Sarah Young, the author of the devotional “Jesus Calling,” a best selling book (which comes as no surprise, considering the horrible apostasy of Christiandom in our day), sadly passed away Aug 31, 2023 to the life beyond the grave and faced the music of living the life of a ravening wolf in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:15) and minister of Satan (2 Cor 11:12-15), misleading the masses into a Christ-less, eternal damnation in the fires of hell.
This appears to be a rather frequent occurrence in these last days, even as scripture indicates:
"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;" (1 Tim 4:1-2)
The "Jesus Calling" is aptly described in this passage, as a departure from the faith, inspired by seducing spirits and loaded with doctrines of devils.
Unsurprisingly, her book has become a staple in many Bible studies and personal devotions. Countless thousands of gullible, naive evangelical women being led about in every way the wind blows due to their diverse lusts (2 Tim 3:6) and sentimental feelings and absence of spiritual discernment (1 Cor 2:14-15; 1 Jn 4:1-6), embraced her writings with open arms. Emotions will change with the wind, but God’s Word is an unshakeable fortress that has stood the test of time.
Let's assess a few things about Young and her book, testing it with the Word of God, that results in such an "insensitive" analysis.
1. "Jesus" spoke to Young, and gave her new revelation.
Her published book "Jesus Calling" was the corrupt fruit of her alleged direct dialogues with the Lord Jesus Christ. By process of first-person voice, she made it seem as if Christ Himself was speaking directly to readers through the words of her book. This is blasphemous. Young claimed she heard Jesus directly speaking to her. Why? Because she yearned for more from God from what her present prayer life and Scriptures could give her. In other words, she did not believe the Word of God or that it was sufficient. She said she decided to “listen with pen in hand, writing down whatever I 'heard' in my mind", which was either her own imagination, a more merciful analysis, but perhaps more truthfully, something much more sinister such as demonic manifestations.
The devotions are a collection of journaling entries done by Young by actually using New Age channeling techniques (contemplative mysticism). Young wrote down whatever she believed God was saying to her, "pen in hand," and shares these in this book claiming a mission to quietly lead thousands of people worldwide on a journey of intimacy with Christ. However, she is actually leading thousands of people down the broad destructive path to hell making them two-fold children of that eternal abode of unquenchable torment and gnashing of teeth.
This is an absurd, bald-faced lie. She might have heard someone speak to her, of that I have no doubt (such as an unclean, evil spirit), but she did NOT hear the Lord Jesus Christ speak. That has been finalized in the canonization of Scripture. God completed His speaking to humanity already through His Son Jesus Christ, and its recorded in its finality in the 66 books of the Bible. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that God hath “in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Heb 1:2), and it didn’t include a footnote about a sequel.
By claiming she had personal chats with Jesus, she’s undermining the very foundation and authority of Christianity: the Word of God.
Why would someone claim special revelation from Jesus? Could it be that she can portray herself to be on some kind of higher spiritual plane? Or pretend she is so special that God giver her a VIP pass to divine revelation? Maybe to become wealthy and powerful (which I believe always plays a part to some degree)? These things imply what she writes or speaks has a degree of authority that the rest of us don’t have. But all this contradicts the Bible, and strays from Biblical Christianity and what the new birth manufactures. Scripture invokes humbleness (not pride and arrogance), testing and judging and scrutinizing of all things by Scripture alone (vs gullibly and naively believing what a voice or words on a paper tell us), and to lean not on our own understanding but on the unchanging and infallible Word of God.
All of Young's revelations fly in the face of what sound biblical doctrine clearly teaches — there is no new revelation after the closing of the canon of Scripture. God makes that abundantly clear, along with a caveat to those who dare add (such as Young) or take away from the words of His Book:
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev 22:18-19)
For the true blood-bought, grace-saved saint, the indwelling Spirit of God guides us on a daily basis, but always in accordance with what’s already been revealed in Scripture and never in contradiction to it. When someone claims to have a direct message from God, the first full stop must be the Word of God, since it alone is the true revelation of God, and since it alone is the infallible and inerrant absolute truth of God. Period. If the so-called new “revelation” doesn’t line up with God’s established Word, then it’s not from Him but from another spirit. If it does line up, then it’s not new—it came from Scripture. It’s that simple. But God doesn't give any new revelation through audible voice, or visions or dreams; the canonization of Scripture is entirely closed. Done. Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Inspiration and revelation have ceased. So anyone coming with messages of God through voice, vision or dream, is from the starting blocks completely in the wrong and seduced by other spirits.
