|
 THE
ABORTION WAR
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Recently
the "abortion war" has heated up, with many doctors
refusing to do abortions at normal fees. And can you blame
them?
The
doctor's argument no doubt runs along these lines: "If I am
going to do an unpleasant job, be hassled by 'Pro-Life picketers'
and live with a guilty conscience the rest of my life, I ought to
be well paid."
Do
you think doctors who do abortions have escape from GUILT?
The guilt catches up with them and sooner or later the regret and
guilt will set in and possibly destroy them.
This
may be one of the reasons there has been an increase of drug
addiction and alcoholism among medics in the recent years.
Just
stop and think for a moment: How would it affect you,
working at a hospital, built to save lives, knowing that in
another wing doctors are destroying little babies before they can
be born.
And
what if you were that doctor? There is no doubt in my mind
the harvest of "guilt-ridden doctors and nurses" working
as fetus exterminators will keep psychiatrists, clergymen and
psychologists very busy.
Please
remember Dr. Morgentaler is an atheist...with a seared conscience
so he may not have too much guilt.
In
my opinion, the real reason doctors are refusing to do abortions
runs much deeper than the financial aspect. I believe that
doctors are looking for a way out, and the "extra billing
dispute" gives them that opportunity.
Let
us look at some realities: the high ethical standards of the
medical profession demands that doctors save lives rather than
extinguish them; the Holy Bible and the Church condemns abortion,
as it is considered the equivalent of murder. Common sense
dictates it is more humane to protect a mother and her unborn
child then to harm them.
When
Mother Theresa was honored at the United Nations for he life long
work among the poor, she labeled abortion a greater threat to
world peace than the bomb.
This
great humanitarian stated: "We are afraid of the nuclear
threat because it touches us, but abortion is the greatest
destroyer of peace, of the unprotected."
President
Ronald Reagan contended that abortion is worse than the brutal
"slavery" of blacks, in past generations.
Many
leading men and women of philosophy, science, medicine and
religion have called the killing of defenseless unborn babies, a
"holocaust"......
Speaking
in the House of Commons in 1974, MP Don Mazenkowski said, "I
see the incredible increase in the incidence of abortion,
approaching a 30% increase, on an annual basis. And to think
that in this chamber, we have a number of so called progressive
minded people who promote the concept of free abortion on
demand."
"This
is a philosophy which contravenes all the laws of nature and
God." The MP continued, "The deliberate
destruction of human life through abortion is without foundation
in human reason. The destruction of human life for selfish
motives is contrary to the laws of God and man."
In
his outstanding speech, Mazenkowski declared, "Furthermore,
the government must take firm and immediate action to stop the
merciless acts which masquerade under the guise of their apeutic
abortion...I believe Mr. Speaker, that we have reached a point in
time where we will soon have to make a choice, and that choice is
clear; it is whether we shall stand and fight for a philosophy of
life, or whether we shall stand idly by and surrender to
philosophy."
IT
ENDS HERE!
THE
CHOICE
case
study: Sally Garneau
True
life story case study of abortion
I
learned that I was pregnant at the age of 18, shortly after moving
in with my boyfriend.
Feeling
scared and insecure, I didn't know how a baby would fit into my
future. Upon seeking counsel from friends and family, it
seemed logical to consider abortion as an option. After all,
I was young, pretty and intelligent. I had my whole life
ahead of me.
It
was a shock to learn that I was near the 6th month of
pregnancy. This fact certainly complicated matters. It
would mean that I would have to have a different, more costly kind
of abortion. With the support of those I valued most, I made
a decision. An
appointment was set for one week later.
My
boyfriend and I arrived at the hospital early one morning in
April. After the initial screening I was shown to an
examining room where the lethal dose of saline was injected into
my womb. Within minutes, I was led to a hospital room where
they informed me that I could expect some cramping, a little worse
than a normal period, and that it should be all over in about 24
to 48 hours.
There
was nothing left to do but wait for my body's "natural"
ability to expel the unwanted fetus. In other words, give
birth to my dead baby. I was instructed to remain in the bed
and to call the nurse after I had the baby.
There
were 6 girls in the hospital room all together. At first we
had a great time! Time was abundant as many family members
and friends came and went. It was not until the first
"birth" that the atmosphere changed. Slowly
laughter was replaced with fear and pain, curiosity gave way to
sorrow; and a solemn quiet crept over the room. It was in
the moments that followed that my life changed forever.
I'm
still surprised at how little physical pain there was. It
was similar to having a bowel movement - until I became curious
and looked under the covers to see what was there - and that
instant when I saw a baby, red and bloody and small, but a baby
still. I quickly covered myself back up and called the
nurse.
THE
EMOTIONS OVERWHELMED ME AFTER THE ABORTION
While
I waited, I became terrified that "it" wasn't
dead. Lying in the same bed with me was flesh and
blood. The emotions that overwhelmed me in that moment were
so strong that my body reacted with violent, uncontrollable
shaking. Tears streamed down my face and panic gripped my
heart.
It
seemed that an eternity passed before the nurse finally
came. I watched her calmly close the curtain and put on a
pair of plastic gloves. As she lifted up the sheet I turned
my head. I couldn't watch as she placed my "waste"
in a white paper bucket. As she turned to go, what was left
of my childhood went with her, but somehow I managed to close my
mind to the events and go on.
Two
years later my boyfriend and I were married. Within 3 months
I was pregnant again but my husband never knew about it. We
were separated at the time and I didn't want him to use the baby
as an excuse for us to get back together. The relationship
had become physically abusive and I refused to go back.
This
time I had a suction abortion. Fortunately, there were not
obvious side effects such as excess bleeding or infection. I
was in and out of the clinic within a matter of hours. Yet
another successful procedure to free me of the awful burden of
raising a child. Or so I thought!
I
was forced to face the truth of my choice while casually flipping
through the channels on television one day. My interest was
caught by the picture of a baby in the womb. Little did I
know that I was watching the movie "The Silent
Scream". As I watched I saw a baby being torn to pieces
by a tremendous force of suction. I saw it jerk away from
the metal instrument as if he or she felt pain and fear.
In
horror, I realized that this was a living being. Tears ran
down my face as I flashed back to my second abortion. This
is what I did to my baby! Suddenly the truth hit me
and I knew there was no turning back. I had to face what I
had done and for the next 5 years, that's exactly what I
did. Through the pain of discovery comes growth and here is
what I learned.
Why,
it I felt too horrible about having an abortion the first time,
would i do it again? I saw the baby dead before my very
eyes, and yet I was able to convince myself that it was okay to
get rid of a second child. In total denail, I was able to
believe that I had made the right choice for the sole reason that
the truth was intolerable. The results of my choice were
devastating.
I
HATED MYSELF - I HAD SELF HATRED AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT
Without
realizing it, the afternoon that they put my baby in a bucket was
the beginning of self hatred. I lost the value of
life. This was evidenced by my divorce and what came
after. I became more deeply involved in a destructive
lifestyle; sex with many mean, drugs and alcohol. even in
the few serious relationships I had, I allowed physical, verbal
and sexual abuse because, subconsciously, I believed that I
deserved it. Over 10 years of destructive habits and
relationships were triggered by one very bad choice.
The
complications of abortion were not limited to emotional and mental
anguish. No matter for safe I thought abortion was, I still
live with the consequences that I may not be able to have any more
children. My doctor has informed me that I have a tremendous
amount of scar tissue in my uterus; a direct result of scraping
the womb after the babies were removed. In addition to that,
two surgeries and many sleepless nights have been spent over a
condition called endometriosis. I suspect t is directly
related.
I
have experienced abortion and I'm convinced it is murder.
Yes, murder of innocent babies, who never got a chance at
life. YET ABORTION IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! Abortion
not only affects the life of the unborn child, but also the life
of the mother. I can say from my own experience that a part
of ME died each time I gave into my own self-centeredness and
exerted my "right to choose".
In
my ingorance, I made choices that are irreversible. As a
result, I lost a valuable part of me - MY SELF RESPECT. But
I also lost much more. Because of my choice, I learned to
neglect an important part of my responsibility as a person.
TO VALUE HUMAN LIFE. Two lives were dependant upon me to
protect them. Without me, they would have never known
life. Because of me, we all learned about death.
I
LIVE WITH CONSTANT REGRET - REGRET & GUILT FOR KILLING MY
BABIES
To
anyone who is thinking of having an abortion, I would say that as
I go on living my life, the one I tried so hard to protect from
the incoveniences of raising children, I hae learned to live with
regret and guilt. But you don't have to. Today, you
will have the opporutunity to choose life and experience the great
privilege that only a woman can know. Yes, others may think
that you are too you and immature to handle this responsibility,
but you are the one who may have to live with the guilt and shame
if you choose to end a life instead.
Consider
how your choice will affect you now and in the future. Know
what the dangers are to your body and your mental health.
Find out what your options are. If you decide to keep your
baby or give it up for adoption, whatever you do, be sure to
consider all the consequences. After all, it is your choice,
but the life you destroy may be your own!
