COME HOME TO JESUS:

HE WANTS YOU 

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

JESUS CHRIST said: “Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt.11: 28 -30)

“All that the Father giveth to Me shall come to Me; and Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6: 37). “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 16); 

“Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson they shall be as white as snow.”(Isaiah 1: 18,19)

Our Lord issued a personal invitation to all who are burdened, stressed and overwhelmed by the multiple problems we face in our society. His offer is still valid today because He is alive and able to answer our prayers and meet our needs!

YOU MAY ASK: “How is that possible since He lived so long ago and was crucified on the cross of shame outside the walls of Jerusalem on Mount Calvary? 

And what is your answer to all the atheists, agnostics, dingbats, money hungry vultures, anti-Christian journalists and writers, film producers and kinky Hollywood actors who continually spew out blasphemies and outrageous lies about Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords?”

MY FRIEND, NOT TO WORRY: We often find that bigoted, hate-filled, shallow, little-learned, boozing, drug-taking, porno-loving and sexually perverted junkies are like dogs barking at the heels of the horses as the caravan moves forward. 

They could also be likened to someone constantly releasing flatulence at a gathering. The sounds and the smells are there for a while to annoy those around them. but are soon gone!

GOD’S WORD IS FOREVER SETTLED IN HEAVEN!

God’s Word is holy, sure and steadfast. It is true, faultless and eternal. God’s Word is precise, prophetic and inspired. According to the Holy Scriptures, one day the sun will refuse to shine, the moon will turn to dripping blood, the sky will scroll away like a scroll and time will be no more.

God will stop the ‘Clocks of Time’ and start the ‘Wheel of Eternity’ and we will all stand before Jesus Christ for judgment. The sea will give up the dead in it, death and hell will deliver their dead, to answer the final call of the awesome ‘Judge of the Ages’!

The Bible says: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the False Prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. And I saw a great white throne from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no pace for them.

“And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened, and another book was opened which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

"And the sea gave up the dead which 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 books were cast into the lake of fire.`(Rev. 20:10-15)

You may say, “Wow; that is something I never imagined. I thought that Jesus of Nazareth was only a good man, a role model, meek and lowly and a prophet who was rejected and who died on a rugged cross.” 

It is true that Jesus of Nazareth, in His humanity, came as the ‘Lamb of God” to suffer, bleed and die for the sins of the world, but when He comes again He will come to judge the living and dead. Jesus the Son of the Living God will then come as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

The Bible says: “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him and they also which pieced Him. And all kindred of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.” (Rev.1: 7); 

“…and they shall look upon Me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zech.12; 10)

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as a sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth herb untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

“And the heaven departed as scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains, and the mighty men and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For that great day is come and who shall be able to stand? (Rev.6: 12-17)

THESE ARE NOT THE WORDS OF A MAN!

Alt   Although His Presence, Power and Glory fills Heaven and earth and transcends everything and is Above all, yet He is Omnipresent and knows everything about everyone. He is the High and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy (Isa.57: 15), yet He lives among a people who need Him more than anything in this world. And He is not far from anyone of us. 

He  He states: "Call upon Me  the day of trouble; I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me.” (Ps. 50: 15). Again, the Lord says: “Call unto Me and I will and I will answer you and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jer. 33: 3)

You may ask: “How is all this possible?” It is possible because He is ALIVE and the same yesterday, today and forever! (Heb.13: 8) That is why Jesus Christ could say: “Come unto Me ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” 

And that is exactly what everyone needs: Rest from guilt and condemnation; Rest from anxiety, worry and fear; Rest from sickness, disease and pain; Rest from poverty and heartache; Rest from Satan’s enslavement and a lost eternity. We are secure, because JESUS IS OUR REST!

Three days after His sacrificial death for us, God raised our LORD from the dead and He is alive forevermore and has all power in Heaven and in earth! Here is the Holy Record about that glorious event that changed history for time and eternity!

The Bible states: “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightening and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

“And the angel answered and said unto the women; Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead; and behold He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him.” (Matt.28: 2-7)

         AMAZING GRACE; NO GREATER LOVE STORY!

