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Godly Speech
August 24, 2009 
Ever wonder why the Tongue is always the greatest example of a thing that is small yet powerful? Well, it’s simply because it does great things really. The tongue ,biologically speaking, is the most powerful muscle in proportion to its size. It is the fountain of words which could make or break a person, which coul d build or destroy a relationship and which could cure or inflict pain in someone’s heart. This is why we need to take care of our tongue and see to it that we exactly know how we are using it.
In James 1:26 , it says there;
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain.
James tells us that Godly speech,the words that come out of our mouth is a validation of faith. This is the major reason why we need to tame it. If we want to prove that our faith is genuine, we need to be cautious in every word that comes out of our mouth. Furthermore in James 3:2-10, James warned us of the great ability of the tongue:
2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
In verse 4-5, take note that the tongue is compared to as the metal strip that controls a big ship. That no matter how huge the ship is, it is driven and manuevred by a very small helm and so as the tongue.Though it is just a little member of the our anatomy ,it boasts great things for it plays a huge role in our existence as social beings and thus it is always referred to as a fire (v. 7-8).
In Proverbs 18:21, Solomon described the tongue as something that holds death and life.
Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
The tongue has the capacity to direct and at the same time, has the capacity to destroy. An example of this is the death of Karen Carpenter. She died at a very young age. Despite her looks and melodic voice, she was not satisfied. She was anorexic. And the reason why? Sometime in the early years of her career, a commentator,or better said a stranger referred to her as the “Chubby sister of Richard Carpenter”. That single comment drove her to being anorexic which eventually caused her death.
In an article cited by Pastor Christian Flores, the top 10 tongue abuses were identified. Here is the list:
TOP 10 ABUSES OF THE TONGUE
10. Bad mouthing/ Back biting
9. Slandering
8. Gossiping
7. Tongue lashing/ angry
6.Cursing
5. Boasting
4.Grumbling/ Complaining
3. Coarse joking
2. Lying
1. Using God’s name in vain
If we are going to look at the list every day and count which ones do we happen to commit, one might have all of those checked. Because whether we admit it or not, often times we forget that we are christians. Or sometimes we are not that conscious of what comes out of our mouth that at the end of the day we realize that something had already gone wrong because of something we didn’t mean to say. A lot of troubles and misunderstandings arise due to wrong choice of words and the only way to avoid this is to train our tongue. We need to tame it. The question now is how?
In v. 7-8, James emphasized that no man can tame his tongue. Furthermore the root of the problem was mentioned in Matthew:
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
- Matt. 12:34-35
Clearly,there is a direct relationship between the heart and the tongue. What comes out of our mouth reflects what is inside our hearts. We cannot claim that we love God and that He resides in our hearts if every now and then we blabber vicious stuff. We cannot claim that we are Christians by heart if we keep on gossiping about our neighbor’s family problems , our friends’ controversies or when we keep on cursing for the sake of personal relief. How then do we solve this problem if the problem is the heart? God clearly provides the answer. In Ezekiel 36:26 It says there:
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh
We just need to ask God for a new heart. The challenge for us christians is to know who really controls our hearts. Who really is its jockey and captain? In Corinthians Paul tells us that in a new life, the old and the past is gone, we are a new creation with a new heart. And now that we claim that we are Christians, we must take a closer look into our hearts, scrutinize it and see who holds the key, who maneuvers it. When we do, that’s the only time we can claim that our faith is genuine. It is when we see that the one who really owns our hearts is none other than Him, our Lord and Savior.
Words have the power to give life and death. We Christians can be a source of Life.
The Evidence of Faith
August 14, 2009 
Talking about the current political situation in the Philippines, one can say the REAL and GENUINE kind of leadership is yet to be found. Because of the wailing staccato blasts of controversies every now and then, the Filipinos are still looking for these REAL people who will serve the government especially now that the 2010 National Elections is fast approaching. The issue of Genuineness of a thing cannot be easily determined. It would take time and more often than not, the lack of evidence makes it approach the impossiblilty. Like the truth behind the controversies and issues arising in the political arena, a professed genuine faith also needs an evidence.
