From the Heart by B.Demaere

 Just a note that a new post is coming up on November 7 It will be the story of my « holiday » this past month and what I learned in the process. Thank you for your continued support  Bernard Demaere 

  Times might be a bit tougher in our world, but I want to encourage you with this verse in 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Here Paul is giving us a message, a teaching.  He is giving us a vision, a goal. What if I put that verse in a goal mode starting with: My life-goal is to fight the good fight It is to finish the race, and to keep the faith. The good fight is fought by faith The race is being run by faith and through it all we keep the faith. Well, how do we keep our eyes on the goal.  We just keep our eyes on Jesus!(Hebrews 12:2) who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Note to you all: I will take a bit of rest from this blog for the month of October and hopefully blog again in early November for you all. I appreciate you all and hope you will all be back in November. God bless you all and he loves you. Your friend Bernard

  Plug into Love At first, when I thought of plugging in John 15:4 that speaks about “abiding in Jesus”.   The Holy Spirit turned my thoughts to Love in 1 John 4:16-18. We have known and have believed the love God has for us.   God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remain in them.   This is how love has been perfected in us, so that we can have confidence on the Judgment Day, because we are exactly the same as God is in this world.   There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment.   The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. Usually, unfortunately we interpret this verse on Love vs Fear as meaning to “not to be afraid of anything”, but as I thought more about these verses, I realized it might mean something entirely different such as our distancing from projects of services around the house or around our community or even church.   Is it not interesting that fear in the context of being hesitant

  Are you Going to Heaven? (Romans 10:3-4) Once again, I will give you the reading of the French version of Romans 10:3-4 and then the English literal text of what it says: V3. En effet, ils n’ont pas compris comment Dieu rend les etres humains justes devant lui et ils ont cherche a etablir leur propre justice.   Ainsi ils ne se sont pas soumis a la facon dont Dieu rend les hommes justes. V4. Car le Christ a amene la loi a sa fin, pour que tous ceux qui croient soient rendu justes devant Dieu. In English now: V3. In fact, they have not understood how God make human beings just before him and they have sought to establish their own justice (or righteousness). And so they have not submitted to the way God make humans just (or righteous). V4. Because the Christ has put an end to the Law, so that all who believe are made just (righteous or born-again Christian) before God.   Many say they are going to Heaven, but will they?   Do they have what it takes?   No, no one needs speci

  Ultimately, God is in control throughout history.   We, of course, see this in the land of Israel.   Obviously, if he was that close to Israel, he is also close to other nations and to you and me. In Psalm 105:12-24, we read that they started in small numbers and a chain of events took place until Joseph came on the scene.   First as a slave and prisoner and then he became a ruler over Egypt.   This was the pattern God was going to use to create a path for Israel or Jacob to enter Egypt.   Joseph through that chain of event became the rescuer of Jacob by settling in Egypt and helping them. All through that passage we see what it took God to bring the rescue of Israel and the judgment of Egypt.   It took only one man like it only took Jesus to rescue the world. Jesus became a criminal to the world, but a ruler by his Resurrection. Also, as you read this passage in Psalm 105, try to perceive the full meaning of it in relation to your daily life and normal life.   Please realize

  Don’t Lose Courage “Don’t lose courage or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land.   One rumor comes one year, another rumor comes the next year; Rumors of violence are in the land.   Rumors that one ruler will fight against another are in the land.” (Jeremiah 51:46 GWT) Even though, this word was written 620 years BC to the children of Israel while they were in Babylon captivity.   It was prophesying their deliverance from them. Don’t be discourage by what you hear in the news or watch on TV because God has better things for those who belong to him.   He is with them always. Your future on earth may not be what you have envisage it to be, but God is always on his Throne ruling the nations. For the kingdom is the Lord’s And He rules the nations. Psalm 22:28)   The word “discourage” comes from the Old French word (des) corage: It means ‘taking away courage.   In other word, refrain from having fellowship with anything that takes away your courage and you will b

  All-Sufficient and Abundant Grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) Grace is more than for salvation, it is for all aspects of the Christian life, and we could always use it.  What would we do without this all-sufficient grace?  We need it for healing, for our interactions with people and parenting.  Grace should be our Friend, it is Jesus.  We, certainly need it in our weaknesses and in our suffering. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,  For my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)   Over my whole life, Grace has been my Friend even through the deepest depressions I have been into.   For you, it should not be any different.   God is no respecter of persons, all are equals. He has abundant grace for everyone (1 Timothy 1:12-13). Since there we are dead to sins according to Romans 6:1 we are living in grace, God in his wisdom has made an even greater abundance of grace for us.   He is always the one who place us at strategic places of ministries where h