HUMAN HURTS:                                                 LET THE HEALING BEGIN!                            by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, by breaking off thy sins by being righteous, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may a lengthening of thy tranquility.” (Dan. 4:27)

Human history is marred by tragedy, violence and suffering! It has been marked by thousands of years of fear, greed, hatred and war! We have been beset by pestilences, plagues and epidemics. And by sickness, death and sorrow!

The human race is far from immune to religious intolerance, racial strife, ethnic superiority and tribal brutality, as witnessed by the 1990s tribal massacres in Rwanda and Burundi. And in Sudan, where during fifteen years nearly 2 million black Christians have been ethnically cleansed from the land through persecution, execution, forced conversion to Islam and a life of slavery, by ruthless and evil government gunmen!

UNFORTUNATELY, the story doesn’t end there; it continues unabated! Authentic reports reveal on - going persecution against Christians by Muslims in Indonesia, and in Communist China where multitudes have been brutalized, imprisoned and martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ!

That we live in a dangerous world is an understatement, in light of what happened on September 11, 2001, when the world saw the devil's face in the demon - inspired work of 19 Islamic suicide hijackers and their fanatical leaders and supporters around the world!

The curse that came upon the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve - our first parents - has brought us to this fearful moment in history! Violence, murder and mayhem are becoming common. Gambling, drug addiction and alcohol abuse are spiraling. Pornography, prostitution and homosexuality are gaining respectability, and broken homes, child poverty, abortion and suicide are tangible side effects!

                                       THE BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT IS                                           IGNORED BY MANY CLERGYMEN!

The absence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of many preachers has turned our churches into spiritual mausoleums. And I believe that many of the societal ills that are destroying our nation, is a direct result of the lack of clear - cut Bible preaching in our pulpits!

Without spiritual and moral direction, how can we expect young people to know right from wrong? What an awful indictment against the Church in this End - Time hour!

No wonder there is greed, hatred and violence in our society at large, when there is compromise and backsliding in our Bible Colleges, Seminaries and Churches. A congregation usually rises no higher than its spiritual leader's preaching, teaching and example!

We can blame governments, judges, school boards, educators, media and Hollywood, but I contend that it begins in the Church and spreads into the home, school and society at large!

WHAT HAS BEEN THE OUTCOME? Wide-spread backsliding both in ‘pulpit and pew’, resulting in a lack of reverence for God, distrust of the Holy Bible and disinterest in spreading the Word and missionary work in general! This awful abandonment of Holy Scripture and the real mission of the Church - that of winning souls for Christ - has devastated the Church, totally ignoring the plight of hurting men and women who are without God in this world!

We have sown to the wind and are now reaping the world-wind! Backslidden preachers have contributed - by failing to present the Word of God to their church members - to the moral decline in our homes, schools, courts, governments and society at large! The negative spiritual climate of our nation is largely due to such silence on vital moral issues and by fear of preaching the truth lest someone is offended! How utterly reprehensible such actions is to God, Who is ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

How despicable, unacceptable and cowardly we have been, to allow the hijacking of the Christian Church by the leadership of agnostic seminary professors and pervert theologians, “who hold down the truth in unrighteousness” and who call evil good! (Rom 1:18; Is. 5:20)

                                         RENEGADE ARCHANGEL:                                           MASTERMIND BEHIND ATTACKS!

Satan is a liar, murderer and destroyer! Jesus called Satan by three names: Satan (heb)- the adversary, enemy; devil (gr) - liar, false accuser and traducer; Beelzebub - god of flies, filth! Jesus said: “The thief (Satan) cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10: 10)

Seven hundred years before our Lord’s first advent, the prophet stated: “Surely He hath borne our sicknesses (griefs), and carried our diseases (sorrows): yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53: 4-6)

THERE IS DIVINE HEALING FOR ALL!

There is Divine Healing for the total person! There is healing for human hurts through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on Golgotha! A gospel song says: ‘Jesus paid it all ~ All to Him I owe ~ Sin had left a crimson stain ~ He washed it white as snow!’

Not only did Jesus destroy the works of the devil through His efficacious and vicarious death on the cross, He destroyed Satan Himself. The enemy no longer has any power over those who trust completely and totally in the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"Forsmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same that through death He might destroy him that had the power over death, that is the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14,15)

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? This is concrete proof of Satan's demise, and Jesus Christ’s total and absolute victory over him for time and eternity! It means that Jesus’ death destroyed the devil, so that we could be delivered!

'Christ’s Victory, Satan’s Defeat and Our Liberty!' The Bible says that Jesus, “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, 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.” 

"Giving thanks unto the Father...Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:12-14); “And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15)

                       CHRIST'S BLOOD PURCHASED OUR SALVATION!     

  The Bible states: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth upon a tree.” (Gal. 3:13); “And He (Jesus Christ) is the head of the Church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead (the first to die and be raised, never to die again. Lazarus was raised but had to die again); that in all things He might have the preeminence.

"And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Col. 1:18-20)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24); “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11-13)

St. Paul declares: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:1,6-10).

WHAT MUST WE DO?

When Daniel was called to interpret the spiritual dream that God gave Nebuchadnezzar, he specifically warned the king of coming judgment if he would not change his ways! What would he have to do? “Break off thy sins by being righteous, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.” What could have happened had he obeyed? God would have been merciful to him: “If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.”

Did the arrogant Nebuchadnezzar show remorse, repent or turn from his wicked ways? No, he did not! What was the outcome? The hammer of God’s judgment fell:

“The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.” (Dan. 4:33-37).

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS? 

God is in control, He hates pride and blesses those who humble themselves and are genuinely remorseful for their sin! It speaks of God’s great mercy to those who honestly desire to live a decent, God-fearing life and care for the needy and less fortunate. It also reveals why nations in general and individuals in particular who have left God out of their lives, get into deep trouble!

AUGUST STRINDBERG, the celebrated Swedish author, wrote these words shortly before his death: “Clearly said - I ascribe all my misfortunes to this one fact, that I have been godless! An individual that has broken contact with God cannot be blessed.

“A curse rests on everything that an ungodly person puts his hand to. If money comes his way, it will disappear like it came. Nothing remains in the life of the ungodly!”not receive any blessings. All this talk about ‘being your own man and making your own happiness’ is chaff.

THE MERCY OF GOD ALWAYS REACHES

OUT TO SINNERS AND BACKSLIDERS!

What do we need to do? “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” (Is. 1:16-20)

Many people are not convicted of their sinful actions, because they do not know God’s hatred for sin. Godly sorrow for sin - which brings genuine repentance and faith to receive His blessing - comes from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. If the rank and file of our nation understood how our sinfulness grieves the Heavenly Father, we would all seek by His grace to serve Him to the utmost of our ability!

HERE IS HIS WORD: “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be ye astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For My people have committed two EVILS; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” (Jer. 2:11-13)

God condemns the idiotic actions of the ancient people of Israel whom He called His chosen people! He asks the universe to witness this astonishing event – His people turning from Him, the “Fountain of Living Waters” to trust in man-made “broken cisterns that can hold no water”!

It is inconceivable that clear thinking, intelligent people would forsake the God of the universe, the Creator of life and all things visible and invisible, and turn to imaginary gods and goddesses – both medieval and today’s New Age! 

The devil knows how to make fools out of people since he is the biggest fool of all, having orchestrated and failed in his own rebellion against the Almighty: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Is. 14:13,14)

SATAN BEHIND FALSE RELIGIONS,

MAN-MADE GODS AND PROPHETS!

Satan has engineered all false religions, and demonically deluded false prophets, who have claimed to speak in the name of The Almighty from the very beginning of time!

In his powerful book ‘The Knowledge of the Holy’ A.W. Tozer writes: “Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is – in itself a monstrous sin – and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness. Always this God will conform to the image of the one who created it and will be base or pure, cruel or kind according to the moral state of the mind from which it emerges. “A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no true likeness of the true God…Surely this must be serious affront to the most High God before Whom cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.”

Allah, Shiva, Krishna, Buddha, Odin, Thor, Zeus, Artemis (Diana), Gaia and a host of other gods and goddesses are only imitations of the One True Almighty and Eternal Lord God Jehovah and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

ASK YOURSELF: “How could the Eternal God command Muslims to kill Jews and Christians, when He repeatedly states that He is the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, the Jews are His chosen people and that so long as this universe exists, He will protect them and keep covenant with them? (Ex. 3:6,14; Jer.31-37; 33:20-26)

The crucified and risen Lord Jesus specifically told Saul of Tarsus that when he was persecuting, imprisoning and killing Christians, he was persecuting God: “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” (Acts 9:5)

In the Quran (sura 5:60) we read that Allah has transformed Jews and Christians into “apes and swine”, who worship “evil”. As recently as 2002, the leading Muslim imam in Baghdad, Iraq parroted Allah when he affirmed: “Jews and Americans are apes and swine.”

In the 1930s, Haj Amin el Husseini was invited by his hero, Adolf Hitler, to visit Berlin. While speaking on Berlin radio, Yasser Arafat’s Egyptian uncle, the Muslim Grand Mufti of Jerusalem stated: “Kill the Jews - kill them with your teeth – this is well pleasing to Allah!”

THE QURAN SAYS: “Jews are the enemies of Allah, Muhammed and the angels, and Muslims must kill them wherever they find them.” (sura 4:101 and sura 4: 91); “When the month with respect (Ramadan) is over, you must persecute, imprison and kill non–Muslims wherever you find them.” (Al Toba 5: 9); 

“And continue your battle against non-Muslims until they accept Islam. And if they do not seek Allah and will not leave the country, imprison them and kill them, wherever you find them.” (Al. Nofal 8: 39)

“All who fight against Allah or convert to other religions shall be executed, crucified or have their hands and feet hacked off on opposite sides.” (sura 5334); “Regarding unbelievers (non-Muslims), they are determined enemies of Muslims. Muslims shall arrest them, imprison them and ambush them everywhere.” (sura 9: 5); “You shall grab them and kill them in every place where you find them.” (sura 4: 90)

“Allah will create terror in the hearts of unbelievers. Hack off their heads and cut off their finger tips.” (sura 8: 12); “Fight those who do not believe in Allah, who do not acknowledge the Religion of Truth, even if they are from the people of the Book – ‘Jews and Christians’ (sura 9: 29). “Muslims shall fight against unbelievers who live among them. (sura 9: 123)

In 2002 A.D. Islamic leaders said: “Israel is little Satan, Europe is Satan and America is the great Satan.” WHY? They are quoting their holy book, the Quran: “Jews and Christians can be likened to Satan.” (sura 59: 11)

In a piece titled ‘God and Allah Aren’t the Same’, Marvin Olasky wrote: “Does the god of Islamic imagination act toward man as God described in the Bible does? 

Read the Quran: If you know anything about the civilization of 7^th century west Asia, you won’t find many surprises. The Quran has Allah promising gifts to his warriors, just like conquerors of old dispensed boons to theirs.

“Suras 44,52,55,56,69, 78 and others include descriptions of how good Muslims after death will have “a life of pleasure” complete with meat, bananas and large-eyed, beautiful young women.”

NAMES OF THE MOON GOD!

“The names given by men to the moon god varied from area to area. Nanna, Suen and Assimbabbar were utilized in ancient Sumeria. In Assyria and Babylon, Suen became pronounced ‘Sin’ as the favorite name for the deity of these moon-cult followers. Represented by a crescent moon, this god was considered to be the ‘controller of the night’ or the ‘ruler of the darkness’. The title of the god Sin was ‘Al-ilah‘, which in Arabic means ‘the great god’. 

These pagans believed that Al-ilah was married to the sun goddess and the stars were their daughters”. (http:/www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm). And how could any intelligent person believe the lie perpetuated by the deceptive Joseph Smith and his personal spirit guide Moroni? Here is their unbiblical New Age teaching: “As we are now, God once was and as God now is, we will become”. What nonsense! The god they represent is not the God of the Bible, but a false god!

DON’T FORGET THIS TRUTH: The Eternal God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! He is Elohim, Jehovah, Shaddai, Adon, Adonai, Adonim, El, El Elyon, Jah, Eloah, Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Raah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Mekaddishkem and Jehovah Zeboath! He is Not the god of Mohammed! He is the Living God!

After his conversion, Saul changed his name to Paul. His words to the Galatians relate perfectly to the followers of Joseph Smith today: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you that ye received, let him be accused.” (Gal.1: 8,9)

                  WE MUST NOT WHITEWASH GOD’S WORD!

God exposed the two evils His people had committed. He did not whitewash these sins. He called them two evils! Therefore, we must not minimize them either! We must expose them, as I am doing here!

Here is an important question: “If the religion, guru or god one follows is unimportant, WHY would the Living God be so specific about His name in the Decalogue? Let’s examine these awesome words:

“Thou shalt have NO other gods before Me. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” (Ex. 20:3,4-7)

WHO IS THE GOD referred to here? We’ll let Him answer: “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Ex. 20:1,2)

Did Buddha, Shiva, Krishna, Odin, Thor, Zeus, Artemis (Diana) or Gaia bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt? No, they did not! Did Allah bring the children of Israel out of the land of bondage? A thousand times NO! Allah is a relative new comer among the god-pack! In the 7^th Century, Muhammed banned the worship of all tribal gods and goddesses, except the most powerful, Al-ilah!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN to take the name of the Lord in vain? For years, pastors taught that it is to curse or swear using the Lord’s name. It means more than that, however. Calling the Creator and Saviour of the world by another name than His own, is taking the Name of the LORD in vain!

Can you imagine how the Eternal God feels when people call Him by spurious names like Gaia, Allah, Krishna or Buddha? That is a great affront to the Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God of all flesh!

THE BLUE PRINT TO REVIVAL!

What we need is an old-fashioned revival of righteousness, holiness and the fear of the Lord, in order to turn people to the truth! How do we do that? The Bible says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.” (Prov. 8:10) The key here is ‘The fear of the Lord’!

For many years, preachers of the Gospel have labeled 2 Chron. 7:14 the ‘Blueprint For Revival’: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

1. HUMBLE OURSELVES – The Bible says: “For thus saith the High and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Is. 57:15)

“But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble: “…and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5,6)

The Bible says: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 8:13; 16:18)

2. PRAY – Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11: 1- 4). He admonished them to pray to our Heavenly Father in His name and promised that He would answer: “…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16: 23,24)

Praying is a prerequisite to receiving God’s blessing: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)

Historically, revivals of great magnitude come only through seeking God in fasting and prayer: “And when they had heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, Thou art God, which hath made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in then is:

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, 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 had 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 5: 29-31)

Jesus admonished: “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them.” (Luke 18:1,7); “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mk. 11:24)

St. Paul declared: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Th. 5:17); “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1 Tim. 2:8); “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom. 8:26)

The Bible says: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5: 14-18)

3. SEEK GOD’S FACE – In his powerful ‘Mars Hill message on the ‘Unknown God’, St. Paul stated: “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move and have our being.” (Acts 17: 27,28)

The Holy Record says: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that seekest after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3:10-12,18)

The Almighty states: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 29: 11-14)

The prophet Daniel stated: “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments:

“Neither have we hearkened to Thy servants, the prophets, which spake in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.” (Dan. 3:1-6)

                                  WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

God dispatched the angel Gabriel with the answer to the prophet’s request! The Scriptures say: “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye Me, and ye shall live. Seek good, and not evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God will be gracious…” (Amos 5:4, 14,15)

Millions of people are being deceived by the ‘New Age Movement’, which is in fact, old-time occultism! Here is God’s Word: “And when they say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits (witches, clairvoyants, fortune tellers), and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter (spiritualist mediums): should not a people SEEK unto their God? (Is. 8:19,20)

Jesus said: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6: 33)

4. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS – The Bible says: “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. ” (Is. 57: 6,7)

WHY DO WE NEED TO REPENT? The Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17: 9); “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mk. 7: 23) St. Paul preached that people “should repent and turn to God, and do the works meet for repentance.” (Acts 26: 20)

John the Baptist and our Lord preached repentance and faith. (Matt. 3: 1-3; Luke 13: 3) Jesus taught His disciples to do the same: “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” (Mk. 6: 12)

St. Peter emphasized: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2: 38); “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.” (Acts 3: 19)

The Bible says: “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 17: 30,31)

Every one should consider the great love of God that is reaching out to this sin-sick world. How could anyone turn away from such love and mercy? We were all lost in sin and rebellion – sinners by birth, nature and choice! And then, the Creator became one of us in order to save us from our sins. The Bible calls that grace - unmerited favour. (Eph. 2: 8,9). God’s goodness leads to repentance (godly sorrow for sin) that brings forgiveness and real change in lives! (Rom. 2: 4; 2 Cor. 7: 10)

By GRACE alone ~ through FAITH alone ~ in CHRIST alone!

Here is a true story that pin-points the truth of the incarnation – God the Son, True God from eternity and True Man - wrapped Himself in human flesh by being born of a virgin, so that He could suffer, bleed and die in our place, as our substitute and thereby meet the demands of Divine Justice!

The Bible says: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace…Now it was not written for his sake (Abraham) 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’, Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Rom. 4: 16-25) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2: 8,9)

THE ATHEIST & THE GOOSE STORY!

“There was once a man who didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays, like Christmas. His wife, however, did believe, and she raised her children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments. One snowy Christmas Eve, his wife was taking their children to a Christmas Eve service in the farm community in which they lived. She asked him to come, but he refused.

“That story is nonsense!” he said. “Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That’s ridiculous!” So she and the children left, and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening.

“Then, he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. Then, another thump! He looked out, but couldn’t see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. 

Apparently, they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn’t go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.

“The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It’s warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open door and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly or didn’t seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a breadcrumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn’t catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe.

“Why don’t they follow me?” he exclaimed. “Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?” He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn’t follow a human. “If only I were a goose, then I could save them,” he said out loud. 

Then he had an idea. He went into the barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese. He then released it. His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn – and one by one the other geese followed it into safety. He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: “If only I were a goose, I could save them!”

Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier: “Why would God want to become like us? That’s ridiculous!” Suddenly, it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the geese – blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us. That was the meaning of Christmas, he realized. As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. 

Suddenly, he understood what Christmas was all about, why Christ had come. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished like the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer: “Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!” - anon.

                         LET THE HEALING BEGIN IN YOUR LIFE!

Jesus said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt.11: 28) That is exactly what we all need – God’s rest and peace in our spirits, minds and bodies. Christ is the answer to this sin-sick world! My prayer is that you will cry out to our Heavenly Father in Jesus’ precious name for mercy and forgiveness, peace and healing!

 My friend – May Jesus Christ save, heal and make you whole! Amen.

Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Mswm; [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Donations may be sent by e-Transfer. Make your donation to [email protected]. Thank you and may the Lord richly bless you!