I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.Galatians 2:20 New Living Translation
To gain a fantastic life we must first sacrifice a worthless one. When we become Christians we are to sacrifice the old life for the Christian life. Joseph a son of Jehovah
Notice the word SACRIFICE.
This usually, but not always, entails a very painful experience.
It is usually very difficult to give up your old life. Many times it will mean walking away from bad habits and friends, indeed, maybe even family.
During this painful and trying time do not worry; Jesus is right there with you. Call out to Him and He will send His Spirit helper, The Holy Spirit to strengthen you, comfort you and encourage you.
When you come out the other end of your walk through that fiery hell, you will experience joy, peace, contentment and know you are loved like never before. You will be close to our great Emmanuel (God amongst us) and will feel such a close bond with Him the pain experienced in your walk through hell will seem trivial in comparison to the peace, joy and contentment in the loving arms of Jesus.
“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). New living Translation
As well read Psalms 23 for encouragement.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Hossanha (The Lord our Maker) for crucifying my self to be given the priceless gift of life with Christ. In His lovely name we give thanks. Amen
May you be blessed with abundant joy in your heart filled with love and your life overflowing with laughter every day this year.Joseph a son of Jehovah
For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Matthew 19:12 The Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:32 The Holy Bible, The New Living Translation
I am in my early sixties as I write this and have never been married. Oh sure there are many times when I see couples or families my heart aches to enjoy such a blessing in my life as well.
That however, is not the path the Lord has chosen for me.
There is no way I could have served the Lord in the manner I have if there was a wife or family in my life. I have faith in our Jesus that He will reward me with unlimited love in His family when it is to our heavenly home He takes me.
So if you are single, do not allow family or society to push you in a direction contrary to God. It will only lead to misery.
Where I live now, when people get a certain age their relatives (mostly their mothers and grandmothers) constantly harass and nag them: “When are you going to get married, when are you going to get married?” When they get married then the nagging continues: “When are you going to give me a grandson, when are you going to give me a grandson?” (Not a grandchild, but a grandson. This is to support them in their old age and to carry on the family name. What a pity so many young people get married just to shut the nagging mothers and grandmothers up. They are not happy, indeed, most are terribly miserable.
Editors note: this article was written a few years back when I was living in China
Most married folks drift farther apart in their marriage the longer they are married until they are two strangers living in the same house. Joseph a son of Jehovah
I have seen this come true in almost every married elder couple I have met. Indeed, many times I wonder why they even got married in the first place (most times it was because the lust of the body was stronger than the willingness to obey Jehovahs choice. It ended up with a lot of shot gun marriages. Yes, even with your grandparents).
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Yahew (God of His people) for the privilege of being a eunuch in order to better serve You. I know You shall reward me in Heaven. In the name of my adoring big brother Jesus Christ I give thanks for this blessing. Amen
Wishing you a house full of sunshine, hearts full of cheer and love that grows deeper each day of the year. Welsh blessing
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:25-27 The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
This is for the worry worts.
You know they type, if there isn’t a crisis in their life, they will make one.
Why do you waste your time, effort and health on such frivolous things?
Not me, I give it all away.
Give it all away to Jesus that is. If you claim to be a Christian that is what you are supposed to do. Give all your troubles to Jehovah. Believe in Him. Believe He will soothe all your frets and provide a solution to you.
After all He took care of an entire nation, feeding them and caring for them, for forty years in the dessert, we are of course talking about the Israelite’s in the Exodus. And, they numbered over two million. If He can do that, what is your problem compared to that.
Worry is an insult to Jehovah. Joseph a son of Jehovah
Pray a sincere prayer and read your Bible.
Sometimes you may have to wait for your solution. How long did Abraham wait for the birth of Isaac. You cannot rush God; He works on His time, not yours.
Another thing, God is all wise. His answer may not be what you want, but is always in your best interest. He knows much more than you.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him Romans 8:28 The Holy Bible, New Living Translation.
So, when you finally receive your answer, don’t sit on your hands, take action. It is a partnership. He will supply the solution to your problem and the tools necessary to resolve the situation. BUT, YOU must take the action needed for resolution. It is teamwork.
And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
So, what are you waiting for?
Do it now. Open up your heart and pour all your worry upon Him. He is waiting to hear from you.
