We Implore You!

2 Corinthians 5:9-10,20-21 NKJV

 

“9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

 

“20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

Things Hidden

 

The Lord put it on my heart this morning to look into the subject of things not seen, things hidden, secretive things, things not of God but of the flesh. I believe this is in the area of addictive sin, which is being kept hidden, kept secret, but while the sinner is giving an outward appearance that “all is well.” For they are not looking to God for the answers, and for the remedies, but they are relying on self rather than on having their sufficiency in God to set them free from what has been holding them captive a very long time.

 

For they have not yet come to that place of true biblical repentance and a changed heart and mind resulting in a change of attitude and behavior. They have not gone through the biblical process of self-examination before God in truth and in righteousness to look into what is stored up in their hearts so that they can have their hearts and minds cleansed of the Spirit of God. So they have not yet truly been reconciled to God because they are still operating in the flesh, doing things their way, and not God’s way.

 

Be Reconciled to God

 

What does it look like biblically to be reconciled to God? It isn’t just forgiveness of sins and a free pass to heaven when you die. It means we change, decisively change, to change from enmity with God to friendship, fellowship, and partnership with God. This is about exchanging our old lives of living in sin and for self for our new lives in Christ Jesus, free from the power and control of sin over our lives, by the grace of God, and in the power of God. And free to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands.

 

For when Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross it was to put our sins to death with him so that we will now die to sin and obey God with our lives. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. And to repent of our sins is not just to say we are sorry, but it is to turn from our sins and to go the opposite direction in now living holy lives, fully pleasing to God.

 

The Judgment Seat of Christ

 

All of us, whether or not we profess faith in Jesus Christ, are going to stand before the Lord on the day of judgment, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. And many who call Jesus Lord are going to claim many things they believed they did in his name, but he will answer them that he never knew them, and that they are to depart from him, for they are “workers of lawlessness” who do not obey the commands of God in life practice.

 

So, we are to make it our aim, in the power of God, as led by the Spirit, to be well pleasing to our Lord. And what pleases our Lord is when we submit to him as Lord, and we put sin to death in our lives, and we follow him in obedience to his commands, as a matter of life practice. For if we are “in Christ,” by faith in him, it means we have changed. Our old lives of living in sin are done away with, and now we are walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord, in submission to his will, in practice, as empowered by God.

 

[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; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 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 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

Better Is

 

Based in part off Proverbs 27

An Original Work / October 5, 2018

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Better is Love’s chastisement from a friend,

Than to have your sins coddled to no end.

 

Wisdom is seeing danger – flees from sin,

Trusting in your Redeemer, pure within.

 

Jesus is your salvation – freed from sin –

Giving you life eternal, without end.

 

Trusting in His provisions, peace within,

Simply by giving your life all to Him.

 

Living your life for Jesus ev’ry day,

Tell of His mighty power, lives to save.

 

Listening to Him speaking to your heart,

Tell of His grace which gave you a new start.

 

https://vimeo.com/293958787

 

We Implore You!

An Original Work / June 18, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

This Treasure in Earthen Vessels

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 NKJV

 

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

 

Give God The Glory

 

We who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives still live in flesh bodies (earthen vessels). But we are no longer to walk (in conduct) according to the flesh, living for selfish and sinful desires. We who are followers of Christ are now to be being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ by God working in our hearts and minds to make us to be more like Jesus. For we are now clay in the hands of our Potter God who is making us and molding us into the likeness of Christ, as we cooperate with his work.

 

And in this way, all that is of God in our lives should be shown that it is of God, and not of human flesh. And we who are serving the Lord in ministry should be giving all the credit and all the glory and all the honor to God who is working in us and through us for his glory. And we should not be taking the credit for ourselves for that which is of God. For we should be working for the Lord for his purposes, to lead people to Christ and not to ourselves. And so we make it our goal to please our Lord in every area of our lives.

