The Clutch Is Slipping

I tell ya, its rough getting old. Why the other day I got upset because I didn’t have my reading specs on me only to find out they were on my head the whole time. Today was the best of times and the worst of times. I started by getting all set to roll out of the house with all my gear ready and waiting. Now to load the quad onto the trailer, which was already hooked up to the truck, bada bing bada boom and I am rolling to the gas station for fuel then off to the mountains for a day of peace and tranquility. Ramp on the trailer, quad going on and suddenly the ramp shifts, the quad starts to fall off the trailer so I gun it but I forget to grab the brake. The box at the front of the trailer saved me from going through the back of the truck so bonus points there. Hammer and bash the box back together, no harm, no foul but I am now running late.

Get to the corals, the gang is there practicing safe distancing and we are doing well for getting started. I am five minutes late but make up time and we are soon ready to bolt. As I am driving away on the quad, I think “did I lock the truck?” I run back to the truck and yes, it is locked. Now we roll. It was a fabulous day with lots of sun and warmth. We saw some magnificent scenery and I praise God for giving us such a wonderful gift. On the way back to the corals at the end of the day, we took time to pick up some trash to clean things up a bit. However, it did not end there. The quad loaded on the trailer, the gear is pulled out of the storage bins and now it is time to change out of my wet gear and no keys. No keys in my jacket, my pouches, nothing in my storage bins. Did I maybe leave them in the truck or maybe they were on the seat of my quad and fell off in our journey. My clutch is so slipping!

So, here is the amazing thing. In days gone by, I would have been throwing a fit. There would have been some yelling and frantic searching but it was almost as if the hand of God came down and kept things calm. I checked and rechecked while having a great conversation with a guy who had joined us for the first time. I felt compelled to go back to the front of the truck and there, on the hood, was my keys.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

I did feel very unwise when I realized I lost my keys but God protects fools and drunks…and I am no drunk but fully claim the fool. Thank you Father for showing me where to look and for keeping them safe on the hood of my truck in a very public place for an entire day.

We invite you to join us online at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time) on Facebook. Please note the new page address for the Facebook Live service. We are also testing YouTube Live this weekend and will get the address on for next week. Click on the following link: (https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

See you all Sunday, online.

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘God Our Comfort’

Day 1: 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Day 2: Isaiah 49:13 – “Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.”

Day 3: Psalm 119:76 – “Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.”

Day 4: Isaiah 12:2 – “See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

Day 5: Lamentations 3:22-24 – “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!’”

Day 6: Matthew 5:4 – “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Day 7: Romans 15:13 – “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Where Is Your God?

There were over twenty people recently killed in Nova Scotia this past weekend. It was a tragedy and the Christian nation has banded together in prayer; a prayer for peace, comfort and compassion for the families that lost loved ones. A nation in prayer is more powerful than a community in fear yet a nation in fear demands answers and wants to know who to blame. They would not have died if the amber alert had been utilized quicker. We want answers and we want someone to pay. Many paid with their lives, others paid with their loss of family and friends. The effects will be felt for years to come but the complete answer will never be known as the instigator of the hurt is gone.

Covid 19 has the world locked in the grip of panic. Entire nations locked down, trapped inside their own bubbles and those who are designated as essential are doing everything possible to stay safe, to stay healthy. So many want, no demand, a sacrificial goat to roast and are forming execution squads to take down the one they think is responsible for their personal miseries. They can be down right aggressive and overly sensitive to the suggestions of anyone that wants to put the perpetrator on a pike. And it is not just about pandemics, shootings or economic downturn, it’s about every evil act that happens.

After the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997, author Philip Yancey was contacted by a television producer and asked why God could have allowed such a terrible accident. “Could it have had something to do with a drunk driver going ninety miles an hour in a narrow tunnel?” replied Yancey. “How, exactly, was God involved?” (Schulz, Jurgen. What Jesus Wished People Knew About God: The parable that redefined God forever. . Tellwell Talent). So many look for something or someone to blame, and when there is no one else left, God gets the blame but the question is why? For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…He did not come to persecute the world but to save the world and He gave us the answer; Forgive them Father for they know not what they do. So what do we do? Quit blaming and start seeking His guidance. When the ways of man fail, God does not.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost friends and family in Nova Scotia to a man touched by evil, pray for the family and friends of those who are struggling to cope with the pandemic throughout the world but most of all pray for peace and love to reign supreme in the face of calamity.

