“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” [ John 15:4 KJV]. “Christ suffers trial to come upon His followers that they may be led to seek the Lord more earnestly. Then when trials come, do not think that the Lord is your enemy. He purges for a reason. He does not want you to be discouraged; but He would prove you, to see if you will be true to Him and will conduct yourselves circumspectly under every circumstance. He does not want to drive you away, but to drive you nearer to the Lord. In God is the Christian’s only hope in time of perplexity. – Do not talk to others about your trials, for they have enough of their own to bear, and our human friends cannot always understand. It is your privilege to go to One who will always understand, because His life on earth was one of constant trial and perplexity, borne without failure and sin…. It is not enough that now and then you offer a prayer, and now and then deal righteously. You are to have the attributes of an abiding Christ working out in your life constantly. How many of us have this experience? Yet we may have it, and having it, we will be the happiest people on the face of the earth. With Christ’s Word abiding in us, we shall give evidence that we have wholly received Him who in His humanity lived a sinless life. In the strength of divinity we shall overcome every tendency to evil…. – The difference between the character of Christ and the character of other men of His day was everywhere apparent; and because of this difference the world hated Him. It hated Him for His goodness and His strict integrity. And Christ declared that those who manifest the same attributes would be likewise hated. As we near the end of time this hatred for the followers of Christ will be more and more manifest. – Christ took humanity and bore the hatred of the world that He might show men and women that they could live without sin, that their words, their actions, their spirit, might be sanctified to God. We can be perfect Christians if we will manifest this power in our lives. When the light of heaven rests upon us continually, we shall represent Christ. It was the righteousness revealed in His life that distinguished Him from the world and called forth its hatred…. – The words of Christ are spoken for His people in all ages—for us, upon whom the ends...

“Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:21, 22 KJV) Why You Need to Read the Bible The Bible is no ordinary book. The words within its pages are like medicine to your soul. It has the power to change your life because there is life in the Word! When you discover the power and truth of God’s Word, you will begin to see changes in your life that only this truth can bring. You will also learn how to recognize the lies that the enemy tries to bring against you. If you are just starting to study the Bible or feel intimidated by it, don’t think you have to read it all at once or understand everything right away. Be patient with yourself. The important thing is that you start somewhere and stay determined to stick with it. Because every time you study the Bible and pay attention to what you’re reading, you’re learning something. Proverbs 4:20 says, “My son attend to my words., ” This is important to understand because attending is more than just reading – it means to meditate on the Scripture or roll it around over and over in your mind. As we spend time reading and meditating on the Word of God and learn to agree with it above all else, we will be filled with the life and healing power of God. Prayer Starter: God, thank You so much for the life-giving power of Your Word! As I read and study it, teach me what You want me to know and bring Your healing power into my life.- Joyce Meyer: Promises For Your Everyday...

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV) Taking Care of Your Body Some of us haven’t learned to love our bodies enough to properly care for them. To change that, we must confront the three biggest obstacles to healthy living. We don’t know how to care for our bodies. Bad diets, misinformation, and fast foods have confused people about what a wholesome diet is and how to eat the right foods in proper amounts. Our view of body image is skewed by media and advertising. We’re bombarded with unattainable ideals of beauty, while obesity is so prevalent that it’s almost considered normal. We need to rediscover what a healthy person looks like. Exercise is nearly obsolete. We’ve invented enough conveniences that we often live completely void of exercise. We don’t even walk anywhere if we don’t have to! But the truth is, a good deal of our well-being is dependent on exercising our bodies. If you struggle with these obstacles, make a decision today that you will not be defeated. God tells us to treat our bodies well, and He will always help us do the things He tells us to do. So make a decision to rely on God’s strength and live a healthier lifestyle. Prayer Starter: God, I want to honor You by taking care of my body and living a healthy life. I believe that I can make changes through Your power that is at work in me.- [Joyce Meyer: Promises For Your Everyday...

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 KJV) Forgetting About Ourselves Paul said that he had been “crucified with Christ.” In other words, he had to stop thinking about himself in order to live for God. And we are encouraged to do the same. At this point you may be thinking, “What about me? Who is going to take care of me?” This is usually what prevents us from living the way God wants us to live. It always comes back to me. We are so accustomed to seeing our desires satisfied that the very thought of forgetting about ourselves even for one day can be frightening. But if we can muster up the courage to try it, we will be amazed at the freedom and joy we experience. The secret to having joy is giving your life away rather than trying to keep it. When you get the focus off of you and onto God, God can show you how to live a truly meaningful life. I encourage you to start your days by dedicating yourself to God. When you do, He will faithfully help you live a godly life. Prayer Starter: Lord, I offer You my eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, heart, finances, gifts, talents, abilities, time, energy, all of me! It’s not about me. It’s all about You.-Joyce Meyer:Promises For Your Everyday...

When Doubts Creep In—No man can truly love his wife when she will patiently submit to become his slave and minister to his depraved passions. In her passive submission she loses the value she once possessed in his eyes. He sees her dragged down from everything elevating to a low level, and soon he suspects that she will as tamely submit to be degraded by another as by himself. He doubts her constancy and purity, tires of her, and seeks new objects to arouse and intensify his hellish passions. The law of God is not regarded. These men are worse than brutes; they are demons in human form. They are unacquainted with the elevating, ennobling principles of true, sanctified love. – {AH 125.2} The wife also becomes jealous of the husband and suspects that if opportunity should offer, he would just as readily pay his addresses to another as to her. She sees that he is not controlled by conscience or the fear of God; all these sanctified barriers are broken down by lustful passions; all that is Godlike in the husband is made the servant of low, brutish lust. [17] – {AH 126.1} Adventist...

 “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” {Mark 10:18 KJV} Getting Rid of Unrealistic Expectations Unrealistic expectations can quickly steal our peace and joy. We usually visualize a perfect day, with perfect people, and ourselves being perfectly happy in our perfect little world, but we all know that isn’t reality. In reality, only God is perfect and the rest of us are under construction. The devil knows what steals our peace and he sets us up to get… upset when our unrealistic expectations fall apart. After years of letting the devil steal my peace, I finally got it: Life is not perfect, and things are going to happen that we did not plan for and would rather not go through. My new attitude has become, “Oh well, that’s life!” I have discovered that if I don’t let those things impress me, then they can’t depress me. Everyone has to deal with inconveniences, but we can deal with them and avoid a bad attitude. Remember today that only God is perfect and trust in Him. He can always lead you past disappointing circumstances, strengthening you and helping you to hold on to your peace. Prayer Starter: God, only You are perfect. I am so glad that even when people and circumstances fail, You never do. Instead of putting my hope in things that will disappoint, I choose a life of peace that only comes from putting my hope in You. ~~Joyce Meyer: Promises For Your Everyday...