A precious ornament

Yesterday we were visiting Arvid, a brother that I baptised in 1969. He had invited us for a long time to come to see him. He wanted to talk to us over a cup of coffee in his home. For so many years we had been out of touch but now the time had come to fellowship again. I didn�t know what to expect when we went to see him but it is always good to spend time with old acquaintances.
After a warm welcome, some coffee, cakes and updating of one another, he wanted to hear my story as well as to tell his. Life had not been easy for him. He had suffered a lot of losses and gone through many difficulties. He had been struggling with illness and disease. He had been through a deep darkness but now the light was shining over his life again. �Looking back�, he said, �I wouldn�t have been without this experience of suffering and hardship. In fact it has become to me precious treasure and an honourable ornament. The Lord never left me or forsook me but he carried me through everything safely.�
I was blessed by his testimony. In fact his words are still burning within me, �an honourable ornament.� He was marked for life, marked by sufferings and hardships, but he wore it like a precious ornament, he was adorned with dignity. What a precious treasure God let us find in the dark places! How wonderful he is in his mysterious workings! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and methods!

Servanthood

Today the Lord impressed on me the issue of servanthood. I have been teaching all morning in Bergen Bible School. What a terrific bunch of good students we have this year, 33 in numbers. I have totally enjoyed my time with them. At lunch the issue of servanthood was forced on us through one person that had to end his lunch break to find a key for one of the students.
The Lord asked me: "What would you have done? How would you had responded to that request? Do you have a serving heart or are you just doing a job? Do you bring any personal sacrifices to serve people that seem to be less significant than yourself? Are there really any people less significant than you? How do you rate people? What make them significant?"
I realised that all human beings share the same significance of being created in the image and likeness of God. Even though we are all infected by sin, we are still loved by God. Our significance comes from the fact that the Son of God was willing to die for us. Each person I meet is one Jesus Christ died for on the cross. Such a person must be treated nicely and with respect. Each person I meet is one Jesus Christ came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for. Shouldn't I be willing to serve that person with a good attitude?
In the kingdom of God serving is not a way to power-postions or greatness. Serving is the only true greatness there is. Servanthood is the hallmark of the life of the kingdom of God. If I don't serve others with a sincere heart, I don't represent the kingdom of God.

Oh God, forgive me all the times I have only represented myself, my own interests, my own reputation and not cared for the wellfare of others nor given any thoughts of bringing honour to you through my words and actions. You know, this has happened to often. Please make servanthood the hallmark of my life!

Take also look at http://tobesomebody.blogspot.com

Johnny confronted me!

Last evening Johnny came to see me. Someone had told him of my Monday blog. He was a little bit upset. Why didn�t I talk to him before I wrote my blog? Why did I use so strong words to describe what took place in the Sunday service?
Then I realised that I had hurt him with my blog. Of cause that was not my intention. What he did on Sunday was not a big deal to me, because I have done the same thing many times myself. I have gone into the same trap on several occasions. I shared the happening in my blog just to illustrate a point that had been pressing in on me while I have been here.
But I realised that he had been hurt by my action and my words. The only right thing for me to do was to ask for forgiveness, which I did, and wonder over wonder, he forgave me!
Then we had a good time together talking through the realities of what had taken place and how we could avoid similar things to happen again.
I am very grateful to Johnny that he came to confront me and talk to me face to face. I thank God for the way he handled the situation. He is surely a good young man, a real covenant keeper, speaking the truth in love to bring reconciliation and restoration of relationship. The covenant community of God�s people in Vester�len should be proud to have Johnny among them!

Stay alert - be present!

Today is our last day in Vester�len. Tomorrow we go back home to Bergen. These two weeks have been rich in learning experiences. When we return we will bring with us new insight that will be very helpful to us as we serve God together. Even this blogging exercise has been useful and enabled me to think through our situation and to be more observant than what used to be normal for me.
This is what has become the key issue for me here: To stay alert and be present! To be awake and to be available! To look and to listen!
All too often we go through life half a sleep, not taking note of what is really happening around us. All too often we just see what is taking place on the surface, not realising the deeper issues of our ordinary days. All too often we are only operating on the natural level of human understanding, neglecting the unseen realities of our world.
The challenge is to be fully present with the people we meet and at the same time having all our senses open to the Holy Spirit to receive supernatural insight to help people. It is all about being refreshed by the presence of the Spirit and to follow his guidance, not allowing ourselves to be fooled by our natural reason.

A good story can't be told too often!

Yesterday I attended my second Sunday service with the covenant community in Vester�len. I was shocked at the beginning. A young journalist, Johnny, had been asked to give his testimony and tell of the good things God was doing. Now he was asked to come to the front and share with us the good news of God�s working in his area.
He came to the front with his head lifted high. When he opened his mouth Christian clich�s were gushing forth. He seemed to be bragging of something. He even read some verses from the Scripture and seemed to be preaching down to us. I was surprised, what had happened to the Johnny I heard sharing his story in the cell-group gathering a few days before? He must have been manipulated by some religious demons. He had forgotten his story and was just emptying himself of some wishy-washy religious clich�s. When he finished, I helped him remember the story he told at our gathering on Thursday, a good story, doesn�t matter how small I is, can�t be told too often!
Earlier in the week Johnny had an assignment to interview some people in their home. When he went to see them, he happened to knock on the wrong door! A lady he didn�t expect to meet opened the door. It was Heidi, a lady the cell-group had been praying for recently, ever since they came to know that she had got cancer. When Johnny came to himself after the surprise, he explained his mistake and asked her how she was. She wasn�t really interested in talking to him and the conversation seemed to come to a quick end. Johnny was praying desperately to God to give him an opportunity to tell her of the goodness of God. But nothing seemed to materialise. He just had to wish her well and goodbye. She gave a kind of common reply in this part of Norway: �One will hope and pray!�
Immediately Johnny knew this is the moment of visitation. �Pray, yes, that is very powerful. I am part of a group that is praying for people, may we pray for you?� Tears appeared in Heidi�s eyes as she was touched by his care and offer to pray for her. Gratefully she welcomed the group to pray for her. Then Johnny could share with her about the goodness of God and the power of prayer, before he had to hurry on to his assigned interview, in the right house this time.
Johnny was full of joy as he told the story, because God even had used his mistake to bring blessing to another person. That this person already was on the prayer list of the cell-group, made it even more exciting! God is certainly working among people in this area!

Sigmund

Last night Sigmund knocked on the door. We met him at the cell-group gathering the other day and now he came to see us. He wanted to tell his story of how he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. �Jesus is now inside me�, he acclaimed as his face radiated with joy and happiness. This joy had not always been his.
At the age of 41 Sigmund found himself at the hospital in Hammerfest in Finnmark. He was seriously ill having heart trouble and nearly died. At the hospital one day he heard a voice telling him that he after he got out of the hospital should move to S�rv�gen in Vester�len. There he would meet a man that would become his friend and would help him to have an encounter with the Lord and from that moment on Jesus would be on the inside of him.
Sigmund was discharged from the hospital with a lot of heart medicine to take for the rest of his life. As soon as possible he left Finnmark and moved to S�rv�gen in Vester�len. Here he was able to buy a house and in spite of his heart trouble he also was able to take on a job. But half a year ago he found himself at a hospital again. Then Bernt Tore, that was living in the same area, started to phone him at the hospital every day to encourage him. God had spoken to Bernt Tore to do that, but Sigmund didn�t know anything about that. To Sigmund�s great surprise he was sent home from the hospital much sooner than expected.
One day in January 2002 while he was walking he met Bernt Tore on the road and they started to talk with one another. During their conversation Bernt Tore shared the gospel with him using the John 3:16 Illustration which he was drawing in the snow. He challenged him to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Sigmund wanted to take more time to think it through and went home. The following morning it was like someone song a well known psalm for him: �The name of Jesus never fades�. There was no other visible person in the room with him. Sigmund joined in, started to sing the psalm with the one who was singing to him. Then he was overwhelmed with the presence of God, fell to his knees and committed his life to Jesus Christ. Immediately he was filled with peace and joy on the inside. �Jesus moved in�, Sigmund says with a big smile, �He is now within me!�
Then Sigmund rose again. He went to the bath room and had a thorough bath. He had become clean on the inside and felt he had to get rid of all filth on the outside as well. After the bath he dressed in his best suit and went to tell Bernt Tore and other neighbours what had happened to him.
�Jesus has moved in. He lives within me!� Sigmund is overflowing with joy as he shares his testimony and adding: �More people in this place will come to Christ to receive this wonderful life!�

A blogfree day

Friday I chose not to blog. We needed to spend time in prayer and in the Word all morning. The Thursday night we took part in an exciting cell-group gathering in S�rv�gen. Ten of us were gathered in the name of the Lord around a sofa table lavished with waffles and a variation of home made jam of local wild berries. With water, coffee and tea to drink the chat took off. It was just good to see one another and to be together. Then each one shared something from their week, how the Lord had blessed them or used them to bless others. It was amazing to listen to all these small stories of the goodness of God in the ordinary life of common people. I also shared with them along the content of my blog on Thursday.

