Jostein's Blog in English: 2018

Monday 31 December 2018

Published articles in English

* The prophetic voice of The Salvation Army

* Ecumenical fellowship

* Interview with General Paul Rader

* Tentmaking once again

Sunday 30 December 2018

Published books in English

Let's stay on the right track!

Dare to be different – be what you are!

A life of holiness

Ground-Breaking Spiritual Leadership

a brief study of 8 Biblical leaders and the characteristics of their leadership

Lukewarm or Luke-warm?

How Luke kept his faith and I can keep mine

Wednesday 12 September 2018

My lyrics

Here are translations of some of my own songs and songs by other authors:

Jesus in our time
Teach me to know your paths and ways, Lord
Lord, stay with us right now

Friday 31 August 2018

The Territorial Commander shares his thoughts after taking part in the High Council, at which the new General (international leader) of the Salvation Army - Brian Peddle was elected.

During the formal opening of the Salvation Army's High Council when the 108 ‘delegates’ changed status to ‘members’, we were reminded about the sole function and task of the Council:

"You shall elect a General ‘for such a time as this’" said the Chief of Staff, Commissioner Brian Peddle, referring to the choice Queen Ester had to do on behalf of her people (Esther 4:14).

In preparation for this important event, I had read John Larsson's book 'Inside a High Council'. Larsson states that electing a General does not involve campaigning or lobbying for ‘your’ candidate - the main focus is to seek God's face and to know the direction of the Spirit. I soon discovered that this is also a reality. No one tried to influence me to support a candidacy. I was left to pray - also for what I thought was important, and what I believed God had put on my heart ‘for such a time as this’.

Although the Salvation Army's orders and regulations of 1888 clearly state that ‘both men and women are eligible for all ranks, authorities and duties within the Army’, unfortunately, married women have not had the same opportunities as men.

As a child of officers, I knew that my mother had leadership skills and qualifications that were fully on the level of my father's. This worked well in the corps, but when TSA needed my father's qualifications outside of the corps, my mother had to fight for something to do. When I got married, I realized that I was blessed with a woman with many talents. Throughout our years of service, I have been worried that the Salvation Army should burry her talents. During the 42 years that have passed since I became an officer, I have many times been in despair because of the disrespect of the resources that married women have. It has improved, but many places in the world there are still

For this reason, I have already for many years prayed that at the next High Council, a married woman should be nominated as a candidate for General. It happened – Hallelujah.

Also other important nominations were made. In 2010 I was in Kenya in the capacity of being Principle for a Brengle Institute. There I met a wonderful officer and brother in the Lord, and I thought he was a great spiritual leader, not just for the Salvation Army in Africa but for the whole world. He was also nominated. The list could go on…

On several occasions I have written that God chose to bless the Salvation Army because everyone who accepts God's call to salvation has the same right to ministry in the Kingdom of God. The Biblical support for this view is substantial, and here is one:

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galitians 3:28

For this reason, I believe the nominations were a prophetic confirmation, and I believe the General elect, Commissioner Brian Peddle is a leader who can take this further as General. For almost three years, he has been my line-manager, he is a clear communicator and open to advice and aware that without God he can do nothing. For three years I have prayed for him and Rosalie, and there will be no less prayers in the time ahead. Prayer is a key to everything we do.

We build the Kingdom of God, not our own!

Published in the Russian War Cry = Вестник спасения - issue # 4 2018

Friday 1 June 2018

A prophetic sandwich

русский

Six years ago The holy spirit drew my attention to a “prophetic sandwich”. I am convinced that God over several years has spoken to His church in general and some messages seem to be sent to the specific mission of the Salvation Army. Lately several of these visions seem to come together in a way that must be more that coincidental, and it gives me a strange feeling of excitement and urgency: Either we eat or we die!

The common factor in the ‘sandwich’ is the link to prophetic messages in the book of Isaiah:

The lower “crust”

In June 2003, Lars, a good friend of mine had just completed 40 days of fasting, and as usual this Tuesday morning we had shared in prayer-fellowship together with a group of prayer-warriors praying for our city. I was just about to leave for my office as which I normally did around nine o’clock. However, Lars stopped playing in the worship and said: “Jostein, don’t leave! I have something to share!”. I stayed, and listened to he felt God had told him during the 40 days in the ‘wilderness’: “I believe God’s special message for us and our time is to be found Isaiah 54:1-4” – and then he shared what God had shown him. I knew it was a prophetic, and for me it was a moment of preparation.

A few days later I stood on a podium in a sports-hall as Commissioner Israel Gaither’s interpreter. It was the soldiers’ meeting in our territorial congress. In his message Gaither told that he had asked God for a special word for our church, and he had been given Isaiah 54:1-4. I felt that the Holy Spirit shaking me as I interpreted. The Commissioner continued to explore the passage and I knew that it was God speaking through him as he focused on the need to “give birth” to more children, think bigger, revitalize the desolate places and not be ashamed.

The lower crust is to grasp the promise and possibilities found in these words!

The upper “crust”

I believe this is the rediscovery of the prophetic DNA of the Salvation Army. William Booth called Isaiah 58 The Salvation Army’s charter. The prophecy is a vivid expression of an integrated mission. When I in November 1999 attended a soldiers-meeting and listened to General Gowans’ articulation of our mission, I had a sense of listening to a prophetic confirmation of our ‘charter’. I have never claimed to see the full light, but even as a teenager I started to question the segregation of our mission into ‘field’ and ‘social’ work. All our ministries must be rooted in a local corps with ownership to the whole mission. If not, the vision of an integrated mission has a long way to go to become a reality. The upper crust is the rediscovery of the Salvation Army’s DNA = the “coming together” of our mission as “one” – integrated in the way we organize us, but even more important: Integrated in the individual soldier.

The “filling”

It is possible to eat the crusts separately, but it helps the appetite if there is a nourishing filling – and in the prophetic sandwich the filling is essential. To my great joy I have seen a growing prayer-movement in our church. Our organisation can survive without prayer, but not our mission. When I in 2012 listen to Colonel Janet Munn sharing the vision:

“my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Isaiah 56:7

I again had a sense of being part of something prophetic, and the picture of the sandwich dawned on me. In the sequence of Isaiah’s prophecies, the call to prayer finds itself in the middle. I just note this as a “Devine curiosity” – but it makes it even easier to remember when presented. And we need an encouragement to take this in. I now it is vital, yes, a matter of life or death and prayer is the very key.

Why this metaphor?

Several of the prophets in the Bible “ate” the word. John proclaimed that the Word became flesh; and Jesus introduced himself as the bread of heaven – the bread of life. It caused a lot of misunderstanding and many left him in disgust. They could not grasp the spiritual meaning of what he taught:

What we eat becomes part of our body, it becomes us!

More than any time in our history we need to “eat” to find our identity in Christ and the identity of our mission. When we know who we are and why we are here, God’s Kingdom will come to Eastern Europe and Russia!

Published in the Russian 'War Cry' = Вестник спасения issue #3 2018 - PDF-format