Cause and Cure of Conflict

(Author's note: This is a message recap from the Singles' Connect Service last Saturday, October 26, as preached by Bro. KC Cheng) 

Do you know a person who is after having conflicts with others? Apparently, most of us are striving not to cause conflict with others. But at some point, we are bound to create conflicts, even for the pettiest reasons. We can find an excuse for a conflict in almost everything. 

We can see conflicts in government, in family, in churches. The family of God is also marked with conflicts. Yes, even at such places where peace of Christ would come out. There are denominational disputes; inhibitions; majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors (which I find very ironic);  type of music; preaching style; baptism by immersion or baptism by sprinkling. Churches actually split because of these, and both sides think it's because they don't know the Bible. But it's not actually the lack of knowledge of both parties, the problem lies in applying it. 

Some of us have the unconscious tendency to focus more on being right than building relationships. When unbelievers challenge your faith, what do you feel? Do you have the sudden urge to defend it with Biblical verses to prove a point, then try to make them see that they're wrong and you are right? Or do you try to compassionately understand where they are coming from?  If you say you're only defending God's word, then well and good, praise God for your heart. We are actually called to defend the gospel but the question is, are you actually doing it because you love God and the person that you're talking to or you just have the satisfaction in proving that what you actually believe in is right?

In James 4, James did not only raise a question of what causes conflict but he also gave cure for the conflict. James 4:1-3 say, What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive,because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James went straight to the point that what causes conflicts are our selfish pleasures and desires. Imagine a life when everything happens accordingly to your plans. It's like when you want something, you get it--- anything that you plan is just get done. But we all know, that's not how it works. We don't always get what we want because someone out there wants something else that conflicts with our desires so things don't go our way. Someone out there wants the same thing as you do and he gets it so you can't have anything. Someone out there also didn't do what we wanted them to do, so things don't go as we expected. And there are many times that when we actually don't get what we want or if things don't go our way it's just so natural for us to get frustrated and blame someone else, especially when we know we are right.

It just feels good to put the blame on others and say things like, "I told you so". We all know that is easy blame others. So easy that we don't need to practice it. Most of the time we are good in finding the external factors because it's just so easy to blame others and dwell on the 'if only' sentiments like, "If only he/she is like this", "If only he/she would do this", "If only things go my way, the world will be a better place to live in" But the truth of the matter is, as James tells us, the source of the problem is not out there, the cause of conflict is within you, within us. You and I have to be very honest with ourselves, we may think of ourselves as godly persons. That we are saved by the grace of God through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, and that our sins were washed away. Yet, there's still the dark old self in us, who loves the world and what it has to offer. We are still consumed by our selfish desires and when we don't get it, we become unhappy and frustrated, so we get involved into quarreling and conflicts. Selfishness, when it is observed in another is so obvious and ugly, but selfishness within us can be surrounded by a lot of irrationality, excuses, and spiritual blindness.

As children of God we know it's wrong, but somehow, we can't help it, it pops out unwillingly from the inside where we know the spirit also dwells and we have to be thankful enough for the Spirit, because it doesn't get tired, it is patient enough to rebuke us in our sinfulness. Romans 7:25 states, 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[a] a slave to the law of sin." This is the battle within us. In Romans 7:22-23 it says, "22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." 

Going back to James 4, three sins in particular were singled out in the text. One is covetousness, lack of prayer, and adultery. First is covetousness. James 4:2 it says,"2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God." In the New American Standard Bible (NASB) version, it says, " 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. The word "lust" here came from the Greek word "epithumeo" which was also used by Jesus Christ found in Luke 22:15 that says,"15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer". Studying the word "epithumeo" it means 'to turn upon a thing', 'to have a desire for' and 'of those who seek things that are forbidden'. Epithumeo as a word is not all negative. We can long for or desire something which is good like as Jesus expressed His desire in Luke 22:15. But the flip side of this word is, when we lust after something or seek things which are forbidden. There are many things a person might have a strong desire that may occupy one's mind that drives him to do whatever it takes just to have it, leaving behind the concerns of others. When we get frustrated, when we do not get what we want, we sometimes fight and we sometimes kill. Both literally and figuratively. We kill them with gossip, slander, and do a lot of things just to bring them down. We must always examine ourselves regarding the motives of our desires. Is it something that glorifies God or merely gratifies us? Is it something that we lift up and surrender to God or do we try to accomplish it ourselves? This question leads to the second cause of conflict which is the lack of faith. 

