Still Dreaming of that Day
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 NKJV
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up in Washington D.C. more than fifty years ago and announced to a huge crowd that he had a dream for true equality in our nation. He spoke at a time when such equality really was just a dream. This week, our nation will honor Dr. King’s life and work.
As the people of God, we embrace this call to equality, because we understand two things: We are all equally lost without Him. And, we can be equally saved by His grace.
Jesus brought a revolutionary view of equality to the culture of His day. He demonstrated that everyone had equal worth: women, men, and children. Outcasts, beggars, lepers, tax-collectors, and kings.
Like Dr. King, we long for and pray toward a day when the prophetic words will come true from Isaiah. When every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” Isaiah 40:4-5
Until then, we shall love one another and our neighbors as ourselves. That is the best we can possibly do.
– submitted by Kathy Nickerson for the Heartland Community Church Bulletin
SPANISH VERSION
Aún Soñando En Ese Día
“No hay Judío, ni Griego; no hay siervo, ni libre; no hay varón, ni hembra: porque todos vosotros sois uno en Cristo Jesús.” Gálatas 3:28 RVES
Hace más de cincuenta años que el Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. declaró ante una multitud de gente,que él tenía un sueño para nuestra Nación,que consistía en la verdadera igualdad. En esa época cuando el declaró esas palabras , la igualdad no era más que un sueño. Durante esta semana estaremos en nuestra Nación honrando su vida y obras.
Como pueblo de Dios estamos de acuerdo con la igualdad por dos razones; sin Él todos estaríamos perdidos, pero con El todos podemos ser salvos por su gracia.
Jesucristo en su época presentó una igualdad revolucionaria. El demostró que todos tienen el mismo valor; los desechados, los limosneros, los lebrosos, los recolectores de impuestos, y los reyes.
Así como el Dr. King, nosotros también añoramos y oramos que la profecía de Isaías se haga realidad.
“Todo valle sea alzado, y bájese todo monte y collado; y lo torcido se enderece, y lo áspero se allane. Y manifestase la gloria de Jehová, y toda carne juntamente la verá; que la boca de Jehová habló.” Isaías 40:4-5 RVES
Hasta que ese día llegue, nosotros debemos amarnos los unos a los otros, amar a nuestro prójimo y a nosotros mismos.eso es lo mejor que podemos hacer.
A Gift for Jesus / Un Obsequio para Jesús
by Shabaka Williams
I loved visiting my grandmother’s house on the holidays. She lived on the second level of a storefront building in Chicago, but her holiday cheer always spilled out onto the streets. Blinking lights glowed in every window, while a huge green wreath decked the door with a red velvet bow that beaconed any passerby to be merry. Beyond the threshold, the spirit of Christmas thickened with more lights, banisters decked with garland, lavishly decorated Christmas trees (one in nearly every room), hot cocoa, and soft melodies (spun from records) reminding us to adore Him.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and comfort of such an atmosphere, it always puzzled me as to why a single, elderly lady went through such great efforts to deck the halls and enjoy such holy days. Then one year, while sitting on her couch and drinking in the lights and cocoa, I noticed a small gift on her knickknack shelf: a simple box, wrapped in shiny red paper and topped with a silver bow, small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand.
“What’s that,” I asked, pointing to the shelf.
“Oh, that’s my gift for Jesus,” she replied nonchalantly with a twinkle in her eyes.
“A gift for Jesus?” I queried.
“Yes, I’ll show you.” She reached up to retrieve the box and removed the lid, pulling out a folded piece of note book paper.
Happy Thanksgiving
Editor’s Note: The HCC Writers Guild is proud to present this work from one of our youngest members. It proves that the power of the Gospel lies in its simplicity. And the best stories come straight from our own hearts. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
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Every time I think of you I give thanks to my God. Philippians 1:3
Thanksgiving reminds me of this verse.
A lot of people love Thanksgiving because it has a lot of food like turkey and stuffing, and it’s a fun get together. But this is why I love Thanksgiving: God is loving and merciful in all ways.
Without God, my dad would either be dead or doing bad things right now. My dad said he could not do it without me. I was born close to Thanksgiving, and that is also about when my dad stopped doing bad things. He came to Heartland in 2008 and got back on track. God can help anyone, and He helped my dad.
God thinks of every one of us, and He brings people to Him every day. My dad is one of those people. I’m glad he was. Now, God uses my dad and mom to tell others about His goodness.
That’s what Thanksgiving means to me.
– Xander
Tanzania 2016
It is amazing the things that God lets our church and our community be a part of. We had an awesome time in August visiting friends in Tanzania. Here’s a recap of our visit.
Tanzania 2016 from hlandtv on Vimeo.
Missions Trip Report: Philippines 2016
At Heartland Community Church, missions continues to be an important part of our outreach. It is a joy and a privilege to have fellow believers in many nations of the world. We sent a team to the Philippine Islands in July of 2016, and they were excited to bring us this missions trip report.
A highlight of their trip was participating in a village outreach to plant a new church (which will be pioneered by two graduates of the Bible college there). The Kingdom of God advancing…thank you for your prayers and support for Heartland Missions!
Philippines 2016 from hlandtv on Vimeo.
Our team had a great trip to the Philippines this year. God really showed up in our Pastor's conferences. It was great to reconnect with our friends.
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Our team had a great trip to the Philippines this year. God really showed up in our Pastor’s conferences. It was great to reconnect with our friends.
