WHY I
AM A CHRISTIAN
by Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
Bertrand
Russell helped change my life through the statements he made and the books he
wrote: Especially the one titled, Why I
Am Not a Christian! His death affected me as well! It occurred on February 2, 1970. As I studied the eulogies that flowed from
the lips of fellow philosophers and the typewriters of journalists, I decided
to write this book, WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN!
It all seemed so ridiculous to me, having
read his statements for years, to see his ignominius
end. Russell died at the age of 99, a
lost soul going into eternity to meet God all alone, away from his fellow
agnostics and philosophers, the glare of T.V. cameras and friendly newspaper reporters.
Bertrand
Russell - like all other
agnostics and atheists - will have to face Jesus Christ at the Eternal Judgment
Bar, like a blithering idiot,
trying to explain his silly philosophical bent to the God of the universe and
Saviour of Mankind!
When the news of his death reached me, I
immediately prepared a radio message for release across the nation. It was titled: ‘England's Wisest Fool is Dead’!
ENGLAND’S WISEST FOOL!
To have had access to the Holy Bible as
well as writings of some of the finest Christians of all time - Martin Luther, John Wesley, John Bunyan, and Charles Spurgeon, and still champion the kind of
ideology and philosophy that he did, seemed sad to me. Especially, since Almighty God had endowed
him with a brilliant mind and ample opportunities to develop and illuminate it!
How could a man live almost a century and
reject Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Fountain Head of Wisdom, the Pearl of great price, the Prince of Peace, and Giver of Eternal Life? To do so, a person would have to be extremely
dull intellectually or blinded spiritually by evil spirits, whose satanic duty
it is to destroy men’s souls in hell!
Since Bertrand Russell was a brilliant man, I deduced that like
millions of others across the world, he
must have been deceived. St. Paul writes of Satan, "blinding the eyes of those who refuse
to receive this gospel...so that they will be damned!" (2 Thes.
2:12)
RUSSELL EXUDED HOPELESSNESS!
Bertrand
Russell stated: “The life of man is a long march through the night, surrounded by
invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a goal that few can
hope to reach and where none can tarry long. One by one, as they march, our
comrades vanish from our sight, seized by the silent orders of omnipotent
death.
“Brief and powerless is man's life, on his and all his race
the slow, sure doom falls, pitiless and dark. Blind to good and evil, reckless
of destruction, omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way. For man,
condemned today to lose his dearest, tomorrow himself to pass through the gates
of darkness, it remains only to cherish, ere yet the blow falls, the lofty
thoughts that ennoble his little day.”
SHAW AND WELLS REJECTED ATHEISM!
Writers
H.G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw were brilliant men who had left God out of
their lives! They built their beliefs on the sinking, shifting sands of exalted
humanism, and their lofty ideologies came crashing down around their ears.
In the end, both Wells and Shaw wrote of their disillusionment with atheism and
the fallacy of their belief in science as a near end-all religion!
Wells' final literary work oozed of hopelessness and
is indeed a testament to the failings of his earlier projections of building a
utopian world based on the inherent goodness in mankind! It has correctly been
called "a scream of
despair." He had given up all hope for humanity!
George W. Shaw
(1856–1950) winner of 1925 Nobel Prize in literature stated: “I am
ready to admit after contemplating the world and human nature for 60 years,
that I see no way out of the world’s miseries but by the way that would be
found by Christ’s will.”
What a marvelous testimony to the overwhelming power
of the Gospel that eclipses all human abilities and frailties throughout all
times and ages!
He stated: “The science to which I pinned my faith is
bankrupt. Its counsels, which should have established the millennium, have led
directly to the suicide of Europe. I believed them once. In their name I helped
to destroy the faith of millions. And now they look at me and witness the great
tragedy of an atheist who has lost his faith."
Oh, the futility of atheism! Shaw died as a believer in
Jesus Christ! For more than 60
years I have studied the Bible and served in the Christian ministry, and yet I
can say with all sincerity and fairness, that God is reliable, and the Bible is relevant!
And that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and
humanity’s only hope for time and eternity!
WITHOUT DOUBT, CHRIST IS COMPETENT, ABLE AND
WILLING TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, EVEN IN THIS DARK HOUR OF HUMAN
HISTORY!
Make no mistake
about the fact that the Holy Spirit is actively working today in the lives of
all who put their trust in Jesus Christ.
He continues to faithfully call lost souls to turn back to God in
repentance and faith, so that they may receive the forgiveness of sins, and
eternal life together with those who are redeemed and sanctified!
For many years I have studied a great deal
of theological as well as
philosophical, ideological, and scientific journals, and have been strengthened
immensely in the faith, even by reading the liberal higher critics who
seek to destroy belief in Christ's deity, the bodily resurrection of Jesus and
the miracles of the Bible!
