Young people are seeking God

Young people are seeking God
Last evening I had the privilege of attending the youth conference again. About 200 young people were gathered to worship and listen to the word of God. There was no sound, light or smoke effects at all. A young man with a guitar was leading worship, backed by a few more instruments, noting impressive. But as the worship developed and went through differing phases, I was more and more blessed by the powerful presence of God in the gathering.
These young people prayed some bold prayers for their own towns and nations. They proclaimed their visionary faith in the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ and his kingdom. They prophesied encouraging words to individuals as well as to the entire congregation. They shared fresh visions from God and prophetic insight into his purpose.
I was blessed to see how many of them actively were taking part in what was going on. Very young teenagers and some a little bit older stood side by side praying, proclaiming, prophesying! With a flock of young people like this I can see my dreams for this nation and other nations come true! God is certainly doing a wonderful work in our day!

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Youth conference

Youth conference
Last Sunday was a wonderful day. It started good when we had a different worship service in the morning. The chairs were arrange differently. The musicians were place a different place. The whole format of the gathering was different from normal procedure. We had already told the people that we wanted to do things differently this time. They all responded very well and the gathering was creative, relaxed, but the presence of God was with us! God spoke to us in an unusual way through people contributing in a rich variety. I was very blessed. I am thankful to our young pastor Morten Askeland allowing us to experiment like this. I hope it is not the last time we do it like this.
In the evening the youth conference started. About 200 young people were gathered for the opening meeting. It had all the ingredients of a great show. Light, sound, smoke filled the hall in a way you wouldn't expect in a church building! I must say that the young people are really creative and unafraid to used new tools for expressing their faith and life in God.
Even though the young people are using new technologies and modern equipments the gathering was still more traditional than the morning service in the church! It was all directed from the platform, according to the normal pattern of a Christian meeting. But beside that it was a very encouraging moment to be there with these 200 young people praising God and listening to the word of God.
Knut Osland kept their attention for about one hour as he gave them the Word of God. He challenged the young people to live a life of obedience and faith, being wholehearted in their commitment to the Lord.


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Books are precious gifts

Books are precious gifts
On Christmas Eve I had the great joy of unwrapping many presents from my wife, children, grandchildren and friends. I find unwrapping packets very exciting. I have never grown up. I am still like a curious little boy, eager to tear off the paper and explore what's inside. And I still prefer to get hard packets.
This year I had all kind of gifts to unwrap. They came in many different shapes, some hard, some soft, and some in between. But the hard gifts of books are the most precious to me! Chocolate I eat and share with others, and then it is gone. Clothes last a little longer, giving both pleasure and warmth before they are worn out. But books live forever. They may be torn and worn, but the more they are used the longer they live in fresh insight and renewed life. I love to unwrap books. I love to read. Books enlarge my life and make me a better person. They enable me to serve my fellow human beings in a better way. Books are precious gifts.

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Wonderful Christmas eve

Wonderful Christmas eve
We are just home from the annual Christmas service at church. It was a very good gathering with all the necessary traditional Christmas ingredients, with carols and reading from Luke 2. I read one of my own Christmas poems and that was very well received. I am amazed at the big crowd of non-Christians that gather together with us for an evening like this.
Now I am home. I have just lit the fire in our log fire place. The Christmas tree is filled with lights and glitter, decorated by Solveig only a few days ago. The smell of the traditional Christmas dinner is filling the living room as well. Only in a short time now and we will enjoy our "pinnekj�t" - the dried lamb's rib cooked in a big pan on birch twigs. It is delicious! We only eat it for Christmas eve.
After the dinner we will open the presents. I am so happy that we have this Norwegian tradition of opening the presents on Christmas eve, and not on Christmas day which is tomorrow! It is always a great joy to look at the others when they open their presents and it is exciting to receive presents as well! On Christmas eve we are all like children.

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The God-revealer has arrived

The God-revealer has arrived!
In my NT reading I have come to the Gospel of John. This morning I had the joy of reading and meditation on the prologue of the fourth gospel. These words are powerful in their simplicity. "The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one." Everything was created through him. He called Life into existence, and the Life was Light to live by.

The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn�t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn�t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
John pointed him out and called, �This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.�
We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding�
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.

From The Message : The Bible in contemporary language

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To be somebody

To be somebody
I am re-launching my poetic blog on being somebody! Hopefully this will be an encouragement to kindred spirits!

View Solveig's blog and my poetic blog

I have helped Solveig to start a blog!

I have helped Solveig to start a blog!

I feel quite proud at the moment as I have helped Solveig to start her own blog! She has been writing some nice entries for awhile now, but only a few days ago she started to blog. I am sure many people will be very blessed by what she will be writing. I recommend her blog to everyone!

Let thousand flowers blossom

Let thousand flowers blossom!
Let tens of thousand different plants flourish!
Let hundreds of thousand seeds sprout, and grow to become a vast forest!
Let the followers of Christ become numerous as the sand on the seashore and stars in the winter-sky.
Let the believers excell in expressing love in practical and down to earth deeds.
Let the covenant community explode with creativity!
Let the church of Christ come to fulness!

A new generation of Christians

A new generation of Christians
God has been speaking to us of raising up a new generation of young believers who will turn our nation to Christ and disciple our entire nation. This generation will be strong in the Word and in the Spirit. They will know why they believe what they believe according to the Word of God. Likewise they will be at home in the Holy Spirit. They will have the manifestations of the Spirit among them as they serve the community. They will live in a fresh anointing, knowing the power of God and the Word of God. Therefore they will have a secure foundation for their life and they will be powerfully used by God. They will not be uniformed but display the colourful variety of the grace of God in all their dealings. Their community will not be a narrow one, but a liberating environment with a vast variety of expressions of God�s life among them. They will be a creative community with a great variety of gifts and talents. They will be like a garden in early spring, filled with young plants springing up everywhere. They will be young people of fresh initiative and daring exploits for the Lord.

More praying with young leaders

More praying with young leaders
Yesterday the young leaders organizing the New Year Festival had announced a day of prayer and fasting to prepare for the up coming gathering of young people to celebrate the new year. It was my privilege to pray with them last evening.
I am really impressed with these young leaders. They are committed to their call to serve the Lord in their generation. As they were gathering they were sharing with one another what God had been speaking to them through their time in his presence before they came together. I was very blessed as they were quoting the Scriptures and explaining the insight God had been giving them. The hand of the Lord is clearly upon them!
Again we experienced the presence of God and the Holy Spirit moved powerfully in prophetic prayers and the operation of spiritual gifts. I am convinced that the festival will be a milestone or a boundary-breaking experience to many of the young people.

People are being saved

People are being saved
The last week has been so busy that I have found no time to blog. But good news are coming in from several places of people coming to Christ for salvation. My elder son, Karl Enok, phoned me yesterday and told the good news that he had been able to lead a person to Christ in the church in Troms�. They will see many people turn to Christ in that city!
A team from the Bergen Bible-school has prayed with several young people for salvation at some evangelistic outreach they have done at some high schools. Now they are involved in the follow up work.
This busy week has been very encouraging. God is certainly at work in this nation of Norway!

The pastors in Bergen are celebrating Christmas

The Pastors in Bergen are celebrating Christmas
33 pastors and wives came together for a big Christmas meal at Gullbotn yesterday. Solveig had prepared a wonderful Christmas-table. Her artistic talents had really been released through her beautifully looking and most delicious dishes. We all enjoyed the traditional Norwegian Christmas food and one another's company.
Reidar Paulsen gave a directional speech which we all responded to in faith and with expectation for the future. Prophetic words were given and we had a good time in prayer for one another.

Young leaders are seeking God

Young leaders are seeking God
It was a great experience and privilege to join with a good number of young Christian leaders to seek GOD for guidance. These young men and women are really hungry for God and they have a burden to see the new generation to come to know the Lord.
As we were praying the Lord spoke very clearly to us to focus on two things that go together: The Word of God and the Holy Spirit. As leaders of young people we must give them the Word of God and help them to nourish themselves in the Word and become strong in the Spirit! If we succeed in raising up a new generation that loves the Word of God and are at home in the Holy Spirit, that generation will turn this nation to God!
I was impressed when the young leaders decided to meet another time before Christmas for fasting and prayer. When people in Norway normally eat and drink as never before during the year, these young leaders will abstain from food and personal pleasure to seek God. When things like this happens, there is a great future for this nation!

The nations - gifts before us

The nations - gifts before us
Look, the Lord, God Almighty, has placed the nations of the world as gifts before us! Now, is the time for unwrapping! The nations of the world are open for a new visitation from heaven. They are waiting for a new incarnation. They wonder if the miracle of Christmas could ever happen again?
There is a wonderful openness to the spiritual realities in the new generation in every nation in the world. This is the day of opportunity for all who know God to make him known to the nations that are looking for a greater reality than materialism and political idealism.
The wonder of Christmas is not a nice story tale or a romanticised distortion of an historic event. The wonder of Christmas can be seen in the covenant community serving the society in which it lives.
The wonder of Christmas can be experienced as reality when we unwrap the society in which we live of all its external glitters and lay down our lives to meet the deep needs behind the successful external surface.

