Saturday, August 18, 2007
Soul Survivor 2008
"Into His Likeness."
Once again, like last year, before the week started I really wasn't looking forward to going to SS.
And like last year as I got home I was actually so glad I had come.
With SS you get out what you put in. It's the way that relationships work with God. He's done the hard part... all we've gotta do is come with willing hearts (easier said than done considering I've been extremely unwilling this entire year!) and what you get back (even if it does take a bit of perserverance) is always, always worth it.
Myself, Tim, Ryan and Luke stayed on for the last meeting and I know God touched the latter two in a deeper way then He'd done all week because they were more willing. And I know God worked in me in a greater way because I was more willing as well.
I've realised that the key to a joyful life is to abide in God. I've been told church meetings aren't the be-all and end-all of Christianity and that's 100% true. I also believe that church should be a place where you celebrate God's goodness and what He's performed. However, I also think that church is that place you go to when you just need to be refuelled so that God can motivate you to work in His ways again.
Without God, we are darkness. "Our righteousness is like dirty rags" it says somewhere in the Bible. Google is if you want.
But with Him we are light. And it's not a chore either once you've been with Him. It's a joy! The Spirit motivates us (the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak) but we have to get with God. We have to be refuelled... and just like light needs a source of power, God is that power. But once you have that, it's not difficult to keep the light on until you exhaust the energy - you just need to keep topping up.
Why do people seem to come back from big festivals "on fire" yet they can't get that in their church? Actually... they can get it at their church too...
I think it's because:
They are more open at festivals,
They're surrounded by like-minded people,
Their purpose for being at the festival is because they want more of God,
The festival has been prayed for for God to strut His stuff,
Time is given for God to move.
Church meetings can be like that too!! But we've seemed to forget it because most of the time when I've come out of them this year, I haven't been changed.
Let's give church back to God and I mean really back to Him. And let's come to church to meet with Him and for everything else to be swept aside.
Damn. I'm preaching!
Anyway. God healed a woman of cancer, two of the youths knees, someones wrist, someones ankle (these are just the ones I remember cos there were over 100 testimonies at the end) met with some of our youth like they've never experienced before and over 500 people became Christians. I just pray they stick with it!
Once again, like last year, before the week started I really wasn't looking forward to going to SS.
And like last year as I got home I was actually so glad I had come.
With SS you get out what you put in. It's the way that relationships work with God. He's done the hard part... all we've gotta do is come with willing hearts (easier said than done considering I've been extremely unwilling this entire year!) and what you get back (even if it does take a bit of perserverance) is always, always worth it.
Myself, Tim, Ryan and Luke stayed on for the last meeting and I know God touched the latter two in a deeper way then He'd done all week because they were more willing. And I know God worked in me in a greater way because I was more willing as well.
I've realised that the key to a joyful life is to abide in God. I've been told church meetings aren't the be-all and end-all of Christianity and that's 100% true. I also believe that church should be a place where you celebrate God's goodness and what He's performed. However, I also think that church is that place you go to when you just need to be refuelled so that God can motivate you to work in His ways again.
Without God, we are darkness. "Our righteousness is like dirty rags" it says somewhere in the Bible. Google is if you want.
But with Him we are light. And it's not a chore either once you've been with Him. It's a joy! The Spirit motivates us (the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak) but we have to get with God. We have to be refuelled... and just like light needs a source of power, God is that power. But once you have that, it's not difficult to keep the light on until you exhaust the energy - you just need to keep topping up.
Why do people seem to come back from big festivals "on fire" yet they can't get that in their church? Actually... they can get it at their church too...
I think it's because:
They are more open at festivals,
They're surrounded by like-minded people,
Their purpose for being at the festival is because they want more of God,
The festival has been prayed for for God to strut His stuff,
Time is given for God to move.
Church meetings can be like that too!! But we've seemed to forget it because most of the time when I've come out of them this year, I haven't been changed.
Let's give church back to God and I mean really back to Him. And let's come to church to meet with Him and for everything else to be swept aside.
Damn. I'm preaching!
Anyway. God healed a woman of cancer, two of the youths knees, someones wrist, someones ankle (these are just the ones I remember cos there were over 100 testimonies at the end) met with some of our youth like they've never experienced before and over 500 people became Christians. I just pray they stick with it!
