May 31, 2009
Powerful baptisms in the Spirit in Lakewood!
Now I have worked out and read the Bible (between 6-8 AM) just by the beautiful lake I found yesterday morning… Today I read the Sermon on the Mount (the gospel of Mathew chapter 5-7), wow how sharp and radical Jesus is – the holy Spirit was so close to me in that park by the water… Now I’ll have breakfast with the pastor’s family here and then I’ll preach on two more services today – hallelujah! I really do think I have the best job in the world!
I know that many of you have been trying to reach me the last couple of days… There is a simple explanation… I lost my cell phone at Arlanda early on Friday morning on my way to the USA… Sorry. When I get back home I’ll get a new phone and you’ll soon be able to reach me again, I promise... :)
See you!
May 30, 2009
A morning by the water
See ya!
May 29, 2009
New Jersey, USA...
Jeff Deyo
Lance worked with my mentor pastor Ron Johnson in Bethel Temple, Virginia during 12 years. But he’s now assistent pastor in Lakewood, New Jersey since 1,5 years. Calvary Lighthouse is a new church contact to me; a lovely church! I just went out for dinner with some american gypsy. We talked about the miracles that Jesus did and compared american and european humor. Soon I’ll fall into bed, I´m so tired and I’m having a big jetlag. Thank you God for a nice, warm and soft bed! The US is always so nice! I like it here! Thank you God for the United States!
See ya!
May 28, 2009
God is calling the international evangelists!
We will proclaim the church in the late summer, or August 29th to be exact! August 26th SOS Missions Bible College will have its fresh start and in the middle of Stockholm City in our new premises in Kungsholmen! Today I got a bit more than 50 000 SEK from a business man, for a portable baptism pool that we’ve been praying for, thank you dad! Just recently I got 16 000 SEK for musical instruments from one of our partner-churches, thank you God! Gold, frankincense and myrrh!
May 25, 2009
The day after...
After the baptism a whole bunch of us went home to our place to look at our new house in Tullinge… I made food for eleven grown-ups, we set a long table, laughed and relaxed… After eating we had coffee and played some cards. I love my SOS family above everything else on earth! We stayed up late… That’s alright… To be with people who don’t judge you and where you don’t have to think about every word you say in fear of it being turned against you as an accusation later on, is so liberating… Everybody needs a safe environment and real friends you can trust and just be yourself with… The SOS leaders are flourishing right now! Many of our people are getting in place now, finding their element and enjoying life in a whole new way! No compromises, one vision, one culture, one people – “one in heart and mind” as the book of Acts so beautifully describes the first church... That is how we felt about the past weekend. So beautiful! So pure! Thank you, beloved Jesus!
May 24, 2009
Harvest Cry is Spelled Success!
We're soon on our way to a lunch meeting at the restaurant Storkällaren in the old city. Pastor Linda Bergling will speak, it will be wonderful! After that we'll meet at Nalen again for the final meeting... If you're in Stockholm and haven't found your way to Harvest Cry yet... you'll come for the final service at 4 PM eh?
May 23, 2009
Sucess the first Night!
I'll be back with pics later!!!
See ya!
May 21, 2009
Entirely New Times!
I'm trying to rest today and come in fase for the festival that starts tomorrow... I'm playing "Wi" with the kids, haning out with friend, just relaxing... Nina Anderson is here and the Zuniga family will soon be here.
After the last festival meeting on Sunday we'll have a baptismal feast in the Cross Church! If you want to be baptized or you want to sign a newly saved friend up for baptism, call our House Church Pastor, Emma Gustafsson at 0707-569737 or Cickie Hamrén that is responsible for the follow up work at 0707-209044!
There is grief in leaving something that has been great to enter into something new... but, when everything comes around... it's now that everything is pioneer again... Back to the basics! Back to the roots! Back to the streets! Fun!
I'll see you at Harvest Cry right? Totally new times!
See ya!
May 20, 2009
Early Summer in Stockholm!
We're charging for festival now! Everything is about Harvest Cry at Nalen this weekend... My thoughts are there all the time. We're inviting friends that are seekers to creative shows where we present a positive Jesus gospel, and they promise to come... We're planning, making power points, choosing film clips, making run sheets... Once team is practising dance, the festival band is practising, outreaches are prepared and follow up material is organised and ordered etc... Festival - so fun!
I read in Metro (lokal newspaper in Stockholm) today that "More Avalaible Apartments in Stockholm"... There is a 30% increase of avaliable apartments than last year at the same time... That's so great for all you blog readers that are considering applying to SOS Mission Bible College this fall and need to find some place to stay fast! Search for housing offices on Google! Or e-mail info@missionsos.org if you want to rent a room at one of our wonderful families at the church! This fall the adventure starts for us and many new students when we proclaim SOS Church together August 29th! We'll be pioneers and church planters right away!
Now I'll have a newly saved couple here for marriage talk/guidance and then I'm heading for a meeting with the Pastoral Team at 8 PM... Have to run...
See ya soon again!
May 18, 2009
The Battle for Focus and Harmony
Here comes a checklist that will get any former warrior back in business fast:
1)Do you have a strong inner life?! (ie daily Bible reading / meditation and lots of worship, prayer in tongues...)
2)Do you care for your family? (conversations, play, love, sex, vacation etc.)
3)Are you raising up new believers to become disciples of Jesus? (ie conversations about baptism, prayers for baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Bible, deliverance, etc)
4)Do you share the Gospel with non-Christians every week?
5)Are you living a sound life? (ie work-out, eat right, and relax at times...)
If you can check off on the first three points then there should already be a nice harmony in your life and if you can do the same for the last two then by now your life should be great...
The battle and the spiritual warfare is most often about focus. Your flesh needs to be crucified daily and the Great Commission from Jesus be taken seriously. Life truly is great and the Holy one serves us so many surprises if we just dare to follow Jesus and His simple lifestyle and advise found in the gospels. The life that is depicted in the Book of Acts is a life following the Spirit. One can live life with a capital L in Stockholm and to the ends of the earth... Life is spelled JESUS!
See ya!
May 16, 2009
To Kiss God
When two people who are in love kiss, then intimacy and closeness between the two is created, but at the same time it also refreshes... To worship and honor God is with other words to kiss God initimately, deeply, and with passion! Worship will created closeness, joy as well as ignite and kindle the fire! I love worship!
We have to worship in the right place! Worshipping God early in the morning in the kitchen or in a house church among disciples in wonderful as well as refershing but maybe not so on the city square or in front of unbelievers... I have been thinking... I have always felt kinda embarrased when I have seen a couple making out in the open, on the commuter train or on a buss... On the verge of offensive and unpleasant... When it comes to kiss one does not want to be an observer. Worship should not be observed. Worship should not be performed or showed in concert form. This is why we in Mission SOS have drawn a clear line between festival music / Christian performance and praise and worship. When seekers are present a message is to be proclaimed or lovesickly smeared in . Worship is for Jesus loving disciples but probably belongs more in the prayer closet and in the church service with and among believers rather than in public, in society. Worship may never be exploted. Praise and worship is to kiss God in Spirit and in Truth, just as Jesus said! (John 4:23-24)
Kiss God a lot this summer - It will make you crazy for him!!
May 11, 2009
May 10, 2009
Quick Pace towards Harvest Cry!
Let me present this Sunday's speaker at SOS Church Stockholm - Pastor Emma Gustafsson!
This Sunday is a real "invite your friends Sunday" at SOS Church Stockholm. We meet at restaurant Mai Tai at Luntmakargatan 63 at 4 pm, welcome! This Sunday and the upcoming week we are really getting ready for Harvest Cry. We'll have days of fasting this week, 24/7 prayer, outreach downtown on Friday night May 15th and a big prayer meeting Saturday May 16th, and next Sunday it's another "invite your friends Sunday"! We'll be at restaurant Mai Tai two Sundays in a row... Don't miss these Sundays when we build momentum for SOS Church's first real event in Stockholm city - Harvest Cry May 22-24! We are moving towards Harvest Cry with a quick pace!
See ya!
May 9, 2009
Dreams of Adventures...
1) Visit every country on the entire globe and share the gospel with someone in every nation (I believe this could have a prophetic value). I know that Jesus speaks that we should preach the gospel of the kingdom to all people (ethnos), but I'll begin with visiting every nation :).
2) Motorcycle vacation with some crazy Christian couples in so called closed countries (closed for the gospel that is) and praying for these nations... Imagine a motorcycle vacation on the Arabic peninsula or through China...
3) A hunting trip to Alaska with dad... Grizzly bears, caribu herds and campfires by salmon rapids...
4) A weeks vacation on a Western ranch with my darling Maria and our kids - horse back riding, fishing and b-b-q evenings...
5) A really big fat unreached peoples festival with over 100 000 people gathered...
6) More mission bases, missionaries and churches planted... 500 full time missionaries sent out and 1000 SOS churches around the world...
7) That the entire Pastors team in SOS Church Stockholm is there when we together raise a dead!
8) That my children won't suffer because their daddy so often is slandered, accused and bulled for his faith and radical Christian choices in life...
9) That Julia Willkander and Linnea Hagenfors will break through with their festival music all over the world...
