Wait, What?

So I have decided to take a different approach to how I do this in that instead of just reading and then posting, I am going to take more time and sort of let the reading digest into my soul. Also, I think that I have not been doing a good job of spending time with God but instead I just get my food from him and dash. I think that reading and then allowing myself to process what I have just read as well as spend time actually talking to God about it, I will not only get more out of what I am reading but I will also grow closer to him in regards to listening to his call and having a relationship with him. Too long have I sat around and just prayed asking for guidance and then moved on not even waiting for an answer. I tend to just wait for him to "send" me a sign through an everyday situation and if I do not get it, then I guess i just tend to make a decision on my own and carry on. It is not enough to just pray, but to listen closely for the voice of God. Sure we get our bread at church and we might receive a calling or hear his voice but what about the other 5-6 days of the week? Do we just go about living life on our own accord and just look to God on Sunday or do we actually talk to him as if he were a person right in front of us? Are we afraid that if we talk out loud to him in our room people will think we are crazy? We tend to pray out loud during a dinner prayer, why not do it when you talk to him on a daily basis? I know that I tend to pray to him in my head so as to not be labeled "crazy" but if I am talking to someone who I believe is right in front of me in the from of the Spirit then why should I whisper or just have thoughts that he can "hear." You do not whisper to a friend unless you do not want others to hear, why be ashamed of God or of what you have to say to him?

I know there are a lot of questions but the questions are there to get you to think rather than just mindlessly read another post. I want to stimulate your mind just as God seeks to stimulate mine everyday of the week. Jeremiah 13:15-17 states, "Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the lord your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to gloom deep. But if you do not listen, I will week in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord's flock will be taken captive." I think the second statement which is about glory discusses what we are to do before the return of the King, It is our job to listen and wait for our leader in order to grow and become who we are meant to be and then only way it will happen is if we step out and do it. Time is running out and we see this in that everything will be changed to darkness soon and there will no longer be the hope that the light brings. What a sad day that will be when time runs out and there is just not enough time to reach the rest. I noticed today that when I asked God how much I had listened to him in the past few months, he answered by showing me that I have been selfish and only been focusing on my friends and family in prayer when there is a whole world dying out there. My focus was outward but it had blinders on and only allowed me to see so far. I am to pray for people all over the world, not just the ones in my life because everyone who does not know him needs to and those who do know him need to continue to seek him.

I hope you all had a great day and have understood what I am trying to say. It takes more than just reading and being a part of the church, it takes being intimate and really getting lost in God in order to grow everyday. I hope that you are continuing to pray for me as I am praying for all of you. If you have any requests or comments please feel free to contact me.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Forgetfulness

I had an interesting conversation with one of my friends the other night. We talked about how people judge you based on your past and even though we are commanded not to judge people because it is not our place, it still happens in the world around us everyday. I think initially as Christians there is sort of a shock factor when we find out things against people and we might tend to judge them but then we have to remember that not one single person is perfect (except Jesus) and that we need to accept the changes they have made in order to overcome the ways of their past. If we hold things against people forever then we can never make any progress with those people and we will always think of them in a condescending way. Now if we meet someone who keeps wronging us in the same way or has not turned from their ways then we do not judge them but we should be careful around them because they can lead us astray. I am talking about people who have made things right with God when it comes to forgetting things of the past and moving forward even when it seems like there is no possible way to. The number one excuse for people not apologizing or asking forgiveness in my opinion is that people simply state "I did not think you would forgive me or I just thought that you did not want to talk to me anymore." This is very sad especially when it comes to people who are talking about not feeling like they would be forgiven by Christians. It should be known and pretty much stated that someone is forgiven if they are willing to ask for it, there should be no timidity on the side of the person asking for forgiveness because they should know they are going to be welcomed with a warm heart. I know it is hard to forgive people for certain things and we can sometimes be filled with anger but we are commanded to love just as God loves us and if we do not show that unfailing love that forgives us no matter what, then are we truly being a servant of Christ?

When I think about things of the past, I wish I could change things but in reality I cannot and I myst learn to live with my decisions. I have made myself right with God and even though I might have hurt myself as well as others who might not even know it or who did not know me at the time, I have to let them know what is up and ask them to forgive me. Secrets are probably the number one killer in friendships, relationships, families, and life in general. When we keep things from people because we do not think it will affect them, then we are just adding to the pain and could be hurting them more than we could have intended. We are told that in Hebrews 10, the Holy Spirit testifies to a new covenant saying in verses 16-18, " 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.' Then he adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' And where these things have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." It is so nice to know that the by the grace of God we have been forgiven if we ask for it and he will remember it no more. Now we do have to account for our actions when we get to heaven because judgement from him still comes into play but as long as we live a life that is pleasing to him and we do not stray from the path, we have nothing to worry about. In the same way, we should be able to go through life and ask for forgiveness from people and receive it. If we are being asked to forgive someone, we should do what we can in order to forgive them just as Christ forgave us and understand that people are human and they DO make mistakes. Forgiving and forgetting is a tough but sometimes you have to look past the surface in order to see the person underneath, which is exactly what God does.

