What Is A Faith Foundation?

Have you ever believed in something that was very hard to explain yet your conviction is unshakable, and, while others are somewhat skeptical and your passion to share your belief is overwhelming? What do you do when someone challenges you? What happens when someone asks questions that you are unprepared for or you don’t know the answer? Do you get frustrated? Do you get upset and push back? Do you take what you heard, research it deeper and allow the newness of the information enhance and strengthen your resolve?

 

There are those in this world who have felt the call to teach. They have a passion to share their knowledge and believe whole heartedly in what they are teaching and those they are instructing. I remember a professor who taught me a very valuable lesson. He told the class that he has a very thorough knowledge of what he taught and was very passionate about the subject but was open to other’s opinions and viewpoints. There had been times when some were very persistent in their stance and would dig in their heels, argue the point and refuse to hear his opinion even though he was the authority on the subject. He would simply state to them “I have never heard it put that way before”. He does not waver in his faith and enjoys sharing his passion with others. There are those, however, who back down from the argument, submit to the other’s opinion and choose acceptance over faith. Yes, these are harsh words but the evil one will use every tool in the arsenal to break the will of the faithful.

 

Jesus had told the disciples over and over that He would be back. They learned from the Master, they saw the miracles, witnessed His love and compassion but did not recognize the Master on the road to Emmaus, their faith was tested when the last breath left His lips.

 

In Luke 24:38-43, Jesus asked “Why are you frightened? Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still, they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

 

Lean not on your own understanding, lean upon the Lord for His strength and wisdom is more powerful than the doubt. It is doubt that is the tool of the evil one and this tears at the foundation of our faith. We are in a battle with forces that use human frailty to succeed in breaking the resolve of the disciples. Our Saviour went to the cross, took our sins with Him and then conquered death, returned to the disciples and proved to them He is God. This was the start of the spread of the Gospel throughout the land by the faithful who would rather give up their lives than deny their Lord. A foundation built on Jesus is more solid than anything on earth. It is worth dying to self over.

 

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:

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

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

See you all Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘The ONLY Way’ 

Day 1: 1 John 2:15-17 - CONVICTION – “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 

Day 2: James 4:7 - SUBMIT – So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 

Day 3: Romans 6:23 - SALVATION – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Day 4: Psalm 121:7, 8 - PROTECTION – “The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” 

Day 5: Proverbs 4:4, 5 - WISDOM – “My father taught me, ‘Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.’” 

Day 6: James 1:22, 25 - FAITH – “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves... But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” 

Day 7: 2 Corinthians 9:8 - BLESSINGS – “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Building On A Relational Foundation

Many years ago, I worked as a Footwear Assistant Manager for Kmart in Edmonton. It had taken years for me to overcome my past lifestyle and start down the road to being a positive, contributing member of society. The moment of truth came when Kmart offered me a store in Winnipeg and, while I didn’t jump at the chance, I did accept the promotion and started to make plans for the move. My Dad and I did not have a solid relationship but I did respect his teachings and wisdom when it came to business and he took me off to the side and said “I think you are ready”. I was very nervous but his support did help me to move forward with a bit more confidence. As the time for me to move grew closer, Dad told me he was going to come with me to Winnipeg in the car and help me get settled. There was a short time of push-back from me but, truth be told, I was relieved that I was not going to make the trip alone. Long story short, we got to Winnipeg, he helped me find a place to live there and, when I was all settled, I drove him to the airport and through tears watched as his plane flew off into the distance. After a few months, I was settling right in, the store was doing great and all was well. It was not until much later I came to find out that Dad had talked to the landlord and asked them to keep an eye on me and should anything happen they were to contact him.

 

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that He will receive what He will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from Me what He will make known to you.” John 16:12-15 NIV

 

There are those out there who will say that God abandoned them and left them on their own. Truth be told, it is not He who leaves us but rather we who seek strength in the flesh and abandon the power and support of the Lord. God has promised to never leave us or abandon us. He left earth to be wit the Father and to intercede on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is with us always and, I would suggest is the Breath of Life (Genesis 2:7 Ruach – Spirit). Christ stated He must leave and the Sprit of Truth would continue. We do not see Jesus in person today BUT the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way watching over us whether we know it or not. My father made sure I was taken care of while I was in Winnipeg and contacted the landlord weekly to ensure my needs were met and I was doing well.

 

Almost a year ago, my father went to Glory to be with the Master. I know this to be true because he claimed Christ as Saviour. I sat with my dad in the final moments of his life and told him I would never leave him and just before he left this place, I said I would see him soon enough. As he watched over me growing up, I watched over him in his final moments and my Father in Heaven watched him as he made his way into glory. Happy Birthday, dad, see you later.

 

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:

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

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

 

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Depression Breaker’ 

Day 1: Psalm 40:1, 2 – “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” 

Day 2: Psalm 42:11 – “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!” 

Day 3: 1 Peter 5:6, 7 – “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: 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 5: 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 

Day 6: John 16:33 – “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

Day 7: Psalm 29:11 – “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Let the Joy of the Lord be your strength

 

How To Build A House

This may rankle a few people but when God lays a message on your heart, you roll with it. Many years ago, I worked with a couple of builders as a framer. It is always interesting to go into a new neighbourhood where the only thing there is the road, a streetlamp and a pole with the power supply for the site. The power pole will sometimes have a lot location but other than that there is not much more to see save a hole in the ground and lines of concrete, called the foundation, where future walls will stand. Numerous times, I have looked up and down a block noting the foundations that had been poured and wondered what the houses would look like in the future. A few days later, I would come onto the site again to check on the progress of the basement so I could give the lumber company a drop date for our supplies and materials.

 

Now, I am not going to go into the details regarding the building of a home but rather want to make note about the foundation. We would go onto the site to do a check of the foundation before anything went further. The reason for this is that we wanted to ensure the foundation was square, level, had no cracks or deficiencies and was on firm ground. If there were any gaps or holes beneath the foundation, we would get the company back to deal with the issues before anything went any further. If the foundation was not strong, was not set on a firm platform or was not square, it would affect the whole structure. It is best to build on a firm foundation than to be chasing problems down the road.

 

Part two to this illustration is this; most foundations look the same save the size differences and the layout. The finished product can be a one storey, two storey or more, can be grandiose or a simple design and will look very different depending on the design but the foundation is the key. It must be solid, on firm ground and be square. Let’s relate this back to the church. There was a time when I wanted to be like Billy Graham, a powerful, vibrant preacher with a gift for spreading the gospel to thousands. I went to school to learn and become equipped to preach and was introduced to a whole new world. There were new church words to learn, I discovered a whole new language and I began to be able to understand those who sounded like a walking encyclopedia. There are those who are gifted with an eloquent vocabulary and then there is me. What is the key in all this? Those who speak way above my head and I share the same foundation; we have a faith built on the promise of Jesus Christ. Our foundation is perfect in that Christ is our firm foundation, He is our strength and He is on the level. We can all build our lives on this firm foundation knowing that He will not crumble or disappear. I believe I am safe in saying this; one can wear a million dollar suit and preach in a mega church or they can wear jeans and preach in a garage. So long as their faith is built on His firm foundation or Truth and the Gospel Message is preached, the Kingdom will be glorified.

 

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:

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

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

 

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Better Days Ahead

Hello friends. It is so good to be back, and to again being able to submit to the Faith page of the New Glasgow News. To begin, I extend my sincere thanks to the editor for the space, and to those of you who can begin to read these once more. I have missed sharing messages of encouragement these past number of months. For me, I believe the temporary disruption of our lives was merely an opportunity from God to reset. I must admit that for a time, God’s voice was being muted by the despair of the last year. The static of chaos in our world was, in itself, deafening. Yet God remained faithful to His children.

       

Personally, I can admit that I too began to become lukewarm, yet never cooling off from God’s word. The immediate uncertainties of the past year forced me to stop and re-evaluate the things that are truly the most valuable in my life. I realized how much I missed gathering for weekly church service. I miss the wonderful people who are my faith family. I miss the elderly residents at Shiretown Nursing home, to whom we would sing to every month. I miss our family supper’s at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I miss the freedom of sitting in a crowded restaurant listening to the sound of other people. I miss not being afraid of another human in a checkout line. I miss going to a concert, or movie theater. Like all of you, I miss the good things we all took for granted.

       

What I was given was even greater. I was given time, precious time. Time with my wife, at my cottage on a lake. I was given no lost time by my employer. I was given time to clear the world’s static, so I could hear God’s whispers. He gave me time to think of what His plan for me might be, Jeremiah 29:11. He gave me time to look up, ask for help, and wait for an answer, any answer. Psalm 121. He gave me time to hone some carpentry skills. He gave me time to rest a weary mind and body. He never gave me more time, just enough of the quiet to appreciate His gifts and grace.

