Friday, August 14, 2015

Great miracles of Divine Healing occur wherever the True Gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ. Our Lord is healing many through the Ministry of Pastor Max Solbrekken. Meet Max and Donna at the House of Prayer on Hiway 623 east off Hiway 21 and south off New Sarepta, AB Sun 11:00 August 23.

FOR THIS PURPOSE
 By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
      “Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this CAUSE came I unto this hour.” (John 12: 27); “Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this CAUSE came I into this world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice.” (John 18:37); For this PURPOSE the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
    Many have asked the age old questions: Why did Jesus of Nazareth have to die? For what purpose was His torturous death on the Garbage Dump on Golgotha's Hill outside Jerusalem's City wall? Why would the Son of God be incarnated to suffer, bleed and die as a common criminal on a Roman Cross? Why did the Jewish nation reject Him as Messiah?”
                   GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH!
     “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 Cor.3: 16)
       This is one of the most revealing statements concerning the Deity of Jesus of Nazareth in the Bible. God the Son was incarnated (God in human flesh) so that He could Redeem fallen man. He was TRUE GOD from eternity and TRUE MAN by virtue of His Virgin Birth.
     Although He died for the sins of the world as God's perfect paschal Lamb, He was spotless and without SIN. His Spirit as well as His body was pure, righteous and flawless. If there would have been even one sin in Him, He could not have risen from the dead. Death would have held Him until the Resurrection Day!
   There is a dangerous doctrine taught by some American preachers which denies the FULL DEITY and total perfection of Jesus Christ. They ignorantly state that Jesus Christ became SIN (instead of bearing our sins) and went to Hell to suffer as a SINNER and was born again, in order to rise from the dead.
    If Jesus became a sinner, He could not have been GOD in human flesh because God CANNOT SIN! And He could not have risen from the dead, because DEATH would have held Him fast! And if Jesus Christ, for even one moment was less than TRUE GOD, the Godhead would have ceased to exist!
     The truth is that although Jesus of Nazareth gave His perfect body on the CROSS as our Substitute to meet the demands of Divine Justice thereby satisfying the Righteousness of God the Father, the Holy Spirit was in Christ at that moment reconciling the world unto Himself!
                     GOD WAS IN CHRIST ON THE CROSS!
  St. Paul declared: “That is, that GOD WAS IN CHRIST reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. For He (the Father) hath made Him to be sin (sin offering) for us, WHO KNEW NO SIN, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor.5:19,21)
     How could we be made the righteousness of God in Christ, if at the moment of reconciliation through His vicarious death He was suffering in Hell? The only time Jesus went to Hell was after being in Abraham's Bosom in Paradise for three days. The Holy Scriptures declare that He went there to preach; NOT TO SUFFER!
     “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah...” (1 Peter 3: 18-20)
    Our precious Lord Jesus was put to death in the flesh and was raised back to Life by the Holy Spirit. “He went” into Hell and preached. If He were already there suffering, He wouldn't have had to go there! The fallacy of the 'born again Jesus' teaching is so “off the charts”, only a seductive spirit could convince well meaning people to believe it!
     JESUS specifically told His disciples on two occasions that He would be “lifted up on the cross”, but that His Father was always with Him and would not leave Him: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me.” (John 16:32; John 8:29)
    We stand with Evangelical theologians who declare: “Any doctrine or theological teaching that denies the full deity or true humanity of Christ the Son of God is a faith devoid of truth and all its tenants are without merit.” 
                         WHY DID JESUS LOVE US?
St. Paul declared: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and. from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who Gave Himself for our sins, that He might Deliver us from this present Evil World. ” (Gal.1: 4,5)
   Jesus Christ admonished His followers to love one another because in the world they would experience HATE, because of their faith in Him:
     “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15: 18, 19)
     St. John stated: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
    “For all that is in the World; the Lust of the Flesh, and the Lust of the eyes, and the Pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the Lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.” (1 John 2: 15-18)
     St. James said: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4: 4)
                 JESUS WAS FACING THE CROSS!
      Jesus Christ knew what He was facing. He had come to earth to die on the rugged Cross as God's paschal Lamb. As our Substitute, He 'Met the Demands of Divine Justice' and satisfied the Righteous Judgment of a Thrice Holy God, in payment for the sins of the world!
     The outpouring of His holy, untainted blood on the cursed tree at Calvary would satisfy the wrath of God against humanity, because of Adam's High Treason against the Creator.
     Our Lord says: “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.” (John 3:16,17)
    JOHN WESLEY made this powerful statement: “Understand God? Can a worm understand a man?” Here is another great question: “Can a man KNOW God?” The answer is, “YES, but only Jesus Christ can reveal Him to us.”
     Jesus said: “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” (Matt.11: 27)
     “Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” (John 14: 10)
   The Bible states: “...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8).
