So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 Holy Bible Amplified Version
Remember the old saying: “ Be careful of the friends you choose because you will become like them. “ Well, it is true.
If you choose to be friends with Jesus you will emulate Him in thought word and deed.
And what is Jesus like?
He is a loving God.
So when you become like Him you become a loving man woman or child. You will be filled with Divine love, joy, peace and purpose. Your life will glow with Heavenly love for all to see and that is the greatest witness there can ever be.
If, on the other hand you choose to follow the world ( which is satanic ) you are in reality following satan all the way into Hell.
What type of personality will you have?
Selfishness, self centered, mean, unethical, arrogant, rude and cruel. You will become a creature from Hell ( and I know enough worldly folks to rightly call them a creature from Hell). They are repulsive ( you will draw folks away from you not towards you ) and repugnant (causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment ) .
You are Jehovahs enemy.
“Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you…either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature.” ~C.S. Lewis
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Pryyand ( God is my friend ) for blessing me with sharing a Heavenly friendship. With me. Everything else pales in comparison to this Divine relationship. I praise You in the name of my best friend Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17 New International Version
When researching for a recent article I discovered our last name is in reference to the clan we are born into ( that is what your family name is).
Since becoming a Christian we belong to Jehovahs family it is only right we call ourselves of the family of Jehovah.
My parents gave me the name of Joseph. Unbeknownst to them Joseph means Jehovah will increase. Boy has He ever. He has blessed me with increasing intimacy with Him, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He has blessed with with increased wisdom. He has increased me with service unto Him. I believe Jehovah directed them to give me that name. As such the first name shall remain.
Therefore my new name is Joseph son of Jehovah ( when we become Christians we are a child of Jehovah, this is my God given name).
And you know what? It feels natural to say : my name is Joseph son of Jehovah
But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name John 1:12 The Holy Bible Amplified Version What is your God given name?
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Abba (God our Father) for the supreme blessing of being a member of Your holy family and with the wonderful name You have lovingly provided me with. I thank You in the name of He who has the most beautiful name Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
Your way [of escape for Your people] was through the sea, And Your paths through the great waters, And Your footprints were not traceable. Psalm 77:19 Holy Bible Amplified Version
There have been many times during my trials and tribulation, sorrows and snares in life that I cried out unto Jehovah to come and rescue me but believed He had deserted me. In reflection it was revealed that He is always there.
Do you think it is just a coincidence that that man or woman came into your life at just the right moment when you needed help but there was none forth coming?
When it seems as of you are walking through the desert with no job prospect do you think it is coincidence that that employment offer came along?
For me many times it was tiny ads in the newspaper that jumped out at me and would not let go until I took action on them. It always resulted in amazing accomplishments in my life. It helped me find employment, it helped me find good Christian councilors, it guided me to schools that Jehovah wanted me to attend to learn a skill that would be used in service unto Him later on. This is just but one example of Him being there without me even knowing it at the time.
There is no such thing as coincidence in the Christian walk. Joseph son of Jehovah
So, no matter what ordeal you are experiencing now and it seems as if Jehovah has deserted you take comfort child of Jehovah He is always there.
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Immanuel (God is with us) for the blessing of always being with me through the numerous trials and tribulations, sorrows and snare, victories and love You graciously bless me with each and every day. I thank you in the name of He who walked amongst us Jesus Christ. Amen.
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name John 1:12 The Holy Bible Amplified Version
Do you adhere to Christ?
To adhere to means to maintain loyalty and to bind oneself to observance ( adhere to the rules)
Are you loyal unto Christ?
Do you place your allegiance unto Him above your family, career and or possessions? Yes there are rules when you are a child of Jehovah (mainly Gods Law which states we are to do unto others as we would like them to do to us and to not do to others as we do not want them to do to us). Do you do to others as you would like them to do to you? That means to be respectful and to help others when you see they need help ( That does not mean to support those who refuse to take responsibility for their actions and refuse to help themselves. We “ owe “ them nothing ). Do you not do unto others as you do not want them to do to you ( that means no bullying or gossiping, backstabbing or cheating ) ? Do you trust Christ? Do you trust Christ with your finances? When He directs you to give of your finances even though it will hurt do you obey Him? Do you trust Him in your relationships? So say you meet someone you like but He sees what they are really like and directs you to end the relationship, do you trust Him to obey?
Do you rely upon Christ?
Do you daily rely upon Christ for guidance? So say you want a job and a good one is offered to you but you feel Christ saying no, will you walk away from it? Do you rely upon Christ in your interpersonal relationships? So say someone has done you wrong, do you rely upon Christ to give you the power to forgive them? If the abuse is habitual and Christ directs you to walk away from the relationship ( even if it is family ) will you walk away from them? Do you rely upon Him to find the proper spouse for you ( instead of the on line dating service where people can be as phony as a three dollar bill ) And, if He direct you to remain single will you rely upon Him to fill the void a spouse can fill?