You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling Psalms 116:8 The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
“For I am convinced that neither deathnor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor thefuture, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38 39 The Holy Bible,New Living Translation
I have confidence in the only confident thing in this world: That the Holy Spirit is right by my side through it all. Both, the good times and the bad. Joseph a son of Jehovah
Prayer: Here I am my beloved Jehovah Hossanha (God our maker). Mold me into the vessel You wish me to be, in Your own time and manner. I trust You completely to guide me and know You walk with me in good times and bad. In the name of Him who gave completely to You and for us Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
May your house be filled with joy in the morning and sweet dreams at night. May it be a home where love has come to live. Joseph a son of Jehovah
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10, The Holy Bible, New International Version
Do you give to the Lord with a joyous heart, or, do you give niggardly?
Niggardly: giving or sharing as little as possible Webster’s Dictionary
For me, I love to give with a joyous heart. A heart of gratitude to my loving creator for all the wonderful gifts He has so graciously given me. Not just material things like a place to live, but also insights into how truly awesome He is, how ingenious He is, how loving and caring He is. When I meditate on these things my heart cannot but help but give joyously to our wonderful God.
Thinkof how much you would pay to go to the best university in the world?
That is where you are when you read and digest the great wisdom in the Bible.
Then think of how much you give back to the great I Am?
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40The Holy Bible, New International Version
Think of all the wonderful gifts He so hospitably gives us?
Mull over the beautiful sunrise, the wonderful fragrance of flowers, and the sweet serenade of the tiny song birds. While delighting in these special treasures, why not take this time to talk with Him as well.
What better time or place?
These are all amazing gifts He freely shares with us if we take the time to enjoy them. Our reciprocation should therefore be one of joyous returning to the marvelous Immanuel (God who walks amongst us) whether the commitment is financial or elegantly serving in a volunteer capacity.
When we give appreciatively to the magnificent God we are exhibiting our gratitude towards Him the way He intended it to be and the way that brings a smile to His beautiful face. There is joyous celebration with angels singing when you share in this manner.
The Holy Spirit is the secret of the power in my life All I have to do is surrender my life to Him. Kathryn Kuhlman
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Jireh ( God provides ) for blessing me with an abundance of both physical and spiritual security (not overabundance but enough to live comfortably). Thank you my Beloved for blessing me with numerous opportunities to share this wealth with those who are in need and are appreciative of the gifts given to them through Your grace. I praise You in the name of He who is Your greatest gift to me Jesus Christ. Amen
May the sunshine of Jesus’ sweet love fill your heart today and every day. Joseph a son of Jehovah
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17). The Holy Bible, New International Version
Here is where the most brutal battle is fought.
No it is not some famous place like Dunkirk, Vimy Ridge or Nanjing.
It is the no holds barred fight between Spirit and flesh.
Flesh can be considered lust and self serving.
Spirit is of course the Holy Spirit.
The battle occurs every day. Sometimes it is little battles, sometimes it is horrible battles. Think of an alcoholic recovering from his hellish addiction.
The flesh battles the Spirit. And says: “Come on, you have recovered, one drink won’t hurt.
” Or “remember all the fun we had on those drunken parties?”
The Spirit says “Remember all the hangovers and depression, shame experienced when you sobered up?”
How about gossiping? Yeah let’s gossip about______ (fill in the blank).
Let’s hop in the sack with ___.
The list goes on and on.
Let’s cheat on a test at school (where the laugh is on you because you are only cheating yourself).
The flesh says “Let’s serve ourselves, no matter who we hurt.”
The Spirit says “Live by Gods Laws. Do to other people what you would like them to do to you. Do not do to other people what you do not want them to do to you.
“ The commandments, “Youshall not commit adultery,” “Youshall not murder,” “Youshall not steal,” “Youshall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Loveyour neighborasyourself.” Romans 13:9 The Holy Bible, New International Version
It is hard and many times we fail.
The wonderful thing is when we sincerely apologize to Jesus for our failures and try not to do them again. When we get the help needed by counseling and taking it to God in prayer we are not only forgiven, we grow stronger in our love and respect for the big three:
God our kind gracious and loving Father, Jesus Christ our Savior King and best friend (just think of that, you have the most powerful king as your best friend if you want Him to be) and the Holy Spirit our mentor, healer and comforter.
