The Word of God isn’t a book of mysteries filled with puzzles God doesn’t want us to understand. He didn’t give us His Word to tantalize us. He gave us His Word, a book of knowledge, a book of understanding so that we can know Him and His greatness more fully.

1. Question: Besides defeating death, hell and the grave, what else did Jesus accomplish in the Spirit those three days His body was in the grave? Could you please explain the prison that Peter talks about. Why were souls there, and why were they imprisoned?

Answer: First Peter 3:19,20: By which also he [Jesus] went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The Bible lets us know who those people were, and the Bible is the authority. A whole civilization had been destroyed in the Great Flood; a whole civilization, with the exception of Noah and his family, died lost, disobedient. Jesus, during the three days His body was in the grave, preached to those lost spirits who were in prison, the people who had lived in the days of Noah. Ephesians 4:9,10: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) It was no greater miracle for Christ to have descended into the lower parts of the earth to preach to those souls in prison than it was for Him to have been resurrected. Why did Jesus descend into the lower parts of the earth? To preach to those who died before the flood, to liberate those who would accept Him.

God is merciful; so far-reaching is His mercy that we simply cannot comprehend it. There is no way to measure it, weigh it. The mercy of the Cross reached all the way back to that civilization of Noah’s day. The Lord gave them another chance, and rightly so. They didn’t have the written Word, or the knowledge of a father Abraham and other leaders to teach them. When they heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the majority, perhaps all, accepted it. Never before had they heard a deliverance message like His. I’m sure Christ explained about Adam and Eve, told them why the inhabitants of the earth had to be destroyed. He explained their wickedness because that’s the only way to preach the Gospel. He told how God drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). Again and again as the story of Adam and Eve was told, people decided God was cruel. The judgment in the Garden of Eden drove people away from God because they didn’t understand His great love, that as much as He loved mankind, He hated sin. They didn’t understand how horribly Adam and Eve had failed God. Only Noah remained true to God, and there is no record that he was able to convert anyone other than his own family although he preached for one hundred twenty years.

Is the prison Peter refers to hell? Did Jesus preach people out of hell? Jesus didn’t preach the prisoners out of hell; He preached to them, giving them a chance to come out of torment. Never since have we record of the Lord giving people a second chance after death, but in this case, the Lord felt not everyone had a first chance.

Although this incident is an exception to the rule, a certain group claims that Jesus is still preaching spirits out of hell. No. I repeat, there is no second chance today. A doctrine cannot accurately be made out of one scripture. All the scriptures must be taken together. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (II Peter 1:20).

Jesus gives us insight into the gulf He preached across to those in prison, the gulf Abraham refers to in these verses: Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:26-31).

This place of torments that Jesus told about in the story of Lazarus and the rich man is the prison that held the souls He preached to those days while His body was still in the grave. Abraham said if people wouldn’t hear Moses and the prophets, they wouldn’t hear one risen from the dead. However, those who lived before the flood did not have Moses and the prophets, and so Jesus gave them an opportunity to accept the true and living way. The situation with Lazarus and the rich man is altogether different from the situation of the people before the flood, but notice again the great gulf between Abraham and the rich man in hell. Jesus, preaching to them across that gulf, offered them salvation. It shows the marvelous love Jesus has for mankind. Those who accepted the message of redemption were delivered just as the born again are delivered from the prison house of sin. I say again, people in hell today are not being delivered; after death there is no second chance. If you die without God you are lost eternally with no hope of redemption.

2. Question: If it is true we can’t come back to Earth after we die, how did Moses and Elijah come back on the Mount of Transfiguration?

Answer: Jesus was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him (Matthew 17:2,3). The disciples saw His glory, and in that glory was Moses and Elijah. Moses and Elijah came back because the Lord revealed His glory. The inhabitants of Heaven can come to the glory of the Lord, can be in it anywhere it is, on Earth or in Heaven.

In showing the disciples His glory, Jesus showed them Heaven. Since it was Heaven, it was set apart from Earth. His glory came down from Heaven at this special time. No other time do we have record of it coming down like it did on the Mount of Transfiguration. The disciples were not to tell of the experience until after Jesus ascended back to Heaven. Jesus trusted three men, Peter, James and John, to keep the secret. He wanted to make Heaven a living reality in the Gospel age, and He did.

