TU’APULELULU ME 7, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 28-29; PALOVEPI 15:22

Your life is always shaped by the counsel you seek, listen to, and follow.

Ko ho’o mo’ui ‘oku uesia pe tokonia ‘e he fale’i ‘oku ke kumi ki ai, fanongo ki ai mo muimui ki ai.

God creates people with the need for counsel. Immediately after creating Adam and Eve, God begins to talk to them. He does this because he knows that they need truth, which they will never discover on their own, in order to make proper sense of who they are and what they have been created to do. God has never stopped counseling his people. This is why he has given us his word, so that we would know him, ourselves, the nature of the world we live in, and how we are meant to live. We are meant to live under the guidance and counsel of the Counselor of counselors, as he speaks to us in his word.

Everyone is being counseled by someone all the time. You may be counseled by your parents, a friend, or a mentor. In fact, you can't really have a relationship without the give-and-take of counseling. Perhaps you are being counseled by Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, and you don't even know what a huge shaping influence they are having on your life. The counsel that we hear, that captures our hearts and minds, and that we allow to shape our identity, meaning, and purpose is very important.

So I have a question for you. If you were about to die and your son were about to succeed you in the work you had given your life to, what would be your final words of counsel to him? What identity would you want to instill? What confidence would you like to give? What success would you like him to seek? What hope would you like to impart? First Chronicles 28:9-10 preserves for us David's final words of counsel to his son Solomon: "Know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Be careful now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it." There may be no better words of counsel in all of Scripture.

Here are the four life-shaping things that David wants Solomon to know and allow to shape his life:

1. Serve God with a whole heart and willing mind. Give your heart to the Lord, which will then shape everything you do.

2. The Lord searches hearts and knows every thought and plan. You will   

 never  fool the Lord. He knows your heart better than you do.

3. If you seek him, you will find him. The Lord is gracious, tenderhearted,

loving, and kind, and he will never hide from those who seek him.

4. Be strong and do what the Lord has chosen for you to do. Don't let

anything inside of you or outside of you keep you from doing what God has

called  you to do.

I can't think of better advice than this. Keep God central in all you think, desire, and do. Remember that he knows your heart, and don't let anything keep you from serving him. May God give each one of us the grace to follow these wise words of counsel. And may our lives be a hymn to the glory of our Lord as we do.

 PULELULU ME 6, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 25-27; SIONE 4:16-26

No human function is more important than worship. What or whom you worship sets the direction for your life.

Ko e fatongia mahu’inga taha ki he tangata ko e hu. Ko e ha mo e ko hai ‘oku ke hu ki ai ‘oku ne fakatonutonu ‘a ho’o mo’ui.

I once counseled a man who was hugely successful. But he was also driven, impatient, intolerant, and angry. In the corporate world he was an absolute star. Companies held bidding wars for his services. But the cost of his success was a shattered marriage and almost complete estrangement from his children. He had demanded, pushed, and bullied his way to a sad and lonely form of success. But he had no sense of personal guilt or remorse. He told himself that he had done it all for his family and that he was the victim of their ingratitude. He may have been the toughest person I ever counseled. I dreaded our appointments because they felt like hand-to-hand combat. He wanted me to fix everything, but he had no desire to change. I resorted to doing something I had never done before: I began reading him Scripture about worship. It irritated him, but one day he said, "Stop!" I thought, "Oh no, here we go. Another argument." But he had tears in his eyes. He said, "You're reading this to me because the only god I have worshiped for years is me." Then he began to weep. He was right - all the destruction in his life was the result of worship. He was his own false god; that is, he was the sovereign he demanded everyone to worship, or else pay the price for refusing to do so. Change for my friend had to come vertically before it could ever come horizontally.

Many believers fail to understand that not only are we called to worship, but we are worshipers. Worship is not just our most important function; it is our identity. Everything we do and say is the fruit of worshiping someone or something. This is why we need to pay attention to David's zeal in 1 Chronicles 25-27. He pours his power, influence, and gifts into one thing: the building of an awesome temple to the glory of God. David wants this temple to be a visible reminder of God's existence and presence. David wants it to remind the people of Israel that everything they have is the result of God's exercising his power on their behalf. This edifice will stand as a constant reminder that nothing in all of life is as important as the worship of God. David will not be the one to actually build the temple, but he wants to leave everything and everyone in place so that God's house will be a monument to God's glory and a constant reminder to worship him.

