Enduring Trials and Tribulations

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:2-4,12 NASB1995)

Trials and tribulations are part of life. We all have them, not all of us all of the time, and not all of us to the same degree as one another. But life has its difficulties as well as its rewards. It has its blessings and its misfortunes. But for the follower of Jesus Christ, these trials serve a good purpose. For they test our faith to see if it is genuine. And if we respond correctly to the trials, they produce in us endurance which leads to spiritual maturity in Christ. 

Not everyone responds to their trials in all the same ways. Not everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ sees their trials as a gift from God to help them to come to maturity in Christ and to be strengthened in their faith. But they see their trials as a bother, a distraction, a nuisance, a misfortune, and something to fight against or to give in to in a way which leads to sin rather than to increased faith and perseverance, perhaps out of anger against God.

And I am certainly not saying here that we should just cave to the trials and to let them conquer us. We can certainly pray for deliverance and for healing and for miracles. We can pray for God to intervene on our behalf and to deliver us out of the difficulty. But at the same time we must surrender to the will and purpose of God, saying, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” And we must be willing to learn what we need to learn through it all.

For suffering is to produce in us endurance, character, and hope. If we are insulted for the name of Christ, we are blessed. If we are taken as prisoner, and if we are brought before a court of law for our testimonies for Jesus Christ, that will be our opportunity to bear witness to the gospel of our salvation. And some of us will be delivered up to death by friends and/or family members because we speak the truth of God’s word to the people.

In all that we suffer for the sake of knowing Jesus, and for the sake of the gospel of our salvation and for our testimonies for our Lord, we are to remain steadfast in faith and not ever give up. And God uses these times in our lives to make us more like Jesus, and so that we can encourage others in their suffering. For all that we suffer for our faith teaches us to not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. So we put our hope in the Lord.

[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; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

We Will Sing!  

Based off The Psalms

An Original Work / December 4, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I will praise You, Lord, among all peoples.

I will praise You for all that You have done.

I called to the Lord, and He heard my cry.

He turned weeping into a song of joy!

I will sing praise to my Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God evermore.

I will praise You, Lord, for Your mighty works,

For Your love is great, reaching to the heav’ns.

O my Strength, I sing my praise unto You,

For Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

I will sing praise to my Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God evermore.

Shout with joy to God all who’re on the earth.

Say to God, “O how awesome are Your deeds.”

The redeemed sing praise to their Savior, King, 

For He saved them all in His righteousness.

We will sing praise to our Lord all our lives;

We will sing praise to our God evermore.

https://vimeo.com/114678287

Enduring Trials and Tribulations

An Original Work / March 23, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Spiritual Warfare

This is about spiritual warfare. And this is letting us know how we can win the battle against the enemy of our souls. We cannot win the battle in our own flesh. We have to put on the armor of God daily with which to fight off the evil attacks of the enemy Satan, i.e. the devil. For he is a con artist, a trickster, and a magician with all sorts of sleight of hand tricks up his sleeve. He has all sorts of schemes which he attempts to use against us. So, we have to take up the armor of God daily if we are going to win this battle. 

“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17 NASB1995)

Truth

If we are going to win this battle against the devil (Satan), the enemy of our souls, we have to be the people of God who are living the truth of his Word, and who are speaking the truth of his Word to the people, and who are truth tellers, in practice, who are not liars by habit. Too many people today, in the name of Christ, are speaking lies to the people to make them feel good about where they are, even if they are living in deliberate and habitual sin against God. All that does is open the door wide for the devil to control.

Righteousness

We must be the people of God who, in the power of God, are walking (in conduct) in righteousness, i.e. in what is deemed right by the Lord, i.e. in what is approved in his eyes. This can clearly be seen by us in the teachings of the Scriptures provided that we are reading them in their appropriate biblical context and that we are willing to hear the truth and to reject the lies. 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 our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14).

The Gospel

We need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their appropriate biblical context so that we can know the truth of the gospel and so that we can reject the lies which are gaining so much ground these days. And then we need to be living the gospel message ourselves before we go out sharing it with the people of the world. But we must be diligent to make certain that what we are regarding as “the gospel” is the one taught by Jesus and by his apostles, and not the “feel good gospel” being taught today.

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).

Faith

And faith is not something we can make up in our own minds. Faith comes from God, it is persuaded of God, it is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ, it is not of our own doing, of our own flesh, and we cannot even come to faith unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. And faith is divine persuasion, the persuasion of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to deny self, die to sin daily, and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, all in the power of God.

Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2 

Salvation

And our salvation, which is a gift from God, is not merely forgiveness of all sin and the hope of eternal life with God. For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so we will now serve our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. We are saved from our addiction to sin so we can now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. So, if we continue living in sin, making sin our practice, and if obedience to God is not our practice, we are not saved, and eternal life is not ours.

Word of God

We have to be students of the Scriptures. If you are reading this, you obviously have access to the internet, and you can find the Scriptures on the internet if you do not have a written Bible in your possession. But make sure you choose a trustworthy translation of the Scriptures, for many of these more modern ones take much liberty in teaching what is not of God. And then we must read the Scriptures in their full biblical context, for many lies are being taught from Scriptures taught out of context. And don’t rely on other humans to tell you the truth. Test everything against the Scriptures.

And when Satan is coming against you, to attack you, to confuse you, to make you doubt God or his word, please go to the Scriptures and read them in context, verse by verse and chapter by chapter and book by book. And use the Word of God to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against you. Use the truth of the Scriptures, taught in context, to refute the lies of the enemy which are spreading like wildfire these days. Speak the truth in opposition to the lies, and you will gain the victory over the enemy of our souls. 

Your Word  

Based off Psalms 119

An Original Work / December 27, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Praise You with an upright heart as

I learn of Your righteousness.

I seek You with all my heart;

Do not let me stray from Your law.

I have hidd’n Your word in my heart

That I might not sin against You.

Open my eyes that I may see

Wonderful things in Your word.

I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;

My heart is set on Your word.

I will walk about in freedom,

For I have sought out Your truth.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, 

For I believe in Your law.

Your hands made me, and they formed me;

Give me understanding, Lord.

I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light unto my path.

You are my shield and my refuge;

In Your word I put my hope.

My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.

May my lips o’erflow with praise.

May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.

Your salvation, Lord, long I.

