God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 6

"Today, the worst possible kinds of evil are openly practiced, not only across the world, but right here in our country and our city.  Wicked, evil, vile, abominable behavior, of all kinds, is not only tolerated, but in many cases, protected by law.  There has always been iniquity, but not like what has been unleashed in our generation.  We are at the end of the age.

(Note: Please don't box me in.  I'm not saying all is coming to an end by such and such a date.  I am saying that this era of time we are in is the end of the age, the dispensation of, the period of time called the dispensation grace.) 

Couple all this prophetic language that provides insight as to where we are in God’s time line and let’s read Hebrews 9:24-26, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.:

V25Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

V26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”

The writer of Hebrews has a clean understanding, that the dispensation of grace, that the writer was living in, was also the same dispensation of time before the end of the age.

We are nearing the year 6,000 since time was recorded. 

And we believe (based on the apostles writings and the testimony of Jesus) that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the beginning of the dispensation of grace - the end of the age."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 5

"Luke better records the answer to the first question, “When will Jerusalem be destroyed?” and that is found in Luke 21:20-24, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

V21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are i the countries enter thereinto.

V22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

V23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days!  For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

V24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”  The times of the Gentiles was not fulfilled until 1948 with the naming and recreation of Israel. 

The second and third question is answered in Matthew 24:3-13, but the best decryption of when Jesus is going to return is found in Luke 21:25-27.  Luke 21:25-27, “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

V26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the power of heaven shall be shaken.

V27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great joy.” 

The third question, “When will be the end of the world”, i.e., the end of the age, is best answered in Matthew 24:4-13, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
V5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
V6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
V7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
V8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
V9 then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.
V10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
V11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
V12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
V13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
V14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

Take special note of V12, “And because iniquity shall abound,...”

This is a key verse for the time we live in.  "Iniquity shall abound." 

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 4

"For those who don’t think it is the last days or for those who just haven’t given it much thought, that’s OK, but God’s foreordained timetable for the length of years that He intends to allow mankind to function under this current dispensation (the dispensation of grace) is coming to an end.  And at this end of the age or the completion of the dispensation of grace, there will be an escalation of sorts.  Everything will increase, multiply, advance, escalate at rapid rates, more rapid than any other time in all history.  The close - or the end of the age will be ushered in by God, very, very fast.  

CI Scofield, in his commentary on Matthew, chapter 24 says it like this: “All (referring to all scripture references concerning the end of the age) - “All that has characterized the age gathers into an awful intensity at the end.” (i.e., the end of the age). 

Technology is advancing so rapidly that it cannot even be tracked.  As soon as you think you are up-to-date, you find out that there is faster and better available, somewhere.

This ultra-rapid pace, in a spiritually declining world, is what God prophesied would happen at the end of the age.  There is an end of the age and it is accurately exampled in Matthew 24:3-14 and paralleled in Luke 21. Matthew 24:3, “And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”

Jesus addresses three issues here: 

 1     The end, i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem (that took place in AD 70)

2     The sign of the coming of the Lord, Jesus

3     The end of the world (age)"

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 3

"Don’t get this mixed up. 
You are not going to get more saved than you are right now.  This is not about intellect.  “The smarter people get more of God.”  That isn’t true.

This is not about works, as if by working you could achieve or receive salvation.  That isn’t true. 

This is about moving forward with God and becoming as close and intimate as possible with God.

It is about understanding, that, only by growing in Christ can you move forward and enjoy more of what God has available.

Example:

Do you remember a time when you did not know Christ?
Do you have the same power and authority over your life that you had then?
Since you came to a personal relationship with Christ, has your faith increased?

Recently, have you learned or received from God new truths or revelation that has helped you develop a better understanding of yourself and increase your faith?

 

OK.  God is pouring out His Spirit in these last days."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

 

God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 2

"Now, in your every day experience - you have a relationship with God, however deep or however shallow, you have a relationship with God, the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  The quality of that relationship is based on your overall experience with God.

 

In whatever state (of awareness, understanding, faith, belief) (your current experience) you are in, you have full - access, vision, authority, provision & protection that, that state (of awareness, understanding, faith, belief) (your current experience) provides.
 

Each time you receive new truth - revelation or understanding, your faith is increased, so that  - you have full - access, vision, authority, provision & protection within the new parameters that the new truth - revelation or understanding provides.

 

Think of it this way: With the education, skills, talent, understanding, faith and belief that you have today - you can access whatever is available within those parameters. 

 

As you expand your horizons and increase your education, skills, talent, understanding, faith and belief, you can access whatever is available within those parameters. 

