SAPATE  ‘AKOSI  31, 2025

THE POWER OF PROPER THINKING

KO E IVI ‘O E TONU ‘A E HU‘UNGA ‘O E FAKAKAUKAU

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

FILIPAI 4:8

Ko ‘eku lea faka‘osi, kāinga. ‘Ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku mo‘oni, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku taau, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku totonu, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku ma‘a, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku faka‘ofo‘ofa, ‘ilonga ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ‘oku ongoongolelei, ‘io, ka ai ha ‘ulungāanga lelei, pea ka ai ha me‘a ‘oku fakamālō‘ia, ko e ngaahi me‘a ia ke mou tokanga ki ai.

Many of us begin the day with anxious thoughts. The "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) never seems to reach us in the middle of the night or when we first open our eyes. Instead, as the morning comes we say to ourselves, "There is so much to think about. So many things are dancing around in my mind. I've got so many challenges." Thoughts such as these so easily produce anxiety and stultify (lose our enthusiasm) our commitment to prayer.

Paul helps us to overcome these draining, even crippling feelings by directing our gaze toward those virtues which will liberate our thinking. A mind that is filled with the content described in Philippians 4:8 will have little space for anxiety-producing, peace-disrupting, joy-destroying notions.

What Paul was encouraging his readers to adopt is a distinctly Christian way of thinking. A Christian mind, he taught, is not a mind that is trained to think only about "Christian topics" but one that has learned to think about everything from a Christian perspective. Ultimately, we are what we think about. It is in our minds that our affections are stirred, and it is through our minds that our wills are directed. It is in the mind that we conceive of and produce every action. It is therefore imperative that we learn to think about what is right and godly.

The Bible is not concerned with mere mental reflection for its own sake. The Christian is not called to sit on a high hill and think blessed thoughts in abstraction, removed from the routines of everyday existence. Rather, Paul provides us with a list that will establish us in our motives, our manners, and our morals. Each of us is called to live in the realm of the real, not the phony; the serious, not the frivolous; the right, not the convenient; the clean, not the dirty; the loving, not the discordant; and the helpful, not the critical. In short, we are called to think like Jesus.

Paul is not simply calling you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, though. This is not a rallying cry to try your best to perform the list. Sanctification by self-effort is not God's agenda. The multifaceted virtue Paul speaks of is the fruit which grows on the tree of salvation. This fruit is brought forth by those whose roots are embedded in grace. So, let your heart be gripped by God's grace, and train your mind to think on that which is truly praiseworthy. When those influences converge, your life will be one that brings glory to God. Aim to make His grace, and this fruit, the first thing you think about when you wake up tomorrow.

LUKE 6:43-49

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 132-134; 2 Corinthians 10

 TOKONAKI ‘AKOSI  30, 2025

GOD'S PROTECTIVE WORD

KO E FOLOFOLA MALU‘I ‘A E ‘OTUA

 JOHN 17:15

"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

SIONE 17:15

‘Oku ‘ikai te u pehē, ke ke to‘o kinautolu mei māmani, ka ke ke ta‘ofi kinautolu mei he Fili.

When Jesus prayed these words for His disciples, He prayed them aloud. And so this prayer was also an instruction to them about how to interact with the surrounding world. The life that Jesus sets forth here is one that is neither comfortably indistinguishable from the world nor comfortably separate from it.

This is Jesus' vision for His people: to be in the world but distinct from it. This is, in fact, what God's people have always been called to, as a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The Psalms are abundantly clear that evil is a present danger. People are described as "enemies" and "bloodthirsty men" (Psalm 59:1-2), "evildoers" are all around (94:4), and there are some whose ways can only be described as "crooked" (125:5). Therefore, the great challenge is knowing how to honor Christ's words - how to refrain from being compromised by the evil which surrounds us.

Our greatest form of defense is seen in Jesus' request to the Father: "Keep them from the evil one." Protection is available to all who entrust themselves to God. This truth is articulated in the Psalms too, where we read of God's protection being offered to the needy. The Lord says that "because the needy groan, I will now arise" (Psalm 12:5). In other words, it is not the arrogant and boastful that He protects but those who recognize their dependence on Him. Theirs are the groanings the Lord hears. And the Lord's protection for the needy is also protection from the wicked. David confesses that God "will guard us from this generation forever" (v 7). Wicked people may hurt God's people but they cannot do so in any permanent way, for ultimately they cannot hurt our souls. God will keep us from everlasting harm.

