2011 G12 conference "Dream"

I had the priviledge of attending the 2011 G12 conference entitled "Dream" in Ontario, CA this weekend, and there were so many things God was showing me. The power of a dream was the theme. While at this conference, I was really expecting God to really allow me to have a more intimate relationship with Him, my wife, and I was also asking God for specific dreams for my family and ministry.
Before I came to this conference, it seemed that many trials had come into my life. The circumstances were so thick in my life, that it had caused a blockage of me being able to see my dreams clearly. I had begun to loose sight and hope for my dreams. However, as I entered into the conference with an open heart, God began to immediately set me free from the weight of these circumstances and trials in which I was facing. My heart began to weep, and I could not stop crying as the worship and presence of God was so thick during ministry time.
Some of my favorite times at this conference was; when Sarah Casteanos preached, when my wife and I gave an offering in faith, and listening to Martin Smith worship.
When Sarah preaches at any conference, I am always amazed at what God does and how powerful He speaks to me thru her messages. I thank God for Sarah, and I love her because her heart is for the youth of the next Generation. Every time she preaches, my life is wrecked and I find myself weeping at Jesus' feet in humbleness and repenting before my Jesus. This year, she was preaching on being the salt of the earth from Matthew chapter 5. That morning, my devotional was actually from this chapter, and about me being the salt of the earth. It was incredible.
The significance of my wife and I giving a great offering of faith this year was because my wife had had her hours recently cut at work. We are literally missing about 1/3 of our income now. However, by faith we were able to gather enough money to not only go to this conference, but to also give a faith offering of $100 as a covenant offering. We gave in faith that God would take care of us and provide for us in that time of need when we would need it the most. Very similar to the time Abraham came before God ready to give his one and only son in whom he loved. God sent an angel at the last minute and told Abraham to not sacrifice his son. And because Abraham came before God prepared and ready with a willing heart, because he gave his best, God made him the father of the multitudes. A pastor told me once that their will be a time when God takes everything from your life, because he wants to test your life, to test your faith. Today God has taken everything from my wife and I and we are learning to depend on Him and not our finances.
Listening to Martin Smith (formally known as the lead singer of Dilerious?) was a joy and an experience like I have never experienced before. I noticed something different in the way he lead worship as opposed to other great artists or worship leaders, in that he really connected to the crowd and lead the crowd into worship. He wasn't just simply up on stage performing, but he would look at the faces of those in the crowd, and smile. He seemed to be amazed at what God was doing in the United States thru the G12 vision, and excited that he was with these sons and daughters of the living God. He was with us, and the presence of God was so thick that it was as if we were in Heaven singing to Jesus! Their was such a peace about Martin Smith that blew my mind, the way he carried himself and smiled genuinely with peace and joy. He said one thing that really changed my life, he said "ya know, with people all in here, we are all going thru different circumstances, but the great thing is that we are all here worshipping God, and this is what we were called to do, we were called to be at peace and worship God. Sometimes in life we just need to stop and spend time worshipping Jesus, because that is what we were created to do.". That is so true!

Martin Smith captivated the heart of worship, so dynamic, refusing nothing but excellence within the team that plays with him. I believe all worship leaders should learn the dynamic of worship from this man. He truly know how to capture the heart of worship like I have never seen before from any other artist.