BEWARE OF CONTENTIOUS DECEPTION MASQUERADING AS DISCERNMENT

Part of the great deception infiltrating Evangelical Christianity is happening right now.  It is of epic proportions, and it is within the ranks of the church itself, which is being assailed on all sides by strange and diverse concepts and ideas, as the Gospel is taking a backseat to all of these, as the enemy of the Christian Faith works within the ranks of the Christian Church – the Body of Christ; to destroy its effectiveness in reaching lost people for Christ and turning this nation around in revival.

Before I continue, let me make it clear that I am not in any way saying that it is not good for Christians to discuss among themselves aberrant doctrines and heresy; this is a necessary component of Apologetics and the best way to sift between the wheat and the chaff and learn truth from error. 

But Christians should never contend amongst themselves about their faith.  Our contention is not and should not be according to the pure and undefiled spirit of what Scripture teaches, between Christians.  Any and all differences of doctrine apart from the most fundamental tenets of our faith, can and should be discussed privately by differing parties, and not in open forums with polemical works written against fellow Christians published specifically to discredit other Christian ministries. 

Take special note that the people who are The Harbinger’s greatest critics and those in the periphery who are straddling the fence between belief and disbelief (not unbelief, because they’re born again), are not focusing on the assaults against Christians being perpetrated by the secular humanists, atheists, and others outside of the Christian Faith, or on the cults and the phonies out there; but have been for some time turning their focus inward, against fellow born again evangelicals like themselves. 

They’ve diverted their energies and resources from one of defending the faith by contending for it with its enemies (which is the true role of the Apologist) to attacking the faith and work of other Christian ministries with whom they have doctrinal disagreements.  This is not Apologetics and it is not biblical.  What’s more, it is not sanctioned by Scripture.  This is a great cause of concern for the body of Christ.  I’ll explain why.

There is a biblical pattern, which I outline extensively in my upcoming book, that these discernment ministries are not following, but they are treating their fellow brethren with contempt and derision and tearing them to pieces in public.  This is not good and it is not a good witness of the Christian faith to an incredulous and increasingly cynical world.  What’s more, it helps fan the flames the enemy would like to see us engulfed in.  The flames of discontent and dissension, and discord and mistrust do not purify, but they destroy, and these are not what the Lord or John the Baptist and others had in mind when they said that we would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

David James and his associates at The Berean Call are in the midst of all of this, and many, but not all, of the discernment ministries are being used to foment dissensions, sow discord in the body, and create distrust among sincere born again believers. 

Last year I warned David James that he was at the epicenter of this great battle, and that eventually God would make evident who the wheat and who the tares were in this great struggle.  But make no mistake about it; at its epicenter is Mr. James.  And behind him, T.A. McMahon and the Berean Call.

Apropos of the current discussion about the delusion and spiritual blindness besetting The Harbinger's critics is what the Apostle Paul writes in the Holy Spirit about Judaism and the great sages of his time, many of whom were well known to him, and were former colleagues of his before coming to faith in the Messiah.  Take special note that he writes about them in the following manner pertaining to their state of spiritual cognizance (their ability to process information that would allow them to recognize who Jesus Christ really is):

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.  But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

(2Corinthians 3:14-16)

Take note that the Apostle Paul does not question their knowledge of the Scriptures, because having trained with them under the great Jewish Sage, Gamaliel I, Paul knew first hand just how learned these former colleagues of his were.  No, it is not their knowledge of the Scriptures or their powers of Hermeneutics that he brings into question, it is their spiritual powers of perception. 

I submit the same about these critics of The Harbinger, and submit to those who read this that there is no question that they are learned and steeped in theology, but they lack understanding without which their ability to analyze, reason, and comprehend information is seriously impaired.

After reading the criticisms against The Harbinger, all of which appear to originate from David James’ book; I have noticed that there is a strong deluding influence that has seriously impaired the perception of these critics to believe the lies that have spread about The Harbinger. 

This is a phenomenon that will be expected in the last days just before the coming of the antichrist (2Thessalonians 2:11-12), of which the Lord Himself warned that even the very elect could and many would fall into (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22), in case some in their mistaken pride may think that this does not apply to them, or that they may be exempt.  Nobody is exempt.

There is something seriously wrong with these people and their ability to process information.  The accsations and charges David James makes in his book are ludicrous.  Anyone who’s read The Harbinger for themselves and then read this man’s polemic against it, almost instantly realizes that David James is not playing with a full deck, let alone, a full theological deck.  And that’s being as kind and diplomatic as I can be, because he is a brother in Christ.  I'm not jesting here, I am dead serious.  There are some serious issue with this man's powers of perception and comprehension, and his writings betray it. 

I repeat, there is something seriously wrong with this man and T.A. McMahon, and the others associated with these people, and I am of the opinion that it is of a spiritual nature, not just intellectual.  The intellectual side of it is what we read, what we see in how they in their articles, and David James in his book process information; but the spiritual dimension or aspect to this – the great deception of which I often refer – is at the heart of this great cognitive dissonance. 

It is a strong spiritual and mental delusion that misreads the writings of others, and cleverly uses all manner of Cessationist circuitous argumentation to redefine and control the discussion and then manipulate the unwary listener or reader to believe the false narrative created by James and others in order to use it to replace The Harbinger so as to convince those listening or reading the accusations hurled against Jonathan Cahn and his book.  So that those reading his book or articles, or listening on the radio, begin to believer that what David James says is factual, when it is nothing but a fabrication of Mr. James’ twisted thinking and impaired powers of analysis. (This reminds me of 1Kings 22 and 2Chronicles 18)

Unmistakably, these are the people who claim that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit and prophetic utterances ended with the Apostles, and yet believe that God still saves, still establishes His anointing to teach and preach the word, and will send His two prophetic witnesses during the Great Tribulation (Revelations 11:3-12). 

These people forget that the testimony of Jesus Christ and His Gospel is the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10).  It does not go away because of an inconvenient Cessationist Theology claims and teaches it has; but continues to this day, and will until the day “the perfect” reign of Christ comes and predominates the earth and universe and all things are restored to their former state (Romans 8:18-24), and Christ reigns from Zion and teaches the nations God’s Law (Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2). 

God does not change (Hebrews 13:8), and there is much more work to be done until His return.  It will then be truly said that at that time, the perfect has come, because we will see Him and hear Him for ourselves, and not as we do now – in part and in a mirror dimly (1Corinthians 13:12). 

The Apostle Paul warns us to keep from those who have an appearance of righteousness, but deny its power (2Timothy 3:5), and warns that after he has gone to be with the Lord, they would be NOT OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH, BUT FROM WITHIN (Acts 20:29), bringing destructive heresies like Cessationism with them, and attacking the body from within like a cancer (2Peter 2:1). 

We are seeing this in our day with the misapplication of Apologetics.  It resembles a mutiny within God’s ark; attacking God’s most effective and vocal servants – people like Jonathan Cahn.  These are the works that will be most assuredly burned, yet because of God’s grace, those involved in them will be saved through their faith in Jesus Christ (1Corinthians 3:12-15), but consider the needless loss, the wasted efforts and resources, and the unnecessary suffering these people bring to themselves and the body, and how they work to wreck legitimate Christian ministries over doctrinal difference.

Though these people contend with us; our battle is not with our brethren, but with spiritual forces of wickedness within the church in high places (Ephesians 6:12), and only by God’s grace – the measure of understanding He imparts to us individually, and the supernatural ability to confront these people effectively – provides us with the will to go on and surmount our detractors.  It is by God’s grace in Jesus Christ Our Lord that we will prevail.  We don’t prevail because of ourselves, but because of Him who alone is our Advocate and Savior, and Lord.

Is it possible for a born again believer to be deceived by false and aberrant doctrine?  The answer lies in the fact that so many Christian Evangelicals cannot define their personal faith and walk in Jesus Christ, or cite a single verse from their Bibles to support and defend the most basic tenets of our faith when called to defend it against cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses, the LDS (Mormons), Scientology, Christian Science, and religious orders such as Roman Catholicism, and the different brands of modern Judaism, let alone Islam and the various Islamist strains of which it forms its bedrock. 

On the one hand, we are witnessing a biblical illiteracy in our land unlike we have ever seen before in our history, and we are also witnessing a powerful delusion of the thinking and analytical processes on a spiritual plain that I personally had not seen in almost thirty-five years I’ve lived as a born again Evangelical Christian by God’s grace and calling in Jesus Christ Our Lord.  The current colossal misunderstanding surrounding The Harbinger is such an example of this powerful and strong delusion. 

The critics engaged in it are very deluded.  One reading of what they have written makes it apparent just how way off the plantation they've strayed, but because of their reputation and their knowledge of theology, many people have fallen for their contentions without reading the book for themselves. 

People forget that the most learned of Israel rejected its Messiah, and some of the most learned of every age have historically contended with God's servants and prophets at times of crisis and revival.  History repeats itself. 

These are the kinds of people who would criticize the Apostle Paul for citing a pagan writer on Mar’s Hill in support of the Gospel.  I know that personally and so does Jonathan Cahn.  We've both been accused by the critics of The Harbinger of practicing Kabbalah and advocating the Zohar and mysticism over the Bible.  You want to know why?  Because we, like many of the finest theologians, have used excerpts from these writings to show how even they without knowing, support Jesus' Messianic claims. 

For this, Jonathan Cahn and I have been accused of promoting the Occult.  These people are self-condemned, and their own statements will expose them.  The Apostle Peter himself would’ve had it very rough with these critics; because when he fell asleep, he fell into a trance. (Acts 10:10)  I can just see it now, spread across the Berean Call’s website; False Apostle Goes Into Trance State and Fellowships With Pagans! 

But their To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.  They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

(Titus 1:15-16)

These things are a direct fulfillment of end time prophecy.  They must come to pass before the unveiling of the antichrist, the apostasy and falling away of many, and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  But what the Scripture say?  What are the words of Our Lord?  “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

(Luke 21:28)

I should not have to be writing about this as I do, but the deception is so great, the delusion so vast, and the infiltration within our ranks of false impressions, duplicity, and false witnesses are so many; that I am compelled to raise my voice about it, and warn the faithful of this, lest they too get swept away by these people and join with them in attacking their fellow Christians rather than shouting above the rooftops to this fallen nation as The Harbinger does, "REPENT, REPENT; FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!  AND GOD'S JUDGMENT WILL NOT BE AVERTED IF OUR NATION CONTINUES SPIRALING DOWN THE COURSE IT HAS BEEN ON FOR A GENERATION."

It is past time for these people to turn their sights away from other Christians, and devote their energies fighting the government-sanctioned and tax-payer supported infanticide, the overt promotion of sexual deviancy, and defend the rights of every American to practice their faith in Jesus Christ without persecution and harrasment from government or political action groups in league with this current government.