In 1 Peter 4:12-13, it talks about the fiery trials we go through. Peter preached the gospel throughout the his known world and was crucified upside down. He was crucified upside down because he thought that he wasn’t worthy to die like Jesus. Peter wasn’t concerned about his death, he was concerned that the gospel was preached. He gave his life to Jesus and didn’t take it back. His life belonged to God and was God’s to use Peter’s life as He willed. In 1 Peter 4:12, it says think it not strange that fiery trials come upon you. It is because they come upon every Christian, whether or not them are dedicated to Jesus. Jesus said if they hated me, they will hate you. Besides the world hating you, the devil will fight against you. So, it isn’t strange that we go through trials. Now what we do in the midst of them is what Jesus taught the disciples and us to do. The word of God says when we have done all the praying and believing, we are to stand. So stand therefore. You see through the fiery trials, we grow as a Christian. God says that in the midst of the trial, we will never be tested more than we are able. And with the trials, God will make a way of escape. So, we can enter into the trial with joy and walk through it.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1Peter 4:12-13 KJV).

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

It has been 2000 years since Jesus walked on this earth. He told the disciples that He returning. Jesus said His return was at the gate. So when is Jesus returning? He said as a thief in the night. You will not know when or where. But Jesus will keep His word to us. Jesus told the disciples to look at the sign of the times to judge approximately when He was returning. Jesus said only the Father knows the time of His return. But Jesus that we are to live as if He was returning today. It is because, if we live ready to go home, when Jesus returns we will be ready to go home. Many people look and see that He hasn’t return so far, so it doesn’t any difference. I feel sorry for those who don’t believe what Jesus said. But that won’t stop Jesus returning at any time. The only way that we can go home, is to live ready to go. That means that we have to believe and trust God with our life. Asking God to forgive us is the first step. Then we have to walk in God’s path. As He said, narrow is the way and strait is the gate. And few find it (Matthew 7:14). As Paul went throughout Asia Minor, he had to rebuke people who believed that Jesus was returning now. They had stopped working and were living on the their rooftops. That was 2000 years ago. But Jesus is returning soon. In Revelations, John wrote, Come Lord Jesus. Praying for His returning. Jesus is returning and it is soon. But I don’t know the time or the day. But I will be ready to go home when He returns.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

In 2 Timothy 2:15 it says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” All throughout the Bible God talks about skilled craftsmen. Whenever there was something to be built, they called for skilled craftsmen. Whether it was for the Tent of the Meeting or the temple in Jerusalem or the walls in the Jerusalem. Skilled Craftsmen were needed to construct anything, The Bible talks about how we are constructed by the word of God. When we first come to the Lord, we are called babies that need to be taken care of. But as we mature in Christ by reading and doing the Word of God, we begin to handle the Word of God as a craftsman. Then as we continue in the Word of God, we become skilled. We are able to rightly handle the Word as God intended for us to do. The Word of God mixed with faith will produce God’s will on this earth. As it says in 2 Timothy 2:15, study to show yourself approved unto God. We must make time to read and study God’s word. Then it will become real in our lives. We have to start with reading, then understanding what it says and finally experiencing God’s word, then it becomes wisdom for us. This is how we become mature in God’s kingdom being able to handle God’s word, a skilled craftsmen.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The smallest book in the Old Testament. It is disputed who Obadiah is. It is because there are over a dozen Obadiah’s mentioned in the bible. But what he has to say is universal. Jacob (Israel) and Esau were the sons of Isaac. Jacob received God’s blessing and Esau didn’t. Jacob inherited the Promise Land, but not Esau. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. Esau never forgave Jacob because of his birthright. Although, it was Esau that gave it away. When Nebuchadnezzar took Judah captive, Esau or Edom helped capture Judah. God brought recompense upon Esau. Esau’s nation, Edom, disappeared from the earth. They were destroyed by the hand of God. How does this apply to us? The bible says that we are to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. But it also says that if we don’t forgive our brother, God will not forgive us. Esau never forgave Jacob and fought against him. It was the same with Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother because Abel was righteous and he wasn’t. Esau did the same to Jacob, Israel. No one can fight against God and win. It doesn’t matter what you think. God’s word will win out every time. Hear what the prophet Obadiah has to say to us, forgive from your heart and live.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

The book of Philemon is a personal letter from the apostle Paul to Philemon. It is a story of forgiveness and redemption. Onesimus was a runaway slave. He ran to Rome to be free and ran into Paul. Paul took him in and took care of him. As Paul preached the gospel, Onesimus listen and received Jesus as Lord. He began to take care of Paul and to become a fellow servant of the gospel. Paul knew that Onesimus had to return to his master. Paul had led Philemon and his household to Lord and knew them well. He wrote a letter pleading with Philemon to forgive and redeem his lost servant Onesimus. Not to take him back as a slave, but as a brother in the Lord, faithful and true. This is the story of Jesus and His love for us. The letter He wrote is the bible and sealed it with His blood. We are servants and sons of the Most High God. And the only way we can return is through the work of Jesus. He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us (Colossians 2:14). And it is for us to return unto the Father for Him to accept us back. Paul began with a prayer and that is the best place to begin and end is with a prayer. May God bless and keep you in Christ.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

I was reading in Colossians. Paul was writing to the Colossians because he heard of their faith in Christ. As he always did he opened in prayer. Then he talked about walking in the wisdom of God. What is the wisdom of God? Paul spoke about Jesus, who is the firstborn from the dead and our older brother. We are born again from the dead until God and become the children of God. This happens when we accept Jesus in our heart. Paul talked about being thankful to God for everything that He has done in our lives. He talked about how Jesus has the preeminence in all things, because Jesus created all things. He also talked about how we were separated from God by sin and God called us home. God made Jesus the way home to Him. Paul talked about being stedfast in our faith in Christ, the hope of glory. And not being concerned with the traditions of men, but following the wisdom of God. For God isn’t a respecter of person. What God gives to one man, He gives to all. He goes on the talk about dead to the world and being buried in the baptism of Jesus and alive unto God. He also talked about forgiving anyone you have ought against as God has forgiven you.

