Another Scripture

Part 4: Conclusion

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The Pied Piper

DENIAL OF SCRIPTURE IN JESUS CALLING 
Sarah Young denies the Words of Scripture. In fact, she nullifies the
entire book of Hebrews and every other book in the New Testament. Notice
the clarity – and finality – of Hebrews 1:1-2 and the confirmation
provided by Jude 1:3:

Hebrews 1:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to
the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by
His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the worlds; 

Jude 3 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 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. 

One of the versions of Jesus Calling

In the last of these days God has spoken to us in
the Person – not the “Presence” of His Son. He has spoken “once, for
all time.” Jesus in His Word has emphatically stated that He is
completely finished speaking any more words for publication. How then
can a “Presence” of “Jesus” contradict Jesus? These inner voices of the
“Presence” are assumed by Sarah Young to be Jesus. Therefore, she
encourages her readers to assume the same. She uses journaling or, more
accurately, automatic writing to keep track of these voices. She
encourages listening to these voices spoken by the “Presence” as a means
of direct communication between the readers and the “Presence”
themselves. Normally we have been told throughout our Christian walks
that our Lord Jesus speaks through His Bible to us. Now we are being
encouraged to listen to the mystical voice of a “Presence” whose words
contradict the Bible. This will, ultimately, lead to great confusion for
the readers… or worse.

The idea of following the voices
of a “Presence” reminds me of the story of the Pied Piper which, as I
just discovered, is based on an apparently true event. [See: https://theportalist.com/the-chilling-true-story-behind-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin] A Pied Piper is defined as someone who induces others to follow him/her by means of false promises. [Source: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/pied-piper]
I often have wondered where the children went after they were lured to
follow this very colorful person who was so enticing to their eyes and
ears. The children listened to an enchanting sound and it led them… to
where? Isaiah 53:6 comes to mind: “All we like sheep have gone astray.” 

Yet another Sarah Young book

WHY HAVE REVISIONS HAD TO BE MADE TO JESUS CALLING IF THIS IS TRULY JESUS SPEAKING? 
One
of the most important characteristics of the Bible is that the Words
are never to be added to or subtracted from (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation
22:18-19). This is because Jesus Himself is unchangeable. Considering
that, the question has to be asked: why have revisions been made to
Jesus Calling if this is truly “Jesus” speaking in Sarah Young’s book?
Yet this is precisely what has happened. The August 23 devotion in the
2004 version of her book speaks of Abraham and Isaac and accuses Abraham
of “son worship.” However, while the August 23 devotion in the 2011
edition begins the same as the 2004 edition, it changes mid-stream and
talks – not about Abraham and Isaac – but about Jacob and Joseph. Has
the true Jesus ever been known to edit His Own Words? Has He ever
re-phrased one of the books of the Bible? The real Jesus has not, and
according to His Own Word, could not revise His Words. The only
assumption I think we can make is that the “Jesus” of Jesus Calling is not the real Jesus.

DISCERNMENT WRITER CHALLENGES AUTHENTICITY OF JESUS CALLING MESSAGES
Warren Smith examined the multiple versions of the Jesus Calling
book that were published over the years. He has published booklets and
articles that elaborate even further the problems discussed above: the
authenticity and trustworthiness of the messages from the “Jesus” of
Jesus Calling. Warren Smith is eminently qualified to write a detailed
analysis of Jesus Calling. He is an ex-New Ager and an expert on the
many false New Age “Jesus” and “God” entities whose channeled
transmissions appear in popular books. The very title of one of his
articles/booklets – “Changing Jesus Calling – Damage Control for a False Christ” –
brings to my mind the cautionary verses below:

Warren Smith’s booklet

2 Corinthians 11:2-4 New King James Version (NKJV) 
2
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you
to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a
different gospel which you have not accepted-you may well put up with
it! 

In his article, Warren Smith writes:

Sarah Young and Thomas Nelson have been systematically deleting controversial material from Jesus Calling.
Adding, subtracting, cutting, pasting and completely eliminating
problematic words, sentences and even whole paragraphs, Young and her
editors do not hesitate to put words in the mouth of their “Jesus,” even
as they take others away. But… these tactics are doing more to expose
their problems than cover them up…. 

The Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs published by Harvest House Christian publishers specifically describes God Calling
as a channeled New Age book. In their lengthy chapter on channeling and
spiritual dictation, authors/apologist [Christian] John Weldon and John
Ankerberg explain that channeling is a form of New Age “mediumship” and
according to the Bible it “is a practice forbidden (Deuteronomy
18:9-12).” Under the subheading titled “Impersonations of Christianity,”
the authors describe God Calling as a New Age book “replete with
denials of biblical teaching” as it “subtly encourages psychic
development and spiritistic inspiration under the guise of Christ’s
personal guidance… and often misinterprets Scripture.” Yet Sarah Young
wrote that it was God Calling that inspired her to receive her own messages from “Jesus.” In her original introduction to Jesus Calling, Young praised God Calling as “a treasure to me”…. 

Yet another Sarah Young book

The Damage Control 
In recent editions of Jesus Calling – including
the 10th anniversary edition–the preceding paragraph regarding God
Calling – has been removed from the author’s longstanding introduction.
No explanation. No apology. Nothing. Suddenly and completely gone is any
mention of God Calling – how it had inspired her to receive her
own “messages” from “Jesus” and how it was a “treasure” to her. Her
previous praise of God Calling had become problematic as it had
drawn obvious New Age comparisons to her own book. It had also become
apparent that her original endorsement of God Calling was helping to
popularize this New Age book among believers! While Christian leaders
have been strangely silent about Jesus Calling, it was the secular media
that took Sarah Young and Thomas Nelson to task for changing and
deleting the problematic material in their best-selling book. 

Ruth
Graham, writing in The Daily Beast, a popular online American
news reporting and opinion website formerly associated with Newsweek
magazine, wrote an article to question the changes being made to Sarah
Young’s original introduction. Graham wrote: 

The latest edition of Jesus Calling includes some important changes. The paragraph about God Calling
has been deleted, and references to received “messages” have been
changed to the less mystically inflected “writings and devotions.” In a
passage in which Young recounts her early attempts to write down what
God told her, the new version characterizes this as “focusing on Jesus
and His Word, while asking Him to guide my thoughts.” Thomas Nelson
refers to the books as “Sarah’s prayer journal,” emphasizing that Young
is not claiming to speak for Jesus. A skeptical reader, comparing the
two introductions, would see an effort by a publisher to bring an
increasingly controversial but lucrative best-seller into line with
mainstream evangelical orthodoxy. 

In that same article, Ruth Graham also questioned the explanations offered by Thomas Nelson publicist Katie Powell: 

In an email responding to my questions, the book’s publicist at Thomas Nelson, Katie Powell, wrote that the reference to God Calling
was never meant as more than “a nod,” and it was deleted because it had
“created some confusion.” “The book’s theology has always been sound,”
she wrote. “The changes were made to make the introduction easier to
understand especially since Jesus Calling is now being read by
such a wide variety of people” Thomas Nelson did not call attention to
the changes, Powell wrote, because the introduction’s “content did not
change” between editions. But it’s hard to square that with the
similarities between Young’s book and Jesus Calling–right down to the title. 

Yet another Sarah Young book

Graham’s
skepticism was right on target. And contrary to the statement by the
Thomas Nelson publicist, the content of the introduction has changed in
recent editions. The unexplained changes have caused many former
supporters of Jesus Calling to stop using the devotional. Christian online newspaper WorldNetDaily (WND) picked up on the controversy and published two articles, “Top Christian Bestseller Accused of Heresy,” and “Is Hit Book ‘Jesus Calling’ Publishing New Age?” Charisma magazine followed up with a similar article that noted the growing controversy. It was titled “Critics Accuse ‘Jesus Calling’ of Mixing Truth With New Age Error.”…

The Damage Control 
In recent editions of Jesus Calling,
all ten references to the words “message” and “messages” have been
deleted from her otherwise longstanding introduction. What were
originally described as “messages” she “received” from “Jesus” are now
being described as “writing” and “devotions” that she “gleaned” in her
“quiet moments.”… 

Since this unbiblical contradiction was brought to light in my book “Another Jesus” Calling,
Sarah Young and Thomas Nelson have eliminated this obvious
contradiction in their 10th anniversary edition. In other words, they
had their “Jesus” correct himself. Compare the original January 28th and
October 15th statements that have been in Jesus Calling for the last ten years, with the replacement statements now inserted in the new 10th anniversary edition. 

