Free Will is the ability to make decisions on our own. It doesn’t mean we will make the right decision. But we can make them. I have known many different kinds of people. Not all of them were Christian. Over the years I have tried to explain what Christianity really is. Some have understood what I was saying. Others have looked at me like I was crazy. However everyone has a free will to make a decision about God. Not everyone that proclaims that they are Christians are. Jesus said you would know them by their fruit. He was describing what man does with his life. If they are producing things in their life like, joy, peace, love, longsuffering, temperance, meekness, faith, gentleness and goodness. I worked for a man that ran his Christian business like a corporation. And he always wondered why his employees were always angry with him. There are Christians who measure their success by the world. And they wonder why they are so empty. God isn’t against commerce. God wants His children to succeed in all of their endeavors. Our free will isn’t a license to sin. We are to use it for God’s purpose. You have to understand that Adam lost paradise and Saul lost his kingdom with his free will. Pharaoh Ramses lost his kingdom when he chose to fight God and Moses. How many people do you know that lost everything because they used their free will the wrong way? I am talking about Christians and others. How many people do you know that surrendered to God and their lives were blessed over and over again. Free Will is a great thing, but without the power of God it can’t be controlled.
Author Archives: joseph1637
Music
There is all kinds of music. I have my own preferences. I like jazz, not Dixieland but blues, like George Benson or Dizzy Gillespie. I all so like Gospel, Adult Contemporary Christian music. I also like Classical, like Bach, Beethoven or Mozart. Did you know that Mozart had a God given talent that he could write music in his head then transfer it to paper? Did you know that most people started singing or playing a musical in church? Jimmy Hendrix was a preacher’s son. Even Elvis started by singing Gospel. Most Country Western Singers and musicians sing Gospel. When you see a musical prodigy, it is a gift of God. Music began with God and actually will end with Him. Music stirs the soul of man for very real reason. Music was given to us by God and we being the image and likeness of God are moved. Unfortunately some people are moved by music to the other side away from God. Just as faith and unbelief are the flip sides of the same coin. Music can be positive or negative. I was a music director for a Christian radio station. I listened to all the music sent to the radio station. Then I chose selection for the station. I like that job, because I listen to music all day long. It was interesting to me. I chose music sometimes that conflicted with what the Music Company wanted us to play. I got one guy so angry at me. He fused but I wouldn’t budge on the selection. I had a criteria for selecting music. He called back the next day and apologized to me. Music stirs the soul of man for a real reason. I pray that it stirs you to move toward God.
joseph1637@juno.com
Equality
It is a very common word. It is uses in almost everywhere. But what does it really mean? In the US Declaration of Independence it says that all men are created equal. It doesn’t mean that they will be treated equally. Although the US is the melting pot of the world and most people bring their national pride with them to this country. This doesn’t always make a harmonious situation. But I must say that as the rest of the world goes the US has comes as close as humanly possible. People are separated by ethnic background, money, color of their skin, beauty, relative size or just plain stupidity. The US has legislated equality as far as it can be taken. It doesn’t mean that it works. You have to change the heart of man first. You look around and see so many programs to educate people or laws to stop human activity. You can educate people until they can’t stand it anymore and it means nothing. You can’t stop human activity until they want to. And the only way I know to do that is to change a person’s heart. You want to take a guess where you have to go to change your heart? It ain’t your local grocery store. You know the place already. God is the only one who can change a man’s heart. This is the only way to stop the evil in this world. It doesn’t happen with the educated or sophisticated. But getting back to equality, the only place I know of is in the kingdom of God. God says that He is no respecter of persons. Everyone is equal is the kingdom of God. That is why you can’t take anything with to heaven. Being equal in God’s kingdom means that you will stand before God for yourself. There will be no excuses either. This is real equality.
