FACING THE FUTURE 
WITH FAITH
By: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

"Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from wicked and unreasonable men: For all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3)

St. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing: Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are our glory and joy."(1 Thes. 2: 19, 20)

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." (1 Thes.1:3).

They were converted through the awesome power of the Holy Spirit: "For our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word with much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost."

"So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak to any thing. For they themselves had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for His Son from Heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1: 5-10)

CHRIST SHALL RETURN FOR HIS CHURCH

St. Paul had earlier revealed to the Thessalonians the truth of Christ's return in the Parousia, the Rapture of the Church: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others, which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

"For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thes. 4: 13-17).

St. Paul commended them for their patience and faith during the difficult times they were going through in persecutions and tribulations.

He revealed God's judgments which will come upon unbelievers when Jesus Christ returns to judge those who have rejected His love and mercy: "To you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.

When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed, in that day." (2 Thes. 1:7-10)

THE ANTICHRIST: MYSTERY OF INIQUITY

The Word of God warns concerning the coming of the Antichrist who will deceive the entire world with his deception and lying wonders: "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

"For the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way. And that Wicked shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:

"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thes. 2: 6- 10)

The Holy Bible is the final Word of God on all matters concerning the deception of Satan and the truth of God!

There is no middle ground! They who believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth vicariously gave His life for us on Golgotha's Cross and arose from the dead for our justification, are Saved! Those who reject the Word of God and Christ's offer of salvation and agree with Satan, the liar and deceiver, will be Damned forever. They will be deceived by the Antichrist and his lying supernatural wonders and are Lost for eternity. Period!

ALL KNOWLEDGE HIDDEN IN CHRIST

St. Paul warned those in Colosse and Laodicea: "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ: In Whom are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

"Beware lest any man should beguile you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

“And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

"Buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye also are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead.

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Col.2: 8-15)

In the final analysis, when all the battles are over, the Body of Christ wins. We win because Christ spoiled all principalities and powers, making a public display of them before the hosts of Heaven, the demons of Hell and all of humanity!

His vicarious death for us on Golgotha sealed Satan's doom, and His triumphant resurrection from the dead made JESUS CHRIST forever the Lord of lords and King of kings.

WORTHY IS THE LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN

"And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the Book, and to loose the seven seals thereof?

"And no man in Heaven, nor on earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the the seven seals thereof.

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a LAMB as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the Throne.

"And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and our and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.

"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in Heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honour, and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever." (Rev.5:1-14)

THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN IS ALIVE

What an amazing and glorious truth. The Lamb that had been slain was alive and standing. He alone was worthy to take the book out of the Hand of Almighty God on the Throne in Heaven. Only Jesus Christ had the right to open the book, for He alone had paid the awesome price for our redemption!

His BLOOD alone purchased our eternal salvation. Pointing to Jesus of Nazareth, John the Baptist declared, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." (John 1; 29).

Exalting the Name of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, St. Peter stated: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4: 12).

Proclaiming the Gospel, St. Paul said: "For there is One God and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Tim.2: 5,6)

The Bible states that Jesus Christ, "by Himself purged our sins." (Heb.1: 3). He did it all by Himself. His vicarious death on the cross for us has sealed our eternal destiny.

It is Christ alone; not Christ and the Church; not Christ and the Pope; not Christ and the Virgin Mary!

The Bible teaches the Christ alone Doctrine! JESUS CHRIST. GOD'S SON. SAVIOUR! According to tradition, ancient Christians, during their persecution by the Roman Empire in the first few centuries after Christ, used the fish symbol to mark meeting places and tombs, or to distinguish friends from foes!

The Greek word for fish is "ichthys." As early as the first century, Christians made an acrostic from this word: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter, i.e. Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. ΙΧΘΥΣ (ichthys): .Iota (i) is the first letter of Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), Greek for "Jesus" .Chi (ch) is the first letter of Christos (Χριστός), Greek for "anointed" (of the Lord) .Theta (th) is the first letter of Theou (Θεοῦ), Greek for "God's", the genitive case of Θεóς .Theos, Greek for "God" .Upsilon (y) is the first letter of (h)yios[10] (Yἱός), Greek for "Son" .Sigma (s) is the first letter of sōtēr (Σωτήρ), Greek for "Saviour" whose verses are an acrostic of the generating sentence.

The statement "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour" affirmed the belief of early Christians in the two-fold nature of Jesus Christ being both fully human and fully divine.

