“Say it simple, say it often,  and let it burn!”  (A German demagogue)

Fire cannot be taught, it must be caught! (Paul Fleming, New Tribes Mission)

“I have come to send fire on the earth;  and how I wish it had already kindled!”  (Luke 12:49)


No lay preacher has ever made such a lasting impression on me as the Norwegian country boy, Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824). It´s possible on “Google” to get more information about him and even locate some literature  in English too.

He got 8 years only to travel around with the gospel during which time the whole of Norway never became the same.  Even today you can´t tell the story of Norwegian Christian life without mentioning his name.  During those 8 years he was arrested 10 times and put in jail for various lengths of time. 

The 10th time was the beginning of the most severe imprisonment.  It began in 1804 and lasted till the end of 1811.  At the time of his release he couldn´t travel anymore.  The hardships of the long jail term had undermined his health and the rest of his life he lived a quiet life as a very competent farmer, now and then receiving friendly visitors who needed his wise counsel.  The Lord took him home on March 29, 1824, 53 year old.

At that time Norway was subject to the Danish monarchy.  King Frederik VI, who was well informed about Hans Nielsen Hauge´s ministry,  refused to order his release from prison as he looked upon him as a dangerous fanatic.  (Denmark had to surrender Norway to Sweden in 1814 after 400 years under our throne).

What was so special about Hans Nielsen Hauge?   Ah, his life is the story of a God who equipped a young simple farmer at the age of 25 in 1776 with an unusual anointing for a short termed, but powerful gospel ministry.  It was at a time with much dead rationalism and orthodoxy in the church.  Hauge also reacted against hypocritical softness on the part of those who spoke sanctimoniously about the ”the blood of the Savior” but without living a holy life.

His critics were right when they accused him of bad grammar, poor theology, and inadequate writing, but he had something they didn´t have in spite of their theology:  Holy fire and so, like his Lord, ”the common people heard him gladly”  (Mk. 12:37). Despite his “inadequacy” his books were spread all over.

Contrasted with Hans Nielsen Hauge I may mention the Christian Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55) who also made his breakthrough as a brilliant  young man.  He disputed with the Danish intelligentsia, the clergy and the popular German philosophers and became later world famous, indeed special Søren Kierkegaard societies were even founded where to this very day his deep and profound works are being studied, interpreted and discussed.  To read and understand his books you´ve got to be acquainted with Greek or Latin or have some good dictionaries handy.  He´s probably the most quoted philosopher today

But what did Kierkegaard accomplish for the eternity?  Very little, I´m afraid.  He means a lot to the intellectuals and the philosophical world - and so what?

As already mentioned Hans Nielsen Hauge didn´t range high  from a literary point of view, but in his soul burned Heaven´s fire that caught the common, hungry people.  He became the true founder of a laymen movement which has over the years so richly blessed Norway with many awakenings.

Is that time over?  God forbid.  God equipped a simple country boy when he was still plowing the field.  He is the same today.  And to that God of revival we wish to turn.  In Norway, in Denmark, in America. Everywhere.

-jn-