My Temple or Gods?

Measuring of the Temple, so detailed. So hard core the most beautiful thing that a head can imagen. God is brining back the covenant plan. The alter, the sacrifies, and His glory.

The picture of the closed gate, showing that God still is holy. The fact that the Lord is still concerned about the difference between clean and unclean. God will bring back all the plans, the are the same as in the beginning.

That the Temple is described so glorious is not wired. The people in exile are used to the kings having big palaces, big areas, and good looking. For them to understand that this Temple is more powerful looking then anything they ever seen must show them a picture of how big God is. There is no one who deserves more glory and power then Him.

God has a plan to restore them, bring them back to Him. A picture that gives them understanding that even thought the old is burnt down, and they might think that the Lord has left them, He has a plan to come back to them. Even though there is no Temple there. Its not about the building. They are in exile, without the Temple, and still God will be able to save them. Take them away from their enemies. Not just rebuilt what man broke down, but make it look more marvelous then people ever could imagen.

God is all about the detailes. Showing the people who is poor and might not feel worthy to be loved and saved by God, that even the smal things is important for God. He is looking in every corner. The people who might feel that the Lord will not save them, because He dont see them, might understand that He will see them as well, save them to. Be their God as well. Their all important in the big plan He has for them.

Looking back at my life, I kind of see it as the temple. After I did my DTS and started CSBS I feel my heart has been broken down, but I know God has a plan to built it up again, just as He had with the Temple. Just making a parallel to Solomon when he built the Temple, how he was spending more time building his own palace then the Lords Temple. How I can see that with my own life, how I spent my time, building my life on things I thought was important, not considering what God had planned for me. Even though people burnt down the Temple, God has a plan to rebuilt it, even better, even more detailed then the first one. Like our hearts, the desires we have built up. How people can tear down our heart, almost burn them, but God has a plan for restoration. Our hearts needs to be burned down so God can restore them, built them up after the way He designed them to be. What might look like a disaster to us is something God looks at for a change to redesign us back to the plan He made, and make it even better. We might be hurt and heart broken, but to come back to the plan that God intended we need all the ashes of our own plan to fly away. He wants to start on new ground, with new foundation, a foundation in Him. A foundation that He is making in our life. Let the ashes fly away and let God restore.

I dont think God intended to for the Temple to be burned down, but when He saw how people turned it into a place where they were worshiping idols, and not Him, I believe He know that it was the only way for people to understand that the way they were living is not the way He planned. He planned something much better. Same in our life. To remodel a old house you need to take out the old material. Let the old become ashes and replace them with new and stronger material.

As we sing in the song “break my heart for what breaks yours….” Are we really willing to let God do that?! It will hurt when it happens, but when the heart we made have turned into ashes and we see the construction of the heart God is planning to built we understand what they mean when they say “break my heart for what breaks yours, everything I am for your kingdoms course, as I walk from earth into eternity”… Thats where we are headed if we let God break and rebuilt.

Lord, show me how I can burn down my heart, burn down the things I think is important and gives more time then needed. Burn it all down and built it back up to the original plan that you designed it to be. Make it even better. My heart is Yours.

 

Wow, da er vi i februar dere!!

Gur som tiden flyr når man koser seg!! Nå sitter jeg å “tenker” (lite jeg tenker egentlig, men det er nå et annet kapittel) tilbake på den første mnd av 2010.. For en mnd!! Weho!

Året started med limbo fest i eikeheia før det bar tilbake til LA med første fly 2. Jan. Tilbake i LA, da kan jeg skrive under på at ferien var fort over!! hehe.. Rett inn i Profet bøkene, og for folk som har tittet/lest i de vet at de er store!! Og til tider kompliserte å forstå, noe som i CSBS verden betyr STORE oppgaver. Men jeg tenkte jeg skulle meddele at nå har jeg overlevd de proffene kaller den hardeste perioden av skolen, så da er sjansen stor for at jeg skal klare siste bit!! I mora er jeg nemlig ikke bare halvveis av dette skole kvartalet, men hele skoleåret! VILT!!

