Priest For Those Who Don't Go to Church

We are on Our Way Home!

2012-01-30T15:10:00.000+01:00

We have prayed with a little more than 1,500 to salvation these four nights here in Padre las Casas, DR! About 250 have been baptized in the Holy Spirit and started speaking in tongues for the first time! Blind and deaf healed! Demons came out! Jesus was with us every night and we just went with Him :). Walter and I have eaten well, danced, laughed and enjoyed seeing Jesus perform all His miracles!

We are on our way home now... Will be soo great to hug the family again and meet the church in Stockholm! After three weeks of travelling I am longing like crazy. Doing a wedding on Friday and preaching at home on Sunday! See you soon all you wonderful people! Imagine that I get to share life with you!

See ya!

Blind Eyes Opened Yesterday!

2012-01-28T23:02:00.000+01:00

I have preached two nights here in Padre las Casas, DR, now and it's just soo great... People saved every night and yesterday a healing explosion broke out! Deaf ears opened and blind received their sight! Jesus is soo wonderful! I am so happy to be here with my brother Walter, he is my interpretor and does such a great job!

Here's a little video clip of a former blind person demonstrating his healing on stage! Jesus, you are wonderful!

See ya!

Festival in the Caribbean

2012-01-27T19:40:00.003+01:00

Walter and I are in the Dominican Republic's countryside, helping our American friends with a festival. Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos and SOS partner church Freedom Valley are here with a 30 people strong team doing a festival together with 32 different churches in Padre las Casas.

Last night we started with a humble little crowd of about 2,500-3,000 people on the baseball field in the center of the town... We are doing four nights and it will grow and grow and end in an explosion on Sunday night! We prayed with about 200 to salvation yesterday and several deaf ears were opened! Walter (my brother from El Salvador) was my interpretor - wow he was good! We are enjoying ourselves! Thank you Jesus for all your miracles!

See ya!

On to New Adventures!

2012-01-24T19:45:00.000+01:00

Last night we had 'Holy Ghost Night' here at Calvary Lighthouse, Lakewood NJ... So great! What a 'go'! Power in the loud speakers you could say ;)... More than 40 people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and started spraying living water in all directions! Tongues, tears, ecstasy and genuine cries of joy! Spiritual drunkeness, heavy lovely presence of God and genuine miracles! You know... the feeling is still there after a night's sleep, a workout and lunch, I promise... There is nothing like a 'Holy Ghost blowout'... It was an explosion! Enjoying today...

Walter (my Senior Assistant Pastor) flies in tonight to NYC. Peter, Walter and I will share room tonight - fun :)! Early tomorrow morning Walter and I fly to Santo Domingo, DR for a 4 day festival in Padre las Casas in the carribean country...

Padre las Casas

Walter will be my interpretor. The twin brothers will dance bachata and declare the name of Jesus! Looking forward to all the miracles that the Holy Spirit will do! Welcome Walter :)!

See ya!

Preaching and Serving

2012-01-24T15:59:00.002+01:00

Preaching, teaching, praying and serving around the clock right now... It is lovely here in NJ. The church Calvary Lighthouse is full of ex-gangsters and new hungry disciples of Jesus... A lot of Italians, Romani, Latinos, African Americans and Jews, such a great mix, tastes so good! I'm enjoying this! Thank you Jesus!

About 50 people responded to the salvation invitations on Sunday and last night about 40 people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and started speaking in tongues at 'Holy Ghost Night!'

Had supper together with Pete LaMonica (52 years old) on Sunday... Pete was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. The family deeply rooted in the Italian mafia. When he was 40 he just wanted out... Tired, wounded and seeking he prayed a salvation prayer at Calvary Lighthouse and Jesus saved and transformed his life! Today Pete hunts a lot of deer and bear and we talked hunting, weapons and Jesus... A scarred man with a generous bleeding heart and hilarious humor... Love ya Pete :)!

Pete LaMonica...

See ya!

Strong and Secure Believers!

2012-01-19T15:47:00.000+01:00

I have been a week in Pittsburgh now, visiting my covenant friends Jeff and Melodie Leake and Peter and Martina Almqvist... We have prayed with a little more than 70 people to salvation in two of the churches in the MCM Network. I've preached six services, held one leadership session and taught at the MCM Ministry School - lovely! What a 'go'; full houses, laughter, healing miracles and wonderful worship!

The Leake family...

Martina and Peter Almqvist...

I am enjoying getting to know the students of this year's class; they are intellegent and super-ambitious! It will be fun to do our mission practise trip to Tanzania together with our American and Swedish classes! You are coming too, right?! You have signed up here, right?!

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

Ps 91:7

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Luke 10:19

The world needs more believers that are overcoming, victorious, secure, strong and takes responsibility! God is raising up an army of love-warriors in the End Times! Disciples who quote the Bible, speak faith and cast out evil spirits! Lord Jesus, strengthen and lift your people!

See ya!

SOS is Multiplying

2012-01-17T16:59:00.001+01:00

No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

Genesis 17:5

SOS is already dad to churches in India, Kenya, Uganda, The Congo, Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Thailand and Switzerland... More daughter churches are born all the time! Just as it should be in an apostolic family; lots of kids, grandkids and great grandkids… We are multiplying!

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Genesis 1:28a

This coming Sunday we start having double celebrations at SOS Church! We’ll gather both at 12 noon and 4 pm to celebrate Jesus. 12 noon will be more family focused with SOS Kids own celebration during service. 4 pm will be have more of a ‘Young Adults Touch’, but everyone are welcome of course! There will be no SOS Kids celebration at 4 pm. Multiplication!

SOS Church One Year Anniversary...

SOS is going to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania this upcoming June! We’ll arrange a pastor’s conference with thousands of pastors and a large Signs & Wonders Festival with our own festival equipment. We have now upgraded the equipment with a generator, large screens and projectors! Now we have capacity to reach a crowd of 100,000 people!

Signs up for the trip here! Now!

See ya

Salvations, Healings and Laughter

2012-01-16T04:13:00.000+01:00

I've been in Pittsburgh since Thursday and preached 4 times in two different churches; City Reach Church and Allison Park Church... So good to be back! A total of about 50 people have prayed a salvation prayer and several have been healed. Jesus is so wonderful! Today I preached about joy :). Here's a summary of the message;

See ya!

Good Routines!

2012-01-13T16:25:00.000+01:00

Landed in the US yesterday. I've just been to the gym. Reading a good spiritual book and eating fruit. Drinking a lot... What are you talking about Johannes?! Oh, you are so curious ;).

Good routines and disciplines create a positive lifestyle. Nothing just happens. You sow and then reap you know... In all areas...

1) A strong inner life (Bible reading, prayer, fasting and a good confession)!
2) To win and train disciples of Jesus.
3) Workout on a regular basis and eat healthy.
4) To be generous when it comes to finances, faithful in tithing to the church, but also save.
5) To keep a curious, hungry and adventurous attitude through life.

2012 will be such a great year! Isaac will be born :)! Read Genesis 21:6!

See ya!

Listen to Messages from our Celebrations!

2012-01-11T16:36:00.000+01:00

Do you know that you can listen to messages from our celebrations at SOS Church online? If you missed this last Sunday, click here to listen to "A House Full of Laughter."

Full speed today! Have to accomplish a lot. Teaching at our Leadership School, lunch meeting, a little shopping spree with my daughter Alicia and then pack. I am flying to the US tomorrow. Teaching at the MCM Ministry School and will also speak at several different churches. After the US I fly directly to the Dominican Republic for a festival. Fun! I am looking forward to these upcoming weeks!

See ya!

Faith Goals for SOS Church 2012 and Schedule

2012-01-10T16:08:00.000+01:00

Spring Schedule 2012

February
11 - Leadership Day with Pastor Ron Johnson and Melodie Leake (9 am - 5 pm)
12 - Celebration with Pastor Ron Johnson (12 noon and 4 pm)
25 - All Nations Café 'Latino Fiesta' (7 pm)

March
3 - Seminar with Johannes Amritzer "God wants to make you rich!" (10 am - 2 pm)
16 - Prayer night (10 pm - 2 am)

April
1 - Super Sunday with Johannes Amritzer (4 pm)

May
5 - All Nations Café 'African Party' (7 pm)
25 - Prayer night (10 pm - 2 am)

June

13-17 - Festival, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

See ya!

Recording TV in Österbo, Norway

2012-01-06T17:14:00.002+01:00

I am at Evangeliekirken in Österbo, Norway. We are recording TV-programs today and tonight I speak at their church. Fun!

It's time to apply to our Bible School! A new group of students start January 9th, are you one of them?! Help your friends, your newly saved buddies and those you are discipling to apply! It's not too late yet; apply here!

This Sunday I preach at home in SOS Church again! Right after the celebration we have a vision meeting. Come! 2012 will be an exciting year! I am longing to see the church again! Welcome at 4 pm!

See ya!

Oslo

2012-01-04T16:54:00.001+01:00

I'm teaching at The Filadefia Church's Bible School (FBO) here in Oslo for the 13th consequtive year this week... The same subject; Power Evangelism. FBO has classes with more than 100 students in total. Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a friend since many years, Daniel Egeli. He's the Lead Pastor at The Filadelfia Church in Oslo. It was a wonderful evening with a great leader and mature man of God. The Filadelfia Church has more than 2,000 active members now (all their international churches included) and they are constantly growing. They have great plans for the city and nation. I love the people of this church with all my heart!

Oslo by night...

I was up early this morning, went to a gym bearby my hotel and worked out... I feel great! Today I teach on being lead by the Holy Spirit;

Romans 8:14-16

1) The Holy Spirit leads in peace and harmony. He is the shepherd and we follow Him. John 10:4-5
2) The Holy Spirit leads in a personal way. John 10:3, 1 Thess 5:19-22
3) It starts with the "Law of the Spirit of Life" and the testimony of the heart. Rom 8:1-2, 1 John 5:10
4) Don't grieve the Holy Spirit, don't make Him sad. Eph 4:30
5) The picture book; visions, dreams etc. Num 12:6-8, Acts 16:9-10
6) Obey quickly and wothout hestitation and the volume will increase and you'll hear more clearly. Acts 8:29-30, 10:19-20
7) Walk in step with the Holy Spirit. He asks you to dance, but let Him lead. Gal 5:16, 25
8) The Holy Spirit always works at both ends at the same time.

Have to run...

See ya!

The Church in Stockholm - My Heart

2012-01-03T14:07:00.000+01:00

I have visited many church members these last days... Had many conversations with many different people... Praying for the government, parliament and royal dynasty. Praying for the city and the people. Preaching forgiveness, hope, a second chance and trying to guide lost people to Jesus... All nationalities, different cultures, suburbs and downtown; I love you and carry you in my heart... The people in Stockholm are the love of my life and own the greatest part of my life today. God has done this. I am one of the priests and dads of the city... The love for the team, the church, youths and kids just keeps on growing. Unreached peoples mission and festivals are and will always be my life's calling, but the base for everything we do in the nations is here in Stockholm.

Stockholm, what a beautiful name. Stockholm, you have everything. Your cafés, restaurants, pedestrian streets, parks, islands and your brackish water; what else do I need? I am home when I walk your streets, that's just the way it is... God has made me feel this way. I just want to serve you, be here for you and help you. Your tears and pain are mine. Your joy and heart beats are mine. God has done this, and I am changed every week. Want to be a shepherd for all the torn and injured. God, I give in for the calling and the love that you are pouring into my heart through your Spirit.

With the skyline of the town hall, "the Globe", the "Knight Church", and Kaknäs Tower in the horizon I lift my hands in prayer, tears streaming down my face while I cry out to Jesus... Give us the capital! Lord Jesus, kiss us wet from your heaven, both the church and the city!

See ya!

Happy New 2012!

2011-12-31T21:49:00.001+01:00

Just a few hours left of 2011, wow, what a year it has been for SOS... I am so grateful to God for all the people that have given their lives to Jesus at our festivals, conferences and here at home in Stockholm! Thank you Jesus!

