January 7, 2010

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

I am writing to you because my heart aches for the loss of fellowship with those I love, and especially for Benjamin. Have you considered how my tragic situation has affected Ben? It kills me when I have to return him to Lee Ann and he cries because he doesn’t want to leave his daddy, or when he calls me and asks, “Daddy, when are you coming home to spend the night with me?” Have you considered what was done by John Clark, and in the name of God no less? I have no doubt that you were not in one accord on the false accusations made against me and his excommunication of me. When will you stop following a man? When will you stop practicing idolatry? What he did to me, and to others such as Heidi and Chris and Karen Evans, was not God’s will. It was done out of his fear and hatred. When will you open your eyes to the truth?
The evidence is plain to see, if you will only look. How is it that Bob, who harbored secret sin for so many years, continued to receive blessings from God? How is it that Lee Ann, who had absolutely no respect for me and constantly nagged me (so often she would go to the meetings and get so blessed, even after days of continual nagging and having to come and apologize to me), continued to receive blessings through the years? Just because you see John Clark continue to get blessed doesn’t mean that he is guiltless. He gets away with ruining people’s lives because of your fear of him, because you believe that he is infallible, and because you put him on a pedestal. How many more lives will you allow him to ruin before you see it?

I am writing because everything precious to me was taken away. God has answered my prayers and revealed to me that I am innocent of the false accusations made by John Clark against me. Every dream God has given me in response to prayer about the situation has indicated that He is not happy with John Clark or John’s way. You know as well as I that a lot of what is supposedly the “power of God” upon a person in the meetings is only that person’s personality coming through. And that is okay. My only sin was that I had a bad attitude about it (brought on by Lee Ann’s constant nagging and lack of respect for me, because I couldn’t listen to meeting CDs 24/7) and that I spoke up (I was not the only one to think the way I did). I want to know your thoughts on the matter, your feelings, your judgment. You know that I did not “abuse Lee Ann,” or that I “ruined Benjamin,” or that I was arrogant, proud, lazy, greedy, or a hypocrite, as John Clark falsely accused me. But I have little hope that you will even listen to me because of the fear you have of John Clark. God will hold you partly responsible for the damage done to Benjamin, as well as to others. But it is never too late with God. That is one reason I’m writing to you.

I will never be able to worship God anywhere else. I will never be able to love another woman as much as I loved Lee Ann (and still do). I will never stop missing so many of you. My heart aches in this man-imposed hell. God did not do this to me. It was the work of Satan. And God had me write a book to expose this work of Satan, because God is not happy with John Clark. I have no doubt that he was anointed by God to teach the Biblical truths. But John got farther out of his place in God’s will as his work grew larger and he became wealthier. The false accusations made against me told me what is really in his heart. If you will only open your eyes, you will see it too. The most obvious piece of evidence that what I say is true was set up by God for you all to see. Remember when John proclaimed that “God is cleaning house”? It was during the time that Heidi left the meetings, and John denigrated her as a headless woman, while lifting Adam so high in his love for God. A few months later, Adam runs off with Carol. I was excommunicated for, essentially, questioning John’s ways. Chris and Karen stopped attending the meetings for some reason we may never fully know, but I do know that they were wronged too (you know Karen loves God, and you, and does not deserve to suffer as she does). I had two dreams one night, from God in response to my prayer to know who was in the wrong. And each dream contradicted what John said about God cleaning house. How much more evidence do you need to see that John was used by Satan to divide the Body of Christ? I have more evidence, if it takes more. And I’m willing to share it with you, in order to stop the deception that is in your midst. Remember, you can’t judge your place in God based on appearance, which is what is going on in John Clark’s way. God will continue to answer your prayers and bless you. But Satan is the “Prince of this world,” and he will rule over everyone who has more respect for a person than for God.

Scriptures tell us not to judge, but also to judge righteously. Can we do both? Yes. But have you considered how to do both? Do not judge by appearance (do not judge). The other side of the coin is the same, by the fact that Scriptures also tell us that only God is righteous. Therefore, only God can make a righteous judgment. Essentially, we are told to never judge, because we cannot know the heart of a person. Only God can know that. Appearance can be deceiving. What John did to me was to step into the place of God and pronounce a sentence on me based on appearance. That was sin. And although I was falsely accused, I repented to God at that time, and He accepted my repentance. God let me know that it “is a matter of the heart.” And He restored my hope (it was after the Hell and Tartarus meeting). My heart was pure, or at least pure enough for God. But John could only see what he and Lee Ann wanted to see. How is it that Bob was allowed to continue going to the meetings and Bible translation sessions when his secret sin was so, so much more serious than mine? You probably don’t even know the truth about it, either. If you think that his secret sin is that he was guilty of loving his tractor, his dog, and his land more than he loved God and his family, then you have been lied to and misled. This is another piece of evidence that what I say is true – that John is a respecter of persons. And there are other things which you do not know, but should know.

The fact is, God will continue to bless anyone, even when they do evil, because that is what God does. He blesses those in Christianity who don’t know the Truth, and He blesses those outside of Christianity. He blessed Bob while Bob harbored secret sin; He blessed me when I had a bad attitude; He blessed Lee Ann hours after she nagged me to no end; and, He blessed John even when John made himself out to be like the Most High God. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God is pleased with you because of your place in life. That is part of the deception.

I am the only one who has ever followed John that could do what I have done – I would not bow down to the man when I knew that doing so would have glorified Satan, and I have written a book about my experience. But maybe you have heard about my book and, very likely, how evil it is? It is not evil, as God directed me to write it. It is about evil that has been done, though. What do you have to fear in reading it? That you might learn the truth? Or that John finds out that you read it? I only want the wrongs righted.

I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you and share what I have learned. But if you are afraid to meet with me, then please read my book, Shackles of Faith.

January 2010

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

I am writing to you because my heart aches for the loss of fellowship with those I love, and especially for Benjamin. Have you considered how my tragic situation has affected Ben? It kills me when I have to return him to Lee Ann and he cries because he doesn’t want to leave his daddy, or when he calls me and asks, “Daddy, when are you coming home to spend the night with me?” Have you considered what was done by our pastor, and in the name of God no less? I have no doubt that you were not in one accord on the false accusations made against me and his excommunication of me. When will you stop following a man? When will you stop practicing idolatry? What he did to me, and to others, was not God’s will. It was done out of his fear and hatred. When will you open your eyes to the truth?

The evidence is plain to see, if you will only look. How is it that a certain person, who harbored secret sin for so many years, continued to receive blessings from God? How is it that we’ve seen so many people get so blessed, who we later learned had evil in their heart. Just because you see John continue to get blessed doesn’t mean that he is guiltless. He gets away with ruining people’s lives because of your fear of him, because you believe that he is infallible, and because you put him on a pedestal. How many more lives will you allow him to ruin before you see it?

I am writing because everything precious to me was taken away, unjustly. God has answered my prayers and revealed to me that I am innocent of the false accusations made by John against me. Every dream God has given me in response to prayer about the situation has indicated that He is not happy with many of the things John has done in His name. You know as well as I that a lot of what is supposedly the “power of God” upon a person in the meetings is only that person’s personality coming through. And that is okay. My only sin was that I had a bad attitude about it (brought on by financial difficulties and other normal marital problems, and because I wouldn’t listen to meeting CDs 24/7), and that I spoke up (I was not the only one to think the way I did). I want to know your thoughts and feelings on the matter – let’s talk. You know that I did not “abuse Lee Ann,” nor that I “ruined Benjamin,” nor that I was arrogant, proud, lazy, greedy, or a hypocrite, as I was falsely accused. But I have little hope that you will even listen to me because of the fear you have of John. God will hold you partly responsible for the damage done to Benjamin, as well as to others. But it is never too late with God. That is one reason I am writing to you.

I will never be able to worship God anywhere else. I will never be able to love another woman as much as I loved Lee Ann (and still do). I will never stop missing so many of you. My heart aches in this man-imposed hell (God did not do this to me – it was the work of Satan). And God had me write a book to expose this work of Satan, because God is not happy with certain individuals. I have no doubt that John was anointed by God to teach the Biblical truths. But John got farther out of his place in God’s will as his work grew larger and he became wealthier. The false accusations made against me told me what is really in his heart (“A false accusation is a confession”). If you will only open your eyes, you will see it too. The most obvious piece of evidence that what I say is true was set up by God for you all to see. Remember when John proclaimed that “God is cleaning house”? It was during the time that Heidi left the meetings, and John denigrated her as a headless woman, while lifting Adam so high in his love for God. A few months later, Adam runs off with Carol. John surely didn’t see what was really in Adam’s heart then. And he didn’t see what was really in my heart. I was excommunicated for, essentially, questioning John’s ways. Another couple stopped attending the meetings for some reason we may never fully know, but I do know that they were wronged too (you know that these two people love God, and you, and do not deserve to suffer as they do). I had two dreams one night, from God in response to my prayer to know who was in the wrong. And each dream contradicted what John said about God cleaning house. How much more evidence do you need to see that John was used by Satan to divide the Body of Christ? I have more evidence, if it takes more. And I’m willing to share it with you, in order to stop the deception that is in your midst. Remember, you can’t judge your place in God based on appearance, which is what is going on in John Clark’s way. God will continue to answer your prayers and bless you. But Satan is the “Prince of this world,” and he will rule over everyone who has more respect for a person than for God.

