Tokonaki Tisema 31, 2022

PROCLAIMING GOD'S GLORY

TALAKI ‘A HONO LANGILANGI

HEBREWS 11:3

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

HEPELU 11:3

Ko tui ‘oku tau ‘utangi ai, ne langa ‘a e ngaahi ‘ūnivēsi ‘e he folofola ‘a e ‘Otua; ‘o pehē, kuo ‘ikai tupu ‘a e me‘a ‘oku tau sio ki ai mei ha ngaahi me‘a ‘oku hā.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

We know God, who is Himself invisible, only through His works. This is the reason why the Lord, that He may invite us to the knowledge of Himself, places the fabric of heaven and earth before our eyes, rendering Himself, in a certain manner, manifest in them. For His eternal power and Godhead (as Paul says) are there exhibited (Romans 1:20).

And that declaration of David is most true, that the heavens, though without a tongue, are yet eloquent heralds of the glory of God, and that this most beautiful order of nature silently proclaims His admirable wisdom (Psalm 19:1). This is the more diligently to be observed, because so few pursue the right method of knowing God, while the greater part adhere to the creatures without any consideration of the Creator Himself.

For men are commonly subject to these two extremes; namely that some, forgetful of God, apply the whole force of their mind to the consideration of nature; and others, overlooking the works of God, aspire with a foolish and insane curiosity to inquire into his Essence. Both labor in vain.

JOHN CALVIN

Falaite Tisema 30, 2022

GRACE BRINGS GLORY

‘OKU ‘OMI ‘E HE KELESI ‘A E LANGILANGI

JOHN 1:16

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

SIONE 1:16

He na‘a tau ma‘u kotoa pē mei he‘ene fonu ko ia, ‘io, ‘o taufetongi he kelesi mo ha kelesi.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

One thing is past all question: we shall bring our Lord most glory if we get from Him much grace. If I have much faith, so that I can take God at His word; much love, so that the zeal of His house cats me up; much hope, so that I am assured of fruit from my labor; much patience, so that I can endure hardness for Jesus' sake; then I shall greatly honor my Lord and King. Oh, to have much consecration, my whole nature being absorbed in His service; then, even though my talents may be slender, I shall make my life to burn and glow with the glory of the Lord!

This way of grace is open to us all. To be saintly is within each Christian's reach, and this is the surest method of honoring God. Though the preacher may not collect more than a hundred in a village chapel to hear him speak, he may be such a man of God that his little church will be choice seed-corn, each individual worthy to be weighed against gold.

SPURGEON

Tu’apulelulu Tisema 29, 2022 

HIS PROVIDENCE

KO ‘ENE PALOVITENISI

PSALM 113:5-6

5¶Who is like the Lord our God, Who is enthroned on high, 6 Who looks far down to The heavens and the earth?

PSALM 113:5-6

Ko hai ‘oku tatau mo Sihova ko hotau ‘Otua? ‘A ia ‘oku ne ‘ai mei ‘olunga hono ‘afio‘anga. 6 ‘A ia ‘oku ne āfeitaulalo ke vakai ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘a langi mo māmani.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Though God's glory is far above all heavens, the distance at which is placed does not prevent His governing the world by His providence. God is highly exalted, but He sees after off, so that He needs not change place when He would condescend to take care of us. We on our part are poor and lowly, but our wretched condition is no reason why God will not concern Himself about us.

While we view with admiration the immensity of His glory as raised above all heavens, we must not disbelieve His willingness to foster us under His fatherly care. The two things are, with great propriety, conjoined here by [the psalmist], that, on the one hand, when we think of God's majesty we should not be terrified into a forgetfulness of His goodness and benignity, nor, on the other, lose our reverence for His majesty in contemplating the condescension of His mercy.

JOHN CALVIN

Pulelulu Tisema 28, 2022

TO SPREAD HIS GLORY

KE FAKAMAFOLA ‘A HONO LANGILANGI

MATTHEW 28:19

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

MATTHEW 28:19

Ko ia, ke mou ō, ‘o ngaohi ‘a e ngaahi kakai kotoa pē ko ‘eku kau ako, ‘i he papitaiso kinautolu ki he Huafa ‘o e Tamai mo e ‘Alo mo e Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni:

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

The whole world knows that His glory has not been spread by force and weapons, but poor fishermen. O wise man, do you think the poor fishermen were not clever enough for this? Where they worked, there they made hearts better; where they could not work, there men remained bad; and therefore was the faith true and from God. The signs which the Lord had promised followed their teaching: in His name they drove out the devil; they spoke in new tongues; if they drank any deadly drink, they received therefrom no harm.

