Feed My Sheep

Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, denied three times that he knew Jesus when Jesus was arrested for a crime he did not commit. But prior to this, when Peter declared to Jesus that he would lay down his life for Jesus’ sake, Jesus responded to Peter by saying to him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.” So Peter was forewarned. And when Peter had denied Jesus three times, indeed the rooster crowed, just as Jesus said.

 

John 21:15-17 NKJV

 

15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

 

16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

 

17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

 

Do You Love Me?

 

And here, in the above verses, we have the account of Jesus asking Peter three times to profess his love for the Lord. Now some people believe this matters, while others don’t, but when Jesus asked Peter the first two times if Peter loved Jesus, he used the word “agapas,” which means to prefer, in this case to prefer what God prefers, to choose his choices, and to obey them in his power. It is to choose holy living, moral purity, honesty, honor, integrity, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice.

 

But when Peter responded to Jesus, saying that he loved him, he used the word Philo, which means to have an affection for, or to fondly delight in. And perhaps that might have been intentional. Perhaps, after Peter previously had declared such devotion to the Lord only to fail him by denying him three times, that he was not yet ready to boldly declare agape love for him. The Bible does not say. And on the third time, Jesus also used the word Philo, perhaps accepting what Peter was willing to declare and give at that time.

 

But of note, as well, the first time Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, he asked him if he loved him “more than these.” And the Scripture does not spell out for us what “more than these” he was referring to, though it could be referring to fishing, for that is what he had been doing. But Jesus could have meant more than everything this world has to offer, or more than his flesh might crave, or more than his comfort and friendships and security, or more than the acceptance and approval and love of other humans.

 

Feed My Sheep

 

But, either way, the point of what Jesus was asking Peter is that if truly he loved the Lord, he was to show it by feeding Jesus’ sheep. And he was not speaking of animals called “sheep,” but he was speaking of those who followed Jesus, who was their Shepherd. Peter was to feed Jesus’ followers with spiritual nourishment. He was to feed them the Word of God and the teachings of Christ for their edification and spiritual growth so they would walk in the ways of the Lord in holy living and no longer in sinful ways.

 

And Jesus is saying the same thing to us today who profess faith in Jesus Christ. Do we agape love the Lord? Are we committed to obeying his commands and putting sin to death in our lives and living holy lives, pleasing to God? Do we honestly prefer what God prefers? Then we should show it by how we live, and by what we do, and by what we speak. And we should show it by how we treat others and by sharing with them the teachings of Christ so that they, too, can love Jesus and walk in his ways, in his power.

 

For the Scriptures teach faith in Jesus as obedience to his commands. And they teach disobedience as unbelief. For if we claim that we know God or that we love God, but we do not obey his commands, in practice, we do not know him nor do we love him. And to love him is to serve him, and to minister his love and grace to others. And it is to put sin to death in our lives. For if sin is still our practice, we are not in fellowship with God. Jesus said we must deny self, die to sin, and obey him, to have eternal life in him.

 

[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]

 

My Sheep 

 

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

An Original Work / June 24, 2012 

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

 

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

 

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

 

https://vimeo.com/114938263

 

Feed My Sheep

An Original Work / May 22, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Why Do You Strike Me?

Jesus Christ was now under arrest on false charges. And he was appearing before the high priest.

 

John 18:19-24 NKJV

 

19The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. 20Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

 

22And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” 23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” 24Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

 

Facing the Opposition

 

If we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, in truth, and in godly living, according to the teachings of Christ and of his New Testament apostles, we will face opposition. And some of that opposition might even come from the religious, i.e. from pastors and/or elders of institutional churches or from others who also profess faith in Jesus Christ. But if we are living the truth of God’s word, and if we are sharing the truth of the gospel with others, why would they oppose us? Why would they accuse us of what we did not do?

 

I believe it is because so many of the religious are religious in form only but they are not in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Although they may profess faith in the Lord Jesus, they are not living the life that God has for us to live. But they are followers of man, and they are followers of the thinking of humans, and they are followers of the culture they live in rather than be followers of God. And some of them are still living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, and so they are not following Jesus Christ in obedience.

 

An Altered Gospel

 

Thus, many of them have accepted an altered gospel message which appeases human flesh and which does not call for death to sin and obedience to God and to his commands. Or if they do teach repentance, they teach it more as someone just saying they are sorry for their sins, no change in lifestyle required. Or if they teach true repentance and obedience, they teach them more as optional, but not as required for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. Few it seems teach the biblical gospel message.

