Erling Thu

Category: Biblical teaching

  • A life of influence and honour

    In Psalm 112 the psalmist is describing the triumph of godliness. Godly people are God lovers. They delight in the Lord and cherish his Word. They will always shout in celebration of praise to the Lord. Therefore Godly people will be blessed beyond expectation.

    Their descendants will be prosperous and influential. Every generation of God lovers will experience his favour. Their integrity endures forever. Life is good for the one who is generous and charitable, conducting affairs with honesty and truth. They will never be shaken by any circunstances and their example will never be forgotten. 

    Those who love the Lord will not live fear of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith in God. Steady and strong, they will not be afraid, but calmly face every challenge until they overcome them all.

    Godly people are never stingy, but always generous to those in need. Therefore they live a life of influence and honour that will never be forgotten. Godly people are full of good deeds that continue to speak and bear fruit, long after they have left this world.

     

  • The appointed time is in our hands

    The unveiling of Jesus Christ received by the apostle John at island Patmos is very encouraging, even though some of the visions are not easy to understand. But a joyous blessing rest upon the one who reads the message of the Book of Revelation and upon those who hear and embrace the words of this prophecy, for the appointed time is in our hands (see Rev 1:1-3).

    Most of my Bibles are saying that the appointed time is at hand, but from the Passion Translation I have come to know that this phrase may be translated differently. The Greek word "eggus"  is taken from a primary verb "agcho", which means "to squeeze" (in your hand) or "to hold the reigns" or "throttle" in your hands. Therefore this translation says that the appointed time is in your hands.

    This open up a very interesting way of understanding the book of Revelation. There is a sense in which the full understanding of the unveiling of Christ in this book is ready to be revealed when the reader is ready to receive it. The time for this unveiling of Christ is now, not the past nor the distant future.

    This is in accordance to the revelation the apostle Peter brings (1 Peter 1:5). He is saying that the mighty power of God will constantly guard us to bring us into our full salvation or deliverance. Through the new birth we have become partakers of this salvation which constantly comes through the unveiling of Christ. It is ready to be revealed and waits for our discovery. From the coming of the Spirit on the day of pentecost we have been living in the last days which are days of continual revelation and unveiling of Jesus Christ our Saviour. By faith we "grab" the promises of God, we eat the prophetic word of God, and come to understand that in Christ everything spoken of by the prophets are available for us now. The appointed time is in our hands. The kingdom of God is bursting forth, and passionate people are laying hold of its power.

     

  • Imitate

    Imitate that which is good

    Imitate the beautiful acts of love

    Imitate generous people

    Imitate those who are consistently living their lives in the way of truth

    Imitate those who are living in obedience to whatever God commands

    Imitate those who have come into an intimate experience of God's love

    Imitate those who demonstrate love in action

    Imitate those who live pure lives

    Imitate those who are consumed by godliness

    Imitate the humble servant

    Imitate those who are compassionate to foreigners

    Imitate those who are consumed with what brings pleasure to God

    Imitate those who are gentle and respectful

    Imitate those who demonstrate affectionate love, sympathy, and kindness

    Imitate those with a peaceful spirit

     

  • Unfolding faith

    Faith is a gift of God. It is like a seed planted in our heart. The smallest seed of faith can move mountains. The Bible says that we live by faith. We are saved by faith. We overcome obstacles in life by faith. 

    When we water the seed of faith, our faith will grow stronger and increase. The apostle Peter is saying that we should devote ourselves to develop our faith or to supplement it. As a seed faith is full of potensial for dynamic growth and development. Peter speaks of an unfolding of faith (2 Pet 1:7-11)

    Out of the seed of faith planted in our heart by God will emerge goodness, and out of goodness will emerge understanding of God, and out understanding and knowing God will emerge inner strength and self-control, and out of this inner strength will emerge patient endurance, and out of patient endurance will emerge godliness, and out of godliness will emerge mercy towards our brothers and sisters, and out of mercy will emerge unending love.

    All these virtues are inherent in the seed of faith that God is planting in our heart. They have been planted deep within us by the Spirit of God. Actually we possess them in abundant supply by the grace of God. This unfolding of faith will keep us from being inactive or fruitless in our pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. If these virtues are absent in our lives we will be blind, constantly closing our eyes to the mystery of faith, forgetting our innocence – for our sins have been washed away.

    Therefore it is very important that we are eager to confirm and validate that God has invited us to salvation and claimed us his very own. When we do these things, we will never stumble. As a result God will give us a triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    It is also possible to see this as a spiritual mathematical equation. Faith pluss goodness equals understanding and knowledge of God. Goodness pluss understanding equals inner strength and self-control. Understanding pluss self-control equals patience. Inner strength pluss patience equals godliness. Patience pluss godliness equals mercy. Godliness pluss mercy equals unending love. These qualities are meant to be limitless as our faith keeps unfolding.

  • Enjoying life

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    I am so thankful to God for the ability to enjoy life. The doctors predicted that I would never grow up. They had no cure nor any future for me. But God had a purpose for my life and a wonderful destiny. I am so thankful to be alive. But I am not only alive, I have been given the ability to enjoy life. My heart is full for joy and my lips are filled with words of thanksgiving.

