Hardness of Heart Part 3

No News is Good News

Smith Wigglesworth knew the value of staying preoccupied with G.o.d.

A man went to visit him one time. When he knocked on his door, Smith said, 'Til let you in, but your newspaper has to stay outside." Smith couldn't read when he was first born again. He asked G.o.d to help him, and the Bible was the only book he ever read. He never read a newspaper or any other book in all his life.

A friend of mine in Colorado Springs had Smith Wigglesworth in her home when she was a child and told me her impressions of him. He carried his own communion elements and got up at four or five o'clock every morning to take communion and study the Word. After his wife died, he never spent 30 minutes without praying or studying the word. My friend said they never finished a meal without Smith stopping to have a Bible study. Their meals were usually cold, because he never stopped long enough to eat a whole meal without studying the Word.

Maybe you think that's a little strict, and perhaps it is. I read newspapers on occasion, and I've gotten some good things out of them for my preaching. I believe Smith Wigglesworth, in the course of 35 years, probably missed a dozen good things in the newspaper, things that could have benefited him, but he probably missed two or three hundred thousand bad things that would have made him fearful, preoccupied and sensitive to the world-things that would have put him back in touch with so-called reality, instead of the reality of G.o.d's Word. It would have affected his ministry for the worse.

It Takes Commitment

If all you did was meditate on G.o.d's Word day and night, then you would make your your way prosperous and have good success; there's no alternative. You'd have a miracle ministry that would blow people's minds. You'd see the power of G.o.d operate in your life more than you ever thought possible. It doesn't take huge faith, but it does take pure faith. way prosperous and have good success; there's no alternative. You'd have a miracle ministry that would blow people's minds. You'd see the power of G.o.d operate in your life more than you ever thought possible. It doesn't take huge faith, but it does take pure faith.

We need to be sensitive to G.o.d, and we do that by the things we consider consider-what we focus our attention upon. Every person who has been greatly used of G.o.d was a fanatic in the matter of being separated from the world. You can love G.o.d and be carnal, but it's going to cost you your effectiveness. G.o.d's grace is always consistent, so He still loves you; but when you consider something other than Jesus, you deaden yourself to the voice of G.o.d, and you open yourself to the voice of the enemy.

Accepting Corruption

The reason most of us hear the devil easier than we do G.o.d is because we spend more time listening to the devil. Satan comes in insidious ways. Fifty years ago, for example, adultery and divorce were not nearly as common as they are today. Why are they being tolerated today? Satan has corrupted us in this area, and the biggest inroad he has used is television. Some of the old black-and-white comedies we consider to be clean, for example, actually hardened our hearts-they portrayed adultery or theft in a comic way and made fun of it. They took the seriousness out of it.

Christians weren't smart enough to realize it, so they started laughing at it, just like everybody else. The Bible says it's a shame to even speak speak of what the unG.o.dly do in secret, so it lost its shame. The next step was to show somebody actually getting trapped in adultery (although they didn't really want it, understand), so that you would pity the person. It was still condemned as wrong, but the excuse was, "the devil made me do it," as Flip Wilson says. Today, it is virtually of what the unG.o.dly do in secret, so it lost its shame. The next step was to show somebody actually getting trapped in adultery (although they didn't really want it, understand), so that you would pity the person. It was still condemned as wrong, but the excuse was, "the devil made me do it," as Flip Wilson says. Today, it is virtually glorified, glorified, and some people think you're crazy for staying with one person all your life. There is a sitcom that even shows a man living with two girls! It's deteriorated to the point of total perversion. and some people think you're crazy for staying with one person all your life. There is a sitcom that even shows a man living with two girls! It's deteriorated to the point of total perversion.

Then we wonder why the Word of G.o.d is not producing in us. We're entertaining thoughts that G.o.d hates. We're crusting our hearts over. Some of you watch shows that feature h.o.m.os.e.xuality. Every time you persist in it-every time you laugh at h.o.m.os.e.xuality-you harden your heart toward G.o.d and His standards. Even shows that are considered harmless can make you hard-hearted: all that violence, immorality and perversion are totally opposed to G.o.d's nature. They should not be laughed at.

Shalt Thou Kill? Thou Kill?

