Called According to His Purpose

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 NASB1995)

What is the context here? It is that of suffering for the sake of our faith in Jesus and our testimonies for Jesus Christ, our Lord. If we are those who by faith in Jesus Christ – a faith which comes from God and not from ourselves – have been 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 servants of righteousness, in walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands, we will suffer in the flesh, and we will be hated, persecuted, forsaken, forgotten, and tossed aside as unworthy and worthless to most people.

For, what is our calling of God? According to Romans 8, it is that we walk (in conduct, in practice) no longer according to our sinful flesh, but now according to (in agreement and in cooperation with) the Spirit of God (v. 4). For, “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (v. 10). Thus, “we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (vv. 12-14). (See also Romans 6:1-23)

Therefore, if this is what we believe, and if this is what we put into practice, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, and if we do so in the power of God, and not in our own flesh, and so we are being led of the Spirit of God in what to do and in where to go and in what to say, we will be opposed just as Jesus was, and just as his New Testament apostles were, and just as the prophets before them were, and just as many of us of faith in Jesus Christ have been since then. And some of us they will put to death because of what we teach and do.

But God has a plan and a purpose for it all in our lives, and for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of the salvation of human souls out of their addiction to sin so they can now walk righteously, by the grace of God, and serve the Lord with their lives, and no longer their sinful flesh. First, God uses suffering in our lives to keep us humble and reliant upon the Lord, and not on our flesh, and so we will be more loving and compassionate toward others, and faithful to our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. And then he uses us as his witnesses to share the gospel message so that people throughout the world can come to know him, too, by faith in Jesus Christ.

The Gospel

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; 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 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Fully Ready!  

Based off Acts 20-22,26; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8

An Original Work / June 19, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?

I’m fully ready to suffer for Christ.

If I must die for the sake of His name,

I am convinced it will not be in vain.

Glory to God and to His Son Jesus,

Who has redeemed us; bought with His blood.

May I speak to you? Jesus came to me;

Asked of me, “Why do you persecute me?”

He said, “Now get up and stand on your feet.

Go, and you’ll be told all I have for you.

I have appointed you as a servant,

And as a witness; you have been sent.”

“Go into the world and preach the gospel.

Open the blind eyes. They will receive sight.

Turn them from darkness to the light of Christ;

From power of the evil one to God,

So they may receive forgiveness of sins,

And a place among those who’re in heav’n.”

https://vimeo.com/115439432

Called According to His Purpose

An Original Work / February 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If We Suffer With Him

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:16-18 NASB1995)

Who are the children of God? They are all who, by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, are denying self, dying daily to sin, and following our Lord Jesus in walks of surrender to him in obedience to his commands, in daily practice. This does not make us perfect, and it does not mean that we will never sin again (1 John 2:1-2), but it does mean that sin must no longer be our practice (habit, addiction), but righteousness, holiness, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands should be what we live by.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; 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 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

And what kinds of sufferings? Well, the first and foremost is in our dying with Christ to sin, being reborn of the Spirit of God, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. For Satan is going to fight against us to try to get us back. So he will throw all kinds of temptations our way, and he will use other people against us to hurt us in hopes that we will give up and that we will return to living in sin.

So, if we are following Jesus Christ in his ways, according to his will, in obedience to his commands, and so we are also verbal about our faith and the gospel of our salvation, so we are speaking the truth of the gospel to the people, as opposed to the lies, we should expect that we will be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. But sadly most of our persecutors will be pastors, elders, and others who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who do not abide by the Word of God, but who make up their own truth to suit the flesh.

Yet by God-gifted 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 righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit 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 to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And this (above) is the true gospel that all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ should be sharing with the world and with others who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are following a false faith and a false gospel and a false Christ because they are listening to and they are believing in the lies being taught them by “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who serve as pastors, elders, and evangelists. For so many are now teaching that a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ assures us of salvation and of eternal life with God.

Who Believes?  

Based off Isaiah 53

An Original Work / October 3, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Gospel message, who believes?

Jesus Christ died on a tree,

Saving us from all our sin,

So we might be cleansed within.

Had no beauty found in Him,

That we should desire Him.

Man of sorrows, suffering;

Crushed for our iniquities.

Surely He has borne our griefs;

From our sadness, brings relief.

Bore the stripes; forsaken, He,

So forgiven we might be.

We, like sheep, have gone astray,

Each of us turned his own way.

Jesus calls, “Repent today;

My commandments, now obey.”

Jesus said, to come to him,

We must die to all our sin.

Crucified with Him, we live,

Walking in His righteousness.

Suff’ring servants, we will be,

Taking His identity on us,

When confessing Him

As our Savior, Lord and King.

https://vimeo.com/115517757 

If We Suffer With Him

An Original Work / February 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

All Day Long

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:35-37 NASB1995)

Five months ago today (9/17/2025), at 12:30 a.m., I began to have sharp chest pain and pressure, sharp pain in my arm on my left side, severe shortness of breath, sharp pressure and pain in my right ear, and stabbing back pain. I let it go for a while, thinking it might go away, but eventually, knowing these were possible heart attack symptoms, I went to the ER at a local hospital where they did a chest X-ray and discovered a lung nodule I had had since 2014 (checked again in 2016) had nearly doubled in size.

This began what has turned out to be a long series of hospital and doctor appointments and tests and/or procedures, which are still ongoing. The diagnosis which I have so far is 1) Moderate COPD, 2) Heart Failure, 3) A Precancerous (not cancerous) Lung Nodule in my left lung, and 4) Possible Spinal Stenosis. What I am still dealing with on a daily basis is chest pain and pressure, sharp stabbing pains in various sections of my body (rotating from place to place), cognitive issues, vision difficulties, and exhaustion. 

Many people have prayed for me, and I have prayed for me and for healing, but God has his ways and his timing and his purposes in all of this. For He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). So, when I am weak, then I am strong in the strength of the Lord who supplies me with all I need to keep serving him each day despite my pain and my suffering. For my faith is being tested, but God is my portion and my strength who will sustain me through it all.

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

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

Caution: This link may contain ads

All Day Long

An Original Work / February 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

P.S. I do not take drugs. God took me off all medications 17 years ago. I use natural means for pain control, first and foremost which is prayer, and then heat or ice, exercise, and rest. 

Don't Be Surprised

“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:13-16 NASB1995)

1 John 3:13 says, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” Who hated Jesus the most? Who laid traps (mind traps) for him to fall into on a somewhat regular basis, hoping to trip him up with his words so that they would have cause to accuse him? Who harassed him on a regular basis, falsely accusing him of wrong when he was showing love to the people? Who were they who were jealous of him and of his temporary popularity among the people? And who plotted and had carried out his death on a cross? 

They were not the pagans and the unbelieving who made no professions of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they were God’s people of that time, many of whom were rulers in the temple, and instructors in the Word of God, and people of power and influence within the Jewish community. And they were his own brothers, and perhaps his neighbors. They were people he grew up with, many of whom he probably knew from birth, and that he sat with and talked with in the temple of God of that time.

So, don’t be surprised if it is not so much the people unassociated with “the church” and with worship of the One True God who will hate, persecute, reject, and mistreat you, but it will be others who call themselves “Christians,” and who claim faith in Jesus Christ, and who attend weekly gatherings of the church (or what is falsely referred to as “church”), and even those who serve in positions of leadership as pastors and elders. For many who profess Jesus are rejecting those of mature faith in our Lord.

For we live in a day and time when so much of what is called “the church” is not the universal body of people of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus putting sin to death in their lives and walking in obedience to the Lord, in practice. But “the church” has become these institutions of human origin created in the minds of people, many in their deceitful scheming, who have partnered with the ungodly in order to pattern their gatherings after the world in order to attract the world so that they can grow their numbers.

Thus, they have compromised with the world in order to “win the world” to their gatherings, but mostly not to genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. For if they literally teach the truth as Jesus taught it, and as his New Testament apostles taught it, in the correct biblical context, it will not draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings. For the true gospel teaches that by faith in our Lord we must deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, as a matter of practice.

Therefore, if we are ones who are spreading the truth of the gospel to the people of the world, we are likely not to be welcome and accepted in many of these gatherings called “church” which are businesses of human origin partnered with the government and with the world in unholy unions. And we may face much persecution and rejection and ridicule from those in positions of authority. But that’s okay, because God is calling us to come out from among them so we don’t share in their sins and in their punishment.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

But love is not the “feel good” “tickle itching ears” approach to Christianity and to faith in Jesus Christ which so many people are marketing to the world today. Biblical love is willing to put our lives on the line by telling people the truth of the gospel so that by faith in Jesus they will deny self, die to sin daily, and follow our Lord in surrender to his will in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. For if we teach lies to the people, it is the same as us signing their death warrant. For we curse them to hell while promising them heaven as their safety net. And that is hate! It is not love! Don’t lie!

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18] 

My Cry for Mercy  

Based off Psalm 86

An Original Work / October 31, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.

Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.

Save me! I’m Your servant.

You are my God. I trust in You.

O, Lord, have mercy on me,

For I call to You.

Bring joy to me, for to You

I will lift up my soul.

You are giving and forgiving.

You abound in love to all who

Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.

Listen to my cry for mercy.

In days of trouble I call to You,

Knowing that You will 

Do marvelous things,

Because You are my God.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

Turn to me, Lord, and grant 

Strength to Your servant. 

O, Lord, You are my help,

For You love and You comfort me.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

https://vimeo.com/114690984

Don’t Be Surprised

An Original Work / February 16, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Love Others in Truth

“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12 NASB1995)

Cain and Abel

The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were no longer in the Garden of Eden with God, for God had judged them for their sins of disobedience. Their first two sons were Cain and Abel (see Genesis 3:1-24; Genesis 4:1-16). 

Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. They each offered a sacrifice to God, but God had no regard for Cain’s offering, but he did for Abel’s offering, through which Abel obtained the testimony that he was righteous. So Cain became very angry, and even though God spoke with him about his anger, and what he needed to do about it, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and he killed him. And God told Cain that he was now cursed from the ground that received his brother’s blood from his hand.

Not as Cain

Now, these things were written down for us so that we might learn from this to not desire evil as Cain did. And this reminds me of the teaching in 1 Corinthians 10:1-22 where we are taught about the things that so many of the Israelites did during their time in the wilderness and how God was not pleased with them because of their idolatries, adulteries, immorality, revelry, drunkenness, discontent, grumblings against God, and them putting God to the test. So, they were put to death, and they did not enter into God’s eternal rest (eternity with God) because of their disobedience (unbelief).

All throughout the Scriptures we are given examples of what to do and of what not to do, and of what God regards as sinful, and of what he considers to be righteous. We are taught plenty of what to put off and what to put on, and what to embrace, and what to resist. And we are frequently warned of the consequences of rebellion, disobedience, and of continuing in deliberate and habitual sin against God, that if we do not repent of our sins, and if we do not obey God and his commands (New Covenant), that we will not have eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess as truth.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18] 

What is Love?

So, what can we ascertain as the meaning of the word “love” just from this passage of Scripture alone? Love is the opposite of what Cain did. And Cain was guilty of pride, of self-importance, and of hate and jealously against his brother because of his brother’s approval from God which he did not also receive from God. Cain was so jealous of his brother that it turned into rage and then into murder. And murder does not have to be ending someone’s life, but it can be any act against another which deliberately defames, discredits, and mars the character of another to destroy their reputations.

Love is kindness, generosity, compassion and caring, and it is not jealousy, cruelty, or abuse. Love is truth, and not lies, and it speaks the truth which people need to hear and not the lies which tickle “itching ears.” For this kind of love is based in what is morally pure, upright, godly, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. For this is not of the flesh and determined by how we “feel,” but this love is of God, and it prefers all that God prefers, which is that we deny self, die to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, in holy living. Glory to God!

[Matthew 7:13-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 8:51; John 14:15-24; John 15:10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 5:9; James 1:21-25; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-15; 1 John 3:1-24; 1 John 4:19-20; 1 John 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6]

So, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who love others, not as the world does in the compromise of truth and righteousness so that others will like us, but as the Scriptures teach what love is, which is all that is of God and is holy and righteous and morally pure and upright and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. We need to love others like Jesus loves us and be willing to tell people the truth of what God’s Word teaches rather than lying to people so they will like us. For belief in Jesus requires that we deny self, die to sin, and obey our Lord’s commands, in life practice.

Love Must Be Genuine 

Based off Romans 12:9-21

An Original Work / October 22, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Love must be genuine.

Hate what’s evil; cling to good.

Love each other with affection.

Show respect for ev’ryone.

Never lack in your zeal.

Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.

In affliction, patient be.

Keep on praying; share with others.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute.

Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.

Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.

Live in harmony with others.

Live at peace with ev’ryone.

Repay not to someone

With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;

Leave it to the wrath of God.

If your enemy is thirsty,

Give to him something to drink.

Do what’s right for mankind.

Evil: overcome with good.

https://vimeo.com/114695549

Love Others in Truth

An Original Work / February 16, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

They've Risen Up Against Me

“O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,

And a band of violent men have sought my life,

And they have not set You before them.

But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.

Turn to me, and be gracious to me;

Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,

And save the son of Your handmaid.

Show me a sign for good,

That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,

Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86:14-17 NASB1995)

As followers of Jesus Christ, who are walking in his ways and in his truth, and who are sharing the truths of the Scriptures with the people of the world, we will have enemies. We will have people who will strongly oppose us and even some who may lie about us and mistreat us and cast us aside as unnecessary and as unwanted just because they don’t like what we are speaking. Or, if you are female, like I am, you may be opposed just because you are a woman, or because you are young, or because you are old.

For we live in a day and time when the truths of the Scriptures are being altered and diluted to make them less offensive to human flesh so that those who are trapped in sin may continue in their deliberate and habitual sins without conscience and without remorse. And we are living in a time when “the church” has been turned into businesses incorporated (partnered with) under the state, catering to the ungodly in order to grow their numbers. Thus, they do not operate as the biblical body of Christ under Christ’s rule.

So, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ who is taking the truths of the Scriptures to the people of the world, you should be prepared to have people hate you and reject you. You should be prepared to be an outcast with few friends to encourage and support you in your walk of faith in obedience to the Lord. You should get yourself ready to be treated as though you are weird, by human standards, like someone who has a deadly disease and needs to be avoided at all cost. For you will be in the minority, for sure.

But don’t be disheartened and discouraged if you are opposed, hated, lied about, and discarded. For Jesus was treated the same, as were his New Testament apostles and the prophets before them. Don’t let other people’s treatment of you or their opinions of you keep you from obeying the Lord in doing what he has called you to do, provided that what you are doing is of God, and it aligns with God’s word and with his will and purpose for your life. But keep persevering. Keep moving forward. And keep speaking the truth.

Yes, if you are a feeling person at all, it will hurt. It will sting when others speak evil lies against you, hoping to discredit you so that others will not listen to you. But don’t be like I was at one time where I believed people had power over me that God could do nothing about. Don’t respond in fear like I did and run away and try to escape the pain rather than to face it head on and to trust the Lord to see you through it. Lean on the Lord for your support, trust in his sovereignty, and trust him to work it all out for good.

