MANKIND'S BASIC NEEDS 
                  FULFILLED IN CHRIST

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

   Mankind's five basic needs as defined by psychologists are: security, recognition, love, adventure, need to create. All these are met though the cross-work of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life and rose from the dead, thereby purchasing Eternal Life for all who believe.

                           1. SECURITY!

  The greatest security a mortal can have is to know that we are at peace with our Creator and God! Repeatedly, the prophets and the apostles speaking and writing under the unction and inspiration of the Living God, brought great words of comfort and security!

      In my message titled, 'The Christian's Slogan: I am Secure in Jesus', I share many Scriptures that boast the great security we enjoy through our Saviour Jesus Christ!

     Here are a few: "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." (Is. 41: 10);

     "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that 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)

    We are SECURE in Jesus! He said: “…And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age).” (Matt, 28: 20); “… for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb.13: 5, 6)

       Always is a definition of time while alway is a definition of distance! He has promised to go all the way with us; to go the distance! He cares for and protects us. He said: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” (John 10: 28)

      Jesus used a double imperative. He actually said, “I will never, no never leave thee. I will never, no never forsake thee…” We have His Word on it. Not only did He promise to watch over us but He sent the HOLY SPIRIT to lead, direct, empower and comfort us. He promised: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.

    “Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14: 16-18)

      The Bible says: "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, and of power and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1: 7); Jesus Christ said: "All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me and him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:  37)

    "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (John 10: 27, 28)

                          11.  RECOGNITION!

     Our Lord said: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; As I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My Disciples, if ye have love one for another." (John 13: 34, 45)

     "That they all may be One, as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in US; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." (John 17:21)

     "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."  (Matt. 5: 16); "For I rejoiced  greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth, that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." (3 John 3)

     "Having your conversation (lifestyle) honest among the Gentiles; that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." (1 Peter 2: 12)

      JESUS said: “I am the Door, by Me if any man entereth in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

      “I am the Good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10: 9-15)

      “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.

      “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him like He is.” (1 John 3: 1, 

                                   111. LOVE!

      Only those who have been touched by the love of God can show forth real agape (unconditional) love that makes a difference in a dark, sick and lost world of sinners!

      Our Lord stated: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13: 34, 35)

    The love of God is apodictic (gr. apodeiktikos) meaning ‘evident beyond contradictions’, and magnanimous beyond understanding. It is unknowing, incomprehensible, unexplainable and inexhaustible. Our Heavenly Father’s love, mercy and grace is unconditional and available to all who willingly repent of their sins and in faith receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour!

     Our Lord’s parable about the Prodigal Son who returned in repentance and humility proves that: “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”(Luke 15: 17-24). This parable is a picture of God’s love for a sinful world that is estranged from Him! 

     It is also shown in His prayer from the cross: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23: 34) Again, Jesus exhibited His great mercy to the repentant thief:

     “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him; Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23: 42, 43)

     Of course, the key that opens the door to God’s mercy is two-fold, REPENTANCE and FAITH! In the account of Christ’s prayer asking His Father to forgive those who put Him on the cross, we see precisely the agape love that made Him leave Heaven to save the world.

      “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever 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.” (John 3: 16, 17)

      No greater love could ever be manifested than the great transaction that was played out in real time on Mount Calvary where Jesus the Son took the hand of the Father in one hand and the hand of man in the other and brought God and man together through His atoning blood on the Cross. (Gal.3: 13)

1V. ADVENTURE!

       Some people like to explore new frontiers. Others like to dig, excavate or search for fossils. And still others enjoy making new friends, meeting celebrities or important people in various walks of life! A great many people get their adventures by travelling the world, taking lengthy vacations or visiting famous gardens, art shows or museums. And huge numbers get their adventure by going to music festivals, hockey and football games, wrestling matches or other sporting events. And all of this in the name of adventure!

                         MY FAMILY AND JESUS!

     Personally, my greatest adventures in life has been my family, beginning with my beautiful wife Donna and our six children, and now 62 years later having 17 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. Watching them grow, mature, get married and have children has been a great blessing to me!

    None of this would have been possible, if God had not blessed us so abundantly. Giving our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ and being filled with the blessed Holy Spirit is the greatest experience on the face of the earth. To have a personal relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords is immense. It is grand and it is huge!

    To have access to the very throne room of the Creator of the Universe and

Saviour of the world is such an honour and privilege and to be able to sense His holy presence is unreal!

     To know that He loves us and cares for our needs is so exciting, and to pray in Jesus’ holy and precious name and receive answers from Him gives us joy unspeakable and full of glory!

     We know the great value God has placed upon each one of us,  in that He sent His only begotten Son to the Cross to pay the awful cost of our REDEMPTION, by meeting the demands of Divine Justice!

     I will never forget the day that I decided to give my heart and life to God and received the assurance of sins forgiven and the knowledge that I was a child of God. When I was graciously filled with the blessed Holy Spirit, the Holy Bible opened up to me like a flower to the sun and revelation knowledge flooded my soul.

    The peace, joy and holy excitement has never left me. After 60 years of serving the Lord, I receive greater joy than ever by spending quality time in His presence through Bible study, prayer and seeking God’s face! And though preaching and writing!

    After 55 years of Gospel Crusades across the globe and seeing multitudes come to Christ for salvation, healing and deliverance from the power of sin, fear, sickness, disease and demons has been more than adventurous!

V. NEED TO CREATE

     Many people are artistic, having received a gift from God. I think of Michelangelo and other great painters, as well sculptors and architects. The innovative minds of inventors, skilled workmen and labourers have built cities, great freeways, airports, aeroplanes, computers, telescopes and communication systems.

