THE ACTS OF THE IMPOSTLES

Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely manipulated among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning I am a eyewitness of the following move of God:

It was the kind of revival pastor’s like to relate to their ministry friends:

“We had a Holy Ghost explosion last night! 20 saved and 7 baptized in the Spirit! How many are ya’ll running now?”
“Well to be honest, we are—”
“Do you know a good contractor? Our board has given me the go ahead . . .”

Can you blame the pastor for being exuberant? A statistic quoted by a Pentecostal pastor is infallible. One of the "7 baptized in the Spirit" was a girl Lori and I were living with as house parents. Up until this experience, “Emily Jane” was sexually active and a habitual liar—so convincing that she could persuade you that you did not hear what she said clearly in your hearing.

But that was before the revival, the one where she went up to receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues at a fashioned altar:

“Just let go and let God,” Sister Johnson exhorted.
“Hold on and believe,” Brother Bullard encouraged.
“Oh Lord, give her what I got,” Aunt Bessie, intercessor extraordinaire prayed.

In that kind of atmosphere who can’t believe? And it wasn’t long before the sinus’ started pumping and the jaw jiggling began in earnest . . . and then the pastor came by and laid his hand on Emily Jane and . . . she went down like a rock!

And started speaking in tongues as there was some kind of utterance.

Later that night she would say, “It’s been a long time since I have prayed in the Spirit." Three days later I asked her, “Are you ready? It’s time to go to church.”

“No I’m not going; I have to study for a test.”

About a year later she was kicked off the “Ranch” for taking a car to meet a boy and trying to start a family. Two years later she got pregnant and recently she has become an advocate for gay rights.

Please understand: I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of a heart bent on following Jesus . . . the Wednesday after and forever more. I do not believe Emily Jane received anything other than a delusion.

And a jiggled up jaw.

As pastor B.H. Clendennen says much better than I ever could, “We don’t need no none of that!”