Obviously these two gentlemen love to tussle and get into all sorts of controversies and it appears that while hiding behind the Scriptures, they often misuse the Scriptures to foment all sorts of arguments between different Christians as they “contend (against other Christians) for the faith” which they have appointed themselves defenders of. The Berean Call in its day used to contend with the cults, but it has since appeared to refocus its energies against other Christians with whom they hold doctrinal differences.
They have never been challenged by anyone, and now that they are, they’re seeking sympathy and running towards the arms of the public in order to garner support for their side of this entire imbroglio they were the first to foment. They’re like the proverbial trouble maker in school who shoots a spit ball at another kid, then ducks to make it look like he’s completely innocent, and when confronted and asked if he did it in the first place, he responds, “Who? Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just standing here.” Yes, you were standing there, but there is much more to what you’ve done than what you would like others to realize, and now that you’ve been discovered and confronted about it, you claim innocence because you’re a “good Berean telling other Christians to be discerning and good Bereans themselves.”
Well, there is a VERY BIG DIFFERENCE between the first century Bereans and what the Berean Call and the Alliance for Biblical Integrity are doing. Bereans sought to know the truth and looked into Scriptural matters to verify for themselves if things were so; they did not go about spending most of their time seeking heresy in other Christian ministries as McMahon and James are doing. BIG DIFFERENCE. To apply this to what these people and a number of other so-called self-appointed “discernment ministries” are doing is nothing short than a scandal itself, and unbiblical in itself.
Now, let’s look at what these people have done, and how now they’re crying foul for getting hit back. If you’re a phony, you let it go, it doesn’t matter because you ride the cash cow while the going is good; but if you’re fighting for the truth and your good name, you hit back against a bully who seeks to destroy both. You hit back very hard so that your opponent never victimizes anyone again, because if you don’t, that bully will destroy you and your good name, and spread his own lies to an unsuspecting public, as well as continue victimizing others whom it will target.
You do this through the courts, through litigation, when you’ve exhausted every other means to bring the controversy to an amicable end where all parties have reached a consensus that is agreeable to all. Unfortunately, because there are no Apostles and true church authority in existence today to arbitrate matters between Christians, there is no other recourse but through the civil court system to litigate matters and seek their resolution.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE:
Lawsuit Threatened by Attorney Representing Author and Publisher of 'The Harbinger'
Contact: Sally Oppliger, The Berean Call, 541-382-6210 ext 119
BEND, Ore., Feb. 6, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The attorney for Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and his publisher, Charisma Media, has threatened to sue a Christian missionary and his publisher, whose research questions the historic and biblical veracity of Cahn's New York Times bestseller, "The Harbinger."
In a letter addressed to David James, author of "The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?" and his publisher, the attorney for Cahn and Charisma Media (formerly Strang Communications) have alleged that the biblical critique authored by James not only infringes upon copyright but has damaged sales of Cahn's book, which in spite of controversy has recently surpassed one million copies.
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MY CLARIFICATION: Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s New York Times best-selling book, The Harbinger has now reached a million copies printed. This does not automatically indicate that it has sold a million copies, but that a million copies have now been printed. But even if a million copies of it have been printed and sold, why even mention this? It appears that the reason it is mentioned is because the book repeatedly cited by this article – The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? – has not the resounding success and brought in the revenue that was expected when the project against The Harbinger was launched by the Berean Call and the Alliance for Biblical Integrity. The actions of McMahon and James with this article and their disclosing the threat against them indicates that they’re trying to make the most out of a bad situation and turn into a revenue-generating vehicle to recoup the losses they stand to face.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: Many Christian leaders have praised Cahn's work as a prophetic message from God, even to the extent of declaring that Jonathan Cahn is a true prophet for our time, and that "The Harbinger" is "the word of God."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Jonathan Cahn has never, nor do he now, claim to be a prophet. He has never claimed that his New York Times best-selling book The Harbinger to be “the word of God,” as this article appears to claim. This is just another attempt by the writer of this article, McMahon, and David James at bearing false witness of Pastor Cahn’s claims.
My first exposure to the critics of The Harbinger was an infamous interview that Brannon Howse had with Dr. Jimmy DeYoung on his radio program Worldview Weekend, some months back, of which I have written. I call it “infamous” because at the time, without having read the book for themselves, Dr. DeYoung made statements that were unjustified and undignified without so much as substantiating these claims and accusations against Pastor Cahn by reading his book for himself; something that is intellectually dishonest and wrong if any one of us were to do it.
