MY CONFESSION
OF FAITH
By Pastor Max Solbrekken,
D.D.
My body is
the temple of the Living God. He lives in me and I live in Him. I am hid with
Christ in God therefore I am secure!
No weapon
that is formed against me will prosper and every tongue that shall rise against
me in judgement I shall condemn. This is the heritage of God's children, and
because I am God's child it belongs to me! (Isaiah 54: 17)
I do not
deserve the great honour to be called a son of God. In no way, am I worthy or
even close to being worthy of such an honour. It is because of Jesus Christ's
Redemptive work on Golgotha that this grace has been given to me. His love and
mercy has been given and is available to all who will believe and receive His forgiveness
and the gift of eternal life! (Rom. 8: 14-17)
You might
say: "How can a lost and condemned individual, who was once a sinner by
birth, nature and choice, lay claim to so great an inheritance? And to be cleansed, redeemed and lifted to a
position of son-ship with the Eternal God, the Ever Living One Who is pure,
righteous, all knowing and all powerful?" (John 3: 16,17, 36)
Eternal
Salvation is a gift from God. It had nothing to do with me. It is all because
of Calvary and what happened there! The
spotless, holy Son of God took upon Himself my sins and my diseases and by His
precious BLOOD paid the awful price to SATISFY the Demands of God's Divine Justice! (Rom. 8: 1,2,32)
GIVEN
A SEAT AT HIS TABLE!
I am
saved by the grace of God, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ
on the Cross. It is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. For
we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has
foreordained that we should walk in them. In short, I have been lifted from my
previous position of spiritual poverty, condemnation and shame, and given a
seat at His table! (Eph. 2: 8,9)
Oh, the wonder of it all! How can it be
that my God would die for me? Yes, He took me by the hand and led me to the Promised
Land. Oh, how can it be that my God would die for me and grant me Liberty? It
is only and all because of Calvary!
I repeat,
it is only because of His great love, mercy and grace to a poor lost sinner
like me, and to millions more who have trusted in His Promises. St. Paul
assures us that we are now, "heirs
and joint heirs with Christ!"
It sounds
too far - fetched, unreal and impossible, but there it is in black and white in
the Holy Scriptures; and in actual reality, a changed life by the power of the
Holy Spirit:
"For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. The Spirit
Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if
children then heirs; heirs and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer
with Him that we may be also glorified together." (2 Cor.5: 17; Rom. 8: 14-17)
Like St.
Paul, I cried out: "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?" (Rom.7: 24). And Jesus came to me in my
despair and washed me whiter than the snow and made me an heir and a joint heir
with Him. (Is. 1:18)
We died
with Christ through the New Birth. We were buried with Him through water baptism.
We were raised from the dead with Him as we came up from the water. We sat down
with Him in Heavenly places when we received the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit. And when Jesus Christ returns, we will come with Him and forevermore
live with Him! (Rom.6: 3-11)
I am bone
of His Bone and flesh of His Flesh and a member in particular of His Body, the
Church. (Ephesians 5: 30); There shall no Evil befall me, neither shall any plague come nigh unto
my dwelling! (Psalms 91:10). My Lord, Saviour and God has promised: "I am the
Lord that healeth thee." (Exodus 15:26):
"And He hath sent His Word to deliver
me" from all sickness, disease, fear and untimely death. (Psalms 107:20); "For 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." (Isaiah 53: 4,
5)
I join
with King David who said: "Bless
the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. Bless the
Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities
and healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth
with good things; so that they youth is renewed like the eagles."
(Psalms 103: 1-5)
I have no
reason to fear because Jesus Christ is my PEACE! He said: “Peace I leave with
you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27)
Again my
Lord has promised: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I
am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand
of My righteousness.” (Is. 41:10); “God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim.1:7)
CHILDREN:
FOR SIGNS & WONDERS!
Almighty
God chose the Children of Israel as His peculiar nation. He raised them up as His
Covenant people. They were to be for SIGNS and WONDERS and to preach by Word
and deed His Mighty Salvation.
"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion." (Isaiah 8: 18)
Believers in Jesus Christ are also to be Signs and Wonders for Christ in this wicked world. When people see us, they will wonder at the transformation God has wrought in us, spiritually, mentally and physically! (Heb.2: 9-13)
"Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion." (Isaiah 8: 18)
Believers in Jesus Christ are also to be Signs and Wonders for Christ in this wicked world. When people see us, they will wonder at the transformation God has wrought in us, spiritually, mentally and physically! (Heb.2: 9-13)
What a
blessed People the Jews are, beginning with the great MIRACLE that the Lord gave
Abraham and Sarah! Abraham being impotent due to his advanced age of 99 years
and the deadness of Sarah’s womb did not hinder His will in their lives. Down
through the centuries the Jews have been for Signs and Wonders!
