God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 13

There’s two kinds of faith

The first

To live what I already know to be true is not for me

I want to ramble on a little more and see

To receive new light from God is not what I had in mind

When I signed up to be a Christian it was only on Sunday this light I would find

I thought that God did what He wanted to do

What’s this stuff about “According to your faith be it unto you?”

To wait on the Lord is not my cup of tea

I will get what I can right now, for me

No way I’m going to teach a class of kids or men

I don’t even like them

Go here, go there, what kind of talk is this?

I already give up my Sunday morning and that’s it.

The other

To live what I already know to be true is right for me

I want to practice what I know to be true for God to see

To receive new light from God is everything I had in mind

When I signed up to be a Christian I knew it would be all the time

I know that God does what is right to do

I praise Him for “According to your faith be it unto you?”

To wait on the Lord is like getting a joyful life degree

And I don’t want another thing that God has not prepared for me

I’ll teach that class of kids or men

All I’ve got to do is tell them about my very best friend

Go here, go there, where is it Lord that you would have me go?

I already gave up my life, so make it so.

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard truths by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 12

"It’s not because there’s not enough people called that there’s not enough labourers in the field, it’s because when they are called, they don’t go.

People are building empires of financial security with the money that God gave them to go on the mission field.

Don’t worry, God doesn’t force anyone to go anywhere. If it is by force, it requires no faith.  God is not looking for blind obedience.  God is looking for revelation response.  When God calls and you hear and you respond, by faith with a resounding YES, you can go anywhere and do anything, with or without all the provisions, with or without everyone’s blessings, with or without guaranteed security, because you are convinced in your heart that it is where God wants you to be.  Now that’s true security.

Can I tell you something very candid?  You are going to go to heaven whether you go where God calls you to go or not.

You are going to go to heaven whether you respond to God’s call in your life or not.  If you choose the wrong career or choose not to go here or there on behalf of God, God isn’t going to withhold heaven from you, because God didn’t leave it to you to make all the right choices to get into heaven, God sealed your entrance into heaven with the blood of His own Son. 

But, if you choose to keep on acting like you don’t hear God’s call and if you choose to not go where God calls you, and if you choose to disobey the direction that God is leading you

• Many, many people will not hear about our great and mighty God.
• Many, many people will not know about our blessed Savior.
• Many, many people will not receive the same truth that set you and I free.

Because God doesn’t call you to save you, God calls you to save others.

God doesn’t call His children to go into a foreign country and risk their life to benefit themselves.  He calls them to go for Him to benefit others.

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard truths by Keith C. Powell copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 11

"If God has spoken to you and said, “I am the Almighty.  Quit testing me, for you are not hurting Me, you are hurting yourself.”  In the time you should have been teachers, your still in the bleachers.

Hebrews 5:12

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

Your progress in having the joy and peace that God promises is bound by the keeping and practicing of God’s Word, not in hearing only. James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

God’s Church needs teachers.  We need teachers right now - people who have been called, trained, tempered and molded to lead and guide our youth, our teens, our children, our babies and our adults. 

God’s Church needs men and women who believe God to raise up a generation of people to believe God.

If God has spoken to you and given a Word to you and it includes that you “Go over to so and so’s house and pray with them, or go to Tampa and take that course, or move to another country, or go here or there or wherever, get on with it.” 

Faith alone is the impetus necessary to fulfill God’s call in your life, and faith alone contains all the provision necessary to fulfill God’s call in your life.  Quit looking for loopholes in your faith walk.

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 10

"If God has spoken to you and said, “wait”, please let me encourage you to hold on, and prepare; don’t let go, but don’t jump ahead of God’s timing.  When you do jump ahead

of God’s timing, you annul His will for you, because you move your self onto His throne.  Wait until you get release from God.

Wait is a powerful and profound word, when it comes from God.  It can protect you from immeasurable pain and heartache. 

