With God
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE: Part 6
By Pastor Max Solbrekkken, D.D.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23); “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10: 27)
CAN A MAN KNOW GOD?
''I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.'' (Gal. 2: 20)
When you signed up with Jesus you gave yourself away. You are no longer your own. You are now a part of His Kingdom. When He died, you died with Him. When He was buried, you were buried with Him. When He arose, you arose with Him. When He sat down at His Father's right hand, you sat down with Him. And when He returns, you will come with Him!
St. Paul said, ''But that he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.'' (1 Cor. 6: 19, 20);
''But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in Himself of twain one New Man, so making peace.
''And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the CROSS having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by One Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens, and of the Household of God.'' (Eph. 2:13-19)
ACCEPTED BY THE BELOVED!
''Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
Almighty God knows us intimatley. He chose us before the worlds were created! That is the most astounding news that human ears have heard or our minds can assimulate. Immediately, we want to say, ''Why? Who am I that the Creator of the world would know about or care about? Is this a reality or somebody's pipe dream?'' Shockingly, the answer is 'Yes.'
''Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us Accepted in the Beloved. In whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence:
SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!
'Accepted in the Beloved' means that through His vicarious, substitutionary death for us on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ has purchased Eternal Life for every single one, that will embrace Him as Lord and Saviour. When we cried out to Him in repentance and faith, for mercy and grace, God the Father accepted us as His very own children, adopted into His Kingdom!
''Having made known unto us the Mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him. In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
''That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Ghost of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance UNTIL the Redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.
The amazing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is more than we can comprehemd. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit made the 'Blood of the Everlasting Covenant' before the worlds were created, and our names were written down in the Lamb's Book of Life.
And all who receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit are SEALED until the redemption of the purchased possession.'' We are the purchased possesssion; purhased through the Blood of Jesus Christ! (Eph. 4:30; Phil. 4:13; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Heb.13:20)
IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS!
St. Paul prayed: ''That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set im at His own right hand in the Heavenly places.
''Far above all prinipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that whih is to come: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His Body the fulnes of Him that filleth all in all.'' (Eph. 1:3-23)
Our PRAYER should be that God would open our spiritual eyes to behold the greatness and grandeur of our crucifeld and risen Lord Jesus Christ. And that we wouid receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ's blessing to the lost, sick, suffering and those tormented by Satan and his evil kingdom!
We need to understand the amazing power connected to His calling and the fruit He is expecting from our lives to His Kingdom, and that He will not withold His power from us as we labor to advance His Kingdom!
HANS DENCK'S CHALLENGE!
Hans Denck's heart was broken when he witnessed the callousness of believers whose spirits had not been penetrated by Almighty God. He felt God so near to him, but others were unmoved and ignorantly aware of His presence!
HE PRAYED: ''O' my God, how does it happen that in this poor old world that Thou art so great and yet nobody finds Thee? That Thou callest so loudly and nobody hears Thee? That Thou art so near and nobody feels Thee? That Thou givest Thyself to everybody and nobody knowest Thy Name? Men flee from Thee and say that they cannot find Thee! They stop their ears to Thy voice and say they cannot hear Thee.''- Hans Denck (1495 – Nov. 27, 1527) was a German theologian and Anabaptist leader
In His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus Christ stated: ''And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee the only True God and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.'' (John 17: 3). In this apologetic I share some very vital theological truths. To ignore or reject them, is to do so at one's own peril.
SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS!
Eternal salvation is attainable only through Almighty God (Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai, El Shaddai, El Elyon) and His Son Jesus Christ, whom He sent to this world to redeem us. JESUS said: ''Ye worship ye know not what. We know not what we worship: For salvation is of the Jews.
''But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.'' (John 4:24)
Salvation cannot come through the Arabs (Allah), Orientals (Buddha), Asians (Shiva, Krishna), Norwegians (Thor, Odin), New Agers (Gaia, Miatraia), Scientology (Hubbard), or other false Cults (Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Science).
Jesus Christ declared that He alone is the Saviour of the world, and there is None other: ''I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.'' (John 14: 6)
Our Lord designated three truths regarding true worship. The Samaritans did not know whom or what they worshipped. The Jews worshipped the true God. True worshippers worship the Father in the Holy Spirit and Truth, referring to His Gospel with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!
''The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee is He.''(John 4:25-26)
The One True God is inextricably linked to us through His Son Jesus Christ, whose vicarious death on Calvary's cross and glorious resurrection purchased our Redemption! The Holy Bible unequivically confirms that fact:
''We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given to us an understanding, that we may Know Him that is TRUE and we are in Him that is TRUE, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is TRUE God, and Eternal Life.'' (1 John 5: 20)
KNOWING GOD & ETERNAL LIFE!
St. Paul cried out: ''That I may Know Him (Jesus Christ) and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.'' (Phil. 3:10).
Eternal Life begins when we receive Jesus Christ into our heart and life and He through the Blessed Holy Spirit brings us into contact with our Heavenly Father! The Bible says: ''For through Him (Jesus Christ) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit (Holy Spirit) unto the Father.'' (Eph. 2: 18)
The Scriptures teach that we – condemned sinners – are able to Know God as our Heavenly Father. We become His children through the New Birth because of Jesus Christ's sacrificial, vicarious and efficacious death on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead!
