This year, we had the joy of experiencing two Advent conferences. Many of us gathered at Brunstad on these two weekends. For several years now, we have had the privilege of experiencing the Christmas concert, a major event that we look forward to and which fills us with the wonderful spirit of Christmas. But greatest of all is that we get to experience the deep and good fellowship that is found among Jesus’ friends. Many of us were left with the same feeling Peter must have had when he said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68. Here are some excerpts from the conferences. Kåre J. Smith opened the conference with a powerful exhortation: We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by false doctrines. Even the first apostles warned against this. John writes: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3. God’s word is clear, but nevertheless it is falsified and peddled by many for dishonest gain. 2 Cor. 2:17. A common misunderstanding is that people do not understand what kind of human nature Jesus had. Some believe that Jesus came with a flesh that was like Adam’s flesh before the Fall. But how could Jesus then become our forerunner and Savior? In order to help us, Jesus had to come in the same flesh as us—what the Bible calls “the seed of David.” In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he wrote: “Concerning His Son . . . who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh.” Rom. 1:3. We are well acquainted with this flesh. Paul was honest and expressed it as follows: “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.” Ch. 7:18. A false teaching that is widespread today is that salvation consists entirely of receiving forgiveness for sins. Many believe that God let Jesus bear the sins of the world on the cross, and that God now sees us as perfect through the blood of Jesus. But we find no verse in the Bible that says that the forgiveness of sins alone is sufficient to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Paul exhorted us: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Phil. 2:12. This is an exhortation to those who want to follow Jesus and who want to partake in the full gospel that He brought. The message that Jesus came with should be crystal clear to us as we face our daily circumstances and trials. “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” 1 John 2:1. If we continue to sin, then no transformation will take place in us, and we will remain slaves of sin. It’s easy to think: “we are only human” or “we are saved sinners.” But if we continue to live as sinners, we have not truly partaken of the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. To think that we are merely human beings who have no choice but to continue sinning is to contradict Jesus’ message of freedom from sin. It is the spirit of the Antichrist that causes people to think this way. The Antichrist’s aim is to destroy the gospel that Jesus came with. 2 Cor. 4:3-4. Jesus’ gospel is simple: “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:10-11. We are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies, so that we obey it in its lusts. V. 12. The truth is able to set us completely free from sin. If we are redeemed from sin, then all the unrest that came from being enslaved to sin, will disappear. What a liberation! This is the “full salvation” that Jesus offers us, and it is the greatest message that God could give us. Heb. 1:1-3. Jesus’ message is not something that people have devised. Paul says that what he preached came directly to him, as a revelation from Jesus Christ. “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.” Gal. 1:11-12. Therefore, he also strongly warns against preaching anything else, saying that anyone who does so should be “accursed.” V. 8-9. God’s gospel stands firm; it is not to be debated or changed. It is important to take note of this, especially for those who preach the word of God. There should be no debate surrounding the word, but we should allow God’s to word speak to people. Paul felt a holy fear within him when he preached the word. He did not try to impress people with “persuasive words of human wisdom,” but left it to the Spirit and the power of God to prove what was true. He did not want his listeners’ faith to be based on human logic and wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Cor. 2:1-5. The gospel gives us power to overcome the sin that dwells in our human nature. This will take place when the word of the cross is allowed to work in us, after we have received forgiveness for our sins. “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Cor. 1:23-24. There is no partiality here. The way is open to everyone who wants to receive the message, so that they can truly experience that “unto us a Savior is born.” The apostle Paul, who was blameless according to the law and who had much to boast about according to the flesh, made an incredible turnaround. Phil. 3:4-8. He suddenly understood that everything he previously considered to be advantages to him had to be reckoned as loss compared to knowing Jesus Christ. Paul saw this so clearly that he referred to all his accumulated greatness and wisdom as “rubbish,” because he realized that the knowledge of Jesus was infinitely more valuable. We find the same attitude with the apostle John. He gave this exhortation: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15. Here we see the same radical decision that must be made: choosing Jesus above all else. Kåre J. Smith urged everyone who wants to follow Jesus to lay this “stone”—this foundation—in their lives as early as possible, and never to move it again. Paul describes the way forward, after this decision has been made and the foundation has been laid: “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Phil. 3:9-10. Think that it is possible to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection! We cannot start a new life in God until a death has taken place. Jesus showed us the way: “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Rom. 6:10. This death gave Jesus the possibility of living His entire life for God, without ever allowing Himself to be defiled by sin, not even once. Jesus is our forerunner, and we must also reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. In this way, there can be an end to sin reigning over us. V. 11-12. The key to being finished with sin is to suffer in the flesh. “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” 1 Pet. 4:1. This means denying the flesh from getting its own way. If we are faithful and stand firm, we will experience pain because our flesh is not able to have its desires satisfied. But anyone who is tired of living according to their own will, tired of being angry, impatient, rigid and stubborn, can receive light, understand Jesus’ work of salvation, and begin to live according to the will of God. V. 2-3. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:20. This is one of the strongest personal testimonies Paul gave in the Bible. It can be the same for you and me—starting now! Everyone who lives this way, will experience the cleansing power of God’s word. We have to do with God. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Heb. 4:12-13. In this closeness to God and to His Son Jesus, we will experience a Savior and Lord who has compassion on us and who knows what it costs to live a crucified life. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” V. 14-16. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. The prophet Isaiah described Him as follows: “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. 9:6-7. In the prophecy, he goes on to speak of the increase of His government and the peace of which there will be no end. But Jesus is not only the little child in the manger; He is also the King who will return. In the Revelation of John, we read that He will come riding on a white horse, followed by a great host clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Rev. 19:14. The white horses and the clean linen are symbols of purity and power. This ought to awaken a seriousness within us! We have been called to follow Him, and that means preserving “the purity of a child” throughout our lives. We are to live our lives in purity, by God’s help and power, so that we never stray into anything that is evil. If bitterness, divisions, and conflicts find their way into our homes or into the church, this is a sign that we have strayed from this purity. If our own name and honor become more important than God’s honor, we have strayed far away from this simple, pure attitude of mind. But when we allow Jesus to be our counselor, as it says in the prophecy, we will be formed, molded, and guided. Then we will be transformed to be like Him more and more. We have been called to live a life of holy conduct and godliness while we are looking for Jesus’ return. 2 Pet. 3:11-13. It is important that we preserve the purity of a child and remain in goodness toward one another. “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” V. 14-15. We ought to have a deep respect for God and keep ourselves far away from sin and the destructive forces that exist in the world. Our calling is not to drift with the current. We should be focused on living a pure, wholehearted, and holy life. Then we will preserve the “purity of the child” within us, right up until the return of Jesus Christ. At one of the meetings, Trond Eriksen reminded us that we should be thankful for our forerunners who uncovered precious truths that had long been hidden and buried. He illustrated this by referring to Genesis 26. After Abraham’s death, his enemies filled his wells with dirt. But his son Isaac later returned and dug them up again. And he gave them the same names that Abraham had given them. This is a powerful image of what can happen to spiritual truths: over time, they can become “covered over” and forgotten, but God always raises up people who dig them up again. What a grace it is to have access to these fountains of living water today!Marc Tombre

“Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, “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. Jesus knew why He had been given a body—namely to do God’s will. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.” Col. 1:19. Now we are alive and have been given a body, but what do I use my body for? God has a plan for our lives. Our bodies belong to the Lord, and that is why we need Paul’s exhortation: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom. 12:1-2. God’s will goes in direct opposition to our self-will. In the Old Covenant, sacrifices were made in the temple. In the New Covenant, the sacrifice is that I give up my own will in order to do God’s will. Here you experience a tremendous struggle between your own will and God’s will. As J. O. Smith writes in WotL 242: “Though in my flesh there’s resistance, yet I delight in Thy will; and in Thy grace Thou dost draw me, Savior, to follow Thee still.” What happens when my patience comes to an end? Is it righteous for me to then react harshly? Or am I able to learn patience and compassion in this situation? Think how merciful God has been towards me. And if I try to make it clear by my expression and my attitude that something is not to my liking, can I not instead crucify my hidden demands, so that my selfishness disappears and thankfulness takes its place? In these situations, there is a struggle between your own will and God’s will. Then the word of the cross will shine clearly for you, for now you can make use of the death of Christ so that what is old dies and something new can come forth. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor. 1:18. Through the message of the cross, we receive power to be transformed from having human nature to divine nature! How thankful we can be to our forerunner, Jesus, who consecrated for us, a new and living way through the veil, that is, His flesh. Heb. 10:20. He did this in order that we might follow Him with boldness and use the days we have been given to be transformed and understand what God’s will is, more and more. So, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, but present yourself to God, so that your body may be used as an instrument of righteousness! Rom. 6:12-13.Jesse Versluijs

“Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Zeph. 2:3. Isn’t it amazing that the Lord exhorts those who are meek and humble to continue seeking humility, and those who uphold His righteous justice, to continue seeking righteousness? As a human being, I am quickly satisfied with attaining a certain degree of righteousness and humility. That is precisely the trap my adversary wants me to fall into; that I become satisfied with the little progress I have made and thereby lose the longing to actively seek more humility. I live a good life and perhaps bless those around me, and maybe my goodness gets noticed. Then I start to feel quite pleased with the level of righteousness I have attained. It doesn’t express itself in a crude and obvious way at first; no, it usually starts with a few small, hidden thoughts, albeit arrogant ones. “Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’” Deut. 8:17. Such thoughts about how well I have done things quickly evolve into thoughts about how poorly others are doing things. When I allow such thoughts to live and develop, I will not be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. God has promised that He will give grace to the humble, and that He will richly bless those who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. When that blessing comes over your life, the exhortation still applies: “Seek humility, seek righteousness!” And when I do this continually, then I enter into a glorious development where God cannot help but bless me, to the same extent that I continue to humble myself. Think how good it will be when the “meek of the earth,” those who actively seek to humble themselves in all circumstances of life, come together as members of one another and allow themselves to be built up to form the body of Christ here on earth. What a fellowship there will be! Let us never be satisfied with the degree of humility and righteousness we have attained, but let us always say, together with David: “And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight.” 2 Sam. 6:22.David Tombre

“The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Ps. 118:15. And in Ps. 20:6 it says: “He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.” In Ps. 45:4 it is written about “terrible, awesome things.” [KJV, NKJV]. As human beings, we can find ourselves in various situations of life that can seem to be “terrible” and unbearably difficult. In such times of trial, I always have two possibilities: either I can choose to turn my heart to Jesus, or I can give in to doubt and despair. I have a choice! I can turn to the living hope—to Jesus, my Savior. I can turn to Him in prayer and tell Him about my need. I can learn to listen to Him and let Him comfort me. He can say to me: “Look, now I’m doing what you have prayed to Me about for so many years. I will do a work of salvation for you and your family. My thoughts are so much higher than your thoughts, and My power is so much greater than you can imagine. My love for the children of men is so much stronger than you can imagine. I don’t make any mistakes! Just be quiet and cast all your cares upon Me. Think about the covenant you made with Me when you repented and received Me as your Savior. Now it is time to give up everything and accept this treatment with thankfulness from the bottom of your heart! Fear not! Trust Me! Be still and wait!” It is important to receive these words of faith and keep them in your heart. It is written about Mary that she “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” It is important to come to rest from our own thoughts by binding them to the word of God, by standing firm, and by refusing to allow unbelief and doubt into our hearts. It is about making “the battle of today our one concern,” as we sing in the song, and trusting in God’s almighty power and goodness, minute by minute. Every human being on this earth faces trials and sufferings—but in such times, a disciple receives comfort from heaven: help, liberation, and ultimately eternal life in fellowship together with Jesus and all the saints. How could I possibly be anything other than thankful with all my heart?!Barbara Zürcher

“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:18. You might think it strange that someone who is born of God needs to be on guard and keep himself, but when I do this, I understand and experience that I have flesh. It is written in 2 Cor. 4:6-12: “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness . . . to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. . . . We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” So then, the flesh is hard-pressed, and the life of Jesus is manifested in our bodies! I become increasingly free from the constant demands of my flesh. We have an example in the Old Testament of someone who did not keep himself. In the end, he gave in to Delilah’s continual demands. “And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ So he awoke from his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” Judg. 16:20. The same thing will happen to me if I do not keep myself—the Lord will depart from me! I give in to the demands of my flesh; I become crushed, despairing, forsaken, and destroyed. This is in contrast to “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Cor. 4:7. The life of Jesus is manifested in my body more and more. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17. 2 Cor. 6:17-18: “Therefore ‘come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’” These verses are written in the context of, among other things, what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, and what communion has light with darkness? V. 14. If I want to be a temple of the living God, I must keep myself! Then I enter into fellowship with the believers, where God dwells and walks among them—a chosen people: “I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”Terje Hansson