Easter Conference at Brunstad

Easter Conference at Brunstad

There is an old song that contains the following lines: “The most beautiful sight I get to see is a youth on his knees before God.” Where would the author of that song have to go to see such a beautiful sight in our days, in 2005? He could, in any case, travel to Brunstad. There he would see flocks of young people on their knees before God—flocks of young people who are interested and follow along with their Bibles when brothers read and speak God’s Word; flocks of young people who are apprehended of the message of a victorious Christian life. It is a miracle in our times!

May God mightily bless this large flock of young people, and may God bless all those who work with our children and young people—all those who are along in helping and doing their share in winning their hearts. May God bless all those dear friends in many, many countries all over the world, doing what they can to follow along with the conferences and other gatherings at Brunstad, whether it be via satellite transmissions or the Internet. This has become an exceedingly large part of the edification of the church on an international basis. We hope that these glimpses from the meetings will prove that this is indeed a fact.

Salvation and Obedience

Jesus, our Mediator and High Priest learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Heb. 5:7-10. He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. This deep, great, all-encompassing salvation is a salvation through obedience, and in these verses we read about Jesus’ battle in prayer and that He was heard because of His godly fear. He put the human self-will to death and obtained an eternal salvation. In Hebrews 2:3 this salvation is called “so great a salvation.” We must first of all be reconciled to God by the death of His Son if we are to partake of this great salvation. Rom. 5:10. Many people are glad to have their sins forgiven, but how many of them have an understanding of “much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”? Therefore it was the apostle Paul’s calling and duty to proclaim the obedience of faith. This same obedience of faith is also being proclaimed clearly and unequivocally in the church in our days.

Many people in our days reject this salvation by Jesus’ life, He who put self-will to death. Such people never experience Jesus in His high-priestly ministry. Read about this in Hebrews 9. In verse 24 we read that He lives before God’s face for our sake! There He intercedes for us. We need this intercession in our situations, temptations, and battles—wherever we are.

According to Hebrews 7:19 we have a “better hope” in the new covenant. This is a hope of complete victory over sin and being conformed to the Son’s image. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him . . . .” Heb. 7:25. In chapter 9, verse 10, we see that the time for putting everything in the right order has come. Everything is in the right order if we have a good conscience and live according to the light we have. Then the work of sanctification can begin. Then we are God’s field that He wants to cultivate so it can produce fruit to His glory. 1 Cor. 3:9. We need to lead a God-fearing life; we cannot act the hypocrite before God. It can be disastrous to bear thorns and thistles once we have become God’s field, “a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Pet. 2:5. We can bring spiritual sacrifices when we practice the Word in daily life. Thankfulness, for example, is acceptable to God, as is a care for the others. The intention is that such fruits shall now grow on our “field.” Then we are a holy priesthood. We get to see our self-life—that which is to be surrendered into death—when such holy priests speak the Word. They proclaim the virtues of Christ. V. 9. Paul was such a sacrificial priest, who ministered the gospel of God as a priest so “that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable.” Rom. 15:15-17. Jesus, our High Priest, had already accepted the sacrifices in Paul’s own life, which he in turn pointed out in the lives of those whom he served. We must be totally and completely surrendered to doing God’s will if we are to be such sacrificial priests. Then we will also receive words that can be of help to people.

In Hebrews 8:1-3 we read that Jesus, our High Priest, must have something to offer. It is the fruits of our lives that are acceptable to God. It is an overcoming life. Instead of anger, strife, envy, and evil surmising, goodness, love, generosity, and thankfulness are manifested. May none of us reject this great salvation.

Peter exhorts us in 2 Peter 1:10 to make every effort to make this glorious salvation sure. Firmness and patience are required on the way of sanctification. We also need all the exhortation, comfort, and edification we can get. Rooted and firm! Firm in the faith! Let us not be moved from the hope of the gospel! Col. 1:23. This is the hope of transformation, the hope of partaking of divine nature. The entire epistle to the Hebrews deals with this hope.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1 we read first about receiving the gospel, and then about standing in it. We read further in verse 2 about holding fast to the Word—not swinging back and forth, but going forward in the full assurance of faith.

We have a glorious example in the book of Ruth of this holy firmness and decisiveness. Naomi put her daughters-in-law to the test, but Ruth said, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you.” Ruth 1:16. She was “determined.” V. 18. This is also how a disciple of Jesus must have it in his heart.

Or as Ittai said to King David, “Surely, in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.” 2 Sam. 15:21. Let us be firm, and never turn back. Then it will succeed for us perfectly!

Our guideline in life must always be the “volume of the book,” God’s Word in the Bible, and the working of the Holy Spirit. In addition to that we have the fellowship of the saints and the help we have in each other. If we observe these guidelines we will be preserved from going off course.

Paul wrote amazingly much about the fear of God to the young Timothy. We need these exhortations. The exhortation in 1 Timothy 4:7 is, “Exercise yourself rather to godliness.” That is different than exercising yourself in standing before the face of man, for example. We enter into the presence of God by exercising ourselves in godliness. And in order to do this, we need to exercise ourselves as the Word says!

The Cornerstone

There are many stones in God’s building, but Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Acts 4:11. This stone was rejected by the builders of that time. They had so little understanding of the fear of God that they rejected Jesus. It is the same in our days. Many people who think they are defending the truth are, in fact, enemies of the word of the cross. God has put the chief cornerstone in the lowly places. He has been put in His church.

The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy. Luke 12:1, flg. To put on a guise and lie is in the fallen nature of man. God hates that kind of thing. However, Job could say, “For I do not—know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away.” Job. 32:22. Let us be on guard against these sins. Hypocrisy, lying, and flattery are behind seeking honor. One robs God of His honor, to whom belongs all honor. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and it is the truth that makes us free. It is necessary that we hate these sins powerfully so that we can be truly free!

If we love the truth, we do not easily pass it over when we notice that we have done or said something that has caused sorrow or suffering to others. Not at all! God is an avenger of all unrighteousness, and we must be very careful not to hurt other people in any way whatsoever.

We read in Matthew 21:41 and the following verses that Jesus quoted from the Scriptures where it expressly says that the builders rejected the chief cornerstone. Then He continued to say, “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” Then the chief priests and the Pharisees perceived that He was speaking of them. If anyone does not want to humble himself, he will stumble over the cornerstone, because he does not believe the Word and the tremendous work of salvation that the Lord wants to perform in his life. He will totally miss out on it. It goes very badly with those who oppose the truth. We are familiar with the account of Korah and his men. They thought they were resisting Moses, but God Himself was resisting them. Every one of us ought to read this account and learn a lesson from it. We also read in 2 Peter 2 about wells without water (among other things) to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever. May this not have to be said about any of us!

In 1 Peter 2:1, flg., we read about laying aside all malice, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking, and from verse 2 we understand that we cannot grow in salvation unless these things have been put off. When we adjust our lives according to the cornerstone—Jesus—we will become living stones. We become as hard as stone where people are usually soft—for example, when it concerns all flattery and hypocrisy. And we will become soft where people are usually hard. Then mercy and care for the others will fill our hearts and minds. Each true, God-fearing soul hates and despises lying and hypocrisy. Their sole longing is that everything in their life might be true, through and through. Then we will become a fragrance of Christ to God. 2 Cor. 2:14-17. The same fragrance is an aroma of life for one person and of death for another person. In this connection Paul writes about always gaining the victory in Christ, just as James could write in the spirit of victory: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” Jas. 1:2. There was such a spirit of victory in him that he knew he would gain the victory every time in the hour of temptation.

