False teacher enabler James MacDonald Digs Deeper Hole For The Elephant Room

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JAMES MACDONALD DIGS DEEPER HOLE FOR THE ELEPHANT ROOM
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Nov 10, 2011 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

The other day in Rick Warren And Teachings Of Demons here at Apprising Ministries I reminded you — Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).

I then pointed out a couple of the major teachings of demons that are being spread right now by these deceitful spirits, which are right now leading people who profess to be Christians to depart from the faith, and are even misleading leading evangelicals into error.

One of these deceptions is a direct fruit of the surrender of the evangelical community of the proper Christian spirituality of sola Scriptura for corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM). We’re now witnessing the spread of sinful ecumenicism where the love of mankind becomes more important than the Gospel of God.

The Lord warned of times like these when He moved the Apostle Paul to tell us we’d see — people will be lovers of self (2 Timothy 3:2). Those of us who’ve studied the fruits of CSM, no matter what religion we see it in, can tell you that eventually the practitioner comes to a wickedly warped love for mankind.

Since it’s not the subject of this piece I’m only going to say that this love goes well beyond what God means by — you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). It’s a demonic delusion that turns love backwards. Our love for God comes before our love for our fellow man, but today it’s largely reversed.

Here’s how this relates to Gospel Coalition Council Member James MacDonald, the ill-advised Elephant Room, and TLC itself. The fruit from ER1 gives every impression that seeking unity with cult of personality Seeker Driven Prophet-Führers like Steven Furtick has trumped bringing him into correction.

The clear evidence is Furtick’s grown progressively worse and Word Faith in his teachings; yet, he’s back once again for ER2. As far as TLC, I’m afraid it’s beginning to look somewhat like a spiritual Good Ol’ Boys club of The Gospel Compromise that’s apparently more interested in phony unity than the purity of the Gospel.

Which brings me to MacDonald’s post Elephant Room – Not for the Faint of Heart, which seems to me as part whine, part commercial for people to lay down $$$ for ER2. MacDonald muses:

What does it take to knock you down? A little push back, a wave of criticism? A few of those you considered friends turning on you? We find out how committed we are to a particular priority by what it takes to get us off mission.

And, by God’s grace, we are staying on mission in The Elephant Room. I have been slandered, misquoted and maligned for my motives. (Online source)

Proverbs 18:17 reads — The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. Who’s been “slandered, misquoted and maligned” here? I’d say MacDonald is the one who’s done so when he included those of us offering godly criticism among unnamed people that he claimed:

castigate everyone they disagree with, spout pejoratives like a cowboy with a mouth full of tobacco, and write off preachers for anything they find offensive or discordant with their own sense of right and wrong. I have heard these folks referred to as discernmentalists…

[Such] harsh denunciation is what puts people in the camp of being religionists, unholy, unloving and possibly unsaved. (Online source)

I’ve followed all of this very closely and I’ve not seen anyone credible slandering, misquoting and maligning James MacDonald or judging his sincerity; and the fact remains that MacDonald brought a lot of extra criticism upon himself when he maligned “reformed folks” via the tweet below:


(Online source)

So from where I sit it’s quite a bit of the pot calling the kettle black because the record reveals more than a bit of posturing for sympathy on the part of James MacDonald throughout his discussion of ER. As this progresses TGC member MacDonald really does seem to increasingly be moving more toward the SD camp.

Any of us who’ve had dealings with these vision-casting Prophet-Führers like Furtick or his mentor Perry Noble know that to them there is no such thing as a godly critic. Now consider that, despite Noble’s potty mouth and intentionally upsetting Christians at his church, MacDonald now openly endorses his ministry.

This also looks to be more fruit from ER and Noble’s appearance within. I offer that anyone who looks at ER1 objectively will see it actually brought the YRR guys closer to both Noble and Furtick rather than correcting their pragmatism rooted in Church Growth Movement tactics ala Rick Warren and Bill Hybels.

MacDonald goes on to tell us what he sees as the basic idea for ER:

The goal is open conversation between Christian leaders who see and do ministry differently. Not just people who disagree about little things, but major rifts of separation among those who profess Christ. (Online source)

Notice he says ER is supposedly “open conversation between Christian leaders.” Yet ER2 will feature long reputed modalist Oneness Pentecostal and definite Word Faith prosperity preacher T.D. Jakes. Here MacDonald acknowledges Jakes as a Christian leader. And it’s not the first time:

I do not agree that T.D. Jakes is a Modalist… T.D. Jakes website states that he believes God has existed eternally in three manifestations which is modalist language…

Getting people together within the broadest spectrum of Christianity who don’t normally interact, is what the Elephant Room is all about. (Online source)

Upon what basis MacDonald bases this belief is not disclosed. He’s welcome to his views but it’s an incontrovertible fact that Jakes’ site is continuing to use modalist language. However, whether Jakes is a modalist—though the evidence strongly suggests that he is—is actually somewhat beside the point.

