Tusite ‘Akosi 1, 2017

“Not I”

Fehu‘i #1

Ko e hā ‘etau ‘amanaki pe taha ‘i he mo‘uí mo e maté?

(What is our only hope in life and death?) 

‘Oku ‘ikai ‘o kitautolu ‘a kitautolu, ka ‘oku fakatou ma‘u hotau sinoʹ mo e laumalié ‘e he ‘Otuá mo hotau Fakamo‘ui ko Sisu Kalaisi, ‘o tatau pe ‘i he mo‘ui mo e mate.

(That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ)

** Koeʻuhiʹ ko ‘ene taha pe ‘etau veesi ki he uikeʹ, pea ‘oku taau leva ke tau ako ai pe ke tau maʻu loto fakataha mo e fehuʻi ‘o e uikeʹ.

** Kuoʹ ke fakatokangaʻi ha tapa hoʻo moʻuiʹ kuo ke ‘oange ki he ‘Eikiʹ he uike ni ke pule ai? Naʻe faingataʻa? Kapau ‘oku ‘i ai ha ‘elia ‘oku ‘ikai te ke loto ke ‘oange ki he ‘Eiki, ko e hā nai hono ‘uhinga? Foki ki heʻetau veesi tefitoʹ ‘o faiʻaki haʻo lotu.

Komeniteli ‘a Sione Kalavini - hoko atu

Commentary - John Calvin - cont.

Ko ha toki toʻutangata monūʻia moʻoni, ka ko kinautolu kuo nau ako ke ‘ilo ‘oku ‘IKAI ‘aʻana ia, pea kuoʹ ne toʻo ‘a e mafai mo ‘ene fie pule pe kiate iaʹ, ‘o ne tukulolo kakato ki he pule ‘a e ‘Otua! He ko ‘etau tuku ki hotau kitaʹ ke puleʹ, ko e mahaki fakatuʻutāmaki ia ‘oku iku ki hotau fakaʻauhaʹ. Ko e taulanga ū ‘o hotau fakamoʻuiʹ, ko ‘etau siʻaki hotau poto fakaetangataʹ, pea tukuange hotau mafai ke pule ki heʻetau ‘uuni meʻaʹ, kae muimui ki he tataki ‘a e ‘Otuaʹ tokotaha pe!

O, how much has that men profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God! For, as consulting our self-interest is the pestilence that most effectively leads to our destruction, so the sole haven of salvation is to be wise in nothing and to will nothing through ourselves but to follow the leading of the Lord alone.

Monite Siulai 31, 2017

“We are God’s”

Loma 14:7 - 8

He tala‘ehai ‘oku ‘i ai hatau toko taha ‘oku mo‘ui ma‘ana; pea tala‘ehai ‘oku ‘i ai hatau toko taha ‘oku pekia ma‘ana pē. He kapau ‘oku tau mo‘ui, ‘oku tau mo‘ui ma‘aʹ e ‘Eiki; pea kapau ‘oku tau pekia, ‘oku tau pekia ma‘aʹ e ‘Eiki: ko ia, pe ‘oku tau mo‘ui, pe ‘oku tau pekia, ko e me‘a ‘a e ‘Eiki pē ‘a kitautolu. 

Romans 14:7 – 8

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

‘Oku tau hoko atu pe he ‘aho ni pea ‘i he toenga ‘o e uikeʹ ni, ‘etau vakai ki he ‘uluaki fehuʻi ‘o ‘etau Fehuʻi mo e Taliʹ. ‘Oku mālie ‘aupito ‘a e fehuʻiʹ ni he ‘oku fuʻu fekauʻaki ‘aupito mo ‘etau kaveinga naʻe fokotuʻu ‘e he sevāniti ‘a e ‘Eiki, “ke ‘Eiki mo Pule ‘a Kalaisi ‘i heʻetau moʻui.” Pea ‘i heʻene peheeʹ, pea ‘oku ‘IKAI KE TAU TOE PULE KI HAʻATAU MEʻA, ka ‘oku faʻiteliha ‘a Kalaisi ‘iate kitautolu.

Komeniteli ‘a Sione Kalavini - hoko atu

Commentary - John Calvin - cont.

