Hillsong Friday

This Time Last Week,

Well Friday was the last day of a wonderful week which had many highlights. Today’s Worship Breakout was led by Reuben Morgan who just spoke for the 45 mins. You know his song “ Lord I Give You My Heart”? He was so beautiful, quiet and humble. You know, that’s is one thing that struck me all week. These people were world class leaders but were so approachable and “ordinary” It was all about Jesus.
Reuben’s topic was “When Small Doesn’t Stay Small.” He encouraged us to start and build line on line. I mean that goes for anything that we do. He spoke about habits which we do daily and can make or break us. Three that build us are -
1.Honour. “I want to be bound to the fruit of an honourable life”
To honour your future life , mind your habits.
2. Identity. Cultivate a “God” identity and see where you end up.
3.Surrender.Get strength in worship and silence. Surrender and receive from Him.

The opposites that pull us down are
1.Neglect. 1 Sam ch 3 Eli’s sons
1 Sam 8 v6-10 Israelites neglected God and wanted a king.
2.Comparison. Don’t compare yourself and try to be someone else. Be good at being yourself.
3.Control.1 Sam 13 vs. 10-14.Wait for God. Give up control and cultivate surrender.

The evening session was a "Celebration and Anointing” service . There was no speaker.
As in all nights Hillsong United and Darlene started and led the rejoicing. Lots of dancing and celebrating. Then Brooke Fraser sang from Hillsong’s (not United’s )new CD, the title track

“Saviour King”

And now the weak say I have strength
By the Spirit of power that raised Christ from the dead
And now the poor stand and confess
That my portion is You and I'm more blessed

Pre-chorus
Let now our hearts burn with a flame
A fire consuming all for your Son's holy Name
And with the heavens we declare
You are our King

Chorus
We love you Lord, we worship You
You are our God, You alone are good

You asked your Son to carry this
The heavy cross our weight of sin

I love you Lord, I worship You
Hope which was lost, now stands renewed
I give my life to honour this
The love of Christ, the Saviour king

Verse 2
Let now your Church shine as the Bride
That You soar in Your heart as You offered up Your life
Let now the lost be welcomed home
By the saved and redeemed those adopted as Your own

I give my life to honour this
The love of Christ, the Saviour King.

This was an on your knees “facedown” moment. It was holy and awesome.
After this there was an anointing where everyone was anointed with oil representing the Holy Spirit.

Steven CC then led "Here I am to Worship," which again was very reverent and another on your knees moment.Then Israel and SCC sang " How Great is Our God" with Chris Tomlin at the front worshipping. Still an awe of God moment!!!

Israel came on and finished the evening with songs of rejoicing. From the front of the arena glitter started to fall from the ceiling and gradually it moved to the back until the place looked like it was in a snow storm of glitter. The place erupted in dancing and rejoicing. Louie and the “Bishop” spoke a message from the screen about going out from there and that was a great finale to a wonderful week with God’s people celebrating Him in our midst.

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Hillsong Thurday.

This Time Last Thursday.

Well this is a bit of a cheat as I wasnt at the 11 am session but Keith was :) There were two talks, no music and Louie Giglio did the second talk. He spoke about when he was young and a church service had three hymns and at youth services you sang "Pass It On." Occasionally thing got out of control and you held hands with the person beside you and you all raised your hands ,joined . If you broke free the youth leader grabbed your hand and connected it again as that was too charismatic :)

Worhsip has gone from
"traditional" to "contemporary," to delirious? and "cutting edge," "the modern worship movement" and now the "emerging church." Which he laughed at as we have been emerging for 2000 years really.

He questioned "do we wnat to leave a legacy as a generation that consumed songs and books or those that took the gospel to others?" Heb13:15-16.(Please read viewers ) He explained here that Passion was more than music but is a movement to awaken students to making God known on their campuses and the world.
The next point is "A Sacrifice of Praise." We should be worshipping God before we enter church. Church does not invoke worship.
A church service is not comprised of worship and then a speaker but is ALL worship.God wants more of us than songs. We should be consumed with God not songs. He then mentioned Chris Tomlin's work being so well known and the fact that his heart was very humble despite fame .