Even if these wonders had not occurred, there would have been the wonder of wonders, that poor fishermen without any miracle could accomplish so great a work as the faith. It came from God, and so is Christ true and Christ is thy God, who is in heaven and awaits thee. You say you believe the Gospel, but you do not believe me. But the purer anything is, so much the nearer it stands to its end and purpose. The Christian life purifies the heart, and places it very near to the truth.

MARTIN LUTHER

Tusite Tisema 27, 2022

OWL OR FALCON?

LULU PE KO E FALAKONE

ROMANS 12:6

However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith;

ROMANS 12:6

Pea ko eni, ‘i he‘etau ma‘u ‘a e ngaahi mafai fakalaumālie, ‘a ia ‘oku faikehekehe ‘o fakatatau ki he kelesi ‘oku foaki mai, ko ia, kapau ko e malanga-palofisai ia, pea tau fai ke hoa mo ‘etau tui;

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Some men never can do much for God in the way which they would prefer, for they were never cut out for the work. Owls will never rival falcons by daylight, but then falcons would be lost in the enterprise of hunting barns at night for rats and mice. Each creature is not only good, but "very good" in its own place, fulfilling its own office; out of that place, it may become a nuisance.

Friend, be true to your own destiny! One man would make a splendid preacher of downright hard-hitting Saxon; why must he ruin himself by cultivating an ornate style? Another attempting to be extremely simple would throw himself away, for he is florid by nature; why should he not follow his bent? Apollos has the gift of eloquence; why must he copy blunt Cephas? Every man in his own order. It seems to me that nowadays, every man prefers his own disorder. Let each man find out what God wants him to do, and then let him do it, or die in the attempt.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Monite Tisema 26, 2022 

DILIGENTLY SERVE ALL

NGAUE ‘OSIKIAVELENGA MA‘AE TAHA KOTOA

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58

Ko ia, si‘oku kāinga ‘ofa‘anga, ke mou tu‘u ma‘u, ta‘engaue, ‘o mou tupulekina ma‘u ai pē ‘i he ngāue ‘a e ‘Eiki: ‘i ho‘omou ‘ilo ni, ko e me‘a ki he ‘Eiki, ko ho‘omou fakaongosia ‘oku ‘ikai ko e laufanō ia.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Every young man should, from early youth, strive after steadiness, faithfulness, truth, faith, righteousness, and piety; and he should diligently practice these things. With these he can serve, with fruitful results, the cause of Christianity, society around him, and his country, for he will be useful to the body politic as well as to the individual citizen. Those are weak-minded persons who are concerned only about living a quiet life. They are not so godlike as those who, to their own detriment, diligently serve all men.

We ought to be very careful, at the same time, that those things which we undertake to the glory of God, to the honor of our country, and for the common welfare be not defiled by self and Satan, so that we do not at last turn to our own advantage what we wish to be regarded as having been done for the good of others. There are many who begin well and go in the right direction, but they soon become corrupted by vain ambition, which poisons and destroys every good resolution, and as a result they are led away from all that is good and noble. The Christian will regard a community as a household, yea, as one body in which all members enjoy pleasure or suffer pain.

ULRICH ZWINGLI

Sapate Tisema 25, 2022

STRUGGLE AGAINST OUR FOE

MILIMILISINO MO HOTAU FILI

JOHN 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.

SIONE 10:10

Tala‘ehai ‘oku ha‘u ‘a e kaiha‘a ki ha me‘a, ka ke kaiha‘a pē, mo tāmate‘i, mo maumau: ko au kuo u ha‘u koe‘uhi ke nau ma‘u mo‘ui, pea ke nau ma‘u ‘o lahi ‘aupito.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe    

One thing which ought to animate us to perpetual contest  is he is everywhere both our adversary and the adversary of God. For if the glory of God is dear to us, as it ought to be, we ought to struggle with all our might against him who aims at the extinction of that glory. If we are animated with proper zeal to maintain the kingdom of Christ, we must wage irreconcilable war with him who conspires its ruin.

Again, if we have any anxiety about our own salvation, we ought to make no peace nor truce with him who is continually laying schemes for its destruction. But such is the character given to Satan in the third chapter of Genesis, where he is seen seducing man from his allegiance to God, that he may both deprive God of His due honor, and plunge man headlong in destruction.

