|
 WHAT
IS SIN?
and
how to be
FORGIVEN
FROM SIN
What
does the Bible say?
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D..
WHAT
IS SIN?
To
put it simply, SIN IS BREAKING GOD'S LAWS or COMMANDMENTS.
From
the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures, when translated the
Bible has several words for Sin, one being 'transgression' ad
another being 'iniquity.'
Sin
is
"Transgression of God's Law" - "And the LORD
commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God,
for our good always, that he might preserve
us alive, as it is at this day." (Deuteronomy 6:24).
SIN
is defined as: "Actions by which people rebel against God, to
'miss the mark'. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my
commandments." (John 14:15)
SIN
IS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD
"And
hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:3-4)
SIN
HAS ITS ROOT IN THE INNER MAN
"For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;"
(Romans 3:23)
We
are all sinners, we are born in sin. Jesus Christ is perfection,
and He is the standard that we must judge and measure sin by.
Sin
has its root in the inner man.
"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth
from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies.: These are the things
which defile a man but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a
man."
SIN
PUTS A BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND MAN
Breaking
God's commandments or laws separates you from God.
"But
your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your
sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
(Isaiah 59:2)
SIN
IS "UNBELIEF"
Unbelief
rejects, denies, substitutes for God's Truth. "He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not
is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
SIN
BRINGS DEATH
Sin
brings death. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(Romans 6:23) "The
soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20)
SIN
IS REAL - WE ARE ALL SINNERS
Thousands
of years ago, King David stated: "He that confesseth and
forsaketh his son shall have mercy; bu the that covereth his sin
shall not prosper." (Proverbs 28:13)
The
Bible states emphatically: "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." 1 John 19
"But
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth
us from all sin". (1 John 1:7)
Sin
is real, says famed psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger. The
highly acclaimed psychiatrist is distressed by modern society's
failure to understand that many of man's problems are caused by
sin.
It
annoys him to hear people discuss morality without so much as
mentioning the word "SIN".
WHEN
WE DISCOVER THE ROOT OF OUR PROBLEMS - WE CAN DEAL WITH THEM
Menninger
believes that in order to raise civilization's moral tone and deal
with depression, anxiety and worry, people must learn the root
cause of their problems.
And
the root cause in many instances is a person's unwillingness to
take responsibility for his own actions, but rather lay the blame
on someone - or something - else!
Several
decades ago, George W. Cornell of the Associated Press (AP) wrote
a column titled "Word Sin Disappears but Remains a Fact', in
which he quoted at great length Dr. Karl Menninger's beliefs on
this subject.
ARE
IMMORALITY & UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR SIN?
"He
says the realities of personal guilt and sin have bee glossed over
as symptoms of emotional illness or environmental conditioning for
which the individual is not considered responsible, but he adds:
"There
is sin...which cannot be subsumed under verbal artifacts such as
'disease', 'delinquency', 'deviancy'. There is immorality.
There is unethical behavior. There is wrong doing."
WHATEVER
BECAME OF SIN?
Cornell
states: "He calls for a reaffirmation of the concept of sin
and personal responsibility for it." In a new book
published by Hawthorne called 'Whatever Became of Sin?" he
declares:
"In
the concept of personal responsibility and answerability for
ourselves and for others were to return to common acceptance, hope
would return to the world with it."
We
have the father of psycho-analysis, Sigmund Freud - who was
battling his own weird and kinky imaginations and habits - to
thank for much of that! The
founder of the Menninger Center in Topeka, Kansas, is seeking to
correct the situation by addressing the problem.
SIN
HAS A DEFIANT, DISLOYAL QUALITY
His
latest book, 'Whatever Became of Sin?',. described the subject as
"a transgression of the law of God; disobedience of the
divine will; moral failure...Sin has a defiant, or disloyal
quality, some is defiled or offended or hurt."
Modern
psychiatry often lets people off the hook. And failure to
bring offenders face to face with their error could produce a
sense of vindication, without coming to grips with the problem;
the need to change lifestyles.
ACCEPTING
RESPONSIBILITY & REPENTING BRINGS FREEDOM FROM GUILT
& ANXIETY
Menninger
has successfully treated thousands of clients for more than a half
century and has proven that acceptance of responsibility coupled
with repentance, often brings freedom from guilt and anxiety.
The refusal to confront the problem only compounds it by giving at
the very best, temporary relief.
Thousands
of years ago, King David stated: "He that confesseth and
forsaketh his sin shall have mercy, but he that covereth his sin
shall not prosper." (Proverbs 28:13)
FORGIVENESS
IS THE KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH
Forgiveness
is vital to good mental health. We must forgive others if we
expect God to forgive us, as well as being able to forgive
ourselves.
