Mercy in the Beatitudes

As We Do Shall It Be Done For Us

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matt 5:7 NIV

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us this in a bit different way. Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me. Yes, I personalized it but it drives the point home. To forgive a transgression against another is to show mercy. In a world where the sins from ten, fifteen or even thirty years ago can come back to haunt a person, mercy and forgiveness are rather fleeting qualities. Take this example from Canadian life.

A young politician is in the midst of an election and her opponent has a team of people working on dredging up the past. One errant comment on a social media feed from when she was sixteen rears its ugly head and she goes from first to last in the polls. When will the past stay in the past. A young man, fresh out of prison has done his time and is trying to start over again. In prison, he came to the realization that his past errors would only haunt him if he continued on the path and the inside of a jail cell could very well be a familiar sight going forward. The young man vowed never to give into the temptation and stick to the straight and narrow. On the outside, he was branded a criminal, his movements were restricted by his past. Many opportunities disappeared when the past sins were dredged up and the hopelessness of the situation drove him down the wrong path, again.

Jesus on the cross was accompanied by two criminals. One mocked Him while the other defended the Son of God. The one pleaded mercy over Jesus and then turned to Christ and asked to be remembered in His Kingdom. Jesus did not bringing up the past or add caveats to the agreement, He simply said “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I challenge you to consider this; ask your social network provider to wipe away all the nastiness from your past so you can start your online life anew. Would this ever happen? Not likely because once it is in cyber world, it is out there. Ask Jesus to forgive your past. Would this ever happen? It definitely will and it will not be mentioned again, ever. So, here is the another challenge; when someone asks your for mercy, will you show it as Christ shows you that same kindness? (read John 8:1-11)

This Sunday, we are having our service at Camp Harmattan just east of town. There will be a few people at the church in Sundre holding a prayer vigil and we will also have a time of devotion later that evening. Stay tuned to Facebook @MainAvenueFellowship as we will let you know when the devotional will be live casted. May God continue to bless you all richly!

Shalom

Pastor Todd

Lean On Me

I absolutely love when my wife and I hug each other. She has this unspoken leaning into my chest that tells me that she rests, knowing that I am her protector. Our children and grandchildren do the same thing. That few seconds or longer, lets me know that their safety and security is placed in my hands. It also reminds me that God has us in His hands, and under His protection and provision. Even our family pet cat, when picked up, will turn her head and push hard into my wife’s chin, and our son’s dog is constantly craving a belly rub, or cuddle. You see, people and pets alike know when they are loved, and protected. Myself as a father and husband, through my actions, tell those around me that they can always lean on me. Can I fix everything? No, yet I can give comfort and will do whatever it takes to keep my loved ones safe and provided for.

This week I sat at the bedside of a friend who is very close to going home to meet Jesus. Before I went to visit, I looked for scripture to give him comfort within our conversation. I shared John 14:2-5 with him as a way of trying to calm the fear he may have of staring at his own home going. I point blank asked him if he had Jesus in his heart, or believed in God, to which he replied, yes. This scripture then gave him the assurance that his room is being made ready, and that God knows his heart and has a place in eternity for him. Even in this, I was able to lean into Jesus’ chest, and on God, my Father for guidance and words to share. My friend got to lean into God’s chest. My youngest son visited a friend who passed away and walked that line of mourners and family to pay his respects. A tough thing to do, yet God drew him to His chest and assured him that his grief was carried by Jesus. It also showed that God was with a grieving family.

Whether someone is eighty or eight minutes old, God will cradle us all in His arms. Psalm 119:132 NIV” Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name”. When we call on Jesus, and welcome his arms around us, lean in hard to His chest, then He knows what we are saying. It tells Him that we too, are putting all our trust in His protection, comfort, and provision. When we do this in our troubled times, our heart will hear Him say, my child, I’m here, just lean on Me.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Can You Handle the Truth?’

Day 1: Romans 12:2 – “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Day 2: Proverbs 15:21 – “Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path.”

Day 3: Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

Day 4: 2 Timothy 3:15-17 – “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

Day 5: Colossians 2:6-8 – “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

Day 6: Proverbs 2:2-7 – “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.”

Day 7: Ephesians 1:21, 22 – “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. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Climate Change

Well these last few weeks of extreme high temperatures and lack of rain have really made me thankful for the down pour as I write. Like many people my age, we remember a time when we could run and play outside on the hottest dog days of summer. The worst that would happen would be a sun burn that would bring out the freckles. These days it seems that even a few minutes in the sun, we feel like we’re in a micro wave oven. We see the planet groaning as storms become more severe every year. Wild fires rage in places where we would never suspect, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are in the news almost weekly.  Huge masses of polar ice are breaking and eroding more and more.  Climate change perhaps? I don’t know, yet as mankind increases the planet’s population, and chases it’s natural resources, somewhere, somehow something will give.

Yes, there are ways to reverse these effects, and I’d like to think that generations to come will do what they need to, to fix our world. Perhaps the first step is to change ourselves from the inside out. Change the mindset first, then all else will fall into place. There isn’t a one among us who escape troubles and difficulties in our life. Those of us who attend church will still have tragedies and victories. We are not immune. What we do have though is the best coping mechanism known to man. We have our faith in God. Every person that has changed their lives or had them changed by accepting Christ will tell you the same story. I have asked and accepted Jesus into my life, and my personal climate has been changed as well. I have faced the death of friends and loved ones, health issues, financial issues, and yes, the world. Jesus has walked with me, talked with me, and when needed, carried me through more than I could ever do on my own.

I face the same problem as everyone else, yet, I can react and cope in a better way. My faith carries and sustains me. I have changed my personal climate. My attitude, faith family, blood family, overall health, employment and finances are all gifts from God. My Father recognizes my willingness to please Him, and He rewards me.

I assure you, He has the same available for you. If you want to change your life for the better, then get quiet with God. Make your own decision to go through a little climate change of your own, and He will fix your world.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca

How Fast Do You Move?

This Sunday we are going back to the Beatitudes. In this week’s article, I would like to focus on something that could be considered a rather taboo topic. Today I talk about moving at the speed of church.

I will, at times, watch a few of those shows that do full makeovers on a limited budget and very limited time. We look at a dilapidated one bedroom home that a family of twenty live in. It has no running water, there is no insulation in any of the walls and the sink doubles as a bathtub every second Saturday night. The host comes in with grand plans, a team of helpers and a whole waft of support and transforms the house into a luxurious ten bedroom house in a week. Hard to believe? I am still working with a crew who had ten days to do some renovations on the church, nothing so grandiose as re-creating the Taj Mahal, and we are still taking care of some of the final cleaning and tiding. The process was stalled a few times because we were waiting on one person to make a decision but these delays were nothing that completely halted the project for any extreme amount of time.

As I look back on some surveys that I have been privileged (note the sarcasm) to review, something that comes to mind is this; you are not going to make the right decision no matter what you do. It takes three months to figure out a venue that is going to upset the least amount of people, four months to find just the right colour that will not offend, a full year to consider the direction of a church body without losing anyone. Here is the key; there is no win-win scenario, someone will always disagree. Nine out of ten dentists agree – how long are the nine going to deliberate to get the tenth one on board? I have seen boards split and churches thrown into turmoil because one person does not like the way things are dealt with in the board meeting. I remember an old movie where the jury was hung because one person did not feel the majority was right.

The church is God’s house. In God’s house there are multiple personalities and multiple viewpoints. Every meeting of the board, every gathering of the fellowship is one dissenting view from an argument; thus is the way of life outside the walls of the church as well. Should our prayer going into any meeting, any gathering be “open my heart, mind and soul to your leading, Lord”? Jesus dealt with issues within His own following, Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him and yet the work of the Lord prevailed. Before we look for the negative and find ways to throw a wrench into the system, why not sit for a time in prayer and reflection and ask God “what is best for the faith gathering”. A great man once told me not to be the cork in the bottleneck that causes the back up. Be open to the Spirit and to the needs of the many over and above the needs of the few or the one. Jesus died on the cross for the multitudes without regards for His own life. Are you willing to be Christ-like in your ways as well?

