We have just arrived home from a most exciting time at the Bible Week at Stokke. We have been in the presence of God together as a covenant people to hear from him and be refreshed by his Spirit. I think that we were around six hundred people gathered to meet with God and one another. From the very beginning God spoke to us and moved powerfully among us with his Spirit. He gave us a very clear focus on what he is doing in our nation and the wider effect of that for the world.

God spoke to us through the preaching of the Word in the Bible, his prophets and prophetic gifts. His word gave a very clear direction for us as a covenant community anointed by the Spirit. The atmosphere was electric. The word of God created faith, hope and love among us. We were taken to a higher level in the Spirit. It was like a new fresh anointing was being released among us.

Many people came to Christ to find salvation. Many more were buried with Christ in baptism. Many healings took place.

Today we had our first gathering in our annual Bible week at Gjennestad, Stokke. About 500 people are gathered to seek God, hear his word and fellowship together. In the opening gathering the Lord directed us to focus on our own country to pray for healing of our nation, which we desperately need. We need to heed the promises of God for our nation and to preach the word of God which will bring a rich fruit and great harvest.
I am excited to serve God with my brothers and sisters in a time like this. God is moving by his Spirit and he will bring refreshing to his people and enable us to bring the good news of God's abundant love to our nation.

Yesterday I had the honour of participating in the graduation celebration of Bergen Bibelskole. Twenty students finished their study well this year. I have had the joy of spending some time with them sharing a little bit my insight from the Bible and my walk with God for more than fifty years. I like being with young people, and I especially like being with young Bible students. Yesterday was a day of celebration and word of appreciation and encouragement. Today the real examination of life starts. It is the life lived from now onward that will show the effect of spending one full year at studying the Bible and applying it in life. Now the real Life Application begins and I am confident that the students will do well.

It is a great joy to tell that our prayers concerning selling our house have been answered. Yesterday we accepted an offer as we found it acceptable. Solveig and I have agreed in prayer that the house should be sold before St. Hans (23.06.2009). We thank God for his faithfulness and also all our friends who have joined us in prayer. Now we all have another reason to rejoice. God is good. Within a month we will move to our new house in the forest in Lindås, Nordhordland.

Last night I spent with the covenant community at Stord. Twenty five young people were gathered together to worship the Living God, enjoy fellowship in the Holy Spirit and listen to the word of God. I believe no one was disappointed or let down by being present, but rather the opposite happened. People met with God and had an encounter with the Holy Spirit in a relaxed atmosphere of friendship and fun.
I was asked to share from the Word of God and was sharing about what God is doing among his people in the world today to change this world. We had a good dialogue as we went to the Bible to finds what God says about this age of the New Covenant which is also the age of the Spirit. By the grace of God we discovered that God is pouring out his Spirit on all people. Everyone is included in God's love and plan of salvation. Every believer can be used of God in a powerful way in the age of the outpouring of the Spirit. God showed us that each of us can say: I am included! I can be used by God!
We are the prophetic people of God! We know God and we have a close relationship with God. Therefore we may speak for God and be used as his errand boys in small and bigger matters.
Some of the people present needed to be touched by the healing power of God and we all prayed for them. Not all of them could testify of complete healing after the time of prayer, but they were all touched by the power of God. A young man received double healing in his legs and knees as another young believer laid his hands on him and prayed loudly for him. God is good!

Solveig and I have just arrived home from attending a wedding and the joy of visiting family members in Jæren where we come from. We love wedding celebrations with long meals, songs and speeches. We love being with our relatives and friends that we don't see to often. This weekend we saw Solveig's three sisters and my three brothers as well as Solveig's old mother at the age of 91 and my aunty at 97.
Wedding and relatives at our home place make us aware of our rich heritage and roots. It is a powerful reminder of not being alone in the world, but being part of living history that is still developing.

The evening Solveig and I had the privilege of assisting Terje Dahle, who leads the apostolic work when Noralv Askeland is in the Philippines, in ordaining elders in an newly established church in Kvinnherad on the western coast of Norway. We had a wonderful time with the this beautiful group of people together with our covenant friends from the region. Both Solveig and were able to speak prophetically to the church and the new elsers. They were all encouraged by the word of God.
God is about to bring a great breakthrough for his kingdom in this area. I am so thankful to the Lord that we are allowed to take part in what he is doing among this emerging church. It is very exciting to see with our own eyes that the Kingdom of God is advancing!

Two years ago we bought a summer house 45 minutes from Bergen city centre. We like the new place which we just call the house in the forest so much that we plan to move and make it our permanent residence. The last three weeks we have been trying to sell our house in the city. We have had several people looking at it and we have also had some offers, but we have not yet got what we want for the house. It is very interesting to see how different people are and how they view and value things differently when they come to look at the house. The other day we had a couple where the wife was so excited for our utility room while most of the people are excited for the tremendous view we have overlooking the fjord. We believe the selling of the house is in the Lord's hand and that he will look after us even in the trivial thing of selling a house.

The last few days I have been together with my friends in the apostolic team at Gullbotn. It was a very precious time of fellowship in the presence of God. We really experienced the reality of Psalm 133 about the precious fellowship of brothers living in peace and harmony with one another. We have shared with one another from our hearts and we have been praying together and received prophetic words of encouragement and direction. We have enjoyed delicious meals prepared by Solveig. The food always tastes better when eaten in the company of covenant friends. And we have been planning for the future.

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