Eternal Life begins on this terrestrial ball and will continue forever in the glorious presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Eternal Life is a never ending life filled with perfect peace, joy and bliss in the place that our Heavenly Father and His Son hath prepared for us, compliments of our Saviour who shed His precious blood for us on Calvary's cross and rose again in power and glory, conquoring death, hell and the grave!
Eternal Life is given to us only through KNOWING God and His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible states: ''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. 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)
The Word of God states: ''And we KNOW that Almighty God is incomprehensible, unknowable and transcendent! How then, is it possible to KNOW Him? Man cannot know God through the intellect. We KNOW Him only through His Word and the Holy Spirit!
In His High Priestly Prayer, our Saviour divulged this great truth: ''All things are delivered unto Me of My Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.'' (Matt.11: 25-27)
Jesus asked His disciples: ''Whom do men say that I am? They answered, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'' (Matt. 16: 13,14). The Lord pressed them: ''But whom do ye say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'' Jesus explained: ''Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven.'' (Matt. 16: 16,17)
HOLY SPIRIT IS THE REVEALER!
The Lord Jesus says: ''No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day....Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.'' (John 6: 44, 45).
How does the Father draw sinners to Christ? By the blessed Holy Spirit! He reveals Christ to us, and it is He that reveals the Father to us!
St. Paul said: ''Concerning the great wisdom of God that is given to believers, he writes: ''But we speak the wisdom of God in a Mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew: for had thy known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.'' (1 Cor. 2:7,8)
The Holy Spirit is Truth and reveals Christ: ''Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed : and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. 12:3) ; ''But when the Holy Ghost is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.'' ( John 15:26)
The Holy Spirit bears witness of Christ: '' This is He that came from water and blood, even Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.'' (1 John 5: 6)
The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the body of Christ: ''For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.'' (1 Cor. 12: 13)
The Holy Spirit has set some in the Church: ''And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.'' (1 Cor, 12: 28)
The Holy Spirit has come to oversee the Church: ''I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak and He will show you things to come.'' (John 16:12, 13)
The Holy Spirit gives us the Gifts severally as He wills: ''But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. But to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healings by the same Spirit. To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that ONE ad the selfsame Spirit, dividing severally as He will.'' (1 Cor. 12:7-11)
The Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, righteousness and judgment to come: ''Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
''Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.'' (John 16: 7-13).
The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus Christ: ''He shall glorify Me: for He shall recieve of Mine, and shall it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall give it unto you.'' (John 16:14-15)
The Holy Spirit draws sinners to Christ: ''All that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me; and him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out. No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given untpo Him of My Father.'' (John 6: 37,44; 65)
The Holy Spirit gives us a new heart: ''A New heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, nd ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.'' (Ezek. 36:26,27)
The Holy Spirit saves us: ''But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done. But acccording to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost: which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.'' (Titus 3:4-6).
PLEASE NOTE: Below is a copy of a letter which I sent to my friends 10 years ago. I am even more concerned now, about the condition of Christ's believers across the Western world today. Let us pray and work for Him and the Kingdom of God! Amen.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES: HOW SAD!
MAX SOLBREKKEN WORLD MISSION Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6
Dear Christian Friend: December 2010
A recent report in a Norwegian Christian Magazine confirms my belief that the reason we have not “turned the world upside down” like the early believers in Jesus, is because too many of us keep our faith to ourselves!
We say that our relationship with Jesus is private; we do not want to offend anyone; people can go to church or speak to a Minister if they so desire!
The article in DagenMagazinet reported on an inter-religious Panel debating the subject: Is Jesus Our Time’s Last Tabu? All the members on the panel agreed that people would rather discuss Religion or God than talk about Jesus. They all agreed that Jesus was avoided at all costs!
A Journalist said: ''Why shouldn't we talk about Jesus? He alone can solve people’s problems. He is defined “as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, whereas when you discuss religion or God, in general terms, many and varied interpretations may be used."
HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE!
They are afraid of Him and don’t want to obey Him as Lord! How sad, when He is waiting to save, forgive, heal and bless every one of us!!!
Jesus Christ stated: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14: 6); “For God so loved the world that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16)
The Bible states: “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.” (John 5: 23); “And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life.” (1 John 5: 11, 12)
Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16: 15-18); “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labouers are few. Pray ye therefore that the Lord of the Harvest, they He will send forth labourers into His harvest.” (Matt.9: 37, 38)
Our Lord stated: "...Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life will lose it ; but whosever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8: 34-37)
He declared: "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this sinful generation; of him alsp shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels?" (Mark 8: 38)
My prayer is that all Christians would 'step up to the plate' and accept the challenge of reaching a perverted, lost generation such as ours for our marvellous, holy, righteous, good and all powerful Saviour and Redeemer JESUS CHRIST!
And may this Christmas season be a blessed time for you and your family. Please write to us with your prayer requests. Our Lord is still the Compassionate and Caring Saviour as always!
Your servant for Jesus sake,
Max Solbrekken, D.D
P.S. Thank you so much for your generous gift to this Ministry of Compassion and Love. May He repay you according to His Word