‘Oku ‘a e ‘Otuaʹ kitautolu: ko ia, ke tau moʻui maʻana, mo pekia maʻana. ‘Oku ‘a e ‘Otuaʹ kitautolu: tukuange ‘a hono potoʹ mo hono finangaloʹ ke pule ‘i heʻetau ngaue kotoa pe. ‘Oku ‘a e ‘Otuaʹ kitautolu: tukuange ‘a e tapa kotoa ‘o ‘etau moʻuiʹ ke kakapa kiate Ia, pea ko Ia pe ‘etau tahaʻi kaveinga.

Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him. We are God’s: let his wisdom and will therefore rule our actions. We are God’s: that all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal.

KONGA I

‘Otua, Fakatupu, Tō ‘a e Tangata, Lao

Sapate Siulai 30, 2017

“Our Only Hope in Life and Death”

Fehu‘i #1

Ko e hā ‘etau ‘amanaki pe taha ‘i he mo‘uí mo e maté?

(What is our only hope in life and death?) 

‘Oku ‘ikai ‘o kitautolu ‘a kitautolu, ka ‘oku fakatou ma‘u hotau sinoʹ mo e laumalié ‘e he ‘Otuá mo hotau Fakamo‘ui ko Sisu Kalaisi, ‘o tatau pe ‘i he mo‘ui mo e mate.

(That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ)

Loma 14:7-8

He tala‘ehai ‘oku ‘i ai hatau toko taha ‘oku mo‘ui ma‘ana; pea tala‘ehai ‘oku ‘i ai hatau toko taha ‘oku pekia ma‘ana pē.He kapau ‘oku tau mo‘ui, ‘oku tau mo‘ui ma‘a e ‘Eiki; pea kapau ‘oku tau pekia, ‘oku tau pekia ma‘a e ‘Eiki: ko ia, pe ‘oku tau mo‘ui, pe ‘oku tau pekia, ko e me‘a ‘a e ‘Eiki pē ‘a kitautolu. 

Romans 14:7 – 8

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Komeniteli (tohi vete) - Sione Kalavini

Commentary - John Calvin

Kapau leva ‘oku ‘ikai ‘o kitautolu ‘a kitautolu, ka ‘oku ‘a e ‘Otuaʹ, pea ‘oku mahino leva ‘a e ngaahi kovi ke tau hola mei ai mo e ngaahi meʻa ke tatakiʻaki ‘etau moʻui. ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘akitautolu: ‘oua naʻa tuku ‘etau fakakaukauʹ mo hotau lotoʹ ke ofeʻi ‘etau ngaahi kaveingaʹ mo ‘etau ngaahi ngaueʹ. ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘akitautolu: ta u tokanga ke ‘oua naʻa ta u tulia ha kaveinga ngaue ke tau kumi ‘a e meʻa ‘oku faingofua kiate kitautolu ... ‘Oku ‘ikai ‘akitautolu: ‘i he lelei taha ‘oku ta u malavaʹ, ta u fakangaloʻi ‘akitautolu mo e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pe ‘oku tau maʻuʹ.

If we, then, are not our own but the Lord’s, it is clear what error we must flee, and whither we must direct all the acts of our life. We are not our own: let not our reason nor our will, therefore, sway our plans and deeds. We are not our own: let us therefore not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient for us… We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us forget ourselves and all that is ours.

**COMING - SUNDAY JULY 30TH 2017**

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men – John 1:4

Alpha - the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α), transliterated as ‘a.’

Light - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

AM - stands for “ante meridiem”, which means “before noon” in Latin

First Light - time when light first appears in the morning; dawn

Welcome to ALPHA MAAMA (AM) Youth Devotional. This devotional is a result of many conversations with young people and leaders of our fellowship about the need for a devotional for young people and young adults. Our “Taukapo” has served our adult population well and with the English translation, I’ve attempted to bridge the language gap. The translation was received very well in the beginning but just like many things in life, the interest has tapered off. Spiritually speaking, our greater need for righteousness and maturity is not due to a “language” gap, but a “longing” gap.