So Friday we needed to pray. The demons had been exposed and defeated but we needed to secure our victory ground, no time to blog in the morning. During prayer we felt that we needed to go a different borough: B� in Vester�len. Two appointments with people from that place had been cancelled and we felt this was not right, but a demonic manipulation trying to put obstacles in the way for the new thing God wanted to do in this place. By car we went through many of the small villages and the administration centre praying and blessing all the way. The pleasure of God was with us the entire trip and God even gave me some keys to unlock the spiritual situation in this place.

When we were back in our house a new assignment waited for us. An elderly man, a non believer, had been challenged by Bernt Tore earlier in the day to accept prayer for healing in his body. After thinking it through he came back and expressed his appreciation and acceptance of being prayed for through the laying one of hand. Off we went to see this man and pray for him. We were warmly welcomed into his house by this elderly couple. Bernt Tore shared his testimony. Solveig and I did the same. Then we were able to lay hands on him, pray for healing and bless him and his house in the name of the Lord. We had a good time with them in the presence of God. No instant miracle took place, but I am in faith for him to be healed and for salvation to come to his entire house! Please join me in continuous prayer for him, his wife, their five children and eleven grandchildren that full salvation may come to them all.

After this session of prayer we went home to receive some wonderful friends that we had invited for an evening meal. We enjoyed a good meal together but even more we enjoyed the spiritual fellowship in talking of the things of the Kingdom and praying for its advance in this area. When all our friends were gone, there was no time left to blog! The bed was eagerly waiting for us.

The covenant community will put an end to demonic activity

I have discovered that there are lots of demonic activities in this beautiful part Northern Norway. The demonic activities are located in the high places trying to control people�s lives by causing them to do their own things their own ways and follow their own programs. People are deceived to think that they are just reasonable and sensible in pursuing what is best for them and their plans. When their wishes are conflicting with other people�s desires, the demons are clever in convincing them that they are right in the demanding of people to do what they want and meet their own needs. These conflicting interests over small things and personal issues are growing to take on huge proportions and drive people from each other, destroying relationships and community, leaving a long trail of hurting people isolating themselves in their own houses.
But God has decided to do something about this situation. This place is going to see a visitation of God in power and glory. Many people will be brought into the covenant community of God�s people. The city of God will be built on the high places and the demons will be cast down and made to flee from this place. God has determined to glorify himself in this place by raising up a covenant people that will be restoring the community by reflecting his very life.
Covenant love will bind people to God and to one another with bonds that cannot be broken. They will learn to lay down their lives for one another, preferring one another in love. They will walk in the light of God, thinking right of themselves and their fellow believers, honestly confronting untruth in love for the light to protect them. The light of God and the love of God will be their protection and key for advancing the kingdom of God.
The unity of the covenant community will be like a lighthouse guiding the people into a right relationship with God and his people. Here in this place (Vester�len) God will demonstrate his gracious power in bringing people together in love and unity in his glorious light. The community of the covenant people will become the light and the measuring standard for all people in this area longing for righteousness and kindness. Self-sacrificing-love among God�s people will have an amazing effect on ordinary people causing them to run to God for mercy, begging to become part of the covenant community.
There is no need to give the demons any attention. They will be brought down by the proclaiming of the good news of the Kingdom and through announcing the blessing of God on the people in this society. As the covenant community take hold of all opportunities to make it clear the Jesus Christ is Lord and to make known to everyone his good plans for people in this area, the demonic influence will diminish. The daily prayers for neighbours, friends, relatives, work-mates and the society at large will transform the spiritual atmosphere making it difficult to go to hell but easy to turn to God to find life and peace.
Joy will become the hallmark of this community of God-loving-people that are emerging in this place. Exuberant joy will be expressed in high praises. The deep and reverent joy will flow from worship. The playful joy of enjoying life and seeing the finger of God in ordinary life situations will trigger a freedom of faith and expressions of trust that will amaze people and draw them to God and his people. �Thanksgivings will pour out of the windows; laughter will spill through the doors. Things will get better and better. Depression days are over. They�ll thrive, they�ll flourish. The days of contempt will be over. They�ll look forward to having children again, to be a community in which I take pride� (The Message Jeremiah 30:19-20).

