Watch Your Heart - the Wellspring of Life — Erlo Stegen

Paying Attention to God’s Word

Let me read the word which I spoke about, that I mentioned. Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20. My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Proverbs 4 .20. Do not let them out of your sight.

Keep them within your heart.

Proverbs 4 .20.

For they are life to those who find them and health to man's whole body.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Put away perversity from your mouth. Keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Proverbs 4 .20. Make level paths for your feet, and take only ways that are firm. Proverbs 4 .20. Do not swerve to the right or to the left.

Keep your foot from evil. Let's pray once again.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

Lord, we pray that your word would be alive and quick, that it would stir us within, and even the one who has become hardened and who has lost his first love, that your hammer would break that hard rock.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Work, Lord, far above our asking and our understanding. Amen. Amen. Proverbs 4 .20 The crux of the matter is this. Proverbs 4 .20 It is the well or the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4 .20 But let's begin at the beginning.

Solomon’s Instruction to Guard Wisdom

Proverbs 4 .20 My son, pay attention to what I say.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Solomon tells us about that which his father, King David, taught him from a young age.

Solomon tells us about that which his father, King David, taught him from a young age. Proverbs 4 .20.

If you go and read this at home, you find over and over how Solomon says, Seek for wisdom. Make that your utmost aim. Pay close attention to God's Word and even guard it, keep it within your heart. Proverbs 4 .20.

When Solomon was put before a choice by God as to what he wanted God to give him, he said, Give me wisdom, heavenly wisdom. Because that is what his father had taught him. Proverbs 4 .20. His heart breaks because over and over he says, My son, my son.

As if he knew that in the end his son would be taken by other women and go astray.

Proverbs 4 .20.

It's as if David's heart is breaking. As if he's crying out and saying, My son, won't you listen to what I say? Pay close attention to what I say and listen closely to my words.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And indeed the day came when he did forget the words of his father and he turned aside from the way.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20 He was dearly beloved of God. But later on, when he turned aside from the way, you don't ever hear it being spoken about the God of Solomon. Yes, we hear about the God of David, but not of the God of Solomon.

Oh, woe to a person who turns aside from the way, who spurns the blessing of God and who despises it.

Proverbs 4 .20. I say, listen closely to my words. And those words were in vain, in vain, in vain. And for all eternity, Solomon will remember what he lost because not having followed what his father taught him.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

And David went aside or went astray once. Sinning against God with that woman, but never again in his life repented from that. God healed him and cured him from that sin and that disease in his life. And when that child was born, David mourned and fasted day and night.

But God still punished him, struck him and took that child. Sinning sexually.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And his servants were afraid to go and report to him that the child had passed away. Because they said, whilst the child was alive, he was mourning and grieving and not eating. What will happen now if you tell him that the child is dead?

Maybe he will commit suicide.

Proverbs 4 .20 Proverbs 4 .20 Proverbs 4 .20.

One of his chief officials, all his courage, went to him and said, O King David, I have brought sad news, your child has passed away. And then he expected something terrible was going to happen. But instead, David got up, he washed himself, anointed himself, said, bring me food.

And they were amazed. They said, O King, we are confused, we don't understand. While the child was ill, you were mourning unto death. But now you say, let food be brought to me. He said, well, let me tell you a secret.

That that child will never again come back to me here where I am. But one day I'll go to where that child is. In other words, he realized that God had taken that child to heaven. And one day he'll follow after it.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20. That should have special meaning to those who worship the ancestral spirits. Because he said, that child will never come back to me, but I'll go to it.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20. After some years, Absalom turned against his father, King David. And he went and sat there at the entrance, at the gate. And when people would pass by there, the city gate, he would woo their hearts to himself.

And steal their hearts away from his father to himself. He was a very beautiful and attractive young man with long flowing hair. Even as you see some do grow their hair today, some men. Proverbs 4 .20.

And then he rebelled against his father. And he made war against his father. And David went and he hid himself.

Proverbs 4 .20.

It was difficult for him to go against his own son and kill him.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

And so Absalom attacked King David where he was hiding. There was a fierce battle. And then the general, the commander of David's army, saw Absalom where he was on his mule. And chased after him. And then the mule went under a thicket.

