The Opposite of Wrath

Take a moment and in your mind think of those words that you would associate with wrath. There are numerous that come to mind such as fury, vengeance, rage, displeasure and storm just to name a few. Now think of those times when people in the Bible have called down fire from Heaven for evils done to them and ask this one question of yourself. If you were to cause an issue where you affected a life and they, in turn, called upon the wrath of God to fall upon not only you but also your household, how would you feel? There were times in history where there were shouts from the children of God to bring about the end of days for an oppressor because they had wronged them or they were not believers. It still happens today. In fact, the wrath of a god or gods is called down upon the Christian community regularly by the world as we go forward living our lives.

So let me ask this, what I the antonym of wrath? Look in the dictionary and you will find such words as calm, delight, happiness, kindness, love and peace. There is such a release from the stressors of wrath when we seek out the goodness in others rather than find ways to condemn. The world may say be quiet to those who wish to speak out in Truth but let us find comfort in the blessing of His Word.

Romans 12:20-21 (NIV)

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do not repay evil with evil but instead pray for those who do not understand what the opposite of wrath is. I have come to believe that a smile can be more infectious than what we believe. Truth be told, it is not my responsibility to be Judge and Jury, you will never hear me condemn anyone to an eternity in hell but I will be the first to suggest a much better way. My God keeps the door open for all to know and understand His loving kindness, it is our choice whether to accept the invitation or continue to seek out another way.

This Sunday, we will continue to delve into the message from God through His apostle Paul. We invite you to join us in person or online at 10:30 MST or you can watch live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Can I Come Home?

We who are parents, know too well the challenges and rewards of having and raising children. There is a cycle of life that occurs that will make you weep with joy, laugh until your sides ache, and cry till your heart almost breaks. When children are babies, and are just learning to walk, they will cling to us as parents for fear of falling. Yet, the sense of discovery will win them over and their own independence will kick in. Before we know it we’re seeing them leave for high-school. One day, without warning, the call of the world wins, and they, or we are gone. Suddenly, the house is silent, with only the laughter of Christmas past being left in the walls. Parents will worry and prematurely age overnight, wondering if their children are safe. Not knowing is the hardest part.

This is much the same with God. We are His children, and as we grow up in the world, He may be assigned to a back seat, and many times be forgotten about. Yes, we will enjoy the thrill of life and it’s experiences. We’ll make a few dollars and some will claim to be self-made.  Life will become so time assigned that God will not be given an appointment in our calendar. Just like our babies, we will have released our grip on the very caring hands that carry us.

But God has a plan. He will allow our children, and us to go into the world and explore. We may never see the parenting hands that are constantly guarding our falls and footsteps, but they are there just the same. Then, one day it happens. Our children will come back. They will knock on our proverbial door and ask if they can come home. When we ever stray away from God for a season, we will do the same thing. We will knock on His heart and ask, Dad, can I come home? His answer, like ours will be, of course, this is your home. All of us will at one time or another, be the prodigal son, as in Luke 15:20-32. Some will leave a church body for whatever reason others will just lose their way for a while. God will patiently wait, and so should we. There should always be an open door, and welcoming arms when someone returns. It may be our children, or our friends. In God’s eyes, they’re the same. Nothing will warm the hearts of the temporary lost like the words, welcome home.

So, to all the children and those who have distanced themselves from God, fear not, the door is unlocked, the porch light is on, and your place at the table is waiting. Can you, or I come home? Yes, always.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com

If God Says I can…

Have you ever heard someone say this? I don’t go to church because I don’t have anything to offer, to give, to share, or that God would want. I can’t do anything. At one time or another we have all probably said or thought this. Now here’s the truth, you were wrong, well, mistaken. God is the business of enabling the willing. When you sit in the next church service, take notice of the people around you. You will see ordinary people doing ordinary things that are extraordinary in God’s eyes. I would like to share my observations from our own Sunday services. We are a small ministry in Christ, yet we will have people who pick up our weekly bulletins, fold and present them. Others will greet at the door with a free smile. There are those who man the camera, and computer each week, and there are friends that unload and set up sound equipment for the musicians. Some help with communion, the offering, and lead preservice prayer time.

