National leadership conference

National leadership conference
Since Friday we have been together at at national leadership conference at Gullbotn. About eighty leaders have been together for the weekend. It has been the most blessed time for fellowship and instruction in the Holy Spirit. I am so grateful to the Lord for his wonderful grace that he has shown towards us. Noralv Askeland is our gracious leader and apostle of Jesus Christ. He has a tremendous ability to cause people to work together and bring out the best in each one of us. To be in a team like this is such a great blessing that I don't find appropriate words to describe it. There is a safe covering of our weaknesses and a liberating drawing out of our strengths releasing the potent giftings in each one of us.

This afternoon Solveig and I are going to England to visit our daughter Hanna and her family. I am looking forward seeing my youngest granddaughter, Sunniva Isher, for the first time!

Living together in harmony

Living together in harmony!
Today we once more have had the blessed experience of the words of the Psalmist: "How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew."
We have seen the truth in the old saying that people who pray together stay together!
It has been a very fruitful day of planning in the presence of God. We have been able to sharpen one another, encourage one another and also bring necessary correction.
I feel so privileged to be able to work with such men of loving integrity.
God has been so good to me!

Team gathering

Team gathering
Today we have been together as a team at Gullbotn for prayer, seeking the Lord for wisdom and guidance, and for planning for the future. We have had a very good time in the presence of God as well as enjoying one another's company.
We always spend some time in sharing with one another from our personal lives and what we have been doing recently. We report from the places we have been visiting and share observations and insights. This time of sharing is very valuable to us and is absolutely necessary for us to be properly involved in one another's lives and ministries.
Noralv has been sharing insights from 1 Samuel 7 on prayer for the nation and of prayer as the basic foundation for any ministry.
We have also been looking at some of the wise sayings in the Proverbs in the Message version of the Bible on leadership. Here is one of my favourite quotes:
Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.

Praying for the city

Praying for the city
Once again we were gather for prayer for the city this morning. Sixteen pastors from eleven different churches spent one hour in prayer together. It is always encouraging to meet together like this to bless our city and give thanks for all people living here. I am convinced that the entire population and every area of righteous activities are influenced for the better because of our prayers. This morning we especially prayed for children and young people - the new generation that is growing forth! We believe that the Spirit of God will move powerfully among the coming generation of our city.

Sound leadership has a moral foundation

Sound leadership has a moral foundation
The Bible is very clear in this respect. Without a moral foundation there can be no sound leadership! Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity (Proverbs 20:28 The Message). Loving integrity is a wonderful foundation or leadership. People will feel secure and they will follow these leaders safely.
In the apostolic team I have been serving for several years now God has given us leaders with integrity and love. I feel so privileged to work with men of such noble character.
But it is not only the top men that must have a moral foundation of loving integrity, we must all be people like that. It is only a covenant people of loyal love and integrity that will be able to change this world permanently into a better place to live for all!

The prophetic word in the process of fulfillment

The prophetic word in the process of fulfillment
During the weekend we were visiting our son, Karl Enok, and his family in Troms�. We had a very good time with them especially on the 17th of May. The weather was beautiful and all the happy people celebrating our national freedom with flags and parading children made it a great day of thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness towards us.
Sunday we were able to worship together with the covenant community in Troms�. We had a very good time together in this colourful fellowship of believers from many nations and backgrounds. When I was with them I was reminded of the prophetic word that we were given several years back concerning the work in Troms�. Now we can see with our own eyes the promise of God materialise. The prophetic word is clearly in the process of fulfillment! It is very exciting to see the word of God coming true in such a wonderful way. This time we met many new people and next time we will meet even more new people for the Lord is adding more and more people to the church to show forth his beauty in manifold ways to draw more people to himself!

Do your best

Do your best
Do your best, prepare for the worst, - then trust God to bring victory! (Proverbs 21, The Message)
What a simple life God has called us to live! Each one of us are to do our best according to our abilities and talents. Then we are to think of the worst scenarios and be ready for a total failure! But we don�t stop there! When we have taken a realistic look at the worst thinkable outcome, we trust our faithful and all powerful God to bring victory! What a wonderful way to live, casting all our worries on Him who cares for us!

This is our last day at Vann�

This is our last day at Vann�ya!
Today we are going to Troms� to be with our son Karl Enok and his familiy. We have enjoyed our stay with our daughter Ruth Kristin at Vann�ya. But now we will go to have time with our two grandchildren, Kristina and Daniel, and celebrate 17th of May with them.
Last night Solveig and I went for a walk. It is light all night here now. In only a few days the midnight sun will be shining. It is so beautiful to walk at the seaside looking at the majestic snow-covered mountains raising towards the sky on the mainland. At the shore we admire the polished stones in different shapes and colours. The enclosed picture I took around midnight!

Self-control is better than political power

Self-control is better than political power
This morning I was reading in the proverbs again and discovered that: �moderation is better than muscle, and self-control better than political power�! I also was reminded of that �wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.�
Then I sat down to write an article to our magazine FOLK. As I was writing under the anointing of the Holy Spirit I was able to put into words some fresh insights in presenting the gospel to people in the new age in which we are living. The theme of our next issue of FOLK is about taking the gospel to all people. It will be a very exciting issue with many inspiring stories of how the gospel is transforming lives in our day.
I have been inspired to write as I have been sitting at the window looking out on the harbour of Vannv�g (see the enclosed picture). In between I have been cycling a rather long trip enjoying the scenery of this beautiful part of Norway.

Trip to Troms�

Trip to Troms�
I am writing this on the plane to Troms�. We left Bergen early in the morning for Oslo and now we are well on the way to the beautiful capital of Northern Norway.
I missed the early prayer meeting with the pastors this morning. However I am sure they had a good time without me but I always enjoy praying with my friends.
Today we are visiting our youngest daughter, Ruth Kristin, which is living in Vann�ya where she is a teacher at the local school. I have only been there once before on a short visit to the island before she moved to live there. On the way to Vann�ya we will have a short stop-over at our son�s house in Troms�. His wife, Ingebj�rg, will come to meet us at the airport and take us home for a short stay before we take a bus to Hansnes and then the ferry to Vann�ya.
My laptop shut down here! When I tried to connect to Internet through my mobile phone on the ferry it shut down again!
Now we have reached Vann�ya and are enjoying the hospitality of Ruth Kristin. We have seen several reindeers on our way to Vannv�g. It is raining and cloudy at the moment. I am sitting at the window overlooking the small fishing harbour. When it stops raining I will take some nice photos of some of these small fishing boats.

Good leadership

Good leadership
A good leader motivates,
doesn�t mislead, doesn�t exploit.
God cares about honesty in the workplace;
your business is his business.
Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds;
sound leadership has a moral foundation.
Good leaders cultivate honest speech;
they love advisors who tell them the truth.
An intemperate leader wreaks havoc in lives;
you�re smart to stay clear of someone like that.
Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives;
they�re like spring rain and sunshine.
(Peterson, E. H. 2003. The Message : The Bible in contemporary language . NavPress: Colorado Springs, Colo.)

