Jesus Calling, Critique

To the Health and Spirituality Research Network members:

For Dispatch # 19 I have chosen to present a critique of the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Why this subject? Recently I paid a visit to a cousin, age 89 and clear of mind, who resides in a rest home. I was gathering books up that I had taken to her previously and as I picked them out of a drawer I noticed a soft cover book with the title “Jesus Calling.” I asked her where that book came from. She said a friend had brought it to her telling what a wonderful book it was. She had not yet read it and so had no idea as to its content.

Immediately I recalled an incident which occurred in relation to that book three years earlier. I had spent an afternoon in the ABC of my conference promoting and signing the book Exposing Spiritualistic Practices in Healing which I had authored. Two different ABC customers came to me expressing concern over two books, God Calling (1930’s) and Jesus Calling (2004) that were on the shelves of the ABC store. One mentioned that the store manager had been briefed on the impropriety of carrying these two popular books. The warning had not been effectual and the books stayed on the shelf.

I was acquainted with the manager and the book purchaser for this ABC and knew both to be very conscientious as to carrying only proper books. They were not in the store the day I was signing, therefore I wrote a letter and sent two attachments of articles exposing the spiritistic nature of these books. I know many members of the Health & Spirituality Network may never have heard of these books and for some that have heard they may not have been exposed to the errors within. These books have been best sellers in the Christian community across North America for many years.

The two articles I sent to the ABC are being sent to you for edification if you are not familiar with the books in question. Without the knowledge shared in the attachments it would be very easy to be taken in by either of these books.

1. God Calling by “Two listeners”: Attachment # 1 contains excerpts taken from chapter 23, “Twelve Steps to Where? Part 1” of the book Exposing Spiritualistic Practices in Healing by Edwin A. Noyes M.D., MPH (2012). That chapter documents the relationship of Alcoholics Anonymous origin to the Oxford Group in the 1930’s. The book God Calling authored by “Two Listeners” was also associated with the Oxford Group. The book God Calling is composed of the daily communications of two ladies, members of the Oxford Group, and a “Jesus” they encountered during their periods of meditating in “silence” each morning as promoted by the Oxford Group.

2. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: Attachment # 2 likewise contains a condensed, three page, version of the sixteen page critique of the book Jesus Calling by Warren Smith. Therein are “messages” she received from a “Jesus” which the receiving of began after her encounter with the book God Calling. If one desires to read and/or print out the sixteen-page document of Warren Smith here is the link. To print out the article click on a small tab next to the first word in the document.

https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=18852

OXFORD GROUP:

Let us digress a bit at this time in Bill’s story to gain an understanding of the Oxford Group. An American Lutheran pastor, Frank Buckman, initiated a spiritual movement starting in the U.S. in 1908, then moved to England and by 1921 it was known as A First Century Christian Fellowship. It grew rapidly in numbers and by 1931 was referred to as the Oxford Group, then in 1939 was legally incorporated under that name. They were centered in England at Oxford. This movement became international with participation of hundreds of thousands in number in many countries of Europe, the Americas, and Asia. There were no membership rolls, no dues, no paid leaders, no theological creed, nor regular meetings. It was a fellowship of people wishing to follow their God; chosen by their understanding of a Higher Power.

Buchman paid little attention to theology as found in the scriptures, he stressed simplicity of beliefs and emphasized people are sinners, all sinners are capable of changing, confession must precede change, with a change God can be accessed directly, miracles do happen, and those individuals changed must guide others into change. ¹⁾ Mercandante, Linda, Victim With the characteristic of minimal theology this movement was accepted by other beliefs with little concern. The goal of this movement was to bring global peace through changing people from the heart outward. It concentrated its missionary effort on persons of leadership positions and of wealth. In this endeavor they were very successful.

The minimal theology of the Oxford Group consists of four absolutes: 1) absolute honesty, 2) absolute purity 3) absolute unselfishness 4) and absolute love. Spiritual practices employed were 1) Sharing (confessing) your sins with another person; 2) Surrendering your past, present, and future life unto the control of the Higher Power of one’s understanding; 3) Restitution to any one harmed; 4) Listening for God’s guidance and then following it.

It was a custom to confess one’s sins (sharing) not only to another individual but also in a public forum. The sharing of the sins of members was practiced with the idea that it would help others that as of yet had not changed to recognize they were sinners and openly confess their sins. The Oxford Group looked at alcoholism as a spiritual “disease—sin” hence the need for a spiritual solution which confession addressed; consequently a “cure” was possible. Listening for God’s guidance was done daily in early morning by private meditation, prayer and scripture study. The individual would take pen and paper and write down the directions received from God during the “silence” of meditation.