Your word, Lord, is my delight. 

https://vimeo.com/125862410 

Spiritual Warfare

An Original Work / March 23, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Earth Angel

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:10-12 NASB1995)

Before I sat down at my desk to look at today’s passage of Scripture, I had an old song playing in my mind called “Earth Angel.” It is a romantic love song of the early 1950’s about a guy falling in love with a girl who he regarded as an “earth angel,” probably not in a spiritual sense, as the meaning of the term is defined, but more in a physical and emotional sense as someone he regarded as beautiful from the inside out. And yet…

“An earth angel is a person often described in spiritual, New Age contexts as a highly evolved soul in human form with a mission to spread positivity, healing, and love. They act as "light workers" aiming to assist humanity's spiritual evolution through compassion and kindness. They are seen as earthly vessels for divine energy, anchoring light and peace.” (Google AI)

But this doesn’t have to be taken literally as some kind of supernatural being, but this can be taken more figuratively in regard to another human being who is spreading “positivity, compassion, kindness,” and some kind of healing (could be of the mind only), and a humanistic love based solely in human emotions. So, in a way, this is like taking the song lyrics and combining them with the “earth angel” definition, as a blend of both.

What I am seeing today as some of “the schemes of the devil” is to push “positivity” to the point of replacing logic, reason, and spiritual discernment. The “feel good” stuff is what is being pushed as something that is “good,” while much of the truth of what Jesus taught, and what his New Testament apostles taught, is being regarded as “bad, unkind, negative, and lacking in compassion and love.” And they are convincing many to believe that.

Are we to be kind? Yes, but kind according to God. For it is kind to tell people the truth, spoken in love. But it is not kind to lie to people just to make them feel good emotionally. And are we to be compassionate? Yes! But not to the point of tolerating and placating sinful addictive practices among those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and among church leadership, while defining that as “love, kindness, and compassion.” Love speaks the truth!

But the devil has so convinced the masses that lying is kindness, and that ignoring and tolerating sinful practices is compassion, and twisting the Scriptures to alter their meaning is spreading positivity, and accepting sin as normal behavior is healing, and remaining silent and not confronting anyone with their sinful condition, and not calling for repentance and obedience to our Lord is love. So everything is being turned inside out and upside down.

It may feel good to the human emotions, but if we lie to people to make them feel good, and if we refuse to speak the truth to them, in love, so that they will like us, then that is not biblical love. That is selfishness. And that is definitely lacking in love, compassion, and kindness. For if they do not, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, deny self, put sin to death daily, by the Spirit, and obey our Lord’s commands, in practice, they are not “in Christ.”

They may like you. They may think you are swell. And everyone else may talk about how loving and kind and compassionate you are, like an “earth angel,” of sorts. But one day all the people you lied to are going to stand before the Lord in judgment, and they are going to have to give an account to God as to what they did with Jesus Christ and his message of salvation (deliverance from slavery to sin and obedience to our Lord’s commands).

And they may dislike or disapprove of us who are spreading the gospel as Jesus taught it, and as his New Testament apostles taught it, calling us negative, unloving, unkind, and not compassionate. But I would rather be hated and falsely accused of wrong for telling people the truth that can save their souls from hell, and that can assure them eternity with God in heaven, than to have people love me for telling them lies that will land them in hell.

So, just because it feels good and it sounds good does not mean it is good. Just because it sounds positive and not negative, and it seems more accepting rather than confronting, it does not mean that it must be of God. Remember that the devil and his angels disguise themselves as angels of light and as servants of God spreading his messages. So study the Scriptures in context, and believe God, and obey God, and die to sin.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; Acts 26:18; 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; Colossians 3:1-17; 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]   

Your New Life  

Based off the Gospels  

An Original Work / May 15, 2014

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Go and make disciples of peoples,

Teaching them to obey their Savior.

Do not fear, but go where He sends you.

Tell them all of what you have heard.

The kingdom of God now is upon you. 

Come, and follow Jesus, your Lord.

He will make you fishers of man.

If the people Jesus desire,

They must die to sin and to self-life.

If they want to hold on to their lives

They will lose them forevermore.

Surely you heard that coming to Christ

Means a new life in Jesus, your Lord.

Follow Christ wherever He leads.

Love the Lord with all of your heart, and

Love your neighbors as you would yourself.

Preach the gospel to all the nations.

Do not worry what you will say.

Proclaim the freedom for all the captives.

Share the light with all who are blind.

You are ministers of our God.

https://vimeo.com/95450440

Earth Angel

An Original Work / March 22, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The USA and Revelation 13

From the very founding of our nation, our nation was designed to espouse universalism, which accepts all religions, as does freemasonry, and which centers around doing “good deeds” and the idea that we all believe in the same god. And we have come full circle back around to this today. 

Many of our founding fathers were freemasons, and much of our history is based in freemasonry, as are our national symbols and monuments, which are also patterned after Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods and goddesses. So, our national religion was not Christian, but a blend of Christian in with freemasonry and foreign gods, which is syncretistic. 

The Lord is reminding me of the forefathers of our nation, and what they did in forming this nation. A lot of people have the mistaken idea that most all of our forefathers were Christians and that they built this nation on Christian principles, but that just isn’t true. Look at our national monuments, statues, the layout of Washington, D.C. and our national seal. They are filled with Satanic and occult images, and those of false gods and goddesses. 

Our nation was built on the premise of a one-world government and a one-world religion (Free Masonry) right from the beginning. Look at our national seal and our nation’s motto. On the seal we see the All-seeing Eye of Horus hovering over an unfinished pyramid (a masonic symbol). This is symbolizing this beast of the Elite of the world hovering over the world and one day to be conjoined (united) with the world as its capstone, in place of Jesus Christ.

“It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” (Revelation 13:7-8 NASB1995)

The USA government is not who they purport themselves to be. They are the harlot who rides the beast, who has served this beast from the very beginning of this nation. And “The Beast” is this conglomerate of the wealthy and powerful of the world who are taking down the nations of the world one by one in order to bring us all into a One World Order of The Beast. And the USA government serves this beast (the elite) in doing their dirty work for them. All of my life my government has been destroying one nation after another in order to bring all of us under the rule of The Beast.

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:11-12 NASB1995)

Here I see the institutional church which is a partnership between the church and the government. The American church at large incorporated under (merged, partnered with) the US government in an unholy union not long after I was born, and I am 76 years old. The institutional church promoted government worship within the gatherings of the church via the pledge (vow) of allegiance (fidelity) to the US government and the honoring of our military as our heroes who serve as our saviors from our “enemies.” But our de facto government is the wealthy and powerful elite ruling the world.

