
REPENT
& BE SAVED
JESUS
IS CALLING
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"Repent,
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions....A new heart also will
I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of
flesh."
"And
will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and
ye shall keep My judgments, and do them." (Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel
36:26, 27)
JESUS
IS CALLING YOU
God's
Word says" "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His
ears are open unto their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against
them that do evil." (1 Peter 3:12)
St.
Paul declared, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)
WHAT
DOES REPENT MEAN?
The
definition of 'Repent' from the MIRRIAN-WEBSTER dictionary is:
Repent
means: to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or
wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right
1.
to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life.
2. to feel regret or contrition / to change one's mind
Softly
& tenderly - Jesus is calling you. It
is time to answer the call of Jesus. Christ is calling you to
repent. Christ is calling the world to turn away from sin, Satan
and rebellion and to turn to Him, our Saviour and creator.
The
LORD is calling for you to repent from sin and completely reject the god
of the world, Satan (the devil).
St.
John declared, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that
He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
Jesus
said, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." (Luke 13:3)
We
have turned our backs on God - and have become self-centered, selfish and
spiritually dead. During
the past 30 years our nation, and the world has taken a nose dive, and
taken a major turn away from God. At present, we are a people
divided, despondent and depressed; politically, economically and
spiritually.
Unhappy,
fearful & depressed people are the norm these days, without hope for
the future. To
say we are living in a very dangerous and frightening time is an
understatement. We are definitely living in the end times and are
facing world war and one world crisis after another.
The
Bible clearly draws time lines with world events and we are drawing near
the second coming of Jesus Christ and the Tribulation.
IT'S
TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING GOD
We
need to get serious about the consequences of rejecting God. A
divine call however, has gone out to our Nation and the world to repent.
Now is the time to turn around, to repent to Christ Jesus and forsake
sin. We MUST repent of our sins, surrender our wills to
God and give up the futile effort of "doing things our own
way."
It's
time for the NATION to turn back from their rebellious ways; repentance
& confessing to Christ our sins of unbelief, pride, immorality,
jealousy, envy and prejudice. The time has come for a complete rejection
of Satan and evil - for a complete repentance.
Its
time to confront the devil (who is our enemy) and call upon the name of
Jesus Christ. We need to rebuke Satan (the devil) and turn away
from lust, greed, hatred, selfishness, anger, bitterness and deceit.
Jesus
Christ our Lord has given us power over the devil. We are
instructed to confront the devil - in the Name of Jesus Christ - telling
him that he's not welcome in our lives anymore. The Bible says,
"Submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the devil and he will
flee from you." (James 4:7)
WAKE
UP & CALL UPON THE NAME OF LORD
It's
time to WAKE UP and think about eternity and where you will spend it.
We must reject and renounce the many dangerous, deceptive and occultist
doctrines of the New Age Movement. As well as the cult of Secular
Humanism that teaches, 'man ascended from the world of monkeys and apes,
is self-sufficient and is his own God'.
WHAT
DOES GOD REQUIRE OF US?
We
need to humble ourselves and pray. We need to call upon the Name of
the Lord and turn away from evil. Satan (the devil) is the creator
of evil, death & destruction and wants to destroy you and all things
around you.
The
Bible speaks about humility, repentance and submission to the Almighty
God and a total rejection of Satan, who is the god of this world! St.
James states, "Submit yourselves therefore unto God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
IT
IS TIME TO REPENT & COME HOME TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER
It's
time to come home and be reconciled to our Heavenly Father, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. To accept the invitation of our LORD Jesus Christ to
talk things over. We need to straighten out past failures and right
wrongs. We need to receive total forgiveness and assurance, with new
direction for the future.
The
Bible says, "Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord and He will have mercy
upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah
55:7)
The
divine call of God does not differentiate between rich or poor, educated
or illiterate, men or women, young or old. There is no class distinction
or favoritism due to race, color, nationality or culture with the
Almighty.