    “For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through Death He might Destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil; and Deliver them who through the fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage.” (Heb.2:14-15)
     “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power: Who went about doing good, and HEALING all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10: 38)
    Some time ago I was agonizing in prayer for sick and suffering people who have been ministered to, but have not yet received the miracle they urgently need! I know that Jesus Christ healed everyone who came to Him for a miracle. 
    He did not turn away anyone, but healed them all. He went uninvited to Gadara to liberate a man from demons and to the Pool of Bethesda to heal a paralytic. (Mark 5: 1-19; John 5: 1-9)
     By God's grace, I have witnessed miracles among countless sick and diseased people across the world for the past many years. God's answer to my agonizing prayer was: “Preach the Gospel!” 
    The Gospel is the Good News. It solves everything! Nothing is too hard for our Lord, because He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
    The Living God Whom we serve has not changed, cannot change and will not change! He has not lied, cannot lie and will not lie! He has not failed, cannot fail and will not fail. He is Not a respecter of persons, places or times! And He is on call 24/7. He doesn't get tired. He doesn't get sick. He will never retire and He cannot die!
    The Gospel is the Good News that Light is come into a world of darkness; that Peace has come into a world of turmoil; that Healing has come into a world of Sickness; that Love has come into a world of Hate; that that Forgiveness has come into a world of Sin; that that Life has come into a world of Death; that Freedom has come into a world of Bondage; that Satan's Slaves are made free by the shed BLOOD of Jesus Christ, the Liberator and Emancipator of the Human Race. And the Holy Spirit is calling sinners to repentance, and the Church to faith in God, working in the hearts, minds and bodies of sinful, fearful, sick and suffering people everywhere!
                    WHY CHRIST WAS MANIFESTED!
    “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3: 8)
   This declaration by St. John the Beloved should settle the question of our Lord's priorities while here on earth! He came to earth to DESTROY the works of the Devil. He came to war against the Evil One and to defeat him totally in His quest to liberate fallen man and to build His Church.
    In the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read the Prophecy of the Coming Messiah: “...The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor: He hath sent Me to HEAL the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4: 17, 18)
     Seven hundred years earlier, Isaiah foretold His vicarious death for us all: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed.” (Is.53: 4,5). 
    It is a definite FACT that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the fulfillment of that prophecy and hundreds more in the Old Testament that foretold His coming!
    Jesus Christ was the Deliverer Almighty God declared would crush Lucifer's head: “And the Lord God said unto the serpent... And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; It shall bruise (crush) thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3: 14,15)
    “And there were in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee Who Thou art, the Holy One of God. 
    "And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out.” (Mark 1: 22-28)
     After that spectacular Deliverance in the synagogue, the sick and suffering came to Jesus Christ from every quarter and He healed and delivered them all! Here are some of His great Healing Campaigns:
    And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him ALL that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And He HEALED many that were sick of divers diseases and cast out many devils: and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.
     “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him. And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, All men seek after Thee.
    “And He said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: For therefore came I forth. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.” (Mark 1: 32-39)
     It was most fitting then, that UNCLEAN SPIRITS were the first to confess that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of the Living God. 
    JESUS declared: “No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man, and then will he spoil his house.” (Mark 3: 27)
     Jesus' enemies accused Him of casting out unclean spirits by the power of Beezebub, the prince of devils. Our Lord warned that by calling the Holy Spirit an unclean spirit, they were in danger of committing the unpardonable sin: “Because they said, He (Jesus) hath an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3: 30).
    Jesus referred to the Devil as a strong man who had enslaved multitudes of lost and tortured souls, but that He was the STRONGER man who had come to bind the Devil and liberate his slaves!
    The Holy Spirit through St. Luke gives us a commentary of the work of our Lord: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power Who went about doing Good and HEALING all who were oppressed of the Devil for God was with Him.” (Acts 10: 38)
    The Holy Scriptures declare that Jesus of Nazareth was approved of God: “Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by Him, as ye yourselves also know.” (Acts 2:22)
              WHY JESUS WAS AGAINST SICKNESS
    Have you ever wondered why Jesus of Nazareth had such a holy passion and vendetta against sickness, disease and demons? Two-thirds of His Ministry was taken up by healing the sick and casting out evil spirits while one-third of His time was used in teaching and preaching!
     When God created the worlds and all things, He made man in His own image without sin, sickness or death. It was Lucifer the deposed archangel who tempted Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden and SIN brought fear, sickness and death. Satan and his demon hordes are to blame. They are responsible for mankind's disenfranchisement from God and the horrible consequences of Adam and Eve's Fall!
    All the Evil things triggered by the Fall of Adam and Eve opened the flood gates of the vicious, never ending onslaught of death and destruction which we see today! By healing the sick and casting out evil spirits, Jesus was beginning the process of CRUSHING the serpents head, which effectively happened at Calvary!
