James Mitchell The writings of a servant.

It’s A New Season

So as you already know, we're in a new year. 2010. The first thing that comes to my mind thinking about this new season is, what is this year going to bring? Is it going to be the same as 2009? Is it going to open some doors that I've been dreaming about? Or am I going to have to wait longer to see those doors open. I was thinking all these things and more. I was also thinking about the move of God that our  church has been prophesied to about. Our youth group, what does this new year have in store for them? Well my inspiration came when I stumbled across some lyrics to a song on a friends Facebook page. They said this.

It's a new season, it's a new day.
A fresh anointing is flowing my way.
It's a season of power and prosperity.
It's a new season coming to me.

Wait on the Lord

Ps 37:7-9

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
KJV

I was thinking tonight, that I needed to write, so I prayed, God, Please give me a message to write on. Again he said unto me, Wait on the Lord! So I'm writing to you all tonight hoping, praying, that this will touch some of your heart. I know I'm touched right now thinking about it.

How many times do we find outselves pushing God for something? "God, I need this, I need that, Make it happen Lord" I to find myself praying that way somtimes, but recently I've changed my prayers. I realized something, You annoy God enough he might give you what you want, but that might not be what's best for you! The bible says "Ps 37:4 he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." That's is a very true statement, because God will, I've seen it time and time again. Oh Lord, but again, I stress watch what you say, the bible says in Matthew 15:18-20

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man:
KJV

What are the desires that are in your heart. I dunno about you, but I want my desires to be desires to further God's kingdom. I want to be able to win souls. I wanna see new converts running those aisles, dancing, shouting, being baptized in the Holy Ghost. But I'll never see me become a soul winner if I don't get that in my heart. I had to make up my mind, that whatever desires I had needed to be somthing that will be a help to the kingdom. And the bible says that Those who wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. You see, I am going to wait upon the Lord. I want to win souls, But maybe I'm not ready to be that soul winner yet, Maybe I need to spend an extra few hours a day in my bible, reading it studying it. Maybe before God can send you that special someone, or send you to be a missionary, you need to get to studying, so that God can acually use you or send you.

If your not ready, What good are you going to do? So I encourage you all, to Wait upon the Lord for the things that you pray for, God will take care of it, But while your waiting, you might as well try to get a closer walk with God, It's not going to hurt anything to walk closer to God. I strive daily to walk closer with God, I can remember a year ago, I was most likely drunk and stoned outa my mind. WHy did I get into that position, because I didn't understand the importance of waiting upon the Lord. You see, God called me to some things, and I wanted them to happen right then, right there, and I wasn't ready, I wasn't ready to face what I had to face, and ultimatly it tore me down and I cowered and ran away.

I backslid, I became an alcoholic, a stoner if you wanna use the term, That's all I did every day. I would come home from work and Get high, then a little later I'd pull out the liquor and start trying to drown my concious out. God was constantly reminding me of the callings on my life, and I didn't wanna hear it. I drowned it out. Then one day, Something clicked, I've been called to something greater than killing my braincells, I've been called by the Almighty God to do a work for him. And if I have to wait 10 years to see my callings come to pass, I will. Because I know God is going to use me, But you see, If you will wait, You'll be so blessed for it. Don't just wait, but wait patiently for him.

You can not fathom the blessing that come from God with Patience and waiting. I've seen a family wait patiently and continue praying for their lost children, whom some thought would never come to God. I want you all to know, that 3 of their children have been baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost and can be found running and shouting those aisles when it comes church time.

Wait patiently for him, Don't be angry, God will come in his time. As the song says, "Isn't it great, when he's 4 days late, and he's still on time?"

Yours In Christ,
James Mitchell

Prayer Request

I usually wouldn't do this, and I came close to deciding not to. But I'd like to ask you all if you could pray for me, Your so great to me, your all such great friends and I appretiate the support you show me and the friendship you show me, You help me out when I need it and you encourage me when I'm down. Well, Theres some things in my life, that it just seems no matter what I do, I can't overcome it, or I should say, I make a mistake in a new way, and I havn't got it right now, I change what I do, and I still come up with the same result. I truthfully am needing God to comfort me on this, and I know his spirit will comfort me, but I'd really appretiate all your prayers. Seems like when I get close to the point of figuring it out, the devil throws everything he's got at me. And I'm ready for a Holy Ghost breakthrough that will propel me past the devils snare in this area to where he can't bother me again. But Anyway, I will be posting hopefully soon again, I went through some things recently and was unable to post much at all, but I'm through them, and I again have plenty of free time to study and write.

God bless you all,
James Mitchell

Watch and Pray

Matt 26:41

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

KJV

I am going to do my best do describe right here, right now, how I feel when I read this scripture. I am going to show you the importance of a habitual prayer and fasting life. How important it is that every day, you would pray at the least once. And every week you should have a fast day. You may disagree, that’s fine, I’m not trying to step on your toes, but I’m trying to help you.

Instead of hitting it off talking about praying and fast I’m going to hit this off talking to you about the flesh. How dangerous is our flesh, what are a few of the sins our flesh can cause us to commit? How can we overcome the pushing, pulling, and nagging at us by the temptations caused by the flesh?

1 John 2:16

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

KJV

You see that? The LUST OF THE FLESH, is not of the Father, but is of the world. You know how we refer to when we were in the world? Well, we are meaning, before God Filled us with the Holy Ghost and set us on a rock that can not be moved. Yet, some of us, and you know who you are, still have the lust of the flesh, even the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. You live them all, let me get a little more specific, it’s a problem I used to have, pornography. Yes, I said it, pornography, a filthy nasty way to be living. I’ve known many young men in the faith that love God with all their heart and would do anything in the world if they knew it would further God’s kingdom, like the scripture said, “THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, but the Flesh is weak.” Yet no matter how much they’d do for him, they still find themselves falling down to the pornography.

Maybe it’s not pornography for you, maybe it’s looking at the other young men or women in your area in a bad way, looking at them with your eyes and imagining something you aren’t meant to ever see. Either way, This is a way our flesh is dangerous, when we give in to the lust of the flesh, to please the flesh.

Eph 6:12

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

KJV

Another way that our flesh is dangerous to us is a lot of the time we don’t realize that we’re not fighting against anything of the flesh, You CAN overcome anything in this world that’s of the flesh, pornography, drugs, alcohol, Doesn’t matter, I’ve done it, so can you. But you must realize that we are fighting against Principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness in this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. Do you really understand what that means? It means that if you have anything that’s bothering you, it’s not a battle with your flesh; it’s a battle with Spirits. And we have the Spirit of GOD in us; we can overcome any evil spirit in this world.

What all sins can be committed when we yield to the flesh? Here are a few, fornication, adultery, which the bible says in Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So you better watch where you let your imagination go, it’s a dangerous thing. Fornication, adultery, alcohol, drugs, hmm, I feel the need to say this, I truly believe in habitual prayer and fasting. But if you’re a young lady and you’re going without eating because you think your fat, and you’re not actually fasting, that is a sin, the same for you young ladies who cut your arms and so on, cutters. The bible says: know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? Oh I know this is reaching someone. If you cut your arms, your cutting the temple of God, if you purposely starve your body of food for the reason of you think your fat, then you’re starving the temple of God.

If you are giving in to anything of the flesh, that pulls your mind away from God, and keeps you from the Godly things, then you need to check yourself. I’ve gave you some ideas of how our flesh causes us to sin. Now I’m going to give you some ideas of how to overcome this and to fight this, spiritually speaking.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: Jesus here was telling us, If you’ll pray, and pray, then you’ll find that you’ll be much better to overcome the temptations that will come at you, possibly stay out of them completely, if you will just habitually pray. PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!!!!!! I can not express to you the importance of prayer. Now I’m going to tell you about fasting, there is nothing that can humble you more than fasting. I love food, whew I love it, and sometimes I think I’m going to die when I go one day fasting. But it is one of the most humbling experiences you will ever have.

So you see, this is why Jesus said, Watch and Pray, that ye may not enter into temptation, because He knows our spirit wants to worship and to praise him with everything we have, He knows we want to do everything for him, but He also knows the dangers the flesh can pose if we haven’t been praying and fasting like we should.

