jarilissima

“Christian” Books I Threw Away

“Christian” in bunny quotes. And I threw away all of them, except for The Case for Christ and Cold-Case Christianity. I read the entire Bible in 2018 (and continue to read it daily) so that nobody could lie to me about it. And yet, so many so-called Christian books do! Lie! These were the worst offenders for me.

Joel Osteen ~ Your Best Life Now ๐Ÿคฎ

This is the kind of stuff that confuses so many non-Bible-reading Christians. The Bible doesn’t say this is your best life. This is an imperfect world, we are imperfect, we are prone to illness, and we age, and we get sick, and then we die. It’s not all bad in life, but it’s certainly not the best.

Plus, the book was literally new age. And I should know– I was steeped in the new age for a decade. This book is literally “the law of attraction,” which makes you responsible for things you cannot control. Imagine getting cancer and thinking it’s your own fault. How cruel.

It was also so very selfish. God doesn’t care about your parking spot, Joel ๐Ÿ™„ You mean to tell me God will move mountains to get Joel a close parking spot, but not to save a child from abuse? How blasphemous of Joel!

Mark Batterson ~ The Circle Maker ๐Ÿค‘

By the end of the book, I knew more about Mark Batterson’s finances than I did about Christ. The book can be summed up as this: Walk around what you want (literally, walk circles around it) and you’ll get it.

He’s taking the idea from Joshua 6:2-5.

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, โ€œSee, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of ramsโ€™ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.โ€

Does any of that say “walk around a Ferrari and you’ll have it”? Even a non-Christian could see that is not what it says ๐Ÿคจ Those were specific instructions for a specific people at a specific time.

And if it weren’t, The Circle Maker would still be wrong because Mark Batterson doesn’t mention the trumpets of rams’ horns… Wrong and doesn’t follow instructions! Book, meet garbage can.

Sarah Young ~ Jesus Calling ๐Ÿ˜จ

This book is written as if Jesus is speaking to you, and it is so creepy. This is what is called in the new age a “channeled book.” You open your mind and let whatever spirit write through you.

I wasn’t even a mature Christian when I read some of it, and it still gave me the creeps!! ๐Ÿ˜จ

If I want to hear Jesus, I read the New Testament. The New Testament is not a long book, there’s no need to purchase channeled books…

I no longer purchase Christian books. I have various translations of the Bible, and they’re easy to understand. And I know I’m getting the real Word.

Joel Osteen will promise you paradise on earth. Mark Batterson will promise you anything you want (as long as you walk around it.) And Sarah Young… is just creepy ๐Ÿ˜จ ((shudders))

But those authors write fantasy. If only people knew that accepting reality is so much more relaxing than the stress of fantasy!

์•ˆ๋…•! Bye! Ciao!

jarilissima

Thanks so much for reading!

39 comments

  1. Awesome post, and you nailed it on every point! You didn’t use the word “heretical,” but I will. These authors only lead their readers/followers to the pit of hell, not the glory of Heaven.

    And I love some of you expressions:

    * “How blasphemous of Joel!” (So true.)
    * “… it still gave me the creeps!!”
    And my favorite:
    * “Book, meet garbage can.” Hah!

    The older I get, the fewer “other” books I read (including from legit Christian writers) and stick more and more to the Bible. I read 8 to 10 chapters a day, and when I need some insight, I consult a good commentary.

    Keep up the excellent work, young lady!

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    • Thanks so much, dear friend! I purchased a lot of these bestsellers when I began my walk with Christ, then after I read the Bible, I read these and I was like… Wait a minute… This isn’t right…

      Unfortunately, bookstore shelves pretty much sag with the weight of so many books that say things that are not Biblical ๐Ÿ˜ฆ Many give “feel-good” false hope that’s so damaging.

      I stick to the Bible, too! ๐Ÿ™‚ I’ve never read a commentary, so if you ever have a recommendation, I’d be happy to know ๐Ÿ™‚ Take care and God bless, and thanks again!

      Liked by 1 person

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      • You hit on the key: “… after I read the Bible …” If more Christians read their Bibles, they would know the difference between truth and heresy.

        A great one-volume commentary I highly recommend: “The Moody Bible Commentary.”

        Liked by 2 people

      • The irony is that by the time people are done reading these bestsellers, spending $$$ on them, they could have read the New Testament 10 times over!

        Thanks so much for the link! I appreciate it ๐Ÿ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

      • I was very impressed with The Case for Christ. He interviewed experts on various fields, such as history, ancient languages, medicine… Just knowing what a Roman crucifixion entailed was pretty eye-opening to me, to say the least. I honestly did not know.

        I was very happy with that book, it gave me a lot of historical context.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Excellent decisions and your observations are valid. When all is said and done, nothing compares with God’s Word. Lee Strobel and J. Warner Wallace are both excellent secondary sources. Well done! Blessings to you and yours.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Absolutely right! I feel so much better reading the Bible, whereas Christian books gave me the stress of having to wonder/look up if what they were writing was accurate. (Or just shocking me with how offensive they can be.) No more of that.

      Thank you and God bless you, too! ๐Ÿ™‚

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  3. I am always weary of entrepreneurs like Joel Osteen who monetize Christ and religion – because at the end of the day, thatโ€™s what they are. I commend them for using their platform to uplift and bring hope to peopleโ€™s lives. But I always question how they profit from it through their work. Jesus Christ and God should be accessible to all. And all you need need is a Bible and your personal connection to God

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    • You said it best! Joel Osteen definitely monetizes Christianity (great way to put it) and he gives lots of false hope.

      I stopped watching him when he was crying and saying, “Your healing is coming!” But Joel is not supposed to promise things like that, because the Bible doesn’t promise things like that. That’s giving people false hope.

      Yes, Jesus is accessible to everyone ๐Ÿ™‚ โค๏ธ The real Jesus, not the genie in a bottle that Joel preaches ๐Ÿ˜•

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. Thank you for sharing. It’s important that we keep focused upon the Lord Jesus. God’s Word is light unto our path. I loved what you said, “If I want to hear from Jesus, I read the New Testament.” Amen!
    Merry Christmas!

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. I have to disagree with you, the Circle Maker is about our prayer life and I found it very helpful in my own prayer journey, and as for Sarah’s Young book and all of her books are great, yes it is as God speaks to us threw her books, the Bible is also God’s book that speak to us as Christians

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    • The Circle Maker came across as rubbing the lamp a certain way to get the genie to do our bidding, so I didn’t like it one bit.

      And Sarah Young’s books are channeled, who knows what was speaking to her!

      God does NOT speak to us through any book other than the Bible. The canon is closed.

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      • As a Pastor and as a Chaplain I can tell you that God speaks to his people in many ways besides Scriptures, we just need to open our hearts and mind and allow God to speak the way God will speak to us. You are wrong with the Circle maker book is not asking God to grant you wishes, it is also known as a Pinnacle of Garden Prayers. It is when a person walks around many circles from start to finish and the more you walk you think less of yourself and your will and more of the will of God has for your life. I have visited more than one and the more I walk around them and focus on God in prayer and Him only I began to feel even closer and to discern His call on my life.

        Liked by 1 person

      • So, has Mark Batterson walked around a St. Jude’s Hospital to heal the children inside, or has he stopped his walking since getting what he wanted? ๐Ÿค”

        I’m criticizing these authors and what they claim, which is not necessarily all-right or all-wrong. False teachers often mix truth with lies.

        I hope you’re not offended, but still– *no.* NO. I do not believe anyone needs these books to hear from God. If God wants to speak to you, He will, and you’ll know it. You don’t need Sarah Young to do it for you, *especially* if she’s a channeler.

        Other people who claim to speak on behalf of God are Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God), the book The Course in Miracles, and Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science). These are all new age books. I hold the books above in the same doubt, even though they’re in a slightly different section of the bookstore.

        PS: The only website that’s coming up with “Pinnacle of Garden Prayers” is one called gardenindelight. (?)

        Liked by 1 person

      • You are judging these authors which you and I should never do. I understand some of what you are saying I have a daughter who is chronically sick with many diseases and this summer almost died on during surgery when doctors removed a tumor and her adrenal gland which the tumor had cancer cells. Let us teach others to trust God in what we read and not judge. I have read two of these books and I never looked to my Lord as a genie it is his will if my daughter gets heal or not on this side of heaven, and with Sarah Young books I have many and again I allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me. The pinnacle garden two churches I knew had them and I personally spent hours in them walking and praying for Gods will.
        Blessings my friend, and have a blessed Christmas.

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  6. I really agree with you on this. I believe we should as my pastor says, โ€œlet scripture interpret scriptureโ€, and not random authors. Iโ€™m glad you shared these ideas. Youโ€™re right to go to the Word of God to see if things are true. ๐Ÿ‘

    Liked by 3 people

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  9. Awesome post! Awesome title! Way to call out “prosperity doctrine” or more accurately: “prosperity indoctrination.” You go girl!

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. Iโ€™m agnostic which is something that my Catholic husband does not understand. He loves that Joel Osteen guy and makes me listen to him when heโ€™s driving, if itโ€™s not boring politics or awful country music.

    I believe that humans have innate morals and โ€œshouldโ€ know the difference between right and wrong. We donโ€™t need a list of the 10 commandments to be decent human beings. Same goes with going to church. Going to church does not guarantee that someone is a good Christian. There are plenty of good people who donโ€™t go to church or read the Bible and yet are civilized human beings who can function just fine in society. Just like throwing away these books does not make you a bad person. I stopped buying self-help books for similar reasons. They all basically say the same thing.

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    • Thanks for sharing, Hilary ๐Ÿ™‚ I agree that we can be decent people apart from church and/or the Bible. These books just didn’t hold up to Christian standards.

      Thanks for stopping by and have a Merry Christmas! Or the holiday you celebrate! ๐Ÿ˜

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  11. Helpful post, thank you. I had not heard of Batterson or Young and now have no reason to consider their work. I can recommend some good Christian books, if youโ€™ve not read them yet: first, Confessions of St Augustine, The Story of A Soul by St Therese of Lisieux, and anything by St Francis de Sales.

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