Jeg simpelten ELSKER Profetene!! OMG! (Oh my gosh!) Selv om de er laange og harde ville jeg ikke vært foruten, jeg må igjen bøye meg i støvet (noe jeg føler jeg må i hvert innlegg) og si at jeg trodde jeg skjønte hvor stor Gud var, Brrrrrrrrr. Ikke enda! Han blir bare større og større jo mer jeg leser, og Hanne blir bare mer og mer gira! Oh jeh!

Ellers vil jeg bare meddele at jeg skal på Alicia Keys konsert i april!!!!!! (ja, jeg vet det er leeeeenge til, men jeg gleder meg så syyyyyyyyyykt) !! Dette blir full fest med min kjære romvennine/beste supporter + to til, så da blir det hæla i taket!!

Til helga er det full fest med runtur i BH (Beverly Hils, nabolaget som jeg liker å kalle det!! Nooot! hehe) Full fest, Synnøve og meg skal feire at vi lever i beste velgående, tjener en FANTASTISK Gud, og får lov til å studere Bibelen på full tid!!

” My heart is Your… “

 

Nottos nye konkurent..

Sååå, nå dere Grimstad pølse elskere, jeg har funnet en konkurent til nottos! Tro det eller ei. Ikke det at den norske gode gamle pølsa kan bli slått ut, nei, men nå har jeg funnet det eneste stedet hvor det går an å spise pølse i USA (etter min mening). Komme fra et “bortskjemt” land, hvor maten vi ikke spiser er laget av plast eller en eller annen form for kjemikaler må jeg si at til mye av det jeg putter i meg og kaller næring er ting jeg er en smule skeptisk til. For dere som kjenner min kjærlighet for Organisk og grunnleggende lesning på pakker hva jeg spiser, er det vanskelig å spise her uten å være skeptisk! Takk Gud, Han er nårdig med meg, og til tider tror jeg at Han blinder minde øyne til å skjønne hva jeg faktisk spiser. Men nok om det, tilbake til pølsa! Så joda, (ikke amerkianerens sterke side) men her om dagen fikk jeg en overraskende opplevelse av amerikansk pølse!

Synnøve og meg ble nemlig tatt med på Pink´s! En velkjent pølsebod i LA. Her kjøper kjendisene pølsene sine, også meg! Etter å ha stått 40 min i kø (noe som var lite etter lokal mening) Fikk vi endelig kommet frem slik at vi kunne titte over kanten å få sett hva disse verdens kjente pølsene er! WOW!! alt jeg har å si!! Etter å ha lett gjennom en meny på over 50 forskjellige måter å spise pølser på fikk vi endelig bestemt oss og kjørte på! Festen var i gang. Nottos var glem!

Random!!!

 

 

My life is gooood…

Oh jeh!! Mitt liv er fantastisk! Jeg lever drømme livet! Jeg bor i LA, alt jeg gjør er å studere Bibelen, livets bok!! I dag fartet meg og Synnøve rundt for å gjøre lekser på Starbucks, lunsj på italiensk resturant, så tilbake for en jogge tur, så litt mer lekser.. I kveld er det film med de norske jentene på basen.. Livet er rett og slett digg!! Denne helga har vært helt fantastisk! Ikke bare fordi ting jeg har eller gjør er så fantastiske, men fordi jeg er der Gud vil ha meg. Han er den som fyller det meste av tiden min. Jeg blir kjent med Han på en helt ny måte. Jeg er så takknemlig, jeg skjønner ikke at det er mulig å være så heldig som jeg er. Jeg er elsket av min Himelske Far, Han åpenbarer nye ting for meg dag etter dag.. Jeg skjønner ikke hvrodan jeg kan få takket Han, ant enn å gi Han mitt liv!!

Final Application

Zephaniah

I dont know where to start. Im just so blown away by this book. Only three chapters, but the best three chapters I have studied to far (that´s how I feel right now, but then again, I feel that after a lot of books, but anyway!)

Throughout this book God have been speaking to me so much about the day of the Lord. Giving me an understanding of why its coming. In the same time giving me a picture of how much He loves me, how He looks at me for the choice I took when I told Him I wanted to give Him my heart.

