THE CHRISTIAN’S VICTORY CRY:

WE ARE SECURE IN JESUS!

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

     Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:15). Our Lord declared, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."(John 14: 6). 

      Jesus invites us, "Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt.11: 28). He assures us, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out."(John 6:47):" And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my Father's hand." (Matt.10:28, 29). 

     St. Paul declared, "If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col 3: 1-3). 

                          YOU ARE SECURE IN JESUS!

      The Word of God states: "And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age." (Matt.28:20); "He hath said,  I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Heb.13:5). The original text is even stronger. Jesus used a double imperative.

      He actually said: "I will never, No never leave thee. I will never, No never forsake thee..." The word always is a measure of time while the word alway is a measure of distance. He said: “I will go the distance with you, all the way until you arrive at Home in Heaven!”

      My dear friend, you are SECURE in Jesus Christ. You can TRUST Him and DEPEND upon Him to lead and guide you by the Blessed Holy Spirit. He cannot and will not force you to love Him, but He still loves you with an unconditional Love.

      No one else will ever care for you like Jesus. He loved us so much that He left Heaven's glory to come down to this sin-cursed earth to purchase your soul from damnation and Hell through His sacrifice on the ‘Old Rugged Cross’ and His glorious resurrection from the dead!

     The Bible says, "For when we were yet without strength (hopeless), 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. 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: 5-10)

      That’s why St. John exclaimed: "We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4: 8-19). An old Gospel song says: Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there!

SECURE FOR TIME & ETERNITY!

      My friend: “Receive Jesus Christ into your heart and life today and He will be the best friend you will ever have. He will forgive all your sins and give you joy and peace within. And you will know that you are secure in JESUS for time and Eternity!

       If sickness is seeking to rob your health and strength, remember that Jesus Christ has purchased your total salvation which includes forgiveness of all your sins, peace in your soul and divine healing for your tired and sick body!

     We were created in the image and likeness of God. He is triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we are also triune: spirit, soul and body! We are His special creation and unlike the plant and animal kingdoms, we were made in God’s LIKENESS with an ability to commune with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit in prayer and His Word. We enter into the Holy of Holies through the shed blood of our Substitute and Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord

      The Holy Bible declares: “Christ hath REDEEMED us from the CURSE of the law, being made a curse for us.” (Gal.3: 13) You may say, “What was the curse of the law?”

     Moses, the great Jewish prophet and lawgiver gave us the answer in Deuteronomy 28. The blessing of keeping the Covenant with Almighty God meant that the Israelites would blessed, above all the peoples of the earth in everything including peace, victory over enemies, prosperity and good health!

                       JESUS BROKE THE CURSE!

     If they broke the Covenant, however, a curse would fall upon them which meant unrest, defeat in battle, famine, sickness, disease, poverty and slavery! The CURSE of the law included, “all diseases, every sickness and every plague” ever known or still unknown to man! (Deut. 28: 60, 61)

     When God had finished His Masterwork of Creation He was well pleased: “And God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good.” (Gen.1: 31) There was no sin, fear, pain, sickness, disease and death in the Garden of Eden until the fallen archangel Lucifer whom we call Satan, Devil and Evil One tempted our first parents and they sinned. With sin came fear, guilt, pain sickness, disease and death.

     Our Heavenly Father, however, KNEW before the foundations of the earth were laid of the High Treason that would be committed by His archangel (Isa.14: 12-17; Ezek.28: 12-17; Rev.12: 7-9) and had a plan in place. After God had brought down His judgment upon Adam and Eve and the earth because of their sin, He judged Lucifer with these words:

    “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her SEED: It shall bruise thy HEAD, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” (Gen.3: 15) In theology, we call this ‘The Law of the First Mention’.

THE SEED OF THE WOMAN!

     In Jewish gynecological records, the names of the fathers are always listed. In this great prophetic statement which announces the coming of the Messiah Who would crush Satan’s head, He would be born of a virgin without the aid of male sperm. Four thousand years before Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, God gave Satan a “heads up”.

