Good friends, inspiring music, beautiful songs and a light in the darkness of winter . . . . There was a very special feeling in the air at the Advent Conference at Brunstad, the first weekend in December. Those who attended in person and those who watched via streaming experienced a warm and uplifting Christmas atmosphere. But the most important and most valuable thing was—as always—the message about Jesus Christ who came to earth to save us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Just think about the infinite love God has shown us! He has opened the door to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the very essence of the Christmas story. We were reminded that it’s not just about believing—we have also been called to walk on the way that Jesus opened for us. This way, which leads to a life in Christ, was made clear in a powerful and moving way at this conference. Here are some excerpts from the meetings. Kåre J. Smith began the conference by reading from Col. 1:15-18. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” This is a powerful description of our Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t come to earth just to give us the forgiveness of sins. Many people misunderstand the grace in Christ and confine it to just forgiveness. We have been called to be members of the body of which Jesus is the head. As members of this body, we will understand that in order to live His life, we must also enter into His death. Rom. 6:8. Paul expresses himself clearly about this, and gives a strong personal testimony: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Gal. 2:20. This testimony must be true for everyone who desires to be part of the body of Jesus. And it is this body that is the church! Throughout history, many people have tried to create churches based on their own understanding and opinions. This has resulted in many different churches around the world. But how is it? Is Christ the head of these churches? Christ is only the head of one body, which is the body that is made up of members that grow in all the virtues of Christ, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in them. 2 Cor. 4:10. A body consists of many members, and all of them do not have the same function. Yet they belong together, as one body. We are members of one another in Christ. Rom. 12:4-5. Paul urges us to serve each other with the gifts we have been given, and he emphasizes that a development must take place. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Further on, he gives more practical advice on how we can grow by overcoming evil with good. V. 9-21. We can be busy with many things and do many works, but it’s important to ask the question: Do these works really have weight? Do they help us grow in the virtues of Christ, or are they in vain? Paul is clear about this in 1 Cor. 13:1-3. We can do great things, but if we don’t have love, it’s in vain. Paul describes love by emphasizing the things that give it weight: it suffers long, is kind, bears all things, believes, hopes and endures all things . . . . V. 4-7. Jesus emphasized exactly the same thing to the Pharisees when He pointed out what were the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy and faith. Matt. 23:23. It is our fullness of the virtues that will really weigh heavily in our lives. God weighs our deeds. Job puts it this way: “Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity.” Job 31:6. Growth consists of Christ being formed in us, as His life increases in our lives. The intention is that love should increase, and we should sense a deep desire to receive more love. If this need is not present, then we can do a lot of works without developing in the life of Christ. When Christ has truly become our head, and we live as members of His body, He is also the One who leads us and works through us. Whatever we do in word or deed is done in His name, as Paul exhorts us to do. Col. 3:17. He exhorts us using practical examples, parents, children, husbands, wives, and servants (V. 18-22)—everyone is urged to do what they do “heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” V. 23. This gives our deeds a deeper meaning and weight. When we do everything from the heart and for the Lord, we have the opportunity to follow Jesus in His death, so that His life can shine forth through us. Imagine what glory and liberation it brings, both in the home and in the church, when the image of Christ comes forth in our lives. As we continually develop and allow Christ to be the head of the body, there will be a unity and harmony that is to the glory of God and that will bear abundant fruit. Let us therefore stand faithfully in this good development day by day, with a fervent desire to be able to grow up to Him who is the head. Then we will experience the blessing that comes on the members of the body of which Christ is the head. The Christmas story is about Jesus, and during the Christmas season we remember His coming to earth. The birth of Jesus is celebrated in much of the world. The apostle John writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-2. Jesus came to earth to show people a way back to God. John continues: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” V. 14. Jesus is full of grace and truth! But the question is: What good is grace if we aren’t willing to acknowledge the truth about ourselves? Jesus came to earth as a man, not to be served, but to serve. He gave His life as a ransom for many. Matt. 20:28. Whoever listens to Jesus will have life—and an abundance of life. John 10:10 says that the “thief” comes to steal and murder and destroy. It’s sad that so many people allow themselves to be deceived by the thief. Instead of serving and giving, as Jesus did, they constantly expect something from others. This is the opposite of serving—and it doesn’t lead to life. Egotism characterizes the thief’s nature, and destruction follows in its wake. But for us who believe in Jesus, we have received a new mind, and we have the opportunity to follow Jesus on the way that leads to life itself. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32. These are Jesus’ words of comfort to His disciples—those ones who were chosen and who were ready to become His disciples. Today we see how conflict is prevalent on earth. There is war and unrest, and uncertainty about the future. But for all those who have a heavenly calling and who receive the gospel of God, there is no reason to fear. There is a battle between the two sides, but the forces of heaven will defeat all evil, and Jesus says: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20. We can rely on this promise. God’s little flock has nothing to fear. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isa. 9:6. Imagine how glorious life will become when we allow Jesus to be our counselor in all situations of life! Being good to each other, abiding in love and avoiding all evil is the recipe for a rich life. Those who love life in Jesus need Him as their counselor. He teaches us to turn away from all evil and always seek peace. When we do that, no one will be able to harm us at all: “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Pet. 3:8-14. Jesus wants to share His life with us, and He wants to give us an abundance of life. In order to partake of this life, we must obey the commandments that He gives us. John 15:14. When we are obedient, we become part of that flock that is being united with Christ in one body. These people have understood the Christmas gospel, and they live in expectation and make themselves ready for Jesus’ return. May God give us grace so that we can be among them! During the Brunstad Magazine, we were given a glimpse into how vital it has been throughout the ages to find people who have taken to heart the exhortation Paul gave to Timothy: “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” 1 Tim. 6:13-14. We find Johan O. Smith among these people, but we know that many other women and men throughout the ages have also fought for the truth, and to keep the commandment without spot. Our preaching is as unshakable today as it was in Johan O. Smith’s time, and our goal is to continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and spread it throughout all nations. This is why we now want to ensure that our literature is made available to everyone who is seeking the truth and who wants to hear about the gospel. However, we will be vigilant to ensure that what is published is exclusively authored by faithful disciples of Jesus who have kept the commandment without spot and blameless. Kåre J. Smith exhorted us to be obedient to the gospel. This was also how Paul worked with people: he wanted to bring forth the obedience to the faith, as it is written in Rom. 1:5. It is of little use to have the greatest gospel on earth if you’re not obedient to it. Then the gospel is worthless. Paul is clear on this point: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.” Rom. 16:17. It is only by obedience to the doctrine we have received that we can partake of the glory and in the greatest and most precious promises: namely, that we can partake of divine nature. 2 Pet. 1:3-4. Even Jesus, the Son of God, had to learn obedience. Heb. 5:7-8. Through His obedience to God’s laws and commandments He opened a way for us. “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” V. 9. He didn’t do this so that we could get out of learning personal obedience, but rather that we should follow in His footsteps and show the same obedience to God’s will. Many people are happy to receive Jesus as an offering for sin, and they come to Him for forgiveness of sins. But how many have received Jesus as Lord? Jesus says: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. In order for Jesus to truly be Lord in our lives, we must also walk in Him, and sacrifice our own will to do God’s will in all things. Col. 2:6. If you are not obedient to the Lord, you will fall under the sway of the wicked one. “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4. Then you are heading at full speed in the opposite direction from the gospel. The Man Christ Jesus, is the only Mediator between God and men. 1 Tim. 2:5. In His great love, God sent His own Son into the world as a man, to condemn sin in the flesh. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8:3. Through the life of Jesus and His complete victory over sin, it is now possible for us to overcome sin in our own flesh. Jesus resisted the power of sin and won a crushing victory, and thereby the way is open for us! “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Heb. 10:19-20. Kåre J. Smith encouraged us to seek first the kingdom of God in all our circumstances so that we are able to understand and live the gospel in its deepest meaning. This truth is a mystery that only those who are God-fearing can fully comprehend. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” 1 Tim. 3:16. Let us be among those who understand this revelation and who keep the commandment without spot and blameless!Marc Tombre

