Our lives come and go at a breakneck speed. It was just yesterday that I was a child. But I still live one day at a time, no matter what happened. When I began my life with Jesus, most of the Christian music was either Southern Gospel or Hymns. Then came Contemporary Christian music. The older Christians thought we were going to hell listening to that music. And yet we still lived day by day. I was music director for a Christian radio station and introduced Contemporary Christian music to South Louisiana. I listen for the anointing in each song. When I knew it was there, I played the music. It was knowing and listening to the Spirit of God speak through the music. Music is still a great part of my life in God. And I still live one day at a time. After I left the radio station, the music changed. I kept listening for the anointing. Finally after a while I heard the anointing in the music. It was today’s Adult Contemporary Christian music. The young people sought God and received His anointing for the music. My wife likes the old music. I still do like older music, but I excited about what the young people are doing with the music. None of this happened over night. It was one day at a time seeking God for inspiration. God gives to anyone who seeks His face the anointing. And with the anointing of God, we can live one day at a time. This is what God waits for us. We can’t live in the past or the future. We live each day, one day at time. Then we fulfill the plan of God for our lives. We are to live as if this is our last day on earth. This way we are ready to go home to be with Christ. It all happens one day at a time.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In John 20, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb of Jesus to finish burying Him. It was the third day since Jesus’ crucifixion, the beginning of the week. Because the Jesus was crucified right before Passover, they had to bury Him in a hurry. When Mary got to the tomb, the stone was rolled away. She did look in the tomb and an angel told her that Jesus had risen, but she didn’t believe. She ran back and told Peter and John. They ran to the tomb. John looked in and Peter went in. Then John went into the tomb. Peter and John saw the grave clothes folded on the tomb. Peter left not believing and John believed. Two disciples both saw the same thing and one believed and the other didn’t. Peter and Mary didn’t believe until Jesus appeared to him. But John believed what Jesus had said. What would you have done? Would you have believed without seeing? That is just what Jesus requires of us. We don’t lived by sight, but by faith. Even in the hard times, God requires us to walk by faith through this world. We can’t see the future, but God still requires us to keep on walking in faith all the way home. Jesus died and rose from the dead over 2000 years ago. We need God to work in our lives, because we don’t have the power to change our lives. But God requires faith in our lives. What do you use your faith for? If you have trouble believing, remember where you started. And how to came to Lord Jesus and begin again. Stretch out your faith and move a mountain in the name of Jesus. So, what will it take to do this?

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In 1 Timothy 2:1-3, God calls us to prayer. He wants us to pray for everyone. As the Bible says for all men, including kings and all in authority. God wants us to pray for people to forgive anyone we have ought against. Then God will forgive us as we pray. Prayer and forgiveness go hand in hand all throughout the Bible. In Psalms, King David is praying. David always prays for a quiet and peaceable life. It is a product of our prayers and forgiveness. Even though, man has done something against us, it isn’t our job to seek revenge. God says that the battle is His, not ours. And again, God wants everyone to come to Him and repent of our sins. Jesus died for every human being on this earth. And everyone has the opportunity to accept God’s offer of salvation. God is fair to all mankind. God is also patient and will wait for us all of our lifetime. But once it over, it is over. The real reason that God wants us to pray for everyone is to be close to God, to see Him do for us and to change the world starting with us. For God to hear us, we must be right before Him. When we get right before God, our heart is set free from sin. Then we are able to stand before God and fellowship with Him. Then we will see God for who He is. God is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joaeph1637.com

