From the Heart by B.Demaere

  1.Happy are people of integrity, who follow the law of the Lord.  2.Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts.  3.They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.  4.You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.  5. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your principles!  6. Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your commands.  7. When I learn your righteous laws, I will thank you by living as I should!  8. I will obey your principles.  Please don't give up on me! 1) Happiness is in living the Word (v.1-2) I have chosen this psalm for my own well-being and to share it with you for your benefit as well.  It is the longest of the psalms in the Bible.  It is all about God's Word, the Bible.  This psalm starts by mentioning the benefits of living by the Word. Unfortunately, the news and social media constantly bombards us with their anti-word slogan.  Consequently, they distract us from th

Exploring the Bible by B.Demaere: The Church Restored (Psalm 119:49-50) (Zephaniah ... :   Remember your promise to me, for it is my only hope.   Your promise revives me ; it comforts me in all my troubles. 1) God is always right...

  Remember your promise to me, for it is my only hope.   Your promise revives me ; it comforts me in all my troubles.   1) God is always right I might not have all the answer to life, but God certainly does and to him I look for the answers.  Because, he is always right in his judgment and correction.  How would I dare say that he is wrong then?  As a result, his judgment, discipline and his correction are always motivated by his love and kindness.  For that reason, you must forget your opinion of him as a discipliner and 'old man with a stick' because you will miss whatever is coming.  So, welcome him at last and you will find his sweetness.  Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30---in verses24-25 This servant saw things different than the other two servant and was obviously afraid of the harshness of the Master.  The principle of investment looked different to each based on their perception of it.  Consequently, the same is for you as you look at discipline,

Exploring the Bible by B.Demaere: A Call to the Church (Zephaniah 2:1-3) :   Gather together and pray, you shameless nation.  Gather while there is still time, before judgment begins and your opportunity is blown aw...

  Gather together and pray, you shameless nation.  Gather while there is still time, before judgment begins and your opportunity is blown away like chaff.  Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord's anger begins.  Beg the Lord to save you---all you who are humble, all you who uphold justice.  Walk humbly and do what is right.  Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.     (Zephaniah 2:1-3) Are we not just a bit shameless? And if so assume that it is still alright before a holy God to think that when this passage addresses a 'shameless nation' it does not include us?  Are we so filled with pride that when the call to repent does not concern us since, after all, we have the grace? Yes this shameless nation is still called to a gathering of prayer.  A pastor can easily be ignored for quite sometime.  But now God comes on the scene and calls by what we really are, 'shameless', having c

Exploring the Bible by B.Demaere: A Call to the Backsliders (Zephaniah 1:4-6) (Zepha... : I totally agree that we are in the dispensation of Grace, but I also know that God has a time to hold people to account.  A time to let them...

I totally agree that we are in the dispensation of Grace, but I also know that God has a time to hold people to account.  A time to let them know that their good time is over.  I believe that Zephaniah is very relevant to us today.  It is just that we should have read it earlier. In Zephaniah 1:4-6, God deals always in love with what it looks like the backsliders, those that have a divided heart toward him. "I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear.  For they go up to their roofs and bow to the sun, moon and stars .  They claim to follow the Lord, but then they worship Molech, too.   So now I will destroy them!  And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do.  They no longer ask for the Lord's guidance or seek my blessings. Then there is the word in Zephaniah 1:12 "I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem's darkest corners to find and punish those who sit contented in their sins, indifferent