Erling Thu

Category: Prophetic meditations

  • God’s Church

    Which one of the many Christian denominations is God’s Church? Is it the Orthodox Church? Or could it be the Roman Catholic Church? What about the many protestant churches, could any of them be God’s Church?

    In the letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul define God’s Church as those who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made us holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

    This apostolic definition tells me that the many different ways of organizing the church, whether new or traditional, is not the defining element of God’s Church. The apostle is saying that God’s Church is people who has been called by God to be his very own people. All those people who belong to God is His Church. All people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, have been made holy, and together they are God’s Church. God has called us and invited us into a living partnership and friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

    All people everywhere calling upon his name and living in this intimate friendship with Jesus Christ our Lord, are together God’s Church. Whenever or wherever any of the friends of Jesus Christ meet, two or three believers, or larger groups of people calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is God’s Church. Whether we meet in a park, in a restaurant, in a home or in a sacred building, we are God’s Church whenever we meet!

  • A new person

    This morning I was reading Romans 12. This verse caught my attention: “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of ths world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then yoiu will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

    Praise God, we don’t need to copy the behaviour of the world. We don’t have to follow the customs of the society in which we live. Christ has redeem us. He has set us free from slavery to the basic spiritual powers and principles of this world. Now we are free to bring our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice that is acceptable to God. This is truly the way to worship him.

    Praise God, we are not even stuck with ourselves. We are not stuck with our old and stubborn personality. We can let God change us into new persons by letting him change the way we think. As a person thinks in his heart, so he is. Therefore we need to lear to think God’s thought about us. He will teach us his ways. We can learn to know God’s will for our lives. His will is good and pleasing and perfect.

    What a privilege! We can let God transform us into new persons by changing the way we think! Hallelujah! God is good!

  • Collision of worldviews

    Collision of worldviews

    There is a war going on. It is a brutal war. In fact, all wars are brutal in one way or another. But this ongoing war that we are witnessing today, is a very brutal one. There are many victims in this war. Many people are being hurt. Innocent people are suffering in this ongoing conflict.

    The war is raging in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as in USA and Europe. There are terrible conflicts causing millions of refugees to flee for their lives in Africa and Asia as well. My heart is bleeding for all those who are suffering from violence and injustice.

    The ongoing war of worldviews is in many ways invisible, but recently it became very visible through the killing of Charlie Kirk. I must admit that I had never heard of him before the news about his death. The way it was presented in the Norwegian media was a wakeup call to me. Trough the main media he was portrait as a racist and a wright wing extremist. He was compared to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist that killed 69 people a few years ago. Then I discovered that young Christians, born again believers, as well as young conservative politicians, said he was a hero. Some people rejoiced in the fact that he was dead, but a lot of young people was mourning in shock to the killing.

    A collision of worldviews was taken place before my eyes. Then I realised, it is not only a collision, it is a war of worldviews. A Christian humanistic worldview versus a secular, illiberal and hedonistic worldview. Prolife and pro human dignity versus killing of babies and of those who do not conform with the secular belief or correct political opinions.

    It is time to wake up. It is time for action. We need to stand up for truth and love. We must promote peace and understanding. Righteousness and justice will prevail and overcome hate and evil in all forms.

  • I want to lay hold on the word!

    Psalm 119.48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

    It may be a little unclear as to David's intention to raise his hands towards God's commandments, but I think it's about raising his hands to grasp the word of God. He says he loves God and wants to reflect on God's precepts. That is why he wants to raise his hands to lay hold on the word of God and not let it go. He loves God and will meditate on the word to understand God's plan and will.

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  • Passion and delight in the Word of God

    Psalm 119.47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 

    I am so excited by the joy David finds in God's commandments. "I delight in your commandments." He finds joy and delight in God's law. In fact, it can be translated with: "I am entertaining me in your commands!" When many hear words like commandments, laws, rules, they respond negatively. Very many want to cast it in the sea and get rid of them, because they want to be free to follow their own sinful heart.

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  • I will not be ashamed of the word of God or His good arrangements!

    Psalm 119.46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, 

    It is a bold David we meet in this words. But it is not wishful thinking he expresses. Before he was king, he was both bold and preached the word of God to King Ashish and Saul. After becoming king, he continued to speak to kings about God's testimony and law. He did not hide what he believed in and whom had his loyalty.

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  • I want to live in complete freedom!

    Psalm 119.45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.

    When David has stated that he will always, at every moment, follow the law of God, he continues in this verse with a prayer to walk in an open landscape. I was born and raised in Jæren, at the south western coast of Norway, and I love open landscapes. At Jæren I can breathe freely. I am not created for trong fjords or valleys or deep forests. I have to have a view, preferably see water, to thrive. Tronge landscape depress me because I feel I'm trapped. For this reason, I have asked many times to get out into a wide and open place so that I can live and breathe freely.

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  • I will keep your law continually

    Psalm 119.44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 

    In trusting that God answers and shows his faithful love, David comes with a bold promise. "I will always keep your law!" These are strong words, but it is a attitude that the Lord reewards. David will forever live in accordance with the law of the Lord.

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  • Courage to Say What God Says

    Psalm 119:43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.

    Here, David begs God not to take the word of truth out of his mouth. The Word of Truth is about God's faithful love and saving grace. If the Lord had not saved him, it would have meant that this word had been ripped out from his mouth, because it would no longer be true. The good thing is that God saves in accordance with His good and true word which is the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

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  • I always want an answer to those who mock me!

    Psalm 119,42 Then I can answer the scoffers, for I trust in your word.

    This prayer is a close follow-up to what he asked for in the previous verse. There, David prayed that God's faithful love and his good salvation should come to him, as God had promised him. Now he tells God what he will do when he experiences God's mercy and works of grace.

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