PULELULU SANUALI 31, 2024

DO NOT BE ASHAMED

‘OUA TE KE MAA’I ‘A E FAKAHA ‘O HOTAU ‘EIKI

"Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling" 2 TIMOTHY 1:8-9

2 TIMOTE 1:8-9

8 Ko ia, ‘oua te ke maa‘i ‘a e fakahā ‘o hotau ‘Eiki, pe te ke maa‘i au ko ‘ene pōpula: kaekehe, ke ke kau mo au ‘i he kai mamahi koe‘uhi ko e Kōsipeli ‘i he funga ‘o e māfimafi ‘o e ‘Otua. 9‘A ia na‘a ne fakamo‘ui kitautolu, mo ne ui ki ha lakanga tapu; ‘o ‘ikai koe‘uhi ko ha ngāue ‘atautolu, ka koe‘uhi ko hono finangalo ‘o‘ona, pea koe‘uhi ko e kelesi na‘e foaki mai ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū mei he ngaahi kuonga ‘o ‘Itāniti:

It's far too easy to be ashamed - to be ashamed of the Master, of the Master's servants, and of the Master's message. Therefore, it is a great challenge to hear how Paul exhorts Timothy, and us, to "not be ashamed."

Vague talk about religion, God, and spirituality is largely tolerable in Western culture; we often hear or read all kinds of ambiguous statements that seem to be loosely aligned with the gospel. What is unacceptable by society's standard, though, is a clear declaration that there is salvation in no one other than Jesus Christ. If we are prepared to claim with Peter that there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12), then Paul's word to Timothy here will be a word for us: "Share in suffering for the gospel."

Paul's invitation to join in the privilege of suffering for the gospel is, in one sense, troubling to us. It stands in stark contrast to the Christian triumphalism of our day, which

always seeks to present Christian living in glowing colors. So many want only to confirm

and affirm God's power to heal, to accomplish miracles, and to lead His people to victory. The Bible and human experience, however, tell us that in the vast majority of cases-and leaving aside death as the ultimate healing-those for whom we have prayed will continue to suffer and live in the midst of difficult days. We must tell the truth: in the words of John Newton, the Christian must pass "through many dangers, toils and snares" 16 and there are always more trials just over the horizon, especially if we are to remain faithful to the call to preach the gospel to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

How, then, are we to persevere in suffering for the gospel? It is the power of God, through the grace of God, that keeps us to the end. Newton's lyrics speak to this reality: "Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." A wonderful truth!

God has saved you, and He can hold you fast in the midst of suffering. God has commissioned you, and He can give you courage when you are called to testify to the truth about Him. The truth of His sustaining power is able to stir your heart and transform your life. In the midst of difficult and doubt-filled days, you can cling to this reality as a bastion for your soul. And when you are tempted to shrink back from standing up for the Master, His servants, or His message, you can look to His power, offering up a silent prayer for your witness to be effective as you open your mouth to speak. "Do not be ashamed."

Reflective Questions: ROMANS 1:8-17

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : LOMA 1:8-17

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 28-29; Mark 7:1-13

 TUSITE SANUALI 30, 2024

PROTECTED BY HIS PRESENCE

MALU‘I MEI LOTO TATAU

"The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man” GENESIS 39:2 

SENESI 39:2

Pea na‘e kau ‘a Sihova mo Siosifa, pea ko e tangata fai tāpuekina ia; pea na‘a ne taka ‘i he fale ‘o hono ‘eiki ko e ‘Isipite.

There's no better place to serve God than the place in which He sets you. 

There is no flawless job, no faultless family, no set of circumstances free of troubles. Those of us who constantly search for the ideal life, forgetting that perfection is saved for heaven, set ourselves on a journey that will be marked by frequent disappointment. 

