EXPOSING SATAN'S LIES

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

   Satan is a Liar! Jesus said so and I believe it! There is no greater Witness in this universe than our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Way, Truth and Life!

He said: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a MURDERER from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a LIE, he speaketh of his own: for he is a LIAR, and the father ot it.” (John 8: 44)

    Jesus Christ, True God from Eternity, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit is Omnipitent because He is all powerul. He is Omniscient, meaning all wise and all knowing, and Omnipresent because He is everywhere at once!

     You can't pull the wool over His eyes! He sees ALL, hears ALL and knows ALL. And He feels ALL, as well! He knows all about us and still loves us in spite of our rebellious attitudes, pride, self sufficiency and unbelief. Ask yourself: “Why did Jesus come to this earth?”

    The Holy Bible says: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4: 14,15)

     St. Peter stated: “Casting all your cares upon Him for He careth for you.” (1 Peter 4:7). Jesus Christ is still the compassionate, caring and giving Saviour as He always has been. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb.13: 8).

                                 HE WILL NEVER NO NEVER LEAVE US!

     He said: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age).” (Matt. 28: 20): “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb. 13: 5). In the original, Jesus used a double imperative here. He actually said: “I will never, no never leave thee. I will never, no never forsake thee!”

     Always is a measure of time, while alway is a measure of distance. He will go with us right to the end of life, even until we see Him as He is: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3: 2)

    Our Saviour wept over Jerusalem. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, when He witnessed the sorrow of Mary and Martha. The Holy Scripture declares: “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 

     "Jesus saith unto her, I AM the RESURRECTION, and the LIFE: he that beliveth in Me in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Son of God, which should come into this world.” (John 11: 23-27)

     “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said, Father I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always: but because of the people that stand by, I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.

     “And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and His face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, LOOSE HIM, and let him go.” (John 11: 41-44)

    JESUS CHRIST has all power in Heaven, in earth and the regions below! Demons obey Him and angels worship Him, for He is WORTHY to be praised. It is not within our grasp as mere mortals, however, to understand the unsearchable greatness of His Person and awesomeness of His love, mercy, grace and power!

    The Bible says: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing.

     “And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honour, and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev.11-13)

                             CHRIST IS LORD OVER ALL CREATION!

    Jesus REJOICED in Spirit and danced for joy, after praying to His Father. (Luke 10:21). He would not tolerate the merchandising of His Father's House and drove them out of the temple. ( Matt.21:12); He looked about in anger at the hard - hearted hypocrites. (Mark 3:5). He knew their thoughts.(Matt.12: 25).

     By a miracle, He multiplied the loaves and the fishes on two occasions. (Matt.14: 15-21; 15: 32-38). He saw the multitudes in their tremendous need and healed them:

     “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 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.” (Matt. 9: 35-36)

   “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil...Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him ONLY shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth Him, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.” (Matt. 4: 1-11)

    Jesus commanded the host of demons to leave the insane man of Gadera. When the demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter a herd of swine which were nearby, He simply said: “GO!” (Mark 5: 1-15)

     MARTIN LUTHER said: “By God's grace, I know Satan very well. If Satan can turn God's Word upside down and pervert the Scriptures, what will he do with my words or the words of others?”

      If anyone should KNOW Satan's lying tactics it was our Lord, Who had created him as a pure, righteous archangel and saw his treasonous actions and disastrous fall. Pride, arrogance and pure Evil had overtaken him, causing the greatest Rebellion in historical record!

                              LUCIFER WAS CAST OUT OF HEAVEN!

     The archangel Michael cast out of Heaven Lucifer the offending, rebellious archangel, together with one third of God's angelic host who had followed the Rebel! (Isaiah 14: 12-17; Ezek. 28: 12-17; Rev. 12: 7-11).
      Satan is a defeated foe, a vanquished enemy, but nevethe less a ruthless tyrany who uses every opportunity to advance his lying, deceiving and corrupting agenda of hatred,fear, violence and death! He has been soundly and totally defeated by the Almighty and Matchless power of Jesus Christ's ALL-ATONING shed blood on Golgotha and His trimphant and glorious resurrection  from the dead! 
      When Jesus of Nazareth shouted His Victory Cry from the cross, it was all over for Satan. If the Devil were anywhere near the cross after Jesus' bood was shed, he was 'out-of-there', when our Lord shouted the word, "Tetelestai". 

