|
 LIFE
& DEATH
Facing
death without fear
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
ARE
YOU PREPARED TO MEET YOUR MAKER?
Life
& Death - We all will face death one day, are you prepared to
meet your maker?
"As
for man his days are as the grass: as the flower of the field, so
he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is
gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." -
King David
The
Bible says, "It
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the
judgment." (Hebrews 9:22)
Billy
Graham was asked recently, "What is the most amazing thing
you have ever encountered"?
He
answered, "The brevity of life"!
LIFE
IS SHORT - The Bible says,
"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:4)
At
best life is brief. The scripture speaks of seventy years
as the norm, but what is seventy years, when you have lived them?
What is any amount of time, when it is used up?
 Think
of it - No More Time To Live! And that moment will come to each of
us!
The
Bible says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
time, and then vanisheth away". (James 4:4)
The
Bible states, "The days of our years are three score and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be four score years, yet is
their strength, labour and sorrow. For it is soon cut off and we
fly away". (Psalms 90:10)
ALL
WE REALLY HAVE IS TODAY - NO ONE KNOWS WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING
We
have no guarantees of tomorrow. All we are certain of, is today.
Our future is in God's hands! He's the only one Who really knows
what tomorrow will bring, for us.
The
hymnwriter penned the words:
"Today
is mine, tomorrow may not come, I may not see the rising of the
sun,
But, when evening falls, May my work on earth be done.
Today is mine. Tomorrow may not come!"
What
guarantee do any of us have that we will live to be forty, fifty
or seventy? Even if we had a guarantee we could live until we were
one hundred years of age, what is that in comparison to eternity?
Some
are taken at an early age, others are allotted more time. For each
of us, life is precious! We have much to accomplish. So many
friends to visit, places to go and things to see.
In
more than 40 years of ministry, I have witnessed a lot of deaths.
There have been many funerals - for both young and old. And the
uppermost thought in my mind has been: "Did he know Jesus
Christ as his personal Saviour? Was she ready to meet God"?
And
at times, I think of my life. "If I were taken today, have I
fulfilled my calling? Is there something I have failed to
communicate or share? Have I been faithful in warning my fellowman
of the certainty of death and the Coming Judgment?"
My
question is: "What have we, as Christians, done to spread the
gospel? To share the love of Jesus Christ to a world lost in sin,
degradation, poverty, superstition and fear? How many poor and
sickly have we helped to feed, heal and nurture"?
An
old gospel song inquires:
How
many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I've helped to free? I wonder, 'Have I
done my best for Jesus'
When He has done so much for me?"
It's
an awesome responsibility to be alive in this hour, when so many
on this clod are in such desperate straits; spiritually, mentally,
socially and economically.
One
person cannot do it all alone but everyone doing his or her part,
can make a big difference in so many lives.
"Only
one life, it will soon be past, only what's done for Christ
will last."
In
trying to sum up the most important things in life, I have come up
with a simple philosophy.
THREE
THINGS ARE VITAL IN LIFE
1)
A person's relationship with God.
2) A person's relationship with his family.
3) A person's relationship with his fellowman.
Thousands
of years ago, King Solomon wrote: "Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this
is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether
it be evil". (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14)
May
we all pray with King David, "So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom". (Psalms. 90:12) In
both the Old and New Testaments, we are warned about the brevity
of life and advised to prepare for eternity, which will never end.
Life
is compared to a sleep; like going to bed at night and rising in
the morning. It is spoken of as grass or a beautiful flower that
blooms, withers, dies and blows away. It is likened to a fog or
vapour which appears briefly and suddenly is gone.
The
Bible says, "It is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this, the judgment".
(Hebrews 9:22)
In
all my theological studies, counseling with the terminally ill and
comforting the bereaved, I have learned that there are no easy
answers to the questions of life and death.
DEATH
SEPARATES LOVED ONES, CRUSHES HOPES AND DREAMS AND CAN BE BOTH
CRUEL AND UNCOMPROMISING.
HOW
TO FACE DEATH WITHOUT FEAR
But,
death can be overcome, nullified and voided! The Bible reports
that Jesus Christ - through His death and resurrection - defeated
death, hell and the grave. And that He has the power to deliver us
from the power of death, because He is victor over all the power
of Satan.
Hear
His words: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that
believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
"And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never
die." (John 11:25-26)
St.
Paul declared, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is
death...then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
"O
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The
sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
"But
thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:26, 54-57)
And
I am in total agreement with St. Paul and Billy Graham. Mankind's
only hope lies in accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of
our lives.
Then,
the fear of death is gone forever.
GOD'S
GUARANTEE TO
ANSWER PRAYERS
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Jesus
said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"? (Luke 11:13)
DOES
GOD ANSWER PRAYERS?
We
can come to God in prayer anytime, anywhere, and we can expect to
receive an answer from God.
God's
Word says, "Call unto Me, and i will answer thee, and shew
thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
(Jeremiah 33:3)
IF
WE WANT ANSWERS FROM GOD, WE MUST CALL UPON HIS NAME
When
we pray we anticipate God will answer us, but if we want God to
answer us, we must call upon His Name!
Jesus
said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"? (Luke 11:13)
"Come
unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
"And
him that cometh unto Me, I shall in no wise cast out." (John
6:37)
"Ask
and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find. Knock and it
shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, he
that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
"Behold
I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open
the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with
Me." (Revelation 3:20)
"Call
unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty
things which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3)
"I
will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)
GOD'S
GUARANTEE TO ANSWER PRAYERS
The
Bible is the authoritative, divinely inspired and perfect WORD OF
GOD! God's signature is on the original autographs,
written by holy men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
St.
Peter emphasized, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of
the scripture is of any private interpretation."
"For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2
Peter 1:20-21)
MARTIN
LUTHER DID NOT SEE A BIBLE UNTIL HE WAS
OVER 20 YEARS OF AGE
Martin
Luther had not seen a Bible until he was more than 20 years old
and his colleague Dr. Carlstadt had received his doctorate in
theology from a prestigious Roman Catholic Seminary without ever
reading the Bible!
THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH REFUSED CHRISTIAN LAYMAN TO STUDY AND READ
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES FOR 100's OF YEARS
For
hundreds of years the Roman Catholic Church refused Christian
laymen the right to read and study the Holy Scriptures. They
claimed that it was too deep. "Only an educated priest or
theologian could understand God's Word", they pontificated!
