My family has a long line of service to our country. My 4 great grandfathers served in the American Revolution. My 3 great grandfather served in the War of 1812. My 2 great grandfather and great grandfather served in the Civil War. My grandfather served in WWI. My father served in WWII. My older brother and I served in Vietnam. My 3 youngest son and 2 nephews served in Iraq and Afghanistan. My family has always believed in and protected this country. My family came here in 1637 and landed in Boston. It seems that love of country is on the decline. I am not saying that this country is perfect. It has it faults. What I am saying is that this country with all its faults is still the best country in the world. Why to do think everybody wants to come to this country. It is the land of opportunity, the land of promise. We need to take care of the freedoms we have. Because if we not get involved, we could end up just like other countries who have lost their freedoms. This is my country, one nation under God.
Building Faith
When I started walking with God, I believed somethings however it wasn’t very much. I didn’t know much about God. I was willing and had an open heart to be teachable. The bible says that God gives to us a little bit at a time. The text says, here a little, there a little. It so you don’t choke on it. God has to feed us like babies to begin with. The bible says God doesn’t want us to be feed with milk all of lives. We are to grow up and enjoy the meat of the word of God. When I began to test my faith and knowledge. And yes you can test the word of God to see what it will do. God told me to start with something small and worked my way up to larger things. I started with a headache. A bumblebee flew into my place of business and I commanded it to get out. It promptly flew out of the building. A guy was trying to start his car but couldn’t. His battery was going down when I said in Jesus’ name. My faith was being built on the word of God and my efforts. For faith to be worth anything, it has to be used in the kingdom of God. The bible says, Faith without works is dead, being alone. It also says, freely have you received, freely give. Your life in Christ is always in thought, word and deed.
Walking
When I began to walk with the Lord, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it had to be better than what I had. People told me this and that but I really didn’t know. So when I began, I told Him I don’t know you and need to find out about you. So I read the bible. I had one at home, one in my car and one on my desk at work. I read it as a book, from one end to the other. Each day I learn new things about Jesus. I want to know what He liked or disliked. I wanted to know how He spent His days walking. When would He walk? Who would He talk to? And why would He give His life for me? I read for almost a month before He stopped me to talk. At first He would use King James English. I asked Him why and He told me it was all I knew of Him. As we progress in our relationship His language turned into American English. Jesus would walk with me in the cool of the evening. He came with me shopping. He came with me wherever I wanted Him to. I started in our relationship as a servant and I was happy for that. But as we progressed I became a son. My Father sits on the throne, my older brother sits next to Him and the Spirit of God resides in me. All this happened because I chose to walk with God.
Trust
How many things have the word trust in them? There are Deeds of Trust, Living Trust, Land Trust, Trust Companies and of course Bank and Trust. So many people place their trust in someone or thing. They want to make sure that whatever they have is secure. I have seen in the past few years a genuine effort to place mistrust in people. I have seen people ridicule other people so others would not have trust in them. All you have to do is look at elections for that. But there is more than that. It is now acceptable to consider that a man is clueless and only a woman can direct everything. Leading people away from God’s leadership to something else. TV portrays that marriage is unacceptable and sex with anyone is all right. The old joke is believable that how do you know if a politician is lying, his lips are moving. Did you know that God didn’t have horses in Israel because of the trust issue. The tank of the Old Testament was a chariot. God didn’t allow chariots in Israel either. Some 2000 years before Christ, God dealt with the Trust Issue. He said in the bible, Ps 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
joseph1637@juno.com
Without Hope
I was watching a TV show with my son about prison. They were interviewing different prisoners. They showed one who was arrested for DUI and tried to hang himself. I said to my son that that person was without hope. Hope is a very important part of life. You must believe that things can change for the better no matter what. Or life isn’t worth living. There is only one place that anyone can go to get hope. Nothing on this earth can give it to you. God is the only one who can give us hope. The bible says “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
There is no sadder place to be than without God in this world.
joseph1637@juno.com
The Cherokee Rose
On both sides of the road to my house there are bushes known as Cherokee Roses. They are tall and green. Once a year they bloom with a small white rose. They are wild rose bush. What is unusual about them is that there are thorns from the top of the branch to the bottom. If you put your hand into the bush, you will get not only pricked but cut up. It is a substantial bush. It is more of a tree than bush. But they are beautiful every year when the roses come in bloom. I have another plant in front of my house called a Crown of Thorns. This one is poisonous. The thorns are at least an inch long and cover the branch. It has a cluster of blush apple red flowers. It blooms all the time. I like those bush because it reminds me of man. He starts out being wild and hurting everyone around him. But when he is touched by God, he begins to blooms with a beautiful flower that God is well pleased with. Someone wrote a comment that I made it seems easy to be a Christian. As I have always said, it isn’t always easy, but it is simple. Have fun Blooming.
joseph1637@juno.com
What is it Worth?
God gives us each day and can you tell me what it is worth to you? I know that some people don’t care for their lives and destroy themselves. What is it worth? I have heard that the chemicals in our body are worth about a dollar. But what value is our life? Besides being successful in business, what have you accomplished on this earth? You look around and see the world. Sometimes I wouldn’t give you a plug nickel for it. But there are times where I see the beauty of the earth. And then again there are times when I see the beauty of man. It is all in the knowing what part you play on this earth. God set us here as part of His plan. We each have very important role to play while we are on this earth. We are social beings for a reason. In all actuality we influence about 25 to 30 people in our lives. What if we were not there, who would influence those people we care about the most. And more importantly, what have you done for those people that you care about the most? The whole question comes down to knowing what part you have to play in God’s world. The only way that you can know the plan is to know God Himself. Reach out to God and let Him talk to you about your part.
joseph1637@juno.com
Teach us to number our Days
In Psalms, Moses was talking about man. He said in Psalms90:10 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. …..12 ¶ So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Man’s life is about 70 to 80 years and there will be strength, labor and sorrow. He also said we need God to teach us the number our days or to be mindful of each day that we have and do the right thing. Most people believe they will live forever. When they find out it is not true they become disillusioned with God. God doesn’t promise us forever on this earth. We are eternal being that will live forever in the next world. All God promises on this earth is now. Now is the time, today is the day as the bible says. The opportunity that God gives us is knowing that each day is precious. Not only in His sight, but in our sight also. We need to take advantage of the gift God gives to each of us and as an author has said before “Seize the day”.
joseph1637@juno.com
Do you really understand what it’s all about?
I look at what it took for me to understand. I know maybe I am as hard-headed as my dad said I was. It took me a while to see what people and the bible were talking about. Many times I wanted to understand but just couldn’t see it. I know God was very patient with me. I guess that is what love is about. Patiently waiting for someone to come around and do what is right. I have hit walls many times and couldn’t go through. Only with the intervention of God did I even make my way through. I have hopes and dreams that I want to come true. When you have to stand before God and surrender all of your dreams. It can be a crushing defeat. But God took defeat and turned it into victory. The starting place for me was surrendering all that I am. I had to die to myself to accept the promise of God, Jesus. I wondered why He would want me. I had became a real jerk, arrogant and combative. But He saw in me something worth saving. God sacrifice His son to give the opportunity to be set free. I have people that love me. But I only have one person who loves me unconditionally. The bible says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever shall believe will have everlasting life.
What is Christianity about?
I see people struggle with this question all time. I have been walking with the Lord for 35 years. When I began I was just glad to have my sins forgiven. I didn’t care about the rest. God began to systematically teach me about the kingdom. It wasn’t all fun and games. There were hard truths that I had to learn. I had to keep my heart open to be able to receive from God. I had to keep it open to the world to be able to let God flow through me. I tell you I got beat up many times. But the end results, which is still going on, is a blessing that I wouldn’t miss for the world. Some people look at God as big man with a big stick. If you do something wrong, you get hit with the stick. Some people think He is Santa Clause. He is there to give them what they want. I have never seen God strike in angry. I have seen Him destroy an entire coast line. Who do you think is directing the weather in this country? He has always accomplished His goals in love. He wants the best for you and me. God will do what it takes to help us achieve to right goal. By the way which is sharing heaven with Him. As the bible says, we are bought with a price, our lives are not our own. That price was the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus the Christ.
Joseph1637/Crain Blanchard 