I WAS A DRUNKARD,
GOD INTERVENED IN OUR LIVES:
God brought us forgiveness, healing,
peace and great joy
by: Norman & Angela Casavant, Edmonton, AB
God was searching for us before we believed or even sought after
Him! In theology, we call that the 'prevenient grace' of God! That, separates the Christian Faith from all other religions!
In them, men are striving to appease God, but the Bible teaches
that "God was in Christ reconciling us to Himself" for the
cross. True Christianity is God searching after men! The Casavant's
witness is strong evidence of that! - Max
Solbrekken
NORMAN says: God has been good to us! We have so much to
thank Him for! I was ‘a drunkard’ for many years and Angie had
to put up with me. Then Jesus saved me and gave us a brand new life! Jesus has
become very real to me and we pray every day and He answers our
prayers!
God has saved me from certain death several times. The Lord has
healed me miraculously and given me good health and strength so that I am still
working like a young man at 73 years of age!"
ANGELA says: The Jehovah Witnesses used to come to our home
and that is how I started to read the Bible! Being a Roman Catholic,
they told me that that is like ‘the blind leading the blind.’ I asked: ‘Who
is blind’? Then I realized that they also were blind because they
didn’t teach what the Bible teaches either!
One day in 1975, I accompanied our son Leonard to Leduc to babysit his children, while he visited his lawyer. There was a Christian Bookstore
nearby and while we waited, I decided to visit it. When I entered that
building, a strange feeling came over me and I had to pinch myself to see if I
was alright.
The owner of the Bookstore began
to talk to me about Jesus, saying that although he had other plans that day, he
felt compelled to come in.
Before I left, I had prayed the sinner’s prayer with him and
received Jesus Christ into my heart! He referred me to a pastor, who told me
that I was NOW a new creature in Christ and my sins were washed away because I
had received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and confessed Him as my Lord.
And that a new life had begun for me! He said: "We can know that we know
we are saved." (1 John 2:3-6, 3:5, 14, 19, 24; 1 John 4:2-6, 1 John
13:5-20) Read Romans 10:9-10), John 1:11-12, John 5:24-26)
My husband was not interested in the Gospel. He was mainly
interested in the Bottle of Alcohol. ! I thought: “What did I do to
deserve this? Married to a drunkard all these years?” I
used to listen to Pastor Max Solbrekken on the radio and I said: “I’ve
got to go to hear him preach!"
I went a few times to his church with some women, but everything
was strange with people falling down when they received prayer! Norman
ridiculed: “They fall down because they are weak."
NORMAN says one day in 1983, a nun telephoned us. She said: "Norman, you
need Jesus!” Then, in French, she asked me to repeat a prayer
after her! It hit me right there. I started crying like a little baby. I
had lost my driver's license for a year, after being in a collision with a City
Bus. While waiting for the police to come, I polished off a Mickey of
whiskey. After the prayer, however, something wonderful happened. I was born again.
I read the Bible every day. It was so beautiful, like a dark
cloud had lifted. I did not know what was going on. It was
something new. I didn't feel like drinking or smoking anymore!
I was 16 when I started drinking, and at 53 I was totally changed
after praying the ‘Sinner’s Prayer’. I had smoked 3 packages of
cigarettes a day and drank a case of beer, some
rum, and a 26 oz bottle of whiskey nearly
every single day! Since that time, and for the past 21 years, I
have not had any desire to go back to my old life. Hallelujah to Jesus, for
the freedom we enjoy in and through Him!
GOD HEALED ME AFTER TWO SERIOUS
ACCIDENTS!
In 1989, I was offloading a sheet of very heavy
plywood from a truck at W.W. Arcade in Edmonton (4 ft x 8 ft x 1 inch). I
wrenched my back out of place and could hardly move. I was all bent over and
could only move very awkwardly. Other staff members were going to call an
ambulance, but I said: “I’m going to see my doctor."
I called Pastor Max Solbrekken. He met me at the
church and after a time of prayer, I was instantly healed. My back was normal as if the accident had never occurred! Within half an hour I returned to
work. My co-workers were absolutely shocked. They expected me to be in the
hospital and off work for several weeks. They said: “What
happened? What did the doctor do? Who is your doctor? We can’t believe what we
are seeing?"
I answered, “My pastor, Dr. Solbrekken prayed for me and I am perfectly well! Jesus - the Man Upstairs – healed me right away. He is my HEALER.” They wondered if I was going to take some time off, but I said: “I’m ready to go back to work right now!”
MY
BOSSES WERE AMAZED! That same afternoon they sent me out to deliver (2 pallets
plus 10) 60 cement blocks, each weighing 70 to 80 lbs. I had to physically lift
those sidewalk blocks (24 x 24 inches) off the truck and stack them by myself!
And I had absolutely no pain! Praise God!
In 1993, I fell through a hole in the roof we were
shingling, at my daughter and son-in-law’s home in Macklin, SK.
It was a 12-foot drop and I landed on concrete. My spine was severely damaged
with several broken and cracked vertebrae. When we got back to Edmonton. I went to the Capilino MediCentre. Ex-rays were taken, giving
me the bad news. I was told that I would not be able to work for 6 months.
That Sunday evening, I returned to my old church Faith
Cathedral (now called People’s Church) Pastor Max was
preaching. As he laid his hands upon me in Jesus’ precious name, I was made
instantly well and have had NO more problems with my back
since that moment! I could go on and on about God’s goodness to me! Amen.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Facebook; Youtube; Blog: MSWM; Donations can be made by e-Transfer. Make your donation to [email protected]; Thank you and may God bless you!