      Paraphrasing, He said: “You think you have won by turning My own special creation against Me, but you will not win. Be on the lookout, because I am going to do a new thing. A virgin will conceive in her womb and bring forth the Deliverer who will do battle with you for the souls of men and although you will bruise His heel, He will crush your head and destroy you eternally, Satan.”

     The Word of God states: “For when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to REDEEM them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal.4:4,5)

     For our Saviour Jesus Christ to fulfill this prophecy, He had to suffer, bleed and die upon a rugged cross in order to meet the demands of Divine Justice and pay the penalty of all SINS, past, present and future, of all transgressors who would repent and receive His mercy. The Bible says that Jesus “was delivered for our offences (sins) and was raised again for our justifications.” (Rom. 4: 25)

      Through His shed blood on Calvary’s Cross, Jesus took our place and paid the penalty for our sins. As our Substitute, He died in our stead. The penalty for SIN was death, physical and spiritual. God had warned Adam: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” (Gen.2: 16, 17)

IN DYING THOU SHALT DIE!

     The literal Hebrew says, “In dying thou shalt die”. In other words, ‘You will begin to die in that day and eventually die.’ Since that day, every baby has been born with death in its mortal body!  Many years later a prophet stated: “The soul that sinneth it shall surely die.” (Ezek 18:4)

     The Holy Bible records the great transaction of Adam’s Sin being imputed to the human race, making us all guilty in God’s sight. When Jesus Christ paid the ransom for us, our sins were laid upon Him and imputed to Him.

     He took the punishment for our sins and gave us His righteousness in return through His death and resurrection, making us His sons and daughters.

    Thank God Almighty, we are free, totally Free for time and Eternity! Now, you know why, those who receive Jesus Christ and Saviour and Lord are SECURE in Him! Amen.

Even an Atheist like Bill Maher knows what brain-washed Leftist Liberals don't want to believe! What is that? Radical Christians die trying to save people and Radical Muslims die trying to kill people! - Pastor Max Solbrekken

April 28, 2013

Radical Christianity vs. Radical Islam

By Trevor Thomas

Finally, Bill Maher got something right.  Following the Boston bombings, Maher responded to Brian Levy, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino (a great example of needed reforms in public higher education), "[T]here's only one faith, for example, that kills you or wants to kill you if you draw a bad cartoon of the prophet.  There's only one faith that kills you or wants to kill you if you renounce the faith."

There you have it.  Even a flaming atheist can recognize the difference between a religion of peace and one full of bloodlust.  The Tsarnaevs are just the most recent example of the tragic bitter fruitproduced by radical Islamists.  To further Maher's point, consider and contrast the efforts of radical Islamists with those of radical Christians.

Just what is a "radical Christian"?  Some might call them (with apologies to DC Talk) "Jesus Freaks."  Examples are all around us, and most are virtually unknown outside their home towns (mainly because they don't make the news by killing people).  They plant churches, feed the poor, heal the sick; they open orphanages and pregnancy resource centers; they visit prisoners and deliver the oppressed; in other words, they have sold themselves out to be the hands and feet of the One they worship.

Some popular examples would include men like the late Jim Elliot, who served and evangelized the Quechua Indians, even though it cost him his life. Countless Christians have forsaken the comforts of Western civilization to go and fulfill the call of Christ.  In other words, Christianity exports its radicals to bring life and hope, while much of Islam does so to bring death and despair.

Radical Christian and Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and his wife Linda started an organization "that has helped build or repair more than 600,000 houses and served more than 3 million people around the world."  The organization began in 1968, and the Fullers moved to Mbandaka, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1973 to spread their mission of affordable housing to developing countries.

Meanwhile, Muslims in Pakistan recently burnednearly 200 Christian homes over the allegedblasphemy against Muhammad by a Christian sanitation worker.  Coptic Christians continue to suffer under the "reforms" taking place in Egypt.  The Coptic minority have been murdered and seen their homes, businesses, and churches looted and burned.

Radical Christians build hospitals.  Radical Muslims seek to fill them up.  Christians have led the world in caring for the sick and dying among us.  As Virginia Health Information notes, "[s]ome of the earliest hospitals existed in ancient Rome in 100 BC as important centers for the emergency care of sick and wounded soldiers. With the spread of Christianity, hospitals grew as part of the church's mission and became part of the community as they tended to health care not only for soldiers but also for all who needed it."

