Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Two Sides to Every Promise’ 

Day 1: Psalm 9:9, 10 - Trouble will come – God says – “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” 

Day 2: 1 Peter 5:6, 7 - Anxiety will come – God says – “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 

Day 3: Psalm 34:4, 5 - Fear will come – God says – “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” 

Day 4: Proverbs 4:20-22 - Health issues will come – God says – “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.” 

Day 5: Psalm 27:13, 14 - Suffering will come – God says – “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” 

Day 6: 1 John 2:1 - Sin will come – God says – “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” 

Day 7: 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 - Weakness will come – God says – “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

I Can Feel It Coming

It all happened in a moment. I could see it happening but it was too late to avoid it. Had I been more aware, had I been more observant, I would have been able to avoid it but it happened. This incident happened many, many years ago. On my way to work in the lower mainland of British Columbia, I found myself, once again, stuck in traffic heading towards the Pattulo Bridge. It was backed up for almost a mile but the lane I wanted was open so I just motored along grinning as I passed the stalled traffic in the other lanes. I was blissfully unaware that the power was down and the traffic lights were not operating. As I came up to the intersection, which I assumed was green for me, a car came out of nowhere and I realized I had a front row seat to an accident. From sixty to zero in two feet then nothing but white as the airbag went off. Funny what a bit of inattention can cause.

My parents put me through defensive driving before I got my license and, for many years, I practiced everything my instructor had taught me. “Look well down the road for hazards, always expect the unexpected, slow when coming to an intersection, always be vigilant”. Over the years, I developed some bad habits, wandered away from some of the teachings and had begun to rely on my own great driving habits. Nothing bad had happened to date so why continue to do this and that? We never know when the lessons that we have ignored come back to haunt us.

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-4 NLT

There is a time coming when life will come to an abrupt halt and we will be simply a passenger as the events unfold around us. Are we prepared; are you prepared? Is your seatbelt fastened, is the stuff in the car fastened, have you ensured your children or even grandchildren secured in place? The time to start worrying about these things is not while the accident is happening but rather well in advance of any situation that may occur. Have we taught our children, our grandchildren about the wonders of our Lord and Saviour or are we going to let them figure it out as they go along? I hate to say this but there are thousands, if not millions, who have, in the past, decided to let those around them figure it out for themselves, make the choice on their own as it were, because they did not want to infringe on their rights. Tell you what, show them how to use a seatbelt and to store things under their seats and explain the importance of following the safety protocols so they can make an informed decision, after that it is up to them. Bring them up with the basic instructions so they at least have a fighting chance to survive that big collision.

 We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.

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

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

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com

Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Run Don’t Walk’ 

Day 1: Hebrews 4:16 – “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” 

Day 2: Psalm 16:5, 6 – “Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!” 

Day 3: Isaiah 40:28, 29 – “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” 

Day 4: Psalm 3:3-5 – “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.” 

Day 5: Psalm 37:39, 40 – “The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him.” 

Day 6: Matthew 6:31-33 – “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 

Day 7: Psalm 91:4 – “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

The Way, Truth and Life

Back to Basics should be the theme for the Christian movement in our world. We get so caught up in dissecting the Bible that we miss the most basic of messages that is as plain as the nose on our faces. I sat in a conference with a whole bunch of my peers who are far more educated than I am and was taken aback at the conversation. Not only did the discussion get hung up on the tense of a couple words in Greek but it also started a rather heated debate as to how it affected the meaning of the passage. As a counsellor, I have, over the past many years, developed a passion to help others come to an amicable decision that would alleviate the tension but, in this particular situation, I opted to remain silent and observe. There have been numerous times I have been thought the fool because I did not interject and there have been many more occasions in the past where I have opened my mouth and proved it.

Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about going back to basics, simplifying the message so that it is not some major effort to attain the grace of God. Our Father in Heaven did not want the journey to Glory to seem like a daunting task that only the very best of the best would be abled to attain. Last week, we boiled the commandments of God down to two basic principles; love God with all your passion and love others with the same passion God has for us. Would you harm your neighbour in any way if your passion was to see them succeed? Would you turn your back on a friend if they were hurting? Would you turn your back on God if you didn’t get your own way? Tough questions but these are the things we need to look at when we are sharing the message with those around us. So, now the big question. Would I purposely harm those around me by not sharing the simple, basic message that God shared with us?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Jesus had just finished telling the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them, to trust Him and to be prepared. Jesus has prepared the way for eternal joy in Glory through His sacrifice for us all and then simply stated “I am the way, the truth and the life”. I have heard so many complex methodologies to salvation using words I do not understand where a simple basic statement would suffice. Jesus, I am a sinner, forgive me for I now declare you as Lord and Saviour. Trust in Jesus with all you are and believe that He is way to Glory, to eternal life. Let us resolve to avoid the crazy arguments over semantics and simply embrace the basic message, He loves us so much that He sent His Son for each and everyone of us; those who embrace the love of the Son will not perish but rather enjoy life eternal.

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.

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

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

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘When You Pray, You Must Believe’ 

Day 1: 1 John 5:14, 15 – “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” 

Day 2: Mark 11:24 – “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” 

Day 3: Psalm 17:6 – “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.” 