 

So, if you are someone who holds to the truths of the Scriptures, and who lives the life that God requires of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and who shares the truth of the gospel with others, you may find yourself being opposed and criticized and falsely accused of wrong you did not do by people who are outwardly religious but whose lives are not surrendered to the Lord in obedience to his commands. For so many are following and teaching an altered “gospel” that is not the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Punished for Doing Good

 

Jesus Christ was punished for doing good, not for doing evil. He was stricken because he spoke truth to the people and not the lies that so many were telling and believing. He confronted sin in sinful humans, and he did not pamper anyone in their sin. And he told them the absolute truth about what will happen to them if they reject him as their Lord, and if they refuse to deny self, die to sin, and obey his commands. They will not have salvation from sin, and they will not have eternal life with God, plain and simple.

 

And so they hated him for that! And they wanted him dead, because he did not cater to their whims, and he did not appease them in their sins, and he did not overlook their unrighteous, cruel, and hateful deeds. But he told them the truth they did not want to hear. But did he also teach on love and kindness and generosity and compassion? Yes! Most certainly! But love is preferring what God prefers, which is what is righteous, holy, morally pure, upright, kind, faithful, honest, and obedient to our Lord and his commands.

 

[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]

 

When I Am Afraid

 

Based off Psalms 56-57

An Original Work / October 17, 2016

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in You.

Your Word, Lord, I praise. I yield my life to You.

Enemies pursue me, slandering Your Name.

Lord, have mercy. I trust in You. Hear my cry today.

 

Lord, I love Your Word. It comforts me today,

As I look to you, and bow my head and pray.

You are Christ, my Lord. You saved me from my sin,

That I may walk, Lord before You, purified within.

 

Steadfast is my heart, O God, I sing of You.

I will praise You, Lord. To You, I will be true.

Oh, how great Your love. Your faithfulness endue.

Be exalted, God of heaven. Glory be to You.

 

https://vimeo.com/187821104

 

Why Do You Strike Me?

An Original Work / May 22, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

The Betrayal

John 18:1-11 NKJV

 

1When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

 

5They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

 

10Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

 

Jesus Christ

 

Jesus Christ is not only the only begotten Son of God, born of woman, and conceived of the Holy Spirit, but he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus always existed with God, and he is our creator God. And he was the spiritual Rock from whom the Israelites drank during their time in the wilderness. And he is the one they also tested in the wilderness (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-11). And all the time that Jesus lived on the earth he was fully God and fully human (God incarnate).

 

Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth, was born as a baby, grew to be a man, and he healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, fed the hungry, and performed all sorts of miracles. And he also preached repentance and obedience to God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God. But his people, the Jews, mostly hated him, tested and tried him, plotted evil against him, and eventually carried out his death on a cross. And they who deny Jesus are antichrist.

 

The Betrayal

 

Jesus Christ had 12 men disciples who worked alongside him in ministry during his three years of ministry on the earth before his death. Judas was one of them, but Judas betrayed Jesus to his enemies which then brought Jesus to death on a cross. But this was in God’s plan that Jesus should die on a cross, for in his death he put our sins to death with him, and in his resurrection he rose in victory over sin, Satan, hell, and death so that, by faith in him, we might now die to sin and follow Jesus in obedience.

 

And Jesus warned us that if we follow him with our lives, in surrender to his will, in obedience to his commands, that we will be treated as he was treated. We will be hated, rejected, called evil, persecuted, mocked, and betrayed, too, some of us to the death. And our betrayers could be people of our own families, or others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, or they could be pastors or elders in the gatherings of the church, or they could be our political leaders who promise us good while they work evil against us.

 

Drinking the Cup

 

Jesus did not fight against his persecutors. He knew this was God’s will for his life. He knew his purpose in coming to the earth was to save us from our sins. And he accepted the fact that it meant him having to be put to death on that cross. So he accepted the cup of suffering that he knew he must endure in order that, by faith in him, we might die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living – all in the power of God. And he did this out of love for you and me so we would go free from bondage to sin.

 

And we, as well, if we are to serve the Lord Jesus with our lives, and if we are to share the truth of the gospel as Jesus taught it to the people, then we must also accept the cup of suffering we will most certainly have to endure because we stand on the truth of God’s word, and we don’t compromise with the world of sin. We must be willing to be hated, rejected, ignored, and treated like trash because we speak the truth that many do not want to hear, because we love God and we love the people enough to tell them the truth.

 

[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]

 

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 Betrayal

An Original Work / May 21, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Not of The World

The time here was right before Jesus’ arrest, his trial, and his crucifixion on a cross to put to death with him the sins of the world. And he was praying to God the Father concerning his followers, because Jesus was about ready to leave them, and soon he would go back to the Father. Jesus had been with them for at least three years, teaching them the ways of the Lord. And those who were his true disciples had kept the word of the Lord. But he was concerned for how they would do once he was gone, and so he prayed:

 

John 17:12-17 NKJV

 

12“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

 

Tested and Tried

 

As followers of Jesus Christ we are going to be tested and tried. We are going to face temptations to give into the flesh. Satan is going to “pull out all the stops,” i.e. he is going to make every possible effort and use all available resources he has to try to trip us up, to get us to sin, and to get us to betray our faith and our Lord. For he does not want us walking in obedience to our Lord, doing the will of God, sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world. He wants us to be afraid. He wants us to fail in so many ways.

 

And he has many different “tricks up his sleeve,” too. And it isn’t all just temptations to sin. But it can be confusing our minds, blocking our ability to hear God’s voice by clouding our minds with all sorts of other stuff, which could include reminders of past failures, hoping to get us discouraged so we will give up the fight. Or he might attack us with sickness or weakness or fatigue to the point to where he thinks he can get us to give up and to back down and to fall away and to no longer pursue God and his righteousness.

 

Or he may plant fearful thoughts in our minds such as, “what if this happens, then what?” For he definitely wants us to be afraid of everything, really, but especially of rejection, persecutions, mocking, and betrayals. He wants us so afraid of everything and everyone and every possible difficult circumstance so that we will not obey our Lord and his calling upon our lives. He wants us to where we will just “play it safe” so as not to upset anyone and so as not to draw attention to ourselves so we will do nothing good.

 

Kept From the Evil One

 

And Jesus knew that. He knew what his followers were going to be up against once he was no longer with them protecting them from the evil one, in person. He knew what tricks the enemy was going to attempt with them once he was no longer with them. And he knew what kinds of persecutions they were going to face, and how they would be hated by their enemies without him there to comfort and encourage them face to face. And so he prayed to the Father for their protection from the evil one, our enemy.

 

But he was not asking the Father that they be taken out of the world, but that he would keep them safe while they were still in the world. For God sent us into the world to be his witnesses to the people of the world. And we are going to come up against opposition, for certain. But we are here, not so that we will partake in the things of the world, i.e. the lusts of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life, but that we would stand out as different from the world because we are being made into the likeness of our 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]

 

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

 

Not of The World

An Original Work / May 21, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

He Will Guide You

John 16:12-15 NKJV

 

12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

 

A Controversial Subject

 

The subject of the Holy Spirit tends to be a controversial subject within the gatherings of the church (or what are falsely called “the church”). There are those who are adamant against any of us being able to hear the Spirit speak to us except through the written Word, who also deny many of the gifts of the Spirit. And then there are those who go to the opposite extreme and who do and say all kinds of things in the name of the Holy Spirit which are against the teachings of the Scriptures, which sometimes are very bizarre.

 

But there is a biblical truth somewhere in the middle of those two extremes which some people do accept, but which other people will never accept. For not only does the Holy Spirit speak to us through the written word, giving us understanding of what the Scriptures are teaching, but he gives us knowledge and understanding of what spiritual gifts we have been given, and how they are to be used, and he speaks to us regarding God’s callings on our individual lives so we know what body parts we are in the church.

 

The Spirit’s Voice

 

His is that gentle voice within us that says, “Go talk to that person,” or “Stop! Don’t go there!” Or “Give to that cause,” or “Don’t give there for they are crooked.” He is that gentle pause within us that makes us stop and think before we take the next step. When I have one of those pauses in my spirit I know to stop what I am doing and to inquire of the Lord as to what I should do next. For I want to make certain that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do. And the Holy Spirit guides me and directs me in the ways of the Lord.

