KEEP YOUR HEART

 KEEP YOUR HEART

 Keep your heart with all diligence, 

For out of it spring the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23

We need to put in more effort to keep our heart than to keep our garden!

It takes diligent work to kill weeds and to grow wheat! 

The heart is the most important part of our body. the spiritual heart is also the most important part of our inner man.

It is the heart that receives and pumps out the life blood to every part of the body to keep us alive.

Will we not do anything to keep our heart healthy and strong?

We will adjust our lifestyle diligently, when the Doctor gives us a warning regarding the condition of our heart. We will take counsel from the Doctor about exercise, rest and diet.

The health of our physical heart depends much on the kind of food that is put into the stomach.

The health of our spiritual heart depends on the kind of information that is put into the mind.

It is important for us to select our diet wisely. It is even more important for us to be wise and selective in the kind of information we seek after. Entertainment from books and social media concert halls and theatres can corrupt the mind and spoil the heart. Like in the days of Noah, every thought and intent of man is evil. These evil intents and imaginations bombard us through social media as never before!

Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth
 goes into the stomach and is eliminated?
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart,
and they defile a man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These are the things which defile a man,
but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
Matthew 15:17-20

Fruit from the tree of Life gives life and health to the heart.

GOD's word is like the tree of Life.

 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,
"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Genesis 2:16-17

Words from the serpent made Eve and Adam eat Fruit from the tree of The knowledge of good and evil, bringing death to their soul, just as GOD warned them. 

 Then the serpent said to the woman,
"You will not surely die.
 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:4-5

Even watching and reading opinionated news can impress the mind wrongly and affect the attitude of the heart against individuals, kings and rulers, people groups or nations. Such knowledge will be mingled with  the deceptive whispers of the serpent of old, '"You are like GOD, knowing good and evil"! This can result in pride and rifts with people who carry opinions that differ from ours.

The Scripture says that knowledge will increase in the end times. People will be greedy for knowledge that puffs up. If we have collected knowledge in the mind, it is necessary for us to take that knowledge to the LORD in prayer, to hear His version of what we have heard. He will give us wisdom as to how to use and dispense that knowledge wisely. 

 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 
The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 15:1-4

We should learn to receive information objectively and not allow that knowledge to affect our heart that will cause us to react adversely. For one, that information may not be accurate or complete. Besides, our wrong reaction and attitude will not be beneficial to our spiritual heart or to others.

For a Christian, the most important purpose of seeking knowledge should be to intercede for the people involved. But if our heart is prejudiced, our prayers will not be heard!

 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
Psalm 66:18

Thinking on and keeping on thinking on the thoughts in our mind is like chewing on and swallowing the food in our mouth! Just as the food enters the stomach, the thoughts enter the heart. Food digests in the stomach and bowels and nourishes or brings sickness to the body, depending on whether it is good or bad. Similarly, the thoughts and ideas that enter the heart, affect the soul positively or negatively.

 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-
-meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8

 A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

We must also pray and intercede for the people involved in or affected by any situation we are informed of, as led by the Holy Spirit. The information we receive should result in setting up straight paths of righteousness for ourselves and bring blessing to others and glory to GOD!

If we do not deal with the knowledge we receive, it will sit in the mind to puff us up with pride, to show off our knowledge and earthly wisdom. It will also affect the attitude of our heart negatively. If not prayed through, it will be burdensome to the soul. 

It is more important for us to seek and pursue the knowledge of GOD, which will fill our heart with His beautiful, pure love. Such a heart is a healthy heart that is able to receive GOD's love and pump it out to others!

 Who is wise and understanding among you?
Let him show by good conduct that his works are done
in the meekness of wisdom.
 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts,
do not boast and lie against the truth.
 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual,
demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there.
 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:13-17

So fill your stomach with healthy food.

Fill your mind with good knowledge and more importantly, the knowledge of GOD.

Treadmill test for the spiritual heart:

• What do you feel in your heart, when you hear certain news from the media or from people? 

If you feel anger towards wrong doers, let it not take root in your heart. Take that individual or people to the LORD in prayer and intercession, until the anger changes into compassion.

• If you are one, who has much knowledge and is highly opinionated about the president of the US(although you are not an American), the Jews, the vaccines and such, and you hear others voicing their views different to that of yours, do you feel an agitation in your heart and want to open your mouth and drown their voices?

If you were unable to speak, did you feel anger and resentment in your heart towards those who voiced opinions differing to yours?

 So then, my beloved brethren, 
let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 
for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness,
and receive with meekness the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls.
James 1:19-21

• Do you feel a discomfort deep within, when you hear the name of someone you don't like? 

You must come to that place of rest regarding that matter, by taking it to the LORD in prayer. You will know that part of your heart is healed, when that symptom is no more!

• How do you react when you see or bump into an individual against whom you hold grudges?

If you feel like hiding or ignoring that person, it indicates a sickness in your heart. It shows that through a wrong attitude, you have given into bondage. That individual has the power over you to cause you to turn your face away, to turn around or to run away! 

If so, you have miserably failed the treadmill test for your spiritual heart!

You must consult your Heavenly Physician regarding this problem, so that He can speak to you and heal you.

• How does your heart feel, when you hear good things about someone you don't like?

• How does your heart respond to news of something good happening to someone you can't stick?

• How do you react or respond when what you have stood for as correct information, is clearly proved to be wrong?

Even if the result of this test makes you feel discouraged about the condition of your heart, there is hope for you in JESUS, Who is the Great Physician!

 Now hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:5

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

You will now realise that the enemy of your soul kept you bound by unnecessary burdens of knowledge. In this way, he kept you from fulfilling GOD's wonderful plans in your life.

When you allow GOD to heal your heart, there will be a transformation in your whole being. You will sense a lightness in your heart, joy in your soul and experience health in your body!

GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Pour Out Your Heart To GOD!

My soul, wait silently for God alone, 

For my expectation is from Him. 

He only is my rock and my salvation; 

He is my defense; 

I shall not be moved. 

In God is my salvation and my glory; 

The rock of my strength, 

And my refuge, is in God. 

Trust in Him at all times, you people; 

Pour out your heart before Him; 

God is a refuge for us. Selah

Psalm 62:5-8

GOD is love. 

His love for your is pure and unconditional.

He has no selfish motives.

He is compassionate and 

His understanding is infinite!

He is the GOD of all wisdom.

He is all powerful.

He has the best solution to every problem of yours.

So pour out your heart to GOD,

to GOD alone.

It is better to pour out your heart to GOD 

than to people.

Don't pour your heart into the media - 

Whatsapp, Messenger, Zoom, texts,

calls, You tube and so on.

Doing this will only scatter and 

multiply your problems!

You will not find a solution.

Pour out your heart to GOD alone,

and find peace today.

Scripture Tools in Modern Times

Scripture Tools in Modern Times

TABLET

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them." - Exodus 24:12  

And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. - Exodus 31:18

And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. ... So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. - Exodus 34:1, 28-29

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, - Proverbs 3:3  

I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. - Habakkuk 2:1-2

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: - Isaiah 30:8  

"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars, - Jeremiah 17:1

We should be diligent to prepare the tablets of our mind and heart and seek the LORD and study His word, hear His voice and write His words on these tablets.

Preparation involves circumcision of our mind and heart of all carnality.

Then we should allow the Holy Spirit to write these words on the tablet of our hearts. As the LORD writes His words on our hearts, our hearts are moulded with His fingers according to His image.

If the word of GOD is not written on our heart, our sin will be written because sin originates in the heart.

I believe it takes just a moment for the LORD to write my name in the Book of Life - the very moment I decide to accept the LORD’S forgiveness. It takes a lifetime for Him to write His name on my heart, moulding it to His image.

I believe, at death, if the sin written on my heart is not completely wiped out and superimposed by GOD’S word, my name would be wiped out of the Book of Life.

If the sin on my heart has been blotted out by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of GOd, my name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life.

SCROLL

Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. - Psalm 40:7  

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever: - Isaiah 30:8  

Moreover He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." - Ezekiel 3:1

Then I turned and raised my eyes, and saw there a flying scroll. - Zechariah 5:1

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." - Revelation 5:1-5

"Take a scroll of a book and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah even to this day. - Jeremiah 36:2  

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. - Revelation 6:14

The words on a scroll are taken in context and with the right perspective when we scroll up and scroll down.

Only the LORD JESUS is worthy to open the seals of the scroll because He is the only One Who, being beyond time and space, came down to live within time and space.

He is the Truth!

He is the Alpha and Omega!

He is the First and the Last!

He is the Beginning and the End!

STICK

"As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.' "Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand. "And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?'-- "say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand." ' "And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes. - Ezekiel 37:16-20

The stick is used to transfer information from one to another. We can be like the stick as witnesses of our LORD through our lives, through the words we speak and write, thus bringing our knowledge of GOD to others.

We have the ministry of reconciliation, reconciling individuals to GOD and restoring one another’s relationship in CHRIST.