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
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:8
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matthew 24:24
Jesus
Calling, by Sarah Young, has been widely touted and followed as a
Christian devotional, since it was published in 2004, and has sold
many millions of copies worldwide. Unfortunately. Read on for an
explanation...
I first became aware of Jesus Calling around 2009, while living in Maine. I found a print magazine with excerpts from the book at the food pantry of a local church. I briefly scanned the pages while waiting to pick up groceries; it did not impress me as anything of interest and I did not even remember having seen it until a couple years ago when a copy of the book was sent to me by the post.
It was then that I took a closer look at the contents. I recognized, to my dismay, that this was not in fact a Christian book. It was not based on scripture from the Bible (any version), though chapter and verse were liberally quoted on each page, in an attempt to link the scripture quotes to the other words that the author attributed, falsely, to Jesus Christ.
The late Sarah Young, the self-proclaimed “Christian”, was in fact preaching “another Jesus”. And I fear that for some of its ignorant followers, there may be hell to pay.
Before going into further detail in my analysis, it is important that I state two things:
One: That I write this report not claiming any special authority, knowledge or expertise, but simply as someone with seminary training, who has been involved in Christian ministry for over 4 decades, and has continued to study the scriptures. Most importantly, I am a devout Christian, a believer in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I care greatly about the salvation of souls and will do all in my power to help to prevent others from being deceived and led down the wrong path. And as always, the readers may make of this report what they will.
Two: That my primary objection to this book is that the author, Sarah Young, presumes to speak for God. She uses the first person, as if these were the words actually spoken by Jesus.
On the contrary, nothing could be further from the truth! Open your Bible and it can be seen that Jesus speaks very clearly for himself, always has done and always will. He doesn't need the likes of Sarah Young to reinterpret those words, nor to fabricate additional words he never spoke.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Now, let me make one thing clear: Anyone who claims to be a Christian, and yet presumes to speak for Jesus, must be entirely lacking in spiritual discernment and/or harboring a self-glorifying delusion of spiritual supremacy and/or be puffed up with the pride of those seeking the approval of men, rather than seeking to obey and glorify God.
That said, it is not my purpose here to focus on Sarah Young personally, her motives or her misguided beliefs and subjective opinions. My purpose is to warn others, both Christians and non-Christians, of the spiritual dangers of attributing credibility to, and of becoming a follower/advocate of Jesus Calling and its attendant counterfeit gospel promoted by a fictional character, as impersonator of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Here, as just one of many typical promotions of the book, Jesus Calling, is an advertisement from Barnes & Noble:
"Experience a deeper relationship with Jesus as you savor the presence of the One who understands you perfectly and loves you forever. With Scripture and personal reflections, New York Times bestselling author Sarah Young brings Jesus' message of peace—for today and every day.
Jesus Calling is your yearlong guide to living a more peaceful life. Sarah Young's Jesus Calling® brand has impacted more than 40 million lives!
-By spending time in the presence of the Savior with the much-loved devotions in Jesus Calling, you will:
-Feel comforted by words of hope and encouragement
-Be reassured of Jesus' unending love for you
-Receive gentle guidance based on Scripture
-Strengthen your faith with Scripture verses
-Connect with Jesus further with reflection and meditation based on God’s Word
Written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to you, Jesus Calling invites you to experience peace in the presence of the Savior who is always with you."
I include this promotion for the purpose of showing the large scale deception of what has become a massive commercial enterprise.
And no, the “guidance” in this book is not based on scripture. It comes, one way or another, from the aberrant psyche of a woman named Sarah Young, who, it is entirely possible, was engaged in New Age channeling of demons, masquerading as “angels of light”, or possibly in this case, as Jesus.
Now, to get into more detail, let us examine some of the “quotes” purporting to be from Jesus. My comments follow each quote.
QUOTES
FROM JESUS CALLING
Sarah Young (speaking as the false Jesus):
"WHEN THINGS DON’T GO as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment."
This is a vague statement which could mean just about anything. There is a vast range of “things” which could not go as anyone would like.
The question should be WHY. Why have things not gone as you would like?
God gave us all free will. You are responsible for your own actions, for good, or for evil.
In each case, the actions of a person (or persons) are responsible for “things not going as you would like”. If the person to blame is yourself, you, as a follower of Jesus, would want to confess and repent, and to make amends to anyone who was harmed and/or change your actions if you are causing problems for yourself.
If the situation is caused by the actions of others, you would reasonably have to determine how great the damages to you, whether these persons were motivated by malice, or a self-serving attitude, and whether the behavior is part of a pattern which would bring continual destruction on you and your house.
Why would anyone just “accept” wrongful behavior of any sort? No, on the contrary, a follower of Jesus would want to right the wrongs, one way or another.
Would you just “accept”, for instance, sexual abuse perpetrated against your precious child? Would you “accept” an employee embezzling funds of your hard-earned money? Would you “accept” that your spouse was a serial adulterer? Or upon learning that a friend was a practicing satanist, would you “accept” it, despite that it was not what you would “like”?
Hell, no! A follower of Jesus would seek justice, not wimpy “acceptance” of any type of evil, any type of wrongful/criminal behavior. The obvious right thing to do is to first defend yourself and those under your protection. Pray for God's justice against all evildoers, for God's justice can never be anything but just.
There is no excuse for accepting any kind of evil or any situation caused by evildoers. And Jesus certainly never said otherwise. Check your Bible and find the truth.
"For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them."