PEACE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS

The Bible states: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son: in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13, 14)

"And having made PEACE through the blood of His cross, by Him, to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say to reconcile all things to Himself; by Him I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven.

And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has He reconciled. "In the body of His flesh through Death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." (Col. 1: 20-23)

"Be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4; 6,7)

FACING THE FUTURE WITH FAITH

Faith is a gift to the searching heart, to the sincere seeker after God and His righteousness. Faith is believing that God's Word is true, in spite of what others say. Faith is believing that Jesus Christ is Whom He claimed to be, the Word of God made flesh, God incarnate!

That He is True God from eternity and True man by His Virgin birth! That He alone purchased our eternal life through shedding His pure and sinless blood on the cross, and that His blood is ALIVE today in the Holy of Holies in Heaven. And that Jesus Christ our Heavenly High Priest is interceding for us before His Father.

The Holy Bible declares: "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." (Heb. 7: 25, 26)

The greatest reason for believing that the Bible is true, is that Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, believed the Holy Scriptures. He quoted and preached from them, lived by them.

He died and arose from the dead, according to the Word God and by that same Word will return for us all who waiting, watching and working for Him! Amen.

               JESUS CHRIST: MY LIFE

                    By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

     I depend on Jesus Christ for everything. He is my life because He is Life. “For through Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17: 28). He instructs through His Word, and guides us by His blessed Holy Spirit. He is more than life because He is Life Eternal! Jesus Christ is our Saviour, Redeemer, and Lord! (John 3:16; 6:35; 8:12; 10:10; 11;25)

    The Holy Bible is the VOICE of God. Moses stated: “For ask now of the days of our past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there has been  any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

       “Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard, and live? …unto thee it was showed that thou mightiest know that the Lord He is God; there is NONE ELSE beside Him. Out of Heaven He made thee to hear His VOICE, that He might instruct thee: and upon earth He showed thee His great FIRE; and thou heard His words out of the midst of the fire.

     “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in Heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is NONE else.” (Deut. 4:32-39)

DREW ME UNTO HIMSELF!

      I was lost in sin when the Good Shepherd found me and drew me to Himself. He became my Saviour, Redeemer and Friend. He baptized me with His blessed Holy Spirit, and immediately I could understand the Holy Scriptures.

      I fell in love with His Word and over the past 60 years He has given me much wisdom and understanding of the Holy Scriptures. I had little interest in spiritual things, but the Divine Paraclete came to my rescue and taught me the deep things of God, and I am still learning day by day.

     I depend upon Him totally for everything I do, preach, and write. It is by His power alone that I minister His Word, by His Spirit! St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is called, ‘The Roman Road to Salvation’ because the Gospel of Christ is so plainly laid out for anyone to follow!

  BY GRACE ALONE: THROUGH FAITH ALONE: IN CHRIST ALONE!

     “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3: 23, 24); “Therefore being justified by His Blood, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

      “For when we were yet without strength (helpless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:1,6,8); “For the wages of sin is Death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 23)

      “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the Law of sin and death.” (Rom.7:24; 8: 1,2)

     “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth is made unto Salvation.” (Rom. 10:9,10)

      It was St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans that showed Martin Luther the way to Christ’s salvation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God! It is by Grace alone, Faith alone and through Christ alone!

 BEFORE WORLD WAS CREATED!

     “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

     “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-4, 14)

     The Bible makes it clear that Jesus of Nazareth was God’s eternal Son whom He sent to Redeem us through His vicarious death on the Cross. As God’s sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ met the righteous demands of Divine Justice and atoned for the sins of Adam and the entire world, past. present and future.

     The Bible says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

 GOD DID NOT SPARE HIS SON!   

     This is one of the greatest truths ever enunciated in the history of humankind. When I first read this Scripture, I was shocked and utterly overcome by sorrow when I realized that Almighty God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for a world of sinners!

     He turned His precious Son over to evil, wicked men who accused Him, blasphemed Him, scourged Him, and crucified Him for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

     WHY would Jesus Christ, God’s Eternal Son, allow Himself to be subjected to the most horrible torture and death for a sinful world when He was pure, holy, righteous, and good?

    Only by His unconditional love for us would He do that! The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 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 BLOOD OF JESUS IS ALIVE!

     The Holy Bible says: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Heb. 13:20, 21                      

    Our Heavenly Father promised Eternal Life to all who embrace His Son as their Lord and Saviour. This transaction was so great that Christ’s atoning blood would also provide divine healing, peace, joy, and goodwill to all who receive His Son!

