Erling Thu

Category: Religion

  • Resurrection to a Spiritual and Supernatural Life

    “Dead and buried with Christ,” said pastor Martin Gran as he dipped me under the water in the baptismal pool at Klippen Church. “Raised to a new life!” he proclaimed with great force as he lifted me up from the water. Baptism made visible that I had been crucified with Jesus Christ and had buried the old life, and that I had been given a share in a new life: the resurrection life. Jesus’ resurrection is both a historical fact and a present experience, pointing forward to the final fulfilment.

    The resurrection – more than a goal

    The resurrection is not only a hope far ahead – it is a power at work now. Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). When he draws near to us, everything that has withered begins to sprout.

    Living in a world marked by death

    All creation bears the mark of decay. We feel it in the weakness of the body, in the loss at the grave, in brokenness and pain. Scripture explains why:
    “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” (Rom 5:12).
    Creation was subjected to futility – but in hope (Rom 8:20).
    God promised a day when lament would fall silent and life would triumph.

    How death came in – and hope was lit

    Adam failed his calling, and death gained a foothold. But already in Eden a light was kindled (Gen 3:15). The prophets carried it on:

    • “You will not abandon your faithful one to the realm of the dead” (Ps 16:10–11).
    • “Your dead will live” (Isa 26:19).
    • “Multitudes … will awake: some to everlasting life” (Dan 12:2–3).

    God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Luke 20:37–38).

    Jesus’ death and resurrection – the centre of faith

    Without the resurrection everything collapses (1 Cor 15:14–19).
    But the gospel says: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day – according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3–4; Acts 2:24–32).
    God destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light (2 Tim 1:10).

    Historical lines

    • Jesus truly died (Luke 23:46).
    • The disciples fled (Mark 14:50) and hid (John 20:19).
    • The tomb was empty (Luke 24:3; John 20:6–7).
    • Angels bore witness (Luke 24:5–7).
    • The risen One appeared to many: Mary, Peter, the eleven, five hundred at once, and James (1 Cor 15:5–7).
    • Fear turned into boldness; they gave their lives for the testimony.

    The most sober explanation is the biblical one: God raised him (Acts 2:24; Eph 1:19–20).

    What the resurrection says about Jesus

    He is the Son of God (Rom 1:4), Lord over all (Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22–23), our priest and advocate (Heb 7:25), and judge (Acts 17:31).
    He rose so that we might be justified (Rom 4:25).
    Death is defeated (Rom 6:9), and we have been given a living hope (1 Pet 1:3)

    The spiritual resurrection – the life that begins now

    We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1–3), but God made us alive with Christ, raised us up, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:4–7; Col 2:13).
    We were brought out of darkness into the kingdom of the Son (Col 1:13–14).
    This new life begins here and now.

    A new identity

    In Christ we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).
    The old garment of life is taken off; the new is put on (Eph 4:22–24; Col 3:9–10).

    This is noticed in everyday life:

    • Mind: The mind is renewed – we receive the mind of Christ (Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 2:16).
    • Character: The fruit of the Spirit ripens – love, joy, peace … (Gal 5:22–23).
    • Body: The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead gives life to our mortal bodies (Rom 8:11).

    Baptism – buried and raised again

    Baptism is the starting shot of the resurrection life.
    We are buried with Christ and raised to a new life (Rom 6:3–4).
    We die to sin and live for God (Rom 6:11–13).

    Between death and resurrection

    Whoever believes has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
    When we die, we are with the Lord – and that is “better by far” (Phil 1:23).
    We grieve, but not like those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13).
    God sees the death of his holy ones as precious (Ps 116:15).

    The resurrection of the body – when the Lord comes

    Jesus will come again. Then the dead in Christ will rise first, and we will be caught up to meet him and be with him forever (1 Thess 4:16–17).

    What will the new body be like?

    Paul compares it to a seed (1 Cor 15:42–44):

    • Imperishable – no more sickness or aging.
    • In glory – shining like stars (Dan 12:3; Matt 13:43).
    • In power – without weakness.
    • Spiritual – fully marked by the Holy Spirit.

    We shall be like him (1 John 3:2): a real body that can be touched and recognized (Luke 24:39–43).
    He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:20–21).
    We will recognize one another again (Matt 8:11).

    Creation restored

    When God’s children are glorified, creation too will be set free from decay (Rom 8:21).
    God will create new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13)

    The unjust will also rise

    All will hear Jesus’ voice. Those who believe, to life; those who turn away, to judgment (John 5:28–29; Acts 24:15).
    About this – eternal judgment – the next chapter speaks.

    TOOLS: LIVING AS RESURRECTION PEOPLE

    Personal

    1. Morning confession: “I am raised with Christ to a new life” (Col 3:1).
    2. Thought-swap: Replace “I must” with “I can – for Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
    3. Fruit focus: Choose one fruit of the Spirit to pray for and practice today.