When God issues the wait command:

it’s not to keep you from some beautiful experience

it’s not to hold you back from what is rightfully yours

it’s not to slow down your progress or to discourage you

It’s to protect you from making horrific and sometimes irreversible mistakes.

God says wait to protect you, and those who wait on the LORD are never disappointed.

God says wait to prepare the path that you will travel, so that as you approach tomorrow, you will be fully prepared to accomplish the will of God in and for your life.

If you jump ahead of God’s plan, what you jump into is not sanctified by God and therefore it cannot produce its best fruit, or God ordained results.   

During your walk with God if you have heard God say “wait”, and you waited - you are grateful. 

When God says “wait” and you wait, everything comes together and stays together, because God is faithful to bring it (fill in the blank) to pass, in its due time.

All the things that crush the unprepared, are building blocks for those who wait on the LORD.   The Bible says in Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 9

"Is this prophetic word for you?

Has God has spoken to you and said, “let it go”, for God’s sake let it go before it consumes you.  Whatever it is.

It could be something damaging to your body, like: substance abuse, or habitual smoking, of over-eating, drugs, or excessive use of alcohol.

It could be something personal, like: hatred, or bitterness, envy or jealously, lying or cheating, living outside of God’s will concerning marriage and intimate relationships.

It could be something spiritual, like: Toying with spirits or divination, testing God or dabbling in forbidden territory.

It could be something simple, like: Apathy toward the things of God, unforgiveness in your heart or an unwillingness to receive wise council.

• Whatever it is that is keeping you from moving forward and accepting your rightful place as an Ambassador of Christ.  Let it go.
• Whatever it is that you know that God disapproves of but its had a hold on you so long its starting to take on a life of its own.  Let it go.
• Whatever it is that keeps you trapped in your circumstances - whatever constrains you from doing what is right, let it go.

God will replace it with something far better, but there’s only room for one God in your life and God will not share His place with anything or anyone.
 

Whatever is stealing or draining from the time that you sense should be spent with God, it has got to go.

 Whatever it is that rends you powerless in prayer needs to be abandoned. 

Most of us don’t need to post on the refrigerator what it is that is hampering our prayer life.

We know what it is, we just haven’t wanted to deal with it. 

But I say with authority and by permission, it’s time to let it go."

Excerpt from God thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012 

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 8

Here are a  few ways to get closer than ever with God.  Of course your own prayer from the heart is far better, but the idea is to make a forward motion that develops into a firm grip on where you are with God.

"Oh, God don’t hold it to my charge, my lack of faith....Fill me now and overfill me.  I am ready to believe whatever you speak to me in my heart.

Oh God, I’m so sorry for my lack of faith.  I have denied you for the last time.  Take me in your arms and fill me up, for I am weak and empty, but I sense You want me to be strong and full.  I receive it right now, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Oh, that I could be foolish for Jesus, and just let myself  go and start living out the mighty and powerful truths that I know."

Jesus, I am ready to live by faith and I commit to apply the huge treasure of truths that I already know into my everyday living.  I am ready for new light.

Be it unto me as it pleases You, Oh great Father in heaven.   

If you hear the Word of God speak to you, you must hearken while there is light. “According to your faith be it unto you.”

Excerpt from God thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 7

• "There’s nothing wrong with living by faith and living a life that shows the love of God. 
• There’s nothing wrong with having faith that can move mountains.
  There’s nothing wrong with exercising our faith and making a fool of ourselves for Christ.
• There’s nothing wrong with believing differently that we use to.  God has been trying to get through to some of us for decades and we still act like we don’t even know Him.

Of course you are going to be trampled on.

Of course you are going to be put down by your family.

Of course you are going to become vulnerable.

Of course your friends will think you have gone off the deep end.  Is that such a big price to pay?

Of course you are going to have to face the naysayers.

But what is the alternative? 

A life of mediocrity, always questioning God, wondering if God really knows what He is doing.

Year after year, succumbing to the flesh, having no power to overcome even the smallest barrier.

What is the alternative, telling your kids or grand-kids by your actions that you don’t have a clue?    

   

Here me.  If you do not instill every Word of faith that you possess in Almighty God, to your children and grandchildren, they will not win in the days to come.

God created a way to live above what this world offers and it’s called God’s faithway.  The highway of life takes on a whole new look when you are on God’s ‘faithway’.
Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 6

 "Matthew 9:29, “Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.”

You can.....   You can be......    You can do it.....   

You can have peace in your life

You can have joy in your life

You can have fulfillment in your life

If you haven’t given up and you are still breathing, you can.

Don’t believe one more lie from the enemy.  You can find and possess any and all that’s on your heart.  God didn’t give you faith so you could go about acting like you don’t have faith.

• Faith moves mountains
• Faith heals the sick
• Faith fills dreams
• Faith sets us free to get on with it. 
• With faith you can subdue nations.

Don’t wait another day to take hold of this prophetic truth.  It is for you.  Take what God offers.  Put your hands out, your hearts out and receive an infilling of faith."

Excerpt from God thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 4

"You want God to take you into His confidence and reveal His magnificence and His secrets to you and you can’t even abide in the simple truths that God taught to you ten years ago.

Here this prophetic word:  Christians aren’t getting all they can out of life because they are not living out the truths that they already know.

Your response to what you already know to be true is why your faith is where it is right now.

John 12:35-36, 35.  "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.  36.  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light....”

There will be no new light revealed until you decide to live in the light that God has already revealed."

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard truths by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 3

"The Word is going to prophesy into your life right now:   One or more of these truths pertain to you and you need to identify them as they pertain to you and move on them, right now.

Philippians 3:15-16, 15.  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, (mature) be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

 16.  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing."

Your response to what you already know to be true is why your faith is where it is right now. 

If you have faith that can move mountains, this verse is true in you and if you cannot even get through one day without being overcome, this verse is true in you.

So many of us aren’t living by the truths that we know.  Somewhere along the

way, somebody told us it didn’t matter much if we acted out our faith, so we

tread through life:

• without being inspired
• without being excited for God
• without growing in faith
• without enjoying worship
• without praising God
• without the kind of enthusiasm that comes with

living out what we already know to be true. 

There should be more conviction in the Christian community today to live by the truths that they have already learned."

Excerpt from God thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

 

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 2

"Sometimes God has prepared you by allowing you to go through the fire or all the way down in the valley and now He is ready to use that experience to bless you and fill you, and you are but a little step away and you choose rather to deny God His rightful place and you continue on your own mission, and you miss our calling.

Sometimes God uses the years of service you have had to the world to prepare you for service unto Himself, and just before you are ready to receive your promotion into the very light of God, your faith wanes. 

You teeter totter back and forth questioning God’s judgement. 

You let the same world that has been draining you dry year after year to have you again in hopes that you can really make something out of it.

Sometimes you are so talented or skilled, and you have been so blessed, even when you weren’t serving God you begin to think that you might as well just keep serving the world and serving the world and serving the world."

Excerpt from God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 53 - Learning the hard lessons 1

"You will hear God speaking to you today if you listen closely, because God in His mercy and grace wants you to move into a season of blessings.  This prophesy (not mine but from the Word of God) is for anyone who will hear what the Spirit says to the Church today.

God thinking doesn’t allow you to stop pursuing God just because you run up on obstacles or disappointments. 

The blessings of God and everything that He has prepared for you are sometimes just a breath away, and you hold on to the past and miss the moment.

Sometimes the fullness of all that was ordained for you is ready to be delivered to you, and you do not receive it, because you just won’t do it God’s way.

Sometimes God has been grooming you through your experiences, good or bad, to strengthen you and just when you are fully prepared, strong enough to go to battle, skilled in a certain discipline that God wants to use for His glory, you get to thinking that you are adequate in yourself and you miss the opportunity to be used for the glory of God.

Sometimes God takes the whole of your existence and turns the events of your life from lost to found, from impotent to powerful, from empty to full and the process gets stopped short  by you, not accepting His calling.

