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Christmas
Story
A STRANGER VISITS ON CHRISTMAS EVE
sent
by: Ken Reuer of the 'Burning Bush Crusade', Wetaskiwin,
Alberta
The
old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas eve. He
hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away.
He had no decorations, no tree, no lights. It was just
another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't
find a reason to celebrate. There were no children in his
life. His wife had gone.
He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for
the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door
opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, George, Old George as he was
known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the space
heater and warm up.
"Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the
stranger. "I see you're busy. I'll just go"
"Not without something hot in your belly," George turned
and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger.
"It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew.
Made it myself. When you're done there's coffee and it's
fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway
bell. "Excuse me be right back," George said.
There, in the driveway, was an old 53 Chevy. Steam was
rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked.
"Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep
Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is
broken."
George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked
cracked from the cold; the car was dead. "You ain't
going in this thing," George said, as he turned away.
"But, mister. Please help ." The door of the
office closed behind George as he went in. George went to
the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back
outside. He walked around the building and opened the
garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple
was waiting.
"Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't
the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped
off into the night. George turned and walked back inside the
office.
"Glad I gave 'em the truck. Their tires were shot, too.
That 'ol truck has brand new ..." George thought he was
talking to the stranger. But, the man had gone. The
thermos was on the desk, empty with a used coffee cup beside it.
"Well, at least he got something in his belly," George
thought. George went back outside to see if the old Chevy
would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He
pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He
thought he would tinker with it for something to do.
Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block
hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator.
"Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself.
So, he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter
either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old
Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the
car.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran
outside and, beside a police car, an officer lay on the cold
ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned,
"Help me." George helped the officer inside as he
remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic.
He knew the wound needed attention.
"Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The
uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean
shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound.
"Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said,
trying to make the policeman feel at ease. "Something
for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he
used for his back. "These ought to work." He
put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills.
"You hang in there. I'm going to get you an
ambulance." The phone was dead. "Maybe I can
get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your
car."
He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard
destroying the two way radio. He went back in to find the
policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer.
"You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still
in the area."
George sat down beside him. "I would never leave an injured
man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George
pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks
worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya.
Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think,
with time, you're gonna be right as rain." George got
up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take
it?" he asked.
"None for me," said the officer.
"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too
bad I ain't got no donuts."
The officer laughed and winced at the same time. The front
door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a
gun. "Give me all your cash!
Do it, now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking
and George could tell that he had never done anything like this
before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George.
"You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might
get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll
shoot you, too. Now, give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing
away," George said to the cop. "We got one too
many in here now." He turned his attention to the young
man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need
the money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I
got. Now, put that pee shooter away." George
pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man,
reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time.
The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and
began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I?
All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he
went on. "I've lost my job. My rent is due.
My car got repossessed last week."
George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a
bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes.
But, we make it through the best we can."
He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair,
across from the cop. "Sometimes, we do stupid
things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee.
"Being stupid is one of the things that makes us human.
Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now, sit there
and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop.
"Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry
officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee," the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car
and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through
the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one
of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find
me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread.
Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young
man. Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy
ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and
ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?," the wounded cop continued.
"Yep," George said. "Just hired him this
morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher.
The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered,
"Why?" Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ...
and you, too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there.
That ought to solve some of your problems." George went
into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a
ring box. "Here you go. Something for the little
woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it
would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he
ever saw.
"I
can't take this," said the young man. "It means
something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George.
"I got my memories. That's all I need." George
reached into the box again. An airplane, a car, and a truck
appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left
for him to sell. "Here's something for that
little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that
the old man had handed him earlier. "And what are you
supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that,
too," George said. "Now, git home to your
family."
The young man turned, with tears streaming down his face.
"I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is
still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said.
"See ya the day after."
George turned around to find that the stranger had returned.
"Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said
the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas.
Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away I just couldn't see what all
the bother was. Puttin' up a tree, and all, seemed a waste
of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha
just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was getting a little
chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder, "But, you do
celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink
and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with
child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor. The
policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being
killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you
will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. That
is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any
man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And
how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort
of thing. And, when your days are done, you will be with
Martha again." The stranger moved toward the door.
"If you will excuse me, George, I have to go, now.
I have to go home, where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that
the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden
light began to fill the room. "You see, George ... it's my
birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday,
Lord."
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to
entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares.
CHRISTMAS
MESSAGES
 PRAISE
& WORSHIP
Is
Essential
IN
COMMUNING WITH GOD
by: Pastor Max
Solbrekken, D.D.
In
the Evangelical Lutheran Church we sang all the wonderful hymns of
praise to our Lord and heard sermons extolling God, but to hear
individual believers voice their praise to the Almighty in thanks
for His miraculous intervention in their lives was foreign to me.
It
was like reliving the Book of Acts to hear testimonies of
conversions from alcohol and drug addiction, gambling and false
religious cults. Add to that, miraculous healings from
tumors, cancers, blindness, deafness, arthritis, ulcers and other
diseases was mind boggling.
I
knew that God had healed my Mother in 1920 under the ministry of
Evangelists Storm and Monson in Norway. Other gifts of the
Holy Spirit like prophesying and speaking in tongues, however,
were totally foreign to me.
MY
DAD WAS INSTANTLY HEALED
When
my Dad was instantly healed of serious gallbladder problems and
heart disease in March 1956 through Oral Roberts' radio
Ministry, the Holy Bible became alive to me!
It
is quite possible that if I had not seen the reality of the Gospel
working in my Father's miraculous healing and transformation
through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I would not be in the
Ministry today!
Although
the Holy Spirit strove mightily with me during Revival Meetings in
1951 with Pastor Sylvan Johnson at S.L.B.I. (now Lutheran
Collegiate Bible Institute) Outlook, Saskatchewan, I did not have
the courage to totally follow Christ!
In
1957, following my Father's amazing experience of the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit, I was again drawn by God's love and
mercy to the Cross of Calvary in total repentance and
submission to His will, and call on my life! For the next
six years I devoured God's Word and prayed much for the Holy
Spirit's guidance as I worked in the secular world, while
preparing for the Ministry of Deliverance into which He was
divinely leading me!
THEY
SPOKE IN TONGUES AND MAGNIFIED GOD!
I
believe in speaking in tongues like St. Paul, D.L. Moody,
Charles Finney and Oral Roberts. And I believe in
Divine Healing through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work
on Calvary's Cross and that, "By His stripes we are
healed." (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16, 17; 1 Peter
2:24)
It
was such a blessing to have received the gift of prophesy
(1 Corinthians 12:10) in order to exhort, edity and comfort God's
people. Praising and magnifying God, however, is an
absolute essential in the Christian life in order to keep up a
vital contact with our Heavenly Father!
Our
lives are like a body of water. If water flows in but has
not outlet it becomes stagnant, and all life there ceases to
exist. Then death takes over. The Dead Sea is a
good example of that!
The
movement of water into and out of a body of water creates an
atmosphere conductive to life. The constant intake and
outflow causes a cleansing action, making the water fresh.
This
analogy shows us that receiving from God without praising Him and
sharing His goodness with others makes us stagnant, and spiritual
death ensues!
The
Bible says, "He that offereth praise glorifieth Me."
(Psalms 50:23); "God inhabits the praises of His
people..." (Psalms 22:3)
The
scriptures are filled with praises to God. Repeatedly David
declared, "O that men would praise the Lord for His
wonderful works to the children of men." (Psalms 107:8)
King
David was a man after God's own heart and knew how to praise and
bless the Lord! He even encouraged himself to praise God:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless
His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all
His benefits..." (Psalms 103:1)
PRAISING
GOD IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD!
"Praise
ye the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the
firmament of His power. Praise Him for His might acts:
praise Him according to His excellent greatness."