The book of James tells us what to look for in a genuine faith. However, a lot of controversies arise regarding the authenticity and credibility of this book. The major issue here is the relationship of FAITH and WORK.
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
-James 2:17
14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
-James 2:14-26
To exhort from the scriptures, James teaches us three (3) kinds of faith:
DEAD FAITH. It is clearly stated in verse 17 that those who claim to have a faith but do not do anything about it is dead. It simply means that this kind of faith doesn’t walk the talk. The faith is resides only in one’s intellect. By this, it means this faith is theoretical.
DEMONIC FAITH. One might ask, is there such thing as demonic faith? Do the demons have faith? The answer to both questions is Yes.There is a demonic faith and the demons have faith. In verse 19 it says there that the demons tremble upon hearing about God. They tremble because they believe in God’s existence. But it ends there. Demonic faith resides in the intellect and emotions. This faith is like a seed which is incapable of growing. Demonic faith is sterile
DYNAMIC FAITH. Every believer and follower of Christ must possess this faith. It is this kind which is 
always backed up by actions. It is the faith that moves and captures one’s whole being. It affects one’s will and acknowledges the grace to act. (verses 23-24). Take for example two people in the bible who were acknowledged to have this kind of faith: Abrahama and Rahab. Despite their differences, they were both commended for their faith. This is because their faith resided in their whole being and left a mark, an evidence. This kind of faith let people decipher your intent, the whole of your being before you attempt to explain or talk about it. Genuine faith is dynamic. A dynamic faith is genuine.
Whenever we try to scrutinize ourselves, we must determine the kind of faith that we have. It is a challenge for us christians to prove not to others but to ourselves that our faith is dynamic and genuine. By this, we must try to inspect and try to discover if we are affecting the lives of our family, friends and the people around us in a good way. Are we reflecting the character of God or are we blind enough not to see that we are living in a false faith? In ephesians 2:8-10 it says there that a genuine faith will always manifest.
Blindness of faith is a very dangerous thing;nevertheless, there is always a way on how to overcome it. Erik Weihenmayer was blind and yet he was able to climb the 7 peaks fo the world. The magic? Obedience. He was attentive to the person giving him the instructions. Just like him, we christians must learn to obey. We must listen and obey the voice, the scripture. Let God’s word sink into our minds, hearts and then let it manifest. The result? Just like Erik, we will be able to scale greater heights if we only keep in mind the formula : MIND + HEART + WILL.
How scientific is the death of Christ?
August 12, 2009
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to death penalty. That was the WORSTdeath. Only the worst criminals could die like Jesus. And with Jesus things were worst, because not al lthe criminals condemned to death could receive nails on their hands and feet.
Of course the nails were big! Big nals. each was 15-20 cm long , with a point of 6 cm. . Another point was sharp.
The nails were craved into the pulses, and not into the palms, as we are used to hear. In the pulse, there’s a tendon which extends until the shoulder, and when the nails were being hammered, that tendon broke, obliging Jesus to reinforce all the muscles of his bakc, so that he could breath as He was losing all the air from his lungs.
In this way, He was forced to support Himself onto the nail craved in his feet, which was bigger than those craved iinto his pulses, for both feet were craved together. And as his feet could not endure for a long time without tearing, Jesus was forced to alternate that ‘cycle’ so that He could breath.
Jesus endured that reality over 3 hours.
Few minutes after He died, He was not bleeding anymore. He was simply pouring water from his cuts and holes.
He had no more blood to bleed, He only poured water.
Human body is composed by nearly 3.5 liters of blood (for adult). Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of His blood; He had three nails hammered into his members; a crown of thorns on his head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who nailed a spear into his chest.
All these without mentioning the humiliationg He passed after carrying his own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat on his face and threw sotnes (the cross was almost 30 kilograms , only for its higher part, where his hands were nailed).
Jesus had to pass all this experience, so that you and I can have free access to God. So that all our sins could be ‘washed’. All of them, with no exception.
JESUS DIED FOR US TO BE SAVED.