The same thing is true in the area of violence. Before I went to Vietnam, I was on an Army rifle range one day firing bullets at human-shaped targets, and it suddenly dawned on me that this wasn't cops and robbers. They were training me to kill a man kill a man made in the image of G.o.d. I can't tell you the feeling that came over me. I began to pray, "G.o.d, please help me never to kill a man." I am not necessarily a dove, or a hawk, on the subject of war. I believe that fighting is sometimes necessary, but I don't want to kill a man. made in the image of G.o.d. I can't tell you the feeling that came over me. I began to pray, "G.o.d, please help me never to kill a man." I am not necessarily a dove, or a hawk, on the subject of war. I believe that fighting is sometimes necessary, but I don't want to kill a man.

It occurred to me then, that when I was a kid, I played Hopalong Ca.s.sidy. I had two six-guns and rode a stick horse around all day. If my kids ever played with guns like they were killing someone, they were in big trouble with me. I let them play if they pretended to kill an animal and eat it, because G.o.d sanctioned that, but if they played like they were killing a man, they had my wrath to contend with! Someone might say, "But, Brother, that's just normal." It is normal for a corrupted, unG.o.dly world, but G.o.d never intended for us to enjoy pretending we're killing people. However, the vast majority of good, well-meaning Christians have bought guns for their children just like everyone else.

Then we wonder why they're so violent. We wonder why they scream, "I'm going to kill you!" when another kid takes their toys away. We've let them play like they're killing a million people a day, so they're deadening themselves to the voice of G.o.d. It's no wonder violence finds such a natural place in kids today.

John Lake-A Driving Force for G.o.d

Let's look at another example of being separated to G.o.d: John Lake. look at another example of being separated to G.o.d: John Lake.

Lake was a mighty, powerful man of G.o.d in the early part of this century. He saw well over 500,000 doc.u.mented doc.u.mented cases of healing. He was licensed by the state of Was.h.i.+ngton as a medical doctor, although he had no medical training, because he saw so many people healed. He opened a hospital and had a staff of people that anointed patients with oil, prayed for them, and saw them healed. He even saw numerous people raised from the dead. cases of healing. He was licensed by the state of Was.h.i.+ngton as a medical doctor, although he had no medical training, because he saw so many people healed. He opened a hospital and had a staff of people that anointed patients with oil, prayed for them, and saw them healed. He even saw numerous people raised from the dead.

Like Smith Wigglesworth, John Lake was separated and sensitive to G.o.d. Once, he was driving up a mountain in Was.h.i.+ngton. As he was rounding a hairpin curve, the voice of the Lord suddenly said to him, "Pull over to the left-hand side of the road and park." Lake immediately pulled over to the left, which of course, isn't good on a left-hand curve going up a mountain! In a few seconds, a lumber truck came down the road out of control, nearly running off the road-it would have knocked John Lake off a 3,000-foot cliff. The only reason he was alive was because he was sensitive to the voice of G.o.d.

G.o.d is no respecter of persons. If G.o.d spoke to John Lake, He'll speak to you and me, but you and I aren't always listening. You and I have had our spiritual receiver tuned to something else. I would probably have responded to something like that about 30 minutes later, after I'd tested it a dozen ways. After it was too late.

John Lake was driving in a car with some people another time, when all of a sudden he just yelled, "Stop!" The fellow driving the car pulled over and asked, "What's wrong?" John Lake prayed, "G.o.d, forgive us. We've talked for 10 minutes and haven't even mentioned your name." He repented, asked G.o.d to forgive them, and they began talking about Jesus. That's the caliber of his commitment to a separated life.

Sensitive to G.o.d

It's no coincidence that men like John G Lake and Smith Wigglesworth saw things happen that you and I haven't. They didn't have as much knowledge as we have, but they were totally sensitive to the knowledge they did have. It worked a thousand times better for them because their minds were stayed upon G.o.d. They didn't fill themselves with the junk of this world. I'm not saying this to condemn anyone, but to enlighten our eyes that we're polluting ourselves with doubt and unbelief. The Bible says, no coincidence that men like John G Lake and Smith Wigglesworth saw things happen that you and I haven't. They didn't have as much knowledge as we have, but they were totally sensitive to the knowledge they did have. It worked a thousand times better for them because their minds were stayed upon G.o.d. They didn't fill themselves with the junk of this world. I'm not saying this to condemn anyone, but to enlighten our eyes that we're polluting ourselves with doubt and unbelief. The Bible says, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Mt. 6:22). In other words, if you fill yourself with the Word of G.o.d, the Word of G.o.d will come out of you. (Mt. 6:22). In other words, if you fill yourself with the Word of G.o.d, the Word of G.o.d will come out of you.