    Small group / family

    • Resurrection testimonies: Share one experience where God “raised you up” from something heavy.
    • Reading round: Rom 8:11–17. What does it mean that the Spirit gives life to the body?
    • Worship prayer: Sing/read Ps 16:8–11 together.

    Church / ministry

    • Easter Sunday every week: Make the resurrection clear in worship, preaching, and communion.
    • Healing prayer: Pray for the sick in the light of Rom 8:11.
    • Hope project: Visit the sick, elderly, or grieving – bring the words: “Life wins.”

    90-second hope plan

    1. Breathe and say: “Jesus lives – therefore there is hope.”
    2. Pray quietly: “Let your resurrection power raise me up now.”
    3. Act: Do one small life-giving thing – call, help, smile, forgive.

    WISE SAYING

    The resurrection is not only a promise of eternal life – it is the life that lifts us up every day.

    PRAYER

    Lord Jesus, you who broke the power of death,
    raise me when I am weighed down, kindle hope when darkness falls.
    Teach me to live as a child of the resurrection – with a renewed mind, warm hands, and bold faith.
    Thank you that you live in me, and that one day I shall see you as you are.
    Let your power work now and always, for your glory.
    Amen.

  • GET RID OF THE OLD LIFE

    Baptized in Water and Spirit

    Repentance and faith are the beginning of an entirely new life. Therefore, Jesus has given us baptism in water—where we lay aside “the old garment”—and baptism in the Holy Spirit—where we receive a living fountain within. Jesus connects these experiences: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me … therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:18–20). “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). “You will … be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).

    In the New Testament, faith, baptism in water, and fullness of the Spirit naturally belong together: “Those who accepted his message were baptized” (Acts 2:41). “Many … believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). When they were baptized, “the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:5–6).

    What is baptism in water?

    The word baptize means to dip/submerge. The NT describes baptism as full immersion—therefore “much water” was needed, and both the baptizer and the baptized “went down into the water … and came up out of the water” (Acts 8:38–39; John 3:23). The picture is strong: just as cloth is dyed by being fully submerged in the dye, Christ marks us when we are baptized.

    Who can be baptized?

    Those who repent and believe in Jesus. Age and gender are irrelevant; the criterion is personal faith and confession: “If you believe with all your heart … ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’”—then he was baptized (Acts 8:36–38). “Repent and be baptized … and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). When entire “households” were baptized, they had first heard the gospel and received it in faith (Acts 16:30–34; 18:8).

    Baptized as an infant?
    The NT connects baptism with personal faith. Many who were sprinkled as infants therefore choose, with a good conscience, to be baptized on their own confession when they come to faith (cf. Acts 8:36–38; 22:16). At the same time, you may thank God for the heritage of faith you have received.

    What happens in baptism?

    1) Receiving salvation.

    Jesus connects salvation with faith and baptism (Mark 16:16). On the day of Pentecost the answer was: repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38). Peter uses Noah as an illustration: “Baptism … now saves you”—God lifts us up through the waters of judgment (1 Pet 3:20–21a). Paul points to the exodus from Egypt and the Red Sea: the blood frees from slavery; the water completes the deliverance (1 Cor 10:1–11).

    2) You are cleansed when you call on the Lord’s name.

    The blood cleanses through faith; baptism makes the inner cleansing visible and seals it: “Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16; cf. 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:22; Eph 5:25–26).

    3) You bury the old and rise to a new life.

    Baptism is burial and resurrection: we are baptized “into his death” and “raised … to live a new life” (Rom 6:3–4). Therefore, we can daily consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Rom 6:11).

    4) You receive a new identity in Christ.

    In baptism we clothe ourselves with Christ—the new self that is renewed in the image of the Creator (Gal 3:27; Col 3:10; cf. Eph 4:22–24). From now on we no longer live with “me at the centre,” but “Christ in me” (Gal 2:20).

    5) You are joined to the people of God.

    Faith and baptism make us part of the church—a spiritual home (Acts 2:41; 2:47). Baptism is public dedication to Jesus and his body.

    6) You dedicate yourself to discipleship.

    Baptism stands in the Great Commission: baptizing and teaching to obey everything Jesus commanded—together with the promise of his presence every day (Matt 28:18–20). The Christian life is lifelong learning.

    7) You confirm your obedience to your new Lord.

    Baptism is “the pledge of a good conscience toward God” (1 Pet 3:21). To receive the word and be baptized is to give God his rightful place (cf. Luke 7:29–30)

    Before–during–after baptism (practical)

    Before: Conversation, teaching, personal confession (Rom 10:9–10).
    During: Immersion “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19), preferably with a short testimony.
    After: Prayer for the fullness of the Spirit (Acts 8:15–17; 19:6), welcoming into the fellowship (Acts 2:41, 47), covenant meal, and new rhythms in word and prayer.

