Special Episode: Do You Believe God?

"Do You Believe God?" is the first episode of a two-part special, featuring Pastor Willie Thomas, discussing living with a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and the importance of maintaining our faith when we receive grief-worthy news. Referring to Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," Pastor Willie powerfully asks, "Do you believe God?" His inspiring testimony leaves no doubt that there is no greater love than the love of our Heavenly Father.  

Transcript

Pastor Willie 0:00

I have stage force cancer that's spread to my bones. And by the grace of God, it's not spread to any other vital organ in my body. Because God has allowed me to have time. Not without pain, but he's given me time.

Dr. Geneus 0:21

Thanks for gracing us with your ears today. You're listening to the Faith to Feel podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Geneus. God has so much more for us to know, experience, and do if we have the faith to feel. Faith should give us courage to feel, to have difficult conversations about our feelings, and to face challenges we might otherwise avoid. That's what this podcast is all about. In the summer of 2023, I recorded a conversation with Pastor Willie Thomas. We talked about how we'd been living with a stage four cancer diagnosis for more than eight years and amazing his doctors with each day that God added to his life. After the conversation, I was convinced that I shouldn't use the recording and that I might need to record another conversation with Pastor Willie because of some sound issues. When I heard it had become more difficult for him to communicate, I listened to the audio files of our conversation. I spent hours listening to Pastor Willie's voice and feeling blessed by what I heard. A few weeks later, Pastor Willie received his reward when he transitioned to dwelling with our father in heaven on November 11, 2024. Willie's obituary state. Of course, that would be a surprise, but not only a surprise that you have this diagnosis, but also that you are at stage four.

Speaker 3 2:23

I had no idea about the physical hold that it was going to take on my body. I had no idea of the stress that it will put on my life. I looked in the mirror, not on my neck, and I said, Lord, whatever you do, don't take my life. And here I am entering my eighth year of being stage four cancer. Is that God's grace and his mercy? Absolutely. Because I could have been gone. And by the grace of God, it's not spread to any other vital organ in my body.

Pastor Willie 3:12

Because God has allowed me to have time. Not without pain, but he's given me time. I value that. Not in a way that some others might value it, time, but I value it because it allows me to communicate with God and understand how He's communicating with me. See, I don't blame God for cancer. God didn't give me cancer. I gave myself cancer because of my habits. So what am I going to blame God? When I talk to someone and I have a conversation with them about death and about grief, I try to convey over to them that one of the processes is that you constantly have to forgive. So you're just angry with everyone.

Dr. Geneus 4:42

Because sometimes we're angry with God and we need to be honest about that.

Pastor Willie 4:46

Well, here's the difference, right? The psalmist says in Psalm 30 that you hid your face from me, and I was dismayed. When you're in the midst of something, it might seem as if God is hidden his face from, but what he's doing is performing a circumcision on your heart. In order for us to be woven into the promise, there's a spiritual circumcision that has to take place, and that's in your heart. How can you say you love God and hate your brother? That's the word. If you don't apply it to your current situation, you're gonna miss for God as Julie.

Dr. Geneus 5:44

You spoke about Job. When I think about Job, I also think about how God also wants us to unconditionally love him. And Job also is an example of experiencing suffering, but still proclaiming your love for God. And sometimes in our suffering, we also turn our face from God. Right.

Pastor Willie 6:05

But we're being self-righteous, we're being hypocritical. If I'm angry at God, I'm angry because he's not doing what I want him to do. I'm looking to God to do my will. Well, if that's the case, who's God? Am I God or is he God? We have to listen to what the word says. In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God. Well, why did God allow that to happen? So that Jesus could experience what you and I experience as human beings. Because God Himself, the Father, He doesn't experience that. So He sent Jesus to show His compassion for us.

Dr. Geneus 7:02

To show His compassion. Yeah. To show us He understands.

Pastor Willie 7:06

That He understand what does the scripture say? There's no temptation known to man, but God has provided of escape. Yeah. If it wasn't for Jesus, guess what? There will be no root.

Dr. Geneus 7:17

Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. That's a hard, it's so simple, but so difficult. I know the Lord was really speaking to me in a difficult time. He said, Erica, I'm God. Let me be God. Let me be God. My desires are bigger than yours. My desires for healing are bigger than yours. And just showing me his creativity too and how he can solve the problems. And we we, I was at a point where I was saying, God, fix it. And I want you to fix it this way and do it this way. And he's saying, No, Erica, let me be God. My desires are bigger than yours. My desires for healing are bigger than yours. My love for this for the people you care about is bigger than yours. And for you, you know, let me be God.

Pastor Willie 7:59

Look at the scripture. We quote this all the time. Romans 8 and 28. Boy, do we quote that? God causes all things to work together for the good. Really? Do you believe that? All things to work together for the good. I was reading in 1 Samuel. I think it's a third chapter. I'm probably wrong, but bear with me. Moses is getting ready to pass on. So God tells Moses to come up to the mountain. He shows them the promised land. And then says to him, You won't be entering in. Is that a disappointment? Is that something to grieve about? You have me walk around the desert for 40 years with these knucklehead people that I didn't ask you for, that you gave me, they're your people. I committed one sin and struck that rock twice instead of once. And because of that, I can't go into the promised land. Moses had to look beyond where he was to see the promise of what God was offering. Watch Moses. He asked God to choose someone to help lead the people. Oh, that's a compassionate heart, isn't it? And he chose Joshua. Elijah was told to go and give his cloak to Elisha. And God took him up in a chariot of fire. But yet before that happened, he went up on a mountain to confront God. Essentially. He says, look, God, I'm the only one that's left. And you're gonna let them take my life, essentially. That's what he was saying. And God looks at him and says, I have 7,000 more faithful men just like you that you haven't even met. God causes all things to work together for the good. His intentions are always to get us to move beyond ourselves. Because our testimony has no value if it's all about me.

Dr. Geneus 10:36

We speak about your testimony and the test part of your testimony. I remember just recently on Resurrection Sunday, I happened to walk into a church where we both attend behind you. And I have to say, there was an exceptional anointing over you. You could just feel it.

Pastor Willie 10:58

Yeah. I say this and and I laugh about it, but this is the truth. God is always saying to me, most of the time, you don't know who you are. So when I walk into the room and you tell me there was an anointing, I didn't know it.

Dr. Geneus 11:19

It wasn't an easy thing for you to walk into the room.

Pastor Willie 11:22

Yeah, I just wanted to get to church. That's all I want to do. I just wanted to get to church for that day. Irregardless of anything else, the pain that I had to deal with and all that. I just wanted to get to church. Erica, I I say this because this is my heart. I love the Lord with all my heart. And all my soul. And all my mind. Because he's the father that I never had. He's the example of what a man looks like that I never experienced. And I didn't understand what love was until he loved me. Because when the word said we did not choose him, but he chose us. If he decides to take me home tomorrow, it's okay. I'm not ready to go. And I don't want to go. But if he chose to take me, it's okay. Not because of what I didn't accomplish, not because of my shortcomings or any of this. Because I know that he is God. And I know like Job that my Redeemer lives.

Dr. Geneus 13:25

In the next episode, Pastor Willie shares an anointed word about the power of agreement. You're not going to want to miss this one. Thanks for listening to the Faith to Feel podcast. Like and follow this podcast so you can hear more insightful conversations like this one. And share this episode with someone who will benefit from hearing it. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5 4. You'll find the Faith to Feel podcast on all of your favorite podcast streaming sites, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.