Having
researched their writings, I have discovered that when you get all the facts,
use the proper hermeneutical approach, taking into consideration the
historical, cultural, and religious context of any Biblical passage, and
diligently searching out the original texts, all apparent inconsistencies
vanish like the fog before the sun! To come to this conclusion, one must be
totally honest!
My statement to Mike Roberts of CHBC TV will forever be my testimony: "I'm
satisfied with Jesus Christ. God has
been far too good to me. I do not
deserve all the blessings He has showered upon my life!"
I thank Professor Bertrand Russell posthumously for the challenge I
received from his ill - prepared and unscientific, anti-Christian statements.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIVING WORD
And
I thank the Holy Spirit who
prompted me to set the record straight on behalf of my good friend and Saviour
Jesus Christ, who is everything He claims to be and more, the Son of the Living
God and the sole Saviour of the world. In
fact, in Him we live and move and have our being! (Acts 17:28)
I had the privilege of debating Charles Templeton - Canada's leading Agnostic
on the subject of the Christian Gospel, at Edmonton's CKER Night Watch a number of years ago. A scheduled debate on Ray Torgrud's CKY TV Talk Show, Winnipeg, however, didn't get ‘off
the ground’ as Templeton was unable to appear.
On one occasion I asked Mr. Templeton
pointedly, "What do you think of Jesus Christ?" He answered, “Jesus Christ is the
single most important influence in my life.” Then, I probed, "Is
He the Son of God?"
Templeton answered: "No, he is not the Son of God!" I asked, "Who is He then?" He
replied, "A moral genius”.
Then I dropped a bombshell: "How can a moral genius be a colossal
liar? For He said, ‘I am the Son of
God!’ If He is a moral genius, He cannot
be a liar and is therefore the Son of God.”
For a moment on the other end of the
telephone there was a short embarrassing silence, just before Templeton began a
rambling defense. In broadcasting, we
call that silence: "The moment of
truth!"
In my heart I pity Charles Templeton, who preached the gospel and together
with Billy Graham reached multitudes
for our Lord Jesus Christ! When I debated Templeton, he called himself an
agnostic. Fifteen years later when he wrote his last book, Farewell to
God, he called himself an atheist!
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB
T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Youtube; Facebook: Donations can be made
by e-Transfer. Make donations to [email protected]. May the Lord bless you!
WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN!
For many years, I have preached this
message to large crowds in our crusades across the world with great
success. Finally, by God's grace I have
found the time to put it into print.
In the first chapter, I deal with the
subject, ‘What is a Christian?’ In
subsequent chapters I give the arguments, reasons, and deductions I have
arrived at after more than 60 years of dedicated research, study, observation,
and experience.
DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to young people who
are searching for the truth. May the
Holy Spirit graciously allow this book to fall into their hands! Then may He, the Divine Paraclete open their eyes so they may recognize Jesus Christ
for who He really is, the Son of the Living God!
I dedicate this book to young married
couples and those in middle age, who are so busy with their lives raising
children, making ends meet and getting their youth through college and
university, that they have simply left God out of their lives!
I dedicate this book to the early retirees,
seniors, the golden agers, and those who are close to eternity! May each one of
us take a good look at eternal values and Jesus Christ, the only hope for
eternity and Heaven! Amen.
Acknowledgements:
To the many
preachers, scholars, and theologians, whom I have known or whose books I have
read and learned from, I say thank you for your great help! I wish to thank the
blessed Holy Spirit for His guidance and wisdom in anointing His humble servant
in this undertaking!
In my busy schedule of pastoring,
counseling, travelling, and writing, He has encouraged me and enabled me to
finally get these words on paper.
I thank my wonderful wife Donna, for her
love, devotion to God and family and her patience in my arduous tasks of both pastoring and world evangelism!
And a special ‘thank you’ to our daughter, Betty
Farge, who typed and re-typed the manuscript for this book and many others,
for more than a decade.
CHAPTER
1:
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
“They were called
Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:20). The word 'Christian' really means
'Christ-like-one'. Christ Himself was called 'the Nazarene', to
fulfill the Scriptures, therefore some of His followers adopted that name (Matt.2: 23;
Is. 11:1).
After the Antioch episode, however,
followers of Jesus Christ were called christians,
which also had the connotation, 'The Family of Jesus’! That’s
fitting, because St. Paul states that we are of the “household of faith"
and "the household of God". (Gal.6 :10; Eph.2 :19)
For the first twenty years after the birth
of the Church, the followers of
Jesus were referred to by several other names beginning with 'Maaminim' which was a derisive name
given this Jewish sect of believers in Yeshua (Jesus) as Ha Mashiach (Messiah).
The first believers in
Jesus were Jewish! They were called “Maaminim” and comprised a spiritual movement within the scope of
Judaism - with their own synagogues - and preached the ‘Besorah’ (Good News) of salvation.
Dr.
H.H. Goldberg states, “Besides the Perushim
(Pharisees), Tzedukim (Sadducees)
and Essenes, the ‘Maaminim’ - were an integral part of the Temple community and
‘Ha-aam Hayehudi’ (the Jewish people)”.
For the first eight years after the resurrection of Jesus, the ‘Maaminim’ ministered exclusively to
Jews.
The deacon, Phillip, broke tradition by preaching
in Samaria, among that city’s Jewish-extracted, mixed-race population. Cornelius’ household were the first Romans to
accept the gospel - two years later - when ‘Shimon bar Yonah’ (Peter)
preached to them.
JESUS CHRIST
CALLS SAUL!
Rabbi ‘Shaul
of Tarsus’, a fanatical pharisee, crusading to exterminate the
‘Maaminim’, met Jesus of Nazareth - in a blinding light - on the Damascus Road
and was converted. The Bible says, “And as he journeyed, he came near to
Damascus: and suddenly, there shined round about him a light from heaven:
“And he fell to the
earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:
it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads).
"And he trembling
and astonished said Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
“And Saul arose from the
earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand
and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias,
and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here
Lord.
“And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in
the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold, he prayeth, and he hath seen in a vision a man called Ananias
coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.
“Then Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy
saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind
all that call on Thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way; for he
is a chosen vessel unto to Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and
kings and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.
“And Ananias went his way
and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul,
the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in thy way as thou camest, hath
sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. And immediately there fell from His eyes as it had been scales: and he
received sight forthwith and arose and was baptized.
“And when he had received
meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which
were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,
that He is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and
said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this Name in
Jerusalem, and came hither for the intent that he might bring them bound unto
the chief priests?
“But Saul increased the
more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving this
is very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled the Jews took counsel
to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the
gates day and night. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by
the wall in a basket.” (Acts 9: 3 25)
ST. PAUL MOST EFFECTIVE!
Among the
evangelists, he was the most effective in converting the heathen. Gentile believers became known as Christians
and their houses of worship, churches (heb. fem. of synagogue). At the Jerusalem Council - A.D. 50, the ‘Maaminim’ accepted gentile believers
into fellowship - without embracing Jewish customs and disciples - except
refraining from idolatry.
The ‘Maaminim’ grew so
large that in A.D. 90, Gamaliel II called the ‘Yavneh Council’ of rabbis to stem the growth of the new Jewish
movement. It was decreed that a
disparaging verse against the ‘Maaminim’
be included in the ‘Amidah’ (central prayer in synagogue service).
The persecution increased when Rabbi Akiba
declared ‘Shimon bar Kochba’ - who led an insurrection against the Romans from
A.D. 132 to 135 - the Messiah. The ‘Maaminim’ remonstrated saying,
“There is no Mashiach - except Yeshua”.
Shimon bar Kochba’s
‘Messiahship’ was later repudiated by Jewish leaders, but the breach with the ‘Maaminim’ remained. Whatever happened to the Jewish
believers? Why did the ‘Maaminim’ - who continued until the
fifth century – disappear?
THE HISTORICAL RECORD EXPOSES ONE OF CHRISTIANITY’S MOST
SHAMEFUL CHAPTERS: THE UNRIGHTEOUS
TREATMENT OF JESUS’ FIRST FOLLOWERS AND GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE! WHAT PERSECUTING JEWS FAILED TO DO - DESTROY
THE ‘MAAMINIM’ - PROUD, BIASED AND SPITEFUL GENTILE CHRISTIANS SUCCEEDED BY
THEIR HATRED AND REJECTION!
Jewish preachers had
converted many pagans to Christ. But
after the first century, Gentile Christians - who had become dominant - began
to persecute their Jewish brethren!
Church fathers and clergy
demanded that Jewish believers renounce their Jewish observances and
practices. They forgot that the ‘Maaminim’ in A.D. 50 embraced them, on
the basis of their belief in Jesus, without changing cultures. Now they
demanded that the Jews change their customs - as the basis for salvation. (Rom.
11)
May God
forgive the Church for all the hatred, bias and erroneous teaching that has
fueled the perverse anti-Semitic prejudices for such a long time!
The
Council of the Evangelical Church met in Stuttgart, Germany – October,
1945. Lutheran clergymen went on
record as saying: “We are bound to our
(German) people not only in a community of suffering but also in a solidarity
of guilt. With heavy pain we say: Through us, unending misfortune was brought to
many”.
