Enemies of the Heart | Week 3 | How to Win Within Series

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

A single dynamic to understand

  • Guilt (I owe you)

  • Anger (You owe me)

  • Greed (I owe me)

  • Jealousy (God owes me)

Guilt

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

6 “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any man or woman who wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord is guilty 7 and must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged.

Numbers 5:6-7 (NIV)

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)

True Repentance/Reconciliation/Restitution

Bringing it into the light

“I know I could never repay you fully. I know I can’t make this go away, but I’m here to let you know that I’m responsible and I’m sorry. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

Anger

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ephesians 4:31 (NIV)

The newest form of Culturalization has become Victimization

A victim will always has an excuse. In fact, a victim can write off just about any kind of behavior. After all, look at the way he’s been treated. Look at what she’s had to endure. What should we expect from someone who has suffered like that? And so pain and hurt create an unassailable wall of excuses and rationalizations.

In time we come to believe the lie: “It’s okay for you to behave the way you do. You have no choice. For you, this behavior is perfectly acceptable. You’re under no obligation to change. You have every right to be the way you are.” And in the end we have no incentive to change. After all, it’s always easier to stay the same than it is to make a change.

Victims don’t want to be proactive about changing—they want to be proactive about making sure that the person who hurt them pays. And so we spend our energy telling our less than glorious stories rather than taking responsibility for how we feel and act. Thus we open the door of our hearts and welcome in the Trojan horse of bitterness. And it stands there, a monument, a constant reminder of a debt someone has yet to pay. Somebody owes us. In time, everybody owes us.

 Stanley, Andy. Enemies of the Heart (pp. 119-120). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

In Christ, every victim has access to victory

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Daniel 3:25-27 (NIV)

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)

33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

Matthew 18:33 (NIV)

Forgiving sets the forgiver free!

Words of Knowledge

  • We believe the Lord wants to heal scoliosis. He wants to give realignment of a displaced spine. (Middle of the spine. Specifically, the thoracic spine, T5.) We also believe it is more than just a physical alignment; it is spiritual as well. 

  • We believe the Lord is healing jaw pain and stiffness. 

  • We believe the Lord is healing lower back pain that causes discomfort.  

  • We believe the Lord is healing left knee pain. It shoots down through your leg into your foot. 

  • We believe the Lord is opening barren wombs. (spiritual wombs be open too) 

  • We believe the Lord want to heal a chronic headache pain or headache that is lasting a long time, no meds are helping. The pain is in the right temple - feels like a spike digging into your head.  The headaches are due to stress, worry, anxiety - things that you don’t need to be carrying. (1 Peter 5:7 - cast all your care on Him, because He cares about you.) 

  • We believe there are businesses on the decline. God wants to breathe life into them. We believe He is saying “Give HIM a tenth of your time and He will give you 100% direction.” The Lord wants to use your business as an open door for His glory.  

  • We believe someone woke up today and came to church as one last ditch effort before committing suicide. They said, "If God doesn't show me a sign or make something happen then that's it." 

  • We believe someone is dealing with depression to the point of suicidal ideation. The Lord says, “Freedom and joy, and the dark clouds be released.” 

  • We believe Jesus is bringing peace and complete restoration to a teenaged boy that is dealing with identity confusion that is causing anxiety.  

  • We literally heard the state, “Colorado.” 

Words of Encouragement: 

  • We saw a vision for our church leaders. We saw leaders on their knees crying to the Lord, “Use me!”  The tears then turned to tears of repentance. The shift of “me focused” to “Him focused.”  

  • We believe that if you are distracted by chaos in your life, that God wants you to magnify Him. He is your strength and joy in the midst of chaos. 

  • There is a time for running and a time for rest. God is giving an out pouring of endurance for the race ahead. We had a picture of a white towel being thrown to the floor and someone picked it up to wipe the sweat from that person’s face. God is going to bring people around to help you run this race. For endurance, read your Word and seek the Father.  

Words of Wisdom: 

  • We believe the Lord is calling people to reclaim their time with Him by specifically laying down your device (phones, computers, gaming systems, iPads, etc.). 

 
 

 

Brandy Crampton