    Being a new creation

    “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again … born of water and Spirit” (John 3:3,5). The new birth gives new nature and new beginning. “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him” (2 Cor 5:15). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation … all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). God “made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

    Therefore: “No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”; the law of the Spirit has set us free (Rom 8:1–2). Who can accuse when God justifies? Christ died, rose, and intercedes (Rom 8:33–34). The result is boldness before God (Eph 3:12; Heb 10:19–22).

    Be filled with the new life-power

    To live the Christian life, we need the Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism belongs to the “salvation package” (Acts 2:38). John: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11). Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Spirit: “You will … be baptized with the Holy Spirit … receive power from on high” (Acts 1:5,8). Peter says this fulfils the promise: God pours out his Spirit on all (Acts 2:16–18), and the promise is for everyone the Lord calls (Acts 2:39).

    This is how the first believers experienced it:

    • Pentecost: “All were filled … and began to speak in other tongues” (Acts 2:4).
    • Cornelius’ house: “The Holy Spirit came on them … the same gift” (Acts 10:44–47; 11:15–17).
    • Corinth: “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body … and we were all given one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13).
    • Samaria: The newly baptized received the Spirit through prayer and laying on of hands (Acts 8:15–17).
    • Ephesus: Laying on of hands, tongues, and prophecy (Acts 19:6).

    Spirit baptism is described as the Father’s promise, being filled, the Spirit being poured out/coming upon, receiving/drinking, gifts beginning to operate—often with tongues and prophecy.

    Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

    Jesus makes it simple: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink … rivers of living water will flow from within them”—this he said about the Spirit (John 7:37–39).

    How to receive:

    1. Thirst. Ask for more.
    2. Come and pray. “The Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
    3. Drink—receive in faith. “Believe that you have received it” (Mark 11:24). “We were all given one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13).
    4. Let someone lay hands on you. Then “the Holy Spirit came on them” (Acts 19:6).

    When the Spirit fills you, you often notice worship flowing freely. He may give you a new prayer language—tongues—in which you speak “mysteries by the Spirit” (1 Cor 14:2). Let it flow, with thanks.

    Your personal helper in everyday life

    The Holy Spirit …

    • Guides into truth. Opens Scripture and glorifies Jesus (John 16:13–14).
    • Gives boldness to witness. “You will receive power … and be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
    • Helps in prayer. When we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes (Rom 8:26–27); the one who speaks in tongues builds himself up (1 Cor 14:4).
    • Distributes gifts. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation—for “the common good” (1 Cor 12:7–11).
    • Leads step by step. As when Philip was led to the Ethiopian and baptized him (Acts 8:26–39).
    • Ignites zeal. The fire of the Spirit purifies and makes us eager.

    Be continually filled

    Spirit baptism is the entrance to a life of fullness. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Rom 8:14). Then the fruit of the Spirit grows in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22–23).

    A simple daily prayer:
    “Lord Jesus, I belong to you. Fill me anew with the Holy Spirit. Lead me today. Let your word dwell richly in me, and let your fruit grow in my life. Amen.”

    TOOLS: PUT OFF THE OLD – PUT ON THE NEW

    Personal

    1. Baptism check: Read Rom 6:3–11. Write down: What am I burying? What am I rising to?
    2. Identity exchange: “I am in Christ—no condemnation (Rom 8:1). I am clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27).”
    3. Fullness of the Spirit: Read Luke 11:13 + John 7:37–39. Pray specifically: “Fill me, Holy Spirit,” and give room for worship—even in tongues.

    Small group / family

    • Testimony chain: Everyone shares for 2 minutes: My before/after story (Acts 22:16 as turning point).
    • Laying on of hands for fullness: Pray Acts 1:8; 19:6 over one another.
    • Reading practice: Mark in Col 3:1–17 everything to put off and put on. Make two concrete “exchanges” for the week.

    Church / ministry

    • Baptism Sunday: Preach Rom 6:3–4. Invitation to baptism class; set dates.
    • Spirit night: Short teaching (15 min) + simple prayer line: thirst → ask → receive → laying on of hands.
    • Follow-up path (30 days):
      1. Daily reading plan (John 1–7).
      2. Service practice: one concrete act of love per week.
      3. Sunday commitment + small group.

    90-second plan for old temptations

    1. Stop: “I am dead to sin” (Rom 6:11).
    2. Shift your gaze: Pray Rom 8:1 aloud.
    3. Make a new choice: “The Spirit leads me” (Rom 8:14).
    4. Send a message: Share your choice with a companion (James 5:16).

    WISE SAYING

    Baptism buries what you no longer are; the Spirit ignites the life you were created to live.

