Hi my name is Joe Holmes and I have been researching success and health for over 50 years. At the age of 19 (1963), I became enthralled with the concepts of "think and grow rich" as presented in a short story titled "That Something."  I began to read every success book I could, reading hundreds of books and attended many seminars about success. I really believed in their concepts, until I lost everything I owned. For the next ten years I was angry at God for my losses and my inability to be successful. (make money)

Little by little I realized something was wrong with the success philosophies. I began to increase my studies of the teachings by Jesus Christ's. Little by little I began to see that the teachings of success were craftily intertwined with the devils teachings. That they were actually designed to capture and deceive those who wanted to be worthwhile in life. That they skillfully intertwined 10% incorrect principles within 90% good principles so that no one would discern the deceit.

For example every success book and seminar suggests that one can not be successful until they acquire lots of money. That anyone without money is a failure because they have stinking thinking. That they are not skilled or smart enough to think positive. Some even use isolated teachings of Christ to justify their belief that they can get anything they want. Even to the point that if one is not applying the concept of getting anything they want they do not have faith in Christ. Little do they really understand what faith really is. See Faith.

The modern success philosophies are not what Christ taught!!! If it were what Christ wanted us to do he would have been born in a palace not a stable. Everything Christ did was to show us the way and to be an example and never did he preach the philosophies of get rich. In fact there are numerous times Christ taught to give up wealth and seek the kingdom of God.

The Bible does not mention what Christ did for his first 30 years and only tells us about his 3 year ministry. In His 3 year ministry there is no record of him making or earning money. He even states he had no place to lay His head. He and His deciples traveled without purse or script. In His most important sermon called "The Sermon on the Mount", He teaches numerous examples about forsaking the pursuit of money and being like the lily and the sparrow and to seek His kingdom first. His parable about the rich man poor man shows that the poor man achieved heaven and the rich man did not. His parable stating it will be harder for a rich man to achieve heaven than to go through the eye of a needle conveys an important message about money. Some think the eye of a needle, meant a sewing needle. Not so, Christ was a perfect teacher and frequently used examples from the things the people knew and experienced. In that time the back gates in the walls of the cities were called the eye of a needle. They were constructed to be impossible for a walking or running camel or even a horse and rider to enter. For a camel to go through the eye of a needle the burden (packs) had to be removed and the camel would have to get on its knees to walk through the gate. Christ was teaching that a rich man could only enter Heaven by giving up their wealth (addiction of wealth) and get on their knees in humility to enter Heaven. Recall the story of the rich man asking Christ, what he had to do to obtain heaven and Christ telling him to give all his money to the poor and follow Him. The rich man could or would not do it.

So why is it, that the majority of good people think they are not successful if they are not rich? Note that it has been the same since the creation of the earth starting with Cain to ignore the commandments of God and replace them with the things that please the appetites of man. So why is it, that only a small percentage of everyone who believe in the philosophies of success actually achieve great wealth? Why is it that every rich person says?, "See, I did it, and so can you."

What really is success and is there something we can do to obtain it? First, what is success, is it accumulation, money, fame or power? Or is it something else. My seminar will teach you how and what you need to do to obtain success the way Jesus Christ wants you to succeed.

If you want to host a small seminar contact me. I provide my seminar completely free with the option of making a donation by any who can or desire to do so. With the exception that if I have to travel I may need compensation for travel expenses. I am open to any size group from two or three to any size.

PS see my affirmation article on my main web site JoeHolmes.info