By Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
"But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your mind should be
corrupted from the simplicity that
is in Christ." (2 Cor. 11:3)
Many years ago in Greece there lived a
very intelligent and wise old man called Simonides. One day a group of philosophy students came to this
great teacher and philosopher for some help. They wanted to know, ‘Who or
What is God’?
After a few minutes meditation the grand old
man asked the group of students to return the next day, so he could think on
the matter. The following day the students came expecting an answer. They
said, "Most noble Simonides tell us Who or What is God"!
He scratched his beard and thought for a
moment and said, "This is a very deep subject. I need
thirty days to study and think, research and philosophize".
In one month's time the
students returned only to be told by the scholarly poet, that he needed more
time. He still had no answer. They were asked to come back in a year's time.
After 365 days the group
of inquisitive, anxious students were ushered in before the great man. "Most
noble Simonides", the spokesman began, "We
have come to you for some words of wisdom and understanding. Would you tell us
Sir, What or Who is God? We are troubled and would like an answer from
you."
The great philosopher
stroked his beard and scratched his head as he sat in deep thought. Then he
rose to his feet and said, "Men of Greece: For 365 days I have
pondered and thought. I have meditated and researched. I still have no answer -
I do not know and I cannot tell Who or What is God!"
The early Hebrews
believed that God was Holiness. The Greeks believed He was Wisdom,
the Romans thought He was Power, and the heathen advocate that God
is Mystery. The Scientists say God is Energy. He is all these
and more. The New Testament tells us what He is: "God is Love!" (1 John 4:8)
God is Holiness and Wisdom.
He is Power and Mystery. He is Energy, and He is greater than all
these. He is Love, and He loves us all! His love is greater than the
love of a mother for her child, a husband for his wife - greater than human
love. His love is heavenly and pure. It is divine, eternal and past finding out,
and it is unconditional!
Don't forget it, my
friend; God loves us all. Let it sink deep into your heart – God loves
you!
THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL!
St. Paul was one of the
most educated and learned men in Israel and the founder of the Church among the
Gentiles. He wrote more than half of the New Testament. He had received so many
visions and dreams that he was given a thorn in the flesh, lest he be exalted
above measure. (2 Cor.12: 1-9)
He had been caught up to
Heaven and witnessed things he was not allowed to speak of publicly, and yet he
said: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but LOSS for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for Whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and I count them but dung (garbage), that I may win
Christ.” (Phil.3:8)
The great Apostle wrote: "But
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so
your mind should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY
that is in Christ." (2 Cor. 11:3)
A number of years ago, the Moderator at a World Council of Churches
Conference, condemned Evangelists for presenting the Gospel and "Reading the New Testament in
simplistic terms, and third world countries are being victims of this".
The West Indian Anglican Bishop
singled out Oral Roberts, Max
Solbrekken and Billy Graham in
his attack. He said, “We don’t need the Capitalistic Jesus of Billy Graham, the
Sweet, Sweet Jesus of Oral Roberts or the Screaming Jesus of Max Solbrekken”
Here is a strange
PARADOX. While St. Paul was concerned about people getting away from the
simplicity of the Gospel of Christ, a twentieth century Church Leader is afraid
that Evangelists are preaching it in easy-to-understand terms!
The reason large crowds came to hear Jesus Christ
preach, was because He was honest, sincere, truthful. and had the power to back
up His message with signs, wonders and miracles. THERE WAS ONE MORE FACT - HIS MESSAGE WAS SIMPLE AND PLAIN. (John
16:29)
Ever since the beginning
of time, some have tried to confuse the issue by complicating it. We all know
however, that the simpler the device, the easier to construct and maintain. The
simpler the instruction, the easier to understand and follow and the simpler
the message, the easier to comprehend.
During
the Dark Middle Ages, only certain theologians of the Roman
Catholic Church were allowed to read the Bible, while the laity were kept
in total ignorance and darkness. The vernacular used in the liturgy was Latin -
and the people were told that they were too uneducated to read the Bible for
themselves.
MARTIN LUTHER SAVED CHURCH!
MARTIN LUTHER SAVED CHURCH!
Dr. Martin Luther - an Augustinian monk - who hadn't seen a Bible
until he was more than 20 years of age - got the opportunity to study it. The
Word of God changed his life and the gospel message he began to preach changed
the world!
And Martin Luther’s co-worker in the
Reformation, Dr. Carlstadt, had
attended the best Roman Catholic Seminaries and Universities, graduating with a
Doctor of Theology degree, without ever reading the Bible! That is
the fallacy of Religious Organizations which favour Tradition over the Bible
and Works over the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Trying to gain prominence and respect from the people, some
clergymen in their arrogance and pride like to "grand stand" by using
words, phraseology and terminology which the average person does not
understand. The result is that the preacher is left alone in the pulpit with a
few half-asleep parishioners, while the rest have stayed at home.