Prophetic gathering

Prophetic gathering
Friday afternoon I met with two other prophets to pray and seek the Lord together. We had a wonderful time sharing with one another from the Word of God what God had been speaking to us personally about. I was really encouraged through this sharing of the fresh insight from our devotional reading of the Bible. Living in the Word of God is the best way of being fresh and sharp in our walk with God.
Personally I am reading in Isaiah at the moment. I felt God spoke to me to spend time with the prophets. I have already read through all the prophets in the Bible and have started my second round. I find reading the prophets very stimulating to spirit and I am being stirred in my heart. These are some verses from the New Living Translation that have touched my heart recently:
The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he awakens me and opens my understanding to his will. (Is 50:4)
Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon lie down in great torment. (Is 50:10-11)

A growing church in Nordhordland

A growing church in Nordhordland
Last night Solveig and myself had the great privilege of being with the growing church in Nordhordland (north of Bergen). The church was officially launched one year ago and Magnar Askeland and Morten Gundersen were set in as elders. From that time there has been a wonderful growth and a tremendous development has taken place.
For years there has been a group of believers in that place that we had been working towards. They were part of the church Christian Fellowship in Bergen, and they saw a very slow but steady growth. When they started to talk of being a church in their own right in their locality and being planted out as a new church, things started to happen!
They are now a thriving fellowship and a growing church in their region. Once they were planted out, a new sense of responsibility and local belonging released the expanding faith among the people! I was so happy to see so many new faces that I had never seen before! I was filled with joy to see the growth that had taken place, not only numerical but also in character and stature.
God is so good! By his grace we are enabled to be a part of this growing company of God's people. They are really emerging as a church for their locality for a time like this!

To be somebody

To be somebody
is not a matter of right or wrong
it is not a matter of having the political correct opinions
or the classical orthodox doctrine

To be somebody
is a matter of being kind
- of caring for others
- of loving in words and deeds
To be somebody
is all about forgiving
- those who persecute you
and being generous
- towards those who are different

To be somebody
is not a matter of theology
it is all about living a good life
- trusting the Son of man
who set aside the privileges of deity
and became one of us to bring us to God
ministering life to us by dying our death

When you do a favour
to those who don't deserve it
then you are really somebody

Man - woman roles

Man - woman roles
The next issue of FOLK our Norwegian teaching magazine will tackle the whole issue of gender in the Christian community. We will look at the different roles of man and woman and how they complement each other. The last few days I have finished three related articles on the subject and Solveig is writing an article on mature women should teach and train younger women. I am convinced that she will share a lo of very helpful insights in her article.
In the next month I don't have much traveling to do as I have planned to spend most of the time writing. I have many things I need to finish in writing and I am getting new ideas popping up all the time of subjects I need to write on. By the grace of God I intend to write down the vision God has given me. I will entrust it to my co-workers and together we will pass it on to future generations!
God is good!

Strong but gentle leadership

Strong but gentle leadership
As I was reading Isaiah 40:10-11 this morning I was struck by the way the Sovereign Lord is describing his glorious leadership. His opening remarks hits you like a heavy hammer: He will rule with awesome strength! When it dawns on you how awesome he is, the everlasting God, the Creator of all the universe, the Holy One, you shrink back in fear and just want to hide from his holy presence!
But then He goes on describing how he uses his awesome strength and the picture changes dramatically. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
What a wonderful way God is displaying his awesome strength! By caring for and feeding his flock. By carrying the small ones in his arms and by holding the weak ones close to his heart. It is indeed a strong but gentle leadership!
God is good!

A growing church in Troms�

A growing church in Troms�
Friday Solveig and myself landed in the artic city of Troms� as the sun went down behind the mountains for the last time in two months. For the next two months the sun will not rise above the horizon in the south but only shed its dim and red twilight into the artic days of Troms�.
In the evening Solveig was meeting with the ladies of the covenant community to share her spiritual insight from the word of God mixed with her wisdom drawn from her forty years of experience of marriage and ministry in the church. All the ladies were blessed by what she shared!
Jimmy Thomsen, Karl Enok Thu and myself met together for a time fellowshiphip and sharing as well. They are the leaders of a growing community of people loving the Lord. It is always good to spend time with them, listen to them and their aspirations and then trying to come up with some good answers to their questions.
Saturday morning all the cell-group leaders and their assistants met for a wonderful breakfast in Ingebj�rg and Karl Enoks home. It was really a good time eating and chatting together. With great attention I was listening to their reports of the groups they were leading. Some good things are going on in that emerging postmodern church of mainly young people from many different nations. God is really at work among them.
Sunday morning they met in a new school building for the first time. The facilities were very nice and will be a bonus for them in days to come. About 50 people were gathered together for worship, fellowship and for listening to God! And God spoke! Hallelujah! God is not a silent God, but a God who speaks! Spiritual gifts were in operation and the Word of God was preached. Many people were touched by movings of the Spirit of God in the gathering. I can clearly sense that this covenant community will continue to grow and be a blessing to the entire city of Troms�!
Sunday night we attended the joint prayer meeting at the old wooden cathedral of Troms�. About 100 predominantly young people were gathered for prayer for the city. It was led be a young lady. The hand of God was certainly resting upon her for this prayer ministry. This evening they were especially praying for the 20 different churches in town. Prayer requests from all the churches had been gathered and placed on posters placed on the walls. We had a prayer walk as we went from poster to poster prayer for the different needs of the churches of Troms�. I was impressed with the intensity in the prayers of some of the young people, but more than anything I was touched to see a middle age lady praying fervently in tears for the people of God in Troms�.
While they were praying I felt like Jesus Christ was embracing the city in love! It was like he was pulling the people in the city to himself by putting his kind and loving arms around them.

Apostolic team meeting

Apostolic team meeting
All Wednesday the apostolic team led by Noralv Askeland came together for a time of prayer, dialogue and planning at Gullbotn. We had a wonderful time together as we met with the Lord and one another.
After being away for a full month it was very good to see my friends again. It was so good to touch base again and listen to all the personal reports and updates we sharing with one another. I really give thanks to the Lord for all my friends and for the privilege of being part of a company like this. Their friendship enhance my life!
God is doing some wonderful things in all the emergent churches we are working with. We are facing our challenges and we will overcome every obstacle by the grace of God. I am very encouraged by the reports I heard, and I am very blessed by the fresh expectancy and faith in the Lord which I observed in my friends in the apostolic team.

Home again

Home again
Yesterday evening we reached our home safely after one month in beautiful India. We have had a very enjoyable stay in the great nation of India. We met a lot of wonderful people and we could see with our own eyes that the Spirit of the Supreme God is at work in this vast continent with so many people groups.
Last Sunday in Jaipur we were taken to be with one of the eleven congregations in covenant community. It was a moving time as we listened to the testimonies of the people who were encountering God in their every day life. One boy told us how his dumb uncle had been prayed for, and was able to speak normally after their prayer. Others told how they had experienced the Lord's protection in difficult and dangerous situations. I was tremendously blessed by a happy lady giving thanks to the Lord for a piece of soap that she was given, this marvelous soap made her smell like an orange and she was extremely excited and thankful! Bijut told a wonderful story of how the Lord had used him to pray for an ill person when he was visiting a friend at the hospital. The doctors didn't know what to do for this man, but he was instantly healed after Bijut's prayer. Several children told how the Lord had helped them at school and at exams.
But now we are back home in Norway again. It is always good to be home. When we arrived in Bergen we were welcomed by Jakob and Sara, our grandchildren, and Josef our son. Elizabeth, our daughter-law had prepared a nice dinner for us. It was a very good welcome!
The temperature is very nice, around six degrees Celsius, but the days have become very much shorter during our absence and is getting shorter and shorter day by day until Christmas. This morning we attended the prayer meeting at the church and enjoyed a good breakfast together with the brothers.
The rest of the day I have spent going through my mail and I have been very much encouraged by some feedback from people we met in India. I have lit the log fire-place and are enjoying Indian temperature in the living room at the moment!

Rajinder and Madhu�s miracle baby

Rajinder and Madhu�s miracle baby
Yesterday Rajinder and Madhu came to see us. They are a lovely couple that we met a few years ago when they were new believers. Yesterday they brought their baby boy and their firstborn son with them and told a moving story.

After the birth of their first son they lost three children, two in late pregnancy and one died at the hospital soon after birth. Doctors told her that if she had a boy this time he would most probably suffer from the same defect as the baby that died at the hospital. But this humble couple put their trust in God and asked for healing and a safe delivery of the child to be born. Madhu wanted to give birth to the baby at home because of what she had been told by the doctors at the hospital. If she gave birth to a boy he would have to undergo a lot of tests and treatments and had to be taken all the way to a hospital in New Dehli.

