Books

My books

I've stopped reading 'Am With You Always: True Stories of Encounters with Jesus' by G. Scott Sparrow. I skimmed through and read a number of the stories, which the author claims are a collection of dreams, vision and 'visitations' to various people by Jesus. The author is a psychotherapist who has an interest in the spiritual and in mystical aspects of faith - not just Christianity. So he wasn't necessarily writing from a Christian perspective. This made me wary but I continued to read out of interest.

Now, I do believe that we will experience dreams and visions from God:

And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28 (quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17).

And I do believe that God will work amazing miracles in people's lives and He will speak to us in many ways because He is a powerful, loving and supernatural Father God Who takes a personal interest in our lives.

But,

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

A lot of the visions and dreams in the book sounded like the sort of crazy dreams I have that make no sense and are just your brain taking a little holiday! :) Yet the author treated everyone seriously as if they were clearly a message from God. One or two were inspiring and moving stories of healing and blessing, and I don't claim that all the stories were false or dubious. But some of the visions/dreams were downright creepy.

In one vision a figure appeared in the sky and when the person asked who it was the figure said, "Some call me the Buddha and some call me the Christ, who do you think I am?" To which the person replied, "I believe you are the Christ."

In my understanding I'm sure that God came in the flesh once for all in Christ Jesus - Who is the ONLY way to the Father. I don't believe he has come as various 'deities' since then. I don't understand all the truth of God but I know He doesn't lie. God doesn't speak with a forked tongue. So I don't believe the Buddha is God or Christ.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 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 24:23-24

Therefore either this person is either mad, dreaming, lying or has been visited by a lying spirit.

There was another story of a woman who was unhappy in her marriage. Then she believed that Jesus appeared to her floating over her bed and told her to get a divorce. Again, the Bible tells us that God hates divorce and Jesus only sanctioned divorce in the case of unfaithfulness (which wasn't the case for this woman).

So it's in the bin (I asked permission to throw it away because it wasn't mine, I found it on the church bookshelf). I've no idea who put it there, lol.

I'm continuing to read Taking Your Place in Christ by Mark Hankins, I really feel I need to remind myself who I am in Christ and the wonder of knowing him. So it's good for me to read right now.

The Children's books

I have FINALLY finished reading New Term at Malory Towers with Chatterbox(if you remember this is the sequel to Enid Blyton's series written by Pamela Cox). Oh it was soooooooo boring! But Chatterbox enjoyed it. We are now reading the wonderful The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston. I love this book and hope that Chatterbox will love it too.

Squidge is reading a variety of library books at the moment, including a mermaid story book, a book about space and the planets and some other books. But is most of all loving reading a craft book, which is where she got the idea for painted eggs and making a garden in a box from.

Hope you've had a lovely week.

Happy reading!