I took a crazy amount of notes, but tried scale it to the main points that impacted me most. The bolded items are the items I am continuing to unpack and embed in my heart.
Obviously, worship was amazing! They played the same songs over the weekend. We were able to really get to know the lyrics and allow the music to wash over us and our spirits sang, not our minds.
That first night, while we were singing a song that had lyrics about freedom, I had a vision. Individuals were standing and singing praise and worship. Their arms were open wide, they were standing strong. Large chains were at their feet. Then, they each reached down and started placing the chains back on themselves.
(I discerned this that it’s not necessarily the enemy that places us in bondage, but that we place (and replace) ourselves in bondage.)
Then, the Holy music of the Lord, the music of Worship appears as a blindingly shining sword, swiping away at the chains.
(I discerned this that worship music is a spiritual weapon over our bondage. We need to keep this music, (as well as His Word, and prayer) in our hearts, homes, minds, cars, everywhere, as one of our weapons over sin, and temptation.)
Song Oceans: based on Matthew 14:25-
Stepping into the great unknown, knowing God will be in the mystery.
We are on a leisure excursion to an unspecified destination. Trust in the mystery. Safe Christianity is mediocre Christianity. When you step into the mystery you step into the will of God and you step into your purpose.
Eph 1:9/Isaiah 53:10/Luke 8:10/Job 11:7-9/Ecc 11:5/SOS 7:4
Go and come. God tells us to ‘go’ and serve, and to “come” and be refreshed and equipped. Our lives are a series of going and coming. They are their own seasons and times.
Speaker Christine Caine:
Gen. 8:22 While the earth remains…
Whatever craziness is going on God has a principle that will remain.
Gather under no other name. (The 2014 conference in NY is titled, “No Other Name”)
Speaker Robert Ferguson:
Here by design. Not accident.
Doctor vs surgeon. A doctor’s tool is the stethescope. He uses it to hear our hearts. A surgeon’s tool is the scalpel. He uses it to slice flesh. The surgeon’s tool may be more painful, but recognize that both the doctor and the surgeon are both committed to healing.
Two sides of the same coin: unity and diversity.
Return to Pentecost. See what we as a church today should look like.
Acts
Six powers of the early church
First breaths of the early church …
Power of the Spirit:
- Word
- Name
- Resurrection
- Unity
- Diversity
Breathe in the power of the Spirit
Breathe out the power of the Word
Breathe in unity
Breathe out diversity
Acts 2:5-12 why did God gather all to one place? He was revealing a part of his character. The Lord our God is one. He is committed to unity.
Acts 4:31-33 when they gathered as one, something supernatural happened.
GL 11:6 One group of people spoke with one voice and life was changed.
Matt 18:19 It’s not about numbers (when two are more are gathered…), it’s about agreement.
We’ve only got one enemy and it is no one in this room. If you need to name the enemy, name it “secular humanism”
.
When are we going to get in tune?
Antioch: from the platform of unity they were sent out.
Acts 13:2
Coming in and gong out is fundamental.
Numbers 27:21
John 10:9
Matt 10:1-5 releasing the power of unity and diversity
Brian Houston
Lessons of Inhilation:
1.Individualism – Isaiah 53:6 this is not independence. Independence is a declaration of rebellion. Gal 2:20 don’t copy everyone else. Copying is a violation of nature. God is a god of variety and diversity. 25% of all animal species are beetles. Every fingerprint, snowflake is unique. Schools and churches force into molds. Satan is a copier not a creator. All sinners are alike, all saints are unique. Be an individual and release others to be individuals.
2. Everyone is important. 1cor 12:21 Consider the ant.
Diversity trumps ability. Releases to be individual and contribute.
Be inclusional, like the early church
Matt 13:47 -Filled net with all kinds of fish, both good and bad. God will decide the good and the bad; not for us to decide.
Lessons of Exhalation:
Everyone in the early church was released: significant, important, included
Reconciliation the heartbeat of Christianity Matt 5
Pastor Brian Houston shared this incredible story:
As he was giving a sermon at Hillsong Australia, he felt prompted to lay hands on and pray for a pregnant woman in the audience. He invited her on stage and asked if she’d be willing for him to pray for her and her baby. He said that since he was a stranger, and a man, would it be ok if he had a woman from the audience place her hand on the woman’s belly, then he would place his hand on the woman’s hand and pray. She said yes, and he picked a woman from the other side of the congregation to come up on stage, (Hillsong =big stage/big congregation.) The woman came up and laid her hand on the other woman’s belly. Both women began to cry. Brian thought he had messed up in some way, but proceeded to place his hand on the woman’s hand and prayed. After the service, both women went to him and said that they were mother and (pregnant) daughter and had been in a big argument and had not been speaking to each other.
Another example he shared:
As he was preaching, he felt called to have someone pray in a different language. He asked the congregation if anyone spoke a different language than English. He picked a woman to come up and asked if she spoke a different language, and if yes, where was her place of origin. She stated that she was a new believer in Jesus Christ (from Muslim), was from Iran, and her language was Farsi. As she was praying in Farsi, a man entered the sanctuary, having asked God that if He was real to speak to him at the service. His primary language was Farsi. Can you imaging entering the Hillsong church for the first time and hearing your native language in prayer
There no formula. Formulas are for infants. We need to breathe! Habb3:2
Bobby Houston
1chr22:5 We tend to be stinky around the edges. We need showers of blessing
Inspire: to breath in
We spend our courage on life and ministry. We gather to be encouraged.