Three weeks before her due time for birth she went to the hospital because of pain and unease. At the hospital she was scanned and thoroughly examined before she was sent home to rest and wait for another three weeks for the due time. The very same night she went into labour pain, was able to call for a midwife and gave birth to a beautiful boy! He got some rash and wounds in the back and lost some weight for a while. After prayers from the covenant community he was healed!

Now they were standing in front of us and telling moving their story giving thanks to their Lord. They were radiantly and a kind of beauty of gratefulness engulfed them as they showed us their miracle baby! I could see the beauty of the Lord in this poor couple. We were standing on holy ground encountering God. In His presence we had the privilege of offering prayers and thanksgiving. We felt so blessed being able to see the miracle of the Lord in this tiny baby.

God is so good!

Exciting time in Jaipur

Exciting time in Jaipur
We have had some very busy but exciting time in Jaipur. Zephry has been very kind to us taking us many interesting places. He took us to a fortress overlooking the city and we walked on the high wall on the edge of the cliff, - a very enjoyable experience! From that perspective we realised the vastness of the city of Jaipur with its 3 million inhabitants. The sunset was lovely and in the darkness of the night the lights of the city were a marvellous sight.

One day we were taken to the four hundred and fifty years old palace of Samode. It was a breathtaking experience to see that beautifully and extravagantly painted Durbar hall and the marvellous Sheesh Mahal � the Hall of Mirrors; - all in the middle of �nowhere� of a dry mountain area of small run down villages. We had a cultural show of Rajasthani dancing as well as a puppet show. At the evening we had a delicious meal together with our friends. In the company of friends everything get a better taste!

We have also had the privilege of spending time with the students at the Covenant School as well as some of the community leaders. It was a very profitable time of spiritual insight, edification and instruction. Weeds were uprooted and seeds were sown, - a wonderful harvest is on the way!

Peter and Nirmala, as well as Jaiprakash, Jorgi and Gouthar came to see us, and we had a wonderful time with them. They are giving very good reports of progress being made in their areas of operation. They told us some very encouraging good news as well as sobering stories of persecution and difficulties.

Burkabhai was giving the good news of the Kingdom to a paralysed man he met in one of the villages he visited. This person happily received the messaged and wanted to commit himself to the Lord. Burkabhai carried him on his cycle to a nearby river and baptised him. When he lifted him up from the water a miracle took place and the newly baptised believer was able to walk! The paralysed condition was gone! God is good!

Jaipur - The Pink City

Jaipur � The Pink City
Thursday night we arrived safely in Jaipur and we were met at the airport by Brenda and Zephry who gave us a warm welcome. They took us to the Atithi Guest House. We have stayed in this place before and we were given the same room that we usually occupy here. This is like our second home!
Friday was a busy day with a lot of paper-work to be done, as well as finalising the plans for our stay here. Both Solveig and myself took the opportunity to see a optician as well as visiting the Bapu Bazaar. It was a long time since we had been there and I really enjoy just walking through the Bazaar looking at people and all the goods for sale. Part of the enjoyment is also the joy of shopping things for our grandchildren, children and friends. I like to bargain; but Solveig feels sorry for the poor seller who is able to read her face and give me a less good price than if I had been on my own! And of cause I find great delight to buy some nice things for Solveig. It always feels good when I am able to buy something for my most wonderful wife!
Saturday morning we had to rise very early to go to the airport to receive Bente Danielsen who was joining us for the last week of our stay in India. The taxi we had ordered the day before arrived more than 30 minutes late but the driver drove very fast to the airport and we arrived at the scheduled time of arrival of Bente. However her flight landed 15 minutes before time so she was patiently waiting for us reading here crime-story novel. It was so good to see her!
Unfortunately no room was available at the hotel when she arrived even though a proper reservation had been made! Poor Bente had been travelling all night with no sleep and now there was no room for her in the guest house! I felt so sorry for her. The management of the guest house apologized and did their best to find a solution. After some time a room was vacated and Bente could move in. It was a small room but worse it was the most noisy room in the entire guest house because of some construction work that was going on. I made it very clear to the manager that we were not happy with the arrangement and was given the promise that she would have an ac-room by tomorrow.
Sunday morning at the breakfast table the manager joyfully announced that Bente would have her new room in the morning! We were all happy! Bente seems to be very satisfied with her new room and is settling in very well.
After breakfast we walked to the Rotary Club to meet with the covenant community as they gathered for their monthly joint worship service. The hall eventually became very full with wonderful people in colourful sarees and salwar suits. We heard many exciting testimonies from these covenant friends of miracles of healings and wonderful provisions of the Lord. These people are really alive to their God and are seeing his power at work in their lives. New people are being added to their numbers all the time. I am always moved when I hear their testimonies and watch their grateful faces as they give thanks to the Lord for his everlasting mercy and kindness.
Solveig brought a powerful vision and prophetic utterance very much in line with what the Lord had already put on my heart. As I was asked to come to share I felt so privileged to be among such wonderful people of God being able to share some spiritual insight with them. At the end we joined with the other leaders in praying for a lot of precious children and adults in need of healing, deliverance, blessing and help with their studies. Some men I prayed for were instantly healed! Solveig and Bente ministered to a lot of women and children of which some were instantly healed! What a privilege to see the power of God at work among his people!
God is good!

A warm welcome in Ahmedabad

A warm welcome in Ahmedabad
Monday night we arrived at the airport of Ahmedabad where we were warmly received by our apostle friend (name with-held for safety reasons). We were taken to his house and we have been staying with him during our stay in Gujerat. Our friend is leading a network of 930 covenant communities throughout all of India with 123000 people. Last year only they saw more than 30000 people added to their communities. To me it is a great privilege to be able to be with such a servant of the Supreme God.
We have also had the privilege of spending some time with some of the community leaders and some of his disciples. This night the Spirit of God fell on all of us. Solveig brought a prophetic word that changed our entire gathering. This is a day of a second wave of refreshing and blessing upon these wonderful people of God in the state of Gujerat. I am convinced they will see some extra ordinary miracles take place in the days ahead. They have already seen many miracles taken place, but now they will see some outstanding manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit.
There are a good number of zealous teenagers working with my friend. One teenager was led by the Spirit to pray for a paralyzed woman. She had been lame for more than two years and was unable to move around. This teenager prayed for her and raised her up in the name of our Lord. She was instantly healed and she could freely walk and move around!
God is good!

Wi-Fi connection

Wi-fi connection
This afternoon when Knut and Zephry went to the OM Bookstore to buy some new books I discovered that my wireless connection works at the Taj Banjara hotel! I am so excited! Now I sit in my room with my laptop and I am able so send a blog from my own computer! What a blessing the new inventions are for work of the Kingdom of God!
I have been able to read my email and send some answers and be in touch with my friends around the globe!
I am so grateful to the Lord for all the new inventions that enable us to communicate and be in touch even if we are far apart geographically! I believe that in days ahead much of our mentoring or discipling will be done this way as we will be able to cross borders and save time and money while we are in touch with one another more frequently than ever before.
God is good!

A special treat at the Taj Banjara

A special treat at the Taj Banjara
Sunday night we arrived at the Taj Banjara hotel in Hyderabad after a long day of travel and ministry to covenant communities in the Warangal area. Early morning we were taken to several local covenant communities. There was a lot of singing, some good testimonies from people who had met with God the last few days we had been together at the Bala Vikasa centre. It was very encouraging to hear those testimonies. God is so good! He is working powerfully among these peoples.
Knut and Elisabeth were taken by Abraham to two different communities. They were given food and a warm welcome. One place more than 200 persons were present. This community has been form by Moses, a former student from Jaipur Covenant School. In less than two years this community has grown to about two hundred people. This time they met in a new rented building which they hope they will be able to buy with the nice plot of land attached to it.
Zephry and David Paul went to be with Prakash and the community he was leading. Solveig and I were taken by Wilson to the covenant community in Narsampet. We all had a wonderful time with the precious covenant people of God.
After a long, dusty and tiring journey we arrived at the Taj Banjara hotel around eight o�clock in the evening. I was so tired and felt so dirty. But a warm shower did a miracle to freshen me up! When we all were ready we went to the Tandoori outdoor restaurant at the lake. This restaurant has been given the price for the most romantic restaurant in India! We went to celebrate the Silver Anniversary of Knut and Elisabeth. The surrounding was perfect for the occasion! The food was delicious! But the company of our good friends is what made the meal such a wonderful time. Friendship is the music of our lives and no treats can ever compare to the sweetness or excitements of friendship!