Scriptures tell us not to judge, but also to judge righteously. Can we do both? Yes. But have you considered how to do both? Do not judge by appearance (do not judge). The other side of the coin is the same, by the fact that Scriptures also tell us that only God is righteous. Therefore, only God can make a righteous judgment. Essentially, we are told to never judge, because we cannot know the heart of a person. Only God can know that. Appearance can be deceiving. Of course we must evaluate circumstances (judge), so what the author of those scriptures probably really meant was that we should not hand down sentences. That is God’s place. What John did to me was to step into the place of God and pronounce a sentence on me based on appearance. That was sin. And although I was falsely accused, I repented to God at that time, and He accepted my repentance. God let me know that it “is a matter of the heart,” and He restored my hope (it was after the Hell and Tartarus meeting). My heart was pure, or at least pure enough for God. But John could only see what he and Lee Ann wanted to see. How is it that a certain person was allowed to continue going to the meetings and Bible translation sessions when his secret sin was so, so much more serious than mine? You probably don’t even know the truth about it, either. If you think that his secret sin is that he was guilty of loving his tractor, his dog, and his land more than he loved God and his family, then you have been lied to and misled. This is another piece of evidence that what I say is true – that John is a respecter of persons. And there are other things which you do not know, but should know.
The fact is, God will continue to bless anyone, even when they do evil, because that is what God does. He blesses those in Christianity who don’t know the Truth, and He blesses those outside of Christianity. He blessed a brother while that brother harbored secret sin; He blessed me when I had a bad attitude; He blessed Adam and others; and, He blesses John even when John makes himself out to be like the Most High God. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that God is pleased with you because of your place in life. That is part of the deception.

I am the only one who has ever followed John that could do what I have done – I would not bow down to the man when I knew that doing so would have glorified Satan, and I have written a book about my experience. But maybe you have heard about my book and, very likely, how evil it is? It is not evil, as I believe that God directed me to write it and it is about the truth of the evil that has been done. What do you have to fear in reading it? That you might learn the truth? Or that John finds out that you read it? Maybe you don’t know about it, even though certain ones among you have known about it since last summer.

I only want the wrongs righted. I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you and share what I have learned. But if you are afraid to meet with me (I will understand why), then please read my book, Shackles of Faith. It is due for release on February 2nd. This will be my last letter to you all – I am washing my hands of the matter, as I have finished doing God’s work for me. Your pastor and some of your brothers and sisters have innocent blood on their hands. If you have any doubts about what I say, ask God, but be ready and willing to receive the truth.

Sincerely, Mark

Feb. 19, 2010

I have not yet received a response to my last letter to the Brethren. They are all too afraid of suffering the same fate as I to respond. I had one letter returned, unopened. It makes no sense, that not a single person would even give me the common courtesy to be heard. Their cult leader sure has them under his spell.

I did talk to one of my ex-wife's family members and learned that they are no longer attending the prayer meetings, at least on a regular basis. That is big, big news. I suspect that they questioned Clark and he put them out. I learned that one of my ex-wife's family members had talked to one of the other followers who no longer go to the meetings. He learned that a lot of what I have said is true. That may be one reason they no longer go. He also told me that he, and others, have seen the hypocrisy in John Clark and his way. So I feel some vindication.

Many of the brethren have apparently visited my book website. I got a lot of visits after sending out my letter. I have no doubt that some see that what I have written is true, and I understand their fear in talking with me, or talking to others about it. One of these days, John Clark will have to repent for the evil he has done.

Here is a list of the evils he has done (that I know of):

1. After John's dad died (he was the pastor of the small group until about 1989), John told his brother, Mike, that Mike needed to leave his wife, because his wife wasn't living right. Mike did for a short time, but then left the group. It about drove him crazy, because Mike knew that it wasn't God's will. This is exactly what John did to me, and to others. Obviously, John wanted to ensure that he took over the cult.
2. The very first time I met John Clark, one of the very first things said to me was this: John's wife told me that I might hear rumors about how John had abused some young girls, that it was only a rumor started by locals who hated him and the Truth. Now, how is an out-of-town visitor going to hear rumors like that, and from whom? This is a perfect example of how a guilty person attempts to cover themself.
3. John Clark invited the Louisville, KY group's pastor's wife to NC to visit, to get her away from her husband, Jimmy. Jimmy had no business in the first place being a pastor, as he had no more than a 3rd grade education. Anyway, once she got to NC and the women kept her busy, John flew out to KY to help Jimmy get the divorce proceedings under way. Jimmy returned, and he about went insane, staying in a bedroom for at least a month, crying nonstop. He couldn't figure it out, because he knew, as Mike did, that it wasn't God's will. I went through the very same insanity when I was falsely accused and my marriage destroyed. Jimmy's ex-wife still sees a psychologist.
4. John agreed with my former boss that it was okay to double-charge the State trust fund for work, when one task was done at the same time for two jobs. Their reasoning, "It is just the way the game is played." Pure hypocrisy!
5. John makes everyone pay an offering over the amount they tithe. Yet, he has them pay it with their tithe and tells them to only put down $5 as the offering amount, even though it is much more. There is some kind of tax advantage this way, I suppose.
6. John sold his house to a brother who moved from KY. They each knew that the house had construction flaws, that if inspected, might prevent someone from having it financed. When this brother complained to John that he would never be able to sell it (this is the brother who quit going for probably more than one reason), John's response was, "Well you knew what you were getting into." Is that an appropriate answer from a pastor? Of course not. It is the answer one would expect from a crook, a fraud, a scoundrel.
7. John Clark put one lady out because she wanted to see his financial data. After putting her out, he returned her tithes. He also returned another lady's tithes because that lade took in a relative's problem child, possibly an illegitimate child. He professed that he would return anyone's tithes and offerings if they decided to leave. He never offered to return mine, though. Mine amounted to 10s of thousands of dollars. The two ladies he put out didn't make much, so their small sums of money were easy for him to return, and it made him look so righteous to his followers. This is good evidence of the greed in his heart.
8. He and his followers encouraged my wife to divorce me.
9. He told one follower to stop seeking a relationship with a woman so that he could fix her up with the former pastor from KY. He is promoting adultery by the justifications he makes.
10. The list could go on and on. Anyone one want to add to it? Please do so.

Up until the false accusations made by Pastor "Elroy", I had no idea how much he hated me. His hateful spirit is exposed in many of the lies he said and wrote about me. Those who still follow after the man and who knew me, after hearing or seeing exactly what he said and wrote about me, will know that he lied and that his actions concerning me were not done in God's love. Here are just some of the spiteful things he said:

"You were doing your best to take care of a guy with an extremely, even morbidly, reclusive nature. Mark's social skills were so poor that he could not succeed in business on his own..."

This is the start of my fourth year in business on my own. And I am doing an amazing job. Any of the realtors, clients, or business associates whom I have worked with or for would immediately recognize Elroy's claim as a hateful lie, a very hateful lie.

"Mark has never once shown any interest in being close to the body of Christ. That is what troubled me about him the whole time he was around. And he resisted all efforts to include him in whatever was going on; he stayed away on his own. "Maggie" spent many hours with the body, but without Mark, when she really wanted him to be with her."

Another obvious lie. There are those who know how "William", my 2 to 3 year old son back then, and I would come to visit them without Maggie with us. I couldn't get her to go anywhere with us, because of her paranoia about our son's behavior, which was normal for a boy of that age. I was always present to help my brethren move, even those I didn't know (remember moving from Charlotte to Lexington J. and D. K.?). I helped Elroy clear his land for his home. I was one of the 3 or 4 who painted the OT maps on Elroy's basement walls. I loved to attend the bible translation sessions, asking if we could reschedule them in the evenings so that I wouldn't miss them while working during the afternoons. I helped my brothers W.S. and J.G. with some of their projects, whenever I could. I invited my brothers and sisters over for dinner many times, and ate at their homes too. It was hatred in his heart for me that led Elroy to write those lies.

"Mark abused "Maggie" terribly, albeit in ways that most were not allowed to witness."

Another lie! No one but me, and Maggie's former ex-huband, have seen the dark side of Maggie. Everyone thinks that she is so innocent and tender-hearted. And she is tender-hearted, but she can also be a real bitch. I put up with a lot of "leaky faucet" during our marriage. Her paranoia and obsessive-compulsive behavior was not easy for me to live with, but I was used to letting things run off my back ("Todd", my former boss, was extremely abusive, verbally, to me, as well as to many others). I did very well living with Maggie, and we could have done better, as most married couples know that it takes work. And I was willing to work on it until the end. There is one couple still following Elroy, and he is much more guilty of "abusing" his wife than I ever was, but has he been kicked out, or even talked to about it? No! Because everyone knows that he loves his wife. And everyone knew I loved mine.

"Mark is extremely unstable. I fear for my family because of him, and I look over my shoulder now when I go out of my house. I hope he doesn't kill himself or anyone else...he will never succeed in running his own business."

What wicked slander! Since when is Elroy a psychologist? What tests did he administer to me to come to such a conclusion? He made this statement out of pure hatred, so much hatred in his heart that there could not possibly have been any love of God in it at the time. He is a master at manipulating others. He sowed the seeds of hatred and distrust for me in his followers' hearts for the express purpose of separating them from me. Why can they not see it?!

I could go on and on. I have the documentation of Elroy's lies and contradictions, if anyone wants to see it. If I had been so wrong, so full of evil, so backward as Elroy claimed, why then did he not provide counseling? Where was the spiritual and personal help that a pastor should provide? Only after he kicked me out and destroyed my life did he start talking bad about me. But I know others who went through the very same thing. God's way is not to all of a sudden cut one off, then justify the judgment. That is Elroy's way, his way of protecting his title role as a "Man of God."

John Clark’s letter, written on March 23, 2010, is full of lies and slander. I have high-lighted (in bold) some of his comments that should be especially considered. My comments, in red bold italics, are inserted into his letter below. It is apparent, to me, that this letter was written as a smokescreen to satisfy some of his followers, those who probably asked some tough questions, in response to the letter I mailed out to them.


