Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 4,389
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.” (1 Peter 4:12-16 NASB1995)
Jesus promised his followers that if they served him with their lives that they would be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted, and that they would suffer many things in many ways for their faith and for their testimonies for the Lord. And we are taught that suffering is part of the life of a follower of Christ, and that it is for our good, to mature us, to make us holy, to humble us, to make us more compassionate towards others who are suffering, and to make us more like Jesus in character, heart, and mind.
And the suffering can come in many different forms. It can certainly be the result of our testimonies for the Lord and for his gospel, resulting in people hating and rejecting us and opposing us strongly. Or it can be Satan getting permission from God to cause us physical and emotional pain and suffering as Satan’s plan to try to get us to renounce our Lord and his will and plan and purpose for our lives, but which God intends to use to grow us in him. For Satan is our enemy who is out to destroy us and to break us in two.
So, when trials and tribulations come upon us to test our faith, and to make us more like Jesus, we should not be surprised by it, nor should we be taken out by it, i.e. we should not let it destroy us. For God allows these trials and tribulations to come into our lives so that we may share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like him in his death, in order that we may attain to the resurrection from the dead (see Philippians 3:7-11). For if we are left to our own devices, we may not attain eternal life with God.
Suffering tests our faith to see what we are made out of and whether or not our faith is genuine and/or if we are weak in faith and need to be strengthened in our faith via us having to suffer. Or it is used in the lives of those who are strong in their faith to make them even stronger and even more determined to hold fast to the truth of God’s word and to not give way to any deviances from the truth of the gospel. And sometimes this is just ground work to prepare us for greater suffering which is yet ahead.
When we have to depend on the Lord in our times of trials and tribulations, it draws us closer in fellowship with our Lord, and we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves for the answers to life’s complications. Through it all our knowledge of God and of who he is and our fellowship with him should be strengthened. And if we respond properly, in these times, we should learn even more of our Lord’s purpose in giving his life up for us on that cross, and of what he expects from us, as those who claim to be his followers.
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; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 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 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
And, although it may be through many tears, we are to keep rejoicing, for God is allowing these things in our lives for our good to make us who he wants us to be so that he can use us in the way he had planned for our lives from even before we were even formed in the wombs of our mothers (see Psalms 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:1-19). So, if we are reviled for the name of Christ, we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on us. And if we suffer because of our faith in Christ, we are not to be ashamed, but we are to glorify God in his name, and thank him, and then obey him.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
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.
The Fiery Ordeal Among You
An Original Work / October 31, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Jesus promised his followers that if they served him with their lives that they would be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted, and that they would suffer many things in many ways for their faith and for their testimonies for the Lord. And we are taught that suffering is part of the life of a follower of Christ, and that it is for our good, to mature us, to make us holy, to humble us, to make us more compassionate towards others who are suffering, and to make us more like Jesus in character, heart, and mind.
And the suffering can come in many different forms. It can certainly be the result of our testimonies for the Lord and for his gospel, resulting in people hating and rejecting us and opposing us strongly. Or it can be Satan getting permission from God to cause us physical and emotional pain and suffering as Satan’s plan to try to get us to renounce our Lord and his will and plan and purpose for our lives, but which God intends to use to grow us in him. For Satan is our enemy who is out to destroy us and to break us in two.
So, when trials and tribulations come upon us to test our faith, and to make us more like Jesus, we should not be surprised by it, nor should we be taken out by it, i.e. we should not let it destroy us. For God allows these trials and tribulations to come into our lives so that we may share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like him in his death, in order that we may attain to the resurrection from the dead (see Philippians 3:7-11). For if we are left to our own devices, we may not attain eternal life with God.
Suffering tests our faith to see what we are made out of and whether or not our faith is genuine and/or if we are weak in faith and need to be strengthened in our faith via us having to suffer. Or it is used in the lives of those who are strong in their faith to make them even stronger and even more determined to hold fast to the truth of God’s word and to not give way to any deviances from the truth of the gospel. And sometimes this is just ground work to prepare us for greater suffering which is yet ahead.
When we have to depend on the Lord in our times of trials and tribulations, it draws us closer in fellowship with our Lord, and we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves for the answers to life’s complications. Through it all our knowledge of God and of who he is and our fellowship with him should be strengthened. And if we respond properly, in these times, we should learn even more of our Lord’s purpose in giving his life up for us on that cross, and of what he expects from us, as those who claim to be his followers.
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; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 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 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
And, although it may be through many tears, we are to keep rejoicing, for God is allowing these things in our lives for our good to make us who he wants us to be so that he can use us in the way he had planned for our lives from even before we were even formed in the wombs of our mothers (see Psalms 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:1-19). So, if we are reviled for the name of Christ, we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on us. And if we suffer because of our faith in Christ, we are not to be ashamed, but we are to glorify God in his name, and thank him, and then obey him.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
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.
The Fiery Ordeal Among You
An Original Work / October 31, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