January 28th Original Statement

I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS. These were the last words I spoke before ascending into heaven. I continue to proclaim this promise to all who will listen. [bold added] 

January 28th Replacement Statement

I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS. I spoke these words to My disciples after My resurrection. I continue to proclaim this promise to all who will listen. [bold added] 

October 15th Original Statement

TRY TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF ME as you go step by step through this day. My presence with you is both a promise and a protection. My final statement just before I went to heaven was: Surely I am with you always. That promise was for all of My followers, without exception. [bold added] 

October 15th Replacement Statement

TRY TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF ME as you go step by step through this day. My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection. After My resurrection, I assured My followers: Surely I am with you always. That promise was for all of My followers, without exception. [bold added] 

Note: One of the 250 “messages” Sarah Young included in her yet-to-be-corrected Jesus Calling Devotional Bible (NKJV) is the original October 15th “message” from Jesus Calling–“My
final statement just before I went to heaven was: Surely I am with you
always.” Given that this statement is clearly unbiblical, Young’s
justification for her messages to be included “alongside the biblical
text” falls a little flat. She wrote: 

Since
my writings are rooted in the infallible, unchanging Word of God,
having them appear alongside the biblical text would seem to be a
natural place for them. 

Yet another Sarah Young book

Jesus Corrects Himself? 
Sarah
Young might argue that because Jesus never contradicts Himself, she
must have heard it wrong. But if that were the case, she had to hear it
wrong on two separate occasions because the unbiblical statement is in
two different messages. With this in mind, an important question must be
asked. Who was Sarah Young listening to when she “received” these two
“messages?” Obviously the real Jesus does not contradict himself–much
less correct Himself in regards to His own words and actions. 

And
for those who might argue that there is no longer a problem because
this contradiction and other problematic areas have been corrected,
several more questions must be asked. What about the ten million readers
who have trusted these unbiblical messages over the last ten years? Do
you just pretend it never happened? Aren’t they owed some kind of
explanation as to how Sarah Young’s “Jesus” could make mistakes of this
magnitude? But perhaps most importantly, how can an author and
publisher–or anyone for that matter-believe they have the right to put
words in and out of the mouth of Jesus Christ like He is some kind of
literary device–and most especially when it is for the purpose of
damage control. [Extended excerpts used with permission of the author. Read the entire piece at: https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=16349] 

The Pied Piper

FROM MY HEART:
Before
I close this report there is one more thing on my heart that I feel I
must share. John 10:10 tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill and
destroy. How many people who previously would have gone to their Bibles
when they needed comfort now go to Jesus Calling? How many who
started their days reading the Bible (2Timothy 3:16, the God-breathed
Word) now go to these questionable words channeled through a woman? As a
result, their relationships with the true Jesus have been stolen and
destroyed. He is our Shelter, our Refuge, our very present help in time
of need, our Comfort, our Life, our Daily Bread, our Soon and Coming
King, our Savior. This is the Jesus of the Bible. Can this “Jesus” of Jesus Calling offer all that… or is he a thief who has stolen away our relationships with the true Son of God?

Life Application: 
1Thessalonians
5:21 commands us to prove all things. This entire series of lessons is
an example of obedience to that command by a variety of those in His
body who care for the safety of His people. If you or someone you know
have read these books, would you go back to the very beginnings of these
lessons and see this action as a “kindness” that has been done to the
body of Christ and share it with them to keep them safe?

Bibliography: 
Bulle, Florence God Wants You Rich and Other Enticing Doctrines, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bethany House Publishers, 1983. 
A.J. Russell ed. God Calling, by Two Listeners, Old Tappan, N.J., Fleming H. Revel., 1936.

The author of this 4-part series, Barbara Wilhelm, is a long-time discerner. She recently started her own blog, Holding His Word Higher: https://holdinghiswordhigher.com. Visit her site for her weekly posts.