Trust in the Lord to give you his strength to endure and to keep going forward. And then just keep being who God called you to be, and keep doing what he has called you to do, even if you are opposed, and even if people mock you and think you are crazy because of your dedication to the Lord and to his service. For it is far better to be living to please the Lord, in doing his will, and to be mistreated by other humans, than to have the approval of humans and not be doing the will of God. So, trust the Lord and do good!

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 9:23-26; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; Romans 5:3-5; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-17; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 3:19; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

My Cry for Mercy  

Based off Psalm 86

An Original Work / October 31, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.

Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.

Save me! I’m Your servant.

You are my God. I trust in You.

O, Lord, have mercy on me,

For I call to You.

Bring joy to me, for to You

I will lift up my soul.

You are giving and forgiving.

You abound in love to all who

Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.

Listen to my cry for mercy.

In days of trouble I call to You,

Knowing that You will 

Do marvelous things,

Because You are my God.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

Turn to me, Lord, and grant 

Strength to Your servant. 

O, Lord, You are my help,

For You love and You comfort me.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

https://vimeo.com/114690984

They’ve Risen Up Against Me

An Original Work / February 15, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Lower Says

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:4-6 NASB1995)

As I was waking up this morning, I had this phrase in my head, “The Lower Says.” Now, sometimes the Lord speaks to me in this way, for he is leading me to a particular message he wants me to give out which is fitting with the passage of Scripture that I am reading next. Earlier this morning I covered the first 3 verses of 1 John 4 (only quoted the first verse), and verses 4-6 are what came next. And as I looked at what the word “lower” means, well, it fit perfectly. For the word “lower” can mean “debase, corrupt, deteriorated, defiled, adulterated, vile, immoral, wicked, dishonest, and sinful.”

For the “them” being referred to in verse 4 has to do with false prophets who are of the spirit of the antichrist, and not of God (see verses 1-3). They are from the world; therefore they speak (refers to says) as from the world, and the world listens to them. So they are the defiled, the corrupt, the immoral, the wicked, the dishonest, and the sinful, etc. And those who are also defiled, corrupt, immoral, wicked, and dishonest, they listen to these false teachers because they say to them what their “itching ears” want to hear, which is that God does not judge them for their sin, so they are okay.

"’Itching ears’ is a biblical idiom from 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (KJV/NIV), referring to people who avoid sound, challenging doctrine in favor of teachers who cater to their personal desires, preferences, and passions. It describes a desire for entertaining or comforting messages rather than biblical truth, often leading listeners to turn away from the gospel toward fables” (source: Google AI). Well stated! For they reject the truth in favor of the lies.

Therefore, those of us who are truly from God, via biblical and God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, should no longer be like the world. Our passions and desires should be focused on what God requires of us in heart, mind, words, and behaviors. And we should no longer be those who crave the sinful desires of the flesh. Therefore we should not be among those who are listening to these false teachers who are saying what “itching ears” want to hear rather than speaking the truth of God’s word to the people. But we should be obedient followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Gospel According To Christ and His Apostles

Scripture Summaries

Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted 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 righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit 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 to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (See Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10) 

And we learn in 1 John 1-3 that if we claim that we have fellowship with God, but yet we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars. If we claim that we know God, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, we are liars. For it is not the one who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven.

Additional Scriptures

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; 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 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22] 

An Original Work / January 29, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Should I Not Preach Jesus 

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

An Original Work / July 4, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.

I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.

I make myself a slave to ev’ryone

To win their hearts to Christ.

All this I do for my Lord Jesus,

And for the sake of His Name;

Do it for the sake of His gospel,

So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;

Written down for us as examples

To keep us from setting our hearts 

On evil as did those of old.

Do not worship other gods of man;

Do not give your hearts to them;

Not partake in immorality.

Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are

Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.

God has given his word to warn us, 

So through faith we will not fall.

No temptation has o’ertaken you

Except what is commonplace.

God is faithful to not let you be

Tempted past what you can bear.

He gives the way of escape. 

https://vimeo.com/116057811

The Lower Says

An Original Work / February 15, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love