He called him (Pastor Cahn) a false prophet, and false teacher, and made many other statements that should have been withheld before reading the book for himself. And he mentioned David James and his book (unpublished at the time) as the source for his opinions. Well, he didn’t check things out for himself, which is what he should’ve done, before opining about a work of fiction that he had not read.
Because of this interview and subsequent Internet articles about The Harbinger which followed, I felt that these needed to be answered by someone who has had the benefit of listening and viewing the presentations and topical sermons upon which The Harbinger is based. I also felt then, as I do now, that much of what has been written and said against the book and against Pastor Cahn has been due to misunderstanding. I am currently at work on a study of my own where I bear this out both from the writings of Mr. James and from a number of Internet articles by others critical of The Harbinger.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: David James, founder of The Alliance for Biblical Integrity, explains why he has taken issue with this claim in his published refutation of Cahn's "prophetic" bestseller: "Many of the author's views and ideas as presented in 'The Harbinger' are misguided, having both significant exegetical and theological problems. Cahn appears to...see prophetic fulfillment where arguably none exists."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Mr. James is completely wrong. I wrote to him about his. I will cite only one example here of evidence of just how wrong this man’s claims are, and how dangerous what he claims is the most fundamental teachings of our faith. I quote:
But, you are so inclined to debunk The Harbinger with this Dispensational statement that you forget one fundamental fact which God’s inerrant Word teaches as fact; both the Abrahamic Covenant and the New Covenant were established and initiated by God, not man; and both covenants converge in Christ, where it says that God would bless all of the nations of earth through Abraham’s seed, that is Christ. Just as the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes (I and cite) in correction of what you’ve written above, and in correction of the entire premise of your book:
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 5:6-21)
And how can anyone forget what Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself said in regards to this?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)
In your race to condemn this man (Jonathan Cahn) and what he has written (The Harbinger), and wishing to appear superior in your ideas above his; you have forgotten the most fundamental universality of the Gospel of peace to the nations. You have forgotten the most fundamental teachings of Christianity which you claim to profess for which you credit for your own salvation as a Gentile believer. Without realizing the ramifications of what you’ve written in your book (The Harbinger: Fact of Fiction?), you have closed the door of grace upon our nation and upon any possibility of approaching God on the basis of your Hyper-Dispensational Theology.
The only thing that you’ve accomplished has been to confuse a lot of people who really do not understand the grace of God, and unsettle others, with your erroneous theological contentions.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: James, a former missionary with Word of Life Fellowship for 21 years, elaborates: "Not only does 'The Harbinger' fail to reveal a 'mystery' in Isaiah 9:10, but in spite of the much-needed call to repentance, the book presents a danger to believers and unbelievers alike."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Mr. James can make any claim that he wishes, but making a claim such as his, and reality are poles apart. I have confirmed this in my review of his book and consummate number of articles written by camp followers of his on the Internet and responding to these accordingly. Mr. James was quick to judge, quick to speak, and quick to write and publish a book that should never have been published in the first place. It is an nothing short than a religiously egotistical effort in nothing. I have been discovering this in a private study of my own on both books.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: James's publisher, The Berean Call (TBC), revealed details of the threatened litigation in the ministry's February newsletter. TBC Executive Director, T.A. McMahon, announced:
"The complaint is that [David James] used too many quotes from the New York Times best-selling book, 'The Harbinger,' without permission from author "rabbi" Jonathan Cahn and publisher Charisma Media Publications (Charisma). The complaint further states that our use of the quotes has inhibited the sales of 'The Harbinger' and has thus financially damaged Cahn and Charisma in an amount yet to be determined."
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MY CLARIFICATION: David James made generous use WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM EITHER THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER of The Harbinger in his book. He could’ve cited what the book said, but instead, WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM EITHER THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER Mr. James, whose book – The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? – makes copious use of long quotes and entire conversations from The Harbinger, without compensating either Pastor Cahn or the publisher of The Harbinger, Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group for his use of the material without their consent. REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE READER MAY BE IN THIS CONTROVERSY, THIS IS ENTIRELY WRONG BY MR. JAMES AND BY THE BEREAN CALL UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THOMAS A. MCMAHON WHO SANCTIONED IT, AND PUBLISHED JAMES’ BOOK.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: Concerning the threat of legal action against his book, David James adds, "This has actually happened twice. The first was concerning the cover of my book, which, though similar, was legally substantially different from 'The Harbinger's' cover -- and we had no intention of people confusing the two -- and I don't think they possibly could have. But as an act of good faith and to keep this from getting my book tied up in the courts rather than into the hands of people who need to read it, we simply redesigned the cover."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Unmistakably, the publishers behind the first edition of David James’ book, The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? sought to capitalize from The Harbinger’s success by confusing the reading public into thinking that James’ book was The Harbinger, so that when they pulled a copy from the shelf on their way to or from work, they believed they had bought a copy of The Harbinger, when in fact they were taking home David James’ book.
