Leon Fontaine - Heart Perceptions
Your beliefs determine your perceptions and your ability to understand something. And so many people don't realize that we form beliefs by our own decisions, or people who have raised us. They help us to form beliefs and then these beliefs determine what we will listen to. So you determine your beliefs. You determine all that you think. So these, we call these heart beliefs. And then once you've determined your heart beliefs, your perceptions of life come through those beliefs. Also your ability to understand the Word of God comes through those beliefs. We see that more than ever in the last couple of years as people form beliefs that differ from others, causes division, can't understand why people can't see my point of view, and he can't see. And I can't see his point of view is because beliefs of the heart are established and that doesn't mean they are right. It just means you form beliefs. These beliefs drop so powerfully into your heart that it will determine what you will listen to, how you look at a situation was determined by heart beliefs.
Now head beliefs, they'll come and go. Add a little pain to someone's life and they'll change beliefs just like that. Which is another problem with Christians is that, you know, as soon as they go through a hard time, they don't believe the Bible the same way. They want to change it. And so it's crucial for us that we understand that Holy Spirit was sent to this planet after, and of course He was here but He was sent in a new way after Jesus died on the cross. And the Word says, Jesus said, He's here to lead you into all truth. This is where you should form your beliefs. Because if you form your beliefs on fallen men's opinions, religious opinions, when God tries to speak to you and guide you and it falls outside of your off center beliefs, you won't hear Him. So it's crucial.
The Bible says in Romans chapter 8 that Holy Spirit searches the hearts. What is He doing? He is searching your heart to help you by removing beliefs. And He does it through teaching you the Word. He removes deep, deep heart beliefs that have kept you in bondage. Deep, deep heart beliefs that don't allow you to even hear Him guide you and lead you in an area because the area He's trying to guide you and lead you in, is all locked up. It says in the Word of God that these are called strongholds. These are imaginations. These are reasonings that go against the Word of God. And that the weapons of your warfare are not to fight demons. They've been defeated. They are not to fight other people. They are literally to pull down the strongholds of reasonings that are in your heart.
Because when your heart begins to believe true things, now listen close to this, I'm going to help somebody today. I mean, change your whole life. When you begin to allow the Word of God and Holy Spirit to change heart beliefs, what the heart was designed to do already will flow out of you in such power. It will come out of you with such ability, and this is where the believers today are so locked up is because their beliefs come from their natural mind, their parents, their religious up bringing, some evangelist on TV. And most often when they go through things, they begin to form the beliefs that drop into their heart. So your heart is where faith is. Here's another word that is so destroyed it means nothing today in the church world. You know, I have faith. Oh, really. What's that? Oh, I believe. Really? What's that? What do you believe in? Oh, I believe in God.
Now, the devil believes there's a God. He hasn't got faith. And people don't understand, and they think they do. Like, they don't understand that in the Old Testament, people who are, who were God's people, they believed in what God said to them, or what a messenger brought to them, or in the character of God. In the New Testament people around Jesus believed what Jesus said to do. One word from Him, would say, "Come". And Peter would get out of a boat and walk on the water. One word and he obey that one word. But today there's something uniquely different about faith that people do not seem to get. And that is Jesus said that I'm going to go. I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit. And when He comes, He is going to guide you into all truth. He will show you things to come. He is going after your heart. You become born again by Holy Spirit, and then He begins to cause your beliefs to begin to form around the name of Jesus.
Now, here's where I struggled for a lot of years. The name of Jesus. What does that mean? The name of Jesus. Well, as you begin to study the Word of God, you begin to recognize that the name of Jesus is holding all that that person Jesus did. So today when a born again believer who knows the Word of God and begins to operate in faith says, "In the name of Jesus". What you are saying, and you've got to understand this and believe this, is that Jesus died, and He took my sins. He took my curses. I am qualified. I'm righteous, not because of my own conduct or my inability to handle my own guilt. No. I am, I have every promise given to me because Jesus qualify me. So when I say in the name of Jesus, I am using an authority that is Jesus but He's given it to me and I can command sickness and disease to go in my life. I can begin to declare the Word of God.
And you say, "Well, you can't declare that word to God. Who do you think you are"? Oh, I'm not declaring it in Leon's name. I'm declaring it in Jesus' name. And so many of the, of the churches today have used this name. They don't understand it. That the finished work of the cross, when I use the name of Jesus. It means Holy Spirit is allowed to move on a situation because He's qualified me. The Bible teaches us that when your own heart condemns you, you don't receive anything from God. Yet it says in the same portion of scripture there 1 John, it says that but God is greater than your heart that is condemning you. Why? Because when you focus on yourself, your heart condemns you. When you think you are able to see a miracle take place or pray over something and your eyes are on yourself, your heart will condemn you because it knows you are not perfect enough.
