Sue J Love
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- Mar 27, 2015
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The apostle Paul, formerly called Saul, had been a persecutor of Christ’s followers until Jesus, in the spirit, appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and he called Saul (Paul) to his service. Then the Lord spoke to one of the Lord’s disciples named Ananias, and he called him to lay hands on Saul so that he would receive his sight, but Ananias was hesitant because of Saul’s reputation as a persecutor of Christ’s followers who were of “The Way.”
Acts 9:15-16,19-20,22-27 NKJV
15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” “19… Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” “22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
23Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. 26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles…”
A Chosen Vessel
In actuality, all of us who are of true faith in Jesus Christ are God’s/Christ’s chosen vessels. All of us have been called to be servants of the Lord in taking the message of the gospel of Christ to the people of the world. All of us are to proclaim the excellencies of God who called us out of darkness (sin) into his wonderful light (truth, righteousness, obedience to God). We are all to be his witnesses throughout the world in making disciples of Christ of people of all nations, teaching them to obey our Lord’s commands.
[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Some of us the Lord calls to do this full-time, as our full-time assignment from God, pay or no pay (financially). And others are not called to do this full-time because they have other jobs (so as to pay their bills), and they have families to care for and houses to take care of. But that doesn’t mean they are not called of God, i.e. that they are not also chosen vessels of the Lord to bear his name and his gospel message before the people of the world. And this doesn’t have to all be on the clock, for God gives us divine appointments, sometimes when we least expect it, so we need to be on call.
How Much You Must Suffer
But along with being called of God to be his messengers (vessels) in taking the truth of the gospel of Christ to the people of the world, we will be opposed, criticized, ridiculed, mocked, rejected, scorned, rebuked, cast aside as unwanted, and ignored. And there will be people who will oppose us fiercely, and some who may even want us dead. And we will have other “Christians” who will pull away from us because they will think we are just weird because we no longer blend in with the people of the world.
Yet, when Jesus called Saul (Paul) to his service, as his chosen vessel to take the message of the gospel to the Jews and to the Gentiles, the Lord told Ananias that he would show Saul (Paul) how much he must suffer for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we read the Scriptures today about what God requires of us who bear his name, he also lets us know that being Christ’s followers means that we will suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus and for his gospel. But don’t let that dishearten you. Keep pressing forward and keep sharing the truth that Jesus taught.
The Gospel Message
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And Paul taught that 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; and Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10).
[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]
There’s a Stirring
By Annie Herring
There's a stirring deep within me
Could it be my time has come
When I'll see my gracious savior face to face when all is done
Is that his voice I am hearing?
'Come away, my precious one'
Is he calling me?
Is he calling me?
I will rise up, I’ll rise up
And I’ll bow down
And lay my crown
At His wounded feet
There's a stirring deep within me
A Chosen Vessel of Christ’s
An Original Work / May 27, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Acts 9:15-16,19-20,22-27 NKJV
15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” “19… Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. 20Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” “22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
23Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. 26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles…”
A Chosen Vessel
In actuality, all of us who are of true faith in Jesus Christ are God’s/Christ’s chosen vessels. All of us have been called to be servants of the Lord in taking the message of the gospel of Christ to the people of the world. All of us are to proclaim the excellencies of God who called us out of darkness (sin) into his wonderful light (truth, righteousness, obedience to God). We are all to be his witnesses throughout the world in making disciples of Christ of people of all nations, teaching them to obey our Lord’s commands.
[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Some of us the Lord calls to do this full-time, as our full-time assignment from God, pay or no pay (financially). And others are not called to do this full-time because they have other jobs (so as to pay their bills), and they have families to care for and houses to take care of. But that doesn’t mean they are not called of God, i.e. that they are not also chosen vessels of the Lord to bear his name and his gospel message before the people of the world. And this doesn’t have to all be on the clock, for God gives us divine appointments, sometimes when we least expect it, so we need to be on call.
How Much You Must Suffer
But along with being called of God to be his messengers (vessels) in taking the truth of the gospel of Christ to the people of the world, we will be opposed, criticized, ridiculed, mocked, rejected, scorned, rebuked, cast aside as unwanted, and ignored. And there will be people who will oppose us fiercely, and some who may even want us dead. And we will have other “Christians” who will pull away from us because they will think we are just weird because we no longer blend in with the people of the world.
Yet, when Jesus called Saul (Paul) to his service, as his chosen vessel to take the message of the gospel to the Jews and to the Gentiles, the Lord told Ananias that he would show Saul (Paul) how much he must suffer for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when we read the Scriptures today about what God requires of us who bear his name, he also lets us know that being Christ’s followers means that we will suffer for the sake of the name of Jesus and for his gospel. But don’t let that dishearten you. Keep pressing forward and keep sharing the truth that Jesus taught.
The Gospel Message
For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And Paul taught that 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; and Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10).
[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]
There’s a Stirring
By Annie Herring
There's a stirring deep within me
Could it be my time has come
When I'll see my gracious savior face to face when all is done
Is that his voice I am hearing?
'Come away, my precious one'
Is he calling me?
Is he calling me?
I will rise up, I’ll rise up
And I’ll bow down
And lay my crown
At His wounded feet
There's a stirring deep within me
A Chosen Vessel of Christ’s
An Original Work / May 27, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
