The Cult of Jabez: And the Falling Away of the Church in America [Paperback]

Pastor Steve Hopkins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Hopkins is the pastor of Burnet Bible Church (BBC) in Burnet, Texas. His wife, Sandra, is the director of the Burnet County Crisis Pregnancy Center. Together they home-school their ten children on a small farm in the Texas hill country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Bethel Pr (January 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971761272
• ISBN-13: 978-0971761278
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,189,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Expose!!!!, March 8, 2003

By 

Gregory Nyman (Winchendon, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cult of Jabez: And the Falling Away of the Church in America (Paperback)

Let's get honest, here! There are a lot of people who have read this book who don't like it. I am not in that category. This is a well-researched book and it strikes at the heart of this "JABEZ Cult," for lack of a better word. And yes, I have read the Prayer of Jabez, as have many of my friends and associates, and people in the church. There are those who love it and don't know why (although I think it's the promise of "getting" which attracts them), and there are those who are in the middle on this thing, and there are those who are saddened and grieved at such a thing which has occurred.

We have an epidemic in the Church in this nation today. And I'm not claiming to have been in every Christian bookstore, but the ones I have been in are innundated with this Jabez hype, from pendants, to coins, the talismans of every stripe, to bookmarks, to little booklets, to games, to music, to just about everything, and there are those who say that this is not a "cult." I beg to differ. But Pastor Hopkins doesn't beg, but he's bold in his assertion, and the reader would do well to "be transformed by the renewing of his mind," by getting this book and getting a Bible as well and compare the passages.

There are many great portions of this book, but I want to focus on what I believe is one of the most revealing parts. In chapter 7, entitled "Three Reasons God Will not Hear," Bruce Wilkinson is quoted in his preface to "...want to teach you how to pray a daring prayer that God always answers." Right there, we have a problem, and as Pastor Hopkins writes, "the prayer of a repentant sinner calling on the Name of Jesus Christ for salvation is the only prayer that God always answers." Check it out for yourself. It's in the Bible.

But, you see, we have those who read the Prayer of Jabez who hate knowledge, and choose not to fear God, and to refuse to accept godly counsel and reproof, all signs of a hard and impenitent heart. Pastor Hopkins is saddened and disturbed that there are many today in our generation who in times of great trouble and distress call upon God to help them, but they do not call to God from a humble heart that seeks repentance and forgiveness.

Do you ever wonder just what God requires? You think He's just an errand boy to satisfy your wandering desires? When are you gonna wake-up and strengthen the things which remain? There are three reasons why God will not hear prayer. Just follow.

The first reason God will not hear a believer's prayer, is:
"If I regard iniquity (sin) in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." (Psalm 66:18).

The second reason: "Ye ask and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3) But Wilkinson takes it out of context and states "You do not have because you do not ask." This is in support of his blatant heresy.

The third reason: "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." (Isaiah 1:15) Pastor Hopkins states that our nation, so-called "under God," is guilty of the blood of the unborn, as "...many churches in America have never even so much as lifted a prayer to God on behald of the unborn...As the voices of the blood of nearly 50 million unborn children murdered in America since 1973 rise up to God in heaven, the vast majority of our churches have remained silent...We have the greatest 'worship and praise' services ever constructed in the history of the world, yet all the while the voices of those being led away to slaughter go unheeded...They just sing louder...And to bring the full chastening of God down upon this wicked self-serving church, in an age when rivers of blood are flowing in the streets, add to it all the words...'Bless me, Lord, Bless me indeed...enlarge my borders...'"

Pastor Hopkins encourages the reader to read the Sermon on the Mount to discover how Jesus Christ taught believers how they were to be blessed, and I would encourage the same.

Is anybody listening, here? Does anybody care? Are we so stooped in the materialistic culture of this nation, that we have forgotten some basic truths?

Read this book!!! I more than highly recommend it. I'd give it 25 stars if it were possible. This is serious stuff, folks. Don't get so caught up in this tiny Scripture verse that you will stoop to creating an incredible theology about it. Why is it that Christ never talked about Jabez? How about reading the 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews - the hall of faith - and then come back and see if our current generation of "gimme Christians" qualifies.

A brilliant treatise on Jabez cultism!!! Read it and weep and repent!!!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Biblical Response to "Jabez", April 5, 2003

By 

John Wicklund (Twin Cities, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cult of Jabez: And the Falling Away of the Church in America (Paperback)

I thought the Christian church would immediately see through the heresy of the "Prayer of Jabez." Many did. However, I was surprised so many bought into it. But with the Christian church of today and its focus on pop psychology and the needs of the "me first" generation, maybe it is not too surprising that "Jabez" sold so many copies. I wish everyone who read "Jabez" would read this book but sadly, the damage is done. This Health and Wealth gospel taught by Wilkinson plays very well in North America. It is not so easily accepted in other parts of the world.

Hopkins' has an excellent exegesis that show Wilkinson read far more into these verses in Chronicles than ever could be reasonably taught. The repetition of the Jabez prayer was a particularly warning siren for me. Didn't Jesus say that when you pray, don't use vain repetitions? ( Matthew 6:7).

Mr. Hopkins exposes this heresy for what it is. It is a man-centered philosophy that is basically selfish at its core. Was the Apostle Paul ever wealthy? Was his thorn in the flesh ever removed? It may be that God's will is for some to obtain wealth but to teach that it will come to all, is clearly anti-biblical. This book sold well as the stock market was flying high in the late 90's. But with today's economic realities, I think the heresy speaks for itself. It tickles the ears of many Christians but is clearly bologna. (See 2 Timothy 4:3-5) Thanks Mr. Hopkins. God bless.

229 of 285 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Cult of Jabez - Sour grapes, March 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cult of Jabez: And the Falling Away of the Church in America (Paperback)

I had high hopes when I first saw this book, but after reading it, I can say that it swings the pendulum way far to one side and is not balanced teaching. This is typical anti-prosperity doctrine and it keeps God's people in bondage and living within a "box". Pastor has a few valid points about praying selfish prayers, but he does not ONCE enlighten us with the dozens of scriptures in the Bible that refer to our prosperity. Does God want us ALL to be martyrs and give away all of our belongings? Does he want us to live with tattered clothing and just enough to get by? No...He doesn't. He wants to bless us so that WE CAN BE A BLESSING! Is Jabez's prayer really out of line?

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain."
So God granted him what he requested. -I Chronicles 4:10 NKJV

Pastor Hopkins seems to ignore the fact that this prayer IS in the Bible, and it WAS ANSWERED by God. If Jabez prayed this and moved God, then why does Pastor Hopkins say that we CAN'T pray this way?? It would be outrageously selfish to just pray , "bless me"....BUT, pray this after you have prayed for everyone else's needs in earnest. Pray it because by being blessed you can go out and BLESS OTHERS.

Pastor Hopkins also has an issue with TV evangelists, calling some of them "money-grubbing, prosperity preaching, false prophet of the past forty years" . I would be very careful with accusations against other preachers who give millions and millions to feed and clothe the poor. There are some very generous preachers out there who give and give and give...and their hearts are pure.

I'm sure you cannot offer much help to people, Pastor Hopkins, if you are not praying to be blessed. Just think of how your territory could be expanded and all of the people you could feed and clothe if the Lord BLESSED YOU to overflowing.

* "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Galatians 3:13) which includes poverty and lack.
* The blessing of Abraham is supposed to come upon those who are in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:14)
"The Lord blessed Abraham in all things." (Genesis 24:1)
"(Abraham) was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold." (Genesis 13:2)

Search through your Bible for the way God has blessed His people and how He DELIGHTS in blessing us.(Psalm 35:27) He wants to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others...we are His arms and legs...we have to take His food and clothing and gospel to the poor...AND WE NEED MONEY TO DO IT!

Oh, and one more thing to add. Not once did I read any teaching in Pastor Hopkins' book that taught about seedtime and harvest...one of the most prevalent of Jesus' teachings... Jesus was VERY interested in our prosperity..