I hope you all had a great day, mine was so so because we had our game cancelled tonight but I know that God is going to do something amazing tonight at Chi Alpha so I am fine with that. He knows what he is doing and knows what he has in store so I am preparing myself for that. Keep praying and trusting God, he will lead you in the right direction.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Listening

I have talked so much in the past about how we are on the brink of something that could change the world. We can sit around and think about what is going on in our world and the terror as well as turmoil that is present all over this planet yet we do nothing about it. I have talked about those times when we think about what we should do and yet we do what we would not do and neglect to do the things we would do. It is rather funny that we say how much our world is dying and yet we do not take action (myself included). We hold so much power with Christ on our side because with him anything is possible and he will guide us through his Spirit so that we can grow and successfully do the work he has called us to do. We have all the tools we need in order to act but I know that I simply just lack the discipline to do so. Whenever a decision in life or an opportunity comes up, I only think about what is best for me and what am I going to get out of it instead of really just jumping into prayer and fervently seeking God, essentially I just look for the easy way out. Let me tell you that when we look for the easy way out, it is usually not God's way and it leads to disaster in the end for us. We can give up so much for one decision but if it is not in God's plan then we end up shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to living life. We find ourselves grinding at the very core of who we are feeling like there is no hope, no way out, every decision leads to destruction but in reality we just need to take time to slow down. Even when it seems like time is running out, God will take care of things for you because he ultimately controls the balance of the universe and he will create opportunities for you.

Sounds pretty typical right? We do things our way and it leads to destruction, we do things God's way and then we prosper. This goes much deeper though, not only does he give us instruction for what is best for us, but he listens to us, he knows what we desire and what we seek. Even when we think we can hind it from him, we have to remember that we are essentially made through him and in him and he knows everything about us because he created us. We see an example of this in Genesis 4:6-10 which states, "Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.' Now, Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.' Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I do not know,' he replied. 'Am I my brother's keeper?' The Lord said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.' " Here we see that even though Cain is trying to play off that nothing is wrong and that he is fine but God knows something is up and he confronts Cain but he just ignores God and commits an act that he is sure to regret forever. God listens and gives us advice but at the same time we have to listen to his advice because even though it seems like God is torturing us (as I joked yesterday), he really just wants what is best for us and sometimes it is hard for us to see that. When we feel like we are being tortured by God it is Satan trying to tell us that he is just trying to show us that he does not care about us and he does not want to meet the desires of our heart. This is far from the truth and it should be noted that God wants to give us everything we could hope or dream of in his time and within the parameters of his word and plan. The verse that really stuck out to me in regards to sin was verse 7 which began with "If you do what is right..." and the phrase that stuck out about sin was, "it desires to have you, but you must master it." Not only should we rid ourselves of sin and ask for forgiveness but we must be bigger than sin and master it so that it cannot harm us in the future. The past is the past and it only makes us stronger, we know what we need to do so let us listen and take action.

I hope you all have had a wonderful day and I hope that you are trusting God and following his guidance for your life. I am continuing to pray for all of you and I still ask that you do the same for me.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Pathway

Everyday I tend to find myself in the same spot in my prayer time, always praying the same thing over and over, no substance to my prayer life, just tons of praise to him (which is great) and then the same repeated things being asked for everyday. I just cannot seem to find the words to say that will help me grow and understand what God has for me and my life. I get frustrated because I know he has this awesome plan and I am beginning to follow it but I am having such a hard time trying to stay on track. When I fall down I wonder how I can be called to do something when in my own life I constantly show myself that I am not good enough by falling back into the same things over and over, it is like an endless cycle. I wonder why he brings people to me that only last a short while, it is like they are meant to give me something or show me something but I just cannot seem to take ahold of that. It seems that every time I meet someone that I think could be a huge part of my life, I end up having to leave them behind because I am moving on to other things. Part of that could just be on me because I am not listening to God's direction, or the other part is that I am just blinding myself to what they really have for me and am not gaining anything from them because I am too busy being bitter. God brings great people into my life all the time and I am not saying that if I have not left you behind before then you have not or will not make a big impact on my life or that you are not great, it is just that there are some in which I feel I should have more time with but it just never seems to work out. I know this is just me being selfish and I need to see the big picture but it does get hard every once in a while. God is showing me that I need to have patience and that is something I just realize as I was typing this. I do all this talk about God's timing but I still tend to think about things on my timing. I wish my pathway was clear and I could see ahead for miles and miles but the truth is that I have to take life one day, one step, one second, one moment at a time. Last night I had a hug that only comes from the heart, the ones that just warm you even when you are the coldest, the one that seems like it came in the comfort of your own home, the ones that mom's give (but not quite as good as mom's :-) ) the one that lets you know that God does exist and he has brought people into your life to show you his greatness in the midst of all your doubt. I tend to think that only people who do not have God are the only ones who need someone to push them along but in reality, we ALL do and sometimes a dose of him through someone else is just what we need to keep going.

Today is not so much of me reading and posting my thoughts but it is more of me reminiscing and pushing myself through some things I have been struggling with. When I need comfort and guidance I have said that I need to go to the Bible and to God and that is what I did today when I had some free time. Psalm 119:33-40 states, "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness." As I read this it hit me that this prayer applies directly to me. I tend to say many of these things in one way or another everyday in prayer but usually it is me saying help me do these things or when I sin I say it because I think it feels right. The truth is that this should be my prayer everyday and when I get to that point where I met this, then I should be praying that I retain these gifts and not forget them. This is my prayer, I have been searching for what to pray and I finally found something that I need to do in order for God to transform my life completely. I have been trying hard but not hard enough. I have just been sitting on a fence that I built about 90% of the way a few months ago and I was waiting for him to pull me the next 10% but he has been waiting patiently for me to jump off and keep going. Too long have I been working on my time, I literally get goosebumps when I think of all he has done for me and all that he has given me in recent months. I am so undeserving yet he still shows his love and grace to me and for that I could not be more thankful.

I hope you all have had/are having a great monday, please continue to pray for me. I am praying for all of you and if you need prayer about anything then please do not hesitate to ask. If you would like a bible because you do not have one, I will do what I can, just let me know. If you want to discuss anything on here from this post or recent posts, feel free to text/call me at 480-292-1754.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Enjoyment

Today being Easter Sunday and all, I wanted to try and get away from the conventional resurrection post just because I think I covered that pretty well the last two days and if you went to church today you do not need me to reiterate the same points you heard today in church and possibly on Friday if you attended a Good Friday service. I have notice that recently I have been going through the motions with my devotional and just feeling like I have had to get in done in order to feel accomplished. I know this is not the way to go about things because I should be in the word and doing exactly what I am doing on here regardless of whether or not I want to post because it takes "time." Being in the word is probably the single most enjoyment we could ever get out of our day because it is the one time of the day where we actually take time to discover what the Creator of this universe has to say to us and we can openly communicate with him. Feeling obligated to gain knowledge is just foolish because we should want to gain good knowledge that will help us prosper. One way I look at it is that if I am in the word, at least I am not spending time on the internet sinning or finding other ways to get into trouble which will tear me away from him. I would rather be building towards his kingdom rather than tearing myself away from it. Unfortunately I do not always think like this and so even when I could be in the word, I find myself struggling to get through and overcome sin because I forget my roots or something like that and I lead myself into trouble. The good news is that I know that if I do remember, God has provided a way out through his word and he wants to spend time with me during my hard times and not just when things are going easy.

I try to find words of encouragement and write them down as often as possible and I have been making notes on my computer as well as in my bible to help me remember things that could be beneficial to me as long as I utilize them. We see in Jeremiah 15:16, "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty." This is such a great verse in that we see that we should be glad to read the words of God because they are his and they are for our benefit. They have been set before us in order to assist us on our journey through life so that we do not have to make it alone. No matter what happens, his word is timeless and it applies to us yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Just like him, his word never changes and it has the same power and meaning as it did when it was written thousands of years ago. The words we read were written by others but they were empowered by God and were given the words to write so that the message could be conveyed to people all over the world. I have searched in many areas to find happiness and I just cannot seem to find it other than in God. I am still surprised at how he unexpectedly brings people into my life when I would least expect it. Some of these people have a small impact and others have a large impact but then only way I can truly know what I have received from these people is to find out how it applies to my life in terms of what God is using me for. The happiness his word provides is unmatched in this world because his words bring hope, love, comfort, wisdom, and understanding. His word is the one thing we can lean on when times are bad and we have nowhere else to turn for guidance. It is one of the ways he speaks to us and we should take full advantage of the gift he has given us and we should find enjoyment in his word.

I hope you all had a great Easter and I pray that you will have a good rest of the day as well as a fresh start to the week. God is doing amazing things and speaking to people all around me as well as those that are close to me. Keep seeking him in his glory and do not lose sight of the prize for which we have been called.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson