God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 8

"Hear Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:16-20

 16.  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

 17.  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 18.  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

 19.  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 20.  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

 

God thinking keeps you in balance, like the delicate balance between religious and righteous, prudish and holy.

 

The balance that comes through personal experience.

The balance that allows for God to have His way with you.

The balance that comes as you examine the attributes of God as He reveals them to you.

 

God thinking goes deep to build strong roots and yet allows you to be real and imperfect, without condemnation.

 

God thinking teaches you that on the canvas of life there are many layers.  Sometimes the picture doesn’t look at all like what you thought it would be, but God steps in and brushes a few strokes and changes it all.

 

God steps in and verifies you
and encourages you
and empowers you
and enlightens you
and satisfies you

All that God does, He does to prepare you, now and for eternity.

When you pray - among all the other prayers you pray - I want you to consider to add to your prayers - prayer for preparation for eternity.

Note: If you believed that there was an eternity, wouldn't you have to believe that there might be some need for preparation?
 

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 7

"It is in God’s intervention into the events of life that we come to recognize how fragile we are and how utterly dependent we are on our heavenly Father.
Who wants to be sick?

Who has never been sick?

Does God allow sickness in His saints?

 

God does not bring sickness.  Sickness is from the fall, but God does allow sickness and through it, whatever it is, God is just as there and just as concerned and just as Holy and just as righteous and just as powerful and just as actively involved as when you are well.

 

God does allow sickness, but in that sickness God is there equipping you and strengthening you in your weakness, revealing an attribute of God, not easily recognized when all is well.

 

It’s time lost if you don’t see God in it.  But if you do see God in it.................

 

You don’t choose the fire.

You don’t choose to be sick.

You don’t choose trouble - But when they come, you must see God in it, so that you won’t have to go through it alone.

 

It is time to take a quantum leap from where you were spiritually to a new level of awareness of God’s Holy presence.

 

You have grown (in the amount of power you are able to activate at any given moment.)  It was a miracle but God showed you favor and lifted you up and in some cases, delivered you.

In some, God built you up and gave you a confidence  to overcome things in your life, that you had not felt for years, or ever.

In some, God revealed His directive for your life, either for the day or the week or the future.

In another Jesus revealed Himself sitting on His throne, looking at you with a smile and favor. 

God is pleased that we gather together to praise Him and worship Him - to adore Him - to talk about Him and to talk to Him.  God Thinking works. 

You have grown tremendously.

Inside you have sensed God’s presence.

You sense that life is not futile, but beautiful.

You sense that you have purpose, at any age. 

You have tasted of the Holiness of God and you like it.
 

God is so ready to make something great happen through you.  This is a prophetic word for you.  Are you ready to believe God to do through you what you never could imagine?"

 

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 6

"The reason why so many things seem like the aren’t going right is because of false teaching, i. e., (that Christians who are serving God faithfully are free from the results of the (fall of man).  It is not true.

 

At the same time, many of us have brought on to ourselves much despair.  Many problems are self-inflicted and there are consequences to bad choices that follow us for a time.
 

Some of you are still actively cultivating an experience that will turn out to cause unnecessary trouble and heartache.

For those things that you bring on to yourself, the only cure is to put an end to the vicious cycle by confessing the problem/sin/indiscretion and repenting of it, (turning your back on the problem, instead of turning your back on the people that are trying to help you out of your problem.)
 

But, many problems and troubles come your way, unsolicited and not due to any action or inaction on your part.  The fact that each and every person has free will, puts us all at risk for unexpected events in our life.
 

And because of the fall of man, sickness and rust and deterioration and death of the flesh will find its way into every household, saved or unsaved, sanctified or spirit filled. 

It’s not in escaping the negative things that come your way, but in the managing of those things in agreement with and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that proves your faith."
 

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

 

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 5

"Even though God did not bring about the loss, the mistakes, the tragedy, the trouble, the problem or the sickness - rather than take us out of it (and God could) God, quite often decides to takes us through it. 

 

When you get this truth about how God operates in you and through you settled in your spirit, you will look at those things that you go through, differently.

 

Could it be that God utilizes this season of lack, or the loss of a loved one or the sickness you are going through to reveal more of Himself, to you?  Could it be that God allows these seasons to bring you to a place where you start to look to God and trust in God for your substance, life, your everything? 

 

Could it be that God allows the death of His saints to show you the frailty of life and the short time you have to fulfill His will in your life?

 

Could it be that through sickness God reveals an attribute of Himself that increases your faith?

 

Most of us have found out that God uses times like these to reveal another attribute of Himself to us, that we had not carefully considered prior to that experience.
 

It is not true, that if you have enough faith, you will never have problems. 

Faith is to carry you through, not keep you out of.

But faith goes deeper than that. The more you trust in God, the more you understand God’s role in your life and your role in God’s plan. 
 

The more you trust in God - the better prepared you are for whatever comes your way and what comes your way is better. 

Don’t fall for the rhetoric that says, “Christians don’t have financial problems;

Christians don’t have problems that arise unexpectedly.

Christians don’t get sick.

It is because these things happen to the faithful that it is so important for you to be in contact with God, (through prayer) and to be in agreement with God as to how to deal with (whatever comes up)."
 

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

 

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 4

"Where would you have me go, that Your will, will be fulfilled?

These are the kinds of prayers that God has placed in the hearts of men and women that are truly seeking God.  Don’t get nervous, it is likely that you are already headed in the right direction to fulfill God’s plan for your life.

 

But you must ask God the question and wait in His presence for the answer. 

Where would you have me go, that Your will, will be fulfilled?

Lord, are there souls at risk, that I could minister to, if I were to give up one night a week?

When Christians go to their prayer closet and ask God how they can expand their time in order to more perfectly provide for the saints of God and to bring more people to the foot of the cross - all of us will have more. 

 

One of the reasons for all the lack in the body of Christ is because they are not listening to God as to what they are to be involved in.  They pick and choose their ministry according to their existing schedule, when their existing schedule might be in direct opposition to the will of God for their life.

 

Lord, are there souls at risk, that I could minister to, if I were to give up one night a week?

 

Lord, do I need to go through something, that I might see you more clearly?

 

God has allowed you and is going to continue to allow you to go through some things - things that you are not comfortable with.

 

Some of you are going to go through financial hardship

Some of you are going to go through sickness

Some of you are going to lose loved ones.

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

 9.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Note: It is not a placebo to reality to trust God.  It is the only way you can be sure that your life has meaning along the way and that the ending will be of worth also.  It is the only way that you can know (while going through the fire) that God is in the furnace with you.
 

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

 

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 3

"I want you to consider this prayer also.

What would you have me to do that I might have more of your presence?

 

Religion without the very presence of Almighty God is vain and empty and powerless.  Anybody can revel when they’re on top of the world, but when laden with a heavy burden, only a man or woman with faith can overcome and transform their darkness into light. 

 

If you ask, What would you have me to do that I might have more of your presence? - be prepared, because God is God and you are under His authority and if you are sincere, God will have you do, what is not getting done.  God will have you do what the body of Christ is short in.  God will place a hat on your head that you may have never worn.  Be prepared to do the miraculous if you indeed mean business. 

 

Don’t let the enemy steal your faith.  The scriptures say in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

What would you have me to do that I might have more of your presence? Because I believe the scriptures now I know that I can do it."

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014

God Thinking LIII - Getting Beyond Your Self 2

"You can demand demons, but not God.

 

I am going to talk about a place that might be a bit unfamiliar

territory for some.  Bear with me.

 

We are always praying for God to do this or do that or get us out of this or get us out of that. 

We pray for God to meet our needs.

We even plead with God on behalf of others for this or that.

We certainly pray when things go wrong or when we are in trouble or when we need something.

 

And I am not saying not to continue praying for what you need and for what you think others need.  But I am saying, in addition to the kinds of prayer that I have mentioned, that you should also pray like this:

LORD, what would you have me experience, that I might see you more clearly?

Whoa! 

We’re always praying for God to get us out of this or that, when we should be praying for God to take us through this or that, because it is in the (this and that’s) of life that God shows Himself to us and works through us.  It is in our weakness that God is often revealed.

Romans 5:1-4, 1.  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 2.  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 3.  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 4.  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

You have got to learn to love God and reverence Him through it all, and until you get this one truth, you will be powerless and victory-less when things aren’t just right, and there are many times when things aren’t right.

If in the seasons of bliss only you find solace and comfort in God, you have not yet found God.

LORD, what would you have me experience, that I might see you more clearly?

Excerpt from God Thinking LII - Getting Beyond Your Self by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2014