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 Did you know that David Jeremiah’s odd teachings are no stranger to the Biblical Discernment Ministry site and has more recently been noticed by other friends to this ministry. Dr. David Cloud’s Way of Life Ministries reminds their readers,

“…That Sue Monk Kidd [goddess worshiper] is quoted favorably by evangelicals such as David Jeremiah (Life Wide Open), Beth Moore (When Godly People Do Ungodly Things), Richard Foster (Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home), and Philip Yancy (Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?). Kidd’s endorsement is printed on the back of Dallas Willard’s book The Spirit of the Disciplines. She wrote the foreword to the 2006 edition of Henri Nouwen’s With Open Hands and the introduction to Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, praises Kidd’s book When the Heart Waits. He says, “As I read her book, Kidd became a companion. I love having her walk with my on my journey.”

So really is this a surprise? Not really. Jeremiah’s actions reach back more than a few years with BDM, I have republished our 1999 article below and linked it here.

The Church with an all seeing eye and upside down cross

David Jeremiah – General Teachings/Activities

–  David Jeremiah is the former president of Christian Heritage College in San Diego, California (succeeding psychologizer Tim LaHaye in 1988, but resigning in 1999 for health reasons [cancer, now in remission]), the senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church of El Cajon since 1981 (formerly known as Scott Memorial Baptist Church and where he also succeeded LaHaye), and perhaps best known as Bible teacher on the “Turning Point” radio and television programs. The radio program airs on 460 national and international stations daily. Jeremiah has also authored more than a dozen books.

–  Jeremiah’s neo-evangelical and psychological leanings are becoming more and more evident with the passage of time. Jeremiah is a product of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC), having pastored the GARBC-affiliated Blackhawk Baptist Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana prior to moving to Southern California, and having served on the GARBC’s ruling Council of Eighteen in the late-1970s/early-1980s. (Jeremiah’s father is Chancellor at GARBC-approved Cedarville College in Ohio.)

He has also appeared frequently on “Christian” psychologist James Dobson‘s Focus on the Family radio program (having first met Dobson in 1976 when Dobson spoke at Jeremiah’s church in Indiana).

–  At the time of the 1980 GARBC Annual Convention in San Diego, Jeremiah had been speaking at all kinds of neo-evangelical meetings and conferences. Jeremiah was very angry because he had received numerous critical letters complaining that he, as a Council of Eighteen member, was identifying the GARBC with these neo-evangelicals. Jeremiah would not even attend the Council sessions, but did come to the closed Executive Session. He stated before all the Council members and the newly appointed National Representative, Dr. Paul Tassell [then a strong separatist/fundamentalist, but now a flaming neo-evangelical], that he was fed up with the GARBC and wanted nothing more to do with it and its stand on separation! In fact, after this he soon left the GARBC. (Reported in What Happened to the GARBC at Niagara Falls?, pp. 19-20.)

–  Jeremiah stated in 1987 (at neo-evangelical Moody Bible Institute) that a Christian should stay in a church which no longer preaches the Bible, as long as he can do some good, and as long as his spiritual life is not hurt. Such counsel is clear-cut, neo-evangelical philosophy! (Reported in What Happened to the GARBC at Niagara Falls?, pp. 20-21.) Jeremiah was a 2/92 Moody Founder’s Week speaker and is listed with a bevy of neo-evangelical speakers in the 1992 Program Schedule for the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in North Carolina. (Reported in the 5/15/92, Calvary Contender.)

–  Jeremiah appeared on James Dobson‘s 4/28/92 and 4/29/92 Focus on the Family radio programs to discuss Jeremiah’s book Exposing the Myths of Parenthood. On the 4/28 program, myth #10 was examined: “To be loved is not necessarily to feel loved.” Jeremiah revealed that he has coined a phrase from this: “The only love you can use is the love you can feel.”

Dobson then disclosed his own “theory” of why he thought children could, by every objective standard, be loved by their parents, yet not feel loved — it is due to “hormonal influence,” like “pre-menstrual disequilibrium,” which then causes most of a child’s low self-esteem problems! Dobson concluded: “… if my guess is correct … that there is a hormonal explanation for a lot of that rebellious behavior, and especially the low self-esteem … [then] it’s temporary … this is a developmental imbalance that’s going on … this is why it is of no value whatsoever to say to [rebellious kids], ‘Why are you acting this way?’ … all they know is that they feel these things passionately inside.” Jeremiah agreed with Dobson’s theory.

In effect then, Dobson and Jeremiah are saying that there is no personal responsibility for sin. Instead, ‘My hormones made me do it!’ Jeremiah concluded: “I wish you [Dobson] had been around when I was going through this [when his daughter was on drugs and being rebellious] … you accept the fact that it can be hormonal and just keep on working as hard as you can to communicate love at a feeling level.” What psychological dribble!