In James 4:2b-3 it says, "You do not have because you do not ask God.3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.". Let's face it, we do not always surrender our desires to God, at some point, we think we could handle it or we can make it on our own. Do you agree that our lack prayer shows that we actually believe that we can handle the situation based on our own choices? We don't believe that He will grant us what we need or what we want so we try to have it our way. We don't trust His timing, we don't believe that God holds our best interest. Do we think we can do any better? 

But James straightly points out asking is one thing. We should ask with the right motives. It is not wrong to ask God to grant our heart's desires, but it's better if we will ask Him in conformity of His will in our lives. Our prayers can sometimes be utterly selfish, like the "name it, claim it" approach to prayer or the "prosperity gospel". It sounds good, even motivating, but the problem is, it does not work that way. Sometimes we want so much even it is not in line with the will of the Lord for us. Greedy prayer is not a matured prayer. Greedy prayer is not a godly prayer and sometimes, we even negotiate with God as if He needs something from us. In fact, we are not entitled to make requests to God with the intention of telling what God has to do. When we pray, we must be in the Spirit of Jesus' prayer that says, "Not my will, but Your will be done". 

Psalm 34:7 says, "Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart." Matthew 6:33 says, "33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." The big difference there would be what fills our hearts at the time of our prayer. If you ask for worldly riches first and promise to submit to God after He grants your desires, then you use God as a tool to acquire your worldly pursuits. But if you delight in Him first and seek after His kingdom before anything else, what you treasure is more likely to give life with what God wills in your life. We cannot serve the world, while claiming we belong to God. We cannot desire to be with God if we desire the world as much. It's also said in John 15:18-21, :"8 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me."

The third cause of conflict is adultery. James 4:4 says, "4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  The word "world" used in this context does not entail the earth that the Lord has created which then He said, was good. It simply means the way of living in this world. It is when we give our hearts over the material things of this world or to prioritize people more than the Lord. Then unintentionally, we become adulterous people, but not in the context of sexual infidelity. In this verse, James is talking about spiritual adultery, when we become unfaithful to God. Before we were saved by the blood of Christ and before we become His children, we were His enemies first. In Romans 5:10 it says, 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! So if you are close to be doing the things of this world which you were previously belonged with, then that is being spiritually adulterous to God. In the Old Testament, God is seen as the husband of Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus is seen as the bridegroom and the Church is His bride. When we are having an affair with the world, then we are being unfaithful to the Lord. We are either of the Word, or of the world. We cannot have the best of both worlds. We cannot serve two masters. 

After the causes of conflicts have been mentioned, now what's the cure for it? There are four ways to cure a conflict. First, SUBMIT ourselves to God; second RESIST devil; third, COME near to God; and lastly, STOP judging others. 

SUBMIT ourselves to God. James 4:7 it says, "7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The word 'submit' here is a military command to put things in order. To submit to an authority means yielding to a will over the other. When we submit to God, we obey God's commands rather than following our selfish desires. In John 3:30 it says, "30 He must become greater; I must become less.” In our life, it must be God's will over ours. It must be God's plan over ours. Our mantra should be, "Not our way, but God's way". We submit to Him because we love Him and we believe in His Lordship over us. We follow Him and obey His commands, and with these, we will the privilege in knowing what is His will for our lives, because His will for us is to do it, His way; because when we do it His way, then we are obeying His will. And we're doing it because we don't have to, but we want to. When you find yourself in conflict with others, you find the urge to fight back, isn't it? But if we put Christ to be in-charge of our lives, and we're living in submission to Him, then His peace will rule our lives. 