   Jesus Christ had cast out thousands of demons from sick, suffering and demon possessed people during His earthly Ministry. On the 'Cross of Shame', however Jesus delivered the final death blow to Satan and his Evil kingdom.

    The Bible records: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30).

    Jesus spoke in Greek and the word He uttered was tetelestai. That word is taken from the Greek verb teleo which has three essential meaning: to finish something and bring something to an end; to fulill something; to pay that which is owed.

   Jesus had finished His work of redemption. He had brought to an end Satan's domination over the human race. He had fulfilled all the Scriptures about the Jewish Messiah. He had paid for all our sins, past, present and future, as well as all our sicknesses and pains!

                            JESUS WAS AGAINST SIN & SICKNESS!

    Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, Isaiah the prophet, foretold His Mission: “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)

     Everywhere He went, Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons, liberating lost, sick and suffering souls: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

    “And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy, and He healed them.” (Matt.4: 23-24)

     “But Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9: 35, 36)

     Jesus laid out His plan for world evangelism when He ordained TWELVE disciples to help lift the burden of bringing deliverance and healing to the masses of sick and suffering people:

    “And when He had called His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease... These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying...

     “And as you go, preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt.10: 1, 7,8)

     Later, He added another SEVENTY discples to His team of evangelists and sent them out with the same directions as the twelve: “And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” (Luke 10:1, 8,9)

    The Bible says: And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name. And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightening 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: 17).

                               WHY DID JESUS HEAL THE SICK?

     Everywhere our Saviour went, He preached the Kingdom of God and HEALED the sick and cast out EVIL SPIRITS from those who were bound. He commissioned His apostles and disciples to do the same. Why did Jesus of Nazareth have such a vengence against sickness and disease? For the same reason He cast out devils wherever they manifested!

    Look at this Scripture: “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: 3, 29). 

    Any thinking person reading the New Testament would very quickly understand that Jesus was very involved in driving out unclean spirits from those who were bound. In nearly every Scripture text where He healed the sick and diseased, He also cast out devils.     I have come the conclusion that JESUS loved the sufferers and was very much against the diseases and sicknesses and evil spirits that had afflicted them!

                                 MAN CREATED WITH A SOUND BODY!

     As God the Son, He was involved in the creation of man and knew why sickness had come upon the human race. There was no sickness or disease in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in a Paradise, without sin, sickness, disease or death. After their disobedience and tragic fall everything changed. God drove them out of the Garden and sin, sickness and death have reigned ever since!

     There will be no sickness or disease on earth during the Millenial Reign of Christ or in Heaven. Jesus saw sin, sickness and disease as enemies of the human race, which were caused by the fall. These things were abhorrent to Him, so He attacked them by bringing HEALING to the sick and suffering, and by casting out the evil spirits who had invaded the human race.

     JESUS was showing us what life will be like in His Kingdom. By commissioning His apostles, disciples and followers to carry on His work, He was laying out specific guidelines for His Ministers to continue in His abscence. Later, He sent the Holy Spirit to lead His Church. He hated sin and sickness because they are the work and result of Satan's trecherous lies and the fall of man.

                                      SATAN'S SIN OF HIGH TREASON!

     What was the motivation of Lucifer's great sin of High Treason against Almighty God? Why was he not satisfied in being the Covering Cherub, leading the praise and worship to the Lord God in the Highest?

   Without doubt, it was the sin of PRIDE! It was greed, selfishness and downright stupidity! It was self-glory, thinking of himself to be greater than he was. The original Hebrew gives the implication that he not only wanted “to be like God”, but to dethrone God and be God.

     God never created a stupid angel, so where did this stupidity come from? How could a created being think that he could unseat God Most High, Creator, Sustainer and Giver of Life? His unthinkable folly teaches us what sin can do an otherwise intelligent personality.

