JESUS CHRIST: 

 Greatest Freedom Fighter

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

  Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4:18)

Jesus fought for our liberty and won. He is the world’s greatest Liberator! He breaks the shackles of sin, sickness, disease and death. Our Lord frees the Captives of unbelief, lust, greed and pride. He delivers from fear, oppression, torment and hatred. He liberates the slaves of condemnation, angst and grief!     

THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR!

The Bible says: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might DESTROY the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8). During more than fifty years of intensive Bible studies, I have come to the conclusion that there are five specific works of the devil: Sin; Fear, Sickness, Disease and Death; Poverty; Demons!

Jesus came to destroy and eradicate SIN from our lives by shedding His precious blood and to redeem us from the curse of the Law: “Christ hath REDEEMED us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangeth upon a tree.” (Gal.3: 13).

Jesus broke the curse which the Law of Moses placed on the Jewish nation for their disobedience! (Deut. 28:58-68). Through His all-atoning, vicarious DEATH on the Cross, God's Son paid the price for the sins of Israel and the entre world! Glory to His Name forever!

He is still calling His servants to preach the Gospel which saves people from their SINS: “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. He that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 15-16)

 SIN IS THE GREATEST PROBLEM!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16,17,36); “Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away everyone of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3: 26)

 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sins.” (1 John 1:7).

 The world’s greatest problem is SIN. It Pits man against man and nation against nation. It deadens the spirit, confuses the mind, deadens the conscience and weakens the body. SIN binds, blinds, deceives, decimates and destroys. It is a major tool of the Devil to pervert and enslave the human race!

SIN is the most expensive commodity on Planet Earth. It will cost you more than you are willing to pay, take you farther than you are willing to go and keep you longer than you had planned to stay. “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life” through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom.3: 23; 6: 23)

JESUS CONQUERED FEAR!

Whenever Jesus met people who were afraid He dispelled FEAR by saying: “Fear thou not. Only believe.” (Mark 5: 36); “Peace be unto you.” (Luke 24; 36; John 20: 21); “Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14: 1): “My PEACE I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14; 27)

The Bible says: “...That through death He (JESUS) might destroy him who had the power of death that is the devil: and deliver them who through FEAR of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb.2: 14,15)

“He is our PEACE who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” (Eph.2: 4); “Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom.5; 1)

“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked.” (Isa. 57: 21); “Great PEACE have they which love My law.” (Ps.119:165)  

The Bible says: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1: 7); “There is NO FEAR in love; but perfect love casteth out FEAR, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4: 18)

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN IS HERE! 

Everywhere Jesus went He met multitudes of SICK and DISEASED people and He HEALED them all. Our Lord did not turn away anyone who came to Him. He healed everyone who touched Him, as well as everyone that He laid his hands on or touched!

I have lumped DEATH with sickness and disease as one of the works of the Devil, because sickness and disease is incipient death. It is death, on the installment plan. Not only did Jesus heal the sick and diseased, but He also raised the dead!

He raised Lazarus from the dead, as well as the daughter of Jairus. He also raised the son of the widow woman at Nain. (Mark 5: 35-36; John 11: 39-44; Luke 7: 11-17)    

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

 “And when the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils, and He cast out the spirits with His Word and healed all that were sick. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.” (Matt.8: 16,17)

“And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew Him. And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick in the streets, and besought HIM that they might touch as it were the border of his garment: and as many as touched Him were made whole.” (Mark 6: 54-56; Matt.14: 34-36)

He has all POWER in heaven and on earth: “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt. 28:18)

The Bible records: “Afterward He appeared unto the eleven, as they sat at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.

“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)

 GOD CARES FOR THE HUNGRY!

Satan delights in keeping people down. He wants those who have been created in God’s image to be under the curse of sin, fear, sickness, disease and death. He also enjoys seeing God’s people chafing under the curse of  poverty.

Jesus demonstrated His love and provision for the poor. The Scripture says that He was, “sent to preach the Gospel to the poor.” That would include those who are spiritually poor as well as those who are poor in mental capacity and also poor economically!

How do I know that? In the Prayer our Lord taught us to pray are these words: “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matt. 6:11). On two occasions our blessed Saviour multiplied loaves and fishes to feed  the hungry multitudes who had come to a solitary place to hear Him teach and heal the sick.

He said: “They need not depart; Give ye them to eat.” (Matt.14: 13-21); “Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting.” (Matt.15: 32-38)

He also stopped a funeral procession and raised a young man from the dead because he had compassion upon a widow who had lost her only means of support! (Luke 7: 11-17)  

FREEDOM FROM POVERTY!

Jesus gave us the key to freedom from poverty. It is in giving that we receive, in planting that we harvest. Some people have never learned that God has placed in the earth the law of seedtime and harvest that affects every area of our lives. (Gen.8: 2)

Kindness begets kindness. A helping hand brings its own reward and has a way of paying back more than was given. Even a smile or a kind word reaps goodwill and friendships that can last a lifetime. Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Our Lord stated: “Give and it shall be given you. Good measure, filled up, pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto thy bosom. For with the same measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6: 38). St. John wrote: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul shall prosper.” (3 John 2)

JESUS cast out many unclean spirits from those who were possessed. He cast out spirits of unbelief, torment and insanity! He drove out from tormented people foul spirits of infirmity such as deaf and dumb spirits, blind spirits and tormenting spirits!

The BIBLE says: “These signs shall follow them that believe. In My name shall the cast out devils... They shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-20)

St. Paul tells us why we have power over all demons and unclean spirits: “That through DEATH, He might DESTROY him who had the power of death, that is the DEVIL and to DELIVER all them that were all their lives subject to bondage.” (Heb.2: 14)

BEHOLD THE MIGHTY CONQUEROR!

In 1916 Noah B. Horrell wrote ‘The Unveiled Christ’. The chorus of that great hymn says: “O’ behold the Man of Sorrows. O’ behold Him in plain view. Lo! He is the Mighty Conqueror, since He rent the veil in two. Lo! He is the Mighty Conqueror, since He rent the veil in two.”

There has never been a Warrior as great as Jesus of Nazareth. He conquered Satan, Death, Hell and the Grave through His vicarious death. He died for our sins and the sins of the entire world, past, present and future!

On the third day He arose from the dead as the Great Deliverer and Emancipator of the Human Race! For almost two thousand years He has entered the lives of hundreds of millions of lost souls and liberated them from servitude to the world, flesh and the Devil.

You might say, “How is that possible?” He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb.13:5) He has not changed. He will not change. It is impossible for Jesus Christ to change because He is the unchanging Son of the Living God.

BECAUSE HE LIVES! 

He said: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me and I in you.” (John 14:18-20)

In a fiery speech at St. John’s Church in Richmond to the Virginia House on March 23, 1775 that convinced them to join the Revolutionary War against Britain, Patrick Henry said:

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

JESUS OF NAZARETH laid down His life for us. He didn’t do it for Himself, He did it for us! He had no sin, fear, sickness, disease or death in His body, but He went to Calvary’s cross for us. Prophet Isaiah spoke of His great sacrifice on Golgotha:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53: 4-6)

He purchased Abundant Life for us all in this life and Everlasting Life for all eternity! How marvellous and great is the plan and the purposes of God for His children and how blessed we are to be called out of darkness into his glorious Light! How great are His ways and how good and gracious His mercy, love and peace toward us all! 

PREACHING TO HEADHUNTERS!

 In 1966, Thomas Tutyko and I travelled by jeep together with Rev. Daniel and Esther Morocco to Kalinga Apio and Tabuk in Northern Luzon of the Philippine Islands! We walked the last two miles to reach the village of Eli bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a tribe of practicing head - hunters!

 It was April when the fire weed grows and young men are looking for a wife. Every young warrior would like to marry one of the Chief’s daughters. In order to prove that he is a man worthy of the Chief’s daughter he must prove it by taking the head of a man or a boy.

The Manila Times had carried the story of two men and a boy who were beheaded while working on a road detail. We were warned about travelling there, but we knew that God was calling us to the Head hunters in Tabuk!   After eight hours by bus to Bagio City, another eight hours by jeep through the Mountains and past the famous Rice Terraces, we arrived at Northern Luzon’s headhunter country.

It was Easter Sunday afternoon when we arrived in Eli. We had been given a ‘safe conduct’ by the Chief of that community and when we arrived, everyone was gathered on the grass or sitting on their haunches. Behind me was their short wooden god, whose face was weather beaten and partially worn away.

 THE EVIL ONE LIED ABOUT GOD!

The message I delivered was direct and my interpreter was excellent. I told them that I served the LIVING GOD that you cannot see. And that my God had made the ground they sat on, the river that flowed by their village, the animals they hunted in the woods, the sun that kept them warm and the air they breathed.

“This Almighty, Holy and Loving GOD who created the worlds and everything we can see, also made us in His own image!

An EVIL enemy called ‘Satan the Adversary’, deceived our first parents and turned them against their Creator and God. He was a liar and murderer who had rebelled against God and tried to make everyone evil like himself.

God wanted to save the human race from the Liar (devil) and the punishment we deserved for doing wicked and evil things, so He sent His Son JESUS CHRIST to free us from the Evil One called Satan (Adversary) and the Devil (Liar).

“The Evil One turned the people against God’s Son and they brutally beat Him and put Him to death on the Cross, but He was such a powerful Warrior that on the third day after they killed Him, Jesus Christ arose from the dead!”

Their eyes bulged as I told this account of Jesus dying and rising from the dead. Then, I asked, “Do you know of anyone who came back to life after they had died and were buried?” They all answered, “NO!”

  EXCHANGING THE IDOL FOR GOD!

 Pointing to their god, I stated: “This god is made of wood. It has eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, a mouth that cannot speak, feet that have never moved and hands that cannot help anyone. He is so lifeless and ignorant that if I slapped him in the face, He wouldn’t have enough sense to say, ‘ouch’ or to step aside.”

I challenged them to trade their tree stump god which they worshipped, for Jesus Christ Who died for their sins and rose from the dead for their justification. I asked them to rise to their feet and lift their hands to God in surrender if they desired to receive Jesus Christ as their God. No one moved!

The DEVIL whispered to me that because I had offended their god they would kill me. And that the safe conduct they had given us would not be adhered to.

I told him that I knew he was lying since he has been lying for a very long time and that I believed that God would protect me. If, however, it was my time to die, there wouldn’t be a better place or time - Easter Sunday afternoon - to meet my Maker, with shoes on my feet and the Bible in my hand!   

I shouted out the invitation again. Immediately the Chief lifted his spear and jumped to his feet shouting a command and everyone following his example leaped to their feet and received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  

Then realized I that I had to reach the Chief first and that he chose for the people! He chose wisely, because they have had no more beheadings by that tribe until today. Praise the Lord!

Certainly, I can declare that Jesus Christ is the world’s only TRUE Freedom Fighter, Who went to Hell and Back for us all!

 WHOM SHALL I THANK FOR THIS, S1R?

During our history making Crusade in Guntur, Andra Pradesh, India we were visited by a delegation of six Circle Inspectors of the Police Force with a letter asking me to go with them to the Hospital to heal in the name of Lord Jesus, the Inspector General of the Police Force who was paralyzed on his right side.

The Letter read in part: “We the Circle Inspectors of the Police Force ask that you come to the Guntur Hospital and heal our Inspector General in name of LORD JESUS.”

Thomas Tutyko and Sadhu Vandenam accompanied me the Hospital. Hundreds of Police Officers stood on guard around and in the hospital. There were clicking of heels and salutes at all the doors and in corridors where we walked with these Inspectors.

The Circle Inspectors brought us into the Inspector General’s room where his wife and close relatives were awaiting us. He was paralyzed on his right side and his right arm was drawn into a ball with his clenched fist near his chin. He had a red spot as well as ashes on his forehead and the right side of his mouth was severely affected by the stroke he had suffered.

I pulled up a chair near the General Inspector and said: “You sent for me, Sir.” He had great difficulty in answering: “Yes. I want you heal me in name Lord Jesus.” I replied, “First I must share with you the Good News about Jesus and why He came to earth and why His Name is so powerful.”

 I shared the Holy Scriptures outlining the lost state of sinners, the death of Christ for our sins, His glorious resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I declared Jesus Christ to be the Only Saviour of the world, and the amazing power of His shed blood to forgive, cleanse, save and heal.

He struggled through the Sinner’s PRAYER repeating every word with great difficulty. I read to him the promises of Jesus:

“Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt.7:7-8); “In My name shall they cast out devils… They shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover!” (Mark 16: 17-18); 

“Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My Name I will do it.” (John 14: 13, 14)

I laid my hands upon him and prayed a fervent prayer in Jesus’ Name commanding every spirit of infirmity, sickness and disease to leave him. I implored God to confirm His Holy Word and restore the Inspector’s brain and other parts of his body that were affected by the stroke, for God’s honour and glory.

 In  a fervent prayer, I  asked God for a MIRACLE in the Almighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When I opened my eyes, I saw that his face was normal. I said, “God has healed you.” He smiled and said, “Yes.”

I took his clenched fist in my hand and as I prayed Jesus touched him again and it became normal! I said, “God has healed you. What are you going to do?”

He said: “I am going to get up and walk” and tossed the blanket to the side.  I helped him out of bed and we went marching up and down the corridor. He pulled his arm away from me and marched solo, up and down, back and forth!

The Inspector General marched up to me and stood at attention, saying: “Whom do I thank for this, Sir? I answered, “Lift up both your arms in the Royal Salute and say, Thank You, LORD JESUS!”

As he did so, all the Police Officers lifted their arms toward Heaven and loudly said: “Thank You, LORD JESUS!”

Suddenly the Inspector General said, “Follow me.” He marched a few steps and turned into a room where a Hindu priest was propped up in bed and struggling to breathe suffering from a serious heart attack.

The Inspector General asked the priest, “You want to be healed by name LORD JESUS?” He could only nod. I briefly shared the Gospel with him and asked if he wanted Jesus Christ to come into his heart. He nodded that he did. I prayed that God would save and heal him and immediately he could breathe well, declaring that all pain was gone.

 The Inspector General said, “Lift your arms in Royal Salute and say, Thank You, Lord Jesus.” As the priest obeyed, you could hear Policemen giving Jesus Christ the Royal Salute. To God be all the glory!

The outcome was that any Policemen with sick family members were granted the afternoon off in order to bring their sick relatives to me for prayer. And my blessing was to minister to many sick and diseased people for several hours that afternoon.

  WE RETURNEDTO INDIA!

Government Officials in Guntur invited us back for another crusade seven months later in December, 1966. When we arrived, Gunter was under a curfew because of Political Unrest, however, they allowed us to hold our large crusade realizing that the preaching of the Gospel would bring peace out of turmoil!

Not only did they lift the curfew but also held their Police Sports Days. When they heard that I had been a half-mile runner, I was invited take part in their one-mile race. After much prodding from Lawson Barbour and Thomas Tutyko who said, “Do it for Jesus. Think of all the publicity we’ll get for our Gospel Crusade”, I reluctantly agreed.

When the announcer was informed that I would be a contender, he said, “Max Solbrekken - the Miracle Man from Canada - is entering the race. He has not run for 17 years. It will be a miracle if he wins and it will be a miracle if he does not win, because he is the Miracle Man.”

Everyone clapped and I thought, “It will be a miracle if I don’t have a heart attack. God will have to help me.” There I was, barefoot and dressed in long pants, while all others were well trained, in shorts and track shoes and my best race was not the one-mile!

 When the gun went off we started out at a fast pace, my heart was pumping, my legs got heavy and surprisingly I stayed near the front. As we completed the halfway mark I thought, “If I push on I could possibly win and make some enemies negating the reason for entering the race, or I could die.”

 I was right behind number two who was on the heels number one. I heard the announcer saying, “The Miracle Man from Canada who is preaching at the Park is in contention. He is near the front. Will he be able to win?”

At that moment, I decided to drop out of the race. We had achieved our goals. Everyone clapped as the announcer said, “Max Solbrekken, the Miracle Man, who is preaching at the Gospel Crusade has decided to drop out of the race. Give him a big hand.” All glory to God forever!

Truly, truly, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour is the world’s One and Only Freedom Fighter, who will soon return as our Reigning Lord and King. To Him ALONE belong all the hour, praise and glory! Amen.

    JESUS said: "Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you REST, For My yoke is easy and MY burden is light!" (Matt. 11: 28, 29). He said; "Go ye into all the world and Preach the GOSPEL to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be Saved. He that beliveth 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 (like in Acts 2:4); They shall take up serpents (like St. Paul in Malta); and if they drink any deadly thing (like preachers in Soviet prisons);they shall lay hands on the Sick, and they shall Recover." (Mark 16:15-19)

     "And the Spirit and the bride (believing church) say, Come. And let him that heareth say,  Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.

Dear Friends: Please give us the opportunity to pray for you and with you, in Jesus' name.  Contact us at: max@ maxsolbrekken.com

 When Max Solbrekken is asked, "Who are you?' He says, "I am a Soldier of the Cross, an Ambassador of the Kingdom of God, a humble servant of Jesus Christ! He is my Lord, Saviour, and my soon Coming King! To God be the glory And honour forever and ever. Amen.

                           Norwegian Flag features the Cross of Christ

   THE BLOOD OF CHRIST: MANKIND’S ONLY HOPE!                       By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.    

      “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with 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. But we preach CHRIST CRUCIFIED, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1: 17, 18, 23, 24)

     For many 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.

      With gusto and great fervour, saints of God have preached the Word and written songs, proclaiming the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ to break every fetter and to set the captives free. Hallelujah!

     In his book, ‘The Cruciality of the Cross’ Dr. Henry Mabie writes: “The Greek word used by Paul in 1 Cor.1: 18, is Logos...” not preaching but “the subject matter of preaching; with the very essence of that which was to be preached; with the Logos of the Cross, which constituted a rationale, it’s Divine reason, a reason which…he declares to be the wisdom of God. This ‘Logos of the Cross’ is conceived by Paul to be the key which unlocks the riddle of the universe, solves all mysteries and reconciles all things.”

                        A SUBJECT MATTER SO MAGNANIMOUS!

     The sacrificial death of the incarnated (God in human flesh) Son of God to redeem the world, is a subject matter so powerful, so magnanimous and so incomprehensible that mortal man can only stand in holy awe at its immensity, enormity and grandiose love that we are left speechless!

     The blood of Jesus Christ which He freely gave for sinful, rebellious and hell-bound, guilty sinners, purges our consciences from all guilt, delivers us from the power of sin and liberates us from Satan and his evil kingdom, for time and eternity!

      And as Dr. Henry Mabie states: “This Logos of the Cross is conceived by Paul to be the key which unlocks the riddle of the universe, solves all mysteries and reconciles all things.”

    I agree one hundred per cent with that analysis and commentary - which is the greatest I have ever heard - but still doesn’t even begin to cover the eternal consequences of the incarnation, passion, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord, Creator and God!

      St. Paul came closer when He wrote: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Cor.2: 9)

      How helpless we are without His indwelling presence and yet how strong when He is moving within us by His awesome power. How amazing that the God of Heaven and Ruler of the Universe would deign to identify Himself with mere earthlings and to dwell within us.

     It has been said that truth is stranger than fiction. It is difficult to understand why so many have been blinded by Satan and coerced into rejecting Jesus Christ, Who gives Eternal Life freely to all who humble themselves and receive Him as Lord and Saviour!

     That men and women endowed with a free will would choose to follow a murderous Liar, manipulating Deceiver and the despicable Enemy of God down the broad road that leads to perdition and Hell is an enigma of the very worst kind! How is it possible that thinking individuals made in the image of God, could become so deceived?

                           GOD'S ABSOLUTE INTEGRITY!

      And yet, Almighty God in His absolute integrity and fairness and knowing the wickedness and cunning of the defrocked and fallen Lucifer, still created our first parents Adam and Eve and placed them in Eden's Garden with a free will to follow good and reject evil!

    After their disastrous fall by committing high treason against their Creator and God, the love of our Heavenly Father drove them out of Eden so they would not partake of the fruit on the Tree of Life and live forever in their sins!

     In His great mercy, God made a way of escape from their sins and the snare of the Devil, through the sacrificial system which pointed to Christ. In passing judgement on the serpent as an accomplice of Satan, He laid out His great plan of salvation which had been hidden in His heart from before the foundation of the world.

