Morten's Blog

Great tune by Frightened Rabbit from Scotland. You can find more from them on Spotify.

Thanks to IgniterMedia for this great compilation. See here for a text version.

Ostrov (The Island)

If you are up for a good movie this weekend, i can highly recommend the russian movie “Ostrov“, released in 2006.

It’s about a sailor named Anatoli (Timofei Tribuntsev), who during the second world war gets captured by a German patrol boat, along with his captain Tikhon on a small coal freighter. He’s given the choice between shooting Thikon and live, or die himself.

He shoots, and the Germans leave him on the boat. But not before they’ve put explosive charges all over the freighter. The boat explodes, and Anatoli is fortunate to be found alive on the beach by some Orthodox munks. And he settles down there after his recovery.

We then follow an older Anatoli (Pyotr Mamonov) from the year 1976, still living at the monastery, in the boiler hut located on a small island. He is constantly haunted by the fact that he shot his captain and friend, Thikon. He has also become quite eccentric over the years, to put it mildly, and a nuisance to many of the other munks. And while he appears at times to be stark raving mad, there is strange logic to his behavior. People come from far away to see him, asking for help with all kinds of problems; from unwanted pregnancies to demon possessions.

The movie shows a man with strong faith and a hunger for salvation. It is full of good moments and humor.

I give it 5 out of 6.

You can get it at Amazon.com

“The eyes of the storm” by Saviour Machine.

He is the King of the Jews;
He is the King of Israel;
He is the King of all the Ages;
He is the King of Heaven;
He is the King of Glory;
He is the King of Kings;
..and He is the Lord of Lords.

He is a prophet before Moses;
He is a priest after Melchizedek;
He is a champion like Joshua;
He is an offering in place of Isaac;
He is a king from the line of David;
He is a counselor above Solomon;
He is beloved, rejected, and exalted like Joseph;
and yet He is far more…

The Heavens declare His glory…
and the firmament shows His handiwork.

He who is, who was, and who always will be;

He is the first and the last
He is the Alpha and Omega
He is the Aleph and the Tau
He is the A and the Å;

He is the ego eimi,
He is the
He is the “I AM that I AM”

He is the voice of the burning bush
He is the Captain of the Lord’s Host
He is the conqueror of Jericho

He is our Kinsman-Redeemer
He is our Avenger of Blood;
He is our City of Refuge;

He was crucified on a cross of wood;
Yet He made the hill on which it stood.

(Read More..)

I can’t help but notice that it is becoming more and more politically incorrect to be a Biblical Christian. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible have for many become, or should i say have been for quite a while, grounds for ridicule and harassment. And i believe that it will only escalate, and that the ridicule and harassment will eventually turn into social and judicial persecution. Maybe not for this, or even the following generation, but at the rate it is progressing i believe it won’t be all that long before the church will have to go underground.

Now, I’m obviously speaking about areas of the world that used to be Christian, or at least tolerant towards Christians, because in many places of the world persecution of the church have been going on for a long long time. I am speaking about nations that was once founded upon Christian pillars. That have since, slowly but steadfast, turned it’s course into becoming bastions of paganism, spiritism and the new-age movement.

How can i claim this? Well, i remember when i was in primary and secondary school. We had an entire school subject called “Kristendom” (Christianity), a couple of hours each week. And we would frequently sing Christian songs and psalms. This was a public school in the mid ’80s and early ’90s, and it only took a few years for it to change. The subject of Christianity have now simply been replaced by the teaching of “beliefs”.

And no, i do not believe these classes made me a Christian. But when i look back, i realize that they might have been essential to the ease of my salvation later in life since they introduced me to the knowledge of The Lord.

Could the church have done a better job? Maybe it could have. Not at stopping all of this, because it is an inevitable turn of mankind which is prophesied numerous times in the Scripture. But perhaps at gaining more followers, and reaching out just a little more. And perhaps last but not least, keeping a better reputation.

Is it too late? Not at all. But i do believe that the church will move more and more back to it’s origin, namely the private homes of believers. Where the traditional model of the preacher, preaching to the gathering, might be replaced by Bible discussion- and study groups.

Will this be negative? Not necessarily. History has shown us that the Christian church flourishes under pressure and persecution. And moving back to it’s roots, i believe it will focus not so much on the difference of teachings, but on the Bible in detail.

There is a movie or a book, where i’ve heard the expression; It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And perhaps that expression will find it’s ultimate meaning among the Christians in the church of the future.

More Saviour Machine anyone?

Even more Saviour Machine.

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God’s grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 93% Reformed Evangelical 86% Fundamentalist 79% Neo orthodox 64% Emergent/Postmodern 61% Charismatic/Pentecostal 61% Modern Liberal 43% Classical Liberal 32% Roman Catholic 29% What’s your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

And even though it’s a bit more complex than that, it fits. So kudos to the author of this test.

But to be honest i’d never heard of John Wesley before, and was only aware that there was something called methodists.

I was bored tonight, and came across this test that would, supposedly, tell me what kind of Christian I am. And as it turns out, I am a Jerry Falwell.

Jerry Falwell Christian
(a.k.a. “Historicist” or “Literalist”)
You view the Bible as historically accurate and divinely inspired. You go to church every Sunday, with the Good Book in a Bible cover, and Wednesday night for Bible study. You’ve read at least one of the books in the apocalyptic “Left Behind” series, prefer your iced tea very sweet, and suspect Bill Clinton has murdered somebody somewhere in Arkansas. You watch “Touched by an Angel,” even though you think it’s not Christian enough. You may watch Mother Angelica’s Eternal Word Television Network, and you adore Dr. Laura, Chuck Colson, James Dobson, and Rush Limbaugh. If you’re Catholic, you go to Latin Mass and weekly confession, though you don’t have much to confess. You think homosexuals are sinful but try periodically to love them. You think the surrounding culture is so polluted that you shop at Christian bookstores, listen only to Christian radio and send your kids to Christian or parochial schools–or homeschool them. You give generously to your church and Christian charities. The Bible provides you not only a direct connection to God but a roadmap for how to lead your life.

But there must be a few mistakes in the test…

• I do not go to church.
• I do not have the “Left Behind” books, and have never read them. (May have seen the movie(s) though)
• I do not think Bill Clinton killed someone.
• I may have watched “Touched by an Angel”, but I can’t remember.
• Who are Mother Angelica, Dr. Laura, Chuck Colson, James Dobson and Rush Limbaugh?!
• I’m not Catholic and I have quite a few confessions to make.
• I shop mostly online.
• I listen to all kinds of radio (in rare occasions)
• I do not give money to any churches or charities, but to the ones that need it.

So i may be a “literalist”…But I’m not Jerry Falwell ;)

Ever had something done to you that made you think to yourself “I will never forgive him/her for that” ?. Well guess what, you owe it to the Lord to forgive. Because all of your own grievous sins are forgiven by God trough the work of Jesus Christ.

The Lord says; Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)

So do you want the Lord to ask you on the last day; I forgave you all your sins. I forgave you for all the lies you told, any unjust anger that filled your heart, every hateful thought you ever had. All is forgiven, but you couldn’t forgive this little thing?

And believe me, no sin that a person commits against you even comes close to the multitude of sins that mankind commits against the Lord.

I guess most Christians out there have heard, and agree to, that The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, without sin. But have you ever stopped up and thought about what that means? I will give you an example that would baffle most people once they realize it.

Jesus Christ came to this earth for one purpose; to be a perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sin. That meant he had to suffer judgement in our stead. But here is the amazing thing; He was never bitter!

He walked among the people that he knew he would have to die for. He saw how they rejected him, how they spat in his face, tortured him, and in the end nailed him to a wooden cross. But never did bitterness enter his heart! Not once, not ever!

I tell you, it was not the nails that held him to the cross. It was his love for you and me. Even after we spat on him, beat him with sticks, whipped him and crucified him.

Thats how perfect He is!

I can understand that someone simply can’t believe that there is a God, an almighty entity that created the heavens and the earth. What I’m having trouble understanding is that a large number of people choose to worship someone that is not only a created being, but a being who is also the fiercest enemy of all mankind, namely Satan.

Satan is an angel, a cherub (Eze 28:14) created by the Lord at some point before the creation of man. He was perfect in his ways (Eze 28:15), until he became so proud of his own wisdom and beauty, and so corrupted in his heart that he himself wanted to be worshiped as God (Eze 28:17). As a result he was thrown out of heaven.

Satan is more powerful and clever than any human being. But, as the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated in his achievement on the cross, Satan is far from invincible. The Lord doesn’t even have to deal with him first hand. He can, and will, send one of his angels to do the job for him.

(Rev 20:1-3) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

So if you feel that satanism might be your thing, you might want to reconsider when you realize that not only is the Lord stronger than Satan, but even another angel can be sent to take him down.

Do you really want to stand on the side destined to loose?

Etter å ha vært utsatt for hackergruppen “Arab Security Team” er nå Trygve Bjerkrheims Venner sine sider oppe igjen.

Trygve Bjerkrheim (1904-2001) har blandt annet skrevet min favorittsalme; “Han tek ikkje glansen av livet”. Og på hans hjemmeside får du tilgang til hans samlede verker.