 

Yet there are many people today who insist that God speaks to us only through his written word, and that the only way that the Spirit speaks to us is also through the written word. But then how do we know what our gifts of the Spirit are and how we are to use them? How do we know our callings of God and what we are to do? The Bible does not say to me, “Sue Love, this is my calling for your individual life.” But the Holy Spirit can speak to me, using the written word as a catalyst to let me know God’s calling on my life.

 

The Spirit’s Calling

 

For example, 22 years ago, beginning around this time of year, the Holy Spirit began speaking to my heart through my grandmother’s journals and through a passage of Scripture in Habakkuk 2:2-3, which she kept quoting. And that Scripture passage kept showing up at other times and places, too. And the Lord said to me that I was to write down on my tablet (computer) what the Lord was teaching me through his word, so that a herald (the internet) could “run with it.” And that is what I have been doing since then.

 

But there are other ways in which the Holy Spirit speaks to me, like through dreams, which are like parables which illustrate biblical truth. For in this way the Lord gives me understanding of what subject he wants me to speak on so I know what passage of Scripture to write on, too. But he also speaks to me through nature, such as if a cockroach would appear somewhere in my home, I would look up the meaning of cockroach and look at where and what the cockroach was doing, and it might also illustrate a biblical truth.

 

Don’t Limit the Holy Spirit

 

So, don’t limit the Holy Spirit to just teaching you what the Scriptures teach. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be Jesus with us teaching us all things. And Jesus spoke through parables, and he used nature to illustrate biblical truth, and the Scriptures teach that in the last days God’s sons and daughters will prophesy, and dream dreams, and see visions. But all of this must be in accord with God’s Word and with the nature of God and not what is contrary to the teachings of God or contrary to his will for our lives. So be discerning.

 

But all of us who are of faith in Jesus Christ have been given spiritual gifts and specific callings of God to ministry. And we are given the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what those gifts and callings of God are for our lives and to empower us for ministry in using those gifts in those areas where we are called. But all of this must align with the teachings of the Scriptures and with the will of God for our lives. And nothing of the Spirit will lead us to do anything out of our own control, for the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.

 

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; 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 5:11-21; 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; 1 Peter 2:9,21; 1 John 2:6]

 

Speak, Lord 

 

An Original Work / May 8, 2011

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Speak, Lord, for Your servant’s list’ning to You.

Let me hear You speak in love and in truth.

Guide me, I pray. Teach me Your way.

Speak, Lord, while I bow before You now.

 

Speak, Lord, fill me with Your peace and Your joy.

Let Your Holy Spirit’s work now employ.

Strengthen within. Keep me from sin.

Speak, Lord, words that lead to victory.

 

Speak, Lord, so that I might walk in Your ways.

Let Your love o’er-flow in my heart today.

Be my desire. Set me on fire.

Speak, Lord, comfort me with Your presence.

 

https://vimeo.com/119817891

 

He Will Guide You

An Original Work / May 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If The World Hates You

John 15:18-25 NKJV

 

18“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”

 

Not Strangers

 

The people who hated and persecuted Jesus, and who plotted and who had carried out Jesus’ death on a cross, were not strangers to him. They were not outsiders. They were his own people, of his own race and nationality, and of his own faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were the Jews, as he also was a Jew. Some of them were members of his own family, and some were probably his neighbors and people in his own community. And they were rulers of the people and influencers in the Temple of God.

 

So when this talks of the world hating us like it hated Jesus, this is not necessarily speaking of just people who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ, or people from other nations, or people we don’t know. It includes professing Christians, and people who attend weekly gatherings of what are at least called “the church.” And this includes pastors and elders of said “churches,” too. And it can include family members and neighbors and other people we know. And this includes the leaders of our own country, as well.

 

The World

 

So, who makes up “the world”? We all live in the world. But they are the people who are of the world. They are those who love the world, i.e. who prefer the things of the world, such as the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. They are those who are still living to please the flesh, and not to please God, and who are captives of sin, and whose lives are not surrendered to God. They are the wicked, the self-indulgent, the prideful, the immoral, the liars, the cheats, the murderers, and the haters.

 

And sadly many of them are people of influence in our nations, in our governments, in our communities, and in the gatherings of the institutional church. So, even if some (or many) of them profess faith in Jesus Christ, it does not mean that they are on our side and that they are not against us. Many of them are following the wrong people, and they are believing the lies, and they are rejecting much of the truth taught in the Scriptures. So they reject the idea we must deny self, die to sin, and obey God in practice.

