|
ARE WE LIVING
IN
THE END TIMES?
What
does the Bible say?
by
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
PREPARE
FOR A TIME OF TROUBLE
"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)
ARE
YOU PREPARED TO MEET GOD?
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!
But,
God has a man He could use! Amos was a prophet who had not
corrupted himself as others had done. He had not sold out the the
devil's crowd of compromisers parading as genuine prophets! 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
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!
THE
SIGNS SAID "GET RIGHT WITH GOD"
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
his 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!"
What
Oral Roberts meant was that he hated COMPROMISE! He did not hate
compromisers, but what they were doing in exactly the way Jesus said:
"So hast thou also the them that hold the doctrine of the
Nic-o-laitanes, WHICH THING I HATE." (Revelation 2: 15)
THE
END TIME IS NOW - 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)
SIN
MUST BE PAID FOR IF IT ISN'T REPENTED OF
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 TO PREACH THE TRUTH
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 s 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.
Are we living in the
LAST
DAYS BEFORE
THE GREAT TRIBULATION?
by
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
The
Bible states: "And
I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat upon him was
Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them
over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword (war), and with
hunger (famine), and with death (tsunamis, war, earthquakes, mudslides
etc), and with the beasts of the earth (ie: Mad Cow, Monkey Pox,
West Nile Virus, Sars.)" (Revelation 6:8)
PEOPLE
ARE ARE EDGE WONDERING WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
People
are afraid, people are nervous and anxious and full of fear. We are
living in a world that is suddenly not a safe place to be. We are
living in a world full of terrorism, wars, new frightening diseases and
viruses and startling weather disasters that are wiping out thousands of
people in seconds.
On
September 11 - the world changed. On September 11 - Satan was
rejoicing. On September 11 - Satan scored a victory. But I am
here to tell you that SATAN CAN BE DEFEATED.
Yes
- the world changed drastically on September 11. What was a
relatively safe, comfortable existence turned instantly into a world of
terror. The Islamic terrorist group al Qaeda and its leader Osama
bin Laden accomplished something very important on September 11.
The terrorists took away our freedom, the freedom to feel safe, the
freedom to feel secure.
And
September 11 was only the beginning. The world is dealing with
so many issues that its hard for people to cope.
Our
world is literally falling apart. Our air is polluted, our water is
polluted, we are experiencing earthquakes, tidal waves, tsunamis is
places that are totally unexpected and at the greatest magnitudes ever
recorded. Global warming is threatening our very existence and the
new diseases & viruses we are seeing in animals and food products are
alarming.
WHAT
WILL BE NEXT IS THE QUESTION ON THE MINDS OF PEOPLE
The
whole creation, including the earth and all living creatures therein, the
cosmos and all universes that our Lord has created, are groaning and
travailing in pain and travail "together until now."
The
earth is "running down" as Science teaches it will. Man
has polluted the air, polluted the water and the earth. The earth
is polluting and destroying itself through earthquakes, tidal waves,
tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.
NATURE,
through solar storms, falling meteors, black holes, white holes and worm
holes is doing damage to the universe. Tornados, cyclones, tsunamis
and severe electrical storms cause great bodily harm and death to people
and animals, as well as destroying millions of acres of timber annually
through forest fire. The animals and wild life are themselves
polluters, spreading disease amongst themselves, as well as being
purveyors of many deadly diseases to the human population.
AIDS,
SARS, MAD COW DISEASE, WEST NILE VIRUS - LAST DAYS PRE-TRIBULATION BIBLE
PROPHECY ?
Are
these diseases and viruses the starting point of what is coming next
during the GREAT TRIBULATION ? I
believe that the outbreak of AIDS, SARS, Ebola virus, Lyme disease, Mad
Cow disease (BSE), Foot and Mouth disease (FDM), West Nile Virus, Hanta
Virus, Monkey Pox and the latent TB and drug resistant TB that is now
rampant (2 billion world wide) is surely Bible prophecy being fulfilled.
There
are also so many new viruses, bacteria and parasites spread by animals,
rodents and pests to human beings. Are these new viruses from
animals also a precursor to the awful things which will happen during the
GREAT TRIBULATION.
NEW
VIRUSES APPEARING AT FASTER RATES, SCIENTISTS BELIEVE
A
headline that appeared (August 2003) in the Washington Post, must have
sent shock waves through the Medical Community and the general
population. From a theological perspective, the connection between
Biblical eschatology and the phenomenal parade of new emerging viruses
being passed from animals to humans, this new report is very significant.
