Monite Novema 14, 2022

THE HILLS OF GLORY

KO E NGAAHI MO‘UNGA ‘O E LANGILANGI

PSALM 121:1

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

SAAME 121:1

TE U tāngaki hoku mata ki he ngaahi mo‘unga: ‘E ha‘u mei fē hoku tokoni?

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Jesus endured great humiliation, and therefore there was room for Him to be exalted. By that humiliation He accomplished and endured all the Father's will, and therefore He was rewarded by being raised to glory. He uses that exaltation on behalf of His people.

Let my reader raise his eyes to these hills of glory, whence his help must come. Let him contemplate the high glories of the Prince and Savior. Is it not most hopeful for men that a Man is now on the throne of the universe? Is it not glorious that the Lord of all is the Savior of sinners? We have a Friend at court; yea, a Friend on the throne. He will use all His influence for those who entrust their affairs in His hands.

Come, friend, and commit your cause and your case to those once-pierced hands, which are now glorified with the signet rings of royal power and honor. No suit ever failed which was left with this great Advocate.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Sapate Novema 13, 2022 

ONE CREATOR

FAKATUPU PE ‘E TAHA

DEUTERONOMY 32:6 ESV

Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?

TEUTALONOME 32:6

‘Oku pehē koā ho‘omou totongi ‘a e ‘Eiki, ‘A e kakai vale mo ta‘e‘atamai? ‘Ikai ko ho‘o tamai ia na‘e ma‘u koe? Kuo ne ngaohi koe, mo fokotu‘u koe?

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

AIl the things that are, are either created or uncreated. The one and only uncreated God, for there can be but one uncreated thing. If there were several uncreated things, there would be several eternals, for the uncreated and the eternal are so closely allied that as one is, so is also the other. For if there were several eternals, there would be several infinites, for these are so like unto and allied with each other that whatever is eternal is also infinite and whatever is infinite is also eternal.

Now, since there can be only one infinite (for as soon as we admit two infinite substances, each becomes finite), it is certain that the one and only uncreated thing is God. On this depends also the origin, source, and foundation of the first article of our faith, that is, when we say, "I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth," we confess and declare that we have an infallible faith, since it is one resting securely upon one only Creator.

ULRICH ZWINGLI

Tokonaki Novema 12, 2022

THE EMINENCE OF GLORY

KO E LANGILANGI ‘OKU TU‘UNUKU MAI

ROMANS 6:4

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

LOMA 6:4

Pea ko e me‘a ‘i hotau papitaiso ki he‘ene pekia, pea tā na‘a tau kaungā telio mo ia; koe‘uhi, hangē na‘e fokotu‘u ‘a Kalaisi mei he pekia ‘e he ‘Afio ‘a e Tamai, pehē ke fai‘aki ‘e kitautolu foki ha mo‘ui ‘oku fo‘ou hono anga.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Come and try this living Savior, if you have never done so before. This living Jesus is also raised to an eminence of glory and power. He does not now sorrow as "a humble man before his foes," nor labor as "the carpenter's son," but He is exalted far above principalities and power and every name that is named.

The Father has given Him all power in heaven and in earth, and He exercises this high endowment in carrying out His work of grace. Hear what Peter and the other apostles testified concerning Him before the high priest and the council: "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:30-31). The glory which surrounds the ascended Lord should breathe hope into every believer's breast.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Falaite Novema 11, 2022

CONSEQUENCE OF CREATION

KO E OLA ‘O E FAKATUPU

PSALM 104:33

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

SAAME 104:33

Ka u hiva kia Sihova ke ‘osi ‘eku mo‘ui: Ka u tā ha‘ape ki he ‘Otua lolotonga ‘eku ‘i ai.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

In the 104th Psalm, after a very particular, orderly, and magnificent representation of God's works of creation and common providence, it is said in the 31st verse, "The glory of the Lord shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works." Here God's glory is spoken of as the grand result and blessed consequence, on account of which he rejoices in these works. And this is one thing doubtless implied in the song of the seraphim, Isaiah 6:3:"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory."