This
testimony is excerpted with permission from the brochure "The
Choice" by Sally Garneau. For more information, contact
the author at (530) 223-5474. Published in the PostAbortion
Review 6 (3) Summer 1998.
TRUE
LIFE ABORTION STORY
-
in her own words - by: ALEX
My
name is Alex, I am currently 27 years old, married with 3
children. My story begins in January 1991, when I became
very sick with what I was sure was the simple flu. My
boyfriend (now my husband of more than 7 years) took me to the
doctor because I just couldn't shake whatever it was I had.
Approximately 2 hours later we found out that I was around 2
months pregnant.
Needless
to say we were more scared than we had ever been. We were
both 19 years old at the time, in college (we graduated high
school in 1989 - myself the Valedictorian), and both expected to
go very far in life. I was also having quite a bit of
trouble with my parents because they really didn't care for Steve.
All
that said, we were faced with the most frightening choice we had
ever had and have since ever had to deal with, especially since I
was brought up strong Catholic and had always been opposed to
abortion with all my heart.
Later
that afternoon I had my first ultrasound to determine exactly how
far along I was. At this point we were beginning to think of
any option we possibly had, but all that came to mind was
"Why us? Why now?"
Throughout
the next month we made up our minds and changed our minds at least
a thousand times. We didn't want to throw our lives away
after all that we had worked for, neither did we want to cause any
more tensions with my family.
The
month quickly drew to an end, and we made our decision and an
appointment.
The
previous day I was sicker than normal (which is very very sick),
but I was sticking to my decision. I could not afford to
give up my life. That night I fell asleep and woke up early
the next morning after the most vivid dream I had ever had. This
dream has changed my life forever. The surroundings in the
dream were pitch black, I was standing center stage in what
appeared to be a spotlight. There was this little boy
tugging on my skirt. All he said, over and over was
"Mommy, please don't hurt me."
I
fully awoke and just shook off the dream, not truly believing.
I went to my appointment, went through the counseling, and was led
into the room. I undressed, got up on the table, and placed
my feet up into the stirrups. The doctor began to place the
instruments inside me, when I heard the voice again. I
closed my legs immediately and began crying. I couldn't do
it.
Steve
and I were married 2 weeks later (in the Church) and our son
Nicholas (who with the grace of God had spoken to me just 2 months
earlier) was born July 12, 1991, 5 weeks early (but in better
shape than I was).
Nicholas
is now 7 and he has a 5 year old sister Alli, and a 16 month old
baby brother Joshua. Steve and I have struggled throughout
these years, but have always made ends meet. We have both
managed to achieve our dreams even without college. Steve a
computer programmer, and myself a graphic artist. We have
never been happier or more fulfilled.
There
are still times when I look at Nick and tears come to my eyes and
the most horrible pain to my heart, and I wonder how I could have
ever considered what I had almost done. I don't think I will
ever get over the pain.
I
hope this story of my life can be useful and help someone, because
I know there is hope where there is faith and trust in God.
WHAT
IS AN ABORTION?
An
abortion is the removal or expulsion of an embryo
or fetus from the
uterus,
resulting in, or caused by, its death.
This can occur spontaneously as a miscarriage,
or be artificially induced through chemical,
surgical or
other means.
Commonly,
"abortion" refers to an induced procedure at any point
in the pregnancy, medically, it is defined as a miscarriage or
induced termination before twenty weeks' gestation,
which is considered nonviable.
Various
methods of inducing abortion have been used throughout history.
The moral
and legal
aspects of abortion are the subject of intense debate
in many parts of the world.
THE
CLOCK IS TICKING...
 One
baby is aborted every 24 seconds....
147
babies are aborted every hour....
3,542
babies are aborted every day.....
24,865
babies are aborted every week....
107,750
babies are aborted every month....
WORLD
WIDE ABORTION STATISTICS - 2012
Facts
on Induced Abortion Worldwide
(information
from the Guttmacher Institute
January
2012
WORLDWIDE
ABORTION INCIDENCE & ABORTION TRENDS
-
After declining substantially between 1995 and 2003, the worldwide
abortion rate stalled between 2003 and 2008
Between
1995 and 2003, the abortion rate (the number of abortions per
1,000 women of childbearing age—i.e., those aged 15–44) for
the world overall dropped from 35 to 29. It remained virtually
unchanged, at 28, in 2008.
Nearly
half of all abortions worldwide are unsafe, and nearly all unsafe
abortions (98%) occur in developing countries. In the developing
world, 56% of all abortions are unsafe, compared with just 6% in
the developed world.
