We have been searching for a Bible based church. For a long time, my husband and I have been worshiping from home; watching pastors and preachers whom we have come to trust and love via YouTube. We do miss fellowship and we are aware that God wants us to be in fellowship with other believers.
For the last two Sundays we visited a Baptist church. This church ordains women as pastors. The head pastor is a man. We do not believe that the Word of God supports women being pastors.
Knowing that we will probably not find a church where we agree on every point, we know that some things are essential, while others are non-essential to salvation. But I have often spoken of the slippery slope on which leadership finds itself when they stray from the Word. It is inevitable.
A baby was being dedicated on the first Sunday we visited the new church. A book was presented to the parents of the baby. The name of the book was Jesus Calling. I had read about this book, and knew that it was very controversial, but I had no idea how wrong this book was for any Christian to be reading.
I know that this article is going to upset many people who have come to love Jesus Calling. My job as a Christian writer is to speak truth. I have no control over the readers’ reaction, but I must speak truth; and hopefully I will reach some Christians with this truth. I pray that this piece will help many to see that Jesus Calling is not a book that Jesus would have them read.
Jesus Calling is a New Age mystical book which Christians should completely avoid.
SOLA SCRIPTURA
From gotquestions.org
Question: “What is sola scriptura?”
Answer: The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word scriptura meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). [1]
It says in Timothy 3:16, that all Scripture is God-breathed. Just as He breathed life into Adam, He breathed the Words of the Bible – penned by men, but under His inspiration. It is so vitally important for the believer to read God’s Word. It is food for their soul. God speaks to us through His Word.
Have you ever read a verse of Scripture that you have read many times before, but suddenly the words just jumped off the page and into your heart? God was speaking to you through His Word, and helping you with whatever you were going through at that particular time.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)
JESUS CALLING
The author of this book, Sarah Young, modeled her book after God Calling, a book written in the early 1930s. This book was written by two “listeners” who said that they would come into the presence of God and begin to write what they thought He was saying. It is a New Age practice called automatic writing. The New Age followers believe that they are channeling spirits who impart knowledge to them. We know that these so-called spirits are demons.
Isn’t it just like Satan to deceive the children of God? In Jesus Calling, Sarah Young also claims that she came into God’s presence and listened and then wrote what she felt He was saying to her. She writes as if Jesus Himself is speaking.
Doesn’t it make you wonder who was saying the things for Miss Young to write? I have skimmed through many of the writings in this book, and on the surface they seem innocuous. But I have wondered why so many millions of Christians would resort to reading this book, when we have the Word of God. Why do they need more? Who is whispering to them that they need more?
I see that Sarah Young now has a book out for children, and even a Jesus Calling bible! This alarms me, and makes me wonder why so many Christians lack discernment. It is obvious to me that Satan is confusing and deceiving God’s children. But if these same people would read the Word of God, they would see that everything they need to know is right there is His Word!
Harper Collins publishes “Jesus Calling” books. Harper Collins also publishes the Satanic Bible. Coincidence? I think not.
Back to the church that my husband and I visited; we had the pastor come to our home to speak with us about some of our concerns. I had already told him about being alarmed that the church would present Jesus Calling to the parents of a baby being dedicated. When we began to speak with him about this, he shut us down by saying that his wife loves Jesus Calling and that all of these books bring her peace. So, the book is okay because his wife loves it? I was speechless.
I began to connect the dots. I thought to myself that this pastor believes that it is okay to ordain women as pastors, and he was influenced by his wife about the spiritual legitimacy of Jesus Calling. My mind traveled back to the Scriptures about the Garden of Eden. It was Eve who was deceived by Satan. Adam sinned willfully. I believe that he did this because of his love for Eve. He put her above God.
If this pastor believed the Word of God, and studied it as any pastor should, he would have seen the error of his ways. God would have spoken to him through His Word. But instead he did what he thought was right.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
WARREN SMITH ON JESUS CALLING
Warren Smith wrote a book entitled Another Jesus Calling. In this insightful book, Mr. Smith asks the question “Is this really our Savior speaking?” I would encourage any readers of this article, who are defensive about Sarah Young’s book, to purchase Another Jesus Calling. Warren Smith believes (as I do) that this is just part of the Emerging Church movement, where contemplative prayer and eastern mediation is encouraged.
Please pass this article on to anyone you know who is reading Jesus Calling. I pray that the Lord will bring many away from this counterfeit book and back into His book – the Bible.
Blessings in Yeshua
MARANATHA!
[1] http://www.gotquestions.org/sola-scriptura.html