Pulelulu Sepitema 7, 2022

CHRIST THE KING FINDS YOU

KO KALAISI KO E TU‘I, ‘OKU NE KUMI MAI KIATE KOE

ZECHARIAH 9:9

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

SAKALAIA 9:9

Tome‘e ke lahi, ta‘ahine Saione; Hiki mavava, ta‘ahine Selusalema: Ko ena ho tu‘i ‘oku me‘a mai kiate koe; Ko e faitotonu ia mo fai fakamo‘ui foki: Ko e ‘Eiki fa‘a kātaki, pea ‘oku ne heka ki ha ‘asi, ‘Io, ki ha ki‘i manu ko e tama ‘a ha ‘asi fefine.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

You do not seek Him, but He seeks you. You do not find Him, He finds you. For the preachers come from Him not from you; their sermons come from Him, not from you; your faith comes from Him, not from you; everything that faith works in you comes from Him, not from you; and where He does not come, you remain outside; and where there is no Gospel there is no God, but only sin and damnation, free will may do, suffer, work, and live as it may and can.

Therefore you should not ask where to begin to be godly; there is no beginning, except where the King enters and is proclaimed. He cometh "unto thee." Thee, thee, what does this mean? Is it not enough that He is your King? If He is yours, how can He say He comes to you? All this is stated by the prophet to present Christ in an endearing way and invite to faith.

MARTIN LUTHER

Tusite Sepitema 6, 2022

A COMMEMORATION

KO E FAKAMANATU

LUKE 22:19

And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

LUKE 22:19

Na‘a ne to‘o foki ha fo‘i mā, ‘o ne fakafeta‘i, mo ne pakipaki ‘o ‘ange kiate kinautolu, ‘o ne pehē, Ko hoku sino ‘eni, ‘a ia ‘oku foaki koe‘uhi ko kimoutolu: mou fai ‘eni mōku fakamanatu.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

Christ by His death atoned for our sins. The Eucharist is a commemoration of this thing, as He Himself said - "This do in remembrance of me." "By this commemoration all the benefits are presented which God has vouchsafed unto us through His Son. Furthermore, by the symbols themselves, namely the bread and wine, Christ Himself is, as it were, presented to our eyes, so that not only the ears but the eyes: and the mouth see and perceive the Christ whom the soul has present within and rejoices in.

In regard to the institution of the sacraments, they have the power and grace which belongs to God alone. Since, then, the Deity has never conferred on created things the power which we attribute to them, it is clearly frivolous for us to teach that either the saints or the sacraments remove sins and bestow grace upon us. For who remitted sins save God alone?

ULRICH ZWINGLI

Monite Sepitema 5, 2022 

CONSOLATION IN HIS MERCY

KO E FAKANONGA ‘OKU MA’U MEI HE’ENE MEESI 

ROMANS 7:19, 25

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

LOMA 7:19, 25

19 ‘Io, ko e lelei ‘oku ou fie fai ‘oku ‘ikai te u fai; kaekehe, ko e kovi, ‘a ia ‘oku ‘ikai te u fie fai, ko ia ia ‘oku ou feia.

25 Fakafeta‘i ki he ‘Otua, ‘a ia kuo ne fai ‘ia Sīsū Kalaisi ko hotau ‘Eiki!

Pea tā ko au, fakaekita, ‘oku te ngāue ki he lao ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i hoku loto, ka ko e lao ‘a angahala ‘i hoku kakano.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

Learn then from this Gospel what takes place when God begins to make us godly, and what the first step is in becoming godly. There is no other beginning than that your King comes to you and begins to work in you. It is done in this way: the Gospel must be the first; this must be preached and heard. In it you hear and learn how all your works count for nothing before God and that everything is sinful that you work and do. Your King must first be in you and rule you.

Behold, here is the beginning of your salvation: you relinquish your works and despair of yourself, because you hear and see that all you do is sin and amounts to nothing, as the Gospel tells you, and you receive your King in faith, cling to Him, implore His grace, and find consolation in His mercy alone. 

MARTIN LUTHER

Sapate Sepitema 4, 2022

MIGHTY TO SAVE

MALOHI KE FAKAMO‘UI

MATTHEW 12:31

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

MATIU 12:31

Ko ia ‘oku ou tala atu, ‘Ilonga ha angahala, pe ha lau‘ikovi ‘o e ‘Otua, ka ‘e fakamolemole pē ki he kakai: ka ko e lau‘ikovi ‘o e Laumālie ‘e ‘ikai fakamolemole.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

In due time Christ died for the ungodly." If you stand to that truth, your blasphemous thoughts which you have not the strength to drive will go away of themselves. These thoughts are injections of the devil for which he is responsible, and not you. If you strive against them, they are no more yours than are the cursing and falsehoods of rioters in the street. It is by means of these thoughts that the devil would drive you to despair, or at least keep you from trusting Jesus.

