I received your good letter dated April 1; thank you very much. It is always a pleasure for us to hear from you all. We plan on having a meeting in my home tomorrow evening. Our meetings have been glorious, and I hear yours have been too. These days there is certainly a need for the exhortation Paul gave to Timothy: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Tim. 4:2. It will become evident that a work needs to be done in the flock. It’s not just a question of getting converted, and then that’s it. The lambs must be tended and the sheep must be tended, as Jesus earnestly exhorts Peter to do. Not everyone is an evangelist; some are prophets, pastors, and teachers. Everyone must take care of his own task. Most don’t have a prominent ministry, yet they are members of the same body. A servant of Christ must first be tested to see if he is faithful; then he can serve in the church. As you pointed out, there are undoubtedly many things that need to be corrected, and this is precisely where we need wisdom from God. Here we have a work to take care of which is of the utmost importance. This is the church of the living God, and He has entrusted us with its oversight. We are to protect it from the wolves, from the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, to watch over it so that it can receive nourishment, etc. May we receive this testimony on that day regarding this very difficult work: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

It’s good to always be fully conscious of our task. Not that we rejoice over the work itself, but over the fact that we can tackle it with a full understanding and with a full sense of responsibility before God and man. Thus it is of the utmost importance that the one who leads others is himself not led by anyone. Christ Himself directly leads those who have responsibility in the church. To be led by Christ, we must remain outside the camp (worldly organizations, etc.), for that is where we can hear the voice of the Spirit. Although it looks like the work that is going on outside the camp is insignificant, what is being done there will accomplish more than preaching to thousands inside the camp. Consider Jesus; what a great work He did among apparently so few! Br. Kristoffersen is beginning to experience more and more disappointment within the “meeting house camp” and is being drawn out to us more and more. He is experiencing increasing opposition because of the gift of tongues. A message in tongues is worth more than long sermons, because it makes people sit up and take notice and scratch their heads. One day they say it is of God, the next day it is of the devil, and the third day it is of God again, and so on without end. No wonder that this is a sign—an excellent sign. People are shaken down to their foundations. Hallelujah! Is it any wonder that Paul says he could wish that everyone spoke in tongues. Personally, I could wish that they all trembled as well! John 11:33 and Heb. 12, from verse 25. After all, our body was made from the earth, and those things that can be shaken will be removed because they are made, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. One day we will be clothed with a body that cannot be shaken. This shaking destroys Hymenaeus’ and Philetus’ teachings that the resurrection has already taken place. For everything that can be shaken will be removed; therefore, just let them shake. Everything God does is extremely good.

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.” Heb. 13:10. On this altar you find the body of Christ, His flesh and His blood. Our spirit eats from this altar, not our natural man. Our natural man is included in Christ’s body of death on the altar, for our food is to do God’s will, and God’s will is our sanctification. We die with Him, and we are also made alive together with Him. This altar is within us, and we have a right to eat from it. The more we eat, the more we are made alive in the Spirit, and the more we are consumed and put to death according to the flesh. However, the one who is only cleansed outwardly from outward sins serves the tabernacle and has no altar within himself to eat from. We must die with Him if we want to live with Him. This death is the sacrifice on the altar (Christ). But what is dead and is lying on the altar should be eaten; this is what it means to be constantly given over to death.

Pauline just came home and said that Sigurd Kristoffersen spoke in tongues at the Lutheran Church Association yesterday. The priest was present (Bugge); he ordered Kr. to be quiet, but Kr. continued to speak in tongues. Then they began to sing, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty.” When he had finished, he (Kr.) was informed that it was now forbidden to speak in tongues in the association’s meeting hall. If he still wanted to come, he could, but he would not be allowed to speak in tongues.

I had heard they were going to have a board meeting about this issue; this is probably the result, a wonderful result.

You can sense the enmity, but God’s firm foundation stands. You will be put out of the synagogues, and you will be hated by all men for My name’s sake. Hallelujah! The power is now becoming so great that this is taking place.

Stand firm in Christ! Do not fear, even if Satan rages! Bind the flock together in the sound faith and doctrine! Let no one despise you because of your youth! Protect the flock! God will give you more than enough power and wisdom.

Hearty greetings to you as well as to the brothers and sisters in the Lord. Sharing the same sufferings produces love for one another. Hallelujah!

Yours, battling in Christ,

I had a long conversation today on the wharf with Sande, the paymaster-in-chief, about many things. He had forbidden Halvorsen (the Methodist minister) from speaking against the gift of tongues at the Temperance Hall, since he is the chairman there. He had had a long argument about this with Wiel, the resident Methodist minister. Now he would like to have Barratt visit. He was very friendly. He said he has seen the effects of the gift of tongues, and was in agreement with Joakim Pettersen in Kristelige Tidende. He has also written rebuttals in response to hostile articles written in Hortens Avis.