     What did Lucifer's arrogant, haughty action accomplish? What was the outcome of his folly? He was cast out of Heaven, stripped of his position and consigned to an eternal censure as a renegade angel and a despised, hated, evil, perverted enemy of God and man! He will always be known as a tyrant, murderer, liar, and filthy monster who will eventually be cast into the Lake of Fire for eternity!

   Jesus called Lucifer, the fallen archangel by three names: Satan, the Opposer, Adversary, Enemy; The Devil, liar, false accuser, traducer; Beelzebub, god of flies, filth, corruption!

     St. Paul warns: Be not deceived. God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” (Gal.6: 7). May no-one reading these lines follow in his treacherous foot steps which lead only to heartbreak, sorrow and death. A present day example, is the murderous and devilish life-syles of Islamic Terrorists who answer Satan's call to follow him in raping, pillaging, beheading Christians and Jews and dying as suicide bombers!

                                 SATAN'S DEMISE:TOTAL DEFEAT!

    “Thus saith the Lord God: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God: every precious stone was thy covering...the workmanship of the tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

     “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God: thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee...

      “Thou hast SINNED: therefore will I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O Covering Cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy Beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom because of thy Wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground...” (Ezek.28: 12-17)

   The prophet Ezekiel laid out the case against Lucifer. He had been the Covering Cherub, the guardian of God's throne and full of wisdom and beauty, until the day that he sinned. He led a revolt against the Almighty and was judged and cast out of Heaven.

     Some believe that in the distant past, Lucifer had been given charge of planet earth and planned his assault on God's throne from there. And when he was cast out of Heaven to the earth, God made the earth a wilderness. Others believe that Lucifer's wrath was so great that he destroyed everything.

     The Genesis record states: “In the beginning God created the heaven and earth.” It appears that God created the heaven and earth perfect, but something happened to make the earth a wilderness. “And the earth was without form an void.” Then, God recreated the earth.

                            BE FRUITFUL, MUTIPLY & REPLENISH!

    God said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” (Gen.1:28). That speaks of the earth being inhabited at an earlier time. Only God knows, however, the Gap Theory makes sense.

     Here is what Isaiah recorded: “How art thou Fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

     “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

     “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, and did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a Wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his Prisoners? (Is.14: 12-17)

     On the Isle of Patmos, ST. JOHN was given this amazing revelation: “And there was WAR in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought against his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found again in Heaven.

     “And the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven: Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

      And they OVERCAME him by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitors of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Rev. 12: 7-12)

                                            THE BEST NEWS OF ALL!

     “And the seventy returned again 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: 17-20)

    Jesus promised: “And these SIGNS shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast our devils...they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 15-20)

     “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3: 8): “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Jesus) 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.” (Heb.2: 14)

    St. John saw it all in a vision given to him by Jesus Christ: “I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the Key of the Bottomless Pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old Serpent which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.

     “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and put a seal on him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (Rev.20: 1-3)

     “And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the Beast (Antichrist) 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 on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven 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 which were written in the books, according to their works.

     “And death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.” Amen.

                            CHRIST & HIS EKKLESIA

                                      By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

      In his work on Ekklesia Translations, Cooper P. Abrahams,111 states that the Greek word 'ekklesia' which means 'called out assemblies or congregations’ had been in use since 5 B.C. It was also used for gatherings of Christians since the First Century, A.D. The word ‘church’ is taken from the Greek word ‘kyriakon’ which correctly refers to ‘the house of the Lord’.

     What is masquerading in this 21^st Century as Christian Churches in various parts of the globe is very confusing and disturbing, indeed. Although there are millions of God-fearing and true Christians gathering in Assemblies around the world, there are many who are not truly ‘called out from the world and sin and paganism’.

     My prayer is that this paper on Christ and His Church will help bring clarity to those who are struggling in their Christian walk and those who have been led astray by the false teachings of those who have substituted the slippery slope of the “wide and broad way” for the “straight and narrow way” that our Lord Jesus Christ taught! (Matt.7:13, 14)

     "If ye then be RISEN with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on the things on the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ Who is our Life shall APPEAR, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." (Col.3:1-4)

      When Christ died, we died with Him. When Christ was buried, we were buried with Him. When Christ arose, we arose with Him. When Christ sat down on His Father's right hand, we sat down with Him. When Christ returns, we will return with Him. When Christ reigns, we will reign with Him. We will be with Him eternally!

