414. Easter Conference 1923

The Easter conference in Horten was a great blessing. The friends are being united more deeply and sincerely than ever before. Using the Word of the cross and the Spirit of the cross against all flesh works miracles in keeping all divisions and evil away. God awakens people that we have never seen before. He awakens them by sufferings and trials. And when we meet them, it is as if we have known each other for years. In the same way, people we had never seen before came to this conference, but they rejoiced together with us. It is becoming evident that the meeting hall was built at just the right time—we really need it. Souls who are truly hungry and thirsty for God’s Word are coming from many places. We have also had to pray fervently and ask God to guide our thoughts, so that, from the heart, we could give them what was right in His eyes.

Jesus was a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense for all the people who thought they knew something and thought of themselves as skilled spiritual builders. But everything becomes simple and clear for all those who want to be led by Jesus’ Spirit and His way of building. It has therefore been our inescapable duty to bring self-appointed builders to the point of being ashamed. Read and reflect over Ezekiel 43:10-11. These words are written to all of the builders who construct spiritual buildings without the cross or stones of stumbling. We can only make known the design of the temple and its arrangement to people when we are in the spirit of the cross of Christ. Only in this spirit can we measure this well-designed building. By the grace of Christ, it has been our task to preach about this glorious house, where all enmity is put to death when each one is crucified with Christ. Under these circumstances fellowship comes naturally, and it becomes good when brethren dwell together. We received warm telegrams from Finnmark, Nordland, and Kristiansand. Thank you, friends, for these.

All things are God’s servants. In this context, all resistance and warnings against us, both in writing and verbally, have become a great blessing. The conferences are almost completely free from self-satisfied, rich, religious people. They have been so frightened by the Word of the cross that they stay far away, and consequently there is peace and quiet. Superficial traveling preachers stay away and advise all their listeners and like-minded people to do the same. How wisely God does everything! All things work together for good to those who fear His name! Even when they believe that they do God a service by persecuting His disciples and putting them to death in all kinds of evil ways, it works together for good. The life of Christ only thrives in tribulations.

It is blessed to be united with Christ and with one another in the fellowship of His sufferings. A person who knows nothing about suffering with Christ should never act as eyes for the blind, feet for the lame, or a light for those who are in darkness. Crushed olives are required to produce light. Much needs to be crushed in our life before the light of Christ and the knowledge of God are able to radiate from us.

Souls do not need a dry form of doctrine. They need spirit and life to rain on their dry fields. Reciting Scripture verses withers up the soul when the leading of God’s Spirit has disappeared. So we need to pray, and pray much, so that we can be like a cloud full of rain. May God give us grace to meet as such people when we come to the next conference—the Pentecost conference, which will be held at Hønefoss.