A school in skilled living

A school in skilled living
Reading the Proverbs is like attending a school in skilled living. In fact the Fear-of-God in itself is a school in skilled living. First we learn humility, then we experience glory!
If we love learning, we love the discipline that goes with it! How shortsighted to refuse correction!
An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth! He knows the value of honesty and integrity!
Truth lasts!
Honesty lasts!
Integrity lasts!
Righteousness lasts!
Kindness lasts!
Love lasts!
Gentleness lasts!

Communion at the markedplace

Communion at the marketplace

This morning several churches gathered together at the central marketplace in the city of Bergen, Norway to worship Christ, celebrate communion, and proclaim that the beautiful city of Bergen belongs to the Lord!
We had a wonderful time in the presence of God as we started to worship in sunshine and shared the covenant meal as the rain softly fell on us.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of Bergen! Thousands of people will find salvation in days to come!
God is so good!

Prayer on the seven mountains of Bergen

Prayer on the seven mountains of Bergen
Yesterday evening believers from many different churches joined together to climb all the seven mountains surrounding Bergen to pray for the city and bless those in high positions and all the inhabitants of Bergen. Rain was pouring down in heavy showers. The wind was blowing strongly. I guess it was a strong storm on the top. It took me more than an hour to climb the mountain of L�vstakken. My heart was beating heavily. My legs were aching. I felt so tired but I didn't give up! I reached the top!
Inger Margrete and Morten overtook me on the way up. Morten was like a mountain goat running to the top! When the three of us reached the top, there was no one there! It was really storming at the top. We had difficulties in standing. Then we heard the sound of the group that climbed the mountain from a different, easier, direction. They were not on the top! Because of the storm they had settled for another place with less wind.
We eventually joined with then in singing, praising, and praying. We had a wonderful time pronouncing the blessing of God over the city! We were also able to light the bon-fire! We could see nothing of the other believers on the other mountain tops. In fact we could not see the city be cause we were inside the rainy clouds that was covering all of Bergen at the moment.
Like the rainy clouds were covering Bergen the Spirit of God is also covering Bergen making the word of God fruitful in human hearts and drawing people to Christ!

Email from India

Email from India
This morning I had an email from my good and faithful friend, Zephry, from India. I would like to share his email with everyone to show how Bryn Jones was loved all around the world. His life changed many lives! May we all live in such a way that we influence people for the better!

I just read your webblog and was shocked to read of Bryn's going to be with the Lord.
I don't know what to say.I just thank the Lord for enabling me to meet him in 1989. That meeting was so instrumental in changing my life. I thank God that he followed his heart in inviting me to the Acts program even though we were in the Catholic Church. Like you said he was a true friend.
Yes I also rejoice that he was such a giant for the Lord . I am blessed that I had the privilege to know and work with him.
Love Zephry

Praying pastors

Praying pastors
Early this morning I attended the weekly prayer meeting for pastors at Kristkirken in Bergen. Eleven of us were gathered for prayer this morning. In the beginning there seemed to be some misunderstanding of who was to lead the gathering but it all worked out very well.
Every week we gather to bless the city and pray for salvation of the people living here. This time we were also praying for the joint meetings and outreaches we are doing during the visit of Ed Silvoso this week.
It is always good to pray together. The Lord is always knitting our hearts together when we pray for his Kingdom to come and his will to be done among us. It is a privilege to be able to seek God together with so many devoted servants of God in this city.
God is good!

God's hand

God's hand

Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person (Proverbs 3:27)

What a privilege to be God's hand for a person in need! Our good deed can be the miracle of our neighbour; the answer to their prayer!

From Charismanews

From Charismanews:
Today I choose to enclose these words about Bryn Jones and his home-going:

Bryn Jones, 63, a well-respected charismatic leader with a worldwide apostolic ministry in England, died of unknown reasons last Thursday during a ministry trip in the San Diego area.
Gareth Duffty, who was traveling with Jones and is part of Jones' Covenant Ministries International (CMI) staff, told Charisma News Service that Jones had just finished taking a nap and was resting in his hotel room.

"I spoke to him a minute before he went to rest, and then he went to be with the Lord," said Duffty, noting that Jones had preached last Wednesday at San Diego's Heart of God Church. "He was healthy and was miraculously healed of a heart condition a couple of years ago. He was recovered and just getting on with ministry. No one anticipated and expected it. It's a deep shock."

Jones founded Coventry-based CMI, which is partly a church-planting organization. It also has apostolic oversight of several churches in the United states and works with churches in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Larry Tomczak, pastor of Christ the King Church of Greater Atlanta, told Charisma News that Jones was his friend and mentor for 22 years. "He has been my spiritual father for most of my 30 years of ministry," Tomczak, 53, said. "He has also been very instrumental in helping me understand truths concerning apostolic ministry and the values of a New Testament church."

"When my 24-year-old son Justin got the call this weekend of his death, he cried," he added. "Two months ago, he called my son from England to see how he was doing. It was typical of Bryn's caring heart. Bryn was a genuine Christian leader."

Tomczak added that he spoke to Jones about two months ago, and he invited him to minister to his 350-member Georgia congregation this fall. "His death just stunned me because he's only 63," said Tomczak, who plans to attend Jones' memorial service.

Jones was editor of "Restoration" magazine, a respected prophetic publication published by CMI. Born in Aberdare, Wales, Jones is survived by his wife, Edna, and four grown children.

Shining bright

Shining bright!
The ways of right-living people glow with light;
the longer they live, the brighter they shine.
Proverbs 4

The legacy of a man of God

The legacy of a man of God
In the international gathering at Gullbotn this weekend we have had a wonderful time of sharing with one another and retelling our story of how God has been dealing with us and brought us into the present truth and blessing.
Since we had the sad news that our spiritual father, Bryn Jones, had gone to be with the Lord, we spent some time celebrating his life and ministry sharing with one another what Bryn had meant for us. We are so indebted to him in many ways.
Bryn Jones has left a rich legacy of many ministry gifts that has been released through his ministry. He has left a deposit of revelation and insight as well as a zeal for the house of God. Probably thousands of servants of God have been influenced by the ministry of this great man of God. He has left a legacy with us that only the future will prove to be invaluable worth by the fruit still to come.
The legacy of a man of God takes generations to make fully come to its full blossom.

The ability to find friendship

The ability to find friendship
After I met Bryn Jones I discovered the meaning of true friendship. Through him I was introduced to my best friends in life. I wrote a book called "Friends of Covenant" where I described some of my insight and experience of covenant friendship and loyal love. Here I have enclosed some paragraphs in the beginning of that book. When you read it you will understand why Bryn Jones came to mean so much to me!

