|
 HOPE
& FAITH
Rising
From the Ashes of Defeat
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
LEARNING
FROM MISFORTUNE
"And
he (Prodigal Son) arose, and came to his father. But while
he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had
compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
(Luke 15:20)
Life
is like a race, with winners and losers and plenty of obstacles
and pitfalls, as well as rewards.
IT
TAKES FAITH & HOPE TO WIN
Winning
doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of preparation, discipline
and hard work, as well as faith in your own ability and those who
work with you. LOSING - often a bitter disappointment -
doesn't need to be the end of a career, business or marriage.
It can be turned into a rich learning experience!
Life
is made up of good and bad times with ups, downs and surprises.
Most everyone has gone through some hurtful experience like
business failure, marriage breakup or the loss of a loved one.
Trials and testing, however, can be utilized to build our faith in
God and strengthen ties with family and friends, rather than
destroy and estrange us from one another!
THE
PRODIGAL SON: A PICTURE OF SO MANY
Jesus'
parable of the Prodigal Son has a message for us all, because
of the inherent sinful nature, with which we were born. It's
important to know that we were all sinners by birth, by nature and
by choice.
The
Bible says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him
(Jesus Christ) the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)
"All have sinned and come short (fallen) of the glory of
God;" (Romans 3:23); "The wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." (Romans 6:23); "As it is written, There is
none that is righteous, no, no one." (Romans 3:10)
In
Canada's humiliating Ben Johnson Olympic drug scandal, and the
bribery scandals that continued for years within the Olympic
leadership and the judges, we see a perfect example of the dilemma
so many face. Recently, the criminal activities of dishonest
CEOs and accountants involved with the Environ, Worldcom and
ImPlone scandals have sent the Corporate World into a serious
tailspin.
CAN
ONE LEARN FROM MISTAKES? IS THERE HOPE FOR CHANGING THINGS
How
can one rise from the ashes of shame, disgrace, guilt and failure?
In other words, is there hope beyond defeat? Does a person
deserve another chance? And what about God's unmerited
favor? Does not his 'prevenient grace', whereby He reached
out to us long before we felt the need to reach out to Him, have
significant meaning? Of course it does !
THE
GOSPEL OF CHRIST OFFERS HOPE & MERCY
The
gospel of Jesus Christ offers mercy, forgiveness and an opportunity
to change. Where would anyone of us be, without an
opportunity to rewrite a failed test, break a bad habit, make
amends for mistakes or repair broken relationships?
Everyone
should be given another chance to right wrongs make amends and try
again! Those who have done the crime, however, must do the
time! Of course, there are those who cannot be allowed back
into society because they are incorrigible rapists, pedophiles or
murderers!
They,
however, also need an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus
Christ and be converted from a life of sin and changed through His
death and resurrection. We must never give up on anyone,
regardless of how evil and wicked they are or have been!
St.
Peter asked Jesus, how many times a day should he forgive someone
who had wronged him and later repented. Was seven times
enough? Jesus answered, Not seven times, but seventy time
seven." (Matthew 18:22)
In
dealing with our fellow man, it is easy to judge and hold grudges,
but like the old proverb says: "They that live in
glass houses should not throw stones."
It
is well to remember the words of Jesus from the 'Sermon on the
Mount': "They that are merciful will obtain mercy."
(Matthew 5:7) Again He said, "Judge not, that you be
not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be
judged." (Matthew 7:1-2)
GOD'S
HAND WAS ON CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
On
Christopher Columbus' historic voyage across the Atlantic
Ocean, he crew rebelled, demanding that he turn back. But,
Columbus rallied the deck hands with his undaunted cries,
"Sail on, sail on, sail on."
An
amazing fact about Columbus and his times, adds even more suspense
to his achievements. Contrary to public belief, there is
strong evidence that Columbus was a Spanish Jew whose family had
settled in Genoa.
SAILS
OF HOPE
In
his book, 'SAILS OF HOPE: The Secret Mission of Christopher
Columbus', Simon Wiesenthal states that Columbus was not a
Genoese's patriot, but that he fought with the Portuguese against
Genoa in 1476. He always wrote in Spanish and preferred the
Spanish form of his name, Colon, rather than the Italian,
Columbus.
It
seemed less than coincidental that the year Columbus sailed to
discover the new world (1492) was the year that all Jews were
expelled from Spain. According to his journals, however,
Christopher Columbus relied on the Holy Scriptures and believed
that the Lord led him on his voyage to the new land!
He
wrote: "It was the Lord who put it in my mind. I could
feel His hand upon me, the fact that it would be possible to sail
from Europe to the Indies. All who heard of my project
rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. But there is no
question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He
comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy
Scriptures."
Since
his first name Christopher means 'bearer of Christ', Columbus was
convinced that God had given him that name because he was called
to take the gospel of Christ to the heathen he knew he would
discover.
some
of above taken from 'Christ for the Nations' newsletter~~
WINSTON
CHURCHILL: The Man Who Rallied Britain
On
June 4, 1940 at the WSC House of Commons, when Europe was in grave
danger due to the victories of Germany's well-oiled and superb
Nazi War Machine, Winston Churchill gave a much heralded speech,
rallying the British people and much of the world!
President
Kennedy said of Churchill: "He mobilized the English language
and sent it into battle." It is not well known that
Churchill battled a fear of 'public speaking'. In 'Churchill
and Oratory', Robert Courts states: "That this should be the
case is, however, something of a paradox, for the man who has been
hailed as the greatest speaker of modern times was anything but a
natural orator. He frankly admitted, 'For many years, I was
unable to say anything....I had not written out and
committed to memory beforehand.'
Churchill
suffered from a slight lisp and a voice that was not that of a
classic orator: rather high pitched and weak in tone, he was not
able to blast speeches at audiences the way Gladstone could.
"His
inability to speak impromptu was a more serious problem. His
maiden speech took six weeks to prepare and was completely
memorized. However, after a horrific incident in 1904 where
he forgot his speech entirely, he was never able to speak in
public again, without copious notes. Although Churchill was
brilliant in conversation with small groups, he was so nervous
speaking to large audiences that he had to resort to notes."
Here
in part, is the great speech that stirred the free world.
"Even
though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states have
fallen into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus
of NAZI rule, we shall not flag or fail.
We
shall go on to the end; We shall fight in France, we shall
fight on the seas and oceans; We shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds; We shall fight in the
fields, and in the streets; We shall fight in the hills; We
shall never surrender.
And
even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a
large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire
beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would
carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the new world,
with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the
liberation of the old."
He
challenged his listeners with these powerful words: "I
have nothing to offer you but blood...toil....tears...and sweat"
His famous speech at Harrow School in 1941 carried this powerful
admonition: "Never give in. NEVER, NEVER,
NEVER, NEVER....never give in, except to convictions of honor
and good sense."
England
also got help from Almighty God, who miraculously provided 'fog
cover' and stilled the rough waters of the English Channel, so
that hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers - who were pinned
down in Dunkirk - could get back to Britain. Satan also
inadvertently helped the allies, by hooking the German demagogue
on occultism and clairvoyants who gave him dumb advice. It
was Hitler's insane pride and demonic recklessness that drove him
to invade Russia, at the very time he could have conquered
Britain.
Although
Winston Churchill was one of England's greatest leaders, soldiers
and politicians, we was primarily a writer and historian who won
the Nobel Prize in literature and became a millionaire through the
use of his pen. He overcame a major problem, to deliver some
of the greatest speeches the world has ever recorded.
