God Thinking XV - By Design 10

"God thinking steers you to get a vision of God’s design for your life.  You believe what God has said in His Word.  You don’t get off on your own private mission, redesigning God’s plan to suit yourself.  You learn to agree with God.  

God has ordained for you, by His foreknowledge the very best plan possible, one designed just for you. 

God knows when and where you are going to decide to follow Him.

God knows when and where you are going to stop driving the ship.

God knows when and where you are going to surrender to Him and follow His design. 

When you get a clear picture of God’s design for your life, you want it to be His way.   You see your purpose by God’s design."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XV - By Design 9

"God designed you to listen to Him.

• You were designed to receive new light - every time you open the Word of God, you should receive revelation.
• You were designed to study the Word to show yourself “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
• You were designed to be called out from among the world, “...know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” James 4:4
• You were designed to live a holy life, ”Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  2 Corinthians 7:1
• You were designed to testify that Jesus is Lord.
• You were designed to obey God.
• You were designed to pray.
• You were designed to intercede for others.
• You were designed to worship.
• You were designed to praise.
• You were designed to supplicate.
• You were designed to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
• You were designed to have faith.
• You were designed to read the Word of God.
• You were designed to hear the voice of God. “Behold, I stand at the door , and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

And again Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:” John 10:27

• You were designed to do the will of God, “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 7:21
• You were designed to believe God.
• You were designed to exercise your free will and to do with it what pleases the Lord.
• You were designed to love one another.
• Youwere designed to be prosperous and in good health, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 2.
• You were designed to please God, not just yourself.
• You were designed to do good to others.
• You were designed to serve one another.
• You were designed to serve God.

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XV - By Design 8

"Another example is found in Jeremiah 28:15-17

“Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; the LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

V16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

V17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.”

When you trust in a lie or an untruth, something not ordained by God, you run the risk of missing God’s intent for you. 

• You run the risk of mapping out your own design that might be incongruent with God's will for your life. 
• You run the risk of making a plan that God cannot sanctify.
• You run the risk of starting a business that God does not bless.
• You run the risk of marrying a man or woman without God’s approval.
• You run the risk of hanging with people that worship God in vain.
• You run the risk of making your own rules and regulations that take away from the freedom you have in Christ., burdening others with your own personal biases, bents and idiosyncrasies.

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

God Thinking XV - By Design 7

"Remember how Paul was evangelized.  Paul was true to his religion.  He believed fervently that to destroy Christians was the honorable way to serve God.  Was he right? No.  He believed a lie.  He believed what religion was teaching at the time.  He forsook the Word in lieu of religious security, security of being with the most influential group at the time. 

How did God get Paul’s attention?  He knocked him down and blinded him for a time.  Paul had no choice but to be led by others for a time.  Paul believed a lie.  He acted upon it.  His entire experience with God had been built on a lie.  

Had he not had the Damascus road experience and heard the voice of Jesus, he would have continued on his path throughout his life."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XV - By Design 6

"The other reason why there is so much rebellion when we talk about doing those things that please God.

They believe a lie.

Just a couple of examples:

Remember when Peter was in the presence of Jesus and Peter was talking about what he would do for Jesus.

Let’s listen to the scripture.

Mark 14:26-31

“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

V27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
V28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
V29 But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
V30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
V31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise.  Likewise also said they all.”

Jesus just got finished telling them what scripture saith, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”

And again Jesus said, “Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.”

Peter believed a lie instead of the Master’s voice.  He believed what he had told himself instead of what Jesus told him.  There’s a lot of that going on today.  People are making up their mind based on what’s in their mind instead of what God is saying in their mind."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell copyright 2013

God Thinking XV - By Design 5

"God designed it all.  God is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

God has revealed a plan and a purpose for your life. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

Why is there so much rebellion when we talk about doing those things that please God. We have in our society today an entire constituency of those who claim Christ but they have no desire to follow Christ - no inner inclination to follow God’s design for their lives and no plans to get started.

There’s a couple of reasons why there is so much rebellion.

1     They believe in vain or

2     They believe a lie

They believe in vain

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

V2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”

Matthew 15:8-9

“This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.

V9 But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

It is interesting; this word vain means to, (manipulate to no purpose, an unsuccessful search).  “In vain they do worship Me” - They manipulate me to no purpose and cannot find me.

Some people believe in vain because they have been taught to believe in vain or they have established their own god and worship him.  It is easier that way.  One look at world religion as a whole and we can see clearly that many people worship God in vain."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell copyright 2013

 

God Thinking XV - By Design 4

• "God speaks to you through His Word. 
• God reveals His design for your life. 
• God reveals Himself openly and unobstructed.  
• God reveals who you are in Christ.
• God tells you the things that matter in life.
• God shows you what to believe.
• God tells you how to receive faith.
• God tells you how to be faithful.
• God teaches you what is pure and true, honest and just, what is lovely.
• God shows you how to be kind, and how to be gentle, how to live by faith and how to stay healthy.

God gives you example after example of how to treat one another, how to be humble, how to love others, how to give and how much to give. 

God reveals the beginning, the time you now live in and the future.  God reveals it all.  God thinking gets your mind in line with God’s Word so that what God has said becomes what you believe and what you believe is what God has said."

 

Excerpt from God Thinking XV - By Design by Keith C. Powell copyright 2013