God Loves (Agape) You

In case you have been wondering…praying…crying out for an answer…I want to share my heart with you and hope you understand, God loves (Agape) you so much!

I have to say that the message I heard today, at Journey Church, given by Pastor Scott, touched places in my heart that only the Holy Spirit knew…. In the intimate times in prayer I’ve had this past week, non-stop tears as I sought God for answers in humility and total surrender, wondering but believing…and today He revealed my deepest longing. He showed me in one line in the sermon how very much He loves me and covers me with His amazing grace. His love so divine, so utterly complete that nothing I could ever do would make Him stop loving me. My hearts desire is to walk in total obedience but I fall short so many times.

I’ve been forgiven and I know I’m forgiven for all my sins, but sometimes we carry the residual effects of wounds hidden so deep within that it takes the Holy Spirit to show us what’s still there. It’s only when we sincerely and totally ask Him to show us what is hidden that He can reveal it to us, because our hearts are ready to see.

Peter thought he would never betray Jesus. He thought he’d die for him but his true heart was revealed when he denied Jesus three times, Jesus knew his heart. You’ve heard the story.

Today when our pastor relayed the story again…the part where Jesus was on the beach and Peter swam from the boat to the shore to him.…Remember Jesus was around a fire, just like the fire when Peter denied Jesus…and he said, Peter, do you Love (Agape) me? And Peter said, yes, Lord, I love, (Philia-friendship love) you. Jesus said, “feed my lambs.” You know the rest of the story…when he said, feed my lambs…and pastor Scott, elaborated on what was transpiring in that conversation…He was telling Peter, I know what you did, I heard what you said…but Peter, I Agape Love you…that is love that forgives sins, wipes the slate clean, it is a love that says, I love you so much I died for you and Peter, no matter what you’ve done, I forgive you and I have called you to feed my sheep…I want you to fulfill the calling on your life…I Agape love you Peter…. I trust you with what is mine…

It went so deep within me that all I could do was sit there and cry, it was overwhelming…knowing that I do have a purpose…I have felt so empty, I’ve felt so alone, and forgotten, like my life was over and there was nothing more for me to do but wait to be taken home. But today, when I heard, “feed my lambs, feed my sheep, I knew, Jesus Agape loves me, and He wants me to fulfill, continue the calling He has on my life. That He’s not done with me and that my life is not over…and He will never be done with me.

Jesus, Agape-loves us so much that He died for us, and is alive in us, and He wants us to keep on living and touching others’ lives for His glory…I may never see the results of what I do or the ones I’m used to touch in this lifetime, the ones I pray for, the words I write or the impact they have on people’s hearts but that’s ok because they aren’t my words anyway, but if I never write the words He gives me, if I never make the effort or step out in faith to accomplish His purpose for my life…then the souls that are assigned to me will never hear the message that God wants them to hear through me.

The enemy will always accuse, will always bring division and confusion, he’ll always lie to us and make us think we aren’t good enough, our time is over, we’re too old or too young or too sick or too whatever to make any difference for God…don’t listen to him…listen to the Holy Spirit who says, “Where are your accusers? Neither do I condemn you, Go and sin no more!”

The Holy Spirit will say, “You are more than a conqueror, through Christ Jesus.” He will say, “I Agape-love you, feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep…I trust you with those who are mine.” He’ll say, “Be bold and courageous.” He’ll say, “You are the righteousness of God.” He’ll say, “Freely you have received, freely give.” “My grace is sufficient for you.” “Walk by faith and not by sight!”

“I have called you and chosen you, I will not change my mind. I am yours and you are mine! I didn’t come all this way, to leave you, when I said it is finished, I meant it. Don’t second guess what I’ve shown you in the secret place, live it out in the light. It’s not your works or your desires that saves souls, but I have called you and chosen you for specific tasks’; I’ve equipped you with all you need. I put my Holy Spirit within you to teach you and encourage you so that you can encourage others. It is by my blood and by my grace that you are saved by faith. You are my own dear treasure and I will not let you fall, I will reach down and pull you out of all the mess, all the heartache, all the dung, if you will only, come follow me.”

I Agape Love you

~Jesus

~Marla Shaw O’Neill July 14, 2019

Wikipedia:

Philia – Greek for brotherly love, between family and friends

Agape – Greek means “love: esp. charity; the love of God for man and of man for a good God.”