Be On Your Guard

The Context

 

The context of this is the last days before the return of Christ. There will be people who will scoff at the promise of the return of Christ because He has not yet returned for His bride. But we read in 2 Peter 3 that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. And the reason our Lord still has not returned for His bride, and to judge the earth, is because He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. And I give an Amen to that one. I feel the same way.

 

2 Peter 3:14-18 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

 

“14Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

 

“15Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. 16He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

 

“17Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

 

Be Ready

 

Don’t take for granted Jesus’ slowness in not yet returning to the earth to judge the earth, and the people of the earth, and to take His faithful bride to be with Him for eternity, and then assume that you can keep on in deliberate and habitual sin and it won’t be counted against you. Instead, make every effort to be found at peace with God – spotless and blameless in His sight. And how do we do that? By God-persuaded faith in Jesus we deny self, die to sin, and now follow our Lord in obedience to His commands in holy living.

 

Patience Brings Salvation

 

The longer Jesus takes to come back, the more opportunity there is for the people of this earth to be delivered out of their bondage to sin and to now serve the Lord Jesus Christ with their lives in obedience to His commands. And I am almost certain that most of us have someone in our lives who we love dearly who has not yet surrendered their lives to Christ to obey Him and to turn from their sins. So our prayer is for their salvation, for we grieve over the idea that one day they might end up in hell for lack of faith in Christ.

 

Paul’s Letters

 

The apostle Paul was not one of those preachers who said what people’s itching ears wanted to hear so that they would like him. He did not have the “gift” of charm, from what I understand, but he spoke directly and frankly to the people in letting them know what God requires of us all who profess the name of Jesus. He was loving. He was kind. But he definitely was not a people pleaser, and he did not soften the truth of the gospel to make people feel good. He did not withhold the truth so as to not hurt people’s feelings.

 

Paul wrote with the wisdom God gave Him even if the people rejected him, persecuted him, mistreated him, stoned him, and falsely imprisoned him, etc. Why? Because He loved God, He obeyed God. And because He believed God’s Word, and He knew if the people did not repent and obey God they would end up in hell, and not heaven, he spoke truth. For he cared more about their salvation from sin than whether or not they would approve of him. And I share what I share with you each day for the same reasons.

 

Do You Know?

 

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 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 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 (see Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1-3).

 

If You Do

 

Knowing the truth of what God’s word teaches and doing what His word teaches we must do are not one and the same. There are a lot of people professing faith in Jesus Christ who have head knowledge about Jesus and about His requirements of us who profess His name, and some of them are pastors of church congregations, too. But faith in Jesus is not just in the knowing, but it is in the doing. So if we do not repent (turn from) our sins and obey God, in practice, we will not inherit eternal life with 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]

 

Be On Your Guard

An Original Work / November 3, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Blessed Be Your Name

 

by Matt Redman

 

Blessed Be Your Name

In the land that is plentiful

Where Your streams of abundance flow

Blessed be Your name

 

Blessed Be Your name

When I'm found in the desert place

Though I walk through the wilderness

Blessed Be Your name

 

Every blessing You pour out

I'll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord

Still I will say

 

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your glorious name

 

Blessed be Your name

When the sun's shining down on me

When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name

 

Blessed be Your name

On the road marked with suffering

Though there's pain in the offering

Blessed be Your name …

 

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw4H5t3TwHM

 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Are You Paying Attention?

Are you paying attention to what’s all around?

To the climate, the people, and even the clowns?

Are you listening for words that not even yet said?

Are you waiting for God, or now going ahead?

 

Does it matter to you if the truth is not told?

Is the truth what you want or to lies do you hold?

Is the truth what you speak? In your witness you’re bold?

Or your witness for Christ you’ve snuffed out ‘cause you’re cold?

 

What’s your fortitude now? With what grace do you speak?

Are you living for Christ? Or to sin do you sneak?

What’s your attitude now about life, what you seek?

