Erling Thu

We need an eschatology of victory

Too many Christian are suffering because of a negative and very pessimistic view of the end-times. I believe in an eschatology of victory because that is the teaching of the Bible! The entire Bible brings a very encouraging, positive and optimistic message centred in the truth that God is the Sovereign Lord of his world. He who began a good work will surely complete it for his own glory.

The joy of fatherhood

I have just taken the last Christmas guests to the airport. The house in the forest is quiet and peaceful. It has been amazingly peaceful all the time though, but not quiet. With grandchildren in the house it would be something very wrong if it was quiet. The house has been full of joy and all the sounds that go with it.

A new year of the Lord - Anno Domino

We have entered 2012 with great expectations and strong confindence since we know this is the Year of the Lord. Jesus Christ is in charge. He has been seated on the Throne of Heaven and is ruling the entire universe. He will be ruling until all his enemies have been made subject to him. He is waiting for us to work with the Father to make all his enemies his footstool. There is a war going in in the invisible world, but we know the final outcome will be glorious for the Kingdom of God as the enemy already has been defeated on the cross. This coming year we will see more of the outworking of the victory in many areas of our lives.

I expect the people of God to enjoy fresh anointing day by day in this year of the Lord. This is the only way that we may overcome the obstacles and be able to finish the race well. Fresh anointing every day. Fresh power. Fresh joy. Fresh peace. Fresh hope. Fresh guidance, step by step.

I expect the people of God to enjoy new revelation day by day in this year of the Lord. The Spirit is always bringing fresh revelation of Christ to his people. The fresh revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ will keep us on track and make us strong. A new revelation of Christ will make our hearts burn and cause us to serve his purpose in our generation with great zeal.

I expect the people of Gud to come into a deeper insight of the things of God day by day in this year of the Lord. God will bring a deeper insight of our own shortcomings that will enable us to change to become even more fruitful for the Lord. God will give us a deeper understanding of our brothers and sisters, their struggles and longings, that will enable us to come alongside and be of true help and support for them. God will give a deeper insight to his prophetic work in this generation and enable us to be seeers that can address the root issues and not only the symptoms.

I expect many dreams to come true in this new year of the Lord. I expect prophetic words spoken to us by His prophets to be fulfilled in this year of the Lord. I expect to be carried along by the fresh move of the Spirit and to see the realization of the promises of God day by day.

Harry runs

Last Sunday we met Harry at the Rotary Club. He reminded me of prophetic word that I brought him many years back. Now, it has all been fulfilled, he exclaimed with great joy! Then he took me back to the first time I met him. He was in a hospital after a serious accident on his motorbike. His young son died in the accident, but Harry survived. However he was seriously wounded with multiple bone fractures. I was taken to the hospital to pray for him.

Miracles in the covenant community

This morning we were taken to the Rotary Club to meet with the covenant community. It is always a great joy to meet our covenant friends. It is like being with our own family and brothers and sisters.

During our time together we heard so many stories of miracles taking place among the people in this covenant community. There is always great joy and lots of thanksgiving to God when people tell their story of what the Lord has done for them.

Fruitful Word

We have had a wonderful time together with our friends in the Prabhuko Mandeli in Itahari today. They have their annual conference and we have been sharing the Word of God in four sessions. The people of God is receiving the Word with great joy.

The Word of is indeed very fruitful. The entire conference is an evidence of the fruitful Word of God. Pastor Reuben has been ministering the Word in this place for 18 years and it is great to see the outcome: changed lives! A student at a theological seminary in Kathmandu, who is from this area, told me that he was studying theology because of me. I didn't understand because I never gave him any advice. Then he told me that when he heard me minister the Word of God two years ago in Kathmandu, Gud put a desire in his heart to study his Word and he enlisted at the theological seminary. I only came to know today. And I am happy that the Word is fruitful!

