Review: "Treasures in Dark Places"

Treasures in Dark Places by Leanna Cinquanta is one of those books I really want to like to recommend to others:  Leanna was raised in poverty, but didn’t see to know differently.  Rather, she appreciated the ingenuity and sacrifice of her parents on her behalf, especially with regards to her equestrian interests.

Leanna was a self-confessed atheist in her youth, but believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ after He came to her visibly and spoke to her audibly and commissioned her to be the light of the world to the young and in danger in the worst parts of India.

Her parents rebuffed her call and her claims to visions and dreams of Jesus and audible conversations with Him and God the Father and the gift of healing until she had gone to India and God used her to spread the Gospel.

Jesus told her to train indigenous people to take the Gospel forth and for her to take a backseat; she is known as a pioneer in this type of missionary endeavor.

I said this was a book I really want to like – and I do, and I pray that God is using her to spread the Gospel, but I have some serious concerns:

First, early on, in America, her parents sinfully forbid her to attend church, and she concluded that she didn’t need the church, only the Bible (100).  There is no return to the church, as far as I can see, in the rest of the book.  But the author of Hebrews commands believers to come together to worship as frequently as possible – and the Scripture tells of God saving a people – yes, individuals, but a people given to Christ.  Unless I missed something, or it is just not in the book, putting the church forward as unimportant to the Christian is despising the Bride of Christ.

Second, I would consider myself a cessationist with regards to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit – though God can certainly do as God pleases!  However, even if God chose to use the extraordinary gifts in this woman’s life, the portraying them as normative for the Christian life is beyond Scripture.  Surely, seeing and hearing Jesus is not the norm of Christians – and there is no reason to believe it should be.

Third, after reading the book, I have no idea what Leanna believes and proclaims the Gospel to be – other than a vague, “Jesus will save you and heal you.”  I would think a missiology book would be strong is stating the Gospel received by the indigenous people to spread throughout the nation.

For those reasons, as much as I have an admiration and a hope for the author, I would recommend against reading this book.  Instead, pick up, Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper.

#TreasuresinDarkPlaces

[This review appears on my blog and on Amazon.com.  I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.]