Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,573
“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.” (Romans 1:11-13 NASB1995)
In what ways today are any of us being prevented from giving and receiving biblical and spiritual encouragement to and from the rest of the body of Christ? What kinds of things are standing in our way which are blocking our ability to be heard by the people? And for us to hear from the rest of the body of Christ who are walking in obedience to the Lord in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives?
Now, I live in the USA, so my experience may be completely different from some of you who live in other nations throughout the world, so your answers may be different from mine. So, I will share what I have experienced and you can answer these questions based on your own experiences.
One of the biggest ways that this is happening in America is via the partnership the church at large has made with the government, so that most of what is called “church” here in America is in covenant relationships with the government via the 501c3 incorporation status as non-profit religious organizations. About the same time that this took place is when government worship also entered into the gatherings of “the church” via the pledge of allegiance to the US flag, the singing of patriotic songs of worship of the government, and the honoring of our military as our heroes and saviors.
If not before this, this also began a massive movement to alter the divine character and will of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – and to alter his church and his gospel message, to make them all more appealing and acceptable and pleasing to human flesh and to the ungodly of the world – a deliberate decline. For “the church” at large in America began, more than ever before, to make themselves into human-based businesses designed to attract and to draw in large crowds of people from the world. And so they began patterning their gatherings after the world to attract the world.
And so many of these gatherings now are following after business marketing models for how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” into their gatherings. And so many of their gatherings have been turned into stage productions to entertain the audience. And so a small number of people from “the church” put on the show while the rest sit as spectators and not as participants, other than the audience can sing along with the songs performed by the “worship team” (the musicians singing and playing the songs). But not every gathering of “the church” follows this model.
Usually, in today’s world, they now meet once a week on a Saturday or a Sunday for an hour and a half service (+/-) in a building called “church,” and that may be it for most people until the following week when they repeat the same routine. And they call that “going to church.” So, when the service is over they have “left the church.” Some of them do have weekly small group gatherings which can vary much in content and purpose and which may or may not be modeled after the model of the Scriptures at all. So many of these are highly structured to follow a particular book of some kind.
So, in order to gather in large crowds from the people of the world, they have altered the message of the gospel of our salvation, which comes in many different levels, in order to attract the world and to not offend the ungodly. The biggest and most popular gospel message being taught today is that you can make a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ once in your life and now you are saved, done deal, and heaven is guaranteed you when you die, but regardless of how you live. Some may teach holiness, but not as a requirement for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God.
So, what all this does is cut off the possibilities, within the gatherings of “the church” for the body of Christ to function biblically as it ought. So many people push Hebrews 10:25a (“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some”) to pressure people into “coming to church,” i.e. to attend these institutional market-driven “church” (businesses) gatherings. But they leave out “let us consider how to stimulate ONE ANOTHER to love and good deeds.. but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day” (of judgment) “drawing near” (see Hebrews 10:23-25).
So, what is happening to prevent us from being “encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith” is all of the above. Since so many are believing in a diluted gospel message, taught deliberately out of context, they are not willing to give or to receive messages about the true gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught (in context). And since the concept of church is these institutional gatherings, not patterned after the biblical body of Christ and what our relationships to one another should look like, there is no place for us, the body, to be mutually encouraged by one another in these market-driven “church” gatherings.
So, this is why the Lord sent me to the internet where I have been able, so far, to share what the Lord is giving me to share with the body of Christ and to hear from others of like faith in what God is giving them to share to encourage the body of Christ, as a whole. But even on the internet we experience some of these same road blocks because so many people are believing the lies and not the truth, and so the truth to them is foreign, and it is odd to them, and so not all will gladly receive it, either. So what is the truth? I have summarized Romans 6:1-23 which says it all:
By God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands. Thus, we are no longer to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience is what we obey, it results in sanctification and its end is eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Encouraging One Another
An Original Work / April 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
In what ways today are any of us being prevented from giving and receiving biblical and spiritual encouragement to and from the rest of the body of Christ? What kinds of things are standing in our way which are blocking our ability to be heard by the people? And for us to hear from the rest of the body of Christ who are walking in obedience to the Lord in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives?
Now, I live in the USA, so my experience may be completely different from some of you who live in other nations throughout the world, so your answers may be different from mine. So, I will share what I have experienced and you can answer these questions based on your own experiences.
One of the biggest ways that this is happening in America is via the partnership the church at large has made with the government, so that most of what is called “church” here in America is in covenant relationships with the government via the 501c3 incorporation status as non-profit religious organizations. About the same time that this took place is when government worship also entered into the gatherings of “the church” via the pledge of allegiance to the US flag, the singing of patriotic songs of worship of the government, and the honoring of our military as our heroes and saviors.
If not before this, this also began a massive movement to alter the divine character and will of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – and to alter his church and his gospel message, to make them all more appealing and acceptable and pleasing to human flesh and to the ungodly of the world – a deliberate decline. For “the church” at large in America began, more than ever before, to make themselves into human-based businesses designed to attract and to draw in large crowds of people from the world. And so they began patterning their gatherings after the world to attract the world.
And so many of these gatherings now are following after business marketing models for how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” into their gatherings. And so many of their gatherings have been turned into stage productions to entertain the audience. And so a small number of people from “the church” put on the show while the rest sit as spectators and not as participants, other than the audience can sing along with the songs performed by the “worship team” (the musicians singing and playing the songs). But not every gathering of “the church” follows this model.
Usually, in today’s world, they now meet once a week on a Saturday or a Sunday for an hour and a half service (+/-) in a building called “church,” and that may be it for most people until the following week when they repeat the same routine. And they call that “going to church.” So, when the service is over they have “left the church.” Some of them do have weekly small group gatherings which can vary much in content and purpose and which may or may not be modeled after the model of the Scriptures at all. So many of these are highly structured to follow a particular book of some kind.
So, in order to gather in large crowds from the people of the world, they have altered the message of the gospel of our salvation, which comes in many different levels, in order to attract the world and to not offend the ungodly. The biggest and most popular gospel message being taught today is that you can make a verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ once in your life and now you are saved, done deal, and heaven is guaranteed you when you die, but regardless of how you live. Some may teach holiness, but not as a requirement for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God.
So, what all this does is cut off the possibilities, within the gatherings of “the church” for the body of Christ to function biblically as it ought. So many people push Hebrews 10:25a (“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some”) to pressure people into “coming to church,” i.e. to attend these institutional market-driven “church” (businesses) gatherings. But they leave out “let us consider how to stimulate ONE ANOTHER to love and good deeds.. but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day” (of judgment) “drawing near” (see Hebrews 10:23-25).
So, what is happening to prevent us from being “encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith” is all of the above. Since so many are believing in a diluted gospel message, taught deliberately out of context, they are not willing to give or to receive messages about the true gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught (in context). And since the concept of church is these institutional gatherings, not patterned after the biblical body of Christ and what our relationships to one another should look like, there is no place for us, the body, to be mutually encouraged by one another in these market-driven “church” gatherings.
So, this is why the Lord sent me to the internet where I have been able, so far, to share what the Lord is giving me to share with the body of Christ and to hear from others of like faith in what God is giving them to share to encourage the body of Christ, as a whole. But even on the internet we experience some of these same road blocks because so many people are believing the lies and not the truth, and so the truth to them is foreign, and it is odd to them, and so not all will gladly receive it, either. So what is the truth? I have summarized Romans 6:1-23 which says it all:
By God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands. Thus, we are no longer to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience is what we obey, it results in sanctification and its end is eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
Encouraging One Another
An Original Work / April 22, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