JOHN CALVIN

Tokonaki Tisema 24, 2022

DELIGHT IN OUR SALVATION

TU‘U HO‘O MANAKO ‘I HO FAKAMO‘UI

JOHN 4:34

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

SIONE 4:34

Pea pehē ‘e Sīsū kiate kinautolu, Ko ‘eku me‘akai ē, ko e tuli ke fai ‘a e finangalo ‘o ia na‘a ne fekau mai au, pea ke faka‘osi ha‘ana ngāue.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe    

Those who carry the message of the Gospel should follow their Master in His zeal, so  wonderfully mixed and tempered with gentleness and condescension in His dealing with souls, preaching the gospel to the poor, and taking a gracious notice from time to time of little children. And they should imitate their Lord in His following the work of the ministry, not from mercenary views, or for the sake of worldly advantages, but for God's glory and men's salvation; and in having His heart engaged in His work; it being His great delight, and His meat, to do the will of His Father, and finish His work (John 4:34).

And having His heart set on the success of His great undertaking in the salvation of souls, this being the joy that was set before Him, for which He ran His race, endured the cross, and despised the shame; His delight in the prospect of the eternal salvation of souls more than countervailing the dread He had of His extreme sufferings. Many waters could not quench His love, neither could the floods drown it, for His love was stronger than death; yea, than the mighty pains and torments of such a death.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Falaite Tisema 23, 2022

UNRESTRAINED ZEAL

MAMAHI‘I ‘A E ME‘A ‘A E ‘OTUA

PSALM 69:9

For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.

SAAME 69:9

He ko e mamahi‘i ‘o ho fale kuo kai ‘o ‘osi au; Ko e ngaahi manuki ‘a e kakai ‘oku manuki koe kuo tō kiate au.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

How is it with you, dear brother? Do you say, "Well, I am not the warmest of all, but then I am not the coldest of all"? Then I have a suspicion as to your temperature; but I leave the matter to your own judgment, only remarking that I have never yet met with fire that is moderately hot. Should any of you discover such an article, you will be wise to patent it, for it might be of service in many ways.

The fire with which I have been acquainted has been such that I have never given it my hand without remembering its warm embrace. Fire has never yet learned moderation. I am told that it is wrong to go to extremes, and upon that ground fire is certainly guilty; for it is not only intensely hot, but it has a tendency to consume and destroy without limit. When it once commenced with this city, in the olden time, it left little of it but ashes; there was no keeping it within bounds. May God grant us grace to go to extremes in His service! May we be filled with an unrestrainable zeal for His glory!

CHARLES SPURGEON

Tu’apulelulu Tisema 22, 2022 

GAZE ON GOD'S GLORY

SIO FAKAMAMA’U KI HE NAUNAU ‘O E ‘OTUA

COLOSSIANS 3:24

knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve

KOLOSE 3:24

‘o mou ‘ilo, ko e ‘Eiki ia te mou ma‘u mei ai ‘a e totongi totonu, ko e ma‘u tofi‘a. Ko e ‘Eiki, ko Kalaisi ia ‘oku mou nofo tamaio‘eiki ki ai.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Persons cannot be said to forsake Christ and live on their experiences merely because they use them as evidences of grace, for there are no other evidences that they can take. But then may persons be said to live upon their experiences when they make a righteousness of them, and when, instead of keeping their eye on God's glory and Christ's excellency, they turn it on themselves. They entertain their minds by viewing their own attainments, their high experiences, and the great things they have met with, which are bright and beautiful in their own eyes.

They are rich and increased with goods in their own apprehensions, and think that God has as admiring an esteem of them, on the same account, as they have of themselves. This is living on experiences, and not on Christ, and is more abominable in the sight of God than the gross immoralities of those who make no pretences to religion. But this is a far different thing from improving experiences as evidences of an interest in a glorious Redeemer.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Pulelulu Tisema 21, 2022

CONTEMPLATE GOD'S GLORY

LAULOTOA ‘A E LANGILANGI ‘O E ‘OTUA

PSALM 86:10

For You are great, and You do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

SAAME 86:10

He ko e lahi ‘a e ‘Afiona, Pea mo e fai me‘a mana; Ko koe ‘a e ‘Otua toko taha.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe    

The contemplation of God's glory in His works is the true way of acquiring genuine godliness. The pride of the flesh would always lead it to wing its way into heaven; but, as our understandings fail us in such an extended investigation, our most profitable course is, according to the small measure of our feeble capacity, to seek God in His works, which bear witness of Him. Let us therefore learn to awaken our understandings to contemplate the divine works, and let us leave the presumptuous to wander in their own intricate mazes.

