The Heart: Key to God's Health

By: Pastor Leroy Rankin

MAKE-UP OF THE HEART
A. COMPONENTS - The Heart is the inner core of one's being. It contains four inter-locking components that feed on knowledge. They are: (1) stored Thoughts; (2) Imaginations about things; (3) Ways, or daily patterns of behavior; and (4) Desires, or lusts which drive one to behavior for satisfaction. Everything that one thinks, says and does proceeds from this inner core. Out of the abundance of the Heart the mouth speaks (St. Luke 6:45) and the body behaves. (St. Matthew 14:19-20)

B. RELATIONSHIP -A direct relationship exists between the Strength of the Heart and the Health of the body. When one behaves, or acts on knowledge, a desire is fulfilled. (Ephesians 2:2-3) Daily words and behavior either strengthen or weaken the Heart, based upon the type of knowledge that produce them - Good or Evil.

C. SATAN'S STRATEGY- Satan enters lives and bodies specifically to steal, kill, and destroy. (St. John 10:10) Truth: A sound (strong) Heart is the life of the flesh. (Proverbs 14:30) Further, "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" (Proverbs 18:14) Given the above, Satan's strategy is to rob the Heart of its strength so that one cannot resist his attacks of sickness and disease. He effectively uses three potent forces to weaken it:

TEMPTATIONS

Satan perfectly understands human nature and the evil desires that operate in the Heart, because they proceed directly from Him. Jesus states in St. Matthew 8:44 "ye are of you father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." Satan uses people and things to "entice" one with thoughts to speak evil things (argue, curse, lie,) and commit evil acts (steal, fight, rape etc.). When evil thoughts are acted upon, they produce sin. (James 1:13-15)

When the same temptations are yielded to daily, evil ways are established. These ways lead to misery and destruction. (Romans 3:16) Specifically, they give "room" to Satan to weaken the Heart
producing no defense when he manifests sickness and disease in the body. (Ephesians 4:26-29)

FEAR

Fear is a fixed part of the inner core without Christ in the Heart. It is called the spirit of bondage. (Romans 8:15) Fear torments the Mind. (I John 4:18) Whatever one is fearful of is what Satan will bring to defeat them: Reason: There is no active defensive thinking in fear itself, only a sense of terror of the thing that manifests. The natural thought is to retreat. (Job 3:25)

HEAVINESS

Satan effectively uses people and circumstances to transmit thoughts of heaviness to the heart. "Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad." (Proverbs 12:25) Heaviness enters when a loved one or trusted friend does things to disappoint. When things planned in life end up failing, heaviness penetrates the Heart. Satan takes full advantage of heaviness states and work vigorously to destroy.

THE WAY TO STRENGTH THE HEART & HEALTH OF THE BODY

A. THE HOLY SPIRIT - God sent the Holy Spirit to earth to dwell and work inside the inner core - the Heart. He is called the Spirit of Truth (St. John 16:13) and is greater than Satan and all of his demonic forces at work in the earth. (I John 4:4) The Holy Spirit's work is to daily impart God's hidden Treasures to the Heart, which are His Wisdom and Knowledge. (Colossians 2:3) Since He is greater than Satan, the Treasures that He imparts are also greater than Satan. The Holy Spirit imparts God's treasures by Teaching. (St. John 14:26)

B. WORK OF THE TREASURES - What the Holy teaches must be Learned to bring benefit. (Ephesians 4:20-21) When one learns Truth, the individual reaches a state of "Knowing" it. When God's Truth is known, its power is released, freeing the Heart from all evil things - evil thoughts ways, desires, imaginations. (St. 8:33-32) The process is also called, Sanctification. (St. John 17:17) Satan has no power when evil does not exist in the Heart. God's Knowledge also deposits God's Thoughts and Ways in the Heart. (Isaiah 55:8-9) God's Thoughts are His Words. God's Wisdom is His Way of doing things. Satan has absolutely no power against the Thoughts and Ways of God.

C. TRAINING- What the Heart learns must be "Practiced" to achieve results. Therefore, the Holy Spirit teaches the Mind and the Mouth for lifestyle change. When the Mind is renewed, or changed by training, it becomes "spiritual" in its make-up. (Romans 12:2) (Romans 8:6) The Holy Spirit trains the Mouth for a new level of conversing with people. (Proverbs 16:23) God's words taught are health to the entire body. (Proverbs 4:20-22)
As one is trained in God's Wisdom, he or she develops a more "Pleasant" personality; rather than being harsh, mean or angry. As God's Pleasantness is used in daily conversation, His Health is transmitted to the body. This is a great "Mystery." "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24)

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