The
proportion of abortions worldwide that take place in the
developing world increased between 1995 and 2008 from 78% to 86%,
in part because the proportion of all women who live in the
developing world increased during this period.[1]
Since
2003, the number of abortions fell by 600,000 in the developed
world but increased by 2.8 million in the developing world. In
2008, six million abortions were performed in developed countries
and 38 million in developing countries, a disparity that largely
reflects population distribution.
A
woman’s likelihood of having an abortion is slightly elevated if
she lives in a developing region. In 2008, there were 29 abortions
per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years in developing countries,
compared with 24 in the developed world [1]
The
overall abortion rate in Africa, where the vast majority of
abortions are illegal and unsafe, showed no decline between 2003
and 2008, holding at 29 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing
age.
The
following is a list of useful abortion statistics as well as some
facts on abortifacients. All abortion
numbers are derived from pro-abortion sources courtesy of The Alan
Guttmacher Institute and Planned Parenthood's Family Planning
Perspectives.
How
many people having abortions per year = worldwide
Number of
abortions per year: 2008 - Approximately 43.8 Million
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 2008 - 126,000
Where
abortions occur:
78% of all
abortions are obtained in developing countries and 22% occur in
undeveloped countries.
Legality
of abortion:
About 24
million women obtain legal abortions each year, while an
additional 20 million abortions are obtained in countries where it
is restricted or prohibited by law.
Abortion
averages:
Worldwide,
the lifetime average is about 1 abortion per woman.
Who's
having abortions (age)?
52% of
women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women
aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and
girls under 15 account for 1.2%.
Who's
having abortions (race)?
While white
women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well
below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as
likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are
roughly 2 times as likely.
Who's
having abortions (marital status)?
64.4% of
all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women
account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.
Who's
having abortions (religion)?
Women
identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all
abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish
women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation
obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed
on women who identify themselves as
"Born-again/Evangelical".
Who's
having abortions (income)?
Women with
family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions;
Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain
19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999
obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.
Why
women have abortions
1% of all
abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur
because of potential health problems regarding either the mother
or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e.
the child is unwanted or inconvenient).
At
what gestational ages are abortions performed:
52% of all
abortions occur before the 9th week of pregnancy, 25% happen
between the 9th & 10th week, 12% happen between the 11th and
12th week, 6% happen between the 13th & 15th week, 4% happen
between the 16th & 20th week, and 1% of all abortions
(16,450/yr.) happen after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Likelihood
of abortion:
An
estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the
time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on
women who have had at least one previous abortion.
Abortion
coverage:
48% of all
abortion facilities provide services after the 12th week of
pregnancy. 9 in 10 managed care plans routinely cover abortion or
provide limited coverage. About 14% of all abortions in the United
States are paid for with public funds, virtually all of which are
state funds. 16 states (CA, CT, HI, ED, IL, MA , MD, MD, MN, MT,
NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA and WV) pay for abortions for some poor
women.
©
Copyright 1998, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)
© Copyright 1997, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)
© Copyright 1995, Family Planning Perspectives
© Copyright 1988, Family Planning Perspectives
source:
Center for Bioethical
Reform
WHOSE
SIDE ARE
YOU ON?
by: Rev. Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
CHAPTER
1: TWO ROADS
Millions
today are groping in the darkness of despair as they journey down
life's road toward eternity!
Multitudes
have not found the way of true happiness and joy and are searching
for peace and an answer to life’s problems, heartaches and ills.
Many others have known the true essence of life but somehow
have gone astray, lost the way and are haphazardly adrift on the
sea of life.
The
saying goes, “When in Rome do as the Romans do”,
or “Follow the crowd”.
The great bulk of humanity are doing just that.
They are following the crowd.
Take the easy way out or the path of least resistance.
The sad part is that the crowd is not always right, and the
path of least resistance is often the wrong path which becomes a
rut into which the journeyer finds himself bogged down.
Chained by bad habits and inability to say “No”
to evil suggestions and fettered by wicked companions, such a
person becomes an easy mark for Satan.
My
dear friend, perhaps you are one of the restless multitudes in
this rut, the broad road that the Bible speaks of which will
eventually take you to doom and damnation in Hell, unless you
repent of your sins and get off this road.
The
Bible says: “There
is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are
the ways of death”. (Proverbs 16:25)
It
seems natural to do what others are doing, however, the natural
man is often motivated by the lusts, greed and prides of this
wicked world. The
Carnal man is sinful and out of fellowship with the righteousness
of God. Therefore, the
natural man is at enmity with God.