This of course, was a trick of the devil!
THIS
WAS A TRICK OF THE DEVIL - SATAN KNOWS THE POWER OF GOD'S
WORD
Satan
knows how powerful God's Word is and so was using this deceptive
tactic to keep people in bondage. Jesus said, "Ye shall know
the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
No
wonder Martin Luther stated, "The papacy is a general chase
(hunting expedition) in which the Bishop of Rome is seeking to
capture and bring to hell as many unsuspecting people as he
can."
Sadly,
Roman Catholic Theologians put their own private interpretation on
God's Word, as do The Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and other
religious cults today.
When
St. Peter said, "No prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation...." What did he mean?
St.
Paul was simply saying:: God interprets the Scripture, Himself.
The
message God wants you to receive is not what a certain sect or
denomination reads into the scripture, but what He (God) is
communicating!
HOW
DOES GOD INTERPRET THE SCRIPTURES ?
God
interpret the scriptures by using other scriptures which the Holy
Spirit has anointed! Scripture interprets scripture and God
does not contradict His Word. When taken in context, you will find
that there are NO contradictions in The Holy Bible!
The
Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree totally, for the Holy Spirit
anointed holy men to write the scripture, and God has no mental
block or speech impediment!
GOD
SAID WHAT HE MEANT AND MEANT WHAT HE SAID - God
honours His Word today with all power and authority.
Jesus
Christ Himself is the Living Word of God while the Holy canon of
scripture, the Bible, is the written Word of God. Therefore, if
you will believe the Word of God and appropriate it for yourself,
Jesus Christ will come out of the pages of this holy book and come
into your heart. This offer from Christ is open to every person in
the entire world, regardless of age, race or color. This
offer is worldwide and has no strings attached.
St.
Paul said, "For what if some did not believe? shall their
unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea,
let God be true, but every man a liar..." (Romans 3:3-4)
There
are more than 33,000 promises of blessings in the Bible and they
all have to do with God's dealings with mankind! His promises are
not for angelic beings, but for lost, sinful, sick and fallen man.
His promises are for you and me!
1)
CHRIST'S INVITATION IS GENUINE
Jesus
invited, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
The
most beautiful word in any language is 'Come'. This is a word of
invitation and when Jesus calls, we must always be ready to answer
His call!
CHRIST
SAID "COME UNTO ME" - HE IS INVITING YOU TO COME TO HIM
IN PRAYER
He
said, "Come unto Me". He is the only one with solutions
to our problems and answers to our questions! How do we
come unto God? The only way we can respond to His invitation
of "Come Unto Me", in through Prayer. Prayer
is our direct communication with God.
PRAYER
IS OUR DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE ALMIGHTY GOD
While
on a visit to the USA some years ago, the then Soviet Union's
communist president Mikhail Gorbachev stated, "Only Jesus
Christ had the solutions to every problem. I don't possess that
skill."
When
asked by US reporters, the reason for glasnost, perestroika and
the new freedom of religion which was happening in his country,
Gorbachev replied: "JESUS CHRIST"!
As
startled reporters asked him to repeat his answer, he stated
without hesitation: "JESUS CHRIST". Then, as if
realizing what he had just said, Gorbachev quickly changed the
subject.
GORBACHEV
STATED: "ONLY JESUS CHRIST HAS THE SOLUTION TO EVERY
PROBLEM"
Christ's
invitation is to "all who labour and are heavy laden",
and that takes us all in. Gorbachev was right: Only Jesus Christ
has the solution to every problem!
In
The Bible, which is the Word of God, our LORD promises rest and
peace to all the world, to anyone who responds to His Invitation.
We all need a new meeting with Jesus. No one in this world
is exempt from the cares, burdens, frustrations, temptations,
pressures, sicknesses and other pitfalls of Satan. These are all
of the world and of the flesh. But God promises that prayer
can change all this.
WE
ALL FACE TRIALS & TEMPTATIONS
We
are all constantly facing testing, temptations and trials in
various forms and fashions. The ability to pay our debts -
due to unemployment, unreasonable taxation or sickness - are some
of the biggest stress producers in this generation.
OUR
FAITH IS SORELY TRIED AS WE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE
The
problems of life can test our faith as we deal with things like
family break-up among children, grandchildren, relatives and
friends. But Christ Jesus has promised us total victory, a release
from tension and an abiding peace as we look to Him alone and keep
our trust in His Word.
Hear
His Word again: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
If
you will notice, Christ didn't say Come to a certain
religious body or embrace a certain philosophy, ideology or
theology...but He said, "Come unto Me", and every person
in this world is included in this offer.
Jesus
didn't mention His mother Mary or His inner circle disciples
Peter, James or John or His half-brother James who became the
first authority as Pastor of the world's first Pentecostal Church
(the church was born on the day of Pentecost and exhibited
supernatural signs and wonders) in Jerusalem!
CHRIST
DIDN'T TELL US TO GO TO A HIGH PRIEST, RABBI OR PASTOR - HE SAID,
"COME UNTO ME"
JESUS
CHRIST didn't say come to the prophet, the apostle, the high
priest or the rabbi, pastor, or evangelist. He said,
"Come unto Me"!
You
will not find a single account in the Bible, of Jesus Christ ever
turning anyone away. Jesus met the needs of every person who
asked Him for help.
What
a reassuring feeling it is to know that Jesus Christ honours His
Word. When you are in need or a miracle healing or are in
danger and must have an answer to your prayers, you can depend on
the LORD Jesus Christ. He has given us the Invitation,
"Come Unto Me", it is up to us to respond to His
invitation, through prayer.
MY
OWN TESTIMONY OF GOD ANSWERING PRAYER
I
can verify that God is a "God at hand and not a God afar
off". (Jeremiah 23:23) I can confirm that God answers
prayer, through my own personal testimony.
In
1984, my team and I were conducting a crusade in Northern India,
when a staggering miracle occurred. I had planned to have a
very large crusade in the South, where nearly all visiting
evangelists go.
Previously
I had been in the South and Central parts of India, but had not
ventured into the North where the zealous, devout and often
fanatical Brahmin Hindus have almost total power. In fact,
for the previous twenty years, the number of Christians had
declined there each year!
Thousands
of pastors were ready to embrace our ministry in the South, and we
were expecting 100,000 persons on the opening night, with
prospects of larger crowds as the crusade progressed. And I
was excited about going!