We do well to share David's zeal - not to build temples, but to live in a constant awareness of God's existence, presence, and power and always to remember that nothing in life is more important than worshiping him. As we do this, we need to remember that worshiping God is not natural for us. If our lives are to be shaped by the worship of him, then we need to be visited by his grace. It is his grace that rescues us from us and turns our hearts toward him.

 TUSITE ME 5, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 22-24; 2 KOLINITO 5:11-15

Grace transforms us from being those who live for our own glory to being those who find joy in living for the glory and fame of another.

‘Oku liliu ‘e he kelesi kitautolu mei he mo’ui kumi pe ‘a e lelei ‘a’ata ki he fa’ahinga ‘oku nau fiefia ‘i he lelei mo e langilangi ‘o e tokotaha kehee.

The apostle Paul writes, "He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised" (2 Cor.5:15). Here we see the center of the great spiritual war that rages in and around us. Sin causes us to shrink our world down to the tiny, self-focused scope of our wants, our needs, and our feelings. It really is true that the essence of sin is selfishness. We hold our wants, needs, feelings, dreams, and choices to be more important than God's existence, will, and glory. We ignore his existence, rebel against his commands, and step over his boundaries. We live as mini-sovereigns in constant conflict with other mini-kings and mini-queens. Think about times and situations when you have gotten angry. How much of your anger has anything whatsoever to do with God's law, glory, or kingdom? We tend to get mad at others not because they have broken God's law, but because they have offended the law of our wants, needs, and feelings. Only powerful, rescuing, and transforming grace can cause glory-seekers to live for the glory of God. This is why Jesus had to come; he rescued us from external evil as well as from our bondage to ourselves. Saving grace rescues us from our glory and changes us so that we might live for God's glory. That rescuing grace operates in you and me today.

This is why I am struck by David's zeal that the temple his son Solomon will eventually build must be a glory-of-God beacon - that is, a physical monument to the glorious glory of God. Whenever you encounter a biblical character or a person in your life whose goal is to show off the glory of God, you can be sure he or she has been visited by God's grace. Self-glory is natural for sinners, but it takes grace to have your heart consumed and your life shaped by the glory of God. Consider the words that expose David's heart: "David said, 'Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it. So David provided materials in great quantity before his death" (1 Chron. 22:5). David didn't want his fame to mar the temple. He wanted the temple to proclaim God's magnificence, fame, and glory. Notice the evangelistic zeal in David's heart. He wanted the temple to proclaim God's glory not to Israel alone but also to all the surrounding nations.

Even though you and I are not building a temple, we can have the same zeal. Our God is glorious beyond imagination and is worthy of our surrendering every aspect of our lives to the proclamation of his glory.

 MONITE ME 4, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 18-21; KALETIA 6:1-5

No one extends grace better than a person who knows he needs it himself; therefore, humble prayers of confession tend to produce loving prayers of intercession.

‘Oku ‘ikai ha tokotaha ‘e toe lelei ange ‘i hono fakahoko ‘o e kelesi, ka ko ia ‘oku ne ‘ilo’i ‘a ‘ene fiema’u; ko ia ai, ko e lotu vete ‘i he loto fakatokilalo, ‘oku ne fakatupu ‘a e mo’ui lotu hufia.

Jesus told a parable about a man who stood in the temple and offered what he thought was a most humble prayer (Luke 18:9-14). In truth, his prayer wasn't a prayer at all. It lacked all the elements of true prayer: devotion, supplication, and intercession. This Pharisee essentially told God that he didn't need him, that he was righteous enough on his own. It is shocking that the most Godward-appearing act - prayer - can actually be just the opposite. The religious form may be there, but a prayer can be robbed, by human glory or selfish demand, of its devotion and submission. Not only was the Pharisee stunningly proud, but he also looked on a struggling tax collector with contempt. People who think themselves righteous tend not to be patient, compassionate, or gracious with those who appear to be less righteous than they have named themselves to be. It is, therefore, the grief of humble, heartfelt confession of sin that stimulates concern, compassion, and intercession for others who need the same grace you have just cried out for. Self-righteous pride is not the soil in which compassion grows.

