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A Problem of the Heart, Not the Mind
Episode #638
2-24-2019
With Martha Kilpatrick and hosted by John Enslow
Special Guest: Jennifer Wentzel
This is the continuation of a series of podcasts started in Episode #637.
The problem of living in the old man instead of the new creation is one of the heart, not the mind. Do you try to think your way out of a heart condition?
Jennifer:
Paul says, “This one thing I do.” To me that was him saying, “This is something I have to do” and knowing a little bit of Paul’s life, I can see that. I can see where you would have to forget the past and look to what’s ahead, to leave behind him who he was so that he could, you know, pursue as his goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. And in so many ways The End Time Hope that’s what the hope is. It’s not about what you were, who you’ve been, where you’ve been, what you’ve done… Who do you belong to now?
Martha:
This is all so unrehearsed and I’m beside myself, Jennifer. That’s so wonderful and rich what you said. But I want to tell you what I believe the prize is and I think it’s Watchman Nee that affirms. And Austin-Sparks, too. The prize is Christ at the Marriage of the Lamb. That’s, that’s the prize he’s going for.
So these are just stepping-stones. I’ll just go through the cards and then if anybody wants to comment, this is not rigid. This is something we are going to be of one mind through the scriptures. But it’s not rigid. And it’s not law. It’s just what the Holy Spirit has given us to build our oneness of the mind of Christ.
And the first one is “The Danger.” This one has always given me chills, 1 Corinthians 16:22 (AMP). “If anyone does not love the Lord [does not obey and respect and believe in Jesus Christ and His message], he is to be accursed. Maranatha (O, Lord, come)!” The danger is the failure to love. The danger is not all this other that we think is the danger. The danger is to not love the Lord. To be… For that not to be the central issue of your life is loving Him. I’m never satisfied that I love Him enough. I’m never satisfied that I don’t want Him to impart more of the love for Him.
And then the agenda is number two, “The First and Foremost Command,” Luke 27b-28 (TPT). “You must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your passion, all your energy, and your every thought. That is correct. Now go and do exactly that and you will live.” Because Jesus asked a young questioner, “What is the most important command?” This was his answer. And when he answered with the first commandment, Jesus repeated it back to him and said, “This is correct. Now go and do exactly and you will live.” You see, life is in that first commandment because it is the first commandment of God to His humanity. And it’s as simple as can be because, and I can testify to it, that you ask Him for the love you don’t have and He will give it. That’s all He’s waiting for. “Choose to love Me. Choose to not, choose to not be accursed.” You will be accursed if you don’t love Him because that’s the first command. That’s God’s need. God’s desire of us is that we love Him. And if that’s, if that’s God’s, I’ll put in a word “need,” that’s what we can give, then there is no excuse for not loving Him with all that you are. And He, if you want that, He will come after it as I tell on the Tape of the Month how He came after me about the one that said, “Love the Lord with all your energy.” I won’t go into it here but it was that He’s just took all my energy for at least three years.
And the third one, “The Problem.” There’s only one problem and it’s the old man. And the mind of the old man, Matthew 16:23 (TPT). “Jesus turned to Peter and said…” Peter didn’t want Him to go to the cross. He didn’t want Him to go to Jerusalem. Jesus turned on him. And He was speaking to Peter and Satan. He turned to Peter and said, “Get out of My way, you Satan! You are an offense to Me, because your thoughts are only filled with man’s viewpoints and not the ways of God.” And that fight is the fight of the mind to keep yourself checked in what you’re thinking against the word of God, against the Spirit of God. The measure of your thoughts is the scripture and the measure of the Holy Spirit whether He is offended with your thoughts. It’s a fight! And yet because it’s command, you will have the power to do it.
So then is “The Cost.”
First it’s the problem is not loving Him. We are born not loving Him. We inherit not loving Him. We lived with people who didn’t love Him. We come from people who didn’t love Him and who hated Him. So we are, we are born with the problem. And, and the problem is the old man who didn’t love God in the Garden. And so Satan won what he wanted and that is the hate of God.
John:
And that’s… This scripture, this one could take you into your momentary life. It would take… I mean the problem is dealing with the mind of the old, old man. That’s, that’s something that you have to deal regularly and all the time with. I mean that’s something that I’ve got to look at, where are my thoughts? Where’s the attitude of my heart? Where is my mind? Where, where am I? I have to allow Him to check, like you said, check me. But that’s, that’s like an every day deal. That’s a progressive, all the time…
Martha:
Yes! Oh, of course. You know, I was going through something with someone recently where we speak about needing to monitor our, our words but we actually need to monitor our heart. Because if the heart condition is such that Satan’s whispers can come in, we’ve got to deal with the heart. And you can’t overcome the mind problem without dealing with your heart. I don’t know quite how to say it.
John:
And then the words come out of whatever your heart is thinking.
Martha:
Right! “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” So it’s a deeper work than the mouth. (Laughs) How do you think I know?
John:
It’s not just saying it! Yeah, yeah!
Martha:
It’s the condition of the heart whether you resolve things with the Lord. Deep things that He brings up and old things that He brings up for you to resolve.
John:
Well I’ve got something that’s currently, that’s, that’s poking at me currently, that the Lord’s saying, “I want to address this.” And I realize that it’s not just an emotion, it’s not just a thought, it’s not just a feeling, it’s not… It’s gone into my words, it’s, it’s pretty much all inclusive.
Martha:
Because it’s deeply in you?
John:
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Martha:
Kind of unconscious?
John:
Exactly! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You bought me something and you said, “I feel like the Lord’s on this” and, and I was like, “Yeah that would be, that would be it. That would be it. That would be perfectly it.” And so I’m, I’m having to deal with it but I realize it is, it’s in your thoughts, it’s in how you look at things.
Martha:
And what I said to you was, “This issue means the old man is present.”
John:
You said, you said that this is the— “This is your connection to the old man. This is, this is what’s holding it on.” And I went, “Oh!”
Martha:
Yeah, you said, “You hit it. That’s it!”
John:
You hit it. That’s it. The nail on the head!
Martha:
The Holy Spirit said it.
John:
Yeah, but it, but that’s why the problem, dealing with the problem, it’s not like He’s gonna leave you. “Oh go deal with it yourself!” No! He’s gonna bring it to you and He’s gonna be addressing it to you. But, but this issue is something that’s, it’s across the board.
Martha:
It’s vast.
John:
Yeah!
Martha:
It’s all!
John:
Yeah, yeah, exactly! Yeah.
Jennifer:
So is it just me or so sometimes the importance of the mouth is that it tells on you? (Laughter.) You know, that it’s not… Yeah, the heart matters more than the mouth but the good and bad thing about the mouth is it does expose where your heart is. It, it lets everybody around you know and the people that are watching for your soul can then step forward and say, “Hey there. Easy, Striker!”
Martha:
I think that’s what Sandy said. “Shockingly revealing to me my choice of Him or not.”
Joan:
I was just going to say that I feel like my thoughts expose where my heart is. What I’m thinking on, what’s rolling around in my brain is really what’s going on in my heart that I don’t want to think is, usually. But my thoughts expose it and then my words because the thoughts always come out in words and so my words expose my heart. It’s that “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks our words.” But I always feel like there’s the mind-heart connection that I, I would like to hope is not going on but it, it is.
John:
Well I’m very, very pleased that my mouth does tell on me. (Laughing) That’s grand. I love that! This is a great thing about my mouth. Nanna, nanna, nanna! Bad, bad, stink, pew! Right here. You better get it!
Jennifer:
That’s exactly what it is.
Martha:
Can we stop now for a few hours, a few weeks (laughing), and all think about this?
A Problem of the Heart, Not the Mind – Episode #638 – Shulamite Podcast
The problem of living in the old man instead of the new creation is one of the heart, not the mind. Are you trying to think your way out of a heart condition? If so, you are in for a big disappointment. Clean heart, clean life!
I used to think that if I just kept my mouth shut (introverted and don’t speak much, anyway) that I wouldn’t get in trouble or wouldn’t offend anyone with words of criticism or resentment; ‘sound’ proud, etc.
But, besides our mouth exposing our hearts, sometimes it’s also facial expressions, body language – without even uttering a word. The ‘Silent Treatment,’ I’ve learned through experience, wounds just as deeply as words.
Love, thanks and blessings!
I used to start my early school years in just this way. If I can just shut up maybe everything will be alright. But year after year by the end of the first week, I would be out there live and in color. I have never found that putting the cranks down on the heart or emotions have ever worked. The good news is Christ is now over them and while He may direct me to be silent, He never directs me to kill my heart. Love you Pauline!
How rich is this!!!
And oh, so simple!
What an excellent way to become more in-tune with what He has for me on a word to word basis. Often times He’ll check me as I begin to say something and I’ll just stop and ask for forgiveness for my thoughts. But this brings in a new element…what’s going on in my heart (not just my mind) that would prompt me to say whatever it was!
I so needed to hear this!
Bless you all (for being so real)?
Love
btw-I received my cards Jennifer. Thank you. ❤️
So pleased this blessed you Tammy! The meeting was a lot of fun. I still have to laugh about Jennifer’s comment, “my mouth tells on me!” My mouth seems to be a dipstick registering like a gage where my heart is at. I thank God for this. It gives us the ability to respond and repent, doesn’t it?! Love you muches!