Another Jesus Calling



Christianbooks.com

Author Warren B. Smith has written a must read book documenting his concerns about the popular Christian devotional book "Jesus Calling". The devotional book written by Sarah Young has sold millions of copies by it's publisher Thomas Nelson, yet what's been pointed out in Smith's book shows there are similar new age messages/teachings from a new age book from the 1930's called: "God Calling", which Sarah Young praised as an inspiration in her own book: Jesus Calling. Young's book: "Jesus Calling" is a collection of messages presented in the form of a daily devotional book. Smith shows the "Jesus" of Sarah Young's book is "Another Jesus" and not the Jesus of the Bible. 

Warren Smith warns most urgently about his concerns on pg. 43: "The very real danger of spiritual experences is that they can be used to introduce new truths and new revelations. This is what the New Age is founded on, and the experiential "truths" and "revelations" of the New Age have been in the process of "infecting" the church for many years now.  As these new truths and new revelations supplant God's Word, they definitely revolutionize man's thoughts of Jesus Christ---which opens the door to embracing "another Jesus."
 

 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
 we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit,
 which ye have not received, or another gospel, which
 ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.  (2 Corinthians 11:4)

 

The author Warren Smith shows how Young's Devotional book contradicts Scripture as he cites various quotes from the Jesus Calling book.  Smith warns about the danger of contemplative prayer which is also promoted in Sarah Young's book and the concerns of elevating spiritual experiences over the Word of God.  This is a book that gives much needed discernment about this popular christian book. Recommended reading. This book can be ordered from Lighthouse Trails.

Warren B. Smith has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania; M.S.W. from Tulane University. Warren served as a social worker and directed several homeless programs in Northern California and served as a hospice social worker in New Orleans and in California. Because of his past involvement in the New Age movement, he has written extensively on the subject of spiritual deception.  He is a conference speaker in the U.S. and Canada.

 

 

 

Below is also a link to a companion booklet that covers recent problems with the Sarah Young book "Jesus Calling". This booklet from Lighthouse Trails - "Changing Jesus Calling - Damage Control for a False Christ" highlights further problematic issues with the publishing of Young's book and changes that have since occurred in it's text of the 10th Anniversary edition by the Thomas Nelson publisher while accountability issues are examined.   To order the Booklet click here: Changing Jesus Calling (This booklet outlines 5 problems with the book by Sarah Young - 'Jesus Calling'.

 

Charismatic Chaos

The charismatic movement has made an impact on the church unparalleled in history. But one legacy of the movement is confusion and mushy thinking. In Charismatic Chaos, John MacArthur calls for biblical evaluation and analyzes the doctrinal differences between charismatics and non-charismatics in the light of Scripture.

 

"My principal concern," writes MacArthur, "is to call the church to a firm commitment to the purity and authority of the Scriptures, and thereby to strengthen the unity of the true church." To tough questions that seem to divide, Charismatic Chaos provides tougher answers that strive to unite. This book tackles such questions as:

Is experience a valid test of truth?
Does God still give revelation?
Prophets, fanatics, or heretics?
Does God still heal?
What should we think of the Signs and Wonders movement?
Does the Bible promise health and wealth?

This Book can be purchased at Christianbook.com

PuBlisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0310575729
ISBN-13: 9780310575726

Contending for the Faith

From the cover: “Recent years have seen an explosion of independent ministries claiming apostolic and prophetic offices. These new apostles and prophets are claiming the Church must come under their authority and direction in order to fulfill her end-time purpose. New doctrines and practices are being introduced into the Body at an alarming rate.

This book examines the claims and doctrines of the new apostles and prophets in the light of Biblical revelation and offers a response for the discerning Christian. “ Recommended Reading. One of the best new books on the subject.

 

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ…These are wandering starts for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude 3,4,12

This Book can be purchased Here: Amazon.com
 

Keith Gibson has served in Christian ministry for more than 27 years. He is the founding pastor of Word of Life Community Church. He also serves as the Kansas City Director for the Apologetics Resource Center. He and his wife Doreen have been married over 26 years and have five children.

Title: Wandering Stars
Publisher: Solid Ground Christian Books
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 978-159925-317-4 

 

See Other Reviews of this Book:

Gary Gilley’s Book Review

MM Outreach Book Review of Wandering Stars - Newsletter order information http://mmoutreachinc.com/nv/nv102ad-inc.html

Health, Wealth & Happiness

The desire for a thriving, healthy, and productive life is as strong as ever, especially in tough economic times. As people become more disillusioned at the state of the economy, they also become more susceptible to the lure of the prosperity gospel and its teachings of health, wealth, and happiness for the faithful. But what happens when the promise of prosperity overshadows the promise of the real gospel--the gospel of Christ?

