server? What does your eagle eye discern? T What do you see, eminent observer? What does your eagle eye discern? The reply is as follows: "Overall, I perceive the style of life among us to be woefully inadequate; it fails to take seriously the new birth, which is the principal object of God's word" (Dr. Koren, COLLECTED WRITINGS, Vol. II, p. 182).

"When I sought for a way to portray what is going on among us, the way I look at it, I kept coming back tot he Spirit's communication to the 'angel' of the congregation in Sardis: 'I know what you are doing. Iknow that you have the reputation of being alive, even though you are dead. So wake up, and strengthen what you still have before it dies completely. For I find that what you have done is not yet pefect in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you were taught and what you have heard; obey it and turn from your sins. If you do not wake up I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not soon know the time when I will come. But a few of you there in Sardis have kept your clothes clean. You will walk with me,clothed in white, because you are worthy to do so.' (Rev. 3: 1-4)

"In these words there is a portrayal of the greater number of the people in our congregations.

"I believe there is a Sardis-like situation around in most of our congregations; that as a consequence the true Spirit is wanting. I believe this because I have proof that there is a general neglect of God's word and little or no appetite for its daily and diligent use. And so there is also little earnestness and training in prayer, little identification with the Savior, little delight in the gospel, little love for each other, little enthusiasm for spiritual growth,little dread of sinning, little mutual encouragement for that which is right, little brotherly correcting and advising and little concern for the children's welfare. Instead of all this, there is in every relationship a greater and greater conformity to society at large.

If this is true, to what extent are we ministers responsible?" The sanser the old overseer gives tothis question one will find in the COLLECTED WRITINGS of Dr. Koren (Vol. II, p. 32). It is to be expected, is it not, that one who speaks with divine inspiration and zauthority would first turn to the congregation's "angels" and fix the responsibility on them. For the Lord exempts only the few that "did not defile their garments," but does not exempt the ministers, the "angels."

Dr. Koren on this point seems to strongly shrink from stating this and from granting that if the condition in the congregations actually is such as he portrays, it is first and foremost the local leader himself, and next the biship of the synod and other ministers the Lord addresses with this admonition. Or, in terms used in Norway at this writing, it first and foremost the bishops, parish pastors, ministers (and lay preachers!) the Lord exhorts to be converted. But to say it straight and to the point, it is surpassingly difficult for us as shepherds and teachers to acknowledge that our congregations generally reflect our own condition.

There was one person who saw this in my own case--my own mother. Consequently, in her dying hour her farewell words were the Lord's admonition: "You must be converted." For the burning heart was missing. It didn't help that there was a glow in the ashes."

And I thank God with all my heart for these stern words of a mother which I did not understand at the time and which consequently caused me such unspeakable pain.

A layman from the Sogn district of Norway once told of an indelible impression made on him when he was with his father for the first time cutting wood. he saw him raise the ax and pound the trunk of a tree with the ax head to find out whether it was healthy or not. "This one has had it," his father said. And so the tree was cut down, for it was evident that the heart of the tree was assaulted by "rot." This could not be seen with the eye, but the trained ear could always tell by the sound.

As for you, dear "tree person," how is your heart? Is it failing? Has theleukemia of lukewarmness entered your blood stream? In our communion prayer we ask that God will create a fervent love for one another. What is the condition of this love for fellow believers? But But above all, what is the condition of our love for God, who always wants first place in the heart and claims our "first love"? [Indeed, this is the prime question of the whole book to each of us as a reader!--Ed.]

I once stressed the importance of possessing this first love and proving ourselves in the sight of God, at a minister's conference back home in Norway. I had been asked as a young liberal arts graduate to open the conference, using the subject of Rev. 2: 4 as the theme. Afterward a friendly old minister arose and spoke in opposition. He said that what the fine graduate had spoken he would consider as totally unnecessary. I shall never forget my surprise and dismay. To my heart it sounded like the clash of cymbals.

Perhaps you who read this also deny the importance of this matter. Or perhaps it leaves you cold? But what if this issue never comes up again before the course of events makes changes impossible?

As far as the "angel" in Ephesus is concerned, we do not know whether he obeyed the admonition and was converted. But according to God's word it is clearly evident that a great many of his kind do not do so.

It is too bad for those whom God rebuffs because their heart stops concentrating on him, stops focusing on the intent love of his heart, which should be their most cherished possession and vision. Still he must give them credit for all the work which they do, andwhich brings them a big and good name,a nd recognition among people.

How sad for thosee who have predicted the future and got rid of devils in the name of Jesus and have realized many great accomplishments in this name and nevertheless are destined to knock on heaven's door in vain, because their accomplishments were not "prefected before God." They were not the acts of obedience which they had been moved to perform and which were accomplished by the Spirit of God according to his word and directoin, but self-selected performances by means of which they expected, as did Saul of olden days, that they might please their Lord. And it is too bad for the poor maidens who were not prepared with enough oil to keep the fire of their hearts burning!

Would it not be worth the trouble to attempt by the revelation of truth to stir some of them awake before it is too late? Was it not this intent that motivated Hans Nielsen Hauge to give up his peaceful life in Tune and travel all over the country with this stirring cry for conversion?<