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| On the left is the New York Times best-seller, The Harbinger by Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, and on the right is The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? (first edition) by David James before the cover was changed. The pictures speak for themselves. Regardless of Mr. James' claims to the contrary, anyone can surmise why Mr. James decided to publish his book with a cover that was almost identicle to Jonathan Cahn's work.. Why would somebody publish a book about another book and make it look as much as possible like the other? |
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| This is The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? (second edition). Note the cover has been changed and the book no longer resembles the first edition, which was strikingly like Rabbi Cahn's The Harbinger. Again, it must be asked; "Why would someone write a book about another book and publish it with a cover that is almost identicle to the other? |
They did this by originally publishing a book that looked almost entirely like The Harbinger. No doubt that even the choice of its title, The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? was a vile attempt to confuse potential buyers to purchase Mr. James’ book thinking they were purchasing the New York Times best-seller, The Harbinger. The evidence speaks for itself. Below are both books when the first edition of David James’ book was published. If this were not the case, the publishers of The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? could’ve legally fought off any threatened lawsuit, but they did not. They reissued the book with a new cover, and they did this because they knew that they had no legal recourse to fight a lawsuit under the circumstances. Their actions and the way they went about this speaks volumes for itself. Their disingenuous answer when questioned whether it was intentional on their part to do this, reminds me of the Scripture that says: Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2) Let the truly discerning discern the truth from this.
There was even an article written about this entitled The Cover Is a Blatant Attempt at Fooling the Public, and written by former Associated Press and current WND journalist Bob Unruh. One who probably has the pulse of these people and what motivates them to rush a book to public on the heels a successful best-seller, is Joseph Farrah. He makes the following observation: Joseph Farah, producer of “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment” and founder of WND, chalks up the relentless criticisms to two factors.
“Cahn is a new-found celebrity in Christian circles, and I detect a certain degree of envy from others,” he said. “In addition, I strongly believe some of the critics believe they will get noticed by going after a high-profile Christian book and movie and the man behind it. Both of those motives are sinful by definition. They are trying to hold Jonathan Cahn to a standard no one in history – Christian or secular – has ever been held to since Jesus Himself was accused by the Pharisees of supping with sinners and tax collectors.”
It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words. I’d say these pictures speak volumes. Any disingenuous claims made by either the publisher – the Berean Call, or the author of The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? – that they were not out to either capitalize on The Harbinger’s success with a religious his piece of their own by publishing its first edition with a cover that was almost identical Pastor Cahn’s best-seller; are shown for precisely for what these claims are – untruths. The pictures speak for themselves. And the actions on the part of both of using large portions of The Harbinger in their hit published piece without the prior consent by its author, Jonathan Cahn, or its publisher, Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group in itself is less than desirable character flaw on the part of the Berean Call and of David James who feign otherwise in this article.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: But after publication of James's book with a new cover, the attorneys for Jonathan Cahn and Charisma sent yet another letter to The Berean Call. As James recounts,
"They threatened us again, claiming that we were causing them financial harm of as-yet-undetermined amount, because of the amount of 'The Harbinger' that I quoted in my book. A very experienced copyright lawyer has responded to them on our behalf, concluding that I was well within 'fair use' -- and that I had only quoted enough to establish context for my critique in every instance. We have not heard back from them in about a month since they received this, so we don't know what their plans are at this moment."
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MY CLARIFICATION: They’re absolutely correct. The undisclosed amount bespeaks of a damage that is so great to the ministry and person of Jonathan Cahn, to his good name, to the legitimacy of his calling, which can be proven that several articles which have followed Mr. James’ publication, have done. At the very least, if Mr. James had been thinking at all and had displayed the due consideration of a brother in Christ to another, he could’ve asked for permission to cite the large parts of The Harbinger he misquotes in religious his hit piece. He did not.
