God’s Way Or No Way! 10-5–25

Welcome to the word for the week. Anyone can say they trust God. Anyone can say that God is their guide. Anyone can say they would rather stand still than to move without God. Anyone can say that it does not matter about one thing or another. It would be nice if we could simply go by what anyone says but there is a reality. What you say is not demonstrated by your words or how you say them. What you say is demonstrated by your actions. When a person is walking with God they do not have to say much because it is obvious. When a person is not walking with God they do not have to say much because it is obvious. My point is that no matter what you may say, the proof will always be in what you do. This is what the bible means when it says I will show you my faith by my works. It does not mean that the works themselves establish the meaning. It means that others will see your faith based on what you do.

Trusting in God is easy to say and yet it is not easy to do unless you simply are at that point. How do you get there one may ask? Through many trials and tribulations. At some point you get tired of bumping your head or coming up short when you should be winning. At some point you realize that the storms in your life are real and faking it will not bring you victory. I used to cringe years ago when I constantly heard fake it until you make it in church. How you start is how you usually finish. If you start out strong you will usually finish strong unless something happens to prevent that. If you start out weak you will usually finish weak unless something happens to change that. Your thought process is often the difference between the two. As a man thinks then so is he. There is a powerful other side to that which is a man who has the mind of Christ will always be thinking according the plan of God. You and I can make whatever plans we choose or can think of. But how many of us will abandon our own plans in order to be obedient to the plans of God? It is not an accident that God said His thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

I remember being in basic training and the single most dreaded day for all of us had arrived. That day was the day we had to go through the gas chamber. What made that day so dreadful to us? It was the fear of the unknown. We had not been where we had to trust the gear given to us up to that point. We had got to the point where we trusted ourselves and each other, but not the gear. They teach you how to seal the mask and then it is time for the test. You get in there and you realize the mask works. You start to feel confident because you realize the gear really does protect you. They wait until you get really comfortable and your mind thinks this is no big deal. So how do they get you to realize the threat is real? They have you remove your mask and say your last name and last four. Trust me, when that gas in that chamber hits the water in your eyes you will absolutely know it! It is at that point that you realize what you just learned to trust in was really protecting you. Now imagine if we could be that way with God! The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, meaning worldly, but they are mighty through God. Simply put, that means they work!

There is a real point this week and that is we have to learn how to trust God and what He has given us for our victory. We have to learn that we do not make things happen on our own. If the Lord does not build the house then it will not be built. You staying up all night long stressed out over your problems will not fix any of them. You will always know if what you did was you or the Lord. If you do not feel good about it then it was you because there is no way to have peace that way. The point is that peace is always your sign of confirmation and a lack of peace means to do it God’s way the next time. The key is to learn how to use what God has given you to win. You have to learn what you have, how it works, what to do with it, and when to be patient. That gas mask can save your life and your obedience to God will do the same thing. After all, if we are willing and obedient then we will eat the good of the land. If we rebel then we will be destroyed. As much as you may live your life thinking that you have a choice. it is best to learn you only have one choice which is God’s way. Don’t miss out on what God wants to do in your life because you do not want to do things His way.

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