If you’ve struggled with your affection for the things of God, no amount of devotional books, Apps, posts and or preaching will get through to you. Only the Spirit of God can reach you and break you and mold you into His image. This devotional and the hundreds more available to you, will only guide and assist. My hope and prayer will always be that you will allow God’s Spirit and His Word to speak and work to “will and to do of His good pleasure in you” (Philippians 2:13).

The name of this devotional is self-explanatory. Just as we might reach for our phones in the morning to turn off the alarm and check social media, hopefully, we will be reminded that “First” thing should always be first. His “light” is what we desperately need most (Psalm 119:105).

 Na‘e kamata ‘a e fatu ‘o e lesoni lau Folofola ma‘ae to‘utupú ‘i he Youth “APP” pea lele mai ai ‘o a‘u pe ki ha taimi kuo u fakatokanga‘i mahalo pe ne ki‘i tō faka-tekinikale ‘a e kaveingá pea ko e ‘uhinga ia ne fai ai ‘a e liliu ko ení.

Ko e tohi ‘oku tefito ai ‘a ‘etau lesoni fo‘oú, ‘oku ui ko e THE NEW CITY CATECHISM DEVOTIONAL; ko e tohi ‘a e The Gospel Coalition pea pulusi ‘e he Crossway Publishing 2017. Ko e devotional ko ení ko e to‘o mei he tohi fehu‘i-mo e-tali (catechism).

Ko e tu‘u foki ‘a e Feohi‘anga Mo‘ui Fo‘oú pea mo e ngaahi siasi lahi, ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e ngaahi tefito‘i tui (statement of faith). ‘I he fononga mai ‘a e siasi fakakalisitiané, na‘e ‘i ai mo e ngaahi mo‘oni‘i me‘a na‘e fai ki ai ‘a e piki mo e tukupā ke fakamahino ‘a hono mamahi‘i ‘o e tokāteline mo e akonaki ‘a Sisuú. Ko e tui ‘a e kau ‘aposetoló  ‘oku kau ia ‘i ha ngaahi mo‘oni ‘oku tauhi mo lau ma‘uloto ‘e he ngaahi siasí. Pea ‘i he tuku‘au mai ‘a e siasí ‘i he ngaahi senitulí na‘e mahu‘inga ke fakatahataha‘i ‘a e ngaahi tokāteliné  ke ako‘i pea na‘e ngaue‘aki ‘a e fehu‘i mo e talí  pe ko e founga ‘oku ‘iloa ko e “catechism”; mei he lea Kalisí, katechein – ko e ako‘i fou ‘i he lea pe fakamatala ngutu.

Ko e ngaahi fehu‘i ‘e 52 (uike ‘e 52 ‘o e ta‘u) ko e unu mai ‘o fakafo‘ou mei he ngaahi katekeino lalahi ‘a e siasí; Calvin’s Geneva Catechism, Westminster Shorter and Longer catechism pea mo e Heidelburg Catechism. ‘Oku vahevahe ki ha konga ‘e 3: Konga I – ‘Otua, Fakatupu, tō ‘a e tangatá, Laó (fehu‘i ‘e 20); Konga II – Kalaisi, huhu‘i, kelesi (fehu‘i ‘e 15); Konga III – Laumālie, fakafo‘ou, tupu ‘i he kelesi (fehu‘i ‘e 17). Ko e fo‘i fehu‘i kotoa pe ‘oku ‘i ai hono tali, veesi huluhulu pea mo e komeniteli (vete) mei he kau mo‘unga‘i tangata ‘o e teolesio mei ono‘aho pea mo e ni‘ihi ‘i hotau kuongá.

Ko e ‘etau lotú  ia mo e faka‘amú  ke hoko ‘a e ngaahi “katekeino” ko ‘ení  ko ha fakalotolahi mo ha toe fakamanatu ‘o e mahu‘inga ke tau ‘ilo mo puke ma‘u ki he‘etau tui mo e ngaahi “tokāteline na‘e ‘omi tu‘o taha ki he kakai lotú” (Siutasi 1:3).

Katechein (Greek) - Catechism (English) – Katekeino (Tongan)

**COMING - SUNDAY JULY 30TH 2017**