MY HEAVIEST CROSS
~ TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ~
Dear Friend in Jesus Christ,
Donna and I wish to thank
you for your kindness and help during this past year and earlier; some for many
years! It is hard to believe that sixty years ago in 1963, we launched
the world-wide Ministry for Christ, in which we are still very active!
My father’s instant healing
in 1956 while listening to Oral Robert’s radio broadcast, and sudden baptism in
the Holy Ghost while singing a hymn, made an impact upon me. I had drifted from God since my confirmation
at age 15 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and I was beginning to seriously
think about God again!
In 1957, while Donna and
I were visiting my parents in Norquay, Saskatchewan, I experienced Christ’s
forgiveness, and received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with speaking in
unknown tongues. My life was forever changed. Some time later Donna was also
born again and filled with the blessed Holy Ghost.
As early as 1958 I was
sharing Christ on my business trips and in 1961, I began broadcasting over
several Radio stations with much success. Some wonderful miracles of salvation
and divine healing were happening, which greatly encouraged me and for that I
am eternally thankful!
GOD SPOKE
TO ME FROM THE BIBLE!
Early in 1963 God spoke
to me from Acts 6: 2-4: “Then the twelve called the multitudes of the disciples
unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God
and serve tables… But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the
ministry of the Word.”
My time of serving tables
was fulfilled. I knew God had called me
to the Ministry. I worked as a Commercial Traveller and used my available time studying
God’s Word with fasting and prayer. Wanting
to be certain, I asked God for another six months to wrap up my business, find
a replacement and train him.
In August 1963, we
launched into the Evangelical Field to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Light of
the world and the only Hope of Salvation!
Donna and I had built a
new home in Prince George, where we lived for 6 years. I was in a crusade in
Kent, Washington in December 1963. Our good friends, the Hunters pastored White
Rock Pentecostal Church. They had inquired about a 3-bedroom house for rent.
The Assembly of God in Kent were having a wedding on the Saturday allowing me
to drive down to White Rock that afternoon.
The Hunters stated that
there had not been a three-bedroom house for rent for the last 90 days. As I
was driving up Johnson Road, I saw Wolstencroft Realty lights and God urged me
to stop there. It was 15 minutes to closing time. I parked and walked inside. A
gentleman met me. I asked, “Do you have a 3-bedroom home for rent?”
He said that there hadn’t
been any for three months, but that a man had been there 30 minutes earlier and
put his house for rent. He lived in Prince George and had bought a new vehicle
and had taken it for a spin and would be back in 10 minutes. I asked, “What is
his name?” He answered, “His name is Ernie James.” I said, “I
know where he lives in Prince George because we are neighbours!” We rented his house for three months and then
we made a deal to exchange homes!
MY HEAVIEST CROSS!
Years ago, I began
writing my story called, ‘My Heaviest Cross’ and this is some of it!
Leaving my beautiful wife Donna and our precious children for long
periods of time while I preached Christ’s Gospel has been my ‘Heaviest
Cross.” Thomas Tutyko and I were away
from home for 3 ½ months in 1966. We had great crusades from Japan to the
Philippines and India. Thousands of souls were saved, and great miracles
performed in Jesus’ name. We had the company of one another, which was a great
blessing!
I have travelled in
Crusades for weeks and months labouring for the Master. Watching the news these
days and seeing the awful carnage in Ukraine by the wicked Russian Military, I
can remember the cities where I preached across Eastern Europe from 1989 to
2005. We had such great blessings especially in the Ukraine, many of those
cities now lie in ruin!
HIGH COST
OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL!
A few weeks ago, Donna
and I were discussing the high cost of preaching the Gospel. We know that Jesus
paid the price for our salvation when He died for our sins, fears, loneliness,
sickness, and disease. And by His stripes we are healed and have been given
power over the devil in Jesus’ holy and matchless Name!
Donna said, “Of
the many times the children and I took you to the Vancouver International
Airport, the children and I were so sad, and I said in my heart, “If only we
had one more night together!” I asked, “Do you really need to leave today?” Then
suddenly you said, “I’m not leaving tonight. I’ll call them that I have been
delayed” and you swung the car around and headed Home. That was the happiest
night I had. After that, it was okay.”
Donna remembered the time
I had said goodbye to her and the children at the Airport, with the keys to our
car in my pocket. Donna ran out to the exit gate shouting, “My husband
has the automobile keys in his pocket. Stop that airplane. I have four children
here and no keys to our vehicle.” Fortunately, they got word out to the
airplane, and I was able to give them the car keys, and my precious family were
on their way safely home! Whenever I was at home and we could travel in the
vehicle, we took the whole family!
I CALLED
KEN MY SHADOW!
Ken travelled with me a
lot, even while I was still a Commercial Traveller. I would introduce him to my
customers. I called him my shadow. He was 3 ½ years old when I preached a three-week
Revival at the Langley Pentecostal Church with Pastor Erhardt. Ken and I
lived in the Attic where a bed had been set up amidst a lot of other things.