The ability to find friendship and develop it at various levels is often connected to a feeling of belonging, not being alone: having someone to relate to, someone willing to listen, someone understanding, someone not ashamed of us, but caring about us, then the steep hill is easier to climb and the burdens easier to carry.

But who has not experienced the bitter loneliness of a crisis of confidence and failure. It hurt to see friends turn their backs and leave when they were most urgently needed. It was unbearable to stumble around, brooding over thoughts and feelings, while friends kept away. Eyes cried for help, and found nothing but indifference. They looked right and left, but nobody was there to care. You had become an alien to your nearest friends.

Once friendless you were exposed to all kinds of rumour and slander without being able to defend yourself. Nobody humbled himself to give you life and strength. Nobody helped you to hold the shield against the burning arrows. Alone you clenched your fists in your pockets. Setting your teeth hard and keeping a stiff upper lip, you stood firm in sheer defiance. You let the steam-roller press you down and it turned you into a doormat.

No, perhaps it was not that way. You couldn't bear being trodden by all the filthy feet. You gave outlet to all the volcanic powers inside you and rebelled against the hypocrisy and wrong. You threw off all the bonds. Bragging you went away - alone.

I never forget it. It marked me for life. I had many friends. I had succeeded in many ways and I was fairly content with life. Then the rumours arose - apparently out of nothing - followed by public slander of being a liar, when defending myself. This was not unbearable, however. It grew worse when I came to realize that nobody wanted to believe me. The rumours were so absurd that I couldn't imagine that they could be believed. But now I found that even people that I reckoned among my best friends believed the religious rumours about one of my sayings, and distrusted me. That was a disappointment that stung deep into my soul - to find that I had been a na�ve fool l living in a castle in the air. Then hopelessness and rebellion arose within me, making all the wounds worse. Helpless, I groped for a way out of the mud - and found what I was looking for: He was a stranger, a foreigner, but cared enough to listen to me, and he believed me. The way he met me and helped me overcome a growing bitterness transformed my life and gave me a new direction. Despite the fact that he lives in another country and we don't see each other often, a friendship was formed that has been growing stronger ever since.

I experienced this, the failure, the disappointment, the broken hope, once, twice, many times. I had thought: Now I am secure, now I have friends. Over and over again I was wrong. It is not good to be rejected or to be sold on sale to the benefit of others. Failure and disappointment hurt. Happy memories took on a bitter taste of void and grief.

However, such is life. Friendship is disappointment. But the painful things can be the breeding ground for new, good, friendship. Friendship is to dare to forgive and forget wrong; to be able to start anew. It is to believe and hope while sowing and letting trust grow. Friendship is to get on your feet again after many collapses and to stumble ahead with both firm and weak steps. It is to swallow defeats such as they are, and with fresh courage and open eyes step into new relationships. You will learn from disappointment when you forget the painful things and do not let yourself be subdued.

Friendship arises from the ashes. It presses on and makes its way through black asphalt paving and stretches towards the warmth of faithful brothers. It blossoms in all seasons and finds no obstacle invincible. Friendship is a dream nobody can rob me of, and it is up to me to let that dream come true.

Bryn Jones has gone home to glory

Bryn Jones has gone home to glory
I was shocked this morning as the news reached us in this international gathering at Gullbotn that our spiritual father, faithful servant of God, and close friend - Bryn Jones - had been taken home to glory.
I met Bryn Jones first tile at a crucial time of my life twenty-eight years ago. God sent him to Norway to save my life and put me back on track again. At that time I was hurt, disappointed, and confused. I was in great danger of going astray, but praise God, Bryn Jones came, sent by God, to set me straight!
Bryn Jones was an apostle of Jesus Christ, dearly loved by thousands of people around the world. He really was a Christian statesman, an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. He was indeed in spirit and truth a Prince in Israel! He was the most excellent preacher of the word of faith envisioning all his hearers.
I don't find words to express my gratitude to God for Bryn Jones and what he has meant to me during all these years since we first met. May his life and faith be followed by thousands more like him!

Visiting a new work

Visiting a new work
Yesterday Solveig and I were visiting a new work - a new church - at the island of Stord. The work was initiated by Jan Sigve and Astrid Elin Hystad and they are the natural leaders of the group. We first had a very good time with this wonderful couple in their beautiful home before we went to another home to meet with the new fellowship. It was a pleasant surprise to meet all these eager people. They love the Lord and one another and it was very obvious that they enjoyed being together. I am convinced they have a great growth potential as they continue to build according to God's pattern.

International conference

International conference at Gullbotn

Today we gather together at Gullbotn for an international conference.
We will be refreshed together in the presence of God.
We will be nourished together by the word of God.
We will be encouraged together in one another's company.
Together we will enjoy the beauty of God!

Listen for God's voice

Listen for God's voice
As I was reading in the Proverbs this morning God spoke to me from the 3rd chapter:
Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go!
We don't live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He is continually speaking his word to uphold us, strengthen us, and refresh us! Listening to the voice of God will keep us on track!
Listening to the voice of God will enable us to minister the grace of God to people meet during the day. When we listen to God we are really useful to him. When we are busy doing our own things we will not see the needs of the people that we are able to meet by the grace of God, nor will we be aware of all the open doors and the golden opportunities coming our way!
I have found that when I humble myself and listen for God's voice I am used of God to bless others.
God is so good!

The first step in learning

The first step in learning
As I have come to the Proverb in my morning reading of the Scripture, once more I was caught by the profound simplicity of the down to earth wisdom in skilful living presented in that book. I only want to share with you this deep truth:

Start with GOD - the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD!

The first step in learning is bowing down to the one who is All-Wise! To fear God is the beginning of skilful living! Loving God has far-reaching consequences into every area of life! If we start with God we will reach successful completion and fulfillment in God! The one who trust God will never fail because God will take care of him!
God is so good!

An undivided heart

An undivided heart
This morning at the early prayer meeting with the leaders of the church one brother read from Psalm 86 about having an undivided heart. In The Message it reads like this:

Train me, GOD, to walk straight; then I'll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear.

An old Pentecostal preacher used to explain it an undivided heart as a heart formed like a U - open towards heaven and closed towards the world!

Building monuments

Building monuments
As I was reading the Psalms this morning in the The Message I came across an expression in Psalm 148 that caught my attention:

- he's built a monument - his very own people!

God is wonderful! He is not living in buildings made by hands nor is he honoured by monuments of granite! He has actually built himself a monument! His very own people! The living God can only be properly homoured and seen in living people! He is building a monument in the earth today! He is building his very own people! Oh, what a frail and weak material he is using for his monument! The reason is that he wants everything to witness of his grace and not of our cleverness!

If his very own people is the monument he is building, what monument are we building?

