The heart is guided by fleshly desires , not godly wisdom . So there has to be a fight that ensues . It's a day-to-day fight . It's a grind that must take place because we are being fed by lies and photoshopped billboards all day long . Steve Jobs , he said have the courage to follow your heart and intuition . Everything else is secondary . Oprah Winfrey , follow your feelings . If it feels right , move forward . If it doesn't feel right , don't do it .
Speaker 1And the problem , as you guys are talking about here , is that we all have different feelings that are contrary to one another . That will affect all the people inside of our lives . Galatians 5.17 , it says the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh , for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do . And then Romans 8.6 , it says For to set the mind on the flesh is death , but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace , for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God . We must , moment by moment , examine our situation as if we are a soldier inside of a battle . Why ? Because we are soldiers in a battle that every turn , every move that we make . We have to understand that the enemy is out to get us , to steal from us , to ultimately kill us .
Speaker 1Jc Reilly said we are naturally inclined to follow our own hearts . This is to Oscar's point to consult our own inclinations and to go our own way . But he who walks by the dictates of his own heart will never go right . So we have to , moment by moment , not just have our moment of scripture reading in the morning or right before we go to bed . It is all day long meditating on God's word , day and night . It's in fellowship with other believers . It's sharing the gospel as we go , as we grow . If you're not , you will end up following in a direction and down a path that you should not head . Take heed to Scripture .
Speaker 3From time to time , friends , I find new callings in my life . New callings in my life . I found a new one recently and now my ambition in this world is to be an airplane chaplain .
Speaker 3Is that a thing ? I'll make it a thing . That's my ambition . I was coming back from the lovely nation of Ecuador by the way , greetings to our brothers and sisters there that listened we had a wonderful conference and were able to equip saints there in the Word . Listened , we had a wonderful conference and were able to equip saints there in the Word . But as we were flying back , I was actually on my connecting flight from Miami here to LAX . I was just sitting in my seat Miami .
Speaker 4Why did you go from California to Miami to go to South America ?
Speaker 3I don't know , I just go Ray . I don't ask questions , it's just crazy .
Speaker 4This is the wrong direction . Folks they throw me around there had to have been a direct , I don't know , there wasn't .
Speaker 3So anyway , I'm sitting in my seat , my aisle seat , which I love , cherish and adore , and plead with my assistant here to always book me aisle seats because I don't like to be stuck , you know , and whatever . So the guy next to me goes hey . And I go hey , how you doing ? You know , I try to always establish good rapport so I could share the gospel . So he goes hey , man , can I buy your seat off of you ? He goes I'll give you 50 bucks . It's like my friend's over there , he's in that middle seat and I just really wouldn't want to sit next to him in the flight . He's like can I give you 50 bucks ?
Speaker 4I go okay , can I give you 50 bucks , I go .
Speaker 2no man , you go for 100 ? I'm so sorry .
Speaker 3What's your number ? 100,000 .
Speaker 1Come on , so this is going from LA to Miami . Yeah , yeah , wow , that's a flight .
Speaker 3Yeah , so it's like five and a half hours , so I go . No man , I go . I'm so sorry , but I'll gladly move for you and let your friend come . Come , I'm not gonna take any of your money well that's great he goes . What wait ? You went to the middle aisle seat . Yeah , so he goes , he goes . Wait , he was like tripping out . He goes . Hold on , like you understand , like you're gonna be sitting in the middle over there , right , I go .
Speaker 2Yeah , you seriously you were so much better of a person than I am . Maybe you are born again guys that means you're in the middle .
Speaker 4You've got two people to witness to yeah right Middle school .
Speaker 3So anyway , I go , okay , so he goes . Are you serious ? He goes , you really would do . He kept tripping out , he couldn't believe it and he goes . Really I go , yeah , so , anyway . So I talked to him a little bit , I gave him some tracks because we had to make the switch . I switch over the middle , the guy next to me who's by the window , he goes . I can't believe you did that .
Speaker 4He goes . I'm so surprised you want to sell a middle seat for 200? .
Speaker 3Right . So anyway , we're flying and both guys next to me , they both have their earbuds in . I'm just sitting there and then , all of a sudden , a medical emergency happens on the flight . There's this guy a few rows over on the other side and he hyperventilating , and and um , so I , you know , I'm thinking what's gonna go , what's gonna happen . So they come , they take him to the back , they're getting oxygen tanks , then they start scurrying . I mean , it started to get serious on the plane , on the airplane , yeah , in the air .
Speaker 3So then , uh , the stewardess makes an announcement and says if , if , there's any medical professionals on the flight , please let let us know . So the guy next to me sitting by the window raises his hand , he gets up , he's in the medical field , he's a veterinarian , he's a dentist . So , anyway , he goes to the back and it took a while . Next thing , I know this door just comes up to our row and she says to the guy sitting on the aisle um , she says , sir , I need you to move to see such and such . He says to me I need you to move over to the window that the doctor's coming back with with the guy . So they come and they sit the .