Are
the news diseases Sars, Mad Cow Disease, West Nile Virus, Bird flu and
many others biblical prophecies. Are these world disasters,
extreme weather changes, world disasters and mounting hatred, wars and
nations turning against nations world wide BIBLE PROPHECY coming to
pass.
The
Bible states: "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name
that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power
was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with
sword (war), and with hunger (famine), and with death
(tsunamis, war, earthquakes, mudslides etc), and with the beasts
of the earth (Mad Cow, Monkey Pox, West Nile Virus, Sars.")
(Revelation 6:8)
For
a very long time Bible scholars were unable to understand this verse.
Everyone had serious questions about beasts being a source of so many
people dying. When S.A.R.S. struck the world with a vengeance a
few years ago, the meaning of the scripture became very evident.
St. John's prophecy was so absolutely clear!
THE
BIBLE SCHOLARS CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WAS WRONG
The
prevalent though was that when famine came, the wild beasts from the
forests would enter the cities and towns and kill people for food.
Some translations of Revelation 6:8 placed the words 'wild beasts' in
their study notes.
Now
we know how wrong that interpretation was. God's Word is
absolutely perfect! As a theologian who has studied the Holy Bible
scriptures for over 40 years I believe this to be pre-Tribulation more
and more as the truth in revealed through events that happen round about
us.
In
my research, I found found that SARS, Lyme Disease, Foot & Mouth
disease, Mad Cow disease, Hanta virus, Monkey pox, Ebola virus, Aids and
West Nile Fever are diseases that have all come from animals (beasts) or
rodents and insects (pests).
Jesus
warned: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and PESTILENCES, and
earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24:7).
Rob
Stein wrote: "It happens again and again. Strange and
frightening new infections seem to appear out of no where, such as Lyme
disease, Ebola and of course, AIDS. With Monkeypox coming on the
heels of Sars, which emerged not long after West Nile, it is a phenomenon
that seems to be happening at an accelerating rate.
"Scientists
agree that the trend is alarming and appears to be gathering speed.
In the coming years, they say, dangerous new pathogens emerging."
WE
ARE SURROUNDED BY DEATH & DESTRUCTION - THE WORLD HAS BECOME
UNCERTAIN & FEARFUL
On
every hand, we see death and destruction. The Bible states that,
"the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19);
"And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth
the will of God abideth forever." (1 John 2:15-18)
No only
they, but OURSELVES also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is to
say, the redemption (resurrection) of our body.
SATAN IS
HARD AT WORK AND SATAN'S INFLUENCE IS PRESENT EVERYWHERE
SATAN'S
FILTH & STENCH can be seen, heard and felt across the world.
His evil, unholy and corrupting influence is everywhere present; in
homes, communities and nations, as well as in academia, the government,
commerce, judicial systems and in the church.
The
truth is that the whole world lies in wickedness and Satan is the
"prince of the power of the air." Satan is the author of
the "spirit of disobedience" that pervades society today.
This "spirit of disobedience" is affecting millions of people
across the earth. (Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6)
Even
though we as Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit and have
fellowship with Jesus and each other, we live in a flesh and blood body.
We are constantly being bombarded with temptations. We have
Christ's promise of divine healing, but we are still subject to ageing
and death.
St. Paul
states that we groan inwardly because of our limitations and desire to be
clothed with a glorified body, knowing that one day we will be changed
and receive a glorified body similar to Christ's. The Bible says:
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew Him not."
"Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:1-2).
Death
and corruption have been present on this earth and in the cosmos since
the terrible 'fall of man' in the Garden of Eden. Everything is
subject to the 'Second Law of Thermodynamics' - that of ageing,
deteriorating and corruption. There is no escaping it.
Everyone that is born dies eventually and will go back to the dust of the
earth. All great men and their empires, small or great will
deteriorate and go to ruin. Now the universe is running out of
steam and Bible Prophecy is being fulfilled and will continue to be
fulfilled as time goes on.
JESUS
demanded: “…Whosever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his
life for My sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it.”
“For
what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in
this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man
be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels.”
(Mark 8: 34–38).
Christ’s Victory and Satan’s
Defeat is our Liberty
for
time and eternity! Amen and Amen.
- Powerful AUDIO Bible
sermons/messages
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
- click on message to listen -
|
home
index
