but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God will perhaps grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth . . . .” 2 Tim. 2:24-25. This is a wonderful extraction of the essence of Christianity! Yet many a zealous servant of the Lord has sinned in this area. He has become tired of contradiction and what he has seen and heard, and this has produced something hard in his heart so that gentleness, which is very important, has left him. He was unable to suffer evil and remain gentle; then meekness also vanished so that he raised his voice in irritation, instead of remaining gentle and meek. This also caused a loss of trust, or it vanished altogether. Consequently, he was unable to help the others. It can also be stated like this: he lost his self-control! This is right in line with this exhortation: “Do not provoke your children to wrath . . . .” Eph. 6:4. You can provoke others to anger and mockery, and to answering nastily by being unreasonably strict and by going after them day and night and virtually impaling them with your eyes. It would be much better to overlook many things, acting as if nothing happened. There is a saying that goes like this: “He could even try the patience of a saint.” Then the person has grossly transgressed this word of wisdom: “Do not let your heart be zealous against sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.” Prov. 23:17. This means that the person himself has to depart from sin, in this case from hardness, vehemence, and impatience. We find a very significant word in Titus 1:7: “Not violent . . . ;” and in 2 Timothy 4:2: “Exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” Therefore: Endure without ceasing. Longsuffering is part of the essence of divine love. If you cannot be longsuffering with someone, you have quite simply ceased to love that person. In 1 Peter 5:3 we clearly see that even elders need the exhortation not to lord it over others, but to be examples for the flock. Thus all leaders must be inclined to this great evil. It is therefore of vital importance to be watchful so that this harmful inclination is not allowed the least amount of leeway; otherwise the situation can become so ironic that the person who labors with souls cannot bear those whom he should nurture in love. Then things are upside-down! What a shame! Alas and unfortunately, under such circumstances this servant of the Lord is struggling with self-exaltation, which almost amounts to a declaration of bankruptcy. When you love souls, the need for exalting yourself and your ministry, becomes superfluous. It is very important to serve in such a way that everyone feels free to follow their own conscience, even if it is very weak. All in all, we cannot force something into existence; on the contrary, we must love it into existence! This is always the solution! Wanting to force salvation, or the noble and the good, on anyone is caused by a fundamental misunderstanding; it is a great mistake and in complete contrast to being peaceable and a peacemaker! “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel . . . .” It is strictly forbidden! Quarreling at meetings, which we attend in order to encourage one another to love and good works, is the worst. Then, it is both meaningless and ironic to quarrel with someone. Instead of addressing your words during a meeting to those who are misbehaving, you should rather speak to those who are good. They alone are worth speaking to. One ought to speak to the others gently and with longsuffering between meetings. It can produce miracles immediately, or in the long term. If there should be unconverted ones who misbehave at meetings, it is good to remember these words: “For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges.” 1 Cor. 5:12-13. Many such people have been converted over time when they encountered gentleness and longsuffering. It is a completely different matter when it concerns those who cause such a disturbance that they have to be shown the door or brought outside by the police, which almost never happens. Otherwise, it is a matter of pretending as if nothing happened and bravely continuing with the glorious edification, which also has a good effect on restless individuals. But the saddest thing of all is if they are provoked by one’s watchdog ministry. Even if you have meant it ever so well, which we have to assume, you have, nevertheless, acted badly. In that case, it is important to receive light in this matter as clearly and as quickly as possible, which is the noble intention with this writing. Your, in joy and sorrow, devoted fellow brother—Elias Aslaksen

“But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the Lord, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.” Lev. 7:20. “I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.” Isa. 1:13. “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Cor. 10:11. This is an admonition to the effect that God does not endure iniquity together with the sacred meeting and that the person who eats of the sacrifice of the peace offering while he is unclean, shall be cut off. This is an exhortation to us that we cannot play the hypocrite before God. He follows along carefully. It sounds good when a person thanks and praises God or Jesus because He died for us and saves us, but He hates and despises the sacred assembly and iniquity. Amos 5:21. If you have not forgiven your neighbor, but bear him a grudge, and have not given up your sinning, but still praise God, then this same word applies to you as it is written: “That person shall be cut off from his people.” Jas. 3:9-10. Peter also exhorts us to conduct ourselves in fear during the time of our sojourn on earth, for we were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ. 1 Pet. 1:17-19. Therefore we need to purify our souls unto sincere love of the brethren and love one another fervently with a pure heart. V. 22. Everyone who ate the Passover Lamb with leavened bread was to be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he was a stranger or a native of the land. Ex. 12:19. “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No outsider shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it.” Ex. 12:43-44. “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Cor. 5:6-8. “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed . . . .” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . .” John 1:14. This could not occur unless Jesus had learned obedience by the things He suffered (Heb. 5:8-9), He who said when He came into the world, “Behold, I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God.” Heb. 10:5-7. He is our Passover Lamb who was sacrificed and has redeemed us with His precious blood. He is the One who says, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:54. However, the person who eats the Passover Lamb with leavened bread, without being circumcised, “that person shall be cut off from his people.” It is no less severe in our days. Heb. 2:2-4. When we come together and share the Word of God, we come together for a sacred meeting with the Passover Lamb. If someone keeps accounts of the evil, sitting in the meeting with the leaven of malice and wickedness, taking part in the sacred meeting, then he blasphemes God. God hates the sacred meeting and iniquity. Or if you are uncircumcised and admire the great things in this world while sitting and reading God’s Word, believing you will receive revelations in the midst of your greed and vanity, then you are sadly mistaken. The person who eats the Passover Lamb without being circumcised shall be cut off from his people. Such people are to be reckoned among those about whom Paul writes: “Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . . . men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith . . . .” 2 Tim. 3:7-8. Israel was to be a new lump. They were not to take anything along from Egypt: neither idols, ideas, customs, nor habits. Everything was to be cleansed out; plus they were to be circumcised. They could not remain in Egypt just because they had blood on their door posts, thus putting their faith in the blood. However, in our days thousands live in this deception, trusting in the blood of Jesus, and yet they are conformed to this world. Rom. 12:2. They are to be cut off! The blood would not have continued to benefit Israel if they had remained in Egypt. They were to leave Egypt, cleansing out all the old leaven. They received completely new laws and commandments and were to live in a completely new way. They were to be a new lump. We shall not take any of the sins or the politics that are prevalent in our days into the Millennium. There will be a totally new lump of dough when Jesus assumes power and we rule together with Him. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1-7. Many people reckon they are a branch on the vine when they go to meetings and take part in religious work. That is absolutely not certain. The fruit that Jesus mentions is the fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22. You are unprofitable and close to being cursed if you relish God’s blessings but bear thorns and thistles—the works of the flesh. Such a person is to be burned up. Heb. 6:7-9; Gal. 5:19-21. Abiding in Jesus is to abide in His Word. Then we are His disciples indeed. John 8:31. Then we bear much fruit. Many people are branches that have been cut off because they have not cleansed out the old leaven; they have not preserved the circumcision of the heart. They are no longer fervent in Spirit. They do not receive light when they read God’s Word. They do not have a connection with God when they pray; neither are they growing the growth of the body up to Him who is the head. Eph. 4:15-16. In spite of all this, they do not remember that the person who is uncircumcised and yet eats the Passover Lamb shall be cut off from his people. Therefore we must learn from the things that were written before, “for we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” Heb. 3:12-14.Sigurd Bratlie

“And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.” Exodus 27:20. The lamps in the lampstand were to give light in Israel. In our time, it is the church that is to give the light of life to the people. There is much in our life that needs to be crushed before the oil comes forth—that which is soft, pliable, and good. This is what makes it easy to live this life. The life is the light of men. No matter how deep the darkness is, it cannot quench the light of the godfearing. The cry will be heard at midnight, when the darkness is deepest. The only possibility you have of being seen by Jesus, is when your lamp is burning. We read about the wise virgins who took oil in their vessels together with their lamps. Matthew 25:4. The important thing for us to remember is that we must also have oil in our vessels. All ten virgins had both lamps and vessels, but unfortunately, the vessels of the foolish virgins were empty. They had avoided the works in their lives that would have given them oil. It was too much of an effort to follow a doctrine that resulted in the flesh being cruci­fied. They never endured in the battle to enter in through the narrow gate. Luke 13:24. They did not persevere in prayer, and they were not always ready to do every good work—only when it was convenient. 1 Peter 3:15. Neither were they able to give thanks for all things, but they remained within their own human limitations. There was never enough crushing for the oil to flow into their vessels; there was only sufficient oil to keep the lamp burning, so everything was in order on the outside. Their lamps were burning when the sun shone and when the wind blew in their favor, but they were dark during the trials of night. It never was dark for the five wise virgins, for they endured in every temptation. They laid hold of, and went through (not around), all the difficulties. They allowed themselves to be crushed—they hated their own lives so the oil was produced while it was day. This resulted in light and life. The children of Israel were given a command to acquire pure oil for the lampstands. Whenever this command is not followed, it inevi­tably results in backsliding, apostasy, and harlotry. The angel of the church in Laodicea is a dreadful example—an illustration of a foolish virgin who thinks she has something. It is a terrible state to be in when God considers you empty and naked. This is the fate of all those who do not take God’s commands seriously. He who is wise digs deep until he is on the rock. Luke 6:48. The Corinthians reigned as kings without Paul (1 Corinthians 4:8); and the angel of the church in Laodicea believed he was rich and thought he lacked nothing, although he was neither crushed nor humble. Revelation 3:17. The delusion of thinking one is something without being crushed and having died to self, had reached its ulti­mate peak in this angel. There is no easy way to eternal glory. The Captain of our salva­tion also had to go the thorny way of humiliation. It pleased the Lord to crush Him (Isaiah 53:10), and for this reason He was highly ex­alted, receiving a name above all other names. There is nothing that is crushed in our lives that we will not re­ceive again in the resurrection of the dead, according to what we have done in the body. 2 Corinthians 5:10.Trygve Sandvik