Speaker 3The guy who was having the medical emergency is right next to me and the doctor's on the aisle wow , and so that's wild , and the guy is hyperventilating you know why it's hyperventilating ? Because he , he's sitting next to me .
Speaker 4No , because he heard about you and your $50 . I can't believe it .
Speaker 3So anyway . So the guy was just like and the doctor's trying to comfort him , and so I just turned to him . I go , sir , hey , I'm a pastor . I said I would love to pray for you , and he goes . Oh yes , I was like yes , jesus , he starts calling on .
Speaker 3Jesus . So I just put my hand on him , I start praying over him and he was like thank you . I mean , again , he was in deep distress . I wanted to share the gospel with him , but it was just one of those things where he's just in deep distress , he couldn't thank , he couldn't . So I finished praying for him and he was so grateful so I gave him a movie card and a track . I said look , put these in your pocket . I really want to urge you to read these later . He said , okay , I will thanks . So , anyhow , thank God , we were just an hour or so away from landing .
Speaker 4Was he having a panic attack ?
Speaker 3He had asthma so he had some things with him and then the pressure and all these things were happening . Anyhow , moral of the story , I'm glad I earned my salvation on that plane with my good deed , but it was so cool and I was able to talk to the guy afterward that I switched seats with and I said , yeah , it's amazing to think that the Lord takes this guy , puts him between a doctor and a pastor and we're able to minister to him .
Speaker 4And this really shows the power of an anecdote . That just had all of us absorbed for about five minutes .
Speaker 3Yeah , so anyway . But again , like I always talk about divine convergences , like the Lord knows what he's doing , he moved me , he put me there .
Speaker 4Oh , I'm going to fly now .
Speaker 3Get back to it , right , yeah ? So , anyhow , friends , fly , fly high in the sky . All right time for a cool , classic comment . This is from Domenico DeMaio . My dear brothers in Christ , my name is Domenico DeMaio . I live in San Diego .
Speaker 3I got saved from drug addiction in late 2018 . I got baptized in November 17 , 2019 . And since then , my heart's desires are to reach out to lost souls , and I do that by using some of Ray's gospel tracts the $1 million bill and if they don't have a Bible , I give them one . Is that a good way to give them a Bible or just a gospel tract ? Anyway , I want to thank you all Ray , easy , mark and Oscar for dedicating your hearts and time to help us All who listen to your podcast . You guys are very funny too . One day , I would like to meet you for a handshake and a big hug for your wonderful way of teaching how to spread the gospel without pointing fingers , but with love and kindness . I pray that the Lord , god , will continue to give you wisdom and guidance for his name's sake . Praise the .
Speaker 2Lord .
Speaker 3Thank you . Thank you , Domenico , and yes , it's a wonderful way to give out the gospel tracts and the Bible . Keep doing it . Wonderful way to give out the gospel tracts and the Bible . Keep doing it . And I love that . You know , it's always encouraging when we get the opposite of what we sometimes do get , and that's people saying you guys are , you know , you're harsh , you're judgmental , you're hitting people with the gospel and with the law . I'm glad people see that our heart is one of love and to reach them with truth .
Speaker 4Yes , that's a wonderful testimony .
Speaker 3Yeah . So thank you , brother , Keep it up , keep going
. And now , radically revolutionary resource this podcast is brought to you by the Good Person Comic Tract . Thank God for Cedric huh . I knew we were going to say Cedric , Praise , cedric , praise Cedric .
Speaker 4He's a wonderful artist that loves our ministry and came to see us . What 15 years ago ? Yeah ?
Speaker 3a long time ago .
Speaker 4We had lunch together and he says I want to create the Good Person tract and make it into a cartoon and he gave it back to us and then he's published it in about 100 languages or something .
Speaker 3Yeah , he did it for us and said look , I'll do this , I'll just give it to you guys , but I'd like to be able to also make it available for different translations . And so people all over the world have taken that track and translated it to multiple languages . Yeah , and so we have the large size and we have a smaller pocket version . Well , they're both pocket , but this one's just a little smaller .
Speaker 2We have a large size and a Ray Comfort size . Oh yeah .
Speaker 3Oh boy , Sounds like Ken Hamsey . Oh yeah , mini chat .
Speaker 4Oh boy , sounds like Ken Hamsey today .
Speaker 3Race eyes , yeah , so make sure to check that out , friends , and it's the one I carry and it's wunderbar yeah there's something incredible about cartoons .
Speaker 4I remember just as a little kid when they put cartoons in the newspapers . I'd just immediately turn to them . And it's not just kids that do that .
Speaker 3I think Ronald Reagan always went to the cartoons first because he loved them . Oh yeah , the comics , yeah , it's funny . Though Last night we came across some commercial and it was just for some animation . And it's just crazy because when you had animations back in the day , they were mainly made for kids , and then when they made some that had more kind of more attractive adults , they had just funny humor , but now it's crude . I mean , I had to turn it off because it was just crude and vulgar things . You know , animations for adults , which is crazy because they attract kids as well and then they get all that filth too . So , yes , friends , at least get one that has the gospel , the good comic book and as clean , yes mucho clean , mucho , mucho clean .