Tonight we celebrate, we are praying and believing God that 2012 will be a wonderful year! Happy New Year my friends! We are moving forward! Tomorrow I preach at SOS Church Stockholm at 4 pm, you are coming, right?! I am so looking forward to see the church again!

See ya!

Goliath Promoted David!

2011-12-29T19:02:00.003+01:00

During this Christmas season my family had a Bible studie, reading from 1 Samuel chapter 16-17 together. The shepherd boy David fought against lion and bear. As a young teenegare he is anointed king over Israel by the prophet Samuel... When he heroicly kills the Philistine giant Goliath he is discovered and becomes a famous Royal Musician. He sings and plays and the evil spirits flee. He advances as warrior and becomes a notorious commander in chief for the Israeli Army! Famous, loved, popular, but also hated... He has to wait quite long, suffers because of the old king's jealousy, is accused for a coup attempt and is haunted. At last the entire kingdom is under his rule and David becomes the famous and loved warrior king and father of the people we know so well from history.

The battle against Goliath was what made the young David famous. The enemy Goliath actually promoted David. Some battles you just have to fight, you cannot get away from them. Certain battles are predestined and directed by heaven, how weird it may sound... Bring it on! Someone says. No, not another battle, can't take more now... Another one says. Ok, I guess I can take another beating, the third says.

Personally I am kinda hungry for a real fight. Nothing silly, but a real "nose-breaking" match with a heavyweight. I'm in shape, well trained, experienced and rested. 2012 will be a great year! Bring it on ;)! Huge battles, but also huge victories awaits!

See ya!

Leadership Day

2011-12-28T16:29:00.000+01:00

It is with great joy that I want to invite you to thenext Leadership Day! We look back at the previous one with gratitude, it'salways so wonderful to meet! This time we have the honor of listening to PastorRon Johnson and Pastor Melodie Leake.

Pastor Ron Johnson is one of my best friends and a true spiritual dad and Apostle. Ron is the Lead Pastor at Markham Woods Church in Orlando FL, USA, but spends a lot of his time travelling speaking at different leadership seminars around the world as well. He is a great man of God with a big heart and one of the wisest and faith-filled men I have ever met.

Melodie Leake is a mother of 5, who together with her husband Jeff are Lead Pastors at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh PA, USA. Melodie leads the womens ministry at the church and stands together with her husband in their vision of planting 100 new churches in the next 10 years. She is a strong woman of God with both feet on the ground, and a great role model when it comes to keeping a balance between family-life and ministry.  Come and listen and take part of what God has placed on Ron and Melodie's hearts, come and pray and have fellowship with us!  

When: Saturday, February 11th 2012

 Where: SOS Church Stockholm, Sweden 

Time: 9 am - 4 pm

Schedule:

9-09:30 am Registration

9:30-10 am Worship

10-10:50 am Melodie Leake, session 1

10:50-11 am Coffee break

11-12 noon Melodie Leake, session 2

12-1 pm Lunch

1-2 pm Ron Johnson, session 3

2-2:20 pm Coffee break

2:20-3:30 pm Ron Johnson, session 4

3:30-4 pm Conclusion by Johannes Amritzer

Welcome to the Leadership Day!

See ya!

What is your excuse?!

2011-12-27T13:20:00.003+01:00

Realize your dreams in 2012! Make the most of what God has given you.

Set in Stone

2011-12-20T21:40:00.000+01:00

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42

Four things are mentioned in this text that seems to be the center of the first and youngest Christian church, as it is described in the New Testament.

1) The teachings of the apostles’.

2) The fellowship.

3) The breaking of bread.

4) Prayer.

Four foundation stones. Four pillars deeply driven into the ground. Four concrete bases, one in each corner. Yes... Then the house of God stands firm.

That is how the church in the book of Acts was built, and this is how we are trying to build SOS Church Stockholm.

Today we, (SOS staff), have been on a boat all day, going from Kapellskär to Mariehamn. A one day cruise in the Swedish/Finnish archipelago with a huge Christmas buffet on the meny. We have laughed, had coffee, played cards, played with the kids, played chess and just hung out with each other… So much fun! So spiritual. So important. It is so good for a church and its leader to just rest, with no demands, work or effective activity; it is called fellowship.

We run six Bible Schools in SOS, preaching and teaching from the Bible seven days a week… We celebrate communion in our house churches and with our families around the kitchen table on a regular basis. We pray, fast, do spiritual warfare and have prayer nights.

Let this Christmas be a time of fellowship without demands for you, your family and your siblings in the church. Laugh, talk and rest together! Enjoy each other’s friendship and sense of humor!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 Cor 13:14

See ya!

Christmas at SOS

2011-12-20T16:48:00.002+01:00

Success! Our church's Christmas Show was sooo successful! Three productions, many new people and great entertainment! I am so proud of our Fine Arts Pastor, Julia and Samuel Willkander and Maria and Ante Evermin who have produced, been sitting in the tech booth and seen to that light, sound, big screens and everything else worked! Our emcees, Jenny Jensen and Jonatan Kvist, who created the party-feel! So proud of all our talents in the church; people doing skits, music, dance, speeches, yes, everything has been so professional and cool.

Yesterday I had a Dr appointment, a lunch meeting then I checked the exams I gave the Bible school students a couple of weeks ago, after that we headed over to our annual Christmas party with the students of SOS Mission Bible College... Today we are going on a cruise to Finland with 84 SOS leaders! We are enjoying Christmas together, just hanging out, laughing and eating good!

See ya!

Christmas Show at SOS Church

2011-12-16T18:31:00.000+01:00

Three evenings of Christmas celebration and party start at our church now (Dec 16-18). The show starts tonight at 7 pm, tomorrow at 7 pm and Sunday at 4 pm! More than 300 tickets are already sold... If you haven't had time to buy a ticket, you can buy one at the entrance tonight...

Bring your neighbors, working collegues, friends and family members! Let them experience a Jesus-Christmas :)! SOS is a huge warm family and safe place for all the nationalities of Stockholm. We open the gates and say; God is good and we wish you a blessed Christmas!

See ya!

Faith Goals for SOS Church 2012

2011-12-13T04:32:00.000+01:00

At our latest leadership gathering in SOS Church (Dec 7) we agreed on these faith goals for 2012 for our church downtown... Our "Vision Sunday" and Kick Off for 2012, where we will share these goals with the entire church is January 8th, but I want to start sowing the seeds in your heart even now... We will continue to win Stockholm through our motto; "everyone makes one disciple per year!"

Here are our goals;

1) To grow from 350 active adult members to 600... (If we include kids, teenagers and our seeker-friends, we are already a good crowd).

2) Have 2 celebrations every Sunday! We'll start January 22nd, 12 noon and 4 pm!

3) We believe God for 75 people baptized in water!

4) We are planting a daugther church in Switzerland March 18th! SOS Church Bienne!

5) We will invite our pastors that lead our mission bases to come to Sweden once during 2012!

6) We are standing in faith for 30,000 new, wild Jesus-disciples in follow-up classes after the festival in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania in June!

7) Three new businessess to be started from SOS Business Class!

Yes! We are storming forward! Aggressive for Stockholm and Sweden!

See ya!

Happy...

2011-12-10T16:19:00.001+01:00

I'm pastoring home in Stockholm and enjoying it... Meetings with newly saved, life coaching conversations with church members, pre-marriage counseling, leadership gatherings, prayer meetings, teaching at our Bible College (first year) and speaking to our students in our pastoral training school (second year) about the Bible. Interesting subjects too; The Healing Ministry of Jesus in year one and; The Church in the Multi Cultural Society in the second year... Our students come from all over the world and are so ambitious. Yes, everything is actually really good! But, we are missing you! Apply to the school here! We are accepting students both in January and in August 2012!

I have meetings with business men and business men to-be, preparing my message for this Sunday's Celebration and having mentor-meetings with all my pastors (6 couples) this week... Soon we'll go on a cruise with 84 SOS leaders to Finland, so much fun!

I am enjoying myself like a king, love to build church in the capital of Sweden! Stockholm, my dear Stockholm... Stockholm is the city of my life-calling, I want to live, serve Jesus and wash the feet of the people here, and then die happy and full one day...

This Sunday we are baptizing again; so wonderful with all these changed lives!

I'm trying to work out, drive Adam to his karate lessons, Alicia to her riding lessons, shop, yes, everything that is a part of our everyday life... You probably know what I mean?

My son, Adam!

Our Christmas Show in SOS Church takes place next weekend, December 16-18, don't forget to buy tickets to all your coworkers, neighbors and friends.

See ya!

SOS Business Class

2011-12-07T17:29:00.001+01:00

We start something totally new in SOS this week; SOS Business Class. The vision for SOS Business Class is to help coach people start 70 new businessess in the next 10 years... As a member you will receive invitations to meetings on a regular basis, breakfast meetings, dinners, retreats, lectures and prayer where we want to build a strong and productive fellowship among business people. We hope that you will find tools and inspiration that will help you succeed with your business and company!

SOS Business Class is for you, who want to serve God though your business and be a part of, and support different projects in the Kingdom of God.

The first gathering is this Saturday, December 10th at 2-4 pm at SOS Church's Café. Come dressed up, come with your business idea, your thoughts on starting a business, or come with your business! I think this will be fantastic and so much fun, and I believe that God will release a wave of business enterprizes in the church in the future! The future is bright! God wants to give you business ideas, God is for you!

Welcome Saturday at 2 pm!

See ya!

To See People...

2011-12-04T15:40:00.001+01:00

Hagar was alone and abandoned. A foreign slave, driven away. She was in trouble with her matron. Hagar is sitting by a spring of water in a dry, hot desert and wilderness. She is crying and her pain is like an erupting volcanoe, and her tears never seem to cease...

She is far away from her Egyptian family and mom's safety and care... She is young, pregnant, emotional and vulnerable... Her matron trew her out and called her nasty things. She is carrying the baby of the mighty and so much older Abraham... She has actually only done what was asked of her, and gave herself to her matron's husband, beacuse her matron told her to. Hagar loves her matron Sara, and she always liked the good hearted and God-fearing Abraham. This was never her idea, but Sara's, from beginning to end... She doesn't understand Sara's sudden jealousy and outburt of rage, just beacause she was proud of her belly and told some of her girlfriends who the daddy was... Ok, so she's pregnant now. And? That was the point, right? Sara couldn't have biological kids of her own and organized this... Convinced Hagar. Convinced the hesitant Abraham.

Hagar doesn't understad. Doesen't understand anything. So unfair. So stupid. She just feels used, poor and has no saying. Why did Sara hit her so hard? Why didn't Abraham defend her? Why was she suddenly treated like a whore? She who had always been super-loyal. Why all these harsh and unfair words? "Of course I'm happy about the child I'm carrying, and that I have been chosen to be the mommy of Abraham's baby. Yes, I feel special, but... It wasn't fun to be with the guy... The night with Abraham had just felt scary, wrong and weird. He is nice, but... What should I do?" Hagar is crying, snot running, sobbing... Crap. Everything turned out so wrong, and she could do nothing about it...

Suddenly a young man stands before her; a beautiful angel from God. He speaks comforting words and says beautiful things about the baby and the future. God has seen her suffering and sent His angel with a message! Wow! Is this really happening?

Hagar wipes her tears and feels loved again, strong and seen. God understands her. God sees her. God is good, fair and will restore both her and the child. God has a plan. Oh, vad comfort. God is in control.

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Genesis 16:13

My friend, God sees you! All my blog readers; God sees you! Let us become like our Lord, and see people! See people, for real. Stop and see! Stockholm and the world need people with true empathy who sees and understands. People with comfort and a message from heaven.

See ya!

Visit from California!

2011-12-02T16:37:00.001+01:00

One of my best friends are visiting us this week, Michael Williams from Modesto, CA, USA. Michael is the Senior Associate Pastor at Calvary Temple Worship Center in Modesto, a church with more than 7,000 members that is contantly growing. Calvary Temple is one of our partner churches in the US. I met Michael several years ago and we have camped together at festivals both in Bulgaria and Haiti since then. He is a wonderful man of God and friend!

Michael and Kelli with family...