These people were so filled with zeal and bias in rushing their book to market that they did not go about the proper manner in which a Christian brother ought to conduct himself with another with whom he/she has a disagreement. Instead of exhausting all possible venues to present their questions to Pastor Cahn before quoting his book at length in hit piece after hit piece based upon David James’ quickly written book; they instead obviously wasted no time in getting the hit piece of a book published in order to capitalize on The Harbinger’s rising success. Now that someone has hit them back, they’re seeking the public’s sympathy, crying foul when in fact they were the first to draw first blood.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: The Bible proscribes the now-common practice of Christians suing other believers, but McMahon explains his shock and dismay -- not for this breach of protocol but for another reason:
"This is the first time in my 35 years of [ministry] addressing nearly every major religion, religious cult, aberrational Christian sect, unbiblical trend, religious publication, book, media production, etc., that any organization or individual has even hinted at suing us."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Mr. McMahon is entirely wrong. First he and David James did not seek Jonathan Cahn out to understand precisely what The Harbinger was saying. Moreover, they did not accord Jonathan Cahn the opportunity to express himself. When they interviewed him, it was not for the purposes of attempting to resolve either their objections to his book, or the differences between them, but to gain material for David James’ book which he made good use of from these encounters. (I believe were two) Afterwards, when Jonathan Cahn made attempts at contacting them to resolve these objections, they ignored and rebuffed him. This is not Christian.
Additionally, if there were an Apostolic Council to which Christians could bring their differences and litigate them to their resolution as there were in Paul’s day, to which he alludes to where he writes of lawsuits between Christians (1Corinthians 6:1-7) I would agree with their contention; but in the absence of such an Apostolic Council, there is no recourse but to litigate in a civil court matters of enumeration where the actions of one or more parties result in great and inestimable loses to the injured party.
There is no estimation to the kind of damage that these people have done to Pastor Cahn and his ministry, and how it has affected his personal life and ministry. Such matters are difficult to estimate, but the damage has been done, because their actions by publishing this book – The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction? and their statements about Pastor Cahn and his ministry have been nothing short of slanderous. I have heard and have in my possession a horrendous interview hosted by Brannon Howse where Jimmy DeYoung, basing his opinions on what David James had told him at the time, used all manner of epithets against Jonathan Cahn; calling him everything from “false prophet” to “false teacher” and trashing his book, his ministry and bringing into question his calling in Christ. Mr. DeYoung had not read Pastor Cahn’s New York Times best-seller The Harbinger when he made these statements on Brannon Howse’s Worldview Weekend Radio program.
You cannot put a dollar figure to the damage these people have done to Pastor Cahn and his ministry in their continual attacks upon him, upon his book and what they claim it says, and upon his ministry. It is not our place as Christians to work towards delegitimize other Christians and seek their total and complete marginalization and their destruction of their service for God. It is one thing to write of cults and cult leaders, but to write to marginalize other Christians in the name of discernment and apologetics is nothing short of unchristian slander and fomenting controversies, thereby furnishing the enemies of Christianity fodder to their attacks upon the Christian faith. There is no place in one Christian who displays such a log obscuring their own judgment in forcing themselves upon another Christian to remove a speck they claim is in his. (Matthew 7:4, Luke 6:42)
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: Charisma Media is operated by publishing magnate Steve Strang, whose holdings include Charisma and Ministry Today magazines. Named as one of "The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" by TIME in 2005, Strang's empire includes multiple book divisions which crank out hundreds of titles by dozens of authors popular among charismatic denominations, and specifically, the Latter Rain movement (deemed heretical by the Assemblies of God more than 60 years ago).
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MY CLARIFICATION: What does this have to do with either Jonathan Cahn’s book and its content or Charisma Media, but as a ploy by the writer of this article/his piece to associate other authors with Jonathan Cahn in order to marginalize and discredit him and his best-seling(sic) book, The Harbinger, and in so doing, to continue to damage him. This is what one Christian does not do to another in private or public, but it is what these people have done to a fellow brother in Christ; to Jonathan Cahn and to his good name, and his service to Christ.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: Coincidentally, it is this segment of the church that has long been under doctrinal scrutiny by the ministry of The Berean Call. Founded by bestselling author and noted cult researcher Dave Hunt, the mission of TBC (through print and broadcast media) has consistently encouraged Christians with the biblical exhortation to "try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
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MY CLARIFICATION: This too is what Jonathan Cahn has long taught and has in fact practiced. But what he nor any other Christian should sanction is the deliberate slander of another Christian in the name of discernment. The approach that is being taken by The Berean Call and by similar so-called self-appointed “discernment ministries” is not biblical at all. One Christian does not drag another Christian before the bar of public opinion to shame them and slander their good name on the basis that they’re doing a service for God. There is a great difference between exposing a cult and its leader to dragging a fellow brother in Christ to do damage to that brother in the name of the Savior whom both call upon for their salvation. This is contemptible.
