Session # 6 National Apostolic Conference " What gets you out of Bed?"

Session 6 saw Ann Hill take the podium; what this woman lacks in stature she sure makes up for in spirit! Ann launched into a firey message and asked the probing question: "What gets you out of bed in the morning?" One of the 6 key factors in leadership is 'Passion' - we must have a consuming passion that motivates, & impels us to do what we do. For the Hills it is orphaned children and their plight in Indonesia.

 Chris Foster says that there are 'No magic wand' for a lot of life's situations - but the need is for ordinary people to do what is in their power to do. (thats US the Church!)

Acts 1:4-5 Speaks of believers receiving power to 'be' witnesses ('Marytrs') for God's purposes. Ann spoke of them coming down from the 'communion' table and into a 'commissioning' for God. She said that most of us linger a little too long at the 'communion' table (i.e doing church stuff) instead of getting down from that room and out into the community we are commissioned to reach - its then that the power comes to 'be' Christ's wittnesses.

It was the visionary / missionary David Livingston who said: "The Heavenly commission is an honour" He spent his life serving in the African jungles bearing testimony to Christ.

What is your vision? What gets YOU out of bed in the morning?

This was a stirring call to arms by a great missionary/visionary couple. The Hills are doing a wonderful work here in Australia and through Aid Indonesia.
Have a great week in God!
Ps Rhett

Session 5 Apostolic National conference "The Prodigal God"

Hi Church, These are thoughts from session 5, Dave spoke from Luke 15 & the story of the prodigal Son, speaking about the desperate place that this son had come to and his 'ephiphany' "I will arise and go to my father" in response to this, when the Father saw the son approaching he "ran" to his returning son and embraced him lavishly (kept on kissing him is a better translation.) Dave feels that the story is about a 'Prodigal' God (i.e. extravigant, lavish) who vavishes love and acceptance on the unworthy. As the church we need to reflect a 'lavish faith' in Radical generosity and quick forgivness to returning sons & daughters.

I didn't take too many notes in this session as I was totally absorbed in the story and the way Ps Gibbons was communicating this truth and appling it to our lives. I wonder are we like that with others? With visitors who come to our services, to those 'returning' sons & daughters that have come back to the Kingdom? Ps Dave said that if people really believed this was the case - our churches would not be big enough for the influx of returnees! Let us practice this 'lavish' love on one-another, and look with faith for lost people to return to the Father.

Blessings to/on/through you in Jesus name!
Ps Rhett

Session 4 Apostolic National conference "Messiah complex"

Ps Dave started this session with the story of a therapy group comprised of people who thought they were all Jesus. Sufferers of the 'Messiah complex" have a superiority mindset and find it hard to acccept that they are falible. Jesus spoke about 'a city on a hill' illustrative of the church being a 'lighthouse' for humanity reflecting the Glory of God - not its own glory. Dave went on to examine the 3 temptations of Christ in the wilderness, specifically the lure to turn stones into bread and feed his human needs - this is the 'fast food' generation - we want it all & we want it now! What are we serving up to our churches?, what they want or what they need, as there is a vast difference. We need to be pointing all to Christ as the ultimate sourse for all need.
Satan was tempting Jesus to act independantly of God's will and use the power he was given to meet his own needs and further his own cause. We need to carefully examine our personal motives and assess the ministry of our local church. Working alone or independantly can become a stumbling block to our effectivness in fullfilling the will of God for our lives. Dave asserted that we need to be focused on the 'essence' or end result of our minisrty in producing 'servant leaders' not independant or rouge disciples.
A probing question for leaders "Are you addicted to 'spectator approval' or the applause of men?" Dave noted that in the Welsh revivals - the Holy Spirit broke out in the context of small communities and moved in a systematic way (the point being that God moves in the context of community as a rule, not in isolation - but he has the perogative to do both)

• Forgivness of sins assured people of God's approval
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit empowered people with God's fire
• The Gifts of the Holy Spirit enabled people in God's grace
• The great commission thrust people into God's purposes

Quote: "Those that forget the past cannot be pioneers"

Dave explained that the Jesuit model for ministry or insignia is a picture of a priest with one foot raised / this signifying a willingness to 'Go" wherever the Lord would guide them and open doors. (Wow what an attitude! are you willing to lift up your foot?)
PS Gibbons finished this session with the reply that Jesus gave Satan "Man shall not live by bread alone (but it is a legitimate need) but (primarily) by every word that comes from God's mouth (divine revelation & inspiration are to be the higher priority)
Great session! again provided much opportunity for soul searching and a purging of motives.
Hope that this inspires you - c u next time.
Blessings
Ps Rhett