 

We are Hard-Pressed

 

If we are serious about our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord in doing what God requires of us, and what he has called us individually to do for his purposes and for his glory, this will not be without trials and tribulations. We will be faced with many difficulties, hardships, and persecutions for the sake of our faith in Christ and for his gospel. And we might lose friendships, and we might be asked to leave gatherings of “the church” because of our strong convictions which are of God and of his Word. So we need to be prepared.

 

We must not let these trials, which test our faith, dishearten us or get us to back down and to back away from what we know God has called us to do. We must not let persecutions and rejections lead us to despair and to the destruction of our faith. We must be conquerors through Christ who loves us and who gave his life up for us so that we can now serve him with our lives in obedience to his commands and to his callings on our lives. So when we are hard-pressed we must look to God to give us the strength to endure.

 

Always Delivered to Death

 

Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – gave his life up for us on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him. And he rose victorious from the grave in victory over sin, Satan, death, and hell, on our behalf, all so that we, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, might now die with him to sin and to self, and that we might now live for God in walks of obedience to his commands, in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives on this earth.

 

But this death which we die is death not only to sin and to self but to fleshly desires which are contrary to the will of God. And daily we keep dying to sin and to self so that we might walk in obedience to our Lord in purity of devotion to him and to his will for our lives. For we are crucified with Christ in death to sin so that we might now walk in his righteousness, in living holy lives which are for his glory and praise and for the salvation of other people’s lives, too. And this is the process of salvation which God intends for us all.

 

[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; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 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 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

To Be Like Him 

 

Based off Scripture

An Original Work / March 16, 2014 

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

 

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

 

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

 

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

 

https://vimeo.com/89237609

 

This Treasure in Earthen Vessels

An Original Work / June 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Since We Have This Ministry

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 NKJV

 

“1Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

 

All Ministers of Christ

 

All of us who are of biblical faith in Jesus Christ are ministers of Christ, or else we should be. We, as members of the Body of Christ, have all been given gifts of the Spirit, and we have all been assigned our specific body parts, our roles within the body of Christ, by God. And we are not all the same, and we are not all gifted the same, but we are all necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ to spiritual maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, this not how so many gatherings of the church operate.

 

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; James 5:19-20; 1 John 2:6]

 

But, in order for us to serve the Lord and the body of Christ as his ministers, in doing what the Lord has called us to do, we must first have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully. We must first, by faith in Christ, deny self, die to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, to walk in his ways, in truth and in righteousness. And we must be speakers of truth and righteousness and not those who alter the gospel to make it more attractive to the world.

 

Double Dealing

 

Sadly, we have so many people among us who call themselves “Ministers of The Gospel” who are teaching lies to the people, probably because they are not living the truth of God’s Word themselves. Many of them are those who have not renounced the hidden things of shame, but they are still living in addiction to certain sinful behaviors. Their hearts and minds are not sold out to Jesus Christ for they are still given over to the flesh, to do what is evil in the eyes of God. And so they console themselves by the lies that they teach.

 

We have many preachers and evangelists who walk in craftiness and who handle the Word of God deceitfully. And some of them are very well known and very popular among the people who call themselves “Christians.” But what they teach is not the gospel taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles, but it is a man-created altered “gospel” which is contrary to the will of God for his people. For so many are teaching that faith in Jesus does not require death to sin and obedience to God, but it clearly does, if taught right.

 

The Gospel of Christ

 

So, it is of critical importance that we are students of the Scriptures, who study them in the appropriate biblical context, and who compare Scripture with Scripture to make certain that what we are believing is the truth. And if we do that, we might find that some (or all) things we were taught early on in our lives is not the truth of what the Scriptures teach on the subject of the gospel of our salvation. I know I was taught some things wrongly. But the more I studied the Scriptures in context, the better I understood the truth.

 

But so many people have been taught the gospel in such a way as to give them permission to keep on in their sinful practices without feelings of guilt or remorse. And so the true gospel, taught by Jesus, is veiled to (hidden from) them. They don’t see it, and they won’t accept it, for their minds have been blinded to the truth. So they will vehemently deny the gospel taught by Christ himself while they embrace an altered and cheapened “gospel” which does not command them to deny self, die to sin, and obey God in practice.

