TRANSFORMING LOVE: The way of agape. 13 APR 2017

Today, I thought about the power & majesty of agape, authentic love which is described in 1 COR 13. Years ago, when I single-handedly challenged the Illuminati to get some of their members free, especially a programmed multiple known as Cisco, I took inventory of what I had to fight them with. In terms of assets, I had nothing to challenge them…except that the Almighty was on my side, and I had the power of unconditional love. The Illuminati could not give genuine unconditional love. So I challenged their control with the power of love, and it worked.

LOVE TRIUMPHS! Over the years, I have witnessed how true love can elevate a person to perform beyond their wildest dreams. God has given us His unconditional everlasting love to elevate us to success beyond our dreams. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” JER 31:3 “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and full of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.”(A)

WHAT WAS GOD SAYING TO MAN IN CHRIST??? He was displaying His full unconditional love. And authentic love costs…it costs us…and it cost Abba. God held nothing back. His love was not detached. Or we might ask the question from another angle: What was the most important point of Christ? Was it truth, wisdom, or self-understanding? No, the most important point was the power of God to redeem mankind. One might wonder: Is this an important point? For sure. Let me give just a small idea of salvation and forgiveness…

NONREDEEMABLE. Some of us get to the point we feel there is no redemption and no salvation for who we are in light of what we have done. A friend of mine as a Marine had to shoot a young armed boy in Haiti. At the time, it was a case of the boy or my friend and he did his job as a Marine. But the face to face confrontation and the killing of the young boy forever haunts him. He feels there is no forgiveness. Perhaps my worst sin, which I have never told anyone about, is nothing compared to what others have to deal with…but it was enough to make me also feel that there was no forgiveness. In a moment, I will share for the first time this error of my mine…I hope that my readers will then share their collective wisdom on forgiveness in the thread, and share any personal testimonies of forgiveness or any other helpful anecdote on forgiveness…for forgiveness is at the heart of God and what God is doing. He is mighty to save. When we realize the power of love it takes to overcome our gross sins, we really realize the depth of His love. It can take real faith to accept the forgiveness of the Almighty’s powerful love.

DIXIE. I had a standard bred race horse from Kentucky who was bred to a great stallion and was carrying a potentially great colt. I was Amish, and had received instruction on how to use Dixie while she was pregnant. The idea was that she could still pull the buggy if used correctly. I got sloppy, and she ended up throwing the colt. Life…it is precious…once taken it is forever gone. I felt like I had murdered an innocent colt—and there was no forgiveness. I certainly could not ask Dixie, my mare, to forgive. Until today, I have never talked about this. So my great readership…how does my friend the Marine and I find forgiveness?? There is no way to bring a life back. The Word says God “forgives all thine iniquities”(B) We are also told: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”(C) In my case, I can appropriate God’s forgiveness by faith…but how do I forgive myself!? That is the question for readers?

HOW DO WE GLORIFY GOD? And what is the glory of God? Do we glorify God by building an incredible cathedral, or giving an erudite sermon, or using our creativity? Certainly these things could glorify God. I believe the greatest glory of God is His incredible transforming love, and that to manifest this love to others is the best way to glorify God. His love seduces the hopeless sinner and invites us to transformation…and to discover who we really are. Hallelujah. Christ’s love was the biggest advancement that was made past the Hebrew scriptures.

LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES. People have thought it bizarre that I feel compelled to lay my life down for others. It makes no sense to even many Christians. But Christ said: “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”(D) How did he love us? Did he not lay down his life for us?

There is so much more that could be said about the power of love, and how the lover gives some of his power away and makes himself vulnerable. Love comes from the deepest parts of the heart. While some feel it is not proper to compare God’s love to human love…I disagree. A mother’s love is in the image of God’s love. Sometimes the Spirit gives us a supernatural love. Divinely inspired true love inspires patience & joy. And so I will end this, not because there is not more to say…but rather to keep this short. Now it is your turn to contribute what God has shown you about love and forgiveness.

(A) PS 145:8-9 (B) PS 103:3 (C) 1 JN 1:9 (D) JN 15:12