New Year’s Conference at Brunstad

New Year’s Conference at Brunstad

This year’s conference was rich in memories in many ways. Because of construction at the Brunstad Conference Center the number of participants had to be limited. However, by means of satellite transmissions many friends in the various local churches around the globe could still follow the main part of the conference. It was extremely cold at Brunstad during conference time. The temperature dropped right down to –25C, but it did not hinder the conference from running its course, even though the thermostat registered +10C at one of the meetings.

As far as the message and the content of the conference is concerned, it was so rich and blessed that neither the cold nor any external circumstances meant anything!

Abide in Love

God is love. If we do not remain in love we will not remain in fellowship with the Father. In Romans 8:35-39 we read about being more than conquerors through Him who loved us. What is real victory? It is to abide in love regardless of what we are exposed to. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors . . . .” V. 37. In all these things: tribulation, distress, persecution, etc. V. 35. Nothing and no one must cause us to come out of love. If a person no longer abides in love, he will become bitter and jealous and be perhaps without peace and rest when he meets certain people. An example of being more than a conqueror is found in Paul’s testimony in 2 Corinthians 12:15, that he would very gladly spend and be spent for their souls, though the more abundantly he loved them, the less he was loved. The others’ malice, imprudence, and foolishness are our opportunities to pursue a greater fullness of love. We learn to pray in tribulation, and it is in tribulation that we enter more into God’s presence and learn to know Him to a deeper degree. We are not living a life “under the law”! On the contrary, far from it—if we would gladly spend and be spent in tribulation. It is a glorious life of joy. Think of all the situations that can arise for parents with teenage children. This is where we can find opportunities to sacrifice and be sacrificed! We must sacrifice in order to abide in love. We can serve and we can help as long as we abide in love whether it is in the home or in the Church. We cannot serve the others if we are angry with them. The situations that arise are our opportunities to obtain a greater fullness of love.

In Jude 20-21 we are instructed how to keep ourselves in the love of God, namely, by building ourselves up on our most holy faith and by praying in the Holy Spirit. Frivolousness and superficiality won’t get us anywhere. Through prayer we learn to live in God’s presence. We can do all things, but not all things are profitable. Much that is perhaps interesting on a human level will steal our time and attention; our minds become filled with things with which unbelievers fill their minds, and we will no longer live in the Lord’s presence. We must live in the Lord’s presence if we want to keep ourselves in the love of God. This is the hidden life with Christ in God. The sigh of the first fruits is: I need more of Your love, O God!

If we become angry and irritated in our situations, it is because we do not want to humble ourselves. We will soon come out of love if we do not want to humble ourselves. We read clearly about Jesus’ way of humiliation in Philippians, chapter 2. Those who humble themselves are of great importance to the others. Those who humble themselves from the heart are happy and thankful. Jesus was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. He humbled Himself to the very last when He was crucified between two robbers. He did not come out love! He is our forerunner!

We must never let thoughts of revenge gain room in our hearts and minds. We must not be influenced by opposition and persecution. They are just opportunities to partake of a greater fullness. Jesus opened this way for us. This is the way of the cross, the way of life and love.

In Philippians 1:9 we read that our love should abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment. When we experience what Jesus speaks about in Matthew 5:44-45, we will most certainly realize that our love needs to increase more and more so that we can gain more wisdom. For example, in God’s Word the older sisters are exhorted to teach the younger sisters. It can happen that they meet with little receptivity and a dismissive attitude from the younger ones. Paul was a sacrifice in such circumstances. Thus he received grace so that he could gain wisdom to be of help to the others. His sincere desire was that Christ would be glorified. Phil. 1:20. Greater warmth will also radiate from us when love increases in our lives. Yes, may all that is hard and cold vanish from our lives and make room for love’s warm rays!

In Luke 18:9, flg., we read about some people who had this confidence in themselves that they were righteous, and despised the others. Then Jesus continued to tell the parable about the Pharisee and the publican. Concerning the Pharisee we read that he “stood and prayed thus with himself.” His prayer was full of egotism. Here we see someone who was “with himself” and far removed from the nature of love. Let us surrender all our self-righteousness and our “I” into the death of Christ with the result that we can always abide in love and increase in it together with the saints.

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ

In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we can read that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers “lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Satan makes the visible world as attractive as possible in the eyes of the unbelievers. Therefore they cannot see the hidden world, which is far more glorious; they do not see the light of the gospel.

Paul proclaimed the great mystery of godliness: Christ manifested in the flesh. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim. 2:5. “. . . who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre eminence.” Col. 1:18. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.” V. 19. Those who follow Him will partake of this same glory to the degree that they have advanced on the way. They begin the race with a whole heart (being wholehearted is the condition), and as time goes on they partake of a glorious development: transformation to divine nature. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” Col. 2:9-10. Imagine being complete in Him! Think of attaining a constantly greater fullness in Him! Then the fruit of the Spirit will be made manifest to a greater and greater degree.

“. . . that their hearts may be encouraged . . . .” Col. 2:2. Yes, we are comforted when we get to see what the gospel has to offer us. You, who have come to see your nature and have fallen time and again, you can be complete in Him. His life can also fill your body if you walk on the new and living way. On this way sin is put to death in the flesh. This work goes on through obedience. You who have still not come to a living faith, receive the “grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Read 2 Tim. 1:9. Paul attained to a successful, earthly life through the law. But when he saw what the gospel could lead him to, he bowed the knees of his heart before God who has such great plans for us who are nothing but wretched human beings made of mere dust. In verse 10 we read that Jesus destroyed death and brought life and immortality to the light through the gospel. The apostle Peter says it with the following words: “. . . by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature . . . .” 2 Pet. 1:4. Let us open our eyes to the glory of the gospel.

