FACING THE FUTURE WITH FAITH
By Max Solbrekken, D.D.
‘We must face the future with faith, for only God knows the future and only faith pleases God’.
In the early 1970s God implanted this great truth in my heart, and for many years we had it printed on our literature. It became a slogan that defined this ministry of ‘Faith & Miracles’ and brought renewed hope and healing to multitudes!
A life that is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, given over to Jesus Christ and anchored in God’s Word is a life that is fruitful and singularly blessed! A ministry that is founded upon bed-rock faith in God can never be shaken nor destroyed, but will grow in character, stability and power; through fasting, prayer, believing and sacrificial giving. And through trials, testing and persecution!
ONLY GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE!
We do not know the future! Nor, do we involve ourselves in ‘spiritual fortune telling’ as some have done. This sometimes brings them short - term monetary gains, but often with long- term harm to the gullible!
There is of course, the genuine gift of the Spirit called the ‘Word of Knowledge’, which is given to individual members of the Body of Christ for the edification of the Church! This gift we desire, as well as the other eight “gifts of the Spirit’, for the glory of God and the deliverance of mankind from the power and bondage of the devil! (1 Cor.12: 7-11)
It is Biblical to desire spiritual gifts, as St. Paul
The key to the proper use of the ‘gifts of the Spirit’ is found in chapter 13. We must operate these ‘gifts’ with love in our hearts, rather than as a tool to be utilized for selfish motives or gain! He then emphasizes: “Follow after charity (divine love), and desire spiritual gifts…” (vs.1)
When a person is blessed with the ‘Gift of the Word of Knowledge’, great pressure is placed upon that one to demonstrate this ability. Often people will almost demand, “Do you have a word for me”? Here is the temptation: Either to confess that you do not, or to operate presumptuously in the flesh in order to satisfy their request! And possibly give the wrong information!
Only God knows the future and since only faith pleases Him, the most spiritual and intelligent thing to do is to seek God diligently and receive His engrafted Word into our spirits! The Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by God’s Word.” (Rom.10: 17)
The Word of God creates faith and only faith gets the job done! We have no other choice: We must face the future with faith instead of doubt, and our faith must be firmly anchored in the Word of God and in our Lord Jesus Christ.
WHY IS THIS? The Bible is the written Word of God and Jesus is the living Word of God! Jesus Christ alone made “all things possible” through His sacrificial death for us on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead! Here are some lyrics that inspire us to trust God fully:
‘Faith in the Father and faith in the Son,
Faith in the Holy Ghost; These Three are One
Demons shall tremble and demons awake
Faith in Christ Jesus shall anything shake!
So have faith in God, Have faith in God
for the answer, my friend, have faith in God!
Faith in God can move a mighty mountain
Faith in God can calm a troubled sea
Faith will make a desert like a mountain
Faith will bring the victory!
The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. (Heb 11:6) As human beings, we have nothing to be proud about. We have no bragging rights! We are descendents of Adam; born in sin, with a corrupt nature and a propensity to continue sinning!
I’m sure, however, that in our hearts all of us greatly desire to please God! Only a fool would bring railing accusations against our Creator and Sustainer, because He is good, pure, righteous, all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, all-just, everywhere present and perfect in all respects!
The Bible states: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (Ps.19:7-10)
NO 1 - WHEN YOUR WORLD HAS FALLEN APART!
People joked the 1980s: ‘The U.S.A. Canada
Now in 2006 after 12 years of downright lies, gross scandals, massive corruption and misrule by the Liberal Government, Canadians are praying for a return to a better time and the kind of moral leadership we had under P.M. John G. Diefenbaker!
Many Canadians believe that we have now turned the corner with the election of a noble man, at this desperate hour in our history. We are all praying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet will be given an opportunity – even with a minority government – to bring about real change; integrity, basic morality and common sense in our nation!
When one considers the family-oriented, normal types hand-picked for Cabinet by Stephen Harper, as opposed to the weird and wonderful so-called girlie men, hyper feminists and others in the former Liberal governments, with God’s help there is HOPE for real change!
