DIVINE DELIVERANCE
by Pastor Max Solbrekken D.D.
"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Is. 59:19), "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father." (Gal.1:3-4)
"The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." (2 Pet. 2:9)
In this end-time generation, Satan has arrayed every weapon he
has against the Church! The Scriptures
state, "...for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Rev. 12:12)
Satan is working day and night to do all
the evil he can to satisfy his evil lusts. He realizes that his time is short,
so he is working over-time to tear down the Work of God on earth. The Bible states: “The
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,”
(1 Peter 5:8)
Sin with a capital "S" has made inroads everywhere as corrupt men and seducers wax worse and worse, (2 Tim. 3:13) deceiving and being deceived. The world glitters with the pleasures, lusts and greed of a fallen and lost race! This generation has produced more pitfalls and snares than any other, with which to capture people's minds and ruin their bodies and souls!
FALSE PROPHETS SHALL ARISE
Apostates, False Teachers and so-called Modernists (their teaching is actually as old as the devil) have made havoc of the Church and have torn away the moral guide lines and foundation stones of truth, righteousness and purity from the minds of thousands, in this generation.
L.S.D., S.T.P., marijuana and other hallucinary drugs have gained a strong foothold in the lives of careless, rebellious and uninformed young people, while King Alcohol has enslaved millions of unsuspecting souls in his demonic grasp.
And now fentanyl has eclipsed all others in killing thousands of young people yearly!
Jesus prophesied of this generation when He spoke of false
prophets arising to deceive! (Matt. 24:24-26)
No doubt He was speaking about the false cults and strange religious and
psychic groups we see at work today, deceiving and brainwashing both young and
old! And of the world-wide conspiracy of
the devious, diabolical and dangerous New Age Movement!
They asked Christ, "What shall be the sign of thy coming
and of the end of the world?"
He prophesied many signs which would point to His eminent return. Signs
such as wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, epidemics of disease, gross
immorality, perversion (look at the divorce rate as well as the homosexual
revolution).
Jesus declared that there would be a state of fear, bringing death (men's hearts failing them for fear - heart attacks). He also spoke of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as a valid sign of His Coming and of the End of Time! (Rev. 3:19-21)
IT IS NO WONDER THE DEVIL IS MAD!
He is a clever deceiver and liar and would like nothing better than to break up marriages, cause people to commit murder, become homosexual, sadistic or go violently insane! His main aim is to damn souls to Hell forever!
Satan is working against the Church in this midnight hour with everything he has, but of course he has been defeated and his time is limited. Soon it will be "Game Over" for him. Hallelujah!
Satan is marching against TIME; every time the clock on the wall
says another hour has gone, the devil
has one hour less to enslave, destroy and bring into bondage the members of the
human race. One day he will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit; forever
banished from those who love Christ!
Satan was defeated on Calvary’s Cross when
Jesus Christ died victoriously, shedding His Precious BLOOD for the remission
of sins and the salvation for our souls, and rising from the dead, triumphant
over Death, Hell and the Grave!
Since that time Satan has gone about usurping illegal power,
scaring people into submission, deceiving and lying to draw them into his
snare, and using his "glittering lights" tactics and "rebel and
revolt" method of turning people away from God and righteousness.
We know his tactics however, and St.Paul said it perfectly in 2 Cor. 2:11, we are not ignorant of the devil's devices."
WE HAVE NO FEAR
Many people perish because of fear, but God's Word states,
"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): "Fear thou not; for I am with
thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea I will
help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My
righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)
The Bible says, "Perfect love casteth out fear". (1 John 4:18). Jesus Christ gave us the assurance of His nearness when He said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5), and "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).
Our blessed Lord declared, "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). The Old Testament confirms this in Psalm 91:10 where it says: " There shall NO EVIL thee, neither shall any PLAGUE come nigh thy dwelling.”
WE HAVE THE WEAPONS
The Bible, which is God's Divine, Infallible Word to mankind, has the answers to the most complex questions and problems. It reveals our rights and privileges together with our responsibilities; we learn of our God-given weapons, our abilities and the power available to us from our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, when we fully yield to Him.
“The
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the PULLING down of strongholds; CASTING down of imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor.10: 4.5)
St. Paul stated, "Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
"Wherefore, take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith, ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." (Eph. 6:10-18)
The Apostle Paul also said, "Fight the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed a
good profession before many witnesses." (1 Tim.6:12)
YOUR ADVERSARY - THE DEVIL
The Bible pin-points the source of all trouble: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan is our Adversary, but St. James states: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST the devil, and he will flee (in terror) from you.”
