PASTOR MAX ANSWERS:
Dear
Marilyn:
The power is
not in the cloth but in the God we serve, and it is our
faith in Him that brings the miracle! The
prayer cloth is a point of contact to release her faith
for healing!
There is no magic in the cloth!
We are not into
fancy prayer cloths. We prayed that your friend would be
healed when she pinned it to her clothes believing for her
healing! Our belief was that she would read the Scriptures
printed on the cloth as well as the literature we sent her
to help her to BELIEVE
IN JESUS CHRIST THE HEALER!
Marilyn, you
remind me of 'Naaman
the Leper' in
the Bible, who came to Elisha the Prophet to be healed. He
expected the prophet to come outside to meet him in his
expensive chariot and make a great fanfare and say
some special words over him to cleanse him of his leprosy!
Here is the
Holy Record: "And
Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go wash in
Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to the,
and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, (Marilyn
was ashamed) and
went away, and said, Behold I thought, He would surely
come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the
Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and
recover the leper.
"Are not
Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascas BETTER
THAN ALL THE WATERS OF ISRAEL?
may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and
went away in a rage." (2 Kings 5: 9 - 14)
Sounds like
you and your friend, doesn't it, Marilyn? If
we would have sent you an elaborate gold handkerchief
or a special 'green blessing cloth' or a little container
of 'Spring water' promising a great financial blessing if
you send in a certain sum of money, or maybe a 'cloth
from Jerusalem' or 'one blessed by the Pope', there would
have been so much more hope and blessing!
Right?
NONSENSE!
God works by
faith, not through fancy things or objects. The Bible
says: "And God wrought SPECIAL MIRACLES by the hands
of Paul. So that from his body were brought unto the sick
handkerchiefs or aprons (sweaty,
smelly aprons used in his tent making job and
handkerchiefs used to wipe his sweaty brow).
and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits
went out of them." (Acts 19: 11 - 12)
It was Paul's
prayers and his contact with the aprons and handkerchiefs,
coupled with the sick person's faith that brought about
the miracles!
Marilyn,
you are an anomaly.! Out
of thousands of letters and e-mails we have received, you ARE
THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN.
We often
receive letters from people requesting many more prayer
cloths to send to their loved ones. And many have been
healed by our Lord Jesus Christ!
I have been in
the Ministry for 43 years and have witnessed thousands of
miracles through faith in Jesus Christ in our massive
crusades, answering the letters of hurting people, prayer
over the telephone or TV call - in shows and sending out
the "shameful"
little piece of cloth with some very powerful Scripture
texts printed on it!
Naaman humbled
himself and changed his mind. At the command of the
prophet he went down to the River Jordan and sumerged
himself seven times and through obedience and faith was
healed. Praise God!
Your servant
for Jesus' sake,
Pastor Max
Solbrekken
2 Cor. 4: 5
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 9:55 PM
Subject: Prayer Cloth
That was a nearly nothing as I have ever seen for a
"prayer cloth". I wish I had never seen
it. The person requesting it was visibly
disappointed and frankly I was embarassed. Shame on
you/.
Marilyn Groome
\\\ >^..^< ///
<*{{{><
THE
AWESOME POWER
of PRAYER!
by Pastor Max
Solbrekken,
D.D.
“Peace
I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give un: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.”
--JESUS
CHRIST
Prayer
is the natural outcry from the heart of a human being to his
Maker in response to the tug of the Word of God, implanted
within the conscience. That tug is even stronger in the
heart of one who has had a visitation of the Holy Spirit’s
convicting presence or has heard the gospel message!
To
the individual who has opened his life to the Saviour, the
Holy Spirit’s call to prayer becomes as natural and
desirous as the call for food at meal time!
Prayer
is our inner man crying out for help, fellowship and
spiritual nourishment! It is born out of our need and the
assurance that God is there to meet that need and answer our
prayer!
Prayer
is talking, listening and communing with our Maker as we
enter into the very presence of Almighty God. It is intimate
fellowship on a “one-to-one basis” with God, through
Jesus Christ our Lord!
WHEN
WE PRAY, OUR TOTAL MAN BECOMES INVOLVED!
Our
spirit cries out in response to our needs and those of
others, as God plays on our heart strings, encouraging us to
share those burdens with Him.
Our
minds stagger under the weight of sin, fear, worry and care
and our spirits soar both to heights unknown as well as
plumb to incomprehensible depths. We groan in the spirit of
intercession or exult in the joy of God, knowing that He is
taking control of the situation! And that by our compassion,
care and faith people in need are being convicted,
strengthened, healed and blessed!
As
we weep in travail our eyes redden, our physical strength is
taxed and our body becomes weary! Then the Holy Spirit takes
over and intercedes through us with groanings that cannot be
uttered, and we enter into a new realm as we pray in the
spirit (unknown tongues), as St. Paul did. (1 Cor. 14:15)
The
Divine Paraclete (the Comforter - the One sent alongside to
help) helps us as we do not know how we ought to pray. But
He comes to our rescue and prays through us to the Father!
The
entire Trinity is involved in our fellowship, as we pray to
God our Father in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!
Prayer
is mankind’s most vital link with Almighty God. It is, in
fact, entering into His very presence with our requests,
petitions and thanksgiving. When we pray, God not only
listens but speaks to our spirits and answers our requests
in His own way, according to His divine and gracious will.
The
scripture says, He is closer than our hands or feet. It is
therefore, not difficult to draw upon His power by reaching
out in prayer and touching Him. The woman with the “issue
of blood” touched Him with her faith and received an
instant miracle. Jesus turned about in the crowd and asked
specifically, “Who touched My clothes”?
Many
rubbed shoulders with Him, but one person touched Him by
faith. She had said within herself, “If I but touch His
garment, I shall be whole”. She was made whole, and Jesus
declared that her faith had gotten the job done! (Matt.
9:21)
‘Prayer
is talking, listening and communing with our Maker as we
enter into the very presence of the Almighty God.’
The
20th Century Bible renders the account this way: Jesus said,
“Someone has touched Me”. And they said, “Master, the
multitudes press Thee and crush Thee”. But He answered,
“No, someone has made a demand upon My ability”.
When
we believe and reach out for a miracle, we make a demand
upon His ability and draw from His great storehouse of
blessing, that which we desire! Another beautiful aspect, is
that the woman received the miracle without Jesus knowing
she had a need. The miracle was already accomplished before
Jesus was aware of it!
‘NOT
ONLY DOES PRAYER CHANGE THINGS - IT CHANGES LIVES!’
The
easiest way for me to illustrate God’s provision for us,
is to compare it to a buffet banquet. Many tables, loaded
with the best foods sits in the middle of the room and
guests help themselves at will. The host simply walks among
his friends to see if everyone is getting enough to eat,
while the servers keep loading the tables with fresh
supplies!
The
host is not really concerned whether you make one or three
trips to the tables, so long as you get enough to eat. He
doesn’t watch to see if you take one leg of chicken or
two!
Forgiveness,
healing, blessing and prosperity are all provided for us. We
can have all we need! All we have to do, is reach out by
faith and make a demand on His ability, by receiving.
Automatically,
WHEN WE TAP IN TO HIS RESOURCES BY FAITH IN HIS FINISHED
WORK ON GOLGOTHA, the miracle happens!
PRAYER
CHANGES THINGS
Through
prayer and communion with God we can affect the course of
this world and change the complexion of society!
Prayer
changes things! Many situations have been altered, lives
changed and priorities rearranged by spending time in
prayer. Why is this? God answers prayer! God performs
miracles! He is real, and communion with Him is a glorious
reality!
Not
only does prayer change things but it changes people - the
lives of the ones prayed for as well as the persons praying.
Thousands of answers to prayer are recorded regularly in the
books of heaven, as well as in the remembrances of committed
Christians.
MIRACLES
OF SALVATION, HEALING, PRESERVATION, DELIVERANCE FROM
SICKNESS, ADDICTIONS, SIN AND MIRACLES OF PROSPERITY ARE
COMMON OCCURRENCES FOR THOSE WHO REALLY BELIEVE GOD’S WORD
AND APPROPRIATE HIS PROMISES FOR THEMSELVES!
A
person gets a totally new outlook on life when he spends
time in God’s presence. His priorities change as well as
his desires and goals in life. And his disposition becomes
kinder and more caring!
SWEET
HOUR OF PRAYER
The
hymn writer penned these words which have blessed millions
down through the years.
“Sweet
hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer
That calls me from a world of care
And sets me at my Father’s throne,
Makes all my wants and wishes known.
In
seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”
Max Solbrekken World Missions @copyright 2000
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