No one was to get a free pass in Christ's Church. Sinning members who would not repent were to be delivered out from the protection of the Spirit of God into enemy territory. Excommunication was not a Catholic invention but is supposed to be practiced among the godly to this day. Seen it lately? Rome abused it by sending the separated brothers into the swords of the secular power, which the church controlled.

Divisive men were to be warned, then rejected, per Paul's message to Titus.

There was to be absolutely no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. On the contrary, says Paul, those works were to be exposed. Rather difficult to expose a work without exposing the worker of that work. If I preach against alcoholism in the church, and there is a man still given to his bottle, it becomes obvious that this man's sin as well as this man - unless he repents - is to be judged. Cast out. That the church continues to be holy.

Have you been to a holy church recently? A church that has not lowered its standards so the world can feel comfortable? A place where holy people and the Holy Spirit Himself feel at home? Hard to find...

But I think the point is made. It is appropriate and even necessary for those who know God and know His Word, and who are armed with humility, and love for the church, to speak against certain men who have been brought in, or as Jude puts it, "crept in" unnoticed at first. This is no violation of the parable of the tares, and follows a long standing practice initiated by Jesus and His apostles.

Having said that, I wish to suggest that I shall try not to make the final decision about this man and his writings and works. I want you to do that, led by the Holy Spirit. Defamation is not what I am after. As I approach this man's story, I have told the Lord that if he is truly a man of God, I'll follow him. If he is deceiving the people, I want to expose him. He has a very familiar message and way of operation in our day. To affirm or expose him is to affirm or expose many hundreds or thousands of men, and women, just like him.

I will share his teachings first. Then as much of his autobiography as I was able to piece together, for the information about him is scant. Then the miracles that have happened to him. And the miracles he says have been performed through him.

Then you be the judge. Should such a man be permitted to circulate among the churches and sell his "wares" ? Or should there be an outcry made against him? Some will of course ask that all important third question, Who really cares? It is, I'm afraid, the question of the day. Is the Bible really God's Word? Is Jesus really God? Should we take a stand against this or that sin? Who really cares? Ho hum. Let's just love each other and move on.

I will not belabor that point. I have shown the Scriptures about our responsibility to expose darkness... if it really is darkness. I will be interested in your responses.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Another familiar story. Hans Christian Andersen. A little boy sees what no one else can see, or at least what no one else is willing to say that he sees. I have had the privilege of visiting many of the meetings of the modern miracle workers. I have watched their videos. I have listened to their teachings and seen their methodology. I have studied them.

I have seen audiences in total frenzy over what is happening, when essentially nothing is happening. How often have I wanted to rise up and say, symbolically, "But he doesn't have any clothes! He's twisting the Scriptures! He's manipulating people's minds. He is making them think they feel better. When they go home, the aura will pass."

Gotta stop here. There is the genuine to deal with. Real answered prayers. Real supernatural interventions. People healed by the simple prayer of the elders of the church, as in James. Real praise.

And there are tons of people who because of the workings of the human mind do indeed receive a "touch" in their inner person somewhere. For some, this awareness of something else can turn into faith, and healings can come later.