Celebration

Celebration
Yesterday about fifty of us celebrated Per Erik Olsens 60th birthday at Gullbotn. We had a wonderful time together as we honoured this wonderful man of God. He is a very faithful friend and the most exceptional encourager! He loves people and people love being with him because he makes us all feel good in his company. He is also the most excellent administrator inspiring people to serve and take responsibility. He is a prophet of faith and encouragement. His prophetic words have ignited hope, faith and love in thousands of people!
I am honoured to be one of his friends!

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God
I have been working on my book again today to finish some minor things still left. I still have to make some questions for group discussion and some personal assignments.
The contents of the book will be like this:
1. The kingdom of God is eternal � from the beginning - before the creation of the world
2. The kingdom of God foreshadowed and foretold
3. The kingdom of God came with Jesus Christ
4. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy � in the Holy Spirit
5. The kingdom of God is not of this world but is in the world to transform/redeem it
6. The kingdom of God creates communities
7. The kingdom of God guarantees the fulfillment of the Great commission

A godly habit

A godly habit
I was reading in the Psalms (130) this morning and came across this verse:

If you, God kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that's why you are worshiped.

"Forgiveness is your habit!" What a godly habit! What a wonderful God we serve! With his arrival comes love, with his arrival comes generous redemption. Forgiveness is his habit!

Liberate the moment

Liberate the moment!
As I was going home today I saw this advertisement: Capture the moment! It was an advertisement for a camera. What a static view of reality! The moment is not to be captured on a piece of paper or in digital media but to be enjoyed and lived to the full in the presence of God. Then we will be able to liberate the moment to meaningful service and an enriched life!

Wild fires

Wild fires
The last few days there has been several wild fires in our area. The forests in this mountainous area has been on fire for several days threatening houses and homes. Many have had to leave their homes while the fire-brigade with the help of the army have been fighting the flames.
The fires have attracted many onlookers; people who are curious and attracted by the force displayed in the wild fires licking the steep mountains consuming the dry grass, the hedder, the bushes and the tall trees. It is a dreadful sight!

Easter Conference is over

Easter Conference is over!
And all our visiting children and grandchildren are gone! The house is empty and quite. Solveig is making a cream cake for Sara's birthday-party and I have been buying books on the Net!
The Easter Conference was a most wonderful time in the presence of God. All the people I have been talking to are happy and excited with what God has been doing among us these days. The last two days we had many healings and people being filled with the Holy Spirit!
About 15 people came to Christ to receive salvation during the conference!
God is so good!

Short on sermons

Short on sermons
I plan to use this quotation in my sermon tonight!

Jesus was short on sermons, long on conversations;
short on answers, long on questions;
short on abstractions and propositions,
long on stories and parables;
short on telling you what to think,
long on challenging you to think for yourself;
short on condemning the irreligious,
long on confronting the religious.

Evangelism in the style of Jesus; evangelism that flows like a dance.

From: Brian D. McLaren, More ready than you realize.

The music of my life

The music of my life!
Good Friday was a wonderful day at our Easter Conference. The seminars in the morning were excellent and the worship in the evening was breath-taking! We were dancing and celebrating that Jesus Christ is alive! The atmosphere was electric by the joyful presence of God.
As we were rejoicing and dancing to the good music I was reminded of some verses in Psalm 119 saying that "your Law is the music of my life; your revelation is the tune I dance to!" Yesterday we were really dancing to the music of our lives, the word of God! The beautiful revelation of God is the tune I dance to! Jesus Christ is the music of my life!
At the end Keri Jones gave us an inspiring teaching on the indwelling Christ, the well of life on the inside of us who believe! After he finished the only right response was to dance and celebrate His presence!

In the presence of God

In the presence of God
Last night gathering in our Easter Conference was a wonderful time in the presence of God.
From the very beginning of the meeting we were able to enter into the presence of God in a felt way in our worship. Gifts of the Spirit were operative and in worshipping God we were all touched by his greatness and filled with awe by his majestic power!
When Keri Jones came to share the word, he gave prophetic instructions and called for certain people to surrender fully to the Lord. It was no common sermon but instructions of the Spirit he gave to us and we were all refreshed in the presence of God.
God is so good!

Easter conference

Easter conference
Yesterday our Easter conference started. More than six hundred people gathered in Kristkirken to worship God and listen to his word. It was a good start and many people were touched by the power of God in the beginning of the meeting.
Knut gave us a good teaching on our dependence on the Holy Spirit. He will continue to teach on the Kingdom of God this morning..

A lifetime of study - endless enjoyment

A lifetime of study - endless enjoyment!
This morning with my Message Bible some new verses came alive to me:

God's works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study - endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;
His generosity never gives out.
He manufactures truth and justice;
All his products are guaranteed to last -
Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.
All that he makes and does is honest and true:
He paid the ransom for his people,
He ordered his covenant kept forever.
He's so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.

The good life begins in the fear of God!

Keep your eyes open for God

Keep your eyes open for God!
As I was reading the Message Bible this morning this line jumped out of the pages:

Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence.

So often we go through life half asleep. We takes things for granted and we no longer marvel at the goodness and beauty of God so obvious in this world that he sustain. If we want to see God, we need to clean eyes of our hearts of materialism, and open ourselves to the beauty of God in our everyday life. If we want to see God, we need to put the deadly rationalism away and watch for his works, to see his finger in even minute details of our lives. If we want to see God, we can't allow ourselves to dream but we must wake up to the reality of the Presence we can't live without!

Grandchildren from Troms�

Grandchildren from Troms� are visiting us this Easter!
They have been growing a lot since last time I saw them!


It was such a great joy to see them again! When I met them at the airport they gave me such a warm hug and made me really feel good!
Thank God for wonderful grandchildren!

Introduction to my new book

Introduction to my new book!
I am almost finished writing my new book on the Kingdom of God. Seven chapters have been written and I only need to add some questions for group discussions and some exercises for personal use. I plan to be able to present the whole book on my new web pages which I am working on at the moment. Watch out for some news of an exciting development!

Introduction
The Kingdom of God is! It is the very heart of our universe! The Kingdom of God is! That is the central message of Jesus Christ and his followers. The message of the Kingdom is presented to us in many dynamic statements beginning with �the Kingdom of God is� or �the Kingdom of God is not�. In this book we are going to explore these potent statements of the Bible.
The Kingdom of God is! That is the good news in a world of competing ideologies. The Kingdom of God is not an ideology; it is the ultimate reality!
The Kingdom of God is! That very message brings hope to those who are seeking for meaning and purpose of life.
The Kingdom of God is! In a world where everything is uncertain the message of the Kingdom provides the unshakable foundation for an exciting life of exploration of its mysteries.
The Kingdom of God is! It is not tied to the past or locked into a distant future. It is the ever present and expanding presence of the saving grace of God manifesting itself in people and communities.
The Kingdom of God is! Join me in exploring some of its mysteries! The Kingdom of God is too vast to be explained in a book like the one you are holding in your hand now. Nevertheless I invite you to join me in my journey into the Kingdom of God. Together we will go back to the very beginning and from there try to grasp the ultimate end, which of cause is beyond comprehension! However, I am convinced that we will find some glimpses of light as we pursue the Kingdom of God and his righteousness together. If you take time to meditate and work through the questions and exercises at the end of each chapter you will benefit more and discover new insight for yourself.

