GOD IS LOVE
The Love of God
Today the Lord had me in the Word studying love. GOD IS LOVE. What a beautiful thing! Through the years of listening and reading up on the various types of love, the most astounding is ‘agape’: the love of God. If there is no greater love than agape, some have ventured to believe a loving God would never judge anyone. And, to be Christ-like is not to judge anyone either. Just love. All you need is love. Love is all you need.
What’s even more astounding about agape love is that it is the only love that ‘loves enemies’. So, if we have no enemies, then everyone is our friend! Is that the result of applying agape love? Unfortunately, no. While the truth is what it is, agape love is the only love that will save souls from death, and for this reason, it is the greatest love.
Keep My Commandments
One of the biggest divisions between Jews and Christians is that of what laws believers are to observe, if they love God. Afterall, in John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love [agape] Me, you will keep My commandments.” Hmmm. His commandments? Some people don’t think Jesus gave us commandments; the commandments came from God through Moses. Then, we have the rhetoric as to whether Jesus is God Himself in the flesh, or not. If He wasn’t God, what commandments was He talking about? All throughout the gospels, He quoted the 10 Commandments. Believe it or not, some debate is rooted in agape love.
If we look at Mat 22:36 an expert in the law asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘You shall love [agape] the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And second is like it: ‘You shall love [agape] your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
People have surmised that the first four of the ten commandments fall under the great and foremost commandment of loving God; the latter six of the ten fall under the second like it ~ loving man. There's truth to that, but let's dig a little deeper:
Agape Love
Observe the following passages:
1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love [agape] one another, for love [agape] is from God; and everyone who loves [agape] is born of God and knows God.” Is that true? People love others that don’t even acknowledge God, and some follow ‘another gospel’. There’s got to be truth in here somewhere.
Here lies the mystery. We are to love one another with agape love, for agape love is from God, no one else. Agape love is of the mind; it is a decision to show love to someone so that they might come to know that love of God. Consider Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love [agape] toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
We were the enemies of God because of sin! Yet, Christ still died for us! If He loved us that much, surely He won’t now judge us, will He? That might make sense to the carnal mind and its understanding of love. The answer lies in WHY Christ died for us. Because we were sinners in need of redemption, to make us holy, without sin, so we can live forever in His love. So we could receive the Holy Spirit within us, enabling us to love others the way He loves us. This is how we can love our enemies! This is also WHY we love our enemies!
Rom 12:20 tells us, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Does that sound loving? To heap burning coals on his head? For a blessing, read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. In summary, a Jew was beaten, robbed and left for dead. The prideful Jewish leaders passed him by. Yet, a hated Samaritan (referred to as a ‘dog’ by the Jews) stopped to care for his ‘enemy’. To show love to someone who least expects it from you, is letting them experience the love of God!
Phileo Love
There’s another type of love that is based in agape, but includes another element. It’s the Greek word phileo. While agape is of the mind, phileo is of the heart. It involves friendship and brotherhood. The State of Philadelphia is named after “Brotherly Love”. To get a great teaching about friendship and brotherhood, read Proverbs 18:24: “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
How can one with too many friends come to ruin? Have you heard of ‘fair weather friends’? It’s all a matter of the heart. True friends do stick closer than a brother. This is a deep, committed love. With this in mind, let’s observe Jesus’ words in John 15:13: “Greater love [agape] has no one than this, that one lay down His life for His friends.” The greatest love is agape, in that Jesus Christ died for us, while we were yet sinners. But, how do we know we are a friend of Christ? Jesus told us in John 15:14, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
Why is it important to understand the difference between agape love and phileo love? There is a line we, as believers, are not to cross. While we love [agape] our enemies, James 4:4 states, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Secondly, we are not to put the world in the place of God. 1 John 2:15 states, "Do not love [agape] the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves [agape] the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
Those who ‘love’ the world may not understand. They are loving the world from the heart [phileo], if not also from the mind [agape] ~ compromising the love [agape] of God for the love [phileo/agape] of man. See, you can’t keep the second commandment without keeping the first. Nor, can you keep the first commandment without keeping the second. It’s impossible. This is the wisdom of Jesus’ commandments! He is our first love, for we are His first love. It’s that of the Bridegroom and His Bride. Phileo even includes elements of ‘eros’ love ~ intimacy beyond mere friendship. In the flesh, this would include sexual intimacy; in spirit, it is pure unadulterated union.
The Bridegroom has called His Bride out of the world. John 15:19 states, “If you were of the world, the world would love [phileo] its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” Do you see?