When
Napoleon Bonaparte’s Army was camped on the outskirts of Milan, Italy he
demanded the Archbishop to prove the existence of God. The Archbishop pointed
to his leading General, Messina, who was a JEW. Napoleon got the message – No
God, No Jew! He shouted a command to his troops, swung his horse around and
galloped away from Milan without firing a shot!
When
Sarah was 90 years of age, she gave birth to Isaac the son of Promise! And by the
Word of the Lord, Isaac’s son Jacob was renamed Israel, thereby making Abraham
the father of the Jewish people. And since he was justified by FAITH in God's Word, we are the children
of Abraham through faith in God’s Crucified, Risen and Glorified Son, Jesus
Christ!
The Holy
Bible states: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us…that the BLESSING of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through FAITH.
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many. But as of One, And to
thy SEED, which is CHRIST…And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according
to Promise.” (Rom.7:13-29)
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a peculiar (purchased) people, that ye should show forth the praises
of Him, who hath called you out of darkness into the mavellous light. Which in
times past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9,10)
WE ARE SUCH A NEEDY PEOPLE!
By Gods
grace, I have carried His Gospel to multitudes across the world for the past 50
years and have witnessed His great Signs and Wonders, compassion, love and
power out-poured upon the heathen. I am so grateful to our Lord Jesus, for His
wonderful presence wherever His name has been exalted and His Gospel preached!
I sense,
however, as the years come and go that we are witnessing far too little of His
power in the Church, than we need to fully declare His Goodness, Greatness and
Majesty to an increasingly lost and needy world and hurting Church!
As my
good friend, BOB ROSIN, used to say: “It is one thing to start. It’s another
thing to finish.” He was speaking, of course, about the Christian life.
My point, however, concerns God’s Word which promises that He will answer our
prayers when we approach His throne in humility, repentance and faith.
And
secondly, that we will witness the return of the glory of God in the End-Time Church which our Lord started on the Day of Pentecost. May the Holy Spirit have FREE course in our hearts, lives and Churches!
St. Luke wrote: “The former treatise have I made O Theophilis, of all that Jesus BEGAN TO DO and teach, until the day in which He was taken up…” (Acts 1:1,2)
St. Luke wrote: “The former treatise have I made O Theophilis, of all that Jesus BEGAN TO DO and teach, until the day in which He was taken up…” (Acts 1:1,2)
The
implication is that JESUS would CONTINUE to DO His works and teach His truth
through His followers. He had spent about one third of His time teaching and
preaching and about two thirds of His time healing the sick and casting out
demons! And He gave much time in private prayer to His Heavenly Father!
It seems
clear to me that this should be the pattern we must follow if we are to see the
desired results our hearts yearn for! In His High Priestly Prayer, He stated: “As Thou has sent Me into the world, even
so have I sent them into the world.” (John 17: 18)
St. Mark
states: So then after the Lord had
spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of
God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them,
and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16: 19, 20).
What were
the SIGNS that followed the preaching of God’s Word, the Gospel of Christ? They
cast out unclean spirits, believers received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and
spoke in unknown tongues, supernatural protection was given them, and the sick
and deceased were healed!
THE
PROMISE OF THE FATHER!
The Holy
Record states: “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 for God was with them.” (Acts 10:38)
Jesus
promised to send upon His followers, the same blessed HOLY SPIRIT which had
anointed Him, and that even greater miracles would occur after His arrival. His
presence and power would implement the fledgling Church in His absence and it
would be so great that they would carry His Gospel to the ends of the world!
He promised:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. 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 14:12-14)
WE CRY OUT FOR MERCY
“Forgive us, O Lord, for our lack of love for Thy Word, dedication to Thy Church, compassion for the Lost and reverence for Thy Holy Presence! We thirst for the manifestation of Thy almighty, unlimited and enduring power in our midst and the notable miracles which attended the Early Church on a daily basis!
“Personally, as Thy servant, O’ Lord, I confess that my total faith in Thy Shed Blood and dependence on Thy presence at all times. I trust Thy Truthfulness, Faithfulness and Righteousness in hearing and answering my PRAYER for an out-pouring of the Holy Spirit and His accompanying Gifts with SIGNS, WONDERS and MIRACLES.
“Dear
Lord, without Thy Presence and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit we are useless and
Thy Church is ineffective. Come Holy Spirit and direct Thy Church, lead us in
Thy way and give us the same compassion, love, faith and power as our Saviour
had and Thy apostles, disciples, deacons and all believers exhibited in the beginning of the
Church!
In the
precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
