You Were

Born for
Something
Something
Other
Than
This
A Biblical Response to Bruce Wilkinson’s text,
You Were Born for This:
7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles
Chris Edward Jensen
www.redpen.org | the red pen
You Were Born for Something Other than This:
A Biblical Response to Bruce Wilkinson’s text,
You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of
Predictable Miracles

Copyright © 2010 Chris Edward Jensen

www.redpen.org | the red pen
Table of Contents
Where Do We Go from Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Biblical Analysis

Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Endorsements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Chapter 1 : A New Way to See the World

You were born to expect a miracle today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A Mysterious Encounter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

What God Thinks is Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Everyday Miracle Territory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Jimmy the “delivery guy” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Doing what God wants done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Grading You Were Born for This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Where Do We Go from Here?

Dear Reader,

Thank you for considering this analysis of the latest book by Bruce Wilkinson, You Were
Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. I trust that it will bless you and
help to show how easy it is for you to carefully evaluate Christian books for yourself.

If you are new to this format of evaluating non-fiction material, I’ll break it down for you:

+ = Good teaching here. In line with what the Bible teaches on the matter.

? = Questionable material here. Either vague, incomplete, or in need of further

clarification.

- = Bad teaching here. Out of step with biblical teaching. Needs to be omitted for any
future editions if biblical truth is the aim of the author.

Since many will question my motives for evaluating books by popular pastors and
teachers, I submit the following paragraph, lifted from my initial letter to Wilkinson.

“The goal is simply to hold up what you’ve written against the infallible Word of God and
see how well you did. Hopefully, all who read will be encouraged and better equipped for
their Christian walk.”

Really, that’s what my work at the red pen was all about: holding popular Christian
books of our day up to the light of Scripture.

To God be the glory!

Chris

PS I typically use a small collection of faithful bible translations when responding to what
I read in these texts: KJV, NKJV, NASB and ESV. (Why not use only one translation?
Because we have more than one faithful translation at our disposal. )

PPS You can find Wilkinson’s free copy of chapter 1 of his text at www.ywbft.com. I
strongly encourage you to print a copy, print this off, and have a couple of bibles and
your red pen handy. Pray for God’s discernment upon your studies, and read carefully.

PPPS At the time of this e-book release, neither Bruce Wilkinson, nor his co-author
(David Kopp), nor his publisher (Waterbrook Multnomah) responded to any of my open
letters or public challenges regarding their text.
Title

+ / - You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles

Born for a particular purpose? Absolutely. From the Westminster Confession of Faith:

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

Does God teach in His Word that there are “keys” (or truths) that “unlock” (or show us)
how we believers ought to live? Absolutely. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (KJV)

Does God teach in His Word that it is His desire for us to live “lives of predictable
miracles?” That depends.

If you mean to say that every work of salvation and every step of progressive
sanctification in the life of the believer in Christ is a “predictable miracle” (since the Bible
speaks of such certainties for the elect), then you’re right on.

If you’re talking about something else, then you’re probably off the track.

I can’t tell from a title what kind of miracles you’re referring to, or whether or not they
hold with the Bible’s definition of the term. Time will tell, though…it always does…

+ ? -
Table of Contents

- “Welcome to Everyday Miracle Territory”

Got my attention right away, this one did. The reference to “territory” is obviously a nod
to your most popular book to date, The Prayer of Jabez, wherein you challenge people to
pray that God might “enlarge their territory” for Him.

The subject of miracles is too big to adequately cover here in the space provided here, but
you know the cliché:

“If they happened every day, they wouldn’t be miracles.”

(The skeptic in me, I’m afraid. I will strive to stay open-minded.)

+ “A New Way to See the World: You were born to expect a miracle today”

You are exactly right when you say that it would be a new way to see things if one
expected a miracle each day. Looking forward to the explanation…

? “Behind the Veil of Heaven: You were born to be a living link between Heaven and
earth”

Red flag. It is true that God desires for believers in Christ to be his living representatives
to an unsaved world. The term, “living link,” though, is vague enough to be troublesome.

(We would agree, I trust, that Jesus, the Son of God, provided planet Earth with the kind
of “living link” you’re talking about. Many would say – based on what we read in Acts and
Paul’s epistles – that, since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit (and only the Holy Spirit) has
served as “a living link” between Heaven and Earth.)

? “The Master Key: You were born to be sent on miracle missions”

What about the believer who happens to be so physically disabled that they’re not
physically going anywhere? (Sorry, but I have to press the point a bit, even on my first day
back.)

+ / - “The People Key: You were born to share God’s heart for people”

There is truth in this…for the believer. Ezekiel 11:19-20 says:

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the
heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my
statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be
their God.” (ESV)
It would be fallacious to say, “You were born to share God’s heart for people,” though, to
someone who is not regenerate. The unbeliever does not “share God’s heart” for anyone
or anything, we understand, but by faith in Jesus Christ they may.

I’ll stop for today, as the rest get somewhat repetitive:

The Spirit Key: You were born to share God’s heart for people

The Risk Key: You were born to take risks of faith in dependence on God

The Five Signals That Guide a Miracle Delivery: You were born to understand and
respond to miracle-related signals

The Five Steps That Lead to a Miracle Delivery: You were born to know and follow
miracle-related delivery steps

The Money Key: You were born to deliver miracles of financial provision

The Dream Key: You were born to deliver miracles of life purpose

The Forgiveness Key: You were born to deliver miracles of forgiveness

Very formulaic, these are. Address in more detail as we proceed, I will.

+ ? -
Endorsements

???