     There are a host of men and women in medicine, education, military, agriculture and science who have skillfully designed, patented and created many marvellous tools, vehicles and diagnostic equipment.

     My precious wife, Donna, is always knitting, crocheting, sewing, designing and creating things for our grandchildren and a lot of other people. My need to write Biblical articles, columns, books and videos never stops.

     She says: “Creative minds have advanced us to the place we are today. It is hard to imagine people who have no need or desire to do anything creative.”

     The flip side of that is that ugodly people use God - given talents to create evil, destructive and perverted things which bring great harm to themselves and others!

  Pastors, youth leaders, children’s workers, singers, musicians, choreographers and others involved in Church and the Gospel Ministry love to create those things that bless the Church and reach souls for Christ!

    St. Paul makes the Gospel of Christ come alive in his powerfully anointed and God-breathed epistles. Here is the Word of God to the Ephesian Church: “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

                       GOD IN HIS MERCY SAVED US!

  “Among whom also we all had our conversation (life style) in time past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. BUT God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great LOVE wherewith He loved us,

     “Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened (made us alive) us together with Christ; by grace ye are saved: And hath raised us up together, and made us (Jews and Gentiles) in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

     “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it I the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2: 1-10)

    Jesus Christ meets the needs of the human race in every area of human life and beyond, for both time and eternity! Amen.

If world leaders would learn from the wisdom of President Ronald Reagan they would be respected by intelligent people! - Pastor Max Solbrekken

President Ronald Reagan - A Real Man

Train and Dart stations in Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland, owned by Ireland’s national public transport provider, CIÉ, are advertising the abortion March next weekend (30/09).

They are supporting a movement which believes that the law should permit a mother to kill her own son or daughter so long as he or she is in the womb.

One need only look at Britain to see the disastrous effects of their abortion law. There are almost 200,000 abortions every year, that’s one in five pregnancies ending in abortion and millions of women’s lives torn apart by abortion since 1967.

There are now 8 million “missing” men and women from Britain. In N. Ireland, the Advertising Standards Association affirmed that the abortion law there has saved over 100,00 lives.

Ireland must not make the same mistake as its neighbours. Ireland should be proud of the 8th Amendment which recognises the value of the life of mother and baby.

Greg Jackson 

How Satan must laugh at the stupidity of 21st century mankind. How weird it is and how more weird it will become with naive boneheads in positions of power across the world. Jesus Christ stated: "Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female." (St.Matthew 19: 4) . Moses wrote: "This is the Book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; Male and female created He them..."(Genesis 5:1,2) - Pastor Max Solbrekken

     I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO          A BRAVE MAN:

"I woke up little by little.

I realized the simple biological truth:

I was still a man, I had always been a man, and I would always be a man."

His name is Walt Heyer. He was an executive in a company, married, and a father. But at 42, he decided to change his sex. Today, he speaks out against his decision. He explains:

"The LGTB lobby manipulate the minds of children to change their sex. The change of sex is an apparent victory in the short term, but it is a pain that they will carry all their life".

Do you want to meet Walt? Do you want to know what is going on behind the scenes in the LGTBI lobby? What hides behind the “gender ideology” movement?”

Alcohol use biggest preventable risk factor for dementia: study

The researchers found that chronic harmful use of alcohol was the biggest preventable risk factor for the development of dementia

CTVNews.ca Staff

Published Tuesday, February 20, 2018 6:30PM EST 

Heavy drinking may be associated with a higher risk for developing dementia, particularly early-onset dementia, according to a new study.

Researchers from a number of organizations, including The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, studied the association between alcohol use disorders and the development of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.  

The study looked at more than one million cases of diagnosed dementia among adults over the age of 20 in France between 2008 and 2013. The researchers found that chronic harmful use of alcohol was the biggest preventable risk factor for the development of dementia.

RELATED STORIES

• Stigma a major issue for Canadians living with dementia: Alzheimer Society
• Study suggests link between marriage and lower rates of dementia
• Simple new tool could help doctors spot dementia

Among the more than 57,000 studied cases of early-onset dementia (before the age of 65), the study discovered an even higher association. The majority (57 per cent) of cases of early-onset dementia were related to chronic heavy drinking, according to the research.

Although women make up the majority of all dementia patients, the study found that nearly two thirds (64.9 per cent) of all early-onset dementia patients were men.

Heavy drinking is defined as consuming, on average, four to five standard drinks per day for men and approximately three drinks per day for women, according to The World Health Organization (WHO). 

“The findings indicate that heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders are the most important risk factors for dementia, and especially important for those types of dementia which start before age 65, and which lead to premature deaths,” Dr. Jurgen Rehm, the study’s co-author and the director of the CAMH Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, said in a press release.

Dr. Rehm said that alcohol use disorders can shorten life expectancy by more than 20 years and that dementia is one of the leading causes of death for these patients.

The researchers also explored the association between heavy drinking and other dementia risks, such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, lower education, depression, and hearing loss. They discovered that harmful alcohol use contributed to these other “modifiable” factors as well.

In light of their findings, the researchers recommend the introduction of screening, brief interventions and treatment for alcohol use disorders to reduce its impact on dementia.

“Screening for and reduction of problem drinking, and treatment for alcohol use disorders need to start much earlier in primary care,” CAMH Vice-President of Research, Dr. Bruce Pollack, said in the press release.

The findings have been published in The Lancet Public Health journal.

REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH

BACK TO THE BOOK OF ACTS

                      By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

Revival in the Church! What is a genuine Heaven sent Revival? Is it Possible today? How does it come and whom will it affect? Why do we not have it? Do we need it? What are the prerequisites for Revival? Do we want it? Is it necessary?

     The ANSWER is that we desperately need the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives individually and corporately so that we may enjoy the blessings of God for ourselves and others.

    It is high time to check the spiritual temperature in our own hearts and measure that with the Word of God to see where we actually stand with the Lord! We DARE not compare ourselves with others as their standards may be too low.

    Our objective must be to return to the place in God that we were, when Jesus became the Lord of our lives and the Bible the RULE BOOK to which we subscribed, and the Holy Spirit's VOICE we heard clearly!

    The old cliche, “I'm as good as my neighbour”, doesn't cut it with God! He says: “But as He which hath called you is Holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy as I am Holy.” (1 Peter 1: 15, 16)

         CHRIST ADDRESSES THE CHURCHES!

     “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

     “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.     And He had in His hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength.

      “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not: I am the First and the Last: I am He that liveth and was dead: and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of Hell and of death.” (Rev. 1: 12-18)

    When our Crucified, Risen and Glorified Lord appeared to John the Beloved on the Isle of Patmos, He addressed the spiritual condition of the seven churches in Asia and prescribed the remedy for their Desperate Needs!

     To five of the seven churches, His admonition and command was to repent, or else He would bring judgment upon them!

     REPENT or ELSE were the words that came out of His mouth. There were no mushy words of platitude or political correctness. The Message we receive when we read St. John's visions is one of seriousness and immediacy. There is no time to dither or meander. There is an urgency in His statements that require our immediate attention!

     “You have left your first love”, thundered out the Master to the Ephesian Church. His remedy was, “Remember therefore from whence thou hast fallen, and REPENT and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Rev. 2: 4, 5)

      He also spoke with tenderness to those churches which were serving Him in purity of heart and doctrine: “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty (but thou art rich) … Fear NONE of these things which thou shalt suffer... Be thou faithful unto death and I shall give thee the crown of Life.” (Rev. 2: 9, 10)

            GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL!

    What is our goal? What should our criteria be? Is it not to please the Master? Is it not to do the First Works? Is it not to return to our First love for Him and His Gospel? Is it not to receive His mighty power to defeat the enemy of our souls and by His grace to build the Kingdom of God?

     The Answer is to go back to the Original! Right back to the Day of Pentecost and the Book of Acts which chronicles the Acts of the Holy Spirit! He is the Only One Who has the Key to Revival, because He is the One Who inaugurated the Church on the Day of Pentecost!

     The Bible says: “And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

     “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 1: 1-4

Jesus had given them their MARCHING ORDERS before He left them to sit on His Father's right hand in Heaven:

     “And behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High. And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven.” (Luke 24: 49-51)

     “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the GOSPEL to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

     “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; 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: 15-18)

       “So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with SIGNS following.” (Mark 16:19, 20

    MOSES GIVEN SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS!

    When God called Moses to rear up the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, He gave the former sheep herder a set of precise instructions which he followed consistently for forty years in the wilderness journey.

     Repeatedly, he relates how that Almighty God refreshed his memory on the precise measurements, the colours to use and even the minutest details on what he must manufacture and use for setting up the tabernacle and the articles therein.

     “And let them make Me a Sanctuary; that I may dwell among them, according to all that I SHOW thee, after the PATTERN of the tabernacle and the PATTERN of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” (Ex. 25: 8, 9)

      “And look that thou make them after the PATTERN, which was SHOWN thee in the mount.” (Ex. 25:40); “And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle ACCORDING to the fashion thereof which was SHOWN thee in the mount.” (Ex. 26: 30)

   St. Paul proves without the shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is our Heavenly High Priest. As he does, he gives us a detailed report of the preciseness of God's methodology in all things. He doesn't do things at random. Here he uses the Tabernacle in the wilderness to make his point:

    “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things ACCORDING to the PATTERN showed to thee in the mount.” (Heb.8: 5)

              VITAL CONNECTION NEEDED!

    Our PATTERN is the Day of Pentecost and the Book of Acts! Our Leader is the Holy Spirit of God. He can and does bring new and wonderful things into our lives, but He always follows the true and tested PATTERN that He used in setting up the Church on the Day of Pentecost!

     Why would He want to change the most powerful and effective method He used to build the Church out of nothing? How absurd and stupid man is, if he thinks he can somehow over ride and over rule Deity in the work of Christ's Church on earth? Where does this nonsense come from, if not from Satan the world's greatest Deceiver and Manipulator?

    Deception and PRIDE in the highest degree, would have mere earthlings dictating to Jesus Christ the Creator of the world and the AUTHOR of Salvation, on how to build His Church and save the world from sin and destruction!

   Who but a narcissist or imbecile would take upon himself the prerogative of removing from God's Holy Spirit the leadership of His Church and changing the PATTERN laid out for us in our Lord's Master Plan, called the Great Commission!

    During our outstanding Crusade in Newfoundland in 1968, I was invited to be the guest of that province's Radio Network in Gander. I was being interviewed by their leading interviewer. And the Holy Spirit was present in a strong way.

    Suddenly my interviewer began to tear up and had a difficult time to speak. I asked him if he was a backslider and he answered in the affirmative. He excused himself and asked if I would take ten minutes to speak on the subject: “The Greatest Mistake the Church has made in the last 2000 years?