Before the day of the Lord scared me. God will come back and bring judgment. The picture Zephaniah paints about judgment is not nice. I feel I can see dead bodies, blood and hate everywhere. Not a good looking sight! It is scary, and not something I want to think of before I go to bed. Then suddenly the text gives us a radical change, where it out of nowhere starts talking about the how God looks at His people, how He will save those who follow Him. And from blood and dead the picture is changed into green pastures with flowers all around. Happy happy happy. Why?! When I start thinking of that I feel God took me to the beginning of the book, where He describes how God is going to destroy the whole earth. All He created. I start thinking about it, and then it hit me, all God created was good. It says in Genesis, God was looking at His creating and saw that all was good. All was good!!!! Then it hit me! From the beginning God planned for us all to be good. The plan was for us to live in His creation that was good. From the beginning! But then we falled away from God. People started to do their own thing, no one understanding that the Lord wanted all to be blessed, and if we had opened our eyes to see what He created we might have seen a long time ago that all we had to do was follow Him, and all would be good. But people didn´t. Starting to try to figured out how we could make our own “good” people forgot God. And the world was not good at all. Gods creation started to fall apart, the circumstances was not the way God planned at all.

I look at my life today, thanking God for sunshine, for a change to get off base for some hours, and thinking that this is good. And it is, but not compare to what God planned. He planned all to be good. And He will fulfill it! But in order for He to fulfill it He needs to start all over. The final judgment need to come, so all we think is good can get wiped away, and the things that God created good can get a change to be shown to us. To His people.

I just see it a God painted a picture, He made it so beautiful, and was so proud when He was done. This was His creation. But then someone stept on it. Not taking care of His picture. Not understanding the worth of it. The beauty is gone. But God is not letting go on the plan for a beautiful picture. He is willing to throw His old picture on the fire, in order to make a new one. A new one that will be perfect. Filled with the people who have chosen to stand by Him. Chosen to obey and do what He knows is good. The people who understand the meaning of the picture from the beginning. That´s why God rejoice over His people, exult when people listen to His voice, because they have started to understand the meaning of the picture.

I cant imagen the new heaven. Just thinking of what I think is good now, here, I know that what is to come is going to be so mind blowing, that no word can describe. And Im going to be a part of it! Not because Im something special compare to everyone else, but because I said yes to the invitation, the invitation the whole earth have gotten, but a lot of people dont excepted yet, or might never will. On the day of the Lord they will see and understand. What they though was good was not, what God have to offer is good. The fact that He is willing to come back, save those who knows what He have to offer is so much better than what we can imagen.

Hanne has listen to My voice

Hanne has accepted My correction

Hanne has trusted in the Lord

Hanne has drawn near to her God

God longs to say this over all people, but not all people are ready to let Him do that over His life. We think we know the difference between good and evil, we think we see a lot of awful things here at the earth ´, I dont think we have. We have seen nothing yet. To see how God will destroy to restore, tha´s when we´ll see what´s heaven and what´s hell. But one thing is sure, God will save His people. To give them something so overwhelming, more that what we can imagen. He knows what´s good and He wants to give it to us. Because He loves us.

 

Dagens sitat…

Ikke let etter den beste gave for deg selv, men bli den perfekte gaven for noen andre.

 

The book of Isaiah.. Lifetransformer..

Is Jesus really my King and Savior?

Wow.. Thats a question that really makes you dig deep in your heart. Is He really? Or is it just something I saw? Something I sing out during worship just to sound like Im a part of the group? Do I call myself christian because thats what everyone else expects from me? Makes the choices of my life based on what´s expected from me? Why do I even seek God?

If someone asked me this question some years ago I think my answer would have been stumbling. I think I would have stopped for a moment to find the right way to answer. A way that would sound good, a way that would sound right. But when I get that question today I would answer from my heart, without no doubt. Yes, He is my Savior and King!

There is a different between loving the Lord and knowing the Lord. Its like I dont know the king in Norway, but I still say He is my king. But what does it mean to have a king? A king is suppose to fight for his people, be the one they trust in when everyone else seems to fail on them. Honestly I dont think the king of Norway would go out and fight it it started a war in Norway. I know he never would come to my town, to protect me. I cant say I trust in him. I dont know him, but still he is my king, because Im a citycent of Norway. Im just automatically in his country and under his reign. Thats not how I look at God. I know He is my King, I know He would fight for me, no matter what. I chose to be under His reign. Because I know He will save me. I am safe. Thats how a king should be. One you will put your trust in. One you know will win the battle for you.

