★★★★★
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!
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:
ReplyDeleteLee... 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.
ReplyDeleteThat 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteThese 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
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteLee... 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
ReplyDeleteHi Logan! Looks like you had better luck this time posting a comment, at least! :)
ReplyDeleteUnderneath 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..
ReplyDelete