A COURSE IN
BASIC THEOLOGY
By Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
PREFACE
New
Edition, 1998
The
little book I wrote in 1980 was called
The
Truth Shall Make You Free!
We
printed 10,000 copies of that edition, which were given out as
quickly as we could supply them. Now, 18 years later we are
reprinting this fine booklet, under a different title, since it
covers a larger area of theological study.
I
felt that A
Course in Basic Theology
was a more appropriate title. May the Lord bless this book and use
it to bring salvation, deliverance and divine healing to multitudes.
- Max
Solbrekken, Edmonton
DEDICATION!
I
wish to dedicate this book to all serious Bible students who desire
God’s power in their lives, in order to bring liberation, divine
healing and deliverance to their fellowman!
My
prayers go to God for all who are hurting because of Satan’s
snares, entrapment and torments. May each reader appropriate the
promises of God found in this book and be liberated from sin, fear,
sickness, disease, poverty and untimely death. And from the real or
imagined torments of demon oppression, vexation and possession!
May
God bless, save, heal and deliver you, my dear friend, who is calling
upon the Lord at this very moment for an answer to your prayer!
Please agree with me for your miracle as you study this book! Amen.
THE TRUTH
SHALL
MAKE YOU FREE!
"Ye
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John
8:32)
The
truth
liberates the soul, the conscience and the mind of man! The truth
breaks
the chains of darkness, superstition and fear. The truth
opens the prisons of doubt and unbelief! The truth
removes mountains of discouragement, negativism and oppression!
The
truth
defeats giants of despair, heartbreak and loneliness. The truth
opens within us wells of joy, rivers of peace and flood tides of
love! Jesus said, "Ye
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!"
Many
years ago, God gave me a song about an elderly lady in India, whom I
spoke to about Jesus! She had not before heard His name. Here is the
chorus of the song: ‘An
Old Lady in a Land Far Away’:
FREE
FROM ALL BONDAGE AND SICKNESS AND SIN
FREE
FROM THE FEARS AND THE TROUBLES WITHIN:
FREE
FROM THE DEVIL AND HIS EVIL POWER
DELIVERED
BY JESUS IN THIS VERY HOUR.’
In
His High Priestly prayer, Jesus said: "Thy Word O Lord is
Truth."
(John 17:17) Our Lord declared: "I am the Way, the Truth
and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John
14:6)
The
Bible teaches that the Word of God is Spirit and Life, (Phil. 2:16)
and that Jesus also is the Word of God. (Rev. 19:13). The Bible and
our Lord Jesus Christ are both referred to as the Word of God, and
only Jesus and the Word has the power to make people free!
The
Bible is the written Word of God and Jesus is the Living Word of God!
And if you will believe the Holy Scriptures are true, Jesus Christ
will become real in your heart.
Our
Lord made the statement, "Whosoever commiteth sin is the servant
of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the
son abideth ever. If
the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
(John 8:34-36)
The
Bible states that anyone who commits sin is the servant of sin and is
NOT FREE, but thanks be to God, the TRUTH will liberate them!
St.
John wrote, "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 sin."
(1 John 1:7)
SOME
FACTS ABOUT THE TRUTH!
WE
MUST HEAR THE TRUTH
-
"So
then faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God." (Rom.10:17)
WE
MUST BELIEVE THE TRUTH
-
"How
shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:14)
WE
MUST HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH
-
"Prove
all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thes. 5:21)
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them;
for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear
thee.” (1 Tim. 4:16)
"Buy
the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction and
understanding." (Prov. 23:23)
WE
MUST TELL THE TRUTH
-
"For
we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of His Majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)
"Preach
the Word; be instant in season, out of season; rebuke, reprove,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
“For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:2-3)
"If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7)
WE
MUST OBEY THE TRUTH -
“If
ye love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15); “If ye abide in
Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall
be done unto you." (John 15:7)
"Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My
word, then are ye My disciples indeed." (John 8:31)
"If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away
from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard…" (Col. 1:23)
"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." (2
Cor. 5:20)
SATAN
IS A LIAR AND THE
TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM!
Jesus
called the devil
a
liar and a murderer:
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father
ye will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for
he is a liar and the father of it."
(John 8:44)
Satan
is a colossal liar, counterfeiter and masquerader. He is an
experienced LIAR, having done so over the millennia! He may tell some
truths or half - truths in order to deceive and enslave the human
race, but he himself is total darkness and there is
NO LIGHT or LIFE in
him!
When
you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you say farewell
to the ‘Kingdom of Darkness’ and you are automatically translated
into God's glorious Kingdom!
“Who
(Father
God)
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: 13, 14).
Anyone
who believes the Gospel and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour
immediately passes
from death unto life, from darkness to light because
Jesus is the light of the world! (John 3: 18-21; 1 John 3: 14; Heb.2:
9)
The
Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with
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 light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it
not." (1 John 1: 1-5)
“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."