This morning I finished an article on the Kingdom of God for our magazine Folk. This coming issue of Folk will be a very important one, as we are covering several vital aspects of the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately the magazine is only available in Norwegian at the moment, therefore the readership is limited. If you visit http://www.kristent-nettverk.no you will anyway get some taste of what we are doing.

The Message Bible again

I am still excited with my new Message Bible. I have been reading the book of Isaiah, the master prophet and superb poet. While I have been reading and meditating on the Word I have had a fresh encounter with the God �who breathes life into earth�s people, makes them alive with his own life� (Isaiah 42:5). Again I have discovered that �God intended, out of the goodness of his heart to be lavish in his revelation� (Isaiah 42:21). In fact God is saying �Revelation flows from me, my decisions light up the world� (Isaiah 51:4). God is not holding back anything he is generous in his giving of light and life. �Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do� (Isaiah 48:11).
It is easy to get hold of the Bible from http://www.christianbook.com or http://amazon.com

A little boy or a big bear

Yesterday God gave me two visions comprising one message for Geir Arne, an athletic young man in his thirties. He is the father of two nice children, a boy and a girl, successfully married to Liv Anne. He is the normal size of a man but with strong muscles and macho look about him.
I was resting before I went to the afternoon service on Sunday to minister the word of God. Then God gave me the two visions. First I saw a little boy with big dreams a desire to something big. But as he tried to realise his dreams and achieve the big things, he failed. It didn�t matter how hard he tried, he was not able to do what he wanted to do. Then God gave me a new vision. Now I saw a big bear. It was a wild and free bear, a bear that was threatened by nobody. It was very happy and content bear that was playing around and enjoying life. There were plenty of blueberries and plants for food at hand, the bear had no reasons for being concerned for anything.
Then the Lord spoke to me and told me to give him this message: When you only trust your own resources you will be like the little boy with the big dreams and great aspirations unable to do what you want, no matter how hard you try. But when you trust the Holy Spirit and flow with his anointing you will be like the bear. Then you will be able to do what you want to do, you will enjoy life and no one will threaten you. Then you will live a carefree and happy life enjoying the plenty provision of the Lord. This is the free and playing wildlife you are destined to live, not being locked in by all kinds of limitations.
I have chosen to share this with everyone because these two visions and the message apply to most of us. As long as we only trust our own resources we will be limited, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to carry us along, there will be no limitations. Then we will be able to carefree and happy, playfully enjoy life in the grace of God.

Running over with excitement

He knocked lightly on the door, he seemed to be afraid to disturb. He didn�t want to intrude into our private world of a rented house, even though he was the owner. He came to welcome us and to make us feel at home in the old house that he had restored. All this was normal politeness, an expression of the famous North Norwegian hospitality.
It didn�t take long for me to discover that his main purpose for coming was a different one. Bernt Tore is devoted believer and a skilled self employed plumber. Last night in their cell-group they had been prayer for one another for boldness and opportunities to share the gospel of the Kingdom with non-believers. Now he was sitting in front of me. He was almost bursting. He was bubbling on the inside. He couldn�t hold back anymore. He had to tell me of his wonderful day.
In the morning he was seeing his hairdresser. While he was having his hair made he discovered that the hairdresser had some problem with a child. That is, the child had problems. Some serious illness had been identified and his mother, the hairdresser, was despairing. Bernt Tore was able to tell her about one of his children that had been healed through prayer in the name of the Lord. He was sharing with her what God had done for him and his family offering to pray for her and her child. She happily accepted that. And Bernt Tore was walking on clouds when he left the hairdresser saloon.
At lunch he met with the local businessmen for lunch. They used to meet every Friday to have a lunch together and keep in touch. Bernt Tore happened to be sitting at the table of a businessman he had been praying for a full year. They were school-mates but had been out of touch in a long time for natural reasons. When the lunch was over and the rest of the businessmen were gone, the two of them were still talking together. Bernt Tore discovered that his friend of old was seeking God, but had been disappointed with the religious establishment. He was able to share with him what God had been doing in his life and how he heard from God and fellowshipped with God. His friend was really interested and accepted the invitation to attend one of the cell-group gatherings. After this conversation Bernt Tore was soaring to new heights in thankfulness to the Lord who had answered his prayers in such a wonderful way this day.
Now he was on his way to his next job assignment. He should install an outdoor Jacuzzi bath for one of the wealthiest businessmen in the area. After finishing the job, the businessman invited him to try out the new bath with him. In this beautiful day, with bright sky, sun shining, magnificent mountains surrounding them, Bernt Tore and the businessman were enjoying the Jacuzzi bath and entering into a talk about the deeper things in life. Again Bernt Tore could from his own experience tell of the emptiness for materialism and share his story of what God was doing for him. The businessman was eagerly listening to him and opening up by telling of his struggles and longing for a greater purpose with life. Bernt Tore was pointing him to Jesus � the unchanging King in the unshakable Kingdom.
It is now wonder that Bernt Tore didn�t know which foot to stand on. He hurried home to share the good news of his day with his wife. She was not at home she had taken the kids to the beach for a quick bath. Now he was sitting in front of me, joyfully telling me how God enabled him to share the gospel with three people that day. He was full to the brim; no in fact he was running over! He was like a refreshing river of life to me. His excitement rekindled something within me, causing me to expectantly rejoice with him.