And the German Bishops’ Conference - June
11, 1961 - ordered that a special prayer for forgiveness concerning the
murdered Jews, should be offered in all Catholic
churches in Germany for “the
immeasurable guilt which cannot be blotted out by human penance”.
Pope John XXIII prayed the following prayer of repentance, shortly
before his death June 3, 1961: “We now recognize that many, many
centuries of blindness have covered our eyes so that we no longer see the
beauty of Your Chosen People and in their face no longer recognize the features
of our first-born brother. We realize that the sign of Cain is marked on our
forehead. For centuries, Abel was lying
in blood and tears because we forgot Your love.
Forgive us the damnation we pronounced unjustly upon the name of the
Jews. Forgive us for having crucified You a second time in their flesh. For we knew not what we were doing.”
It is most unfortunate,
that after all the sufferings the Jews have experienced - much of it at the
hands of the Roman Church - that it
took the Vatican so long to finally recognize Israel as a nation. No
doubt the very recent “turn around”
resulted in the Pope’s proposed journey to Jerusalem!
POPE JOHN PAUL II - BEING THE CONSUMMATE POLITICIAN
THAT HE IS - REALIZED THE NEED TO DO SO IN ORDER TO BE INVITED TO ISRAEL BEFORE
HIS DEATH. IN ANY EVENT, THE VATICAN WAS
FORCED TO FINALLY CHANGE THEIR BIGOTED AND PREJUDICED ATTITUDE TOWARD ISRAEL!
With the rebirth of the
Jewish State however, there is also a re-emergence of the ‘Maaminim’,
in Israel. And since hundreds of thousands of Jews have returned to Israel
during this past decade (some of them born again, spirit-filled Christians from
South America and Eastern Europe) the Evangelical Christian Church is
growing rapidly in Israel. Praise God!
Dr. H.H. Goldberg,
spirit-filled rabbi of a Los Angeles Maaminim
congregation says, “A true Jew is committed to God, to the land of
Israel and to the Jewish people. And
many Jews today believe in Jesus as their Mashiach”.
What is a Christian and who are today’s genuine Christians?
There are multitudes across the world, who
bear the name of Christ, but really do not know Him and are not obeying His
Word, because of ignorance, carnality, or stubbornness.
One of the 'tragedies in the Christian
Church' is that millions of people in various Christian communions are not born
again, even though Jesus said, "Except a man is born again, he cannot
see the Kingdom of God". (John 13:3)
No wonder Jesus said, "Many will
say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in
Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt. 7:22,23)
Our Lord emphasized, "With their mouths they do
worship Me but their heart is far from Me.
In vain they do worship Me..." (Matt. 15:9) Again our
Master said, "Why call ye Me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I
say?" (Luke 6:46)
Jesus demanded total commitment and
obedience from His followers. He
said: "If any man will come after
Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me." (Mark 8:34)
JESUS - THE PEARL OF
GREAT PRICE
Jesus said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is
like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he
hideth and for joy selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field". Again,
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great
price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matt. 13:44-46)
In the First Parable, Jesus lays out His
demands. The kingdom of heaven is worth everything if it's worth anything!
CHRIST HIMSELF IS THE PRICELESS TREASURE! EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECOND RATE AND WE MUST
GET RID OF ALL CONFLICTING INTERESTS IF WE WANT TO ENTER HIS KINGDOM!
In the Second Parable Jesus is setting
Himself forth as the Pearl of Great Price.
To obtain salvation, which comes only through Christ, we must sell all
other pearls and buy the Pearl of Great Price!
IT'S ALL OR NOTHING! Christ will not play second fiddle, to anyone. He wants to be Number One and demands first place in
our hearts and lives! Jesus Christ will
not share His glory with anyone. Our
hearts must be burning for Him totally!
A
pearl is a thing of beauty, rarity, and great value. The pearl of great price is the crown jewel,
the priceless treasure and the opportunity of a lifetime!
Our Master made His position clear, in
relationship to each of us: "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and
he that loveth son or daughter more than
Me is not worthy of Me." (Matt. 10:37)
A Christian then, is a dedicated follower
of Jesus Christ, a Christ-like one and a reflection or imitation of our
Saviour! St. Paul stated, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts known
and read by all men!" (2 Cor. 3:2-3)
We are the only Bible some people will ever
read! Christ is the Living Word, the
Bible is the written Word, and we are to be reflections of that Word, pointing
men and women to Christ!
JESUS CHRIST: LIGHT OF THE WORLD!
