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Chapter I

YOUR SPIRIT
Yesterday at my home, in the front room, I hurt a lady's feelings. I didn't mean to. We had company. Two women were visiting us. Sister B - -was talking about her deaf ear and her ear trouble, how long she had had it and how it was growing worse day by day. She was telling us what the doctor said. She was explaining how her hearing was leaving her. I didn't say anything for a long time. Finally 1 said, "The more you confess it, the worse it becomes". I explained to her that there is nothing so good or bad that talking about it will not make it more so. I did not mean to rebuke this good sister. Evidently she took it as a rebuke. "Why did I say that?" I asked myself. I searched my own heart. It was because I detected the spirit of self-pity and self-sympathy that made her talk about her troubles. Why do people want to make themselves talk the way they do? Why do they make themselves, their aches and their pains, the subject of the conversation? Why do they revert the .conversation back to their doctor, their hospital, their pain, their ache, their operation, their experience, how they suffered, what the neighbors said, and what the doctor said? Unconsciously they are in a habit of craving sympathy for themselves. They like for people to meet them and ask them how they are getting along. If you do not ask them, they will ask you how you are feeling, so you will ask them the same thing. Then they start in a long, detailed conversation, pitying themselves. To prevent this, when we meet someone we should ask "Is it well with your soul?" , If someone ask you how you are feeling, say, "I have the victory in my soul." Why be more interested in the shell in which you dwell than you are in you? . Sister B - - went to church that night. She prayed through to victory, received her healing and shouted her shoes off. She went home happy in body and soul, with both ears normal! Her hearing had returned. 1

OUR CONFESSION Jesus is the high priest of our profession. (Heb. 3: 1). This is the same word as confession. He is at the right hand of the Father just now. He is there in the prerence of God for us. He confesses what we confess. If we say, "I am suffering so badly, I just can't receive my healing." Jesus will say, "She is suffering so badly, she just can't receive her healing." Jesus says we have what we say (Mark 11 :23). If you say, "I am getting worse every day," Jesus will say, "Father, she is getting worse every day." If you say, "Hands have been laid on me and I will recover," Jesus will say, "Hands have been laid on her and she will recover." If you say "The Lord is the Lord that healeth me," Jesus will say, "Father, you are the Lord that healeth her." If you say, "He forgiveth all of my iniquities and healeth all of my diseases," Jesus wilJ say, "Father, You forgiveth all her iniquities and healeth all of her diseases." Last night God healed a long line at people of many different diseases. Suddenly' I noticed my wife come into the line for healing. She got the victory. Through the spirit I called for someone who was suffering around the heart. It was she, but I didn't know it. She was healed. On the way home she explained that she did not want to confess these symptoms, therefore she had not told me. Instead, she confessed what God said: "I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exod. 15 :26). Therefore her healing developed. MY BATTLE Recently I was riding in my car. One of our dear friends was riding with my wife and me. She wanted me to help her with a problem. She said she could not understand why the Bible told us that whatever we asked, believing, we would receive. She said she had been asking and she believed, but she could not receive. What kind of spirit is it that takes' hold of a dear saint of God, that influences her to justify herself and make God out a liar? It is the spirit of self-justification, I suppose. If I go into the house and turn on the light switch, and the 2

light refuses to shine, I should not blame the light company. I look to see if there is a fuse that is blown, or if there is a loose connection. The thing we settle in our heart is this: If anyone is wrong, it is us. It is never God. He is always right. If we make Him a liar and justify ourself we insult Him; no wonder He does not work on our half. This dear saint kept pressing the issue, declaring that she had found that this portion of the Word of God did not work. God helped us to detect this spirit that was prompting the dear saint of God to justify herself and blame God. Like a flash I saw her trouble. "You are not doing what God told you to do," I said. "What do you mean," she demanded. I told her this: "He said if we abide in Him and his words abide in us, we will receive what we ask" (John 15 :7). I went on like this; "You don't let His Word abide in you if you are saying the opposite of what He says. He says if you ask believing, you shall receive. If His words abide in you, you will say, 'Whatever I ask believing, I shall receive'. If you make Him a liar, His words do not abide in you. You are wavering, and he that wavereth shall not receive anything of the Lord (James 1 :16). You are like a man who looks into a mirror and goes away and forgets how he looked" (James 1:23). The Word of God ceases to be a perfect law of liberty for you if you go away and forget how you looked. If you let His words abide in you, then after hands are laid on you, you will say, "I will recover" (Mark 16 :18). You will say what God says. If His words abide in you, you will say, "The Lord is the Lord that healeth me" (Exod. 15:26). You will say, "By His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53: 5) . You will say, "He bore my sickness" (Matt. 8: 16-17) . You will say, "He delivers my afflictions" (Psalms 34: 19) . You will never say. "I am sick" (Isaiah 33 :24). RULE YOUR OWN SPIRIT We just finished a Bible School in Dallas. While 1 was teaching a class on divine healing, I told the people it was God's will to heal everyone of any sickness or disease. Each time I would say that, Sister J - - - would yell out, "Then why am I 3

not healed? I have tried and tried but I just can't get it." "You have just now told me why you are not healed," I said. "What did I say?" she said, as she tried to retrace her words. She said, "I just can't get it." She was saying what the devil says. God said she would recover (Mark 16:18). And she was not saying what God said. She should have made herself say what God said. Instead, she let her spirit cause her to make the Lord a liar (I John 5:10). We have what we say (Mark 11 :23). He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city with the walls broken down (Prov. 25:28): The enemy can come in with his spirits if you leave the fence down. I COULDN'T TALK My wife and I went to a home to pray for Sister A - - - . She was a Spirit-filled Baptist lady. She was broken up and ready for healing. She seemed to have plenty of faith. Sister B - - - was there. When I started to say something, Sister B - - - would talk for about two hours and I had to listen. If I didn't listen, she would hold me and make me listen to her. The talk went like this, "I prayed for a neighbor, I got the power of God in my right hand. God healed her. I have the gift of healing. I felt it go up my arm, etc., etc." I started to pray for the sick lady but Sister B - - - would tell of another case and another case and another case. The whole conversation was about herself and how everyone she prayed for was healed instantly, and how she had the gift of healing. I recognized it was not the right spirit that made her talk all the time, making herself the subject of the conversation. r detected she had an exalted, conceited spirit. I started home, but she caught me and held me in the front room while T was trying to put on my hat. I had to listen to all that over add over and over for about 30 more minutes. If she could not rule her own spirit, she will have no resistance when some evil spirit seeks to enter. I was told. one preacher testified like this, HI used to be really conceited, but I was prayed for. I was delivered from that. Now J am the nicest person that you ever saw in your life. " 4