This principle works with anything, even things we don't consider to be sin. If I have one weakness, it's the Road Runner cartoon. I like the Road Runner-and it's not wrong to watch it-but if I get in trouble and out comes "beep beep," I've had it. I guarantee you, it won't heal my body, restore my marriage, or bolster my finances. It doesn't have to be an X-rated movie that nullifies the power of G.o.d in us. It can be anything other than G.o.d.

Separate Yourself Unto G.o.d

We have to start spending quality and quant.i.ty time with G.o.d, being separated unto Him. I dare you to spend a week shut off from the world, alone with G.o.d's Word, and see what it will do to you. It's impossible for you not to see results.

We also need to a.s.semble together as a body and sit under the Word. That is a concept we put into practice at our campmeetings, which is why many people receive more there than they do anywhere else. We remove them from the things Satan has been using to feed them with doubt and unbelief. They don't have radio or television. They don't have pressures on a job. They don't have anyone striving with them. All they have is people speaking the Word of G.o.d, praising G.o.d, encouraging them, and talking about faith. People who are never touched under any other circ.u.mstances often have their lives totally changed at our campmeetings. They can do anything anything for G.o.d by the end of the week, because they've been fed the Word of G.o.d all week long and were separated from their natural surroundings. They're powerhouses of faith. We literally starved the devil out of them. for G.o.d by the end of the week, because they've been fed the Word of G.o.d all week long and were separated from their natural surroundings. They're powerhouses of faith. We literally starved the devil out of them.

Whatever you are today is what you've been thinking yesterday. Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he. "For as he [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he. ..." ..." Likewise, 2 Peter 1:3 says, Likewise, 2 Peter 1:3 says, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and G.o.dliness, through the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue. "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and G.o.dliness, through the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue. ..." ..." Notice that these things come through knowledge. What kind of knowledge have you been meditating on? Whatever your life is, is a result of what you've been thinking. Notice that these things come through knowledge. What kind of knowledge have you been meditating on? Whatever your life is, is a result of what you've been thinking.

Someone may object, "But I've really been in the Word and I still don't have it." But, as every farmer knows, when you plant corn in the ground, you get corn. When you plant soybeans, you get soybeans. When you plant weeds, you get weeds! It's an irrevocable law of G.o.d-whatever you sow, that you will also reap (Gal. 6:7). If you're reaping depression, you've sowed depression. If you're reaping sickness, you've sowed sickness. If you're reaping poverty, you've sowed poverty, or at least you have allowed it through neglect. One way or another, you've allowed Satan to conquer you. You may say, "But I haven't been thinking I want to be sick." Maybe not, but your thinking has been sick. You may not have been thinking, "1 want to be poor," but your thinking has been poor.

Isaac Polendo-On Fire for G.o.d

In Africa, around the turn of the century, there was a man named Isaac Polendo. His father was the witch doctor in their village and Isaac, even from a very young age, knew in his heart that witchcraft was wrong. He cried out for G.o.d, the true G.o.d, to reveal Himself to him. He had a dream in which he saw a white man come to his village and tell them about G.o.d (Isaac had never seen a white man before). He waited his entire life for this white man to come. Finally, a Presbyterian missionary came to the village and Isaac went to listen to him. He heard the gospel, but he thought it was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard: the missionary didn't present it in power and authority. But because of his vision, he stayed around the missionary. Finally, Isaac Polendo got saved. He was convinced it was real, but he knew very little about it.

The missionary tried to put him through the Presbyterian school and teach him how to read the Bible, but Isaac flunked. The missionaries said he was uneducable, so they wouldn't allow him to continue in school. Disillusioned, he went back to his hut and began to get drunk on coconut wine. He did virtually nothing with his faith. Some time later, when his wife was dying, he began to get really serious and asked G.o.d, "Why is this happening?" G.o.d appeared to him in a vision again and told him some great and mighty things. Inspired, Isaac laid hands on his wife and she was healed. He cut down his coconut grove, and went to re-enroll in school. In six weeks, he graduated from the school. G.o.d had totally turned his life and mind around.

Those Presbyterians still thought he would never amount to anything, so they just gave him a copy of the Bible and said, "Go back and read it, and whatever it says, do it." So he spent six months studying the Bible, then went to the next village and began preaching. He would sit in front of a hut, beat on a large drum, and the villagers would a.s.semble to hear him. The witch doctor disliked him, so he started fighting against him, saying that he would curse anyone who came to the meetings. The crowd started dwindling, and finally no one came at all. To make matters worse, they put the drum Isaac used for his meetings in the middle of a large clearing, and used it for an orgy honoring their G.o.ds.

