Hillsong United – Oh You Bring

Oh you bring hope to the hopeless
And light to those in the darkness
And death to life, now I’m alive

Oh you give peace to the restless
And joy to homes that are broken
I see you now, in you I’m found

And you open the door for me
And you lay down your life to set me free
All that I am will serve you Lord

Oh you fill those who are empty
And rescue those in the valley
And through it all you calm my soul

Oh now you find me in my weakness
And heal the wounds of my heartache
And I worship you in spirit and truth

And you open the door for me
And you lay down your life to set me free
All that I am will serve you Lord

And you open my eyes to see
All the wondering all of Christ in me
Jesus you’re everything I need

(Worship)

All honor
All glory
All praise to you (repeat)

And you open the door for me
And you lay down your life to set me free
All that I am will serve you Lord

And you open my eyes to see
All the wondering all of Christ in me
Jesus you’re everything I need

I can walk through this with no problem at all. It was a night of worship where I thought, “well I can have fun alone… I guess.” I was standing there in line, for a worship night with Starfield, not knowing what to expect since I just recently started listening to the band. It was both exciting and the feeling of this “unknown” feeling that I didn’t know what would happen next. As I stood there, I felt alone while everyone around me had someone there to go with. It doesn’t matter and it’s just fine. I told myself, “this will be a time between me and you, just me and you, God.” My heart felt empty, not knowing what I should honestly feel. It was a bit windy out and I thought, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, Jesus. I wanted to stay sincere and be still. “Let God do His work.”

I figured I would be able to spend time with some Christian friends and enjoy a night of worship with them. Instead, I turned my thinking around towards a night alone with God. Among other Christians that I didn’t know, it was all about that personal level again. During that night, I really felt His presence. He was there alright. God reminded me what that personal relationship meant; that love relationship with God.

"The Hand That Holds The World"

I gave my all to worship His name. I didn’t think about those around me. I didn’t think about being lonely. Why should I feel lonely? He’s always with me anyway. I was jumping and singing out as loud as I can. Nothing in the world mattered during those moments. It was just me and Him. Tears came down from my eyes during the song, “Remain” and “Holy is Our God”. It wasn’t just a concert or another worship night for me. It was a time to feel that connection with God and give Him all my praise for everything that He has done in my life. It was wonderful. It was glorious. It made me humble in His presence. It’s a connection no photograph could capture, not one song can express, no other feeling that can relate to it. It was God’s love in full force.

I went home that night at absolute peace with God and knowing that He will always be there; “Everlasting,” I thought.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

It wasn’t a date. It was a movie night. No, it was a start of a revolution: The I-Heart Revolution. I decided to go with a friend to see Hillsong United’s I-Heart Film. The documentary was indescribable to me. I honestly loved the entire message that was brought out of the movie documentary. It was a call for movement, a call to action, to do what needs to be done for His glory. It was inspiring for me to witness the message that, the one true solution is to work together through what Jesus has given us. Every Christian has some level of relationship with God. It may seem like such an overwhelming task to get rid of all the poverty, all the suffering, all the immorality, the scene of darkness and death. If you think about it, this is exactly what Jesus came down and died for, He already freed us from it all. It’s just a matter of accepting Him in our hearts and moving towards His will and His call to take action. I really hope that they release the documentary as a DVD. I definitely want to watch it again.

The I-Heart Revolution: "We're All In This Together"

During that same night, I also had something else in my heart. I believe the end result was for the better. What we have is something I want to keep. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I wasn’t sure about my feelings but I know I was attracted. I had a good time with you that night. I don’t know anyone else like you. Don’t run away because I want to keep you by my side. I love what we have now. I think you’re a real blessing in my life. Someone that I hope I can always talk to. Okay, maybe I’m babbling on a bit. What I’m trying to say is: I’m happy with what we have and let’s keep it that way.