“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” (Revelation 13:14-15 NASB1995)

From childhood on up I was taught to pledge (vow) my allegiance (fidelity) to the flag (the image) of the USA (the beast, in reality, for our de facto government is not our leaders but the powerful elite ruling the world). But an image can mean so many things. And when it comes to an image speaking, I would regard the image there more in the category of television and the internet (especially the internet), which has had such massive influence on the minds, hearts, character, and beliefs of the people.

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16-17 NASB1995)

Although I believe there is going to be a physical mark of some kind (like a digital ID of some sort) implanted in human beings (I believe some are already using this technology), the word “mark” has to do with “influence” and “characteristic” and “indicator.” So the real danger here is the influence that this beast #1 and beast #2 are having on the minds, character, beliefs, and behaviors of the people of the world, which is enormous! So many “Christians” today do not follow Jesus with their lives but they believe and follow after these beasts and what they are teaching and promoting, instead.

So, although you may refuse a physical mark, you may already have taken upon yourselves the mark of the beast if what you are believing and living are the lies which they are spreading instead of believing God and his teachings in the Scriptures (taught in the correct biblical context). For the Scriptures are clear that we are to come out of the world (in thought and behaviors) and we are to come out of these market-driven “churches” partnered with the government, and we must now die to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord if we want to have eternal life with God in heaven.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; Acts 26:18; 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; Colossians 3:1-17; 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]   

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/379406352

The USA and Revelation 13

An Original Work / March 22, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Image of The Beast

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” (Revelation 13:1-4 ESV)

So, who is this beast? Many speculate. Only God knows for certain. From what I have read and watched and been taught of the Lord over the past 20 years, I believe this beast to be, for example, “The World Economic Forum.” Basically it is a conglomerate of the wealthy and powerful of the world, a large number of them Jewish Zionists, who are the ones truly ruling the world and who are taking over nations, one at a time, to bring all nations under the rule of this beast in a One World Totalitarian Order of government.

I believe that the USA serves this beast and that this group of elite are the de facto government of the USA. And so the USA and their military forces have been instrumental in the take down and the conquering of nation after nation across the globe, in order to bring all nations under the rule of this beast. And now America itself is being taken down, one piece and one step at a time, using the same modus operandi that they used to take down many other nations across the globe, perhaps beginning after WW2.

So first they create the problem and then they come in as “saviors” with a preconceived solution to “the problem” they created. And then they appoint a new head of government over what now is regarded as a “unity” and/or as a “transitional” government. So they have to create situations which make the people cry out for a “savior” to deliver them and to bring normalcy back to their lives. That is their hope. But “normalcy” is not what is intended. A totalitarian one world government of the beast is the ultimate goal.

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

“If anyone is to be taken captive,

    to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

    with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” (Revelation 13:5-10 ESV)

And if we are paying close attention to what is going on in our world and in the USA (if that is where we live), we should be seeing the signs of the times in which we now live, and we should be seeing how this beast is conquering people and nations and Christians (the saints of God). And so much of this is done via psychological warfare and massive deception and indoctrination and cult followings. For us baby boomers in America, we have been trained in government worship from very early on in our lives (1945ish to present).

But the indoctrination and mind manipulative tactics that the government uses to enslave us as its followers is also now being incorporated into the gatherings of the institutional market-driven “churches” (businesses) of today. So if you are in the minority and not the majority, because your eyes and ears are attentive to what is going on and you can see the deceptive changes being made, then you may be ostracized and even invited out of these “churches” to go somewhere where you will be “a better fit.”

“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” (Revelation 13:11-18 ESV)

A big part of the founding of America had to do with the separation of church and state. Although they may have been separate for many years, they have not been in entirety since sometime in the 1950s when the 501c3 tax exempt status came into being. And it appears that most American “churches” incorporated under the state as not-for-profit incorporations (mergers) of the state. And this was wholly unnecessary, for the church had always been tax exempt. But now it brought the majority of what are called “churches” in union with the US government, which God warns against.

Then many churches began operating as businesses, and began marketing their “churches” to the people of the world. And in order to attract the world to their gatherings they began to dilute (alter) the gospel message and the character of God/Christ and of his church in order to make “the church” more inviting and acceptable to the ungodly, i.e. to the flesh of humans. And pastors began to become more like cult leaders and anyone who was not on board with their marketing schemes might then be encouraged to leave.

Anyway, I see this second beast as this union of church and state in an unholy union, which God forbids. And from my childhood on up I was taught government worship in the “church.” And an “image” can be many things from something like a national flag to television to the internet to anything or anyone who emulates this beast in character and which has the capability to lead the masses to worship this beast. TV and the internet are images and they are quite capable of leading the masses to worship this beast.

And with regard to the mark of the beast, although it may end up as a physical mark of some kind, the greater danger is its mark (influence, character, evidence) in our lives – in our thinking, believing, speaking, behaving, attitudes and actions. We are not to take on the character of the world as followers of Christ. We are to be separate (unlike, different) from the world, for we should now be being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So pray for spiritual discernment in this matter.

[Matt 21:12-13; Jn 2:13-17; Ac 5:27-32; 2 Co 6:14-18; Php 3:18-19; Rev 13:5-8; Rev 18:1-5; Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

Caution: This link may contain ads

The Image of The Beast

An Original Work / December 19, 2024

Reposted March 22, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Called for This Purpose

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:21-25 NASB1995)

For what purpose have we been called of God? First, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, that we might deny self, die to sin (not just once, but daily), by the Spirit, and walk (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord and to his commands under the New Covenant, in the power of God. Then that we might walk worthy of the calling, pleasing God in all that we are and do and say. And included in that is that we might suffer for the sake of the gospel and for our testimonies for our Lord and love those who persecute us.

And Jesus set the example for us to follow in how we ought to live, even when we are suffering unjustly and for the sake of righteousness. For in his life and in his death he suffered much that we might believe in him, turn from our sins, and now walk with him in obedience to his commands. When he taught the truth to the people, his enemies (the religious) opposed him fanatically. They hounded him regularly, accusing him of wrongdoing, while trying to find ways to trip him up with his words so as to accuse him.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was born to a virgin woman, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man. So when he lived on the earth he was fully God and fully man (God incarnate). And since he was not born of man, he was not born with a sin nature as we are. He never once sinned while he lived on this earth. And he withstood much opposition from the Jews and from the rulers and teachers of the Scriptures in the temple who refused to believe in him as their promised Messiah who had then come.