We RESIST him in the Faith of Jesus Christ! By ourselves we are
weak and defenseless. We cannot do it by our selves! Our faith must be grounded
in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We resist the Evil One in Jesus’ Name and he
must flee. Our faith is in the shed BLOOD of Jesus Christ, alone!
USE YOUR FAITH IN THE WORD
OF GOD! USE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU AND THE MIGHTY NAME OF
JESUS TO RESIST THE DEVIL. AND USE YOUR GODLY LIFE, YOUR PRAYERS, YOUR
WITNESSING AND YOUR HONEST REPORT OF RESISTING THE DEVIL. RESIST HIM IN THE FAITH!
The Bible says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) Hallelujah! The literal gr. states that Satan will flee "in terror" from us!
The Apostle Paul states that in the Christian life "there are many adversaries" (1 Cor.16:9) and, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12). But for those who live in sin there is, "A certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Heb. 10:27)
A note of courage and victory continues in Phil. 1:27-28,
"That ye stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing
terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition,
but to you of salvation, and that of God."
Paul prays, "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." (2 Th. 3:2). His admonition to Timothy to fight the good fight of faith came from a determined, disciplined and totally surrendered life to God's will.
"And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem,
not knowing the things that shall befall me there; save that the Holy Ghost
witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and in the
ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the
grace of God." Praise God! (Acts 20:24)
ST. PAUL DIED A MARTYR'S DEATH
His final declaration of the "Fight of Faith" thrills my heart. It is found in 2 Tim. 4:6-8. Earlier he declared that he was not only willing to be bound for the Name of Jesus but that he was also willing to die for the Name of Jesus Christ. He received that privilege!
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."
Thank God, there is Divine help for every situation and circumstance. We can pray to our Heavenly Father in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ, and get an answer. Thanks be unto God!
There is complete deliverance from all the
powers of the devil; forgiveness for your sins; divine healing for your sick
body; liberation from your fears and frustrations, and total freedom from evil
spirits and demon powers. All this and more from the hand of God, in Jesus'
Wonderful Name. Satan cannot harass you if you are a child of God.
HE HAS NO LEGAL RIGHT TO DOMINATE YOU SINCE
YOU ARE GOD'S PROPERTY, AND COVERED WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. WHEN
HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU KNOW THE TRUTH, SATAN'S POWER OVER YOU WILL BE
COMPLETELY BROKEN. HALLELUJAH!
There is total healing for the complete man. God will heal your spirit, soul, and your
body.
"But He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities (healing for our spirit), the chastisement of our
peace was upon Him (healing of our mind) and with His stripes we are healed.
(healing for our body) (Isa. 53:5)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of Deliverance. It is a
Gospel of power, reality and action; a Gospel of Deliverance! My dear friend,
turn to Christ now. Repent of your sins,
renounce the devil, and he will flee from you! Amen.
Unfortunately, some ministers are only servants of a denomination or
religious order and puppets of a system with a set of dead creeds, dogmas and
rituals; with no vision or contact with God and no real deliverance for the
multitudes in need!
When such a man is approached by sin-sick souls trying to find forgiveness
for their sins and peace of mind, they are not taken to the throne of mercy in
prayer, but rather referred to a psychiatrist who, with his human advice (which usually excludes the Word of God),
begins the drawn out procedure of probing the mind and quieting the conscience.
People are often told: "There is nothing wrong with
premarital sex, it is quite normal to be a homosexual; there is nothing wrong
with having extra marital relations". And alcoholics are informed that
they are not sinners, but have a disease!
A hopeless alcoholic approached a minister for help. He was offered a cigarette to calm his nerves and referred to "Alcoholics Anonymous. Incidentally that was his final attempt in obtaining help. He felt that if a man of God could not help him there was no hope; his drunkenness earned him a jail sentence.
His wife and family suffered, his name was disgraced by his many
sinful acts and he lost all confidence in himself. The cigarette smoking
preacher could have helped him, but didn't even suggest prayer.
In prison, he began rehabilitation and was made a trustee, and
therefore allowed to leave the prison on certain errands in behalf of the penal
system.
While eating his lunch at a nearby cafe, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ was presented to him; not by a man of the cloth but by a waitress who
had experienced the Grace of God in her own life; the contact was made and the
Gospel presented to this man - first in tract form and later by word of mouth.
The prisoner was
gloriously converted to Christ, later released from prison on good behaviour
and returned to his wife and children.
He got a good job, paid his bills and became a living testimony to other
alcoholics and convicts of the saving grace of our Blessed Lord! Praise God.
