ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In her Thursday evening Deliverance Service at Lighthouse Empowerment Sanctuary, Apostle Allison Smith Conliff delivers a powerful message centered on 1 Corinthians 13, calling the congregation to a spiritual "checkup" of their hearts. Her sermon outlines the nature of divine love and its role in a believer's walk.
1. The Nature of Agape Love
Apostle Conliff defines "agape" as the highest form of love; pure, kind, and free of "strings attached". Unlike selfish, transactional love, agape love flows purely from the inside, enabling believers to love even their enemies. God Himself models this love by continuing to love and bless humanity even when they do not serve Him.
2. Love as the Prerequisite for Spiritual Gifts
The Apostle highlights that "charity" in scripture does not refer to outward actions like donating groceries, but to the pure love of God. Possessing impressive spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues or removing mountains, is entirely meaningless without love. Performing deeds or playing instruments for personal show is displeasing to God, rendering the believer a noisy gong or clanging symbol. True service must be provoked solely by love to promote God’s business.
3. The Command of Righteousness and Holiness
Walking in love requires loving God first with 100% of one's heart, soul, and might. This deep love naturally prompts believers to train their minds to do things God's way, rejecting sin to walk in holiness. Holiness is not optional but a divine command: "be ye holy as I am holy". When believers walk in this alignment, they can trust God as the final authority over their lives and bodies, even defying negative medical diagnoses.
4. Love's Restraint Under Provocation
A practical proof of walking in love is the ability to maintain composure under adversity or false accusations. Apostle Conliff teaches that the Holy Spirit provides a "dose of calm" that restrains believers from reacting in the flesh. Under this grace, believers learn to lay down self, take up Christ, and let a song of praise rise from their spirit despite being provoked.
5. Respecting God’s Anointing and Order
Apostle Conliff shares sobering, real-life accounts to warn the congregation against disrespecting spiritual authority. She recounts tragic instances of church members who publicly spoke against Pastors, only to suffer severe consequences like sudden blindness, sickness, or violent family tragedies. She uses these testimonies to demonstrate that God’s business and the order of His house must be taken with absolute seriousness.
6. Biblical Standards for Marriage and Finances
The Apostle provides practical guidance for relationships and financial stewardship:
- Courtship and Marriage: Citing scripture, she notes that men must actively search for a wife through prayer, while women pray and wait. Marital love does not insist on its own way, is not touchy, and pays no attention to suffered wrongs.
- Financial Discipline: Loving God prevents the mismanagement of funds. She encourages practical order, budgeting, and being a good manager of one's own salary.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Apostle Conliff’s message is a call to align with the unchangeable standard of agape love. By choosing to forgive, keeping no record of evil, and seeking to please God above all, believers move into a realm where God's grace is entirely sufficient to pull them out of any valley.
Rec. Date: 3rd July, 2025
