BEFORE WINTER COMES
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
This BOOK was first printed in 1978 and revised in 1992. At the time of this writing (September 9, 1992), I am sitting in our little compartment on a train from Kiev, Ukraine to Riga, Latvia!
As my travelling companion and interpreter, Igor Arsenjov, a 17 year old, 6 foot 2" martial arts expert, is discussing his future (in Russian) with Babbuska, his 76 year old grandmother who is going to visit relatives in Riga, my mind keeps going back to the open doors that soon may be closed!
"Do
thy diligence to come before winter." (2 Tim. 4:21)
St.
Paul knew his time had come. It was time
to leave this earth and stand in the presence of his Lord. And he was ready to go! He had done his job well and there were no
regrets. Soon the Roman sword would
sever his head from his body and he would receive a martyr's crown - HIS
LABOURS WOULD THEN BE OVER!
HE WAS GOING ON A JOURNEY
The
great apostle however, was also very human.
He was lonely, cold and sentimental as he considered his situation in
the prison, as well as the many things that had happened since his arrival in
Rome. He was also concerned about the
welfare of the Church and the Lord's labourers who would continue the work he
had pioneered and nurtured! So he penned
a letter to Timothy - his son in the faith - the young man whom he had led to
Christ and trained for the ministry.
There
was finality and resignation in his words, as he approached the end with faith
and anticipation. "For I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand". (2 Tim. 4:6)
He
was going on a journey. His bags were
packed and he was giving final instructions.
He admonished Timothy to preach the truth and not compromise. He laid it on the line. There was no mincing of words here.
He
invoked the name of Jesus Christ in his warning:
"I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge
the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
long-suffering and doctrine. For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own
lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears".
He
also warned Timothy of the pitfalls, and the sworn enemies of the Gospel. Alexander was a dedicated foe of St. Paul and
the Gospel of Christ. Demas had forsaken
him, "having loved this present world". (2 Tim. 4:10) St.
Paul stood alone. "All men
forsook me." (2 Tim. 4:16)
Nevertheless, the Lord had stood by him and delivered him from the mouth
of the lion.
IT WAS COLD IN THE DUNGEON
The
Roman prison was no carpeted hotel, no luxurious palace! To the contrary it was quite unpleasant, damp
and sparse. Paul had experienced his
share of prison life and was a veteran
in the field of suffering, hunger, nakedness, persecution, stoning and even
death. (2 Cor. 11:24-27)
He,
was certainly no pussy cat, push over or sissified mama's boy. He experienced shipwrecks, savage beatings
and trials. He knew what it was like to
suffer for the Blessed Name of Jesus!
St.
Paul wrote: "But let none of you suffer
as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other
men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as
a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on his
behalf". (1 Peter 4:15-16)
In
the very beginning of his Christian training he was told by Ananias of the
grievous sufferings he would endure for his master. (Acts 9:16) He had learned not to complain since God's
grace was sufficient to see him through. (2 Cor. 12:9)
In
his letter to Timothy he requested his books, some parchments and his
cloak. It was damp in the dungeon and
winter would soon arrive. The cloak would keep Paul a little warmer
as he sat huddled on a rough concrete slab or lay on his hard bed. He needed the books to keep studying the Scriptures and the parchment would keep him busy writing letters to the churches.
Twice
in chapter four, Paul reminds Timothy that he would like him to come soon. "Do thy diligence to come shortly to
me." (vs. 9) And"Do
thy diligence to come before winter". (vs. 21)
Historical
records seem to indicate that very shortly after Paul wrote the second Epistle
of Timothy, he was taken out to meet the executioner's sword. Apparently the ink had scarcely dried on the
letter and even before Timothy had received it, Paul met his MAKER!
I'm
sure Timothy must have felt sad as he read the letter from his beloved father
in the faith - who in his last lonely moments kept asking to see him. "Do thy diligence - do everything
possible to get here before winter sets in"! No doubt, hot tears fell upon the parchment
as Timothy read with great sorrow the words,"Do thy diligence to come
before winter"! Timothy had missed that opportunity.
WINTER IS ABOUT TO COME
Without
doubt, winter is about to set in for us all!
When winter does come it will be too late. Too late to do so many things we
should have done. Too late to say those
words we should have said and make those things right, which we should have
made right!
There
is a verse in the Bible that bears out this great truth. I call it the darkest or blackest verse in
the Bible. "The summer is ended, the
harvest is past and we are not saved". (Jer. 8:20)
You
might ask, "Pastor Solbrekken, why is this verse so dark and black"?
Although
Prophet Jeremiah was prophesying the judgment of God against the nation of
Israel, there is a message for us today!
There
are people alive now, who will not be saved and will be caught unprepared when
death knocks at their door, or when Jesus returns, because they stubbornly
refuse to give their lives to Christ and receive His Salvation! Even today, there are millions of people who
are hopelessly lost, and filled with despair as they finally realize their tragic
mistake and doom!
The
people whom Jeremiah referred to had failed to prepare for those eternal things
which really matter. They were a people
whose priorities were wrong and who had lived for the moment, with no thought
for the eternal destiny of their souls.
For them, the summer was ended and there would be no more summers. The harvest was past and there would be no
more harvests.
In the agony of their souls they realized too late that they were not
saved and would be eternally lost!
WHAT A TRAGEDY!
There
is nothing more tragic, than to know The Way and believe that someday you will
accept Christ, and yet put it off until it is too late! Very definitely, procrastination is the thief
of time and millions are fooled by evil spirits who are masters at confusion
and deception. To be lost forever in the
place called Hell would be the ultimate in torment, agony and pain. Separation from God, with the knowledge that
it could have been different, coupled with the presence of Satan as a near
neighbour for all eternity would certainly be the most terrible thing ever to
happen to one who was created in God's likeness!
Before
I began my sales career with several large commercial food companies, I had the
privilege of taking the training program and selling Life Insurance for approximately two years. During that time I met many interesting
people and provided them with "life assurance" protection for
themselves and their families through the company I represented. Often our interviews would become quite
emotional as they realized life was uncertain and that they should provide for
the future well being of their families.
In
my presentation I used a book with a number of photographs and statistics, but
the last picture in the book usually touched people's hearts and spurred them
into action!
It
was a photograph of a white-headed, elderly man - all dressed up - standing on
the dock with a suitcase in each hand and the ship pulling away without
him. It was of course, referring to
retirement. The words blazoned across
the picture read, "With forty years
to make it, he missed the boat".
The
message was simple and clear - He hadn't prepared adequately for his retirement
by setting aside a certain amount of money on a regular basis. Now he would have to live on a limited
government pension or be dependant on family hand-outs!
Even
though I was still unsaved at that time, my presentation made me think about "preparing for eternity".
Jesus
said, "For what shall it profit a
man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul"? What good is a million dollars in the bank,
all the influential friends, the most beautiful of homes and the finest of
educations when you are dead, six feet under the ground and your eternal soul
is languishing in a devil's hell?
There are many things we could and probably should do in order to be ready for
the time when winter will come for us.
In this message I wish to deal with the three most important things each
of us should do!
NO. 1 - GET RIGHT WITH GOD
The
first thing you should do - my friend - is to get right with God. Make your peace with God. Settle the sin question once and for
all. Prepare today to meet God. Do it while the Spirit is calling. Do it while the door of mercy stands
ajar. Do it now! If you are unsaved
you should very definitely receive Christ now, while the Spirit draws you. Jesus said, "Repent or you will all
likewise perish". (Luke 13:3)
Again
He said, "Repent, and believe the
gospel". (Mark 1:15) St. Peter
said, "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)
The
Bible says, "...whosoever shall call
on the Name of the Lord shall be saved". (Acts 2:21) Our blessed Saviour still invites sinners: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". (Matt. 11:28)
WE RECEIVE SALVATION ONLY THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST!
The
Word of God declares, "But if we walk in the light, as He is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin". (1 John 1:7)
The
Bible states that we are born again by the Word of God, (1
Peter 1:23) and by the Spirit of God, and "Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". (John 3:3)
Again,
the Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". (1 John
1:9)
The
Scriptures agree that the death and resurrection of Jesus was necessary for our
salvation, and that there is "saving and healing power" in the
precious Blood of Jesus! (Acts
4:12-16)
1.
We receive forgiveness through His blood. "In
Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:7)
2.
We receive peace through His blood.
"And, having made peace
through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto
Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven." (Col. 1:20)
3.
We are redeemed by His blood. "In Whom we have redemption through His blood,
even the forgiveness of sins:" (Col. 1:14)
We have been purchased by His blood.
"Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree:" (Gal. 3:13)
4.
We are justified by His blood: "Much more then, being now justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (Rom. 5:9) We are made righteous (in right standing) by
the blood of Jesus Christ! We are able
to stand in God's presence just as if we had never sinned, without condemnation
or guilt. (Rom. 5:1; 8:1)
"But
of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Cor. 1:30) "For He hath made Him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2
Cor. 5:21)
5.
We are cleansed by His blood. "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
6.
We are set free and delivered from the bondage of sin by His blood. "And
from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the
dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,"
(Rev. 1:5)
7.
We have access to the Father through His blood. "Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus," (Heb . 10:19)
8.
We are purged in our consciences through His blood. "How
much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:14) "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom.
8:1)
9.
We are sanctified through His blood.
"Wherefore Jesus also,
that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the
gate." (Heb. 13:12) God demands His
people to separate themselves from the world by living holy lives unto Him. "Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you," (2 Cor. 6:17)
10. We overcome the devil (are
victorious) through His blood. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death." (Rev. 12:11)
11. We are healed physically by His
blood. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and
with
His (bloody) stripes we are healed".(Is. 53:4-5)
"When
the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils:
and He cast out the spirits with His word, and
healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took
our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matt. 8:16-17)
"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)
12. We are glorified through His
blood. "...These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. These are
they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and
He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them". (Rev. 7:14-15)
The
Bible says,"without the shedding of blood there is no remission for
sins" (Heb. 9:22) and "It is the bloodthat maketh
atonement for the soul". (Lev. 17:11)
Thank God that Jesus Christ gave His
life, shed His blood and arose from the dead in order to save us from our sins
- Yes, my friend, salvation comes only by, through and because of the blood of
Jesus Christ.
COME TO CHRIST WHILE YOU CAN!
Sinner
friend, give your heart to Jesus NOW while you still have the opportunity. The Bible says, "My Spirit shall not
always strive with man". (Gen. 6:3)
The tragedy is that some "sin away" the day of
grace and cross the "river of no return", to be lost forever.
Here
is a song that states very clearly the seriousness of being unsaved!
HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST?
"Have you counted the cost, if
your soul should be lost. Though you gained the whole world for
your own. Even now it may be, that the line you
have crossed. Have you counted, have you counted the
cost?"
Jesus
Christ warned, "For what shall it
profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul"? (Mark 8:36-37)
Receive
Christ into your life now, remembering the Bible says, "Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation".
(2 Cor. 6:2)
And
again Jesus said, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out".
(John 6:37)
Set
your house in order, prepare to meet God.
Allow the Holy Spirit to save and change you. (2 Cor. 5:17) Come to Christ now before WINTER comes!
NO. 2 - BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The
second thing you must do before WINTER sets in, is be filled with the Holy
Spirit. The Bible says, "Be
not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit".
(Eph. 5:18)
What
are you full of? If you are not full of
the Holy Spirit, you will be filled with other things. The Bible says: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh". (Gal. 5:16)
The
Bible speaks of those who are sensual and carnal, who cut you off from their
company because they do not have the ‘Baptism
of the Holy Ghost’. Your very
presence convicts them of their unspiritual lives, so they shun your company!
"But, beloved, remember ye the
words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How
that they told you there should be
mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
"These
be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." (Jude 17-20)
Again let me share the admonition of Paul, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh". (Gal. 5:16)
The
Bible gives us the definition of “praying in the Holy Ghost”. It is to talk to God in our prayer language -
in other tongues - which is called ‘praying
in the Spirit’! “What is it
then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I
will pray with the understanding also: I
will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” (1
Cor. 14:5)
Scripture
is the best interpretation of Scripture and St. Paul says: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my
spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more
than you all”. (1 Cor. 14:14,18)
THE BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVEN FOR POWER
During
a crusade service I asked a sweet little lady in the congregation if she wanted
to receive the ‘Baptism of the Holy
Ghost’. She answered, "I'm not
sure". I countered, "Don't you
want God to come into you"? She
said, "I have Jesus".
At
that moment the Lord gave me a word of
wisdom for her. I answered, "Yes,
you have Jesus, but does Jesus have you? When you received Christ in
salvation, you received Jesus, but when you are filled with the Holy Ghost,
Jesus has you." She was
convinced!
THE HOLY GHOST BAPTISM IS FOR POWER AND
SERVICE!
Jesus
said, "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 hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." (Mark 16:17-18)
Again
Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". (Acts 1:8)
John
the Baptist declared, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier
than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire". (Luke 3:16)
ST. PETER: BEFORE AND
AFTER
What
a change in a man; before being filled with the Holy Ghost and after! Peter was saved and had walked with Jesus for
three years. He had received a
miraculous ministry from Jesus Christ Himself, preached the gospel, healed the
sick, cast out devils and was one of His inner circle disciples.
Earlier,
Peter had confessed: "Though I should die with Thee, yet
will I not deny Thee." (Matt. 26:35)
A
few short hours later he denied Jesus, cursing and swearing! (Matt. 26:74) After
Jesus died on the cross, he went back to his nets. (John 21:3)
When
he was filled with the Holy Ghost however, he was changed. He never cursed, swore or denied Jesus
anymore. He never left the ministry to
go back to his fishing boats anymore. The reed became a rock - one of the
leaders in the Christian Church (Gal. 2:9) and a spokesman for Jesus. Eventually he died as a martyr for Jesus
Christ and the Gospel which he so faithfully preached.
RIGHTEOUS LIVERS AND HAPPY GIVERS
The
‘Baptism of the Holy Ghost’ will
produce soul winners, righteous livers and gloriously happy givers!
Tertullion- one of the early church fathers - stated, "The
blood of the martyrs has become the seed of the church".
History
has proved him correct. Unbelievers
received Christ while watching the martyrs die in victory and glorious Holy Ghost
power!
SOUL WINNERS - Do we
need them in the Church? A thousand
times yes. Effervescent, happy, joyously
victorious Christians who spend their time reaching lost souls wherever they
can find them.
Being
kind to their neighbours, speaking a word here and there in season and out of
season; sharing and testifying the good news of Jesus Christ and His love.
RIGHTEOUS LIVERS - Do we
need them? Yes we do. We need Christians who preach and live the
Christ life! We desperately need men and
women who are loyal to Christ and His Church and who are generous in love,
kindness and mercy towards others.
How
we need godly people who are more desirous of helping their neighbours,caring
for the poor and needy and reaching the dying, than to be seen, heard or
applauded!
GLORIOUSLY HAPPY GIVERS - Do we need them? Yes indeed, we
do! In order for the Church to go
forward we need many who will dedicate their lives to winning souls through
intelligent, spirit-led witnessing, fervent prayers and sacrificial giving. The Bible records that in the Early Church,
some believers sold houses and lands (no doubt excess real estate) and laid the
money at the Apostle's feet.
Peter
and John had no problem financing their crusades and missionary endeavours,
because people became so stirred that they gave large sums of money for the
spreading of the gospel.
It
is no wonder the gospel spread throughout Jerusalem and around the world so
rapidly!
Even
thought a great amount of money was given to the apostles, it was used only for
the gospel. Peter did not use it for
personal gain – He spent it for evangeliziation!
St.
Peter could say to the crippled man, "Silver and gold have I none, but
such as I have give I thee. In the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk". He didn't have any money, but he had God's
power and was able to bring healing to the sick.
The story is told of a conversation
between the Pope of Rome and the Bishop of Hippo, whom we call St. Augustine.
It
seems that as Augustine was being shown all the treasures at the Vatican, the
Pope exclaimed, "No longer do we
have to say with Peter of old, 'Silver and gold have I none!' Look at our great wealth".
To
this the Bishop of Hippo replied,"That
may be true O' Pope. No longer do you
say with Peter 'Silver and gold have I none', but neither can you say to the
crippled man 'In the Name of Jesus rise up and walk'."
HOW
SAD, BUT HOW TRUE!
THERE ARE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MUCH REAL
ESTATE, AND PREACHERS WHO HAVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, BUT THEY CANNOT HEAL THE
SICK! THEY HAVE NO SUPERNATURAL POWER,
BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO EARTHLY MINDED.
THEY ARE IGNORANT OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND HAVE NO TIME FOR FASTING,
PRAYER AND SEEKING GOD IN CONSECRATED, DEDICATED LIVING. THEY SAY THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT HAVE NO POWER!
St.
Paul wrote of these: "But I will come to you shortly, if the
Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the
power". (1 Cor. 4:19)
TALK IS CHEAP AND ANYONE CAN PREACH A
SHORT, SWEET SALVATION MESSAGE ABOUT JESUS AND HIS POWER TO SAVE, BUT LET US
SEE SOME DEMONSTRATION OF HIS POWER!
St.
Paul said, "And I, brethren, when I
came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto
you the testimony of God. For I
determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified. And I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
"And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God". (1 Cor. 2:1-5)
Amen.
St.
Paul declared, "God loveth a
cheerful (hilariously happy or joyful) giver".Again the Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to
receive". (Acts 20:35) Jesus
Himself declared, "Give, and it
shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you
again". (Luke 6:38)
In order to win lost souls to Christ
(and that is the number one job of the Church) we must be endued with power
from on High. It is not enough to sing about being filled with the
Spirit or preach about the ‘Baptism of
the Holy Ghost’, we must in reality be filled with the Holy Ghost and Fire!
TWO THINGS WE DESPERATELY NEED TODAY
Two
of the greatest essentials which the Christian Church sadly lacks today is the power of God and the fire of God!
God’s
power makes us strong Christians, dedicated warriors for the cause of
Christ and victorious men and women of God, living holy, pure, godly and
totally consecrated lives unto His glory.
We
need His power to live above sin, and to detest evil as the very plague
itself. The Church desperately needs the
power of God in order to cast out devils, heal the sick and demonstrate
Christ's victory over Satan!
We
will never overcome sin unless we develop a dislike and hatred for it. If we allow ourselves to enjoy or like sin,
we will soon be in love with it and engulfed or overcome by it. We need the baptism of the Holy Ghost to give
us power over sin!
The
Bible says, "Sin shall not have
dominion over you". (Rom. 6:14)
The Christian must not be bound by sin nor the devil, but be master over
these evil powers. (1 John 3:8)
God
gave Adam dominion over all things and through Jesus Christ - the second and last Adam - we regain
that dominion. Jesus Christ gave His
disciples power to "tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy". He also declared, "Nothing shall by any
means hurt you". (Luke 10:19)
And I believe His words are applicable and true today! Praise God.
Jesus
said, "These signs shall follow them
that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils". (Mark 16:17) The Scripture states that the 70 disciples
whom Jesus sent out as His advertising agents into every city and village which
He Himself would go, returned saying,"even the devils (demons) are subject
unto us in Thy name".
And
the Holy Record attests to the fact that the 70 disciples cast out many evil
spirits and healed many that were sick. "And the seventy returned again with
joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name".
(Luke 10:17)
POWER TO BRING DELIVERANCE TO THE SICK, DISEASED, TORMENTED AND
TROUBLED
The
Lord warns lukewarm, hardhearted pastors who refuse to feed the flock: "The sick have you not healed..." (Ezek.
34:4) His words to them is "WOE UNTO YOU".
I
don’t want to be like those selfish, lazy and unconcerned pastors who refuse to
carry out their duty of healing the sick and bringing deliverance to "the
bound", in the name of Jesus Christ, our Supreme Commander!
JESUS HAS COMMANDED WE WHO ARE IN HIS
HOLY MINISTRY, TO HEAL THE SICK AND BRING DELIVERANCE TO THE CHURCH. AND BY GOD'S GRACE I WILL DO IT!
We
need power to preach the gospel and witness effectively for Jesus!
The
Bible says, "And with great power gave the apostles
witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus". (Acts 4:33) How we need God's power to live, witness and
share the good news of Jesus Christ, to this needy and lost world.
THE SECOND THING THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH NEEDS IS GOD'S FIRE
John
the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that
cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire".
John
was baptizing his converts in the river Jordan.
He was submerging them under the water. Then
he made this staggering statement, "...He
shall baptize or submerge, envelop, completely cover and surround you with the
Holy Ghost and fire". (Luke 3:16)
The Church needs the fire of God! Every
Christian needs the fire of God burning in his soul! “Why is it so necessary?”
1)
FIRE IS THE BEST CLEANSING AGENT and the fire of God cleanses and purges away all the dross in our
lives. Fire purifies and God's fire
purifies our souls, spirits and bodies!
2) FIRE
BRINGS WARMTH and it is certain the Church
of the Living God can use some extra warmth.
We have become too cold in some areas of our lives; so smug, comfortable
and preoccupied with our own circle of friends that we have not shown to
others, the love, compassion and warmth
we should!
The
missing ingredient in many lives, is spelled out by one word - COMPASSION.
Instead
of the Christian Church being known as the Chosen Few, we are now known in many
areas as the Frozen Few. The fire of
God will however, thaw out the Church and bring friendliness, warmth and
compassion into the Body of Christ.
Before
WINTER comes, every Christian needs to be filled with the Blessed Holy Ghost
and fire.
3)
GOD'S FIRE BRINGS LIGHT, and we need more light in the Church.
The Holy Spirit illumines God’s Word to our hearts!
The
Holy Spirit will lead the way! When we
walk in God's light, we will not walk in darkness, we will not stumble or
fall. The Holy Spirit will make sure we
do not stray away from His Holy Word!
4)
FIRE ATTRACTS ATTENTION and
the Church needs fire to draw attention to Christ, to bring in the
unsaved. Exciting, lively gospel singing
and worship services that draw people to the House of God rather than dead,
dry, ritualistic ceremonies which put people to sleep.
5)
FIRE EXCITES PEOPLE and
God's people need to get excited about Jesus.
Many
years ago, the famed Baptist evangelist Billy
Graham was speaking at a convention of the National Association of
Evangelicals in Denver, Colorado. His
message was titled: Spiritual Expectancy and
Revival. Here is his challenge
to us all:
"WE NEED A REVIVAL OF EXPECTANCY AND
EXCITEMENT. HERE WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO
LEARN FROM PENTECOSTALISTS AND THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD. THEY HAVE ENTHUSIASM FOR CHRIST. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN CHEAP SENSATIONAL EMOTION
FOR EMOTION'S SAKE, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE GONE TOO FAR AND WE DON`T HAVE THE
FEELING, THE EMOTION, THE TEARS AND THE COMPASSION WE OUGHT TO HAVE.
"OUR LORD WEPT PUBLICLY. HE WAS MOVED TO TEARS: AND WHO CAN FORGET GETHSEMANE? EMOTION!
DR. MACKAY SAYS THAT NAZISM HAD FIRE, FASCISM HAD FIRE, COMMUNISM HAS
FIRE - THE CHURCH NEEDS TO CATCH FIRE.
"GRADY WILSON AND I WERE IN MOSCOW 2 YEARS
AGO. WE SAW 50,000 YOUNG PEOPLE IN RED
SQUARE STAMPING THEIR FEET, CLENCHING THEIR FISTS AND SHOUTING “WE`RE GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, WE`RE
GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD!” AND THEY
LOOKED LIKE THEY MEANT IT. WHERE ARE THE
YOUNG PEOPLE MARCHING TODAY - STAMPING THEIR FEET FOR CHRIST AND SAYING, “WE`RE GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD?”
THERE WAS FEELING IN MOSCOW, THERE WAS ELECTRICITY
THERE! AT PENTECOST PEOPLE THOUGHT THE
120 WERE DRUNK. PEOPLE DON`T THINK WE`RE
DRUNK ANYMORE - THEY THINK WE`RE DEAD!"
Recently
Billy Graham prayed this prayer in one of his crusades:
·
“Lord, do it
again. Do what You did when the apostles
were called. Do what You did following
Pentecost.
·
“Do what You
did with Saul of Tarsus, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, John Wesley, George
Whitefield, D.L. Moody and William Booth.
Lord do it again. And help us
reach the world for Jesus Christ!”
When
people asked the famous American Presbyterian evangelist Billy Sunday why thousands came to hear him preach when most
preachers couldn't draw a hundred, he replied: "I just get on fire for God
and the people come to watch me burn"!
My
prayer is, "O GOD, SEND THE
FIRE"! Oh, how we need the fire of God in the Church - "Come Holy Spirit we need Thee, Come
Sweet Spirit I pray; Come in Thy strength and Thy power, come in Thine own
special way".