We see this in the life of David. Take careful note of the two parts of David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 21:17: "David said to God, 'Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house. But do not let the plague be on your people." David had succumbed to Satan's temptation to number his people. God didn't want David to grow proud and self-reliant. Because of his sin, God determined to send a plague upon the people of Israel. Note that David's guilt over and confession of his own sin prompted him to plead to God on behalf of God's people.

This is how prayers of intercession always work. Pride causes you to be less than compassionate or perhaps even condemnatory of other sinners. Uncaring judgment of lawbreakers is easy when you have named yourself a law-keeper. But constant confession of your need for God's rescuing, forgiving, and transforming grace is what softens your heart to extend that grace to others.

Sinless Jesus, who had no transgression to confess, was moved with compassion for sinners, so much so that he was willing to die to secure their forgiveness. His heart of grace for sinners like you and me is the hope of the universe. Although he needed no grace, he became the grace of God for all who believe. May we be tools of that same grace in the lives of those near us who need what only grace can give.

 SAPATE ME 3, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 15-17; 2 KOLINITO 10:13-1

It is important to resist taking credit for what you never could have accomplished or produced on your own.

‘Oku mahu’inga ke ke faka’ehi’ehi mei he polepole ‘i ha ngaue na’e ‘ikai mei lava ‘i ha’o feinga tokotaha pe.

A spiritual leader's downfall can begin when he starts to take credit for what is actually the result of God's grace, faithfulness, and power. In this way, success in ministry can be far more dangerous than failure. Success has the power to change the way you think about yourself, who you are, and what you are able to do. Success has the power to make you self-congratulatory and seemingly self-sufficient. Success can steal away your daily worship and devotional life, as you begin to think of yourself as more capable than you actually are. You become less aware of God's presence and less mindful of his grace. Success has the power to make ministry seem like your show rather than God's work. It can cause you to think that your success is God's endorsement of your character, rather than a revelation of his own. Success can close you off from those whom God has sent to advise and confront you. Success can cause you to treat fellow workers as servants for your success, rather than acknowledging them as servants of God. But, most significantly, success can turn you into a glory thief, attempting to steal the spiritual limelight that rightfully belongs to your Savior King.

First Chronicles 16:8-36 records one of the Old Testament's most exuberant, humble, worshipful, and God-glorifying hymns of praise. With great rejoicing, the ark of the covenant of the Lord has been brought to the City of David and, as the crescendo of the celebration, David appoints Asaph and his brothers to sing this great hymn of praise. David has been hugely successful in battle, unified Israel, became a powerful reigning king, and brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. But David's heart isn't filled with his own glory. He doesn't want people to celebrate all that he has done. He knows that all he has accomplished is the result of the presence, power, grace, and covenant faithfulness of the Lord. David knows he is not the hero of his own story - the Lord is.

I am particularly taken by the final words of this hymn. They are a prayer:

Save us, O God of our salvation,

and gather and deliver us from among the nations,

that we may give thanks to your holy name,

and glory in your praise.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting! (1 Chron. 16:35-36)

"Save us, that we may glory in your praise." May this be your prayer and mine today. May we pray for relief from our trials and temptations not just so we would experience personal comfort, but so our lives would glorify God and lead others to do the same. May he give us the grace to glory in his glory and not our own.

 TOKONAKI ME 2, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 12-14; ‘EFESO 3:14-21

When God calls you, he supplies everything you need to answer his call.

‘I he taimi ‘oku ui ai koe ‘e he ‘Otua, ‘oku ne tokonaki ‘a e me’a kotoa pe te ke fiema’u ke tali’aki ‘a ‘Ene ui.

