Cornerstone North Outreach (17th Dec)

Cornerstone North had her Christmas outreach yesterday at Eastwood Heights Public School at Lincoln Street, Eastwood.

We had carol singing; a vox pop on "What is the meaning of Christmas and what does Christmas mean to you"?; followed by a Malaysian buffet dinner and a talk by Mike Wilson.

Approximately 100 people attended, out of which; approximately 75 were visitors. Out of the response slips filled out, 7 people ticked the box giving their lives to Christ, 7 more want to know more about Christianity and 4 want to know more about the church. Praise God for His faithfulness and amazing goodness.

We were really encouraged by everyone who came together to serve as a body. Thank God for the many helping hands that came together to set up; serve; pack up; clear and clean up. Some even worked tirelessly into the late hours of the night; washing up. Thanks guys, you are so selfless; humble; giving; sacrificial and loving.

Please pray for effective follow up; and also for plans to run another "Introducing God" course in the New Year.

May our hearts never grow weary in doing good and serving our glorious God and King; in whose name we do all things.

"...but because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Chrsit even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us wtih him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages, he might show the comparable riches of his grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it si the gift of God-not by works, sot hat no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:4-10)

Amen!...Praise God!

Cornerstone North Outreach (17th Dec)

....and they left everything and followed Him...(Luke 5:11)

It is so easy to get discouraged when we look at ourselves and how weak and small we are in ourselves...but we serve a powerful and Almighty God; the awesome creator of the Universe who is for us and with us!......so "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen"...

Yesterday, we met again to pray for our church plant next year. CS also shared with us the importance of ministry to overseas students. Out of the 203,890 students that were enrolled in Universities in Australia during Semester 1 this year; 54,172 of those students are in NSW!!

What an astounding figure! According to the International Student Ministry, international students are keen to enjoy the cultural experience of a local church. Many find a home where people are friendly, welcoming and accepting of them. It gives them a chance to find out about the Christian faith.

Those who do become Christians; will have great opportunities to impact and affect the market place; where they usually return to their countries of origin; securing high profile jobs and positions in society.

Past patterns indicate that 10% of those who return become Christian ministry leaders within 5-10 years; which is indicative of sending around 300 "missionaries" back to their homeland every year!! How exciting that we can be part of this very important ministry.

Please pray for Cornerstone North as we host a Christmas outreach this coming Sunday (16th Dec). One of our members has issued an invitation to 100 Chinese students from Macquarie University!! They will truly outnumber us!! Please support us in prayer for God's spirit to be moving amongst us and for the speaker (Mark Wilson) to speak faithfully and powerfully.

Hearts of Flesh

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14)

"I wil sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities...I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you, your heart of stone, and give you your heart of flesh...I will put my Spirit in you..." (Ezekiel 36: 25-27a)

It is so amazing and wonderful; that through the new covenant of God, He imparted new life through the cleansing and purification of sins; and through the giving of new hearts and new spirits. The human condition is sinful to the core, and in ourselves; we could never ever keeep the covenant laws of God perfectly.

We have an incredibly gracious and amazingly forbearing God, who made us His people; through no merit of our own. We were given new hearts, minds and the Spirit of God; that we might live for Him and be the people that He created us to be.

May we live humbly before our Lord, knowing that we are nothing without Him. "So, do not be ashamed to testify of our Lord...but join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace ......because, I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (2 Tim 1:8-9a; 12b)

May our desires and passions be for the gospel of Christ, and for people who are still outside of God's kingdom. May our lives be constrained by the hope of heaven, and may our lives be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father,when our Lord Jesus comes with His holy angels" (1 Thess 3;15b)

Prayer Points:

* Please pray for the Christmas outreach "The King and I" at Burwood RSL this coming Sunday (10th Dec). Pray for David Thurston our speaker
* Please pray for the trustees of the Presbyterian Church as they meet on 11th Dec, to discuss the outcome of the property at Lane Cove (which Jubilate has an interest in).
* Please continue to pray for the Chinese students who are presently attending Cornerstone North, that God's word will penetrate their hearts and minds and that the Spirit will illumine the truth of the gospelto them.
*Please pray for the Cornerstone North Christmas outreach on 17th December at Eastwood Heights Public School, Lincoln Street, Eastwood. Please also pray for Mark Wilson who is the speaker.
*Please continue to pray for God's leading of the future "structure" of Jubilate. Pray for godly wisdom and discernment in all of our planning.