GOD
CHANGED MY PLANS TO GO TO NORTH INDIA
Then
God changed my plans and I was challenged to go to North India, to
a very intellectual city of Brahmin Hindus and Moslems.
The
Hindus had just completed a ten day revival, in preparation for
our coming..iin order to rejuvenate the people in their beliefs.
This was also done to warn the people of the gospel!
On
the first night of our crusade, 1/4 million Moslems were in the
streets in a gigantic parade, to start 21 days of fasting in a
celebration called Ramadan!
We
started with 3,000 people on the opening night, backed by two
Methodist churches and about 120 zealous young people, from across
Asia, working with a group called "Christ is the
Answer".
MY
MESSAGE WAS TITLED, "JESUS CHRIST THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY
AND FOREVER"
My
message was entitled, "Jesus Christ the same Yesterday, Today
and Forever"! I declared the gospel of Christ according to
St. Peter: "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)
I
PRESENTED THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH
AND THE LIFE"
Without
fear of contradiction I presented the claims of Christ where He
stated: "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)
I
quoted St. Paul: "For this is good and acceptable in the
sight of God our Saviour: Who will have all men to be saved, and
to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and
one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave
Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
(1 Timothy 2:3-6)
I
declared that Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God - that
He was born of a virgin, His sinless less, His miracle ministry,
His victorious death and His glorious resurrection.
LESS
THAN 100 PEOPLE CAME FORWARD TO ACCEPT SALVATION
Less
than 100 came forward for salvation in the first service, but God
performed several miracles of healing in answer to my prayer!
THE
NEXT EVENING I CHOSE TO PREACH THE MESSAGE "THE UNKNOWN
GOD"
The
next evening there were 6,000 in attendance. Again I shared the
Word of God. I chose for my text Acts 17:18-32 where St. Paul
preached his famous Mars Hill message, "The Unknown
God".
I
SAID, "I SAW YOUR IMAGES, IDOLS & GODS MADE OF WOOD
& STONE - THEY ARE DEAD AND LIFELESS"
I
said, "I entered your city last evening and beheld your
temples and places of worship - I saw your images, idols and gods!
Idols that are made of wood, stone, plaster of paris and plastic;
gods that have eyes that see not, ears that hear not, mouths that
cannot speak, hands that have never helped anyone and feet that
are stationary"!
I
continued, "They are dead and lifeless, and so ignorant that
if I were to slap their faces, they wouldn't have enough sense to
move out of the way or say ouch."
I
THEN PRESENTED JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY TRUE SAVIOUR OF THE
WORLD
Then
I presented Jesus Christ, the only true Saviour of the world and
the Son of the Living God.
At
precisely 9:00 PM as I was making the altar call, suddenly loud
speakers began blaring out an opposing message - in the Hindi
language - in the very same venue which we were using!
THE
HINDU RELIGIOUS LEADERS WANTED TO STOP THE WORD OF GOD BEING TOLD
AND KILL ME, IF NECESSARY
Hindu
religious leaders had called a meeting and decided to conduct
another 10 day revival of their own, in the same park we had
permission to use.
They
had already alerted the police that there would be a riot on the
crusade grounds and 50 fanatics with stones & sticks were on
their way to start an uproar, stop the crusade and kill me, if
necessary!
On
those same grounds, two years previously, the Moslems had started
a riot in a Christian crusade, in order to stop the meetings.
Moslem fanatics had overturned a bus with 17 men, women and
children, poured gasoline on it, setting it ablaze and killing
them all! Of course, everyone fled and the crusade was
history!
More
than thirty years earlier, a well known American evangelist was
conducting a successful crusade in North India. Fanatics began a
riot and he had to leave.
The
Indian government then declared him non-grata-persona, effectively
barring him from the country since his crusades were dangerous and
prone to violence and riots. In this manner the bigots had
stopped one of the world's greatest soul winners from preaching in
that nation for more than 3 decades!
THE
FANATICS WANTED ME STOPPED FROM PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,
BUT GOD INTERVENED
Just
as the fanatics were entering the grounds, I was making the altar
call. More than 500 people were so gripped by the message and by
the Holy Spirit, that they rushed forward to accept Christ.
 I
PRAYED A POWERFUL PRAYER, REBUKING THE DEVIL AND CALLING UPON GOD
Then
as I prayed a powerful prayer, rebuking the devil and calling upon
God - in Jesus' Name - for miracles among the people, a 6 year old
boy who was lame in one leg from birth was instantly healed!
His
parents who were Brahmin Hindus rushed forward to testify, along
with their healed son. Upon hearing the commotion and the
testimony, the fanatics asked, "Who is that man? Is he a
prophet?" Those around them in the crowd said,
"Yes, he is a prophet from Canada".
THEY
THEN DROPPED THEIR STONES AND STICKS SAYING, "WE'LL GIVE HIM
ANOTHER DAY", AND PULLED DOWN THEIR LOUD SPEAKERS.
THE
NEXT EVENING I PREACHED ON "GOD'S LOVE AND THE BLOOD OF
JESUS"
The
next evening the crowd grew to 10,000 and I preached on
"God's Love and the Blood of Jesus"! The fanatics
who had previously wanted to hurt me, now wanted to kiss my
feet... And the revival continued with the crowd growing to
approximately 40,000 persons.
And
according to the last reports we have had, the Christian community
was not only strengthened but also is growing! Thousands enrolled
in the New Converts Class, by mail. And hundreds took special
courses for Christian Ministry! To God be the glory!
At
the time of this writing (December, 1992), we have just heard the
sad news that another well known American evangelist has very
recently been banned from India for the same reason. Hindu
fanatics took over his crusade declaring that he was fabricating
lying testimonies of people who claimed to be healed!
WE
CAN COME TO GOD ANYTIME, ANYWHERE AND EXPECT TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER
God's
Word says, "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew
thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
(Jeremiah 33:3)
GOD'S
WORD SAYS, "CALL UNTO ME, AND I WILL ANSWER THEE...AND SHOW
YOU GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS"
All
of us have times of difficulty and trouble, and God is more
willing to give than we are to ask. In fact, Jesus said,
"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall
receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24)
GOD'S
INVITATION IS "COME UNTO ME" AND "CALL UPON HIS
NAME"
We
are invited to call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will
deliver us and show us His mighty arm outstretched, in signs,
wonders and miracles!
