Why So Bold?

A while back, I read an article about a pro sports team that had performed well above their level and had come very close to winning the championship even though they were a very new expansion team. There was speculation as to why they had gone so far in the playoffs and even grumblings that this new team did not deserve to get so far into the playoffs or even make it into the championship rounds. Some claimed foul because they had not paid their dues, others lobbied to ratify the rules so that teams in their first few years of existence should have to wait to get a chance. I understand this sounds rather ludicrous but there were some very upset people out there. On the flip side, there were those who loudly cheered them on, rallied around the little team that could and jumped on the noob bandwagon. The deeper they went into the playoffs, the more people started to believe until the wheels fell off in the final games and they failed in their bid for a championship. The naysayers were quick to point out that they never stood a chance, they should never have gotten where they had and you won’t see them in the playoffs again for a very long time.

Truth be told, based on their roster, the lack of playoff experience and their mediocre talent pool, they should not have done well but they had something going for them that no one really understood, they had faith. Their leadership told them they could achieve greatness if they only believed and supported one another. The coaches gave them all the opportunities to prove the naysayers wrong by giving them the tools they needed to succeed and the players all supported one another and believed in each other. You see, all the players on the team were the ones their past teams felt they could do without and left them unprotected but the General Manager saw potential and greatness in them. The leadership brought them together and they did awesome things, together.

Now, consider this. In 1 John 4 starting at 18, the early Christians are being persecuted and there is a sentiment of fear and doubt but they are being told that the love and protection of Christ is greater than all the evils they confront. 

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.  We love each other because he loved us first.

It is becoming more and more common for those who do not know the love of God to come against those of faith and try to stifle the Message or break up the team. They bring forth tactics such as belittling, bullying or even cancel culture to either shut the faithful up or to eliminate the message. I would ask that for those who are so adamant there is no God, continue on your way and don’t worry about the followers of Christ for our mandate is one of peace and compassion. For those who are dedicated to the Message, band together, support one another, pray for those who persecute and know that, in the end, there will be victory in Glory.

This Sunday, we will delve into examine the power of Christ through His love for the world. For those who wish to know more about the fellowship of Christ, we invite you to join us either in person or watch online at 10:30 AM

Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship Facebook

YouTube Live – You Tube

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 

‘God’s Power in Unity’ 

Day 1: 1 Corinthians 1:10 – “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

Day 2: Ephesians 4:2-6 – “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Day 3: Romans 15:5-7 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” 

Day 4: Colossians 3:13, 14 – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Day 5: Titus 3:9 – “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”

Day 6: John 17:22, 23 – “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and you in me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Day 7: Philippians 2:1-4 – “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Choose Your Words Wisely’ 

Day 1: Proverbs 18:4 – “The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.”

Day 2: Proverbs 25:18 – “Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.”

Day 3: Luke 6:43-45 – “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” 

Day 4: Proverbs 17:18 – “One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor.”

Day 5: Ephesians 4:19 – “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.”

Day 6: Proverbs 12:18 – “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Day 7: James 1:26 – “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Why So Joyful?

Heard at a shopping centre a few years ago, “chivalry is not dead”. A woman walking up to the doors of the mall and a young gentleman noticed her coming. He paused before reaching out to grasp the door handle and, as she approached, he opened the door for her then rushed by her to the inner doors and opened them as well. It was not the act of being polite that caught my attention, even though I found it to be quite refreshing to witness it, but rather the expression on her face. She seemed quite stunned that someone would not only pause to open the door for her but that he would then race forward to open the second one. There seemed to be a lilt in her step that was not there before and it was almost as if a joyful light had gone off in her being. It played in my mind that this was an example of the mission of Christ. What would Jesus do?

He is kind and loving, willing to put the needs of others regardless of their post in society. He came for all, not just the rich, not just the poor, nor the healthy or the lame but rather for all. As the disciples stopped for supper, Christ loosened His robes, took up a towel and a basin and washed their feet. I can only imagine the look on their faces as He did so. Could they have had the same expression as the woman who had the door opened for her?

“You want to wash my feet? But why? There are servants paid to do that. I can do this myself.”