WAS THE OXFORD GROUP CHRISTIAN?

The proponents of AA have insisted that the Oxford Group was a Christian movement, but one could ask upon what basis is this comment made? Pastor H.A. Ironside, in a sermon preached in Moody Memorial Church, testified:

I have gone through book after book, supposedly setting forth the teaching of the Oxford Group Movement, and have not found one reference to the precious blood of Christ in any of them, nor any reference to the fact that the worst sin that any one can possibly commit is the sin of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘There is none other name under heaven given among men, where by ye must be saved’ (Acts 4:12) ²⁾ Ironside, H.A. Pastor, The Oxford Group Movement Is It Scriptural?, Loizeaux Brothers, Publishers, New York, (1943), p. 2. http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-Ironside.html

There were practices of the Oxford Group that were not in harmony with Christian theology. These included choosing a god of your understanding and not the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God who came in the flesh, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Also their method of confession, that of personal sins being “shared” in a public forum is not Biblical. The scripture text in James 5 that tells us to “confess our faults one to another” is telling us to confess to our brother when we have faulted him, not to share it with everyone. We are to confess our sins to God and not to mortal man unless we have faulted him.

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess (your) faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5: 15,16

The English word “meditation” often leads to confusion. It has a dual meaning and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate as to which meaning is meant when the word is used. One meaning is referring to a deep thought and study attitude wherein our mind is most active upon a subject; another definition refers to an empting of the mind, a cessation of active thought, placing the thought process in neutral. Often it is necessary to look at the setting in which the word is used to know the intention of the author. Such is the case in its use in writings pertaining to the Oxford Group.

Also it had become a practice of the Oxford Group to hold meditation sessions. Members would sit, pencils in hand, waiting to jot down any “guidance” that might come through during their silences,… ³⁾ Thomsen, Robert, Bill W., Published by Popular Library, a unit of CBS Publication, the Consumer Publishing Division of CBS Inc., by arrangement with Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc. (1975), pp. 215.

An Oxford Group member, C. Irving Benson, who was also a minister, gave caution concerning the Quiet Time/guidance in spite of the Bible being read during this period.

The silence becomes a sacrament wherein God comes to us ⁴⁾ Benson, Irving C., The Eight Points of the Oxford Group: An Exposition for Christians and Pagans, Humphry Milford, Oxford University Press, (1938), p. 67. ….
I wait in self-forgetting silence, contemplating the presence of God. ⁵⁾ Ibid., p. 69.

Pastor H.A. Ironside, a noted fundamental evangelist of the 1930’s and 1940’s, was very familiar with the Oxford Group and carefully evaluated their teachings. He made the following comment in regards to their meditation practices in a small booklet he wrote entitled, The Oxford Group Movement: Is It Scriptural?

Each (Oxford Group) member is urged…to sit quietly with the mind emptied of every thought…waiting for God to say something to them…sometimes they tell me nothing happens, at other times the most amazing things come. Tested by the Word of God, many of these things are unscriptural. They lay themselves open for demons to communicate their blasphemous thoughts to them. ⁶⁾ Ironside, op. cit. p. 9. (emphasis in original quote)

Robert Thomsen wrote in his biography Bill W.:

…that it had become a practice of the Oxford Group members to hold meditation sessions. They would sit, pencils in hand, waiting to jot down any guidance that might come through during the silences and it was extraordinary how many times that winter the message from on high would indicate that Bill Wilson should get himself a job and leave his drunks in peace. ⁷⁾ Thomsen, op. cit., p. 215.

Two women identifying themselves only as “Two Listeners” wrote the book, God Calling wherein they received Quiet/Time “guidance” in the manner outlined by the Oxford Group. They tell us they received the words of Christ Jesus on a daily basis. ⁸⁾ Two Listeners, God Calling, The Voice Divine, Barbour Publishing, Inc. (1949), p.1 http://www.twolisteners.org/Introduction.htm These words they received were not from the Holy Scriptures but out of meditation of “guidance.” One of the two “Listeners” wrote the introduction for the book and entitled it The Voice Divine, wherein she speaks of the experience of the other “Listener” receiving guidance.

But with my friend a very wonderful thing happened. From the first, beautiful messages were given to her by our Lord Himself, and every day from then these messages have never failed us.

We felt all unworthy and over whelmed by the wonder of it, and could hardly realize that we were being taught, trained and encouraged day by day by HIM personally, when millions of souls, far worthier, had to be content with guidance from the Bible, sermons, their Churches, books and other sources. ⁹⁾ Ibid.,..

A prior Oxford Group member, then later an AA member, Richmond Walker, wrote a small book, Twenty-Four Hours a Day. This book had much in it that was based on the book, God Calling by the two “Listeners.” He did not refer to Jesus Christ but substituted words that fit a universal spirituality. The book, Twenty-Four Hours a Day, millions of AA members have read. ¹⁰⁾ Lanagan, John, Alcoholics Anonymous and Contemplative Spirituality, See John Lanagan Website. AA history website says of Twenty-Four Hours a Day:

The book explained how to practice meditation by quieting the mind and entering the Divine Silence in order to enter the divine peace and calm and restore our souls. ¹¹⁾ AA History, The 24 Hours a Day Book . Hazelden Publishing, (1954), http://www.barefootsworld.net/aa24hoursbook.html (emphasis added)

Modern Mystics describe “silence” as in Three Magic Words by Uell S. Anderson:

The brain is stilled. The man at last lets go; he glides below it into the quiet feeling, the quiet sense of his own identity with the self of other things-of the universe. He glides past the feeling into the very identity itself where a glorious all consciousness leaves no room for separate self thoughts or emotions. (emphasis added)

I turn from the world about me to the world of consciousness that lies within. I shut out all memories of the past, create no images of the future. I concentrate on my being, on my awareness. I slide deep into the very recesses of my soul to a place of utter repose. I know, I know that this is Immortal Self, this is God, this is me, I am, I always was, I always will be. (emphasis added)

Twenty-four Hours in a Day states:

There is a spark of the Divine in every one of us. Each has some of God’s spirit that can be developed by spiritual exercise. ¹²⁾ Walker, Richard, Twenty-Four Hours a Day, Hazelden Foundation, Meditation for the Day, April 30.

The Oxford Group Movement promoted several additional books for study. One was given to Bill W. by Ebby Thatcher shortly after Bill’s conversion. This book was Varieties of Religious Experience by William James, M.D. James was professor of psychiatry and philosophy at Harvard and a contemporary of Freud and Jung. He, too, (James) was a renowned spiritualist.

“… Bill learned that even his experience at Towns was not unique. He could never recollect if it had been Ebby or Roland who gave him a copy of William James’s Varieties of Religious Experience, but he remembered the impact of the book. It was James’s theory that spiritual experiences could have a very definite objective reality and might totally transform a man’s life. ¹³⁾ Thomsen, Ibid., p. 213.

…as Bill Pittman has found, The varieties of Religious Experience was “the most often quoted book” in Oxford literature,… ¹⁴⁾ Raphael, Matthew J., Bill W. and Mr. Wilson, University of Massachusetts Press, (2000), p. 84. s and Sinners, Westminster John Knox Press, (1996), pp. 50-51 Reported in Wikipedia.org/wiki//OxfordGroup, p. 20.

The Oxford Group considered “sin” as a moral issue and hence confessing a prerequisite to conversion which would be the solution for sin. They also looked at alcohol as a sin and hence with a conversion it could be cured. Their style of conversion did not depend upon a person accepting by faith Jesus Christ and His shed blood as a propitiation for their sins. The entire system of the Oxford Group appears to leave Jesus Christ the Divine Son of God out of equation and so man attempts to save himself.

The doctrine of pantheism—the Divinity of man and salvation through progression of the divinity of man is seen in the teachings of the Oxford Group. Will this same teaching be seen in Alcoholics Anonymous teachings? Are these teachings of the Oxford Group Judeo-Christian doctrine? That is something the reader must decide!

Jesus Calling, Critique of, Ten Scriptural Reasons

Ten Scriptural Reason Why Jesus Calling is a Dangerous Book is a booklet distributed by Lighthousetrails.com. The following will be my condensing to three pages of Warren Smith’s 16 page booklet. Warren points out in his booklet that changes were made in later editions of the book Jesus Calling following criticism of the book by various Christian authors. The passages below in quotation marks are direct quotes from Smith’s booklet. When three quotes marks are used these are quotes that Smith has written in the booklet and taken from the book Jesus Calling and or other writings . Single quotation marks are used when Smith quotes from Jesus Calling somewhere within his own sentence.