As previously mentioned, this Sunday we look into the Beatitudes. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. Service starts at 10:30 MST and can be seen live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or viewed afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘When We…’

Day 1: John 14:6 – need direction – “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

Day 2: Psalm 32:8 – need guidance – “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”

Day 3: Psalm 121:1, 2 – need help – “I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”

Day 4: Psalm 27:14 – need patience – “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

Day 5: Isaiah 26:3 – need peace – “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Day 6: John 5:24 – need assurance – “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

Day 7: Philippians 4:19 – need anything – “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Are We Affective In Our Community?

Are We Affective In Our Community?

One of my favourite passages in the New Testament comes from Matthew 25:31-46. It is a somber wake up call for the church today. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not accusing churches of not helping out the community but I would ask them (and ours) to take a look at the priorities of the church. Decades ago, the church was the focal point of the community. I have written and talked of this for years but it needs to be continually addressed. People used to go to the church for advice, for food hampers, employment, health concerns, support and the list goes on and on. The Grey Nuns Hospital served the needs of the community, the priests were in touch with the businesses and knew what was available and the kitchens of the church were open to the feed the poor. As the church becames (and still becomes) less and less of a resource and focuses on keeping the doors open, what is the first thing to suffer? Our community perhaps?

We should, as a faith community, look to this scripture as a foundation to a rebuild or even a redefine.

³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matt 25:35-36

We are saved by grace, we do not require works to gain entrance to Heaven nor are we able to buy our way in. God sees our heart, asks us to believe in His Son and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. When this is the foundation of our faith, there is a joy that cannot be hidden and the example of the Son should be our rally cry. This means that we become affective in effecting change in the lives around us. This past week, I have seen our little church feeding the hungry, inviting in strangers, comforting the sick and giving a community a taste of the Living Water. There are those who are trapped in a worldly prison who have received a visit from the faith-filled and others who clothed those in need with garments of prayer protection. This is a daily need of our society today that is awash in confusion and manmade idols. When the church addresses the needs of the community around them, lives are changed and needs are met. Church, seek out, reach out and become effective in lives – we are ambassadors of the King.

This Sunday, we welcome Rev. Jonny Blake from Edmonton, AB as he brings a message as a part of our Work and Witness week.  Service starts at 10:30 MST and can be seen live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or viewed afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘When We Mourn’

Day 1: Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Day 2: Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.”

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

Day 4: Psalm 73:26 – “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”

Day 5: Matthew 11:28 – “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’”

Day 6: Psalm 22:24 – “For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.”

Day 7: Isaiah 51:12 – “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

When We Finally Get Him

As I write this, I am on the eve of returning to work after some vacation time. Each week that I write this column, my intent is to encourage everyone to seek, find, accept and bathe in God’s presence. I cannot help but want to share Him with the readers each week. I have lost count as to the number of people who stop me and share that they read these messages. I am humbled, and surprised when the most unexpected sources of thanks come my way. God writes every one of these, and like many others who share this space, I am only used to put into print, what He wants us to share. You see, Jesus comes into all of our lives, not just a selected few. It is only when we ask Him in and accept Him, that we see His presence. When we ask, and pray with sincerity to God, we can expect to be saturated by Him daily.

What really gets my juices flowing is when someone finally gets God. It could be through the agonizing process of a health issue, a major surgery, an emotional roller coaster due to relationship issues or whatever. When any one shares with me, or you, that God has impacted their lives, and acknowledges Him, let’s agree to believe He is smiling. Most of the time, we will not immediately see how He works, or puts the pieces in place for us. That being said, it is important not to be fooled into connecting any dots in the human, because how He fits everything, is totally different than our understanding. When we give God all the glory, and credit for good things in our life, we know that He will keep us close to Him. Matthew 10:32 NIV, Jesus tells us “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven”.

