THE CROWD WAS WRONG!

  By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

    Below is one of the messages I preached in Arima, Trinidad during the February 1970 Black Power Uprising. Rev. Patrick Ryan, General Superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the West Indies had invited me to Trinidad in the belief that we would plant a Church there. 

    As we had done previously, I pledged to pay the TOTAL EXPENSES for my Team and the Crusade – hotels, meals, advertising in newspapers, on radio and TV and thousands of handbills!

    The Solbrekken Evangelistic Association of Canada also offered to underwrite Rev. Patrick Ryan’s salary for ONE YEAR so that he could begin at once to build a congregation with all the new converts we expected to reach!

     Suddenly, News Reports were everywhere that the Black Power Uprising had gathered a CROWD of 20,000 to 30,000 and were marching against Dr. Eric Williams and the Government. All Caucasians (Whiteys) were staying indoors and I was advised to do likewise. 

    An Evangelist by the name of David Terril (whom I do not know) had been preaching in Trinidad, but had suddenly folded his tent and returned to the USA.

     I spoke to the co-operating Ministers thus: “I did not come here to hide. I came to preach the Gospel so that a Church may be established in Arima for the glory of God. I am not afraid of the ‘Black Power’ and the Crusade will go forward as planned.”

THOU SHALT NOT FOLLOW

A MULTITUDE TO DO EVIL!

    Rev. A.W. Rowe, District Superintendent of the PAON in Newfoundland and Spirit filled Hutterite Pastor Terry Miller of Manitoba had accompanied me to Trinidad. Besides Rev. Patrick Ryan, we were joined by Rev. Turnel Nelson of Woodruff, Rev. Allister Alexander of Morvant, Rev. Marcus Roberts of Port of Spain, Rev. Timothy Brown, Assistant Supt. of the Pentecostal Assemblies and many other Ministers.

    About five thousand people attended the premier service! Rev. Dennis White, President of the Pentecostal Bible College led the singing. I donned my white suit which had been tailored for me in India (1966) at the cost of $17.00. My comment was: “I want to be a good target should they have any plans to eliminate me.”

     My message was titled: ‘POWER’~ Not Black Power, White Power, Brown Power, Yellow Power, Money Power, Student Power, but Holy Ghost Power! It was a tremendous meeting and no one moved a finger to oppose us as the POWER of GOD fell upon the crowd and the Revival swept the area and continued all week with great Signs, Wonders & Miracles. Many new souls were won for Christ’s Kingdom! 

   Rev. Patrick Ryan founded the Church and apparently that Church is presently one of Trinidad’s great churches. All glory to God!

The CROWD of Black Power leftist rebels WAS WRONG and people of Trinidad & Tobago rallied behind Prime Minister Eric Williams and Democracy won the day!

   The Crowd has always been wrong and is it is still wrong! The Bible has always been right and is right today! The Word of God says: “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” (Ex. 23: 2) As we look back across the pages of history, we observe that in many instances when the time came to make the right decision in a mob atmosphere, the CROWD WAS WRONG!

    From the crowd who called for the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth to the crowds who called for the blood of the martyrs in Rome’s Coliseum in the time of Nero, to the multitudes who hailed Adolf Hitler as the Great Deliverer of Europe, until recent times when the Red Guards and their murderous Communist thugs rampaged through the streets of Mainland China in a purge of torturing, killing and brainwashing, an intelligent person would have to agree that the CROWD WAS WRONG!

     The Bible warns: “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” (Ex.23: 2) Better advice was never given to mankind!

   Just because others are doing certain things does not mean that you must follow in their footsteps. To the contrary, let the Word of God and your conscience lead you, since a healthy conscience will be permeated by the Holy Spirit to understand right from wrong!

                                        DARE TO BE A DANIEL!

    Here is how young minds have been perverted: In some countries, ungodly, atheistic university academics have used their position of authority to brainwash young people’s minds with subversive ideas that caused them to intimidate their leaders, disobey law and order and even kill those who disagreed with them!

    I WARN TODAY’S YOUTH: Do not become involved with the pot smoking, drug taking crowd of loose living leftists from the permissive and perverted crowd! Beware of so-called intellectuals who are filled with rage, hatred and pride. They will harm you. They will hurt you. They will do you wrong. Do not trust them!

    Stand up for Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible. Don’t let anyone deceive you. If they do not believe in God, our Saviour Jesus Christ and His Word, you cannot afford to believe them! Stand for truth and righteousness regardless of cost!

     Do not become fearful, allow yourself to be intimidated or bought off by the influences of unrighteousness which is overwhelmingly present in this wicked and sinful world!

    Here is a beautiful Sunday school chorus that still thrills my soul: ‘Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm and dare to make it known.’ Take a look at Daniel’s triumph. A plan was devised by men who hated Daniel to destroy him. 

    A decree was made that stated: “If anyone should ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days except to King Darius, he should be cast into the Den of Lions.” (Dan. 6: 7)

     Besides being a ‘man of God’ Daniel was also the wisest and most efficient man in the Kingdom, nor was there any fault found in him. (Dan. 6: 4) On only one point could these wicked, hateful, heathen enemies of Daniel accuse him; the worship he gave to the true and living God of Heaven!

     Three times a day Daniel would fall upon his face before his open window and give glory to the Eternal God. When those who envied and hated him had laid the trap to destroy him, found him worshipping the Lord they demanded that the new law be carried out. And Daniel was cast into the den of lions!

     Here is the truth I wish to stress: Even though Daniel knew that the new law had been enacted, he did not deviate from his position as a true worshipper of Almighty God. Knowing that he would be cast into a den of lions did not deter him from his devotion to God and from his prayer life!

SOMEONE MAY BE THINKING:

WHY DIDN’T DANIEL PRAY SECRETLY?

   As genuine Christians, we cannot hide our relationship to God from our fellowmen! Jesus demands public confession from His followers. He said:                “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8: 38)

     “Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in Heaven.” (Matt.10: 32, 33)

    Here is Daniel’s response in the face of death: “Now when Daniel knew the writing was signed, he went into his house, and his window being opened in his chamber, towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Dan.6:10)

     My prayer is: “O God, let the uncompromising loyalty of Daniel in the face of great danger be an example to us today in our Christian walk!”

The CROWD in Babylon obeyed the King’s decree, but Daniel stood alone and God vindicated him. There is a saying: When in Rome do as the Romans do, but I say to you: Live as a true Christian everywhere including Rome; Never compromise your stand for Christ regardless what others do!

The crowd will take the road of least resistance. The crowd will take the broad downward road. The crowd will always compromise the truth and look for some way to cut corners. The crowd hates the teachings of Jesus Christ and despises the straight and narrow way of the Gospel! The crowd is deceived by the allurement of the world, the flesh and the devil and has been made captive by the Wicked One “at his will.” The crowd has been blinded by the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life! (2 Tim.2: 26; 1 John 2: 15-18; John 12: 40)

    Some time ago a major advertising company used this slogan, ‘MILLIONS CAN’T BE WRONG’. The inference was that because millions of people purchased their product that was proof that their product was the best and that the crowd was right! Let me give you a Scriptures that disproves that theory:                 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Prov.16: 25)

    It may seem like the right thing to do to follow the crowds, fads and temperaments of society, but in order to be a strong and effective Christian in God’s Kingdom you must stand true for what you know is right.

     It may seem right to do what others are doing like lying, stealing, hating, cursing, watching pornography, smoking, drinking alcohol, abusing drugs, gambling, frequenting discotheques, indulging in adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, sexual perversion or committing graft and violence through rape, abortion or murder!

    If you could, however, talk with the thousands who are dying of cancer in the lungs due to cigarette smoking or to the multitudes of drunkards on Skid Row or to the great numbers of victims of broken homes due to violence, criminal activity, drunkenness, gambling or drugs you would realize that it is not smart to follow the crowd!

     Study the life of MOSES, the great ‘Jewish Law Giver’! The Bible says: “By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” (Heb.11: 24, 25)

   Moses could have become Egypt’s Pharaoh, but turned his back on earthly majesty, pomp and power to identify with the Hebrew slaves and the Lord God Jehovah. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you, my friend! Ω