I’ve never been one for listening to the radio, mostly because we often only get it in the car. Now, when I had long drives to work I did enjoy listening to classical music, folk music, and Christian radio with teaching programs. My wife has always done more radio because she will listen while doing various chores, such as sewing and other craft work, ironing, etc, and even while driving. A few years back she discovered James MacDonald and thought he was an excellent teacher. I listened to some and found him to be pretty much spot on. Then as time went by some of his stuff became more and more questionable, and before long I started reading all sorts of stuff about him through the Christian apologetics world. How disappointing it has been to see a good teacher decide to follow and support every popular teacher out there, regardless of that popular teacher’s teaching!
Participated in the Code Orange Revival in 2012. This “revival” included a bevy of false teachers that no one with discernment should have joined with! This article also points out other problems with MacDonald, including his endorsing false teachers like Beth Moore!
Then there was the Elephant Room 2, where MacDonald defended T.D. Jakes’ Word of Faith and anti-Trinitarian teachings, and thought he was an excellent teacher! Many sites exposed this situation, the Cripplegate being one of them, which had an excellent report of other issues with MacDonald.
MacDonald helped heretic T.D. Jakes celebrate 35 years of heretical ministry. He did this along with many other false teachers and celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey. Does he really thing God approved of this promotion of heresy?
MacDonald demonstrated his immaturity and need to be relevant by getting a tattoo, as well as buddying up with another “pastor” like himself, Mark Driscoll. (The comment string in the linked article is also quite enlightening as to MacDonald’s ideology.)
Well, all these things are just tips of the many icebergs at Harvest Bible Chapel under the leadership of James MacDonald. Some solid reporting from someone who attended HBC for many years can be found at Mary Dalke’s blog. Her examinations are thorough, and should demonstrate conclusively why James MacDonald should not be trusted to teach the Word of God. (And you’ll get to read about many of the false teachers promoted by MacDonald in some way or another!)
17 comments:
I never liked MacDonald... even when he was preaching "on the mark", I found he had an arrogant tone, so I was put off by him. Like you, my concerns about him grew as I learned of his compromises.
One thing is for sure, Bereans/Watchmen can never sleep.
-Carolyn
I liked him a lot 10+ years ago and am sad to see how far gone he is. I was just wondering about him last week. I assume he hasn't repented . . .
I have a long commute to and from work and there's really not much left out there. On the way home I can catch a sermon from a local pastor that I know and trust. A local station has decided that Glenn Beck is appropriate, which ended my relationship with that station. But in the early AM hours we get folks like Joyce Meyer, Ronald L. Dart, and Levi Lusko. My drive is now livened up with Podcasts and RedEyeRadio
No repentance to my knowledge, sadly.
Doug,
We are fortunate to have a local station which has teaching from a local Calvary Chapel pastor. My wife has one day a week where she drives the 30 minutes to Cedar Rapids where she the ministers to several elderly women in the morning, takes a lunch break and then lead a ladies' Bible study in the afternoon (women mostly 15-20 years younger). All this driving around led her to find this station and the guy really is good. So that has been a blessing for her - except that she can't get the station at home!
The horrid teachers who own the airwaves, such as the names you list, are a real blight on the Church. ARGH!
James Robison is another evangelist who used to preach the Word. Now he hosts talk shows with Beth Moore and visits the pope in Rome.
I am sad to see apostasy come in.
Anonymous,
I never heard of Robinson, but looking him up I'm not surprised he is so enamored with Beth Moore (and boy do they have lots of her stuff for sale!!). HE seems to teach the same aberrant spiritual warfare ideology as she does. And he likes Andy Stanley, and other popular people for guest speaking. A real shock was Ann Voskamp, which I've exposed here as a false teacher. Chrsitine Caine - eek. And WOF heretic Creflo Dollar! Lots lacking in discernment in his ministry. Robinson is certainly one to avoid!!
I also have difficulty trusting anyone who says God told them to do something, as Robinson says God told him to step out of the pulpit and take on a new ministry.