Bala Vikasa

Bala Vikasa
Here in Warangal we are staying in a people development centre Bala Vikasa. Their moto is: Investing in Peeople!
We are having a wonderful time interacting with about 100 local covenant community leaders. We are hearing some very good reports of what God is doing in Andra Pradesh and we are having a good time of fellowship in the presence of the Lord.
Yesterday we were taken for a special treat as a local business man invited us to his cake factory. He is producing 800000 cakes every day! It was a amzing to se his factory and some of the machines that he had developed himself according to a vision given him by the Lord! A few years back he was as good as bankerupt but today his business is flourishing! God has been blessing him and his wife in a wonderful way. Now they are having big crusades all over India gathering more than 10000 people in one meeting. In his factory he is conducted a monthly prayer meeting and about 10000 people turn up each time! It is wonderful to see God raising up people like that!
God is so good!

India update

India update
We are having a wonderful time in India as we are meeting many very good people that serve their God faithfully. We are really impressed with many of the new people we met in Darjeeling. We have been invited to visit Sikkim and we already look forward to be with the special people we met from that place.
In Orissa we saw a miraculous breakthrough at the end of our stay there. It looks like the people are ready for a new move of the Spirit!
At the moment we are in Andra Pradesh. We have had some wonderful time with Abraham. Today he has taken us to an old fortress and shown us some interesting monuments of former glory.
Tomorrow we will meet with some local community leaders. We are looking forward having a good time with them. We are staying at a people development centre and are looked after very well!

Darjeeling

Darjeeling
Darjeeling is a wonderful place with a lot of very nice and friendly people. Yesterday we did some shopping as well as spending a lot of time to fellowship and talk with our friends from here.
When we were having lunch at the famous Glenary's Bakery we had a pleasant surprise. Some local ladies arrived distributing gospel tracts. I didn't expect that to happen and I was blessed by the fact that in the midst of all the business taking place and people trying to make money, some people actually care for the spiritual welfare of the tourist as well as that of the local people.
The kingdom of God is progressing in the hills of Himalaya! I have never had any tracts given to me before on my visits to India. But this time I was blessed by these lady's caring for our souls!
God id good!

Arriving in India

Arriving in India
Around midnight we arrived in New Dehli and we were taken to a small hotel close by the airport to rest a few hours before we were on our way to Bagdogra and then to Darjeeling. We had a very pleasant journey from Norway to India and Solveig and I were accompanied by Elisabeth and Knut Osland. When we are in good company time runs fast!
Early this morning we met with Zephry D�Souza, who is joining us on our journey the two first weeks of our time in India. It is always a great joy to be with Zephry as he is such a dear brother and close friend for many years!
At the airport of Bagdogra Henry and Jyoiti welcomed us. They had arranged for our transportation to Darjeeling and our stay in a nice hotel with a breath-taking view! In fact the whole journey from Bagdogra to Darjeeling is breath-taking. The scenery is just absolutely outstanding as the narrow road on the steep hillside is climbing higher and higher crossing many mountaintops on our way to our destination. The road is worth a long article in itself, many places it was almost washed away by rain and landslides. Other places you had the feeling that it could just disappear under you at any time! When we started this journey we heard of four people killed in an accident and on our way up we witnessed the rescue-work after a fatal accident where at least one person was killed and another one seriously injured. But we were never afraid because we know that we are in the hands of God and he is protecting us very well! We know that we have far more to do for the Lord and he will keep us safe and enable us to fulfil the commission he has given us. The safest place in the world is being in the will of God! I am so grateful to God for taking us to so many exciting places and giving us thrilling experiences as we walk with him. And I thank God for all the wonderful people he leads in our way.

Wonderful time in the presence of God

A wonderful time in the presence of God!
This morning we had a wonderful time in the presence of God as the covenant community game together to worship the Living One! From beginning to end we were in the presence of God and it was totally enjoyable!
There is nothing like the presence of God. It is the most wonderful place to be! There is a fullness of life and joy in his presence that we can't express in words. It is too wonderful to describe!
As I should go forward to bring the Word, the Holy Spirit told me to ask for musicians to come forward and be ready to play whenever they felt the Spirit moving during my preaching of the Word. I am so glad that I obeyed the prompting of the Spirit. Some musicians came immediately, others joined them during my preaching, even some singers joined them. Moved by the Spirit they were making beautiful music as I was preaching. As they played the presence of God just broke in on us and I was able to communicate the Word of God in more power! It was a real blessing to minister the Word accompanied by Spirit inspired music.
God is so good! New life is growing. The Lord is branching out from the midst of his people!

Going to India

Going to India
Monday morning we are going to India again. Solveig and me love the people of this great nation and we enjoy spending time with them, listening to their stories, learning from their spiritual insight and sharing our heart with them as well.
This time we will be away for four weeks and I am not certain that I will be able to blog much when I am away, but I will do my best to share our experiences throughout our journey.

Love never fails

Love never fails
I am so grateful to the Lord for all my faithful friends in covenant community in which I have been placed by God. Over and over again I am overwhelmed by the kindness of my covenant friends. I am amazed of the strength of enduring love. It is really true that love never fails!
The last few days have been very busy in planning church growth initiatives and being responsible for a funeral of a dear co-worker in the Lord. I have met some old friends and people I have never seen before. There have been many people involved in making the funeral and the memorial time a very pleasant memory for the family. The grace of God has been evident in all our undertakings. I have been so blessed by the many tokens of love that I have seen these days.
Love never fails! It is not empty words but reality!

Don't run from suffering

Don't run from suffering
Jesus told his disciples what they could expect for themselves: �Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You�re not in the driver�s seat�I am. Don�t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I�ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I�m leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels. (Luke 9:23- The Message)
I am impressed by the frankness of Jesus and the strength of his demand to his followers. His words are very challenging to everyone in this postmodern society where the individual experience of well-being seems to be the only absolute truth. Here are some more quotes from Jesus in the words of Peterson in the Message:
You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference.
First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God�s kingdom!
No procrastination. No backward looks. You can�t put God�s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day
Not what you do for God but what God does for you�that�s the agenda for rejoicing
Don�t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.

Elders' conference

Elders' conference
We have had a busy but blessed weekend at Gullbotn with more than 100 elders or leaders from all over Norway. The main focus this time has been on how to work together as a team or achievement-group as leaders in emergent and growing churches.
Apostle Noralv Askeland started Friday night by painting the big picture for us, reminding us of our commission to disciple nations and equip all believers for the work of ministry in the covenant community. Among other things he was touching on building relationship by encouragement and facing challenges in a Spirit-filled way.
Pastor Morten Askeland started Saturday morning by teaching on leadership in a very animated way that encouraged all of us. He spoke on how to work together, how important leadership is, how a leader is formed or developed, and how to be secure in one's own call and giftings.
Then I gave a simple teaching from the Bible on elders and deacons, touching on their tasks and qualifications.
In the afternoon Terje Dahle spoke very well on self-leadership, on looking after one self. He asked some challenging questions and gave a very provoking teaching on have the right priority in life.
Knut Osland gave a very good teaching on discipling others majoring on Colossians 1:24-29.
In between the teaching we had group discussions and wonderful time of fellowship as well.
At the last session Noralv Askeland highlighted the 12 challenges that the church in Corinth faced and pointed out some very timely truths for us all.
All the participants that I spoke to were excited and encouraged by the teaching and by the fellowship with each other.

An hero of faith has finished the race

An hero of faith has finished the race
This morning the sad news reached us that our beloved sister, Gerd Lillian, had expired. The good news is that she has finish the race that was set before her in a brilliant way and has enter into the glory in her Master's presence.
For about 30 years, this humble and happy woman of God, has be a faithful co-worker in the gospel. She had newly come to the Lord when she came to join the Operation Youth Team evangelism-movement which I was leading at that time. Since then we have been working together in making disciples.
Gerd Lillian was a beautiful and colourful person. She was a great woman of God. She was a prayer warrior and a true hero of faith. She was full of life and joy. She was a kind and caring person. Everyone who met her just had to love her. She was such a good person, totally committed to the Lord Jesus Christ and full of love for other people.
Even though she was only 52 years old when she died, she had lived a full life. She was married to Odd Gunnar Westre and they have four children and one grandson. She loved her husband and her children as well as the wider family very much. And she loved the covenant community of Kristent Fellesskap. In fact she loved all the people of God, and she loved to witness to non-believers about her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
May all her relatives come to know the Lord in the same way as she did!

Team work

Team work
Today the apostolic team has been gathered at Gullboth for reporting, prayer and planning. We have had a very good time together and we are very much encouraged by the workings of the Spirit among the covenant people of God.
This coming weekend we are having an elders' conference. 110 elders and other leaders will come together to seek the guidance of the Lord for advancing the Kingdom of God in our culture and to other nations. There will be a focus on working together in team locally and translocally. We have discovered that team work is the way of God, as God is a community of love and none of the persons of the Godhead operate independently from one another, but always together in harmony and unity.
I believe that we still have very much to learn in this respect. Team work is a godly way to work as we are interdependent on one another and are meant to compliment each other. In team work we enlarge each other and make each other better!
The emergent churches that are caused be the Spirit to bud and sprout in these days are community churches led by a cohesive team of varied ministries working together. As we learn to work in teams we will become more effective and be able to more fully reflect the image of God in the way we live and work together.