   I stated: “The Church's greatest mistake is two-fold: First, the Church has rejected the Holy Spirit Whom God sent to Oversee the Church and placed that authority and power into the hands of men like popes, archbishops, bishops and pastors. And secondly, the Church has rejected the Holy Bible, the Word of God which He has anointed, as the only rule for faith, morals and conduct.”

     After I had prayed for the people of Newfoundland and we were walking toward the office, I saw several men approaching us. At first, I thought perhaps they were going to castigate me for causing their head interviewer to break down on the air.

    They were all smiles saying, “All the telephone lines have been jammed. About 70, 000 people heard the program across the province. We have a TV Station across the street. We have it all set up for you. Please go over there and do the same thing there!”

           FOR GOD’S GLORY ALONE!

     Those were exciting days, indeed! By God's grace, I know a little of what God has planned for His End-Time Church, operating boldly in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. For more than fifty years I have witnessed His great mercy, love and power in my own life and hundreds of thousands of lives across the world, for His honour and glory alone!

     We are children of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and by God’s grace alone we have been Born Again and Filled with the Holy Spirit. We are bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh and members in particular of His Body, the Church! We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ and sealed by the Blessed Holy Spirit!

     We are pilgrims and strangers here and one day we shall see Jesus Christ in all His Glory and fall before Him in adoration and praise and tell the story, saved by grace! Hallelujah to the Lamb forever and ever!

     We are clean through the cleansing of His precious blood, healed through the power of His Word, in His Name and called to be apostles sent out to preach the Gospel of Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit. We are called to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. And we are signs and wonders of His amazing grace, for the glory of His precious and worthy Name!

     Can we not then do what the Primitive Church did in times of great suffering, persecution and martyrdom? Out of nothing and with a handful of common plebeian men, Jesus Christ would pour His great mercy, love and compassion upon a wicked world. Is not that still applicable today?

    The pivotal point, however, was His vicarious, substitutionary death on Golgotha and His glorious resurrection from the dead that would transform not only His disciples and followers, but the lives of millions for the next two centuries!

    HOLY SPIRIT TRANSFORMS PEOPLE!

    Teaching by Word and Example, our Saviour changed his ragtag group into men who would eventually be willing to die for Him and His cause. It was the ‘Baptism of the Holy Spirit’ and the infusion of power that He had promised them, however, that would define them as the mighty men of God they became!

    What Jesus of Nazareth had failed to do with His little group of apostles during His three years with them, the Holy Spirit did in a moment of time when He baptized then with His Spirit and Fire!

      Jesus had promised: “If ye love Me keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not neither knoweth Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” (John 14: 16-18)

     Who can doubt the amazing transformation that took place in the life of the Big Fisherman, Simon Peter, who had earlier denied that he knew Jesus Christ, saying, “Let a curse be upon me if I’m lying.”!

                        HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED!

    “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 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: 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 prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

    "And on My servants and on My handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophecy.” (Acts 2: 14-18)

Unafraid, he preached the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth with great intensity and wonderful results: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all 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)

            WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?

     “Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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 afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Then they that gladly received his Word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:37-41)

     The Church that Jesus Christ purchased with His own BLOOD through His death and resurrection and inaugurated on the Day of Pentecost, functioned perfectly in great power and influence from that day forward and continues today across the world!

     The Miracle Power of God startled, amazed and astonished those who witnessed the ministry of Jesus, the Twelve Apostles, Seventy Disciples, Stephen, Philip and St. Paul the Apostle to the Gentile World.

     The Bible says: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by MIRACLES and WONDERS and SIGNS, which God did by Him the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.” (Acts 2: 22);

   “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good and HEALING all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10: 38)

     The healing of the LAME MAN at the Beautiful Gate brought 5,000 souls to Christ and strengthened the fledgling Church: “And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms…

     “Then said Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

   “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple: and they were filled with WONDER and AMAZEMENT at that which had happened to him.” (Acts 3:1-10)

           THE SON OF JONAS RISES!

     Simon Peter rises to the occasion again! He admonishes the people not to look to John or himself because they are just men and have no power to heal. He says that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has glorified His Son, Jesus by raising Him from the dead and that is why this crippled man is now well and walking perfectly.

      “But ye denied the Holy One and the Just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you: And killed the Prince of Life, Whom God hath raised from the dead: whereof we are witnesses. And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” (Acts 3: 14-16)

    Simon the son of Jonas closes his powerful message by inviting everyone to repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour:

    “Repent ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be BLOTTED out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” (Acts 3: 19, 20)

   The disciples were jailed overnight for preaching the Gospel, but five thousand men gave their hearts and lives to our Lord: “Howbeit many of them which heard the Word believed: and the number of them was about five thousand.” (Acts 4: 4)

    SIGNS, WONDERS & MIRACLES!

     When the Church came under heavy persecution, many of their members fled Jerusalem and wherever they went the Gospel message of the crucified and resurrected Jesus went with them, and was spread abroad by Spirit–filled believers in Christ!

     The Holy Spirit worked through several of the Seven Deacons which had been installed in the Jerusalem Church. Stephen was truly a mighty man of God and became the first Christian martyr. The Holy Scriptures gives us the report:

    “And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost…Whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people.” (Acts 6:5-8)

    False accusers made false statements about him to the Jewish authorities, who asked if those were so. His answer was so power packed with Jewish history, Holy Scripture and Prophecies pointing to Jesus of Nazareth as the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God.

                 GOD EMPOWERED BUSINESSMEN!

