Titus 1:1-9 (New International Version)
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2a faith and knowledge resting
on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the
beginning of time, 3and at his appointed season he brought his word to light
through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
4To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Titus’ Task on Crete
5The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out
what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children
believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7Since an
overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not
quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest
gain. 8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is
self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by
sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
From Our Daily Bread:Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. —Proverbs 25:28
An old adage says: “Next time you want a cupcake, eat a carrot.” The
saying is good advice for dieters, but those who framed it may have had all of
us in mind. By disciplining our desires when no moral principle is at stake, we
prepare ourselves for those moments when we face a temptation to sin.
This kind of discipline is what Paul referred to when he used the term
self-controlled in his list of qualifications for church leadership (Titus 1:8).
We need this reminder today. Many people think they can live immorally now and
suddenly stop when they want to. Because they do not consider the addictive
power of sin, they find that living up to their good intentions is far more
difficult than they had anticipated.
Proverbs 25:28 tells us that if we lack self-control we are as
defenseless as a city with broken-down walls. Consistent self-discipline will
build up our spiritual defense system against the forces of evil.
When we discipline ourselves to keep our ordinary desires under
control, we make a habit of virtuous living and practice the reality of Paul’s
words in Romans 6:18, “Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of
righteousness.” - Herbert Van Lugt
7.28.2006
Living a self-controlled life.
I just wanted to share to you what I read for my devotion this morning. I know that a lot of us Christians still struggle with the pleasures of this world. I hope this serves as a reminder for you, as it does for me to discipline ourselves and prepare ourselves whenever we face temptations.
The weekend is upon us...
Well, it’s the weekend yet again. Unfortunately, I have a very short one. I have to be here at work tomorrow morning. I guess it’s OK since I get to leave early anyway to go to my cousin Joyce’s b-day shindig/house-warming party. Oooh, I want to go swimming afterwards. Haha we’ll see.
I finally got to watch Green Street Hooligans last night. What an intense movie! It’s about a Journalism major who gets kicked out of Harvard and finds himself in London bashing people’s skulls alongside a football firm. A “firm” is a gang of football fanatics (in this case, West Ham football club fans), who are obsessed with violence (and not necessarily because of their loyalty for the FC). “There is a time to stand your ground and a time to walk away.” It’s a great movie, and there are a lot of things you can take away from it, one being, pick your battles. There are certain things that are worth fighting for and others that are just not worth it. The question is, what’s most important to you? Elijah Wood stars in this, as well as Charlie Hunnam (Nicholas Nickelby), Ross McCall and Marc Warren (Band of Brothers - yeah, I know. LOL), Leo Gregory (watch out for this guy). Very good cast. I rate it 4* out of 5*.
I finally got to watch Green Street Hooligans last night. What an intense movie! It’s about a Journalism major who gets kicked out of Harvard and finds himself in London bashing people’s skulls alongside a football firm. A “firm” is a gang of football fanatics (in this case, West Ham football club fans), who are obsessed with violence (and not necessarily because of their loyalty for the FC). “There is a time to stand your ground and a time to walk away.” It’s a great movie, and there are a lot of things you can take away from it, one being, pick your battles. There are certain things that are worth fighting for and others that are just not worth it. The question is, what’s most important to you? Elijah Wood stars in this, as well as Charlie Hunnam (Nicholas Nickelby), Ross McCall and Marc Warren (Band of Brothers - yeah, I know. LOL), Leo Gregory (watch out for this guy). Very good cast. I rate it 4* out of 5*.
7.21.2006
Exciting news!
Have I failed to mention the exciting news that I am now an official library cardholder for the County of Los Angeles Public Library System? Oh yessirree! Oh yes!
7.20.2006
My childhood, revisited.
How excited am I?!
TRANSFORMERS, the Movie
While little girls back in the ’80s watched Care Bears, My Little Pony, and the Smurfs, I was watching the Transformers (and Thundercats among others).
Midnight showing anyone? July 4, 2007 - Mark your calendars!
TRANSFORMERS, the Movie
While little girls back in the ’80s watched Care Bears, My Little Pony, and the Smurfs, I was watching the Transformers (and Thundercats among others).
Midnight showing anyone? July 4, 2007 - Mark your calendars!