Psalm 34:14 it says, "14 Turn from evil and do good;seek peace and pursue it." This verse involves the second cure for the conflict which is RESIST the devil. If we have not submitted our lives to Jesus it won't go us anywhere. To resist the devil without submitting to God is actually impossible. The Bible declares that He who is in us is greater who is in the world which is Satan. But why is it so hard to resist temptation? It's simply because Satan does not appear to be a monster in our eyes. The devil is adorned with rationalizations, excuses, and worldly wealth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." The devil rules the world with deceptions, he leads the world astray. Revelation 12:9 says, "9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." He does things to keep us away from the Church. He intends us to become spiritually blind and to ultimately cause trouble  and inhibition among us. When we come to realize the power of God against the power of Satan, we will then realize that the god of the world is a coward. As 1 John 4:4 declares, "4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." And as children of God, we must yield to God so we may resist the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11 tells us, "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on thhane full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." What are the armors of God?  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace and preparation, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. This promise assures that we can be spiritually armed in war against Satan with God's armor. For the Bible declares, if God is for us, who can be against us? 

The third cure for the conflict is COME NEAR to GOD. In verse 8, James says, "8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.". Isn't that an incredible promise? The Lord wants to walk with you and me, He wants us to be very close to Him. So how can we draw near to God? James suggests that we should clean up our hearts and minds.If we remove the pollution in our lives the more we can get closer to the holy and mighty God. It also says in 1 Peter 2:11, "11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul." We need to express our deep longing for the Lord. We need to humble ourselves before Him with pure hearts and clear intentions that we may gain intimacy with Him. God's kingdom is in heaven and it entails a very promising picture wherein there's no pain and suffering, there are no tears, only pure joy. But is that what we're only after why we would want to get closer to God? I hope not. But at some point, there are times that we see Jesus as if he is only a vehicle for us to get in heaven rather than a destination of being with Him. That's not what intimacy is, being intimate with God is having a desire to be where He is, regardless of the pain and suffering that awaits you when you are with Him--that's intimacy. 

Then as we go deeper in our relationship with God, we come to see others as how He sees them--with COMPASSION. And that leads to the fourth cure for conflict which is STOP judging others. James 4:11-12 says, "11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d]or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it,but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" When we set ourselves up as a judge, then, we are spiritually in trouble, conflict is an unavoidable result. James reminds us that God is the lawgiver and the judge, not us, definitely not us. He says that we have no business in judging our neighbors and in speaking slanderous things about him or her. We could say, we are only discerning a person. But there's a very thin line between discerning and judging others, so we have to be very careful. For discernment is used for the well being of others, judgment is condemning them, in order for us to feel good about ourselves. So we should always examine our hearts. Let's keep in mind who we are in Christ so that we may see and treat others as Christ sees and treats us. We are all sinners, who need love and grace from God each day. We are no better than anyone else, we're just better off with Christ. . Romans 2:1-3 also reminds us, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?" We are not called as judges and lawyers, because that's what God is actually doing, He is the only one who is entitled to do that because He is the lawmaker and the judge in the first place. God gives us more grace. The more humbled we are, the more grace we receive, and the more grace we receive, the more we could pass it on to others. 

Just try to imagine, what if we prioritize others than ourselves? What if we come near to God, resist devil, and stop judging others? What if we focus more on yielding to God's will in prayer than trying to do things on our own? What if we get contented with what God gives us? What if we fully surrender our lives to Him? Wouldn't be the causes of conflict be eradicated and the grace and love of God surround us? 

Friends, we know the causes of conflict, we know the cure of it either. The question is, will you still be dwelling on the causes or will you delve on how to cure it? 

