Book review: Out Of His Mouth
by Robert Logan Rogers
★★★★★
Here’s an enigma for you. This book is a “love letter from Fred Williams as told by Logan Rogers.” It’s quirky, original, and uplifting. This little book may be a gem (pun intended) or it may not.
Meet Fred, who once walked on the dark side, now a reborn charismatic preacher who sees angels and coughs up jewels from heaven (hence the title: Out Of His Mouth). How should I introduce him? If I offer a few sentences about his miracles he’ll be written off by the religious and unreligious both. Gemstones don’t really come out of peoples’ mouths, do they??
Michael Boring, in the Forward, lavishes praise on Fred: A “completely broken and desperate man who reached out and grabbed hold of the truth of Jesus. God is endorsing Fred with signs and wonders that are following his ministry.”
Reality check time: The gems aren’t real, they are shown over and over to be worthless. All I can say is, don’t get hung up on reality … buy the book and take the time to get to know Fred. He might change your outlook on life. Then shake your head sadly at the unenlightened heathens who demand authenticity. As Rogers says, “We are told to grow up at a certain point in our lives and to stop living in childhood pretend worlds … we eventually believe that escaping from reality is what we are doing, instead of really living in God given active imagination … Fred was beyond exaggeration and imagination … I chose to embrace him, as I watched gold, green, red, and silver grow all through his pores and up through his scalp, to the very tips of the ends of his hairs.”
Now comes the enigma. Once you think you’ve figured out the love letter’s message (it being a postmodern way of talking about the descent of heaven’s riches to begin the new age), check out the webpage listed at the end, see pictures of the jewels and manna from heaven, and note the donation request for Fred Williams Ministries.
Choke! Bizarre. Five stars for a delightful and imaginative book, zero stars for the real Fred Williams or whoever is cashing in with a scam. Comments from the author are more than welcome!
10 Comments
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Fantasy Football, Anyone?
Put on the whole uniform of the Team, that ye may be able to stand against the blitz of oncoming linebackers. Don the hip pads of truth, the shoulder pads of righteousness, the cleats of preparation. Don’t forget the facemask of faith and the helmet of salvation. Then clutch the pigskin with much Spirit, for that is what the Play Book of your Coach in Heaven demands.The River of Life
Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all.
The Way It Happened
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| Revelation: A love story gone awry. | The Gospel: A love story set aright. |
What really happened 2,000 years ago? How did a persecuted minority of end-time believers known as Christians, with their dreams of Armageddon and a conquering Messiah named Jesus, evolve into the largest religion in the world? Author Lee Harmon explores the period in which the New Testament was written in his books about John's Gospel and Revelation.
(Bloggers: you may be eligible for a free review copy! Just contact us.)
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Lee Harmon interviewed on The God Show about the History Channel's miniseries The Bible and Lee's latest book, John's Gospel: The Way It Happened.
About Lee
Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on any particular supernatural or religious beliefs.
The Bible is a magnificent book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions are slowly transforming from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.
I avidly read all thought-provoking religion titles. New authors: I'd love to read and review your book!
Contact me here.
About Leslie
Hi! While Lee writes the articles and reviews the books, I edit, organize, and maintain the blog. The views expressed here are Lee's but I'm his biggest supporter! :-)
Logan, the author, had some difficulty posting a comment (I hate how blogger occasionally drops responses!!) so I offered to post it for him. Here is an email he sent to me:
Lee… I wrote a comment on your blog but I think it was lost in cyberspace. I am saddened by what appears to be conclusive evidence on your part that is, that this, is some kind of a scam. To think that you think this ministry exists to lure the unsuspected into donating or supporting a ministry that has only one driving agenda, to pick the pockets of the naïve, is ludicrous. You obviously have trust issues.
I am grateful that you encouraged your readers to buy a copy of the book but I am again saddened to see such sarcasm laced in such cynical verbiage as you draw your conclusions. I can only inflect that you as a man could be likened to one who is watching a street magician, smarter than all the unsuspected fools, knowing that there is a scam unfolding right before every blind man’s eyes. As the rabbit is pulled out of the hat, only the numb dead ignorant would think that this rabbit, really did live with Alice in Wonderland.
Your disclaimer or non endorsement of the book, by concluding once again that “I” have found the scam in the truth behind Fred Williams, by having gone to his website, discovering how he lures money from the unsuspecting, says more about you, than it does about Fred.
If reading a book is how you get to know someone, then why date or get married? Just read a book about women, and marry the right book! Why bother to eat? Just buy a book about food! I hope there is more to you Lee than what I have been introduced to in your writings so far.
The substance or basis for your conclusions about Fred have nothing to do with the man I know. I invite you to spend some time getting to know him and then draw your conclusions. That would take time, more than the reading of a book. Will you take that time? You are invited… and, we will pick up the tab. Logan
Thanks for commenting, Logan! Please understand that I thought your book was wonderful. It was suggested by a friend who didn’t know quite what to make of it…whether or not you wanted her to literally believe in the miracles as signed from God…so she suggested I take a look.
That may help you understand where I am coming from. Religion is a confusing subject. Your book, I felt, was very fair and well-written and made me fall in love with Fred; however, when I went to the website, there was no indication whatsoever that what was presented was “Alice and Wonderland” type stuff. Again, ONLY BECAUSE THIS IS RELIGION, I feel it’s tacky. Fred is probably a wonderful guy, filled with the Spirit, but can he not put a single wink or disclaimer on his site that he is not trying to push these off as real?? I even clicked on the Contribute button to see if it would ever come clean and tell me that the “miracle” pictures are atmospheric only, not meant to be literally believed.
Now, playing with people’s beliefs is fine. I love your analogy to a street magician. But the street magician, when he passes the hat, says, “if you enjoyed being fooled, help me out with a little contribution.” But in the arena of religion, because there are so many quacks out there, Fred does need to be a little more forthcoming. That’s just my opinion…I cannot endorse his ministry as is.
I had the same problem with “The SHack,” though I did not find it as good as you did for this book – when I came to the end, and tere was a comercial, I felt manipulated.
I don’t remember that with The Shack!
This wasn’t a commercial at the end, merely a website listing for Fred Williams Ministries, and since the book was purposefully vague, I decided to check him out. I never felt manipulated, just concerned about leaving the impression that I endorse the ministry. I can vouch only for a well-written book.
These gemstones are real in terms of being hard, pretty, and amazing in their cut. Sam, who I mention in my book is an authentic jeweler but I have never asked him to measure them as gemstones cut as precious entities worth real dollars here on earth to prove that they are real. The point is missed if there is not a biblical context in understanding gemstones inlaid within the walls of the New Jerusalem or the breastplate worn by the priest with corresponding jewels to the twelve tribes. I am an eyewitness to what I have written about which includes watching several gemstones growing right before my eyes. Imagine if I wrote about having seen a man open a fish’s mouth and then using the coin he found in the mouth of the fish, to pay his taxes? Where would anybody put that testimony? This is the challenge I have in telling about what I have seen and then what I have attempted to write about in my book. What you saw on Fred’s website was real. The question is, how are those things measured in our terms, and are these items from the supernatural realm, worth any money here on earth? Don’t connect donating to a ministry to selling snake oil. The original snake sold a bill of goods to our first parents in the garden, and Jesus busted his head wide open on the cross. Logan
I know the author and Fred. I havent read the book. Fred spoke at our church twice and I went to an in home meeting. He does not center on miracles but he speaks mostly on his love for Jesus and His word. He is full of joy and it is catching. God bless everything Fred does. Thank you Logan for putting Freds life and walk into a book.
Lee… Thanks for getting this discussion going, do to the review of my book. How do we get out of the Anonymous status and get our pictures and names to correspond along with the comments we are posting? The whole blog world is very new to me. Logan
Hi Logan! Looks like you had better luck this time posting a comment, at least!
Underneath the textbox where you posted your comment is an option for Comment As. You can choose other means of identifying yourself, or you can just keep it anonymous.
This blogging software is powered by Blogger, which is owed by Google. The simplest way to identify yourself is to create a google account. Visit https://accounts.google.com/NewAccount
Once logged in, you can just stay logged in forever, and it’ll do all posts via your google account. Very easy that way, and more reliable, too.
Thanks Lee..
May I say this! I plan to order this book because I have learned that God Jesus and Holy Spirit are indeed real. There is a purpose for this, although I don’t propose to know why, I just know that it is. Perhaps instead of refuting it lock, stock and barrel, maybe you could spend some time reflecting on why this could be real!!!!
Oh yes! that’s in Genesis where we are given DOMINION over the earth!!! Silly, and I LOVE IT!!!
Sorry but just my two cents on the subject.
I expect to find the author has done a great job on a hard subject.
OH! My mom when alive had this unique ability to command the rain clouds to come and go…………. unfortunately the neighbors did not; needless to say, their farms suffered droughts and floods. I grew up watching it.