Response - feedback!
I would appreciate your comments on this introduction. Did it give you a desire to read the book? Did it make you not interested in getting a sample of the book? Or du you have any suggestion?

Beauty

Beauty
"And we saw His beauty!"
He was full of grace and truth!
Beauty is truth, truth is beauty, grace is beauty, beauty is grace!
That is all we need to know, - his beauty!
His beauty is seen in his lavish forgiveness.
His beauty is seen in his self-sacrificing death.
The thorny crown and his bloody face are divine beauty
- it is shining like the bright morning sun in the world of hatred and war.
His beauty is healing for every wounded soul
- it gives strength to the downtrodden
- it lifts the downcast
- it brings hope of a new beginning for the those in despairing darkness
His beauty lightens my day.
His beauty overwhelms my spirit.
His beauty sustains peace in an ugly world.

Acta Library

Acta Library
Today I am going to Oslo to be part of the establishing of a new library. Geir Lie is the initiator and he has been able to raise support from a wide circle of Pentecostal and Charismatic networks and denominations. Geir has been running a private library for some time and it has been growing out of his hands in a way. He is happy for this enlargement to take place as this is what he has been working towards for a long time.

Repairing a broken marriage

Repairing a broken marriage
The other day Solveig and I were sitting together with a despairing wife. Her marriage was broken. She was hurting and longing for help but had no faith that change was possible.
As we were talking to her we were filled with thankfulness in our hearts for the goodness and mercy of God in our lives. We have had nearly forty happy years of married life together. This woman in front of us told us that she wanted the same loving relationship that she had observed with us, but it seemed to be to much to hope for.
Then we could share with her that God creates light in darkness, brings harmony in chaos, and bestows his peace in places of turmoil. God who rose Jesus Christ from the dead can resurrect any broken marriage to a healthy relationship! God is a God of forgiveness and new beginnings.
As our sister left us that night we knew that a resurrection is about to take place! A restoration is on the way! By the grace of God we will see a broken marriage repaired and brought to fulfillment.

Our Christian hope

Our Christian hope
Today I have had another good day with the students in the Bible School looking at our Christian hope and it's influence on our behaviour and character.
We were looking at the hope of the Kingdom of God, the hope of eternal life, the hope of glory and the hope of His coming. This fullness of hope will produce Christ-like life, Christ-like obedience, and Christ-like power! One day we will see his as he really is and we will become like him! "All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistering purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own!" (1 John 3:3 The Message)

Ability to comment is in place

Ability to comment is in place!
It seems that I have been able to get the comment function to work at last! Now I am just waiting for some feedback from you!

Take on an entirely new way of life

Take on an entirely new way of life!
I have been teaching in the Bible school this morning about character formation, or on taking on an entirely new way of life - a god-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into our conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in us. Then we experience a close relationship with God, in fact, nothing between us and God, and we will be shining with the brightness of his grace. Day by day we are transfigured much more like Christ, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is animating us and motivating us, bringing out his splendor of holiness in our lives!

Comments welcome

Comments welcome!
I have been trying hard to get ready the ability for commenting my blog entries. Hopefully I will succeed this time! If you find the comment sign or no comments at the end of my blog entries I have succeeded and I am eagerly waiting for your comments!

Roads that God travels

Roads that God travels
As I was reading the Psalms in the Message version God spoke to me through a sentence in Psalm 84 where the Psalmist says:
"How blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel."

Really there is no greater blessing than knowing that God lives in me,
that his presence is with me,
that he is at my right hand,
that he is there to guide and help me,
that he sustains me,
that he refreshes me and strengthens me every second,
that he listens to my prayers,
that he is never far away,
that he is always with me!

If I, by his grace, could live a life that could become a road that God travels, I would be overwhelmed of joy! Just the thought that this is possible knocks me out. I can't comprehend it or grasp it, but still I fully believe it is possible. I believe it because the word of God says so, and I believe it because other peoples lives have been God's roads into my life!

Lord, make my life a road that you travel!
Lord, let all those I meet encounter you!

Picture of Sunniva has arrived

Picture of Sunniva has arrived!
Click and look how beautiful she is! My tenth grandchild!
Sunniva.JPG
God is good!
Solveig is back home!
God is really good!

Sharing the good news of the Kingdom

Sharing the good news of the Kingdom
I have just arrived home from another exciting cell-group meeting. Tonight we had a nominal Christian with his Norwegian "baby-faith" with us. He believes in the sense of holding the teaching of the Bible mainly true. But he had many "hang-ups" regarding God. It was refreshing to have him with us. As I was listening to him repeating in despair, "Well, that is just the way I am!", I was filled with joy. By the grace of God I was able to present the good news of the Kingdom of God with boldness to him, agreeing with him that that is the way he is, and there is nothing he can do about it! We are all born sinners and we cannot save or change ourselves! But God so loved the world that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to save us from ourselves and give us an entire new life under his Lordship! As I was sharing the good news of the Kingdom I was refreshing in my Spirit and strengthened in my innermost being. We could feel the presence of God in our midst as he was calling our visitor to repentance. He did not turn to Christ tonight but we will continue to pray for him and I expect him to come to Christ very soon!
There is nothing like sharing the good news of the Kingdom with people!

Grand-daughter arrived!

Grand-daughter arrived!
Sunday morning I had a joyful telephone call from my wife. She had exciting news to share. Our tenth grandchild was born. Our daughter Hanna gave birth to a beautiful daughter Sunday morning 30th of March, actually on her own 30th birthday!
We are so happy and grateful to the Lord for his precious gift! Our new grand-daughter has been named Sunniva Isher Padam (I hope the spelling is right, - I have only heard it on the phone!)
Celebrate with us the arrival of Sunniva Isher Padam! May God give her a blessed life and make her an immense blessing to many people!

New church planting in Hokksund

New church planting in Hokksund
I have just returned home from a very inspiring weekend with some church-planters in Hokksund, in the eastern part of Norway, together with Lasse Tretteteig, the leader of a successful church-plant in Stokke. About fifteen people are engaged in this new work. They were very interesting people with wide experience and richly gifted in many areas. I was encouraged by the unity in the core group and their desire to reach out and bring new people to Christ.
From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon Lasse and I were together with these hungry people sharing from our insight in the word of God and from our experience. The presence of the Spirit was with us and by the grace of God we were able to speak prophetically into the lives of all present! God is so good!

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.

