There have been many sayings about power. The Air Force Academy has one that says knowledge is power. President Teddy Roosevelt said to speak softly but carry a big stick. Power has always been a prerequisite to building and maintaining a nation. They don’t call us a Super Power for no reason. But it funny how that title is giving to different nations over the years. In business, power is a way of making money. It has an allure that most people can’t resist. People don’t want to be powerless in their lives. They want to be able to achieve their goals as fast as they can. This requires what most people believe that we have power in our lives. Even in the religious world, people believe they must use power to get ahead. With power comes responsibility. When I came to the Lord, I began to understand that I could wield God’s power. When I began to wield that power, I saw results in an instance. I saw the power God had let me use in His name. When I began going after the devil using God’s power, God stopped and asked what I was doing. I told Him I was casting out devils. Then He told me that what I was doing was still following the devil. God said that when I encountered the devil on my journey with God, then I will cast him out. I was to follow after God and everything will fall into place. When Jesus was speaking the beatitudes, He said that blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the children of God. It is funny how God isn’t interested in how much power we have. He is interested in how much we become the children of God. And the only way is to die to oneself and let God live through us.
Author Archives: joseph1637
What will change today?
How sure are you about today? Will a disaster strike in your community? Is anyone safe from disasters? There were 2 brothers who lived on this earth. One worshipped God with his whole heart. The other gave lip service to God. And he was jealous of his brother who served God, not that his brother was any smarter or braver or wealthier. He was jealous because God approved the brother who served God with his whole heart. His jealousy became so intense that he killed his brother. God came looking for the righteous brother and found the murderer. God ask where his brother Abel was and Cain answered God saying, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I tell you a truth. You are your brother’s keeper. We are responsible to God for each other. What we do to each other will be judged by God Himself. There will be no excuse before God. There are going to people that will stand before God and say didn’t we do all these things. And God will say depart from ye workers of iniquity. I never knew you. It is not just doing good works that counts with God. You have to enter into a relationship with Him. This is the only thing that will secure your future in the Kingdom of God. And it is so simple to do. All you have to do is ask God to forgive you and come into your life. Then it doesn’t make any difference what changes in this world. This world isn’t your home. It is temporary and will disappear in the last days. But until then the bible says it is the beginning of sorrows.
Every Thing Change Today
I woke up today and found that everything has changed in the world. The mass shootings in Orlando, Florida had occurred while I slept. Over 100 people had been shot. 50 are dead and they say the 54 in the hospital are in critical condition. They are expecting more to die. Between 1935 and 1945, Nazi Germany killed over 50 million people and over 80 million Germans died. The whole world became incised and fought a world war. Today if this story last a week in the news, it will be surprising. What has happened? Why don’t people rise up against this? How many disasters has this country gone through since 2000? There are natural and man-made disasters. And they are growing in intensity. Right after Hurricane Katrina, a few brave pastors began to say it was the hand of God. Almost the entire religious community came against them, saying that this wasn’t true. I will tell you a truth. It was the hand of God in all the disasters. And you wonder why they are happening? I don’t wonder I know why they are happening. Right after 9/11, the churches in this country were filled looking for an answer. It lasted for about 3 months until the US Government became their savior. Everyone thought that their problems could be solved with guns and bullets. That is what the terrorists believe. In the past 10 years, people have been leaving the church because they didn’t find the answer to their questions. If anybody should have the answer, it is the church of Jesus Christ, the people of God. Why isn’t it so? It is time for the people of God to repent of their sins and ask God to renew and restore them. Because this is the only answer that has lasting results.