Let us be deeply thankful for the laws of the Spirit of Life in Christ, which is the glorious plumb line according to which we can always adjust our life. Then our life’s edifice will remain standing for all eternity. We need to hold on to the obedience of faith. We have gone astray as soon as our self-will and human reasoning take over the helm. Lot left his land together with Abraham. However, he did not have the same simplicity and zeal that Abraham had, so that when he had to make a choice, he went way off on a tangent. We are comforted when we let the plumb line, God’s Word, reveal everything that is crooked and uneven in our life and nature. The Spirit of truth is also called the Comforter. A love of the truth will comfort us and not be a source of discouragement. Then we can exclaim like the Psalmist: “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps. 118:24. During the day we have opportunities to lay down our life, to “bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” V. 27.

The Word of God

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights . . . .” Jas. 1:17. The Word of truth, God’s Word, is a great power from above. It is mighty to save our souls. When God’s Word is sown many hearts can be compared to a hard, asphalt-covered road that hinders God’s Word from breaking forth in its fullness. This hindrance must first and foremost be removed. God’s Word contains tremendous powers. Listen to this, for example: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him.” 1 John 3:9. This seed is the Word of truth. Then there will be no more defeat and sinning.

The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation. 2 Tim. 3:15. Therefore we can become complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. V. 17. We must firmly hold on to this holy Word through thick and thin. And when we let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us, the result will be hymns and spiritual songs in our life. Col. 3:16. However, then the Word must receive a large place in our hearts and minds and in our gatherings. God’s Word must be the mirror in which we daily see our own reflection. And if we do that in all honesty, it would be unimaginable if we did not find something from which we couldn’t cleanse ourselves. The Word is to fall into pure and good hearts whenever we come together for conferences and meetings. Then we will experience that the Word, the mustard seed, will grow up to be great and powerful in our life, as we read in Mark 4:30, flg. Let us therefore work with God’s Word—be surrendered to the Word. Then God’s thoughts will become our thoughts.

In the church the Word of God is spoken in such a way that it doesn’t leave any room for the flesh; it rather liberates our spirit. Paul comes with this acknowledgment in Romans 7:18, that “in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.” This can so easily become a general acknowledgment that doesn’t lead to anything. Yet Paul says further: “I find then . . . .” V. 21. He found the law that evil was present with him when he wanted to do the good. And he did what he hated. He was not slothful and lukewarm, but he possessed a fervent zeal. Slothful people can come to this acknowledgment that “in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells,” but they do not find what Paul found. No doubt they discover that they have not done everything perfectly, but it was a consequence of their own slothfulness; it was not something they hated.

Patience

In James 5:7-9 we read, “Therefore be patient, brethren . . . .” The fact that a person does not gain the victory is usually the result of a lack of patience. If you are patient in life’s small and great trials, you will not fail; you will gain the victory.

The farmer does not harvest on the same day he sows. He must wait patiently. Jesus suffered, being tempted. These are the sufferings of Christ. He was broken while He was patient, and the Lord had His way with Him.

“Take heed, do not turn to iniquity, for you have chosen this rather than affliction.” Job 36:21. Imagine if everyone were so smart that they took heed—for example, when it concerns unchastity in relation to your eyes and your thoughts! Unchastity is a tremendous snare, and a person can easily bring a curse over himself and his immediate family through these sins. Oh, the riches a young person can gain by learning to take heed. Choose to suffer. Suffer to the bitter end; suffer and be completely finished with ever being tempted to unchastity.

Jesus was perfectly pure in thought, word, and deed. Yet He learned obedience through sufferings. Heb. 5:8. He suffered to the bitter end! Satan, the accuser, was forever cast out. He still has power on earth, but not in heaven.

The person who is patient and suffers to the end will have peace and rest in his heart and mind. What a rich life you can live from when you are young! A life that causes you to rejoice, a life of abundance!

One of the most difficult things for us as natural human beings is to suffer injustice with joy. With joy! To come to this, we have to endure many trials in which we can choose to suffer. But joy will come if we endure in the suffering to the very end.

