Do It God’s Way and Get God’s Results

By Roy Bacon

Jesus routinely taught with parables and earthly stories that resonated with people’s daily experiences. His lessons were personable and memorable, and enabled his followers to grasp profound spiritual revelations of the word of God.

In Do it God’s Way and Get God’s Results, Pastor Roy Bacon emulates Jesus’ approach. He entwines authentic, thought-provoking anecdotes with each chapter theme to present Biblical truths more lucidly and reveal the benefits of choosing God’s way in every aspect of life. Throughout the book, he examines two alternatives to life’s results: choosing God’s way of doing things or choosing our way. The final chapter is a brief portrait of the life of Jesus Christ, our greatest example of how to do things God’s way and get His results.

Do it God’s Way and Get God’s Results is not a how-to guide for overnight success, but biblically grounded advice for obtaining God’s best, now and in your future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664236073

Roy Bacon

Roy Bacon is a born-again Christian, husband, father, and pastor of God’s Way Community Church in Clovis, California, where he lives with his wife, Sabrella. Roy and Sabrella have three adult sons Ryan, Reece, and Randal. Roy was raised in Georgia and is a graduate of Fresno State University and Florida Institute of Technology.

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Copyright © 2021 Roy Bacon.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3608-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3609-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3607-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021910933

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/06/2021

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 Get Respect

Chapter 2 Take This Rx

Chapter 3 Stay Little

Chapter 4 Don’t Straddle the Fence

Chapter 5 Wait Anyway

Chapter 6 Around and Around

Chapter 7 Take the Heat

Chapter 8 Position Yourself

Chapter 9 Go and Learn!

Chapter 10 Get Inspired

A Parting Challenge

To you, the reader.

This book was written for anyone who is serious about

experiencing the results God promised to those who hear

and obey His word. I pray you are one of them.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I gratefully acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ for the truth behind the concept of this book: God’s way works best. I acknowledge the friends and family who encouraged me to write this book. Your words of encouragement had a greater influence than you may realize. Special thanks to Doug Torres for the use of his photograph for the book’s cover and to Peter Stenfort for designing the cover. I also want to thank my son Randal for his artwork.

Finally, I am especially grateful for the contributions of my wife, Sabrella. Your candid feedback, editing, and ideas were invaluable! Thank you!

INTRODUCTION

Why God’s Way?

If I have guessed right, you are like every other human being on the planet in this regard: you do not want to expend time, energy, or resources on anything that will not yield the results you want. Am I right? You want to know what is in it for you, and you want to believe that what is in it for you is worth your effort.

Again, you are not alone. Case in point: The disciple Peter asked Jesus, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore (Matt. 19:27)? Even Jesus’s disciples, who eventually laid down their lives for the Gospel, wanted to know the results they would receive after following Jesus. It was a fair question, and Jesus answered it.

Jesus replied, … Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life (Matt. 19:28–29).

Jesus did not rebuke Peter! He understood that His disciples—and everyone else—possessed a basic human desire to measure their efforts against anticipated results. Peter’s question was direct and to the point—and so was Jesus’s answer.

Since we all share Peter’s concerns, I ask the following question: If there was a way to ensure you received the best results in every aspect of your life, would you want to know about it? Of course you would! There is such a method. It is called God’s way of doing things, and it works!

To understand why God’s way works, it is important to remember some key elements about our relationship with God. … God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female (Gen. 1:27). No other creature was so privileged. That is how special human beings are to God.

Remember this: You are not a mistake! You are not a random occurrence! You are not simply a glob of protoplasm! God created you in His image and set you above everything else He created. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour (Ps. 8:5). You are God’s crowning achievement! Think about that! It is an honor God only gave to human beings.

As God’s crowning achievement, you were created to bring glory and honor to God. Fear God and keep his commands: for this is the whole duty of man (Eccles. 12:13). There is no need to spend your life searching for meaning. If you are perplexed by your purpose for being here, stop pondering! King Solomon made it crystal clear! You were created to fear God and obey His commandments. That is the whole reason you exist. That is how you honor God for the honor He has bestowed upon you.