We must meet the needs of others and not be self indulgent. He said that the culture in the US is very self indulgent.(Same here sadly ,in Oz, I'd say )
Worship must be about God and for God.The key question about worship is "What did God get"

1.Comprehensive worship. Care for others, tell others about Jesus.
2. Worship leader is the Pastor. The service is all worship.
3.We were created to worship Jesus and be really good at proclaiming Jesus.

Now onto the afternoon breakout that I was at and took few notes. Chris Tomlin sang a new song that he had written. It was beautiful in its simplicity. He had taken Song of Songs 2 v 16 "My beloved is mine and I am his." He went to the Hebrew and translated it literally which is. " My Beloved mine, I His." Which was the refrain. It was moving to sing . Then he sang "Oh Come let us adore Him" and a second verse "We were made to worship,x3 Christ the Lord." so simple and meaningful.
Louie's main points.
Worhsip is the overflow of a stunned heart.
Worhsip goes from local to global.
Chris made a point here for leaders ,which was that you will never lead the worship singing till you lead your band in worship. (A good point I thought)
True worship is a transformed life. Are we becoming like Jesus ?
Pray "Change my life."
Be a living sacrifice.
We should have a bent,broken heart before God.

And lastly the evening.
Steven CC led the singing.He sang a song I didnt know and there were no words up so everyone just stood. Then he sang "Dive" still no words up.He finished with "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever."
The "Bishop" (T.D. Jakes ) spoke. Keith was planning to leave now. He didnt think that he could cope with the Bishop!!! But he enjoyed him so much that he went back to his next two sessions :)

His message was "God gave you creativity, now use it"

God must be revealed . He cannot
be explained.
1.God is strategic. He has a plan and a purpose. Nothing is an accident.
2. God has a system. The more things we do the more systems he has.eg work, family,home.Seeds are planted for our future. The seasons play a large part.You may have sown in the wrong season but when you sow in the right season and wait, things come to be.This is true of our ideas and creativity. THE BEST IS YET TO BE!!! Praise God I say!!!
3. Synergy. God is synergistic. We were created to be eagles so soar like one.Be synergistic with other eagles and see what you can achieve. If you have been rejected by another- they are chickens. Move on and find other eagles :)

Shifting Seasons.
When we move to a new season we do what we could not do before.

Are we just collecting "spiritual moments" or are taking each as strategic and making use of these encounters with God?

God gives us ideas etc in raw form. Our creativity makes it into what God wants.

Reposition where you are. Don't be limited by things.

The place was errupting .He kept getting standing ovations. I am afraid these jottings don't do him justice.
When the bishop finished Israel Haughton and the New Breed then came on and sang a slow song about Eagles.And Brian houston came on and asked him to sing "Friend of God" He sang the first verse with the band and the place exploded with 30,000 dancing (including yours truly) and praising God. Then Chris Tomlin came on and sang the second verse. When Israel took over again Chris was dancing crazily all over the stage. Well girls ,cast your mind back to Tuesday when I felt like standing on the seat as I didnt know what else to do in praise........Well Thursday I lost all inhibitions and did just so. I was most "Undignified" but there you are!!!!

What a night.

Hillsong Wednesday.