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. YES! When Jesus was crucified he put our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and live to righteousness, all in the power of God. He did not die just to forgive us our sins so we can go to heaven when we die. He died and rose from the grave to change us, to transform us, and to make us into the people of God who will now obey God with our lives.

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).

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).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:1-26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Praise Be Told!  

Based off Various Scriptures 

An Original Work / December 28, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for all our sin.

Our chastisement was upon Him.

By His stripes, we now are healed.

He has witnessed all our trials,

And the sins we choose to wear.

Yet, while we were dead in our sin,

Jesus died, our sins to bear.

He himself bore all of our sins

In His body on a cross,

So that we might die to our sin,

And live for His righteousness.

By faith in the pow’r of Jesus

And His blood shed for our sins,

We can be forgiven our sin,

And have life with God in heav’n.

He will lead us and He’ll guide us

In the way that we should go.

He will comfort and protect us,

Because Jesus, we do know.

Though He disciplines for our good,

He will heal us – Praise be told!

Do not fear, your Lord is with you.

Just have faith in Christ your Lord.

https://vimeo.com/112335646 

Called for This Purpose

An Original Work / March 21, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Work as Though Working for God

“Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.” (1 Peter 2:18-20 NASB1995)

I live in the USA. As far as I know, the kind of slavery that existed early on in this nation was abolished many years ago. But that is not to say that slave labor no longer exists or that no one in the USA is being treated like a slave. I am certain that this still does exist in some places. But to apply this more in a general sense, I would rather use the imagery of boss and employee. When we work for another person, or for a company or corporation, we are obligated to do what we are told to do, as their employees.

But, just as in the situation with submitting to and obeying governing authorities, there are biblical exceptions to such obedience as is required of us if we work for someone else. We never have to submit to anything sinful. We do not have to lie, cheat, steal and do what is illegal just so our boss can get ahead in the business world and make the “big bucks.” We do not have to submit to foul language, to sexual advances, or to mistreatment of any kind. We can quit, and trust the Lord to provide a better job for us.

But if it is a safe environment, and we remain, then we should be people of integrity who give the best we have to the company, and to the boss. We should never be slack, but always diligent in giving the job the best we have to give. We should never cheat on our time or take shortcuts that could cost the company money. For me, when I was employed for money, if I took longer at lunch, I worked that much longer at the end of the work day. I always got in early, and if my work was done, I tried to find work to do.

I worked as a temp employee in this one job where all that was required of me was to answer the phone. But the phone didn’t ring that much. So, I asked if I could do other things. And so I worked on spreadsheets and marketing tools, and I created marketing literature. I filled in the time when the phone was not ringing in ways that were beneficial for my employer and for the productivity of his business. So, working for someone else doesn’t have to be just the minimum required. We should give the job our best.

Now, our boss doesn’t have to be the kindest most congenial person to work for. The boss may be rough and gruff. The boss may be unreasonable. I worked for some people like that. That is not necessarily a reason to quit, if we have that option to quit. For the Lord may have us there for a reason, and it may be to minister God’s love and grace to our employer. God may want us to bear up under some unfair treatment as a testimony to the boss. But, again, we are never to submit to participating in anything sinful.

[Proverbs 24:17-20; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:8-12,43-48; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:27-36; Luke 10:27; John 13:33-35; John 15:12; Romans 12:9-11,14-21; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 John 4:7]

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

Work as Though Working for God

An Original Work / March 21, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Exceptions to The Rule

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.” (1 Peter 2:13-16 NASB1995)

We who believe in Jesus Christ are to obey our governmental authorities, such as kings, governors, or presidents, etc. This means that we obey the law of the land. But there are biblical exceptions to this rule of law. For we are not to sin against God. We are not to tell lies. We are not to harm our own bodies. We are not to murder. We are not to commit perjury or idolatry or adultery. We are not to worship foreign gods. And we are not to stop speaking the true gospel in the name of Jesus. Obeying God comes first. 

And we are not to worship the government. We are not to put hand over heart and pledge (vow) our allegiance (fidelity) to any human government. Our vow of fidelity and worship should be to God and to God alone. And we are not to sing songs of worship to our government and/or to our military, giving them praise, adoration, and thanksgiving for what we have been taught that they have done (or are presently doing). For people tell lies. Government heads tell lies. So our trust cannot be in governments (see Revelation 13).

[Psalms 118:9; Psalms 146:3; Psalms 147:10-11; Isaiah 40:23; Jeremiah 17:5-6; Hosea 8:4; Hosea 13:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9,18-23; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 2:12; Ephesians 4:14-16; Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 2:8,20-23; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:3-8; 1 Peter 4:1-5; 2 Peter 3:17-18] 

For, although the law is given for the purpose to praise those who do right and to punish those who deliberately and habitually do evil (who do what is harmful to others), not even all government heads adhere to the law. Many of them don’t. Many of them are crooks and cheats and liars who use and abuse other people to their own advantage. Many of them are in the practice of deceiving the people who they promise to serve, and are plotting evil against their own people of their own nation, and for the New World Order.

So, this Scripture is not teaching blind loyalty and devotion to any human government. It is teaching us to obey the laws of the land, but as long as those laws do not contradict the commands of our Lord. And the prophets of old, and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Jesus Christ, and his New Testament apostles, and many more followers of Christ down through the ages set the example for us to follow. We do not obey men if obeying men means disobeying God. We can refuse to obey the lawmen.

What is the ultimate goal in all of this? That by doing right we may silence the ignorance of foolish men. And many of these “foolish men” are our government heads who are lying to us, and who are taking advantage of our ignorance, and who are using it against us to cause us harm. So “doing right” in this case is to obey God, and it is to expose the fruitless deeds of darkness and the thieves and liars so that the ones we love will not be deceived, fall into traps, and suffer because they trusted the wrong people.

And we are to live our lives as though Jesus really did set us free from slavery to sin so that we could serve him in walks of obedience to his commands. And we are to do what is right in the eyes of God. And we are not to use our freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God, not as those who vow their fidelity to human governments. For many are not serving God but their own selves and their own appetites, which is to the detriment of the people, and not for their ultimate good.