–  Jeremiah’s adopted daughter, Jan, gave her testimony on Dobson’s 4/29/92 radio program, which had been taped previously at Word of Life in New York. In summary, Jan Jeremiah declared that her problems with drugs, rebelliousness, etc. were due primarily to the identity problem she supposedly suffered when the family moved from Indiana to California — she had “low self-esteem” and “I hated myself.” With the passage of time (supposedly she outgrew the hormonal effects on her behavior) and with the beneficial effects of attending a school in the Dominican Republic (where she was taught that “you are an important person in God’s eyes”), she recovered and again became a joyful Christian serving the Lord. David Jeremiah confirmed that the majority of his daughter’s problems were due to her problem of low self-worth; i.e., she just couldn’t “feel” the love being given her.

The Bible knows nothing of this feeling love that Jeremiah, Dobson, and the many other religious humanists (e.g., James Dobson, Gary Ezzo, Chuck Swindoll, Josh McDowell, etc.) in the professing church today are so fond of.

Instead, the Bible speaks of action love-giving, obeying, doing, etc. — and then only in the truth (John 3:16; 14:23,24; Rom. 5:8; 12:9a,20a; Eph. 5:25; 1 John 3:16a,18; 4:9,10,19,20; 5:3; 2 John 6; Rev. 2:4,5).

–  Jeremiah is on the Board of Directors of ALIVE Counseling Ministries, headquartered in El Cajon, California.

ALIVE (an acronym for “Always Living In View of Eternity”) purports to be a “church oriented approach to [meet] the counseling needs of the Christian community.” However, ALIVE readily reveals its psychological, not Biblical, basis of counseling — the following statement from an ALIVE brochure details how it meets these counseling needs: “… with a biblically based plan for recovery … [benefiting] from the best of modern medical and counseling advances that stand the test of harmony with God’s revealed truth. … Advanced formal education [translated: “psychological training”] provides knowledge of emotions, personal relationships, and thinking about behavior problems. This education enables Christian counselors to apply God’s revealed truth to the problems of man.”! (Emphasis added.)

ALIVE in El Cajon is directed by Dr. Ken Nichols (who holds a doctor of counseling psychology from the Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology) [Nichols is also professor and Vice President of Student Development at Christian Heritage College where Jeremiah was president]. ALIVE also has four affiliate offices that are also directed by men with degrees and experience in clinical and/or counseling psychology. In spite of all this, Jeremiah endorses ALIVE’s highly psychological program:

“ALIVE Counseling is meeting the needs of hundreds of families and individuals. I know personally dozens of marriages that have been saved and deep emotional problems that have been resolved. In this day of psychological confusion and “new age” philosophy, it is encouraging to find a counseling ministry that is firmly rooted in the Scriptures.” (Emphasis added.)

“… firmly rooted in the Scriptures”? Where in the Scriptures do we find sending Christians to godless atheists for spiritual help (“… make referrals for professional evaluation” [i.e., evaluation by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist]), or where do we find the concept of support group/recovery counseling (“set up specialized support group training programs”), or where in the Bible are we taught that the key to godly living is to focus on self (“How a person views himself affects his perception of everyfacet of life … enables participants to better understand that they are fearfully and wonderfully made”)? (Quotes are from ALIVE’s “Introducing ALIVE Ministries” brochure; emphasis added.)

–  Dr. Bill Jackson, president of the Association of Fundamentalists Evangelizing Catholics (AFEC), prepared a 6/18/99 statement on “The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration” (EC) (see the 6/14/99 Christianity Today for the full text of the EC).

This document has been endorsed by a host of psychologizers and neo-evangelicals such as Charles Colson, Bill Bright, and J.I. Packer, all of whom also signed the controversial ECT documents of 1994 and 1997; as well as endorsed by R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur and D. James Kennedy, all of whom publicly [albeit weakly] challenged and criticized them for signing the ECT documents. There are a number of helpful statements in this latest document which deal with areas which were not fully dealt with in the ECT documents (e.g., imputation is now dealt with favorably, but has been consistently opposed by Roman Catholic Councils and Catechisms).

EC says, “We cannot embrace any form of doctrinal indifferentism by which God’s truth is sacrificed for a false peace.” But there is certainly no better example of “doctrinal indifferentism” than the ECT documents themselves (James 1:8)! Because ECT I stated that “Evangelicals and Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ,” in order to be relevant, the new EC document should be submitted to the Roman Catholics who signed ECT I and II. It is difficult to see how a person could subscribe to both ECT and EC. The only logical conclusion is for all who signed EC to remove their names from ECT. It also appears that the so-called “evangelical” ECT endorsers have been “let off the hook” by former critics.

We believe EC will be used to rehabilitate those who erred in 1994 and 1997, without their having to admit or ask forgiveness for their error. (Source: 7/15/99, Calvary Contender.)

Drafting the Evangelicals and Catholics Together Document 

[Other “evangelical” endorsers of ECT among the 15 members of the Drafting Committee and 114 members of the Endorsing Committee include John Ankerberg, Kay Arthur, Tony Evans, Jerry Falwell, Bill Hybels, David Jeremiah, Max Lucado, Woodrow Kroll, Tim & Beverly LaHaye, Erwin Lutzer, Bill McCartney, Luis Palau, Pat Robertson, Ronald Sider, Charles Stanley, John Stott, Joseph Stowell, Chuck Swindoll, and Ravi Zacharias; also endorsing EC were hyper-charismatics Jack Hayford, Steven Strang, and Bruce Wilkinson.]

