I am enclosing two letters from Ellefsen and Johan Lohne, who are in Haugesund, so that you and the friends in Molde can see how things are going down there in that desolate place. God be praised that He does mighty things for His name’s sake. The friends are doing well here. It was a great blessing to see them again last Sunday after being away for a month, and after all the stiff opposition we experienced on every front in Bergen. If we keep ourselves pure from the vessels of dishonor, we will be vessels for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

First of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, which is hypocrisy. People want to unify everything and create peace and comfort without suffering—without blood. However, that will never succeed. It’s just the whitewasher’s big brush attempting to cover everything over. God sends a rainstorm, and then the stark reality is exposed once again. We have no use for hypocrisy and whitewashing. We need the truth and the power of God. We have no use for “peace, peace” when there is no peace, but we do need to see ourselves as we are, so that then we can become poor, blind, and naked, because God reveals His salvation to those who are poor in spirit. “You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us,” Paul writes. What a wretched state; and this is also how it was with the church in Laodicea.

When the Scriptures say that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing, it doesn’t make it any better if someone tells me that everything about me is fine. Let us face reality so that we are not deceived. Sin is to be condemned in the flesh, and the deeds of the body are to be put to death by the Spirit, because a new and living way has been consecrated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. He not only came with water. No! He came with water and blood. The blood cleanses away sin in the flesh, just as the water cleanses outward deeds of the body. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” This is not referring to a cleansing from committed sins, which are the fruit of temptation, because we are walking in the light. But it’s that cleansing from sin that comes through the judgment of the light, the cleansing from indwelling sin. Light condemns sin in the flesh, and we agree with it, because judgment has begun at the house of God—with us. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world.

God willing, we will probably leave for Haugsholmen next Saturday. Greet your family and Br. Fugleseth. Greet Sr. Inga Eltvik. Please send the enclosed letter to Br. D. Kvalheim in Moldøen, with a warm greeting. Here on board it’s going well with Br. Hågensen, and it is good to be together with him.

Warm greetings from your brother,

Lorentz Risnes is Nils Risnes’ brother. Nils Risnes is planning to move to Ålesund and find work there. I hope he can visit you. He will travel to Haugesund first for a short time. He has given his notice at his job in Sarpsborg.