I looked high and low, from the free sample of your text, your book’s site, reading from
your publisher’s page, reading from several bookstore sites, to even scouring a few blogs,
but I didn’t find a single endorsement for this new book.

To be fair, I browsed the site of your publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah, just to see if
they included endorsements for other books (either in the published material or
somewhere else on the site).

What I found was strange, to say the least.

At the webpage for John Bevere’s book, Extraordinary, your publisher included
endorsements from Kurt Warner, James Robison, Darlene Zschech, Dr. Jack W.
Hayford, Chris Tomlin, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Ed Young, Aaron Baddeley, Matt
Redman, Shaun Alexander, Tommy Barnett, Ron Luce, and Louie Giglio.
(http:/reader.waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457721)

Like I said…strange, to say the least.

(Bruce, if you do have endorsements available – and I’m simply not seeing them because
they weren’t included in the free PDF sample of Chapter 1, or in any material your people
sent to book distributors – please send those my way that I may include them in this
evaluation. Want to be as fair as possible. Thanks.)

+ ? -
Chapter 1: A New Way to See the World

You were born to expect a miracle today

Page 3

- “What if I told you I’m certain you missed a miracle yesterday? And not just any
miracle but one that Heaven wanted to through you to significantly change someone’s life
for the better – maybe your own? I would understand if you were doubtful.”

If we are to approach these questions biblically, then we’ve got to spend some time with
that word, “miracle.”

Within the pages of the Bible, what constitutes a miracle? We see them throughout the
Old and New Testaments, but if we’re not careful, we’ll end up muddying the waters for
your readers.

From Theopedia: “A miracle, broadly defined, is any action in time where the normal
operation of nature is suspended by the agency of a supernatural action.”

That’s pretty good, but I believe Richard Purtill’s definition to be even better: “an event
in which God temporarily makes an exception to the natural order of things, to show that
God is acting.” Purtill’s definition takes into account the reality that God is the primary
agent behind those occurrences we call miracles.

Understanding what miracles are, though, begs the next logical question: what purpose
did/do miracles have?

From Thomas Miles: “Miracles have a purpose—they are for edification and revelation:
John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Miracles are also by faith
accepted as coming from God. No known system of laws can give answer to the workings
of miracles by God. John 4:48, “then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders,
ye will not believe.” Acts 2:19, “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the
earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:” 2 Corinthians 12:12, “Truly the signs
of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty
deeds.” (http://www.essortment.com/all/miraclesbibleg_rmiz.htm)

Was the burning bush a miracle wrought by God? Certainly.

Were the ten plagues done unto Egypt miracles wrought by God? Certainly.

Was the parting of the Red Sea a miracle wrought by God? Certainly.

Did God use miracles in the lives of His prophets Elijah, Elisha, Jonah and Daniel?
Without question.
Did Jesus, the son of God, perform many miracles during His life on Earth? Absolutely.

Did God produce miracles during the early church (by using those earthen vessels we
know as the apostles)? Absolutely.

And what was the purpose of each of these miracles? For edification and revelation,
according to Miles’ apt conclusion. So, if I apply these definitions to specific miracles we
read about in Scripture, my perspective grows to be more biblical.

When Jesus fed the five thousand (for example), the fact that people were fed was
secondary to the people’s need to see God and His power and His Hand of providence at
work in their lives.

I also like what Doug Bookman has to say about miracles. I heard him put it like this
once (and I’m paraphrasing loosely now):

“Let’s say you’re driving some rainy night and the van begins to fishtail. Just before sliding
into the ditch, you regain control. You might be apt to calling what just happened a
miracle. For sure, we would be on sound theological footing to say that God’s divine hand
of protection was at work.

“But a miracle, biblically speaking, involves the supernatural. It cannot be scientifically

explained or repeated. Let’s say that you’re driving a van on a rainy night. Just before you
go sliding into the ditch, the van levitates off the ground 15 feet before safely righting
itself on the road. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a miracle.”

Remember Purtill’s definition: “an event in which God temporarily makes an exception to
the natural order of things, to show that God is acting.” As 21st-century Christians, we
must endeavor to compare what the Bible says about miracles against what popular
voices of our time say about them.

“Impossible situations can become possible miracles.” (Robert H. Schuller)

“The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.” (Mother Teresa)

“Miracles happen everyday, change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see
them all around you.” (Jon Bon Jovi)

“Miracles don’t just happen, people make them happen.” (Misato Katsuragi)

“Everything is a miracle. It is a miracle that one does not dissolve in one’s bath like a
lump of sugar.” (Pablo Picasso)

“Men create real miracles when they use their God-given courage and intelligence.” (Jean
Anouilh)
“Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.” (Louise L.
Hay)

“You can either take action, or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are
great, but they are so unpredictable.” (Peter Drucker)

What’s lacking from all of these quotes? The fact that God initiates miracles.

What’s lacking in your springboard question, Bruce? The fact that, since God initiates
miracles, no man can know with any amount of certainty whether or not any of us have
ever “missed a miracle.”

In fact, biblically speaking, since miracles are supernatural events wrought by the very
hand of God to edify the believer and reveal His presence to the unbeliever, we can say
authoritatively that there is nothing that any of us can do to interfere with God’s
schedule for miracles.

+ ? -
+ / - / ? “Almost everyone in the world – whatever their religious belief – can point to
an event in their lives that seemed directly orchestrated by Heaven, that seemed
impossible to explain without using words like, “I can’t believe what just happened! That
was a miracle!” We call these experiences divine coincidences, miracle moments,
supernatural provisions.”

Since I gave all three marks (+, - and ?) for this particular portion of your text, let me
break it down.

Yes, nearly everyone has had the kind of universal experience of which you speak. It is
biblically accurate to refer to these as “supernatural provisions,” as you termed them.

To call them “miracle moments,” though, does not fit the biblical definition or pattern
of miracles. Have some people in our day and age witnesses authentic miracles in our day
and age? I believe so. Have most of us witnessed this “nearly universal experience,” as you
put it? Biblically, the answer must be no, especially when we take into account that the
frequency of miracles (as documented in God’s Word) was such that fewer and fewer of
them were wrought by God as He got closer and closer to the time when the writing of
Scripture would be completed.

To call them “divine coincidences” places God, who is sovereign over every situation, in
the same category as fate, chance and happenstance. (Personally, I’m glad to be able to
say, “I used to believe in coincidence.”) Please omit this phrase in your next edition.
 + ? -
Page 4

? “Why do we remember such events so clearly? I think it’s because we feel that we
have been touched by Heaven. It’s as if God Himself stepped through the curtain that
separates the seen from the unseen to make something happen for us, something only He
could do.”

Clarification would go a long way toward making this portion of your text
understandable.

Are you now writing about coincidences or miracles, as referred to on page 3?

“I think it’s because we feel that…” Loaded with conjecture, this is. Why use your
thoughts about our feelings – definitely the most unreliable source for truth there ever
was – when you could simply use a short study on the biblical history to show (with
unwavering support) that God is and always been the God of miracles?

If this is a Christian book (which your publisher says it is) and you are a Christian
author (which I’m not debating one iota), then shouldn’t you use the foundation of the
Christian faith – God’s Word – as support for your claim? How else can we, as Christian
readers, come to the conclusion that your claim is biblical?

You could replace the phrase “It’s as if God Himself” with “God Himself” to clear up any
ambiguity here, too. When we Christians read of or witness something so clearly
supernatural that must be classified as a miracle, we should have no doubt whatsoever –
so long as it in keeping with the rest of what we know about the truth about God from
His Word – that God did it.

(One more note: I would ask your editor to do a sweep on the term “Heaven” whenever
you mean to speak of God. We wouldn’t think of using the place called Saddleback
Church and the person known as Pastor Rick Warren interchangeably, so please don’t do
it with Heaven and God. Doing so takes away from God’s unique personality and will.)

+ ? -
- “But here’s the best part. In the experience we hear a personal and unforgettable
message from God. Something like, I’m here. I care about you. I can do for you what you
cannot do for yourself.”
Terribly dangerous. In the previous passage, you write too vaguely to be considered
biblical. Here, you take an idea farther than you should, and the result is the same: one
fuzzy message.

When I hear “a personal and unforgettable message” from my wife, for example, actual
words are audibly transmitted from her vocal cords to my ear canal and into my brain.
Now, those words may or may not be in total agreement with everything else that she has
ever said to me, but they are from her nonetheless, and (if the message is personal and
unforgettable) I ought to take notice of what she’s saying to me.

When people believe they have heard audible messages from the spiritual realm, they
cannot automatically assume that they were from God. Pastor Bob DeWaay of Twin
City Fellowship puts it much better, so I’ll refer people to his article regarding God’s
Word and “voices from beyond.” (http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue98.htm)

Why the apprehension? Why not just assume that a supernatural whisper must have
come from God? Because He’s not the only spiritual being with that capability!

If we are to carefully guard our minds and lives against the wiles of Satan, then we must
test whatever we believe we hear against the truth of God’s Revealed Word to us, the
Bible. God has spoken to us, and we read what He’s spoken to us every time we read from
our bibles. To say that we need to rely on more than that is to tell God, “What you’ve
supplied is simply not enough for me.”

“Something like,” though, sounds more like some kind of impression or thought we’re left
with rather than “a personal and unforgettable message from God.” How something can
be opaque and crystal-clear at the same time is beyond me.

+ ? -
- “This book asks a few simple but intriguing questions:

o Why are these experiences of the miraculous so rare for most people?

o What if Heaven actually wanted you to experience them on a regular basis?

o What if ordinary people like you and me are invited to partner with God to
deliver miracles to others?”

I’ve already addressed the first of these earlier, so I’ll address the other two together.

If God wants me to experience miracles – moments where God suspends the laws of
nature to show His greatness – I don’t believe there’s anything that I could do about it.
As I pointed earlier, we can safely assume that there’s nothing we can to stop God’s
schedule for miracles.

One more question: When you speak of “ordinary people,” are you speaking of born-
again Christians, or are you talking about all people in general? You have yet to
identify who exactly you are writing to, which makes this book even more suspect.

Last observation: When you speak of us partnering “with God to deliver miracles to
others,” it’s pretty clear that you’ve completely abandoned the biblical description of
what constitutes a miracle. Looking forward to reading how you redefine the term for our
unbelieving age…

+ ? -
A mysterious encounter

? “Let me tell you about a mysterious encounter I had in a restaurant outside Denver
with a waiter named Jack.

All I can say is – WOW.

I invite readers to read pages 4-7 of Wilkinson’s book, and decide for themselves if we’ve
really entered into “Everyday Miracle Territory” or not. People can get a free copy of
Chapter 1 here: http://bit.ly/j1OHZ.

WOW.