Sometimes God calls us into his service not because we are able, but because he is. When God calls us into his service, he is not necessarily endorsing our character, wisdom, power, or righteousness. His call reveals not how great or worthy we are, but how perfectly great and worthy he is. God knows we are sinners in need of grace. He knows that he has created us with limits. He knows we are still tempted to love what is foolish and to think that we are far wiser than we truly are. He knows how often our minds and bodies fail us. So every call and command of God is accompanied by his empowering grace. We need grace both to desire and to do what God calls us to do. I am convinced that we should never allow ourselves to forget that God's grace is designed to move us not from dependence to independence, but from independence to a greater and deeper dependence on him. Mature believers are mature because they have forsaken the delusion that independently they can be what God calls them to be and do what God calls them to do.

First Chronicles 11-12 records for us all the mighty men who come to King David and swear their loyalty to him in service and in battle. It is an impressive list of men of wisdom and valor. But as we read this history, we must understand what is happening here. These men gather around David in loyal service, surrendering their gifts and abilities to him, not simply because he is great. No, something grander and more encouraging is occurring. God has called David to unify and lead Israel, an extremely difficult task. To accomplish this, David is going to need lots of help. So God, in faithfulness to his servant, supplies him with what he needs. These men gather around David because when God calls one of his children into his service, he supplies what that servant needs. These men of valor are physical evidence that when God calls, he supplies.

God never calls us into his service and then walks away. He never calls you and then stands back to see how well you are doing. When God sends you, he goes with you. When he appoints you to a task, he supplies you with what you need to do that task.

David's Lord is your Lord; he will supply what you need, just as he did for his servant so long ago. Answer his call; he will supply.

 FALAITE ME 1, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 10-11; SAAME 37:1-6

We should always hold our plans with an open hand, because God is perfectly wise and sovereign and we are not.

Ko ‘etau ngaahi palani ‘oku totonu ke tau hapai kotoa ki he ‘Otua, he ko Ia pe ‘oku poto haohaoa mo aoniu, ‘o ‘ikai ko kitautolu.

What do you really want? Be honest with yourself and with God as you make this assessment. If you could have anything, what would it be? What personal dreams do you hold onto and revisit? Where do you wish you were sovereign and able to make the world do your bidding? What makes you dissatisfied with your life? Where are you tempted to doubt the wisdom or goodness of God? How do you handle disappointment? What do you tend to do when your plans are thwarted? What have you prayed for and later wondered why God failed to provide? Is there a struggle in your life between your plans for you and God's plans for you? Are you ever tempted to think that you are smarter than God?

The biblical story is God's story. It was written to introduce you to the magnificent glory of his glory. He is the character that dominates every narrative. The biblical story is meant to expose you to God's character, his will, and his plan for his own. He is the hero of every story. All the victories belong to him. Every great man or woman of faith is great only because of God's empowering presence and grace. In the biblical story, human plans fail, but God's never do. Human power is limited and temporary, but God's isn't. Human love is weak and fails, but God's love is strong and always prevails. But, despite God's zeal to reveal himself to us in such a way that should encourage us to trust him, follow him, and surrender our will to his, there is a constant struggle in the biblical story between what people want and what God knows is best for them.

Israel was dissatisfied with having no human king, even though God was an infinitely better ruler than any human king they could ever have. They looked at the nations around them and wanted a king like they had. So God gave them what they wanted. Sadly, Saul was a king like the other nations' kings. His repeated rebellion against God, his obsession with his own power, and his jealousy all led to his demise. God had planned something better for his children, something much better than what they envied in the surrounding pagan nations (see 1 Chron. 11:1-4). God wanted for his children a king after his own heart. He would covenant with this king to give him a throne that would never end. Out of this king's line would come Jesus, the Son of David, the Savior of the world. As a wise Father, God always knows what is best for his children. His plans are always best. His way is always right. We will never know  more than he knows or be wiser than he is. Surrendering your desires, plans, and will to the Lord of lords is never a bad choice. Demanding your own way never produces anything good. The plan of the ultimate planner is always the wisest and best plan. Surrender your plans to him, and you will be glad you did.

 TU’APULELULU ‘EPELELI 30, 20226

1 KALONIKALI 5-9; SELEMAIA 31:16-20

We should be thankful that woven into the gospel is the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings.

