This year the New Year’s Conference started with a youth meeting. As for that, we could ask ourselves: Which of our meetings is not a youth meeting? Young people constitute an overwhelming majority at our meetings and conferences, and this New Year’s Conference was no exception, with 75% of the participants being under 35 years. May God bless this large flock of children and young people, and may they and all of us be preserved in the Word that was spoken so clearly and plainly during the first meeting, which was about . . . In Psalm 95 we read about the people of Israel who had hardened their hearts even though they had experienced God’s mighty hand innumerable times. When it came to standing up and fighting for something, they failed because of their unbelief. The Lord abhorred them. Only Joshua and Caleb were totally surrendered to the Lord and believed His Word. All this was written for our instruction. Many people in these days break God’s laws and commandments while consoling themselves with the fact that God blesses them with earthly things. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount we read that God blesses the evil and the good, the just and the unjust. Therefore the fact that a person experiences God’s blessing in earthly things is no proof that he pleases God. The New Testament blessing is that we experience sanctification and transformation in our life. This is a true spiritual blessing. All things have been given to us that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and power. A living faith in Him in all of life’s circumstances causes us to become partakers of His glory and power. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for . . . . For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” Heb. 11:1-2. For example, David didn’t think that he overcame with a little bit of help from the Lord when he fought against the bear and the lion. Not at all! He said, “The Lord who has delivered me . . . .” It was solely God’s work and God’s glory. Such saints are offered—they are completely offered, and therefore God is able to perform miracles in them and through them in their time. God who has called us knows full well that our own strength is insufficient. He has called us by His own glory and power to be partakers of the divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:3-4. Therefore it is vital to have an unwavering faith in Him and not believe our own human understanding or our feelings. Let us do what David did! He prophesied beforehand about his crushing victory over Goliath. The following lines are from an old song: “Many are those who are baptized, but where is the flame of faith?” This flame of faith needs to burn in us and among us. The condition for such an overcoming faith is that we love the Lord’s commandments. Read 1 John 5:3-5 in this connection. There we read about the love of God, about keeping His commandments, and about a faith that overcomes all things. A love for the commandments and a living fire of faith are inseparably joined together. Faith without love is a dead faith. A faith that produces works is living and strong. For example, a young brother or sister can launch an assault in this Spirit of faith against the spirit of fornication that is so prevalent in our days, and gain complete victory. Faith overcomes self-love. Faith overcomes greed. Faith overcomes the world. Let us drink of this Spirit of faith and be strong in faith. Everything can be overcome by faith. All the wretchedness that we have inherited from our forefathers and all the wretchedness that is a consequence of a bad life, all that can be overcome by faith. In 1 Thessalonians 5:15, flg., we read quite a few exhortations about being good, joyful, thankful, etc. And in verse 24 we read, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” We cannot live the life of the new covenant in our own strength. But we can live this life by faith in God’s omnipotence. Let us put our trust in Him and speak prophetic words about what He will do for us and in us. Whatever we begin to do by faith and in confidence toward God will succeed. Begin, and things will become clear as you continue to work. A practical example in this context is the New Brunstad, which was built by faith and in confidence toward God. Abraham is called the father of those who believe. If we follow in Abraham’s steps of faith, our life will truly have entered into an important, historic continuity. The lives of those who do not live in this continuity of faith will end up as an insignificant vapor in their time and will vanish like the dew. How safe it is to have God’s Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105) and truly build our life on God’s Word. Then God’s Word is our guide in everything, and we won’t go according to what this or that person does or allows himself. The Spirit of faith is a zealous Spirit. The Spirit of faith does not tolerate any laziness or indifference. The children of Israel conquered Jericho by faith and by obedience. But when Achan took some of the cursed goods, they were defeated when they tried to conquer Ai. This was also written for our instruction, and it is meant to encourage us to be wholehearted and without guile. The intention is that the gospel shall make a completely new person out of us. Jesus loved to call Himself the Son of Man. In 1 Corinthians 15 we read that death entered mankind by man (Adam) and that the resurrection of the dead also came by Man (Christ). In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read about the Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus. He was a Man who could be tempted just like we are tempted. However, He overcame the flesh completely by humbling Himself and by being obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 1, we read that the word of the cross is the power of God, and when we preach Christ crucified, we preach Him who is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Yes, the word of the cross is a marvelous light! Jesus had to take up His cross daily to be able to walk on this narrow way that leads to life. Without the cross the natural man would