JohnPalmieri.com

"Broken Chains"

Our annual Women’s Encounter Retreat proved to be another amazing time of experiencing the power, love and grace of God. Over 200 women from across Chicagoland gathered at the Embassy Suites in Schaumburg.  After times of dynamic worship and teaching, ladies gathered together in small groups to support one another. Helpful topics on transparency, generational strongholds, forgiveness, and the Father-Daughter factor were taught by New Life Pastors. The retreat ended with an incredible time of inspirational testimonies and public declarations of ”Bold Steps” that women would be taking in the near future. 

My wife and I walked away from the retreat encouraged by a fresh outpouring of faith. God met His people this weekend and ushered in a profound sense of hope, healing and freedom. Many chains were broke and relationships set in healthy directions. I look forward to what God is going to do when the Men’s Encounter Retreat takes place on March 19th-20th.

I do not subsist on activity and mission – God, my Father, energizes me. My life in Him and His in mine, this ignites my activity and mission. Intimacy with God is what comes first – empowering, clarifying and sustaining my role in partnering with him in his mission.

Works based mission flows out of a “performance based mindset”. For example, Jihadists benchmark intimacy with their god based on mission (aka Jihad/holy war). On the other hand, Christ followers base mission out of relationship with God. Genuine Christian mission always flows, first, out of intimacy with God - the God that sacrificed his Son Jesus.

As many of you know our church has decided to dedicate the first three weeks of 2010 to fast and pray. This is a significant time…a time of beginning –the first of 2010 and also the first of a new decade. In prolonged seasons of praying it is not uncommon to be led to a specific passage of scripture that resonates with your spirit. For Chris (my wife) and I Psalm 66 was the passage for us. I’ve enjoyed a solid season of praying this Psalm into our lives, marriage, and children. I was particularly struck by verses 10-12 (Psalm 66:10-12) – the idea of God bringing us to a “place of abundance” after a season of being refined as silver. The Lord is so faithful and good…no matter what your trial…he brings us through it, he can be relied upon and on the other side we more clearly reflect his image.

                  Psalm 66:1-5                   

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.