THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST'S
GOSPEL TOUCHES THE
WORLD!
By Rev. Max Solbrekken, D.D.
- Written in 1994 -
JESUS said: "I will build My Church and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it!" The Gospel of Jesus Christ is spreading
across the globe at a tremendous pace, We have recently returned from Uganda,
East Africa, where 200 churches sponsored our crusade
in the Muslim Stadium Park.
More than 500 pastors and workers attended the Minister's Seminar, and reports of our services were carried nationally on UNTV News each evening!
More than 500 pastors and workers attended the Minister's Seminar, and reports of our services were carried nationally on UNTV News each evening!
An interesting fact is that two
of the churches sponsoring our crusade there have more than 5,000 members
each, and one is building a sanctuary to seat 10,000 people. Several other churches have memberships of
1,000 to 2,000 each!
Evangelical
Christianity is sweeping Eastern Europe and it is estimated that
6,000,000 convert to Christ each year on that continent!
While
spiritually-blind-and-dumb, nominal Christian politicians in Canada are
breaking their necks in a race of political correctness, in order to please a
few radical feminists, sodomites, bleeding-heart-liberals and
One-World-New-Agers, a large percentage of the world's population is turning
from paganism to embrace the Living Christ!
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, evangelical churches
in South Korea are growing faster than the population! Every hour 400 people are baptized and join
an evangelical church in Latin America and an estimated 6,000 people respond to
the Gospel message daily, across the former Soviet Union!
USA TODAY RELEASES STAGGERING REPORT!
In a May, 1993 story about Russia, 'USA TODAY' stated: "Religious resurgence is so strong that
Russia's 65,000 principals, teachers and administrators are now being
required...to attend a course on Bible-based ethics. Officials say up to 55% of Russian teachers...have made personal commitments to Christ."
Wow! What an exciting and encouraging report, by a secular newspaper about an
amazing revival of Christianity, now taking place in Satan's former bastion of
atheism and communism!
And where it is happening, makes it
even more special and unique...in the
heart of academia! One born again teacher remarked: "Faith
is freedom, Stalin was afraid of freedom.
He must be rolling in his grave."
Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph
Stalin rejected God, the Bible and Jesus Christ, bringing untold cruelty, pain
and poverty upon multiplied millions of East Europeans for more than 70 years!
As soon as the yoke of
atheistic-marxism was broken however, the rush was on to embrace the gospel of
Christ and the good life that faith in God brings!
The devastating results of official
atheism - in the former Soviet Union - underscores Martin Luther's prophetic pronouncement concerning the Bible
and education!
In the early 1500's the famous
Protestant Reformer stated: "I
am much afraid that schools will prove to be great gates of hell unless they
diligently labour in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the
hearts of youth.
"Every institution in which men
are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God, must become corrupt."
The
sad point is that while former communist nations have recognized their errors
and are turning to Evangelical Christianity, many American Universities - which
were founded upon Bible principles by preachers of the Gospel - have become
cesspools of agnosticism and humanistic rationalism!
Since the recent break-up of the
former Soviet Union, high schools and universities have been requesting Bible
courses to be taught in their academic institutions!
As early as May, 1991 a number of
former Communist Party leaders from the Soviet Bloc expressed great interest in
the Christian faith, according to Daryl McCarthy, executive directive of the
Overland Park, Kansas-based International Institute for Christian Studies.
Among the compulsory and elective
courses now being taught in a number of universities in Eastern Europe are, 'Moral Development and Values Education' and
'Belief in God'!
SECRET OF AMERICA'S GREATNESS!
After his 1831 visit to the USA, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote: "I sought for the greatness and genius
of America in her commodious harbours, and her ample rivers, and it was not
there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there.
"Not until I went into the churches
of America, and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness, did I understand
the secret of her genius and power."
But things have changed drastically in the USA since 1831, and Canada
is heading for real trouble as well, if we do not reverse our course and get
back to the basics of Bible morality, decency and traditional family values!
Even the secular world is saying, "It's gone too far. We're out of control. Let's get back to normalcy".
Stephen
Carter, a liberal, black Yale law
professor writes: "The intellectual class thinks religion is fine if conducted in
private as a personal pursuit like woodworking or chess. But if religion brings their moral concerns
into the public arena the elite is always ready to stomp its collective feet
and howl about dangerous zealots and a crumbling wall between church and
state".
But while some TV reporters believe that church-state
separation in the USA "means
religious dealings in moral political issues are inappropriate subjects in the
news", Carter objects to "rhetoric
that refuses to accept the notion that rational public-spirited people can take
religion seriously".
Law professor, Stephen Carter believes that the
Me-first individualism and "choice" of the special group lobbyists
are no substitute for moral traditions.
Clearly, society as a whole is the
loser when laws that destroy family values, are enacted to conform to the
perverted desires of several small lobby groups!
President
Abraham Lincoln stated: "Our
nation has become so intoxicated with unbroken success and prosperity that many
of us have forgotten The Hand that feeds us"!
Let us then, dear friends, return unto
God and the faith of our fathers, lest the blessings of God depart from our
land and our loved ones!
TOP STUDENTS FROM STABLE HOMES!
Here is a factual report which
reinforces my point-of-view. Stable
homes with traditional family values and Christian morals goes a long way in
developing a strong and caring society!
'Educational Communications' compiles and publishes 'Who's Who Among American High
School Students'. Here are the
findings of the 1993 report in which 55,000
juniors and seniors with better than average grades, from 22,000 public, private and parochial
schools across the USA, were polled:
* 85 % high achievers are reared in homes in which both natural parents are reared in homes in which both parents live and formal religion is practiced.
* Nearly 45 % live in rural areas and 84 % favour traditional marriages, and reject the use of cigarettes and illegal drugs.
* Only 4 % have used marijuana, and 89% have never smoked cigarettes. Another 7 % tried smoking and then quit, leaving only 4 % that smoking regularly'.
* Most held conservative political views.
EXEMPLARY CITIZENS ARE
A TRIBUTE TO
CHRISTIANITY!
Reaching back into history, let me
share a story about two men; one an atheist, the other a preacher!
Max
Jukes, the atheist, lived a godless life.
He married an ungodly girl, and from this union there were 310 who died as paupers, 150 were criminals,
7 were murderers, 100 were drunkards, and more than half of the women were prostitutes. His 540 descendants cost the State one and
one-quarter million US dollars.
Jonathan
Edwards, a great preacher of the Gospel who married a godly girl, lived at
the same time as Max Jukes.
Of his 1,349 known descendants, 13 became college presidents, 65 college professors, 3 United States Senators, 30
judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 preachers
and missionaries.
There were 60
authors of prominence, 1 vice-president of the USA, 80 public officials in other capacities, 295 college graduates, among whom were governors of states and ministers to foreign countries.
Jonathan
Edwards' descendants did not cost the
State a penny! Jesus Christ said, "The gates of
hell shall not prevail against the Church". What did He mean?
During the time of Christ's earthly
sojourn, the "Gates of the City" always referred to "City
Hall", for the place where city councils were held was immediately inside
the city walls, beyond the gates!
Therefore, The opinions, goals, plans,
purposes, power and kingdom of demons and darkness shall nit win. The Church of Jesus Christ shall forever be victorious!
A number of years ago someone asked Dr. Billy Graham, "Who is winning
in the battle of good against evil?"
The great evangelist wisely replied:
"I have read the last chapter of the Bible and it says We Win!" I
heartily agree! AMEN.
