Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Overcoming...’ 

Day 1: Psalm 34:5-8 - FEAR – “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the  Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” 

Day 2: Psalm 37:7, 8 - ANGER – “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm.” 

Day 3: 1 Peter 5:6, 7 - DEPRESSION – “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 4: James 4:13-17 - PRIDE – “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it's here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ’If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” 

Day 5: Proverbs 23:17, 18 - JEALOUSY – “Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. You will be rewarded for this; your hope will not be disappointed.” 

Day 6: Galatians 6:9, 10 - WEARINESS – “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.” 

Day 7: 1 John 5:3-5 - LIFE – “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. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘How to Start Your Day’ 

Day 1: Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” 

Day 2: Psalm 5:3 – “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” 

Day 3: Psalm 143:8 – “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” 

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

Day 5: 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 

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: Isaiah 41:10 – “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

 

Entangled In Barbed WIre

There are times I get caught up in the YouTube view loop. If you are not sure what that is, it’s when you watch a video that leads to another interesting video that leads to another vid and before you know it, you’ve lost an hour of your day. What’s even worse is when the boss is standing right behind you and is also captivated by that same loop. I quite enjoy watching those heartwarming videos from Dodo. The video I was watching had a deer caught up in a barbed wire fence by the horns. The more the deer struggled against its binds, the more entangled it became and, when the video was taken, the deer had basically become so tired that it had given over to the bonds had laid down, given up and given over to its fate. The deer had a bit of fight left in it when a group of men came by to help it out of the fence but it only lasted a short time and it let the men minister to him. They carefully adjusted the deer so as to untangle him, they cut away the wire that was stuck in the antlers and, when the deer was free from the binds that was holding him back, they let him loose and he took off for freedom only briefly looking back as if to say thanks.

Life is a lot like that. There are so many things in life that hold us and bind us. I am going to be very blunt and honest here so if you are offended, I am so sorry. There are people who bind us and keep us from knowing true freedom. We just had a video on Sunday about human trafficking and there are millions upon millions of people who are bound to serve people who profit from their suffering. There are people out there who are under the bondage of a harsh work environment who have no where else to go, they can’t complain lest they loose their job and, for some, their housing and benefits. Here is the big on as far as I am concerned. There are millions out there who are affected by sin and are under the bondage of embarrassment of being called on it or even being found out. Like the deer in the fence, many keep struggling and pulling back from it only to find the more they struggle, the more tangled they become. There comes a point where those tangled in the bondage of sin just give up and give into the fact they can’t get out of it. There is, however, a bright spot in this. Jesus gave up His life for us and cleanses us of our sins. In other words, He came to free us from the bonds of the barbed wire and sets us free from the certain death we would have faced in the ever-tightening bondage of sin. This is the truth and we can count on it.

Now for the part that may offend; church, it is our responsibility to be the ones helping to cut people free from the bondage. We are the messengers of His message, of this Truth. The church is not here to add more wire to the antlers but rather help people out of their predicament and help them find the freedom that is in Christ. Sin is universal. Why would we add to the binds of others when we, ourselves, have been set free by someone with a pair of wire cutters and a willing heart. I challenge those of faith in Christ, to be a part of the solution and not the one holding the cellphone, taking the pictures of the calamity, and judging the world through the lens of social media. It is time to unite under Christ’s banner and assist those around us to realize the freedom available to all.

This week we continue the series on “The Way, Truth and Life, Different Story, Same Need”. 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 

‘Walk in Assurance... Psalm 119’ 

Day 1: vs 1, 2 - Walk in Happiness – “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.” 

Day 2: vs 6, 7 - Walk without Shame – “Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!” 

Day 3: vs 24 - Walk with Good Counsel – “Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.” 

Day 4: vs 28 - Walk in Strength – “I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word.” 

Day 5: v 43 - Walk in a Sure Hope – “Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope.” 

Day 6: vs 89-91 - Walk in His Promises – “Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Your regulations remain true to this day, for everything serves your plans.” 

Day 7: vs 98 - Walk in Wisdom – “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Seeking Grace

I spent almost an hour looking for my glasses a while back. This was not the first time and I know for a fact it will not be the last time. They sell strings for glasses so that, when you take your glasses off, they hang down around your neck and you know where they are. There are numerous glasses around my house. Prescription sunglasses, regular sunglasses, my prescription glasses, my bifocals, cheaters and so on are laying about the house, office and in my truck. Now, I looked high and low for my glasses but to no avail, they were no where to be found. When I took my hat off, however, they fell from the brim of the hat and onto the floor. They had been with me the whole time, safe and sound. Funny how the only time I start hunting for my glasses is when I truly need them. They had been on the brim of my hat for hours, but I did not truly start to seek them out until I needed to read the fine print on some instructions. It is interesting how we only truly start to seek when we are in dire need. Consider this, you have put your cell phone down somewhere and are in dire need of it because it contains so much of your life and it would be a travesty or even the end of the world for some, if the phone was to be lost for good. So much of our lives is tied up in this one object and the elation felt when the phone is found is such a release. There may be some reading this who have never had the experience of losing their glasses or a cellphone and that is just fine but for those who have, there is a fear of loss, a panic to seek out and joy when it is found.

There have been many occasions when I have sat with people who feel they have lost their way and are, in some cases, panicking because they figure they are forever lost. I have seen the worry on their faces, heard the sorrow and fear in their voices as they relate the facts but, like those strings that we had on our mitts when we were young, they aren’t truly lost because there is still an attachment, and we only need to come to realize God will never leave us or forsake us. This is, for some, hard to understand but allow me to explain.

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! Ps 139:13-18 NLT

You, Lord, have known me before I was even aware of You, and I have never been lost because You have always known where I am. There were times when I have walked away and become lost in the world but when I come to realize where I am, I find You right there, watching over me and caring for my. Like my glasses on the brim of hat, You have been close by, I was just too caught up in other things to realize where You were. And when I wake up, You are there, still there with me and protecting me. This is not only a personal revelation but also one I have shared with many others throughout the years. God has promised He will not leave us or forsake us. He is there in the good times celebrating with us and beside us in the times of greatest sorrow, protecting and comforting. Seek out His grace in your life, call out to Him because He is never far away, His love and grace goes with us and before us. Praise God for His commitment to all His children.

This week we continue the series on “The Way, Truth and Life, Seeking Grace”. 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

 

Targets & Levels

How amazing it is to use your hands to build something. My blue collared father taught me how to do just that when I was in my early teens. I always looked up to him and would literally soak up every nugget and morsel he would show me. From leveling out a lawn with new topsoil, to a driveway with fine gravel. At twelve years old I could handle a rake pretty well. He had the patience of Job and would just keep telling me, ”Just look at the way it lays, and you’ll feel the level”.

He also taught me what seems to me now as a million carpentry skills and tricks. Some of which I am using still today. Both of my sons are great carpenters, so I think maybe dad may have slid that into their genes as well. I remember when we moved to Nova Scotia, almost fifty years ago now, and we built a garage in our yard in New Glasgow. We used railway ties and gravel for the foundation and he broke out a line level and a four footer. So, with rakes and shovels we prepped the site, then began to lay the beams. We must have checked the line and level a thousand times, and each time he would be fussier than the last. Eventually I heard those golden words. Okay, now it’s close enough. I never forgot those lessons, as they remind me of how we need to conduct our lives.

You see, when we begin our journey and relationship with Christ, we are all over the map. We get introduced to God and we are taught the basics. As we grow older, His presence in our lives becomes more grounded, then, like my earthly father, our Heavenly Father puts tools in our hands as He teaches us, again with the patience of Job. Our rake and shovel would be our pastors, mentors, and scriptures. At first, they all feel new and awkward, but the more we use them, the better we get at levelling out our lives. There will be times when we think, well I’ve learned enough, then we will back slide and become off kilter, but we need to continually make adjustments along the way. After all, we’re building the rest of our lives. Then we dive back in and things will get smooth and plumb. I think there are times that all of us kind of slide a bit and think, well that’s close enough. The past couple of years have been like that due to the events in our world. Most of us cannot yet meet in person for faith gatherings, so we are now relying on technology to keep us connected. For the most part, it works, but nothing can replace the face to face with your faith family.

I am fortunate that my Pastor has been in my “bubble” since the beginning, so my home is blessed with constant weekly physical interaction. We have not felt like we have backslid, but really miss the rest of our peeps. I am looking at these days as just another version of my father saying, just keep moving and raking, and micro-adjusting that level. Eventually it will be close enough to build on. Well, I believe we all will constantly be adjusting ourselves and will see the bubble perfectly between the lines just before we are called home.

