The Heart Series, Part Three

Psalms 119:130:

I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.

The answers to all of life’s questions are found in the inerrant Word of the living God.  It is truly the light of life and that Light is Christ.  John 1:6-9 speaks of the ministry of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ:

6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Imagine such a Light: One who can dispel all your darkness and answer all your questions; a Light that dispels all your confusion and gives health to all your flesh.  The Light cleanses from all sin and shame and fills the believer’s heart with love, peace, joy, and purpose.  Such a hope, such a power unknown to carnal man surely dwells inside the Light.  The Light is synonymous with the pure Word of God.  Are you ready to step into this glorious Light?  GodSaidManSaid has good news for you.  Today is your day of salvation.  Click onto “Further With Jesus” for beautiful, childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God.  NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 4:23:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 23:19:

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

GOD SAID, Matthew 5:44-45:

44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

MAN SAID: The heart is just a muscle pump and no more.  The Bible is just the archaic writings of mere men and no more.

Now THE RECORD.  This feature, as advertised, is the last of a three-part series.  GodSaidManSaid tries to keep its feature articles to an average of 15 minutes.  We think of a feature as a gospel sandwich.  After getting into this marvelous God-created concept it became apparent that we needed to expand into five features, and as you should be aware, we still will only scratch the surface.  Welcome to GodSaidManSaid.  We’re so glad you’ve come. 

In the first feature, we discovered that the heart can be made happy or sad with circumstances and just words, and the physical ramifications are well documented.  Proverbs 17:22:

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

We also discovered in feature one that the heart thinks independently, and also in conjunction with the brain.  The heart is a central participant in the very plan of salvation itself.  How beautiful it is that thousands of years before man’s science began to understand, God the Creator, declared it so.

In the second feature, we examined the procedure of keeping the heart.  We noted the basic soul-man nomenclature as having three parts:

1.  The thinking brain that analyzes information, and organizes thought and action.

2.  The thinking heart—the seat of emotions—out of which flow the issues of life.

3.  The belly, where the discerning spirit dwells.

A brief, simplistic example of how one keeps his heart follows:

1.  A thought (anger or hatred toward your neighbor, for example) enters between your ears.  You did not create this thought.  It has been thought millions or billions of times before.  You have no ownership of this thought.

2.  The brain begins to analyze the merits of the thought and the heart adds its interest.

3.  The discerning spirit that dwells in the belly weighs in and leans in favor or disfavor.  If the Spirit of God dwells in you it will lead and guide in all truth, rejecting the evil inclination.

4.  If the brain entertains the thought, a trap door opens under the chin and the evil thought, in our example, falls down into the heart.  At this point, ownership of the thought takes place.  The heart is contaminated.  Jesus said 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.

Keeping the heart is crucial.

Feeding the soul-man the right food is essential to his health.  Jesus said in John 6:33:

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Proverbs 3:3:

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Imagine that the heart has a tablet and things are written there.  It is important that that writing is the Word of God.

The heart of the Godly must be fed with faith.  This faith is a product of the Word of God.  Romans 10:17:

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

I have found the following five steps strategic in the maintenance of a godly heart:

1.  Rising up early before the day begins and seeking the face of God.  I think of it as the morning sacrifice.  II Corinthians 13:5:

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Be assured that God will attend this meeting.

2.  Ephesians 4:31-32:   

31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, etc., will grow up in an individual’s heart and destroy that person.  During your early morning visit with God, put away these things.  The following excerpts are from the feature “Grudges vs. Forgiveness – Death vs. Life” on this website:

Researchers at Hope College in Holland, Michigan studied 71 subjects who mentally relived hurtful memories but this time with two alternative endings: harboring a grudge and forgiving.  The researchers measured their heart rates, blood pressure, perspiration, and cataloged their emotions.  Again quoting from the article:

Heart rates and blood pressures were 2½ times lower when participants forgave than when they held grudges.  Holding a grudge also made them sweat, a sign that their nervous systems were on high alert.  Forgiveness left them feeling calm and in control.

Dr. C. Witvliet, assistant professor of psychology at the college, had this to say regarding the study:

Participants felt significantly more negative, angry, and sad during the unforgiving condition than during the forgiving condition.

And finally the doctor said:

We know that sustained anger and hostility are risk factors for heart disease.  Forgiveness may be a powerful antidote to hostility.  If people become forgiving, there can be accumulating health benefits, just as there are increased health risks when people have accumulated anger and hostility.

An unforgiving spirit breeds hostility in all forms.  Dr. Redford Williams, an internist and behavioral medicine researcher at Duke University, had this to say about hostility:

A cynical, mistrusting attitude is a driving force that makes people most susceptible to heart disease.

He went on to say:

Hostility predicts the risk not just of heart disease, but mortality due to all causes.  [End of quote]

The benefits of keeping the heart are truly demonstrated spiritually and physically.

3.  My heart must love everybody.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:44:

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Loving everybody is a requirement of godliness.  Is there somebody in your life’s history that you do not love?  Take an honest moment and make a mental list of those you do not love.  Think of each one for a few seconds.  Now we will apply godly words.  While thinking of the people in your mental list, repeat with me out loud.  Are you ready?

“I LOVE EVERYBODY!

“I LOVE EVERYBODY!

“I LOVE EVERYBODY!”

Now maintain this confession regardless of the situations that arise and you’ll be free from bitterness, no matter how carnally justifiable it is.  Bitterness is a fruit of evil and it kills.  Love is health.

4.  Keep in mind that the heart is made merry or sad with words.  Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Write these words on the tablet of your heart.

5.  At the end of the day before you sleep, read the Word of God and meditate upon His goodness.  Allow the Spirit of God to correct the day’s errors and apply Ephesians 4:26:

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Wrath and anger also bring sickness and death to those who give place to it.  Ecclesiasties 5:17 is one of many verses that shows the linkage of wrath to sickness.

The risk of suffering a heart attack is 2.3 times higher in the two hours following an episode of anger.

Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, assistant professor of health and social behavior at the Harvard School of Public Health, led the research of 1,300 men with an average age of 62.  The research covered a period of seven years and showed that men with the highest levels of anger were 300% more likely to develop heart disease.

Retire each evening clear of bitterness and grudges, etc.  Your heart will thank you for it in many ways and your sleep shall be sweet.

Jesus speaks in John 10:10:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Of course it’s true spiritually and physically, too.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 4:23:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

GOD SAID, Proverbs 23:19:

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

GOD SAID, Matthew 5:44-45:

44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

MAN SAID: The heart is just a muscle pump and no more.  The Bible is just the archaic writings of mere men and no more.

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

References:

Authorized King James Version

Circulation, October 1, 1995 issue

Dean, W., MD, “The Neuroendocine Theory of Aging,” Vitamin Research News, August 2001, pp1,4

“Everything Made of Words,” GodSaidManSaid.com, 1/20/2005

Goleman, D., “Agreeableness vs. Anger,” Good Health, New York Times, April 16, 1989, p20

Harrar, S., “How Grudges Hurt You,” Prevention, February 2002, p38

“Let Not The Sun Go Down Upon Your Wrath,” GodSaidManSaid.com, 6/14/2001

“Life Series – Part Four – Learning To Talk (Session One),” GodSaidManSaid.com, 7/26/2007

McMann, S., “Anger Kills,” CNN Interactive, June 26, 1996

Personal Health Column, New York Times, November 20, 1996

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