Atonu o le failauga lauiloa i lenei blog post atonu o Iesu. Sa e mafaufau, pe faapei Iesu i o tatou taimi?
A famous preacher comes to the church
Vaai faalemafaufau, you hear that a famous preacher is coming to your church. You’ve heard and read a lot about this famous preacher, and about all the signs and wonders that follow him.
You’re so excited, that you decide to arrange a dinner party. You not only invite this famous preacher, but also the pastor, a few elders, and other members of the church.
You have made all the necessary dinner preparations and are all set! Then it’s time, and all the invited guests arrive and take their seats at the dinner table.
An awkward silence during dinner with the preacher
Everyone is excited, and there is a good ambiance. You begin to serve the first course. After you’re done, you sit down and prepare for prayer. But then something awkward happens. The preacher starts eating.
You are surprised by his behaviour and at the same time a bit confused. You look at the others that are waiting with folded hands, ready to pray. They all look at the preacher that is enjoying his food.
You don’t know how to handle this situation, and there is an awkward silence.
Then suddenly the famous preacher arises, and says with a calm voice, “You are surprised that I don’t pray out loud, together with you as a mere formality. You don’t approve this behaviour. But let’s talk about you and your actions. You smile and act friendly and pious in front of everyone, and you speak those things, which people want to hear. But you didn’t talk and acted that way to your husband and children before we arrived. And as soon as everyone leaves, a whole other person will come forth. You will speak evil behind their backs and gossip.
Your actions don’t line up with the words you speak, and the advice you give to others. You say one thing, but you do the opposite. You make a lot of promises, which you don’t keep; o oe o le pepelo.
Let’s not forget your tithing and offering, you only give your money to the church i receive more back. You live after your own will. And you only help people to be noticed. You put yourself on a pedestal and are selfish.
You criticize and judge others for the things you do in secret”.
Tagata o le olaga
The pastor tries to interrupt the famous preacher. But then the preacher confronts everyone at the table and says:
“You’re no better, you are just the same. You’re all actors of life; you act one way in front of people but as soon as they are gone you act another way. You all pretend to be so pious, while your heart and thinking don’t line up with your words. You all want others to see you and put you on a pedestal.
You’re all so fond and attached to your titles, positions, and your seats in front of the church, You judge and treat people, according to their appearance, or according to their wealth. You’re more focused on prosperity and wealth than the Kingdom of God, ona o oe love money and therefore money has become the center of your lifu”.
A fellowship gathering in the church
Or imagine, you have a fellowship gathering in the church. You are having a good time with your fellow brothers and sisters. While you are eating and drinking, you are discussing daily matters and sharing all the ins and outs.
You’re having a good time, until this famous preacher comes in and says:
“You only focus on yourself. You make time to please yourself and to have a good time. You’re all so selfish. You don’t understand the Kingdom of God. How can you have a good time, ae i le taimi nei, so many souls are lost?“
The famous preacher speaks hard words in the church
Then it’s time for the famous preacher to speak in the church. Many people have come to the church and are excited to hear the words of this famous preacher and see the signs and wonders.
But instead of preaching a motivational sermon, a confrontational sermon is preached, that a lot of people don’t like to hear.
The famous preacher tells them about his life, how he became born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.
He speaks about laying down his own life so that he could walk as se foafoaga fou; o se atalii o le Atua.
The famous preacher tells them that he is a son of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in him.
He continues and tells the congregation that it is impossible to keep walking in sin if you have become a new creation. Afai e te savali i le agasala, o oe a Fasiina o Agasala, and therefore a slave of the devil who sinned against God.
Most people are not amused. They don’t like hearing these unpleasant and hard words. They don’t like this preacher at all. The people like the signs and wonders, but they don’t like his words.
They find him pious, too religious, faasee, tuai, ma isi.. Because isn’t it all grace?
The whole congregation is confronted with their lifestyle, which most of them don’t appreciate. Most believers are offended at his words. They stand up and leave the church.
Only a few people stay and listen to the words of this famous preacher. Instead of feeling offended, they feel sad and ashamed for their lifestyle. They are convicted of their sins and ask forgiveness and repent.
