Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tens of thousands of Muslims have been born again in Africa. This is only the beginning of a mighty move of God that will continue. The Prophet Haggai wrote: "And I will shake all nations, and the DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS shall come..." (Haggai 2:7). Jesus Christ is the Desire of all nations! They are coming to Him because He is the ANSWER to the heart hunger of mankind whether they believe it or not. - Pastor Max Solbrekken

Entire Mosques Coming to Christ in Sub-Saharan Africa, Says Former Church Planter

The idea of tens of thousands of former Muslims coming to Jesus Christ in North Africa within a few short years is mind-boggling. But entire mosques in Sub-Saharan Africa coming to faith? That news is even harder to wrap one's mind around, but it is in fact what is happening according to reports from a former church planter among Muslims in West Africa.

In the new
 book Miraculous Movements, Jerry Trousdale, now director of International Ministries for CityTeam International, records amazing and inspiring stories of faith among Muslim communities in Africa. The author opens up a new world to Western readers, taking them into the heart of the "miraculous movement" of God in Africa that is transforming the hearts of Muslims.

Trousdale writes that "unprecedented" events are happening among the Muslim populations that his ministry and its affiliates are working among, including:

• Multiple cases of entire mosques coming to faith

• Thousands of ordinary men and women being used by God to achieve seemingly impossible outcomes

• Tens of thousands of Muslim background Christians becoming dedicated intercessors who fast and pray for the gospel to penetrate the next community

• Muslim people groups that never had even one church among them now have more than fifty church planted, and in some cases more than one hundred churches – within two years of engagement

• Former sheikhs, imams and militant Islamists making up 20 percent or more of the new Christian leaders in Muslim regions

"We had seven years now in Africa. And of the people in Africa, 81 different people groups that have at least 50 percent Muslim have now significant movements among them. Of those 81, 45 are people groups with 99 or 100 percent Muslim," said Trousdale in an interview with CP. "So we are talking about fairly extreme areas of Islamic influence. These are people who have been Islamic for well over a hundred years, some hundreds of years."

"This is just good news that God is in the same
 business as He was in the book of Acts," said the missions leader. "Disciples are multiplying greatly and even priests, imams and sheikhs are becoming obedience to the faith. So I no longer doubt that we can finish the task in this generation."

Although there are many poignant stories based on interviews with former Muslims in the book, one narrative about a blind former businessman is particularly hard to forget. Zamil (names in the book have been changed for
 security reason) was a successful businessman and a respected leader at his mosque. One night he dreamed that Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) appeared to him and said that he (Jesus) was the light of the world. After that dream, Zamil could no longer see.

He came across some Christians who took him to a prayer camp where despite the prayers, his sight did not return. He later met Mama Nadirah, who was the organizer of the prayer camp, and she took responsibility for him. Zamil's family, including his wife, abandoned him as soon as they found out he had become a Christian. He was blind, homeless and lost all his possessions after he became a Christian.

Under Mama Nadirah's care, Zamil attended Discovery Bible Studies and learned to be an obedient disciple of Jesus and that Jesus commanded his follower to go out and lead others to him. Despite being blind, Zamil told Mama Nadirah he intended to go to another village and become a disciple maker for Jesus. Everyone gently told him that he couldn't go because he was blind.

But then one morning Zamil got into a taxi and went to a Muslim community nearby. A few days later, Zamil called Mama Nadirah and told her where he was, and within a month he called to announce that a church had already been planted in the community and he was coming home before setting off for his next community.

"An unlettered widow (Mama Nadirah) discipling a successful businessman who had previously been a committed Muslim until he was blinded by the Light of the World, these are the kinds of miracles and turnabouts that are happening every day, launching movements of new Christ followers all over the world," Trousdale writes.

While Trousdale first and foremost credits God for the unexplainable phenomenon occurring among Muslims in Africa, he also points to a new disciple making program. The counterintuitive Disciple Making Movement approach consists of the following strategies:

• Go slow at first in order to go fast later – Jesus chose disciple making as his strategy to prepare people to launch a global movement

• Focus on a few to win many – Jesus spent almost all his attention on intentionally discipling just 12 men, focusing especially on four of them

• Engage an entire family or group, not just the individual – the New Testament records whole families coming to faith

• Share only when and where people are ready to hear – only invest time in people God has already prepared to bridge the gospel into their oikos, or family or community

• Start with creation, not with Christ – Muslims need to start in Genesis to see similarities and differences how the Quran and Bible describe God

• It's about discovering and obeying, not teaching and knowledge

• Disciple people to conversion, not vice versa – Jesus chose ordinary men and allowed them to walk with him as he revealed truths of God, then they came to a point where they decided to become a follower of Jesus. This discipleship model begins with discipleship and moves toward conversion. For Eve, it was knowledge instead of obedience that led to her fall into sin

• Coach lost people from the beginning to discover and obey biblical truth

• Prepare to spend a long time making strong disciples, but anticipate miraculous accelerations

• Expect the hardest places to yield the greatest results

"Too often, ministries focus on mass marketing the gospel, creating enough consumer impressions to drive demand, casting a wide net hoping to restrain a percentage of the fish from jumping out of our boat, reducing the gospel to the lowest common denominator of conversion rather than discipleship, with a hope (but not a plan) for eventual maturity," writes Trousdale. "Without intending to dilute the gospel, the traditional approach to evangelism sometimes settles for making converts, instead of Jesus' final command to 'make disciples … teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you' (Matthew 29:19-20)."

He continues, "The irony is that Muslims in scores of different people groups are submitting their lives to Jesus at rates that are much faster than most church growth in North America. And it is happening, not by making the gospel journey somehow easier to traverse, but by focusing from the first day on making obedient disciples who are daily seeking to follow Jesus and obey his will. That is the pathway over which hundreds of thousands of Muslims have come to Jesus."

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

In His High Priestly Prayer Jesus Christ said: "And this is LIFE ETERNAL, that they might know Thee the ONLY TRUE GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom Thou has sent. (John 17: 3); "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is TRUE, and we are in Him that is TRUE, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is TRUE God and Eternal life." (1 John 5: 20)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: TRUE GOD FROM
ETERNITY & TRUE MAN BORN OF A VIRGIN!
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

Fifty years of studying the God’s unadulterated Word as well as the history of the rise and fall of nations, the miracle that is Israel and the satanically orchestrated hatred for Jews and Christians down through the centuries, has galvanized my belief that Jesus Christ is the Only Hope and Salvation of this world!

Britain’s greatest Prime Minister WILLIAM GLADSTONE stated: “The Bible is stamped with the specialty of origin. An immeasurable distance separates it from all other competitors.”

VICTOR HUGO made this stupendous and truthful statement: “England made Shakespeare and the Bible made England.” And yet, many Englishmen of today have turned away from the Living God and are sadly turning to the perverted New Age Movement, witchcraft, false teachings and man-made doctrines of foreign pagan religions!
     
SIR WALTER SCOTT emphasized, “The Bible: In the whole world it is The Book: all other books are mere leaves, fragments.” And Prof. Dyson Hague (1961) stated: “Yes, it alone is the universal BOOK – the Eternal Book. It is the VOICE; all others are merely books for the hour. The Bible is the Book of all time. It stands alone; unapproachable in grandeur; as high above all other books as heaven is above earth, as the Son of God above the sons of men.”

Four thousand years ago MOSES the great Lawmaker, wrote: “Ask now of the days, that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven to the other whether there hath ever been such a thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like.” (Deut.4: 32)
     
Ichthus (ikh-thoos or ichthys), the Greek word for fish is a many centuries old symbol. During the early persecutions of the Church, the ichthus sign was used as a secret sign or identification mark for the followers of Jesus Christ, Who had been crucified outside Jerusalem's City walls and raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit!
      
In some cases these five Greek letters were found inside the ichthus: Iota, Chi, Theta, Upsilon, and Sigma translating into the English as IXOYE, meaning: "Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour." The Greek rendering is, "Iesous Christos, Theou Uios, Soter".

1.  Iesous means Saviour, Salvation of God: The angel of the
Lord spoke to Joseph saying: "Ye shall call His name Yeshua (Jesus) for He shall SAVE His people from their sins. (Matt 1:21) The word save in the Greek is 'sozo' which means to save, heal, protect, make well and deliver.
     
In James 5:14, 15 the Holy Spirit uses this same word ‘sozo’ to announce that Jesus Christ heals the sick in answer to believing prayer! This same truth is brought forth in Isaiah 53: 3-5, Matt. 8:16, 17 and 1 Peter 2: 24. Jesus Saves:  Isaiah 7: 14; Luke 2:30; Phil.2: 5-11; Acts 3: 13-16; 4:12; 1 Tim.2: 5.

JESUS ANOINTED MESSIAH:
YESHUA HA MASCHIACH!!

2. Christos means anointed One: Jesus is the Anointed One. Says who? St. Paul - Acts 9: 17-20; St. Peter - Matt.16: 13-17; Martha - John 11: 25; Philip - John 1: 40, 41; Nathaniel - John 1: 49; Ethiopian Eunuch - Acts 8: 37; Apollos - Acts 18: 28.  

 3. Theou Uios means God's Son: Jesus is the One and Only Son of God from eternity. He was incarnated - God in human flesh - in order to suffer, bleed and die for the sins of the world and rise again in power over all the power of the Evil One! John 20:30, 31; Rom.1:4; Heb.1:1; 2-12; Matt.3:17; John 8:58; 1 John 2:20; 4:1; 5:24.

 4. Soter means Saviour: Jesus is the Only Saviour of the world! Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; John 3: 16,17;Mark 14: 61,62; John 6: 66-69; John 14: 6; 1 Tim.2: 3-5; Heb.1:1-13; Rev.1: 8. God the Father calls His Son God: Heb.1:1-10; Rev.1: 1-10.

