Hi there!

“What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold.” Job 8:14-15

Do you like spiders?  Apparently Penny and Heather in our church hate them.  I have been doing a lot of painting lately.  It beats spring cleaning any day.  Our house in our Churchville valley attracts all kinds of insects.  One day while caulking a window to help keep these predators out I watched a tiny spider catch a fly in its web.  No matter how hard the fly battled to get loose the spider’s web held him firm with the silk the spider produces (60 ft./hr.).  The more the fly flipped around the faster the spider, one third his size, bound him in. Amazing! The next day only the empty fly carcass remained with a fat spider fast asleep in the corner.  However, little did the spider know that in half a second I would wipe the web, the spider and the dead fly into the garbage pail.  Job’s friend’s comment about the fragility of a spider’s web is very correct. But Job’s comment, “…the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.” (28:29) is vital.

Maureen Brown visits her doctor this week to check out her eye that is causing double vision.  Pray that her health will be restored soon so she can get back to work.  Remember Chris Burton’s dad who is struggling with his health due to his recent surgery for prostate cancer.  Pray for Brandon Spears and his summer involvement at Camp Borden.  May he stand firm as a Christian young man.  Pray for Hayley Macdonald who fell off of a climbing apparatus in a local park Thursday evening.  Thankfully she is only badly bruised with no broken bones.

Two weeks (Aug. 7) and Gary and I will be leaving for Quebec.  Now that is scary with all the details to get ready for our Mass Personal Contact campaign for St. Eustache.  Please pray lots for this outreach endeavor to establish a new church among a people that are very disillusioned about any church.  Heartland’s services will continue as usual here in Brampton. Also remember our Fellowship denomination this week as the Board meets together to discern God’s will for the future.

We have a cupboard in our hallway that contains the books and videos we have been accumulating over the years.  Why not take one home today?

Join with us for Bible study and prayer at a our weekly home group this Thursday evening, 7:00 at the Burton home. 

Gary and I celebrate our 42 wedding anniversary this Tuesday morning by going to the dentist – Gary for a root canal and myself for a broken tooth with filling.  Now that is togetherness!

God bless,

Wendy

[1] wendy.carter@kainos.org; [2] garyvcarter@kainos.org;  [3] www.fellowshipnetworksradio.org; [4] www.ttcbiblereading.org; [5] www.dtfbmusic.com; [6] www.gvc.name; [7] www.compasscoachinginternational.com; [8] www.myanmar.kainos.org; [9] www.churchcreation.com.  This newsletter is always located at [10] www.blog.heartlandfellowship.ca.  It is a summary of our Sunday morning church service which takes place at 9:00 a.m. at 7777 Churchville Rd., Brampton, ON. 

Questioning One’s Devotion by Gary Carter: Who is the most devoted person you have ever known?  What is that person devoted to?  It may be to model railroads; this person may know every detail connected with this hobby.  Another may spend numerous hours in Internet gaming.  Some of these distractions may be useful but many are not particularly when a crisis hits e.g. the onslaught of a hurricane, a broken marriage.  Warren Buffett, the “oracle of Omaha”, says he has everything he needs.  He has lived in an ordinary house for 41 years and drives a 5 year old Cadillac. When he was 6 or 7 he decided he wanted to become the richest man in the world. Through his entrepreneurship and wise investments in Coke and other companies he is now worth $51 billion. All that wealth won’t matter when he finally dies as there won’t be a U-Haul trailer being pulled behind his hearse.  His recommendation is to “invest in yourself.”  This could be through schooling, trying out something new etc.

The Bible encourages us to develop a strong devotion on matters that count such as focusing on behaviour or activity which will in turn show our commitment or devotion to God.  The question may be asked, “Do I have to?”  And the answer is “Yes!”  Gary is working on a list of all the commands mentioned in the Bible for a Christian.  Go to [11] www.healthierchurch.com and see how you do on his survey.  When you take your car in for a car wash you are instructed to take your hands off of the wheel, relax and let the machine go through its cleaning process.  This is an illustration of grace in a Christian’s life.  If you stay out of grace your life will get dirty.  What are God’s expectations for your life?
Another One Hit Wonder by Steve Macdonald: Gamaliel (or Gamaliel the Elder or Rabbi Gamaliel) is mentioned in Acts 5:30-39 (same passage as the last two men we studied) and in Acts 22:3. His name means “reward of God.”  He was a Pharisee and a leading authority in the Sanhedrin in the mid-first century.  He was the grandson of the great Jewish teacher Hillel the Elder who was associated with the development of the Mishnah (the first written recording of the Jewish oral law) and the Talmud (Rabbinical discussions on the law, Biblical interpretation, ethics, etc.).  Gamaliel was a father to a son, Simeon, and a daughter. He died 20 years before the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem.

Gamaliel held the  reputation of being one of the greatest teachers in the annals of Judaism along with teaching Saul (later called the Apostle Paul).  From the Acts 5 passage we learn that his wise advice to the religious leaders was to leave Peter and the other apostles alone.  If their teaching was only a mere idea of man then it would be overthrown.  If not then they would be fighting against God.  Gamaliel must be listened to twice.  In his first declaration we must assume that Christ is Lord because His Gospel has not been overthrown.  Secondly, If the Gospel has not been overthrown and someone opposes it ultimately that person is waging an attack on God.  They are fighting against God for Christ is of God.  In other words, he taught us that Christ is who He claimed to be – the Son of God and Saviour of the world.
One Another – It Sets Us Apart (John 13:34) -  by Gary Carter: An interesting survey was made among 1000 Christians in which 89% concurred that the church exists to meet the needs of “me and my family.”  11% said the church exists to reach others.
John 13:34 commands us to “love one another.” Another word overlapping the word “love” is “devotion” as found in the following verses in the New Internationa Version of the Bible: Matthew 6:24 (referring to money); Acts 2:42 (teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer); Romans 12:10 (brotherly love); I Corinthians 16:15 (service); Colossians 4:2 (prayer); I Timothy 1:4 (myths/geneologies); I Timothy 4:13 (public reading of Scripture); Titus 3:8 (good works); and Titus 3:14 (doing good).  In the King James Version of the Bible this word is translated as hold to; continue steadfastly; kindly affectioned; addicted themselves; continued in; give heed to; give attendance to; be careful to; and to maintain.
Can you make a list up to about 10 choices that show what you are devoted to in your life?  What would be on that list if someone else did it for you?  Romans 13:8 encourages us to have a “continuing debt to love one another.”  We can’t wait for the other guy to respond first.  Recognize that you are “it” whether they reciprocate or not.  Then others will see that difference and know that you are a devoted disciple of Christ.

Wonder? Phrases by Steve Macdonald:
Is it a bargain if you buy a violin with no strings attached?
If you are on a low carb diet, are you not going against the grain?
Would a get-together of optimists be a glee club?
Does a glee club ever sing sad songs?
If a race is neck and neck, would that be a necktie?
How can you dig yourself out of a hole?
If you make ends meet, aren’t you just going around in circles?
Should you break into song, if you can’t find the key?