DAVID
FOUND FORGIVENESS
Kind
David found forgiveness for his many sins, and so can you my dear
friend. He prayed: "Have mercy upon me....blot out
my transgressions. Wash me....cleanse me...purge me...create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit
from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation...."
(Psalms 51:1-12)
That
answers some age old questions: "Can a failure make good?
Can a backslider come back? Can a wicked sinner ever be
saved? Is God still reaching out to the unreachable, the
unlovable and the incorrigible?"
The
fact that the Holy Spirit was still with David, after he had
committed adultery with Bathsheba and had he husband Uriah
murdered, proved God's unfathomable grace and unspeakable love to
us all.
Understanding
his precarious position, David begged God for forgiveness and
mercy: "Don't cast me away from Your presence, and don't take
Your Holy Spirit from me." God answered his prayer
in compassion, love, mercy and grace. And God will do the
same for you, my friend.
St.
Paul, who had dropped John Mark from his missionary work because
he judged him undependable, later requested a visit from him and
commended him for his contribution to the ministry. (Acts
15:37-40; 2 Timothy 4:11) And the great Apostle
writing to Philemon on behalf of the runaway slave Onesimus,
appeals for mercy and forgiveness, on his behalf.
"I
beseech thee for my son Onesimus, which in times pasts was to thee
unprofitable, but not profitable for thee and me: Whom I
have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is mine own
heart. Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother
beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in
the flesh and in the Lord?" (Philemon 1:10)
"But
they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and
perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil
which some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves through was many sorrows."
St.
Paul warns, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and
follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art called......" (1 Timothy
6:10-12)"
"For
God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of
love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of
the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power
of God." (2 Timothy 1:7-8)
WHEN
GOD CAME DOWN
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
In
this little message, I would like to share with you some wonderful
truths about the birth of our Saviour, including the reason and
results of His coming and what this marvelous event means to us
today. I have entitled this message, "WHEN GOD CAME
DOWN" - For truly it was a day in which God did come down
upon the earth to redeem mankind.
The
Bible declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Romans 1:3-4),
that He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and
that He who was rich became poor, so that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 8:9).
Zacharias prophesied: "Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people". (Luke
1:68)
And
what a visit and redemption that was: God's Son paying the sin
debt that was against us, through His vicarious death for the
entire race. John the Baptist would prepare the way for the
Redeemer, who would shatter the darkness of sin, sickness,
disease, fear and demon influence and bring peace to the earth.
(Romans 3:23-26)
"Who
His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by Whose
stripes we were healed. For we were as sheep going astray: but are
now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (1 Peter 2: 24, 25)
"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)
LAMB
SLAIN BEFORE WORLD'S CREATION
Before
the foundation of the world, God prepared His Salvation to redeem
mankind from the snare of Satan. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. (Revelation 5:6).
The Redemption Plan was mapped out and decided upon even
then. Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, was to be God's paschal Lamb, the burden-bearer,
deliverer and Redeemer of lost humanity.
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).
God gave His Son to die for us all and Jesus was willing to go.
God had prepared the 'Royal Visitation of Redemption''
and when sin, hopelessness
and spiritual
darkness covered the earth, Jesus of Nazareth was born in
Bethlehem.
God
spread a ray of Heavenly Light into the world to bless humanity,
destroy the power of Satan and to liberate mankind!
Satan's plan for domination of man was thwarted, upset and
nullified because God shed His love and Grace toward His creation:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of
ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"But
when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of
a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the
law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
(Galatians 4:4-5).
PROPHETS
FORETOLD MESSIAH'S COMING
For
4,000 years the prophets had been read to the people of God,
declaring that God Almighty had promised a Messiah to deliver
them. No doubt every
young Jewish girl secretly hoped that she would be the one that
would be favoured by God to bear the Christ child, because the
Scriptures stated: "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you
a sign, Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall
call His name Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
"For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and
the Government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6);
"But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto thee that is to
be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from
everlasting." (Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:23)
"And
in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a
city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's
name was Mary. And the
angel came in unto her, and said Hail thou that art highly
favoured, the Lord is with thee, blessed are thou among women.
And
when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her
mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast
found favour with God. And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS.
And
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of
His Kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:26-38)
MARY
WAS A VIRGIN!
"Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her
husband being a just man, and not willing to make her a
public example, was minded to put her away privily.
But
while he thought on those things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a
son, and thou shalt call Him JESUS: for He shall save His people
from their sins." (Matthew 1:20, 21)
"Then
said Mary, How shall this be since I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:34, 35)
MARY
NEEDED A PERSONAL SAVIOUR!
1.
Mary received Jesus Christ as her
Saviour: "My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit
hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." (Luke 1:46, 47). This godly
virgin recognized that she was a vessel that God would use to
bring His Son into the world, through the process of incarnation,
so He would continue
to be sinless. She confessed God's Son as her Lord and Saviour!
It
was not difficult for her to confess Jesus Christ as her Lord and
Saviour, because she had been informed by Gabriel of the eternal
plan of God for Him. Here is her reaction to Gabriel's message:
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." (Luke
1: 38)
It
is important understand that Mary is NOT
the Mother of God.
She was the mother of the infant Jesus and given the privilege of
bearing the Christ Child. God doesn't have a Mother. To worship
Mary is idolatry and blasphemy. Those who teach that Jesus is a
''Co-redemptrix'' or ''Mediatrix' with Jesus,
are enemies of the cross sent by Satan to deceive and destroy
souls!
2.
Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost:
"These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
with His brethren. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance." (Acts 1:14; 2:4)
Mary
was one of the 120 who sought God for ten days in dedication and
prayer, and were filled with the blessed Holy Spirit on the Day of
Pentecost. And, yes, Mary spoke in tongues and glorified
God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
3.
Joseph knew her not until after the birth of Jesus: "Then
Joseph, being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had
bidden him, and took unto him his wife and knew her not
til she brought forth her first born son, and he called His
Name Jesus." (Matthew 1:24, 25)
Mary
lived a normal married life after the birth of Jesus and had
several children by her husband Joseph.
4.
Mary had children by Joseph: "Is not this the carpenter,
the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were
offended at Him. Then one said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and
Thy brethren stand without, desiring to talk with Thee. But He
answered and
said unto him that told Him, Who is My mother? And who are My
brethren?
And
He stretched forth His had hand toward His disciples, and said,
Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will
of My Father, the same shall be My brother, and sister and
mother." (Matthew 2:47-50)
5.
Jesus gave His mother away: As the
eldest child in the family, it was His duty
to look after His mother
before His death. Since He was going to Heaven to sit on His
Father's right hand, He no longer needed an earthly mother, so He
officially gave His mother to John.
"Now
there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and his mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus
therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by,
whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from
that hour that disciple (John) took her unto his own house."
(John 19: 25-27)
JESUS'
BIRTH WAS SUPERNATURAL:
1.
Jesus of Nazareth
had a Miracle Birth:
He
was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Ghost - humanly
impossible but quite easy for God - because He is a Miracle God:
"In
the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was
MADE flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(John 1:1,2,14)
2.
The Bible is a Miracle Book:
"As
for God, His way is perfect: the Word of the Lord is tried: He is
a buckler to all those that trust in Him." (Psalms 18:30);
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass
always." (Matthew 24:35)
"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);
"All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine for reproof, for correction in righteousness." (2 Corinthians
3:16)
3.
We are Born Again by the Word of God
and the Holy Spirit:
"Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old?
Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
Kingdom of God.
That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is Spirit; Marvel
not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again." (John 3:3-7)
"Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. But the Word of the
Lord abideth forever. And this is the Word which by the Gospel is
preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:23,25)
4.