Uncertainty Principle
The uncertainty principle or observer principle says that whatever you look at is never the same. Everything is in a constant state of flux or movement. Even though you think something is solid or steady, it really isn’t. It really can be disconcerting that nothing remains the same. What we see with our eyes is a reflection of what we are looking at. So how can you trust your eyes to see clearly? Well you actually can’t. Your eyes are important in your life. We need them to get around. I have taken care of my eyes since I was a young man. My parents both wore glasses and had trouble with their eyes all their lives. When I reached 40 years old, my arms weren’t long enough to read books. So I got a pair of glasses. But I always wanted to see what was real. I didn’t want to be fooled by anything or anyone. So I began searching for what was real. My journey led me all over the place. Just because someone says they are real doesn’t make it so. There has to be proof of its reality. The more I searched the more I found that it all has to do with your heart. Not the beating one in your chest, but the spiritual one in your being. I found that reality comes from the spiritual world into the physical world. But there are 2 sides to the spiritual world, God’s and the devil’s. I also found that only God’s side was meant to help me live in this physical world. The other side was there to steal, kill and destroy me and my world. I chose God and His kingdom to live not only in this physical world, but also in the world to come.
From Here to There
From here to there and back again. Did you know that there is nothing new under the sun? What has gone before will happen again. This isn’t a strange saying because everyone knows that history repeats itself. You know what is even stranger is that for most people they are doing what an ancestor did before. I am talking about behavior, occupations, number of children, etc., etc. My father’s family are sets of 4 children, mainly boys. This goes back almost 200 years. So looking forward to the future means looking back at the past. If only we could learn from the past to help our future. Then if you look at your life the other way. Our future is as clouded as it ever was. No one knows what will happen tomorrow. There is a perfectly good reason for it. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. What we have is now. Today is the day that we can do something that will change our lives for the good. I always heard this saying, never put off anything until tomorrow that you can do today. It is because you don’t know what will happen. The older I get the more I see the wisdom of it. It is funny that I seem to be able to do more and longer work as I get older. So I look back to see where I have been and where I am going. Then I look forward to see where I haven’t been to be able to accomplish something important in mine and others lives. I don’t want to waste my life on nothing. My life is too important not only to myself but all the people around me. You see they count on me to help in times of need. So as I travel from here to there, I will make it back again. As I always look forward and I am being mindful of the past.
My Journey from Here to There
How far back can you remember? Can you remember when you were 5 years old? I can remember kindergarten. I was 4 years old. I can still see my teachers in the first few grades. My journey actually begin the day I was born. I can’t remember anything that far back, but it started then. As I grew older, I have a picture of wanting to be a fireman or police. I followed my older brother and cousins into football. But after getting run over several times, football wasn’t for me. I was too small for sports, so I worked at odd jobs. When I reached high school, I had a paper route. I kept it for all through high school. I had a beautiful singing voice and used it all through school. As I turned 13 years old, my voice went from soprano to baritone. But it still does work. I catch myself singing songs out loud. People look but I don’t care. A young friend just graduated from high school. I told her about my graduation. After the principle handed out the diplomas. We began walking down off the platform. I had a frown on my face. My mother tried to get me to smile. But it had hit me that my life was changing. It would no longer be the same. And that journey frightened me. I wanted to go to college. I thought I was all grown up. I stayed busy in college. If fact too busy. I made mistakes and it cost me plenty. But I was on that journey and I was going to finish it. This is where the part of my journey cost me plenty turned into pain and bitterness. In all of my journey there was and still is an unseen hand directing my life. Have you ever had your name called at a great distance? You can hear your name but not know where it is coming from. I am glad God kept calling my name until I answered the call.
Recognition Skills
When I was in college, I joined the US Air Force ROTC. The first 2 years are like basic training that everyone receives in the military. Then in your Junior and Senior years, you go to Officer Candidate School. Before you can move on to OCS, you have to pass the written exam. It is a standard military test. But in the Air Force you have to be able to recognize planes in the air. The test showed planes at different angles. You were to tell whether or not they were coming or going. This part of the test I failed because of my depth perception and I had some night blindness. This eliminated me from the Officer corps. I later on enlisted in the Air Force and serve 6 years. My friend went on to become a jet pilot. He served in Vietnam and was a decorated veteran. I still have problems with depth perception. What is funny is that I wear glasses. I am farsighted. I can see for miles down the road, but can’t read a book at 2 feet. When I am driving I can spot a police car before their radar sees me. My sons were always amazed at that. I can read signs that are over 1 mile away. It is funny how my eyes work. Yet for years I couldn’t see the signs of the time that were in front of my face. All I could see was the pain in my heart. It clouded my life to the point that it blocked out the world. But more importantly it blocked out God’s attempt to rescue me from myself. God never stopped trying to reach me. Until finally He got through to me. It took almost 30 years to do so. But I am thankful that God never stopped trying. I know that if I had not responded to God, I would be dead today. Take a step back and look at what is around you. And you will be surprised at what you see. Because God has already been there. Stop and recognize your redeemer for who He is.