St. Paul states emphatically concerning Jesus Christ: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Tim.3:16)

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light throgh the gospel." (2 Tim.1:10)

JESUS SAID CONCERNING HIMSELF:

 I am the door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.… The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

“I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.” (John 10: 9-11, 14)
      
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8: 32, 36)  – JESUS CHRIST
      
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is One God and One Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2: 3-6) ST. PAUL
     
“Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we MUST be saved.” (Acts 4: 12) – ST. PETER

I AM NOT INTOLERANT BUT I AM DOGMATIC!

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a dogma is a rigidly held principle or doctrine, and dogmatic means, ‘Positive: adhering rigidly to a tenet.”

I AM DOGMATIC: I have no truck with falsehood, lies or mere theories of men! I will not compromise the truth! The truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, and the Only Saviour of the world. There is none other! Only Christianity boasts a resurrection and Only Jesus offers eternal life to all who believe the Gospel, repent of their sins and receive Him into their heart as Lord and Saviour!  (Isaiah 45: 5, 6; Acts 4: 12)

JAMES DENNEY stated: “If God has really done something in Christ on which the salvation of this world depends, and if He has made it known, then it is a Christian duty to be intolerant of everything which ignores, denies, or explains it away.”
   
THE BIBLE SAYS: “I am the Lord, and there is none else: there is no God beside Me…That they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.” (Is. 45: 5, 6)
     
Jesus Christ declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14: 6); “Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy leaden and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11: 28)
     
HE INVITES: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him and will sup with him and he with Me.” (Rev. 3: 20)
    
Open your heart and life to Jesus Christ today, my friend, and you will never be sorry!  Amen. 

JESUS● CHRIST● GOD’S SON● SAVIOUR!

                                                              


God rewards humility, brokenness of spirit and genuine repentance for sin and wrong doing. That is why Jesus Christ went to the cross in our place. And because He arose again in power over death, hell, the grave and over Satan himself, He has the power to free us from our sins and deliver us from the clutches of the Evil One. Praise God forever. Amen - Pastor Max Solbrekken

Re: RE: Pray for Me Please
 From
Date
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 2:46 pm
To
Name withheld for sake of confidentiality
Cc

Dear Brother Dallas:
I am so glad that we are able to help you through the gospel. However, you do not need to send us any money since you live on a very small pension. Rather give it to a Mission or preacher working in your area. We will however, send you some literature and please continue reading the messages we have on the internet and continue believing that God will heal you and make you well, for His glory!

Your servant for Jesus' sake,
Pastor Max Solbrekken

---- Original Message -----
From: name withheld for sake of confidentiality
Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 8:32 pm
Subject: RE: Pray for Me Please
To: [email protected]

Thank You For answering my plea!, Please send me all of the information on Your Ministry so that when I am able to send donations' to help keep Your blessed help to all of the lost souls that You can. I am a disabled man, and I live on $718.00 a month "But" I live a frugal
life, and will send what I can to help in any way that I can. Bless You for the kind and very helpful words' of The bible that was so TRUE!

Sincerely; Dallas
 

From: [email protected]
To Name withheld for sake of confidentiality
CC: [email protected]
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:57:59 -0600
Subject: Re: Pray for Me Please

Dear Dallas:

Greetings in Jesus' precious name!

You are not alone in your sad state of backsliding, but also in the good state 
of repentance realizing what an idiot you have been to drift away 
from God, seeking fleshly and worldly things that do not satisfy
and only get you digging more deeply in the quagmire of SIN
and hopelessness and DESPAIR!

There were several like you in the Bible, the best example is King David.
No one could have been a greater fool than the king after all that God 
had given him, and sinning grievously  by what he did to Uriah after impregnating 
his wife, Bathsheba.

One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is Psalm 51 where David 
fully repents and pleads with God for forgiveness and restoration.

What really got me going was hearing people say, "We like the God 
of the New Testament who is so loving instead of the God of the Old
Testament who is so harsh and always judging people."

After all David had done, committing adultery and having Uriah killed 
to cover his awful sins and yet...God was still with him.!!! 

He cried out: "Have mercy upon me, O Lord...Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity...Purge me with hyssop...Hide Thy face from my sins...Create in me a clean heart. O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

"CAST ME NOT AWAY FROM THY PRESENCE AND TAKE NOT THY HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." (Psalms 51:1-12)

Here is the grace of God. After all he had done, he still had the Holy Spirit working in his life but was smart enough to know that he was about to cross over the line and God would remove the Holy Spirit from him.!!!

Do like he did, Dallas, Cry out for mercy and ask God to fill you with the Blessed Holy Spirit and He will meet you at the Cross of Christ. Spend quality time near the heart of God in humility, repentance and faith at the feet of Jesus!

Your servant for Jesus' sake,

Pastor Max Solbrekken.
2 Cor 4: 5

----- Original Message -----

From: Name withheld for sake of confidentiality
Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2012 2:58 pm
Subject: Pray for Me Please
To: [email protected]

> I have nothing to offer but belief!.I have been tought to know
> the Father,son, and the Holy spirit!
> My Grandfather took me at his feet to open the King James' Bible
> and every day that he could would read to me from the Bible and
> that in my future I may be called upon to deliver his teachings'
> to help others' also Believe! I have seen the spirit coming down
> from the heavens',
> Holding out His blessed Hand to me!. why did I turn from him to
> chase down the others' that held my right Hand?. He said do not
> be scared! they will be alrite! but I turned and ran after them!
> I thought of this dream as I watched in Horror as the twin
> Towers' Fell! For that was also in my dream! Just before I saw
> the britest "But" Most soothing lite to my left and it was The
> son Of God!. GET THE BEHIND ME SATAN!!!! For my quest Is true!
> true to GOD!.

