Heart Condition Heart Condition A strong healthy heart

Heart Condition

Heart Condition ▪ A strong healthy heart is the foundation of a healthy life full of vitality and zest ▪ The quality of our life is dependent on a healthy heart ▪ Great care and attention must constantly be paid to the condition of the heart all through a person’s life Ø Checkups start at new birth Ø Occurs whenever one is sick Ø Good practice to have regular checkups Ø Frequency of checkups increases with age

Heart Condition ▪ Reasons for health checkup? Ø Prevention is better than cure o o Early detection, easier to remedy Reduces damage and risk Ø For your well-being and for family Ø Health is central to life and the quality of life. Health is wealth It pays to take good care of your heart and general health “Too many people spend their health to gain wealth and end up spending their wealth to regain health”

Heart Condition ▪ Routine checkups look for signs of potential problems Ø Blood pressure. Healthy range 130/80 Ø Heart beat rhythm Ø Abnormal readings need to be monitored and investigated for causes ▪ Common problems of the Heart Ø High blood pressure (Hypertension the ‘Silent Killer’, Angina, Heart Attacks) Common causes: ü Hereditary ü Rich Diet e. g. . too much salt, sugar and fat ü Atherosclerosis – High cholesterol leading to plaque buildup in blood vessels ü Lack of physical activity and exercise ü Stress ü Substance consumption e. g. Alcohol, cigarette, drugs and prescribed medication

Heart Condition ØIrregular heart beat (Arrhythmias, Atrial Fibrillation – serious form) Common causes: üHeart disease üCongenital heart defects üDamage to heart electrical system üStress What am I saying? Look after yourself and your heart!

Heart Condition Just as we look after our physical well-being, we must look after our spiritual well-being! We start with our spiritual heart

Heart Condition ▪ The Bible talks about many types of spiritual heart conditions ▪ Constant attention is needed throughout a person’s life ▪ The reasons why we have physical checkups apply equally to the spiritual o Prevention is better than cure üAwareness and checkups will prevent negative conditions arising üPrevention less costly and painful/damaging than cure o For yourself and your family üFor your own spiritual well-being üSpiritual family and those under your care üYour spiritual ‘ill health’ impacts both you and your spiritual family. The spiritual flock ends up scattered and become easy prey i. e. no spiritual shelter üWe have an added obligation to them and responsibility to look after our hearts § We must be watchful over our spiritual heart conditions

Heart Condition ▪ There are 3 Spiritual Heart Conditions that require our close attention!!! 1) Proud heart (also haughty and lifted up) Why? Isaiah 14: 12 -15 ü Afflicted Archangel Lucifer, one who was close to God before he fell due to pride and was cast out! ü There are 5 I will’s of pride and resulting judgement listed ü Leaders need to pay special attention to this condition 2) Hardened Heart (also Obstinate Hearts, Rebellious Hearts, Stony Hearts) Why? Gen 4: 5 -7 ü Afflicted the first-born son, Cain, of Adam and Eve (the perfectly created couple before their downfall) ü Being first born Cain had all the advantages of undivided parental care and their doting approval ü Instead of dealing with his disappointment of God’s disapproval and warning, he reacted by killing his brother Abel out of anger and jealousy 3) Troubled Heart (also Discouraged Hearts and Fearful Hearts) Why? John 14 ü Afflicted the 12 disciples handpicked by Jesus

Heart Condition ▪ What are the lessons here? ØEVERYONE IS AT RISK! No one is exempted ØDeal with the problem when you become aware of it § Let’s look at each condition and how to deal with them

Heart Condition ▪ Common Unhealthy Spiritual Heart Conditions 1. Proud Heart (also Haughty, Lifted) Example in the life of King Uzziah of Judah (aka Azariah) 2 Chron 26: 16 -21 Symptoms: Signs of a Proud Heart ü Lacks respect (for protocol i. e. an attitude of ‘do whatever I want, I am the boss’) ü Doesn’t admit mistakes; will not be corrected ü Quick to anger (Attitude of “I have the authority and every right. How dare you stop me!” ) Causes: ü Human inclination for self exaltation in times of success, fame and power e. g. “When your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God…. then you say in your heart, ’My power and the might of my hand has gained me this wealth’ Deut 8: 14, 17 ü Trust in self rather than God v 5 ‘…as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper’ v 15 ‘…marvelously helped, till he was strong’ ü Opulent displays suggesting success, fame and power has gotten to head. ü For example, in King Uzziah’s case o Acclamations from abroad v 8 ‘…. . his name spread abroad…’ o Fully equipped and well-trained army with well fortified cities ü His actions suggest an independent spirit and wanting to usurp the priestly office (reserved only for the Levites)

Heart Condition Consequences: ü Shamed after stricken with leprosy on the forehead by God o Stricken after not listening and changing his ways but continuing to be angry. o On the forehead - No way to hide! ü Cast out and cut off from the house of God (v 21 - see also Lev 13: 45, 46) o Lepers were unclean and forbidden in house of God o Isolated from the general public due to contagion risk ü His wonderful legacy was sadly tainted v 23 ‘…He is a leper. . ’ Remedy: (from the example of the restoration of King Nebuchadnezzar after suffering rebuke!) Dan 4: 28 -37 ü Repent from proud heart by crying out to God for mercy ü Humble acknowledgement of Almighty God o V 34 ‘…lifted my eyes to heaven…I blessed…and praise…’ ü Honour God by giving glory to whom glory is due o V 34 ‘…. honoured Him who lives forever; …. ’

Heart Condition ▪ Common Unhealthy Spiritual Heart Conditions 2. Hardened Hearts (also Obstinate Hearts, Rebellious Hearts, Stony Hearts) Symptoms: Signs of Hardened Heart ü Unresponsive to voice of God (prompting of the Holy Spirit) or His messenger. E. g. o o CHILDREN OF ISRAEL Cain The Jews Pharaoh to Moses Ps 95: 7 -11; Heb 3: 7 -19 Gen 4: 3 -8 Acts 28: 26, 27 Exodus 7: 14, 8: 15, …. . 10: 27 Causes: Heb 3: 7 -13 ü Go astray (err) in the heart through deception/seduction Heb 3: 10 ü Sin is seductively deceitful – ‘…you be hardened through deceitfulness of sin’ Heb 3: 13 ü Not knowing God’s ways Heb 3: 10 ü Evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God (following on from above) Heb 3: 12

Heart Condition 2. Hardened Hearts (cont’d) Consequences: Heb 3: 8 -12 (See also Ps 95: 10 -11) ü Grieve God ‘…I was grieved…’ v 10 ü Face God’s wrath ‘…I swore in My wrath…. ’ v 11 ‘…with your hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day …of the righteous judgement of God’ Rom 2: 5 ü Shall not enter into His rest or His peace or His comfort ‘…They shall not enter My rest’ v 11 ü ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God’ Heb 10: 31 Remedy: Eze 11: 18 -20 ü Repentance: remove sin ‘…take away all its detestable things and. . abominations’ v 18 ü Recreation: New spirit ‘…Then. . . I will put a new spirit within. . ’v 19 ü Transformation: Heart of flesh ‘. . and take the stony heart out…, and give them a heart of flesh’ ü Sanctification: Follow God’s statutes ‘. . they may walk in My statutes, and keep My judgements and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God’ v 20

Heart Condition ▪ Common Unhealthy Spiritual Heart Conditions 3. Troubled Hearts (also Discouraged Hearts and Fearful Hearts) Symptoms: Signs of a Troubled Heart ü Discouragement ü Confusion o o John 14: 1 Bickering and arguments Divisions in family or church Causes: ü Misplaced expectations and wrong focus o o Disciples thought Jesus, the Messiah, was going to deliver Israel from the Romans oppressors and establish an earthly kingdom They were arguing who would be greatest in His Kingdom ü Lack of faith – ‘…you believe in God, believe also in Me’ o o Limiting God by putting him in our mental box “…you thought that I (God) was altogether like you; …. . ” Ps 50: 21

Heart Condition ▪ Common Unhealthy Spiritual Heart Conditions 3. Troubled Hearts (also Discouraged Hearts and Fearful Hearts) Consequences: ü Discouragement o o o Sad disposition and countenance Tendency to place blame or to give up Or worse ‘lash out’ 1 Sam 30: 6 Remedy: ü Believe in God and in Jesus Christ - ‘…you believe in God, believe also in Me’ John 14: 1 ü Encourage yourself in the Lord 1 Sam 30: 6 ü Inquire of the Lord. Ask for guidance in the matter that is troubling you. Commit the matter to God 1 Sam 30: 7 ü Talk to Pastor 1 Sam 30: 7

Heart Condition Conclusion: Ø Heart conditions can afflict anyone – no one is exempted Ø Watch out for these spiritual conditions – Proud Heart; Hardened Heart and Troubled Heart Ø Urgently deal with problem situations once you become aware of it Ø Failure to do so is ceding grounds to the devil who will build strongholds in our lives. Strongholds formed will be problematic to deal with. Ø God has given us weapons of warfare for pulling down strongholds Ø Put on the whole armour of God and prayer 2 Cor 10: 4, 5 Eph 6: 11 -18 Ø The offensive weapon from God’s armour is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God Ø Let Us Wield the Word of God - God’s declared truth (“It is written”) to destroy the devil’s scheme and devices which are based on lies and deception

Heart Condition A Healthy Spiritual Heart for a healthy and abundant spiritual life full of the love, the joy and the peace of God GOD BLESS!