1. Sarah Young , author of the book Jesus Calling, was asked the question “’How did you learn to dialogue with God?’” The answer, “’from reading the book God Calling’” authored by The Two Listeners. ¹⁵⁾ “Q&A with Sarah Young, Author Profile” (The Christian Broadcasting Network, http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/books/jesuscallingqa.aspx).

   In the original introduction to the editions of Jesus Calling (2004-2013) Sarah Young praised God Calling as “’a treasure to me.’” ¹⁶⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson, 2004), p. Xl (12 13 14 15 16 RRD 52 51 50 49 48).

   A Cristian publisher, Harvest House in Eugene, Oregon calls God Calling a ‘’channeled New Age Book that was dictated by a deceptive spirit pretending to be the real Jesus Christ.” ¹⁷⁾ John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1996), pp. 79-112.
   

2. Editions of the book Jesus Calling after 2013 had removed all mentions of God Calling. The earlier edition had what Young had referred to as “’messages’” and “’directives’” she had received from God. The edition following 2013 referred to these same messages as of her own “’writings’” and “’devotions’” removing any suggestion that they had come from channeling.In the original edition she had made the following comment: “’I have continued to receive personal messages from God as I meditate on Him. The more difficult my life circumstances, the more I need these encouraging directives from my Creator.’” ¹⁸⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, op. cit., p. p. XII
3. Warren Smith points out that Sarah Young’s “Jesus” at times contradicts the Biblical Jesus. Examples of such are contained in his booklet.

4. A special Jesus Calling, !0th Anniversary Edition (2014) attempts to correct the previous contradictory statements made by Young’s “Jesus.” “However, The original unbiblical statements about Jesus’ ’last words’ and ’final statement’ can still be found in all the twenty or so other varied editions of Jesus Calling: prior January 19, 2016 those contradictions are still present. That includes an October 2015 edition, Jesus Calling: Morning and Evening published in October 2015—published nearly a year after the corrected 10th anniversary edition.” ¹⁹⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling: Morning & Evening (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2015), pp. 56, 596.