Angered, Isaac walked out into the middle of the clearing and prayed. A fire from heaven fell down and burned up the clearing. Isaac went out and got his drum, put it in front of his hut and began beating it. The whole village came to hear him and got saved. Then he went to the next village. Word spread, people came and got healed and delivered. The witch doctor in that village came against him. When the chief's wife was dying, the witch doctor said, "This man who preaches this strange G.o.d is the problem." Isaac kept on preaching. Finally, the chief's wife died. When that happened, the people all came to kill Isaac, but just before they did, he said, "Wait a minute." He walked into the chief's hut, raised his wife from the dead and walked back out with her. The chief and his entire village got saved.

Isaac went to the next village, and the chief there had two sons crippled with clubfoot. He prayed for them, they were instantly healed, and the chief made the whole village come and get saved. Isaac went back and told the missionaries what had happened and they said, "No, no, G.o.d doesn't do those kinds of miracles anymore!" But they were too late; it had already happened.

This example reveals that if we weren't polluted with so much doubt and unbelief, G.o.d would do anything through us. We could see everything Isaac did, and what the missionaries failed to do.

What About You?

If G.o.d can save you, He can accomplish anything in your life. You don't have to know all kinds of great theological truths if you'd just focus on what you do know. You can remove all of the debris of doubt and unbelief that has been sown in your life by humbling yourself, repenting, and letting G.o.d cleanse you. If you've spent 20, 30 or 40 years absorbing doubt and unbelief, praise G.o.d that it doesn't have to take another 20 or 30 years to get it out, because G.o.d's power will cleanse you of it now.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, it says "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, hut mighty through G.o.d to the pulling down of strong holds); Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of G.o.d, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, hut mighty through G.o.d to the pulling down of strong holds); Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of G.o.d, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" Perhaps you're thinking, Perhaps you're thinking, But I can't keep my mind stayed on G.o.d all the time. But I can't keep my mind stayed on G.o.d all the time. Yes, you can. You can bring into captivity Yes, you can. You can bring into captivity every every thought to the obedience of Jesus; the Bible says so. It's a lie from the devil that you can't control your mind. thought to the obedience of Jesus; the Bible says so. It's a lie from the devil that you can't control your mind.

All of us have had times when we worried all day, and yet performed on our jobs and did other daily tasks. Worry is simply keeping our minds stayed on the negative things in our lives. If we can worry all day, we can keep our minds stayed on G.o.d's Word all day (2 Cor. 3:3-5).

You can control your mind at home. You can control it at church. You can control it on the job. 1 know-I controlled it in Vietnam! You may not be able to stop the source, but doubt and unbelief do not have to penetrate you; they don't have to rule you. You do not have to be dominated by natural, worldly things. You can reverse it, and it all starts by focusing your attention on Jesus. Consider Jesus, and He will dominate you.

Part 3: 3: The Cure The Cure

The cure for a hardened heart is a total commitment to keep our minds stayed on the Lord.

5.

Stop the Conception the Conception.

As I said before, some people think temptation is nearly automatic, that a certain part of us is just bent on sin, but that's not so. There is nothing within you that makes makes you sin. It is your nature, according to Galatians 5:22-23, to operate in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. That is normal for Christians. The reason other things enter is because we entertain contrary thoughts. you sin. It is your nature, according to Galatians 5:22-23, to operate in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. That is normal for Christians. The reason other things enter is because we entertain contrary thoughts.

Sin has to be conceived, just as a child has to be conceived. If you stop the conception, then you don't have to fight such a strong battle when sin presents itself.

Many Christians, however, wait until the battle is raging, then try to summon up faith, rebuke the devil, use the name of Jesus, and overcome temptation. There is a better way-stop the temptation before it starts. If we neglect the Word of G.o.d, if we neglect time with the Lord, we will be hardened towards the Lord, but if we neglect the devil, we will find that it is not easy to hear the voice of the devil. We can stop that temptation in its tracks.

My First Baptist Healing

I remember the first person I ever saw healed. I was teaching a Baptist Sunday School cla.s.s. I didn't know that G.o.d healed back then, but 1 read in the Word that "...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" "...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk. 16:18). (Mk. 16:18).

