Success Motivation Through the Word

Rating:
Summary: One of the best motivational books I have ever read.
Review: Charles Capps gives a very clear, concise and workable methodology to using God's word to achieve financial success. He teaches that the shield of faith (Ephesians 6) is a protection placed all around us by the confession of the Word, that protects us from Satan's attacks while at the same time attracting God's blessings. If we confess abundance continually, even in the face of lack, we will, by faith receive God's promises.

Mr. Capps makes it clear in this book that there is no magic to this. We must follow God's system for success, such as giving of tithes and offerings. He warns us not to confuse sound business practices with faith and vice versa. I like one warning he gave to a new couple just turned on to the word of faith movement: "If you can't make it by faith with a job, you certainly won't make it by faith without a job!". This was in reply to the couple just waiting for God's blessing and not taking a job that was offered to the husband that was at a lower rate of pay than he was expecting.

I consider Success Motivation Through The Word to be one of the very best faith books I have ever read and recommend it very highly.

Rating:
Summary: Lacking
Review: This book gave me the heebie geebies the entire time I was reading it.

My issues with this book:

I am pretty skeptical of the claims of the author. While I do not doubt the psychological effect of having a good attitude and speaking what we want and not dwelling on what we do not have, I am continually battling the spiritual claims of this book with questions as I read it. Questions like: what about God's sovereignty and the will of God? What about God's omnipotence and power over everything regardless of what we do? Capps does not seem to truly go to the Word, only what the Word can do for us.

I believe we should say personal affirmations (for lack of a better term) for the profound psychological effects of a positive attitude. However, in this book, Capps supports each claim and each point with scripture that seems to me to be taken entirely out of context. My first thoughts were that he was pulling scripture out to support each paragraph he wrote.

Had I sufficient proof that Capps was an educated scholar of the Old and New Testaments and knew Greek and Hebrew and had gone back to the original text, I would be less wary than I am. In the first chapter the hackles stood up on the back of my neck. I continually prayed for wisdom as I read this. None-the-less, my feelings of skepticism did not diminish.

I went to a Bible College where we were taught foundational principles of the importance of the original contexts and study. Some friends who liked this book and promoted it to me put an awful lot of importance upon the works of the Holy Spirit, and not as much focus on Jesus' life and the power of God. No balance.

The good thing I did take away from this book was the importance of thinking and speaking positively - which you can get that same message in many different books without the push towards an attitude of controlling God.

Rating:
Summary: Read the Bible 1st!!! Then read this book with discernment
Review: When reading any book that teaches faith, prosperity, and spiritual gifts, always use discernment and read the Bible daily, as my Pastor Art Aragon always says, we need to get in the word daily, and not only get onto the word but live the word!!! This book is motivational more then religious, however there are many scriptures in the book, just remember you should also look up the scriptures in the Bible for yourself and make sure that they are NOT taken out of context. I was raised in the Calvary Chapels, and later in life decided I wanted a more charasmatic experience in my life, and belive me the Holy Spirit is stil lworking miricles everyday. I too ka lot of good things away from this book, especially positive thinking from the word of God.