The first hospital in North America, the Hospital de Jesus Nazareno, was founded by Cortés.  The first hospital in the U.S, Pennsylvania Hospital, was founded by a Quaker, Dr. Thomas Bond (with the aid of Benjamin Franklin).  The Catholic Church alone operates over 1,100 hospitals and long-termhealth care facilities in the U.S.  What's more, a 2010 study revealed that Christian hospitals in the U.S. outperform all others.

Radical Christians build schools.  The world's first university, birthed in 1088, was The University of Bologna in Italy.  It was founded to teach canon (church) law.  The second-oldest university, The University of Paris, grew out of the cathedral schools of Notre-Dame and soon became a great center for Christian orthodox studies.  Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt, in his book Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization, points out that every college established in colonial America, except the University of Pennsylvania, was founded by some denomination of Christianity.  He adds that, preceding the Civil War, 92 percent of the 182colleges and universities in the U.S. were established by some branch of the church.

Radical Muslims attack young girls who merely want an education.  In 2012, Taliban forces in Afghanistan were responsible for what was described as "an intentional act to poison schoolgirls."  More than 150 girls in northeastern Afghanistan suffered in the attack.  "Every day [in fact, just the other day], you hear that somebody's thrown acid at a girl's face ... or they poison their water," moaned the founder of a girls school outside Kabul.

According to the U.N., there were nearly 200 attacks on schools and hospitals in Afghanistan in 2011.  In addition, radical Islamists also attackadministrators who don't conform to their ideas of what constitutes a proper education.  According to Reuters, "[r]adical Muslims burst into a Tunisian school ... and assaulted [nearly killing] its chief after he barred entry to a teenage girl wearing a niqab."

Car bombs detonated by Muslim radicals have killed dozens in Somalia and Nigeria this year alone.  Just last month, Muslim suicide bombers in Pakistan and Syria killed well over 100 people.  Whether it's bombing, burning, beheading, hacking, poisoning, or shooting, the list of Muslim violence is long and obscene.

Of course, the proper Christian response to such violence is never revenge.  (However, justice is another matter.)  As we look to be salt and light to those outside Christianity -- whether they be violent, mocking, or merely apathetic -- we must never forget that Christ came not to destroy lives, but to save them.  This is why, when it comes to comparing radical Christians to radical Islamists, there is no comparison.

Trevor Grant Thomas: at the Intersection of politics, science, faith, and reason.www.trevorgrantthomas.com

"Ten years of Miracles" is an amazing testimony of GOD'S WILL being done in the life of a fallible MAN who trusted in an infallible GOD, Whose rich Grace and Mercy and the Life-Giving BLOOD of Jesus Christ has brought about this MIRACLE. Against all odds, Jan Hanvold has overcome past failures to become a major Carrier of the Gospel to Scandinavia and Europe. Donna and I honour you and Visjon Norge TV as we share your Joyous Celebrations at the Drammen Hall on May 3 & 4. May God continue bless you Jan Hanvold, family and staff.- Pastor Max Solbrekken

CONGRATULATIONS TO VISJON NORGE TV ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY REACHING EUROPE WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. WE JOIN SCANDINAVIA IN HONOURING JAN HANVOLD & VISJON NORGE TV.!!!
                                - Dr. Max Solbrekken, D.D.

                           Max & Donna 50 years preaching
                            Jesus Christ's Gospel world-wide

Jan Hanvold founder of Visjon Norge 

TV. Possibly the greatest spreader of 

the Gospel of Christ in Scandinavia

                                Jan Hanvold in Minister's Conference 
                      at the Max Solbrekken Unity Gospel 
                       Crusade in Kampala, Uganda, 2011

                              Dr. Max Solbrekken in deep conversation
                              with Jan Hanvold about backsliding in the
                    Christian Church and how to turn people
                     Back to Christ, bringing a true God Sent
                     Revival to Norway, Sweden & Denmark.!