(John 1:14)
God’s
Word states that sinful men rejected Him because their deeds were
evil! They hated the Light and loved darkness. (John 3:19); "In
Him (Jesus
Christ)
was Life and the Life was the Light of men." (John
1:4)
Again
the Scripture says,
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him." (John
3:36)
When the light is
switched on, the darkness flees. And when Jesus comes into a life in
His great power, all sin, oppression, fear, sickness, and evil powers
leave! Praise God!
There
are five
glorious truths
that I wish to set forth in this lesson, to help build your faith!
As a stone - mason lays block upon block, so I present these truths
‘Scripture
upon Scripture’, knowing
that the Word of God creates faith in our hearts and faith gets the
job done! Praise God!
NO.
1 – GOD HAS NOT CHANGED, HE
CANNOT
CHANGE AND HE WILL NOT CHANGE!
Almighty
God states: "I am the Lord, I change not." (Mal. 3:6).
Here, the Living God makes one of His most significant statements of
fact. He is changeless,
always constant and timeless!
Nothing can alter that great truth! Men are born, live, pass on and
are gone like the grass of the field, but God remains the same!
The
Bible says, “And Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine
hands:
They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and
they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou
fold them up, and they shall be
changed:
but
Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail."
(Heb.1:10-12)
Here
are some of God’s attributes!
(1)
GOD IS ETERNAL - The Ever Living One
He
is without beginning or end, everlasting and always God! The Psalmist
David wrote: "Lord, Thou has been our dwelling place in all
generations.
“Before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth
and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God...
“For
a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past,
and as a watch in the night." (Ps. 90:1-4)
"The
Eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms..."
(Deut.
33:27); “But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever …And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thy hands:
Addressing
His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the Father stated: “They
shall perish, but Thou remainest; and
they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt Thou
fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and
Thy years shall not fail.” (Heb.1: 8-120
(2)
HE IS OMNIPITENT - He is all powerful
"I
am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I
girded thee, though thou hast not known Me: That they may know from
the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside
Me.
I am the Lord, and there is none else."
(Isa. 45:5-6)
"I
have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”
(Isa. 45:12)
Jesus
said: "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."
(Matt.28:18)
(3)
GOD
IS OMNISCIENT
- He
is all wise and all knowing!
"For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but
unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.
“Where
is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
“For
after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God,
it
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. For
the
Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
“But
we
preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks,
“Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of
God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."
(1 Cor. 2:18-25)
"To
God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."
(Rom. 16:27) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him." (James 1:5)
(4)
GOD IS IMMUTABLE
– His Word is permanent as is His character. He is perfect in all
things; totally truthful, and since He never makes a mistake He
doesn't need to apologize for error. There is no error in God. If
He has said it, that settles it. God is God and is changeless and
unalterable.
The
“immutability
of His Word” speaks of the permanent character of His Word.
Since God and His Word are one, He is permanently error-free,
unchanging, righteous and perfect! Glory to His Name! You can
believe unreservedly on Him with total trust! (Heb. 6:13-18)
(a)
GOD HAS NOT CHANGED:
From eternity to eternity, He is God! He was the same in the
beginning of man’s existence, He is the same today and He will be
the same throughout eternity! Praise God!
(b)
GOD CANNOT CHANGE:
It is impossible for God to be anything but Who and What He is today
– powerful, wise, kind, righteous, loving, generous, good, holy,
just and true. He declared: “I am the Lord, I change not.” (Mal
3:6)
(c)
GOD WILL NOT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE:
The Bible says: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
ending, saith the Lord, which
is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
(Rev.1:8)
“And,
Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth;
and the heavens are the works of Thine hands: They shall perish; but
Thou remainest;
and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
“And
as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but
Thou
art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”
(Heb. 1:10-12)
BECAUSE
HE HAS NOT CHANGED:
1. God
still answers prayer:
“Call
unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty
things, which thou knowest not.” (Jer. 33:3)
“Offer
unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call
upon Me in the day of trouble: I
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”
(Ps. 50:14, 15)
"Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
“Or
what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him
a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent?
“If
ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more shall your Father in heaven give good things to them that
ask Him?” (Matt. 7:7-9)
2.
God
still forgives the sinner:
"And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21); "But
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 sin.
“If
we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If
we confess our sins, He is
faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (l John 1:7-9)
3.
God still brings peace to troubled souls and removes guilt:
"Let
not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.
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 14:1, 27)
"Therefore
being justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is therefore now no
condemnation
to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but
after the Spirit." (Rom. 5:1; 8:1)
“How
much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit,
offered Himself without spot,
purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God.”
(Heb. 9:14)
“And
having made peace
through the blood of His cross,
by Him to reconcile all things to Himself; by Him, I say, whether
they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Col.1:20)
(4)
God still cares:
“And
the Lord said, I have surely seen
the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard
their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know
their sorrows; And
I am come down to deliver them out
of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land
unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey.” (Ex. 3:7-8)
"Casting
all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
(5)
God still meets our financial needs:
“Bring
ye all the
tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine
house.
