From the Heart by B.Demaere

As I was preparing this post , I shared with my spouse that we were only here in this temporary place for another year and a half.  Which offers the perfect platform for what I write in this post.  What will you do next? Someone may ask and as crazy as this may seem we can confidently answer.  We don’t know but the One who holds the world in his hands knows. You see, even though this may sound like a shaky deal it is not… it is as firm as a block of concrete in the ground.   On the contrary, what the world has to offer is fleeting like a house build in the sandy foundation. I base my assurance on the faith in the God who can move mountains.   My faith rests in Him.   That is where my rest comes from.   In trusting the unmoveable and unshakable God who is All Powerful.   The Israelites could have tapped in him, but they chose to worry and not believe. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in you can do better and believe.   Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. The fourth chapte

The Purpose of Suffering I used to complain a lot while suffering and then one day the Lord showed me that it didn’t reflect who he was and now I also realize that suffering or trials are used to teach and remind us what we learn in the Word and practice joy through the trials. The example of joy More than one church in the new testament suffered persecution.  But the church in Thessalonica was a church that still received the word with joy despite of everything that was happening to them.  The Apostle Paul visited them once and never returned.  Why?  Because Satan stopped him from going back (2:18) A couple of  verses catch my attention in the first chapter: So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you.   In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become example to all the believers in Greece-throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.   (1Thessalonians 1:6-7) Joy is a sign of maturity I

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion.  And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.  And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of his purple cloak and put his own clothes on him.  And they led him out to crucify him. (Mark 15:16-20) Introduction In these verses, the author Mark offers the most details about the way Jesus, an innocent man who is the Son of God suffered humiliation.   The world has not changed much in over 2000 years.   Nothing to be proud of course.   We are still condemning innocent men and women and setting criminals free.   There is total disregard for justice.   All I can say is: “God help us to be on the right side of God.” No historical records Y

  It looks like after having placed a branch by the fence, we seem to have finally taken care of the ‘deer’ problem in our yard.   The weather is already spring-like, and we enjoy the sunshine. The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) I received an email this morning that got me thinking about my gifts and talents in different shapes and forms.   The person writing the email spoke about the different interpretation of the word “talent” in various English translations. In the original text it clearly refers to a large amount of money or equivalent. To me it could mean a gift of any kind given to 3 servants who are to increase it by investment.   Character skills or potentials As I was thinking of it either way, I found out that what it is talking about in this parable, not so obviously, are the character skills of everyone involved in the deal.   It is the character skills of these individuals that are important. You need character to be able to keep a job, and for in

  As our son and family came for a visit, we also him and I got busy on nailing netting over the fence to keep the deer population out of our yard.   We thought that we had done a good job with it but to no avail.   One deer had still made it over the fence.   We have no idea how it made it over. Deer are well protected here in Canada. Is your armour sealed? I right away thought about my spiritual armour.   Is it completely sealed away from the attacks of the enemy or the world?   What about lust, anger and lack of love do those murmur in my spirit or my mind?   Is Satan whispering in my ears?   What are my beliefs about self or Christ?   Do they match what the bible teaches? You must start with your relationships.   Are they kept pure? Are you protected from any worldliness?   Satan wants to move slowly and steadily in our lives so that we are completely unaware of his attacks.   He is not called a “serpent” for no reason he has plenty of tricks in his bag.   Even things as inno

  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

  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set you minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4) Not that I should even ask if you Christians are of the earth or of heaven?   Here Paul makes it very clear that our thoughts should be focused on heaven where Christ is with God our heavenly Father in a place of authority.   Does this mean then that if our minds and hearts are not geared toward heaven we would be robbed of that authority?   Most assuredly, if your minds are on earthly things, you become weak in every way and your life is not worth being called a ‘Christian life’.   You are then living the same as the world. It is easy to get caught up in the things of the world without a vision of heaven but look!   Do