Excerpt from God Thinking 2 - Learning the hard lessons by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony 9

"I want you to see this great truth about the nature of man.  Remember the story of Moses and Pharaoh?  Remember the plagues?  Remember the bondage?  Life in our world is just the same.  The world is like Pharaoh and as long as we are paying tribute to the world's contributions:

• You can go ahead and go to church
• You can live in your own little area
• You can believe anything you want to                          
• You can have special feasts

You can call God by any name you want to, but just stop paying tribute to Pharaoh, i.e., (the world), just move your affections and your money, your time, your family; just move out of Egypt and see what happens.  They will say, "go on, follow your God, get away from here, we don't need you anyway,” but it won't be long and they will come running after you again. Because the Pharaoh, (the world) needs slaves to perpetuate its purposes. 

The world needs those who are willing to be slaves to its devices and traps.  The world dangles the money carrot - the familiar territory carrot - the job security carrot - and any other carrot it can get you to bite on - in hopes you won't take your time, money, talent, skills, loyalties and desires out of Egypt.  But don't think that by getting out of Egypt, all is well. 

The Israelites were released from bondage after 400 years of slavery and...........well let me read the story.  "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:" Exodus 13:21. 

God had just delivered His chosen people from bondage to freedom and was now leading them by day and by night.  Just the same as with us, God delivered us from the bondage of the world and leads us and guides us by day and by night.

But watch what happens when the pressure is on.  "And they (the children of Israel) said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?  Wherefore hast thou dealt with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? V12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?  For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."  Exodus 14:11-12. 

It didn’t take long for the children of God to start complaining.  Just apply a little pressure and have a little faith, and the short-cutters looked back at their bondage, as if it were better than being led by God by day and by night.  I know many people who have turned back to become slaves of Egypt (the world).  Christ didn’t give them what they wanted, so they turned back.  Too many people are like that today.  The faith walk does not interest them.  Even though, the alternative is bondage and slavery, the truth is, sometimes it seems easier to go back to the familiar, than to take the faith walk with God."

Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012 

God Thinking 2 - A God Made Testimony 8

" Now, if you are settled, that where you have come from or what you have gone through, what you have done or what you didn’t do, has become your testimony, maybe, from now on, you could understand that God reveals to others, what God has done in you and through you, by your testimony, for their benefit.  From now on, now that you have this understanding, you should have a better and more godlike perspective when stuff happens.  
If you are going through something right now, the question should be, "Am I going through it alone or am I going through it with God?" 

·       Are you trying to go around what you are going through with your spouse, or your friend or are you going to go through it for a testimony?

Hold on now.

·       Are you going to skirt the issue with your sister, or are you going to go through it and deal with it, with God, for a testimony?
·       Are you going to try to hide from the issues you have with your children and/or teens or are you going to face it and bring God right in the middle for a testimony?
·       Are you going to rationalize what God has put on your heart and go around it, or are you going to go through it for a testimony?"

Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 2 - A God Made Testimony 7

"Whether it was done to you or you did it to someone else or you did it to yourself, if it is the past and you didn’t go through it with God, it's time to let it go.  God went through it with you.  You can count on that.  But did you consciously go through it with God?  "What did you do with what God allowed to happen?"  It really doesn’t matter.  Whatever you have been through, (despite who caused it or whose fault it was), without you and I knowing it, it has developed into a testimony.   Whatever you have been through - whether you did it alone or with the guidance and grace of God - good or bad, for Christ or against Him - it has become your testimony."

   Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 2 - A God Made Testimony 6

Let's look at the question again.  "What are we going to do with what God allowed to happen?  But first, for the sake of learning from past experiences, let's look at the question, "what did you do with what God allowed to happen?"  Because, what you did with what God allowed to happen, sometimes steers you to believe erroneous things about God. 

If you responded in anger to what God allowed to happen, you might be struggling with guilt about being mad at God.  And you might feel that you can't ever be made whole again, because you messed up so bad that God won't receive you now.  If that thought has crossed your mind, then you need to know:

You can't get so mad at God that God can't forgive you.  God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you, knowing that we would
fail Him, miserably.

Some things that have happened in your life were caused by others, and you may have handled the situation poorly, and you think that God is so disappointed with you, that you can't receive His blessings or power or anointing now.  If that thought has crossed your mind, then you need to know:

God is not holding anything against you.  You are to gleam the wheat from the chaff and move on.  God is only disappointed if you do not trust the atoning sacrifice of His Son for your sins and indiscretions.

Some things in your life that are messed up were caused by you, and you might think that because you did it knowingly, that God will hold it to your account for life.  If that thought has crossed your mind, then you need to know - God said He has removed your sin from you as far as the East is from the West, that He has paid the price for your sin and made you whole, in Him."

  Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

Note: It is not popular with many denominations to teach true freedom in Christ.  Many do not posses it and the thought of those less fortunate or not as spiritual being able to cozy up with God irks them to the point of anger.  But God is faithful to all and God's forgiveness and restoration is for all and not everyone is going to respond to the grace of God in the same way.  Give people a little space to be less than perfect and in love with God at the same time.

God Thinking 2 - A God Made Testimony 5

"Now let's take this whole concept a little further.  Let's settle some things.  These are the things that God thinking is made of.

          God is not the author of sickness - But, God will see you through your sickness.

          God is not the author of pain - But, God will be with you through your pain.

          God is not the author of manipulation - But, God in due time God will expose the           manipulator.

          God is not the author of hatred - But, God will break the cords of hatred.

          God is not the author of prejudice - But, God will take away prejudice.

          God is not the author of hard feelings - But, God will reconcile hard feelings.

God is not the author of lost years - But, but God will go with you through the rest of your years, hand in hand.

          God is not the author of racism - But, God will unite His people together, in Him.

          God is not the author of meanness - But, God can soften even the hardest heart.

          God is not the author of adultery - But, God is the author of marriage.

          God is not the author of loose living - But, God is the author of holy living.

          God is not the author of the storms in your life, but He will calm the storm.

Let's look at the question again.  "What are we going to do with what God allowed to happen?"  But first, for the sake of learning from past experiences, let's look at the question, "what did you do with what God allowed to happen?"  Because, what you did with what God allowed to happen, sometimes steers you to believe erroneous things about God."

Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012

God Thinking 2 - A God Made Testimony 4

"Sometimes you go through things that aren’t fair. 

          Have you ever had anyone lie to you?

          Have you ever had anyone take advantage of you?

          Has anyone ever abused you or manipulated you?

Have you ever done anything that brought about unexpected negative circumstances?

          Have you ever been the cause of pain or suffering for someone else?

          Have you ever brought trouble on yourself?

No one escapes life without trials, tribulations and tests, but the way that you go through these experiences determine your testimony.

Has anyone ever tried to sneak in and take your portion of what you have worked for the last twenty years?

          Have you ever loved someone that you found out was using you?

          Has an employer ever let you down?

          Where is God in all of this?

          Do you think that God was taking a sabbatical from being God?

          Was God sleeping?

          Maybe God just can't be everywhere at the same time.

          Maybe your problem is too big for God.

          Maybe God just let's you do it on your own so He can laugh at you when you fall.

          Maybe God just isn’t there at all.

Sounds almost sacrilegious doesn’t it?  But that's the way you live out your life sometimes.

Hear this truth:  You live in a fallen world.  Stuff happens, people get sick, people lie,
people steal, people murder and terrorize.  Cars crash, boats sink, accidents happen that
takes lives, good people die.  We are always asking the question, "Why does God let these
things happen?"

Let's take a real step of faith here and learn some serious truth.  Instead of asking the question, "Why does God let these things happen?" The question should be, "What are you going to do with what God allowed to happen?"  When you think this way, "What are you going to do with what God allowed to happen?", it gives God something to work with, because God can take you through anything that you give over to Him."

Excerpt from God Thinking 2 A God Made Testimony by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2012