We invite you to join us online at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time) on Facebook. Click on the following link:(https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ ) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

See you all Sunday, online.

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘God is Sovereign’

Day 1: Colossians 1:16, 17 – “… For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Day 2: Ephesians 1:11 – “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.”

Day 3: Proverbs 16:9 – “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

Day 4: 2 Chronicles 20:6 – “He prayed, ‘O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!’”

Day 5: Deuteronomy 4:39 – “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.”

Day 6: 1 Chronicles 29:11 – “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”

Day 7: Nehemiah 9:6 – “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

And Therein Lies The Truth

I have so much fun watching as media, leaders and even those on social media report on their findings as they research the always truthful internet to support their beliefs. We can type in “the downfall of the economy in 2020” and pages of information and statistics based on this information can be conjured up and many will cut and paste this into their personal memory, post the links on social media and gather a following who will add to the swell of statistics and reporting based on said same information. Now, consider this:

Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable.  ~Author Unknown

Years ago, I took a stats course in university and, while the professor was trying to be funny, what he said stuck in my mind and it is rather scary to think how true it is. He declared that “people and business will come to statisticians and ask them to prove or disprove a particular stance”. What is truly mindboggling is this; if enough people share their version of the information based on pliable statistics, then I suggest that preferences define the truth. Funniest truth is this; there are three sides to any conversation – yours, mine, and the truth. Over the past few years, I have been attempting to live in the third perspective.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7 ESV

In our faith walk there are many perceptions and preferences. These are, in many cases, defined as denominations but even within the same denomination, there can be your side and my side and then, somewhere in the middle, is the truth. I do not fully believe in everything my brothers and sisters believe in, and the pliability of our understanding, the gathering of information that supports our viewpoint tends to support our migration into likeminded gatherings. When these gatherings come up against another, some will seek conformation to their ideals while the wise will seek out the common ground and therein find the Truth. Jesus is the way, the only way. He is the Truth and the life that we, as a Christian faith family, seek with all our being.

Is there anything in our faith worth fighting about? We know the Truth and we have seen the Truth. He was born, lived and died. He was buried and arose once again. Death has no hold over Him and we are His creation, His children. It is time to come together and show the world that we are family watched over by our Father in Heaven.

We invite you to join us online at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time) on Facebook. Click on the following link:(https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ ) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

See you all Sunday, online.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Easter Because…’

Day 1: Romans 3:23 – “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Day 2: Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Day 3: 1 Peter 3:18 – “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”

Day 4: Romans 5:8, 9 – “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.”

Day 5: 1 Corinthians 2:9 – “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’”

Day 6: John 3:36 – “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

Day 7: Romans 4:7, 8 – “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Watching With Rapt Attention

Over the past few weeks, I have watched as people have been pulled in so many different directions. There is such added stress to lives as we adjust how the world perceives the new norm. I have heard from some parents that they have a whole new respect for what teachers have to go through and from some kids that they miss school. Are the two related? Personally, I have gone from a lifestyle of moving at breakneck speed from one project to another, juggling numerous balls in the air and seeking out new ways to get His message out to the nation to almost a full stop. This is a lot tougher than I thought it would be but there is a newness to this latest challenge. Slow down and spend time with the Father.

Let me throw this out there. In one week there were questions in a variety of church networks as to how we are going to do communion, how will we do our voting, can we do online bible studies, how many can meet, how many can be on the platform, should we cancel all services and the questions went on and on. The main question, in my opinion, that is being bandied about is how do we do church in a time of social distancing? The question should be, in my opinion, how do we deepen our personal relationship with our Saviour? Think of this for a moment. His Message for this time is laid out before us. Open you Bible to Luke 22 and read through to the end of Luke. Reflect on just what was happening during the Holy Week. Spend time in both the Word and in prayer. If there are others in your household, share your thoughts with each other and contemplate His love and His sacrifice for every single one of us. Take the Message back to the very basics; don’t “do” church, be the church. In times of social isolation, if we consider the church as the building, we will feel like we are missing out on the fullness of Easter but if we reflect on church as the relationship between our Saviour and each of us, then the fullness of His gift, His eternal gift, will help us to put the world into perspective. God did not come to condemn the world but to save us all.

The question as to where we will meet for the Seder, for the remembrance of Good Friday should not be a physical location but rather a spiritual location with the Father, the Son, Holy Spirit – the Lord God Almighty. We invite you to join us online at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time) on Facebook. Click on the following link:(https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ ) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Pray and Believe’

Day 1: 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

Day 2: 1 Timothy 2:1-3 – “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior…”

Day 3: Psalm 5:3 – “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.”