T.D. Jakes is already heretical in his association with modalists and in rebellion against God’s Word because he is Vice Prelate for something called Higher Ground Always Abounding Assemblies, Inc (HGAAA), which does have Oneness churches as members:


(Online source)

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is clear the Christian is not to be in religious fellowship with unbelieving idolators, which is what modalists are because they do not believe in the only God there is; the Triune God revealed in Holy Scripture. That Jakes continues to be yoked with unbelievers disqualifies him from Christian leadership.

He’s been warned about this many times and yet refuses to repent. Since Jakes claims to be Christian, the Bible instructs us that we should publicly shun him, not extend Jakes a platform that helps him appear mainstream. MacDonald goes on to explain that with ER:

Here we have a chance to exhort and explain why some issues are worth dying for and can’t simply be a point of divergent opinion.

What are you afraid of? We are going to talk about tough subjects that needlessly separate and maybe some subjects that must separate. (Online source. emphasis his)

First of all, I’m know I’m not afraid of anything; I’m just explaining proper Christian doctrine. You see, the nature of God is worth dying for; and centuries ago modalism was rightly declared damnable heresy. In other words, it is a tough subject about which we “must separate” as it isn’t simply “a point of divergent opinion.”

MacDonald then concludes:

we are attempting to model an ethic of behavior and expression of love that adorns the gospel… Gospel belief without Gospel behavior is NOT orthodoxy. (Online source)

Pious-sounding blather aside; this is Gospel behavior because God tells us we are to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), the faith that modalists are denying. And so, I will now ask this TGC member once again, James MacDonald, You Do Realize This Is About The Gospel, Right?


JAMES MACDONALD DIGS DEEPER HOLE FOR THE ELEPHANT ROOM : Apprising Ministries

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PASTOR JAMES MACDONALD SMACKS DOWN CRITICS IN VIDEO AND REFERS TO HIS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS AS "BROTHERS". T.D. JAKES IS A "BROTHER" DESPITE THE FACT JAKES IS A NON-TRINITARIAN?


Pastor James MacDonald Smacks Down Critics in Video and Refers to His Conference Participants as "Brothers". T.D. Jakes is a "Brother" Despite The Fact Jakes is a Non-Trinitarian?


Posted: 11/10/11

Not for the Stout of Heart, Either, Apparently

by Phil Johnson


here's a distinct change in volume, tone, and attitude between James MacDonald's "Humble Pie" blogpost and yesterday's "Not for the Faint of Heart" addendum.

In the earlier post, MacDonald acknowledged his own inconsistency: he knew he should not have "used strong language" to scold others for being harsh in their criticism of the Elephant Room strategy. But in yesterday's post and video, MacDonald casts off restraint and reverts to angry-sounding rhetoric.

Despite their starkly contrasting styles, both statements have one thing in common: MacDonald wishes those with concerns about what he is doing would just shut up. He says it euphemistically: "We are asking that those interested in what we are doing allow the conversations to take place before making final conclusions about their wisdom or helpfulness." But clearly, that plea applies to critics, not to MacDonald himself or to those who support his strategy.

There are multiple layers of irony in that. MacDonald purports to be championing fearless dialogue with people he says he doesn't necessarily agree with. But there's a distinct and clearly discernible direction to the drift of the "dialogue." It is painfully obvious that MacDonald is not so keen to listen and learn when someone more conservative than he wants to share a perspective.

But let's set all of that aside. What troubled me much more about the video MacDonald posted yesterday was his repeated insistence from beginning to end that the participants of Elephant Room 2 are a true Band of Spiritual Brothers:



In the earlier "Humble Pie" blogpost, MacDonald had expressed "regret that the purpose of the Elephant Room was not expanded and explained before including a greater breadth of participants." I took that as an admission that he had come to realize why so many people thought it inappropriate to invite a non-Trinitarian into a discussion that was being advertised as a conversation between brothers in Christ who are all committed to the same Christ and the same gospel.

Click here for complete article:


Pastor James MacDonald Smacks Down Critics in Video and Refers to His Conference Participants as "Brothers". T.D. Jakes is a "Brother" Despite The Fact Jakes is a Non-Trinitarian?

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CARL TRUEMAN ON THE ELEPHANT ROOM AND THE GOSPEL COALITION
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Nov 14, 2011 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features


CARL TRUEMAN ON THE ELEPHANT ROOM AND THE GOSPEL COALITION : Apprising Ministries

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DISCERNING THE ELEPHANT ROOM WITH PHIL JOHNSON
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Nov 14, 2011 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features


DISCERNING THE ELEPHANT ROOM WITH PHIL JOHNSON : Apprising Ministries

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related:


James MacDonald’s Elephant Room Conference – The Musical
Posted on January 10, 2012 by Chrystal Whitt


Some thought I was truly awful for posting this Benny Hinn video the other day, so I’m thinking that they’re prooooooobably not going to be a big fan of this!


Here is a video from the gang at Wretched Radio about James MacDonald’s Elephant Room Conference, and it is put in a perspective that can only be done by Todd Friel and the crew.



And, yes, I laughed at this one too. More than once! Especially when they got to the part about Steven Furtick and Mark Driscoll.

Listen to hear what I’m talking about.


James MacDonald’s Elephant Room Conference – The Musical | Slaughter of the Sheep