Man after God’s own Heart

Pastor Andre Mitchell

We are in the final week of the blog challenge. This has been an extremely enjoyable experience.  Sierra Nichole gave us our final topic to blog about.  “A Glimpse into the Person in the Bible you identify with the most and Why” So here I go.  Enjoy.

As you may have gathered by the title, I have chosen King David.  David’s life speaks to me.  I love this passage of scripture: But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, `I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13:22 NLT)

What an awesome testimony to have.  Interestingly, David did not say this about himself.  These were God’s words about David.  This was how God viewed him, and this is how I want God to view me.

There is much I can talk about with David.  I can pick out his loyalty to his sheep.  I can wax eloquent on how he stayed faithful to the cause even though he had a king’s anointing stuck in a shepherd’s position.  We can discuss his willingness to face giant problems when others were tucking their tails and ready to run.

We can talk about his fights, his poetry, his worship, his relationships, his love, his kindness, his anger, and his mistakes.  He is one of those Biblical characters that you can glean from, from now til eternity.  However this is just a blog, and we don’t have all day lol.

I can identify with David in many ways, but I want to go back to the aforementioned statement that God made of him “a man after God’s own heart”. This really speaks to me.  I see a duality in it that makes me want to lift it out above anything else where David is concerned.

The word “after” in the statement, to me, has a double meaning. I can buy a model car and easily tell that it is modeled after an original.  The Cadillac in the box is modeled after the Cadillac on the showroom floor.  The really well thought out model car has every detail so that it is a mirror image of the real car that it models.

David’s heart was molded so well after God’s heart that it modeled God’s heart. David allowed life’s circumstances to mold him toward God and not away from Him.  At the end of the day he had a heart that was modeled after God’s own heart.

Consequently, the word “after” has another meaning.  If I say the police are after me, we realize I am speaking of pursuit.  I believe David had a heart modeled after God’s heart because he stayed in pursuit of God.  In Psalm 42:1, the psalmist, compared the pursuit of God to a thirsty deer panting “after” a water-brook.  David was not perfect, but no matter what; he kept coming after God.  He came in worship, in praise, with sacrifices, through questionings, and even in repentance.  Nothing stopped him from his pursuit.

I identify with David because I want a heart like God’s.  I want a heart that forgives.  A heart that looks past other’s faults and sees their needs.  A heart that hates evil, and on and on.  Yet, the only way I can achieve this is to have my heart molded long enough so that it models God’s.  And the only way I can have a heart modeled after God’s is to keep a heart that pursues God.  In essence, I will only be a man after God’s own heart as long as I remain a man that is always after God’s heart.

Psalm 63:8 My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.

#Blogchallenge Interview with @iSierraNichole

The Blog Challenge continues in Personal Interview Week! Each person involved interviews another participant.  I’ve chosen to interview Sierra Nichole.  She was the creator of the October blog challenge; read below to hear the heart of a young woman passionate about God.

 

1. How have you used social networking to further the Kingdom of God?

     I am a Social Network addict!  I love connecting with Christians around the world and getting to chat about everything from my Faith to Worship, to good movies and music.  I have personally made some awesome connections and have been using Twitter and my blog to build up, encourage the Body of Christ.  I post blogs that are meant to help Believers grow in their Faith.  I try to use Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr mostly) to encourage Christians, to promote growth in their walk and encourage the heck out of people!

2. What in your life reminds you most of God’s love? ( is it family, friends, church fellowship, or any other thing) Explain how & why.

     Gods Love to me is so visible in so much!  I see it the most in my little sister Katy.  She is 5 years old and the best thing in my life.  She is a blessing from Jesus to my life.  Katy literally reminds me every day of Gods love-whether it be in her hilarious sense of humor, how often she hugs me or the way she says, “I love you Mo” (Mo, is what my little brother and sister call me).  Last night I got home from Worship Practice and hanging out with a friend til around 2:30 am so I didn’t get to bed til around 3am.  Katy heard me come home and came and crawled into bed with me and curled her little body up as close to me as she could and said, “Mo, I love you all the way up to God”-she says this to me all the time and every time I am reminded of how much God uses this little girl to affirm me in His love.

