After coming from a movement of the Spirit in Toronto who's chief value is the Father's Love, I began to wander how important is love in the Christian life. I know that I came into the faith because of hearing about the love of Christ displayed in His sacrifice to pay for my sin (though I did not understand the magnitude of what He had done). It was asked in Toronto, how many came to Christ from the "turn or burn message" vs. those who came "God loves you message. It was overwhelmingly that those who were drawn to Christ were because of God's love. Yet through the years as a believer (28 years) I have seen many things emphasized above God's love, I would agree with John Arnott's statement "Let's keep the main thing (Father's Love), the main thing." As I studied the most well-known of chapters on Love, 1 Corinthians 13 the Holy Spirit highlighted this phrase "love never ends." The passage talks about spiritual gifts, faith, hope, knowledge, and finally love. The implication is that the others will pass away at some time, in other words God's revelation is progressive and thus former revelations begin to lose their importance. I once heard a sermon talking about the movements of the Spirit across the Body of Christ, an earlier but still recent was the "Word of Faith Movement". It has been prophesied that a more current movement is one of "Hope", interesting that the President of the United States ran on this theme. It has also been prophesied that there will be an "Agape Reformation". In the Body of Christ we are seeing an unprecedented movement in the area of Father's Love, there is such a hunger to know the love of the Father. Interesting that 1 Corinthians 13 ends the chapter with faith, hope, and love but emphasizes the greatest being love. This is not the world's brand of love, ie. Hollywood where who is the star married to today because I will have to check the Tabloids tomorrow to see if they still are. Agape is the love of God, in Guizik's commentary "It is a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected." It is truly love that is heaven sent and not of this earth, Jesus came to display the Father and He displayed the Father's love for us by laying down His life to restore us to relationship with the Father. I want to submit to you that I believe the "Agape Reformation" will be one of the finest hours of the Church (Body of Christ) as the Father's Love pours out to a hurting and dying world. I heard an evangelist, Leif Hetland, who travels the nations and has seen one million Muslims come to Christ, that the revelation of the Father's Love is what is truly turning their hearts. Leif has made this his main message as he does massive outreaches that include amazing healings, miracles, and signs and wanders. If we stand in the truth of 1 Corinthians 13, "love never ends" then we don't have to worry about the "Agape Reformation" ending. One speaker at the recent Conference said we are only in the beginning days of the "Father's Love" revelation (he had been a part of it since 1976). I am not saying that the revelation of the "Father's Love" is the only revelation, I am simply highlighting what I believe God is highlighting at this point in the history of the Body of Christ. I remember one friend who came out of a legalistic ministry, which he had been involved in for 20 years, that he only remembers one sermon of the love of God. Love of Law does not promote the love of God, this is a big separation between the Old and New Covenants. I am excited to be alive at this time in the history of the Body of Christ, as Father God pours out His love in unprecedented ways. Will you be a part?
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