Speaker 3And don't forget the Living Waters mug and the Everett Society Bible LivingWaterscom . Oh sorry , I took your part .
Speaker 4Oh , you're out of a job .
Speaker 3LivingWaterscom . All right , friends . Today we're talking about why you should never follow your heart .
Speaker 4That has to be . So why did you choose this title ? Just , you felt it in your heart . I followed my heart to the topic .
Speaker 3I guess I think Oscar did you come up with this one , maybe I think you might have .
Speaker 4That was high-pitched , that was the highest pitch . I've never heard just the high pitch .
Speaker 3Or no ? I think actually no , that's right , mark . I think actually no , that's right , mark . I think Ryan , ella's boyfriend , sent you some ideas , ryan Holmes .
Speaker 1You know it's funny , the Holmes listen , jack listens too . I saw Jack at your house yesterday and their parents listen .
Speaker 4Yeah , shout out , shout out to the Holmes . Didn't we talk about following your heart the other day ? Or was it on our television program ?
Speaker 3No , something we did . It wasn't on the podcast , no it wasn't on the podcast Cool . I dare you .
Speaker 4My heart led me in the wrong direction . Follow your heart .
Speaker 3Yeah , this has to be mantra number one when you guys say for the world , like in terms of Disney Refrain Follow your heart . Yeah , and you know it's the go-to right , like that grandma and grandpa when they're thinking of something to write in the graduate institute , not true , literally or spiritually , metaphorically , yeah , the heart .
Speaker 3That doesn't look like the cute little heart shape that we see , but it is . I mean , it really is kind of the world's drumbeat . Basically , you know , follow your heart . And I've talked about that before where we you know , basically because the deception is follow your heart , and I've talked about that before where we you know , basically because the deception is , follow your heart , and then there's a follow-up that's usually tagged onto that It'll never steer you wrong . So , and that's it's no wonder that we see so many people today claiming to be Christians who really aren't indulging in every form of sin imaginable , because , well , my heart can't steer me wrong . My heart told me this is what I need and what would be good for me , and so I followed it there . And , Ray , you get that a lot in witnessing . Yes , I get it a lot in witnessing .
Speaker 4I have a good heart . Yeah , I'm amazing . Go through the commandments , and I do it again and again . You've lied and stolen . You're a lying thief Still think you're a good person . Oh yes .
Speaker 2Blaspheme .
Speaker 4God's name , fornicated , committed adultery , hated . People Still think you're a good person . Oh yes , it's just like it's the old story If you're in smog you can't see it . You know , I've used it before you come out in Belfair . Look up , it's a beautiful , clear sky and all the cities all around us have got filthy , filthy air . But if you get on a plane and look down from the heavens , you'll see that all the cities in the Southern California basin are drinking , breathing in a dark poison . It's not as bad as it used to be , and so you have to get a heavenly point of view . And the Bible says the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of man and said Any good . And there was none but one , Ray .
Speaker 1How bad does it have to be when you're witnessing to someone and you don't get to the gospel because they're so proud , they're so self-righteous . Does that ever happen ?
Speaker 4Yes , and I'm thinking to myself they're not going to receive the gospel because they've got a proud heart . They don't want the fine paid for them because they don't think they've broken the law . So it's going to be foolishness to them , but I keep going because I know people are going to be watching that are unsaved . That's the only reason . Normally I'd say to someone you don't want to hear , do you ? So I'm not going to share the good news with you , but I do anyway for the sake of those that are going to watch .
Speaker 3Yeah , yeah . I think it's this desire for everyone to do what comes natural to us in our fallen state , and that is to appear to be good , you know , to never want to be seen as being wicked , even in our own eyes . And you know , nothing is more refreshing to me when I'm witnessing than when someone acknowledges oh , it's wonderful .
Speaker 4Right .
Speaker 3It's so rare , though , ray .
Speaker 4Humility is just beautiful .
Speaker 3Yeah , but , mark , once in a while we get that right . The person that just no man . God can't forgive me .
Speaker 1Yeah , I remember watching Ray share the gospel with somebody in the military . He was about ready to go off to war . We're inside the airport and Ray started to go through the commandments . Well , first Ray asked the question do you consider yourself to be a good person ? And he said no , I don't . So Ray just went a little further , knocked on the door a little bit . So you've lied , you've stolen . He's like yep , yep , yep , yep . And then Ray went right into the gospel . It's rare that you come across somebody who .
Speaker 1That's about 25 years ago .
Speaker 4This mind is a steel trap . That was the Afghan .
Speaker 1Do you remember that ?
Speaker 4Yeah , I remember that it was soldiers , a number of young soldiers , men like early 20s , going to war and I thought I've got to share the gospel with them and I remember that Very moving .
Speaker 3Yeah yeah . It's so rare but so refreshing when you see it . But Oscar , that is the world's drumbeat man . Follow your heart .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's the new religion and it really is a religion . It's a worldview . It's got prophets , saints , songs , dogmas . It is the cult of self-worship and one one of the songs that I love to quote . Often I think we've even talked about it in our own time , which I think is so fascinating . So before I even get to that song , it is a disney song , though .
Speaker 2If you think about every disney movie throughout at least my childhood , from like the lion king and moving forward , every disney movie had one song by the bad guy , and it was clearly the bad guy song . You know , you had scars moment , you had . You had um ursula's moment , you had jafar's moment , aladdin , and everyone knew this is the bad guy song . And then you get to the movie frozen . What's the bad guy song ? Some would say , well , that one . They changed it up a little bit . There is no bad guy song , but there is . In the original fairy tale it was a german fairy tale . In the original fairy tale , the ice queen , a German fairy tale . In the original fairy tale , the Ice Queen is the bad guy . The difference is that the bad guy song in that movie was celebrated by the culture rather than seen as the bad guy .
Speaker 2It's the Frozen song , it's the let it go song . And if you think about it , you break it down in simple terms . You know let it go , let it go , can't hold it back anymore , turn away and slam the door . I don't care what they're going to say , let the storm rage on and never bother me anyway . And then she says it's time to see what I can do to test the limits and break through . No right , no wrong , no rules for me , I'm free . The whole song is about self-realization , throwing off the authorities , throwing off morality and justice . And in the movie itself , the end result is she's isolated , alone in a castle of her own making , while the entire community is suffering through an ice storm . And yet when that came out , every five-year-old girl was wearing that dress , singing let it go left and right . How could that possibly happen ? It happens because that is the new religion of our society today . It's a religion of hedonism .
Speaker 4I remember seeing Easy in the dress singing the same song . It was the worst expression of it .
Speaker 3I let it take pictures , but it's not .
Speaker 2Here's the thing is . Somebody might say , like I'm always thinking about the person who's not buying this . They're like well , what's wrong with following your own heart ? Isn't that , like you know , the way we find true happiness ? And that's that's actually . The problem is that 84% of Americans say their main goal in life is to enjoy life . 86% say they should do whatever their desires tell them to do . 94% say that their answers are found within their own heart . And this is the shift . If you think about the Heidelberg Catechism , the first question in it is the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever .
Speaker 2That has been shift to the chief end is to glorify self and enjoy the self forever . The the problem is it's not working . David myers in his book the american paradox he said since the 1960s america has taken on this idea . And look what's been happening . The divorce rate has doubled , violent crimes has quadrupled , prison population has quadrupled , out of wedlock burst has sextupled and the rate of cohabitation has septupled , which is a early predictor of divorce . I love what my friend Thaddeus Williams says in his book Don't Fall your Heart which Oscar you're in that book .
Speaker 2I meant to mention that earlier , yeah , so it's a book that I got to participate in . A few of us got to write testimonials , as Thaddeus wrote the book , and so I'm in there with Johnny Erickson .
Speaker 1I always mess up the name .
Speaker 2Thank , you , josh McDowell and a few others , but in the book one of his most powerful lines is the paradox of hedonism is the most memorable , sorry . The paradox of hedonism is that the most miserable version of yourself is the one most obsessed with your own happiness .
Speaker 3That's powerful , oscar . I'm so glad you highlighted the frozen moving . I think what that does is it reminds us that there is a deception connected to this . I think one of the things we forget as believers is that the insidiousness of the world , the insidiousness of the enemy of our souls , the insidiousness of our flesh , is that it's dressed up to look good . Right , satan . He disguises himself as an angel of light , and so we have to remember that . And how many people watch that ? And it's just like , and they're singing it and they're not even thinking about no right , no wrong , no rules . For me , that is the epitome of hedonism , you know . So , mark , obviously the go-to scripture that we would share when talking about the heart and why people shouldn't follow it Jeremiah 17 , 9, . I'd love you to speak to it . The heart is deceitful , above all things , and desperately wicked , and we often overlook that last part . Who can know it ? That rhetorical question ?
Speaker 1Yeah . And then it goes on and says that only God can know it right . He searches the heart and the mind , and consider the mind as well in Proverbs 28 , 26 . It says whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool , but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered . John Calvin I was mentioning this quote before we had started the podcast .
Speaker 1He said the human heart has so many cracks where vanity hides , so many holes where falsehood works . It is so decked out with deceiving hypocrisy that it often tricks itself that we have no idea what we're capable of doing . I mean , how many times have you said yourself I can't believe that I did that , or I can't believe I did that ? Again , it's because we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think . I love I don't know if Oscar realizes that he does this , but I absolutely love it .
Speaker 1If you're in a text thread with Oscar and if you ever try to rag on Oscar , he plays along . It's like , yeah , you don't know the half of it . Let me tell you some stuff that you don't know about me . In fact , here's the worst joke I've heard about me . If you can beat that , that's kind of like Oscar's MO . Oscar knows that his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked , as we all do . But Oscar , I think more than anybody I know he plays along with . However , you're going to rag on him . You cannot bully someone who plays along with you . I don't know if Oscar was bullied when he was little , when he was younger , I don't recall I bullied myself .
Speaker 2He bullied himself .
Speaker 1But he does a really great job with just playing along and being bullied . He has come to a place and he hasn't arrived in a dame , but he understands that , his deceitful right that we all have to be on check , recognizing and realizing that we are capable of really doing anything .
Adolf Hitler , one of the most famous infamous , I should say , people in history . He kind of followed his heart . He said I follow my course with the precision and security of a sleepwalker , meaning he takes no regard of what's happening around him . His heart is a flint . He did what he wanted to do . He was in this stupor of a place and his mind was not going to stop until he did it . That's the world . They are dead while they're alive , they're in this stupor of a sleep and the only thing that's going to awaken them out of that stupor is if they come in contact with the commandments that will awaken them to their true plight .
Speaker 1Remember , a dog is not a dog because he barks . He barks because he is a dog . You're not a liar because you've told five lies , ten lies or 100 lies . That is coming from the very wellspring of your heart , luke 6 , it comes from the very core of who you are . You can't help but lie and steal and covet and lust . It comes from the very core of your very being . Spurgeon , finally , he says beware of trusting your heart too much . Our hearts are not only weak , but they are treacherous . Ooh , I like that .
Speaker 3That's good . So much there , Mark .
Speaker 4I was just thinking how Oscar diffuses insults and bullying and thinking of that young lady , australian lady , who did the breakdancing in the Olympics , and I was feeling for her because she wasn't handling the criticisms . They were like , well , she was trying to justify such a stupid act that happened there . She was just right at the beginning . She was like it was really dumb , wasn't it ? I shouldn't have entered the Olympics . That would have diffused the whole thing .
Speaker 4But she made it worse by saying I tried my best and people just ragged on her . But a good thing to ask unsaved people is what is evil ? Define it . For me , evil from the world is those that flew into the World Trade Center . That gets the word evil . The whole world was saying that's evil . But you take them through a list and they find it very difficult to define evil .
Speaker 3What is evil .
Speaker 4Rape is that evil ? Always they go yeah , yeah and it's because they make the mistake of going about to establish their own righteousness , being ignorant of the righteousness of God . And , mark , you sure know how to get me off track . You're talking about all these great things . They need the commandments , and it's so true . They need the commandments to give them light . And until those commandments bring that moral light to them they're in darkness when it comes to God's righteousness .
Speaker 3Right , yeah , yeah , and it's just so typical right of man to look and to elevate himself . But , Oscar , the reason why we don't follow our heart is we have to go back to the foundation of the fact that it has fallen . It's fallen and so therefore it's unreliable . It's going to always ally with sin because it's corrupted .
Speaker 2Right , yeah , let me . Let me actually even word it in a different way , and that is that this is that actually we are all always following our hearts . It is in our nature to agree with , to believe in , to know what we love . We are primarily loving things . We are not primarily thinking things . God created us to love before he created us to think . It wasn't until the enlightenment where David Hume came along and said actually we should be primarily thinkers . But no , I mean the scriptures tell us , it reminds us , that we are primarily lovers . And even now modern atheists like Jonathan Haidt agree the primary thing that human beings do is that we love . We love something and then we decide that that thing is true , and then we go and defend that thing that we believe is true , based off the thing that we love . And so , in other words , to say follow your own heart , you're always following your heart . The real question is what's your heart following ? What is your heart loving ? What is your true source of worship ? And here's the reality is that you don't either way . One of the lies behind the mantra is like don't think about what anybody else has to say about you . You do you . But that's impossible because , ultimately , your heart is seeking some source of authority and it uses that authority as a rubric , as a guide to what it believes to be true and how it positions your own life . So this is the way I've heard it explained by Dr Keller , and I think it was a great way of explaining it .
Speaker 2He says think about the Anglo-Saxon warrior in the 15th century walking around his village and he looks inside of his hearts and he has two desires . Desire number one is I want to pillage my neighbor and take what is his to become mine . And feeling number two is I'm attracted to the same sex . That Anglo-Saxon warrior , because of his culture , would say I need to suppress the feeling of same-sex attraction . And yet I also need to express this feeling of rage , because if I can take what's his to make it my own , it's because I am greater than him . That's the way I conquer , that's the way I expand my kingdom , this is what my society says I ought to do . He's not following his heart , he's following society's standards .
Speaker 2Now , fast forward . Think about the 25-year-old person who's walking down the street in New York City and he looks inside of his heart and he sees the same thing two options , a source of rage . I want to murder , take something from someone else and give it to myself . And he sees the other idea I am attracted to the same sex . And he says I need to follow my heart , I need to suppress this feeling of rage and express this feeling of same-sex attraction . The point that I'm making here is that your heart is following the authority of culture . Culture has told you stop listening to religion , stop listening to your parents and follow your own heart , but it's actually a bait and switch . What they're doing is stop listening to them and start listening to us . Right , yeah .
Speaker 3Yeah , and I think , on that note , oscar , we can redirect our heart , and I think it begins with value , right ? So Jesus made it clear where your treasure is , there will your heart be also . And the problem is is that we're buying the world's goods . The problem is , is that we're elevating what the world is selling and making that value valuable , and then our heart then is becoming attached to that , and then we follow our deceptive heart . That's connected to that . What we need to do is we need to reorient our value system so that we value what God values .
Speaker 3And what we begin to do , then is we begin to make those things our treasure , and then our heart will follow suit . They'll become it's like husbands that are like oh man , I just don't really care for my wife anymore . Well , the problem is is that they've stopped making their wife their treasure , They've stopped investing in their wife , so their heart becomes detached and will then go to what the world is telling . It is valuable and we have to do that . And I would say that the big problem is oftentimes it's connected to our pride . Dr John Street , in his book Passions of the Heart , he said Pride keeps true self-knowledge hidden , the knowledge that it is deceitful , that it is wrong . Speaking of the heart , when it wants to appear right because it actually believes itself to be truly good , the self-deceived heart tends to be cavalier and crafty about the unsavory aspects of its plans , purposes , intentions and motivations , by highlighting the more respectable and honorable ones . So it takes those things within us and puts those up , and then we think , oh , my heart is great , Mark .
Speaker 1Yeah , the heart is guided by fleshly desires , not godly wisdom . So there has to be a fight that ensues . It's a day-to-day fight . It's a grind that must take place because we are being fed by lies and Photoshopped billboards all day long . Steve Jobs , he said have the courage to follow your heart and intuition . Everything else is secondary . Oprah Winfrey , follow your feelings . If it feels right , move forward . If it doesn't feel right , don't do it .
Speaker 1And the problem , as you guys are talking about here , is that we all have different feelings that are contrary to one another . That will affect all the people inside of our lives . Galatians 5.17 it says the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh , for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do . And then Romans 8.6 , it says for to set the mind on the flesh is death , but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace , for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God . We must , moment by moment , examine our situation as if we are a soldier inside of a battle . Why ? Because we are soldiers in a battle that every turn , every move that we make , we have to understand that the enemy is out to get us , to steal from us , to ultimately kill us .
Speaker 1Jc Riley said we are naturally inclined to follow our own hearts . This is to Oscar's point to consult our own inclinations and to go our own way . But he who walks by the dictates of his own heart will never go right . So we have to , moment by moment , not just have our moment of Scripture reading in the morning or right before we go to bed . It is all day long meditating on God's Word , day and night . It's in fellowship with other believers . It's sharing the gospel as we go , as we grow . If you're not , you will end up following in a direction and down a path that you should not head .
Speaker 3Take heed to Scripture Amen . Good exhortation Mark .
Speaker 4Scripture . Thank God for His words , the Lamb to our feet , light to our path . The world doesn't understand that when they follow their heart , they're not just following their heart , they're following the enemy that has access to their heart . We wrestle not against flesh and blood , but against spiritual powers , and so the suicidal thoughts you get aren't from your own heart . Adulterous thoughts you get aren't from your own heart . Hateful thoughts , bitterness , isn't from your own heart . We're not unaware of the wiles , of the workings of the enemy . And one thing I was just thinking as we were talking we as Christians , take it for granted that we don't .
Speaker 4We're not ashamed of our sins . We're not ashamed to say my heart's wicked the world is . They try and hide their sins , but we're not , because we've been justified by God . We're clean in His sight . We don't even feel guilty . There's no condemnation of those in Christ Jesus , and you can see this Scripture tells us that God is justified in this condemnation of humanity and we don't need a fear any longer . David says for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me , against you and you only . Have I sinned and done this evil in your sight , that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge . So God is just in all his condemnation of sin . And yet we're in Christ , saved from sin , and we can speak about our past sins without shame , without guilt , because it's all forgiven because of the cross .
Speaker 2So good , right you do such a good job when you're talking to young people .
Speaker 3Thank you .
Ray tapping into that angst that is there because of this new world religion . And the reality is , like I've said before in the past , and I think this is what you do a good job of hitting , ray is that when an entire culture , society , has been told to follow their own heart , to look inside themselves , to find their true you , and when they're alone with their own thoughts , they look inside themselves and they think , man , I'm worthless , I'm hopeless , I'm a hypocrite , it's like . No wonder depression and anxiety and suicidal ideation is on the rise is because we've had people turn to their own hearts to be their own savior , and their hearts are sick and desperate need of an actual savior . And again , let me re-quote Thaddeus . And then I want to hit , because I mentioned one bad example of Disney , I'll give us a good one Again . Thaddeus said the paradox of hedonism is that the most miserable version of yourself is the one most obsessed with your own happiness . And I love the way David Foster Wallace .
Speaker 4Can I say something ? Could you define hedonism ? Because it wasn't a word I was familiar with until a couple of years ago and it's bandied around , but most people probably really don't know exactly what it is .
Speaker 2Yeah , good point , heed .
Speaker 3Yeah , it's just that . That you know , unbridled pursuit of pleasure , of self-satisfaction , and yeah , it's , it's , it's just that indulgence of the desires of the flesh Perfect .
Speaker 2Yeah , and I , you's just that indulgence of the desires of the flesh Perfect yeah , and I you know , john Piper puts it really well when he talks about the reality that , like , no one wakes up in the morning , goes to the mirror , looks at themselves and is like , wow , struck with awe , excuse me .
Speaker 3Unless you're easy . I couldn't think of one person Unless you're easy . Hello , I love you .
Speaker 2Yeah . But he goes on to say we are what we , what our hearts are desperate for , is to be in awe of something so much greater than our own selves , which is why , you know , we go to the grand Canyon and we stand on that precipice , we look down and we are awestruck by the magnitude of its beauty . It's because our hearts need something so much more than their own selves . And and again , to look at a Disney movie , a positive one , one of my favorite Disney movies and Thaddeus talks about this too is Pinocchio .
Speaker 2In the beginning of Pinocchio , pinocchio wants to be a real boy and he's given his own consciousness Jiminy Cricket . And Jiminy Cricket is trying to get him to do good . Right , but Pinocchio wants to follow his own heart . He begins to lie , and when he lies his nose almost turns into a tree . He's becoming less a boy when he follows his own heart . The worst of it is he ends up at Pleasure Island where he becomes a donkey . Much less . He's unwinding , becoming less and less a boy throughout the entire movie . It's not until he gets stuck in the belly of a fish , a whale , does he begin to sacrifice himself to save Geppetto .
Speaker 2That's the beginning of him becoming a real boy . And that is exactly what Jesus calls us to . To save your life calls us to . To save your life , you must lose your life . God is calling us to hand over the very thing we seek to keep , so that we keep the very thing we are ongoingly losing . I love the way Augustine puts it . Speaking of your own heart , he says you , god , have made us for yourself , o Lord , and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you .
Speaker 4And we have reached a milestone Augustine was spoken without an argument .
Speaker 3You see that , love , I didn't follow my heart .
Speaker 2That was just wonderful .
Speaker 3You didn't follow your heart , we'll be able to get over the coffee thing one day too Right Augustine .
Speaker 4Anyway , couldn't help himself .
Speaker 3So you know , Ray , I love the fact that earlier you were just talking about how you know people are unwilling to call their hearts wicked and evil , and one of the things we try to do when we're encountering or engaging with unbelievers is to try to get them to see the reason , the reasoning behind . Like with God , when you deny you're guilty , you remain guilty and incur greater guilt because now you're calling him a liar right , and so people need to let that click Like . Even for Christians , it's a wonderful thing not to declare to agree with God . It's not like , oh , let me , oh , now I just came up with this idea . No , you're agreeing with what God has said all along about your heart . And I mean , look , this isn't something new . It goes back to Genesis , before the flood . Genesis 6-5, . The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually . I mean talk about like being so exhaustive that you have nowhere to like escape Covering his bases .
Speaker 3I mean , you look at that and it's like every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil , continually like boom and Ray . I think we grow desensitized , but I would think that our day is very similar to . I mean , it was extremely evil and wicked , but wouldn't you say today it's very akin to the days of Noah , absolutely , and you're talking about getting people to face their own sins .
Speaker 4The law is like a mirror and I love how James says we look into the perfect law of liberty and what we're trying to do with sinners is saying I'm showing you what you are . That's all we're trying to do with sinners is saying I'm showing you what you are . That's all we're doing . You've said you've lied , you've stolen , you've blasphemed , you've lusted , you look at pornography , you've committed adultery in the heart . And I've found so many innocent-looking young guys where I say you know , jesus said you shall not commit adultery , ever committed adultery . And these young guys are saying , yes , haven't even got to the last . And this is , I still find it shocking . But all we're doing is turning the mirror to them and saying look at yourself , face the truth . So I'm not saying anything . It's not true . This is true . The mirror is reflecting what you are . Your conscience is bearing witness . Now go to the water to wash .
Speaker 3Oh so good . I was using that , in fact , with my um Lyft driver on the way home from this recent trip and and I , I , and it was so cool to see him in the mirror . I was sitting in the back as I was talking about the commandments . I said when you look in the mirror , it shows you the dirt on your face . I said you never and Trey , I love this analogy that you've given you never take the mirror off the wall and clean your face with the mirror . And he smirked . It's like oh , that makes sense . You go to the water to wash . You know and I think it's important here to just highlight that those of you out there who have had a misunderstanding of our ministry look , when we bring the law out , we bring it to bear on the sinner's conscience . It's solely to send them to Jesus . We're not preaching the law for one to attain salvation through . We're preaching it so people see what's already true about their heart , so that they can go to Christ .
Speaker 4You were saying trust the mirror , and I often think of trusting mirrors when I get on the freeway , where I get a near-death experience every Saturday morning , getting on the 605 , having to go across five lanes and the cars are coming across this trying to get onto the 91 . But I look in the mirror and think I am trusting my life to a mirror . Right now I'm looking at what's coming here and I'm trusting that , and the mirror is not even telling me the truth . It's telling me backwards . It's all in reverse . It's not even true and yet I'm trusting my life to it . So how much more should we trust the God-given mirror that he's given us ? Or ?
Speaker 1trusting the paint between you and the lane next to you .
Speaker 4That's it , yeah , trusting the patron and trusting the driver who's texting while he's going 70 miles an hour right beside you and he's drunk and he's on drugs and he hasn't got a license and he's blind and he's sick and he's suicidal and he has no legs , no arms , no hands .
Speaker 3Seriously , once in a while it hits me . I'm driving and I'm like it hit , like Did it hit ?
Speaker 1you ? Yeah , it hits me .
Speaker 3I'm like all of these vehicles are being controlled by this mushy stuff sitting inside all these people's heads .
Speaker 4Well , I think these are people just like me , and that terrifies me .
Speaker 3That should right , but I mean , at any second something can go haywire in there . I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents that we see . Mark , I'd love for you to just comment on this , Mark 7 , 21 to 23 . From within , out of the heart of men , proceed evil thoughts adulteries , fornications , murders , thefts , covetousness , wickedness , deceit , lewdness , an evil eye , blasphemy , pride , foolishness . All these evil things come from within and defile a man .
Speaker 1Yeah , john Owen put it this way temptations and occasions put nothing into a man , but only draw out what was in him before . So when we sin , it's not like , well , I've never done that before and I can't believe I did that thing . No , that came from within you . You were born that way . That's why you must be born again . Howard Hughes one of the wealthiest men inside the world . He was accused of being a paranoid , deranged millionaire and his response back was I'm a billionaire . That's a good comeback .
Speaker 4Rich man answers roughly .
Speaker 1You're a paranoid , deranged billionaire .
Speaker 3All he cared about was that .
Speaker 1Right . So to put things in a proper perspective , we cannot look inside the mirror . We have to always go back to the Word of God . Because of what you just mentioned , that is what flows from the heart . Luke 6 is the same similar synoptic passage . For that , go back to the Word of God . Because of what you just mentioned , that is what flows from the heart .
Speaker 3And Luke 6 is the same , similar synoptic passage for that . Yeah , yeah , as I've said before , the heart is both the sin factory and the sin warehouse . It's there that our sin is produced , it's there that our sin is stored , oftentimes deceptively , in that we don't even know it's there , right , and so that's why we see it . When we get a shaker , that comes , shakes us up and all this sin that was hidden in the crevices we didn't even know was there , starts to rise up . And it's one of the greatest , I think , safeguards against just going into sin like willy-nilly and just like giving up and just indulging . It's realizing my sin is never justified .
Speaker 3The reason why we often manifest our sin is because we think , well , he made me do it , she made me do it If you didn't act like this , if you didn't treat me like this , if this situation didn't happen . No , all those things just reveal what's already in your heart . And when we see that , it leads to what ? Stopping right , manifesting that sin and then taking it to the Lord and saying God , thank you for loving me enough to show me my filth , sift it out , lord , cleanse it , refine it . So , yeah , so that's , I think , really the heart of it all .
Speaker 4Yeah , they will follow their heart . Yeah , that's the heart of it all . Yeah .
Speaker 3Yeah , I'm so glad we followed our heart today . Yeah , I really think that we were able to hopefully give a clear picture of look . This is why you don't follow your heart . It's broken , it's fallen , it's deceptive , but really the antidote to it is follow the Word , follow the Lord , because he's the same yesterday , today and forever . He never changes and you have that firm foundation . One of you said authority I think it was you , oscar Authority . We're searching for authority . Let the Word of God be your authority and your guide through life . All right , france , right , thank you for listening to us Good-hearted people today .
Speaker 4France , we were .
Speaker 3Yeah , this has been a blast and a blessing . Don't forget the good comic , good person , comic tract . The Living Waters of Mug , the Evidence Study Bible , alllivingwaterscom we want to hear from you Podcasts at livingwaterscom , we are still one of the top podcasts in the world . By the grace of God and your support , friends , thank you for joining us . Oh yeah , that's right . We have no idea what we're doing , that's right , that's well rehearsed .
Speaker 3Neither do you as Ray reminded us , you have no idea what we're doing . Thank you for joining us , friends . We'll see you here next time on the Living Waters Podcast .