3. Question: We are told today that the Great Flood covered only a certain area. Yet, Genesis tells us the waters were on the face of the whole earth (Genesis 8:9). Which is it: the whole earth or just a certain area?

Answer: Since the Word of God says the whole earth was covered, then it means the whole earth was covered. Take the Bible regardless of how many disagree. When you exalt yourself above the Word of God, you are placing yourself above God.

4. Question: After the Holy Spirit takes out the Church, the Bride of Christ, what will cause those left to be clean enough to be with Jesus during the thousand-year reign of the Perfect Age?

Answer: Those who have accepted Christ and are still alive at the end of the Tribulation Period will go into the Perfect Age as well as those who were good to the Jews during the Tribulation Period; the sheep nations will be there, even though the people in them will not all be saved. The fact that they are in the Perfect Age is no indication that they have accepted Jesus Christ. When the devil comes out of the bottomless pit after the thousand years are over, he will collect a multitude to follow him against Jerusalem. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them (Revelation 20:7-9). The goat nations, those who were against the Jews, will not be in the Perfect Age, neither will everyone have salvation at that time.

5. Question: Why didn’t God accept Cain’s offering?

Answer: His offering represented the fig-leaf religion; it was not an offering of blood. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell (Genesis 4:3-5). God gave the knowledge to Adam and Eve, Cain’s parents, that blood had to be given, that no sacrifice would be accepted to cover man’s disobedience without the blood, for the blood is the life (Deuteronomy 12:23). In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve hid themselves and made aprons out of fig leaves, but they couldn’t hide their nakedness, their wrong-doing. God cannot look on sin. The first time blood was shed was when God killed animals to cover Adam and Eve. Instead of killing Adam and Eve, God killed innocent animals to take their place. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them (Genesis 3:21). Cain’s sacrifice could not cover his sins any more than Adam and Eve could cover their own spiritual nakedness from God. Cain knew all this, but he wanted to do things his way.

Many hear it preached that without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22), yet, they join church without getting a born-again experience though the blood. God will not accept them. Jesus died that the shedding of His innocent blood could bring remission of sin to all who would accept Him. Water will not wash away sin, only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a person from sin.

6. Question: Why did Jesus speak in parables?

Answer: He taught in great simplicity to help people understand. Parables are illustrations of truths being given. The honest-hearted accepted the truth when they heard it. Those who were dishonest did not understand what He was talking about. Seek understanding through His Word; spend time with His Word to find out what He is talking about. He didn’t make everything obvious for the whole world to see. He wants you to seek after Him, to desire His knowledge and put forth an effort for it. The Lord won’t hand it to you on a silver platter. When you receive salvation, start digging into the Scripture to find all you can about the Lord and His Word. Have a thirst and hunger for His Word, seek understanding. God sent the Holy Spirit to teach believers. Matthew 5:6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7. Question: How can three persons make one God?

Answer: Three persons do not make one God. We have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. They are three in one accord, three in one agreement, three in one love for all humanity. The three are one in mind, and yet they are three. When Jesus was baptized, the three were manifested: The Son was baptized; the Holy Ghost descended in the form of a dove, and the voice of the Father in Heaven was heard. After Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended back to Heaven, Stephen said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). How could the Son be standing at the right hand of Himself? No, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost are not one individual, but three separate entities of the Godhead.

8. Question: Malachi 1:1 refers to the burden of the word of the LORD. What is the burden of the word of the Lord?

Answer: It is the distress, the care for God’s people, the disobedient as well as the obedient. The Lord had a great burden, and He poured it out not only through Malachi but also through other wonderful men of God. There is a burden of the Lord for the Church of Jesus Christ to carry, the burden for lost souls. When the Holy Spirit moves in, He helps you feel that burden. He will weep, groan through people, making intercession to God for lost humanity. It is wonderful indeed to think about the burden in the Gospel, a privilege to carry it. The Gospel is filled with the burden of Heaven, the burden of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. We must not shun that burden in any way.

9. Question: Since the Bible says thou shalt not kill (Romans 13:9), is it wrong to kill an enemy in wartime?

Answer: Wartime killing is altogether different from murder. We see what God has done in the Old Testament days, what He has promised to do in the last days, and we know He believes in war. We have the Bible to prove it. Jesus is coming the third time as captain of the hosts of Heaven to close out the Battle of Armageddon. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Matthew 24:22). Jesus said there had never been a time like it and never would be again. The Bible tells us that few men will be left. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great (Revelation 19:17,18). The Lord comes to kill in the final Battle of Armageddon.

