Erling Thu

Christian leadership

There is a discussion on leadership going on elsewhere on my blog on an article on apostolic leadership. It seems clear to me that many people have had some nasty encounters with so-called Christian leaders and leadership structures. Therefore they even reject the concept of leadership. They seem to feel that even all Biblical leadership terms are a power-language that we must avoid to use.

I thank God for his goodness and faithfulness to me in allowing me to work with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, overseers, - Christian leaders who express the love and care of Jesus Christ in their leadership functions towards me and the covenant communities to which I am related. The many different leadership terms used in the Bible are not part of a power-language to me, but rather expressions of the good order of God. I am happy to follow my Leader, Master, and Lord Jesus Christ and all those leaders he sends to me to guide me and help me in my walk with the Lord. I thank God for the blessings these Christ-like leaders have brought to my life.

Friend of traitors and sinners

Yesterday we had a good time as the covenant community gathered to worship our Lord and fellowship together. There was a real sense of the presence of God among us. The assembly was alive in the Holy Spirit.

I had the privilege of sharing the word of God with my brother and sisters. God had laid on my heart to share about Jesus - the friend people. To me, one the highest title of honour given to Jesus is the mocking words of his religious adversaries: Friend of traitors and sinners!

It is great to be a father and a grandfather

God has blessed me in many wonderful ways. I have been in love with the most wonderful woman in the world for 50 years, even though we have only been married 42 years. God blessed us with 6 wonderful children, - the best in the world. Now God is blessing us with grandchildren. So far we can include 11 wonderful girls and boys among them, and we wouldn't be surprised if God blessed us with some more! Family life is joyful, dynamic and ever expanding into new families who reproduce themselves.

Is the concept of leadership biblical?

Some time ago I published an article by Mike Steele on "The Apostle Who Is A Father". I had some positive comments when it was published. Now, one of my friends from the time I lead evangelistic teams in the pentecostal movement, Are Karlsen, has started to comment on the article. It seems like we will have an interesting dialogue. Why not join us?

Winter has arrived

When we arrived back home in Bergen we were surprised to see snow covering everything. Around Christmas time experts and common people alike were worried about the Norwegian winter. Some people seemed to believe that they would never see snow again in Bergen because of the global warming. Praise God the snow is here!

Wonderful time with grandchildren

I am back home after a wonderful time with our grandchildren in England. We enjoyed the beautiful but windy weather as we were able to see the sun every day. In Bergen we have had 84 days of continuous raining. However, the grandchildren are more beautiful than the sun, even after 84 days of rain.

Visiting grandchildren in England

This evening Solveig and I go to England to visit our daughter Hanna, her husband Daljinder and their wonderful children, Taj Kristian, Jai Ruben and Sunniva Isha. Spending time with the grandchildren is the highlight of our visit. It is always a great joy to see the grandchildren after several months. Our grandchildren are scattered around the "world" and some of them we don't see very regularly. It is a great joy to be grandparents and to be able to spend time with them.

Praying together

I am a very privileged man. God has been so good to me. Not only do I have the privilege of private praying but also the joy of praying together with my wife, friends and co-workers. Every Tuesday morning the leaders of the covenant community meet for prayer. After the prayer-meeting we enjoy a wonderful breakfast together, prepared by Solveig, the best wife in the world. This has gone on for many years and I think it is one of the main keys to the growth and fruitfulness we have seen during these years. Some time ago a daily prayer-meeting was introduced. We only spend 30 minutes together in prayer in this daily prayer-meeting, but I find it very stimulating.

Teaching at the Bible School on Isaiah

Today I have the joy of being with the students at Bergen Bibelskole looking at Isaiah and the prophetic ministry. To me the book of Isaiah is the greatest of all the books in the Bible. I love to read the book over and over again. The prophet Isaiah is a great poet. He is using so many vivid metaphores and pictures to communicate his timeless message of the holiness of God.

Brothers, friends, co-workers, fellow soldiers and saints

This morning I had the joy of listening to Noralv Askeland sharing the word of God at the gathering of the covenant community. He was ministering from Philemon 1-7. He started with this definition of church: people living together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He continued to describe the different names Pauls is using in these verses of people living under the Lordship of Christ.

A new look

Today I have given my blog a new look. I hope my friends like the change. I have been blogging since July 2002. There has been a few changes since my first blog at Blogger or Blogspot, and since I shifted to Typepad. Constant change is here to stay. I expect more changes to take place in days to come.

Alan Hirsch on Missional Church

Last week Alan Hirsch was visiting Bergen. I had the privilege of attending a full day seminar as well as having a dinner with this servant of God with Jewish background from Australia. He shared some good insight on the missional church with us.

Celebrating restoration

When we stepped out of the plane at Geiteryggen airport at Skien the ground was covered with white snow. What a surprise!

The weekend together with the covenant community in Skien became a wonderful celebration of restoration. Saturday evening we enjoyed a lavishing love-feast in the best meaning of the word. Sunday morning we were looking at what the word of God says about restoration. Restoration is one of the red treads through the entire history of the people of God. God is a God that never gives up. He is always working towards fulfillment of his eternal purpose. He is always restoring us back to his ultimate intention. He who began a good work in us is determined to fulfill it!

Life goes on

For several weeks there has been no new entry on my blog. This has been unusual, and it will not become the new trend. Most of this time of absence on the blog has been due to lack of online connectivity. It has been a wonderful time with children and grandchildren, and a time of reading, prayer and reflection, as well as of cutting down big trees.