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!