In the Old Testament days the Lord fought for His people. The Spirit of the Lord working through David killed Goliath. The Lord sent an angel and killed almost two hundred thousand soldiers in one night. Study the Old Testament and the book of Revelation.

Today we live in a period of Grace, but when it comes to war, God expects a nation to protect its religious freedom. We did not get into the second World War because we despised humanity, but because we loved our freedom. If our boys hadn’t gone to war in World War II, Hitler would have taken us over, and we would have no freedom to worship God. On the battlefield, Christian boys would pray for the souls of their enemies before they died. We had to defend our liberty or we wouldn’t have any, and God ordains it to be so. You can’t make a doctrine out of an isolated scripture; you must take them all together to get the correct meaning. The Lord believes in war.

10. Question: The Holy Spirit was in the form of a dove when He rested on Jesus. Will He be in a visible form in Heaven, a form like the Father and the Son?

Answer: Yes. He is a person, and we will be able to look upon Him. The Holy Ghost lives and dwells in the inside of us when we are baptized in His Spirit. John saw Him in the form of a dove, but he didn’t see what the Holy Spirit actually looks like. The Holy Spirit didn’t reveal Himself, and He won’t reveal Himself until that great day when He has completed His work—perhaps it will be in the air as the Bride is being taken to Heaven at the second coming of Jesus.

11. Question: When troubles burden the mind, and pressures seem to have one’s head in a vise, is this considered the battle of the mind or the effect of mental spirits?

Answer: That pressure certainly can be caused by troubles you are going through, but if you let the pressure continue, it opens the door to mental spirits. Battles of the mind are not necessarily from mental spirits; when troubles, trials come, it does not mean that it is because of demons every time. The battles of the mind are when something worrisome sticks in your mind and you don’t let the Holy Spirit wash it out with the living water. You carry it until it becomes a part of you. Nothing bad should become a part of you; it should be unattached enough to be flushed out by the Holy Spirit. But if you yield to the battles, they can become a part of you, contaminating the mind. When demonic spirits find a home in your mind, they move in. By your not yielding to the Holy Spirit, the leeches take over and battle and battle, trying to weaken you with anything to take away your peace of God. The devil keeps anger, envy, strife, grudges, unforgiving spirits turning over and over in your mind. If you allow these kinds of poisons to stay, they will wear you down, perhaps to the point of a nervous breakdown; and if they stay too long, they could drop into your soul, and your salvation would be lost.

Never keep anger or any of the traits of the enemy in your mind; do not submit to any of them. Fill your mind instead with love, peace, faith, joy, the purity of God, His salvation, His righteousness and holiness, all those good things. Any time you go to bed with a burdensome thought on your mind, you give the devil a chance to work with it while you sleep. Then you wake in the morning, worried, your nervous system all a-jangle. You haven’t had the right thing in your mind.

Talk to the Lord before you fall asleep. Try praying yourself to sleep; it’s a wonderful way to draw closer to the Lord. You’re in bed, the day’s finished, the problems laid aside, and now you can join Heaven: Father in the name of Jesus I’m here! The door to the throne room flies wide open, and you’re in the presence of the Lord, talking to Him.

12. Question: If it is not God’s will for His children to die with diseases, why does it happen?

Answer: The Lord didn’t say we have to die with disease; He just said we have to die. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Although a lot of good people have died with diseases, we know healing is God’s will; He wants His people to be healthy. The Lord promised the Israelites that if they kept His statutes, His commandments, He would take away from thee all sickness (Deuteronomy 7:15). And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee (Exodus 23:25). But the Israelites disobeyed God, and they did get sick. By the thousands they died at one time. Sickness is not the divine plan of God. His will is health for us. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (III John 1:2). When Jesus was here, He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people (Matthew 4:23). Although Jesus healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases, He didn’t heal all manner of people. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5,6). We know unbelief blocks the miracle hand of God, buy why do some Christians who believe in healing remain sick? We don’t really know. The Lord didn’t see fit to give us that answer. He put His promises of healing in the Word for us to use just like He put His promises of salvation there for us to use. Not everyone gets saved, and not everyone gets healed. We don’t give up on salvation because some are not saved, and we don’t give up on healing because some are not healed. I still believe that it’s “whosoever will,” let him come, and I still believe it’s God’s will to heal His children. You would heal your children if you could when they are sick. Why wouldn’t God heal His own? He has more love for us than you could ever have for one of your children.