God's
word states: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be.” (Romans 8:7); “Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of
the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God,” (James 4:4) Sinful man cannot do good unless God
intervenes and changes his nature through the process of new
birth: “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say
unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God.” (John 3:3)
Look
around and follow the current events in the news media to realize
that this world is corrupt and continually getting worse with
wars, social and political upheavals, increases in the crime rate,
immorality, sex perversion and broken homes.
FOLLOWING
THE CROWD: A BAD IDEA!
In
other words, the CROWD is corrupt and getting worse. If you follow
this crowd you will find yourself in bad company and serious
trouble spiritually! The
Bible says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”. (Matthew
7:13-14) Jesus urged, “Strive to enter in at the strait
gate: for many, I say
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”. (Luke
13:24). To strive means to “put some effort” into finding the
right way.
It
must be very important to enter the straight gate or Jesus would
not have admonished us to STRIVE TO ENTER IN.
The reason is that the wrong road leads to an eternal hell,
and the right one takes you to Heaven.
The Bible says: “Wide
is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and
many there be which go in thereat”.
Many
are on this broad road because the gate is wide enough to take in
everyone, regardless of a person’s wickedness, evil habits or
unrighteous companions. There
is plenty of room, and no questions asked - that is of course,
until it is too late to get off.
The murderer travels this road together with the gambler,
drunkard, liar and thief.
It
is the broad road and is easy travelling because this road has a
slight downward grade, although not very noticeable at the start.
The self-righteous Church member who has never been saved
together with the modernistic theologian, the atheist and the
communist, all have plenty of room to travel without even rubbing
shoulders, because the road is so wide.
The
alcoholic, drug user, the unfaithful, deceptive wife or husband,
rich and poor, well and sick, young and old, respected and
despised, educated and illiterate, bond and free, all may travel.
Caution
is thrown to the winds and off you go merrily on your way - the
music blares and you sail along!
TRAVEL
NOW - PAY LATER, SEEMS TO BE THE SLOGAN
- Yes, this is the broad road to destruction.
JESUS warns you to get off it NOW. Don't stay on it a
minute longer. Jump off it immediately and enter the Straight Gate
onto the NARROW Road that leads to LIFE and Eternal Bliss!
DO
YOU KNOW WHICH ROAD YOU ARE ON?
You
may ask, “How do I know which road I am on?”
I am glad you ask that question, because I have the answer
for you. The Bible
says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.
(Romans 3:23) “There
is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 2:10)
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me”. (Psalms 51:5)
The
Scripture tells us that through Adam’s transgression the whole
human race was plunged into sin.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned.” (Romans
5:12) Through the
Scripture we see that everyone is born in sin and because of the
fall, the human race inherited the stigma of sin.
Secondly,
we learn that man’s nature is sinful and he is a sinner by
choice. The Bible
says: “All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all.”( Isaiah 53:6) ; “The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked:
who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
“The
fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is
none that doeth good. The
Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if
there were any that did understand, and seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are all together become
filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalms
14:1-3)
We
have now established the fact that all human beings are sinners,
not only by birth and nature, but also by choice.
Jesus exhorts everyone to, “Enter into the strait
gate”, because everyone naturally is on the broad road to start
with, and must turn off to get on the right road.
ALL
A SINNER MUST DO TO GO TO HELL IS TO CONTINUE WHAT HE IS DOING,
but there is a way of escape. There is a way out and salvation is
available for everyone who believes and turns to the Lord. Jesus
Christ came to redeem us and save us from our sins, the power of
Satan and the broad road.
Lost
souls must call out to God for mercy, receive His wonderful
salvation - purchased by Christ’s blood and get on the narrow
road and enter the straight gate which takes us to Heaven.
Jesus said: “Except a man be born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God”. (John 3: 5)
Here
is your answer - All those who have not had a personal encounter
with Jesus Christ, been born again by the incorruptible Word of
God and by the Spirit of God and had their sins washed away by
“the precious blood”, is on the broad road and lost in their
sins!
NOT
VERY MANY ARE GOING TO BE SAVED!
The
Bible states that because, “Wide is the gate and broad is the
road”, many will go in thereat.
The broad road is crowded with journeyers travelling toward
their doom and destruction. In
Matthew 7:14, the Bible declares, “Because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be
that find it”. He
asked how many would be saved? He answered: “Strive to enter in
at the strait gate: for
many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able”. (Luke 13:24)
The
Gate to Heaven is straight - no crookedness can enter there.
Foolish pride must be swept away.
There is no room for human reasoning because the gate will
not move, be enlarged or slanted to take in the new ideology,
theories or curricula of sinful, carnal humanity.
Some preach that there are many ways to be saved and gain
admittance into the Kingdom of God.
This
is utterly false.
“Jesus saith unto
him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John
14:6)
Jesus
did not say, I am one of the ways, but He said I AM THE WAY.
No wonder our Lord said, “Strait is the gate”, for that
gate will not bend or expand to accept any other doctrines or
beliefs except the words, teachings and doctrine of Jesus Christ,
the Son of the living God. The
gate that Jesus spoke of will not conform or change to fit the
traditions or customs of a changing world and a carnal, secular
society. NO, THANK
GOD! The Gate that
leads to God and Heaven is FIXED forever and is as unchanging as
God Himself.
Anyone
entering this gate must humble himself, and in order to enter the
straight gate must do so on his knees
leaving behind him all his unbelief, pride, lust and greed.
There is no room for excess baggage as the individual
passes through this gate. Webster’s
Dictionary defines the word “straight” as Jesus used it here
as, “Being in a right line”.
That right line is God’s way - none other will do!
The
hymn writer penned the words
“Just
as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.”
Without
exception, everyone must come the same way, and there is no
respect of persons - rich and poor, educated and illiterate, wise
and foolish - all must come in through the same gate and conform
to the straightness of this gate.
There is no favoritism or partiality.
There
is only one way to God, Heaven and eternal life.
It is a definite, certain and fixed way, and that way is
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Jesus said, “I am the door:
by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved”. (John
10:9). Here Jesus
emphasizes that there is only one door, and to be saved we must
come through Him.
There
are not many doors to God’s Kingdom, but one only - the Lord
Jesus Christ. Jesus
says, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me”. (John 14:6)
There it is! Mohammed,
Buddha, Confucius, Shiva or the Pope
will not do - the Virgin Mary, St. Peter or the angel
Moroni cannot save you. There
is no other way to be saved than by and through God’s Divine
Resurrected Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
St. Peter declared, “There is none other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”. (Acts
4:12)
THERE
ARE MILLIONS OF GODS!
The
heathen have millions of gods and false Christs, but there is only
ONE TRUE CHRIST and His Name is the Lord Jesus Christ - the
only one who is able to save you.
The Bible says, “There is one mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus”. (1 Timothy 2:5)
Jesus Christ the resurrected Saviour is the mediator
between Almighty God and sinful man.
Millions
of people seek peace and forgiveness by bathing in some river or
by having holy water - supposedly blessed by a religious person -
sprinkled upon them. Others,
by making pilgrimages to shrines, reciting repetitious prayers
continually, counting beads or doing penance by lying on spikes,
walking on coals of fire, beating themselves and even carrying a
cross on their back or abstaining from food.
BUT,
OH, HOW FUTILE! WHAT A
WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY WHEN WE KNOW THE TRUTH - when Jesus
Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and has shed His blood;
suffered and died so that we can be forgiven, healed and blessed;
and that He rose again from the dead and lives forevermore!
There
is only ONE Who can give peace to troubled minds, joy to tortured
hearts, new life to the lost and forgiveness to the sinful, and I
must shout it out loud and clear, His Name is Jesus.
He alone is the Saviour of the world.
The
hymn writer stated:
“What
can wash away my sin,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me pure within
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! Precious is the
flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
God's
Word says, "Without shedding of blood is no remission."
(Hebrews 9:22); "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth
us from all sin." (1 John 1:7). Many ask, "Why
could not Buddha, Mohammed or the Pope be saviours as well as
Jesus? The answer is very simple!
The
Bible declares, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life”. (John 3:16).
God had only One Son, and His only begotten Son’s name
was not Buddha, Mohammed, Shiva or Pope Pius. The name of God’s
Son is JESUS.
The
angel said to Joseph: “Thou
shalt call His name Jesus: for
He shall save His people from their sins”.
(Matthew 1: 23); Jesus said, “As My Father
hath sent Me, even so send I you”. (John 20:21);
“As Thou hast sent Me into this world, even so have I
also sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)
Jesus
repeatedly stated that He is the Son of God. (John 5:18; 10:30 -
33; Mark 14: 61,62) And don’t forget that Jesus Christ was the
only One Who died on the cross for our sins, fulfilling the Old
Testament prophesies (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; 1 Peter
2:24), and we read that
Jesus was, “declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the
dead”. (Romans 1:4) Praise
the Lord!
So
we see that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead sets
Him apart from all other men of all ages and gives final proof to
the fact that He was, is and always will be the Divine, Holy Son
of God and the only Saviour of the world.
Jesus Christ stands completely and altogether above
everyone else because He was the only one who had power to rise
from the dead.
