Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,429
“Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:17-19 NASB’95)
The apostle Paul regularly gave testimony to what the Lord Jesus Christ was doing in the lives of Christians in various locations, and to what the Lord was doing through those who were his servants and messengers who were taking the truth of the gospel to the people of the world. And he shared these things as an encouragement to the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who were following Jesus with their lives, some of them at great cost.
I love to hear testimonies from people who are serving the Lord with their lives, in truth and in righteousness, who are doing the will of God in sharing with the people the truths of the Scriptures, and who are ministering to the needs of the people. I love to hear how God is working among them and of how people’s lives are being changed because of the testimonies of the Lord’s servants and messengers. That encourages and strengthens my heart.
Paul did not confine himself, though, to just sharing all the good stuff of how the people were now forsaking their sins, and of how they were following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. He often shared about the sufferings that he and the other apostles and many of the other Christians were going through because of their walks of faith in the Lord Jesus, in obedience to his commands, and in holy living. And he did this so that the church would pray for them.
Now, because he was sharing the good stuff about how God was using him and the other apostles and some of the other servants of the Lord, some people might have accused him of being a braggart or of being prideful and boastful, in the sense of wanting attention and praise for himself. But Paul gave God the glory, and he only shared these things as an encouragement to the other Christians, many of whom were suffering for their walks of faith.
And, because he also made a practice of sharing his sufferings with the body of Christ, and sometimes he even named names of people who opposed and persecuted them, and he definitely described in detail the kinds of things that they were suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel message, some people might have accused him of wanting attention and pity for himself, or they might have accused him of being negative or of just complaining.
But the Scriptures teach us that we are to bear one another’s burdens. But how can we do that if we don’t know what their burdens are? And they teach us to ask others to pray for us in our sufferings, and how will they know what to pray if they don’t even know that we are suffering? And how can we encourage them in their sufferings with the comfort we received in our sufferings if we don’t even let them know the things that we are suffering?
Now, we should not be complainers and gossipers and people who are negative all the time who just want attention for ourselves and for people to feel sorry for us. But we are to share our burdens with the body of Christ so that they can pray for us and encourage us and so that we can encourage them in their suffering, especially if they are going through something similar and it helps them to know that they are not alone in their suffering.
Somewhere in between selfishly complaining just to get people to feel sorry for us, and clamming up and remaining silent and telling no one anything about our sufferings, is the correct balance. And I believe Paul gives us the right example of what that correct balance is. And the purpose cannot be selfish, but asking for help when you need it is not selfish in and of itself. Paul all the time was sharing his sufferings and asking for prayer.
And when he shared the good stuff that was happening in the life of the church, and in his life, and in the lives of the other apostles, it was for the encouragement of the body of Christ, as a whole, that they might rejoice in what God was doing and be blessed by it. So his “boasting” was in Christ and in what Christ was doing in and through them, for his glory, and to change lives, and he gave God the credit and did not take it for himself.
So, if your hearts are pure, and your motivation is right, don’t shy away from sharing your sufferings or your joys. Always give God the glory for anything he accomplishes in and through your lives, but don’t be afraid to let people know you are going through hard times and you need prayer and encouragement. Don’t be afraid to share with them how God is using you in ministry and how it is blessing the lives of other people, for their joy.
And keep speaking the truth of the gospel, even if people don’t like it, and even if they call you names, or if they accuse you falsely of wrong motives. For if you are serving the Lord, and if what you are speaking is the truth of God’s Word, and not the lies which tickle itching ears, then you are doing a good thing. And we need people like you. But please make sure the gospel you are sharing is the truth that Jesus taught in the right context.
Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in walks of surrender to him, in obedience to his commands, in holy living, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But if Christ we deny by our lifestyles, when he returns he will deny us (Luke 9:23-26).
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-32; 1 Peter 2:24; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter 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.
In Things Pertaining to God
An Original Work / March 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
The apostle Paul regularly gave testimony to what the Lord Jesus Christ was doing in the lives of Christians in various locations, and to what the Lord was doing through those who were his servants and messengers who were taking the truth of the gospel to the people of the world. And he shared these things as an encouragement to the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ who were following Jesus with their lives, some of them at great cost.
I love to hear testimonies from people who are serving the Lord with their lives, in truth and in righteousness, who are doing the will of God in sharing with the people the truths of the Scriptures, and who are ministering to the needs of the people. I love to hear how God is working among them and of how people’s lives are being changed because of the testimonies of the Lord’s servants and messengers. That encourages and strengthens my heart.
Paul did not confine himself, though, to just sharing all the good stuff of how the people were now forsaking their sins, and of how they were following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. He often shared about the sufferings that he and the other apostles and many of the other Christians were going through because of their walks of faith in the Lord Jesus, in obedience to his commands, and in holy living. And he did this so that the church would pray for them.
Now, because he was sharing the good stuff about how God was using him and the other apostles and some of the other servants of the Lord, some people might have accused him of being a braggart or of being prideful and boastful, in the sense of wanting attention and praise for himself. But Paul gave God the glory, and he only shared these things as an encouragement to the other Christians, many of whom were suffering for their walks of faith.
And, because he also made a practice of sharing his sufferings with the body of Christ, and sometimes he even named names of people who opposed and persecuted them, and he definitely described in detail the kinds of things that they were suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel message, some people might have accused him of wanting attention and pity for himself, or they might have accused him of being negative or of just complaining.
But the Scriptures teach us that we are to bear one another’s burdens. But how can we do that if we don’t know what their burdens are? And they teach us to ask others to pray for us in our sufferings, and how will they know what to pray if they don’t even know that we are suffering? And how can we encourage them in their sufferings with the comfort we received in our sufferings if we don’t even let them know the things that we are suffering?
Now, we should not be complainers and gossipers and people who are negative all the time who just want attention for ourselves and for people to feel sorry for us. But we are to share our burdens with the body of Christ so that they can pray for us and encourage us and so that we can encourage them in their suffering, especially if they are going through something similar and it helps them to know that they are not alone in their suffering.
Somewhere in between selfishly complaining just to get people to feel sorry for us, and clamming up and remaining silent and telling no one anything about our sufferings, is the correct balance. And I believe Paul gives us the right example of what that correct balance is. And the purpose cannot be selfish, but asking for help when you need it is not selfish in and of itself. Paul all the time was sharing his sufferings and asking for prayer.
And when he shared the good stuff that was happening in the life of the church, and in his life, and in the lives of the other apostles, it was for the encouragement of the body of Christ, as a whole, that they might rejoice in what God was doing and be blessed by it. So his “boasting” was in Christ and in what Christ was doing in and through them, for his glory, and to change lives, and he gave God the credit and did not take it for himself.
So, if your hearts are pure, and your motivation is right, don’t shy away from sharing your sufferings or your joys. Always give God the glory for anything he accomplishes in and through your lives, but don’t be afraid to let people know you are going through hard times and you need prayer and encouragement. Don’t be afraid to share with them how God is using you in ministry and how it is blessing the lives of other people, for their joy.
And keep speaking the truth of the gospel, even if people don’t like it, and even if they call you names, or if they accuse you falsely of wrong motives. For if you are serving the Lord, and if what you are speaking is the truth of God’s Word, and not the lies which tickle itching ears, then you are doing a good thing. And we need people like you. But please make sure the gospel you are sharing is the truth that Jesus taught in the right context.
Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in walks of surrender to him, in obedience to his commands, in holy living, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But if Christ we deny by our lifestyles, when he returns he will deny us (Luke 9:23-26).
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-32; 1 Peter 2:24; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter 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.
In Things Pertaining to God
An Original Work / March 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love