The love of God is spread abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). In the Greek this form of love is agape (noun), an unconditional love. Agape was not really used in the Greek until its use in the Bible. Phileo (verb) is the more commonly used Greek word for love and is a brotherly love or affection that is dependent on our ability to love a person because of mutual attraction and feelings.

When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him in chapter 21 of John’s gospel, Jesus used agape but Peter could only reply with phileo. God commands us to agapao (verb; John 13:34). With agape we can love the unlovable by faith. We may not be naturally attracted to some people but we are commanded to agapao them.

Our greatest example of love (agape) is that of the Father for us: “For God so loved (agapao) the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16; KJV). Christ died for us while we were sinners.

If you want to understand agape then read 1 Corinthians chapter 13, especially verses 4-8a: “Charity (agape*) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is no easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth” (KJV).

This is how God loves us and how we should love him and each other. Don’t get me wrong, we can “phileo” as well, but we must agapao all peoples. Is that wow or double wow? Enough said.

*added for clarity.

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"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Ps 27:14; KJV). When we pray in faith we sometimes have to wait long periods of time for our prayers to be answered. However, we need to stay in faith, trusting the Lord to come through for us.

In Psalm 31:14 David said he trusted in God. That is how we need to wait for answers to prayer. David again, in Psalm 37:7 said to: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him”.

Abraham and Sarah are good examples of people who had to wait a long time for an answer. In Genesis 17:5 God told Abraham that he would be the: “father of many nations’ but this did not come to pass until many years later. However, we are told in Romans 4:20 that he did not waver and was empowered by faith. In Hebrews 11:11 we are told about Sarah's faith - that she was able to conceive a child when she was old.

If we are going to wait well we must be ready for satan's lies and refute them with the word. We must exercise hope, allow our words to agree with the word of God and not the devil and keep thanking God in advance for the answers we are believing for. “Faith and patience inherit the premises” (Heb 6:12b).

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 When life gets hard, difficulties arise and there seems no way out, isn’t it wonderful to know that we can draw close to God (Ps 91). He protects us under his shadow, his wings and he is our refuge and fortress (Ps 91).

In the New Testament Jesus reaffirmed his desire to gather, protect and care for his people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34). God charges his angels to watch over us (Ps 91:11). Nothing is too hard for our God (Jer 32:17).

First Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) is one of my favorite scriptures: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it”. Temptation can be translated more widely to mean any kind of trial or tribulation. This verse shows us that we are not unique in the trials we go through; never think it is only you that has the problem you are facing.

God’s way out is by faith in his word (Mark 11:22-24). Cast every care on him (1 Peter 5:7) and speak to the mountains (problems) in your life, commanding them to leave (Mark 11:23). You are victorious and have authority over all the works of satan in Christ Jesus (Matt 28:18). Greater is he (Jesus) that is in you as a Christian than he (satan) that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Wow, I get happy just thinking about that.

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 In Psalm 103:2-3, King David the psalmist talks about God’s benefits and reminds us that he (God) heals all of our diseases. God had a healing covenant with his people in the old testament as long as they obeyed the law (Ex 15:26), but praise God, in the new testament, we are told that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus body was flogged, broken and striped with wounds so we could be whole. In Acts 10:38 (KJV) Luke talks about Jesus: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”. He is still our healer today as we are told in Hebrews that he never changes (Heb 13:8).  So, he can heal but will he heal me you may ask? Well, God is no respecter of person (Mark 12:14). A leper came to Jesus knowing Jesus could heal but not sure if it was his (Jesus) will to heal him; Jesus replied: “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matt 8:3). If you are concerned with the scope of God’s desire to heal, be concerned no more. The apostle Matthew tells us that Jesus healed: “every sickness and every disease” (Matt 9:35) and that: “great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all” (Matt 12:15). Alleluia. Healing is yours, believe God for it today.

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"......Upholding all things by the word of his power…..." (Heb 1:3b; KJV). It is God's powerful word that upholds everything. We are told in John 1:1 and Col 1:16 that this world was created by his word. God literally spoke the world into being: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Gen 1:3). That's how powerful God's word is.

 In Hebrews 4:12 it says that: "the word of God is quick, and powerful......". The centurion certainly believed that when he told Jesus to just speak the word trusting that his servant would be healed as a result (Luke 7:7). This reminds us of Psalm 107:20 that says God sent his word and healed them. Words in our mouths can be equally powerful if we speak them in faith because Prov 18:21 tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue." 

When faced with negative situations we can speak life into them by speaking the word and allowing it to energize and effect our situations; God watches over his word to bring it to pass (Jer 1:12).

Please pass this on. All rights reserved.

Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.