It is an understatement to say that the conditions Joseph experienced were less than ideal. After beginning his life as the object of his father's special love, he found himself the object of slave traders' dealings. The security of his family home was replaced with the shackles of enslavement. Like Joseph, we all see our circumstances change over time. We may move away from our longtime home, our loved ones may face turmoil, or financial hardship or health problems may strike unexpectedly. Few of us, though, will have experienced such a precipitous collapse as Joseph. (And if you have, how encouraging to know that Scripture includes the God's intervention in the lives of people like you!) We might think that Joseph had every reason to run away, to hide, to give up, to become antagonistic and yet God's presence brought him through each valley.

Joseph wasn't protected from his circumstances; he was protected in his circumstances.

He was protected by the presence of God. There's a lesson in this for us. It's never the believer's resilience, knowledge, or wisdom that guards him or her. Rather, the servant of God is protected by God's very presence. It's natural for us to ask God to change our situations, to take away great difficulties, or to remove us from trials. We look at our surroundings and think, "I never bargained for this!" We start to believe the lie that everything will be ok if we can just get away or if our problems are just taken away. But the fact of the matter is that no matter where we go, problems will come and perfection will be elusive this side of heaven. Our only true refuge, as the psalmist says, is in the Lord (Psalm 11:1).

God could have arranged Joseph's life differently. Instead, He chose to allow events

to unfold as they did. He purposed that it would be "through many dangers, toils and snares" that He would bring His servant. The Lord was with Joseph, no less as he walked in the slave train and sat at the slave market than when he rose to respect and prominence in his master's household. And the Lord's presence is with us too. Indeed, He has promised us, "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20)-through the valleys as well as on the mountaintops. In what situation has God set you today? And how will knowing He is with you there, and has good work for you to do there, change your view of both the circumstances you would have chosen and those you certainly would not?

Reflective Questions: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : FILIPAI 4:4-13

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 26-27; Mark 6:30-56

 MONITE SANUALI 29, 2024

JUSTICE IS SATISFIED

KUO FAKAFIEMALIE ‘A E HOUHAU

"If while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." ROMANS 5:10

LOMA 5:10

He kapau na‘e fakalelei ‘a e ‘Otua kiate kitautolu ‘i he pekia ‘a hono ‘Alo, lolotonga ‘ene fili ‘aki kitautolu, pea huanoa hotau fakamo‘ui ka fai ‘i he mo‘ui ‘a‘ana, ka kuo ne hōifua mai.

God is not a kindly grandfather or a cosmic Santa Claus who just gives out gifts and who is really not much concerned with anything else.

No-He is holy, and He is righteous. So humans, because of our sin, are alienated from God. A hostility exists between humanity and our Creator. This is not a message that you hear very often, and it's certainly not very palatable. But God doesn't overlook that hostility. He never has, and He never will. Scripture is very clear on God's disposition towards sin. Indeed, Paul describes human beings as God's enemies, making clear that sin separates us from God. Paul's language also echoes the psalmist's words, which say of God, "You hate all evildoers" (Psalm 5:5) - a message that is neither pleasant to read nor easy to understand at first glance.

Where, then, is our hope? How can we ever be reconciled to God? How can God punish sin as it deserves yet still pardon sinners?

O loving wisdom of our God!

When all was sin and shame,

A second Adam to the fight

And to the rescue came.

Jesus, by His death on the cross, satisfied God's justice. He took upon Himself both our

obligation to perfectly obey God's law and our liability for failing to do so. He then satisfied our obligation through His sinless life and canceled our liability by His sacrificial death upon the cross. When our alienation from God resulted in God's hatred towards our sinful existence, He did not abandon us. Rather, God came and reconciled us through His Son. If this does not sound like the most incredible news of all, we have not properly understood one of the seriousness of our sin, or the reality of His judgment, or the magnitude of our salvation.

For those of us who have been Christians for a while, it is easy for familiarity to breed, if

not contempt, then complacency. But the death of Christ is not just the entry point of our

faith; it is our faith. So today, pause to see the second Adam, the perfect human, succeeding where the first Adam failed and defeating the devil, reversing the effects of the fall. This is the gospel. Your sins have been pardoned. You have been rescued. You are now a friend where once you were an enemy. Christ is now your confidence, your peace, and your life. 