He stated,
"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). He also said, "Ye are the light of the
world" (Matt. 5:14). As the moon has no light of its own but reflects the
brightness of the sun, we are only
reflectors of Christ's glory and light. He
is the light of the world, and we reflect His glory, grace, and light to this
world!
St. Paul
admonished: "Be ye followers of God as dear children."
(Eph. 5:1). The Greek gives us the
rendering of the following words which refer to our relationship with Jesus
Christ, as given in the Pauline epistles!
1)
MIMEITAI - means mimic: The
old English word for actor. Christians
mimic or act like Him. WE SHOULD ACT LIKE
JESUS CHRIST!
2) TUPOES - means ensamples: Christ
is the pattern - we are carbon copies.
He is the original. We are copies.
WE FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE!
3)
EKSEIKETAI - means echo; sounded
out: We only echo what He has
spoken. We sound out the evangel and
bring words of reconciliation and healing to the people in His name! WE SPEAK HIS WORD!
EXCEPT YE BE BORN AGAIN!
Jesus said, "Except a man be born
again he shall not see the kingdom of Heaven". (John 3:3,7) Without the born-again experience, a person cannot fully please God or
understand the things of the Spirit.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit further
opens our eyes to the reality and relevance of God, in this generation! Jesus
said: “…If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
“But this He spake of the Spirit, which they
that believe on Him should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7: 37-39)
"And hereby we do know that we know
Him, if we keep His commandments. He
that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth
His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we
are in Him." (1 John 2:3-5)
A CHRISTIAN IS FIVE THINGS:
1)
A Christian is a mind through which Christ thinks
2)
A Christian is a heart through which Christ
loves.
3)
A Christian is a voice through which Christ
speaks.
4)
A Christian is hands through which Christ
helps and heals.
5) A Christian is feet through which Christ
carries the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
6)
A Christian is eyes through which Christ
sees the lost and needy!
7)
A Christian is ears through which Christ
hears the call of lost souls!
WHAT
IS A CHRISTIAN?
“They were called Christians first in Antioch.” (Acts
11: 26); “.... Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” (Acts 26: 28).
“Yet if anyone suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him
glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Peter 4: 16).
The word
Christian means ‘belonging to Christ;
Christ-like-ones’. The early Christians were spoken of as belonging to the ‘Family
of Jesus’! The first believers in Jesus the Messiah were Jewish and still
worshipped in the synagogue, but also met together on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) –
that was the day they found the tomb of Jesus empty – and also from house to
house!
They were called ‘maaminims’,
a derisive term placed upon them by the Jewish Community. These believers in
Jesus as Messiah were as much a part of the religious community as the
Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians or Essenes!
Philip went to
Samaria – a spiritually perverted people – with the Gospel, and the entire city
believed in Jesus Christ when they saw the signs, wonders and miracles which he
did in Jesus’ name! (Acts 8: 5-8).
When Saul of Tarsus was converted (Acts 9: 17-22), he carried
the gospel throughout Europe and Asia Minor with great success! Cornelius and
his family were the first Italians to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord
and be filled with the blessed Holy Spirit, after listening to the message
brought by Peter! (Acts 10: 44–48).
The Bible admonishes us: “Be ye followers of God as
dear children.” (Eph. 5: 1). The Greek
gives us the rendering of the following words which refer to our relationship
with Jesus Christ, as give in the Pauline Epistles!
(1).
A CHRISTIAN IS A HEART THROUGH
WHICH CHRIST LOVES!
“For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever 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).
St. John
declared: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love Him, because He first
loved us.” (1 John 5:10, 19).
The Church desperately needs to experience the love of
Christ which goes beyond description in kindness, mercy and love!
Our Lord stated: “A new
commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another as I have loved you. By
this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to
another.” (John 13: 34, 35).
Without a miracle, it is impossible to love someone
like Jesus Christ loved us! Jesus said: “With men this is impossible, but not
with God. For with God, all things are possible.” Mark 10: 27).
His great love
and mercy toward us makes this possible! “For He came unto His own, and His own
received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to then that believe on His name.” (John 1: 11, 12).
Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all of us were born in
sin and shapen in iniquity. The Bible states: “For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3: 23); “As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3: 10); “The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17: 9).
Our propensity to sin – sinners by birth, nature,
and choice – demands that we all be freed from sin’s shackles, if we are to
love one another as Christ loved us! And Jesus Christ has provided our release
from Satan’s Prison House though His shed blood on Calvary’s cross!
Here’s how this miracle works: “Therefore if any man be in
Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5: 17); “We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth
in death.” (1 John 3:14).
Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, He cannot see the kingdom of God...Except a man be born of
water (God’s Word) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
(John 3: 3, 7);
"Being born again, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible, by
the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1: 23).
(11). A CHRISTIAN IS A MIND THROUGH
WHICH CHRIST THINKS!
