There are those who are strong, and then there are those who are weak, all according to how it has pleased God. For example, we read in Isaiah 46:12: “Listen to Me, you strong spirits, who are far from righteousness.” And in Isaiah 53:12: “The strong shall be His spoil.” This speaks about a person’s own spirit and must not be confused with being strong in the Lord through the power of His Spirit. The church, which is the body of Christ—and in which we are members of one another—consists of many souls. Each member has a growth to partake of—a race to run—together with the other members. Not all those who believe in Jesus and His atonement for their sins partake of this growth (or run this race), even though they would like to imagine that this is in fact happening. Some would like to explain away as “unreasonable,” relying on their own “goodness,” the words that most clearly testify of this race on the way that has been consecrated through His flesh (Heb. 10:20), as well as the words that plainly state that every effort has to be made on this way. Consequently, one draws the conclusion that the race is not a race at all (nevertheless, it has to be mentioned, seeing that the Scriptures speak about it); therefore they have no use for the solemn exhortation to run this race. If someone testifies about what is written in Matthew 11:12, that now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, such people will quite often reply (even though they themselves are not running in the race but still want to get to the end of the course and obtain the prize), that this word can only be followed by a few strong-willed people and not by anyone else; in other words, it can only be followed by the strong. Then this question arises: “What is the difference between the church (those who are in the race) and the others?” Is it a question of being strong or weak? Most certainly not! Those who do not want to run but still want to get to where those who are running will come will say that this food is too strong for them, and this matter of being surrendered into death—judging ourselves and similar things—is too strong, because those who are weak and just converted will be pushed away by these things. Nevertheless, this is not the case. Jesus said unequivocally that they had to lose their life, forsake everything, take up their cross daily, eat His flesh, drink His blood, hate father and mother, sister and brother, and even their own life—otherwise they could not be His disciples. At the same time He also warned them against the Pharisees, the blind leaders. Jesus was not afraid to alienate anyone, because His food was to do the Father’s will. He knew by faith that the ones whom the Father had given Him would also remain, which is why He said, “He who is of God hears God’s words.” The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd, and they follow Him. When they hear a truth that they cannot immediately comprehend, they are not offended because of that, but they keep the word in their heart where it will, in time, bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:15. Solomon said, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.” Prov. 24:16. The weak may have many weaknesses, and some may fall or lack understanding, but these things do not constitute the difference between the strong and the weak. The difference is in their attitude, in their acknowledgment, and in their desire and longing. If these things are in order, then it is the desire and honor of those who are strong to be their servants and slaves, bearing with their weaknesses, helping them to go forward, and even giving them the greatest honor according to God’s immeasurable wisdom and goodness. However, many people become so hardened and ungodly in their minds because they will not acknowledge and love the truth. These are the people who will remain on the outside until they get converted. As we can see, it is something totally different than being either strong or weak that constitutes the difference, and it is certainly not those who are weak who are cast out. It is a love for the truth, a longing for incorruption, that makes the difference, and all those who resist this are cast out. For some people the word of the cross about losing their lives is an aroma of life to life (by faith), and for others it is an aroma of death to death (because of their unbelief). Or have you never read and taken to heart the word which says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”—not just to the strong, but to the strong as well as to the weak. A humble person is someone who acknowledges the truth and knows that he is guilty; therefore he hates and judges himself. Or do you think that God who has created the one weak and the other one strong is unjust? Should He favor one above the other? Not at all! God be praised; we have not learned to know Him in this way! Therefore, you who are weak, do not be deceived by foolish words but know what is pleasing to the Lord: the acknowledgment of the truth. The power by which we press in and take the kingdom of God by force is nothing but the acknowledgment of the truth (humiliation). Therefore God has composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 1 Cor. 12:24-25. But let no one think that the part that lacks honor is