Isaiah 61:8
Sarah Young (speaking as the false Jesus):
"Hardships are part of the journey too. I mete them out ever so carefully, in just the right dosage, with a tenderness you can hardly imagine. Do not recoil from afflictions, since they are among My most favored gifts."
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus “metes out” hardships of any sort. Again, hardships are usually caused by the actions of persons. For example, if you gamble away your paycheck, or engage in frivolous spending, and then can't pay the mortgage, whose fault is that?
On the other hand, you may be living in poverty, in extreme material hardship, through no fault of your own, for any number of reasons. And maybe you don't have anyone who cares enough to help you. But in either case, there is no reason for anyone to believe that Jesus had anything to do with it, and no such thing is ever stated by Jesus in the Bible.
This is pure nonsense.
Sarah Young (speaking as the false Jesus):
"DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF. I can bring good even out of your mistakes. Your finite mind tends to look backward, longing to undo decisions you have come to regret. This is a waste of time and energy, leading only to frustration. Instead of floundering in the past, release your mistakes to Me. Look to Me in trust, anticipating that My infinite creativity can weave both good choices and bad into a lovely design."
Here, again, Sarah Young, speaking as the false Jesus, advises not the soul-searching and prayer, seeking to know the truth and to listen to the will of God, through the Holy Spirit (The Spirit of Truth). Instead, she wants you to believe it is fine to just “accept” yourself, rather than be convicted in the Spirit, filled with the Godly sorrow which leads to repentance and prepares the soul for salvation.
Anyone who does not acknowledge their mistakes of the past is bound to repeat them. Jesus does not “weave” any bad choices into His design. The very thought is absurd!
For those who ask, and for those who listen in good faith, He helps them weed OUT the bad choices and forgives the sins of which they have sincerely repented.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12
Sarah Young (speaking as the false Jesus):
"Anything that tends to make you anxious is a growth opportunity. Instead of running away from these challenges, embrace them, eager to gain all the blessings I have hidden in the difficulties. If you believe that I am sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust Me in all situations. Don’t waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment—accepting things exactly as they are—and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances."
Here,
Sarah Young puts a false spin on the true source of anxiety. Usually,
anxiety is a sign that something is not right, at least in the
spiritual sense. And it is important to find out exactly what the
source of that anxiety is, if you want to resolve it and overcome it. Certainly,
Jesus can help you, including by bringing awareness of the truth of
any situation. But nowhere in scripture has he ever counseled
“accepting” (that word again) things exactly as they are. Again,
this is pure nonsense, which only breeds unGodly complacency, and never came from the mouth of Jesus!
Sarah
Young speaks as if she thinks Jesus is some New Age, secular humanist
“life coach”, encouraging the listener to “embrace challenges”.
“Challenges” which are in reality serious issues which may
determine the salvation of souls, or the lack thereof.
There are many more such pretentious pseudo quotes from Jesus Calling, but I think I've made my point, at least for those with ears to hear.
The fact of the matter is this: The Jesus Calling books (there are unfortunately a series of them and a series of Jesus Calling magazines, study bible podcasts, huge marketing campaigns and special books for children, teens) are NOT biblical, and in many cases, contradict the actual words of Jesus. Using 'feel good' New Age psychobabble and secular humanist pop psychology, she misleads the readers by twisting scripture.
But here's the biggest problem, as I see it. There are many ignorant people getting their theology from Jesus Calling, rather than from reading the Bible.
The many people enthusing how great the book is (mostly women, from my research), the people buying multiple copies to give away, only display their pure ignorance of scripture. If they truly want to be Christians, they need to learn the truth, from scripture. They need to read the Bible, cover to cover, Genesis to Revelation...right through to the maps!
They need to keep studying the Bible, to get some instruction from true Christians (preferably clergy), to develop an understanding through asking God in prayer. Those who claim God no longer speaks to us (cessationists) are just plain wrong. I think it more likely that in their case, God is still speaking...but maybe they just stopped listening.
But one thing is abundantly clear and should be to anyone with spiritual discernment: God is NOT speaking through Jesus Calling. Whoever may be speaking, whoever may be calling, it is NOT Jesus Christ.
Jesus Calling is a false gospel, promoted by a false teacher, Sarah Young. Considering the language she uses, I find it likely she was influenced by demons, whom she channeled, while claiming (and possibly believing) she was “channeling” Jesus.
Nobody “channels” Jesus. He doesn't work that way, and anyone who claims He does is either deceived, and/or is purposely deceiving others. But it doesn't matter what the case may be. Either way, souls are being led astray and those who are participants in following this false gospel, promoting this counterfeit Jesus, will ultimately be held accountable.
By the REAL JESUS, that is.
The Jesus of the Bible.
The Jesus of the True Christian Faith.
Jesus: King of Kings.
Jesus: Lord of Lords.
The Jesus of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except by Me.”
John 14:6
Barbara
Hartwell
Believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
February 18, 2025
NOTE:
In researching Jesus Calling, I found many similarities to another
popular book claiming to be Christian: THE SHACK.
THE SHACK, by Wm. Paul Young (same name, no relation, but interesting), like Jesus Calling, promotes a false gospel and has fictional characters, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, speaking falsely, also in the first person. It portrays Jesus as some sort of goofy New Age hippie, The Father, portrayed as a fat African American woman named "Papa", and The Holy Spirit, as a silly little Asian woman. Pure blasphemy! And yet, THE SHACK enjoyed a similar public reception as if it were the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Read about it, exposed in this book review:
THE SHACK: Counterfeit
Christianity
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2012/02/shack-counterfeit-christianity.html