 

But Christ Jesus

 

Paul said that he and the other apostles did not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and themselves as bondservants for Jesus’ sake. In other words, they were not trying to get people to worship them. They were not trying to build a kingdom for themselves. They were not trying to draw in large crowds of people from the world into very large gatherings of people to be followers of them. They were preaching Jesus Christ as Lord, and they were leading people to worship Jesus and to follow Christ with their lives.

 

And that is the way that we should be, not people who try to get tons of followers so that people will believe and do whatever we tell them. But we should be people who are leading people to faith in Jesus Christ, who are teaching them the truth, even the hard truths of the Scriptures, so that the people will put their trust in Jesus Christ, and so that they will follow Him and obey His teachings, and so they will be those who search the Scriptures and who study them for themselves so they obey God and not other people.

 

[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; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 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 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

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

 

Since We Have This Ministry

An Original Work / June 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Triumph in Christ

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NKJV

 

“14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”

 

In Christ

 

What does it mean to be “in Christ”? It means that by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ we have denied self, died with him to sin, and we have been reborn of the Spirit to now walk (in conduct) in newness of life in Him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of the Lord, in walks of surrender to God, in obedience to his commands, in holy living, by the grace of God, in the power of God, and in submission to God. We have left our sinful lifestyles behind us to follow the leading of Christ.

 

So, what does it mean to be led by God in triumph in Christ? Well, because of what Jesus Christ did for us on that cross in putting our sins to death with him, by God-persuaded faith in him we can now walk in victory over sin and self and the flesh. We are no longer living under sin’s control. Might we still sin sometimes? It is possible (1 John 2:1-2). But Jesus set us free from the control of sin over our lives so that we can now walk in victory over darkness and in the light of his truth and righteousness, as God designed for us.

 

Sharing Christ

 

Jesus Christ did not save us from our addiction to sin so that we could go on living life for ourselves, doing whatever we want to do, without regard for what he has planned for our lives. He saved us and he called us to himself and to his service so that we would now live for him and do his will. And his will for all of us is that we would obey him in being who he called us to be, and in doing what he commands, and in going where he sends us in sharing with the people the message of our salvation from sin via Jesus Christ.

 

But we must make certain that the “gospel” we have received and that we are sharing with others is the one taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles in the correct biblical context, and that we are not spreading lies we have heard and believed because we did not test what we heard against the Scriptures. For Jesus taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience wherever he leads us in doing whatever he commands that we must do.

 

Fragrance of Christ

 

The fragrance of Christ is both the knowledge of Christ and who he is and what he did and how he lived, and it is the gospel of our salvation. And we, as Christ’s followers, are also to be that “fragrance of Christ” who represent him in how we live our lives, and in the words that we speak, and in our attitudes and actions and responses to the trials of life. And this is not saying that we will be perfect as he was perfect, but that we are to be a reflection of him. We are to be Jesus, in a sense, to the people of the world.

 

And so how we behave, and how we live, and not just the words that we speak, will either speak Jesus, or they will speak flesh to the people. But if our words and our attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ, and not the lusts of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life, then to those who are being saved (progressive salvation), we will be the aroma of life leading to life. But to those who are still living in sin, ignoring God and his commands, we will be the aroma of death leading to death, for we speak truth to the people.

 

Not Peddling

 

“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:17

 

Peddling has to do with marketing, but it also has to do with adulterating. And this is sadly what so many are doing today in so many gatherings of what are called “churches.” They are marketing the church and the gospel to the world, and so they are adulterating both the truth of who the church is and what the gospel of our salvation is in order to grow their numbers, and for personal gain. So they remove from the gospel the foundations of the message to make it less offensive and more appealing to the ungodly.

 

But 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).

 

So, be those who speak and who live the truth of God’s Word and who do not compromise with the world so that the world will like you more.

