Pulelulu Fepueli 4, 2026

LEVITIKO 11-13; SAAME 51:1-12

By the loving miracle of God's grace, unclean hearts are made new and pure.

‘I he mana fakaofo ‘a e kelesi ‘a e ‘Otua, ko e ngaahi loto ta’e ma’aa kuo ngaohi ke fo’ou mo ma’a.

Leviticus 13:45-46 says, "The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean. He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp." These words remind me of David's prayer after committing adultery: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10). Although the laws surrounding leprosy had to do with God's lovingly and wisely protecting his people from a deadly infection, they also point us to something profoundly deeper.

Sin is the ultimate infection. No one escapes this disease. It renders us all unclean. It separates us all from our Maker. It cries out for the ultimate cure, one only the Messiah can provide.

Like a bad stain on white linen, like a black smudge on pure vellum, like wine spilled on a new dress, like paint drips on window glass, like mud on a new shoe, this stain won't just go away. It won't fade into nothing. You won't wake up one morning to discover it has suddenly disappeared. The deepest, darkest, most penetrating stubborn stains must be cleansed.

Denying that they're there never works. Doing your best to hide them doesn't remove them. Living with them is foolishness. Hoping no one will notice is vain. Worrying about them changes nothing. Whatever has been stained must be cleansed to be new again. So it is with the human heart. It is sad to admit, but no one has a pure, perfectly clean, unstained, pristinely beautiful, heart. No one. Every heart of every person comes into this world stained by sin.

Sin is immorality's permanent ink, sinking into the deepest regions of the thoughts, desires, motives, purposes, worship of the heart. This tragic sin stain is humanly unremovable. No matter what you try, no matter how many times you try, it is there to stay without something that has cleansing power. You can look at your stains with hope

because there is a cleansing stream. It flows through the righteous life, the substitutionary sacrifice, the victorious resurrection of Jesus. He came so that sin-stained hearts would have the hope of being clean again, new again, spotless in his sight again, ultimately pure again, forever.

If we confess that we are stained, he is faithful, he is righteous, he will forgive our sins, he will cleanse our hearts and thoroughly wash us from all unrighteousness. Step out from the shame of your stains. Refuse to put your hope in things that do not cleanse. Walk away from a life of denial. Confess that you have no cleansing power of your own. Quit blaming your stains on other people, other things. 

Humbly bring the garment of your heart to him. Put your stains in his hands. He will wash you in his grace. He delights in doing for you what you could never do for yourself. He delights in making you clean.

 Tusite Fepueli 3, 2026

LEVITIKO 8-10; LOMA 3:9-20

It is essential for us to take sin seriously, because Scripture makes it clear that God does.

‘Oku fu’u mahu’inga ‘aupito ke tau tokanga ki he mamafa ‘o e angahala, koe’uhi, ‘oku ha mahino ‘i he Folofola ‘a e mamafa ‘a e angahala ki he ‘Otua.

He was an angry, emotionally abusive, demanding, controlling, and physically intimidating husband. I have to admit that, when I sat with him in my counseling office, he intimidated me. He had destroyed all the sweetness, unity, peace, and joy in his marriage. His wife was emotionally broken. She had lived too long in fear of when she would anger him next. When she voiced her hurt, he mocked her for being weak and needy. The thing that struck me the first time I met with them was the smile on his face. His wife tearfully told me why she had begged him to come with her for counseling as he sat there with his arms folded and a grin of mockery on his face. He wasn't ashamed. He didn't feel guilty. He didn't think his behavior was that big of a deal. He surely wasn't in my office that morning because he thought he needed help. He was there to placate his wife, to get her off his back so that they could "move on." I wanted to think that he and I had nothing in common, but we did.

There are times when I too don't take my sin seriously. There are times when my pride and impatience don't seem such a big deal to me. There are times when I am defensive when approached about a wrong I have done. There are times when I work to make my sin look less than sinful to me. And I am sure there are times when you do the same. For most of us our problem is not that we take sin too seriously, feel its weight too much, or confess our wrongs too quickly and too often. No, for most of us our problem is that we often fail to see the seriousness of our sin and the gravity of its vertical and horizontal consequences. It is scary that we are able to call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, and yet we minimize the very thing that led him to the cross. The whole content and motion of the grand redemptive narrative is a result of God's unwillingness to close his eyes to the pervasiveness and gravity of sin, which has infected every one of us. To God, no disease that has befallen humanity is more significant and destructive than sin.

That's why, immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, our God promised that this dark thing would be once and for all defeated and eradicated (Gen. 3:15). Sin is so serious that it gets that kind of attention from the Creator Sovereign King.

This is why the story of Nadab and Abihu, who made an unauthorized incense offering, should get our attention (Lev. 10:1-3). A fire from the Lord consumed them, and they died. That's how serious sin is: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Because God saw sin as serious, he set in motion a process to give us a Savior. The grace of new life is needed only if sin is as deadly as God says it is. Do you take sin seriously?

 Monite Fepueli 2, 2026

LEVITIKO 5-7; 1 SIONE 1:5-10

Sin leaves each of us guilty. The question is, What will we do with our guilt?

‘Oku ‘omi ‘e he angahala ‘a e ongo’i halaia ki he tokotaha kotoa. Ko e fehu’i leva, Ko e ha ‘etau me’a ‘e fai fekau’aki mo e ongo’i halaia ko ia?

My son had taken something that wasn't his. I watched him do it, even though he didn't know he was being watched. I called him over. He diverted his eyes as he walked toward me. His head-down walk was a picture of guilt. He knew that what he had done was wrong. He knew now that I had seen him. He knew he was in trouble, but, when I asked him if he had done what I saw him do, he denied it. I was an eyewitness, yet he would not admit his guilt.

My son, whom I love with all my heart, is not alone in his response. Since we are all sinners, we all stand guilty before God. We all deal with our guilt somehow, someway. Some of us live in denial, telling ourselves again and again that we are righteous. This is an exercise in self-atonement. Some of us deal with our guilt by comparing ourselves to others, concluding that we are not so bad after all. Some of us are good at minimizing our sin, working to make what we have done seem less than sinful. Some of us are skilled at pointing the finger and shifting the blame to someone or something other than ourselves. Some of us wallow in self-despising guilt, allowing shame to depress and isolate us. Some of us try to deal with our guilt by committing to a regimen of self-reformation, determining to set high, perfectionistic standards for ourselves.

All of these reactions to guilt are burdensome, dysfunctional, and disappointing. They simply never work. They turn us into either proud legalists or fearful depressives, but they never produce good fruit in us or in our relationships with others. Since we are all born guilty, our guilt can't be denied or wished away. Our guilt must be confessed; it must be borne; and it must be removed, so that we can live in the light and without shame. This is why the institution of the guilt offering is both an essential gift and a great relief (Lev. 5-7). God declares that he has made a way for our guilt to be dealt with so that we don't have to get up every morning and put that huge, heavy backpack of guilt on our shoulders once again. The guilt offering tells us where the redemptive story is going. Embedded in every animal guilt offering is the promise that there will be a final Lamb of sacrifice (1 Cor. 5:7). He will carry the full range of our guilt and shame.

Although perfectly spotless in every way, Jesus will take the heavy load of our guilt on himself. He will remove our guilt so that we can stand before God righteous and without fear or shame. Since guilt is inescapable, the guilt offering is essential. Jesus is our guilt offering, so we deny our patterns of denial and confess to our guilt, knowing we will receive mercy and grace when we do. Celebrate today the guilt offering that God has so willingly and graciously made for you. Come out of shame's darkness and live in the light. 

 Sapate Fepueli 1, 2026

LEVITIKO 1-4; HEPELU 7:11-28

No greater gift has ever been given than the gift of atonement for sin. We will be celebrating this gift of grace for all of eternity.

‘Oku ‘ikai mo ha toe me’a’ofa kuo foaki ‘e mahulu hake ‘i he me’a’ofa ‘o e huhu’i ‘o e angahala. Te tau katoanga’i ‘a e me’a’ofa ‘o e kelesi ko eni ‘o lau’itaniti.

A sad awareness eventually washes over every parent. At some point, early in the life of your little loved one, you see sin rear its ugly head. It is obvious and unavoidable. You had hoped your child would be the exception, but it turns out she's not. She might refuse to do what you ask. She might shout "No!" to a command you have given. She might display selfishness or anger. You know the reason: your child is a sinner. It's not just that your child does things that are wrong. No, you are confronted with something profoundly deeper and more controlling. If the problem were just an occasional behavioral problem, perhaps some system of behavioral modification would work. But, as we look at every human being, we realize our problem is not just a matter of behavior; we have a problem with behavior because we have a nature problem. Sin is not only a matter of what we occasionally do. Sin, apart from the restorative power of God's grace, is who we are. We are sinners by nature, and that is why we have no ability to escape its power and penalty on our own.