Is your purpose to please God each day of the week?

 

What’s your thinking right now ‘bout why God put you here?

Is your purpose in life to your Lord to be near?

Do you want to please Him in all things that you do?

Or is pleasing your Lord something that you undo?

 

It’s important that we pay attention to this,

What’s going on in the world, the times which we live,

What the Scriptures do teach about all these last days,

For the future one day will go up in a blaze.

 

So repent of your sins, obey God, His commands,

Put your faith in the Lord, on His Word now depend.

Walk with Him now each day, go with Him where He leads,

Share the Gospel with others, and their needs do meet.

 

An Original Work / January 10, 2025

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Who Ought We To Be?

2 Peter 3:8-13 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

 

“8Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

 

“10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

 

“11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness 12as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

 

With The Lord

 

God is not on our timetable, but we are to be on His. He (Jesus/God) could return at any moment, or not for a long time. And so we must live today as though this moment could be our last moment on this earth. And we should continue in Christ and in His love and mercy, in obedience to His commands, as though today could be our last. We must not assume that just because He has not yet returned for His bride that He could not return today, or that we could not die today. We should not ever take His patience for granted.

 

God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. But this is not saying that all will come to repentance and that none will perish if God waits long enough. The Scriptures are very clear on that subject that if we do not surrender our lives to the Lord, die to sin, and obey God and His commands, in life practice, but if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin in disobedience to His commands, we will not inherit eternal life with Him.

 

The Day of The Lord

 

There is coming a day when Jesus will return to gather His faithful bride to be with Him for eternity and to judge those who refused Him. And those who refuse Him include many (perhaps multitudes of) people who profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but who live their lives for the sinful pleasures of the flesh, instead. On that day they will hear Him say: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” And “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!” Take Heed! (see Matthew 7:21-23)

 

Who Ought We To Be?

 

Knowing that one day our Lord is going to return to judge the earth and the people who live on the earth, and that only those whose lives are given over to the Lord to obey Him, and to no longer live as slaves to sin, will have eternal life with God, we ought to be those who, by the grace of God, conduct ourselves in holiness and godliness, in the power of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. Lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, unfaithfulness, disloyalty, and all sexual immorality, etc., are to be put out of our lives.

 

And now we are to live holy lives, pleasing to God. Our lives are to be surrendered to the Lord, and He is now to be ruler of our lives, and not ourselves. We don’t get to determine our own steps, but we now follow the leading of the Lord in who we are and in what we do and say. This doesn’t mean we will do everything perfectly, or that we will never fail (see 1 John 2:1-2), but that we should no longer be walking in sin living in disobedience to God, but now our Lord should be the true master of our lives.

 

[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]

 

Who Ought We To Be?

An Original Work / November 3, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

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

 

[A Prayer of Devotion to God Alone]

Don't Go Back To Sin

2 Peter 2:10-22 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

9.. the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority.. 12..They blaspheme in matters they do not understand.. 13The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you. 

14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.. 18With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

20If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. 22Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

[FYI: I skipped a few of the Bible verses for the sake of brevity.]

The Topic

The topic is still that of false teachers among us who secretly introduce destructive heresies within the gatherings of the church (or what are falsely being referred to as “churches”). Many people professing faith in Jesus Christ are following after these false teachers, i.e. these “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who are teaching lies and who are destroying the truth of the Scriptures so that the people will follow the lies and not the truth.

Corrupt Desires

Now these false teachers who are teaching lies, and who are rejecting the truth of the gospel of Christ, as it was taught by Jesus and by His New Testament apostles, in favor of a diluted gospel, are also those who are living sinful and wicked lives. Some of them do so secretively while putting on a false persona of being righteous, while others are quite bold in openly sinning against the Lord while they teach the people that they do not have to repent of their sins and that they do not have to obey God’s commands.

These are people who indulge in corrupt desires, despise authority, blaspheme in matters they do not understand, revel in their deception, have eyes full of adultery, their desire for sin is never satisfied, they seduce the unstable, and their hearts are trained in greed. They have left the straight way, the way of righteousness and obedience to our Lord’s commands, and they have wandered off to follow the way of wickedness. And they speak lofty but empty words which appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh. 

They Promise Freedom

The gospel message that most of them are teaching today is a diluted and altered “gospel” taught from Scriptures taken out of context and made to say what they do not say if taught in the correct biblical context. And they tell the people that all they have to do is profess belief in Jesus and now all their sins are forgiven and heaven is their eternal destiny. So they are promising them freedom (escape from hell) while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For they teach that repentance and obedience to God are not required of God for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. Wrong!

They Return to Vomit

Now it is debatable as to whether or not they actually ever truly believed in Jesus before they went this wrong direction, and I am not here to argue that point. Either way, the message is still the same. For the Scriptures teach that faith in Jesus Christ, which is genuine biblical faith, is not of our own doing (of our own flesh), but it is gifted to us by God and it is persuaded of God as to His righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of God’s requirement that, by faith in Christ, we die to sin and obey God’s commands.

And the Scriptures do teach that it is possible that we might still sin sometimes (1 John 2:1-2), but that if sin remains our practice (habit), and not obedience to God’s commands, that we will not inherit eternal life with God. But they do teach it is possible for us to fall back into sin, but that we must repent and return to following the Lord in obedience, and we must continue to obey God, in practice, until the end, or we will not have eternal life with God. And I believe that is what this addressing. Don’t go backwards!

[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] 

Don’t Go Back To Sin

An Original Work / November 2, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I Sing of His Mercy  

Based off Psalm 32 

An Original Work / April 10, 2014

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven

By the blood of Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does

Not count against them; freedom found.

When, in silence, I did not confess 

My sin to You; had no strength.

Then I owned up to my sin and

You forgave and cleansed me within.

Therefore let the godly pray to You;

Draw near to You; grace they’ll find.

They will not be o’ertaken by afflictions,

But in Christ peace abounds.

Lord, You are my hiding place.

I find my refuge in You secure.

You protect me from all evil.

You give songs of vict’ry in You.

Lord, You teach me to walk in Your ways;

Counsel me in love, I know.

Help me to not be stubborn and

Unwilling to follow in Your truth.

Thank You for Your love and mercy.

I put my trust in You always.

I rejoice in my Lord and 

I sing of Him throughout all my days.

https://vimeo.com/91747192

What Do You Believe?

What do you believe?

What have you received?

Truth about our Savior?

Or lies which give flesh favor?

When we trust in Jesus

From our sins He frees us

Freedom from our bondage

So we give Him homage

Die now to sins daily

Turn away from flailing 

Walking in obedience

Not in what is devious

All to Him surrender

All our idols render

He has our allegiance

Sins do not besiege us

He’s the One we marry

Making Him our husband

Faithful now to serve Him

Going where He sends us

Saying what He gives us

Now to share with others

Strangers, friends, and neighbors

Christians, sisters, brothers

Being an example

What is thus a Christian

Focus now on Jesus

Doing what He pleases

An Original Work / January 9, 2025

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

God's Just Judgments

The Subject

 

The subject matter here is that of false teachers among us who are spreading lies that many are believing as though they are truth. Many are following in their depravity and they are embracing the lies which give them permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin. And not only do they tell them that God does not require of them that they die to sin (repent) and obey God’s commands, but that if they profess faith in Jesus they will now be guaranteed eternity with God in heaven when they die, which is a lie.

 

2 Peter 2:4-9 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

 

“4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight; 6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; 7and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”

 

Response to The Lies

 

So this is God’s response to the lies being spoken by these false shepherds of the people who are convincing them that they can be forgiven of all sins and have heaven guaranteed them as their eternal destiny, but while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God. And the message is NOT that you can profess faith in Jesus Christ but then continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God, and not obey Him and His commands, and that you will still have forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God in heaven.

