The Snake is Dead!
The Serpent's Head is Crushed! Christ Has Conquered! Satan is Defeated! The Plague is Over! God's Word is Confirmed! We are Free, Saved, Healed & Delivered by the Blood of Jesus Christ the Crucified, Buried & Risen Lord, Saviour and God!
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Pastor Max Solbrekken at the statue of St. Paul
in Valetta Malta on December 6, 1973
THE SNAKE IS DEAD
The Serpent's Head is Crushed! Christ Has Conquered! Satan is Defeated! The Plague is Over! God's Word is Confirmed! We are Free, Saved, Healed & Delivered by the Blood of Jesus Christ the Crucified, Buried & Risen Lord, Saviour and God!
in Valetta Malta on December 6, 1973
THE SNAKE IS DEAD
~ How God Deals With the Devil ~
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
It was not God's will that the human race would be afflicted with sickness, disease and death ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden! Regretfully, that is the sad scenario of where we are today!
God, however, made a healing covenant with the nation of Israel which He had chosen for His own people. It was simple: Turn from paganism, reject Satan the god of this world, and if you will worship Me and serve Me, I will take sickness away from the midst of you. Not only will I bless you but I will protect you so that the plagues that are afflicting the pagan will not touch you!
GOD'S HEALING COVENANT!
Sickness and diseases came upon the Egyptians because of their idolatry. The Lord lifted His protection from them and the devil took advantage and put his baggage on them. God did not judge the people but His wrath was against the gods of Egypt. They worshipped ten gods so He unleashed upon them ten plagues! (Exodus 12: 12)
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "If thou wilt diligently hearken to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put NONE of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: FOR I AM THE LORD THAT HEALTH THEE." (Exodus 15; 26, 27)
When they SINNED and broke His commandments, bad things happened like when they were bitten by snakes. They confessed their sins and begged Moses to pray for them. God instructed Moses:
"Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the (dead) serpent of brass, he lived." (Numbers 21: 4-9)
Why did God instruct Moses to use such a object lesson in order to be healed? He went back to the Garden of Eden and His stern Word to the serpent Satan used to tempt Eve: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; It shall bruise (crush) thy head and thou shall bruise his heel." (Gen.3: 15)
A dead serpent could not kill them!
LOOK TO JESUS CHRIST & LIVE!
He told the Devil who was in the snake, that because he had deceived Eve he would be utterly defeated. God stated that from the SEED of the woman would come the DELIVERER, who would crush his head. In that battle, however, he would bruise the Deliverer's heel.
This was a DIRECT prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ (the Deliverer) and the victory He would have over Satan by rising from the dead! The bruising of His heel was His death on the cross which resulted only in a temporary bruising, because of His glorious resurrection!
In theology we call both of these great truths 'the law of the first mention'. The SEED of the woman (not the seed of a man) and the Coming of the DELIVERER Who would crush Satan's head!
Jesus said: "And as MOSES lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John 3:14) Our Lord was referring back to Numbers 21 and further back to Gen 3:15, declaring that His death on the Cross would bring healing and eternal life to ALL who looked to Him.
JESUS DESTROYED THE DEVIL!
His vicarious death on the cross would satisfy the demands of Divine Judgment in paying for all the sins of humanity back to Adam's fall, for those who would appropriate His promise by FAITH! Hallelujah.
The Bible says: "For as much then, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part in the same; that through DEATH He might DESTROY him that had the power of death that is the DEVIL and DELIVER them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb.2: 14, 15)
"He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned 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);
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Who went about doing GOOD and HEALING ALL who were oppressed of the Devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10: 38)
IT'S OVER DEVIL: YOU HAVE LOST!
The Bible states: "Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the DARKNESS is past, and the TRUE LIGHT now shines." (1 John 2: 8).
St. John's message to the Church is that we are mature in Christ. Things like envy, pride and jealousy are gone. We are finished with low living and hatred. The message of Christ is that we are to love one another!
The message to the Devil is: "Back off and go away. Your day is over. You are finished, because "the darkness is past and the TRUE LIGHT now shines." He knows very well Who that is: Jesus Christ is the true Light and He has dispelled he darkness!
ST. PAUL wrote: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (slave), and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the DEATH of the CROSS.
"Wherefore God hath Highly EXALTED HIM and given Him a name which is ABOVE EVERY NAME: That at the Name of JESUS every knee should BOW of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil.2: 5-11)
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST ATONES!
JESUS said: "Ye shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall make you FREE." (John 10: 10); "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 ye do also and greater works shall he do because I go unto My Father (and will send the Holy Spirit)).
And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name that WILL I DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ASK anything in My name, I WILL DO IT. (John 14: 11-14)
1). THE SNAKE IS DEAD
2). THE SERPENT'S HEAD IS CRUSHED
3). CHRIST HAS CONQUORED
4). SATAN IS DESTROYED
5). GOD'S WORD IS CONFIRMED
6). I AM FREE. I AM DELIVERED. I AM HEALED
7). GOD IS GLORIFIED THROUGH CHRIST
On December 6, 1973 I met Monsignor Michael Gunzi, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Malta. After a very spirited talk with the Archbishop he said: "I wish you the best success in your Mission of preaching Jesus Christ to the Maltese people."
St. John states emphatically: "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the PETITIONS, that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:14, 15). Amen.