Believing that the prosperity gospel is constructed upon faulty theology, authors David W. Jones and Russell S. Woodbridge take a closer look at five crucial areas of error relating to the prosperity gospel. In a fair but firm tone, the authors discuss the history and theology of the prosperity gospel movement to reveal its fraudulent core biblical teachings that have been historically and popularly misinterpreted, even by some of today's most well-known pastors. After an introduction and assessment of the movement, readers are invited to take a look at Scripture to understand what the Bible really says about wealth, poverty, suffering, and giving.

Theologically sound but acessible to all readers, Health, Wealth & Happiness: Has the Prosperity Gospel Overshadowed teh Gospel of Christ is sure to become a trusted resource for laypersons, pastors, and Christian leaders.

David W. Jones (Ph.D, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of Christian ethics at Sputheastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He is the author of more than a dozen articles and books that cover a wide range of moral issues.  His Ph.D is in the field of financial ethics.

Russell S. Woodbridge (Ph.D, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an asistant professor of theology and church history currently engaged in missions work in Eastren europe.  He is a former vice-president for Equity Derivatives trading for Salomon Brothers AG in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

This book can be purchased at Christianbook.com - click here

Publisher: Kregel Publications
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 0825429307
ISBN-13: 9780825429309

Discerning the Prayer of Jabez

I Just want more Land

Bruce Wilkinson’s book “The Prayer of Jabez” hit the #1 best selling books in 2001 and captivated Christians everywhere. It was mass marketed in it’s success. Even years later, this little book is still being passed around and sold at church bookstores to a new generation that may have missed it’s exposure and the fad that hit the church starting years ago.

The author  examines the ‘Prayer of Jabez’ from the Scriptures used in the book (1 Chronicles 4:9,10) and gives it’s proper meaning, in context, and shows the discrepancy in Wilkinson’s interpretation of scripture, citing from his book. Gilley observes; that the Church is now experiencing the beginning of the fallout that came with the ‘abandonment of truth’ and instead have had a preference for experiences and success stories, and he warns the Church to return to thorough bible study and proper means of interpretation and rightly dividing the word.

The author writes in his book; “In order to become successful, the church-growth gurus have convinced us that we must go easy on truth and heavy on things the consumer desires, such as self-fulfillment, entertainment, and prosperity. Yet God’s church is to be the Pillar and support of the truth (1Timothy 3:15), not the place where people are told what they want to hear. The conservative church is becoming increasingly hollowed out as it exchanges it’s biblical purpose for one that is market-suggested. Many local congregations still have the outward shell that allow them to resemble Christ’s church, but the substance is gone, and in time they will collapse spiritually.” (pg. 53) Gilley’s plea in this book is---a return to Scripture and reading and studying the bible. The book offers an excellent section on discernment, methods of interpretation, and how to study your Bible, giving several pages of examples which can be used in small group study. These helps were outstanding!

The author shows the lack of discernment on the part of the Christian, and gives the reasons why discernment is lacking. On pg 48): “The Prayer of Jabez is a thinly disguised version of the prosperity gospel. It is (perhaps unintentionally) designed to deceive those who may detect the folly of many false teachers, but do not have the biblical discernment to recognize the same untruths when it comes from a respected and unsuspected source.”

The knowledge gained from the reading of this book is not only beneficial in exposing the scriptural errors in ‘The Prayer of Jabez’ book but the lessons learned can also be applied to any best selling author or book of Today that needs to be examined and discerned biblically from the Bible.

Copyright © 2002

Publisher Xulon Press

ISBN-10: 1931232555

A Book on the Prophetic Movement

Why I Left the Prophetic Movement

The Author Andrew Strom tells of what he has seen occurring at a Conference in Kansas City and how he discerned it. He describes what he saw going on there was so disturbing, pagan and ungodly that he left the Prophetic Movement. Strom believes that the movement is dominated by a spirit of divination and fortune-telling, and believes that it is beyond reform.

We are not in agreement with some things in the book, such as Strom disparaging remarks about discernment ministries, who have warned the Church of these false teachings for years. But he does bring up some very important points and examines what is happening within the Prophetic Movement and appeals to Scripture. Strom gives a strong warning to those who have been “Touched” and who are involving themselves in the manifestations, visitations, and experiences that are occurring in recent revivals, and as to those claiming to be prophets such as : Todd Bentley, Patricia King, and others. Those involved need to renounce it, in Jesus Name, with your mouth, and then have nothing more to do with it!

