Monite Sune 30, 2025

MERCIFUL INTERVENTION

FAKAHAOFI ‘I HE‘ENE ANGA‘OFA

MARK 13:19-20

"In those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days." 

MA‘AKE 13:19-20

19 He ko e ngaahi ‘aho ko ia ko e koto mamahi; te‘eki ai hano tatau talu mei he kamata ngaohi ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a māmani ‘o a‘u mai ki he taimi ni, ‘io, pea ‘e ‘ikai ‘aupito toe ‘i ai. 20 Pea ka ne ta‘e‘oua ‘a e fakanounou ‘e he ‘Eiki ‘a e taimi ko ia, pehē ‘e ‘auha ‘a e kakano kotoa pē: ka e telia ‘a e kakai fili, ‘a ia kuo ne fili, ko ia kuo ne fakanounou ai ‘a e taimi.

At the very heart of the greatest drama in history is the amazing encounter that's first hinted at in Genesis chapter 3: Christ is the one who has come, and will come, to vanquish the Evil One. Through His death on the cross, Jesus bruised the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15) and secured eternal victory for His people. But for us the battle is not yet over. Behind every act of hatred, every broken marriage, every act of injustice - all that represents chaos and carnage and wickedness - the Evil One still engages in his skirmishes, seeking to destroy until he himself is destroyed.

The Christian lives in light of this tension, this reality: there will be trials and tribulations for the totality of our earthly pilgrimage, yet we never need to lose heart or hope. We can stand firm in our faith because Christ is the great Conqueror. Though His victory is not yet fully realized or expressed, it is no less complete, for the cross has disarmed Satan and his followers (Colossians 2:13-15).

Jesus warned us that tribulation would take place and increasingly so until His return. He commands us to "be on guard" (Mark 13:23, 33) that we might not be led astray. In other words, Jesus forewarned us so that we might be forearmed for suffering. When it confronts us, we should not be taken by surprise, because our Captain has readied us.

We are not to be alarmed by "wars and rumors of wars," by nation rising against nation, or by an increase in devastating natural calamities (Mark 13:7-8). The Lord tells us that some believers will even "be beaten" (v 9), "deliver[ed] ... over to death" (v 12), and, above all, "hated by all for [Christ's] name's sake" (v 13). In addition, "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect" (v 22).

In the middle of all the chaos, however, we can remember where God's focus lies: on His people, His elect. As Jesus Himself said, "for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days." God intervenes on behalf of His own and protects His children from succumbing to perils within and without. He will not let us be pushed beyond that for which He has given us faith to remain faithful through.

Jesus' warnings resound with an unequivocal declaration of His kingship: no matter what happens - no matter who's elected, no matter whether your civic freedoms stay or go, no matter if you're imprisoned, tormented, or even killed for your faith - you can be absolutely sure that our God reigns and our Savior has won. That is firm ground on which to stand, however your life may be shaken.

REVELATION 12:1-12

Bible Through The Year: Deuteronomy 10-12; Acts 3

 Sapate Sune 29, 2025

A RIGHTEOUS AND MERCIFUL GOD

KO E ‘OTUA HAOHAOA MO ‘ALO ‘OFA

 PSALM 11:7

"The LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." 

SAAME 11:7

He ko e faitotonu ‘a Sihova; Ko e me‘a totonu ‘oku ne manakoa: Ko e angatonu te nau mātā hono fofonga.

He oku ofa a Jihova koe maonioni ki he maonioni; oku afio e hono fofoga ki he agatonu.(UESI)

A righteous God will not accept unrighteous requests. We cannot expect that God, who always does the right thing, will do the expedient thing just for our sake. In our prayers and decision-making processes, then, we ought not to ask ourselves, "What is the easy thing? What is the thing that will get me out of this difficulty the quickest?" Rather, we need to ask, "What is the right thing for me to do?" This is not to say that we will always know precisely what is right. But in our prayers and in our lives, we must remember that we call upon and walk before the face of a supremely holy and righteous God.

Thankfully, God is not only righteous but also merciful. David cries in Psalm 4:1, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" Just as it is unimaginable that a mother would forget the cry of a child that she nurtured at her own breast, so it is unthinkable that God would not hear the pleas of His children (Isaiah 49:15). Such mercy is an astounding truth. We live in a world that operates on the principle that we get what we "deserve," that we get out what we put in: This is what you've earned, and what you've earned is what you're going to get-whether good or bad. But when we come to God, we come to the one who is by His very nature rich in mercy, who gives us what we do not deserve. From Him, we get what we have not earned.

Perhaps your heart has been fractured or your life is buffeted by serious trouble. Still you can cry out to your righteous God: "I need Your unmerited kindness today. I've nothing with which to commend myself. Lord, be merciful to me and hear my prayer." 

When that is our approach to God, then we will find fostered within us an attitude of seeking to do what is right, not what is easy. The path to seeking to do "righteous deeds" is to know that the Lord is merciful to His children. 

This does not mean that as we come to Him for mercy and seek to live righteously. God will give immediate deliverance. Nowhere has He promised His people immediate relief. He answers us out of the righteousness of His sovereign plan - and sometimes, in His providence, He allows the thorn to continue to pain us (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Yet when the thorn remains, "though the fig tree should not blossom," still you can "rejoice in the LORD" and "take joy in the God of [your] salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Because He is righteous, His mercy is never wrong. What may taste bitter for a time God will sweeten soon enough. And one day you will "behold his face," not just by faith but by sight as you stand with the saints around His throne. With that day in mind, come to Him now for the mercy and strength you need to live righteously today. 

ISAIAH 49:13-23

Bible Through The Year: Deuteronomy 7-9; Acts 2:22-47

 Tokonaki Sune 28, 2025

RECKONING WITH REPENTANCE

MO‘UI FAKATOMALA

ROMANS 6:1-2

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" 

LOMA 6:1-2

1 PEA fēfē ai? Te tau pehē koā, Tau nofo‘aki fai angahala, koe‘uhi ke hulu atu ‘a e kelesi? 2 Molekemama‘o! Ko kitaua na‘a ta mate ki he angahala, ‘e fēfē ‘eta kei mo‘ui‘aki ia?

In Christ we find ultimate happiness. Peter tells us that our belief in Jesus can lead us to "joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory" (1 Peter 1:8). But it's not possible to be happy in Jesus while living in sin. To borrow the image of Psalm 24, how often do we attempt to ascend the hill of the Lord, in corporate or private worship, with dirty hands and hearts, wondering why the word of God doesn't delight us in the midst of our sin? It's spiritual insanity to think that we can rejoice in the Lord while seeking out pleasure in some hidden transgression.

As fallen creatures, we often develop patterns that trick us into thinking that we can make peace with our fallenness and can indulge some sin. Perhaps we have become accustomed to minimizing it or justifying it, so that we hardly even notice it. Yet Scripture knows no such pattern of thinking. David, for example, knew he was dirty and grimy before God, thoroughly permeated with sin: "I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). Elsewhere he asks the Lord, "Declare me innocent from hidden faults" (19:12). He knew he needed forgiveness from sins he didn't even know about! But mercifully, David's awareness of his own shortcomings led him to God, to whom he pleaded, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (51:10).

We need to recover this same disposition for our daily walk with Christ. Repentance isn't a one-time event. We must continually battle sin. We must repeatedly turn away from temptation and look to Christ. We must press on to know Him better, so that He is ever more and more attractive to us than fleeting pleasures and sordid desires. If you are a Christian, you have already died to sin. God has already granted that you "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Now, "by the Spirit," you are called to "put to death the deeds of the body" (8:13)-that is, to take hold of the new life God has given you and slay the sins that still beset you. You have "died to sin." Do not give in to the temptation of still living in it.

If you trust Christ, you are always acceptable to God. But when you give yourself fully to the cause of rooting out whatever weeds of sin keep creeping up, then you'll reap a joy that is inexpressibly better than whatever false promises sin and temptation may make. Is there a sinful pattern you have grown used to? Is there something of which you need to repent, asking God to forgive you and change your heart? Joy will be found not in ignoring that prompting of the Spirit but in responding to it.

PSALM 32

Bible Through The Year: Deuteronomy 4-6; Acts 2:1-21

 Falaite Sune 27, 2025

THE KING WHO DOES NOT TAKE

KO E TU‘I ‘OKU ‘IKAI TE NE TO‘O HA ME‘A

1 SAMUEL 8:11, 13-17

"These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots … He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards…He will take the tenth of your grain …He will take your male servants and female servants... He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves." 