And prove
Me
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.
“And
I will rebuke the destroyer for your sakes, and
he shall not
destroy
the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit
before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.” (Mal.
3:10-11);
"But
my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus."
(Phil. 4:19)
“Give,
and it shall be given unto you; good
measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give
unto your bosom. For
with the same measure as you meet withal it shall be measured to you
again.” (Luke
6:38)
He
has promised: “Consider
the ravens:
for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse or barn;
and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
“Consider
the lilies how
they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But
rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be
added unto you.” (Luke 12:24,27,31)
(6)
God still heals the sick:
“…I
am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Ex.15: 26); Bless the lord , O my
soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine
iniquities; Who
healeth all thy diseases.”
(Ps. 103: 2, 3).
"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: 17-18
Please
read: Isa. 53: 4, 5; Matt.8: 16, 17; 1 Pet. 2: 24).
IS
ANY SICK AMONG YOU?
“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."
(James 5:14-15)
(7)
God still fills believers with the Holy Spirit:
"Then
Peter said unto them, 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.
“For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
(Acts 2:38-39)
“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);
“Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)
(8)
God still blesses and loads us with benefits:
"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; Who healeth all thy diseases."
(Psalm 103:1-3)
“Beloved,
I wish above all things that thou mayest
prosper
and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2)
“Honour
the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine
increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses
shall burst out with new wine.” (Prov.3:9, 10)
(9)
God still protects us from danger, evil and Satan:
"There
shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy
dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep
thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91:10-11)
Fear
thou not; for I am with thee:
be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I
will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My
righteousness." (Isa. 41:10); "Who
redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies."
(Psalm 103:4)
“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.”
(Is. 54:17)
“And
the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils
are subject unto us through Thy name.” (Luke 10:17)
(10)
God still leads, guides and directs us:
“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 the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ;
if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together.” (Rom. 8:14-17)
NO.
2 – GOD HAS NOT LIED.
HE
CANNOT LIE AND HE WILL NOT LIE!
(a)
We know what God will do in the future
by what He has done
in the past, because He has
not changed. He
has always told the truth, for He is the TRUTH and since it is
impossible for God to lie, we know we can put our trust
in Him as God.
(b)
He is too good to do anything wrong.
He is too wise to make a mistake. He is too powerful to allow Satan
to harm His children who call upon His Name in faith and who trust in
His truth.
(c)
He is too conscientious and correct
to lose our number, forget us or leave us to aimlessly drift on the
sea of life and death without His divine guidance and direction.
(d)
The Scripture emphatically declares:
"God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man
that he should repent; (change his mind) hath
He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not
make it good? (Numbers
23:19)
Samuel
the Prophet declared: "And
also the Strength of Israel will not lie or repent: for He is not a
man that He should repent."
(1 Sam. 15:29)
GOD
IS CONSTANT!
You
can believe the Word of God because it is ever and always the same.
St. James said, "A
double minded man is unstable in all his ways!"
He admonishes us to ask God for our needs, in faith. And He assures
us that our needs will be met, because we are dealing with the One,
Who is always the same and is liberal in His giving!
"Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the Father of lights, with Whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
(James 1:17)
St.
Paul, in writing to Titus made the great declaration that I am now
making: "God
cannot lie."
(Titus 1:2)
Since it is
impossible for God to lie, His nature is totally against falsehood
and His commandments all demand truth and condemn lying, we can
therefore rest assured that His promises are trustworthy. Period!
The
Word of God states: “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither
the son of man, that He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not
do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers
23:19
THE
BIBLE SAYS: "I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:104)
"Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal
truly are His delight." (Prov. 12:22)
God
has not lied, cannot lie and will not lie, for He not only speaks the
Truth, but HE
IS THE TRUTH!
The Holy Record says, "And He that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write:
for these words are true and faithful."
(Rev. 21:5) Our Lord Jesus Christ stated, "I am the Way, the
Truth
and the Life." (John 14:6)
THERE
IS NO TRUTH IN SATAN: HE
IS A LIAR EXTRA-ORDINAIRE!
Jesus
Christ’s description of the Evil One was an indictment: "He
was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him."
(John 8:44)
False
teachers who give themselves over to Satan become perverted, because
he is perverted!
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God
gave them over to a reprobate mind,
to do those things which are not convenient." (Rom. 1:28)
"Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
The
Holy Scripture makes it very plain, that the Blessed Holy Spirit is
the Spirit of Truth: "But when the Comforter is come, Whom I
will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of Truth,
which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me." (John
15:26)
"...the
anointing of God teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lie”.
(1 John 2:27)
WHO
IS A LIAR? HE THAT DENIES
CHRIST’S DIVINITY!
St.
John declared, "I have not written unto you because ye know not
the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?
“He
is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the father: but he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."
