Heartland News & Prayer

June 12, 2011 by Wendy Carter.

Hi there:

“But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all You do.” (Psalm 73:28 - Holman Christian Standard Bible)

There’s lots of excitement happening these days in Vancouver as our Canadian Canucks vie for the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins. Events such as these always seem to stir up so much national pride and unity. Lots of opportunities for conversation occur as everyone tries to determine in advance who the winners will be. Sorry Chris (our son-in-law is a diehard Boston Bruin fan), but I’m voting for the Canucks. Please pray that we will be just as excited and encouraged to talk about the Lord we serve to our friends and family members over this next week.

We finally heard yesterday from William that he did make it to Malaysia to visit his sisters for a few days. He was without Internet and we were getting a little worried that he was O.K. God has kept him safe once again. Continue to check out his blog – www.william.heartlandfellowship.ca.

Thank you for your prayers for our son, Lee and his wife Melissa and son Aiden. They returned home safely Thursday evening after their visit to South Korea. It was encouraging to hear that his orphanage is doing well with local organizations contributing to their daily needs to care for about 54 children. The staff were thrilled to have them visit and even put on a special traditional first year birthday party (upcoming b-day July 5) for Aiden.

Please pray for both Brandon Spears and Heather Macdonald that they will be able to find summer jobs.

Gary and I are headed to Ottawa today for another week of writing. Please pray that Gary will get a lot accomplished on his latest book, See You Next Week! (re church follow-up) that he is co-authoring with his friend, Robin Pifer. Sales from Life on the Zipline: From Fear to Awe, are mounting (www.lifeonthezipline.com).

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.

FYI www.allworship.com is a free steaming Christian music site that Gary recently found.

Enjoy!

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.

The Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 9:35-10:15) by Gary Carter: In this passage we see Jesus doing His thing, traveling throughout towns and villages. He was teaching, preaching and healing. He took His Good News message of the Kingdom of Heaven to the people and that created a buzz in the neighbourhood. The people were watching. Everyone is looking for a better life. Steve Macdonald is looking for a better week after contending with loss of electricity during last week’s thunderstorm at his TTC Wilson station. This crisis created big problems for him in getting his subway cars out on time. Jesus’ Good News or the Gospel is about God’s rule. He makes fair rules for one and all which are managed by Him and everything turns out well. We have meaning and direction for the future. All elements of our lives are affected. It is a foretaste of our rest to come and a place that belongs to us which is beyond pressure and tiredness.

Jesus had compassion on the crowds who were harassed and helpless. When lives are built and managed by humans with sin there is a mess. Life is hard. Most don’t get it or want His message. There is a remnant, however, who do want it and we must “…ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers” to find them. Jesus sent out His 12 disciples with instructions. They were to go to the “lost sheep of Israel”, not the Gentiles who were least responsive. They were to adopt a life to not worry about money on their time limited short term mission. They would be paid as they went because they were worthy. They were to look for a person of “peace” who would pick up the tab and with whom they could build a relationship. If not, they were to shake off the dust of their sandals and move on. It was not their problem. Friends of Brandon Spears are going to receive a citation for coming to the aid of an elderly lady whose purse was stolen last week. Does her eternal destiny matter as much?

First Mission - Guilty by Association (continued) by Steve Macdonald: Recapping from last week we learned that Paul and Barnabas began their first missionary journey around 44 AD. At the start there were only the two of them plus John (Mark). Their journey took them to Seleucia, Cyprus, Perga , Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. In Derbe they met Timothy, his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Timothy 1:5; Acts 16:1). Paul healed a man in Lystra during his first mission. Were Lois, Eunice and young Timothy part of the crowd who witnessed this miracle (Acts 14:8-11)? Did their knowledge and faith in the God of Abraham help them to realize this was not Zeus or Hermes but a servant of the one real God?

Aristarchus’ name comes from two Greek words “arist,” meaning best and “archus,” meaning rule. It is believed he was one of the 70, travelled with Paul on his third mission, imprisoned with him in Ephesus and was on the ship when Paul was sent to Rome. Aristarchus can be linked to many places Paul travelled to including on his first journey, Jerusalem and Cyprus. Did they meet there and the relationship began?