Some
say that the Holy Spirit Baptism is not for us today, but that is false
doctrine! St. Peter sets the record
straight: "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. For the promise is unto you,(the
people who heard Peter preach) and to your children, (their
children) and to all that are afar off, (us today) even as many as the Lord our God
shall call".(If you are saved, God has called you and the promise
is for you) Praise the Lord!
Jesus
breathed on His disciples and said, "RECEIVE
YE THE HOLY GHOST”. (John 20:22)
Thank
God, we have been “sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”, which is the earnest
pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of His glory.”
And
St. Paul wrote, "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess: but be filled with the Spirit”.
(Eph. 5:18)
NO. 3 - REACH LOST SOULS FOR CHRIST
The
third thing the Church must do before "Winter Sets In", is to reach
lost souls with the Gospel!
The
supreme task of the Church is to evangelize this world and spread the gospel to
people everywhere!
The
Bible says, "And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world
as a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come". (Matt.
24:14)
One of the few signs which remain
unfulfilled in this midnight hour and which must be fulfilled before Jesus
Christ returns is world evangelism;
THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL TO EVERY NATION, KINDRED, TRIBE AND PEOPLE!
The
Scripture emphatically declares that the Blood-washed shall come from the ends
of the earth. (Rev. 5:9; 7:9-14)
Bible
translators are working around the clock, working against time to get the Word
of God into every language of the world as the rate of literacy rises.
There
are new tribes springing up in distant lands who will soon have the opportunity
to read the Bible.
Powerful
radio stations broadcast the Gospel message to almost all natons. Television satellites beam te message out to
multitudes worldwide. And now, with the dissolution of the former Soviet Union,
there are so many opportunities for us to reach multiplied millions more by TV,
radio, crusades, building new churches and distributing vast amounts of gospel
literature and Bibles, New Testaments and Gospels of John across Eastern Europe!
NOW IS THE TIME!
We
are working against time to spread the gospel, as time is very definitely running out and soon TIME SHALL BE NO MORE. Now is the time to take our stand for
Jesus. Now is the time to awaken the Sleeping
Church and to put on new strength!
Every
year that passes, is another year that will never come back. Every golden opportunity that we miss, is
another lost chance of reaching someone for Jesus and Heaven. Every day we idle away - doing nothing
constructive for Christ - is another wasted day.
OH, THE WASTED YEARS THAT MANY
CHRISTIANS HAVE LOST! No wonder the Bible says, "Redeeming the time, because
the days are evil". (Eph. 5:16)
We are responsible for the time God gives us and therefore, one day we
shall give an account of what we have done with the time, talents and substance
that God has graciously given to us.
Therefore, let us budget our time wisely
and not waste it. Jesus said,
"If you save your life (live it for yourself) you will lose it but if you lose your life (for Christ and the
Gospel) you will find it".
(Matt. 16:25)
At
the time of this writing (September 9, 1992), I am sitting in our little
compartment on a train from Kiev, Ukraine to Riga, Latvia!
As
my travelling companion and interpreter, Igor Arsenjov, a 17 year old, 6 foot
2" martial arts expert, is discussing his future (in Russian) with
Babbuska, his 76 year old grandmother who is going to visit relatives in Riga,
my mind keeps going back to the open
doors that soon may be closed!
There
is so much to do and our finances are so limited for such a great task! Time is at a premium as we labour
continuously to make Christ known in the little time that remains!
And
soon, we will all stand before God to give account of our lives!
NOTHING BUT LEAVES
God's
Word gives us a solemn account about the fig tree and our Master's displeasure
with its fruitlessness!
"And on the morrow, when they were
come from Bethany, He was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves,
He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for the
time of figs was not yet. And Jesus
answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And His disciples heard it.
"And when even was come, He went
out of the city. And in the morning, as
they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto
Him, Master, behold, the fig tree
which Thou cursedst is withered away".
(Mark 11:24, 14, 19-21)
Here
is a very important lesson: No. 1 - Jesus desired fruit; No. 2 - an outward appearance or
showing is not enough. The fig tree
looked healthy and productive with plenty of leaves, but there was no fruit!
JESUS WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH LEAVES ONLY - THEY DIDN'T SATISFY
HIS HUNGER FOR FRUIT.
No. 3 - Jesus was so displeased that He cursed the fig tree
and it withered from the roots and died.
The message is clear - produce fruit
or suffer the displeasure of God. In
John's Gospel, Jesus is very explicit with His disciples about bearing fruit.
"I am the true vine, and My Father
is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He
taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it
may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the Word which I
have spoken unto you.
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: and without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as
a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned.
"If ye abide in Me, and My words
abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;so shall ye be My
disciples." (John 15:1-8)
‘I WILL MAKE YOU BECOME FISHERS OF MEN’
We
please the Father by bearing much fruitthat is a sure sign that
we are His disciples. (v. 8) Jesus
said: "Follow Me and I will make you to become fishers of men".
(Mark 1:17; Matt. 4:19)
\\Here
is the secret: abiding in Him and purging of the
branches which increases production.
Jesus deals with the subject of fruit, more fruit and much fruitand
the sad state of having NO fruit. He warns:"every branch in Me that
beareth not fruit He taketh away.