All
we must do is call, and He will answer! It is humbling for us to
acknowledge our weakness and need for help. It is humbling for us
to request assistance from an outside force in this proud,
efficient and materialistic world, in which we live.
IF
WE WANT ANSWERS TO PRAYER, WE MUST CALL UPON GOD
Jesus
said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"? (Luke 11:13)
Again
our Lord stated, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Jesus
invited, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
WE
MUST SPEND TIME IN PRAYER AND LEARN TO PRAY - WE MUST ASK GOD
FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS
The
simplest thing in the world for anyone to do is to ask for
something. And yet, it can be the most difficult! We must spend
time in prayer, learn to pray.
To
ask God for forgiveness, we must acknowledge our failings and our
sins.
To
ask God for guidance or for strength, we must acknowledge our
weakness.
To
ask God for divine healing, we must admit that we are sick and
that we need help!
But
Jesus made it so easy! He said, we must become like little
children and ask with child-like faith and expectation. And
His promise is sure and guaranteed to work. He will keep His Word!
Jesus
said, "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall
ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7)
Again
He stated, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain:"
"That
whatsoever ye ask of the Father in My name, He may give it
you." (John 15:16)
WITHOUT
CHRIST, WE ARE HOPELESS LOST AND WE ARE POWERLESS AGAINST SATAN
We
must remember Who our Source is. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and
the Holy Spirit gives us the power to function by His grace. And
the Word of God is Supreme, that God may be all in all!
Jesus
promised, "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto Me..."
(Acts 1:8) Again our Master stated, "Without Me, ye can
do nothing"! (John 15:5)
And
our Lord said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I
will be with you until the end of the world." (Hebrews 13:5)
2)
PRAYER REQUESTS SHOULD BE SPECIFIC AND WELL NEEDED - WE MUST ASK
IN FAITH
When
we approach God's Throne of Grace, we must ask specifically for
what we need or desire! We must be specific so that we can
prioritize our request and focus on our needs, or the needs of
others all over the world. Prayer requests should be
specific and well needed.
It
is important to lay out our needs in a definite request, believing
that He hears us and will keep His promise!
FAITH
IS EXPECTING AN ANSWER WHEN YOU PRAY - FAITH IS TRUSTING GOD
Faith
is expecting an answer when you pray. Faith is trusting God so
implicitly, that when you have met the conditions He has set forth
in His GREAT DOCUMENT, the Bible, He will respond favorably!
The
Bible says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
Here
is Moffat's translation of this verse:
FAITH
MEANS WE ARE CONFIDENT OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR
"Faith
means we are confident of what we hope for; convinced of what we
do not see."
Faith
is like the title deed to a property you own but have never seen.
You know it is yours because it has been bequeathed to you in a
will or it has been given to you as a gift - possibly in another
part of the world, and you still haven't received it or seen it.
That
is how faith works. You have God's promises regarding prayer and
His desire to answer, but the things you prayed for haven't
happened yet!
YOU
MUST KEEP TRUSTING, BELIEVING AND EXPECTING THE ANSWER WILL COME
Keep
on trusting, expecting and believing and the answer will come.
Loved ones will come to Christ, sicknesses will he healed by God's
power and your many prayer requests will be answered when you pray
in the Name of Jesus!
The
Bible says, "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him;
and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalms 37:5) Jesus showed us
how faith works in Mark 11:22-24:
"And
Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I
say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his
heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall
come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say
unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that
ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
In
my opinion, Hebrews 11:1 is a theologian's definition of faith.
The layman's definition of faith is found in verse 6.
"But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh
to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 1:6)
WHAT
IS FAITH? FAITH IS 3 VITAL THINGS:
Faith
is coming to God with your needs and making your requests known to
Him.
By
asking God for help you are exhibiting faith! This proves that you
believe He is greater than yourself and your need!
You
are in fact saying: "Lord you are bigger than I am and more
powerful and that is why I am approaching you for help"!
You
wouldn't come to God for help if you didn't believe He could help
you!
FAITH
IS BELIEVING THAT GOD EXISTS
Faith
is believing that God is real, that He is eternally existent in
three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy
Spirit! And that He is omnipotent, omnipresent and eternal!
FAITH
IS BELIEVING THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD
Faith
is believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on
the cross for our sins and arose from the dead for our
justification.
FAITH
IS BELIEVING IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
The
Bible says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Faith
is a reality!
Faith
is a fact and also action, because "faith without works is
dead, being alone." (James 2:26) Faith
is now! And faith is a present day reality and faith gets the job
done - Faith Works Miracles!
FAITH
IS BELIEVING AND EXPECTING
Faith
is expecting a miracle when we pray! Here is our Lord's
invitation to you: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
HOW
CAN I BE SAVED?
God
is able, ready & willing to deliver you!
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken,
D.D.
Jesus
said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matthew
11:28)
Yes,
my dear friend, God is still in the business of setting men and
women free from their sins, sorrows, heartbreaks, fears and
troubles.
In
this age of frustrations, nervous tensions and mental collapses,
Jesus Christ is still granting peace to the troubled, joy to the
discouraged, strength to the weary and healing to the sick.
HOW
CAN I BE SAVED?
1.
ACKNOWLEDGE
your sinful state (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6)
2. BELIEVE
the Gospel (Acts 16:30-31; John 3:26)
3. REPENT
of your sins (Luke 13:3; Isaiah 55:7)
4. RECEIVED
Christ as your Saviour (John 3:16; Revelation 3:20; 1 John 5:12)
5. CONFESS
Him as your Lord (Romans 10:9-10; Mark 8:34-38)
JESUS
CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD ON A HOLY MISSION !
"For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)
Jesus
declared, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
Jesus
Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by Me". (John 14:6)
Salvation
is totally a WORK OF GRACE, but we must be sincere in our
prayers and believe in Jesus Christ's willingness to keep His
Word; which He always does. Jesus Christ offers salvation
and gift of salvation is free to all who accept it. If
you wish to be saved you must:
No.
1 - Acknowledge your lost state!
The
Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God". (Romans 3:23) "All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)
No.
2 - Believe the Gospel
"That
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already." (John 3:15,18)
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life." (John 5:24)
No.
3 - REPENT of your sins
The
Bible says, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." (Luke 13:3) "Let the wicked forsake his way
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)
No.
4 - Receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour
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)
"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 3:20) "He that hath the Son
hath life: and he that hath not the Son of God hath not
life." (1 John 5:12)
No.
5 - Confess Jesus Christ as your LORD
The
Bible says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation". (Romans 10:9-10)
"Also
I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the
angels of God." (Luke 12:8,9)
Dear
friend, be assured that God will keep His Word,
for He said:
"Come
unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." (Matthew 11:28) "Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink."
(John 7:37)
"Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
After
you have prayed to God asking Him to forgive you - then you must
believe He has heard your prayer and forgiven your sins. That is
faith. You say that is hard to do. No - it isn't.
If
you believe that God told the truth and the Bible is God's word -
God will do what He said He would do. If you have prayed the
sinner's prayer asking God to forgive you, (then he has forgiven
you; His word tells you that and His word is the truth) and if you
are forgiven, then you are saved.
You
must then continue to live in God's way - you must live for God.
Believe that you are saved, begin to praise and worship God and
thank him for saving your soul.
But
you have doubts and say, "I don't feel any different."
You say you still feel the way you did before, you don't feel like
you are saved.
Always
remember, you are NOT SAVED by your feelings, you are saved by
FAITH IN GOD'S WORD. If God said it - it is the truth, whether you
feel like it or not. However, when you stand of God's word and by
faith accept the Salvation that God offers, you WILL FEEL
DIFFERENT.
Please
write to me and let us know of your decision to serve the Lord!
And what He has done for you. Always remember, Jesus loves you and
wants too forgive, heal, bless and prosper you.
ARE
YOU READY
TO MEET GOD?
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
CAN
I ASK YOU A QUESTION? ARE YOU READY TO MEET GOD?
The
most important question I could ask you and the most important
decision of your entire lifetime revolves around the spiritual
welfare of your soul and its eternal destiny.
There
are preachers today who have soft-soaped the Gospel and watered
down God's word to please their listeners in order to keep their
parishioners coming to church.
They
are afraid that if they preach the truth, as it is written, people
will not like it and their offering plates will not bring in too
much money.
The
Bible warns that this would be the case in the end time, of which
we are now living. "But evil men and seducers shall wax
worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2
Timothy 3:13)
"For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy
4:3,4)
The
Apostle Paul calls such preachers 'food preachers' or 'belly
preachers'. These men only preach to earn a living and not
to win men and women to Jesus Christ.
"For
they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of
the simple." ( Romans
16:18 ) "Whose end is destruction, whose God is
their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things." ( Philippians
3:19 )
I'm
going to be absolutely honest with you and tell you the complete
truth as found in God's Word concerning your soul, death,
judgment, heaven, hell and eternity and the gift of salvation.
Then I will also show you how you can be saved and forgiven by the
precious blood of Jesus Christ.
1
- YOUR SOUL WILL NEVER DIE
Your
soul is eternal and will live on even after your body dies.
(Genesis 2:7)
2
- ONE APPOINTMENT YOU CAN'T CANCEL OR POSTPONE
"It
is appointed unto man once to die but after this the
judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
3
- YOU CAN'T FOOL GOD
"Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7) "Be sure your sin
will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)
4
- YOU'LL PAY FOR YOUR SINS IF YOU DON'T REPENT OF THEM
"The
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"The
wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget
God." (Psalms 9:17)
"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 the nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a shepherd divided his sheep
from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but
the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal." (Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46)
5
- ALL HAVE SINNED
"For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans
3:23) "And we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) "There is none
righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10)
6
- JESUS DIED TO SAVE SINNERS
Jesus
said, "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance", (Matthew 9:13) and "For the Son of man
is come to save that which was lost." (Matthew 18:11)
"He
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
"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. 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)
7
- YOU MUST REPENT OF YOUR SINS
"He
that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and
forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) "Let
the wicked forsake his way, 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)
"Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke
13:5)
8
- YOU MUST BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
"That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)
9
- ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR BY FAITH
"For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) "Come unto me all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28) "Come now, and let us reason together saith
the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as
wool." (Isaiah 1:18) "Him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out." (John 6:37)
10
- HE WILL GIVE YOU THE POWER YOU NEED
"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)
"Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and
in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth." (Acts 1:8)
HOW
CAN I BE SAVED?
Many
are asking this question today. They are wanting to know how to
"make things right with Almighty God." They realize
somewhere along the way, they have lost sight of God - they have
lost contact with the Eternal One - the Great Creator, God, who
loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die for lost
humanity.
Multitudes
today are groping in darkness - looking for a ray of light to
point them to the Heavenly way - but alas, they search in vain,
they stumble and fall in the shadows of sin, worry, fear, anxiety,
loneliness, heartbreak, sickness and confusion.
Many
people have tried to live a better life, turn over a new leaf,
rehabilitate themselves, only to find that their strength in the
time of testing and temptation has failed and they are back where
they started. So now, not only are they defeated, but they are
also bewildered, perplexed and tormented, not knowing which way to
turn.
Dear
Reader, perhaps you are one of these poor unfortunate souls. THEN
LISTEN CAREFULLY, for I have good news for you. There
is still balm in Gilead for your sin sick soul. There is still
deliverance for the bound, victory for the defeated and peace for
the troubled. There is still healing for the sick and salvation
for the lost.
THERE
IS STILL HOPE - LOOK TO JESUS
THERE
IS STILL HOPE FOR YOU. There is life for you. There is still
forgiveness and happiness for you. LOOK
TO JESUS, the author and finisher of your faith,
(Hebrews 12:3).
LOOK
TO JESUS, the mighty conqueror (Revelation 1:17-18).
LOOK
TO JESUS, the Saviour of the World (Luke 2:11).
Don't
look at your sinful condition, LOOK TO
JESUS; don't look at your hopelessness, frustration and
bewilderment, LOOK TO JESUS.
Don't
look at your sickness, grief and loneliness, LOOK
TO JESUS.
Don't
look at your friends of other Christians who have failed, but LOOK
TO JESUS who never fails.
The
Bible says in Isaiah 45:22, "Look unto me and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is NONE
else."
There
is only one way to be saved and that is through Jesus Christ, the
Son of the Living God.
Jesus
said in (John 14:6), "I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Jesus
said in (John 10:9), "I am the Door: by me if any man enter
in, he shall be SAVED, and shall go in and out and find
pasture."
THERE
IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GO - that way is JESUS. There is
only one door to God, and that door is Jesus. There is no other.
Mohammed,
Buddha and the Roman Pope, a church organization - none of these
will open the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven, but Jesus Christ,
the one who came from heaven, who died on the Cross, rose again
from the dead - He is able to forgive you, save you and bring you
into the Kingdom of God. GLORY TO HIS NAME FOREVER.
The
Apostle Peter said in (Acts 4:12) concerning Jesus Christ,
"Neither is there Salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under Heaven, given among men whereby we must be
SAVED."
There
you have it. the only name that can bring salvation, blessing and
deliverance is the Mighty Name of Jesus. The Angel said unto
Joseph (Matthew 1:21), "Ye shall call His Name Jesus, for He
shall SAVE His people from their sins." In (Romans 10:13) we
read, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be SAVED."
The
Philippian jailer asked the same question many today are asking
and he got an answer he was converted, his life was changed. He
met the master, Jesus. You can do the same. There in the prison
house he cried out (Acts 16:30), "Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?" Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and be Saved." He believed on Jesus Christ and was Saved. you
can do the same.
But
you ask - how can I believe? What must I do to believe in
Jesus Christ? Where do I start? I am glad you asked these
questions, because I have the answer for you from God's word -
Here is what you must do to be saved.
1
- REPENT OF YOUR SINS - To be
saved you must repent of your sins and see yourself as you
really are - You must realize you are lost and undone, without
hope. You must see God's Holiness and realize that you have sinned
against the Almighty. You must be sorry for your sins, you must
hate your sins and be willing to forsake them (Matthew 4:17) your
sins have condemned you (John 3:18) your sins have separated you
from God (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says (Romans 3:23), "For
all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." Also in
(Isaiah 53:6) the word of God says, "All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
GOD
HATES YOUR SINS - but God loves you. God wants to
rescue you out of your sins. You must be willing to give yourself
completely over to God and turn your back on all unrighteousness.
2
- YOU MUST CONFESS YOU SINS TO GOD - (1 John 1:9)
"If we confess our sins (to God), He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." You must tell God you are a sinner and that
you cannot save yourself. You must confess to God that no one else
can save you except Jesus Christ. You must ask God to have mercy
on you (Luke 18:13) and to forgive you. Then you must confess to
God that you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Jesus
Christ died on the Cross of Calvary for your sins, that He rose
again from the dead and that He is able to save you (1 Corinthians
15:1-4) (Hebrews 7:25).
3
- YOU MUST ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR -
Tell God that you accept His pardon and that you now,
through faith in God's word accept Jesus Christ into your heart
and life. (Ephesians 2:8-9) "For by grace are you saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast." Salvation is
absolutely free - you cannot work for it - you cannot pay for it -
It is free - you just receive it from God.
After
you have prayed to God asking Him to forgive you - then you must
believe He has heard your prayer and forgiven your sins. That
is faith. You say that is hard to do. No - it isn't. If you
believe that God told the truth and the Bible is God's word - God
will do what He said He would do. If you have prayed the sinner's
prayer asking God to forgive you, (then he has forgiven you; His
word tells you that and His word is the truth) and if you are
forgiven, then you are saved. You must then continue to live in
God's way - you must live for God. Believe that you are saved,
begin to praise and worship God and thank him for saving your
soul.
But
you have doubts and say, "I don't feel any different."
You say you still feel the way you did before, you don't feel like
you are saved. Always remember, you are NOT SAVED by your
feelings, you are saved by FAITH IN GOD'S WORD. If God said it -
it is the truth, whether you feel like it or not. However, when
you stand of God's word and by faith accept the Salvation that God
offers, you WILL FEEL DIFFERENT.
You
will believe before you feel - you will feel the cleansing, you
will feel the forgiveness of God, you will feel the assurance when
you believe God's word and have confessed Jesus Christ as your
Saviour. (Romans 10:9-10).
You
will begin to feel peace, the peace that comes from knowing
you are saved, that your sins have been forgiven and you will feel
hope and optimism.
The
Word of God states (John 6:37), Jesus said, "Him that cometh
unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." You have come to Jesus
by faith; He has not cast you out - Jesus has taken you in - you
are SAVED. Praise God.
Raise
your hands to God (in complete obedience and surrender). Say
"thank you, Jesus, for saving my soul." Praise Him and
Worship Him for what He has done for you.
You
are now saved, you have passed from death unto life (John
5:24). Your name has now been written in the "Lamb's Book of
Life." (Revelation 20:15) The Angels are rejoicing in Heaven
over this great victory over the devil. God has snatched your soul
from Satan's grasp and the angels are rejoicing over this. (Luke
15:7)
RISE
from you knees full of peace (John 14:27). Now go and tell
someone about Jesus Christ and his love. Tell people what God has
done for you. (Romans 10:9-10) "That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be SAVED. For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto Salvation."
Seek the Lord (James 4:8) and ask Him to fill you with the
holy Ghost and Fire.
Ask
God to give you power for service (Luke 3:16) (Acts 1:4) (Acts
1:8) (Acts 2:4) (Acts 2:38-39). Read your Bible every day and pray
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As
you go about your life, witness to people about Jesus Christ.
Find a good church where the pastor and the congregation believe
the whole Bible, where they believe in holiness of life and
separation from the world.
Find
a church where they believe in prayer for the sick and where the
pastor and congregation have a burden to see the lost saved and
brought to Jesus Christ.
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.
If
you prayed and ask Jesus Christ into your heart - YOU HAVE NOW
RECEIVED THE GIFT OF SALVATION - YOU HAVE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD.
God Bless You.
Taking
Serious Chances
ARE YOU WALKING
TOO
CLOSE
TO THE EDGE?
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
It
was a beautiful Spring Day in April, 2017. Six young hikers were
enjoying their walk on top of Mount Harvey north of Vancouver,
British Columbia. One hiker fell behind. When he arrived at the
summit, his friends were not there. The five had stepped onto a
large ledge (cornice) and it broke loose plunging them 500 meters
down to the ground and their death.
It
was such a tragedy! Those hikers didn't realize the serious
situation they were walking onto, until it was too late.
The young men were unsuspecting, thinking that they were on
solid ground. Gradually, they had moved from safety to
uncertainty. Then, suddenly, the end came!