     The Scripture says: “And all that sat in the council looked steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel ...” (Acts 6:15)

    “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looks up steadfastly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. He said, Behold, I see the Heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

     “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

    “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:54-60)

     "Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and great lamentation was made for him by the Church in Jerusalem. The persecution, however, increased and many believers were scattered abroad and everywhere they went, they spread the Good News of the resurrected Jesus Christ.

    The Second Deacon that God used mightily is Philip: “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8: 5-7)

    The Church grew as blessed Holy Spirit led the Body of Christ through persecution, divisions, false doctrine, immorality, jealously, envy and other attacks of the enemy!

             IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS CHRIST!

     Here is a very important fact that must not be ignored: Every soul that is saved, sick person that is healed, believer that is filled with the Holy Spirit and every revival that happens is because of Jesus Christ's vicarious death on Golgotha and His resurrection from the dead and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit!

     “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled and took knowledge (notice) of them that THEY HAD BEEN WITH JESUS and beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” (Acts 4: 13,14)

     The KEY to power with God is to spend quality time with Jesus and to get to know the blessed Holy Spirit and to seek His face through fasting and prayer. Our goal is to get into the Holy of Holies!

     St. Paul wrote: “But what things were gain to me, those things I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency if the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

    “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” (Phil.3: 8-10)

     The Conversion of SAUL OF TARSUS is one of the greatest testimonies of someone influenced mightily by our Lord Jesus Christ. Their awesome MEETING on the Damascus Road, at Arabia, in the Temple in Jerusalem and undoubtedly numerous times during shipwrecks and prisons!

     And yet he cried out that, he wanted to KNOW Him better and be more like Him! An old Sunday school song stated: 'To be like Jesus. To be like Jesus. All I ask is to be like Him; So meek and lowly; so humble and holy. All I want is to be like Him!'

    There is so much more I could write about our beloved Lord Jesus the Head of the Church, and the Blessed Holy Spirit Who is still leading us into all truth, but this must suffice for now!

           ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND!

    I will leave you with this thought. In 1987, I had been invited to speak together with five others at the First Latin American Pentecostal Conference of the Holy Spirit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Cover of Newsweek came out with a large Headline: Latin America Prominently Cardinal Red Turning Protestant Black.

    The large article reported that 400 Roman Catholics were converting to the Evangelical Church every hour! My weekly column in the Edmonton Sun the next Sunday carried those statistics, with these words from me: 

   "The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Pope is the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, and as such leads the Church. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and He sent the Holy Spirit to lead His Church on earth. I'm sorry John Paul 11, I didn't know the Holy Spirit had taken early retirement!"

    To clear up a misunderstanding, the Pope is not the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth. The Holy Spirit is leading and guiding His Church. And the Church is built on Jesus Christ Himself, the Solid Rock and Sure Foundation. And He is the Head of the Church! Praise God.

    I love this great slogan used by His Church down through the ages: CHRIST HAS DIED. CHRIST IS RISEN. CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN. And I hasten to add this Witness: I am saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone and in Christ alone! Amen.

SATAN 

INFILTRATES

THE CHURCH 

Modern translations based on faulty, Inferior Codex Vaticanus, Codex Siniaticus !

by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

Dr. Frank Logsdon, who worked on the feasibility study, interviewed some of the translators, and wrote the preface for the New American Standard Version (NASV), has denounced his work on that Bible and urged all Christians to return to the Authorized Version (KJV)!

After much soul searching and an extensive study of all the texts involved, the highly respected, godly Bible translator Dr. Frank Logsdon concluded, “I’m in trouble with the Lord; I can’t refute these arguments; it’s wrong; it’s terribly wrong; and what am I going to do about it?”

TRANSLATOR SAYS:

I’M IN TROUBLE WITH THE LORD!  

  The arguments he referred to were pointed out by his old friend, Dr. David Otis Fuller, who put his finger on the many errors of the Roman Catholic Text used in all modern Bible translations, which include the NASB and today’s NIV!  Dr. Logsdon shocked NASB publisher Dewey Lockman with his refutation: “I must under God renounce every attachment to the New American Standard!”

Repenting of his involvement in Satan’s plan to corrupt God’s Word, albeit ignorantly, Dr. Frank Logsdon - like Saul of Tarsus - then began to travel extensively, warning people of the corrupted translation which he had helped to create and urging them to return to the pure, unadulterated AUTHORIZED VERSION (KJV).

The ROMAN CATHOLIC TEXT he referred to are the inferior, faulty and possibly tampered with manuscripts known as Vaticanus (A) and Siniaticus (B).  Many theologians,Dr. Logsdon included, had swallowed the lies that these inferior manuscripts were more reliable than the time-tested and trueTextus Receptus, only because they were older!

DR. FRANK LOGSDON states: “When there is an omission that might be observed, they put in the margin, ‘Not in the oldest manuscripts’.  But they don’t tell you what those manuscripts are. What oldest manuscripts?  Or they say, ‘Not in the best manuscripts’. They don’t tell you. YOU SEE HOW SUBTLE THIS IS? The average man sees a little note in the margin which says ‘not in the better manuscript’ and he takes for granted they are scholars and they must know, and then he goes on. That’s how easily one can be deceived.”

After the great translator had agonized over the work he was involved with, he realized he had assisted in CHANGING THE VERY WORD OF GOD, by removing many verses out of the Holy Scriptures!  Logsdon declared, “The deletions are absolutely frightening.” 

He advised those who are pressed by somebody to abandon the Authorized Version (KJV): “You don’t need to defend it; you don’t need to apologize for it.  Just say, ‘Well, did this new version or this translation come down through the Roman Catholic stream?  If so, count me out!”

