<TITLE>13. Par 157-170</TITLE>L-157 I had a discussion not long ago with a priest. He came over to ask me about... I baptized a young girl. And she had married a Catholic boy, was turning Catholic. And he asked me how I baptized her, and I told him. And we got to talking about it. And he said, "You know, the catholic church used to baptize by immersing, like that."
I said, "When?"
And he said, "Back in the Bible time."

L-158 I said, "Do you mean to say that you believe that the early Christians, like Peter, James, and John, and them, was catholics?"
He said, "They were."

L-159 I said, "Then I'm more of a catholic than you are." I said, "I'm of the old-fashion catholic, see, not one that--that takes this new trend of the thing that they do today, and call it religion."

L-160 "Well," he said, "you see, God gave His power over to Peter, and--and that's the church. And the... God is in His church."

L-161 I said, "There is no Scripture in the Bible, to say that. There's no promise that says it. The Bible said, 'God is in the Word.' Right.

L-162 God is in the Word. The Word is true. And I seen there in the Bible where It said, that, "Whosoever shall add one word to It, or take one Word from It, same will be taken, his part, out of the Book of Life." Now, I knowed that was a Absolute, that that Word could not change, so I accepted That. I said, "Now, Lord, let me hide It into my heart, that I'll keep It and be reverent with It. And whatever It is, I'll walk, and You guide me." And It's been my Absolute.

L-163   Now, to the Protestant church, many time, in a diocese, a bishop's word, though it be contrary to the Word of God, it becomes the absolute to that bunch of Christians. No matter what the Word says, if the bishop says so, that settles it, the archbishop of Canterbury. No matter what, the--the English people that go to this Anglican church, no matter what they would think, if the archbishop says a certain thing, that's it.
"Ah," you say, "that's too bad."

L-164 But, you know, now, wait a minute. We can come right down home to Pentecost if you'd like to. You sure can. But I--I'm just hoping you'll hit the sidelines and see what I mean. See?

L-165 You say, "Here is a brother filled with the Holy Spirit, and, he, the Lord is moving with him."

L-166 "Well, go ask the presbyter if we can, first, if we can have him. What kind of a card does he pack?" You see, that's the absolute then to that church. That's right. We might say "amen" about the Catholics and about the--the--the Presbyterian, and so forth, but what about--about it when it comes home? See? We got a... we got a false absolute.

L-167   There is nothing higher in the Bible, in the church, than the elder of that church. It's a sovereign church, and the Holy Spirit works in any way He wants to. He dwells among His people.

L-168 But we have another absolute, some general overseer somewhere, tells us what we can do. And if it doesn't just cope with what they think, or something like that, then, "That's out. That's not of God." Oh, my! What a horrible thing it is! What a twist we got into! No wonder we're out here crying for revival. And the sky is full of Pentecostal power, and we can't get to it. That's right. Is because we've rejected God's Absolute. Right.

L-169 The revelation of Christ, "Upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against It." It's the Absolute. And the Word of God is His Absolute. "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in Heaven has revealed this to you. And upon this rock I'll build My Church." See? A real absolute!

L-170   But, you see, we take something else for an absolute. If our denomination speaks against the Word, then you take the denomination's word for it. You shouldn't do it. I'm trying to make myself clear, on my convictions. And I'm... The closing of this meeting, I'm trying to tell you the reason of I've acted and said the things I've did, because long ago I taken Christ for my Absolute.


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