The reality of being in Christ is not a trivial matter; it is an amazing guarantee. When we were powerless in the face of sin, Christ's power set us free. When we could not afford a debt so great, He bore it on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). You are now seated with Him in the heavens. Your greatest success today will not lift you higher than He has already lifted you; nor can your greatest struggle or failure pull you down from there.

Reflective Questions: COLOSSIANS 1:15-23

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : KOLOSE 1:15-23

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 23-25; Mark 6:1-29

 SAPATE SANUALI 28, 2024

MORE THAN A NAME

MAHULU ATU ‘I HE HUAFA

"God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: "I AM has sent me to you. EXODUS 3:14

‘EKISOTO 3:14

Pea folofola ‘a e ‘Otua kia Mōsese, KO AU KO AU AI PĒ. Pea ne toe folofola, Ko eni ‘a e lea te ke fai ki ha‘a ‘Isileli, Ko KO-AU-AI PE kuo ne fekau au kiate kimoutolu.

In some cultures, the meanings behind names don't matter much. We choose a name because we like the sound of it, or because it's precious to our particular family. In other cultures, though, a name itself may carry great significance. Its meaning can establish something about the person who bears it or the hopes of the people who bestowed it. 

When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, he asked, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13). The name God shares with Moses-YHWH (translated into English as "I AM WHO I AM") has four consonants with no vowels. Try to pronounce YHWH and you'll find that it's nearly impossible. It is, if you like, an unspeakable name.

What was God doing in answering like this? Moses was requesting a name of authority  to give to the people of Israel and to Pharaoh, and God gave him this unpronounceable name. God seems to have been saying, There is no name that can adequately encapsulate the totality of who I am. So, tell them that I AM WHO I AM has sent you. Tell Pharaoh to watch what I do on behalf of My people. Then he will know who I AM.

The Bible is the story not only of God's work of salvation but also of the unfolding of God's character. Many of us have become adept at reading our Bibles and asking important questions of application: "How does this relate and apply? What does this mean for me?" These matters are not irrelevant or wrong, but they are not the primary questions to ask. God is the hero of the story and the theme of the book, and so the first question we ask of every passage ought to be this: "What does this tell me about God?" The Bible was written to establish God's dealings, character, and glory.

Many of us believe that what we need from church each Sunday are anecdotal bits and

pieces or inspirational lists dealing with our finances, relationships, and any other issues we might be facing. There has never been a time in Christianity's history when more how-to books have been written for believers. Yet how are we really doing? We seemingly know how to do everything, but we don't know who God is!

In order for Moses to do what God had called him to do, he needed to understand who God was (and is). He, like us, needed to know that God is more than just a name.

Lives are transformed when we read the Bible and ask, "What can I discover about God?" It is as we see what God has done and better understand who He is that we grow in our awe and love of Him-and then we will be able to live as He desires, fulfilling His call in our lives. We will never plumb the depths of the glories of our unspeakably awesome God, but we will spend eternity seeing more and more of Him. And as we read His word, that can begin today.

Reflective Questions: EXODUS 3:1-22

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : ‘EKISOTO 3:1-22

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 20-22; Mark 5:21-43

 TOKONAKI SANUALI 27, 2024

HE CAME FOR BRUISED REEDS

NA‘A NE HOKO MAI KI HE NGAAHI KOFE FOAA

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice." ISAIAH 42:3

‘AISEA 42:3

Ko e kofe kuo foa ‘e ‘ikai te ne laiki, pea ko e vavae ‘oku kohu ‘e ‘ikai te ne tāmate‘i: te ne fai mo‘oni ‘ene fakahoko ‘a e fakamaau.

The great political leaders of ancient times relied on might to rule. (Many today still do.) Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, was described as trampling people into oblivion and treading on them as a potter might tread on clay (see Isaiah 41:25). Yet at the same time Isaiah prophesied of the Servant to come - one who would be in direct contrast with the rulers of the day.

Jesus, the Servant, is gentle, tender, and kind. Those whom others are tempted to reject and discard He is willing and able to use. What an encouraging word! In the picture of a bruised reed, we see the significance of Jesus' tenderness towards us. You can't lean on a bruised reed, and neither can you make music with it. Yet Jesus picks up those whom others have cast aside and makes a beautiful melody in and through their lives. Today, you may find yourself feeling horribly downtrodden, damaged by what others have done to you or injured by past mistakes. Perhaps you've been tempted to believe that you're broken and useless. But there is glorious news for you: the Servant picks up bruised reeds, and He does so with care.

Jesus also makes use of smoldering wicks. He doesn't snuff them out; rather, He takes the flickering stump and He makes it a shining light. Maybe you've been led to believe that your best days are behind you; you're a sputtering old candle, a faint and dying flame. If you haven't got it figured out by now, you tell yourself, there's probably no hope for you at all. But once again there is good news: smoldering wicks find hope in this Servant, who has come to rekindle us.

Jesus is phenomenally interested in the no-names - the bruised reeds, the smoldering wicks. He redeems and uses them to bring light to the world and praise to His name. In truth, one way or another we are all bruised reeds and faintly burning wicks. Are we willing to recognize our humble situation so that we can know the gentleness and kindness of the Servant? After all…

He'll never quench the smoking flax,

But raise it to a flame;

The bruised reed He never breaks,

Nor scorns the meanest name.

Reflective Questions: LUKE 7:11-17

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : LUKE 7:11-17

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 17-19; Mark 5:1-20

 FALAITE SANUALI 26, 2024

WHEN THINGS DON'T GO YOUR WAY

KO E TAIMI ‘OKU ‘IKAI HOKO AI HO’O ‘AMANAKI

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." EPHESIANS 4:31

‘EFESO 4:31

Ko e fakamahū kotoa pē mo e lili mo e ‘ita mo e fe‘ioho‘aki mo e lau‘ikovi, tuku ke hiki ia meiate kimoutolu, ‘io, mo e lotokovi kotoa.

Most if not all of us know what it is like to wake up with the thought that life isn’t anywhere near what we would like it to be. Perhaps you felt like that when you woke up today. Physically, emotionally, relationally, financially, and even spiritually, we may be facing especially difficult days, and as a result, we're tempted to become disillusioned. What are we to do?

One helpful place to start is by asking God for His protection from three powerful sources of spiritual trouble: the "silent killers" of bitterness, resentment, and self-pity. These three will slowly strangle our faith and spill over into envy and malice toward those who have what we so want. So in the situations we face, perhaps known only to us and to God, we need His help in responding with soft hearts instead of harsh spirits. 

In his letter to the believers in Ephesus, Paul encouraged - in fact commanded - them to

put away all bitterness, wrath, and anger. While it's easier said than done, Paul's command itself is that straightforward. In fact, there's never a command in the word of God that we cannot obey, no matter how difficult it seems, for God always empowers what He commands. So if He says, Get rid of something, you and I can be certain that He can apply the power of the Spirit within our lives to enable us to do what He's commanded. When we live with bitterness, resentment, or self-pity filling our hearts, then we have only ourselves to blame. Much as I may want to, I can't put the responsibility on God.

One individual who could have argued that her circumstances legitimized these three poisonous feelings is Hannah, whose story we read of at the beginning of 1 Samuel. She must have battled each one as another month passed by without her falling pregnant, and as another day brought the taunts of her husband's other wife and the sight of the children God had given to that woman. But she took her frustrations and sadness and she did something good with them: she prayed. She poured her heart out to God. And, knowing she was heard, she walked away at peace. Although at that point her body by her heavenly Father.

God protected Hannah from the silent killers of bitterness, resentment, and self-pity-and He will protect us too. You don't need to stay awake at night, then, trying to ensure that your life works out how you want it to. And you don't need to be dominated by  that sinking feeling upon awakening to another day of unwanted circumstances. Rather, you can use those moments to learn the value of leaving your heart's questions and the situations you don't understand in God's care-which, after all, is exactly where they belong.