        The Bible says: “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). According to His promise, there is Nothing He will withhold of His blessings from those who appropriate His promises for themselves.                    

     Christ has purchased for all believers, total freedom from sin, sickness, disease, fear, and infirmity! There is NO way our Heavenly Father would not give us what His Son Jesus Christ purchased for us through His sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross!

     According to His Word, it is impossible for God to withhold from us what we need for spirit, soul, and body, when we apply His promise for ourselves! It is His Word and His Will to grant our request upon the authority of His Promise!

       “Thank You Heavenly Father for Your gifts of healing and deliverance for us all today, because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross! I praise you and will do so forever and ever.”  Amen.

HOW TO DISCERN TRUE BELIEVERS!

     St. John said: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that  confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

     “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

     “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in Him, and He in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

       “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out all fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4: 1-5, 15-19)

THIS IS THE BIBLE TEST!

     How can we know for sure that we are saved? How can we discern truth from error in religious teaching and deeds?  Use the Bible itself, which does not contradict itself.

    “Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.”  

    What does that mean?  Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God from eternity, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. To redeem the world unto Himself, God sent His Son to earth as the perfect sacrifice to meet the righteous demands of Divine Justice and to atone for Adam’s sin against God.

     Through His substitutionary death for us on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ paid that debt. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ who is True God and True man, we are saved! Through the incarnation (God in human flesh) Jesus was sinless because God is His Father and He was born of the Virgin Mary.

      Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh is saved, but whoever rejects Jesus Christ’s claim of being the Son of God will be lost forever!

GOD’S RECORD OF HIS SON!

     Anyone who rejects God’s record of His Son is calling God a liar and thereby cannot receive His forgiveness and eternal life. The Bible states: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son.

     “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in Himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record that God hath given to us Eternal Life, and this life is in His Son.

     “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the  name of the Son of God; that ye may know that you have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:9-13)

    Here is a great promise concerning prayer to God in Jesus’ name and receiving answers to our prayers. This was the Scripture text that George Muller stood upon for many years as by the grace of God he fed and housed thousands of orphans in Great Britain:

     “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of Him.” (1 John 5: 14, 15)

JESUS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN!  

     We know that the healing of our bodies is important to God because of the statements Jesus made on the subject and His amazing healing of multitudes of sick, infirm and diseased people.

     St. Peter stated: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good and Healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38)

     Our Saviour commanded His disciples to heal the sick and cast out devils. It was the miracles of healing and deliverance of demon possessed souls that drew the large crowds. He ordered them to do the things He Himself was doing!

      “And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

      “And as ye go, preach, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt.10: 1, 7,8)

      “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, wither He Himself would come.

     “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.

    “And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10: 1,9, 17-20)

JESUS’ GREAT COMMISSION! 

    “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)

     Here is the proof of Christ’s Great Commission bringing great blessings to the Church and deliverance to many people:  

     “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with Signs following.” (Mark 16: 19, 20)

GREATER IS JESUS CHRIST!

      The Bible says: “Ye are of God little children and have overcome them (evil spirits): because Greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

     Who is the ONE within us? The Blessed Holy Spirit, whom Jesus Himself sent to fill His people. He is called the ‘Promise of the Father’.

     In reality the entire Godhead is within us because Jesus promised, “…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 14:23)

     Who is the ONE in the world? Satan, the EVIL one who was cast out of Heaven and is now the leader of fallen angels and demon spirits, the enemy of God and man! He is called the Devil which means Liar! He is Beelzebub the Master of dirty, filthy flies!

      JESUS said: “All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28:18); “…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3: 8); “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will FLEE from you.” (James 4:7)

     “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part  of the same; that through Death He might Destroy him that 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)  

     “Be sober, be vigilant;  because your adversary the Devil,  as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the Faith…” (1 Peter 5: 8,9); “The thief (devil) cometh not but for to steal,  kill and destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10: 10)

SATAN IS A DOOMED DESPOT!

     “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the Prince of the world (Satan) be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying what death He should die.” (John 12: 31-33)

     Jesus Christ’s vicarious death on the cross for us all has destroyed Satan’s power over all who trust in the finished work of our Saviour on Calvary’s Cross and His resurrection from the dead! Hallelujah!

      Our Lord said: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10: 19)

      “But ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 10: 38).

      “And there was war in Heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven.         

     “And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of the brethren is Cast Down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:7-10,11)

      JESUS said: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I  have commanded you: and lo, I am with you  always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28: 19)

     “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb.13: 5)

JESUS THE GREAT INTERCESSOR!

