Hardness of Heart Part 5

Their kids have been taught all their lives to be hyper- they've never been taught to be still a day in their lives. Some people think, Well, it's just normal for a child to be that way. Well, it's just normal for a child to be that way. That's That's not not normal. When our children were young, we always made them take a nap or have a rest time, where they sat for at least an hour. If they didn't go to sleep, they read a book, studied the Bible, or prayed; we trained them to be still, and they loved it. The Bible says, normal. When our children were young, we always made them take a nap or have a rest time, where they sat for at least an hour. If they didn't go to sleep, they read a book, studied the Bible, or prayed; we trained them to be still, and they loved it. The Bible says, "Be still, and know that I [am] G.o.d. . . " ( "Be still, and know that I [am] G.o.d. . . " (Ps. 46:10). There is a whole generation of people today who've not learned to be still-they literally go berserk if they don't have all their time occupied with something such as television, radio or the movies.

We're missing one of the greatest blessings in life if we don't take time to be still and know that He is G.o.d. missing one of the greatest blessings in life if we don't take time to be still and know that He is G.o.d.

Throw a Fit and Get It

Did you ever see a little kid throw a fit? The parents say, "Now you be quiet." The kid starts screaming, "I want that!" Do you know what most parents do? Get "that" and give it to him, to shut him up; so the child thinks to himself, Boy, that'll work. If I ever want anything, I'll throw a fit and I '11 get it. Boy, that'll work. If I ever want anything, I'll throw a fit and I '11 get it. Then the parents wonder why the kid throws fits all the time. It's because they reward him every time he does it. Then the parents wonder why the kid throws fits all the time. It's because they reward him every time he does it.

Our bodies are the same way. How can we expect them to reject what they feel and operate in faith when they have never been taught to reject anything? Our bodies have been indulged. If it wants something, feed it! If you do that, I guarantee that your body will dictate to you rather than you dictating to it, because you reward it every time it l.u.s.ts after something. It's just like a spoiled child.

Instead, you should say, "Body, you give me any more trouble and we're going on a 10-day fast." It screams, "Oh, no, I couldn't live through a 10-day fast." You answer, "It just went to 11 days." It screams, "Eleven days! I can't stand it." You answer, "I'll go to 12 if you don't shut up." Pretty soon, your body will get the message and shut up.

The Trouble with Fasting

Fasting can help you get discipline in your life, but let me warn you about a misconception concerning fasting.

You've probably heard a lot of people give great testimonies about fasting. They say, "Oh, I saw 10 angels, and three visions, and G.o.d visited me, and all kinds of great things happened." So somebody says, "I'm going to fast. I want to see three angels and 10 visions and all those other things." He goes on a fast, and it's miserable! His head hurts, his stomach growls, he complains, is irritable and says, "Boy, this isn't the 700 Club. I thought it was going to be great. I thought I was going to have these great supernatural visitations. What's wrong?" He backs off the fast. probably heard a lot of people give great testimonies about fasting. They say, "Oh, I saw 10 angels, and three visions, and G.o.d visited me, and all kinds of great things happened." So somebody says, "I'm going to fast. I want to see three angels and 10 visions and all those other things." He goes on a fast, and it's miserable! His head hurts, his stomach growls, he complains, is irritable and says, "Boy, this isn't the 700 Club. I thought it was going to be great. I thought I was going to have these great supernatural visitations. What's wrong?" He backs off the fast.

Fasts that are supernaturally sustained are an unusual occurrence. Very seldom are you going to have angelic visitations. The average good good fast is a fight. Why? Because your taste-that is, your l.u.s.t for food-is one of your strongest drives. The Old Testament says that Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage! He lost all his reason and went completely berserk because of food. fast is a fight. Why? Because your taste-that is, your l.u.s.t for food-is one of your strongest drives. The Old Testament says that Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage! He lost all his reason and went completely berserk because of food.

Up Comes Carnality!

Food is not bad nor is the desire for it-the Bible says so; but if it totally dominates you, it's wrong, and a fast will bring your carnality to the surface in a hurry. You can read and meditate on the Word, go to church, and pray for months or even years to get your body under control, but a fast will bring it to a life or death crisis in one or two days' time. When it gets to the point that you're going berserk, you may say, "This is terrible. I'm not getting blessed." But you are! Every bit of carnality that has been ruling you-probably without your even realizing it-has risen to the surface. Everything that is not submitted to G.o.d is raising its ugly head. Your emotions go wild: you get depressed, you get discouraged, you get irritable. You scream, "Boy, this isn't what I need!" but it's exactly what you need; you've brought every bit of trash in your life to the surface. You need to stay with it!

If you will continue continue that discipline after the fast, you can say, "Body, you will not rule me anymore. When I tell you to raise your hands, you're going to raise your hands. When I tell you to dance in front of people, you're going to dance in front of people, and not worry about what they think. When I tell you to stay up late and study the Word, you're going to say up late and study the Word, and not fall asleep. From now on, I'll dominate that discipline after the fast, you can say, "Body, you will not rule me anymore. When I tell you to raise your hands, you're going to raise your hands. When I tell you to dance in front of people, you're going to dance in front of people, and not worry about what they think. When I tell you to stay up late and study the Word, you're going to say up late and study the Word, and not fall asleep. From now on, I'll dominate you you instead of you dominating me." instead of you dominating me."

Not by Bread Alone

The Word is also a tremendous help on a fast. When Jesus was tempted, He told the devil, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d" "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d" (Mt. 4:4). Proverbs 4:22 says, (Mt. 4:4). Proverbs 4:22 says, "For they [G.o.d's words] are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. " "For they [G.o.d's words] are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. " The The Word can actually give physical strength to you. On a prolonged fast, you can literally begin to draw nourishment from the Word. Stay in the Word on a fast. Word can actually give physical strength to you. On a prolonged fast, you can literally begin to draw nourishment from the Word. Stay in the Word on a fast.

However, if you're watching all the food advertis.e.m.e.nts on television-Burger King, McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken-you won't last long. You'll have to unplug from all that and put your attention on G.o.d, and do you know what that will accomplish? It will harden you towards the things of the world. Your senses will begin going inward, to be exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb. 5:14).

Through prayer and fasting, you can reach the point that your senses don't have to lead you into doubt and unbelief. You'll be able to look at someone with an amputated arm or leg and not be immediately flooded with doubt and unbelief. You'll see through the eye of your faith, and that person will be healed! You can get to the point that your senses become a positive, productive thing rather than a negative, counterproductive thing.

But it's not going to happen accidentally-it's going to take it's not going to happen accidentally-it's going to take much much prayer and fasting. prayer and fasting.

What About Prayer?

So far, I have largely described fasting, because it's so powerful and so few of us do it! But now let's look at prayer.

Prayer does the same thing fasting does: it causes your natural man to rebel. It doesn't satisfy the senses; it forces them to get under control. Praying in tongues does so especially. When 1 first prayed in tongues, my mind rebelled at it. It said, "This is foolish; this is silly. What's the point?" I prayed in tongues an hour a day for two years, prayed in tongues an hour a day for two years, and fought that thought with everything I had. Finally I broke through. Now I can pray in tongues and I don't have those battles. I've exercised my senses. and fought that thought with everything I had. Finally I broke through. Now I can pray in tongues and I don't have those battles. I've exercised my senses.

Many times you say, "I'm going to spend time praying in tongues." You decide to pray for an hour, then five minutes later you're thinking about something else. Then you start looking at the clock. Finally, you give up. Why does that happen? The Bible says in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart he also. " "For where your treasure is, there will your heart he also. " Your treasure has been in the world and your heart will naturally gravitate to where your treasure is. Your treasure has been in the world and your heart will naturally gravitate to where your treasure is.

You can focus your attention on G.o.d so much that regardless of what you're doing, your mind always gravitates back to Him. I often wake up at night after preaching a service and think of people being healed, delivered and set free. I can't get away from it-I sleep it, I dream it, I talk it. That's what my mind is stayed on. That's where my heart is, so it's natural that I gravitate back to it again and again.

You Have it All

When you were born again, you received the same measure of faith Jesus had (Rom. 12:3, Gal. 2:20). You have all you can ever use or need. It's a simple matter of getting rid of the unbelief that hinders it.

That's not going to happen accidentally. It's going to happen by a deliberate attack on the things in our lives that Satan uses as inroads. It's going to happen by much prayer and fasting. not going to happen accidentally. It's going to happen by a deliberate attack on the things in our lives that Satan uses as inroads. It's going to happen by much prayer and fasting.

8.

Concluding Thoughts.

This teaching about hardness of heart has done a lot for me. I hope it has for you. Let me conclude with some final thoughts.

First, remember it is not your holiness that makes any of this work. I've heard all my life, "Live holy, live holy, live holy!" With this goes the idea that G.o.d won't bless you if you don't live holy, but that is false. If G.o.d waited until we were holy to bless us, none of us would ever get blessed. If you say, "Brother, I live holy," I'll ask you, "Who are you comparing yourself to? It must be some other human being. You can't be comparing yourself to G.o.d's standard, because you don't match up to that. G.o.d doesn't use you because of your holiness. G.o.d has never had anybody qualified working for Him yet- never.

It's not your holiness that moves G.o.d, but your holiness, your separation, and your commitment does determine how sensitive you are to G.o.d and how susceptible you are to Satan's doubt and unbelief. Sure, you can learn how to overcome doubt and unbelief, but it's a greater thing not to be tempted with them in the first place! not your holiness that moves G.o.d, but your holiness, your separation, and your commitment does determine how sensitive you are to G.o.d and how susceptible you are to Satan's doubt and unbelief. Sure, you can learn how to overcome doubt and unbelief, but it's a greater thing not to be tempted with them in the first place!

Single-Mindedness is the Key

Second, understand that you have to be single-minded. If you look at any person who has been mightily used of G.o.d, you'll find it wasn't because he was a great man of faith-it was because he was a little little man of unbelief! I use the example of Abraham: he didn't know how to disbelieve G.o.d. His strength was that he was absolutely single-minded on G.o.d. man of unbelief! I use the example of Abraham: he didn't know how to disbelieve G.o.d. His strength was that he was absolutely single-minded on G.o.d.

You can get so single-minded on something that you just don't know how to do anything else. For example, I have literally become a misfit. If I were to fail in the ministry now, I'd probably starve to death. 1 just don't know how to do anything else. 1 don't know how to respond to this world. I've found what G.o.d made me for; I'm doing it, and I don't have a plan B or plan C. I'm committed. My bridges are burned behind me. I'm convinced that this is one of the reasons my ministry is succeeding; Satan can't tell me, "You should quit and do something else." That isn't an option for me.

I've had lots of opportunities to quit the ministry, but it's not a temptation for me. Again, Hebrews 11:15 says, had lots of opportunities to quit the ministry, but it's not a temptation for me. Again, Hebrews 11:15 says, "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. " "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. " Turn that around: because they were not mindful of the country they came out of, they could not be tempted to return. I'm not even tempted to go another direction because I don't consider any other options. Turn that around: because they were not mindful of the country they came out of, they could not be tempted to return. I'm not even tempted to go another direction because I don't consider any other options.

You Already Have Faith

Third, remember that it's not a matter of "getting more faith."

You already have faith. If you've been born again, you have faith. We know more about faith than any generation on the face of the earth has ever known, but we're doing less with it because we've become so weighed down with the things of this world, so obsessed with the luxuries America can produce. We're the most preoccupied generation of believers who has ever lived, a society inundated with facts, but very few of them about G.o.d.

We can turn on our television sets and see what is happening on the other side of the world in real time. real time. That has never been available to any other society before. That has some great privileges, but it has a great responsibility too. We ought to be managing all that information, but most of us aren't. The networks certainly aren't managing it for us; if you're depending on them for news, you are misinformed and uninformed. It is slanted and bigoted; yet most Christians listen to it and swallow it, just like everyone else. That has never been available to any other society before. That has some great privileges, but it has a great responsibility too. We ought to be managing all that information, but most of us aren't. The networks certainly aren't managing it for us; if you're depending on them for news, you are misinformed and uninformed. It is slanted and bigoted; yet most Christians listen to it and swallow it, just like everyone else.

We criticize the President, political candidates, the personalities in the news-just like everyone else. We've become sensitive to criticism and scorning, letting Satan come into our lives, and have become hardened towards the things of G.o.d, then we wonder why faith isn't working.

What is Your Priority?

What this teaching really centers on is a matter of priorities. Most of our priorities are way out of line with G.o.d's.

Consider tragedy for example. If somebody close to you dies, your immediate reaction is, "Boy, all the stuff that seemed important to me just isn't important anymore." The people people around you suddenly become important. Your priorities fall into line. Suddenly, you become desensitized to the world. You reach out to G.o.d in a situation like that and may see one of the greatest miracles you've ever seen; but sadly, most of us go right back to our lifestyles when it's over, harden ourselves, and then wonder why it doesn't work again. around you suddenly become important. Your priorities fall into line. Suddenly, you become desensitized to the world. You reach out to G.o.d in a situation like that and may see one of the greatest miracles you've ever seen; but sadly, most of us go right back to our lifestyles when it's over, harden ourselves, and then wonder why it doesn't work again.

Most of us are crisis-oriented. Only when it's necessary do we do anything. For example, very few of us mow the gra.s.s when it can be done easily. We wait until it gets a foot high-an embarra.s.sment to us and our neighbors-before we do it. We do the same thing with G.o.d. Most of us wait until there is a crisis before we call out to G.o.d. An opportunity opportunity is the most advantageous time to respond to G.o.d, not when it is a necessity. The people who really prosper with G.o.d are those who've learned to elevate opportunity to the status of necessity. is the most advantageous time to respond to G.o.d, not when it is a necessity. The people who really prosper with G.o.d are those who've learned to elevate opportunity to the status of necessity.

For example, most of us have been convicted about spending special time with G.o.d, but it's just not convenient; so we let it go until tragedy strikes. Then suddenly, all the things that were once so important just fall by the wayside, and we make time for G.o.d. It's a necessity for us to go to work, so some of us get up early in the morning to pray, but on Sat.u.r.days there's no necessity to get up early, so we don't spend that time with G.o.d. We should be like Job, who said, ". ... I have esteemed the words of his [G.o.d's] mouth more than my necessary food" ... I have esteemed the words of his [G.o.d's] mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12). (Job 23:12).

It's Worth the Cost Worth the Cost

You will do whatever you consider vital. Most of us haven't considered being separate from this world vital. Someone might say, "Brother, you're being a little strict-you don't have to be that way." I agree; you don't have to be that way. You can be a Christian and not be totally separated unto G.o.d, but I have decided that seeing people's lives changed- blind eyes opened, cancer healed, dead people raised, people born again and baptized in the Holy Ghost-is worth all my sacrifice. People come up to me, hug me and say, "Brother, if it weren't for you, I'd have been dead. . .our home would have been destroyed. . . I wouldn't have been born again." Those kind of things make it all worth it.

For example, I received a letter not long ago from a lady in prison . She's not eligible for parole for many years. She is born again, but she has been laboring under total condemnation and guilt. She was listening to our program on the radio. I was talking about ministering to the Lord and she asked, "G.o.d, what can I do here, in solitary confinement? Who can I bless?" She found out that the first call on any Christian's life is not to serve, but to minister to G.o.d, to give back the love He has given to us. She wrote me a letter, and it is one of the most powerful things I've ever read. She said, "Thank you. You reached me. Now I have something I can do. I can bless G.o.d. I can minister to Him. My whole life has changed. Now it doesn't seem like it's going to be so long in here because I have something to do."

It's worth it. It's worth turning off the television. I don't know all the football scores. I don't know all the baseball scores. I don't even know who won the World Series. It's not sin to know these things, but I didn't miss a thing by not knowing them. You may have missed a lot of things by knowing them. worth it. It's worth turning off the television. I don't know all the football scores. I don't know all the baseball scores. I don't even know who won the World Series. It's not sin to know these things, but I didn't miss a thing by not knowing them. You may have missed a lot of things by knowing them.

Putting G.o.d first may cost you. It may cost you some of your time, some of your conveniences, some of your pleasures; but it will also cost you your strife, your sickness, your carnality-all the things that are destroying your life and making you depressed, frustrated and ineffective.

How Badly Do You Want to Succeed?

What I've shared in this teaching on hardness of heart is not great revelation, but it's practical; it will work. I challenge you to take what I've taught and implement it in your life-it will be impossible impossible for you not to succeed. How badly do you want to succeed? If I guaranteed that my plan would make you a millionaire one year from this date, wouldn't you do what it takes? I can guarantee that if you operate 100 percent in what I have ministered in this book for one year, the entire world will know who you are! If you spent a solid year not letting doubt and unbelief into your life, doing nothing but letting faith reign, you would have a huge following of people whose lives would be changed. for you not to succeed. How badly do you want to succeed? If I guaranteed that my plan would make you a millionaire one year from this date, wouldn't you do what it takes? I can guarantee that if you operate 100 percent in what I have ministered in this book for one year, the entire world will know who you are! If you spent a solid year not letting doubt and unbelief into your life, doing nothing but letting faith reign, you would have a huge following of people whose lives would be changed.

If you want it badly enough, to do what the Word of G.o.d says-it's there.

It's simple. There is nothing hard about the gospel. It doesn't take a great mind. It doesn't take great finances. All it takes is a great commitment. It will change your life. I promise you that. simple. There is nothing hard about the gospel. It doesn't take a great mind. It doesn't take great finances. All it takes is a great commitment. It will change your life. I promise you that.

Receiving Jesus as your Savior

Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you'll ever make!

G.o.d's Word promises "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10). "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10). "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). (Rom. 10:13).

By His grace, G.o.d has already done everything to provide salvation. Your part is simply to believe and receive.

Pray out loud, "Jesus, "Jesus, I I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I I believe in my heart that G.o.d raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, believe in my heart that G.o.d raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, I I receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me!" receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me!"

The very moment you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to pa.s.s in your spirit. Now that you're born again, there's a brand-new you!

Receiving the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit

As His child, your loving heavenly Father wants to give you the supernatural power you need to live this new life.

"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened...how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him" (Luke 11:10,13). (Luke 11:10,13).