SATAN'S YOKE BROKEN 
BY HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD

     By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

 “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” (Is. 10: 27)

     AUGUSTINE, Bishop of Hippo, stated: “The New is in the Old concealed and the Old is in the New revealed.” Much of the Old Testament is hidden from the eyes of believers in Christ because they have failed to search out the Holy Scriptures.  Jews have ignored the New Testament and missed the correlation between the two Testaments. The Holy Bible is not complete without both Old and New Testaments!

     People have asked: “Why do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?” “There are hundreds of reasons why the Holy Bible is God's Word, however, I need only one. Jesus Christ, God the Son from Eternity Who is the Living Word believed the Holy Scriptures to be the very Word of God. Since the Creator of all things was in total agreement with the Old Testament, even quoting it to Satan in His Wilderness Temptation, how could I not believe Him?”

     St. John stated: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the life of men. For the law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. He used the word Logos in referring to the Word of God, Who is Jesus Christ!

     “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. No man hath seen God at any time; the Only Begotten Son which is in the BOSOM of the Father, He hath declared Him.” (John 1: 1,2, 14)

   JESUS BAPTIZES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

   The Bible says: “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier than I cometh the latchet of Whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the HOLY GHOST and with FIRE.” (Luke 3: 16); “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.” (John 1: 29)

     John the Baptist was considered the greatest prophet and the forerunner of the Messiah. He was six months older than Jesus of Nazareth. God had given John the Baptist a sign of how he would recognize the Messiah.  And as He was being baptized, the Heavens opened and the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove settled and remained upon Jesus. An audible VOICE came from Heaven, saying, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3: 11-17; Luke 3: 21, 22; John 1: 26-34)

    The Yoke of Satanic Bondage is broken off our spirit, soul and body by the ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit! The yoke of fear, torment, guilt, condemnation, pain, sickness, disease and unrest must leave because of the Anointing of the Holy Spirit!

     The BLOOD of Jesus Christ, shed for us on Golgotha cleanses, purges, washes and frees us from all anxiety, nervous tension, oppresion, satanic attacks of sickness, disease and death. Jesus said, “Ye shall KNOW the Truth and the Truth shall make you FREE. If the SON therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8: 32, 36)

     Jesus Himself is the TRUTH, and His Word the Logos gives us the assurance that He will love us, care for us and protect us: “...And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the (age) world.” (Matt. 28: 20); “… For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb.13: 5). In the original, Jesus used a double imperative here. It should read: “I will never, no never leave thee. I will ever, no never forsake thee.”

     The word always is a measure of time while the word alway is a measure of distance. He declared that He would be with us the “whole distance, all the way” until we see Him face to face! Hallelujah. The words of an old Sunday school chorus comes to mind: 'With Jesus in the vessel, we can smile at the storm, smile at the storm, smile at the storm. With Jesus in the vessel, we can smile at the storm as we go sailing Home.' Whatever enemy we face, we have ultimate peace, assurance and victory!

   VICTORY THROUGH THE BLOOD!

    The Victory is ours: Victory over the world, the flesh and the devil! Victory through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant. Victory through the Eternal Word of God. Victory through the Blessed Holy Spirit. Victory through the Matchless Name of Jesus Christ! We have victory through our Lord, the Liberator of Lost Humanity, the Emancipator of the Human Race, the Saviour of the world, the Great Physician and the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and Fire!

     We are fully armed with the precious promises of God, the sword of the Spirit, and purged by the Blood of the Lamb, endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and hid with Christ in God the Father Almighty – One True God, world without end!

    The Bible declares: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper: and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” (Isa. 54: 17)

      The yoke shall be destroyed because of the Anointing and it is God Who anoints us with His Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote: “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him, Amen, unto the glory of God by us. And now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2 Cor. 1: 20 -22)

     “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. But the ANOINTING which ye have received from Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the anointing teaches you all things, and is TRUTH, and is NO LIE and even as it hath taught you, ye shall ABIDE in Him.” (1 John 2: 27)

    Jesus said: “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: 19). I stand foursquare on God's Word and all the promises of Jesus Christ!

                           WE ARE YOKED WITH CHRIST!