O le a le mea e fai e le ekalesia i lenei failauga?
Ae o le a lou manatu, will this church invite this famous preacher again? Or will the church ask him to leave, as soon as he steps down from the pulpit, due to his hard words? Pe moni e le alofa lenei tagata, sauā, lē faʻaaloalo, lē alofa, ma le faifai pea?
What do you think about this famous preacher after these incidents? Pe e te faamemelo pea ia te ia? Would you still see him the same way as you did before: o se tagata o le Atua? Pe e te fia mafuta pea ma ia, follow him, and listen to his messages?
A havoc in the church
Lua vaiaso mulimuli ane, you open the local newspaper and read the following headline: Havoc in the church. You are curious and start reading: a well-known preacher has caused havoc in the bookstore of the church………
Could this famous preacher be Jesus?
This famous preacher could have been Jesus in our time. I nai tausaga ua mavae, an article is written about Jesus Christ and Who Jesus really is.
Tele failauga – and create(d) a wrong image of the true Jesus Christ.
They describe Jesus as some kind of ‘new age god’, who accepts everything and tolerates everything. Instead of describing Jesus as a loving but also a righteous, and holy God, Who hates sin and would never approve of sin.
Ona o le mea moni, that most Christians don’t read and study the Bible themselves, the truth is lost in the multitude of the words of man.
Ae paga lea, censorship is a common phenomenon in many churches. Many times a one-sided image is created that doesn’t correspond with the truth.
O lenei, let’s have a look at the Scriptures in the Bible from which these examples are inspired.
A Pharisee invited Jesus for dinner
As He spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with Him: and He went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that He had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; ma, faauta, all things are clean unto you.
Ae talofa ia te outou, Faresaio! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: o nei mea sa tatau ona outou faia, ae aua le tuua le isi e le faia. Oi talofa ia te outou, Faresaio! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Oi talofa ia te outou, tusiupu ma faresaio, tagata pepelo! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
“You also insult us”
Then answered one of the lawyers, ma fai atu ia te ia, Matai, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
Ma na ia fai mai, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Oi talofa ia te outou! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Oi talofa ia te outou, loia! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: tou te lei ulu atu lava ia te outou, na outou vavao foi i e ulu atu. And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things: Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him (Luka 11:37-53)
Many disciples left Jesus, due to His hard words
Ua fetalai atu Iesu ia te i latou, E moni, e moni, Ou te fai atu ia te outou, sei vagana ua outou aai i le tino o le Atalii o le tagata, ma inu i lona toto, e leai so ‘outou ola i totonu ‘iā te ‘outou. Ai se 'ai i lo'u tino, ma inu i lo'u toto, ua ia te ia le ola e faavavau; ou te toe faatuina foi o ia i le aso gataaga. Auā o loʻu tino o le meaʻai moni lea, ma o lo'u toto o le inu moni lea. O lē 'ai i lo'u tino, ma inu i lo'u toto, e mau ia te au, o a‘u fo‘i ‘iā te ia. Faapei ona auina mai a'u e le Tama soifua, ma ou te ola i le Tamā: e fa‘apea fo‘i lē ‘ai ‘iā te a‘u, e ola fo‘i o ia ‘iā te a‘u. O le areto lea na alu ifo mai le lagi: e le pei o outou tamā na aai i le manai, ma ua oti: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever.
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. O le mea lea e toatele ai Ona soo, ina ua latou faalogo i lenei mea, fai mai, O se upu faigata lea; o ai e mafai ona faalogo i ai? Ina ua silafia e Iesu i totonu o Ia lava ua muimui Ona soo i ai, Na ia fai atu ia te i latou, Pe tausuai ea ia te oe? Ae faapefea pe afai tou te iloa atu le Atalii o le tagata ua alu aʻe i le mea sa i ai muamua? O le agaga e fa'aolaina; o le aano o manu: o upu ou te tautala atu ai ia te outou, o agaga i latou, ma o le ola lava ia.
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.