have gained the ascendancy instead of God’s wisdom. No one can follow Him without taking up his cross daily and denying himself. Wisdom is all the commandments the Father gave Jesus in His heart, and by obedience He partook of the fullness of the Godhead in Himself and became the author of salvation to all who obey Him. Heb. 5:9. A faith that is separate from obedience is a dead faith. Jas. 2:14-20. “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” V. 20. When our faith results in works, that is the evidence that we believe. According to the apostle James there are quite a few foolish and useless people on earth—those who go around with a dead faith. Only when we surrender our lives into the death of Christ will the life of Christ be manifested by us. Then God’s wisdom as well as His power will be manifested through our bodies. Then the Word will have become flesh. Then we will become one body with Him by the Spirit of truth. We learn to judge ourselves and purify ourselves just as He is pure in obedience to the Spirit of truth. Then we live in this acknowledgment that “in me, (that is, in my flesh), nothing good dwells.” Many people think they have their sins forgiven even though it is evident that they do not live in brotherly love. He who does not love abides in death. Brotherly love is the undeniable evidence that we have passed from death to life. Then at the end of our life we can surrender a pure and undefiled spirit into the Father’s hands. Jesus destroyed death, the death He found in His own flesh. He could be tempted because He had partaken of the flesh of the children; in other words, the flesh and blood that we have. Heb. 2:14. By His victory He gave liberty back to mankind, the liberty they had lost through the Fall. “And release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” V. 15. Fully assured in his faith, Paul testified that he was crucified with Christ. Therefore he could also live the resurrection life. Imagine the glory we can obtain through the cross! May the cross be our most precious possession. Then Christ will become wisdom for us, and righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 Cor. 1:30. Why should we sin seeing that such great power as the power of the cross is at our disposal? Let us remember that the body that has lived the life of Christ by the power of the cross shall not abide in death. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Cor. 15:54. Jesus took the form of a servant upon Himself. Phil. 2:7. The church has been built on the form of a servant. We find fellowship and consolation in humiliation. In this state we get to see what needs to be cleansed out of our lives. Much needs to be cleansed away so that everything we say and do can come from the form of a servant. If we want to experience the brotherhood the Scriptures speak of, then we must sever all ties to the world. To love the brotherhood means that we love each other! — Think to be able to love the others! Be glad in the fact that we can esteem each other! Be glad when we hear that the others are esteemed! “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15. Do not love the world! This is an exhortation to all of us: to babes in Christ, young people, even to the fathers. We can truly love the Father once all our bridges to the world have been burned. Then we will also love the brotherhood, because that is our heavenly and true family! Jesus loved His mother Mary, but one time He did have to say to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?” John 2:4. No fleshly bonds must have any authority over us, even if we love the persons concerned. We cannot love the brotherhood if we take fleshly bonds into consideration. We are not to be the least bit influenced by fleshly relationships, even if those whom it concerned should fall away and leave. We are to regard no one according to the flesh. 2 Cor. 5:16. “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” V. 17. We need to have this radical attitude if we are to think right and receive our orders from above, and not be influenced by anything on earth. Then we are knit together with eternal bonds in an eternal brotherhood. “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal. 4:26. There in the heavenly places, is where we have our true family. The unmistakable evidence that we have passed from death to life is that we love the brethren. 1 John 3:14. Then we are not in doubt about whether we have eternal life or not. Then life will be rich and interesting. If we give someone the “cold shoulder,” we will experience that the Lord will also be “shrewd” to us, as we read in Psalm 18:26. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16. Then we live crucified as far as our brother’s flesh is concerned, while we are united with his spirit. Jesus says that the evidence that we are His disciples is that we have love for one another. John 13:35. There are no limits. We owe it to the others to love them as they are. Pursue love! Your eternity is at stake! Someone who demands or expects another person to change before he will love him does not have love! The Thessalonians had brotherly love, but they were exhorted to increase in it more and more. 1 Thess. 4:9-10. If we do not increase in brotherly love, we will inexorably decrease in it. Let us take this exhortation seriously to heart. This is particularly important in our local churches. On New Year’s Eve we had a feast meeting with song and music and a filmed review of important events in the church in the past year. But most importantly we heard a message addressed to the entire church about being fishers of men. Jesus called His disciples and said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17. In regard to following Him, Jesus says, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34. Jesus Himself lived and suffered for the others. If we are to follow Him, we must love the people whom we are called to serve. There is a story about a tourist who had the latest in fishing gear who asked a boy with a home-made fishing rod who pulled out one fish after another how it was possible that he who had the most modern fishing gear didn’t get any bites, whereas the boy with his flimsy fishing rod landed one fish after another. The boy’s answer was that the tourist was out too far in the water and was too visible, so that his shadow scared the fish away. This story can teach us to examine our lives to see if there aren’t too many “shadows” of ourselves that hinder us from winning men. If we follow Jesus on the way of humility, then the Spirit of truth will speak to us about everything that clings to us and that has to be cleansed away. In Romans 14:1 and 15:1 we are exhorted to receive the weak and bear their infirmities, and not to please ourselves. We have much to learn in this area if we want to be good fishers of men. Paul had made himself a servant to all, that he might win the more. 1 Cor. 9:19. He did not seek his own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved. Ch. 10:33. This is not how we are by nature. Therefore we need to break free from our egotism so that we can receive a vision of the others’ best. It is love that makes us into fishers of men, and it is a glorious life to live. Our hearts should be warmer; we should have more care for the others. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that “the love of Christ constrains us.” Love constantly gave him new strength in his work. The church in Macedonia was an example of this. “But first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” 2 Cor. 8:5. First to the Lord, so that we can serve people according to His will and not become slaves of men! Love is a tremendous drawing power. “Draw me. We will run after you,” says the bride to the bridegroom in Song of Solomon 1:4. Let us make sure that our life is a drawing power. God be praised for each brother and sister who peacefully and quietly has a drawing effect on our children and young people by their godly fear. Let us be such co-workers of the Spirit whom God can warn, who have a hearing ear and a heart filled with care when the Spirit wants to warn us, for example, about a soul who is about to lose courage or give up, so that we can step in and be of help. When we look around, we find there is much about which we can’t do anything. But there is one thing we can do: We can bless! “You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” Deut. 5:32. This exhortation is also necessary for us in these days. A genuine fear of God is required to go straight ahead according to the truths of the gospel. Our entire outward life—our speech and our conduct—is the product of our inner life. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The Pharisees cleansed the cup and the vessel on the outside, but on the inside they were full of greed and wickedness. Luke 11:39-41. Jesus exhorted them to “rather give alms of such things as you have [are within]; then indeed all things are clean to you.” When it goes badly outwardly (with our speech and our conduct) then a fall has occurred inwardly first. This is clearly evident from Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:28: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” We must always examine ourselves to see if our godly fear is true—whether it is true in our inner man. There are relatively few who have been entrusted with the Word of God. That has to do with the inner life. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 we are exhorted to examine and test ourselves. Test ourselves, so that we do not turn either to the right or to the left. A practical example is when we are going to buy something. If we look for something grand and vain, something that is the most expensive, the best, and the most luxurious, we have ended up in the “right ditch.” On the other hand, if we hide our greed and stinginess behind a “shield of contentment” we have ended up in the other ditch. We must therefore be faithful to let God’s Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, judge the thoughts and intents of our heart, because they often have the tendency to swerve either to the right or to the left. We must listen to the reminders of the Spirit so that we can keep to the midst of the paths of justice, without swerving in either direction. We are not legalistic, but that does not mean that we are lawless. The fact is that in the new covenant the Lord writes His laws in our hearts and minds. There can be much that has frozen stiff in the most inner recesses of the heart that is waiting for the “spring thaw,” which only the Word can bring. The Word comes as a sword and cuts across everything that is bound, and leads us onto an even path. “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.” 1 Cor. 11:31. We can be reprimanded by the Lord if we do not judge ourselves; we are chastened for our own benefit—for example, if our thoughts should descend into idle emptiness. We experience this chastening so that we will not be condemned together with the world. V. 32. Let us therefore exercise ourselves in listening when the Lord speaks in our inner man. This is a glorious and blessed life to live. “Leprosy” will break out sooner or later if we harbor any unfaithfulness in our heart, for example, when you give advice to others. If we lead a bad and careless life, we will give bad advice and will come to shame. In Psalm 32:8 we read that the Lord will guide [advise] us with His eye. If we overlook this advice, these sensitive workings of the Spirit, we will end up like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, and then the bit and the bridle have to be used. The above report from the New Year’s Conference is essentially excerpts from our brother Kåre J. Smith’s messages, and to finish off with, we wish to quote a few lines from his New Year’s greetings which was printed on the program for the feast meeting: “As long as there are brothers and sisters who do not seek their own, but who possess the sacrificial spirit of Jesus Christ and whose great joy it is to lay down their lives for their friends, the church will continue to develop and grow to full maturity until the day when Jesus will fetch us. That will be a glorious day!” Yes, may God richly bless the year 2006 for all of us!Arild Tombre