TU‘APULELULU ‘OKATOPA 31, 2024

OUT OF THE WAITING ROOM

MAVAHE MEI HE LOKI TALITALI

RUTH 3:7-8

"Then [Ruth] came softly and uncovered [Boaz's] feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet!" 

LUTE 3:7-8

7 Pea kuo ‘osi ‘a e kai mo inu ‘a Poasi, pea kuo ne lo‘imohea, ‘o ne ‘alu ‘o tokoto ‘i he tafa‘aki puke koane: pea toki faka‘ete‘ete mai ‘a e fefine, ‘o tatala ‘a e kafu ‘o hono va‘e, ‘o tokoto ai. 8 Pea ‘i he tu‘uapō, ‘iloange na‘e ‘oho ‘a e tangata, ‘o ne tafoki ke vakai: pea tā ko e fefine ‘oku tokoto mei va‘e. 

The Christian life is not lived in a comfort zone.

In Ruth 3 we find Ruth taking a great risk as she approached Boaz to request that he care for her as his wife. She, a single woman, went in the middle of the night to a barn filled with men after they had finished celebrating the completed harvest. Once Boaz fell asleep, she went to him under the cover of darkness and uncovered his feet. If she had made a mistake or had been discovered, there is no telling what these men would have done to her or what people might have said regarding her motives.

These events look strange to our 21st century eyes, but Ruth's unusual actions demonstrate a sincere trust in God's care and protection. God had laid down in His law that Boaz could act as a kinsman-redeemer- a protector and provider for Ruth. God had providentially led Ruth to Boaz's field, where he had extended favor to her. Her story shows us again and again how God providentially rules over all unforeseeable circumstances for His glory and the well-being of His people.

Like Ruth, we will sometimes face occasions in life when we cannot see much beyond our next step. Many of us are tempted to remain in the waiting room until all of the details are seemingly clear and known. We want to feel safe and in control. Yet if we insist on never moving until we do feel like that, our lives will speak little of spiritual progress and witness little of God's miraculous work. The fear of going in the wrong direction leaves us going nowhere at all.

When we cannot see beyond our next step or when times of uncertainty come in life -  and they will come! - we have to trust God and act on the basis of the truth of His word and trust in His Spirit's guidance. Ruth's plan was not fail-safe and certain, but she proceeded because she trusted God, who had proven His faithfulness to her time and time again.

Do you need to start thinking this way? Do you need to look above and beyond the borders of your comfort zone to that to which God may be calling you? If Ruth was motivated by trust and obedience, what are you motivated by? What is there about your life right at this moment that speaks of faith? There may be a decision to make, a place to go, a venture to undertake, or a conversation to have about which you don't know all the implications, and all you can say is "I don't have a clue how this is going to go, but it's what God is calling me to do." In these situations, God's word calls you to use wisdom and then proceed in faith, step by step, trusting in the one who died for you and who promises to be "with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Entrust your life not to the safety of your comfort zone but to the guidance of His providential hand.

RUTH 3

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 16-18; 1 John 5

 PULELULU ‘OKATOPA 30, 2024

THE COMFORT OF GOD'S PROVIDENCE

KO E NONGA ‘O E PALOVITENISI ‘A E ‘OTUA

RUTH 3:1-3

Then Naomi … said to her, ‘My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well wish you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor," 

LUTE 3:1-3

1 PEA lea kiate ia ‘e he‘ene fa‘ē ko Neomai, Nga‘ata, ‘ikai koā te u kumi hao mālōlō‘anga, ka ke tu‘umālie ai? 2 Pea ko eni, ‘ikai ko hota kāinga ‘a Poasi, ‘a ia na‘a ke ‘i he‘ene kau ta‘ahine? Tokua ‘oku ne fakama‘a pa‘ale ‘i he haha‘anga ‘apō. 3 Ko ia ke ke kaukau mo tākai, pea ‘ai ho‘o teu, pea ke ‘alu hifo ki he haha‘anga: kae‘oua na‘a fakahā koe ki he tangata kae‘oua ke ‘osi ‘ene kai mo inu.

God is sovereign, and therefore we can make bold choices.

As any nurturing figure would do, Naomi wanted her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth to be settled and cared for in life. So she urged Ruth to go to Boaz and ask him to assume the role of provider by marrying her.

Of course, we must be careful not to read too many contemporary notions into this Old Testament story, since that era had its own set of customs. However, we must also remember that this was the real life of real people in a real Middle-Eastern village meeting a real God and committing their lives unreservedly to Him. As such, there are eternal truths to be learned. Primarily, we can learn that while God's providence rules over our lives, it does not limit our freedom in making decisions. God's overruling sovereignty did not hinder Naomi's reasoning or Ruth's response. The Lord was sovereign over all of it, but not at the expense of their choices.

The story of Ruth is also a reminder that even when mistakes alter our lives, God redeems them for our ultimate good and His glory. Naomi's husband should not have moved his family from the promised land to the land of Moab, the enemies of God's people; and her sons should not have married Moabite women, since God's law prohibited marrying into other religions. Yet these wrong choices brought Ruth to Naomi, to God, and into the line of redemptive history as an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-6). Such redemption is not an excuse for our intentional rebellion, but it is a constant assurance that we need not despair because of past mistakes.

Equally, God's sovereignty in weaving His plan of redemption, first in bringing His Son into the world and then in calling His people to faith in Him, is a constant assurance as we face decisions and consider this or that course of action. We trust God through faith-filled action. Naomi didn't just sit in her house waiting on God to act, saying, Whatever God wills will be. No, she took action by encouraging Ruth to take the next step in what seemed to be unfolding.

Trusting God's providence does not mean we sit back and wait for the plan to unfold, singing Que sera, sera - whatever will be, will be - for the future’s not ours to see. Instead, we should be quoting Jesus' words: "Not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). After Jesus prayed this prayer, He proceeded to live it out in perfect obedience, even to the point of death.

The path of life may have many twists and turns, but God's word promises that "for these who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Take heart in this promise. Are you facing a decision? Are you wondering what path to take? God is sovereign, and God saves. Whatever you decide, live boldly and live freely within the comfort of God's providence.

ACTS 16:6-15

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 14-15; 1 John 4

 TUSITE ‘OKATOPA 29, 2024

EXTENDING GOD'S KINDNESS

MAFAO ATU ‘A E MANAVA‘OFA ‘A E ‘OTUA

RUTH 2:19-20

"She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.' And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!

LUTE 2:19-20

Pea ne fakahā ki he‘ene fa‘ē ‘a e toko taha kuo ne ngāue ai, ‘o ne pehē, Ko e hingoa ‘o e matāpule, ‘a ia na‘a ku ngāue ai he ‘aho ni, ko Poasi.

20 Pea pehē ‘e Neomai ki he‘ene ta‘ahine, ‘Ofa ke ne fai tāpuekina mei he ‘Eiki, ‘a ia kuo ‘ikai tūkua ‘ene fai ‘ofa ki he mo‘ui, pe ki he pekia! Pea pehē ‘e Neomai ki he fefine, Ko hota kāinga ofi ‘a e tangata, ko e taha ‘i hota koeli.

Today, you can make the invisible God visible.

When Ruth set out for the fields to glean, she never could have known just how wonderful God's provision would be. She had already taken refuge in God, but through Boaz she discovered that the Lord was able to do far more abundantly than all that she could have asked or thought.

As God established His covenant with Israel, He revealed His own kindness as one who "executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing" (Deuteronomy 10:18). He gave His law to His people not to make them legalists but to have them display His character and bring glory to His name through their obedience. Part of that law created a framework to provide for those in difficult circumstances.

As Boaz obeyed the law's instruction by extending his invitation to Ruth to come and eat (Ruth 2:14), he did so graciously. He had received God's kindness, and he realized that he could in turn share it with others. He put literal hands and feet to obeying God's commands and Ruth further discovered God's heart as a result. Further, Boaz's graciousness was paired with generosity: he nor only invited Ruth to feast but also offered her a seat among his harvesters. He encouraged her to eat her fill. He allowed her to take from the best sheaves of grain, not just the leftovers. Despite her social and racial differences, he didn't alienate or hold her at arm's length. Quite the reverse: Boaz went beyond what God's law had laid down.

This is but a glimpse of the welcome God extends to us through Christ as He invites us to His heavenly table. And this is the offer that all of us as Christians should embody. If somebody - be they widowed, poor, hurting, or bitter - enters a church gathering or a Christian home, there ought to be a sense of faithful acceptance because of how God's people embody His covenant care.

By the end of the day, Ruth was overwhelmed with the favor Boaz kept extending. When she returned home with her plentiful provision, Naomi rejoiced over the generosity, describing it with the word checed - the continual loving kindness and merciful provision of God. Boaz's checed caused Ruth's and Naomi's hearts to worship the God who abounds in checed (Exodus 34:6-7).

Boaz's kindness overflowed from the gracious, generous, and continual kindness he had received from God. As fellow recipients of the Lord's care, when we extend such kindness to others, they too may come to know Him. The invisible God becomes visible to every generation through the compassion of His people. To whom will you extend gracious, generous, unexpected kindness today?

RUTH 2:14-23

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 12 13; 1 John 3

 MONITE ‘OKATOPA 28, 2024

LOOK OUT!

VAKAI (TOKANGA)!

PHILIPPIANS 3:2-3

"Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision." 

FILIPAI 3:2-3

2 Vakavakai ‘a e fanga kulī na: vakavakai ‘a e kau ngāue ‘oku kovi: vakavakai ‘a e fa‘ahinga mutu. 3 He ko kitaua pē ‘a e kamu mo‘oni, ‘a kitaua ‘oku ta fai ‘eta ngāue ki he ‘Eiki ‘i he Laumālie ‘o e ‘Otua, pea fai ‘eta pōlepole ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū, pea ‘oku ‘ikai te ta falala ki he me‘a fakasino–neongo te te lava ‘e kita ke falala foki ki he me‘a fakasino.

In all of the apostle Paul's writings, there is perhaps no place where he made a more graphic statement than in this verse. Referring to the false teachers of his day as "dogs” was even more audacious and confrontational then than it is today. But Paul was not using this language merely for effect; he was gravely concerned because there were dangerous people moving around the Philippian church.

Cults and false teachers are almost always joyless, and these evil men in Philippi were no different. They were the opposite of what they claimed to be, insisting that the Old Testament ceremonial law was a necessary qualification for true Christianity. They addressed the Philippian believers, who had discovered joy in the Lord, by asking, in essence, Are you really a true Christian if you don't pay careful attention to the external rite of circumcision? This warning from Paul to "look out" was meant to remind the young church that an "augmented" Christianity actually distorts the true gospel. Adding to the gospel always subtracts joy and even salvation from the gospel.

Therefore, when we read the word "dogs" in this verse we shouldn't think of a friendly family pet. Paul was not referring to a golden retriever. Think of a scavenger, a diseased mongrel that roams around garbage cans and could harm you greatly with a bite. Paul was emphatic that these men, in insisting that people meet legal requirements to be qualified for grace, were equally dangerous. They were drawing attention away from Christ, diluting the sufficiency of His death, resurrection, and ascension.

Paul constantly warned of the tragic consequences of false teaching and, because he loved the people of the Philippian church, describing them as his "joy and crown" (Philippians 4:1), he was opposed to anyone and anything that would reroute them from the only way to glory. He wanted them to remain vigilant.

We, too, could easily forget that the good news is not a message of "Do your best, and be good enough!" but rather "Your best is never enough - but Jesus is."

Here's the good news, though: by faith in Christ alone, we are the true "circumcision” - that is, those who have been set apart as the true people of God, not because we have had some flesh cut off but because Christ was cut off for us. In each generation, there are always those who wish to insist on the outward features of the faith and implicitly or explicitly - make those observances necessary for salvation. But no external ritual or religious performance can save. Do not place your confidence in your flesh - in your church attendance, your daily Bible reading, your performance as a spouse or parent or worker or evangelist or anything else. Put it all in Christ. He, and He alone, is enough.

GALATIANS 2:11-21

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 9-11; 1 John 2

 SAPATE ‘OKATOPA 27, 2024

RECEIVED BY JESUS

TALITALI ‘E SISU

MARK 10:14-16

"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. And he took them in his arms and blessed them." 

MA‘AKE 10:14-16

14 Ka ‘i he mamata ki ai ‘a Sīsū na‘a ne tuputāmaki, ‘o ne pehē kiate kinautolu, Tuku pē ‘a e kau tamaiki ke nau ha‘u kiate au; ‘oua ‘e ta‘ofi kinautolu: he ‘oku ma‘a e fa‘ahinga ko ia ‘a e Pule‘anga ‘o e ‘Otua.

16 Pea ne hapai ‘a e kau tamaiki, ‘o ne ‘ai hono nima kiate kinautolu, ‘o ne fu‘u tāpuekina.

in the 21st century, when we think about children, we tend to focus on their subjective qualities; they are cute and cuddly, and at times we mistakenly think they are perfect and the center of the universe. Such contemporary views of children actually hinder our ability to grasp what Jesus meant when he said, "Let the children come to me."

It is the objective characteristics of children that are truly at the heart of Jesus' illustration. Children do not vote. They do not have driver's licenses. Adults don't often ask them to make decisions regarding significant events in their own lives or in the lives of their families. In their infancy, they are entirely dependent on someone else. Put bluntly, little children are small and helpless, without much apparent outward claim or merit.

Isn't it a wonder, then, that children are so warmly received by Jesus? But while it's certainly wondrous, it shouldn't surprise us when we consider how often God uses the meek and lowly in mighty ways. We cannot hope to enter heaven because of our own merit or self-worth. Instead, the kingdom of God belongs to people who are needy, lonely, and helpless, who have no claim or merit on their own - people just like children.

As we come to terms with what it means to be like a child, we start to see that our entrance into the kingdom can only come after we've accepted our own helpless, dependent state. We come to Christ not with hands full of our own abilities or achievements but with empty hands, ready to receive. And remarkably, the gospel tells us that we must look to God Himself, who took on flesh as a helpless babe. It's only fitting, then, that entry into His kingdom would be enjoyed by those who follow His humble example.

Jesus' embrace of the children in these verses both flattens our pride and picks us up in our weakness. Perhaps you regard your work as commendable or your position as noteworthy, and you find yourself desiring to be a benefactor and not a beneficiary. Or maybe you know that others think very little of you (or you think little of yourself), and you are surprised that God would want to give you anything, let alone be looking forward to spending eternity with you. No matter what your character or your circumstances are, come to Jesus each day in childlike trust, aware of your weakness and helplessness. This, and only this, is the way into His kingdom and the way to enjoy the blessing of closeness to Him.

LUKE 11:1-13

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 6-8; 1 John 1

 TOKONAKI ‘OKATOPA 26, 2024

THEOLOGY THAT SUSTAINS

KO ‘EKU ‘ILO KI HE ‘OTUA, TE NE PUKEPUKE AU

GENESIS 50:24,26

“Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob…So Joseph died, being 110 years old." 

SENESI 50:24,26

24 Pea lea ‘a Siosifa ki hono ngaahi tokoua, Kuo u mate au: ka kuo pau ke ‘a‘ahi ‘a e ‘Otua kiate kimoutolu, pea te ne ‘ohake kimoutolu mei he fonua ni ki he fonua na‘a ne fuakava ai kia ‘Epalahame mo ‘Aisake mo Sēkope.

26 Pea pekia ‘a Siosifa kuo teau mā hongofulu hono ta‘u: pea na‘a nau fakatolonga ia, ‘o nau ‘ai ki ha puha ‘i ‘Isipite.

That the Bible is filled with accounts of individuals' deaths should cause each of us to confront the reality of our own eventual death. All of our days are limited. God has not chosen to inform us of the date of our demise, but the psalmist tells us that every day of our lives was written in God's book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Joseph lived to be 110 years old - but nevertheless, like all of us, he had to come to terms with his mortality.

Joseph understood and accepted his death. Here was no raging against the dying of the light, to use the words of the poet Dylan Thomas, but rather what our Puritan forefathers would have called a "good death." What is it that allows us to die well? A strong theology - a strong understanding of who God was and is. In the end, Joseph strengthened his faith by calling to mind evidence of God's lifelong providential care to Him and His promises to His people. Because of his belief in God's goodness, he could face death straight on. He wasn't scared or selfish; he didn't grasp at shadows or clutch at vain hopes. Instead, his words were brief and focused on his family and God. Such a response can only come from a view of the world framed by divine character and purpose.

Do we believe, as Joseph did, that God will deliver His people? Can we see evidence of this belief in our own lives? Have we looked back at God's faithfulness and discovered that no matter what the distress or brokenness we've been through, we can say with the psalmist. "On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God" (Psalm 62:7).

It is good theology; not feelings, that will sustain us in life and comfort us as we wrestle with death. When difficult days come, it is then that we cling to what we know to be true. From Joseph and his life we can learn this amazing truth: the God who knit us together has ordered all of our steps in all of our days, and He weaves our lives into the great story of His sovereign fulfillment of His promises to His people. With faith in this God, we can face death singing: 

With mercy and with judgment

My web of time He wove;

And aye, the dews of sorrow

Were lustered by His love;

I’ll bless the hand that guided

I'll bless the heart that planned.

When throned where glory dwelleth

In Immanuel's land.

[Anne R. Cousin, "The Sands of Time Are Sinking" (1857)

PSALM 62

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 3-5; 1 Timothy 6

 FALAITE ‘OKATOPA 25, 2024

A THORN IN THE FLESH

FOTO KE NOFO ‘I HOKU KAKANO

2 CORINTHIANS 12:7

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of a surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” 

2 KOLINITO 12:7

Ko ia, telia na‘a ku anga hiki ai, na‘e tuku mai ha foto ke nofo ‘i hoku kakano, ko e ‘āngelo ‘a Sētane, ke ne tukimononofo au, ke ‘oua na‘a ku anga hiki.

If you gather many talented musicians who are only interested in their individual parts, you won't have an orchestra. What you will produce is merely discordant noise: an affront to the listening ear. However, when that giftedness is exercised in selflessness and humility, under the headship of a conductor and the rule of a score, you get beautiful harmonious music.

Just as a musician's desire for individual greatness is the death knell of orchestral useful ness, so it is with our Christian faith. A spiritual gift should never be the source of pride - because, after all, it's a gift! Yet we are often tempted to take God-given gifts and attribute them to ourselves as if we developed or deserve them, or to use them for ourselves as if they were ours. This puts us in extreme danger of cherishing exaggerated ideas about our own importance--and those with the most significant gifts are typically in the greatest danger.

Paul himself had to face this temptation. He was particularly bright, had a strong education, was from the best kind of background, and was influential in many lives (see Philippians 3:4-6).

When taking on the false apostles of the day, who were making elaborate claims about their knowledge of God. Paul honestly described having seen extraordinary visions (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). He was a prime target for an inflated ego. What protected him from that? A thorn in his flesh. He does not specify precisely what it was, and so we would be wise not to speculate. What matters is not what it was so much as what it achieved for Paul recognized that this thorn in the flesh was a humbling reminder from God of his inherent weakness, given so that he would not boast about his own importance and so that he would continue to rely on God.

Like the false teachers Paul addressed, we are often tempted to allow our influence and apparent success, whether great or small, to serve as the means by which we judge our worth. Eventually, however, such temporary matters will be exposed as temporary and will fade away

In the providence and goodness of God, Paul's “thorn" helps us to understand our own difficulties such as illness, financial lack, relational challenges, the effort of raising children, and even the ongoing struggle with sin. God knows what He's doing when He allows these necessary, uncomfortable, unrelenting elements in our lives. Better to be a humble believer beset by thorns than a proud, self-reliant no-longer-believer unplagued by anything. We need to know our own weakness in order to continue to rely on God's grace for our eternal salvation and God's power for our daily lives. The question, then, is not whether the thorns will come to you but whether you will allow God to use your "thorns" to remind you that He alone is the source of your gifts and the one who makes you spiritually useful.

2 CORINTHIANS 11.30 - 12:10

Bible Through The Year: 2 Samuel 1-2; 1 Timothy 5

 TU‘APULELULU ‘OKATOPA 24, 2024

SONGS OF DELIVERANCE

NGAAHI HIVA MAVAVA ‘O E FAKAHAOFI

PSALM 32:7

"You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." 

SAAME 32:7

Ko koe hoku toitoi‘anga; Te ke lehilehi‘i au mei he ‘efihia; Te ke tuku ke ongo mai takatakai ‘a e mavava fakahaofi. (Sila)

Ko koe ko hoku toitoiaga; te ke fakamo‘ui au mei he mamahi; bea te ke kabui ‘aki au ‘a e gaahi hiva oe fakamo‘ui. Sila.(UESI)

If you watch old black-and-white Robin Hood or King Arthur movies, you will see queens who ride through battlefields on horseback. They don't go alone on their journeys but mounted soldiers ride all around them, surrounding them with protection.

On difficult days, we can remind ourselves that God "will command his angels concerning (us) to guard [us] in all [our] ways" (Psalm 91:11), and that He has surrounded us with a band of others who are following Christ's banner - namely, our church. The Christian life is meant to be a corporate journey, not an individualistic one. We have the benefit of rallying together for the cause of Christ. We are to surround ourselves with those who provide "shouts or ["songs," NIV] of deliverance." When we worship together, we experience the benefits of the deliverance that God provides for us.

When we are disoriented by life or acutely aware of our flaws, failings, discouragements, and doubts, the antidote is not to try to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Instead, we can look at the wonders of what Jesus has done and make sure we are hearing from brothers and sisters in Christ what Jesus has done. With the help of a simple hymnbook alongside God's word, we can encourage one another through the darkest of days by filling our minds with truth through song and Scripture.

Alec Moryer once wrote, "When truth gets into a creed or hymn-book, it becomes the confident possession of the whole church." With words deeply rooted in theology, we can daily tell ourselves, "He is all I need to get through." Then, in the company of God's people, we can worship together, asking our Lord for grace and peace. A living church will always be a singing church.

You are not meant to worship on an island. This is part of what corporate worship is about: to be surrounded by songs of deliverance. You are wired by your Creator to stand in the assembly of those who affirm to you, as you affirm to them, memorable words like these:

Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!

With His blood He purchased me;

On the cross He sealed my pardon,

Paid the debt, and made me free.

[P.P. Bliss, "I Will Sing of My Redeemer" (1876).]

PSALM 147

Bible Through The Year: 1 Samuel 30-31; 1 Timothy 4