234. The Work

Let us work while it is still day, for the night is coming when no one can work. It pays to work for many are being set free by the Word of God and have received a foretaste of the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

Between the 12th and the 28th of October this year, brother Aslaksen and I were in Copenhagen proclaiming the Word of God. We rented the YMCA and held public meetings. By the sixth meeting there was breakthrough and many praised the Lord. They testified that they had been waiting for a long time to hear preaching about being “crucified with Christ.” Brother Bratlie has now moved to Copenhagen to continue the work.

The work progresses steadily and with certainty, even with resistance on every side. Those who have their earthly responsibilities are working in their free time with steadfastness and certainty, and God is blessing and adding to the church everywhere. Recently, we received a letter from brother Kvalheim in America. He also testified of progress. The snowball has begun to roll, and no one can hinder it. The only concern for us is to take heed to ourselves and the doctrine. Then God, for His part, will also do what is written: “Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14.

Brother Aslaksen and I are now in Halden where we have held several public meetings. We know the Word of God, which is the seed, will not come back to us void in this city.

The fact is that upright people do not receive nourishment from superficial preaching which today’s preachers offer them. So, when they hear the Word of the cross, they come from every assembly, they consent to it, and they become happy. We have seen many examples of people who were bound in sin, but have begun to cleanse themselves and live a new life. They rectify the things they did against their fellowmen, and their conscience has been eased. The light over reckoning yourself dead to sin (Rom. 6:11) has accomplished a powerful work; many have gone forward to victory over sin, and they praise God highly for His great power and grace.

Today I received a letter from brother Bratlie who is in Copenhagen. He said it will take a lot of work down there to bring everything into good order—as things ought to be in God’s church. Yet God has begun, and He will drive His work forward. We need servants in the church who have a life behind them to drive the work forward. As it is now, it is nearly impossible to find people who understand to submit to one another in order to bring peace and unity. People come with the lusts in their flesh in full force, and they aim to become the greatest. What is needed in these newly-formed churches are men who are thoroughly experienced with keeping their own flesh on the cross, men who understand to preach the cross, death, and grave over all flesh that exalts itself in order to become something great in God’s church.

The Prayer Day conference this year was quite blessed. At every conference we notice that the preaching is becoming deeper and more heartfelt. It is God’s Spirit that drives the work forward and works in people’s hearts. Year after year, the friends become more introspective and understand that all progress takes place inwardly, in Him, where the whole fullness of God dwells bodily. We learn more and more to close our eyes to all external things. This creates a deeper and more fervent oneness. Being dead to sin and crucified with Christ is the secret to all this glory.

Idrettens Hus [the meeting place of the church] in Oslo is under renovation and will be finished December 1. Brother Aslaksen and the friends in Oslo will begin holding meetings there soon after. Many people come to those meetings, and what is written in Hosea 7:1 is true for many of them: “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was uncovered, and the wickedness of Samaria.” Ephraim’s iniquity and the wickedness of Samaria are uncovered in the sense that many have become more zealous against sinners than for the fear of the Lord. But they are still being healed and have received showers of blessing over them. They are learning, little by little, how to conduct themselves in the church of the living God. Most of them come from assemblies where they have never heard anything other than the preaching to sinners to become converted. Then, once they are converted, they receive no further instruction on how they are to conduct themselves in God’s church. This is the type of people that we are dealing with, but the work is succeeding beyond our expectations, and most of them receive enough light to find wisdom on how to resolve their difficulties. God be eternally praised and honored for everything.

Resistance from the outside has brought exceedingly great blessings. It binds those who are on the inside even closer together and drives them to diligently search the Scriptures for comfort and encouragement. It is not too long before it becomes clear why the opposition is so strong. The Word of the cross is “to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Cor. 1:23-24. In its power you will find abundant reward for, and comfort in, all the outward resistance.

That has been the experience for first one, then another, and then another. This is the way it has also gone for us, and it will continue until the seed of God’s Word becomes as the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea. We hope for this and have already seen it in faith. The progress is developing faster than we ever dared to imagine.

We bring this hope with us from the past year, and it will continue in the year that is coming.

With the flag flying high for this hope, we wish you all a blessed New Year with heartfelt thanks for the faithful work and fellowship last year.