Heartland News & Prayer

July 3, 2011 by Wendy Carter.

Happy Canada Day!

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” Ephesians 5:25

Are you intrigued with watching William and Kate’s Canadian tour these days as I am? They seem very down to earth and both well suited for their royal position in life. Canadians, in turn, are responding with great adoration and unique hospitality. Prince William mentioned in his first speech how much they love our country and its people. A long-lasting relationship is being developed as the days go by which is very positive but in no way can compare to the love that Christ has for each one of us in His family. Christ’s return will be unfathomable if this is any indication.

William has discovered that as of yet he can’t find the solar controller and LED lights for the portable solar system. He will probably have to order these parts from China. Please continue to pray for him in his diligent work to help his country. I’m sure he would be really encouraged by a periodic email about what’s happening in your lives these days. His address is william.myanmar2010@gmail.com.

Richard has come up with one more problem to face in running his orphanage. The children attend a local government school that houses 3000 students. “As the building are not enough for all students, now, they are starting to rebuild the new building for the school. They requested 70,000,000 Kyats from the Government. But the Government could support them only half of all about 35,000,000 Kyats. So they need to search for the rest by themselves. So they ask for fund raising to donate for the necessary money from all parents of the students, every department and from all boarding school. They asked us about 500,000 Kyats = $800 for it. So we could not deny their request because our 55 children are studying there.” This past week I received more valuable Foundation advice for raising funds. All it takes is work and would greatly solve this kind of money problem if our proposals were accepted. We could do so much more for both Richard and William.

It’s Maureen Brown’s birthday today. All the best as you plan to return to work the beginning of August, Maureen. She has had an ongoing health issue with her eyesight for over a year.

You must listen to Gary’s and Kaiya Burton’s radio program this week about Johnny Appleseed. Go to www.thelittlebigshow.ca. This past Thursday was Gary’s last radio program with his co-host Dan Schurr from our Fellowship denomination for the summer. Please continue to pray for good direction and an effective impact for our Fellowship throughout Canada.

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 together.

Enjoy the holiday weekend! Please remember to pray for a safe summer for our children.

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.

On Loyalty by Gary Carter: Are you a loyal monarchist? With William and Kate’s presence in our country these days there is a definite blip in the monarchy’s popularity. Maybe the movie, The King’s Speech, has also helped to produce this rise. Are you old enough to remember when Queen Elizabeth was crowned in the 50s? Gary had a keepsake plate from Prince Charles’ birth. Everyone was quite taken with his young wife, Diana, and extremely sad over her tragic death. It seems there is a built-in-desire to have a leader worth following. It is unfortunate when that leader displays a terrible moral lifestyle.

Every individual wants loyalty – a scarce commodity in our day. A good friend recommends that if you want loyalty get a dog; if you want loyalty and attention, get a smart dog. It seems so unfair when people turn their backs on us. We want them to accept us in spite of our failures. Proverbs 18:24 reads, “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” During the Welsh revival the old favourite hymn, What a Friend We have in Jesus, was written. Jesus died for us who are unworthy. Ernest Hemingway stated, “A book is a loyal friend.” Some would rather get rid of their dishes before their books. The Book, the Bible is the most loyal friend. From it you will build an understanding of Jesus and gain attention, loyalty and salvation.

The Second Mission (Part 3) by Steve Macdonald: Due to Jewish agitators, even though many Bereans accepted the Gospel, Paul headed to the coast with Silas and Timothy remaining behind (Acts 17:13-15) despite the dangers. Silas had been appointed to go to Antioch and from there chose to continue on with Paul. He has been imprisoned for doing nothing but being associated with Paul and now is staying in a town where it is possible that riots could begin. Timothy left home, has been circumcised, has also chosen to stay in a town where hostile opponents could cause severe trouble at any time. What drives these people (James 1:12; I Timothy 4:15-16)?

Paul then left for Athens (Acts 17:16-34) where he was brought before the Areopagus, a council of the elders of the city, similar to the Roman Senate. Membership was restricted to those who had held high public office, in this case that of Archon, a Greek word meaning “ruler” or “lord”, frequently used as the title of a specific public office. One member Dionysius became a believer whose Greek name means God of wine & revelry. In Greek mythology, Dionysius was the god of wine. It is also believed he was the first bishop of Athens. The term for bishop (overseer) is fluid in meaning. Sometimes it was used for the individual overseer of a congregation (the priest); sometimes it was the person who was the overseer of all the congregations in a city or area (the bishop or evangelism); or sometimes he was the highest-ranking clergyman in the local church. This could be an apostle, if one were staying there at the time. Damaris is of Greek and Latin origin and means calf or to tame or gentle. She was likely a woman of high social status. Only such women were allowed to assist the Areopagus meetings. Is Damaris married to Dionysius? Many believe this is the case. Why even mention Dionysius and Damaris? Some believe that Luke recorded their names because having such elite citizens converted to the new faith was very important. It served as an example of sacrificing luxury and wealth in order to serve Christ. Others hold that they both became leaders in the Athens Church, hence bishop of Athens.