And so people who walk in condemnation and who walk in guilt as born again believers and can't seem to really begin to rise up and do amazing things for God. Your eyes are on your fallible life. But if you get your eyes on Jesus as the author and the finisher of your faith, who has qualified you for every promise in the Word, and as Jesus is, so are we in this world. This entire new beliefs that they are here because of the cross turn you from a little fearful guy, or this arrogant, condescending person and you learn to be meek. Now, the word meek for so many people is such a mess 'cause that, you know, when you think of meek, what's meek? A rabbit is meek. Harmless. You know, there's nothing really good about a rabbit. You could say, "Well, rabbits are so good". You don't know if they're good. They got no power to be bad. What's it going to do? They're now attack you and claw you up, or is it going to bite you and take off a leg? No, a rabbit is just, so you can consider that meek. Meek is what Jesus calls Himself.
And Jesus said nobody takes my life. I lay it down, when I want to lay it down, John 10. Jesus could calm a storm with a word. They would try to kill Him. He'd walked right through the entire crowd. Meek does not mean pathetically somebody's slapping post. Well, it says turn the other cheek. Yeah, that's, it's talking here very clearly to how quickly you get offended. No, be at peace, stay humble before God, and stop this like ugh. And when you are, you begin to access the power that is within the heart. Faith. This is the victory that overcomes the world. The gifts God put in you. No. The abilities that you have to use for God. No. When it comes to overcoming the world, it is brought down to a singular word, your faith. Where do you get this kind of faith? You get it from understanding the finished work of the cross.
And so when I pray over something and I say in the name of Jesus, that word coming from my lips and my life explodes something deep within me is I'm qualified. I am to act like Jesus. I am to declare His Word over situations. I am to know that His armour protects me and the sword of the Spirit is the Word, is the Word of God coming out of my mouth. In one name. Just in the name of Jesus. That's what it means to me. Now, others the name of Jesus just a swear word, or it's just the way they end a prayer, in the name of Jesus. But they have never taken the time to meditate and allow Holy Spirit to take the beliefs of your heart. These deep set beliefs about who you are, who God is, and what you can do on this planet. And so they live this life with no prayers getting answered, no real miracles taking place. And so they change their doctrine. Well, whatever happens is God's will. So we'll just work it out from there. No.
Are we so naive that it's all God's problem and none of it is mine? Jesus repeatedly said to people, you know, O ye of little faith. What did you do with your faith? On and on when He spoke to His disciples. And so faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And so this topic of faith is crucial. That we are growing and developing by studying and spending time in God's Word. In Proverbs 4:20, it says, "My son, attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart". Now He says for they are life. The Incredibles Zoe kind of life that heals. That pulls down strongholds. That stops enemies. That overcomes everything in the world and it brings health to your flesh. And then it says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life".
You know, I love reading westerns and I like western movies. And whenever someone was a law officer, a Marshall, you know, or someone who had to protect themselves with a gun. They looked after that guns so well. Today, you'll notice when you get any kind of military training, you can assemble that in the dark. You can put it back together. You know where every piece, every spring. You can lay out on the table. In fact, in many of the trainings around the world, they blindfold you. Make you put it all back together. They want to clean up. Why? The last thing you want when protecting yourself, or trying to offensively take an important position is so click, click and no boom. That's many Christians. It says here keep your heart with all diligence. Why? Out of it flows the forces of life, out of it flows the very miraculous power of God. But most people have not even had teaching on the heart.
And so I really want to challenge you today. Make a decision. That there is the head where your mind, your emotions, and your will are, with your, we call that all three, your soul. Your soul cannot contact God. You have a body. It's your earth suit. The house that you live in while on the planet. Your body cannot contact God. You have a spirit. Actually, you are a spirit. And with your spirit, you can contact God. And so so much of the Bible teaching in the New Testament, the epistles will teach you things like don't be carnally minded. Which simply means stop looking with your five senses for God to do something, or you know, if a dog, you know, sings O, Canada tonight at midnight. It'll be a sign from God as to what I'm to do.
So you're looking for a sign. You're putting out fleeces. We call it. Which is not a part of the new covenant. You might get away with it as a baby Christian for a few times. But you, if you are a child of God, you are to hear and know the voice of God. And He leads you so clearly by name. Another words a very specific guidance in business, marriage, kids, home, to protect you. He'll guide you in the affairs of a city, in the affairs of a, of a province, in the affairs of a country. His people are designed to rise up and be salt and light. But if we embrace this kind of meekness, and we see meek as which is rabbits. We just run around hoping some lion protects us and doesn't eat us. We're just meek. You've missed it. The word meek is literally your heart towards God in awe of Him. Because the power of God flows from you as power, not by force.
I can teach on that another time but there's a difference between force and power. And Jesus said He was meek. Moses, the very first time the word meek appears in the Bible, said he was the meekest man on the earth. Moses wasn't a wimp. He got up and faced off Pharaoh. He got up and led a couple million Jews through the wilderness. He got up and spoke with God, you know, with the terror of dropping dead. He got up and face country after country and he was the meekest. Why is he meek? Because towards God, he was in awe. He was obedient. He was humble. He wanted His direction. He's the leader that said, "If you don't go with me, I ain't going. If you're not before me, I'm not doing this on my own. I need you. You are the pillar of fire by night. You are the cloud by day. It is your presence that goes before me. It's my reward, re-reward or my rear guard".
This meekness is a turning to God and knowing that God is on your side. That God is with you. It's not meaning that we just let whatever life throws at us, take us out. I've debated with pastors who were complete pacifists. And our job is just to humbly submit to whatever an evil person might do, an evil leader might do. And I'm going, you know, think this through. Someone breaks into your house and steals your kid. You're going just passively go, "Oh, my child is gone. I will worship the Lord". No, most of us guys' house is you a dead man. That's totally wrong. Read your Bible. I don't know. I'm going to get people upset with my message. But, you know, Jesus sent His disciples out one time. And they said, "Okay, how do we go"? He said, "Don't take money. Don't take an extra coat. Don't take a sword. Don't take anything. I'm going to provide for you. You're going to find the miraculous power of God". Then the second time He sends them out. He says, "Take a coat, take money, and take a sword". And Peter goes, "Here's two". "That will do," Jesus says.
Now, swords weren't used to butter your toast. Swords weren't used to, you know, just, I don't know. It's a sword. It is a weapon. There is so many things in the Word of God that until you begin to say, "Be open". And say, "God, guide me and lead me in Your Word so I get a sense of who I am as a believer". And you need to know that God has called you to be more than an overcomer. He has called you to walk in faith. And that this faith starts in the heart, okay. Then it comes from, then it, then the mind is engaged and then the body is engaged. Which is why we are to be meek. The meek shall inherit the earth. It's talking about your heart before God, walking in such peace, walking in such joy. This humility that just knows my physical body and my own reasoning and mind will never be enough to do what God has called me to do on this planet. And on the planet where there are two kingdoms. Spirit kingdoms.
Now, there's a couple hundred physical kingdoms but only two spiritual kingdoms. And every leader on the planet falls into one of two kingdoms. Every person on the planet in one of two kingdoms. The kingdom of darkness, and the Bible says that the leader there is always killing. He's always destroying. He's always stealing. Why? Because he's filled with hatred. You're not going to figure it out. So when you submit to that spirit, everything that you do were to steal, kill, destroy. And Jesus, I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. And then everyone keeps thinking ... in heaven. Poor suckers. It doesn't makes sense. That's not even accurate, okay? When we get to heaven, there's no enemy. So we on the planet are to be the salt, the light. We're to rise up victorious. If your doctrines as a believer, is you're just a poor sucker who does nothing and just prays to God so that you can meekly submit to whatever goes on around you. You are reading just a few verses from the Bible, that get you to kind of checkout rather than recognize that you and I are to rise up. And that we are to be leaders for God.
So I'm really going to challenge you today. That get into God's Word and make sure the beliefs of your heart line up with the accuracy of the Word. And if you've been lied to by religious leaders, if you've developed doctrines, or maybe you're just never even heard any of this before. I want you to know that you have been designed to overcome on this planet. You've been designed to win. You've been designed with such wisdom that in Psalms 119:97, 98, 99, it says, He'll make you wiser than your teachers, wiser than people older than you, and wiser than your enemies. What's that about? That literally means the Spirit of God that is inside of a born again believer isn't there just to make him a rabbit. He's there to make him a lion. That's why Jesus is called the rabbit of Judah. No, no. The poodle of Judah. No. The lion of Judah.
And so we must get back into the Word. And you need to understand, some of you are so fearful and you've been unable to really understand. And so many people today, man, the calls that I'm getting and the conversations that I'm having with people around the world, experts, and doctors and scientists, who, when I get done interviewing, or talking to them, when we go off camera. They just want to know they're becoming spiritual. What does that mean? Because people are recognizing. It's very apparent to the world now that the beliefs of people doesn't mean that it's true. And that, you know, there's evil out there. You can just see it. You are so naãve. You got your head in the sand, if you can't see around this planet that men and women as evil leaders are being pushed by something that has dark intentions. And it's killing. It's destroying. And we need leaders to rise up who have a sense of being good, being righteous.
And the cool thing about God is that He leads you and He guide you through every situation in life. And so to spend time in the Word, to let His Word begin to replant your heart with proper beliefs and let Holy Spirit search your heart. He's not looking for sin. You dirty rotten good for nothing. But in a way He is because the Bible says that an evil heart of unbelief. It doesn't say that an evil heart is a stealing heart. It doesn't see an evil heart is an angry heart. It said an evil heart is a fornicating heart. That we know those are sin. It says an evil heart of unbelief. It's wild. So if we do not take our hearts and establish them in God's Word and work with Holy Spirit as our helper, to begin to, begin to get through your mind as its renewed. It gets into your heart and you begin to hear and understand truth. Now He can guide you. Now you can perceive and sense things. Now you can grow amazingly because the stronghold of belief that was an incorrect belief. I call them misbeliefs. It's what stops the miraculous flow of God in our lives.