"...Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord." (Psalms
150:6)
It
is incumbent upon us to thank and praise God for His gifts to us,
as well as testify to others of His great goodness, mercy, love
and power. The Bible says, "Forbid not to speak
with tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:39) And St. Paul
declared emphatically, "I speak with tongues more than
ye all." (1 Corinthians 14:18)
St.
Paul prayed in the Spirit, speaking and singing in unknown tongues
on a daily basis: "What is it then? I will pray
with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also.
I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the
understanding also." (1 Corinthians 14:15)
I
can't imagine many of today's Evangelical preachers meeting the
old 'Apostle to the Gentiles' and spending a few hours a
day with him! They would have to ask him to leave, put
him in a basement room and shut the door and stop preaching from
the Epistles he wrote. Or they would have to repent of
their ignorance, stupidity, hardness of heart and be filled with
the Holy Ghost themselves.
St.
Paul would certainly have to rebuke them and set them straight!
It would be a very interesting meeting indeed!
Even
having them meet Ignatius, Tertullion, St. Augustine, Martin
Luther, D.L. Moody or R.A. Torrey would change their theology
about the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire! (Luke 3:16; Acts
2:4)
I
BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST!
The
Church Fathers who formulated the Apostles Creed certainly
believed in the Holy Ghost and in every instance in the Bible
where believers received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost they spoke
in tongues and magnified God!
I
believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived
by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. he
descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the
dead; He ascended into heaven And sitteth on the right hand of God
the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick
and dead. I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST, the Holy
Christian Church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveness of
sins, the Resurrection of the Body, and the Life everlasting.
Amen.
St.
Paul declared, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men but unto God; for no man understandeth him;
howbeit, in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries." (1
Corinthians 14:2)
Again
the Bible says, "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue
edifieth himself...." (1 Corinthians 14:4) Certainly we
need to edify and build up ourselves in Christ, more now than
ever, as we approach the end!
The
Word of God states emphatically: "But ye, building up
yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost." (praying in tongues is devotion to God)
Those
who do not pray in the Spirit (unknown tongues) are said to
be sensual, having not the Spirit (Holy Spirit). And, they will
ridicule you and separate you from their company. (Jude 19)
JESUS
WARNED: "Verily I say unto you: All sins shall be
forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever
they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy
Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal
damnation: Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit."
(Mark 3:28-30)
THOSE
WHO RIDICULE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE ON DANGEROUS GROUND!
The
Pharisees accused our Saviour of healing the sick and casting out
devils by the power of Satan. Since He was doing these works
"by the Spirit of God" they essentially called the Holy
Spirit a devil!
Here
is my advice: If you cannot understand some of the things
God is doing, don't fight against Him. Don't make the
mistake the Pharisees made! Thank God for the many preachers
of the Gospel today who declare with St. Paul: "Forbid not to
speak with tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:39) "Quench
not the spirit. Despise not prophesyings." (1
Thessalonians 5:19-20)
Also
remember, the 'gift of tongues' in concerrt with the 'gift
of interpretation' is equal to prophecy!
"I
would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye
prophesied; for greater is he that prophesieth than he that
speaketh with tongues, EXCEPT he interpret, that the chuch may
receive edifying." (1 Corinthians 14:5)
When
one of America's foremost Baptist Evangelists, DR. HYMAN APPELMAN
conducted a glorious revival crusade in our church (1972), I asked
him: "Have you been filled with the Holy Ghost? Do you speak
in tongues Brother Appelman?"
He
answered in the affirmative: "Yes, I have been filled with
the Holy Ghost. Yes, I speak with other tongues!"
I asked, "How is it that you - the preacher that most Baptist
and Evangelical preachers greatly respect - speak in tongues, when
they put so little stock in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?"
My
good Jewish friend, Dr. Hyman Appelman replied, "The Holy
Ghost got to me before the Baptists did," No wonder
BILLY GRAHAM stated: "Dr. Hyman Appelman is one of the most
powerful preachers I have ever heard!"
