Not good or bad, but Alive!

Not good or bad, but alive! Romans 8:9 “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” There are religious people who have the name of Christ but whose spirit is the spirit of Adam. They belong to the old order which perishes, not to the new order of life in Christ Jesus. The point is not that they are good or bad but that they are dead. Their direction is wrong; they are on their way to the grave, not on their way out of it! It is not that I plant, but what I plant that matters. A man could plant gold beads for a lifetime and have nothing to show for his trouble. Christ makes the difference between death and life, always and everywhere. He is the Prince of life and whatever He touches lives! The fabled Midas had a magic power which made everything he touched turn to gold. It is not a fable, but wondrously true and real, that the power to give life belongs to Christ. Nothing He touches can never die and whatever is dead has only to be touched by Him to live again and forever! “We who bear the name of Christ should give ourselves no rest till we are sure we posses the Spirit of Christ...Without that Spirit no man can speak a living word or do an immortal deed!” A.W. Tozer So many people who carry the name Christian seem to be lacking the Spirit of Christ. Their lives are full of sin, depression and live according to the World. Listen to the Biblical evidence and let the Spirit of Christ shower you with Truth and Righteousness. Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Remember they which have not the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Him. The proof of our belonging to Christ is not the ability to voice Jesus or quote a Scripture now and again; it is in the proof of the Holy Spirit possessing the believing soul! Not good, not bad, but Alive in Christ. Come to the fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. Sinner’s bunged beneath that flood, loose all their guilty stains.

3 Things!

I know it is not just me but many of you have wondered about why things
seem to be moving so fast. So called economic crises, healthcare reform,
bailouts and so many other things seem to overwhelm most. I am not a
prophet but I know what the Bible says. Regardless of the situation you and
I find ourselves we need to remember what Paul the Apostle writes; 2Ti 3:1-
5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient
to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do w ith them. From this
passage of Scripture I would like to sugg est three things to ponder. 1) F aith
2) Holiness 3) Prayer. Faith is not an option in order to please God. We
must believe and put our Trust in Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus said that
before He comes many with wonder from the faith, so we need to be
Trusting in Him to bring us through every situation and not trusting in
government or men. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Second thing to consider is Holiness. Paul states that in the last days many
will have a form of godliness but denying its power. Many people all around
us seem to be religious. But Christian s now that religion does not bring
about a Holy life. The Bible says that without Holiness no one will see God.
So how do we live H oly lives amongst a religious godless society? Obedience
to Jesus Commands! Jesus Blood makes us Holy and we need to be Holy as
He is Holy! The H oly Spirit helps us to live Holy and G odly lives. The lost
world needs to see true believers living what they profess. Thirdly we need
prayer. This is the weapon of the believer. Paul talks about our strugg le in
this life in Ephesians chapter 6:10-18. Each piece of armor can only be put
on through prayer. Listen to Paul  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his
mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full arm or of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. Stand firm then, with th e belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with
the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the S pirit on all occasions w ith
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all th e saints  . With everything th at is going on in life
we all need these 3 things; Faith, Holiness and prayer!

Declaration of Dependence upon Christ

Whereas we hold these truths to be self-evident...
*that all men, according to God’s Word, are sinners.
*that the wages of sin is death-eternal separation from God.
*that no man is able to save himself, not by his character, his good works, his religious resolves, or by any other means.
*that Jesus Christ is the only Savior for lost mankind.
*that He died to redeem us and pay the penalty for our sin that we might be free.
*that by simply believing in His death, burial and Resurrection and receiving Him as your personal Savior we have Eternal Life.

We do hereby affirm our signatures to this declaration to make known our belief of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and to acknowledge our complete dependence for time and eternity upon Him and Him Alone!

Signed by Millions upon Millions now living and dead.

Homosexuality and Christianity

What about homosexuality and being a Christian? Is this possible? Is living in sin and being saved from the penalty of sin even possible? Woe to a people who calls evil good and good evil! We all have sinned, yes. We all will from time to time fall into sin. What does God’s Word say about this. 1Jo 3:4-6 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Again 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Now read this article that lays out a scenario. “As more states-like Iowa-approve same-sex “marriage,” conservatives are claiming that freedom of religion is in peril. Same-sex “marriage” supporters accuse them of engaging in hysterical gay-bating. Who’s telling the truth?
Let me share some stories with you from an excellent news broadcast produced by National Public Radio. Then you decide.
Two women decided to hold their civil union ceremony at a New Jersey pavilion owned by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. This Methodist group told the women they could not “marry” in any building used for religious purposes. The Rev. Scott Hoffman said a theological principle-that marriage can only exist between one man and one woman-was at stake. The women filed a discrimination complaint with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights. The Methodists said the First Amendment protected their right to practice their faith without being punished by the government. But punish the Methodists is exactly what New Jersey did. It revoked their tax exemption-a move that cost them $20,000. Then there’s the case of the Christian physicians who refused to provide in vitro fertilization treatment to a woman in a lesbian relationship. The doctors referred her to their partners, who were willing to provide the treatment. But that wasn’t good enough. The woman sued. The California Supreme Court agreed with the woman, saying that the doctors’ religious beliefs didn’t give them the right to refuse the controversial treatment. In Massachusetts, Catholic Charities was told they had to accept homosexual couples in their adoption service, or get out of the adoption business. They chose correctly-get out of the business.
In Mississippi, a mental health counselor was sued for refusing to provide therapy to a woman looking to improve her lesbian relationship. The counselor’s employers fired her-a move that was backed up by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In New York, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University refused to allow same-sex couples to live in married student housing, in keeping with the school’s orthodox Jewish teachings. But in 2001, the New York State Supreme Court forced them to do so anyway-even though New York has no same-sex “marriage” law.
In Albuquerque, a same-sex couple asked a Christian wedding photographer to film their commitment ceremony-and sued the photographer when she declined. An online adoption service was forced to stop doing business in California when a same-sex couple sued the service for refusing, on religious grounds, to assist them. Convinced? Clearly, homosexual “marriage” and religious liberty cannot co-exist-because gay activists will not allow them to. As marriage expert Maggie Gallagher puts it, same-sex “marriage” advocates claim that religious faith “itself is a form of bigotry.” I know this may sound alarmist, but it’s true. If we don’t work to stop this juggernaut, we may soon find ourselves hunted down at work, at school, and even at church-as others have been-by those determined to force us to accept as a moral good what God calls evil. Our attitude toward all sin must change. All sin will lead to Hell! May the Holy Spirit give all of us reading this conviction to view sin the way God does. Let us truly be Born again in Christ Jesus!

Consider prayer and think of the possibilities.

Consider prayer and think of the possibilities. “Prayer should be the breath of our breathing, the thought of our thinking, the soul of our feeling, and the life of our living, the sound of our hearing, the growth of our growing.” Prayer in its magnitude is length without end, width without bounds, height without top, and depth without bottom. Illimitable in its breadth, exhaustless in height, fathomless in depths and infinite in extension.- Homer W. Hodge God can help us. God is a Father. We need God’s good things to help us to “do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God.” We need Divine aid to act brotherly, wisely, and nobly, and to judge truly, and charitably. God’s help to do all these things in God’s way is secured by prayer. “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Behind every prayer of a believing soul is faith. This is why holy men and women of old were commended! Heb 11:32-40 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. So have you considered the power and possibilities of faith based prayer? The Holy Spirit can and will help us in our weakness! Listen to E.M. Bounds “What a mighty Christ of prayer is the Holy Spirit! How He quenches every flame in the heart but the flame of heavenly desire! How He quiets, like a weaned child, all the self-will, until in will, in brain, and in heart, and by mouth, we pray only as He prays. “Making intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.” Better to pray than to fret. Better to pray than to talk about praying! So let us pray in faith.

To die is to Gain!

VERY soon your life here will end; consider, then, what may be in store for you elsewhere. Today we live; tomorrow we die and are quickly forgotten. Oh, the dullness and hardness of a heart which looks only to the present instead of preparing for that which is to come! Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much. It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a tomorrow? What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so little? Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the contrary, frequently adds to our guilt. Would that in this world we had lived well throughout one single day. Many count up the years they have spent in religion but find their lives made little holier. If it is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless possible that to live longer is more dangerous. Blessed is he who keeps the moment of death ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day. If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must go the same way. In the morning consider that you may not live till evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will never take you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you were so careless and remiss. How happy and prudent is he who tries now in life to be what he wants to be found in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively desire to advance in virtue, a love for discipline, the works of penance, readiness to obey, self-denial, and the endurance of every hardship for the love of Christ, these will give a man great expectations of a happy death. Great Day it will be when I die in Christ Jesus!!

Long time no blog....

Hello Family,
So sorry it has been a while since my last blog....
Where to start, I suppose with all the pics I have just uploaded will tell the stories for me.
I know I am a picture nut case. I can't help it. I love looking back at the kids as they grow.

Picture website:
www.picasaweb.google.com/franksregina

1. Ryan's Senior Prom with Meaghan
2. Mother's Day at Incredible Pizza
3. Ryan's Final Orchestra Concert, "youtube' video to follow soon
4. Aaron's 8th grade dance with Pilar
5. Stevee and Peyton, just being themselves
6. Bailey and Daniel May 2009
7. Mason May 2009

I hope you all enjoy the pics as much as am....
xoxoxoxo

Honor thy Mother!

Do you have Moral principals that guide your world view? Everyone sees the world through preconceived moral principles. What is right, what is wrong and who or what determines that foundation. Listen to God; “Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Wow what a principle and a promise! I would like share a thought about Mothers day. First off I think Mothers day is under rated. What is my problem with that idea? The World views mothers as a means to an end, money. Can you put a price tag on your mother? Proverb 31:10 “A wife (or mother) of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” I am blessed to have such a mother that all the flowers, gifts and money in the World could not replace a hug, kiss and a I love you. To show honor to my mother daily and not yearly brings more wealth to my soul than all the money in the World! I must say shame on you if you cannot honor your mother who gave you life. Besides the fact God’s promise is void for those who do not honor their mother. It is incomprehensible to me that one day a year is set aside to honor mothers. If I cannot honor my mother everyday than I need to be shamed! One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. There is none, in all this cold and hollow world, no fount of deep, strong, deathless love, save that within a mother's heart. I think Lincoln said it best “No man is poor who has had a Godly mother. Proverb 31:27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: If I could recount the numerous times my mother spent praying for my safety and health it would add up to years and I thank God for such a mother as this, she is BLESSED! I must say to my mother; "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Some refuse to praise the Lord for their mother, but for those who have a God fearing mother knows that Mothers Day is everyday!

Baby Shower

Just a heads up to reserve August 8, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. That is when Tanya and Reagan have chosen for the baby shower. Invitations will be sent closer to the date.

xoxoxo,
Regina

Bluebird Fesiival and Bailey's Pagent

The Bluebird festival was GREAT! We had a wonderful time. I honestly had forgotten how much fun a small town festival could be.......!
The pics are posted on my family web photo site:
www.picasaweb.google.com/franksregina