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)

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

Last day in Jaipur

Last day in Jaipur
Our last day in Jaipur has been very busy. We have been able to buy only a few things, but we will bring home a carpet, masala tea, some table cloths, and some small gifts for our grandchildren.
We have been together with precious people all day and experienced the presence of God among the covenant community. It is very clear that God has been with us and used us as a blessing to the people as we ourselves have been blessed. Solveig has been sharing some insight on raising children. She has been very practical and has given excellent examples from our own experience in raising six children! So many people were helped by what she shared.
When we left we had a moving farewell with lots of hugging and encouraging words.
We look forward coming back to spend more time with these precious people of God.

Healing of relationships

Healing of relationships
When we met the Orissa people the other day we realized that something sad had happened. Their relationship was no longer a happy one. Instead of unity we found discord. That caused us to pray and seek the Lord to be able to bring a resolve to the problem and bring restoration of harmony among the brothers. Today we have had several meetings with them and brought everything out into the light. By the grace of God we were able to establish some common ground for a start and to proceed from there. Zephry shared his insight and through his wisdom the brothers were able to solve their differences. The Spirit of God cam among us bringing healing of relationships through forgiveness and humbleness.
I am so happy that the enemy did not succeed in separating brothers but that the Spirit of God succeeded in bringing unity and harmony. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and planning for the future as relationships were restored. God is so good!

A sunday of healing

A sunday of healing
Today we have been with the covenant community and seen the grace of God! The Rotary Club was packed with people who had EXPERIENCED the transforming power of God. I was so excited when people eagerly told their stories of how God had been helping them in their everyday life.
At the end of the gathering we prayed for a lot of people and the power of God was present to heal. Headache left, stomach pain left, back pain left. legs that could not move started to move. One man that was laying down because he was so ill, was instantly healed. He could raise up and walk!
This has really been a Sunday of many healings!

Arriving in India

Arriving in India
Yesterday morning we arrived in Jaipur. Our friend Zephry waited for us at the airport giving us a heartwarm welcome. It was so good to see him and his family as we went to be with them after some sleep in the morning.
Brenda and Zephry are great friends. They are precious people, totally committed to the Lord. They have such a lovely family. We are always refreshed being with them. Yesterday we once again had a very delicious and tasteful meal with them.
Today we have been with some of the leaders in the covenant community in Jaipur. Solveig and were both blessed as they were sharing some of the insights they had gain through some of our previous visits. I am so excited to be with some many kind and zealous people and to be able to interact with them. My life is being enriched by being with such people.
This evening Zephry took us to a beautiful tea parlour in Jaipur called Wagh Bakri. We really enjoyed the fresh tea they served and I bought one kilo of tea to take home. On a beautiful picture on the wall I discovered this inscription: "If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty!" I cuold fully agree with him - but to some degree only! Tea is a gift of God to mankind and when one has learnt to enjoy it as such it brings freshness and understanding of beauty. However knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life, enable us to appreciate and understand both truth an beauty even if we have no tea in our stomach. But off cause with tea in you everything in life tastes better!

Change of template
I am trying to do some changes to my blog enabling people to make contact. Hopefully it will work out!

We are going to India again!
Tomorrow we are going back to India, our second homeland! We love the great nation of India! The many different people-groups are special. The Indian people are great people and we enjoy being with our friends.
Hopefully I will be able to blog while we are traveling to the different places and give some insights of the beautiful people I am sure we will meet!

The judicial system in Israel
Laws are necessary in any kingdom; only the Kingdom of God has righteous laws justly administered. God made us to live in societies�family, local communities, community of God�s people, body politic, the communities of business and culture�and the Ten Commandments show God�s social ideal, as well as his purpose for individuals. The furthering of good order in society is the first use of the law.
According to Jesus Christ, the judicial system that God gave to the nation of Israel rested on the double love commandment:
Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [Deut. 6: 5] This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' [Lev. 19: 18] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
The Ten Commandments showed God�s ideal for the society: A God-fearing community, marked by common worship (1, 2, 3) and an accepted rhythm of work and rest (4), plus an unqualified respect for marriage and the family (5, 7), for property and owner�s rights (8, 10), for human life and each man�s claim on our protection (6), and for truth and honesty in all relationships (9).
We have already seen that righteousness and justice are the foundation of the rule of God; love and faithfulness go before him and are expressed in everything he does (Psalm 89:14). The claims of love, truth, righteousness and justice are absolute. They are not subject to adjustment for the sake of political expediency or personal preferences.
In the judicial system God gave the nation of Israel there was equality to the law. Everyone was subject to the same laws, all of which existed for the good of the entire community. The Law of God did not exist simply as a boundary fence to define unacceptable behaviour; it was to provoke right attitudes and provide clear paths for all to walk in. In fact we discover that the Law of God deals with the inner motivation of the heart as well as the external actions of the body.
The practical expression of love, truth, righteousness and justice in the nation of Israel was meant to be a powerful demonstration of the merciful rule of God to the surrounding nations. The heathen nations were governed largely by despotic rulers whose judicial system left much room for whim, bribery and self-interest. The priority of the Law: the God of love and righteousness first, others next and self last, was a bright light in the world of selfishness showing forth the excellencies of the government of God when it was practised by the covenant community of the people of God.

The presence of God
The commandments of God show us that God is interested in our entire life. No area of life is of no concern to God as he cares for our total wellbeing. Through his law God is promising his presence and help to his covenant community. He has made himself available us through prayer. In the Bible we find many promises linked to living according to the Law of God, but it may all be summed up in the blessed presence of God among his people.
The presence of God will be manifest in many blessed ways among the people who obey the covenantal laws of God. We will just quote a few places from the Bible to show how the presence of God is seen among his people:
If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land - your grain, new wine and oil - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you. (Deuteronomy 7:12-15)
All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity - in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground - in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:2-13)

Wisdom
Wisdom is in the Bible always linked with wise living. To have wisdom is the same as having a skill; to be wise is to be skilful at living well. In the Biblical understanding skill and wisdom are two sides of the same coin. We could say that in the Bible wisdom is the same as the skill of living according to God�s intention. The benefit of wisdom is that it does everything right, it is skilful in mastering the diverse situations of life to bring blessing to everyone.
God is telling Moses that when the covenant community of the people of God lived according to the Word of God they would be viewed as a wise community and a people of understanding of righteous living. Through applying the Law of God in everyday living the nation of Israel was to demonstrate the wisdom of God. They had to put the ideals, concepts, philosophy, ethics and the politics of the Kingdom of God to work by carefully observing the commandments of God. Living according to the Word of God will always bring righteousness, peace and joy, that is harmony, to a society and causing other peoples to acknowledge the wisdom of that kind of living and help them to believe the theology behind it and put their trust in God.

