March 27, 2003

Cell-group gathering

Cell-group gathering
Last night I had the privilege of attending my cell-group. It was quite a long time since last because of traveling and other engagements. It was so good to see my friends again and to fellowship together. Torleif and Gerd are leading the group in a wonderful way making room for all to participate and creating an environment of encouragement and appreciation. Gunn was so happy that she had lost about 20 Kg in two months time. Liv Tove was full of joy. Kristoffer was bright and overflowing peace and harmony. Gerd Lillian is always an encouragement to all of us. She is fighting cancer in her body but is confident that the Lord will heal her.
We had a good time sharing with one another, praying together and planning things to do to reach some people we have been praying for.

March 26, 2003

Laptop repair

Laptop repair
I had a specialist to look at my laptop the other day to fix my problems. Something was amended and something was made worse! I am no able to connect to internet at work but not at home!
I am so happy that the work God is doing is not like a laptop repair like the one I recently had! God is doing a perfect work salvation!

Attending funeral

Attending funeral
Yesterday I attended the funeral of Jostein Askeland, the twin brother of Noralv Askeland my close friend. The Meland Church was completely packed with people. Many people were not able to enter but had to stand on the outside of the building. A lot of nice things were said of Jostein by several people. The memorial speech that Noralv held was most excellent. Jostein had not been ill but had been tired when he came home from work for a while. Monday evening a week ago he came home, spoke a few words with his wife, and expired within ten minutes.
The word of God says:
It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is till time. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now. (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4)

March 22, 2003

My laptop is acting funny

My laptop is acting funny!
Today I am connected again! For some days I have not been able to connect to Internet. My laptop seems to act funny. It is kind of a lottery what kind of pages I will be able to connect if I am getting connected at all! Today I tried a live update of my virus protection program. After I had connected and gone through all procedures and thought that all is well, I got the message that my system had not been updated! But at least I was able to log on to Blogger after that!
I am now working on the last chapter of my book on the Kingdom of God. I will have to add something to some of the others chapters as well but I am now able to see and end to this endeavor! Hopefully I will find a way to present it on my web-pages when it is all finished enabling many to down-load it!

March 20, 2003

With the students

With the students
The last few days have been very busy from morning to evening. My blog has suffered from that even though I rejoiced in being connected again!
Among other things I have had the privilege of being with the students at Bergen Bibelskule. They are excellent students with a heart to learn the things of the Spirit. My subject these days has been prayer and fasting and the response from the students has been encouraging. Most of them had some personal experience of very short fasting but very few had been fasting over a longer period of time. I was able to share some of my experience in prayer and fasting.
There is a call of the Spirit in these days to all the people of God to humble themselves and seeking God in prayer and fasting. We are living in a time in which very much is at stake for believers everywhere. We need to see worldwide revival, renewal and refreshing taking place among the people of God. We need to see a restoration of Kingdom of God values in all our societies. We need to see an ingathering of millions of souls into the Kingdom of God and we need to see the Kingdom advance in every part of the world. Believers are facing persecution and severe oppositions too many places and we need to intercede for them.
In this time of war we need to spend extra time with God in prayer and fasting for God to turn an evil situation to the advance of his Kingdom!

March 17, 2003

Connected

Connected
Friday I was able to fully finish the chapter I nearly finished on Thursday. It took more time and effort than I expected! When I tried to connect to Internet I had problems! Therefore I have not been able to write my blog for the weekend. Even today I had problem in getting connected but eventually I was able to walk around the problem. Now I am connected to the world again!
Sometimes our "computer" send us the wrong message telling us that things are not possible but if we don't give up but continue to seek for a way around the problem we will usually succeed.
We are not meant to be cut off and left on our own. We are created to be connected to one another and to God. A well known mobile phone producer is claiming to be in the business of connecting people. The covenant community is in the real business of connecting people. We are helping people to be connected with their Creator and his grand plan for their life. Through this main connection we will be able to connect with other people in a very meaningful way across barriers of age, gender, race, cast, and culture!

March 13, 2003

Writing at Gullbotn

Writing at Gullbotn
Today I have had a full day writing at Gullbotn. I have been totally on my own and have not been disturbed by anybody! I am so happy with what I have been writing today. I almost finished a full chapter on the church and the Kingdom today. It has been flowing well for me as I have been writing in the presence of God remembering the prophetic words spoken to me about angels standing behind me to strengthen me in my writing. I just add something I wrote on the two set of passages concerning the coming of the Kingdom:

In the New Testament we find two sets of passages that tell us how the Kingdom of God is to come to this world. One set tells that the Kingdom will come as a gradualism: This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. All by itself the soil produces grain - first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head (see Mark 4:26-28). Or the Kingdom is like the mustard seed, which is the smallest seed we plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants (see Mark 4:30-32). Or the Kingdom of God is like yeast mixed into a large amount of flour that will work its way all through the though (see Matthew 13:33). We see clearly from these and other passages that the Kingdom of God comes by gradualism, person to person, family to family, tribe to tribe, society to society, nation to nation.
The second set of passages regarding the coming of the Kingdom of God, like the story of the man of noble birth who went away to receive kingly power and then return (see Luke 19:11-27), refers to the apocalyptic or sudden coming of the Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns at the end of this age.
Both sets are an integral part of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. The gradualistic set of passages gives us our task in showing us that we can be the agents of the Kingdom in the world today. The apocalyptic set of passages gives us hope in assuring us that the last word will be spoken by God and that last word will be victory!