5. “The Voice of a Stanger”: Reason # 5 in Smith’s 10 reasons revealing Jesus Calling is non-scriptural. The “Jesus” Sarah Young tells us of wants to be “’boss’” to “’control your mind’”, “’reprogram your thinking’”, “’take full possession’”, and “’invade more and more areas of your life.’”Would the Jesus of the Bible actually say: (the following phrases are taken from the booklet)
   a. ‘”Approach this day with awareness of who is boss.’” ²⁰⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, op. cit., p. 21. b. “’Let me control your mind.’” ²¹⁾ Ibid., p. 116.
   c. “’My main work is to clear out debris and clutter, making room for My Spirit to take full possession.’” ²²⁾ Ibid., p. 326.
   d. “’Sit quietly in My Presence, letting My thoughts reprogram your thining.’” ²³⁾ Ibid., p. 200.
   e. “’While you relax in My Presence, I am molding your mind and cleansing your heart.’” ²⁴⁾ Ibid., p. 329.
   f. “’Your relationship with Me is meant to be vibrant and challenging, as I invade more and more areas of your life.’” ²⁵⁾ Ibid., p. 50.
6. “Use of flattering words”: The following phrases are taken out of the book Jesus Calling as presented in Warren Smith’s booklet.
   a. “’When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed.’” ²⁶⁾ Ibid., p. 203.
   b. “’When you walk through a day in trusting dependence on Me, My aching heart is soothed’” ²⁷⁾ Ibid., p. 182.
   c. “’I am aching to hold you in My everlasting arms, to enfold you in My Love.’” ²⁸⁾ Ibid., p. 377.
   d. More phrases are in the booklet.
   The booklet presents several verses referring to flattery. Proverbs 26:28 “A flattering mouth worketh ruin;” Psalm 12: 2 “Flattering lips;” Proverbs 20:19 advises to not associate with one who “flatters with his lips;” Daniel 11:32 “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery;” 1 Thessalonians 2:5 “For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness.”
7. “The Bible warns about leaven”: “The Bible warns that ‘a little leaven, leavens the whole lump,’” and there is more than a little leaven in Sarah Young’s book. However, this particular God ‘in all’ leavens that is in Jesus Calling and other ‘Christian’ books—if left unchecked—could eventually shift the church to a New Age/New Worldview and into complete apostasy.” “Scripture exhorts us: ‘Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.’” ( Galatians 5 7-9)” Quoted from booklet — 10 Scriptural Reason Why Jesus Calling is a Dangerous Book by Warren Smith.
8. “Not Testing the Spirits 1 John 4:1”: The following is a direct quote from Warren’s booklet. ²⁹⁾ Alcoholics Anonymous, op. cit., p 13. “There is no indication that Sarah Young ever applied the Biblical ‘test of the spirits’ to see if the ‘Jesus’ she claims to be getting ‘messages’ from is the real Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1). Young references nearly a thousand Scripture verses in Jesus Calling, but the 1 John 4:1 test cannot be found. What is found is a completely unbiblical test suggested by her ‘Jesus.’ He is quoted in the March 3rd ‘message’ of Jesus Calling as saying—‘You must learn to discern what is My voice and what is not.’ ³⁰⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, op. cit., p. 246. But instead of directing her to 1 John 4:1 and what the Bible teaches about trying and testing the spirits, he says—‘Ask My Spirit to give you this discernment.’ This advice is not only unscriptural, it defies common sense. If the ‘Jesus’ Sarah Young is listening to is a deceptive spirit pretending to be ‘Jesus’, you obviously don’t ask a deceptive spirit to give you discernment. If she followed his advice—which she seems to do on all other accounts—instead of biblically testing the Spirit, she would already be trusting the deceptive spirit she should be testing. Thus, this suggestion by Sarah Young’s ‘Jesus’ is self defeating as it immediately protects a false Christ from being detected. The fact that Young’s ‘Jesus’ teaches this unbiblical test is further proof that Sarah Young’s ‘Jesus’ is not to be trusted.”
9. “Adding to God’s Word”: In the original edition of Jesus Calling an entry of August 23 gives a new description of Abraham. Sarah’s “’Jesus’” states that Abraham was guilty of “’son-worship,’” “’undisciplined emotions,’” and “’idolatry.’” These remarks are non-biblical and resulted in much blowback on the author, which resulted in the removal of all remarks pertaining to this Abraham—Isaac scenario.
   Proverbs 30: 5-6: “Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trusts in Him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” ³¹⁾ Ibid., p. 14.
10. “Laughing at the Future (Luke 6:25)”: The biblical Jesus gave warnings about the future and the deceptions that the devil would attempt to foster upon even the elect “if it were possible.” Sarah Young’s “’Jesus’” says of the future: “’the future is a phantom, seeking to spook you. Laugh at the future.’” ³²⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, 10th Anniversary Edition, op. cit., p. 246. Warren Smith in his conclusion quotes a former Moody Memorial Church pastor, Dr. Harry Ironside, who warned that when “’truth’” is “’mixed with error’” “’it is equivalent to all error.’” ³³⁾ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, op. cit., p. 16.. ³⁴⁾ Wilson, William, Alcoholic Anonymous Comes of Age, Alcoholic Anonymous World Services Inc., (1957), p. 39.

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Spiritual Research Network

Jesus Calling Devotional Series—A Path to Mediumship?

By: Chris Lawson

Forward this update to Friends

Dear Subscribers,

Here is a recent headline and some of the text from the August 26, 2019, Thomas Nelson publishing blog post titled, The Jesus Calling Brand Celebrates 30 Million Units Sold.

• THE JESUS CALLING BRAND CELEBRATES 30 MILLION UNITS SOLD
• Devotional continues to grow year-over-year, more than 15 years post-release
• NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 26, 2019) – Today, Thomas Nelson announced that the Jesus Calling brand by Sarah Young has surpassed 30 million units sold since it was first published in October 2004. It remains one of the most successful devotionals of all time…The deep connection that readers feel to the content in Jesus Calling is evident across its various social media accounts, which total more than 1.5 million followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Readers regularly share their experiences with Jesus Calling on social media, and those experiences led to the creation of the Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith Podcast, which recently surpassed 3 million downloads.
• Source: https://www.thomasnelson.com/blog/tag/sarah-young/

In light of the above post, here is something very important that we think you should know about, stated ever-so-clearly in an excellent article exposing Sarah Young’s unbiblical teachings. The article is titled Training Manual for Mediums?—Quotations from the God Calling Books and the Jesus Calling Series.

