His Grace Goes Before

Let me ask this question. If you were playing with your best friend’s favourite golf club and accidentally wrapped it around a tree, when would you start apologizing for your error? Would it be as soon as you were able to breath again after you realized what you had done? Would you be practicing your please forgive me speech all the way back to his or her house? There are those who would hide the mistake, seek out a suitable replacement and hope to pass off the club as the original.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. Luke 15:17-20

The prodigal son blew all his inheritance (broke the club) sought out ways to disappear by hiring himself out and then decided to face the music and return even if at a lowered status. He walked back practicing his repentance speech but two things truly speak to me in this passage. The young lad went home to the father remorseful, fully understanding the errors of his ways and hoping for grace. He was at the fork in the road where one path lead to a dark future and the other lead to hope. The second thought in all this, the father ran out to meet him while he was still a long way off which meant the father was always watching out for his son. So consider this; you are on the way back to your friend’s home with the broken club in hand and your friend meets you at the door with a brand new club for you to replace the one you broke and another for himself. As you come forward to apologize and ask how much you owe for the club, he says to you “I forgive you” and hands you the new club. Is this what God wants us to understand? Prevenient Grace – a forgiveness that goes before us. That is what Christ gives us all but there is a price to pay. We must accept the fact we messed up and, in our hearts, reach out to our Savior and ask forgiveness. He is already there, in fact He came to meet you, just wanted you to turn to Him.

This weekend, we start a new miniseries on Grace. We invite you to join us online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Click on either link below to join us live:

Facebook Live -

https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31

 

YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Peter's Picks

 The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Heart Check-up’ 

Day 1: Psalm 139:23, 24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” 

Day 2: Proverbs 27:19 – “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” 

Day 3: Proverbs 4:23 – “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” 

Day 4: Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” 

Day 5: Proverbs 21:2 – “People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.” 

Day 6: Psalm 19:14 – “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” 

Day 7: Jeremiah 17:10 – “But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Rhythms of Life

Do you ever consider the rhythms of life? There are many different rhythms but I want to look at three particular ones; the rhythm of nature, of the world and of the heart. All three are very different but also very connected. The rhythm of the world runs very different from that of nature in that the world sets the timings and life seems to find ways to keep up. Do you find, however, that once you seem to get caught up and move into a groove, the parameters change and suddenly you are playing catch-up again? Here is the key, unless you are the one driving the car, you are a passenger and reliant on others to get you where you are supposed to go. The question is this; do they have your best interests in mind?

Now nature is on a rhythm as well and there is very little we can do to change that. Have you ever tried to hold back the tide? Can you stop winter from coming? Yes there are variances in the seasons but summer will come to an end and fall will lead to winter. Global warming, global cooling, hurricanes and droughts, the cycles have been playing out for thousands of years and nothing really changes the progression of nature. God designed the world to go through the cycles, the rhythms, and we watch as life continues on regardless to how we feel about it.

Now, the rhythms of the heart are on a whole different plain. God created mankind in His image. We are a people reflective of our God and in that there is a comfort. Consider this, God is love and we are made in this image. God is now and forever, the beginning and the end. Before we were born, He knew us and by His Son we are to be with Him forever. There is no timeline, He does not throw in new parameters that change the playing field. In Ecclesiastes 3 God spelled it all out in a very clear way;

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 

We do need to recognize the rhythms of the world and be wary of the ones that are not of God as they are a detraction from the pureness of what He has designed for us all. There is a time for all things, give high priority to the call of God in your life for He is all that matters.

This weekend, we welcome Chaplain Tim Kirby once gain as he shares His message. We invite you to join us online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Click on either link below to join us live:

Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31

YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA

See you all Sunday.

 

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Peter's Picks

 The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Service With a Smile’ 

Day 1: Luke 6:38 – “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” 

Day 2: Matthew 25:40 – “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” 

Day 3: Galatians 5:13 – “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” 

Day 4: Philippians 2:4 – “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” 

Day 5: Luke 3:10, 11 – “The crowds asked, 'What should we do?’ John replied, ‘If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.’” 

Day 6: Hebrews 13:16 – “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” 

Day 7: Romans 12:1 – “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

What Is Your Pastor Really Thinking?

