Dr. Bruce Wilkinson has written a new book: You Were Born for This; 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. He’s now running his promotional campaign, showing up in churches, leading seminars, pimping group study materials and the like for 7 keys that will give a life of predictable miracles. I don’t like Bruce Wilkinson’s teaching as it aligns itself way to close to the word-faith/name it and claim it/blab it and grab it prosperity gospel nonsense. His teaching is a sham and leads people down the road of disappointment. It’s a mockery of the satisfaction we have in Christ, through faith (ie Trust) in Him alone. The moment we try to add to it a step here or a step there to get or give something else we take away from His completed work on our behalf.
John Piper has been on a campaign against this kind of teaching for a few years now. This 2 and a half minute clip should really set the mood for the farce that books like the Prayer of Jabez and now You Were Born for This dance around so casually.
A man like Dr. Bruce Wilkinson should know better. As a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, this type of rubbish is really without excuse. The same school that produces alumni like J. Vernon McGee, John F. Walvoord, Hal Lindsey, David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll and so on, has managed to produce Bruce Wilkinson as well. It’s a bit bizarre to read Bruce’s name among these guys. Holding up any of the more layman friendly books by David Jeremiah next to the Prayer of Jabez and it’s likes choosing between steak and watery oatmeal.
So what’s wrong with the Prayer of Jabez that will likely be wrong with the yet to be released You Were Born for This? I’ve collected a few links that should really bring to light why this type of Christian publishing is best avoided altogether. Walk into any Christian bookstore and you’re going to find the shelves littered with books like this.
God, Prayer and the American Evangelical by Mark Talbot
Praying Like Jabez? by Mike Oppenheimer
The Prayer of Jabez and the Prayer of James by Sandy Simpson
I’ve added a segment from Fighting for the Faith: Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God below. This link however will go to the page where you can get the entire episode. The segment is: Bruce Wilkinson, author of the Prayer of Jabez has a new book coming out in September entitled You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. This book is heretical and dangerous and we’re warning the Church in advance of Wilkinson’s deceptions.
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July 12th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Chris, did you yourself read the book the book “The Prayer of Jabez”?
July 12th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Chris, did you yourself read the book “The Prayer of Jabez”? Not read about it, or read the blogs, or the reviews, or run the online links, I know you’ve done all that because you obviously know all about it, but I’m asking, have you yourself personally read that book from the beginning of chaper one to the end of chapter seven?
July 12th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Lambie – I actually read through quite a bit of it today, but I can’t say I read through from start to finish. Have I misrepresented something here?