I want to watch it again. There are some ideas in my head that I want to continue. One being: finish my own worship songs. I know I lack the amount of time and expertise in professional recording. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have the heart to do something. I really want to be a part of this I-Heart Revolution. I want to contribute and make a difference. It may be at the local level, but there is still work to be done here. Maybe one day I can visit different countries and passionately declare God’s love. I’m not sure what I can accomplish, but I do know God will work through people just as He has for thousands of years in the past.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Ever since the I-Heart film, there has been this central theme I’ve been seeing lately. Something along the lines of, “help those in need and those who are lost and bring them to Christ.” There was a guest speaker, a missionary from Thailand, and he was sharing what God has been doing on the other side of the world. It made me think and ask myself: what can I possibly do for those that I can’t physically reach or see in person? How can I reach out to them? It was remarkable. Thailand is one of those countries that are quite corrupt. Sex slaves exist and this overwhelming sense of immorality. Through all of that, God works and brings people out of it. My God is mighty to save.

We are all very blessed to live in a country that is so abundant in resources. The basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter may not be available to others around the world. I’d like to add that, Starfield also shared about their trip to Uganda. There was an incredible story about a young girl that had absolutely nothing compared the multitude of things we have that make our lives so comfortable at home. She was saved from the threat of being killed during some war and conflict. When she was asked what she wanted to become, she said she wanted to become a nurse. I felt this guilt trip that just ran down my spine. In her hut, where she lived, she carved in the words: “God’s Grace.” She was asked by Tim, do you have a relationship with God? Do you know Him? She answered, “Yes I do, God is the oxygen I breathe that sustains my life and I love Him.”

Jesus had always worked to help those that were oppressed, unloved, neglected, the forsaken, and the people who were weak. We may tend to talk about our faith, our devotions, the things that have gone wrong in life, the things we need, and the things we want. It is so selfish. As I can recall, one of the quotes from the I-Heart film was something like, “I don’t care because I only care about myself.”

I want to reach out and say, “my faith is selfless and I am the hands and feet of Jesus so that He can work through me to help those who need Him the most.”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

I feel encouraged and inspired by what God has been trying to tell each and every Christian in this world. “We’re all in this Together”

Is there something missing?

Take a look at your own life now. Are you able to declare that God’s love is the answer to every problem? Now think about this: “to those much is given, much is required.”

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” –Luke 12:48

We are blessed with what we have. Each one of us has been given some gift, some talent, and access to resources others may merely dream of having. What have you done with it? This reminds me of what I wrote about in my entry, “Six Strings”. With what you have been given: what have you done to share, to glorify, to love God?

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

I have been working on my own original worship songs. So far, I have five songs written. None, I think, are finalized, but I do have the chord progressions for two of them. It’s a project in progress. I decided to buy an actual microphone to record with, but I’m not quite ready to record them yet. I don’t want to rush the entire project. It’s a personal project, but I also want to involve others in it. I know some of my friends have talented voices and play instruments very well.

This is just one of my contributions towards the bigger picture as shown exceptionally well by the I-Heart film. I was thinking of doing something through Facebook or YouTube with videos. That’s an entirely different game plan, but for now I do intend of finishing my songs and possibly complete a full album.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

In short, this past month has been about making a move. Time will not make a pause for you to decide whether you should act now. I’d like to end this with simply to understand that we should love God first.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” –1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Hillsong United – “Solution”

It is not a human right
To stare not fight
While broken nations dream
Open up our eyes, so blind
That we might find
The Mercy for the need

Singing, Hey now
Fill our hearts with your compassion
Hey now
As we hold to our confession
Yeah

It is not too far a cry
To much to try
To help the least of these
Politics will not decide
If we should rise
And be your hands and feet

Singing, Hey now
Fill our hearts with your compassion
Hey Now
As we hold to our confession

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.
Yeah, yeah

Higher than a circumstance
Your promise stands
Your love for all to see
Higher than protest line and dollar signs
Your love is all we need