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  • Ready to covenant?

    We covenant to live every part of our lives in obedience to God.

    We covenant to serve God and his purpose in whatever way he calls us.

    We covenant to encourage, help, challenge, correct and serve each other so that we each can live for and serve God better.

    We covenant to follow the vision and teaching of the apostolic leadership of the work.

    We covenant to honesty, integrity, loyalty and love in our relationships with each other.

    We covenant to deal with disagreements and conflicts that arise between us in a godly and honest way.

    We covenant to support the work of God in the giving of our time, our effort, our gifts and our finance.

    We covenant to being open to be discipled by others and willing to disciple others.

    We covenant to see the common vision fulfilled whatever the cost and however long it takes.

  • Do you see?

     

    We see a covenant church

    that is a strong and healthy Kingdom community

    of those who are being changed

    as they follow Jesus in every area of their lives,

    and who covenant together

    and work with a common sense of vision and purpose.

     

    We see a covenant church

    where God is worshipped passionately and freely,

    and where the presence and power of God are experienced

    in big as well as in small gatherings.

     

    We see a covenant church that is a community

    governed in its beliefs and practices

    by the Word and the Spirit of God,

    and not by human customs, traditions or personalities.

     

    We see a covenant community

    where its members are fully committed to one another

    and to God's purpose for his world.

     

    We see a covenant community

    that is full of life and faith,

    where the people are free, happy, vibrant

    and enjoying the goodness of God in their everyday life

     

    We see a covenant community

    in which there are real and close friendships, 

    warm relationships, and openness

    to all people from whatever background.

     

    We see a covenant church

    that is not built around meetings or a building,

    but is centred on Christ

    and on relationships of the Spirit,

    and a shared community life

    as we meet from home to home and in big gatherings.

     

    We see a covenant church that is influencing

    and impacting its surrounding community and

    that doesn't retreat into a safe Christian ghetto.

     

    We see a covenant community that is committed

    to what God is doing right across the nations of the world

    and is in real relationship with apostolic and other ministries to advance

    God's kingdom throughout the world.

     

    We see a covenant community

    that has a credible voice to speak

    into all the issues which face our society,

    and that is actively demonstrating

    a positive and godly example to that society.

     

    We see a covenant community

    that is growing and reproducing itself

    across the whole region, nation and the world.

     

    We see a covenant community

    where everyone is learning

    to play their part and to do so

    gladly with faith,

    commitment and integrity.

  • Christ is our message

    There is a divine mystery, a secret surprise that has been hidden from the world for generations. In these last days the mystery of Christ is being being revealed, unfolded and manifested for every believer to experience. 

    Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the divine portrait, the true likeness of the invisible God. He is the visible image of the invisible God. He has unfolded to us the full explanation of who God truly is. The Son is the dazzling radiance of God's splendour. He is the exact expression of God's true nature – his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word. He accomplished for us the complete cleansing of sins, and then took his seat on the highest throne at the right hand of the majestic one.

    This Christ is our message! He lives within us and floods us with the expectation of glory. This mystery of Christ, embedded within us, becomes a heavenly treasure chest of hope filled with the riches of glory for his people, and God wants everyone to know it!

    We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth. It has become our inspiration and burning passion in ministry to labour with a tireless intensity, with his power flowing through us, to present to every believer the revelation of being his perfect one in Christ. 

  • The fruit of the Spirit

    By faith in Jesus we have been born again by the Holy Spirit. Ever since that day the power of the Holy Spirit has been at work in our lives. As we yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, we will abandon the cravings of our self-life, and the Spirit will produce fruit in our lives.

    The Holy Spirit hinders our old self-life from dominating us. The self-life of our flesh and the new life of the Spirit are two incompatible and conflicting forces with in us. When we are brought into the full freedom of the Spirit of grace, we will no longer be living under the legalistic domination of the law. The cravings of the self-life are obvious and those who use their freedom for these impurities will not inherit the kingdom of God.

    But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within us is divine love in all its varied expressions:

    joy that overflows

    peace that subdues

    patience that endures

    kindness in action

    faith that prevails

    gentleness of heart

    strength of spirit

    Everything connected with our self-life was put to death on the cross and crucified with Christ. Now we can live in the Holy Spirit and follow after him.

  • Excel

    When the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth (2 Cor 8:7), he is commending them: "You do well and excel in every respect." He is naming five areas in which they excel before he tells them to make suer that they excel in a sixth area. Even when he says that they excel in every respect, he is kind of saying that they can excel in more areas. There is always room for improvement. There is always the possibility of growing and maturing. If you excel, you have laid the foundation on which you may excel even more!

    Excel in unstoppable faith, nourished by the Word of God.

    Excel in powerful preaching, anointed by the Spirit of grace.

    Excel in revelation knowledge, filled with the Spirit of wisdom and truth.

    Excel in your passionate devotion, being zealous and single-hearted for the Lord.

    Excel in sharing love, overflowing with the pure love of Christ.

    Excel in being generous, by loving commitment to God and his people.