As good as it is to let others know that God has made a profound difference in our lives, it is more important to give all praise and honor to Him. With every challenge, thank Him, and with every breakthrough, praise Him. When this becomes the norm in your daily living, then you too will know that you are understanding more, what He has in store for you. In other words, you’re finally getting God. That, my friends, in itself will be that aha moment we all want.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca

Living Water

This year, my wife and I tried our hand at some vegetable gardening. We built some boxed raised beds on our cottage lot, and have planted potatoes, carrots, radishes and peas. The last couple of weeks have not yielded any rain, so have been nurturing the beds every day by watering and watching. During the hottest of days, the soil was so dry that the water remained on the surface for a few moments, before finally soaking in. After that, the water soaked in at a much faster rate, making the watering easier and more effective. Within a few days, our garden sprung to life. The more we watered, the more rapid the growth. In fact the potatoes are growing over two inches each day, as if they are saying, the more water you give me, the more I will grow, and the more I will give back to you in the future.

   

I began to see the similarity to this same thing in our lives. Jesus is often referred to as Living Water in the Bible. When any one of us are without a relationship with God, or flat out reject Him, we will, in our spirit, be dry and stale. Without God as a guiding influence in our lives and world, we will have to face troubles without any positive spiritual support to carry us. The death of a loved one, job loss, relationship,  health, or marriage failures, even addiction will all be yokes to bear, alone. Anyone one who feels that God does not exist, or has no place in their lives cannot make it through life without clawing every inch of the way. No Jesus in your life, means no hope for your future.

   

When you invite Christ to come into your life, the initial pouring onto you may not soak in immediately. Yet, the more you invite Him to water you, the more He will finally soak in. The more He soaks in, the more you grow both spiritually, and in how you can face the world. The more we all grow in Christ, the more we will give back to the world around us. Just like my garden, the transformation from dry lifeless dirt to bountiful life harvest will amaze you.

  

So my friends, if you’re dry this is the opportunity to get watered. Someone in your life has been speaking Jesus into, and over you. Perhaps now and today is the time where you finally let Him soak in, so you can soak up. Happy Harvesting.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca

How To Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

What in interesting concept. How does one hunger and thirst for a state of being? Let’s go to the rule of threes. You cannot survive three minutes without replenishing the oxygen in your system. I am not talking about those special people who spend years increasing their lung capacity for deep dives, I am talking about the majority of people in this world. After three days without water, the body is in such a state that major organs begin to break down and the body shuts down. After three weeks without food, the body is so starved for nutrition that it starts to eat itself. The fat reserves are gone and the muscular system deteriorates. Air, water and food; the foundation for physical health.

The Holy Spirit breathed life into Adam and mankind was filled with the life designed by God. Today we ask Spirit to fill us with His presence and strength, filling our very essence with His person. To be without His life giving presence would be tantamount to suffocating in the depths of the darkness.

John 6:35, Jesus declares “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. The things of life that will give our physical bodies life, food, water and air, are also the things that will give our souls life and not just life but life eternal. As Holy Spirit breaths life into our essence, the righteousness of Christ feeds our soul, the Living Water not only washes us clean but also refreshes and provides the needed moisture for our existence.

We talk of the trinity of life, food, water and air. These supports the mortal body. There is more to living than just the mortal body and Jesus addressed this in this passage of the Holy Blessings.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matt 5:6

To be physically filled provides for the finite body but to quest, seek out, feast on the soul sustaining righteousness of Christ is to feed one’s eternal soul and provide each of us with an ability to deal with the world today and set us up for an eternity with our Creator. Lean not on your own means for survival but rather turn to the righteousness of Christ, lean on Him for strength and guidance and love Him with every ounce of your being. Our God only wants the very best for us all and will not let us starve.