ALL
MAY APPROACH THE THRONE OF GOD AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS
The
invitation of salvation is available to all. Every person alive may
approach the throne of God and repent of their sins. We all can
receive the mercy and grace of the LORD. Through faith in the
finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross you are saved.
How
is this possible? The Gospel is free to everyone! WE
ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IT IS A GIFT OF GOD.
The
Bible says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
SALVATION
IS FREE - CHRIST IS CALLING YOU AND WAITING
FOR YOU TO ANSWER HIM
There
is no entry fee, cover charge or red tape to delay our coming to Jesus
Christ and repenting of our sins. There is nothing to stop
the process of salvation from functioning in our lives. Christ
waits for you to repent, Christ Jesus or Lord is willing to accept all
that will repent and Jesus Christ will forgive your sins.
The
prophet invited, "Lo, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; come, ye, buy
wine and milk without money and without price." (Isaiah
55:1)
And
Jesus assures us: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out."
(John 6:37)
OUR
REDEMPTION AND FREEDOM FROM SATAN WAS PAID BY JESUS CHRIST ON THE
CROSS
The
enormous cost of our freedom - redemption from sin and the power of Satan
- has been paid for us, through the substitutionary death of Jesus
Christ. Jesus said, "...except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish." (Luke 13:3)
The
Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16)
St.
John declared, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that
He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
St.
Paul emphasized, "That through death, He (Jesus Christ )
might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and
deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14)
GOD
WANTS YOU. GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU BE FREE OF SIN & MADE
NEW
God
is waiting for you to turn to him, to submit yourself, ask for
forgiveness and be cleansed in the Blood of the Lamb.
The
good news is that God wants us. He wants you and me. No exceptions, and
no questions asked. We come just as we are.
He
knows all about us and yet He wants us, even though we are sinners. WHY?
He is a specialist in the field of cleansing, reconciliation and
re-birth.
IF
WE
CONFESS OUR SINS, GOD IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US
The
Bible states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteous."
(1 John 1:9)
JUST
AS I AM
An
old hymn JUST AS I AM says:
"Just
as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee. O Lamb of God, I come. I come!
Just
as I am, and waiting not, To rid my soul of one dark blot
Because Thy blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come. I come!
Just
as I am; poor, wretched, blind, Sight, riches, healing of the mind
All that I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just
as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve
Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come. I come!"
The
Bible says: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is
perfect toward Him..." (2 Chronicles 16:9)
And
God's Word says: "The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous
and His ears are open unto their prayers but the face of the Lord is
against them that do evil." (1 Peter 3:12)
THE
FIRST SERMONS OF JESUS WERE ON REPENTANCE
The
very first sermons preached by our LORD were the call to repentance
and salvation, "Repent and believe the gospel."
(Mark 1:15) The same was true of the great prophet, John the
Baptist, (Luke 3:3; Matthew 3:2) as well as all of the Apostles! (Mark
6:12)
And
St. Peter declared, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)
WHAT
DOES REPENTANCE MEAN?
To
repent means to turn, to change course! Repenting is godly sorrow
for sin. Repentance means being sorry enough to stop
committing sin and to change your life.
After
St. Paul’s letter reached the Corinthian Church, they were sorry for
their sins and repented, changing their evil ways. He writes: "Now I
rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance:
for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage
by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation..." (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)
REPENTANCE
IS FORSAKING EVIL - TO REPENT IS A CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE AND THINKING
Repentance
is a complete forsaking of evil, unrighteousness of the world, the flesh
and the devil. When you repent you are changing, turning around.
Jesus
said, "..except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
(Luke 13:3)
In
his Mars Hill sermons, St. Paul shared with pagan Greek intellectuals the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection from the dead.
GOD
HAS APPOINTED A DAY HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD
Then
he challenged them: "And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He
hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given
assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead."
THERE
WILL BE TWO JUDGMENT SEATS
Don’t
let anyone deceive you, my friend, there is going to be a 'Great Day of
Judgment’' when all of us will stand before Almighty God to give an
account of our lives. We are living in the end Times, the second coming
of Jesus and rapture of the Church is near.
THE
FIRST JUDGMENT IS 'THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT"
There
will be two judgments: the first judgment is one is called, "The
Great White Throne Judgment' where all sinners and unjust persons shall
be judged in relation to their acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ
the Jewish Messiah.
Here
is Christ Jesus' solemn warning: "And I saw a great white throne,
and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their
works."
"And
the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according
to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast out into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)
THE
SECOND JUDGMENT IS CALLED 'BHEMA SEAT JUDGMENT OF THE SAINTS'
The
second one is called the Bhema Seat Judgment of the Saints. That is where
all believers who have trusted in Jesus Christ as personal Savior will be
judged for our works.
St.
Paul warns: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man's work shall be
made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed
by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it
is."
"If
any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians.
3:8)
In
his defense before King Agrippa, the great Apostle rehearsed his Damascus
Road conversion experience, and the words of Jesus Christ to him:
"Delivering
thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me."
(Acts 26:17-18)
THE
CALL TO REPENT IS URGENT
So
urgent is the call for people to repent of their sins, the Bible says:
"Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (2
Corinthians 5:11) The Bible specifically declares: "All have sinned
and come short of the glory of God". (Rom. 3:23)
SIN
MUST BE PAID FOR UNLESS YOU REPENT OF YOUR SINS
"The
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
The
great apostle wrote to the church in Rome concerning those committing
sinful acts and others who condemn them, being guilty of the same sins.
"But
we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them
which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest
them which do such things, and doest the same that thou shalt escape the
judgment of God? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest
up unto thyself wrath against the DAY OF WRATH and revelation of the
righteous judgment of God;"
"Who
will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,
ETERNAL LIFE: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the
truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and
anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and
also of the Gentile;" (Romans 2:2-9)
GOD'S
GOODNESS & PATIENCE CAUSES US TO REPENT & TURN TO HIM
Jesus
said, "Behold, I come quickly" - literal Greek: Without delay,
at once, soon. (Revelation 22:12)
St.
Peter gave two reasons why Jesus had not yet returned:
1)
One thousand years with us is like one day with the Lord! 2) God's mercy
is reaching out for more sinners to be saved.
"But,
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9)
The
Bible says, "Repent and be baptized...and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38-39) "Repent
ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out..."
(Acts 3:19)
And
Jesus says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous
therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man
hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup
with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:19-20)
May
the Lord bless you and give you peace. Write me a letter if you have
accepted the LORD Jesus Christ as a result of reading this message.
PREPARE
TO MEET THY GOD
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
Prepare
to meet thy God! This
was the admonition that Prophet Amos thundered out in his day. God’s
people had backslidden, corrupted themselves and forsaken the true and
living way.
They
had gone after the strange gods of the heathen, and were worshipping at
the altars of pagan idols. They had forgotten how gracious the Lord is and
turned their backs on Him.
GOD
HAD A FEARLESS PROPHET THAT HE COULD USE: A MAN WHO HADN'T SOLD OUT!
But
God had a man He could use! Amos was a prophet who had not corrupted
himself as others had done. God had a vessel He could use - a mouthpiece
with which to warn and admonish His people of coming judgment for sin and
forgiveness for those who would repent!
God’s
message to the people then is the same as now: “Prepare to Meet Thy
God”! One day every living soul will stand before God and give an
account of his or her life.
THE
BOOK OF LIFE WILL BE OPENED & THE DEAD WILL BE JUDGED
“And
I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books
according to their works and death and hell were cast into the lake of
fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation
20:11-15)
The
Bible says, “And as it is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews
9:27) THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS was always the same - they were
two-fold - People must repent to receive mercy and forgiveness or reject
God’s Way and be judged. It was a message of mercy and judgment!