• “The God Calling books and the Jesus Calling series teach the principles of mediumship with gentle, repetitive commands that are woven into the text and scattered throughout the books. Readers are progressively presenteactually found in the Bible. Devoted readers, consciously or not, may find themselves gradually embracing an Eastern model of religious devotion, characterized by a consistent list of imperatives.”
• Source: https://www.spiritualresearchnetwork.org/jesus-calling-mediums.html

We believe that people need to be made aware of the spiritual dimension (and entity) that is clearly influencing Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling series and book texts. Millions of Christians have absolutely no idea about the spirit that is influencing Sarah Young—which is providing her with New Age/occult concepts, buzzwords, and phrases, as well as names and titles for the Divine, that are actually from New Age, occult and cultic belief systems. (See, Extra-Biblical Names in the Jesus Calling Series by BNES.)

For Jesus Calling readers this may sound extremely harsh, however, our reasoning is based on factual data—and that data has been craftily embedded into the entire framework of the Jesus Calling devotional series texts. Sarah Young and the voice/thoughts/spirit that is communicating to/with/through her have given to the world a message from “another” Jesus (2 Cor. 11:1-4), and that message is found collectively within the texts of Jesus Calling, Dear Jesus, Jesus Lives, Jesus Today, Jesus Calling Devotional Journal, Jesus Today Devotional Journal, Jesus calling Morning & Evening, and Jesus Always.

The Bible speaks to the fact that there is indeed a form of spiritual deception that Christians can fall prey to, without even realizing it. Paul the apostle wrote the following to the church at Corinth, concerned that their minds had become “corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 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 11:3-4Without belaboring the point here, the details are in the material that Sarah Young has scribed as a literary messenger for her “Jesus.” The following article by author BNES reveals some of these details that we believe 30 million-plus Jesus Calling series/brand readers should be aware of—for their own safety and spiritual well-being.

Altogether, our concern is about the overarching and hidden (occult) theme throughout the Jesus Calling series—and that overarching theme, which can be found by extensively examining the entire series in detail—is the induction into mediumship/channeling, which is inspired by “the Presence” that Sarah Young writes about.

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Training Manual for Mediums?

Quotations from the God Calling Books and the Jesus Calling Series BNES (© 2018)

• “Welcome the training” (GC Jan 06)
• “You are in rigorous training” (JT p. 22)
• “Your training must be severe” (GC Aug 18)
• “Collaborate with Me in this training” (JC Feb 11)
• “Close your eyes now” (JCDJ Mar 27)
• “Begin with prayer for protection” (DJ p. 220)
• “Physically position your heart, your mind, and your hands to receive My Peace” (JCME Dec 03)
• “Let My thoughts burst freely upon your consciousness” (JC Jun 30)

Readers of A. J. Russell’s God Calling books and Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling series may reject the idea of becoming a medium, channel, or psychic if it is put plainly before them. However, if it is introduced indirectly through Christian-sounding devotions, and if the spirit being channeled is called “Jesus,” they might be more receptive.

The God Calling books and the Jesus Calling series teach the principles of mediumship with gentle, repetitive commands that are woven into the text and scattered throughout the books. Readers are progressively presented with meditation techniques that sound vaguely scriptural but are not actually found in the Bible. Devoted readers, consciously or not, may find themselves gradually embracing an Eastern model of religious devotion, characterized by a consistent list of imperatives:

• Spend Time Alone
• Sit in Silence
• Sit Still
• Relax
• Open Your Hands
• Breathe in Spirit
• Repeat “Jesus”
• Quiet Your Mind
• Focus
• Open Yourself
• Invite
• Feel the Presence
• Absorb
• Visualize “Jesus”
• Listen
• Converse
• Think God Thoughts
• Write If You Receive a Message
• Transition
• Channel Throughout the Day

The first few steps are innocuous in and of themselves. For example, sitting alone in a quiet place is a helpful way to pray or study the Bible. Taking a break and relaxing is sometimes good for the human body. Yet these practices, as well as the others on the list, are not taught in Scripture. They are taught instead by psychics as techniques for achieving a trance state for contacting spirit guides.

Continue reading/Download PDF – Training Manual for Mediums?—Quotations from the God Calling Books and the Jesus Calling.

Click here to – Forward this update to Friends

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Based on the way things are going in the church today we must be ever-more vigilant in testing the spirits to see whether they are of God. The craftiness of Christian literature being embedded with false teaching and meanings foreign to the language of Scripture is at an all-time high. Scripture is still God’s standard and nothing less will do.

• “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” —1 John 4:1-6
• Chris Lawson, Director of SRN

Spiritual Research Network