The birth of a child is a marvelous thing. It’s a scary and joyful event all at the same time. You’re excited about the new little person coming into the world. Then it hits you, you are responsible for this life to God. You have so many questions about what will happen. And you have to wait to see what will happen. You love this little person with your whole heart and you don’t know them yet. A child is a mixture of love and pain all rolled into one. The pain comes because you love them unconditionally. Yet you believe the best for this person. If they cry it breaks your heart. Mary felt all these emotions with the birth of her first born son, Jesus. All His life , Mary believed in her son and trusted God, including up to His death and resurrection. All the love and longsuffering that goes with children. But the joy that a child brings is worth everything. This is what my children have taught me. And I am better for it. Mary and Joseph knew this too.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The bible says you must believe that God is and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. To believe that God is requires faith. Why is it that children believe without any problems? While adults have trouble believing at all. Could it be that our free will gets in the way? Or maybe it is knowledge that’s the problem. Jesus said if we don’t believe like a child, we can’t enter into the kingdom. Mary understood that the time of the messiah was near. She believed God and trusted that He would provide. She wasn’t expecting that God would choose her. God chooses faith over circumstances. When Gabriel appeared to Mary, she had a choice, to believe or not. Mary chose faith and believed. Gabriel told her a little about what would happen, but she had to walk it in faith, even to the death of her son. God requires Faith.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

I was reading in 1 Peter ch.1, it struck me that the gospel is about the journey home. It talks about many things, fiery trials, believing, Jesus’s death and resurrection and salvation. And by themselves, they would be a good bible study. But together they show a picture of events in each of our lives. Events spanning from the beginning of time through our life and beyond. Giving us directions to live the life of God. It’s the journey home. 1 Peter 1: 24-25 “For all flesh is as grass, and all thr glory of man as the flower of grass. The flower withereth and the flower gallery away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which bt the gospel is preached unto you.” It’s the journey home.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseoh1637.com

I was thinking about time and how fast it goes by. When I was young, it seemed that time almost stood still. But I know it was because I was moving faster. As I got older and slowed down, time seemed to spend up. In the first 8 versus of Genesis Ch. 1, God deals with time and space. It has been constant ever since. Time is relevant to how fast we move through our space. I look at the my time and see the years passing like days. And I am trying to catch up to my time. God has given everyone so much time. And once it is over, we are gone. It is up to us to use our time wisely. We have to decide what is relevant to us. Then to pursue it with all our might. I could have pursued money, or power, but instead I pursued God. I figured that if I was going to spend eternity with my Father, I needed to know who He is and my older brother Jesus, who died from my sins. In turn, my world became better. I have a family and I work for a living. But my heart belongs to God. There is no other place I would rather be than in the presence of God. My heart keeps saying, are we there yet?

Crain Blanchard.

joseph1637@juno.com

joseph1637.com

When we were young, we had dreams about every sort of occupations. There were dreams about fireman, policemen, soldiers or doctors. It all depended on where you grew up and your family. My family believed in education. Most of my family went to college. Then you could choose what you wanted to be. My education was interrupted by the Vietnam war. I served in the U.S. Air Force. But I always knew what I wanted to be. It was a teacher. When I met the Lord and gave Him my life. I finally knew what kind of teacher. It’s a bible teacher. But I literary didn’t know anything about the bible. God had to teach me almost scripture by scripture, here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept. And still I didn’t know what I would eventually become. I just followed God where He lead me.
1John 3:1 ¶ Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Crain Blanchard.

joseph1637@juno.com

joseph1637.com

Do you know why the medical industry is one of the fastest growing? It’s true, the medical industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Why? That is an easy question to answer. People are getting increasingly sick. The respitory problems in our state are almost pandemic. The cancer rate in our state is a little less than 1% of the population. With sickness affecting most every family, most are turning to the one source that truly can heal. I belong to a group of prayer warriors. We have seen God do many miracles. It is because we stand and believe.
James 5:14-18 “14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
God has a plan to heal the sick and all we have to do is to follow that plan.

Crain Blanchard.

joseph1637@juno.com

joseph1637.com

Let’s start at the beginning. Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden. God had one rule, not to the forbidden fruit. Eve was seduced by the devil and ate the fruit. Then got Adam to eat. They sinned against God and their eyes were opened. Then they tried to hide from God. It cost them everything. Cain and Abel were brothers. Cain and Abel knew what God required in a sacrifice. Abel did it, where Cain didn’t. Cain got angry at Abel and killed him. He tried to hid it from God. God came looking for Abel. He ask Cain where his was. It cost Cain everything. David slept with another man’s wife. Then killed the husband. God sent The prophet Nathan and David repented of his sins. God spared his life. In Luke 12:2 “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. ” God see everything. Nothing is hid from God. It is better to repent than to suffer loss.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Matthew 15, the religious leaders were fussing about the disciples not washing their hands before eating. I’m not saying you shouldn’t wash your hands. But Jesus explained to the religious leaders that they broke the commandments of God by teaching man’s rules instead of God’s. Jesus talked about defiling oneself. He said, you don’t defile yourself by eating with dirty hands. It is what comes out of your mouth that defiles you. When you speak, it comes from your heart. And your heart is who you are. And you will say what you believe. And as you believe so are you.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

All of our life we have someone who is over us. There will be someone in authority. They are there to guide us and lead in the right direction. It doesn’t always happen that way, but there is authority. Did you know that God set this in motion with the covenant of Noah. God set up governments. And gave them authority to keep the peace. Today, authority is a dirty word. But it is needed more than ever. In John 2, Jesus was 12 years old and went to Jerusalem with His parents for Passover. When it was over, Joseph and Mary left for Nazareth. Thinking that Jesus was in the caravan with His cousins. Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple 3 days later. Jesus was doing His Father’s business. But He submitted Himself and returned to Nazareth with His earthly parents. The bible says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and man. This what happens when we submit to authority.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

It must be hard for God to know everything. Even when God set up Adam in the garden, He knew that he would sin and be cast out. God knew that if man were left to his own devises, he would destroy everything. When Adam became like God, having a free will, he couldn’t control himself. Thank God, He intervenes in the affairs of man. But still, God loves everyone. How does that hurt the heart of God? In Matthew 20, it’s the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. The first labourers were fussing because the last recieved the same wage. It says in vs.16: “so the last shall be first and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen. “

Crain Blanchard.

http://www.joseph1637@juno.com

http://www.joseph1637.com