A
leading psychiatrist noted that 90% of the mentally ill could be
immediately well if they were able to forgive themselves and
others and to receive forgiveness. It
is difficult for an individual to forgive himself without the
assurance that God has forgiven him.
That
is why the GOSPEL, CONFESSION, REPENTANCE & FORGIVENESS is so
relevant and necessary!
IF
WE CONFESS OUR SIN, GOD IS FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE OUR SIN
The
Bible states emphatically: "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) "But if we walk
in the light; as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from
all sin." (1 John 1:7)
Some
health officials, in explaining their AIDS program, go to great
lengths promoting condoms, as well as sexual abstinence.
Then they usually add: "This
is not a moral issue."
How
ridiculous. Of course it's a moral issue!
If
our young people had higher morals there wouldn't be such a
problem with drug abuse, fornication or homosexual problems which
puts them at risk for the AIDS virus.
A
RISE IN MORAL VALUES WOULD DECREASE SEXUAL DISEASES
If
people were more moral and stuck with the Bible standard of
"one woman - one man", there wouldn't be such a dramatic
increase in sexually transmitted diseases.
A
RISE IN MORAL VALUES WOULD ELIMINATE SO MUCH SIN!
It
goes without saying, that if there was a rise in moral values,
violence would be almost non-existent, and crime, rape, murder and
child abuse would drop drastically. We would see fewer
divorces, fewer unwed teenage pregnancies and a drop in sexually
transmitted diseases.
WHAT
THE WORLD NEEDS IS A MORAL REVOLUTION
There
are signs that a moral revolution is coming. During an
election some years ago, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was
accused of lying. Constituents were sending politicians the
message: "We won't tolerate dishonesty."
MORAL
VALUES ARE NECESSARY FOR A THRIVING ECONOMY
During
an election some years ago in Canada, Prime Minister Jean Chretien
was accused of breaking three earlier election promises which
included the promise to scrap the hated "GST". In
a recent US Presidential election, nearly all candidates were
speaking about values. Why? People understand that a
sense of moral values is not only important, but necessary.
America's
annual "SIN BILL" topped more than a half a trillion
dollars in 1987.
Dr.
Charles Ewing of The National Statemens said that Americans spent
$144 billion dollars for liquor, $177 billion on gambling, $110
billion on drugs, $73 billion on tobacco and $40 billion on
pornography.
TEENAGERS,
WHICH ARE OUR GREATEST COMMODITY are
being threatened by violence, murder, drugs, alcoholism &
suicide.
An
article by Dr. Robert Blum in the Journal of American Medical
Association states: "Over the past 30 years, adolescents have
been the only population in the US who have not experienced
improvement in their mental status."
According
to Blum, 77% of adolescent deaths were caused by accidents and
violence, including self-inflicted violence. And there was a
shocking four-fold increase in suicide and murders.
A
US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report states:
"Of the 10,25 kids born today...one will die and four will
sustain serious or crippling injuries in an alcohol related crash
before they reach the age of 24."
A
SERIOUS WARNING - "THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH"
This
is a very sobering, serious warning about sin, accidents and
death. May we all take a lesson from these tragic
statistics, realizing that "The wages of sin is death."
WHAT
MUST I DO TO BE FORGIVEN OF MY SINS?
You
may say, "All you have stated is true! But what must I
do to be forgiven of my sins and be freed of my sins?"
The Bible says, "If we confess our sins (to God) He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
George
W. Cornell writes: "Menninger says that just as it is
inadequate for a clergyman to give only pastoral counseling to a
schizophrenic, it is inadequate for a psychiatrist to treat a
symptom like sleeplessness of a man involved in wicked
rascality."
REPENTANCE
OF SIN IS VALUABLE
"It
does little good to repent a symptom, but it may do great harm not
to repent a sin. Vise-versa, it does little good to merely
psychoanalyze a sin and sometimes a great harm to ignore a
symptom."
He
says recognizing the fact of voluntarily willed sin is "the
only hopeful view", since it implies the possibility of
repenting and correcting it. He adds:
"The
logical reasonable effective solution for tension reduction in
such circumstances is to make atonement, as the theologians call
it, or as we say, by restitution, acknowledgement and revised
tactics."
As
the situation now is "vague amorphous evil appears all around
us" with the presumption that "no one is responsible,
not one guilty" and that there is 'just nothing to do'.
BUT, THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO!
THE
BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN
"But
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth
us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
The
Bible says:..."But the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
 4
SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF
THE END TIMES
What
does the Bible say?
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
There
are four significant signs that show us where we stand today in
relation to then end times and our Lord’s soon return, namely:
 The
Sick Condition of our Planet
The
Sick Condition of the World
The
Sick Condition of Israel
The
Sick Condition of the Church
SIGN
#1 - THE SICK CONDITION OF OUR PLANET
Mankind
is groaning under the terrible weight of sin and condemnation.