There is a good section in the book on IHOP and the modern Prayer Movement and it’s “Bridal Paradigm” - the Romancing Jesus teachings that are promoted in popular Contemporary Christian Music of today, and how this distorts a Christian’s true understanding of Christ and God’s Holiness. Some are justifying their own beliefs in this teaching based on Mystics who are quoted and teach these beliefs and supporting it, they somehow believe that this makes it correct or that this ’Bridal/Romancing Jesus teaching is supported in the Bible when clearly these teachings are not in scripture. Strom plainly shows how these extra-biblical teachings can lead an unsuspecting listener to accept false teachings and can open a Christian up to unclean and deceitful spirits.

The chapter on why correcting false teachings is NOT a Matthew 18 matter, was especially helpful. One thing I didn’t like about the book was it’s critical references to heresy hunters, yet Strom’s own chapter on discernment is no different than what ‘heresy hunters’ and/or discernment ministries have been warning the Church about for years and have been solidly standing firm in the faith on the truth of God‘s word.

 

 

We bought this book in early June/2008, someone we know was involved with Todd Bentley’s ministry school and revival teachings and read some sections of this book to her. This helped the person to evaluate the teachings of this movement and reconsider their involvement, but for some, seldom is this truly possible so quickly, since the teachings, peer-pressure and fleshy appeal is so seductive. It is always advisable to continually pray for those who have gotten involved with these teachings.

Copyright © 2008 - Andrew Strom

Publisher - Revival School

ISBN: 13: 978-0-9799073-0-2

Reading/ Reviewed: July 14,2008

Exposing Spiritual Abuse

Matthew 23 is a Good Overview

This book was very helpful. It’s unfortunate that more books are not written like this one to help Christians discern error. The writing was biblically balanced.

In an unhealthy church it is considered rebellion when decisions are questioned. Matthew 23 is referred to as giving example of where the Christians loyalty should be-- which is To Christ.

The author gives the traits of abusive leaders and unhealthy churches. He gives a list of 7 warning signs of spiritual abuse in a church:

1) Power Positioning
2) Unquestioned Authority
3) An atmosphere of secrecy
4) Elitist attitude
5) Performance emphasis
6) Fear motivation
7) Painful exit

Mike Fehlauer explains that many Christians have fallen into abusive situations within the church and he answers questions that maybe you’ve been wondering about, such as what is the role of the Pastor, what is a healthy church, when and how should I leave a church, what should I do if I recognize any of these unhealthy symptoms and more. He gives key scriptures and real life situations for why we should reject controlling and manipulative leaders, and also helps the reader by giving a foundation in which to build on to restore broken relationships and build trust.

There are a list of questions for discussion at the end of each chapter. One valuable point in the book is; when leaving a controlling church, it is impossible to leave correctly in the eyes of the abusive pastor. If you are suffering under the control of a manipulating leader, this book will help bring healing and will help you put things into a proper perspective.

Copyright© 2001

Publisher Charisma House

This book can be found at Amazon.com

　

Reading / Review Date: December 2006

Standing Strong - Stand Firm in the Faith

Reading / Review Date: June 28, 2009
This is a powerfully written book by Pastor John MacArthur that brings clarity about the spiritual warfare movement. He has done the homework for people to understand a movement that is laden with errors, distorting the scripture, and is steeped in sensationalism. These teachings are captivating a “bored with scripture” audience, and it’s teachings are currently being militantly advanced in the Church today. Seminars, books, DVD’s, and conferences abound, and Christians are flocking to learn the newest techniques. But true spiritual warfare isn’t about skill or techniques, but is about true ’spiritual character‘. (pg. 87-89)

Standing Strong is an excellent book addressing this popular movement on it’s beliefs and practices, and then give the reader the answers that are needed. The book is designed as a bible study aid for personal or small group study. A study guide is at the back of the book. MacArthur helps the reader to discern fact from fiction, and how to be well-balanced when studying these spiritual warfare techniques, practices and experiences, and does this by examining them with scripture.

This movement is advancing rapidly, due to poor doctrinal teaching, books and popular teachers within the church. This book will help to sort out the doctrinal confusion that is occurring. One of the key problems is: a shallow view of salvation, and sanctification. The author takes the popular teachings and dismantles them with the truth found in the Bible and gives the true meaning of the gospel and what sanctification really is in comparison to the distorted doctrines that are being taught and believed.

