Church Talk
Reason for the season
Friday 16 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Jesus Christ, as we fellow Christians would often address or refer to as the reason for the season, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church of the Cook Islands.
Christ centered Christmas
Friday 2 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
As we enter the Christmas season, we are reminded of the purpose of celebrating Christmas, writes Tamatoa Jonassen of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Continue to trust in God regardless of circumstances
Friday 25 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
One way you can talk to God is through prayer. Talk to Him about your experiences, and remember to also pause, and listen to His words of strength and comfort, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus
Friday 18 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
In the first edition of this topic, Finishing Well, we looked at Paul’s testimony near the end of his life; he had fought the good fight, he had finished his race and was looking forward to the crown that would be awarded to him, by Jesus. And we also looked at two kings who started well in their zeal and service to God, but they ended in witchcraft and worshipping other gods. Sadly, they did not finish well. By Paul Kauri, lead pastor at The Arepua Gateway Assembly of God Church.
CHURCH TALK: ‘He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me’
Friday 11 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
The disciples and followers of Jesus endured their share of confusion and hardship, but they also enjoyed some wonderful blessings of effective service, writes Reverend Vakaroto Ngaro of Ekalesia Avarua.
CHURCH TALK: Salvation and the Word of God
Friday 4 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk
No one has power to become a witness of Jesus Christ without having received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, writes Bishop Tutai Pere, BA, LTh, OBE, of the Apostolic Church.
The secret to being a Christian champion
Friday 14 October 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
In life you only get to run once, so run to win. To avoid stumbling and losing your place in the race, don’t look back. You can’t change the past, but you can learn from it, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
CHURCH TALK: Fix your eyes on Jesus
Friday 7 October 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
When our devotion is on our church, our culture, our career, even our family, instead of Jesus, then we’re on the slippery slope, writes Pastor Paul Kauri, lead pastor at The Arepua Gateway Assembly of God Church.
CHURCH TALK: Life is too precious
Saturday 1 October 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
I have attended so many funerals and saw grieving families and friends over their loved ones. It still raises the question: ‘What if there is no resurrection?’ Reverend Vakaroto Ngaro of Ekalesia Avarua writes.
Shipwrecked or ‘ship-saved’
Friday 23 September 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
The adversary satan subtly comes as a thief to steal, to kill and to destroy but Jesus comes to save and offers us eternal life with Him, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church.
May she rest in peace
Friday 16 September 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Since last week, we have been coming to terms with the death of Queen Elizabeth II. For most of us, given she reigned for 70 years from 1952, she is the only monarch we have known. However, some of us may also have known the previous king, George the Sixth who became king in 1936, writes Bishop Paul Donoghue of the Catholic Church.
Serving with integrity
Friday 9 September 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Honesty and ethics are synonymous with integrity. The first of the eight public service values is ‘honesty’ which is described as ‘acting honestly, being truthful and abiding by the laws’, writes Tamatoa Jonassen of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
CHURCH TALK: How you can be the salt of the earth
Friday 2 September 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Last week I queued up with many others in our community to participate in a nation-wide health survey carried out by Te Marae Ora.
CHURCH TALK: Breaking the poverty spirit Part 3
Friday 26 August 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Today we wrap up a three-part series looking at ‘Breaking the Poverty Spirit’, writes Paul Kauri, lead pastor at The Arepua Gateway Assembly of God Church.
CHURCH TALK: Our union with Christ
Friday 19 August 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Union with Christ by means of the Holy Spirit is not a peripheral matter in biblical theology, although it is widely neglected. It is a key thought in the Lord’s teaching, as this lecture will show, and it is so important to Pauline theology that one commentator rightly calls it ‘the heart of Paul’s religion’, writes Reverend Vaka Ngaro of Cook Islands Christian Church.
CHURCH TALK: The past, the present and the future
Friday 5 August 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
I do hope that the Constitution of the Cook Islands is protecting the long-term future of the country. That it is not just being used to reward the present occupiers of this land, writes Bishop Paul Donoghue from the Catholic Church.
CHURCH TALK: Let God prevail
Friday 29 July 2022 | Written by Sian Solomon | Published in Church Talk, Features
With our General Elections shortly upon us, we as a nation and as individuals are facing important choices that will impact our future, writes Tamatoa Jonassen of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Church Talk: Breaking the poverty spirit
Friday 15 July 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
In the first edition of this series of Breaking the Poverty Spirit, we looked at the devastating consequences of those who did not receive or respect who God had called them to be.
The work of John the Baptist
Friday 8 July 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but repent isn’t a feelings word. It is an action word, writes Reverend Vakaroto Ngaro of Ekalesia Avarua.
Refinement by fire – Akapakari atu ki te A’i
Saturday 2 July 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features
Yesterday, July 1st marked our countdown to August 1st Cook Islands General Election, another big challenge to see if all our contesting political parties can beat our one Covid death case only by setting an historic record of a zero tolerance to corruption or bribery petition claims at least for once, at this forth coming general election, writes Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church of the Cook Islands.