We are Redeemed by a miracle of God:
"Forasmuch
as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things such
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and spot:
Who
was verily foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you." (1 Peter1:18-20);
"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24)
5.
We are Baptized with the Holy Spirit:
We
experience a Miracle when JESUS baptizes and fills us with the
Holy Spirit of God. Our Heavenly Father fills us with Himself. He
takes total control and speaks through us with new tongues giving
glory, honour and praise unto Jesus Christ the Liberator of
humanity and the Saviour of the world!
The
prophet Isaiah foretold this great experience seven hundred and
fifty years before it happened on the Day of Pentecost about
33 A
.D. in an Upper Room in Jerusalem: "For with stammering lips and
another tongue will He speak unto this people.
To whom He said, This is the rest whereby ye may cause the
weary to rest and this the refreshing: yet they would not hear."
(Isaiah 28:11,12)
"In
the last day that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He
that believeth on Me, as Scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7: 37, 38)
The
Bible states: "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth. And be not drunk with wine, wherein
is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit." (Eph. 5:9,18)
6.
Miracles of healing emanate from God and are still happening:
God
is a Miracle God and we are His people. Our
God has not changed His Word and will always keep His Word
as promised. The Holy Bible is filled with testimonies of
His goodness and grace. There are many who have been healed by
God's power and experienced a Miracle.
"Is
any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Name of the
Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up, and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him." (James 5: 14,15)
"And
these Signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall
take up serpent; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and thy shall
recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was
received up int Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they
went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them,
and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen." (Mark
16:17-20).
To
God be the Glory: I can testify for His Names' sake that I have
seen hundreds of such great miracles through many years of
preaching His Gospel! Hallelujah to the Lamb forever and ever!
7.
Our walk is a walk of faith:
All
who believe that He is Alive, know His ability to keep us from all
evil and constantly
burning with the Holy Spirit's fire and doing exploits for Him by
the power of His Name! There is nothing that can stop the Army of
God marching in lockstep, destroying Satan's works and freeing his
captives!
"And
He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven.
Behold, I give unto
you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
(Luke 10:19);
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth
not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that
wicked one toucheth him NOT. And we know that we are of God, and
the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5: 18,19)
He
has given us 'The Great Commission' a living, binding document,
entailing our job description: Where we are to go? What are we to
do? When are we to do it? How are we to do it? Why are to do it?
We are to take His Gospel into all the world. We are to preach His
Word and minister in
the power of His Spirit employing His gifts of Power to bring
forgiveness, healing and much
blessing to all. Duty calls we Must Answer!
We
must do it now because the Hour is late and Christ will soon
Return. And the enemy
is working at top speed knowing that his time is short! He is a
defeated foe and is employing millions of 'enemies of the Cross'
but his death knell sounded when Jesus Christ cried, "It Is
Finished". The word He spoke out was in Greek - Tetelestai - with three essential meanings: To finish something, bring
something to an end; to fulfill something; to pay that which is
owed!
Jesus
Christ had finished His redemptive work. He had brought to an end
Satan's power over mankind. He had fulfilled the Old Testaments
Scriptures concerning the Jewish Messiah and He had paid the price
in full for our salvation, forgiveness, healing and deliverance.
We are now free for time and for eternity!
Everything
about our Saviour was miraculous because He was still in the bosom
of the Father. He humbled
Himself when left the Throne of Glory to be incarnated, God in
human flesh so that He could atone for the sins of the world,
past, present and future. He was God in human flesh, but He laid
aside His Godhood so that He could be true God and True man His
virgin birth!
Because
He was sinless, death could not hold Him in Hades. He said, I lay
down My life and I will take it again. No man could take it from
Him, He voluntarily laid it down. When the time came to arise from
the death, He simply rose from the dead. He freely gave it for
mankind's salvation. And
He is alive forever more!
His
life was a continuous miracle. He healed the sick, raised the
dead, multiplied loaves and fishes, walked on the water, forgave
sinners. (John 10:17-18). His
resurrection was a miracle (Acts 1:9). And when He returns in the
clouds to receive us to Himself, it will be another miracle. (1
Thessalonians 4:16). He
is our Miracle God and we are His Miracle people, living by faith
in the finished work of Calvary, found in His Holy and Divine Word!
THE
ANGEL VISITS JOSEPH:
"Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing
to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
But
while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David,
fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew
1:20);
"Behold a virgin shall be with child,
and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew
1:23)
When
Joseph realized his wife-to-be was expecting a child, he was
shocked and suspected, of course, unfaithfulness to purity and
chastity from Mary, but as he thought along these lines, the Angel
of God came unto him and revealed God's Divine Plan for the child
which was to be born.
JESUS
IS THE ONLY SAVIOUR:
Jesus
Christ is the Only Saviour of the world.
No one else can save you from your sins. Buddha, Muhammed,
Confucius, the Pope, were born as humans and have died as humans
but Jesus Christ was born as Saviour and died as Saviour and when
He arose, that crowned the Event of events, as He was declared to
be the Son of God with power through the Resurrection (Romans
1:4).
Jesus
said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." (John
14:6) "I am the
door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." (John
10:9) No one else can
forgive sins but Jesus - The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son,
cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7).
"Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be
saved? And He said
unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many I say
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
(Luke 13:23-24)
"There
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham
and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the Kingdom of God,
and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13:28)
"There is no other name under Heaven given among men
whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
His Name is WONDERFUL - (Isaiah 9:6) Emmanuel, God with us,
Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God.
JESUS
WAS BORN KING:
As
the wise men entered Jerusalem, they asked "Where is He that
is born King - we have seen His star in the East and are come to
worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)
When Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth was born, she was
born a Princess and became Queen.
Nearly
every reigning Monarch has been born as a Prince and then become
King years later but when Jesus was born, He was not born as a
Prince - He was born King and he is still King today, greater than
the kings of the earth and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.
(Isaiah 9:7)
In
Acts 17:7 Paul and Silas were preaching, the multitudes came
together and charged Jason saying, These men preach that there is
another King, one Jesus. Paul
preached it, that Jesus Christ is King.
He
is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Thomas, that man of doubt and unbelief, when He saw Jesus
he fell down and cried out "My Lord and My God". He
wants to be your Saviour but also your Lord and Master and King - Supreme in your life.
In
Rev. 19:11-16 we see Jesus riding on a white horse.
He is going out to destroy the Anti-Christ with the breath
of His mouth. On His
thigh and vesture, which has been dipped in blood, a Name is
written "The King of kings and Lord of lords".
Won't you let Him come in and be the ruler and King in your
life?
Wise
men today also seek for Jesus!
"Ye shall seek for me and find me when ye search for
me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no
God." (Psalms 14:1) The
Wise Men worshipped Him (Jesus), not His mother. (Matthew 2:11)
THE
ANGEL'S VISIT TO THE SHEPHERDS:
How
surprised and fearful the shepherds were when all of a sudden the
Glory of God filled the hillside and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them as the Angel of the Lord came upon them.
As they fell to the earth, the Angel said,
"Fear
thou not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. For
unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord. (Luke
2:8-18)
And
this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Many have wondered why God would send Angels to the
shepherds. It was
because David was the shepherd king and Jesus Christ was born of
the lineage of David and so the poor shepherds were the first to
be told. When someone
has a baby, they quickly send their neighbours and friends
announcement cards - but when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, God the Father sent Angels down to herald the birth of the
Saviour.
And
when the shepherds had found the Messiah as told by the angels,
they went everywhere telling people about this wonderful
happening. When the
artist paints the picture of the Saviour and His mother, they
usually depict a halo around their heads.
