ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 NEW MONTH

Fanau talavou, kau taki, kau tauhi, ngaahi matuʻa;

Youth, Young Adults, Leaders, Parents;

From the first verse of the Book of Genesis, “In the beginning, God created”, to the last verse, “So Joseph died”, we stand in awe of the mighty works of our triune GOD – Adam & Eve hid from Him, Enoch walked with Him, Noah obeyed Him, Abraham honoured Him, Jacob wrestled with Him, and Joseph proclaimed Him. All these “regular” people chosen by God to reveal Himself to the nations were flawed and faithful in different ways, but God was with them to bring about His sovereign plan of redemption.

Fakatauange ‘oku tau ‘inasi tatau ‘i he ngaahi koloa faka-langi ‘oku tau maʻu fakaʻaho mei heʻetau fonongaʻi ‘a e Folofola fakaʻaho´. Ko hono fokotuʻutuʻu ‘o e ngaahi lesoni´ mo hono tuku atu´, ko e fatongia pe ia ‘o e motuʻa´ ni, ka ko hono fakaola´ - KO E NGAUE ‘ATAʻATA PE IA ‘A E LAUMALIE MAʻONIʻONI!

I continue to pray that we, as a spiritual body, will seek and hunger after our Savior for daily sustenance; never satisfied with anything this world offers to replace what CHRSIT ALONE can. 

            In Christ alone my hope is found,

            He is my light, my strength, my song

            This Cornerstone, this solid Ground

            Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

In Christ -  L S Tulua

Monite 1 Ma’asi 2021

The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord

Pea ‘e ‘ilo ‘e he kakai ‘Isipite ko Sihova au

'Ekisoto 7 (Exodus 7)

v.5) The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

v.5) Pea ‘e ‘ilo ‘e he kakai ‘Isipite ko Sihova au, ‘oka u ka hiki hoku nima ki ‘Isipite, ‘o ‘omi ‘a ha‘a ‘Isileli mei honau lotolotonga.

*Commentary:  The ESV Study Bible*

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD. This statement recalls Pharaoh's earlier response ("Who is the LORD...? I do not know the LORD…” ; see 5.2) and is repeated as an explicit purpose of the plagues (see 7:17; 8:10, 22; 14:4, 18). In English, this phrase might seem simply equivalent to the Egyptians knowing "that I am God." While the plagues surely signify this, the Hebrew term translated as "the LORD" is the name by which God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush (3:14–15) and thus refers to the Egyptians knowing who he is, namely, "that I am Yahweh," Israel's covenant God. While the successive plague narratives offer further descriptions of Yahweh (see 8:10, 22; 9:14, 29, 11:7), their central purpose is to focus on his self-revelation through his mighty acts.

This “recognition formula” describes the Lord's revealing himself as Israel's God, to both Israel (6:7; 10:2; 16:12; 29:46; cf. Deut. 4:35; 7:9) and Egypt (Ex. 7:5, 17; 8:22; 14:4, 18). Outside of Exodus, the recognition formula is common in Ezekiel, where God vindicates himself, especially before his unbelieving people, but also before the nations (e.g., Ezek. 28:22; 36:23).

*Tohi Vete:  Tohitapu Ako ‘a e ESV*

Pea ‘e ‘ilo ‘e he kakai ‘Isipite´ ko Sihova au.  Ko e lea eni ‘oku ne fakamanatu ‘a e fehu’i na’e fai ‘e Felo kimu’a (“ko hai ‘a Sihova ke u tokanga ai ki he’ene lea”; vahe 5:2)   pea ‘oku toutou fakahaa’i malohi ‘i he ngaahi tautea (vakai ki he vahe 7:17; 8:10, v. 22; 14:4, 18”.  ‘I he lea ‘Ingilisi´, ‘e ngali ‘oku tatau pe ‘a e fakalea ko ‘eni mo ha pehe ki he kau ‘Isipite ke nau ‘ilo “ko e ‘Otua au.”  Pea neongo ‘oku hokomai ‘a e ngaahi tautea ‘o e mahaki faka’auha ke ne fakahaa’i ‘a e mo’oni ko eni, ka ko e kupu’ilea faka-Hepelū  “ko Sihova” ko e huafa ia ‘o e ‘Otua´ na’a ne fakaha kia Mosese ‘i he  vao talatala’amoa (3:14-15) pea ‘oku ‘uhinga ke ‘ilo ‘e he kakai ‘Isipite pe ko hai ‘a e ‘Otua, “ko Sihova au” (IAUE) ko e ‘Otua kovinanite ‘o ‘Isileli.  Ko e ngaahi tautea na’e to ki ‘Isipite ‘oku nau fakae’a ‘a e mafimafi ‘o Sihova (8:10, 22; 9:14, 29; 11:7), ko e taumu’a ke fakaha ‘a e ‘Otua ‘o fou ‘i he’ene ngaahi ngaue kaafakafa.  Ko e “faka’ilonga ngaue” ko ‘eni ‘oku ne fakamatala’i ‘a e fakahame’a ‘a e ‘Otua ‘o e ‘Isileli ki hono kakai (6:7); 10:2; 16:12; 29:46; Teutalonome 4:35; 7:9) pea mo ‘Isipite (‘Ekisoto 7:5, 17; 8:22; 14:4, 18).  Makehe mei he Tohi ‘Ekisoto, ko e “faka’ilonga ngaue” tatau ‘oku hā ‘i he Tohi ‘Isikeli, ‘a ē ‘oku fakamo’oni ai ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a hono mafi, tautefito ki he kakai ta’etui ‘Otua pea mo e ngaahi pule’anga(‘Isikeli 28:22; 36:23).   