I have struggled with this note for many years and have word-smithed it to death hoping that the nudge to publish would go away but it all came to a head after listening to an excerpt from a video spot that was shared on Facebook. The pastor was sharing his final thoughts before leaving the ministry after just ten years. I did take a few notes but wanted to expand on just a couple points as an encouragement to my peers in ministerial leadership. This is not only for those veterans but also those who are looking to enter the fray as a servant leader for Christ.

The minister on the broadcast shared almost a dozen points during the video but the one that truly struck me was this:

“I could never satisfy everyone’s tastes, there was always someone the next week who wanted something different or was not satisfied with the delivery”.

Now, before anyone starts to think “is he talking about his church family” I want you to know this is not a personal confession but rather an opportunity to lift up others who may be caught up in this dilemma. If a minister starts a sermon prep with a piece of scripture and sticks closely to the intention and foundation of the passage, there should not be a problem. A Christ-centered message will always be relevant in the lives of our yesterday, today and tomorrow so never change the message to tickle the ears of those who would push the leadership down a self-serving path (read Rev. 2 and 3 for examples of churches that stumble).

2 Corinthians 6:7-9

⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. NLT

When I go to another church, I don’t look for fault in the message or in the style or quality of the music, I open my heart and celebrate the message, participate in the worship with others to our Creator. We should be there to honour Him, not to find ways to critique the “performance”. Yes, there are those who should have a theology check but that should be done face to face through constructive criticism in a manner of building up the body.

And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thess. 5:12-19 Msg

Leaders, remember this, the responsibility is yours to live the life of the servant leaders and be true to the Word; it is an awesome responsibility.

This weekend, we welcome Chaplain Tim Kirby as he shares His message. We invite you to join us online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Click on either link below to join us live:

Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31

YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA

See you all Sunday.

 

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Canada Helps

The church relies on donations to keep the lights on and we use an online service called Canada Helps to manage donations from around the world over the internet banking system. We will get notices from Canada Helps when there are helpful webinars or updates available from the group and it got me to thinking of all the things we don’t see on the news because good news does not sell advertising. Let’s take a look at the generosity of our fellow Canadians.

 

Last week, a local non-profit group, Greenwood Neighbourhood Place, had a community check stop on Main Avenue in Sundre. This group goes out of its way to provide services for the community such as tax services, senior programs, after school programs, seminars and so much more. They keep their doors open through the generosity of the community and were buoyed up by the donations it received from those traveling through town. There is also a group that provides support services for those in need of food. The Plus One program relies on donations from the community through the churches and distributes much needed food for those who are in dire straights. There is no request for acknowledgement or grand fanfare, they just go about the acts of kindness quietly and with compassionate hearts. The Sundre Ministerial is always available to assist as requested, there are numerous groups that meet to help and support each other in community. We don’t read about these groups we rarely hear the good news stories but they are always there and always helping. These groups are across Canada and I can attest having seen them at work across the country that this is truly a caring nation.

 

The Christian nation is a part of this community. Christ declared to love one another as you love Him. It is not enough to recognize those who are suffering alongside the road but to take the time to stop, ask and empathize. Our world is flying along at breakneck speed with rarely a moment of time for self or others. I hear people say you need to schedule time out for self and family but I suggest this, be ready to shift time so that you can stop on the side of the road to care for someone who has fallen. It will be as much of a break for self as it is for those in need. Canada helps, we are a very caring nation and we are known for it. I give thanks that we live in such a wonderful and caring country and thank God for the peace and joy we experience every day. Stay strong Canada and God Bless us all.

 

This weekend, we celebrate Thanksgiving finish the study of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation with Philadelphia and share in a covid safe Communion. We invite you to join us online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Click on either link below to join us live:

Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/main.ave.31

YouTube Live – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9LIkN_QTdVM6eVXEgy9QA

See you all Sunday.

 

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Peter's Picks

 The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘God’s Higher Way’ 

Day 1: Isaiah 55:8, 9 – “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” 

Day 2: Psalm 18:30 – “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.” 

Day 3: Deuteronomy 32:4 – “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” 

Day 4: Psalm 40:5 – “O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.” 

Day 5: Psalm 147:5 – “O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.” 

Day 6: Psalm 145:4-6 – “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness.” 

Day 7: Proverbs 21:2 – “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation