I was 19 years old when I heard the Holy Spirit say, "one day you will be a pastor in this city" for the first time... I stayed at CityBackPackers, a hostel right in the middle of the city 8 intense days in May, early 90's... A young Hannes exploring the city, map in hand and an old "Fjällräven" backpack on my shoulder... Breakfast at different cafés on Drottninggatan and in the Old City... Lunch on the grass in sunny parks, Humlegården, Tegnerlunden and Rålambshovsparken... Took a nap in the sunshine on a bench and read the Bible on Mosebackstorgs café overlooking the entire inner city. Enjoyed the water, the subway, the pedestrian streets and the Sergel-stairs with a cup of coffee in my hand... Amritzer did not own a cell phone at that time (only a few rich Swedes carried around huge satellite phones, big and heavy like bricks)...
I wrote a few post cards and spoke to my 17-year old girlfriend Maria on a pay phone on Djurgården, just outside the amusement park Gröna Lund... I didn't have 5 different e-mail addresses, a blog and Facebook like I do now... I'm kinda enjoying the thought of that actually - I was totally unavailable and almost didn't exist... I was an anonymous nobody on my last teen year in the crowd in a wonderful intoxicating city pulse. Everything was exciting. Every minute an adventure. I was alone, exploring the entire week, my heart beating with a remarkably high pulse... Stockholm was calling, attracting and whispering my name. I fell in love with the cobblestone, the harbors and the asphalt. The Spirit of God was so close. Went to a wild Wednesday night service at the Södermalm Church and to "Prayer for Unreached People Groups" at the City Church's Mahogony Room with Kjell Sjöberg. That's when it happened... Kjell pointed at me and asked me to come forward. I stood there, backpack on my shoulder, wearing a purple tie-dye long artist shirt, old jeans and barefoot in my tennis shoes... Kjell prophesied;
"You are a sharp arrow in the Lord's quiver that will be shot out with great force to the unreached people groups. A fire will start to burn where you land and you will release a young and new generation Swedish pioneer missionaries. You are chosen says the Lord."
I cried genuine and thankful tears and believed and memorized every word that the old man of God and prophet had spoken. I was young, newly saved, trying to quit smoking and still had a hard time staying away from a beer on a warm spring or summer day… My heart was burning as I walked down Drottninggatan to Tegnerlunden a late Thursday afternoon, and with a whisper I vowed to serve Jesus until the last people group had heard… I sat in the grass for hours, speaking in tongues, owning the entire world…
Stockholm – I love you! It was here, in this city that I was “called by God” and received direction for my entire life. Being a pastor in down town Stockholm gives me joy every day…
On Friday I get to lift my hands together with prayer warriors and prayer for hours for the city of my dreams… We have a prayer night in SOS Church on Kungsholmen at 10pm and we will be praying for unreached people groups and our capital! Welcome to Warfvinges väg 26 if you are hungry for the presence of Jesus and prophetic guidance!
See Ya!
