#3 THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part three of a five part series.
TEXT:
Prov. 4:23 .. Keep they heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.
1 Tim. 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,
and destitute of the truth, supposing that GAIN is godliness: from such turn away?
2 Chron. 7:14 It is time we humble ourselves, fall on our knees, pray, and seek the great God, repent,
turn from our evil ways, --- we can do something about this heart problem, -----
GOD WILL HEAR US, HE WILL FORGIVE US, AND HEAL OUR LAND.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
This is Part #3 -- if you need parts 1 & 2 ask at Kyfingers@aol.com
As we have been studying heart problems our focus is the problem of the heart is the heart of the problem.
#11 - Heart problems on the spiritual side come oftentimes from a lack of self-discipline.
As we mature, discipline from other sources oftentimes are inappropriate
and anger the source that needs correcting.
So one of the goals of spiritual maturity is self-discipline of the heart.
Prov. 4:23 .. Keep they heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
As addressed in our first letter,
we dealt with the problems in the White House all the way down to our local houses.
Most problems are spawned out of the issues of the heart.
We also looked at diagnosing the problems of the heart.
Very few realize there is a spiritual problem with the heart until it is time to go purchase the coffin.
If we would allow the Holy Spirit to do His office work,
He would convict and perfect and bring to our remembrance and correct
our heart problems before they became life threatening.
We must be like David and not like Saul.
David had a heart that cried, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me."
In today’s society, we find too few that invite God’s spirit to correct
our hearts and our attitudes.
It is not God’s responsibility,
nor can we blame the devil, for heart problems.
As the above verse suggest, it is our duty to keep our hearts.
As we bite our fingernails to the quick and worry, (worry is a type of doubt.)
Our worry breeds fear and our fear brings heart failure.
Luke 21:26 addresses a problem that would happen in the last days.
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.
We need an accurate diagnosis of our heart.
Fear causes many negative things to happen in a man’s heart and in his home.
We see that heart failure comes out of fear, fear is a type of worry, worry is a type of doubt.
So if we expect healthy hearts that will push life, we must allow the trust of the
word of God to grow in our lives.
ISA. 26:3 is an offer for a perfect heart.
There it states those that trust God will stay their minds (a fixed heart)
and will find a level of peace because our heart trusts God.
#12. We can never seriously discuss heart problems without seeing there is a
direct correlation between the heart and the tongue.
Matthew 12:34 says .... For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35: A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
We under estimate in the church world today the ability of the tongue,
and the tongue’s influence over our daily walk.
Again, we must recognize that as a steering wheel guides a car,
or as a keyboard is a tool to program a computer, so the words of our mouth will guide our hearts.
I have some friends that I honestly dread spending time with, they are so negative.
The people they work with are such knuckleheads,
their neighbors are idiots, and their family are mental cases.
The only person they don’t worry about is them and me.
And sometimes they wonder about me!
How sad when we allow our hearts to be troubled?
In John the 14th chapter, twice it says a command, let not your hearts be troubled.
What on earth troubles hearts?
Words, words, words.
God knows how important words are.
He said .... Let there be light and there was.
God knows the potential of the spoken word.
Some of our hearts hang heavy today and we near fainting because our heart hangs on things.
And the words that we speak cause heart problems.
I would fail you if I didn’t tell you, there is a big linkage between
our ears,
our heart,
and our tongue.
If you take in basic garbage, you will spew out basic garbage.
Our enemy does not have the ability to trouble your heart.
The lack of faith birthed in many words spawn storm after storm.
God has been so good. He gave his son Jesus, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit,
we have a roof over our head, we have food in our stomach,
we have a hope beyond this world, and yet we have troubled hearts.
Troubled because we focus on things.
We count what we don’t have instead of being thankful for the things that we do have.
Only one of the 10 lepers was made whole. What was the difference?
Did Jesus play favorites?
He came back to say thank you.
Only people with thankful hearts will come back and say thanks. T
he reward of coming back is not just being with Jesus again,
but it shows something has happened in the heart.
I ask you today, what are you counting?
Are you counting your blessings?
Are you counting your problems?
Why on earth would you go to the mountain and tell it your heart?
Why not go to your God and tell Him about your mountains?
Heart problems grow as we avoid dealing with troubled hearts.
I know as many preachers with troubled hearts
as I know sinners with troubled hearts! (Percentage wise)
Does your heart know that God is able?
If your heart knows God is able, release your faith and expect a new move of God.
#13. We have looked at the negative potential of the human mind.
We cannot close a conversation about the heart without seriously considering regeneration.
Eph. 4:23..and be renewed in the Spirit of your mind.
Man only has the physical ability of limited regeneration.
But if you cut an earthworm or a starfish in the right place, each half will grow a new half.
They have a great power of regeneration.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and bring about the plan and purpose of God.
Again, in Rom. 8:28..And we know that all things....the called according to His purpose.
For our hearts to function as God planned,
we must submit to a regenerated heart that rises above what
Jeremiah says, that the heart is wicked, who can know it.
Now, we give witness that this is true.
But if we submit our heart unto the work of the Holy Spirit and allow
God to discern the intent of our heart we are well on the way towards a new lifestyle.
Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful, ,,,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Now we are really down to the meat of the reason to study the heart.
There is no diagnostic tool that I know of that can get down to the
intents of the heart except the word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Saul, the first king of Israel, is recorded that he received a new heart and a new mind.
Saul could walk with the prophets and God’s spirit would come upon him.
Saul knew the anointing as few hearts have ever known, yet he wasted it.
The old preacher Samuel warned Saul that God had rather have
obedience and submission of the heart more than the fat of rams.
Saul hid some things in his heart; rebellion, stubbornness, and witchcraft.
(1 Sam. 15:22-23)
See, today we would kick David out of the church for his sexual sin,
and we would allow stubborn, rebellious Saul to be a deacon, but God saw the heart.
1 Sam. 13:14 records David was a man after God’s own heart.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me, tell others of this work?