Satan - the enemy of God and man - has bound the human race with
shackles of rebellion, unbelief, fear, torment, lust, greed,
hatred and perversion! It was Adam’s acquiescence to the Evil
One’s lying temptation that brought sickness and death
(spiritual and physical) upon the human race.
The
Bible states: “For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the
creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason
of Him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the
creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now."
“And
not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our
body.” (Romans 8:19-23)
People
everywhere are waiting for the ‘MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF
GOD’! What does that mean? Six billion people are
looking for an escape from the emptiness, fear, torment, sickness
and bondage in which they live.
THE
ENTIRE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US - GOD’S CHILDREN TO BE SO FILLED
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT WE CAN FREE THEM FROM THE TYRANNY AND
LIES OF THE DEVIL AND HIS EMISSARIES.
Don’t
believe for a moment, that the millions lost in sin and bound by
evil spirits of occultism, superstition, false religion, satanic
oppression and sexual perversion are happy in that state! No
one enjoys being in slavery to witchcraft, fear, torment and evil
spirits.
Oh,
some are sufficiently deceived to live in a fool’s paradise
having convinced themselves that everything is A-Okay, but the
opposite is true. If everything is all right, why do so many
rock musicians die of drug overdoses and commit suicide? Why
do many Hollywood stars die of alcoholism, suicide and drug
overdoses? And why do wealthy, successful people - who
seem to have everything going for them - take their own lives?
The
Bible says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it
cannot rest, bringing forth mire and dirt. There is no peace saith
my God to the wicked”. (Isaiah 57:20-21)
Our
enemy is not flesh and blood, but Satan himself and all his demons
that tempt, deceive, coerce, inhibit, afflict, torment, steal and
kill! Our battle is with the devil - not with human
beings, however he does use people to do his bidding! The
devil must have his emissaries & ministers, to do his evil
work.
And
what of the Hindu extremists constantly fighting the Muslims in
India and the Seiks battling the Hindus? And the (political)
ungodly Roman Catholic IRA killing the (political)
‘Christian-in-name-only’ Protestants and vice versa?
And
if the pagan are so happy in their religious life, why are there
so many ‘holy jihads’? Two examples: Muslim Iran against
Muslim Iraq in a seven year war that saw one million men die, and
at present Islamic extremists terrorizing and butchering hundreds
of their own people in Algeria?
THEY
DO NOT KNOW GOD and have not been changed by His mighty power.
Anyone who has been converted to Christ, being born again by the
Word of God and the Holy Spirit, would certainly not be waging
‘holy wars’ against their fellowmen. The only warfare
that we are commanded to fight is the ‘Good Fight of
Faith’"
HOW
DO WE FIGHT THE DEVIL?
The
Bible says, “Satan, your adversary, goeth about like a roaring
lion, seeking who he may devour, whom resist in the faith...” (1
Peter 5:9) We resist him by serving Jesus to the best of our
ability; by living a holy and righteous life, preaching the gospel
of Jesus Christ, healing the sick and casting our devils!
The
Scripture says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians
10:4-5)
In
our search for more land to conquer, new technologies to improve
our living standards, and the pursuit or more wealth, man has
engaged in wars, enslavement, violence and pollution which has
raped our environment, land, water and air.
Our
Planet is groaning under the terrible weight of the awful harvest
of mankind’s sins of rebellion, greed, hatred, violence and
slavery!
In
the beginning, after the fall of our first parents, THE ENTIRE
HUMAN RACE was plunged into sin, fear, sickness & death! God
immediately placed a curse upon the earth - “And unto Adam He
said, Because thou hast harkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou
shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life”. (Genesis 3:17)
OUR
PLANET is struggling to stay alive and is groaning under this
burden! The ‘second law of thermodynamics’ began after the
fall and continues today with aging, deterioration and decay. Only
the return of Jesus Christ will salvage the earth. Mankind will
not be allowed to destroy the earth, but will be punished for
defiling and polluting it, as is prophesied in the last book of
the Bible.
THE
BIBLE SAYS, “And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that
Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to
the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; And
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Revelation
11:18)
God
will have the last word and will judge polluters! If you want a
good example of this, look at the former Soviet Union which
polluted the land, sea and air and after raping the environment,
ended up totally bankrupt.
JESUS
CHRIST MUST RETURN IN ORDER TO SAVE US FROM OUR OWN DESTRUCTIONS,
SO THAT HE CAN REIGN ON THIS EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS OF PEACE AND
PROSPERITY.