To incline our hearts to exercise this modesty, David magnificently extols the works of God, calling them wondrous things, although to the blind, and those who have no taste for them, they are destitute of attraction. In the meantime, we ought carefully to attend to this truth, that the glory of the Godhead belongs exclusively to the one true God; for in no other being is it possible to find the wisdom, or the power, or the righteousness, or any of the numerous marks of divinity which shine forth in His wonderful works.

JOHN CALVIN

Tusite Tisema 20, 2022 

GLORY DISPLAYED

FAKAE’EE’A HONO LANGILANGI

ESTHER 1:4

For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.

‘ESETA 1:4

lolotonga ‘ene faka‘ali‘ali ‘a e koloa ‘o hono fu‘u pule‘anga, mo e ‘a‘apa‘ia ‘o hono tu‘unga lāngilangi‘ia, ‘o ‘aho lahi, ‘io, ko e ‘aho ‘e teau mā valungofulu.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

We speak of a ruler or a great man having achieved an accomplishment with great glory, and that everything passed off gloriously when it has passed off well, successfully, and bravely. Glory does not only mean a great repute, or farfamed honor, but it means also the things which give occasion for the fame, such as costly houses, vessels, clothes, servants, and the like, as Christ says of Solomon: "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Matthew 6:28-29).

In the book of Esther we read, "King Ahasuerus made a great feast ... when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom" (1:3-4). Thus we say: this is a glorious thing, a glorious manner, a glorious deed, gloriosa res. This is also what the Evangelist means when he says, "We have seen his glory," to wit, His glorious being and deeds, which are not an insignificant, common glory, but the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

MARTIN LUTHER

Monite Tisema 19, 2022

DUE GLORY

‘OKU ‘A’ANA ‘A E LANGILANGI

PSALM 29:2

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name.

SAAME 29:2

Tuku kia Sihova ‘a e kolōlia ‘o hono huafa; Hū kia Sihova ‘i he teunga tāpuhā.

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Certainly we will be obliged to recognize and confess it, when we will remember, that everything that He has done, all that was nothing but a pure act of mercy for which we never gave Him any cause. Yes, believers, let us give Him all the glory for it. Let us never sacrifice to our own snares and our own spinning, as if it had been by our merits that we had acquired this advantage. What? Would we dare to pretend to something of God's majesty? Would we dare to flatter ourselves with this thought, that we preceded it, and that He saw something in us more than in the others which obliged Him to choose us for His heritage?

May the doctors of error and of the lie, may the partisans of nature and the enemies of grace say of it what they will: for us, believers who are instructed in a better school, admit frankly that it is He who has preceded in His mercy, who chose us of His pure good pleasure, and that it is only to Him that all of the glory is due for it.

FRANCIS TURRETIN

Sapate Tisema 18, 2022

GOD'S GLORY BRINGS PEACE

‘OKU ‘OMI ‘E HE LANGILANGI ‘O E ‘OTUA ‘A E NONGA

PSALM 7:9

Bring an end to the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

SAAME 7:9

Fakangatangata ā ‘a e kovi ‘o e kau faikovi; Ka ke fokotu‘u ma‘u ‘a e mā‘oni‘oni: He ko ia ‘oku sivi ‘a e ngaahi loto mo e ngaahi kofuua Ko e ‘Otua Fai totonu ia

 

Soli Deo Gloria – To the Glory of God Alone

Ki he Langilangi ‘o e ‘Otua Tokotaha pe   

Just as strife must exist where God's glory is not found, as Solomon says [in] Proverbs 13:10, "By pride cometh only contention," so also where God's glory is there must be peace. Why should they quarrel when they know that nothing is their own, but that all they are, have, and can desire is from God? They leave everything in His hands and are content that they have such a gracious God.

From this it follows that where there are true Christians, there is no strife, contention, or discord; as Isaiah says in Isaiah 2:4, "And they shall beat their swords into plowshears, and their into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift spears sword up against nation, neither shall they learn war any more!" Therefore our Lord Christ is called a King of peace, and is represented by King Solomon, whose name implies rich in peace, that inwardly He may give us peace in our conscience toward God through faith; and outwardly, that we may exercise love to our fellow men, so that through Him there may be everywhere peace on earth.

MARTIN LUTHER