Rocky-mountains

After a most wonderful breakfast with my most excellent and beautiful wife, Solveig, we left Stokmarknes to go to Myre in the borough of �ksnes. We went on a narrow and curvy road alongside the Eidsfjord before we came to the main road taking us to Myre. The scenery on this route is fabulous. The coastline with islands, holms, bays, small peninsulas and rocky-mountains in all shapes and fashions, is difficult to describe. I had to stop every five minutes to take photos with my new digital camera. My wife wondered if we would arrive at our destiny while it was still light since I was photographing all the time. I have never taken so many photos of mountains in my entire life. I will try to include one picture at the end of this blog.

Heroes of faith

Last night we went to see Jens and Gunhild, some precious old friends of us for years. This blessed couple were in their early sixties when we first met them. Now they are well on their way into their eighties and very much alive in God. Jens is the younger one of the two and the age has taken its toll on him. His knees have become feeble, his legs lost their strength, but he is strong in his spirit, you can feel it when he prays. Gunhild doesn�t seem to have changed at all. Well, I must admit though that she seems to move more slowly and there seems to be signs of shivering at her hands. Besides that she is same caring person, giving you all your attention and asking all kind of questions to find out how you and your family are.
Their flat was filled with a sense of sacredness, like a fragrance of holy presence, something unexplainable but still very real and tangible. A godly tenderness and a righteous kindness were breaking forth from their aged faces. They carried with them a royal dignity, a safe, confident trust that was like a holy balm bringing healing and refreshment to your soul. You feel privileged to be in their presence, they give you a sense of significance.
Gunhild, in her mid-eighties, surprised us by being vividly focused on what God was doing in the society and among the covenant community of God�s people. Her prayer life had certainly kept her alive in her spirit. She was still dreaming. She was still seeing visions of God. She was expectantly looking forward to a spiritual breakthrough in the nation. She was still eagerly waiting for revival to transform society.
Jens and Gunhild are heroes of faith. They have sacrificed a lot for God and his people. They have during the years paid a high price, being misunderstood by their own generation. They have been prophetic � ahead of their time. They are still young in faith, still believing God for great things, still not settled for nothing less than seeing the kingdom come and the will of God be done � here in the northern part of Norway and to the ends of the world.

Finding the will of God

I have just spent some time with Geir Tore, one of my former Bible School students who has moved to this northern part of Norway to be part of what God is doing here. Together we climbed a mountain, and we reached the top. The view was breathtaking. The scenery in this part of Norway is majestic. But our conversation was even more astonishing. By the grace of God I was just able to ask him a few questions that hit the nail on its head.
Geir Tore was in a dilemma. He had to choose between three good alternatives to get the training he needed to be able to fulfil his destiny. When he told me his plans, I immediately felt that the alternative he was about to choose was not the best one for him in the long run, but perhaps the most exciting at the moment. During our conversation I was able to help him to see his situation in a new light that he could make a wise decision for his future.
Geir Tore has a heart of gold. He has a heart for God. He is fully committed to do the will of God and is willing to go where ever the Lord sends him. He is yearning to see people come to God through his testimony. He wants to become a preacher. He wants to be a church-planter. He wants to serve God and his fellow men in the nations of the world. Oh God, keep me burning with the same zeal to see your kingdom come and keep me humble enough to receive wise counsel from my brothers, because the more wise counsel we follow, the better our chances.

B�rge a living miracle

When B�rge showed up to bring us to Stokmarknes I was filled with joy and thankfulness. A year ago he nearly died twice at the hospital due to maltreatment. But the covenant community interceded for him and God spared his life. There were so many complications for him at the hospital, but God intervened and healed him miraculously. Now he was here in his car with me, sharing his heart and expectations for the days ahead. I felt so good sitting beside him, knowing the is a living miracle next to me, wondering what kind of miracle is at head of me? I am convinced that I will see the power of God at work among the people in this remote part of Norway.