I am so enjoying spending time with him here in Stockholm this week! He taught at SOS Mission Bible College yesterday and will be preaching at our celebration at 4 pm this Sunday! Michael has a great passion to pray for the sick and often see miracles take place... Don't miss this service on Sunday, bring a friend, it will be awesome!

My Maria...

Yesterday was my Maria's birthday... I am so grateful that I have such a wonderful wife... She's been my girl for more than 20 years now and is better looking now than ever! I am the happiest man on earth! Last night we celebrated by going to the movies the whole family!

See ya!

Our First Daughter Church!

2011-12-01T16:13:00.001+01:00

SOS Church Stockholm is about to plant its first daugther church! We feel that now when we are about to exceed 500 people who attend our celebrations on a regular basis that it's time for us to plant our first church... Timothee and Manuelle Zürcher who attended SOS Mission Bible College last year will be Lead Pastors and our own Ma-Jo Bulundwe will be the Associate Pastor in SOS Church Bienne, Switzerland! What a team! We are sooo proud of them!

Timothee and Manuelle Zürcher...

Ma-Jo Bulundwe...

The launch of the church will be Sunday March 18th 2012 and I will fly down and preach then. Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh PA and Freedom Valley Worship Center in Gettysburg PA, USA are also a part of this and we are so thankful for that.

The church in Bienne have grown from 25 to 75 active members in just a few months. Right now Timothee and Manuelle and the church are working on renovating their new premises.

The pastoral team here at home and the church are so happy for, and proud of Tim and Manuelle and their team! SOS Church Bienne is here to stay, conquer and win :)!

See ya!

2011-11-28T22:11:00.001+01:00

Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2

See ya!

SOS Church Storms Forward!

2011-11-28T04:11:00.001+01:00

Preached at home at our celebration downtown today! Many saved. Many new visitors. 12 people came to our gathering for new members after service. Our church members are generous and aggressive givers; I'm so proud of how much you give into the Kingdom every Sunday!

We have baptized 54 newly saved so far this year, next Sunday we are baptizing again. Our faith goal is to baptize 70 in 2011, we are soon there :)!

We are moving forward! Love our people! God is good, fair and restores! Enjoying all the lives that are changed in the presence of Jesus!

See ya!

Awesome Saturday!

2011-11-26T22:11:00.001+01:00

I took my Adam to the barber today, he has such a cool hairstyle now! Made Italien tortellini for lunch with a South European salad based on tomatoes, olives and onions. Ate this while listening to love songs by Brian Adams, and coffee after lunch of course.

Worked on my message for tomorrow's celebration at SOS Church, it will be so much fun to preach again! You'll be there, right?!

Now the gym awaits, the press bench, free weights and smell of sweat - lovely ;). I'm not doing anything beneficial tonight at all! Will just gormandize in news papers, watch movies and fall asleep on my couch.

See ya!

Success in Everything!

2011-11-24T16:23:00.001+01:00

I'm a priest at home in Stockholm again... Love this city and the church God has trusted me with! Gatherings with the Pastoral Team, our Leadership team for the youth ministry, briefings with staff and coworkers... Fun! Exciting and progressive at the same time!

I am meditating today on that God wants us to succeed!

God said to Joshua;

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Jos 1:8a

In other words; speak the Word of God, mumble and mutter the promises of God all the time, day and night. Love the Bible and all its promises for you...

Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Jos 1:8b

The Bible says; but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.

Ps 1:2

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

Ps 1:3a

And then it says it AGAIN! Listen!

...whatever they do prospers.

Ps 1:3b

We have successful and healthy marriages! We succeed in raising our kids to become godly men and women! We succeed at at being healthy, both mentally and physically! We succeed at having our day off and take vacations! We succeed at reaching our goals!

We succeed at setting time off for the gym, serve the car, clean the house and help our kids with their homework ;). We succeed at evangelizing, missions and discipling people! Our finances are a success! We succeed at doing a good job, being liked by our collegues, be promoted and do sucessful business! We succeed in everything!

Thank you God for your Promises!

See ya!

My Mentor Ron

2011-11-22T15:20:00.001+01:00

I meet with my mentor, Ron Johnson, twice every year. We have deep conversations, he asks me questions, we cry and pray together... He helps me to be a husband, daddy, pastor and just human being. Oh, how I appriciate him! Ron helps me to see clearly think new. Ron pushes me, spurs me to move on, forward and develop. I am more in love with Jesus and want to take the whole world when we have been together! I am a better leader when I get to be a son just for a few days. Thank you for four unforgettable days together with you and your Sandy in Orlando, Florida! Ron, you are the best!

Everyone needs a mentor, but not everyone has the luxury of having the best one ;)! Some of us are really spoiled! Thank you Jesus!

See ya!

Greeting from Orlando

2011-11-20T17:55:00.001+01:00

Orlando

2011-11-19T14:45:00.001+01:00

I'm visiting my mentor, Ron Johnson's church, Markham Woods Church in Orlando, Florida this weekend... Sooo good to see Ron and Sandy again! I'm also enjoying spending some time with my faithful coworker Peter...

Reading the Bible, praying and working out. Preaching, serving and listening to the Spirit...

We are riding motorcycles along beautiful beaches and allies with swaying palm trees...The sun is shining and it's Scandinavian summer temperatures...

Love my life. Still longing for Stockholm though... Will be nice to come home soon.

See ya!

Video Campus Night Dar es Salaam

2011-11-16T16:06:00.001+01:00

Tanzania 2011 from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

Holy Spirit Explosion and Safari!

2011-11-14T21:09:00.001+01:00

Preached at Victory Christian Center at my good friend, Pastor Huruma Nkone's church on Sunday... Oh how I enjoyed that!

We prayed with a little more than 40 East Africans to the baptism of the Holy Spirit on Sunday night here in Dar es Salaam. They all started speaking in new spiritual languages (tongues)!

Today the Bestul and Amritzer family flew from Dar es Salaam to Kilimajaro. We'll go on a safari in the national park Ngorongoro! Fun with some African wildlife experiences as well :)!

See ya

Six Deaf Ears Opened!

2011-11-12T14:00:00.001+01:00

Youth Conference in Dar-es-Salaam. About 13,000 wild teenagers were gathered last night and about 300 of them responded to the salvation invitation! Six people with one deaf ear each started to hear after we prayed for them on stage; the Holy Spirit said; "Demonstrate My power for the audience! Heal them directly on stage!"

The results are not bad considering that SOS is not holding a festival here. We are just guest here with our festival equipment, festival band and me as guest speaker at a local Christian youth conference... We are very happy!

Fun to hear rap artists from Uganda and Tanzania and soul and gospel music from Kenya! I left the festival ground at 3 am this morning, but the program went on until at least 5 am :)...

See ya!

Tanzania

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

Enjoyed a great great celebration at SOS Church Stockholm yesterday. Emma Gustafsson as emcee, Walter Zuniga spoke and our prayer leader, Jorge Santos lead worship! Lovely! Power! Joy! Full house! Several saved, baby dedication and water baptism! Thank you Jesus for all the fine people, faithful disciples of Jesus and pillars in the church that You lead, build and bless!

We are now at Arlanda International Airport. The entire Amritzer family is sitting by gate F32 soon to boad a plane that will first take us to Zurich and then on to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania! East Africa; here we come! We'll meet up with best friends from Norway in Zurich; Aslak, Ellen, Sofie and Emma Bestul. We are on a mission-adveture-trip; huge youth festival, the most white beaches and then safari! Jesus will save, perform miracles and baptize in His Holy Spirit! We want to serve Him, make Him known and follow Him on adventures!

The festival band, festival equipment and technicians are already there! Soon the team will be complete!

See ya!

Travelling

2011-11-06T19:09:00.001+01:00

I'm constantly travelling; Norway - Sweden - Israel - Sweden - Tanzania - USA - Sweden etc... Love it, since it gives me a lot of time to pray, meditate on the Bible and reflect. Even if I always preach and teach when I am in a new place, travelling there, the flights, airports and hotels are lovely places to strengthen your inner life!

I miss my family when I'm on the road though; both the small and big one :). I am a real family person; love the Amritzer family and SOS Church with all my heart! I always miss you guys sooo much when I'm travelling, don't believe anything else. Sometimes I miss our kitchen in Tullinge that it hurts... Love our kitchen; everyone gathered, food, card games, chess, magazines, laughter, coffee, the kids, Maria and our friends! A sign right by our dining room table says; "Good Food. Good Friends. Good Times."

Today I met the church real quick. Tomorrow my family and I fly to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania! On the agenda; Youth Conference and sarafi :)!

Thank you God for life!

See ya!

Working Out in Tel Aviv

2011-11-04T23:02:00.004+01:00

Staying at the City Hotel in Tel Aviv tonight... It's Shabbath and I will eat good... Flew domestic from Eilat today after a service this morning and lunch after right by the Read Sea's beach... Many were baptized in the Holy Spirit today!

I am meeting my good friend Pastor Tommy Lilja from Sölvesborg tomorrow. He is having services in collaboration with several Messianic churches here in Tel Aviv, Israel. Fun! Trying to work out here too before I take a taxi to the Ben Gurion Airport. I fly home to Stockholm tomorrow. It will be good to be home a few hours :)...

A small oasis in the Judah dessert, the cliffs of En Ghedi...

See ya

Eilat

2011-11-03T19:29:00.003+01:00

Just traveled from Jerusalem (the capital of the world) down to the beach resort Eilat by the Red Sea today... Eating at the Nova Hotel right now.

We did the Judah desert and stopped for a walk in the En Gedhis national park, which is the mountain area where David and his heroes hid from king Saul... Cliffs, beautiful water falls and caves! Great wilderness :)!

I got to know a wonderful Israeli Arab from Nazareth by the Dead Sea, we laughed until tears flowed:). Lovely person!

See ya!

Jerusalem

2011-11-01T21:17:00.000+01:00

Had a layover in Vienna on my way to Israel yesterday. Ate Milka white chocolate, bought some new Austrian Card games and found a novel by my favorite author Heinz G Konsalik - childish happiness and relaxation... Reached my hotel in Jerusalem at 3:30 am and fell asleep at 4:15 am...

The Garden Tomb...

Today we've toured Jerusalem - the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Calvary and the Garden Tomb... 15 precious Israel tourists in our group of 90 people wanted to pray a salvation prayer! Tonight I've played chess with Göran Duveskog - and lost ;). Great day!

See ya!

Holy Spirit Explosion in Trondheim!

2011-10-30T19:20:00.001+01:00

Preaching at Bethel Church in Trondheim all weekend... I've spoken at 10 gatherings so far from Thursday - Sunday! Full speed! Lots of different nationalities! Wild, warm and great atmoshere!

Beautiful Trondheim...

Taught at their Bible School, held a leadership session and preached at 4 services. Many saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit! The glory of the Lord is here! The anointing of the Holy Spirit is upon us. Thank you Jesus for an explosion of your power this entire weekend!

Flying via Oslo and Stockholm to Israel tomorrow... Visiting the Holy Land together with legendary Israel expert Göran Duveskog and prophet Daniel Viklund... Fun :)!

See ya!

Heroes in Modern History

2011-10-28T02:18:00.002+02:00

Thoughtsand reflections over a cup of coffee in the bar late night. Sitting on a barstool in the foyer of the Augustines Hotel in Trondheim, Norway… I’m preachinghere all weekend. Enjoying some good reads about modern history… Also enjoyingbeing alone…

Question; what do the two following heroic Jews have in common?!

Mordechai Analevicz; the 22 year old that lead theuprising in the ghetto of Warsaw against the SS in the spring of 1943. Thoughthey were starving and had poor weapons, they managed to kill 800 Germansoldiers…

EliCohen; Jew, born in Egypt who was a spy in Damascus, Syria for many years; hewas one of the Mossad’s, the Israeli secret service’s, elite spies. Eli washung May 18^th 1965 after he was exposed. Eli was executed on apacked out Martyr’s square in Damascus during live broadcasting on TV… Hefought and died for the security and survival of his people…

Answer;they were both ready to die for something!

German troops in the Warsaw ghetto in 1943...

Is it fanatisicm to be willing and ready to die for others andyour beliefs? Do we need people with this kind of character and tough personalities in Scandinavia 2011? Dowe need people that cannot be bribed or silenced in the modern global Christian“Holy Spirit Movement”?! Do we need courageous Christian men and women inEurope?

Answer; YES!!!

Godwill call forth young, radical people with courage, sense of justice, integrityand bleeding beliefs. They are actually the ones who create what later ends upin the history books… Sadly though, they are almost always declared to beheroes after their death. The fact is, that without these people nothing worthmentioning really happens, and we do not break new ground. Scandinavia iscalling out for their own heroes. People we can be proud of. The Christianchurch in Scandinavia need young pioneers with real convictions! People who arewilling to battle against genital mutilation,racism, discrimination, abortion, and pedophelia! People who are willing to take a stand for our already threatened freedom ofopinion, speech and religion!

Whereare you?! Show yourselves! Come forth! Where are the 20-30 year olds withsounding convictions?

Seeya!

Prayer that Changes the Capital City!

2011-10-26T15:58:00.001+02:00

This Friday we have a prayer night in SOS Church Stockholm. We start at 10 pm. I love our prayer nights and I believe we will exceed 100 people this Friday! We were 80 prayer warriors the last time, but now we'll be 100 :)!

We change when we pray. Faith rises when we pray. We see everything so clearly when we spend time with the Holy Spirit. Confusion, depression and darkness is broken and clarity, joy and light comes! We are building the Kingdom of God when we pray, worship and listen to the Holy Spirit, and Stockholm is transformed! Demons fall from their thrones and the gates of hell are shaken when we roar in the name of Jesus! We are praying for a transformed Stockholm! We are praying for our nation's capital!

Welcome this Friday!

See ya!

Love the SOS People!

2011-10-23T21:30:00.000+02:00

I landed at Arlanda International Airport at 3 pm after speaking at five gatherings at the Pentecostal Church in Strömmen, Oslo, Norway... Was picked up by Linnéa Hagenfors and her Iraqi fiancee Yosef. I love this couple and soon there will be a wedding taking place :)! I arrived to our church on Kungsholmen right at the start of our celebration at 4 pm. What a go! Praise, handclaps, dance and anointed blast! Walter was emcee and Julia lead the band.

I so enjoy all our wonderful, lovely church members - so much love - Emmanuel and Patricia gave my wife and I presents :)! Packed out house, several saved and four people baptized in water!

I love the SOS people because they are so hungry spiritually, so devoted to Jesus, generous, full of love and always lift and honor each other! I love the SOS people because they laugh so much, are genuinly free, folksy and spontaneous!

This week I'm teaching at our Leadership School and I'm meeting newly saved friends in Stockholm; Stockholm, the city of my dreams!

See ya!

Exciting Weekend!

2011-10-21T18:58:00.000+02:00

I'm on my way to Norway, stopping by quickly in Oslo and preaching three services in Strömmen at Laila and Arvid Egeli's church. Fun!

This Sunday I'm preaching at home at our celebration in SOS Church Stockholm! I am sooo looking forward to that! We will have an info-meeting about SOS Business Class right after service and will start Saturday December 10th! Our vision is to create jobs and help new entrepreneurs start up. Business ideas will become reality! In the long run we will even be able to release means for both social help and toward our mission work. It will generate an overflow; we are praying for 70 new businesses to start in the next 10 years in our church!

We will focus on and life marriage and family this Sunday, but also baptize new disciples to Jesus! It will be a feast! We are moving forward! The apostolic family on on the move :)!

See ya

News from SOS Mission Bible College!

2011-10-20T16:18:00.000+02:00

Sound the drum, blow the horn; here's huge news from SOS Mission Bible College:

From the end of the year 2011/2012 we will accept new students in both August and in January!

Due to more and more inquiries for this, and after some changes in structure we will, just as many college educations, accept students at the beginning of each semester!

This means that you can apply now and start SOS Mission Bible College in the beginning of Jenuary 2012! You will study for one year and graduate in December the same year.

This is a new step for us, not thought up by man, but born quickly by the Spirit. We believe that more students will have the opportunity to meet with God, study His Word, become transformed and become heroes... Through one of the best Bible schools in the world :)!

So, help me spread this good news, and apply today! Click here!

See ya!

Drems for the Future!

2011-10-18T16:04:00.000+02:00

Justcame home from the US. Sitting in my kitchen eating unhealthy food for once –hallelujah ;)! Drinking coffee while talking nonsense with my darling Maria –good times. The kids will be home from school soon, will be great to see themagain! Adam has karate tonight and I want to spend some time with Alicia… Tomorrowat 7 pm I’m having a Bible study for my leaders in SOS, will talk about ”TheSOS Culture”, it will be awesome ;)!

Planning to work out with one of my best friendsthis week, we’ll have a guest from the US over for dinner and then I amactually preaching at home on our Sunday celebration, flying in directly fromNorway after speaking at three services there… Yeah yeah… Love my life! I amsuper blessed!

Inthe meantime I’m still dreaming of;

A trip with the guys to Spain; bullfighting and playing cards! Anyone wanna join?!

Hunting trips to Alaska and South Africa; grizzly bears and kudu need to be shot!

Buying a jeep; don’t care what brand, it just needs to be manly, cocky and have 4WD…

See ya!

The American South...

2011-10-16T17:00:00.000+02:00

Just ate lots of seafood... Now sitting by the pool at theHilton having a cup of coffee after a dip in the jazucci. It’s 90 degrees F inthe shade. My head is spinning a little, a blend of jetlag, adrenaline and HolySpirit. Preached twice today and is preaching again at 7 pm tonight.

I am visiting Pastor Denny Duron’s church in Shreveport, LAin the deepest American south. The second service today ended in a wild miracle explosion after salvationinvitation! Many visually disabled were healed immediately and two people with one blind eye receivedfull vision right there in the service! Rejoiving! Dance! Wow! Heaven is open!Jesus triumphs!

I am enjoying hanging out with Peter Almqvist, my faithfularmorer since 1999; he’s stood by my side for 12 years!

See ya!

Back in My Dear Stockholm!

2011-10-14T16:02:00.003+02:00

Thehunting trip to Lappland was a bulls eye ;)! Morning prayer together at thebreakfast table, lots of Bible reading while waiting, camp fires, coffee, crazystories and raw laughter! Guy’s fellowship without any female influence canbecome a little brutal you know ;)?! Three generations Amritzer’s huntingtogether for the first time; Ewald, Johannes and Adam! Fun! We also invitedAslak Bestul from Kristiansand, Norway and Samuel Willkander from Tullinge,Sweden along. Samuel shot a moose calf with a nice well aimed shot right in thechest. Congrats man!

We even had time for a service at the CommunityCenter in Storuman on Wednesday night before we headed home again; severalwere saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit :)!

I’m back in my dear Stockholm again now. Met theworld’s best pastoral team last night, enjoying just being together with thesewonderful mature godly men and women! Dream Team :)!

TodayI have the privilege to perform the wedding between Maja and Calle in the StClara Church in central Stockholm. I love this couple! Wonderful faithfulcoworkers in SOS since many years :)! Will belovely!

Ifly to Louisiana, southern US tomorrow, Emma Gustafsson will be preaching athome in SOS Church and I believe we will have a “miracle-story-marathon” thisSunday!

Seeya!

Samuel Shot a Moose!

2011-10-11T16:52:00.002+02:00

See ya!

Moose Hunt with the Guys!

2011-10-11T15:18:00.000+02:00

Jeeps, weapons, steel thermoses, camp fires, windbreaks,lookouts, carpercaillies and guy talk… Moose hunt in Lappland, northern Swedenagain J!

Anders Landström...

My dad Ewald, my son Adam and best friends like Aslak andSamuel, we all all visiting Anders and Lovisa Lanström right outside ofStoruman… We are so enjoying life!

I’ll get back to you after we shoot something ;)!

A Heavenly Window has Opened!

2011-10-09T15:11:00.001+02:00

We just ended our 40 day fast and now heavens window hasopened over us in SOS! Blessings are pouring down abundantly as the ProphetMalachi says (Mal 3:10)… We are enjoying the raw faith of Bishop Wilfred Lai, atrue Apostle from Kenya is roaring in Stockholm city this weekend! We aredrinking the pure wine of the Spirit and as outcome become very drunk in theSpirit :)!

Bishop Wilfred Lai teaching at the Leadership Day yesterday...

An era of favor, grace, bonuses, miracles, overflow, raw joyand childish joviality has begun! We will harvest greatly every day until newyears! Promotions, raises, people finding their future spouse, couplesreceiving their long longed for child, new business ideas are born that providejob opportunities! Signs and wonders! Apostolic breakthrough!

Thank you Jesus that you gave birth to SOS Church andprovided a home for us in Stockholm city! We are happy and spoiled, directlyfrom heaven! Your anointing impregnates everything now, just like anaggressive, air-borne E-bola virus! Your blessings hits us just like targetseeking robots and rockets draw close to body temperature. “Life owns” just likemy daughter Alicia would put it!

See ya!

Get Ready for Super Sunday!

2011-10-06T20:05:00.001+02:00

Greeting from Johannes. from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

Exciting Weekend!

2011-10-05T16:47:00.000+02:00

Our40-day fast in SOS ends this Saturday. Pastor Wilfred Lai from Mombasa, Kenya will be at SOS Church teaching at our Leadership Day that day.

Schedule

09:00-09:30Registration

09:30-10:00Worship

10:00-12:00 Wilfred Lai, session 1

12:00-13:00Lunch

13:00-14:00Wilfred Lai, session 2

14:00-14:20Coffee break

14:20-15:30Wilfred Lai leads prayer for Scandinavia

15:30-16:00Conclusion by Johannes Amritzer, Thomas Jonsson and Daniel Viklund

Weare believing God for a miracle explosion on Sunday!

How do I find the Magna Lecture Hall?

By car: Turn at the sign "Universitetet/Vetenskapsakademin.Turn right and continue towards the parking lot, which is 5 min. walkway fromAula Magna. Directions are found here!

By subway: Take the Red line towards Mörby C, get off atUniversitetet. Follow the signs to the Magna Lecture Hall.

See ya!

Miracles!

2011-10-03T04:46:00.001+02:00

Ihave just preached 4 services here at Freedom Valley Worship Center at my goodfriend Gerry Stoltzfoos' church… I’m enjoying historical Gettysburg and southernPennsylvania. The people here are warm, down to earth and simple. Many havebeen saved in every service, several baptized in the Holy Spirit and tonightseveral were healed!

11year old Claudia received her sight on her left eye! She had only been able todistinguish between light, darkness and shadows, but could now read perfectlyjust using the eye she had not been able to use before! She demonstrated hermiracle by reading on the big screens while I covered her healthy eye. Her dadand mom bawled and everyone rejoiced over what Jesus had done :)! What a night!!! Thank you Jesus!

I’mbuying cowboy boots, riding a little Harley Davidson and enjoying the US!

Seeya!

The Little Things in Life

2011-10-01T16:27:00.003+02:00

I almost appreciate the little things in life more than the big milestones and happenings…

- The motorcycle ride with my daughter Alicia to and from SOS Youth a little more than a week ago. We stopped at a gas station on our way home, had a hot dog and talked… It was just us…

- Maria gave me a pair of pajama pants that I wore here in my hotel room last night here in the US. Was all warm inside when I fell asleep… She said I look good in pajama pants…

- My friend, Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos, told me that some of his church members had saved money so that I could buy myself a pair of cowboy boots before I go home… I’m happy like a little kid because of that… Thank you wonderful people!

- Walter and I had a cup of coffee and soup in my kitchen a late night a few days ago… We understand each other… You are a true and uncomplicated friend.

- The happiness of my son Adam for his karate uniform. His eyes so proud in a beautiful and grateful way…

- Tenho, Shudyan and I in the locker room at the gym in Flemingsberg… Everyone making jokes and laughing while drinking protein drinks… Friendship. Brotherhood. Happiness…

God, I don’t want to miss the little things and moments in life. Thank you Jesus for the ‘simple’ and’ little’ things that I get to experience… It’s huge to me. It makes my life rich. Thank you for the concern from family and friends. Thank you for opening my eyes!

