FALAITE SUNE 21, 2024

GENUINE CHRISTIAN LOVE

KO E ‘OFA FAKA-KALISITIANE MO‘ONI

ROMANS 12:9

"Let love be genuine." 

LOMA 12:9

Ke ta‘eloi ho‘omou ‘ofa. Fehi‘a‘ia ki he kovi; pīkitai ki he lelei.

Film can capture magnificently the dissonance that can occur between what a character says and what's actually going on inside their mind. It's usually seen in a close-up on the eyes: "Well, how wonderful to see you again, Mr. Jenkins!" says her mouth, and yet from the expression, the audience realizes she doesn't really mean it. What she really means is "I would have avoided bumping into you if I could have avoided it, Mr. Jenkins - but now I'm stuck here with you."

What the mouth says is not necessarily what the truth is. Too many hearts have been broken and lives ruined by someone who said, "I love you" without really meaning it. True Christian love, according to Scripture, is always genuine. Paul confronts the danger of superficiality and deception by encouraging the believer to love with sincerity that is, with a heart that matches our words. We are set free from the tyranny of acting as if we like everyone or thinking we have to be liked by everyone; and in Christ we are then also supernaturally enabled to love even those we previously wouldn't have wanted to be near.

Indeed, Christian love, says W.E. Vine, "does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered." In other words, it isn't natural. What is natural is to love only those whom we deem lovable - those who are like us, fit within our framework, and meet our expectations. But genuine love isn't conventional. It transcends the boundaries of race, intellect, and social status. It transcends all the boundaries put in place by man.

This is the love of Romans 5:8: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Sincere love can only come as a product of God's grace. It's a reflection of Jesus' sacrifice for us. When God's love shapes a believer's life, our words and deeds will overflow with that love.

Paul's hope was that when people saw the early church in Rome, they would say, "There's something different about the way these people love one another." God's call to you in your relationships with other Christians today is the same. Do not settle for a superficial, weak, or fake love. Do not let your heart be cold even while you are saying all the right things. Let your love be genuine - by gazing at the one who loved you unto death, sinner that you are. Let your prayer be that your love would be different, and deeper, so that you can point to the one from whom all true love flows.

JOHN 15:12-17

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 43-45; Matthew 27:51-66

 TU‘APULELULU SUNE 20, 2024

GIFTS FROM ABOVE

NGAAHI ME‘A‘OFA MEI ‘OLUNGA

ROMANS 12:5-6

"We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them."

LOMA 12:5-6

5 pehē, ko kitautolu tokolahi, ko e fo‘i sino ‘ia Kalaisi, ka ‘i he lau fakafo‘ime‘a, ko e ngaahi kupu ‘oku fekau‘aki. 6 Pea ko eni, ‘i he‘etau ma‘u ‘a e ngaahi mafai fakalaumālie, ‘a ia ‘oku faikehekehe ‘o fakatatau ki he kelesi ‘oku foaki mai, ko ia, kapau ko e malanga-palofisai ia, pea tau fai ke hoa mo ‘etau tui;

Spiritual gifts are tools, not toys. They are not to be played with or used to attract people to ourselves but employed by God, through us, for His purposes and for His glory.

Whatever our gifts may be - be they abilities to do with speaking or with serving - they are given for the well - being of the church. God gives these gifts in order that, as we use them as He intends, the body of Christ as a whole might be strengthened. They're not given as an opportunity to advance an individual's cause or for displays of greatness but in order that the unity, harmony, and progress of all God's people might be strengthened. That is why we have gifts that differ: so that we would learn to serve each other and depend on each other.

Yet God's gifts are only able to promote harmony and well-being when they are exercised in a spirit of genuine humility. The body of each local church grows only to the extent that "each part is working properly" (Ephesians 4:16). Before encouraging his readers to use their gifts, Paul had already prefaced his discourse on spiritual gifts by mentioning humility, urging everyone "not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment" (Romans 12:3). Without humility, spiritual gifts can lead to chaos. We would not give power tools to teenagers without proper instruction and oversight, nor would we give them chain saws to run around with unless we wanted absolute havoc! Similarly, spiritual gifts must be used for their function and in the right manner so that mayhem does not ensue. So Paul tells the Corinthian church -a church full of gifts but not full of wisdom about how to use them - that while it is good to desire and celebrate spiritual gifts, the "more excellent way" to put them to use is to do so patiently, kindly, and humbly - that is, with love (1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:7).