    People often ask me to pray for them and I count it a privilege to do so but someone much greater than I, is constantly praying for us all. Jesus Christ is the Great Intercessor:

     “But this man, because He continueth 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 liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7: 25)

     The Book of Romans also reveals Jesus as the Great Intercessor. St. Paul writes: “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us.

    “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect. It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is Risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8: 30-34)

      This Scripture lays out our position in Christ so marvelously plain that it is hard to imagine the great grace and mercy of God towards us, unworthy as we all are! He knew about us before the world was created and predestinated us for Himself, before we were born.

     Our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world. (Rev. 13: 8). Then, He called us out of sin and degradation to be His children, heirs of God and joint heirs with Him. We were born again through the precious Blood of the Lamb of God and justified through His resurrection from the dead! And when He comes for us we shall glorified by His all atoning bleed, and the riches of His grace!

BECAUSE OF HIS BLOOD!

    Satan is a cagey liar and deceiver and uses everything he can to get a believer fall for his temptations. St. John warns us of ‘the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life’. (1 John 2: 15-17). Condemnation, however, is a great tool is his arsenal against believers. These Scriptures stops him cold!

     Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is Risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8: 30-34)

    The LIAR would try to condemn a believer of sins committed earlier, but since God has justified him, he is cleared of that charge! And how can one be condemned for sins which Christ Himself has bled and died for?

    St. John writes: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that Ye Sin Not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. And He is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for our sins only, but the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2: 1,2)

PROPTIATION MEANS SATISFACTION!

     The goal in life is to live righteously, but we know that everyone sins in some way; thought, word or deed. If we do sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, and if we cry out for mercy, He forgives us because Jesus is our Saviour and propitiation!

      The meaning of that word is satisfaction, expiation, and mercy seat!  God is satisfied with the death of His Son to cleanse, forgive, and wash away every stain of sin from us because His blood has atoned for our sin. When we ask for His forgiveness, automatically His blood cleanses and purges the sin and the guilt!

      The Bible says: “There is therefore NO condemnation to them which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me FREE from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8: 1,2)

WE ARE GOD’S PROPERTY!

    We have nothing to fear because we are God’s children, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. He watches over His own and we are one with Him, loving, praising, and worshipping our Lord for all His goodness toward us!

    The Bible says: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

     “Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

     “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8: 35-39). Amen.

                 GOD ANSWERS PRAYER                                   By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D. 

     Jesus said: "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28). "And him that cometh unto Me, I shall in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find.  Knock and it shall be opened unto you.  For everyone that asketh receiveth, he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matt. 7:7-8)

    "Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20).

     The Lord invites: "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33:3). "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5)                                              

    During a lengthy interview in the early 1980s, discussing the great miracle healings that had occurred under our ministry, the editor of a large Norwegian newspaper asked, “Who is Max Solbrekken?” 

    I replied, “The boy delivering telegrams does his job and gets back on his bicycle, often without being thanked. The boy is not important, but the telegram is.  Max Solbrekken is not important, but the message is very important. I am just a messenger boy for Jesus!”  

   Next day's Newspaper carried a large picture and an article that covered a full page.  The headline screamed, “Max Solbrekken: A Messenger Boy for Jesus!”                   

                        ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD!

      Beginning in 1963, by God’s grace I have been allowed to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to masses across the world, the Lord working with us and confirming His Word with miracles, signs, and wonders!

    Multitudes have responded to altar calls for salvation and great numbers have been miraculously healed by our Saviour from many nations, tribes, and peoples.

    From 1989 to 1995, we conducted major crusades across the former Soviet Union. In 2004 and 2005, I was asked to preach in four Ministers Conventions in Brazil with a total of 10,000 preachers. In Parque Brasil in Paulinia, S.P. Brazil, I preached to more than 300,000 people on April 13, 2005. Our latest Gospel Unity Crusade was in Kampala, Uganda in 2011.

     After our three and a half month long 1966 World Crusade including preaching to a tribe of headhunters in Eli, Tabuk in Kalingo Apio, Philippines, a Journalist asked, "You preached to the head hunters and you still have your head. How can we account for that"? 

    I replied, "I got to their hearts before they got to my head." The next morning, the journalist's story carried the headline: HE GOT TO THEIR HEARTS BEFORE THEY GOT TO HIS HEAD. One of my greatest joys was preaching in Darfur, Sudan in 2006 and 2007. To God be all the honour, praise and glory, through Jesus Christ the Lord! Amen.  