2. The true source of "Jesus Calling."
Sarah Young wasn’t inspired by the Jesus of the Bible to write this book but by the “Jesus” of a book called God Calling. In an interview with CBN, Young said that her journey with Jesus Calling began with the book God Calling:
"My journey began with a devotional book (God Calling) written in the 1930s by two women who practiced waiting in God’s Presence, writing the messages they received as they “listened.” About a year after I started reading this book, I began to wonder if I too could receive messages during my times of communing with God. . . . So I decided to “listen” to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I sensed He was saying." (source)
The 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 and John Weldon, Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs, 1996, p. 103). The New Age "Jesus" of God Calling teaches that God is "in" everyone. Even this book could have been titled "Jesus Calling," since it was reputedly dictated by “The Living Christ Himself” according to the two English women (Two Listeners; Edited by A.J. Russell, God Calling, op. cit., p. 5).
In her original "Jesus Calling" introduction, Young made reference to this fact regarding what inspired her to write devotionals, i.e. the God Calling book, and how it was a “treasure” and inspiration to her to receive her own “messages” from “Jesus,” but that has been removed from all recent editions, without explanation.
Unsurprising, so-called Christians and "Christian" leaders have been strangely silent about the heresies and new age influence and teachings of "Jesus Calling," and unbelievably it was the secular media that took Sarah Young and Thomas Nelson to task for changing and deleting 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 questioning 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 book 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." (Ruth Graham, “The Strange Saga of ‘Jesus Calling,’ The Evangelical Bestseller You’ve Never Heard Of,” Daily Beast, Feb 23, 2014)
That is precisely the case. "Christian" publishers and the world of evangelicalism and main-stream Christianity, couldn't give two cents about compromise, dishonesty and secretiveness behind Young's heresies and unscriptural false teachings. Pretty sad when a secular journalist has more discernment than these hypocritical "evangelicals" and other heretics and apostates, who simply love themselves and the world; "scoffers" they are, "walking after their own lusts," (2 Pet 3:3).
One of many reasons why we know Young is a heretic and apostate, is the fact that she did not recognize God Calling as a New Age book, which any true believer would pick up on absolutely immediately, and then burn the book. She didn't. Neither. Not only that, she called it “a treasure to me.” Wow. And then to further compound her evil and deceptive, diabolical nature, Young and her publisher removed all references to God Calling without any explanation or apology to the millions of readers.
We know Young's source wasn't the Bible, and that is also obvious by the contents of the book. Clearly the Bible at best is just another self-help book for Young, or something she reads for enjoyment or entertainment, if she reads it all! The Bible however demands our utmost attention, reverence and submission, for it alone is the inerrant, unchangeable, and infallible inspired and preserved Word of God, and the only source of truth in this world of apostasy. It has survived thousands of years of scrutiny, skepticism, and outright attacks, and it does so once again in "Jesus Calling."
3. The "Jesus Calling" is absolutely riddled with contradictions and heresy, and blasphemously changes the words and teachings of the Bible.
Everything about the "Jesus" in the "Jesus Calling" contradicts the true Jesus of the Word of God. It is an entirely different "Jesus" which is "another Jesus" (2 Cor 11:4), and its obviously "another spirit" that visited her in demonic manifestations.
Young's "Jesus" not only rejects the warnings about the future expressed by the true Jesus of Scripture, but also tells us to "laugh" at the future. That is absolutely Satanic, knowing that the future is Heaven or Hell, and Satan strives to get as many as he can into hell with him.
The "Jesus" depicted in "Jesus Calling" frequently flatters his followers, which actually contradicts the way the true Jesus Christ of the Bible spoke to people. He never flattered anyone, but spoke honestly, sincerely, and truthfully. Always. Flattery is evil. In Ps 5:9, Scripture speaks of the wicked enemies of God, in whose mouth is found "no faithfulness" and "their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue." Ps 78 reveals the dead, unregenerate and false professing nature of the Israelites in the wilderness sojourn, who "believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:" (v. 22), "Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues." (v. 36). Their self-deception of flattery and lies, resulted in God's wrath poured out upon them. God hates flattery and Jesus flattered no one!
Young's "Jesus" revises the night that the true Jesus was born and calls it a "dark night" in a "filthy stable" in "appalling conditions" (Jesus Calling, p. 376), even though Scripture says the shepherds rejoiced in ALL that they had seen that night (Lk 2:16-20), "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." (v. 20).
The false "Jesus" of "Jesus Calling" revises and corrupts the accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph of the Bible.
The "Jesus" of "Jesus Calling" emphasizes New Age terms and concepts throughout the book and encourages his followers to practice contemplative mysticism by "listening" prayer and to have a "buffer zone of silence" with zero warning about seducing spirits (Jesus Calling, June 15th entry). As mentioned already, this is a doctrine of devils (1 Tim 4:1).