Reflective Questions: 1 SAMUEL 1

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : 1 SAMIUELA 1

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 14-16; Mark 4:21-41

 TU‘APULELULU SANUALI 25, 2024

CONTINUE IN GRACE

HOKOHOKO ATU ‘I HE KELESI

"Some of them... spoke to the Hellenists also preaching the Lord Jesus... A great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose." ACTS 11:20-23

NGAUE 11:20-23

20 Ka na‘e ai honau ni‘ihi ko e kau tangata mei Saipalo mo Sailine, pea ko kinautolu ‘i he‘enau hoko ki ‘Aniteoke na‘a nau lea ki he kakai Kalisi foki, he‘enau malanga‘aki ‘a e ‘Eiki ko Sīsū. 21 Pea na‘e kau mo kinautolu ‘a e māfimafi ‘o e ‘Eiki; pea na‘e tui ha fu‘u tokolahi, ‘o tafoki ki he ‘Eiki. 22 Pea na‘e pāpātelinga ki he siasi ‘i Selusalema ‘a e talanoa kiate kinautolu, pea na‘a nau tuku atu ‘a Pānepasa ke a‘u ki ‘Aniteoke. 23 Pea ‘i he‘ene lava mai ia, mo vakai ‘a e ‘ofa, tā ‘oku mei he ‘Otua ia, na‘a ne fiefia, pea na‘a ne tokoni kinautolu kotoa pē ke nau nofo ki he ‘Eiki mo e loto pau.

“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." In the life of the early church, it was the persecution of the congregations in Jerusalem - the only churches on earth at that point - that caused the gospel message to reach further and faster than would have happened without those first Christians being forced to flee their city. As the believers were scattered throughout the cities of Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, the gospel was spread to the "Hellenists" - the Greeks-  in the region, and many came to believe.

However, when news of these Gentile conversions got back to the church in Jerusalem,

it was not immediately welcome. Up until that point, the gospel's expansion had been almost entirely among the Jews. Now the word was coming back that Greeks were becoming Christians too. This confronted the church with a new development that they were not quite ready for. What was happening? Should they smile at it or frown over it? Who could they send to handle an encounter such as this?

It should not surprise us that they chose to send Barnabas. While not everybody in the church can cope with new and different opportunities, Barnabas was an encourager and

a man who recognized God's redeeming work in others, even when it was surprising or strange (see Acts 9:26-28). Sure enough, Barnabas recognized that what had happened was the work of the Lord, and he was glad at the display of God's grace, encouraging the new believers with the exhortation we all need: to continue in grace and to remain true to God with all our hearts.

If we have lived our lives attempting to channel the Spirit of God into our own little concrete trenches, having determined that this way or that place is the only one in which God will work, we should reconsider. As God continues to expand His kingdom and pours His Spirit out upon the people we least expect to be included in it, we have the opportunity to respond with the kind of enthusiasm that Barnabas exemplified. While the gospel message is unchanging, our world and times are changing constantly. Yet God continues to call people to Himself "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" (Revelation 7:9). We should expect Him to surprise us - to work in ways we had not predicted and in a timeframe that is different from ours. And when He does, we need to be ready to be like Barnabas, "full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" (Acts 11:24), rejoicing in the new works of God, ready to be a part of them, and encouraging others to continue in His grace.

Reflective Questions: ACTS 10:1-48

• How is God calling me to think differently?

• How is God reordering my affections - what I love?

• What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Fakalaulauloto mo e fehu‘i : NGAUE 10:1-48

• Ko e ha e founga ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke liliu ‘eku fakakaukau?

• Ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku fai tu’utu’uni mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ki hoku ngaahi manako -  ngaahi me’a ‘oku ou ‘ofa ai?

• Ko e ha ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui mai ai ‘a e ‘Otua ke u fai ‘i he’eku fononga’i ‘a e ‘aho ni?

Bible Through The Year: Isaiah 10-13; Mark 4:1-20