Launch into the Deep

Launch into the Deep. This statement caught my attention. I pondered much about it because I find it quite paradoxical.

    I reflected upon the Bible passage found on the book of Luke 5:1-11. It is the story wherein Jesus chose His first set of disciples. From this story, I got to know what “Launch into the Deep” really means. The first three verses say, “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.”

   One question that crossed my mind when I read those verses was, “Why did Jesus choose to stay on Peter’s boat and preached His word?” There are few points that I would like to share with you about it. One, it’s simply because God knows EVERYTHING about them; everything about us. According to Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Second, it’s because Jesus had a plan for Simon and his fellows. Jesus gave Peter a heads up when he asked him to put out the boat a little from the shore, for the reason that He would launch them into deep waters in the latter part of the passage. Just like them. God has a plan for each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. His plan for them was to launch them into the deep, to call them into the ministry of discipleship.

  Who were Simon Peter and his fellowmen that Jesus chose them to be his disciples? They were not ministers and preachers in nature. Instead, they were mere fishermen.  But one truth has been revealed to me by this passage. Jesus QUALIFIES the UNQUALIFIED. Gathering of disciples was usual thing during that time. But the kind Jesus gathered, that was unusual. Fishermen, tax collectors, revolutionaries, and just main old sinners. Jesus launched them on a journey with God, a walk in which God begins to work in their lives. It only proves that, WE DO NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT TO COME TO GOD. RATHER, WE NEED TO TRUST GOD and LET HIM DO HIS GRACIOUS WORK IN TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES. He encourages those who know in their hearts that they need God and only Jesus has the power to forgive sins. In my very own experience, I felt that truth about God’s abounding grace and love when I received Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, when I was just 14 years old. At that age, I have lots of shortcomings and I committed a lot of mistakes that displeased Him, my parents, my friends, my loved ones, and even others. But all those things did not matter to Him; He looked past all of my shortcomings and imperfections. So now, with confidence I can truly say that I am living a joyful and worthwhile life, serving and worshiping only Him. 

    Verses 4-6 talks about the challenge of Jesus to Peter. The Bible says, “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. ”Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” Another thing that I have learned from these verses was, Simon SHOWED OBEDIENCE AT ITS FINEST. Imagine, a carpenter’s son taught a fisherman how to catch fish! And what was Peter’s response? Verse 5 says, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Despite their arduous efforts, they failed. Despite the fact that Jesus’ instruction to Peter was against his professional judgment as fisherman, Peter obeyed and he put the net into the deep waters. This is one great example of FAITH and OBEDIENCE at its finest. Though there are things in our lives that we can’t understand, we still recognize God and we choose to follow His very own will for our lives. That is one great manifestation of STRONG FAITH and INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with GOD.

In verse 8, it says there that, SIMON WAS HUMBLED. “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Friends have you experienced that kind of feeling when you find God so big, gracious, and amusing that you got intimidated by His presence? The moment when you realized just how great God is and how filthy sinner you are and you felt that you are so undeserving? I submit to you brothers and sisters, that experiencing and encountering God’s power is not a reason to draw back from Him, but an opportunity to approach Him in the right basis, in faith, and dependence. Just like Simon, James, and John.

   Going back to verse 8, Simon Peter represents all disciples. His humility and awareness of his sin did not make him less qualified in the eyes of Jesus. It did not disqualify him from the service; in fact, they are prerequisites for service—HUMILITY AND REPENTANCE. Brothers and sisters, let me submit this reflection to you: God does not call those who think they can help God do His work. God does not need nor want servants who think they are doing God a favor. Jesus calls those who know they need to be humbled before His power and presence. Just like Simon Peter and his fellow men.