The Scripture doesn't mention any halo, however, but the
Swaddling Clothes were given as a sign, in which the Christ Child
was wrapped, and the Manger.
NO
ROOM IN THE INN:
There
was no room in the Inn. Jesus
Christ, God's Son was born in a Stable (barn) in Bethlehem.
I often wondered why He was born in a stable and then I
realized that that is where lambs are born and Jesus Christ is the
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Today
many people have no room for Him in their lives.
They have no room for Him in their hearts.
They have excluded the Son of God from the throne of their
souls. They
have been too busy to think about Christianity - about God and His
Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Too
busy with business, making money, along with the cares and
pleasures of this world, with no time for Jesus.
But
Jesus stands and knocks at your heart's door - (Revelation
3:20), "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."
Don't
be so rude - He's been standing knocking on your heart's door for
a long time. Why
don't you let Him come into your heart and set up His throne in
your life.
HOW
CAN WE BE BORN AGAIN?
What
does Jesus' birth, death and resurrection mean to us today? And
what do we have to do to receive the great blessings which His
Redemptive work affords us: It means that God has given His best to bless humanity.
Jesus came to bring life, health and happiness.
He came to give peace and joy to those who would believe,
here on this earth and Eternal Life for evermore. The Jewish
nation rejected Him and turned Him over to the Roman Authorities
for crucifixion.
Jesus
of Nazareth died according to the plan and will of His Father, as
God's Paschal Lamb bearing the sins of the
world, past, present and future. On the the third day He
arose from the dead,
having met the righteous demands of divine justice in the Courts
of Heaven, for the sins of mankind!
St.
Peter stated: "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye
men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man
approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves also know:
Him,
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because
it was not possible that He should be holden of it." (Acts 2:
21-24)
1.
ADMIT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER:
"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 everyone to his own way; and the
Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 23:6)
2.
BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD:
"“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 might be saved." (John 3:16,17); "
“He that believeth
the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him." (John
3:36)
3.
REPENT OF YOUR SINS:
"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); "Then said Peter unto
them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the Name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost." ( Acts 2:38)
4.
RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOUR:
"For this is the record that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He that hath the Son hath life: and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. These have I written unto you that believe
on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of
God." (1 John 5:11-13)
"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)
5.
CONFESS HIM BEFORE MEN:
"That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that
Gd 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)
CHRIST
JESUS: THE GIFT OF GOD!
"For
ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though He was rich, yet
for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might
be rich." (2 Corinthians 8: 9); "Thanks be unto God for the
unspeakable gift." (2 Corinthians 9: 25)
"In
His great mercy and by His grace, God the Father of all mercies,
has chosen the weak, base and foolish things of this world to
confound the things that are mighty." (1 Corinthians
1:27). St. Paul wrote: "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification and
redemption." (1 Corinthians
1:30)
Only
by the grace of God have we been chosen to become partakers
of Christ's nature thereby making us
children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
In His great mercy, kindness and love, He has made us 'accepted in
the Beloved'. Not only
has He saved us from Satan's evil power and our own carnal and
sinful ways, but He has given us through His Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, His Wisdom,
Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption.
He
has taken the foolish things of this world, like ourselves, and
made us His very own sons.
We
were redeemed by His
precious blood, from the curse of the Law, when Jesus became a
curse for us. (Galatians 3:13)
WHY
DID ALMIGHTY GOD DO THIS?
What
was the purpose of Christ's Incarnation, miraculous Ministry, His
meritorious, vicarious death on the CROSS, and His glorious
resurrection from the dead? It was the out flowing of our Father's
great mercy, love, grace and goodness toward the Human
race. His great heart of love planned and executed it all before
the worlds were created. He would have a church, a people and
family to love and cherish and to use as the expression of His
mercy and grace!
Who
can understand such love? No one is able to comprehend His
greatness and the magnitude of His Grace. It is beyond our human
power to assimilate or even imagine!
He
wanted us! He called us! He forgave us! He saved us from our
filthiness, pride and unrighteousness. He lifted us from the muck
and mire, to sit with His Son Jesus Christ at His Heavenly Throne.
No
wonder St. Paul says, "That no flesh should glory!" We have
nothing to Gloat about. It was all His plan, His work and His
goodness that gave us all this! Where would I be? Where would we
all be without His MERCY? Lost in our sins, bound by chains of
Lust, Greed and Pride - doomed forever in a lost eternity - filled with fear, agony and torment.
O'
what a Saviour! O' what a Redeemer! O'' what a Blessedness, we have
in Christ our Lord. To Him be all the honour, glory and praise
forever and ever! Amen.
 END
TIMES
Understanding the Times
& What to do
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
"And
the children of Issachar, which were men who had understanding
of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of
them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their
commandment." (1 Chronicles 12:32)
WHERE
ARE THE MEN AMONG US TODAY?
WHERE
are the men among us today who understand the times and who know
what we ought to do? The ability to understand 'the
times', is undoubtedly a rare ability. And to know
how to be proactive or reactive in each situation is equally
important. There is a natural ability which comes
from genetic inheritance, experience or observation!
GOD
HAS GIVEN TO HIS BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH,
NINE SUPERNATURAL GIFTS
There
is also the spiritual gifting which comes
directly from the Holy Spirit! God has given to His body,
the Church, nine supernatural spiritual gifts which include the
unique 'Gift of the word of knowledge' and the 'Gift of the word
of wisdom'.
"For
to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the
word of knowledge by the same Spirit." (1 Corinthians
12:8) The 'gift of the word of knowledge' is the
supernatural ability to know things that are not naturally known
and the 'gift of the word of wisdom' is the
supernatural ability to know how to act or react to that
knowledge!
God
has so equipped His Church with these safeguards and tools to not
only protect it but to thrust it forward in its task of building
His Kingdom! Whether the ability to "understand the
times" and to "know what to do" come to
us through natural ability or supernatural gifts is immaterial.
The important thing is that we are apprised of the situation, our
eyes are wide open and our minds are alert to know, see and do the
right things!
I
pray for each one reading these lines that our dear Lord will
grant unto all the ability to "know Him who to know is
life eternal" and the desire to walk with Him in truth,
sincerity and humility, trusting only in His merits for time and
eternity!
And
that we may understand the times and know what to do in order to
keep our families safe from the filth and gutter slime so
prevalent in our disintegrating society. To keep our
children safe from this corrupt, wicked and perverted world?
(2 John 1:1-9)
AWAKE
THOU THAT SLEEPEST!
The
Bible admonishes: "Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that
sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light.
See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise;
"Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but UNDERSTANDING what the will of God
is. And be not drunk with wine wherein in excess, but be
filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:14-18)
You
may ask: "Where are the Men?" We have
a real problem because we live in a society where many younger men
have had no role model due to broken homes and absent Dads! The
rage these young men have developed, because of the ache in their
hearts for a father, often surfaces against their wives and
children!
And
it is even worse in common-law arrangements, hopping from one
relationship to another, leaving behind bruised and
hurting women and children, as well as heart broken
men!
Large
numbers of families are hurting because of stubborn
foolish pride, self-centeredness, and demons of lust let
loose through immoral movies, alcohol, drug abuse and pornography!
I
BLAME THE DEVIL!
I
blame the Devil who has blinded the eyes of religious leaders
who have been asleep at the switch and didn't see the approaching
train filled with worldly pleasure, compromise and lethargy!
Some blame must also go to parents who have allowed their children
to change the rules and call the shots!
St.