A kingdom of priests
Jacob brought all his twelve sons to Egypt because of a great famine. God had already arranged for his son Joseph to arrive beforehand and to be next to the king of Egypt in authority. The descendants of Jacob, the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them (Exodus 1:7). The new king, who did not know Joseph, was frightened by the growth of the Israelites. Therefore he made them slaves and oppressed them with forced labour. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. This oppression continued for a long period and the Israelites cried out to God:
The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (Exodus 2:23-25)
As the time drew near for God to fulfil his promise to Abraham, Moses was born. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, `Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' "But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, `Who made you ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: `I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look (Acts 7:20-32), but the Lord spoke to him and commissioned him to go to the Israelites and bring them out of Egypt:
"Therefore, say to the Israelites: `I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'" (Exodus 6:6-8)
To make a long story short, Moses managed to bring the entire people of Israel out of the slavery of Egypt and eventually to possess the promised land. At the Mount Sinai God made a covenant with the people of Israel. At Mount Sinai Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said:
"This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: `You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:3-6)
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and eventually set before all the people all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. Then God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the Book of the Covenant which expounded the ten initial commandments (Exodus 24:3-8).
By establishing this covenant with the people of Israel God is making them a kingdom of priest to prophetically foreshadow the coming Kingdom of God. Their call was to live according to the will of God, expressed through the Law of God, thus being a people ruled by God and displaying the righteousness and peace of God to all the surrounding nations. As a sample of the Kingdom of God the nation of Israel was to draw all nations to submit to the rule of God through be a blessing to all the families of the earth.
God identified three things that would characterise the nation of Israel as a sample of the Kingdom of God: Wisdom, the presence of God, the judicial system. Through these three characteristics of the covenant community of the Kingdom of God, the nation of Israel was to influence the world and bring the blessing of God to all the other nations:
See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

I am writing a book
I guess that everyone has already figured out that I am writing a book on the Kingdom of God. That is why I have included parts of it here at my blog.
For the time being writing is my first priority even though it is difficult to maintain that for the last week as I have had to attend several conferences. At the moment I am with the pastors in the Pastoral Network in Bergen at a gathering for two days at Gullbotn. We are having a time of deep honesty and of real sharing of hearts as we are praying for one another and for the welfare of the city in which we live.
Yesterday we heard of some exciting developments and new initiatives among the churches. New churches are being planted and new people are being reached with the gospel!

The Kingdom of God was foreshadowed in the kingdom of Israel
The glorious God of Love revealed himself to Abraham, the forefather of the people of Israel, while he was still living in Mesopotamia (now part of Iraq). God called him to leave his country and his people to go to a distant land that God would show him.
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3)
By faith Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. When he arrived to the promised land he lived like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents. He refused to settle in any of the cities of the land for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By admitting he was an alien and stranger in the land of Canaan Abraham showed that he was looking for country of his own; that he was longing for a better country � a heavenly one; even though God promised him the land:
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates - the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites." (Genesis 15:18-21)
From the covenantal promises God made with Abraham we come to understand that it was through his seed that God wanted to bless every family on earth. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became the founding fathers of the nation of the twelve tribes of Israel. God repeated the same covenantal promises given to Abraham to his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Before Jacob died he gave this prophecy concerning the coming king:
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler�s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and the obedience of the peoples is his. (Gen 49:10)
From this prophecy we understand that God worked towards a time in history when his plan would take a big step forward, people would be obedient to his rule and live in the blessing of salvation.

Church-planter retreat
This weekend I find myself at a retreat for church-planters and the team around them. It is the Norwegian DAWN committee that is arranging the retreat at Horve Leir near Stavanger.
The first evening was a very good start of the weekend. Three church-planters gave their reports of what they were doing, how it was going, they gave very honest reports of challenges, disappointments as well as victories. It was refreshing to listen to them as they told their story of God workings in them and through them. I was filled with thankfulness to God for this new thing taking place in our nation. Just a few years ago staring new churches was an anathema in most Christian circles in Norway. Today there is a total change. About 70 people attend this church-planter retreat. Ten years back it would have been unbelievable!
Yet what we are seeing today is only a small but good beginning. This nation is going to be radically changed. New and relevant churches, that is covenant communities of the Kingdom of God will be established in every suburb, in every village, in every town and city, at all universities and colleges! The Lord is pouring out his Spirit in unprecedented ways in these days! The harvest is plentiful and ready for harvesting in our nation.
Lord, send plenty of harvesters to our nation!

The reign of sin and death
Mankind was given a new start outside the Garden of Eden to fulfil the mandate to rule and have dominion on behalf of God and bring the entire world into subjection to the will of God. However it didn�t last long to realise that mankind seem to be unable to bring in the kingdom of God to this earth.
The enmity that God told would take place between the offspring of the enemy of God and the offspring of the woman came to the surface very soon in the very first family! Their elder son became a covenant breaker, a murder, as he refused to be his brother�s keeper but was overcome by the sin of jealousy.
Throughout the Bible we find this struggle between the good and the bad people described. The Bible gives a very realistic picture of mankind and how all people are influenced by the sin of our forefathers. At the time of Noah the wickedness had become so great that it inflicted a terrific pain in the heart of God. The human community had become totally corrupt by sin:
The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (Genesis 6:5-6)
But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD. He was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Therefore God decided to save the world from further corruption by wiping out all the evil people through a flood and bring the earth to a new start again through the righteous Noah and his family.
God commanded Noah to make an ark for the survival of him and his family together with two of all living creatures, male and female. He gave Noah exact instruction of how the ark was to be built and Noah did everything just as God commanded him. When the ark was finished Noah and his family and all the animals and birds that God wanted to save entered the ark. Then God let the flood come on the earth. The waters covered the earth for about a year and every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out (Genesis 7-8).
When the floodwaters had dried up on the earth God told Noah to get out of the ark and to bring out all the living creatures that was with him. Then God made an everlasting covenant with Noah, his descendants and with every living creature that never again would all life be cut off like this and that never again there would be a flood to destroy the earth. God put the rainbow as a sign of his covenant in the clouds.
The flood was the righteous judgement of a holy God of Love on the wickedness that was about to destroy mankind. In this way the Creator and Sovereign God exercised his right to rule and bring judgement into his world. The patience and goodness of God hold back the judgement for a long time, but eventually the old wicked world was destroyed and a new earth came forth through the water of judgement as the word of God says:
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7)
Noah and his family had a fresh start on a cleansed earth under the sign of an everlasting covenant. However it didn�t go long before sin started to manifest itself again. The apostle Paul is explaining that mankind had become the subject to sin and death because of Adam�s sin and rebellion:
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned - for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19)
The entire Bible story is the story of the reign of sin and death over mankind until the arrival of Christ who brought in the Kingdom of God that people could be saved from the dominion of darkness � sin and death. We will look more into this wonderful truth in following chapters.
Even in the midst of the reign of sin and death the Bible tells us of many people who submitted to God and his good guidance and acknowledged his Lordship. These people served God�s plan of salvation. God made his plan known to certain individuals, a family, a nation, a people. We find that Abraham and his descendants are central in God�s plan of salvation.

