Wake Up While You Can! 8-9–26

Welcome to the word for the week. It has been a while since we have had one of our straight talks so here we go. If you find yourself under attack, trying to make sense out of what does not make sense, or just outright going through some things in life then this is for you. Every attack of the enemy has purpose behind it. Nothing just happens to happen. Everything is strategic and thought out. To be more direct, the enemy does not do anything that he does not think will work. If he did not think it would work then none of the attacks would come your way. It does not always have to be that you chinks in the armor. Everything about your armor can be intact but there is another factor. Do you believe your armor works? Do you believe it is what God has given you to protect you?

There is a reverse physcology tactic that is used in basic training in the military. Out of all of the things you go through during that time, you will never forget the infamous gas chamber. It is one thing to have you go through the chamber with your mask on and never notice anything. It is a complete different story when they tell you to remove it. It is not when you have the armor on that you believe in it. It is when you discover that it is missing and then you believe in it. It is hard to imagine just how good that gas mask works when you have it on and all is well. It is something you never forget the rest of your life the moment you have to take it off. So, the point this week is if your armor is missing what will it take for you to realize that?

Far too many people simply think the preacher is just trying to scare them. It is nothing new to any of them who have been doing this for awhile. The bible literally talks about people who did not believe everything because it seemed to them nothing had changed. But here is the brutal truth. A lot can change without you noticing. If you are one who does not pray or study then you have no idea just how much you are missing. You do not have any idea of how much you are lacking because you never tried so that you could notice. If you have been praying and studying and then you start to slack up you will notice it in many different way. You will not feel the same. You will feel like something is missing. You will feel disconnected from God. You will have this empty feeling that cannot be satisfied. Here is another reality. You will not have to wonder what is going on. When you lose your place with God it takes a while to notice but when you do, then it is undeniable.

Pray and study in this season as if you know your life depends on it. Seek God as if you already know you cannot live without Him. Talk with Him during the day. Get to know Him even more. Spend time meditating on Him. Reflect over your life about how good God has really been to you. It is not that God wants any of us in a lost state with Him. The bible literally says if we turn from our wicked ways He will hear from heaven and heal our land. One does not simply fall and notice it right away. One falls, slips, and slides a very long way before they realize just how far they have fallen. In other words, by the time you realize you have fallen you will also realize you have fallen a long way. The trick of the enemy is the same today as in the garden of Eden. The trick is to get you to think that God will not be that harsh in punishment and minimize what He said. By the time you realize you have fallen, you will also realize like Adam and Eve that the punishment might be for the rest of your life. There is no excuse in this. You either want it or you do not. The free choice is yours but never forget the level of punishment belongs to God. Change while you can.

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon