Erling Thu

Category: Relationship

  • Answering emails or messages

    To be somebody
    Is to answer emails or text messages
    Showing that you care
    And take people seriously
    It is to come up with simple solutions to complicated questions
    Or to admit that you don't have all the answers

    To be somebody
    Is to sit in front of a screen
    Typing letters, words, reason and insight
    As if you were sitting in front of a person
    Communicating eternal truths
    Sharing real life experiences
    Opening up your heart
    For the world to see
    The beauty and simplicity
    Of faith, hope and love
    Poured into a human heart by the Holy Spirit

    Text: Erling Thu (c)

  • The Lord gives us new apostles

    In the last weekend I had the privilege and great joy to be able to minister prophetically, together with several others, to David Lyon – a newly recognised apostle of Jesus Christ, at the Living Rock Church at Stoney Stanton, UK. The pleasure of God was evident. The church was filled with love and joy. Heaven sanctioned this historic event. I am so thankful to God who enabled me to be present and take part in recognising and receiving this ministry gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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  • Being married

    To be somebody is to be married
    Because marriage is a risky enterprise
    To marry is to dare to commit yourself
    – to another person for life just because of love
    To marry is to renounce a life of sovereign decision making
    And to embrace the views and opinions of another person
    Before any decisions are made – together!
    To marry is to dare to open up your life
    And fully share it with the one you love!

    To be somebody is to stay married
    In spite of differences and conflicting interests
    In the faithfulness and loyalty of love
    You will find strength and wisdom
    To overcome the biggest obstacles
    And fight through the battles to win the war of Love
    By laying down your life
    To make your marriage partner happy

    To be somebody is being married
    And enjoy every minute
    As you find your way – together

  • 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.

  • Covenant duties

    The issue of covenant was forced on me a short time ago. There are so many misunderstandings about being a covenant person. Even many Christians have very little understanding of what covenant is all about. They question the idea of covenant duties or covenant obligations. Therefore I have chosen to share something I wrote some years back on being a covenant keeper, on being a person who understands the implication of covenant living. Covenant is love put into practice!

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  • They began to understand the effect Jesus had

    Acts 4:13 says: The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. They began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him (Passion Translation).

    This last sentence struck me when I read it this morning. The council members were struck with astonishment when they saw and heard Peter and John. The apostles had been arrested and was brought before the Jewish council to explain a miracle that had taken place through their hands. God had used them to heal a man that had been crippled from birth. The Jewish leaders, the religious scholars, and the elders of the people had arrested Peter and John and made them stand in front of the council as they questioned them: "Tell us, by what power and authority have you done these things?"

    Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. Boldly he proclaimed the truth to them, charging them of crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God had raised from the dead. With great conviction he declared that there is no one else than Jesus who has the power to save: "There is only one name to whom God has given the power by which we must experience salvation: the name of Jesus!" 

    It was then the members of the council began to understand the effect Jesus had on the disciples. Even though they were just ordinary men, simply spending time with Jesus had an effect on them. They had no religious training. They never attended any seminary. They never had any university degree. But simply spending time with Jesus had a deep and profound effect on them. The members of the council could not deny the effect Jesus had on those ordinary people who simply spent time with him.

    May people around us began to understand the effect Jesus has on our life when we simply spend time with him. The secrete is to spend time with Jesus. It has an effect that people will begin to understand more and more.

  • 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 right or living right?

    To be somebody is not about being right

    But about living right with other people.

    To be somebody is all about relationships,

    Not about opinions or being political correct

    But about building right relationships

    – the strong protecting the weak

    – the rich serving the poor

    – the insiders making room for the outsiders

    To be somebody is about loving people

    And finding great joy in being with others

    Being a man among men

  • Seeking and finding

    To be somebody is to seek and find
    – to receive much more than expected.
    I was seeking to hear the voice
    – I found a person.
    I was seeking guidance
    – I found a Shepherd.
    I was seeking the will of God
    – I found friendship with the Son.
    I was seeking understanding
    – I found the life-giving Spirit.

    To be somebody is seeking and finding God
    – who is LOVE – Eternal and Boundless,

    – who is the never failing spring of Life!