Hillsong Conference 2010 was just over one month ago, we have moved well into the second half of this year and I am filled with anticipation, expectation and belief that God is going to do something fresh and new in all of our lives.

Each year, our guests travel from all over the world and our selfless armies of volunteers welcome and serve thousands of people, as we once again gather to be equipped and refreshed together and move into this new decade worshipping our worthy King.

I grew up in New Zealand. I say fish and chips with a funny accent. When I ask for a pin to clip something together, I get given a pen to write with. Growing up in that beautiful land where the ocean waters have this beautiful emerald tinge, we were always told that the land had 3 million people and SIXTY MILLION SHEEP!

Those stats have probably changed by now... but sixty million sheep is a lot of sheep. I still get excited when I drive in the countryside and see sheep or lambs. I remember once my dad (who was a brickie... bricklayer) did a job for a couple of weeks on a farm. I was a little girl and he took me with him and that year, every ewe on that farm had twins. It was completely surreal. Actually, I'm just having this memory now, but when we pioneered our church, I helped organize the kids department and we called it "little lambs" for a while. Maybe that was a hangover from my kiwi background.

Look up "evoke" in the dictionary and it says "To bring or recall to the conscious mind". Search for “evoke” in the bible and you find (in Ephesians 5, Message) the most magnificent of statements ... "Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her".

These verses also speak of The Church, in context of a beautiful bride being prepared to one day stand alongside her Saviour King. Heaven delights in this analogy and people who have felt and experienced the warmth of this reality delight also. But let's never forget that those who (sadly) position themselves as "enemies" of this same Saviour, will also position themselves as enemies of His bride. They will never delight or be enthused about her ... To them she is an equal threat, no matter how kind and gracious she (continually) shows herself to be.

Hope For Eternity

One of God’s greatest promises of hope is found in Romans 5:2-5 (NLT):

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where

we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

Hope in this life and beyond. A hope that never disappoints us and one that gives us access to God and to heaven through Jesus.

Hope for Today

There is no question that many people today are living in desperation. Throughout my travels, I come across so many people who are really hurting… gripped in fear… and looking for hope.

You know, the truth is that we are living in a time when so many people are confronted by pressure and seemingly hopeless situations. People in today’s climate are losing their homes, losing money and losing hope. Families, banks, and some of the world’s most high powered governments are taking desperate measures to prevent what some are predicting to be the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Many people are asking “Where is God in it all?”

The Word of God is a collection of the most hope-filled passages ever to be recorded.

John 3:16 (NLT) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This scripture is the anchor of our hope, the basis of all that we believe. It is the reason we can look to the future without fear and uncertainty, but with promise and expectation.

Throughout the bible, all of God’s great promises give us hope: HOPE for our past, HOPE for our everyday, and HOPE for eternity.

This weekend I want to take time to honour the ANZAC's and give due weight to the unbelievable sacrifice they made for the freedom we enjoy today, and the rich heritage they have passed on to generations of Australians and New Zealanders.

The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian & New Zealand Army Corps, whose legend was forged with the landing of the Corps on the Gallipoli Peninsula at the Dardanelles on April 25th, 1915.  ANZAC has since become synonymous with the courageous spirit and legendary sacrifice of our armed forces.

Well, on Tuesday night we gathered with the heart and soul of Hillsong Church in Sydney and Brisbane at Leadership Vision Night.  The House was packed with some of the finest volunteers, leaders and pastors that a Senior Pastor could ever ask for.  Bobbie and I are so blessed by the caliber of people who consistently embody the spirit of this House, and carry the vision of this church each week with painstaking excellence.  The greatest resource the church will ever have is people, and we, at Hillsong Church are so very blessed.

Hillsong Music has always been an expression from the heart and soul of this House. The songs that have come from this church and been sung all over the world are a testimony to God’s grace in our church and over the lives of our creative team, that pour so much of themselves into each and every project.  Over a number of years we have had the privilege of working with some amazing people, and this year marks a new chapter in the Hillsong Music journey. This morning, Billboard Music Charts released this article:

The empty tomb is a symbol of great hope and significance for the Christian faith. But it is more than just a symbol. The empty tomb is the result of an event that occurred in history, is recorded in the Word of God, and central to so much of what we believe.

Josh McDowell says it well when he says, 'I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is either one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted on the minds of human beings--or it is the most remarkable fact of history.'