I love the good news of Leviticus. This book in God's word is like a finger pointing us to where God's great redemptive story is going. Leviticus alerts us to the fact that God, in glorious grace, is very serious about providing atonement for sin. He makes a way for sin's penalty to be paid, so that gracious forgiveness can be granted. If sin is our deepest, most destructive, and most inescapable problem, then atonement for sin is the best, most-needed news ever. If you understand that every sin is a direct rebellion against God, then the gift of atonement becomes even more amazing to you. Sinners offend God in innumerable ways, yet, with a love that is almost too wonderful for words, God moves to make atonement for sin possible.

Leviticus 4 uses a refrain three times: "The priest shall make atonement for him,... and he shall be forgiven" (4:26, 31, 35). These are glorious, hope-filled words. There is hope for us, no matter how strong the hold of sin is on us and no matter what dark hallways of sin we have walked. In these words we are assured that an utterly holy God makes a way for thoroughly sinful people to have their penalty paid and their record wiped clean. But there is more. In these words we find a promise of the coming of the Great High Priest, Jesus. He will be the final sacrifice, the complete payment, and the ultimate means of eternal forgiveness. What better news could you ever want to hear?

 TOKONAKI SANUALI 31, 2026

‘EKISOTO 39-40; ‘EFESO 1:15-23

By grace we are not just accepted into God's family, but the glory of his presence dwells in and among us.

Koe’uhi ko ‘Ene kelesi, ‘oku ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i hono tali kitautolu ki he famili ‘o e ‘Otua, ka ko e langilangi ‘o Hono fōtunga ‘oku nofo’ia kitautolu pea ‘oku ‘i hotau lotolotonga.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. (Ex. 40:34-38)

Reread that opening passage and let your heart be filled with the wonder that is captured here. Here is one of the most magnificent moments of divine grace in all of the Old Testament. We must never let words like these pass quickly through our minds as we move on to the next thing. This moment has been captured by God and written into his book so that today you and I would be stopped by it and left in awe. This has been retained for us in order to rescue us, change us, and produce in us a heart captured by a life shaped by God's glory.

It is hard for me to find words that properly express the wonder of this moment in God's redemptive narrative. The children of Israel have already proven themselves to be sinful, complaining, rebellious, and doubt-filled people. They have doubted God's presence and power, and they have questioned his wisdom. Shockingly, they have already erected an idol, giving this lifeless image credit for what only God, in his rescuing mercy, could have done (Ex. 32:1-6). Yet God had a plan for his people: out of them the Messiah would come. That plan depended on the Lord's constant presence with them. The Israelites were included in God's plan not because they had done things to deserve it, but because in his sovereign mercy he had chosen to place his love on them. It is humbling to understand and confess that what we need most in life and death we have no ability to earn or deserve. God with us, in us, and for us is always the result of one thing: grace.

The cloud and the fire were physical, visible symbols of God's presence with his people. The cloud and fire pictured that Israel had been sanctified by God. What do I mean by this? God had set Israel apart from every nation on earth for his will and his glory. These visible symbols were to remind them again and again that they were the children of God. If you're God's child, his presence and glory have descended on you not because of what you've done, but because of what Jesus has done for you. God's glory resting on you means not only that he is with you, but that you belong to him, set apart for his purpose and his glory.

 FALAITE SANUALI 30, 2026

‘EKISOTO 36-38; KOLOSE 3:12-17

God not only kindly and generously gives us great gifts, but he also works in our hearts so that we would offer those gifts back to him.

‘Oku ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i hono foaki lototō ‘e he ‘Otua kiate kitautolu ha ngaahi tufakanga lelei mo lahi, ka ‘oku Ne toe ngaue ‘i hotau loto ke tau toe foaki ‘a e ngaahi tufa ko iaa kiate Ia.

I greatly value my second career (or maybe it should be called a very serious hobby). As a painter, my art is very important to me, and I spend a lot of my time thinking about the painting I am working on at the moment. It's important for me to always keep in mind that this gift I have to create beauty on a large white canvas does not belong to me. If God is the Creator (and the Bible declares that he is), then he is the rightful and sole owner of my gifts. It's humbling to understand that I am not the owner; I am simply the resident manager.

When I am in my studio, I am very aware that the particular artistic gift I am exercising there belongs to my Lord. He is the source of anyone's ability to create art of any kind, and he is the one who decides to give a gift to a particular person. As Romans 11:36 says, "From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen." I did not create my artistic abilities, and those abilities don't continue because of my power. Those gifts don't belong to me, and they have not been given for my glory.

In the Bible's description of the design and construction of the tabernacle, that house where the Lord would dwell with his people, the curtain is pulled back and we are given a glimpse of where human gifts come from and why they exist. God wants his house to be artfully designed, and if that is to happen, there must be artists to execute that design, as he gives specific gifts to specific men to do that work. "Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work" (Ex. 36:2).

We should notice two things in this verse about God's involvement in the giftedness of these men. First, we are told that God put skill in these men's minds. What an incredible statement of the power and presence of God. He has the power to place human ability, skill, and giftedness wherever he wishes. This is true not just of the building of the tabernacle, but this is always the case. It makes sense that creative ability comes from the Creator, and if it comes from the Creator, then it belongs to him. But this passage also tells us something else. It tells us that God not only gives gifts, but he stirs up our hearts to use the gifts he has given. So, today, whether you have mechanical ability, the skill to cook a beautiful meal, musical giftedness, carpentry skill, or the ability to make your surroundings beautiful, stop and give thanks to the owner and giver of your gifts.

 TU’APULELULU SANUALI 29, 2026

‘EKISOTO 33-35; 1 PITA 1:13-21

The present and future hope and security of the people of God is found in one thing: the presence of the Lord.

Ko e ‘amanaki mo e pau’ia ‘a e kakai ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘i he ‘aho ni mo e kaha’u, ‘oku makatu’unga ‘i he me’a ‘e taha: ko e fōtunga ‘o e ‘Otua.

Moses had the theology of his identity and security right. There was much that Moses didn't know that we now know as the children of God because we have access to the complete Scriptures. Yet, in the following conversation with his Lord, Moses reveals that he knows something of profound and life-shaping significance:

And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?" (Ex. 33:14-16).

Before I unpack Moses's insight, let me ask you a few questions.

Where in life do you look for identity?

Where do you look for hope and rest of heart?

What makes you feel secure?

What makes you feel distinctly known or cared for?

Moses understands that there is no hope for Israel and no reason for Israel to travel further if God doesn't go with them. And he also understands that what makes Israel distinct is not their national or ethnic identity, but the fact that they are the people with whom God has chosen to dwell. As a nation, the single thing that makes Israel distinct from every nation on earth is the presence of the Lord. It is the Lord who picked Israel out from the mass of human nations, set his love on them, blessed them with his covenant promises, protected them from extinction, delivered them from slavery, provided for their physical needs, dwelt with them in his tabernacle, blessed them with the promised land, and from them would provide the long-awaited Messiah. The people of Israel could not have done one of these things for themselves.

So it is with each one of us. Our security is not found in the size of our house, how much we are respected by others, the power of our position, the amount of money we have, our family history, our human leaders, the number of our personal gifts, or our strength, wisdom, or righteousness. Our future hope does not depend on the quality of our education or the wisdom of the choices we have made. It is humbling to confess that no matter how wise and successful we are, our hope and security rest on this: God has placed his love on us and, because he has, he is with us in glory and grace forever. He will go with us wherever we go and will do for us what we have no power to do for ourselves-not because we deserve it, but because he is generous in love and mercy. It really is true that he is everything we need.

 PULELULU SANUALI 28, 2026

‘EKISOTO 30-32; SENESI 1:1-31

God created artists, poets, composers, and preachers and endowed them with incredible gifts, so that his glory would be seen and our lives would be changed.

    Na’e fakatupu ‘e he ‘Otua ‘a e kau taukei ‘i he ‘aati, kau punake fa’u          hiva, kau malanga pea Ne fakanaunau ‘akinautolu ‘aki ha ngaahi        taleniti faufaua, koe’uhi ke e’a ai hono langilangi pea ke liliu ai ‘etau mo’ui.

Besides being a pastor and an author, I am a painter. I have a studio a few blocks

down from where we live, that is one of my favorite places on earth. Consequently, the following passage is one of my favorite Old Testament gems:

The LORD said to Moses, "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do." (Ex. 31:1-11)

God gave specific people specific artistic gifts so that his tabernacle would reflect his glory, that is, the glory of his holiness and the wonder of his mercy. God did this because he knew that he had created people with a glory orientation. Human beings love glorious things. So our lives will be captured and controlled by his glorious glory or the glory of some created thing. God loves us enough to give people the ability to create things that reflect his glory, so that we would be drawn to love, worship, and serve him above anything else.

But God's giving of artistic gifts is not limited to his tabernacle. All forms of artistic and communicative creativity have been given by God, not just for our pleasure but for a higher purpose. Since God is a spirit and cannot be seen with our physical eyes, he gives people the ability to display his glory in what they create, so that we would "see" him and surrender the awe of our hearts to him. His purpose is not just that we would enjoy the pleasure of artistic expression or respect the artist, but also that we would be given eyes to see the great artist and would give ourselves to him. God, the author of beauty, gives people the ability to create what is beautiful so that we would be drawn to gaze upon his beauty and, as we do, be rescued by his grace. So, enjoy the art around you, but as you do, may your heart run to the artist behind the art.