But how do you know you are saved? You just know it. That´s when you stop asking yourself the question “should I go up?”every alter call you attend. You know God is your heart. You know He is the one you live for.

Well, Im not the one to say how´s saved or not, thats Gods job. But the feelings inside me that I have for God, I know that He is more than a Savior, He is a Father. My Father. They one I can turn to when everyone else turns their back at me. The one who is willing to guide and teach me. Show me what it means to be loved. Loved by one who sacrifices His life for me. Its not about me or what I can do. Because I cant do anything without God. He is the one I need. When you meet God, sorry, your lost! If you really meet God there is no turning back. You know that He is the right, the only one who can save you. The only one worth living for. Why would it be a passion to live for something else than God?! There is so many out there that never heard about Him. So many have the wrong teachings about Him and needs to be disciple. Thats our calling, show people who God is! It broke my heart reading about the other nations in Isaiah, they got judge. Like Israel. And it was Israels job to show the other nations who God is. They was suppose to be the different nations who people were drawn to. But they failed. And now the other nations got judge as well. They never got a change to meet God. That hit my heart so hard! This is us! As christian we are called to be a different people, so the non believers can see Christ through us! We are suppose to show them the love of God. But do we? No.. Or at least Im not good at it. Just looking back at this christmas, I was home, meet a lot of people. A lot of people I know dont know the Lord. I had so many chances to tell people what I was doing, that  Im studding Gods word. Im spending a year to get to know God more. What a honer! When do you ever have time to just hang out with God?! Learn so much about Him, get to know Him on a new basis, the fact that He speaks to me through His word?! And still, sometimes I keep it for myself. So selfish! Thank God my parents weren´t that selfish. They told me about Jesus from a young age, wanting me to get to know Him. Had a passion for me to get to know Christ. I should have the same passion for other people to get to know Him.

Isaiah say that people will turn their back at you for following Him, but in the end they will fall on their faces, understanding that God is the true God. The one only way.

There is a song called “Dont let me say by the end of my days…”I dont want to say by the end of my days, I want to know that I did all God called me to! I want to know that I did all I could so my friends should get to know God. So people I meet would feel something different with my presence, That I would make a change. Not because Im so great, but because God is. To see how well everything is planned, how its all made so perfect for us, out of love, a love so overwhelming that I cant keep it to myself.

This might have been the most hard/hateful/wonderful/eyeopening/dontwanttodoanything/lovethis/wanttochartitall you know… week, this last days just showed me so much of the forgiving heart of God. Even though He is heartbroken over our bad choices, He never gives us up. Who else was such a forgiveness?! How can I not be willing to give my life to bring His name glory?! Taking me from nothing, showing me how preaches I am in His eyes.. He gave His life for me, it was all planned a long time ago. How can I not fall on my knees, humble, and shout out that I have found the one who can set me free?! The one worth living for?!

Feels like Im writing a love story. I guess I am.. The lovestory between God and me.. And yes, it will be a happily ever after. I know it..

My life is in your hands…

 

The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.

Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant,
who walks in darkness
and has no light,
yet trusts in the name of the Lord
and relies upon his God?
But all of you are kindlers of fire,
lighters of firebrands.
Walk in the flame of your fire,
and among the brands that you have kindled!
This is what you shall have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.

Isaiah 50.7-11

 

Redeeming love..

Book Application

Hosea

God, the Redeemer of my life. Look through the book of Hosea I just see myself as the prostitute. I fail and sind so much throughout my life, just in everyday situations. Even though I know what sin is, I keep on doing it. Feeling like I never learn is frustrating. Knowing that Im unfaithful because of my sins, wondering how I ever can be clean, return to Gods love, the love that is so faithful to me, and never fails. Stumbling through the world. How can a Holy God love me?! Keep pursuing me!? What is so special with me?!

During Christmas I saw how much God has done in my life the last year. Feeling like the years before have been washed away. Like Gods been telling me that He want to take it from the beginning with me. Build our relationship from scratch.

Feeling like God was healing a lot in my life during my DST, the feeling of God really speaking to me, was a part of my, was my Best friend, my First Love, the only one who could satisfied me. But one thing that scared me this Christmas, was as I was looking on the transformation God has done in my life, I felt like I had gone some steps back, compare to where I was with God during my DTS, and that scared me. “What am I doing wrong God?” was my prayer. “Here I am. Studding Your Word. Working the hardest I ever done, and ever will do again. And still I feel like Your more distant now that before.. Looooord I neeeeeeed a confirmation that Im doing the right thing!!!” Then it hit me. Im doing this school chronological, Im taking it from the beginning. Not just the beginning of the Bible, but the beginning of my life. God need to take me back to where I started, so that He can take me longer than I am!! (confusing?! it made totally sense to me!) Throughout this school I have seen how my background effekts the life Im living. And for me to be able to move forward I need to start in the beginning..

My beginning is not perfect. I have runed from God many times. Thinking that my way is the best. The right. But its not.. (hard to admit but what can you do?!)

The book of Hosea is starting to open my eyes to see how much God cares about me. How I never really understood what´s hurting to Him. He dont care if I go to church every sunday, if I pray every day or whatever. The only thing He want is my heart. Wich bring me back to my DTS, where God so clearly told me one night that the only thing He wanted for me was my heart. The night it happen we had something called “giving night”. We´re suppose to ask God if there is something He wants us to give to someone else. I was kind of supprice that the “only” thing God asked me to give was my heart to Him.

I always consider myself as a christian, but this Christmas it really hit me, I never gave my heart to the Lord before my DTS. I loved Him, but I never was willing to give Him my heart before. And thats to different things. Its easy to love someone, but to give them control over the life, not that easy.

Humbling?! YES!! My whole life I´ve been thinking of myself as a “good” christian, but then realising that I never really was the kind of believer God was looking for before?! It showed me how much I need God in my life to guide me.

Even though I make up my own mind on what I think is right, God is willing to take me the steps to show me how Im wrong, in order for me to learn. Not to show me “haha,” how wrong I was, but how much He wants my all.

Through the book of Hosea I just seen how much God have redeemed from my life, and will keep on. The price He payed was a price already paid, but still He was willing to give us Jesus, in order for us to understand what its all about..

Its about a relationship with God. My Father, my Redeemer. The one who is willing to give whatever it takes to get a relationship with me! ME!! Thats mind blowing. That´s love.. A redeeming love. Even though I fail and is unfaithful, God never is, He said He would take my hand and hold it through whatever, and He is..

 

The purpose…

På lørdag kom jeg tilbake til LA etter en fantastisk juleferie hjemme. Jeg skal innrømme at jula ble meget slapp i forhold til det livet jeg lever her, så å komme tilbake ble litt “sjokky” for å si det sånn.. Ikke bare var det lekser som skulle være klare til mandag, men i tilegg fikk jeg høre at de neste mnd kommer til å bli de hardeste vi skal ha gjennom hele skole.. Oppmuntrende? Nei, jeg vil nok ikke si det.. Trodde jeg hadde hatt det tungt i fjor, så skal det bli mer i år!? Skal innrømme at de siste dagene etter jeg kom tilbake har jeg tatt meg selv i å telle ned til jeg er ferdig.. “Det er så mye å gjøre på så liten tid. Det er så mye jeg skal lære, det er så mye jeg skal lese.. Det kommer til å bli så tungt. Vil jeg i det hele tatt klare dette?!Skal jeg bare reise hjem!? der er det jo så mye lettere, jeg kan gjøre hva jeg vil.. JEG VIL HJEM (nei jeg vil ikke det! haha)”

MEN så, (selvfølgelig kommer det et men!! hehe..) Så kom jeg plutselig på grunnen til at jeg faktisk er her.. Jeg skal jo studere Bibelen, jeg skal jo bli bedre kjent med Gud. Jeg er jo heldig som få! Jeg får bruke et helt år på å LESE og STUDERE BIBELEN!! Jeg er jo bare døds heldig.. Jeg lever et spennende live, hvor jeg virkelig bare får badet meg i Guds Ord. “The best is yet to come”, ordene jeg føler Gud har sagt til meg i jula når jeg har forbredt meg til å reise tilbake. Det er det jeg vandrer ut it! Det beste kommer!!!!

Kjære Gud, hjelp meg å se verdien med ditt ord, hvordan det kan forandre mennesker, forandre meg!! Lær meg mens jeg studerer, utfordr og forandr!