Believers
in Jesus Christ, like St. Paul, are waiting for the moment when we
can be free from the limitations of our weak, carnal flesh and to
be glorified (in the next life) to forever be in Heaven with Jesus
Christ and all the redeemed from all ages! WE WILL THEN RECEIVE A
RESURRECTED BODY WITHOUT THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE TODAY.
The
Bible says, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have
the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the
redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23)
Eternity
will be a joyful time of peace and glory as we live eternally in
Heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ and all the redeemed from every
nation, tongue and people of all ages"
“And
I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,
saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be
glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the
Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready."
“And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto
the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are
the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)
SIGN
#2 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE WORLD
The
Bible says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the
lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for
ever.” (1 John 2:15-17)
These
are Satan’s three knockout-punches which he uses to tempt the
“children of men”, namely: 1) the lust of the eyes 2) the
lust of the flesh and 3) the pride of life.
Satan
used these three temptations on Eve with great success. “And
when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the
flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of th eyes),
and a tree to be desired to make one wise (the pride of life), she
took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her
husband with her; and he did eat.” (Gen. 3:6)
King
David fell under this temptation also: He saw a beautiful woman
taking a bath in the privacy of her garden (the lust of the eyes).
He desired her and sent for her, committing adultery (the lust of
the flesh). HE FELL AFTER ONLY TWO STRIKES
JESUS
DEFEATED HIM TOTALLY
It
was a different story when Satan used his time-tested strategy on
our Lord Jesus Christ. He withstood the temptation and defeated
the devil each time he came with a new “trick up his
sleeve".
After
Jesus had fasted 40 days, Satan said to Him: “Command that these
stones be made bread.” (the lust of the flesh) Jesus answered,
“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
The
devil tried again: “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest
at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (the pride of
life) Jesus answered, “It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt
the Lord thy God.” IN OTHER WORDS, GOD DOESN’T CLOWN FOR
ANYBODY.
Finally,
Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of
time and said: “All these things will I give thee (pride of
life), if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” WHAT A
DESPICABLE, ARROGANT, EGOTIST SATAN IS! Jesus rebuffed him
immediately with the Word of God saying, “Get thee hence, Satan
(enemy): for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:1-11)
SATAN
HAD TO LEAVE HIM, THEN
The
Bible affirms that Satan is “the god of this world” and “the
spirit which now worketh in the children of the disobedience”.
(John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2) He is the world’s greatest liar and
the father of lies and a murderer extra-ordinaire (John 8:44))
The
whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one (1 John 5:19) and he
“goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8). We however, can “resist him in the faith and he
will flee from us”. (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7)
The
Bible records that Demos was swayed by the bright lights of
Thessalonica and forsook Paul, “having loved this present
world” (2 Timothy 4:10). And St. John commends the young men in
the Church for overcoming the wicked one! (1 John 2:13)
ST.
PAUL WARNED OF THE TOTAL DETERIORATION OF MORALITY, DECENCY AND
FAIRNESS IN THE LAST DAYS. DECADENCE & PERVERSION WILL RULE
JUST PRIOR TO OUR LORD’S RETURN, STATED THE APOSTLE! AS WE READ
THE PROPHECY WE FEEL SADDENED BY THE RESEMBLANCE OF OUR PRESENT
AGE TO THE PROPHETIC WORD OF GOD.
“This
know also, that IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. For
men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
“Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
“Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL
DEPART FROM THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils;” (1 Timothy 4:1) “And have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of
them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11-12) “Brethren, be
followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have
us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often,
and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:” (Philippians
3:17-20)
Interjected
among the reports of hypocrisy, backsliding & gross moral
evils, St. Paul interjects the Blessed Hope of the Return of Jesus
Christ.
“For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Our
thoughts, actions, prayers, plans, goals and complete agenda here,
is tied to Heaven’s plans, purposes and desires. We belong to
His heavenly kingdom and labour first and foremost for Christ.
Why
is this so important? Only our Blessed Jesus Christ has the
mandate, power & desire to straighten out this wicked world.
Therefore we wait for Him to come.
PERVERSION
VYING FOR RESPECTABILITY
Jesus
prophesied that the time will come, “that whosoever killeth you
will think that he doeth God service”. (John 16:2)
And
the prophet stated, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good
evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that
put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are
wise in their own eyes...Which justify the wicked for reward, and
take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Is.
5:20-23)
St.
Paul expounded, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-5)
That
this WORLD IS EVIL AND PERVERTED is no secret! The world
system that despises that which is good and glorifies that which
is EVIL is a product of Satanic invention, since he is the “god
of this world”.
