But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased

"But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them" (Psm. 115:3-8). Let me update this passage to the "Christian" environment of today by adding the following scripture for clarity: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall... Have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof: from such TURN AWAY" (II Tim. 3:1,5). There simply is no power from heaven apart from the baptism of the holy Ghost, so it's certain that the Christian affiliations who do not even teach this experience do not have ANY power at all (Acts 1:8). Not only so, but the Pentecostal affiliations who DO allow for the experience, have disesteemed by relegating it to a "secondary Christian experience." Secondary to what? Good question. And the answer? I will tell you the answer very clearly. It is posted above in Psalms 115:3-8. Again I say, Jesus pointedly told his followers that they would "receive power AFTER the holy Ghost [would] come upon [them]." Make no mistake friend, he was not talking about receiving some "portion" of the holy Ghost upon "getting saved," and later being baptized with it with the accompanying sign of speaking in tongues. No such thing existed in the terminology or doctrine of Jesus or the apostles. It simply is not there. What Jesus WAS talking about, is exactly what he had just finished saying before that, which was that his followers "[would] be baptized with the holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). Period. And again I say, PERIOD! No getting saved or any of this other modern religious mumble jumble; just plain old being baptized WITH the holy Ghost, like his forerunner had set forth in the beginning of the gospel (Mk. 1:7,8). There is no gospel OTHER than that, unless we go to a powerless, 'word only,' supposed gospel.

I will tell you my friend with a magnitude of zeal in the Spirit of God that any and every doctrine that is apart from the baptism of the Spirit in any way, shape, or form; constitutes the very idolatry that you have read about in the opening text of this article. Because the delivering, healing, redeeming, and cleansing POWER of the holy Ghost is THE doctrine of Christ: "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance" (I Thess. 1:5). The apostle Paul was always willing to separate the men from the boys, so to speak, when it came to the real gospel of the power of God: "But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (I Cor. 4:19,20). No, he didn't mind being challenged, even though the did grow weary of it (Gal. 6:17). But he knew that when push came to shove, that God was going to be WITH him, and AGAINST anyone who opposed him. And he knew that the same would be clearly manifested when he WAS challenged. Because he stood in and declared fully the true gospel, which IS the very power of God, he had the absolute confidence of the following declaration of truth: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord" (Isa. 54:17). The gospel that Paul declared was indeed one of pure simplicity, and that is what made him a giant in the faith of Christ: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it IS the POWER of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16). So in light of this simplistic scriptural truth, and in correspondence to our opening text, we could rightly say that "those who trust in the true and living God of power, are like unto him." And everyone who trusts in the modern Christian traditions that omit or disesteem the very experience that imparts the power of God; well, they are like unto them as well. And so, "From such turn away." Amen.