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
(Phil.2: 5). Wonder of wonders! We mortals can have the mind of Christ. We can
think as God thinks: pure, righteous, holy, kind, compassionate and loving
thoughts, which emanate from the throne!
The Bible says
that Jesus - our High Priest – “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.” (Heb. 4: 15). He never thought an evil thought nor did an evil
deed. He had malice to no-one and was without fear, lust, or pride! And St.
Paul states that we can have His mind and be like Him!
The human mind is the devil’s real battlefield
and he is a master at deception and trickery! Satan knows that if he can
dominate a person’s thought life with foolish fantasies, occult lies or
lustful, spiteful, hateful thoughts, he has won! Satan is a liar, deceiver and
the enemy of God and man! The good news is that he was defeated by our Lord
Jesus Christ’s vicarious death for us and glorious resurrection from the dead!
TEMPTATION
COMES THROUGH LUST!
St. James wrote: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I
am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any
man: But he is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.”
(James 1: 13, 14).
The mind of
Christ is creative, brilliant, and understanding!
He imparts knowledge,
dispenses wisdom, and gives life to all who receive His mind! God has given us
the ability to pro-create children in our image because He created us in His
image. He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and we are spirit, soul (mind) and
body.
And because we are so constituted, He gives us the innovation,
inspiration, and wisdom to concentrate, pray and create things through
invention and construction!
The mind of Christ does not waver, change or deal in
ambiguous terms!
There is no double-speak! There are no contradictions! The Bible warns:
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1: 8). “...not with
eye-service, as men-pleasers: but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And
whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” (Col.
3:22).
THE MIND OF CHRIST IS A PURE MIND
The Bible says: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.” (Phil.4: 8)
The mind of
Christ is a sound and stable mind!
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of
love and power and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7). The purpose of the
demeaning, derogatory and abusive treatment King Herod and his soldiers heaped
upon our Saviour through verbiage and acts were meant to humiliate and harm
Jesus of Nazareth physically and mentally!
When they platted a crown of Jerusalem thorns - the
Arabian Nebulae -it was meant to drive our precious Lord insane, but instead of
losing His mind through it all, Jesus purchased our peace of mind! He took upon
Himself the curse which was brought upon mankind through the fall of Adam!
(Gal.3:13).
The Bible says: “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. All we like sheep have
gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid
upon Him the iniquities of us all.” (Is. 53: 4-6)
A Christian is a mind through which Christ thinks.
As our mind assimilates those godly thoughts, we think
about people like God thinks about them. Our thoughts then become the will of
God for the people, and we begin to work in accordance with His Word, will and
purposes!
St. Paul writes: “For God hath not given us the spirit
of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1: 7). “But
the natural mind receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto Him: neither can He know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct Him?
But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2: 14, 16)
(111).
A CHRISTIAN ARE VOICE THROUGH
WHICH CHRIST SPEAKS!
Jesus spoke to
people who were fearful, troubled, diseased and sinful! His words brought peace
to the tormented, forgiveness to the sinner, pardon to the guilty and healing
to the sick and diseased! And life to the dead – both spiritually and
physically!
He spoke with great compassion, love, mercy and grace!
No man ever spoke like Jesus! His voice of invitation was full of kindness and
reassurance! And he rebuked the Pharisees, He spoke with authority and
firmness, and when He commanded evil and unclean spirits to vacate their slaves,
the wicked ’hordes of hell’ obeyed immediately! His merciful words of
invitation and hope also brought strong admonitions against unbelief, false
doctrine, hypocrisy, and wrongdoing!
LET’S
LOOK AT SOME OF JESUS’ WORDS:
PEACE: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto thee: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
(John 14: 27)
FORGIVENESS: “Jesus said unto her, Woman,
where are those thine accusers? Hath no man accused thee? She said, No man,
Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more.”
(John 8: 10, 11).
COMPASSION: “And when the Lord saw her, he
had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not. And He came and touched
bier: and they that bear him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto
thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And He delivered
him to his mother.” (Luke 7:
13 – 15).
REASSURANCE: “Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Take My yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt.11:28)
HOPE: “.Looking for the
Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might Redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus1:13, 14)
AUTHORITY: “And Jesus came
and spake unto them, saying, All power is given 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
INVITATION: “Behold, I stand
at the door, and knock: If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)
WARNING: “Nevertheless, I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent. Repent, or else I will come unto quickly, and will
fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” (Rev.2:4,5,16).
1V: A CHRISTIAN
ARE HANDS GOD USES TO HELP AND HEAL!