Dear Mark,

After reviewing the video that Ellen took at your recent book signing, I felt that I should try again to reason with you about the course you are on. Again?! When was the first time you tried to reason with me? There has been no reasoning, because there is no reason for what you have done to me, and what you have done to several others.

First, Mark, you have no idea how much I labored the entire time you were married to keep Lee Ann encouraged to stay with you. That’s right! I had no idea, because you didn’t labor at all. If what you say is true, then why did you not come to me and counsel me. We had one or two meetings, one of them two months after getting married, and our marriage did improve. Our relationship improved so much that Lee Ann, even at an age when pregnancy is risky, decided that she loved me enough to want to have my child. A woman needing encouragement to stay married does not have a child with her spouse. It is so typical of you and Lee Ann to blow things out of proportion. Besides, no one really understands what the original problem was. It was this – Lee Ann was not used to having her husband working at home all day. She could not adjust to that. Also, she was used to everyone stopping by to visit, but after we got married, everyone stopped coming by (I suppose to give the newly weds some alone time). But even when some came by for a visit, and I couldn’t just stop working and come down to visit (most everyone just came to see Lee Ann anyway), she thought I was being rude. I was busy trying to make ends meet and do my job over a long distance, which wasn’t an easy adjustment for me, either. And she made a sincere effort to be the best wife and mother she could be, in spite of the lack of feelings for you with which she often struggled. You have caused her to forget all the good that we had in our marriage. You and others have brainwashed her. She would not describe her life with you as “a garden of Eden”, and neither did you, at the time. I’ve explained that Lee Ann “struggled” with my inability to be over-religious. Her struggles were a result of the paranoia brought about by your over-religious and self-righteous ways. Every time that Lee Ann came to talk to me, she once said, she left feeling that I was on your side, not hers. It is no exaggeration to say that I checked on her feelings and the status of your shaky marriage fifty times; so often did I do so, in fact, that after a while, all I had to do was ask with a look. If what you say here is true, and it isn’t, then why did you not come to me to counsel me? Fifty times?! I was never aware of your feelings and hers, when it counted most and when we could have worked on our marriage and my attitude. Yes, we did have one meeting early in our marriage, but things got better afterward. So much better that we had a child and built a beautiful house together. If you knew of Lee Ann’s feelings at least 50 times, then why was I kept in the dark? You will remember that she came to see me just two months after you married. (You came too, after she had been with me about half an hour.) She felt that she had made “the biggest mistake of her life” by marrying you – her words – and that she – again her words – “wanted out”. I would not, I could not, even consider agreeing to such a thing so quickly. (I regret now that I did not realize how deeply she felt about it. You didn’t realize how deeply she felt about it?! When someone so meek and tender-hearted as Lee Ann goes to someone of your authority to seek a divorce only two months after getting married, you had to have known how deeply she felt about it! If what you say is true, then you have no business being a pastor. You certainly have no business being a marriage counselor. Maybe I could have spared us all a lot of pain and trouble by getting out of the way and not resisting her desire to divorce you then. I was just so sure you would change.) Wouldn’t it have been easier to provide some counseling? One meeting isn’t going to solve, or resolve, any of the problems that were causing a problem in the first place. No, your way is to avoid conflicts and “let” God take care of them. Then, if the outcome is good, God did it. And if the outcome is bad, God did it. That way, God is blamed for the evil that you allowed to happen, and in my case, even promoted.

After you walked out on Lee Ann and the children (she would not have left you), when I heard that she was planning to rent your office the following week, I called her from Louisville and pleaded with her not to do it. If you had pled with her not to do anything, she would have obeyed you. You have her, and everyone else, wrapped around your little finger. This is also a slanderous lie. I did not “walk out on Lee Ann and the children.” As I have explained, Ellen Payne kept telling me that I “just needed to go away.” At first, I moved out of the house to the office, but that wasn’t far enough. It was about 6 months later that I moved to the apartment to help Natalie out (financially) and hoped to have a similar experience as hers, which let her back in. In the meantime, Lee Ann was being coached by you and others, namely Gary, to seek a divorce – and I can prove this claim of mine. I told her that it might happen that after a month or two of loneliness, she would discover feelings for you that she did not realize were there. She discovered those feelings were still in her heart in the summer of 2008 when we spoke on the phone for 7.5 hours (until 3:30 a.m. the second time), but after she talked with someone (probably you and/or Ellen Payne), she cut herself off from those reawakened feelings for me. Lee Ann would not promise me that she would wait, but she did say that she would think about what I said. A few days later, when I returned home, it surprised me to learn that she had gone ahead with her plans and rented the room. If you had not had so much hatred for me and wanted me gone, you would have undone what she had done, for you know that you had the authority to do so. You kept Ellen Payne from divorcing Bob (Ellen told me how she came to you more than a couple of times seeking permission to divorce Bob). Lee Ann and Ellen were more relieved to have you out of their house and their lives than I ever suspected. That doesn’t surprise me one bit, as without Lee Ann’s constant nagging, there was much more peace in the house. And Lee Ann never disciplined Ellen as she should have been - I didn’t let Ellen get by with things (that is why Ellen was relieved). For example, Lee Ann would tell her to do something, and Ellen would just keep doing whatever she was doing, completely ignoring her mother. And this was during the time when you were preaching about how children ought to respond immediately to their parents’ directives. I’d get onto Lee Ann about it, but she didn’t have any respect for me at all, so nothing would happen. And I frequently noticed that when I came into the room when Ellen was watching TV, she’d change the channel quickly. But not before I saw that she was watching a garbage sitcom. You and Lee Ann have twisted the truth in this matter. I don’t think anyone could have stopped Lee Ann from renting that office to make sure you could not come back into your house. I do not say that to hurt or offend you but to help you understand what the situation really was. Smokescreen – you could have said something, but didn’t. She would have done anything you said. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you suggested that she rent the office to keep me from coming back.

Mark, your descriptions of events from 2006-2007 are so far from what I recall that I struggle to find a connecting point. For one example, you did not call me before you came to my house the evening of December 30, 2006; nor did I call you. Maybe not on December 30th, as I believe it occurred earlier in the week or the previous week. But I did call. Even Lee Ann remembers me coming down from my office into the kitchen when she was fixing dinner, and me telling her that I had called you and that I was going to talk to you later. She remembers asking me what I planned to talk to you about and that I told her that I didn’t know, except that I had a dream that I thought I was supposed to share with you. Nor were you summoned for a trial of any sort. That was poetic license that I used to describe the scene. But I strongly suspect that you knew what you were doing that evening. Furthermore, I did not call people to my house after Lee Ann told us that you were coming to tell us about a dream. When I told Lee Ann that you were welcome if you wanted to come over, the people who were already there stayed, even though we all were ready to call it a night. We had been listening for a couple of hours to some of our newly-produced music, and some of us were on the floor because over forty people were present and there were only about twenty-five chairs in my office. During the Christmas holidays, we almost always have a lot of people visiting, as you know. That gathering had nothing whatsoever to do with you. First, I don’t think that meeting took place on Dec. 30th. I believe that it took place earlier in the week (I think it was a weekday), or the week prior. But when it occurred isn’t important. Second, when I called you to ask if I could talk with you, you told me that you were busy with a couple of people in your office and that you would be finished around 9 p.m., at which time you’d call me back. It may have been Lee Ann who called me to let me know that you were ready to see me. I don’t remember the exact details. But I have no doubt that you arranged for everyone to show up, probably by inviting some over to listen to a new song, knowing that more would show up. But there were so many there that night, and I don’t think it was on a weekend, so I have no doubt that you or someone called around to get everyone there. Then you probably mentioned that I was coming over to talk about a dream I had had. You knew very well what you were doing. And God is going to hold you accountable for what you did and/or did not do.

It was out of courtesy that Junior Embry (I believe it was) went and found a chair for you in another part of the house and brought it in. He placed it close to the middle of the room because (1) the middle of the room was the only spot available and (2) it was the best spot for you to be able to talk to everyone as you said you wanted to do. John, you know as well as I that if I had known that everyone was there, I would not have come. I wanted to talk to you, and you alone. But I knew that there might have been a few others there (I think I remember you telling me that there might be a few people in your office when we met), but I was not expecting everyone. I did not say that I wanted to talk to everyone. Junior was trying to make it so that you did not have to sit on the floor as some of us were doing. You were not required to sit in that chair if you did not want to. You did not even have to come. You could have waited for some other time if you were uncomfortable with the situation. Listen to yourself! You knew that I was uncomfortable. You knew my personality well enough to know that the environment in your office would not allow me to be open and honest. It was all a show orchestrated by you. You try to throw off your followers’ thoughts about the important issues by making a big deal about the placement of the chair and explaining that I didn’t have to sit on the floor. But the fact is, the chair was placed for me and you were right there next to it waiting for your victim. Personally, I would have preferred to wait. It was late, and I was tired of the floor. But since you said that you had something from the Lord to tell us, we waited for you. I said that I had something to tell YOU. Not “us”. If you had preferred to wait, you would have gone to the bedroom and told everyone good night, knowing that they would leave. And you didn’t have to sit or lie on the floor waiting for me.