THE MOVING MAN I have watched him. He spends about all he makes moving his family from one city to another. He goes from o~e state to another state, from one country to another country. This dear brother buys a new car when a new model comes out. He does not like that one, so he trades about every time the moon changes. He spends all that he ever makes moving from one place to another. When he is in California he wishes he were in Arkansas. When he is in Texas he is wanting to be in Arizona. He is a good Christian man, but he is really miserable. He trades furniture; he changes jobs; he changes friends. He is a godly man. Paul was talking to him when he says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." John the Baptist was talking to him when he said, "Be content with your wages." I am sure Paul had him in mind when he said, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am to be content." If your spirit is discontented, then you are like a city with the walls broken down. Some enemy can come in very easily because you have no resistance. You must build up that weak spot, just as a farmer builds up a weak spot in his fence to keep the break-fence hog from entering his corn-patch. You must pray each day. "Search me, oh God, and know my heart." Oh how we need to pray daily, "Create in me a clean spirit, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalms 51 :10). You have power over that spirit of discontentment and you have power to train your spirit right. NEW HOMES New homes are nice, but when a man goes to build a new home several times in a lifetime, it keeps him torn up all the time. He will never have a chance to settle down and enjoy living. Sister N - : - lets her furniture go back and buys more furniture each year. After several years, he)' husband is still paying on furniture. She finds fault with the kind she has. H is 110t the right model or it doesn't look just like Sister Jones' furniture. She complains about the house and says Ow kitchen is too small. The ceiling is too low. The cabinets do not have enough
5

doors, or the closets are too small. Her husband 'builds her another house. After he builds several times, after he has sacrificed all his effort and time, after he has tried again for six or eight times, he no longer has any courage to try, and he has no energy to start life all over again. Sister N - - - still murmurs and complains. She is old now and the habit is formed. There is no use in her trying to change. Her spirit has crystalized. She is like the large tree out there in the forest. It was bent while it was a bush. It grew that way and you cannot straighten it. It is too late. Sister B - - - never learned God said that He would put a new spirit within us (Ezek. 11: 19; 36 :26). The Lord tells us to have a part in correcting our own spirit. "Cast away from you all your transgressions and make you a new heart and a new spirit" (Ezek. 18:31).

You are in error, and you have the spirit of error, if you think you must sin every day and can't keep from sinning all the time. The next time you will accept the doctrine that one sin is as bad as another. Then you will yield to the worst of sins, since you think that it is impossible to keep from sinning. I would not trust a man who says he can not keep from sinning. I would not trust him to deliver milk to my h,ouse. He might try to attack my wife, and he would say he Icould not keep from it. I would not trust him to count my money, because my money would come up short. He would say he could not keep from stealing. I would not believe anything he told me, for he cannot keep from lying. I would not be safe sleeping in the house with him for he might get up and shoot me, or 'might rob me and then he would say he couldn't keep from it. If we believe right at the beginning, if we ask God to create within us a right spirit, we will not yield to the spirit of error.

WRONG BELIEVING
Wrong believing does make a difference, you know. If I were a woman, I would not want to marry a man who believed wrong. While I was overseas, I was talking to a preacher from the States. In the conversation he said all of us had to sin every day. He said that no one could keep from sinning all the time. I tried to reason with him and get him out of the spirit of error. He would not listen to me. He had an unteachable spirit. A few years after, I heard that he was smoking. Then he began to drink a little beer. Then he was caught drinking wine. He was caught in a night club. Then he came home drunk, cursing, shooting, beating his wife and breaking his furniture. Then he left his wife and began to date another man's wife. Then he took that man's wife away from him, ran away with her and married her. When the truth came out, he had been running around with other women for several years. You say, "That is more than his own spirit. That is the spirit of the devil." I will agree with you, but Satan would have never entered in had he corrected his own spirit. He should have built up the weak place in the fence. 6

OUR WEAPONS
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds (II Cor. 10:4). Too many people have a carnal fighting spirit. They fight people instead of the Powers of darkness. We fight not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). Peter probably was not under Satan's power when he was fighting for his Lord. I suppose he was heavily anointed with his own spirit. He cut the high priest's servant's ear off. Many people want to fight for their Lord. They yield to that fighting spirit. I have heard them while they were testifying in church. They take that occasion to fight the church which they used to belong to. Not every time, but usually they give the impression that they know more than the church. I have heard people take advantage of people from the pulpit. They fight, fuss and foam at the mouth. They slur, criticize and smear someone and say God told them to do it. We can finally detect that they have formed a fighting spirit.

They must get hold of themselves before it is too late. They must ask God to create within them a right spirit.

MEEKNESS NOT WEAKNESS

Meekness is not weakness. Moses was a strong man, yet he was a very meek man. Jesus was the meekest of all men, but He was far from being weak. I have seen people go unshaven, without a bath or a haircut. They would not brush their teeth or put on clean clothes. They thought they were being humble. A filthy spirit is not an humble spirit. You do not need to drive a T-Model Ford or a Volkswagen, and have a flat every mile , in order to be humble. You can even 'take a bath once in awhile with lifebouy soap. Paul came to his church in the spirit of meekness (I Cor. 4 :21). He told us to discipline people in the spirit of meekness (Gal. 6: 1). Yet who can say that Paul was meek? He set people right. He did it with authority and dominion. He turned people over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. He commanded us to do the same thing (I Cor. 5 :5). Moses was a strong man, but yet if you will read how he corrected his people, even brought judgment upon them, how strong he was in the Lord to correct three million people, then you will see that the meekest man was not always the weakest man. Moses caused the earth to open up and swallow the troublemakers. Jesus set the Pharisees right (Matt. 23). We are told to reprove and rebuke, but to use longsuffering and doctrine. In all of this we must learn to detect the difference in the spirit of filthiness and the spirit of meekness.