All of these are ordinary people like you and I. I never dreamt that I would be writing this column, and the lady who is our pastor, never thought she would be one. But, God had a plan. When we say we cannot, He says “Oh yes My child, you can, and you will, because I will raise you up”. I have heard it said that He always equips the willing. This must be true, because I have seen many people transformed over the last few years. Those, including myself that said, oh I can’t, are now doing. That is the power of God. Please know that if you have a willing heart, He has a place and a purpose for you. He knows your name, your talents, and your capabilities. All He asks of you is to believe in His ability to transform you, and He will sweep in and take the wheel.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV, says “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. This scripture should give all of us hope and reassurance that our place to help in God’s Kingdom is already there. We just have to step up, and step out. Perhaps now, you can say to yourself, if God says I can, then who am I to disagree?

Mike Shindruk
www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com

Overcoming the Wrath of God

When I was younger, my father gave me the old “when I was your age” spiel on more than one occasion and his sage advice, more often than not, fell on deaf ears. I can still hear it clear as day, “when I was your age blah, blah, blah blah, something, something, blah, blah”. I am certain that had I been truly listening I would have been far better off growing up. If you do this then the consequences of your actions will be this. The terms of delivery were rather more direct and in a language I should have been able to understand but all I heard was the teacher from the Peanuts wawaing on and on. Just as in Romans 1: 20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”, I was without excuse. If you choose this path then the consequences are your own doing. If I told you once I told you a thousand times, don’t go there. I have given you ample opportunity to change your mind, you need to live with your decision. These are all things my dad spoke to me about growing up and you know what, he was right. The path I chose by my own thought process was usually not the best choice and the consequences were rather harsh at times.

The wrath of God is a choice. It is not God’s choice but rather our own choice. The Scriptures are given for all to read. They are translated into numerous languages, re-written in a manner that our generation can understand it plainly and available for whoever desires to read and understand the Truth. The biggest problem we have in this world is that there is this need to take out the stuff we don’t like or want to hear, we scream that it is judgemental and that the church is full of wrathful and uncaring hypocrites. Okay, truth be told, there is some of that happening in the church but there is a lesson for both sides to take away here. On the one side is this, Christians unite under the one banner, that is the unity of the faith gathering under Christ. When the Saviour says “love God and love one another” there is no boundaries in that statement so quit putting God in a manmade box. For those who are chastising the church for the human frailties of the faith gathering, look at what God has placed before you and follow His word. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8. There is only one who can claim perfection and He has granted us salvation. With that in mind we are all without excuse and the choice is firmly in our own court.

This Sunday, we will continue to delve into the message from God through His apostle Paul. We invite you to join us in person or online at 10:30 MST or you can watch live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Consider The Alternative

There are times when I shake my head and wonder why. I have been reading through the letter to the Romans and came to realize that the message to a nation in flux is just as relevant to our society as it was back then. In fact it seems that the actions of society has ridden a wave of chaos and peace for most of our time on this planet. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah, Nineveh, life in Babylon and the time of the Roman Empire. So many people seeking the temporary pleasures of the world at the expense of a deeper and more fulfilling lifestyle. I know this may seem like a rather testy subject but it is a trend that has been repeated for centuries and we are in the process of realizing our own Rome 2.0 and Romans has a very specific message for us all.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Rom 1:18-20 NIV

God has made His plan available for each of us to consider but it is up to each of us what we do with His instructions. Some may choose to heed the word of God while others may go with the message of the world. God sent messengers to Sodom and the people looked to perform all sorts of evil upon them while the people of Nineveh considered the warning of the messenger and the community changed their ways. One community wiped from the face of the earth and another saved. Rome was a nation of multiple religions and a variety of moral and ethical standards that were primarily built on manmade preferences and then Paul came along and showed them the Way. He communicated that which is eternal and divine to a society that craved temporary and self-fulfilling. He came to a nation with a message from the Creator so there would be no excuses but it is mankind’s nature to find the grey.

This Sunday, we will delve into the message from God through His apostle Paul. We invite you to join us in person or online at 10:30 MST or you can watch live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Can I Trust God?’

Day 1: Proverbs 3:5, 6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Day 2: Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

Day 3: Psalm 91:1, 2 – “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”

Day 4: Psalm 121:3 – “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.”

Day 5: Psalm 23:3 – “He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

Day 6: Proverbs 16:20 – “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.”

Day 7: Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

His Faithfulness

During the course of any given week, our brain has the capability of processing more thoughts than we can humanly count. The number would be so abstract to us that we could not comprehend its’ true value. Yet, through all of this, God makes a way into our minds in a manner that even our super highway brain can block the world out in order to give Him freedom to reign. He has the power, by a quiet gentle voice to silence the static. He can block the evil one from taking up residence by laying His plan out for your day. Satan cannot. If you are in a medical crisis, and feel as though no one cares, He does. By the simple whisper of His name, Jesus, He is there. In your sleep and wake time, His hands are holding you. Through the pain of the loss of a friend or loved one, He is there. In the midst of a family crisis, He sends others to surround you in support and prayer. This is known as His army of prayer warriors. After a major surgery, and in the private discomfort of the body’s healing, His assurance is there as He whispers, my child, I made you, and I will heal you.

