Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling? dramatically unmasks many Christian-sounding ideas set forth in Jesus Calling by comparing them to what Scripture really says and means in context. [This] work is an excellent, biblical resource for Christians who might otherwise be deceived by the lure of Jesus Calling, or those who have known something was amiss but struggled to understand why.

In her provocatively titled book, Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling? (CJPC), author Brenna E. Scott provides a detailed analysis of the messages Sarah Young believed she was receiving from Jesus, which she compiled in the devotional book Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. Young had reverently recorded these messages, word for word, in her prayer journal. This began a process of listening and recording messages from “Jesus” that resulted in a series of devotional books for both adults and kids. Since more than 45 million copies of Jesus Calling have been sold, purporting to contain the very words of “Jesus,” it is imperative that we understand the true nature of the spirituality behind these books. What had inspired Sarah Young to sit with pen in hand as she listened expectantly for extra-biblical revelations directly from the mystical “Presence” of “Jesus”? Are the books valid examples of Christian journaling to be followed or are they introducing occult New Age techniques of psychic channeling to unsuspecting readers? These are the important questions that Brenna Scott answers for us in Christian Journaling or Psychic Channeling? This review will look at a few key aspects of Brenna Scott’s well-documented book that, on their own, would be enough to convince readers that the Jesus Calling series of devotional books align more closely with occult psychic channeling than anything truly Christian.

A Word About the New Age

The term “New Age” arose in the late 1960s to describe the expectation of an imminent astrological shift from the age of Pisces, deemed the Christian era, into the New Age of Aquarius, the era of nature worship. It represents the worship exchange Paul warns against in Romans 1:25: “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (NKJV). Dr. Peter Jones explains this exchange in terms of Oneism (all is one; there is no divine authority outside of creation, which is worshipped) or Twoism (all is two; we worship the Creator who is distinct from creation). The New Age wasn’t introducing something new but reviving the occult practices of the ancient pagan religions that have always worshipped creation (Oneism) and therefore have been hostile toward the God of the Bible. According to the New Age paradigm, now widely and appropriately called “Neo-paganism,” the cosmos, and everything in it, is divine. Therefore, humanity doesn’t need redemption from sin, but rather, psychic awakening to universal consciousness, attained with the aid of spirit guides, angels, the deceased, and ascended masters. Neo-paganism denies the authority and sufficiency of the Bible while seeking secret knowledge (gnosis) from the forbidden spirit realm. It is important to understand this when evaluating the spirituality underlying Jesus Calling.

Spiritual Lineage of Jesus Calling

In CJPC Brenna Scott traces the spiritual lineage of Jesus Calling back to God Calling, the devotional book that inspired Sarah Young to listen for personal messages from God. God Calling was written in the 1930s by two women who recorded messages they believed were superior to the Bible because they came directly from the “Living Christ.”

Read More