13. Question: Does the language of the Holy Ghost have to be fluent for a person to have the baptism in the Holy Ghost?

Answer: Absolutely. Some people go no further in seeking the baptism than stammering lips, others speak just a few words. You must yield all the heart so He can go inside of you to set up His abode. Jesus said the Holy Ghost will dwell with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17). To have a real baptism in the Holy Ghost, you must have a fluent tongue. If you do not have a fluent tongue, the Holy Ghost has not completely baptized you; you haven’t yielded one hundred percent. To be baptized in the Holy Ghost, you must be yielded to the Lord all the way. The tongue is the last member you yield. That’s the reason the Lord chose tongues as the physical, first evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It signifies that you have yielded all. No one has ever been able to tame it, but when you yield to the Holy Ghost a holy tongue that He can use, it signifies one hundred percent yielding. Until He can get the tongue completely, you are not completely yielded. If that tongue is not kept under control after you are baptized, you are no longer completely yielded. Unless that tongue is under control, you will not make the Rapture. God is depending on the tongues of His people to be used to witness for Him, to preach the Gospel in all nations before Jesus comes again.

14. Question: If a baby is born after the Rapture takes place, and the parents make the infant receive the mark of the beast, is this child damned the same as an adult willingly taking the mark?

Answer: Absolutely not. God is a just God. Forcing a child to take the mark is not the same as the parents themselves taking the mark. The child is not responsible until he comes to the age of accountability.

15. Question: What does this verse mean: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39)?

Answer: Jesus was teaching a spirit of humility. He didn’t mean we should offer ourselves to be beaten up. There are some injustices we can do nothing about. Jesus is saying to not rise up in frustration, hate, anger. He showed us how to react when He was spat upon, when He was beaten. He didn’t say, Hit me again on the other side. He taught us His humility.

16. Question: Why doesn’t the Lord perform some huge miracles or give astounding revelations to let Christians who are honest-hearted, yet in the wrong church, realize their errors?

Answer: If they were so honest-hearted, they would be led out of the wrong church by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is revealing Himself through the Holy Spirit. People satisfied in false doctrine are not honest-hearted. Jesus came down from Heaven, and still many chose to believe false doctrine and not the Son of the living God. Some followed Him for the loaves and fishes; others turned away because they didn’t like His message. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life (John 6:66-68). No matter what the Lord does, some people won’t believe Him. They don’t want the truth. Jesus said, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). People who don’t want the truth won’t come to Jesus.

17. Question: Why does God choose some people to be prophets and preachers, others to work for Him and others to do nothing special?

Answer: The Lord calls the ones He wants to call, chooses those He wants. It’s all up to God, not to man. He has chosen everyone to be in the family of God, to be witnesses for Him; it’s a valuable place. Not everyone, however, will be in the family of God because not everyone wants to be there. Through the blood of Jesus, everyone can be born into the family of God. How sad that so many reject that wonderful position!

18. Question: What does Hebrews 10:26 mean in conjunction with Hebrews 12:17?

Answer: Hebrews 10:26, For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb. He stands between us and God’s judgment. But when a person willfully sins without repentance, when he knows what he is doing is sin, but he does it anyway, Jesus is no longer his sacrifice. What does this passage mean in conjunction with Hebrews 12:17? Hebrews 12:17, For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. The first verse, Hebrews10:26, is talking about the punishment for unrepentant sinners. The second verse, Hebrews 12:17, refers to backsliding, a condition that a person may repent of. This second verse speaks of Esau, the twin who sold his birthright for a meal, for a little bit of nothing. Later he realized what he had done, but it was too late to redeem the birthright; the blessing went to his brother. Esau lost the whole thing. There are certain errors in judgment you simply cannot undo. This verse doesn’t mean that sinners can’t get back to God: they can if they don’t wait too long. The way of the Cross leads home, but like Esau, if you sell your birthright, your right to Heaven, you have backslidden. Since Calvary, however, there is a difference in the way God’s mercy is given. Unlike Esau who couldn’t get back his birthright, a backslider can come to God. Esau didn’t live in a day of grace and mercy. We live after the Cross; he lived before it. Be glad you live in such a wonderful day of mercy! Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you (Jeremiah 3:14). God is married to the backslider, doing what He can to draw that one back to Him; and if that one has not blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, the Lord will take that one back when he sincerely repents.