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Ezer (The LORD our Helper) for helping me adhere to Your righteous Holy manner in my behaviour in my relationship to You. I exalt You in the name of He whose total manner emulated His complete adherence unto You Jesus Christ. Amen
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy]. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Satan the greatest conner always make poo poo look like sugar. Then when you get addicted to it he tries to convince you that you are not strong enough to resist the temptation.
He is partly right.
Sometimes when temptation comes our way Jehovah will allow to endure it to see how much we have grown ( that is not so much for Him but to show us how weak our strength can be so we do not become arrogant). Sometimes He will deliver us from it to revel to us just how great He is.
The best defence is offence and the best offensive weapon is to know Bible verses and use them to defeat the not so great a deceiver.
“The history of every temptation, and of every sin, is the same; the outward object of attraction, the inward commotion of mind, the increase and triumph of passionate desires, ending in the degradation, slavery, and ruin of the soul.”Unknown
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah Ganan (The Lord is Our Defense) for blessing me with Your strong impenetrable defense both in Your Divine word and with Your omnipotent presence to defeat the wily sneak satan when he craftily tempts me. I rejoice in this reassurance in the name of He who used the word to defeat the wicked one in the wilderness during His temptation Jesus Christ. Amen
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. Philippians 1:10 New Living Translation Bible
Having all the toys does not really matter in the big picture. Indeed, they make you slaves. You have to work to make payments on what you bought. Then, if you leave the house for vacation you worry if they will be stolen while you are gone.
Having the latest mobile phone with all the gadgets does not really matter in the big picture.
The list goes on and on.
Indeed, they make you slaves. You have to give of your earnings every month for the down payment and are stuck with phone companies that , in my opinion, overcharge.
Really, why do you need these things anyway?
One word: vanity, which is selfish pride. You are self centered and saying: Look at me, look at me.
When you care only about yourself you end up with no one but yourself. Joseph son of Jehovah
In the big picture if you really desire satisfaction in your life, know the meaning of life and why you are here there is only one answer: become a slave. When we become Christians that make Jesus our king. If he is our king then we are His bondsmen and women. A bondsman is someone who freely gives his service unto another in exchange for something else. In Christ when we are His bondsmen or women our benefits are all the blessing He has promised.
Serving Christ has unlimited valuable blessings. Joseph son of Jehovah
“Jesus is the yes to every promise of God.” — William Barclay
Everyone that yields to selfishness, will find it the most enchaining tyranny on earth, it is always demanding more and gives no lasting satisfaction in return Joseph son of Jehovah
Which do you choose?
Prayer: Thank you Jesus Hamelech ( Jesus is my Lord King ) for blessing this humble servant with the privilege of serving You daily in my life. This blessing assures me of my purpose and meaning in life. I praise You in You glorious name. Amen.
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
The thoughts and purposes of the [consistently] righteous are just (honest, reliable). But the counsels and schemes of the wicked are deceitful Proverbs 12:5 The Holy Bible Amplified Version
One thing I have learned in my long walk with Christ is that a good name is worth more than a big bank account. There have been times when I was honest even though it cost me a little with local merchants ( Like one time I forgot to pay for an item that cost a dollar and walked two miles back to pay for it. Most folks laughed and thought I was stupid. However, now that merchant always gives me better deals than they do anyone else. Now, they are indignant and ask what makes me so special? ).
The deeds you do today will be rewarded tomorrow. Joseph- Anthony: Green
The other benefit of being honest is that I sleep good at night while the dishonest worry about getting caught ( which they always do ). Most dishonest people suffer numerous health problems and they can all be traced back to stress caused by worry of getting caught and being greedy.
“A godly mind prizes honor above worldly good.” Rembrandt
I know of one man that I asked to help me and he replied that he could not because he did not have gas money to come here to help me and then he went out fishing. Now whenever he tries to scam me ( scamming is where you try to get something from someone without giving anything in return) he is reminded that if he does not have gas money to help me he does not have gas money to scam anything out of me, it drives him nuts.
“All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.” Reinhold Niebuhr
The greatest reward of being honest is the blessing of becoming closer to my Beloved in Heaven. As a consequence He warns me of those who deal dishonestly.
I have seen many say that they believe that everything that they touch is cursed, but if they reflect back on their life they will see that they were extremely dishonest with others so yes Jehovahs hand is against them. The stupid thing is that they know if they turn from their wicked ways Jehovah will not only stop curing them but will begin to bless them yet they refuse to stop being dishonest.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom” Thomas Jefferson
Prayer: Thank you Jehovah ‘Ori ( the Lord is my Light ) for blessing me with Your light of truth and integrity in my life. It has proven the true manner in which to walk in my daily life. I praise You in the name of the Light of the World Jesus Christ. Amen
May the gentle assurance of Jesus’ sweet love encompass you today and every day.