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; …Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time….Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:2-6 KJV).

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

We have all done it. We have gossiped about someone, whether it was true or not. Most people don’t know the damage it does not only to the person being gossiped about, but to ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:20). It is breaking a trust that you gave to an individual or group. Do you know what breaking a trust really means? At this point you become untrustworthy. But you would say, it isn’t that big of a deal. It is a dynamic shifted in your universe (Ephesians 4:29-30). Your word is your bond (Matthew 5:33-37). It is who you are and you have become untrustworthy and a sinner. Gossip is also judging people. God says that with the same judgment you people with, you will be judged (Matthew 7:2). When we become Christians, we die to ourselves(2 Corinthians 5:17). And if we are dead to ourselves and alive to Jesus, no words can hurt us. God also says that we are defiled by one thing, what comes out of our mouth(Matthew 15:11). It is because out of our own mouths our heart speaks(Matthew 12:34). That is why gossip is sin to us. If there is something wrong in the church, God has set up a remedy(Matthew 18:15-17). We are to go to that person in love and speak to that person. If they will not hear you, then go to them with 2 or 3 witnesses. Let all things be confirmed by 2 or 3 witnesses. If they still will not hear you, take them to the church. Every child of God is precious in God’s sight. And when we come against another child of God, we come against God Himself. And you will not win.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

One morning, Jesus woke me up with a scripture. It was Matthew 10:35-39. This is where James and John came to Jesus and asked to sit on His right hand and the left hand. Jesus told them that they didn’t know what they were asking. Then Jesus asked them if they could be baptized into His baptism? James and John both said that they could be baptized into His baptism. Then Jesus turned to me and asked If I would be baptized into His baptism. I knew what He was asking me. Jesus’s baptism is death. I knew if I said yes, that at any given moment my life would be required. I also knew that if I didn’t accept this, I would miss God’s plan and blessings. I went back and forth trying to decide. It took me 3 days to decide. I decided that I wasn’t going to miss God’s plan for my life. That was about 40 years ago. But the sacrifice of my life was set from the foundations of world. Jesus is our example. He sacrificed His life for us. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ who lives in me”. We are called to sacrifice ourselves in God’s cause. And yet today, if I am called upon by God, I will sacrifice myself for Jesus. It is for better to die to self and live to Jesus. This is the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

I was thinking about my younger brother, Bill. we buried him on July 17, 2015. Bill died of cancer. He discovered that he had cancer in February 2015 and died in July that year. It was an aggressive form of cancer. I stayed in his hospital room every night until he died. We talked about God all the time. When it got close to the time, he asked if it hurt to die. I told him what God had taught me. It is just like walking into the next room. You will close your eyes and open them up in heaven. The pain is on this side of life. Bill had accepted Jesus as Lord years before. I had the privilege to lead Bill and his wife to the Lord. When he found out he had cancer, he also found out that both of his legs were broken from the cancer. They did surgery on both legs at the same time. Each day the nurses get him out of bed to walk around the cancer ward. Bill had a room full of flowers and plants. As he walk the ward, he noticed that most people in each room had no visitors or flowers. He started a foundation to bring flowers into these rooms. His sons have a golf tournament each year to raise money for the foundation. Bill loved to play golf. At the funeral, I had a very hard time to talk to people. I was feeling like the odd man out. My older brother asked me if I could get a photo of his daughters. What I did was to get all of my brothers and nieces and nephews together and took a photo. I even got Bill’s grandson in the picture. I know I am never the odd man out with God. He loves me and I know that Bill is with Him now. But I still miss my brother. One day I will see him again.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com

When we were children, we start off being able to talk or communicate with anyone. All we could do is make sounds and squeaks. Our parents learned what this sounds and squeaks meant. But as we grew our vocabulary grew as we heard and listen to people talk. My grandson is about 2 years old. He was at our house and not speaking words yet. We have a cat and he would chase the cat to pet it. Then one day he pointed at the cat and said, at. He had learned half a word and keep saying it as he pointed to other animals in the house. He hasn’t quite gotten the gist of the language, he is on his way. It is the same with God, when we start making sounds as a Christian, it’s just sounds and squeaks. When you were young and lived at home with you parents, if you were in a room full of people talking and your father called your name, you turn and looked at your dad. You did this because you heard your name above all the noise and recognized the voice. It is the same with God. He calls your name and you answer. This is the basis for prayer. It is hearing God’s voice and answering Him. Prayer is communication between God and you. Prayer comes from your heart. It is reaching out to our Father and speaking to Him. We see things all day long. And the things that are not right, we can ask God to change. He is always there to talk to us. When we stay in the presence of God, we can know that our prayers will be answered. But as God says we must pray according to His will. It is because we are praying that God’s will that is in heaven, will come to earth. And this is a successful prayer life.

Crain Blanchard.

Joseph1637@juno.com

Joseph1637.com