Church planting

Church planting
This morning we have again had a very good prayer gathering at our church building Bergen. It is so good to come together with these devoted church-planters and leaders among the people of God.
At our breakfast, which my dear wife had prepared, we were talking about some of the challenges we are facing in our work to reach the present generation with the gospel of the Kingdom. The same thing we did in the weekend when we were together with the 70 young leaders. I am so excited by this desire to reach out to others with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Obviously we are living in a time when the covenant community is branching out. We see new sprouts, signs of new life, creative initiatives, everywhere in these exciting days in which we live. God is so good! He has not given up on the new generation and he has not given up on society! On the contrary, he is actively involved in changing the new generation and the society in which we live! I am so grateful to the Lord that I have a role to play, a work to do, a service to give, a contribution to bring, in this process of changing the world and bringing everything in submission to Jesus Christ!
Here in Bergen we have already seen some good results of the three church-planting we did last year and several new young people have dedicated themself to plant new churches in new areas of our city. These emergent churches are a real sign of new hope for Christianity in Norway!
God is good!

My wife is back

My wife is back!
Sunday evening I was able to fetch my wife at the bus station in Bergen. It was a warm welcome! Earlier the very same day I had found some nice pieces of paper in my underwear, my jumper and my shirt, with loving greetings from my dear wife. She has been visiting her mother at the Stavanger area for her 86th birthday and she brought Sara, our granddaughter, with her. They had a good time. But now Solveig is back home where she belongs with me!

We had a long talk last night at the fireplace. The living room became so hot, we felt like being in India! And we enjoyed it as the cold rain was pouring down outside.

This morning we have had a good breakfast together! I have thoroughly enjoyed my tea. No one can make tea like Solveig! With my tea she read me a wonderful Psalm and we had a good time of prayer. Again we were lifting Gerd Lillian up to the Almighty God, asking him for a big miracle of life! We went to see her last night and had a good time sharing the word of God with her, singing and praying for her. Oh, how we love her and want her to live! Humanly speaking she is dying, and if the Lord takes her home we will off cause accept it, but she is only 52 and we want her to live with us here!

At the moment my wife is ironing some of my shirts that she has washed, making them ready for the next weekend when we will be at Gullbotn again for a elders' conference. It is a different atmosphere in the house when Solveig is home. Her presence fills the house with a wonderful fragrance of love and makes our home a pleasant place to be! When she is away the house feels so empty! A vital ingredient is missing.

But today my wife is back home! That makes my day!
God has been so good to me in giving me a wife like Solveig. She is indeed the best in the world!

Contrasts of life

Contrasts of life
Gullbotn is seething with life. Seventy young leaders are gathered together for training and fellowship and building friendship. We are having a wonderful time. This morning Morten Askeland has been teaching and encouraging these devoted young people to be leaders to their peers at school and at church. He did a very good job! I enjoyed listening to him and it seemed liked most of us did!
At lunchtime I had a telephone call from the hospital. Gerd Lillian, a beautiful believer and good person in the church, was very ill. I went to see her as soon as I was able to. She is suffering from cancer in her liver and elsewhere. At the moment she is marked by death and the doctors have given her up. But we are still praying for her to be miraculous healed and restored to health. As long as she is breathing we will cry out to God for deliverance. Her family needs her and we want her with us in the church. She is a hero of faith and is fighting for her life. I urge all who read this to join me in urgent prayer for her.
After the visit to the hospital I went to Jakob, my grandson, with a "car" we had made together after I had put on some brakes. He was so excited! He was so full of joy! It was medicine to heart after being at the hospital.
This is the way life is, full of contrasts. Young leaders zealous for God are dreaming big dreams for the future, while a sister is fighting for her life at the hospital, and a young boy has no thought for the past or the future as he is enjoying the exciting moment with his grand dad.

Young leaders

Young leaders
This weekend 70 young leaders in their late teens and in the twenties are gathered together at Gullbotn. Knut Gudergod Osland is leading the whole weekend and this first night Arne G. Skagen was giving us the word of God through his speaking and ministries in the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I am very encouraged and blessed to be with such a group of dedicated young Christians on fire for God. Surely our nation has a wonderful future when there are so many young leaders on fire for Jesus Christ. Tonight many of them prophesied powerfully exhorting each other to live fully for the Lord and to follow in his footsteps.
The Lord was speaking on reaching the nations for God and not settle for small things. God is giving these young leaders great visions and they are dreaming big dreams of serving the purpose of God in their generation. Many of them will in days to come leave their hometown to go to new areas with the gospel of the Kingdom. Many of these young leaders will pioneer new works in our nation and in nations near and far off.
We spent some time praying for Denmark as one of the delegates is a Dane. It was a powerful time in the presence of God as we lifted that nation up to God. And God did speak about that nation as a nation he had put his hand on, a nation marked by the cross, a nation that once more should lift the cross and bring the message of reconciliation and peace to many people-groups. God is indeed preparing a great harvest in the nation of Denmark!

Teaching Bible students

Teaching Bible students
Today I have been with the students at Bergen Bibelskole the full day. We have been looking at how we can do a biography Bible study and we have had a very good time together.
The students are very much alive and alert. They are asking good and sometimes challenging questions. Often we have a very fruitful dialogue. I like to interact with them and I thoroughly enjoy being with them. I think it is a great privilege to be able to teach devoted Bible students!

A new day of outpouring of the Spirit

A new day of outpouring of the Spirit
The Spirit is impressing on me very strongly these days that we are entering into a new day of outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The people of God will be refreshed and recharged with power to produce evidences of the resurrection of Jesus Christ like we read in the book of Acts the early believers did. At that time the apostles were testifying to the resurrection of Christ with great conviction and power, and there was great grace upon them all. Then God did some outstanding miracles to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth is alive and that he is the Messiah � the Christ of God.
We will see the same thing happen again! God will release his healing power among his people and the covenant community will be a healing centre. But we will not only see healings take place in an unusual way, we will experience the protective power of the blood of Christ in a new way to be able to live in health! It is greater to live in health and strength enjoying the blessing of God than to need healing and received it! It will be a powerful testimony to the world to see the covenant community live in health when the health is declining in the society in spite of the longer lifespan which is normal to expect today in our western world. The Christian lifestyle is a healthy one. But the Spirit-filled, - the Spirit-refreshed life, is even more healthy, restoring health to our entire being! In days ahead it will become more evident to the world that there is a segment of society that is displaying health and strength of life in a way that is astonishing to the outside people, even to the politicians and researchers alike.
This new day of outpouring of the Spirit will make the covenant community seethe with life. There will be a great variety of creative initiatives to reach the present generation with the gospel of the Kingdom. Ordinary people will confidently share the good news of the resurrection of our Lord with their friends and workmates and bring healing to the sick by the laying on of hands. New cell-groups will be formed everywhere in the neighbourhood, at schools, in universities, at workplaces etc. More than everything our homes will be the place of worship and evangelism. We will invite friends for meals and we will have all kinds of celebrations in our big houses or small flats where the presence of God will be manifest. People in great numbers will come to know the Lord as their Saviour and Healer! The word of the Lord will advance from house to house and we will see a great change take place in our housing estates and downtown areas of living.
The prophetic Spirit will be released among the people of God in a new way in these days of refreshing! Young believers will prophesy with great power and old believers will overflow with prophetic insight to further the gospel in this day of outpouring! The Spirit will lead some people to move to new places to open up new churches and wherever the go led by the Spirit they will succeed! These are adventurous days! These are exciting days! These are days of expansion. These are days of bold exploration! These are days of great harvest!

Wonderful weekends in the presence of God

Wonderful weekends in the presence of God
The last two weekends have been wonderful weekends of the presence of God. Before we went to England we experienced the blessing of God in the meetings in the church in Bergen. I am very encouraged by the Spirit by what I am sensing in my spirit of what the Spirit is doing among his covenant people in our city. We are living in a time of refreshing and branching out! We are in the midst of harvesting the plentiful harvest of God in our district.
This morning I was reminded of a word from Genesis 27:27-28: �The smell of my son is the good smell of the open fields that the Lord has blessed. May God always give you plenty of dew for healthy crops and good harvests of grain and wine. May many nations become your servants.�
This last weekend we have been in England attending a conference for leaders arranged by �Ministries without borders�. It was a blessed time with foundational teaching and good fellowship with faithful servant of God from many nations around the world. Saturday Keri Jones was sharing his heart with us in a very challenging way and we also had good reports from India by Peter Masih, Zephry D�Souza and Chandrakant Chavada. They are all tremendous servants of God with fruitful ministries in various parts of India. I am always touched when I am listening to their testimonies and reports of what God is doing in that great nation of India.
Sunday night I attended an outreach meeting in a cinema in Leicester arranged by the new multi-cultural church that my son in law, Daljinder Padam, is starting. Much less people than expected turned out for the meeting but about 20 non-Christians came. Many of the newcomers asked for prayer and the new church has some very good contacts to follow up. We were all encouraged by the outcome of the evening in the cinema!
The last few days have been packed with meetings from morning to evening. Therefore I have not found time to write any blog for several days. However the last blog I sent I sent from a wireless connection at the University in Coventry. I was so happy that I was able to connect through this new device that I just had installed a few days before we went to England! The technology is getting more and more developed to help us communicate the gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the world. I am so grateful to the Lord that I am living in times like this with so many new inventions to use for the advance of the Kingdom of God.