See ya!

The Angels Serve!

2011-09-29T16:31:00.000+02:00

Praying and meditating on the Bible here in my kitchen in a beautiful fall-colored Tullinge. When Jesus had fasted for 40 days and won victory over all the devil’s temptations, the angels came to serve him. We read;

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Matt 4:11

Our SOS pastors, missionaries, house church leaders and some of our church members have soon fasted and sought God for 40 days (Aug 29 – Oct 7). It has been a battle. Sin is exposed, we are consectrated, tested, shaked up and cleansed. We are mangled and reconsider our lives and priorities. The dead branches of the tree are cut off and the healthy branches pruned so they can bear more fruit (John 15).

The Angels will soon come forth in the desert to serve and attend to hungry prayer warriors! When we have served God and the people, there are 12 baskets overflowing with bread and fish waiting for us! God’s own overflow! Overflow in the middle of the desert!

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matt 14:20

I fly to the US tomorrow to preach in Gettysburg this weekend. Will seek God in my hotel room between the services! Yes :)!

My faithful little brother, Walter Zuniga, is preaching at home in SOS Church this Sunday. He is family and he carries the church closest to his heart.

Next week it is! Leadership Day Saturday October 8th and Super Sunday at the lecture hall Magna at the University of Stockholm the 9th. Pastor Wilfred Lai from Mombasa, Kenya will be there! We end our fast. The angels will serve! We will be made full by Jesus right here in Stockholm! Miracles and overflow awaits!

See ya!

Think; the City, not Just 'the Little Church!'

2011-09-27T18:52:00.001+02:00

We are priests in the city! We are a church in the midst of society! We impact all worlds! We are everywhere! The church is a depot and a storehouse for Stockholm. SOS is not a cozy, isolated club for introverts and cowardly religious people. On the contrary!

Our Youth Ministry helps teenagers in Stockholm whose parents don't yet go to church. We counteract and prevent violence, drugs, crime, vandalism, suicide, eating dissorders and recruitment to different gangs. SOS Youth is now starting a collaboration with the social services and will be contact persons for youths in trouble. They have a youth club/café every Friday night and also walk the streets in the city as youth-priests. In time SOS Youth will become even more active and will be seen and heard in our toughest hoods. SOS Youth want to help pregnant teenage girls and also offer youths creative alternatives for graffitti scribbling! SOS don't see any 'cases', but talented young people with lots of energy that need something to do and get an outlet for their passions!

SOS Church is cooperationg with the non-custodial treatment center, we are probation officers, family homes for kids in need and former criminals that come directly from jail! We will soon start our own rehab center and refugee home. We provide jobs for people, create employment by several new businessess etc etc. We have several schools, help the homeless and refugees! We believe in integration and hate rasism and xenophobia. Missions and disaster relief are obvious for SOS. Evangelism, training disciples and having people stay at your house is our life style and self-evident for us! We want to copperate with the Police, politicians and people of power for a better and more secure city where crime and divorce statistics are declining!

We are moving forward! We are advancing! We refuse to believe that it's hopeless! The love, forgiveness and victory of Jesus builds a better Stockholm!

See ya!

Celebrate Communion

2011-09-25T23:25:00.000+02:00

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42

The first Christian church didn't have any 'waiting-in-line' to have communion, any altar rails or falling on your knees... No beautiful calix or wafers with a cross on... The first Christians celebrated communion as part of their supper or a part of the Sabbath meal at home... We read;

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts...

Acts 2:46b

The fact is that it seems like communion never was a part of a larger service or gathering according to the Book of Acts' description of the first church. At one occation though, the apostle Paul seems to combine serving communion while teaching in a larger setting in the city of Troas. We read;

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Acts 20:7

This is why we never celebrate communion at our Sunday celebrations at SOS Church, but rather in our house churches and sometimes during our prayer nights...

Communion, the breaking of bread or love-feast; all different names for something very important and something strong in the life of the church. Communion should be celebrated with the family around the kitchen table, or together with friends on the patio or living room couch. The place for communion is at home in the house, the apartment and after supper...

Read these texts in the New Testament like; Matt 26:26-29 or 1 Cor 11:23-31 and confess sins to one another and ask for forgiveness. Pray and bless the bread and the grape juice and pass the plate and cup around the circle of people... Light candles and worship! Celebrate the death and resurrection and victory of Jesus!

Commnunion creates a safe atmosphere in a home. God protects, heals sicknessess, heals wounds of the soul and creates unity and togetherness through communion.

Don't forget to celebrate communion!

See ya!

At Home this Weekend!

2011-09-23T16:13:00.000+02:00

I had to cancel my trip to Norway this weekend... I am needed at home right now due to many different reasons. After all, I am the dad of SOS first and I have to be responsible in that role... Love SOS Church Stockholm! I'll see you this weekend! I will be at SOS Youth tonight, want to meet our teenagers and support the best Youth Pastors in the World :)!

Tomorrow we have All Nations Café, theme: Gypsy Night, it starts at 7 pm. It will be a great party! I really mean PARTY! Welcome!

Preaching at home on Sunday - yes! It was such a long time ago. I am longing to wash the feet of all the lovely people that will visit us at our Sunday celebration at 4 pm. I have a Word from heaven! A Word from God's heart to you! I will read a love letter from Jesus directed to you! See you this weekend! Your own dad and intercessor.

See ya soon!

Date with My Best Friend!

2011-09-20T15:32:00.000+02:00

I have just had such a great 24 hours with my best friend - Maria Amritzer :)! We went to the movies at Hötorget right downtown Stockholm and saw 'Colombiana'; a different story about a young latina's revenge on her parent's murderers... Moral was not good, but the pictures of Colombia were beautiful...

We walked to the Rica Hotel on Nygatan in the Old City. Nina Anderson surprised us and treated us with a hotel night, flowers and a card in the room! Thank you dear Nina for watching our kids and treating us with everyday luxury!

Old City in Stockholm...

Today we actually shopped for clothes, new winter coats and jeans! We bought some yellow chanterelles at Hötorget and are on the Metro on our way home to make chanterelle soup for the family... Adam has karate tonight and we have prayer with the pastoral team... I love being a pastor in the most beautiful capital city of Europe! The hight clear air of Stockholm is lovely!

See ya!

Heroes Awake and Arise!

2011-09-17T19:26:00.001+02:00

We are in the middle of our fast; SOS is fasting from August 29th to October 7th. Last night we had a prayer night at SOS Church with more than 80 people crying out to God!

I am visiting the Bethany Church in Kristiansand, southern Norway and our Youth Pastor, Jonatan Kvist, and our Dean for our Bible Schools, Daniel Elvelyck is visiting Arendal here in Norway with a team of 18 teenagers from SOS Church preaching at Harvest Cry there. People are being saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit :)! We are moving forward :)!

I hear the Holy Spirit speak;

Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.

Joel 3:9

The Spirit of God is waking up heroes and warriors to holy battle! They are aggressively moving forward to conquer Stockholm and the unreached people groups! God is calling upon a young army!

Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you...

Ps 110:3a

They are coming willingly! They are running! They are coming from all nations and peoples! They are coming to build SOS in Stockholm and take Jesus to the nations!

See ya!

Prayer Night!

2011-09-14T23:15:00.001+02:00

In the middle of SOS' 40 day fast (August 29 - October 7) it will be so wonderful to pray and cry out to God together during a prayer night! SOS Church is having a night of prayer this Friday (September 16). We start at 10pm and end at 2am. We will start off with strong, focused and sincere worship and then clear up the spirit world of Stockholm! We do warfare, unite in prayer, bind, loose, give birth, cry, listen and win victory together! The church is built when we pray! The Kingdom of God advance and go forth when we pray! Sweaty wild spiritual warfare and groans will alternate vision prayer where we both see and hear from heaven!

Super Sunday Promo from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

Welcome to the first prayer night of this fall at Warfvinges väg 26, Stadshagen, Kungsholmen!

See ya!

An Extremely Non-Religious Man

2011-09-13T20:58:00.005+02:00

I read a blog post recently written by a faithful member of SOS Church Stockholm. I thought it was soo well written that I simply have to re-post it here. Written by Jens Charlieson; enjoy!

An Extremely Non-Religious Man

I am not your typical religious man. As a child, I was not baptized by a priest. As a teenager, I was not confirmed in church. I was not fascinated by the old myths and legends as I read the Da Vince Code. That is just not who I am. My personality and faith do not seem to match. I should not like church. I should not believe in a higher power. I simply have to few of these old romantic veins running through my body.

Never have I been amazed by the majesty of old stone churches as I have stood within them. I have never sought out one to find peace for prayer. I would never kiss an old relic that is said to have belonged to some person from of old. I have never kneelt before a crucifix or an icon image. I have never enjoyed sitting listening to a man in strange clothing that wraps his words in sentences that can be interpreted to mean whatever one wishes.

I hope and believe that I one day will be able to travel to Mecca, but not to walk around a stone. Sure, I give alms to the poor, but not to appease a god whose mood remains a riddle. I can sit quiet for hours at a time but have never understood why sitting with legs crossed would generate perks when searching for a higher power. I believe in doing good and caring for our fellow human beings, but I much rather care for them for their own sake than trying to accumulate plus point with a god.

Religious rituals. Religious buildings. Religious relics. When everything has been degraded to an adoration of majestic buildings and art that once was beautiful, then the entire world has gathered around a duck pond, making little or no difference. It simply is beautiful to the eye of the admirer and awful to the eye of the critic.

An extremely non-religious man is writing these words. I have never understood how an organ is holier than an electrical guitar or why a punk should feel like he is not a part of the church. I probably am very, very bad at being religious. Yet, every week I find my feet walking into church again.

It was nine years ago that I for the first time in my life saw a man in a wheel chair stand up and walk. I was not sure how to process what my eyes were seeing. In what compartment should I place these thoughts? A few days later I was a thousand miles away and found myself crying like a baby. I was still trying to place my thoughts in the right compartment. They did not fit in the church compartment; there were many thoughts here, but none were about lame men walking. They did not fit with anything that I so far had experienced. They only fit with places that I had read about. That is where I placed them; together with everything else that I had read.

As I cried like a baby, I decided to never dance with the ducks in the pond. Shortly thereafter I saw a deaf ear opened. Then a blind saw. Then tumors disappeared. And it continued in like manner. The compartment with thoughts about what I had read began to be filled with thoughts of what I had experienced and soon these new thoughts formed a picture of the life I wanted to live.

The Da Vince Code was an exciting book. Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu swam around in a duck pond of ancient stories and myths void of history. They swam among majestic buildings, among relics that may have been the property of some man from of old. They hunted down crucifixes and icon images at the bottom of the pond and they never seemed to find anything in the mud and mire.

I am part of building a church in downtown Stockholm. You know, one where the punk feels at home. You know, I have never seen either an organ or an electrical guitar heal a man. I have never seen a majestic building set a drugged teenager free from the addiction.

I believe in a God beyond all religion. Beyond relics. And there, beyond all such things, He pulls people out of wheel chairs like never before. We are building a church in Stockholm for those that usually do not go to church. For those who, like me, are the non-religious types. We walk the thin line between two worlds. We are an ugly duckling in a pond of religion and atheism.

Jens Charlieson

Happy Days!

2011-09-12T19:31:00.001+02:00

SOS Church was packed out yesterday again! Julia, Sanna, Jenny and Ina rocked the worship and the basement moved in beat to our electric guitarr based worship band... Daniel was such a great emcee and our own Latino pastor, Walter "stand up" preached, prophecied and about 10 stockholmers wanted to pray a salvation prayer... We baptized 4 people for starters and later on a fifth person gave in to the pressure on the inside and was baptized - so lovely to live the Book of Acts right here in Stockholm! Happiness!

Our Alicia...

My daughter Alicia is twelwe today! Congrats girl! She was so happy for her new riding boots, Converse shoes, purple calculator etc... The entire family danced to her new loudspeakers in her room before she had to run to catch the train! This will be a great birthday!