That night, Mark, after you told your dream, you surprised us by volunteering a confession that you were guilty of envy. You said that you envied the blessings that other people received from God, that you envied the wonderful feelings they felt. I believe that I was asked what I thought my problem was, or I just offered a possible explanation of what had happened to me, spiritually. This is really irrelevant to all the evil you did to me, and to others. My response to you, if you will recall, was that what you were feeling was not envy (which is evil), but that you were simply jealous of those blessings, and that such jealousy can be a good thing. It can provoke us to seek God more fervently. I know what was in my heart, and it was not jealousy. It was envy. And I believe that you knew it too. But because you were determined to help Lee Ann divorce me, you made light of it. Or you just aren’t as in touch with God as you lead everyone to believe. If you do not remember that, I can understand. I didn’t remember most of this either until I saw the video of that evening, about a year later. At Christmas, 2006, Betty had been given a video camera as a present, and to test it, she had set it down on the table in my office and turned it on even before you came. Betty’s video recorded every second of your visit that night, from the time you walked in and sat down, until you got up and left. If what you say is true, I would like to see that video. Maybe you can post it on your website or send it to me? But I bet that you will have some excuse not to, such as it was deleted or lost. There was one Brother there that night who later told me that “what John did to you wasn’t in your best interest, it was wrong.” And I know that he wasn’t the only one to have that thought.

On that video, I told you that envying blessings was not your problem, but that pride was, and that I wanted you to deal with the real issue. I told you that you and a couple of others (one of whom was sitting there with us) that night, had a problem with pride, but I did so only because you guys were proud, and it was my job as your pastor to warn you. I seriously doubt that anyone there saw me as being a proud person. I was guilty by association, and you know it. I wanted you, Mark, to deal with your real problem, not to beat yourself up as being guilty of something (like being jealous over blessings) that was not even sin. And I told you that your statement of Lee Ann was abusive, but only because it was, and it was my job to tell you. Your statement of my abuse of Lee Ann shocked everyone the first time you made that false accusation. The real abuse was your over-religious, self-righteous way. And you had no idea of how much abuse I suffered from her. You never knew how much abuse I suffered, and if I really did abuse Lee Ann as you say, then where and when were all the warnings and counselings I should have received? You are trying to justify your cruel treatment and judgment of me. She was hurting, Mark, hurting a lot because of you. Maybe, but mostly, as I have said, because of your over-religious, self-righteous ways, and how those ways affected her. And why couldn’t you see that I was hurting because of her paranoia and abuse? And I did tell you that Ben was not developing normally, and I asked the others present if anyone felt as I did about that, and some did. I don’t believe that anyone agreed with you. But you know how no one will say anything against you, which allows you to twist the truth. Since when are you qualified to offer a judgment on a child’s development? You are judging Ben’s personality. Again, you twist the truth against me. He was shy. He was very much a normal little boy for his age. It was evil of you to imply, or even state, that I “ruined” Benjamin. (It was later, in March 2007, in an afternoon conference in my office with a small group of people closest to you, that I told you that you were ruining Benjamin. It was not that night in 2006. You confused those two events.) Maybe I did confuse the dates of the two events, but that is such a minor detail that it shouldn’t even be mentioned. This December 30, 2006 visit of yours took place over a month after I let you know that your sarcasm and slander of people here made you unwelcome in my home, but I was willing for you to come if you had something from the Lord that we needed to hear.

At the end of that December 30 evening, the video showed that we all knelt down and prayed. You and I were kneeling on the floor praying together. At one point, I even had my arm over your shoulder. And the last thing that happened before you left, after you got back in your chair, was that I asked you how you felt. You responded, “I feel a lot of hope.” You do remember that now, don’t you, Mark? Yes, I seem to remember trying to think of something to say that I thought you and the others might want to hear, so that I might have some hope of reconciliation. What else was I to say? You are sure to make yourself the authority and everyone under you look so foolish. Or maybe you will remember standing on my front porch afterward, repeating to Drew that you felt a lot of hope. Or maybe you remember walking home with Lee Ann that night and telling her, too, that you felt a lot of hope. You did not leave my home feeling condemned and “castigated”. Yes, I remember telling them I felt hope. As I said, what else was I supposed to say? But I didn’t feel any hope coming from them, or from you. And I did feel condemned and castigated. I remember feeling that I was humiliated for nothing. As usual, you see and say only what you want others to see and hear.

The point is, the event as you describe it is so far from the truth that one must be concerned about your mental state. Now this is where you really twist the truth and slander me! This is where the evil in your heart comes to light. I may have gotten the dates and when things were said wrong, but the issues I’ve raised should not be avoided by raising technicalities! And you are no authority to raise questions concerning my mental state! This is pure evil slander on your part. Mark, if your lawsuit against me had gone to court and that video had been played in public, you would have been made to look like a fool. You say this thinking that your followers will agree. But I would welcome that video to be shown to the whole world. Those who view it won’t think about the technicalities you have raised as a smokescreen to cover the real issues. They will see how you abused me that evening. They will see how you control others with fear. Please send me a copy of the video! But I know you won’t, if it still exists. The only one who would look like a fool would be you. Well, actually, we all might have been made to appear foolish because the world does not understand what it is like to have a real family in Christ, one that is close enough to deal with problems openly and honestly among themselves as the Scriptures say to do. You are really laying it on thick here, John Clark! I know for a fact that you keep secrets from some of your followers. Many are kept in the dark on some issues (I know that you send emails out to only certain ones, leaving others in the dark). But, I would not have looked as foolish as you and your followers. A real family in Christ doesn’t talk behind their family members’ backs, as is done among many of your followers, and as you do. And I can point out the proof of what I’m saying here, and there are those who follow you who would know that what I say is true. How many people knew exactly what happened to Chris and Karen Evans? Or Heidi? Or Caroline? Or even Bob? I bet that most of your followers were surprised to learn about your judgments against them. And you claiming that God “was cleaning house”, referring to your judgments against them and praising Adam for remaining with the group rather than staying with his “headless” wife, should have shown everyone that you were not speaking for God. Oh, you barely escaped being exposed as the charlatan then. But your way with words and the fear you have instilled among your followers allowed you to escape. I have kept all criticism of you away from the public; such as that should be dealt with only among the family of faith. And for good reason! Everyone would see through you and see the evil you are guilty of. This kind of evil does not need to be kept among the family of faith, for it wasn’t of God. I never wanted you to be publicly embarrassed, Mark, and I still do not. But although I have never gone public with anything about you, please do not take that as fear to do so. It is not. And that is one reason I am writing to you now. More smokescreen! I don’t fear going public, but I welcome it! I have evidence and testimony of what I say is true. You are the one who fears this mess of yours going public. But I would rather you just admit your guilt and repent.

For a second example of how far from reality your thinking has become, I refer to the last prayer meeting you attended and that you discussed in your book signing last Friday, March 19, 2010. You must remember, Mark, that we used to video tape our meetings. The camera was rolling the entire three hours of that meeting, on April 4, 2007, the one at which you claim that you were verbally abused and excommunicated. (That was the meeting after which, on your way home with Lee Ann in the car, according to her, you glibly asked if she wanted to go get some ice cream before going home.) You were there in my home that night not because you were on trial but because you had come to my office that afternoon and asked me if you could be there. I had told you yes, you could come but that if you came, you should be aware that your situation may well come up, since it was unresolved and your family in Christ would want you to know what was going on with you. Why did my family in Christ not come to me, or call, to find out? Not a single person came to me, because you labeled me as evil and warned them, albeit in an indirect way (but I know that you sent an email out to some, not all, stating such), not to have contact with me. Where was my help between the December 2006 meeting and the April 2007 meeting? This is one of the real issues I’ve raised and which you don’t talk about. I had absolutely no contact with you, and you did not respond to my many emails. Where was my help? Where was the love of God in how you didn’t do a thing to help me reconcile with Lee Ann? By the way, the meeting where I was “verbally abused and excommunicated” was not the one in April, but was the one that occurred around Thanksgiving of 2006. Again, you are raising technicalities and twisting the truth as a smokescreen. And what is wrong with asking Lee Ann to go out for ice cream? I wanted to be with her longer, to talk more, because I knew that as soon as we got back to the house I’d have to go up to the office and she’d lock herself in the house.

As it turned out, and as the video shows, there was nothing in that entire meeting about you, spoken to you, or heard from you, until the last fifteen minutes or so. And even then, when I spoke to you, I did so quietly, courteously, and sincerely. I did not point my finger at your face and “thunder” accusations at you, as you publicly claim I did. (The whole thing is on video, Mark.) Again, you have the wrong meeting. The one in April was not the one I was talking about. Maybe I got the date wrong, but the meeting where you falsely accused me and excommunicated me was the one around Thanksgiving 2006. And as a writer, you very well understand poetic license. As I remember it, and as the video of that earlier meeting should show, I was “thundered” at. So why don’t you just forget the technicalities and confess your sins? Nor would I have ever acted that way toward you. But you did. Let’s look at the video of that meeting, or did it get “lost” too? But I seem to remember that you asked Bob or Rob to turn off the recording equipment, so there’s no video of that event. You know how to protect yourself. In the thirteen years that you were here, you never saw me treat anyone that way. That’s not completely true. I remember you, more than once, asking someone to turn the recording equipment off so that you could debase someone. And you treated me that way because you knew that I had seen enough of the whole picture and that you had to get rid of me so that no one else would come to see it. At that meeting, I sincerely asked you please to tell me if there was anything you thought we needed to hear or if I was seeing something wrong. You knew very well that I could not respond to you, for if I told what was in my heart and mind, you would have slammed me. You know how no one can stand up to your “authority”, and how no one ever has because they have more fear of you than they have of God. You have masterfully controlled everyone’s minds and hearts. Your only response was to hang your head down and say, “I just can’t do anything right.” That was the only kind of response I ever received from you – to my face. You didn’t expect anything more than that, either, from me or from anyone else. You thrive on such responses.