     The Bible is the authoritative, divinely inspired and perfect Word of God! His signature is on the original autographs, written by holy men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

      St. Peter stated: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21)

     Martin Luther had not seen a Bible until he was more than 20 years old and his colleague Dr. Carlstadt had received his doctorate in theology from a prestigious Roman Catholic Seminary without ever reading the Bible!

   For hundreds of years the Roman Catholic Church refused Christian laymen the right to read and study the Holy Scriptures. They claimed that it was too deep.  “Only an educated priest or theologian could understand God's Word”, they stated.

                       A TRICK OF THE DEVIL!

    Satan knows how powerful God's Word is and was using this deceptive tactic to keep people in bondage.  Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". (John 8:32)

    Martin Luther was charged with heresy by the Roman Church, for preaching the pure Gospel of Jesus. He was hauled in before the highest–ranking body of civic and ecclesiastical rulers of the Church of Rome and the Empire. On April 18, 1521, at his trial at the Diet in Worms, Germany, he was asked: "Will you recant of your writings?"

      Luther replied: "Since your Majesty and your lords desire a single reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe! Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise! God help me. Amen."

       One hundred years earlier, the 'Bloody Old Vatican Wolf' had given the Bohemian monk Jan Hus a guarantee of 'safe conduct', if he would come to a similar trial. Believing the pope to be honest, he accepted his invitation and was betrayed and turned over to the secular arm to be burned at the stake!

    Luther stated: "The gospel that we have today has come to us at the cost of the blood of Jan Hus that was spilt 100 years ago." 

   No wonder Martin Luther stated, “The papacy is a general chase (hunting expedition) in which the Bishop of Rome is seeking to capture and bring to hell as many unsuspecting souls as he can”.  There is, however, a sad period in Luther’s life where he did not treat the Jewish people properly!

     Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and other cults, put their own interpretation on God’s Word today! But St. Peter said, "No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation..." 

                     WHAT DID HE MEAN?                       

       God interprets the Scripture, Himself!   The message He wants us to receive is not what a certain sect or denomination reads into the Scripture, but what He (God) is communicating! How does He interpret the Scriptures?  By using other Scriptures which the Holy Spirit has anointed!

     Scripture interprets Scripture and God does not contradict His Word.  When taken in context, you will find that there are NO contradictions in the Holy Bible!

     The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree totally, because the Holy Spirit anointed holy men to write the Scripture, and God has no mental block or speech impediment! He said what He meant. And He honours His Word with His total power and authority!    

     Jesus Christ Himself is the Living Word of God and the Holy canon of Scripture, the Bible, is the written Word of God.  Therefore, if you will believe the Word of God and appropriate it for yourself, Jesus Christ will come out of the pages of this holy book and come into your heart.

     St. Paul said, "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?  God forbid:  yea, let God be true, but every man a liar..." (Rom. 3:3-4)

       There are more than 33,000 promises of blessings in the Bible and they all have to do with God's dealings with mankind! His promises are not for angelic beings, but for lost, sinful, sick, and fallen man. His promises are for you and me!

                       CHRIST INVITES EVERYONE!

     Jesus invited, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". (Matt. 11:28) The most beautiful word in any language is 'Come'.  This is a word of invitation and when Jesus calls, we must always be ready to answer His call!

      He said, "Come unto Me".  He is the only One with solutions to our problems and answers to our questions!

  While on a visit to the USA, the then Soviet Union's communist president Mikhail Gorbachev stated, "Only Jesus Christ had the solutions to every problem.  I don't possess that skill".

   When asked by US reporters, the reason for glasnost, perestroika and the new freedom of religion which was happening in his country, Gorbachev replied: "JESUS CHRIST"!

     As startled reporters asked him to repeat his answer, he stated without hesitation: "Jesus Christ".  Then, as if realizing what he had just said, Gorbachev quickly changed the subject.

      Christ's invitation is to "all who labour and are heavy laden", and that takes us all in. Gorbachev was right:  Only Jesus Christ has the solution to every problem!

     He promises rest and peace to all who respond to His invitation! And we all need a new meeting with Jesus! No one is exempt from the burdens, frustrations, temptations, pressures, cares, sicknesses and other pitfalls of Satan, the world, and the flesh!

    Testing, temptations, and trials come to us all in various forms and fashions.  The inability to pay our debts - due to unemployment, unreasonable taxation, or sickness - is one of the biggest stress producers in this generation! Our faith is sorely tried as we deal with things like family break-up among children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends.

