Another Jesus Calling: Giving Heed to Seducing Spirits

If you have been caught-up in the Jesus Calling movement, this is for you and you are not alone.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ― Colossians 2:8

America the Battlefield
February 4, 2014
by Timothy Pope

In the emergent New Age church, spiritual experience is surreptitiously replacing the Word of God. It is the great identity theft of the true Messiah. Extra-biblical teachings are coming from spirit voices that falsely present themselves in the name of Jesus Christ, and the author of Jesus Calling, Sarah Young, has given herself away as a New Age false prophet who is truthfully communing with a demonic ascended master in the manner of Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Russian occultist who founded the satanic Theosophical Society.

The most insidious deception of all is truth mixed with error, because as Galatians 5:9 warns, this false teaching is "like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough."

Former New Ager, author Warren Smith, exposes this esoteric infiltration of theosophy into the American Church, lifting the veil on the immensely popular title "Jesus Calling" in which author Sarah Young claims she was inspired by channeling an entity she calls Jesus.

Warren Smith's book, "Another Jesus" Calling: How False Christs Are Entering the Church Through Contemplative Prayer, is described as follows:

"When former New Ager Warren B. Smith read Jesus Calling, he became greatly concerned, finding it troubling to see a number of New Age practices and concepts being presented as completely normal for Christians. Even more troubling, there were no warnings or disclaimers about what was being introduced."

The Scriptures are filled with very direct references to deception, especially during the events leading up to the end of the age.

2 Corinthians 11:4 cautions, "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."

In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

Matthew 24:4-5 addresses Jesus' private briefing to his disciples on the Mount of Olives, forewarning them of what shall be the signs of his second coming and of the end of the world, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

Also, 2 Timothy 3:13 advises that, "...evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

Here are ten things you need to know about Jesus Calling:

1. Sarah Young says she had been inspired by the "Jesus" of the New Age book called God Calling. God Calling is a book of messages reputedly delivered by Jesus Christ to two women in England in the 1930s. The women referred to themselves as "The Two Listeners," and the messages they received from "Jesus" were conveyed through an occult process known as spiritual dictation. This is when a spiritual entity conveys information from the spirit world to willing people who act as "channels." Jesus Calling's Christian publisher Harvest House’s book The Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs says that God Calling is an example of a channeled New Age book "replete with denials of biblical teaching" (John Ankerberg & John Weldon, Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1996, p. 103). All references to Sarah Young's inspiration from God Calling have been removed from current editions of Jesus Calling.

2. Jesus Calling's August 5th entry, "Take time to rest by the wayside," is a mockery of the Parble of the Sower in Luke 8:4-8. Another mockery is on page 29, where Young's false Jesus states, "I am with you always. These are the last words I spoke before ascending into heaven." No, they were not! The real Jesus Christ's last spoken words before he was taken up are recorded in Acts 1:6-9. This heresy is another direct contradiction of the Word of God.

3. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling teaches that God is in everyone, saying, "I am above all as well as in all." That is the very fundamental basis of New Age teachings. Another New Age reference in the book is the suggestion that the reader "take a road less traveled", hinting at psychiatrist M. Scott Peck’s ecumenical New Age book, The Road Less Traveled. Also, to go "out on a limb", the title of Shirley MacLaine’s book, which details her journey through New Age spirituality. That brings the number of positive references to three of the most popular New Age books published in the last three decades.

4. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling contradicts the Jesus of the Bible, saying that we can co-create the future with him: "This is a very practical way of collaborating with me. I, the creator of the universe have deigned to co-create with you." On the contrary, we are not in the creative role. He is the Creator. This is strictly a New Age false teaching, so this reference to co-creation is a lie from the pit of hell. The real Jesus Christ says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me."

5. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling rejects the Jesus of the Bible’s warnings about the future and tells us that "the future is a phantom", and to "laugh at the future." What about the warnings in the Gospels regarding what to expect in the future? According to the Word of God, the future is NO LAUGHING MATTER. As believers are well aware, Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 produce very sobering words about the future, and we are told to watch and pray and to not be deceived. Ironically, is that Oprah Winfrey's A Course in Miracles New Age "Jesus" also says that the world is going to end in laughter. That is a direct contradiction of Holy Scripture, and the New Age is saying that there is an alternative to Armageddon. Luke 6:25 warns, "Whoa unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep."

6. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling frequently flatters his followers, which contrasts the way Jesus Christ spoke to people."Aching heart" and "love light" are New Age terms. "Controlling the reader's mind", "taking full possession", and "taking up residence within you" are all occult terminology referencing channeling in which a spirit guide communicates with living persons.

7. Sarah Young’s "Jesus" revises the night that Jesus Christ was born and calls it a "dark night" in a "filthy stable" in "appalling conditions" (Jesus Calling, p. 376), even though the Bible says the shepherds glorified and praised God, rejoicing in all that they had seen that night.

8. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling re-writes the accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph of the Bible. Abraham was not a sun worshipper nor an idolator of undisciplined emotions. He was one of the patriarchs of the Bible who God blessed, and blessed all the peoples of the world through him. This Jesus Calling deception undermines the importance of the Abrahamic Covenant, the blessing for all peoples through him, which many scholars agree is the very foundation of the Scriptures.

9. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling encourages his followers to practice contemplative "listening" prayer and to have a "buffer zone of silence" with no warning about seducing spirits (Jesus Calling, June 15th entry). At no time does Sarah Young encourage her readers to test the spirits in accordance with 1 John 4:1-3 whether they are of God, because as it warns, "...many false prophets are gone out into the world."

10. The "Jesus" of Jesus Calling emphasizes New Age and occult terminology and concepts throughout the book. By the end of the book, Jesus Calling and its "Jesus" had subtly, and not so subtly, introduced New Age/occult channeling, spiritual dictation, creative visualization, meditation, divine alchemy (Merriam-Webster: the ultimate form of meditation), co-creation with God, and practicing the presence like it was everyday Christian fare. The heretical contemplative prayer in Jesus Calling is an apostate counterfeit of biblical prayer and meditation on God's Word.

In a recent Christianity Today article, it states:

"As of this summer, Jesus Calling had sold 9 million copies in 26 languages, and Publishers Weeklyreported that it remained the No. 5 bestseller of the first half of 2013—for all books, not just Christian ones: It outsold Fifty Shades of Grey."

That means that likely well over 10 million people have read Jesus Calling (people share books with others) thus far. The Bible tells us to "try" (test) the spirits to see whether they are of God (1 John 4:1-5). Surely, with a book as frequently read as Jesus Calling, it is prudent and biblical to examine it very closely.  Below is an excerpt from Warren B. Smith’s book "Another Jesus" Calling:

"In the Introduction to Jesus Calling, Sarah Young said that she had been inspired to receive personal messages from "Jesus" after reading a book called God Calling. I remembered God Calling because it was a book I had when I was involved with New Age teachings. I found it troubling that Sarah Young had been inspired by a metaphysical book like God Calling. So that afternoon after purchasing Jesus Calling at the Christian bookstore, I also bought a copy of God Calling at a used bookstore. I would later find out that God Calling was being featured along with Jesus Calling in another local Christian bookstore . . .

Because Jesus Calling contains personal "messages" that Sarah Young says were given to her by Jesus Christ, it is important to determine if these messages were really from Jesus. Are they consistent with the teachings of God’s Word? Is anything new or questionable being subtly introduced? In short, can we trust Jesus Calling as a godly devotional book? . . .

What our spiritual Adversary doesn’t want people to know is the . . .  subtle deception that is going on in the world and in the church right now. A deception in which voices purporting to be "Jesus," "God," and the "Holy Spirit" are speaking directly to people through books, as well as in their quiet times of meditation, contemplative prayer, and yes—"Practicing the Presence." A deception which brings us back to what the real Jesus was warning about in Matthew 24 regarding the end times . . .

Our spiritual Adversary’s plan from the start has been to cleverly establish a counterfeit Christ that gradually introduces new revelations and new teachings and a New Age/New World Religion solution to a troubled world desperately looking for answers. His patient but steady attack on the church has increased greatly over the past several decades. According to Scripture, his deceptive plans will culminate with the greatest identity theft of all time. He will present himself to the world as Christ. Literally fulfilling the meaning of the term Antichrist, he will come in the name of Christ but will actually oppose Christ and everything the true Christ stands for."

Letters from readers of "Another Jesus" Calling:

Letter to the Editor: On Jesus Calling, My Wife and I Thought You Were Wrong, But We Have Been Deceived!
January 17th, 2014

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

When you announced that Warren Smith was writing a book exposing the "Jesus" of Jesus Calling, I wrote you a friendly, but critical, e-mail in which I accused you of rushing to judgment and too hastily condemning the book. My wife, who is generally very discerning, has used Jesus Calling extensively in her devotions and has felt blessed by the book. She occasionally shared with me nice things from the book, and I saw no harm in them and thought they sounded true. I never read it with my critical faculties in gear. Through the years, our discernment has enabled us to see through the Word of Faith heresy, the contemplative movement, the Emergent errors, the Third Wave/Latter Rain/ Manifested Sons doctrine, the Toronto false revival, and other false teachings. We congratulated ourselves on our discernment. Like Warren Smith, I was involved with the New Age movement, in my case before it was a movement. So we thought we were equipped to spot any counterfeit. But our discernment failed us when it came to God Calling and Jesus Calling. We feel very foolish. At first, I though Warren Smith should not have written his book. I’m now quite sure that Jesus Calling is the book that never should have been written.

Lighthouse Trails responded with a courteous, brotherly e-mail in which you offered to send me a copy of "Another Jesus" Calling. Though I felt the book was a mistake, I agreed to read it. When it arrived, I read it and told my wife that we had been deceived. Then she read it, and we are both quite humbled, as we should be. Once our eyes were opened, we realized that the "Jesus" of Jesus Calling does not at all sound like the Savior we have loved and served for over 40 years. How could we have set aside our discernment so easily? Since my wife was the one who was most involved with the book, she hopes to write you with her thoughts and thanks too.

