This week, Donna and I and our executive team attended the ARC All Access Conference at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge. The ARC (Association of related churches) is a wonderful church planting network and they put on an incredible conference with a stellar line-up of speakers. Following the lead of a fellow-blogger and one of the members of that executive team that enjoyed the conference with us (Daphne Gaspard) I thought I'd share a few of my favorite speakers' quotes.
Priscilla Shirer
John 11:55 says that people were leaving the countryside of Bethany going to Jerusalem at Passover looking for Jesus. John 12:1 says that at the same time Jesus was leaving Jerusalem for Bethany. We need to make sure we're not going the opposite direction of Jesus! They assumed He'd be in Jerusalem where the crowds were. He was more interested in the three people waiting in Bethany - Lazarus, Martha and Mary - one who would fellowship with Him, One who would wait on Him and one who would worship Him!
Robert Morris
Mammon is a spirit. All money has the spirit of Mammon on it and the only thing that can take it off is the tithe! The spirit of Mammon talks. It makes false promises about things only God can really provide. Mammon is the spirit of anti-Christ. That's why in the book of Revelations, the Bible says those without the Mark of the Beast will not be able to buy and sell. Tithing is actually a type of Jesus. The tithe is our first fruits and Jesus was God's first fruits!
Stovall Weems
The apron and handkerchiefs that Paul wore that were taken and placed on the sick to heal them in Acts 19 were items Paul wore when working as a tent maker to support his ministry. This is the kind of Kingdom sweat that produces miracles. If we want God to work we've got to be willing to work! Sweat is also generated by the heat of God's fire, provided by the Holy Spirit. In Luke 22, Jesus prayed until His sweat became like great drops of blood. The blood of Jesus was being shed before He ever reached the cross because of Kingdom sweat! Kingdom sweat has a redemptive nature!
Good stuff, huh? Just a little sample of some of the wonderful truth we had access to this week. We are so thankful we got to attend and soak it up!