Paul stated: "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded
the minds of them which believed not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine
unto them." (2 Corinthians 4:3,4)
I
blame our Politicians who have listened to the voices of the crowd
crying: "Give us the Murdered Barabbas"
and "Crucify Jesus the Christ: We won't have Him to
rule over us." (Matthew 27:20-26)
Amazingly,
politicians are often allowed to pass laws that are unhealthy,
immoral and ungodly and believe that they can go scot-free, that
there are no further consequences!
A
good example of this is the 'same-sex marriage' or as it has been
aptly called 'man-on-man' marriage, which our former corrupt
Government pushed through against the wishes of the majority of
Canadians. Do they think that they had the last word on
that? Do they think that they can get away with it?
Well,
they won't! It will come back to bite them in this life and
the next! One day
every lawmaker, politician and judge that has contributed to the
breakdown of society, destruction of marriages through perverted
laws, knowingly releasing pedophiles and murderers into society to
molest rape and kill, will stand before the greatest Judge of all
to hear His verdict.
God's
Word states: "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold
the truth in unrighteousness." (Romans 1:18)
WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN?
It
means to suppress the truth and hide it from the people, to cover
it up or water it down. It means to lie about the truth and
promote the very opposite. It means to substitute another
agenda that is carnal, fleshly and untruthful.
St.
Paul warned: "Because that when they knew God, they glorified
Him not as God....but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools. Wherefore GOD
GAVE THEM UP to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,
to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Who
changed the truth of God into a lie...
"For
this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their
women did change the natural use into that which is against
nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural
use of the woman, burned in their lust, one toward another...
"And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a REPROBATE MIND, to do those things which are
not convenient." (Romans 1:21-28)
STRONG
WARNING:
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled:
but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews
13:4)
The
Bible warns perverts: And Jesus called a little
child unto Him and set him in the midst of them.
And said, "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and
become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven.
But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me,
it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck
and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
(Matthew 18:2, 3, 6)
THE
GREAT DAY OF JUDGMENT!
Every
philosopher, theologian and preacher
who suppresses the truth and perverts the teachings of Jesus
Christ will have to stand before the Eternal Judge on the 'Day of
Judgment'. Unbelievers
will appear at the Great White Throne presided over by our Lord
Jesus Christ:
"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 book
were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of
life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
And
the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged
every man according to their works. And death and Hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)
BELIEVERS
AT THE BEMA SEAT JUDGMENT
Believers
in Christ will all appear at the Bema Seat Judgment.
It is where followers of Jesus Christ will be judged for rewards
or lack thereof depending on their works: Here are the words of
Holy Scripture on this matter:
"Wherefore
we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of
Him. For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good of bad." (2 Corinthians
5:10)
The
Bible commands believers to turn from sins that war against the
soul and flee from the wrath to come, by abiding in Christ the
sure rock of our salvation! St. Paul admonishes the church
thus: "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught
by Him, as the TRUTH is in Jesus:
That
ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which
is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
"Wherefore
putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for
ye are members one of another. Neither give place to the
devil." (Ephesians 4:21-27)
GIVING
HEED TO GOD'S WORD!
"I
beseech ye therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service;. And be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect
will of God." (Romans 12:1, 2)
"Wherefore,
seeing we also are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which both so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith;
"Who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand at the throne of
God." (Hebrews 12:1,2)
There
are three things we must do: Consider Jesus: "Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle and High Priest (Hebrews 3:1): There is no-one like
Him; Saviour, Redeemer, Healer, Friend, God! Look
unto Jesus: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher
of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the
Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
God (Hebrews 12:2): Don't
just look at Him but look unto Him for forgiveness, counsel,
comfort and healing. Go to Him with your needs and watch Him
work in your life.
WE
MUST FOLLOW JESUS!
We
must Follow Jesus:
"Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing
His reproach.."(Hebrews 13:13). Take up your cross and
become His Disciple. Serve Him and live for Him. Look
for His return! (Matthew 11:28)
You
will then become like the Sons of Issachar who understood the
times and knew what Israel had to do.
May
God richly bless you as you draw near unto Him, for He has
promised to draw near unto you! (James 4:8) He will accept
you when you call upon His name in sincerity and faith. (John 6:7)
Amen.
CHRIST
THE HEALER GOSPEL CHURCH
December 22, 2017
Dear
Friends in Christ,
For
our friends in Saskatchewan, Donna and i will be ministering at Christ
the Healer Gospel Church on December 31 (Sunday) at 10:30 am &
6:30 pm.
After
more than 10 years in Saskatoon, we felt led of the Lord to invite
Rev. Terry and Shelly Severson to take the reigns of
leadership and build on what we started in Saskatoon on September
26, 2007.
On
Monday, January 1, 2018 at 2:30 pm, we will have a special New
Year's Rally where we will officially transfer (without charge)
the property of Christ the Healer Gospel Church at 136 Ave F S,
Saskatoon, SK to the TORO Ministries of Saskatchewan, in the
precious name of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
 This
move will give me the opportunity to pour myself into our
Missionary work, publishing a number of books I have written and
do more radio and TV work in order to reach a larger audience with
Christ's Gospel.
On
October 26, 1991 (after 22 years) Donna and I turned over the
large, beautiful Faith Cathedral church and property, located on
2.5 acres in Edmonton, Alberta, to Peoples Church, giving me the
opportunity to reach multitudes for Christ all across the Soviet
Union (Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia,
Latvia), Sudan, Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania, Europe, Norway, Brazil
and the Philippine Islands.
On
April 13, 2005, I had the privilege of preaching to circa 300,000
people at a large Assembly of God Crusade at the Parquie Brasil,
Paulina, SP, Brazil.
Today,
People's Church, Edmonton is a strong Church with people from
dozens of nations of the world. Pastor Laurie and Iris have
thanked us over the years for our amalgamation in 1991.
Thank
you so much for your prayers and support over the years. Our
prayers are for God's blessings upon you and your family.
With
much love in Jesus,
Pastor
Max & Donna Solbrekken
2 Cor. 4:5/Hebrews 13:8
VisionHeaven
Television Interview
on the history
of Pastor Max Solbrekken's life
and powerful ministry
click
to watch interview
Posted
by VisionHeaven on Tuesday, June 12, 2013
 A
LEGENDARY EVANGELISTIC - Dr. Max Solbrekken
This
week we have had the privilege of talking with a legendary
evangelist Dr. Max Solbrekken. He held a series of meetings
for the whole week in one of our meeting halls in Hokksund,
Norway, and has prayed for people to be healed and delivered.
Max
is 79 years old, he looks healthy and strong and is still
traveling all over the world with the gospel
of Jesus Christ just a she has done it for the last 50 years.
We
asked Max to tell us how he got saved.
"I
was born in Canada from a Norwegian Parents who love the Lord and
were Christians." They were not Pentecostals and had
never heard of the work of the Holy Spirit. One time my dad
got very sick, and his sickness was identified to be an illness in
his gall bladder. He was admitted in a hospital and was
waiting for a surgery. While he was there, he heard a voice
speaking to him in Norwegian that said to him, "Go home and
listen to Oral Roberts on the Radio."
My
Dad did not know that God could speak to him in that way, but
still he decided to obey the voice as it was very convincing.
While he listened to the radio program he was completely healed
and some time later while he was praying alone he got baptized in
the Spirit.
WHY
WE NEED
A REVIVAL
By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
The
Bible clearly outlines the sins of Israel, which at one time held
a special relationship with God. In this article I compare
Israel's backsliding to the Church of Jesus Christ's seemingly
constant drift from our amazing spiritual beginning until the
present!
In
the same manner, I parallel the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden from purity, honesty and worship of their Creator to the
corrupt, jaded and perverted world system of today!
God's
Word states:
"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a
reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34 );
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the
Lord." (Psalms 33:12)
According to these Scriptures, Canada is in a fallen
state!
