Olsen, O. A.
St. Helena, California
March 5, 1907
Portions of this letter are published in UL 78.
Elder O. A. Olsen
“Elsnath”
Strathfield, N.S.W.
Dear Brother Olsen:
The Lord is good, and greatly to be praised. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 1
Two nights ago, I had a remarkable experience. A company of our workers was assembled in meeting, and all that passed was of the deepest interest. A Messenger from heaven stood in our midst, and the words He spoke were words of instruction and warning. Light was being shed upon us; instruction was given regarding the small effort that is being made to circulate our literature. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 2
I have been repeatedly shown that our presses should now be employed in publishing light and truth. This is a time of spiritual darkness in the churches of the world. Ignorance of divine things has hidden God and the truth from view. The forces of Satan are gathering strength. Satan flatters his co-workers that he will do a work to captivate the world. While partial inactivity has come upon the church, Satan is not inactive. The professed Christian churches are not converting the world; for they are themselves corrupted with selfishness and pride and need to feel the converting power of God in their own hearts before they can lead others to a purer or higher standard. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 3
Elder Olsen, be of good courage; the Lord Jehovah is our strength and our sufficiency. The Lord is our God, and we can be strong in His strength. We need to be fully awake at this time. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 4
My brother, it is not wise for you to continue to carry your many heavy burdens without periods of rest. In your work of public speaking, be careful not to protract the meetings, speaking so long that you become overwearied. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 5
The Word of God possesses healing virtue. It is more powerful than the mandates of princes, more enduring than the laws of dynasties, and will move silently, but surely and powerfully, from victory to victory, turning obstacles into impulses and obstructions into facilities. The glory of kingdoms is to be given to the saints of the Most High. “To those who look for Him will He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” [Hebrews 9:28.] 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 6
Our citizenship is in heaven. We are not to conform to the world in our speech or in its spirit of repining. We look for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. We are looking for our Lord to come, and we must be preparing for the glorious jubilee that will begin when we enter the gates of the city of God. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 7
Our work must go in the demonstration and power of the Spirit. The Lord has much of the Holy Spirit awaiting our demand. “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” [Romans 14:17.] As a people who are doing a special work for this time, we are now to manifest a faith that will have a convincing power. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 8
The twenty-first chapter of Matthew, telling of the journey of Christ to Jerusalem at the time of His triumphal entry, is a powerful chapter and one that we need to study and understand. We need to take warning from the lesson of the pretentious fig tree that bore no fruit; it represents those who profess to serve God, whose names are on the church books, but who bear no fruit in their lives to the glory of God. O my heart is longing to see the Man who was despised and rejected, crowned and seated upon His throne. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 9
Last Sabbath night, March 2, I heard the voice of One giving instruction. He said, “Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” [John 6:54.] “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.” [John 4:14.] 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 10
Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God works a moral change in the lives of His people, changing them into the likeness of Christ. Then, when the last trumpet call shall reach the ears of the dead who sleep in Christ, they will come forth to a new life, clothed with the garments of salvation. They enter in through the gates into the city of God, welcomed to the happiness and joy of their Lord. Would that we all could understand and ever keep in mind the joys that await those who keep their eyes on the pattern Christ Jesus and in this life seek to form a character like His. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 11
The Word of God contains our life insurance policy. To eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God means to study the Word and to carry that Word into the life in obedience to all its precepts. Those who thus partake of the Son of God become partakers of the divine nature—one with Christ. They breathe a holy atmosphere, in which only the soul can truly live. They carry in their lives an assurance of the holy principles received from the Word: their lives are worked by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they have an earnest of the immortality that will be theirs through the death and resurrection of Christ. Should the earthly body decay, the principles of their faith sustain them; for they are partakers of the divine nature. Because Christ was raised from the dead, they grasp the pledge of their resurrection, and eternal life is their reward. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 12
This truth is an eternal truth, because Christ Himself taught it. He has engaged to raise the righteous dead; for He gave His life for the life of the world. “As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” “I am the bread of life; he that cometh unto Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. ... All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and he that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” [John 6:57, 35, 37.] 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 13
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread which I give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us His flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead; he that eateth of this bread shall live forever. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 14
“These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this, said, This is an hard saying, Who can hear it? When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who believed not, and who should betray Him. And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given him of My Father. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 15
“From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom should we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus said unto him, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray Him, being one of the twelve.” [Verses 51-71.] 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 16
We see in this experience among the disciples of Christ the explanation of His words. The words of Christ, received into the life, will form a character like the character of Christ. The words of Christ are to be carefully studied and obeyed. A test is surely coming to every soul. Those who are willing to be partakers of Christ’s trials, who will obey the Word and refuse to yield the truth under any temptation—let the consequences be what they may—will have to daily partake of the truth of the Word. The life of Christ is to be our example. We are to walk as He walked, and work as He worked, believing that whatever of suffering we may be called to pass through, as His followers, He is able to deliver us from it. We are to be made perfect by holding our faith and confidence firm unto the end. Thus we shall magnify the truth and through our faith gain eternal life in the kingdom of God. 22LtMs, Lt 82, 1907, par. 17