Your Salvation  

Based off of Isaiah 30

An Original Work / May 29, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

In repentance is your salvation.

In quietness and trust is your strength.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you.

Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Pharaoh’s protection will be your shame.

Egypt’s shade will bring you to disgrace.

Ev’ryone will be put to their shame,

Because they trusted in man.

Woe to those who carry out their plans

Without consulting God their Savior.

God’s calling out for you to listen

And obey all He commands.

In repentance is your salvation.

In quietness and trust is your strength.

The Lord longs to be gracious to you.

Blessed are all who wait for Him. 

https://vimeo.com/127507993

Exceptions to The Rule

An Original Work / March 21, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Keep Your Behavior Excellent

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12 NASB1995)

As followers of Jesus Christ we are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. And this isn’t just about sexual immorality and/or porn addiction, but this covers every area of our lives where we might be being drawn toward fleshly lusts (desires of the flesh) which are not pleasing to God and which are contradictory to the will of God and/or to moral purity. And this can cover all kinds of ground including the music we listen to, videos we watch, books we read, stories we tell, and the list goes on and on.

For God did not put us on this earth to please ourselves. He did not put us on this earth to be entertained and to live for what pleases our flesh. He put us on this earth to give him glory and praise by believing in Jesus, denying self, dying to sin, and obeying our Lord and his commandments, in the power of God. He put us here because he has a purpose for our lives which he has planned for us and which he wants us to do. So we need to seek his face to find out his plan, and then we need to walk in his ways, by his grace.

For the Christian life isn’t just about putting off the bad stuff and to stop making sin our practice. It is about putting on the good stuff of God and to walk in his ways according to his commands. We put off the bad behaviors and we now keep our behaviors excellent, according to the will of God, by his grace, and in his power. Instead of living to please the flesh, we now live to please God in doing what he has called us to do. For how we live bears testimony as to whether or not what we profess is a reality in our lives.

Put Offs and Put Ons: [Matthew 5:27-30; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:5-11; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-17; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Only in Him  

Based off Isaiah 30

An Original Work / February 19, 2014

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love 

Woe to those who look to man’s help;

Who turn away from Jesus Christ;

Forming an alliance not in step with God;

Making their own plans, and praying not.

Willing not to listen to truth,

They close their ears to what is right.

Pleasing words are all that they’ll hear;

Feel good messages that bring cheer.

Trust in your Lord; turn from your sin.

Put your faith now ONLY IN HIM.

Do not turn to idols. They’ll not satisfy.

Jesus will save you. That’s why He died.

Your Lord will be gracious to you.

He cares all about you, ‘tis true.

He forgives you all of your sin

When you give your life up to Him.

Oh, how truly gracious He’ll be

When you bow to Him on your knees;

Turning now from your sin; walking in his ways.

He’ll lead and guide you all of your days.

Now you will sing praises to Him.

He delivered you from your sin.

You’ll tell others now of His grace,

So they may see Christ face-to-face. 

https://vimeo.com/87181019

Keep Your Behavior Excellent

An Original Work / March 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Out of Darkness into The Light

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB1995)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are the chosen of God. We are a holy nation, which is a spiritual nation. We are a royal priesthood, not in need of human priests to intervene for us to God. For we can now enter into God’s holy presence by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We can speak directly to God without other human intervention. And we now belong to God, and he owns us, and our lives are now to be surrendered to him to do his will, to obey his commands, in the power of God, by his Spirit.

We are to be those who are taking the message of salvation to the people of the world. But we need to make certain that “the gospel” we are believing is the one taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles, and that it is not one that has been altered and diluted to make it more acceptable to human flesh. For the most popular “gospel” message being taught in the USA today is not of God, but is of the flesh of humans who are softening it to make it more palatable to humans who want to continue in their sin.

But we are to be the people of God who are proclaiming the excellencies of God who has called us out of darkness (sin, wickedness) into his marvelous light (Jesus Christ, righteousness, godliness, death to sin and obedience to our Lord and to his commands). For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross to put our sins to death with him, and he was resurrected from the dead so that we will now die to sin and obey his commandments as a matter of life practice. And this is the message of the gospel we are to share.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; Acts 26:18; 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; Colossians 3:1-17; 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]   

And all this is a gift from God. Not one of us, in our own merit, deserves to be forgiven our sins and to be given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for his glory. All this is because of God’s grace. But 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 our Lord’s return. And if we want to follow Jesus we must deny self, die daily to sin, and obey our Lord and his commands (Titus 2:11-14; Luke 9:23-26).

Unless You Are Born Again

Based off John 3:1-21

An Original Work / November 3, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Nicodemus came to Jesus.

He acknowledged God was with Him.

Jesus said, “You can’t see heaven

Unless you are born again.”

“How can a man be born when he’s old?

Can he enter into his mother’s womb?”

Jesus answered, “Flesh is flesh,

So of the Spirit, you must be.”

Jesus said to Nicodemus,

“You’re a teacher, and yet you don’t

Understand of what I tell you,

Because you will not believe.

“For God so loved the world that He gave

His one and His only Son for your sin.

So, whoever believes in Him

Has eternal life in heav’n.

“Light has come into the world,

But human beings love the darkness,

Because their deeds are so evil,

So in truth, they stand condemned.

“Everyone who practices evil

Fears that the Light will expose his sin.

Yet, whoever lives his life by the Light

Does so through his God.”

https://vimeo.com/114686371

Out of Darkness into The Light

An Original Work / March 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Pure Milk of The Word

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:1-3 NASB1995)

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander..” (1 Peter 2:1)

All throughout the New Testament we are taught that faith in Jesus Christ, if it comes from God and is not of the flesh, it will result in us denying self, dying with Christ to sin, and walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands – all in his power and strength and wisdom. And we are taught all the kinds of things that we, as followers of Christ, are to put out of our lives, by the grace of God, and the kinds of things we are to put on in our lives in their place, as led by the Spirit. For we put off the sinful nature and put on Christ.

Put Offs and Put Ons: [Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]  

"..like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.." (1 Peter 2:2)

Now, when this instructs us, like newborn babies, to long for the pure milk of The Word, this is not encouraging us to be immature in faith and to be infantile in behaviors. It is talking about us hungering after the Word of God like a newborn baby hungers after their mother’s milk. Now, I nursed all four of my children, so I know what that is like to have a baby at my breast sucking in as much milk as they can get, to want it with their whole being like it is a matter of life and death if they do not have it, or have enough.