It
is the same today. God has not changed, but many of ‘today’s
preachers’ have compromised and are not preaching ALL THE TRUTH because
of FEAR. They lack the boldness, courage and faith to stand up and tell
the Truth.
JOHN
WESLEY
-
founder of the Methodist
Church - whose Ministry is accredited with turning England back to God
and saving it from the same fate as that which befell France in the
ungodly, brutal and bloody French Revolution, stated: "I must preach
law before I preach grace."
What
did he mean? Simply this, that in order for people to realize that they
need God's FORGIVENESS, they must be convicted of their sins! And how does
that take place? In several ways: God can arbitrarily speak to people by
His Holy Spirit in answer to the fervent prayers of relatives or other
concerned spiritual prayer warriors!
Usually,
however, sinners are convicted through the anointed preaching of God's
Word. Millions of believers are saved today because of the powerful
preaching of anointed Spirit-filled men and women of God, who have refused
to compromise their message!
In
1970, Edmonton Transit bus driver, Eric Dykstra and his entire family,
were converted to Christ in our Church because of the dozens of Bus
Seat benches which carried our advertising with the clear-cut message:
"Get Right With God!"
In
a letter to me, dated May 8, 2002, about five weeks before his death, Eric
wrote: "It has been 32 years almost to the day that I accepted the
Lord's saving message as preached by you that Wednesday evening at the
Edmonton Revival Centre. That was May 6, 1970.
"After
you laid your hands on me and my family, the roof of the old theatre
didn't split open for angels to descend, but I received a depth of peace
in my inner being I had never before experienced. Without realizing it, we
stood at the jump-off point of an exciting brand new phase of our lives.
"Our
kids all believe in their Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. (One is even an
M. Div and has been a pastor for five years). Our grandchildren are taught
the Word and the ways of the Lord Creator, at home and at their respective
churches. Your faithfulness to God and perseverance in your Ministry has
brought wonderful blessings to countless families around the globe!
"I
have at times speculated what would have happened if in the late 60s all
these messages, 'Get Right With God!' hadn't been scattered throughout the
city by way of bus stop benches. Driving my routes and spotting those ads
gave me repeatedly opportunity to meditate on their meaning!"
DR.
OSWALD SMITH
SPEAKS OUT!
In
Dr. Oswald Smith's book, 'The Fire Of God' (1948), the man that Billy
Graham called, "one of the world's greatest Missionary
Statesmen" wrote: "In my study of revival and evangelism I
have discovered that those most mightily used of God always majored on
five subjects. These five subjects inevitably produced conviction. First,
sin and salvation, then heaven and hell, finally judgment. You see, a
great many messages must necessarily be given on SIN for sin to be exposed
if there is to be genuine conviction!"
Oswald
Smith states: "When I was converted in the year 1906 in the great
Torrey-Alexander campaigns which was held in Massey Hall, Toronto, I
noticed, as I walked along the streets or through the stores,
or rode in the street cars, thousands of little white cards, one inch wide
and six inches long. On both sides these four words were printed in bright
red type, "Get Right With God."
"It
made no difference
which way the card fell, the message was always there. As a result,
thousands were
convicted. So many tens of thousands of these little white cards had been
distributed that it was impossible to get away from them. Everybody saw
them. They were lying about on every side and those four little words
preached a sermon that could never be forgotten."
I
remember hearing Oral
Roberts - while in his prime - speaking on the sin of
compromising the truth. In his anointed message, the man who won ten
million souls to God and brought the healing power of God to
our generation, thundered out these words: "I hate
compromisers!"
PREPARE
TO MEET THY GOD
It
was the same during the time of MICAH THE PROPHET. Micah prophesied
against the backsliding preachers, who had been bought off and corrupted
by worldly minded and sinful people around them, which caused them to
prophesy only what the people wanted to hear. He declared, “But
truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgment and
might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin”.
(Micah 3:8)
God
is very merciful and will forgive all who come to Him in humility,
desiring forgiveness and salvation (John 6:37; 3:16), but He also is a God
of judgment and justice!