God the good and almighty Ruler
When God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, the climax of his creational work is found in what the triune God said concerning the people he was about to create:
Then God said, �Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.� So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, �Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.� (Gen. 1:26-28)
Mankind was created in the image of the triune God to rule and reign on God�s behalf. God has the right to rule as He is the Almighty Creator and it is He who holds the whole creation in existence. God can do everything He wishes to do, He has no restrictions. He knows everything and is able to do everything.
In the beginning, before anything existed, the triune God was the sovereign Lord who decided to create the world. He included humanity in his plan. Man was the crowning piece of God�s creation, created in the image of God to be a picture of Him and to represent his rule - God�s kingdom on earth.
God created the most beautiful surroundings for man in the Garden of Eden and placed him to guard it and subdue it, to make it a garden for the Lord. Man had a wonderful fellowship with God, the Creator. They lived in peace and harmony together with open lines of communication. God and man lived in a glorious fellowship and God revealed his plans to man and established a covenant with Adam, the first man.
The Almighty Creator and King gave the people created in his own relational image the chance to choose good or evil represented by the Tree of Knowledge. Mankind was made responsible for the choices they made and the consequences of these choices. From the very first records in the Bible we discover that even if God is almighty he never forces his good will on people against their wishes. God�s desire is that people, of their own free will, shall love and serve him and live securely under his dominion and protection.
Unfortunately the first man chose to be disobedient and rebel against God and his plan. He sinned. Because the wages of sin is death, man died spiritually and was separated from God, and at that moment no longer represented the rule of God. The Devil, God�s opponent and the originator of sin, had managed to seduce man and apparently foil God�s plan.
But even so God had full control over the situation which was not a surprise to him. Because God is a holy God, a community of love, he used what had happened to begin to make known his love to mankind in a new way through the plan of salvation for mankind in his kingdom. In the fullness of time the woman would play a deciding role in bringing salvation to mankind by giving birth to a Saviour who would free humanity from the tyranny of sin.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. (Gen. 3:15)
God shows, in this way, that he always overrules the attacks of the evil one and allows good to come out of every situation. Because God is good he always rules in such a way that is for the good of humanity. God loves us and will always rescue us when evil threatens to destroy us.
Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. (Gen 50:20)
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)
Even though God had to throw Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, it was done to hinder that their sinful state became permanent. When they found themselves overwhelmed by guilt and shame, and were unable to cover their nakedness, God provided a covering for them. Through the promise of the offspring of the woman to overcome the enemy God showed himself as a God of forgiveness and restoration. God did not leave mankind to on their own but was with them in securing that the Seed of the woman would overcome and bring in his kingdom.

Biblical understanding:
A kingdom is the authority to rule, the sovereignty of the king
There may be a realm over which a king exercises his authority; and there may be the people who belong to that realm and over whom authority is exercised; but these are secondary and derived meanings.
When the word of God in the Bible refers to God�s Kingdom, it always refers to His reign, His rule, His sovereignty
God�s Kingdom is His universal rule, His sovereignty over all the world.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Ps.103:19
God�s Kingdom is His power
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, Ps. 145:11
God�s rule is everlasting
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. Ps. 145:13
The realm of the kingdom is heaven and earth, but there is reference to the permanence of this realm - God�s rule - dominion is everlasting
Synonyms for kingdom: power, might, glory - all expressions of authority
You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion (kingdom) and power and might and glory; Dan.2:37
Kingdom is rule
These terms identify the kingdom as the �rule� which God has given the king
God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.� Dan.5,26,31
The Babylonian realm and the people was nor brought to and end; they were only transferred to another ruler.
The rule of the king was terminated and given to another King - Darius
Kingdom is authority, the right to rule
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. (Luke 19:11-12 KJV)
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. (Luke 19:11-12 NIV)
When we compare these verses in the two different versions we realise that kingdom (Greek: basileia) is authority, the right to rule. To receive a kingdom is being appointed king. He did not go away to get a realm, an area over which to rule. The territory was there, the people was there, but he had no authority or right to rule, that is what he went away to get. He went away to receive kingly power or authority by being appointed king.

The days are full of excitements!
I just arrived back from England where I attended the funeral of the father of my son in law. It went very well. Daljinder Padam, my son in law, spoke very well at the crematorium. The hand of God is upon him and he is taking responsibility for his entire family as he is now made the head of his clan. Even in the midst of the sadness of loosing a dear father it has been exciting to be with Daljinder, Hanna, Taj Kristian and Jai Ruben. Solveig stays with them a few more days.
Today I will be attending a conference on city-reaching and transformation of society. Tonight I will meet several brothers coming together for a few days of prayer and seeking the Lord.
We are living in exciting days! Everyday God is good! Everyday he is doing great things! Everyday is full of excitement when we serve him!

What is a kingdom?
The two following modern answers are inadequate:
� A kingdom is primarily a realm over which a king exercises his authority
� A kingdom is the people belonging to a given realm
A dictionary will say that a kingdom is a state or monarchy the head of which is a king; dominion; realm. Therefore the Kingdom of Norway may be thought of as the citizens over whom King Harald exercises his rule, the subjects of his kingdom or that his kingdom is the geographical area over which he has dominion.
These two ideas will lead us astray from a correct understanding of Biblical truth � especially since our modern king has almost no power.
Some define the Kingdom of God as �The spiritual realm having God as its head�. This definition cannot do justice the fact that the triune God is a community of love, - a kingdom of love in himself, or to the verses which speak of the coming of the Kingdom in outward glory and power when Christ returns. On the other hand, if we begin with the idea of a future realm inaugurated by the return of Christ, we cannot do justice to the sayings about the Kingdom as a present reality.
If we begin with the idea of the Kingdom as people, we will identify the Kingdom with the Church, which really has no scriptural basis.

We are going to England today
Today we are going to England to attent the funeral of Daljinder Padam our son in law's father.

Sin destroys relationships (continued)
When they acted against the will of God by breaking his law and rebelling against his rule in their life there was an immediate effect of guilt in their conscience. This guilt created fear and caused them to try to run away from God. The harmonious relationship was gone because of sin.
The same thing happened to their human relationship as well. The feeling of guilt caused them to try to justify themselves by blaming the other person involved. Sin destroyed the personal relationship of the first couple!
Throughout human history we can see that sin destroys personal relationships and eventually causes a community to break up. Sin and unrighteousness have brought terrific havoc and suffering to entire nations and people groups. However we find that no sin, unrighteousness, or evil can succeed against the righteous rule of God � the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken!
When sin and rebellion entered the world it did not change the eternal purpose of God for his creation. The throne of God was established in heaven and was not shaken by man�s rebellious act. However, sinful men found themselves outside the community of God unable to represent the kingdom of God and of cause disqualified to exercise dominion on behalf of God.