From the Heart by B.Demaere

  “ But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us ] is love [unselfish concern for others],   joy [inner] peace , patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting],” (Galatians 5:22) This time let us look at the outcome of God’s presence within us.   Whenever we see the fruit of the Spirit we see the evidence of God’s presence.   The fruit and the presence go hand in hand. This is an online quote from www.machammond.org : “If you are like most believers, you probably cringe when you hear the word “patience.   To most Christians, being patient means gritting your teeth and hanging on by your toenails in hopes things will eventually get better.   We think it means, hang on until the bitter end or until Jesus comes back, whatever comes first. If you have been reluctant to ask for patience, I’ve got news for you today.   That’s not what the Bible means when it talks about being patient.   Bible patience is something very different.   In f

  As I was being tested, patience was required, and I was waiting with much complaining.   Then my wife encouraged me to read the Fruit of the Spirit out of the Amplified version of the Bible.   So, I did and here it is: “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others],   joy [inner] peace , patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting],   kindness, goodness,   faithfulness,   gentleness,   self-control.   Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) These verses not only apply to us as we go through our daily life but especially as we wait for the Lord’s return.   How we act while we wait for him does matter and it is very important.   We learn as we go through trials.   For a lot of people, the word “patience” is not welcome in their vocabulary, and I can tell by my own life I am not the only one who finds it difficult to act well while we wait.   We can all wait as this

Walking in the light involves honesty to God and our fellow brothers and sisters.   This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we are in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, We have fellowship with one another, And the blood of Jesus, his Son cleanses us from all sins. (1John 1:5-7)   Where there is Light there is harmony, if we live in the Light as God is the Light we will be pure like he is.   We stay in the Light through the forgiveness of our sins.   Confession to him is essential and we cannot hide anything from God.   If you are not confessing, you are wasting your time and fellowship with him and other believers.   A relationship will not be free from difficulties, but it must be free of sins and hidden issues in all levels.   It is called ‘open relationship’. Our words and actions

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save, or his ear dull, that It cannot hear; But your iniquities have made a   separation. Between you and your God, And your sins have hidden his face from you So that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2) I find this hard to speak about…Are we fooling ourselves thinking that all is good in our walk with God and it is not really going well with him or with people.   I feel weak and uninspired to write but I do it anyway hoping that some fruits will be harvested in people’s lives.   Is there a wall between us and the Lord?   Have we really missed the mark?   Sin means ‘missing the mark’ but it does not stop there!   “If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 john 1:9)   By Jesus we can be forgiven.   The wall of separation has been broken the moment we accept him as Lord and Savior.   If you are a Christian fear not there is no condemnation for you (Romans 8:1)

Do you ever feel you are running out of options as to where you must go or do? I felt like that this last week and then the Lord showed me what I was supposed to do.   Obey him! He is so loving.   His way in my life was to simply put a wall at the front of me and I would get frustrated until I knew what he wanted. I have that feeling also that the world is running out of options when God says this: “Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the Lord? For there is no other God but me, A righteous God and Savior. There is none but me. Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, And I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, And every tongue will declare allegiance to me. The people will declare, The Lord is the source 0

  Have you felt weary in your faith lately?   Not wanting to pray much?   Having a hard time going strong? I have and I was wondering if others felt the same.   We are certainly in the last days, and it would make perfect sense if Satan, the enemy of our soul would work weariness in the believer’s spirit.   Judging by the following scriptures it would seem accurate. In the Parable of the judge and the widow intended as a lesson of perseverance in prayer by Jesus we see that the unjust judge rendered a just decision in the end.   So, don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night?   Will he keep putting them off?   I tell you; he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith? (Luke 18:7-8) We must persevere in our faith by removing the distraction and weights that make us weary of well-doing.   The things that may make us weary are the constant attacks of th

  In Psalm 89:26-37 And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ I will make him my firstborn son, the mightiest king on the earth.   I will love him and be kind to him forever; my covenant with him will never end.   I will preserve an heir for him; his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven. But if his descendants forsake my instructions and fail to obey my regulations, If they do not obey my decrees and fail to keep my commands, then I will their sin with the rod and their disobedience with beating. But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him.   No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said. I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness, I cannot lie: his dynasty will go forever; his kingdom will endure as the sun. It will be as eternal as the moon, my faithful witness in the sky!”   God is faithful to his covenant with David and Jesus to all their descendant and that