 

[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; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 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 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

 

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

 

Triumph in Christ

An Original Work / June 17, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Addendum to "She Loved Much"

Scripture Against Scripture

 

As is to be expected, I am being faced with some opposition and criticism on this subject of the role of women within the church. But let me begin with this. And I do not say this as a matter of pride, for I give all the glory to God for all that he does in me and through me for his glory. But I am not a novice at this. I have taught the Scriptures, by the grace of God, for 50+ years, and nearly daily for the past 20 years, and definitely daily for the past 5+ years. And I rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in what I write.

 

What I have learned over the years is that we are going to come across Scriptures which don’t make sense in light of other Scriptures taught on the same subject, but with what may appear to be a contradictory message. In those cases we must be diligent about comparing Scripture with Scripture so that we get the full message, and so that we do not go with something that God did not intend. We need to have the full picture so that we do not follow after what is false as a “stand alone.” Context is critical to correct biblical interpretation and understanding. And that is what this writing was doing.

 

I AGREE!

 

So, I will begin by saying that I agree with and I stand by the teachings in the Scriptures which teach that women are not to usurp authority over men, and that they are not to instruct men in a position of authority over them to where they have the right to exercise both authority and discipline over the men. The only possible exception to this rule, I believe, is if there are no males within the congregation who meet the Spiritual qualifications for overseer that God might raise up a woman to hold that position instead.

 

The context of both 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 and 1 Timothy 2:11-13:

 

“34Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. 36Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?”

 

“11Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.”

 

What is the situation here? The women were not being submissive to the men in authority. They were being disruptive, asking questions out loud without being given permission to speak, and they were usurping authority over the men, acting as though they were not only equal with the men, but that they could speak as though they were in positions of authority over the men. This is definitely wrong! But let me add that we are never to submit to authority which is leading us to do what is clearly evil in the eyes of God.

 

We Are All Necessary!

 

Now, in the writing, “She Loved Much,” we are given many biblical examples of Jesus using or allowing women to do, either what the men did not do, but should have done, or to take the message of the gospel to men and women, and/or to prophesy (to preach, to exhort, to edify) in a public gathering of both men and women. For the Bible teaches that we are all necessary to the proper working of the body, and not one part should say to another that “We have no need of you.” So, then, does it make sense he would silence us? No!

 

We are all called

 

[Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 2:36; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 10:38-42; John 2:1-11; John 4:1-42; John 8:1-11; John 20:11-18; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Acts 21:9; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:15-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20.]

 

Lastly, I believe it all comes down to submission to the authorities within the church. If women are given permission to speak, and it is done in proper order, and if it is done in the right way, for the upbuilding of the body of Christ, then they should be allowed to speak. But they are not to usurp authority over the men nor to cause a disturbance in the congregation, and they are not to instruct men in the sense of being over men in authority. But they are to remain in submission and in proper order, and then they can speak as they are called upon to speak, as God gifts them to speak.

 

Sincerely, in Christ Jesus,

 

Sue J Love

Christ’s Free Servant

God's Grace is Sufficient

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NKJV

 

“3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.”

 

Biblically Defining “Comfort”

 

It is important to note here that this word translated as “comfort” in the English language is not just about all the feel good stuff. The word in the Greek is paraklésis, and it means comfort, consolation, exhortation, entreaty, encouragement, appeal, warning, and a holy urging. And “holy urging” “is used of the Lord directly motivating and inspiring believers to carry out his plan” (biblehub.com). So God may comfort us in the same manner in which he comforted Paul in his “thorn in the flesh” situation.

 

None of us knows what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was other than it was a messenger of Satan to inflict Paul with suffering, it was not sin in Paul’s life, and when Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to have it removed, the Lord responded to him with, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” That was his consolation from the Lord, not to remove the suffering, but to give grace to Paul in his suffering so that he was able to endure it in the strength of the Lord (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

 

Comforting Others

 

So, if God comforts us in our tribulations that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God, please understand that our Lord comforted Paul with “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” We must be very careful to make sure we are not giving people false hopes that the pain is just going to go away, or that they will no longer be hated and persecuted for the sake of the gospel which they are teaching to others.