      St. Paul states: "Know ye not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death. Therefore, we are BURIED with Him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was RAISED up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.

       "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His RESURRECTION: Knowing this, that our old man isCRUCIFIED with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from SIN.

     "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also LIVE with Him: Knowing that Christ being RAISED from the dead, dies no more: death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin ONCE: but in that He lives, He lives unto God." (Rom.6: 6-10)

                       POPISH MASS: STRIKING THE ROCK!

      Roman Catholic priests crucify Jesus Christ repeatedly in their mass, much like Moses striking the Rock instead of speaking to it. Moses paid a high price because of his anger and irritation with the Israelites, when he disobeyed Almighty God.

     In the first instance where they were without water at Massah, he cried out to God and the Lord told him to strike the Rock (Ex.17:6) and when he did, water gushed out quenching their great thirst. On the second occasion at Kadesh (Nu.20:11), God commanded Moses to speak to the Rock (Type of Christ). He disobeyed and in anger he twice struck the ROCK.

   Water gushed out, however, God was sore displeased and would not allow the great Lawgiver to enter the Promised Land! WHY? The ROCK represented CHRIST! The first strike against the ROCK was a TYPE of Christ being CRUCIFIED to meet our great need of Salvation. On the second occasion, Moses dishonoured Almighty God by striking the ROCK twice instead of speaking to it. You CANNOT Crucify Christ again. All you need to do is to SPEAK to Him in prayer!

    MARTIN LUTHER, refuted the Popish Mass as follows: "First, the blood of Christ remains the blood of the same Christ. For we believe and hold that the BLOOD of Christ that is at the right hand of God was shed for us only once." (Church and Works, Vol.40, P.215) 

     The Bible  is clear on the fact that CHRIST'S vicarious death on our behalf satisfied the Demands of Divine Justice and that He will NEVER die again: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

   "Nor yet that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now ONCE in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb.9: 24-28)

                          THE PURE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

  The Bible says: "But God, who is rich in MERCY, for His great LOVE wherewith He loved us; even when we were DEAD in sins hath quickened together with Christ, by grace are ye saved. And hath raised us up TOGETHER and made us toSIT together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His GRACE in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Eph.2: 4-7)  

     When Christ died on the cross, our sins died with Him. When Christ was buried, we were buried with Him by (emersion) Baptism. When Christ ascended and sat down on His Father's right hand, we are now "sitting with Him in Heavenly places" and when He returns, the saints will be return with Him. And we will be with Him eternally. (Eph.1: 3)

     God's Word declares: "And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power...Buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye also are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.

     "And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened (made alive) together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses: 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." (Col.2: 10-14)

        The Bible teaches that believers in Christ are "born again" and have been"baptized into the body of Christ" by the Holy Spirit.  We are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ" and have been "accepted in the Beloved". We are"washed in the precious blood of Christ", have become "new creatures in Christ"and through God's Word are being daily "transformed by the renewing of our minds". (John 3:3,7; 1 Cor.12:13; Rom.8:17; Eph.1:6; 2 Cor.5:17; Rom.12:1,2).

       St. Paul states: "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor.6:15,19,20)

                                     WE ARE ONE WITH CHRIST

      The Bible affirms that "Christ lives in me and I in Him" (John 14:16-23), and we are "hidden with Christ in God." (Col.3:3) The Apostle prays, "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." (Eph.3:16.17)

     In St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians, we are confronted with the greatness of the Gospel of Christ in what he calls the "Mystery of the Ages", which is Jesus Christ actually entering and taking up residence in the believer:

     "Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the Hope of Glory." (Col. 1: 26, 27)

      St. Paul conveyed through the Holy Spirit the good news that even though we are sinners by birth, nature and choice, through Jesus Christ's vicarious death on the Cross, we can be forgiven if we have faith in Him!

     The Bible states: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die, but God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom.5: 6-8)

      What does the word 'IMPUTE' mean?" The Bible declares: "Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...Therefore as by the offence of one (Adam)judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Rom.5: 12-19)

                                    OUR SINS IMPUTED TO CHRIST:

                              HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IMPUTED TO US!