Day 4: Matthew 7:11 – “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” 

Day 5: John 15:7 – “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” 

Day 6: Psalm 34:17 – “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” 

Day 7: Matthew 18:19, 20 – “'I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.’” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

A DOUBLE MINDED PERSON SHOULD NOT EXPECT ANYTHING FROM GOD 

 

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Why It’s Good to Surrender’ 

Day 1: Romans 6:16-18 – “Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” 

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

Day 3: Job 22:21-23 – “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored – so clean up your life.” 

Day 4: Joel 2:13 – “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.” 

Day 5: Hebrews 4:15, 16 – “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” 

Day 6: Matthew 11:29, 30 – “’Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” 

Day 7: 1 John 5:3, 4 – “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Back To The Basics

When I first became a member of 12 Med Coy in Vancouver, I still remember the first day like it was yesterday. The central supply had issued me my uniform, gave me a quick tutorial on what went with what and how to wear it. It was all a blur, and I was fairly certain I would forget some things but I still showed up at the headquarters at Jericho Beach with, what I thought, was a fairly good presentation. I could not be more wrong. The Sergeant spotted me as soon as I came in the door, looked me up and down, gave me my first dress down as a member of the Canadian Armed Force, CAF, and instructed a private to make me look presentable, show me around the place and keep me out of trouble. I did everything I could to keep in step so the private would not get in trouble because of my mistakes. All I had to do was stay close to him and do what he did. I was at the Corps for almost five months before I shipped out for my Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) Course in Shilo. In that time, I had learned so much from a great group of people who truly wanted us to succeed when we went off to our BMQ. Our no-hook chinooks, or newbies, came back sporting many awards for excellence because we had such wonderful examples of leaders to learn from. We hit the ground with a firm understanding of the basics and we built on that throughout the course.

Many people my age, were brought up with a good understanding of the Gospel and of faith in Christ but, stepped away from the church due to a variety of reasons. I am not here to chastise anyone for not being a part of the church but rather to encourage us all to take a close look at our faith, our position in the Kingdom quest and challenge you take the next step. There are so many out there who do not have a clue how to put on the amour of God, they don’t know how to hear the commands of God properly and are frankly lost when it comes to understanding even the basics of faith. They need those who have been there and done that to help them find their way, to understand some of the pitfalls that lurk in the periphery and help them become the best they can be as they face each new and daunting challenge. Some of the best instructors out there are the ones who have been in the trenches, faced the enemy head on and can share their wisdom and knowledge with the no-hook chinooks.

You may say, “I walked away from the church for a reason”. That “reason” may have left the church a while ago or the focus of the church may have shifted but I can say this for certain, the primary focus of the church has not changed, He is still King and the church is His family. God has not walked away from any of us so is it now time to rejoin His army? The world is divided and there is no end to the amount of chaos that is lurking on the horizon.

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Sam 17:45

David went back to basics and declared the true power of God before the enemy and knocked the giant down. Let us rally and declare the power of God, let us go boldly into the world, invite back those who have been absent and ask them to help train up the Army of God. The time has come, the time is now.

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.

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

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

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘When You Are Hurting’ 

Day 1: Psalm 34:17, 18 – “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” 

Day 2: Lamentations 3:22-25 – “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!’ The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.” 

Day 3: Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” 

Day 4: 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17 – “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” 

Day 5: Psalm 27:13, 14 – “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” 

Day 6: Job 5:11 – “He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.” 

Day 7: 2 Corinthians 1:3 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

 

Peace and Quiet

On numerous occasions, I have been asked my opinion only to be argued with and, at times, ridiculed because the answer I gave was not the one they wanted to hear. Now, I am no snowflake, that is, I do not melt under pressure, I can handle push back, but I still walk away wondering what just happened.  Over the years, I have taken many courses on effective communication, conflict resolution and crisis intervention and one of the biggest hindrances to attaining a respectful and healthy conversation is the art of listening. Many of you may think “Todd, you have talked about this before” and you would be correct, but this seems to be something that is becoming more of an issue these days. I am not writing this because someone has recently confronted me but rather it is something I am observing every day in our communities and in our media. So, allow me to post this one reference to scripture and add a bit of my own thoughts to the equation.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 NLT

So often these days, people are half listening, or not listening, to the input from the person they are talking to and, instead, are formulating their response or preparing their next talking points. In many cases, if you paraphrase what they just said, they will stop to listen because you are saying what they want to hear. Just be aware, the second you begin to go away from their opinion, you will see their eyes shift and they are back to formulating and not really listening anymore. For me, I quite enjoy listening to the opinions of others because it gives me an opportunity to learn more about their stance and about them as well. A wise person once helped me with a great ideology; “do not confuse my silence for acceptance, I just want to know your side first”. Proverbs 12:15 states “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” and Proverbs 18:13 says “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame”. The world seems so divided lately and people just seem to be deaf to the words of others. As some try to get their opinion across, others seem bound and determined to shout them down. The common theme seems to be “I want to hear my viewpoint coming from your mouth!” Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Pro. 2:2. Even if you do not believe in God, there is incredible wisdom in the Proverbs. For those who are looking for an argument or want to bully people into silence, remember this; “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent” Pro. 17:28.

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.

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

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

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com