How wondrous you are in all your deeds

by Tore Paulsen
Who knows the ways of the Lord? These words are constantly ringing in my ears - again and again. Whovever could foresee the effects of my encounter with Ludvig Karlsen - what it would lead me into? These 11 years have appeared as one single walk with God, like a long-lasting, good walk. I was lucky, though, to be saved at the early age of 15 and to be brought up among the Norwegian Pentecostals.

My mother and my father brought me along to the local Sunday school. As to my very first encounter with Ludvig Karlsen, I showed no particular interest neither to his message nor to the man himself - I played the «tough» businessman whose only wish was to sell my products and thereafter vanish. As the Lord and Ludvig Karlsen had other plans in mind, however, I soon received an invitation to assist him in his various doings. First and foremost, he could offer me the job as a chairman of the provisional board with the goal of forming an institution. But to reach that stage, he said, the three of us - Lise, Ludvig and me - had to pay a visit to the Swedish pastor Erik Edin. Only by means of his extended experience in the field, could a future Norwegian Gospel Center come into being.

In Sweden, we were heartily welcomed by the Lewi Petrus foundation and its leader Erik Edin. We felt as if he was our brother, and Lise, as well as Ludvig and I, felt like being the children of a true king. Erik Edin set aside a good deal of his time for the purpose of our mutual conversation, a contact which is still running. During our stay in Stockholm, we received a call from Oslo telling us that we had to be back at Roa on the very next day

Pondering over this matter for a while, we finally decided to start on our long journey back to Norway - a rather wise decision! On our arrival, we were met by a man who wanted to furnish the whole place. That experience showed us - in every detail - that we should have no worries about the future: The Lord himself was guiding us step by step into his wonderful plans!

As previously arranged with Mr. Edin, our opening seremony was held on July 2, 1983 with a lot of invited guests from all over the country. Naturally, Erik Edin was one of the central figures among the attendants. I had no further plans than this, but it was soon brought to my knowledge that the Lord and Ludvig were thinking differently. Before long, a second Gospel Center was opened, namely that one called «Odnestunet» - situated at Odnes not far from the town of Gjøvik. Generally speaking, I could be considered as rather an ordinary Christian fellow before I got into contact with Lise and Ludvig Karlsen - frequenting various meetings on suitable opportunities - afterwards, however, my entire life changed radically. From now on, my deep and heart-felt conviction forced me into an ever increasing commitment as to obeying his orders and will. One suddenly goes thoroughly into one`s own, personal relationship with the Almighty Creator, starting to take His promises in earnest. As a consequence of all this, the true believer is acting on the very divine truth that God is walking ahead of us preparing the way. During our committee meetings we received the following divine message: «The Gospel Center shall bud into the Norwegian, Pentecostal movement like a tree, with its branches spread all over the country».

So far, we have been engaged in most of the provinces in Norway. And everywhere - on a smaller or larger scale - we have experienced wonders and miracles, thus having received the Lord`s own approval and confirmation of our working efforts. In fact, everything is written in the Gospel of St.Luke, chapter 10 - in the parable of the good Samarithan.

And in Matt. 25,40 it says: «.....whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me». According to God`s own words, then, you shouldn`t first and foremost maintain your own, selfish interests, but rather look to the situation of your brother. And my experiences with my heavenly Father tells me very clearly that He is well worth living for - He always keeps his promises. From the bottom of my very heart I owe Him a debt of gratitude, and my only sorrow is the feeling of not having given Him enough in return.

In my youth I was stricken by polio, and was supposed to be chained to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. My parents, being at the point of despair, sent appeals for prayer through all the churches and congregations in Oslo. When I finally arrived at the hospital, they checked my physical reactions by sticking me with a needle - but without results! I didn`t feel anything at all. But Jesus, who visited me during that night, had His own, very special way with me! He - who is our only and true Saviour - managed to set me free delivering me from my physical «prison». And to the great surprise and shock of my nurse, I was able to walk alone in the corridor - a phenomenon which even the doctors and the rest of the staff could witness. Now they repeated their efforts with the needle, and this time I could feel the pain. Jesus had given my paralysed body life and energy.This and other experiences are stamped in my mind for ever.

And in view of what had happened, one should have expected my very surrender to the Lord. I can only blame my own lukewarmness and modesty, that it didn`t occur. As an ordinary church-goer I had grown into regular, but passive habits totally rejecting the personal, divine power and love of Jesus Christ. Moreover, I had my job and my old life - so I didn`t ask for more. After a new and even more radical encounter with God, however, an occurence which also led me Ludvig a second time I found that He - the old God of the prophets - is still alive today. A contributory cause to this turnover of mine was undoubtedly the fact that Ludvig himself was radiating such an enormous, power of love towards his old companions. I simply had to take part in this work! Later on, as I grew in maturity and wisdom as a Christian I learned the very lesson of taking God seriously. And as to the outstanding results and achievements of Ludvig during his 10 years of service, it is altogether a token of his own obedience relating to the calling voice of God. May God bless you richly, Ludvig, and give you many more years! There is still much to be done.