No Greater Love!
John 3:16 is the truth: “For God so loved [agape] the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Agape is a two-way street, when it comes to salvation. 2 Thes 2:10 clearly states, “They perish because they refused to love [agape] the truth and so be saved.”
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (1 John 14:6). Do you love Him?
If you love [agape] God, continue to love [agape] those who hate you, just as He loved us who once were contrary to His holiness. We truly love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). If we don’t love our enemies, they may never know the love of Christ. Surely, some will not understand agape love; that you would tell them the truth about how their sin separates them from God (Mat 27:46), yet they can be reconciled back to Him by faith in Christ Jesus’ shed blood on the cross and His resurrection.
Just plant the Seed, and know that God will bring the increase (1 Cor 3:7). He desires men everywhere repent (Acts 17:30) and come to know the One Who loves them so (1 John 5:20). He loved [agape] us enough to be betrayed, falsely accused, spat upon, have his flesh ripped open through floggings and wear the crown of thorns. He loved [agape] us enough to carry that cross to Calvary and feel the nails pierce through His hands and feet. And to even pray on behalf of those who put Him there, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” How can anyone reject so great a love?
Let us remember Your words, Jesus, in Luke 6:22, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because your reward in heaven is great!”
Abiding in the love [agape] of Christ by keeping His commandments (John 15:10) may cost you the love [phileo] of the world; yet, you will rejoice with all the children of God and the heavenly host when one lost soul is saved! He’s given us His love and each other as brethren and friends to lift each other up, pray for one another and await the coming of our King!
- HATED on Account of My Name
We need to remember that we are in the world, but not of it. John 15:19 states, If you were of the world, the world would love [phileo] its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates
Comments
A most beautiful hub indeed. The creative way in which you delineated phileo with emphasis on agape is both edifying and inspirational. A wonderful meditation on which to conclude my online life for today. Thank you JD. You are one of God's gifted women.
Love in His name and for His sake,
Forever His,
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It truly blesses my heart to see the Lord bless you so much through this message. He blessed me, too!! You are a shining lamp here on HubPages, sister RevLady. Your hubs have truly been edifying in my time of need as well. This world can weary us, yet we have the love of God and each other that keeps us filled to overflow, to keep on going, until He comes again! I love you so much.
Thank You Lord, for love which came from bottom of Your heart.
Thanks JUDAH'S DAUGHTER, for beautiful loving Hub.
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Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to teach us and guide us into His truth. Blessings to you.
Thanks for standing up for the Lord. I remember Four Loves: Agape, Phileo, Storge and Eros.
C.S.Lewis wrote a book about that, I think.
Blessings.
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I guess "Storge" is the love of family (parents, etc). Learn something new every day! God bless you, too, Pratonix.
OH, Thank you Judah's Daughter! What a beautiful lesson to start Monday with. Blessings to you.
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Awesome, Joni! May we all feel inspired to let God love through us to everyone He places in our lives this week ~ day by day, Lord!! God bless you!!
I am saved only by grace. I have a plank in my eye. I am chief of sinners. This is what drives me into the arms of God. When I see the mercy I have received, do I go out and find fault in others? Yes, I am like the man that was forgiven a debt he could not pay that went out and found someone who owed him a small debt and held him accountable.
Forgive me for my sinful ways Lord. No man has been forgiven more. I cannot hold any grudge after being forgiven so much. Plus there is the fact that we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces that manipulate flesh like puppets on strings. Lord help me to see beyond the flesh so I can join you in fighting the true enemy. Loving people that set themselves up against us is fighting the enemy that controls them. Great hub!
Nice work! It is interesting to see the different types of love. Thank you for sharing.
One hub unpublished and now this hub published...I can see that Jesus has been speaking to you...
Yes.. God is Love...
Jesus hung on a cross with super powers... just before that He has put back a mans ear that was cut off... Now how on earth did Jesus die in the first place on that cross..? He healed so many people... forgiveness... I heard that Jesus died of suffocation because the cross makes your chest unable to breath...
No Jesus (God's Son...human body, the rest filled to the brim with God)...died that day because He loved His Father and us more than all the power He had to get Himself off of that cross...He GAVE His life..the cross had no power over Him...but LOVE did...
