From the Heart by B.Demaere

  “Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, got you are with me; Your rod [to protect] and your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.” (Psalm 23:4 Amplified) Normal Christian Life What is the normal Christian life?   The answer is Psalm 23, It does not mean an easy life but sometimes of great testing.   These should not surprise at all if we are in the footsteps of our Saviour. I am going through that valley right now and this is not fun, but I must focus on Jesus and trust that he will take me on the other side.   Although, he might feel like he is at a distance when we go through the valley…We have three comforts to draw from.   Oh he never leave us alone, remember he is the Good Shepherd of the sheep.   If the shepherd would leave his sheep, they would become a meal to a wolf or wild dog.   No, no and no! That would be the furthest thing on his mind… to leave you alone.   He loves you so much. The three comforts of t

  “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others],   joy [inner] peace “ (Galatians 5:22 Amplified)   Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, Yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8   KJV )   Because of my past with depression…Joy has evaded me many times.   Yet Joy is not even of this world, it belongs to Jesus.   Joy is not the feeling you experience at a party, but it is quieter than this. I believe joy is received when you live in the presence of God.   “ You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)   It is not necessarily something we have and hold in greed but something that comes from within and flows unto others.   We give it away.   I thought that the description of love prior joy was an ‘unselfish’ clue.   In this world that is geared to the love of self, joy must stand out in a pleasant

  1. When the Israelites escaped from Egypt---when the family of Jacob left the foreign land--- 2. the land of Judah became God's sanctuary, and Israel became his kingdom, 3.The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way!  The water of the Jordan River turned away.   4. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs!   5. What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?  What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?   6. Why, mountains did you skip like rams?  Why, little hills, like lambs? 7. Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Israel.   8. He turned the rock into pools of water; yes, springs of water came from solid rock. Picture this with your imagination! You are walking and all of the sudden the sea at the front of you parts, the river stops running to let you through, the mountains leap out of the way and the hills skip like lambs. This is not you overdosing on something. You actually see it

I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers.  Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!  Death had its hands around my throat; the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Please, Lord save me!"  How kind the Lord is!  How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith;   I was facing death, and then he saved me.  Now I can rest again , for the Lord has been good to me.  He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.  And so I walk in the Lord's presence as I live here on earth.... This first part of Psalm 116 has a theme and the central focus is not 'death' but a childlike faith.  A childlike faith that is strong and unmovable when facing death.  God is stronger than death and so the person with childlike faith look in the face of the Father and trust him through anything.  It's hard no

Ever since I heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, I have never stopped thanking God for you.  I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called.  I want you to realize what rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him.  This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.  Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in the world or in the world to come.  And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this aut