Blogs The Superiority of LoveChris Guzzardo
May 5th, 2010
“Now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13).
Without love we are nothing! Let these words from Paul strike our hearts. We can prophecy, but if we don’t have love we are nothing (1 Cor 13:2). You can have the greatest revelation of the scripture, but without love you are nothing (1 Cor 13:2). You can become a martyr, but without love it profits you nothing (1 Cor 13:3). You can give all you have to the poor, but without love it profits you nothing (1 Cor 13:3). You can have the greatest faith the earth has seen, but without love you are nothing. It doesn’t say we have nothing, it says we are nothing. With this in mind I am taking time to focus my heart on letting God love me again and again. This is the prerequisite to walking out the first and second commandment (Mat 22:37-40). I am praying simple prayers like, “Tell me again that you love me, tell me again that you want me.” As I am writing this I am reminded of a recent good time of fellowship with a family that I am friends with. The father was complimenting and praising his wife in front of me and what she said in response was so encouraging. She said “He praises me like this every day, and it never gets old.” This father and bridegroom was walking out nourishing and cherishing his earthly bride as Jesus the Bridegroom does the church (Eph 5:29). If this earthly bridegroom praises his bride daily, how much more does our heavenly bridegroom Jesus desire to nourish us and cherish us daily? Let’s let Jesus love us and may it never get old! It is easy to get unfocused on the first commandment. Whether it is the cares of life, or the deceitfulness of riches or just Bible studies on other topics, I am noticing that it is easy to get away from the simplicity of devotion. Oh that we would be a people who stay near to the heart of God and His immaculate love and enjoyment of us and do all that we do from this place. St. Augustine said “Love God and do what you please.” I believe the Lord is releasing grace for us, the church, to come back to the simplicity of love. Grace to enjoy God enjoying us and to enjoy Him and others as the overflow. David understood God’s delight and it overflowed to the whole church around him. He said “As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight” (Psa 16:3). Are we learning to love? Let us be those who allow God to love us and be those who love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength as the primary way we live our lives (Matt. 22:37). |
CalendarEncounter Service9/12/2010 10:00am - 1:00pmThe IHOP Atlanta Encounter Service is held twice weekly, on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each service incorporates prophetic worship, Biblical teaching, prayer, and ministry times. Each service is geared to call individuals to a depth of the knowledge of God, intimacy with Jesus, urgency for the hour, and the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Through proclamation and impartation, each service is focused on providing a place for encounter with God for the individual, as well as generating a shift in the spiritual atmosphere over the city of Atlanta. Immediately following the service, there is an Information meeting for anyone desiring more information regarding IHOP Atlanta. Encounter Service9/12/2010 6:00pm - 9:00pmThe IHOP Atlanta Encounter Service is held twice weekly, on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each service incorporates prophetic worship, Biblical teaching, prayer, and ministry times. Each service is geared to call individuals to a depth of the knowledge of God, intimacy with Jesus, urgency for the hour, and the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Through proclamation and impartation, each service is focused on providing a place for encounter with God for the individual, as well as generating a shift in the spiritual atmosphere over the city of Atlanta. Immediately following the service, there is an Information meeting for anyone desiring more information regarding IHOP Atlanta. Staff Intercession Meeting9/14/2010 4:00pm - 6:00pmTuesday is a designated prayer and fasting day for IHOP Atlanta staff and family. We have scheduled intercession meetings at 10 a.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m., and midnight. We ask that all staff make it a priority to attend the weekly Tuesday 4 p.m. intercession meeting, as this is the one time weekly that we come together as a community for worship and intercession. Full-time staff are required to attend the 4 p.m. and an additional intercession meeting on Tuesday. Part-time staff are required to attend only the 4 p.m. intercession meeting. This meeting is open to the public as are all IHOP Atlanta prayer meetings Silent Siege9/18/2010 11:00am - 1:00pmWe are meeting the first and third Saturday of the month from 11am - 1pm. Bound for Life Atlanta Silent Sieges take place at the GA State Capitol in downtown ATL on Washington St. A silent siege is a two-hour prayer meeting where intercessors stand in front of a local abortion clinic, wearing red life tape over their mouth, identifying with the silent cries of the unborn, asking God to come with justice, to end abortion, and to send revival to America. For more information, contact the Bound for Life Atlanta team at http://bound4lifeatl.com. Encounter Service9/19/2010 10:00am - 1:00pmThe IHOP Atlanta Encounter Service is held twice weekly, on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each service incorporates prophetic worship, Biblical teaching, prayer, and ministry times. Each service is geared to call individuals to a depth of the knowledge of God, intimacy with Jesus, urgency for the hour, and the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Through proclamation and impartation, each service is focused on providing a place for encounter with God for the individual, as well as generating a shift in the spiritual atmosphere over the city of Atlanta. Immediately following the service, there is an Information meeting for anyone desiring more information regarding IHOP Atlanta. Encounter Service9/19/2010 6:00pm - 9:00pmThe IHOP Atlanta Encounter Service is held twice weekly, on Sundays at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each service incorporates prophetic worship, Biblical teaching, prayer, and ministry times. Each service is geared to call individuals to a depth of the knowledge of God, intimacy with Jesus, urgency for the hour, and the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. Through proclamation and impartation, each service is focused on providing a place for encounter with God for the individual, as well as generating a shift in the spiritual atmosphere over the city of Atlanta. Immediately following the service, there is an Information meeting for anyone desiring more information regarding IHOP Atlanta. |