Again
Paul declares that Jesus Christ “gave Himself for our sins, that
He might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according
to the will of God and our Father”. (Galatians 1:4)
SIGN #3 - THE SICK CONDITION OF ISRAEL
ISRAEL
IS VULNERABLE FACING ATTACKS FROM EVERY DIRECTION
At
this moment in history, Israel is very vulnerable because of the
pressure placed upon them by the nations of the world to give up
land for peace. And
the United States - who traditionally has been their friend, is
turning the screws the hardest of all.
Eventually,
Israel will succumb to all this pressure and give away so much
land that they will be unable to defend themselves. Sometime in
the future, Israel will be deceived into accepting the Antichrist
as their Messiah and will suffer terribly because of that.
Referring to this, our Lord said to the Jewish leaders,
“I
am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another
(the anti-Christ) shall come in his own name, him ye will
receive.” (John 5:43
The
Jewish leaders rejected Jesus Christ Who came to save them in His
Father’s Name. When Antichrist comes in his own name, they will
receive him!
WHAT
A SAD & TRAGIC COMMENTARY ON WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!
My
guess is that Iraq will eventually be reduced in power after the
United States and her allies are finished with her. Then
undoubtedly, Iran will pick up the pieces and gobble up Iraq (and
possibly Syria) and control all the oil flow in the Middle East!
(Ezekiel 38 & 39)
GOD'S
WORD STATES THAT RUSSIA WILL RISE UP AGAIN IN GREAT POWER AND LEAD
THE MARCH AGAINST ISRAEL
Iran
will then be the dominant power in the area, with the USA and
Israel giving in to their demands! According to God’s Word,
Russia will rise in great power again and lead the march against
Israel!
The
prophet Ezekiel declared that Iran (Persia) together with
Ethiopia, Libya & Turkey will march against Israel in the
great battle of ‘Gog and Magog’.
GOD
WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL AND DEFEND HER
GOD
WILL FIGHT FOR ISRAEL AND DEFEND HER! A great slaughter will
unfortunately take place however, before God’s chosen people
come to their senses. They will ultimately receive their long
awaited Messiah Jesus Christ, when He returns n the Second Coming
of Jesus Christ in power and great glory at the end of the age!
Jesus
Christ will then rule and reign for 1000 years of peace upon
planet earth, as King of kings and Lord of lords!
SIGN #4 - THE SICK CONDITION OF THE CHURCH
Celebrated
Canadian writer, Peter Newman exposes the weaknesses in our
churches and outlines wherein and how we have failed to
communicate the Gospel to our children, grandchildren and our
neighbours.
In
his recent book, ‘The Canadian Revolution’ Peter Newman
chronicles the free-fall of the United Church of Canada’s
membership as well as their influence in society during the past
three decades.
Newman
writes, “The United Church, formed in 1925 through a union of
Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, suffered the
steepest decline. Three million Canadians declared their United
Church affiliation to the latest census takers but less than
380,000 bothered going to church. Although the most liberal of the
mainstream congregations, allowing for the ordination of gay
priests and promoting the social gospel, the United Church found
itself paradoxically unable to attract the young.”
A
footnote says, “An increasingly typical event was the closing,
during the fall of 1994, of Chalmers United Church in downtown
Vancouver. There wasn’t a single member left on its
congregational rolls who was less than 80 years old.”
For
years, University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby has
tracked the religious life of Canadians. In his book ‘Unknown
Gods’ , Bibby states: “Tragically, religious groups are
failing in what appear to be spiritually prosperous times. The
churches are inept religious companies that cannot get the faith
out of the ware house …The news is that interest and intrigue
persist, in spite of the problems of organized religion. The
result may be a very sizable, ongoing spiritual vacuum.”
The
Anglican Church, according to the census has 2.2 million members
with 784,000 active adherents. Addressing the church synod in
1994, Archbishop Peter O’Driscoll warned: “In the next ten to
fifteen years the largest age group in the present Anglican Church
of Canada will be dead. At the end of two generations, there
won’t be enough people to say there’s still an Anglican Church
alive in this country.”
HOW
SAD AND TRAGIC!
While
the Anglican Church lost 250,000 members from 1981 to 1991, and
the United Church lost 665,000 members during that same period -
that’s 10 % and 20 % respectively - the Pentecostal Church grew
by 100,000 adherents and the Christian & Missionary Alliance
doubled in size!
The
November,1965 issue of Canada’s Revival Magazine, ‘Cry of His
Coming’ carried the following prophetic headline: 1965 UNITED
CHURCH NEW CURRICULUM SETS STAGE FOR MORE APOSTACY! MODERATOR REV.
HOWSE DENIES PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST !
In
that article, this author wrote under the by-line, ‘THE GREAT
FALLING AWAY’ - St. Paul warns: “Let no man deceive you by any
means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition.” (2 Thess. 2:3)
The
‘Great Falling Away’ is Here Now- with entire denominations of
Christian Churches turning their backs on the Holy Scriptures,
declaring them fallible and contradictory. They despise the great
truths of the Bible, and exchange them for their own humanistic,
man-made philosophies!
As
strange as this may seem, these reprobate preachers actually
play-out the exact role of ‘backsliding Israel’ in Old
Testament times.
“For
My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the
fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken
cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)
HERE
IS A LIST OF THEIR BACKSLIDINGS!
They
have violated the sanctity of the Holy Bible, discarding the
eternal truths of God’s Word. Man-made philosophies, secular
humanism and blatantly spurious doctrines have filled the void!
They
rely almost totally on man’s wisdom and carnal knowledge, having
rejected the wisdom that comes solely from the Holy Scriptures.
This leaves them incapable of making sound spiritual decisions!
They
have rejected the counsel of the Holy Spirit- divine paraclete-
and draw their inspiration from the teachings of others similarly
deceived. Serious decision making regarding spiritual matters and
doctrine is therefore prejudiced, flawed and compromised!
Their
emphasis is on good works, rather than the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ for our sins. The ‘social gospel’ they preach is devoid
of the grace of God and faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Their
‘good works’ message offers only secular and political
rhetoric to undo social injustices, without a sound spiritual
foundation.
They
have desecrated the Holy Scriptures by substituting their own
verbiage instead of the correct translation of the original Hebrew
and Greek, in reference to God Himself. These literary
counterfeiters have unilaterally -without any jurisdiction-
decided to change the gender of Almighty God from masculine
(Father) to Mother. Instead of addressing God as He, they
refer to Him as She and the Lord Jesus is not the Son of God, but
the Child of God!
The
Word of God conclusively states: “This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded,
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
(2 Timothy 3:1-5)
“Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron; Take heed unto thyself, and
unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2,
16)
AN
URGENT WARNING ISSUED TO THOSE TAMPERING WITH GOD’S WORD
“Who
is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth
the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth
the Son hath the Father also.
“Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
“Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of
God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard
that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
“Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... Who is he
that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the
Son of God?
“If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for
this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he
that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth
not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record,
that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life.” (1 John 2:22-23; 4:1-3; 5:1, 4-5, 9-12)
WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN? SIMPLY THIS:
Anyone
who denies that Jesus Christ is God is a false teacher and an
enemy of God.
Every
spirit that confesses that ‘Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’
is of God. Those who do not are of Satan and the Antichrist
spirit!
WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN: “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”?
There
are millions of babies born daily across the world. They are all
born of flesh & blood. They have all “come in the flesh”.
That is no miracle, but when God is incarnated in human flesh,
that is a miracle. It simply means that Jesus Christ was God in
human flesh! God the Son came down from Heaven, through the very
miraculous and complex process of the virgin birth!
God
the Holy Spirit placed within the virgin Mary’s womb a specially
created body for the Lord Jesus. He was begotten by the Holy
Spirit and born of a virgin woman without the aid of a human
father. Jesus Christ - true God & true man, in order to suffer
and die for our sins and rise again for our justification. ( )
“The
new United Church curriculum - now taught to thousands of children
- denies the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, leaving the inference
that Joseph or some other man was Jesus’ father. This would
indicate that His mother Mary was sinful and promiscuous, instead
of a chaste virgin and that Jesus Christ was not divine!
Have
you heard of such SACRILEGE? And this - not from an atheistic
journal - but from the official organ and pulpits of Canada’s
largest Protestant denomination!
That
same ‘curriculum’ calls the first eleven chapters of Genesis -
which deal with God’s marvelous creation, Noah and the flood - a
fable or myth! It denies the miracles in the Bible, rejects the
physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and ridicules
His ascension and second coming!
Read
the blasphemous statements made by Rev. Ben Smilie- United Church
chaplain at the University of Saskatchewan, as chronicled by
Regina Leader Post’s Tom Jarvis in an article titled, ‘A
MASSIVE IRRELEVANCY’:
“The
Toronto Telegram printed it in full with the somewhat shocking
passage in large type which speaks of fundamentalist belief in
“clay-made man, a floating zoo, an amphibious-footed Jesus, a
son of God who was a home brew artist, and an ascension that looks
like a Cape Kennedy blast-off”.
Have
you heard of anything more blasphemous and anti-Christian, coming
from the pen of an ordained Protestant clergyman!
We’ll
let the moderator of the United Church speak for himself. The
following was carried by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 5, 1965.
‘HOWSE SAYS LITERAL BELIEVER IN BIBLE LACKS UNDERSTANDING’.
“The
moderator of the United Church of Canada says Christians who
believe literally in all of the ‘metaphors and imageries’ of
the Bible exhibit ‘lack of understanding’.
