Issues of the Heart

 

ISSUES OF THE HEART

 

In this world of increasing spiritual darkness, there exists a pressing need for divinely illuminated minds. No tribe or nation naturally produces such people. Yet, needed urgently are men in whom the Spirit of heaven resides. It is the only way out of the mysteries that surround us.

Ancient Babylon and her king very vividly illustrate our present meditation. King Nebuchadnezzar the undisputed lord of the Babylonian empire had been visited in his sleep by visions that later troubled his spirit when he arose from sleep.

Becoming anxious, restless and troubled, that mighty ruler summoned with great urgency all the wise-men within the borders of his kingdom. Almost without delay, we see the royal court already hosting a national convention of every type of spiritual science.

The difficulty arose when the powerful monarch demanded that those in attendance must tell him his dream which he himself had forgotten along with its interpretation.

None of those present could stand up to the challenge. Instead, they requested that the king tell his dream after which they would give the interpretation. Nebuchadnezzar dismissed that suggestion as an option and by the powers invested in him as absolute ruler of that kingdom, the king announced death to be the immediate penalty of failure. The seriousness of the matter at once became evident to all.

Perhaps you are disposed to thinking that Nebuchadnezzar’s verdict was too harsh. There is a reason for that. The man’s spirit was unsettled. Let us hear him report his own experience, I have had a dream and my spirit is anxious to know the dream—Dan.2:3.

The core of his personality had been touched by a puzzle and except that mystery was unraveled, proposing fake theories would only further torment the dreamer whose spirit would not fail to signal dissatisfaction. Thus the king’s decision stood firm; interpret and be honored as you would deserve or fail and forfeit your life as you equally would deserve. It was a very serious issue.

Having gone through the story in brief, let’s take a closer look at a few things. Every man no matter how unbelieving, whether he be a Nebuchadnezzar or a Pharaoh, has a spirit. The spirit of man is the essence of man. It is the spirit of man that can relate with the spiritual world making it possible for man to fulfill the highest purpose for which he was created[Rom.8:16]. It is this possession of spirit that distinguishes man from other earthly creatures. Animals can’t be spiritual because they have no spirit.

We say a person is spiritually dead even though he may be physically active because his spirit is not connected to the God of heaven. Gladly, we acknowledge the fact that though a person is spiritually insensitive today, his spirit may be aroused someday to the knowledge of its greatest need.

That was the story of Nebuchadnezzar. Great as the man was, he was a pagan king. This means he had no dealings with the one true God. The best he knew of religion was consulting with sorcerers, astrologers, magicians and all such heathen mysticism. His life revolved only around his own greatness and the expansion of his empire. Nothing else concerned him.

But that was not to continue forever. Without prior notice, a night vision from heaven suddenly activated his spirit. The result was restlessness. The most important part of his personality had become aware of a need that cannot be neglected.

Rising up from sleep, great king Nebuchadnezzar did not fail to realize that in spite of his acknowledged superiority among the monarchs on the earth, he was absolutely naked and helpless before a higher throne in another kingdom which was capable of putting his spirit under arrest.

When the spirit of man is captured, the whole man is taken captive. The man who is behind the bars of human prison is far better, provided he be free in his heart as Paul was, than the one whose spirit is fettered. That is a reality we cannot afford to deny. Indeed this truth is well illustrated in the varying cases of demon-possession recorded for us in the Bible. Demon-possessed people freely walk the streets and even though government have no problem with them, it is very obvious that their spirits have been captured and mastered by another who is living through them.

When a person repeatedly steals after much rebuke and chastisement, Nigerians will always say, "It is in his blood" Otherwise stated, the man’s spirit is in bondage to that unholy impulse of robbing.

A few years ago, a man would always come to borrow some money. It was later discovered he was spending the money on alcohol and as a result of this, he was refused money on the next occasion. He began to very much tremble and shake. It was a very fearful sight as his eyes flashed back and forth while he earnestly pleaded to borrow money one more time. His solution whenever this occurred was to gulp down a bottle of hard drink until he became "normal" again. On that particular occasion, he was denied a bottle.

By whatever sin a man is mastered the same story pertains. Ammon, son of David was prisoner of lust as demonstrated in his raping of his own sister whom he later hated. Judas spirit was firmly locked within the grip of greed which caused him to sell his Master though he was afterwards remorseful. Notice that both later regretted their actions. But at the time these atrocities were being perpetrated, their spirits were captured by a strange desire that subdued the whole man until the evil was committed.

Indeed the word of God is replete with countless examples. But our focus in this study will center on what happens to a man whose spirit heaven has visited with a message? As earlier affirmed, every man, no matter who he is, retains a capacity to discern God.