The protection of God is for the needy and from the wicked, but how does it come to us? Through the word of God, which provides a lamp for our feet and a light to our paths (Psalm 119:105). His every word proves true, offering a shield against all foes (18:30). If we want to live faithfully in the world, we must devote ourselves to the Scriptures. To think rightly about the evil around you, then, the word of God must be in your heart, in your mind, and on your tongue. God has given it to you to keep you.

Do you pray for yourself what Jesus prayed for His followers on that night before He died? Consider whether you are more in danger of becoming like the world or of removing yourself  from it. Ask the Lord for the love, wisdom, and courage required to live as He did: in the world and yet gloriously distinct from it.

JOHN 17:9-19

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 129-131; 2 Corinthians 9

 FALAITE ‘AKOSI  29, 2025

REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR

MANATU KI HO FAKATUPU

ECCLESIASTES 12:1

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth." 

KOHELETI 12:1

MANATU eni ki ho Tubu‘aga ‘i he gaahi ‘aho ‘o ho‘o kei ji‘i, ‘i he heeki ke hoko ae gaahi aho oe kovi, be unuunu mai ae gaahi ta‘u, aia te ke behe ai, oku ikai teu ma‘u i ai ha fiemalie; (UESI)

12:2a - Pea manatu ki he ‘Āfifio na‘e ngaohi koe Lolotonga ho‘o talavou: (Molitoni)

Not everyone ages at the same rate or in the same way. Some people are full of life well on into their twilight years, while others fade long before their time. But all of us, no matter how young or old, no matter how we feel or how frail we are, are moving one day at a time toward the day that the lights finally go out.

It’s with that end in mind that the author of Ecclesiastes calls us to remember our Creator while we still have time. But when he says "Remember," he's not calling us to a mechanical exercise such as recalling irregular English verbs or multiplication tables. The call to remember encourages us to drop every sense of self-sufficiency and to cast ourselves unreservedly on God as our Creator and Sustainer. To "remember your Creator” means to know Him, love Him, and serve Him as your highest joy.

The timeframe in which this exhortation is to be responded to is significant: the writer specifically urges his readers to remember God "in the days of your youth." If you are no longer young, don't worry - this may apply to you much more than you think! The Bible is far more flexible concerning youthfulness than we are. Even so, there is no question that those who are younger particularly need to heed these instructions.

We must beware of saying to ourselves, "I'll get around to the serious stuff when the serious time comes." This is the serious time! The days will soon come when you will not be able to see as you once saw, hear as you once heard, or walk as you once walked.However fast or slowly, the house of your life is breaking down. How tragic it would be to assume that you can remember your Creator tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, but never today, and then find that there is no more tomorrow. Beware of allowing the best years of your life to pass filled with things that will ultimately prove to be worthless. Remember your Creator while you have the opportunity. And if you feel the best years are already behind you, remember this also: God is able to "restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25). It is better to remember now than to spend eternity with regret.

LUKE 9:57-62

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 126-128; 2 Corinthians 8

 TU‘APULELULU ‘AKOSI  28, 2025

THE PATH TOWARD REJOICING

KO E HALA KI HE FIEFIA

 PHILIPPIANS 4:4

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." 

FILIPAI 4:4

Mou fiefia ‘i he ‘Eiki ma‘u ai pē: ‘io, ka u toe ‘ai atu, Mou fiefia.

Happiness cannot be turned on like a tap. Joy does not come at the flip of a switch. As Christians, we have highs and lows like anyone else. Sometimes we feel great; other times we feel stuck. So what do we do with a command that tells us to be joyful continually - or, as the text has it, to "rejoice ... always"?

Some people conceive of joy as something that ebbs and flows according to our circumstances. If this were so, the path to joy would be to ensure that our circumstances contain as many good things as possible and that we cut out anything, and anyone, that brings us down. But the apostle Paul offers us a different take. The Christian joy he describes is intended to be steady and stable. Paul clues us in to the source of this joy here: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." The key is the phrase in between "Rejoice" and "always"-"in the Lord." Those three little words make all the difference in the world! If we let our joy ebb and flow with our circumstances, then we're inevitably going to find ourselves in trouble. Hard times will come, sooner or later. But if we rejoice in the Lord, who is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8), then our joy is anchored in someone unchanging, and so it will be unfading.