     He said: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her SEED (Christ); It shall bruise (crush) thy head, and thou bruise His heel." (Gen 3:15)

       This is what we call in theology, the 'Law of the First Mention'! The first mention is of the Deliverer Whom God would send to crush Satan's head. The second is the Virgin Birth of the Deliverer. He is called the SEED of the woman! God's only begotten Son would be incarnated (God in human flesh) to emancipate Adam's fallen race through the sacrifice of Himself, to meet the demands of divine justice in payment for our sins!

    How could anyone with a natural mind, if not inspired by the Holy Spirit, be able to digest these amazing truths? The Bible clearly states: “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor.2: 14)

      There is a vast difference between the carnal and the spiritual man. And because we have not allowed the Liar any place in us, we can truthfully and boldly declare that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), omnipresent (everywhere present at once).

    We know that God's Word is incomprehensible (unknowable) and that Jesus Christ is TRUE GOD from eternity and TRUE MAN through His incarnation (born of a virgin) and the Only Saviour of the world.

A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST JESUS!

      St. Paul was not a believer in Jesus Christ at first. He was a blatant blasphemer, injurious and a hater of believers in Christ. That all changed when he met JESUS on the Damascus Road. (Acts 9, 22 and 26).

      He stated: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, Who hath RECONCILED us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

    "That is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are AMBASSADORS for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Cor.5:17-20)

      Again he stated: "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 they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1 Cor. 2: 7, 8)

      Here is the real reason so many reject the Saviour Jesus Christ: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosever believes 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. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

     "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hates the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3: 16-21)

                    THE CASE FOR CHRIST OUR LORD!

       Loudly and triumphantly, I make the case for Christ! There is no-one like Him. He is the One and Only Saviour of the world. He is the Great Physician Who heals us from all our sorrows, problems, sins and diseases! He baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit and Fire!

      The Bible says: "He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 1: 11, 12)

      Believe on Him today and He will give you the power to become His ADOPTED CHILD: "Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our 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:

      "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 the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us ACCEPTED in the Beloved." (Eph.1:2-11)

JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST & INTERCESSOR!

      "But this Man, because He continues ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to SAVE them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." (Heb. 7: 25)

       JESUS OUR SUBSTITUTE: "For such an high priest became us, Who is Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher hat the heavens. Who needs not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself." (/Heb.7: 26, 27)

       JESUS' ENDLESS LIFE: "For that after the similitude of Melchisedec there arises another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an ENDLESS LIFE. For He testifies, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec." (Heb. 7: 15-17)

     Jesus Christ declared: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 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 Lives and was dead; and behold, I AM ALIVE forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of Hell and of Death." (Rev. 1: 8, 17, 18)

    JESUS IS MY LIFE: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the Vine, ye are the branches:

    "He that abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: For without Me, ye can do NOTHING. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15: 4-7)

     Again our Lord promised: "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and YE in ME, and I in YOU. He that hath My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.

     "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14: 18-20, 21, 23).

    "I am the LIVING BREAD which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

     "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eats My flesh and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.

     "He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, dwells in ME and I in him. As the Living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eats Me shall live by Me. This is the BREAD which came down from Heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever." (John 6: 51-58)

     After stating that to receive Eternal Life we must eat His flesh and drink His blood, Jesus clearly emphasized that He was speaking about the spiritual experience of becoming ONE with Him and the Heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit.

      He was NOT advocating eating His actual physical flesh and drinking His physical blood. It was an analogy of the nearness, closeness and oneness of Jesus Christ to His Children through the new Birth!

     It is drawing strength and life from Him Who purchased our Redemption by His atoning work through His intense suffering and vicarious death on the cross.

    "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him and with His STRIPES we are healed." (Is. 53: 4.5)

     Our Lord Jesus said: "It is the spirit that quickens (makes life); the FLESH profits NOTHING; the words that I speak into you, they are spirit and they are life." (John 6: 63)

MYSTERY OF CHRIST IN US!

     This is the great Mystery that was revealed to St. Paul through the Holy Spirit, namely, Christ entering into the very innermost being of believers at the time of conversion to Jesus Christ!

     He said: "Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the Hope of Glory." (Col.1: 26, 27)

      When we received Christ as personal Saviour, He took up His abode in our hearts and lives! By Jesus Christ living within us through the blessed Holy Spirit we automatically receive His life within our being! He gives us His life because He is the Creator and the Life giver! We draw His life into ourselves by becoming a part of Him, as He enters our lives with His Holy Spirit!

