By Elias Aslaksen This expression can rightly be used every time about all those who have been filled with the love of God, whenever they say or do anything at all that is not in harmony with any of the divine characteristics of love. If you are not longsuffering with everyone, you are no longer walking in love. Then it has grown cold. If you are unkind and unwilling to serve, then you are no longer walking in love. Then you can be sure that you are lukewarm. If you remember the evil others have done to you, then your love has grown cold; that is, it has disappeared. If you do not hope all things and believe all things, you are no longer walking in love, because love always hopes it will be better with the ones with whom it is not going so well! And if you cannot bear them, as well as everything they say and do, it is obvious that you are no longer walking in the love of God, because love bears and endures everything and everyone. If you do not requite evil with good, you are no longer walking in love, because love does that constantly. If you do not forgive every possible evil that is said about you or to you, and every evil thing that has been done to you, then you are far from walking in love because it is the very nature of love always to forgive all kinds of things without ceasing, without setting any limits—and with all of your heart—even when those who have sinned against you do not ask for forgiveness. The spirit of reconciliation is always present and active in everyone who has this divine love living in his heart. The nature of love—its essence—includes that you always serve and give, always share with the others from all of your possessions, both earthly and spiritual. If you are not markedly generous, you are not walking in love even though you can speak and sing quite well! If you are not very active in serving others for their salvation and edification, you are definitely not walking in the love of Christ, even though you attend the meetings faithfully and are thankful for all the good things you hear there. If you criticize or judge others, you have either never possessed the love of Christ in your inner being, or you did possess it and have lost it again. The person who criticizes and judges others is evil. Love does not dwell in the bosom of an evil person. Love covers a multitude of the sins that other people commit. If you, instead of covering them, speak about them, the reason is that you do not possess the love of God in your heart; you do not even possess human love. This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments—that is, all the commandments. In other words, you do not do anything that is in disharmony with the nature of divine love. It is therefore of the utmost importance to be constantly filled with this glorious, extremely useful power that is able to accomplish far more than you can imagine. How wise it is to do everything you can in order to be filled with love.

“All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.” Ezek. 48:35. This was a beautiful name for the city Ezekiel saw as work on it was progressing. “In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. He took me there, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze. He had a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand, and he stood in the gateway. And the man said to me, ‘Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.’” Ezek. 40:2-4. All this time Ezekiel was able to see how everything was built with the greatest precision according to the line of flax and the measuring rod. He could see and say, “The Lord is there.” However, the temple itself was not the greatest thing, but the glory of the Lord that filled the house. “Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.’” Read Ezekiel 43:4-8. All this has been written for us as an example. Christ is now the master builder of the new temple on the rock (Matt. 16:18) which has been built according to the laws of the Spirit of life. His eyes are always watching this building, and the name, “THE LORD IS THERE” is always the proper name for it. The ministry of the new covenant is the ministry of glory; this ministry results in a glory that exceeds all the glory that was in the old covenant. 2 Cor. 3:7-11. “For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.” V. 11. In Psalm 122 David says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together.” Jesus has put the various members of His body in the church for the ministry, so that the body can be built up in glory. Everything we say and do should be according to the measuring rod in the temple of the new covenant. David was glad when he went to the house of the Lord. Something was happening there, and he could always say, “The Lord is there.” When we go to our meetings and travel to our conferences, we should also always know in our spirit that “the Lord is there.” Let us rejoice that we are a part of this building which the saints have been building right from the day of Pentecost. We need to be separated from everything that does not fit into this eternal and glorious building. Whether we are away or at home, we must always know that “the Lord is there.” When we read in Revelation 21 about the new city Jerusalem descending to the new earth adorned with glory like a bride for her bridegroom, we can say, “The Lord is there.”Aksel J. Smith