This is what these people have done and without remorse and without repentance. In fact they have stiffened their necks and have crystalized their attacks after being brought to task by other ministries for their practice and behavior. One article called it “bloodsport,” but the Berean Call, the Alliance for Biblical Integrity, and their satellites on the Internet with whom they join in writing hit piece after hit piece against other Christians such as James Dobson, Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Pat Boone, and others; have reacted in typically defiant unchristian behavior. At the very least, they could’ve presented a public apology to the people and ministries they have damage, but they have not. There is no humility grace, or love in these people.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: This was the spirit and intent behind the publication of David James's critique, "The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?" Playing off of the premise set forth by Jonathan Cahn, James encourages readers to exercise biblical discernment in order to answer the question: Does Isaiah 9:10 really contain, as Cahn asserts, an "ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future?"
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MY CLARIFICATION: The common denominator of Isaiah 9:10 with September 11th, 2001 and the nine harbingers mentioned, outlined, and explained in the best-selling book, The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn is the fact that not only was this Scripture which the prophet quotes to pronounce judgment on Israel 2500 years ago, it is quoted and cited by two of America’s leaders in our nation’s capital on two separate occasions commemorating the tragic events of September 11th. David James fails to see this in order to posit his own contention and write the hit piece he has written and rushed to publish on the heels of the highly successful New York Times best-seller authored by Pastor Cahn.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: In a pre-broadcast discussion with an investigative journalist from Christian radio, James explained the reason for his delay in announcing the threats of litigation, "I only mention this because Tom McMahon, with the full approval of the TBC board, has just made this public in an article that is now on their website and which will be in the February issue of their newsletter.
"We believe it is necessary for it to be known within the Body about this unfortunate (and unbiblical) course of action. I do not know to what extent Jonathan Cahn is involved with this personally -- so I am still not impugning motives, but it seems reasonable to think he would have the power to have prevented this from happening."
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MY CLARIFICATION: Let us look at the Scripture to which Mr. James alludes. I quote it here from the New American Standard Bible:
Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?
(1Corinthians 6:1-7)
First, the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God writes to berate his Corinthian brethren for not having competent leaders among themselves to whom they could approach and litigate their grievances against one another – believers like themselves who could take up the matter of their differences and resolve it biblically.
It was to their shame that there were none among their community who could be trusted as competent and impartial arbiters of who could be appointed by their leaders to take up legal matters among themselves, and instead they had no recourse but to resort to courts of judges who were men unlike themselves would take up matters that they more than likely had little or no competence to litigate in the first place. Paul says that this was to their shame – not the act in itself, since they would have to take it if there were men among them who could decide such matters, but that they had no one among them who take up these matters – this was their shame.
We find the same holds true today. Because there is not a body of Christians who could arbitrate the differences that Christian denominations have with one another, even individual Christians belonging to various ministries who also have serious differences with one another over doctrinal issues and issues of policies and procedures; Christians of all denominations much seek civil courts to decide matters where others who should know better, but cannot restrain their tongue, have slandered, and borne false witness against their fellow brethren. Otherwise such men would continue their assaults against other Christian ministries unabated and unchallenged. They must be made to account in some way and in some manner and stopped before they destroy any more lives.
Paul too makes mention that the redeemed of the Lord will no doubt serve in some legal capacity in the Highest Court of God’s justice some day in which angels and men will be brought to justice for their rebellion; no doubt the Great White Throne Judgment following the second resurrection of the dead (Mark 13:27, Romans 8:1-4, 1Corinthians 15, 1Thessalonians 4:15-17, 2Thessalonians 2:1-12, Hebrews 9:27-28, Revelations 2:11, 20:6), or the Second Death mentioned in Scripture (Revelations 20:14, 21:8).