    Prophecies in Holy Scripture relevant to the times they were given, are sometimes a type for later events as well! This is the case with Isaiah 10:27. The local setting referred to the heavy burden of tribute imposed upon HEZEKIAH by the king of Assyria recorded in 2 Kings 18: 14. It could also refer to God's deliverance from the future Babylonian captives, which is a type of our deliverance from the bondage and burden of sin, fear, guilt, condemnation and satanic tyranny, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

    In his exposition of Isaiah 10: 27, JOHN GILL states that the Jewish Targum refers it to the Messiah: “The people shall be broken from before the Messiah”, Who was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows and for Whose sake, and by Whom the Yoke of sin, Satan, and the law has been destroyed.

    “VITRINGA interprets it of the Spirit of God, and His powerful operations, Whose gifts and graces are often compared to Oil and Ointment and makes the words parallel to Zechariah 4: 6.”

      Our Lord Jesus said: “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: 29, 30)

     What was He saying? When you are yoked to the Devil, he makes you carry the burdens of sin, guilt, condemnation, fear, lust, hate, pride and perversion! He bogs you down with sickness, disease and death! Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Why is that?

     JESUS CHRIST has already carried the load for us. As He prayed in Gethsemane, His sweat drops were as it were great drops of blood. He was carrying our load when they cursed Him, blasphemed Him, scourged Him and nailed Him to the 'cursed tree'.

     He did all the heavy lifting for us on the whipping pole in Pilate's Judgment Hall and on the CROSS on Golgotha. And when He cried, “It is finished”, He had paid for all our sins, fear, sickness, disease and eternal damnation!

      After His resurrection and ascension to the Throne of God, JESUS poured out the Blessed Holy Spirit upon His Church to INDWELL us and give us power over the world, the flesh and the Devil! The Evil One is Defeated for time and eternity and we are FREE; bound to our Lord Jesus by love's strong cords - yoked together with our Saviour forever! All hail the power of Jesus Name for time and Eternity! Hallelujah and Amen.

     MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!

   Through the blessed Holy Spirit Who indwells us, we have been given the Ministry of Reconciliation!  St. Paul writes: “And all things are of God, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation.

    “Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in CHRIST'S STEAD, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5: 18-21)

   The Bible says:  “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath BLINDED the MINDS of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.” (2 Cor. 4: 3-5)

    We are MINISTERS OF CHRIST, spreading His Gospel to the ends of the earth. As Ambassadors, we represent Jesus Christ to the world, through our conduct of word and deeds! We are the Only Bible some people will read!

      Again, St. Paul writes: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. And ye are Christ's and Christ is God's. Let a man so account of us, as of the Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the MYSTERIES of God.” (Eph.3: 11,23; 4:1; 1 Tim.4: 6).

     St. Paul corrected a backsliding church: “O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the TRUTH...This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? He that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal. 3: 1, 2, 5)

      St. Paul wouldn’t have been able to use that argument today, because the majority of churches and ministers have never witnessed a miracle or someone receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Miracles occurred frequently in the churches during the time of Apostle's writing to the Galatians.

     How can we call ourselves Believers, if we reject Christ's word and commandments? St. Jude admonishes us to, “Earnestly contend for the FAITH which was once delivered unto the saints”. (Jude 3) Since the church had already slipped so far away from the true Gospel of God at the time of Jude's writing, what about now?

                       ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE!

  Everything that has been created and the miracles that the Prophets did were done by the Spirit of God.  Jesus was led into the wilderness by the HOLY SPIRIT to be tempted by Satan and to overcome him using the Word of God! Jesus began His earthly ministry immediately after He was baptized and received the Holy Spirit.

    “And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And His fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them.” (Matt.4: 23, 24)

    The Bible states: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.” (Acts 10: 38)

     MICAH the prophet stated: “But truly I am full of power by the SPIRIT of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.” (Micah 3: 8). The prophet EZEKIAL declared: “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the SPIRIT of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” (Ezekiel 37: 1).

    PHILIP, a deacon in the church in Jerusalem went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them, and the whole city embraced the Gospel when they saw the miracles, signs and wonders the Holy Spirit did through his ministry.

                      SUPERNATURAL WORKS OF GOD!

    The Bible says: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. Then the SPIRIT said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias...” (Acts 8: 26-30)

     “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: And the went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the SPIRIT of the LORD caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus...” (Acts 8: 38-40)

    ST. PETER saw great miracles of healing and deliverance in his Ministry. Here is the record of the Holy Spirit working in his life: “While Peter thought of the vision, the SPIRIT said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee, Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them doubting nothing: for I have sent them.” (Acts 10: 19, 29)

     The commentary on BARNABAS states: “For he was a good man, and full of the HOLY GHOST and of faith: and much people were added to the Lord.” (Acts 11: 24).