However ignorant Jeremiah and fellow endorsers may be of all this, his participation in EC makes him a party to its consequences.

It is also important to note that the EC document (which is supposed to be a definitive and comprehensive statement of the true saving Gospel of Christ), never mentions repentance for salvation, and never mentions the total depravity of man (thereby leaning towards a decisional regeneration). Moreover, the EC promotes an ecumenical unity (via “trans-denominational cooperative enterprises”) with all professing believers who attest to the EC’s “essentials” of the faith. But this is not the unity of the faith taught in Ephesians. While we are instructed by Scripture to be of one mind, the evangelical today scoffs at the idea of true Biblical unity based on complete agreement with, and submission to, God’s holy Word. The only use of the word “unity” in the New Testament is found in Ephesians chapter four. It is a “unity of the Spirit” (v. 3), not of men. It is a “unity of faith” (v. 13) based on sound doctrine for which believers are to contend, not water down nor reclassify into essentials and non-essentials (Jude 3).

No real spiritual unity can exist apart from doctrinal unity, and we are to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17).

–  In early-1998, neo-evangelical, charismatic Greg Laurie concocted a new “ministry,” PREACH THE WORD. Its first event was held August 26-29, 1998, titled “Leader’s Training Seminar.” Laurie states the purpose of the Leader’s Training Seminar is to bring in “some of America’s most powerful communicators to spend three days teaching on the topic of how to effectively bring God’s Word to our generation.” (Source: Greg Laurie/Harvest Crusade Internet web site, 4/98.) (The seminar was held concurrent with a Laurie’ “Harvest Crusade.”)

Besides Laurie speaking at the Leader’s Training Seminar, four other neo-evangelical psychologizers participated: David Jeremiah, Chuck Smith, Chuck Swindoll, and John MacArthur. It should be emphasized here, this event was not dubbed a debate. These are five men speaking on the same platform in supposed agreement. (This would seem to be a problem only for John MacArthur, since the others, including Jeremiah, have never spoken out against psychology, but instead have taught many psychological concepts openly.)

–  Speakers at Shadow Mountain have included four-temperaments guru Tim LaHaye (10/3/99 — both services with books on sale), hyper-charismatic and liberal activist E.V. Hill (July, 1999, Summer Bible Conference), Promise Keepers‘ Bill McCartney (1996, with his wife also giving her testimony from the pulpit), and assorted sports figures. Also, as of November, 1999, Dr. Ken Nichols is teaching a lay counseling class. This is apparently the same Dr. Ken Nichols who was at Northwest Baptist Seminary in Tacoma, Washington some years back. He has a Ph.D. from Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology and was Director of Alive Counseling Ministries in Richland, Washington — both highly psychologized organizations. Yet, Jeremiah has identified himself with the teachings of all these men (2 John 11).

A Shadow Mountain member reported that on the last Sunday in October of 1999, Jeremiah preached on Mary Magdalene, concluding the sermon with a statement that “‘Contrary to Baptist doctrine regarding women preachers, Mary Magdalene was the first to ‘preach’ Christ’s resurrection.’ The ladies loved it.” (Jeremiah recanted by the evening service, saying that ordaining women pastors was not Scriptural.)

–  Other Jeremiah’ ecumenical/neo-evangelical activities include:

(a) Speaking at Billy Graham Training Center (“The Cove”) programs (every year since 1992);

(b) Speaking at ecumenical, charismatic, psychospiritual men’s conferences that have become so popular since the advent of the Promise Keepers movement. For example, Jeremiah spoke at the 1994 Christian Men’s Conference (“Becoming a Faithful Man”) held 8/26-8/28 in Palm Springs, California;

(c) Having a blasphemous religious rap group “DC Talk” for a week long (3/3/94-3/8/94) appearance at Shadow Mountain. (Reported in the May-Jun 1994, Fundamentalist Digest.);

(d) Participating in a four-way written dialogue with apostate relational theology preacher Bruce Larson [now co-pastor of apostate Robert Schuller‘s Crystal Cathedral] in the Winter 1994 Leadership magazine. Other participants included Chuck Swindoll, then the new president of Dallas Theological Seminary, and Charles Blake, pastor of the West Angeles (CA) Church of God in Christ. (Reported in the Jul-Aug 1994, Fundamentalist Digest.);

(e) Quoting from the Living Bible (without acknowledging that it is only a paraphrase), and honoring liberal/neo-orthodox men like William Barclay (a favorite, seemingly) and German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Reported in the 9/15/94, Calvary Contender — from Jeremiah’s 1994 book, Turning Toward Integrity.);

(f) Speaking at National Religious Broadcaster’s (NRB) meetings, and serving on its 90-member Board of Directors. Jeremiah was the keynote speaker for the 1997 NRB Convention. As he began to speak, Jeremiah said, “It is a privilege for Donna and me to be here. I deeply appreciate the musicians we have just heard [rock music]. I have been coming to the NRB for 25 years, and only missed one three years ago when I was ill.”;

(g) Praising South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu on his 10/11/99 Turning Point radio program. (Tutu is a liberation theologian who believes Christ was a revolutionary similar to Castro or Mao. He does not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, but believes that all great religions lead to God. He was quoted as saying: “I am a socialist. I hate capitalism.” He favors ordination of homosexuals.)

Apprising.org way back in 2012 had this to say;

Here’s the promotional poster so you can see some of the speakers at this UGI Christian leadership conference:

(source)

Interestingly enough, you’ll find quite of few of the above lavising praise upon Robinson’s and Richards’ book.3.

You might recall the name Jonathan Morris, a young Roman Catholic priest, from James Robison And Rick Warren Working To Reverse The Protestant Reformation.

There I gave you the video and transcript of Morris’ 12/1/11 appearance on James Robison’s Life Today TVprogram where it’s clear Robison considers the apostate Morris a brother in Christ. The man to the right of Jonathan Morris might seem familiar to you as well.

Actually, in The Emerging Church Is Unaware It’s Dead I told you that Robert Sirico, a Roman Catholic priest who founded a think tank known as the Acton Institute, actually preached at Mars Hill Bible Church for Rob Bell—former icon of the Emerging Church.

Since this UGI is a spiritual sinkhole, I can’t cover everything that needs to be pointed out here. So, until next time, I’ll only focus upon this further reversing of the Reformation. No practicing Roman Catholics can take the platform at a Christian leadership conference without rebelling against Scripture.

We’re told “people of faith” are coming together at UGI; which faith? That of the Roman Catholic Church who left the Body of Christ (cf. 1 John 2:19) to follow her own antichrist dogma and would end up placing her never rescinded anathema upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No light matter.

As I just showed you in Southern Baptist Ed Young, Jr. Advancing Wicked Works Of Word Faith “Pastors”, it is written:

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 1:9-11)

Can you see there; those teaching false doctrine are involved in wicked works. This means people who promote and help advance such as these take part in his wicked works. That’s not merely my opinion, and it also isn’t open to debate; this is what God Himself has instructed us in His Word.

In the end, according to the Word of God, each Christian who shares the platform at this Under God Indivisible with Roman Catholic apostates like Jonathan Morris, Robert Sirico, and Jay Richards is giving them credibility in the Christian community and also taking part in their wicked works.

This now becomes a vivid illustration of the foolishness of making your nation an idol and thinking as men think (cf. Matthew 16:23). For you see, to give the impression that the purity of the Gospel really doesn’t matter is exactly the wrong message to set before the world which desperately needs it.

Frankly, as I see it, men like Ravi Zacharias, Tony Evans, and David Jeremiah should be ashamed of themselves.

Book Promotion and Marketing

A George C. Hale once worked for David Jeremiah at Shadow Mountain Community Church and Turning Point Ministry. Hale resigned in 2009 because he had misgivings about the way Jeremiah handled his book marketing and sales.

Warren Throckmorton obtained an open letter to David Jeremiah and Turning Point Ministry. As he discloses in the letter below, Hale has approached David Jeremiah and Jeremiah’s agent, Sealy Yates, about the best-seller methodology. For several weeks, I have periodically reached out to Turning Point and Sealy Yates with no acknowledgement of my contacts. Hale believes that Turning Point employees who speak to the press about the book selling scheme will be fired.

From what has been previously disclosed, there is reason to believe Hale when he discusses the methods Jeremiah has used to attempt to secure a spot on the New York Times best-seller list. In a recent Christianity Today story, a link to an archived webpage belonging to San Diego based ResultSource indicated that Jeremiah was a client of the company for his book Captured by Grace. Captured by Grace did indeed make it onto various best-seller lists. Jeremiah has had at least six books reached the New York Times best seller list since 2007, including the 2014 book Agents of the Apocalypse: A Riveting Look at the Key Players of the End Times.

From my conversations with Hale, it appears that Kevin Small at ResultSource provided tips on how to make the New York Times list. However, it is not clear whether or not Jeremiah formerly used Small’s services for more than Captured by Grace. In contrast to the Mars Hill Church/Mark Driscoll contract, the Turning Point method does not appear to rely on church money to buy books, but rather solicits donations for a book in advance of the publication date. Turning Point’s Paul Joiner was touted by Kevin Small to Mars Hill Church as having special expertise in setting up such websites. ResultSource or a Turning Point team then buys the books at retail price from sources used by the New York Times in the count to form the best seller list. When donations were strong, Turning Point bought more books than necessary to cover the “orders” and gave them away.