A few weeks previous to this, in our March conference in my office with just a few people closest to you present, I all but got on my knees and begged you to help me if I was seeing things wrongly, and all you did then was to hang your head down and say, “It’s all true.” What else could I say? You were acting then, as you are now. I was damned if I did, and damned if I didn’t. And you knew it. If you really had concern for my spiritual wellbeing, then you certainly could have taken other measures to reconcile me to the Body of Christ (e.g., welcoming me back into the fold, under certain conditions (as you did for Bob); talking with others openly; refusing to let Lee Ann seek a divorce (but you and Gary actually encouraged her to do so)). I had the people closest to you there so that they could be witnesses to everything that was said and done. No, they were the closest to you – your “Inner Circle”. You should have had Jim and Debbie Gregory there, and Wendell, Sarah Hicks, Jim and Diane Kirk, Lee Ann’s family, Taylor and Carrie, and others. But with those closest to me in on it, you would not have been able to get rid of me. They would have questioned what you claimed, as I suspect some of them recently have, in response to my letter(s) to them. My only regret is that I didn’t stand up to you and make you justify your actions in the presence of those who could have recognized the truth in the matter. You had already begun to mis-remember some things, and I was afraid of how you might later characterize what happened. This is an outright lie. Again, you are dwelling on the technicalities and avoiding the real issues. It may be that severe stress affects your memory; I cannot judge that. But did you not just judge me on that issue?! Do you not see the hypocrisy in what you just said? And severe stress will affect most people’s memories. The real question one should ask is, “Why was I under such severe stress?” And where was my help? But you need help. This is slander against me. You have no right to say that I need help, in the sense in which you imply.

Mark, the April 4th meeting video is in the hands of my attorney now. I never referred to this meeting in my book, as far as I can remember. I may have mentioned, in an email, how before this meeting began, Carrie, Jim Kirk, Taylor, and Julie Ayscue came over and hugged me so sweetly, which really encouraged me. And I remember that it was a normal meeting, and I got very blessed by it, especially when I went up for prayer. But afterward, you did beat me down again and destroyed what little hope I had regained. I’m sure that your attorney will agree with me after viewing that video. I’d like to see it for myself, to see if I really can’t remember that well. And I am begging you, for your sake, not just mine, to cease from these humiliating and false allegations against me. I can prove most of the most important allegations I’m making. You are the only one that will be humiliated by a public showing of the videos, and you know it. It makes me feel ill just thinking about playing that video in a public setting. I’d feel the same way if I were as guilty as you. Everything about that night, as you describe it in your book, is proved to be false. You haven’t proved the first major issue, I’ve raised, to be false. And you can’t. But if you continue your onslaught against me, you may force us into a position in which we are compelled to produce such evidence. In which case I will produce evidence that will show the evils you have perpetrated against me, and in the name of God no less. Mark, if that happens, you will appear to be purposefully misinforming people about me, and I do not want to do that to you. Please do not do that to yourself, and to us, and to the name of Jesus. Jesus had nothing to do with this, and I have not mentioned his name. But I have evidence that you are misinforming people about me, so this is another smokescreen of yours designed to appease your followers who have probably asked some tough questions or raised some valid concerns. Instead, you should be asking God what He is trying to get through your thick, evil skull. This is an All Things event for you, John Clark! I am seeing the whole picture so much more clearly now, so I have no fear in you taking me to court. In fact, I would welcome the opportunity to vindicate myself. You may have all of your followers, and yourself, fooled all of the time, but you can’t fool everyone, especially with the evidence I have.

When I was forced to answer that long list of queries from your attorney, I added at the beginning and the end of those 58 pages (I’d like to see those 58 pages, because I know nothing about them) an insistence that my attorneys do everything possible to keep those things about you from ever being publicized. There has never been a moment when I had any ill-will toward you, in spite of all that you have put me through in public, and by the grace of God, I feel none yet. My policy has always been to deal with the troubles and failures of God’s children only within the household of faith, and I intend to continue following that course as long as I live, but that may depend on how far you choose to take this. I beg you to stop before this goes any further. You lie when you say that you have felt no ill-will toward me. The hateful things you’ve said about me (I have written documentation) show that you are lying. And you don’t want this to go public because you will be exposed for the fraud you are. But let’s keep it private. Let me meet with select ones to present my case before them. Would you be willing to do that? But I know you wouldn’t. Let them meet with me under my terms and conditions - if I am a liar, you have nothing to worry about. I’ve tried to be wrong, but it just isn’t possible with the evidence I’ve amassed.

Your accusation that I do not respond to you is frustrating. I responded to you many dozens of times, continuing even up to three months or so after you left Lee Ann. If this is true, and it isn’t, then send copies of your responses to the emails from me or your emails to me, with those I wish to meet with when I present my case to them. But you can’t, because I never received any responses from you (not dozens, anyway). (A copy of my last email in 2007 is attached, dated June 14.) That is the only email I have on file for you responding to me. And in it are many hurtful, hateful, and false accusations. Since then, there has been no point in responding. Nothing I said was taken by you the right way, and it was often misrepresented to make me appear to be evil. Because it was evil. And how can I take false accusations the right way? Your memory is poor, Mark, for whatever reason. It may be that a professional counselor will help you discover what that reason is. It cannot be anything I ever felt toward you or did to you. From the day I met you, I was for you. And I have been the same pastor to others as I was to you (including Bob), and those people are not in the condition you are in. Oh John, how can you say such garbage? It is slander to suggest that a professional counselor might help me. And it is a bold-faced lie to say that you were the same pastor to me as to others, especially mentioning Bob. You kicked me out, knowing that it would be the end of my marriage, only because I had a bad attitude and said something against Sandy, which I have no doubt others also felt was true. Yet, you let Bob continue going to the meetings and bible translating sessions after learning that he had a problem with internet pornography and Ellen seeking your approval for a divorce many times! Do you not see the hypocrisy in what you say? Not only that, you told Bob that he “loved his land, his tractor, and his dog more than he loved his wife, family, and God”, or something to that effect. And I’d be willing to bet that most everyone (those outside of the inner circle) think that’s the only reason Bob was in trouble. And for months Bob could not follow your simple command to stay quiet.

Mark, your misunderstanding of me and others is misguided and is driving you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. So are you agreeing that I’m a victim and responding in the only way a victim can respond? You are continuing to use the names of certain people as if they support you, even though you know that is not the case. They are afraid of you and not nearly afraid of God as they ought to be. And you are taking advantage of your sisters’ and mother’s love, as well as their lack of knowledge of events. If what you claim is true and what I claim is false, then I wouldn’t have travelled down the road I have. I have no reason to lie. I could be satisfied with my business and seeing Ben when I can. But I am a man of principle, and I cannot, nor will God allow me to, stand by and let you get away with such evil as you have done. I heard your mother prompt you last Friday to tell the audience of being “shunned”, and I felt so sorry for her. As I have said, you labeled me evil, as well as others, and probably said some other things that would have led your followers to shun us (your followers cannot argue that they did not shun me, and others). You proceeded to falsely accuse me, again, of commanding everyone here not to contact you. I remember seeing an email where you did so (I may still have a copy of it). I was even told by someone that such was the case. If you didn’t tell everyone, I am certain that you made sure that your feelings were made known, either directly or indirectly. Let me talk with some of your followers and see if they can remember why they didn’t even call or write to me. I did no such thing. You did not see me do such a thing during the thirteen years that you were here among us. Yes I did! I don’t remember who it was, and I believe that there was more than one person, too. And I have no doubt that some others will remember you talking behind that person’s back in a way that led us not to have contact with them. They will remember you asking someone in the meetings to turn the recording equipment off so that you could debase them. What makes you think I would start with you? For one, you knew that I was seeing through your charade, your man-made commandments and doctrines. You knew, from the very beginning, that you would have trouble deceiving me. And you could not allow others to learn what I had learned. So you had to make me look as bad as possible, which you did. Things got so blown out of proportion. Nothing I did was deserving of splitting up a marriage and family, or loss of job and property. Think about it, Mark. I have, and I’ve tried to be wrong, but the truth is the truth. There is no argument against the truth. And if allowed to present my case, those who see what I have found out will see it too. Might it be possible that so few contacted you because you did not develop a meaningful relationship with people while you were here? This is a wicked, slanderous lie! I had many meaningful relationships. And if I can meet with those individuals and show them what you just wrote here, they will see the hatred in your heart for me. They will recognize this question of yours as a lie. My relationships were strongest with those who were the least over-religious. Your relationships are strongest amongst those who are the most over-religious. That is one of the pieces of evidence that your work has become a personality cult, which is one reason I believe God is not happy with you. You remember that years ago, I used to tease you, good-naturedly, about disappearing when groups of people were around. I nicknamed you “Bruce Wayne” because Bruce Wayne used to quietly disappear from group functions, as you would do, when Batman was needed. We would just look around, and Mark would be gone. I was ok with you doing that; and I teased you only to try to gently bring you out of your shell, a little at a time. So you are admitting that personality is very important to you - that with a different personality, I could have been more a part of your group? That’s what I thought. I disappeared, because if I didn’t, I’d have had to wait and wait and wait for an opportunity to say goodbye, which I didn’t really like doing anyway. And I didn’t see saying goodbye as being necessary, either. Not everyone said goodbye to me when they left, and I didn’t think anything about it. There were many times that you would disappear and someone would ask where you went.

Please take no offence at the following, but you need some information to understand why you got so little communication from people. You sent an angry letter to Billy Highfill and a few others just a few weeks ago, ending the letter by saying that you missed him. Afterward, he told me that you never gave him the time of day the entire time you were here, except for one day when you were “showing off” your big-screen TV (his words). You have brainwashed him too. I don’t believe what you wrote here. For one thing, the “so little communication from people” happened before my letter to Billy Highfill, and I don’t remember it being angry (at him or others anyway). Second, I don’t think that Billy would have said what you say he said, except that is what your followers feel toward those you denigrate and ostracize. I may not have had a very close, personal relationship with Billy, due to the fact that he lived 70 miles away and we had very little in common, but I loved him as a brother anyway. And he was the one who stopped by my house when I was watching my new hi-definition TV. Why is it such a sin to talk about things other than God? Your over-religious, self-righteous ways have affected every one of your followers to an unhealthy extent, but didn’t affect me nearly enough for my spirituality to be considered worthy of your acceptance. Your over-religious, self-righteous way is the sand in the ointment. And I don’t miss it at all. Would you expect that Billy would pursue you after you left, when while you were here, you showed no interest in him or his family, especially when you have publicly criticized him as being one of a group of mindless cult followers? Again, the smokescreen. If my email or letter to him, and the others, offended, I’m sorry. But the truth of the matter is that they abandoned me, not in response to fear of God, for God was not in what was done to me and to others, but they stayed away from me out of fear of you. And that happened long before my letter. So your argument is worthless. What you are saying is that everyone who follows you must have a perfect human relationship with each other, as well as their spiritual relationship. That is more evidence that you are the leader of a personality cult. And God is trying to get you, and everyone else, to see that. This is an All Things for you and your believers who believe that doctrine of yours. Besides, Billy and everyone else should love the brethren no matter how they are treated (Jesus said to love even our enemies, and I definitely was not an enemy). In such a case, Mark, normal people would be glad that you were out of their lives; they would not want to contact you. But John, you maintain that your followers are not living as “normal” people. They are God’s children, and should know better. You lie and twist the truth around to fit your own needs.

It was my original intention, when I received notice of your humiliating lawsuit in 2007, not to contest the charges leveled against me because that is what Jesus commanded his followers to do if ever they were sued (Mt. 5:40). My friends and family worried that I was making a big mistake, but I was determined to do it God’s way, regardless of what it might cost me. I announced to everyone here, that it was my intention to obey Jesus’ injunction not to resist evil, but to give to the one who sued me even more than he demanded. First, you said something about your “friends” worrying. Now John, everyone knows that you have claimed many, many times that you have no friends, that God won’t allow you to have friends, because you cannot be a respecter of persons. So a little of the dross of your lie just came to the surface in that sentence. Second, you knew God’s way on how to handle a lawsuit, but you went against God anyway?! Maybe your hypocrisy is why I had to go through the hell you put me through and then write my book. I told them that not only did I intend to turn the other cheek to offer a defense, I intended to give you even more, by returning to you every dime you had ever given to me by way of tithes and offerings. Oh John, do you really think that anyone would believe that? If you did say anything like that, it was only for show. You perform acts like that all the time. If I am so evil, and if I am lying, then God would not want you to have any of the money I gave you in tithes and offerings, because I’d be able to say that I helped build your work. And I’m sure that He would want you to pay me for all of the time I spent in your basement painting the OT maps on the walls, and clearing your land, and helping others with moving and mowing and such. You are saying all of this for show. Do you not feel the greed that is so obviously in your heart? Your records were searched, and the total added. Later, however, it was pointed out to me that unless I put up at least a token fight, there was another man who had walked out on his faithful and loving wife here who might use your “successful” lawsuit as a weapon to further harm that utterly broken woman. First, Brian did not walk out on his wife. He walked out on you. And you helped destroy their marriage too. People don’t just stop loving each other, especially when they have children. And if there are marital problems, the pastor should do whatever he can to help, not to divide. Anyway, what difference does the outcome of my lawsuit have in doing what is God’s will? You justify changing your mind (especially after seeing how much money you’d have to pay out) based on what else you think could happen. I had to admit that such was a possibility, and I was persuaded by that consideration. Persuaded by the greed and pride in your heart. I met with an attorney just to signal to others that they would meet with some resistance and that there would be costs involved in following your example. That was pure fiction, pure acting. This excuse is such a joke. What others? Who else’s lives did you destroy to a point that you feared they would sue you too? I could not bear to see that precious, completely innocent sister suffer beyond what she had been put through. I pray to God I never again see anyone that crushed in spirit. She obviously suffered from your brainwashing the same way Lee Ann did. And she suffered because of your over-religious, self-righteous way. And I doubt that she will be the last, either.

You have no doubt wondered, since you know that I normally offer to return the last six months of people’s money who contribute to my work and then decide to go some other way, what I did with the tithes and offerings I had wanted to return to you. (Now it’s just the last 6 months, not every dime?)That amount (minus the taxes I paid on them) was used to pay my attorney’s fees for the lawsuit you filed and to restore Ben’s college fund that you plundered to start the lawsuit. First, this is another slanderous accusation. I did not plunder Ben’s college fund. That money was from the sale of my boat, which Lee Ann made me sell because she thought it was too much trouble (I told her that the only trouble it was for her was that she had to step into it – that is the kind of abuse I had to put up with). And the rest of the money came from my retirement funds. We did not have a formal educational account set up for Ben. Second, if you added up everything I gave you over the years, and were thinking of returning that amount to me, then you couldn’t have paid nearly that much to your attorneys and Ben must have a huge amount in the bank. I’d like to see a deposit slip. I’m willing to bet you didn’t give anything to him. If you did, thanks, that was the least you could do. I was forced to put $10,000 into an education fund for Ben. If you are not lying here, prove it. I want to see a bank-supplied record of the deposit. But maybe you did deposit the last 6 months of my tithes and offerings, which after paying your attorney fees could not have amounted to much at all. You may have your followers fooled, but I can see your deception. Even at that, there was some money left, and from that amount, Lee Ann’s attorney fees were paid when you filed that senseless and cruel lawsuit against Lee Ann to take Ben away from her. As part of my settlement, I had to pay Lee Ann’s attorney’s fees. So I believe that you are lying again. Or, you are making it sound like you paid them all. I know it cost me over $2,000 in fees, which would seem about the right amount for what her attorney did in her defense. So again, show some evidence that what you say is true. Mark, I must tell you that your descriptions of our meetings in your lawsuit against Lee Ann were outrageous, and at one point, blasphemous. How on earth could you bring yourself to say such things about these sweet people and the holy Spirit of God? I don’t remember saying anything about prayer meetings, and if I did say anything, it would have been the truth. Anything I could have said about the meetings and people would not have been of any use in that lawsuit, anyway, so I don’t believe you are telling the truth. This is just another of your smokescreens. Besides, I was not the one who was deposed, so I did not give any testimony. I pray that God has mercy on your soul and attributes those wicked words to mental stress that pushed you to go so far in your attempt to take Ben away from his wonderful mother. In the first place, you don’t know the reason I took Lee Ann to court. Because I had to spend so much time getting my business going, there was no way I could take Ben completely away. I only wanted more custody of him, maybe 50%. Second, you are the one whose false accusations and cruel actions led to this mess, and the breakup of other families. Ben will have to overcome the hate he will surely have for you when he learns the truth. And I will try my best to help him overcome it.

Please consider these things, Mark. To this point (and even now only to your closest relatives), I have refused to defend myself by going outside the body of Christ with the truth about your situation, even though you have publicly taunted and abused me for things that I did not do and words I did not say. I can prove what I have said. I can show everyone how you have lied. You have not gone public because you know that I am right and that you are lying. You should stop it. It is not only illegal; but more importantly, it is sinful. Seeking the truth in a matter is not sinful. Seeking justice, even worldly justice, is not sinful. What is sinful is destroying people’s lives in the name of God, as you have done. Either you are acting, or you are completely deluded. I suspect that both are true.

There is no sarcasm or malice in my suggestion that you need professional counseling, Mark. Maybe not, but it is slanderous! To be as adamant as you are about things that never took place in reality, you must actually believe what you are saying. If you really believe what you wrote, then you won’t mind me talking to a few of your followers about it, right? What do you have to lose? If I’m as wrong as you say, then they will see it too. Let me meet with certain ones. Let them be the judge between us. I know that what I am saying is true, and therefore your idle threats don’t scare me the least bit. But there would be no question in the mind of any reasonable person, once he is made aware of the facts, that you are living in a world of your imagination. You think things are real that are not. You have invented a personality for yourself that you never had (the hero, the only one courageous enough to question and oppose a cult leader – which you never did) (You are bragging here, wanting your followers who read this garbage to see you as the hero.), and a personality for me (refusing to give you a chance to speak your mind – which I did many times) (You never gave me an opportunity to speak after I learned what I have learned. And prior to April 2007, those “opportunities” occurred in your presence, and you and everyone who knows you knows that nothing can be said against you) that I never had, and a personality for this wonderful group of people that never existed. (I refer to the “50 or so”, what did you call them, “poor, ignorant country folk” who, you say, are hopelessly afraid of me?). How could you speak of these saints like that? Don’t you know that if you keep this up, somebody is going to do some real investigative work, not just pursue some disgruntled former members, as you have done, and that they will find out what kind of people are really here, and that you will look foolish again? First, you never gave me a chance to speak my mind because at the time I didn’t know what I know now. And with you present, as everyone who knows you well, it was impossible for me to defend myself – everyone knows this is true. Second, by arguing about how I described your followers, you are avoiding the real issues, again a smokescreen. That was poetic license, because I did not want to describe everyone in detail, for the benefit of their privacy, and you know that that kind of writing makes the story more readable and interesting. So quit avoiding the real issues. I have not claimed to be a hero, only a victim. And why are there so many other victims, whom everyone knows loved God? I am not afraid of anyone doing investigative work, but rather, I welcome it. You are the one who is afraid of that. It made you so angry and scared when I started finding out why the others were victims too. Why were they disgruntled? That is a good question that should be answered. Why don’t you ask all of your followers to personally talk to Heidi and Chris and Karen, and even Brian? Have them talk to them one on one. Then they can get together and discuss what they have learned. I’d bet they’d have some tough questions for you!