‘Oku taau ke tau fakafeta’i ‘i hono fatu ‘i he koosipeli ‘a e palomesi ‘o e faingamalie mo e kamata fo’ou.

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is Jonah 3:1: "Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time...." God's patience and grace toward Jonah surprise me every time I read this book. In the face of God's call, Jonah ran in the other direction, not only to disobey God but to escape God's presence. I probably would have told Jonah that I was done with him, that I didn't need him because I had plenty of prophets to send in his place. But our God is a God of inexhaustible patience and grace. He pursued Jonah, rescued Jonah from himself, and then called him again to his mission to Nineveh. Jonah was granted a fresh start and a new beginning, even in the face of his rebellion, because God's grace is amazing. Once God has chosen you as his own, you

cannot outrun his grace.

The history of the children of Israel was a chronicle of commitment, followed by rebellion and idolatry, followed by repentance, with the cycle repeating-but each time with a deeper falling away and deeper evil, until the sins of Israel were as great as those of the surrounding pagan nations. Because God loved his children, he could not sit by and dispassionately watch their wanton idolatry and immorality. Just as a father who truly loves his children will discipline them because of that love, God moved to discipline his own. This discipline was not a final condemnation. God was not turning his back on his own. He was not forsaking his covenant. He was not turning from all his promises. God was not casting his children away from his presence.

God raised up Babylon not as a tool of his final judgment against Judah, but as a tool of his purifying discipline. The captivity in Babylon would not be the final chapter for Judah because God is a God of inexhaustible patience and grace. There would be more chapters, culminating in the coming of the Son of David, Jesus Christ-the Lion of the tribe Judah.

So the words of 1 Chronicles 9:1-2 are heartening:

All Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants. 

Judah was exiled because of their wholesale breach of faith, but it wasn't the end, because woven into God's grace is the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings. Judah returned to the promised land, led by those who would reestablish the centrality of the worship of God. Be thankful that, in spite of our sin, his grace offers us hope for a new day.

 PULELULU ‘EPELELI 29, 2026

1 KALONIKALI 1-4; FILIPAI 3.8-14

It's important to remember that our hope in life and death is not our zeal for God, but his zeal to keep every one of his redemptive promises.

‘Oku mahu’inga ke tau manatu’i, ko ‘etau ‘amanaki ki he mo’ui mo e mate ‘oku ‘ikai makatu’unga ‘i he’etau ngaue mateaki ma’ae ‘Otua, ka ‘i he mateaki’i kitautolu ‘e IA ke ne tauhi ‘a ‘Ene fo’i palomesi kotoa ‘o ‘Ene huhu’i kitautolu.

You should dedicate and discipline yourself to keep every one of God's commands. You should work to apply the wisdom of his word to every aspect of your life. You should be a student of his word. You should be committed to understanding the theology of Scripture and live that theology out in your daily life. You should use the resources God has entrusted to you to contribute to the work of his kingdom and to meet the needs of those he places in your path. You should be committed to sharing the gospel when God gives the opportunity. You should commit yourself to having a marriage and family life that are shaped by the comfort and call of the gospel. You should build a robust devotional life of worship and study. You should be committed to counting your blessings every day and resist numbering your complaints. You should live with gratitude, even when facing trials. You should do all of these things with joy. But it is vital that you also remember that your zeal and discipline for God are not the rock of your spiritual hope.

We must constantly remember that true, unshakable hope is only ever found in God's zeal for his own glory and the plan of redemption he set in place before the foundations of the world were laid. If you faithfully do all of the things above, which God clearly calls you to do, you do so only because you have been rescued and empowered by God's grace. It's true that not only is he faithful, but we can be faithful only because he has been faithful first. All of our desires to love, serve, and worship him are the fruit of his grace. We must always resist taking credit for things that are the fruit of his faithful grace. All human righteousness is the work of his convicting, rescuing, transforming, and empowering grace.