Christian joy is a joy that can coexist with deep sadness. Your circumstances may bring you grief, but they need not extinguish your joy if you find it "in the Lord"- in who He is, how He loves you, and what He has promised you. Place your hope in Him and remind yourself of His unchanging nature and you will be on the path toward rejoicing always, even in hardship. Today, no matter your circumstances, you can find solace, rest, and, yes, even joy in the glorious truth that God is with you through it all and will one day set all things aright.

PSALM 147

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 123-125; 2 Corinthians 7

 PULELULU ‘AKOSI  27, 2025

WHO SHALL DWELL ON YOUR HOLY HILL?

KO HAI ‘E MA‘U NOFO‘ANGA ‘I HO MO‘UNGA TAPU?

PSALM 15:1-2

"O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart."

SAAME 15:1-2

1 E, Sihova, ko hai ‘e ‘āunofo ‘i he tēniti ‘o‘ou? Ko hai ‘e ma‘u nofo‘anga ‘i ho mo‘unga tapu? 2 Ko ia ‘oku ne foua ‘a e haohaoa, mo feia ‘a e totonu, Pea ko e mo‘oni ‘o hono loto ‘oku ne ‘a‘au.

“Who shall dwell on your holy hill?" The question that David poses in the first verse of this psalm is of utmost importance. It may strike us as a question that's tied only to worship in ancient Israel, but in truth it takes us to the very doorstep of heaven and asks us, Who will enter these gates?

While the answer is explained in the rest of Psalm 15, the general point is one we find throughout Scripture. The writer of Hebrews advised his readers to "strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). The Lord Jesus similarly instructed that "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14). Those who will stand on the holy hill of the Lord and enjoy His presence for eternity, then, are those who arrive there by the narrow way, striving after holiness.

The sad truth is that too many assume they will dwell on God's holy hill because they once said a prayer, walked down an aisle, or are a member of a church. It is a grave mistake to think that those acts on their own will merit eternal life if they are accompanied with a way of life that gives no evidence of knowing Christ as Lord. Charles Spurgeon once preached, "If the man does not live differently from what he did before… his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction."

So, who will ascend the hill of the Lord? It is the one who "walks blamelessly," in a way that cannot be confused with that of an unbeliever, and whose life manifests the reality that God has saved him or her. It is the one whose talk is not marked by slander but who "speaks truth in his heart." This is someone who doesn't merely say what is correct but says what is true, with no gap between what is said and what is lived.

The combination of reading Psalm 15 and looking honestly at ourselves will very likely be discouraging. Only the Lord Jesus embodies the psalm's portrayal of holiness to perfection; only He deserves to dwell on His Father's holy hill, and only because He chose to die for His people's sins and clothe them with His perfection are we invited to live with Him there. But it is good and right to let the light of God's word shine on our hearts and expose what is there, for it will move us to repentance and to gratitude to our Savior. And those who know they will stand there because of Him will seek to be like Him. Consider your walk and your words, and pray that you would be ever more conformed to the image of Christ until you dwell with Him on God's holy hill.

PSALM 15

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 120-122; 2 Corinthians 6

 TUSITE ‘AKOSI  26, 2025

THE SUBTLE INFLUENCE OF ERROR

KO E LILOLILO ‘A E MAFAI ‘O E TOKATELINE HALA 

TITUS 1:10-11

"There are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach."

eware the danger of empty talkers.

TAITUSI 1:10-11

10 He ‘oku ‘i ai ha kau talangata‘a, (ko honau tokolahi mei ha‘a Kamu), ‘oku lea launoa, mo fakahala‘i ‘a e loto ‘o e kakai; 11 ‘ē, ko hono totonu ke tau tāpuni ‘a e ngutu ‘o e kakai ko ia, he ko e fa‘ahinga ‘oku nau fakahinga ‘a e ngaahi fāmili honau kotoa, he‘enau ako‘aki ‘a e ngaahi me‘a ta‘etaau ko ‘enau sio koloa ‘uli.

The church in Crete was threatened by some within the community of faith who were nevertheless marked by rebellion. They were like those who enlist in the army, report for duty, and put on a uniform, but as soon as battle commences, they refuse to obey their commanding officer.

Such insubordinate individuals are, Paul says, "empty talkers." They talk about nothing, but they make it sound as if it's the most important thing that you've ever heard in your life. They want to deviate from the main things and the plain things of Scripture and get everybody to focus on the sidelines, on their traits. And shockingly, although they are "deceivers," they are able to draw people after them.