Unfortunately,
there are many people today who in a spiritual sense, are 'walking
too close to the edge' and are unknowingly in great danger
in their personal lives and even their soul's salvation! They feel
they are quite alright but have left God out of their lives and
have in their own minds constructed a new theology,
a feel good religion of being kind to their neighbour or
protecting the environment.
What
a shock for them when they finally stand before the Living God for
judgment, without the covering of Jesus' blood and the assurance
of Eternal Life! A ticket of 'Good Works' is
worthless without the Salvation of God that is given us through
Jesus Christ alone!
There
are a lot of young people who fall into a similar trap.
In their quest for action and fulfillment, they will try
anything different, trust a new acquaintance or get hooked on
dangerous drugs! Many become obsessed with lustful habits,
involved in illicit sex, drunken parties, gambling or crime~
Others
are seduced by the spirit of the Occult and become deceived by
demons of witchcraft,
spiritism, mind reading, clairvoyance,
yoga and spirit travel. Suicide demons prey on the minds of the
simple until 'a Lying Spirit' convinces them to do it, luring them
to a devil's Hell forever.
Multitudes
have lost their way in the fog of political correctness and in a
spiritual sense, have fallen off
a cliff because the ground where they were walking was
unsafe, shaky and treacherous. The tragedy is that many are
ignorant of the pitfalls and the fact that they are throwing away
their lives, by listening to the Tempter.
Eve
thought she was listening to a very intelligent and honest being
when she heard Lucifer talking to her through the voice of the
serpent. She was deceived and got Adam to partake of the forbidden
fruit, thereby plunging the entire human race into rebellion,
chaos and wickedness. Listening
to that evil, lying voice was the greatest tragedy ever to befall
mortal man!
Many
more are being deceived today in exactly the same way. They think
they are hearing very knowledgeable voices telling them that they
will get rich if they spend more time at the casino. One more
poker game and they will reclaim everything they lost. One more
throw of the dice or one more night of revelry and everything will
change for them. It was the voice of Satan, the Liar!
Then
he asked pointedly: "There is a very winding road up in
the mountain pass. Looking over the edge, it's hard to see the
bottom. Have you ever driven on such a road." The driver
nodded that he had. The interviewer said: "I've asked the
other drivers, how near could they come to edge of the road at a
full gallop and still be safe. One said that he could drive within
two feet of the edge and the other said that he could come within
12 inches."
"The
young driver stood to his feet, put the hat on his head and said,
"Excuse me sir, I am not your man. I would stay as far away
from the edge of that road as I could." As he was walking
toward the door, the Stage Coach Representative jumped up, saying,
"Stop. You are man we want. You have the job."
TOO
FAR FROM THE SHORE!
In
1924, Charles E. Moody wrote
the beautiful Gospel song : You're
drifting too far from the shore?
It has been popularized by many singers such as Hank Snow,
Vince Gill, Dolly Parton and others. Here are some of Charles
Moody's wonderful lyrics:
Out
on the perilous deep
Where danger silently creeps
And storms so violently sweeping
You're drifting too far from shore
Drifting
too far from shore
You're drifting too far from shore
Come to Jesus today
Let
Him show you the way
You're drifting too far from shore
Today,
The Tempest rose high
And clouds overshadowed the sky
Sure death is hovering nigh
You're drifting too far from shore.
What
an amazingly true statement! Far too many have loosed from their
moorings and are drifting toward open seas with no compass and no
map. Jesus is our
Way Maker, His Word our compass and guide.
To
the multitudes who have thrown caution to the wind and have
thumbed your noses at moral norms and are now in big trouble,
there is still hope for you.
If
you call out to Jesus Christ for deliverance, He will answer you.
He will rescue you from the angry waves. He will liberate you from
the powers of sin, fear, sickness and evil spirits. You will
become a new creature in Christ Jesus. He will wash you in His
blood, forgive your sins, remove the fear and fill you with His
blessed Holy Spirit! JESUS will give you His peace!
If
you do not, you will continue drifting farther from the shore and
the waves of fear, bondage, despair, despondency and confusion
will overtake you and you may never come back.
Dear
friend, if I have described your situation, remember Jesus waits
for your call this very moment. He invites: "Come unto me all
ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
(Matt.11:28). Again He
said: "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and
him that cometh unto Me, I will in wise cast out." (John
6:37).
There
is only ONE Who has the mercy and grace to reach out to you and
the power to liberate you! He said: "I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."
(John 14: 6). Amen.
DEAR
FRIEND: Please write with your prayer requests. We
will pray for you and I will write you back! When you write,
please ask for a free prayer cloth over which we have prayed with
faith in Jesus' Name, for your deliverance and salvation.
- Pastor Max Solbrekken
HOW
DO I INVITE
JESUS CHRIST INTO MY LIFE?
Pray
to God, a prayer - from your heart.
Tell Him that you
are a sinner and that you need forgiveness. Tell him that
you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins. Tell him that
you are willing to change, to turn away from sin. Ask Jesus
Christ to come into your heart and life and be your personal
Saviour.
"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 1:12)
"Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2
Corinthians 5:17)
If
you prayed and ask Jesus Christ into your heart - YOU HAVE NOW
RECEIVED THE GIFT OF SALVATION - YOU HAVE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD.
God Bless You.
-
Powerful AUDIO Bible sermons/messages
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
- click on
message to listen -
Bible
Scriptures verses on prayer
Power of
prayer, the Lord's Prayer, prayers answered
(King
James Version)
Bible
Scriptures verses on
salvation,
eternal life, eternity, forgiveness
(King
James Version)
Hebrews
9:27 - (kjv)
- And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:
John
1:12 - (kjv)
- "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 1:12)
2
Corinthians 5:17
- (kjv) - "Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Romans
10:10 - (kjv)
- "For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation."
John
5:24
- (kjv) - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word,
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.
John
6:50
- (kjv) - This
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die.
Matthew
6:13 - (kjv) - And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen.
Isaiah
57:15 - (kjv)
- For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,
whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with
him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the
spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite
ones.
2
Thessalonians 1:9
- (kjv) - Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Philippians
1:23
- (kjv) - For
I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be
with Christ; which is far better:
Romans
6:23 - (kjv) - For
the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians
6:8 - (kjv)
- For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting.
