|
By
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
We are locked in with God, whether we
like it or not. He is the Creator of the world and all that is in it. He is
over all and in us all. He is the giver of Life and He only is the True
God.
There is Salvation in none other! His
love was so great that He gave His only begotten Son to purchase our freedom
from Sin and the power of Satan. When Jesus Christ, true God from eternity and
true man through His virgin Birth, suffered, bled and died as our substitute,
and arose from the dead our Salvation was complete. Satan was conquored
for time and etenity!
When Jesus Christ arose from the dead
on the third day, having purchased our eternal salvation, all heaven and earth
rejoiced with great JOY, and Satan was totally defeated and consigned to the
Lake of Fire forever!
Although the Lord is a God of variety
who exercises great compassion, mercy, and patience, He is also very strict and
orderly and works according to a divine pattern and design.
Let me explain; the Scripture tells us
that God is love, (1 John 4:8) and yet the same Bible tells us
that He is also a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) Again the
Bible speaks of God as a lawgiver, (Isaiah 32:22) who demands divine justice,
and yet declares the beautiful fact that Jesus Christ brought grace
into this world. (John 1:17)
The Word of God says that there are
given to us great and precious promises that by these we might
be partakers of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4) and yet the same Word
of God that saves us and gives to us eternal life (John 10:28) will
be opened at the judgment and will condemn those who reject the
Gospel of Christ. (Revelation 20:12)
God has certain laws by
which He operates and governs in the universe, as well as in heaven and upon
earth. There are certain laws by which he saves or condemns.
THE LAWS OF GOD STILL EXIST
The same is true in the realm of physical
healing. To His people He said, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to
the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight,
and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I
will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the
Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26)
God’s law states that if His people
would serve and obey Him, He would heal and bless them. If
they would rebel against His word and break their covenant with Him, then His
blessing and healing would depart and the curses which were reserved for the
enemies of God would cleave unto them.
When there is a vacuum created by God’s
absence in a life, the Devil makes sure that he fills that
vacuum and places his curse upon them. When God’s
protection is lifted off a life, there is an open door for torment, death, and
destruction to enter.
The Bible says, “When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and
findeth none. Then he saith, I will return to my house from whence I came out;
and when he is come he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth
he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and
they enter in and dwell there: and the first state of that man is worse than
the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” (Matthew
12:43 – 45)
THE GOODNESS OF GOD TRULY AMAZES ME
How many times God has sustained us,
protected us and stopped the devil from harming us I will never know, but I do
know that; “The angel of the Lord encampeth roundabout them that
fear him, and delivereth them.” (Psalms 34:7) “When the
enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a
standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)
Even though hell is a literal burning
place of torment, I believe the worst thing about it will be the ABSENCE OF GOD and the knowledge that these
people will never feel His sweet presence again.
Sickness and disease came into the
world because of sin and death followed as a result of sin. There was no sin,
sickness, disease or death before the fall and there won’t be any after Satan
is bound for 1,000 years during the millennium. (Revelation
20:2) Praise God! The promise of God for His repentant, believing children
as touching forgiveness and healing are numerous.
The WORD of God states: “And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved;” (Acts 2:21) “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest;” (Matthew 11:28) “He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved;” (Mark 16:16) “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that
askethreceiveth; and he that seekethfindeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened;” (Matthew 7:7, 8)
JESUS CALLS SINNERS TO HIMSELF!
“Come now, and let us
reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah
1:18) “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is 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
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If
ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:11 – 14)
“Is any sick among you? Let him call
for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and
the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him.” (James 5:14, 15)
WHATSOEVER SORE OR WHATSOEVER SICKNESS
I have shared with you mostly New
Testament scriptures, now let me share with you this beautiful verse from
the Old Testament taken from Solomon’s prayer during the
dedication. “If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence,
if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars,
if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land;
“Then what prayer or what supplication
soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when everyone
shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in
this house: Then hear thou from heaven they dwelling place, and forgive, and
render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart though knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men)” (2
Chronicles 6:28 – 30)
Does God Really Care? God’s laws work in every area of our lives. Those who believe in
the name of Jesus, repenting of their sins and confess Him as Lord are
saved. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are filled.
(Matthew 5:6) The baptism of the Holy Ghost comes to those who obey God and
desire more of Him. (Acts 5:32)
Physical healing is much a part of our
inheritance (last will and testimony of Jesus
Christ) and as much a part of the atonement as the forgiveness of
sins. “For he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: (healing for our spirits) the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; (healing for our minds or
souls) and with his stripes we are healed.” (healing
for our bodies) (Isaiah 53:5)
GOD PROSPERS HIS PEOPLE!
“Beloved, I wish above all things…” John was writing by the Holy Spirit. John’s will here was
God’s will… “that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth.” (3 John 2) John, wanted many good things for his flock. (God
wants us to receive many good things too)
The three most important things however
were; number one – That they would prosper, number
two – be in health, number three – that
their souls would prosper. The first and second blessings were
contingent upon the third, “even as thy soul prospereth.”
According to the spiritual blessing we receive from Christ, will
determine how much physical, mental, and material blessing we will receive from
Him. You may say, “I know of godly people who are sick and
poor.” Godly people are not always rich in faith. Many people
who lead good lives and trust Christ as Saviour MAY HAVE NOT trusted Him as Healer for their bodies or Baptizer in the Holy
Ghost or Provider for their needs. You may ask
why?
1.
Because they do not know the
scriptures.
2.
Because they do not believe that God is
interested in their little problems, e.g. cancer,
arthritis, poverty. (May God have mercy upon pastors who do not bring the truth
of divine healing and God’s blessing to the people. Please read Ezekiel 34:2-5)
3.
They underestimate God’s power. “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”
(Matthew 22:29)
4.
They do not appropriate the promises
for themselves. It is always for those in Bible times or
during the coming millennium but not for today. They have the faith of
Martha. “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24) Jesus said however, “I am
the resurrection, and the life;” Today! (John 11:25)
5.
They believe God chastises His children
with foul cancer, evil spirits of insanity and crippling arthritis. They further believe that they are receiving a great blessing from their
sickness when the Bible calls disease a plague, (Mark
5:34) and a curse. (Deuteronomy 28).
God is a million times better than we are and yet we would never put a
curse or disease on any of our children to make them better, chastise them or
bring glory to ourselves.
The preachers who
preach this damnable heresy are blaspheming God and are charging Him with
working with the devil and doing the work of evil spirits, the same as the
Pharisees accused Jesus. (Mark 3:30)
6.
They believe that they are suffering
for God’s glory, yet they run to doctors, clinics,
and hospitals constantly. They have surgery and
swallow innumerous pills to get rid of the blessing
and deprive God of His glory, but they have no faith for healing
through prayer.
7.
They are poverty stricken because
they feel that God’s people should be poor and humble and yet they
accept welfare payments from the government but will not work.
There are three ways to get rid of poverty.
(a) Get a job. (b) Begin to give to God’s work. (c) Believe that God
will prosper you according to His word when you give in faith.
Three things God
wants for His people more than anything else. (3 John 2) Number one, spiritual
prosperity – repentance, faith, love and joy, the baptism of the Holy Ghost,
the gifts of the Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit and a burden for souls with
fasting and prayer. Number two, as we prosper spiritually, we will also be in health as we
accept the Word of God regarding divine healing. Number three, then as we work hard, give to
God’s work in faith believing, we will prosper financially and
materially. Praise God.
The Bible
states, “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of
all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy
presses shall burst out with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9, 10); “And ye
shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water;
and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” (Exodus
23:25) Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew
6:33)
St. Paul wrote,
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory
by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). God’s Law of Sowing and Reaping, of
Planting and Harvesting, and of Caring and Sharing Is Still Valid and Works
Today
Jesus said, “Give,
and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with
the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke
6:38)
Elijah said to the window woman, “but make me thereof a little
cake first;” (I Kings 17:13) When she gave to God’s servant out of her
need, God’s blessing came upon her unto life. (I Kings 17:15,
16) “Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God; Give FIRST and it shall be given unto you; Honour the Lord with your substance and
the FIRST FRUITS of all thine increase.”
Recently we coined
the phrase that speaks of this ministry, WE SHARE
BECAUSE WE CARE. Caring means
sharing. We as Christians do not really care unless we are willing to share
with others. Let us share the Gospel of Christ with the heathen of this world
so that they may learn of Jesus, believe on His name and live.