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF
David encouraged himself in the Lord (I Sam. 30 :6). If David encouraged himself, you can do the same thing. Everyone has power within himself to be either encouraged or discouraged. It takes so much courage for you to get out of the bed, shave, wash your face or put on your shoes. In the Bible times they had a law which would not let a discouraged person go to war. He would discourage the hearts of the others. 8

Gideon could do more with 3uO men who hac] courage, than he could have done with 32,000 men with no courage. The Lord spoke to me and said, "Have faith in yourself and in God." He meant this: Regardless of how much faith you have in God, if you do not believe that you can do what God says that you can do, then you will be a failure. If the Bible says that you can du all things through Christ that strengtheneth you, then you must say, "I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me." If God says, "Nothing shall be impossible to you,"then you must say, "Nothing shall be impossible unto me." (Matt. 17:20) If you have the spirit of timidity, or a spirit of inferiority, you will always hold back and never try to do anything. You will be a failure in each thing that you begin. Many girls would get a better husband if they would keep their courage and keep trying. Thousands of boys settle for less and get a second best wife, because they did not keep up their courage or self-confidence. Every young person should encourage themselves and never settle for the second best on anything. When Paul was on his voyage to Rome, in spite of the storm and the shipwreck, he "thanked God and took courage." He finished his voyage and fulfilled his mission, which he was sent to accomplish (Rom. 1 :15). Why don't you take courage? If you want courage, then take it. Take courage, because it is offered to you now. God told Joshua that he would have a good success (Joshua 1 :8). How would he be successful? God told him, "Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee wheresoever thou goest" (Joshua 1 :9). If you want to prosper in anything, then take courage (I Chron. 22:13). He that has courage can have anything. Whatsoever you start to do, read I Chron. 28 :20. Do it and then you will be prosperous. "And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished

all the work for the service of the house of the Lord" (I Chron. 28 :20). "They helped everyone his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother, Be of good courage" (Isaiah 41 :6). "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psalms 27:14). ENCOURAGE OTHERS Ten thousand teenagers would do great things for God and their country if 'they had a little encouragement. You have the power to encourage them or discourage them. It depends on the spirit you display before them. The Lord had a little talk with Moses. He told him that Joshua could take the children of Israel over and possess the land, if he had some encouragement. He said, "Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it" (Deut. 1 :38). Moses encouraged Joshua and he never forgot it. He brought back a good report when the ten spies came back discouraged. The ten spies died in the wilderness. Nobody knows their names. Joshua divided Jordan and marched over to possess the land. Why did he do all this? It was because an older minister encouraged Joshua. After the older minister passed on, his words lived on and on. They were encouraging words .. They encouraged thousands, and teeming thousands, of people; they are still doing so. The devil told a preacher that he was discouraged and the preacher said, "No, I am not discouraged. You are a liar and the father of it." This discouraged the devil; so the devil left. I charge you to go encourage some young preacher today. Your ministry will live on and on. Moses' 'ministry is still living. "But charge Joshua and encourage him for he shall go over and before his people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which they shall see" (Deut. 3 :28). One time Hezekiah encouraged the priests and the Levites by commanding the people to bring tithes of all they possessed (II Chron. 31 :4). Many of God's ministers may be encouraged today. With a little encouragement they can do wonders. They can win souls; they can take cities. They can go over into the promised land. They can chase the enemy.
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They can say with Caleb, "Give me this mountain." Courage is more powerful than the atomic bomb. And he set the priests in their charge and encouraged them in the services of the Lord (II Chron. 35 :2). We must all encourage one another. Lift them up and never knock them down. "So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil" (Isaiah 41 :7). BEITER THAN THE MIGHTY If you are slow to anger, you are better than the mighty. If you rule your own spirit you are better than the man who takes a city. Brother J - - - held great tent meetings. He would go into the largest cities. There he could cast out devils, heal the sick and win thousands of converts to the Lord. He could take the largest cities. People admitted his ministry was strong. They admired him. After all this, his temper would flare up. He ran his friends away. He could be a friend to someone for ten years and suddenly turn against him in ten minutes. He could not get along with people. He was a bad public relations man. He could not rule his own spirit. God says you are better than Brother J, if you have control over your own spirit (Prov. 16 :32). . Alexander the Great conquered. the whole world at the age of about thirty-three. He cried because he did not have more to conquer. Yet, he could not rule his own spirit. He died an alcoholic. I know a good man who could take cities.' Yet he had a hasty spirit. He spoke when he should have been listening. This got him into trouble and he became a fool (Prov. 14 :29). Some of the best businessmen play the fool and lose what they have. They become proud and haughty. A haughty spirit goeth before a fall. When you learn to rule your own spirit, then and only then, ~an you become strong. One of my best friends died at middle age. It was because he had a hurry spirit. Sure, he prospered. But what good did it do him to. prosper when he couldn't control his own spirit, when he did not put any of it in the work of the Lord? You can hurry yourself to death. You can die at middle age. You 11

can hurry up and get to where you are going, but you have not really prospered. You have not done yourself justice. You have displeased the Lord. Brother W - - - is a man of quality and talent, but no .one can work with him. He will not listen to anyone's viewpoint. You cannot tell him anything. He is a very poor public relations man. God calls that man's spirit an obstinate spirit. He will not even listen to the Lord (Deut. 2 :30). If you rule your own spirit you will not yield to a spirit of filthiness which causes you to tell dirty jokes and think in' the gutter all the time. If you let your own spirit go wild, if you do not discipline your own spirit, then the enemy may creep in with his spirit. If you cannot detect your own spirit, how can you detect the spirit of the enemy? Get Your Spirit Sanctified 'I know a lady who says she is saved, but she still has a bad spirit. It causes her to think and talk about vulgar things. She has cleaned up her body, her soul is saved, but God says for our soul, spirit and body to be sanctified holy (I Thess.
5:23)

I have a dear friend, but I have quit keeping company with him. I cannot be with him over ten minutes until he is talking about sex in a low, degrading manner. If we get our spirits sanctified as God commands us to do then people will be glad to meet us. They will feel good in our presence. We will not have a diverse, or unclean spirit, or any such thing. So watch your spirit. That is one of the most prized' possessions that you will ever 'have. p ASTOR BARNES' VISIT Pastor Barnes went to pray for a dear sister who had bpt>n sick for twenty years. . He detected her spirit. He told her that she did not want to be healed because people would stop sympathizing with her. He saw that she had a spirit of self-pity and would sympathize with herself. She cri.ed awhile and then received her heaiing. She just then reahzed that she had a spirit that kept her bound. It kept. her from wanting to be healed for twenty years. Did you ever try to deal with a ma who had a wounded 12