No greater love story has ever been told and no greater love song has ever been sung, than the amazing story of God’s love for His creation, mankind!

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. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16, 17).

“He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1: 10-12)

John’s Gospel is about God the Son becoming a man through the INCARNATION (God in human flesh) which is the greatest miracle this world has ever witnessed. More than 700 years before His Virgin Birth in Bethlehem, Isaiah made this prophetic utterance: 

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Leading Hebrew and Greek Scholars state that “a virgin” is better read “the virgin”. The Hebrew definite article 'ha' indicates that a specific woman is in view. The word virgin used here is the unique Hebrew term ‘almah'. 

A comparison of the six other instances where it occurs (Gen.24: 43; Ex. 2: 8; Ps. 68: 25; Prov. 30: 19; Song 1: 3; 6: 8) shows that it is the most precise term the prophet could have chosen to indicate that the young woman in view was indeed a virgin. The more common word 'betulah' is used twice to refer to a married woman (Deut. 22: 19 and Joel 1: 8)

Thus the Septuagint Translation of ‘almah' as 'parthenos' (virgin) is correct, as is Mathew 1: 23. Shall conceive is a feminine adjective connected with an active participle (“bearing”) and should be translated “is pregnant”. 

Thus the scene is present to the prophet’s view, and he sees the pregnant virgin about to bear a Son. That this prophecy must refer to the virgin birth of Christ is obvious since the virgin is pregnant and is still a virgin. 

Immanuel is a symbolic name meaning God is with us. He is the incarnate Son of God Who is further pictured as the Child-Prince in Isaiah 9: 6.       – Taken from Nelson Study Bible.

     NO-ONE ACCEPTED LUTHER’S CHALLENGE!

MARTIN LUTHER threw out the challenge: “If a Jew or a Christian or a Mohammedan can prove to me that in any other passage of Scripture ‘almah' means a married woman, I will give him a hundred florins, although God only knows where I may find them.” No-one took him up on his challenge!

Never in the history of mankind has a virgin given birth to a baby without a man’s seed through sexual intercourse or artificial insemination! Of such importance was the sign that God gave concerning the birth of His Son that the prophet emphasized, ‘The Lord Himself shall give you a sign’.

The Holy Scripture says: “Behold while he (Joseph) 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.

“And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Now, all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying, 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.” (Matt.1: 20-25)

Jesus of Nazareth was born to die. He was born crucified! Facing the humiliation of the cross, He said: “Now is My soul troubled’ and what shall I say, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (John 12: 27)

Answering Pontius Pilate, Jesus said: “Thou sayest I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Everyone that is of the Truth heareth My voice.” (John 18: 37)

St. John stated: “… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3: 18). And Jesus declared: “The thief (Satan) cometh not but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I am come that that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10: 10)

Our LORD warned: “And ye have not His Word abiding in you; for Whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me that ye might have Life.” (John 5: 38-40)

“And He said unto them, Ye are from beneath: I am from ABOVE, ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: For if ye believe not that I AM HE, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8: 23, 24)

Again He stated: “I am the Vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing. If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15: 5, 7)

      SAUL’S CONVERSION BAFFLES ATHEISTS!

What are the two most powerful arguments that atheists and agnostics cannot overcome, that rattles their chain? The resurrection of Jesus Christ and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus!

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, what happened to His body? Any normal person would understand that because the Jews kept meticulous records of His crucifixion and with the chief priests witnessing JESUS’ death and asking Governor Pontius Pilate to guard His tomb, that He was crucified, dead and buried!

When St. Paul arrived in Rome to preach the Gospel he found many had already been converted to Christ. How did that happen, being so far away from Jerusalem. Who had preached the Gospel in Rome?

They called him Centurion Longinus. He was probably the soldier who pierced JESUS’ side with his long spear. He was the man who witnessed the darkness at noon and the earthquake that opened the earth that collected JESUS’ blood and ripped open the veil in the Holy of holies and shook the temple. 