The poor diseased woman could not come to Jesus for the press, and you are in much the same condition, because of the rush and throng of these dreadful thoughts. Still, she put forth her finger and touched the fringe of the Lord's garment, and she was healed. Do you the same. Jesus died for those who are guilty of "all manner of sin and blasphemy," and therefore I am sure He will not refuse those who are unwillingly the captives of evil thoughts. Cast yourself upon Him, thoughts and all, and see if He be not mighty to save.

CHARLES SPURGEON

 Tokonaki Sepitema 3, 2022 

GOD'S MERCY IN CHRIST

KO E MEESI ‘A E ‘OTUA, ‘IA KALAISI

JOHN 3:36

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

SIONE 3:36

Ko ia ‘oku ne tui pīkitai ki he ‘Alo ‘oku ne ma‘u ‘a e mo‘ui ta‘engata: ka ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai te ne talangofua ki he ‘Alo ‘e ‘ikai te ne mamata ia ki he mo‘ui; ka ‘oku nofo ma‘u kiate ia ‘e he houhau ‘a e ‘Otua.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

This is Christian faith that trusts in God's grace alone, gained for us and bestowed upon us through the blood of Christ, and that counts no work useful or good to win God's favor. For this were too hard for nature, which is conceived and born in sin, and also lives, works, and dies in it if Christ would not come to its help, gaining God's mercy for us by His works alone and not by our own. Through Him too we fulfill the first commandment and have a God on whose mercy we can depend with all confidence, so that without our merit He forgives all our sins and saves us in Christ, as has often already been said.

Therefore it is impossible that this faith should permit beside itself a trust in works, as though anyone could obtain forgiveness of sins and grace and become holy and be saved by them, for this belongs to Christ alone, who does all this through His work. Thus we have only to believe and confidently to entrust ourselves to Him.

MARTIN LUTHER

Falaite Sepitema 2, 2022 

A SAVING FAITH

KO E TUI ‘OKU MO’UI

JOHN 6:47

Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life.

SIONE 6:47

Ko au ē, ko au ē, ‘oku ou tala atu, Ko ia ‘oku tui ‘oku ne ma‘u ‘a e mo‘ui ta‘engata.

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

Jesus is what He is said to be, Jesus will do what He says He will do; therefore we must each one trust Him, saying, "He will be to me what He says He is, and He will do to me what He has promised to do; I leave myself in the hands of Him who is appointed to save, that He may save me. I rest upon His promise that He will do even as He has said."

This is a saving faith, and he that hath it hath everlasting life. Whatever his dangers and difficulties, whatever his darkness and depression, whatever his infirmities and sins, he that believeth thus on Christ Jesus is not condemned, and shall never come into condemnation. May that explanation direct my reader into immediate peace. "Be not afraid; only believe." Trust, and be at rest. My fear is lest the reader should rest content with understanding what is to be done, and yet never do it. The great matter is to believe on the Lord Jesus at once.

CHARLES SPURGEON

 Tu’apulelulu Sepitema 1, 2022 

THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER

KO E SIASI ‘A E HUHU‘I

ISAIAH 28:16

Therefore this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed.

 ‘AISEA 28:16

Ko ia ko eni ‘a e folofola ‘a ‘Ātonai Sihova: Vakai, ko au eni kuo ‘ai ‘i Saione ha maka, ha maka sivi, ha maka tuliki mahu‘inga kuo fungani hono fakatoka: ko ia ‘oku tui ‘e ‘ikai ‘oho.

 Ko ia ‘oku behe ‘e he ‘Eiki ko Jihova, Vakai, ‘oku ou ‘ai ‘i Saione ‘a e maka tu’uga; ‘a e maka kuo ‘ahiahi‘i, ko e fugani maka tuliki, ko e tu’uga ma’u: ko ia ‘oku tui kiate ia ‘e ‘ikai bubutu’u ia (Paaki ‘a Uesi)

 

Solus Christus - Christ Alone - Ko Kalasi pe   

 The Old Testament church was not wholly without light, but had not the light of the sun directly, only as reflected. Now these prophets were the luminaries that reflected the light of the Sun; and accordingly they spoke abundantly of Jesus Christ, as appears by what we have of their prophecies in writing.

 And they made it very much their business, when they studied in their schools or colleges and elsewhere, to search out the work of redemption; agreeable to what the apostle Peter says of them, 1 Peter 1:10-11: "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." We are told that the church of the Redeemer is built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, the Redeemer himself being the chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

 JONATHAN EDWARDS