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )

2        GOD IS SIMPLE

            Application

Now what does this doctrine have to do with the Christian life? A great deal. In the person of Christ, we encounter a man who is not simple according to his humanity in the way that he is according to his divinity. But we have, in a manner of speaking, a sort of analogy in the Spirit-filled life of Christ. For example, he was a man filled with the Spirit (Luke 4:18–21). As the man of the Spirit par excellence, Christ's emotions were all kept in perfect harmony in the sense that he reacted perfectly to every situation. He knew when to weep and when to laugh (Eccles. 3:4-5), when to be righteously angry and when to be righteously merciful. He did good by keeping the law of the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

In the way he observed the law and regulated his emotions, Christ provides us with a perfect example of the Spirit-filled life.

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spirit (vv. 19-23). After describing the works of the flesh, he speaks of the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (vv. 22–23).

"Fruit" here is singular, which is absolutely vital for understanding Christian holiness. This means, then, that the various aspects of the fruit of the Spirit are interconnected. Hence, "love is patient and kind” (1 Cor. 13:4). Love is often love because it is patient kindness. In Galatians 5, Paul is saying that our love must be joyful love, patient love, peaceful love, faithful love, gentle love, and so forth. Our patience is joyful patience. In this way,  when we manifest the fruit of the Spirit, we model in some sense God’s simplicity.

2        KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU LAULOTAHA

            Ko e Akonaki ki heʻetau moʻui´

 ‘I he tu’unga kuo tau a’u ki ai, ko e hā leva ‘a e kaunga ‘a e tokateline ko eni, pea mo ‘etau mo’ui fakakalisitiane?  ‘Oku kaunga lahi ‘aupito.  ‘I he pesona ‘o Kalaisi, ‘oku tau ma’u ha tangata ‘oku ‘ikai ke laulotaha ‘i hono tu’unga tangata´ ‘o hangē ko ia ‘oku hoko ‘i hono tu’unga faka-’Otua.  Ka ‘oku tau ma’u ‘ia Kalaisi, ‘i he anga pe ‘o ‘etau fakalea, ha fakatātā fungani ‘o e mo’ui ‘oku fonu ‘i he Laumalie.  Fakatātā; ko e tangata ia na’e fonu ‘i he Laumalie (Luke 8:18-21).  ‘I hono tu’unga ko e tangata tu’ukimu’a ‘o e Laumalie, ko e ngaahi ongo fakaetangata ‘a Kalaisi na’e tonu pea fehūmālie’aki pea haohaoa ‘i he momeniti kotoa pe.  Na’a ne tutulu mo fiefia ‘i hono taimi totonu (Koheleti 3:4-5), pea mo e taimi ke fakahaa’i ai ‘a e mā’oni’oni ‘o ‘ene houhau, pea mo e taimi ke fakahaa’i ai ‘a e haohaoa ‘ene fai meesi faka-’Otua.  Na’e lelei foki ‘ene tauhi ‘a e lao ‘a e ‘Otua ‘aki ‘a e kotoa hono loto´, laumālie´, ‘atamai´ mo e ivi´.  ‘I he founga ‘o ‘ene talangofua ki he lao´ mo ‘ene mapule’i hono ngaahi ongo’anga´, ‘oku ‘omi ‘e Kalaisi ‘a e fakatātā mo’oni taha ‘o e mo’ui ‘oku fonu ai ‘a e Laumālie.

‘Ia Kaletia vahe 5, ‘oku fakamatala ai ‘a Paula ki he kehekehe ‘o e kakano´ mo e Laumālie´ (v. 13-23). Hili ‘ene fakamatalaʻi ‘a e ngaahi ngaue ‘o e kakano´, ‘oku ne fakamatala leva ki he fua ‘o e Laumālie´: “Ka ko e fua ‘o e Laumālie, ko e ‘ofa, ko e fiefia, ko e melino, ko e anga mokomoko, ko e anga‘ofa, ko e anga tonu, ko e anga falala, ko e anga kātaki, ko e anga fakama‘uma‘u: ‘oku ‘ikai ha lao ke ta‘ofi ‘a e ngaahi me‘a pehē” (v. 22-23).

Ko e “Fua´” ‘oku singikulali (taha) ‘i heʻene hā ‘i he potu tohi ko eni´, pea ‘oku mātuʻaki mahuʻinga ‘a e foʻi moʻoni ko eni´ ki heʻetau mahinoʻi ‘a e moʻui maʻoniʻoni ‘a e Kalisitiane´. Pea ‘i heʻene pehee´, ko e tapa kehekehe ‘a e fua ‘o e Laumālie´ ‘oku felālāveʻi. Ko ia ai, “ko ‘ofa´ ‘oku ne anga mokomoko, mo angalelei” (1 Kol 13:4). Pea ‘oku ‘ofa ‘a ‘ofa koeʻuhi´ he ‘oku angamokomoko mo angalelei. ‘Ia Kaletia 5, ‘oku talamai ‘e Paula, ko ‘etau ‘ofa´ kuopau ko e ‘ofa ia ‘oku fonu fiefia, ‘ofa fonu melino, ‘ofa anga mokomoko, ‘ofa anga‘ofa, ‘ofa anga tonu, ‘ofa anga falala, ‘ofa anga kātaki, ‘ofa anga fakama‘uma‘u. Pea ko ‘etau melino´ (faʻa kātaki´) ko e melino fonu fiefia. Pea ‘i heʻene pehee´, ko e taimi ‘oku tau fakahaaʻi ai ‘a e fua ‘o e Laumālie´, ‘oku tau fakatātā ki mamani ‘a e tuʻunga laulōtaha ‘o e ‘Otua´ (God’s simplicity).