Aug 15 (Sat) — RIDDLE-ORACLE

"The Potter, the Clay, and the Two Vessels"

One lump of clay, spinning on the wheel — yet the Potter shapes not one vessel, but TWO, destined to hold the same water, pour the same wine. Isa 64:8 reminds you: you were not self-made, and neither was your spouse. You are both still being formed. 🏺🔥

The riddle: the clay that resists the wheel does not stay smooth — it cracks. But the clay that yields, even through the pressing, becomes something that can HOLD. Which are you today — resisting, or yielding? 💧

❓ Where is God's hand still pressing on your marriage — and are you fighting it or trusting it?
❓ What would your union become if you both simply yielded?
👉 t.me/StudyBibleFam
#StrongMarriage #StudyBibleFam

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song, this cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

Behold, I Am coming soon!

Revelation 22:12

We live within the doctrine, of imminence.

Jesus was:

Conceived by the Spirit (Lk 1:35)
Anointed by the Spirit (Lk 4:18)
Filled with the Spirit (Lk 4:1, 14)
Sealed by the Spirit (Jn 6:27)
Led by the Spirit (Lk 4:1)
Filled with joy through the Spirit (Lk 10:21)
Raised by the Spirit (Rm 8:11)

The Spirit is essential.

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

The enemy's trying to destroy your spiritual life by:

• Making you doubt God's goodness
• Convincing you that sin is harmless
• Keeping you too busy to pray

Don't let him win, saints.

Wealth:

“Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10–11

A Christian’s life can be summed up in seven words: undeserving recipient of God’s grace and mercy.

August 16: No Fear and Full Confidence

#Devotional

Isaiah 33:1–17; Luke 11:37–12:21; Job 8:1–10

Jesus didn’t exactly follow social niceties as a dinner guest. Once again while dining with a Pharisee, He exposed the hypocrisy that was rampant among those religious leaders: “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness and wickedness” (Luke 11:39). The “woes” He followed with challenged His host and, by extension, the Pharisees in general.

His boldness is a trait He wanted to pass on to His disciples: “But nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and secret that will not be made known” (Luke 12:2). The gospel message will not be kept secret; the new kingdom is coming into being.

Jesus wanted the disciples to be fearless among people because it is God who is in charge, not the Pharisees; they had built up a false construct of authority. And although they may have exercised authority—they could kill and spread fear—they weren’t ultimately in charge.

God is in charge:
“But I will show you whom you should fear: fear the one who has authority, after the killing, to throw you into hell! Yes, I tell you, fear this one! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered! Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:5–7).

When we’re overwhelmed by rampant sin and evil around us—even in us—it’s comforting to maintain this sure knowledge. It is God who both judges and gives life. If we confess Jesus as God, we have nothing to fear. We can be bold in trials and have confidence in Him.

What confidence do you have in your trials? How can you place your trust in God rather than people?

August 16 - The Danger of Wrongly-Based Rituals

#LifeOfChrist

“Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?’” (Matthew 9:14–15).

Religious ritual and routine, if not handled appropriately, will always threaten true godliness. Some practices, such as praying to saints or lighting candles for the dead, are heretical. But even biblical practices, when their forms become the center of attention, can become barriers to true righteousness. Church attendance, Bible reading, saying grace before meals, and singing hymns can become lifeless habits that exclude true worship and praise. When we apply good things such as these the wrong way, they can keep us from faithful obedience . . . and keep unbelievers from trusting in God.

Alms, prescribed prayer, and fasting were the three major expressions of piety the Jews performed in Jesus’ time. The leaders took these matters quite seriously and were meticulous to practice them publicly so as to impress others with their piety (cf. Matt. 6:2, 5, 16). Thus these practices became badges of pride and hypocrisy rather than marks of humble and genuine religion before God.

Jesus’ point in mentioning the bridegroom and his attendants is to show how out of place it is for His followers (attendants) to mourn and fast while He (the Bridegroom) is with them in person. Pharisaical manners and rituals are always wrong for Christians, but even good practices (such as sincere fasting), if not done properly, can hinder what the Lord wants to accomplish in our midst.

Ask Yourself

Should our answer to this kind of hypocrisy be the removal of all forms, disciplines, and ritual practices from our worship? Or is there value in these kinds of expressions? What would go missing from our worship if it was all spur-of-the-moment, with no cherished repetitions?

DAY 16: How does Paul exemplify a “minister of Jesus Christ”?

https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-08-16

I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than to stand with the world and be judged by God...

In the last days, scoffers will come, following their own sinful desires and saying, where is the promise of His coming?

2 Peter 3:3

A divine validation, of the end times world scene.

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice, and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

What a time, to be alive.

WEEK 2 — Identity & Calling

Dear Daughter,
The temple veil tore not so you could hide better, but so you could be seen fully — and still be loved.
Worship today as the woman God actually made, not the polished version you present on Sunday.
Let your husband and your God both see the real you.
'We have confidence to enter the holy place' (Heb 10:19).

What version of yourself have you been hiding, even in worship?
#DearDaughter #SundayWorship #StrongMarriage

If a man has eternal life, it is eternal, and therefore it cannot end, or be lost.

Spurgeon

Sunday declaration: Let love be the loudest thing in your home! 🙌❤️ Let it drown out every complaint! Col 3:14 💞

How will love lead today? #StrongMarriage #August

Good morning!

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Psalm 119:105

You do not need to see the whole road ahead. Trust God's Word for the next step, obey what He has shown you, and keep walking faithfully.