Revival
Ludvig Karlsen experienced one of his greatest church revivals at Hamar in the year of 1980. At that time, he had already been a believer for five years and even travelled about - as an evangelist - for a period of two years. Ludvig operated as an assistant principal in close collaboration with his nearest colleague - Herman Karlsen. The latter - being quite a young boy - had just been released from jail and received a personal meeting with Jesus shortly afterwards. Herman Karlsen was soon to become one of the most committed soulwinners within the Norwegian Pentecostal movement. Applying the most practical methods - the methods which were nearest at hand - he didn`t omit any opportunity to tell people about their Saviour. Whether he would call them, visit them in their homes or just address them on the street - that didn`t matter for Herman Karlsen. All he wanted was to pray with them for salvation. Herman and Ludvig Karlsen joined together in their work for the Lord, and they happened to save hundreds of persons during meeting-sessions at Brumunddal. According to statistical calculations, the Pentecostal congregation of Filadelfia, Hamar, doubled its membership in this period. Moreover, before long the revival started to spread to other parts of the country too, mainly due to the powerful achievements of Ludvig Karlsen. This period of revival represented at the same time the beginning of a new epoch for Ludvig Karlsen; from now on his name flew all over the country and he became known as a true, national evangelist.

What a glorious period! What a contrast to «the good, old days» when the Christians joined together in the assembly halls - listening in silence and passivity to the preacher`s sermon! At that time only a very few persons - apart from the preacher himself - used to raise their voices, and the athmosphere was everywhere filled with suppressed feelings..

To see unsaved men or women during the sessions, was rather a rare thing. Consequently, Ludvig Karlsen`s entry on the stage frequently meant the introduction of active praising and worshipping - real turbulence compared with the situation of «the good old days»!

However, in spite of all your burning and committed efforts - you do not change the world in one single day! And for better or worse, Ludvig, too, had to learn that lesson. In spite of his wish to become more mobile, he clearly saw the advantage in settling down in a particular place - from where he could lead his many activities and revival campaigns. And soon he received God`s call to function as the chief principal in the Pentecostal congregation of Filadelfia, Hamar. From now on Ludvig and his family were to experience a rather rich and fruitful spiritual period - a period during which the holy Spirit was to bless them a thousand of times! By virtue of his powerful grace and mercy, the congregation of Filadelfia was thronged with hungry, spiritual persons who wanted to be saved from their life in misery and to be delivered from their pains and illnesses. The heavenly and rather spiritual athmosphere in that congregation, was also the reason why Ludvig`s youngest daughter - Vera - was baptised at an early age of 10. In spite of the somewhat hesitant attitude of her parents regarding that question, she was baptized by water after having received baptizm by fire. And who could really object to her baptism by water, when she had already been baptized by the fire? A peculiar phenomenon that very day, was that the oldest one to be baptized had reached the age of 80!

While staying at Hamar they received a new call, the background of which was a special telephone call. Mr. Odd Austveg - a leading feature in the Norwegian Blue Cross - rang them up informing them of the death of a certain person named Kjell. The above-mentioned person, who had been saved rather recently during a special tent-campaign at Grønland square in Oslo, moved shortly afterwards to the Blue Cross` office buildings where he hoped to get some help. Unfortunately, however, as he received his monthly social security on the 20th, he was soon to face considerable trouble. After some serious drunken riots, he was later on found in a bath tub in a foreign apartment, completely scalded to death.

This formed the background of Lise`s and Ludvig`s unique idea of a rehabilitation center for this group of needy and miserable persons. Repeatedly, Ludvig expressed his deep concern and worries for those people to Lise: «Imagine, Lise, what we could do for those persons if we only disposed another home - a home which saw to the very needs of those boys and girls. Thus, we could make up for a lot of problems». But how on earth could this be put into practise, in view of their full-time engagement in the congregation? They both knew the answer to that question. Yet, Jesus called Lise and Ludvig - again and again - and in the long run they were confronted with terrible, spiritual battles concerning that question.

God`s calling, however, went on incessantly. After a special meeting-campaign at the Norwegian Pentecostal centre of Hedmarktoppen, they received another reminder. Without further introduction, the principal Willy Nilsen suddenly began talking about a certain place at Roa - a place which is rather suitable for their purpose - and Lise and Ludvig hurry to see for themselves. To his great surprise, however, Ludvig finds that he has been here before - as a handcuffed prisoner - because the place has previously served as a police sergeant`s office.