Although we were created to honor God, things changed after Adam’s fall in the Garden, and human beings no longer honored God instinctively. As a result, God said He would only honor those who honored Him. … for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed (1 Sam. 2:30). When you do things God’s way, you honor Him. In turn, you compel Him to honor you.

Centuries before Peter came along, God showed Joshua how His way worked. Here is how God explained it: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Josh. 1:8).

I call this the law of results, and there are two parts: Joshua’s part was to honor God by knowing God’s Word, meditating upon God’s Word, and keeping God’s Word. God’s part was to honor Joshua by making his life prosperous and very successful. This law can be written in one single sentence:

DO IT GOD’S WAY AND GET GOD’S RESULTS!

God’s way works because it embodies the law of results. The law dictates that every action—or inaction—in your life yields specific results. The apostle Paul expressed the law this way: … whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Gal. 5:7). If you plant corn, you harvest corn, not potatoes! You have known this for most of your life!

What you may not have considered is that the law is immutable. It works in every situation. And it always works! For those reasons, a never-ending stream of results is flowing into your life all the time! The truth is the results in our lives are either God’s results—meaning you have honored Him by doing things His way—or they are the results of not doing things God’s way. Some results come instantly. Others take days, months, or even years to arrive, but they will come.

Simple, isn’t it? But powerful! If you want to receive the best results in your life, the key is to honor God by doing things His way. No other method or combination of methods guarantees the prosperity and success that God can deliver.

A word of caution: The 1980s were the years of prosperity preaching. It was all about God making people rich. This book is not that! It is not a get-rich-quick manual. It is a guide to receiving the best results in every aspect of your life by using God’s Word as your compass. By using the term best results, I mean the results that bring glory and honor to God, and prosperity and success to you—naturally and spiritually. God’s results may not always be what you envisioned, but He will not withhold any good thing from you, nor will He give you anything that is bad for you.

In this book, you will find examples of men and women who did things God’s way and the results they obtained. You will also see the results some men and women received who chose not to do things God’s way. Finally, there is a brief portrait of Jesus Christ, who epitomized doing things God’s way and achieving God’s results.

One last thing: Reading this book will not radically change your life, but doing things God’s way definitely will! Doing is the key. Reading about God’s way is not enough. Hearing about God’s way is not enough. Even believing God’s way works is not enough. Only doing things God’s way guarantees His amazing results in your life. As you read this book, pray that God leads you to commit every aspect of your life to doing things His way so that you can experience the best results available—God’s results. I’ll be praying too.

Get started and enjoy!

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CHAPTER 1

Get Respect

J udge: Thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth (Gen. 4:11–12).

Defendant: What have I done? Even the earth will despise me. When I plant my crops, she will starve the seeds of nutrients so that many will die in the place of their birth. I cannot settle in one place. Someone will identify me! They will tell others who I am and what I have done! Like the quail aroused by the hunter’s hound, I must always flee to another place of rest. I will roam the earth condemned, haunted by images of innocent blood spilled in jealous rage. Life is my prison. Only death will grant my parole. I have no occupation—no means of sustenance. Who will want me for a neighbor? I am a fugitive and a vagabond. How will I survive?

Sin has its price. And sometimes it takes the repercussions of sin to awaken us to its severity. Deprived and fleeting, this murderer was condemned to roam the earth alone. There were other ways of avenging innocent blood, but vengeance belongs to God. He is the judge, jury, and the chief witness, and he decreed a living death for the world’s first murderer. Like a millstone about his neck, the pronouncement dragged Cain’s soul into despair, and he cried out for mercy. My punishment is greater than I can bear, he cried (Gen. 4:13). Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid … everyone that findeth me shall slay me (Gen. 4:14).

