hennyy: Hillsong Conference 2013!

Oh that rugged cross my salvation,

Where Your love poured out over me.

Now my soul cries out, Hallelujah,

Praise and honour unto Thee.

Man of Sorrows - Hillsong Live

Hey everyone! I know it's been aaaaaaaages since I've posted... so I thought to myself, "what better way to start again than to post about Hillsong Conference?" So here it is. :)

PS: It's a lengthy one, BUT WORTH THE READ!! That's what I get for cramming everything into one post I guess :(

So you may ask, "Henry, wut iz Hillsong Conference?" Firstly, it would make it easier for me if you all check out this link: Hillsong Conference 2013

Hillsong is a church organisation that's based down in Sydney. Each year, they hold many conferences throughout the world, but their main one is always in Sydney. It's a 5 day event, where tens of thousands of people gather together to Praise & Worship Jesus. Each year, special guests from all over the world are invited to speak to us about the wonders of the Bible and the awesomeness of Jesus Christ.

You'd think "Oh psssht, that's only for Christians", let me tell you, it isn't. Every night, the doors are open to the public, meaning free entry. Why do they do that? Well, the main focus of the conference is really to allow people to understand what Christianity is all about. We often question the unknown, hence we try to avoid it. What conference tries to focus on is to help people understand why there is this God that we believers adore so much. Who is this Jesus who died on the cross for us? And why do people say He loves us unconditionally? But in the end, it's all a really personal thing and God's love isn't something that can be easily believed through someone else's mouth, but is something that should be experienced personally. Up close and personal with Jesus.

I'm just gonna go through each day and some of my notes that I wrote down. I'm no preacher, it really is TOO MUCH to talk about in a blog, so I've taken out the parts that really stood out to me.

Day One (July 1 - Monday):

The first day started off with us waking up before the sun rose to head to the airport. I could say, I couldn't really sleep the night before although I tried really hard. I heard that many other people had the same problem from our group haha...

Our aircraft was a Qantas B767-300, which was delayed for about 30mins because they had to change some parts on the left engine or something, didn't get much details. But we got to Sydney safely :D

Qantas b767-300

So yeah, got to Sydney, went to hotel. Put bags down, went grocery shopping etc before we headed over to the Allphones Arena in Olympic Park for the first night of Hillsong Conference 2013!

Brian Houston - Glorious Ruins:

God takes what is ruined, and makes them glorious.

When humanity takes what is glorious and ruins it, God takes the ruins and make it come to life.

This is what the Lord Almight says: "In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory," says the Lord Almighty. Haggai 2:6-7

This was meant to be orange but I think instagram made it Pink haha

Day Two (July 2 - Tuesday)

Craig Groeschel - Making of a Spiritual Leader (Deo Ho Numa):

1. Spiritual Prompting

Deo Ho Numa - God prompts you, speaks to you, gives you vision.

Pay attention to those Deo Ho Numa moments.

2. Certain Uncertainty

When you hear God, take a step of faith.

Learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalms 119:105

3. Predictable Resistance

Everything new and effective will be met with resistance: People will try to stop you.

4. Uncommon Clarity

I'm doing a great work, for this I was called.

Bobby Houston - Thy Kingdom Come

Don't worry about others opinion, just concentrate of who God called you to be.

Zion --> God in full view

Judah Smith - Don't take what's yours

God will bless other people in front of you. But your share will come eventually.

Life comes down to two choices: 1. Take what's yours and go your way. 2. Trust what he gives.

God does not just do more, He IS more.

There are moments when you can choose to take what's yours, or choose door number God (referring to those reality TV shows that tell you to take the cash, which is yours to choose, or the secret door to a prize).

The truth about me is defined by the gospel, I am who I am by who God says I am.

Day Three (July 3 - Wednesday):

Bishop TD Jakes - The memoirs of a Blind man (Mark 10:50) <-- GOOD READ!!

What do you do when there's something wrong, and you can't fix it?

We often hold a cup in our hands, ask people to drop all kinds of advice, contributions into our cup, and a cloak to cover our doubts and mistakes.

The blind man could not see, but he could HEAR Jesus passing by and so he SCREAMED out to Jesus. And so the blind man was healed.

Use everything you got against everything you don't!

Drop the cup and the cloak and follow Jesus.

Joel Osteen/Victoria Osteen - Magnets for blessing.

God is in control of the storm. God will not allow a hard time in your life if it had no purpose.

He uses the storm to nove us from A to B. Let the storm take you to where He wants you to go.

Sometimes God doesn't take you away from the fire, but instead makes you fireproof.

Like a magnet, you are attracting the goodness of God. All blessings will track you down and overtake you. Like a heatseeking missile. God's plan in your life is so much bigger than your own.

You don't have to seek the blessings. Just seek God and He will promote you. At the right time, favour will find you.

Day Four (July 4 - Thursday)

Charles Nieman - What are you going to do when life doesn't play along?

John 10:10

There is lots of good in life, but sometimes life doesn't play along.

You gotta let God into your present, your "now" moment. Not your past or your future.

Jesus's I AM:

I AM THE STAND UP AND THE RECOVERY!

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE!

I AM THE LIFE THAT SATISFIES, DWELLING IN YOUR LIFE!

Let He that is in you stand up in you. When He comes up, you are coming up too.

Bishop TD Jakes - The instinct to Increase. (Matthew 25:14-19)

Intellect explains things, but only instinct finds it.

Intellect without instinct will cause you to fall short.

Tell yourself: I am gifted.

Masters don't go out to gift to the slaves, but God came down and gifted us.

You don't want what other people have, you want what God gave to you. We are unique.

Take what you have and MULTIPLY IT.

Everybody has fear, but fear does not have you.

God does not expect you to work on something He did not give you.

WORK THAT THANG HAHA.

Day Five (July 5 - Friday)

Judah Smith - For God SO loved the world (John 3:16) <-- AMAZING SCRIPTURE AKDLASDA

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God is love.

He did just love the world, He SO loved the world. God can't help himself but love us. He is a groupie.

Love is the main theme of our existence, the purpose of which we were created. We are the object of God's obsession.

If you guys have time, look at the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible. It really is a good read!!

Hosea: Salvation - God

Gomer: Completion - Us

Jesus is Hosea and we are His Gomers.

There are many more Gomers out there who are not yet saved. Let us be the linking chain between Hosea and these Gomers.

When you REBUKE the enemy and return to God by REPENTING of your sins and RECEIVING Christ, your spirit will be REBORN, your mind RENEWED, your life REBUILT, you will be RECONCILED by Christ's REDEEMING work and while you REJOICE, you will REAP the REWARDS of RELATIONSHIP causing REVIVAL to break free. REVIVAL STARTS WITH ME!

Anyways, to wrap up this post. I'm just gonna end with some photos, but can I just say. HSC13 really was something special. It was my third time attending conference but something within me clicked, knowing that I got from it more than I've ever had. Without further ado, here are some photos: