James MacDonald fights over firing, assets of Harvest Bible Chapel amid murder-for-hire allegations

[tulc]

James MacDonald fights over firing, assets of Harvest Bible Chapel amid murder-for-hire allegations

The announcement came just days before police in Illinois confirmed they are investigating new claims that James MacDonald sought to find a hitman to commit murder multiple times.

“A subject came in and filed a report and we are doing an investigation based on that report,” Wilmette Deputy Police Chief Pat Collins confirmed with The Christian Post Monday.

The allegations regarding MacDonald’s efforts to commit murder were first reported by independent journalist Julie Roys, who cited Chicago radio personality Mancow Muller and Emmanuel “Manny” Bucur, a deacon at HBC and former confidant and volunteer bodyguard of MacDonald’s, as the individuals making the claims.

Bucur told Roys that in 2015, MacDonald asked him to kill his former son-in-law, Tony Groves, and offered to help dispose of the body. He argued that he did not report MacDonald because he was angry about his daughter allegedly being hurt, and chalked up the proposal as a momentary lapse in judgment.

On Monday Muller published a pre-recorded interview with Bucur speaking under the alias “George” in which the former volunteer bodyguard first revealed MacDonald’s proposal.
“As it turns out I’m not the only one he’s approached and asked about this which is just insane how many people he thought he could trust to ask something as crazy as this you know. What’s to say he won’t come after me?” Bucur a combat marine veteran said.

“I basically told him, we’re not talking about this. I can’t believe you would even ask me this. I shut it down and that was the end of that,” he explained.

Bucur, who said he believes MacDonald got away with “millions” from HBC, noted he also had to get a restraining order against MacDonald for trespassing at his house.

tulc(...wow)

 

[JCFantasy23]

James MacDonald fights over firing, assets of Harvest Bible Chapel amid murder-for-hire allegations

tulc(...wow)

My goodness, really?? I followed the stories of the firing but has it really gone this far?

If it were back in 2015, and he dropped it, I'm not seeing them have a case about this though. The son-in-law is still fine, right?

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

Surely the man did not mean what he said. But these day you never know.

 

[com7fy8]

I think of how our Apostle Paul says a man needs to be "self-controlled", in order to be qualified to take care of God's people.

1 Timothy 3:1-10

Titus 1:5-9

I know from experience, that if I imagine and consent to violent imaginations, it is possible that later I will do something violent . . . somehow. And it will possibly be against not the person or animal who is a problem for me, but it will come out on someone or a pet near to me.

So, in case we have anything evil and violent going on in us, it is wise not to commit to it, but trust and depend on God . . . among other things, so we are able to love the way Jesus wants.

I can not speak for Mr. MacDonald, but in general I see how a man could want to kill a former son-in-law, if he seemed to be some sort of an abuse or other problem for the man's little girl. But is this how Jesus develops us to function? I understand Jesus does not have us even threatening other people >

"when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (in 1 Peter 2:23).

So, in case a guy was betraying and abusing a man's daughter, I can understand how the man might feel. But this is why we need Jesus in us as our new growing inner Person > Galatians 4:19. I could do the same thing, except for Jesus >

"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2)

And Jesus warns us about having preferences about whom we love >

"if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)

But we can make love idols out of our pleasure companions and our children . . . and pets. And if we have love idolatry, we are in deep weakness and degradation so we can break down and become violent against ones who we feel are a threat to our love idols.

So, whatever is really true about James - - any of us could do things like that, unless we stay with God in His grace which is almighty and creative in His love.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." (Philippians 1:9)

 

[JCFantasy23]

I can not speak for Mr. MacDonald, but in general I see how a man could want to kill a former son-in-law, if he seemed to be some sort of an abuse or other problem for the man's little girl. But is this how Jesus develops us to function? I understand Jesus does not have us even threatening other people >

All good points. Since it was in 2015 though, many years have passed and he maybe (hopefully) had a change of heart with this.

 

[com7fy8]

he maybe (hopefully) had a change of heart with this.

"first of all" > prayer "for all men" > 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

I suspect we can let ourselves get tricked away from praying "for" any leaders who are displeasing to us. But even if a leader is really wrong, even fake, this does not remove him or her from Paul's prayer list which is meant by 1 Timothy 2:1-4 . . . I would say.