“The
Rt. Rev. Ernest Howse of Toronto, in an interview Thursday said
that one of the most significant religious trends today is the
movement away from ‘medieval imagery and hypocrisy’.
“Dr.
Howse, who had been in Banff for a meeting of the United
Church’s Alberta Conference, said people should not take
literally such events as Christ’s physical resurrection and the
virginity of Mary. The moderator said the United Church’s new
curriculum which allows for liberal interpretation of the Bible,
is ‘really nothing new at all’.
“There
is nothing in the curriculum which was not accepted when I was in
College thirty years ago. If people are shocked by it, then it is
evident our ministers have not been adequately teaching their
congregations”.
NEW
MODERATOR: SAME OLD APOSTASY IN UNITED CHURCH!
Bill
Phipps probably learned ‘APOSTACY’ from professors, who were
themselves corrupted while in College! The new moderator of the
United Church is Rev. Bill Phipps - a little known Calgary pastor
- who is making big waves with his outspoken, irreverent and
blasphemous remarks. It appears that he has excelled in unlearning
the basic, fundamental doctrines of Christianity, in the tradition
of the Rev. Howse and the liberal theological College to which he
referred!
AN
ACTIVIST MODERATOR IS ROCKING THE UNITED CHURCHAN -Edmonton
Journal
In
a major news story carried across Canada in the Southam Press,
Nov.1, 1997, Rev. Phipps made these statements: “I don’t
believe Jesus is the only way to God. I don’t believe he rose
from the dead as a scientific fact. I don’t know whether those
thing happened. It’s an irrelevant question.”
In
a follow-up article, the ‘Ottawa Citizen’ wrote: ‘CHURCH
MODERATOR A HERETIC, PROFESSOR SAYS’ - “The moderator of the
United Church of Canada is a heretic, says a professor of modern
Christian history.
“A
heretic is defined as someone who chooses a doctrinal path other
than that of the church to which he belongs”, says John
Stackhouse, of the University of Manitoba.
“By
that standard, Rev. Bill Phipps “is a heretic according to the
United Church of Canada’s own standard of doctrine. He’s also
a heretic in generic Christian terms, because he denies the creeds
that all Christians have subscribed to, whether they’re
Catholic, Protestant or Eastern Orthodox.”
“In
interviews with media organizations, Phipps denied the divinity of
Christ, denied the reality of the resurrection as a historical
fact, and said he was unclear ‘The historic Church says there
are such realities, which are crucially important to human
life,’ said Stackhouse, a former president of the Canadian
Evangelical Theological Association.”
THE
WHOLESALE BACKSLIDING OF CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS DURING THESE PAST
THIRTY YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY THE LAST DECADE, SIGNALS THE SAD
STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT THIS VERY CRUCIAL
MOMENT IN HISTORY - THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THE MILLENNIUM!
A
very sad commentary on the Church is found in Christ’s message
to the Church where He states:
“And
unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things
saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of
the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold
nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my
mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to
buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and
white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of
thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve,
that thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:14-18)
Again
He said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know
them by their fruits...
“A
good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit.
“...Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven...And then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:15-23)
Jesus
asked a very pertinent question: “...Nevertheless. When the son
of man cometh will He find faith on the earth?” The answer is
“not very much”! That is why He stated, “Strive to enter in
at the straight gate, for many, I say unto you will seek to enter
and shall not be able”. (Luke 13:24)
“Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew
7:13-14)
HOW
MUST WE PREPARE FOR THE END TIMES AND TO BE SURE WE ARE
READY FOR JESUS CHRIST'S SOON RETURN IN THE SECOND COMING?
St.
Peter warned, “Make your calling and election sure...” (2
Peter 1:10) It behooves each one to do a reality check to be
absolutely certain that you know Jesus Christ personally as your
Lord & Saviour.
Remember
that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead
for our justification. Only He has the power to save you because
He is the Redeemer of the world.
Jesus
said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by Me”. (John 14:6) “I am the door: by Me if
any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and
find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,
and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9-10)
The
Bible says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (1 Tim. 2:5) “Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
St.
Paul declared, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a
name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.
2:5-11)
Jesus
Christ invites us to receive Him as personal Saviour and Lord with
the promise: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) And, “All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)
We
are warned: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of that bread, and drink of that cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28)
Amen.
ARE FEAR
& ANXIETY
CONTROLLING YOUR LIFE?
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
HOW
TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION, FEAR & ANXIETY
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but
of love, power, and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
FEAR
- MANKIND'S GREATEST FOE
"So
first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing to
fear is fear itself - names, unreasoning, unjustified
terror." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
The
deacon, Phillip, broke tradition by preaching in Samaria, among
that city’s Jewish-extracted, mixed-race population.