Aristobulus, meaning “best counsellor”, was mentioned in Romans 16:10. He was a Jewish native of Cyprus and believed to be the brother of Barnabas, cousin of Mark.
Was he at home when Barnabas and Paul left Antioch and arrived on Cyprus? Did he choose to go with them when they left? Did he leave with Mark at Perga or stay on at Pisidian Antioch?

Titus was a Greek Gentile whose name means honour. Was he a native of Antioch and exposed to the Gospel by Paul and Barnabas before they set out for Cyprus? He was in Antioch at the end of Paul’s first mission (Galatians 2:1).

Acts 20 indicates that Tychius travelled with Paul on his third mission and was with Paul in Rome, delivering the letters to Colossae, Ephesus, Philemon and possibly Philippi. He was also being sent to Crete so Titus could meet Paul in Nicopolis. He is believed to be a native of Ephesus; some have him listed as a bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus, while the Roman Martyrology places his commemoration at Paphos in Cyprus. So was he also in Cyprus when Paul came through on his first mission?

Acts 13-14 contain no names of Paul’s travelling companions with the exception of Barnabas and Mark. Clearly the people discussed at some time prior to setting out on missions or delivering letters or being imprisoned, heard and believed the gospel and had time to prove their faith to Paul. I believe, Paul would not tolerate nor risk his mission on someone he did not feel was full of the Spirit. He and Barnabas went their separate ways because he did not believe in Mark. Did these people meet Paul on his first mission or did they get the gospel elsewhere? We cannot be sure when they heard the message and received the Spirit. Maybe they did hear and immediately believe and begin travelling with Paul. Maybe they heard the message from someone else, believed and when they met Paul, they began to travel with him. What is clear is that someone at some time spoke to them about Jesus, gave them the Gospel and it saved their lives. History does not record much about these people; however one day if we do what we have been tasked to do, to spread the Gospel to every corner of the world, we may just be able to sit down with them and get their story firsthand.

Ready … Reset by Gary Carter: You may know the famous quote by Brutus in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”
Ezra and Nehemiah and their fascinating life stories were a part of another major revival or renewal period in the Old Testament for the Jewish people who returned from exile. God did it and the people did it. Ezra’s writings are recorded in I & II Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. These men took the “current” before them. Ten northern tribes had been captured by the Assyrians. Then about 100 years later Babylon conquered the remaining two southern tribes and now approaching 100 years after that Persia, a huge and powerful nation took over Babylon. Canada has only been around for a blink in comparison. The Jewish people found themselves low spiritually; most of their brain power, the intelligentia had been taken away. Myanmar has kept its people down by using incredible oppression such as rape which will shut neighbours up with the country growing passive and not willing to raise themselves up. Our society seems to be headed in that downward spiral as well – not with oppression but with such things as not allowing Scripture to be quoted.
In Ezra 1:1-11, the King of Persia, even though he was a very long way from Jerusalem and even though the Jews were a small ethnic group, he got engaged. The Lord spoke through Jeremiah and He kept His word. The Lord moved the king’s heart - the king had a heart; the king had awareness; and the king responded to the Lord. The king gave permission; he cleared the way; and he encouraged generosity. The people also responded. The heads of families and everyone whose heart God had moved prepared to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Even their neighbours contributed valuable gifts. King Cyrus gave back the articles belonging to the Lord’s temple that Nebuchadnezzer had taken away to put in the temple of his god.
The Jewish people were give hope (When does a need become obvious and the conditions right?), help (When do things start to move because someone steps up?) and heart (When will the burden grow to the point where action is not to be denied?) It all starts small and moves forward. We sent William on his way with suitcases full to change Myanmar. Now we must ask God to move in hearts in his country and in our church.

Book Titles & Authors by Steve Macdonald:
Coping with Pain by A. King
The Unknown Rodent by A. Nonny Mouse
I Love You! By Alma Hart
Dirty Harry is… by Amanda B. Reckondwith
Electrical Wiring Made Easy by A. C. Deesey
Singing Without An Orchestra by A.K. Pella
The Irish Heart Surgeon by Angie O’Plasty

Posted in Weekly News | Print | No Comments »