1 SAMIUELA 8:11, 13-17

11 Pea ne pehē, Ko eni ‘a e konisitūtone ‘a e tu‘i te ne pule kiate kimoutolu; te ne to‘o ho‘omou fānau tangata, ‘o fokotu‘u ke fai lakanga ma‘ana, ki he‘ene ngaahi sāliote, pea ki he‘ene ka‘ate heka hoosi; pea te nau lele mu‘omu‘a ‘i he‘ene ngaahi sāliote: 13 Pea te ne to‘o ho‘omou fānau fefine ma‘ane kau fai lolo, pea ma‘ane kau ngaohi kai, pea ma‘ane kau ta‘o mā. 14 Pea te ne to‘o homou ngaahi konga vao, mo ho‘omou ngaahi vaine, mo ho‘omou ngaahi ngoue ‘ōlive, ‘a honau lelei, ‘o foaki ki he‘ene kau tamaio‘eiki. 15 Pea te ne to‘o ‘a e vahehongofulu ‘o ho‘omou pulopula, pea mo ho‘omou ngoue vaine, ‘o foaki ki he‘ene kau ‘iunoke mo ‘ene kau tamaio‘eiki. 16 Pea te ne to‘o ho‘omou tamaio‘eiki, mo ho‘omou kau kaunanga, mo e lelei ‘o ho‘omou fanga pulu, mo ho‘omou fanga ‘asi, ‘o ngāue‘aki ‘i he‘ene me‘a ‘a‘ana– 17 ‘a e vahehongofulu ‘o ho‘omou fanga sipi mo e kosi: pea ko kimoutolu te mou tamaio‘eiki kiate ia. 

AIl leaders always take: all except one.

When in Samuel's time the Israelites requested a king so that they would be like the other nations, God granted their request. But He also told Samuel to solemnly warn the people about what to expect of a king's ways (1 Samuel 8:7-9). The picture Samuel painted was of a king who would line his own pocket at the people's expense and lead them back into a kind of slavery. It was a dismal prospect!

And it was one that, over the next few centuries, became a reality. Some kings had ups as well as downs, but the majority were corrupt; none of them were completely good. All the Israelites' leaders always, in one way or another, took from them what the people had, instead of p giving them what they had hoped.

Yet God would ultimately provide a King that was different from the rest. The New Testament begins with this King. "The time is fulfilled," said Jesus, "and the kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15). By establishing God's kingdom, He was declaring Himself to be King. Afterward, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on the foal of a donkey, fulfilling the prophet's words announcing that the King of God's people would arrive in this manner (Zechariah 9:9). What kind of king comes on a donkey rather than in a chariot or on a war horse? The same King that would be crowned with thorns a few days later. Here was a King unlike any other king.

There is a great and prevalent lie that goes something like this: "If you trust Jesus, all the good stuff, and you won't have a good time. If you want a good He'll take away time, go with another leader. If you go with Jesus, it'll be boring, restrictive, life-sapping." But actually, the reverse is true! Unlike the kings of Israel, who would take from the people, Jesus was and is the King who gives - and He does so lavishly. He is the King who came to "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45), who gives His sheep "eternal life, and they will never perish" (John 10:28), and who takes burdens and gives rest to those who accept His light yoke (Matthew 11:28-30).

Is Jesus your King? Many other voices will be attractive and persuasive - but if you let them rule you, you will be disappointed in the end. The Lord Jesus Christ will never disappoint you. He is the King who always gives all that you need, and the only thing He takes from you is your sin. Today, recognize and give thanks for the abundant goodness and generosity you have in your great King!

MARK 10:32-45

Bible Through The Year: Deuteronomy 1-3; Acts 1

 Tu‘apulelulu Sune 26, 2025

SEARCHING FOR LOST SHEEP

KUMI ‘A E SIPI HĒ

JOHN 9:35

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said. Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 

SIONE 9:35

Pea na‘e fanongo ‘e Sīsū kuo nau kapusi ia ki tua‘ā; pea ne kumi ki ai, ‘o ne pehē ange, ‘Oku ke tui ki he Fanautama ‘a Tangata?

Jesus' encounter with the blind man in John 9 is part of the great panorama of God's redemptive purpose from all of eternity. This apparently inconsequential stop in the middle of the day was part of the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that "in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). It's part of the great, ongoing, unfolding purpose of God to put together a company of people that no one can count from every tribe, nation, language, and tongue (Revelation 7:9).

The healing of this man, as well as what follows from it, is remarkable. It raises questions: How did Jesus find this man? And how did Jesus change this man? In the answers, we gain a better understanding of how Jesus finds men and women in their lostness and then changes them into sheep that have been found.

