When the devil wants to shift a woman (or a man) from God’s path, he brings a counterfeit love relationship. These are relationships that violate God’s ways, laws and principles. It leads to life that is not blessed, marked by shame, hurts, destruction and even death. Was Joni a victim of the counterfeit love? Was Doug Weiss a counterfeit sent to derail Joni Lamb’s destiny?
I am saddened by the death of Joni Lamb; I know she had a lot more to give. My heart and love goes out to Jonathan, Rachel, Rebecca, the rest of the family, her friends and the Daystar team. I have watched Daystar for many years, since becoming a Christian in 2008 and donated to the channel in the past. Daystar, especially Joni and her Table Talk crew and the Daystar Singers have blessed and comforted me through some of my darkest and most intense life challenges, and I will be forever grateful for that. I did not always agree with Joni’s actions, her views or stances on issues but I respected her contribution to the Kingdom of God, and I felt like I knew her and her family personally. I saw the children grow up before my eyes, get married, have children, and seen the grandchildren and how they interact with doting grandparents.
That beautiful family unity is now shattered—Jonathan, Suzy and their family are now estranged from the rest of the Lambs. I have been concerned for Joni and the family, ever since she lost her husband, remarried, and the Daystar conflict erupted over allegations of sexual abuse, cover up and the correctness of the marriage itself. All that ensued in her life over the past three years or so, led to this moment—her untimely death. Before that and now, hurt, shame, family division and accusations all played out for the world to see. Without a doubt, Joni made mistakes, and Christians were rightly concerned and aired their views. But some in demonic fashion gang-stalked her. They just kept harassing her. Commenting in love and out of concern is one thing, but making a ministry out of harassing someone to death is unchristian.
After her husband Marcus passed away, Joni remarried Doug Weiss. Some celebrated. Others were appalled with the sheer speed of the developments. I and others gave them the benefit of the doubt.
That changed for me when disturbing circumstances of their connection unfolded. What we know for sure is that Doug left his wife of over 30 years to be with Joni. The Bible says, persons can only divorce for reason of adultery or free to marry if a spouse passes away. Believe me when I say, I am the last to judge in this regard, but when God forgives us and shows His grace to us, we have the passion to guide people to avoid pitfalls we ourselves navigated.
The wedding special of Doug and Joni popped up on my feed recently. It was a beautiful wedding day. Doug was beaming. Joni was glowing and they seemed to be in love. All around them, people poured out admiration and basked in the celebration, sharing in their special moment. As beautiful as that wedding was, if it violated God’s rules it looked different in the spirit. What looked fresh and flourishing to us could look different in the spirit.
Most people were smiling as they walked into the ceremony, but it struck me that Jonathan and Suzy looked very stoic as if they were walking into a funeral…and in a way they were. It was the death of their extended family as they knew it and eventually, the death of Joni’s reputation and eventually, the death of the bride. Suzy had a knowing as well, as she had a prophetic dream of a green python squeezing the life out of the family and Daystar, and separating people.
At the wedding, Doug seemed almost performative and superficial as he said his vows. Many of his friends and Joni’s friends spoke very highly of him.Throughout the ceremony, Joni, Doug and their friends kept saying it was God-ordained and that God brought them together. But is it possible that Joni was under a strong delusion? Could it be that not only did Joni and Doug get it wrong, but all those well-wishers gathered around had it wrong? Were they blinded by a desire to see Joni happy again? Were they afraid to offend, lest the same fate like Jonathan and Suzy’s befell them? Her friends seemed to go out of their way to say good things about Doug and the marriage.
About the Counterfeit Love and Life
Doug was still married to his wife when Marcus passed away. We have no news that his wife cheated on him or any other biblical reason to spark a divorce. And we know she is not dead. At the time of my previous writing on the subject, I had said I did not know the circumstances. But it is possible that Joni could have been driven by self-will, maybe lust or loneliness.
Respected church leaders justified the relationship and gave the new marriage legitimacy. Something struck me as I watched the wedding video. Doug and Joni were in the Daystar Studio narrating what was going on in their wedding video, and they were speaking about how Jimmy Evans impacted their lives. Joni in praising Jimmy, seemed to have been on the verge of saying something wrong, about how long Jimmy had been advising her and Doug. As she started to speak, Doug used his shoulders to push her violently (as if to say “shut up!”) and she caught herself. It seemed as if she was about to accidentally reveal how long they were involved.
The Sin of Adultery
In the Bible, God judged David for his sin with Bathsheba. The sin of adultery opened doors to family division, death and destruction. The first son born from that unholy union died. David’s older children began to fight; one son raped his sister. Then another son killed the rapist son. Then that same son temporarily drove his father out of the kingdom and took over. Then that surviving son, Absalom was killed in battle and David was restored to the kingdom. Even though Absalom betrayed him, David still mourned for him. God has used family drama to judge the sin of adultery. Is that what is happening at Daystar?
Someone said it was Marcus who opened the door to adultery in his family, with his indiscretion so many years ago. It is possible that is true. He was the spiritual head of the household and as such set the direction for the family. Marcus asked God for forgiveness and God does not hold grudges, if someone repents in sincerity. Nonetheless sometimes consequences were already set in motion. The recent events in the family have been destructive to everything they built. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; many of us have made mistakes in the area of relationships, primarily before being saved. But even after being saved we are not spared the encounter with a counterfeit relationship.
The counterfeit life causes family division and separation. Yes, there are families that will get in the way of a God-ordained union, especially if it does not suit their ends. Maybe family members are selfish, jealous or attempting to control their parent or sibling. However, very often the counterfeit marital connection, especially one founded on adultery, leads to the destruction of previously solid family relationships.
Was Joni Lamb under strong delusion?
Jimmy Evans did Joni a great disservice. He went on TV, twisting the narrative regarding permissible marriage like a pretzel to fit Joni’s desires, rather than lead her as the mature advisor she looked up to. At the wedding, Jimmy drove home the wrongly applied notion in sledgehammer fashion that the marriage relationship took primacy above all else. What he said was not wrong, but the spirit behind it was wrong. It never felt like he was saying it in a healthy way. It sounded like he was giving Joni the greenlight to abandon her children and push them to the back of the line, in favour of this new marriage. He said something to the effect that, “We often hear that blood is thicker than water, but the spirit is thicker (or stronger) than blood.”
The love that Joni had with Marcus seemed to have been one that made room for their children and others. When the wedding vow says, “forsaking all others”, I am sure it only meant forsaking other romantic relationships, not your family. It did not mean that you did not care for or continue to love your children, even if you disagree. Yes, people in families can have their wrong motives, but our families watch over us and watch out for us. They can see dangers that we sometimes cannot see because we are blinded by love.
What the Counterfeit Love and Life Does
Joni Lamb had a target on her back. And it was not from who you think. Yes, her husband had passed away and left her with tremendous wealth. Yes she was prime to attract men with impure motives who wanted to reap the benefit of all she had. But more than anything else, she was a target for the devil and the host of hell. Jimmy Evans and those allowed to speak into her life should have done better. Doug too, seemed to have abandoned his own advice for widowed people to wait a longer period before getting into a relationship.
After Marcus’ passing, no doubt Joni was at a vulnerable time in her life. She had just lost her husband of decades; she was alone for the first time in over thirty plus years. It seemed like Doug just swooped in for the kill. I remember being so shocked when I saw them sitting so close on TV, then I realised they were together.
I am certain God had someone great for Joni—no shadows, no grey areas, no fleshly justifications. Every good and every perfect gift comes from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning,” (James 1:17). All she had to do was wait.
In no time Joni deteriorated before our eyes. From a glowing woman, slim and looking healthy on her wedding day, we watched her decline rapidly, and is now dead. What caused that? Was she cared for. How was she injured?