Before entering the full
time ministry, I spent about ten years in the business world. A manager of a
large supermarket in Prince Rupert, British Columbia once remarked, "Isn't
it strange, I can sit here and listen to you for hours as you talk about Jesus
and the Bible, and yet the longest hour of my entire week is attending church
Sunday morning and trying to stay awake from 11 AM to 12 noon. I understand
what you are saying but my Pastor's message goes over my head".
The reason Oral Roberts,
Billy Graham and Max Solbrekken are able to draw large crowds and reach the
multitudes, is because we preach the simple message of Jesus - His death,
resurrection, love, power and present day ability to meet the needs of all who
come to Him by faith!
IN THE BEGINNING GOD
CREATED!
The Bible
states: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the
earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.”(Gen.1: 1-3)
HERBERT SPENCER, a
recognized scientist and highly acclaimed philosopher and sociologist writes
about five factors as the most general forms into which the manifestation of
the Unknowable (God) is re-divisible: time,
space, matter, energy and force!
He explains that to
define the Unknowable or GOD, these five factors must be in place: 1. Time, 2.
Space, 3. Matter, 4. Energy, 5. Force. In His great wisdom, Almighty God gives
us the ANSWER in the first three verses of His holy, infallible and inspired
Word.
HERE IT IS: Time: beginning;
Space: heaven; Matter: earth; Energy: Spirit; Force: moved!
The Evolutionary Theory has been proven untenable among genuine
scientists for quite some time. The ‘Ape
Doctrine’ took a big hit in Israel in 1983: Evolution Theory found wanting at
Local Trial!
The Jerusalem Post on
April 2, 1983 carried the following report: “Evolution was on trial in
Jerusalem last week and found GUILTY of failing to meet the standards of a
scientific theory by the First Congress of Inquiries into the Origin of Life
and Evolution….But most, after rejecting the theory of evolution on scientific
grounds, failed to offer an alternative theory to account for the origin and development
of life. Instead, they affirmed their belief in Divine Creation…”
The aims of the Conference were to explain that it is incorrect
to present the theory of evolution as unchallengeable, and to show much of it
as having been refuted. The Education Ministry circularized all schools,
principals and supervisors to attend. The Congress was organized by the Ben
Gurion University of the Negev sponsored by Israeli’s Minister of Education. It
was held on Mount Scopus Campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.”
CHARACTER KNOWN BY BELIEF IN GOD!
Many of the great
breakthroughs in Science have been made by Jewish scientists so it is good to
see that they have mostly kept their brains free from the devil’s evolutionary
lies; that nothing added to nothing, multiplied by nothing and divided by
nothing, created everything!
What is Science? Encyclopedia Britannica states: In
its ‘broadest sense science is learning and knowledge’. Oxford Dictionary
says: “Science is systematic and formulated learning.” Another
dictionary says: “Science is knowledge gained and verified.”
In short, science is knowledge that rests on proof. It is
demonstrated knowledge! Where do you suppose knowledge comes from?
Naturally, all knowledge and wisdom comes to us from our Creator, Almighty God.
God is Omniscient, with all Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding!
NAZI
GERMANY’S Scientists stated: “Science has demonstrated that the Nazis
are the Master Race.” The Soviet Union’s School teachers taught for
seventy long years that: “Science has proven that there is no God. “In
1972, Soviet Union’s Leonid Brezhnev
stated: “We are no longer homo sapiens – modern man. We are homo – sovieticus:
A Super Race.”
From 1989 to 1995, I
was privileged to minister a lot in the former Soviet Union and since we drove
thousands of miles, especially in the Ukraine, we experienced what Communism
had done to that country. Hitting the pot holes and smelling public washrooms
at a distance, I once remarked, “The Russians sent their space craft to the
moon, but they can’t build a toilet.”
Infidel Science in
Canada, USA and world -wide teach that the theory of evolution is the only
viable, rational approach to the origin of all things! How incredibly incredulous
our pin-head evolutionary scientists have become! Infidel science is a revolutionary philosophy better known
as ‘Foolosophy!”
No wonder the Bible states: “The
fool (idiot, insane person) has said in his heart, there is no
God.”(Ps.14:1) The simple truth is that an idiot could say there is no God,
because he is an idiot and doesn’t know any better. A person with a normal
functioning brain wouldn’t make such a foolish statement!
MALCOLM MUGGRIDGE, former
BBC Radio and TV Commentator and world famous journalist, atheist and
evolutionist was soundly converted to Jesus Christ and turned the Academic and
Journalistic World on its head. Regarding the Evolutionary Theory, he
stated:
"I myself am
convinced that the theory of evolution, especially the extent to which it's
been applied will be one of the GREAT JOKES in the history books in the future.
Posterity will marvel that so very flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be
accepted with the incredible credulity that it has. I think I spoke to you before
about this age as one of the most credulous in history, and I would include
evolution as an example.
“I'm very happy to
say that I live near a place called Piltdown. I like to drive there because it
gives me a special glow. You probably know that a SKULL was discovered there
and no less than 500 doctoral theses were written on the subject and then it
was discovered that the SKULL was a PRACTICAL JOKE by a worthy dentist in
Hastings who'd hurriedly put a few bones together, not even from the same
animal, and buried them and stirred up all this business. So I'm not a great
man for bones."
FOR
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD!
The Bible says: “For God
so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
Martin Luther called
that verse, ‘A Miniature Bible’. It
has been called, ‘The Gospel in a
Nutshell’ and ‘the Central Verse
of the Bible.” Multitudes have found eternal life through reading the Holy
Scriptures and John 3: 16 is the Gospel of Christ packed in a very concise and
powerful life-giving statement.
The Devil constantly
tries to pervert everything he can and he often does so by infiltrating the
theological field and especially the area of Bible Translators. They have
subtly done so with this verse through translators who have taken it upon
themselves to modernize the text thereby undercutting the strength of God’s
Word.
Dr. Henry Morris, a great Bible scholar
and Creation Scientist stated: “The Greek word for “only begotten” is
monogenes, the very form of which clearly denotes “only generated.” As monotheism connotes
only one God and monosyllable means a word of only one syllable, so “mongenes” means
only one genesis or only one generated…or, more simply, “only
begotten.” It does not mean “one” or even “one and only.”
"It is worth noting
that, although Christ is called the Son, or the Son of God, frequently in the
New Testament, He is never (in the Greek
original) called “the only” son of God.
“The fact is, that to call
Him the only Son of God would make the Bible contradict itself, for He is not
the only Son of God, and certainly not the “one and only” Son of God.
Angels are
several times called the sons of God (e.g. Job 38: 7), since they had no
fathers, being directly created by God. Likewise Adam was called the
son of God (Luke 3; 38), because he was directly created. The same applies even
to fallen angels (Gen.6:2), and even to Satan (Job
1:6) because
they also were created beings.
“The
term is also used in a spiritual sense, of course, for those who have become
new creations, in Christ Jesus by faith. (2 Cor. 5; 17; Eph. 2: 10,
etc.). In this sense, we also are “sons of God”. (e.g.
1 John 3:20) By special creation, not physically, but spiritually.
“But it is never
applied in this sense to Christ, for He is not a created son of God (as
the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cultists teach), but the Only Begotten Son
of God. He never had a beginning, for He was there in the beginning (John
1; 1). In His prayer to the Father in the upper room, He spoke of “the glory I had with Thee before the world
was.” (John 17: 5).” See Micah 5: 2, 3; John 1: 18; John 10:30; Col.1:
15)
“Jesus Christ did
not become the only Son of God by His virgin birth, for He is also
the ‘eternally begotten” Son of the Father. He is eternally, “in
His bosom”, yet always “going forth” to declare the Father – once as the
creating Word, occasionally in pre-incarnate theophanies, also through the Holy
Spirit conveying the written Word, which had been “eternally settled in
heaven” (Psalm
119: 89) down to man through divinely chosen prophets, then ultimately appearing
as the incarnate Word to live forever as the God/man.”
GOD’S LOVE IS
APODICTIC!
The word apodictic is from the Greek
apodikticos, meaning ‘evident
beyond contradictions! I discovered it many years ago while studying
the dictionary. Instantly I thought, that word belongs only to God and the
Bible; not to humans! The Majesty, Power, Wisdom, Grace and Righteousness of
God are evident beyond contradictions.
No-one could dare to contradict
God’s Love; Calvary proved that!
God’s love is so
amazing and beyond comprehension and yet so personal, accessible and real. Here
are several more Scriptures that reveal the love of Jesus Christ toward
us: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but
that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on 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: 17, 36)
Here is a Scripture
that has blessed multitudes of people across the world through radio,
television and in our large crusades, and has brought healing and deliverance
to many: “He that spared not His
Son, but Delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also,
freely give us all things?” (Rom.8: 32)
This reveals the length
to which our Heavenly Father went to redeem a lost, sinful and perishing world.
He did not spare His own Son but turned Him over to wicked men who blasphemed
Him, spit in His face, pulled out His beard, lashed Him with the razor-sharp
Roman cat-of-nine tails until His back looked like a plowed field, and pounded
spikes through His hands and feet to a cross at Jerusalem’s garbage dump on
Golgotha’s Hill.
The hymn writer
penned these most appropriate words:
He came to earth the promise to fulfill
A rugged cross He bore up Calvary’s
Hill
And for my sins He cried, Father
forgive
Born to die, that I might live.
Born to die, a cruel cross to bear
Born to die, that I His love may share
Between two thieves, He bowed His head
and cried
Tis finished, I came to die
ALL
SINNERS GUILTY BEFORE GOD!
The Bible says: ‘All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. For the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ my Lord.” (Rom.3: 23;
6:23). “For when we were yet without
strength (hopeless) in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth
His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
“Much more then,
being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:
6-10)
The greatest message anyone could hear is
that Jesus Christ died for their sins so that they could be forgiven,
liberated from bondage and servitude to the world, flesh and the Devil,
Hallelujah! The Bible states: “But
if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with another,
and the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sins.” (1
John 1: 7)
Many years ago
during the California Gold Rush, a man lay dying in his little shack. A
kind Christian lady came to be with him. She read to him from the Bible: “For
God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Suddenly, he
quickened and speaking in a weak voice asked: “Is that in the Bible?” She
answered, “Yes, it is in the Bible.” He asked: “To whom
is He speaking? Is He speaking to me?” The lady responded: “Yes,
He is speaking you.” Again the dying man inquired: “Did
He say anything else?” She read John 1:12, “To as many as received Him, to
them gave He the power to become the sons of God.” (John 1:12). Then
she said, softly, “Yes, He is speaking to you.” Quietly, the dying man
said, “I receive Him. I am satisfied.”
He had found peace with God and himself! Then, he
closed his eyes and was gone. Angels came down and carried his spirit away and
brought him safely into the arms of Jesus! What a glorious gospel. What a
glorious message of hope and life, we have through the blessed crucified,
buried and risen Lord Jesus Christ!
THE BLOOD OF CHRIST OUR ONLY HOPE!
The blood of Christ is mankind’s only hope!
For nearly 2,000 years, the Christian church has presented the claims of Jesus
Christ to be able to save lost souls, heal the sick and liberate the suffering
and wounded, granting eternal life on the basis of His shed blood, vicarious
death and glorious resurrection from the dead!
St. Paul wrote:
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with the
wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; BUT UNTO US
which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor.1: 17, 18)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who
will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there
is one God and One Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, Who gave
Himself a RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2: 3-6)
“…We know that an
idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but One. For
though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in
earth (as there be gods many, and lords many.) But to us (believers) there
us BUT ONE GOD, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him;
and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.” (1 Cor. 8:
4-6)
“Now it was not written for His sake alone, that it was imputed to
him; BUT FOR US ALSO, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on
Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our
offences (sins) and raised again for our justification.” (Rom.4: 23-25)
St. Paul didn’t pull any punches. He
cleared the decks and told it like it was and still is! He stressed the
fact that there are many false prophets worshipping god of no value for they
are only ‘make believe gods’, and if the pagan want to believe in them
that is their own business and to their folly, however, we are Christians,
believers in Jesus Christ our Lord, Saviour, Master and God!
We do not
mix pagan faiths with the Pure Gospel of Christ! We do not compromise the Word
of God to please anybody. There is only ONE GOD: God the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit! Amen.
PRESIDENT
RONALD REAGAN!
Shortly after
President Ronald Reagan was seriously wounded by a deranged gunman, his pastor
asked him, “Mr. President, were you ready to die?” He replied: “Oh
no, I have so much more work to do!” His pastor continued: “Mr.
President, I meant were you ready to meet God?” Ronald Reagan
answered: “Oh, Yes!” The pastor probed: “Mr. President, why would you say
that?” to which Ronald Reagan replied: “I have a Saviour!"
My question to you,
friend is this: “Do you have a Saviour?” The
Bible says: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke
5:32). He stated: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which is lost.” (Luke 19: 10).
St. Paul
said: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (1
Tim.1:15). Our Lord invites: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are
heavy laden and I will give you rest.”(Matt. 11: 28); “All that the Father
giveth Me shall come to Me; and Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast
out.” (John 6: 37)
JESUS LOVES
ME THIS I KNOW!
In Billy Graham: Personal Thoughts of a Public
Man, British TV commentator David Frost wrote: “I once asked Billy
Graham what his goal was when he took the pulpit. He replied: “First
of all, I want the content to be accurate. I want it to be biblical and I want
it to be simple. I study to be simple.” I pressed him. “Can’t a
message be too simple?”
He answered:
“When Dr. Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian, the greatest theologian
of his generation, was visiting America a couple years ago, he was at one of
our great seminaries, and a student asked him the question, ‘Dr.
Barth, what is the greatest single thought that ever crossed your mind?”
The students
thought some tremendous statement was coming forth and they were all on the
edge of their seats and he said, ‘Jesus loves me; this I know for the Bible
tells me so.’” Then, Dr. Barth stood to his feet and walked out of
the room!
No more beautiful
words have ever spoken by men or angels than these: “I know God loves me!” Praise God. Say these
precious words and believe them and you will see what a change will be affected
within your life. May God bless you, in Jesus’ name! Amen.