Immediately, Police Chief Enoch Tonna sent for me and divulged that the Mafia had threatened him and his family. As we prayed together, he received Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour and we continued a strong spiritual friendship by mail for years!
Shortly after my visit there, the 1,000 year-old Law forbidding anyone except a Roman Catholic priest from preaching in Malta was cancelled and freedom of religion came to that country.
The Jehovah Witnesses who had been imprisoned for breaking the law were released and unfortunately, I helped the Muslims get their Antichrist teachings into Malta for the first time in 1,000 years.
NO SNAKES IN MALTA SINCE PAUL!
In more than 50 years of preaching the Glorious Gospel of Christ, I have visited many islands. The snakes are plentiful almost everywhere. Many islands have imported the mongoose to kill the snakes. In Malta, however, there are NO SNAKES! They all died when the "man of God" shook off the beast" into the fire!
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, let us do the same: SHAKE OFF the beast!
When St. Paul had come ashore at Malta hanging onto a piece of wreckage, the Gospel message and a revival of great magnitude began. The weather was cold and unsettling and St. Paul helped build a fire on the beach to keep them warm. While the 'man of God' was laying some wood on the fire, a viper jumped up and bit him on the arm. He shook the beast off into the fire and felt no ill effect from the poison, causing the natives to believe he was a god.
That miracle opened the door for the GOSPEL OF CHRIST as many received Christ as Healer, Lord and Saviour: "And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand...and he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
"In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass that the father of Publius' lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed and laid his hands on him and HEALED HIM. So when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island came and were healed." (Acts 28: 1-11)
From this great event we learn several important lessons: God can use seemingly impossible and hurtful situations to bring glory to His Great and Wonderful Name:
A shipwreck, Paul unknowingly "taking up a serpent" without succumbing to its poisonous bite (Mark 16: 16, 17), the healing of the Chief's father and the ensuing revival with all the sick on the island coming to the man of God for healing through the "laying on of hands" in the name of the "crucified and risen Lord Jesus."
ANOTHER LESSON: The SNAKE could not kill the 'Man of God' who shook him off into the fire! The Snake is Satan and the fire is HELL!
"And the Devil (LIAR) which 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 for ever and ever." (Rev.20: 10)
Dear Friend, please join with us in prayer according to Matthew 18: 19 for a miracle and answer to your prayers! He waits for our faith - filled cries for intervention in our lives: Prayers for forgiveness, divine healing and deliverance from the Evil One!
In John's Gospel, chapters 14, 15 and 16 Jesus gives seven definite invitations to ask Him for whatever we need. He would not do so, if He did not expect to answer those prayers!
Shortly after my visit there, the 1,000 year-old Law forbidding anyone except a Roman Catholic priest from preaching in Malta was cancelled and freedom of religion came to that country.
The Jehovah Witnesses who had been imprisoned for breaking the law were released and unfortunately, I helped the Muslims get their Antichrist teachings into Malta for the first time in 1,000 years.
NO SNAKES IN MALTA SINCE PAUL!
In more than 50 years of preaching the Glorious Gospel of Christ, I have visited many islands. The snakes are plentiful almost everywhere. Many islands have imported the mongoose to kill the snakes. In Malta, however, there are NO SNAKES! They all died when the "man of God" shook off the beast" into the fire!
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, let us do the same: SHAKE OFF the beast!
When St. Paul had come ashore at Malta hanging onto a piece of wreckage, the Gospel message and a revival of great magnitude began. The weather was cold and unsettling and St. Paul helped build a fire on the beach to keep them warm. While the 'man of God' was laying some wood on the fire, a viper jumped up and bit him on the arm. He shook the beast off into the fire and felt no ill effect from the poison, causing the natives to believe he was a god.
That miracle opened the door for the GOSPEL OF CHRIST as many received Christ as Healer, Lord and Saviour: "And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand...and he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
"In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass that the father of Publius' lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed and laid his hands on him and HEALED HIM. So when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island came and were healed." (Acts 28: 1-11)
From this great event we learn several important lessons: God can use seemingly impossible and hurtful situations to bring glory to His Great and Wonderful Name:
A shipwreck, Paul unknowingly "taking up a serpent" without succumbing to its poisonous bite (Mark 16: 16, 17), the healing of the Chief's father and the ensuing revival with all the sick on the island coming to the man of God for healing through the "laying on of hands" in the name of the "crucified and risen Lord Jesus."
ANOTHER LESSON: The SNAKE could not kill the 'Man of God' who shook him off into the fire! The Snake is Satan and the fire is HELL!
"And the Devil (LIAR) which 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 for ever and ever." (Rev.20: 10)
Dear Friend, please join with us in prayer according to Matthew 18: 19 for a miracle and answer to your prayers! He waits for our faith - filled cries for intervention in our lives: Prayers for forgiveness, divine healing and deliverance from the Evil One!
In John's Gospel, chapters 14, 15 and 16 Jesus gives seven definite invitations to ask Him for whatever we need. He would not do so, if He did not expect to answer those prayers!
St. John states emphatically: "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the PETITIONS, that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:14, 15). Amen.
Please join with us in prayer according to Matthew 18: 19 for a miracle and answer to your prayers! He waits for our faith - filled cries for intervention in our lives: Prayers for forgiveness, divine healing and deliverance fro the Evil One! In John's Gospel, chapters 14, 15 and 16 Jesus gives seven definite invitations to ask Him for whatever we need. He would not do so if He did not expect to answer those prayers!