    Verse 10 reveals the truth about God—GOD IS A GOD THAT TRANSFORMS LIVES. Verse 10 says, “Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” The size of the catch tells Simon Peter and his companions that this event has not been an accident. The greatest moment in their fishing career caused them to stop and ponder on what God was doing. Jesus has taken Peter’s humble faith and scared him to death with God’s presence. But in the uncertainty that often surrounds faith comes the divine honoring of its presence and a calm voice that says, “Don’t be afraid”. Grace is active. Peter, James, and John learned that God would take the faith of humble fishermen and asked them to join Him in catching after people for the Lord. From, being mere fishermen, Jesus transformed them into fishers of men

    The last verse of this passage tells us the act of LAUNCHING INTO THE DEEP. It says, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” I was struck by this verse because I experienced the same thing: Leaving what you have and followed Jesus. Almost everyone knows about my humbling experience from my previous work, few years back. I was compelled to leave the school—FOR GOOD, in exchange for a 4-day youth event of KUE National and that was Summer Youth Camp. I chose what I thought was important and that was to serve Him and be a fisher of men. True enough, it has not been taken away from me.

     That overwhelming experience of mine paved the way into an intimate relationship with God. I may lost a job, but I got a life—a life with Him. He had launched me into the deep—a deep and no other kind of love could ever compare. Going into the deep is always something that is unfamiliar, sometimes illogical. It requires faith, obedience, and repentance, to the extent of going out of your own comfort zones, letting Him to make us more of Him and less of ourselves.

      Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you, let us all LAUNCH INTO THE DEEP.

The Power of the Tongue

'I love you'. 'I'm sorry'. 'Thank you'. 'Excuse me'. 'Please'. I used to call them as "The Five Magic Words" when I was still teaching to preschoolers. I consider them as magic words because those simple words actually create a significant impact to others. Those words are simple, yet they are magical.

In the message of this Saturday's Connect Service, Pastor Vic Quisimbing talked about the power of the tongue. He stressed out that words are powerful--they can help but they can also hurt; they can make but they can also break.

Words are indeed powerful for the world started with a word. Genesis 1:1-3 says," In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." There had been light when God said 'let there be light'. In the same way, our very own words are powerful too in making or breaking someone. 

The word of God is powerful in a sense that the WORD is GOD Himself. John 1:1-5 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." In the book of Pastor Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, it simply tells us that we all have a purpose in life and that is to make the Word known. That Word itself is God--His sacrificial,unconditional, and everlasting life that He has for us; and His supreme sovereignty. 

James described our tongues as the most dangerous part of the human anatomy. James 3:5-6 says, "Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body,sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Our tongue is only a small portion of our whole being, but then again, if we won't be mindful of the words that we speak, those words will corrupt our whole entity. The words that we speak will reflect who we are, that is why it is dangerous if we are not cautious. 

Pastor Vic stressed out his views about the power of the tongue with these three points. First, The Power to Control; second, The Power to Destroy; lastly, The Power to Bless. 

First, our tongues have the power to CONTROL. Proverbs 21:23 tells us, "Those who guard their mouths and their tongues  keep themselves from calamity." If we are tactful in expressing our thoughts and emotions, it will actually guard us from internal and external conflicts with others. Our  tongue has the power to control for it can adore or abhor; it can build or belittle; it can oppress or repress. Our tongue has the power to control us, but we can do something about it when we are heedful of the words that we speak. We have to THINK before we speak. THINK stands for:

T- is it TRUE?

H-is it HELPFUL?

I- is it INSPIRING?

N- is it NECESSARY?

K- is it KIND?

If the things which we are about to say do not fit to those standards, it would be better if we will keep our lips sealed.

Second, our tongues have the power to DESTROY. James 3:7-8 says, "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." A lot of people have destroyed their lives in the process simply because they were not mindful of the things that they say. Words can either make us or break us. Our tongues, as James put it, is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. Taming it is highly impossible, it is only by the grace of God that would make it possible. The maxim, "Less talk less mistake" is indeed true. It saves us from pain and from paining others as well. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States of America once said, "I have never been hurt by anything I did not say." 

