I met Harald Bredesen in the beginning of 2002 right at the same time I was to start my new role at Deutsche Bank. My Pastor Paul Teske of St. Paul Westport had met Harald the previous year through a connection, but said “you’ve got to meet him!” Harald was also Lutheran, having attended Luther seminary in St. Paul Minnesota early in the 40s (now being in his 80s.) But Harald was a rogue in the Lutheran church. He had a “Pentecostal” experience of being Baptized in the Spirit and speaking in other tongues (a gift of the Holy Spirit discussed in 1 Cor 12) the summer of 1946 and was ostracized from broad Lutheran circles as a result. But coming to St. Paul Lutheran Westport was like a homecoming for him. Ultimately, Harald became our “Pastor at Large” as we honored him for his extraordinary life.
That first day we met he picked me out of the crowd (not knowning who i was) and loudly said “You! Sit over there!” with a smile on his face. I adhered to his directive and waited patiently. Eventually, he made his way over and introduced himself. I asked why you tell me to sit over here? He laughed and said, because I wanted to meet you and didn’t want to miss the opportunity while speaking to everyone else. You’re special! I found this intriguing. This was one of the first demonstrations of Harald following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was blown away by the stories I discovered later of Harald’s amazing listening and obeying the voice of the Lord by faith. I could fill a book up with them but encourage you to check out his two books, “Yes, Lord!” and “Do You Need a Miracle?“
As mentioned in earlier chapters, I too had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a child, speaking in tongues as a young one as part of the Charismatic movement of the 1970s. Now, I had just met one of the very founders of this movement – a man who’s ministry was “How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
Harald and I became fast friends. He certainly was a spiritual father to me. We really loved each other and enjoyed spending time together. Harald loved to go for “walks” which were really “talks”. We travelled around New England together. He used to stay in a families house down at Compo where I would pick him up.
One day Harald said, let’s drive over to my old church, Mount Vernon Dutch Reform church over in New York. I said sure. What I didn’t know then was Harald was the senior pastor there and Pat Robinson was his associate! As it turns out, Harald was a mentor to Pat and was an original board member of CBN (Christian Broadcast Network) at its formation.
If you harken back to my testimony in earlier chapters, recall my mother and I had prayed with Pat through the television and I was delivered from demonic torment in the night season. Now here I was with the man who was Pat’s senior pastor.
Harald took me around the property, which was locked that day. But we were able to peer in the windows and see the sanctuary. Harald told me a story that the miraculous power of God was witnessed across the United States when the nightly news (CBS I believe) ran a story of Harald and Pat witnessing the power of God through the Holy Spirit showing up with miracles, signs and wonders right there in the Sanctuary.
What was amazing to me is how God had orchestrated all this in my life. Living legends that God had brought across my life journey as mentors and fathers. What an awesome God! Jesus!
Harald taught me about faith. One of his favorite phrases was “Make it easy on you and hard on God!” This phrase was liken a Jackson Senyonga saying I would learn five years later, “If a vision can be accomplished by you, it may be a good idea, but if it is a God sized vision, it can only be accomplished by Him.” Harald had a remarkable and contagious intimacy with God. A sparkle in his eye. He was a bit mischievous too. A holy rebel. Always ready to take a risk with God.
Harald taught me extraordinary faith. Beyond the more “usual” spiritual matters such as healing and deliverance prayer for others, but for walking with God every day – 7 days a week – always listening to the Holy Spirit. It transcended into the realm of miraculous provision and prophetic leadings into strange, uncomfortable or new situations.
Let me explain.
Harald spoke to a young woman in a New York City hotel lobby once and shared with her the new gift he had received from God of speaking in other tongues. Now most people would find this totally weird and off-putting. But Harald was bold and full of faith. She asked him, well then can you speak in these other tongues now? Harald stepped up to the challenge and right there in the hotel lobby came out with a strange utterance that Harald himself didn’t understand. Unbelievably this woman said in response, “You just praised God in perfect ancient Arabic.” How did she know this? She was the daughter of an Egyptologist – one who studies ancient Egypt and had learned the ancient dialect. God knew. Harald didn’t. But Harald knew how to hear and trust God. He knew enough to obey. God did the rest. What a mighty God we serve!
