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Saturday 10 February 2018

THE ISAAC NETWORK: AN INTERNATIONAL CULT

RHYS HAGAN'S TESTIMONY 

I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees a true crime story that’s so bizarre that it’s impossible to image it happening to you. So, when I tell you about my experience in a Christian cult, most would probably think it’s a bit far-fetched. But what if I told you the church I was a part of was one of hundreds who belong to the I.S.A.A.C. Network—a radical Christian group whose leader, Dr. Jonathan David, is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

They call him "Papa" and his wife "Mama", their "national strategy" for the countries which they’re based in is, as their website says, "..to divide those nations into regions to effectively penetrate and 'conquer' them."

The I.S.A.A.C. Network is small in terms of International churches. Still, they have at least five congregations within a two-hour drive from my home town in regional Victoria, Australia. I have personally heard multiple counts of physical and sexual abuse coming from just those churches. And, on each count, the justification for such abuse is a high standard of apostolic piety.

Accounts of abuse include: a female pastor massaging male members of her congregation, members being throttled in front of the congregation by the pastor, and a child wearing a t-shirt with a skull on it being picked up by his feet and dropped on his head then having his shirt removed and ripped by the pastor, plus other accounts of physical and sexual abuse which the victims requested not be mentioned.

It could be said that these actions were the result of the individuals, and had no bearing over the I.S.A.A.C. Network. But as a former member of the Network, I would rebut with a statement from the institution’s website:

"We will use churches with an apostolic mentality to co-ordinate the region for a divine attack on the nation. We are currently building apostolic bases in many nations for an end-time launching into the harvest."

Statements like this could be seen as a metaphor in the same vein as a performer would ‘knock ‘em dead’, but after considering just a few of the testimonies of those involved, trying to justify such actions begins to feel like a cover up. And make no mistake—isolation and secrecy were staples of the Network. "Outsiders wouldn’t understand what goes on within", they would say, "Having friends outside the church means you have people in your life who can corrupt you." 

What’s more is, according to a twelve-point checklist on the ESAMA (Edmonton Society Against Mind Abuse) website, the Network and the churches within it check all twelve boxes.

Having interacted with leaders within the  I.S.A.A.C. Network for years, and having been a member of the churches who once desired to be such a leader, I know the god-like reverence these members have for "Papa". They simply describe their prostration as honour, believing they must follow "God’s anointed and elect" without hesitation. And, of course, it would be rebellious to question whether these practices are unhealthy. Extreme action and radical belief are the only ways to coordinate the "divine attack on the nation".

I firmly believe each person has a right to believe what they want. I would even say that each person believes things that aren’t true—we all have our deceptions. The contradiction comes from when one person’s beliefs interfere, or hope to control another’s. Even more disturbing is when that control means the leaders justify abuse within their respective groups. That’s why I feel it’s necessary to name such places—to serve as a warning to anyone who encounters them.
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Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (Ephesians 5:11).

An exposé of the  I.S.A.A.C. Network is long overdue! Further background information on the false prophet and cult leader Jonathan David can be found on a previous post of mine written in 2015:

Rhys is heading the campaign to expose the I.S.A.A.C. Network. Carrie, Rhys's sister is also a survivor of the Network. She has been seeking justice for herself and other former members for five years. A major Australian newspaper has now expressed an interest in doing an exposé of this abusive cult and Carrie and her brother are seeking further sources. If you are willing to corroborate the above testimony and to play a part in exposing the I.S.A.A.C. Network, (both on the record or anonymously) please email Carrie at: takedownisaac@gmail.com

For those who would like support, Carrie runs a Facebook group for survivors of religious abuse called Existential Medicine. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/473298999682389/)

20 comments:

  1. Last time I visited Malaysia in 2007 it was very Islamic. The hotel bedroom didn't have Gideon's Bibles in the bed-side top drawer but the Koran instead. There was also a mark on the ceiling pointing to Mecca for those wanting to pray. It seems strange for a Christian cult to come from there. Do you know more about its origins?

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  2. "Destiny Heights Sdn Bhd is a training and consultation firm based in Muar, founded by Dr. Jonathan & Helen David. The company has been organizing various international and national trainings annually and has brought in over 10,000 delegates from 65 countries to Muar. The founders are passionate about the social and economic development of Muar and have contributed immensely to the people of Muar through the various events organized over the past 36 years." http://www.jonathan-david.org/pages/about-destiny-heights/

    I just noted that JD has promoted himself to the "Presiding Apostle" of ISAAC!
    http://www.jonathan-david.org/pages/about-jonathan-david/

    God bless.

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  3. It is another "Apostolic" self promotional thing.

    I have been thinking about Luther and the 500 year anniversary of his 95 points on the doors of the church in Wittenberg, what trends are discernable and what it may predict for the next 500 years. Clearly the future is Pentecostalism one way or another, like it or not.

    Pentecostalism is now the fourth Christian grouping alongside Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant in terms on numbers, according to one article I read recently. As part of this Pentecostalism (in all its forms) I suppose the rise of the new apostles will be one of the most significant developments of the next years. Perhaps we will see the development of a new global Apostolate, one which requires no Apostolic succession from Peter, only the receiving of the gift (Eph 4:11)

    Perhaps he has already paid his $350 annual membership fee to be an international apostle in Wagner's "International Coalition of Apostles". A bargain really compared to North American Apostles who must pay $650 (in 2012).

    Perhaps this is the way of bringing control to the whole Pentecostal movement, and bringing the many divisions under some kind of control. Perhaps there would even be a super apostle, a new Pope for the whole Pentecostal church.

    //Mike

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  4. I notice that the NAR are cosying up to Rome Mike.. but I somehow think that they will all have to become subservient to Rome in order to form the one world religion. All roads lead to Rome as they say.
    I didn't realise that you could actually PAY to be an apostle!
    God bless.

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  5. I don't think you can just pay, I guess there must be some kind of test, but if a man and his wife are both Apostles, they get a discount on membership, being two you know.

    I wonder if there is a concept for a super Pope?
    A Pope of Popes - what do you think?

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  6. My view is that the "super Pope" will be the second beast i.e. the false prophet of Revelation Mike..
    Wagner's "International Coalition of Apostles" should offer two Apostles for the bargain price of one, and the test should be how to prophesy without actually saying anything specific. LOL.

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  7. From a Reformed point of view of course, I see the RC church as anti-gospel and anti-christian, etc, and historically the Pope was seen as the antichrist, which is one reason for the Jesuits to propagate what became the dispensational view, to get the focus off Rome. I don't have an opinion about it at the moment.

    I know some different theories, historical, and future.

    What are your main reasons for believing the false prophet to be a Pope or Super Pope?

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  8. Very briefly… the possibility of a Pope being the Antichrist seems to fit in with a number of scriptures, especially Revelation 17.
    Revelation 17:4-6 - The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marvelled greatly.
    -Babylon was a synonym for Rome in Jewish and Christian literature.. * 1 Peter 5:13. Purple and scarlet are the Vatican colours, and the blood of the saints certainly fits the history of the RCC.
    Revelation 17:9 - This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated.
    -Rome was known as “the city on seven hills” in ancient times.
    It is undeniable that all the major Protestant denominations have become apostate/ecumenical and are denying the Reformation principles as I am sure you know. It would appear that the counter-reformation is finally succeeding and that the Vatican is working towards their inclusion as “separate brethren”.
    Much more could be said, but the final pope does seem a likely candidate for this unenviable position. I speculate of course.
    God bless.

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  9. Yes, there is a good fit with a futurist perspective. I agree with your point about the counter-reformation too. The Reformation has been destroyed by a thousand cuts and splinters, where persecution failed, a policy of divide and conquer has been successful.

    The historist has a different view of course, but still RCC. The preterist view brings out the point that Jerusalem is also on 7 hills, and there is evidence from the NT that the harlot is Jerusalem. I am reading through materiel on this question at the moment because there are strong and weak points on both sides. An early date for the revelation seems to favour the Jerusalem idea, whereas a late (after AD70) seems to favour Rome.

    //Mike

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  10. I read through your article on this cult as per your link but I didn't really get the picture.

    I see there is a church in Dudley and some interesting articles on their blog site but hardly any comments - usually zero, but occasionally one, and I saw two in one place, but all supportive. Have you visited them?

    Clearly Dr.JD appears to be a cult figure, and perhaps there are abuses inside, but these things were also reported in the earlier restoration/apostolic movements. Each of these apostles could have been seen as cult leaders in some ways, especially Bob Jones in the UK.

    What makes this ISAAC Network group stand out for you?

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  11. New Nation Destiny Centre (NNDC) in Dudley in the UK is part of the ISAAC Network.
    I have had a number of enquiries about the ISAAC Network since my post about Jonathan David's dubious "Elijah" prophecy over Howard Conder (Revelation TV) in 1994.
    Jonathan David is part of the New Apostolic Reformation NAR. He is known as 'papa' (Matthew 23:9). He was and possibly still is? mixed up with God TV and the usual apostates. As you say he appears to be a cult figure Mike.
    Thank you for the information.

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  12. Revelation TV's 15th birthday tonite, are you celebrating it?

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  13. Pre-millennialism/futurism tends always to enter into these discussions, and so it should.
    A Bible believer cannot escape it! Is it not true that Christ's pre-millennial Advent was the prevailing belief among the early Church fathers?

    Only yesterday reading through my yearly Bible reading plan, I came upon Leviticus 14.34, where God in Christ is speaking to Moses and Aaron: "WHEN ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession ..."

    Have Moses and Aaron yet set foot in the Land? Certainly Moses was "transfigured" (NOT Aaron!) in the land, Matthew 17.2-3; giving us a foretaste, as it were, of the things to come; but he and Aaron have yet to take "possession".

    In a soon coming Day that WILL happen!

    God bless.

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  14. The golden rule is to interpret the scriptures literally unless the scriptures themselves indicate otherwise. For some unknown reason, many who hold onto this rule interpret Revelation 20 figuratively. God bless.

    "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pita and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
    Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." Revelation 20 1-6.

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  15. A bit of "trivia" on JD: those under him (regardless of level or seniority) call him "papa" and his wife "mummy"......

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  16. Not good! Matthew 23:9. God bless.

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  17. This may be of some use for anyone seeking information on JD: it seems a shortened form of his name is "K Mahentheran @ Jonathan David". Not sure what K stands for....

    Looks like that 1st part was his original name (he was born a Hindu) and looks like he appended an alias to it later on (in Malaysia one cannot change one's name but may add an alias).

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  18. K stands for his father's name. Mahentheran is his name. I remembered his father's name is very long and he was a Hindu priest.

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  19. ISAAC INDONESIA... FB LINK:
    https://www.facebook.com/IsaacInd/

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