JD: Because of their broad influence.
DJ: I agree her books have had a very broad influence beginning with her first book “Jesus Calling” which came out in 2004. Over the years as of now it has sold over 15 million copies and I think has been translated into over 25 different languages. Based on the idea of what she would call listening prayer and that’s a theological practice in which a person aims to hear messages directly from God. And I think this is very important because she claims to not only hear these messages from God as she interacts with him but then she does that and puts pen to paper and writes down those things writing in the first person for her readers.
JD: Let’s focus on which she’s saying. Are there Biblical problems with what she’s actually saying David?
DJ: Well as I have read in both books I haven’t read them in their entirety but I’ve read quite a bit from both of these books. I would have to say that no in general she doesn’t say anything unbiblical but I think that it actually presents some of the problems because they aren’t out and out heresy and they do tend to reflect Biblical truth. People will get the impression that she truly is hearing from Jesus and that Jesus is essentially telling her what she is writing down what she is actually hears from him, which would encourage others to again engage in the same practice. To say you’re speaking for Jesus is a very dangerous thing. We read in Revelation 22 we’re not to add to the prophecy particularly of the book of Revelation and this definitely is adding that Jesus is saying things that I would contend he is not saying.
JD: Should they be avoided?
DJ: I would say they should be avoided. Speaking for Jesus no matter how well intentioned is not a good idea. She proclaims the insufficiency of the Bible in an indirect way by saying she’s wanting to hear directly from God herself. Her deepest experience of God comes through a practice that God does not endorse. We don’t find this practice in the Bible. And I think she generates confusion by leading people to believe that she actually is hearing from God and this would encourage others to do the same. I think this is problematic.
JD: David James Bible in hand as he explains the headline why you should not be reading the books “Jesus Calling” or “Jesus Always” the ones written by Sara Young.