       

Even now, as we cannot gather for church as usual, He has made a way, where there seemed to be no way. Our Pastor now video records a weekly sermon that reaches across Canada, and also writes a weekly message in print. Dr. Barclay gives us something to think about in print, and also records a weekly Bible study. Peter MacLaren gives us Peter’s Picks, a scripture to read for each day of the week. Our good friend Pastor Todd MacDonald in Sundrie Alberta sends us his written message weekly. Covid-19 arrived, and will be gone, yet Christ was here and will always be here. The world stopped turning for a bit, but God’s church is alive and well and is not going anywhere. It is alive and well, and thriving.

       

I encourage each and every one of you to receive and believe that better days are coming and coming fast. If you are reading this, then you are alive and well. Give thanks today that God has placed you in a safe place. Thank him, for Nova Scotia and the low numbers of illness and infections. Thank Him for the credible leadership from health authorities thus far. Nothing is perfect here, and we had a tough year. But compared to many parts of the world, we are in paradise. I was reminded a while ago from my friend Dr. Spencer Barclay, that if our ancestors had the intestinal fortitude to endure six years of world war in the 1940’s then surely we can put up with orderly lines and face masks for a year or two.

       

My friends, life is good, hope is gold, fear is false, and tomorrow will be better. Breathe, even through your mask, see using your eyes and your heart, and believe with your soul that God’s got this. Enjoy your days, as we have some great ones coming.

 

Mike Shindruk

Master’s Hand Ministry

Peter's Picks

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Easy Does It! Be Patient’ 

Day 1: Ecclesiastes 3:7, 8 – “A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.” 

Day 2: Colossians 3:12 – “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” 

Day 3: Philippians 4:6 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ” 

Day 4: James 1:4 – “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” 

Day 5: Psalm 37:7 – “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.” 

Day 6: Galatians 6:9 – “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.” 

Day 7: Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation 

 

Let's Think About This For A Moment

It was a very weird couple of weeks for me as I pondered a great many things. Usually, I will do an article that will relate to the upcoming service, but I am not sure this one is going to. Like I indicated, it has been a strange couple of weeks. When I was in a time of prayer, I was amazed by a strange thought. Now, let me preface this with the fact that I noticed a show on television titled “God Friended Me”. I should have saved this article for another time because I could do an entire series on it and I might in the future but there is a thought that has numerous connotations and paths that should be addressed.

There are numerous people out there who, and please do not jump on me for this statement, are addicted to their social media and are obsessed with how many followers they have. You may ask “where is he going with this?” Well, let’s try this on for a moment. I follow quite a few people on social media and will get notifications that they have posted. There are times I will check out the post but for the most part I glance at the notice and then move along. There are items I post on social media and I do not expect those who follow on social media to read and respond but am humbled when I get a note back. On the flip side, I do know quite a few people who truly believe if they hashtag a famous person, that person will stop what they are doing and read it thoroughly. One person said they were going to text a politician and tell them exactly what they thought of him and I asked “do you have any type of relationship with that politician?” Response, “well, no but I follow him on twitter”. There is something truly wrong with this thinking.

Now, let us consider this; God friended me. I can hashtag, tag, direct contact anyone on social media but, unless I have a solid relationship with the person, chances are I am simply virtual static. In God, every query we have, every hashtag we lay down with Him is heard and He will respond. The second we call out “Lord, do you hear me?”, His response is “Of course, my child”.  This is more than we can expect from our “friends” on social media. God does listen to each and everyone one of our queries, requests and praises and He is well pleased to know we are thinking of Him. This is a relationship that goes far beyond the “like” button on social media. Maybe this is the link to this Sunday’s sermon from John 16:23-24.

“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

There is not a single person on social media that can give you what He has prepared and I know for a fact there is not a single person on your friends list that listens to every word, every thought and will respond as you are in need of. He is Father, Creator and Saviour. His promise is forever.

We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person (we are limited to numbers inside the building) or online. Should you wish to join us online, click on either link below to join us live:

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

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

See you all Sunday.

Blessings

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca

 

Peter's Picks

 

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks 

‘Your Source of Real Joy’ 

Day 1: Habakkuk 3:17-19 – “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” 

Day 2: Romans 15:13 – “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Day 3: Acts 2:28 – “You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.” 

Day 4: Psalm 16:11 – “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” 

Day 5: Psalm 63:6, 7 – “I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.” 

Day 6: Psalm 70:4 – “But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, ‘God is great!’” 

Day 7: Romans 14:17 – “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” 

** Verses taken from the New Living Translation