“Then He called His Twelve disciples
together and gave them Power and Authority over all devils and to Cure
Diseases. And He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God, and to HEAL the sick. And
they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the Gospel, and Healing
everywhere.” (Luke 9:1,6)
“After these things the Lord
appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before His face into every
are city and place, whether He Himself would come. And HEAL the sick that are therein,
and say unto them, The Kingdom of God is come unto you. And the seventy returned
with joy saying, Lord, even, the devils are subject unto us through Thy name.
“And He said unto them, I beheld
Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. Behold, I give unto you Power to tread on serpents
and scorpions, and over all the power of the Enemy and Nothing shall by any
means hurt you.” (Luke 10: 1, 9., 17-19).
“Afterward He appeared unto
the eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief
and hardness of heart, because they believed not
them which had seen Him after He was risen.
“And these Signs shall
follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with other tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the SICK and they
shall recover. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16: 14-18, 20)
V: A CHRISTIAN IS
EYES THROUGH WHICH GOD SEES LOST & HURTING
“But when He saw the
multitudes, He was MOVED with Compassion on them, because they fainted, and
were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith He to His
disciples, the HARVEST truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few: Pray ye
therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into his
harvest.” (Matt.9: 36-38)
V1: A CHRISTIAN
IS EARS BY WHICH GOD HEARS THE CRY OF THE LOST
NO
TIME TO WASTE
by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Without
doubt we are nearing the end of God's dispensation of grace and mercy, to a
wicked and rebellious world! That this generation is ripe for God’s wrath and
judgment is a ‘given’! What a tremendous responsibility is laid upon those who have been
called to "let our lights shine
before men so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father Which is
in heaven". (Matt. 5:16)
What an awesome commission God's servants have received
from Him to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. And to obediently respond to His call to "go
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"! (Mark
16:15)
St. Paul emphasized:
"Woe is me if I preach not
the gospel". Again, he
declared: "A dispensation of the gospel is laid upon me". (1 Cor. 9:16, 17)
A
dispensation is a God-given order and an allotted period of time to do a
specific work for our Master! It is also
a calling to dispense or give the
gospel of Jesus Christ freely to our fellowmen!
It is, therefore, a matter of great importance and urgency!
The great apostle wrote: "I
am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to
the unwise. So, as much as in me is,
I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the
Greek". (Rom. 1:14-16)
The question arises: “Why is preaching the Gospel so important? And why
should that be a priority for all believers? Are not Missionaries, Evangelists
and Pastors called to that? Why should I be involved?
(1). ALL HAVE
SINNED AND ARE GUILTY BEFORE GOD!
Adam's sin and consequently our own sinning has pitted God's wrath against the
human family. Our transgressions against
His laws have earned us God's judgment and condemnation. In the natural, there is no escape for the Bible emphasizes:
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.”
(Heb.10:31)
"All have sinned and come short of the glory of
God" (Rom.
3:23), and "God hath concluded
all under sin". (Gal. 3:22): "There is none righteous, no, not one". (Rom. 3:10)
We are therefore sinners by birth and sinners by
choice as well, for the Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all”. (Isaiah 53:6)
The Lord Jesus declared, “And this is the
condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved”. (John 3:19-20)
2). THE WAGES
OF SIN IS DEATH!
The Bible says, "The
soul that sinneth shall die". (Ezek.18:30): "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord". (Rom. 6:23)
God's ultimatum to Adam in the Garden of Eden was, "But of the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for
in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die". (Gen.
2:16). The original Hebrew states: "in
dying, thou shalt die". In
other words, "If you transgress in disobeying My law, you will begin to
die and eventually die".
The moment Adam and Eve
transgressed, they plunged the entire human race into sin and death! They died
spiritually then, as fellowship with their Maker was ruptured. God immediately inaugurated the sacrificial
system - when He slew an innocent
animal - based on His
promise to send the Saviour, who would "bruise
(crush) the serpent's
head"! (Gen. 3:15)
Immediately after rebelling, the 'process of death' began in their bodies, and they eventually died
physically! And since that time, every
baby born has had the process of death functioning within their mortal bodies,
from DAY ONE! The
bottom line is that all who die in their sins, in an unconverted state are "outside
of Christ" and will be lost throughout eternity, with no hope of
repentance or reconciliation!
There is no time to waste. It is important that we
answer the Master’s call to Evangelism! We must not procrastinate. The time for
Revival is Now! The Bible speaks of those who "have
no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13) and "having no hope and without God in this
world". (Eph. 2:12)
3. JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS.
HE IS OUR SUBSTITUTE!