I have long drives, we're pretty much an hour away from civilization. An mp3 player and tons of free podcasts are my mainstay. I'm currently listening to Alistair Begg's study of Luke but also like Verse By Verse Ministries (www.vbvmi.org). Teachers like them have spoiled me from ever settling for a church that only does topical teaching. Both Emmaus Bible School and Covenant Theological Seminary has a lot of their class lectures online, I've got a lot of very interesting lectures waiting. Then I have tons of homeschool material I play when the kids are in the car, science and history and archeology. So much to listen to, so little time!
(Not to mention the pile(s) of books I want to read as well...sigh...
I was listening to “Walk in the Word” “New Power for the Destitute, Part 2” by James MacDonald 570AM WMCA 8:40-9:10AM 3/20/15. I give a clear expose on him lying and using covert hypnosis techniques. The link was originally in my expose so people could hear for themselves what he is doing and not just take my word for it however the recording of that teaching was removed after I exposed it online..
He defined “Destitute”. At minute 3:18-3:32 He said “Now IF YOU THINK I’M OVERSTATING IT I’m gonna TRY to JUST TELL THE STORY A LITTLE BIT. LET’S CALL THIS TELLING THE STORY, and WE HAVE THIS STORY here. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. How many here believe this happened? TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY ‘THIS HAPPENED’” and you hear people repeating him though they haven’t heard what he’s going to say and don’t know — blindly following the preacher,
The banality of the words shows contempt for the ease he seduces his victims. This makes me suspect he is aware of what he’s doing. He gets people to agree before they even hear the story that it is true when, as you will see, it is clearly mostly conjecture and lie. The question is a dominance thing he uses before he gives the command to “Turn to your neighbor…” They teach police to use questions when they stop you “Sir, do you know why I’m stopping you?”
3:44-4:00 (he speaks quickly -) “Let me just try to create this scene. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if you’re comfortable. Just kind of close your eyes” (a few pauses ahead -) “and and let your mind sort of imagine the scenario. Go ahead.” (short pause) “Go ahead. Just kind of imagine here, um …”
These are hypnotic techniques, guiding imagery and having to reassure – why should someone be uncomfortable? (they should) Why did he bring it up? He states a few facts about Galilee (called bypassing critical thinking in black op’s hypnosis — Obama does it all the time).
He adds a number of his own seeming innocuous assumptions such as around 4:25 – 32 “there’s Peter’s boat. They haven’t touched that boat for 3 years. It’s right there on the beach where they left it when Jesus said ‘follow me'” and other embellishments he adds. He’s gotten people to agree it’s a true story and he is actually making it up. It’s mockery of the people he’s seduced.
Then James MacDonald falsifies the scripture saying “a voice calls out from the shore — they recognize his voice”
5:10 – 5:37 “Just then a voice from the shore , Lads, you haven’t caught any fish? Have you? Jesus calls out to them and they recognize his voice. Something pretty miraculous follows. SO, open your eyes and lets now go into the content of this…”
John 21:4 says But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but THE DISCIPLES KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS JESUS. (accent added as all upper case)
Their critical eye has closed. He (and or it) is opening their eye to fantasy and a hypnotic state of bypassed critical thinking. This is the opposite of a truth state
Then he gives 3 principles and tells how to experience it personally and what to underline in their bible. He says he is comforted by Jesus’s presence on the shore. He continues to make up a scenario of how the disciples knew what jesus wanted them to do and were not doing it. He repeats “I am tremendously comforted by Jesus’s presence on the shore. (He’s adding a teaching not there that implies when we are willfully disobeying Jesus he’s right there with us ready to tell us what to do) He says “This is an immensely important truth”
Black ops or “Covert Hypnosis” wikipedia definition — Covert hypnosis refers to an attempt to communicate with another person’s unconscious mind without that person noticing. As it often takes place in the course of a seemingly regular conversation, it is also known as conversational hypnosis or sleight of mouth.
Continued
John 21:
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. THEY CAST THEREFORE, AND NOW THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DRAW IT FOR THE MULTITUDE OF FISHES.
7 THEREFORE that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. (emphasis added all caps)
Clearly in John the disciples recognized Jesus from the large catch and not his voice.
I suspect they recognized him from what happened recorded in Luke 5:
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
Integrity of scripture is important. It’s not straining at a gnat. It isn’t one mistake. It is a whole context of evil. Looking him up I was not surprised at the lucrative business he’s made preaching.