Change is coming to Nepal

We are on a friendship trip celebrating 40 years of friendship and involvement in the work of God in Nepal. On a mission to India a Bible College teacher gave me the name and address, of a former student of the college that came from Nepal, and urged me to visit him. After prayer I felt led by the Spirit of God to change my program in India to make room for a visit to Kathmandu, Nepal. I met with Gopaljee Adhikari in October 1971 and now we are celebrating 40 years of friendship and advance of the Kingdom of God in Nepal.

Sent home to die

We have just been with the Covenant Friends Fellowship of Nepal. It is always good to be with this group of faithful followers of Christ. This time we heard a wonderful testimony of one of our friends.

He was sent home from the hospital to die. He was suffering from tuberculosis and had come to this late stage when the doctors could not do anything more for him. He was caughing and spitting blood all day. He was the youngest child in the family. Now he was in the twenties and dying. But his parents interceeded for him and had their friends to come and lay hand on him.

God intervened and healed him. He was a prodigal son, but came to the Lord because of the miracle that happened to him. And now he is a servant of God. The doctors had given up on him. Humanly speaking there was no hope. But the parents didn't give up on him. Most important God didn't give up on him. In the darkest hour God performed a miracle.

Our covenant friend is alive and serving God with a bright future and hope!

Everyone – all – anyone

As I was reading in the Book of Acts this morning about the early church I was struck by the inclusive language that was being used. When the Holy Spirit is describing the life of the early church, the new covenant community, he is using words like everyone, all the believers, together, every day, anyone. The kingdom community that was birthed on the day of Pentecost was marked by togetherness and the sharing of a common life and belief. They were all carrying the same passion and love for the resurrected Lord and for one another. Their encounter with the risen Lord by the revelation of the Holy Spirit united them, knitted them together, and formed them into a dynamic community sharing everything.

These individuals from every nation under heaven didn’t have much in common before the day of Pentecost, but after encountering the Lord they had everything in common. What a change that took place. They used to be a bewildered crowd and some even used to be mocking and making fun of others, but the message about the risen Lord Jesus Christ cut to the heart and caused them to repent, believe, being baptised and being added to the ecclesia of the Lord. They used to speak so many different languages not understanding each other, but now they could understand and even speak the language of the Spirit.

After being added to the ecclesia of the Lord they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They committed themselves to one another in a close day to day fellowship sharing everything together. They continued to break the bread of the new covenant meal, eating together from house to house with glad and sincere hearts. Constantly they were praying together, at regular times in the temple and at anytime anywhere they met with one another. They were all initiating this exciting and dynamic community life on a multitude of levels, sharing with anyone in need.

This was a everyday life of a group of people who had been born by the Spirit, filled by the Spirit and formed by the Spirit to be one body, Really they had become the body of Christ expressing his life every day everywhere all the time. Everyone took active part in initiating this flow of life. All the believers were together, everyone was sharing, anyone had his needs met.

It is still happening. Ecclesia is taking place all over the world in small gatherings in homes and in larger celebrations, day to day as believers are sharing their life in Christ with one another and with those who still not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Today ecclesia took place for us in a small hotel room in Colombo in Sri Lanka.

A good and pleasant day

We have spent a full day at the hotel room in Colombo. We have not been able to take a swim in the beautiful swimming pool we are looking at from the room. We have not been on the wonderful beach next to our hotel either. We have not even been having the rays of the sun touching our skin the entire day, because we have been inside all day. Still it has been a good and pleasant day!

You are a prince of God among us

I have been reading in Genesis recently and was struck by the words used as a title of this entry. These words were spoken to Abraham when he approached the Hittite elders to buy a burial ground for Sarah, his wife who had died.

Abraham was a stranger and a foreigner among the Hittites. He was sojourning in their land. He was a Hebrew - a man from beyond. He did not belong to any of the etnic groups of the land of Canaan. He had no property. He had no house to dwell in. He was not part of any city or community. He was only sojourning in the land God had promised to give to him and his decendants. He had no public function or position among the people of Canaan.

Life moves on

I have not been very active on my blog recently. My blogging life has come to a kind of halt. But I don't intend to keep it like that for ever.

This year has been a special year in many ways, but life moves on. I plan to slowly increase my activity on the blog and even my Norewgian pages. We all go through different stages in life and this year has been a year of much practical work as we have been extending the house in the forest. This work is now coming to a completion. In a two weeks time we leave for Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. I hope to be able to share from the trip on the blog.

Life moves on!

Love is stronger than hate

I am still in shock after the terrible act killing nearly 100 people in Oslo and Utøya. I don't find words to express the feelings of my heart. Tears and prayers have been poured out. My heart is aching. I can't comprehend how people can be so full of hate and act in such an evil way. But I agree with the Norwegian MP Stine Renate Håheim: If one man can show so much hate, think of how much love we can show together.

Love is stronger than hate. Love overwins hate. Love is even able to forgive and change any person in spite of evil acts. Love is never giving in to revenge. Love is overcoming hate by acts of kindness and goodness. Love is expressed in justice and mercy. Love is stronger than any evilness. Love finds a way forward. Love is faith and hope in action. Love is stronger than death itself.

Today we are all AUFarar (members of the Labour Youth Society). We assosiate with them. When they were attacked at Utøya, we were all attacked. We want to stand up for justice and mercy, love and kindness. We want to see the Kingdom of God come to Norway. Through the love of God this nation will be healed.

Everything about God is glorious

One of the first things I discovered when I took to searching the scriptures again was that honour and glory are closely interrelated, are often two sides of the same coin and very often connected to God. The Psalmist says that honour belongs to God and everything within his temple says, "Glory! (Psa.29, 3.9); Jesus Christ is the King of glory and the King of honour (Psa.24 0.7 to 10) and the Lord of glory (Jak.2, 2); God is the God of glory, and also Father (Apgj.7, 2; Ephesians 1, 17); the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of glory (1.Pet.4, 14); Jesus is the very emanation of God's glory (Hebrews 1, 3); the apostles saw His glory, a glory that the only-begotten Son has from the Father, full of grace and truth (Joh.1, 14).

There are a number of Bible passages dealing with the glory and honour of God and of Jesus Christ. The triune Deity is that glorious and honourable God. Therefore all God makes bears the mark of His glory and honour. The expression “the glory of God” is often used in the Old Testament as a technical theological term for God's visible presence and the radiance of his honourable and glorious nature.

Explaining some words

The Hebrew word “kabod” is translated “honour” and “glory” more or less interchangeably in the Bible, the basic meaning being “weight” and “gravity”; another sense is “sheen”. It is the “weight” or “heaviness” of a person that makes up his honour, i.e their personal characteristics, position in society or their wealth.

The Hebrew word “hadar” is translated “splendour”, “glory” and “honour” and “showing honour” or “honouring”. The Hebrew word tifæræt / tifara comes from pa'ar (meaning beautification or glorifying) and translated “decoration”, “splendour”, “glory” and “honour”.

In the New Testament we find the Greek words timé / timan meaning “glory” and “honour” and “to honour” or “pay respect to”. We also find doxa / doxazein which is translated “honour”, “sheen”, “splendour” glory, and “to praise”, “laud”, “to honour” and “glorify”.

On the basis of these and other words from the Hebrew and Greek texts we may say that honour is what gives a person weight, clout and status. It can be associated with external criteria such as position in society and wealth, but also with inner qualities. It has something to do with the nature and being of Man. It is something one has received and owned and that radiates out through an inbuilt dignity and healthy self-respect arising from a person’s grasp of who they are, and is acknowledged by the people around them. So where there is a culture of honour and a climate of appreciation, glory and respect are qualities that exude from us and yet something people give to us.

Sandarao

He has been part of the Blessing Colony from the very beginning. He was overflowing of thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness towards him and his family.

“I used When we met with the Yanadi community, Sandarao at the age of 75 came forward to tell his story. to live under a tree. I had no proper shelter, no proper clothes. I was catching crabs to make a living. That was the only thing i could do. But unfortunately I used the little money I was earning on alcohol. When I heard of the Blessing Colony project I was happy to be able to join with my relatives. During the time I have been here I have learned so many things. I am so thankful to God for this help.