According to Hale, the purchases did not benefit Turning Point. Hale believes that the ministry would have benefited by first purchasing the books at a vastly reduced price (which according to Hale, Turning Point did before 2007), and then offering them to listeners for a larger donation. When books are purchased at the author’s discount price, the author does not receive royalties. However, by purchasing the books at retail price, the ministry missed out on the markup but David Jeremiah obtained royalties and obtained a place on the best-seller lists. Hale told me that he doesn’t see how being on the best-seller list benefited the ministry.

Below is the letter from George Hale:

I worked for David Jeremiah for seven years.  Five years as the CFO and the COO of Shadow Mountain Ministries and two years as the CFO and acting Chief Development Officer of Turning Point Ministries.  David and I had a rocky beginning but ultimately a great working relationship.  I tell people that David fired me three times and I quit two times, and that was within the first month.  This is not far from the truth.  I am a no nonsense business person who believes that confronting issues is positive and productive.  I have very little gray area in my life.  Things are mostly black or white for me.  This comes in part from being a CPA and a successful Bank President during the rough and tumble years of the “80’s and “90’s. Having been a Navy Seal probably adds to my approach to issues and people.  David is not comfortable with my manner and he is no doubt right, most of the time.  I have learned much from him. One important thing is that people are more important than solving problems.

I began my employment at Turning Point during July 2007.   During August of 2007 Turning Point began promoting David Jeremiah’s Book “Captured by Grace” for pre-publication purchase for a donation of $25 or more.  I believe that approximately 100,000 books were pre-purchased (I could be wrong on this number but I think it is close) for an average donation of $25 during the months of August and September 2007.  When the book was released in October, Turning Point used the money donated for the book to purchase copies of the book from retail booksellers such as Amazon and Borders. Turning Point then sent the book to those who had donated and requested the book.  These purchases where timed to get the book listed as a “best-seller.”  It worked.

After this occurred I voiced my concern as to the ethics of such action to David Jeremiah.  I was also concerned because Turning Point could have purchased the same books directly from the publisher for approximately $10 each instead of the $25 each paid to the book retailers.  David assured me that his agent and attorney, Sealy Yates had opined that the transactions were honest and ethical.This same action was repeated during August, September and October 2008 with the same results.

I again requested that Turning Point not repeat such transactions as I could not discern any benefit to Turning Point for purchasing the books at retail vs purchasing the books wholesale from the publisher.   I thought the transaction to be unethical.  David told me that he would take my advice under consideration.

During August 2009 David Jeremiah said that he wanted to promote his new book for pre-publication purchase but for a donation of any amount.  He had not yet made a decision as to the method that Turning Point would use to purchase the books to be sent to those who would request them.

During September 2009 David Jeremiah told me that he had decided to use the money received by Turning Point from those requesting his book to purchase the books at retail from booksellers and not purchase the books from the publisher at a lower amount.  He acknowledged that he was aware that this was disappointing to me.

Turning Point had received an average donation of $35 per book instead of $25 dollars during this 2009 campaign.

Therefore, if my memory is correct, Turning Point had received approximately $3.5 million dollars for the approximately 100,000 books pre-sold.  I thought that the added donation over and above the $25 purchase price of the book was meant to benefit Turning Point and was not to be used to purchase additional books at retail.  This did not happen. This thought, together with my prior opinion that the entire method was unethical and did not benefit Turning Point, led me to immediately resign my position with Turning Point which I did September 15, 2009.

I have only spoken about these events in a very limited way since that date.  Primarily talking with David Jeremiah and Sealy Yates to encourage them to cease such activity which they tell me has continued since I left Turning Point.  They do not agree with my position and have stated that they see nothing unethical, immoral or illegal about how Turning Point promotes David’s books and gets them identified as “best-selling” books by the various listing agents such as the New York Times.  We have agreed to disagree on this topic and have otherwise remained friends.

Let me add that I very much admire David Jeremiah and believe him to be one of the best Bible teachers in the world today.  I helped craft the vision for Turning Point of delivering “the unchanging Word to an ever-changing world”.  I believe and support this vision.  I believe that David is blessed and chosen by God for this purpose.

That said, when Mark Driscoll was exposed in early 2014 for attempting in a small way to do what David had successfully done for the past seven years and it was also exposed that Sealy, ResultSource and possibly others associated with David Jeremiah may have assisted Mark Driscoll, I became very concerned that this cancer was spreading.  I thought that it may have gained acceptability in part  based upon the success of David Jeremiah.

When David Jeremiah spoke openly with World Magazine during June 2014 about his method of promoting his books I felt that he had placed this subject into the public domain for discussion.

The final events which led to my now talking were when LifeWay removed Mark Driscoll’s books from its book stores while prominently promoting David Jeremiah as a “best-selling” author, and when Mars Hills Church failed partly because of this book publication deceptive practice.  I feel that now is the time for the public to voice its opinion.  Is this practice OK as Sealy Yates and David Jeremiah proclaim or is it deceptive and unethical as I believe?;

I have taken my stand.

What do you believe?