The message that came to Nebuchadnezzar in his sleep impressed the man’s spirit so much that the royal master became a subject of anxiety. Something had happened to him and in a frantic attempt to grasp the significance of that experience, curiosity naturally followed.

The story was no different in the dark and sad days when Herod ruled the people of God. John the Baptist, that great prophet of his time, spoke the message of heaven. The impact of his words on his audience was remarkable. Very evidently we notice the spirits of the people were apprehended by his utterances.

The message of the Baptist was arousing their slumbering spirits to the consciousness of a spiritual lack. Different people were present as the record reflects. As we walk through the midst of that crowd, we notice, tax collectors, soldiers, Pharisees, Herod and multitudes. Each heart was smitten with conviction as they heard the messenger of heaven speak the word. Then curiosity followed. What shall we do? Their unholy religious complacence had been upset. Restlessness prevailed within each person. ‘What shall we do?’ was the unanimous quest of that perplexed crowd. The unavoidable truth is, men from all walks of life seek a voice capable of reaching down to the person within them.

And so it is in our times, just as Nebuchadnezzar was thrown into confusion, even so now, men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken--Lk.21:26. Hence, we notice that the world is black and bleak with fright. Fear of the unknown is obvious throughout the countries and continents of our planet. People may not be spiritual but they as creatures with spirits have been able to discern that we are at a very critical point in history and somehow they acknowledge that we do have scores to settle with a spiritual world.

Hearts are perplexed and millions have resorted to anything available in the name of prophecy, some to satisfy curiosity and others to quench the restlessness in their spirits. People do not know and they want to know. To rephrase that, this simply means there’s a crying need for men who know the mind of God and can unveil His purpose to our generation.

When Nebuchadnezzar was confronted with this issue what did he do? He called for a convention of every available prophet no matter the religion the person practiced. That which should cause us to draw back in horror is that we are told that Nebuchadnezzar called for the wise-men of Babylon. When we pause to inspect the ranks of those referred to as wise men, we become very appalled! Sorcerers, astrologers, magicians, Chaldeans and all such as are forbidden by the God of heaven. And these were the wise-men of Babylon! How spiritually dark the kingdom of Babylon must have been!

Brethren, I do not know how that comes across to you but that action is a true commentary on how desperate a person can become and to what length a man will go when his spirit becomes anxious or aware of its spiritual need. Nebuchadnezzar is only one among millions who have resorted to witchcraft, ventriloquism, star-gazing, mysticism, and spiritism all in an attempt to lay hold on the spiritual.

As it is, no one joins himself to any of these forbidden practices just for the fun of it. Youths and indeed adults and even teenagers get attracted to these spiritual perversions because they have first had an impression about the existence, the superiority and the need for the spiritual and almost with total disregard for what others think of these practices, they readily fling themselves at that which promise to instantly gratify their thirst and end their anxiety.

We must neither mock Babylon nor her king. We have no such right. The same wise men still wield much influence among us today. Over 10,000 religions exist in the world presently and each presumes to research into the human spirit and pursue an interpretation of events on the spiritual plane.

While this may sound bad, it is nevertheless true that every passing day presents professing Christendom as unable to produce anything spiritual both from the pages of the sacred Word and in the lives of its proponents while several other religions continue to assume a posture of sanctity and serenity. It is the reason why Muslims see the Christians as only congregating to dance disco in the churches, dress carelessly and even continue circus-like in the name of worship.

It is this same unseriousness in Christian believers that causes Muslims to view heathen nations as Christian. They think Christianity somehow approves of vice and that very openly. Many so-called believers do not even know why they are in the church. They not only lack a sense of the spiritual but they also have no ready answer for the seeker who wishes to know about the hope that is in them.

A person who knows nothing of religion will easily follow the faith of the Asian mystic instead of the professing Christian. The reason being that it is easier to conclude that the mystic somehow is in touch with the unseen and is moving with a sense of purpose along that direction but the same cannot be said of the one who merely takes the name of Jesus upon himself and still rules his own life with no concern about the teachings of the Scriptures.

Then almost as a curse on the follies and laziness of a Christendom that does not really know God either in word or in life, substitute religions are springing up everywhere with each attempting to bring man in touch with the spiritual.

Still it cannot be denied. All such wise-men under heaven have no answers in their mouths when it comes to the origin, properties, function, and destiny of the human spirit. The reason for this is not far-fetched, apart from the name of Jesus and all that the Name stands to represent, there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved--Acts 4:12.

Notice that, when it came to interpreting the message of God, these occult groups were lost. The word of God to them was unsearchable and so it was that when challenged to open up the mysteries of heaven, darkness covered the kingdom of darkness.

Even now, it is a dangerous thing for a spiritually dead person to attempt interpreting the Bible. In the same vein, it is equally perilous for a sin-defiled saint to preach or teach God’s word in his sin. Any person in such a condition will only discover the book of life to be the volume death unto him. He will only find his heart and understanding further darkened. The letter kills, the Spirit gives life.

Where then do we find a person in whom is the Spirit of God, one such as he who could unravel the mystery that held captive the king of Babylon. The Lord in His mercy made provision by sending Daniel. The word of God though present in Babylon was unknown by any of those in attendance and certainly couldn’t be interpreted by those who couldn’t even discern it.

The story however changed when Daniel went in to see the king. The young man knew that the need in the world was much more than the wisdom of men or anything that their self-invented religions can ever meet. The way out of man’s spiritual lack and fear is never paved by the sword or by violent threats. It comes only as the gift of God and from having been a student of His Spirit.

This writing is not a character study on the prophet Daniel. That would be a very profiting study to pursue. Presently we shall attempt to see him only as he appears here in the narrative.

We see Daniel returning and reporting the situation to a small fellowship of devout souls and we observe them all coming together for prayers. Ultimately, the Lord rewarded the trust of His servants. Let it be declared here that never has a spiritual war been publicly won by any Christian except that it had first been settled in the confidence of the closet. Indeed, this message did not come to this writer while he was studying. The message and two others were given in the pre-dawn hours while the writer was laboring in prayer.

The man of the Spirit is never in haste to utter anything. The God of heaven never does so either. In Genesis we read often, and God said… and there was…and God said… and there was. Every time the Lord spoke it was to an end, Jehovah does not waste words. The servants of heaven, like their God, are never talkative. When they speak it is because they must and it is with a worthy intent that they ever do so.

Daniel didn’t just open his mouth. He asked for time. You would notice that Nebuchadnezzar by granting that request was more interested in the interpretation of his dream than the slaughter of men. That is another insight into how much this man needed to find ease in his spirit.

Daniel became the centre of focus throughout the Babylonian empire. Both king and subject looked unto him and awaited his speech. As we read the story we are impressed with the fact that this was only possible because Daniel also had the attention of heaven. Oh, that such times may come again!

Interpreting God’s word was not only a matter of life and death. The power of Daniel’s God must be proven in His servant as the one and only true God by meeting the spiritual needs of men. He is not worthy to be worshipped who is called god but cannot satisfy man’s greatest need.

At the set time, we see this young Daniel finding his way into the royal palace. The anguish of the king’s spirit still clearly printed on his face. The hearts of the wise men beating as their lives hung in the balance. Families throughout the kingdom who already were mourning the possibility of being widowed and orphaned would feel the seriousness of God’s word while hopefully waiting for news that Daniel succeeded.

But this Daniel moving into the palace was full of God’s power and without doubt certified to proceed along the lines of interpretation. As the young prophet spoke, Nebuchadnezzar’s spirit received witness that someone more than human was talking through the Hebrew captive, a thought which the humble Daniel was only too eager to corroborate [Dan.2:30]. It suddenly dawned on the troubled king that standing before him in the person of a captive is a citizen of that unseen but ever-present and ever-powerful kingdom which has only recently caught his attention.

The speech of Daniel showed that he was no careless citizen of that kingdom but one who knew the thoughts of that place and could access the King of the spiritual kingdom. In the person of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar observed that the spiritual was not just some bunch of abstract ideas or transient dreams but a living, active, practical reality.

Let’s draw the issues. That darkness covers most of the earth, we are certain. That the word of God has been labeled an incomprehensible volume, we are aware. That in spite of the multiplicity of churches and clergy men there is a dearth of those who can interpret and apply the word of God at any given time we cannot deny.

Every where you turn there is misery, fear, suffering and chaos where there needs not be. The spirits of many have already been stirred by God and they seek an interpretation. Multitudes want to know what this movement is that is within them that is constantly clamoring for attention. Others are held bound in the bondage of other religious because they see no preferable alternative

But let no man ever attempt to declare the counsel of God except it first dawn on him that his utterance on behalf of heaven is necessarily a matter of life and death. Our preaching becomes more profound when we do not utter anything we are not sure of. Let the preachers and teachers of today note it well that as soon as you promise the congregation anything on the behalf of heaven which is false, you have delivered many souls to death and brought the God of heaven into disrepute.

Please notice also that no man lives to himself. Every person is connected to other people over whom he exercises some degree of influence. Much lives, indeed other peoples future could depend on what you say to this one person on the behalf of heaven. Mislead a man and you have misled his family and friends. Confuse a woman and you will cause her to begin to shape her children’s future after your false ideas.