Day 4: Psalm 34:15 – “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.”

Day 5: Psalm 91:9, 10 – “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.”

Day 6: Psalm 57:1 – “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.”

Day 7: Psalm 91:14-16 – “The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.’”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

What Do You Expect?

Would you like to know what really stresses me out, the one thing that truly has me wondering what more do you want? When the world is wondering what is happening and how we got so far down this road of doom, people are turning their back on the information that could save their life and the life of their family and friends. Many of you will be reading this and saying to yourself “oh great, another lecture on social distancing, stay at home and wash your hands” but it goes beyond this. This is one of many pandemics that has affected the lives of billions around the world and it will not be the last pandemic the world will face. This is a reality. It is not a plague sent down by God to destroy a certain segment of society, as some have suggested over the centuries, nor is this a punishment for those who are practicing sinful lifestyles. This is a virus that attacks without consideration of race, religion, age or gender. It is a mindless predator seeking out a host in order to reproduce.

So, the question is this; what is it going to take to shut it down? The answer has already been given yet so many are slow to hear and quick to disregard. God has gifted thousands if not millions of wise professionals with the answer and yet there are still many who do not listen. Stay indoors and avoid crowds yet there are those who say “the rules are for the old and weak, not me” and they defy the advice. The Bible says that we must respect and comply with those who hold positions of leadership over us and yet they are disregarded or openly mocked. We are facing some terrible days but let me share some hope.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Matt 5:2-6 NIV

We are not alone in this time of misery. Let God open your eyes to the gifts He has given to see us through these times. Health care professionals gifted in the wisdom required to combat this unseen foe, blessed with strength and compassion to see this through. There are also millions who continue to provide essential services and they are a blessing from God who watches over them all. This is not a time to blame God for the virus but to thank Him for the provisions, the strength and courage in the face of this enemy. Seek out God’s comfort, pray for wisdom and support those who are making tough decisions to keep us all safe. I expect this will be over in the near future and life will go back to normal.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Pro 3:5-6

In the great words of Red Green “Remember, I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together.”

We have been blessed with the ability to broadcast live and will do so at 10:30 AM (Mountain Time) If you would like to join us online on Facebook, click on the following link:(https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ ) or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

Bible Study Z

We are going to be starting up Zoom Bible Study. For the first test, we will be trying out the Men's Bible Study next week but would like to find a time that would work for those who would like to attend. The first one will be a dry run that will be more familiarization than study.

Please respond as to what time would be best should you wish to attend. We are going to stick with the regular day, Thursdays, but we can modify the start time.

Start time options (Mountain Time):

9:00 am

1:00 pm

3:00 pm

7:00 pm

Please check your first and second choice.

Please email your response to mainavefellowship@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Pastor Todd

Board of General Superintendents Call to Prayer—Week One

Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 4:28–31

What did you do when you first heard about the coronavirus outbreak? 

• Prayed for the ones hurting.
• Hoped it would not become a pandemic.
• Imagined how the church could respond.

The love of Jesus moved you to these thoughts and prayers. In the days of Moses, God reassured His people of His love and faithfulness in times of distress. Moses told the Israelites: “… if from there (the place of uncertainty where any god could be ‘used’) you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 4:29).
 
Where is God in times of distress? He is real, present, and active in the lives of those who “seek him” with an undivided heart and soul. He is with His people during this frightening time.
 
Re-read Deut. 4:31 and hear again: “When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you… “

• He will BE WITH YOU (will not abandon you)
• He will BUILD YOU UP (will not destroy you)
• He will REMEMBER THE COVENANT (will not forget His covenant with you)

The Board of General Superintendents calls the church to prayer for:

• The hundreds of thousands who are recovering from COVID-19, their families, and for those who have lost their loved ones to the pandemic.
• The health providers and professionals who put their own health at risk to care for so many. Resources to combat COVID-19 are limited, but God’s power is unlimited.
• The authorities who have to make tough decisions on behalf of their people.
• The manufacturers and other providers working hard to provide much-needed resources.
• The scientists as they look for ways to treat victims and stop the contagion. They may be working to help us think about the future, but God knows and is in the future as He knows and is in the present.
• The spiritual and mental health of millions who are socially and economically affected by the pandemic.
• The church leaders looking for ways to minister amid restrictions.
• The saints, that we might seek Him with all our hearts and souls, being revived and encouraged in our journey of faith.