 

Yes, our God is a God of love, grace, and mercy, which is why God the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the cross to put our sins to death with him, so that we can now be free from the control of sin over our lives and now live holy lives, pleasing to God, in obedience to our Lord’s commands. But it is not love and it is not mercy or grace to then lie to people and to give them the idea that they can believe in Jesus and have all their sins forgiven, but that they can continue in sin and in disobedience.

 

The Godly’s Trials

 

The false teachers of a false gospel of a false faith will be opposed to those of us who are speaking the truths of the gospel to the people of the world. And we will be attacked, accused falsely of what we did not do, lied about, mistreated, rejected, persecuted, cast aside as unwanted, mocked, and accused falsely of teaching “works salvation” because we teach what Jesus and His New Testament apostles taught as the true gospel. But we are not to fear them or their treatments of us, but we are to trust God with our lives.

 

Now this teaches us here that the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials. This word translated as “from” can also mean “out of” or “out from and to,” or “out from within,” which is what I hold to. And this word translated as “trials” can also mean temptations and testing. For our opponents are going to test us and try us and even try to tempt us to come their way and to reject the ways of God. And many people are falling for their lies and they are rejecting the truth of the gospel as taught by Christ.

 

The Unrighteous

 

Who are the unrighteous? They are not just those who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ. They are all who live unrighteously, for whom sin is what they practice, and for whom obedience to God’s commands is not what they put into practice, even if they profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. For they are the liars, deceivers, untrustworthy, sexually immoral, corrupt, dishonest, indecent, dishonorable, wicked and disobedient who are still walking in sin and not in obedience to our Lord. Even though they know the right way, they choose the path of sin instead. That is what they want.

 

And on the day of judgment many who profess faith in Jesus Christ will stand before God calling Him “Lord,” proclaiming all that they did in His name. But He will say, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” And “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!” because they gave lip service only to God and they did not submit to Him nor obey Him nor leave their lives of sin behind them. For God knows how to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

 

[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]

 

God’s Just Judgments

An Original Work / November 2, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

No Less 

 

An Original Work / March 19, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

I can do no less than praise You,

Lord, for all You’ve done for me.

You died for my sins to save me,

So I would be set free.

I adore You! Lord, I praise You!

Jesus, Savior, King of kings!

You provided my redemption.

Your grace has pardoned me.

 

I can do no less than serve You.

Lord, Your witness I would be,

Telling others of Your love,

And why You died on that tree.

Tell of how You gave of Your life,

So from sin we’d be set free,

So we could worship You forever,

And live eternally.

 

I can do no less than love You,

Lord, for You have first loved me.

You gave of Your life so willing,

Because You cared for me.

Turn from my sin! Obey freely!

Live for You each passing day.

Read Your word, and follow Your lead,

Lord, as I humbly pray.

 

https://vimeo.com/125493623

Secret Sins and Hidden Glances

Tribulation worketh patience

Trials plenty, God is gracious

Unexpected circumstances:

Secret sins and hidden glances

Taken back by what’s revealing

All the lies and looks was stealing

Private letters, shared regrets,

Hidden feelings on the set

All forbidden, God appealing

Walk with Him, obey Him freely

He’ll forgive you, cleanse within you

If you give up glances stealing

Hidden letters, rip them tethers

Be ye honest, squelch those pleasures

Be ye free from all your bondage

Walk in freedom, get beyond it

Walk ye upright, holy living,

Self-control, and honest giving

No more secrets, hidden letters

Share the truth, to truth we’re debtors

Now what you’ll find, truly freedom

Joy unending, no more cheating

Peace within you, now have purpose

Love your lord, He’ll now repurpose

An Original Work / January 8, 2025

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

A testimony from one who went there a long time ago, but God brought her back, and He did repurpose her for good, to share the grace of God with others so that they could be set free from their bondage to sin. Amen!