LTRP Note: At Lighthouse Trails, we believe that many Christians have been seduced by “another Jesus” who has come as an angel of light, goodness, and love through books such as Jesus Calling and The Shack. The Bible warns of “seducing spirits,” but many in the church (including much of church leadership) ignore such warnings while embracing the “Jesus” of these books. After reading this letter, if you are someone, or if you know someone, who is drawn to the “Jesus” of Jesus Calling, you may e-mail us and request a copy of Warren Smith’s booklet, 10 Scriptural Reasons Jesus Calling is a Dangerous Book, and we will send you a copy free of charge.
Dear Lighthouse Trails,
I want to share my experience with the book Jesus Calling in hope that my account might help someone else who has been deceived as I have. I am so grateful for your work in exposing this kind of deception. Converted 51 years ago, absolutely devoted to Jesus Christ and the Bible, teaching other women the same, and yet . . .
MY DECEPTION—Sarah Young’s book Jesus Calling, given to me by a Catholic friend, immediately brought me a serenity, a remarkable feeling of peace, a revelation, a fresh insight to the Gospel. I had never seen Jesus in such a freeing way! I soon was relieved of “burdens” and obligations from many biblical commands, not that they were unimportant (this Jesus assured me they were) but that this wonderfully simplified access to God would cover all those bases anyway. I had only to turn my mind over to this Jesus, the correct interpreter. He would guide me so well. I felt free from serious studying of the Word, of searching out meaning, of obeying it, because this loving Jesus would tell me about it when needed, and there was no reason to labor needlessly. Didn’t he say his burden was light? How could I have missed it?
Of course, all of God’s recorded teachings were still valid to me, but because there are so many of them to think about and coordinate, this “One-size-fits-all” approach was refreshingly simple. There were Scriptures included with each teaching that I could always refer to, but they were appropriately in more subdued print indicating his assurance that I didn’t have to read them unless I particularly wanted to. Either way was OK. He would bring them all together for me anyway, and I could shift my focus away from what my flesh was often wrestling with, those corrections from Scripture. I no longer felt scriptural warnings, including the need to repent, because it was now unnecessary. I wasn’t obligated to study for myself, but could rely on what he personally translated to me. He would let me know the real meaning when it was needed, so I could relax and take it easy in that regard. My only job was to clear my mind and let him fill it with his words. At last, I had come fully into my Mary role, sitting at his feet! By just letting him have constant and exclusive control of my thinking (well, it was my goal, at least), I could be sure that I was meeting all his requirements in this wonderfully simplified way. I realized that my previous struggles against sin were now really a matter of giving him a blank slate, of relinquishing my thoughts. How “light” my load became!
Feeling blessed beyond measure and thinking, “Why me, Lord, what have I done to deserve this goodness,” I entered into a state of great humility, knowing that as unworthy as I was, I had been included in an exclusive, blessed group, encasing me in love. At the same time, this feeling of love set up a longing in me that others would come in also, so I bought more copies of Jesus Calling to give away, spreading the good news to dear friends and more. Humility and love—I had both!
MY DELIVERANCE—Surprisingly, and to my great disappointment, my godly daughter was horrified when I introduced this to her because as she read it, superficial and unscriptural qualities jumped out at her immediately. It frightened and sickened her that there was now a chasm between us. She kindly and firmly resisted my attempts to get her into the circle, and her son joined in earnest prayer for me. She frantically searched the Internet for a book to convince me that Jesus Calling was dangerously wrong and found Warren Smith’s Another Jesus Calling which she asked me to read immediately. I patiently laid it aside, meaning to “get to it” when I could. God then led another godly daughter to sit up late reading Mr. Smith’s book and to share its contents next morning with her mom.
Apparently, prayers had gotten me ready for this encounter because what followed could only be described as divine intervention. As I listened in astonishment, my eyes were immediately and completely opened to the truth of this enormous, beguiling, occultic deception, and suddenly, it all became so clear. God, full of mercy, was rescuing this foolish, gullible, female from the lure of a false Jesus. Truly, I had been deceived by a spirit disguised as an angel of light, one who had presented himself as so sweet, peaceful, and loving that I had been his willing victim. I will be forever grateful to Warren Smith and a praying, persevering family for my deliverance.
E. H., an 80-something great-grandmother
Atlanta
(photo from the cover of “Another Jesus” Calling; used with permission from Mountain Stream Press)
Both of my sisters are into this book and bristle when I tell them it is a softer sell version of the occultic Course in Miracles. Very dangerous
I never felt good about this book and would not listen if anyone read from it, not knowing exactly why
My sister-in-law is deceived by this book. They are now on a mission/vacation trip to Kenya. They have supported a young girl for years and are going to meet her on this trip. I communicated to her our prayers for their safety.
I knew she had been deeply steeped in Jesus Calling and she sent me a copy years ago enclosing a note of how it had changed her life. My husband, in turn, sent her a copy of Warren Smith’s book, Another Jesus Calling, but I have concluded she did not read it. Her response to me regarding her upcoming trip was, they were going on an adventure and God had a surprise for them and they were so excited to find out what the surprise was and looked forward to sharing with family and friends this great surprise they had yet to encounter.
Sadly, she cannot see that this response was all about her. Her adventure, her surprise from God waiting for her in Kenya. Everything she wrote had Jesus Calling influence and rhetoric straight from the book, Jesus Calling. It is about feeling good about yourself and God serving you and not you serving God. Sad so many can’t see. If she realized what the message relayed, I am sure she would not have written it, but they are blind and cannot see. This deception is very dangerous and I feel the longer one stays in the deception the less likely they will be able to come out of it because it pulls them deeper into the occult. We are His ambassadors, not the other way around. May God reveal the deception so they can see they are being guided by a counterfeit “Jesus” that Satan has devised for their destruction.
1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
I was seduced by this book as well!! I had several different one’s by her. Warren Smith’s book also helped me to get out of it! God is so good to all of us!! He is the only God and there is only one Jesus Christ.
Jesus Calling is blasphemous in that the author is pretending to be Jesus. I have a feeling that those who use this book do not even bother to read the Bible, so this book is keeping readers away from the Bible. Much prayer is needed for those who have been fooled by this book. Basically Sarah Young was copying God Calling.
I picked this up at a bookstore a couple years ago and leafed through it. It “revolted” me, and I felt super critical, as it was apparently a great study. But whenever I see it in a store I want to toss it out. The writer personifies as Jesus Christ. Nobody gets to step into His shoes like that. Only Jesus. I am so happy this sister had her eyes opened through the power of prayer – for those less strong or mature in their walk, this could be a deadly weapon. Lets pray for all those who have been affected by this book. Amen.
Lillie, I have noticed that same phenomenon with people who are heavily taught and trained in the so-called “prosperity gospel”. Which is really odd, since they emphasize “speaking the Word” so much. To the dear lady who wrote this letter: Thank You! I appreciate so much your humility and transparency. And I thank God for your daughters who were faithful to the Lord to speak their sincere concerns to you. I have shared some concerns like this with my own mother, but she is totally unwilling to hear/listen. So I am very, very impressed with you (I know that’s the work of the Holy Spirit in your life). God Bless You and your whole family! 🙂
I remember studying this and being very disturbed by it.
Something interesting that I noticed in all my encounters is that many ladies who were reading Jesus Calling were struggling to get into the Word. They seemed to have such a hard time just picking up their Bibles and reading them, when that was not such a big problem before getting into that book by Sarah Young. It seems like spiritual warfare. People who get into the occult get pulled away from God’s Word as there are opposite poles there. It works with sin too, there is a saying that reading the Bible will keep you from sin, but sin will also keep you from reading the Bible.