Heartland News & Prayer

June 5, 2011 by Wendy Carter.

Greetings on this beautiful spring Sunday!

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me … He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way … He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.” Psalm 25: 4-5, 9, 12

God made it happen for William to come to Canada and allowed our church to be his teacher for six months. His church planting ministry in Myanmar will be all that more effective because of this process. He was learning new things right to the very last minute when we dropped him off at the airport Thursday morning. He will probably experience little time bombs going off in his mind throughout the months and years to follow as he remembers his time here. May we all learn to be as teachable as William. He has been a great example.

Thank you one and all for your contributions to our Farewell Potluck Supper for William last Sunday evening. Gary and William had a great time at the Muskoka Bible Centre the next two days with our Fellowship pastors. From both of these events it looks like we have already raised $3-4000 towards William’s business license ($10,000 needed). This is very encouraging. He arrived safely in Bangkok where he will stay until Tuesday and then will fly to Malaysia to see his three sisters until June 14. Continue to check out his blog – www.william.heartlandfellowship.ca. The Internet is very slow and not very secure so when he finally returns home, we are not sure what he can post. Please pray for William’s adjustment back into his culture and that a new family will come along to replace the spot that he has now left vacant for our church in the days ahead.

Last week we were able to send money once again to Myanmar for Richard and his orphans for their food and expenses for a new school year. Richard says, “We are really highly appreciate for your financial support for our orphanage. We pray for you always.” Please remember to pray for our fund-raising efforts through foundations so that he can start his brick-making business soon.

We have copies of Life on the Zipline – From Fear to Awe available for purchase or you can order online (www.lifeonthezipline.com). Don’t forget Gary and Kaiya’s weekly radio program at www.thelittlebigshow.ca.

Home Group happens this Thursday at the Burton “manor” at 7:00 p.m. We are continuing to view Don Carson’s series on the Bible and praying.

Go Canucks! Go!

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.

What One Small Step Can Accomplish by Gary Carter: In 1994 Pastor Jack Hannah at Westney Heights Baptist Church in Pickering, ON gave $10 to Gary to make a phone call to California to learn about churches reaching out to communities. This began the development of our Mass Personal Contact Campaigns. Westney agreed to reach out to their community through our very first campaign. Since then several people have been won to Christ and the church has prospered. Their missions’ budget is now about $80,000/year and this church will most likely contribute to William’s business license. Two men in the church own factories in China that could facilitate us getting parts to Yangon. You never know what will happen with the next step. If you are stalled on the road of life, your destiny is in your next step of obedience.

In Matthew 9:35-38 we learn about Jesus preaching and healing in villages and towns. He was surrounded with crowds of people who were empty, wandering, lacking in direction. We find the same crowds today in our favourite mall. They are looking for something. They are harvestable. The problem is that there are few workers. Jesus’ solution is to “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Since Jesus owns the harvest field we must pray every day and see what God does through us one person at a time.

First Mission Part 2 – Guilty by Association by Steve Macdonald: Paul and Barnabas began their first missionary journey around 44 AD. We know at the start there were only the two of them and John (Mark). Their journey took them to Seleucia, Cyprus, Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:4-6).

We learn about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 12:9-12. What happened to Lazarus? Did he stay or did he go? Eastern Churches believe Lazarus went to Cyprus and became the first bishop of Kittim. It is also believed he died for the second (and last) time on Cyprus. A tomb was found in 890 AD in Larnaca with the inscription “Lazarus the friend of Christ.” If the Eastern church is right, did Paul while travelling on Cyprus meet Lazarus?

