From the Heart by B.Demaere

Is it not wonderful to know that we Christians have a purpose for everything we go through? Our hope is not aimless nor is the purpose of our suffering. Although you or I might not go through persecutions, we go through trials. We are sometimes afflicted in some ways and our lives might still demand endurance and patience.   We might be emotionally targeted by the enemy. A mental assault could affect our life in an extremely negative way. Although these might be results, we could expect in normal circumstances.   Because we are Christians, we are given the mind of Christ, and we can approach our lives with the focus of Christ’s death.   Like it says it in this verse in 2 Corinthians 4:10 “ always carrying in the body the death of Jesus , so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”    Therefore, now more than ever your life as a Christian has meaning. All those trials and afflictions are aimed by the enemy to make you fall but because you are carrying in yo

  Holy Spirit is a Guarantee   Being a Christian is not based on emotions or on an opinion, but it must be based on assurance of the Comforter in me . The Holy Spirit is the seal of guarantee of the Eternal life God has promised to every Christian. We know we are a Christian not by our feelings but by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.   The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of god’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:14 Amplified )    It is a personal reason   For this very reason we ought to praise him. It is a personal reason for our well-being as Christian. We are going to make it because of the Holy Spirit being active in our lives.   We must allow him to be involved in our daily lives intimately, not holding on to any of our self-ambitions. By then we are dead anyway in Christ but alive unto God by his Holy Spirit.   Getting to know hi

As I picked this passage from my French Bible, I had to find an English translation that would be close to what it said in French.   Thus, I chose the New Living Translation for this purpose. So, we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness , along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ- which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan : At the right time he will bring together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth.   Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.

I have read twice through the letter to the Galatian church, I realized that the whole book is linked to the fruit of the Spirit.   The ‘should’ and the ‘should not’ of the Law are erased by the belief we have in Jesus Christ. The fruit of the Spirit is produced by the faith we live by and have in Christ.   The evidence of the fruit of the Spirit is the fact we don’t do the works of the Law, but we obey by faith Jesus who lives in us. Consequently, life is simplest, and we no longer boast in our own works but in the works of Christ who died on the Cross for us.   We are only free if we believe the finished work of Christ. We have no obligation to the Law and are free to believe in the God of Love who dared to serve us and wash our feet. Our inheritance is guaranteed because of the promise made to Abraham.   We end up with the same blessings given to Abraham.   Certainly, we are not deserving of any of it, but we have them because of the promise that cannot be broken.   We serve

“But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others],   joy [inner] peace , patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting],   kindness, goodness,   faithfulness,   gentleness,   self-control.   Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)   The Danger of being without it We see the danger that this world has encountered while having no self control.   Please understand that self control is not just related to how much you take on your plate at dinner time.   Self control may even make you cringe as you consider the self discipline you will have to endure.   Simplicity It is not necessarily like that; it is first also produced by God’s Spirit in your life and so it can be taught to you by that same Spirit.   It could be as simple as holding your tongue from speaking certain words.   Having your whole body voluntarily controlled by the Holy Spirit.   It comes from a dail

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud. Or rude It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, And it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice. But rejoice whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith. Is always hopeful, And endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)   Here we have love in its purest form.   Love of God is part of the fruit of the Spirit, and it is a gift for us to share with people and with God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives : love , joy, peace… (Galatians 5:22) This kind of Love can only be produced by the Spirit of God in us, otherwise our hearts only produce vanity and pride and all kind of prejudices. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.   Who really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17:9) That is why love that is not too far out of reach is available to us throug

  As the week unfolds: As the week went on, it was clear that the Lord was reminding me that I would make it through the other side. Mark 4:35-40 v. 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said, “Let us go across to the other side” v.36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.   And the other boats were with him. v. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling, v.38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.   And they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” v.39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” v.40 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Listening to the Holy Spirit: Several times now God had reminded me of these verses through different medium like people, scriptures etc…. Maybe something is y

This salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about.  They prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, even though they had many questions as to what it all could mean.  They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward.  They wondered when and to whom all this would happen.  They were told that these things would not happen during their lifetime, but many years later, during yours.  And now this Good News has been announced by those who preached to you in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.  It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.   How exciting it is to see that this Apostle of Hope, Peter is the one who was used to launch the Church into Pentecost and now through his writings is the one to usher us into this salvation that is still to come.  The salvation of our souls. Evidently, in his wor

  All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation!  For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you.  Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.  We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God's comfort. When Paul talked about sufferings he could have been talking about the suffering for Christ through persecutions or hardships through their own problems happening in the church at Corinth (chapter 2:5).  He was certainly very honest in his dealings with that church .  He also had to be de

  Very early the next morning, the king hurried out to the lions’ den. When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”  Daniel answered, “Long live the king!  My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted out from the den. Not a scratch was found on him because he had trusted in his God. Daniel thrown to the lions, his friends had been thrown in the furnace earlier but he missed that opportunity. Now he was thrown to the hungry lions and clearly God spared him just as much as he had saved his  friends from the fire. Just like that and almost overnight everything changed in that country. A change of leadership and a few jealous administrators and that was all that it took. Daniel was thrown to the li

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Well, I hope you had a great day yesterday and today. The foundation of the Word is faith.  Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 NLT) "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish" (the KJV says the Author).  Faith can be translated or interpreted to be Hope which in the Epistle to the Hebrews is described as an anchor.  An anchor is what keeps a boat in the place you want it to be, steady even in the storm.(Hebrews 6:19) On that foundation of faith we built. There is a thread running through the Bible, it is red and it represent, blood.  The blood of Jesus that was shed for us.  That thread appears in the book of Joshua as Rahab puts it by her window (Joshua 2:17-21).  It's there as a sign of salvation to her family.  The family of a prostitute, a Gentile and a descendant of Jesus.  The way to

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Over and over the Spirit of the Lord has been showing me the importance of remaining in Him.  The Holy Spirit is as equally God as the Son is. So why not submit to the Holy Spirit for a fruitful life.  For only in the Spirit is a fruitful life attained. The fruitful life is a lot more attainable than you realize.  You don't have to be uptight, you can relax and it's not at all a bunch of do's and don'ts's.  Under the leading of the Spirit it's amazing how much everything just goes so smooth. This morning, my wife paid me a compliment in a way as she was saying that yesterday she wanted eggs for breakfast and she got them without asking me and today she wanted avocado which we had and she got it too.  I told her jokingly, "So I am doing everything I am supposed to, everything is on schedule."  Everything go