AN AIR OF GREAT EXPECTANCY

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

     There is an air of genuine expectancy in the hearts of spiritually alert Christians today. A sense that something big is about to happen on the ‘spiritual front’ in the battle for lost and dying souls. The Battle is enjoined between right and wrong, between good and evil, between God’s elect and Satan’s emissaries.  It goes right back to the prophecy made by the Creator in the presence of Adam and Eve which was directed to the Liar, the defrocked Lucifer, who had instigated the High Treason coup.

    The Big Question is: 'What are we expecting'? Is the prophetic Word of God in the Holy Scriptures speaking to us? Is the Blessed Holy Spirit revealing truths from the Word which have been hidden to our spirit man? Is He divulging truths of coming events, yet not revealed? Is God using His Word, the Holy Spirit and His Blood to make a deliberate statement to us about the need for a Revival of righteousness, so that an Awakening happens in the world of sinning men and women?

     We are all familiar with the last words spoken by our Crucified, Risen and Glorified Saviour, before His ascension to the Right hand of God’s Throne. Reading the Great Commission always stirs my heart to pray. It grips my spirit until I can hardly lay down the Holy Bible. It stirs me to go out and win souls on a one-to-one basis, as well as in crusade services!

    THE GREAT COMMISSION of our Lord Jesus commands: “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: 15-18)

REPENT OR ELSE...!

      As great and powerful as those words are, they were not the last words of command uttered by our Lord. On the Isle of Patmos Jesus Christ issued His last command to the church. It was not “GO YE...”, but “REPENT---OR ELSE.” Unto five of the seven churches, His message was: “Repent” or He would remove their candlestick or worse! (Rev.2; 5, 16, 22; 3: 3, 19)

     Taking the pulse of today’s deteriorating world does not generate HOPE! There isn’t a lot to look forward to with the recent bombing in Boston, planned terrorist attacks on Canada / US Trains, North Korea's nuclear posturing, Iran coming close to possessing Atomic bombs, economic chaos in Europe, terrorists in the USA, tottering Superpower status, together with staggering Natural Disasters.  

      When you add to that, the growing apostasy of the Protestant Churches in the Western World and the Roman Catholic Pope Francis' rush to draw closer to the Religion of Islam and the Eastern Orthodox Church, we realize that we are living in a time unparelleled in human history.

      There is, however, an excitement IN MY SPIRIT as I daily draw near to our Lord through His life-giving Word and prayer, in close fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Blessed Holy Spirit. I sense, as never before, His quickening presence and a deepening of my understanding of the Mystery of the Godhead and His Eternal Plan, Purpose and Will for His Church. We are seeing more and more miracles and answers to our prayers, for which I am so very grateful to our Lord. 

      The Holy Scripture states: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with PERPLEXITY; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

     “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your Redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21: 25-28) 

    We are EXPECTING God's power to be poured upon His people in a greater measure than ever before as we see the end approaching. Remember, our Lord said: "Ye shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And ye shall be WITNESSES unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the end of the world." (Acts 1:8)

HOW WILL THIS HAPPEN?

    Jesus said: "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may ABIDE with you forever, Even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you. And at that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me and I in you. 

     "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of My Father, and I will LOVE him and I will MANIFEST Myself to him. Jesus Answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My Words, and My Father WILL LOVE HIM, and We (The Father & His Son) and make OUR abode with him." (John 14: 16-23)

      Here is a great truth: All we need to do for the Heavenly Father to love us, is to love Jesus, believe His Words and keep them. God is then obligated to love us and manifest Himself to us. Praise the Lord!

      I am excited because I am EXPECTING a mighty REVIVAL of God consciousness across the world, even though spiritual darkness is creeping across much of the planet and evil forces of Satanic nature, dressed in religious garb, is on the march as Satan knows he has but a short time left to make his desperate move to control the world.

     The great TRUTH is that SIN is an abomination to GOD and that when God the SON was incarnated (God in human flesh) He did so that He could DESTROY sin! And that is exactly what He did when He poured out His pure and perfect blood as solvent for our sins, purchasing eternal life for all who would believe on Him as Lord and Saviour!

  THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS!