GUILT AND CONDEMNATION
Guilt and condemnation cannot be reasoned away or removed through shock treatment, drugs or even drunkenness. The senses can be dulled and the conscience deadened but the knowledge of sinfulness, quilt, remorse, failure and shame can only be removed through the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His atoning work on Calvary's cross.
Only the shed BLOOD of Jesus Christ has the power to wash away sin and
guilt from the human heart, break all existing evil habits and restore the individual to a healthy
state of mind and full communion with God!
When the guilt and condemnation is removed through confession of
sins to God and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour, a
great peace floods the soul and a tranquility invades the entire being that
dispels all worry, frustration, fear, unbelief and sadness.
The Scripture says, "... Christ having made peace through
the Blood of His Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself ..."
(Col. 1:20). Jesus said, "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,
neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
Only Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, is able to bring peace
to troubled hearts and lives. Listen to the blessed words of help and
deliverance found in Phil. 4:6-7, "...but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
The invitation goes out to everyone. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) And in Is.1:18 the Bible says, "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."
THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
When the sin is gone and the Lord Jesus Christ has entered into the heart by faith, a person experiences a newness of life. "Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17)
The condemnation is gone
and with it guilt, remorse and discouragement. Words of life and assurance come to us from
the Holy Bible, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
(Rom. 8:1)
The reason we have peace and "no condemnation"
is because we have received God's gift of Eternal Life, which is offered to the
human race and made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Here the Scriptures deal
with Justification, or being made just, righteous, forgiven, exonerated and
pardoned by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1). “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
The Scripture says, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered Him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest Thou. Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commiteth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:32-36)
There is nothing to compare with the peace, joy, happiness and
blessing that comes to us through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! There is
absolutely nothing that God cannot do and, "No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly." (Ps. 84:11)
TRANSLATED US IN HIS KINGDOM
The Scripture says that, "GOD HATH DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS, AND HATH TRANSLATED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON." (Col. 1:13)
When Jesus Christ came into our lives, the power of evil was broken, the chains burst asunder and the shackles that had us bound were gone forever. We were made free! Free from sin, evil habits, evil motives and evil desires.
Instead of being afraid we were full of confidence; instead of hatred, love ruled in our hearts and instead of being tormented, our very testimony caused the devil to flee, and the peace of God flooded our souls. Not only was this the experience when we were first converted, but this is our testimony today!
The experience of conversion and the new birth does not become stale or out of date; it is ever a refreshing experience to walk by faith and serve God with a clean and pure heart.
We have been delivered by Almighty God and our citizenship has been changed. The power of darkness, sin and evil held sway in our lives, but then JESUS came near and broke the Chains!
We are now in the Kingdom of Christ, happy and free; sin's
shackles that bound us are broken forever, as we serve our Blessed Lord Jesus
with joy and enthusiasm. The Scripture
says, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." (John 8:32).
Hallelujah!
I) WE RECEIVE DELIVERANCE FROM FEAR, THROUGH CHRIST!
Fear is one of the greatest enemies of mankind. Nothing can cripple a human being like the Spirit of Fear. When it grips a victim in its ugly tentacles the results are terrifying and devastating; it breeds worry, anxiety, frustration, perplexities and torment.
The Bible says,
"Fear hath torment". (1 John 4:18) Again the Holy Scriptures say, "For God
hath not given us the Spirit of Fear." (2 Tim. 1:7) Here fear is
cataloged as a spirit and since there is only one Holy Spirit and since fear
is opposite to faith, and "Without faith it is impossible to please
God," (Heb. 11:6) we therefore conclude that fear is not a good spirit,
but an evil one!
The Scriptures state that God has not given us the Spirit of Fear, but
God has given us power, love and a sound mind. Again, since fear brings torment
we can be assured that it is a product of satanic bondage, because God is good
and brings peace, love and joy to those who trust in Him, and the devil is the
author of confusion, torment and unrest.
Jesus said, "The thief (devil) 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 10:10) We have complete freedom from fear as we let God's love flood our souls. Remember, "Perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:1)
(II) WE RECEIVE DELIVERANCE FROM SIN, THROUGH CHRIST!
Satan's power over our lives ended when we accepted Christ as our personal Saviour. Unbelief had to give way to faith, insecurity vanished as confidence rushed in, sorrow retreated in the face of joy, and defeat was no opponent for victory!
The melancholy spirit of despair disappeared when hope came shouting down the road and peace filled our troubled mind, spirit and body as torment fled. Pride was ashamed when humility entered, lust moved aside to let purity in, while greed and covetousness gave way to unselfishness. Darkness was no match for light, sickness was overcome by health and death had to give up when life made its gigantic appearance. Hallelujah!