In His service,

George Hale

I have placed links in Hale’s letter where important to help readers get more information. In this scenario, it appears that some deception could be involved if donations in amounts higher than the retail price of a single book are used to buy other books as if they were the subject of an individual purchase. More importantly, the ministry’s resources and staff serve to promote the book and run the fulfillment of the sales at ministry expense.

By paying retail price, the book royalties go to the author and the sales count toward the best-seller lists.

Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/warrenthrockmorton/2015/01/14/former-chief-financial-officer-at-turning-point-claims-david-jeremiah-used-questionable-methods-to-secure-a-spot-on-best-seller-lists/#jkyS0Gx91cS8a85t.99

David Jeremiah, in his 2003 book Life Wide Open: Unleashing the Power of a Passionate Life, quotes many mystics favorably, including Sue Monk Kidd (goddess worshipper), Peter Senge (Buddhist), and Catholic “saint” John of the Cross.

Seven years before Jeremiah quoted favorably from Kidd, she published The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, describing her journey from a Southern Baptist Sunday School teacher to a goddess worshipper via the path of contemplative prayer.

“As I grounded myself in feminine spiritual experience, that fall I was initiated into my body in a deeper way. I came to know myself as an embodiment of Goddess. … The day of my awakening was the day I saw and knew I saw all things in God, and God in all things” (The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, 2002 edition, p. 161, 163).

Lighthouse Trails reports: “Jeremiah’s church, Shadow Mountain, encourages their men to become involved with contemplative spirituality. Currently, Pastor John Gillette of Shadow Mountain encourages the use of Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline. In 2006 Jeremiah signed on with Ken Blanchard and Laurie Beth Jones in the Lead Like Jesus conference. Jeremiah’s 2006 book,Captured by Grace, discusses Henri Nouwen and includes endorsement by Ken Blanchard” (“David Jeremiah Quotes New Ager,” Lighthouse Trails, Nov. 19, 2007).

And there there is the false Christian. This is a person who is a tare that is mixed in with the wheat. The person whose heart was thorny ground or rocky ground when the word was delivered, and seemed to have thrived for a while, but then faded away. (Luke 8:6-7). Some people fall away from the truth quickly, like Charles Templeton. Others, like Billy Graham, take a lifetime to reveal themselves. Either way, for the person who doesn’t truly believe, no matter how hard they try to blend in, their sheep mask will someday slip and reveal the wolf.

It is the case with Dr David Jeremiah.

There are many detailed examples I could give. I won’t. I’ll give three. They should be enough to demonstrate that the pastor of Shadow Mountain church and narrator at Turning Point television and radio is no longer to be trusted.

Jeremiah regularly appears on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) alongside Paul Crouch (when he was alive) during their fall Praise-A-Thon. TBN is a broadcaster of heresy, an exporter of error, and a brood of vipers. Their prosperity Gospel, false claims of holiness healing, charismania, greed, and pure unadulterated contempt for the people watching is grievous. One look at their regular programming schedule from 2010 shows faithlessness at every hour. The schedule from today is equally bad.

Below is a screen shot from the November 2014 TBN Praise-A-Thon where Jeremiah is ‘preaching’ the sowing principle. Also known as ‘sowing a seed,’ in this still pic, Jeremiah was urging people to send money to TBN based on the sowing principle. He said that even God believes in the sowing principle, you know, He sent His Son to be sown into the world and now we are reaping the harvest.

At the crawl along the bottom of Jeremiah’s ‘sermon’ was a promise that a donation of any kind will result in the donor being sent a bottle of “Psalm 45 perfume”, fragrances from the bible bottled in an attractive container…and there were phone numbers along the top for people to call now. Gross.

At GotQuestions/Blogos we read of the seed sowing principle

 A person wrote to GotQuestions about the doctrine of sowing a seed to reap a financial harvest. … The central theme in seed faith giving is the money you give to spread the gospel God would multiply back to you thirty, sixty, and one-hundredfold.

TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) not only sponsors these false ministries but has unreservedly adopted the gospel of greed heresy. TBN is a major media portal to the world, responsible for sending the gospel of greed heresy to hundreds of millions of unsuspecting people, and taking what little money they have. The gospel of greed has become a means of livelihood for prosperity preachers who live lavish lifestyles while telling you to send money to get more money. Jan Crouch, in her soft sugary voice said on TBN, “God has a special blessing for the little women who have caught the vision of giving, even if only their grocery money.” While there are many Christians who see TBN and its association with the gospel of greed ministries as an abomination, many others (not well versed in the Bible) believe in the heresy and fall prey to its deception.

It is hard to find what was a bigger heretic than Paul Crouch (now dead). GotQuestions on Word of Faith movement that spawned this seed giving principle:

 Word of Faith teaching is decidedly unbiblical. It is not a denomination and does not have a formal organization or hierarchy. Instead, it is a movement that is heavily influenced by a number of high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and Fred Price.

And not only is Jeremiah partnering with them, but is urging people to send money so the unbiblical heresies can continue being exported and the deception can be continued.