If a man abide not in Me he is cast
forth as a branch and is withered". (v. 2,6)
THE SUPREME TASK OF THE CHURCH
The
number one job of the Believer is to bring forth fruit; to reproduce our kind
and to build the Church of the Living God!
The
supreme task of the Church has been and always will be the evangelization of
lost souls, the spreading of the gospel, the dispensing of the good news that
Jesus Christ is indeed the answer to the problems, frustrations, longings and
needs of a lost world that is heading down Perdition's Road at break-neck
speed.
The
Scripture says, "He that winneth
souls is wise". (Prov. 11:30)
Let us be wise with God's wisdom, redeeming the time and using our time
to the best of our ability, to promote God's Kingdom in this fast dying world.
Perhaps
someone reading this message will say, "I
feel so inadequate and useless because I have done so little to reach lost
souls", or you might say, "I am so timid and fearful of witnessing to
anyone about my Lord and I feel depressed because of my futility".
HERE IS A WORD TO THE WISE!
Notice
that Jesus said, "I will make you to become fishers of men".First - It
is Jesus Who makes us what we are to be.
Secondly - He said, "I
will make you to become fishers of
men". It doesn't happen
overnight or instantly, in many cases.
We all go through a growing or learning process. Take heart my friend, and if you will give
yourself over totally to God and diligently read His Word with prayerfulness,
He will equip you with the tools you need to defeat every foe that stands in
your way of personal soul winning.
BEFORE WINTER COMES!
"Only
one life, Twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last."I've often said, "If I had a million dollarsI would give every dollar to Jesus to reach lost
and dying souls, and if I had a hundred
lives I would give one life to each country of the world, to spread the
good news of Christ and His glorious salvation". Praise God!
Whatever
else we do in the Church, we must reach the lost before it is eternally too
late! WINTER is coming for everyone of
us; and that is certain and sure. WINTER
- the time when our opportunities are gone and our labours have ended.
WHEN THE BIBLE LIES CLOSED ON THE
PULPIT, OUR LIPS CAN NO LONGER SHARE THE GOOD NEWS AND OUR HANDS ARE COLD AND
STIFF, UNABLE TO HELP LIFT UP THE FALLEN, OR WRITE OUT A CHEQUE FOR MISSIONS!
Oh
my dear friend, let us do our part and more, while we are still alive and have
the ability and capabilities to do so.
Let us labour before WINTER comes to us!
St.
Paul urged Timothy to come before winter, when sailing would become impossible
in the Mediterranean Sea, due to stormy weather. He had the feeling that He wouldn't be alive
in the spring, and he was right. WINTER
came and apparently Timothy never did get the opportunity to put his arms
around the great apostle and spend time in fellowship and prayer with the Man
of Faith again!
The
clock on the wall ticks away endlessly, and the chimes tell us another hour has
gone by. The calendar on our watch
changes every 24 hours and the one on the wall is changed every year - Time waits for no man!
Should
Christ tarry, death will come to us all.
We however, are not looking for the undertaker but are anticipating the
trumpet of the Lord and the coming of Jesus, "The Uppertaker"! Praise God.
In 1968, my mother was taken from us
into the presence of the Lord. We all stood beside the open grave as Pastor Fred Hunter committed her body to
the grave.
He
took some dust in his hand and tossed it onto her casket with the words, "From
earth to earth, from dust to dust and from ashes to ashes, I now commit the
body of our dear sister departed to the earth, in the sure and certain hope of
the resurrection".
Then
he proclaimed with a loud voice, "SISTER ANNE SOLBREKKEN SHALL RISE
AGAIN ON THE GREAT RESURRECTION MORNING"!
At
that moment my Dad lifted his hands
to Heaven and shouted, "Hallelujah"! As we stood at the open grave on that cold
winter day with tears streaming down our cheeks, we sorrowed not as those who
have no hope, (1 Thess. 4:13) and we too began to rejoice in the blessed truth
that one day we shall all gather home.
Then,
God spoke these words to my heart: "Son,
this is what it's all about - This is why you are preaching the gospel. This is why you have sacrificed down through
the years in loneliness and homesickness and being misunderstood and
criticized. So that people across the
world could have new life through Christ and be able to face the open grave of
their loved ones and shout Hallelujah"!
My
mother was a saint of God. She taught us
about Jesus. She was the one who brought
us to Christ, but her time is over and for her, WINTER had come. Now, we who are left must continue. We must stand together as one man across this
world to lift the heavy load of World
Evangelism before it is forever too late for multitudes who sit in darkness
and WINTER comes for them also! Since my
Mother’s passing, much water has gone under the bridge.
IN 1982, MY BELOVED FATHER, INGVAR,
PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 82. He was
faithful to the end, also! Hallelujah!
I
will never forget my father's reaction to our missionary appeals for finances. He was usually the first to make a pledge for
$1000, $300 or $100 in our crusades! When I looked at his folded hands in the
casket, I thought:
"Dad,
you were always so generous, kind and good.
I will never forget how you used your hands to hold me, help me and
correct me! I will never forget your
love for your family! You were always
reaching out your hands to give something to someone. But now you have gone home to your eternal
reward and you will never again use your hands to help anyone or write a cheque
for missions. You have gone to your
etermal reward!"
WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BEFORE?
The
Missionary Evangelist had just concluded a great crusade in an African country
and was saying good-bye to the Chief of one of their many tribes. The Chief and his family were saying adieu to
the "man of God".
Taking
the hands of God's servant in his big black hands, the Chief's face beamed with
the new found joy that only faith in Jesus Christ the living Saviour can
bring. He spoke of a changed life, love,
joy, peace and deliverance from demons and disease. He praised God for the many tribal people who
had been saved and healed. His own
immediate family had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour!
Then, all of a sudden a strange dark
forboding look crossed his countenance and the tears began to slowly form in
his eyes. He looked straight into the
face of the man of God and said, "There is something that has been
troubling me for the past few days, since I have heard the wonderful message of
Jesus Christ".
"What
is that?" asked the Evangelist."WHY
DIDN'T YOU COME SOONER? Why did you
wait so long before you came to my country?
Why didn't you come before my father died of a terrible disease and my
brother and two sons were killed in a tribal war? Why didn't you come before, white man? Tell me, why didn't you come before?"
The
Missionary's eyes filled with tears, he shook the Chief's hand for a long time
and without replying he turned and walked away.
How could he tell the African, the reason was a shortage of funds and a
lack of support?
As
he boarded his plane to return to North America, the preacher asked God to help
him with more finances so that he would never have to hear the heathen say, "Why did you wait so long? Why didn't you come before?"
I
wonder how many poor souls will end up in the place of the doomed, simply
because we were too cold to hear God's voice and too stubborn to yield to His
Holy Spirit in sharing our energies, time, ability and finances in reaching
lost souls for Jesus?
Let
us join together in the great duty of propagating the gospel to the ends of the
earth, so that everyone will have an opportunity to hear the glorious truth of
Jesus and His love at least once in their life time.
WHY SHOULD SO FEW HEAR THE GOSPEL SO OFTEN WHEN SO MANY NEVER HEAR IT AT ALL?
Please remember, “Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done
for Christ will last!” Let us make sure
ourl lives count for Jesus!”
Here
is a gripping song which has affected my life for God and Missions!
TELL IT AGAIN!
"In
a tent a gypsy boy lay dying slowly at the close of the day. The gospel story to him it was told. He kept on repeating, Oh tell it again. Tell it again, tell it again. The gospel story repeat o'er and o'er till
none can say of the children of men, no one told it to me before."
HOW BLIND SOME CHRISTIANS ARE!
When I notice the tremendous drift toward materialism
and worldly things among the Christians of today, coupled with (in many cases)
the apparent total lack of enthusiasm for evangelism and soul winning even
among the clergy, my heart is deeply moved and burdened. The lack of compassion, the seeming smugness
and complacency on the part of blood washed, spirit-filled souls is terribly
appalling.
My
prayer is: "Dear Lord build a fire under the preacher and may a Holy Ghost
explosion of warmth, love and compassion fill the environment of every
Christian Church in order to shake us out of our coldness, lethargy and
complacency in this end time age.
"May
we who are God's leaders and workers in this 20th Century 'midnight hour' also
pray for daily cleansing, constant guidance and divine protection by the Holy
Spirit, as we press further into the devil's territory and advance closer to
the Zero Hour, which will usher in Christ's return! In Jesus' Name, Amen."
WHAT CAN WE DO?
No. 1 - We can read this message over and over again until we
get a burden for lost souls.
No. 2 - We can give a copy of it to our neighbours and
encourage others (Christians and sinners
alike) to be challenged by this End Time Message.
No. 3 - We can pray and seek God diligently for revival in our
time! Revival in our own hearts,
churches and Christian communities across the nations and around the world.
No. 4 - We can pray for a great national and international
awakening of God consciousness among the heathen as we endeavour to go in mass
crusades again and again and as we preach by radio, television and great
literature campaigns to millions of unreached souls.
No. 5 - We as God's people can fast on a regular basis. Since 1962, when we formed the Fasting and Prayer Bandwe have always
encouraged people to fast every Wednesday for Revival. Let us set aside one day per week for fasting
and prayer. The money we save from abstinence
of food could certainly be used for missionary crusades.
No. 6 - We can give regularly of our tithes and offerings to
undergird this God anointed Ministry that is reaching millions with the gospel
of Christ across the world. We must give
in faith expecting God to save souls, bless His great work and reward us
accordingly. (Luke 6:38). Some
time ago, the Lord impressed me to start the $1 a day for Missions Club. Every one of us could set aside at least $1 a
day extra for Missions. Millions of
people across the world who are bound by cigarettes spend more money than that
daily to destroy their hearts, lungs and nervous systems! Certainly we can do more than that for Jesus
and His Kingdom!
No. 7 - We can, should and must praise God and give Him all
the glory, for it is His work and He alone is worthy to be praised! Hallelujah!
Editor's Note: This BOOK was first printed in 1978.
It was re-edited in 1992.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB
T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]. Blog: MSWM;
Facebook; Youtube; Donations can be made by e-Transfer; Make your donation to
[email protected]; Thank you very much and may the Lord bless you! Amen.