We must be competent, knowledgeable in the Scriptures, temperate in our dealings, and with insight and impartiality serve now so that we will be competent and impartial then and have insight to judge then. For this reason I write as I do, because the self-deception of these men is great and they have carried many away with their words and unsettled others. Their actions, their behavior towards those Christians whom they’ve targeted, and their words speak for themselves and are made self-evident by the light of God’s Word when properly applied and understood, because everything is exposed by the light. Just as the Apostle Paul in the Holy Spirit has written: But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. (Ephesians 5:13)
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: McMahon, who heads the ministry under legal threat from Cahn and Charisma's attorney, elaborates, "For decades we at TBC have been exhorting and encouraging believers to be Bereans (i.e., to check out everything they are being taught) by searching the Scriptures every day" (Acts 17:11).
"More critical than the unbiblical action of a brother threatening to take another brother to court (1 Corinthians 6) is the issue of preventing the biblical evaluation of a work that is influencing hundreds of thousands.... In effect, we are being told that we must limit our documentation in warning the body of Christ of the biblical errors in 'The Harbinger.' In other words, we cannot be Bereans or like the watchman of Ezekiel 3:17-19."
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MY CLARIFICATION: I would then suggest to Mr. McMahon to do the same with himself and with his ministry. He was not called by Christ to train the resources with which he was entrusted with to train those resources on other Christians, but on the cults and the false New Age religious order working to overrun our society.
What you and your associates have done to Pastor Jonathan Cahn; to his ministry; to his calling; to his good name; has been nothing short than reprehensible. Your behavior and public statements against this man based upon a misreading and misunderstanding of his book, and the false doctrine of Cessationist Theology is nothing short than a scandal in itself. It is contemptible.
Even after having been reproved by some for having “thrown a brother under the bus” you could’ve at least made a serious self-examination of what you have done. No. You didn’t. Instead you trained every available resource to continue this campaign of defamation against The Harbinger and against its author, Jonathan Cahn, and have now brought even the shame of your having been legally warned not to continue in this to the Christian public’s eye in order to win them over and enflame them against your brother in Christ whom you have treated with the utmost contempt. My God man, unbelievers treat their own better than you have.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon have stirred controversy before. In 1985, they co-authored "The Seduction of Christianity," a groundbreaking book that exposed unbiblical teachings and practices of dozens of Christian leaders -- most of whom were popular in the Word of Faith and Charismatic movements.
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MY CLARIFICATION: This speaks for itself. You should have used the proper Christian method; the biblical method used by Priscilla and Aquila with Apollos. I cite it here, because this is the Scriptural manner in which doctrinal differences and corrections are made among and between Christian brethren. It is found in the Scriptures, in Luke’s Book of Acts:
Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
(Acts 18:34-38)
Please take note here, that when Priscilla and Aquila had heard Apollos, they did not berate him in public, nor did they reprove and correct him there in the synagogue in front of the others with whom Apollos had been sharing his incomplete version of the Gospel; but, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:26) And rather than quench the man’s spirit by bringing into question what he had said, perhaps even by way of personal testimony before the congregation, they instead after “explaining to him the way of God more accurately,” (Acts 18:26) they and the Christians with whom Priscilla and Aquila gathered – the brethren, they are called - encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. (Acts 18:27)
This is the Scriptural manner in which doctrinal differences, or differences as in the sharing of understanding and aspects of God’s Word one party may be unaware of and another party privy to. Here is an example how things are done right, and the fruit of what they produce when it’s done right. What does the Scriptural testimony say it ended? In the following manner, and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. (Acts 18:28) Such is the result of when something is done right and the fruit it produces in others.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit. First, it does what the Holy Spirit always does; bears witness of Christ (John 16:14), second; convicts the world of sin (John 16:8), third; brings people to faith in Christ for redemption (John 6:44, 65), and unlocks the teachings of the Bible (John 14:26, 16:13-15) which are a mystery to the unsaved because to them the Bible is nothing but a closed book that cannot be understood by the unregenerate mind, because its truths are spiritually discerned. (1Corinthians 2)
One Christian blogger had made the following observation about the behavior, actions, and public statements put out by the Berean Call, the Alliance for Biblical Integrity, and Worldview Weekend and others in their attacks:
“Discernment ministries usually work to identify serious failures of Christian doctrine, such as a denial of the Deity of Christ, which is the essential problem with denial of the Trinity; or advocacy of extrabiblical revelation (anything that is taken as authoritative outside the Bible, such as the traditions of Catholicism or the Book of Mormon), prophecies that contradict scripture, imputation of works of the flesh or the devil to the Holy Spirit and vice versa.
So it's rather strange to see these ministries going after Jonathan Cahn's Harbinger with such zeal, considering that they can't identify any such violations of the orthodox faith without indulging in tortuous reasoning.”