God's Miracles last because He is the same Yesterday, Today & Forever. All glory and praise to our precious Lord Jesus Christ for His goodness and mercy to us all. - Pastor Max Solbrekken


EARNEST & MARY MOUNTAIN celebrated the 40th anniversary of their conversion to Jesus Christ on December 8, 2010.

Forty years earlier Earnest and Mary were on the verge of dissolving their common-law relationship, which included four little children. Earnest was a hard worker and owned a new automobile but was unable to drive, because his impaired driving conviction had robbed him of his driver’s license. Their drinking and arguing was destroying them.

Earnest had seen the big cross with the words JESUS SAVES on the Edmonton Revival Centre on 149th Street and Stony Plain Road and was drawn toward it. At ten o’clock Wednesday morning, December 8, 1970, he told Mary that he was going to walk the ten blocks to see the preacher. Immediately, she got her coat and went with him.

They were gloriously converted that morning and have walked with Jesus ever since. God has prospered them in business and all their children are well educated and are serving the Lord!    

Allan and Mary Thew Mary Mountain’s aunt and uncle - were also gloriously converted. Allan had been a bartender for 40 years and their conversion made a real ripple effect with many others receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour! What a wedding we had with four little children as witnesses and a host of friends attending!

RENE WOUDSTRA testifies about the great miracle Jesus Christ gave him in 1970 at the Edmonton Revival Centre. For 5 years Rene had been seeing a psychiatrist once a week for his nerves. He was born in Holland and the war had affected him greatly. As he grew, his fears became unbearable.

After 5 years of psychiatric help, he was not getting better. For three months he had sat in the front room staring out the front window, as if in a stupor. An old neighbor from his Dutch Church excitedly told them about being healed from deafness at the Edmonton Revival centre (later Faith Cathedral) and that RENE should attend.  

Upon hearing these words Rene came alive and said that he wanted to go. He was instantly healed and has been well ever since. Rene worked as a horticulturist at the University of Alberta for many years until retirement. Rene and Henne have been featured in the Edmonton Journal a number of times as having the most beautiful lawn and garden in Edmonton. Glory to God forever!

WAYNE PRATT was a hard working, hard drinking man who had gotten caught up in the awful web of sin with continual carousing and partying. With a beautiful wife and little children at home, Wayne would spent countless week-ends not remembering where he had been and who he had drunk with and fought with. He would often wake up in a hotel room with a woman he did not recognize.

One Sunday morning in a Hotel room he turned on the TV and saw Pastor Max Solbrekken preaching the Gospel of Christ. His text was taken from Romans 7: 14 - 25 which perfectly described his life.

He testifies: “I hated what I was doing but was powerless to change. I saw that in my own strength I was a slave to the lusts of the flesh, the world and the devil. I was a sinner by birth, by nature and by my selfish will.   

“Pastor Max showed me how I could be free by the cleansing and healing power of Jesus Christ’s blood that was shed for me on Calvary’s cross! Suddenly, the truth rushed into my mind and my spirit and Jesus Christ came into my life. The Bible says: “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 10: 10).

That is how it all started and His grace has continued with me until today. I thank God for His great mercy and love toward me!”

JOHN OKEMOW was born a stutterer, but Jesus healed him through the Ministry of a Mennonite Preacher when he was 8 years of age. His goal was to become a pilot, a policeman and a preacher. He has done all that. Due to some circumstances he fell into sin and for about 12 years was away from God.

In our crusade service in Peerless Lake, Alberta John Okemow – the policeman - surrendered to God and several years later entered the Ministry. Today, he is a powerful man of God who preaches to the Native Indians and Inuit in Northern Canada with great success!    

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

EDWARD KOCH believes that the USA should pull their troops out of Afghanistan NOW, as Canada has already done. Maybe he is right. Here is another reason why it would be a good move on President Obama's part. Although I use some satire, I believe that there just might be some prophetical insight to this. If NATO pulled out their troops from Afghanistan it would be a blessing. We have been there for more than ten years and the leaders are as corrupt as ever and because the people are kept in ignorance, superstition, fear and hatred by their brain-washed, hate-filled religious imams and political leaders, the bloodshed will continue. My suggestion is: Pull out the troops and send the great campaigner Barack Hussein Obama there to complete the Mission until 2014, to speak to all the nations of the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. Having been raised in Indonesia he well understands the Muslim mindset. Upon his election as US President, Henry Kissinger stated that Barack Obama could well fill the position of President of the New World Order. Why not get started immediately? Being loved greatly in Europe and Muslim nations and being put down as only a naive Community Organizer by more than half of all Americans, why not use his gift of speech (together with teleprompter) to bring peace to the Arabian Peninsula. Perhaps, this is too early but all signs point to a job at the United Nations or the European New World Order after he leaves the presidency. What a coup! Astonish the world by resigning the presidency and fulfilling a greater role in the world. Leave the Republicans and Democrats to squabble over high unemployment, the astronomical National Debt and the trillions of dollars that have been wasted during the past 3 1/2 years. Go and do your thing and achieve your higher calling as President of the New World Order. Show the world that Henry Kissinger was right after all.Of course Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich will miss you a lot, but not to worry you will still have George Soros, Bill Ayres and Bill Mahr and the blessing of millions of Americans. - Pastor Max Solbrekken

Let’s Get Out of Afghanistan Now
Tuesday, 20 Mar 2012 04:51 PM
By Edward Koch
There is no rational reason for us to be in Afghanistan. Our original goals were to end the government of the Taliban, which had given Osama bin Laden a base from which he could launch worldwide terrorist attacks and commit his greatest horror and catastrophe: the blowing up of the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the killing of near 3,000 innocent civilians.

As a result of the valor of our troops and the ability of the U.S. military leadership, we have driven the Taliban from its former role in the government of Afghanistan and not long ago, our special forces in a heroic and masterful raid into Pakistan, killed Osama bin Laden in his hideaway which was probably known to Pakistan’s government authorities and in effect concealed and protected by the Pakistani government.

So why do we remain when doing so causes the Afghan people to hate us more with the passing of each day, calling us occupiers, infidels, and murderers? The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, is thought to be corrupt by many American observers.

Karzai's brother is alleged to be an infamous drug lord. When the U.S. military sought to stop corruption, which exists on a massive scale in Afghanistan and in large part involves the stealing of the billions of dollars the U.S. has poured into that country to build infrastructure, the Karzai government has sought to impede the investigation of the U.S. anti-corruption unit known as the Major Crimes Task Force.

The New York Times of March 18 reported, “When an aide to Mr. Karzai was arrested by an American-backed corruption task force, the president intervened to secure his release, and then eviscerated the anti-corruption body of the Major Crimes Task Force.”

In President Karzai we do not have a true ally. When the incident occurred involving the burning of four Korans by American soldiers ordered to destroy books taken from a prison library where the inmates had used the Korans and other books to send messages by writing them within the book pages — and the apparent innocent mistake was made of burning the books instead of burying them in the ground as the Afghans would have done to get rid of a holy book — President Karzai inflamed his people.

According to The Times of March 18, Karzai stated, “The Americans in Afghanistan are ‘demons.’ They claim they burned Korans by mistake, but really those were ‘Satanic acts that will never be forgiven by apologies.’”

When the American sergeant engaged in the deranged act of killing 16 Afghans, men, women, and children, for which both President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta have profusely apologized, President Karzai’s response was not to quiet the tensions, but to exaggerate them.

He told his people, according to The Times, “The massacre of 16 Afghan children, women, and men by an American soldier ‘was not the first incident, indeed it was the 100th, the 200th, and 500th incident.’”

The Afghan people have in their riots since these two incidents killed 29 Afghans and six Americans. The killing of Americans by Afghan military personnel is now quite common. According to a Reuters news report of March 1, “About 70 members of the NATO-led force were killed in 42 insider attacks from May 2007 through the end of January this year.”

Generally, the Americans were at the time of their deaths involved in training Afghan soldiers with the goal being to have the Afghan soldiers take over the role now being played by American soldiers in securing the country and its borders by 2014. The latter date is the announced date (at the end of the year) when American forces would be substantially evacuated or vastly reduced.

However, the American military has made clear that it wants to remain on in Afghanistan indefinitely but needs, of course, permission of the Afghan government to do that. Karzai has now said he would rather have the date of Afghan troop takeover of all security functions moved up to no later than 2013. My hope is that we have the Afghans take over security by the end of 2012 and start moving American personnel out immediately.

A question raised time and again by many is, how is it that American troops were given 17 weeks of basic training and then sent into combat in World War II against both Japanese and German troops, and the Afghan army trained by the American military for near 10 years is still not ready to defend its own country? Yet, the Taliban troops using Afghan personnel has had major military successes.

One answer given is that the Taliban, cruel as it is, is not corrupt and therefore commands allegiance, while the Karzai soldiers know their leadership is scamming the country.

Why do our government and military leaders urge our continued remaining in Afghanistan, instead of doing voluntarily what we were forced to do by the Iraqi government: quit the country and allow both countries, Iraq and Afghanistan, to defend themselves and run their own governments?

We cannot make them accept Western mores, particularly as they apply to the rights of women to equality with their male counterparts. We cannot be the policeman of the world.

Many believe that ultimately Iraq will disintegrate into chaos with three separate entities and governments: Shiite, Sunni, and Kurd. Also that the Afghans will welcome back the Taliban and that Karzai will bring them into his government and they will ultimately be in charge once again.