7.19.2006
Living a transformed life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” (NIV)
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)
Complacency is a huge obstacle that a lot Christians face. A lot of us are contented to be where we are in our Christian lives, and we do not make the effort, or even have the desire to grow. Some of us feel that because God is a forgiving God, He will accept us no matter what, even if we make mistakes, He will always forgive us. That is very true. He will ALWAYS forgive. But just because God is a forgiving God, and knowing the He will always forgive us no matter how many times we mess up, doesn’t mean that we can just be content on living our lives that way, and not desire to change. I truly believe that when you become a child of God, and if the Holy Spirit is, indeed, in you, you eventually go through changes and start to find the things of this world more and more undesirable. I’m not saying that we should strive to be perfect, but we ought to strive to be Christ-like. Jesus, when He was here on earth, walked amongst sinners, but He didn’t compromise who He is, and who he is, is the Son of God. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we become God’s children. We carry His name everywhere we go, and in everything we do. So, we should live the way a child of the King should live, right?
Like I said, it’s not about striving to be perfect. As long as we are in this body, we will never be perfect. We will make mistakes, but hopefully we will learn from those mistakes and not do them again. But as Christians living in this world, we should be Christ-like. And we can set out to do that by saturating ourselves with the word of God (the Bible – “renewing of your mind”). I learn that everyday. I’m not perfect in anyway, and I mess up, a lot. I notice how I act and how I deal with things when I’m in the word, and when I’m not in the word. There’s a huge contrast. God speaks through you through His word, and through circumstances in your life. The Word truly equips you. And in reading the word, you also learn from the examples of our forefathers in the faith. As you get into the word of God each day, you do become transformed by the renewing of your mind, just as the Apostle Paul had said in Romans 12. What you saturate yourself with, eventually manifests in the way you live. If you fill your life with the things of the world, it will manifest in the way you live. And the same goes with the word of God. If you fill your life with God’s word and His teachings, it will manifest in the way you live your life. For some, the manifestation may be slow, and for others it may be fast, but it will always manifest in the way you live your life.
I firmly believe that when a person becomes a Christian, meaning, you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, and you have the Holy Spirit in you, you’re going to want to change and not remain broken.
Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross for us, paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, the least we could do to show gratitude for what He’s done is to live our lives the way that shows how grateful we really are.
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)
Complacency is a huge obstacle that a lot Christians face. A lot of us are contented to be where we are in our Christian lives, and we do not make the effort, or even have the desire to grow. Some of us feel that because God is a forgiving God, He will accept us no matter what, even if we make mistakes, He will always forgive us. That is very true. He will ALWAYS forgive. But just because God is a forgiving God, and knowing the He will always forgive us no matter how many times we mess up, doesn’t mean that we can just be content on living our lives that way, and not desire to change. I truly believe that when you become a child of God, and if the Holy Spirit is, indeed, in you, you eventually go through changes and start to find the things of this world more and more undesirable. I’m not saying that we should strive to be perfect, but we ought to strive to be Christ-like. Jesus, when He was here on earth, walked amongst sinners, but He didn’t compromise who He is, and who he is, is the Son of God. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we become God’s children. We carry His name everywhere we go, and in everything we do. So, we should live the way a child of the King should live, right?
Like I said, it’s not about striving to be perfect. As long as we are in this body, we will never be perfect. We will make mistakes, but hopefully we will learn from those mistakes and not do them again. But as Christians living in this world, we should be Christ-like. And we can set out to do that by saturating ourselves with the word of God (the Bible – “renewing of your mind”). I learn that everyday. I’m not perfect in anyway, and I mess up, a lot. I notice how I act and how I deal with things when I’m in the word, and when I’m not in the word. There’s a huge contrast. God speaks through you through His word, and through circumstances in your life. The Word truly equips you. And in reading the word, you also learn from the examples of our forefathers in the faith. As you get into the word of God each day, you do become transformed by the renewing of your mind, just as the Apostle Paul had said in Romans 12. What you saturate yourself with, eventually manifests in the way you live. If you fill your life with the things of the world, it will manifest in the way you live. And the same goes with the word of God. If you fill your life with God’s word and His teachings, it will manifest in the way you live your life. For some, the manifestation may be slow, and for others it may be fast, but it will always manifest in the way you live your life.