Now What do I do
My world had changed. I was no longer the same person. Although I was raised in church, I had never read the bible. I didn’t even own a bible. I bought one for the house, one for the car and for the office. I began to read. I read at home, at every stop light and in the office. I started reading in the New Testament. I read it like a book because this was the first time I read it. God would stop me and explain a particular scripture. Then I would continue reading. It took me 2 years to read through the New Testament. Then I began to read it again. And God would stop me and teach me about His word. I eventually got to read the Old Testament. It has taken me 25 years to read and study the bible the first time. The more I have learned about God the more I have learned how much I don’t know about Him. But I have never stopped. I tell you a truth, I want to go home. My home is heaven, not this earth. As God taught me, my understanding about God’s kingdom has grown and changed. When I started with God, I was too old for Bible College. But God had other plans for me. As God had taught Paul on the backside of the desert, this is where God wanted me to learn. So away from the public and with my teacher, the Holy Spirit, I learned of God. Step by step, line upon line, here a little, there a little, I learned about who God is. And with each step came faith. God made sure that my faith was tested. The only way to know if your faith works, is to test it. As the bible says, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone….and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Joseph1637.com
My World Changed Forever
When I agreed to attend my friend’s church, my life changed. I was very skeptical about attending his church. But I was willing to go to see for myself if it was really real. I heard what they had to say, but now I wanted proof. During that service when the preacher stopped and said hello, it started a chain reaction in me. I heard someone say to me, what more do you want. I didn’t know at that time it was God Himself. My friend asked me if wanted to go up to meet the preacher, I said yes. When I reached the front, I was introduced to the pastor. He asked if I wanted to receive Jesus in my heart. I said yes. Then the pastor began to pray and I prayed along. The peace I had been looking for all my life came into me. Then the pastor asked if I wanted to receive the Holy Ghost. I wanted all that God would give me that day. Several men laid hands on my shoulders as the pastor prayed for me. As the pastor began to pray, there was a presence that came over me. It surrounded and covered me. It was like I was a million miles away, as I stood in that church. People began to shake my hands and talk to me. But I was separated from them by a barrier they couldn’t penetrate. I don’t remember a thing they said to me. I was protected by this barrier and nothing could get through. I was surrounded by God Himself. He held me all day long. And I had a peace that I had never known. My whole world changed forever.
Joseph1637.com
Finding Out
I agreed to go to my business associate’s church. We arrived about 10 o’clock, one Sunday morning in September. There were about 500 people in this church. Everyone seemed friendly. I shook hands with several members before the services started. It was wall to wall people. I don’t think they could have put any more people in this church. The service began. Everyone began to sing songs led by a group on the stage. I started looking around at all the people. It was interesting that everyone was paying attention as the songs were sung. I have heard people sing songs in my church. But I never saw so much intensity or I should say sincerity. No one was interested in what the person next to them thought. They were singing to God and to Him alone. When the singing stopped, everyone sat down in silence. The preacher came up to the podium and made some announcements. Then he began to preach. I watch the people as he preached. I wanted to see if it was real. I wasn’t going to commit myself to anything that was real. I was so tired of fake messiahs. They had drained the life out of me long enough. As I watched the people, the preacher stop in the middle of his sermon and said, hello. I used this expression and never heard anyone else use this term. I turned toward the preacher and heard out loud, what more do you what. I looked around to see who was talking to me. And no one was even looking at me. From that point on, I know that my prayers were answered. I had found what was real. I also found the peace of knowing that I had been looking for all of my life. My friend asked if I wanted to go up to meet the preacher after the service. I said yes and my world change forever.
Joseph1637.com
Joseph1637/Crain Blanchard 