I would challenge anyone who has the indwelling Holy Spirit and has liked Jesus Calling to read it again, comparing what that "Jesus" says to what the real Jesus has said. Or read Warren Smith’s excellent book, "Another Jesus" Calling. Thousands and thousands [actually millions] of Christian women and some men are unguardedly reading these pages as if under a spell. What they do with all the things that don’t ring true, I don’t know. It seems so harmless, so full of wise and comforting things. It’s flattering to think that Jesus so much wants our fellowship. We just push the other things, things that don’t sound right, to the back of our minds. My wife and I are humbly grateful to Lighthouse Trails and Warren Smith for exposing this seductive, plausible, but blasphemous and false book.

Blessings, love, and gratitude to you,

Michael

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Letter to the Editor: "Pastor’s Wife Gave Me Jesus Calling – I Should Have Known!"
October 29th, 2013

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

I have been following Lighthouse Trails since 2003, I believe, when you were still in Silverton Oregon so I should be more aware than I have found myself recently. I was struggling with some very ugly memories from my childhood, and my pastor’s wife asked if she could pray with me. In that process when we were through, she gave me a Jesus Calling book. At the moment, it was what I needed to get through the pain  of what I was dealing with. I have read it faithfully every day. The Scriptures were always what I needed for that day. I have bought several to give away as gifts.

 Until recently, I had no idea the books were New Age. I thought I was smarter than to be fooled by this! I just read where a new book [critiquing Jesus Calling] is coming out on you web site. It makes me almost sick that I was fooled so easily. I want to burn the books I have purchased for gifts but have never burned a book in my life. They are for sale everywhere, even the Christian book store I frequent weekly. I thank you for all your hard work in keeping people like me so informed and so appreciative that I finally found the truth. The Lord somehow got my attention.

It is so easy for Satan to slide in, and that’s what happened. As I sit hear writing this, the tears are flowing as to how many books I gave away. Fortunately, it was my family, and I can retrieve them and explain. God has been in control the whole time.

Please share my story so others won’t be fooled. I would never have believed I could be so easily.

From northern Oregon

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Reading Jesus Calling and Other Books – "Just Killing Time"
January 7th, 2014

To Lighthouse Trails:

I just received my "Another Jesus" Calling order.  Already started reading, and it seems absurd that believers would be duped into believing and spending precious time in such a book as Jesus Calling.

Before I closed [my store] and retired, I had MANY requests for Jesus Calling, and from the start, I was hesitant because of my customer’s overwhelming awe over the book. Finally, I looked into it and realized why I was "hesitant."  (The same goes for The Shack, One Thousand Gifts, and more. I could have retired in riches had I carried and sold these!!!). All of the above books are incredibly appealing to all ages, yes even the older generation and are incredibly dangerous. The endorsements by the readers of these books is like a fire out of control.

When I had the store I would ask a customer if I could help. "No, I’m just killing time!" We cannot afford to "kill time." Reading books that are in error is killing time! The hour is late, and our time must be well spent!  We must be as the Berean’s, searching the Scriptures to find out if these things are so, spending our time well.

L.P.

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Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

If you have gotten caught-up in the crafty New Age theosophical mendacity that has slithered into the Church, like so many others have, you can simply turn away from it, renounce it as sin and seek God's Truth. If you want to get closer to God and understand the Scriptures, open your Bible. Enough with seeking after the doctrines of fallen man. A woman who got caught-up reading Jesus Calling daily, recently admitted that she realized she had replaced the Bible with this book, and had stopped reading the Word of God altogether. I got a dose of that last week when I attended a local men's Bible study. There wasn't a Bible to be found, except for my King James. Instead, there were workbooks handed out which we read from and a DVD video which we watched. The group leader then produced a copy of William Young's novel, The Shack, which he started reading from. He then asked if anyone had read The Shack and if we had any thoughts on it. Thankfully, one man spoke up and said, "It's a work of fiction and it is un-biblical."

We need more followers of Jesus Christ to seek and speak the Truth, to stop seeking after man-made spiritualism, and to turn not to the fictitious and counterfeit works of heretical deceivers, but to the Father. Judge a tree by its fruit. What do you see?

Much like the onslaught of material of satanic witchcraft such as the Harry Potter series, which author J.K. Rowling admitted she recieved during an experience of necromantic channeling, Jesus Calling is targeted for those unfortunate people who are not grounded in faith and who keep repeating the lie that, "It's harmless."

On the contrary, such things are the cause that our jealous God pours out His righteous judgment upon nations, including (but not limited to) witchcraft, necromancy, following other gods, homosexuality, and child sacrifice. One thing is for sure, whether out of ignorance or willfully we are engaging in the abominations which bring forth the Lord's righteous wrath, God will not be mocked!

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ― 1 John 5:19

Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them. ― Deuteronomy 11:16

And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. ― Mark 13:21-23

Take heed that no one deceives you.

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