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” Rom. 1:1-3. The authority of Paul’s letters did not lie in the fact that he was the most knowledgeable, or that he had been given a special position. His authority lay in the fact that he was a servant of Jesus Christ who was fully dedicated to the gospel of God. When Paul first met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his first question was: “Who are You, Lord?” He immediately knew that he now had a new master (boss) and wanted to know who He was. As he began to serve Christ and dedicated his whole life to Him, the answer to this question became more and more clear. When he later wrote to the Romans, he could say with full and unwavering confidence: the Son of God, “who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” As Paul served Christ and came to know Him, he also came to know himself. He likely quickly came to the acknowledgment in chapter 7, verse 18: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” There isn’t a single person on earth who doesn’t have the same experience when they want to do what is good. When Jesus partook of David’s flesh, He partook of that flesh in which nothing good dwells. From this flesh arises all the evil that is done in the world. Jesus thus took all the sins of the world upon His body, and there in His body the work of salvation took place. It was there that Jesus began to sacrifice, as the very first One to do so. He offered the entirety of man’s “self” as a sacrifice. He bore it all onto the cross where He left it to die. Therefore, there is not a single sin that has not been atoned for through death on the cross. In this way Jesus also destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil. The fact that Jesus was born of the seed of David, and that He had the same flesh as us, is therefore of crucial importance for our own salvation. Chapter 8, verses 12-13: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” People who want to be considered as good citizens apply the brakes on the desires in the flesh. But the flesh makes its demands, and no human being can escape them completely. Secretly, they allow themselves to enjoy those things that the lusts and desires of the flesh draw them towards. Jesus—even though He had partaken of David’s flesh—was totally pure from this. He lived for God, He was led by the Spirit, and every time the flesh made its demands, it ended up on the cross. Therefore, we owe nothing to the flesh, because Jesus has put it to death, and through Him we have been given access to live by the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit. This is the word of faith which we preach. This is the work of God in Jesus Christ. The gospel of God, to which Paul had been dedicated, is thus the gospel of Him who is able to set free from all the sin that came in through the Fall. By this gospel—by the words that proceed from the mouth of the Lord—we shall live. Not just hearing them, but doing and living them. Jesus asked: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. The power of life in Jesus’ words became evident in the life He lived as a human being. But that’s why every person who appoints Him as Lord (boss) and does what He says can also experience the same divine, victorious power of life. It is written about Jesus that as a young boy, He increased in wisdom and stature with God and men. We see that He grew in wisdom. He never sinned, but He had to learn obedience. As a man in David’s flesh, He had a will that was opposed to God’s will, but He chose obedience to God’s will every single time, without exception. Romans chapter 1 verse 4: “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Jesus’ resurrection from the dead proves that everything that dwells in the flesh and drives people, was put to death. It wasn’t suppressed, it was killed. It was completely gone when He breathed His last there on the cross. That is why He could rise from the dead. Jesus Christ is not our exalted saint, He is our first brother, our forerunner, who is well acquainted with all that comes from the flesh that we have. He is the One who bore it all onto the cross, He is the One who died and rose again. Now the call goes out to be baptized by one Spirit, into one body, to become part of His body, where we walk on the same way. We share in His tribulations, in His death, but also in His resurrection. What a glorious, divine calling!Kåre J. Smith

“I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.” 1 Tim. 6:13-14. Paul had many exhortations for Timothy, but here he goes one step further than just exhorting. Now he urges Timothy in the sight of God. So it must have been extremely important to Paul that Timothy carried this out exactly. The gospel had clearly already been defiled and distorted by some, and Paul saw the direction this was heading. The words of Jesus contain God’s creative power, but in order for this power to continue to be available to mankind, there needed to be someone who could keep the gospel without spot. Not many years after Paul’s death, Christianity had become more and more of an institution, a pawn in a political game, and a means of gaining power and prestige. The power in God’s word was lost, because the gospel was no longer distinct and clear. Yet throughout the ages, there have been people who have defied the majority and fought to keep the gospel without spot and blameless. When Johan O. Smith, together with his brother Aksel, started printing the paper Skjulte Skatter (Hidden Treasures) in 1912, he published many articles from such people, articles that aligned with his own convictions. In the years leading up to 1942, he included almost 500 articles written by Christian authors who had no connection to his own circle of acquaintances. Here we find authors from most time periods, right from the early church fathers up until Smith’s own time. These people came from many different denominations. To Smith, it didn’t matter where they came from, as long as they kept the gospel without spot and blameless and were committed to bringing forth the unadulterated gospel of discipleship and sanctification. Skjulte Skatters Forlag wants to follow the direction that Johan O. Smith set for the paper. Smith wanted it to be a paper about sanctification, which through God’s clear word would lead the individual into a life of discipleship. This also meant presenting the gospel without spot and blameless to the people. In our time we will continue working in this same direction by upholding Johan O. Smith’s solid foundation in the doctrine of the apostles, as it is reflected in his articles and letters. Now that we are making the paper freely available to everyone who is interested, we will also follow in his footsteps by publishing articles from other Christian authors who through the ages have been interested in the same thing. In this issue, we have included an excerpt from an article by one such Christian author, the German theologian, priest and resistance fighter, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer preached Christ manifested in the flesh, as One who did not come like Adam before the Fall, but who came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and who was tempted as a man, without ever sinning. He was focused on the significance of this for those who want to live as a Christian, namely, that this signifies a life of discipleship where we also take up our cross daily and follow Him.Kåre J. Smith