The
Church is in desperate need of a genuine Holy Ghost, heaven-sent,
apostolic revival of mammoth proportions! Without a visitation
from God, the Church will not be able survive the awful onslaught
of Satanic invention and intrigue!
The
Evil One is working overtime to minimize, decimate and destroy the
effectiveness of the Body of Christ around the world! He has
employed many and varied agencies and emissaries to do his bidding
ever since 'The Fall', which has caused great confusion and
suffering to the Church.
The
greatest problem suffered by the Body of Christ down though
the centuries, however, has been self - inflicted!
Discord among brethren, jealousy, envy, backbiting, lust, greed,
pride and control, have been some of the sins that have seriously
hampered the sanctity and the growth of the Church!
Other
major problems have been that of deception, laziness and
indifference! Power hungry men have often been willing to
compromise the Word of God, to maintain their position of
prominence in society and authority in the Church.
What
has been the result of these actions? A loss of real
spiritual power, a vacuum of moral leadership in the Church and
community, and a blurred vision of the
purpose and goals of the Ministry. It has also generated a luke
warmness
toward the needs of the people, a lack of compassion to reach
a lost world and a loss of the Holy Spirit's fire
in praise and worship.
Here
are some key Scriptures that relate to our situation today and
their ramifications as it applies to our individual lives and the
Church body as a whole. In this message I seek to show the
similarities that existed in various times in Israel's history of
backsliding to what is happening in the Church presently.
1. NEHEMIAH
1:1-5
"The
words of Nehemiah the son of Hach-a-liah. And it came to pass in
the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the palace,
That Ha-na-ni, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of
Judah; and I asked them concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto
me, The
remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are
in great affliction and reproach:
the
wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates
thereof are burned with fire.
"And
it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down
and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before
the God of heaven, And said, I beseech Thee, O' Lord God of
heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and
mercy for them that love Him and observe His
commandments."
It seems
clear to me that the report given to Hezekiah about the
awful condition of Jerusalem - the City of God -
and the sad plight of the inhabitants therein, closely resemble
the plight of the Christian Church in many parts of the
world today.
Jesus
said: "I
will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." (Matthew
16: 18). It is true that Jesus is building His Church and it is
also true that the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail
against it. During the time of Christ, City Hall (as we call
it), where plans of war were hammered out, was directly
behind the gate, and consequently was referred to as the Gates of
the City! The words, 'the
gates of hell',
refer to the opinions, plans, strategy and agenda of Satan.
They cannot succeed in the long term! They will be defeated.
Our
Lord gave us the Great Commission, which stated in part: "Go
ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them
that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall
lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover." (Mark
16:15, 18)
IS
THE CHURCH A REPROACH TODAY?
We
must ask ourselves the questions: "Are we fulfilling the
Great Commission of our Lord, or are we just playing Church? Are
we casting out devils, healing the sick, setting the captives
free, and preaching the good news to those who haven't yet heard?
Even
a casual reading of the Epistles teaches us how
graciously, unselfishly and righteously God desires us to live,
after receiving Jesus Christ as Lord. Do we love the Lord
with all our heart, soul and mind, and our neighbour as
ourselves? Do we love others, as Christ loved us or do we hold
onto grudges and un-forgiveness? It is difficult to
believe that we are not "missing the mark" in
these areas.
The
Lord's Prayer, which our Master taught His disciples to pray,
states in part: "Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
Have our lives helped to cause that to happen? Is His will
being done in our earth (body) as well as on the earth? Are
we a part of the solution or a part of the problem?
Hezekiah
was confronted with a pitiful sight! The walls of Jerusalem were
broken down and the gates had been burned with fire! And the
remnant that were left in God's Holy City were in great
affliction (poverty, despair, sickness) and reproach (persecuted,
maligned, ridiculed). If
we are honest with ourselves and God, we must admit that this is a
picture of the Church world-wide.
Never
before, has the Roman Catholic Church
been
so publicly disgraced and sued in the courts, because of the sick
homosexual practices of their pervert pedophile priests! And when
you see Protestant denominations
in the Western World caving in to the demands of homosexuals and
lesbians for ordination and same-sex marriages for their
clergy, doesn't it make you sick?
The
first time I saw two men kissing on TV, I felt nauseated!
What a reproach. What an unnatural, disgusting image for
little children to absorb!
The
disastrous fall into almost comatose formalism, and a rejection of
the Virgin birth of Christ, the Born Again experience and the
Doctrine of Hell of many Protestant Churches makes one wonder how
bad it can get. The only answer is a red-hot, Holy Spirit led
revival of righteousness.
2. Joel 1:9-14, Joel 2:15
"The
field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the
new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth. Be ye ashamed, O ye
husbandmen; howl, O ye wine dressers, for the wheat and for
the barley; because
the harvest of the field is perished.
"The
vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the
pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even
all the trees of the field, are withered:
because
joy is withered away from the sons of men. Gird
yourselves and lament ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar:
come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for
the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the
house of your God.
"Sanctify
ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the
inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and
cry unto the Lord. Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at
hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come."
I
believe that there is a parallel between the crises in
the Church today, and the vision that the prophet Joel had of Israel facing
the day of judgment, called in the Old testament, 'the Day of the
Lord'! Using this Scripture as a pre-picture of the Church in
the time of the end, allow me to share some pertinent and very
important truths:
Why was Israel to
asked to call a solemn assembly? Why must the priests lie all
night in sackcloth, crying unto God? Why must all the inhabitants
of the land fast, mourn, weep and repent? Judgment was coming! The
terrible 'Day of the Lord' was about to take place, when the
Almighty's wrath will fall upon the world at the very end of time.
THE
BIBLE ISSUES A WARNING!
St.
Peter wrote about it with great solemnity and warning: "But
the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye
to be in all holy conversation and godliness?
"Looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, according to His
promise, look for new heavens and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousness."
"Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye
may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and
blameless." (2 Peter 3: 10, 14). Why should we
call a solemn assembly and sanctify a fast? Why should the Church
spend much, much more time in prayer? Here are three
reasons:
1.
WE HAVE LOST THE HARVEST - VERSE 11
For the
Church, the harvest is the youth of our nation! Our
young people who have drifted away from the faith of their fathers
and mothers! Young people who smoke marijuana, fornicate, drink
alcoholic beverages and gamble at the casinos and video lottery
terminals! Young people who are carnally minded and live only for
pleasure, instead of being consecrated and dedicated to God and
His program.
2.
WE HAVE LOST THE JOY - VERSE 12
The
reason that there is so little joy in the hearts of Christians is
because we have lost the harvest. It is because we are not winning
souls to Christ! The Bible says: "They
that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126: 5, 6).
I
have never met an unhappy soul winner!
People who witness for Christ and are engaged in Church and
Missionary work are the happiest people that I have been
privileged to meet, because they are involved with eternal souls.
A soul winner's joy is sweet and his reward is great.
The
Bible says: "And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Daniel
12: 2, 3)
3. THERE
IS NO MEAT & DRINK OFFERING - VERSE 13
The
priests and their families lived off some of the offerings
that were brought to the temple. People had stopped bringing in
their offerings, so therefore there was very little for the
ministering priests to live on. How can the Church survive when
people lose interest, backslide, stop paying their tithes?
How
can the work of God grow if people stop serving Him, and discontinue
giving missionary offerings? Only a revival, an awakening, a
visitation from God Almighty will shake us into action, so that
our hearts will be right with Him and open to the call of God upon
our lives. Let us call a solemn assembly and get people involved
in fasting and praying for a genuine revival from Heaven.