(1 John 2:21-23)
All
who advocate teachings, ideologies and doctrines that disagree with
the Holy Bible - the Divine Infallible Word of God - were labelled
liars, by the Apostle Paul, when he wrote:
“For
what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of
God without effect? God forbid: Yea,
let
God be true, but every man a liar...”
(Rom. 3:3-4)
It
matters not what men say about the Word of God. It will stand the
test of both time and eternity; never swerving nor changing, but
always constant and firm. Praise God!
IT
IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE! The writer to the Hebrews (probably St.
Paul) declared without hesitation, citing two proofs that God can be
trusted to be absolutely steadfast, trustworthy and honourable in all
things.
“For
when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no
greater, He
sware by Himself,
saying, Surely, blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will
multiply thee.
“And
so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men
verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them
an end of all strife.
“Wherein
God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the
immutability
of His counsel
(the
permanent character of His Word)
confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it
was impossible
for God to lie,
we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us:
“Which
we have as an anchor of the soul, both
sure and steadfast
and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner
is for us entered, even
Jesus,
made
an High Priest forever
after the order of Melchisedek." (Heb. 6:13-20)
NO.
3 – GOD IS NO RESPECTOR
OF
PERSONS, PLACES OR TIMES!
What
He has done for one, He will do for all who believe! WHY IS THIS?
He is no respecter of persons. The
only thing that God answers to is sincere belief and faith in Him!
If we mean business with God, calling upon Him in humility and faith,
He will answer.
Jesus
often said to those whom He saved, healed and delivered: "Thy
faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
(Luke 7:50); "Arise, go thy way: thy
faith
hath made thee whole." (Luke 17:19); “According to thy
faith,
be it unto thee." (Matt. 9:29) "If
thou wouldst believe
thou shouldest see the glory of God? (John 11:40)
Faith
stirs the heart of God and causes Him to work on our behalf! Yes,
indeed, Faith Works Miracles!
The
Scripture says, "Whosoever
shall
call
upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved." (Acts 2:21)
"He
that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting
life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the
wrath of God abideth on him."
(John
3:36)
HE,
THEM, THEY, WHOSOEVER,
ANY,
EVERYONE, YE, ALL PEOPLE!
The
Bible says, “He
that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be
damned”. (Mark 16:16)
“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
16:17-18)
THE
HOLY RECORD states: “Whosoever
believeth in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life”. (John 3:15) “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."
(James 5:4)
St.
Peter said, "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.
For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
(Acts 2:38-39)
The
Angel said, "Fear not; for behold I bring you tidings of great
joy, which
shall be to all people."
(Luke 2:10) Jesus said, "Blessed
are
they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6)
The
Scripture says, "He hath filled
the hungry
with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away." (Luke
1:53) James declared, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, Who giveth to all
men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
(James 1:5)
SUBMIT
YOURSELF UNTO GOD!
Here
is an important key to receiving from our blessed Lord: "Draw
nigh to God, and
He
will draw nigh to you."
(James 4:8); "Submit
yourselves
therefore
to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James
4:6)
The
weapons of our warfare are for ALL Christians and are provided for
ALL who will put them on and use them.
"For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strongholds."
(2 Cor. 10:4) "Put on the whole armour of God that
ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil." (Eph. 6:11)
Jesus
said, "Go ye therefore and teach all
nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost." (Matt. 28:19) Again the Bible says, "And this
gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in
all the world
for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
(Matt. 24:14)
St.
Paul said, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the
Greek: for the same Lord
over all is rich unto all
that call upon Him." (Rom. 10:12)
GOD
IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS!
"Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31)
All who call upon the name of the Lord are saved! "And
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved." (Acts
2:21)
All
who believe the gospel, repent of their sins, and confess them to
Christ are forgiven. But, you must call upon His name. NO OTHER NAME
WILL DO! Only
the name of Jesus Christ can and will save sinners from guilt, fear,
torment, sin, sickness, death and the devil!
God
answers the prayers of all who ask in faith: "Ask
and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall
be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth;
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matt.7:7-8)
The
Word of God declares: "Of
a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons."
(Acts 10:34; "God
gives to all men liberally
and
upbraideth not."
(James 1:5)
God
is eternal,
omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent,
therefore, it is no problem for Him to be everywhere at the same
time. Since He does not grow old and remains the same, He can still
operate effectively during the totality of our earth’s history -
past, present or future!
And
because God does not change,
He will still perform those same great miracles that He has performed
in the past, in any place, any time or for any one He chooses! He is
God and therefore, has all power, knows all things and can do all
things!
Don’t
forget this great truth: The Eternal God is the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. He is El
Shaddai, Adonai, El, El Elyon, Jehovah Raah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah
Shammah, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah M’Keddesh
and Jehovah
Saboath!
He
is the GREAT I AM and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the
God Who saves, heals, delivers and gives Eternal Life to those who
trust in Him and receive His Son as their personal Saviour and Lord!