Jeremiah was asked by the Downey/Burnett duo to write a companion book on Acts as a sequel to their miniseries titled “The Bible”. The new tv show is called A.D. The Revolution Continues and will be broadcast on Easter. The married duo also produced The Son of God movie seen in theaters. You might remember Roma Downey in the long-running tv show Touched By An Angel. Pastor Justin Peters said that The Bible was so lacking in a Gospel presentation that it wasn’t even accidentally given.

Below, Jeremiah and Downey/Burnett are at Shadow Mountain Church discussing the new tv show A.D. and Jeremiah’s new companion book based on the biblical book of Acts. The interview was held on March 12, 2015 at the church.

From Shadow Mt. Church Facebook page

This is not surprising since Downey and Burnett aren’t Christian. Downey says she is a devout Catholic and is also a mystic. She “sees God in everyone.” and utters such nonsense such as “The language of God is in the silence.”

She attained a Master’s Degree from a New Age college in Spiritual Psychology. Her beliefs are not even close to being evangelical, born-again Christian. Further, she practices divination. She participated in a psychic show and allowed the medium to ‘call up’ her dead mother from the nether-realms and Downey talked with ‘her’. This is divination and necromancy, part of a cadre of sorceries that God hates with a holy hatred. God said,

Thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of [the] nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. (Deuteronomy 18:9)

If a person performs any of these sorceries, that person is detestable to God. That person is an abomination to God. And lest someone wrongly claim that the Deuteronomy verse is outdated just because it’s Old Testament, sorceries are also forbidden in the New Testament. Revelation 18:23 and Galatians 5:19-21 strenuously forbid such practices.

Downey and Burnett have produced a tv show that twists the bible, presents another Jesus, fails to offer the Gospel, and they themselves have participated in New Age, direct revelation, mystical practices, and sorceries. Yet a supposedly astute and mature bible teacher such as Jeremiah has invited the duo to his pulpit and interviewed them in order to promote the next tv series, A.D. and by the way, his new book. In the interview Jeremiah flatly said that the duo creates shows that honor the word of God and doesn’t pervert it. Justin Peters was astounded to hear Jeremiah say this. Peters remarked that Jeremiah is well-versed in the bible and he knows when it’s being twisted. The only possible explanation for Jeremiah saying that “The Bible” mini-series honors God’s words is that he is being deliberately dishonest. If you know Justin Peters, you know he never says anything lightly, and rarely if ever, does he ever say anything like that. He was truly shocked.

As for Jeremiah’s partnership on TBN with the Crouches et al, and with Downey/Burnett et al, the bible says

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God... (2 Corinthians 14-16a).

John MacArthur explains what that verse means, and doesn’t mean.

 For believers there can be no compromise. We cannot engage ourselves with unbelievers in any spiritual enterprise. That’s the issue. “Do not be bound together with unbelievers.” That is he command that sets this text in motion. And it is an unmistakable call to believers to separate from unbelievers. No one could miss that that’s what it’s saying. The question is; what does it mean?

And as I said last time, it is essential to understand what it means, but first of all what it does not mean. Paul is not saying, cut off all contact with non-Christians. He’s not saying that because we have to reach them with the gospel. That is not the issue. He’s not saying don’t evangelize the unconverted; don’t confront people in false religions. He’s not saying that. We must do that.

Secondly, he is not calling for complete isolation on the part of the church. We are not to become isolationists. We are not to be monastics. We are not to go hide somewhere and pull apart from the world. Quite the contrary. We are to find unbelievers and love them and be their friend and set a model of spiritual example for them.

Furthermore, he is not saying you are to divorce your unsaved partner, or to sever all unsaved contacts. Or all contacts, I should say, with unsaved people in your family. He is also not saying that you can’t work or play or do business or be engaged in common earthly enterprise with unbelievers. He’s not saying that. Of course you can.

What he is saying is you cannot link up with unbelievers in religious causes or religious enterprises.

You cannot go to their worship and become a part of it; you can’t make them a part of the kingdom of God. You can’t engage them in anything that involves ministry, teaching, or worship. Where there is ministry, teaching and worship there has to be absolute separation.

With Jeremiah, there is instead repeated partnership with darkness, evil, and error. He has no excuse.

A friend who likes David Jeremiah was fully engaged in Jeremiah’s recent series on Revelation. Knowing I enjoy studying prophecy, he urged me to tune in to the sermon series. I did. As the sermon opened I was assaulted by pounding music and slick graphics. Then Jeremiah began reading. I could not understand where he was reading from because the passage didn’t sound like the Bible. I thought I must have missed something. I listened a bit more and then turned it off.

I tried again the next week, and I realized as I listened to Jeremiah read a lengthy passage, and I mean for 10 or 15 minutes, he was reading his own book, Agents of the Apocalypse.

