Mike Bickle - After Gods Own Heart: The key to knowing and living Gods passionate love for you

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AFTER GODS OWN HEART by Mike Bickle
Published by Charisma House
Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
www.charismahouse.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NAS are from the New American Standard Bible.

Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Design Director: Justin Evans
Cover design by Karen Gonsalves

Copyright 2004, 2009 by Mike Bickle
All rights reserved

ISBN-13: 978-1-59979-530-0

The Library of Congress has cataloged the previous edition as follows:

Bickle, Mike.
After Gods own heart / Mike Bickle.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-59185-230-7 (Hardback)
1. Christian lifeBiblical teaching. I. Title.
BS680.C47B53 2004
248.4dc22
2003020968
E-book ISBN: 978-1-59979-876-9

DEDICATION

I want to dedicate this book to my dear son Paul, who graduated from college and jumped into the IHOP-KC world. It is my joy to have you around so much. I love watching you receive and respond to Gods Word. Wow! From the day you were born until your teen years, your mother and I laid hands on you literally every night while you lay sleeping in your bed. We asked the Lord to fill you with revelation of Jesus and to make you a man after His own heart. As I see you in these days, I am watching God answer these prayers right before my eyes. I cannot tell you how deeply this touches me. The Lord has surely called you to greatness before Him. May you see your destiny in the chapters of this book. You and Luke continue to be the delight of my heart.

DAD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I want to thank my dear comrades Matt and Dana Candler for their invaluable help in taking my transcribed sermons and turning them into the manuscript for this book. The only way they were able to do this is because they live this message in their private lives.

I want to thank my friend and co-worker Bob Fraser for his relentless encouragement (pressure) to write this book. He refused all my good reasons for not having time to write another book.

I want to thank my personal assistant, Anne House, for tirelessly providing the transcriptions. Anne, you are a joy and blessing to so many at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City.

Thank you, Joel Kilpatrick, for the excellent work you did with the manuscript. You definitely improved it.

CONTENTS

by Martin Smith/Delirious?

WHILE PLAYING IN KANSAS CITY in 1999, Delirious? had the pleasure of meeting Mike Bickle for the first time. We swapped God stories and immediately felt a connection with this radical man of God. We all left Kansas City that night with a greater sense of purpose, and so it is with great honor that I encourage you to read this book.

Holiness is always an awkward subject for todays generation of Christians. Its a word not often used these days, and lets be honest. It sounds a little bit boring!

I have often reflected on the true meaning of being a history maker. The more I carry on in my own Christian journey, the more I realize it is all to do with holiness, not the holiness that puts us in a straitjacket, but the holiness that celebrates purity and friendship and that jealously seeks after Gods own heart. I have come to realize more and more that this holiness is not a superspiritual set of rules that we all fall short of, but it is an everyday combination of good, godly choices and a passion to serve our Maker.

Its not about winning, but running... not about success, but commitment... not about position, but servanthood... not about religion, but relationship... not about liberalism, but discipline... not about compromise, but devotion. Holiness is happiness, and God is raising up a generation of revivalists whose heartbeat is to adore their heavenly Maker. Mike is the real deal and is someone who lives it, not just preaches it. Fasten your seat belts as you read, and prepare to be changed.

MARTIN SMITH
DELIRIOUS?

Chapter One
A GENERATION AFTER GODS OWN HEART

KING DAVID HAS BEEN A PUZZLE, a mystery, a holy conundrum for thousands of years. His life perplexes, maddens, and humbles students of the Bible. To many, it doesnt make sense that this man who was so prone to personal weakness was able to get away with so much and still have God treat him with special favor. He was many things: a shepherd, a psalmist, a king, a liar, a murderer, and an adulterer. But most important of all, he was the only person in the entire span of the Bible to be called a man after Gods own heart. Can you think of four more stunning words in all of creation? A manlowly and often full of doubts and sin, like all of usand yet God singled him out and called him a man after His own heart. What an awesome, almost unfathomable compliment!

But in saying those words, God threw open the door to every person on the planet to be, like David, a man or woman after Gods own heart. We all have the same opportunity as that long-ago king to embody in our own personality and in our own way the kind of heart that reflects the very heart, emotions, and personality of God. Our Father is no respecter of persons. He didnt make King David great so the rest of us would feel like failures. Rather, He offers you and me the same opportunities and blessings He offered to men and women throughout history. But most people dont ever come close to having a heart after Gods the way David did. They stumble and struggle through life without discovering Gods heart and without letting it transform them.

WHAT SET DAVID APART AS A MAN AFTER GODS HEART WAS HIS UNRELENTING PASSION TO SEARCH OUT AND UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONS OF GOD.

Two of the toughest questions throughout Christian history has been, Why did David get this special distinction from God? and, What set him apart from so many other godly men and women? In these days, I believe God is releasing the answer to that question in greater measure than ever before. You see, it wasnt Davids obedience that earned him special standing with God. Close examination reveals he wasnt any more obedient than, say, Moses or the other prophets. And if you really want a sterling example of obedience, check out Daniel.