- Aug 10, 2006
- 14,954
- 3,824
- 74
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
I’m sharing this here with you from my time of personal devotions with my Lord Jesus Christ, for your encouragement. Sue Love
Isaiah 41:8-10 ESV
In this world of ours we will have trouble. Liars abound everywhere – in the government, in the media, and in the church. The gospel is being diluted to coddle people in their sins, so sin abounds even within the gatherings of the church. Wars never cease. People are being killed everyday at the hands of the greedy warmongers who are taking over the world. Confusion, disinformation, and manipulation of truth abounds. Not many to be trusted.
But we can count on God to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change like shifting shadows like people do. He is never unfaithful like humans are. He will never lie to us like other humans do. We can count on our Lord to be true to his word and to be faithful in all that he does. He is the best friend any of us could ever have. He will never leave nor forsake those who are his by genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
So, when people lie to us and they betray us and they do evil against us, God is our refuge and strength if we have placed our trust in him for our salvation and if we have forsaken our lives of living in sin and for self to follow him now in obedience to his word and to his ways. And he will help us through every situation that comes our way to remain steadfast in our faith and to keep speaking truth and to keep exposing the lies of the enemy.
[1 Pet 2:9; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Co 12:1-31; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-17; Jn 15:18-21; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12]
Isaiah 41:11-13 ESV
If we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, if we are living for the Lord, doing what he says to do, and especially if we are sharing the truth of the gospel with others, we are going to have people incensed against us, for we will be an offense to them, for we will be speaking against the sinful lifestyles that many of them are living. And we will be calling them to turn from their sinful practices to follow Jesus Christ in obedience.
Not only will many be incensed against us, but they will also strive against us. Some of them will fight against us because they don’t like the message of the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught. Some will do so in ignorance, because they were persuaded to do so, while others will do so with the sole purpose to try to destroy us and our message. For many are adopting the cheap grace gospel which coddles them in their sins.
When people are living in addiction to sin, and when sin has a grip on their lives, and when they don’t truly want to forsake their sins, they don’t rejoice over messages which tell them that they must give up their sins to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. And so if we are teaching the true gospel, we are going to have people who will contend with us about what we are teaching for they don’t want to hear it.
Now, the Scriptures teach us that if we are followers of Christ that we will have enemies who will hate and persecute us and who may, at some point, put us to death because of our walks of faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and his gospel. But we are not to fear them. Although God may allow us to be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, he has the final word, and our persecutors will one day perish in their sin.
But we should be those who are loving those who hate and persecute us. We should be those who pray for our enemies, and who do good to them and not harm, and we should do for them and say to them what will be for their good (as God defines good). And so we will speak the truth in love to them, and we will tell them the truth of what God’s word teaches, because we love them, and because we want them to be saved and to have eternal life.
But we can also find comfort and healing in knowing that our Lord is holding our hands, and that he is helping us through every trial and through every persecution to remain steadfast in faith and to not yield to the temptation to give up. He will help us through it all to keep on in keeping on in our walks of faith and obedience to him and to keep speaking the truth that all people need to hear and to pray that many will listen and will find salvation.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Eph 2:8-10]
Servant of the Lord
An Original Work / July 26, 2012
Based off Romans 1:1-17
Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.
Servant of the Lord,
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
Isaiah 41:8-10 ESV
“But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off;
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’.”
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, ‘You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off;
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’.”
In this world of ours we will have trouble. Liars abound everywhere – in the government, in the media, and in the church. The gospel is being diluted to coddle people in their sins, so sin abounds even within the gatherings of the church. Wars never cease. People are being killed everyday at the hands of the greedy warmongers who are taking over the world. Confusion, disinformation, and manipulation of truth abounds. Not many to be trusted.
But we can count on God to be the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change like shifting shadows like people do. He is never unfaithful like humans are. He will never lie to us like other humans do. We can count on our Lord to be true to his word and to be faithful in all that he does. He is the best friend any of us could ever have. He will never leave nor forsake those who are his by genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
So, when people lie to us and they betray us and they do evil against us, God is our refuge and strength if we have placed our trust in him for our salvation and if we have forsaken our lives of living in sin and for self to follow him now in obedience to his word and to his ways. And he will help us through every situation that comes our way to remain steadfast in our faith and to keep speaking truth and to keep exposing the lies of the enemy.
[1 Pet 2:9; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Rom 12:1-8; 1 Co 12:1-31; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-17; Jn 15:18-21; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12]
Isaiah 41:11-13 ESV
“Behold, all who are incensed against you
shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ’Fear not,
I am the one who helps you’.”
shall be put to shame and confounded;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ’Fear not,
I am the one who helps you’.”
If we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, if we are living for the Lord, doing what he says to do, and especially if we are sharing the truth of the gospel with others, we are going to have people incensed against us, for we will be an offense to them, for we will be speaking against the sinful lifestyles that many of them are living. And we will be calling them to turn from their sinful practices to follow Jesus Christ in obedience.
Not only will many be incensed against us, but they will also strive against us. Some of them will fight against us because they don’t like the message of the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught. Some will do so in ignorance, because they were persuaded to do so, while others will do so with the sole purpose to try to destroy us and our message. For many are adopting the cheap grace gospel which coddles them in their sins.
When people are living in addiction to sin, and when sin has a grip on their lives, and when they don’t truly want to forsake their sins, they don’t rejoice over messages which tell them that they must give up their sins to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. And so if we are teaching the true gospel, we are going to have people who will contend with us about what we are teaching for they don’t want to hear it.
Now, the Scriptures teach us that if we are followers of Christ that we will have enemies who will hate and persecute us and who may, at some point, put us to death because of our walks of faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and his gospel. But we are not to fear them. Although God may allow us to be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, he has the final word, and our persecutors will one day perish in their sin.
But we should be those who are loving those who hate and persecute us. We should be those who pray for our enemies, and who do good to them and not harm, and we should do for them and say to them what will be for their good (as God defines good). And so we will speak the truth in love to them, and we will tell them the truth of what God’s word teaches, because we love them, and because we want them to be saved and to have eternal life.
But we can also find comfort and healing in knowing that our Lord is holding our hands, and that he is helping us through every trial and through every persecution to remain steadfast in faith and to not yield to the temptation to give up. He will help us through it all to keep on in keeping on in our walks of faith and obedience to him and to keep speaking the truth that all people need to hear and to pray that many will listen and will find salvation.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; Eph 2:8-10]
Servant of the Lord
An Original Work / July 26, 2012
Based off Romans 1:1-17
Servant of the Lord;
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
Through Him, and for His name alone,
We receive His grace
To call people, Him to obey;
Coming from their faith.
Servant of the Lord,
For the gospel you’re set apart.
Promised through the prophets of old:
Jesus, Son of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ;
Always praying for others’ needs;
Helping hand to lend;
Giving courage to others’ faith,
For the praise of God.
You belong to Christ;
Loved by God, and called to be saints;
Serving God with whole heart and mind;
Preaching Jesus Christ.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
In the gospel find righteousness:
Being right with God.
Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.
By faith, live in Him.
Servant of the Lord;
Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;
For salvation, power of God
To those who have faith.