    PRAYER

    Father, thank you for Jesus—my life, my righteousness, and my freedom.
    Thank you for baptism: that the old is buried and that I rise with Christ to a new life.
    Holy Spirit, fill me anew. Lead me, teach me, strengthen me.
    Let the fruit of the Spirit grow in me, and let your gifts serve others.
    Give me power to say no to the old and yes to your will—in Jesus’ name. Amen.

  • COMPLETE TURN TO A NEW LIFESTYLE

    Repentance – the starting line and the lifestyle

    Repentance is an old Christian word for the start of the Christian life. For some people repentance is very dramatic, with major upheavals, but for others it is a process that can go on for a long time. Repentance can look very different. Personally, I did not have a dramatic conversion when I said yes to the call to follow Jesus. I scarcely understood what it involved. But I had to make the choice!

    The dramatic consequences have come afterwards for me. For repentance is not a one–off experience. It is a lifestyle for the rest of your life. It is an exciting life of ongoing change.

    Repentance is the starting gun for the Christian life – and the key to understanding how a Christian goes on living. Without real repentance, there is no lasting transformation. The Bible calls repentance part of the very foundation of the Christian faith (Hebrew 6:1). As a house rests on a solid foundation, a Christian life rests on clear repentance. A weak foundation crumbles; a strong foundation carries.

    To turn around means to deal with sin and turn to God. It is a new way of thinking that produces new behaviour and a new lifestyle. The call sounds out: “Repent … get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit … Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30–32). In Thessalonica “they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess 1:9). Paul preached that both Jews and Gentiles “must repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

    Why repentance is necessary

    The whole human race needs it

    Since Adam, sin and death have marked humanity (Rom 5:12). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Jesus does not begin with a list of outward breaches; he goes to the source: the heart. Desires, thoughts and attitudes expose us (Matt 5:28; 15:18–20).

    The core of sin summed up:
    • My will over God’s will
    • Self–interest before love of neighbour

    Pride and selfishness make us believe that we know better than God and are more important than others. The result is guilt and distance from God – a gulf we cannot bridge ourselves.

    Common misunderstandings

    • Being born in a “Christian country” makes no one a Christian – just as being born in a garage does not make you a car (John 1:13).
    • Rituals cannot save (Gal 3:2–3).
    • Good works cannot buy us free; salvation is by grace (Eph 2:8–9).

    Who then can be saved? “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:26–27). “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again … what is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3, 6–7). How does that happen? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son … that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We enter God’s kingdom by believing in Jesus – and by repenting.

    An honest look back at the old life

    The Bible is realistic about what does not belong to God’s kingdom: “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry … hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, drunkenness and the like” (Gal 5:19–21). Before Christ we were “dead in transgressions and sins”, shaped by the spirit of the age and by “the ruler of the kingdom of the air”, and we followed our desires (Eph 2:1–3). The wage of sin is death (Rom 6:23) – but in the gospel God intervenes, raises us with Christ and gives us new life (Eph 2:4–6).

    Self–examination – let the Word shine: Read 2 Tim 3:2–5. Ask the Holy Spirit to point to what causes trouble in you: selfishness, love of money, boasting, arrogance, disobedience, ingratitude, lack of love, unwillingness to forgive, gossip, lack of self–control, brutality, indifference to what is good, treachery, hot–headedness, conceit, loving pleasure more than God, outward godliness without power. What do you need to deal with now?

    A simple prayer for freedom:
    Lord Jesus Christ, you know me. You know that I have struggled with … (name it specifically). I confess this as sin and turn to you. I believe that through your death and resurrection you have overcome sin, death and the devil. Forgive me. Be Lord in these areas. Fill me with your Spirit and give me strength to live a new life. Amen.

    Be honest with a mentor/friend about what God points out. Openness makes help possible.

    Leaving the old kingdom – and entering God’s

    The Lord is “God of all the kingdoms of the earth” (Isa 37:16). His kingdom stands above all cultures and systems; to place our culture above God’s kingdom is idolatry (cf. Isa 60:12). Scripture has shut everyone up under sin, so that the promise might be given through faith in Christ (Gal 3:22). In Christ we are God’s children; we have “clothed ourselves with Christ” – differences in status and background lose their power (Gal 3:26–28). Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20).

    As citizens of God’s kingdom, we respect the authorities (Rom 13:1–7; 1 Pet 2:13–17), but we break loyalty with every lifestyle that goes against God’s will. In God’s kingdom it is God who decides, and his will is clear in Scripture.

    Temptations – a test of loyalty

    Read: Luke 4:1–13.

    To be tempted is not sin. Jesus was tempted – therefore we will be too. After his baptism and the fullness of the Spirit he was led into the wilderness and met the devil’s offers of power and glory (Luke 4:6). The core of the temptation was: trade your loyalty for control and glitter. Jesus said no – and worshipped the Father alone.

    We are tempted in the same way: to seek control, recognition and comfort at the cost of obedience. Ask honestly: Which values govern me? Have I carried old priorities with me into the new life? Repentance means putting God’s kingdom first.

