The author of Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill famously stated, “Whatever a man can conceive and believe, he can achieve”.
But it’s important to know the source of what you’re being told. Often the devil will quote the truth in an attempt to lead you into a lie.
He tried tempting Jesus by quoting Psalm 91:11-12 and daring Him to jump from a high height… “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.”
But Jesus rebuffed him with “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 6:16)
Napoleon Hill claimed to get his information from… “a group of strange beings who maintain a school of wisdom. … The School of Masters who can disembody themselves and travel instantly to any place they choose … to give knowledge directly, by voice”.
He went on to claim, “In truth, NO MAN KNOWS, and no man has ever known, what heaven or hell is like, nor does any man know if either place actually exists.”
Every Bible believing Christian DOES KNOW for certain that both Heaven and Hell exist and wants nothing to do with disembodied entities, especially as their life coach!
This is a classic case of Buyer Beware.
Here’s the thing though… What he said about conceive and believe is true, but sometimes the lie isn’t what’s said, but rather what’s left out. After all, the definition of lying is “the intent to deceive”.
It was Jesus who said, “Have the faith of God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)
First of all, in order for you to desire something, it must be conceived in your mind, so that’s conception. Then Jesus says to believe that you receive them, so that’s believing what you conceive. Then He promises you shall have them, so that’s the desire realized.
One might conclude that is exactly what Napoleon Hill was saying, but as I said, it’s not always what’s said, but what’s not said.
What’s left out is the admonition to have the faith of God (or faith in God). And that requires a relationship. This is not a reference to some impersonal higher power or some ambiguous consciousness. It’s a vital union with the living God. When you leave Him out of the equation, you separate yourself from the vine.
Adam and Eve found this out after believing the devil when he said, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
They thought they could have the benefits of “God like” power without the relationship. That didn’t end well.
And neither will it end well for you if you leave God out of the equation and try to produce fruit while not attached to the vine. It may work for a season, but it will be short lived.
I don’t know where Napoleon Hill is spending eternity, but I do know he spent his last days on earth in a soup line begging for bread. The devil is a deceiver and will waste you away if you let him.
What we see described in Mark 11:22-24 is often thought of as supernatural, but in point of fact, it is simply Jesus giving a description of reality and how things work.
If you’re going to think anyway, don’t exclude God from the equation. If you include Him in your thoughts and meditations, you will Think and Grow Wise. When the Bible says that wisdom is more precious than gold, I believe it means that wisdom will purchase for you far more than gold ever will.
If you want to learn more about what we call the supernatural ways of God, then I invite you to join me tomorrow night (8 PM Eastern) for my bi-weekly Supernatural Business meeting. I’m going to be talking about “A Profound Mystery That Can Unlock Your Destiny!” You won’t want to miss it!
It’s about 30 minutes of teaching with time for Q & A. No sales pitches. No offers to buy anything. Just powerful, transformative teaching to help you succeed in life.
If this sounds good to you, then register HERE. If you’ve already registered, no need to do it again, as we will be resending your link as the time approaches.
Feel free to share this invite with your friends and family.