Only You can mend the broken heart
And cause the blind to see
Erase complete the sinners past
And set the captives free
Only You can take the widows cry
And cause her heart to sing
Be a Father to the fatherless
Our Savior and our King
We will be Your hands, we will be Your feet
We will run this race
On the darkest place, we will be Your light
We will be Your light

We will be Your hands , we will be Your feet
We will run this race for the least of these
In the darkest place, we will be your light
We will be your light
We’ll sing

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.
Yeah, yeah

We will run we will run
We will run with the solution [2x]

We will be Your hands we will be Your feet
We will run this race for the least of these
In the darkest place we will be Your light
We will be Your light
We sing

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

(excerpt from Desert Song -Hillsong United)

He is still God. Even now. Even now I have a reason to sing. Even now I have a reason to worship.  God is my victory and He is right by my side.

He is my priority. He is more important than my grades. Than my performance. I need to give Him the time of day. And it’s a lot easier to give Him the time of day when I’m struggling.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to stand right now. Crawling is my best choice. But with Him I will soar on wings like eagles.

I want to be changed from the inside out. He is mighty to save. He is mighty to change.

He is here. i’m standing on His promise alone.

He is my reason,

coop

Depois do meu ultimo post… parei para ouvir a música d video que eu postei anteriormente.
A música alem de ter um ritmo legal, tem uma letra muito bonita, mas tiveram duas frases que mais me chamaram a atenção ao ouvi-la:  “Jesus, You gave what the world couldn’t offer us” e “We are free” (“Jesus, você nos deu o que o mundo não pode nos oferecer” e “Nós somos livres”).

Essas frases me levaram a pensar em 3 palavras que estão em presença constante em nossas vidas, apartir da adolescencia: busca, presente e liberdade.

“Busca” ~> sempre vivemos em busca de algo… amigos, diversão, status, roupas, namorados, ficantes e muitas outras coisas. Independente do que seja, vivemos numa busca eterna de algo. Isso é bom e bonito, porque causa uma motivação e um objetivo na vida. Mas é muito triste quando o que se busca é preencher aquele famoso vazio. Quando a buca é essa, aparece no nosso caminho as pessoas erradas. Temos então os famosos “Companheiros” ou amigos de balada. São esses que nos apresentam as coisas momentâneas que vão preenchendo esse vazio. Porém o que a gente não percebe é que o que é momentâneo passa, deixando o vazio ainda maior.

“Presente” ~> Já vivi em busca de preencher esse vazio, a minha sorte é que não fiz coisas das quais tenho grande lamentações. Mas essa pequena busca foi suficiente para descubrir que o vazio só é preenchido com um presente, não um presente qualquer comprado na loja da Louis Vuitton, mas um presente eterno: a Salvação através de Cristo Jesus! Dar a vida por alguém que só pisou na bola, é esse o presente do Pai, um presente que ninguém no mundo porde nos oferecer… um AMOR INCONDICIONAL! Isso não se COMPRA, isso se GANHA!

“Liberdade” ~> “E conhecereis a verdade e a verdade vos libertará “(João 8:32). Jesus é claro nessa passagem. O vazio que pertuba nossa alma é o mesmo que nos acorrenta. Quando nós aceitamos o Presente de Deus e resolvemos conhecer a Verdade que é Cristo(João 14:6) nós somos libertos e somos capazes de viver uma vida completa e cheia de alegrias! Então podemos fazer que nem a galera do United e realemte cantar: “We are free! Oh oh oh”! Mas se você já vai em alguma igreja e mesmo assim você ainda se sente vazio ou preso é porque você não conhece a Verdade e quando eu falo em conhecer não é só saber, mas realmente procurar saber, correr atrás, viver a Verdade e faze-la parte de sua vida, não só declarando com os lábios mas também com a boca!

“We are,
Living to make Your Name high
Jesus
Living to make Your Name high
Jesus You,
Gave what the world couldn’t offer us
Say what they want, Say what they want
We are free!”

“Nós estamos
Vivendo para exaltar teu nome
Jesus
Vivendo para exaltar teu nome
Jesus você
Nos deu o que o mundo não pode nos oferecer
Diga o que eles querem
Nós somos livres”
(Refrão da música: Your Name Is High by Hillsong United

Finalmente estou falando deles! Pra quem me conhece sabe que eu amo essa banda, apesar de ultimamente não ouvi-la muito e de não ter ido ao Show deles em São Paulo =/, mas aqueles que foram disse que foi um evento único!

Bom, para não haver nenhuma confusão, esse post se trata sobre o Hillsong UNITED, que é a banda de louvor dos jovens da Hillsong Church, localizada na Australia. Seu sucesso com o publico jovem de diversos países deve-se ao seu estilo pop-rock contemporâneo com algumas influências do hard rock e punk. Além disso suas músicas são voltadas a adoração e a criação de uma nova geração de Cristãos comprometidos com a santidade e o amor de Deus.

Vão ai algumas das músicas que estão na boca do povo:

*Your Name Is High

*Break Free

*From the inside out

*Might to save

*Take it All

*One way

*Free (marco da geração united)

*Solution

*The time has come

*All day

*Tell the word

Essas são só algumas das muitas músicas feitas por eles.

Assistam o video dessa galera irada! Depois falem o que vocês acharam deles.

Ah, e pra quem quer acompanhar mais de perto o trabalho deles e a turnê pela América do Sul vai ai o site deles:

http://www.hillsongunited.com/

;D

Navegando pela net encontrei esse vídeo com uma timeline dos shows do Hillsong United no Brasil. Vale a pena conferir, tem algumas coisas interessantes, outras engraçadas e até um acidente!

Assista ai o vídeo e veja por você mesmo

Vídeo: http://vimeo.com/7694923

PS: Não esqueçam de comentar e dizer o que acham sobre o vídeo, e o que não acham também, rsrs…

Olá Tagarelaz!!! Atenção para  mais uma novidade…

“Cada história de esperança, amor, perda e sacrifício, por fim, aponta para UMA história.”

Depois do Cd “With Hearts As One-2008″ e “A Cross The Earth-2009″ (por sinal muito bons), o HillSong United finalmente lançou no último dia 4, nos Estados Unidos, o Filme-Documentário “The I Heart Revolution – We’re All In This Together” ou “A Revolução do Eu Amo – Estamos Todos Juntos Nisso”. Pra quem não sabe, trata-se de um movimento de pessoas que procuram ajudar pessoas, mostrando o amor de Deus de maneira prática.

Hoje, 18 de Novembro, é a vez do filme estrear na Austrália, África do Sul e Nova Zelândia. Vamos torcer pra ele chegar em terras brasileiras logo logo!

Leia a Sinopse:

O Hill Song United começou no subúrbio de Sidney, Austrália, com um bando de adolescentes tocando numa banda de jovens na Igreja local. Mais de uma década depois, eles viajam pelo mundo tocando para multidões que representam diferentes Nações, Culturas e Desafios.

Quando a banda cruza o globo eles se veem confrontados e até oprimidos com a história de pessoas extraordinárias e se deparam com a injustiça e o desconfortável paradoxo de estarem unidos em adoração (servindo a um único Deus), mas separados pelas circunstâncias (diferentes problemas). Se todo o foco for apenas direcionado ao que acontece no palco, então talvez eles tenham perdido completamente o alvo.

Filmado durante um período de dois anos, “The I Heart revolution: We’re All In This Together” seguiu a banda HillSong United na viagem por 6 continentes, 42 países e 93 cidades em uma jornada cultural de música, animação, entrevistas e documentando ao vivo a percepção deles para cada história de esperança, amor, perda e sacrifício que, por fim, aponta para UMA história.