Young claims that in two separate times her “Jesus” told her that the last words he spoke after his resurrection and before ascending into heaven were “I am with you always.” But these were not the last words the true Jesus Christ of the Bible spoke before ascending into heaven. His last words were spoken from the Mount of Olives as recorded in Ac 1:7-9 and 12. Young's message from her “Jesus” contradicts the actual true words of the real Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible.
Not only is the devotional “Jesus Calling” heretical, so is her other devotional, "Jesus Always." In that ungodly, unBiblical and apostate book as well, she teaches demonic and heretical teachings such as occult/new age channeling; spiritual dictation; creative visualization; contemplative meditation; divine alchemy; co-creation with God; practicing the presence (mysticism); Jesus flatters; etc. Young is a mystic that practices, endorses, and promotes spiritual formation, contemplative practices and mysticism, which is "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (1 Tim 4:1).
Paul the Apostle warned already in the 1st century about people coming with false Jesus's, gospels and spirits:
"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 Cor 11:4)
Its no surprise that so much liberty is being exercised by the wicked apostates of our day as they stretch, manipulate, lie, corrupt, wrest and blaspheme the Word of God, when we consider this has been progressively worsening for some time already, as noted additionally in such movie productions as The Chosen. God's Word doesn't warn in vain,
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Tim 3:13)
Finality
We are commanded to "prove all things" (1 Th 5:21) and test everything by the Word of God whether it is true or not:
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Ac 17:11).
The Apostle Paul commended the Berean's for testing everything including his own teachings against the Scriptures (Ac 17:11). So if we’re commanded to test, judge, and scrutinize an apostle’s teachings (see also 1 Cor 10:15), how much the more should we evaluate the personal experiences and writings of some random woman in these modern apostate times who claims she has a direct conduit with Jesus Christ, against the standard of truth, the Word of God? This is "judg[ing] righteous judgment" (Jn 7:24). God's Word alone is the revelation of God, who He is, what He has done, how we can know Him, what we are to do, and no additions or substitutions are needed or permitted.
As Young’s claims are tested by the gold standard of Biblical truth, we quickly note that they don’t measure up. God has spoken to us in the revelation of His written Word, not by some self-appointed, New Age heretic, apostate, and demon-influenced author. The canon of Scripture is complete with Rev 22. Sarah Young's words in her books are not Jesus's words to you. Read the King James Bible instead of this occultic garbage. If you own either of Sarah Young’s devotionals, you need to cease reading them immediately and deposit them in the nearest trash can or fireplace. Scripture is more than sufficient! (2 Tim 3:16-17)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:16-17)
Unless she was truly and genuinely converted before her death — which would've produced such visible good fruit as the immediate and utter denunciation of her own book in sack cloth and ashes (and that hasn't happened) — she immediately slammed into the abyss of hell in the twinkle of an eye (Lk 16), where there is never ending torment and gnashing of teeth, and where the worm dieth not (Mk 9), and where she certainly did not hear the call of the true Biblical Jesus, reserved for true born again believers:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant:" (Matt 25:21)
Once the thousand year reign of Christ as King on earth is done (Rev 20:1-10), all the dead unsaved will be resurrected to judgment, to stand before the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-15) where Jesus Christ the Judge sits, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" (Jn 5:22). As she stands before the Lord, the real and dreaded words of Jesus that she will actually hear at that time will be,
"And then will I profess unto [her], I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt 7:23)
And that is a very scary thought.
As for you dear reader, if you lack the spiritual discernment to understand that Sarah Young was a minister of Satan (2 Cor 11:12-15), or that her book is a cesspool of heresy and apostasy and false teachings that is at best to be used as fire starter, then you are in the same sinking deceived boat as Young — lost and without Christ while pretending to know and profess Him, which Jesus said will be majority in the world (e.g. Matt 7:13-14, 22-23; Lk 13:23-24; Jn 6:66), among many other passages of Scripture (e.g. Ti 1:12-16), since all true born again believers have spiritual discernment (Ac 17:11; 1 Cor 2:14-15) and do know the truth (1 Jn 2:20-21, 27) so they're able to “test the spirits” (1 Jn 4:1), while the false professor does not (1 Cor 2:14). Please read here on how you can become a truly regenerate convert to Christ, vs the false delusion, deception and lies you've been led to believe and embrace.
Young made herself out to be a special messenger or delegate of Christ, but in so doing she exposed herself to be a minister of Satan:
"But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles [i.e. messenger or delegate] of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Cor 11:12-15)
Fin.