    Christ Jesus, however, has promised us total victory, a release from tension and an abiding peace as we look to Him alone and keep our trust in His Word!

     Hear His Word again: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. (Matt. 11:28)

    Notice - He did not say ‘Come to a certain religious body or embrace a certain philosophy, ideology or theology’...but He said, "Come unto Me".

      Jesus didn't mention His mother Mary or His inner circle disciples Peter, James or John or His brother James who became the pastor of the world's first Pentecostal Church (the church was born on the day of Pentecost and exhibited supernatural signs and wonders) in Jerusalem!

   He didn't say come to the high priest or rabbi or pastor, evangelist, apostle or prophet!  He said, "Come unto Me"!

   There is not a single account of Jesus ever turning away anyone who came to Him for help. He met the needs of each one! And that is reassuring to know, especially when you are in need of a miracle healing or are in danger, and must have an answer to your prayer!

                           MY OWN TESTIMONY!

    I can verify that God is a "God at hand and not a God afar off". (Jer. 23:23). I can confirm that God answers prayer! In 1984, my team and I were conducting a crusade in Northern India, when a staggering miracle occurred. I had planned to have a large crusade in southern India, where nearly all visiting evangelists conduct their crusades.

   Previously I had been in the south and central parts of India but had not ventured into the north where the zealous, devout and often fanatical Brahmin Hindus have almost total power.

    In fact, for the previous twenty years the number of Christians had declined there each year, as daughters of Christian families were marrying Hindu men because of the low status and dismal financial opportunities for the followers of Jesus Christ among the predominant Hindu population!

     Thousands of pastors were ready to embrace our ministry in the south, and we were expecting 100,000 persons on the opening night, with prospects of larger crowds as the crusade progressed. And I was excited about going! Then God changed my plans and I was challenged to go to northern India, to a very intellectual city of Brahmin Hindus and Muslims.

  The Hindus had just completed a ten-day-revival in Amedevad, Gujarat in preparation for our coming, to rejuvenate the people in their beliefs and to warn them to stay away from our meetings! On the first night of our crusade, 1/4 million Muslims were in the streets in a gigantic parade, to start 21 days of fasting in a celebration called Ramadan!

    We began with only 3,000 people on the opening night, backed by two Methodist churches. About 120 young people from Asia and Europe - with a group called ‘Christ is the Answer’- had blanketed the area with posters!

     My message was titled, ‘Jesus Christ the same Yesterday, Today and Forever’!  I declared the gospel of Christ according to St. Peter:  "Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved". (Acts 4:12)

          I PRESENTED THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST! 

     I presented the claims of Christ:  "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 man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy;  I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 9-10)

  And I quoted St. Paul:  "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour:  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all..." (1 Tim. 2:3-6).

  I declared that Jesus Christ was the Son of the Living God, born of a virgin woman, His Sinless Life, Miracle Ministry, Victorious Death and Glorious Resurrection from the dead!

  Less than 100 came forward for salvation in the first service, but God performed several miracles of healing in answer to my prayer!

  The next day, Hindu Religious Leaders decided to drive us out of the Park and conduct another Ten - Day Hindu revival on the very grounds we had a permit to use! Unbeknown to me, our Crusade Leader had received their letter informing us of their intentions, with a warning of serious trouble if we did not vacate the area that evening!

 THE LETTER DIVULGED THAT THE POLICE HAD BEEN ALERTED OF A POSSIBLE RIOT AND THAT 50 FANATICS WITH STONES AND STICKS WOULD START AN UPROAR, STOP THE CRUSADE AND KILL THE PREACHER, IF NECESSARY!

  There were about 6,000 in attendance that evening. I chose for my text Acts 17:18-32 where St. Paul preached his famous Mars Hill message, ‘The Unknown God’. The Bible declares that St. Paul was “stirred in the spirit” while he waited for Timothy and Silas, because the entire city was “full of idols”!

 Invited by the philosophers to speak, he said: “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For, as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO THE UNKNOWN GOD’.

 “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, declare I now unto you! God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

 “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needeth anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath and all things. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitations: that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.

           GOD COMMANDS ALL MEN TO REPENT!

 “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

   “Because He hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man Whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” (Acts 17: 16 – 30).

 I said, "I entered your city last evening and beheld your temples, images, idols and gods. Idols that are made of wood, stone, plaster of paris, and plastic; gods that have eyes that see not, ears that hear not, mouths that cannot speak, hands that have never helped anyone and feet that are stationary"!”