Tore Paulsen
Accompanying Ludvig Karlsen in his spiritual warfare for Norway

by Prof.dr.theol. Arvid Tångberg

(The Norwegian Lutheran School of Theology)

«Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life» (Psalm 146, 1-2)
Through a series of spiritual meetings - in reality as a part of an extensive Christian opposition against the Law of partnership and, likewise, for the protection of the unborn child - I got acquaintained with Lise and Ludvig Karlsen. Our joint efforts aimed at the establishment of a new, Christian organization in Norway -»The Christian Coalition of Norway» - and the work with that organization started in the spring of 1983. Being two rather joyful and lively persons - I would call them «Hallelujah-folks» - Lise and Ludvig Karlsen know something about the high prize to be paid referring to their joint, spiritual warfare in a secular and problematic country. Yet, as true, Christian witnesses they praise the Lord all the time, well aware of the fact that Jesus has set them free and that none else can restore and renew people like the way He does - transforming their life completely.

In this book, I would first and foremost like to deal with some aspects of our common spiritual combat, and I would - in this connection - immediately emphasize the advantage of close co-operation between representatives from various religious communities (even if the word «religious communities» in itself includes a variety of different views).

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Ludvig Karlsen in his spiritual warfare for Norway, we have both experienced that it is much better to unite our mutual Christian interests to the benefit of a «frontal attack» against all worldly forces, rather than to split up.

Naturally, Christians from various religious communities have a lot things in common. Just think about our common obligations as to the future role of the subject «Religious knowledge» in the Norwegian schools. Generally, all the Christians had better unite in the issue of defending Christian standards in for example education, family-life and marriage.

Ludvig and I became especially acquainted with each other when we joined the meetings of Pat Robertson and The Christian Coalition of Norway in Bergen, Kristiansand and Oslo in September, 1993. In spite of his many days of travelling and a rather tough agenda Ludvig managed to keep up his spirit`s, and a crowded Grieg-hall in Bergen shared his great enthusiasm and his testimony to the refreshing, renovating power of the name of Jesus - a power which is literally able to raise people from the gutters of the streets.

We were housed by Asbjørn Ystebø - a man who belonged to the Pentecostal congregation of the Tabernacle in Bergen. As Mr. Ystebø that afternoon had been attending an open-air meeting in the square together with an ecumenical group - a meeting which we also had the privilege of attending - our conversation at his dinner-table was mainly dealing with common Christian experiences and other, such similar things. Today, if I shut my eyes, I can still envisage the whole scene; how Ludvig was informing us about his latest experiences from the previous Soviet Republics. They were so open-minded and frank, he told us, that it was an undivided pleasure to preach in their various churches and wonders of wonders - he had met a Vicar in the established Church who actually had been speaking in tongues. Moreover, everywhere he had met so many friendly and open-minded persons that his visit in the Soviet-Union had exceeded even his greatest expectations! What an hilarious event! During that informal gathering at the house of Mr. Ystebø when we shared our common experiences, I clearly understood that Ludvig Karlsen was a blessed preacher and a strong spiritual adviser. And it is worth noticing that he has received his divine gifts through his own experiences alone - through his great attentiveness to the Lord and His sayings and through his will to learn. He has not listened to anyone else - neither to famous Christian leaders nor to educated theologians. Thus, the formal undeducated man Ludvig Karlsen has grown into an excellent evan gelist by the grace of God, a person whose experiences and practical Christian life has formed the very basis of his strong faith! No wonder, then, that Ludvig - at a later meeting in Kristiansand - stressed the history of Lot as a striking example of the evasive attitude of many Christians. During his final appeal for the Christian Coalition of Norway, he reminded us of Lot`s escape from Sodom in Genesis 19. Like Lot, a great many people of today are hesitating leaving their old and sinful life behind them. And yet, they know only too well that their old life eventually would lead them into destruction.

Truly, today`s society is marked by many destructive forces. The gradual process of an ever-decaying family life threatens to reach the moral level of Sodom, but according to God`s own Words He will once destroy the ungodly and their communities. However, in spite of the Lord`s freedom to totally annihilate Lot and his family, He finally decided to protect and guide them through their many trials: They received the possibility of surviving and converting. The Lord told Lot to flee to the town of Zoar, but the rest of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah lost their lives as God rained down burning sulphur on them. And this is just our situation of today; our society is facing the very same alternatives. Only that society can excist in the long run which obeys the Words and commandments of the living God.

Arvid Tångberg