joseph1637@juno.com
The Goodness of God
God says that He isn’t willing that any person should perish, but that all should come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. He also says that the end of the world should not come until everybody has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then He says who can separate us from the love of God? The answer is no one. Is there a picture starting to develop in your head? God also says that we are healed by the beating that Jesus took before the cross. Again He says that at the cross our sins were paid for. God made a way back to Him by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then He says that He takes our confessed sins and throws them into the sea of forgetfulness never to be remembered again. Then God says that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. God also says that if we have the faith the size of a mustard seed, we can say to the mountain be thy removed and it will be done by God Himself. There is a real picture developing here. Can you see it? God says that He isn’t a man that He should lie. He also says have I not said it and will I not do it. God also says if you believe you are a son of God. He goes on to say that He gives the power to become a son of God. God says that the goodness of God leads you to salvation. Have you felt that leading before? I will pray that you will again. God also says that no man comes to the Father but by Jesus Christ. What I just wrote is a snapshot of what God has for you. It is like the photos of my clouds. You have to look closely to see all the details. What you can see is amazing. So do what God says, draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.
Heaven
Many people have written books about going heaven. When they first came out many Christians laughed at them. They didn’t believe that anybody but a dead person could go to heaven. I didn’t believe it either at first. Then I began to see things differently. It always so fantastic it was hard to believe. If read a scripture that said, we are seated together with Him (Jesus) in heavenly places. I turned to God and said if this is true, then show me. Guess what, God did. I smelled heaven first. If you can remember what it smells like after a rain. That fresh smell of the earth where the air is clean. Then I heard children laughing and playing. Then I saw the rolling hills. They were green and full of trees. There were birds and animals everywhere. I looked down. I was standing on a golden road. I looked up there standing before me was my guardian angel. He said to me, come with me. Next thing I remember was standing before these big doors of the heavenly city. Then I was sitting on the top of the wall looking down into the throne room. Jesus looked up at me and smiled. Then the saints before the throne began to sing. I began to shake. They were singing the song of the redeemed. It is so sweet and so powerful. I shook as long as they sung. My Father was sitting on the throne. I couldn’t see His face. He was surrounded by a cloud and a rainbow. I ask Jesus why I couldn’t see Him. Jesus said no man has seen the face of God and lived. People have asked me how to see heaven. It is very simple. You have to live in the presence of God. The closer you to get to God the easier it is to go to heaven and back. Where do you start? You start by praying consistently. God said if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
joseph1637@juno.com
Study to show thyself Approved
When I began I didn’t understand the extent I would have to go. I knew I wanted to serve God. God began to train me in ways I should go. He never forced me to accept any task, other than being a Christian. God always would place the decision before me and ask. As He began to train me, I would see what was required of me to complete the task. What I didn’t know was that I had the power from the beginning. I has enough power to do anything God wanted me to. The only thing I didn’t have was discipline. The discipline came with the training and putting into practice God’s principles. The more I did the better I became. It was exciting to see God in action. When I placed myself into the situation, God began to work on my behalf. But I always had to place myself into the situation. God doesn’t gave His power freely to anyone. To use the sword of the Spirit takes practice. Ask any soldier, it is the training that kicks in, in the middle of battle. You have to know and execute training to be successful in battle. Sometimes it takes years of practice to get it right. Roman soldiers were trained for 5 years before they ever entered battle. The Roman soldiers could defend 6 feet of earth unto the death. This is one reason the Roman army was unstoppable. It doesn’t take 5 years of training to fight a battle in the kingdom of God. From the beginning, we wage war. The battles aren’t so big, but praying a headache away is a major victory. So we study to show ourselves approved of God. With each victory, our confidence in God and ourselves grows. So begin the battle and pray until the victory comes. And you will never be the same again. Good Hunting.