(Faith’s Corner, How the deck is stacked against The Harbinger --updated Tuesday, August 21, 2012)
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: "Seduction" was a controversial bestseller, and was blamed for creating "division" in the body of Christ. But many readers believed it to have been biblical division, in accordance with the Apostle Paul's exhortation to keep close watch on "those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them" (Romans 16:17).
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MY CLARIFICATION: Romans 16:17 reads as follows: Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. This is a favorite Scripture that is misapplied by these so-called self-appointed arbiters of discernment. But more telling is the verse that follows, because the combination of the two when properly understood and quoted in their correct context, exposes these people and their entire operation as cranks who war against the Christian church from within and cause divisions and dissensions of all types. I quote: For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. (Romans 16:18)
Clearly this Scripture in its entirety then is not referring to servants of Christ – to Christians, but to slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; who by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. It is clear that these people when targeting other Christians – and not the false teachers of the cults, the false religious orders, and false prophets of the New Age Ecumenicism that will usher in the universal church of the ant-Christ – are completely misapplying this admonition of Paul’s and misusing it to destroy other Christians with whom they have doctrinal and policy differences with. They use this Scripture to delegitimize those whom they target and to legitimize themselves among unsuspecting Christians. It’s a great act, and they’ve fooled a lot of people, yes even the very elect until now.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: An industry observer remarked, "Ironically, the tables have turned in the past 25 years. Today, books warning of heretical doctrine and false prophets are no longer profitable for mainstream Christian publishers, and would never, ever make the New York Times bestseller list. Instead, false claims and questionable teaching are their stock and trade."
Some believe that God's Word prophesied of this very trend in Christian publishing: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:4-5).
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MY CLARIFICATION: First, why doesn’t the writer of this article not name this “industry observer” whom cites. Second, because, as this article citing this unnamed source it calls “an industry observer” the tables have turned in the past 25 years, seeks to infer here that Pasto Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Harbinger can be numbered among these. Yes, the subtle and not so subtle bias of the article’s writer appears to indicate that it is by inference here. 2Timothy 4:4-5 is a favorite among these so-called discernment apologists. They misuse it as they do the rest of the Scriptures to legitimize and justify their attacks, and delegitimize and marginalize those whom they target as heretics among Christ’s body.
Let’s examine this Scripture which is one of their favorites, and read it in its proper context:
I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
(2Timothy 4:1-5)
First, we see the Apostle Paul in the Holy Spirit of God charging Timothy to: 1.) preach the word: 2.) be ready in season and out of season – in other words at all times and in every situation and circumstance; 3.) reprove – that is, correct with humility and in the love of Christ; 4.) rebuke – that is strongly correct when necessary and when the situation requires it; 5.) exhort – that is plead with and entreat the person, just as Jude has written in this regard the following - But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. (Jude 20-23) Dovetailed by the following Scripture from the Holy Spirit inspired and breathed pen of John the Beloved Elder, who writes:
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
(1John 5:16-17)
And what of James, the Lord’s brother, who writes the following about helping our fellow brethren from straying from the Christian faith?
My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
(James 5:19-20)
Does it say in any of these Scriptures that we ought to take a brother we fear is straying from the truth and drag him/her before the public and launch a campaign of defamation, slander, and innuendo to marginalize, shame, and discredit them? And this is how it teaches us to be towards those who are straying from the truth. Nowhere is Jonathan Cahn straying from God’s truth, only these men are claiming and have been doing this for months, that he has strayed from the truth, and that he is causing others to do the same. And they’re accusing him of this publicly – that is before believers and non-believers in print, and on radio, and in Cyberspace. This is not what Paul means at all here, for he ends his charge to Timothy to do the above , with great patience and instruction. (2Timothy 4:5)
There is no patience, there is no instruction, and there is no love, or grace in what these men have done and continue to do unabated, even when they are charged to do the opposite by Scripture, and some who know and have insight into such matters – the kind of understanding they themselves lack even with their learning.
An example that we can all emulate is Job, who after having suffered and endured; the Lord restored his fortunes when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. (Job 42:10)
Why do you think that the Scriptures time and again, proscribe outing someone in public, but first speaking with that person or with those people privately, seeking with as much patience and love as possible to resolve one’s differences with them, because to do otherwise is not to conceal the matter, but to needlessly bring that other person to open shame, because the Proverb is clear on this:
He who conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.