Here is another incredible example. One day the Lord told Harald “go to the airport” (maybe LAX?). No further directive was given, but Harald recognized the voice of the Holy Spirit. So he drives to the airport in obedience and is lead to wait on line at what you or I would view as some random check-in counter. As he is waiting in line, he starts to ask the Lord – do you want me to get on this flight? He doesn’t hear anything so he says – Lord I don’t have any money. If you want me to board this airplane (I can’t recall the destination – but believe it was international) you are going to have to pay for my ticket! After what must have felt like a long time as he moved closer to the counter, the man in front of him turns around and says “I think I am supposed to buy your ticket!” What?? Who does that? Harald accepted. He probably told him the story of God directing his path. Praise God! (an oft spoke phrase out of Harald’s mouth – he was a Harald of the ways of the Lord – like a John the Baptist making the paths straight).
Upon arriving at his destination, he wondered – where to now Lord? He wandered out of the airport toward the entry steps. A man approaches him and says “Are you the one I am supposed to pick up for the Church?” Harald smiled and said I guess I am! He accompanied his driver and ministered at that place the man drove him to. That was God’s plan all along. Amazing!
Another time, Harald as a young man was staying with his parents in Florida trying to figure out what was next in life. He decided one day to start hitchhiking. He was going to witness the gospel to everyone he met. When they picked him up and asked where are you going? He would say, wherever you are! People must have found this strange, but obliged him. He would share his faith with them and I’m sure led many to Jesus. He kept going like this for perhaps like two weeks before returning home. What boldness and faith!
Speaking of airports, one time Harald and I were walking through JFK airport after I had picked him up from the gate and helped with his bags. Right down the center of some hall, Harald blurts out to me loud enough for everyone to here: Do you like Big Game hunting? I like to pray for important people who God wants to reach. Would you pray with me? I said sure in a voice just as out loud as his. People might of thought we were crazy, but we were interceding for certain people in leadership around the world to come to faith. We moved in and out of English and tongues. It was the leading of the Lord for us to pray loudly and boldly at this international gateway of New York, JFK being one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, ferrying dignitaries and leaders in and out all the time.
One final earth shattering story. Harald was friends with Anwar Sadat. As part of how God used him otherwise – like Billy Graham – Harald had a remarkable but unknown ministry to world leaders. Kings, Presidents and Prime Ministers. So when the opportunity came for the Camp David peace accords of the 1970s, Harald was right there in the middle of it as a type of Chaplin to Jimmy Carter, Menachem Began and Anwar Sadat. He was praying for them and they knew it.
When they arrived at an impasse in negotiations, it looked like it would end as every other failed attempt at peace with regard to Israel. But God! Harald was given the idea, the inspiration (a God sized vision!) to send out a telegram from the 3 leaders to all the other leaders of the free world to pray! They quickly and remarkably agreed to doing this. I believe Harald helped draft the communique and it was sent out to dozens of Kings and heads of state.
The rest is history. They had a breakthrough. Humility reigned that day. God answered the prayers of world leaders! The Camp David peace accords endure to this day. The only lasting peace made between an Arab nation and Israel the Jewish nation. Egypt was the first Arab nation to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Somehow Harald was in the mix and God moved.
Harald passed Christmas time in 2006. Later in life (2022) I travelled to Israel for the first time. One day, I felt led to separate from our prayer team and tour group. I wandered the streets of Jerusalem from the Jaffa gate where we were staying at Christ Church. I went looking for a place I could rent an electric bike. As I made my way across the valley of Hinnom past the Zion gate I came up the other side where St. Andrews Presbyterian retreat center sits atop near Bible hill. As I walked the streets I was drawn to a building of modern architecture. I wondered, what is this place? It turns out I was led right to the Began Heritage Center. I wandered in, greeted the hosts at the entrance and asked about the place. They said there was a type of museum in the basement on the history of Israel and Menachem Began. I had no idea what a hero he was to Israel, fighting for sovereignty with the Irgun, following in the footsteps of his mentor and modern day Israel father Ze’ev Jabotinsky. As I made my way through I arrived at the place I was looking for from the moment I walked in. The Camp David peace accords. It was filled with historic memorabilia. The very coats that were made for the event were on display. The correspondence. Everything. I was thinking some of these very artifacts were probably handled by Harald or passed through his hands. Certainly the evidence of his faith and prayer directive’s results were on full display. Only God.