                                                       (Katy)

3. What is God speaking to you in this season?

     This season of my life God is really challenging me Spiritually.  My Pastor has asked me to lead Worship for a Youth Harp and Bowl Event we will be hosting monthly and God is stretching me so much in leading Worship and getting to know HIS Heart!  This season for me is a lot of stretching, growing and maturing in my Faith and Love for who Jesus is.  I know I am called to travel the globe leading Worship and know this season is a season of training for me and its hard but I am loving it. I am in 3 Worship Bands right now and couldnt feel more blessed!  I feel revival in my Spirit, I know its coming soon and know God has a plan for me in it and that excites my Spirit like I cant even explain!  God is doing something new and something big and it makes me so insanely excited and fall even more in love with Him in this season of my life!

(This concludes our interview, please follow @iSierraNichole on twitter and subscribe to her blog sierranichole.com)

Why Jesus is NOT the only way to God

So this is week two of the already famous Twitter #blogchallenge started by @iSierraNichole. In her own words this is the assignment for the week, “Week #2- Why Jesus? Why not Allah or Mohammad?  Why not Buddah?  What makes you so sure Jesus IS THE WAY?”

I want to use this post to prove to you why I believe Jesus is NOT the only way to God.  Now I know somebody is thinking that I’m getting ready to commit doctrinal suicide, or that I’ve started down the pathway called heresy.  Yet before you dismiss this as blasphemous nonsense or as another new-age seeker sensitive preacher lowering the proverbial standard; please lend me your ear.  Or, at least your eyes lol.

I want to go on the record and say that I believe all roads do indeed lead to God.  I know I am scaring you, and I may have lost a few readers already.  However, to those that are still reading, this is going to really bless you.

Let me first deal with the elephant in the room.  You are probably wondering what am I going to do with St John 14:6.  Well, I’m going to use this very scripture to prove my point that all roads lead to God, not just the classical Christian road.

Here is where I’ll start making some sense.  The problem with the statement that all roads lead to God is that it does not define what facet of God you will find at the end of the road.  Yes all roads lead to God, but all roads except one lead you to God as judge.  Why do I espouse Jesus Christ?  Simply put, He offers me one road, the only road, that exposes me to the facet of God that is known as THE FATHER.  Let’s examine the scripture I referenced earlier. Here it is from the KJV of the Bible with emphasis added by me. {St. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto THE FATHER, but by me.}

You see all roads will get you to God.  God will judge your works.  Have you ever heard of something in theology called the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11-15).  I don’t know about you, but I’m not so keen on finding God as judge because He is a just God; and I’m going to get just what I deserve.

Jesus offers me something entirely different.  Something exclusively special.  He offers me a road or a Way through Him where I can come to God as a son and He as my Father.  The father child relationship is so special.  In our judicial system judges don’t preside over their own child’s case because they won’t be able to judge without bias.  Even earthly fathers are inclined to show mercy.  Through Jesus and only through Him, I find not just a God but my Father who has already gone through great lengths to make atonement for my sins and receive me as a son.  I don’t get what I deserve.  I find adoption into a perfect family, and a place prepared for me in Heaven.

I’m not here to knock other religions and roads to God.  All I know is there is only one way that is guaranteed to not end up in my destruction.  The other roads are broad, but they lead to God as judge and then destruction. Jesus offers a road that is narrow, but it takes me to the THE FATHER and then everlasting life.  I may not be the brightest guy in the world or the sharpest tool in the shed; but I know a no-brainer when I see one.

When Jesus said no man comes to THE FATHER but through Him, I believed Him and I’m not gonna take a chance getting on another road because I don’t want to see my judge.  I want to see my Daddy.  No other religion offers me that.  I don’t know of anyone else that says I get an Abba Father out of the deal.  If this were contract negotiations I’d say Jesus is the best agent out there because of what He secures for you in the deal.

Lastly, think about it this way.  I can get in my car several ways.  I can get in the trunk.  I can get under the hood.  I can get in through the window, and I can get in through the sunroof. Yet it is absolute foolishness to do all that when I can just use the door.  Jesus said He was the door; any other road or way, for me, is just uncivilized.

www.andremitchell.com

 

Breakthrough

Pastor Andre Mitchell

Recently, I have been studying the best-selling business book “Good to Great”.  It is an interesting book authored by Jim Collins who also wrote the legendary business book ” Built to Last”.  What I like about Collins’ approach is that he doesn’t write from his own expertise. Rather, he uses extensive research and lets the research form his arguments.  He writes as a journalist who is neutral and is just reporting on what he discovers. Therefore, you get less opinions and more analysis of the facts.  