       The Holy Record states: “As they ministered and fasted, the HOLY GHOST said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work where unto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them they sent them away. And they being sent forth by the HOLY GHOST, departed…” (Acts 13: 2-4)

      All through the Book of Acts, we read of the Ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT in the life of St. Paul and other apostles, prophets and leaders of the Church. Oh, how we need that today in our midst. How weak the Church has become! Some theologians and preachers say that God has changed His method of reaching the lost and dying and that He no longer works supernaturally in His Church.

     That is a LIE from Hell. Show me where He has abrogated, retracted, changed His Will or amended His Word. Away with such lies, blasphemy, modernism, false cult teaching! Shame on the lazy, overfed preachers who do not search the Holy Scriptures and do not FAST, PRAY or SEEK the Lord Jesus Christ for His ANOINTING and Holy Spirit power!

     Here is a word from the late D.L. MOODY for lukewarm, backslid preachers: “Shame on the Christianity of the 19^th Century. It's a weak and sickly thing. Would to God we had a few men like Daniel living here today!” What would D.L. Moody say today?

    Here is what Jesus Christ, the head of the Church said: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the Faithful and true witness, the beginning (The One Who began Creating) of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art LUKEWARM, I will spue (vomit) thee out of My mouth. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.” (Rev. 3: 14-16, 19)

    ST. JOHN was on the Isle of Patmos, exiled for the Word of God. The HOLY SPIRIT moved dramatically in his life. He writes: “I was in the SPIRIT on the Lord's Day, and heard behind me a great VOICE, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…

    “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand on me, saying unto me, Fear not: I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead: and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of Hell and Death.” (Rev. 1: 10,11,17,18)

                  NEVER FORGET, GOD IS IN CHARGE!

    Jesus said: “But 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 uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8)

   After His resurrection, Jesus stated: “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.

     “And He said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that REPENTANCE and REMISSION of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

    “And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the PROMISE of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High.” (Luke 24: 44-34)

     Ten days later, the Resurrected Christ poured the Holy Spirit upon the 120 waiting believers, and before the Day of Pentecost had ended, three thousands souls had surrendered to Jesus Christ!

     Our Lord had fulfilled both the Great Day of Atonement by dying on the Cross for the sins of the world and the Year of Jubilee, by pouring out the Holy Spirit on His Church and inaugurating the Gospel Age!

     In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and 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 in Malta); and if they drink any deadly thing (some Pentecostal preachers in Soviet Prisons), it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

     “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.” (Mark 16: 15-18)

                     PENTECOSTAL IN FIRST DEGREE!

     The Holy Record states: “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which was called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.

     “Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

     “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.” (Acts 3: 1-9)

    Multitudes came together when they saw that the crippled man had been healed.  Peter preached a powerful message focusing on the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth and the powerful name that made the crippled man well. He said:

    “But ye denied the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And killed the Prince of Life, Whom God hath raised from the dead: whereof we are witnesses. And His NAME, through faith in His NAME hath made this man STRONG, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect SOUNDNESS in the presence of ye all.” (Acts 3:4-16)

      St. Peter challenged the great crowd to forsake their sins and to seek forgiveness from God: “And now, brethren, O wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your leaders. But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath fulfilled.

       “REPENT ye therefore, and be CONVERTED that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you. Whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all His prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3: 17-21)

      What was the outcome of that great Sermon? Five thousand men were converted to Christ: “Howbeit many of them which heard the Word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand.” (Acts 4: 4). Believers in Christ were detained, beaten and warned not to preach about Jesus Christ.

     Peter and John answered: “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4; 19,20)

     Having been released by the Religious Leaders they went back to their own company and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them. They all lifted up their voices to God:

      “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word. By stretching forth Thine hand to HEAL: and that Signs and Wonders may be done by the name of Thy Holy Child Jesus. And when they prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4: 29-31) 
                 WITNESS OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION!

   “And with Great Power gave the apostles WITNESS of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4: 33)

    St. Paul stated: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2: 20)

      “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. When Christ Who is our LIFE, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.” (Col.3:2-4)

      “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOLY GHOST which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Cor. 6: 19,20)

     The Bible says: “For our God is a CONSUMING FIRE.” (Heb.12: 29); “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.” (Heb.10: 31). The most important thing we need today is the Mercy of God and the Fear of God. Then we will see the Fire of the Holy Spirit melting hearts and changing minds, with a genuine Holy Ghost Revival moving in all churches across our land! May God help us all to obey the call of God and by His grace “do the first works." Amen.