I’m hoping for a long life of raking and adjusting, yet I am willing to accept whatever days God has for me. I am currently building a little backyard workshop with one of my sons. As we toil on uneven ground to make all the foundation targets level and square, I am reminded of the great teacher I had as a young teen, and also of the great teacher that I have now for simply living. My building will stand soon, close enough for my eyes. My hope is that as I stay plugged into God, through the people He has surrounded me with, and that like my earthy father, my Heavenly father will one day say to me, welcome child, your level is close enough.

Mike Shindruk

Master’s Hand Ministry

 

Grace As The Foundation

We were talking today at our study and the conversation turned, as it usually does in our Bible studies, away from the intended topic to that of foundational Christianity. Now you may ask, “what is foundational Christianity?” It is getting back to basics and getting rid of the human rules that get in the way of God’s intentions for His children. Let me give you an illustration that may help. When I was younger, I challenged my father at every turn. His rules made no sense to me and I did not agree with many of them. We butted heads on numerous occasions and my mother was the buffer between the two of us trying to keep the peace. Many is the times I heard my father say, “when its your house, you can make the rules but until then, you follow my rules.” This makes perfect sense to me now but back then he was just a controlling figure that was clueless to the way things really work in the real world. These rules stifled my personal rights and I knew I could do better on my own. I could hardly wait for the day I was in charge and the rules would be much more fair in my home. Speed forward and I came to appreciate that not only were my rules very similar to the ones my father laid out but there was also a realization that the rules were in place out of a sense of love for family and friends. In fact, when I looked closely at the rules, they are very similar to the rules God set forth for us all; love God with every ounce of your being and love your neighbour.

Back to the basics does not mean throw out the manuals and bylaws but rather measure them against the known Word of God. If a rule countermands the rules God set forth, then it should be examined, tested and modified to come into parallel with His Word. Consider this, the act of circumcision does not make you a Christian just like standing in a garage does not make you a Ferrari. It is Christ, the foundation of our churches, who sets us free and delivers us from our sins and delivers us to eternal life.

1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

² Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. ⁴ For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

⁵ But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. ⁶ For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

⁷ You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? ⁸ It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. ⁹ This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! ¹⁰ I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. Gal 5:1-10 NLT

It is time to return to the basics of our faith. It is by grace we are saved and Jesus is the way to salvation. This week we begin a series on “The Way, Truth and Life” that brings it all back to the basics. 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 

‘Our God is Mighty’ 

Day 1: Jeremiah 32:17 – “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” 

Day 2: Isaiah 40:28 – “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.” 

Day 3: Jeremiah 10:6 – “Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power.” 

Day 4: Isaiah 44:24 – “This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer and Creator: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?’” 

Day 5: Psalm 66:7 – “For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance. Interlude” 

Day 6: Daniel 4:3 – “How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations.” 

Day 7: Ephesians 1:19-21 – “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else – not only in this world but also in the world to come.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

At The End Of The Rope

What does it take for you to reach the end of your rope? Growing up, I heard this quite a bit, along with “you are getting on my last nerve”, “I have just about had enough” and “you’re enough to make a saint swear.” I never understood that last one until I realized just how much the saints had to put up with in their own lives. Over the past two years, we have endured health calamities, droughts, storms, more health pandemics (we are on wave four of how many?), the Leafs failing to make it out of round one of the playoffs, again, terrorist attacks, elections, more elections, and even more elections. There were promises made that were not kept, promises made in secret that came to light that should not have been made, discoveries that have rocked a nation and unspoken secrets that have yet to be revealed. I now think back to my youth, “I have reached the end of my rope! You go to your room until you learn better!” I head up to my room, the curtains are drawn, music plays softly in the background, and I close my eyes to contemplate the world around me while taking time to pray for peace and comfort. This is the place where I find the greatest comfort, wrapped in the arms of my wonderful Lord and feeling His strength as the world challenges that perfect peace.

Do I sound pessimistic? Please don’t, for a moment, think that I am in a dark and desperate place because it is the exact opposite, for I am confident in the Lord and find encouragement to carry on, I find power in my Saviour. When I get to what I think is the end of my rope, God says to me “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will bring you rest” Matthew 11:28. When I hear the news speak of another atrocity, another nation splitting revelation, God says to me “For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” Isa 41:13. When I have had just about enough, the Holy Spirit says to me “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me.” Ps 55:22-23 There are many out there who have reached the breaking point and do not have a place to turn for relief. It has been a rough couple of years for so many and I fear there is more to come. How can we best respond to those who are at their last straw? Pray for them, encourage them to seek out the beauty and miracles that surround them and help them to “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.” Pro 3:5-6

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