From the Heart by B.Demaere

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 operate differently over the borders and online.  We live in a totally d

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 would have give it away as a p

 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 grind their teeth in anger, they will slink away, their hopes thwarted. Let&

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 her as you should your