We must remember that gifts are gifts. Their source is God; therefore, boasting as if they are our own is foolish, and using them for our own benefit is inexcusable. If, however, we practice humility as we use them and learn to live in harmony with one another, then we will see the fruit of God's work in and through us. In what ways has God gifted you? Rejoice in that. In what ways is He calling you to use those gifts for the good of your church and for the glory of His Son? Go do that.

EPHESIANS 4:1-16

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 40-42; Matthew 27:27-50

 PULELULU SUNE 19, 2024

TOGETHER IS WHERE WE BELONG

LELEI ANGE KE TAU FAKATAHA

ROMANS 12:5

As in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same  function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." 

LOMA 12:5

pehē, ko kitautolu tokolahi, ko e fo‘i sino ‘ia Kalaisi, ka ‘i he lau fakafo‘ime‘a, ko e ngaahi kupu ‘oku fekau‘aki.

Every so often, someone may ask you, "Do you belong here?" It's usually asked in relation to a country club, a gym, or something similar. They're wondering, "Is this a place that identifies you as being on its lists? Do people here know you and accept you, and would they miss you if you were absent?"

Paul often uses the illustration of the body to describe the church. We don't have to stretch our imagination to make sense of it. We all have a body that is made up of a variety of parts, and each part has a unique function. Not all parts are seen, but all of them are important. If one part is not working or is missing, it makes a difference to all the rest. The effectiveness of someone's entire body depends on its control by the head. This holds true as well in the body of Christ, each local church: the spiritual body functions properly only when it works together under Jesus' headship. When that happens, we function with…

• unity, because we're not living in isolation from each other.

• plurality, because we're made up of different bits and pieces.

• diversity, because the functions of the body are necessarily varied.

• harmony, which we enjoy when things are working in cohesion.

• identity showing that each of us cannot ultimately be ourselves when we are by ourselves.

In other words, when as an individual you understand the nature of the body of Christ, you better understand who you are and where you fit. As a member of the body of Christ, you do belong somewhere. When God's grace has transformed us, we should find that it matters increasingly to us that we have been called into relationship with one another-into community. We're diverse in the gifts that have been given; none of us can make up the body individually but only together. Each of us belongs to one another. We gather as church, then, in order to give of ourselves both to each other and, ultimately, to our Lord. We contribute to the body by our presence, our songs, our prayers, and our fellowship. As Isaac Watts wrote:

My tongue repeats her vows,

"Peace to this sacred house!"

For there my friends and kindred dwell.

Church is not a place for you merely to show up at and attend. It is a body. It is your kin-your family. You need your church; and your church needs you. The more committed to your church you are, the more blessed by it you will be; for few things in life are better than when God puts His people together, because together is exactly where we belong.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 37-39; Matthew 27:1-26

 TUSITE SUNE 18, 2024

VIEWING OURSELVES RIGHTLY

KO E VAKAI TOTONU KI HOTAU TU‘UNGA (KITA) 

ROMANS 12:3

"By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." 

LOMA 12:3

He ko ‘eku lea ‘eni kiate kimoutolu tāutaha, ‘o u fai ‘i he funga ‘o e kelesi kuo tuku mai, ke ‘oua na‘a hulu atu ‘ene fakakaukau kiate ia ‘i he me‘a ‘oku totonu: ka ke hu‘u hono loto ki he fakakaukau ‘oku ngali poto; ko hono fuofua ko e mafai fakalotu kuo vahe ‘e he ‘Otua ma‘a e tangata takitaha.

No one is immune to the sin of self-exaltation. To find evidence of this, simply enter any kindergarten classroom. In this little group of children, soon enough somebody will be singing their own praises about building the tallest block tower or drawing the best family portrait - in other words, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought.

Constantly comparing ourselves with other people is a worldly way to think. An exaggerated view of ourselves is a dreadful problem - one that puts others down and ignores our place before God. The answer, though, is not found in self-denigration, which is the opposite and equal error to self-exaltation. This self-disparagement is also the product of pride because it still surfaces from comparison. It is still self-focused.

The Christian's view of self should be grounded in a mind renewed by God (Romans 12:2). With this perspective, we find our value in God's mercy and grace. Our significance, identity, worth, and role all find their foundation in who God is and what He has done for us, not on account of who we are or what we've done for Him.