    Who is in control?

    Read: Eph 2:1–10; Matt 10:32–39.

    Without Christ no one is truly free; we think we are in charge ourselves, but are driven by forces we cannot see (Eph 2:2–3). Even Peter gave way to pressure and denied Jesus. In the same way we can be paralysed by our surroundings, by fear and by the need to fit in.

    Jesus says plainly: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt 10:32). The way of salvation is to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth: “Jesus is Lord” (Rom 10:9–10). Opposition will come, but you are not alone. Jesus is with you – and his people stand around you. Make the decision: I will follow Jesus, openly and clearly. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Acts 26:20).

    TOOLS: LIVING REPENTANCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

    Personally (this week):

    1. Pray Ps 139:23–24 every evening: “Search me, God …” Note one concrete adjustment for the next day.
    2. Write your confession: “Jesus is Lord over …” (name a specific area). Read it aloud to God each morning.
    3. Memorise Rom 12:2: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind …”

    Small group / family:
    • Share briefly: Where did you experience a “no” to the old lifestyle / a “yes” to Jesus this week?
    • Read Luke 4:1–13. Identify temptation strategies (bread/power/glory). Pray for one another with the laying on of hands for strength to say no and yes.

    Church / ministry:
    • Make a “starting path” for newcomers: four evenings on repentance, faith, baptism, discipleship.
    • Offer prayer and counselling after the service: dealing with the past – forgiveness – a new start.

    When temptation knocks at the door (60-second plan):

    1. Stop (take three deep breaths).
    2. Say aloud: “It is written …” (Matt 4:4) – use a verse you know.
    3. Move physically away from the trigger.
    4. Call/text a travelling companion: “Pray for me now.”
    5. Thank Jesus for the way-out God always provides (1 Cor 10:13).

    SAYING

    Repentance is not just a bend in the road – it is a new direction with new speed.

    PRAYER

    Father, thank you that you call me home.
    Jesus, I confess you as Lord. Turn my heart fully towards you.
    Holy Spirit, show me what must change, and give me strength to walk in the light.
    Let my “no” to sin be clear, and my “yes” to Jesus be daily.
    Shape me into a person who bears fruit in keeping with repentance.
    Amen.

  • Faith in God!

    The life of a disciple starts with believing in God, but it is not enough just to believe that God exists. I grew up in a Christian family, and for me it has always been natural to believe in God’s existence. It has always been easier for me to believe that the world is created by God than to believe that everything has developed by itself from “The Big Bang”! It is easier to believe that an encyclopaedia is written by people than to believe it came into being through an explosion in a printing house.

    I believed in God, but I didn’t know him, and I was not a disciple. I took part in some Christian activities, but I was only what we call a cultural Christian. The big change happened at an Easter camp. I had brought some friends with me who came from non-Christian homes. Arne Johan responded to the call to follow Jesus on the first evening. The next morning, he asked if I would come with him to ask Hein if he also wanted to become a disciple. Arne Johan told what he had decided, and then we asked Hein if he wanted to follow Jesus. He did, and we went to one of the leaders at the camp to talk with him.

    The leader shared the gospel with us and asked us all to kneel and pray the prayer of salvation that he led us in. Afterwards he asked each of us to pray out loud in our own words. I had never done that before. I had a kind of faith in my heart, but I had no personal relationship with God. So, I had to swallow a couple of times before I dared to form my own prayer while the others were listening. Then something happened that is hard to explain. I was filled with peace, assurance and joy. It was as if I was surrounded by love. I had said yes to the call to follow Jesus. He became real to me in a way I have no words for. I just knew that from now on I am a disciple of Jesus.

    Your thoughts about God matter. Your thoughts about God shape your whole life – but God’s thoughts about you carry your life. The deepest questions people ask all point towards him: Where do I come from? Why am I alive? Who am I? Where am I heading?

    When we find God, we find answers – because he gives both backgrounds, meaning and direction to everything that exists. What you believe about God becomes the foundation you build your life on. If, for example, you believe that God is distant and strict, life can easily be marked by fear and striving – as if you must always prove that you are good enough. But if you believe that God is near, good and full of grace, you can live with security and peace even when the days are heavy.

    In this way your thoughts about God affect how you relate to yourself, to others and to life.
    That is why it is so important to get to know who God really is – not just who you think he is.

    Christians believe that God has left traces of himself in the world, in the human heart and in history. He has made himself known in many ways – and in the end he came very close in a human being: Jesus Christ. He is the image of God as he truly is – and when we look at him, we find not only answers to who God is, but also who we ourselves are.

    Creation – God in all that exists


    Look around you. From the tiniest cells to the largest galaxies, everything bears the mark of order, purpose and beauty. Everything that comes into being has a cause. The first cause is God, the Creator.

    The Bible says: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Rom. 1:20).

    Jens Bjørneboe said it pointedly: No clock makes itself – yet many believe that the things we set our clocks by, the sun and the stars, do. Creation proclaims, day and night, that God exists:
    “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1).

    Morality – God’s law in the heart
    In every human being there is a quiet awareness of right and wrong. The conscience whispers – and sometimes shouts. It shows that we are not only biology, but bearers of God’s image, with his law written on our hearts (Rom. 2:15).

    Imagine a society where no one has a conscience. A man takes his neighbour’s bread, and no one reacts – neither he himself nor others. A child is beaten, and no one feels disturbed. A friend is betrayed, and no one feels guilt. Everything is indifferent, because nothing is right or wrong.

    We instinctively know that such a society is inhuman – foreign to everything we are. For even if we can suppress the conscience, it never disappears completely. It is like an imprint of God in the human soul, a testimony about a holy lawgiver and a righteous judge who has placed his standard of goodness in our hearts.

    That we know the difference between good and evil shows that we are created for fellowship with a righteous Creator – he who himself is the Good.

    The history of religions – God in the human race
    All peoples, at all times, have had ideas about God. Even isolated tribes carry a deep primal faith – like an echo of a forgotten melody. It testifies that we are created to seek the Creator.

    Among the Maasai in East Africa there is a belief in Engai – the good and righteous God who created everything. In the rainforests of South America, some indigenous peoples tell of the Unknown God who once walked among humans, but whom they lost contact with. And in ancient China they carried the memory of Shang Di – the Lord of Heaven – who rules everything with justice and grace.

    Everywhere, in myths and songs, there is a quiet witness: humanity has not completely forgotten God – we carry the memories of him in our hearts. As Paul says: “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Religious longing is not an expression of human fantasy, but a trace of God’s image in us, a hunger to come home.

    Experience – God in human life
    Through the centuries, millions have told of answered prayer, forgiveness, healing and transformation. These testimonies are not theoretical arguments but experiences of a living God who acts.

    Many discuss God’s existence – but those who know him say with Job: “I know that my redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). In every culture, Christians bear witness to the same reality: peace, hope, love and joy – not as ideas, but as life.

    Revelation – God in the Word
    God has not left us groping in the dark. He has spoken – many times and in many ways (Heb. 1:1–3). The Bible is his living word, a library of 66 books written over 1500 years, but with one message: God seeks human beings.

    In the end the revelation came fully in Jesus Christ: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18).

    God is as Jesus is. When you look at Jesus, you see the face of God.

    Jesus – God revealed in a human being
    Jesus spoke with an authority no one else had:

    “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
    “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
    “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

    He called people to faith, to life, to fellowship – and to discipleship. He was irresistible, close to everyday life and full of joy. Wherever he came, hopeless people were raised up. Where religion had created fear, he came with grace.

    C. S. Lewis put it like this: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. … Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”

    The choice remains for each of us: Is Jesus who he says he is?

    Jesus – the Lord of history
    Jesus stepped forward and proclaimed:
    “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).

    He did not come just to give us religion, but to restore the kingdom of God – God’s good rule on earth.

    From creation God called human beings to govern the earth in his image (Gen. 1:26–28). When sin broke in, fellowship was destroyed – but God’s plan stood firm. Through the promises to Abraham, the prophets and the history of Israel he prepared the way for the King who was to come.

    The prophets saw it:
    “For to us a child is born … Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end” (Isa. 9:6–7).

    Daniel saw it: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Dan. 2:44).

    When the time had fully come, the angel said to Mary:
    “His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:33).

    Jesus came to save his people from their sins (Matt. 1:21) and to proclaim a kingdom where God again rules in human hearts.

    Citizens of God’s kingdom
    To believe in Jesus is to step out of darkness into the light. God “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col. 1:13). That means we receive a new life – the rule of a new King – on the inside. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3).

    When we let Jesus be King, everything is transformed: our will, our mind and our priorities.
    “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).

    TOOLS: FAITH THAT BECOMES ALIVE

    For you personally
    • Write down what you believe about God. How does it shape your everyday life?
    • Read John 14 and ask God to show you who he is through Jesus.

    In the small group or family
    • Talk about how you see God’s traces in nature and in human kindness.
    • Tell each other about an experience where you sensed that God was nearby.

    In the congregation
    • Pray together for people who are seeking God.
    • Share testimonies of what faith in Jesus means in everyday life.

    WISE SAYING
    Faith is not understanding everything about God – but trusting the One who knows everything about you.

    PRAYER
    Father in heaven, thank you that you have revealed yourself through creation, through the Word and most of all through Jesus Christ.
    Help me to build my life on you, not on my own thoughts.
    Show me your traces in the world and in my own heart.
    Let faith become living – a trust that carries me in both joy and trials.
    Amen.