I
am not speaking of Buddha,
the god who never was or Allah,
the Arabian god of the desert (possibly the son of Alilah), Shiva,
the god of the Hindus, Zeus
of the ancient Romans, Baal
of the Philistines or Odin
of the Vikings, who now has been proven to be nothing more than a
king who was deified by his people, or the unknown god of the
Mormons,
whom Joseph Smith deceptively stated,
‘was once a man who became God’!
My question is:
“Pray tell, Who made that man who became God”?
A
similarity exists between Muslim and Mormon teaching. Muhammed
was
an uneducated camel driver and warrior. Joseph
Smith
was a no – account drifter, occult soothsayer and swindler! He
allegedly plagiarized Spalding’s
unpublished novel, which suspiciously disappeared after his death.
Hand writing experts have verified that parts of his novel about the
‘History
of the American Indians’
ended up as part of the Book
of Mormon!
Muhammed
claimed
that Gabriel dictated to him the words of the Quran, even though it
contains many serious contradictions, carries many plagiarized
portions of the Old and New Testaments and spurious writings from
known enemies of the Gospels. It also contains direct passages from
known ancient writings of Jewish Talmuds!
The
Quran erroneously calls Miryam the sister of Moses, the virgin mother
of Jesus! Muhammed
was so untaught in the New Testament that that he didn’t know the
difference, and so confused Miriam the sister of Moses (who
lived 2,000 years earlier) with
Miryam (Mary)
the virgin mother of Jesus!
At first, Muhammed believed that the Christians taught that the Holy
Trinity was comprised of God the Father, Mary the Mother and Jesus
the Son!
TWO
OF THEIR GREATEST ERRORS ARE:
They place the 7th
century camel driver who conquered and killed by the sword, above
Jesus the Christ, Whom they call only a lesser prophet.
And
secondly, they claim Jesus’ prophecy of the descent of the Holy
Spirit referred to Muhammed,
thereby blasphemously declaring that their prophet is the fulfillment
of the Blessed Holy Ghost, the sweet Spirit of Almighty God!
Time
does not deter God! Geographical boundaries give Him no problem, for
He created everything and owns everything. He is not a stranger to
any place, anything or anybody. What He did in Jerusalem He can do
in Africa, Canada or Russia.
The colour of
the skin, language of the people, or climatic conditions have no
effect on Him. He is true to His Word, always honours faith, rejects
partiality, responds to worship and praise, delights in the truth and
enjoys showing mercy, compassion and tenderness!
He
still drives out fears and liberates the slaves of Satan’s bondage
and sin. And He desires to heal all the sick and diseased who
recognize Him as Lord and Healer!
I
repeat, God is no respecter of places, nationalities or geographic
boundaries. St. Paul stated, "There
is no respecter of persons with God.
For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without
the law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the
law." (Rom. 2:11-12)
Rich
and poor, black and white, red, yellow and brown all stand on even
ground in His sight!
(There
are certain promises made to Israel that do not apply to the
Gentiles. These are an exception, for Israel has played and will
play a special role in the history of God's dealings with man)
His
love transcends all borders as St. Peter discovered when he and six
of his Jewish brethren went - by the command of the Lord - to
minister to Cornelius and his household.
"While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which
heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." (Acts
10:44-46)
Foolish
men have tried to dictate to God!
You cannot lock God in a time capsule or a straight jacket,
dictating to Him when, where and upon whom He can or cannot work His
works! He is God and cannot be bound by our finite minds and often
"wrong thinking", in the natural! Theologians have tried
to do this repeatedly!
Just
as they have put a timing
device
on
His
Ability
and
predestined
His
will
in
such matters, He suddenly breaks forth in sovereign and glorious
demonstration and does the unthinkable in the most unusual places and
so-called forbidden times!
Revival
after revival have broken loose in nation after nation, century after
century, and will continue to do so until Jesus comes and the Church
is translated to Heaven!
The
Pharisees and Sadducees were disturbed that Jesus broke the Sabbath
by healing the sick on that day (John 5:10-18).
Jesus
said that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of the House of
Israel (Matt. 15:20-28), yet He was drawn by human need and went to
‘Jacob’s well’
in Sychar,
Samaria
in order to save an adulterous woman, as well as many of her friends.
(John 4:28-30)
A
great revival was the outcome, as He stayed for two days ministering
to them!
Almighty
God upset Peter
by
giving him a vision of unclean animals and telling him to rise up,
kill and eat, thereby sending him to the Gentiles. (Acts 10:9-16)
Some
theologians believe that the two days Jesus stayed with the
Samaritans, is a type of the Gospel Age – two thousand years
preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles! (2 Pet. 3:8)
The
Apostles
and
Disciples of
our Lord continued to preach the Gospel and work miracles in Jesus’
Name, even though they were forbidden to do so by the religious
authorities in the face of imprisonment and death. (Acts 4:16-21)
God
worked miracles through the ministry of lay people like Stephen
and
Philip
who were only deacons (Acts 7:5-8) and used the common people to
spread the Gospel during times of great persecution. (Acts 8:1-5)
The
Early Church grew and multiplied covering the earth, even in times of
poverty, severe testing and great persecution!
