The Path

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He will direct thy paths. Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

One of the definitions of path is a track or course. Life is a series of having to make decisions or choices.Many times we find ourselves at crossroads having to decide which way to go. Some of our choices are very easy to make. What to wear, what to eat, or what movie to watch? Living life would be so easy if our choices were that simple.

I remember as a young child wanting to go to my grandmother’s house. My mother would lead me by the hand to the path. There was a well worn path through the field between our house to Grandma’s. Mother would tell me to follow the path. It was easy, stay on course till I got there. As I got older I would stray. I remember getting into a sandspur patch, being bare foot it really hurt. My mother heard me crying and came to my rescue. After pulling out the sandspurs, drying my tears, she said, ” thats why I told you to stay on the path.”

The Lord wants us to rely on Him when we have to make decisions. First we have to trust Him, knowing He has a plan and purpose for our lives. The Lord knows the future and what we are going to face because of our choices.How many times have we made decisions on our own and later regretted it? When we let our emotions take over we usually end up in a mess. Our flesh feels good and off we go. We have all cried out, “Lord please get me out of this mess.”

Thank God for His mercy and grace. As we grow older we are suppose to become wiser. We are to profit from our poor decisions. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Maturing in our relationship with the Lord, learning to listen and obey His voice, Life’s decisions will become more clearer. We have to learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. He will order our steps and direct our paths.

~Ricky Robinson

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The Maze of Life

 

Have you ever gone to the airport and watched and listened to the people coming and going? I recently had that opportunity. I had to pick up my nephew who was flying in from Minnesota. I pictured this little maze with a mouse running around trying to find it’s way to the prize, the CHEEESE at the other end. People were darting here and there to get to where they were supposed to go hoping they do not miss their flight to their destination.  Their eyes are focused straight ahead as they maneuver around people, luggage, and barriers.

I was pondering on this and the thought crossed my mind, “How many times do we run around, darting to and fro, trying to find our way to the end, the grand prize?” Like the mouse in a maze, we try one avenue only to find a barrier or obstacle so we try another way. This process goes on until we FINALLY get on the right path, the one that God had originally wanted us on. We dart through life doing a lot of good things, but are they God things? I don’t know about you but I have traveled paths that were good paths, which I thought were God’s paths, only to find that I missed the flight so to speak. Never loose hope because you have wondered down the wrong trail or wondered down the wrong path. It is so easy to get back on the right trail. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us for making the wrong choice and He does. Immediately we have gotten back onto the right trail towards the cheese.

Satan wants to deceive us. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He can make things look so good that it must be God telling you to do something or go somewhere. Remember that he is the master of deception! In order not to fall for every deception he puts out there we must equip ourselves daily. Not just on Sundays. To equip ourselves we need to build a relationship with God. Spend time in prayer and just communicating with Him. Have a conversation with Him, and then listen to what He has to say because He will respond to you if you listen. The next thing to do is to digest the Word. Not just read it to say you have read the Bible. That would be like buying lunch at a fancy restaurant and just watching the food. It is not until that food gets inside of you that your hunger is quenched. Your body digests the food to energize your body so that it will function correctly. The Word, once digested, becomes part of you. It helps your spirit man grow and become strong.  Meditate on what you read. Make it a part of you not just a once in a while thing. I am talking to myself as well. We have all missed it in this area if we are at all honest with ourselves.

Praise and Worship are two other ways to keep the enemy from deceiving you. Create a lifestyle of praising God daily. Even down to the littlest things you have. All things on this Earth belong to God. God, the creator, inspired everything created, and then had man to create what we have,. Give Him the glory for each day that you have and for the wonderful provision He has bestowed upon you and your family!  God wants us to be prosperous but not to hoard up the prosperity. He wants us to share with others to establish His Kingdom here on Earth. It is never too late to start over. If you miss it, repent, then move on with God. He is waiting for you because He loves you unconditionally!