Ludvig and Lise were both struck by the idea that the building could be used as a place of refuge for the miserable and very needy ones - instead of its previous application as a prison.

On their arrival, they were greeted by the present owner - a certain Mr. Myran - who showed them around. As Mr. Myran appeared to be a very nice and outspoken fellow, he told them a lot about the place which originally consisted of two identical buildings, the construction of which was the result of the co-operation between two brothers. Although one of the houses appeared in a rather bad shape, the other one was found sufficient to house the Pentecostal congregation of Saron. At this news, both Lise and Ludvig clearly understood that nothing is impossible for Almighty God! And moreover, there was something rather mystical about the whole place! However, at his quotation they were both taken by despair. Why, how on earth could they - by any means - raise the huge amount of US$ 91.000,- in cash? As they had nothing but three dollars in their pockets, the whole enterprise seemed hopeless like a fiction. But then Ludvig told Mr. Myran about his great visionary plans and the man, who got rather fascinated at his future projects, decided to reduce the price with US$ 14.000,-. That concluded their joint agreement, and as Ludvig later put it, «God had planned the whole affair!» Without any efforts of beating down the price, they had just managed to earn US $ 14.000,- in addition to the above-mentioned three dollars.

Moreover, the economical fulfilment of that agreement was the result of joint intiative. Thanks to his inspiring speaking gift, Ludvig managed to create a public opinion for the sake of his divine projects and money started to flow in. Today, with a total budget of approximately US $ 7.552.000- it is rather a matter of curiousity that Ludvig`s very first incomes were stored in a little shoebox. That shoebox soon became the object of their daily prayers, for every dollar had its great importance...

They were lucky enough, too, to be granted loans in an insurance company thanks to the joint initiative of about 40 persons. These persons agreed to take out insurances in their own names, and among them were some previous misusers of alcohol. Tore Paulsen in the congregation of Filadelfia, Oslo, who ranged above the rest, tried to convince an old aquaintance in a certain, Norwegian insurance company that he - after all - was a reliable payer. But his aquaintance - who had already got his reservations - refused to accept the solvency of Mr. Tore Paulsen.

Ludvig Karlsen and his friends now started to pray for this employee, strongly wishing that God would change his entire attitude. As a result, this employee didn`t sleep at nights, and the day afterwards he could tell them that he hadn`t slept very well that night. Ludvig told the insurance employee that: «Well, anyway, you should have in mind that every one of us have turned into completely new men and women thanks to the mercy of the Lord.
One of the Boards of the Gospel Centre: Sitting: Lise and Ludvig. Standing from left: Åge Berntsen, Torbjørn Olsen, Helene Thorsell, Trond Jansen and Tore Paulsen.
These people have now accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour, and are to be treated by you in accordance with that phenomenon. Would you please put a new and blank sheet of paper in their personal files!» Thus they were all granted loans.

Now a provisional board was established; a board which consisted of 6 persons, namely Esther Halvorsen, Sigrid Trannum, Åse and Wilhelm Lykkås, Willy Nilsen and Lise and Ludvig Karlsen. In addition, some sub-commitees were erected in order to deal with the maintenance and restoration of the two buildings.

Special emphasis, however, should be made of the work of Bjarne Nysæter, a previous Pentecostal principal, whose great working capacity and spiritual visions formed the very basis of their future activities. Being a rather modest and humble person he generally didn`t want to attract people`s attention, yet, it was a fact that he planned and supervised a lot of different things in disguise. As to the most miserable building, the entire floor was crooked to such a degree that all the water would gather at some special corner in the room.

Besides, since all the joists had decayed, Bjarne Nysæther found it
Lise and Ludvig visit Reidar Thommesen and his family. Reidar was one of the preachers in the meeting where Lise and Ludvig were saved
necessary to remove them in favour of a completely new floor. Some other persons made their contributions by sewing curtains, others by painting. By and large they helped each other with the various jobs and thanks to their joint initiative the buildings were soon to be restored.

Even if Lise and Ludvig still belonged to the Pentecostal congregation of Filadelfia, Hamar, God wanted them strongly to move to Roa. In the congregation of Saron, Roa, a briefing was announced with the aim of distributing deeds of gift on the the newly acquired buildings. Several of Ludvig`s brothers and sisters joined that meeting, even his parents - Edevine and Valentin. In spite of the fact that she was not feeling quite well Ludvig`s mother still insisted on her attendance at the meeting, and thus they drove from Stokke to Roa on this very, beautiful day of May. Just to find, on their arrival, that people had come to the meeting in crowds. Still, however, Edevine was not able to find any pleasure in the meeting and the blessed atmosphere; after a violent haemorrahge she was brought to the hospital of Gjøvik in an ambulance where she died shortly afterwards. Edevine Karlsen was finally to reside at the side of her heavenly Father, eternally staying in his Kingdom.