Ma na ia fai mai, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father. From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him (Ioane 6:53-66)
The people didn’t believe the words of Jesus because they didn’t belong to His sheep
And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then came the Jews round about him, ma fai atu ia te ia, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Na tali atu Iesu ia i latou, Na ou fai atu ia te oe, and you believed not: galuega ‘ou te faia i le suafa o lo‘u Tamā, latou te molimau mai ia te au.
Ae e te le talitonu, auā e lē o a‘u mamoe ‘outou, pei ona ou fai atu ai ia te outou. Ua faʻalogoina loʻu leo i loʻu leo, Ma ou te iloa, ma latou mulimuli mai ia te au: Ma ou te tuuina atu ia i latou le ola e faavavau; ma o le a le mafai ona fano, e le mafai foi e se tagata ona faaitiitia i latou mai loʻu lima. Lou tama, lea na avatua ia te aʻu, e sili atu nai lo mea uma; ma e leai se tagata e mafai ona tuu i latou mai le lima o loʻu tama. O A'u ma Lo'u Tama e Tasi.
‘Ona toe fetagofi lea o Iutaia i ma‘a e fetogi ‘iā te ia. Na tali atu Iesu ia i latou, E tele galuega lelei ‘ua ‘ou fa‘aali atu ‘iā te ‘outou mai lo‘u Tamā; o le fea o na galuega tou te fetogi mai ai ia te au i maa (Ioane 10:23-32)
O le faamamaina o le Malumalu
Ma ‘ua latalata mai le paseka a Iutaia, ona alu aʻe lea o Iesu i Ierusalema, ‘Ua maua fo‘i i le malumalu ē na fa‘atauina povi ma mamoe ma lupe, o nonofo fo‘i ē sui tupe: Ma ina ua Ia faia se sasa i maea laiti, Na ia tulia i latou uma i fafo o le malumalu, ma mamoe, ma povi; ma sasaa atu le au sui’ tupe, ma fuli laulau; Ua fai atu ia i e faatau lupe, Ave ese mea nei; aua le faia le fale o loʻu Tamā ma fale faʻatau. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Ioane 2:13-17)
Jesus spoke righteous words coming from the Father
Jesus didn’t only speak friendly words and He didn’t approve of all lifestyles, including the sins of man. He spoke righteous words coming from the Father, that were often confrontational and hard to hear
Jesus didn’t walk by sight, but He walked and spoke about what was in the hearts of men.
Ma o le a malolo le Agaga o le Alii ia te ia, le agaga o le poto ma le malamalama, le Agaga o fautuaga ma atonu, Le Agaga o le Iloa ma le Fefe i le Alii; Ma o le a vave ona malamalama i le fefe i le Alii: ma e le faamasinoina o ia i luma o ona mata, e le mafai ona toe gafatia pe a uma ona faalogo i ona taliga: Ae ma le amiotonu o le a ia faamasinoina le mativa, ma toe faautau i le tutusa mo le agamalu o le lalolagi: ma o le a ia taia o ia i le lalolagi ma le tootoo o lona gutu, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked (Isaia 11:2-4)
Jesus revealed sin
Jesus didn’t accept sin, but He revealed all the (lilo) sins that were in the lives of people. He confronted them and commanded them to sin no more. Fa'ata'ita'iga, when Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus confronted her with her way of living, and commanded her to sin no more.
The truth is often hard, and most people are not willing to hear the truth. This used to be the case, and this still is the case. Nothing has changed throughout the ages.
Ae afai e te manaʻo moni lava mulimuli ia Iesu and live after the will of the Father, you must also accept these hard sayings of Jesus into your life and not reject them. When you reject these hard words, o oe teena Iesu foi.
Only when you hear the complete truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, you can renew our minds with the truth, adjust your life to the truth, ma savavali i le upu moni. When you apply the whole truth to your life, you shall walk in spiritual freedom, I le avea ai o ni atalii o le Atua (e faatatau lenei mea i alii ma tamaitai).
Jesus spoke hard words, not because He wanted to punish people or lay heavy laws upon the people. But He spoke these words of truth and of life so that the people could experience real spiritual freedom in Him; i Ana afioga.
The freedom of this world leads the people in spiritual bondage of the devil. Na o le Upumoni, Iesu Keriso, opens your spiritual eyes so that you find out the truth and walk in it.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