+ ? -
Page 7

What God thinks is normal

- “What just happened here? Let’s break it down: Jack drove to work that evening to
wait tables, but he brought with him a secret, pressing need; I had come to Colorado from
Atlanta on business and ended up having dinner with friends in Jack’s restaurant;
unbeknown to Jack or my friends, I was prepared to meet someone’s financial need with
money that wasn’t mine; by the end of the evening, God had used one person to deliver
something that met a big need for another person—and in a way that was clearly
miraculous to everyone involved.”
Clearly, you have mistaken what has been understood through the ages as good works
wrought by born-again believers (acting as obedient agents of God’s will in their lives) for
miracles wrought by anyone (believer or non-believer) who feel “unexpectedly nudged”
to help someone else (and follow the nudging).

Bruce, I’m calling you out. You are trying to capitalize on the word, “miracle,” for the
sake of your book sales when you and I and everyone else reading this knows that you are
talking about “good works.” The Bible calls them two very distinct things, and so we
ought to as well.

If you truly desire that your writing would be biblical, I ask you to recant from your
position and your misuse of the word, “miracle,” lest a holy God be offended by what
you’ve written.

+ ? -
- “You’ll see, I promise, that God is just as likely to have plans for five dollars or twenty
dollars as He is for a hundred dollars and that He never asks you or me to serve Him in a
way that doesn’t fit us personally and perfectly.”

Really? Let’s think about that for a moment.

How many times throughout the last 20 centuries have true believers suffered for the
cause of Christ? How many of saved souls have experienced imprisonment for the true
gospel? How many martyrs died?

The Bible tells us that real believers will take part in Christ’s suffering. Let’s compare what
the apostle Paul writes in 1 Cor. 4:9-13 against your previous statement.

“For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to
death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are
fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You
are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are
poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands.
When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We
have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” (ESV)

“You’ll see, I promise, that God is just as likely to have plans for five dollars or twenty
dollars as He is for a hundred dollars and that He never asks you or me to serve Him in a
way that doesn’t fit us personally and perfectly.” (Bruce Wilkinson)

Does your claim honestly reflect what Scripture clearly states? Do you really believe that
being buffeted, reviled, persecuted, slandered, and executed for Christ “fit” with those
past and present-day Christians “personally and perfectly?”
Sounds like you’re writing to comfortable Americans, knowing how much we love our
comfort. The truth is that, by shielding people from the real cost of doing God’s will,
you’ve watered down the truth of Scripture.

Please omit, and consider recalling this book. If the subject of our writing were in the
scientific field, this would be called “intellectually dishonesty.” Since we’re talking about
faith-based matters, and you know the content of the Bible much better than most, I’m
calling you and your text biblically dishonest.

+ ? -
Page 8

- “…imagine a lifestyle of such encounters, where God works through you in

unexplainable ways to do a miracle—and on a regular basis. This kind of life is not only
possible but is what God thinks of as normal when He thinks of you. You see, He did not
place you on this earth to notice Him at work only once or twice in your whole life. He
did not create you to consistently miss out on the wonder of His presence and power. The
truth is, you were born to live a supernatural life doing God’s work by God’s power. You
were born to walk out your door each morning believing that God will use you to deliver a
necessary miracle today. This book will show you how.”

If I use my imagination, I can hear John Lennon now:

Imagine all the hope and wonder

After reading Bruce’s book
Miracles all over
You wouldn’t have far to look

Imagine all the people

Praising themselves aloud
Whoo-OOO-ooo-oo-oo…

Why doesn’t the Bible promise me a lifestyle full of miracle encounters throughout my
day-to-day existence?

“So how’d your day go today, Honey?”

”God and me did 18 miracles for folks this morning. I was caught up in meetings after
lunch, otherwise we’d be well over 20.”

”Is that all?”

“Yep. Pretty slow day.”

Can you see the problem with this, Bruce? God calls His own to live out a life of faithful
obedience to Him, not a life of everyday miracle encounters.

Can you imagine how a humble Mennonite or Amish believer would read this tripe?
They’d probably shake their head and say, with a tear in their eye, “Only in America
could this material be mistaken for biblical Christianity.”

Imagine what our Lord Jesus must think…

+ ? -
- “When it comes to miracles, most people I know see the world as divided in two. On
the far left is a region we could call the Land of Signs and Wonders. In this land amazing
miracles seem to happen a lot, although only for a select few…On the far right is the Land
of Good Deeds. Nobody is putting on a show here. Fortunately, though, the place is full of
good people watching out for each other, doing good works…Interestingly, in Good Deeds
land a lot of people believe in miracles and spend time studying them. They just don’t
expect to actually see any miracles, much less be a part of them on a regular basis. When
they praise God for miracles, they’re grateful for things that occurred long ago. Good
Deeds land doesn’t dazzle like Signs and Wonders, but things are more manageable
there. More predictable.”

And just around the corner from the Land of Good Deeds is CandyLand, where Foozles
and Neezles meet regularly to discuss the importance of belly-button lint.

COME ON, Bruce. Where does the Bible speak of any of these places? This smells an
awful lot like The Dream Giver, where you paint God out to be the One who makes all
your dreams come true.

Please admit publicly that you saw “The Wizard of Oz” too many times, repent, and plead
with your publisher to recall this book that is so far removed from biblical truth that one
wonders how it is that even got published in the first place. (Oh, yeah. I forgot. You’re
Bruce Wilkinson. You write stuff that sells.)

+ ? -
Page 9

The Everyday Miracle Territory

- “A large majority of people live in the Land of Good Deeds. Even though some would
say they have experienced meaningful personal miracles in the past—at a point of
spiritual awakening or in a time of crisis—they believe those experiences are rare.”

The majority of people would call these occurrences “good deeds” because that’s what the
Bible calls them: good deeds.

+ ? -
- “More important, they believe we don’t have a role in whether one happens again or
not, so there’s no point in leaving the house today on the lookout for one.”

Way to speak down to your audience, Bruce. Really loving of you.

+ ? -
- “What I want you to realize is that if you live in either land I’ve described, you’ve
overlooked the most promising region of all. You see, between the dazzle of Signs and
Wonders and the duty of Good Deeds lies a broad and promising middle ground. In this
book we call this in-between land the Everyday Miracle Territory.”

Again with the Woozles and Neezles? Aw, come on, man. “A promising middle ground?”
Whatever happened to reality?

+ ? -
- “Here people believe that God wants to intervene—and does—in supernatural ways
in human affairs on a regular basis. Here unmet needs are seen by ordinary people as
golden opportunities for God to show up, and to do so through them, at almost any
moment. They’re not waiting for special powers for themselves or for God to part the
skies on their behalf. They have experienced miracles and know beyond doubt that
miracles are for them and others like them, right here and right now.”

I am almost without words. I literally had to take a moment to collect myself before
responding to this, because what you propose is so far removed from reality.
This comment especially threw me: “They have experienced miracles and know beyond
doubt that miracles are for them and others like them, right here and right now.”
Miracles are for them? So if someone disagrees with you, miracles aren’t for them?

How about supplying us with a chapter and verse?

+ ? -
Page 10

? “Those who live in the Everyday Miracle Territory have already made two startling
observations.

Again, I’ve got to ask for chapter and verse regarding these two startling observations.
(No offense, but I’m supposed to ask. It’s what a Berean would do.)

+ ? -
- “One is full of hope. Everywhere they look, in every situation, they see potential for
an unforgettable “God-incidence”—not a coincidence but a moment when God steps in to
meet a real need through them in a way that only He can. Some days it actually feels as
though God has a pile of miracles ready to be delivered!”

And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go!

A pile of miracles, ready for delivery, you say? “Hey, Peter! I know you’re struggling to
breathe while hanging upside down on that cross, but did you hear the good news? God
has a pile of miracles ready for delivery today! Peter? Did you hear what I - Peter?!”

+ ? -
+ “Their other observation is full of dismay. They are nearly alone. Would you agree
that few people today are living in Everyday Miracle Territory?”

I agree with that. (I would even go so far as to say that it’s a good thing, too.)

+ ? -
 ? “I wrote this book to help you see that the land of personal, everyday miracles is your
rightful home turf. Instead of focusing on the nature-defying acts that God is able to do,
this book invites you to encounter the miracles that God does do on a regular basis…”

Actually, I don’t know why you wrote a book about good deeds that people ought to do,
yet continue to refer to them as miracles. Why, Bruce? Why’d you do it?

+ ? -
- “You’ll discover that what God chooses to depend on for these divine encounters is
simply a willing servant. No previous experience required. No record of perfection. No
special religious gift or qualification.”

WOW. You mean I don’t even have to be a Christian to experience God’s miracle-working
through me? Where do I sign?

Fortunately, God’s Word is clear about the qualifications of those that would do His will.
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus’ disciples asked Him why they couldn’t cast out a demon. “He said
to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of
mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move,
and nothing will be impossible for you.’" (ESV)

The people that God has commissioned to perform His good deeds on planet Earth since
the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry are believers.

+ ? -
Page 12

Jimmy the “delivery guy”

(Bruce writes a story about Jimmy, a regular guy, who essentially gives his buddy Nick the
first piece of advice that comes to mind. Readers, you’ve got to read this one for
yourself. He then follows it up with some commentary, to which I’ll be responding
directly below.)

- “To me, this story demonstrates God’s willingness to do a personal miracle if we are
willing to deliver one. Nick wasn’t expecting help from a stranger. And Jimmy didn’t think
he had help to give. What he had, though, was a readiness to pass along what God
prompted him to say.”
With all due respect, Bruce, I’ve got to ask: are you kidding? Jimmy says one thing to
Nick and you call that a personal miracle?

We’ve gone ‘round the bin with this one. Miracles are deeds wrought by God. When He
bends the very laws of nature, we know He’s done a miracle. Until then, call it what it is: a
good deed.

(Could God have given Jimmy just the right words to say to Nick in this situation? Yes. Do
we know that for sure? No. Why not? Because Satan and his minions know as much
about Nick’s situation as Nick does, and the source from which Jimmy received the words
he told Nick may not have come from the most righteous of sources…if you know what I
mean.)

+ ? -
- He (God) cared enough to show Nick a practical step he could take that might say more
to his wife than a love letter and just might turn things around for the couple. All He
needed was Jimmy, delivery agent.”

Two very important things to cover here.

“Might turn things around for the couple” – Might? You’re hinging your argument on a
story (a story that is, quite possibly, fictional – you say nothing of the “reality” of its
happening, leaving readers to wonder if we’re reading a hypothetical missive or an actual
account), and things “might turn” around for this couple? Some miracle. Real powerful
stuff there.

“All He needed was Jimmy, delivery agent” – Needed? God needs any of us? Wrong
again. He doesn’t need anything or anyone. He is entirely self-sufficient.

Chapter and verse, Bruce. You’re 12 pages in, and we have yet to see you refer to
anything in Scripture. Lots about the Everyday Miracle Territory, but nothing from the
Bible. Wonder why that it is…actually, I’m not wondering at all. Kind of speaks for
itself.

