Agape Love conquers offenses

Lesson 37

I am so overwhelmed by the love of the Lord – just meditating on the power of love to overcome all offenses.

Recently I have been meditating on the Scripture below:

“The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another,

and towards all men,

even as we do towards you:

To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God,

even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

1 Thessalonians 3:12

To have a heart established in holiness before God is equated with the fulness of His agape love with His eternal perspective.

When our hearts are filled and overflowing with the agape of God, it is not easy to become offended. We will see people from God's perspective and His love will conquer all.

Negative situations will always come across our path, but when we respond in the Spirit of love and instant forgiveness, the fires of destruction are quenched with peace as the result.

The more we get saturated in His Presence, the more we will abound in love and then we become unoffendable and unmoved by the fleshly conduct and reactions in others.

When we counter someone’s negative response with the love of God, Christ is glorified and the fragrance of His presence spreads into the situation.

After all, our love towards another spills out from our love for Him and this enables us to love as He does with His agape.

Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved Him more than those around. Twice He referred to agapao (divine love), but Peter answered with Phileo (brotherly love).

Jesus’ directive was to feed His sheep.

Our ministry to others should be motivated by the fiery love of God.

To live through Christ is to love and it is easy, because it is a natural flow of the Spirit of Love – the royal law of the Kingdom of heaven (James 2:8).

PRAYER: Father, it is Your commandment to love and You are the One who enables us to do so by the Spirit. Cause us to increase and to overflow in love, bearing with one another, forgiving one another as You do. Help us to counter the plans of the enemy to divide by offenses through your agape love so that You can establish us in holiness before You - in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

GET STRENGTHENED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, BY THE WORD OF GOD, BY PRAYING IN TONGUES and BY PRAISE!

Lesson 30

Now is the time to get strengthened in the inner man, in your soul (mind, will and emotions) and in your physical body.

As we meditate and ponder on the Word, asking the Holy Spirit to enlighten our spiritual eyes with Wisdom and Understanding, strength comes in an amazing way to not only stand against our adversary, but to overcome every attack of the enemy.

1. The resurrection power of the Holy Spirit is on the inside of me,

    strengthening me and empowering me - the same Spirit that raised

    Jesus from the dead. (Eph.1:16)

2. Strengthening in the inner man: Ephesians 3:16-17 : “That he would

    grant you, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened 

    with power through the Spirit in the inner man.”

3.  Quickening our mortal bodies: Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.”

4.  Strength in my soul: Psalm 138:3 “In the day when I cried you answered me, and       strengthened me with strength in my soul.”

5.  Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.(Body)

6.  Strength to soar: Is.40: 28-31:  “Wait upon the Lord”- and He shall renew your strength to soar like an eagle above your circumstances to ascend into the heavenliness to get divine perspective. 

7.  His Presence: Isaiah 41:10: “Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you…”

8. Strength in weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:9,10: “And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness…”

9. Warfare: Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (Warfare)

10. Ability and strength: Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

11. To persevere with faith in trial: Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness;  

12. Deut.33:25 “Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass; and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [be].”  (Physical)

13. Emotional Strength: Nehemiah 8:11: “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. (Emotional)

14. Strength through focus on and trust in the Lord: ”I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon me, because he trusteth in me;" therefore "trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength;" Isaiah 26:4.

MEDITATE ON and DECLARE these Scriptures out loud until it is imbedded in your spirit, soul and body as His strength.