someone who is not so exact with this or that, who thinks that everything is alright the way it is, etc. Not at all! His whole longing is for incorruption that can endure the fire, for which reason he judges himself, so that in its place he can receive that which is eternal. “But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.” Ps. 94:15. What do we have that we have not received? The strong person is a gift to the church, and so is the weak person. Whom should we praise, and what should we despise? Everyone is necessary. The weak are the joy and the glory of the strong. Therefore the law of Christ in the body is that we shall bear one another’s burdens. The strong help and lead the weak and give them the greatest honor according to God’s will. This is the church of God: The greatest are the slaves of the majority, and I am glad and thankful that I have learned to know the church in this way. The love that is in this body rejoices in the truth (1 Cor. 13), grieves over lying, and is separate from it. Moreover, it is true that if we are to preserve fellowship and keep ourselves as a pure virgin, many people will take offense. But who are they, and why? And what shall we do about it? Shall we eradicate the difference in order to keep as many people as possible in the assembly? Not at all! Just be faithful and follow Jesus. Read Matthew 15:12-14. Those who do not love the truth (purity) take offense because the light judges them. Concerning such people, Jesus said, “Let them alone!” He did not seek to keep them, because He said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” Matt. 15:13-14. The question is, what does our Father say and do, because if He cannot save someone, who can? If His love is not able to do it, who are you, O vain and proud person, to believe that your human “love” can do it? From where have you received it? And if you do not think that the word of the Lord about being separate from everything that is impure is reasonable enough to win people (thinking that you can win more by not doing it), how and in what manner have you gained this kind of wisdom? Do you not realize that you are judging God by doing this and rebelling against Him? Woe, woe, woe over such boundless arrogance! Flee from it, dear soul, and be content that God is God and you are man. Be content with saving the ones He saves, because only these are saved anyway. The greatest thing we can do is to listen to God and be obedient to Him, not entertaining our own thoughts but taking them captive to the obedience of Christ and thus being preserved (not in modern, free thoughts) in simple faithfulness toward Him. Those who have great ideas and plans about gathering as many as possible (and in the end saving all of them) go astray themselves, and those who follow them, likewise. God’s word is both good and severe (read Romans 11:22), and each word serves us for our good if we love God. We also read in Micah 2:7: “Do not My words do good to him who walks uprightly?” Of course they do! Both the weak and the strong shall find each other now, united in the same mind, rejoicing together in great peace in the light—a remnant gathered as a lowly and submissive people who find true nourishment in rest. This is a gift of God, and God shares it according to His law, not according to man’s ideas and desires.Elias Aslaksen

You will be apprehended by whatever you apprehend in God’s kingdom. This is a law that everyone will discover in his inner being. Apprehend prayer, and you will be apprehended by it. The least devotion to prayer is a power that leads you even deeper into a life of prayer. Prayer gains power over you, and you will have power in prayer. Be devoted to God, and God will have power over you. If God has power over you, you will have power with Him. The more you devote yourself to searching God’s Word, the greater will be your desire for it. You will be apprehended by the Word that you have apprehended. You will desire what you love. You will grow in what you receive. Reach out your hand to wisdom, and it will reach out its hand to you; apprehend it, and it apprehends you. It will lead you on and advance you in the very thing you desire. So also with mercy and godly fear. Leave your old experiences behind. Do not stop on your journey toward the goal. Always advance further on the inner ways. Apprehend what you still have not apprehended. Let your spirit in your inner being always seek out new things in God’s glory. Translate into life what you see, and translate into action what you are. Set your goals in God, and God will set His goals with you. Stay close to God, and He will stay close to you. Be open to God, and He will become intimate with you. Be watchful, and He will continually speak to you. Open up to a deeper truth, and it will lead you further. Jesus says, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you.” John 15:4. Fulfill the conditions, and you will receive the promises. Only go forward. If your first step is taken in the battle, your next step will be taken with joy, for victory will give you boldness, and the reward of faith is a confident trust.Aksel Smith