So, when you read the genealogies in 1 Chronicles, you should be impressed with something other than the long list of names. Your heart should go to the God behind the list. First Chronicles 1-4 takes us from Abraham and his descendants, to David and his descendants, and to Judah and his other descendants. These genealogies are a tribute not so much to human effort, commitment, wisdom, righteousness, or faithfulness, but to the perfect faithfulness of God to every covenant promise he had made. He called, empowered, guided, warned, and forgave. From the early promises to Abraham, to the redemption from Egypt, to the journey through the wilderness, to the entrance into the promised land, and to the establishment of a kingdom, God acted with power and grace on behalf of his people. This is why they exist. Romans 11:36 is the best summary of these genealogies: "From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

 TUSITE ‘EPELELI 28, 2026

2 TU’I 23-25; TANGILAULAU 3:22-33 

No matter how bad and spiritually dark things may seem, don't ever stop praying for moral and spiritual revival.

Neongo pe ‘oku fe fe fau e fakapo’uli fakalaumalie ‘oku tau mamata ki ai, ‘oua e fo’i he lotu ki he fakaakeake mo e liliu fakalaumalie.

Just when you get to the point where you want to stop reading the Old Testament because it has become so dark and discouraging, out of the darkness rises young King Josiah. Rather than reading about more idolatry, infanticide, desecration of the house of the Lord, or consultations with fortune tellers and necromancers, you find real spiritual revival. In the darkness, a bright light shines through the moral commitments of a young and godly king. One of the first things this king does is to lead the children of Judah in a revival service. He leads the people in a covenant-renewing ceremony, in which they again vow their allegiance to the covenant of the Lord. Josiah then leads his people in a wholesale destruction of idol high places and idol practices. Out of utter spiritual darkness comes this moment of spiritual revival. God's law is observed and his covenant renewed. It had not seemed that this would be the next chapter for the people of Israel; and, yes, God would later raise up Babylon to purge his people and call them back to himself. But the beauty of this moment of revival should not be diminished.

A rallying cry for the Protestant Reformers was the Latin phrase post tenebras lux: "after darkness, light." Spiritual darkness had blanketed Europe, and the light and glory of the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ seemed like a tiny flickering flame. But out of the darkness God raised up Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other gospel lights. The flames of the gospel burned bright in Europe, spread throughout the world, and burn brightly still today.

Between the "already" and the "not yet," post tenebras lux is and has always been the hope of God's people. This hope is rooted in the goodness, holiness, power, promises, and grace of God. It is about holding on to the belief that God will not let his grace die, that he will not let his plan fade away, and that he will keep every one of the promises he has made.

The birth of Jesus was a monumental post tenebras lux moment. He came into this dark world as the light shining in darkness (John 1:5). Jesus is the eternal light, the eternal torch that nothing or no one could ever extinguish. He shines into the hearts of all who put their trust in him.

The world might seem dark to you today, but another post tenebras lux moment is coming, when the light will come for his own, ushering them into his final kingdom of light, life, peace, and righteousness forever. Darkness will not ultimately defeat the light, and so, with the same hope as the Reformers, we say post tenebras lux.

 MONITE ‘EPELELI 27, 2026

2 TU’I 20-22; SAAME 110:1-7

When you look at the moral, spiritual darkness around you, you might wonder, Will evil win in the end?

‘I he taimi ‘oku ke vakai ai ki he fakapo’uli faka-molale mo fakalaumalie ‘i ho ‘atakai, ‘oku ke fifili nai pe ‘e ikuna ‘a e kovi ‘i he ‘aho fakamui?

When you read the following passage, it should make you weep. And it might make you wonder, Is this the end? Can it get any worse for God's children than this?

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem will I put my name." And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them." But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel. (2 Kings 21:1-9)

This is a hard passage to read. It seems as though righteousness has been soundly defeated and evil now reigns. Manasseh had led God's children into a level of evil that was worse than that of the surrounding pagan nations. He had turned the house of the Lord into a place of idolatry, burned his own son as an offering to a false god, sought the counsel of those who communicated with the dead, and refused to heed the warnings of the Lord. Could this be the end? Would evil finally have its way? The resounding answer of the biblical narrative is, "No!" Righteousness will triumph because there is a holy one who sits on the throne of the universe, and he will have his way in the end.