This ought not to be. Where are the Christians who lay claim to prayerfully meditating over God’s word everyday? We are failing in our duties and this is a sad thing to note. Let us arise and speak up for our King, the God of heaven. Many are waiting and some have been waiting for too long. We cannot afford to disappoint them neither should we fail the kingdom of heaven.

Once in the north of Nigeria, two elderly women were discussing Islam, they were robed like typical Muslims are always accustomed to. The one had alternated between Christianity and Islam for a long time. To her, the Christians seem to have a book with great words but the Muslims appear to have a religion of sanctity that emphasized moral restraints and appeared more spiritual. Her visitor who had always been a Muslim opened up to the former abut the restlessness in her spirit too. As God would have it, there was a boy around that seemed to be able to talk wisdom beyond his age.

That boy spoke to them about life and about the God of heaven. Staring at the lad in obvious wonder the visiting woman delicately decorated in her Islamic garments and emblems announced with great pathos in her voice, "This boy just told us the story of my life and I felt my spirit move as he talked" The woman left reluctantly that night. She wanted to hear more but couldn’t risk being caught.

That same young man was traveling down to the south one day and after about 8 hours of travel. He brought out his Bible and read out loud from the book of Jeremiah 45 the man sitting next to him grabbed that young man in a tight hug with a smitten heart, ‘Oh that message was for me, I have disobeyed, I have disobeyed, I ought not to seek great things. My journey will not be successful. I shall need to return, for God had already told me to trust Him and not seek great things. Please do you have anything to say on that passage" the scene was dramatic, it happened in a public bus.

Here is what I am saying, much as it is announced that men have departed from God, is it not because the wise men of Christendom, uttering a vision of their own hearts have proposed empty theories? Mere hypothesis would never work on a human being. We are spiritual entities and we can only find the fullness of life we so much desire when we find the God of life. Nothing short of this will suffice.

Who in his right senses would devote himself to a religion of gimmicks and guesses? The people are there, the situations remain. But can you, dear Christian, bring out things old and new from the treasure house of God’s word? Old and new, where old refers to the never changing principles of God’s eternal word and new means fresh applications according to the situation.

Daniel spoke the message and tension and threats gave way. Sorrow, sighs and stress vanished. Why? Daniel’s tongue was the tongue of the learned. He was able to speak a word in season, at the right time to him who was troubled. He made no fancy address but simply met the spiritual need on ground with the supply of the Spirit.

Today, we seem to have a flair for the tongue of falsehood, of politics, of business, gossip and learning. There are people who can sit down and talk football all day long and they are Christians! Begin a discourse on the Spirit and everyone turns mute. What is wrong with us!

You notice our lack of the tongue of the learned, when you observe a re-cycling of messages in Christendom. Nothing new is flashing forth. Men preach other men’s messages verbatim. Many pastors have descended so low as to get their messages from Google on the internet. Other’s having read an impressive message rush forth to echo the same truth in another place where their spiritual need at the time may be very different.

What a pity! Starving in the midst of plenty! Blind in the presence of the Sun, what a waste! Where are the men of the Spirit?

Dear reader, our God is capable of illuminating your mind with fresh light everyday. The God of heaven is willing to make Himself known and to broaden your understanding in the ways of His Son. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

This is what I mean, if you would yield yourself to the tutelage of the Spirit, our Lord can greatly enhance your spiritual understanding. Obviously, this world is full of distraught people waiting to hear words of truth and power from God’s word. There is no short-cut to reaching such people, you can’t give what you do not have if you do not have it.

The Pharisees marveled that Jesus knew letters having never studied. Our Lord had an intellect unrivalled by any of the teachers of the Pharisees and indeed by anyone else in all of history. The great Physician was spiritually well-informed. He knew men and treated each according to his spiritual ailment. He spoke with authority whenever He taught so His teaching as well as His presence was ever the converging point of countless number of people. Jesus Christ has the words of eternal life even as the disciples rightly concluded having observed Him.

The apostles carried on the glorious work after the Savior ascended. When their words began to search the spirits of experts of the law penetrating right through their religious garments of make-belief, they did not fail to notice that they were untrained men, but their mind was also quick to link this unusual ability of the apostles to the only one who could have made this possible. They realized that they had been with Jesus—Acts.4:13

Friend, have you been with Jesus? Or do you set a limit to what His power can do? God’s word need to be spoken, His message needs to be uttered. But where are His students? Our world being a morally broken world desires and needs something higher, something deeper, something more profound. Too many people are yet groping and stumbling in the dark even though the will of God is right here in our midst.