We struggle in this world because it is a foreign land. This isn’t our home. We are walking through this world to get home. But because we are strangers in this world, the world doesn’t want us. This is common to most every aliens that walk through any strange country. I remember after the Vietnam war, many Vietnamese were relocated to South Louisiana. The government did this because the Vietnamese spoke French and many were Catholic. They are a hard working people and had just lost their country through a brutal civil war. It took a long time for the people of Louisiana to accept the Vietnamese. And still today after 50 years, many still consider them foreigners. We as Christians are just as peculiar. Some people even hate us. But that isn’t the deterrent the will stop us. We struggle to provide an opportunity for people to accept Jesus and the forgiveness of their sins. We are in this struggle because we found someone who loves us more than life itself. We gave our lives for this love that is everlasting. And it is this love that will lead us home. The Love of God is more powerful than any devil. This love proved itself on the Cross at Calvary. God raised Jesus from the dead to make Him Lord of lords and King of kings. Because this love of God is everlasting. Submit yourselves therefore and let this love bring you home.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The Righteousness of God is a choice. We have to choose to live God’s way. This is what glorifies God. All throughout history, people have chosen to follow God. It isn’t just repeating words and coming to church. It is a commitment from our heart, that we will live as God says. When we do live God’s life for us, the world sees that God is real and alive. Job in the middle of the hell he walked through, never lost his faith in God. Noah followed after God, to see the world destroyed in front of his face. Moses lost his position as prince of Egypt, to serve God and help deliver God’s people from captivity. David, anointed to be king over Israel, had to run for life. He did until God installed him as king over Israel. Daniel was taken captive in Babylon. He served 4 kings until his death. Daniel never returned home to Judah. I look around at the church and see people that want to leave as soon as they can. In my early years as a Christian, all I heard about was the rapture. How we were leaving before any trouble started. Yet when I read the Bible, I see people who went through the trouble of the world to get to the other side. There is no escaping the plan of God for our lives. We can go kicking and screaming or we can walk with Jesus through God’s plan. We can walk out God’s plan all the way home. Jesus talked about doing God’s plan in a parable in Luke 19. He said to occupy til I come. He meant that we were to do God’s will until He returns. In this time of trouble, it is important that we as believers do all we can to occupy until we go home. How do we occupy, by reading the bible, praying and doing the word of God. This is how we occupy this earth.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In Revelation 6:10-11, the scripture says, how long, O Lord before You judge and avenge our blood upon those on the earth. These people are the ones who were killed for the gospel’s sake. God’s answer is until all things be fulfilled. God’s judgment is swift and complete. No one guilty of sin will escapes the judgment of God. Although, people think that they can get away with sin, because God doesn’t strike them died when they sin. But God says that His mercy triumphs over judgment. God has completely destroyed many nations because of their sin. But He always gives them an opportunity to repent of our sin. Even though many nations have fallen, God has saved people out of them. God is interested in people not the nation. He does want the nations to acknowledge Him and to live peaceably among men. But people are God’s main concern. I was reading the little book of Obadiah about God’s judgment of Esau or the nation of Edom. God’s judgment came 80 years after Edom helped the Assyrians capture Judah. Esau was (Jacob’s) Israel’s brother, the firstborn of Isaac. They had left God and worship some strange god. God had no choice in the matter. God has to obey His own word. God doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Any one who sins falls under the judgment of God. This is the law and commandment of God. But God will give mercy and forgiveness to all those who ask and repent of their sin. So that God’s word is fulfilled on this earth.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Jesus talked about having ears to hear and eyes to see. Usually He said this after one of His teachings. At one point, Jesus explained to the disciples that He didn’t open their ear or eyes. He said if He did they would repent and He would forgive them. So, what does all of this mean? Was Jesus withholding gifts from God. Or was He waiting for people to seek God? The disciples would ask Jesus what His teaching meant. And He would explain. Jesus wanted the disciples to understand. Until the Holy Spirit came to live inside of them, they didn’t really understand. But what Jesus was wanting is people who would seek God. The Bible says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. We have to seek God to understand what His purpose and plan is for us. The Bible is a parable or dark saying to most everyone. Until we accept Jesus by faith and receive the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will not understand God’s word. But when we do accept Jesus by faith, our ear and eyes are opened to the word of God, Understanding is a gift from God. We have to seek God to get the gift. I don’t care how intelligent you are. You will not understand what God is saying until you accept Jesus into your life. There is one exception. Everyone know that we are sinners separated God. That is one part of God’s word that is apparent to everyone. Why? So, that we will begin to seek after God. Those that have ears to hear, let them understand what the Spirit of God is saying.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph137.com

Most believers have their own idea what Christianity is. And most people would be wrong. Going to church and sitting on comfortable pews. Then hearing a sermon and going home doesn’t fulfill our duty to God. Assembling ourselves on a regular basis is a small part of Christianity. The majority of our work in the kingdom is outside the church walls. Jesus took the gospel to the streets to seek and to save that which was lost. He was hated and persecuted because of the truth. People saw the truth and what it meant to them. They didn’t want to change. Jesus came to this earth to call us to repentance, to establish the church and to die for our sins. Jesus became the servant of all. Then He said is the disciple isn’t greater than the master. Jesus said if you want to be great in the kingdom, then be the servant of all. Christianity isn’t what you think or want. It is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. This means that we will have to change everyday. It means that we will be conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus. The Bible says that when Jesus returns, we will see Him, because we will look like Him(1 John 3:2). I will ask you a question. If you don’t look like Jesus, will you see Him when He returns? To look like Jesus, we have to be conformed into His image and likeness. Go look in the mirror to see what you look like. If you can’t see Jesus, you have a lot of work to do. Christianity is faith, trusting and believing, in God and walking with Jesus all the way home. Do you have a good pair of walking shoes (reading the gospels)?

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@Juno.com

Joseph1637.com

No matter how good your plans are, there is uncertainty in all of them. Uncertainty isn’t there to scare or frighten us. It is there to get us to trust and believe in something or someone greater than ourselves. The old puritan work ethic that we can do anything if we are persistent is partially true. The work ethic is needful to get a person doing the right thing, which is working for a living. But the idea that we are self reliant, is flawed. Every person that has succeeded, has always received help to get there. We don’t do anything without help. We aren’t perfect in anything. There are many noble things about a human being. And those qualities can come out of us if we are helped or enabled to perform our duties to best of our ability. In all of our efforts, we must understand that uncertainty is always there. The scriptures say, when we plan to succeed in our endeavor, we should also say if God wills. And that is the crux of it, if God wills. God is the only person who can control uncertainty. And still He allows it to happen in our lives, so that we can trust and believe God. I don’t like uncertainty. I like all my ducks in a row. But that isn’t what life is about. The opportunity we have to succeed is phenomenal. We can with God’s help do almost anything. But that doesn’t mean that we will succeed all the time. Because uncertainty is always present.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

Everyone can agree that 2020 was a tough year. So many changes, it’s hard to keep count. Some of the changes were bad and some good. But all of they together made memories. It’s funny how our mind stores every event in our lives. I can remember things that happen to me when I was 5 years old. And our minds can suppress memories that were let’s say difficult. But our minds hold the key to our lives. The immortal part of us is our mind, will and intellect. Most people call it our heart. This is what goes on into the next world. And all the memories that we have made are with us into eternity. I am not perfect. I am trying to get there, through the life I live here on this earth. When I was 28 years old, I gave my heart to Jesus and ask Him to come into my heart. He began to dwell with me in my heart. My life changed for better. I began to walk home to heaven. My journey has taken me many places. Some I didn’t want to go, but God directed and I followed. You see I am working out my salvation with fear and trembling. I have many memories of people I prayed for. I have seen many miracles. And I know that my life is not my own. I was bought with a price, Jesus’s death and resurrection. These blogs I write aren’t really written by me. Jesus, who is the word of God, writes these blogs through me. The Holy Spirit brings all things to remembrance. And then I write. I am glad that He does this for me. It improves my writing by 100%. But back to memories, it’s all about our actions and activities. We can choose what we are going to do this year. Hopefully, we will choose the right way. The bible says that when people stand before God in the end of all time, there will be a lot of crying. Because all of our memories will come up before God. God has given us a new year. So make this year the best you have ever lived. I pray a prosperous New Year.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com