Some people are peculiarly susceptible to this kind of nonsense. It's not possible to have a product that sells unless you've got a market that is buying. If a congregation is not well versed in the truth, and if it doesn't have elders like those described in Tirus 1:5-9 to safeguard the flock, then it will be vulnerable to individuals who rise from among the believers and seek to draw the faithful away.

The greatest danger is not necessarily an all-out onslaught from outside the body of faith. More often than not, it is creeping and subtle, and it comes from inside. Those who deceive in this way are not necessarily easy to recognize. They won't say. "Follow me, I'm turning away from the truth." Rather, they say, "Follow me, because I know the key teachings that you need to believe. You need to make sure that you're doing these things and not doing those things."

The gospel is the amazing story that through Jesus and His work upon the cross, God completely transforms the lives of His children. Along with this change in our hearts, He gives us the unchanging truth of His word - and that truth is worthy of our prayers for the church and its elders. It is worth defending with all our might. So let Paul's words be a reminder to guard against deceitful empty talkers and to be vigilant as you check your own heart. Listen to those whose words are full of grace and truth, and ensure that your own words are saturated with those two hallmarks of the true Christian life, too.

TITUS 1:5-16

Bible Through The Year: Psalm 119:89-176; 2 Corinthians 5

 MONITE ‘AKOSI  25, 2025

WHERE TO TURN WHEN YOUR THOUGHTS GO DARK

KO E POTU KE KE HANGA KI AI ‘I HE KAUPO‘ULI ‘O E MO‘UI

1 SAMUEL 27:1

"Then David said in his heart, 'Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand." 

1 SAMIUELA 27:1

PEA pehē ‘e Tēvita ‘i hono loto, Tokaange ha ‘aho te u mole ‘i he fai ‘a Saula: ko e me‘a pē taha ‘oku toe kiate au ke u mātu‘aki hola ki he fonua ‘o e kau Filisitia; pea ‘e tuku ‘e Saula ‘ene kei kumi au ‘i he ngaahi feitu‘u ‘o ‘Isileli: ko ia te u hao mei hono nima.

Sometimes our thoughts are our greatest enemy.

However difficult his circumstance, David had always placed his confidence in God. Indeed, in the final conversation that ever took place between King Saul and David, David declared to Saul that although he didn't know what would happen, he knew that God would deliver him from his troubles (1 Samuel 26:23-24). David had good reason for such confidence: deliverance had been a theme throughout his life. Whether it was from the lion, the bear, or the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:37), or, later, from Saul's murderous pursuit of him, David was quick to attest to God's rescue.

It is surprising, then, that having just avowed his commitment to the delivering hand of God, David then convinced himself in his heart that Saul would eventually kill him. Rather than reflecting on God's goodness and faithfulness, he allowed his thoughts to go to dark places. His confidence gave way to depression and his faith gave way to fear, and so he went to seek security in the company of the enemy (1 Samuel 27:2) a decision that would lead to a mess of deceit and difficulty (v 8-11).

Our thoughts really matter; they give rise to our actions. An old saying reminds us of this principle: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

You may be able to look back on chapters in your own life when, like David, you began to talk nonsense to yourself, made foolish choices, and found yourself trapped. You may be in that place right now, struggling to stop your thoughts spiraling downwards and leading you into a course of action that you know, deep down, is unwise or wrong. David didn't just need saving from threats to his life; he needed saving from himself and so do you and I. But the good news is that we can't exhaust God's kindness and mercy, even if our thoughts have gone in the wrong direction and even if our actions have taken us off course. As God rescued David, so He has rescued us through the cross of Christ. When you find your thoughts turning to dark places, then, remind yourself of God's goodness, deliverance, and faithfulness, and let that shape your heart's response to the difficulties you face, and shape the course you take as you navigate them.

GALATIANS 6:7-10

Bible Through The Year: Psalm 119:1-88; 2 Corinthians 4

 SAPATE ‘AKOSI  24, 2025

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

KO E HA ‘A E ME ‘A ‘OKU KE NOFA‘AKI TALI KI AI?

PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21

"Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21

20 He ko ho‘otautolu kolo ‘oku tu‘u ‘i langi, ‘a ia ko e potu ‘oku tau nofo‘aki tali ‘a e ha‘u mei ai ha Fakamo‘ui, ko e ‘Eiki ko Sīsū Kalaisi. 21 ‘A ia te ne liliu ‘a e sino ‘o ‘etau mo‘ulaloa ni ke alāanga mo e sino ‘o ‘ene lāngilangi‘ia; ko e ngāue ‘a hono ivi ko ia, ‘a ia ‘oku ne mafai ai foki ke fakamo‘ulaloa kiate ia ‘a e me‘a kotoa pē.