It was Centurion Longinus who cried out with his soldiers, “Surely, This was the Son of God!”

SAUL OF TARSUS was one of the most learned and brilliant young men in Palestine who had become a Zealot for Judaism causing havoc and great harm to believers in Jesus the Messiah. 

He hated and despised the very name of Jesus of Nazareth and travelled far and wide, visiting every synagogue in every town and village, even going as far away as Damascus to track down, beat, imprison and force Christ’s followers to blaspheme His Worthy and Holy Name.

While on such an unholy vendetta, Jesus Christ met him in a blinding light on the Damascus Road. Saul cried out: “Who art Thou Lord?” Jesus identified Himself by saying: “I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads)”. 

Then, trembling and astonished, Saul the persecutor of ‘believers in Christ’, who earlier had been “breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” cried out; “What wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9: 6)

That proud Pharisee humbled himself before the Lord Jesus Christ and spent the rest of his life travelling, fasting, praying, writing and preaching the Word of God while building the Kingdom of God on earth.

He was consumed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and never stopped declaring the unsearchable mysteries of the cross and the shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal Life! And in the end, he gladly gave his life as a martyr for our Saviour!

St. Paul wrote: “For when we were yet without strength (hopeless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5: 6-10)

                REALLY, WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

No other human being was privy to the great mysteries of God and the secrets of the Almighty like St. Paul. To him was revealed the great hidden secret and purpose of the INCARNATION.

He wrote: “Even the MYSTERY which hath been hid from ages and generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this MYSTERY among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.

“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect (mature) in Christ Jesus.” (Col.1: 26-28)

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? He is the Sin Bearer. He is the Heart Healer. He is the Mind Restorer. He is the Great Physician. He is the Demon Expeller. He is the Holy Ghost Baptizer. He is the Joy Bringer. He is the Fear Remover! He is the Prince of Peace. He is the Liberator of mankind and the Saviour of the world!

And He wants to be your Lord and Saviour, my dear Friend! Open your heart to Him and He will come into your heart and life. He will forgive all your sins and take away the condemnation in your conscience. He will heal the hurts in your spirit soul and body because He is the Great Physician!

Here is His call to you: “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door (of his heart) I will come in to him and will sup (fellowship) with him and he with Me.” (Rev.3: 20) Amen.

                                         HOPE & HEALING

FOR HURTING PEOPLE

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

     Sickness, disease and death are all a result of the ‘Fall’ of our first parents. There was no disease or death in the Garden of Eden until that tragic event.

   The Bible affirms: “Wherefore, as by one man SIN entered into the world and DEATH by sin; and so death passed upon ALL MEN, for that all have sinned.” (Rom.5: 12); “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor.15: 21)

   In His great mercy, God sent His Son who was INCARNATED (God in human flesh) to bring salvation to lost humanity: 

  “For when we were yet without strength (hopeless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5: 6, 8)

  Through His sacrificial death on Calvary's cross, Jesus Christ took our sins, sicknesses and pains upon Himself, thereby opening the door to our freedom from the tyranny of Satan and the results of our disobedience.

    The Holy Scriptures say: “He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might DESTROY the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3: 8): 

  “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 are healed.” (1 Peter 2: 24)

    After Adam's treasonous act in the Garden of Eden, God passed judgment on the Serpent, Eve, Adam and the earth! 
    In His judgment on Satan, who used the serpent as a mouthpiece, Almighty God introduced the Coming of the Messiah Who would Crush his head! In theology this is known as the 'Law of the first mention'.
    Here is the Holy Record of that amazing DECREE: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel." (Gen.3:15)
   The first part of the Judgment was against the serpent who allowed itself to be used by the devil. Surveys have proven that snakes are the most hated animals on this planet. 
    Then God introduced the Coming of the Just One, the Messiah who would be born of a VIRGIN (seed of the woman) and would crush Satan's head, while He would bruise the Messiah's heel!
  When Jesus was crucified, His heel was bruised but His resurrection from the dead was Satan's total and complete death knell. Christ's VICTORY was Satan's DEFEAT and our LIBERTY!

JESUS BORE OUR SICKNESSES!

     

   The Word of God states: "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses (heb. kholee) and carried our pains (heb. makob): yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."(Isa. 53:4, 5)

   Seven hundred and fifty years before Jesus’ death on the cross, Isaiah prophesied those power-filled words about His sacrificial death for the salvation, healing and deliverance of all who would receive Him as their Lord and Saviour. The Bible states that He did this for us: 

   "Now it was not written for his (Abraham) sake alone, that it was imputed to him. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus from the dead: Who was delivered for our offences (sins) and raised again for our justification." (Rom.4: 23-25) 

   St. Paul emphatically taught that those who believed in the finished work of Jesus Christ in purchasing eternal Salvation would receive the same that Abraham received by looking forward to the cross!

    The words, “but for us also” has a reassuring ring for us today! There are theologians who try to compartmentalize and restrict God into a small time frame, thus regulating His ability to be the Eternal Ever Living One that He is. By doing so, they minimize His greatness, insult His intelligence and pervert His will and plans for His Church!

   As St. Paul battled the carnal minded ‘small thinkers’ in his generation who said that ‘no-one could have what Father Abraham received’, we battle the same ‘God manipulators’ who say with great pontification, “The Day of Miracles is Past. Miracles happened only in Paul’s Time.” 

   Many Evangelical theologians were greatly dismayed with the ‘God is Dead Theology’ that came out of Europe decades ago, but their theological position may as well be: “I Shrunk God!”

WHY HE WAS INCARNATED!

 "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8); "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power: Who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil." (Acts 10: 38) 

   "For as much 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." (Heb 2: 14, 15).

    Here is a very important truth: The children (human race) are partakers of Flesh and Blood, while Christ Himself took part of the same. The word ‘took part’ which applies to Christ is entirely different than the word ‘partakers’ which applies to the children. 

  The word translated took part comes from the Greek, meaning ‘taking part of something outside oneself ’, while the Greek word (koynoneho) for partakers means ‘to share fully’.

     Why is this truth so important? All humans are partakers (to share fully) and have inherited from Adam the sin that is inherent in that blood. Christ, however, inherited only the ‘flesh’ from Adam because the blood that flowed through His veins did not come from Adam. 

    He ‘took part of something outside Himself ’. His blood came from Almighty God and therefore was not contaminated by SIN.

     The Virgin Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ excluded Him from receiving the Sin Nature that all others are born with. He received from Adam through His mother Mary human flesh but the blood that coursed through His veins came from the Holy Spirit, pure and without sin! 

    You say: “How is that POSSIBLE?”  Only the blood of the father enters the baby. The blood of the mother does not enter the child.

SCIENCE PROVES THE VIRGIN BIRTH

  In Howell’s Textbook of Physiology, Second Edition, pages 885 and 886, it states: “For the purpose of understanding its general functions it is sufficient to recall that the placenta consists essentially of vascular chorionic papillae from the foetus (the unborn child) bathed in the large blood spaces of the decidual membrane of the mother. 

    The foetal and the maternal blood DO NOT COME INTO ACTUAL CONTACT. THEY ARE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER by the walls of the foetal blood vessels and the epithelial layers of the chorionic villae.”

     And in Williams’ Practice of Obstetrics, Third Edition, page 133, states: “The foetal blood in the vessels of the chorionic villae AT NO TIME GAINS ACCESS TO THE MATERNAL BLOOD in the intervillous spaces, BEING SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER by the double layer of chorionic epithelium.” 

    Page 136 from the same textbook states: “Normally there is no communication between the fetal blood and the maternal blood.”

   Nurse’s Handbook of Obstetrics by Louise Zabriskie, R.N., Fifth Edition, page 75 we read: “When the circulation of the blood begins in the embryo, it remains separate and distinct from that of the mother. 

    "All food and waste material which are interchanged between the embryo and the mother must pass through the blood vessel walls from one circulation to the other.”

   Page 82 from the same textbook states: “The foetus receives its nourishment and oxygen from the mother’s blood into its own through the medium of the placenta. 

   "The foetal heart pumps blood   through the arteries of the umbilical cord into the placental vessels, which, looping in and out of the uterine tissue and lying in close contact with the uterine vessels, permit a diffusion, through their walls, of waste products from child to mother and of nourishment and oxygen from mother to child

    "As has been said, this interchange is affected by the process of osmosis, and there is no direct mingling of the two blood currents. In other words, no maternal blood actually flows to the foetus, nor is there any direct foetal flow to the mother.”

    Note: Much of the above information taken from ‘The Chemistry of the Blood’ by M.R. DeHaan, M.D

    Christ's vicarious (substitutionary) Death for us and Resurrection from the dead that resulted in Satan's Defeat, has assured our Liberty. Praise the Lord!

    Jesus healed all the SICK who came to Him. He didn't turn away anyone, however, not everyone believed: 

   “And He went to His own country...And He could there do no MIGHTY WORK, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick  folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages teaching.” (Mark 6: 1, 5,6)

JESUS MARVELLED ONLY TWICE!

   The Bible records only two occasions where Jesus marvelled. Once was when He witnessed the faith of a Roman Centurion and the second was when He witnessed the unbelief of His own people!

     When Jesus began teaching in His home town they were astonished and said: “From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such MIGHTY WORKS are wrought by His hands? 

    "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.” (Mark 6: 2, 3)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Word of God states that He marvelled at their UNBELIEF. God’s Son could “there do NO MIGHTY WORK, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk (who believed) and healed them.” How tragic!

    What does this tell us? Faith is the KEY to receiving miracles from our Lord. Jesus said to the father of a demon possessed, deaf and dumb boy, “If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9: 23)

   The father cried out and said with tears, “I believe, help Thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24). Immediately, Jesus delivered the boy!

   Jesus stated; “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works sake. 

    "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the WORKS that I do shall he do also; and GREATER WORKS shall he do; because I go to the Father. If ye shall ask ANYTHING in My name, I will do it.” (John 14: 10-14)

     He was referring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! He promised to send the blessed HOLY SPIRIT Who does the greater works. No-one can do greater works than Jesus did because He raised the dead, and the Bible confirms that “death is the last enemy to be destroyed.” (1 Cor.15: 26)

   Jesus ministered only in Israel, laid His hands on the sick and people touched His robe and were healed. He spoke the Word and people were delivered. He calmed the storm, multiplied the loaves and fish and cast out evil spirits. 

   The Holy Spirit, however, works all over the world simultaneously, through the Church! Two examples: Peter’s shadow fell on people and they were healed (Acts 5: 12-16). Paul sent out handkerchiefs and aprons, and demons were driven out and the sick were healed (Acts 19: 11, 12).

THE HOLY SPIRIT DID THIS!

  Who did this? The Blessed Holy Spirit did the miracles as the people believed! He entered St. Peter’s shadow and healed the sick. The Holy Spirit accompanied the anointed cloths and aprons St. Paul sent out to the sick and suffering! And He is with us and in us TODAY and stands ready to continue doing the greater works!

    In my humble ministry for the Lord, I have seen the Holy Spirit do these greater miracles. In our 1966 breakthrough Crusade in Guntur, A.P. India, we experienced such a miracle. Many thousands of people had jammed into the Freedom Park for the final service. 

   After my message and mass prayer of salvation, several outstanding miracles happened in the prayer line which caused everyone to excitedly move toward the platform. 

    I had been praying for several thousand each evening without any problems, but this being the final service the people would not heed my plea for order. 

   After I prayed several mass prayers for the healing of the sick, we quickly left fearing that someone could get trampled if we continued the service.

  As we drove away from Guntur in Lawson Barbour’s 1946 Chevy, I lay in the backseat listening to Lawson and Tommy talking about the great crusade we had just concluded. 

  I was disturbed because I hadn’t had the opportunity to personally lay my hands on many thousands of sick people. As I wept silently, telling God that I would have stayed till midnight to pray for 10,000 – 20,000 people if I could have, but they wouldn’t let me. 