spirit? The Bible says that he is hard to bear (Proverbs 18:14) . Did you ever try to get your members to come to church, when they had a spirit of slumber, or a spirit of heaviness? Did you ever try to deal with a man who was sorry for himself? He told you all the work that he had done and everything that he had to do. How busy he was! He was worked down. No one seemed to care about him, He tried, but he didn't have a break. Maybe he told you how he had been mistreated by everybody, and how people had lied on him, and how they had accused him. The next time you saw him he had the same story to tell. Didn't you hate to meet him? He would even dampen your own spirit if you would let him, There is no faith in that kind of atmosphere to even pray for the man, bec~use if you pray for him, when he meets the next person, he will still be telling' them all of his troubles,' and how people have lied on him, what a hard time he has had and how that he feels like the Lord has even forsaken him. But the Lord said, "I will never, never leave thee and I will neve'. never, never forsake thee." He is with you always, even to the end of the world. If you have the wrong spirit, yOI~will even make God a liar and justify yourself. \\ hen you are sorry for a man like that, that makes him worse. You cannot afford to sympathize with him. You will spoil him. He does not realize that he has developed a spirit "f self-pity, but he has. You cannot afford to ask him how he is getting along. He will pour out complaints a mile long. He can pour out words of sympathy and self-pity until the sun goes down if you will listen to him. When he is through you will really be feeling' badly. He will be feeling very badly because he has talked himself out of faith. I have started to pray for people. They tell me all of their troubles. I have started to pray for them and they would hold my hand and say, "Wait a minute, I am not through telling you yet. You are not supposed to pray for me till I get through telling you", just like God doesn't know all about it. To talk like an invalid is to act like an invalid. To act like an invalid is to feel like an invalid. To feel like an invalid is to be an invalid. One dear lady said, "I feel bad every time I feel good, be-

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cause I am thinking how bad I am going to feel when I quit feeling good." Neighbor, it is up to you to develop a good spirit, so you can sympathize with others, or a bad spirit, so you sympathize with yourself. PATTERN AFTER DANIEL Daniel was not only a servant of God, but he developed a very fine, human spirit. This caused the people to sit up and take notice of him. Twice it .is recorded that he wa.s a man with an excellent spirit (Dan. 5:12; 6:3). Jesus was a human being with a body, soul and spirit. As He grew up, He set us an example that we should follow His steps. John the Baptist also waxed strong in spirit (Luke 1:8). It was Jesus, after He had His spirit tested in many ways, who said for us to take heed to our spirit. The Lord tells us, "Ti.erefore take heed to your spirit" (Mal. 2 :15). It would be well for everyone of us to take heed to our own spirit, and k.t the spirit of God search our heart. Let the searchlight Hom glory come and search the very motive and the intention 0" our human spirit. Jesus was concerned about your spirit. Evil spirits can come in if your spirit is broken down like a city with no walls. Evil spirits cannot come in until your spirit ceases to be controlled. You must have a steadfast spirit if you want to please the Lord (Psalms 78: 8) . "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalms 32:2). The Lord declares that you must be holy in body and in spirit (I Cor. 7 :34). A lot of people live a holy life, they think, but they do not have their spirit under subjection. They either have spiritual pride or they are a little bit conceited. We need to sanctify our spirit. He will create within us a clean spirit (Psalms 51 :10). The Lord expects a woman or a man to have meek and quiet spirit (I Peter 3:4). If you are found with an excellent spirit, a spirit without guile, then you will be trusted to see into the spirit world, for your spirit will be kindred with His spirit. There is something wrong with a person who can discern bad spirits and not discern good spirits. For we must first

discern the good spirits before we can discern the evil spirits.

Chapter II THE SPIRIT OF GOD

There is something wrong with a man or woman who says they can discern evil spirits in people, but cannot discern the good spirits. Perhaps they have a gift of imagination, suspicion or criticism. If you have the gift of discerning of spirits, you know which gift is in operation in a certain service. You know what the Holy Spirit wants to do next in a service. ENTERTAIN STRANGERS Some have entertained angels and did not even know it (Heb. 13 :2). In this case, they had a good human spirit, but: they had not yet come to the place they had the gift of discerning of spirits. Angels appeared to Abraham. Abraham recognized them as men sent from God, although he did not detect their identity at that time (Cen 18 :2). At that time Abraham became a great intercessor for God. These same two angels appeared to Lot later or. in the form of men. Abraham had such an excellent spirit that the Lord would not keep from him what He was about to do in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18: 17). Had Abraham not had the discerning of spirits working in his life to detect that these men were sent from God, he could not have been an intercessor. Lot's family probably would have been destroyed. Men with discerning of spirits today know when the Holy Spirit wants to intercede through them for someone in great danger. They immediately go to prayer. Abraham's intercession caused these two men to visit Sodom and rescue Lot. In Sodom there were wicked men who were so evil that they could not detect that these men were angels sent from God. They wanted to treat them in a vile manner. Even Lot's OWI1 wife did not seem to discern that these men 15

14

were true messengers sent from God. She turned her back on Lot and went back into Sodom. That is a true picture of how things will be at the second coming of the Lord. Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife." Many people are so carnal that they do not recognize a true messenger from God when he comes. Why? It is because they do not have an excellent spirit. They should pray for a meek and quiet spirit. Then an angel might appear to them. Then it will be given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. A DIVINE BEING One night a man came into my room and talked to me. He asked me if I would hold a little girl's funeral service. This man walked out of my room. In a few minutes; the doors were closed. Did I see an angel? He did not have wings. I am sure had there been someone else in 'the room he would not have seen this heavenly messenger. This little girl, this divine visitor spoke to me about, suddenly became ill. In about two months she passed away. She lived eight miles out in the country. One night the same messenger returned into my room and said, "The little girl is dead after two months." The next morning some people came and told me the girl passed away and asked me to hold the funeral services. King Herod had Peter locked in jail, intending after Easter, to bring him to the people so they could cut his head off. The people made prayer unto God without ceasing for Peter. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord came upon him. He smote Peter a~d told hi~ to arise and put on his sandals. Peter obeyed him, He raised Peter up and told him to put on his clothes. Peter followed instructions. Peter walked out of prison. The doors and gates were all open. Peter did not know until later that he had seen an angel. He had an excellent spirit. That is why the angel came to him. Yet he did not detect an angel at first sight (Acts 12). . ~nother time Peter came in contact' with some heavenly v~sItor~, Moses and Elijah by name. This time, Peter was beSIde himself and did not know what he was saying (Matt. 17:4).
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II
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We must have power to see into the spirit world and see good spirits if we are to know the bad ones when we meet them. The experience Peter had in the mount convinced Peter that he was an eye-witness of His majesty (II Peter 1 :16-18). This experience had a tremendous effect on the life and ministry of our beloved apostle. I am sure it would have a good effect on our ministry should we be visited by some heavenly beings, although if some of us should entertain these heavenly beings, we would not be aware of it. Let's pray that God will give us an insight into the spirit world. AN ANGEL IS NEAR An angel encamps around about all of us who fear the Lord, to deliver us (Psalms 34 :7). If a third of the angels were cast out of heaven, God still has two angels to the devil's one, ann one angel has power enough to bind Satan by himself (Rev. 20:2). Whether you see it or not, this angel is nearby. Elisha could see the elements full of heavenly beings to protect him and his servants. The servant could not see this heavenly host, so he was afraid. Elisha prayed and asked the Lord to open his servant's eyes so he could see that there were more on his side than there were against him. When the servant's eyes were opened, he was no longer afraid (II Kings 6:17). When we get our eyes opened, we can see those that are on our side. Then we are no longer afraid. Then we know the battle is already won. At first Joshua did not discern who a certain man was that appeared in the camp. This visitor did not have wings, yet he was from heaven. Joshua did not entertain him unaware. Moses had laid hands on Joshua and anointed him to take his place. (Deut. 34:9) He had encouraged him because he had an excellent spirit. Moses prayed for Joshua to be anointed with a spirit of wisdom. After the death of Moses, Joshua led God's people across Jordan. The river had closed behind him. What could he do? It was too late to go back into the wilderness. He was in the promised land now, but he had to do something in order to possess the land. We are in the promised land, but we must keep up our courage and faith. 17