THE
REFORMATION BROUGHT
GOD
BACK INTO THE CHURCH!
The
Protestant Reformation altered the balance of power in Europe. The
Gospel of Christ began to triumph again!
Martin
Luther
shook the Roman Catholic conglomerate, when he opposed many of its
corrupt practices! And great revivals broke loose, bringing wonderful
liberty and Holy Ghost joy to millions, against the objections of a
powerful ruling church and state!
John
Knox, Count Zinzendorf, John and
Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, D.L. Moody, Charles Finney,
William Booth and
other great evangelists proved that God was not through working among
men, spearheading revivals that shook the world.
John
Lake, Charles S. Price, T.L.Osborn, Jack Coe, Gordon Lindsay, Oral
Roberts
and
other great evangelists led multitudes into the knowledge of God’s
healing stream.
At
this point in time, millions of people from all major denominations
upon the face of the earth are being filled with the Holy Spirit,
speaking in tongues in a great charismatic revival!
German
Evangelist, Reinhard
Bonnke,
who has reached multiplied millions of souls for Jesus Christ across
the African continent, recently conducted a crusade in Nigeria with
outstanding success.
On
November 12, 2000, 1,093,475 souls received Jesus Christ as their
personal Saviour. And during the six day crusade in which six million
people heard the gospel, 3.4 million responded to the invitation to
receive Christ!
The
June, 2001,
‘Voice
of Victory’
magazine reporting on the Lagos,
Nigerian crusade,
stated: That meeting also marked Reinhard’s return to Nigeria after
a nine - year ban following a Muslim riot that killed hundreds of
people.
Angry
at the devil for hindering God’s plan for Nigeria, Reinhard made a
faith demand to receive 900 per cent return in souls for everything
the devil stole during those nine years.
“At first we averaged 100,000 people coming for salvation each
week,” Reinhard
said.
“Later the weekly average jumped to a million”
Many
religious leaders would like to stop the revival if they could, but
it cannot be quenched. It burns on in Holy Ghost flame and fire!
God is working His miracles today, despite and in spite of the
foolishness of man's narrow and restricted vision and misconceptions
- Praise the Living Christ!
NO.
4 – GOD HAS NOT FAILED.
HE
CANNOT FAIL. HE WILL NOT FAIL!
Although
man has failed in everything he has tried to do, God is perfect and
has never failed. He cannot fail and He will not fail! King
Solomon, in his anointed dedicatory prayer made the statement, “Not
one word of all His good promises has failed”.
(1 Kings 8:56)
God
has not failed, He cannot fail and He will not fail! It is
impossible for God to fail!
HE
CANNOT DENY HIMSELF!
“God cannot deny
Himself for He is Faithful that promised!
(2
Tim. 2:13) The Scripture says: “The
callings of God are without repentance”. (Rom.
11:29)
When
He gives us something, He does so because He so desires and He does
not ask us to return that gift.
The
Bible says: “The
foundations of God are sure having this seal, the Lord knoweth them
that are His”.
(2 Tim. 2:19)
He
called SAMUEL by name and he also knew JEREMIAH and JACOB personally!
The Living Jesus met SAUL of Tarsus in a blinding light and spoke his
name!
Since
He knows us by name, He is able to supply our needs as well as keep
us in His perfect will! He also sees the sparrow fall, knows the
number of hairs on our head, and clothes the lilies of the field.
YOU
CAN’T DIVORCE THE PRESENCE
OF
GOD
FROM
HIS MIRACULOUS POWER!
Certainly
He has enough grace, goodness, propriety and good sense to look after
us! His wisdom is greater than all, and we are His creation, as well
as members of His body and sons and daughters through the new birth.
BY
ADOPTION,
we
have become heirs
of God
and joint
heirs with Christ,
(Rom. 8:17)
bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.
(Eph. 5:30) Why is this?
We
are the body of Christ and members in particular of His body. (1 Cor.
12:12) Praise His holy name!
Since
He has become so involved in our lives and invested so much in us,
certainly - in His divine wisdom and understanding -
He will not discard us, as some would have us believe.
Jesus
said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
Here, Jesus used a double imperative: “I
will never, no never leave thee. I will never, no never forsake
thee.”
He
stated that He would be with them unto the end of the world. (Matt.
28:20) No wonder St. Peter declared that we are “...kept
by the power of God through faith...”
(1 Peter 1:5)
You
cannot divorce God’s presence from His power! Many desire God’s
presence with them, but they do not expect Him to effectively use His
power to work a miracle for them.
You
cannot separate the healing, saving, delivering and keeping power of
God from His ever-abiding presence!
You can always depend upon the Lord because of His faithfulness and
dependability!
The
song writer penned the words:
“Jesus
never fails - Jesus never fails - Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but Jesus never fails!”
God
has not failed in the past, is faithful now and cannot and will not
fail in the future. What a glorious truth and what an Almighty God
we serve. Hallelujah!