    Then, I heard the voice of God, saying, “Dry your tears, My son. You are leaving them, but I am not leaving them!”

     The Lord had led us to have 10,000 leaflets with a picture of Sadhu Vandanam and me, with the name of his church and some Scripture texts printed on them. We had prayed that God would use those leaflets to bring salvation and healing to many people. They were given out at that final meeting.

     A woman from a little village about 20 miles away had been told by her doctor that the cancerous sore in her stomach area was inoperable and she would soon die. 

    She had attended three days of meetings but was unable to get near us for personal prayer because of the huge crowds. After we left, she wrapped her sari around her body and sadly started the 20 mile trek home that evening, painfully struggling and crying all the way. She had missed her last opportunity to get well.

HOLY SPIRIT DOES THE MIRACLE!

   At about 6:00 A.M. she arrived at her village as people were up and about doing their toilet. She entered her little mud hut and threw herself on the little grass mat on the floor, sick and exhausted. She had cried so much, there were no more tears.

   As she lay there, throbbing, nerves raw and her body twitching, she suddenly sat up and undid her sari placing the leaflet on the open sore and shouted, as she had heard me say hundreds of times, “In Jesus name be healed. Be healed in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.”

    Suddenly, a surge of power swept through her. The sore was instantly gone. She was healed! She jumped to her feet and ran around waving the leaflet and shouting: “I am healed. Jesus Christ has healed me.” 

    The entire village came together to see her and hear her story. Shortly thereafter, they sent a delegation to meet Sadhu Vandenam and the Missionary Lawson Barbour. 

  When they arrived at the little village of several hundred inhabitants, everyone had prayed the sinner’s prayer and received Jesus Christ through the testimony of the healed woman and the Bible texts she had brought home with her.

     When Tommy  and I returned to Canada from Israel a few weeks later, a tape recording of the events had already arrived from Lawson Barbour, detailing the great miracle of God! Praise be unto God forevermore.

     The Second time Jesus MARVELLED was when He witnessed the faith of a Roman Centurion: “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou should come under my roof, but speak the Word only, and my servant shall be healed. 

   "For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say unto this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come and he cometh; and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it.” (Matt. 8: 5-9)

    Jesus marvelled at his FAITH: “When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” (Matt.8: 10)

      In our Ministry for our Lord, I have also found that when a pagan Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Animist or an unlearned Protestant or Roman Catholic hears the Gospel for the first time and believes it, they literally grab onto it and sometimes receive a Miracle more readily than a believing Christian who has heard the Gospel repeatedly!

JESUS SENT OUT MANY

TO PREACH & HEAL!

   There were so many SICK people who needed healing that Jesus commissioned His TWELVE disciples to do what He did: “He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease. 

   And as you go preach, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt.10: 1,7,8; Mark 6:7)

  THE RESULTS: “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6: 13). 

  As His Ministry increased, He appointed another SEVENTY disciples to preach the Gospel and heal the sick:

  “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face unto every city and place whither He Himself would come. 

    'And into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10: 1, 8, 9)

    THE RESULTS: “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils (demons) are subject unto us through Thy name. 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 10:17-19)

    Before ascending to Heaven, our Lord gave the Great Commission to all believers: "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 (like St. Paul at Malta); and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them (Prison guards in USSR did this to Pentecostal preachers); they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16: 15-18)

  THE RESULTS: “And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with SIGNS following.” (Mark 16: 20)

     St. James wrote: "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them PRAY over him, anointing him with OIL (symbol of the Holy Spirit) 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 hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5: 14, 15)

     We believe in God's promises because they are true and cannot fail! Jesus stated that even if heaven and earth were to vanish His WORDS would stand true: 

    “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” (Luke 16: 17); “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.” (Matt. 24: 35)

     Our God cannot change. It is impossible for Him to change. He cannot and will not change! (Mal. 3:5; Isa. 40:8; Psalm 119: 89; Heb.1:10-12; Rev.1:18)