Vejam o trailer (sem legenda). OBS.: Uma coisa bem clara no vídeo é o contraste de um mundo que consegue ser próspero e pobre ao mesmo tempo…

e aí o que acharam?

No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me, declares the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17 (NASB)

I love this song. And even more wonderful than this song is Hillsong’s Jill McCloghry’s amazing testimony.
“All of my life, In every Season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship”

Neste sábado, 14 de novembro de 2009, acontecerá a apresentação do Hillsong United em São Paulo (Ginásio do Ibirapuera). Não há mais ingressos à venda.

Por isso, NÃO teremos neste mês o encontro do Geração!

Para aqueles que compraram ingressos pagando meia-entrada, abaixo seguem algumas instruções:

PROMOÇÃO SOLIDÁRIA: você deverá levar 1 kg de alimento não perecível (LACRADO E EM EMBALAGEM ORIGINAL) não pode ser alimento retirado da embalagem original e colocado em saco plástico não higienizado (ISSO NÃO SERÁ ACEITO).

ATENÇÃO PARA OS ALIMENTOS QUE SERÃO ACEITOS: ARROZ, FEIJÃO, AÇÚCAR, PÓ-DE-CAFÉ, LEITE EM PÓ, LEITE CAIXA LONGA VIDA, MACARRÃO. (NÃO SERÃO ACEITOS OUTROS ALIMENTOS, NÃO INSISTAM!).

Antes de localizar a entrada de seu setor e fila para entrar no ginásio, você deverá ir ao QUIOSQUE SOLIDÁRIO deixar o quilo de alimento e validar seu ingresso! Atenção, não serão recebidos alimentos na entrada do ginásio, somente no QUIOSQUE SOLIDÁRIO.

MEIA ENTRADA: aos que adquiriram o valor e MEIA ENTRADA, deverão apresentar carteira de estudante válida . Localize a entrada de seu setor e aguarde a abertura dos portões, deverá estar de posse do documento junto com o ingresso no momento da entrada!

- Os portões serão abertos com no máximo 1 hora de antecedência.

- Lembramos que os setores com cadeira numerada serão respeitados!

- É importante seguir as instruções corretamente para facilitar a entrada e não criar tumulto nas filas! 

O início da apresentação será às 19:00hs.

Estaremos orando para que seja um tempo abençoado e ungido pelo Senhor!

Hey there,

Found another song by Hillsong United. Nice worship song, really comforting especially during this period of time. Though, you would need to either do barre for this song or move your capo during the chorus and verse. Enjoy!

CENTRE OF MY LIFE
Hillsong London
Key: A# / C
Tuning: Standard
Source: christiantabs.wordpress.com
*NOTE: Play with 2 guitars or switch capo during playing*

::CAPO 3::

Verse 1:
G
let my walk speak loud
Em
let my words be true
C                G
let my life be whole
                  D
when my eyes on you 

Verse 2: 

so i'm steppin' out
from my comfort zone
let it go of me
holding on to you 

Refrain:
Em        C
freedom comes
Em        	C
when i call You Lord
G	C          D
You are Lord my God 

::CAPO 5::

Chorus:
             G            D
You are the center of it all
        Em               C
the universe declares it all
Em                 D       C
Your Majesty i surrender all
                  G          D
i make You the center of my life
          Em             C
Lord i respond with all i am
Em                  D
You place to me the song
C            D
of heaven's melody
       C        D                 G
Your majesty i live to sing Your song 

::CAPO 3:: 

Verse 3:

i have found Your peace
every place, any fear
You had done it all
i can trust in You 