(Term ‘girlie men’ borrowed from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger)
St. Paul reports the effectiveness of the Gospel: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
In 1956, singer Brenda Lee was going through a personal break-up with her lover. Her song ‘My Whole World Is Falling Down’ was at No. 1 on the ‘hit parade’ for weeks. It was sung to the tune of ‘London Bridges Falling Down’! It reflected her personal tragedy and that of countless others who inundated radio stations with requests for the song!
SATAN’S STRATEGY: BLAME GOD!
When you speak to die-hard critics about the goodness of God, His amazing Gift of Redemption to save wicked sinners and a perverted world and that His grace that keeps on giving peace, joy and deliverance, they will usually change the subject. They know that they cannot win that argument, so they try a diversion!
And when you press them about the mercy and love of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who shed His precious blood on Mount Calvary to rescue fallen man, they will invariably bring up some worn-out old story about a pervert R.C. priest or some money grabbing evangelist or how the Church failed to help in time of need!
In their frustration and guilt they often try to justify themselves and their lack of faith by taking the focus off their own sinfulness and laying the blame on someone else. That is the old trick of the devil that he has used against God from the beginning of his treachery!
Trying to appear philosophical, they question the goodness of God. They ask: “Why doesn’t He intervene in our affairs by stopping wars, violence and famines, end economic depressions and natural tragedies like earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions?”
My answer is that He made us as free moral agents with our own will to do right or wrong, good or evil. And that Almighty God did intervene in our lives when He sent His Own Son Jesus Christ our Lord to redeem fallen man. How much more could He do with people who lie about Him, reject Him and ignore Him?
The Bible says: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But, to as many as received Him to them gave He power (authority) to become the sons of God, even to then that believe on His name.” (John 1:11,12)
How could anyone in his right mind blame God for a world gone astray, a renegade planet filled with sexual perverts, pedophiles, liars, occultists and arrogant despisers of that which is good, rejecters of their own Creator and Savior Jesus Christ and blasphemers of His Holy Name?
After all our Lord has done to save humanity and received nothing but scorn and at the best apathy from puny ignorant earthlings, it is a MIRACLE that His hammer of final judgment has been withheld and even now He stands ready to receive and save the very worst among us!
Here is the real TRUTH: “For while we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom.5: 6-8)
THE DEVIL IS TO BE BLAMED!
Many fail to realize that Satan has not been standing idly by as a neutral observer. NO! He has been stoking the fires of hatred, fear, greed and death. I must remind everyone that there wouldn’t be any wars, famine, poverty, sickness, pain or death if the Devil and not tempted our first parents to rebel and disobey their Creator in the Garden of Eden!
He is the author of sin, fear, sickness, disease and death. There wouldn’t be any need for prisons, insane asylums, hospitals or grave yards if the wicked lying Devil had not sowed the seeds that brought about all the pain, heartbreak, sickness, disease and death that plagues our society today!
Satan’s strategy is to shift the blame from himself to God for all the horrible things that he brings upon people! And he has learned to do that very well and knows how to spread his lies effectively to an ignorant human race!
We are living in dangerously perilous times! Without doubt, Satan is throwing at us everything he has in his arsenal of deadly destruction. His intention is to cause as much despair, confusion and pain as he can, hoping that suffering people will blame God instead of him!
When your world has come crashing down “around your ears”, that is when you need faith in God and intimate communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. When someone is hurting, confused, bewildered, bitter and anxious, that is when the ‘Comforter’ has an opportunity to bring healing, assurance and peace to our painful existence!
You may say, “How is this possible”? A simple yet profound answer: ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity’! A very important and basic key to a recovery and turn-around, however, is a repentant heart and a strong desire to change!
The need to say sincerely, “I have failed, I’m sorry. Please forgive me!” is paramount! Then, be ready to receive God’s mercy, forgiveness, assurance and blessing!
After more than four decades in the Ministry we have seen countless numbers of people who had lost everything they held dear and were at ‘rock bottom’ receive a new life when they turned their sordid lives over to God and through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ were transformed by His glorious Gospel!
Just recently a woman answered an altar call and with tears in her eyes spoke these words: “The devil has taken away from me everything.” After prayer she was changed and returned later to testify with a glow on her face that Jesus Christ had made everything new for her.
NOTE: Second Installment coming Soon. M.S.