      In his book ‘The Blood of His Cross’, Dr. Andrew Murray writes: “The great event which moved Heaven, earth and Hell; for which the world had to wait for four thousand years; the results which will endure forever – the shedding of the blood of the Son of God on the Cross – had an unspeakably great object: – It was to bring about the destruction of sin itself, and of its consequences.”

      The Bible states: “Wherefore as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

     “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Rom.5:12,17,20) Here is the glorious truth: WHEN SIN ABOUNDS, GODS GRACE IS EVEN MORE ABUNDANT.

      The Bible says: “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sins.” (Heb. 9:22); “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 our sins.” (1 John 1: 7). Amen.

        WE HAVE A SIN PROBLEM!

      Dr. Billy Graham lamented: “Yet, the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control. My heart aches for America and its deceived people.” Shortly after the 2012 Aurora Movie Massacre, Fox News Commentator Mike Huckabee stated: “Ultimately, we don’t have a Crime Problem or a Gun Problem. What we have is a SIN Problem. And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the Military and public conversations, you know we shouldn't act surprised when all hell breaks loose.”

    Many years ago Dr. Oral Roberts stated: “I have read the last chapter in the BOOK (Holy Bible) and it says that, “We Win.” Praise the Lord!

TERRY & CATHY SOMERS
GAVE TESTIMONY OF 
 GOD'S HEALING POWER

God gave us a powerful meeting in Leduc, AB on April 12. 

Above: Terry and Cathy Somers give powerful testimony!

Pastor John Okemow leading the great crowd in 

Praise and Worship in High Prairie Crusade April 14

                           

Many precious souls found Jesus Christ as Saviour, Lord 

and Great Physician in High Prairie Crusade

         

Max Solbrekken preaching in High Prairie, Alberta last week

A LOGGER & TRUCK DRIVING PREACHER

                     Herve is Rugged Like John the Baptist,
                     But Gentle Like our Lord Jesus Christ!
                     Meet Pastor Herve & Lori St. Denis 136
                     Ave F S Saskatoon, SK  306 477-0200
                     APR. 27 & 28, SAT 7; SUN 10:30, 6:30

Is Europe Lost? Will Mohammedans Rule Europe? Will France also go Homo? Are we seeing a reenactment of Sodom & Gomorrah? Will women wail, "Where did all the men go?" When will God's judgment fall on a perverted and corrupt world? Has it already begun in Europe and the USA? Serious questions indeed.!!! - Pastor Max Solbrekken

Gay Marriage Opponents Stage Last-Ditch Protest in Paris

Sunday, 21 Apr 2013 11:50 AM

Thousands of gay marriage opponents waving pink and blue flags marched through Paris on Sunday in a last-ditch protest before a law allowing same-sex union and adoption is passed next week.

Chanting "We don't want your law, Hollande!", some 50,000 protesters massed behind a banner reading: "All born of a Mum and a Dad" and said it was undemocratic to bring about such a fundamental social change without holding a referendum.

Hastily organised after the law's passage was sped up to circumvent a big rally set for late April, Sunday's march capped months of protests by a dogged opposition movement that has sullied President Francois Hollande's flagship social reform.

"We warned the president back in November that we would not give up and that we would do everything to stop this law being passed, or to get it repealed if it is adopted," one of the protest organisers, Alberic Dumon, told Reuters.

Attended largely by families with children and old people, it was much more peaceful than a series of agitated demonstrations outside parliament this month that saw hard-right youths pelt police with stones and bottles and damage cars.

The piggy-backing by hard-right youths of a movement led by conservatives and Catholics has fed other ugly scenes including the public stalking of government ministers and a spate of homophobic attacks around the country.

As far back as January, the "anti" movement came under fire when some 350,000 protesters massed under the Eiffel Tower tore up the lawns beneath the monument.

Hollande, who is grappling with the lowest popularity ratings of any recent French president as unemployment surges above 10 percent, hoped to win some glory from passing a reform already in place in a dozen other countries.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, one of very few French public officials who is openly gay, headed a rival march in favour of same-sex marriage and said that it was too late for anything to derail the law, set for a final parliament vote on Tuesday.

© 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

PASTOR MAX SOLBREKKEN 
APRIL 28, 11:00 AM
House of Prayer on Hiway 623, 
south of New Sarepta

In 1987 Dr. Bishop Manuel Ferreira & Dr. Max 

Solbrekken received the International Freedom

Journalist Award at City Hall in Rio de Janiero,

Brazil. Previous recipients include Israeli Prime 

Minister Prime Minister Golda Meir, President 

Ronald  Reagan of the USA, British Prime 

Minister Margaret Thatcher and President 

Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

Dr. Max Solbrekken and his interpreter pray for

the Governor of Brasilia, Brazil in 1987. Dr. 

Bishop Manuel Ferreira on right of picture

Dr. Max Solbrekken being interpreted by Dr.

Emile Boutros Boktor at the Assemblies of 

God Church in Cairo Egypt, 2007

Max Solbrekken reconnects  with his old  friend, 

the esteemed Dr. Bishop Manuel Ferreira, at his

home in Brazil in 2004 after 17 years. During 

2004 and 2005 they worked together for Jesus 

Christ in massive crusades across Brazil

Pastor Max Solbrekken prays for the leading

pastor of the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Valetta

Malta on Dec. 6, 1973 after His Grace Michael 

Gunzi extended the permission for the Canadian 

Evangelist to conduct the first Gospel Crusade 

held by a Protestant Preacher on Malta during 

the last 1,000 years, or possibly since St. Paul.

Well-known Film Maker Jaroslav Bosovich gave

his life to Christ in the Leviv, Ukraine Crusade

Truskevets Ukraine opened their hearts to the 
Saviour in Max Solbrekken's 1990 Crusade

Multitudes hear the Gospel in Max Solbrekken's

Sofia, Bulgaria 1992 Gospel Crusade

Max Solbrekken preached in Timosvara, Romania

just before the Revolution that freed that nation

THE ETERNAL PURPOSES OF GOD

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph.1:3)

      St. Paul’s salutation in the beginning of his letter to the church at Ephesus begins with him bestowing God’s wonderful peace upon them. Then, he immediately proclaims a testimony of praise unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for His marvellous blessings to us: “He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ.”

      He is referring of course to our standing with Him as sons of God through the New Birth. The important thing to note is that these blessings have come to us because of our relationship to God the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ!

    ‘In Christ’ is a recurring term we see many times in our study of the Book of Ephesians.

               THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD!

     The enormity of the blessings received through the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is so magnanimous and difficult for mortal man to comprehend. In theology we use the term “incomprehensible” which means that we cannot understand or comprehend God.

    The plans and purposes of God for which we were born and the extent to which the Almighty has gone to call us to Himself, and to protect, lead, guide and teach us is beyond our ability to understand!

     The Scripture says: “According as He hath chosen us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” (Eph.1:4)  

    When you consider the fact that we were all born in sin and were sinners by birth, nature and choice with the propensity to go our own way and do our own thing, yet Almighty God knew about us and loved us! (Isaiah 53:6; Prov.16:25)

     Long before the earth was formed, God knew that we would become righteous and without blame before Him in love and that in humility and repentance we would receive the Gift of His Son and worship Him in the beauty of holiness!

HOW COULD HE KNOW THAT?

     Before there was life on this planet, God knew that Adam and Eve would fall. And the Law of Righteousness demanded a penalty for Sin and High Treason against the Almighty and that was death - Eternal Damnation!

     The Lord KNEW that the Man He would create in His own image and likeness –with a free will - would succumb to the temptation of the Evil One and would fall, plunging the entire human race into a downward spiral!

     In His omniscient wisdom our Heavenly Father would send His Own Son to Planet Earth to be incarnated and to suffer, bleed and die to redeem mankind from power of SIN and Satan’s snare. He also KNEW that His Son would defeat Satan, Death and Hell and rise again in power and great glory, freeing us all from Sin and its awful power!

     It is amazing that God who is totally pure, righteous and holy deigns to choose us who were totally the opposite: vile, sinful, despicable and unholy!

     What is the essential message I receive from this astounding text? “That I am wanted by the Highest Authority in the Universe. That I was chosen by the King Eternal, the Creator of Heaven and earth, to be His very own child! And that I would somehow be changed from being His enemy to being His friend – from a beggar in rags to a Prince in His Palace!”

WHAT MORE DO I LEARN?

    I learn that His plan has always been, to transform me from being “GUILTY” to “BLAMELESS” and that His LOVE would do it all. His love would somehow change me and more than that, His Love would also become my Love!

     Talk about Grace! Talk about Peace! St. Paul knew what he was writing about! He had been a hateful, spiteful, horrible murderous and proud Pharisee, despoiling the Church through a terrifying spiritual blindness that was anchored in pride and ignorance!

     Then, suddenly all was changed and he made a one hundred and eighty degree turn when he was blinded by the Light and heard the Voice of the JUST ONE on the Damascus Road! The change was so dramatic that it wasn’t long before he was hunted with a price on his head by the very fanatical religious leadership who had earlier authorized him to kidnap, torture and kill the disciples of Jesus, the Messiah!

      Many years later, he communicates this matchless truth to the new converts in the Church at Ephesus. You may ask, “How could all this come about?” We have not only been CHOSEN by our Heavenly Father but we have been predestined to be His sons and daughters through ADOPTION!

    What an amazing, grandiose and marvellous truth! That a wicked, vile, unrighteous sinner and an enemy of God who has broken His laws and flaunted His Commandments is chosen by the Lord of Glory to be His adopted Son!

     That Christ Himself would be crucified by ‘sinful man’ whom He had come to earth to redeem and adopt as His own – and all this planned and executed in the heart of the Saviour before the foundations of the world were laid.

     All this was done by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: “Having predestinated us unto the ADOPTION of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” (Eph.1:5)  

ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED!

     The Holy Bible states: “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph.1: 6, 7)

     What does this mean, “To the praise of the glory of His grace?” As our finite minds are supernaturally expanded to understand more of His ‘wondrous workings’ we get a glimpse of His grace at work in sinful lives doing what is humanly impossible!

   A sinner and outcast running from God, doomed for Hell and perdition is lifted out of servitude to the world, the flesh and the Devil and is redeemed, liberated and taken into God’s Family!

   When we taste of His goodness and love we begin to understand a little of His grace! Therefore, we praise our Heavenly Father and glorify Him for His matchless grace toward us all. Not only has He cleansed us from our sin and filth but He has made us accepted in the Beloved!

    We have passed the test! We have been accepted in the Beloved and made ready for the ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb’, to be a part of the Bride our Heavenly Bridegroom! You may ask: “HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?”

     Here is the answer to this Mystery: “In Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph.1:7).

      A Gospel Song says it all: “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! Oh, precious is that flow; That makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the Blood of Jesus! Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!

REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BLOOD!

     Another Gospel song says: “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercy; His child and forever I am.”

      We were lost in sin, unbelief and following in the footsteps of our father Adam who hath committed High Treason against his Creator. We were in the Enemy’s Camp bound by chains of unbelief, lust, fear and pride when the Holy Spirit called us and we answered that call, not fully understanding the magnitude of the charges against us.

    Only by an act of mercy and grace were we accepted in the Beloved, transformed by His love and grace through the New Birth and washed by the precious, holy, living Blood of Christ, thereby receiving the forgiveness and a new standing in the Kingdom of God.

     It is all made possible by the Grace of God, given to us by the vicarious death of Jesus Christ and His glorious resurrection from the dead! St. Paul is enraptured - as we are also – by the fact that God has revealed this great wisdom and prudence to SINFUL MAN.

     Unto Paul was given the great honour and privilege to unlock this Mystery of ‘How and Why’ our redemption came about! In his Epistle to the Colossians, St. Paul shares this great and amazing truth.

     “Whereof I am made a Minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the Word of God: Even the MYSTERY which hath been hid from ages and from 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.” (Col.1: 26,27)

     Even though the Eternal God carried this great plan and purpose of Redemption in His great heart for millennia, He never divulged it to the Prophets but uncovered these great truths to the Apostle Paul who would carry this message of Good News to the Gentile World.

      He explains: “Having made known to us the MYSTERY of His Will according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in One all things in CHRIST, both which are in Heaven, and which are in earth: even in Him:

     “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will: That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Eph.1: 9-12)

BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION!

     All this is beyond our comprehension or understanding, nevertheless, absolutely TRUE and WONDERFUL over and above anything our human minds can assimilate and our limited thought processes can absorb and speech can properly articulate!

     In the glorious hymn, ‘Rock of Ages’, Augustus M. Toplady (1740-1778) wrote: ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die.’

    We did nothing to deserve this great honour and privilege, to be adopted by the King of kings and Lord of lords and to be made heirs of God and joint heirs with our Saviour:

    “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.

    “The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ: if so be we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Rom.8: 14-17)

    St. Peter also boldly writes about our exalted position as children of Almighty God and our eternal inheritance: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to abundant mercy hath begotten us again (born again) unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

    “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 3-5)

   “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:9,10)

TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY!

    ST. PAUL received the great Mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was sent by our Lord to the Gentile world, while St. Peter and others ministering mostly to Jews!

    He declared: “In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His will. That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ.

     “In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”

(Eph.1:7-14)

    THINK ABOUT THAT! Believers in Christ are to be “unto the praise of His glory.” How could WE be to the praise of HIS glory? What can we possibly do to bring glory to Him? That is a stretch by all human measurements, but not with God, because with God all things are possible! (Mark 9:23; 10:27)

    St. Paul doesn’t stop there. He writes to former Pagans and Gentiles in Rome concerning the faith of Abraham, thusly: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed unto him for righteousness.

     “Now it was not written for his 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 our Lord from the dead.” (Rom.4:20-24)

     The Pharisees were saying, “Sure, it happened to Abraham, but it can’t happen today.” St. Paul answers: “Yes, it can happen today and it does happen today! As Abraham sacrificed the ram in place of his son Isaac, he understood that Messiah, God’s Son would die on the cross for the sins of the world and rise again for his justification.

      He looked forward to the Cross and was justified. We look back at the Cross and are justified. He believed God and miracles happened. Paul believed God and miracles happened and TODAY we also believe God and miracles happen because our Saviour purchased our total Freedom on Calvary’s Cross and bodily resurrection three days later! (Rom.4: 24,25)

      The Religious today are peddling the ‘same old, same old’: “It happened in Paul’s day but not today. The Day of Miracles is past.” Tell that to St. Paul and you would get an earful! Miracles of salvation and healing happened when Abraham walked the earth and during Paul’s generation and is still happening today, because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Heb.13:8)

THERE IS MORE, MUCH MORE!

    But, there is more, yes. Much more! When you first trusted in Christ, your name was written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life. After you believed and were born again, Jesus Christ Himself gave you the Gift of the Holy Spirit and filled you with great joy, fire and power. At that moment, you were sealed with the Spirit of Promise!

     “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?” You may ask! The HOLY SPIRIT answers to the BLOOD of Jesus Christ. When a sinner receives Christ as his personal Saviour, the Blood of Christ cleanses and washes away his sins. He is redeemed and brought into the Kingdom of God. It is, however, the work of the Holy Spirit to bring that soul into the body of Christ.

   After conversion, the Holy Spirit continues working with that soul and when his hunger and thirst intensifies and reaches out to God for more of Him, Jesus Christ, the Head if the Church personally baptizes Him with the Holy Spirit of Promise, thereby sealing him until the Day of Redemption!

    Here is a marvellous truth: We are sealed until the Day of Redemption for the Purchased Possession, which is the Believer! The Holy Spirit guarantees our eternal redemption by sealing us for Christ until we see Him face to face, until the redemption. HE purchased us with His precious Blood. He owns us. We are His Purchased Possession!

     Again, St. Paul nails down this great truth. In warning the Church at Ephesus to live a pure, holy and righteous life, he also warned against grieving the Holy Spirit of God!

      “If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in JESUS; that ye put off concerning the former conversation (lifestyle) the OLD MAN which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and that ye put on the NEW MAN, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness;

     “Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour for we are members one of another...Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

   “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the Day of Redemption.” (Eph.4: 21-30)

    May God’s blessings rest upon us all until He returns in the Rapture of the Church! Amen.