I firmly believe that when a person becomes a Christian, meaning, you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, and you have the Holy Spirit in you, you’re going to want to change and not remain broken.
Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross for us, paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, the least we could do to show gratitude for what He’s done is to live our lives the way that shows how grateful we really are.
7.17.2006
*SIGH*
I *heart* them. :)
My loves (of the moment):
1. Matthew Settle
2. Damian Lewis
3. Ron Livingston
4. Kirk Acevedo
5. Jamie Bamber
If you see any of these lovely boys on the street, send them my way please. Thanks. ;)
My loves (of the moment):
1. Matthew Settle
2. Damian Lewis
3. Ron Livingston
4. Kirk Acevedo
5. Jamie Bamber
If you see any of these lovely boys on the street, send them my way please. Thanks. ;)
7.10.2006
Guess who's back in town?
Well folks, I’m back from my short, but much needed trip to Santa Maria. The convention went well, the concert was exhausting, but I praise God for the opportunity to minister over there. Santa Maria is a nice town, and the weather was fantastic! It wasn’t as hot as it is down here in L.A. Despite not getting much sleep, I had fun. We stopped by Santa Barbara on the way back home. I haven’t really had a chance to see Santa Barbara until last Saturday, and I have to say that SB is a quaint little town, kind of romantic in a way. It’s one of those places where you can just take a stroll around, alone or with a companion . I wouldn’t mind going back there. I’ve only been to Santa Barbara a couple of times to see Rockapella, but other than that, that was probably the first time I actually saw what Santa Barbara was all about. We did some outlet shopping in Camarillo as well. I bought couple of things, for ma mère, ma nièce et mon neveu (my mom, my niece and my nephew), and a wrist watch pour moi (gave myself a treat).
Today, we buried my great aunt (my maternal grandma’s sister), Lola Conching. She passed on peacefully, in her sleep, last Wednesday, July 5th, very early in the morning. She’s survived by her husband, Lolo Cio (92 yrs old), 7 kids and 10 grandchildren. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, especially one who’s very dear to us, but we are assured of the fact that we will see her again someday. Her gravesite is next to my dad’s, so I got very emotional just seeing them lower her casket. It just brought back some images from when my dad was buried, which was in the same area, plus the fact that seeing her kids crying and grieving, moved me. She will be missed.
Today, we buried my great aunt (my maternal grandma’s sister), Lola Conching. She passed on peacefully, in her sleep, last Wednesday, July 5th, very early in the morning. She’s survived by her husband, Lolo Cio (92 yrs old), 7 kids and 10 grandchildren. It’s always hard to lose a loved one, especially one who’s very dear to us, but we are assured of the fact that we will see her again someday. Her gravesite is next to my dad’s, so I got very emotional just seeing them lower her casket. It just brought back some images from when my dad was buried, which was in the same area, plus the fact that seeing her kids crying and grieving, moved me. She will be missed.
7.03.2006
Long time, no post.
First, let me get this out of the way…..
ENGLAND LOST!!!!! to Portugal. ARGH!!!!!! I’m absolutely bummed. Beckham’s injury better have been legitimate otherwise, I would be very disappointed with him that he had to leave the game earlier on. Rooney lost his cool, he got a red card, ergo (did I just say ’ergo’?), England had to play 1 man short towards the end of the 2nd half. Not good, not good at all. The match came down to PKs (Penalty Kicks), and that’s where they missed Becks’ presence terribly (they didn’t call the movie “Bend it Like Beckham” for no reason!). Poor Robinson, couldn’t block Portugal’s PKs, it was horrible. Those are dem breaks. *sigh*
Okay, I’m over that. Anyway, the weekend was pretty relaxing. Went over to my uncle and aunt’s house in Arcadia for a swim. Needless to say, I got a tan. Not too dark though, but yeah, I got some sun. I can’t wait until this coming weekend, I’ll be heading up to Santa Maria with Papuri to sing at a convention. It’s only going to be for 1 night (Friday), and then Saturday, we head back to Los Angeles. Quickie getaway. I wish it could be longer, but I’ll take what I can get. There’s always Vegas in August with the cousins and the rest of the A-dubs. No gambling, just watching some shows. I can’t wait.
Did anyone see the BET Awards last week? Anyway, I have to commend Kirk Franklin for his acceptance speech. You have to know that in most awards ceremonies, a lot of people would say, “I’d like to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for without Him, I won’t be here…” or some variation of the same sentiment. I think that’s great, and if it was geniunely said, from the heart then, more power to you. But Kirk changed it up a bit, and instead of saying the same thing, he said, “Jesus, I wanna thank you, NOT with the words I say, but with the way I live.” And I think that just got me. You can talk the talk, but if you don’t walk the walk, it don’t matter. Anyway, that just stuck with me. And I commend him for saying that, especially knowing what he’d gone through recently, God really refined him, and I have to say, I believe Kirk when he said his acceptance speech… I have to mention the Chaka Khan tribute too. I almost passed out when I saw Prince and Stevie Wonder playing lead guitar and the keys for Chaka’s tribute respectively. That gave me goosebumps. I’d have to echo host Damon Wayans’ sentiments when he said that he couldn’t handle that much talent on one stage. I loved that tribute. Musicians, GREAT musicians, doing their thang. And then after the commercial break, Ne-yo came on and sang his song. How anti-climactic was that? LOL It paled in comparison to what just happened before the commercial break.
Well, I’m baby-sitting the younger cousins today. I’m gonna drag them along with me to Papuri rehearsal tonight. Don’t know what the fam’s got planned for 4th of July yet. We’ll find out tomorrow. Anyway, hope everyone’s enjoying their 4th of July festivities! Thanks for putting up with my random musings.
ENGLAND LOST!!!!! to Portugal. ARGH!!!!!! I’m absolutely bummed. Beckham’s injury better have been legitimate otherwise, I would be very disappointed with him that he had to leave the game earlier on. Rooney lost his cool, he got a red card, ergo (did I just say ’ergo’?), England had to play 1 man short towards the end of the 2nd half. Not good, not good at all. The match came down to PKs (Penalty Kicks), and that’s where they missed Becks’ presence terribly (they didn’t call the movie “Bend it Like Beckham” for no reason!). Poor Robinson, couldn’t block Portugal’s PKs, it was horrible. Those are dem breaks. *sigh*
Okay, I’m over that. Anyway, the weekend was pretty relaxing. Went over to my uncle and aunt’s house in Arcadia for a swim. Needless to say, I got a tan. Not too dark though, but yeah, I got some sun. I can’t wait until this coming weekend, I’ll be heading up to Santa Maria with Papuri to sing at a convention. It’s only going to be for 1 night (Friday), and then Saturday, we head back to Los Angeles. Quickie getaway. I wish it could be longer, but I’ll take what I can get. There’s always Vegas in August with the cousins and the rest of the A-dubs. No gambling, just watching some shows. I can’t wait.
Did anyone see the BET Awards last week? Anyway, I have to commend Kirk Franklin for his acceptance speech. You have to know that in most awards ceremonies, a lot of people would say, “I’d like to thank my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for without Him, I won’t be here…” or some variation of the same sentiment. I think that’s great, and if it was geniunely said, from the heart then, more power to you. But Kirk changed it up a bit, and instead of saying the same thing, he said, “Jesus, I wanna thank you, NOT with the words I say, but with the way I live.” And I think that just got me. You can talk the talk, but if you don’t walk the walk, it don’t matter. Anyway, that just stuck with me. And I commend him for saying that, especially knowing what he’d gone through recently, God really refined him, and I have to say, I believe Kirk when he said his acceptance speech… I have to mention the Chaka Khan tribute too. I almost passed out when I saw Prince and Stevie Wonder playing lead guitar and the keys for Chaka’s tribute respectively. That gave me goosebumps. I’d have to echo host Damon Wayans’ sentiments when he said that he couldn’t handle that much talent on one stage. I loved that tribute. Musicians, GREAT musicians, doing their thang. And then after the commercial break, Ne-yo came on and sang his song. How anti-climactic was that? LOL It paled in comparison to what just happened before the commercial break.
Well, I’m baby-sitting the younger cousins today. I’m gonna drag them along with me to Papuri rehearsal tonight. Don’t know what the fam’s got planned for 4th of July yet. We’ll find out tomorrow. Anyway, hope everyone’s enjoying their 4th of July festivities! Thanks for putting up with my random musings.
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