Trondheim 2

I just have to show you this church from the Trondheim area - Stjørdal. The church is called Værnes - built around 1100.

This is the box (Værnesstolen) where General Schultz sat - it was added in 1685

He gave the money to build on to the church during the 1600's.

(Just a little note - this is positioned higher than the priest giving the Word!)

 Many Norwegian State churches have ships hanging from the ceiling.

They represent the journey of our faith

Rebecca has better pictures @ http://dreamsandfibrearts.blogspot.com/

Trondheim 2012

We arrived in Trondheim last night (3rd largest city in Norway). Just think - there have been people living here since 997. This was the capital city during the Viking Age .

What a beautiful city:

Just a few wise words on ministry - when the road seems long:

Ministry is giving when you feel like keeping...

Praying for others when you need to be prayed for...

Feeding others when your own soul is hungry...

Living truth before people even when you don't see results..

Hurting with other people

even when your own hurt can't be spoken...

Keeping your word even when it is not convenient...

It is being faithful when your flesh wants to run away..

but..in the end it will all be worth it!

(source unknown)

Excellence is the result of…

caring more than others think is wise;

risking more than others think is safe;

dreaming more than others think is practical

and expecting more than others think is possible.

Horse Story

There was a preacher that was trying to sell his horse. A potential buyer came to the church for a test ride. "Before you start" the preacher said, "you should know that this horse only responds to church talk:

Go is: praise the Lord

Stop is: amen

So the man on the horse said, "Praise the Lord," and the horse started to trot. The man again said, "Praise the Lord," and the horse started to gallop. 
Suddenly there was a cliff right in front of the horse and the man yelled "Amen!!!" The horse stopped just at the edge of the cliff. 
The man wipes the sweat from his brow and said, "Praise the Lord."


We know what we are saying, but it looses its meaning.


I couldn't resist this wee fella on his horse!

7 Things - New Names God Gives To The Church

Isaiah 60 talks about the glory that will be seen on God's people. We look with great expectation for that day. As we walk in holiness we will become part of His wonderful plan to cover the earth with glory and the light of God.

Here are the new names that God has for us as we become more and more like Him:

• Is. 60:14 "...And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel."
We are the "city on a hill" that Jesus spoke of - the city named Zion, which is the people and place of His presence forever.

• Is. 61:3 "...That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
We are called to be strong, fruitful trees that have roots of righteousness. Once again, the Lord is glorified because of our planting in, and life of righteousness.

• Is. 61:6 "But you shall be named the priests of the Lord. They shall call you the servants of our God"
One of the most crucial messages for the Church in these days is that she needs to take her position in the nations as one who is a servant-priest. We are the ministers of God's glory and grace. Don't wait for some famous "leader" to come to your city and release God's glory - His glory flows through His servant-priests who have His heart for the lost and broken.

• Is. 62:4 "You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married."
These are terms of endearment form the Lord to His Church. He loves us with a passion. He delights in us and has chosen us as His favored ones - to me married to Him forever.

• Is. 62:12 "And they shall call them, The Holy People..."
Our beauty and glory is in our holiness. As Robert Jamieson says: "Holiness is glory internal; glory is holiness shining forth outwardly."

• Is.62:12 "And they shall be called...The Redeemed of the Lord."
There is no glory without redemption. The is the starting point for all that God does in, ad through us.

• Is. 62:12 "...and you shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken."
The Father has sought us out - He has run after us and called us as His followers. We are not forsaken, but the cherished people of our perfect Father.

7 Things Jesus Prayed For The Church - John 17

John 17 is often referred to as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus. It is the longest recorded prayer that we have, and by far, the greatest prayer recorded in the Bible. In it, Jesus prayed for Himself, the disciples and us - those who would become disciples in the future. When Jesus prayed for us in John 17 He asked His Father for 7 things on our behalf:

• V11 Keep them in Your care

• V11 Unify them just as You and I are one. Also V21 - That we will be one with the Father in the same way that Jesus is one with the Father

• V13 Fill the Church with joy

• V15 Keep the Church safe from the evil one

• V17 Sanctify them (make them pure and holy and entirely Yours V19)

• V24 That the Church would be able to see God's glory

• V 26 That the love of God may be in the Church

It is amazing to see the priorities Jesus had in prayer. He knew that each of these issues needed to be covered in prayer on our behalf. We must make them a priority in prayer and lifestyle as well.

13 times in this chapter, the Father is seen as the Giver - He is the One who is the source of all things.

The words "loved," "love" are used 5 times

The word "Father" is used 6 times in the prayer

The words "glory," "glorify," "glorified" are used 8 times

The word "world" is used 17 times

The words "You," 'Your" are used 36 times

Oslo

Just a few photos from around Oslo - it was quite a dreary day, and the photos are not the best on my iPod Touch, but you get the idea of how beautiful everything is.

Reindeer meat - it tastes great, but I am sure Santa is not pleased

Beautiful buildings

Oslo Domkirkke - Lutheran State Church - The Pulpit

This is where the King sits - and the organ

Beautiful arches

...and then there was this:

7 Things - Seeking God

Here are seven keys for seeking God:

1. Seek Him with all your heart and soul

Jer. 29:13 And you will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me   with all your heart.

Also: Deut. 4:29; 2Chr. 15:12–13,

2. Seek Him when He is Near

Is. 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near 

3. Seek Him through fasting

2Chr. 20:3–4 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together, to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

4. Seek Him early

Ps. 63:1 O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water.

5. Seek Him through prayer

Zech. 8:22 Yes, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the   Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord.

6. Seek Him diligently

Prov. 8:17 I love those who love me; and those who seek me diligently will find me. 

Hebr. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.

7. The Zacchaeus principle—Run, climb higher, look

Luke 19:3–4 And he sought to see who Jesus was; and could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

Four things hinder us from coming up higher:

• Handicaps—he was short. Natural disadvantages

• Obstacles—the crowd. Even those who mean well can drain us. We can lose focus on the Lord if we spend too much time with people – not that we shouldn’t be with people, but don’t let them rob you of your personal time with God

• Appearances—his reputation as a tax collector.

• Opportunities—the timing of Jesus' visit. He had to respond - Opportunities have a lifetime. If we wait too long, the time can pass for us to move

More on Seeking God: HERE

Integrity and Holiness

Chuck Colson died tonight

God Bless his family and friends

Chuck Colson said:

We must be the same person in private and in public.

Only the Christian worldview

gives us the basis for this kind of integrity.

I don't think the job of the church is to make people happy.

I think it's to make them holy.

Holiness

Is. 6:3               We behold Him who is holy

Heb. 12:14        We seek holiness

Rom. 6:19         We become a slave to holiness

Rom. 6:22         We must have the fruit of holiness

2Cor. 7:1          We must perfect holiness

1Pet. 1:15-16    We must become holy

1Thess. 3:13     We can be established in holiness

1Thess. 4:4       We must live in holiness and honor

Rev. 22:11        We must continue in holiness

1Chr. 16:29       Praise Him in the beauty and splendor of holiness (Ps. 29:2; 96:9)

Is. 35:8             He has set us on a highway of holiness

Heb. 12:10        His discipline leads us to holiness

Ez. 36:23          He will reveal His holiness in us and through us to the nations

Integrity

Serves as a guide in life’s moral decisions Prov 11:3

Hates falsehood in every form Prov 13:5-6

Is something to be held onto, even in tough times Job 2:3

Keeps its word even when it hurts Ps 15:1-4

Isn’t afraid to run when evil comes knocking 2Tim 2:22

Say both yes and no and means what it says Jas 5:22

Backs up what it says and how it lives Titus 2:7

Is what God looks for in a person’s character 1 Chron 29:17

Terrv Brown and Michael Ross “Communicate”

More on Integrity: HERE