Dear Christian let the God of heaven lay hold off you. Yield yourself to Him in absolute surrender. Allow the eternal Spirit do His work in you. You could be more useful than you presently are.

Multitudes could be free from death, pain, sorrow, fear and deception, only because you decided to avail yourself to the voice of the Lord. The harvest is truly ripe but the laborers are few indeed. If you are trained by the Spirit wherever you are your words could provoke a transmutation of failure into success through grace. It doesn’t have to be in a formal setting, you could change lives right were you are.

Just as it was with Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, so was it with Cornelius of Rome. That intelligent and God-loving soldier wanted life. But true life was not to be found in the Roman system beneath the throne of Caesar, this man did not find it either in his respectable employment as military officer of imperial Rome, the answer was not among his relatives, it was not in age for he was an adult. He didn’t get it in experience for he was experienced enough to have at least hundred soldiers at his command. No it was not present in religion for in spite of it God still made provisions to reach him.

Bible tells us that an unlearned fisher-man, one of those who had been with Jesus, whose eyes had been opened by the Spirit and whose mind had been illuminated by the Christ of God was sent to speak the words that were lacking in that centurion’s life. He needed a definite message and something greater and deeper than the synagogue had to offer, and heaven immediately dispatched one of its servants to meet the task.

You know the rest of the story as it is found in Acts chapter ten. As soon as the servant of God began to talk, a fountain of life was opened for Cornelius, the Spirit moved in confirmation of the spoken word and the family was baptized. And so it is that whenever the mysteries of God’s kingdom are being rightly proclaimed, whenever and wherever God’s word is being uttered with divine approval the Spirit of Jesus moves in the hearts of the hearers and at that time brings the offering of life.

Please notice again that though it was Cornelius to whom Peter was sent, the man exercised some influence over his friends and relatives and we read that they were all saved [Acts. 10:24].

When the apostle Paul spoke to the jailor who was charged to keep him and Silas in prison, he asked him to believe and you will be saved—Acts.16:31. Why didn’t he say repent? Obviously because the man already had a changed attitude of mind; this same man who had kept their feet in stocks in the inner prisons, now rushed forward addressing his captives as "sirs!"

The earthquake, the breaking of their chains and the inexplicable fact that they remained instead of vanishing out of prison when they could have escaped, made an impression on that jailor so much that his attitude of mind was altered. It was then that the apostle told him to believe. That is to believe the facts that had led to the impression that resulted in his present attitude of mind. That was the word that the Jailor needed to hear, no other message no matter how impressive or spiritual sounding would have sufficed. The beauty and vindication of it all is seen when we read that beautiful Scripture, he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household—Acts.16:34. why have I drawn your attention to this story? It is because again we see one man exercising remarkable influence over his household so that the change in him once he came in contact with a servant of the Way, whose words address his spirit, led to conviction and repentance in the others.

My friend, God can touch your tongue too. Words can yet flow from your mouth that can keep a soul from committing suicide. You tongue may yet be powered with life, that whenever you speak there must be an impact. Some may be led to re-consider their lives only because you spoke, others would always want to hear from you because your words signify you have a special knowledge of them, you understand perfectly their struggles, spiritual needs and you just seem to know a lot about solutions.

You will begin to see that each time you speak though it be before an audience, each individual still seem to think you were particularly addressing them. Men will not get tired of you, somebody couldn’t afford to miss a word from the mouth of the apostle Paul and he listened until he fell from a storey building and died. Thank God he was restored to life, but think of it, he would rather die than miss a sentence from the lips of the apostle.

My believing friend, the God of that apostle of old is still there acting through His servants to meet the needs of men. What are you doing with your life? What is the essence of your Christianity if you do not enter into the full privileges of that sacred profession? Of what value is your faith if it blesses no other and even to you it is mere formality? Those who seek Him find Him [Jn.7:17]. No matter how low your academic qualification is, it matters not if you do not appear very intelligent, the Lord can grant you understanding, and give you a flaming tongue that will burn up spiritual chaff in the lives of others.

Professors, doctors, statesmen and students will tremble when they hear you speak because you will utter things that go beyond the scope and power of education. Sinners, prisoners and teenagers will draw near as your tongue sways their spirits with the condemnation of a woeful past while setting forth an hopeful future before them . This is because they will discern God in you.

What are you going to do? Will you set yourself to pursue a living faith, one that brings freshness to your soul day by day and healing to others as they come in contact with you? Will you determine here and now to do what others are unwilling to do or are you going to wait one more day?

The cry of humanity appeals to you and so does the God of heaven---God bless you.