From the Heart by B.Demaere

  So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer too.  For if you are willing to suffer for Christ , you have decided to stop sinning.  And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy---their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. I have really enjoyed this epistle written that the Apostle Peter wrote for us.  Even more so now,  he gives us in these preceding verses, I think the key to holy living.  The important words are underlined: no where he says that we will suffer as to scare us, but that we must be willing and ready to suffer.  Some of us suffer, but we are not willing or ready.  I mean here, insults from anyone we come in contact with.  Whe...

Promises to Keep Devotional by B.Demaere: Broaden your Vision: Use your gifts(1 Peter 4:10-11) :   God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow thro...

  God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you.  Are you called to be a speaker?  Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.  Are you called to help others?  Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.  Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ.  All glory and power belong to him forever and ever.  Amen. All of us and each of us have at least one gift, but I think most of us have more than one gift because God is very generous.  Using those gifts is good for our well-being as well as each other and for his glory.  Shouldn't we as well be generous in using the gifts God has given us?  I think so! Our gifts are being used all the time, whether we are in the local church or not.  The Church is no longer limited to four walls.  Now the Church is truly global.  We operat...

Promises to Keep Devotional by B.Demaere: Keeping a Clean Conscience (1 Peter 3:18-22) :   Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time.  He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely ...

  Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time.  He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God.  He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.  So he went and preached to the spirits in prison---those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat.  Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.  And this is a picture of baptism which now saves you by the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection.  Baptism is not the removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience. Now Christ has gone to heaven.  He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him. If you guessed that the solution to the quiz was Psalm 112, you are absolutely right.  I made it more difficult by not including the 3 first words: "Praise the Lord" which ...

 Happy are those who fear the Lord.  Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he command.  Their children will be successful everywhere; and entire generation of godly people will be blessed.  They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will never be forgotten.  When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in.  They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. All goes well for those who are generous, who lend freely and conduct their business fairly.  Such people will not be overcome by evil circumstances.  Those who are righteous will be long remembered.  They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.  They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.  They give generously to those in need.  Their good deeds will never be forgotten.  They will have influence and honor.  The wicked will be infuriated when they see this.  They will gr...

Promises to Keep Devotional by B.Demaere: All Authority Accepted Within Boundaries (1 Peter... :   2:13/ For the Lord's sake, accept all authority---the king as head of the state,  2:14/and the officials he has appointed.  For the ki...

  2:13/ For the Lord's sake, accept all authority---the king as head of the state,  2:14/and the officials he has appointed.  For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to honor those who do right. 2:18/ You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters.  Do whatever they tell you---not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are harsh. 2:19/ For God is pleased with you when, for the sake of your conscience, you patiently endure unfair treatment. 3:1/ In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words.  They will be won over. 3:2/by watching your pure, godly behavior. 3:7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat he with understanding as you live together.  She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life.  If you don't treat ...

Promises to Keep Devotional by B.Demaere: The Mighty Cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-8) :   Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple.  He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him...

  Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple.  He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him.  And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple.  What's more, you are God's holy priest, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.  As the Scriptures express it, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem, a chosen cornerstone, and anyone who believes in him will never be disappointed." Yes, he is very precious to you who believe.  But for those who reject him, "The stone that was rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone." And the Scriptures also say, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, The rock that will make them fall." They stumble because they do not listen to God's word or obey it, and so they meet the fate that has been planned for them. This is an interesting passage because the cornerstone he is speaking about is no other ...