When I made the altar
call and people would kneel at the altar, I would come down and lay my hands on
their heads and pray. Ken followed me and did the same. Then when I felt my
ministry was over and people continued praying, I would lay my hands on Ken’s
head and pray for Him before carrying him up to the Attic. One night there was
a large crowd and after much prayer, I took Ken with me and was getting into
bed. Suddenly, he said, “Dad, you didn’t pray for me tonight!” I
sensed the presence of God upon him and asked, “Do you want to give your
heart to Jesus tonight, son?” He said, “Yes, Dad.” We
knelt in that little attic at the Langley Pentecostal Church and my son Ken
gave his heart to the Lord.”
GREAT
REVIVAL AMONG THE NATIVES!
Every five weeks I would
work my way west calling on every Grocery Store and Logging Camp, and I would usually
be in Hazelton or Prince Rupert for the weekend. Pastor Jack
and Irma Williams were doing an amazing work in the about four or five Indian
Reserves. They would ask me to speak and we would have great outpourings of the
Holy Spirit among them as God did miracles of deliverance and healings for His
glory.
Billy and Cynthia Legette
of the Prince Rupert Pentecostal Church were excellent musicians and pastors. I
had preached in their church several times.
In the summer of
1962, Donna and I used our vacation to preach in Edmonton, and Billy Legette
joined us. He was a professional violinist and great song leader. That 10-day
crusade reached many people and 95 answered the altar call for salvation and
many testified that Jesus had healed them. Nine young men from the Roman
Catholic Seminary went forward for prayer!
Ten Seminarians from St.
Joseph’s Seminary in St. Albert, Alberta came to the meeting to openly
challenge me about statements I had publicity made about the false teachings
about the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. They made their plans known to
our Head usher, who did not divulge it to me.
As Billy Legette and I
walked onto the platform, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit say to me, “Give
the Pope a rest tonight, Son!” God gave me a powerful message to deliver on
the Cross of Christ! The Altar was filled and among them were nine Seminarians,
who asked for an personal audience with me. They all thanked me and confessed,
that had received Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour!
THE OLD
ARMY TENT!
In 1963, we bought an old
Army Tent, Semi, and Trailer for $2,000. Brother Casperson, a Norwegian
Fisherman in New Westminster gave us the money, and we used that tent to preach
Christ and liberate multitudes of people in the next two years across Western
Canada. The News Press always gave us good coverage because they
realized we practiced what we preached, and the miracles God performed were
genuine!
It was exciting for five-year-old
Ken and me, driving that old rig across the Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster,
B.C. We took a right turn and drove the winding Old Yale Road bypassing Surrey,
toward White Rock. Our good friend T.B. Nash, a sign painter who was staying
with us, painted in large red letters across the long trailer, ‘Jesus Saves, Heals & Fills with the Holy Ghost’.
Together with Don
Gossett we put up the tent in Surrey, B.C. in early 1964, with great
success. Our second Crusade was in Edmonton where 14 churches backed our
ministry, and hundreds were converted to Christ. Then on to Winnipeg and
Steinbach and other points! That old Army Tent was held up by three 45-foot-high
telephone poles, and an old Chevy three-ton tractor saw a lot of action for our
Saviour.
And because I was young
and strong and had earlier learned hard work on the farm, I could swing the
heavy Sledgehammer to drive in hundreds of long wood anchor stakes. Everywhere
we set up the tent, we often had great help from local believers. Bob Rosin,
my great friend who was a Farmer and former long-haul Trucker found time to
transport our outfit from city to city. And usually, my precious little Kenny
was my constant companion!
I hadn’t planned
to write all this, but Donna’s comments brought me to tears and the book I have
always planned to write has just got a rough beginning! A blessed and joyous
Christmas to all our friends from Donna and me! Amen.
THE PRAYER
CLOTH
For years we sent out
prayer cloths to people who requested them, and the results were amazing.
Testimonies of great miracle healings happened to some people who used them in
faith and prayed in agreement with us in Jesus’ name!
The Bible says: “And
God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were
brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from
them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19: 11,12)
God laid it on my
heart to send a prayer cloth over which we have prayed, for you to use in
agreement with us for God’s healing touch upon you, for His honour and glory!
Please request as many prayer cloths an you can prayerfully us when you write!
Your servants for Jesus’ sake,
Max & Donna Solbrekken
P.S. In 1989,
I had the privilege of preaching in Romania and Ukraine. The doors had
opened across Eastern Europe and thousands of people were attending. Although I
loved being the pastor of Faith Cathedral Edmonton, God was drawing me to
Eastern Europe. Donna and I were ministering in Norway when we discussed what I
was feeling in my spirit. On July 21, 1989, God spoke these words to me:
“My son, your ministry will be greater from
now onward than hitherto. Take My Word to Eastern Europe now!”
Ken helped us organize together with Pastor Laurie Hueppesheuser to amalgamate
Faith Cathedral and People’s Church as one body under their leadership. The
official amalgamation took place on October 27, 1991.
Amazingly,
the Edmonton Revival Centre that became Faith Cathedral was officially opened
on October 27, 1969.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5J 1N6; Email:[email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Donations can be made by e-Transfer. Make your donation to [email protected]; Youtube; Facebook; Blog: MSWM. Thank you and may the Lord richly bless you!