Before we came here, we used to be dependent on others for everything. Now others are dependent on us and the work we do. I have increased my knowledge. I have acquired new skills. I have stopped drinking alcohol. I have stopped with all the bad things I used to do. I have been given a new life by God.

People used to look down on us. Now we meet respect. People used to insult us by saying all kinds of bad things to us. Now we receive honour. Now people call me by my proper name. I am living in peace and joy because of Jesus Christ and the help he has given us through you!

40 years anniversary

Solveig and I are on the way to India. We are sitting in the airport at Copenhagen waiting for our next flight. I fell in love with India during my first visit to this marvellous country in 1971. Solveig and I have been going together regularly to India since 1991. During this trip we will celebrate my 40 years anniversary and our common 20 years anniversary. During these years we have made many friends.

The joy of giving

The greatest joy is only found in making other people happy! The greatest joy is the joy of giving! Giving is living a happy life of seeing other being blessed by your gifts. Real Christians are never stingy, but always giving generously. The live by the saying, "Give and spend and God will send" as they enjoy giving away things and trust God to take care of all their needs. Christians know that it is possible to give without loving, but that is impossible to love without giving.

Change of climate

I have just arrived home from a very exciting World Watch conference in Cardiff, Wales. We have had inspiring reports from many parts of the world of what God is doing. But to me the welcome session and concluding session by my longstanding friend Keri Jones, who is also an outstanding apostle of Jesus Christ, were the most important. His words inspired me to write this entry on my blog. I trust God will use these words to stir you in your spirit and provoke you to creative acts of love!

Sushikant

Our friend Sushikant is a living miracle. We met him a few years ago at the Covenant School. A former student had been instrumental in bringing him to Christ, as he was sent to Surat to die. His father could not stand seeing his son suffer a slow death as the doctors had given up on him. Therefore he was sent away to Surat to some relatives to die there. The former student of Covenant School met him one day and gave him the gospel promising him that if he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, he would be healed! Sushikant believed in Jesus and was baptized immediately. As the former student laid hands on him and prayed for him he was instantly healed!

Connected but disconnected

We have been traveling in Asia the last few weeks. At the moment we are in Sri Lanka enjoying a very good Internet connection. During the four weeks we have been away from home we have been able to log on to Internet most of the time, except for the four last days in India. However, our experience with the Internet connections have been kind of frustrating.

Rajinder from the Desert City

Rajinder and Madhu are some wonderful friends me met several years ago in Rajasthan. They came to Christ through some of our friends who introduced them to us. They have seen the power of God at work in their lives in many ways. Madhu was illiterate when she came to Christ, but she had a strong desire to be able to read the Bible. She asked God to open the Book to her. Instantly she could read and understand the Bible.

Jyoti is seeing students coming to Christ

Our covenant friend Jyoti gave a wonderful report today as we met with covenant friends from many parts of India. He had been invited to share about Christianity at a University. Many Buddists and Hindu students came to listen to him. He started quoting som of the Hindu scriptures talking about the sacrifice of God. Since the Hindu scripture does not explain what the sacrifice of God is, he used the Bible to prove that Christ is the sacrifice of God. As a result 45 students received Christ as their Lord and Saviour!

Jyoti and his team is currently looking after more than ten churches and three new house-churches in the district of Darjeeling. His team is very excited to see the Spirit of God at work in the hills of Darjeeling. Two completely paralyzed women have been fully healed and can walk and work to the glory of God.

The team working together is the main reason for the advance of the Kingdom of God in the hill areas, according to Jyoti.

Covenant friends are planting churches

Seven years ago I met Kul Bahadur at a seminar we held in Darjeeling, India. After six years I met him again last year at a gathering in Kathmandu. He had been blessed by our teaching and put it into practice. During those six years he had been instrumental in starting six churches. Three of them were quite big and the others quite small, he told us.

The Kingdom of God reaches remote villages in Nepal

I am so happy to be able to share some good news from Nepal. Our covenant friend Henry has just been visiting some very remote areas in Nepal. He is proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in words and deeds. Nepal is going through a very difficult time at the moment. The political situation is unstable. New laws have been proposed that will represent a setback for the religious freedom the people are enjoying at the moment. In the midst of this the Kingdom of God advances in Nepal. Just read Henry's report and praise God!

Spiritual house cleaning – new version

During our recent visit to the covenant communities in Tromsø, Trondheim and Oslo we were told a very encouraging story. In the springtime a New Age fair or exhibition kind of arrangement for occult and alternative medicine and world-views and practices was held in the city. Some people from the covenant community decided to attend the fair to offer healing through the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus to the visitor.

The power of prophetic encouragements

Daljinder, our beloved son in law, gave a most wonderful testimony at the Sunday service at the King's Church. The speaker had been speaking on Love in Action and at the end she brought out many practical suggestions and a the address to a website Acts of Kindness, and as a response to that several people came to give suggestions and testimonies. I was very much touched by the testimony of our son in law for it showed the enduring power of prophetic encouragements.

Daljinder, who is a teacher, told us how God spoke to him to prophecy to his students and not only give them his autograph at the end of the course. He obeyed the Lord and wrote some encouraging words from the Lord to his students. He is doing it in a wise and discreet way and it has caused many students to ask questions and led to many deep conversations. He has been faithfully practising this for many years.

Not long ago a pastor phoned him to tell him about a new convert in his church. When he asked the new convert what had caused him to begin to seek God, he answered that ten years ago his teacher had written some encouraging words to him that triggered his search for God. After ten years he finally came to the Lord Jesus Christ and became a Christian.

After ten years he still remembered the encouraging prophetic words that our son in law had written to him. I think it is wonderful to know that the prophetic seed is powerful and can yield fruit several years after it has been sown. God is so good to us. His word will never return empty but happily perform what it is sent to do!

Many people are being healed at the Bible Week

We are enjoying our stay at the Refresh Bible Week at the Staffordshire Show ground. About 2000 people are gathered together to seek God, worship and listen to the Word of God. During the evening meetings we have seen a lot of people being healed. People have been called for prayer and all the elders and their wives have been laying hands on the sick. The power of God has been present.

Takit had a miracle happen to her throat

I have just had a very encouraging testimony from Henry, our covenant friend in Nepal.

A wonderful Bible Week

Yesterday we arrived home after attending the Bible Week at Stokke in the eastern part of Norway. We have been around 700 people gathered to fellowship, to worship and to hear the Word of God. It has been a most wonderful Bible week with a very clear direction from beginning to end. It has been a natural follow up after the Easter Conference and the clear prophetic word brought to us by our friend and apostle Keri Jones.

All the people I spoke with were excited about the direction God is taking us. The worship has been great and the ministry of the Word has been excellent. The presence of God has been powerfully with us in the gatherings. Many people have had powerful encounters with the Lord.

God is really good to his covenant people!

Preparing for the Bible Week

Our holiday in Finland and our time with Jakob, a grandson, have been good preparation for the Bible Week that starts tomorrow. Vacation, work and fun with grandchildren are excellent ways of preparing for a Bible Week. In these different settings I am still in communion with God. The different settings in fact enable me to hear fresh from God in different ways.

The joy of returning home

We have returned home after a very successful vacation in Helsinki Finland. One of the highlights was the time we spent with our friends Toni and Tuulia. But last night we returned home. What a joy to return home to the house in the forest. I could not go to bed before I had inspected the growing potatoes and the vegetables I had sown earlier before we went on a holiday. The light summer nights are so beautiful! At midnight I could walk in the garden, take in the smell, enjoy the silence and the peace. It was like every flower, every bush and every tree welcomed us home!

When I woke up this morning the sun was shining and our lake was like a mirror reflecting the blue sky. I felt so happy, I was filled with thankfulness to God for blessing us with a place like this.

We have this saying: East or West, home is best! But there is no joy like the joy of returning home!

The luxury of having a vacation

We are on the way to Finland. I am writing this entry from the Copenhagen Airport. We are enjoying the luxury of having a vacation. I am thankful to God for the blessing of being able to go on a holiday together with my dear wife. This time we will only be away for a few days. We will be staying in a hotel in Helsinki. That is the best vacation for my wife. There is no food to prepare or any work to do. Now we can only relax together and enjoy the blessings of God.

