~ TO GOD BE ALL THE
GLORY ~
Dear Friends in Jesus Christ,
Donna
and I wish to thank you for your kindness and help during this past year and earlier;
some for many years! It is hard to believe that sixty years ago in 1963,
we launched the world-wide Ministry for Christ, in which we are still very
active!
My
father’s instant healing in 1956 while listening to Oral Robert’s radio
broadcast, and sudden baptism in the Holy Ghost while singing a hymn, made an
impact upon me. I had drifted from God
since my confirmation at age 15 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and I was beginning
to seriously think about God again!
In
1957, while Donna and I were visiting my parents in Norquay, Saskatchewan, I
experienced Christ’s forgiveness, and received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost
with speaking in unknown tongues. My life was forever changed. Some time later
Donna was also born again and filled with the blessed Holy Ghost.
As
early as 1958 I was sharing Christ on my business trips and in 1961, I began
broadcasting over several Radio stations with much success. Some wonderful
miracles of salvation and divine healing were happening, which greatly
encouraged me and for that I am eternally thankful!
GOD SPOKE TO ME FROM THE BIBLE!
Early
in 1963 God spoke to me from Acts 6: 2-4: “Then the twelve called the
multitudes of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we
should leave the Word of God and serve tables… But we will give ourselves
continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word.”
My
time of serving tables was fulfilled. I
knew God had called me to the Ministry. I worked as a Commercial Traveller and used
my available time studying God’s Word with fasting and prayer. Wanting to be certain, I asked God for another
six months to wrap up my business, find a replacement and train him.
In
August 1963, we launched into the Evangelical Field to proclaim Jesus Christ as
the Light of the world and the only Hope of Salvation!
Donna
and I had built a new home in Prince George, where we lived for 6 years. I was
in a crusade in Kent, Washington in December 1963. Our good friends, the Hunters
pastored White Rock Pentecostal Church. They had inquired about a 3-bedroom
house for rent. The Assembly of God in Kent were having a wedding on the
Saturday allowing me to drive down to White Rock that afternoon.
The
Hunters stated that there had not been a three-bedroom house for rent for the
last 90 days. As I was driving up Johnson Road, I saw Wolstencroft Realty
lights and God urged me to stop there. It was 15 minutes to closing time. I
parked and walked inside. A gentleman met me. I asked, “Do you have a 3-bedroom
home for rent?”
He
said that there hadn’t been any for three months, but that a man had been there
30 minutes earlier and put his house for rent. He lived in Prince George and had
bought a new vehicle and had taken it for a spin and would be back in 10
minutes. I asked, “What is his name?” He answered, “His name is Ernie
James.” I said, “I know where he lives in Prince George because
we are neighbours!” We rented
his house for three months and then we made a deal to exchange homes!
MY HEAVIEST CROSS!
Years
ago, I began writing my story called, ‘My Heaviest Cross’ and this is
some of it! Leaving my beautiful wife Donna and our precious children
for long periods of time while I preached Christ’s Gospel has been my ‘Heaviest
Cross.” Thomas Tutyko and I were away
from home for 3 ½ months in 1966. We had great crusades from Japan to the
Philippines and India. Thousands of souls were saved, and great miracles
performed in Jesus’ name. We had the company of one another, which was a great
blessing!
I
have travelled in Crusades for weeks and months labouring for the Master.
Watching the news these days and seeing the awful carnage in Ukraine by the
wicked Russian Military, I can remember the cities where I preached across Eastern
Europe from 1989 to 2005. We had such great blessings especially in the
Ukraine, many of those cities now lie in ruin!
HIGH COST OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL!
A
few weeks ago, Donna and I were discussing the high cost of preaching the
Gospel. We know that Jesus paid the price for our salvation when He died for
our sins, fears, loneliness, sickness, and disease. And by His stripes we are healed
and have been given power over the devil in Jesus’ holy and matchless Name!
Donna said, “Of the many times the children and I took
you to the Vancouver International Airport, the children and I were so sad, and
I said in my heart, “If only we had one more night together!” I asked, “Do you
really need to leave today?” Then suddenly you said, “I’m not leaving tonight.
I’ll call them that I have been delayed” and you swung the car around and
headed Home. That was the happiest night I had. After that, it was okay.”
Donna
remembered the time I had said goodbye to her and the children at the Airport,
with the keys to our car in my pocket. Donna ran out to the exit gate shouting,
“My husband has the automobile keys in his pocket. Stop that airplane. I
have four children here and no keys to our vehicle.” Fortunately, they
got word out to the airplane, and I was able to give them the car keys, and my
precious family were on their way safely home! Whenever I was at home and we
could travel in the vehicle, we took the whole family!
I CALLED KEN MY SHADOW!
Ken
travelled with me a lot, even while I was still a Commercial Traveller. I would
introduce him to my customers. I called him my shadow. He was 3 ½ years old
when I preached a three-week Revival at the Langley Pentecostal Church with
Pastor Erhardt. Ken and I lived in the Attic where a bed had been set up
amidst a lot of other things.
When
I made the altar call and people would kneel at the altar, I would come down
and lay my hands on their heads and pray. Ken followed me and did the same.
Then when I felt my ministry was over and people continued praying, I would lay
my hands on Ken’s head and pray for Him before carrying him up to the Attic.
One night there was a large crowd and after much prayer, I took Ken with me and
was getting into bed. Suddenly, he said, “Dad, you didn’t pray for me
tonight!” I sensed the presence of God upon him and asked, “Do
you want to give your heart to Jesus tonight, son?” He said,
“Yes, Dad.” We knelt in that little attic at the Langley Pentecostal
Church and my son Ken gave his heart to the Lord.”
GREAT REVIVAL AMONG THE NATIVES!
Every
five weeks I would work my way west calling on every Grocery Store and Logging Camp,
and I would usually be in Hazelton or Prince Rupert for the
weekend. Pastor Jack and Irma Williams were doing an amazing work in the
about four or five Indian Reserves. They would ask me to speak and we would
have great outpourings of the Holy Spirit among them as God did miracles of
deliverance and healings for His glory.
Billy and Cynthia Leggette of the Prince Rupert Pentecostal Church were excellent musicians and pastors. I had preached in their church several times.
In the summer of 1962, Donna and I used our vacation
to preach in Edmonton, and Billy Legette joined us. He was a professional
violinist and great song leader. That 10-day crusade reached many people and 95
answered the altar call for salvation and many testified that Jesus had healed
them. Nine young men from the Roman Catholic Seminary went forward for prayer!
Ten
Seminarians from St. Joseph’s Seminary in St. Albert, Alberta came to the
meeting to openly challenge me about statements I had made about the
false teachings of the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. They made their
plans known to our Head usher, who did not divulge it to me.
As
Billy Leggette and I walked onto the platform, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit
say to me, “Give the Pope a rest tonight, son!” I delivered a
powerful message on the Cross of Christ! The Altar was filled and
among them were nine Seminarians. After prayer at the Altarm they asked for an personal audience with me. They
all thanked me for the message and confessed that had received Jesus Christ as their personal
Saviour!
THE OLD ARMY TENT!
In
1963, we bought an old Army Tent, Semi and Trailer for $2,000. Brother
Casperson, a Norwegian Fisherman kiving in New Westminster gave us the money to buy that tent to preach Christ and liberate multitudes of people in the
next two years across Western Canada. The Press always gave us good
coverage because they realized we practiced what we preached, and the miracles
God performed were genuine!
It
was exciting for five-year-old Ken and meyself driving that old rig across the Pattullo
Bridge in New Westminster, B.C. We took a right turn and drove the winding Old
Yale Road bypassing Surrey, toward White Rock. Our good friend T.B. Nash, a
sign painter who was staying with us, painted in large red letters across the
long trailer, ‘Jesus Saves, Heals & Fills
with the Holy Ghost’.
Together
with Don Gossett we put up the tent in Surrey, B.C. in early 1964,
with great success. Our second Crusade was in Edmonton where 14 churches
backed our ministry, and hundreds were converted to Christ. Then on to Winnipeg
and Steinbach and other points! The old Army Tent was held up by
three 45-foot-high telephone poles, and transported by an old Chevy three-ton tractor. By God's grace we saw a
lot of action for our Saviour in that old Armt Tent!
And
because I was young and strong and had earlier learned hard work on the farm, I
could swing the heavy Sledgehammer to drive in hundreds of long wooden anchor stakes.
Everywhere we set up the tent, we often had great help from local believers. Bob
Rosin, my great friend who was a farmer and former long-haul Trucker found
time to transport our outfit from city to city. And usually, my precious little
Kenny was my constant companion!
I hadn’t planned to write all this, but Donna’s
comments brought me to tears and the book I have always planned to write has
just got a rough beginning! A blessed and joyous Christmas to all our friends
from Donna and me! Amen.
THE PRAYER CLOTH
For
years we sent out prayer cloths to people who requested them, and the results
were amazing. Testimonies of great miracle healings happened to some people who
used them in faith, and prayed in agreement with us in Jesus’ name!
The
Bible says: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that
from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts
19: 11,12)
God laid it on my heart to send a prayer cloth over
which we have prayed, for you to use in agreement with us for God’s healing
touch upon you, for His honour and glory! Please request as many prayer cloths
an you can prayerfully us when you write!
Your servants for Jesus’ sake, Max & Donna Solbrekken
P.S. In 1989, I had the privilege of preaching
in Romania and Ukraine. The doors had opened across Eastern Europe and
thousands of people were attending. Although I loved being the pastor of Faith
Cathedral Edmonton, God was drawing me to Eastern Europe. Donna and I were
ministering in Norway when we discussed what I was feeling in my spirit. On
July 21, 1989, God spoke these words to me:
“My
son, your ministry will be greater from now onward that hitherto. Take My Word
to Eastern Europe now!”
Ken helped us organize together with Pastor Laurie Hueppleshizer to amalgamate
Faith Cathedral and People’s Church as one body under their leadership. The
official amalgamation took place on October 27, 1991.
Amazingly, the Edmonton Revival Centre that became Faith Cathedral was officially opened on October 27, 1969.
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Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RP0 Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Facebook; Youtube; Blog: MSWM; Donations can be made by -Transfer. Make your donation to [email protected]. Thank you very much for your help. May God richly bless you. Amen.