The glory of God, in being the result and consequence of those works of Providence that have been mentioned, is in fact the consequence of the creation. The good attained in the use of a thing made for use is the result of the making of that thing, as signifying the time of day, when actually attained by the use of a watch, is the consequence of making the watch. So it is apparent that the glory of God is actually the result and consequence of the creation of the world.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Tu’apulelulu Novema 10, 2022 

FAITH BRINGS GLORY

‘OKU ‘OMI ‘E HE TUI ‘A E LANGILANGI

1 PETER 5:5

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

1 PITA 5:5

Pehē foki mo kimoutolu ‘a e kau fakaongo, mou anganofo ki he kau faifekau. ‘Io, mou no‘o kotoa pē ‘aki ‘a e fefakavaivai‘aki: he ‘oku tali teke‘i ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e ‘afungi, ka ‘oku ne foaki kelesi ki he anga vaivai.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Faith gives all the glory to God. It is of faith that it might be by grace, and it is of grace that there might be no boasting; for God cannot endure pride. "The proud he knoweth afar off," and He has no wish to come nearer to them. He will not give salvation in a way which will suggest or foster pride. Paul saith, "Not of works, lest any man should boast." Now, faith excludes all boasting. The hand which receives charity does not say, "I am to be thanked for accepting the gift"; that would be absurd. When the hand conveys bread to the mouth it does not say to the body, "Thank me, for I feed you." It is a very simple thing that the hand does though a very necessary thing; and it never arrogates glory to itself for what it does.

So God has selected faith to receive the unspeakable gift of His grace because it cannot take to itself any credit, but must adore the gracious God who is the Giver of all good.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Pulelulu Novema 9, 2022

GOD'S MORAL GOVERNMENT

KO E NGAAHI LAO MO E TU‘UTU‘UNI ‘A E ‘OTUA

1 CHRONICLES 16:29

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

1 KALONIKALI 16:29

Tuku kia Sihova ‘a e kolōlia ‘o hono huafa: To‘o me‘a‘ofa ‘o ha‘u ki hono ‘ao na: Hū kia Sihova ‘i he teunga tāpuhā.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

The Scripture leads us to suppose that God's glory is His last end in His moral government of the world in general. This has been already shown concerning several things that belong to God's moral government of the world, as particularly in the work of redemption, the chief of all dispensations His moral government of the world.

And I have also observed it, with respect to the duty which God requires of the subjects of His moral government, in requiring them to seek His glory as their last end. And this is actually the last end of the moral goodness required of them, the end which gives their moral goodness its chief value. And also that it is what that person which God has set at the head of the moral world, as its chief Governor, even Jesus Christ, seeks as His chief end. And it has been shown, that it is the chief end for which that part of the moral world which are good are made, or have their existence as good. I now further observe that this is the end of the establishment of the public worship and ordinances of God among mankind. 

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Tusite Novema 8, 2022

ALL TO GOD'S GLORY

FAI KOTOA MA’A HONO LANGILANGI

PHILIPPIANS 1:27

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

FILIPAI 1:27

Sino pē e me‘a, ho‘omou feangai fakaekimoutolu ‘o e Kolo, ke taau ia mo e Kōsipeli ‘o Kalaisi: koe‘uhi, pe te u ‘alu atu ‘o mamata, pe te u mama‘o pē ‘o fanongo ki ho‘omou ngaahi me‘a, kehe ke hā ‘oku mou tu‘u ma‘u, ‘o laumālie taha, ‘o mou loto uouangataha pē he fakafitefita‘a ma‘a e lotu fakakōsipeli;

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

The Christian, while in the world, is not to be of the world. He should be distinguished from it in the great object of his life. To him, "to live" should be "Christ." Whether he eats, or drinks, or whatever he does, he should do all to God's glory. You may lay up treasure, but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. You may strive to be rich, but be it your ambition to be "rich in faith" and good works. You may have pleasure, but when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your hearts to the Lord. In your spirit as well as in your aim, you should differ from the world.

Waiting humbly before God, delighting in communion with Him, and seeking to know His will, you will prove that you are of the heavenly race. And be separate from the world in your actions. If a thing be right, though you lose by it, it must be done; if it be wrong, though you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's sake.

CHARLES SPURGEON