One of the great blessings of going to Helsinki is meeting our friends Toni and Tuulia. Toni will meet us at the airport and take us to the hotel and then we will spend more time with them later on our stay in Helsinki. I even guess that they will give us some ideas of what to see or experience while we are in the capital of Finland. We have no idea of what to do other than to relax and enjoy company with one another! This is the luxury of vacation. Just being together, with no program what so ever!

Living fellowship

Last weekend we spent time with our long standing friend Jan Sigve and his wonderful family and the covenant community he leads at Stord. I am always excited when I have been with the covenant community at Stord. It is really a living fellowship where the disciples are living fellowship every day of the week.

Jan Sigve and Astrid Elin have an open home. They are given to hospitality. They are caring for others and truly generous. It is a great blessing to stay with them and take part in the vibrant life of fellowship of the genuine covenant community.

At the weekend we participated in a birthday part, as well as a relaxed evening with our friends. We travelled with Jan Sigve to visit a new group of people reaching out to them on Saturday to return to an evening with a good meal of Chicken Tikka Masala together with more friends. It was a special joy to become more acquainted with Sindre, as his grandfather was my youth leader and his great grandfather was my Sunday School teacher who was radiant because of his love for Jesus.

Sunday we met with the entire covenant community at a public school building. We had a good time in the presence of God. I shared the Word of God and we had a big meal together. Again we have a wonderful time of fellowship. 

I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be part of covenant community where we are living what we believe. I thank God for my brothers and sister at Stord who are living fellowship. I am convinced they will bring many new people to Christ in days to come in all the villages on the island and the surrounding area.

Spiritual parents

We are visiting the covenant community in Harstad in the north of Norway this week and we are having a very good time. We have been meeting with several house churches and a group of leaders of the church. We have been blessed by our fellowship with the saints in Harstad. It is very clear to us that God is at work among his people in this place.

Great testimony - great joy

We have had a most wonderful weekend in Tromsø. The weather has been excellent. The sun has been shining day and night! The scenery is magnificent. The environment is perfect for a confirmation service with a following celebration. Seven girls were confirmed in the joint service in the Baptist church. Our granddaughter introduced the service with her masterful violin playing. Accompanied by our daughter in law on the piano Kristina delivered a fantastic performance. The young girls did a very good job in everything they did and made the service enjoyable. But the best part came after the service.

Visiting Tromsø

We arrived in Tromsø yesterday and will stay over the weekend. The sun is shining from a cloudless sky. The beautiful mountain tops are still covered by snow, but the spring has arrived even here in the north of Norway. The threes are budding, the fresh green colour of the spring season can be seen everywhere. I love this green freshness. God has really created a most beautiful world!

The Dandelion

The Dandelion was imported to Norway by monks as a medical plant. It used to be cultivated behind the high walls of the monasteries. Today this plant cover all of Norway as the seeds like parachutes were spread by the wind!

To me this is a prophetic picture of how the Kingdom of God can fill entire villages, towns, cities and nations with its transforming presence.

Prophetic flower pictures

It is spring time in Norway. It is late this year because of a cold and very long winter season. But now flowers are springing forth everywhere. It is like a resurrection of life from the dead ground. Restoration is taking place in front of our eyes. We can see the glory of God covering the ground everywhere!

Leave a comment on what prophetic message you hear from God when you look on these pictures!

God is able

This morning I read, that God is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or image, according to his power that is at work within us, in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

Tithing and legalism

A few days ago two good young men visited me in the house in the forest to talk about tithing. They had been practising tithing for many years, but now they had reached the conclusion that tithing was not a biblical principle. Tithing was no longer a practice they had to follow as believers who lived in the grace of the new covenant. The main reason for reaching this conclusion was their personal experience of a legalistic way tithing had been taught and practised. And of cause they had read some books saying that tithing no longer applied to Christians. We had a very good talk about tithing and generous giving, but we reached no common agreement on the biblical ground for the practise in new covenant communities today.

Prophetic flowers

If you have not read my previous post on the white anemones that cover the ground at our place in the forest I suggest that you read that entry before you proceed to read about prophetic flowers.

White anemones cover the ground

The spring has definitely come, even though we have had frost at night and snow-fall far into the month of May. This has been the coldest and longest winter I can ever remember! However, King Winter has been defeated! The ground of the forest all around us is covered with white anemones. This little unpretentious white flower stands in her innocence and feebleness as a powerful proof of resurrection life. Not long time ago there was no sign of life on the ground, but today the white anemones cover the ground as a prophetic proclamation that one day the entire earth will be filled with people displaying the glory of the Lord.

A powerful name

In the Book of Acts, which I have been reading the last few days, the name of Jesus Christ has a very prominent place. The early Christians were strong believers in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Therefore they saw signs and wonders take place in that powerful name.

Proclaiming the risen Christ

I am reading the Acts at the moment and I have been encouraged by discovering how central the proclamation of the risen Christ is for the early Christians. The apostles were bold in proclaiming that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. It seems to be their focus every time they preach or explain why they are doing what they are doing. The risen Christ seemed to be their reason for everything they did and said.

People are coming to Christ

At the gathering of the local covenant community on Sunday morning we had a very good report from some of the young people who had been evangelizing at the local shopping centre. As the spoke with some other young people, God gave them words of knowledge about some physical problems the people they spoke with had. This led to laying on of hands and prayer with the result that the two persons prayed for were instantly healed. They were totally taken aback and were overwhelmed by the power of God. Both of them came to Christ and committed their lives to the Lord.

Writing articles for 25 years

Today I have been writing an article for our Folk magazine. We have been publishing the magazine for 25 years. I am the one who started the magazine that have gone through many changes since the first issue in 1985. In the twenty five years that have passed since the first issue I have written countless articles for the magazine. I find great joy in writing articles for Folk. I also write articles for other papers and magazines, but Folk magazine is closest to my heart. I recommend all those who can read Norwegian to follow the Folk link and read all those issues that are available on the web. This is a true treasure, a storehouse of Biblical teaching.

New found friends

The last few months we have found some new friends living in our neighbourhood. Linn and Kyle are a wonderful couple with two great children. We came to know them this winter. They had been attending the worship services in Kristent Fellesskap Bergen and Linn recognised me at the local grocery store a few months back. Since that they have joined our house church at Seim led by Ole Kristian and we have spent some very good time together. Kyle has a helping hand and a lot of questions. As he helps me with practical works at the house in the forest we have deep conversations on spiritual matters. Or as we eat together and enjoy Solveig's delicious meals we have real fellowship and can share hearts with one another. I thank God for our new found friends and believe that we will make more friends in the rural area where we now live.

Virtual classroom

Through my friend Håvard Kjøllesdal who is running Folk Bibelskole I have come to know a very useful program for teaching in virtual classrooms on the Internet. The program is called WISIQ and is free of charge, but have a premium version which has more features for a reasonable price. This morning I had a session with my friend and tonight I will be teaching about 25 students. I will give a teaching on being prophetically alert to see or hear God in everyday life. I am very excited that God has enabled us to use the modern inventions to advance the Kingdom of God.

Seeing people - hearing God

I have been reading in the Gospel of Matthew recently and have been struck by the Jesus lived and interacted with people. He seemed to be fully awake, alert and present in every situation. He saw people and he was hearing from God. He could see through the external to the innermost thoughts of people, but I have the sense that if he had not noticed and observed the external situation, he would not have noticed what was going on inside people!

The ice has melted

This morning when I looked out the window I saw that the ice on our lake had disappeared. It had melted during the night. Only a few nights ago we had minus degrees ans the ice had increased on the lake. But today is a day of joy. Now spring has finally arrived. The ice has gone. Now we are waiting for the sun to heat the water that we may take a bath and nice swim in the lake. I think it will take nearly two months for the water to get the right temperature for bathing.