Life is filled with waiting. Whether it's waiting for the weekend, for an upcoming vacation, or for the birth of a child or grandchild, we're always waiting for something. And the Christian life itself is a waiting period; Paul says that, as citizens of heaven already, we now "await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

For Christians, this waiting should be one of the defining features of our lives. There is an otherworldly dimension to our existence - and it's important. We are not to be consumed by, controlled by, constrained by, or riveted to "earthly things" (Philippians 3:19), but we are to "seek the things that are above" (Colossians 3:1) as we eagerly waiting people, not a settling people.

If we have been separated from a close loved one for an extended period, perhaps you have felt the pangs of intense longing. You may be just fine for a few days or even a few weeks, but soon you feel as if a part of you is missing. You eagerly anticipate your reunion - and when the day finally draws near, you can hardly stand the wait any longer.

Paul wants us to wait expectantly for our Lord Jesus Christ with the same sort of longing. We will do that as we remember that "the appointed time has grown very short” (1 Corinthians 7:29) and that "salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed" (Romans 13:11). However long or short the wait is from our perspective, Jesus will return in due time - and when He does, He will transform us to be like Himself,  Forever.

That reunion may come sooner than you think - and it will certainly come "soon" when compared to the vastness of the eternity that awaits us! But for now, you and I are still left to watch and wait for the return of our King. So, until that day when you are brought into the presence of your Savior forever, be sure not to settle for what this world has to offer, becoming more excited about the "now" than the "not yet”. Instead, say with the psalmist, "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning” (Psalm 130:5-6), However today goes, make it a day of waiting for what is to come.

ROMANS 13:11-14

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 116-118; 2 Corinthians 3

 TOKONAKI ‘AKOSI  23, 2025

TRUE POWER IN THE ONE SPIRIT

KO E MALOHI MO E MAFAI ‘OKU ‘I HE LAUMALIE PE TAHA

ZECHARIAH 4:6

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts."

SAKALAIA 4:6

Pea tali ‘e ia, ‘o ne folofola mai, ‘o ne pehē, Ko e folofola ena ‘a Sihova kia Seluipepeli, ke fakahā, ‘Oku ‘ikai tu‘u ‘i he ivi, pea ‘oku ‘ikai tu‘u ‘i he ngū, ka ko hoku Laumālie pē – ko e folofola ia ‘a Sihova Sāpaoti.

At one point or another, when we're facing trouble in life, we're all tempted to ask. What's the point of all of this? Why make the effort to keep going? Why do I face all this difficulty or opposition? Sometimes it looks as if some 21st-century churches and Christians live and operate primarily out of discouragement rather than being glad and rejoicing in the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24).

Some despondency is understandable. But we certainly don't want to live there all the time - nor do we need to. Our discouragement should never lead us to disbelieve that God is still at work. The fact of the matter is that sometimes God's work looks less impressive from a worldly viewpoint than we'd like. But while "some trust in chariots and some in horses," we are to "trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7). In the heat of battle, combat equipment like chariots and horses sure was intimidating. Yet while it may seem that the side with the most firepower always wins, we must never forget that God is always at work among His people, and He will give victory - not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit.

Nothing - no wealth, no influence, no strategy, no ability - can be a substitute for the work of the Spirit in our lives and in the church. Think back to the leadership of the New Testament church, for example. Its leaders were some bold, proactive men, if for no other reason than because they had had so much facetime with Jesus. And yet, when it came time for the gospel to spread, what did Jesus do? "He ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4) - that promise, of course, being the Holy Spirit. Without the power of the Spirit, the apostles, however capable or determined they may have been, were going nowhere fast. With the Spirit, they began a movement that changed the world.

In our day, we need to remember that true gains for the kingdom will never come merely from a higher position in society, larger bank accounts, or more power. Instead, we wait on God's Spirit to move where He wills and to work however He chooses. After all, God's thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways. His wisdom is as high above us as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8-9). If deep down you are self-reliant, remember this: the kingdom will not advance, in your own life or through your witness and ministry, except by the work of the Spirit. If deep down you are discouraged, remember this: the kingdom will advance, even in your own life and through your witness and ministry, because the Spirit is at work. Do not trust in chariots or in horses, but in the Lord your God.

PSALM 115

Bible Through The Year: Psalms 113-115; 2 Corinthians 2