Saturday, July 2, 2022

                  ETERNAL LIFE:

                  Come Home to Jesus

                   By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in  Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3: 16, 17, 36)

“The only thing that can save our world out of difficulties and all evil is to return to the old-time Christianity with the old values which must totally saturate a people, if our culture is tobe safe-guarded.” - Norway’s King Haakon speaking to his subjects on BBC Radio from London, after fleeing Hitler’s advancing Army.

As Hitler’s great armies were sweeping across Europe in 1939, King George V1 of Great Britain quoted the following poem in his Christmas Message on BBC Radio: “I said to the man at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a lamp that I might see the way.’ He said to me, ‘Put your hand in the hand of God. That will be to you better than a lamp, and more than a known way’.”

Canadians are in danger of losing their long-held Christian morality and values from our homes, churches, schools, and society at large! Commerce, education, governments, judiciary, and society in general have all been tainted by the moral and spiritual backsliding of a large part of our populace! What is needed in our nation is a return to the old-fashioned principles and standards of righteous Christian morality and the reverence and godly ‘fear of the Lord’, with love and compassion toward our fellowman!

CANADA IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE!

It is imperative that we return to God and the Holy Bible! I urge all Canadians in high places and low to repent and to call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for His mercy, blessing, and protection. We must return unto God nationally and begin winning to Christ the precious non-believers in our midst, before Canada also is torn apart by fanatical religious terrorists, who are intent upon conquest and mastery!

We have drifted from our godly roots as a Judaeo–Christian people, who have in the past been abundantly blessed with the favour of God. As a nation, however, we have slipped and fallen! Canada is presently on the verge of becoming a nation without any moral compass and moral authority and has to a great extent already abandoned the teachings of the Word of God, the Holy Bible!

An historical study of Israel clearly reveals that Almighty God and Lord of the Universe, punished His Chosen people by bringing hordes of pagans against them when they forsook Him. Repeatedly, He allowed their enemies to rule over them, until they were willing to repent of their sins and return unto the Lord.

The Holy Bible says, “Has a nation changed their gods which are not Gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what doth not profit. For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the Fountain of Living Waters, and hewed themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jer. 2: 11, 13). “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the good ways, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.” (Jer.6: 16)

WHAT ARE THESE TWO EVILS?

Creation reacts to mankind’s sins: “Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.” (Jer.2:12). God’s punishment upon His people drastically affected the earth and areas of His creation like the onslaught of brutal wars, storms, drought, earthquakes, and poverty!

They had broken two of His Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me, and Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself, nor serve them.” (Ex. 20:3-5)

Even the heavenly constellations were astonished at the stupidity of mankind who turned from the worship of the Creator to worship His creation instead. How could human beings worship the Liar (devil) who will be cast into the Lake of fire, together with all who have rejected Jesus Christ, as Saviour and Lord!

The Bible says: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose face the heaven and earth fled away; and there was found no place for them.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.

“And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the lake of Fire.” (Rev.20:10-15)

ALL CREATION REBELLED AT THE CROSS!

God’s creation rebelled when Jesus was nailed to the cross on Golgotha. The Sun refused to shine, and Darkness covered the land for three hours while the Saviour suffered for our sins. The earth Rebelled at the spectacle of the Creator dying naked on a tree he had nourished. The Earth trembled and convulsed, and a great earthquake rent the stones. God the Fathertore the Veil in the temple from top to bottom as He left the Holy of Holies!

Europeans have mostly forsaken the Lord and are wallowing in immorality, sexual perversion, pornography, prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, corruption, abortion, and pedophilia. God’s judgment has already begun there. Backslidden France is beginning to feel the brunt of Islamic terrorism and a violent backlash against the godlessness that is perverting the entire society there!

It is imperative that we return to God and the Holy Bible because only He has the power to hear and answer our prayers. There is no other god or deity that exists. God the Son came to this sinful, evil world to destroy Satan’s power over the human race, and to redeem mankind! 

God’s Word states: “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); “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it,” (Col.2:14,15)

Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and 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. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father 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 anything in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. 

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: But ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14: 6-14)

THE BLOOD OF THE EVERLASTING COVENANT!

Jesus said: “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you true. If the Son therefore shall make you Free ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:32, 36): “Verily, verily I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the Door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go and out and find pasture.

“The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I am come that ye might have life and more and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

“Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father.” (John 10: 7-18) 

“Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own Blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you perfect…” (Heb. 13: 12,13, 20)

Before the foundation of the world, before Lucifer’s rebellion and expulsion from Heaven,and before the tragic fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, a covenant was made by God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in Heaven. God’s Purposes and Plans were laid out for the creation of Man, made a little lower than the angels. It is called, ‘The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant’!

God knew that Lucifer would lead a rebellion and be cast out of Heaven. He knew that Adam and Eve would be tempted and fall, bringing sin, fear, torment, and death to the human family. In His great Plan for the Church, He would send His Son to be incarnated (God in human flesh) to atone for the sins of Adam and his posterity. His vicarious death on the cross and resurrection from the dead would satisfy the righteous demands of Divine Justice in the courts of Heaven! 

God would send the blessed Holy Spirit to fill believers and lead His Church, which He would adopt as His own children!

THE MYSTERY OF GOD!

God is transcendent, meaning existing above and beyond the range of physical human experience. His immanence means that God’s presence is with us. He is everywhere present at once! At any moment of day or night God is with us. And through Christ Jesus, God is in us and we are in Him! “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, the shall we appear with Him in glory.” (Col.3:3,4)

If you know Christ, you know the Father also. (John 8:9): If you believe in Christ, you are believing in the One who sent Him. (John 12:44): If you confess the Son, you have the Father also. (1 John 2:23): If you do not honour the Son, you do not honour the Father. (1 John 2:23;John 5:22): If you deny the Son, you do not have the Father. If you hate the Son, you hate the Father also. (John 15:23)

St. Paul states: “How that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery, whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the Mystery of Christ. Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the Mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in Christ.” (Eph.3:3-8)

God had not revealed this great mystery to Moses, Daniel, David, or Isaiah. He had kept it in His heart. St. Paul was given the secret of God, the Mystery of Christ. What was it? That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the Gospel in Christ! We Gentiles were also included in His Kingdom as sons and daughters, children of the Eternal living God!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly paces in Christ; According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Who hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

“Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purchased in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him:

“In whom we have been obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Eph. 1: 1-11)

In the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, God’s Son would be incarnated (God in human flesh) and give His life as a Ransom on Golgotha’s Hill to redeem sinful man and rise from the dead to justify us all!

WHAT MUST WE DO?

The answer is a revival of righteousness that will sweep across Canada that will reignite the desire to serve Jesus Christ and our fellowmen, with an urgency to evangelize at home and abroad. We desperately need a ‘Move of the Holy Spirit’, which will infect our moral fibre with God consciousness.

Then, a mighty ground swell of prayer will rise up to the Almighty for mercy and forgiveness, and He will intervene. He has promised to cleanse our hearts and lives through the precious blood of JESUS, the Lamb of God, who died upon Calvary’s Cross for our sins!

HE HAS PROMISED!

“If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14).

“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.” (Is. 1:18)

“Wherefore He (Jesus) is able to Save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Heb. 7:25, 26);

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Jesus Christ invites us all to fellowship with Him though the Word of God and the Holy Spirit: 

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” (Rev.3:20). Let us pray: Come into my heart, Lord Jesus! Amen.