This Time Last Week.
Last Wednesday I missed the midday session as I just wasnt well enough to get out in the mornings. Would you believe that Chris Tomlin who sang at about six sessions chose that session to sing "We Fall Down." It has to be one of my favourite songs and its my favoutie song by him. So I have still never been anywhere to sing it :(
We attended the afternoon breakout where Darlene Zschech interviewed Louie Giglio.It was basically introducing Louie and Passion to Oz.It was really good. He spoke about how his dad was an Italian Catholic and mum a Southern Baptist. Mum won out when it came to going to church !!! He made a commitment to Jesus when he was 11 and when he was 18 at college reached a cross road and he decided to commit his life fully to Jesus He told the story of failing college and having the revelation that if he wanted to go to grad. school he needed a bachelor's degree.
He told how he had met Shelley when he was an intern one summer and she was a junior (?) at college and how at Baylor where they first started to lead the college gathering he and Shelley led worship and then he spoke each week.He was very much into our worship leading to us doing something in the world. When they were in South Africa about two years ago they saw terrible squallor. He said most tourists who go anywhere there is poverty are "moved" but do "nothing". So the sixsteps team who were there became accountable to each other to do something and get together in a year's time and ask each other what they had done that year.
Louie explained about "Do Something Now" at Passion07 (See 268generation.com )

Jentzen Franklin spoke at night but I didnt take notes as we will buy the DVD.(Notes Later !) But here's something he pointed out.
The generation from 1927-1945 were64% born again Christians.1946-1965 were 49% born again. 1965 -1983 were 16% and from 1984 they are 4% Christian. Looking around Hillsong one would have thought it was Passion. It was full of young people. So, if my generation , the boomers were 40% born again Christians and this generation is 4% why are these gatherings full of the 4%?? Where were the 40% who are my age ? Why didnt we outnumber the young people 10 to 1 ???
This is the one of two conferences in Oz that my generation can go to and hillsong is the biggest .Others are for young people. So where were my generation. Any one with any suggestions???

Hillsong Tuesday.

This Time Last Tuesday.

I was in the afternoon breakout session for worship leaders. Pastor Jentezen Franklin from Atlanta was down to do the talk for 45 mins. BUT surprise, surprise. Mr Chris Tomlin opened the session with "How Great is Our God" ( Don't you just love that song??? Sigh :)I mean how great is our God?? How long do you have?? )

These are basically just points.
Jentzen spoke on Acts ch 15 vs 16-17, his talk being called "Worship Evangelism ".Citing Jesus and the woman at the well.she worshipped Jesus in spirit and truth and then went and told the village about Jesus.
A spirit of worship creates a spirit of evangelism. If we have real worship in the church people will come.
Rev 12v10. Worship oppresses satan
Mark 5. 2000 demons worshipped.
Nothing is authorised to stop your worship.
Be creative in worhsip. Until David's time they just used the rams horn. David created instruments. Be creative to reach the generation.
In the Psalms it says " I was glad whan they said ,let us go to the house of the LORD " David was glad when it was just suggested that he go to God's house. He was a mighty warrior and he danced with all his might. That must have been amazing worship.

When you don't feel like worshipping in your heart, start with your body. Clap, move your feet and your heart will be led to follow.

He finished by talking about the ark of the LORD coming back to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel ch 6. The distance covered was 6 miles and David stopped every sixsteps to offer sacrifices of worship to the LORD by sacrificing bulls and calves. That would have taken approximately 78 days for David to move the ark. What a demonstation of worship to our God from the king.



Tuesday Night.
Hillsong United and Darlene opened. There was a wonderful new song from the new Hillsong Cd Saviour King. That was the title song. It is beautiful.I'll talk about it later in the week.
Chris Tomlin was on with Louie Giglio Tuesday night doing "Indescribable". Chris sang Let God Arise,Holy is the Lord,Indescribable,Awesome is the Lord Most High.
Louie did his Indescribable talk. I have seen the two different DVDs of it but he was firing on all cylinders for this. But half way through the pics of the stars
some disruptive person shouted " what about Jesus" from the back of 30,000 people disrupting it. Louie was good. He said hold on mate and
you'll see. Then Louie continued and then the guy shouted it again. When we got to the bit where Louie says do you wany to go farther out? Do you want to see something really far out and he turns and it shows Jesus on the cross and
we all are stunned by the image, the guy shouted out "thank you" It really broke the impact. At the end Brian Houston came on and was raving about the talk and he said that he would not have been as gracious as Louie when the guy called out.
Chris came back and sang Wonderful Cross. He finished with Amazing Grace (mcag). The place erupted. I couldnt sing loudly enough nor raise my hands high enough and I was tempted to stand on the seat !!! I thought that I would explode in worship.It was the most amazing night worshipping Jesus who alone is worthy of ALL our praise and worship.

Tue Jul 10th

Hillsong Monday . Night One

The main sessions for the Hillsong Conference were conducted at the ACER Arena, Sydney Olympic Park.

At 7.30 with 30,000 people in the arena the lights were dimmed. A blue spotlight shone up in the audience on a girl who played a little tune on a flute. Lights went out again and then the blue light shone on another part of the arena and a trumpet player played the same tune. This happened with vocalists, violinists and trombone player. Then blue spotlights went on all and they all played together like a fanfare.Darkness again and then out of the darkness
a symphony orchestra was revealed on the stage.They played while a videos was shown.
Across the front of the arena was a screen as big as a wide movie screen. Phrases about Grace appeared with little videos of "grace moments ", such as a young mother with an untidy house and crying children. A friend came and made her a cuppa and sat and talked and held her hand. There were a few of those interspersed with the quotations on Grace.
Then John 1v14 was up on the screen. "We have seen His glory,the glory of the One and Only,Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Someone came on then and sang the first verse of the traditional Amazing Grace. I said to Keith that , that was it for Chris Tomlin singing it the next night when he was scheduled to sing when..... Spotlight comes onto Chris Tomlin who sang Amazing Grace (my chains are gone ). It was a full West End style production. Truly amazing.

Pastor Ed Young Jnr. from Texas spoke that night. His theme was
"You've Got It Now Use It."
Gen.1v1
Eph.5v11
Matt 13v24
He was emphasing that God is a creative God and we are made in His image,therefore we are creative.. The Holy Spirit empowers our creativity. So, "you've got it now use it."

We have become a Laz-e-boy church.But creativity creates change, which leads to conflict, which leads to growth.
He said something that challenged my thinking. One third of the church should be the solid believers. One third should be the hell raisers who have just come in and one third should be new Christians.
We should apply creativity where we are .
Four Points to Unleash Creativity in the Church.
1. make change through small tweaks.
2. go through "labour and delivery.
a)conception of the idea.
b) gestation of the idea.
c) labour
d) delivery.
3.make way for "theta' waves to gain concensus for ideas.
4. instill "the confusion principle" Confuse things. Change behavoiur to make things uncomfortable.
The night ended with Darlene Zscheck, Brooke Fraser and Hillsong United doing "Inside Out" and "None But Jesus"
What a great beginning to a wonderful week :)
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What a Great Week !

WOW!!! What a wonderful week !!! What an awesome God!!! What a wonderful Saviour !!!!

I was so looking forward to worshipping with God's people as I have been ill for a long time and havent been to church since February. I was hoping to get to even a few evening sessions at Hillsong.

God is so good. He gave me the energy to make all the afternoon breakouts and all of the night sessions :)

I was so pleased to be able to worship with so many great lead worshippers and hear so many world class speakers. I can't express just how I felt on the Tuesday.Mr Chris Tomlin opened the session with "How Great is Our God" ( Don't you just love that song??? Sigh :) I mean how great is our God?? How long do you have?? )

Then Louie Giglio presented the "Indescribable" talk . I have seen both DVDs but he was firing on all cylinders even though there was one disruptive person there.When Chris Tomlin finished the night singing Amazing Grace (my chains are gone ) I thought that I'd explode in worship. I couldn't sing any louder or raise my hands high enough and at one stage even considered climbing onto the chair:)

We were both so blessed and God fully quenched our dry spirits.

Thank you Jesus for an amazing week.