Please seek professional counseling, Mark. Or, if not, at least agree to meet with me, Lee Ann, Bob and Ellen, along with your relatives, so that they can hear something other than what they have heard. There would be no point in meeting. They have seen the evidence I have and know that I am not lying, and know that I do not need professional counseling. Why do you always suggest meeting with your “Inner Circle”? Don’t answer, for the answer is obvious. I felt so sorry for your mother at your book-signing, trying to support you, knowing only what you have told her happened to you. Mark, you know how badly you used to speak to me and Lee Ann and others about her, your father, and your sisters and their children while you were here. Shame on you John Clark for such slander. You know very well, as does my family, that my behavior while in your work was due to the over-religious, self-righteous influence of your way. I have not denied that to them, but have apologized. And I have repented, by coming to my senses and exposing your sins. Maybe you have confessed those things to her and to them, and have repented. I hope so. My family sees through your little scheme in writing this garbage. Your parents seemed to be fine people, in spite of their commitment to an abhorrent religious system. You have badly misinformed your family, Mark, and they need to know what really happened if they are ever going to be willing to encourage you to seek the help you need. These last two sentences were just oozing with pure evil. If you think that their faith in God is abhorrent, while you trash innocent people’s lives in the name of God is just, then I can only believe that you have become a false prophet. And I wish that Jesus would, right now, stand before us and judge us. To tell the truth, I think we would both be quite surprised (in a good way, for me, and you too if you repented).

It may be a good time to sit down and talk when we are all at the beach this summer, if not before, since I hear that you (with family?) will be at Ocean Isle the same week as many of us. Why do you write “with family?” when you know very well that I will be down there only because of the kindness and love of my sister and her family? You know I’m not foolish enough to step into your traps again. You write this only for show, to “prove” to your followers that you are superior and right and that I am wrong. But it proves nothing, except that you are a cold, callous cult leader. I will certainly bring the video of your last meeting so that they (and you!) can see how far from reality you imagination has taken you. And you know that that video is not of the meetings I have written about in my book! Your deception deceives no one on this side of the fence. That is what you really want, isn’t it? For the people you love to know the truth and think for themselves? Yes, so you are saying that you will allow me to meet with certain followers of yours to show them what I have learned?! Great. I will send you the terms and conditions of the meeting. I will even allow my family to be present, although they already know the truth. But I’m sure that they’d like to hear from my former spiritual family their thoughts on the matter. We will even video tape it so that you and the Inner Circle can watch it later. Also, if by the time we meet, Betty can dig up her copy of that video she took in my office on the evening of December 30, 2006, I will bring that. I threw mine away not long after I saw it. Oh, I bet you did throw it away. And I bet you told Betty the reason you threw yours away, intending to persuade her to do the same, because it was such damning evidence against you. But if you can find it, send it with those I invite to our meeting, where all the cards will be placed on the table for all to see. I’d like to see that video, because I have no doubt that it shows the shocked expressions on many faces – the shock of how you so badly treated me.

You have publicly accused me of being afraid to face the issue, Mark. But in your heart, you know me better than that. And you may be able to fool all of your followers with a letter like this, but I do know you better than that, and I’m not falling for it. The only issue is, are you willing to let your family see us all together and then judge for themselves whether you need the help that I believe that you need? You, yourself, have realized, and have said on a number of occasions that you have done and spoken certain awful things because, in your words, you were “temporarily insane”. The “only” issue is that I need help? That I am insane? I’ve raised many more issues than my temporary insanity. That truth proves nothing. Anyone who trusts someone as much as I trusted you, to be a man of God, but then is falsely accused, slandered, and has his family ripped apart in the name of God, would experience at least some temporary insanity. Had I been evil and had no love of God or the brethren as you have said, I would have just gone away. But I will always stand for the Truth, in all things (not to be confused with your All Things doctrine, which I believe is one of Satan’s footholds in your work). You just keep blowing a smokescreen to hide all of the real issues. All that I’m suggesting to you is that your condition may be worse than you realize, and if so, shouldn’t you be encouraged to seek appropriate help? It will not hurt to let your family help you decide if that is the case. For everyone’s information, my brother-in-law, Richard, is a doctor and knows more about psychoses than you. And he will testify that I am fine, and always have been. In addition, my mother works for two psychiatrists, and they know me well enough to know that I need no professional help. So your slanderous smokescreen is just that. You’d better hope that I don’t take you to court. Instead, let me meet with the individuals I am sending a copy of this to. If they still think that I’m crazy and wrong after our meeting, then you and they will never hear from me again.

Sincerely,


John Clark, Sr.

cc: (J.C.'s letter was sent to my mother and three sisters and their families)


cc: (I sent this letter with my replies to 19 of John Clark's followers, and as of Aug. 10, 2010, have not gotten a response from J.C. or anyone else))



Sincerely and regretfully (May 13, 2010),

Mark Hosler

I was watching the new show, “Superhumans,” last night. They featured a martial arts expert who claimed that he could knock out a person without even touching that person. Supposedly, he used his chi to impact that person’s nervous system. They showed the expert demonstrating his technique on several of his students. Two or three students stood behind one student, the “guinea pig”, and their master would suddenly approach the one student while throwing up his hands and suddenly stopping his hands inches from the student’s head. Miraculously, the student’s eyes rolled up into his head as he fell backwards into the hands of the other students, who laid him gently on the floor. Apparently, he was slain by his master’s chi! And this was repeated a number of times with the other students, each “feeling” the power of their master’s chi and going down on the floor.

But then, the host of the show allowed the master martial arts expert to perform his touchless knockout technique on him. The master approached the host in the same manner as he had with his students, and…nothing happened! The host then smiled, reporting that he felt nothing. He actually used the words “hypnotize,” “brainwashed,” and “power of suggestion” to describe what he believed the students had experienced.

And I knew EXACTLY what the host was talking about! I had witnessed the EXACT same thing in Pastor John’s prayer meetings. I had even participated in the practice. Not once did I feel the power (of God) come from John, and he even laid hands on me. But many times I went down on the floor, unable to move at times. Most of John’s followers respond in the same way, time after time. And many go down in a much more dramatic style than others, too. And, in the 12 years I followed Pastor John, I never saw a newcomer go up for prayer and feel any power, EXACTLY the same experience as the host of the show!

As I have written in my book and in my blogs, most of the slaying in the Spirit that goes on in John’s prayer meetings is only a learned response. And as I have written before, I am not saying that there is no power of God. I have experienced the power of God before. But I have no doubt that most of the response to Pastor John’s laying on of hands is the result of the power of suggestion, as well as peer pressure. If John’s followers would only admit that they feel nothing either, I believe that the power of God would be experienced more frequently, by all. But they won’t by real, because of the peer pressure, and because they have been brainwashed.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, who follow John, apparently feel that they must help God, by acting as though they really are experiencing His power. I have no doubt that most respond to the laying on of hands in such a way that their spirituality won’t be questioned, the way mine was when I didn’t respond to the laying on of hands by my pastor. I really wanted to feel the power of God slay me in the Spirit, but it never happened. I went down many times, but I am certain that it was only my learned response and the peer pressure that caused me to act such a way.

After many times of going up for prayer and not responding as I saw my brothers and sisters respond, and having my spirituality questioned (the power of suggestion at work), I learned to just completely relax…and voila…I would be slain in the Spirit. After many years of this hypocrisy and the disappointment of not feeling the real power of God, I began to see how this prayer practice was only a way of satisfying the participant’s psyche, but more importantly, of fitting in. I knew that it wasn’t of God. Yet, at the same time, I knew that it wasn’t wrong or evil. It actually did a lot of good. But I had to wonder if God was really as pleased with it as He should have or could have been. After all, God doesn’t need our help in convincing newcomers that He is real. If my brothers and sisters would have been more real, waiting on the real power of God to do the slaying, then God may have revealed Himself to newcomers too. But I never saw a newcomer feel the “power of God.” Not in the 12 to 13 years I followed John. And, if everyone really did feel the power of God when they were slain in the Spirit, then I would have expected a whole lot more excitement and testifying of it. I know that I would not have been able to stay quiet about it, no matter how many times it happened. Now, there were times that some would get very excited about what they experienced, and I believe that they did feel the real power of God at those times. But most of what everyone experiences is only a learned response, unfortunately. And most of the newcomers, after at least several attempts to experience the slaying of the Spirit, eventually learn to relax and trust that someone close by will catch them when they go down. And when asked, “Wasn’t that wonderful, what God did for you,” will have to say, “Yes!”

I was reading Romans tonight, and when I finished Chapter 14 I just had to write this blog. I felt the urge to write so strongly that I am sure that it was God’s will for me to put out this truth.

The message of Chapter 14 really reveals how wrong Pastor Elroy was in condemning my having had a beer (actually, I had about 6 beers over a period of 13 years). While reading this chapter, it was so obvious to me how Elroy violated every single directive of Saint Paul in this chapter, as well as how I kept his directives. Yet I was called evil by Elroy for drinking a beer!

I will quote from the NIV, as it is much easier to understand. In the first verse, St. Paul writes, “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.” I’ll admit that my faith was weaker than Elroy’s, and many others. And no doubt, Elroy passed judgment on me over a disputable matter. St. Paul goes on to essentially tell how one man’s faith allows him to eat everything (or drink anything), but another man’s faith may prohibit him from eating certain foods (or drinks), “but the man who does not eat (or drink) everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him” – Verse 3. Boy, did Elroy blow it!

I knew that Elroy did not approve of alcoholic beverages. And I respected his belief in this matter, to an acceptable extent. Show me a Scripture that says it is a sin for a man to have a beer (or a glass of wine, or even a mixed drink). There isn’t one. But even though I knew it wasn’t a sin to have a drink, I abstained from alcoholic beverages, except for those 6 beers. When I did drink those beers, it was while dining alone at a Mexican restaurant, when my ex-wife was visiting her family and I had to stay home. I would never have had an alcoholic drink within the presence of any of my brethren, just as St. Paul directed – “If your brother is distressed because of what you eat (or drink), you are no longer acting in love” – Verse 15. I knew how they felt about alcoholic beverages, and even though I knew God did not mind me having an occasional drink, I abstained – “For none of us lives to himself alone” – Verse 7 and, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (that there is no sin in what we eat or drink)” – Verse 5. “He who regards one day as special (or a certain drink as sinful), does so to the Lord. He who eats meat (or drinks a beer), eats (or drinks a beer) to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God (and I did give thanks to God for how good those beers tasted!); and he (Elroy) who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God” – Verse 6.

What my brethren should have said to Elroy when he claimed that I was evil for drinking a beer, and what Paul would have said, was, “You (Elroy), then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother?” – Verse 10.

Paul was “fully” convinced that no food was sinful. He wrote, “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil” – Verse 16. Having a beer, a glass of wine, even a mixed drink is not evil, to God. But it was to Elroy. Elroy’s commandment that drinking an alcoholic beverage is a sin is only another example of Elroy setting himself up to be “like the Most High God.”

I drank my 6 beers discretely, while in Elroy’s work. I followed St. Paul’s directives. “So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves” – Verse 22. Man, was I blessed to have the faith in God that allowed me to live my life without sin, and to have an occasional beer (because I enjoyed the taste of it so much). And yet, Elroy disregarded the Scriptures in this matter, promoting his commandment as though it were God’s – shame on Elroy. Again, the truth prevails and vindicates me.

In Pastor "Elroy's" blog today, it is obvious, to me, that he had me in mind when he wrote it. I can imagine that someone in the “cult” pointed out that some of the things I’ve said were true. I know that is the case, because I have seen and heard of changes made after my observations were made known to them by my writings. And in Elroy’s blog today he continues to slander me. He writes about Scriptural truths in such a way as to lead his followers to see me as evil, as someone who hates them, and nothing is farther from the truth–I hate the evil Elroy and others have done, and the evil they continue to do. It should also be obvious to all that ELROY CONTINUES TO AVOID THE ISSUES I have raised in my writings.

Elroy’s blog of November 11, 2011 is below, with my thoughts inserted (red italics) where appropriate. I wish that I could have a psychologist analyze his blogs. I have no doubt that any psychologist would quickly recognize how Elroy is a controller and has slandered me. I may have to find one, to get a second opinion, because if I am wrong, I want to know about it. But I believe that anyone of even moderate intelligence can see that what I’ve been saying is true. Especially the fact that Elroy avoids the real issues. Elroy writes:

Your Best Helpers

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Those around us who are walking in the love of God do us good in many ways. One of the chief ways they benefit us is to point out errors in our lives that we do not see. I certainly won’t deny that I was without error(s), but there is no way that I deserved to be treated the way I was. In the Old Testament, God commanded His people not to let it pass, when they saw a neighbor commit a sin. In other words, God commanded His people to love as He loves. Solomon said, “Whom the Lord loves, He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12). To love as God loves, then, means to correct a brother when he errs, to remind him of the right way when he has wandered away from it. This holy love is what makes certain people around us so valuable. What makes it so valuable is that it is “holy” love doing the correcting. There is nothing holy about false accusations. And I don’t remember seeing anyone being corrected in the presence of 2 or 3 brethren, unless it was done by the “Inner Circle.” And holy love does not direct a pastor and those closest to him (the Inner Circle) to tell a man’s wife that she would be better off without her husband.

But there is another group of people who are also among the most valuable to us. They are those who hate us with perfect hatred. Here, Elroy is setting up his slander of me. God uses them as well as the first group to point out faults that we may be overlooking. These intend their criticism for evil, while the first group intends it for good, but the important thing is that it is done. As I’ve pointed out, I have written and done what I have to open their eyes to the truth. The purpose of what Elroy writes here is obvious to me–it is nothing less than slander against me. Jesus warned us that evil men (including fallen brothers and sisters) would speak “all manner of evil” against us, but intermingled with their lies and slander is often a few legitimate criticisms. Everything I have written is the truth. There are no lies or slander. It is especially from believers who have turned from righteousness that we can receive the best criticism. I did not turn from righteousness. No, I was forced to leave self-righteousness. What many people don’t understand is that you cannot have self-righteouness without some righteousness. I have not spoken or written against any doctrinal truths, but have only pointed out the evil Elroy and others are guilty of. And that is why Elroy continues to avoid the issues I have raised. Having known us, and having once been touched by God, they are able to point out faults in us that the world cannot perceive. These fallen brothers failed to offer in love our needed criticism while walking with us in the light, but God is so wonderful that He uses them anyway for our good, in spite of their malicious intent. Elroy fails to mention that all the others in his following, my brethren, failed to offer up any criticism against their pastor, due to the fear of speaking anything against him, the fear which he has instilled in his followers as I have pointed out. Oh, how I wish that God would, right now, vindicate me, so that the Body of Christ that meets in Pastor Elroy’s house would be healed, and purified – that Satan would no longer have a foothold.

These two groups of people, those who love us as God loves us and those who hate us as Satan hates us, provide our most valuable help in the Lord, with blunt, insightful criticism. It is no wonder, then, that we are exhorted to love both those who are true and faithful, and those who are our enemies; they are all the most important people in our lives! My father taught us that you will never help anybody in the Lord if you fear hurting them. In fact, he taught us that you will never help anybody in the Lord unless you hurt them. By hurt, I do not believe that he meant that you had to destroy them. Yes, criticism can hurt, but if done correctly, it will help the one being criticized. But false accusations do not qualify as criticism. False accusations, and claims in the name of God that are not of God, do so much more hurt than is required. And if we fear losing a brother if we are honest with him concerning a fault, what good can we do him? Good grief! What Elroy did to me, and to some others, was not for our good, but was done to protect himself. What a smokescreen! Jesus is not like that. Once, in John 6, he even invited his disciples to leave him if they didn't want to hear what he said to them. Jesus also said to the adulterous woman to go and sin no more. He did not cut her off from himself. Neither those who love us as God loves us nor those who hate us as Satan hates us will refrain from hurting us. The godly do not want to hurt us, but they love us enough to do it. The ungodly do want to hurt us, and they love themselves enough to do it. Either way, both groups are used by God for our good if we love Him. Oh, how I wish that my brethren would stand up to Satan and come to my rescue! But they fear their pastor would do the same to them that he has done to me. Surely they can see that I wish no hurt to them. And if I am wrong and lying, they will see it – and they should tell me. But the evidence, though much is circumstantial, is too much to be disregarded as complaints by a fallen brother. If I were in their shoes, I would not want to wait to find out on Judgment Day whether or not I speak the truth.
But there is a third group.

The least valuable people in our lives are those around us who see our faults and remain silent. They are the real trouble-makers in the kingdom of God. And this is the group that surrounds Pastor Elroy. I should know, as I was a member of this group. We kept quiet due to the fear we had of our pastor. We learned, early on, that nothing we said could stand up to his arguments. In the Bible studies we were made to look like fools. And if someone came to the meetings who spoke untruths, they would be talked about behind their backs. Gossip was an almost daily occurrence among a couple who were closest to me. They are the grudge-holders, the luke-warm, whose love is skin deep, who gossip to others about the faults they see in us instead of correcting us so that we can be healed. These foolish believers refuse to function as a healing part of the body by helping others to see their faults and to deal with them. They remain, sometimes for many years, among the body as useless, dead weight. Time usually reveals that they are silent about the errors they see in others because they are hiding from others some secret sins of their own. Exactly as I have pointed out! And yet, he was allowed to remain, while I was cut off because I had a bad attitude. The scales of justice were definitely out of balance! Friends, if you are going to be a part of the body, then function! Live from the heart among the saints and be a benefit to others who are striving to do the will of God. And recognize that God can still use one of your “fallen” brethren to correct you! One of the greatest compliments ever paid to a body of believers was paid to the saints in Rome. The apostle Paul described them as “able to admonish one another”. This means that (1) the saints in Rome had the wisdom to discern when a brother or sister was wandering off the right path, (2) they had enough of the love of God among themselves to point out error among themselves, and (3) they had the humility to receive criticism from one another when it was offered. For the body to function as Jesus wants it to, these three qualities must exist in it. Do you measure up?

Under the Old Testament law, God said that if we saw a brother sin and remained silent, we were, in fact, hating him. He said, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart! You shall by all means rebuke your neighbor, and not allow sin upon him. You shall not seek vengeance or bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself! I am the Lord!” (Lev. 19:17-18). Jesus loves us, and so he reproves us and convicts our hearts when we err, and he desires that each of us should love as he loves us. He told his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). Would God just cut someone off because of a bad attitude? Would He turn a wife against her husband? Would Jesus stay quiet, and his brethren, knowing that a lost sheep was out of the fold, or would Jesus go in search of that lost sheep? Elroy continues to blow a smokescreen with the Scriptural truths, but when will he live according to them? Actions speak louder than words.