With every breath praise the Lord, with every morsel from the book of Truth, praise His name, with every thirst quenching drink from the Living Water, praise Jesus. This Sunday, we continue in the Beatitudes series.  Service starts at 10:30 MST and can be seen live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or viewed afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Peter’s Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks

‘Humility’

Day 1: James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Day 2: Matthew 23:12 – “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Day 3: Philippians 2:3, 4 – “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

Day 4: Proverbs 22:4 – “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.”

Day 5: Proverbs 29:23 – “Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.”

Day 6: James 4:6 – “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Day 7: Proverbs 27:1 – “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.”

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

Beatitudes Part Two

Last Sunday, we talked about words and how much they have changed over the centuries.

“Take those sacks and stuff them into the boot” means something totally different to Canadians then it does to those in England. In Canada, one would be spending time and effort trying to shove burlap into a rubber boot where in England this means to put the groceries into the trunk of the car. The word meekness today means something completely different from it used to. In days gone by, kings would proudly claim meekness as a part of their character because there is such power in having that stance. Today, many shy away as it is a sign of weakness. With that said, let us look at another one of the Beatitudes (Supreme Blessing)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit – consider the term spirit. We are not talking about the Holy Spirit but rather personal spirit. I once read that you cannot be full of the Holy Spirit if you are filled to capacity with your own spirit. To be filled with self leaves very little room for the glorious presence of God in our lives. Watching soccer this past week, I have seen both the richness of self and the richness of reliance on the pitch. One player scores a goal and runs away from his teammates to bask in the glory of the goal and receive the adoration of the fans while another sinks to his knees in prayer, gives thanks to God and then celebrates with his teammates.

Celebrate the richness of the Maker in your own life, praise His fullness in your achievements and be poor in your own spirit and lifted up in Him. Praise God and praise His Kingdom. This Sunday, we continue in the Beatitudes series.  Service starts at 10:30 MST and can be seen live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/) or viewed afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).

Blessings
Pastor Todd

Graduation Day

Summer is upon us. Students have completed another year, with proms, and graduations tucked and stored in their memories and dreams. The reality of life or perhaps a new chapter has now been laid out. The decision now, is to take that first step into the great unknown,  a leap of faith. It is now that grads will reflect on their school years and wonder, did I do enough to get to the next level in life. Reading my grandson’s report card, I was pleased with the marks he earned, yet read grade letters unfamiliar to me. In my day, as we have all heard our father’s say, there was the numerical grading, but also the standard A-F grading. We all knew that A was excellent, and an F, well you know.

      

As I read of the passing of a few friends and acquaintances this past week, I wondered about their life report card on their graduation day to heaven. I stopped to check on my own progress through this life, and what I hope will be my own graduation day final mark. These few self-examining questions should give us all something to think about. If any of us forget about, fend off His love, or even force God from our life, should we expect anything but an “F”, or fail? Should we expect God to give us a hall pass, when we expel Him from our homes, schools, workplaces, and governments? If so we can expect nothing but an “E”, again, a fail. When we distance our life from Him, deny Him or His very existence, we will receive nothing but a “D”? Again, fail. Can we call His name at our convenience, then curse it if He says, no not yet? Can we cast Him aside and try to control our own destiny then shout His name in vain when we fail? Will you be satisfied with a “C”, just to squeak by? Will you believe that God is real, that His word in the Bible (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth) is your personal study guide? Will you be the Christian (follower of Christ) that He asks you to be? Will you bind yourself to the life He wants for you, including teaching your children about Him? Can you expect a “B”?

   

For me, I want more of what God has available. I am not perfect, nor will I be, yet I will try each day to be better. You’re invited to come along and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Open your heart and allow Him to guide your steps. Ask Him into your world then keep Him there. Strive for the “A”. Congratulations, you have graduated. Enjoy your eternity.

Mike Shindruk

www.mastershandministry.blogspot.ca