HE
REMAINS FAITHFUL STILL!
Often
among we humans there are gross contradictions or seeming
contradictions as situations change, attitudes change and positions
change to adapt to the new realities of life.
Not
so with God - He
is changeless and His purposes, aims and goals forge ahead unabated!
During
World
War II
we certainly saw evidence of how leaders and nations changed their
positions.
Stalin
fought alongside Hitler
until
he realized the West would ultimately win. Then, the wily communists
left their Nazi bed-partners and joined with the West.
The
Pope
blessed
Benito
Mussolini
together with his war machine to go out in murderous raids against
Ethiopia to plunder, murder and rape.
When
the Roman
Catholic Church
saw that Mussolini would fall, they quickly changed their minds and
swung over to the Allied side.
The
U.S.A.
was going to keep out of the war until the Imperial forces of
Hirohito’s Japan smashed the U.S. Naval base in Honolulu. That
changed their position totally and thrust them into the Second World
War, bringing ultimate victory to the Allied forces.
GOD,
HOWEVER, DOES NOT CHANGE and cannot deny Himself. St. Paul declares,
"Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds;
but the word of God is not bound."
(2 Tim. 3:10)
You
cannot destroy, bind or nullify the Word of God. The Bible says,
"The
Scripture cannot be broken" (John
10:35);
"The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two
edged sword..." (Heb.
4:12) Certainly we can trust the Word of God for time and eternity!
Paul
continues: "If
we believe not, yet He remaineth faithful; He cannot deny Himself."
(2 Tim. 3:13) Even though we fail Him, His Word is still true and He
will not deny Himself or fail us!
LET
GOD BE TRUE!
"For
what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of
God without effect? God forbid: Yea, let God be true, but every man
a liar..." (Rom. 3:3-4)
Does
God fail? Can He fail? Will He fail? Certainly not!
Is He trustworthy? Can we depend upon Him? Most
certainly we can!
The Scripture states that even if some do not believe, that does not
nullify the Word of God! Then St. Paul comes on strong: "GOD
FORBID": yea,
let God be true and every man be a liar!
Anyone
who denies the Word of God, opposes the Word of God or who changes
the Word is a colossal liar and an enemy of the Kingdom of God!
That
is the reason God
hates the false ways of
cults
like the Mormons,
Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Science, Scientology, Mohammedanism, the
New Age Movement
and others, who
have added their own man-made traditions and teachings to the Word of
God!
St.
Paul stated: "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 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 than that ye have received,
let him be accursed!"
(Gal. 1:6-9)
That
is strong language, indeed. This teaches us how much God is against
lies, falsehood and spurious teachings, which conflict with His holy
Word!
THE
GIFTS AND
CALLINGS
OF GOD
"And
so all Israel shall be saved...for this is My covenant unto them,
when I shall take away their sins. For the gifts and callings of God
are without repentance."
(Rom. 11:26, 17, 29)
This
Scripture speaks of Israel,
who had backslid and been judged severely, but who will be saved in
the end. We are the bride
of Christ
(Rev.21:9)
to be married to Christ - the Heavenly Bridegroom - in the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).
Israel
is the wife
of God,
Who is married to backslid Israel. (Isaiah 64:6-7). However, because
of His faithfulness, Israel will be given a final opportunity and
after He has taken her through much tribulation, she shall be saved.
In
spite of being guilty of rejecting His Son, condemning Him to the
Cross, and embracing the false Christ (John 5: 43) during the first
3-1/2 years of the Great
Tribulation,
God will still forgive Israel and bring them into the fold, because
of His Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
which He will not break under any circumstances.
Praise the Lord!
What
a great, good and wonderful God we serve and how thankful we should
be for His grace, mercy and long suffering towards us!
GOD
ALWAYS FULFILLS HIS WORD!
Repeatedly, we read
in the Holy Scriptures: "...that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets."
(Matt. 1:21; 2:17)
You
can be absolutely certain that whatever the prophets declared would
come to pass, shall come to pass!
“There
is no doubt about the veracity of God's Word. When you read in the
Holy Bible: "Thus
saith the Lord..."
You can be absolutely certain that it will happen - it will come to
pass. Again, we read often "...and
it shall come to pass..."
Make
no mistake about it, whatever God has declared, He will do! Let us
look briefly at only a few verses of Scripture to back up these
claims.
(I). THE
BIRTH OF JESUS
"Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name
Emanuel." (Isa. 7:14) "...the Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore
also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God."
(Luke 1:35)
"Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the
Lord by the prophet, saying…" (Matt. 1:22); "But when
the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth His Son,
made of a woman… " (Gal. 4:4)
(II).
THE DEATH OF JESUS
"Then
saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of Me this
night:
for it is written,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be
scattered abroad." (Matt. 26:31)
"And
forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed Him.
And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then
came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took Him away."
(Matt 26: 49-50)
"In
that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as
against a thief with swords and staves for to take Me? I sat daily
with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me.
“But
all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be
fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him, and fled."
(Matt. 26:55-56)
"Ye
know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of
man is betrayed to be crucified."
(Matt. 26:2)
"Then
Judas, which had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned,
repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to
the chief priests and elders, Saying,
I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood.
“And
they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down
the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged
himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It
is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the
price of blood.
“And
they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury
strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood,
unto this day.
“Then
was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
And
they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was
valued,
Whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the
potter's field, as the Lord appointed me." (Matt 27:3-10)
(III).THE
RESURRECTION OF JESUS
“In
the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of
the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the
sepulchre.
“And,
behold there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled
back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
“His
countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And
for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
“And
the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know
that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is
risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
“And
go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead,
and, behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see
Him: lo, I have
told
you.
“And
they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and
did run to bring His disciples word.
“And
as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying,
All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped
Him.
“Then
said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell My brethren that they go
into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” (Matt. 28:1-10)
(IV).
THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"And
it shall come to pass afterward, that I
will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall
dream
dreams,
your young men shall see
visions; And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those
days will I pour out My Spirit."
(Joel 2:28-29)
"But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see
visions,
and your old men shall
dream dreams:
“And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2: 16-17, 21); "For these are
not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day.
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel…"
(Acts 2: 15-16)
“This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having
received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost,
He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." (Acts
2:32-33)
(V).
SALVATION AND DIVINE HEALING
"And
it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved."
(Acts 2:17); "And the same day there were added unto them about
3000 souls." (Acts 2:41)
"Then
Peter said unto them, 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.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save
yourselves from this untoward generation.
“Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day,
there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
“And
fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done
by
the apostles.
And all that believed
were together, and had all things common. And sold their possessions
and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
“And
they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the
people.
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
"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."
(Isa.53:5)
"When
the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed
with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed
all that were sick:
“That
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matt.
8:16-17)
God
says in His Word, "Call
upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify Me."
( Ps. 50:15)
NO.
5 - GOD IS NEVER LATE OR TOO BUSY TO ANSWER. HE IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS
A DAY!
HE AWAITS OUR CALL!
God
is never late or too busy to answer us. He is not tired, on vacation,
or sleeping! God is not on strike or out of business. He is waiting
for us, ready and willing to hear our prayers and meet our every
need. He is available 24 hours a day. We can come before Him any time
of day or night.
Jesus
said, "Come
unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest."
(Matt. 11:28) Hear the Word of the Lord to you, my friend:
"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." (Isa.55:7)
Our
Lord invites, "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." (Isa. 1:18).
Here
is the Lord's invitation to us all: "Before
they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will
hear."
(Isa. 64:24).
Our
Heavenly Father is always is always there when we need Him. He is
always near and He never sleeps! And He never dies. He will look
after us eternally!
The
Bible says: “He
never slumbers nor sleeps”.
(Ps. 121:4) He is not on strike or out of sorts. Our Lord is very
much in the business of setting people free from sin, fear, sickness,
disease and the power of the devil!
The
BIBLE says, "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."
(John14:13, 14)
"Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened."(Matt.
7:7, 8)
I
wish to share one final Scripture before I close this message: Jesus
said, "Whatsoever
things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye
shall have them."
(Mark 11:24)
PLEASE
REMEMBER
THESE
GREAT TRUTHS!
1.
God has not changed, He cannot change and He will not change because
it is impossible for God to change!
2.
God has not lied, He cannot lie and He will not lie. You can trust
His Word to you because it is impossible for God to lie!
3.
God has not failed, He cannot fail and He will not fail because it
is impossible for God to fail!
God
is no respecter of persons, places or times! What He did 2,000 years
ago in Galilee, He can do today anywhere in the world for those in
need!
4.
God is always on time, always there when you need Him, always ready
to answer your prayer and fulfill His Word in your life. He is
available 24 hours of the day.
AND
DON’T FORGET, GOD CARES ABOUT YOU!
Amen.
Dear
Friend,
I
greet you in Jesus’ dear name! It is with great joy and
anticipation that I pen these words to you. Now that you have read
this little book, you must make a decision to renew your love for
Jesus Christ, and your faith in God’s Holy Word!
It
is so important that you put your total trust In Him, for the Bible
says: “Commit
thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to
pass.” (Ps. 37:5).
Agree together with me
for
your miracle, and then write us with the good news of what God has
done for you! I promise to write you back and place your name on a
special list over which we pray.
If
you have prayed about a matter several times and had no answer, don’t
stop praying! Jesus said: “Ask
and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it
shall be opened unto you, for everyone who asks receives, he that
seeks finds and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.”
(Matt.7: 7-8)
Keep
on praying, seeking and knocking and the answer will come! After
asking, prayerfully search the Scriptures to have a foundation for
your request, as well as your own heart to draw close to God. Then,
keep on knocking on Heaven’s door! -Max
Solbrekken