After the inauguration of Roa Gospel Center, Lise and Ludvig Karlsen started in their new jobs as principals in the congregation of Saron, Roa. During that fruitful period, too, Ludvig was to develop his outstanding abilities and gifts as a preacher. Revival was of everyday`s occurence from the very first moment - a general tendency which has only developed in size and frequency since that time. And Ludvig`s excellent, evangelical gift found its first and striking expressions during that period. For 15 years, now, he has been preaching the gospel at the big Summer gatherings on Hedmarktoppen, in addition to his evangelical performances in the congregation of Sarons Dal and at other such gatherings in Norway and abroad. Not to mention the big, yearly Christian meetings which has taken place in the arena of Oslo Spectrum during the last years - at the above-mentioned gatherings the preacher Ludvig Karlsen has been one of the main attractions. Together with some other of Norway`s leading personalities, with special reference to its spiritual and political elite, Ludvig has - in a very frank and open-hearted way - preached the Word of God.

According to himself, the revival - which has always followed in his foot-steps - is not an immediate effect of his own efforts. Again and again, he must confess himself that the theological contents of his speeches may vary quite a lot. But the most important thing is still that Ludvig`s expressed thoughts and words come from the very bottom of his own heart. On the background of his own, divine inspirations - all true blessings of the holy Spirit - and his excact Words into his heart, Ludvig masters the difficult art of preaching the gospel in a clean and plain way to the understanding of everybody. His obvious educational and theological «deficiencies» are made up for by his genuine, yet everyday way of expressing himself. And moreover, his pictures and thoughts are always coloured by his own simple, but heart-felt commitment. Quite often, too, Ludvig quotes the Word of God when referring to a special incident or a special case. In spite of this, he doesn`t omit any opportunity - in his hard-striving efforts of drawing people`s attention to Jesus and his Work of Salvation - to derive illustrating
The first workers on Roa 1982 before the opening
pictures from man`s daily life. To Ludvig it is an all-important issue to picture Our Saviour as a person who wants to meet the basic and ordinary needs of every man and woman.

As to the man himself, Ludvig has - throughout the years - acquired a rather extensive knowledge of the human nature. In view of his own, very special background he knows only too well about man`s spiritual and social sufferings, and that Jesus - by and large - represents the only solution and alternative to man`s eternal problems. True enough, a person may rightly blame the society, his friends, his wife and frequently his own upbringing - yet, it is a general fact that the key to a harmoniuos, peaceful and happy life is founded on a personal meeting with man`s only Saviour. Only He can change our nature and give us a new heart. And regardless of a person`s acts or lack of acts - (i.e. no matter what he or she has done or failed to do - for others or for themselves) - Jesus can heal their ruined life and cure them of their spiritual and physical dis
The first "boys" at the Gospel Centre in 1983
eases. He is the great Doctor and Consoler. But as Ludvig has seen for himself a lot of the world`s emptiness and misery, having experienced on his very own body the effect of sin, evil and hopelessness, he has acquired a basic and solid knowledge of man`s struggle in life - a struggle which is frequently a battle between life and death. Like himself, who was just about to commit suicide when Jesus entered into his life, there exists a world-wide group of men and women who - for some reasons or other - are in desperate need of Jesus. Whatever the reason may be - whether their marriages and their homes lie in ruins; whether their children have been taken away from them or whether they have lost their jobs and all their friends - this group of miserable persons has one thing in common: They have all given up, finding life both meaningless and unbearable. To them, life in itself is a paradox, for all their hopes of ever gaining and preserving the slightest degree of self-respect and self-identity have been brutally crushed. But the holy Scripture states very clearly: «Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls».(Matt. 11; 28 og 29).

Having experienced some of the world`s misery and suffering, Ludvig knows himself that an all-important issue as far as his soulwinning efforts are concerned, is to create an expressed demand for Jesus. Often it is much more difficult for a successful person to seek Jesus, than a less «fortunate» one. This forms the very background for Ludvig`s visionary work and the real spiritual platform of his Gospel Center.