A Man After God’s Own Heart…

Here’s a thought I’ve never encountered in the scripture as I am preparing to bring the opening word in the “Texas AEGA” conference at Christian Faith Church in Bellville this Friday night. We all know that King David was the son of Jesse, who obviously left out David when Samuel came to anoint one of the brothers the next king of Israel. It implies that Jesse didn’t even consider the value and special call on his youngest son.

This means that a lot of problems that David had was the lack of a ‘real’ father to nurture, identify, affirm and empower to be a “man after God’s own heart!” So, David also failed in His role as a father, even though He was a king, a prophet, and a man after God’s own heart! He was that man because of a sovereign rule and hunger to please God and contend with His enemies. He became known as a “Man of War!” His own son Absalom attempted to steal and take the kingdom away from him…

This week the theme in the conference is “Contending for the Heart of God!” The curse on the ministry in the church today is immaturity and lack of generational blessing and honor, which is a direct result of a lack of fathering! Since men don’t know who they are, they will ‘fight’ for position, use and manipulate people and saints, and contend and strive with other leaders for prestige and popularity! They feel so empowered every time someone calls them pastor that they believe they can “lord it over” those allotted to their charge.

Here’s the first part of that verse that I think we should consider:

Acts 13:36a- “For David ‘after he had served his own generation’ by the will of God, fell asleep,…There it is…He served his own generation….Did he just serve his own purposes and desires, even though it says, ‘by the will of God?’ And, even though He prepared Solomon for the throne and lavishly poured riches and wealth into His treasuty, did not Solomon resemble many traits of his father David and possibly even Jesse, that no real “generational heritage, legacy, and lineage” succeeded in the ensuing generations?

I guess my point is: If you only serve your own generation and you do it well by the will of God and have many accomplishments, even great fame and notoriety, does that mean you have really fulfilled the vision, purpose, and destiny of God in your life? Without ongoing generations that build upon one another and bring not only generation succession, but generational synergy, we will continue to fail in restoring the “hearts of the fathers to the children” and the “hearts of the children to ‘their’ fathers…

The corresponding verse should be and is the theme of the Father’s Heart:

Isa. 58:12- Those from among you Shall (re)build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets (lit. paths) to Dwell in.

Hebrews 10:35,36- Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, “so that after you have done the will of God”, you may receive the promise.