 

Just as there are more options for (employment, investments, opportunities & choices for those with more education, skills & talent there are more options for (wisdom, healing, faithfulness & answered prayer) for those with greater understanding, greater faith and deeper belief)."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXIII - Under The Spout 1

"God Thinking teaches you to be under the spout where the glory is poured out.  And right now, God is pouring out His Spirit and taking you from one faith to another and from one glory to another, truth by truth, precept upon precept. 

Remember we talked about ‘the outer court’ - ‘the inner court’ - and ‘the Holy of Holies’?
 

At each of these places, there is everything we need to be there.  Each place has all the components within its sphere to fully operate under its premise/authority.
 

When you are in the outer court, you cannot see in the inner court, nor can you see in the Holy of Holies - but you have full access/vision/authority/provision/protection that the outer  court, you are in, provides.
 

When you are in the inner court, you cannot see in the holy of holies - but you have full access, vision, authority, provision & protection that the inner court, you are in, provides.  In the inner court there is more revelation than in the outer court, because you are closer to the things of God when you are in the inner court.
 

When you are in the Holy of Holies, you have full access, vision, authority, provision & protection that the Holy of Holies  provides.  In the Holy of Holies, there is more revelation than in the outer court or the inner court, because you are closer to the things of God when you are in the Holy of Holies.
 

 

These are three places that represent the relationship between God and man, when man is moving toward a closer relationship with God; the outer court, the inner court and the holy of holies."

 

Excerpt from God thinking XXIII - Under The Spout by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013 

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 10

"God wants you to know that you aren’t going through something He doesn’t know about. 

God wants you to know He sees tomorrow and the tomorrow after that. 

• He has worked out the end of it, with you in mind all the time.
• God knows it all. 
• Quit worrying about it.
• Quit letting that thing that isn’t worked out eat at you like a cancer. 
• God sees it clearly.   

You can’t say you trust God with the left side of your faith and that you are distraught over it on the right hand of our faith.

 

Get this truth, That’s why God wants you coming to Him seeking Him with all your might, with all your mind, with all your heart, with all your strength, because God knows your tomorrow. 

God is speaking to you today.

If you hear a Word that is on your heart - if you hear the confirmation of how you feel inside - please be obedient to God and step out in obedience and come before God.

God is calling you to step out in faith and take your chance with Him.

If God has called you out then He has promised to take you all the way.

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 9

"Here me closely:

God doesn’t let you in His presence like Disney World let’s you in their park.

God doesn’t let you in His presence like Busch Gardens does.

God doesn’t let you in His presence to entertain you or to make you feel good.

God let’s you in His presence to consume you and then to fill you 

You want to be in the presence of God.

You want all the benefits of God.

You want your finances to be increased.

You want your body to be healed.

You want your prayers to be answered.

But not many of you want to be undone.

Why does God want you to go into His presence?  Here this closely.  God knows your future.  He sees all the beautiful moments, those moments of bliss beyond description.  He sees success and peace, and happiness, joy and maturity.

But God sees it all.

• The failures and broken vows.
• The moments of pain.
• The grief of losing a loved one.
• The wrong turns.
• The poor choices.
• The unfulfilled dreams.
• The lonely days.

God sees you in your old age.

God sees it all.  And because He sees it all, He knows that without Him, you cannot stand it alone.  God wants you to know, He will be there with you in it and through it all. 

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 8

"Hear what Isaiah says in Isaiah 6:1-5

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

V2 Above it stood the Seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain He covered His face, and with twain He covered His feet, and with twain He did fly.

V3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.

V4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of Him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

V5 Then said I, Woe is me!  For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

When you come into the very presence of God, God reveals Himself and discloses:

His Power -   His Holiness - His Mercy - His Love - His Omnipotence - His Omniscience - His Omnipresence - His Sovereignty - His Immutability

God reveals who you are too.  He reveals those secret things.  God uncovers you so that you can see clearly who you really are:

• Not melt you or destroy you.
• Not to embarrass you or demean you. 
• Not to set you back or to hurt you.
• Not to chastise you because He doesn’t like you
• God reveals who you are to empower you 

God gives you vision of who you are even in the hidden corner of your being to give you insight, to empower you, to benefit you and to bless you. 

• So you will change
• So you will make corrections in your course of life 
• So you can improve your situation
• So you will grow in grace.

And so you can see God clearly

• not a foggy view burdened by your love for the things of this world.
• not a view blocked by a stubborn will
• not a view biased by denominational preferences
• not a view based on your own private interpretation.

But a view based on truth.  The truth about God and the truth about you, a meeting of the created with the Creator. 

     Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 7

V26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.

V27 And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that He talked with the woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? Or, Why talkest thou with her?

It’s true they didn’t ask the question, but they were thinking it.  The disciples were still religious.  They were far more worried about what people thought than what Jesus was doing.  They have not yet sold out to Christ.  It’s just like the religious to look on the outside and try to figure out what’s going on, on the inside.

