The Living Christ for a DYING WORLD By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind now I see.” (John 9:25) A grand old hymn of the Church emphatically states: “I SERVE A RISEN SAVIOUR – HE’S IN THE WORLD TODAY! I know that He is living, whatever men may say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and every time I need Him, He’s always near!
HE
LIVES, HE LIVES, CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY. He walks with me and He talks with me, along
life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives,
salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives. He lives within my heart!”
The Word of God says: “And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was
blind from his birth. And His disciples
asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was
born blind?” Jesus answered: Neither
hath this man sinned; nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made
manifested in him.” (John 9:1-3)
JESUS MIRACULOUSLY HEALED HIM!
The religious
leaders didn’t want to acknowledge that it was a miracle, but when it was
proven to be so they were offended because Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath
day.
“Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise; we know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:24, 25)
IT IS JESUS AND ONLY JESUS!
Count Zinnzendorf, the young man whom God used mightily in the great
Moravian Revival that began in Heernhut, Germany on August 13, 1727 among the
persecuted believers he had given asylum on his estates stated: “WE HAVE ONE CREED – IT IS JESUS, ONLY
JESUS!”
The man whom Jesus healed had one creed: “One thing I know, that
whereas I was blind, now I see.”
When the religious enemies of Jesus questioned him further concerning
the miracle, he became a witness for the Saviour: “He answered them, I
have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would you hear it
again? Will ye also be His disciples?” (v.
28)
“Then they reviled him and said, Thou art His disciple; but we are
Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake
unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is.
The man answered and said unto them, “Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is,
and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we
know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and
doeth His will Him He heareth.”
“Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of
one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, He could do
nothing. They answered and said unto
him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and doth thou teach us? And they cast him out of the temple.” (John
9:29-34)
Studying this marvellous account of God’s wonderful miracle, we can see
the effects of sterile religious activity that is void of God’s blessing!
These religious Jews were sincere in their faith but filled with PRIDE and UNBELIEF and had overlooked the prophecies given by Moses
concerning the coming Messiah. And when
He arrived they rejected Him. Jesus
called them, “Blind leaders of the blind.”
(Matt. 15:14)
He said:”…Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by
your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did
Esais prophecy about you, saying, This people draweth night unto Me with their
mouth but their heart is far from Me.
But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men.” (Matt. 15:6-9)
In his book, Then Jesus Came, DR. THOMAS WYATT referring to the man who
was born blind stated:
“God had not caused this man to be born blind, but from his sad state
God would receive glory and reveal to men, of all time, that the deliverance he
was bringing to men was not confined to a religion
of abstract creeds with its cautious limitation, and stilted alibis for failure,
but real deliverance for every need of man, body, soul and spirit.”
HE GLORIFIES GOD!
“Oh, He is a wonderful Saviour,
my friend, and it is your need He is dealing with today. The blind man received his sight, the leper
of Bible days was cleansed, Mary Magdalene was delivered from the seven demons,
the lame man of the early church walked.”
“That generation has gone on, and
we are here, another generation with the
same kind of needs. The blind need to
see. God never meant for men to dwell in
darkness, and the crippled and bedridden need to walk, Demon possessed men and women also need to
find deliverance as much as those did in other days!
“Would Jesus cast the legion of devils out of the wild man of Gadara and
do nothing for people of like condition today?
Is God a respecter of persons and has He left no provisions for us today?
Has God ceased to live or has He lost his concern? Were the
Scriptures written in vain? And to whom
were they written if not for us?
“Man-made religion has replaced
the glorious Gospel of deliverance with creeds based on tradition setting forth
a God of social ethics who can do nothing for the Blind Bartimaeuses and Mary
Magdalenes!”
THE CHRIST OF MODERN THEOLOGY!
“The best this cultural God of
modern religion can offer is institutions for the demon possessed and the
blind, the deaf and dumb. This is humanitarianism, but it is not
God’s way, neither is it Bible Christianity!
“This modern theology is
organized to brand as heresy and ignorance those who in their desperate needs
move out beyond cautious creeds and find real and living faith based upon a
vital contact between the seeking soul and his God!
“Our creeds are considered to be what we believe, and our ministry is
the product of that belief. The acts of
a man reveal what he believes. A man’s belief is not what he may think he
believes, but his actions and his life speak in convincing language of his
faith.”
Jesus said, “If a man love me he
will keep My commandments” and the commandments of God are not a series of
negative demands, things for people not to do, but they consist also in things
to do, such as “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God”, “Be ye filled with the Spirit”, “Love the Lord with all your heart”,
Esteem others better than yourself.”
Jesus asked His disciples: “But Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living
God.” Then our Lord declared: “Flesh
and blood had not revealed it unto thee but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt.
16:15-17)
The confession Peter made was not a product of much learning, traditional teaching or mention deduction. It was a divine revelation from God Almighty giving us a clear statement of what all seeking souls must believe to enter the Kingdom of heaven! (1 John 4:2,3; John 3:16-18, 36)
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
“When Jesus came into the coasts
of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I am the Son of man
am? And they said, Some say that Thou art John the Baptist: some,
Elias; and others, Jeremias or one of the prophets.”
“And He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:13-17) HE CALLS US ALL TO COME TO HIM
The Bible says, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in 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. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the only begotten Son of God.
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather that light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, that his deeds may be manifest, that they may be wrought in God." (John 3: 14-21)
HE WAITS FOR YOU MY FRIEND
Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Saviour is only a breath away! Call upon Him today to secure Eternal Life and Peace! Amen.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6. Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca Blog: MSWM; Youtube; Facebook; Donations can be sent by e-Transfer; Make your donations to [email protected]. Thank you so much and may God bless you. Amen.