Very few names are mentioned by Luke on Paul’s first journey (Acts 13:6-8). Some companions were Philemon, Apphia and Archippus. Philemon became Bishop of Colosse, in the region of Phrygia near Pisidian Antioch. Did this family meet Paul on his first journey or his second? (For more information see previous blogs - The Hits just Keep on Coming 25/09/10 or All in the Family 23/04/11.) Gaius (the Greek version of the Roman name Caius) is Latin in origin and means happy/rejoice. He is mentioned five times in the New Testament, four times in association with Paul and once by John (Acts 19:29; 20:4; Romans 16:23; I Corinthians 1:14; 3 John 1). Was this the same Gaius or different people? From the scriptures we can place Paul in the following places: Derbe (first mission), Corinth (second mission), Rome, (final trip) and Ephesus (second & third). Tradition also places John in Ephesus in his later years along with Mary. Did Gaius hear Paul and Barnabas on their first trip to Derbe? Maybe we can neither prove or disprove when he heard and believed. Maybe it is clear that a Gaius travelled with Paul. Did he hear, believe and immediately begin travelling? Some churches have Tertius (pronounced TER-shus, meaning third in Latin) the second bishop (after Sosipater or Sopater) in Iconium and a member of a certain ever expanding group. Others believe he was a Roman Christian residing in Corinth. Sopater (so-pat-ros) means the father who saves or saviour of the father. Were these men present at Iconuim as Paul passed through on his first trip? It is unknown when they first heard the gospel. If they were one of the 70, they were already spreading the gospel before they met Paul. Maybe they were travelling together. Both are mentioned during Paul’s third mission, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that their lives crossed before.

Conversation with Jesus (Pt. 13) by Chris Burton: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19) This was the question John the Baptist’s disciples (Luke 3:15-18) were asking of Jesus. Jesus replied with an accounting or resume of his activities – sight restored for blind, lame walking, leprosy cured, deaf hear, dead raised and preaching to the poor. Some scholars think that John wasn’t entirely convinced about Jesus. After John’s disciples leave, Jesus questions the crowd left behind, “What did you go out to see? A prophet?” His answer was, “Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet.” Jesus was the new covenant; whereas John’s faith lay with his knowledge of God in the Old Testament and the old covenant. Jesus finishes by saying, “But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” Jesus’ followers were changed with the result of numerous mission journeys recorded throughout the centuries.

Ready … Reset by Gary Carter: “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.” Friedrich Hegel (German Philosopher 1770-1831) “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” “Nothing is so fatal to religion as indifference.” Edmund Burke (British Politician 1729-1797)
These are interesting quotes; however, previously in this series we have actually learned from four Old Testament kings. In review King Asa (2 Chronicles 14 …) was conscious of the mess up; became convicted to tear up; was committed to build up; and consecrated to look up. King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17 …) solved the pagan worship problem; created the coalition problem; felt a need that wasn’t real; responded to a request that wasn’t wise; got involved where he should have stayed out; fought a battle he didn’t need to fight; and lived under God’s wrath. King Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29 …) started young; analyzed the situation carefully; recognized the failure of his parents, noticed the junk; evaluated the program; and made immediate changes. King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34-35) ascended the throne at age 8; later in life he reformed himself; he reformed the religion of the day by eliminating pagan worship and started the reading of God’s Word; and he reformed the nation.
You can note common themes among these four kings. The world was rotted around them (no reality to it); they restarted faith within themselves (“It’s me!”); and radical actions were made by them (they actually did stuff – unlike the page in the House of Commons this week with her “Stop Harper” sign). Each one accepted responsibility. Each one used their resumé – you can affect the world that is yours. We are praying that William will rise to the levels that he can in his country even with his raw capability he has now. Each one invested time and effort – put your money were your mouth is. When Moses was called by God he protested with all his excuses, “Not me!” God turned his staff into a snake (It’s my job, income, identity etc.!) When the snake was taken out of it, Moses used the staff to set his people free. This is a more important quote, “Obedience is the one qualification for further vision. G. Campbell Morgan

Just Askin’! by Steve Macdonald:
When a clock is hungry does it go back four seconds?
Is life pointless without geometry?
Is “How to Better Serve your Fellow Man” the cannibal’s best selling cookbook?
Is it tough to take inventory in Afghanistan because of the tally ban?
Is a dockyard a physician’s garden?
Does a dyslexic poet write inverse?
When two egotists disagree is it an I for an I?

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