Those same observers also say that when we leave, Afghanistan will become a province of either Iran or Pakistan. Perhaps it will. But remember, the Afghan people drove the Soviet Union’s soldiers from the country and before them, the British. Also, I believe Alexander the Great ultimately left Afghanistan. 
Further, we have been saddled with the longest war in our history fighting in Afghanistan, and what do we have for it? We have suffered since 2001, 1,750 deaths and 15,322 injuries.

Some foolishly say in defense of remaining to 2014 and beyond that to “cut and run” (after 10 years) will only endanger us with Afghanistan being used as a base for terrorism. The State Department has identified 62 countries where al-Qaida is located. Many of those countries are far more advanced in technology than is Afghanistan.

Also, have we forgotten the advice of former Secretary of Defense Gates who said on February 24, 2011, “Any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa ‘should have his head examined,’ as General McArthur so delicately put it.”

Norman Mailer once asked the question, “Why are we in Vietnam?” shortly before we evacuated. Others are now asking, “Why are we still in Afghanistan?”

Edward Koch was the 105th mayor of New York City for three terms, from 1978 to 1989. He previously served for nine years as a congressman. Read more reports from Ed Koch — Click Here Now.






The Cry of the Backslider: Our Lord is infinitely Merciful, Gracious and Loving: "Have mercy upon me, O Lord...Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity...Purge me with hyssop...Hide Thy face from my sins...Create in me a clean heart. O God; and renew a right spirit within me. "CAST ME NOT AWAY FROM THY PRESENCE AND TAKE NOT THY HOLY SPIRIT FROM ME. Restore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." (Psalms 51:1-12) - Pastor Max Solbrekken

THE CRY OF THE BACKSLIDER!


In answering the heart cry of a desperate man who had gone astray, I offer these words of hope and healing. May I also offer them to you my precious friends wherever you may be and whatever you have done!


Dear Friend:


Greetings in Jesus' precious name!

You are not alone in your sad state of backsliding, but also in the good state 
of repentance realizing what an idiot you have been to drift away 
from God, seeking fleshly and worldly things that do not satisfy
and only get you digging more deeply in the quagmire of SIN
and hopelessness and DESPAIR!

There were several like you in the Bible, the best example is King David.
No one could have been a greater fool than the king after all that God 
had given him, and sinning grievously  by what he did to Uriah after impregnating 
his wife, Bathsheba.

One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is Psalm 51 where David 
fully repents and pleads with God for forgiveness and restoration.

What really got me going was hearing people say, "We like the God 
of the New Testament who is so loving instead of the God of the Old
Testament who is so harsh and always judging people."

After all David had done, committing adultery and having Uriah killed 
to cover his awful sins and yet...God was still with him.!!! 

He cried out: "Have mercy upon me, O Lord...Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity...Purge me with hyssop...Hide Thy face from my sins...Create in me a clean heart. O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

"CAST ME NOT AWAY FROM THY PRESENCE AND TAKE NOT THY HOLY SPIRIT FROM MERestore unto me the joy of Thy Salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." (Psalms 51:1-12)

Here is the grace of God. After all he had done, he still had the Holy Spirit working in his life but was smart enough to know that he was about to cross over the line and God would remove the Holy Spirit from him.!!!

Do like he did, my friend; Cry out for mercy and ask God to fill you with the Blessed Holy Spirit and He will meet you at the Cross of Christ. Spend quality time near the heart of God in humility, repentance and faith at the feet of Jesus!
Your servant for Jesus' sake,

Pastor Max Solbrekken.
2 Cor 4: 5

Monday, March 19, 2012

"Destroy all the churches". On March 12, Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.” The ruling came in response to a query from a Kuwaiti delegation over proposed legislation to prevent construction of churches in the emirate. The mufti based his decision on a story that on his deathbed, Muhammad declared, “There are not to be two religions in the [Arabian] Peninsula.” Satan has showed his ugly face again! The world is now beginning to see how wonderful and peace loving Islam really is. It`s getting scarier by the day as the terrorists are given a free pass by the gullible weak - kneed Obama. Will he rebuke the demonic grand mufti or will be he bow before him? - Pastor Max Solbrekken

Obama Silent While Saudi Grand Mufti Calls For Destruction Of All Christian Churches

If the pope called for the destruction of all the mosques in Europe, the uproar would be cataclysmic. Pundits would lambaste the church, the White House would rush out a statement of deep concern, and rioters in the Middle East would kill each other in their grief. But when the most influential leader in the Muslim world issues a fatwa to destroy Christian churches, the silence is deafening.

On
 March 12, Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.” The ruling came in response to a query from a Kuwaiti delegation over proposed legislation to prevent construction of churches in the emirate. The mufti based his decision on a story that on his deathbed, Muhammad declared, “There are not to be two religions in the [Arabian] Peninsula.” This passage has long been used to justify intolerance in the kingdom. Churches have always been banned in Saudi Arabia, and until recently Jews were not even allowed in the country. Those wishing to worship in the manner of their choosing must do so hidden away in private, and even then the morality police have been known to show up unexpectedly and halt proceedings.

This is not a small-time radical imam trying to stir up his followers with fiery hate speech. This was a considered, deliberate and specific ruling from one of the most important leaders in the Muslim world. It does not just create a religious obligation for those over whom the mufti has direct authority; it is also a signal to others in the Muslim world that destroying churches is not only permitted but mandatory.

The Obama administration ignores these types of provocations at its peril. The White House has placed international outreach to Muslims at the center of its foreign policy in an effort to promote the image of the United States as an Islam-friendly nation. This cannot come at the expense of standing up for the human rights and religious liberties of minority groups in the Middle East. The region is a crucial crossroads. Islamist radicals are leading the rising political tide against the authoritarian, secularist old order. They are testing the waters in their relationship with the outside world, looking for signals of how far they can go in imposing their radical vision of a Shariah-based theocracy. Ignoring provocative statements like the mufti’s sends a signal to these groups that they can engage in the same sort of bigotry and anti-Christian violence with no consequences.

Mr. Obama’s outreach campaign to the Muslim world has failed to generate the good will that he expected. In part, this was because he felt it was better to pander to prejudice than to command respect. When members of the Islamic establishmentcall
 for the religious equivalent of ethnic cleansing, the leader of the free world must respond or risk legitimizing the oppression that follows. The United States should not bow to the extremist dictates of the grand mufti, no matter how desperate the White House is for him to like us.

Max Solbrekken (2006) writes in, 'Facing the Future with Faith': "We must face the future with faith, for only God knows the future and only faith pleases God." - Hebrews 11: 6.

FACING THE FUTURE WITH FAITH
By Max Solbrekken, D.D.

 ‘We must face the future with faith, for only God knows the future and only faith pleases God’.
    
In the early 1970s God implanted this great truth in my heart, and for many years we had it printed on our literature. It became a slogan that defined this ministry of ‘Faith & Miracles’ and brought renewed hope and healing to multitudes!
     
A life that is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, given over to Jesus Christ and anchored in God’s Word is a life that is fruitful and singularly blessed! A ministry that is founded upon bed-rock faith in God can never be shaken nor destroyed, but will grow in character, stability and power; through fasting, prayer, believing and sacrificial giving. And through trials, testing and persecution!

ONLY GOD KNOWS THE FUTURE!

We do not know the future! Nor, do we involve ourselves in ‘spiritual fortune telling’ as some have done. This sometimes brings them short - term monetary gains, but often with long- term harm to the gullible! 

There is of course, the genuine gift of the Spirit called the ‘Word of Knowledge’, which is given to individual members of the Body of Christ for the edification of the Church! This gift we desire, as well as the other eight “gifts of the Spirit’, for the glory of God and the deliverance of mankind from the power and bondage of the devil! (1 Cor.12: 7-11)

It is Biblical to desire spiritual gifts, as St. Paul instructed the Church! He wrote, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.” (1 Cor.12: 31)

The key to the proper use of the ‘gifts of the Spirit’ is found in chapter 13. We must operate these ‘gifts’ with love in our hearts, rather than as a tool to be utilized for selfish motives or gain! He then emphasizes: “Follow after charity (divine love), and desire spiritual gifts…” (vs.1)

When a person is blessed with the Gift of the Word of Knowledge’, great pressure is placed upon that one to demonstrate this ability.  Often people will almost demand, “Do you have a word for me”? Here is the temptation: Either to confess that you do not, or to operate presumptuously in the flesh in order to satisfy their request! And possibly give the wrong information!

Only God knows the future and since only faith pleases Him, the most spiritual and intelligent thing to do is to seek God diligently and receive His engrafted Word into our spirits!  The Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by God’s Word.” (Rom.10: 17)

The Word of God creates faith and only faith gets the job done! We have no other choice: We must face the future with faith instead of doubt, and our faith must be firmly anchored in the Word of God and in our Lord Jesus Christ.

WHY IS THIS? The Bible is the written Word of God and Jesus is the living Word of God! Jesus Christ alone made “all things possible” through His sacrificial death for us on the cross and His glorious resurrection from the dead!  Here are some lyrics that inspire us to trust God fully:

‘Faith in the Father and faith in the Son,
Faith in the Holy Ghost; These Three are One
Demons shall tremble and demons awake
Faith in Christ Jesus shall anything shake!

So have faith in God, Have faith in God 
 for the answer, my friend, have faith in God!

Faith in God can move a mighty mountain
Faith in God can calm a troubled sea
Faith will make a desert like a mountain
Faith will bring the victory!

The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. (Heb 11:6) As human beings, we have nothing to be proud about. We have no bragging rights! We are descendents of Adam; born in sin, with a corrupt nature and a propensity to continue sinning!

I’m sure, however, that in our hearts all of us greatly desire to please God! Only a fool would bring railing accusations against our Creator and Sustainer, because He is good, pure, righteous, all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, all-just, everywhere present and perfect in all respects!

The Bible states: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (Ps.19:7-10)

NO 1 - WHEN YOUR WORLD HAS FALLEN APART!

People joked the 1980s: ‘The U.S.A. has Ronald Reagan, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope. Canada has Brian Mulrooney, No Cash and No Hope!’

Now in 2006 after 12 years of downright lies, gross scandals, massive corruption and misrule by the Liberal Government, Canadians are praying for a return to a better time and the kind of moral leadership we had under P.M. John G. Diefenbaker!

Many Canadians believe that we have now turned the corner with the election of a noble man, at this desperate hour in our history. We are all praying that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet will be given an opportunity – even with a minority government – to bring about real change; integrity, basic morality and common sense in our nation!
     
When one considers the family-oriented, normal types hand-picked for Cabinet by Stephen Harper, as opposed to the weird and wonderful so-called girlie men, hyper feminists and others in the former Liberal governments, with God’s help there is HOPE for real change!
    
 (Term ‘girlie men’ borrowed from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger)

St. Paul reports the effectiveness of the Gospel: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having NO HOPE and without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12)

In 1956, singer Brenda Lee was going through a personal break-up with her lover. Her song ‘My Whole World Is Falling Down’ was at No. 1 on the ‘hit parade’ for weeks. It was sung to the tune of ‘London Bridges Falling Down’! It reflected her personal tragedy and that of countless others who inundated radio stations with requests for the song!

SATAN’S STRATEGY: BLAME GOD!

When you speak to die-hard critics about the goodness of God, His amazing Gift of Redemption to save wicked sinners and a perverted world and that His grace that keeps on giving peace, joy and deliverance, they will usually change the subject. They know that they cannot win that argument, so they try a diversion!

And when you press them about the mercy and love of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who shed His precious blood on Mount Calvary to rescue fallen man, they will invariably bring up some worn-out old story about a pervert R.C. priest or some money grabbing evangelist or how the Church failed to help in time of need!

In their frustration and guilt they often try to justify themselves and their lack of faith by taking the focus off their own sinfulness and laying the blame on someone else. That is the old trick of the devil that he has used against God from the beginning of his treachery!

Trying to appear philosophical, they question the goodness of God. They ask: “Why doesn’t He intervene in our affairs by stopping wars, violence and famines, end economic depressions and natural tragedies like earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions?”

My answer is that He made us as free moral agents with our own will to do right or wrong, good or evil. And that Almighty God did intervene in our lives when He sent His Own Son Jesus Christ our Lord to redeem fallen man. How much more could He do with people who lie about Him, reject Him and ignore Him?

The Bible says: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But, to as many as received Him to them gave He power (authority) to become the sons of God, even to then that believe on His name.” (John 1:11,12)

How could anyone in his right mind blame God for a world gone astray, a renegade planet filled with sexual perverts, pedophiles, liars, occultists and arrogant despisers of that which is good, rejecters of their own Creator and Savior Jesus Christ and blasphemers of His Holy Name?

After all our Lord has done to save humanity and received nothing but scorn and at the best apathy from puny ignorant earthlings, it is a MIRACLE that His hammer of final judgment has been withheld and even now He stands ready to receive and save the very worst among us!

 Here is the real TRUTH: “For while we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom.5: 6-8)
THE DEVIL IS TO BE BLAMED!

Many fail to realize that Satan has not been standing idly by as a neutral observer. NO! He has been stoking the fires of hatred, fear, greed and death. I must remind everyone that there wouldn’t be any wars, famine, poverty, sickness, pain or death if the Devil and not tempted our first parents to rebel and disobey their Creator in the Garden of Eden!

He is the author of sin, fear, sickness, disease and death. There wouldn’t be any need for prisons, insane asylums, hospitals or grave yards if the wicked lying Devil had not sowed the seeds that brought about all the pain, heartbreak, sickness, disease and death that plagues our society today!

Satan’s strategy is to shift the blame from himself to God for all the horrible things that he brings upon people! And he has learned to do that very well and knows how to spread his lies effectively to an ignorant human race!

We are living in dangerously perilous times! Without doubt, Satan is throwing at us everything he has in his arsenal of deadly destruction. His intention is to cause as much despair, confusion and pain as he can, hoping that suffering people will blame God instead of him!

When your world has come crashing down “around your ears”, that is when you need faith in God and intimate communion with our Lord Jesus Christ. When someone is hurting, confused, bewildered, bitter and anxious, that is when the ‘Comforter’ has an opportunity to bring healing, assurance and peace to our painful existence!

You may say, “How is this possible”? A simple yet profound answer: ‘Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity’! A very important and basic key to a recovery and turn-around, however, is a repentant heart and a strong desire to change!

The need to say sincerely, “I have failed, I’m sorry. Please forgive me!” is paramount! Then, be ready to receive God’s mercy, forgiveness, assurance and blessing!

After more than four decades in the Ministry we have seen countless numbers of people who had lost everything they held dear and were at ‘rock bottom’ receive a new life when they turned their sordid lives over to God and through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ were transformed by His glorious Gospel!

Just recently a woman answered an altar call and with tears in her eyes spoke these words: “The devil has taken away from me everything.” After prayer she was changed and returned later to testify with a glow on her face that Jesus Christ had made everything new for her. 

NOTE: Second Installment coming Soon. M.S.