Many thanks for the silver spoon you sent for Tulla, and for your postcard. Now Kristian and his little sister each have their own spoon. Kristian and Pauline are out in the park listening to music and watching the children. I have been busy filling in the well in the basement. There is a lot to do in the yard digging up some roots. Now I get off work every afternoon at 2 o’clock, and I have more than enough to do. Otherwise, we are doing well.

God has taken good care of me spiritually, and the earthly benefits have been added to me. Everything is going smoothly for me because God is with me, but people in whom the spirit of the world dwells do not understand this. They consider our lifestyle to be shameful. In spite of that, we have peace, and no one is able to take that peace away from us, even if Satan roars and thunders. Truly this is a precious life. If our ship were full of servants of Christ, everything would go off without a hitch, because He trains people to be straightforward, upright, and realistic. There is nothing underhanded, sly, deceitful, or hidden in Him. No, everything is direct and straightforward, with no beating around the bush. Yet Christ will also appear with a day of vengeance in order to comfort all those who mourn in Zion; don’t misunderstand this. Vengeance is contained in the Spirit’s consciousness and is sealed until that Day. Now is the time of grace, and God wants all men to repent and live. However, it is also the time of judgment for us who believe, for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God—that is us. The judgment that we accept becomes our strength and ability to make spiritual judgments.

At times it is almost necessary to write in tongues in order to actually be able to bring out the depths of what we are thinking, because expressing these things is often difficult. I hope you are standing firm in Him who has forgiven your transgressions. You must go forward from victory to victory in Him. Your striving in Him can never be serious enough. Zeal will bring hidden things to the surface—and a whole series of transgressions that you were scarcely aware of before, because of hidden forces at work. Now as light shines upon them and they are judged, they will give you life. Think carefully about everything and strive after holiness. I say very deliberately, strive! Drowsiness will never produce anything. Our sin is united with Him in one body of sin on the cross and is destroyed with Him there as we judge it by the Spirit. In this way we understand that it is the will of the Spirit that we surrender ourselves to death, because by this will, the will and strength of the Spirit develop and are given room. This is what it means to be raised up in hope from the dead; and it was this full resurrection—the resurrection of the dead—that Paul had not yet attained. Phil. 3.

All the very best to you, and greet everyone at home.

Yours,