THERE IS DEFINITE PROOF THAT MARK 16:12-20 IS AUTHENTIC! HONEST SCHOLARS QUESTION THE RELIABILITY OF VATICANUS (A) AND SINIATICUS (B) TRANSLATIONS!

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils (demons); 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)

For too long, Evangelicals have done almost nothing to refutefalse and misleading statements by ‘modernist theologians’who cast doubts upon the Word of God, as though they were privileged by some divine right and superior knowledge to do so!

THESE TRIFLERS SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY, as though they know everything.  The Bible is primitive, they say, not to be taken literally and is out of touch with our modern world, especially in areas where their personal bias and pride prevents them from accepting the truth!

A case in point is the way many EVANGELICALS have accepted almost unquestioning the ‘BIG LIE’ that Mark 16: 12-20 is not reliable because, “these verses were not found in the oldest manuscripts”.

Nothing could be further from the truth! In this apologetic, I will prove without a shadow of a doubt that the two manuscripts used by ‘MODERNIST THEOLOGIANS’ to disprove these sacred texts, are themselves inferior and inadequate translations!

 And even more serious, is the proven fact that these verses of Holy Scripture may have been deliberately omitted or tampered with because of ulterior motives, in order to cast doubt on the availability of God’s power for the Church today! 

And to compromise the Gospel and confuse Christians by opening the floodgates to numerous inferior translations of the Bible, some of which remove the ‘BLOOD OF JESUS’ and other vital truths from the Holy Text! How sad, deplorable and blasphemous!

Honest scholars must ask the questions: “ARE VATICANUS (B) AND SINIATICUS (A) INFERIOR TRANSLATIONS? Are they deliberately misleading and spurious in their treatment of these texts?”    

I AM INDEBTED to a number of honest scholars who have soundly refuted this almost universally accepted falsehood!  Dr. Charles Trombley, who escaped from the heretical, deceptive‘Watch Tower’ cult “can smell a rat” when he sees one and he has flushed out this one.  Praise God!  Some of what I will share here, has been gleaned from his article ‘IS MARK 9:12-20 GENUINE?”

And the excellent new book ‘Final Authority’, by William P. Grady confirms my long standing doubts of the veracity of theVATICANUS (B) and SINIATICUS (A) and the “two false witnesses” who used their deceptive anti-protestant-reformation bias and the two above mentioned defective manuscripts, to stop the continued use of the far superior Authorized Version in Great Britain’s Anglican Churches.

The subtle and devious work of the two carnal-minded andunsaved theologians, HORT and WESCOTT (admirers of pagan philosophers Socrates and Plato and evolutionist Charles Darwin) hoodwinked the Christian community into believing that the inferior, flawed and possibly altered spurious manuscripts in question, were in fact more reliable than the TEXTUS RECEPTICUS from which the Authorized Version (KJV) was translated by 54 of Great Britain’s greatest, most godly and learned theologians.

THIS IS QUITE A COUP WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT HORT & WESTCOTT WERE ONLY SECOND OR THIRD RATE THEOLOGIANS WITH A LIMITED GRASP OF HEBREW & GREEK AND ACCORDING TO SOME OF THEIR CORRESPONDENCE HAD POSSIBLE HOMOSEXUAL LEANINGS AND DESIRES!

           

   However, the theologian mostly responsible for initiating this controversy was Johann J. Griesbach.  In his second edition of the Greek Bible (1796-1806), he questioned the genuineness of the last twelve verses of St. Mark’s Gospel because of a blank space in two Greek manuscripts!  He therefore concluded that the 16^th chapter ended with verse 8, making the rest of the chapter spurious!

The two so-called “oldest manuscripts” are in fact the two most unreliable of all, and possibly the target of tamperingby enemies of God’s Word! The two fourth-century Greek manuscripts in question are the VATICANUS (B) and SINIATICUS (A).  These do not contain the controversial 12 verses, but both manuscripts leave a special space for them as if the copyist was not certain about adding or deleting them.  The facsimile of the Vaticanus (B) even has the lines marked for their insertion!

HOW TRUSTWORTHY

ARE THESE TWO MANUSCRIPTS?

         ~The VATICANUS (B) has left out Genesis chapters 1 to 46.

~The VATICANUS (B) has left out Psalms 106 to 138.

~The VATICANUS (B) has left out the Pastoral Epistles.

~The VATICANUS (B) has left out the Book of Revelation.

~The SINIATICUS (A) has left much of the Old Testament.

DR. TROMBLEY writes: “With these obvious omissions can anyone use them to challenge the genuineness of twelve missing verses in Mark when whole chapters and books are missing?Should we reject 1^st and 2^nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon and the Book of Revelation since they too are missing? Should we question the genuineness of the creation account, Abraham’s calling and life since the first 49 chapters of Genesis are missing?

“And what about the 32 missing Psalms? As believers we must be honest. We must question the genuineness of the other missing chapters, books and verses if we challenge the genuineness of  Mark’s twelve verses”.

IF THESE VERSES WERE ADDED since the 4^th Century, the much older manuscripts would not contain them, but that is not the case! Here are the plain facts!

1). The SECOND CENTURY SYRIAC, called the ‘Peshitto’and the THIRD CENTURY CURETONIAN, were the first and oldest translations of the New Testament.  Both the Syriac and the Curetoni, which are much older than the Vaticanus (B) and Siniaticus (A), CONTAIN THE MISSING VERSES!