Teaching a foundational truth to a newly planted church

Teaching a foundational truth to a newly planted church
Yesterday was had the privilege of teaching on the resurrection of the dead as part of the laying a foundation for the church at Ask�y. At the moment two cell-groups or house-churches have been establish on this island outside Bergen. I was so excited about the foundational truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its implication for us that I went far beyond my time limit! In fact everyone seemed to enjoy the teaching so much that time just disappeared!

March 12, 2003

Pastors praying together

Pastors praying together
This morning I was able to meet with 14 pastors from 11 different churches for prayer. It was so good to see them and spend time in prayer with these servants of God.
God is really doing a good work in our city. Every week about 15 pastors come together to pray for the city. During the years we have been doing this we have come to know and appreciate one another in a genuine way. When we pray together we are getting to know each other's burdens and longings of heart. Before the throne of God there is no pretence. Before the face of God there is no title or position to be maintained. We all come before God first as his children and then as his servants. In prayer we strip ourselves of all external and human show-off and just open our heart before God in the presence of our brothers. Then we can laugh and weep together sharing life with one another.
How wonderful, how beautiful, when pastors of a city pray together in unity and harmony! Then the anointing of blessing flows to all levels of society!

March 11, 2003

Early prayer meeting with the brothers

Early prayer meeting with the brothers
It was good to be back at the early prayer meeting with the brothers this morning. It is so good to spend time together before the face of God. This morning er especially lifted the entire church up to God in prayer as we interceeded for every believer to become evangelistic and be enabled to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to people in their neighbourhood or at work. Sunday morning the entire church went on their knees to dedicate themselves to bring Jesus Christ to the unsaved people in our city. Therefore we felt a need this morning to concentrate on asking God for his grace upon all us giving us boldness to present the Lord Jesus Christ to our aquaintances.

March 10, 2003

Surfing the Net

Surfing the Net
This evening Solveig and I have been baby-sitting. We have been looking after our three grandchildren her in Bergen. We had a good time with them before we put them to bed. Grandchildren are a source of great joy!
After they were all at sleep it was time for me to sufrf the net with Josef's new pc and broadband. I started at Tallskinnykiwi (look at the margin for the link). There I found a very long list of links and I was surfing from one site to another. There is a lot of interesting material out there as well as some not so valuable. I will try to recommend some of the "better" places to visit in blogs to come!
Surfing the net may be very time consuming but may also give great payoff!

March 09, 2003

A weekend with people from the North West

A weekend with people from the North West
Sometime ago we were gathered for prayer and the Lord spoke about some people from the North West contacting us. Only a few days later people from the North West made contact and we were abel to meet them. They came from the island of M�l�y and the Lord spoke to them about contacting us!
This weekend we have spent time together at Gullbotn with the "The Fish" - the Christian fellowship at M�l�y. We have had a wonderful time of fellowship and interaction. Arne has been sharing about reaching new people with the good news and Knut has been sharing on the Kingdom of God and on being wholehearted in our commitment to the Lord. I have just been sharing on following the old traditional tracks or to put into practice New Testament teaching in the power of the Holy Spirit!
The presence of the Lord was with us and the gifts of the Spirit was in operation in such a way that all of us were touched and helped to make progress in our walk with the Lord.
God is good!

March 07, 2003

Many new house churches

New house churches
On our last visit to India we received many encouraging report from the servant of God that we met. All of them are reporting of new house churches been established and new believers being added to the community of God's people locally. Brother Jay told me that he had been used by God to establish seven new house churches last year. Many others gave similar reports. Brother Zechariah was led by God to go to a new village and make contact with a certain family. When he did that family accepted the Lord and within a few months about sixty people have come to know the Lord. In spite of drought, persecution, and many hardships the gospel of the Kingdom is advancing in the great nation of India.

Hunting for God

Hunting for God
This morning in my daily reading in the Message Bible I came across this expression of those who are hunting for God. Immediately I found a response in my heart. In a way I have been hunting for God all my life! And I have found him! Over and over again I have found him! But I keep on hunting for God! Without God life is meaningless. With God life is full of purpose and deep meaning and there is never a dull moment!
I would like my presence on the web to help all who are hunting for God to find him, - over and over again in these pages! Therefore I will make great effort to develop my site.

March 06, 2003

Life is wonderful!
I have chosen a new and plain template for my blog! There is more to come!
Today we have planned for 2 weeks of holiday in Spain. Tickets are already booked!
A new venture to make my blog more interesting has started! Watch out in days ahead!

Covered with snow

Covered with snow
When we arrived Norway the entire country was covered with snow. It was so beautiful! As we flew over the mountains and approached Bergen and the magnificent blue fjords and the green islands I was filled with thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness towards us. His power is unrestricted! His creativity is beyond comprehension. No artist can compare to the creative work of God!

March 05, 2003

Back home in Bergen

Back home in Bergen
Yesterday afternoon we arrived home again after a long journey from Hyderabad in India. The last week we have not been able to connect at Internet at all an I have naturally been unable to blog. However we had a wonderful time with about 80 leaders of covenant communities in AP. I met a young man that I had never seen before. He was listening very carefully when I shared some of my insights on leadership. After the gathering he came to see me and talk to me. He did not know English and brought an interpreter with him as did not speak Telegu. Among many things he shared with me I would like to share with you a miracle God did for him. When he came to Christ a few years back he was illiterate, but he desperately wanted to learn to read! He sought God in prayer asking for his help in learning to read the Bible. Then a angel appeared to him and touch his eyes and mouth with a burning coal. Immediately he was able to read! What a miracle! Eventually he attended a Bible School to be equipped to serve the Lord and since last year he has been able to give birth to a covenant community of 60 new believers in one village and also working into other villages!