 

For the Scriptures teach us that suffering is to be expected and that it is part of our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus. It is what God allows in our lives to keep us humble, to keep us trusting in him, and to keep us going to the Lord in every difficulty which arises in our lives in order to gain his counsel and his wisdom, and so we don’t allow our sufferings to destroy us. So don’t lie to people just to make them feel good. Yes, be loving, be compassionate, be kind, and be humble, but speak the truth in love to them they need to hear.

 

The Sufferings of Christ

 

What were Jesus’ sufferings? He was hated and rejected and persecuted and falsely accused of wrong and thought crazy or of Satan and hounded continuously by those who opposed him. They were always trying to trip him up with his words so they would have cause to accuse him of wrong, which he did not do. And then they plotted his crucifixion on a cross and convinced the Romans to carry it out for them. And so they had Jesus arrested on false charges, beaten nearly to death, and then hung on a cross to die.

 

Why? Because he claimed to be God, which is who he is and was and always will be – God the Son. And when he lived on the earth he was fully man and fully God (God incarnate). And because he taught the truth of the gospel that many did not want to hear, and he confronted the hypocrites in their false righteousness and in their sinful practices, and he healed people on the Sabbath, and for a time he had a huge following, and so they were jealous of him and threatened by him, this is why they had him crucified.

 

Our Sufferings

 

Now the Scriptures teach that as followers of Jesus Christ that we will share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. So if we are truly following Jesus with our lives, and if we are walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, in obedience to his commands, and so we have forsaken our sins, and so we are sharing the gospel of Christ with the people, as he taught it, we should expect that we will suffer in many of the same ways in which Jesus suffered for the sake of our salvation from sin.

 

So, just know that your comfort may not come in any form that feels like comfort to you, although it may. Instead of the Lord removing you from difficult and painful circumstances he may counsel you to remain and to keep trusting him that he knows what is best for you, and that he has a plan for it all. And he may not promise that things will get better eventually, but he may counsel you that things are going to get much worse. But that is to prepare you for the reality of the times in which we live and what’s coming.

 

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13] 

 

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

 

God’s Grace is Sufficient

An Original Work / June 16, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

There are Many Adversaries

1 Corinthians 16:5-11 NKJV

 

“5Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). 6And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go. 7For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. 8But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

 

“10And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.”

 

God Works in Mysterious Ways

 

God works in mysterious ways. Just a few minutes ago I was on a website called “Substack,” which is designed for writers, like me, but for people of all walks of life, and from many nations all over the world. But there is a fairly large nucleus of Christian writers on there, which is a blessing, for it is a place where I am getting a lot of Christian fellowship and encouragement within the body of believers in Jesus Christ as we are sharing with one another what the Lord is teaching us from our times in his word each day.

 

Anyway, while I was on there, a writer, who is not necessarily a Christian, inquired as to who we believed we were supposed to be early on in our lives, then how we got talked out of it by people who opposed our dreams. And many people shared their stories of how, for a time, they were discouraged and they went a different direction, but how they eventually ended up doing what they knew they were meant to do, even from a very young age, and how happy they were that they eventually realized their dreams.

 

Following after that was another post by someone who had been hurt by the institutional church, which was requiring of her something she could not, in good conscience, agree to. So she offered to step down from her position, but they, instead, kicked her out of “the church.” And she was deeply hurt by this, and she had lots of questions that she asked God, but eventually she made peace with her situation and she found where she was supposed to be, if I am remembering correctly. And both stories spoke to my heart.

 

For I Can Relate to Them

 

Early on in my life God spoke to me through Jeremiah 1:4-10,17-19. What he said to me at that time was that before he formed me in my mother’s womb he knew me, and before I was born he set me apart, and he appointed me to be a messenger of God to the nations. He told me that I must go to everyone he sent me to, and to say whatever he commanded me, and that I was not to be afraid of them, for he would rescue me. And then he put his words in my mouth which I was to speak to the people.