joseph1637@juno.com
The Cross is Offensive
There are many reasons why the cross is offensive. It is the symbol of death. The Romans used the cross very effectively. Anyone who fought against Rome was put to death on the cross. When the Romans captured Spartacus and all the slaves, they crucified all of them. They lined the Appian Way from Rome to the sea with crosses. In Jerusalem, the Romans used a certain hill to crucify people. It was called Golgotha, the place of the skull. In the Jewish writings, it was a curse to hang on a tree or to be crucified on a tree. This is why Jesus hung on the cross. He took the curse for us. So we would be free to come to God. I am going to tell you something I am ashamed of. I stood before that cross and yelled crucify him. I didn’t want to suffer the pain of dying. I would let someone else suffer the death I deserved. What I didn’t know was that Jesus paid the price to redeem me. As ugly and rotten as I was, He did this for me because He loved me. No greater love has anyone than he would lay down his life for another. I scream hatred at Jesus as He loved me. The cross is so powerful that no one can discredit it. No one can take away from it. Jesus not only did this for me, but for all of mankind, past, present or future. When I read about the crucifixion it still bothers me. It has never lost its power. Have you looked at the cross lately? Everyone knows what the cross looks like because everyone has been at that cross screaming crucify him.
Exhort
I worked for a Christian radio station several years ago. On the station we had different kinds of preacher on the air. They were from different denominations. They would preach in the morning. Then in the afternoon we would play Christian music. There was one preacher we put on Saturday morning because he annoyed everyone. Even though he was annoying we knew that he was important in God’s economy to air on the station. One Saturday morning I was working and I get a phone call. This brother was angry because of what this preacher had said on the air. I began to talk this fellow down from being angry. I asked him who was angry. Then I asked him if he knew what Jesus said about anger. He said he did know. Then I asked him if he was right to be angry. He said no it wasn’t right. I could hear the anger dissipating. As he came to his senses. He knew that Jesus didn’t want us anger at any brother for any reason. Then I began to explain why God had this man preaching on the radio. I told him this man wasn’t a popular preacher for a reason. The brother was an exhorter. He would preach until a person would erupt and begin to see what was inside of themselves. The job of exhorter was needful in the kingdom of God. They would show you what is in your heart. Once you saw what was there, then God could begin to heal you. God always deals with us a little at a time. It is never all at once because the pain would be too great. The man came to an understanding why this preacher was so annoying and we prayed for him together. Does God need to send an annoying person for you to come to the understanding that you are a sinner and separated from God?
Winning the Battle
How many people have waged a battle against whatever? Everyone has waged a degree of war against an enemy. I ran track in high school. I had to run for endurance. I practiced daily until one day I ran the hundred yard dash in 10 seconds. I also was in the choir. We practiced every day to train my voice. There were many battles that I fought. When it came time for to serve in the military, it was no stretch of the imagination. I had been fighting battles all my life. But now the battles were serious because I was putting my life on the line. I have fought many enemies but my driving force was always to win. Until I came to God the battles were minor. As I learned of God, I became aware of how serious His battles are. They were always for someone life. I can’t tell you that I have won every battle. But I have won the majority. The cost is too high to do otherwise. It has taking a toll on me. I won’t tell you differently. I have trained as a soldier and have offensive weapons. These weapons are mighty and very powerful. I have prayed for hurricanes that were headed to my home on the Gulf Coast. They ended up in the deserts of Texas. I have prayed for electrical storms that never hit anything. But the biggest battle was against death itself. The battle lasted for 7 hours and the man lived. But the goal was always winning the battle. It took time and effort to get me to that place. I has been worth the effort to see God’s will come to pass. Anyone who is willing to put time and effort into developing their effectiveness in the plan of God should do so. I don’t know how long this world will last. But at the rate it is going, it is no hold barred.
The Last Full Measure of Devotion
Life is precious, whether it is new or old. The people of the United States celebrated their Independence Day. For 400 years people have been coming to this country. They have come because they were looking for freedom. They came because of an opportunity to live their lives the way they wanted to. The freedom of speech, to be able to speak the truth. The freedom of worship, to honor God in their own way. The freedom from want, to be able to provide for your family. The freedom from fear, to be able to live their lives free from oppression. My family came to this country in the early 1600’s and settled in Boston, Mass. Each generation defended the rights of freedom against all enemies. Many lost their lives defending this country. Abraham Lincoln said it more eloquently than I could ever. In the Gettysburg Address, he said, “that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Joseph1637/Crain Blanchard 