“You pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:13-14 NASB1995)

If we are the Lord’s servants and messengers, and if we are taking the truth of the gospel to the people of the world, we should expect that we will be hated and persecuted by the world. But what might surprise us is that we might be hated and persecuted by what is called “the church,” by those who say that they serve the same God as we do, and who are supposed to love us, and to value us, and to minister God’s love and grace to us, but who cast us aside, and misuse us, and lie to us and/or about us, for their own ends.

But why would they do that? Well, in reality, many of what are being called “churches” today are really businesses created in the minds of humans, incorporated (united, merged with) under the government, the state, which are then partnered with the world in order to attract the world to their gatherings. And so marketing tricks, gimmicks, and schemes are taught to their leaders in their training sessions where they also train them in who they want to have in their gatherings, and who they should “get rid of.”

Why do they do this? Because they are being taught to do this, or because they are in it for the wrong reasons, or because they do not really know Jesus, in truth, and so they think just like the world, and not like Christ. They are business people whose goal it is to “grow their numbers,” and so they are looking for ways to “draw in large crowds of people from the world.” And people who honestly teach the truth that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught do not “draw in large crowds of people from the world.”

So we are told things like, “I was warned about people like you, people with strong convictions.” They were warned in their training sessions about who to get rid of who might drag them down. How do I know? My husband and I were church planters twice, and we went to those training sessions. And we were told to use “needy people” to get up and running. But once we were up and running we were to “get rid of the needy people” so they would not drag us down. And where does it teach that in the Scriptures?? It doesn’t!!

Now I really identify with the Psalmist’s words in these two verses quoted above, because that describes many of my “church” experiences. I have been accused falsely of character traits that were not mine to have, and of lying when I told the truth, of having wrong motives when I was helping someone in need, and of not hearing from God when I was hearing from God. And myself hearing from God was supported by more than a few pastors of other churches who were present when I spoke by permission.

Now I was submissive, I was not rebellious, I spoke when given permission to speak, and I was not out of order. But I wasn’t like the majority. I didn’t fit into their mold or into their desired people narrative. I did stand out as different. And sometimes they just didn’t know what to make of me, and so they drew their own conclusions about me. And sometimes it was because I was one of those people they were “warned about,” i.e. “people with strong convictions,” that I just didn’t fit with the norm. And so they misjudged me.

And early on there were times when I did fall, and when I gave up hope, and when I withdrew because I didn’t understand the sovereignty of God over my life, and I was afraid, and I was hurt, and I felt helpless. But then the Lord helped me, and he was my strength and my song, and he rescued me from the fear of man. And he let me know his calling upon my life was going to involve being hated, misunderstood, rejected, falsely accused, and cast aside as unnecessary and as unwanted. But that is how Jesus was treated.

So, if you are listening to the Lord, and if you are following the teachings of the Scriptures, taught in their appropriate and correct biblical context, but you are the “odd ball,” i.e. the “weird one” because you don’t compromise with the world, and you don’t compromise the truth of the Scriptures, but you stand for truth and righteousness, even if you are in the minority, then don’t let that discourage you. Let the Lord be your helper, and depend on his strength, and keep sharing the truth even if other people hate you for it.

[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]

Songs in the Night

An Original Work / December 18, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!

But The Lord Helped Me
An Original Work / January 11, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love