We are reminded of this proper perspective of self when we sing the lines "When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died." To survey the cross is to focus on the gospel - the truth that another has died in our place and borne our punishment. In doing this, we realize that "my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride." The cross raises us and lowers us at the same time, and this frees us from needing to push ourselves forward in life and enables us to acknowledge ways in which God has gifted us. This is thinking of ourselves with "sober judgment."

The church, then, is to be noticeably different from the world in the way we view ourselves and each other. When we come together, united by the gospel, all else that relates to our identity, though not irrelevant, loses its primary significance, and we use our gifts not to please ourselves but to serve others.

Look at the cross, where your Savior bled and died for your sins because He loves you. There is no room for you to feel proud. There is no need for you to compare yourself to others. Instead, you can use all that He has given you in selfless, joyful service of others.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-7

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 34-36; Matthew 26:47-75

 MONITE SUNE 17, 2024

RENEWED MINDS

‘ATAMAI KUO FAKAFO‘OU

ROMANS 12:2

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." 

LOMA 12:2

Pea ke ‘oua na‘a mou tuku ke fakaangatatau kimoutolu ki he maama ko eni; kae tuku ke fai ai pē homou liliu, he fakafo‘ou ‘o homou ‘atamai, ke mou sivi ‘o ‘ilo pe ko e hā ‘a e finangalo ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘a e me‘a ‘oku lelei, ‘a e me‘a te ne hōifua ai, ‘a e me‘a ‘oku haohaoa.

Airport control towers are fascinating places. For such small rooms, they contain tremendous capacity and power. The instructions given from these towers prevent chaos and ensure safety. If anything goes wrong in them, the impact is felt beyond their walls and often constitutes great peril.

Similarly, we could say that our minds are the control towers of our bodies. What we do with our bodies is directly related to what is happening in our minds. In our minds we have the capacity to consider possibilities, make decisions, judge our feelings, and shape our affections. It's no wonder, then, that Paul says that if we are to "present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice" in response to God's mercy to us in Christ (Romans 12:1), our minds are crucial.

Being a Christian involves taking on a radically altered mindset that results in increasingly pure thoughts and holy behavior, which are not seen in a life without Christ. As Paul writes earlier in Romans, "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). This change in perspective comes by the power of the Holy Spirit as He instructs us in the truth of God's word.

Such a change is a process. Each day, we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Our minds - indeed, our entire lives - are being renewed. We're neither all we ought to be nor all we're going to be - but we're also not what we once were. And when our minds are under the jurisdiction of God's Spirit and God's word, the rest will inevitably follow as He intends. We realize that God's way is best and are delighted to walk in it. We think before we act. We refuse to be shaped by the molds of this world, learning to see where we are being sold a mindset that is based on a lie rather than the truth of God's word.

So trust that the power of God's word will renew your mind, and ask the Spirit to work it in you. Look for ways in which the world is calling you to conform, and see those as opportunities to allow your mind to be transformed by godly wisdom instead. And do so not because you ought to but because it is your joy to, for you know that "blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold … Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (Proverbs 3:13-14, 17).

PROVERBS 3:1-18

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 32-33; Matthew 26:26-46

 SAPATE SUNE 16, 2024

A CALL TO COMMITMENT

KO E POLE KI HE MO‘UI LI‘OA

ROMANS 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

LOMA 12:1

KO ia, ‘oku ou enginaki atu, kāinga, ‘i he funga ‘o e ngaahi fai manava‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otua, ke mou ‘atu ‘a e ngaahi sino ‘omoutolu ko e feilaulau, ke mo‘ui, ke tapu ki he ‘Otua, ke fakahōifua kiate ia–ko e fakaloto ē ‘o ho‘omou fai e lotu.

When asked to explain the impact of his life, William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army, replied in one striking phrase: "Jesus Christ has all of me."

There was nothing presumptuous or proud in that response. It was simply the only way Booth could explain why it was that he, an ordinary man of insubstantial means, had been used in such a remarkable way and had had such a remarkable impact at that particular point in history.

What would it mean for Jesus Christ to have all of you?

At the beginning of Romans 12, after eleven glorious chapters celebrating the salvation from sin that God wrought at the cross and His sovereign mercy in electing a people for Himself, Paul issues the call to those who are trusting Christ to commit 100 percent of themselves-body, mind, and spirit-to the Lord Jesus Christ. The word he uses for "appeal" here comes from the Greek logikos, which gives us our word "logical." In other words, his exhortation is not based on emotion or manipulation. Rather, Paul is making a rational, urgent entreaty to his readers, all on the strength of God's mercy.