John MacArthur - is Pastor-Teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California and serves as President of the Master’s College and Seminary. He is known for his dynamic expository preaching and his daily radio program on Grace to you. He is also the author of many books. Website: Grace to you

Copyright© 2006
Publisher David C. Cook
ISBN: 078144361X

Quitting Church

The Author attempts to explain why so many Christians still remain faithful yet dissatisfied and disconnected from the established church. The case histories of those included in the book were insightful, poignant and revealing. Julia Duin explores factors that are causing a shift in why people are leaving churches. The data is impressive. She delves into trends and fads like: house-churches, emergent congregations and postmodernism. This book is not convincing when it presented these options as opposed to traditional churches.

In her statistical data she shows how 78 million protestants don’t go to church, and states in her research that people are simply not being pastured. She writes about her own experience of being churchless and her struggle to find a church from her Charismatic background. Unfortunately she endorses charismatic- extremist teachers from the signs and wonders movement as good models in the book, which we didn’t find helpful.

Her conclusions and remedy for the problems given at the end of the book--she suggests going back to the ’covenant community movement’ like in the 70’s, to which she was a part of. She writes favorably of the house-church movement. This isn’t the best answer for the situation, especially from what has already been well-documented of the past record of the (Shepherding discipleship Movement) blunders and abuses that occurred in the 70‘s and 80‘s, and still would be troublesome today if it’s practices were repeated in today’s church. Two such books that document these movements are ‘Drift into Deception’, and also see the book ‘Damaged Disciples’).

Copyright © 2009
Publisher Baker Books  
ISBN: 0801072271

Reading / Review Date: January 2009

Can a Christian have a demon?

Dilemma Over Demons DVD

This is one of the best dvds exposing the new unbiblical teachings on demonism of christians that has been popularized in the Christian Church today. These teachings regarding spiritual warfare and generational curses are being accepted by undiscerning Christians through ‘deliverance ministries’, and by some Christian counseling. Lorri MacGregor has researched well the biblical issues and errors from those who promote these teachings, and gives biblical answers why the Christian should not be duped into believing these distortions and errors.

The DVD shows how these extreme teachings come through a distinct theology and movements such as Kingdom Now, Dominion theology, Joel’s Army and other similar teachings where a Christian plays a dominant role over demons as well as playing a dominant role over the Christians they minister to. The DVD shows clearly how these error are promoted because of a poor biblical understanding of the verses they use.

Personal responsibility for sin is avoided and blame is put on the person’s past. But, the Bible does not support generational curses for Christians. Religious pride is also a factor with those promoting these unbiblical concepts. The DVD also shows a word study on some of the verses used by those who are involved and promoting these teachings, and will help assist you in your own personal study. The MacGregor’s have been serving the body of Christ since 1979 and have produced several excellent videos/dvd’s. Visit their website for more information. MM Outreach website http://www.mmoutreach.org/

You can purchase this DVD from the product page website and see a short presentation of the DVD here: http://mmoutreach.org/video/dod.htm   

Copyright © 2004

MM Outreach

Keith and Lorri MacGregor

Reviewed: March 2008

The Sufficiency of Scripture

Is that YOU LORD?  Hearing The Voice of the LORD

There is a popular teaching these days that instructs people to seek within to hear the ‘voice of God’, they listen to their feelings promptings, and hunches to guide them in making life’s decisions, and listen to an ‘inaudible’, ‘inner voice‘, they say to know the ‘will of God’ for their lives.

This book will challenge the Christian reader’s said professed confidence in the word of God because once someone has omitted Scripture as the final authority, the person has no way left for truly testing or knowing if something is of God or not. This can become a serious situation for a Christian that very often makes them vulnerable to false teachings, confusion, and heartache.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matt 4:4, He said; “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. In the 4^th chapter, 3 times Jesus says “It is written”. Scripture is the final authority.

The author has written an excellent book in a Q & A format that deals with the vital matter of hearing God’s voice, godly decision making, callings, and what God’s Will is for the Christian, and gives us a sound biblical way of obeying God’s Will and practicing biblical guidance in our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The Scriptures are sufficient - and are a sure foundation. 

Copyright © 2007 

Publisher: Evangelical Press - www.evangelicalpress.org

ISBN - 13 978 0 85234 625 5

Reading / Review Date:  July 17, 2007