  • When discouraged and heavy thoughts creep into our soul.

    Psalm 119,50 It is my comfort in my sufferings that your word gives me life.

    Once again, we see how truthful David is when he talks about life. It's one of the things I like most when I read the Psalms. David and the other psalmists are so brutally real and honest in what they say. They do not hide their disappointments and difficulties. They depict bitter and bad feelings. They put words to dark and heavy thoughts. But they take us along to the jubilant high points in life when they celebrate God's salvation.

    In this verse, David is in trouble and is having a hard time. From the context we understand that this misfortune is something his enemies have inflicted on him. His opponents have made life miserable for him. Problems pile up and he sees no visible solution. Everything is dark around him and he feels alone. He is in great distress. It is in such moments that discouragement and heavy thoughts creep into our souls. Then we need God's comfort, as David did.

    David found comfort in God's word. The Word created faith and life. The Word gave him hope and refreshed him. I have experienced the same many times. When the pain has been great and the heavy thoughts have been painful to fight with, I have time and again found comfort and new courage in the Word. I do not live by bread alone, but every word from the mouth of God gives me life. God's Word is a source of life. In the middle of the darkness and the bad news, I find comfort in the fact that what he has promised has enabled me to live through the bad and come out on the other side, – alive in God's power and grace.

    Prayer:

    Lord, in all my trials and difficulties I find great comfort in your promises, because they keep me alive!

  • The woman behind

    Yesterday I wrote an entry about the well-known Bjørn Olav Hansen – a giant of faith and prayer. Today I like to share with you a little bit about the woman behind the man. This woman is a great woman of God and a giant in the Kingdom of God. There is a popular saying going like this: Behind every successful there is a surprised woman. I like to change this sentence to a better version: Behind every man of God there is a praying wife or woman! The praying woman behind a man of God is more important than we normally understand. The humble woman behind is often not appreciated nor honoured in the way she deserves.

    image from https://erling.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f06569e202c1b25cea6c200d-pi

    May Sissel Hansen is such an important woman behind the man of God that I want to honour her. Whenever I see her, she is a big smile, but I believe that behind there are many burdens and tears shed in the secret place of prayer. Her husband has a big name among believers in Norway, he is well-known, but what about his precious wife? Is she appreciated for her selfless service, her humble assistance of her husband?

    May Sissel is always serving. She has the heart of a true servant of God. She is looking for opportunities to serve and to bless people. She has the gift of showing hospitality and are blessing the many visitors they have in extraordinary ways. Solveig and I had the privilege of enjoying a wonderful meal at their home quite recently. We really enjoyed the food but even more we enjoyed the company, the blessed fellowship of being together.

    Whenever I see Bjørn Olav speaking at a conference, I observe that May Sissel is in the background. He is in the front, he is visible, but she is always the important person behind. Often, she is not seen at all, but she is always there behind the scene ready to assist. She has an eye for what he needs at any time, and she is always there to help and to serve. She is really a hero! She is the woman behind the man of God.

    I am sure May Sissel have had the same experience many times that Solveig and I had recently. I had been invited to preach in the Sunday morning service in a church. At the beginning of the meeting, I was warmly welcomed to the by the leader from the front when the service started. Solveig was not mentioned at all. We were sitting together, but she was totally overlooked or ignored. I felt bad but choose to keep quiet. The precious woman behind the man of God was not appreciated. What a shame. It was not the first time she was overlooked; I am afraid it happens to often to the important women behind the man.

    Whenever I am asked to preach, I spend time in prayer and preparation of the message. Behind me there is a prayerful wife who is travailing more in prayer for me than I do myself. Sometimes she brings me words or visions from God that helps me in my preparations and enables me to bring the Word of the Lord to the churches.

    May Sissel is having a similar function towards her husband. She is a prayerful lady. I do not know exactly the many ways May Sissel is praying for Bjørn Olav, or how her prayer and spiritual insights helps him in his ministry. But I know that she is behind him and share a vital role in his fruitful ministry. Without her he would not have been the man of God that he by the grace of God is.

    I like to honour May Sissel for her humble and prayerful ministry to the Lord. She is an example of godliness and holy devotion to God for everyone, whether we are men or women.

    Dear reader, thank you for taking time to read what I write. As I have been hacked and blocked from my social media, I ask you to share posts from my blog on your social media. You may just click on the logo of Facebook and Twitter under this entry to share it with your friends. and followers. Thank you for spreading the message!

    Text: Erling Thu

  • A giant of faith and prayer

    On our way to the mountain area for a few days of vacation and picking cloud berries we visited a man of God: Bjørn Olav Hansen. He is our longstanding friend, but more important he is a praying saint, a giant of prayer. He. is one of my heroes of faith.

    image from https://erling.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f06569e202b751ae7531200c-pi

    We have co-authored the book we are holding in our hand: The Big Family Prayer Book. It is a collection of prayers covering the entire life span, from birth to death.  Some of these prayers have been prayed by the people of God for hundreds or thousands of years as some are taken from the Bible and some from throughout the entire church history. Several of the prayers are written by the two authors behind the book.

    Bjørn Olav Hansen was a journalist for several years before he became a Baptist Pastor. He is one of the founders and leaders of the Norwegian Prayer Council. He has been very important in the prayer movement in our nation.  Constantly he is ministering in all kind of churches helping the people of God into a fruitful prayer life in the power of the Holy Spirit. That he is still doing this, is a miracle to me. For many years he has been suffering from the Parkinson desease as well as many other serious sicknesses. He is no longer able to stand while he is preaching and teaching, often we see him in a wheelchair, but he is never quitting! By faith he overcomes many obstacles.

    He is also an excellent writer and have authored many books. But through his blog,  he is reaching many more people than through his books. What he is writing on his blog he also publish on Facebook and his writings are a great encouragement to thousands of people. I admire him that he in spite of his many health challenges every day share his insight and wisdom with us through social media. He is also very transparent and makes himself vulnerable by sharing with us his struggles. This adds weight to everything he writes and publish as we understand this is real stuff not theories.

    I want to encourage all my friends to keep Bjørn Olav in prayers, that God may strengthen him and enable him to continue in his important ministry!

    Dear reader, thank you for taking time to read what I write. As I have been hacked and blocked from my social media, I ask you to share posts from my blog on your social media. You may just click on the logo of Facebook and Twitter under this entry to share it with your friends. and followers. Thank you for spreading the message!

    Text: Erling Thu

  • Understanding to observe the law

    Psalm 119:34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.

    I like the burning zeal David has to learn from God what man could not teach him. God has given all human beings a measure of intellectual capacity to think and learn, but here David teaches us that we can ask God to give us grace to use that ability to understand what tends to our peace. He asks to know how to keep God's law. He prays that the Lord must enlighten his mind to understand God's will.

    We need wisdom and understanding to keep God's law. Therefore, we also find in the New Testament that the apostle Paul often prays that the Holy Spirit must give the believers enlightened eyes to understand and take possession of  our inheritance. He calls the Spirit the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Apostle John says: we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 5:20).

    In this Psalm, David does not ask just for understanding to keep the word. He also prays for grace to observe God's law wholeheartedly. In Hebrew thinking, understanding and knowledge are not anything theoretical and intellectual, but are always linked to life. We only understand God's Word when we live it. If we do not live by the word of God, we have not understood it. If we truly understand who God is and what He says we should do, we would not dare or want to do something other than obey. When we have come to know God through Jesus Christ, we also have the urge to do His will.

    There are some translations where this last sentence is not a prayer, but a promise: Truly, I shall observe it with my whole heart! There is no contradiction between its two ways of translating this sentence. Whenever we give a promise to God, we do it in prayer for grace to fulfil it. Whenever we commit ourselves to something for God, we do so in the belief that God will help us. Our prayer and promise go in the same direction. Both are turned to God. It is him we want to learn from. It is His will that we will do, and it is His grace that will help us. We pray wholeheartedly, and will gladly keep and observe His law of our whole heart.

    "Give me an understanding heart, that I with burning zeal can know and obey your truth!"

  • Yoga

    Avisa Dagen fortalde i går at i den komande helga står Yoga på programmet i eit kyrkjeleg seminar om kristen truspraksis. Dialog prest Marianne Bergsjø Gammelsæter seier at Yoga kan vera ei åndeleg øving på lik linje med ulike vandringar, bønneformer, eller for den del, skigåing. Med rette spør Dagen om Yoga er like uskuldig som ein skitur, og slår fast at arrangørane tek Yoga inn i kyrkjevarmen. Dette er ei farleg utvikling eg vil åtvara mot.

    Lat meg først slå fast at kroppsøvingar kan vera nyttige til noko, men gudsfrykt er nyttig til alt. Når me kristne går på ski eller er ute i naturen på anna vis, bruker me alle sansane våre og let skaparverket tala til oss. Ein skitur kan vera til stor glede og velsigning og me kan møta Gud i naturen, for alt kjem frå han. Yoga er ingen uskuldig skitur, men heller ein veg inn i heidensk filosofi.

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  • Seeing glimpses of God

    To be somebody is to see glimpses of God

    at unexpected moments

    in the song of a bird

    in the sparkles of light on water

    in the scent or the sight of the ocean

    in the hint of springtime on a mild winter day

    in the innocent smile of a baby

    in the wrinkles in the face of your mother

    in the enduring love of your wife

    in the care of your neighbours

    in the green sprout of a dandelion break through black tarmac

    in an eagle soaring the sky

    in an old fashioned postcard or a modern text message on the cell phone

    Written after having read "The secret message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren