Prophetic words...

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

2 Chronicles 20,20

- The most important reason why we have had a wonderful breakthrough in Africa is the prophetic words the Holy Spirit has on several occasions given to Apostle Arild Teikari.

The first one that has been important for the work in Africa came in November 2019. Then the Holy Spirit spoke about us having to get ready to go online. Then we began to prepare this in prayer, and collected money to buy video equipment. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, we were ready to move our work to Facebook and YouTube.

We then also had to move the conference we were supposed to have in Eldoret in Kenya that summer to Facebook, as we could not travel. During the conference, the Holy Spirit spoke again about the need to start an online Bible school. We thought it would be for the pastors and leaders we had contact with in Kenya, but God had much bigger plans.

We started the Bible school in August 2020 and by the time we got to April 2021 it had grown to around 500 members. Then the Holy Spirit spoke about our responsibility for those who had joined the Bible school. He did not say exactly what this responsibility lay in. But, after conferring with the board of the New Life Apostolic Network in Norway, we answered yes to this responsibility. Then it exploded at the Bible school. In one week it grew by over 1000 members and has continued to grow until it is now over 8700 members.

At the same time as it exploded at the Bible school, requests began to flow in from preachers, congregations and networks of churches, who wanted to become part of the New Life Apostolic Network, and have Arild as their apostolic overseer.

Faithfull in the small...

19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'

21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

Matthew 25,19-21

- Without the prophetic words that we have received, we would not have either entered Africa or had the breakthrough that we now have. But just as important as these words is that we have entered every step God has set before us in obedience.

We have taken the small step that God called us to take, and then He has done wonders with the small thing we did. We have come with our two fish and five loaves, and Jesus has fed 5000 thousand with them. There is nothing wonderful about our two fish and five loaves, but Jesus is wonderful, who takes the little we have and does far more than we could hope, dream or ask.

So that the breakthrough we are allowed to stand in is only about God's greatness, and that we are allowed to see him work wonders with the little we have.

He who opens...

7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":

8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Revelation  3,7-8

- The third reason why we in the New Life Apostolic Network are now in Africa is that God has opened the door for us.

We recognize ourselves very much in the letter to the congregation in Philadelphia in Revelation, we do not have an old, rich or large congregation. No, we are relatively newly planted both as a local congregation in Sandnes and as an apostolic network. Arild Teikari planted Nytt Liv in January 2017 after praying throughout 2016 to prepare the planting.

In the same way that God had opened a door for the church in Philadelphia which no one could close, so God has opened doors for us, which we ourselves could never either open or pass through. But everything is a work of God.

God said that He opened doors to the church in Philadelphia because they had kept His word. What has opened the doors for us is also the revelation the Holy Spirit has given us about the fivefold church, and our faith in all God's word.