Sapate Novema 19, 2017

Ko e me‘a mahu‘inga taha kiate koe

( The most important thing to you )

Fehu‘i #17

Ko e hā ‘a e tauhi ‘aitoli?

( What is idolatry? )

Ko e tauhi ‘aitolí, ko e tu‘u ‘ete falalá ‘i he ngaahi me‘a fakatupú ‘o ‘ikai ‘iate Ia na‘a ne fakatupú, ke ma‘u mei ai ‘a ‘ete ‘amanakí mo e fiefiá, mo hoto mahu‘ingá mo e malu‘í.

( Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security )

Loma 1:21, 25

21) Koe‘uhi neongo na‘a nau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ka na‘e ‘ikai te nau fakahīkihiki‘i ia, pe fakafeta‘ia, ‘o ngali ko e ‘Otua: kaekehe na‘e taka launoa ‘enau ngaahi fakakaukau; pea po‘uli tu‘u honau loto ta‘e‘ilo…25) he fa‘ahinga ko ia na‘a nau tuku ‘a e mo‘oni ‘a e ‘Otua, ka nau fai‘aki ‘a e koto loi; ‘o nau lotu mo tauhi ki he me‘a kuo ngaohi, ‘o laka ‘iate ia na‘a ne ngaohi, ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio ‘oku ‘o‘ona ‘a e fakamālō ‘o lauikuonga. ‘Ēmeni."

ROMANS 1:21, 25

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their hearts were darkened. .. . They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…

Commentary - TIMOTHY KELLER (Cont…)

So, for example, if affluence and your career have become too important to you, they've become idols, and that can lead you to working too hard and exhaustion. It can lead you to becoming ruthless. It can block the development of a loving heart and the fruit of the Spirit. It can thin out your relationships. It can hurt your family relationships. It can hurt your friendships. And all these things can be going on for a long time before it leads to a real overt example or cheating or adultery, because idolatry can lead to those things. 

Tokonaki Novema 18, 2017

Hulu ange ‘ete ‘ofa ki he me‘a kehé  ‘ia Sisu

( Loving anything more than Jesus )

Fehu‘i #17

Ko e hā ‘a e tauhi ‘aitoli?

( What is idolatry? )

Ko e tauhi ‘aitolí, ko e tu‘u ‘ete falalá ‘i he ngaahi me‘a fakatupú ‘o ‘ikai ‘iate Ia na‘a ne fakatupú, ke ma‘u mei ai ‘a ‘ete ‘amanakí mo e fiefiá, mo hoto mahu‘ingá mo e malu‘í.

( Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security )

Loma 1:21, 25

21) Koe‘uhi neongo na‘a nau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ka na‘e ‘ikai te nau fakahīkihiki‘i ia, pe fakafeta‘ia, ‘o ngali ko e ‘Otua: kaekehe na‘e taka launoa ‘enau ngaahi fakakaukau; pea po‘uli tu‘u honau loto ta‘e‘ilo…25) he fa‘ahinga ko ia na‘a nau tuku ‘a e mo‘oni ‘a e ‘Otua, ka nau fai‘aki ‘a e koto loi; ‘o nau lotu mo tauhi ki he me‘a kuo ngaohi, ‘o laka ‘iate ia na‘a ne ngaohi, ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio ‘oku ‘o‘ona ‘a e fakamālō ‘o lauikuonga. ‘Ēmeni."

ROMANS 1:21, 25

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their hearts were darkened. .. . They exchanged the truth about

God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…

Commentary - TIMOTHY KELLER

The last catechism answer showed us that sin is rejecting, ignoring and rebelling against God, not treating God as God, and not him the honor that is his due. In the Bible, the most frequently described way that human beings do that is through the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is loving anything more than Jesus Christ. Idolatry is treating anything as more important than Jesus Christ for your meaning in life, for your happiness, for your security and hope, or for your self-regard. The reason why it's so important to understand the sin of idolatry is that it can be growing in a part of your life for a long time and get very deep without it right away leading to clear, visible, and easily seen violations of God's law.

Falaite Novema 17, 2017

Ko e me‘afua pe ‘oku ‘otua mo‘oni ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘iate koe

( The test for is God is truly god in your life )

.

Fehu‘i #17

Ko e hā ‘a e tauhi ‘aitoli?

( What is idolatry? )

Ko e tauhi ‘aitolí, ko e tu‘u ‘ete falalá ‘i he ngaahi me‘a fakatupú ‘o ‘ikai ‘iate Ia na‘a ne fakatupú, ke ma‘u mei ai ‘a ‘ete ‘amanakí mo e fiefiá, mo hoto mahu‘ingá mo e malu‘í.

( Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security )

Loma 1:21, 25

21) Koe‘uhi neongo na‘a nau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ka na‘e ‘ikai te nau fakahīkihiki‘i ia, pe fakafeta‘ia, ‘o ngali ko e ‘Otua: kaekehe na‘e taka launoa ‘enau ngaahi fakakaukau; pea po‘uli tu‘u honau loto ta‘e‘ilo…25) he fa‘ahinga ko ia na‘a nau tuku ‘a e mo‘oni ‘a e ‘Otua, ka nau fai‘aki ‘a e koto loi; ‘o nau lotu mo tauhi ki he me‘a kuo ngaohi, ‘o laka ‘iate ia na‘a ne ngaohi, ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio ‘oku ‘o‘ona ‘a e fakamālō ‘o lauikuonga. ‘Ēmeni."