 

They Hate

 

So, even though many of them profess faith in Jesus Christ, and they attend weekly gatherings of the institutional church, and some of them are pastors and elders and deacons who are supposed to love us and nurture us and train us in righteousness and equip us for the work of the ministry, they will turn against us if we take Jesus and his teachings seriously to obey them, and if that is what we are teaching others. For so many of them have gone the way of the world and are turning their gatherings into marketplaces.

 

Their goal is not to please God and to produce biblical disciples of Christ, but it is to entertain the world in order to grow their numbers so that the people of the world will come to their gatherings. And so they dilute the gospel message, and they turn their gatherings into show cases, and they pamper people in their sin rather than call them to biblical repentance and obedience to our Lord’s commands. So if we are standing on the truths of the Scriptures and calling out the lies, we will be hated, rejected, and tossed!

 

World Pleasers

 

Since so many of them are working to please the people of the world so that the world will join in with them in their gatherings, they have become much like the world in character, in faith, and in action. So the enemy thus becomes us who hold to the truths of the Scriptures and who will not compromise with the world of sin. Like one pastor told me, “I was warned about people like you, people with strong convictions.” So he invited me to either let him be God’s voice to me or to go where I will be a “better fit.”

 

And in their efforts to please the world they are now compromising biblical truth in order to join in with the world in harmony, as one people holding hands, living in unity with one another. For many of them this is their resolution for hate and conflict, if they can get everyone to agree, which definitely engages compromise of biblical conviction and the teachings of the Scriptures on what it means to be “Christians,” and followers of Christ. So they will hate us who do not join in with them in their compromise.

 

The Faithful

 

But we who are followers of Jesus Christ must remain faithful to the Lord and to the teachings of the Scriptures. We must not deny our Lord and his gospel message in order to make peace with the people of the world. We are to stand out as different if truly Jesus is Lord of our lives and if we are following him in obedience and in surrender to his will and purpose for our lives. And we must keep speaking the truth of the gospel to the people of the world for their salvation from sin and eternal life with Jesus, our Lord.

 

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

 

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; 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]

 

His Tender Mercies

 

An Original Work / January 26, 2014

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

Fear not! I’m with you. Be not dismayed!

God watches o’er you. Trust Him today.

He’ll lead and guide you; Give you His aid.

He’ll love and keep you with Him always.

 

Walk in His footsteps. He’ll lead the way.

Trust in His love; Believe that He cares.

He will not leave you. Faithful He’ll be.

His tender mercies now you will see.

 

Fellowship with Him throughout the day.

Tell Him your heartaches. He’ll heal always.

Rest in His comfort. He is your friend.

Your faith He’ll strengthen, true to the end.

 

https://vimeo.com/379513308

 

If The World Hates You

An Original Work / May 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Unless We Abide in Christ

John 15:1-4 NKJV

 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

 

What Faith Looks Like

 

What does faith in Jesus Christ look like? Well, first off, the faith to believe in Jesus Christ is not of our own selves, not of human flesh. We cannot even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. And faith means to be persuaded, in this case to be persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die to sin and to obey our Lord in practice, in the power of God. And biblical faith is also progressive. We are saved (past). We are being saved (present), and we will be saved (future) if we continue in obedience to our Lord.

 

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24]

 

Therefore, if we do not continue in our Lord, but we fall away, and we go back to living in sin and for the flesh, and not for God, not in righteousness and holiness and in the forsaking of our sins and in walks of obedience, then we are in danger of being cut off from the vine (see also Romans 11:19-22). For to remain in Christ requires that we abide in him and that we bear much spiritual fruit in keeping with repentance. For to abide in Christ is to follow him in obedience, to conform to his standards, and to keep putting sin to death. And it is to live holy lives, pleasing to God, in his power and strength.

 

Bearing Spiritual Fruit

 

But none of us can bear the kind of Spiritual fruit (results, evidence) of heart and minds transformed of the Spirit of God if we are trying to do it in our own flesh. We can only produce righteousness, godliness, moral purity, holy living, honesty, faithfulness, kindness, and love, if our lives are surrendered to Jesus, to doing his will, in submission to his commands, daily walking in his truths in his power and wisdom, under his guidance. And that can only happen if we have honestly turned away from our sins and we are now following our Lord in his power, strength, and wisdom, not in our own.

 

Therefore, our Lord prunes those of us who are walking in his ways, in obedience to his commands, so that we continue in his ways. And that pruning will or may include many trials and tribulations to test our faith. We may be persecuted for righteousness’ sake, falsely accused of what we did not do, and/or rejected and cast aside as unwanted, even by the “religious” and by “religious institutions” and by their leaders, because we stand on the truths of the Scriptures, and we share them with the world, and we do not compromise with the world and with market-driven “church” philosophy.

 

John 15:5-8 NKJV

 

5“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

 

Cheap Grace vs Biblical Grace

 

So many people today are preaching a cheap grace gospel message, not that God’s grace is cheap, for it is not, but that they have cheapened his grace to allow for deliberate and habitual sin to go on in the life of the one who professes faith in Jesus Christ. And they do not require obedience to our Lord’s commands. Yet many who do, they teach it more as a suggestion or as a recommendation, but not as a requirement for salvation from sin and eternal life with God. Few, it seems, are teaching the gospel as Jesus taught it, and as his New Testament apostles taught it, for they want acceptance.

 

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 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. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one obeying God’s will.

 

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

 

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

 

Unless We Abide in Christ

An Original Work / May 20, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

"If I Do Not Wash You"

The occasion was the last supper Jesus had with his disciples before Judas betrayed him to the death, and before Jesus was taken away by his enemies to be crucified on a cross for our sins. The supper was now over, and Jesus took it upon himself to wash his disciples feet. But when he got to Peter:

 

John 13:8-11 NKJV

 

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

 

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

 

9Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

 

10Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

 

Our Walks of Faith

 

Now, if we pay close attention to Jesus’ words here we will see that this was not just about Jesus washing his disciples feet in a physical sense. For when he spoke of who was clean and who was not clean, he was speaking in a spiritual, not in a physical sense. So, what do our feet represent on a spiritual level? They have to do with our walks of faith, or the lack thereof. They have to do with how we live and what we speak and the things that we do each day, either in honor of God or in dishonor of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

And when Jesus spoke of someone being bathed needing only to wash his feet, he was speaking again in a spiritual, not in a physical sense. He was speaking of those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ as those who have bathed. They have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ via dying with Christ to sin and living to him and to his righteousness, in the power of God, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in our Lord. He was speaking of those whose lives were surrendered to the Lord who were following him.

 

Not Lip Service Only

 

But a profession of faith in Jesus Christ alone is not enough to deliver us from all sins and to promise us eternal life with God in heaven. And that is where the feet come into play. For Jesus told Peter if Peter did not let him wash his feet that Peter had no part with Jesus. So, we can’t just “get saved” and now we get to go to heaven when we die. We have to walk the walk and not just talk it. We have to die daily to sin and deny self and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands if we want to have eternal life with God.

 

So, why was one of them not clean? Because, rather than submitting to Christ as Lord, Judas gave into the devil, and he decided to betray Jesus, instead. He was the one who was not clean morally and spiritually for, although he made a pretense outwardly of being a disciple of Christ, inwardly he was not one of Jesus’ true followers. So his commitment was outward only and in words only, but not in practice. He did not walk the walk but he just talked it, for a time, before his real intentions became clear.

 

We Must Live It!

 

So the Christian life is not one of words only. We must live what we say we believe. Daily we must surrender our all to our Lord and walk in his ways, in his righteousness and holiness, in submission to his will, and no longer as slaves to sin. We must seek him with our whole being to find out what all he has for us to do in this life, to know what gifts we have been given, and how we are to use them, and to know God’s calling on our lives, so that we do his will in serving him in ministry and in sharing the gospel with other people.

 

And we must no longer live as slaves to sin and to self just doing what pleases us each day. For faith in Jesus is not just spoken with words but it must be lived out in our daily lives in surrender of our wills to the will of God and in walks of obedience to his commands. Jesus is not to just be our Savior, but he is to be our life. He is not someone we spend time with for a few minutes each day, but we are to be walking with him where he leads us throughout the day every day, doing his will, surrendering all to him.

 

[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]

 

Seek the Lord 

 

Based off Isaiah 55

Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

 

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

 

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you,

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

 

https://vimeo.com/379408296

 

“If I Do Not Wash You”

An Original Work / May 19, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love