19. Question: Can you please explain the difference between confiding or discussing a matter with your spouse or best friend and gossip and idle words?

Answer: When you are talking to your best friend or to your spouse, be aware of whether what you are about to tell them will edify and bless them. If what you are about to say is not something that will edify and bless, it’s idle talk or gossip and it’s wrong to tell them. Why should the Lord forgive you for putting unnecessary burdens on those you love? Don’t put out gossip in your home. When you hear gossip, you are responsible for what you do with it. If it’s something you must deal with, talk to a qualified minister who can help. When you pass on gossip, your name is on it. You have talked against someone, and God hold you accountable. You may cause your mate or your friend to lose confidence in someone God has confidence in; you could be talking about a real child of God. When you talk about a real child of God, you might just as well be talking about Jesus Christ, for that child of God represents Him. If you love someone, tell that one things that will bless. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:36,37).

20. Question: When I pray to God for guidance about what to buy, what to answer, what to give in the offerings and so forth, what kind of answer am I supposed to see, feel or hear? Do I hear a voice?

Answer: If you have the Holy Spirit, He thinks through your mind when you let Him. Give Him that privilege. Let the Spirit help you in making special purchases. Find out what the Lord wants you to do. If you don’t obey that voice, or that thought of the Holy Spirit, or the direction of Him when He takes you to the Word, He will cease to deal with you. Some people are never told what to give in offerings because they do not listen to what the Spirit is saying. Why should the Lord keep telling you to do something if you continue to refuse to listen?

In the early part of my ministry there was a time my wife, Angel, and I needed money very much. We had been married not quite a year, and had bought a car. Every nickel was precious. I knew I had to make that car payment, and times between revivals were lean. A church where we were holding services took up an offering for something other than myself, and the Lord spoke, telling me to give a certain amount. It made me miserable. I said, “Lord, I need this!” It was the only time I ever talked to God like that about money. The Lord spoke back to me: “You double it.” I jumped up like lightning before He asked for all my money. There I was pondering over what He told me the first time, and now He wanted that amount doubled. I gave the double amount. After the service a man I had never seen before, stood by the steps of the church. “Preacher,” he said, “I wasn’t in there when they took the offering.” He gave me the exact double of the amount I had given. The Lord had planned to really bless me by giving back double the amount He first asked for. Because I hesitated, He only saw to it that I got back the exact amount I gave. The Lord knew I needed the money, but He wanted me to be obedient, to keep my faith in Him and not in people or circumstances. By obeying Him, He would have multiplied the amount almost immediately. The experience taught me a great lesson, one I have never lost sight of. If you are obedient, the Lord will let you know how much to give. Don’t go into a state of confusion over it.

21. Question: Why weren’t Mary, Martha and Lazarus at the tomb on Resurrection Day?

Answer: They didn’t really accept everything Jesus said, even though Lazarus had been raised from the dead. Jesus was the best friend they ever had, and they were in despair at His death, so buried in their sorrow that they couldn’t comprehend He would walk out of the tomb. Their grief put a shadow over what was going to happen, and they didn’t go beyond their grief. Many times we are like that; we don’t go beyond the darkness to claim the light of the promise. Take a lesson from those three who loved Jesus so much, and wade on through the valleys to claim the promise of God. Jesus said He would come forth; they could have been there. Look what we miss by not going on through the night into the light of God’s promises, when we stop in the valley to weep and sorrow instead of rejoicing and keeping God’s promise in our hearts. Remember, beyond any dark cloud is the promise of God. Faith walks through the dark; faith can see in the dark as well as in the light. Feelings, however, are blind in the dark—and sometimes in the light as well. Walk by faith, not by feelings. By faith the Israelites walked through the Red Sea. The Egyptians walked by feelings and were drowned.

22. Question: The story about Legion in Matthew 8:28, speaks of two madmen. And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. The version in Luke 8:27,28 does not refer to two men, but to a certain man. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. Are these separate miracles or are they the same?

