Many believers are expecting something special. They acknowledge they are lukewarm, that they do not have the victory, that things are not going forward, and that matters are rather worse than they were, for example, twenty years ago when they were saved or baptized in the Spirit. They pray and pray and expect something special to come over them so there can be a change—but it doesn’t come! Many people also acknowledge it as a work of Satan that the believers are divided into so many denominations. When they consider the denomination to which they belong, which they consider to be the church, they acknowledge the strife and the sin that is present and that they are not ready to be raptured to meet Jesus in the clouds. They pray, have prayer meetings, and expect the latter rain which they think God has promised, so that the church can be as it was at first after Pentecost. They think that then the believers in the various denominations will be one so that Jesus’ high priestly prayer will be fulfilled. In the meantime, hundreds of these expectant believers are dying. They die in their wretchedness without their expectations being fulfilled. But which scriptures do they rely on for support of their expectations??? When Jesus and the apostles were gathered for the last time, He told them to wait for what the Father had promised. Acts 1:4. They prayed for ten days while they were waiting. Then they experienced Pentecost, which had been promised; and when the people did not understand what was happening, Peter spoke to them and said, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh . . . .’” Ch. 2:16-17. What Peter was saying was that now the last days had arrived, and now they were experiencing the latter rain of which the prophets in the Old Testament had spoken. We do not read about any promise concerning a latter rain after that, before Jesus’ return. On the contrary! Jesus says with regard to His return: “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8. What Peter says agrees with what Paul writes in Galatians 3:13-14: namely, that Christ became a curse for us, “That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” This is what happened on the day of Pentecost, and there is no more mention of expecting anything more. Now we have the further exhortation in Galatians 5:16: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Where does all the wretchedness come from? Doesn’t it come from the flesh? Gal. 5:19-21; Jas. 4:1-3. Now we are not being told to wait for anything or for a certain time so things can change. Not at all! Now we are told to “walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” That time is now; now it is just a matter of starting. We shall not earn the Spirit by works of the law. Gal. 3:2. We shall rather receive Him by faith, and then all we have to do is obey Him by walking in the Spirit. All those who obey the Spirit gain victory over sin and become one just as the Father and the Son are one. All those who have lived in the obedience of faith throughout the ages, starting from the day of Pentecost, have learned and experienced this. When Peter speaks about partaking of divine nature, he does not say that we shall wait until that time comes. On the contrary, he says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . . .” 2 Pet. 1:3-4. In other words, it has been given to us; the new and living way has been consecrated. We read further in Hebrews 10:19-23, “Let us draw near.” Now it is not necessary to wait for anything. The last days are from the day of Pentecost until Jesus’ return. Paul writes, “Now all these things . . . were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Cor. 10:11. When he speaks about the last days, he doesn’t say that there will be a latter-day rain, or that there will be better times. On the contrary: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons . . . .” 1 Tim. 4:1-3. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves . . . .” 2 Tim. 3:1-5. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Tim. 4:3-4; 2 Thess. 2:3-13. This is what Paul envisions for us when he speaks about the times to come and the last days. Therefore all talk among believers about expecting better times and something glorious is a deception of Satan to hinder us from believing and obeying. This is what the parable of the ten virgins teaches us as well. Satan has always deceived people in this way—by getting them to expect something to happen. This is what he says to the unconverted when they feel they should get converted; he whispers it to the believers as they seek to gain victory over sin while they are suffering under all the disunity and the spirit of division. Nevertheless, we have a glorious future awaiting us. Paul writes, “You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:9-10. Furthermore, Paul writes that grace has appeared for salvation to all men, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Tit. 2:11-13. Grace and the opportunity to be prepared—to be conformed to the image of Jesus—came on the day of Pentecost—after Jesus had finished the work. We shall not expect anything more; but everyone who wills can make use of what has been given while we are waiting for Jesus’ return, so that we are prepared. During the Millennium Joel’s prophecy will be literally fulfilled in its entirety. We can say that then the Holy Spirit will be the spirit of the times. Heb. 10:16; Jer. 31:33-34; Isa. 11:6-10. May the believers come to faith and be set free from this satanic deception, which is to expect something to happen.Sigurd Bratlie

And we are called to be like Him; in other words, to be a consuming fire! How does this harmonize with our life? Are we also a consuming fire against all sin? May everyone answer this himself! “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matt. 3:11. The main thing or the evidence is not the gift of tongues or other gifts of the Spirit, as many people think, but rather the Spirit’s power and fire! “For everyone will be seasoned with fire . . . .” Mark 9:49. Many people have imagined that this is like fireworks, like a display instead of a consuming fire. Then they have misunderstood everything! “And from the throne proceeded lightnings [lightning fire], thunderings, and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.” Rev. 4:5. It is particularly noteworthy that all seven spirits of God are lamps of burning fire!!! None of them, not even one of them is a spirit that is filled with balm?! The explanation is simply that God is far more holy and pure than any of us suspect, and that we are by far more unholy and impure—without being aware of it—than we suspect. Poor hay and straw—all the gossips and religious hypocrites—if they come close to God’s throne where the seven lamps of fire are burning! However, God has also prepared another fire! Sin and ungodliness will be consumed regardless, either in one way or another! How wise it is to love God’s fire voluntarily now, in the time of grace, so that sin and our “self” can be consumed instead of being cast into the lake of fire in the end unwillingly. We see even now that for many religious people, especially preachers and leaders, it is unbearable simply to be together with wholehearted brothers who, of course, represent a far weaker fire than is God Himself. Many people become bitter opponents when God’s fire is burning. But—dear brothers—just let the fire burn! This is God’s will! This is what Jesus longed for when He was on earth in the days of His flesh. This is right, good, sound, and effective!Elias Aslaksen