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (John 5:4). The Holy Bible, New International Version
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Elohay Selichot (God Of Forgiveness) that when we mess up and fess up You are quick to forgive and forget. Thank you for using these circumstances to mature my loving relationship with You. I exalt You in the name of He whose blood made forgiveness possible Jesus Christ. Amen
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day. Joseph a son of Jehovah
“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20 The Holy Bible,New King James Version)
No matter if you are an addict, a materialist, a ladder climber an adulterer or whatever it does not matter. When you turn your heart to God, He will come a running to you faster than an Olympic sprinter. He will embrace you with His precious love.
It does not matter what you have done in your life. When you turn to Him and ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus into your heart He will love you as only He can. There is nothing in this world as satisfying and fulfilling as His sweet love.
“…neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39 The Holy Bible, New International Version
When you give your life to Christ all your filth, no matter how bad, will be washed away like a gentle rain softly washes the dust from a flowers pedals.
It is then you will for the first time in your life truly feel alive with a wonderful blessing of Gods supreme love living in your heart.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 The Holy Bible,New International Version
Prayer: Thank you EL RACHUM (Merciful God) that You forgive us, Your weak children, when we repent of our filth. Thank you for washing it all away and for having amnesia of our forgiven trespasses. I praise You in the name of He whose blood made it all possible Jesus Christ. Amen
The gift of love, the gift of joy, the gift of peace, these are the greatest gifts that can be given. They are given in abundance to all those in Christs family by our Heavenly loving Father. May you be blessed with plentiful opportunities to share these with those around you today. Joseph a son of Jehovah
Make every effort to add to your faith … self-control … 2 Peter 1:5-6 The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
How do you Keep self control?
Most times when I feel a situation getting out of control I just step back and take a few deep breaths.
It is important to keep self control, ESPECIALLY, when teaching.
Sometimes as frustrating as it is people just do not see the obvious, through no fault of their own. Then it is time to just drop it and pray they will come to understand what you are saying. Usually the students get it with in a few weeks of contemplating it.
Sometimes however, when the frustration is overwhelming and they are being a pain in the butt and being antagonist I slam my fist into a wall.(EDITORS NOTE: I do not do this any more. Now I merely inform them if they want to learn they are welcome in my class. If they do not want to learn, there is the door, do not slam it on the way out. Some leave, which makes the class better, the ones that stay straighten right up)
It is not in anger, it is releasing the frustration. It gets their attention and they back away. It is not that they do not understand, it is that they do not WANT to understand. Then just walk away.
If they are stubborn and refuse to see it any way but their way I just call it like it is:” You are stupid and stubborn. I will not speak to you until you apologize and are willing to maturely discuss this.” Don’t talk with them for a couple of days. They usually come around. Stupidness and stubbornness goes together like smoking and cancer. Trying to reason with a stubborn soul is like talking to a wall. I do not waste my time talking to walls.
Sometimes they are just too self centered and then it is best to avoid them altogether because they will do nothing but bring you anger, pain and frustration.
My motto is “Avoid aggressive, self centered people. They will only pollute your heart with anger and sadness.” Joseph a son of Jehovah It has held me in good steed.
Now if it is an addiction get counseling.
Find out why you have that addiction and remove it from you. If you are a drug addict or alcoholic that will mean giving up your friends. They will only continue to pull you back down into that cesspool again. Sometimes the addiction is too strong for you to conquer and that is the time to completely surrender it to Jesus. I did and He instantly defeated my addiction and I have not returned in over ten years. Now, He may or may not instantly relieve you like He did me.
Editors note: since writing this article I have been taught by the Holy Spirit to pray when feeling like losing control. He either calms me down or encourages me to immediately remove myself from the situation which is causing me to lose my self control.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah-Chatsahi (The Lord is my Strength) – Psalm 27:1 for blessing me with the strength, sensitivity to know when I am being baited and the wisdom to either leave the situation or the wisdom to use the right words to defend myself and defeat the wicked foe. I exalt You in the name of He whose words both healed and cut like a knife Jesus Christ. Amen May
Christ bless you with love, joy and peace today and every day.Joseph a son of Jehovah
Jesus, love, encouragement, thoughtful writing, rising, falling, loving it all. Engaged to my best friend Ashland. My name is Robert, and I have a story to tell.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.Galatians 2:20 New Living Translation 