Answer: They are the same. The devils were cast out into the swine only once that we have record of. In both passages, the devils that were cast out entered the swine. Luke wrote about one of the men, perhaps the more violent, and Matthew included both men. Thousands of devils were cast out that day. Why did they go into the swine? To manifest how many devils were cast out, and to show that the devils were real so that people could see that something actually was cast out. Some people don’t believe in devil possession, but the Lord said, These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils (Mark 16:17).

23. Question: In Bible days grieving people put ashes on their heads. Was this a type of ashes to beauty mentioned in Isaiah 61:3? To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Answer: Not in the truest sense. Ashes were a sign of humility. People humbled themselves before the Lord, put ashes on their head and wore rough, scratchy sackcloth. They did this to get the attention of God to show that all ego was gone. It’s difficult to be puffed up with ashes piled on your head and an uncomfortable garment wrapped around you. The ashes to beauty the Bible speaks of is when a person has nothing and the Lord gives that one everything. Salvation is a good example of ashes to beauty. Before you are saved, you have nothing, just a handful of ashes, and then Calvary comes your way, and you have everything, eternal life. What you once thought to be precious was really ashes, and you threw it on the ash heap and received beautiful salvation through the Cross: Ashes for beauty. Would you trade back? Not if you have any sense. Indulging in anything of the world brings ashes. You could have beauty.

24. Question: When Jesus was resurrected and Mary stood before Him, He said, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God (John 20:17). Why wasn’t Mary allowed to touch Him?

Answer: Because He wasn’t yet glorified. After He ascended back to Heaven and took on His glorified body, He invited people to handle Him, to touch Him. He ate.

25. Question: The Bible says that angels will minister to us. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1:14)? Will we all see angels in this final hour?

Answer: The Lord didn’t promise that everyone would see an angel, but those who live close to God may see one. Angels can walk right up to where you are. Probably many members of the bridal company will see angels. At one time I never thought I would see an angel, but since then I have seen angels many times—incidently, they have no wings. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them (Psalm 34:7).

Before I ever saw an angel, someone asked me if it would frighten me to see one. “Of course not,” I replied. But the first time an angel came to me, it scared me almost to death! There is an awesome fear in the power they bring with them. The angel didn’t touch me the first time; he gave me a sign, and I began to see the healing power of God fall like liquid fire upon the people. Later the Lord spoke to me saying that this ministry would be a ministry of man and angels. At that time I had worked with one angel giving me directions, but how would I work with many angels? The Lord didn’t explain it, so I just waited. Shortly after that I was in a service and the angels began to move in all around the congregation. The Lord said to tell the people that the angels were going to minister His healing power to them. Have everyone with a deaf ear to put up one finger, and an angel of the Lord will touch the finger, put on that finger the same power that is on your fingers when I pray for the deaf. Have them put their finger in their ear, and when they pull it out, the deaf spirits will come out. Deaf ears opened immediately as the angels moved in to touch the people. I’ve seen angels lined around the congregation, three rows deep. They stand in the aisles, they mix and mingle in the midst of God’s people. Angels are real.

26. Question: Why is it that angels didn’t move much in Bible days, and yet they move so much in your services?

Answer: They didn’t move much in Bible days? Of course they did! In Old Testament days, they moved in marvelous ways. Elisha, the man of God, prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant who was terrified of the enemy. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (II Kings 6:15-17). Angels were in those chariots of fire. Psalm 68:17 says that the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. The Bible is filled with the works of angels. Angels of the Lord ministered to Christ when He was on Earth. In the New Testament the Bible plainly states the task of angels here on Earth: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ((Hebrews 1:14). Those in the true Christian Church are heirs of salvation. Thousands of angels ministered to the Early Church. Angels are with you whether you can see them or not—if you are a true child of God. They are ministers of God for you.

God uses angels on Earth. He uses His big angel who stands by my side in the services. Whenever you see me praying for the sick, you can be sure that the angel of the Lord is standing by my right side. He moves around. He moves like a person wherever I move. He will tell me things like: To your right is a person being healed of cancer, or a person over there is receiving healing for a back condition. He will take me into a person’s life years back when an accident took place that still affects that one today. These revelations help people use their faith in God. The way of the Lord is wonderful.