Jeremiah
10:10
- (kjv) - But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God,
and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and
the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Psalms
90:2
- (kjv) - Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou
[art] God.
Psalms
72:17 - (kjv) - His
name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as
the sun: and [men] shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call
him blessed.
Psalms
41:13 - (kjv) - Blessed
[be] the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.
Matthew
3:12 - Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and
gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff
with unquenchable fire.
 Matthew
5:3 - Blessed
are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew
5:8 - Blessed
are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Matthew
5:12 - Rejoice,
and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew
5:20 - For
I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case
enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew
6:20 -
But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
Matthew
8:11 - And
I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and
shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom
of heaven.
Matthew
13:30
- Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of
harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the
tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat
into my barn.
Matthew
13:43 -
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew
13:49 -
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.
Matthew
18:10 -
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say
unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of
my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew
19:21 -
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come and follow me.
Matthew
22:30 - For
in the resurrection they neither marry; nor are given in marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven.
Matthew
25:34 -
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world:
Matthew
25:46 - And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.
Luke
10:20 -
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject
unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven.
Luke
12:8 -
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.
Luke
12:32 -
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.
Luke
12:33 -
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which
wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no
thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luke
15:6 - And
when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and
neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep which was lost.
Luke
15:7 - I
say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which
need no repentance.
Luke
15:10 -
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Luke
15:32 - It
was meet that we should make merry, and be glad for this thy
brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and is found.
Luke
16:22 - And
it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the
angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was
buried;
Luke
20:34 - And
Jesus answering said unto them, The child of this world marry, and
are given in marriage:
Luke
20:35 - But
they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the
resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in
marriage:
Luke
20:36 -
Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels;
and are the children of God, being the children of the
resurrection.
Luke
22:29 - And
I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
Luke
22:30 -
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Luke
23:43 - And
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be
with me in paradise.
John
5:28 -
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice,
John
5:28 - And
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation.
John
10:28 - And
I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John
12:26 - If
any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
John
13:26 -
Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goes thou? Jesus
answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou
shalt follow me afterwards.
John
14:2 -
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John
14:3 -
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John
17:22 - And
the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be
one, even as we are one.
John
17:24 -
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given
me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Acts
7:55 - But
he, being full of the Holy Ghost, look up steadfastly into heaven,
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of
God,
Acts
7:56 - And
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man
standing on the right hand of God.
Romans
5:17 - For
if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
2
Corinthians 5:1
- For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens.
2
Corinthians 12:2 -
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the
body, I cannot tell, or whether out of the body, I cannot tell:
God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
2
Corinthians 2:3
- And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body,
I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
2
Corinthians 2:4 -
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
Ephesians
1:18 - The
eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints,
Colossians
1:5 - For
the hope which is laid up for you in heaven; whereof ye heard
before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Colossians
1:6 - Which
is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth
fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and
knew the grace of God in truth.
Colossians
1:12 -
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
Colossians
3:4 - When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory.
1
Thessalonians 2:12
- That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his
kingdom and glory.
1
Thessalonians 4:17
- Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord.
11
Thessalonians 1:7
- And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
11
Thessalonians 2:14 -
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews
10:34 - For
ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the
spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in
heaven a better and an enduring substance.
Hebrews
11:10 - For
he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God.
Hebrews
11:16 - But
now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly : wherefore
God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared
for them a city.
Hebrews
12:22 - But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an inmumerable company of angels.
Hebrews
12:23 - To
the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect,
Hebrews
12:24 - And
to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Hebrews
12:28 -
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably: with reverence
and godly fear.
Hebrews
13:14 - For
here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
1
Peter 1:4 -
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled; and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you,
2
Peter 1:11
- For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2
Peter 3:13
- Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness
evelation
2:7 - He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation
3:21 - To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation
4:4 - And
round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the
seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Revelation
5:9 - And
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation.
Revelation
7:9 - After
this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white
robes, and palms in their hands.
 Psalms
40:1 - (kjv) - (To
the chief Musician, a Psalm of David.) I waited patiently
for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psalms
22:2 - (kjv)
- O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; ;and in
the night season, and am not silent.
2
Kings 20:11
- (kjv) - And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he
brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down
in the dial of Ahaz.
Daniel
9:3 -
(kjv) - And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and
supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:
1
Samuel 1:10
- (kjv) - And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the
LORD, and wept sore.
Matthew
5:44
- (kjv) - 5) -
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you.
Matthew
7:7-9 - (kjv) - Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened.
Matthew
14:23 - (kjv) - And when he had sent the multitude away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was
come, he was there alone.
Judges
16:28 - (kjv) - And
Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I
pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God,
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
Romans
15:13 - (kjv)
- Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the
Holy Ghost.
Romans
12:12
- (kjv) - Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing
instant in prayer;
Romans
10:13
- (kjv) - 5) -
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts
2:42 - (kjv) - And
they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
John
16:26 - (kjv)
- At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you,
that I will pray the Father for you:
John
15:16 - (kjv) - And
Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I
pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God,
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
John
9:31 - (kjv) - Now
we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a
worshipper of God, and doeth his will, for he heareth.
John
4:24 - (kjv)
- God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him]
in spirit and in truth.
John
4:23 - (kjv) - But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for
the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Luke
18:1
- (kjv) - And he spake a parable unto them {to this end], that men
ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Luke
11:1
- (kjv) - 5) -
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place,
when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us
to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Mark
13:33 - (kjv) - Take
ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Mark
11:25 - (kjv)
- And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against
any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your
trespasses.
Mark
1:35 - (kjv) - And
in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out,
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
John
9:31 - (kjv) - Now
we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a
worshipper of God, and doeth his will, for he heareth.
Matthew
18:20 - (kjv)
- For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.
Psalms
4:1 - (kjv) - (To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of
David.) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:
thou hast enlarged me {when I was} in distress; have mercy upon
me, and hear my prayer.
Ephesians
6:18 - (kjv)
- Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for
all saints;
CONTACT
INFORMATION
For further spiritual counsel, prayer or gospel literature, please
contact us!
www.mswm.org www.maxsolbrekken.com
max@maxsolbrekken.com
 Max
Solbrekken World Mission, P.O. Box 44220, RPO Garside, Edmonton,
AB T5V 1N6 (780) 460-8444
The
House of Prayer, New Sarepta, Alberta (780) 941-2372
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