And the Lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should slay him (Gen. 4: 15). It is a fearful thing, wrote the apostle Paul, to fall into the hands of the living God. But God, wrote David, is … slow to anger and of great mercy (Ps. 145:8), even to murderers. By the mercy of God, Cain would live, albeit as a marked man. But a living dog is better than a dead lion (Eccles. 9:4). As long as he lives, there is hope.

As Adam and Eve mused about Cain’s future, their own sins flashed before them. Years before, back in the Garden of Eden, God had laced his judgment with threads of mercy on their behalf and stayed the hand of death. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, God declared. … and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel (Gen. 3:15). The seed of the woman would reverse the curse their sin cast upon the human race and destroy the devil that beguiled Eve. Eve had hoped Cain would be that seed.

At his birth, she gushed with excitement. I’ve gotten a man from the Lord (Gen. 4:1). With an intuition about her son’s destiny that only a mother can possess, Eve named her first son Cain, as she had acquired him from the Lord. But time pressed on, and a second son, Abel, was born. Enraptured with the possibilities for either child, Eve wondered which son God would choose to redeem the world. She watched and waited expectantly for a sign from God. But time pressed on, stringing the days into years, while God kept silent, and the boys became men.

Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4:2). That single sentence sums up what we know about Cain and Abel from their births to adulthood. Not much, is it? The Bible, in addition to other historical documents, contains little about Cain’s and Abel’s childhood. Fortunately, some things are discerning. For example, since Adam and Eve were created, God was not only their Creator but also their parent. Adam and Eve learned what they knew from God. Likewise, what Cain and Able knew, they learned from their parents, Adam and Eve, which included worshipping God. Eventually, the boys reached an age at which their relationship with God was solely their responsibility.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And God had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell. (Gen. 4:3-5)

Abel nailed it! Whatever he needed for success with God, he achieved it. He went home that day with a sparkle in his eye and spring in his step. How do I know? Because we all like to hear great news. And getting God’s approval is great news. Cain, on the other hand, had a miserable day. God rejected him and his offering. If there were plans to celebrate, they were canceled. Cain’s entire day was ruined. How do I know? First of all, experience. Secondly, because no one wants to be rejected, Rejection makes you feel unworthy and like an outcast. And it is tough to rebound if the rejection totally caught you off guard. Cain’s rejection was a pivotal moment in his life. Listen: If you are interested in God’s best for your life, do not overlook the lessons you can learn from Cain and Abel on what to do to achieve God’s results and how to avoid God’s rejection. Both are vital to your success.

Why did God reject Cain and his offering? Discovering the answer to that question is the key to learning from Cain’s predicament. Unfortunately, God was not forthcoming with the answer, and we are left pondering what was not said. Did God have contempt for Cain, or did He simply disapprove of Cain’s offering? If God found Cain offensive, what was the offense? On the other hand, if Cain’s offering displeased God, what specifically was wrong with the offering? We are forced to look deeper to analyze what Cain and Abel presented to God that day and the results both received. Perhaps then the answers will emerge.

Picture a cool, crisp morning. It was early. The first rays of sunrise were barely visible. The frost still blanketed the ground, and outlines of Cain’s and Abel’s footprints followed them as they went their separate ways. When Abel reached the sheepfold, he cornered a small, stocky lamb from among the firstlings of the herd and cradled the animal in his arms. As he headed toward the rising sun, the flat slate mound used to offer sacrifices to God came into view. Along the way, Abel caught a glimpse of Cain harvesting vegetables in a nearby field. He thought little of it, redirected his focus on the mound ahead, and treaded on.

By the time Abel reached the mound, the frost had melted, and the surface of the large, smooth slate was dry. He knelt beside the stone, and with one hand he unraveled a long strand of hand-braided cord, which he pulled from his sheepskin vest. He quickly bound the legs of the lamb and laid it gently on the cool, dark slate. The unsuspecting creature uttered a few bleats before falling silent as Abel’s sharp stone blade finished its work. Abel rose to his feet, took five steps back from his offering, and waited. Only the sun adorned the pale blueness of the morning sky. No