In the book, several companies are researched on why they somehow went from good to great and outperformed their competitors. Many revelations came out of the research, but it was Collin’s discovery on the idea of breakthrough that was eye-opening for me.   

All of the companies that made the transition from good to great had major breakthroughs that skyrocketed them past their competition.  However, the research showed that none of the great companies could point to any one thing that produced the breakthrough.  In essence, what the research was telling us is that it was all the little things put together that produced the major breakthroughs.   

There is great revelation here for all of us who desperately need a breakthrough.  Just keep doing all the little things right and remain  consistent to your convictions.  One person once said, “in consistency lies the breakthrough”.  So instead of  expecting that one miracle moment, keep doing what you know to do with the best of your ability.  

For instance, the constant dripping of a gutter day in and day out can do more damage to a home’s foundation than a onetime storm that dumps 5000 gallons of water sporadically throughout a neighborhood.  The laser focus of a continual dripping against a foundation will eventually erode and buckle the concrete.  Sure the storm seems more devastating, but the absence of focus makes its impact irrelevant. 

I want you to know that your breakthrough is closer than it has ever been before. You don’t need a super anointed prophetic word to push you into your destiny.  Just stay focused on what you already know.  Stay in the love of God in all of your relationships, keep praying to the Father in the name of  Jesus, keep fellowshipping with other believers, and keep reading and studying your Bible.  Do the simple things over and over and over again; the big breakthroughs will take care of themselves.  Before you know it you will be smack dab in the middle of your destiny living life to the fullest until it overflows (Jn 10:10 amp); and you won’t quite know how it happened. 

In conclusion, breakthrough should not be interpreted as an event, but instead characterized as a dedicated process to principles that eventually produce results. I know it’s a tongue twister, but it’s also a revelation that may keep you from quitting too soon.  You are making more progress than you realize. Stay focused!   “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”  Galatians 6:9

Sweep Over My Soul

Pastor Andre Mitchell

It’s been quite some time since I have blogged.  Few things lately have inspired me to blog.  I have been inspired to talk, think, and tweet; but not blog until now.  As I participated in last Sunday’s worship service, I noticed something significant.  I should say, as I tried to sit, because there was such a jubilant praise in the building.

A few key members of the praise team were just arriving, while the others took their places. Seeing that the organist had not quite situated himself yet; one lady broke out into a congregational song.  That one song turned into several oldies but goodies.  Songs about the blood, our mighty God, victory, and freedom etc.  You couldn’t help but join in with your voice, your hands, and even your feet.

I’m not talking about emotional gymnastics, but rather when the lyrics jump out at you and become alive.  In those moments, you remember that no matter what you may face when you leave, God is present and He is worthy of your best praise.  Our best praise means different things to all of us.  Sometimes it is silent thoughts, jubilant shouts, toes tapping, eyes watering, hands clapping, hallelujahs ringing, amens whispering, drums beating, organs piping, people standing, people sitting, and on and on and on.  The point is, we all do it differently but whatever praise wells up inside of you belongs to God.  Psalms 150 exclaims “Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD” 

It’s also  in these times that we forget whatever is wrong about our lives and we immediately are just excited to be alive, to have computers to type on, cell phones to talk on, and families to share life’s ups and downs with.  Also for many of us to be living in a land where we still can worship freely is an extreme blessing.   At the end of the day, we know that only God could have done  these things for us. 

I got up after the praise as I always do.  I encouraged the people to praise a little while longer, but then the Spirit began to shift quickly.  As I stood with the microphone in my hand, I could sense the entire room’s sincere need of a Savior.  I began to quote scriptures and exhort on the blood of Jesus.  Right then and there an altar call was given.  The jubilant praise turned into a reverential respect as people all over the building cried out to their Redeemer and their Lord.  Tears began to flow from my eyes like a broken dam as I was reminded that all my righteousness, yes even my praise seconds earlier, is as filthy rags.  Without God sending His Son to die for us and pay the penalty for our sins, we would be men and women most miserable. 