(Proverbs 17:9)
How can a brother be won over and “snatched from the fires” if we mistreat him and slander his good name, and bear false witness against that brother; all over a difference of interpretation? This is according to God’s Word a form of perversion, and therein lies the deception, because these people are deceiving others and are self-deceived themselves; believing in their zeal that they are rendering God a service, when they are slandering their brother’s good name. The Proverb indicts them:
A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
(Proverbs 16:28)
It has been reported that these men have separated long-lasting friendships among Christian ministries.
And what the Apostle Peter writes, quoting a well beloved verse from the Book of the Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament):
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
(1Peter 4:8)
The Proverbs themselves declare that hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions. (Proverbs 10:12)
These people are self-deceived and because they have built through the years a legitimate reputation as defenders of the faith from their previous work when they expended their energies and considerable resources to exposing the teachings and aberrant beliefs of the cults, but in recent years have begun targeting legitimate Christians ministries whom they mix with illegitimate ones on the flimsiest and unbiblical belief that because they appear to them to be Pentecostal or Charismatic, they with total disregard lump both together as the same and as heretical. This is based on their Cessationist Theology, because they do not believe that Christians can exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit today.
Of course the Apostle Paul writing in the Holy Spirit, prophetically warned about these people when he wrote the following to Timothy that in the last days difficult times will come, because there would be men who would be holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and he charges him to, Avoid such men as these. (2Timothy 3:1a, 5-6a)
Today’s Cessationists deny the very power of God and work of God in the Holy Spirit by denying the gifts that according to Scripture the Holy Spirit imparts to believers for service in the church, and to do this is to deny not only the Holy Spirit’s legitimate role in the body of Christ, but to deny Christ and His work, for it is through the Holy Spirit indwelling the born again servant of God in Christ who wills and works for God’s glory, according God’s Word. (1Corinthians 12, Ephesian 4:11-16, Philippians 2:13)
They readily forget Paul’s admonition where he writes to desire the greater gifts. (1Corinthians 12:31) And with this, they’ve forgotten Paul’s admonition to do the following:
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
(Romans 12:3)
Yet in targeting other Christians, not cultists and cults, but other Christians; these people have set aside the admonitions and commandments given to them clearly in the Scriptures, and have become self-deluded into believing that their contention for the faith has to be against other Christians, when the Scripture that admonishes this, does not cite other Christians as its target, but those outside of the Christian faith. This is why these people are so self-deceived and believe themselves ‘ a cut above” those whom they’ve targeted, even a cut above all others in the body of Christ, for they view themselves and have appointed themselves as overseers – no longer against non-Christians and cultists, but now against legitimate born again Evangelicals like Pastor Jonathan Cahn, Jim Daly, Billy Graham, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, James MacDonald, and Pat Boone; recklessly lumping them with false prophets and teachers into a single group.
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CHRISTIAN NEWSWIRE ARTICLE: In light of the threatened legal action against the ministry that Dave Hunt founded, T.A. McMahon wrote, "We have hired a copyright attorney to address the legal issues and have responded to the attorney for Cahn and CMP. Even so, we covet your prayers that the Lord will be glorified throughout the process."
McMahon's entire remarks may be read in his February article, "The Demise of Biblical Discernment," now posted on the ministry's website at http://www.thebereancall.org. David James's report is posted at http://www.biblicalintegrity.org.
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MY CLARIFICATION: T.A. McMahon has taken Dave Hunt’s beloved the Berean Call and made it into something it never was. It has since Mr. McMahon taken the reins of power, become a bitter attack dog against other Christians. There have been several articles warning of this trend, for example When Discernment Turns Ugly: Discerning Discerners, When Christians engage in blood sport – by Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries, and Eric Barger of Take a Stand Ministries – When Christians Engage in Bloodsport, and the Pepster’s Post own article on discernment ministries entitled, THE HARBINGER'S CRITIC: WHEN DISCERNMENT IS DECEPTION.
Jonathan Cahn does not speak of any of these people when interviewed on radio. He doesn’t bring them up. He has not pursued them as they have him, but he has acted very appropriately with them. It speaks volumes. It is time for the people of God to be truly discerning and see these people for what they are according to the Scriptures, because we are living at a time when things are not as they appear, and these people are in the epicenter of deception, being self-deceived themselves (though well-intentioned) and deceiving a good many others with clever dialogue and rhetoric, but primarily because of the name they have built around themselves. They are now capitalizing on it, and it is unfortunate that they are now fulfilling the role of the religious opposition to what the Lord is doing in our day.
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