A
dead man cannot help you and all of those other people who have
been mentioned are dead and gone, but Jesus Christ lives on in
power and greatness; resurrected and alive; able to save and
deliver all who come unto God by Him. (Hebrews 7:25)
ON
WHICH ROAD ARE YOU TRAVELLING?
Now
I want to ask you a pointed question:
Who's Side are you on?
On
which road are you travelling? As you read these lines I must
remind you that you are on one of these roads, either the broad
road with the wide gate which will take you to an eternal hell, or
the narrow road with the straight gate that brings you to Heaven
and Eternity with God. There
is NO middle road and NO neutral ground. You are either on one
road or the other. We
are all travellers into Eternity.
Every person living today is on one of these roads.
If you have not given your heart and life to God and
accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, Lord and Master, then you
are a lost soul on the road to hell, and will never have peace,
joy or happiness in this life or the one to come, if you continue
in the way you are going.
TODAY,
AS YOU READ THESE LINES YOU CAN COME TO JESUS AND BY FAITH TURN
YOUR LIFE OVER TO GOD; GET OFF THE BROAD ROAD AND GET ON THE ONE
THAT LEADS TO GLORY. “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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
As
the Holy Spirit moves upon you, will you not surrender your entire
life to the Lord; slip down on your knees in prayer to God; cry
out for mercy as the publican did in the Bible, “God, be
merciful to me a sinner”; (Luke 18:10-14)
Accept the full and free salvation that God offers you now,
and you will enter the straight gate and be on the narrow road of
Christian living. Jesus
said, “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28)
Amen.
MAX
SOLBREKKEN WORLD MISSION
Box 44220
RPO Garside, Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6 www.mswm.org
email: max@maxsolbrekken
FOUR
ESSENTIAL TRUTHS
that must not be
diminished,
downgraded or dismissed!
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken
THE
WORD OF GOD has power to free you from bondage, sin, fear and
sickness. The Bible says, "He hath sent His Word and
healed them, and delivered them from all their destructions."
(Psalms 107:20)
THE
BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST is so powerful that it cleanses us from
all our sin and purges the conscience. The Bible says,
"If we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have
fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son cleanses us from all sins." (1 John 1:7)
THE
HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD baptizes us into the Body of Christ at
conversion and as we totally surrender to God, He fills us with
His presence (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Bible says:
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein in excess; but be filled
with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18, 19)
THE
NAME OF JESUS CHRIST is the greatest weapon to drive Satan
away from us. Jesus said: "Go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel unto every creature, He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe.
In My Name, shall they cast out devils..." (Mark 16:15-20;
Luke 10:17-20)
HEALING
FOR
SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY
by:
Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
The
Greek word SOZO means to 'protect, deliver, heal, preserve, save
and make well.' In reality it means the 'Salvation of God'.
Seven hundred years before Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, the Prophet
Isaiah declared, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign, Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall
call His name Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)
The
Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph saying, "....Fear not to
take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and
thou shalt call His name JESUS for He shall save His people from
their sins."
"Now
all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of
the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold a 'virgin' shall be with
child, and shalt bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US."
(Matthew 1:20-23)
The
name of 'Jesus' in Hebrew is 'Yeshua' which means 'the Salvation
of God'. God's salvation for mankind is 'forgiveness,
healing, protection, wellness and deliverance' from the power of
the Devil and His evil work.
The
name of 'JESUS' means: 'Saviour, the salvation of God; the God who
saves, heals, protects, delivers and makes well."
Everywhere
our Lord went, he preached the Gospel and confirmed His message by
healing the sick and casting out evil spirits from those who were
bound: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that
He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
The
Bible states: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good and healing all who
were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts
10:38)
"...Jesus
of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves also know." (Acts 2:22)
"How
shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with
signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy
Ghost, according to His own will." (Hebrews 2:3,4)
GOD'S
WORD says: "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the
elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall
'SAVE' the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:14,15)
The
word SOZO used here means to heal the sick and make them well, is
used interchangeably for forgiveness and healing for body or soul
in the following Scriptures: Mark 5:23, Mark 5:34, Mark
6:56, Mark 16:16, Luke 8:36, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42, Acts 2:21,
Acts 14:9, Acts 4:12 and Ephesians 2:8.
THE
HOLY RECORD states: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget
not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who
healeth all thy diseases." (Psalms 103:2,3); "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." (Isaiah 53:4,5)
"And
when the even was come, they brought unto Him (JESUS) many that
were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His
Word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, "Himself took
our infirmities and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16,17);
"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)
The
BIBLE says, "He hath sent His Word and healed them and
delivered them from their destructions." (Psalms 107:20);
"He brought them forth with silver and with gold' and there
was not one feeble person among their tribes." (Psalms
105:37)
"I
am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything to hard
for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:27); "And ye shall serve the Lord
your God, and He shall bless thy bread and thy water, and I will
take sickness away from the midst of thee." (Exodus 23:24,25)
GOD'S
HEALING COVENANT WITH ISRAEL
In
His great love and concern for His people, Israel, Almighty God
made a 'Healing covenant with Moses' on their behalf. Here
it is:
"If
thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and
wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His
commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these
diseases upon thee, which i have brought upon the Egyptians, for I
am the Lord that healeth thee." (Exodus 15:26)
The
ten plagues which Jehovah the Covenant God of Israel released upon
the Egyptians that finally forced Pharaoh to allow the Hebrew
slaves leave their bondage did not adversely affect God's people.
The
promise of divine healing and health was reserved for the Hebrews
and by extension to all who trust in Christ our Great physician
Who fulfilled all the types of the coming Messiah.
"He
brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not
one feeble person among their tribes." (Psalms 105:37)
"Then they cried unto the lord God in their trouble, and He
saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and
healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."
(Psalms 107:20)
"God
is a very present help in time of trouble." (Psalms 46:1);
"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life: of whom shall I be
afraid?" (Psalms 27:1)
"No
good thing will God withhold from them who walk uprightly."
(Psalms 84:11); "There shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh unto thy dwelling." (Psalms
91:10); "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee
the desires of thine heart." (Psalms 37:4); "Unto you
that fear My name shall the Son of righteousness arise with
healing in His wings." (Malachi 4:2)
"No
weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue
that shall rise against thee shalt thou condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is
of Me sayeth the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17)
Divine
Healing is promised for those who fast and pray and seek the Lord:
"Is not the fast that I have chosen? To lose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go
free, and that ye break every yoke?"
"Is
it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the
poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the
naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from
thine own flesh?
"Then
shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall
spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee,
the glory of the Lord shall be thy rear guard. Then shalt
thou call and the Lord shall answer: thou shall cry, and He shall
say, Here am I..." (Isaiah 58:6-8)
THIS
IS THE REASON JESUS CAME
"For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy
the works of the enemy." (1 John 3:8); "The thief
(Satan) cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. I am
come that you might have life and more abundantly." (John
10:10)
"Now
unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
(Ephesians 3:20); "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the Gospel unto 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 lay their hands on the sick, and they
shall recover." (Mark 16:15-20)
Jesus
said: "Come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and
I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28); "All that the
Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I
will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)
He
invites us to fellowship with Him through prayer, praise and
meditation. He said, "Ask and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For everyone that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh findeth; and
to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7,8)
Then
He shared this great analogy: "And what man is there of you,
whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone?" Something
useless! "Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a
serpent?" Something dangerous!
"If
ye then, being evil, know to give god gifts unto your children,
HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father in Heaven give good things to them
that ask Him? (Matthew 7:9-11) He stated: "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee. I will be with thee unto the
end of the world." (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)
In
this PROMISE our precious Lord Jesus used a 'double imperative' to
drive home a very important truth. He actually said: I will
never, NO NEVER leave thee. I will never, NO NEVER forsake
thee, I will be with thee until the end of the world.
Of
all the promises our Lord gave us, I think this is the most
touching. Jesus was so concerned that we know the truth of
His presence and nearness to us at all times!
"The
promises of God in Christ Jesus is Yea and Amen." The Bible
states: "If God be FOR US, who then can be against us?"
(Romans 8:31) "Greater is He that in IN US that he that is in
the world." (1 John 4:4) His promises are 'YES'...and
not NO.
"God
hath delivered us from the power of DARKNESS, and hath translated
us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, in Whom we have REDEMPTION
through HIS BLOOD." (Colossians 1:13, 14)
When
Satan's power was defeated in our lives and we were translated
into Christ's KINGDOM, Satan's power to harass us was finished.
We can tell him to remove his sickness and disease from us for we
are God's PROPERTY.
We
have been purchased by His blood: "Ye are BOUGHT WITH A
PRICE: therefore glorify God in your BODY, and in your SPIRIT,
which are GOD'S." (2 Corinthians 6:20)
My
Friend: In the NAME of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and upon the
authority of God's Word and by the BLOOD of the everlasting
covenant, I command the pain to LEAVE YOUR BODY and the power of
Satan to be broken off your entire being.
We
can legally say: "SATAN: IT'S OVER! YOU HAVE LOST
and WE HAVE WON through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! Amen.
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