[Pastor Ezekiel]

This story is just another illustration of how activist judges and jealous next-of-kin heathens can ruin a Godly man's life. A series of misunderstandings seem to have combined to test the good Reverend's faith in God. I have no doubt that Jesus wanted old man Craig's millions to go to Him, not some conniving unsaved family members.

Preacher on trial for murder of elderly millionaire

The Rev. Howard Douglas Porter says he tried to brake before his truck plunged into an irrigation ditch, and that he made a desperate effort to save his elderly passenger from drowning in the mire.

But prosecutors in a murder trial scheduled to begin opening statements Thursday say the country preacher staged the crash as part of a far-fetched plot to kill the old rancher and inherit his millions.

Townspeople in Hickman, a rural outpost some 90 miles north of Fresno, knew 85-year-old Frank Craig as a lifelong bachelor whose dream was to build a museum to showcase his antique farming equipment.

Defense attorneys say Porter, a minister at the local Christian church and beloved high school wrestling coach, was a standup man for the job.
But after Craig was crippled and then killed in a pair of auto wrecks with the minister behind the wheel, authorities became suspicious.

In November 2006, Porter was arrested at the Mexican border.

He's been behind bars without bail since, on charges of murder, attempted murder, theft or embezzlement from an elder adult by a caretaker, and elder abuse causing death. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Prosecutors describe Porter as a scheming con man who seized control of Craig's dreams and fortune, plotted his death and then had the gall to give the eulogy at his funeral.

"(He) promised to build Mr. Craig the museum of his dreams," Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne wrote in a brief filed with the court. He "wanted to avoid criminal prosecution for stealing the money, and killed Craig for it."
Craig had socked thousands of dollars away in a grandfather clock by 1999, when he asked Porter to take charge of his reported $2.5 million trust to build the Central Valley Museum of Agriculture in Hickman, a town of about 450.
Since Craig rarely went to church, relatives were surprised when he gave Porter power of attorney and replaced family members with the church as heir to his trust.

On March 4, 2002, Porter's truck veered off a road and slammed the passenger side into an oak tree, leaving Craig with serious injuries, authorities have said.

That crash crippled Craig but didn't initially raise suspicions. Police later discovered the passenger side air bag never deployed because someone had manually shut it off.

Porter told officers he had fallen asleep, and he wasn't ticketed.
In the following years, prosecutors say, Porter would visit Craig in the hospital and lie to him about his progress on the museum, even as he funneled money from the rancher's accounts to pay his personal credit card bills.

Two years later, once Craig could walk again, he agreed to go out for a spin in Porter's pickup.

On April 22, 2004, Porter's truck veered into an irrigation canal, and the farmer drowned. Investigators say while the driver's side window was rolled down, the passenger side window was shut tight.

Craig's relatives and friends suspected foul play, and some rushed to the scene to tell authorities the crash could not have been accidental.
In an interview, Modesto defense attorney Kirk McAllister depicted Craig's death as an accident.

"The two of them had a long-standing friendship," McAllister said. "Mr. Porter has a very good reputation in the community, both in his church and as a wrestling coach."

McAllister has told the court he plans to call dozens of defense witnesses who can testify that Porter may be a poor driver, but is a man of excellent character.

Following Craig's death, Porter resigned from Hickman Community Church and went to Mexico to set up a ministry. He was arrested while trying to re-enter the United States.

I'll be praying for him. Won't you?

[Mrs. Mary Whitford]

A clear cut case of persecution against a simple man of God! Not only will I pray, but I've shown this story to my husband, Mr. Whitford, and he immediately wrote a check for $10,000 for the good pastor's defense fund!

[Bob4God]

Matthew 5:11 rings ever more true, does it not?

This Godly man is now on my prayer list.

[Nobar King]

Sounds like a conspiracy to me. People will make up all kinds of stories to slander the followers of Jesus.

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

I often wonder what it must be like to have two horrible but purely accidental experiences in your life and then, whipped up by media frenzy, those that are more than willing to believe the worst immediately think that there is a connection.

It's like an Alfred Hitchcock film. The poor Reverend has had 2 accidents, stood to inherit a fortune and each time with the same person as passenger. If it were Cary Grant, he'd get off after a lot of trouble and hanging from Mount Rushmore.

[SayvedByTheLord]

Originally Posted by Ezekiel Bathfire

I often wonder what it must be like to have two horrible but purely accidental experiences in your life and then, whipped up by media frenzy, those that are more than willing to believe the worst immediately think that there is a connection.

It's like an Alfred Hitchcock film. The poor Reverend has had 2 accidents, stood to inherit a fortune and each time with the same person as passenger. If it were Cary Grant, he'd get off after a lot of trouble and hanging from Mount Rushmore.

Wasn't Cary Grant a homer???

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Originally Posted by SayvedByTheLord

Wasn't Cary Grant a homer???

Yes, but I don't think he was a murderer.

