Why Eastern Europe, Lord?

 - Was it because I read the novel: “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” when I was 14?

 - Was it because I two years later always ended up in discussions with radical people when I was evangelizing in the streets, and therefore had to learn more about Marx and Lenin to be able to meet their arguments? 

 - Was it because I was so fascinated when I read the book about “God’s smuggler” who in the 70s smuggled so many Bibles ‘under’ the iron curtain? 

 - Was it because this ‘smuggler’ – brother Andrew, was the main preacher in the last meeting I attended before I left Tromsø and went into training to become an officer at the age of 18? 

 - Was it because one of his associates, ‘John’, a Salvationist from UK, came to speak about the importance of spreading the Bible in Eastern Europe? Or was it John’s testimony that made such an impact? “I am prepared to go to jail, and if so happens, they will take my Bible”, John said. “However, to be prepared I am constantly learning important passages from the Scripture by heart.” Then he read the first two chapters from Ephesians by heart. 

 - Was it because of Gorbachev and glasnost that really made me hopeful that there would be a new opening for the gospel and the Army? 

Well, from that moment, Lord, you know that I started to get involved, because you were with us when I in 1989 took a group of young people to Leningrad. We had Bibles for children with us, which we distributed outside one of the Cathedrals, after some time we gave the rest of the Bibles to the church which was one of the very few that were open at the time. 

Two years later, I drove a minivan from Norway with another group of students. We brought minimum of luggage to be able transport as much food as possible to the newly opened Salvation Army. We drove into Leningrad and a couple of days later out of St. Petersburg. It was an inspiring weekend. You know Lord, that I would have loved to be part of it, but you also know why we couldn’t.

However, when the first call came from IHQ in March 2004, we were ready. You had prepared us, and we had three hectic and eventful years with many challenges – first in MUR-division, and when Ukraine became a division, in MR-division, and the last year in Moldova division. We thank you, Lord, for the challenges and give you honour for many people saved and baptised in The holy spirit.

You also know, Lord, that I had always wanted to take Magna to the place where we distributed the Bibles in 1989, however, I could not remember where it was, nor the name of the church. When EET in 2006 celebrated 15 years ministry in St. Pete, the Army made a contract with a conference centre for the event. As the time of the congress drew closer, the conference centre wanted more information. When they understood that it was a religious event, they cancelled the contract. The Army tried two more centres without success. Just a week or so before the event, they finally manged to get a nice centre for the purpose. When Magna and I arrived at congress-venue, I stood in awe and felt tears coming to my eyes. The venue was across the street of the cathedral where we had given out the Bibles. I was reminded about the verse: 

“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1 

Since we returned to Eastern Europe in the summer of 2015, we have seen this verse fulfilled again and again. So Lord, we know that you are always faithful to your word. Of course, the challenges have been many: Unstable political situations, even situations with war in Ukraine and war-like situations in Georgia; travels involving risks like the suicide-bombing we experienced in Istanbul in 2016; projects that did not work out in accordance with the desired plans, and this year the corona-situation that has influenced the whole world. But there are so many good things happening as well, so we know you are with your people Lord.

People are still getting saved, renewed and filled with the Spirit and follow the call to fulfill God’s mission in The Salvation Army. We see new initiatives, opening of outposts and corps, and now after five years of prayers and planning you are opening the way for The Salvation Army in Bulgaria. Nothing can stop your life in us, Lord, because it is a life that never dies!

I know that as long as our people in Easter Europe and Russia will continue to seek you, Lord, and not put their faith in the human structure we build to support the mission, you will continue to work in and through your people. 

Then we will see the unseen come true and your Kingdom come with healing to our nations and lands. You will hear more prayers for Eastern Europe and Russia coming from Magna and me, Lord, because the people will always be in our hearts!
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Published in Vestnic Spasenya #3 2020 (p. 10-11)

The Article in Russian

I see that you are tired!

“I see that you are tired!”- is the first line of a song I love to play and listen to*. It is Jesus speaking to a person in great distress, and the next line is not really comforting: “but I cannot walk all the steps for you – you have to walk yourself”. 

If it had stopped there, it would have been very sad, however, the song continues: “But I will walk with you”.

The next verses of the song deal with pain and Jesus crying with the person and when he still wants to give up Jesus says that he cannot live his life, but live with him and even turn death to life for him.
The song gives a true picture of how I see God in Jesus – a God who is with us in our sufferings. Even Isaiah saw that many years before God revealed himself in Jesus, he wrote:

I live in a high and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15

I have seen God doing miracles. I have seen people being healed, and I have also seen people who have not experienced healing even though they themselves and people around them have been praying for healing for years. However, among those living with pain and suffering I also find people who can testify that God is present and suffering with them.

Twenty-seven years ago a man arrived to a prayer-chapel just I was going to start the meeting. I noticed that he didn’t walk very well and he had brought a soft chair which he sat in. After the meeting I spoke with him. He told that he had suffered with Multiple Sclerosis and had been in a wheel-chair, but was convinced that God would heal him. “He has started the process”, he said, “and when I asked him where his angels were this evening, I saw one behind you!” – “It will happen, you see!”. His favourite verse was: 

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”. 
Psalm 91:11 

I only met this man once.
In an interview with him several years later, I read his story. He was now living a normal life and running the family farm. He shared his testimony. As a young man, he wanted his own carrier, and was not realizing that in doing so, he also drifted away from God. When the sickness struck him, it brought him back to the foundation of his life. His life in Christ. Jesus was with him in the suffering. When he felt that he could not go out on the field and did not have strength to lift the stone, Jesus said he would walk with him, and stone by stone ‘together with Jesus’ he also regained health.

Very often it is in the hardship, and not in the miracles, we realize the value of God being with us. 

I have experienced remarkable healing in my own life and family. However, in a long depression I was not ready to admit the fact that I was depressed, because God’s presence was just as strong as in the good days. I am grateful for this ‘hard-time’ experience in the same way as I am grateful for experiencing God’s presence when I was injured in a suicide-bombing in Istanbul in 2016.

I know that God sees YOU when you are tired, when you weep, when you want to give up – I pray that you will see him as well, because he is there beside you!
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Published in the Russian War Cry #4 2019 p 8

* Link to Sissel Kyrkjebø's version
* Link to the song - with English text 

Equal rights to serve

русский

Eighteen months ago, Easter Europe Territory held a seminar for employees and members of The Salvation Army (TSA). The purpose of the seminar was to give the delegates a better insight into what TSA is all about. In the final gathering, I had challenged the delegates to answer the question “Why did I choose TSA?”. Afterwards, I followed up with answers to the question: “Why did God choose TSA?”

I believe God chose TSA because he needed not only the prophetic voice of those whose hearts were fully committed to him, but also their prophetic actions. When you read ‘their prophetic actions’, maybe you immediately think about the social ministry of TSA. This is of course very important, but in the field of humanitarian work we are far from being lonely activists. Down through the history, many Christians from different traditions have had focus on the diaconal side of Christian living, and in doing so, they have contributed to the mission by making the faith credible.

I believe God chose to strengthen and bless William and Catherine Booth, because he saw the potential of Catherine’s prophetic voice and action, and that William would be ready to support her. So I think the third answer to the question above is:

God chose TSA because everyone who receives the call has the same right to ministry!

This view is closely related to holiness simply because there is no holiness outside of Christ. Paul describes our status in Jesus Christ in this way:

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

In other words, it is contradictory to holiness and to the essence of what Jesus is all about if people in a church are limited because of their race, social status or gender. In our movement a saved person from the gutter or the prison, should be worthy the same trust as a saved person with a spotless record and university degrees. In fact, sometimes it has taken longer for representatives from the latter group to be accepted in TSA, however, no-one should be excluded on such grounds.

The same attitude of equality relates to ethnic background and to gender. When we read the history of the Church, a general observation is that women have not been treated as equal to men with regard to the right to ministry.

I am convinced that it has been in the devil’s interest to keep it this way. Therefore, God chose to bless TSA because he wants to mobilize women, single or married. This is still a challenge even in our own movement. There is a tendency to give the leading positions to men rather than women. This tendency becomes particularly evident when appointments are given to married couples. So, for the sake of the mission and a desire to keep God’s blessing upon our movement, we are now making efforts to ensure that our rules and practices are in line with the rules and practices in Christ.

What is right in Christ, is right in the church! 

Published in the Russian 'War Cry' (Vestnic Spasenya) # 2 2019
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* Text in illustration = 'Equal rights to serve'

Where do you live?

русский

In the Western tradition, Christmas and carols are like identical twins. I guess that there will be a lot of discussions if we were to agree on which Christmas carol is the most important. Around the world, Carol-services and Christmas concerts still attract a lot of people. Also in my home-country I am frequently asked to share some Christmas thoughts on such events. It is already a couple of years since I took part in a Carol festival at our local church in a small village in Norway. In the last concert I jokingly said that I had always missed the most important Christmas song in the repertoire of the excellent local singers.

Then I burst into singing some bars from a Norwegian Christmas-tree dance with a very shallow content. It is about coming from ‘clapping land’, ‘hobbling land’, ‘dancing land’ and so on. 

However, the ‘silly’ song repeats the question “Where then, do you live?” over and over again.

So even though the song may not be the most important Christmas carol, I think it raises the most important question.

When John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said: “Look, the Lamb of God!", two of his disciples immediately followed Jesus. When Jesus discovered his followers, he asked: “What do you want?” They answered with a question: "Where do you live?" (John 1:38)

For a long time, I thought that this was a meaningless question to ask. However, that was before I understood how John had composed his gospel. The question "Where do you live?" is far deeper than a mere reference to a physical residence. It is about where you have your roots. It is about where your values are. The Christmas mystery is all about coming home to where you belong. Because Jesus came and said and still says: “Come and see!”

One evening almost 50 years ago, Jesus saw that I was following him from a long distance, and when he said: “Come and see!” - I came and found my roots. From that moment I knew where I belong. I had come home. The miracle is that I am home in Him and He is home in me. 

That also make me part of the Christmas miracle, because it is about God becoming man through me. Every born again believer is part of Christ’s body in the world today. The most important Christmas-question is therefore:

 

“Where do you live?”

Published in the Russian War Cry - Вестник спасения - issue #1 2019 - PDF

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‘for such a time as this’

русский

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 obstacles to overcome. 

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

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

What will make the world listen?

“What will make the world listen?”  was the “headline” on my blog published on the morning of Tuesday 12th of January 2016. 

Coincidentally Magna and I were in Istanbul this particular morning. When returning from our furlough back in Norway, we should fly transit through Istanbul and back to Chisinau with a scheduled landing Sunday night. However, due to fog in Chisinau the flights were cancelled and our transit-time in Istanbul expanded from two hours to two days.

When we finally knew that our return-flight was postponed until Tuesday night, we decided to go on a city-tour in the morning. After having seen the beautiful Hagia Sofia, Magna and I followed our group across the Hippodrome in the direction of the obelisk on the Sultanahmet Square by the Blue Mosque. As we walked, we spoke about how generous God is who allowed us to see the beautiful city free of charge and Magna stopped and took a picture of the obelisk. The next moment a suicide-bomber triggered the explosives in a group of German tourists ten meters away from us.

I started to run, but realized after a few steps that something had gone through my knee. I managed to move myself another few meters before I fell to the ground. When I lay there, my only thought was:

“Is Magna safe?” 

– only a few seconds later she was at my side. When I saw that she was unhurt, a strange kind of peace filled me. I could see many people had fallen to the ground, either dead or unconscious. Remains of human flesh were spread all over the place, and Magna’s clothes and my shoes were covered with it.

I knew straight away what had happened, and I just thought: “So this is how it is in real life” – with reference to similar scenes flooding the TV-screens. Magna and I very often say to one another: “whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Romans 14:8). 

My second thought was a question to God:
“Lord, for what purpose can you use this?” 

I knew that the suicide-bomber wanted to catch the world’s attention for his evil cause, and I know that God’s solution is: 

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. (Romans 12:21) 

I reminded myself that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Therefore, I knew that he would give me opportunity to testify about his love to a wide audience.

As we sat waiting for the ambulances, I prayed for those who were killed and injured, and thanked him for life and for how he was going to turn this evil into something good.

After ten minutes the ambulances were allowed to start the rescue-work, and from then on everything went very fast. At the hospital, everything was very efficient and professional. In the midst of it all, media managed to get access to me despite the security, and I believe that less than three hours after the explosion, the first video of my testimony about God’s love as a the only remedy against evil, was on television.

And within the next 24 hours, it had been repeated to a number of journalists

and international news-agencies - and transmitted by national and international channels, like CNN, all over the world. God gave me the opportunity to speak and testify to two ministers of the Turkish government, one official from municipality of Istanbul and to the doctors and staff of the hospital as well as the Turkish police and members from the Swedish and German consulates.

When it finally calmed down in my room on my first day at the hospital in Istanbul, it was already late night, but I was able to pray and think. The first verse I thought of was: 

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”  Genesis 50:20. I experienced that; 

God already had intended to turn the evil into good. 

With some humour, I thought that it was a little bit sad that the projectile had gone through the knee. If it had still been in the knee and the surgeons were able to remove it, I could have kept it and engraved the reference "Gen 50:20". 

This thought was of course inspired by Lily, the wife of Samuel Logan Brengle, who kept the brick that was thrown at her husband and almost killed him. Brengle used the 18 months of convalescence to write his first book about holiness. Lily wrote the reference on the brick and they kept it for the rest of their lives.

This is not my doing. God mobilized a huge army of prayer-warriors around the world. By the spreading of the news, both in official and social media, I think that several hundred thousands have been praying. And we have received so many greetings, and have only been able to respond to a few, but we are so grateful to God and to you who represent his body. One of the greetings that came after a few days contained this message:

I will be careful to declare that I have received a word from the Lord to you, but it seems to me that the verses from Gen. 50:15-21 are meant for you. Particularly verse 20. Please take it for what it is, and ask the Lord what this may mean for you.

I could write back to him and confirm that it is from the Lord. The only thing that will make people listen today is when we act and respond with the love of God. If I do not let him work through me with his love, I can confess with Paul: I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).

In Istanbul God taught me once again that his love makes the world listen! So if we want to see God’s Kingdom come to Russia and Eastern Europe Territory, all we do, has to be saturated with:

 

God’s love. 

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Published in Вестник спасения issue №2 - 2016 - PDF-format

Link to the full version of Вестник спасения #2 - 2016 год

Articles published in the Russian War Cry*

Here are some of my articles published in Вестник спасения*

• I see that you are tired...
• Together - the most important word in all aspects of ecology
• Equal rights to serve
• Where do you live?
• ‘for such a time as this’
• A prophetic sandwich
• What will make the world listen? - (Istanbul 12 Jan 2016)

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* = Vestnic Spasenya  = The Herold of Salvation