The Bible says, "For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth on 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)
The Gospel of Christ teaches the 'Doctrine of
Substitution' - one taking the place of another - and that is what Jesus
did on the cross. He took our place. He died for us: “…And if any man sin, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation for our
sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (John 3:16, 17)
St. Paul declares, "For when we were yet without strength
(helpless), 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. Much more then, being now justified by His
blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him!" (Rom. 5:6-9)
THIS IS THE TRUE GOSPEL!
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye
stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain.
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which
I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And
that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the
scriptures:" (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, ACCORDING TO
THE SCRIPTURES!
In his defense of the Gospel, St. Paul gets very
exuberant and excited about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ: For whether we be beside ourselves (insane,
crazy), it is to God: or whether
we be sober (of sound mind), it is for your cause.
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we
thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, (in our
trespasses and sins): And that
He (Jesus) died for all, that they which live should not
henceforth turn unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them, and rose
again". (2 Cor. 5:13-15)
In his apologetic on the rapture of the Church, St.
Paul links our believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to our
future resurrection from death!
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep (died in the faith), that ye sorrow not, even
as others which have no hope. For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." (1 Thess. 4:13-14)
Again, the Apostle nails down this great doctrine of
the Church - the death of Jesus Christ
for our sins, and His subsequent glorious resurrection for our justification!
"But let us, who are
of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation. For God
hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who died for us, that, whether we
wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." (1 Thess. 5:8-10)
The word justification
signifies, that gracious act of
God whereby we as sinners are made just through our faith in the finished work
of Jesus Christ on the cross and His subsequent resurrection from the dead, by
the blessed Holy Spirit.
(Rom. 1:4)
Christ’s righteousness becomes ours, when we receive
Him as our personal Saviour and Lord! The Bible says, "But of Him are ye
in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption". (1 Cor. 1:30)
"For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast." (Eph. 2:8-9).
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed
(counted), if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who
was delivered (given up) for our offenses (sins); And
was raised again for our justification." (Rom. 4:24-25)
4). ONLY JESUS
CHRIST HAS THE POWER AND ABILITY TO SAVE US!
OUTSIDE OF CHRIST THERE IS NO HOPE!
Jesus Christ stated unequivocally, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by Me". (John 14:6) Again He said, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture". (John 10:9)
Our Lord Jesus invites us all: “Come
unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.
(Matt. 11:28)
St. Paul stated, "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)
And St. Peter declared, “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)
5). GOD HAS
COMMISSIONED US TO DISPENSE, SPREAD & PROPAGATE HIS GOSPEL TO EVERYONE!
In His Great Commission Jesus commanded, "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 them that 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 hands on the sick, and they shall recover". (Mark 16:15-18)
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All
power is given unto Me in heaven and 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. (age) Amen."
(Matt. 28:18-20)
The angel said, “Come, see the place where the Lord
lay and then go and tell His disciples”. (Matt. 28:6). It is our obligation to “go
and tell” others what we have experienced in Christ Jesus, so that they
also may receive His salvation!
6). GOD HAS
ORDAINED THAT BELIEVERS WITH MEANS, SHOULD SUPPORT THOSE WHO GO WITH THE GOSPEL
MESSAGE!
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved. How then shall they
call on Him in Whom they have not believed?
and how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher?
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet
of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good
things!" (Rom.
10:13-15)
"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the
corn. And the labourer is worthy of His
reward." (1 Tim.
5:17-18)
WHAT DOES THIS
MEAN? Simply this –
Let us support the preachers who are getting the job done, with our tithes and
missionary offerings!
We can become co-workers with God by praying for and
supporting (financially) God’s servants.
I am praying that God will speak to many hearts through this message to
help us reach the heathen while we are still able.
7). GOD HAS
WARNED US THAT TIME IS SHORT!
Jesus said, "Say not ye, There are yet four months,
and then cometh harvest? behold, I say
unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already
to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth
wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal:
that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together".
(John 4:35-36)
To the women who had come out - from behind closed
doors, with spices to anoint the body of Jesus - the angel of God said,
"...Fear not ye: for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is
not here: for He is risen, as He
said.
“COME, SEE THE PLACE WHERE THE LORD LAY. AND GO QUICKLY AND TELL HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE
IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD". (Matt. 28:5-7)
Our Lord Jesus stated, “I must work the works of Him Who sent Me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work”.
(John 9:4)
Dear Friend, we hold the destiny of this generation in our
hands. What will we do with the gospel
of Christ? Will we share it with the
unsaved, begore they are lost forever, without HOPE for time and eternity!
We must do as the disciples did: "And
they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run
to bring His disciples word". (Matt. 28:8). Amen.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 22440
RPO Garside, Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Blog: MSWM; Face Book,
YouTube. Donations can be made by e-Transfer. Make your donation to [email protected]. Thank you so much and may the Lord richly bless you. Amen.