Branching out

Branching out
We are living in exciting prophetic times. The Branch has arrived. Under him, wherever he is, there will be a branching out and a wonderful growth. We are living in times of new shoots, new expression of life among God's people!
God has really been so good to his people in visiting them in seasons of refreshment during this age of restoration. Everything that God has spoken will come to pass according to His eternal plan and purpose!
These are days of new beginnings. These are days of branching out. These are days of expansion. These are days of new life being birthed among God's people. These are days of harvesting!

Small paper pieces of love

Small paper pieces of love
Solveig has been away visiting our children and grandchildren in the northern part of Norway. It has been some busy days for me because Michal Solheim from Sortland has been here to teach us how to operate a dynamic web site.
But my sweet Solveig has be present through some small pieces of paper that she had left for me in different places. The first night alone I found a card in my bed with loving greetings from my wife. Then I found these wonderful encouraging messages written on yellow pieces of paper with a sticker heart on many different places. It is wonderful to discover that even though your wife is far away she is still present with me because of her creative love!

Learning to operate a new web site

Learning to operate a new web site
Today some of the leaders in the church have been together to learn how to operate the new web site on a dynamic platform. We have taken a lot of time to learn to run an interactive community site.
God has given us a tremendous tool in this program enabling us to communicate with the wider society of the web in a new way. God has called us to use all means to get out the message and to form communities in every area of the world, inclusive of the world wide web!

Interpreting the Bible

Interpreting the Bible
The last two days I have spent with the students at Bergen Bible School. We have been looking at how to interpret the Bible correctly in letting the Bible speak for itself and not read our preconceived ideas into the text. We have had a good time with fruitful dialogue and discussion.
In the last session two of the students presented two different views on the interpretative practice of a well-known preacher. That was a very interesting time!

Visiting the family-church

Visiting the family-church
During the weekend Solveig and were visiting the family-church in Sandnes. We have been with these wonderful people before and it was great to see them again.
This church was started by Jon Arve and Gunn Bjørg Lunde about two years ago and they have already 10 cell-groups.
It is kind of a special feeling to me to be with this kind of a church at my "home-place" - the place that I had my up bringing but left more than forty years ago to preach the gospel. It feels very good to be back and to share the word of God with these god-loving people.
It is a very young church with a lot of young people reaching out to the younger generation. They are running aSaturdayy-bible-school with about 130 enrolled students from many different churches in the area. I was teaching them on how to interpret the Scriptures.
Sunday night they were having a worship service attended by 100 to 150 people. There was a strong sense of the presence of God and anopennesss to the ministry of the word of God.
I am fully convinced that the church will flourish and be a blessing to the whole area. I have a strong sense of a time of visitation for the whole region of Jæren and many people will come to know the Lord!

Connected

Connected
What a blessing to be back home and be connected to the great world of Internet! I miss it very much when I am not able to connect to the net and feel on my pulse some of what is going on in this wonderful world I have become part of. I miss my friends and their comments and I miss their emails.
Today I have had a real feast! I have been reading all my emails and I have been blessed. I don't find words to express my deep emotions after reading a message from one of my dear sons. Each word went straight to my father heart and touched me deeply. I was filled with thankfulness and praise to God who has given me such a wonderful son. In fact all my children makes me feel proud, humble and grateful! God has been so good to me!

Cell-group leader's gathering

Cell-group leader�s gathering
Tuesday night last week in Skien I met with the cell-group leaders of the covenant community in Skien. It was a gathering hat was full of life! God told me not to preach to them but to dialogue with them. Then Solveig told me the same! And when we arrived Arve, the leading elder, started the gathering by asking all to give a short report on the group they were leading and the challenges they were facing. That was the way I had planned to start anyway! It was like the Lord arranged everything to be sure that I did what he told me!
I was very much encouraged by the reports I heard. All the leaders and their assistants seemed to be in a very good heart and their reports was down to earth and real. They all reported their challenges honestly and in faith! They all had a desire to reach out and win new people for the Lord.
During the time of dialogue we really experienced the presence of the Lord among us and he spoke clearly to us through one another! I think all participated in a very good way and we were able to share some valid insight with one another.
We were reminded of the most important thing, that which ought to be our first priority, namely our daily walk with God. One thing is essential, that is to sit before the Master, hanging on to every word he says! It is not a life of frenzy activity that will cause us to be fruitful for the Lord, but only a life of responsive obedience to the voice of God. I am convinced that these cell-group leaders will be fruitful in their walk with the Lord and in their cell-groups.

Trouble with my mobile connection

Trouble with my mobile connection
The last few days I have had some trouble with my mobile connection to my laptop computer. I have still not been able to figure out what is wrong. Happily I am now able to get connected through the hosts we are staying with.
Therefore I am just posting a short message today to say that I am stiil alive and well! God has been very good to us while we have been here in Skien and I will hopefully be able to post a full report later. I have been encouraged during my visit to the covenant community in this town.

Golden nuggets

Golden nuggets
This morning I was reading my Message Bible again. I have now finished the Old Testament and started to read the New Testament once more. This Bible is really good to read for personal devotion. I thank God for Eugene Peterson and his wonderful work of paraphrasing the Bible and putting it into the language of today.
These are some of the golden nuggets I picked this morning from chapter 11-12:
Walk with me and work with me � watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Keep company with me and you�ll learn to live freely and lightly.
I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.
It�s your heart not dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season.
Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.
Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys my heavenly Father�s will is my brother and sister and mother.

Lord, please teach me the unforced rhythm of grace!
Lord, please show me how to live freely and lightly!
Lord, please give me a good heart overflowing with good words!
Lord, please teach me the life of obedience and glad surrender to your will in all circumstances!

Apostolic wedding

Apostolic wedding
This weekend Solveig and I have been in Skien to attend an apostolic wedding. It was The Millennium Wedding. In the previous millennium I never attended any apostolic wedding but this weekend I had the privilege of attending the wedding of the apostle Noralv Askeland and his chosen bride, Tone Midgaard. What a privilege!
The wedding ceremony was conducted in the big and kind of heavy state-church building with the two towers in the middle of the town. Personally I don�t understand that anybody can find it romantic to be married in such a building! But obviously many people from free churches prefer to be married in a state-church building and not in the building they normally worship God in. It is a mystery to me!
However, the wedding ceremony was conducted very well by pastor Terje Dahle. He was assisted by good singers and the apostle Keri Jones who gave the wedding speech. The bride walked alone the long aisle to be met by the groom at the front and led to her seat. She was absolutely magnificent beautiful! It was a moving moment when they entered into covenant with one another. Before they marched out of the building they received prayer, blessing and prophetic words that must have been strengthening to them.
There had been some rumours that there was going to be a short reception only and not the traditional long Norwegian wedding celebration. To our great joy that rumour turned out to be untrue! The wedding celebration lasted for at least 8 hours! Most of that time we sat at the tables enjoying a most extraordinary meal! More than 20 different dishes were served! It is impossible to remember all the exotic names. But we had appetizers, starters, main courses, multiple deserts etc. The meal was a culinaric gourmet experience! Most of the dishes were small but neatly arranged on big plates like a piece of art! Obviously it was not the meaning that the guests should be full, but that they should have an extraordinary gourmet experience they never would forget! After the main meal that took most of the time we were together, only interrupted by numerous speeches and some songs, there was another big meal of the most delicious cakes. A very long table was loaded with all kind of different and good looking cakes! What a feast!
When we went home 01.30 in the morning we all agreed that it had been a wedding worthy a Norwegian Apostle!

Re-installing my Bible program

Re-installing my Bible program
Yesterday and the day before I have been working hard to re-install my Bible program. Yesterday I succeeded to my great pleasure to get help on the support telephone to put everything into right functional order! I am so blessed to have my big Logos Bible Software installed on my new laptop computer. It is such a tremendous blessing to have a tool like that installed on the laptop which I bring with me everywhere! I am very pleased with the service and telephone support I have received at the Logos Bible Research centre, but the technical support via email is very slow!
I have used the Logos Bible Software for a long time and I can really recommend it to all Bible students! There are more and more resources being made available on the Libronix platform which the Logos program is built on.
A lot of free resources are available as well at E4 Group and I recommend everyone to get some of these CDs that the E4Group offer. It is a good way to get to know the Libronix platform as well.

Students

Students
Sunday after we had six students for dinner after the morning service in the church. Solves had prepared a traditional Norwegian meal which they all seemed to enjoy. The weather was extraordinary good and we spent the whole afternoon on our big veranda. We enjoyed the beautiful view and the delicious food Solves kept serving us. Some of the students were very helpful to her and other wanted to talk to me a number of subjects. We had a wonderful time together.
Today I have spent five hours with the Bible school students talking about being able to understand the Bible, or how to interpret the Scripture in the right way. Hermeneutic was the subject today.
I like being with young people! I like to challenge them to think for themselves and not only accept the opinion of others. The students are asking good questions and don't take things for granted! I like that.

A life of responsive obedience

A life of responsive obedience
As I was reading in my Message Bible this morning again, God spoke to me through some words in the book of the prophet Zechariah. This prophet of God shared with the prophet Haggai the task of getting the people of God to rebuild the ruined temple of God. Their prophetic ministry brought the people out of their self-preoccupation and got them working together as a people of God to fulfil and work out His purpose in the world!
Through eight visions God provided the people with images of their magnificent identity as God�s people and gave credibility to the long-term purposes of God being worked out in their life. The fresh images of a sovereign God stirred the people, motivated them and released energy within them to do the work of God in their generation.
The message of God was simply this: Be alert! There is a man among you whose name is Branch. He will branch out from among you and build the temple of God. When he has branched out and built the temple of God he will assume the role of royalty. He will take his place on the throne and rule � a priest sitting on the throne! � showing that king and priest can coexist in harmony. Then people from faraway places will come to join in working out the worldwide purposes of God in the earth!
All this follows as the people of God put their minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of God!
This is the crux of the matter! Only a life of responsive obedience to the voice of God will make us partakers of the promises of God and enable us to become instruments of God in the realisation of His plan and purpose!
Therefore the word of the Lord came to me again this morning: Be alert! God wants His covenant community to be the cooperative Branch. The constant branching out to establish new covenant communities is the sign of His presence among His people. Those who branch out will gain respect and assume the role of corporate leadership as they mirror the creative and redemptive community of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Togetherness is a key word in the move of the Spirit in these days of branching out! Together we need to put our minds to a life of responsive obedience to the voice of our God. Then we will together see the purpose of God be accomplished in the world in our generation!

The time of your life

The time of your life
Solveig and I have just returned home for Cardiff in Wales where we have attended The Time of Your Life conference for the weekend. We had a very good time in Cardiff and enjoyed the hospitality of Hazel and Bryan Shutt.
The meetings were held in All Nations Centre which were packed for the occasion. The ministry of the word was good and edifying and the worship time was refreshing. During the days we were together there was a clear sense of the presence of God.

Discussion on marriage, divorce and remarriage
From Monday to Tuesday evening we have been together in the pastoral network of Bergen to look at the Scripture to find common understanding of the teaching on marriage, divorce and remarriage.
Stig Magne Heitman and myself had been designated the responsibility of preparing a paper to present our understanding for the group of pastors. Both of us were well prepared and was able to give reason for our belief. We had a very provoking and interesting time together as we look at the many problems we are facing in today's society and how to help people to live according to the standard of God.
As usually when we are together there is a genuine trust and respect for each other which enables us to relax and have fun in the midst of serious theological discussion! I don't think there are many forums like this one ,where people from so many different churches can meet together for deep conversations on difficult subjects with such high theological quality.

The rain is pouring down

The rain is pouring down
The summer is definitely over for us this year. Now the rain is pouring down. The heaven lavish the wet element from above on us!
To me it is a sign of what is going to take place in the invisible realm. Our nation has become a desert of materialism and consumerism. People have gone dry and unfruitful. There is a growing hunger for spiritual realities in this society starved on God-realities! Even the more charismatic churches seem to have gone dry in the routine of predictable worship services. The interruptions and surprises of the Spirit seem to be missing.
The heavy rain is a reminder to me of the promises of God to pour out the Spirit on dry ground. It is an encouraging demonstration of the all pervading manifest presence of the Spirit to be expected in the days to come.
As we humble ourselves and pray heartfelt prayers God will have mercy on us and come in a powerful way to our nation so the desert may blossom and our people will produce the fruit of repentance and salvation!

Praying pastors

Praying pastors
This morning I met with the pastors of Bergen for prayer again after our summer vacation. It is a wonderful privilege to meet with these praying pastors. I enjoy praying with them or just listening to their heartfelt prayers uttering my amens! Pastors who prays together stay together!

New batch of students

New batch of students
Today I met a new batch of students at Bergen Bible School. They seemed to be a very good batch, some more mature than others and some more colourful than others, but together they will have a good time the next ten months.

A bucket full of plums
Yesterday I harvested my plum-tree for the first time ever! I was a very pleasant experience to pick the plums from my own plum-tree. I filled my bucket (10 liters) with delicious Opal-plums. What a wonderful blessing! Next year I expect even more! My wife has already made some wonderful jam of plums. That jam brought the taste of grace and love mixed with faithfulness and made the plums even more delicious! What a blessing to be married with the best wife in the world!

A surprising letter
I have just received a very surprising letter from an unknown fellow from USA. I have no idea how in the world he could get my address. He seemed to be a new believer with his grandparents coming from Norway. Now he was studying norsk (Norwegian) and preparing for ministry! I wonder what the Lord will do through this contact? I wonder what the Lord will do for this young man, and I wonder what he will do through this Norwegian descendant in USA in days ahead?

God doesn't lose his temper

God doesn't lose his temper
I have been reading the prophet Nahum today. What a powerful presentation he gives us of the Almighty!
When Nahum delivered his prophetic words to the people of Israel, Assyria with its capital Nineveh, appeared to be invincible. A world free of Assyrian domination was unimaginable. The prophetic task of Nahum was to make it imaginable, - to free the people of God from Assyrian paralysis. Free them from unbelief to believe in and pray to a sovereign God. Through his preaching, his Spirit-born metaphor's, his God-shaped syntax, he knocked Assyria off her high horse, and enabled the people of God to understand what was really going on!
God is in serious business. He won't be trifled with. He avenges his foes. He stands up against his enemies, fierce and raging.
But God doesn't lose his temper! He's powerful, but it's a patient power!

Prophetic gathering

Prophetic gathering
This morning I met with some of my fellow prophets just to talk together and spend time together to strengthen our friendship. We had a very good time with open and honest sharing with one another on how to help each other in our ministry for the Lord and his people. We evaluated some joint gatherings and our contributions in those. Very helpful feedback, very sharp and to the point. We have made a plan for meeting regularly to seek God together and to search the Scripture to learn more about the ministry of the prophets together.
We want to work closer together to be able to be of greater help to the work of God and the apostles with whom we are working. Changes are on the way, how do we handle them or even cause them to happen? Which are the new steps to take in the work of God? Which are the new places to do pioneering work? How can we help in equipping and releasing new ministries? The challenges are multiple! And the grace of God is sufficient!
God is so good! It is exciting to serve him in this time of ours!

Two pleasant surprises

Two pleasant surprises
Today I have had two pleasant surprises. I have been working on a paper on marriage, divorce and remarriage for the Bergen Pastoral Network for a few days. As I was working at Gullbotn this morning the apostle and dear friend Noralv Askeland came to my office accompanied by Tone Midgaard, his wife to be, to give me a warm cup of tea! What a pleasant surprise! After a short but good talk I was left to my work as I was enjoying my tea! It was a real blessing! It made my writing go easier!
Then I had a very warm and nice email from another apostle and dear friend, Keri Jones. I had just sent him some information concerning some "business matters" a few days ago and didn't expect a reply at all! Then he sent me this personal email that warmed my heart! What a pleasant surprise! What a blessing!
Apostles are very kind and caring people! Therefore they often bring pleasant surprises! I thank God for giving us apostles like Keri Jones and Noralv Askeland. Their surprising kindness has brought encouragement and strength to many people. May God reward them abundantly!

Vacation is over

Vacation is definitely over
Today my vacation time is definitely over! This summer Solveig and I have been able to have a real vacation! First we spent two weeks in Spain and now we have had two weeks at home. I have really enjoyed my vacation this summer. The two last weeks I have been able to do a lot of bodily work in my garden and it has been like medicine for me! God is so good!
This first day at work I have spent in making some arrangement for event to come and to read through two manuscripts in the School of the Word series and submit my comments to the editorial board. I have also been working on a paper on marriage, divorce and remarriage to be presented to the pastoral network in Bergen very soon.
This evening we are going to see some people and we look forward to having a good time with them!