V28 The woman left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

Now I read this story so you could see what really happens when you come into the presence of God.  It’s found in verse 29.

V29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
 

In the presence of God, He reveals Himself, but He reveals you to yourself also.  Can you see what happened in this short story?

From not knowing the Savior at all, to meeting the Savior, to recognizing the Savior, to trusting the Savior, all in the presence of the Savior.  That’s the presence of God.

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 6

"V21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

V22 Ye worship ye know not what: We know what we worship: For salvation is of the Jews.

V23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

V24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

V25 The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Can you see how the woman at the well is getting just a little more serious about this conversation. 

She is thinking back to what she was taught or what she heard concerning the Messiah.

She wants Jesus to know that she is not totally ignorant of the things of God.  She is starting to listen and she realizes she is in the presence of a credible source of information.

Now she is close, like so many;

• They have heard the voice of God call them by name.
• They have received enough light that they are ready to receive from God the free gift of salvation.
• They are right on the edge of their seat, ready to leap forward at the unction of the Holy Spirit.
• They are not living as they know they should, but they are powerless to do anything about it on their own.

The woman like many is ready for her eyes to be opened and to see Jesus as He is for the first time."
 

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 5

"Let’s go on.

V13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

V14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
V15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 

Again, the first thing that most people think about when they finally come to the place where they realize that God has something to offer that they cannot get anywhere else, is, 'give me what you have.'  And that’s OK.  That’s why God saves people.  That’s why He draws them to Himself, to give them what they cannot get elsewhere.  But there’s more to the story.

V16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

V17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband.  Jesus said unto her, Thou hast said well, I have no husband:
V18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
V19 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
V20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Have you ever noticed how the unbeliever is an expert in the things of God? 

The woman at the well did what all unbelievers do before they meet the Master; they quote what religion says, instead of what God says, thereby basing how they see God on how they view the religious of their area.

The unbeliever does the same thing today. 

“Why would I want to be like” this person or that person?  Instead of looking to Christ. 

You don’t get into the presence of God emulating people.

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 4

"V10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me a drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.

V11 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

V12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us this well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Let’s stop again. 

The unbeliever is always questioning how God operates and what are the methods of His doings.  They want God to explain Himself and disclose Himself to prove Himself of sorts; but even when God does, (and God does as He did here), they are looking for God to explain Himself by using the natural and not the supernatural; like, trying to draw water from the well without a bucket.

The unbeliever at this point isn’t denying the existence of God, but has no understanding of how God interacts with His creation.

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 3

"If you want an inner court experience that takes you behind the veil, in the very presence of God, the holy of holies, that place where God is God and you are in Him; you will have to bring your faith, seek God diligently, present yourself to Him, without reservation, and be prepared to commune with Him in awe.

But you need to know: 

• If you seek for God to disclose Himself to you in this most intimate way. 
• If you want the beauty of holiness to overcome you so that you can see nothing but God.
• If you want the impartation of God’s very light to encircle you.
• If you want the transforming power of God to overtake you.

Does this sound like an experience that you might want in your life?

Let me read you a short story from the scriptures.

There is a process, an osmosis of sorts that takes place in this story that is somewhat like our own. 

John 4:6-29, The woman at the well comes into the presence of the Savior.  Let's see what happens.

“Now Jacob’s well was there. (Samaria) Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.  V7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink.” V8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) V9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?  For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Let’s stop here for a second.

I want you to notice first that those who don’t know the Savior feel like they have to bring God up to speed.  They have to let God know what’s going on; who they are, where they are from, kind of set the record straight.

The unsaved always start out trying to tell God how it is.  They spend the most of their time trying to enlighten God.  They spend a lot of time justifying who they are and why.  That’s the view of the unbeliever - They don’t recognize God, nor do they understand the things of God."

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XXII - In His Presence 2

"Today you are going to see what it means to put “on top” the presence of God.  You are going to understand how to facilitate the presence of God by obedience. 

When we talk about being in the presence of God we talk about four things that pertain to the presence of God; two things you have to do prepare to be in the presence of God and two things that happen because you are in the presence of God.  God knows before you even think about it, whether you are sincere or not. 

God knows what you are going to do when you get there, and if you intend to;

force the hand of God

manipulate God

get what you want

to question His message

to try Him out to see if you like it

to add a notch in your spiritual belt

to use the experience to bring glory to your self

Here are the four things that must be in order:  two things you have to do prepare and two things that happen because you are there.

1     You will have to be prepared to be changed.

2     You will have to abandon your pre-conceived idea of  what you will receive from God.

3     You will have to accept what God gives to you.

4     You will have to accept what God tells you when you are there.

Excerpt from God-thinking XXII - In His Presence by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013