, but it leaves out the God who said that. The Bible passage
where ask, believe, receive is found in the books of Matthew and Mark.
It’s where Jesus says, “Really embrace this God life and nothing will
be too hard for you.” The Secret renames the God life as simply “the
universe and the energy in it”. It cuts out the same God who wants us
to ask – to pray for everything - the God who thinks about us – and
goes much further – loves us. Those are the spiritual realities in the
universe. To simply bypass that and focus only on ourselves and the
positive thoughts of ask, believe, receive we can muster up, well, it
feels good for the moments, but it does not build a future based on the
truth that God hoped we would embrace. With due respect to fans of the
Secret, the authors need to publish a sequel that includes the God life
and how to embrace it.
Sue’s Personal Thoughts on “The Secret”
One
main reason The Secret is successful because most people are looking
for “microwave miracles” and “drive through breakthroughs.” They want
instant solutions to life’s problems (diet pills, win lottery, etc.).
The
Secret appears to have much good teaching about thinking positive,
expecting great things, believing in miracles, being a visionary, being
generous and thankful … and many are biblical principles, without
giving credit to the Bible and forgetting that God is almighty and in
control.
So -
a) Be careful what you wish for… you just may get it!
b) Know that the devil has a certain amount of power to fulfill your wishes … for a season.
Our words do have power (life and death is in the power of the tongue; let the weak say I am strong)
Our
thoughts do have power (as a man thinks, so is he; whatever is true,
honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, any virtue, any praise …
think on these things)
Having a vision is important (God is a visionary and we are created in His image; without a vision, people perish)
The
Secret also teaches you are god with your own divinity; it leaves out a
personal relationship with God through Christ; leaves out heaven, hell,
and the need for salvation and forgiveness of sins; leaves out that God
is almighty and our ultimate prayer should always be, “Thy will be
done.”
The Secret says: You have power within yourself and you are responsible to make things happen.
Bible says: 2 Cor. 12:10 “I just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
I
fear that, through the teachings of The Secret, many will be
discouraged, disillusioned, disappointed and most of all, deceived.
Turn Your Dreams into Realities is a book of hope, and a way out of despair. It teaches:
Jesus came so we can have an abundant life!
As believers, the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us!
As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Pray believing.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Give
and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the
measure you use, will be measured to you.
God knows the plans he has for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope!
Jesus said in this world we will have troubles, but He has overcome the world.
We so often find strength in adversity … as in my story!
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On April 30, 2005 Lorna was privileged to receive an honorary Doctorate of Christian Ministries from Canada's largest Christian university, Trinity Western University. Lorna was recognized for the witness and leadership that Listen Up TV has provided in public messaging: "a leader in the voice of evangelical life in Canada."