Instead of misery, we have joy knowing that one day on Calvary’s cross there was a man from Galilee who hung, bled, and died for us.  Not only that, He rose with all power in His hands.  He gave gifts unto men, and in Him we are now seated in heavenly places with full access to the throne room of our Abba Father.

With all these thoughts still flowing through my mind I sat down so the ushers could receive the offering.  Well, no offering was able to be taken.  When one of the ushers reached the front he grabbed the offering basket but quickly had to put it back down.  The  presence of God arrested him and he too began to exhort the congregation under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  Finally, the pastor got up and flowed right into an awesome message from the Father.

Later that day, as I reflected on the service, a lyric from an old song leaped inside of me. It articulates in seconds what has taken me several paragraphs to describe. The song simply says “Sweep Over My soul, Sweep Over My Soul. Sweet SPIRIT, sweep over my soul.  My Joy Is Complete as I Kneel at His feet, Sweet SPIRIT Sweep Over My Soul”  Shalom!

HE’S JESUS

Pastor Andre Mitchell

Caught by His hand and held by His love; no one knows the power I feel from above.  I try to explain, oh what a feeling.  It’s hard to express, such joy, such healing.  When will we learn to give Him our all.  How many mistakes or times must we fall.  Open your hearts, He’s sure to come in.  Giving over to Him is one sure way to win.  Keep pressing ahead don’t look at what’s behind.  You will find the journey has been well worth your time. When times are hard and stress is high, don’t drawback it is time to draw nigh.  Leave your agenda and yield to His plan.  He will prove He knows best again and again.  The Him I speak of is the one true Savior.  With Him in your life there’s no need to waver.  It is He and He alone that can free us.  He’s our King, our Lord, our Big Brother; HE’S JESUS!

Random Thoughts

Pastor Andre Mitchell

I want to know Him more.  If church as normal is all I am going to get, then I will be a man most miserable.  I want to see Him.  See Him high and lifted up.  See Him manifesting Himself throughout the land.  I want everyone to know when He is in the room, from the smallest infant to the most seniored person.  It is only in Him that we will live and move and have our beings.  Christ in us is our hope of Glory.  He is our risen Savior, shouldn’t He be rising up in us.  At the grocery store, I want people to recognize Him with me.  In the schools, I want our youth to exude His presence.  Over the telephone, let His presence be known.  In the autum breezes, let us hear His voice.  May He become so real to us in this season, that moments devoid of Him become gut wrenching.  May we hunger for His word like it’s our necessary food.  May we rather starve then be out of His will.  May we cling to his promises like the dear pants for water.  May we go to sleep talking to him and wake up finishing the conversation.  May purity and holiness be our automatic response to His goodness.  May the poor see that we care.  May the sinner feel loved by us and not condemned, may he be convicted and desire to know the man from Galilee.  May we remember He is no longer the baby in the manger, or just the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but He is now the Lion of the tribe of Judah longing to make His triumphant return.  Oh how I long to see religion driven Christianity die so relationship driven Christianity will live.  I will see it, in my lifetime.  I will see the church becoming all that she is destined to be, and I promise to let it first start within me.  Shalom. Selah.

Hands Off

Pastor Andre Mitchell

One day while working in a factory, I had a simple but profound revelation from God. I was running a machine that cuts metal. I was placing the metal part on the fixture so I could start the machine. With much effort I tried to put the part onto the fixture but it just wouldn’t go. I struggled and struggled. I pushed, I pulled, I pressed down, and I exerted both energy and force. I actually wore myself out. So I decided I was going to go get a hammer and tap the part into it’s proper position. In order to do this, I had to let the part go. To my utter surprise, as soon as I took my hands off the part it fell right into place. Then this revelation hit me like a ton of bricks; “How many things in your life will never work until you finally take your hands off of them?” It came to me just like that in a question.

You see, many times as human beings we have this great need to be in control. The only problem is, we just don’t know what we are doing. How many people’s marriages, families, children, careers, and overall lives would be better if they stopped trying to be in control. Take your hands off! The God that created this vast universe, has created you too. He has a great big plan for your life. Stop trying to be the superhero of your life, and acknowledge your Creator in all you endeavor to do (Prov 3:5-6). Yield your plans to God, yield yourself to His Word, and yield your will to His Will.
I have flown many times, but never once have I ever taken the controls over from the pilot. You wanna know why? Cause I don’t know how to fly! As much as it hurts, I have to trust that the pilot knows what he is doing and just enjoy the ride. Life is exactly the same way and the Triune God is your Master Pilot. So likewise, it’s time to trust God and enjoy the ride (Ps 118:8). I know it has been said a thousand times, but it bears repeating once again: LET GO AND LET GOD!