No matter how evil things get, the future of God's holy plan and his chosen people is not at stake. God will finally put the last enemy under his feet, and he will usher in peace and righteousness forever. In the darkness of the days we live in, do not panic. Our Lord is on his throne in power and glory, and he will win.

 SAPATE ‘EPELELI 26, 2026

2 TU’I 18-19; KOLOSE 2:8-10

Nothing is more sure, faithful, and hope-giving than the perfect goodness of the Lord.

‘Oku ‘ikai mo ha me’a ‘e toe pau ange, faitonunga ange, mohu ‘amanaki ange, ka ko e lelei haohaoa ‘a e ‘Otua.

Years ago I came across a brief epitaph, but it was perhaps the best summary of a life one could give. In fact, I would like these five little words to be said of me: "He was a good man." More than being successful, more than being powerful, more than being rich, more than acquiring public acclaim, I aspire to live a life that is good. To be good is to be morally pure, patient and faithful, loving and generous. It means you live a Godward life. But as much as I am encouraged by a person's life that can be characterized as good, there is no goodness like the goodness of the Lord. God's word records Israel's moral wandering, the chaos of their idolatry, and the works of evil king after evil king. But what jumps off the pages of Scripture is the stunning goodness of the Lord. He will not return evil for evil, and he will not forsake his covenant promises.

You can't read this history without concluding that hope is never found in human plans or power. Hope is never found in human strength or wisdom. Hope is never found in human spirituality or righteousness. Hope is never found in dabbling in the philosophy or religions of the world. Hope is only ever found in one place: the goodness of the Lord. That goodness shines in 2 Kings 18:1-8:

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

Just when you think things will only get darker for God's children, God raises up a righteous, faithful, and God-worshiping king - not because the people deserve it, but because God is that good. Because of Hezekiah, Israel experiences moral and spiritual renewal and renewed power against their enemies. When his children are faithless, God remains faithful. This was the hope of God's children of old, and it is our hope today.

 TOKONAKI ‘EPELELI 25, 2026

2 TU’I 15-17; SELEMAIA 7:30-34

It is dangerous to minimize or forget the horrible sinfulness of sin.

‘Oku fakatu’utamaki ‘etau fakasi’isi’i pe fakangalo’i ‘a e fulikivanu ‘a e angahala.

It is easy to minimize, deny, or forget the evil that still lives within us and will continue to live there until God's redeeming work is complete and we are with him forever. Yes, he has given his children means of grace, such as his Spirit, his word, and his church, but we still must not minimize the presence or power of remaining sin. Think about the following realities:

We are still capable of going to where lust leads us.

We can still let anger drive our actions, reactions, and responses.

We are still able to be consumed by bitterness or jealousy.

We not only fail regularly to love our neighbor, but we also give way to                 contempt.

We often love our own way more than God's way.

We often seem to love the world more than we love our Lord.

This list could go on and on. It is clear that our struggle with sin is not over, but something else is just as clear. Sin doesn't always seem sinful to us. Sometimes what God says is ugly looks beautiful to us. We tell ourselves that we can sin and everything will be all right in the end. But sin is a liar. It never keeps its promises, and it never produces good in us or through us. Sin whispers to us promises of life, but it leads only to death. Sin is more deeply sinful than we tend to think or imagine. So God has recorded shocking moments of history in his word; he wants us to be confronted with the horrible nature of sin. One such shocking moment is recorded in 2 Kings 16:1-4:

In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God, as his father David had done, but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. 

When we read about these horrible idolatrous practices, including infanticide, we must remember that this passage is not describing some animistic, pagan nation. This is Judah, the tribe of David, out of which the Messiah will come. These are God's people, who have progressively, step by step, walked away from their Lord. They have walked so far away that they are now burning their children on altars to false gods!

This sickening passage screams to us of why the cross of Jesus Christ was necessary. Grace had to flip the script. A penalty for sin had to be paid, and sin had to be defeated. Today, remember the sinfulness of sin and celebrate the eternal victory of God's grace in Jesus.