:Sydney, Australia:
so how much can a conference change a person? i mean, i've already been to the conference last year, and that was mind blowing... how can there be another?
after 2002's hillsong conference, my Christian self changed. at the time i was the only one of the 9 people that did not have a leadership position in the church, and i was kind of floating around spiritually... apathetic......
i can trace things that exploded inside my heart back to that conference. it kicked my butt into realising that my church was where i needed to place my heart, and that i needed and was called to get things right with God. long story short, changes begun, and soon it evolved into transformations. i don't need to lay out my changes here, but let's just say i was stretched beyond my limits and i have grown amazingly because of it.
that was last year. can lightning strike twice?
this year was different. i left hong kong asking... more like begging God to refresh me, to recharge my batteries, and to rekindle that fire that arguably was lit at the same conference.. same seating section even, just 12 months prior. there was much to look forward to, almost 30 people from my church went, we had our senior, as well as youth pastors go, worship leaders, and other leaders go.. but what super exciting was that many people who didn't have leadership positions went... and if my last year is a testimony that proves what God can do with a willing heart... that's where the growth will be.
the whole trip was full of surprises and wonderful things. people being challenged, our leaders getting prophesied over, new vision being born in our leaders, people being refreshed... but for me? it was a simple thing of allowing the Lord to continue making me less, so He can be more.
i've just been grappling with the thought that i need to go to australia, to another church, to receive a blessing/refreshing. last year the big nono was to make sure we aren't worshiping the conference God vs. the Local Church God. (i have the tape if anyone is interested). in light of that, God helped me see that during my holiday in Manila earlier(i'll write about that later), and my time in Hillsong... i didn't have to lead, run anything, play an instrument, speak, plan... just go and receive what the Lord had for me. the value of that for me can't be weighed in gold, but it's not something that another person can see.
Hillsong is also a time warp. i go to church once a week. this is the norm for most people. with that trail of thought... there are a maximum 6 'sessions' a day if you skip out lunch to sneak into another session, and each session a minimum of 50 minutes. most of the sermons at my church don't go that long, so for some of the guys that came, one session could be marathon for them. i went to 24 sessions in 4 and a half days. for the record there are time slots for 25 sessions... i took lunch the last day. so... basically i went to church 24 times, which translate to 6 months worth of normal church. that's why it's a time warp... you fill your day from the break of dawn, till the wee hours... of God.
anyways, i'm not trying to sell the conference. what i'm getting to is that i received many things from GOd during the trip. god has given me some great and much need encouragement to keep pressing on in my areas of influence, and he's also calling me to step out in faith.... to rely on Him in a way i've never ever done so before.
my walk with God hasn't seen a third birthday, but the Lord has done everything He could to have me catch up on lost time. it's all coming together this year, as i can sense and see a rollercoaster of a year coming up.
finally, the Lord has whispered something to me recently that i'm praying to see if it was Him or just a deep inner desire. in a stadium of about 20.000 people all screaming for Jesus... it's hard to be quiet and ask for clarity. but this is a call to anyone who reads this page and prays. now is the time. if any who reads this has a spare moment and is in hong kong, call me and ask how i'm doing... i'll be needing it.
and if you've read this far, then YOU need to get back to work, get off the computer, and enjoy the beautiful day the Lord has made.
"the grass is greener wherever you water it"
so how much can a conference change a person? i mean, i've already been to the conference last year, and that was mind blowing... how can there be another?
after 2002's hillsong conference, my Christian self changed. at the time i was the only one of the 9 people that did not have a leadership position in the church, and i was kind of floating around spiritually... apathetic......
i can trace things that exploded inside my heart back to that conference. it kicked my butt into realising that my church was where i needed to place my heart, and that i needed and was called to get things right with God. long story short, changes begun, and soon it evolved into transformations. i don't need to lay out my changes here, but let's just say i was stretched beyond my limits and i have grown amazingly because of it.
that was last year. can lightning strike twice?
this year was different. i left hong kong asking... more like begging God to refresh me, to recharge my batteries, and to rekindle that fire that arguably was lit at the same conference.. same seating section even, just 12 months prior. there was much to look forward to, almost 30 people from my church went, we had our senior, as well as youth pastors go, worship leaders, and other leaders go.. but what super exciting was that many people who didn't have leadership positions went... and if my last year is a testimony that proves what God can do with a willing heart... that's where the growth will be.
the whole trip was full of surprises and wonderful things. people being challenged, our leaders getting prophesied over, new vision being born in our leaders, people being refreshed... but for me? it was a simple thing of allowing the Lord to continue making me less, so He can be more.
i've just been grappling with the thought that i need to go to australia, to another church, to receive a blessing/refreshing. last year the big nono was to make sure we aren't worshiping the conference God vs. the Local Church God. (i have the tape if anyone is interested). in light of that, God helped me see that during my holiday in Manila earlier(i'll write about that later), and my time in Hillsong... i didn't have to lead, run anything, play an instrument, speak, plan... just go and receive what the Lord had for me. the value of that for me can't be weighed in gold, but it's not something that another person can see.
Hillsong is also a time warp. i go to church once a week. this is the norm for most people. with that trail of thought... there are a maximum 6 'sessions' a day if you skip out lunch to sneak into another session, and each session a minimum of 50 minutes. most of the sermons at my church don't go that long, so for some of the guys that came, one session could be marathon for them. i went to 24 sessions in 4 and a half days. for the record there are time slots for 25 sessions... i took lunch the last day. so... basically i went to church 24 times, which translate to 6 months worth of normal church. that's why it's a time warp... you fill your day from the break of dawn, till the wee hours... of God.
anyways, i'm not trying to sell the conference. what i'm getting to is that i received many things from GOd during the trip. god has given me some great and much need encouragement to keep pressing on in my areas of influence, and he's also calling me to step out in faith.... to rely on Him in a way i've never ever done so before.
my walk with God hasn't seen a third birthday, but the Lord has done everything He could to have me catch up on lost time. it's all coming together this year, as i can sense and see a rollercoaster of a year coming up.
finally, the Lord has whispered something to me recently that i'm praying to see if it was Him or just a deep inner desire. in a stadium of about 20.000 people all screaming for Jesus... it's hard to be quiet and ask for clarity. but this is a call to anyone who reads this page and prays. now is the time. if any who reads this has a spare moment and is in hong kong, call me and ask how i'm doing... i'll be needing it.
and if you've read this far, then YOU need to get back to work, get off the computer, and enjoy the beautiful day the Lord has made.
"the grass is greener wherever you water it"
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