And Absalom got caught in his hair in this thicket. The mule went from underneath him. And this general said, well I've got hold of you now. You dare to rebel against your own father. Took his spear and threw it into his heart.

And he died in that way. Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20. The Bible says honor your father and your mother. That it might go well with you in the land that the Lord your God gives you. And whether that person be the one that gave birth to you physically or spiritually.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

His hair was an idol to him. And he wouldn't cut it. And when he would cut it he would weigh it to measure how many pounds or kilograms it weighed. And that which was an idol to him brought his downfall and his end.

And whatever it is in your life that's an idol to you. Realize that very idol will be your downfall.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And then when they brought him the message they said, your enemy has died. He said, my enemy? He said, is that my son? And they said, yes your son Absalom. And he cried. And he grieved. He was grief stricken.

Crying out, oh Absalom, Absalom my son, my son. Would have been better if I had died. He realized that his son had died and gone to hell.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

And they said, well we're confused now. We don't understand. You're getting things back to front. How can you grieve over your enemy? He said, oh my son, if I had died in his stead, in other words I would have gone to heaven.

I would have been saved. But he is going to hell. And they said, well we can't understand. He's from hell. And he said, yes that's what you say. But he's my son to whom I gave birth.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And so why did Absalom die in that way? He didn't keep the teaching of his father King David. That teaching which he also passed on to Solomon. Where he said, oh listen closely to my words and pay attention to what I say.

Proverbs 4 .20 Do not let them out of your sight. Proverbs 4 .20. Keep them within your heart. Proverbs 4 .20 Why is it that there are those who go astray and forsake the way of God? It is because they don't keep the word of God in their sight.

They don't keep them within their heart. And then Satan comes and he deceives them and leads them astray. Proverbs 4 .20 You need to keep the word of God before you. Not let it out of your sight. Day or night.

And not that you come into the service and you go out not having received anything. And then you say, oh but God really spoke. And you say, well you ask him, what did he say? No, can't remember anymore.

Long ago have the birds of heaven come and picked up the seeds that have been sown.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

You need to keep the word of God before you. And I've also advised the youth and also adults saying, when God speaks to you in the Bible, write a note there. Write the date. Write the time. And make some marks there that afterwards when you see it again, you'll be reminded of what God said to you.

The old Germans used to put a verse above the door frame so that when they come into the house, they see it, they read it, and they're reminded of it. My own father even did that.

Proverbs 4 .20.

God’s Word as Life and Health

For they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

They are life and health to you. How wonderful when you live in that way. It's wonderful to meet up with somebody who's on fire for God, in whose life God's word is alive. But oh, what a curse it is to meet up with those who become lukewarm and they're just a nuisance in the church.

The words are life and health to a man's whole body. Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20 These words are life and health to your whole body. Body, soul, and spirit. And you'll be well in your whole being. But there are many who are busy dying and perishing because of not having paid attention to God's word.

Those who have turned their backs on God's word, they are in a hurry to die.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

If that regard is cut off, you are cut off from God because God is the word. Proverbs 4 .20 The word is God. These were words of introduction. Proverbs 4 .20 Now I come to the crux of the matter. Above all else, God your heart.

Proverbs 4 .20 Your heart, your feelings, your emotions, your desires, all of that is contained in this, your heart.

Your heart, your love and desires. Proverbs 4 .20.

Guarding the Heart in Daily Life

A person who's got some livestock, goats or whatever, he'll take care of that. He'll guard it, his sheep, so that it doesn't go into somebody else's field. Otherwise, it will bring you into logage with that person.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

The taxi drivers. There are so many taxi accidents where people die because of them not guarding. They don't pay attention to the road signs. They go too fast where they shouldn't go fast. They go off the road and they roll.

And people die because they didn't guard. Proverbs 4 .20. I was in the airplane, busy flying. Proverbs 4 .20. And then I saw a black man sitting behind me. Proverbs 4 .20. And I thought, well, I've seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place him.

Proverbs 4 .20. And so I put the back of my seat back, and I greeted him, and I said, but wouldn't you mind telling me who you are? Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And so he said, I'm in charge, or I'm one of the top officials in a particular department in the government. I said, oh, yes, that's why I recognized you. I said, won't you like to come and sit here next to me, or I'll come and sit next to you?

