Peter Costello's Message On Australia Day

Following is the historic message given by the Hon. Peter Costello (former Federal Treasurer) for the Australia Day United Prayer Celebration, organized by CTFM at the Melbourne Town Hall, where more than 1500 Christians from many churches, denominations, and cultures came together as the Body of Christ from across our nation to declare Australia for Jesus!
Link to the Hon. Peter Costello’s Video Message: Peter Costello’s Message on Australia Day 2009

“Good morning to everybody that is meeting together in the Melbourne Town Hall on this Australia day. I can’t think of a more important thing to be doing than to Unite in Prayer on this, our National day for our nation. And I bring you special greetings to each and every one of you that is there today and is praying for our nation standing in prayer on its behalf for it and for all of our people.

Many Australians don’t know that shortly after the 1st Australia day January the 26th, the first sermon was ever preached on Australian soil by the chaplain that came out with the first fleet. The chaplain took as his text a verse from the Psalms, and he preached a sermon on these words. “What shall I render to the lord for all his benefits to me?” Course the benefits that he was preaching about was the coming of the First fleet to Australia, the landing and the establishment of the new country.

As we look back over hundreds of years of Australian history, we can still see the benefits of God to us in this country. A wonderful country, wonderful people that’s given a home to those that have come from all over the world, a country that has had a peaceful history and a prosperous history, a country that is now respected around the world. Of course the following verse of that psalm goes on to say, “what shall I render to the Lord for all of his benefits to me” goes on to say “I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.” And of course, what greater gift is there than the gift that God has given us in Jesus Christ. The cup of salvation, and what more can we do than to take hold of it and call upon the name of the Lord, which is what you are doing today in the Melbourne Town Hall.

One of the things that has been absolutely central to the development of Australia and the foundation of our society is that Biblical heritage, the heritage that we have through the Scriptures, and through the Ten Commandments, respect for our Maker, respect for our fellow citizens, respect for property, respect for the laws that God has laid down. That’s been the foundation of our society. It’s been the basis of our peaceful tolerance of each other and of order. It has been the basis of creating opportunity for so many Australian’s. If we forget that tradition, if we walk away from those God given commandments, then we as a society will be threatened with the breakdown of that order, will be threatened with losing our heritage and loosing opportunity. So I want to say to you, those that are praying for Australia today, to pray that this nation will always remember its foundations, and always be true to them, and always live according to those laws. There are many people today that are telling us that religion is all a lot of superstition, that the laws that have been laid down, of respect for individuals, property and for our creator are all a load of nonsense, that don’t respect life. If we fall for that trap, if Australia falls for that trap then the very basis of our society and its order will be threatened. That’s why we need Christian people to pray for our country, we will never understand the way in which God moves. But we know that if his people pray, He will hear that they will be a light to the nation and the nation will be covered and protected by Godly people who are giving direction and standing for it in prayer. And I thank you for what you are doing today and can I encourage you to continue in it.

May God bless you and may God bless our country in this year 2009.”

I encourage you to pass on these details throughout your congregation, denomination, ministry, movement, and additional spheres of Kingdom influence as the Lord continues to unite the Body of Christ in corporately praying for Australia’s spiritual transformation in 2009!

Releasing The Church

2009 promises to be a challenging year with the Christian faith under attack in many nations, with the global economic crisis bringing its own challenges to individuals and organisations. But we know that that God is in total control no matter what the circumstances around us may seem to be.

The New Testament talks about the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5-9). All believers have been chosen by God: a "chosen generation...His own special people" (verse 9). What a privilege to be able to access the very throne of God directly, not through any earthly priest. When Christ returns and the New Jerusalem comes to earth (Revelation 21), believers will see God face-to-face.

Therefore the Church needs to be "a ministering community rather than a community gathered around a minister." Leaders should seek less to control than to inspire and collaborate, thus allowing the Holy Spirit to work through all believers.

Four Directions

Hope you are well. While I was reflecting on Francis Frangipane's book "The House of the Lord", I sensed God tell me to look at the following four directions, which I'd like to share with you:

(1) Look back—and praise Him!
(2) Look up—and trust Him!
(3) Look around—and serve Him!
(4) Look ahead –and expect Him!

Lord, please help us all to look at these four directions in 2009, and beyond!

The House Of The Lord

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD - God’s Plan To Liberate Your City From Darkness (By Francis Frangipane)

Can God build the Church in OUR CITY into a House of the Lord, fit for Him? Will this save our city? Will we pay the price?

A city divided against itself cannot stand. In this book Francis Frangipane challenges churches, their leaders and Christians to lay aside individual doctrinal differences and come together instead, uniting in worship and warfare - to remind the house of the Lord and bring healing to their cities.

“It will take a citywide church to win the citywide war. Our separate, isolated efforts will not stop the flood of increasing evil in our cities if we as Christ’s Church, remain isolated from each other. You may challenge that thought, but it was Jesus Himself who said, “Any city or house divide against itself shall not stand” (Matt 12:25)

STRATEGY TO REACH OUR CITY
1. Establish in the Church its true purpose, which is Christ-likeness. Doctrines which do not support transformation are given a lesser priority. Focus is riveted upon Christ in the Gospels.
2. Cleanse the Church of its visionless and loveless relationship to its city. Nineveh repented. Jesus said if His miracles were done in Sodom it would have repented. In many instances a righteous judge or king arose and turned all Israel back to God. To pray and see entire cities returned to the Lord is both biblical and possible.
3. Discern the specific satanic strongholds in the region. Through repentance and faith in God’s ability these strongholds must be removed.
4. Once satanic strongholds are pulled down in the Church through repentance, the Church has authority to war effectively against evil.
5. Position the Church in daily prayer and spiritual warfare in a minimum of five different church locations throughout the city. Members of various congregations meet in each location.

COMMITMENT
This call requires the laying down of our lives to see the will of God fulfilled. The reader is encouraged to receive from God the grace necessary to make the following commitments:
1. Only where the pastors and churches have overcome pride and ambition is there grace enough to change the entire city. Therefore with God’s help I commit myself to uniting with other pastors, intercessors and believers for the purpose of prayer and action for our city.
2. Only persevering prayer will prove worthy to launch revival. Therefore I commit myself to faithfulness in prayer, pledging myself to corporate prayer with other pastors and intercessors once a week, ultimately expanding that to once a day.
3. Since the answer for every battle is more of Jesus in the Church, our goal must be to see Jesus glorified in our lives. Therefore I commit myself to a life of surrender, that He might increase through me into the world.

From the Book: “The House of the Lord” by Francis Frangipane (Word Publishing) - Available from major Christian bookshops