Wonderful hub...keep it coming...many blessings to you... :)
Stunning clearity on love, my precious sister. Agape'- the world believes it can, they can't. When Jesus talked with Peter He asked him, "Do you love (agape')Me?" He asked him two times and both replies Peter gave were, Yes I love You. He used phileo. Then he said to Jesus as he was asked the third time, "LORD, You know all things, You know that I love (agape') You." Jesus said feed My sheep." John 21:17. Jesus knows how we are and how we do the minimum sometimes for Him. He wants us to agape' Him. He wants us to know that spiritual oneness that comes by means of His Holy Spirit's indwelling and activating it. He wants us to love with God's love. Oh and by the way, sis, I love you.
Oh the love of God. Thank you JD ministering to me.
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fred allen, praise God. We love God because He first loved us, and if we love Him we will love others with His love. The debt we've been forgiven is why we forgive the debts owed to us, trusting for that greater reward ~ a soul that learns to know the love of God pouring through His children. God bless you!
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Yes, sky321 ~ love is the most important subject to study. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (which is IN CHRIST) and all these things will be added unto you. The whole Bible is a book of pure love. God bless you!
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Yes, Marliza ~ That hub was up because I'm passionate about false teachers and their teachings, yet it was up long enough. I so relate to the words of the Lord to the church at Ephesus in Rev 2:2-3 ~ yet, He had me focus on Rev 2:4. He knows my heart, praise Him.
Yes, the God of glory could have decided to be selfish and just say, "Let my creation depart from Me!" We weren't there in the beginning...but we were in His heart even before we were born. He made the Way to make sure we're never apart from Him for all eternity. What a dear, heavenly Father we have! What a Savior! Praise our LORD!!
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Hi brother no body! I love you, too! In Christ we abide in His love. We share both agape and phileo. It's wonderful to be in the love of the Lord!
I think someone should write a hub about Peter and Jesus' exchange in John 21. Jesus asked Peter two times, "Peter, do you agape Me?" And Peter answered both times, "Yes, Lord, I phileo You." Note what Jesus said on the third time. He brought Himself to Peter's level of love, because He then asked, "Peter, do you phileo Me?" That's what love's about. Peter indeed confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, which brought Him into that two-way street of agape love, perfectly blended with his phileo love of his Lord. Hallelujah!!
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All praise, honor and glory to our Lord Who LOVES YOU SOOOOO MUCH, Lifegate ~~~ we are united in His love. God BLESS YOU!!!
I have been saved 32 years and under a great pastor for all that time. I have studied that passage many times and always missed that tidbit that Jesus came down to meet Peter by saying phileo. Then Peter came up to meet Jesus after. I never knew that. Thank you hon. I cherish you watching my back and will have to see if I have ever written anything where I have told the story the wrong way and fix it. Love you. Bob.
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Oh, my dear brother ~ we love each other; that's for sure! Peter dearly loved Jesus, no doubt. Phileo is of the heart, a brotherly love with dear friendship. Peter knew Jesus as His Teacher and friend ~ and even was the one to confess Him as the Son of God. Oh, to have walked the earth with our very Lord and Savior! WOW!!
This conversation between Peter and Jesus took place after Christ's resurrection. Peter had confessed Jesus was the Son of God, yet there's an element of agape love that involves laying down one's life ~ surely, Peter appeared to have that love when he said he would die with Jesus (yet fell into fear and denied Him three times). He had to grow to embrace that agape love, in that he was later crucified upside-down (by his own choice) because of it.
Peter's name is on one of the twelve foundation stones of the wall in the New Jerusalem!! In his earthly life, he was quite a 'character'; that's for sure. He went from denying Jesus out of fear to boldly getting out of that boat and walking on water to His Lord (yet he fell into fear again). So many of us can relate to Peter, as he showed great faith and love for our Lord at times, and fell into fear other times. What a lesson we can learn, just from studying the Apostle Peter, and the great love Jesus had for him ~ in spite of himself! lol God bless you, brother!!
We are God's children therefore children need to be taught the will of God. To have us grow into His likeness/become one with Him/flourish/overcome/be impowered by/strengthened/restored/at peace with ourselves/know the truth for the truth will set us free/rest assured in Him/to know the love He has for us. To obtain all these is to live in the will of God, for this is His will and purpose for us. Amen sis!!!
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Amen, sis ~~ so often people think they could somehow obtain all this without God, or that once they've obtained it, they will then be acceptable to God and finally say, "I agape my Lord" and "My Lord agape's me". Truly, to come to Him by faith is to make a decision of the mind and then submit our will to His care, trusting He will grow us, we will flourish and bear fruit, overcome, be empowered, strengthened, restored, have peace with ourselves, know the Truth which sets us free, rest assured and KNOW HIS LOVE in the depths of our hearts ~ beyond measure. Praise God ~ beautifully said, sis!!! I love you!!