Proverbs 4 .20. And so he came and he sat next to me, and he said, now tell me, who are you? What work do you do? And I said, well, I don't work. Proverbs 4 .20. I just preach.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And so he sat next to me. We had a wonderful conversation, and he told me that he's a Christian as well.

Proverbs 4 .20.

I said, when are you going to see our premier? And he said, no, I'll see him tomorrow.

Proverbs 4 .20 And so he came and he sat next to me, and he said, now tell me, who are you? What work do you do? And I said, well, I don't work. Proverbs 4 .20 And so he sat next to me. We had a wonderful conversation, and he told me that he's a Christian as well.

Proverbs 4 .20 And so he came and he sat next to me. We had a wonderful conversation, and he said, now tell me, who are you? What work do you do? Proverbs 4 .20.

Now, I spoke to him, and then I said, you know, would you please pass on my regards to the premier, my greetings, and also ask him, why doesn't he come and visit me, because I've invited him so many times, and he doesn't seem to come.

I don't know what the problem is. And he said, no, that's a...

I said, I've got too many parties, but if you don't know, just forget about it. All right. Proverbs 4 .20 And he said, no, I've got too many parties, but if you don't know, just forget about it. All right.

Proverbs 4 .20. And this person told me about many deaths on the road, and I said, yes, we still need to do a lot of work, and the problem is where the people drink and drive, and I say to you, well, it's better that you don't drive.

If you've drunk any alcohol, rather that you get home after a week, than that you die on the road. And there's so much criminality, and I said, yes, we really still need to do a lot of work amongst the people.

Proverbs 4 .20.

Sexual Purity and the Covenant with the Eyes

Above all else, guard your heart. And to you, the bridegroom and the bride, I instruct you to guard your heart. Put a fence around it, that it will be protected, that nothing from the outside will be able to come in, and bring about any damage inside there.

If you don't guard it, that is what is going to happen.

Proverbs 4 .20. Put boundaries around your feelings. Put boundaries around your desires, that play havoc with you, that bring hell into your life.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And don't be such a fool, and go after everything that you see. Be careful, and don't go and run after everything you see with your eyes. Be like Job. He made a covenant with his eyes, a covenant that he won't look at a girl.

Job, the man of God, made a covenant with his eyes. Have you made a covenant already? Keep your eyes fixed on your goal. Otherwise, you may be right in the morning, when the sun is day. You derailed already, or you've turned in the wrong way.

Proverbs 4 .20 Proverbs 4 .20 Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20. Guard your heart. Otherwise, you see a young girl, maybe as old as your own granddaughter, and you'll desire her, just like a certain witch doctor that came here, and was in the ward, and then started crying out all his sins.

And then his wife came to me, I was still young at that time, I was in the 1970s, and she said, My child, what am I going to do? What will I be? Because when they accused my husband, I defended him, and now he's shouting it out that he did it.

Proverbs 4 .20. He was sitting on the bed, lying on the bed, with one leg off on either side of the bed, with his eyes bulging out of his head.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And he's saying, The blood of so and so is crying out. Proverbs 4 .20 And saying, That I'm the one who shed that blood.

Proverbs 4 .20.

And also saying, The true and faithful witness was there, when I murdered that person.

Proverbs 4 .20. Proverbs 4 .20.

It's amazing. He had never been in church, but he said, I thought nobody saw me, but the true and faithful witness says he was there, and he saw me. And we read about that in the Bible, that Jesus is that true and faithful witness, and He's the one before whom you'll have to stand and give an account, when He appears in His glory and splendor.

Proverbs 4 .20. Who told him that blood calls out? Because the Bible tells us about the blood of Abel, that called out to God. But he had never read the Bible, but yet he said, that that blood is calling out, and the true and faithful witness says that He was there.

Proverbs 4 .20. And then he said, the blood of Samson is crying out as well, naming the second person. And then his wife was there, and that place was already packed with people that had gone there to see what was going on.

And she went between them, and out hiding herself, saying, what will I be? Because I defended him, against with his brothers and others, saying he wasn't guilty. And now he says himself that he was, and is.

Proverbs 4 .20.

He had come here, saying that God had sent him through a dream, to come and make right with God, and confess his sin. And when I asked around with the co-workers, did he confess these sins? They said no, he just touched the hem of the garment, he never touched on these things.

Now woe to you, who confess your sin, and you just touch the surface. You play the fool with God, and He'll play the fool with you. Don't be shallow, go deep. Right to the bottom. When you pay,.

Cook, solo, putu, it sticks to the three, three, legs, it sticks to that part of those three legs. It's got to be scraped out. It's got to be thoroughly cleaned. Fanele kutu. Kipeon kinkoloi. Kuklin. Kukanye.

Inchle zebe mshope. Go deep,.

Clean it out thoroughly, that your heart is washed, and is white.

White. Zingos bizwe heka ama. Uzo lubesho nipo.

Pelile egelok. And he said, I spoilt so-and-so, that girl, and that girl, and mentioning them by names, and then I said to all the young people, everybody that was there, go away, go away, I didn't want them to hear all those disgraceful things.

But today the young people are taught everything, even in the schools. The government that you voted in, they bring all that filth in, into the schools, where they are taught everything, and it's even named by name.

You need to admit everything. When he started there, he started calling out the names, a string of names, which he didn't want to mention before. And I thought it's amazing that he had such a memory, could remember everything.

You'll still be reminded of your sins, that you haven't confessed, and haven't admitted before God. Just like somebody said once to his son that went to the court, he said, now go, you just tell lies, this is a house of lies.

Well you might say this is a house of lies now, but when you get before heaven, you'll have to speak the truth.

Keeping the Heart Clean

Now picture a person, guarding his heart. Can you picture, you yourself, guarding your heart? There are many things in a heart, desires, feelings, so-called love, which is nothing else than lust. Always differentiate those two things.

They both start with L, but the one is lust out of hell, and the other from above. Guard your eyes, the wrong eye, guard it. Guard your desires, your feelings, and many Christians, just let them go. Guard your attitudes, your attitude.

You need to guard it. And guard it carefully, like a well spring, where you'll have to come and drink, even in the future, and come back to that well, and drink there.

Now, don't literally translate this into English.

You might come to a well, and it's polluted, and you might even find that the cattle have come in there, and they've trampled in it, and it's full of mud and dirt. Would you like to drink of that water?

Yes, some maybe do drink, out of desperation,.

But then they get the disease,. Your heart is a well spring, should be a well spring of life, of life. But woe to you, if you drink out of it, and eat out of it, dirty things and dirty water. That's why they are washed out.

That's why they can't have revival. That's why the Spirit of God can't use them. That's why they get old, and haven't one soul for God. Dear friends, I don't know whether I speak to friends, but I assume that you are a friend.

I may be mistaken. I say, friend, keep your heart clean. Whether you're a teenager, whether you're 5, 6, 7 years old, or whether you're 70 years, keep your heart clean.

Dear friends, Keep your heart clean. Whether you're a teenager, whether you're 70, or whether you're 80, or whether you're 70, whether you're a teenager, or whether you're 70,.

Keep your heart clean. Spiritual life will come to a stop, and your life will become dirty, dirty, dirty as if you are possessed with demons of lust, the flesh, and evil things.

You will be possessed by demons of lust, the flesh, and evil things, and your life will become dirty, dirty, dirty as if you are possessed with demons of lust, the flesh, and evil things. One man came to me with tears saying, Well, I don't know what to do because my wife doesn't listen to me.

He said, I abhor it if a woman dresses in men's clothing,.

And puts on a tight-fit pair of pants that shows her whole body as it is, and the men look at it and they lust after it. And he said, that's how my wife is.

He said, her backside doesn't look too nice.

I said, I don't know what to do, what should I do? And I said, well, I don't know, but let me give you some advice.

Let's start like this. You go home, and look for two oranges, and put it in your chest. Stick it because they fall down. You can't just put them there. Stick them.

And then you put on a dress. Put on ladies' shoes. And the next morning you show it to her like that. And I said, don't forget your handbag and go swinging your hips, even though you haven't got much of that, but just do it.

And then we'll hear what your wife will say. And then we'll hear what she says. And maybe she'll say, my husband, no, I get your point, I hear, I see what you're trying to get across. And if she does that, then you can take the next step.

Because the Bible says it's an abomination before God if a woman wears men's clothing and if a man wears women's clothing. But you just do that because you're bringing a message across to her. Now this is a wedding, but it's a wonderful opportunity to preach.

That's why we are here, but I'm drawing to a close now.

I'm just telling you a story.

The Polluted Wellspring and the Need for Vigilance

You need to guard your heart carefully. If you don't, it will lead you to your destruction and lead you straight to hell. But we've heard that if you want to live and be healthy and well, body, soul and spirit, then do not let God's word out of your sight.

Let it always be before you. There was a place in Austria. I was just recently with somebody from Austria as I was on the plane coming back. And there was a high mountain with a source at the top. Now Austria is a beautiful country.

Some say it's the most beautiful country in the world. They've got high peaks, snow-capped peaks. And right down below that mountain, that high mountain, there was a little village. And the councilors of the village came together.

And one came with a proposal that they should make that village the best tourist attraction there is, which would draw all the tourists to come and look at this village. And one said, yes, good, but how will we do it?

And he said, we'll do it by having very good water. We have a well spring right at the top of the mountain. There's somebody who lives there. Amen. And they said, we'll employ him to look after that well spring there and to clean it and also the stream that flows from there to make sure that there are no dead leaves or branches in it.

Because until it comes into the town, it didn't take long until that water became clean. In fact, it became crystal clear, so clear that you could see little fishes darting around in the water. There was no bad smell.

No disease. And people were drawn and companies started erecting their buildings next to the stream. It was a time before electricity and other power sources that used the power of the water have milling wheels there that were driven by the water to grind flour and other things.

And so many companies were erected next to the stream. And they used the water to irrigate their fields. They had wonderful fields for their cattle and they prospered. The first hotel was erected. And the second.

And the third. And the fourth. And it didn't take long and its fame spread across all of Europe. And it became a prime tourist attraction. Everybody spoke about it and said what wonderful water there was.

You could even sit at benches next to the water and enjoy this pure water and all the other produce that was produced because of that. And even if you try and get a place there you would find that it was fully booked and so they built even further and the place grew and expanded and many hotels came up.

And that old man still continued with his work to clean the well spring as well as the stream and well that place just became famous. Everybody flocked there. They would swim in the stream, swim in the water enjoying themselves.

It was prosperous. And bird life was attracted. Various types of bird life and beautiful white swans. All bird life would be attracted to that beautiful and wonderful water. And well that generation of councillors passed away.

A new generation came up and took over and this new generation didn't know that old man and they saw his name there in the books and they said now what's this? We don't know who this person is. What is he busy up with up there?

And we're paying him some money. We're wasting money here. Let's just pay him off. They looked at the books. They said monthly we're paying him a wage. For so many years now we could have saved a lot of money.

We're really wasting this money. And the treasurer seconded that motion and everybody accepted it unanimously. And so they wrote him a letter and they said this is your final month. We're giving you notice.

We don't need you any longer.

And, well, the first few weeks passed by. Nothing was noticeable.

But after a couple of weeks they did notice that there was a slight change in the purity of the water. And there was some foam on the water and there were some other signs of impurity and little red things that appeared in the water and even some others started saying, well, I don't feel that it's safe anymore for my child to go and swim in that water.

It was balazia in the water and, well, one evening one child got a fever and the mother took him to the doctor and he said, oh, where was he? Was he in the water? And she said, yes. And he said, well, many others have come with that same thing.

They should immediately stop going into the water. Now I'm cutting it short. The one company, they noticed that the water was losing its momentum. The wheel was also getting dirty and it wasn't driving as it should anymore and so they had to close down.

And there was a bad urge now about the water, almost like chicken dung. The factories closed. The hotels became empty. The tourists diminished. And these white swans and other big white birds lived, didn't come back again.

Why was it like that? The counselors had stopped guarding that wellspring and everything went wrong. Jesus says to us, guard your heart. And this word, David teaching Solomon, saying, above all else, guard your heart because it is the wellspring of life.