Hi there!

Wendy
wendy.carter@kainos.org
This blog is a summary of our 9:00 Sunday morning services held at 7777 Churchville Rd., Brampton, ON L6Y 0H3, 905-230-8116.  It can always be found at www.blog.heartlandfellowship.ca.

Churchill Meadows by Gary Carter:  Churchill Meadows Christian Church is a church we helped to start in 2001 through a MPC (Mass Personal Contact) Campaign with 4 people and now has grown to an attendance of about 500.  Their new church building is situated facing the 401 on the south side west of Winston Churchill near Rona.  Their grand opening is March 27.  They are awaiting their occupancy permit with a few deficiencies to fix. The total cost for land and building is approaching $14 million.  They must grow more to be able to meet their financial obligations. In our society a church building particularly with a gym seems to have become very important. But it is not nearly so important as individuals being a part of a church. However, 66% of those who meet the evangelical belief profile in Canada don’t believe it is important to be part of a church to be a good Christian. A few years ago we also helped start a daughter church from CMCC which has now merged back with them.  In church mergers one plus one usually only equals one when it comes to church growth.  That is the case here as well. Please pray that God will “build” this church (Matthew 16:18) through the church members each one reaching out to reach one, developing relationships and sharing faith.

If you go to www.Canada411.ca you can do do a reverse look up on your postal code and you will find the names of all your neighbours.  Why not give them a call and invite them to church?  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  GoodLife Fitness sales people go through 17-25 potential people to make one sale.  Their general advertising only reinforce what the “sales person” achieves with personal contacts. In a similar fashion, inviting more people to church is hard work but it gives those who respond the opportunity to see loving relationships in a church. They can only know we are truly his disciples when they see love between believers  (John 13:35). When we make our offer to more people we are following Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

Give My Regards to … Romans 16:14 - by Steve Macdonald: “Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.”  These are Greek names: Asyncritus means incomparable; Phlegon means zealous or burning; Hermes and Hermas both meaning Mercury, gain or refuge; and Patrobas is paternal (one who pursues the steps of his father).  All of these men are  included in the list of the 70 Apostles made by Hippolytus and they all became bishops.
Asyncritus: Bishop of Hyrcania - Hyrcania was situated between the Caspian Sea, in the north and the Alborz mountains in the south and west.
Phlegon: Bishop of Marathon in Thrace, a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east.
Hermes: Bishop of Dalmatia, a historic region of Croatia, extending along the Adriatic Sea, approximately from Rijeka (Fiume) to the Gulf of Koto.
Hermas: Bishop of Philippi - Irenaeus, Tertullian and Origen (2nd century Christian historians) all agree that Hermas wrote The Shepherd. This book was read throughout the early churches but never received into the canon. It was so respected that it was second only to the New Testament.
Patrobus:Bishop of Neapolis, a town on the northern shore the Aegean, originally belonging to Thrace. This was the seaport of Philippi and the first point in Europe at which Paul and his companions landed; from Troas they had sailed directly to Samothrace and on the next day reached Neapolis (Acts 16:11).
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 describes Paul’s hardships and these men followed accordingly.  They did not follow a false Gospel of health, wealth, smooth living, nice stuff and a beautiful church building.

Here I Am, Send Me by William:  William has written another song to check out  www.william.heartlandfellowship.ca.  This one is based on Romans 10:14-15; Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 9:37; and Exodus 4:10-12.  There on 1000s and 1000s of souls crying out for help who need us to bring them to God.  We must pray for more workers.  We must not have excuses like Moses who said that he was slow of speech and tongue.  God tells us that He will help us speak and teach.  We are not alone;  we are only His tools.  Let’s together make the commitment to the Lord of inviting our friends to Him and to His church.

The Background of Luke by Chris Burton: Since Gary has asked several to research the four Gospels to find Jesus’ one-on-one conversations, Chris decided to provide some background information on his assignment from Luke.

The book of Luke was written to give a reliable and precise record of the history of Jesus Christ’s life.  Luke explained his purpose for writing in the first four verses of chapter one. Not only as an historian, but also as a medical doctor, Luke paid great attention to detail, including dates and events that happened throughout the life of Christ. He used several themes such as the humanity of Jesus Christ and his perfection as a human; Jesus as the perfect man who gave the perfect sacrifice for sin; and Jesus providing the perfect Saviour for humankind. Luke was a Greek and the only Gentile Christian writer of the New Testament. The language of Luke reveals that he is an educated man. Since we learn in Colossians 4:14 that he is a physician he refers many times to sicknesses and diagnoses.  Luke was a faithful friend and travel companion of Paul. He wrote the book of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Luke is also the only gospel not written by one of the 12 disciples; however, he had access to historical records. He carefully researched and interviewed the disciples and others who were eyewitnesses to the life of Christ. It is said to have been written around 60 A.D (some have it between 60-70 A.D).

The Gospel of Luke was written to Theophilus, meaning “the one who loves God.”  Historians are not sure who this Theophilus (mentioned in Luke 1:3) was, although most likely, he was a Roman with an intense interest in the newly forming Christian religion. Luke may also have been writing in general to those who loved God. The book is written to the Gentiles as well and all people everywhere. He is careful to give a detailed and accurate record of his investigation so that readers can trust with certainty that Jesus is God.  Luke also portrays Jesus’ profound interest in people and relationships. He was compassionate to the poor, the sick, the hurting and the sinful. He loved and embraced everyone. God became flesh to identify with us and to show us His genuine love. Only this perfect love could satisfy our deepest need. Luke’s Gospel gives special emphasis to prayer, miracles and angels as well. Interesting to note, women are given an important place in his writings.

We Are Blessed!  (Matthew 13:16) by Gary Carter: Jesus promised blessing about 15 times in the New Testament. You might hear, “Are you ever blessed!” when someone notices your good health, wealth, job, new house etc. But Jesus measured blessing with a far different standard.  Matthew 13:16 records, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” There is an obvious contrast with something - you are blessed but others aren’t because they don’t see and hear.  Matthew 13:1-23  gives the full account of the sower and the receptivity of the four soils – the path where the birds snatched the seed; the rocky place lacking in depth of soil; the thorny place with too much negative influence; and the good soil which yielded a crop yield 100 X, 60 X, and 30 X.  If 25% of seed gets to the harvest (100 seeds X 25% = 25  to harvest) and there are 3 levels of yield with 8 seeds each (8 seeds X 100 = 800 reproduced; 8 seeds X 60 = 480 produced; and 8 seeds X 30 = 240 produced) then the total yield is 100 leads to 1,720.

Since most seeds die in the field and when 3 out of 4 don’t get it at all, it isn’t the failure of the seed and it isn’t the failure of the sower.  The blessing isn’t only in the results. The blessing is in the knowing. The blessing is in the sowing. If you are “in the know” you go out to sow.

Giving Business a Bad Name by Steve Macdonald:
Cherry, Pitts & Appelman - Fruit Market
Levin N. Sinn - Clergyman
Stan Tall & Bea Best - Physio Therapists
Dr. Ickies - Internal Medicine Specialist
Boxwell Brothers - Funeral Directors
Flowers, Bush & Hedges - Landscaping
Light & Powers - Electrical Specialists
Amigone -  Funeral Home