Keep Your Heart
A Sermon preached by Apostle Aje Pelser in the series of gifts and functions for Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, October 2022.

Key Scripture Verse:
The key scripture for keeping your heart is found in proverbs. The wise king Solomon realized that we should focus on the source of our mind, will and emotions. Dealing with issues of life without having a change of heart, is like treating the symptoms of a disease without discovering the root cause of the viral infection. When you discern the source of bitterness, envy, lust, hatred, anger and any other malice, it is easier to change one’s behaviour. It all starts in our hearts. God told me: “I will set many people free.”

Proverbs_4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

We can explore some ways to keep our hearts pure, so God can use us more effectively to help others, and indeed live a wonderful life ourselves.

Be diligent to come to Jesus regularly for living water.
Jesus understood the concept of living water flowing from our innermost being. He tried to explain it to a woman at a well, and when she grasped his meaning, she invited her whole town to come and receive that living water too.
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Joh 4:11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
Joh 4:12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
Joh 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Continually make Jesus the focus of your feast.
The feast of booths or tabernacles required the religious leaders to transport water in vessels from the pool of Siloam to the temple. They did this every year without a change of heart or access to the living water Jesus was offering right in front of them.
Make Jesus the focus of your life, your feasts, your activity and you will have an eternal feast.
Dr Gray writes in the Life of Christ, Journey 37:
901. The forceful presentation of Himself as the source of living water, the giver of the Holy Spirit. The fact He “stood” rather than sat, and “cried” rather than simply “said” or “taught”. “Stood” is imperfect, “was standing” watching the people, perhaps going in procession from their booths to the temple (West). Suddenly, moved inwardly or by some outward occasion, He “cried” (this Greek verb is used of Jesus in John’s Gospels in only two other places, 1.15 and 12.44).
902. Each morning water was brought in golden vessels from Siloam and poured out as a libation.
(Life of Christ Answers by Dr Roy M Gray, available from Miracle Bible training Centre, www.miraclebibletc.org)

Accept Jesus as the source of life-giving water, and become baptized with the Holy Spirit.
When we accept Jesus as Lord by confession and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead for our redemption, something beautiful happens in our hearts. We are reborn and we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Old things pass away, and all things become new. Jesus is able to make all things new in our hearts.
We need to make that decision to come to Him and to drink from the wells of salvation – the living water of the Word of Life. His promised blessing the holy Spirit, sustains a living water fountain in our hearts forever. It is an eternal source of joy and sustenance till he comes for us as his bride the Church and we will live and reign with Him in glory forever.
During a feast – Jesus saw them bringing out the ceremonial water pots in Jerusalem and it triggered his teaching on the living water. People could see that the water
Joh 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
Joh 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Joh 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Allow the Holy Spirit to purify the water of your temple for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

What happens when we don’t keep our hearts?
Jas 3:8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Jas 3:11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
Jas 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Pro_12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.
Pro_13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Pro_14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy.

Pro_14:14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.

Pro_14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Pro_18:12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.

Pro_19:3 The foolishness of a man twists his way, And his heart frets against the LORD.

Pro 20:9 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?

Pro_23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

Pro_26:23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.

Pro 26:24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips, And lays up deceit within himself;
Pro_26:25 When he speaks kindly, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart;

Ways to diligently keep your heart:
Pro_15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

Pro_17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Pro_15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.

Pro_16:23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.

Pro_18:15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Pro_20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.

Pro_20:27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

Pro_20:30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.

Pro_21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

Pro_22:11 He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.

Pro_22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Pro_22:17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;

Pro_23:12 Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.

Pro_23:15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;

Pro_23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;

Pro_23:19 Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.

Pro_23:26 My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.

Pro_24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
P
ro_27:9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

Pro_27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

Pro_28:25 He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.
Pro_28:26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.
Pro 31:12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

Psa 108:1 A Song. A Psalm of David. O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psa 108:2 Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn.
Psa 108:3 I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

Psa_138:1 A Psalm Of David. I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

Psa_139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;