Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,436
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:2-4,12 NASB’95)
We who live on this earth, who live in flesh bodies, will face trials and tribulations, whether or not we believe in Jesus Christ. There will be earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, wars, infestations of various kinds, famine, hunger, deaths of loved ones, illnesses, afflictions, physical defects, economic crashes, poverty, prejudices, abuses, miscarriages of justice, divorces, unfaithful spouses, coups, takeovers of governments, rebellion, violence, and privatized militaries, and the like.
And for those who are following the Lord Jesus Christ with their lives, in walks of obedience to his commands, and in surrender to his will for our lives, who are denying self, dying to sin daily, by the Spirit, and who are no longer living in addictive sin, but who are living holy lives, pleasing to God, in the power of God, we will face spiritual persecution. Especially if we are obeying our Lord in sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world, we will be hated, rejected, cast aside, and treated with disdain.
For we live in a day and age when the character of God/Christ, and of his gospel, and of his church, are all being diluted and altered to make them more acceptable and appealing and appeasing to human flesh. “Jesus” has suddenly become very popular here in America, and perhaps in other countries, too. But so many are not teaching the Jesus of the Scriptures, but the Jesus being presented in movies and in TV series and in cartoons and in “Christian” songs and literature, and via the mouths of movie stars.
Therefore, many are adopting an altered Jesus and an altered gospel and an altered “church”, because these altered versions of Christianity are more widely accepted, less offensive to human flesh, and do not demand death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord as requirements of biblical faith which comes from God, is gifted to us by God, and which is persuaded of God. But Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but to righteousness.
And if that is the truth that you are believing, and that you are sharing with others, i.e. that faith in Jesus requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, then your faith in Jesus Christ is going to be tested, because our enemy Satan will be after you to try to break you and to get you to cease speaking the truth. And he will send his messengers against you to try to get you to fold, and to quit, and to give up the fight. But we are to remain steadfast under trial, for this will work God’s will in our lives.
For trials are for our good, to test us, and to strengthen us, to teach us perseverance, and to get us to rely on the Lord and not on ourselves, and to draw us closer to our Lord in walks of fellowship with him in holy living, in doing what pleases him. They also prepare us for worse days ahead when the persecutions and the trials will increase in severity. And they help to make us strong so that we can stand against the lies and the opposing forces and remain steadfast in faith and in practice, for the glory of God.
And in the end, when our Lord returns for his faithful ones, to take us to be with him for eternity, we will receive the crown of life, which God promised to those who love him. And those who love God obey him. If we do not obey him, in practice, but sin is our practice, instead, we do not love him, we do not know him, we are not born of God, and we are not in fellowship with God. And if we claim to know him and to be in fellowship with him, we lie. Therefore, heaven will not be our destiny unless we repent and obey God.
[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 5:16-24; 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]
How Long Till the Morning
Scripture: I Thessalonians 4:17
By C. E. Couchman
Consider the mornings of this mortal land,
Each a new beginning from the Maker’s hand.
While the storms may gather ‘gainst the evening sky,
The day breaks cloudless in the morning.
Rise up to the battle, for the skies dawn clear.
Let us gather courage while the foe draws near.
Though the night falls weary, saints of God, march on!
And He’ll raise our banner in the morning.
When the trumpet sounds to signal Heaven’s day,
Resurrection Morning when the dead shall wake,
What a glorious gath’ring when the Lord descends
And we rise to meet him in the morning.
How long, my Lord? Till we see the morning?
How long, O, my Lord, till we see your face?
O my Lord, guide us through our troubles
Till we rise above them in the morning.
Caution: This link may contain ads
The Testing of Our Faith
An Original Work / March 23, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
We who live on this earth, who live in flesh bodies, will face trials and tribulations, whether or not we believe in Jesus Christ. There will be earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, wars, infestations of various kinds, famine, hunger, deaths of loved ones, illnesses, afflictions, physical defects, economic crashes, poverty, prejudices, abuses, miscarriages of justice, divorces, unfaithful spouses, coups, takeovers of governments, rebellion, violence, and privatized militaries, and the like.
And for those who are following the Lord Jesus Christ with their lives, in walks of obedience to his commands, and in surrender to his will for our lives, who are denying self, dying to sin daily, by the Spirit, and who are no longer living in addictive sin, but who are living holy lives, pleasing to God, in the power of God, we will face spiritual persecution. Especially if we are obeying our Lord in sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world, we will be hated, rejected, cast aside, and treated with disdain.
For we live in a day and age when the character of God/Christ, and of his gospel, and of his church, are all being diluted and altered to make them more acceptable and appealing and appeasing to human flesh. “Jesus” has suddenly become very popular here in America, and perhaps in other countries, too. But so many are not teaching the Jesus of the Scriptures, but the Jesus being presented in movies and in TV series and in cartoons and in “Christian” songs and literature, and via the mouths of movie stars.
Therefore, many are adopting an altered Jesus and an altered gospel and an altered “church”, because these altered versions of Christianity are more widely accepted, less offensive to human flesh, and do not demand death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord as requirements of biblical faith which comes from God, is gifted to us by God, and which is persuaded of God. But Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but to righteousness.
And if that is the truth that you are believing, and that you are sharing with others, i.e. that faith in Jesus requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, then your faith in Jesus Christ is going to be tested, because our enemy Satan will be after you to try to break you and to get you to cease speaking the truth. And he will send his messengers against you to try to get you to fold, and to quit, and to give up the fight. But we are to remain steadfast under trial, for this will work God’s will in our lives.
For trials are for our good, to test us, and to strengthen us, to teach us perseverance, and to get us to rely on the Lord and not on ourselves, and to draw us closer to our Lord in walks of fellowship with him in holy living, in doing what pleases him. They also prepare us for worse days ahead when the persecutions and the trials will increase in severity. And they help to make us strong so that we can stand against the lies and the opposing forces and remain steadfast in faith and in practice, for the glory of God.
And in the end, when our Lord returns for his faithful ones, to take us to be with him for eternity, we will receive the crown of life, which God promised to those who love him. And those who love God obey him. If we do not obey him, in practice, but sin is our practice, instead, we do not love him, we do not know him, we are not born of God, and we are not in fellowship with God. And if we claim to know him and to be in fellowship with him, we lie. Therefore, heaven will not be our destiny unless we repent and obey God.
[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 5:16-24; 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]
How Long Till the Morning
Scripture: I Thessalonians 4:17
By C. E. Couchman
Consider the mornings of this mortal land,
Each a new beginning from the Maker’s hand.
While the storms may gather ‘gainst the evening sky,
The day breaks cloudless in the morning.
Rise up to the battle, for the skies dawn clear.
Let us gather courage while the foe draws near.
Though the night falls weary, saints of God, march on!
And He’ll raise our banner in the morning.
When the trumpet sounds to signal Heaven’s day,
Resurrection Morning when the dead shall wake,
What a glorious gath’ring when the Lord descends
And we rise to meet him in the morning.
How long, my Lord? Till we see the morning?
How long, O, my Lord, till we see your face?
O my Lord, guide us through our troubles
Till we rise above them in the morning.
Caution: This link may contain ads
The Testing of Our Faith
An Original Work / March 23, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