Cornelius’ household were the first Romans to accept the gospel
- two years later - when ‘Shimon bar Yonah’ (St. Peter)
preached to them.
A
number of recent news stories highlighted the growing fear by many
people, due to the increase of terrorism, world disasters, wars,
tsunamis, terrorist attack, earthquakes, world viruses and
diseases.
FEAR
IS A UNIVERSAL ENEMY
Fear
and anxiety are universal enemies and certainly not a new enemy.
Fear had its beginning with Adam's rebellion and fall, in the
Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God's
directive to them, fear entered their hearts.
"And
Adam said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid,
because I am naked, and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:10)
IN
THE LAST DAYS "MEN'S HEARTS WILL FAIL THEM FOR FEAR"
That
the slavish tentacles of fear are spreading and increasing in
intensity is also prophetical. Jesus declared that in the
last days "men's hearts" will fail them for
fear...." (Luke 21:26)
THE
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS HEART DISEASE
The
leading cause of death is heart disease. People are
suffering from strain, anxiety and stress is adversely affecting a
large number of men and woman. Alcohol consumption, drug
abuse and anxiety attacks are increasing, all contributing to
heart disease.
CANCER
IS #2 LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH. FEAR IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR
Cancer
is the #2 killer and medical science believes "fear" is
a contributor - because it constructs the vessels carrying blood
to affect areas.
Cigarette
smoking is a major cause of heart disease and sickness, why why do
people smoke? Often, because they are uptight, nervous,
anxious and afraid!
FEAR
& DEPRESSION ARE THE GREATEST "ENEMIES" AMONG US
Fear
is "the enemy" among us and is taking a tremendous toll,
psychologically, economically, domestically and physically.
As well as politically, both nationally and world wide.
FEAR
DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS
Fear
is our "greatest enemy" and it hinders growth in
business, impedes academic progress, breaks up families and keeps
people out of church.
Fear
is often the cause of strife, worry, bitterness, resentment,
jealousy and hatred. But fear can be conquered and driven
out of our lives!
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: The dominant
emotion everywhere in the world s FEAR.
Many
years ago, USA President Herbert Hoover stated: "The dominant
emotion everywhere in the world is FEAR. This applies to
every part of human activities - finance, industry, farmers,
workers, thinkers and government officials."
THE
ATLANTIC CHARTER - USA President Roosevelt
The
Atlanta Charter, drawn up by US President Theodore Roosevelt and
Britain's Sir Winston Churchill is still heralded as one of
history's greatest documents, championing the common liberties of
mankind.
Freedom
from fear
Freedom of speech
Freedom from want
Freedom of religion
It
contained four essential freedoms: freedom from want,
freedom from fear, freedom of speech and freedom of religion
New
York City's Dr. David Mitchell declared, humans are born with only
2 fears, sound of a sudden noise, and unexpected removal of
support or falling!
There
are however many unreal, imagined and unreasonable fears which
plague mankind. These we must reject in order to enjoy good
mental health and peace of mind.
Neurologists
believe that the lower central part of the brain called the
thalamus is the center of all emotions; this is where fearful
thoughts issue from. The nerve center is also where
affection and love are born.
It
is therefore important that we sort out our thoughts and allow
only those that are sane, sensible, wholesome and truthful stay in
our minds.
The
Bible says: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he".
And
St. Paul admonished: "Whatsoever things are true, honest,
just, pure, lovely and of good report...think on these
things." (Philippians 4:8)
PHOBIAS
- THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 DOCUMENTS PHOBIAS
There
are more than 40 phobias that harass humanity today - from
ailurophobes (the fear of cats) to zoophobia (the fear of animals
in general). And there is healing for everyone - through
faith in Jesus Christ - and some old fashioned common sense.
JESUS
CHRIST CAN HEAL YOUR FEARS & PHOBIAS - IF YOU TRUST IN
HIM
The
Bible says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but
of love, power and a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
President
Roosevelt stated: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear
itself", and the Bible says, "....perfect love casts out
all fears." (1 John 4:18)
WHAT
IS THE OPPOSITE EMOTION OF FEAR
What
is the opposite of fear. It is FAITH. Faith brings us
peace and tranquility!
Jesus
said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
The
Bible says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom
also we have access by faith in to this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.: (Romans 5:1-2)
Since
perfect love removes all fears, it is good to know that God is
love and His love has reached out to us through the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ on the cross for us!
And
because He rose from the dead and is not only the testator but the
executor of His own will - through the Holy Spirit - we are
assured of His total peace and healing for spirit, soul (mind) and
body.
-
Powerful AUDIO Bible sermons/messages
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
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The
Laws of God on Divine Healing