I encourage you all, Pray every single day, at least once, for an hour or more, and fast at the least once a week, twice if possible, and see what kind of changes occur in your life. See how much more a lost soul means to you when you walk by them on the street, pay attention to the fact that you’ll feel less inclined to participate in fleshly sin. Pray and Fast like you feel Jesus would want you to.

Yours in Christ,
James Mitchell

More than one meal

John 6:57-58

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
KJV

What in the world is Jesus talking about? How can we eat him? Jesus was not talking about his real flesh. Sure look in the scriptures right before these and he says, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." Sure he said that, but he was referring to this in a spiritual food to fill your spirit rather than a fleshly food to fill your body.

I want to express to you a belief that I have today that it is going to take more than one meal to keep your spirit alive.

If you go back to Exodus chapter 16 and read you will find the children of Israel in the wilderness murmuring against God. Despite this God gave them manna to eat each morning for forty years. But James, I thought we were talking about a spiritual bread, not a physical breed. I am talking about a spiritual food. Look at what Jesus spoke in Luke 9:3-5 "take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece." How does this apply to us? Sure we need bread/food to live, but if we can just learn to put God first he will provide us with a way to make money, the money to buy food. And the food to fill our bodies.

I want to talk to you more about spiritual food though. We need to have discipline in our lives. When we receive the Holy Ghost we have everything we need to discipline our lives. It is God in us, look at what Jesus spoke in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life" Having his spirit in us and having discipline in our lives will feed our soul.

You want to know the best food you could ever eat? It's the Word, your bible. Spend time daily reading and studying what it says. It's not only food for your soul, it's food for your mind. It will teach you how to live, it will teach you the importance of holiness living. It will teach you everything you need to know about life.

But keep in mind. Our daily reading and praying is what feeds our soul. Just like our body, we must feed our soul daily or it will die. What I mean by this is after a while of not studying and praying, missing a church service doesn't mean much. Then it's two or three services in a row. Before long you don't go to church anymore. Your bible is put on the shelf and you'll then quit living the holiness lifestyle, the way you dress will no longer show who you are, it'll show what you have become. Can I tell you something? By doing this you will be doing what satan wants. He doesn't want you dressing holy, he doesn't want you going to church, he doesn't want you reading and praying daily.

So you see that feeding our soul once isn't enough, we have to feed our soul daily so it doesn't die. One meal for our soul isn't going to last us for our entire physical life. SO I'm urging you to read and pray daily. Also Thirsty? Remember Jesus said. John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." So keep in the word, Drink of it, eat of it. and your soul will be full.

Supporting Scriptures:

Psalms 63:1
Psalms 143:6
Matthew 4:4
Luke 9:3
John 4:13-14
John 6:35
John 7:37-39

Yours in Christ,
James Mitchell

One post a week.

Well. In my eyes, this is truely a blessing. I will only be posting one post a week, most likely on a friday. I'm sorry to those of you who have been using this as a daily devotional site. I know a couple have. But I've been praying earnestly lately that God use me in any way he can, and he really is beginning to use me. I'm putting myself out of the way more and God first. Example, last night, I went to mcdonalds to get a bite to eat, ended up witnessing to four people for half an hour, telling them what God has done for me and how he can do the same for them. Completely unintentional, but a true blessing to me to allow God to open up opportunities in my life like that. He's really set my feet to runnin and doin things for him. So my time for writing has been getting shorter and shorter. So I prayed, and felt I should post one time a week, this will also give me more time to get in depth with my post, and hopefully make it more interesting. Thank you all for your time and your patience.

Yours in Christ,
James Mitchell

Don’t Harden Your Heart

Heb 3:13-14

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
KJV

Ok, I am going to do my best to explain what I feel when I read this. I don't know if it will come out right or not, but the best I can do is try.

While we're reading here if you go up to verse 7-11 it tells us not to harden our hearts as the generation that was in the desert for 40 years on the verge of the promise land. They hardened their hearts and for that, the whole generation will not enter his rest.

The rest that God offered Israel was the promised land of Canaan. That entire generation did not get to enter into the Promised Land because of the hardness of their hearts and the unbelief that they could go in and take the land. The only two of the generation that lived to enter the promised land were Caleb and Joshua. They had belief enough and said that the land did have giants and such, but they could go in and take the land because God was with them.

How is your belief? Do you believe that God still performs miracles today as he did back when Jesus healed the blind? Do you believe God can heal cancer right there in the alter as someone is praying?

Do some of you ever wonder why you don't see these miracles right now? They are happening, I assure you they are, I believe it. I want to see more miracles happen. I want to see people healed of cancer, I want to see the blinded eyes opened and the lame to walk. All these things though will not be done if we do not have belief.

Rest might have been Canaan for that generation, but rest for this generation I believe is the enjoyment of his spiritual blessings. Do you want to take part in this? Do you want to enjoy spiritual blessings?

Do not harden your hearts, do not loose your belief in God. There are so many things I could tell you right now, say to you right now, about reasons why we shouldn't loose faith in our God, but we know these things. If your reading this you've felt God move in your life, If you haven't I challenge you to walk to the front of an Apostolic Oneness Tongue talking church raise your hands and praise God. You'll feel the presence of God, it's a humbling feelings to feel the presence of God.

Let us study the word, let us know how to react to the things that happen to us. If someone has treated you wrong, forgive them, if you can not forgive your brother, how can God forgive you? So don't harden your hearts. You are my Brothers and Sisters in Christ and I want you to be dancing with me while I walk through that Pearly Gate.

Yours in Christ,
James Mitchell

Do Not Be Discouraged

Josh 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
NIV

At times I'm so overwhelmed with things going on in my life that I think, "Wow, I wish God was here to help me out with this, it might make things a little bit easier." Or something like, "Wow, I wish God would move with me on this, I don't know what's going on and why he hasn't helped me out in this situation but it's not going good." Then we have the Sad face going on =(.

I'm sure you and I have had these times. Times of Discouragement, times of depression, thinking that God isn't with us and that he will never show up in our situation. I'm here to tell you right now, today, that is not what the bible says. The bible says that he is with us always.

Come on guys, he isn't only with us when we're happy and feeling good. Sure He is with us in those times, the times where you dance before the Lord. The times where you run the aisles, and shout praise unto God. He's there, your inviting him in with your praise and worship. But he's also there when we're in that trial that it feels we're never going to make it out. He's there when we're in the valley or climbing the next mountain. Through every trail and temptation, He's there, If he doesn't keep you from it, He will keep you through it.

Have you ever heard the footsteps in the sand story? Well, that's the truth, you may have looked down and saw one set of footsteps the whole way in the sand, but that's really God carrying you the whole way. I love the song that goes, "He'll keep you through the fire, when it becomes a furnace, he'll keep you through the water, when it becomes a flood." See, You might be in a fire, that's turned into a furnace, you might be in a flood right now, but raise your hands and your voice to Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, and he'll keep you through all your trials.

I want to go back to this other part of this scripture. "Do not be terrified : NIV" or "be not afraid : KJV". Sometimes we get ourselves into situations, or in a place, where we are afraid of what is going to happen. I don't know, maybe some of you are scared of the dark, and your riding your 4-wheeler out in the middle of logging territory and it goes dead(actually happened to me) and it's pitch black outside, and you can't see anything. Ended up having to walk all night long, with the least amount of light, about 10 miles home. I admit, I was terrified, I thought every sound was something out to get me, but I just kept praising the Lord, and he would make things ok.

Sometimes we don't see the significance of the small things like Praying when you feel a temptation. Feeling an old temptation coming on? Pray, praise God, dance, leap, whatever you feel to do, and that temptation will move on. Satan knows that at the spoken name of Jesus, that he much turn and flee, he has no place where the name of Jesus is spoken.

Back to the point, no matter how much you feel God isn't with you at times, for those of us with the Holy Ghost, God is always with us. He will never leave us, he will never forsake us. Maybe this message is only for one person. I don't know. But I'm just obeying God in what he told me to write about this scripture. Remember, Just because you don't feel God sometimes, doesn't mean he isn't right there holding you up, just waiting for you to realize that your in good Hands.

Yours in Christ,
James Mitchell

I appologise guys

I am sorry guys. I've been rediculously busy lately here with church stuff, or just not being able to get to a computer. I usualy about about 5 new emails when I log online. Well, today when I got on I had 30 new emails. Well. I am going to have a article for tomorrow, and I guess you will be reading both these post together.