Lastly, our tongues have the power to BLESS. James 3:9-12 tells us, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." Our tongues have the power to bless others, they have the power to praise God also. But at some point, we lose sight of the fact that we do the exact opposite of it. It is easy for us to praise God for who He is, for what He has done, for what He is doing, and for what He will be doing in our lives. Yet on the other hand, it is also too easy for us to be critical to others and to hurt them by the words that we speak. We are all created in the likeness of God, who are we to belittle others? If we are about to use our tongues, use to it BLESS others, not to BLAST them. Our tongues should be used CONSISTENTLY in blessing others. We cannot be both fresh water and a salt water  that flows from a same spring. Neither we can be a fig tree that bears olives or a grapevine that bears figs. If we are about to praise God with our tongue, we should also bless others with it. 

Pastor Vic left us with some practical tips on how to tame our tongues. First, let's soak ourselves with the Word of God. James described tongue as restless and full of poison. We can actually detoxify our tongue if we saturate it with wisdom and knowledge which come from the Word of God. Second, let's practice building up others. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Lastly, THINK before you speak. Being reckless with the words that we speak is never an option. A lot of things can happen if our words will be sprouted from out of nowhere. It can lead us to nowhere too. It pays to be watchful with our mouths. 

But then again, James 3:8a says, "But no human being can tame the tongue". If we will only rely to our will in taming our tongue, we will fall short. Again, it is highly impossible. It is only by the grace of God that we could actually tame our tongues. 

Only God can control our tongues so that we can bless, encourage, build, and give blessing to others. 

Is Your Faith Dead or Alive?

       "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" -James 2:14- 

    If you are bound to a question like the verse from James 2:14, you'll get to ask yourself, "Isn't it that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ     alone?" 

   

    So what then did James try to imply in that verse? 

      

    James was pertaining to those who are already believers. He was speaking not to the people who were yet to know and acknowledge the Lord, but he was emphasizing certain points to those who were already Christians. He did not contradict the "salvation by grace through faith in Christ" principle, what he was trying to point out is that our actions or "good works" as he put it, are manifestations of the faith that we have in Jesus. 

   From the message during the Singles CONNECT worship service, Ptr. George Ngan explained the difference of dead faith from a living faith. 

   DEAD Faith. What exactly does it mean? The major characteristic of being dead is that it does not actually respond to the outside world or environment. Consequently, a person with dead faith will never respond to what God says. Instead, he will continue to do his sinful ways. Henceforth, dead faith cannot save us. 

  Dead faith does not produce good works. The products of a living faith are the fruits of the Holy Spirit which enable a person to do good works. Dead faith will never bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit; it will never put God's Word into action. People with dead faith know the Word of God but do not live it out. James 1:22-27 says,  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James reminded the Christians to be doers of the Word instead of merely hearers only. 

   Jesus also, had something to say about good works and it is found in Matthew 25:35-46 that says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  Jesus Himself had an expectation that our faith has a manifestation. Our good works are proofs that our faith in Christ is genuine. 

    

    Dead faith is demonic. Do demons even believe in God? The Bible says YES. James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder". Demons know and acknowledge God--with fear and tremble; yet they go against the will God. 

  

    When everything about dead faith has been said and well explained by Pastor Jorge, what then, is a LIVING FAITH? 

   James 2:20-24 says, :"You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." What these verses were trying to imply is that a genuine faith is manifested by our absolute submission to do his will. 

  

     Living faith produces good works. Joshua 2:8-11 tells us, "Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." If we are truly in awe of the Lord, it will manifest by our total dependence and submission to God. 

  A true child of God will definitely obey the Words of His God. For in John 10:26-27 it says, "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." We can certainly regard ourselves as children of God if we heartily seek for His face and we constantly seek His voice. He would certainly recognize us as His children if we take heed of His Words." 

    If you would examine yourself, would you see yourself having a genuine faith, or someone with dead faith? 

   

   IS YOUR FAITH... DEAD? or ALIVE?