In Jesus Christ, the image of God has come into our midst, in the form of our fallen human life, in the likeness of sinful flesh. Jesus’ image is revealed in His teachings and His deeds, in His life and His death. In Him, God has recreated His own image on earth. Jesus’ incarnation, His words and deeds, His death on the cross, are all integral parts of this image. But this is a different image from the one Adam bore in the primal glory of Paradise. Instead, it is the image of One who comes into the midst of a world of sin and death, who takes upon Himself the misery of the human flesh, who humbly submits to God’s wrath and judgment over sinners, and who remains obedient to God’s will in death and suffering. The Man who was born into poverty, who was the friend of sinners and tax collectors and who ate with them; the Man who on the cross, was rejected by men and forsaken by God. This is God in human form, this is Man in the new image of God! […] Christ took upon Himself this human form. He became a man like us. In His humanity and His lowliness we recognize our own form. He became like men so that they could become like Him. In the incarnation of Christ, the worthiness of bearing the image of God has been restored to all mankind. Whoever now insults the lowliest of all human beings, thereby insults Christ, who has taken the form of men, and who in Himself restored the image of God to all that bear the human form. In fellowship with the One who became a man, we are restored to our true human dignity. In this way, we are torn free from the isolation that sin led to, and at the same time are given back as a gift to all mankind. To the extent that we share in the incarnate Christ, we share in the whole of humanity that is borne by Him. Since we know that we are included in Jesus’ humanity and we are borne in it, our new humanity now also consists of carrying the need and guilt of others. The Incarnate One makes His disciples to be the brothers of all men. God’s “philanthropy” (Tit. 3:4), which became manifest in Christ’s incarnation, is the basis for Christian brotherly love toward every person on earth. The incarnate form enables the church to become the body of Christ, on which the sin and need of all mankind has fallen, and only through which it is able to be borne. The form of Christ on earth is the form of death of the Crucified One. The image of God is the image of Jesus Christ on the cross. The lives of the disciples must be transformed into this image. It is a life in the likeness of Christ’s death. Phil. 3:10, Rom. 6:4-5. It is a crucified life. Gal. 2:19. In baptism, Christ imprints the form of His death in the lives of those who belong to Him. Having died to the flesh and sin, the Christian is dead to the world, and the world is dead to him. Gal. 6:14. Those who live by their baptism live by their death. Christ characterizes the lives of those who are His through the daily death in the battle of the Spirit against the flesh, through the daily suffering resulting from the pangs of death that the devil inflicts on the Christian. These are Jesus Christ’s own sufferings that all His disciples on earth must suffer. A very few of His followers also will have their lives honored by Christ in the closest fellowship with His sufferings—martyrdom.* It is here that the disciple’s life illustrates the deepest likeness with the form of Jesus Christ’s death. In public humiliation, in suffering and death for Christ’s sake, He takes on a visible form in His church. But from baptism to martyrdom, there is the same suffering and the same death. It is the new creation of the image of God through the Crucified One. Whoever remains in fellowship with the Incarnate and Crucified One, in whom He has taken form, will also be made like the Transformed and Resurrected One. “. . . we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” 1 Cor. 15:49. “. . . we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2. In the same way as the image of the Crucified One, the image of the Resurrected One will transform those who behold it. Whoever beholds Christ is drawn into His image, is conformed to His likeness, indeed becomes a reflection of the divine image. The glory of Jesus Christ will be reflected in us already here on this earth. From the form of death of the Crucified One, in which we live, in tribulation and cross, the clarity and life of the Resurrected One will already shine forth. This transformation into the divine image becomes ever deeper, the image of Christ in us ever clearer; it is a development from acknowledgment to acknowledgment, from clarity to clarity, to an ever more perfect likeness with the image of the Son of God. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18.Dietrich Bonhoeffer * Around the time that Bonhoeffer wrote this text, the German church had effectively been taken over by Nazism. Bonhoeffer had distinguished himself as a strong critic of Nazi interference in the church and, together with others, had started their own religious community, which was eventually declared illegal. Several of his coworkers and students were arrested by the Gestapo during this period. What he writes here about martyrdom was undoubtedly not just a theoretical possibility for him, but something he saw as a very real and perhaps probable outcome for his life.