3. HABAKKUK
3: 1, 2
"A
prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. O Lord, I have
heard Thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive Thy work in the
midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath
remember mercy."
This
is one of the most powerful Scriptures in the Bible, to
convince the Church to call upon God for mercy, forgiveness and
help! The prophet had apparently been in prayer and God had
spoken to him. Prayer is a two-way street. It is important
to let God speak to us during our times of seeking Him! What
God told the prophet shook him to the core, and made him afraid.
What
did God tell Habakkuk? It
seems that God must have given him a message, that
impending judgment was about to fall. Gripped by a holy
reverence andr godly fear, the prophet cried out:
"Instead
of judgment, send a revival. Revive Thy work O Lord, in the
midst of the years. Don't let your cup of judgment get filled up!
Rather make yourself known unto us NOW by forgiving our sins and
showing mercy. And if You must judge us, in Your great wrath
remember to be merciful!
4.
JEREMIAH 2: 13 ; 6: 16
"For
My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the
fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken
cisterns, that can hold no water. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in
the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good
way, and walk therein, and ye shall rest for your souls. But they
said, We will not walk therein."
There
are some sad stories in the Bible of hardhearted people who
refused to turn to the Lord, even after He called them repeatedly!
Here He speaks to Jeremiah - the weeping prophet - about His
feelings regarding Israel , His chosen people! He asks: "Hath
a nation changed their gods, which are no gods? but My people have
changed their glory for that which doth not profit." (v.
11).
He
indicts Israel on two counts: Forsaking Him, the
fountain of living water and exchanging Him for counterfeits -
broken cisterns which can hold no water.
Then,
He challenges them to take a good hard look at all the
alternatives: "Stand at the crossroads of life and have a
good look at the alternatives. Then, return to the good ways and
walk in them." What does He offer? Peace and rest for our
souls! yet, there are many who enter the wide gate and take the
broad road which leads to death and destruction.
THE
BIBLE GIVES THE KEY TO REVIVAL
Here
is the KEY to revival: "If My people, which are called by My
name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land." (2 Chron. 7: 14).
There
are four things that God's people must do in order for the
Almighty to rend the heavens and come down in Revival Power
in our midst!
First,
we must humble ourselves, getting rid of the sin of pride. Second,
we must begin to pray earnestly for His intervention. Third,
we must seek His face in protracted times of intimate fellowship
with our Heavenly Father! We must get close enough so that we can
walk with Him like Enoch, Abraham and Moses! And Four,
we must "lay aside every weight and the sin which doth
so easily besets us" (Heb.12: 1, 2), and turn
from every wicked way.
5. MALACHI
1: 6 - 9; 3: 8 - 10
"A
son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a
Father, where is Mine honour? and if I be a Master, where is My
fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you. O priests, that despise My
name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised Thy name? Ye offer
polluted bread upon Mine altar, and ye say, Wherein have we
polluted Thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is
contemptible.
"And
if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil" and if
ye offer the lame and the blind, is it not evil? offer it now to
thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?
saith the Lord of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that He
will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he
regard your person saith the Lord of hosts.
God
was displeased with the priests who were indifferent to their holy
tasks in the temple. They were only going through the motions
instead of reverently ministering to the Lord! Are we also
guilty of only going through the motions without real conviction
and love for our Lord?
May
God help us to give Him our very best, instead of the cull, the
left - overs in our life. He is not content to play second
fiddle or be the fifth wheel. He wants to be NUMBER ONE in
our heart and life! Let us give Jesus Christ centre stage.
In
verse 11 through 14, we read: "For from the rising of
the sun even unto the going down of the same MY name shall be
great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall
be offered unto My name, and a pure offering: for My name shall be
great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts."
What
were they doing? They were offering animals that were blind and
lame and sick unto the eternal God! He asks: "Should I
accept this of your hand? saith the Lord. But cursed be the
deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and
sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King,
saith the Lord of hosts, and My name is dreadful among the
heathen."
A
SIN AND A SHAME!
It
is scandalous when you consider the very little we give to God and
His cause in the so-called Christian nations, relative
to what we spend on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, pornography,
gambling and amusement. It
is a Sin and a Shame! We spend more money on chewing gum in
our respective countries than we give to Almighty God. That
has to change.
In
Chapter 3, we read: "Will
a man rob God? yet
ye have robbed Me. But
ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee. In tithes and offerings.
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed Me, even this whole
nation.
"Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in
Mine house, and PROVE ME now herewith saith the Lord of hosts, if
I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a
blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it.
And
I will REBUKE THE DEVOURER for your sakes, and he shall not
destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of
hosts."
Upon
the authority of God's Word, I declare that you will never sorry
if you give God His share in tithes and offerings. He is no man's
debtor and He will prosper and bless you as He has promised. His
Word cannot fail and He will not fail you.
Isaiah's
life was changed when he had a vision of God in the temple. He
became one of the greatest Prophets of all times! He cried out: "Behold,
the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His
ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated
between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from
you, that He will not hear." (Isaiah
59: 1,2)
Here
he gives us the key to forgiveness and peace: "Seek ye
the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near: 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: 6, 7)
6.
REVELATION 3: 14 - 20
"And
unto the angel of the church of the La-od-i-ce'ans write; These
things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I
would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My
mouth.
"Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold
tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment,
that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou
mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be
zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and
knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me."
The
La-od-i-ce'an Church had drifted so far from the truth
that Jesus is standing on the outside seeking entrance to His OWN
CHURCH. How very, very sad! He wants us to be red hot for Him and
His Gospel. Please make room for Jesus Christ in your heart and
life today! Only then, do we really begin living. In his great
love and mercy, Jesus will wash away every sin and fill our hearts
with contentment and contagious joy!
What
a reproach in that Day, to be left on the outside, because you
have left Him on the outside of your life! He urges, "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.
"To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even
as I also overcame, ans am set down with My Father in His
throne." (Revelation 3: 20,21)
7.
JONAH 1:1-6
"Arise,
go to Ninevah, that great city, and cry against it; for their
wickedness is come up before Me. But Jonah rose up to flee from
the presence of the Lord; and went down to Joppa; and he found a
ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down
into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the
Lord.
But
the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a
mighty tempest in the
sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners
were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the
wares that were in the
ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.. But Jonah was gone down
into the sides of the ship, and he lay, and was fast asleep.
So
the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him. What meanest thou O
sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be it that God will think
upon us, that we perish not. And they said everyone to his fellow,
Come, and let us cast lots,
that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they
cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
Then
said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this
evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou?
What is thy country? and of what people art thou?
And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord,
the God of Heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
Then,
were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou
done this? For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of
God, because he had told them. Then said they unto him, what shall
we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us: for the sea
wrought and was tempestuous unto them.
Then
said he, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the
sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great
tempest is upon you. Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring it
to land.; but they could not; for the sea wrought and was
tempestuous unto against them.
Wherefore
they cried unto the Lord, and said, we beseech Thee O Lord, we
beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not
upon us innocent blood: for Thou
O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee. So they took up
Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea, and the sea ceased from
her raging.
Then
the men feared exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord,
and made vows. Now the Lord had prepared a GREAT FISH to swallow
up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and
three nights."
What
a wake-up call Jonah received from Almighty God and what
tremendous measures He takes, so that a heathen city could hear
God's voice and be saved. It was an unusual and awesome way to
reach that entire city for Him.
WHEN
GOD BECAME A MAN!
It
pales, however, when one considers the Salvation plan that Jesus
of Nazareth fulfilled through His Virgin birth, pure and righteous
life, vicarious death and glorious resurrection. The Sovereignty
of God demanded punishment
for sin and the CROSS provided the Final solution!