When
that mighty man of God, DR. RICHARD WURMBRAND spoke at our church
in Edmonton in the 1970s, I asked him a very personal question.
I said: "Brother Wurmbrand, I was raised in the Lutheran
Church but I have been filled with the Holy Ghost and I speak with
other tongues. You are a Lutheran Pastor who has been
tortured and suffered terribly for Jesus Christ. Have you
been filled with the blessed Holy Ghost and spoken in other
tongues?"
He
said: "As you know the Communists brainwashed, tortured and
beat me constantly. After some time, I could not remember
the Lord's Prayer, the Twenty-third Psalm or John 3:16. All
I could do was say: "Jesus I love you. You know
that I love you. Please show me your love."
They
had beaten me so severely that the blood ran down my legs unto the
ground. Suddenly the power of God came upon me and I began
to sing in a language I did not know and I danced in the Spirit
for four hours and felt no pain. My blood spattered onto the
walls of that dungeon as I danced and sang and spoke in unknown
tongues."
THE
WORK OF A BELIEVER: Telling others about Jesus!
One
of the first Gospel tracts I published in 1958 was titled "Victorious
Christian Living." In it I outlined three
very important and imperative steps to follow in order to live a
consistent, victorious Christian life.
They
are as follows:
1.
Read the Bible regularly.
2. Pray often with praise and thanksgiving.
3. Witness at every available opportunity with wisdom and
God's leading.
Another
thing that has set 'spirit-filled, full gospel people' apart from
other Christians is the fact of a POWERFUL PERSONAL WITNESS to
their fellowmen, of the crucified and risen Christ who is the same
yesterday, today and forever!
The
angel of God spoke to the women at Christ's empty tomb on that
great resurrection morning thusly: "...Fear not ye: for I
know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here:
for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where
the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell His disciples that He
is risen from the dead; and, behold, He goeth before you into
Galilee; there shall ye see Him: lo, I have told you."
(Matthew 28:5-7)
COME
AND SEE: GO QUICKLY AND TELL!
The
Bible records that they went with great haste to bring His
disciples word of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
They went with great haste because they had an urgent
message to tell!
What
a message we have to tell the world. Our wonderful Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again for our
justification, and is even now alive, interceding for us at the
Father's right hand. Hallelujah!
There
is no secret, hidden agenda in God's Word. Everything is
open and above board with our Lord.
There
is plenty of proof for sincere truth seekers. The angel
said, "Come and see. Go and tell." I say to
skeptics: "There is plenty of viable evidence to prove the
existence of God and the validity of the Holy Bible. And as
far as God's love for mankind, Calvary proved that!"
The
message is clear. Once we have heard the truth and
experienced the blessings of Christ's salvation, we are duty bound
to go and tell someone else the Good News!
THEY
MAGNIFIED GOD!
The
Bible states that they returned to Jerusalem and were constantly
in the temple praising and blessing God. They also went from
house to house with great joy and gladness - breaking bread
and fellowshipping around God's Word.
WHAT
DOES MAGNIFYING GOD MEAN?
The
Scripture says they were continually magnifying God. To
MAGNIFY GOD means to not only glorify Him, but to lift Him up so
high that He appears larger in the eyes and ears of the hearers
than He had seemed to them earlier.
Some
Christians make God look very small. We are to magnify Him
so that everyone may begin to understand how marvelous and
wonderful or Lord really is. Oh, how GREAT IS THE LORD
OUR GOD!
Only
spirit-filled people really and truly praise and magnify God with
all their hearts! Only those who have been "born of the
Spirit" and filled with God's presence feel at home in His
presence!
After
listening to the dry, dead, monotone sounds of the average
fundamentalist preacher, you certainly wouldn't be convinced that
God is alive, real and moving by His mighty power in this
generation!
Much
of the theology that is expounded has to do with the past and
future, with a glaring omission of today! This is especially
noticeable in regards to the present day ability of the
Omniscient, Omnipresent and Eternal God to work miracles among His
people on earth in the 21st century.