ROMANS 1:21, 25

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their hearts were darkened ... They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…

Commentary - MARTIN LUTHER (cont…)

Question and explore your own heart thoroughly, and you will find out if it embraces God alone or not. Do you have it in your heart to expect nothing but good things from God, especially when you are in trouble and in need? And does your heart in addition give up and forsake everything that is not God? Then you have the one true God. On the other hand, is your heart attached to and does it rely on something else, from which you hope to receive more good and more help than from God? And when things go wrong, do you, instead of fleeing to Him, flee from Him? Then you have another god, a false god, an idol.

Tu‘apulelulu Novema 16, 2017

Ko e Tokotaha ‘oku tuku kakato ki ai ho‘o falalá

( Who our heart depends on entirely )

Fehu‘i #17

Ko e hā ‘a e tauhi ‘aitoli?

( What is idolatry? )

Ko e tauhi ‘aitolí, ko e tu‘u ‘ete falalá ‘i he ngaahi me‘a fakatupú ‘o ‘ikai ‘iate Ia na‘a ne fakatupú, ke ma‘u mei ai ‘a ‘ete ‘amanakí mo e fiefiá, mo hoto mahu‘ingá mo e malu‘í.

( Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security )

Loma 1:21, 25

21) Koe‘uhi neongo na‘a nau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ka na‘e ‘ikai te nau fakahīkihiki‘i ia, pe fakafeta‘ia, ‘o ngali ko e ‘Otua: kaekehe na‘e taka launoa ‘enau ngaahi fakakaukau; pea po‘uli tu‘u honau loto ta‘e‘ilo…25) he fa‘ahinga ko ia na‘a nau tuku ‘a e mo‘oni ‘a e ‘Otua, ka nau fai‘aki ‘a e koto loi; ‘o nau lotu mo tauhi ki he me‘a kuo ngaohi, ‘o laka ‘iate ia na‘a ne ngaohi, ‘a ‘Ene ‘Afio ‘oku ‘o‘ona ‘a e fakamālō ‘o lauikuonga. ‘Ēmeni."

ROMANS 1:21, 25

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their hearts were darkened. .. . They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…

Commentary - MARTIN LUTHER

What is it to have a god? Or, what is one's god? Answer: To whatever we look for any good thing and for refuge in every need, that is what is meant by "god."... Many a person imagines that he has God and everything he needs, provided he has money and property.... The evidence for this appears when people are arrogant, secure, and proud because of such possessions, but desperate when they lack them or lose them. I repeat, to have a god means to have something on which one's heart depends entirely.

Pulelulu Novema 15, 2017

Tataki atu kimautolu, Laumālie

( Lead us on, Holy Spirit )

Fehuʻi #16

Ko e ha ‘a e angahala?

(What is sin?)

Ko e angahalá  ko e sītu‘a pe ta‘etokanga‘i ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i he mamani na‘a ne fakatupú, mo‘ui fakafetau kiate Ia, talangata‘a ki he‘ene laó ‘o iku ki he‘etau mate mo e ‘auha ‘a e me‘a fakatupu kotoa pe. 

( Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law, resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation. )

1 Sione 3:4

Ko ia kotoa pē ‘oku fai angahala ‘oku ne maumau foki ‘a e lao: ‘io, ko e angahalá  ko e maumau lao ia.

1 John 3:4

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness

Prayer

Lord of the Universe, all your ways are good. We pursue the way of death when we go our own way. Help us to see sin as the poison it is. Let your law, rather than the spirit of lawlessness, shape our minds and our lives. Amen.

Tusite Novema 14, 2017

Pekia ‘a Kalaisi ko hoku fetongi

( Christ experienced my sentence; death )

Fehuʻi #16

Ko e ha ‘a e angahala?

(What is sin?)

Ko e angahalá  ko e sītu‘a pe ta‘etokanga‘i ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i he mamani na‘a ne fakatupú, mo‘ui fakafetau kiate Ia, talangata‘a ki he‘ene laó ‘o iku ki he‘etau mate mo e ‘auha ‘a e me‘a fakatupu kotoa pe. 

( Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law, resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation. )

1 Sione 3:4

Ko ia kotoa pē ‘oku fai angahala ‘oku ne maumau foki ‘a e lao: ‘io, ko e angahalá  ko e maumau lao ia.

1 John 3:4

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness

Commentary - JOHN LIN  (Cont…)

Paul writes that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Sin leads to death. And yet the gospel is that Jesus Christ experienced death so that we could live. In some ways he was disintegrated on the cross, spiritually torn apart, so that we could be made whole. He died for our sin, so that we could be made alive. He experienced death and disintegration. He paid the penalty for our sin, so that we would not have to.

Monite Novema 13, 2017

‘Oku tali kitautolu koe‘uhí  ko e ‘Alo

Accepted in the Son

Fehuʻi #16

Ko e ha ‘a e angahala?

(What is sin?)

Ko e angahalá  ko e sītu‘a pe ta‘etokanga‘i ‘a e ‘Otuá ‘i he mamani na‘a ne fakatupú, mo‘ui fakafetau kiate Ia, talangata‘a ki he‘ene laó ‘o iku ki he‘etau mate mo e ‘auha ‘a e me‘a fakatupu kotoa pe. 

( Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law, resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation. )

1 Sione 3:4

Ko ia kotoa pē ‘oku fai angahala ‘oku ne maumau foki ‘a e lao: ‘io, ko e angahalá  ko e maumau lao ia.

1 John 3:4

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness

Commentary - JOHN LIN  (Cont…)

Not living in reference to God not only leads to our personal death and disintegration; it's the reason why the entire cosmos is subject to death and disintegration. God created Adam and Eve to be the centerpiece and the pinnacle of creation. When they sinned, their disobedience of God's loving law not only had implications on their lives, it also had implications on the entire cosmos.