MY PERONAL TESTIMONY
In 1958, I was given
a wonderful vision by the Lord! It was shortly after we
had purchased our own first new car (before, I had company cars), and I had
obtained a very good job earning several thousands of dollars a year more than
I had been earning previously. My wife had just been converted to Christ and I
was so happy for what God had done for me – as I lay in bed thinking about the
goodness of God (Donna was asleep) suddenly I saw a vision. (If
I was asleep or not, I do not know)
I saw a large silver tray with
a very large bowl sitting in the middle of it. Then, as I continued watching I
saw a clear, pure liquid resembling water, being poured into the bowl from up
above and entering the bowl from every angle. I watched as the bowl filled up
and I wondered if it would stop, but it kept coming – over-flowing the bowl and
filling the platter – I wondered “Would it stop then?” but as I looked, I
noticed it kept on coming and overflowed the platter.
I heard a voice say, “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down,
and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” I
knew it was the voice of God and immediately I was wide awake – I knew God had
spoken to me and that He was with me and that I would prosper. Ever
since God has blessed me1
When I was a
commercial traveler, God helped me to always be one of the top salesmen and
many times in the lead. When I left my well-paying lucrative position, I still
had the blessing of God. The Lord has helped me, led me and guided me, so that
tens of thousands of souls have been brought to Christ through our ministry,
and great numbers have received miracles of healing and deliverance through our
prayers.
Our ministry is now
reaching many parts of the world and gaining strength, impact and prominence
among many people as the years come and go. Our belief is that God has called
me supernaturally by His Spirit and has a specific job for me to do which will
yet take us into many more parts of the world.
SEVEN REASONS WHY
GOD WANTS TO BLESS US
1. Because of His great
love for mankind and especially for His children. (Matthew 15:26;
3 John 2)
2. Because of His word
which He will fulfill and His promises which He is duty bound to keep. (Luke 6:38)
3. Because of a definite
law, both spiritual and physical which states, “you will reap what you sow, and
the harvest will be greater than the seed planted.” (Genesis 8:22;
Galatians 6:7, 8)
4. Because we are His
children and therefore, we are His responsibility. He wants us to have the best
and since we are His advertising agents, I am sure that He wants to show the
world that His gospel can accomplish and do in the lives of men. We are proof
that the benefits of Calvary really work.
I am equally sure
that He would not want to show off to the world an ignorant, weak, foolish,
unsuccessful, fearful, discouraged, sick, sinful, mentally ill and poverty
ridden people. He certainly has the power to bless His people to the extent
that we can represent Him properly. (Malachi 3:17; Philippians
4:19)
5. Because of the
testimony of the Scriptures in the lives of men of God in times past.
a. Abraham: “And I will make thy seed as the dust od the earth: so that if a man
could number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be
numbered.” (Genesis 13:16)
b. Job: “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning ---So
Job died being old and full of days.” (Job 42:12-17)
c. Solomon: “That the Lord appeared unto Solomon…I have heard thy prayer and thy
supplication, that thou hast made before Me, I have hallowed this
house…” (I Kings 9:3-5)
d. Daniel: “… That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the
God of Daniel…He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in
heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions….so
this Daniel prospered…” (Daniel 3:1 to 30: 6:1 to 28;)
6. Because God has never changed, and we have proven His word to be true again
and again when we give in faith. In my own life I have proven God honours our
faith, answers our prayers, and fulfills His word. Thousands of people have
proven the same thing too!
7. Because our Heavenly Father has promised to honour those who love and
serve His Son Jesus Christ.
“If any man serve Me let him follow Me; and where I am, there will My
servant be: If any man serve Me, him will
My Father honour.” (John 12:26) Amen.
Because God wants His
people to prosper so that they can use their money to help the poor and reach
the lost with the glorious gospel of Christ before it is too late. Please note
“the scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35) Whatever Jesus said will come to
pass. The laws of God are absolute and what you sow you will reap. When you
give to God, there will be a return far greater than what you give. God is not
a respector of persons and God is no man’s debtor.
In closing let me
give you this scripture, “No good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.” (Psalms 84:11) And again, “But this I say, He
which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully… for God loveth a cheerful giver.” (II
Corinthians 9:6, 7) Amen.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box
44220 RPO Garside, Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; YouTube; Facebook. Donations can be made by
e-transfer. Make donations to [email protected]. God bless you!