February 2019
...all views from Charles
Happy Valentine’s Day! Let us not forget the four Greek words for love in God’s Divine Flow: agape is God’s unconditional love, phileo is brotherly love, and eros is erotic love, but storge or kindly affectionate love works with the other loves like the glue holding them together, making our experience of love complete.
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” 1
A Loving Response…
It’s always wonderful to receive praise reports like this one from Beau in Union County, South Carolina.
“I remember having visited your Abounding Love website and that you have turned your life around in the most amazing way. So that means there’s hope for me as well. I was a member of a local church and had worshipped there for over twenty-five years, but something always seemed to be missing. I didn’t feel the Spirit moving within me and had developed paranoia that the other members of the congregation were thinking and speaking negatively about me.
“What made your turn around so successful for all these years? I’m grateful for all my blessings and always give God all the praise for all the things he’s done in my life, but I feel something is wrong with me. Like I’m not good enough or something.
“Your ministry sounds wonderful, and I really enjoy visiting the website. It’s sort of like an onion, as they say. You just keep peeling back the layers, and there is still so much more left to discover. I especially responded (in my heart and mind) to the Q&A section. You are so honest on laying yourself bare so that others can avoid the road you travelled and now, pointing the way to truth and light in Christ.
“So I thank you for sharing your spiritual success with the world. Most of the time, when I’m attentive, I feel the Lord holding my hand and walking me through the dark places in my mind with me. I can tell that you feel him, too. It’s such a great and powerful thing. Truly, a light in the darkness, and I feel as though that pressure is relieved by God’s grace through faith in His Word shared by the Abounding Love website, your books and materials. You’re an inspiration that I really appreciate. Yours in Christ, Beau, S.C.”
A Loving Mission…
Beau’s letter is a testimony to what the Abounding Love website is all about. We desire to always have others feel loved, and to help them understand that God loves them. We intend to reach the lost, the backslidden, the unchurched and the unproductive, and to make them whole through the love of god, thereby launching them into productive service. We endeavor to bring every person into a responsible, personal relationship with God and others through Christ.
In Beau’s letter, he asked, “What has made your turn around so successful for all these years?” I’m simply doing what I have asked of you for years on this website, while praying for us, “…to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” 2
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” 3
A Loving Heart…
Once we’re born again, the power of the Holy Spirit starts to work through our lives. We experience His love initially in the Spirit of our inner man, then our soul (mind, will and emotions) is strengthened, rooted and rounded in love as we begin to comprehend His love at the cross. The more we comprehend His love through renewing the mind, the more we overflow with His love.
Like so many other ministered on the internet, we simply share the revelation of God’s love through Jesus Christ, and His finished works. We are the body of Christ, carrying out His calling and purpose, “…from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” 4
"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." 5
A Loving Walk…
This walk cannot be achieved by trusting in our feelings, but only through faith in God’s Word. Our feelings and emotions will always fool us, because they are always changing in battle. God never changes nor His word to us, “Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.’ See then that you walk [a]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” 6
The Lord’s will is that we put on the full armor of God – the light of His love. 7 By purifying our souls with Truth (our belt), we are enabled to battle every anxious thought through Faith (our shield) in Jesus’ blood and resurrection. As a result, we put on the gift of Righteousness (our breastplate) in Christ, bringing Peace (our feet shod) and Salvation (our helmet) to light up our hearts and minds, rounding out our defensive weapons.
The Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is our offensive weapon, empowering us to cast down every thought by speaking God’s work in the face of fear, greed, rejection, loneliness, guilt, pride, condemnation, discouragement, and despair. As we replace negative thoughts and emotions with the knowledge of the Truth, the lies of the enemy will leave, allowing God’s love, peace and joy to flow forth. I highly recommend the book, Emotions by Dr. Charles Stanley.
A Prayer for You…
Father, how grateful I am for all You have done for me and all You continue to do through my life. Thank You for saving me and helping me to find victory over these feelings that are so painful and overwhelming. I confess that I have allowed them to rule me for too long. They have hurt my relationships, destroyed my joy, and prevented me from fully understanding the purpose You have planned for me. Thank You for teaching me how to stop these emotions from dominating my life for You glory and the good of others. Light me up with You love in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Scripture References (NKJV):
1) 1 Pet. 1:22
2) Eph. 3:16b-19
3) Eph. 3:20
4) Eph. 4:16
5) Eph. 5:1,2
6) Eph. 5: 14-17
7) Eph. 6:10-18; Rom 13:12