“. . . who has shone in our hearts . . . .” 2 Cor. 4:6. It is God who gives light to people. We cannot give them light, but we can be servants for the others when God gives us light. V. 5. How blessed it is when we experience in our life that God lets light shine out of darkness when we receive light where we have lacked wisdom. Then we can serve the others. The apostles commended themselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses.” 2 Cor. 6:4. The fullness of warmth they had received through the light radiated from them in the hour of trial. All those who live this life radiate this warmth and help.

We live in the end times before Jesus’ Second Coming. Let us use the precious time of grace we still have. The work that God did in Jesus shall also be done in us. For that to happen we need to be a complete sacrifice.

The Message of the Cross— The Power of God

All the glory that is in the Church, and which has come into our homes, is the result of the message of the cross. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:18. To all those who want to further their own ego the cross is foolishness, because the cross denies them the possibility of reaching their egotistical goals.

Jesus was made like His brethren in all things. He became a man. He sacrificed this man. The cross destroyed this man. We also have a “man” that must be kept crucified. We have ideas, opinions, and a soul life that often resist God. The cross denies us the possibility of living for ourselves; thus God can have His way with us. His will crosses our self-interests, and when we let the word of the cross influence our lives we will obtain God’s wisdom. Jesus “. . . became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Cor. 1:30.

When we let the cross work in our lives we will see and experience “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” Eph. 1:19. Those who believe will get to know this power. Those who believe are not kept down when they see their weaknesses, which they have inherited, from their forefathers. Not at all! Everything is possible for the one who believes. Let us believe in the word of the cross. Paul did that, and therefore he could give this glorious testimony: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal. 2:20. Think what grace it is to live the life of Jesus and experience the power and wisdom that is revealed by the cross.

It is not a small matter to have received such a calling. On the new and living way we cease to live for ourselves, being set free from our own strength and from everything that makes it difficult to melt together with the others. “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Gal. 3:13. That describes the one who is crucified. Whether it is “nice” and “cultivated” or glaringly base; flesh is flesh, and the curse applies to all of it. God does His work in the one who is crucified with Christ. It is His work. We can, of course, surrender ourselves into the death of Christ, but it is God’s work to create life in us. Only what God can do with us is of any value, “that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Cor. 1:29.

There are sufficient situations in daily life in which we can make use of the cross, and we need to have exercised senses to make use of it. The glory that is revealed through the cross when the Word becomes flesh in us is the same glory that was in Jesus: full of grace and truth.

Paul writes to the Galatians, “. . . before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.” Gal. 3:1. Paul was diligent to open their eyes to the glory that comes when a person belongs to Christ— which means, the glory that comes from being crucified with Christ. “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Gal. 5:24. When the flesh is crucified, the works of the flesh have been put off. See verses 19-21. Then there is no fornication, un-cleanness, licentiousness, unfaithfulness, jealousy, wrath, etc. What a blessing that is in a marriage! What a glory that is in the family! What a glory that is in the Church! God be praised for the word of the cross, the power of God for salvation!

Go on to Perfection

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection . . . And this we will do if God permits.” Heb. 6:1, 3. We must lay hold of this hope of going on to perfection. This is an anchor for our soul, and God, who cannot lie, has given us strong consolation “who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Vs. 17-20.

The law could not make anything perfect. Heb. 7:19. Therefore a better hope was brought in “through which we draw near to God”—i.e., to go on to perfection. In verse 25 we read that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for those who come to God through Him. He has a living interest in making it succeed for us. We are living in the end times now, but we still have the opportunity to go on to perfection. To those who wait for Him, Christ will soon appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Heb. 9:28. Those who wait for Him are the ones who partook of the salvation with which He came when He appeared the first time. They are the ones who laid hold of the hope about going on to perfection. Those who are heirs of promise in truth are unable to live in conscious sins. In Galatians 5:21 we read that “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” because they have no part in the heavenly life.

Therefore let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (Heb. 10:23), holding unshakably fast to the hope that it will succeed. Confess your hope! Speak prophetically about the things that will come! This is a living faith. Therefore we shall encourage one another. Then God will let it succeed.

We read about Jesus that God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin, and condemned sin in the flesh. Rom. 8:3. He condemned sin in the flesh! Here it is not a question of the external manifestations of sin; for example, dissatisfaction, impatience, seeking honor, etc. No, the thing that was condemned was the secret desires (demands). A disciple of Jesus Christ does not seek his own honor, but his sorrow is that he even has this wretched thought to seek any honor. When these secret desires are surrendered into death, great possibilities are opened up. This is the way to divine nature.

“Therefore let us, as many as are mature [perfect], have this mind . . . .” Phil. 3:15. The fact that they are mature, or perfect in this connection, does not mean that they have obtained the fullness of God, but that they are faithful to the extent that light shines into their lives. Then God can give them more light so that they can go on to perfection. “Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule [on the same way]. . . .” V. 16. All ofus only know in part. Therefore we need the exhortation about going on to perfection.

David prayed, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” The following words are part of the commentary on Psalm 16 in the Norwegian Bible: “Messiah prays to God to preserve Him because He, together with all the saints in whom is all His delight, considers the Lord as His only good and avoids fellowship with those who serve other gods.” Let us follow these steps in the New Year.