Thank God for modern transportation

Yesterday we went to the northern part of Norway by plane. We left Bergen with the first flight in the morning for Oslo. In Oslo we had to run for our connection to Evenes. Then we caught the bus for Sortland. There B�rge was ready to take us by car to Stokmarknes where we are staying a few days. We left home at 06.15 and we arrived our place of destiny at 13.30. Thank God for modern transportation vehicles enabling us to finish this trip in 7 hours when my parents would have needed 7 days!

Early morning prayer meeting
Early this morning I went to a prayer meeting. Six o�clock 10 men gathered together to seek God and to pray for the covenant community of God�s people in our city. Normally we will be 15 plus at this prayer meeting but vacation is still not over I guess.
We had a very good time praying for the Kingdom of God to come and the will of God done in our city. The men were praying bold prayers in the name of the Lord.
However the gathering came alive a new way when Knut suggested that we should pray specifically for Morten, our young leading pastor of our church. We all gathered around him, laying hands on him and fervently praying for him. Some saw visions, others had prophetic words and still others shared words of wisdom with him. Then I was prayed for the same way, and others were prayed for under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
I was strengthened by the prayers of my brothers. Their care encouraged me. The visions, prophetic words and spiritual insight released more faith in my heart. When they sent me of on my trip to the northern part of Norway with the blessing of God I just knew this was going to be an important journey in the service of God.
I am so thankful to the Lord that he has given me brothers that care for me and pray for me like these men I met with this morning. I am privileged to have men around me that will seek God on my behalf and speak for God into my life. My life has become more full and rich because of them.

The Message

At last the entire Bible has been converted into contemporary language by Eugene H. Peterson. The Message Bible was released earlier this summer and it reached me one week ago. I love The Message. I have been reading the New Testament and the Proverbs earlier and now I am reading Isaiah. Eugene H. Peterson has done an excellent job. He is a master with words, a real poet and he knows his God and the people he is living among.
Since English is only my third language and since I have never lived in an English speaking society, I come across expressions that are not easily understood, I must admit. However that only makes me keen to enlarge my knowledge of the English language!
I highly recommend The Message to everyone! Take a look at www.messagebible.com or www.christianbook.com

Holiday is over

Today I was back to the ordinary life. Holiday is over. My job is calling me to work again. So this first day of the week I went to church this morning. The building was quite full of people with a lot of visitors and new students in town. The best part of the service for me was when the Pastor during his sermon called Reidar to the front to tell the church of some experiences he had the previous weekend when Reidar had been hiking in the mountains of Hardanger, Norway.
Reidar is a farmer and a carpenter. He is not big or tall, but quite short and broad-shouldered. He is kind of a rough guy, a hard working fellow. The way he walks and talks tells everyone that he is not urban at all. He is not one of these post-modern types you find in universities or libraries or in the virtual world of the Web. He is just an ordinary simple Norwegian village guy, - a real man.
I was touched by his sincere way of telling his story and his story almost moved me to tears in its simplicity. After 10 hours of walking in the mountains he finally reached the cabin for mountain walkers. He was hungry and tired and had little time for preparing food before the common sleeping time. However he took notice of a man on a crutch, he had hurt himself on his walk and was order to rest in the cabin for one week. Probably a helicopter had to bring him back to civilisation. Reidar immediately had compassion on him and felt a desire to pray for him.
Before he went to sleep, the Holy Spirit spoke to Reidar about laying hand on this fellow who had hurt his leg so he couldn�t move with out a crutch. �I was a big glee,� he said, �I was filled with joy. I just knew that God wanted to bless this guy. I almost couldn�t wait for the morning to appear to pray for him.
The following morning Reidar approached the guy and told him that he was a Christian believer and asked for permission to pray for him. Immediately tears appeared in his eyes and he gladly accepted prayer. Reidar shared his testimony with him, read to him from the New Testament before he prayed for him and blessed him in the name of the Lord. After some time of fellowship together Reidar had to leave to reach another cabin in his hiking route.
Did a healing take place? I don�t know. But I know that the man with the broken leg was touched by the love of God expressed through Reidar the carpenter. I also know that if I care for people the same simple way as Reidar, people may encounter God though me.
Reidar really is somebody. If you like to read a simple poem inspired by this story visit: www.tobesomebody.blogspot.com