I began reading that verse to my cla.s.s, a group of high school students, every Sunday. I said, "I know this isn't what the Baptists teach, and I've never seen it, but it's in G.o.d's Word, so we're going to lay hands on the sick and they will recover. If you get sick, don't stay away from church. We'll lay hands on you."

One day a girl named Diane came in sick. She was so sick she was actually green! When I saw her, my first reaction was, "What are you doing here?" She said, "Well, you said if I was sick I should come and have you lay hands on me." I swallowed hard and said, "Well, that's what the Word says." We sat her down in a chair and prayed, but she looked worse rather than better. I resumed teaching the cla.s.s. Finally, she got so sick she had to go home.

Later I went into the church service, feeling really defeated. I said, "G.o.d, I did exactly what You said to the best of my ability. Why didn't it work?" During the song service, I looked around, and that girl was in the back of the church, frantically waving at me. I went back there, and she said, "By the time I got home I was totally healed!" We interrupted the service and made an announcement to that whole whole Baptist church that this girl was healed! Baptist church that this girl was healed!

I was as surprised as anybody to see her healed, but that's the way I was when I started out ministering. Every time I laid hands on somebody, I'd wonder, G.o.d, is this going to work? G.o.d, is this going to work? Because of that, we saw some healed, and some not healed. Because of that, we saw some healed, and some not healed.

Arthritis Pain-Gone!

Over the years, however, I've renewed myself in that area. For example, take arthritis: I have great faith that I can make anybody s anybody s arthritic pain leave, whether they're believers or not, because I've exercised my faith in that area. arthritic pain leave, whether they're believers or not, because I've exercised my faith in that area.

Once, for example, we had a miracle service in Childress, Texas. A lady came to the meeting. She was on a walker, and was shuffling around, almost totally paralyzed from arthritis. She came forward and I knew that I knew knew that I knew she was going to get healed, so I laid hands on her. I prayed, grabbed her hands, and said, "Let's walk." She said, "Oh, I can't walk, brother." And I said, "Yes, you can." She said, "No, I can't," and so I pulled on her a little bit. Finally I leaned her forward and began to let go. She started shuffling she was going to get healed, so I laid hands on her. I prayed, grabbed her hands, and said, "Let's walk." She said, "Oh, I can't walk, brother." And I said, "Yes, you can." She said, "No, I can't," and so I pulled on her a little bit. Finally I leaned her forward and began to let go. She started shuffling fast. fast. Finally, she cried, "Oh, it hurts," but I was hardened toward what the devil had to say. So I said, "I don't care if it hurts. We're going to walk." Finally, she cried, "Oh, it hurts," but I was hardened toward what the devil had to say. So I said, "I don't care if it hurts. We're going to walk."

She walked all around that place. It took her 30 minutes to walk from the back door and sit down, but before she left she was well enough to leave her walker inside. Then she called me the next week; all of her pain had come back. So I went to her house and told her, "G.o.d healed you and the Bible says the gifts and the callings of G.o.d are without repentance, according to Romans 11:29." I prayed over her again and her pain left. Then she'd call the next week; her pain was back.

For a year and-a-half, I exercised myself that way, making her pain leave, but she wasn't operating in faith.

That may not have been the best way to minister to her, but it was great for me! I saw that I had authority over arthritis.

Arthritis Knuckles Under Again

Another lady in Childress came in, who was given less than 24 hours to live, by the doctors. She didn't tell me what her sickness was, and that was good, because our eyes, our senses, will hinder us unless they're under control. I was standing in front of the church with my eyes closed, singing and playing the guitar. When I asked people to come forward, I didn't see that her friends literally had to carry her up there. When she got up there I said, "Give me your hands."

I still had my eyes closed. G.o.d literally had to turn my senses off for this thing to work!

I prayed for her, put her hands up in the air, and said, "Now, do something you couldn't do." She screamed, and 1 asked, "What's the matter?" She said, "I haven't lifted my hands in eight years!" 1 said, "You haven't? Well, do something else you couldn't do." She began walking back and forth. 1 asked, "You haven't walked?" She said, "Not in over eight years." I asked her what was wrong, and she showed me her hands. They were terribly gnarled-the fingers were actually at right angles to the hands. She had literally been on her deathbed for months. Within two weeks, her hands were completely normal. A specialist examined her and told her, "Lady, I know what your record says, but you have never never had arthritis." had arthritis."

Because of those incidents, I can pray for arthritis today, and it will leave.