I could honestly write a book about all the amazing things that God is doing at Hillsong Conference 2019.
We have seen healings, people letting loose in worships, salvations.
But I feel the message of reconciliation is the most important thing that we could hear about at Hillsong Conference 2019.
The theme of this year’s conference, This is for Everyone it is all about bringing people from different cultures and different denominations to worship under an open heaven.
Hillsong United who have just returned from The People tour in the United States, sat down with us and shared about their experiences in particularly using the art of reconciliation.
One particular thing that stood out to me when speaking to us washow they mentioned God’s love was striving and chasing after us when we don’t deserve it and how their tour was about people and God’s love for people.
They did some incredible things on the tour. In a time where religious freedom is being debated in secular media, the fact the band managed to sell out Madison Square Garden the biggest entertainment venue in New York City.
When asked about how the band communicates this message of Jesus in a time when, what you can or can’t say is being debated, Hillsong United frontman Joel Houston does not understand the Church’s fear behind religious freedom.
“When I hear about people’s fears behind Religious Freedom, I just want to tell them, what sort of God do you Worship?.” Houston whose parents Brian and Bobbie Pastor the Church said.
“Our Songs are about a God whose love came chasing after us and they are songs about God looking to reconcile us back to him and how passionate his love was for us.” Houston said
“That message is powerful and it’s connecting with people we meet all over the world and in different cities.”
“What was great about worshipping in Madison Square Garden was the people that came were the same people we saw on the streets.”
Bobbie Houston
This message was echoed by his mother Pastor Bobbie Houston, about all the conflict we see in today’s world that is crying for reconciliation.
She said, “empathy is a battle we must choose ,”
She then referenced the second book of Corinthians in chapter five, in particular verses 16 to 21 in The Passion Translation.
“If we could just grab hold of 2 Corinthians 5:16” she said in the message.
“We have a new perspective that refuses to evaluate people merely by their outward appearances.” (TPT).
“And God has made all things new and reconciled us to himself and given us the ministry of reconciling others to God.” (TPT)
“he has entrusted us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God. We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world.” (TPT).
She said ‘if we adopted that message and used the art of reconciliation to not look on outward appearances and allowing us to simply of ambassadors for God in this world’.
She said then ‘when we are reconciled to God, we become the righteousness through our union with Christ.’
God has given us a task of communicating that message of pleading with mankind to be reconciled to him.
So rather then fighting for our rights, perhaps we need to try a different tact reconciliation
Afterall if the Father’s aim was to reconcile us to him, then wouldn’t that be more powerful, if we can reconcile with each other to lead one another back to reconciliation with God.
In this conflicted world let’s give reconciliation a chance, if people grabbed hold of that we truly will be seeing our greatest days.
Ben Kruzins is the Campus Pastor of The Hub Baptist Church in Ocean Shores on the North Coast of New South Wales. He is also a Journalism graduate who has written articles in The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Ben Kruzins is the Campus Pastor of The Hub Baptist Church in Ocean Shores on the North Coast of New South Wales. He is also a Journalism graduate who has written articles in The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald.