Genuine Faith: Hearing and Doing
August 4, 2009Last Sunday , i was really blessed. Aside from the fact that our organization was successful in selling donuts as part of the fund-raising project this semester, I was able to start a new series entitled Genuine: Is your faith real. The first topic, Hearing and Doing, was delivered by Pastor Edgar and the urge to share this with you made me post this in my blog. I hope you’ll be blessed!
Technology has brought about so many inventions and innovations when it comes to commoditites and gadgets. Because of the great demand for these stuff , investors and dealers hover in the market arena and in turn causing a skyrocketing charge for each piece. Due to the ubiquitous use of these things, people try to get hold of a sample that sometimes, they even end up buying an imitation or simply put, a fake. There’s nothing wrong in buying these contraband regardless of the decrease in the profit of these investors and multinational companies but as long as they do not cause harm, people yield into the propaganda- the lure of getting what’s ‘In’. It is true, fake items do not bring harm or if they do, they cause just a little but it is also important to note that there are fake things which can be lethal, like one’s FAITH.
Our faith has always been crucial and susceptible to injury. That is why we should always see to it that the faith we are clinging to is real. In James 1:21-25, he differentiated two kinds of people, the one with a genuine faith and the one with a fake.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
With what is written in the scriptures, one might ask, what is faith really? If there’s an equation that could answer this question, it would simply be FAITH= SALVATION + GOOD WORKS and definitely not FAITH+ GOODWORKS= SALVATION which other religions based their teachings on. Salvation is through faith alone that is why a lot of verses in the bible teaches one how to build this faith and how to know if the one that you have is real.
One can actually differentiate a genuine faith from a fake by looking into one’s attitude towards the Word. In verse 22, James used the word DECEIVE to describe a person who hears the word and yet doesn’t do anything about it. A person with a fake faith is DECEIVED. And the worst kind of deception? Self-deception. It is when a person tries to create an illusion ,a fantasy, of his own version of the world to satisfy himself. It is like playing chess with a bit of pestilence and in the end getting the purse. You get so overwhelmed and happy even if you know that you played against nobody but yourself. Fake faith brings about deception while Genuine faith bring about humility. A genuine believer humbly accepts the word and then obeys (v.24)
The question of obedience now comes into a clearer picture. Why do people choose to listen and end it that way rather than listen and then do something about it? Why don’t they obey? There are two reasons behind. First, a person who reads the word and gets the gist doesn’t act on it simply because he thinks what he reads applies to someone else. Sometimes people and even believers for this matter tend to look at the scriptures to get wisdom in order to help someone out with his or her emotional and spiritual struggle. They focus on interpreting the scriptures in such a way that it would fit into their friend’s concerns. But the truth is, the scriptures are for every being and it will fit every person’s undertakings if only one chooses to digest them. The problem with this ‘help-him-with-this-word’ mentality is that the sharer or the believer in this case may tend to overlook some spiritual facts , skip and gloss over the pages of the bible, chooses the verses which would ‘fit’ into his situation until he ends up with nothing but the table of contents or perhaps the end notes. Second, the truth which is found in the bible is hard to do. Mark Twain once said “It isn’t the parts of the bible that I can’t understand that bothers me, It’s the parts that i do understand.” To add, G.K. Chesterton also had this thought “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and not tried.”
‘The truth hurts’ as the cliche goes;nevertheless, it is proven real. It is really hard to obey when it hurts. It’s hard to do what God commands us to do if it requires pain and sacrifice. This is the reason why there are partial-believers and perhaps partial-obedience. Some christians tend to hold back because of fear or if not, because they do not want to experience pain. And so at th
e end of the day, they choose to obey the easy ones, the ones which would not bother them or perhaps beat them a little.
Another parameter in differentiating genuine faith from the fake is through the symbolism of a mirror. James compared someone with a fake faith as someone who looks at the mirror and then completely forgets what he looks like.(v. 24) This mirror is God’s word. It is this extraordinary and supernatural mirror which enables a person to see not only his physical characteristics but aslo reveals his soul, his core being, his deepest darkest secrets and blemishes and the things he would not ever wanted to see. This mirror shows what a person can become. The bible reveals what a person can do for God’s kingdom.
The one with fake faith denies what he sees in the mirror. The consequence of this attitude is the great probability of rejecting the whole word of God. When one doesn’t apply God’s word, (what he sees in the mirror) his tendency is to feel distant and God distant also. He will start to believe that everything is only a theory. He becomes philosophical with things ,becomes skeptic or perhaps cynical about the truth that he’ll end up denying God’s existence and equating Him to a mere idea which exists only in the human intellect. On the contrary a person with genuine faith LOOKS INTENTLY into the word. The operational word here is INTENTLY, with intent. He looks at the mirror intently. By intently means something with a plan and a priority. It means having the intention of doing what he sees, what he understands , what the Bible reveals him to do. This would also mean a great thirst for more of God’s revelations in his life. God won’t reveal Himself to casual inquirers, He wants someone to look for him by heart. The consequence of doing this? We will be closer to Him.The more we read intently, the more we are changed. And at the end of the day, we will be blessed. (v. 25)
Bottom line is, with genuine faith, there is obedience. And When we keep doing it, when we keep looking at the mirror and act on it, the more we will be blessed. God’s blessing comes by looking with the intent of doing God’s word.
Honoring God
August 1, 2009This is the second time i heard Pastor Christian preach about the ultimate goals of Victory as a church: To Honor God and Make Disciples.
Honor God. People always talk about their goals in life. In fact those goals reflect what they value in life. Some people value quality time with their loved ones;others value education and hardwork; some families value love and respect while others value beauty and money. Goals differ, it is evident. Goals are those things that we continuously hold on to in hope of a better us, of a better future for ourselves and our family. Despite those differences in the intentions and degree of importance of our personal goals, it is just apt for Christians, the children of GOD to agree on a single goal -to honor God.
In this walk of faith, there are instances when some of us tend to give in to the daily temptations and harsh realities of life. In our busy lives , we tend to neglect simple things which if taken into close scrutiny have the potential to become sins. Committing a sin deliberately brings about guilt but nothing could be worse than the feeling of committing a sin you know you could have kept yourself from doing if only you stopped and gave time to mull over it. This is the reason why we must always be conscious of all the things that we are doing whether we are eating, drinking, working, studying or even fixing ourselves before going to sleep. Furthermore, it is also important to be conscientious in working on things. God wants us to walk the path He had created for us, doing things which are pleasing and fruitful conscientious in every thing we do. In Colossians He tells us
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
-Colossians 1:10
… He wants us to keep in our hearts His commandments, His forewarnings and His rules which are definitely not flexible. He wants us to glorify Him in every thing we do, to be reminded of Him in every minute and every second of our lives.
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
-1cor 5:9
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
-2cor 10:31
More often than not, due to the complexities and pressures of this earthly life, we fail to do what He has commanded. We give in to temptations. We do things we know are unpleasant in front of His eyes. We bash ourselves in front of people because sometimes we tend not to defend our faith. When we try to evangelize,we are held towards the darkness instead of being the light that will hold them out of it. We sin. We falter. We fail. Despite these, we must not fret for God is SO GOOD that HE assures us HE is always there to provide- to provide for enough strength, courage and patience to face the daily struggles of this life.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
-Romans 5:20
And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:
-2cor. 9:8
We have no excuse not to be good. We have no excuse not to obey . We have no excuse not to glorify Him, not to Honor His name. As His children, we must do all our best to incorporate the faith in every thing we do. We must do every thing to be reminded every second of our life about the consequences of sin, of the grace of God , of the truth that we are sinners and yet God loves us so much.We are ought to give back all of these to Him. We must do this not because He needs to be Honored, but because He deserves it. No one can do what HE did- sent His only son to die on the cross in order to destroy all the lies, to save humanity despite His sinlessness. Nothing can compare to this great act of love that’s why Honor is ought to be given to Him who is ever-living.
How do we honor him exactly? To sum up, We honor GOD when we please Him in every way. We are provided with all the things we need- knowledge and wisdom to choose. Let us all choose to do what is right, let us give GOD what He deserves. 
For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.
-Ecclesiastes 2:26