 

~Ronda Sullivan

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Watch out For The Birds

You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest.Temptations come at us everyday. We make choices whether to give into them or not. It’s not a sin to be tempted. Sin comes into the equation when we choose to yield or give into it. When God created man He wanted us to have a choice whether to serve Him or not. A few years ago Flip Wilson said,

“T he Devil made me do it .” Well, that sounds good and a lot of people love that excuse. It may sound good, but as a Christian satan has no power over our choices.Man from the beginning has always tried to pass the responsibility for his choices over on someone else. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the devil for their disobedience to God. When it comes down to the truth, everyone is responsible for their actions and choices.God gave us a free will to love Him and keep His commandments. The definition of will is, The power of conscious,deliberate action. The faculty by which the mind makes choices and acts to carry them out. As one pleases or purposes to do, strong determination. Our choices are our own.

No one can make you go against your own will.We live in a generation that has been taught, You are not responsible for your own actions. It’s the environment  lack of education, social standing, upbringing, government, and the list goes on. NO, you are responsible. No matter what society says, God’s Word is true forever. It’s our standard that never changes. The Lord wants us to be blessed and make the right choices when we face temptations.If they obey and serve Him. They shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures. Job 36:11

It’s your choice, choose wisely.

~ Ricky Robinson

 

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Are You Prepared?

Our life here on earth is like a vapor of smoke. It appears for a little while, then vanishes away. We may live to be a hundred, compared to eternity it’s short.

Life is very fragile, to be handled with care. Many times we take it for granted. Everything can be going great, enjoying peace and prosperity. Suddenly our world can be turned upside down with turmoil and disaster. One phone call in the middle of the night, a bad doctor’s report, a car wreck. Any number of scenarios can change our lives in an instant.

Where do you turn when disaster happens? Everybody has seen programs on television. They advise us to prepare an emergency kit. We all know certain things needed to be placed in the kits. Extra water, food, medical supplies, batteries, anything we may need to sustain our family.

All of us need to be prepared for an emergency just in case. The Bible is a book filled with all kinds of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Not only for our spiritual life, but our natural life also. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself, but the simple pass on, and are punished. ( Proverbs 27:12) That’s good advice for all.

When my world gets turned upside down I’ve learned to run to the Lord for help. He is my peace at all times. He is my refuge and help in the time of trouble.

How many times have we all cried out, Lord please help me out of this trouble? I know I’ve done it many times in the past. Most of us have asked Him to help, but soon as the trouble passes we forget Him.

I’ve learned to abide in His presence at all times. So when challenges come, I don’t have to go searching for Him. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

~Ricky Robinson

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The God Kind of Love

It’s been almost sixteen years since the day I had been beaten. Everything I had known for many years was suddenly jerked out from under me. Put yourself in my shoes. How would you have felt? I wanted revenge.

As I think back to that day I was sitting on the stand looking my accuser in the face, Hoping and praying the justice system would punish him for what he did to me. I remember the judge reading the charges and in my mind I could just see my accuser behind bars. The judge says, “The verdict is not guilty.”

All I can remember was this big smile coming across my face as I stepped down off the platform. Walking out of the courtroom, and as I sat down in my car, the gravity of the situation finally registered in my mind. How could they say he was not guilty I wondered? What about all the bruising, not to mention the mental anguish I had been through?

I just broke down sobbing uncontrollably. I let it all out, and I believe that day was a turning point in my life. God was working on my love walk even then. Some people have asked me about the smile when  everything was done.  Of all times to smile! I probably looked crazy to the other people in the courtroom.  All I can say is it had to be God because in my own strength I could never have done that.

That seemingly insignificant act let me know that God was in control even if I didn’t see how any good could come from that situation. I was not even filled with Holy Ghost yet, just full of God and starting to let Him rule and reign in my life as much as I knew how. It says in God’s word He will give us what to say, and that day He also gave me the action to go with it.

Choosing not to walk in love toward my ex-husband put a ceiling on my life, and I didn’t even know it. I came to realize love is not based on a feeling. The God kind of love is unconditional. Even though I was still hurting on the inside, one day God let me see my ex-husband how he saw him. God didn’t see him as my abuser. God sees us all broken in need of a savior. As I was able to comprehend what He was showing me, it was easier for me to walk in love towards him because I remember what a mess I was before someone reached out to me. God has healed me emotionally and that has helped my ex-husband to see how much God really loved him, even if he doesn’t understand it.  God gives us chances everyday to walk in love.  We need to be willing to do the same for others.

Yes, this means we have to be willing to be hurt again. It’s also a chance to grow. The Bible says, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

~Tammy Sanders

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Influences In Life

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

We all have been influenced by the way we were raised. Our family, friends, teachers, and environment  The entertainment industry is geared to develop certain mindsets. All the experiences of life serve to effect our thinking and behaviors.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in  the seat of the scornful. Psalm 1:1 Our attitudes toward life, family, friends, and God have been shaped by the influences of life.

I was doing some soul searching, reflection on different people who have had a great effect on my life. I recalled a Sunday school teacher. Mrs. Cox was the pastor’s wife. I was around twelve.  One morning whe she was teaching. She said, “Reading the Bible everyday would impact our lives in ways we could never imagine.” She said, “ God has a plan and purpose for everyone to fulfill.”

She knew we were young and easy to embarrass. What she suggested was for us to keep a copy of the Bible in our bathroom. It would be a private place to get alone with God and His word. I began doing as she had told us. To some this may seem trival or unimportant. She might not even remember saying it. I can testify, it has had a great impact on my life.

I love reading God’s word. It has changed my life and wrong mindsets. His word is my daily bread. It’s my strength when i’m weak and my hope when i’m down. His word is truly Spirit and Life.

We all have an influence over people in our lives. We need to share life’s lessons with others. You may never know what you might say or do that is going to impact someones life.

We are to be salt and light to the world. Let your light shine to help someone find the way.

~Ricky Robinson

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Forgiveness

Driving to church this past Sunday morning, I was listening to a Christian radio station. I am not sure the name of the program but they were talking about what inspired the song, “Forgiveness” by Matthew West. How many times do you listen to the words of songs? I mean, actually listen to them. Most of us just go through singing along not paying any attention to the lyrics or the meaning that those lyrics convey to the world. I know I have been guilty of it.

I have listened to this song several times since it aired and liked it and the lyrics but not one time did the lyrics touch me in the way that they did this particular Sunday morning. This songs inspiration, based on the interview, was from a mom who lost her daughter to a drunk driving accident and how, with God’s help, forgave the young man. This forgiveness transformed the young man’s life! I sat there and listened intently to the lyrics this time. As I listened to them and associated them with the story that was told prior to the song playing, I asked myself, “Could I ever forgive someone who took my child from me?” Could you?

John 3:16 (AMP) says, “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God showed or modeled tremendous love for us by doing this. For He already knew what was going to happen when He sent Jesus down to earth. Jesus had a destiny and that was to sacrifice Himself for us!

Jesus Himself said, “Father, forgive them for they no not what they do.” If Jesus can forgive for someone taking His life we should also. It will not be easy, I am sure, but in order for you to live a life of true freedom, you must forgive any and all things that have occurred in your life. The forgiveness is not so much for the other person but for you. If you harbor un-forgiveness in your heart your heart will harden. You cannot walk in the fullness or revelation of God’s love for you if you have un-forgiveness towards anyone.

But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell of fire. So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you,Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.

Matthew 5:22-24

Even though this talks about someone having something against you I would think it works both ways. How can you enter His gates with thanksgiving when you have anger, hatred, and animosity towards someone? Start the healing process in your life, forgive them for any wrong doing. Seek God for He loves you in spite of your anger.  He loves you so much that He sent His Son years ago to die for your healing. When you forgive, the person you set free is YOU!

~Ronda Sullivan

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God makes amazing Lemonade!

I happen to be one of those odd people who actually enjoy eating a lemon. However, most people do not. But how many of those people when they’re sitting on their porch with a warm summer breeze flowing through their hair, crave a refreshing ice-cold glass of lemonade! I personally enjoy a tall glass of lemonade just like the rest, but remind me, what is the main ingredient in lemonade (besides sugar)? Bingo! Lemons!