There is no dimension of our humanity that is not affected by our willful rebellion against God. Yet by His mercy. God doesn't count His people's sins against them, and He has withheld the condemnation we deserve. Instead, He has taken our sins and counted them against His only beloved Son.

If we ignore the "by the mercies of God" part out of this appeal, we immediately go wrong. This is a call to people who have received God's enabling grace to offer up their lives-not so they might be accepted but on account of the fact that they are already accepted. This plea is for those of us who have already been set free by grace to become all that God intends for us to be, wholly devoted to Him.

God doesn't ask us to offer our money or possessions. He wants us to offer not less than these, but more: our very selves. All that we are, all that we think, all that we feel, all that we do, and all that we know-offering this to the God who has given His Son for us is the only logical response to His mercy. When we give all of ourselves to God, all our capacities, as limited as they are, can be used for His glory and purposes. The Christian life comes with no option for half measures or holding back. It is an all-in life.

There is something glorious about the kind of commitment that says, "I'm putting the whole thing in." If you will go all in, then there's no limit to what will happen in and through you. Will you be the kind of person who can say, "Jesus Christ has all of me"?

PHILIPPIANS 1:19-30

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 30-31; Matthew 26:1-25

 TOKONAKI SUNE 15, 2024

THE CITY OF MAN

KO E KOLO ‘O E TANGATA

REVELATION 18:4-5

"Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." 

FAKAHA 18:4-5

4 Pea na‘e ongo mai ha le‘o ‘e taha mei he langi na‘e pehē, Hiki meiate ia, ‘e hoku kakai, Ke ‘oua na‘a mou kau ‘i he‘ene hia, Pea ‘inasi ‘i hono tautea. 5 He kuo a‘u hake ki langi ‘ene ngaahi angahala, Pea kuo manatu ‘e he ‘Otua ki he‘ene ngaahi fai ta‘etotonu. 

We shouldn't be surprised or alarmed when Christians face continual opposition. Humanity's natural disposition is one of proud defiance towards God and therefore against His people. Man, on the unstable foundation of his pride, "builds a city" (to use the picture language of Revelation) and constructs a lifestyle that is set against God's ways.

Humanity has been doing this since the fall. The first godless building project was on the plain of Shinar, at a place called Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)-the place that later bore the name Babylon, and to which God's people were exiled. Revelation 18 therefore refers to the city of man, constructed in defiance of God, as Babylon; and Babylon is then personified as a prostitute, enticing people to commit spiritual adultery. Alluring and seductive, the city of man is effective at turning many away from God. It is "the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth" (17:18), and its influence is significant and destructive.

How, then, are citizens of the city of God to respond to this worldly rival? We are to be in the world but not of the world. In other words, we are to be salt, which has a distinctive taste and a preservative quality; and we are to be light, which exposes what darkness covers but which also guides others along the way to safety (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to live in the tension of being members of this world but not belonging here: residing here but also being separate from those whose hearts and minds are set against God. The sins of the city of man must not characterize the believer, John says, lest we "share in her plagues." If we yield to Babylon's seduction, we prove our identity was never truly that of a citizen of God's kingdom.

Those who follow Christ must be committed to the Bible's truth. Christianity is more than a moral code. It's more than a framework for living or a method to improve one's life. Where is the cross in that? Christianity is distinct from all other religions in that we hold fast to Jesus' death on the cross as our means of reconciliation to God. We were once dead in our sins, deserving of God's wrath and judgment-but He redeemed us through Christ's perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection.

For now, the world goes on as it always did. But one day Christ will return and silence every false prophet, every citizen of Babylon, and even the devil himself. We may see the church hard-pressed, mocked, legislated against, and persecuted. The world will see it as weak, on the wrong side of history, and not worthy of respect or acceptance. But we take hope in this triumphant affirmation: neither the gates of Babylon nor the gates of hell will prevail because Christ will build and keep His church (Matthew 16:18). So for now, as you live in Babylon, what of  its sins do you find most alluring? In what ways are you most tempted to live as though this city is all there is? And what opportunities have you been given to be salt and light to those around you? Be sure both to resist the city of man and to beckon others to the city of God.

REVELATION 18:1-19:10

Bible Through The Year: Jeremiah 27-29; Matthew 25:31-46