I realized my age a few months ago when a young man paused at the door of the pharmacy and waited for me to come near. As I arrived, he opened the door for me and, after I thanked him, he wished me well and skittered off to do his own thing. My day took a turn for the better after that one act of kindness. I wanted to ask him if he was a man of faith but instead, I rejoiced in his kindness and asked God to bless him. Love your neighbour and be blessed.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 1 John 4:16-17 NLT

This Sunday, we will delve into the thought of What Would Jesus Do by discovering the attributes of Christ. If we truly desire to live like Jesus in this world, it would be advantageous to delve into His character. For those who wish to know more about the attributes of Christ, we invite you to join us either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM

Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship Facebook

YouTube Live – You Tube

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 

‘You Are Fully Accepted’ 

Day 1: 1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Day 2: John 6:37-40 – “‘All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.’”

Day 3: 2 Peter 1:10, 11 – “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 

Day 4: Ephesians 1:3-6 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

Day 5: Colossians 1:21, 22 – “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

Day 6: 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 – “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

Day 7: Colossians 1:13, 14 – “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Why So Scared?

So many people are fearful of those things they cannot see. Think of those things that are unseen that so many are fearful of, things that can paralyse a person in fear or can change a person’s attitude or actions purely based on a fear of a negative outcome. There are those who will bow down to the fear mongering just to avoid the repercussions and then there are those who will push back and rebel or just walk away and let the chips fall where they may. This is a tough time, a time of uncertainty and of fear. Conspiracy theories about, cancel culture rules social media and people are not only fearful of the diseases and choices out there but they are also afraid of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and essentially setting themselves up for social abuse and exclusion. That is a fear in the human realm.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  1 John 4:13-16

Let me preface this by admitting that the church has done a disservice by preaching the whole fire and brimstone message. Believe in God or face the consequences. Yes, there are consequences but why try to motivate people with the negative?  Read the message from Jesus, let the Truth bring light to the real Message; Jesus saves. There is nothing to fear in His message. Love God, love each other. Trust in Him and He will set you free. What are you set free from? Your past is forgiven, your eternal life is guaranteed, the world will look far different when you seek out the joy and love in the world rather than dwell in the stressors the world would have us believe is the norm. There is a choice to be made and it is yours alone, no pressure, no threats. When we chose to follow Christ, our lives will change forever but if the choice is to maintain the current direction in life, nothing much will change so why are so many fearful of His message? My life changed for the better when I decided to follow Jesus. When I started to write these articles, the choice to read them or to ignore them was fully in the hands of those who had a choice. Some do not believe, some have pushed back and some have even argued in order to change my mind but there is one thing remains; I still love them all regardless of their attitude towards me, towards my Saviour.

What is there to fear from the Lord? The choice is yours just as there was a choice for me. I respect the choices of others and appreciate the same in return. For those who wish to know more about faith in Christ, we invite you to join us either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM

Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship Facebook

YouTube Live – You Tube

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com

 

All That And A Bag Of Chips

The title of this message is, perhaps a little off-the-cuff sounding, yet there is a deeper meaning if we think about it. We all have so many different little sayings, yet never know where they originated. Still, we can use them and apply them at will. I am about to take into this one, from my perspective.

Each time I have a visit with my mom, who lives next door, she greets me with, “what’s going on”? After we set the kettle on for tea and coffee, we settle in. I catch her up on the week, and she offers me a sweet with my hot drink. As we sit and chat, I am always amazed at how easy it is to share and learn something new about her with every conversation. At almost eighty-six years old, she can still conjure up something from her past that I didn’t know. These days, like many her age, she is unsteady on her feet, hard of hearing, and does forget some things. Yet I am pleased to still have her in our lives. As she turns the television to mute, and we share some time together, we laugh, watch the birds outside feeding, and sometimes have a little cry as we miss people who have gone on before us. It’s amazing how quick an hour can fly by when you spend time with someone you love. As I prepare to leave, she always walks me to the door, and as I give her a guaranteed hug, kiss, and I love you mom, she says, “oh just a moment”. While I pause at the door, she hands me a large bag of chips. She always told me that as a baby, she would offer me a cookie, or a pickle, and I would always choose the pickle. It’s the salt thing. Think about it, we can enjoy the chips as we sit with a loved one, and even lick our fingers to get every morsel.

Now here is where Jesus comes into my message. Like our elderly parents, Jesus waits patiently until we come knocking on His door to sit and visit. Like my mom’s door, His is always open for whenever we can “make time”. He never admonishes us for being late or busy because He already knows why. He always has a place prepared for us to just sit and chat, whether we come for a laugh, a lesson, or a cry. When we visit with Him, either in a service, or just in our thoughts, we have His complete attention. His hearing, sight, and memory are all perfect, so we need only whisper and He hears us. Like our parents, if we just listen to Him, we will always learn something new about Him. He will never fidget in His seat and will always wait for us to make our exit before He walks us to the door. As we leave our chat, we know we have been given the gift of a lifetime in every conversation. His bag of chips to me, or us, is what He leaves with us. It’s the treat for later that we can enjoy and share with a loved one. In each visit with Him, we are assured of another at our leisure. Just like with my mom, I can unload my fears and concerns. I can soak up what He wants to tell me. I can catch up on the week and days, and I can leave till the next time with all that and a bag of chips.

As I write this message, I am enjoying the sounds of my wife preparing food for our Ukrainian Christmas dinner later today. Perogies ready for cooking, turkey and cabbage rolls are in the oven. The smells are permeating our home on this cold snowy day, yet I take comfort in knowing that we will gather today to share a wonderful meal. Our numbers are smaller, yet the importance and gifting of our gathering is just as valuable as a crowd of many. At then end of the day, we will all say our good-bye’s with hugs and doggie bags. As for me, I will give thanks for the blessings in my life. Most important, is God’s presence in our lives is all that, and a bag of chips.

Mike Shindruk

Master’s Hand Ministry

Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘God of Newness’ 

Day 1: Ezekiel 11:19 – “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Day 2: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Day 3: Ephesians 4:22-24 – “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 

Day 4: John 13:34, 35 – “‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’”

Day 5: Lamentations 3:22-24 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’”

Day 6: Isaiah 43:19 – “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Day 7: Colossians 3:9, 10 – “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” 

 

Why Does The World Fear Christianity?

As I sat down to write this, I began to think back on the past and research the “why” of this question. Under the banner of Christianity, all sorts of disgraceful actions and sins have been carried out. It is truly embarrassing to realize how much has been done to sully the name of Christ by those who do not fully understand the basic foundation of the faith. There are those who developed some rather far-fetched regulations and put into place punishments that would scare many into falling into place through fear. Judgement by those in position of power could and did overstep the bounds of mortal authority and, in the past, could relegate those who faltered as outcasts from the faith family. This was, at one time, terrifying because the church was the center of the community and to be an outcast from the faith community was to be excluded from many things in the community. We can also consider the damage done through colonialism, crusades and inquisitions just to name a few as these were all fodder for society to question the motives or mandate of the Christian church. The atrocities of man carried out under the banner of God without the true authority of God. I know this is a bold statement and many will question my comments but if the Truth is to be told, it must be told with transparency and with boldness for His Truth as suffered by His children’s actions.

⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ¹⁹ We love each other because he loved us first.

²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? ²¹ And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. 1 John 4:7-21

I know this is a rather lengthy passage for this article but it does talk to the issue of fearfulness of Christ. I would suggest there are many, past and present, who have forgotten this teaching. The old expression of “What Would Jesus Do” has rather fallen to the wayside and, with it, the ultimate message from God; Love the Lord with absolutely every ounce of your being and love those around you just as deeply. If we truly love the Lord and those around us, we would certainly not put up barricades to keep people out and we would not cause others to suffer by our judgement on them. Jesus came to save all from their past, from their sins. He did not come to condemn but rather to save. Why should the world fear this message? Is it because this is not the message they have come to understand as the Truth of our faith?

This week, and for the weeks to follow, we are going to talk about Christianity, dispel some rumours and look at how we can break the trend of fear within our community and our nation. All change starts with the first step and so we start this journey by addressing where we need to go.

We invite you to join us 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