Can a Christian Have a Demon?had pastored it for about thirty years in this town of
about 15,000 people. But he had left his wife and had
taken up with another woman in that small town. He
just lived with her; he ever did marry her.
By the time I came to preach at this church, several
years had passed since this pastor had run off with this
other woman. Every year since that pastor had left the
church, a new pastor came to the church but would only
stay about a year and leave. The church was trying to
live down the bad reputation it had because of that first
pastor who had run off with that woman. He still lived
in the same town with her, and he ran a gambling hall
and did other things that weren't right. He had brought
reproach to that church by the way he was living.
Anyway, this board member said to me, "Brother
Hagin, about three weeks ago on a Sunday morning,
this former pastor suddenly showed up for the Sunday
morning service. One of the women in the church gave
an utterance in tongues, and this former pastor got up
and interpreted it. Could that be right? Could that have
been God?"
"Well," I said, "in the first place, have you ever read
in the Old Testament that when Saul was backslidden
and away from God, he got in with some of the prophets
and the Holy Ghost came upon him and he began to
prophesy [see First Samuel chapter 19]. The Bible says
the gifts and calling of God are without repentance
Rom. 11:29. But that doesn't mean God condoned Saul's
sin. So before I can judge whether the interpretation
was of God or not, tell me what the message was."
The board member said, "Well, we were all so
startled, I don't remember the first part of it, but it
ended with, 'This is your last call. I'm giving you your
last opportunity.'"