The
Bible says, “I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy
unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments”.
(Exodus
20:5-6)
Remember
my friend, you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7-8), and be sure your sin
will find you out (Jonah 1:7). And don’t forget “It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). SIN MUST
BE PAID FOR IF IT ISN’T REPENTED OF, and “The wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord”. (Romans 6:23)
We
are living in a day when preachers have given in to 'political
correctness' with their 'seeker sensitive' philosophy, so that there
is no longer conviction of sin! It's easy to get swayed by great crowds
who applaud a "God loves you", with no strings attached
preaching, but the Bible says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he
is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things become
new."
In
my crusades around the world, I have noticed how everyone wants to say the
sinner's prayer and be healed physically, but many in reality do not
desire to make Jesus their Lord and forsake their idols and leave their
pagan beliefs. If a preacher, therefore, isn't clear on God's hatred
for sin and idolatry, he leaves them in a very precarious position!
JESUS
WARNED PREACHERS THAT WE MUST PREPARE TO MEET GOD
Our
Lord Jesus Christ emphasized: "Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land
to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the
child of hell than yourselves."
(Matthew 23:15) He said: "All that
the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in
wise cast out." (John 6: 37).
He also stated: "... but except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
(Luke 3: 13)
St.
Paul warned: "And that, knowing the
time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our
salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is
at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put
on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife
and envying. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for
the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."
(Romans 13: 11-14)
"For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror (wrath) of
God, we persuade men..."
(2 Corinthians 5:10-11)
The
great Apostle admonished: "I charge
thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the
quick (living) and dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the WORD;
be instant in season , out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine." (2
Timothy 4: 1-2)
You
may be able to fool your husband, wife, friends or even the preacher, but
you cannot fool God. He knows all about you, and if you reject Him as your
Saviour, He will be your Judge on that day.
“When
the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him,
then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be
gathered all nations and He shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - and these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal”.
(Matthew 25:31-46)
Listen
to the words of invitation given by our blessed Lord and Redeemer, Jesus
Christ: “Come unto Me all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
(Matthew 11:28)
DO
NOT TURN A DEAF EAR TO THIS GREAT OFFER OF SALVATION AND BLESSING, BUT
BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TODAY!
Receive
Him into your heart by faith, repent and turn away from your sins, and you
will receive the gift of Eternal Life. DON’T DELAY, BUT CALL OUT TO THE
LORD FOR MERCY TODAY!
“For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(John 3:16) Amen!
A
Message From Ingvar Solbrekken (Max’s Father) Written in 1959.
Jesus
said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.” (Matthew 6:33)
‘Attending
Church’ is not enough! One should make every effort to find a church
where there are signs, wonders and miracles - where God’s power is
recognized.
How
else can you prove it is ‘the Church’? St. Paul stated that God “has
placed miracles” in the Church. (1 Corinthians 12:28) He commanded that
we turn away from those who have “a form of godliness and deny the power
of God”. (1 Timothy 3:5-7)
Surely,
Jesus Christ will return for the same glorious Church (Ephesians 5:27)
which He had in New Testament times! Will you, my friend, be a part of His
glorious Church or a cold, lukewarm or dead church? The Bible says, “Be
ye holy, for I am holy, saith the Lord”. (1
Peter 1:16) Amen.
WHY
WAS JESUS CHRIST BORN?
By Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
Jesus
of Nazareth, True God and True Man, was born to salvage a lost world of
sinning men, to destroy the works of the devil and to build His
Church. He came to this sin curses world to introduce us all to His
Heavenly Father, to redeem mankind through His sacrificial death on the
Cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead. He came to heal
us and to fill us with His Blessed Holy Spirit!