       Adam's sin was imputed or credited to our account making us guilty in the sight of God, but through His MERCY and LOVE for us Jesus Christ left Heaven's glory to be incarnated (God in human flesh) so that "He could taste DEATH for every man".(Heb.2: 9). As He hung on Calvary's Cross, the sins of the entire world were laid upon Him and He became SIN (sin offering) so that He could destroy our sins!

       He willingly and gladly gave His life for us. The Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (perfecter) of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:2).

     Our sins were IMPUTED to Him and He died as God's Pascal Lamb, paying the price of our salvation by meeting the demands of Divine Justice. (Phil.2:5-11; John 1:29; Rev.5: 6)

      The Bible states: "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 hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knewNO SIN: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor.5: 19-21)

      Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah prophesied: "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains: 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 for 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 iniquity of us all.(Is. 53: 4-6) Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the TREE, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness: By Whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2: 24)

                            OUR NATURE FOR HIS NATURE!

   In his great spiritual wisdom and knowledge, St. Paul gives us a peak into what he calls the 'ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD' for the Church, which is His Body:

     "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named. That He would grant unto you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;

     "That ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and height, and to know the LOVE of Christ which passes knowledge, and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

       "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph.3: 11-21)

      In His great compassion for humankind our Lord and Saviour initiated what I call'THE GREAT EXCHANGE'.  Through the shedding of His pure and perfect blood for the sins of the world, He took upon Himself our sin, guilt and unrighteous nature and in return, gave us His Divine Nature and His righteousness.

     St. Peter says: "Grace and truth be multiplied to you through the KNOWLEDGE of God and our Saviour Jesus our Lord. According as His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

                            PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE!

     "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1: 2-4)

      St. Paul wrote: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through thesanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the BLOOD of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

    "Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: which according to His abundant mercy hath BEGOTTEN us again unto a lively hope by the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in Heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1: 2-5)

    The Greek word 'Theosis' is used to define the great spiritual truth, 'Partaking of the Divine Nature'. We are united with Almighty God by His wondrous grace in the Person of Jesus Christ, Who is "God come in the flesh". (1 John 4: 2) Through the divine gift of sanctification by God's grace alone, we are able to mortify the deeds of the flesh! (Rom.8:13)

      The NICENE CREED states: "Jesus Christ, Who for us and our salvation descended from Heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became a man." - Third Article. Church Fathers John Chrysostom andAthanasias the Great preached that, "Christ became man in Nature and in Truth and assumed human nature with all its properties: not another kind of flesh, but the same one with which we are afflicted."

   The HOLY BIBLE states: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth." (John 1: 1,2. 14)

   Jesus Christ was True God from Eternity and True Man born of a virgin without the aid of a human father. St. Paul wrote concerning Him: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, Yet WITHOUT SIN." (Heb.4:15)

     With absolute faith, the Church Fathers believed in and declared the Divinity of Jesus Christ. St. Eirinaeos believed in One God, Father Almighty and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, incarnate, for our Salvation. Proving that 'God the Son' was indeed God, he declared: "If a man had not been joined to God (united in Christ) He would not have been able to partake of incorruption." 

     The ministry of the Holy Spirit is beautifully evident everywhere in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners and points them to the Saviour, but is unable to work in their lives until they have received Christ as Saviour! Then, He works through the shed blood of Jesus Christ to work miracles. Here are some of His great works for God's glory and the deliverance of people!

                        THE GREAT WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

1. We are baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor.12: 13

2. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit - Rom.5: 5

3. We are led by the blessed Holy Spirit of God - Rom.8: 17; Gal.5: 18

4. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit our bodies are the temples of God - 1 Cor.6:15-20

5. We become partakers of Christ through the Holy Spirit - 2 Peter 1: 2-4

6. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit - Eph.6: 17

8. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, Who is the Earnest of our inheritance - Eph. 1: 13,14