This is how we are to hunger after the pure word of God. We are to desire it with our whole being, longing to hear from our Lord, and longing to know what his word teaches us and how we are to apply it to our daily lives. We want to know The Word so we can obey it; so we can live it by the grace of God; and so we can grow in it in all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, so that we can, by the grace of God, be putting it into daily practice in our lives. And so we drink in The Word like an infant drinks their mother’s milk.

“..if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:3)

Please pay close attention to these “IF” statements all throughout the Scriptures, but especially in the New Testament under the New Covenant God has with his people (Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus Christ). For when it begins with “if” it is introducing a conditional clause. It is saying “if this is true, then this is what follows.” So, what does it mean if we have “tasted the kindness of the Lord”? This is speaking of his grace to us in providing us with salvation from our slavery to sin so we can now serve God with our lives:

“Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22)

For our Lord’s kindness is not a free ride to heaven based on lip service only. His 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 our Lord’s return. And Jesus 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 sin is our practice, and not obedience to God, we will not inherit eternal life with God (Titus 2:11-14; Luke 9:23-26).

“If” Vs [Matthew 10:22; John 8:31-32; John 15:1-12; Romans 11:17-24; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 1 John 2:24-25; 1 John 3:4-10]

Gift of God  

Based off Various Scriptures 

An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

The Pure Milk of The Word

An Original Work / March 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Conditional or Unconditional?

John 8:31-32 NIV

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

There are many people today who are teaching that God’s love for us is unconditional. Is it? It is in the sense that we do nothing to earn or to deserve his love. He doesn’t love us because of our own goodness, but because he is love. In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

But how they teach his unconditional love is that God loves us no matter what we do. No matter if we ignore him, make sin our practice, deny him as Lord of our lives, he still adores us and he showers us with his blessings, so they say. Basically, we can live a life of total denial of him and they teach that will never stop God from loving us and showering us with blessings.

But is that biblical? 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” Jn. 14:15, 21, 23-24

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” Jn. 15:10

So, is there a difference between the love God has for the whole world in that he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for our sins, and the love he has for his followers, which is an intimate relationship kind of love? I believe there is. For, those who do not believe in Jesus don’t experience the love of God in the same way we do who are in Christ, by faith in him.

So, is our relationship with Jesus Christ conditional? Yes! Not only must we believe on him to have eternal life, but we must abide in his love, and we must keep his (New Covenant) commandments, and we must hold to his teaching and to our faith to the very end. And we must walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and we must not disown him. 

But none of this can be accomplished in and of ourselves, of our own doing and choosing, and of our own flesh. It is only as the Spirit of God indwells us and empowers us to live righteously that we can live in his righteousness.

[See also Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Co 15:2; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; Jn 15:1-12; Lu 9:23-26]

John 8:33-38 NIV

“They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’

“Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’”

Some people think that if their parents claimed to be Christians that it makes them Christians. Or they think that because they grew up in the institutional church that it automatically means they are God’s children. Or they think a verbal confession of faith, or words repeated, or baptism, or Catechism assures them of their salvation and eternal life with God.

But none of that is required for salvation of sin, and none of that assures anyone of being in relationship with Christ, born again of the Spirit of God, forgiven of their sins, and headed to heaven when they die.

Jesus went on to tell them that their father was the devil, and that they wanted to carry out their father’s desires. He said that they were doing the works of their father, the devil, for they were looking for a way to kill Jesus. Yet they claimed that the only father they had was God.

But Jesus’ words to them set the record straight. If we make sin our practice we are slaves to sin, and that leads to death, not life everlasting. Those who walk (in practice) in sin have no inheritance in God’s eternal kingdom (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8).

So, when this says here that if the Son sets us free that we are free indeed, that does not mean that we can claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, decide therefore that we have been set free from our sin, but then go on living in sin, feeling as though being “free” is merely freedom from the punishment of sin and thus we can keep on in our sin now without guilt or fear of harm.

For, Jesus makes it clear here that if God is our Father, we will love Jesus, and Jesus says that to love him is to obey him (Jn 14:23-24).

And John says that we know that we have come to know Jesus/God if we keep his commands. If we say, “I know him,” but we are not doing what he commands, as a matter of practice, we are liars, and the truth is not in us. But if we are obeying God’s word (under the New Covenant), then love for God is made complete in us (See 1 Jn 2:3-6).

But many who profess faith in Jesus Christ are willfully ignoring this truth because they prefer the lies of the devil, instead. And that is because they want to continue to live in their sin without guilt, and they want the freedom to live however they want, and they don’t want to have to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. They want to retain control over their own lives.

So, those who are living like this will usually reject the truth when it is presented to them, and they may even attack the truth with lies they heard or with ones they made up themselves. Or they may make excuses for why they are still living in slavery to sin, as though Jesus didn’t die to set them free, and as though they just have to find a way to break their bad habits.

But those who belong to the Lord hear what God says. So, if anyone is not willing to hear the truth of God’s teachings in Scripture on this subject of God’s requirements for us for our eternal salvation, then Scripture says they don’t belong to God. For his sheep listen to him, and they follow (obey) him.

Open My Heart  

An Original Work / July 2, 2013

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“Be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil” (Rm. 16:19b).

Open my heart. Let Your truth in.

Make of me a servant, pure within;

Sing of Your praise all of my days. 

Let Your Spirit transform all my ways.

Jesus Christ died on a cross to

Save me from my sin.

“Repent of sin. Be cleansed within.

Obey all of His commands today.”

“Why do you doubt? Why do you fear?

Jesus Christ will wipe away your tears.

He cares for you. He feels your pain.

Die to sin, and life with Him you’ll gain.

Follow Him where’er He leads you.

Talk with Him each day.

Then you will know what He has planned

For your life before your world began.”

“Come unto Me, weary in heart.

Let My love and grace to you impart.

Believe in Me. Trust in My care.

Take your burdens to the Lord in prayer.

He will meet all of your needs, 

And give you peace within.

Rejoice in Him! Tell of His love.

He will give you comfort from above.”

https://vimeo.com/116072845

Conditional or Unconditional?

An Original Work / January 15, 2021

Reposted March 19, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Are We Living by The Spirit?

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please… Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16-17,24-26 NASB1995)

The whole purpose of Jesus dying on that cross, putting our sins to death with him, and being resurrected from the dead, was so that, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, we might now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, for the glory and praise of God, and in the power of God, as led by the Spirit, and not in our own flesh. Sin is to no longer have mastery over our lives, but Jesus Christ is now to be Lord and Master of our lives, as we submit to him.