I have a few things which are an immediate, instant determiner of my participation in or acceptance of an individual. When Rick Warren prayed in the name of Isa (a false god) at Obama’s first inaugural, I immediately knew Warren was not a true Christian. I dismissed Warren from my mind then and there. When Billy Graham said that any person living in a jungle who never heard of Jesus or the bible is saved and going to heaven, I knew without a shadow of a doubt the man was false. And when Jeremiah read from the pulpit his own words instead of God’s words, I knew he did not have the heart of a pastor nor did he have a transformed mind. How dare any person substitute or equalize man’s words from the pulpit instead of God’s.

Can you picture the momentous scene in Nehemiah 8:1-2?

 The public reading of the Scriptures was required by the law to be made every seventh year; but during the long period of the [Babylonian] captivity this excellent practice, with many others, had fallen into neglect, till revived, on this occasion. ~Jamiesen-Fausset -Brown Commentary

And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. (Nehemiah 8:1-2)

How tremendous! The people are all gathered for the first time in generations, eager to hear the word of God. They were joyous in being able to celebrate His holy word and adopt His statutes. What if Ezra had ascended the stairs, opened the scroll, took a deep breath, and said, “Before I launch into a reading of the word, let’s listen to an excerpt from a book I wrote on traveling mishaps on the way to and from Babylon. It’s called “Agents of the Captivity,” and it is on sale in the temple bookstore.”

Ezra Reads the Book of the Law, David Martin, 1659

How dare he! Is there no gravitas? Is there no pastoral respect for the pulpit? Is there no submission in fear of God? Is there no place one can bask in unadulterated holy scripture and not be pressed into buying something associated with it? Worse, is this message from Dr Jeremiah:

 On Easter Sunday, Turning Point Television will begin airing our new series, A.D. The Revolution That Changed the World. This teaching series is the “Scripture behind the story” of the dramatic NBC television event, A.D. The Bible Continues.

Gross. Hollywood overtakes Shadow Mountain.

I am indeed sad that many people who like Dr David Jeremiah will be grieved to read this news, myself included. However, the work of the Christian is to uphold the glory of Jesus, to warn of apostates, and to encourage each other in the Word. When a man alleging to be an undershepherd of the Lord hawks his book from the pulpit during Sunday service, presses the poor to sow a seed so TBN can continue promoting doctrines of devils, and when he pollutes his own stage with a necromancer, we must call a spade a spade and glorify the Lord by warning about Dr David Jeremiah.

Please take these things under consideration, and continue to pray for wisdom and discernment as more and more men and women are revealed who have fallen prey to satan. Pray for them, and pray for your fellow church members. We are sheep among wolves.

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16). As Jamieson Commentary says of the above verse,

 Alone, the wisdom of the serpent is mere cunning, and the harmlessness of the dove little better than weakness: but in combination, the wisdom of the serpent would save them from unnecessary exposure to danger; the harmlessness of the dove, from sinful expedients to escape it. In the apostolic age of Christianity, how harmoniously were these qualities displayed! Instead of the fanatical thirst for martyrdom, to which a later age gave birth, there was a manly combination of unflinching zeal and calm discretion, before which nothing was able to stand.

Let us in this age do the same.

Birds of a feather? David Jeremiah plans to team up with Osteen and Meyer

Join us as we share the journey of what God has done through our Dream Center, dynamic outreach, and community engagement. You’ll leave inspired and purposeful to make a bigger difference in your community. Be sure to bring your leaders and associates with you to this purpose-driven event.

UPDATE:  In April, one month before the conference, it was reported that Jeremiah was no longer going to be speaking due to “scheduling conflicts”:

As for even considering speaking at the Jump Start conference in Chicago this past May, why anyone would want to hitch his pony to the heretic express?

If appearing at a conference with known and exposed heretics was the only concern, this probably wouldn’t garner much more than a raised eyebrow at Jeremiah’s incredible lack of discernment.

BUT,

• Jeremiah regularly appears on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and was often alongside Word of Faith/prosperity teacher Paul Crouch (when he was alive).
• Last year, Jeremiah joined with Word of Faith heretics Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, and Jan Crouch in laying hands on, and praying for, Donald Trump.
• Jeremiah hosted Catholic New Ager Roma Downey and Mark Burnett at his church to discuss and promote the new TV show A.D. and Jeremiah’s new companion book based on the biblical book of Acts.
• Lighthouse Trails issued a report about David Jeremiah’s promotion of contemplative and New Age authors through his book, Life Wide Open, in which he favorably quoted New Agers, Buddhist sympathizers, mystics and contemplatives. The report also showed Jeremiah’s affiliation with New Age sympathizer Ken Blanchard and Lead Like Jesus.
• His book, Captured by Grace, Jeremiah favorably points to mystical contemplative Catholic author, the late Henri Nouwen, (who said he was uncomfortable with those who say that Jesus is the only way of salvation and that he felt it was his calling to help people find their own path).   In addition, inside the front of the book sits the name and endorsement of Ken Blanchard.

It’s a serious pattern of confusing the sheep.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?¹⁵ What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
    and I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
¹⁷ Therefore go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
¹⁸ and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Additionally, it is dangerous to fellowship with false teachers because they can corrupt even sound theology.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”     — 1 Corinthians 15:33