Might go the gym as well... Trying to relax and rest a little... It's my day off, first one in a long time!

Happy days!

The Unbribable

2011-09-10T19:34:00.000+02:00

We read about Melchizedek, the king of Salem that;

He was priest of God Most High...

Genesis 14:18b

A priest that would not worship idols, follow spirits or was in alliance with fortune tellers. A priest that could not be bribed or manipulated by chiefs or people. He was God's own messenger and truth-teller, he was as solid as granite and without compromise. Melchizedek walked with God and high chiefs and kings would provide for him and gave his family 10% of all their income.

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 14:20b

Melchizedek was the priest that would serve communion to kings, prophecy and serve them with his prayers (Genesis 14:18-20)...

Priest in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Priest for the stockholmers, not neccesarily the church people. Priest for all, high and low, a fearless prophet and dad for those mostly mistreated. The spokesperson for the poor and needy, the defense attorney for the innocent and advisor for those in power. Priest for the refugees, businessmen and authors. Priest for the people at the Opera and the most trendy dance clubs. Priest for celebrities, politicians and soldiers... A priest for those who don't yet go to church.

Thank you God that you called us to Stockholm city! Thank you for SOS Church Stockholm!

See ya!

Pierced Ear!

2011-09-08T18:50:00.001+02:00

We read in Exodus about how the Hebrew slaves were to be treated according to the law. The Hebrew slaves were more like servants. When a slave/servant had served his master for 6 years he was to be set free without a fee. But then it says;

But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

Exodus 21:5-6

We are all free in SOS. We generously free people, send and export quality leaders all the time! But our leaders will often say just like the Scripture above...

They'll say; "I love this life and this family! I love the spiritual children, the adventure and my spiritual parents so much! I want to stay! I want to share life with you!" And so the ear is pierced, so to speak, and we stand together for life! SOS have many leaders with a hole in their ear. The hole symbolises love, togetherness, loyalty and devotedness. We have pierced our ear with the pricker and given ourselves to each other. We are not rootless or passing through, but faithful SOS people! We are priests for those who don't go to church and missionaries until the last people group has heard about Jesus!

Many are jealous of our unity and cohesiveness and love to slander it. What everyone really wants is to be a part of a strong church, but has a hard time giving their heart to it. Maybe it's the people that really dare give themselves wholeheartedly to their spiritual context that experience true friendship and care. What if the reason for people's allienation is their own fear and a disguise for a seductive "freedom" that only results in more loneliness? An attitude that says; "I want to keep my options open" might be our generation's biggest curse?!

See ya!

Wilfred Lai to Stockholm

2011-09-07T19:26:00.000+02:00

I'm back in my dear Stockholm again... Leading prayer, teaching "Ever Increasing Faith" at SOS Mission Bible College and Leadership School. Having life-coaching counselings, briefings with my staff and a lot of prayer... We are right now in a 40 day fast. Exciting! We are giving birth to a lot of new stuff when we pray...

My son Adam turned 10 yesterday and got his so longed for barbed agama (lizzard) from Australia! Congratulations my son!

The Apostle and man of God from east Africa, Wilfred Lai, will soon come to Stockholm! All the way from tropical Mombasa at the coast of Kenya to cold fall Sweden!

Dr Wilfred Lai...

Wilfred leads the Apostolic and so powerful Jesus Celebration Center that have started more than 1000 daughter churches in East Africa! We will have an open Leadership Day Saturday October 8th at SOS Church and Super Sunday October 9th at Aula Magna at the University of Stockholm at 4 pm. We are praying and standing in faith for a miracle explosion that Sunday! Our 40 day fast ends Friday October 7th :). Exciting to live and build church in Stockholm!

See ya!

Pittsburgh, USA...

2011-09-05T05:14:00.001+02:00

I've just preached three services at my best friends Jeff and Melodie Leake's church; Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh PA. Many have been saved and called into direct ministry in the Kingdom of God. Jesus' own Great Comission attracts, challenges and changes people. We are planning new church plants and festivals together in Europe, the US and in Africa... Apostolic leaders work so smoothly and naturally together. I am enjoying the company as well :)...

Fasting, preaching, planning missions projects and working out...

I'm flying home tomorrow, just stopped by here over the weekend...

See ya!

Get Over It!

2011-09-02T20:30:00.000+02:00

SOS is fasting for 40 days, August 29th - October 7th. Why don't you join us a few days as well?! Sin is exposed, we are consecrated, and strong miracles occur when we seek holiness! We believe in a big God! He is good and faithful, never whimsical! The angels will serve us when we have fasted, stood against satan's temptations and won victory (Matt 4:11). When we have served God and the people there will be 12 baskets waiting for us, in the middle of the desert (Matt 14:20)! Fish and bread in abundance - Jesus' own overflow! 12 baskets in every area of life!

We are praying for miracles!

a) Miracle festivals with Colleseum-large crowds!
b) Power-miracles, yes even that the dead will rise and come to life again!
c) An overflow when it comes to finances in SOS!
d) Larger facilities in Stockholm city for our mother church!
e) Marriages that will be restored and healed!
f) New businessess to be started and many unemployed to reaceive miracle-jobs in SOS Church!
g) For our mission bases to become self-sufficient!

During this fast I'm thinking of a little phrase; "Get over it!"

So great! So simple! Kinda like an approach to life...

- If you've been disappointed, insulted or used; get over it!
- If you've been slandered, or if gossip has ruined your reputation; get over it!
- If a co-worker or friend stepped on your toes a little bit; get over it!
- If your car was marked or you got a huge stain on your wall-paper; get over it!
- If you dropped your new IPhone in the toilet, or spilled coffee on your new IPad; get over it!

Life goes on! Shake off the disappointments of yesterday! The future belongs to you! Life ia actually great! God has new surpises, victories and breakthroughs for you!

Get over yesterday! Get over it guys! :)

See ya!

Characteristics of an Uncomplicated Verses a Complicated Leader

2011-08-31T13:16:00.000+02:00

An Uncomplicated Christian Leader

- Loves God with all his heart!

- Loves the church!

- Sees work is an honor and says; "thank you very much for having confidence in me!"

- Works with joy and says; "No problem!"

- Has an undivided loyalty!

- Has humour and laughs a lot!

- Always do the little 'extra', walks an extra mile!

- Takes responsibility when wrong and does not blame others!

- Is meticulously on time and respects his co-workers!

- Has a forgiving and generous attitude!

- Takes life easy and says; "Get over it!"

A Complicated Leader

- Sees 'ghosts', ie things that do not exist...

- Hear things that have never been told...

- Does not want to work really, is on his way towards something better...

- Always blames someone else...

- Speaks about the 90% that he does instead of finishing the 10% that still isn't done...

- Always feels misunderstood...

- Divides his time into little bits and pieces, time with family, time for work, time off etc...

- Sees the church as a bank of resources instead of an opportunity to invest...

- Is never on time...

Brian Houston, Hillsong Church, Sydney Australia

See ya!

We are Advancing!

2011-08-29T20:49:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we gathered 700 people in three different gatherings at our Kick-off Sunday for this fall at SOS Church Stockholm! Chris Gilkey roared wildly, Julia danced and lead worship anointed and with incredible passion and power! It was a sweaty and wild Sunday that has a thick, great after taste of well-being from heaven :)...

We presented three long-term project goals as well in SOS Next Step!

SOS Business Class

- 70 new businessess in 10 years (2012-2022)

SOS Rehab

SOS Refugee Home

- Our own home for refugees

See ya!

Exciting Week!

2011-08-23T14:01:00.000+02:00

I am so enjoying that everything starts now... The kids have started school, everyone is back to work and Stockholm is alive and on the go again... The sleepiness of summer is gone and replaced by fall-excitement :)! The fall term starts this week, high air, new books, new classmates, new working collegues, changes, new beginnings etc - I am just sooo happy! I don't like summer-Sweden's laziness, looseness and confusion, but enjoy routines, set times and fall-discipline; that's just how a warrior works :)!

New recruites start at SOS Mission Bible College and SOS Leadership School tomorrow - large classes! More than 60 students so far! Come tomorrow, apply and start right away :)! You can start tomorrow - we begin at 9 am!

Pastor Chris Gilkey, Lead Pastor of Reach Church in Austin TX has just arrived - sooo much fun! He is one of my best friends since many years! You cannot miss this weekend's activities with Chris Gilkey!

Chris and I went to the gym today...

Friday at 5-8 pm we are shooting clay pigeons and having a BBQ! All our students (both schools), their spouses, teachers and SOS staff will meet in Sursta at Kurt Pettersson's ranch, just north of Märsta in northern Stockholm.

Saturday between 11 am - 1 pm we will have serious self defense training lead by ex Marine Chris Gilkey :)! The training is held at SOS Church on Kungsholmen.

On Sunday it's our KICK OFF! We will start with a leadership gathering for all our leaders at SOS Church at 11 am to 2 pm. Emma Gustafsson and I will teach! Our Kick Off Celebration starts at 4 pm, Chris Gilkey is preaching then! We will focus on our vision and also see how far we have come with our sub targets for 2011 and then set up new sub targets for the "sprint" until Christmas! At 7 pm our vison meeting starts. We have called this SOS Next Step, here we will present new long-term projects for the church.

Don't miss this weekend! Switch your time at work with your collegues, or take off so you can come! Don't go anywhere! You don't want to miss this Sunday for the world!

See ya!

Salvation Army

2011-08-20T09:11:00.000+02:00

I'm preaching and teaching three days at Gullbrannagården (a modern conference center and camping site) right outside the city of Halmstad in southern Sweden... We are a part of a regional summer conference called "The Building"... Lovely! Such wonderful people! Simple foot soldiers for Jesus, lots of newly saved and youths. Many youths were saved last night and today I'm having Bible studies on the Book of Acts... I am here with my family and also Andreas and Jenny Jensen, our Kids Pastor at SOS Church Stockholm. Andreas, Jenny, Alicia and Adam are having childrens meetings, taking care of the kids and in the meanwhile Maria and I are trying to wash the feet of the kid's parents :)...

Thank you Jesus for your people in Sweden! Thank you Jesus for the beautiful and good work done by the Salvation Army in Sweden. Outcats, poor and people in need are helped by Jesus' own soldiers :)!

See ya!

Vacation album 2011

2011-08-18T18:47:00.005+02:00

Reflections from my vacation…

2011-08-17T21:18:00.000+02:00

There are traces of Jesus everywhere in a Western society. The modern chronology begins with the birth of Jesus, the rhythm of the week and the highlight of the weekend is Sunday – the day when Jesus rose from the dead. Our holidays are connected to the life of Jesus – Christmas, Easter, Pentecost etc. Our names of often Biblical – Daniel, Maria, Mathew. Some of our most common names are those of the disciples; Andrew, Peter, Thomas and so on…Jesus is often quoted even though people don’t know that the expression or quotation comes from the New Testament. Our laws, ethics and morals are built upon the foundation of the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ message of love. Forgiveness is a natural concept, as is being given pardon and having a second chance – all of which comes from Jesus. In Sweden you would be reminded of the influence of Christianity like 15 times a day if you would be a bit observant…

Church steeples rises up toward the sky, jewelry crosses hang around people’s necks and the Swedish flag is really just one big yellow cross on the blue background…On tombstones, in the obituaries and beside roads where there has been a lot of accidents you’ll find crosses – Jesus’ and His disciples’ symbol of victory!

Yes, diversity is beautiful, but let us also take care of our Jesus culture and stay connected to that amazing heritage as we build our future!

See you!

August vacation

2011-08-14T22:46:00.000+02:00

We have been to the big water park of Skara Sommarland. Now we’re swimming in the sea, living in my father-in-law’s summer place outside of Halmstad on the west coast of Sweden. Playing cards, watching movies, talking and spending time with my kids…We go shopping in the cheap mall of Ullared. Soon we’ll go pike and crawfish fishing. Will try to shoot a roe deer too if I see one through my barrel. The annual August leave is so nice and late summer is the best part if you ask me.

God has given us so many beautiful things! How did things get this good? Thank you dear Lord for my awesome wife and beautiful family. I couldn’t have wished for more in life. All are healthy and happy and we love each other genuinely…

See you!

You can start a new life!

2011-08-11T20:57:00.000+02:00

I’m on vacation...Have been to Skara Sommarland with the kids and right now we are in a summer house in Halmstad…Took a swim in the ocean yesterday; 12 C in the water, 15 C in the air (my approximates), storm, hail and soaking rain while driving home…Took me all night and about four cups of hot coffee just to unfreeze, you know :) Swedish summer – wonderful!

Tonight I dreamt that 50 gypsies got saved and were shining from joy – just baptized and transformed. I love gypsies! SOS Church Stockholm is a place where anything can happen!

The Bible School and the Leadership School is about to start! You have applied, haven’t you?! So many have come to SOS through the years and had their lives changed or begun the spiritual adventure of their lives with us! Tim and Manuell Zürcher from Switzerland graduated in June and started working as pastors in a small church in Bienne, which gathered 35 people. On Monday the Zürchers called and told me that last Sunday they had double that number when they gathered more than 70! Awesome! Aren’t you gonna get on the bus with a bag of clothes? Just pack your little life into your car and come! :) You can spend a year in a church where every week people’s lives are changed and where people are baptized practically every weekend! The book of Acts can become your life style! We’re longing for you! Apply here!

Bible School Trailer- Ma-jo from Mission SOS on Vimeo.
See you!

40 days of prayer and fasting!

2011-08-08T20:52:00.002+02:00

This fall we will floor it in SOS Church! Our church will put on the Monster Truck tires and gear down to gain more power to accelerate! After our Kick-off Sunday on 28August with the American pastor Chris Gilkey, we will begin our 40 days of fasting. We’ll pray for one thing – MIRACLES!!! Miracles in your body, in your soul, in your economy, in your business, miracles when it comes to barrenness, your adoption, our mission trips, our festivals, our missions bases, miracles when it comes to the future of the church and bigger facilities! In other words; a fall of miracles and breakthrough on all levels! Restored marriages and families! Restored relationships and restored dignity! Miracles for our newly saved disciples and our Bibleschool students!
We’ll endour “prophet fast” and the 40 days of holy solitude with a miracle weekend and Super Sunday with the Kenyan Dr Wilfred Lai from Mombasa on 8-9 of October!

Looking forward to this fall!

See you!

The most important thing!

2011-08-05T20:00:00.000+02:00

I had a Bible study with my kids this morning and we read about the life of the violent judge Samson in Judges chapter 13-16…

“The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat.” Jud 14:6

Some time later Samson found a swarm of bees and honey in the lion’s carcass. When Samson is about to get married he gives his guests a riddle to solve. He says: “Out of thee ater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” The answer to his riddle was a cryptic question; “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”.

We spoke about this text for a while in our family and we came to the conclusion that the whole story is prophetic, just as so many other stories in the Old Testament. Our interpretation was a simple Jesus interpretation! Jesus – the lion – died. When Jesus died the Holy Spirit –honey – came. We said that the only thing that can be both sweeter than honey and stronger than a lion is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

The most important thing is the death of Jesus! Through the death of Jesus we received forgiveness and victory! The most important thing must also be the Holy Spirit who came instead of Jesus – His presence is as sweet as honey and His power is stronger than that of a lion! That is the most important thing!

See you!

Routines and disciplines!

2011-08-03T18:00:00.001+02:00

During vacations people tend to become depressed, confused and blunt… It’s not good to turn the clock around and just relax for weeks in a row… Personally I believe more in spreading the vacation over the whole year, instead of the classic five weeks “divorce vacation” during the summer months :) Summer is actually even more dangerous in the otherwise so cold Scandinavia than in latitudes more south.

Here follows some advice on how to avoid the “summer sloth”:

• Maintain good routines and disciplines even when you’re resting.
• Don’t turn the clock around. However, do take a few hours extra in bed and even an hour or two in the hammock.
• Watch good movies and read books
• Read the Bible and speak with the Holy Spirit regularly
• Maintain hard physical work out and take long walks.
• Do things together – go fishing, visit an amusement park, play some cards etc…

See you!

The multi ethnical church!

2011-08-01T23:30:00.000+02:00

Do you realize that there actually is a place free from racism in the midst of such a cold Stockholm? A colorblind and safe home for all people. Our different cultures enrich, and create a wonderful and generous atmosphere! We love to try new things. We enjoy the shifting scents and tastes. We speak more than 50 languages already. We live in a kingdom where no one is judged by class, education or sex. We believe that every single one is a gift and a key that the Holy Spirit has given us as a church! We believe in mission until the last people group has heard! We all have the culture of Jesus and we want to live in the book of Acts. I am proud over my African, Asian, Latin American and American brothers and sisters and best friends! I believe in the future! I believe in the multi ethnical church! Long live diversity.

On Sunday 31st of August another five precious people prayed a prayer of salvation and two people buried their old lives in water baptism! We hugged and greeted so many new friends! Thank you Jesus for SOS Church Stockholm! Thank you that I get to be a part of this, even though I’m white, quite cocky and an Austrian citizen :)

See you!

How to start reading the Bible!

2011-08-01T08:46:00.001+02:00

Back home in Stockholm again... Counselling, marriage counselling and meetings with new believers... So much fun!

Are you a rookie when it comes to reading the Bible? How about some tips and advise from your priest?

1. Start in the New Testament (part 2)!
2. Start by reading the Gospel of Mark! It is short (16 chapters), straight to the point and you will get a quick survey of the life of Jesus. Jesus is the main character of the Bible, God in human body and the one every disciple wants to be like... Jesus is our greatest example and our great role model!
3. Then read the serial by one and the same author, part 1 and part 2 – The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke will give you a repetition and some more details on Jesus’ life and disciples, and then as you read the first history book of the Christian church – the Book of Acts – you’ll learn about the first 30 years after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
4. Then I think you should read the Gospel of Mathew and the Gospel of John. John is quite deep and a bit philosophical and requires a slow and thoughtful reading.
5. It is always good to read with a Bible Atlas available so that you can see and follow where everything happened. Travel with your index finger while reading, sort of...
6. Take notes, write interrogation marks in the margin of your Bible and ask your older brothers and sisters in faith or your pastors and priests about what you don’t understand.
7. Then read the different letters one at a time. Take your time and make sure you know a) who is the receiver of the letter, b) age determination, c) the reason and purpose of the letter, and finally ask yourself the question; d) what are the basic ideas and main message of the letter?
8. Finish by reading the thrilling depiction of the last time, written by the disciple John – Revelations!
9. Once you think your getting the hang of the New Testament you can start reading the Old Testament... The Old Testament should preferably be read in the light of the New Testament, or else it might be difficult to understand...

I will get back you to with a guide in what order I would suggest you read the very exciting and so rich and important Old Testament... Good luck with reading your Bible!

I hope I’ll see you on Sunday in SOS Church Stockholm at 4 PM!

See you!

What are You Waiting On?!

2011-07-27T15:41:00.006+02:00

I have just had the priviledge to preach three services at Evangeliesenterets annual conference in Österbo, right outside of the city of Halden in Norway... This is the annual summer conference for the Norwegian Pentecostal rehab centers for alcoholics and drug addicts... I don't really know why I am invited back year after year... Anyways - it's such a wonderful place! Jesus, Jesus and just Jesus again! Lots of transformed lives and restored families (more than 30,000 people have gone through their program through the years).

Precious people have been saved in every service and last night several were baptized in the Holy Spirit as well! I am enjoying the simplicity, the "rawness", the love, all the testimonies of changed lives, all the miracles and the strong Holy Spirit atmosphere at Österbo! Very special and wonderful. I think we have to start a SOS Rehab soon!

By the way - what are you waiting on?! Why haven't you applied to our Bible Schools yet? Sooo many are already accepted, but we are still waiting for your application :)! God has an amazing plan for your life! Adventures with Jesus awaits! Apply here! MCM Ministry School, SOS Mission Bible College or SOS Leadership School, they all start at the end of August! Watch these trailers from our school in Stockholm Sweden and Pittsburgh PA, USA!

Bible School Trailer- Maja from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

MCM Ministry School Promo from Allison Park Church on Vimeo.

See ya!

Philadelphia and Israel

2011-07-26T14:05:00.000+02:00

This past weekend I was in Philadelphia PA, USA. Hungry people were saved, baptized in the Holy Spirit and healed! I really enjoyed the summer heat in the States :)!

October 29 - November 7 this fall I will once again travel with Duveskogs Travel Agency to Israel! For me personally, this is somewhat the highlight of the year... Israel is fantastic in sooo many ways! Here are 10 reasons why you should go to Israel;

1) It is simply the land of the Bible. Every page in the Bible begins to move, jump out and call your name! Get to know the Bible in its geographical setting.

2) Jesus was a Jew and salvation comes from the Jews. Suddenly, being a Christian, you understand your Jewish roots. (John 4:22, Rom 11:18)

3) Israel is the meeting point for three of the world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. You will come home with a better understanding of the conflict in the Middle East, the entire world political scene and the tension that exists between Christians and Muslims on every continent...

4) It is a fantastic combination of both education and vacation. You relax while you learn new stuff.

5) Middle East culture and western influences in a perfect mix. The modern urban multiethnical Israel is a school for the next generation, of the global culture found in Mega cities.

Come with us to Israel this fall! Your travel guides will be Göran Duveskog, Daniel Viklund and I...

6) As a Christian you will understand ”the End Times, the unreached peoples, and the return of Jesus”. (Matt 24:14)

7) You will get friends for life. Different generations, nationalities and both blue and white collar, all join in on the same trip to study, explore, have vacation and lots of fun.

8) Israel is perfect for evangelisation. Invite your seeker friend, relative or neighbor and together visit the historical Calvary, the Garden Tomb, Mount Olive, and the Upper Room ;).

9) The modern Israel and the Jews need your warm hearted support in a cold, cynical world, full of hatred, murder, and evil.

10) The Mediterranean Sea, snorkeling in the Red Sea, floating in the Dead Sea and baptism in the Jordan River, the food, sunset in the desert, shopping and finally a tan!

We Pray for Norway!

2011-07-23T10:52:00.000+02:00

Our brother nation was attacked yesterday. Oslo and Norway was brutally attacked, bombs and atomatic weapons was used and the number of casualties is rising with every news report...

Dear Norway! Dear precious Norwegian people. You are not alone. We are mourning your loss and crying with you today. True, honest salty tears puoring down our cheeks... What has happened is unbelievable and horrible. Our Swedish flags have to, just as yours, be raised half way today in sympathy and grief with all the families that are bleeding from open wounds... How tremendous must the grief be after losing a teenager, a young life cut off and stolen?!

We are crying out to God for the angels to protect our closest Scandinavian neighbors against further evil intentions and attacks against your democracy. We won't let fear win. We believe in protection through the blood of Jesus. We believe in prayer. We pray that your future will stay light and full and hope.

Norway is a wonderful and fantastic nation. A small, but strong people. The Norwegian people have warm and big hearts, they are hospitable, generous and our closest and beloved Swedish relatives. You are God fearing and humble. Sweden is crying today as well.

We refuse to bow for terrorism in Scandinavia, regardless where it comes from! We will lift up ur heads and straighten our backs! Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and diversity is our pride! We stand with you!

Your allies in SOS Church Stockholm

Our Graduates Impact the World!

2011-07-22T14:25:00.000+02:00

Something that is a real joy in ministry are all the sons and daughters that have graduated from SOS' six different Bible Schools around the world! They are many now! I am actually preaching my 21st year now and celebrated 20 years in ministry July 17th this summer! Unbelievable, I know, since I'm only getting younger, can lift more in bench press now and have more energy than when I started preaching 20 years ago ;).

This video clip came from Timothy and Manuelle Zurcher and the little town Bienne in Switzerland just recently... The Zurcher's graduated from SOS Mission Bible College at the beginning of June this year and are already Senior Pastors in a church on the border between German and French speaking Switzerland! Watch their greeting and enjoy!

Greeting from Switzerland from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

Sooo much fun! Send us your greeting too :)!

See ya!

SOS Festival Band to Tanzania!

2011-07-21T13:18:00.000+02:00

I have been invited to speak at one of the largest youth conferences arranged by AoG East Africa in November. The second week of November I will fly with a team from SOS to the capital f Tanzania - Dar es Salaam! SOS Festival Band are specially intived to hold concerts next to bands from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania!

SOS Festival Band...

Come along! Sign up here!

In June 2012 (June 13-17) we will return to Dar es Salaam to hold a city wide festival! You'll soon have more information on this. About 1,000 churches are ready to back up the festival! Watch the video greeting below:

Greeting from Tanzania from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

See ya!

Kick Off Weekend

2011-07-19T17:18:00.000+02:00

My American friend since many years, Pastor Chris Gilkey, will join us for our Kick Off Celebration August 28th at SOS Church! Chris and his wife Melissa leads Reach Church in Austin TX, and its growing like crazy! Chris is a former Marine and have worked as Youth Pastor in three of America's mega churches with 12,000, 4,000 and 6,000 members. Chris is a groundbreaking Apostle and a "one with the people" evangelistic Pastor! He is is also the one of my pastor friends with the biggest biceps and that once lifted 441 lbs in bench press!

Pastor Chris Gilkey...

Our Kick Off starts at noon with a leadership gathering until 2 pm. Our House Church Pastor, Emma Gustafsson will speak then... We'll take a break between 2 - 4 pm. At 4 pm celebration starts and we'll get to our sub target for the second part of 2011. Chris will preach to us! After coffee and fellowship there will be a short vision meeting for our members at 7 pm - SOS Next Step! Be prepared for a full day with your church! Chris is the "muscle package" and a tinderbox you just cannot miss!

See ya!

The Church Moves Forward!

2011-07-19T15:07:00.000+02:00

Right now we are 350 active adult members of SOS Church Stockholm, that was born August 29th 2009, about 40 kids and a little more than 30 youths, that makes 420 happy disciples!

SOS Church Camp last Saturday in "Rålis" park started at 10 am and ended at 10 pm. About 200 adults came just to hang out, play chess, volley ball and BBQ during these 12 hours... Lovely!

SOS Church Camp 2011...

Our church was packed out this past Sunday! In the midle of the summer! Four people wanted to pray a salvation prayer and we had many new visitors! We ended the celebration by baptizing in Lake Mälaren right in the middle of the city!

Sunday August 28th is our Kick Off for this fall. We'll start off with a leadership seminar 12 noon - 2 pm, celebration at 4 pm and vision meeting called SOS Next Step after the coffee break for new members!

East Africa's strongest Apostle, Wilfred Lai from Mombasa Kenya, will visit us the weekend of October 8-9! Pastor Wilfed Lai is the Senior Pastor at Jesus Celebration Center and we are looking forward to a lion's roar both at the Leadership Day and Super Sunday! We are praying that Wilfred will realease faith, miracle power and a spirit of prayer in SOS Church Stockholm!

Dr. Wilfred Lai is Senior Pastor at Jesus Celebration Center in Mombasa, Kenya...

I'm longing for the fall already! New Bible School students, exciting ministers that will visit and new mission trips!

Se are moving forward!

See ya!

SOS Church Camp

2011-07-15T14:02:00.000+02:00

Came home from Tanzania Tuesday night...Have had time to hang out with my family, work out and meet a newly saved friend... Yesterday we had a budget meeting with SOS international board and later that night a Pastor's meeting - love to speak with, pray and hang out with my pastors...

Tomorrow the church will gather at the Rålambshovs Park at 10 am for SOS Church Camp! We'll BBQ, play chess, soccer and laugh a lot! Bring lots of BBQ meat :)!

See ya soon!

Soccer in Tanzania!

2011-07-15T13:05:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday, after we had visited four different churches we went back to the hotell and quickly slipped out of our suits, ties and cuff links and put on old jeans and sleeveless t-shirts... We had been given VIP tickets to a soccer game, Emmanuel and I. Dar es Salaam has a super modern stadion that seats 65,000 people! It was packed out! Wow! Atmosphere like crazy! The final game for Eastern Central Africa Soccer Tournament... Teams from Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania among others had played and now two teams from Tanzania had reached the finals! We watched Yanga meet Simba and it was the craziest folk-feast I've attended in my life! So fun! The supporters fought in the bleechers and sent up flares and the police had to intervene about once every 10 minutes or so :).

The Yanga players celebrating...

When Yanga, in the extension of the game, won 1-0, their fans took of their shirts and danced in wild happiness, waving their t-shirts over head and blowing in horns for about an hour... When it was time for the prize to be ditributed to the winning team and a mobile platform was wheeled into the stadion, the power went. There was no national anthem and people blamed Simba's supporters for sabotage and fought with everyone and everything... I loved it when they brought in an ambulance to temporary light up the platform with the head lights from the car... The trophy was given to Yanga and medals to all the players - everything in the light from the car while screaming in megaphones!

Sooo wonderful! Love Africa! What an experience!

See ya!

Reflections After Tanzania

2011-07-15T11:40:00.000+02:00

I visited great Pentecostal churches in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last week... Some were 3,000 members, others 800 and one 6,000... Met mature, humble, balanced and very generous Bishops, Pastors and leaders... I was so impressed by their willingness to give and their aggressive faith! One church with only 800 members (15-30 year old members) managed to raise 300,000 USD and buy land with cash to build their church - only in a few months... They sold their cars, computers, cell phones etc... Now they are raising money to build a super modern church with about 4,500 seats! They are wild! I never wanted to stop worshipping when I was there, even though I didn't understand more than a few words of the songs in Swahili that thay sang in their church. The worship leaders weren't just very talented musicians and had incredible voices, but there was something else - Jesus was there and the anointing could be felt right through skin and bone... The blood start to boil and the ground shakes when they dance, sing, cry out and devote themselves in prayer and worship! I wasn't allowed to pay at the restaurants. I wasn't allowed to pay for my taxi. I wasn't allowed to pay for my hotell. I was given a donation to SOS that equals two months salaries for a church here! Africa has so much to teach us! Jesus, help us in Europe! They are passing us!

I so enjoyed to see people saved, the blind see, demons cast out and hungry disciples being baptized in the Holy Spirit in almost every gathering that we had. They churches that I visited were truly lovely! At the same time I was sad when I spoke to African leaders about legalism, religion, false teachings and fanatisicm - that actually bind many wonderful Africans as well and scare millions away from the church. Thank you God for a new, true and pure hearted generation of young leaders that are rising up on the African continent. They refuse to compromise with the Bible and at the same time want to be folksy and modern. Their charm when they combine the Spirit of prayer with smoke machines and cool lighting is lovely. I think I have fallen in love with the African urban teenagers I met last week... The Jesus-loving teenagers of Kampala, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam have stolen a piece of my heart...

I have been invited together with SOS Festival Band to come and speak at the biggest youth conference for the Swahili speaking East Africa in November this year. There is hope for Africa a nd there is hope for the world! The next wave of missionaries will come from Africa to Europe!

See ya!

Healing and Deliverances in Dar es Salaam!

2011-07-14T15:49:00.001+02:00

Blind eyes opened, demons cast out, Jesus is in Dar es Salaam... Fun to sweat and work again - preached just a little bit :)...

I was in Tanzania last week to seek God and enjoy life... Have had a lot of time to pray and meditate on the Bible, ate good food; ugali (corn porridge), chapati (thin bread) and a lot of fish. Dar es Salaam is located right by the Indian Ocean and they love fish and sea food...

Ugali...

Chapati

The capital city of Tanzania has an exciting mix of many people; different East African tribes, Indians, Arabs and of course a mix of religions; Christians, Animists, Hindus and Muslims. Churches, temples and Mosques shoulder to shoulder in the street corners... 3.5 million people live there and the hunger for the Jesus gospel demonstrated in power is severe. We enjoyed all the different scents and the music - you hear music everywhere and people are dancing everywhere. One night Emmanuel and I enjoyed listening to a local band that played covers from the Swedish pop group ABBA at the reataurant when we had supper ;). Fun!

See ya!

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2011-07-06T13:44:00.001+02:00

I flew to Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania together with my Nigerian friend Emmanuel Chiedebere as my armour bearer Monday morning… It’s wonderful to be in Africa together. Emmanuel hasn’t been in Tanzania for 16 long years, and is probably enjoying this more than I… It’s so beautiful to be here, and God performs miracles.. Today we delivered two precious people from evil spirits… We’re most likely going to hold a large festival here in Dar es Salaam in 2012! :)

You’re coming, right?!

2011-07-04T21:09:00.001+02:00

We’re in the middle of summer. Stockholm has shown its most beautiful side with amazing weather! I’m enjoying life a lot! But I can’t stop longing for, praying and dreaming about the fall! I believe that we will explode in SOS Church, it’s so exciting to serve God! I am totally convinced that the Bible school will be awesome this year, and you don’t want to miss that my friend ;) We begin August 26th, and before the month of May was over, we already had more applications than last year! It looks like we’re going to have an exciting fall… You’re coming right?!

Bible School Trailer- Ma-jo from Mission SOS on Vimeo.

SOS Church Stockholm

2011-07-03T17:13:00.000+02:00

The church we planted not even two years ago in Stockholm (SOS Church will be 2 years August 28th) have become the greatest joy in my life! Festivals among the unreached people groups, the authorship and coaching leaders are my strongest "branches" as a preacher, i.e what I still do and know the best. Have done this since June 1991, but I have to be honest and say that I love being a pastor more... Hard to admit it, but that's a fact. Pre-marriage counseling, weddings, funerals, home visits and counseling is great! I am enjoying being a priest for Stockholm and pastor at SOS on Kungsholmen! Yesterday Moses was baptized in the Holy Spirit in our house church and started speaking in tongues for the first time in his life - he is free from drugs now and baptized in water since two months back :)!

We have baptized more than 100 people since the church was planted in the city now! We have more than 40 different nationalities in the church and the atmosphere is amazing! All our members make at least one disciple per year, leads him to salvation, baptism in water and the Spirit! If they don't they become stagnant and need to start following Jesus again ;).

I preached at home today :) and I fly out to Tanzania tomorrow to visit good friends, pray and seek God for a week. Fantastic that the the Swedish Social Insurance Administration granted me a trip overseas during my sick leave... It's 90 degrees F today and 82 in our pool :). Had a Bible study with the family, training my injured knee and ariting on my book... Can life be any better?!

God is sooo good!

See ya!

Half Pace and Quality of Life!

2011-06-29T15:10:00.000+02:00

Started writing on my fifth book this week... Writing a Biblical and practical guide on how to listen and follow the Holy Spirit... It takes longer for me to write than usual now... I'm still on meds and actually a little weak still... Tonight I'll try to have a pre-marriage counseling session and then I'm preaching here at home in the church on Sunday! It will be so fun! I'm living life "half pace" for the first time in my life and trying to rest... It's hard ;)...

I've had the priviledge to sit and listen to all my pastors in the pastoral team these last four Sundays. First Sunday during my sick leave I heard Daniel Elvelyck preach, then Julia Willkander, after that Emma Gustafsson and last Sunday Walter Zuniga! Oh how I have enjoyed it! What preachers and pastors! I am a very proud "SOS Dad" :)! Precious people are changed all the time and just this past Sunday ten people ran to the front on Walter's salvation invitation. Baptism in water and fire all the time! Miraculous offerings and new aquaintances - this past Sunday 30 new people visited SOS Church for the first time!

Deep friendships, caring for one another and love in the leadership team! Everything is expanding and everyone is growing and maturing. How did life get this good?!

Maria, my darling is so good to me all the time... She is the sweetest, my private RN and my very best friend! Today we swam and sunbathed in the pool, sharing a box of strawberries on the pool deck... Nice!

A lot of people are visiting us. Have had about 90 church members visit us during my sick leave so far... The grill is constantly red from the heat and lots and lots of coffee is consumed :)! People are playing chess and cards and there's lots of laughter!

Thank you Jesus for Swedish summer and true and sincere friendship!

See ya!