    Dr. Oral Roberts, who was healed miraculously from T.B. at seventeen years of age and witnessed great numbers HEALED through his Healing Ministry, made this powerful statement:
   Sickness is torment! It is the devil's oppression. It is a frontal attack of Satan against the Kingdom of Heaven. Really, Satan is not striking at you or me. He is striking against God. But Christ, in His power comes to deliver us. Healing is God's counter attack against Satan!”
    The Son of God was incarnated (God in human flesh) and came to earth to redeem Mankind by meeting the Demands of Divine Justice in payment for our Sins. Jesus of Nazareth sacrificed Himself as God's paschal Lamb to be the PROPITIATION (satisfaction, covering) for our sins and that of the entire world, past, present and future!
    The Vicarious BLOOD of Jesus Christ -True God from Eternity and True Man through His virgin birth - satisfied the righteous JUSTICE of a thrice - holy God in full payment for Adam and Eve's High Treason and the sins of every human being since the Fall!
    Our PASSOVER LAMB, Jesus of Nazareth as our Substitute suffered, bled, died vicariously and three days later ROSE from the dead, victorious over death, Hell and the grave!
   The Bible says: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a New Lump as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor. 5: 7, 8)
     St. Paul stated that gross SIN must not be allowed in the Church. They must deal with it and excise it. He compares the old life of sin of malice and wickedness, with the new life in Christ of sincerity and truth. He refers to Christ as God's Passover Lamb whose death has the power to change us from the old lump to a New Lump, through the New Birth! (John 3: 3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23)
                           CHRIST OUR PASSOVER! 
  Christ our Passover is the most perfect picture of the Gospel of Christ played out before our very eyes. It is a story so tender and yet so powerful that only the Holy Spirit can make it live in our spirit. It is the culmination of three and one half years of the life of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. And it is more – It goes back seven hundred years to the Prophet Isaiah who declared:
    “Surely He hath borne our sicknesses (heb. makob), and carried our pains (heb. nasa): yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His STRIPES we are healed.” (Is. 53: 4,5)
     The CONVERSION of Saul of Tarsus changed the Dynamics of the fledgling Church which suddenly enjoyed a much needed period of peace and time to grow exponentially when the chief Jewish enforcer joined the Christians!
     “Then had the churches REST throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were EDIFIED; and walking in the FEAR of the Lord, and in the COMFORT of the Holy Ghost were multiplied.” (Acts 9: 31)
      God used Saul of Tarsus so mightily that he laid the Foundation for the churches among the Gentiles. He wrote: 
    “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, and as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3: 10,11) 
     St. Paul was given amazing understanding and supernatural insight into the hidden mysteries of God. His meeting with the Glorified Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road brought shock waves to his spirit which he would never forget. Jesus confronted him with the words: “Saul, Saul, Why persecutest Thou Me?” Lying in the dust of the Damascus Road, Saul cried out: Who art Thou Lord?” and “What do You want me to do?”
      In my opinion, it wold be difficult to find another man who was given a greater order to carry out, a heavier responsibility to bear, as much spiritual understanding and any more suffering to endure than Saul of Tarsus, who became the great Apostle, and Founder of the Church of Jesus Christ among the Gentiles!
      St. Paul declared: “Now unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible,the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17);
    “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 men, the man Christ Jesus, Who Gave Himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tim. 2: 3-6)
      “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who has abolished DEATH and hath brought LIFE and IMMORTALITY to light through the Gospel.” (2 Tim.1: 10)
                     THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WORKS!
    Jesus said: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1: 8)
     Our Lord and Saviour gave us our marching orders in what we call, 'The Great Commission'. Jesus Christ said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned.
     “And these signs shall follow the than believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-18)
     Does the Gospel of Christ really work? Here is the proof that it does: “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and Confirming the Word with Signs following.” (Mark 16: 19,20)
     “And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 1-4)
                   PETER'S  PENTECOSTAL MESSAGE!
      The great phenomenon of one hundred and twenty followers of the crucified Jesus speaking in other tongues, glorifying Him as Lord and Saviour were understood by Jews from many nations.         They heard Peter's Pentecostal Message of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and how they were complicit in His death, even though what had happened was according to the Plan of God!
     The BIBLE says: “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do?
     “Then Peter said, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you and your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (Acts 2: 37-39)
                         WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
     “They that gladly received his Word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many signs and wonders were done by the apostles.” (Acts 2: 41-43)
      The Church of Jesus Christ was born on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after our Lord was raised from the dead. The Blessed Holy Spirit was poured out upon the 120 in the Upper Room in Jerusalem and has been leading and empowering His Church ever since!
      Jesus Christ said: “All power is give unto Me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28: 18-20)