[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]

So, what should that look like to “walk by the Spirit”? And to “live by the Spirit”? Certainly it involves daily denying self, putting sin to death, by the Spirit, and walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. But it isn’t all just about putting sin to death and obeying God’s commands. It is also about answering God’s call upon our lives to go where he sends us, and to say what he commands, and to do what he has gifted and called us to do as members of his body, the body of Christ. It is about ministering to others.

For Jesus Christ did not give his life up for us on that cross just to save us out of our bondage to sin and to promise us eternity with God when we die. He gave his life up for us to change us and to conform us to the likeness of himself and to make us into the people of God fit for his service. Our lives are no longer to be our own to be lived for our own purposes, but our lives are to be surrendered to the will of God for his purposes. And he has something very specific that he has for each one of us to do in this life.

Our callings from God, although the same in some respects, are also very different from one another. For although we may have similar gifts of the Spirit, we won’t all be the same body parts, and we may not all use our gifts in all the same ways. For God made us all different, and he uniquely designed each one of us specifically as he had planned for our lives. And so we are not all going to fit into some organized standard created by other humans as to how our body parts are to operate within the church.

And let me give you an example of this. I was on a Christian discussion site a few years back where there were these two women who opposed me on a regular basis. One of their criticisms was that I had songs posted at the end of most all of the writings given me by the Lord. They felt that wasn’t biblical for some reason. For it just didn’t fit with what they were used to. But the Scriptures instruct us Christians to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.

[Ephesians 5:15-21; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25]

So, in 2004, the Lord called me to write down what I am learning from him during my times spent with him in the word each day and to post these writings on the internet so that a herald could “run with it” (the name of my blog). In 2011 he started me writing simple songs of faith. In 2018 he started me writing poems. And in 2020 he started me making video talks. And these he has me post on the internet on various sites on a daily basis. This is my calling from God, which may not be the same as everyone else.

Your calling of God may be something similar as mine, or it may be something completely different from the calling of God on my life. And that’s good that we are not all the same. But all of us should share one common denominator, and that is that we are being led by the Spirit, and that we are walking by the Spirit, and that we are living by the Spirit and no longer according to our sinful flesh. And what we are doing should be in line with the Spirit and with the Scriptures and it should not be against the Scriptures.

[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; James 5:19-20]

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

Are We Living by The Spirit?

An Original Work / March 19, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Called to Freedom

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery… For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:1,13-14 NASB1995)

The book of Galatians centers much on the subject of the Old Covenant law and what it looks like for the believers in Christ to be free from the liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, circumcision, dietary, and Sabbath laws. And it addresses the subject of the Judaizers who were trying to convince the Christians that they had to obey some of the Old Covenant laws and customs, most especially that they must be circumcised. Paul let them know that they did not have to be circumcised of the flesh, but of the Spirit only.

But Paul also let them know that freedom from the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws was not freedom to now live in sin. It was not freedom to now live however they wanted to live. It was not freedom to not have to obey God and his New Covenant commands. Under the New Covenant we still have to obey God. Sin must not be our practice. Holy and righteous living, by the grace of God, in the power of God, should be what we now practice. For to love is to prefer what God prefers, which is obeying God.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:1-26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Too many people today are teaching that, under the New Covenant, God’s grace forgives us of all sins and promises us eternal life with God, but regardless of how we live, even if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. But 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 our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14). So, what they are teaching the people are lies disguised as truth. 

But we also still have Judaizers among us today who are trying to convince Christians to be more like Jews and to hold to some of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws and customs, and that this will draw them closer to God. But that is a lie, just like it was when Paul wrote to the Galatians. And we also have it being pushed on Christians that we should give honor and support and almost a kind of worship to the physical and political nation of Israel, which, as a nation, is anti-God and antichrist, not God’s chosen ones.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Matthew 21:43; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:17-25; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9] 

So, we need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in the correct biblical context, under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And we need to be followers of Jesus Christ who test what we are hearing from others against the teachings of the Scriptures, taught in the correct biblical context. For we are not free to keep sinning against God, and we do have to obey his commands. And we are not to give our honor, value, and support to a political nation which is anti-God and antichrist in faith and practice.

Your Word  

Based off Psalms 119

An Original Work / December 27, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Praise You with an upright heart as

I learn of Your righteousness.

I seek You with all my heart;

Do not let me stray from Your law.

I have hidd’n Your word in my heart

That I might not sin against You.

Open my eyes that I may see

Wonderful things in Your word.

I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;

My heart is set on Your word.

I will walk about in freedom,

For I have sought out Your truth.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, 

For I believe in Your law.

Your hands made me, and they formed me;

Give me understanding, Lord.

I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light unto my path.

You are my shield and my refuge;

In Your word I put my hope.

My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.

May my lips o’erflow with praise.

May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.

Your salvation, Lord, long I.

Your word, Lord, is my delight. 

https://vimeo.com/125862410

Called to Freedom

An Original Work / March 19, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

But The Fruit of The Spirit is..

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:19-24 NASB1995)

Basically, what these few verses did here was to present the true biblical message of the gospel of Christ, of our salvation. For Jesus Christ, in his death on that cross, took upon himself our sins, and he put our sins to death with him, and he was resurrected from the dead, so that, by faith in him, we will now die to sin and walk with him in obedience to his commands. By the grace of God we will put off the old sinful nature, be born of the Spirit, and now live holy lives, pleasing to God, bearing the character of our Lord.

For, when the Scriptures teach that if sin is our practice, and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, this is speaking to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ. It serves as a warning to us to not take God and his commands lightly. It lets us know that faith in Jesus Christ, if it is biblical faith, and so it comes from God, will result in us denying self, dying to sin daily (by the Spirit) and us walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in the power of God.

BUT… if we continue to make sin our practice (habit, lifestyle), and not obedience to our Lord and to his commands, then we don’t know God, we are not in fellowship with Jesus Christ, he is not our Lord, we don’t love God, we are not his offspring, we are not saved from our sins, and we do not have eternal life with God. For it is not the one who says, “Lord, Lord,” who is saved from their sins and who has eternal life with God, but it is all who are doing (obeying) the will of God the Father in heaven (see Matthew 7:21-23).