Paul travels next to Corinth ( Acts 18). His first stay at Corinth lasted about eighteen months. Aquila, native of Pontus, tentmaker by trade and married to Priscilla (See Nov 6/10) moved to Corinth from Rome after being expelled by Claudius. Were Aquila and Priscilla already Christians when they opened their home to Paul? Historical records for the edict of Claudius would place this time of Paul being in Corinth in circa 52 A.D. That would be almost two decades after Peter’s Pentecost sermon of Acts 2:8-10. Were they converts of Peter, Paul or Jesus? Some churches claim them as part of the 70. Paul met Titius Justis who lived next door to the synagogue (Acts 18:7-8). Is it a coincidence that his house happened to adjoin the synagogue? Not really as it was not uncommon for a resident of a town to donate a portion of their house to be a synagogue. The synagogue would take up the bottom floor and the family would live in the second floor. Did Titius Justus or a member of his family donate a portion of their house to be the synagogue? If so, why wouldn’t Titius also open his house to be a church for his new found belief in Jesus (I Corinthians 1:14-16). Gaius is often equated with Titius Justus. Both were the host of the church. Gaius Titius Justus is a proper Roman name consisting of praenomen (given name), nomen (or nomen gentile, being the name of the gen or
clan), and cognomen (name of a family line within the gen). “Stephanas” would be an agnomen or new name. Stephanas means crown or crowned. In New Testament times crowns were given as civic honours to luminaries because of their beneficence or achievements on behalf of the city. Synagogues also gave crowns to their benefactors, including those who financed building construction. Does it make sense for Paul to give Titius a new name?

Crispus is a Greek word meaning crisp or curled. Did Crispus hear Paul, believe and get baptized along with his family or did he believe before Paul arrived? Remember Lydia and the jailer in Acts 16 who believed and were baptized immediately? God is opening hearts everywhere in front of Paul (I Corinthians 16:15). Sosthenes (soce-then-ace) is Greek meaning safe in strength. He was “the chief ruler” of the synagogue. Is this the same man being referred to in Acts 18:17 and I Corinthians 1:2)? It is uncertain. How likely is it that Sosthenes went from persecuting Paul to being a fellow believer? This hardly ever happens (Acts 18:8). Gallio was born in Spain and after being adopted by a wealthy Roman citizen, changed his name to Junius Annaeus Gallio. Gallio was a teacher and political functionary for the Emperor. Because Gallio would not hear the case against Paul or let Paul speak, what can we learn about him? It is likely that Gallio knew little and cared even less about the Jewish religion. He dismissed it as being about “words and names and your own law”, indicating that he felt that a religion was below him to be concerned about.

Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) by Gary Carter: The prophet Ezekiel lived during a time in the Old Testament when God’s chosen people were not doing very well. You might be familiar with the old Negro spiritual, Dry Bones or Dem Bones, written by James Weldon Johnson who died in 1938. The human hand is very powerful; it can form a fist, point to an object or person, lift someone up. The hand of the Lord is more powerful yet. In this chapter God put His hand on Ezekiel, probably in a dream, and led him to the middle of a valley filled with dry bones. Bones that are alive contain marrow which produces cells for the rest of your body. These cells include adult stem cells which travel to and regenerate various parts of your body by becoming the new cell you need. When a stem cell gets to the liver it becomes a liver cell and when it get to the brain it becomes a brain cell. That last fact of an adult stem cell becoming a new brain cell is a new scientific discovery within the past few years. The bones are the source of your brain cells - go figure! They are the center point of your life. Dry bones have no marrow or life.

The Israelites had been captured and taken to Babylon (today’s Baghdad in Iraq). They had become like these dry bones. God’s nickname for Ezekiel was Son of Man and He told him to prophesy to the Israelites to say that their dry bones would rise up again and they would return to their own homeland. We are surrounded by valleys of dry bones in our Brampton schools, work places and neighbourhoods. Only the Sovereign Lord will know what will happen if we talk to these “dry bones.” Some will hear the Word of the Lord and some will not. We have no idea which dry bones will rise up so we must speak to them all. God will breath new life into their bones, tendons and muscles but they won’t get up unless there is an Ezekiel. Paul on his second missionary journey preached to a ruler of a synagogue who believed. John Newton, an infamous slave trader was converted and wrote the very well-known hymn, Amazing Grace. You never know which dry bone will come alive!

Now That’s Punny! by Steve Macdonald:
Boy Scout’s handbook by Casey Needzit
Marine Mammal Communication by C. L. Barking
Pain Relief by Ann L. Gesick
My Life in the Gutter by Yves Trough
Banquet at McDonalds by Tommy Ayk
Positive Reinforcement by Wade Ago
How to Lay Carpet by Walter Wall
Jokes for All Occasions by U. Y. Sky
Bad Cow Jokes by Terry Bull

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