Knock, Knock….RUN! It’s Jesus Calling

Discernment Research Group has a piece on the best-selling Christian New Age book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  Buyer beware!  According to the article, Jesus Calling devotions are similar to horoscopes or a “fortune” in a fortune cookie.  The devotions are ambiguous.  The way they’re worded is open to several meanings or interpretations. Sadly, many professing Christians, especially women, are reading this occult book.

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Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Jesus.
Which Jesus?

Fortune cookiesHow can someone open the door to the knock of any voice claiming to be Jesus? Why is it so easy for people to listen to another Jesus? How can a person so readily follow this Jesus?

Well, what if this Jesus appealed to you in the following way. . . wouldn’t you be tempted to open the door to him?

Jesus is a soft, fluffy, comfortable Jesus who is your best friend. He is always there to share the burden of your troubles, wipe away your tears, give you peace, and keep you feeling warm and comfortable inside. To experience the presence of Jesus you need to do things such as remember him, whisper his name, trust him, and turn to him when you are in need.(RUN! p. 70)

It seems that millions of people are now listening to this “soft, fluffy” Jesus. If it is so comforting to listen to this comfy Jesus, it explains how easily people will follow an imposter Christ, an anti-Christ who appears at their door wearing “warm and comfortable” sheep’s clothing (Luke 21:8; Matt. 7:5).

Our friend Warren B. Smith first sounded the alarm about the Jesus who speaks in Sarah Young’s book(s) Jesus Calling. He knows what he is talking about; when he was a New Ager Smith followed the Jesus whose words are recorded in A Course In Miracles. Smith published his concerns about Young’s Jesus in his book Another Jesus Calling: How False Christs are Entering the Church Through Contemplative Prayer. We ran several posts reviewing Smith’s concerns (HERE and HERE).

Recently, we learned of another book examining Sarah Young’s Jesus and his words. It is titled Run! It’s Jesus Calling and it is authored by Pastor Steve Hudgik. This book is an excellent critical commentary on Jesus Calling, examining the words of Sarah Young’s Jesus from the perspective of Scripture. Pastor Hudgik’s book does a very good job of helping the reader to gain discernment skills, teaching the reader how to distinguish the voice of Jesus in Scripture.

Pastor Hudgik noticed something very interesting about the effect that Sarah Young’s Jesus was having on people:

Earlier this year I was talking about Jesus Calling with a woman named Beth. We talked about the many problems with Jesus Calling, and then she said, “But, Jesus Calling has been so helpful to me. It helped me get through a very difficult time in my life.” No matter what I said, she was not going to give up reading Jesus Calling.(RUN! p. 43)

What is going on here? Why is this woman clinging so desperately to the Jesus of Jesus Calling?

Chapter 10 of Pastor Hudgik’s book analyzes what happens to a person once the door is opened and Sarah Young’s Jesus starts talking. He has given us permission to reproduce it in its entirety… Continue reading

Read our White Paper on the New Age movement

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2 Responses to Knock, Knock….RUN! It’s Jesus Calling

  1. david January 9, 2016 at 3:16 pm #

    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018&version=KJV

    13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

    14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

    15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

    16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

    17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

    18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.

    19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

    20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

    21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

    22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

    23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

    24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

    25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

    26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

    27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

    28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

  2. Paul, The Marketplace Minister January 10, 2016 at 10:51 am #

    I subscribe to Berean Research, because, “I are one.” (a Berean, that is)

    At first, reading the quote above sickened me. Then I read about the Author and her seminary, I thought, “Hmmm, could BR be too harsh?” Then I read her endorsements, “Nope, BR is right on track like normal.”

    The author, earning a “biblical studies and counselor masters degree” (she doesn’t say what that degree is) from Covenant Theological Seminary, says, “Jesus Calling was written to help people connect not only with Jesus, the living Word, but also with the Bible-the only infallible, inerrant Word of God.” http://www.JesusCalling.com

    About Covenant Theological Seminary, who’s M.Div. students are required to take both Koine Greek and Hebrew, says in their credo, “The inspired and inerrant Word of God has the power to transform hearts and lives, and as such, it is at the center of our curriculum (I remove their statement on historical context for space) …and effectively apply its timeless truths in various contemporary ministry contexts.”

    The author espouses with her husband, a PCA pastor, has served as a missionary in Japan and Australia. A cursory review of PCA says nothing about the Bible, on its website it only refers to the “Word of God,” and its strongest statement only says, about its leadership to a “form of government founded upon and agreeable to the Word of God.” taken from the Westminister Confession of Faith. http://www.pcanet.org/beliefs/

    Now, endorsements start with Max Lucado, but prominently, the second endorsement is from Melinda Gates and adds more like Roma Downey, a jesuit priest, a few mega church pastors, Kathie Lee Gifford, moderate talk show host Delilah, and other a sundry questionable and highly suspect New Age or Emerging Church heretics.

    My wife said she read excerpts from the book and said it was trash. I will not be reading the book. Thank you BR.

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