“Now as he [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’” Acts 24:25. Couldn’t Paul have spoken to Felix about grace, love and liberty instead? Why did he have to speak about righteousness, self-control and judgment? The Ephraim of our day has a lot in common with Felix. They say in their heart, “Go away. Don’t speak about righteousness, self-control and judgment. That is bondage. We love the liberty that is in grace. The truth makes us slaves; judgment scares us and self-control seems very unpleasant to us. Go away for now. We would rather find someone who will promise us liberty. It does not matter to us that he himself is in bondage to temporal things as long as he can preach peace—peace for us, liberty, grace and love.” Ephraim of old was “like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.” Hos. 8:9. Ephraim wandered around lawlessly seeking love—love which he should not have awakened before it pleases. He sought relationships where the Lord wanted separation. He sought to possess in this life everything that appealed to his flesh, and he carefully avoided the cross and tribulations. It would have been bondage for Ephraim to be subject to the laws of the Spirit, to get a bit in his mouth and reins over his back. No, it was better to wander around in liberty and dream about his lovers because “we have come into the Promised Land and we have crossed over the Jordan of death. Now we can contentedly eat the fruit of the land and delight on the heights of Gilgal.” But hear what the Lord says to Ephraim: “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious.” Hos. 9:15. You would hardly expect a herd of wild donkeys to need princes, but they have them too. The Lord gives them the right name, however; He calls them “rebellious.” They boast in their liberty and promise liberty to others. This is why they hire lovers for themselves, and they carefully seek to keep themselves and their herd far away from the word of righteousness, self-control and judgment. Through practice they have become quite skillful at dipping their whitewash brushes into what they call love, grace and liberty and then painting over truth, righteousness, self-control and judgment. And the more they paint over them, the more they rejoice, and the more the wild donkeys rejoice together over the tremendous skill of their princes. We have heard a lot about the “latter rain” revival. I hope it soon sends a powerful rainstorm so that this whitewash that deceives the people can go the way of everything else that is temporal. How refreshing it would be to taste the salt of the ancient truth if it could once again be proclaimed so powerfully that it could break through the whitewash. This is the truth: The time has now come for judgment to begin with the household of God—with us. 1 Pet. 4:17. “O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness [love] is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away.” Hos. 6:4. A very fleeting love. Perhaps this is why they speak so much about it. Unfortunately, it always passes away. The Sun of Righteousness drove away the clouds, and the dew and Ephraim’s love vanished. If Ephraim had had a love of the truth in the depths of his heart, he would have rejoiced in the Sun of Righteousness. But for him, everything is covered with fog, and he is furious with the forces that cause his infatuation to vanish. In spite of all this, they say that no one must contradict them, no one must rebuke them. Hos. 4:4. If you do, they become hot like an oven and they devour their judges. Hos. 7:7. But Ephraim has become a silly dove. Hos. 7:11. His leaders have kept him in ignorance so that he will be easier to lead. Even in his old age, aliens devour his strength, and he does not know it. Hos. 7:9. He believes that he will win over the aliens, and he does not know that it is the alien who has won him over. So all Ephraim is left with is a confession about a tremendous power which was devoured long ago. He has lost the knowledge of God, and he is ready to wage war against the truth and the light—the very things that could have given him strength and courage. “As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception! Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!” Hos. 9:11-12. Stand up and fight, Ephraim. Arm yourself for holy war. If only you were right, we would agree with you, but we can do nothing against the truth. If you continue in your apostasy and refuse to repent, then the Sword will slash at your cities, devour your districts and consume you because of your own counsel. Hos. 11:6. The leaders of Ephraim have entertained the people for a long time with carnal jokes and promises of liberty that have caused Ephraim to rejoice, but all that rejoicing will come to an end when the Sun of Righteousness shines its light over the liberty of the wild donkeys. The morning clouds will pass away; the dew will disappear. Ephraim’s lovers will no longer be found. And what will become of Ephraim’s leaders? They will all be dismayed and answer no more. Words will escape them. Job 32:15. Do you have a word, Ephraim? Then answer me and speak. If you have anything to say, Ephraim, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify you. Job 33:32. But if you cannot answer, then put your hand over your mouth and acknowledge in your heart that you have spoken about things you have not understood, things that are too great for you, things that you cannot comprehend.Johan O. Smith