A Poem Written By A Jehovah’s Witness Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor

In My Faith

By: Franz Wohlfahrt

In my faith, 

 I will always stand firm, 

Though this world may taunt and cry, 

In my hope, 

I will always stand firm, 

For a beautiful, better time. 

In my love, 

I will always stand firm, 

Though this world repays with hate, 

Devoted, 

I will always stand firm, 

Though this world disloyal stays. 

From God’s Word, 

Flows the might of the strong, 

And the weak ones it powerful makes, 

In God’s grace I will always stand firm, 

On my own I could never remain.

With my life,I will even stand firm,

And as I my last breath confer, 

You should with that dying gasp hear:

I stand firm, 

I stand firm,

I stand firm.

This poem was written by Franz Wohlfahrt (A Jehovah’s Witness Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor). His father was executed in 1939 after he had been called up for military service and explained his standpoint (of not getting involved in any form of man-slaughtering), on Dec 7, 1939.Later, in March 1942, his brother aged 21 was executed after refusing military service.He also lost his foster mother and wife-to-be to Nazi brutality.The poem above was his farewell verse.

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** I really love this poem. After watching the Jehovah's Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault, it was one of the things that most caught my attention. I know that someday..I too want to have this strong faith towards Jehovah God even to truly stand firm through difficult times. I am not idolizing the creator of this poem, however, I am looking at myself and thinking 'I am proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. To be able to honor Jehovah by keeping my faith and by standing firm regardless of the situation I am put through. We can all imitate Franz Wohlfahrt's as an example for the times to come. We must all put up a fight against Satan in the end. By standing firm and remain faithful to Jehovah through his Son Jesus Christ, we are remaining loyal to our Sovereign Lord Jehovah and helping him to make a reply to Satan who taunts him daily. (Proverbs 27:11) As humans our integrity is always on the line, so we must have faith and in prayer always ask Jehovah God to help us endure and be courageous. **

Respect Jehovah's Authority

I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving Jehovah your God, by listening to his voice, and by sticking to him, for he is your life and by him you will endure a long time.. - Deuteronomy 30:19 (Moses speaking to the Israelites.. before his death and their crossing the Jordan, to get to the Promised Land.)

When respecting Jehovah's authority we must be wise and consider these four things:

1. Our Attitude : Never develop a complaining attitude towards Jehovah God and his theocratic arrangements. Be contempt and promote peace! (Philippians 2:14-16; Matthew 7:1-5; Philippians 4:8; Psalm 103:13, 14; 130:3) 

2. Our Association : It can influence us for better or for worse. We need to choose OUR friends wisely! (Proverbs 13:20; Galatians 6:7, 8; 1 Corinthians 15:33)

3. Our Morals : Bad association will always lead us to committing immorality. (1 Corinthians 15:1-13; 15:33; Galatians 6:7, 8) We should be wise to NEVER displease Jehovah God especially if we love him completely. 

4. Our Worship : Heartfelt appreciation towards Jehovah and his goodness should impel us to never become idolaters; or do anything he hates. (Proverbs 6:16-19; Psalm 97:10; Romans 12:9) 

We need to understand that we should always loyally support Jehovah's Authority no matter what. And to never put him to the test, of course he does ask us to test him out.. (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 10:9). But that doesn't mean always. Jehovah always shows that he loves us and cares for us... :) We must also remember that our faithfulness to Jehovah is always being tested. How? Satan tries to influence us in subtle ways to disobey Jehovah God and lose his favor. Just like the Israelite's were tested in these four areas in life so will be tested in the same areas. 

1 Corinthians 10:1-12

'Now I do not want YOU to be ignorant, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all got baptized into Moses by means of the cloud and of the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they used to drink from the spiritual rock-mass that followed them, and that rock-mass meant the Christ. Nevertheless, on most of them God did not express his approval, for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, for us not to be persons desiring injurious things, even as they desired them. Neither become idolaters, as some of them did; just as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they got up to have a good time.” Neither let us practice fornication, as some of them committed fornication, only to fall, twenty-three thousand [of them] in one day. Neither let us put Jehovah to the test, as some of them put [him] to the test, only to perish by the serpents. Neither be murmurers, just as some of them murmured, only to perish by the destroyer. Now these things went on befalling them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us upon whom the ends of the systems of things have arrived. Consequently let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.'