These past few weeks, I feel like I have been assaulted with lemon, after lemon, after lemon! At work, experiment after experiment seemed to fail or go disastrously wrong. I’ve been sick for two weeks with the flu followed by a lovely sinus infection. My family is now going to court against each other and I may have to testify for both the plaintiff and the defense. Talk about leaving a sour taste in your mouth! But…when I sit down at my piano and pour my heart out to God, or come together with my brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday, or listen to our church’s live praise and worship or sermons online, I am overwhelmed with a supernatural peace and love. Overwhelmed by the sweet, sweet presence of God Almighty.So I finally got tired of going from sweet to sour to sour to sweet. I made the decision to allow God to mix the two. I told God about my lemons and said, “Take them! I can’t deal with them on my own. I am going to trust You with my lemons.” Well, apparently that was exactly what God had been waiting for me to do! Once I released the worries and despairs in my life to Him, some amazing things have begun to happen. My health is greatly improved and continuing to with each day. I talked with my mentor about my “failed” results and we have come up with a new angle to present the data which is both pertinent and important to our field of research. My family situation is coming up next week, but after seeing how God has turned my lemons into some invigorating lemonade, I have no worries!

The Apostle Paul put it this way, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose” (Rom. 8:28). I see it as God is the master maker of amazing lemonade! He is faithful to take your lemons of life and turn them into a refreshing, life-giving beverage for you to enjoy. So stop with your puckered lips! Give those lemons to God and see what amazing lemonade He has waiting for you!

~Dr. Matt

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Don’t Worry Be Happy

We live in very uncertain times. There are a lot of changes taking place in our lives from day to day. With the economy being what it is our money is being devalued. Each trip to the grocery store or gas station is shocking. I’ve watched people’s expressions of despair, depression, and even desolution. The job market is even more uncertain with lay offs, downsizings, and factory closings. Our elected officials certainly don’t have a solution, it seems they don’t even have a plan.

Families are being challenged, marriages are breaking up at an alarming rate. Children face uncertainty and instability like never witnessed in any other generation. There are more people including our children who are having to take anti-depressants to cope and deal with life.

We are living in a time of a great shaking. In Hebrews 12 verses 26-29 God’s word declares this shaking. The end will be His Kingdom coming which will never be moved. As Christians being born again into the family of God there is hope, peace, and an expected end for us. Life for everyone is challenging. To every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ there is hope in the midst of the storms of life.

I ‘ve layed out the challenges we all are facing. Jesus declared his followers are blessed which means happy. We don’t have to live being fearful of the uncertainty of life, our lives are in His hands. God is a good Father, He knows what we have need of even before we ask. Jesus said when these things began to take place for us to look up our redemption is near.

We have to keep our focus on him not on the things going on around us. The Psalmist David in Psalm 121 encourages us to look up unto the hills from whence cometh our help. We need to refocus our eyes, not looking at how bad things are, but knowing God is in control. As we seek first His Kingdom God will take care of us no matter what happens.

His Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  We can be secure in his peace and joy. Don’t Worry Be Happy the Lord shall preserve you from all evil. He is our peace in the midst of the storms of life.

~Ricky Robinson

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No More Excuses!

For me, this month started off with a bang! I purposed in my heart a long time ago to do all that God had for me no matter my circumstances. Believe me, the circumstances of life have not always been in my favor. Countless surgeries, physical pain, and much more have tried to hinder me from doing what God has called me to do. Even on the days when excuses could roll off my tongue with ease, I’m reminded of my commitment to God.

That simple choice has led me to where I am now.  I’m doing more than ever thought possible a few years ago.  For example, I’m continuing to write articles for church magazine, transcribe sermons into books, all while maintaining my courses in communication at college. It’s in His strength and grace that I’m able to do all these things. What excuses have you let creep into your life? Whether you realize it or not, these excuses slowly eat away at the passion you once had for life. You may have been a vibrant person, and after you let the weight and cares of this life weigh you down, your friends and family may not even recognize the depressed person you’ve become.

It’s not too late to make a change, though! Humble yourself before God and ask him to let his thoughts about you be your thoughts about yourself. When you start to see yourself as God sees you, you will realize his grace has always been there. You just have to reach out and grab it! After you recommit yourself to God, do something! You’ve heard it said time and time again that actions speak louder than words. If your passion is children, go where they are. Spend time teaching them how to read through the school system. You’ll be surprised at the opportunities that will come your way as a result of your decision to quit making excuses!

~Madison Sanders

Image Credit © Tammy Sanders