I think a lot of the people who listen to these preachers are essentially looking for self-help. Many are in dire circumstances and/or had very difficult lives in the past - abused, raped, etc. They have some foggy idea of God and they were reared in the cultural milieu of Christianity, so naturally they seek out people who use buzz words such as "God", "Jesus", "Bible", etc. because it's familiar to them and they were probably taught that these things are good. They are looking for some sort of positive, uplifting message before they commit suicide or break-down from the personal pressure in their daily lives.
As for the motivational speakers themselves, well, I imagine some were probably in similar circumstances, yet managed to get out and better themselves and attributed much of their strength during those times to God and now they genuinely want to share their experience and source of strength with others - Joyce Meyer comes to mind here. Then there are others who are greedy businessmen who are preying upon the weak and naïve and extracting as much money as they can from them. These people's hearts have never been changed nor do they understand the Scripture's - and they don't really care to. They might genuinely believe in God and the power of the Holy Spirit - but in their greed they only see God as a means to fuel their lavish lifestyles and categorize it as a blessing in their depraved mind.
Sad situation all around really and to come down like a thunderbolt on any of these people will generally be counterproductive.
As for the motivational speakers themselves, well, I imagine some were probably in similar circumstances, yet managed to get out and better themselves and attributed much of their strength during those times to God and now they genuinely want to share their experience and source of strength with others - Joyce Meyer comes to mind here. Then there are others who are greedy businessmen who are preying upon the weak and naïve and extracting as much money as they can from them. These people's hearts have never been changed nor do they understand the Scripture's - and they don't really care to. They might genuinely believe in God and the power of the Holy Spirit - but in their greed they only see God as a means to fuel their lavish lifestyles and categorize it as a blessing in their depraved mind.
Sad situation all around really and to come down like a thunderbolt on any of these people will generally be counterproductive.
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