Gather gain strength, then scatter .
Ps 84 our pilgrimage is not over or in full view yet. Not by might, but by His spirit.
Thy kingdom come
Matt6:9-10
1. For the sake of thy kingdom come don’t be afraid to live with a spirit of release and especially of the sons and daughters. (As parents, we need to raise our children to release them to God.)
Isaiah 54 :2-3
Dedicate to raise and them release to their destiny path.
Do not deplete the home. Do not make home a dumping ground where you dump all things negative onto your loved one.
2. Lets increase territory, stride and embrace
2sam5:9
Greater influence. Heart of God to experience that.
Don’t compare to other churches.
5’4″ vs. 6’2″ Brian has a longer stride than Bobby
Thank God for the way He has knit you and your destiny’s together
Your stride and embrace is based on God’s design for you.
3. Heighten our passion to bring God into full view.
Brian Houston
10 Cultural Responsibilities to Embrace
It’s not something you build, it’s something you have to be.
Matt 25;23-25 people have different perceptions of our master.
Nothing will frame the view of your world more than how you view God.
1. I am a can do person
Experience is an over rated quality. Phil4:13
2. This is not my job, this is my life (my calling)
John 10:11-13
2tim1:9
3. I will serve The Lord with gladness
Ps.100:2 nothing is too difficult
How can you build anything dynamic if they focus on minimums and have to’s…Get that out of the culture of your life. If you’re focusing the least you have to do, that’s what you are going to get.
4. Empowerment starts with me. Don’t be complicated. Keep your eyes on where God wants your eyes to be. Keep the right spirit. Don’t be pulled down, get lifted up.
Empower the people around you. Release then to do what they are called to do. Take responsibility to be empowered and empower others around you.
Personal conviction: As I kept listening to the speakers, I kept mentally elbowing my husband, thinking, “are you hearing this?” God elbowed me and said, “are YOU hearing this?”
5: I am not on the gossip train.
Embrace where we are the last to know. You are not going to hear it from me.
Christine Caine quote via Brian Houston (I need to confirm it): If you didn’t see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears, don’t invent it with your small mind, and speak it with your big mouth!
6. I am one of them, not us.
See yourself as one of the people you are working for, serving, etc.
7. Bring those around me on the journey.
Don’t let lives get boxed. Keep the will of God an adventure. No division between family and church life. Make your church life one with your home life.
8. My tone is not whiney.
Positive, reaffirming, encouraging. Not flattery, but encouragement.
9. Delegate, but don’t dump.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Care about the families of your church. Don’t impede on their private time. They’ve for their own life etc.
Love God love people, love life.
Focus not on what we are against, but who we are for!
Church is to be enjoyed, not endured.
10. My spirituality is attractive
Round Table of Leaders:
Ground in the Word and stand your ground.
With Jesus you don’t ever “get” it. Always be receptive and teachable.
God is including us in his story. It’s not our own story.
How do we all work together so more can go home together?
You are given much that was required much.
You are steward of someone else’s platform.
Christine Caine:
So, Brian Houston said as an aside, they were about to “unleash” Christine Caine. Oh boy! She was certainly unleashed! There is no way I can capture what we all experienced through her. There is just no way…
She did a beautiful job of comparing today’s modern technology, with instant feedback, answers, and results. How we all look for the quick fix and quick answer…
But…
God does not develop us through instant technology. He takes us through the darkroom.
It’s not about how many “likes” we have, but how much we become like Him
1 Samuel 16:1:14 anointed at age 15
2 Samuel 5 appointed at age 30
Don’t speed up the process from anointing to appointing, when the image of light inside you (the appointing) becomes stronger than light above you (the anointing).
Stop looking at all the parties you aren’t invited to. Be faithful to the party God has place you in.
Do not look for the next. Look for the new…
Never fear not growing when you embrace what God is doing.
The darkroom is for our good and His glory
If I have assigned you, I will find you…
Going for the gifted one, not the anointed one. This was a calling to be made aware that the popular preacher, the gifted speaker, may not be the one that God has anointed. Be aware.
20 chapters 15 years from David’s anointing to appointing.
It’s better to be marked by God than marketed by man.
God is forging His image in the inside of you
Psalm 127 partnering with God to build His house
Being more concerned with your own house than your Father’s house
Judah Smith- A younger pastor in Seattle. This guy is hilarious. He ended the conference with everyone laughing, yet with a solid teaching.
Matt 20:16 Vineyard story
Don’t take what is yours
Matt 19:30
Let go of your definition of what is fair and just because God doesn’t think that way. Take what it yours and go your way or trust what comes from His gracious hand.
Whew! Are you still reading? My meager notes pale in the enormity of the experience, but I hoped to capture a bit for you to be inspired and encouraged by. That is my prayer, anyway, that God speaks to you through these notes and are blessed in a personal way.