+ ? -
Doing what God wants done

? “You might be like Jimmy, completely unprepared and unqualified but ready to try
something different. You may have grown up in the church and have a long list of
religious accomplishments to point to. You may be like Nick, uncertain that God exists or
that He cares for you. But Heaven works in ways that seem to apply no matter what our
spiritual mind-set happens to be.”

What does this even mean?

This reminds me of a mystic character in one of my favorite movies, “Mystery Men,” a

story about a group of would-be super-heroes. The Sphinx was a guy who could cut guns
in half with his mind. He led the team, but always spoke in riddles.

“He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions.”

“When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you can head off your foes with a
balanced attack.”

“When you care for what is outside, what is inside cares for you.”

But at one point, Mr. Furious, one of the team’s founders, sees these quotes for what they
are: absolutely worthless.

Mr. Furious: “Okay, am I The only one who finds These sayings just a little bit formulaic?
"If you want to push something down, you have to pull it up. If you want to go left, you
have to go right."

Sphinx: “Your temper is very quick, my friend. But until you learn to master your rage - ”

Mr. Furious: “ - Your rage will become your master? That’s what you were going to say.
Right? Right?”

Sphinx: “Not necessarily.”

+ ? -
- “Perhaps you’ve heard about my book The Prayer of Jabez.”

You’ve got to be kidding. I’ve been asking for chapter and verse, and now you’re going
to use your own book, The Prayer of Jabez, for support?

This is what the FDA does when it allows big pharmaceutical companies to manage
“independent studies” of their newly-manufactured drugs that they want to sell. They call
it big business, but we should understand that all credibility goes out the window at that
point.

Bruce, you just lost all credibility as a teacher.

 + ? -
Page 13

- “It (The Prayer of Jabez) shows how a little-known prayer from three thousand years
ago can still result in great blessing and influence for God in our time.”

Actually, Bruce, what it shows is how the Christian publishers and Christian readers can
be hoodwinked into thinking that God meant for us to pray an obscure prayer – which
God never instructs us to pray – and vainly repeat it throughout the duration of our own
lives.

Jesus himself warned us against such matters in Matthew 6:7. "And when you are
praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they
will be heard for their many words.” (ESV)

The number of copies of The Prayer of Jabez sold also showed how shallow most
evangelicals are in their own ability to discern biblical truth. While I myself did read and
think your text had value before I was saved, I was later convinced that the reference had
been ripped out of context for one reason and one reason only: to sell millions of coffee
table books by putting the stamp “Christian” on it.

It also showed how Americans who call themselves Christian are hungry to know God can
“prosper” them…materially speaking, I mean. (Funny, we never did learn how The
Prayer of Jabez did in foreign markets. Wonder why?)

+ ? -
? “Millions bought the book, prayed the prayer…and were astonished at what God
began to do in their lives. One reason the message of that book resonated with so many, I
believe, is that it made ministry (which simply means doing what God wants done in the
world) accessible as a way of life.”

Millions were astonished? If so, we’d see the results all over the blogosphere. We’d
continue to read about Jabez in “Christianity Today,” and we’d be able to watch
testimonial after testimonial on YouTube.

Where’d all those astonished millions go, Bruce? I have to believe that if these millions
saw their lives so transformed, they’d still be praying like Jabez, continuing to prosper as
he did, and they’d still be talking about it.
 + ? -
- “Think of You Were Born for This as Jabez to the miracle power.”

Say no more. Thank you, Bruce. You just convinced me not to spend another minute
reviewing this text that so clearly diverges from what is taught in the Bible.

+ ? -
Giving “You Were Born for This” a Grade

Dear Bruce,

As I see it, you’ve got five very important questions to answer, questions that you have
not yet satisfied.

For each, I’ll state the question, give probable reasons for why things are the way they are
in your text (which is the best I can do since you never responded to my open letters),
and then explain to you (and the reader) why the text is so very problematic:

+ ? -
1) You never identify the identity of your reader. You write so generically that both the
non-believer and the Christian might believe you are writing to them. To whom are you
writing, and why be so generic?

Probable Reason #1: Sell more copies. (Thought I’d get that on the table right away.)
Why limit your readership to the few believers in Christ, when you could sell so many
more books by keeping your intended reader generic?

Probable Reason #2: Sell more books of the same type. If someone wants to see what
other books you’ve written recently, they’ll be pleased to find new editions of The Prayer
of Jabez, The Dream Giver, and Secrets of the Vine available at Waterbrook
Multnomah. Coincidentally, each of these books were written so generically that a non-
believer might believe you were writing directly to them.

Premise: You Were Born for This teaches that we can be used by God to “deliver
miracles” in the lives of others.

Problem: God’s Word says absolutely nothing of the need of the unbeliever to perform
any task or deed. In fact, Isaiah 64:6 says that “all our righteous deeds are like a polluted
garment.” (ESV) Isaiah is, of course, speaking of those “good deeds” committed by a
disobedient nation.

You know this holds true for the unbeliever today. The unbeliever in Christ can perform
no good deed in the sight of God, and you know it, yet you write as though the
unbeliever can be used of God to deliver miracles!

You also know that Ephesians 2:10 and James 2:18 teach that only born-again believers
can do anything valuable and good in the sight of God. Why do you write as though the
Bible teaches something different?
Problem: What possible value can this fictional miracle delivery system have in the life of
the unbeliever whose greatest need is that they would repent and place their trust in
Jesus Christ for salvation?

You know how man’s religion works, Bruce. Set up a system of works, get people on
the treadmill, give them a clear goal, and turn ‘em loose.

Do people in these false religions believe they’re doing the will of God? Yup.

Do they believe they’re performing good deeds in the lives of others? Uh-huh.

Do you they know that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that their deeds are
actually an affront to a holy and just Judge? Nope, and that’s one of the greatest
problems with your texts as of late.

Those nonbelievers who have picked up your more recent book titles will undoubtedly
buy in, get on the treadmill you’ve assembled and go-go-go to the march of your drum.

Are the “miracles” they “deliver” getting them any closer to God? Not at all. Rather than
softening readers to the things of God, you’ve found a way to actually harden the minds
and hearts of unbelievers to the things of God.

I’m certain God isn’t too pleased with the hamster wheel you’ve created. But I know who
is…

+ ? -
2) Your definition of a “miracle,” which is the main topic of your text, is not biblical.
What you describe as miracles in your book are defined as good deeds in the Bible. Why
change the terms when the Bible (and 2,000 years of solid Christian teaching) has always
understood the clear difference between miracles and good deeds?

Probable Reason: Sell more copies. (Yeah, I know. I wrote that as a reason for
yesterday’s question, but it applies here, too, I’m afraid.) Think about it, though.

Good deeds seem so…boring. God can use me to do His good deeds. Sounds almost passé
in a way, next to miracles! WOW! When I think of miracles, I think of Moses parting the
Red Sea and Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead. You’re saying I can be part of
God’s miracle delivery system? Where do I sign up?

Premise: You Were Born for This teaches that we can be used by God to “deliver
miracles” in the lives of others.
Problem #1: You’re violating the clear warning found in Revelation 22:18-19. “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.” (KJV)

I wrote extensively about this. Look at the number of times that pastors and teachers and
religious leaders take a biblical term and twist it so far out of context that it means
something completely new and different. Typically, a big hullabaloo results, as the
fellow believes he has now uncovered some new revelation or some new profound
teaching that gets many people interested and excited. Unfortunately, we know that the
end result is always the same: man jumps on yet another religious bandwagon, leading
him further and further away God, all the while offending the very God he believes he is
serving.

Back to Rev. 22:18-19. If you don’t perceive replacing the term “good deed” with “miracle”
as the same as “taking away” and “adding,” (which is what Rev. 22 speaks about), then
your very souls are on dangerous ground. Please repent of these teachings, Bruce, for
they are more dangerous than you realize.

Problem #2: This particular reworking of the definition of miracle will undoubtedly result
in people being drawn to power in the same way that way bees are drawn to honey.

Bruce, why are the cults so popular with people? Because the leaders draw people in with
the promise of seeing God’s mighty power at work in their lives. Satan has used, over the
last two millennia, countless religious programs to entice non-believers and believers
alike to jump aboard the Powerful Works Express.

It literally blinds them to the truth, which (by the way) is so unlike the true power of the
Holy Spirit, who quietly calls and draws out those who would respond to the things of
God unto salvation. It’s so unlike God’s ways and His program for this human race that
one has to ask if you’re even familiar with this particular trap that has afforded Satan so
much success.

You’re a very influential and respected Bible teacher, Bruce, yet you write as though this
particular concern is off your radar completely. How is this possible?

+ ? -
3) You refer to places (attitudes, really) like “Everyday Miracle Territory,” “the Land of
Good Deeds,” and “The Land of Signs and Wonders,” as though they are mentioned in the
Scripture, when (in reality) they never appear. Why speak so authoritatively about
things that simply don’t exist?

Probable Reason: This idea is necessary if the rest of the text is going to be considered
valid and valuable.

Getting people on board to this idea that they can be used to deliver God’s miracles each
and every day is quite a stretch when you think about it. It’s going to take some doing to
convince people that their biblical understanding of good deeds is completely off the
mark.

Problem #1: It’s not true!

As I pointed out, these attitudes that you speak of are simply not biblical.

In Hollywood, directors and writers speak of the suspension of disbelief, that idea that
we have to put some of our critical thinking aside for us to “buy in” to the popcorn thrill-
ride we’re enjoying on the big screen. In this book, asking us to adopt the mindset of
“Everyday Miracle Territory” is simply asking us to suspend more disbelief than we
should.

To overcome this huge hurdle, you’ll have to supply chapter and verse showing us where
the Bible teaches that we can expect to be involved in the delivery of “everyday miracles.”
What attitudes and mindsets are we believers to have according to the Bible?

According to 1 Cor. 13, we are to be charitable, rejoicing, hopeful, and enduring.

According to 2 Peter 1, we are to live with all diligence, virtue, knowledge, temperance,
patience, kindness and charity.

According to several other passages in the New Testament, we see much of the same. We
are to live as Christ lived, fully reliant on the Holy Spirit to accomplish this.

Problem #2: While trying to challenge your readers to consider attitudes like “Everyday
Miracle Territory,” you actually insult those of us who have been the proper biblical
mindset regarding good deeds. On page 9, you write the following:

“Good Deeds land doesn’t dazzle like Signs and Wonders, but things are more
manageable there. More predictable. What’s the one big disadvantage in Good Deeds
land? God rarely shows up in a supernatural way. Why would He? No one is expecting the
miraculous, and besides, everything is running just fine. Or so it seems.”

“More manageable” and “more predictable,” you say. This is the equivalent of saying, “You
traditional thinkers actually place limitations on God’s supernatural working in our
lives, and you don’t even know it.” You’re telling those of us who read and believe what
the Bible has to say about good deeds and miracles that we are simply too narrow-
minded in our thinking for God to do the incredible in and through our lives.

To that, I lovingly and respectfully say: PHOOEY.