For
a time, God overlooked or winked at our sins in His great mercy
and kindness by allowing the sacrificing of innocent lambs, goats
and bullocks (occasionally a red heifer) to suffice.
When
the fullness of time had come, however, Almighty God our Heavenly
Father, gave Himself in His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins and those of the whole world. The word propitiation means the
covering, satisfaction and the expiation. Jesus of Nazareth, true
God from eternity and true man by His virgin birth, had to die so
that He could cover us and remove our sins to SATISFY the
Righteous Demands of Divine Justice.
While
in the belly of the GREAT FISH, Jonah repented of his rebellion
and disobedience. God forgave him and gave him another opportunity
to reach the wicked city of Nineveh with God's message of
repentance and judgment. Praise the Lord!
"And
the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the
dry ground. And the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the Second
time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh that great city, and preach
unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went
unto Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was
an exceeding great city of three days journey.
So
the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put
on sackcloth, from the greatest one even to the least of them. For
word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne,
and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and
sat in ashes...
When
God saw their works, that they turned from their Evil way; and God
repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them,
and He did did it not." (Job 2:10; Job 3:1-10)
The
total repentance of the entire city of Nineveh moved Almighty God
to change His mind about His judgment toward them. He freely
forgave them all by extending His mercy toward them. Jonah's
change of heart in obeying God's directive after a long and hard
lesson, brought our Heavenly Father's great love into focus for
all to see and experience.
THESE
ARE IMPORTANT
LESSONS FOR US ALL!
There
are a number of lessons for us to learn from this ancient
happening: First, God loves the heathen and will use every
possible means to rescue them. Secondly, the work of a true 'Man
of God' isn't a soft touch. It may involve tough times and very
hard work. The importance is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and
answer 'yes' when He calls!
My
prayer is that everyone of us will be willing to carry the message
of Christ's salvation to our relatives, friends, neighbours and
others as often as possible whenever possible to as many as
possible, for as long as possible!
WILLIAM
BOOTH and his wife Catherine founded the Salvation Army in 1865.
They chose as their slogan, 'Blood and Fire', referring to Jesus
Christ's BLOOD shed for the remission of sins and the Fire
referring to the FIRE of the Holy Spirit. He stated, "The
tendency of fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your
heart. Anyone who has tended a fireplace, knows that it
needs to be stirred up occasionally.
In
1892, William Booth wrote the well-known hymn, 'SEND THE
FIRE'. It is filled with Gospel truth,
Biblical Doctrine and Great Commission Admonition.
You can sense the presence of God by reading the words, and the
Holy Spirit burns when it is sung.
There
is no-one as unhappy as a person who has been called of God to
preach Christ's Gospel, but has stifled that call. For some people
it will be too late to answer that call, but for others the Holy
Spirit may still be calling for you to do His bidding. May He help
you to answer that call. 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
WHAT MUST
I DO TO
BE SAVED?
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!
1
- YOU MUST ADMIT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER
The
Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God". (Rom. 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)
2
- YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD
You
MUST believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Jesus died
on the cross, was buried and rose again from the dead.
"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)
3
- YOU
MUST REPENT OF YOUR SINS
The
Bible says, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." (Lu.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)
4
- YOU MUST 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." (Rev. 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)
5
- YOU MUST 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)
"Whosoever
shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man 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)
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 ON:
Satan,
the Devil, evil, evil spirits, demons, the full amour of God
 Revelation
20:1-3 - (kjv)
- "Behold,
I give unto you power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you."
The Scripture says that 'one day' an angel will come from heaven
and bind Satan, casting him into the bottomless pit for a thousand
years. It won't take ten thousand angels; it won't take a
hundred angels' it will take one angel to bind the devil and cast
him into the pits of hell forever."
Ephesians
6:10-11
- (kjv) - "Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of His might. Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
"Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"
"Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is he word
of God; Praying always with al prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints."
2
Timothy 1:7
- (kjv) - "God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind."
1
Peter 5:8
- (kjv) - "Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Hebrews
2:14-15
- (kjv) - "Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also
Himself likewise took part of the same; that through DEATH He
might DESTROY him that had the power of death, that is the DEVIL;
And to DELIVER them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."
John
10:10 -
(kjv) - "The
thief (the devil) 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."
1
John 4:4 -
(kjv) - "Greater is He that is in you, that he that is in the
world."
Matthew
6:9-10 -
(kjv) - After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name...Thy kingdom come. They will
be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Luke
10:19 -
(kjv) - "Behold
I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over
all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt
you."
1
John 5:14-15
- (kjv)
- And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: .. And if we know that
he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him.
Philippians
2:13 -
(kjv) - For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Romans
8:32 -
(kjv) -
He that spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?
Bible
Scriptures verses on
faith & hope
(King
James Version)
Romans
12:12 - Rejoicing in hope;
patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Jeremiah
29:11 - For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you an expected end.
Romans
15:13 - 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.
Deuteronomy
31:6 - Be strong and of a good
courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he
[it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee.
Romans
5:2 - By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God.
Isaiah
40:31 - But they that wait upon the
LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and
not faint.
Isaiah
41:10 - Fear thou not; for I [am]
with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of my righteousness.
Mark
9:23 - Jesus said unto him, If thou
canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.
1
Corinthians 13:13 - And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is]
charity.
Romans
8:24 - For we are saved by hope:
but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he
yet hope for?
Proverbs
23:18 - For surely there is an end;
and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Proverbs
10:28 - The hope of the righteous
[shall be] gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
Romans
8:25 - But if we hope for that we
see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it]
Jeremiah
17:7 - Blessed [is] the man that
trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Romans
10:17 - So then faith [cometh] by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
James
2:19 - Thou believest that there in
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Hebrews
11:6 - 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.
Matthew
21:22 - And all things, whatsoever
ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mark
11:22-24 - And Jesus answering
saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Ephesians
2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God
Luke
1:37 - For with God nothing shall
be impossible.
Hebrews
11:1 - Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1
Corinthians 2:5 - That your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Proverbs
3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
James
2:24 - Ye see then how that by
works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
James
2:14 - What [doth it] profit, my
brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can
faith save him?
2
Corinthians 5:7 - (For we walk by
faith, not by sight:)
Psalms
46:10 - Be still, and know that [I
am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in
the earth.
Psalms
39:7 - And now, Lord, what wait I
for? my hope [is] in thee.
Psalms
71:14 - But I will hope
continually, And will yet praise thee more and more.
Psalms
71:5 - For You are my hope; O Lord
GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.
Ephesians
3:16,17 - That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might
by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.
Romans
15:13 - 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. But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the
sea driven with the wind and tossed.
John
11:40 - Jesus saith unto her, Said
I not unto thee, that, it thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see
the glory of God?
James
1:3 - Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience.
1
Peter 1:8-9 - Whom having not seen,
ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the
end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
John
11:25-26 - Jesus said unto her, I
am the resurrection, and he life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in
me shall never die. Believest thou this?
1
John 5:4 - For whatsoever is born
of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.
Romans
14:1 - Him that is weak in the
faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Romans
10:10 - For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.
Romans
1:17 - For therein is the
rightousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written,
The just shall live by faith.
Galatians
3:26-27 - For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you
have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Mark
10:52 - And Jesus said unto
him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And
immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
CONTACT
INFORMATION
For further spiritual counsel, prayer or gospel literature, please
contact us!
www.mswm.org www.maxsolbrekken.com
max@maxsolbrekken.com
www.comehometojesus.ca/
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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