  I quoted the Psalmist David concerning the gods of the heathen: “Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not.”

  Then I presented Jesus Christ, the only true Saviour of the world and the Son of the Living God!

   At precisely 9:00 PM as I was making the altar call, suddenly other loud speakers began blaring out an opposing message - in the Hindi language - in the very same venue which we were using! They had made good on their threat and now they were commanding everyone to vacate the park, because a riot was about to begin!

     This was no idle threat. These fanatics meant business! On those same grounds, two years previously, the Muslims had started a riot in a Christian crusade, to stop the meetings.  Muslim fanatics had overturned a bus with 17 men, women, and children, poured gasoline on it, setting it ablaze and killing them all! Of course, everyone fled, and the Crusade was history!

 More than thirty years earlier, a well-known American evangelist was conducting a successful crusade in North India.  Fanatics began a riot and he had to leave.

  The Indian government then declared him non-gratis-persona, effectively barring him from the country, stating that his crusades were dangerous and prone to violence and riots. In this manner the bigots and religious fanatics had stopped one of the world's greatest soul winners from preaching in that nation for more than 3 decades!

             A MIRACLE OF GOD INTERVENED!

 NOW, THEY WERE PLANNING TO DO THIS TO US, BUT GOD INTERVENED! Just as the fanatics were entering the grounds, I was making the altar call.  More than 500 people were so gripped by the message and by the Holy Spirit that they rushed forward to receive Jesus Christ, as a powerful anointing came over me and the entire site!

   Then as I prayed a powerful prayer, rebuking the devil and calling upon God - in Jesus' Name - for miracles among the people, a 6 -year -old boy who was lame in one leg from birth was instantly healed!

    His parents, who were Brahmin Hindus rushed forward to testify, along with their healed son. Upon hearing the commotion and the testimony, the fanatics asked, "Is that Mr. and Mrs. so and so? (a prominent businessman). Is it true that his son is healed? Who is that man?  Is he a prophet?"

  Those around them in the crowd said, "Yes, he is a prophet from Canada". They dropped their stones and sticks saying, “We could have killed a prophet. We’ll give him another day.”

 They pulled down their loudspeakers! The next evening, the crowd grew to about 10,000 and I preached on ‘God's Love and the Blood of Jesus’! The fanatics who had previously wanted to hurt me, now wanted to kiss my feet. And the revival continued with the crowd growing to approximately 40,000 persons.

  And according to the last reports we have had, the Christian community was not only strengthened but also is growing!  Thousands enrolled in the New Converts Class, by mail. And hundreds took special courses for Christian Ministry! To God be all the glory!

     Here, however is the good news: We can come to our Heavenly Father at anytime and anywhere, for any need and expect a hearing and an answer to our prayers! God's Word says, "Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not". (Jer. 33:3)

      All of us go through times of difficulty and trouble, and God is more willing to give than we are to ask. Jesus said, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full". (John 16:24)

             JESUS BIDS US COME TO HIM! 

 We are invited to call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us and show us His mighty arm outstretched, in signs, wonders and miracles!

 All we must do is call, and He will answer!  It is humbling for us to acknowledge our weakness and need for help.  It is humbling for us to request assistance from an outside force in this proud, efficient, and materialistic world in which we live.

     If we want an answer, however, we must call upon His Name!  Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him"? (Luke 11:13)

 Our Lord stated, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool". (Isa. 1:18)

  Jesus invited, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matt. 7:7-8)

  The simplest thing in the world for anyone to do is to ask for something.  And yet, it can be the most difficult!

   To ask God for forgiveness, we must acknowledge our failings and sins. To ask God for guidance, which road to take or for strength, we acknowledge our weakness. And to ask God for divine healing, we admit that we are sick and need help!

  But Jesus made it so easy!  He said, we must become like little children and ask with child-like faith and expectation. And His promise is sure and guaranteed to work.  He will keep His Word!

  Jesus said, "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 15:7)

    Again He stated, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: That whatsoever ye ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you." (John 15)

WITHOUT CHRIST WE ARE POWERLESS!

  We must remember Who our Source is!  Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to function by His grace.  And the Word of God is Supreme that He may be all in all!

 Jesus said: "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto Me..." (Acts 1:8). "Without Me, ye can do nothing"! (John 15:5). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  I will be with you until the end of the world". (Heb. 13:5)

 WE MUST ASK IN FAITH! When we approach God’s Throne of Grace, we must ask specifically for what we need or desire!  We must be specific, so that we can prioritize our request and focus on our needs!