(originally written for the incorruptible aliance blog http://www.incorruptiblealliance.com )

Freedom Fighter

 

Pastor Andre Mitchell

In honor of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. I want to share a blog that was written for my friends at IA http://www.incorruptiblealliance.com/fr_home

First I want to thank Nate “Merse” Allen and the entire IA crew for allowing me this opportunity to share my thoughts. I love getting hooked up with Kingdom minded people.

Recently I studied the autobiography of Nelson Mandela. His story of becoming a freedom fighter in a South Africa that was riddled with racist apartheid was extremely fascinating to me. I am beginning to see myself as a freedom fighter as well. I am not fighting the ills of racism, hatred, or oppression. What I fight is actually much deeper than that. It is the root cause of all evil. Romans 8 calls it the Law of Sin and Death. This law is the cause for all oppressive behavior. It is responsible for all that is wrong in our world.

You and I have been freed to live under an entirely different law. It is called the Law of the Spirit of Life. Romans 8 tells us that this law frees us from the control of the previous law. Just like the law of aerodynamics will transcend the pull caused by the law of gravity; the Law of the Spirit of Life overcomes the Law of Sin and Death every time. This is the freedom that I am fighting for. I want to see people walking in this freedom. I am willing to make sacrifices just like Mandela had to do.

However, without trying to sound arrogant or disrespectful to Nelson Mandela, I believe my cause is a more noble cause. I say that simply because this freedom that I am speaking of will never have to be entrusted to human hands in order to see it properly carried out. My Bible tells me in John 8 that If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed. That Son is referring to Jesus Christ the Righteous One. In Him is a freedom truly worth fighting for. Freedom in Christ is and always will be the final answer. If more people had embraced this truth right away, people like Mandela would never have had to fight so awfully hard.

I urge today’s Christian generation to fight and secure this freedom in Christ and release it everywhere they go. Afterall, we still are the Light of the world! I’m fighting this good fight of faith so that the people in my sphere of influence will sound just like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They will be shouting, “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty we are Free at last”

 

Hoarders

Pastor Andre Mitchell

As I prepared for the onset of 2010, I decided to do some cleaning.  It was New Years eve 2009 and I wanted to enter the new year with less clutter.  Somehow it turned into throwing away the old.  I came across t-shirts that I had over a decade ago.  I  realized it was time to let these items go.   How could I expect the new while still clinging on to the old and useless items of the past. 

Obviously this sparked revelation in me as I paid attention to the spiritual equivalence.  Spiritually, it is the same way; we need to make room for the new things that await us on our spiritual journeys.  I shouldn’t expect peace until I’m willing to let go of the things that constantly cause confusion.  God will always hold true to His promises, but are we always willing to make the necessary adjustments required to experience His promises?

I often say that we treat God as if He is a spiritual Santa Clause.  In Santa’s case, he doesn’t need you to make any room.  He will squeeze himself  in the chimney and bring a bag of “goodies”.  He doesn’t expect much, except for you to be nice and maybe leave him milk and cookies.  Well, here is a News Flash for you, Jehovah God is not squeezing into anything. 

The problem is; Santa is a fairytale but God is real.  He requires you to make Him room.  He doesn’t need your nice acts.  Your righteousness is as filthy rags to Him.  He also doesn’t need your milk and cookies, or your methods to appease Him religiously.  However, what He does need and ultimately desires is a heart that will open up and say “YES” to His will.

This is how we make room for God and His entire spiritual agenda.  We must open ourselves up to Him and surrender our will to His.  We clean out anything that hinders us from yielding to His plans and purposes.  We abandon all that trys to take precedence over Him.  Simply put, we make Him room.  Once God is invited in and is given space, He will do the rest.  So with this understanding, allow me to take a page from the movie Field of Dreams and tweak it’s famous saying to fit this revelation.  “If you truly open it, He will come.”