Turnaround:
G			Em
this is Your song my God
C				D
this is Your song that brings healing to this land 

artist: Hillsong
-gmac09-

VERSE
SAVIOR I COME
QUIET MY SOUL REMEMBER
REDEMPTIONS HILL
WHERE YOUR BLOOD WAS SPILLED
FOR MY RANSOM

PRE-CHORUS
EVERYTHING I ONCE HELD DEAR
I COUNT IT ALL AS LOSS

CHORUS
LEAD ME TO THE CROSS
WHERE YOUR LOVE POURED OUT A
BRING ME TO MY KNEES LORD I LAY ME DOWN
RID OF ME MYSELF I BELONG TO YOU
OH LEAD ME LEAD ME TO THE…
THE CROSS

VERSE II
YOU WERE AS I
TEMPTED AND TRIED HUMAN
THE WORD BECAME FLESH
BORE MY SIN AND DEATH
NOW YOU’RE RISEN

BRIDGE
TO YOUR HEART
TO YOUR HEART
LEAD ME TO YOUR HEART
LEAD ME TO YOUR HEART

CHORUS2
LEAD ME TO THE CROSS
WHERE YOUR LOVE POURED OUT
BRING ME TO MY KNEES LORD I LAY ME DOWN
RID OF ME MYSELF I BELONG TO YOU
OH LEAD ME

OUTRO
OH LEAD ME
LEAD ME TO THE CROSS

click below for chords…
LEAD ME TO THE CROSS

Hey Everyone

So last week I went on a little movie trip, on the Tuesday I watched a new movie called ‘To Save a Life’ and the day after I watched Hillsong’s United new movie ‘We’re All in This Together‘ (the one I told you about in my last post)

First off both movies made me cry and secondly both of their messages we’re beyond meaningful. The first movie ‘To Save a Life’ is all about teen suicide and how suicide is now the second leading cause of death for teens. The second movie “We’re all in this together” is all about the global issues such as poverty that we face every day yet most of the time we choose to look away.  Both of these issues are big deals and too often get overlooked but do you know what the answer is to all these problems? The answer is simple, LOVE.

I know we all know the Beatles song ‘All You Need is Love’ but seriously all you need is love. What if we stopped being so focused on our every day and just for a little while choose to look up and see other people’s needs. If we showed love in a practical way not because we had to or we wanted to do our part but because it was part of our character.

What if showing love was as natural as looking out for ourselves. What if instead of walking past the homeless guy on the street corner we took a minute to talk to him and learn his story. What if instead of excluding the weirdo who sits by himself at lunch we expanded our circle of friends to let him in.

Would this world be a better place if we focused on showing love in a practical way every chance we got? I believe if people especially teens could show true love this world would be a better place and I am not the only one who believes in love. Both of the movies I saw are powerful and show you how to show love in a practical way. Check them out at http://www.tosavealifemovie.com/  and http://www.theiheartfilm.com/

So I challenge you to go out into your everyday life and look for opportunities to show love even if it’s only what you would consider a small thing. You never know a small act of love can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Until next time, be blessed, stay strong and remember all you need is love,

God Bless,

Grace Hatton – Best Selling Teen Author
http://www.gracehatton.com/

Last night a few other leaders and I took a pack of kids from our youth to go see Hillsong United’s “The I-Heart Film,” which was a one-time event, broadcast via satellite from Australia to North America. Since we have youth group every Wednesday night, we couldn’t take everyone (potentially 200 kids), so we made it optional for whoever wanted to come along. If you’re a follower of Christ and don’t know what this film is, first, emerge from the cave in which you dwell (take no offense, I’m kidding, sort of), then do a Google search with terms like “The I-Heart Revolution” or “we’re all in this together” and read up on this movement. Or just go to I-Heart.org and get involved.