 TUSITE SANUALI 27, 2026

‘EKISOTO 28-29; LOMA 12:1-2 

In this life there are many important things to know, but nothing is more important and life-changing than the knowledge of God.

‘I he mo’ui ko eni, ‘oku lahi ‘a e ngaahi me’a mahu’inga ke tau ‘ilo ki ai, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ha me’a ‘e toe mahulu hake mo liliu mo’ui ka ko e ‘ilo ‘o e ‘Otua.

I remember the wonder in his voice and in his eyes as he told me about his days spent at camp. He had spent a week at a Christian camp where he was encouraged to see God's created world in new and engaging ways. He had just looked through a microscope at the tiny little creatures that live in a pond. These little creatures were invisible to the eye as he simply stood and looked over the pond. He was amazed that there was a whole world underwater that most of us never even realize exists. That microscope revealed a universe of wonderful and amazing things that you could spend the rest of your life studying and seeking to understand.

Such it is with God's world. Everywhere you look is another little "universe" of sights, sounds, and beings. The study of each of these little universes could leave with volumes of knowledge. It can be a bit overwhelming to think that in God's world there is no end to knowing. You and I will never know enough; we will never be able to say, "I know everything." This is why we must understand what is important to know and what is not. You and I have a limited amount of time and limited mental capacity, so what we commit ourselves to know is significant and life-shaping.

This is why it is important to pay careful attention to the words of Exodus 29:45-46: "I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God." Not only do these words capture the amazing grace of God's choosing to dwell among his people, a stunning reality they could never earn or deserve, but they reveal why he chose to do this. When reading these verses, you and I should pause for a moment and consider the significance of the words "And they shall know that I am the LORD their God." God says, "I am going to dwell with my people so that they will know me."

If God is the Creator of everything that exists, if he is the Lord and Ruler of all that happens, and if he holds his created world together by his powerful hand, then there is nothing more important than to know him. There is no proper knowledge of anything in this world that does not begin with knowing God. But there is more in these verses. God says, "I don't just want you to know me; I want you to know what I have done for you. I am your Redeemer. I placed my love on you, I redeemed you from slavery, I provided for you, and I have given you my law."

God has now made us the temple where he dwells, so that we would remember his redeeming grace and follow him with joy.

 MONITE SANUALI 26, 2026

‘EKISOTO 25-27; SELEMAIA 31:31-39

True and lasting hope is found in these words: "I will dwell in the midst of my people."

Ko e ‘amanaki mo’oni mo tolongaa ‘oku ma’u ia ‘i he kupu’i lea ko eni: “Te u nofo ‘i honau lotolotonga.”

There are a myriad of websites and media series dedicated to home decorating. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are all very particular about how we want our home to look. Some of us take the look of our houses seriously and invest time and money to get them to look like our dreams. Others are more casual about our surroundings. Some of us place a high value on neat and clean; others find a bit of a mess more comfortable. But all of us somehow, someway express our personalities and our values by the way we design and keep our surroundings. That's why, when you are in someone else's home, it doesn't quite feel like home to you.

In Exodus 25 and the chapters following, we find directions for constructing and decorating a most important house: the house of the Lord. Read these amazing words carefully: "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it" (Ex. 25:8-9). You should be filled with wonder as you read these words. How could it be that the great Creator, the Sovereign King, the Holy One of Israel would ever desire to dwell among these sinful, complaining, and often rebellious people? Here again we are confronted with a major theme in the biblical story. God pours out his love on his people not because of what is in them, but because of what is in him. Nothing argues more strongly for the amazing and undeserved nature of God's grace than God's commanding his people to make a tabernacle so that he could dwell with his people. The hope of Israel was to be found in one place and one place alone: the Lord of glory and grace who lived among them.

But there is more. I don't know if you noticed it or not, but God not only said he would dwell among his people, but he also communicated that he was quite particular about how his house would be built, furnished, and decorated. He wanted his house to communicate who he was and what he valued. God wanted his tabernacle to communicate two things: his unapproachable holiness and the mercy of his forgiveness. This means the tabernacle is itself a prophecy, There would be another place where God's unapproachable holiness and his forgiving mercy would meet: the cross of Jesus Christ. Here in God's mercy plan, the perfectly holy Lamb would die, so that we would become the children of God and so that he would come and dwell with us. A holy God, dwelling among his not-yet perfectly holy children, is our hope today too. What amazing mercy that by grace we have become the house of the Lord.