One other thing I noticed —
I’d posted —
“He says he is comforted by Jesus’s presence on the shore. He continues a false scenario of how the disciples knew what jesus wanted them to do and were not doing it. He repeats “I am tremendously comforted by Jesus’s presence on the shore. (He’s adding a teaching not there that implies when we are willfully disobeying Jesus he’s right there with us ready to tell us what to do and give us abundance) He says “This is an immensely important truth”.”
It’s a lie.
This teaching gives him great comfort for it justifies him in the many millions he’s making seducing people with his perversion of the gospel. When you are in rebellion, disobedient to Jesus, he’s on the shore telling you to cast in your net and make lots of money.
There are many clues. People listening love a lie or are ignorant and weak. It appeals to love of money. We are not dealing with flesh and blood.
A college psych teacher told me about a study. Most participants (I don’t remember if it was 90% but I think it was somewhere around that) did NOT believe in ESP. A magician tricked them and got over 90% believing. After the magician showed them how he tricked them I think it was about 70% continued to believe.
Yuri Bezmenov, ex KGB agent says once a generation is indoctrinated the indoctrinators don’t care if people find out the truth of how they were lied to. You could show them the gulag death camps and they still won’t believe it “until the door is broken down and the boot is crushing their testicles, then they’ll believe but it will be too late”.
For the above stated reasons the press and other media tell blatant lies knowing when they get exposed they will still come out way ahead.
My grandmother listens to his screaming sermons every Sunday morning and it drives me crazy, I have to leave the room. I remember one day he was screaming about slang and saying you can't respond to someone who asks you if you're "good" - he yells out that nobody is "good" except God so don't use that expression; next up was the word "awesome" - you can't use it to describe anything other than God. His preaching is a total turnoff.
I was getting annoyed at McDonald’s style. He was constantly yelling and making Christians doubt their salvation. One program he told his congregation to strike something out of the Bible. He also said you can not communicate with God throughly dreams or visions and those that claim they do is usually because “too much pizza before bed.” My spirit moans when I hear him, J McArthur, Beth Moore, and Chris Brooks. I listen to Moody radio and they claim not to enforce or support some of the programs aired and some do not follow the teachings of the Moody Bible Institute. So why are they allowing these false teaching to be aired? Jesus was soft spoken, talked in parables, and mostly angered by the same Pharisees, Hypocrites and Brood of Vipers just as they are today. Jesus is love, not threats!
Ron,
He also said you can not communicate with God throughly dreams or visions and those that claim they do is usually because “too much pizza before bed.”
I have to agree with McDonald here.
The fact that you actually listed him having a tattoo as a reason why he would be irrelevant just shows irrelevant this entire blog is and how blogs like this are just modern day Pharisees. Where is your proof text against tattoos? You complaining about tattoos is about as bad as the Pharisees telling the guy in John 5 who had just been healed that he can't carry his bed because it's the sabbath. I used to get mad at blogs like this, but its honestly just so sad to see. When we all have to give account on that day to the taskmaster, I for sure don't want an internet blog complaining about people to be the top thing on my list. I don't see that going over very well in the "what did you do with what I gave you category."
John,
The point was that MacDonald got a tattoo to be "relevant." To be one of the "cool" pastors. That demonstrates immaturity. I didn't make any comment about it being unbiblical or unholy or sinful. The comment was to demonstrate his lack of maturity and his need to be "hip."
Demonstrate how this blog is Pharisaical, please.
Try not to be so emotional, reading into what I wrote.
As a woman and school administrator, I am offended by how many girly men there are who say they are Christians but are offended by another man's tone of voice, or his perceived attitude, or his use of "harsh" words in a sermon. God help us if in times of real trouble American Christians are persecuted but all the weak girly men can say is "I am offended...". To make matters worse, just like gossipy old women, most Christian girly men have reached a new low by dog-piling on JMAC now that he has been condemned by the social media court of public opinion. Thank God this was not Beth Moore at the bottom of that dog pile. What would the girly men do then?
Anonymous,
You apparently haven't read all that I have posted about MacDonald. He has certainly apostatized and he has stolen money from his church. He is not qualified to be a pastor.
Beth Moore is even worse, as you should know if you read my blog.
I believe your claim as to being a woman and school administrator is bogus, and this is just another troll post wanting to get on my blog. You sure sound like my most prolific troll.
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