 

He said, “17Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

 

Well, I listened to the Lord, and I did as he told me, and I spoke what he gave me to say, all in the appropriate format, and as given permission to speak. But I got falsely accused of being who I was not, and of having the wrong motives for why I wanted to serve the Lord, and of not hearing from God (although many pastors thought I was), and of lying, although I told the truth. So I was put on church discipline once for not lying. And one pastor told me that he was warned about people like me with “strong convictions.”

 

A Time of Discouragement

 

Have you ever gotten knocked down so many times, one after another after another, that you just gave up trying? That is where I was for a while, only it was kind of in and out. I would do well for a while, and then another attack would come, and I would feel defeated, and I would give up for a while, and I even fell into sin during this period of time. Satan was really working me over and sometimes I stood strong against him, and sometimes I faltered and I yielded to the flesh out of discouragement, for a period of time.

 

But one day as I was working through all these things before the Lord in prayer, and I was going through a process of healing and of forgiving the people who had hurt me. And so I asked the Lord if there was anyone left who I had not forgiven. He gave me the name, “Jesus.” I never had thought of that before, but suddenly I understood. I had gone through so much abuse in my life, first at the hands of my father, then my husband, and then pastors of churches, but God never rescued me from them all. And I hurt!

 

So, subconsciously I was acting out my hurt against Jesus when I failed to be who he wanted me to be and when I sinned against him out of anger and hurt and feelings of rejection and abandonment. So, although he had done no wrong, I had to forgive him, which I did. And then I had to learn to accept the sovereignty of God over my life, that God allowed (did not cause) these things in my life, to prepare me, in reality, for his calling on my life. And I also had to learn how to fight Satan offensively, not just defensively.

 

The Calling of God

 

Then, God extended the calling he had given me earlier on in my life. And this time he called me to write out what I am learning from him during my times spent with him in his word each day. And he told me that I was to write these down on a tablet and to give them to a runner who would “run with it” (see Habakkuk 2:2-3), which turned out to be me writing these writings on my computer and giving them to the internet to run with them. And that is what he has been having me do these past 22 years.

 

I believe all that God has taken me through in my life, including all of the abuse and mistreatment I received at the hands of my father first, and then by my husband (he is writing about this on Substack), and then at the hands of pastors and elders of institutional churches, was all under the sovereignty of God. He allowed me to go through all these trials to prepare me for what he has had me doing the past 22 years. I needed that to make me strong and determined in my faith so that the opposition would no longer break me.

 

Paul said that a “great and effective door” had opened to him, but there were many adversaries. That has been true of my life. And he encouraged the Christians to not despise Timothy, who did the work of the Lord as Paul did. Well, 22 years ago the Lord opened a “great and effective door” for me when he put me on the internet. And I know that these writings are being viewed by people in 150+ nations and that they are getting about two thousand views per day. But I give all the glory, praise, and thanks to God.

 

Fit for Service

 

An Original Work / October 5, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Holy Spirit, come within us.

Cleanse our hearts,

and from sin free us.

Make us holy vessels fit

for service to the King.

Fill us with Your love and power.

Anoint us within this hour

To be living witnesses

For Jesus Christ, our King.

Our praise to Him bring.

 

Father God, our heart’s desire,

Come and speak to us in power.

Revive our hearts to obey You;

Live for You always.

May we love and serve You only,

Walking with You;

Not a phony.

May we always tell the truth,

And show integrity.

Your true servants be.

 

Jesus, Savior, sanctify us.

Purify our hearts within us;

Be transformed into Your likeness,

Holy unto You.

May we always listen to You

Speaking Your words

Now within us.

May we heed Your counsel to us;

Follow You today.

Do all that You say.

 

https://vimeo.com/113979906

 

There Are Many Adversaries

An Original Work / June 15, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love