 It is important to lay out our needs in a definite request, believing that He hears us and will keep His promise!

 Faith is expecting an answer when you pray!  Faith is trusting God so explicitly, that when you have met the conditions that He has set forth in His Great Document - the Holy Bible - He will respond favourably!

 The Bible says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". (Heb. 11:1). Here is Moffat's translation of this verse:  "Faith means we are confident of what we hope for; convinced of what we do not see."

 Faith is like the title deed to a property you own but have never seen.  You know it is yours because it has been bequeathed to you in a will or it has been given to you as a gift ~ possibly in another part of the world ~ and you still haven't received it or seen it.

 That is how faith works!  We have God's promises regarding prayer and His desire to answer, but the things we have prayed for may not have happened yet!

  Keep on trusting, expecting, and believing, and the answer will come!  Loved ones will come to Christ, sicknesses will be healed by God's power and your many prayer requests will be answered when you pray in the Name of Jesus! We have His Word on it!

  The Bible says, "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass". (Psalms 37:5). Jesus showed us how faith works in Mark 11:22-24:

  "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  

 “Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

 In my opinion, Heb. 11:1 is a theologian's definition of faith.  The layman's definition of faith is found in verse 6.

 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Heb. 1:6)

         FAITH IS THREE THINGS!

1). Faith is coming to God with your needs and making your requests known!

  When you bring your request to God in prayer, you are declaring your faith in Him! By asking God for help, you are demonstrating faith! You wouldn’t come to God for help if you didn't believe He could help you! This is proof that you do believe that He is greater than yourself and your need!

  You are saying: "Lord, You are greater than I and more powerful, and that is why I am coming to You. I am weak, helpless and needy.  I trust in You as my Saviour, Healer and Deliverer! Wash me in Your precious blood and heal me through Your broken body. Hear my prayer, O Lord. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

2). Faith believes that God exists!

Faith is believing that God is real, that He is alive and available today! But, you may ask, “Who is God?” That question has been asked repeatedly for thousands of years. Here are some truths about God from two historical creeds of the Church. 

  In 230 A.D. during the Arian controversy (attack on the deity of Christ and Trinity) 318 Church Fathers (many of them victims of persecution) met at Nicaea, and adopted a statement of faith. It is called the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

The Only begotten Son of God,

Begotten of Him before all ages,

God of God, Light of Light,

Very God of Very God,

Begotten, not made,

Being of one Substance with the Father,

By Whom all things were made.

I believe in the Holy Spirit 

The Lord and giver of life, 

Which proceedeth from the Father and the Son, 

Who with the Father and the Son together, 

Is worshipped and glorified.

  A part of the Athanasian Creed reads thus: “In this Trinity, nothing is before or after, nothing is greater or less: but all three Persons co-eternal, together and equal.” Concerning Jesus the Son, they wrote into the Creed: “Equal to His Father, as touching His Godhead; less than the Father, as touching His manhood.”

   In his book, ‘The Knowledge of the Holy’, A.W. Tozer writes: “Christ did not hesitate to use the plural form when speaking of Himself along with the Father and the Spirit. ‘We will come unto him, and make our abode with him’ Yet again He said, ‘I and My Father are one.’ It is most important that we think of God as Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Person nor dividing the Substance.”

   He is eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all wise), omnipresent, (everywhere present at once), incomprehensible (unknowable), transcendent (above nature), eternal (without beginning and without end) and immutable (never differing from Himself).

 Faith is: Believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins and arose from the dead for our justification! Faith is: Believing in the God of the Bible! 

3). Faith is expecting a miracle when we pray!

Faith anticipates and awaits the imminent answer from the eternal, living and trustworthy One, whose name is Faithful, True and Holy!

 The Holy Scripture says: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen". The NIV translation renders this verse thusly: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Heb. 11:1) 

 Faith is a fact and faith is also an act, because "faith without works is dead being alone". (James 2:26) Faith is now! Faith is a present day reality and faith gets the job done! Yes, indeed my friend: Faith Works Miracles!

  I close this brief paper with these words from St. John: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a Liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son.

 “And this is the record that God hath given to us Eternal life, and this life is in His Son. For he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we KNOW that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we KNOW that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” (1 John 5: 14, 15)

    “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is NONE other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 7-12)

 May the Blessed Holy Spirit make these precious truths real to everyone reading these inspired words. Amen.