The author of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings. Heb. 2:10. Now He leads “many sons to glory” on the same way. Our self-will, which has caused us so much sorrow, shall be crushed. Meekness shall come forth. Meekness is a tremendous power. For example, we read the following in Proverbs 25:15: “A gentle tongue breaks a bone.”

“Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 1 Pet. 4:1. Yes, let us choose to suffer and be patient. If we are faithful in the sufferings, we will cease from sin on one point after another, and we will not be tempted any more in an area in which we have endured to the end. God leads us to our boundaries so that we can conquer more land—partake of divine nature. Just imagine that such egotists as we are by nature can be patient in the sufferings so that our heads and hearts can be filled with thoughts of helping and blessing the others.

Suspicion

In 1 Peter 3:9-12 we have a glorious instruction for everyone who would love life and see good days. Read this glorious word: “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?” V. 13. King David is being quoted in several of these verses. He had to endure evil from other people. His oldest brother accused him of being proud and malicious. However, David replied so innocently: “What have I done now? Is it not a word?” (marg.) 1 Sam. 17:29. David was exact in his life, and he exhorted his son Solomon to the same godly fear. But Solomon began to depart from his father’s way. We can see this in his relationship to Jeroboam. He became jealous and suspicious of him and wanted to kill him. 1 Kings 11.

Suspicion and jealousy are common sins. Evil spirits are behind these sins.

A person can be so overwhelmed by suspicion that it becomes like a worm that does not die. We have an interesting example of this in Matthew 16. We read that the disciples had forgotten to take along bread. When Jesus exhorted them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the scribes, they suspected Him of speaking of the bread they had forgotten to take along. This is how it can be on the job as well as in the church. The boss or a brother or sister says something, and right away the person thinks that the other person is out to get him. “How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?” V. 11. They obviously did not understand it because they were suspicious. Let us guard our hearts against suspicion. When someone does or says something, let us not think that “he said and did this for this reason.” Let us simply live before God’s face. Then we will not misunderstand and pass the wrong judgment.

The High Places

“For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15. In Matthew 11:25 Jesus praises the Father because “You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

There are spirit powers behind light and darkness, good and evil. The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. He is the prince of this world and does not want the light of the gospel to shine for people. 2 Cor. 4:3-4. Every one who worships earthly things ends up in a wretched and poor life. On the other hand, the light of the gospel reveals to us spiritual values with their abundant treasures. The person who has seen these treasures does not set his sights on “achieving” anything in this world.

In Romans 12:16 we have the exhortation to “associate with the humble.” God can reveal Himself to us in the lowly places. Lot had a worldly-religious mind. His heart was drawn closer and closer to Sodom and Gomorrah. He thought to choose the most favorable land, but God’s blessing was with Abram. The riches a person receives when he seeks his own are filled with thistles and thorns. We will have it good if we keep to the lowly places, whether we are rich or poor. David could testify and say that he had never seen the righteous forsaken nor his descendants begging bread.

In the Bible we read about many God-fearing kings; nevertheless, they could not get rid of the high places. The expression “high places” tell us something about sacrificing before the face of man. By way of contrast, Jesus said, “Go into your room . . . and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matt. 6:6.

People would like God to fulfill their earthly and egotistical wishes. Many parents simply sacrifice their children to idols by wanting them to make a “career” in this world at all costs. They want their children to become what they could not become. Such “ambition” by the parents must not be found among us. God resists such greatness, such pride. This also applies to admiring the gifts of the Spirit. Every one of us should be satisfied and glad in his situation as God has planned it for us. We shall not be afraid that the Lord will not take care of us. We have seen many people who have sought greatness in this world, but who are lonely and without content in their old age.

Jesus says that no servant can serve two masters. Nevertheless, there are many people who believe they can serve both God and mammon. Yet it has been firmly established: We cannot!

God be thanked for a glorious Easter conference, and for all the help we receive at all our conferences through God’s Word.