Here is an irony: Of the more than 4200 extant (preserved) Greek Manuscripts (MSS), only (B) and (A) omit Mark’s verses and they are NOT the oldest available manuscripts! Only an IDIOT would conclude that these twelve verses were added after the fourth century, when you know that both theSyriac and Curetonian include them!

2). THE LATIN VERSIONS CONTAINED THE TWELVE VERSES: Jerome, who lived in AD 382, had access to much older MSS than is now extant (available today).  His VULGATE which was a revision of the older ‘Vetus Itala’, believed to be from the SECOND CENTURY, contained the missing twelve verses!

DR. CHARLES TROMBLEY writes: “Rather than these verses being added since the fourth century, it appears that the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus left them out on purpose!”

3). The Gothic, the Egyptian, Memphitic or Coptic versions of the third and fourth century CONTAINED them also!

HERE IS WHAT EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

SAY ABOUT MARK 16: 12-20! 

More than 100 Church Fathers are older than the two manuscripts in question and another 200 lived between A.D. 300- 600.  All these referred to the twelve last verses of St. Mark, but only those who lived and wrote before Vaticanus (B) and Sinaiticus (A) can be used to prove the genuineness of those verses!

PAPIAS, who lived about A.D.100 – about 4 years after St. John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos – QUOTED from Mark 16: 18.  He wrote, “Justus, surnamed Barsabas, experienced no consequences after drinking noxious poison.” (Eseubius Hist. Ecc.1139)

JUSTIN MARTYR (A.D.151) QUOTED v. 20 (Apol Ic.45),

HIPPOLYTUS (A.D. 190-227) QUOTED vv. 7-19 (Lagarde’s ed; 1854, p.74. The ACTA PILATI (second century) QUOTES vv. 15,16,17,18 (Tishendorf ‘s  ed. pp. 243, 351.  And history records that the copy of the Gospels used by the BISHOP OF LYONS in A.D.180 contained all twelve verses!

Now, I ask you: “Who is lying? Who is seeking to hide something, compromise a doctrinal position or pervert some truth?”  Again, I ask: “Could a true child of God deliberately seek to pervert the Word of God to advance his own agenda?”

Of course, the answer is that only an “ENEMY OF THE CROSS” could do such a thing, for a true Christian with the ‘fear of God’ in his or her heart would be scared to death to tamper with God’s holy, sacred Word”!

Almighty God has given us this admonition and emphatic warning: “The words of the LORD are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.” (Ps.12:6, 7)

MOSES declared: “Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” (Deut. 4: 2); “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it

JESUS warned: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Rev. 22:18,19 )

ST. PAUL warned: “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 than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal.1:6-9)

HOW ONE VIEWS THE BIBLE AND JESUS CHRIST,

PROVES MORE ABOUT HIM THAN EMPTY RHETORIC

JOHN WESLEY emphasized, “I build on no authority, ancient or modern, but the Scripture. I want to know one thing - the way to Heaven: how to land on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach the way. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book. At any price, give me that Book of God!”

The founder of the Methodist Church was a genuine born-again Christian who took the Bible as God’s Word, and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to multitudes, changing the spiritual complexion of England!

His love for Jesus Christ and God’s Word, stands in stark opposition to the unholy fruit that flowed from the two spiritually perverted theologians, HORT and WESCOTT.

From the beginning of the Church Era until today, it has always been easy to separate true believers from hypocrites. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 10:10)

ST. JOHN declared: “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 and the Word was made flesh and dwelt upon them.” (John 1:1-14) 1 John 1:1-14)

The Bible records that, “great was the company of those who published it.”(Ps. 68:11); “many priests were obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7)  Jesus’ followers were warned by the Chief Priests not to “speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18) Peter and John, however, countered by saying: “…Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)

The REVIVAL grew to such an extent that, “believers were the more added unto the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter might overshadow some of them.

“There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed everyone.” (Acts 5:15-16)

The religious leaders were infuriated and had the leaders cast into the prison, but God sent His angel to open the prison gates to free them. The next morning the report came back to the high priest that they were not in jail, but standing in the temple preaching THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

This unnerved the high priest so much so that he asked them:“…Did we not straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5: 28-31).

                           AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS!

     JESUS said: "The Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
     "So the servants of the householder came and said unto Him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An Enemy hath done this..."(Matt.13:24-28).
     Let us be ever so careful that we remain true to God's Word and the Gospel of Christ, as onslaughts come against true Believers in Christ both from the World and from the so-called Church!

The “Enemies of the Cross” made this accusation: “These that have turned the world upside down, have come hither also.” (Acts 17:6)  The Bible says: “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5: 42)

St. Paul stated: “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the council of God. Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”(Acts 20: 27, 31) He admonished Timothy, “Preach the Word…” (2 Tim.4: 2)

Fourth century Church Father CHRYSOSTOM (c.347-407) coined the words ‘The Bible’ in reference to the Holy Scriptures; in the Greek- literally ‘The Book’. He cajoled Christians: “But still you will say, ‘I cannot understand it’! What marvel? How shouldest thou understand it, if thou will not read nor look upon it?” (Alexander McClure, Translators Revived)

In his book, ‘Reasons to Believe’, JOSH MCDOWELL answers the critics thusly: “Although these arguments seem, on the surface, to be conclusive they break down upon closer examinations of the evidence. While it is true that the two oldest manuscripts which contain Mark 16 do not have the last twelve verses, there is enormous external evidence that supports it being original. Although omitted by the two oldest Greek manuscripts, these verses are found in virtually all the remaining Greek manuscripts that contain the end of Mark.All of the Latin versions and Syriac versions contain these verses with only a few exceptions.

“ More important is the fact that early church fathers quote from it and are aware of it (Justin Martyr, A.D.150; Tatian, A.D.175; Irenaeus, A.D.180; and Hippolytus, A.D.200) These men lived 150 years before the composition of Codex Vaticanusand Codex Sinaiticus (about A.D.325) showing that these verses were in existence at that time.

“For some reason, they were not included. But the reason was not that they did not exist. If this long ending is not original then why is there such wide and diverse testimony as to its authenticity? External evidence favors it as being authentic.

“Internal evidence against these verses being original likewise is unsatisfactory. Arguments regarding style and vocabulary are weak at best. Bruce Metzger, points out that there are 17 words in these twelve verses that are found nowhere else in the Gospel of Mark. This supposedly proves that this section is not authentic. (The Text of the New Testament, p.227)

“However, JOHN BROADUS did a study of the twelve verses which preceded the ones in question (Mark 15:44 –16:8) and found 17 words in that section that are found nowhere else in the Gospel of Mark…(see John Burgon, Last twelve verses of Mark, Reprint, pp.222-270)

“The miraculous signs promised to our Lord’s disciples in Mark are not new, for both Mathew and Luke record the promise and fulfillment of these signs. (Matt.10:1; Like 10:17,18) Moreover, Hebrews 2:2, 4 indicate that signs did follow believers…

“On the other hand, three strong arguments can be given for accepting these verses as original: (1) No satisfactory theory has been advanced to explain how Mark could have or would have ended his gospel at verse 8: (2) no objection has been raised against these last twelve verses that cannot be answered; (3) the arguments given to explain the tremendous amount of objective evidence as to the varied and wide testimony in the Greek manuscripts, translations, church fathers, are unsatisfactory… see ‘The Interpretation of Mark’s Gospel, by R.C.H. Lenski.”  (pp.42,43)

A HISTORY CHECK ON HORT & WESCOTT: THE MEN WHO ENGINEERED THE DRAMATIC MOVE TO THE INFERIOR & FLAWED MANUSCRIPTS!

It is important to know the background and the spiritual condition of the men we trust as “men of God”, to tell the truth and translate the Word of God faithfully and correctly!

Unfortunately, the two men who worked so diligently on theirsecret plan to pervert the Holy Scriptures - Drs. HORT and WESTCOTT – were UNSPIRITUAL MODERNISTS who rejected the Miracles performed by Jesus Christ and hungered to get the Church back under the sway of the Vatican and away from personal salvation through Christ!

Here are a number of excerpts from their personal letters andbooks written about them, showing their carnal, anti-biblical bias in regards to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Two such books that open our eyes to their perversion were written by their sons: the ‘Life and Letters of Brooke Foss Westctt’ by his son Arthur Westcott (1903), and the ‘Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort’ by his son Arthur Fenton (1896).

     In his book ‘Final Authority’, WILLIAM P. GRADY writes: “While Arthur Westcott confirmed that such terms as “unsound”,“shadowy” and “mystical” were frequently applied to the senior Westcott, Arthur Hort brought in the most embarrassing evidence of all. Referring to his own grandmother, Annie (Collett) Hort, daughter of a Suffolk preacher, he wrote: “Her religious feelings were deep and strong. Circumstances had made her an adherent of the Evangelical school…the Oxford Movement filled her with dread and anxiety as to its possible effect of her son. 

“She (Westcott’s mother) was unable to enter into his theological views, which to her school and generation seemed a desertion of the ancient ways, thus pathetically enough, there came to be a barrier between mother and son...She studied and knew her Bible well, and her own religious life was most carefully regulated.”

      In a letter to Bishop Lightfoot, DR. WESTCOTT wrote:  “I intend to turn heresyseeker”.  ‘The Churchman’, I see praises the book on the canon as a necessary article in a clergyman’s library.  It is strange, but all the questionable doctrines which I have maintained are in it”. (Westcott, Life and Letters of Westcott, 1:290)

      Here is an excerpt from DR. HORT’S letter to Rev. John Ellerton:  “...I wrote to warn him (Harold Brown) that I was not safe or tradition in my theology, and that I could not give up association with heretics and such like”. (Hort, Life and Letters, 2:165)

     Writing about his father, Arthur Westcott states: “He took a strange interest...not very long after that time, especially in MORMONISM...I recollect his procuring and studying the ‘Book of Mormon’ about 1840”.

     WILLIAM P. GRADY writes: “As early as 1847, a twenty-two-year old Westcott acknowledge his inability to believe in Bible miracles:  “I never read an account of a miracle but I seem instinctively to feel its improbability, and discover some want of evidence in the account of it!”  

    WESTCOTT WAS A RANK UNBELIEVER DOING HIS BEST TO SABOTAGE THE WORD OF GOD, AND CHRISTIANS TODAY READ HIS WORKS TODAY AS OF A TRUTHFUL RIGHTEOUS MAN.

  Hort and Westcott were the beginning of a gigantic fifth column within the Church to slow its progress and bring Protestants back under the heel of Rome and of that goal they spoke openly! How sad that Evangelical Scholars have not risen up en masse against this awful heresy! Is it because many evangelicals agreed with this travesty because it satisfied their very own theological bent brought about by their own doubts, fears and failures to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive the power themselves to cast out devils and heal the sick!

    Sadly, I think that may be a major reason for their ambivalence and acquiescence to protest this serious affront to God and misrepresentation of His Holy Word by theologians who were called to uphold its integrity and to defend the truth Word of God at all costs! Amen.