NOT I BUT CHRIST

Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His wondrous love to me;
On the cruel cross He suffered,
  From the curse to set me free.

    Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer,
      With His blood He purchased me,
    On the cross He sealed my pardon,
        Paid the debt, and made me free.

I will tell the wondrous story,
  How my lost estate to save,
In His boundless love and mercy,
  He the ransom freely gave.

I will praise my dear Redeemer,
  His triumphant pow'r I'll tell,
How the victory He giveth
  Over sin, and death, and hell.

I will sing of my Redeemer,
  And His heav'nly love to me;
He from death to life hath brought me,
  Son of God with Him to be.

Copyright: Lyrics © Original Writer and Publisher

"And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And Jesus 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: 17)

In the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ appointed twelve disciples to be with Him and be taught by Him, until His death on the cross for the Redemption of mankind. 

They witnessed His amazing wisdom and knowledge and His power to heal the sick, cast out devils and raise the dead! They also saw the awful hatred of some of the leading scribes and pharisees against Him!

"The people which sat in Darkness saw great Light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and Healing all manner of Sickness and all manner of Disease among the people. 

"And His fame went through all Syria; and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those that were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy, and He healed them.

"And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan." (Matt. 4: 16,17; 23-25)

JEWISH LEADERS TURNED AGAINST JESUS!

Leading Jewish authorities knew that Prophets like Micah, David, Daniel, and Isaiah and others, had brought utterances about the Coming Messiah, and they saw the outstanding miracles of healing and excorisms that He did. 

Instead of embracing His message of Repentance, they turned against Jesus. They watched Him and tried to 'catch Him in His words' but they were unable to outsmart Him. How sad. How tragic!

The Bible states: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, ti them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

"And the WORD became flesh and , 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 1:11,12,14)

Our Lord promised: "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father. 

"And whatsoever ye shall ye ask in my name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." (John 14: 14-16)

CRUCIFIED LIFE IN CHRIST!

St. Paul stated: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20)

"But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Cor. 4:3-5)

"Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 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 of every creature. 

"For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principaloities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for 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; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all the fullness dwell.

JESUS HAS PURCHASED OUR PEACE!

"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. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He Reconciled, in the Body of His flesh through Death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight: 

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

"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosphy and vain deceit, after the traditon 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 alslo 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 also ye 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 the 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. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our Life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory... And have put on the New Man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew.. but Christ is all and in all.

"And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness. And let the PEACE of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called  in one body; and be ye thankful. And let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." (Col. 1:11-3:16)

WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING!

Jesus said; "I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth  in Me, and I in him, the sane bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. 

"If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them in the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

"Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples." (John 15: 4-8)

And now may the Grace of our Lord Jesus, the Love of God the Father and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. In Jesus name. Amen.

Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email:[email protected];comehometojesus.ca; Facebook; YouTube; Donations can be made by e-Transfer. Make the donation to [email protected]. God bless you.