9.  He gives us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him - Eph.1:17

10. The Holy Spirit of God brings us into the Holy of Holies - Eph.2: 18

11. The Holy Spirit calls us into the Ministry of our Lord - 1 Tim.1: 12; 2 Tim.1: 9

12. The Holy Spirit manifests signs, wonders and miracles by the Gifts of the Spirit - 1 Cor.12:7-12; Gal.3:5, 14

13. We are sanctified (set apart) by the Holy Spirit - Gal.5:24, 25; Eph.5:26, 27

14. Through the Holy Spirit, we receive the Fruit of the Spirit - Gal.5: 22, 23

15: The Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God - Gal.4: 6, 7

16. The Holy Spirit reveals the Son of God; not only to us, but in us - Gal.1: 16

      It is evident that the LIFE OF CHRIST we receive through His shed BLOOD brings the Holy Spirit into operation in the lives of Believers in Christ!

                         CHRIST: THE HEAD THE CHURCH!

St. Paul so masterfully lays out in systematic order as well as repetatively in all his epistles the Gospel of Christ and Who Jesus Christ really is! And Who is He really? For starters, Jesus Christ is all in all, in us all, over all and for us all!

The great Apostle wastes no in letting people know Who Jesus is. He begins his epistle the Ephesians thusly: “Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” In this salutation he reveals that Grace (unmerited favour) and Peace comes from the Father and the Son!

Then he reveals that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God: “Blessed be the God and FATHER of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1: 2,3)

                         CHRIST IN US: WORKING THROUGH US!

       For nearly 2,000 Years, the Church has heralded this worthy Slogan as our Theological Doctrine: Christ Has Died ~ Christ Is Risen ~ Christ Will Come Again! What more can we say? Nothing can better that great Salutation! We can only build on that marvellous Confession of Faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, Thrice Holy God, Indivisible, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Immutable, Incomprehensible, Immortal, Infallible, Good, Merciful, Gracious, Holy, True & Just! Amen.

IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

  IN THE CHURCH TODAY?

  By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

      Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He left specific orders, directives and promises to His Church and when the Holy Spirit fell upon them in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, the church was born. Immediately, the Holy Spirit began doing His Miracles through the Church.

      The Church grew exponentially as the Spirit filled Body of Christ leaped into action carrying out the commands of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church! The Book of Acts chronicles the amazing rise of the Church through the Ministries of Peter, John, Stephen and Philip in Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria. And after Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the Damascus Road, the Gospel of Christ became known everywhere he was sent by the Holy Spirit!    

     History proves that within thirty years of the death of Christ, His followers had spread from Palestine throughout Syria; throughout almost all the districts of Asia Minor; through Greece and the Islands of the Aegean Sea, the coast of Africa and even into Italy and Rome.

     At the close of the First Century, JUSTIN MARTYR stated: “There is not a nation either Greek or Barbarian or of any other name even those who wander in tribes or live in tents, among whom prayers and thanksgivings are not offered  to the Father and Creator of the Universe in the name of the Crucified Jesus.”

      JESUS promised:  “And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High.” (Luke 24: 49); “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 Him and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come unto you.

     “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: And My Father will love him and WE will come unto him and make OUR abode with him.” (John 14: 16-18, 23)

    “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but WAIT for the PROMISE of the Father, which, sayeth He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence.

   “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.” (Act 1:4, 5,8)

   “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 a mighty rushing 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)

                          TODAY'S CHURCH IS POWERLESS!

    In many churches today the Holy Spirit is being ignored and has become only a foot-note in their worship services, even though He may loom large in their Statement of Faith. This is a tragic mistake and is responsible for their downward slide!

    The blessed Holy Spirit has been degraded and almost deemed insignificant in today's Church World. Cults like the Jehovah witnesses and the Mormons have side-lined Him, and otherdenominations are calling the Holy Spirit a presence, an energy force and some ignore Him completely!

     Jesus, the Head of the Church, spoke of the Person of the Holy Spirit in glowing, loving terms, as the Third Person in the Godhead. He said: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.

    “Of SIN, because they believe not on Me; of RIGHTEOUSNESS, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; of JUDGMENT because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

      “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16: 7-15).

                         D.L. MOODY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT!

    “Shame on the Christianity of the 19^th Century. It is a weak and sickly thing. Would to God that we had a few men like Daniel living here today. 
     "God has a good many children who just barely got life, but no power for service. The Holy Spirit coming upon them with power is distinct and separate from conversion. I believe we should accomplish more in one week than we should in years if we had only His Fresh Baptism.

      “A great many think that they have been filled once, they are going to be full for all time after. But my friends, we are leaky vessels and have to be kept right under the fountain all the time in order to keep full. Let us keep near Him.”   
      During one of his last sermons in Boston, D.L.MOODY addressed the subject of the Holy Spirit thusly: "See how He came on the Day of Pentecost! It is not carnal to pray that He might come again and that the place may be shaken. I BELIEVE PENTECOST WAS ONLY A SPECIMEN DAY!
     "I think the Church has made this woeful mistake that Pentecost was a miracle never to be repeated. I have thought too that Pentecost was a miracle that is not to be repeated. I BELIVE NOW, if we looked on Pentecost as a specimen day and began to pray, we should have the old Penecostal Fire here in Boston."       

     J.B. PHILLIPS said: “Every time we say, I believe in the Holy Spirit”, we mean that we believe that there is a Living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.”

    ANDREW BONAR stated: “Let us put ourselves under the Spirit's teaching anew, to be taught the Word, and how to preach the Word, not our own thoughts upon it. One spark of lightning is worth a thousand tame candles. So one sentence given by the Holy Spirit is worth volumes of any other.

      “I long more and more to be filled with the Spirit and to see my congregation moved and melted under the Word as in great revival times. The place was shaken where they were assembled together because the Lord had come in power.

                       TRUTHS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT!

1.  The Holy Spirit Is the Teacher that Reveals Jesus Christ:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 15: 26); “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say the Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” (1 Cor. 1: 3)

2. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Bears Witness of Christ:

“This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Chris; not by water only, but by water and the Word. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is Truth.” (1 John 5: 6)

3.  The Holy Spirit Baptizes Believers into the Body of Christ:

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor.12: 13)

4.  The Holy Spirit has Placed His Gifts in the Church:

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” (1 Cor.12: 28)

5.  The Holy Spirit is the Revealer of Truth to the Church:

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak:  And He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16: 12-16)

6. The Holy Spirit Gives the Gifts of the Spirit severally as He wills:

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” (1 Cor.12: 7-11)

7. The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus Christ:

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine; therefore said, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it un to you.” (John 16: 13-15)

8. The Holy Spirit Convicts the World of Sin, Righteousness and Judgment:

“And when He is come, He will reprove the world of Sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged.” (John 16:8-11).

9.  The Holy Spirit draws men to Christ:

“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me: and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father.” (John 6; 37, 44, 65

10. The Holy Spirit gives His fruit to Believers in Christ:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal.5: 22-23); “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” Eph.5: 9)

11.  The Holy Spirit Guides Believers into all truth:

“Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all the Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come.”  (John 16: 13)

12. The Holy Spirit gives Believers power for Service:

“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)

13. The Holy Spirit shows Believers things to Come:

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” (John 16: 13)

14. The Holy Spirit Seals Believers until the Day of Redemption:

“In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also ye after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with the holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased possession (the believer), unto the praise of His glory.” (Eph.1: 13); “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the Day of Redemption.” (Eph. 4: 30)

15.  The Holy Spirit Comforts Believers in Christ:

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14: 18); “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the COMFORTER will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” (John 16:7)

16. The Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father:

“But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.” (John 15: 26)

17. The Holy Spirit Gives Believers Assurance:

“At that day ye shall KNOW that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14: 20, 23); 
       “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Rom.8: 15-17)

18. The Holy Spirit was Sent to Oversee the Church:

“Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16: 7-15). “For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.” (Rom.8: 14)

19. The Holy Spirit Raised Jesus Christ from the Dead:

“But if the Spirit of Him that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Since the Holy Spirit raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, He shall also make life in our mortal, (weak, old, sick) bodies!

20. The Holy Spirit  Shall Heal our Mortal Bodies:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”(Rom.8: 26, 27).

     In the literal Greek, this verse states that the Holy Spirit takes a hold of against our infirmities (He holds the infirmity away from us) and prays through us (in the Spirit) to our Heavenly Father for the miracle we need. Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord!