The return of Christ is not a distant theological idea or concept, it is a coming universal event.

Straight ahead, the great tribulation, next exit, the pretribulation Rapture of the church.

Christian, do not think that your secret sins are hidden from God. God sees every thought of your heart and every action done in the dark.

Repent and ask him for a clean heart today.

“Keep yourself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22

Five reasons to study the Word:

1. It helps you know God more.
2. It is pure truth.
3. It convicts you of sin.
4. It keeps you from false, destructive teachings.
5. It fixes your mind on Jesus.

Here we go:
@StudyBibleFam

August 17: Anxiety and the Wilderness

#Devotional

Isaiah 35:1–37:13; Luke 12:22–59; Job 8:11–22

Anxiety has a way of ruling over us. Although many of our concerns are legitimate—like having money to pay the rent and buy food—some of them are nonsensical. We envision future catastrophes and spend our days worrying about what might never happen, creating an emotional wilderness for ourselves.

Anxiety isn’t new. The prophet Isaiah addresses the problem: “Wilderness and dry land shall be glad, and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus.… Say to those who are hasty of heart, ‘Be strong; you must not fear! Look! your God will come with vengeance, with divine retribution. He is the one who will come and save you’ ” (Isa 35:1, 4).

Isaiah realizes that there is a time and season for everything. He proclaims that God will bring the people out of the wilderness (their exile in Babylon) and back into their land. There is an answer to the anxiety, pain and worry that they feel about the future. His words ring with prophetic certainty because he knows them to be true—they are Yahweh’s words.

Jesus also addresses anxiety when He says to His disciples, “For this reason I tell you, do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or for your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; to them there is neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds?” (Luke 12:22–24).

Why must we worry? Why must we strive over things we cannot change? Ultimately, everything in life is a matter of depending on God.

What anxieties can you hand over to God today?

August 17 - The Right Perspective on Fasting

#LifeOfChrist

“‘But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast’” (Matthew 9:15).

Fasting is meaningless if done merely from habit and if it doesn’t derive from a deep concern over some spiritual need. And as we saw yesterday, even the best and most foundational spiritual practices, if not done with sincere motives and right purposes, are only hypocritical and pretentious.

Jesus was obviously referring to His crucifixion when He said He would be taken away from the disciples. From that time on, it would be fitting to fast and mourn. Fasting naturally comes from a broken and mourning heart, but if it is performed as a shallow, mechanical ritual only, it is displeasing to God.

Jesus’ emphasis on internal matters such as forgiveness shows us that fasting must be held in the proper context of what’s truly important. It also demonstrates that He brought us radically different teachings and practices from those of traditional Judaism or any other religious traditions—Catholicism, liberal Protestantism, any sects and cults—that can stress externalism, ritualism, or any man-centered habits. When we fast, Jesus wants us to do so in light of His new covenant—not the old with its forms and shadows—and in a way that increases our compassion for others, causes us to be more humble and sacrificial, and gives Him all the praise and glory.

Ask Yourself

Are there ways to fast besides abstaining from food? In what other ways could you experience the spiritual benefits of fasting—the clarity of communication with God, the taming of selfish desires, the renewal of priorities?

DAY 17: Who was Paul the apostle, and why does he seem to have two names?

https://telegra.ph/DAILY-BIBLE-08-17

Discipline yourself to prayer. Discipline yourself to the systematic reading of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation over and over and over again. Discipline yourself in your speech. Discipline yourself in the company you keep. Discipline yourself in when you go to bed and when you rise up. This is a war. Discipline yourself!

Do not let the madness of the world prevent you from fixing your eyes on Jesus today.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

If you're reading this, you're loved by the God of the universe.

WEEK 3 — Suffering, Healing & Presence

Dear Daughter,
The wound that heals crooked still heals. Do not despise the scar tissue in your covenant.
This week, stop expecting the marriage to look untouched by pain. Ask instead that it be healed, not unbroken.

Some of the strongest bonds were once fractures.
'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds' (Ps 147:3).
What crooked healing in your marriage can you finally call beautiful?
#DearDaughter #MondayReset #StrongMarriage

Good morning, brothers and sisters. This is your morning reminder to dig into Scripture. Sit at the feet of the Master. Hunger for the words and guidance of Christ. Before you listen to the voices of the world today, listen to the voice of your Shepherd. His Word will never lead you astray.

Monday reset: Forgive quickly, love deeply! 🕊️❤️ Don't let the sun go down on your anger! Eph 4:26 💪

Is there anything to release today? #StrongMarriage #August

If your view of God is too small...
Every problem will seem enormous.

When you recover a biblical view of God's greatness, life's problems are seen in their proper proportion.

Most fathers wait until their kids are teenagers (if at all) to get serious about discipleship. By then, they've already missed some of the most formative years.

If your children are between 2 and 7 years old, you have a unique opportunity to shape their hearts with God's Word, prayer, discipline, and everyday conversations about Christ.

Don't waste these precious years.

True saving faith is always proven by the fruit it produces in your daily life. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a changed heart cannot stay in love with sin.

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed.

Psalm 2:2

This is the divine interpretation of the world scene, and it is an insurrection, against the living God.