As explained in Hayford's booklet, "The Finger of God",

This matter is not "some new doctrine," nor is it a fringe area of arcane preoccupation. The doctrine of exorcism is as old as the Scriptures and the ministry thereof as ancient as the Church. That sectors of the Church have largely neglected or denied this ministry certainly should not be accepted as an argument against its place or validity. Church history reveals that there has always been an ecclesiastical inclination to retreat from the most demanding realms of spiritual pursuit; such as the passion of prayer, the evangelistic spread of the Gospel, the welcome of the Holy Spirit's fullness for all ministry, the acceptance of the gifts of the Spirit, the expectation of signs and wonders--and as well, the willingness to confront the dark powers of hell oppressing a believer.

[below: 2003 Associated Press story covers the rise of a controversial "do it yourself exorcism" movement and notes that the International Cleansing Streams Ministries, identified as part of the movement, is located at Jack Hayford's Van Nuys, CA Church on the Way ]

"The Finger of God" booklet is derived from a book by Jack Hayford by that name, and the booklet serves as part of the "Cleansing Stream" ministry empire Hayford has developed over the last two decades, which has many hundreds of "Cleansing Stream" ministry nodes worldwide. The ministry is now pastored by one of C. Peter Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles apostles, Chris Hayward and concerns, as Jack Hayford explained in his 1993 booklet, "deliverance" from demonic possession:

"Deliverance" (otherwise known as exorcism) is a subject which, explains Hayford, has been stigmatized:

"...it is a peculiar fact that hosts of pastor-shepherds withdraw from, or choose disbelief toward, the ministry of confronting the demonic in either prayer's spiritual warfare or in the personal ministry of deliverance, usually as much due to fear of professional criticism as to doubts about the need of these ministries... There is a definite potential of losing status in the eyes of ecclesiastical critics or of fellow-servants, who are so trapped by the materialistic mind-set of a non-discerning, demon denying society that such ministry is deemed archaic or superstitious."

Hayford then goes on to elaborate some of the obstacles which have stood in the way of the proliferation of Christian ministries based on casting out demons from believing Christians:

• Deliverance ministry is too seldom defined clearly. • Demonic matters seem to incite some to fanaticism. • The nature of "spiritual bondage" is often confused and poorly expressed. • The means to spiritual freedom from demonic oppression are too often stereotyped in a way that removes many leaders from even imagining their own involvement. • There too often arises a preoccupation with this aspect of ministry as a "cure all," or as being "superior" to other ministry areas, or as being only the ministry of a "gifted few."

As described on the Cleansing Streams Australia website which provides professionally designed materials, such as trifold flyers, promoting the ministry, Cleansing Streams Australia is implemented through a 12 week course that provides intense small-group therapy. The description, below, avoids mentioning the basic premise - of expelling demons which, per the name of the ministry, are like dirt to be washed off, or from, participants:

"When we commence our journey as children of God we carry with us hurts of the past, bondages and burdens. These can hinder us in living the life that God has planned for us and being effective in serving Christ.

Cleansing Stream is a 12 week course that empowers, encourages and releases believers into the fullness of their kingdom inheritance. It takes place in a small group setting. The course includes 5 video sessions (45 mins), with workbook, audio teachings and reading material. An essential part of the Cleansing Stream course is a weekend retreat (Friday night and Saturday) where believers can experience and apply the truths they have been investigating."

From that description it would seem that the actual exorcisms happen during the weekend retreat. The course description raises a number of questions - is this a form of medical practice ? Or group therapy ? Is it 'psychic surgery' ? Are there any specific, concrete claims made as to the beneficial results of the therapy ? And, if so, should "Cleansing Streams" practitioners be licensed by the state ?

The proliferation of the practice of exorcism is not unique to the International Church of The Foursquare Gospel - as Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi described, in his 2008 Rolling Stone Magazine story "Jesus Made Me Puke", John Hagee's San Antonio Cornerstone Church features a retreat program, shorter but apparently analogous to Jack Hayford's "Cleansing Streams" ministry - in which participants go through a weekend of group-therapy self-discovery and, at the end, are coached on vomiting up their personal demons: into paper bags.

As with Hayford's Cleansing Streams approach, Hagee's weekend retreats teach specific techniques to facilitate demon-expulsion:

Throughout the whole weekend, Fortenberry had been setting himself up as an athletic conqueror of demons. Now, on the final morning, he looked like a quarterback about to take the field before a big game. The life coaches assembled around the edges of the chapel, carrying anointing oil and bundles of small paper bags.

Fortenberry began to issue instructions. He told us that under no circumstances should we pray during the Deliverance.

"When the word of God is in your mouth," he said, "the demons can't come out of your body. You have to keep a path clear for the demon to come up through your throat. So under no circumstances pray to God. You can't have God in your mouth. You can cough, you might even want to vomit, but don't pray."

The crowd nodded along solemnly. Fortenberry then explained that he was going to read from an extremely long list of demons and cast them out individually. As he did so, we were supposed to breathe out, keep our mouths open and let the demons out.

Other notable aspects of Hayford's ministry and endorsements include his appointment of New World Order and international banking / Federal Reserve conspiracy theorist Paul McGuire, author of "The Day The Dollar Died", to teach Biblical prophecy at Hayford's King's College.

One of McGuire's courses was based on the Book of Daniel and liberally interwove New World Order / Illuminati / Federal Reserve conspiracy theory with Bible verse. McGuire is currently teaching a course based on the Book of Ezekiel.

Along with fellow conspiricist Gary Kah, Paul McGuire has appeared in early 2009 on GodTV, which claims to be able to reach several hundred million viewers worldwide, to promote NWO/Illuminati/Federal Reserve conspiracy theory ideas. McGuire has also recently begun producing YouTube video shorts, filmed in bucolic outdoor setting such as atop a bluff, next to the Ocean, in Malibu, California, in which McGuire expounds on apocalyptic and New World Order conspiracy themes.

[below: Paul McGuire describes depopulation scheme of evil elite who he claims are having body parts cloned in "secret laboratories", and breeding, in those secret laboratories, a "genetically perfect master race".]

Footnote: For an introduction to Spiritual Mapping, see this PDF of three-hundred page doctoral dissertation, from Dutch missionary Rene' Holvast, "Spiritual Mapping: The Turbulent Career of a Contested Missionary Paradigm, 1989-2005", written for the University of Utrecht.

Rene' Holvast's 2005 dissertation has been reworked into a book, published in late 2008 by Brill, Spiritual Mapping in the United States and Argentina, 1989-2005: A Geography of Fear

"Spiritual Mapping is a U.S. Evangelical and Neo-Pentecostal movement (1989-2005), which developed its own religious technique to wage a 'spiritual' war against unseen non-human beings. These 'spirits' were identified along the lines of geographical territories and put on a map, whence 'Spiritual Mapping'. Its intended function was to boost the numerical growth of Christianity. This book offers a comprehensive historical-descriptive approach of both the movement and the concept, with special attention for theological and anthropological concepts. Its historical roots, relation with Argentina, self-understanding and critics are being described. The reader is presented with a unique insight into Spiritual Mapping as an expression of Americanism, as well as the socio-political concept of Manifest Destiny and U.S. religious marketing. "