God, I say again, works through angelic beings. The Lord has given me a study of angels just like He gave me a study of demonology. I had to be in the presence of God hours and hours at a time. In fastings and prayers I learned as He taught me. The Lord would bring demons before me in different shapes, showing me how they worked, teaching me how to handle them. Finally He even brought Satan, showed me the false lights he and his demons carry. He let me see the light of a demon coming toward me no larger than the tip of my finger. He taught me to wait to be sure whether the light coming was false or the light of an angel.

From a distance, I cannot tell whether the light is from an angelic being or a demonic spirit. However, when it gets close to me, I know because through the gift of discerning, God uncovers the evil spirits. Always wait. Never get in a hurry when it comes to the things of God.

Live in the Word of God, in the truth of Him, and keep yourself spotless, pure and clean if you want the Lord to send angelic beings to you to help you, sustain you, give you strength.

In the book of Revelation, the angels play a great part in the earth’s redemption. An angel will declare that there should be time no longer (Revelation 10:6). Angels will bring about the judgments of God, rain them down from Heaven.

An angel will loose four demonic spirits bound in the Euphrates, spirits followed by a huge army that God will use to rain down more judgments on the earth. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them (Revelation 9:16).

An angel will bring the key to the bottomless pit and a chain to imprison Lucifer for one thousand years. The Lord deals much with the ministry of angels.

In one country where I held services, the demonic powers were so strong that the miracles and healings could not take place in a great way. The people had heard about God, but they didn’t believe in miracles. Then suddenly, the angels of God lined up all around that huge auditorium and held back the powers of darkness. People began to rise out of their wheelchairs, others dropped their crutches and walked without them. It was almost unreal what God did as the angels held back the demonic spirits from the people. All the honest-hearted people needed was to be separated from the doubt the demons had bound their minds with. The Lord set them free from the doubt, and the Spirit of God began to flow. Many were saved that night after seeing the miracles of God. Our God is wonderful indeed!

If you don’t have God in your heart, pray the sinners’ prayer with me: Oh, God, save my soul! Forgive me for all my sins. I’m so sorry that I sinned against you, but I have come home. I’m going to serve you, Lord, the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in! I welcome you.

You who are sick and afflicted, the Lord is the healer. It is His will to heal you. Hundreds of thousands of people have been healed through believing the Bible promises of healing. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Perhaps you have a child who is sick or afflicted; maybe you need a healing. I’m not a healer, but I know the healer. Both my hands are in His. Lord, here they are. You always honor faith. You always are delighted to heal people who will believe you. In the name of Jesus, I bring them. I bring the little ones, the mothers and daddies. I bring the crippled, the blind, I bring them all to you, precious Jesus. Heal! In the name of the Lord! Heal! In the mighty name of Jesus, the all-powerful name.

If you believed that prayer, the miracle power is there where you are, flowing to you. Let that power go into your body or into your child’s body, and watch you or yours get well in the name of Jesus. Then write and tell me about it.

I am giving you answers. I am teaching you my Words, saith the Lord. The Bride must understand. The Bride must know her God, her Lord and Master, and must have understanding of the Holy Spirit. The Bride must have answers for a lost world, and I am giving answers to my servant to give to you.

Know my truths and you will be free. Know my truths and hide them in your heart, and you won’t sin against me. Know my truths and you will have the faith of my truth and you will have the love of my truth. You will have the gentleness and the power of my truth. You will have the compassion, the greatness of my truth.

Clothe yourself in the knowledge of my truth, and you will be clothed in my righteousness and holiness.

Open your eyes and behold my glory. I will teach you, but you must yield to what I tell you. You must turn away from what man has thought, and turn to the thoughts of your God. You must take my thoughts, and then you will have strength to overcome the devil. You will have strength to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. He will not be able to overcome you in any way. You will be victorious on this journey that you’re on.

You will walk in my divine will when you walk in the truth. You will take on my divine ways. You will have my divine strength, my divine power daily, and you will be a mighty witness for me in this your final hour. And you will rise up without fear.

You will go forth with the favor of your God, and you will know that you have favor with your Lord, and you will go forth to conquer. You will look forward to the days ahead that you have left because you know they will be victorious days, and you know that you’re going to obey your Lord in everything. You know your Lord will fight your battles, and victories daily will be yours, and no power will be able to defeat you.

You will be an overcomer just as my Son was an overcomer when He was on Earth and made paths for your feet, saith the Lord.