We must discern evil spirits. We must not fight against flesh and blood, but we must fight against spiritual weakness in high places. We must cast down high imaginations. We must do some fighting of some large giants in order to possess our possessions. The devil is already defeated and he knows it. So God gives us power, faith, and courage to go forth and conquer the land. Maybe no one else could see this messenger except Joshua. And for a while, Joshua was so carried away into business that he did not notice him. This stranger from the other world had a sword drawn in his hand. Joshua didn't know whether he was one of the soldiers from Jericho, or a man from a space ship. So he asked, ..Art thou for us or for our adversaries?" This stranger' told him that he was captain of the host of the Lord (oJshua !) :14). There was not only one angel there; there was a whole host of them. This one was the captain. Joshua only saw the captain of the whole host. The Lord has plenty of angels. They encamp around about them that fear Him to deliver them. When Joshua saw that the armies from heaven were present to do the fighting, he was no longer afraid. This was a great encouragement to this warrior. It would be a great encouragement to us to have a visitor from heaven to appear to us just before we entered battle and tell us that a heavenly host has us covered. This has happened to me a few times before I entered a long revival. The Lord would appear to me, a heavenly messenger, and tell me that He was sent to say that the battle was God's and not mine. I would see many hundreds of people set free from sin, filled with the Spirit and delivered from demons. I saw great healings and miracles take place, not because of what I did, but because that the heavenly host was there to do the fighting for me. The angel of the Lord told Joshua to loose the shoes from off his feet. This was saying that the battle was the Lord's. Joshua did not need to go out in his own strength to do the fighting. Joshua had an excellent spirit. That is why he could detect the spiritual man nearby. A carnal man would never have 18

recognized that God's messenger was here. He would have stayed full of fear and lost the battle. How did Daniel know that the angel was there in the lion's den? Well he could discern the spirits, of course. Angels are ministering spirits. Nebuchadnezzar, the King, walked back and forth at the door all night long, Nebuchadnezzar was full of fear. He didn't see an angel there. He wanted to know if Daniel was still living the next morning, but the angel was there just the same. Daniel had an excellent spirit, so God possessed him with the spirit that he could discern that the angel was nearby. Had it been some of us, we would not have known the angel was there, and we would have laid there so full of fear, we wouldn't have recognized the angel. The lions would probably have eaten us. TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT Gideon was a mighty man of valor. Gideon was only a peathresher behind the winepress. God saw he had an excellent spirit. He felt a fear, but he had a very sensitive spirit. He knew when God was talking to him. He detected that the messenger was an angel from God. He thought he would not live because he had seen an angel (Judges 6: 22) . This young man obeyed the Lord and tore down the altars of Baal. This shows us that he had a meek and quiet spirit, which hated sin and loved righteousness. With the sword of the Lord, Gideon had courage to go against the sinful Midianites. If we had the gift of discerning of spirits we would recognize the heavenly host is with us to do our fighting. We would not need to depend on worldly gain and carnal methods to put the church over. A revival would be in our midst. A heavenly messenger came into my room about five o'clock in th: mornin~ and told me to go to Seattle, Washington. This was III Oakland, California. I had planned to go to Hawaii, but He changed my plans. I arose and phoned the minister in Seattle. He said that they had just prayed before they went to b~d that we would come to that city. We went, and stayed mne weeks. We saw teeming thousands of people delivered. God fought our battle for us. Any of us can go conquer the enemy if we know God will

19

go with us. Too many of us have a carnal recognize God's voice when He speaks.

spirit

and do not .

ANGELS UNA WARE Manoah's was nice to a man when he came to visit her. ~he entertained an angel unaware. Too many people are lookmg for angels to have wings. An angel of the Lord came to Mrs. Manoah. That was in the time that the people had not received a visitation from God in a long time. Many people believed the days of miracles had passed. The visitors told this Godly woman that Samson would be born to her. She thought that she had seen an angel but was not certain. "Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name", (Judges 13:6) They prayed that the messenger from God would return. So it is in order to pray that you will be visited by a heavenly messenger. God answered their prayer. The messenger returned and confirmed the message that he had given to Manoah's wife. To really convince Manoah and his wife that they had seen an angel, this messenger ascended to God in the fire on the altar used as a sacrifice. T~is gave this godly man and woman so much courage and confidence that they never were the same again. They were told that a child would be born to them and for them to raise him a Nazarite. They were instructed just what to feed this boy that God had given them. They kept their faith. They were faithful to their instructions. They raise the child that was one of /the heros of faith. He destroyed thousands of Philistines. He judged Israel for twenty years. If more people could be sensitive to the spirit, God would appear to them and share His secrets and plans with them. Lord help us to have an excellent spirit that we may recognize it when you do visit us. .It is a wonderful MEN OF TWO WORLDS life to be in connection 20 with two worlds.

Elijah was a man who lived to' himself in the woods most of the time. He was in connection with the Lord and knew the voice of God. He could tell the people and the king what God said. We can't very well do that if we listen to television all day. No wonder Elijah could tell the widow woman, "Thus saith the Lord." According to his word, the meal barrel was never empty. The dead boy rose and the heavens withheld the rains. The man was a messenger of God to the people. We are men of like passions. While he was sleeping an angel came to him and fed him on angel food. He went forty days on the strength of that food. That was a feast of a fast. After Elijah contacted the messenger from heaven, he never ran from his enemies again. He went back from where he fled, near Ahab's palace. He pronounced judgment upon the wicked 'king and queen. He seemed to be a citizen of two worlds from then on. He took authority over all the opposition. He fought an offensive battle instead of a defensive one. If you want to live a life of triumph, you should contact the spirit world. Intercede with God. A heavenly messenger will come and send you a message. You will preach like a man from another world. You will take authority over all your opposition. You will tromp down the power of the enemy. You will put the enemy to flight that has got people bound, and you will let the people go free! You will open the prison doors and turn them loose. If you tarry before God, if you get your spirit sanctified, you can detect His presence when he appears, and you can let the peop!= know that they are in the presence of God. ONLY CERTAIN MEN Not all men can see into the spirit world. Daniel had an understanding of the spirit world. He was on speaking terms with the invisible world. Gabriel appeared to him and made him to understand visions (Dan. 9 :21). Later on another angel visited him (Dan. 10:6). Daniel saw the vision. The men with him did not see it. They were afraid. They ran and hid themselves like lots of people do today who come into the presence of the Lord. You see the back of their head as they run out. Carnal men are 21

afraid to get near the presence of the Lord because they are afraid that God might see their sins. When Jesus appears some of the great men and mighty men will run and hide in the' caves under the rocks and cry for the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of God (Dan. 10 :7). Daniel was told that a great battle was in existence in the spirit world. If we are intercessors for God, if we can discern the spirit" that wants to intercede through us, then we can tarry in His presence; we will know the battIe is on. Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. The men with him did not see Jesus. They heard His speak (Acts 9 :7). The Lord may appear to you. The people nearby may go home not knowing the Lord is even near the place. Some people think .the only gifts that we have manifested in the church are tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. It is because these are the only gifts that they can hear with their natural ear. The other six gifts work silently and they go home not even knowing a gift was in operation. They may even criticize the man or woman who heard the voice of God and told people what God told them. That is because they are carnal and walk as men. The angel of the Lord appeared unto Zacharias and told him about John the Baptist, who was to be born to him and his wife (Luke 1 :11-22). Gabriel appearel to Mary, telling her of Jesus, which would be born to her. Angels appeared to shepherds telling them the same glad message. An angel came and turned the apostle out of prison and said, "go, stand and speak in the temple. Tell the people all the words of this life" (Acts 5 :20). Had we been at any of these scenes, we might not have been in connection with the Lord enough to even see these angels. And had we seen them, we might not have seen any wings whatsoever. An angel appeared to Cornelius as he was praying and told him to send for Peter. One time an angel stood beside Paul while he was in a storm. The angel told him that God had given him all that sailed with him. That was the means of 276 men escaping sure death. Suppose Paul had been carnal and had not known when the 22

angel came by. All the men would have drowned. They would have gone down into watery graves. Their lives would have been lost. How many people will be lost in eternity, if we are carnal and do not detect it when the Spirit of God is working with us, wanting us to intercede for people who are lost? If we have a sanctified spirit, as did Paul, then our spirit will detect it when God's messengers come to us with a message. They may not always have wings, nevertheless, they are sent to us with a message. Let's deliver the message to the waiting people that their lives and souls will not be lost , so help us God. DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Do you know which one of the spiritual gifts God wants to operate in a given service? Covet earnestly the best gift. Can you tell when the Spirit wants to intercede through you for someone that is in trouble, maybe miles away across the continent, across the waters? Can you save a soul or save a life? Do you have the mind of the Spirit when you go to service? Then you can deliver the message that God wants the people to have. You can save a soul from death. How can you deliver a message if you do not have a message to deliver? How can you have a message if you have not been in the presence of God? If you are watching carnal things all day long? If you are watching some program from Hollywood? How can you be spiritually minded and carnally minded at the same time? If an angel were to appear to you, you might not know it if you had your mind upon stories, telling of people robbing, stealing or watching the ads on television, people blowing smoke and drinking beer. Do you have an insight into the Word of God enough so you can say, "It is written", as Jesus did when Satan presented himself as an angel of light? If you first know the mind of the Spirit of God and can try the spirits by the Word of God, then God can trust you to detect evil spirits.

23

CHAPTER

EVIL SPIRITS Satan sometimes comes to us as an angel of light. He preaches to us. Had Eve the gift of discerning of spirits so she could have detected the devil's intentions, things may have turned out differently for Adam and all of us. We must know to whom we are listening. Many Christians count it an insult if you even hint that Satan may be influencing them through their thoughts. They do not seem to know the evil spirits. One time Jesus told two holiness preachers that they did not know what manner of spirit they were of (Luke 9:55). They had a secretarian spirit for one thing. They forbade a group of people that would not follow them. They wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy another group. They wanted to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And they wanted to sit in certain seats, next to Jesus. The gift of discerning of spirits was not working in the lives of these preachers at that time. At least it was not focused on themselves. Jesus also detected that there was an evil spirit influencing Peter, who tried to tempt him to bypass the cross and miss the purpose for which He had come to this world (Matt. 16 :23). These preachers were not devil possessed, for a Christian cannot be possessed with the devil. They were influenced by Satan. They yielded to temptations. He was attempting to carry out his purpose. DETECTING TEMPTATIONS Jesus stayed in the wilderness, fasted and prayed until He knew God well enough and knew the Word of God enough to know when something was the temptation from the enemy. Jesus was a man. He had just received the Holy Ghost. He was tempted in all points as we are (Heb. 4 :15). He had not eaten anything for 40 days and he was very hungry. He was tempted to turn the stones into bread. He was tempted to show his power. Satan tells many people today to prove that they are anointed by deliberately picking up a rattlesnake, drinking poison, or raising someone from the graveyard, who has already lived out all their days and been dead for 40 years. If they knew the Word, they would know that no one in the Bible times did

this. They would say, "It is written, that I must not tempt the Lord my God." We should pray, "Lead us not into temptation:' People deliberately walk into about nine-tenths of their temptations. God does not lead them. They do not have the spiritual insight to recognize temptations until they have already yielded. It is not a Sill to he tempted, but is is a sin to yield to temptations. If we were more spiritual; if we prayed more ; it we had all excellent spirit; if we stayed in His presence until we are better acquainted with His Spirit; if we had a better insight into His Word, then we would recognize temptations when they present themselves. We would say "no" to them. We would resist the devil and he would flee. DETECT TRIALS Yesterday I went to pray for Brother L ... When I arrived, I saw that he was already healed. He was yielding to symptoms and did not detect them as such. I told him to resist the devil and he would flee from him (James 4:7). He began to resist the devil. He arose and went to work driving a truck all day. He was at church last night, smiling and happy. If you could not resist the devil, then God would not have commanded you to do so. Each of us have the power to resist him or accept his lies. If you will resist him, he will always run away. Most of the people lose their healing because they do not know the voice of the enemy that brings back the symptoms, doubts and fears. If you believe you are healed because you feel better, then when you feel badly, you do not believe you are healed. You must have something more substantial than feelings to stand on. The W.ord will stand when the heavens and earth are moved out of their place. Had JeSUS gone by feelings, when He was so hungry, He would have surrendered to Satan. I am sure lIe was not feeling so well when He was so weak, as the lions, bears, tigers, snakes and all the animals were attacking Him there in that wild wilderness. Would a pain hinder you from believing that Jesus is coming

24

soon, or any part of God's word? Suppose that a boy is saved tonight. He shouts and runs over with joy. Tomorrow he does not feel that way. Satan tempts him and tells him that he is not saved because the good feelings are not there, because he is tempted. If he says he is not saved because he is feeling badly, he would not be saved. We need to be so much acquainted with God's Spirit that we will recognize the temptation and trial from the enemy. PHILIP'S REVIVAL Discerning of spirits was not working through Philip at one time. He had a great revival. Many people were saved and filled with the Spirit or healed. Simon believed and was baptized. Many preachers take people into the church today by letter, by confession, by baptism or most any other way. They believe and are baptized, but they are not saved. Brother Peter came along to Brother Philip's revival, conducting a Holy Ghost rally. It seemed that all Philip's converts received the Holy Ghost except Simon. Peter perceived that he had only believed with his head. His heart was not right in the sight of God (Acts 8). We would not have so many sinners in the church if we had some preachers today who would lie on top of the house as Peter did and pray until they knew the voice of God (Acts 10). Then God could show them when someone was not right with Him. Peter first came to the place where he could know good spirits before he discerned the wrong spirits. PAUL'S MIRACLES A lady testified in Paul's meeting for several days before he did anything about it. She testified that Paul was sent by God. That would have been all right had God anointed her to do that. Paul finally detected that it was the devil causing this lady to testify that way. The devil wanted to disturb the services and cause Paul to have an exalted spirit (Acts 15). Paul had been' praying in the Spirit before he went to church, so he knew the Spirit of God. He knew that that spirit was foreign to God's power. He stood it about as long as he could; he would not let the devil do him just any way. So he cast out the devil and delivered the lady. How could he have delivered the lady had he not first de26

tected that it was the devil that prompted her to disturb the services? How could he have detected the spirit had he not first seen that this spirit was not of God?

JOB'S AFFLICTION
The devil afflicted Job with boils (Job 2 :7). The devil took his sons and daughters (Job 1 :13-18). Satan sent the Sabeans to kill his servants and kill his camels. Lightening struck Job's servants. Satan sent the Chaldeans to take the camels. Everybody blamed God for all this. Job even said that God did it (Job 2: 10). The servant thought that God sent the lightening (Job 2 :16). His wife blamed God and told Job to curse the Lord (Job 2 :9). Although Job was a good man, he thought it was God that did all this. He even expected God to slay him (Job 13:15). It would have been a great help in those days had the gift of discerning of spirits been operating in Job's life. Job is said to be the first book of the Bible to be written. No doubt, it was written to show us that Satan is the cause of suffering sent on mankind (Luke 10:19). Job was a good man, but he was bound by tradition that made the Word of God of none effect in his life at that time. When Job found that it was the devil who afflicted him, he stopped blaming God. He repented for his blaming God and was healed. Many people are in ignorance today concerning God's will. They blame God for what the devil did. They say that their sickness is a blessing, that God gave it to them as a thorn in the flesh. They have been taught that it is the will of God for them to be sick. We need to know the Word in order to say, "It is written." We would cast out the spirits with His Word. We need the gift of discerning of spirits. This we can have if we keep our own spirit pure and clean. God will appear to us.

SIGNS TO FOLLOW
If we have the Holy Spirit we can usually detect evil spirits. We can cast out the evil spirits. (Mark 16:17) That is one of the signs to follow the believer. If we knew the Word, we could cast out spirits with His Word. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost to heal all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:37). 27

He immediately knew that it was a spirit of infirmity that caused the woman to be bound eighteen years (Luke 13 :11). Had he been some modern ministers, he would have told her that God put the affliction on her for a blessing. He could have blamed God for what the devil did. Jesus knew that the deaf spirits made people deaf (Mark 9 :25). That blind spirits made people blind (Matt. 12 :22). that dumb spirits made people dumb, and that unclean spirits caused people to be filthy (Mark 1 :23). Saul tried to kill David because he had a murder spirit (I Sam. 18:9-11). People were bound by epileptic spirits (Luke 9 :39) and insane spirits (Luke 8 :29). All their actions were influenced by some spirit or another. Jesus knew that Mary Magdalene had many devils, that another man had a whole legion of devils (Mark 5 :9). Tf we have the anointing of the Holy Ghost, we are expected to do the same works that Jesus did (John 14:12; Luke 4:18). He set us an example that we should follow His steps. That is why the disciples were first called Christians. They were Christ-like. They did like their Master. ELISHA ASKED A HAHD THING Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit. lIe discerned that the prophet had developed a wonderful, excellent spirit. lIe wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Elijah told him that if he would develop t he gift of discerning of spirits so he could see him as he wont up, he could have a double portion of his spirit. Elijah knew it was not an easy thing". for I';lisha would have all kinds of opposition. So does every preacher who tries to walk closely 10 the Lord and have the P()\\'l'" 1\1 detect spirits, Elijah was a man of two worlds. Ill' could I une in 011 the other world and know when Sat au \\'a:-; illl'lul'lll'ing the king to do wronz. Elisha wall ted the ministrv to (li.-;('(" II also, Elisha forsook the carnal things a nd ga\ l' himself wholly to the milli:-;tr,Y of t he spirit. The rt-sull \l'(H' when Elijah was translutcd. Elisha .\'('1 saw him, lie eve-n saw the chariots and horses from heaven, From that mumcut he became a minister with the gifts working in his minisl i v. IIe could see into the Spirit world. lie knew what God wanted to do, He knew there was more 011 his side than Iher \\ as on the side

of the enemy (II Kings 2 :10). He became also a man of two worlds for he had contact in the other world. He had contacted the supernatural. THE SIGNGIFT MINISTRY Peter discerned good spirits because he was a man of prayer. He knew it when the begger was ready for healing. He saw that this begger had faith to be healed. He commanded him to rise and walk (Acts 3). Paul saw a man had faith to be healed. The man obeyed and walked for the first time in his life (Acts 14). Jesus saw a man had faith to 'be healed. He told him to rise and walk (Mark 2). , He marvelled at the centurion's faith (Matthew 7). Also at the Syrophenician ~oman's faith (Matt. 15). I went into an auditorium and saw that one woman had faith to be healed. I commanded her to get out of her wheel-chair which she had been in for over six years. I was made to know that the others were not ready so I walked out. I went into a place where about 309 people were seeking the Holy Ghost. Only about a hundred had faith to receive instantly. They all received the Holy Ghost and J walked out. How was this possible? J had no food for weeks. I had been in the presence of God. I knew lIis voice. lie showed me last Sunday night what- J was to preach. I wanted to preach a sermon which I had preached several times. Instead J prayed until God showed me the mind of the Spirit and 1 began to know people's needs. Miracles and healinzs followed. People were slain, saved and filled with the Spirit. They were delivered from habits. How easy it would have been to deliver a xerrnon and walk out. Do you want to have the gift of cliscernirur of spirits'? You han' asked a hard thing, but you cnn have it if you will follow dosely, WE DO NOT lJ~E THE (;IFTS Th gifts of heuling were expoct od 10 operate through Elisha ;lIld heal Nuamun, but the gift of dis(PJ'lling' of spirits operated instc:]. Naamun thought surely 1 hat t hr- prophet would come t , s trike his hunrls over his IWell1 alld say, "Be thou made .vhle." Actuullv Elisha would lil: t II have done t his. Elisha diYIrrued that Nauman had !'l spirit of pride and was not
I III

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ready for his healing. The gift that God wanted to operate was the gift of discerning of spirits. In this case, Elisha discerned the spirit of God and the evil spirits of pride in this captain (II Kings 5). Had Peter been given his choice I am sure he would have chosen for the gift of miracles to be operated through him as it was already operating. He would like to have seen Simon filled with the Holy Ghost. God showed him that Simon was not ready for the Holy Ghost. Another gift worked instead of the gift of miracles. It was the gift of discerning of spirits; it helped him to detect that Simon had an evil spirit in him. One day Peter walked down the street where there were many sick people. They were healed as they were put in his shadow. I am sure he wanted everyone h~aled. In this same chapter another gift worked through him as two liars came up to him. He discerned the spirit that made them lie. Also the gift of miracles operated through him and struck those liars dead; the church rolled on. Gehazi was a faithful worker. No doubt, it was in Elisha's mind to promote him. In fact Elisha offered to let the gift of miracles work through him once, but he did not have enough faith to operate it (II Kings 4 :29). I think Elisha would have been glad to lay hands on him and given him a double portion of his spirit. Gehazi had a long record of the times he helped Elisha as Elisha performed miracles. One day Elisha was praying. The spirit made him to know that Gehazi had yielded to the power of the devil. He had lied to Naaman and received money from Naaman to pay for Naaman's healing. After the gift of discerning of spirits worked through Elisha and made him to know this, the gift of miracles operated, not for Gehazi, but against him. Elisha told him that the leprosy that left Naaman would come on him and cleave to him as long as he lived (II Kings 5 :27). AS GOD WILLS The gifts are not for us to use at will; they are God's who divides them as He will (I Cor. 12). Achan was cursed because he had taken of the accursed thing which God told him not to touch (Josh. 7). First Joshua missed it and did not detect that there was sin in the camp. After he saw that the blessings of God were not on them 30

anymore, he sought God until he could detect that Achan yielded to Satan and had taken the accursed thing. We need more preachers in the church today Who can tell when the wrong spirit is in operation. The other day I started to conduct a service. It was on Sunday morning. Suddenly the Lord would not let me deliver my message. I arose and told them that Satan influenced them to yield to sin. Two women at the church confessed that they had yielded to Satan and gone wrong that week. I told the people one night that there was a spirit-medium there. Two spirit mediums came forward and we delivered them. A fortune-teller came forward and was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. Two men came in the line for healing. It was revealed that they were not sick. Then they confessed that they just planned that to see if the anointing was real. Jeremiah said that God's people would go into captivity. Hananiah preached a sermon and said that they would not go into captivity. Jeremiah discerned the spirit and put a stop to the trouble. The man fell dead. "Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth :this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month" (Jeremiah 28:15-17). Tobiah came into the house of God. Nehemiah perceived that he and another fellow were spying, seeking to destroy him. He exposed them. "And, 10, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him" (Neh. 6: 12). We need some men like Nehemiah in the church today to expose all the Tobiah's that are against the power of God. A woman came up to an evangelist for healing. He just pushed his mike away and told her that she had been running with another man. It happened that the next person in line was her husband. He heard it. As he began to raise trouble, 31

the evangelist turned and told him, "You did the same thing." He told him the time and the place. There were reconciled to one another and were delivered of the spirits that bound them. The Lord does not want us to expose people and break up their homes and cause trouble. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. We must be careful when to let the secrets of the Lord be known. He will tell us more if we keep His secrets. Sometimes it is necessary to bring sin to light. One prophet went to King David and exposed his sin. The led David to repentance (II Sam. 12:1). We need more power to bring hidden sins to light. Heavenly Father, we bring every reader to you just now. Please convict them of any unconfessed sin in their lives. Help them to take heed to their own spirit. Sanctify them wholly, soul, spirit and body. Help them to be so full of your Spirit that they will know your voice when you speak. Anoint them to know and detect every evil spirit that comes against them and others. Give them power not only to detect them, but to cast them out, just now, in Jesus name. Amen and amen.

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HOME STUDY COURSE

Dear Brother Grant; UPlease enroll me in the Faith Clinic Bible Course. As soon as you receive this slip, send me postpaid 64 titles of your faith books, on Bible deliverance as a loan with true and false exam sheets. I am willing to send $4.00 per month tuition. [Jl am a Christian over 15 years old. DIt is understood that after I send the tuition for 15 months, I may keep all the 64 books to be used in God's work. [JOn the completion of this course, I will receive a purple and gold certificate. DAs 1 complete the second course. I may receive my license to preach. DAnd aDD Degree if I finish all the courses. Name .... Address _..