    

You may ask how I am so sure of this. Well, first of all, I believe and I receive. I have seen all of these things in person. All of us will go through times where we simply cry out and ask God, why, or when will my turn for release come? I have learned that God never has, and never will, turn His back on us. When we have accepted Him in our hearts, we have then taken up residence in His court. We can ask anything. We can even question anything. When we doubt Him, He forgives, when we pull away, He waits, yet when we run to Him in all things, He lifts us up. If we read Psalm 73, let it be the cry of our heart to God when we see His faithfulness to our lives.

    

Let this time in your life be one of newness in Him. He carries our children, our parents, our friends, and our future. Allow this year to be the one that finds you letting your guard down, in order to let Him into the rest of your life. He does have a wonderful plan for you and me. Let’s let Him roll it out for us.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Can I Trust God?’

Day 1: Proverbs 3:5, 6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Day 2: Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”

Day 3: Psalm 91:1, 2 – “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.”

Day 4: Psalm 121:3 – “He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.”

Day 5: Psalm 23:3 – “He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

Day 6: Proverbs 16:20 – “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.”

Day 7: Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

A New Outlook?

What does the New Year mean to you? Heard just about everywhere is “I resolve to…”. Out with the old and in with the new. Outdated ideas are filed in the dark recesses of our awareness so that new and exciting methods can be explored but how many times have people taken out the old ideas, dusted them off and put them back into practice? So many times I have heard “if you are dusting off old ideas, you are moving in the wrong direction”. I need to tell you something, many of our children and grandchildren are starting to realize some of the old ways are worth exploring.

I am going to get into this a bit more in depth on Sunday but I thought I would not only whet your appetite with this article but also prepare everyone for what could be a rather sensitive discussion. Here is a bit of information that many do not know about church leaders. When preachers get together, many will ask “how is your church doing” and the usual answer is “we run around 30-40 on a Sunday”. The health of the church is defined by the number of people attending on average but is this always the best way to describe the church? The church, by that I mean the faith gathering, should consider focusing on something other than numbers. When Jesus sent the disciples into all the nations, He did not say build Me churches nor did He give them a quota. Jesus was very clear in Matthew chapter 28 verse 19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” I read this as “go out to all peoples, build relationship by sharing the wondrous news and help them to understand the gift they have available to them through Christ”. There is no mention of numbers nor does it say keep detailed records of everything you are doing. The record of the relationships are written in the book of life because every person who comes to know Christ as King and Saviour will have their name written down.

In December, we shared in the lives of so many people, hundreds more than we will ever see in our little building. This Sunday we will look at the priority of relationship with those around us over people in the pews. We invite you to join us in person or online at 10:30 MST or you can watch live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Reset not Reject

We’ve just turned the calendar to a new year. This is the perfect time to lay down what weighed you down from last year. Our history should be left where it belongs, in the past. If you had challenges and troubles last year, you were in good company. Yet, we are still standing. The blocks in your path, the stones in your shoes, and the cracks in your spirit were all overcome by the rock of our salvation, Jesus. If we feel that we failed someone, or at something, we can reset. If you had victories, then give thanks. All of us can look back and wish we had have done better. Well, we get to try again.

Recently, a friend shared these thoughts with me. He told me that the past, is history, the present is a gift, and the future is hope. Well my friends, God has carried each of us in His way through the last year. He now is offering an even greater gift, tomorrow. There is hope in tomorrow, but it is up to each of us to reach out to Him and accept it. If God can bury our past, then so should we. He has just hit His reset button in your life. In His heart, you are debt free as His Son, Jesus paid it on the cross. Jesus sees all of our situations, and He resets us every day. Unlike the human in us that may so easily reject Him, He never rejects us, He resets us. I encourage everyone that in all things, speak Jesus, raising Him to the Father for your situation. God the Father has taught Jesus everything that He offers us. In John 8:28 NCV Jesus tells us.” When you lift up the Son of man, you will know that I am He. You will know that these things I do are not by my own authority, but that I say only what the Father has taught me”.

This is the beginning of a new year for us. Give thanks daily, and remember to keep reaching up. The hope you are looking for is in the Master’s hand that is reaching down.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.com