I could talk all about the injustices and horrible atrocities that we were made privy to through this film, but I won’t. I could talk about how I have been given a kick in the butt to start reaching out to the people around me, but I won’t. I could talk about a lot of the things this film was mostly intended to get us talking and thinking about, but I won’t… because there’s other bloggers that are probably doing the job better than I can. And to be honest, I’ve heard it all before. Don’t get me wrong, I mean that in the most positive way because we need to keep hearing it. We are a desensitized people living in our affluent Western bubble. What was different about this film compared to the way we’ve heard it before was the delivery. It wasn’t an old guy holding a hungry and dirty child in his arms asking for $.04 a day (which nonetheless is still somewhat effective on me), it was a broad reawakening to the condition of the “have-not’s” and a call to action for us “have’s.” It was an empowering message to us that, for example, leaving ten minutes early for work and chilling for a bit with the homeless guy that sits outside of your office can actually put a dent in this pandemic of loneliness that knows no cultural or socioeconomic boundaries. Like they said in the film, “it’s happening on your doorstep if you want to look for it.”

But I said I wasn’t going to talk about all of that “help the poor” stuff. One of many things that really stuck with me about this film was what I believe Jadwin Gillies (can you find a more Australian name?) said, “…a lot of people look at us as the future, but I think we need to see that we are the present as well.” Cliché? Maybe. True and pertinent? Yes.

Joel Houston, who co-wrote the film, did a wonderful job throughout to point out various stories of people in every part of history who took initiative and had a serious impact on the world. The trend in each of these stories was that these “game changers” were all young men and women/teenagers/20-somethings. In every generation, it’s primarily young people who stand up and challenge the status quo. Why do you think it’s so popular for the youth of today to take a liberal political stance as opposed to a conservative one? It’s not just Viacom’s subliminal influence through MTV to push the left wing agenda on teenagers (conspiracy!), it’s simply in our nature to think forward and progressively, and to not “conserve” the ways of our fathers, but to rethink them. (I am not advocating any political view.) This is especially true in this “your-MacBook-Pro-is-outdated-three-weeks-after-you-buy-it” society.

It’s funny because probably every tired and worn out status quo was once a progressive idea that was pioneered by some group of young people. Then that same group of young people grow old and hang on to their once progressive ways until another group of young people come along and challenge that status quo. It’s a beautiful cycle. It’s a natural cycle. We need not fight it, or we will suffer the consequences of division and generational gaps. Do us youngsters need guidance and wisdom? Absolutely. Do we have it all figured out? Not a chance. But we are free, full of energy, and ready to conquer the world. So why not harness this fervor and zeal, rather than reject it? Harness it, and watch your local church body revitalize with a passion for God and a heart for the lost. Reject it, and your local body will likely die in its ways. Every time I turn around, I hear about another traditional church in New England closing its doors. Our generation is no longer concerned with religious ceremonies, pretty buildings, stained glass windows, and the like. We want to see church as it relates to those who are not yet part of it, not how it relates to those who are “preferred customers.”

And finally, let me throw some scripture out there. I think Ezra 3 captures this concept well. The Jews had returned from Babylonian captivity and had begun laying the foundation for the new temple. To make a long story short, some of these Jews were old enough to remember Solomon’s temple, yet some of them only knew a life of worship without one. As construction commenced, there were mixed emotions: shouts of joy from the young who were grateful to have a temple at all, yet weeping from the older priests and family heads. There are two explanations for the weeping. One says that these older folks were letting out cries of joy. The other explanation says they were weeping because this new temple wasn’t nearly as elaborate and extravagant as the last one, so they let out cries of nostalgia for the “good ol’ days.”

Maybe there’s a reason theologians can’t decide on why they were weeping. Maybe it’s because we are supposed to make a choice between the two. I have seen the glorious unity that takes place when generational gaps close as those who have gone before us come to our side and let out cries of joy as the old passes and the new rises up. Yet too often in church our fathers and grandfathers fall into the latter category, holding tightly to the way things used to be, letting their cries of nostalgia taint and discourage the young cries of joy. It’s important that we keep a healthy balance of praise between where your local church has come from and where it’s headed.

I often joke with my buddies that we’ll never turn out to be petulant old men with no tolerance for the youngins, but we don’t know that. It’s just too easy to settle down into our ways. I see Ezra 3 as a challenge to stay forever young, as Bob Dylan sang. Some seek perpetual youth with Botox and Acai berry extract concoctions, but as a friend once Tweeted, “Old or young isn’t about age. If you find your excitement in the future, you’re young. If you find it in the past, you’re old.”

When I’m all ripe and grown up, I want to put my hand on some stupid punk-kid’s shoulder and weep for joy as we peer into the metaphorical sunset and look to the days to come. After all, We’re All In This Together, and that stupid punk-kid could be the next Martin Luther for all we know.

Em novembro de 2009 teremos aqui no Brasil a apresentação da banda de jovens United, da igreja Hillsong da Austrália. Em São Paulo (14/11) os ingressos estão esgotados e em Porto Alegre (13/11)  ainda estão à venda.
Quem vai???

Esta música (No Reason to Hide) faz parte do último álbum do United: Across The Earth – Tear Down The Walls
Decora aí!!!

For months I have looked forward to the release of The I Heart Film, from the trailer and previews I knew it was going to be good. However after watching it, I got to admit that it was a lot better then I could have ever imagine. The film shows the need that is all around the world, even in the US. The film does a great job in encouraging people to do whatever they can to help the cause and show love. As a young person, seeing these people who are not much older then I am going out to the world and helping at all cause really opens up my eyes and makes me ask my self, “Is what I am doing enough?” I don’t think there is one person who left that film who wasn’t encourage to do more to spread the love of God. Along with the film they also had a live feed from Austria performing never before heard songs along with interviews with some of the people who made this video possible. But they know that the film is not the end of it, now its time for us to go out and do something about it. If we watch the movie and just go back to our comfortable lives still forgetting about the need in our very city, what good does it do. I believe a message they try to get across was that there is no thing to small to not do. They even talk about going to bad areas of their hometown to do work and meet the need there. We can not forget about Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Ft Lauderdale, Miramar or the rest of South Florida as we try to show the love of God to the world. If you would want to find a way to help please click the link above to go to the Films website.

Quotes from the movie:

“For a long time the church has made a big deal about small things and a small deal about big things”

“I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something.”

“We may never see the end results, but that is the differencebetween the master builder and the worker.We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.We are prophets of a future not our own.Amen. “

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.

Last night I saw an incredible movie with some of my friends/family from my church. this movie convicted me and stirred up some things in me in ways I can’t even explain. As a lot of you know I went on a mission trip to Kenya last year with my church and it was one of the most, if not the most, incredible and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Because of circumstances this year (new job, change in dates etc) I couldn’t go back but this movie let me know that I need to get back and be focused on what I was doing and all the the things that charged me after that trip.

The movie, “The I Heart Revolution: We’re All in This Together,” was put together by Hillsong United and their I-Heart organization. They have a GREAT purpose and to steal from their site “we’re a group of people from across our earth that endeavour to connect the IDEAS and ACTIONS of people seeking to be the hands an feet of Jesus.”  Last night was a one time showing that was simulcasted in theaters across the U.S. and Canada and it was simply great.

This is a synopsis of the movie from their site:

Filmed over a period of 2 years, The I Heart Revolution: We’re all in this Together follows the worship band, Hillsong United, as they travel across 6 continents 42 nations and 93 cities in a cross-cultural journey of music, animation, interviews and live action documentary as they realise every story of hope, love, loss and sacrifice ultimately points to the one story.

As United crisscross the globe they are confronted and ultimately overwhelmed by the stories of remarkable individuals facing injustice and the uncomfortable paradox of being united in worship yet divided in circumstance. If their entire focus is directed only to what happens on stage, then maybe they have missed the point altogether.

Simply put this movie really just focused sharing that we can use the love that God has put in us to help others.

They also have a great community where you can meet with other people and come up with ideas and solutions to start creating change. I-Heart.org