10) That Walter Zuniga, Daniel Elvelyck, Emma Gustafsson, Julia Willkander and Andreas Jensen will become very successful pastors in Stockholm...
But Johannes, someone says... How do you dare to tell about your dreams so openly - what if someone throws you naked into a well like they did with Joseph in the Bible because of his dreams... There are jealous "big brothers" out there... My friend, don't worry about me... I've already been in the well and come out of it at least three times... I'm not afraid to dream big anymore. Never stop dreaming! Life and the future belongs to us!
See ya!
In Vennesla at my Friend Gunnar Jeppestøl...
When I arrived at Kjevik Airport in Kristiansand I realized that my luggage was left in Oslo... Yea, yea... It's ok... A happy Pastor Gunnar picked me up and all the way to Vennelsa we talked about different boxers and skiers - fun! Gunnar and I went to Rimi (grocery store) and bought some food and then I checked in at the "Evangelist apartment" at Filadelfia... I like Gunnar, he's a warrior and a faithful friend... God is good!
See ya!
May 7, 2009
New Times for the Amritzer Family!
Afterwards we all went into the Old City to eat lunch together and celebrate the kids' new school and also the fact that we bought a very nice house on Skogshemsvägen in Tullinge with a deck facing south and a pool in the yard... We wanted to eat somewhere fancy, but since the kids choose, we ended up eating pizza anyway... So cozy and wonderful! We became all giggely and foolish and just sat and enjoyed the moment after we finished eating...
Then I went and worked out at a gym at Garnisonen on Östermalm, meet a newly saved
friend and took the Metro back to Märsta again... At home we live
life to its fullest among the packing boxes (chaos) right now... Yesterday I worked hard to get my big Moose trophe down from the wall and today some strong friends will come and help me carry the arms locker down from our upstairs level... The move from Märsta to Tullinge will take place on Saturday!
Tonight we have a vision meeting in Skepptuna rustic site and we'll continue to work on the "dream house"; SOS Church Stockholm. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM, welcome all builders and curious people! Click for directions.
N.B! N.B! N.B! Sunday May 24th at the finale of Harvest Cry we'll have a baptismal feast! Two people have already signed up. Help guide even more to baptism in water now and register to emma.gustafsson@missionsos.org. I'm praying and believe that we'll baptize many!
See ya!
May 5, 2009
We are building Mission Base Sweden!
Our SOS family has had several goals for this spring.
No 1: was the just recently completed mission practice trip to Thailand.
No 2: is Harvest Cry in down town Stockholm.
No3: will be the graduation of SOS Mission Bible College, and then the relocation to down town Stockholm with a new fresh start this fall!!
Everything is proceeding well so far – God is keeping his caring and protecting hand over us – Lord thank you for your grace.
After sending the kids to school this morning, Maria and I read the first seven chapters of Nehemiah... Alicia was going on a bike excursion with her class – so we first had to fill her tires, oil the chain, pack a lunch box, etc. ... After Alicia and Adam left the house we had time for a short Bible study at our kitchen table...
”Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built” Nehemiah 4:17-18a...
This summer our goal is to complete five bathrooms, five office rooms, a café, a kids church (with a capacity for 50-70 kids) and a small auditorium (320 seats)... everything fit in 8,288 sq ft... It will be compact but a wonderful start for Mission Base Sweden... We will take no mortgages but instead we will build as the money comes in... Our calculations are that we will build for close to 400,000 SEK this summer alone... When the Bible College starts on August 26th and then when the official proclamation of the church takes place on Aug 29th we hope to have the main work completed. Then we will work with the details during the fall... When Walter and Linda Zuniga come home at the end of the year after five years in Bulgaria, they will receive a nice base as a gift from us all!
To all my blog readers: do not forget to worship and love Jesus a lot this spring and summer! Jesus is sooo wonderful!
See Ya!
May 4, 2009
Monsters vs Aliens
- I was made aware that her humour is becoming more and more adult like... I don't quite know how I feel about that yet ;). We enjoyed a Monday afternoon off together...
Tomorrow work starts again, but tonight I'll work out and then just relax with my family again...
See ya!
May 3, 2009
Jesus Manifestation and Dance Performance!
Linda and Gunnar Bergling
Omid Dadary
See ya!
May 1, 2009
Baptism in Khon Kaen
In the midst of all the things happening at home, I receive reports from Thailand, where our mission practice is still going on... Listen... Maybe this will be your adventure next year – apply to MCM Ministry School now!
Check out pictures of baptisms and our mission practice trip in Buddhist Thailand!
Otherwise, the sun is shining from a clear blue spring sky in Stockholm and life is smiling its most beautiful smile, just like only a Swedish pre-summer day can do...
See Ya!