Not only are you gifted , but obedient as well. keep writing for the Lord!!!! WONDERFUL HUB as usual.
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Awe, from one gifted sister to another ~ the gift of His Holy Spirit is good and perfect, as it comes from above ~ that we might know His love! (James 1:17). I so appreciate and love you, drpastorcarlotta!!!
Hey, I Just Started About Writing For God, No One Has Read It! Or Left A Comment :'(
Can You Please Tell Me What You Think?
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Welcome to HubPages, Liberate! Each one of us here has a unique writing style and message. Something for everyone! Stay encouraged. God bless you!
Thanks!!! My Writing Is Everything I Could Wish For!
I Was Looking For A Way To Spread The Message Of God!
Yes, I Have My Own Youth Group...
Yes, I Teach Single Handedly
I've At Least Brought Two People Into Christianity!
It's Not Enough!
I Want To Go Tough The Internet, I Hope You Enjoy My Work!
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Sounds like you're serving our Lord with passion and joy, Liberate! Keep on doing what He's called you to do! God bless!!!
We cannot/will not/no possible way obtain/be/become the full measure of what God intended for us until we submit completly/fully unto Him, put our full faith and trust in His authority/will for/over us/in our lives. Then we will recieve His full measure of love/life/eternal pressed down and overflowing. We have this promise/His promise to us. There is no other way. All the ways of the Lord are good. Amen!!! Had to stop by and leave more of God's love! Amazing!!!
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I am so blessed you came by to leave some more of God's Amazing LOVE, sis! Bless your heart ~ AMEN!!!!
I thought that was interesting how you put in the same sentence...my commandments, His commandments? The flesh vs the Spirit of God! Then the statement, that we are enemies of God, because of our sin. Funny how we know we are spiritually separated from God, when there is sin in our lives. Yet, I never thought of it in this way, that because of our sin, we made ourselves enemies of God? I feel like in spite of how we feel, God's grace is more overpowering than our sin. Thankfully, He has made a way to surpass our sin, and communicate with us, because of what Jesus sacraficed for us. It was great, how you showed the different forms of love! Awesome Hub:)
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Yes, isn't that a revelation? HIS Commandments? AMEN! "We are enemies of God because of our sin" is really a mathematical deduction, because SIN IS the enemy of God. Sin entered the world through the fall of our first parents (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12), and Satan was so sure he'd won. Satan was sure he'd won when he murdered our Lord (1 Cor 2:8).
Paul says it so beautifully to the Ephesians and Colossians (both Gentile churches, by the way), that "we WERE dead in our trespasses and sins" PAST TENSE!! Hallelujah! Sin has no power over us; O death, where is thy sting! (Hosea 13:14/1 Cor 15:55)
Truly, those who lived by faith in the coming Promise (Yeshua) were saved by faith (Heb 11), even as we are saved by faith in the Promise that came to us!! Praise God forevermore!! The Lamb was pre-ordained to be our sacrifice since the foundation of the world. God knew what would happen and God already had a plan!
God bless you!!!
The love of God so rich and pure so measureless and sure it will forever more endure the saints and angels song. That is what this hub reminds me of the song the love of God, what an awesome writing on the love of God, if we could all display just a fraction of what God has shown to us then souls would be getting saved all over the world and peace would be insight for all. AMEN SISTER!
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Thank you and bless you, Michael Adams. Your comment brings to my thoughts, "Know God, know peace; no God, no peace". We have a world that hates the truth, yet there are some hungry for it. God's love saves souls ~ the souls that seek to be saved. God's love will offend those who hate Him. He's either a stumbling stone or the Rock of salvation to all who hear and experience His love. Have a beautiful day full of God's love, brother.
You are certainly spot on with your message. Your delivery is pitch perfect. Well done Sister!
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Brother James, I am honored that you came by to read and bless me. Thank you so much. May you continue to feel the love of God and abide in His love as you go forth in His Name and in His love. God bless you!!
Awesome! Thanks JD!
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I'm so glad you were blessed, Judicastro!! Thank you so much for coming by and leaving some love! God bless you!!
Judah As usual a Beautiful hub that flows in peace like a river. Agape love, who would have thought? Fascinating Lord we serve. Judah thank you for all your research and the joy you share to reach others. God did make diverse and you are a rare precious gem. I love you sista.
Thank You I so needed to hear this today.