     Our God cannot lie. It is impossible for Him to lie. He cannot and will not lie! (Psalm 19: 7-9; Isaiah 45: 3; John 14:6; 17: 3,17; Heb.6:18)

     Our God cannot fail. It is impossible for God to fail. He cannot and will not fail! (1 Kings 8: 56; Joshua 23: 14; Psalm 50:15; Psa. 91: 15)

      Our God is available 24/7. He never slumbers nor sleeps. He is not too busy to hear our request or answer our prayer`. He never gets old or dies! (Psalm 121:1-8; Isa. 41:10; Heb.13: 5; Matt.28: 20; Matt. 11:28; Matt. 7: 7-8; Matt. 18: 18-20)

    Here are two Scripture texts that have driven me to my knees in repentance and compassion to do more for Him and my fellowman: 

   “And  I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before Me for the land, that I should Not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22: 30); 

    “And He saw that there was NO MAN and He WONDERED that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him.” (Isa.59: 15, 16)

   Almighty God Who made the worlds and created man in His own image wondered why no one cared about the plight of fallen man. He wondered why there was no intercessor! 

    And I believe that today, He still wonders why so few really care about the lost condition of mankind who have not yet heard about the Saviour Who shed His precious BLOOD for their eternal souls. 

CHRIST`S MIRACLES PROVES GOD`S LOVE

    Clearly, when people reject the miracles of God in His amazing creative work of giving and sustaining life, the perfect order of His universe and His graciousness of adopting us into His Family through the sacrifice of His Son, they have committed the gravest of all sins!

     CHARLES DARWIN is a prime example of making a deliberate choice to turn from the greatness of Almighty God our Creator and give the praise and glory to something called Chance or Evolution. 

  Based on his faulty reasoning HE REJECTED THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST. Historical records show the following sad facts: “Having abandoned the Old Testament, Darwin then renounced the Gospels. 
  'This loss of belief was based on several factors, including HIS REJECTION OF MIRACLES: "The more we know of the fixed laws of nature, the more incredible do miracles become"; HIS REJECTION OF THE CREDIBILITY OF THE GOSPEL WRITERS: 

   "The men of that time were ignorant and credulous to a degree almost incomprehensible to us"; HIS REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL CHRONOLOGY: "The Gospels cannot be proved to have been written simultaneously with the events"; 
    AND HIS REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL EVENTS; "They differ in many important details, far too important, as it seemed to me, to be admitted as the usual inaccuracies of eye-witnesses."

             MANKIND'S DOWNWARD PLUNGE!

   St. Paul outlines the DOWNWARD SPIRAL of the perverts he spoke of in his letter to the Roman Church. They began by KNOWING GOD and ended up worshiping  inanimate objects and animals and having orgies of perverted sex!

   “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.

    “For the invisible things of Him from the CREATION of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

    Because that, when they KNEW GOD, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

  “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things;

 “Wherefore God also 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, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

  “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; men working with men that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

    “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, being filled with ALL unrighteousness ...” (Rom. 1:18-32)

      MIRACLES TURN PEOPLE TO GOD!

    The Miracles of God in Creation, the giving of life and the sustenance thereof to the human family and every living thing, the plant and animal kingdoms, the earth, sea and air and the perfection and orderliness of the planets, the vastness of outer space and the ever expanding cosmos, all point us heavenward in praise and worship to our Maker, Lord and Saviour!

   There are many reasons why Jesus Christ - True God from eternity and true Man born of the Virgin Mary - performed miracles everywhere He went while on this terrestrial ball.

    He performed miracles because of His great love for humanity. 

  He performed miracles because of His compassion toward the sick and suffering. He performed miracles to fulfill the Holy Scriptures concerning Himself. 

    He performed miracles to prove that He is God. He performed miracles because He had come to destroy Satan’s works and his kingdom.

   One of the MAIN REASONS,however, why Jesus Christ performed miracles while here is because He wanted earthlings to repent of their sins and become a part of His Kingdom. 
   Miracles prove the goodness of God and the “goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” (Rom.2: 4)

   Jesus was provoked over the sinfulness and hardness of hearts He witnessed among God’s Chosen People, the Jewish nation. He made it very clear that He expected that the miracles He did for them would cause men to repent of their sins and turn to God.
   The very purpose of His great works was to show mankind His love and compassion!

    After Jesus had performed great miracles of healing and deliverance among them, they still asked for a SIGN. Their hardness of heart is difficult for me to understand! 

    He answered that there would be no sign given except the Sign of the Prophet Jonah who had been three days and nights in the belly of that ‘great fish’, referring to His own death and resurrection (Mark 8:12).

    In their hatred for Jesus of Nazareth, they said that He was healing the sick and casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons! (Mark 3:22-30)

   When God performed great miracles through the Apostles after Christ's resurrection, the religious leaders were upset and sought to destroy them!

    When they could no longer deny the miracles, they said that Jesus was a sinner and that the healed person should give God the glory. (John 9:4). 
     Finally, they threatened and beat Jesus' followers and forbade them to speak or pray in His name:

    “And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 

     But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, 
   "What shall we do with these men, for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

  “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4: 14-18)

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!

    History repeats itself and we have seen some of the above in our ministry. 

    In our 1965 Gospel Tent Crusade in Winnipeg, a young man from the Evangelical Mennonite Church was instantly healed in his arm which had been broken and not set properly at 2 ½ half years old. When he shared with his Pastor the miracle that had happened, he was told that the devil did the miracle.

    I demanded that his pastor come to the TENT and make that public statement in our crusade, and that he was on dangerous ground calling the Holy Spirit a devil (Mark 3:30).

    When confronted, his pastor confessed that he had lied and that he had done so to keep him from leaving the Mennonite Church and attending a Pentecostal church. 

   The young man and his family eventually left that church for a Full Gospel Church where they would hear the truth of God’s Word declared!

   One of the greatest proofs that Miracles of Healing and Deliverance are for today is found in Jesus’ words of judgment upon the people who had seen His miracles in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum and had not repented.iH

   Their hearts were so hardened, selfish and sinful that they would not repent. Miracles cause sinners to repent and believe the Gospel!

    After I had been born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, due to my work as a commercial Traveller, I encountered various Ministers from the cults as well as Evangelical and Mainline Protestant Churches. 

   Due to my upbringing in the Evangelical Lutheran Church (when it preached holiness) and my ongoing study of theology, I was constantly challenged about about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit, like Divine Healing!

    One young evangelical Minister said: “Miracles were given in the Early Church to prove that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, however, now that everyone knows that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, we don’t need miracles anymore!” 

   I thought, “How ignorant can one be. The world and our own nation is rushing toward an eternal Hell at breakneck speed, wickedness and ungodliness is all around us, the Church is lukewarm at best, false cults and demon powers are gaining ascendancy, and an Evangelical Pastor says that everyone knows that Jesus Christ arose from the dead!”

     The Bible records: “Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of his Mightiest Works had been done because THEY REPENTED NOT: Woe unto thee Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! 

    "For if the Mighty Works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre or Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

  “And thou Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the Mighty Works that which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 

   But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for thee.” (Matt 11: 20-24)

          EVEN HOMOSEXUAL PERVERTS!

    Jesus declared that if the perverts in Sodom would have seen  the Great Miracles that Christ performed in Capernaum, they would have repented! Imagine, hardened perverts being converted by the powerful manifestation of Christ's Miracles!!!

  Why wouldn't every sincere Preacher of the Gospel want to see God's miracles so that sinners everywhere would repent and believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour?

    My prayer is that every Minister of the Gospel gets filled with the blessed Holy Spirit and begins to preach the Gospel with great unction, compassion and love, reaching out to the sick and suffering with the promises of God to hear and answer prayer!

     And now, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship and the communion of the Holy Spirit be and abide with us all, until Jesus comes. (2 Cor.13:14)

    “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace, in Jesus’ name, Amen.” (Num.6: 24-26)

    “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20,21)