This story is not only an illustration of saving faith but also, as C.H. Spurgeon says, "an example of what you may do in endeavoring to lead [souls] to exercise faith in Jesus." If you want to follow Christ's example in reaching people, the first thing you must do, says Spurgeon, is "seek out the oppressed seek, out the sick, the sad, the weary, the poor, the broken-down ones, and especially such as have been put out of the synagogues.”

The people that no one wants and no one will have, Jesus wants and Jesus will have. Jesus has every right to anticipate that His followers will do the same. It's only in knowing that you were once lost that you understand what it means to be found. Jesus has sought you and found you - and if He did that for you, He can do it for anyone! Our tendency is to spend time with those who are like us. But the Son of God did not do that otherwise He would never have been born as a man, to seek and to save sinners like us. Who are the "broken-down ones" the Lord is calling you to reach out to with the gospel of the Son of Man? With God's help, go out and tell them that Jesus is alive and that He seeks and saves those who are lost.

LUKE 15:1-7

Bible Through The Year: Joel; Philippians 4

 Pulelulu Sune 25, 2025

INVEST IN ETERNITY

FAKAHŪ KOLOA KI ‘ITANITI

2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-2

"We want you to knows, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity."

2 KOLINITO 8:1-2

1 PEA ko eni, ‘oku mau ongoongo atu, kāinga, ‘a e kelesi kuo tuku mei he ‘Otua ki he ngaahi siasi ‘i Masitōnia; 2 ‘o pehē, neongo na‘e ‘ahi‘ahi‘i kinautolu ‘aki ha fu‘u mamahi, ka na‘e opeope ‘enau fiefia: pea neongo e ‘ango‘ango ‘enau masiva, ka ka mahake mei ai ha fu‘u koloa foaki.

Affliction is a significant means by which God forms our character, but it is also a means by which He reveals our character. While Scripture gives us many examples of affliction exposing weak moral fiber, there are numerous examples of affliction highlighting virtue, too. One such example is that of the Macedonian church. Paul said that these early believers were "in a severe test of affliction" and in "extreme poverty." What did this affliction reveal? An "abundance of joy" and "a wealth of generosity."

The Macedonian model is worth pondering. That's precisely why Paul mentioned them: he wanted the Corinthian church to learn from them-to "excel in this act of grace" (2 Corinthians 8:7). Consider what made the Macedonians worth emulating: 

1. "They gave themselves first to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 8:5). Their generosity was simply an expression of their devotion to Christ. As Lord of all things, He ruled their finances.

2. They gave in response to God's grace, which had been "given among the churches of Macedonia."

3. They gave "beyond their means" (v 3). They were willing to forgo some legitimate wants in order that they might supply others' real needs.

4. They gave "of their own accord" (v 3), not in response to external prodding.

5. They were "begging... earnestly for the favor" of giving to others (v 4) - generous giving was something they wanted to do, not what they felt they ought to do.

Paul wants us to compare ourselves with the Macedonians, so that we are prompted to ask ourselves questions such as these:

1. Am I giving myself first to the Lord?

2. Am I giving in response to God's grace? Is that what directs the extent of my giving?

3. Am I giving beyond my comfort zone?

4. Am I giving without external compulsion, without being prodded and prompted?

5. Am I clamoring for the privilege of serving the saints?

We don't know how the Corinthians responded. We can be sure, though, that God wants us to respond with faithful, joyful investment in eternal things. Eventually, we will all stand before Him, and none of that which offers earthly security-savings accounts, stock, portfolios, real-estate investments, pension provisions will mean a thing. On that day, all we will have is the treasure that we have laid up in heaven through our support for the gospel (Matthew 6:19-21). What does your giving reveal about your character?

2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-7

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 51-52; Philippians 3

 Tusite Sune 24, 2025

SAVE, O LORD

TOKONI MAI, ‘EIKI

PSALM 12:1

"Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man." 

SAAME 12:1

TOKONI mai, ‘Eiki, he kuo ‘autalua ‘a e faka‘otua: Kuo mei ‘osi mei he hako‘i tangata ‘a e fa‘ahinga tōnunga.

God's people in every age have learned that being a child of God does not make us immune to life's difficulties. One reason why the Psalms are such a treasure is that they give us a record of God's people enduring "trials of various kinds" (James 1:2). And what the Psalms then provide is not a blueprint for how to fix our problems but a model for a faithful response to our problems.

David's life was full of difficulties. He faced attempts to take his life by the likes of Goliath and Saul (1 Samuel 17; 19). He was the target of a coup perpetrated by his own son (2 Samuel 14 15). He confronted difficulties and tragedies that resulted from  his own sin and folly (2 Samuel 11-12). Psalm 12, though, describes another sort of struggle: that of living in the midst of wicked people.

The evil surrounding David came in the form of double-talk: "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak" (Psalm 12:2). It came in the form of defiant tongues: "those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?"" (v 4). It came from degraded values, seen in the way that "vileness is exalted among the children of man" (v 8). It's not hard to imagine how difficult it would be to live in such an environment.

Imagine the ways David could have responded. He could have recorded his grumbling for us, written down his rage, or told us the way he took matters into his own hands. (And there is certainly a place for wise and righteous action!) But what is his first response? It's in the opening words of the psalm: "Save, O LORD." David's response to the wretchedness around him is to humbly and urgently plead with God for help.

Some of us can look around and see much in common with what David describes in Psalm 12. We hear double-talk, we see defiance, and we watch as evil is celebrated as good. We know how David felt, and we share his struggle. But do we share his response? Paul tells us that if we want to be "children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation," then we must "do all things without grumbling or disputing" (Philippians 2:14-15). Further, he tells us not to be anxious about anything but instead to pray for everything (4:6).

When confronted by ungodliness, it is easy to grow angry or proud or despairing. It is easy to give up and go with the flow. It is harder, but always better, to follow David's example: pray, trust, and obey. A commitment to prayer is a powerful way of declaring your allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. Next time you are struck by an aspect of your community or culture that is wicked, pray; ask Him to save, help, and deliver you from evil. "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

PHILIPPIANS 2:12-16

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 50; Philippians 2

 Monite Sune 23, 2025

GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU

‘OKU NGAUE ‘A E ‘OTUA ‘IATE KOE

TITUS 2:11-12

"The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions." 

TAITUSI 2:11-12

11 He kuo fakahā mai ‘a e kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘a e kelesi ‘oku ‘omi fakamo‘ui ki he kakai kotoa pē, 12 ‘oku ne ngaohia kitautolu ke tau fakafisi ki he faka‘otuamate, mo e ngaahi holi fakaemāmani; ka tau mo‘ui anga fakama‘uma‘u mo angatonu mo anga fakalotu ‘i he maama ko eni:

The main problem with our lives is not that we're unhappy or have made a couple of minor missteps. Our diagnosis isn't merely that we have some existential gaps that just need to be filled by a new hobby or an outlet for charitable service. It's not that we're lost and just need a little bit of direction or that we have low self-esteem and need to think more positively. Biblically speaking, our problem is actually this: we are by nature "foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another" (Titus 3:3).

That's quite a condition to find ourselves in. The problem goes far deeper and spreads much wider than we like to think. Whether we are three or eighty-three years old when the Lord Jesus Christ breaks into our lives and saves us, our state before God until then is one of utter hopelessness. In His grace, however, God washes us and renews us through the Holy Spirit and causes us to become "heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7). God's grace is far; greater than we tend to imagine!

But once we are "justified by his grace" (Titus 3:7), what then? God goes to work, progressively and incrementally, to rid us of our foolishness and disobedience. God's grace comes to us as we are, but it does not leave us as we are, for it teaches us "to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly

lives" (Titus 2:12).

Imagine a new brother in Christ named George. He's been a Christian for two days. Last week, George was deceived, he was destructive, he was filled with hate, he was lost in idolatry, and he was committed to sensuality. Suddenly, George met Christ. The Spirit of God regenerated him, and now George finds himself in the church. George is saved but he is not yet the finished article. No, he is a work in progress. Of course he still has some messes that need to be cleaned up. Of course he has some confusion in his mind about what following Christ means for his life.

All of us are like George to one degree or another. No matter how many years we've believed in Jesus, we are all works in progress. We need the Bible to guide us. We need other members of Christ's body to help us along. We need to trust that God will do what He has promised and finish the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). Progress might seem slow at times, but with His Spirit at work, you will make it all the way home. Until then, reflect on your condition apart from Christ, for it will humble you. Remember what God's grace did in saving you, for it will encourage you. See the ways in which the Spirit has grown you in godliness, for it will reassure you. And ask the Lord, in His grace, to keep on changing you, bit by bit, as you wait for the appearing of your Savior and the day when you are perfected in glory (Titus 2:13-14).

TITUS 3:3-8

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 48-49; Philippians 1