I wrote a new hub 'celebrating the journey' You are featured in the writing so go over for the read. Turn on the tunes, kick up the heels, take five and relax sista. You are loved. Hugs Galore my friend. I have a smile on my heart. ( - ;
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I sooo appreciate your gift of love and encouragement, skye2day! Like the healing balm of Gilead! The Holy Spirit surely uses you as His vessel to shine forth His great love upon so many of God's children here on HubPages ~ and what a precious Light you shine even in the dark places, sista!! lol Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The Lord is smiling :-) I read your awesome hub and am excited and confident in venturing out to feast on the hubs of your recommended hubbers! I share in your heart-felt commenatariies of the many of them I do know! God's children know His children; amen!! I am blessed to know you and I love you, sista!
This is so amazing sister JD!
At 5:30 this morning after I saw my husband off to work, I always pray as to what I should focus my Bible study on for the day, and I felt in my heart--that I should study on "love". Clear as a bell!
So here I am, and of course--you have the most beautiful study all prepared for me! Your research is always comprehensive and well-translated, so everyone can gain benefit!
Truly--without love for one another, especially our brothers and sister "in Christ", absolutely 'nothing' else that we do for our God matters!
He doesn't judge us by our "deeds" so much as he judges the intentions of our "heart", as we perform our "righteous acts" before Him. The inner person of our heart, is what he sees and loves! Our "deeds" may bless others; but our pure and sincere heart--blesses and praises the God we serve, as we perform these "deeds".
You capture that "heart" in this hub, and we are blessed for it! Beautiful!
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God is soooo good, isn't He, sister Laurie?!! I'm so blessed He could help you in your study of love by what He showed me, published in this hub. Praise God! You are right on about the heart. If you have time, sometime, I invite you to read my hub (it's a bit lengthy, but I pray will be a thorough blessing to you) called "Will He Know You?"
I, too, feast on your hubs, because I know you study and write what is in the mind and heart of Christ. This is truly edifying to my inner man that hungers and thirsts for more and more of the Lord and His Word ~ just like you! Thank you for blessing me and all who read your incredible studies. God is with you!!!
Thank you Judah's Daughter for sending me mail. I heartily appreciate that you are following me.
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Hi stephane86 :-) I just read your hub, the Blood of the Lamb, and was blessed. You keep shining, sister! Be blessed and encouraged. I so appreciate your heart for the Lord.
I felt this hub, really! I could tell and feel love, it was a writing that was personal. Great Hub!
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You are so precious in His sight, sister Royal Diadem! God has just been filling my heart with love, which is not of myself; it is supernatural. I praise Him and thank Him that love is a gift, the greatest gift. I pray I walk in it, in all its fascets. God, our LORD, be praised! Love you, sister!!
Hi JD, sorry it's been soooo long, The love of God touches us with perfect timing always. He knows our every need and when a nudge of love sprouts up, no doubt in my mind it is of God because God IS LOVE! beautiful and inspirational. Love you sister and love Jesus always and forever! Be blessed as you write for the Spirit of our Lord !!!
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You are so precious, brother Artin2010 ~ I always appreciate you coming by and am even more blessed when YOU are lifted up by His Word. What an encouragement you are ~ His Light shines in you and through you!! Blessed you are, in Jesus' Name!!
God is love, and sharing the word of God and His love, you are a light to where there is darkness! May God bless you!
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And I praise God for His Light shining on me through you, sister sherrylou57! This world is a dark place and will grow even darker at a rapid pace...how much more are we so thankful for the Light He shines on us through His saints! May His great LOVE SHINE UPON YOU!!
Thank you for a uplifting and enlightening hub, that touches on every aspect of love, including the agape of God. Benny Faye Douglass
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Hi Benny Faye Douglass! I am so happy you are touched by the love of God. Awesome!!! Blessings abundantly upon you and through you as you go ~ in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ ~ amen!!
It's such a humbling experience to know that God paved the way for me to know Him through Jesus' shed blood at Calvary. I'm often reminded of how it must sound to the Master of the Universe when someone (out of their lack of wisdom or unregenerated heart) says,"God doesn't exist!" as if their words of denial will alter His existence! This is so funny to hear! What a loving Father we have.
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I concur, sister Stephanie! AMEN!! God could have anything and everything He desires, yet He desired and desires to have children ~ children that love Him and that He can love with a love that never fails, that never ends. Oh, how we love Jesus! Oh how He loves you and me!! Praise Him forever and ever. Our God reigns!!
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