Visiting the Norwegian Book-town

Visiting the Norwegian Book-town
The last few days Solveig and I have been on a nice trip to the Norwegian Book-town located in Fj�rland in beautiful Fjordlands in the western part of Norway! The journey is in itself a wonderful experience as the scenery is breath taking and overwhelmingly beautiful!
In this small village we found 12 book shops with a great variation of all kinds of books. It was a good experience to spend time searching for some treasures and to find them! I spent more money than I had planned but I have always looked at buying books as a wise investment so I don't regret anything!

A tragedy

A tragedy
For about two months now I have been working hard on my spare time to build our new community site. I made a lot of material available and was well on my way to have a very functional community site. We had already many visitor and a growing number of members of our community.
A tragedy has happen. Everything is lost due to an accident at the provider's server. All the work seems to be in vain. The people how seized the opportunity to download some of the resources are happy!
However I will not give up! I plan to start all over again but I am not sure I will use the same program or the same service provider!

A busy holiday

A busy holiday!
Today I have no feeling of holiday at all! In fact from early morning I have been at work. First I had to read and evaluate some manuscripts sending feedback to the coordinator of the publishing effort of Ministries Without Borders. Then I had a phone call from someone needing some counseling. We had that person come around to our home for a good talk to sort out things. Almost as soon as that was over I had to sit down with another person at the office to talk through the situation that person was going through. It has really been a full day of work on this busy holiday!
"The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. (Hosea 14:9)
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A wonderful day

A wonderful day!
By the grace of God it has been another wonderful day. I have been able to do a lot of work in the garden and Lasse who lives downstairs helped me a lot. An extra blessing was to have Jakob come to help me dig as well!
Solveig went with Bente to pick blueberries. They had a good time but didn't find much blueberries!
When Josef came with his family we had a nice barbecue and we enjoyed the time with them all.
I have filled the garage with wood that I need to cut to be able to keep the house warm the coming winter. The wood gives heat many times. First when we bring it home, next when we cut it, and finally when we put it into our stove or open fireplace in our living room!
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Vacation at home

Vacation at home
Today I started some days of vacation at home. As a house owner there are always lots of work to do! I have been working hard in the garden today. It is so good to be able to use the body for some heavy work. God is so good that he has created us like that! I love to use my hands to work and sweat, having my mind free to wander everywhere or just be present with me in my hard bodily work!

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Wedding celebration

Wedding celebration
Thursday I went down to the staving area to attend a wedding celebration Friday night and visit relatives for the weekend. I ha d hoped that I would be able to bloc from there but it didn't work out.
however, we had a very nice time at the wedding of Else and Simon Levin slog�rd at J�rgarden Kvalbein at Brusand. Nearly 100 guests attended the wedding celebration that started at 18.00 and ended 01.30 in the morning! The Norwegians love long wedding celebrations! We were served very good food, plenty of very good food! We had one meal after the other! Then we had a lot of speeches in between!
It is always nice to visit relatives when we are "home" at J�ren! We had a good time with all of Solveig's sisters. I cycled to see my brother Sigurd and his wife Marit. Solveig and I were also able to spend some time with my aunt Sara who is now 91 years old. Solveigs mother is in good health at the age of 86, but is becominglittletle bit forgetful!
We went together with Solveig's sister Solv�r and her husband Egil Toft. They live here in the Bergen region. We enjoyed a nice travel with them today and arrived home in the afternoon.
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The centrality of worship

The centrality of worship
I have been reading in Ezekiel 40-48 today and once again been struck by the centrality of worship. God wants his people to worship him in spirit and truth. He wants to dwell among his people and to raise his throne in their midst. Therefore he is commissioning the prophet to tell the people of God all about the temple, so they can see the design and meaning and live by its design and intent.
"This is the law of the Temple: As it radiates from the top of the mountain, everything around it becomes holy ground. Yes, this is the law, the meaning, of the Temple."
The Sanctuary of God and the city will be at the centre of the entire land, at the dedicated area, set apart for holy purposes. The "holy square" includes the part set aside for the city as the sanctuary, Temple, and the city belong together. Worship is the basic and most important activity carried out by any human beings. The covenant community of God is a worshipping community. When the people of God worship, his presence is manifested in glorious ways among them. When the covenant people worship in spirit and truth there is a glorious radiation from them sanctifying the society in which they live. When the people of God worship rivers of life-giving waters will flow into society and life will flourish.
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The Bible week is over

The Bible week is over
Late last night I arrived home after a long drive of many hours (12) from Stokke to Skjæveland to Bergen. Solveig is staying with her Mother for some days and I will join her at the weekend for a wedding celebration.
We had a very good time at Stokke at the Bible week. All the six hundred plus people who attended were excited and wanted to come back for another Bible week next year! Many people were touched by the Spirit of God in various ways to renewal and healing. Several people came to Christ and were baptised.
The venue for the Bible week is a beautifulplacee fitting for a gardening school. The big lawns and all the bright flowers made it a very pleasant surrounding to experience the presence of God among his people during the whole day.
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Bible week at Stokke

Bible week at Stokke
Wednesday the Bible week at Stokke started. I was ministering the word of God in the opening meeting. About 550 were gathered in the big green house. Six hundred pluss have registered and many visitors from the surrounding area are attending the meetings. Lot of people arrived even after the meeting. There is expectancy in the air. People are hungry for God. In the opening meeting we could feel the presence of God. Spiritual gifts were in operation and people were touched by the Spirit of God.
I was ministering on change. God is the unchangeable, almighty God who changes everything according to his plan and purpose. The entire Bible is a document of change, from nothingness to the fullness of creation, from chaos to order, from darkness to light, from ugliness to beauty! That is the way God is working throughout history! We don�t understand the theology of the Bible if we don�t accept that change is the most important dynamic of the Kingdom that God has given to his people! We must go beyond accepting change as part of reality to become a people that cause change to take place in line with the plan of God!
The Powerpoint presentation will soon be made available for downloads on our community site!
Thursday morning it was terrible hot in the green house! Some said it was 35 degrees and some said 40 degrees! To all of us Norwegians it was terrible hot. Still we were able to enjoy the teaching of Knut Osland and Arne G. Skagen. They were both ministering on bringing out the gospel to all people. They both did an excellent job. Arne came on after Knut and it was hard for many people to concentrate in the heat. However Arne managed to keep everyone awake and alert by his good humour and his stories!
In the afternoon Solveig and I managed to take a short trip to the sea for a bath. It was so good to swim in the lukewarm sea and just dry in the sun afterward.
Keri Jones was ministering the word of God in the evening meeting. He used the story in Luke 5 when Jesus called three apostles to teach us to fish for people! As usually Keri was excellent! He is full of life and joy, and he likes to challenge all our religious ideas to make us real followers of Christ! There was great excitement and joy when he finished his message.

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Acting out of what I am

Acting out of what I am
I have been reading and meditating in the scriptures of the prophet Ezekiel recently. He saw visions of God and became the spokesman of God. He was sent to bring messages of judgment and hope. The other day some words of God struck me, and have been working in me continuously ever since.
In Ezekiel 20 God is saying: "I acted out of who I am, not by how I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations."
The last week I have felt miserable. I have been in the mire of despair, and I have seen no way out. I have felt like a total failure, falling short in all areas. The enemy has tried hard to make me give up. With my heart and mind I have know with myself that it doesn't help to give up, and that my feeling of being a failure doesn't give the true picture of my situation. Still it has been a struggle to overcome the bombardment of negative thoughts and emotions.
When I read these word of God about acting out of who I am, and not by what I feel, I was strengthened and empowered to make a decision of how to act in accordance with what God has made me irrespectively of how I feel! It is not a new revelation, it is something I have known a long time, but it had been clouded by my swinging emotions. When I read what God said, I was comforted and encouraged. A new strength came to my inner being, a fresh determination, a peaceful rest in the grace of God.
I am a child of God. I am saved. I am forgiven. I am a new creation in Christ. I am the handi-work of God. I am a servant of God. I am a prophet of God. I am chosen by God to bring his message to his people. I am called to serve the purpose of God in my generation, - in my life-time. I will certainly act out of who I am, and not by what I feel!
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Listening to a young student preaching

Listening to a young student preaching
Yesterday morning a young student, Tor Eivind Nyg�rd, was preaching at the service at Kristent Fellesskap in Bergen. I was very much blessed by his ministry. He was sharing on how to be refreshed and strengthened by the word of God.
As I was listening to him opening up the Scriptures and sharing his insights born out of his own experience, I was filled with thankfulness. It is a privilege to listen to such fine ministry and it is a great blessing to see quality young men like him come forth among us. It is really the grace of God towards us.
I was bless by the way he used the Scriptures. I was blessed by the personal touch in all he shared. I was also very touched by the way he honoured those other young leaders with whom he had been working. Tor Eivind is a fine young man, he is a true follower of Jesus Christ, a man of stature, a man of quality, a servant of God with a exciting future!
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