The Scripture says, "Whom the Son sets free is free
indeed." (John 8:36) The Bible says, "For sin shall not have dominion
over you" (Rom. 6:14) and, "If any man be in Christ he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
(2 Cor. 5:17)
God's Word states, "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."
(John 5:24) Hallelujah!
(III) WE RECEIVE DELIVERANCE FROM SICKNESS, DISEASE & DEMONS FROM CHRIST!
Jesus died and rose again to purchase our complete salvation. The Bible teaches that Jesus wants to be Saviour of our entire being, which includes spirit, soul, mind and body.
When Jesus walked upon earth He not only forgave the sinner but
healed the sick, suffering and diseased. The Scriptures abound with instances
where Jesus brought healing to the sick and suffering and where He alleviated
pain and cast out evil and tormenting spirits from those oppressed by them.
The Holy Bible records, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and
healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was
with Him." (Acts 10:38)
THE
SCRIPTURES CLASSIFY SICKNESS AS THE OPPRESSION OF THE DEVIL AND HEALING AS
DOING GOOD!
Remember, that Jesus came to do His Father's will (John 4:34)
and to destroy the works of the devil.
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
Two thirds of His earthly ministry was spent in healing the sick
and casting out devils, while one third of His time was used in teaching and
preaching.
On one occasion Jesus called sickness a plague! "And He said unto her, daughter, thy
faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plague." (Mark
5:34)
On another occasion Jesus said that Satan had bound a woman with a spirit of infirmity and that He felt it only right that she be loosed from Satan's grasp on the Sabbath day, seeing she was a daughter of Abraham (a child of faith).
She no doubt was afflicted with arthritis of the back and hips.
"And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And He laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." (Luke 13:11)
BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD
When healing the epileptic, blind, deaf and dumb and mentally deranged, often Jesus attributed these diseases to evil spirits, which He then cast out. (Mark 9:18-27; 2: 10-11; 5:8) However, not all epilepsy, blindness, deafness or other diseases are caused by evil spirits; some are caused by brain damage, accidents or other illness.
Just to set the record straight as by whose power the sick are
healed and demons cast out, our Lord Jesus Christ proved without a shadow of a
doubt that Divine Healing and deliverance from evil spirits is done by the
finger of God, (Luke 11:20) which is the Spirit of God, (Matt.
12:28) the Blessed Holy Ghost. (Luke 4:14)
Satan can not cast himself out since a house divided against
itself will not stand. (Mark 3:22-30). Again, Jesus proved that Satan who is
totally evil and who brings sin, fear, sickness, pain and torment upon people,
can not do anything that is good, since a good tree only brings forth good
fruit and a corrupt tree corrupt fruit Jesus said, "By their fruits ye shall
know them." (Matt. 7:15-20)
Jesus said to the man sick of the palsy, "Son be of good cheer;
thy sins be forgiven thee." (Matt. 9:2) When the skeptics criticized Him,
He asked the question, "Whether is easier, to say thy sins be forgiven
thee; or to say, arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath
power on earth to forgive sins, then saith He to the sick of the palsy, arise, take up thy bed,
and go unto thine house." (Matt. 9:5-6).
The Scripture says he was healed and went home glorifying God. Jesus set the record straight concerning Divine Healing: It is no harder for our Lord to forgive the sinner than to heal the sick, and no more difficult for Him to heal the sick than to to forgive the sinner! He didn't even use the word "hard". He asked,"Which is easier?" NOTHING IS HARD FOR GOD!
YES, IT IS GOD'S WILL!
Many ask the question, "Is it God's will to heal me?"A man once asked the Master Himself this same question. Here is the account of it, "And behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying I will; be thou clean, and immediately his leprosy was cleansed." (Matt. 8:2-3)
This is the only account of anyone asking the question regarding God's will to heal. Jesus said to the leper, an incurable case, "I will; be thou clean." Hallelujah!
There is only one account in the New Testament where Jesus failed to heal a great number of people and that was because of the people's unbelief. He healed those who believed and because only a few believed in Him, He only healed a few. Jesus does not push Himself on people who refuse to believe. "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6)
"And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a Centurion, beseeching Him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
"The Centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man, go and he goeth; and to another come and he cometh; and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it.
"When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that
followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in
Israel." (Matt.8:5-10)
Here is a beautiful
account of the willingness of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the sick!
The Centurion told the Master about his sick servant. Immediately the Lord Jesus spoke up and said, "I will come and heal him!" The Centurion answered, "I'm not worthy that You should come under my roof. You need only to speak the Word and my servant shall be healed.”
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel!” Jesus actually marvelled when He saw the FAITH of this pagan Roman soldier. Only twice in the New Testament do we find that Jesus marvelled. This was one of the occasions - the other was when He witnessed the unbelief of the religious people in Nazareth.
"And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hand
upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their
unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6)
UNBELIEF IS A
GRIEVOUS SIN
Jesus said, "That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 8:11-12)
There is no sin as great as the Sin
of Unbelief. Many today say they believe the Bible to be true, by deny
certain portions of it to fit their man-made doctrines!
The Scripture warns in 2 Tim. 2:1-5: "This know also, that
in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady,
high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Jesus’ worst critics were
those who refused believe in the Healing Ministry and casting out devils. They
even called our Lord Jesus Christ, a devil and said that He was healing the
sick and casting out evil spirits, by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils!
OUR GOD IS ABLE TO DELIVER US
The three Hebrew children would not bow to the heathen idol and were cast into a burning fiery furnace. This punishment meant sure death since the furnace was heated seven times hotter than usual, because of the fury of the King against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
The heat was so intense that even the guards that threw them
into the furnace were scorched to death.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself came on the scene and delivered them from the fire!
The King looking into the furnace cried in amazement, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?... Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (Daniel 3:24-25)
"What a miracle" you say - True, it was a great miracle but let me tell you why God performed this great miracle.
When they were given the ultimatum by the King they answered,
"...O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If
it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up." (Daniel 3:16-18)
OUR GOD IS A GREAT DELIVERER
AND HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE POWERS OF EVIL, THE DESTROYING FORCE OF
DISEASE, THE CRIPPLING WORKS OF FEAR, THE DEMONS OF POVERTY AND THE STRANGE
POWER OF ACCIDENTS AND CALAMITY. HALLELUJAH! (Luke
4:18; Is. 61:1). I thank God for Divine Deliverance!
DELIVERED FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS
St. Paul declared: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified) 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: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (God’s only begotten Son from eternity):
“For by Him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether there be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him:
“And He is BEFORE all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; (the first to die and be raised never to die again) that in all things, He might have the preeminence.
"For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell; And having made PEACE through the Blood of His CROSS, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against 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. 1:12-20; 2:14,15). Amen.
THE HALTING CRIPPLE
In the ‘Cry of
His Coming’ April, 2011, we carried this amazing testimony of Arne Irik Tomassen of Jovik, Norway: “Twenty-nine years ago, I was a hopeless
alcoholic and drug addict. I was also crippled. People called me ‘Den
halte pinken’ referring to my hopeless physical and moral condition!
At 17, my
right leg stopped growing after an accident. As a 22- year-old sailor, I
developed a tumour in my right leg and was hospitalized for 8 months in
Argentina. After several operations my right leg had become 3 inches shorter
and I had to swing my body awkwardly forward with each step. Life was tough
when I returned to Norway! People stared
and began calling me, ‘The halting cripple’.
From
1969 until 1973, I slept on the streets
in Oslo! On December 1973, I decide to kill myself. Perched up high on a
bridge over the river in a drugged stupor, I heard an audible voice saying,
“Arne, don’t do it. I have a better way for you.” Looking around and
seeing no-one, I thought I had flipped out. When the Voice spoke the same words
again, I thought, “Maybe this is God”. I remembered a vagrant on the streets
saying, “If you are in real trouble,
Filadelfia Assembly is nearby and will help you.”
“When I
arrived there, Max Solbrekken was preaching and I went straight up to the front
in that large church. Max came down from the platform and I fell into his arms
sobbing. He asked, “What do you want?” I answered, “I want God.” He held me
tight in his arms and began to weep. The power of God shook us as he cried out
for mercy and healing. Suddenly my crippled body became normal as my leg moved
out 3 inches and my right hip synchronized with my left one!
I was as
free as a bird and happy as could be. No more alcohol, drugs or thoughts of
suicide. No Longer a Cripple and I’m still healed today!
“God gave
me another miracle on January 7, 2002, when Max Solbrekken preached in Gjovik. Fourteen months earlier, I
suffered a major hemorrhage in my right eye, resulting in complete loss of sight
in that eye! As Pastor Max prayed for a lady from the Salvation Army Choir,
total vision returned as God’s power swept the sanctuary. Everyone knew of my
plight and word of that miracle has spread throughout the city! We are awaiting
Max Solbrekken’s return to Gjovik.”
To God belongs all the thanks for
His awesome mercy, love, grace and power. No other entity could even come close
to the goodness of God to Arne Irik Tomassen and all of us who have tasted His
mercy and grace. Amen.