The Lamb family in happier times
The Management of Daystar
After Joni’s passing, the calls have gotten louder for Jonathan to become the president of Daystar. I must say I am not one of those voices. In my first commentary on the topic about a year ago, I tried to take a balanced view.
Jonathan and Suzy are bright. I enjoyed their hosting of the Green Room. Suzy, especially was very articulate and engaging. They had the courage of their convictions. However I am not sure they went about it the right way. I get it; they were angry, bitter, hurt, feeling rejected and perhaps felt they had no other choice. However, my conclusion then and still is that Jonathan and Suzy dishonoured and disgraced Joni. This is not the unforgiveable sin mentioned in the Bible, but it comes pretty close. Some may say Joni disgraced herself. But the Bible says, honour your mother and father so that your days may be long. Yes, we all heard on tape how Jonathan and Suzy were treated by Joni, Jimmy and the Daystar machinery. It was harsh, it was ugly, unloving and heart-breaking. To the public listening, it was shocking and disturbing. Jonathan and Suzy’s rejection of Doug drew Joni’s ire, and in that moment I did not hear the caring voice of a mother. After all, she was told that nothing else mattered but her marriage.
But no matter how egregious that was on Joni’s part, there was no excuse for what happened with the public torching. Saul threw a spear at David, chased him for a long time, attempting to kill him. Twice David had Saul in a vulnerable placed and refused to kill him. He cut off a piece of Saul’s garment and felt so bad about it. David did nothing but serve Saul– played music to stave of demonic spirits harassing him, fought giants for him, and this was his payment. Yet, David never sinned against him. He recognised that Saul was God’s anointed, and that in time, God Himself would deal with him.
Noah passed out drunk and one son laughed at his nakedness, the other two covered him. God cursed the one who disparaged his father’s nakedness. I am not saying Jonathan is cursed, but his handling of the situation did not show maturity, and it makes it difficult in my view for him to reprise the top role at Daystar. Was he impatient? Did he want too much too soon, and unwilling to wait? Nevertheless, God can do anything, and if it is His will for Jonathan to lead Daystar, nothing can stop it.
Joni was not perfect, and even if Jonathan felt like she acted dishonourably, she should not have been dishonoured in that way. Some persons question the abuse allegations whether it was just a way to eliminate the perceived competition. I don’t know what is true. Whatever the truth, I do feel Jonathan and Suzy’s pain as parents if their child was abused. Add to that pain, the sting of isolation, rejection and abandonment by their family.
It is sad how hearts have hardened on both sides. For a Christian family living their lives before the world they have demonstrated unyielding unforgiveness and hardness of heart. Jonathan was not even told that his mother was dying, and it has been reported that Joni wanted it that way. She did not want him by her bedside in her final hour. She left this earth maybe bitter towards her son, denying him the chance to reconcile and say goodbye. That must hurt him intensely.
I sit here wondering if the discord and the war over control and fortunes was all worth it. It is time for reconciliation and healing; time for this family to practice what it preaches. Jonathan must get his inheritance. But returning to the fold of Daystar may be more difficult. How will it work with his sister and her husband who stands accused?
As for the leadership of the network, that is up to God. In my estimation, Rebecca is the one with the on screen charisma of her mom; she and her husband make a great team. She is wise beyond her years, and relatively unscathed by the issues swirling around Daystar. Rachel seemed to have been groomed in creative management by her mother, and at the studio memorial for her mom, she emanated a maturity I have not seen in her before. Jonathan, as the only son and former vice president was being groomed to take over. We pray that God orders their steps and helps the team to make the right decision. And we pray for the survival of the network, and that the content more and more reflects the heart of Jesus.
I hear some online commentators referring to the sisters as wicked. That is not the truth. These are young women who covered their mother and stuck by her, through her flaws and mistakes. We do not know if they admonished her privately. But they refused to throw her to the wolves publicly. Had they done that, they too would be in deep recrimination for being estranged from a mother who has passed into eternity without saying goodbye.
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