Erling Thu

Category: Friendship

  • 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.

  • Meeting with the people of God

    God has blessed us and enabled us to travel and visit many covenant communities. It is always a great joy to meet with the people of God. This week we have been to Skudesnes, Egersund, Etne and Stavanger. Each place we have had sweet fellowship with wonderful people. At every gathering we have encountered God among his people. Whenever we meet with our covenant friends we are being encouraged and strengthened. The communion of the saints is priceless. We develop holy friendship and lasting relationship through the Holy Spirit.

    We thank for this privilege of having a travelling ministry. And we thank for for the joy and blessings of belonging to a local church. We thank God for our house church. We thank God for being able to share meals with one another. We praise God for blessings of laying on of hands. We are praying for one another. We are blessing one another. We are joined together by the Spirit.

    God lives among his people. And he invites us to live in his house, in his presence. He invites us to be face to face with him. There is nothing better in the entire world than to be with God – face to face. The most precious thing is to be with Jesus. His presence is life.

  • Being remembered

    To be somebody is being remembered

    On a very ordinary birthday,

    By wife, children and grandchildren,

    By family and friends,

    By people near and far away,

    Through e-cards, phone calls and text messages.

    Being remembered on a birthday,

    Is a token of love and appreciation,

    Making you feel you are somebody.

    But really, it is the person who remembers another person

    And care enough to express his or her love

    Who is somebody!

    To be somebody is to forget about oneself

    To remember our neighbour

    And think about our other people’s need

  • Praying for friends

    To be somebody is to pray for your friends

    when pain in your body keeps you awake

    and don’t allow you to sleep

    but your care, concern and love are overcoming the pain

    and causing you to pray with such fervour and zeal

    that you transcend the aching body.

    When you are able to forget your own pain

    because you care for your friends

    and must lift them up to the Throne of Grace

    you show yourselves to be A Great Somebody

    able to deny your own needs to meet those of others!

  • Answering questions

    To be somebody is answering questions

    Taking time to think

    Stopping up to let the imagination run wild

    As you meditate on silly questions

    Or the deep questions of existentially concern

    When you answer questions

    – No matter how deep or shallow they are

    – No matter if they are questions of real life situations or hypothetical sophistry

    – No matter which area they touch on

    Then you show that you take people serious

    And you care for what they are concerned about

    Only because of love for that particular individual

    When you answer questions

    Only because of love for people

    Then you really are somebody

    In a world of efficiency and self interest

  • Seeing people through eyes of grace

    To be somebody is looking for grace

    And not be blinded by needs or shortcomings

    It is to see God at work in people

    Rejoicing in the small beginnings

    Marvelling at the faith of the trembling steps into new grounds

    Appreciating the budding potential

    – in people longing, dreaming and believing

    When you can flow with the grace of God

    In whatever measure you find it in people

    You will be able to help them grow

    Bringing out the best in them

    Stirring them to aspire for more

    Provoking them to love and good works

    You are somebody when you see people

    Through the eyes of grace

    Then you enable them to see themselves

    Through the eyes of hope and faith

    Ignoring the failures and dreaming of new adventures

    As they rejoice in the incredible wealth of grace and kindness

    Shown to them by God and their fellow man

  • Great people

    To be somebody is the same as being great

    Great people can be seen

    – By their unselfish actions and their sacrificial service

    Great people can be heard

    – By their encouraging words and faithful confessions

    Great people can be touched

    – Through their practical involvement in our lives

    Great people can be felt

    – By the atmosphere of love, joy and hope that surrounds them

    Great people have an effect on us

    – They bring out the best in us

    And creates in us a desire to change for the better

    As great people has the capacity for enlargement

    And the longing for change

    That motivates them to never settle

    But reach their full potential in God

  • Having young people for dinner

    To be somebody is having young people
    Eating dinner with you in your home
    And enjoying their company
    Sharing our life with one another
    As we talk of many different aspects
    Of our life with God and our families

    To be somebody is enjoying
    Interaction with grown up people
    Belonging to a different generation
    That could have been our own children
    But not noticing age at all
    Because we all enjoy being God’s children
    Having fun together
    Appreciating one another’s company