In Matt. 17:20, Jesus clearly teaches that we can a part of his supernatural work: “…Verily I
say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto
you.” (KJV)

Biblical scholars have pondered the depths of this passage ever since it was documented
in Scripture. Clearly, Jesus is not speaking of us telling a mountain to physically move, so
what does He mean?

From Matthew Henry: “Note, An active faith can remove mountains, not of itself, but in
the virtue of a divine power engaged by a divine promise, both which faith fastens upon.”
(Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible)

From John Gill: “…You shall not only be able to perform such a wonderful action as this,
were it necessary, but any, and everything else, that will make for the glory of God, the
enlargement of my kingdom and interest, the confirmation of truth, and the good of
mankind.” (John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

What kinds of “wonderful actions” (as Gill puts it) should we pursue? The Great
Commission, of course! Spreading the Gospel to all the world is our God’s mandate to
believers.

Good deeds ought to be commonplace in the life of the believer, to be sure, but the main
goal ought to be that unbelievers would have the Good News of Jesus Christ shared with
them, that they might come to a saving faith in Him.

+ ? -
4) For support, rather than supporting your claims with biblical support, you use your
previous text, The Prayer of Jabez, for support. Why not back it up with Bible verses?
Which bible passages back your extraordinary claims?

Probable Reason: Because you and your co-author, David Kopp, know that no such
support exists in the Bible.

During last Tuesday’s LiveStream event, I wrote the following question:

“Bruce, I was wondering if you could share with the other believers here what particular
passages from the Bible you use to support the ideas in your book.”
You replied that they were passages upon passages, as though there was a mountain of
biblical support for your claims. You then proceeded to share how we find biblical
support for forgiveness in these books here, and biblical support for giving to others
financially in those books there, and so on. That would have been good enough, except…

…that you ducked the question completely.

As you know, I was asking about the overall premise of your book, asking for biblical
support for your incredible claim. Since you gave support for the details of your book,
but could not give any biblical references to your overall premise, you did, in a fashion,
answer the question. As they say: “Silence speaks volumes.”

Problem #1: There’s no biblical support!

Problem #2: It’s not biblical for you to use The Prayer of Jabez for support – unless
you’re a secular humanist. (Then you can do whatever you like, since the ends always
justify the means.)

Like the Bereans of old, we are called to “search the Scriptures” and learn for ourselves
what is true, not “search the bookshelves of my local Christian bookstore” and rely on the
“wisdom of modern-day sages.”

Problem #3: It’s vain.

I could write more about this, but you know as well as anybody how damaging it is to
your own credibility when you have to use yourself as source material.

This would never hold water in any seminary or bible college worth its salt. Kind of
pedestrian for such an accomplished Bible teacher, don’t you think?

+ ? -
5) There’s no place in your text where you actually talk about the one place where true
believers can be used by God in a miraculous way: EVANGELISM. When a Christian
shares the Gospel to an unbeliever (in obedience to the Great Commission given to all
believers, and out of love for said unbeliever), God does His miraculous work of
conversion in the life of that person. How could you overlook the most obvious and
most important miracle we could ever be involved in?

During the 11/17 LiveStream event, I asked you this very question. Your answer was
altogether unsatisfactory.

To paraphrase, you said that you and your co-author (David Kopp) considered that very
question, but that you decided that there were many other texts on the subject of
evangelism, so you didn’t feel it was necessary to include that matter in the text. You
finished by sharing that perhaps you’ll address that in a future volume.

Why is your answer unsatisfactory? Because you don’t even make mention of
evangelism. In a book written about people delivering miracles for God, you make
absolutely no reference to the greatest endeavor any Christian could be about, the Great
Commission.

Something else is going on here, and I suspect I know what it is. (And because you won’t
email or call, the best I can do is careful conjecture.)

Probable reason: Sell more copies. (We keep coming back to this one, don’t we?)

Think about it, Bruce. You didn’t dare go there. Speaking about the “miracle ministry
opportunity” of evangelizing to lost family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances
and strangers would be tantamount to eating a single peanut out of a Snickers bar
and being satisfied.

If you had included the reality of evangelism in your text, you would’ve lost many
potential readers who are (in fact) in need of salvation themselves. You would’ve been on
a more biblical footing, but your text would’ve a) offended those non-believers who do
not know Christ, and b) made uncomfortable those believers who (for some strange
reason) do not have a passion to be used by God in the Great Commission.

Problem: You’re carefully writing in such a way as to avoid what are the most important
things in God’s economy, and are instead writing of less important matters as though
they are most important, all for the sake of selling more copies.

Offending people and making them uncomfortable is so against the grain of what I think
of when I think of you and your teachings, Bruce. You project such a warm, kind,
grandfatherly Christianity…

…just like Jesus when He confronted and sarcastically corrected His disciples.

…just like Jesus when He corrected and cursed the Pharisees.

…just like Jesus when He picked up a cord of rope and cleansed the temple.

What’s the biggest problem with being committed to playing the nice guy? You always
wind up telling people what they want to hear. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it forces
you to abandon the most important truths we could ever share with others, which is in
violation to what God would have us to do in our teaching ministries.

Please think on these things, Bruce, and return to the truths we find in Scripture. Cleanse
yourself of these humanistic teachings before you write another word, and God will
again be pleased with what you write and say. You will lose a percentage of readers for
doing so, obviously, but you will reap eternal rewards for faithfully proclaiming the
fullness of His Word to others.

Therefore, it can be no great surprise when I unapologetically and most sincerely give this
book an F.

Truly hoping you’ll consider my analysis and evaluation, that you would repent and
recant of these contra-biblical teachings,

Chris