It
is the same old story as that of Mary and Martha.
THE
FAITH OF MARY & MARTHA
Regarding
the death of her brother, Martha said, "I know if you had
been here (4 days ago), my brother would not have died."
(past)
Jesus
said, "Your brother shall rise again!" She
answered, "I know that he shall rise again in the
resurrection of the last day." (future) (John 11:24)
Jesus answered her, "I am the resurrection and the
life." (NOW) (John 11:25)
Although
Martha was upset that Jesus had not been there before her brother
died and she expressed faith for his future resurrection, she
nevertheless kept the door open for a present day miracle:
"But
I know that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it Thee." (John 11:22)
For
years Herbert W. Armstrong called his radio and TV show 'The World
Tomorrow'! Others religions, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses
speak constantly about the coming New World or Kingdom Age!
While
we are thrilled about the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ and
Live Everlasting with Christ, we have something to offer people
who accept His Gospel here and now! The God is the God of
the NOW!
MAY
WE BE LIKE THE FIRST FOLLOWERS OF JESUS: NOT LIKE THE
SUBSTITUTES OF TODAY!
My
heart's desire is that God will raise up an army of people who
will say, like St. Paul, "...I believe God." (Acts
27:25)
In
the face of persecution, temptation, sickness or death, let us
hold onto our confession of faith and belief in Christ Jesus our
Lord! Let us constantly practice what the Bible teaches,
glorifying and magnifying God!
When
doubters, skeptics and unbelievers scorn us for believing in and
proclaiming a Risen Saviour, Who still forgives sinners, brings
peace to the troubled and healing to the sick, as well as baptizes
with the Holy Ghost and power, let us tell them, "YOUR GOD IS
TOO SMALL!"
In
the 1960's as a commercial traveler, I met a variety of people in
my travels and when they heard that I was "religious" we
often had animated discussions about the Bible.
A
fundamentalist preacher who was rabidly anti-Pentecostal made this
fervent statement: "Divine healing is not for me and the
Baptism of the Holy Ghost is not for me." I replied:
"You are right Sir, these things are not for you, but they
are for me because I believe. Since you do not believe and
desire these gifts, God will not force them upon you."
In
a desperate attempt to prove his point he made this ridiculous
statement: "We don't need any miracles today because
everybody knows that Jesus rose from the dead!"
IF
THERE WAS A TIME WE NEEDED GOD'S MIRACULOUS WONDERS IT IS TODAY!
I
replied, "Sir, all of the statements you have made, that is
the most ignorant. We live in a world where anti-God
Communism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Animism, Pagan Religions,
false cults and secular humanism are covering much of the earth
and you say that everyone knows that Jesus Christ rose from the
dead."
We
serve a great, big, wonderful God. A God Who keeps His Word.
And since Jesus Christ died and rose again for our total
salvation, we are recipients of His goodness, mercy and love!
There
is nothing impossible with Him Who is the Alpha and Omega, the
First and the Last, the King of Kings and the Lord of lords and
the only Saviour of the world.
1.
TO THE SINNER
- let
me unequivocally say: God is able, ready and willing to save you!
The Bible says, "For the
Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost."
(Luke 19:10) Also, "Come unto Me, all ye who labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
2.
TO THE DISCOURAGED AND WEAK
- let me say without fear of
contradiction, God will fill you with the Holy Ghost!
Jesus said, "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses..." (Acts 1:8)
Also,
St. Peter declared, "Repent and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even
as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:38-39)
3.
TO THOSE WHO ARE SICK & DISEASED
- I say emphatically, Jesus Christ 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 53:5) "That it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself
took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew
8:17)
The
Bible 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)
4.
TO THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES - Always remember that God is
more than enough (El Shaddai) to meet your needs!
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
"Give,
and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be
measured to you again." (Luke
6:38)
St.
Paul said, "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly
shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall
reap also bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
5.