      Through our union with Jesus Christ we are protected from the power of Darkness which is seeking to envelope the world. The Blood of Jesus Christ is the only solvent that is able to wash sinners from the filth, stench and corruption - both spiritually and physically - that is Satan's signature plan and strategy!  Christ's Victory is Satan's Defeat and our Liberty!

     St. Paul states: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are Above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things Above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your LIFE IS HID with CHRIST IN GOD. When Christ WHO IS OUR LIFE shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory.

     "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience."

      Jesus spoke of the 'PROMISE OF THE FATHER' to His disciples before His departure to Heaven. He was referring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His band of followers, who would comprise the Church (called out ones) which He would build.

      The HOLY BIBLE says: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

     "But this He spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39)

     What an honour to be filled with God, the Blessed Holy Spirit! To be called by the Holy Spirit, saved by the precious BLOOD of Jesus Christ and filled with that Holy Spirit of Promise and be led by His nail scarred hand!

    The great Apostle to the Gentiles stated: "For in Him (Christ) we live, and move, and have our being..." (Acts 17: 28)

JESUS IS MY AGAPE LOVE!

     Jesus said: "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love If ye keep y commandments, ye shall ABIDE IN MY LOVE; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.

     "These things have I spoken unto you, that My JOY may remain in you, and that your JOY might be full. This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15: 9-12).

     St. Paul testified: "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)

     St John declared: "Ye are of God little children, and have overcome them (evil spirits): because Greater is He that is IN YOU, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4: 4). Greater is Jesus Christ Who purchased our forgiveness, peace, joy, healing and abundant life through His death on the Cross.

     He ABIDES within us together with the blessed Holy Spirit, Who leads us and gives us the wisdom, strength and power of the Risen Jesus Christ to show forth the love, mercy and grace of God to a lost and dying world!

    Christ's Victory is Satan's Defeat and our Liberty! Amen.

                                                 

                          Pastor Max Solbrekken & Dr. Emile Boutros Boktor, 2007

                          Assembly of God Church, Cairo Egypt, 2007

      PENTECOSTAL PHENOMENON

                     Its Powerful Influence on Society

                                  By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D

     The outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost A.D. 29 will be known as one of the most important in the history of the church!

     On that day, the Church of Jesus Christ was born and set in motion, with a great show of power! On that day, fear turned into faith and cowardice was replaced by boldness forever changing the course of history! Jesus had to pour out His blood before He could pour out the Holy Spirit! On that Day, God the Father gave the Holy Spirit to Christ’s Church.

   And today, the teachings of Jesus Christ are assimilated into the code of ethics, constitutions, and legal frameworks of religious as well as secular governments, institutions, and statues the world over!

     Christianity has made such an impact upon the legal systems of the civilized world that all of the good, benevolent and just laws we presently have is the result of godly legislators influence by the laws of Moses and the teachings of Jesus Christ!

      William Gladstone, statesman, Prime Minister and unquestionable one on the most able, and greatest legal minds in the 1800's stated:

    “Talk about the questions of the day. There is but one question and that is the Gospel. That can and will correct everything.  I am glad to say that about all the men at the top in Great Britain are Christians. I have been in public position fifty-eight years, all but eleven of them in the Cabinet of the British Government, and during those forty-seven years  have been associated with sixty of the master-minds of the century, and all but five of the sixty were Christians!”

 THE GOLDEN RULE!         

     The Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as they do unto you”, are quoted by philosophers, statesmen and theologians alike. The Jewish festival called ‘Pentecost’ was commemorated 50 days after the ‘Passover’. It was called the ‘Feast of Weeks’ (7 weeks), or ‘New Anointing’.

     It was on that day in A.D.29 that approximately 120 followers of Christ gathered in an upper room, in obedience to His command: “And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High.” (Luke 24: 49)

      They had been terrified and crushed by the terribly brutal and unjust death of their Master, whom they believed was their long- awaited Messiah.

     Passover Week AD 29 will forever mark the unspeakable largesse of God’s dealings with man and prove His great Love and mercy toward us all: not just toward the Jews, His own people, but to all people everywhere.

 WHAT A WEEK THAT WAS!  

    The Feast of the Passover is when Jesus was crucified on a Roman Cross as our paschal Lamb – He is our Passover! The Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled when Jesus' Body laid in the tomb, seeing NO corruption. His Blood did NOT die, and His Body did NOT corrupt. He is our Unleavened Bread!

     The Bible says: “But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.” (1 Cor.15:20). The Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled when Jesus Christ arose from the dead on the third day. He is the first fruits of them that slept. This means that Jesus Christ was the first to die and rise, never to die again! Lazarus died, was raised, and had to die again. JESUS did Not!

      The Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled when Jesus returns for His bride in the parusia (coming) harpazo (catching away) and epiphany (appearing). That will be the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ! On that day He will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets!

     The Feast of the Day of Atonement will be fulfilled when He shall be revealed (apocalypse) to His Jewish people and they receive Him as their Messiah! He is our Day of Atonement! Finally, when Christ ushers in the 1,000 years of peace – the Millennial Reign – that will fulfill the ancient Jewish Feast of Tabernacles! 

INCARNATION TO ATONEMENT!

      The time between Christmas and Easter is about three months, and the time between the birth of our Saviour and His death is about thirty-three years. You can’t divorce His  incarnation from His Atonement. Jesus was born to die. If there had been no incarnation there could not be an atonement!

     God is satisfied by the vicarious death of His Son on the cross and the sinners who repent of their sins and receive forgiveness and reconciliation through His shed blood. The death of Christ in exchange for the pardon of guilty mankind, allowed God to keep His Law of Righteousness and Judgment for sin, and still freely show forth His Love, Mercy and Grace to repentant sinners!

     The vicarious death of Jesus Christ for our sins was the only cure for our guilt, condemnation and separation from a loving God, and the Peace that we all craved. The Blood of His Cross purchased our eternal redemption!

   Jesus Christ is the only hope of the Church and of the world! All must bow before Him, for He is the Saviour of the world and the glorified Son of God! JESUS is the fountainhead of Truth and the Healer of broken spirits, wounded hearts, devastated lives and a corrupt humanity!

      JESUS works on a personal basis through the Blessed Holy Spirit to spread the light of the Gospel into the whole world. Amen.                          

  DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

      Even in the time of St. Paul many were ignorant of the mighty workings of the Holy Spirit. In his letter to the Corinthian Church, he wrote: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, I would not have you to be ignorant.” (1 Cor. 12: 1). Nearly 2,000 years later, the Church is still ignorant of the Holy Spirit and His gifts! The blessed Holy Spirit is a Person; the third person of the Godhead. One must never refer to Him as “an influence, a power or a manifestation of God.” He is God the Holy Spirit! 

     Disclosing that He would soon be leaving them, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit: “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.

    “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things; and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I give with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 16-18; 26, 27) 

CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER SATAN!

     “But when the Comfortable 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. Nevertheless  I tell you the truth; it is expedient that I go away: for if 1 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 sin, and 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. I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now.”

    The Holy Spirit has come for three reasons: To convict men of their Sin of unbelief and rejection of Jesus: To convince men that JESUS is the Son of God and the only Saviour of the world: To demonstrate to the world, Jesus Christ’s Victory over the Satan!

    “Howbeit when He the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He  shall not speak: but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and he will speak: and He will show things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you.” (John 15:26; 16:7-14)   

JESUS CHRIST IS LIFE ETERNAL!

    JESUS said: I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6); “I am the Door, by Me if any enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not but to steal, kill and to destroy: I am  come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9,10)

     “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: 11-15); “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: He that believeth on Me, though he were dead yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

   HERE IS THE INVITATION!

     Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30) 

  “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.

    “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.” (John 3:16,17; 5:24,25)

 MY MESSAGE IS URGENT!

     Jesus invites those who are spiritually dead to hear His voice through His Holy Word as presented here, and in humility and faith answer the Holy Spirit’s call. Ask Him to forgive you and save your soul. And He will do it! If you wait until it is too late, this will be your sad state: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice. And come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection to life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5: 28,29). May God bless you, my friend! Amen.

TO BE CONTINUED….M.S.