Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,283
“You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.” (2 Timothy 1:15-18 NASB’95)
When we who believe in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith in him accept his calling on our lives to go where he sends us, and to do as he commands, and to speak the words he wants us to speak to the people, at least here in America we are probably not going to have huge followings. And we may even have times when it at least appears as though everyone has turned against us, and that all we have is Jesus. And in those times we must rely on the Lord for our strength and wisdom and courage to continue.
Now, if we are truly working for Jesus, to do his will, and we are following the Lord in the ways in which he leads us, we are not to be looking for human acceptance. We are not to be patterning what we do or say after the desires of the flesh so that people will like us, and so that they will not turn against us. We are not to work for human approval and “likes” and positive and affirming comments. We should be those who serve and obey God even if everyone turns against us and all desert us. For we serve Jesus Christ.
And that can be a lonely existence, at times. But we must persevere in doing the will of God and in speaking his truth regardless of whether or not we are approved by other humans. We must consider the task before us in getting the truth of the gospel out to the people of greater importance than whether or not we are liked and accepted by other humans, and even if it means, at times, that we may be standing alone on some biblical issues with little to no support, and with only opposition, but in the strength and power of God.
But let me say this here. Even though we work for the Lord, and not for human approval, and even in the face of much opposition, and with little to no human encouragement and approval, it is still a blessing from the Lord when someone does encourage us, and when someone does acknowledge who we are and what we are doing, that it is from God, and so they refresh us with their kind and thoughtful words. We don’t have to have that, and we should not be working for that, but it does help to be refreshed by others.
I have some encouragers like that in my life, and they are a blessing to me. They are few in number, that I am aware of, but it does bless my heart to hear some affirming and kind and thoughtful words spoken to me, from time to time. But if that should go away, and if I no longer have that, for whatever reason that might be, but while I am still serving the Lord in walks of obedience to him in sharing the truths of his word, I must continue in service to my Lord even if sometimes it might feel that I am standing alone.
So, what is it about God’s calling on my life that might get me rejected, persecuted, mistreated, rejected, cast aside, lied about and treated as though I am not worth anyone’s time and consideration? The main thing now, I believe, is that I am teaching the gospel of our salvation as Jesus taught it, and as Paul and the other New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct context. So I am calling on the people of the world to repent of their sins, to surrender to God, and to walk in his ways in obedience to him.
But it is more than that. Jesus and his New Testament apostles didn’t just teach the truth of the gospel of our salvation (in context), but they also refuted the lies of the enemy that were coming against the truth to destroy it. And I must do that, too. And they spelled out for us what it means to believe in Jesus and what it looks like in daily practice, and what it looks like, too, to give lip service to God only, but to not be of genuine faith because they are continuing to walk in sin and not in obedience to our Lord.
And that is what I must do, too, and that I am doing. For the gospel is not that we just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but regardless of how we live. The gospel message teaches that Jesus put our sins to death with him on that cross so that we will die with him to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. But if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, we do not have eternal life with God. Many refute that!
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
But I don’t get rejected just because I teach the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught, in context, but that the Lord has me address several false ideas and beliefs which are anti-biblical but which are widely accepted as truth in America among many professing Christians. One of those is that biblical Israel is not the Jewish political nation called “Israel,” but it is both Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ walking in obedience to the Lord and no longer in sin, doing the will of God for their lives.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
So, if we are teaching the truth of the Scriptures, in their appropriate context, and we are not teaching them deliberately out of context in order to deceive and in order to falsify the truth to make it more acceptable to human flesh, then we will be in the minority here in America, I believe. And so I give thanks to God for those encouragers who are not afraid to stand with me on the truth of the Scriptures, even if they don’t agree with me on everything. The encouragement does help, and it is most appreciated!
Encourage One Another: [Romans 1:11-13; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:16; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 2:1-3; Colossians 4:7-8,11; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:7-9; Hebrews 3:13]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Encourage One Another
An Original Work / March 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
When we who believe in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith in him accept his calling on our lives to go where he sends us, and to do as he commands, and to speak the words he wants us to speak to the people, at least here in America we are probably not going to have huge followings. And we may even have times when it at least appears as though everyone has turned against us, and that all we have is Jesus. And in those times we must rely on the Lord for our strength and wisdom and courage to continue.
Now, if we are truly working for Jesus, to do his will, and we are following the Lord in the ways in which he leads us, we are not to be looking for human acceptance. We are not to be patterning what we do or say after the desires of the flesh so that people will like us, and so that they will not turn against us. We are not to work for human approval and “likes” and positive and affirming comments. We should be those who serve and obey God even if everyone turns against us and all desert us. For we serve Jesus Christ.
And that can be a lonely existence, at times. But we must persevere in doing the will of God and in speaking his truth regardless of whether or not we are approved by other humans. We must consider the task before us in getting the truth of the gospel out to the people of greater importance than whether or not we are liked and accepted by other humans, and even if it means, at times, that we may be standing alone on some biblical issues with little to no support, and with only opposition, but in the strength and power of God.
But let me say this here. Even though we work for the Lord, and not for human approval, and even in the face of much opposition, and with little to no human encouragement and approval, it is still a blessing from the Lord when someone does encourage us, and when someone does acknowledge who we are and what we are doing, that it is from God, and so they refresh us with their kind and thoughtful words. We don’t have to have that, and we should not be working for that, but it does help to be refreshed by others.
I have some encouragers like that in my life, and they are a blessing to me. They are few in number, that I am aware of, but it does bless my heart to hear some affirming and kind and thoughtful words spoken to me, from time to time. But if that should go away, and if I no longer have that, for whatever reason that might be, but while I am still serving the Lord in walks of obedience to him in sharing the truths of his word, I must continue in service to my Lord even if sometimes it might feel that I am standing alone.
So, what is it about God’s calling on my life that might get me rejected, persecuted, mistreated, rejected, cast aside, lied about and treated as though I am not worth anyone’s time and consideration? The main thing now, I believe, is that I am teaching the gospel of our salvation as Jesus taught it, and as Paul and the other New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct context. So I am calling on the people of the world to repent of their sins, to surrender to God, and to walk in his ways in obedience to him.
But it is more than that. Jesus and his New Testament apostles didn’t just teach the truth of the gospel of our salvation (in context), but they also refuted the lies of the enemy that were coming against the truth to destroy it. And I must do that, too. And they spelled out for us what it means to believe in Jesus and what it looks like in daily practice, and what it looks like, too, to give lip service to God only, but to not be of genuine faith because they are continuing to walk in sin and not in obedience to our Lord.
And that is what I must do, too, and that I am doing. For the gospel is not that we just make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, but regardless of how we live. The gospel message teaches that Jesus put our sins to death with him on that cross so that we will die with him to sin and walk in obedience to his commands. But if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, we do not have eternal life with God. Many refute that!
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
But I don’t get rejected just because I teach the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught, in context, but that the Lord has me address several false ideas and beliefs which are anti-biblical but which are widely accepted as truth in America among many professing Christians. One of those is that biblical Israel is not the Jewish political nation called “Israel,” but it is both Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ walking in obedience to the Lord and no longer in sin, doing the will of God for their lives.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13;1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]
So, if we are teaching the truth of the Scriptures, in their appropriate context, and we are not teaching them deliberately out of context in order to deceive and in order to falsify the truth to make it more acceptable to human flesh, then we will be in the minority here in America, I believe. And so I give thanks to God for those encouragers who are not afraid to stand with me on the truth of the Scriptures, even if they don’t agree with me on everything. The encouragement does help, and it is most appreciated!
Encourage One Another: [Romans 1:11-13; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:16; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 2:1-3; Colossians 4:7-8,11; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:7-9; Hebrews 3:13]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Encourage One Another
An Original Work / March 9, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