TO
ALL WHO NEED FORGIVENESS, DELIVERANCE & ENCOURAGEMENT -
Jesus Christ stands ready to help you. Without hesitation, I
invite you to call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved.
St.
Paul declared, "Whosoever shall call on the Name of the
Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21); "Casting al
your cares upon Him; for He careth for you." (1 Peter
5:7)
He
has the power to make you free! Jesus said, "And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
(John 8:32)
There
is absolutely nothing that God is unable to do. He can do
all things He wills to do because He is all powerful (omnipotent),
all knowing and all wise (omniscient) and everywhere present at
all times (omnipresent).
Jesus
said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him
that believeth." (Mark 9:23); "With men this is
impossible but not with God. For with God all things are
possible." (Mark 10:27)
 THE
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES
YOU A NEW IMPETUS
"John
answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water,
but One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of Whose shows I am
not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and fire." (Luke 3:16)
Jesus
said: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me.. and unto the
uttermost part of the earth."
"Afterward
He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided them
with their belief and hardness of heart, because they believed not
them which had seen Him after He was risen."
"And
He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature. And these signs shall follow them that
believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; And if they drink
any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. They shall lay down
their hands on the sick and they shall recover."
"So
then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into
Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went
forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and
confirming the Word with signs following. Amen."
(Mark 16:14-20)
Jesus
instructed His followers to be generous to God and fellowman and
His blessings will follow. Here are two of His promises for
us all: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men
give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete
withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)
"But
seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
DEAR
FRIEND: Please write with
your prayer requests. We will pray for you and I will write
you back! When you write, please ask for a free prayer cloth
over which we have prayed with faith in Jesus' Name, for your
deliverance and salvation.
- Pastor Max Solbrekken
THE
CROSSROADS
OF LIFE
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken,
D.D.
"Stand
ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old Paths wherein is the
good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, we will not walk therein." (Jeremiah 6:16)
The
prophet Jeremiah had a
solution for the restlessness and fears that has beset the human
family ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in Garden of Eden!
He had the answer to the turmoil, upheaval and injustice that
has afflicted multitudes across the globe. Jeremiah has
a message from Almighty God for the great problems facing the
masses of sinful, guilty and hurting mankind!
There
are Biblical Solutions to Life's Difficult Situations! There
are answers to the life-long problems caused by disobedience to
the law of loving God with the whole heart, soul and spirit, and
our neighbour as ourselves!
WE
HAVE A SIN PROBLEM!
The
real problem facing humanity is man is propensity to disobey, hate,
demean, and harm our fellowman. The real problem is not the
neighbour you dislike, the corruption in government, or the thief
who has ransacked your home. The truth is plain and simple:
"We have a sin problem."
The
Holy Bible states, "For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God." (Romans 3:23); "But now being
made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord." (Romans 6: 22, 23)
Sin
is disobedience against God and His Word. It is breaking
God's Laws or Commandments. From the original Greek and
Hebrew Scriptures, the Bible has several words for sin, one being
'transgression' and another is 'iniquity.' Sin is "Transgression of
God's Law."
Sin
is also defined as 'missing the mark' of the standard our Lord has
set for us. We are all sinners by birth, by nature
and by choice! Jesus Christ is perfect and He is the
standard by which we must measure ourselves. Sin comes from
the inner man, which was depraved from birth.
Jesus
said, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth
come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out
of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are
the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man." (Matthew 15:19)
Sin
separates man from God. The Bible states: "But your
iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that He will not hear." (Isaiah
59:2)
Sin
is unbelief, which rejects and denies God's Word: "He
that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not
is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
JEREMIAH'S
SOLUTION!
"Stand
ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old Paths wherein is the
good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, we will not walk therein." (Jeremiah 6: 16)
Go
down to the crossroads and see where each road leads. Don't
get on a road that takes you to nowhere or to dangerous places.
Don't try something new just because someone has hyped it to you.
They may have a sinister motive, like getting you hooked on drugs
or lead you into a life of gambling. Getting on the wrong
road could destroy your future and eventually lead to a lost
eternity.
The
old Paths speaks of a true and tested lifestyle of love, caring,
family, honesty, righteousness and compassion. Yet, as the
prophet declared, "But they said, we will not walk therein."
How
true that is, even today! People can hear the message of
God's love and compassion repeatedly and even believe it, but
allow themselves to be drawn into a worldly and a dangerous
lifestyle!
SINNER
: STOP, LOOK & LISTEN!
Sinner,
backslider: Stop, look and listen. There may be real
trouble coming down the tracks heading toward you! In your
fevered pace of seeking pleasure, having so-called fun, stop in
your pursuit of love, happiness, gain, position and place.
Stop long enough to evaluate what is going on in your life and the
world about you. Check out the consequences of the long term
benefits or negative results!
Make
an informed decision to return to the Old Path of Righteousness
through a determined serious return to God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. You will then have guaranteed your future for time
and eternity instead of having sold out to Satan only to have your
future hijacked and your salvation despoiled!
The
end results gained from walking on the old Path are enormous.
It pays in "rest for our souls." It pays in peace, joy,
love, forgiveness, guidance, spiritual power, divine healing,
eternal life and Heaven forever!
Peace:
"Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous
judgments. Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing
shall offend them." (Psalms 119: 164, 165)
Jesus
said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as
the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14: 27).
St.
Paul stated: "And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus." (Philippians 4: 7)
Love:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved." (John 3: 16, 17)
St.
John declares: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He
that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." (1 John
4:7,8)
Forgiveness:
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John
1: 8): "In Whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace." (Eph. 1:7)
Holy
Ghost Baptism: "John answered, saying unto them all,
I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I cometh,
the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." (Luke 3:16);
Jesus said: "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)
Led
by Holy Spirit: "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 shown it unto you. All
things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that ye
shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you." (John 16:
13-15)
Divine
Healing: "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 speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents and
if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16: 14-18)
Fellowship
in Christ: "That which we have we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:3,7)
"And
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the
temple of the Living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them,
and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My
people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:16-18)
Eternal
Life: "And this is eternal Life, that they may know
Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."
(John 17: 3); "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they
follow Me: And I give unto the eternal life; and they shall never
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Father's
hand." (John 10: 27, 28)
"And
this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he
that hath not the Son hath life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that they may know
that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God." (1 John 5: 11-13)
ALL
OTHER ROADS!
All
other roads lead to Hell and destruction; heartbreak, torment,
sorrows, prison, dead-end! The Bible says: "There is a way that
seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of
death." (Proverbs 14:25);
"By
faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a
season." (Hebrews 11:24,256:23)
SIN
OF BACKSLIDING!
St.
Paul wrote about the awesome responsibility preachers have to
declare the whole truth and not weaken the Gospel through
compromise. He warned about the deadly sin of backsliding and how
to come back to the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Like the
Prodigal Son, it takes repentance and a willingness to turn back
to God, forsaking sin and evil!
'For
though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for
necessity is laid upon me: yea, woe is me, if I preach not the
Gospel. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway."
(1 Corinthians 9: 16,27)
Almighty
God calls us back to Him, if any are guilty of straying from His
Word; "Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord?
though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18).
JESUS
calls us all: "Come unto ME, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light." (Matt.hew 11: 28-30)
: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); "Behold, I
stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and he will with Me."
(Revelation 3:20)
I
PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
I
stood in a courtroom filled to capacity with every race and nation
all staring right at me. The judge walked in, took His seat and my
crimes began to read. I raised my head as I looked at Him, when He
said, "How do you plead?" I said, "I Plead the Blood!"
"I
plead the Blood of Jesus, against the crimes you have read. I
plead the blood of Jesus, they are covered as He said. For His
death on Calvary, assured me I am FREE. There is now, no
condemnation. Tis Jesus BLOOD I plead."
Then
He read out all my crimes. Listed them one by one. And I was so
ashamed of the awful things I had done. Then He looked again at
me, This awesome fearful Judge. He said, How do you plead? I said,
“I Plead the Blood!"
"I
plead the Blood of Jesus, against the crimes you have read. I
plead the blood of Jesus, they are covered as He said. For His
death on Calvary, assured me I am FREE. There is now, no
condemnation. Tis Jesus BLOOD I plead." AMEN.
WHAT MUST
I DO
TO BE SAVED?
Jesus
said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Yes,
my dear friend, God is still in the business of setting men and
women free from their sins, sorrows, heartbreaks, fears and
troubles. In this age of frustrations, nervous tensions and
mental collapses, Jesus Christ is still granting peace to the
troubled, joy to the discouraged, strength to the weary and
healing to the sick!
 1
- YOU MUST ADMIT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER
The
Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God." (Rom. 3:23) "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)
2
- YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD
You
MUST believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Jesus died
on the cross, was buried and rose again from the dead.
"That
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already." (John 3:15,18) "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on
Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)
3
- YOU
MUST REPENT OF YOUR SINS
The
Bible says: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise
perish." (Lu.13:3) "Let the wicked forsake his way and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord,
and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)
4
- YOU MUST RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR
The
Bible says: "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)
"Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he
with Me." (Rev. 3:20) "He that hath the Son hath life: and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:12)
5
- YOU MUST CONFESS JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD
The
Bible says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)
"Whosoever
shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man confess
before the angels of God: But he that denieth Me before men shall
be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8, 9)
HOW
DO I INVITE
JESUS CHRIST INTO MY LIFE?
Pray
to God, a prayer - from your heart.
Tell Him that you
are a sinner and that you need forgiveness. Tell him that
you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins. Tell him that
you are willing to change, to turn away from sin. Ask Jesus
Christ to come into your heart and life and be your personal
Saviour.
"But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12)
"Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2
Corinthians 5:17)
If
you prayed and ask Jesus Christ into your heart - YOU HAVE NOW
RECEIVED THE GIFT OF SALVATION - YOU HAVE BECOME A CHILD OF GOD.
God Bless You.
-
Powerful AUDIO Bible sermons/messages
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken
- click on
message to listen -
BIBLE
SCRIPTURES ON:
Satan,
the Devil, evil, evil spirits, demons, the full amour of God  Revelation
20:1-3 - (kjv)
- "Behold,
I give unto you power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you."
The Scripture says that 'one day' an angel will come from heaven
and bind Satan, casting him into the bottomless pit for a thousand
years. It won't take ten thousand angels; it won't take a
hundred angels' it will take one angel to bind the devil and cast
him into the pits of hell forever."
Ephesians
6:10-11
- (kjv) - "Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in
the power of His might. Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
"Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"
"Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is he word
of God; Praying always with al prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and
watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints."
2
Timothy 1:7
- (kjv) - "God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind."
1
Peter 5:8
- (kjv) - "Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Hebrews
2:14-15
- (kjv) - "Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He 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;
And to DELIVER them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."
John
10:10 -
(kjv) - "The
thief (the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly."
1
John 4:4 -
(kjv) - "Greater is He that is in you, that he that is in the
world."
Matthew
6:9-10 -
(kjv) - After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name...Thy kingdom come. They will
be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Luke
10:19 -
(kjv) - "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."
1
John 5:14-15
- (kjv)
- And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: .. And if we know that
he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions
that we desired of him.
Philippians
2:13 -
(kjv) - For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Romans
8:32 -
(kjv) -
He that spared not his
own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?
CONTACT
INFORMATION
For further spiritual counsel, prayer or gospel literature, please
contact us!
www.mswm.org www.maxsolbrekken.com
max@maxsolbrekken.com
Max
Solbrekken World Mission, P.O. Box 44220, RPO Garside, Edmonton,
AB T5V 1N6 (780) 460-8444
The
House of Prayer, New Sarepta, Alberta (780) 941-2372
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