[Justina Thyme]

And they say there is no persecution of Christians in America! Why, perhaps the poor pastor was possessed by a DEMON! That would hardly be his fault!

WHO HAS DEMONS? EVERYONE!

There are NO Scriptures that say "Christians" CAN or CANNOT have Demons! Matter of fact, the word Christian(s) only appears THREE times in the entire Bible! CHRISTIANS CAN HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT, AND GET MANY THINGS THEY DON'T WANT!

Many BELIEVERS in the Bible had demons. Are you a BELIEVER?

There are NO Scriptures that say UNSAVED people CAN or CANNOT have demons, or that your demons leave when you get Saved. So who has demons? EVERYONE!! Mark 16:17 in the Bible says THOSE THAT BELIEVE SHALL CAST OUT DEMONS. That means ALL Believers -- MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN!

Demons are anything that CONTROLS, HARASSES, TORMENTS, or DRIVES you to do things you ought not to do or wish you didn't do. Temper, depression, fear, sickness, suicidal, homosexual, rejected, obese, to mention a few, are demons. They are INSIDE of you.

We are body, soul, and Spirit. The demons get IN our body and cause sickness. Demons are the reason obese people cannot keep the weight off in many cases. YOU CANNOT DIET A DEMON AWAY. It must be cast OUT in the name of JESUS.

The demons get IN our soul (that's your mind, will, and emotions). You think, do, and act in a way you shouldn't and wish you didn't.

Demons CANNOT get into your Spirit though. That is where JESUS resides. This is how Christians CAN and DO have demons. However, the demons SURROUND your Spirit so you cannot do the things you ought to do, like pray, read the Bible, study.

Clasp your two hands together tightly interlocking your fingers. Squeeze hard. Nothing can get in your palms, not even air. This is what the demons do to your SPIRIT, the place where Jesus and the Holy Spirit are. DELIVERANCE releases these demons, causing you to grow closer to Jesus. Obviously there are Christians who are not yet totally "clenched" by the demons, but it is their goal.

CAUTION!!

In the event you are very critical of the DELIVERANCE message, or especially if you have a mocking demon (making fun of the Miracle of DELIVERANCE), there is a good chance that Psalm 109, Isaiah 54:17, and many other like Scriptures will take effect on you. I have seen it happen to many. You reap what you sow, but maybe, just maybe, if you sincerely ask JESUS to forgive you, there may be a chance of the judgment of God not falling on you.

Everyone involved with DELIVERANCE casts demons OUT of CHRISTIANS. If you cast demons out of non-Believers, they could not keep the demons out because JESUS is not Lord of their life. If you only used common sense, it should persuade you. The demons are stronger than common sense though. You will not believe how much your eyes will be opened after just one DELIVERANCE session. I use to take a before and after photograph of Christians who came to us for help. Just ONE DELIVERANCE session shows on their face, and I have the photos to prove it. I stopped taking pictures when I realized that some would not even believe that piece of evidence.

JESUS came to set the captives free and to destroy the works of the devil. Do you want to be free, or would you prefer that the demons you don't think you have keep you in bondage? You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. There was a time when I thought I did not have demons too. However, I prayed, "IF I have any demons, I want to get rid of them". I wasn't even convinced about the demons, but my heart was right. JESUS did indeed set me free, just as He wants to set everyone free (after they get saved).

It was not automatic. I had to DO something. That was to submit to DELIVERANCE. When you got saved, you had to DO something. It was not automatic. I had a ton of demons, most of which had to do with my religious background. It should be our goal to get rid of all the demons we are aware of.

Paul's thorn IN the flesh was a demon. Paul said so!

The devil entered INTO Judas.

JESUS told Peter, "get behind me, satan" because the devil got INTO Peter.

Ananias and Sapphira were Believers.

The woman with the ISSUE OF BLOOD was a Believer.

The woman who was bowed over "all these years" was a Believer.

MARY MAGDALENE - Mary was a Believer, and had demons cast OUT of her. Mark 16:9 "Now when [JESUS] was risen early the first [day] of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, OUT of whom He had cast seven demons." Luke 8:2 "And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, OUT of whom went seven demons,". OTHER women also got some DELIVERANCE!

Mark 7:21-23, JESUS speaking - "For from WITHIN...", then He mentions a bunch of demons INSIDE. I am here to tell you by personal experience that FEW accept the reality of demons INSIDE, even though JESUS said it. Then they say, "well, they are not demons, that's their personality." It is indeed THEIR personality. But it is the DEMON's personality. Do you have a job? What do you do all day at that job? The demons also have a job. They also do it all day. A lying demon makes you lie. A fear demon makes you afraid. A temper demon makes you have a temper. A suicide demon makes you want to kill yourself. (If you thought about killing yourself, the demon is there. They are good at their job, but sometimes they would rather torment you with the idea for years before they perform their job.)

DELIVERANCE was removed from the church by the devil about 300 years after JESUS rose from the dead. No wonder so many people have not heard about it.