When faced with trials and temptations, it is easy to seek comfort and help from people, or from other places. Isaiah asked at the time: “Should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?” And the answer was: No, “to the word and to the testimony!” Is. 8:19-20. [Norw.] Yes, this is the solution in all of life’s situations. The Psalmist says: “Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments.” Ps. 119:104-106. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. . . . Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.’” John 8:31-37. Yes, may there be a large place in our hearts, so that we go to the word and get help to be truly free from sin. Then we will abide in the house forever. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. It is God’s nature that we partake of through obedience to the word of truth. 2 Pet. 1:3-11. We become eternal beings with an unshakable joy and peace. We become a reflection of God’s glory and this radiates from us in the form of righteousness, generosity, truth, love, goodness, gentleness, etc. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” said Peter. John 6:68. This response is also given by all true disciples of Jesus. For the rest of their lives, they have chosen to dedicate themselves to the words of eternal life.Andreas Nielsen

It is crucial for us to understand and take to heart how we hear, as Jesus exhorts us in Luke 8:18, in the parable of the sower: “Therefore, take heed how you hear!” In Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, we read that when the rich man, who had lived in luxury all his life, opened his eyes in Hades, he was in torment. Then he saw that Lazarus, who he had seen daily at his gate, was in Abraham’s bosom. Luke 16:29-31. Since he was in torment, he asked Abraham to send Lazarus, if only he could moisten his dry lips. Then Abraham pointed out that there was “a great gulf fixed” between them, so that such requests could not be granted, whether the request came from above or from below! So, in desperation for his five brothers, he begged for Lazarus to be sent to them “lest they also come to this place of torment.” V. 28. “Abraham said to him: ‘They have Moses and the prophets . . . If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rises from the dead.’” V. 31. It is clear that our eyes and our ears must be opened to receive and understand God’s word, as Abraham pointed out. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” is written in Rom. 10:17. Here we see the importance of Jesus’ warning to take heed how we hear! That is the key to faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb. 11:6. The diligence we need to practice in our local churches is to listen with all our heart, and listen with the attitude to obey the laws that have been written in our hearts. “. . . man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Deut. 8:3. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” This is repeated again and again in Revelation 2 and 3 to impress upon us how important it is to take heed to how we hear! What is the Spirit saying to the churches? That Jesus follows along very closely, and both corrects and praises the work of His servants! Does He follow along with us at our meetings in these days, you might ask? “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20. Yes! This promise Jesus gives assures us that we can hear Him today in the New Covenant even more clearly and more personally than in the Old Covenant. Heb. 1:1. Jesus says to the self-assured scribes and lawyers: “. . . there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” John 5:45-46. Today, the Spirit says clearly: “Hear Him!” Matt. 17:1-5. And it can be said to us, in our time, as Abraham said to the rich man in Hades: “You have Jesus who has been manifested in flesh, and the prophets!” Let us be awake today to hear Him! Under the law, Moses could be preached, heard and believed! Today, Jesus, who is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, can be preached, heard and believed. The exhortation to let the one who has an ear hear, implies that such people are a chosen generation, as Peter writes in his first letter, chapter 2:9: “His own special people.” Why would you and I have ears to hear, if it wasn’t to do what we hear? We need to live in such a way that we can proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, “that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom. 8:4. Those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the church will also, as Peter writes, be even more diligent to make their call and election sure. 2 Pet. 1:10-11. May we take heed to hear what the Spirit says to the church and to us personally, so an entrance will be supplied to us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!Frederik van Stralen