So, don’t believe the lies which are spreading so rapidly today which are teaching that we can “believe” in Jesus, have all our sins forgiven, and be guaranteed entry into God’s heaven when we die, but while we continue to make sin our practice, and regardless of whether or not we obey our Lord’s commands. For faith = obedience. And disobedience = unbelief, as taught all throughout the New Testament Scriptures. But you can see this especially in reading Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; and 1 Corinthians 10:1-22.

Therefore, if our faith in Jesus Christ is of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, it should produce in us the fruit of the Spirit and not the fruit of the flesh. No longer should we be engaged in habitual lies, adultery, idolatry, sexual immorality, fighting, drunkenness, and carousing, etc. But we should be producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. But love obeys God. It is centered in moral purity. And kindness is not lying to people. So obey God, not the flesh.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:1-26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Awestruck Grief  

An Original Work / April 21, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

When in awestruck grief 

o’er my sins, Lord, I bow,

Will You hear me, Lord, 

and forgive me just now?

I am so amazed that 

You could love me so.

Yet, Your love and kindness 

ever fill my soul.

Lord, You are amazing, 

and gracious and kind

To have offered Yourself 

for us when we’re blind.

You were crucified 

on that hill, Calvary,

When they hung Your body 

to die on a tree.

Now that You’ve redeemed us 

and, thus, set us free,

I pray, Lord, for all 

on this earth to believe

In Your sacrifice, Lord, 

cleansing all our sin,

So that we can live for You, 

and die within.

https://vimeo.com/116209740

But The Fruit of The Spirit is..

An Original Work / March 19, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Finding Better Ways to Communicate

“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus…” (Romans 15:14-16 NASB1995)

In context, these words were addressed specifically to the Christians in Rome. And this seems to also be a continuation of Paul’s conversation he was having with them as recorded in Romans 14 and 15 about not passing judgment on one another with regard to disputable matters (differences of opinion). And this subject was discussed in the previous writing, “Bearing Their Weaknesses.” We should not argue over disputable matters.

So, when Paul stated to this group of Christians that he was convinced that they were full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another, this is not to be taken as God’s words to everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ today. This is not a doctrinal teaching. He was encouraging them after he had rebuked and corrected them, yet he was letting them know that his words of correction were necessary for them.

Paul really set a model for how we should speak to one another in the faith if we know personally the people to whom we are speaking. Sometimes we will have to speak words of correction to help one another to stop doing what none of us should be doing, and to encourage each other to do what is right and just and holy. If we can, we should find positive things that we can say to and about the people we are addressing so that they do not lose heart.

But we should never lie to people to try to make them feel good. We should always be honest. But honest doesn’t necessitate being nasty. We can speak truth, but speak it in love and with kindness and consideration, but without compromising truth which some do just to not offend anyone. Truth hurts sometimes. But correction is necessary sometimes, too. But if we can find the good in people, too, in those we know, that is good for us to do, too.

Now, for us who are writers, who are writing out what we are learning from our times spent in the Word of God each day, and who are posting these writings on the internet, we don’t generally know the people to whom these messages will go, so we cannot say with confidence anything specific about our readers. So I cannot say that I am convinced of anything about you who are reading this. So all I can do is to share with you what I am learning.

But I pray that you will take what I share with you to the Lord in prayer, and that you would ask the Lord to teach you from his word what lesson he would have for you to get from it, according to the correct biblical context. I pray for all of us, if we are communicating with others in ways which are not good that we would learn better ways of communicating that are helpful, but also biblical, and that are honest, and not compromising of truth in any way.

[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; James 5:19-20]

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

Finding Better Ways to Communicate

An Original Work / March 18, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bearing Their Weaknesses

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:1-2 NASB1995)

When Paul penned this letter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to the believers in Jesus Christ in Rome, to the beloved of God, called as saints, it was all one continuous long letter. It was not separated by chapters and verses like it is now for our convenience. And we need to be aware of that so that we don’t interpret these words out of context and thus reach erroneous conclusions. So, I would encourage you to begin reading in Romans 14:1-23, because Romans 15:1-13 just continues on that same thought.

For Romans 14 is all on the subject of those who are “weak in the faith,” not weak, having to do with sin, but having to do with some Jews who believed in Jesus but who were unable to let go of the dietary and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant which God had with his people. This also had to do with those believers in Christ who were free from the Old Covenant dietary and Sabbath laws who were casting judgment on those who were still bound by the dietary and Sabbath laws. But each side was condemning the other.

So, although God definitely regarded the Jewish Christians who were not able to let go of the dietary and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant as those who were “weak in the faith,” he did not condemn them for it. Rather he honored them as those who were of genuine faith in Jesus Christ who did what they did for the Lord, in worship of God, and in honoring God. And so he encouraged them and he encouraged those free to eat and to not have to obey the Sabbath to not cast judgment on one another, but to get along.

Thus enters chapter 15 which so many people are taking out of context and are misinterpreting. And they are teaching that this is teaching tolerance of sin. It is not! We are not to bear the deliberate and habitual sinful practices of those who profess Jesus as their Lord. We are not to be nasty to anyone, but as fellow Christians we are to be exhorting one another daily so that none of us are led astray by the deceitfulness of sin. And if a fellow believer is caught in sin, we who are righteous are to help them to freedom from sin.

So many people who call themselves Christians today are teaching us to “stay in your own lane” and to not judge others for their sins. But the Bible does not teach that all judgment is wrong. It teaches us that hypocritical and false judging is wrong. We are not to judge by appearances, or without a hearing, or according to the flesh, or hypocritically, or by ourselves. But we are to judge sin as something that is wrong, that is against God and our fellow humans, and as something we need to put to death in our lives.

[Matthew 7:1-5,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 7:24,51; John 8:15-16; Romans 2:3; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 6:1-5; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 10:12; Hebrews 3:13; James 5:19-20; Jude 1:22-23]

So, whenever you read Romans 15, at least the first 13 verses, read them in the context of chapter 14, and interpret them in that context, which is where they belong. For pleasing our neighbors for their good, to their edification, is not ignoring blatant and deliberate and habitual sin in the life of one who professes faith in Jesus Christ. It has to do with not condemning one another over disputable matters and differences of opinions which are not in contradiction to the commands of our Lord under the New Covenant.

But rampant sin being tolerated within the gatherings of “the church” is something that needs to be addressed and dealt with biblically (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). 

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

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Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love