Sin
was in the world because Satan was in the world. The devil, who is
the father of sin and death, had been cast out of Heaven and is called the
'Prince of the power of the air', as well as the 'god of this
world'. (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
The
devil had caused previous disruption and chaos. (Genesis 1:2; Ezekiel
28:-13-19); Isaiah 14:12-17)
Because
of Satan's rebellion and hatred for God, he had cunningly planned his
strategy by tempting Eve, with the 'Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil' in
the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-6; Job 1:8-22; Job 2:1-8)
GOD
CALLED - "ADAM WHERE ART THOU?"
The
great transgression had been made by Adam and Eve. Now, for the
moment of truth..... How would Adam and Eve feel? Would they
now be.
GOD
CALLED: “ADAM WHERE ART THOU?”
The
great transgression had been made by Adam and Eve. Now, for the
moment of truth. How would Adam and Eve feel? Would they now
be wise as God, as Satan had promised them? Was the rebellion and
disobedience towards God worth it? No - A thousand times NO..
Adam
and Eve's eyes were opened. But, what did they see? Adam and
Eve saw their own vulnerability, stupidity, weaknesses, sin and nakedness.
Fear stalked them and filled their spirits. They had not felt fear
before sin entered their lives. They realized they were naked,
vulnerable and inadequate. Now, they understood they must face the
music, and meet God alone.
But
where was Satan? Where was the Evil One who had been their wise
counsellor such a short time before?
The
devil was gone to gloat over his victory. I'm sure that the devil,
the liar and deceiver was not far away, probably hiding behind a tree,
excitedly waiting to see the outcome of their sin. The inevitable
outcome was the separation, dis-fellowshipping of God and His special
creation, man.
THE
DEVIL REJOICED OVER ADAM & EVE'S FEAR AND TERROR
Evil
satisfaction must have filled the devil's mind as he observed Adam and
Eve's plight, their complete confusion, perplexity, fear and terror.
Adam
and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool
of the day. God said, "Adam, where art thou? ADAM, WHERE
ART THOU?"
As
God called Adam that day, He is still calling you and me. "John,
where are you? Mary, where are you?"
Adam
answered, "We are hiding; we are naked; we are afraid"!
God questioned, "Who told you that you were naked? You were
clothed with My glory. Have you eaten of the fruit that I forbad
you"?
Adam
gave a typical answer from a typical sinner! He said, "The
woman you gave me, she gave me of the fruit. It is Eve's fault, she
gave me the forbidden fruit and it's really Your fault, Lord, because You
gave me the woman".
EVERYONE
LIKES TO PASS THE BLAME TO SOMEONE ELSE
It
seems normal for people to justify themselves. It's much easier to
pass the buck or to blame someone else rather than take the blame, saying,
"I made a mistake, I am wrong, please forgive me."
It's
similar to the Minister who enjoyed portraying women in a negative way.
One Sunday morning as he was preaching on 'The Fall of Man', he vigorously
attacked Eve. If Eve, the weaker vessel, hadn't fallen, the world
wouldn't be in the mess it's now in. The preacher nailed Jezebel and
Delilah: "Women are the ruination of many good men", he shouted.
At
the close of the service, the Minister stood at the door shaking hands.
Some complimented him on a wonderful sermon, while others were glad to get
out the door.
A
tall lady shook his hand and she wasn't smiling. She squeezed his
hand until he said, "Lady, you are hurting me". She looked
him square in the eye and asked, "Pastor, what is the telephone
number of the Garden of Eden"?
He
answered, "I don't know what you are talking about". She
squeezed his hand again until he said, "Ouch". She spoke
again, "Pastor, do you know the telephone number of the Garden of
Eden"? He answered, "Woman, I do not and by the way you
are hurting me." She said, "Well, I know the telephone
number of the Garden of Eden. It's Adam 8-1-2", and she let go
of his hand and left.
Adam
ate one too! Eve wasn't the only one to blame. Adam also
disobeyed God, but really the blame goes into further - straight to the
evil one, the Devil.
THE
DEVIL IS TO BLAME
God
didn't argue with Adam. He turned to Eve and said, "Woman,
what is this that thou hast done?" Eve made more sense
than her husband. She put the blame where it belong: "The
serpent beguiled me and I did eat."
I
agree with Eve. Satan is the culprit. The devil is to blame
for all the sin, fear, heartbreak, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction and
juvenile delinquency. He is the architect of all that is evil,
wicked and destructive. Riots, anarchy, thievery, murder, sickness,
disease and war are the outcroppings and results of his plans, goals,
purposes and seduction.
SATAN
IS TO BLAME. Shout it loud and clear - the devil is the
troublemaker.
JESUS
CALLED THE DEVIL A LIAR & MURDERER
Jesus
called him a liar, deceiver, murderer and thief. (John 8:44; John
10:10) Our Lord said, "The
thief cometh not for to steal, kill and destroy. I am come that they
might have life and more abundantly." (John 10:10)
YES
- THE DEVIL IS TO BLAME FOR ALL SIN
God
said, "THE SEED OF THE WOMAN SHALL BRUISE THE SERPENT'S HEAD."
Almighty
God called out: "Because
thou hast done this, cursed art thou among all the beasts of the field.
Upon thy belly shalt thou go all the days of thy life..." (Genesis
3:14-15)
It
is noteworthy that some scientists believe that at one time serpents and
snakes walked upright and didn't crawl on their bellies as today.
"And
I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed (the
wicked) and her seed (the righteous). It (Jesus, the seed of the
woman) shall bruise thy head..."
JESUS
DEFEATED THE DEVIL WITH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS
On
Golgotha's Hill, Jesus defeated the devil. When Jesus paid the
supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again from the dead.
He had delivered the death blow to Satan.
When
Jesus cried, "It is finished", He had defeated Satan and since
that very hour the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all the sins of the
repentant sinner, and His stripes bring healing to the believing, sick
person.
The
Bible says, "He (Jesus)
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are
healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
WHY
DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?
The
Bible says, "For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved."(John 3:16-17)
Hallelujah.
The
Bible says: "Neither is
there salvation through any other, for there is none other name under
Heaven given among men whereby you may be saved, but by the Name of
Jesus"! (Acts 4:12) "There
is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1
Timothy 2:5)
JESUS
CAME THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LIFE
Jesus
said, "I am come that they
might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) And
St. John stated: "For this
purpose was the Son of God manifested that He might destroy the works of
the devil". (1 John 3:8) The Scripture says, "When
the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that
were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17)
WHAT
DID ISAIAH PROPHESY?
Hear
it and hear it well: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was
upon Him (Jesus) and by His stripes we are healed."! (Isaiah 53:5)
The
Bible says, "Who His own
self (Jesus) bare our sins in His own body on the tree (cross) that we,
being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by Whose stripes ye
were healed"! (1
Peter 2:24) "He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John
3:36)
THERE
IS ONLY ONE WAY - JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH & THE LIFE
Jesus
said, "I am the way, the
truth and the life and 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..." (John 10:9)
Again He said, "Come unto
Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matthew
11:28)
WHY
DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE?
The
Bible says, "Without the
shedding of blood there is no remission for sins." (Hebrews
9:22) "It is the
blood that maketh atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11)
Again, "The soul that
sinneth it shall surely die." (Ezekiel 18:20)
In
Old Testament times, an animal - without spot or blemish - would be
sacrificed, spilling his blood. (Atonement means "covering")
AS THE LAMB DIED ON THE ALTER IN THE TEMPLE, JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD, DIED
ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD.
The
Scripture says, "If we
walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship one with the
other, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin." (John 1:7)
Jesus
is the Lamb of God, Who was slain for our sins: "One
of the elders saith unto me, weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose
the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the
throne...stood a lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the
earth.
And
He came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne. And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps
and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints."
"And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;....Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and
strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
"And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth,
and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation
5:5-13)
JESUS
SPOILED SATAN'S KINGDOM
The
Bible says, "And you,
being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He
quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, and having
spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it."(Colossians 2:12-15) Oh, Praise God.
We
serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today. I know that
He is living, whatever men may say...
I see His hand of mercy....I hear His voice of cheer....And just
the time I need Him....He's always near.
He
lives....He lives...Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way.
He
lives...He lives....Salvation to impart....
You ask me how I know He lives....He lives...within my heart.
What
power! What might! What strength, and what great ability Jesus
has.
St. Paul brings it out so graphically in his epistles. Drink in
these truth and be set free and filled with all knowledge, joy and Holy
Ghost power.
The
WORD of God declares: "The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the
hope of His calling, and what the riches of glory of His inheritance in
the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He
wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His
own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in
this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all
things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the
church." (Ephesians 1:18-22)
"Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us." (Ephesians
3:20)
St.
Paul writes, "Who (God)
hath delivered us from the power of darkness (Satan) and hath translated
us into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Jesus Christ) IN WHOM WE HAVE
REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians
1:13)
In
referring to Jesus, John the Baptist made the startling statement, "Behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away from the sins of the world." (John
1:29) To this agree the angel's words to Joseph, "Ye
shall call His name Jesus (Salvation) for He shall save (salvage) His
people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
"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 is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven
and 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." (Philippians
2:5-11)
THIS
DAY IS THE SCRIPTURE FULFILLED
The
book of Isaiah is called the "Gospel of the Old
Testament". The 53rd chapter prophecies the death of
Messiah Who would bring forgiveness and healing to His people.
Isaiah 7:14 speaks of His virgin birth; Isaiah 9:6 speaks of
His Kingship and the fact that He is very God;
Isaiah 28:11-12 foretells the gift of the Holy Spirit and
the end-time phenomena of glossalalia, or "speaking with other
tongues" as a gift of God to bring stability, rest and
peaceful strength to the Church in times of pressure and tension.
Isaiah 61:1-3 prophecies the Gospel Age of His salvation with
forgiveness, healing, deliverance and joy!
"And
he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And
when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written,
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he hath anointed Me to preach the
gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, the recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the
Lord."
"And
He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
And He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in
your ears." (Luke
4:16--21)
Jesus
entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah the Prophet.
He ended the reading by saying, "This day is
this scripture fulfilled in your ears". He declared Himself the Son of God and Jewish Messiah by those
words.
The
year of Jubilee could not begin until first the Great Day of Atonement had
taken place. He would die on the cross like the lambs died on the
alters of Jerusalem because He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the
sins of the world."
(John 1:29)
He
would fulfill the Old Testament 'Great Day of Atonement' when the
high priest entered into the Holy of holies with the blood of the
sacrificial animal. Jesus was not only the Sacrifice but also
the High Priest Who carried His own blood into the Holy of holies
in Heaven itself. (Hebrews 9:11-14)
The
scapegoat (Leviticus 16:7-21) is also a type of Jesus carrying
away our sins He is our substitute! Every 50th year Israel
celebrated the 'Year of Jubilee' when all the prisoners and slaves were
freed and debts were forgiven. This is a picture of the Gospel Age
when everyone is set free by the blood of Christ and His everlasting
Gospel!
My
dear friend, Let me admonish you to receive him into your heart and life
as your Lord, Saviour, Redeemer, Healer, Baptizer and King.
JESUS
CAME TO SEEK & SAVE THE LOST
Jesus
said, "I am come
to seek and save that which was lost." (Luke
19:10) You are included in that number, for "All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God". (Romans
3:23) You say, 'I cannot live a Christian life in my own strength'!
You
are absolutely right. You can't do it in your own power, but He will
change you and give you the power to live for Him.
The
Bible say: "He
came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on His name." (John
1:11-12)
Jesus
promised, "Ye
shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you...."
(Acts 1:8) Finally Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor
forsake thee." (Hebrews
13:5)"...and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world." (Matthew
28:20) Receive Him today, as your
Lord and Saviour! Amen
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