Monite Me 2, 2022

BLESSED ARE THE BELIEVERS

MONU’IAA KA KO E KAU TUI

JOHN 20:28-29

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

SIONE 20:29

Tali ‘a Tōmasi, ‘o ne pehē ki ai, Ko hoku ‘Eiki pē, mo hoku ‘Otua! Pea folofola ki ai ‘a Sīsū, ‘o pehē, Kuo ke tui koā koe‘uhi kuo ke mamata kiate au? monū‘ia ā ka ko kinautolu ne ‘ikai mamata, ka nau tui pē.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

 

This verse is as good an image of faith as well can be; we know that Jesus had about Him merit, and power, and blessing, which we do not possess, and therefore we gladly trust ourselves to Him to be to us what we cannot be to ourselves. We trust Him as the blind man trusts his guide. He never betrays our confidence, but He “is made of God unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).

 

Every boy that goes to school has to exert faith while learning. His schoolmaster teaches him geography and instructs him as to the form of the earth, and the existence of certain great cities and empires. The boy does not himself know that these things are true, except that he believes his teacher, and the books put into his hands. That is what you will have to do with Christ, if you are to be saved; you must simply know because He tells you, believe because He assures you it is even so, and trust yourself with Him because He promises you that salvation will be the result.

 

CHARLES SPURGEON

 

Ko e taha eni ‘i ha veesi lelei ki hono ‘omi ‘o e ‘ata mahino ‘o e tui. ‘Oku tau ‘ilo na’e kakato ‘ia Sisu ‘a e mafai, ivi mo e tapuaki, ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau ma’u, pea ‘oku tau falala kakato kiate Ia ke ne ‘omi ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘oku tau masiva ai. ‘Oku tau falala kiate Ia, hange ko e falala ‘a ha tangata kui ki hono fakataukei. ‘Oku ‘ikai te ne va’inga ‘aki ‘etau falala ange kiate Ia, he kuo “ngaohi Ia ‘e he ‘Otua, “ko hotau poto‘anga, ko hotau fakatonuhia mo fakamā‘oni‘oni‘anga, pea mo hotau huhu‘i” (1 Kolinito 1:30).

 

Ko e tamasi’i ako kotoa pe, ‘oku ne ngaue’aki ‘a e tui ‘i he taimi ‘oku ako ai. ‘Oku ako’i ia ‘e he faiako, ‘i he siokalafi mo e ngaahi ‘ilo kehekehe ki mamani, pea ke ne ‘ilo ki ha ngaahi kolo lalahi mo ha ngaahi pule’anga hau. ‘Oku ‘ikai ke ‘ilo ‘e he ki’i tamasi’i ako pe ‘oku mo’oni ‘a e ngaahi me’a ko ‘eni pe ‘ikai, tukukehe, ‘oku ne tui ki he fakamatala ‘a e faiako mo e ngaahi tohi ‘oku tufa ange ke ako mei ai.

 

Ko e me’a eni kuopau ke ke fai ‘i ho’o ako kia Kalaisi, kapau te ke fie mo’ui. Kuopau ke ke ‘ilo ki he ngaahi mo’oni ko eni, he kuo ne ‘osi talamai. Tui ki ai he kuo ne ‘osi fakapapau’i mai. Pea ke tuku atu kiate Ia ho’o falala he kuo ne ‘osi palomesi mai te ke ma’u ‘a e mo’ui.

 Sapate Me 1, 2022

FAITH IN GOD'S WILL

TUI KI HE FINANGALO ‘O E ‘OTUA

PROVERBS 30:5-6

Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

PALOVEPI 30:5

Ko e folofola kotoa ‘a ‘Elohā kuo ‘osi-‘a-sivi; Ko e fakaū ia kiate kinautolu kuo hūfanga kiate ia. ‘Oua te ke fakalahi ki he‘ene ngaahi lea; Na‘a ne fakamāu‘i koe, pea ke hā ko e loi.

‘Oku ma‘a ‘a e folofola kotoa be ‘a e ‘Otua: bea ko e uga‘aga ia kiate kinautolu kotoa be ‘oku falala kiate ia. (Paaki ‘a Uesi)

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Paul designates faith as the obedience which is given to the Gospel (Romans 1:5); and writing to the Philippians, he commends them for the obedience of faith (Philippians 2:17). For faith includes not merely the knowledge that God is, but also, nay chiefly, a perception of His will toward us. It concerns us to know not only what He is in Himself, but also in what character He is pleased to manifest Himself to us.

We now see, therefore, that faith is the knowledge of the divine will in regard to us, as ascertained from His Word. And the foundation of it is a previous persuasion of the truth of God. So long as your mind entertains any misgivings as to the certainty of the Word, its authority will be weak and dubious, or rather it will have no authority at all. Nor is it sufficient to believe that God is true, and cannot lie or deceive, unless you feel firmly persuaded that every word which proceeds from Him is sacred, inviolable truth.

JOHN CALVIN

‘Oku fakalea ‘e Paula ‘a e tui´, ko e talangofua ‘oku fakavaivai ki he Kosipeli (Loma 1:5); pea ‘i he’ene tohi ki he kau lotu ‘i Filipai, na’a ne fakahikihiki’i kinautolu ‘i he’enau talangofua fou ‘i he’enau tui (Filipai 2:17). He ko e tui, ‘oku ‘ikai ko e ‘ilo pe ki he ‘Otua, ka ‘oku kau ai, pea hiliō ‘a e ‘ilo ki hono finangalo kiate kitautolu. ‘Oku mahu’inga ke tau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ‘o ‘ikai ngata pe ‘i hono natula ‘Otua, ka ke tau ‘ilo foki mo hono ‘ulungaanga ‘oku ne finangalo lelei ke fotu mai ‘aki kiate kitautolu.

‘Oku tau vakai leva ki he me’oni ko eni, ko e tui, ko e ‘ilo ki hono finangalo faka-’Otua kiate kitautolu, ‘o fakatatau ki he’ene Folofola. Pea ko e makatu’unga ki he ‘ilo ko eni, ko e mo’oni pe ‘a e ‘Otua kuo ne ‘osi fakaha mai. Pea kapau ‘oku ‘i ai ha tala’a ‘iate koe fekau’aki mo e mo’oni ‘o ‘Ene Folofola, pea ‘e vaivai ‘a e mafai ko ia kiate koe, ‘isa, ‘e ‘ikai ‘aupito ha mafai kiate koe. ‘Io, ‘e ‘ikai fe’unga ke ke tui ‘oku mo’oni ‘a e ‘Otua, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha loi pe ko ha tokateline fakahee, kapau ‘oku ‘ikai te ke tui ki he mo’oni ‘o e Folofola, ko e fou tonu meiate Ia, pea ko e fo’i mo’oni ta’etoeue’ia.

METHOD TO HELP YOU GET MORE FROM YOUR SCRIPTURE READING:

** for the verse or verses of the day, try to follow this method on your own to get more from your reading. I strongly encourage you to use a notebook or a diary to journal your daily devotional.

Example:

P         Plot – write the Scripture text for the day(the passage)

            Promise – identify a promise from the passage (truth) and write it down.

            Proclamation – this will be a command to obey

L          Link – this step requires you to read “back” (previous verses) and   read “forward” (beyond the passage) for “context” – the full       picture. Tie ideas or doctrines together. Parallel verses would also          be listed here. Linking a thought, idea, concept and teaching to a         current reading is very important in coming to a better understanding of Scripture.

O         Ontology (’Otua) – what does the text say about God? Christ or                 the Gospel

W         Worker (us) – what doe the text say about man (directly or                                                           indirectly)

            we the people (our condition, our need)

            we worship - write out a prayer based on what you learned today

            we work - write out a commitment to act on today’s lesson

Tokonaki ‘Epeleli 30, 2022 

CHRIST: THE OBJECT OF FAITH

KO KALAISI ‘A E TAUMU’A ‘O E TUI

ACTS 16:30-31

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

ACTS 16:30-31

Pea ne ‘omi kinaua kitu‘a, ‘o ne pehē, Hou‘eiki, ko e hā ‘eku me‘a ke fai ke u mo‘ui? Pea na pehē, Tui falala ni ki he ‘Eiki ko Sīsū, pea te ke mo‘ui, ‘a koe mo ho fale.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

In contrast to the doting dreams of the scholastics, we teach this: First a person must learn to know himself from the Law. With the prophet he will then confess: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." And “there is none that doeth good, no, not one." And against thee, thee only, have I sinned." Having been humbled by the Law, and having been brought to a right estimate of himself, a man will repent. He finds out that he is so depraved that no strength, no works, no merits of his own will ever deliver him from his guilt. He will then understand the meaning of Paul's words: “I am sold under sin" and “they are all under sin."

At this state a person begins to lament: "Who is going to help me?" In due time comes the word of the Gospel and says: "Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Believe in Jesus Christ who was crucified for your sins. Remember, your sins have been imposed upon Christ." In this way are we delivered from sin. In this way are we justified and made heirs of everlasting life.

MARTIN LUTHER

Falaite ‘Epeleli 29, 2022

FAITH IS THE INSTRUMENT

KO E TUI ‘A E ME’ANGAUE

ROMANS 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

LOMA 1:16-17

He tala‘ehai ‘oku ou maa‘i ‘a e Kōsipeli: he ko e ivi ia ‘o e ‘Otua ‘oku ngāue ki he fakamo‘ui ‘iate ia fuli pē ‘oku tui; ‘o mu‘a ki he Siu, ka ki he Kalisi foki. He ‘oku fakae‘a ‘i ai ha mā‘oni‘oni mei he ‘Otua, ‘oku kamata mei he tui, pea iku ki he tui; ‘o hangē ko e Folofola, Ko e mā‘oni‘oni te ne mo‘ui mei he tui

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

Here is the explanation of our justification by faith alone: faith is the instrument which receives Jesus Christ and, consequently, which receives His righteousness, that is to say, all perfection. When therefore, after Saint Paul we say that we are justified by faith alone, or freely, or by faith without works (for all these ways of speaking give the same sense),' we do not say that faith is a virtue which makes us righteous, in ourselves, before God. For this would be to put faith in the place of Jesus Christ who is, alone, our perfect and entire righteousness.

But we speak thus with the apostle, and we say that by faith alone we are justified, insomuch as it embraces Him who justifies us, Jesus Christ, to whom it unites and joins us. We are then made partakers of Him and the benefits which He possesses. These, being imputed and gifted to us, are more than sufficient to make us acquitted and accounted righteous before God.

THEODORE BEZA

Tu’apulelulu ‘Epeleli 28, 2022

THE HAPPIEST OF BELIEVERS

KO E KAU TUI FIEFIA TAHAA

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12-13

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12-13

He ko ‘etau sio ‘i he taimi ni, ko e ma‘ali ha misiteli ‘i ha sio‘ata; ka ko e taimi ko ē, ko ‘etau sio ko e femātaaki. Ko e taimi ni ‘oku ou ‘ilo fakakonga pē, ka ‘i he taimi ko ē te u ‘ilo faka‘āufuli, ‘o hangē foki ne ‘ilo faka‘āufuli au. ‘Āua! ka ‘oku tolonga pē ‘a Tui, ‘a ‘Amanaki, ‘a ‘Ofa; ‘a e tolu ni pē: pea ko honau tu‘ukimu‘a ko ‘OFA.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

The lovers of Jesus are charmed with His character, and delighted with His mission; they are carried away by the lovingkindness that He has manifested, and therefore they cannot help trusting Him, because they so much admire, revere, and love Him.

The way of loving trust in the Savior may thus be illustrated. A lady is the wife of the most eminent physician of the day. She is seized with a dangerous illness, and is smitten down by its power; yet she is wonderfully calm and quiet, for her husband has made this disease his special study, and has healed thousands who were similarly afflicted. She is not in the least troubled, for she feels perfectly safe in the hands of one so dear to her, and in whom skill and love are blended in their highest forms. Her faith is reasonable and natural; her husband, from every point of view, deserves it of her. This is the kind of faith which the happiest of believers exercise toward Christ.

CHARLES SPURGEON

Pulelulu ‘Epeleli 27, 2022 

SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE

SILA’I ‘AKI ‘A E LAUMALIE MA’ONI’ONI ‘O E PALOMESI

2 TIMOTHY 1:11-12

for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me

2 TIMOTHY 1:12

‘A ia ko e me‘a na‘e fokotu‘u au ki ai, ko e malanga mo e ‘aposetolo mo e faiako. Ko hono ‘uhinga foki ia ‘oku ou mo‘ua ai ‘i he ngaahi mamahi ni; ka ‘oku ‘ikai te u mā ai: he ‘oku ou ‘ilo pē ‘a ia kuo u tui ki ai, pea ‘oku ou ‘ilo pau ‘oku ne mafai ke tauhi ‘eku me‘a kuo u tuku kiate ia, ‘o a‘u ki he ‘aho ko ē.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe   

There are different sorts of faith that are not true and saving, as is evident by what the apostle James says: "Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works," where it is supposed that there may be a faith without works, which is not the right faith. When he says, “I will show thee faith by my works," nothing else can be meant, than that I will show thee that my faith is right. It is a trusting in Christ.

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him." "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ: in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

JONATHAN EDWARDS

Tusite ‘Epeleli 26, 2022

FAITH HONORS GOD

‘OKU FAKALANGILANGI’I ‘E HE TUI ‘A E ‘OTUA

ISAIAH 43:10-11

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.

ISAIAH 43:10-11

Ko kimoutolu ‘a e kau fakamo‘oni ‘a‘aku–ko Sihova ia mei he Ta‘ehāmai–mo e sevāniti ‘a‘aku kuo u fili: koe‘uhi ke mou ‘ilo au, mo tui mai, ‘o mahino kiate kimoutolu ko au ia; na‘e ‘ikai ha ‘Otua ‘e fa‘u ‘i mu‘a ‘iate au, pea hili au ‘e ‘ikai. Ko au, ko au pē ‘a Sihova; pea ka tuku au, ‘oku ‘ikai ha taha ‘oku fai fakamo‘ui.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Faith truly honors God. And because faith honors God, God counts faith for righteousness. Christian righteousness is the confidence of the heart in God through Christ Jesus. Such confidence is accounted righteousness for Christ's sake. Two things make for Christian righteousness: faith in Christ, which is a gift of God; and God's acceptance of this imperfect faith of ours for perfect righteousness.

Because of my faith in Christ, God overlooks my distrust, the unwillingness of my spirit, my many other sins. Because the shadow of Christ's wing covers me I have no fear that God will cover all my sins and take my imperfections for perfect righteousness. God "winks” at my sins and covers them up. God says: "Because you believe in My Son, I will forgive your sins until death shall deliver you from the body of sin.” Learn to understand the constitution of your Christian righteousness. Faith is weak, but it means enough to God that He will not lay sin to our charge.

MARTIN LUTHER