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Many, many years ago, I remember singing a song called “He’s Got The Whole World, In His Hands”. This song could go on forever and ever because you could add anything to the song and sing about it. He’s got the itty-bitty possum, in His hands, He’s got the great flying squirrel, in His hands, He’s got the ring-tailed mongoose, in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands. We used to have fun seeing what we could include in the song and, yes, it would get ridiculous after a while. I am sure we drove the Sunday School teacher right round the bend, it was a great time of laughing and playing while we were getting a wonderful truth. The truth behind it all is that God does have the whole world in His hands. Even though there are so many atrocities in our world today and it all seems to be heading in a very destructive direction, we can rest assured that He’s got this. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT God is the One over all things, that is, His creation, the wholeness of the seen and unseen universe (we have no clue how far the universe extends) and the realm of Heaven and earth just to name a few. If you think that He does not have time to look after some of your issues or problems because they are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, think again. Our Father in Heaven knows every hair on your head and cares deeply for our lives. There is not one person in this creation who fully understands the absolute fullness of God. There are some who will try to place Him in a box but, truth be told, we have no clue at all. His love for us is absolutely perfect to the point that we don’t even have a word that can properly describe the depth of this love. When we suffer, the Son cries with us and the Holy Spirit brings comfort and strength. We are perfectly cared for by Elohim, the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He truly has this all under control and there should be a perfect peace and a hope knowing that fact. This Sunday, we are excited to welcome Rev Glenn Reeder. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘God is…' Day 1: Exodus 3:13, 14 - YAHWEH - I am – “But Moses protested, ‘If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,” they will ask me, “What is his name?” Then what should I tell them?’ God replied to Moses, ‘I am who i am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.’” Day 2: Exodus 15:26 - RAPHA - Healer – “He said, ‘If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.’” Day 3: Genesis 17:7 - ELOHIM - Creator – “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Day 4: Genesis 17:1 - EL SHADDAI - God Almighty – “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El-Shaddai - God Almighty. Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.’” Day 5: Genesis 22:14 - JIREH - Provider – “Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’" [side note:The term Jehovah-Jireh is more appropriately transliterated Yahweh-Yireh]. Day 6: John 10:11 - JEHOVAH ROHI - Shepherd – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” Day 7: Judges 6:24 - SHALOM - Our Peace – “And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means ‘the Lord is peace’). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘God All Over Me' Day 1: John 8:12 - Surrounded by the light of God – “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’” Day 2: Deuteronomy 7:9 - The love of God enfolds me – “Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” Day 3: 2 Thessalonians 3:3 - The power of God protects me – “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” Day 4: Psalm 37:23, 24 - The mind of God guides me – “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Day 5: Ephesians 2:10 - God flows through me – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Day 6: Romans 15:13 - The joy of God lifts me – “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 7: Exodus 15:2 - The strength of God renews me – “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him - my father’s God, and I will exalt him!” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

During the course of any given week, our brain has the capability of processing more thoughts than we can humanly count. The number would be so abstract to us that we could not comprehend its’ true value. Yet, through all of this, God makes a way into our minds in a manner that even our super highway brain can block the world out in order to give Him freedom to reign. He has the power, by a quiet gentle voice to silence the static. He can block the evil one from taking up residence by laying His plan out for your day. Satan cannot. If you are in a medical crisis, and feel as though no one cares, He does. By the simple whisper of His name, Jesus, He is there. In your sleep and wake time, His hands are holding you. Through the pain of the loss of a friend or loved one, He is there. In the midst of a family crisis, He sends others to surround you in support and prayer. This is known as His army of prayer warriors. After a major surgery, and in the private discomfort of the body’s healing, His assurance is there as He whispers, my child, I made you, and I will heal you. You may ask how I am so sure of this. Well, first of all, I believe and I receive. I have seen all of these things in person. All of us will go through times where we simply cry out and ask God, why, or when will my turn for release come? I have learned that God never has, and never will, turn His back on us. When we have accepted Him in our hearts, we have then taken up residence in His court. We can ask anything. We can even question anything. When we doubt Him, He forgives, when we pull away, He waits, yet when we run to Him in all things, He lifts us up. If we read Psalm 73, let it be the cry of our heart to God when we see His faithfulness to our lives. Let this time in your life be one of newness in Him. He carries our children, our parents, our friends, and our future. Allow this year to be the one that finds you letting your guard down, in order to let Him into the rest of your life. He does have a wonderful plan for you and me. Let’s let Him roll it out for us. Mike Shindruk

" FATHER GOD SAYS" 1. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE- JER. 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 2. YOU ARE LOVED- ROM. 5:8, But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 3. YOU ARE CHOSEN- 1PET. 2:9, But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 4. YOU ARE REDEEMED- EPH. 1:7, He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 5. YOU ARE FAVORED-PS. 5:12, For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. 6. YOU ARE BLESSED- PS. 146: 5, But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. 7. YOU ARE HEALED- 1 PET. 2:24. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Welcome, blessed is the one who comes. Shalom aleichem, peace be with you. Aleichem shalom, peace upon you as well. Here is the question, if you walked into work and were met with this type of a welcome, would your day be looking up? How about Shlam'alokhon -- Peace be upon you in Aramaic. So many ways to welcome, some heartfelt, some are rather sterile. I recently walked into an establishment where the greeter was saying hello to everyone in the exact same way. “Hi there, how are you doing, that’s great.” The person ahead of me said “not so good, feeling a little under the weather” and the response was “that’s great, welcome to the store.” I am wondering if it ever did hit the greeter what the customer had said. There are so many things out there we are just conditioned to say or respond. There are times when those we come into contact with would like to have a chat about how things are going but the other person is simply going through the motions and secretly hope no one will talk to them. I watched as a staff member walked down another aisle in order to avoid a customer. There are times when we all need to have that bit of space or want to avoid any personal interactions but when it becomes the norm, maybe it is time to take a step back, review, refocus and refresh. As life closes in and we start to disconnect from relationships, the trend is to build up walls, hide the pain and wear a mask of false smiles. As the world becomes more weary, it truly starts to feel like we are all alone, fighting against the current and in fear of getting sucked down the drain. Turn to the Lord, for He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Another way to say that, welcome all of you who are absolutely spent, let Me bring you relief from all that burdens you. There is something about a heartfelt Baruch Haba B’shem Adonai. When the Saviour calls out and says “take a break, review the things in life that are important, refocus your priorities and refresh in the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit”, are you willing to take on the challenge of letting go the pressures of the world and welcome in the Lord for a time of prayer and communion? Life is too short to spend looking at the walls of the box we have put up to insulate ourselves from the world. Shalom aleichem, peace be with you, His peace bring you comfort and joy. Call upon the Messiah and welcome Him into your life. Baruch Haba B'shem ADONAI - -- blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! This Sunday, we finish up the series on welcoming. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

A few years ago, I was at an event where numerous friends had gathered to celebrate the return of a cohort from an injury. He had been involved in a car accident which nearly cost his life. You see John (not his real name) was at a party and had consumed a great deal of alcohol and, as the night came to a close, he tried to find the keys to his car, but a friend had hidden the keys knowing he would try to drive home. They had lost track of John and assumed that he took a cab or walked but that was not the case. John got into the car with another party goer. To make a long story short, they got into an accident and the driver, Steve (not his real name), came out unscathed while John ended up battling for his life with head injuries and multiple broken bones. It took almost a year of rehab for John to recover enough to go back to work and while the scars on his face would still require further surgeries the emotional pain would always be there. Steve: he disappeared and no one really knew what happened to him. The old crew got back together again to celebrate John’s return to work. The party started off well (no alcohol was consumed) and was completely relaxed and jovial until Steve walked in the door. Many there were thinking what one of the lads shouted “what are you doing here?” You see, the group had blamed Steve for almost killing John and then when he just disappeared, they were really upset. From the back of the room we heard John holler for us to pipe down and asked us to lay off Steve. You see, Steve was arrested on the scene which none of us knew, he confessed to his mistake, did his time, and went into a recovery program immediately upon his release. What none of us knew was that Steve not only realized what he had done but he also reached out to John every day he was in jail and every day he was in recovery. Steve had, on the night of the accident, pleaded with God to spare his friend and when he found out John was expected to live, Steve dedicated his life to Jesus. John, already a man of faith, forgave Steve and their friendship grew over the year. You see, John held firm to the message in the Book of Romans. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26 NLT John took the time to explain to us that Steve had seen the error of his ways, asked forgiveness, and was forgiven. He built the relationship with John and together, they both healed over time. John could have held Steve’s transgression over his head, but he chose to release John from the bond of his error and John asked the group to let go of their anger towards Steve as well. Holding the past over someone’s head not only hurts the other person but is an anchor that holds us from fully appreciating the freedom of the good life. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. This Sunday, we will examine the gift of forgiveness and what it means to welcome the grace of God. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘Father God Says…' Day 1: Jeremiah 29:11 - You have a purpose – “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Day 2: Romans 5:8 - You are loved – “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Day 3: 1 Peter 2:9 - You are chosen – “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Day 4: Ephesians 1:7 - You are redeemed – “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Day 5: Psalm 5:12 - You are favored – “For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.” Day 6: Psalm 146:5 - You are blessed – “But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” Day 7: 1 Peter 2:24 - You are healed – “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘You Were Created to…’ Day 1: Colossians 3:12 - Show the heart of God – “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Day 2: 1 Corinthians 10:31 - To live for God – “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Day 3: 1 Peter 2:9 - Proclaim God – “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Day 4: Ephesians 2:10 - Do good – “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Day 5: Micah 6:8 - Enjoy life in God – “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Day 6: Psalm 103:1-4 - Be thankful – “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.” Day 7: Ecclesiastics 12:13 - Obey God – “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation

A few weeks ago, I was doing some work on a project and slipped as I was getting into the truck. I smacked my elbow and shoulder into the door, hit my knees on the metal running board and got all twisted up trying to stop from hitting the ground too hard. I should have just went straight down but, no, I had to try to save myself. One the way home, I kept berating myself for such a dumb mistake and then there was the constant reminder every time I put my elbow on the arm rest or knelt down. There are still moments when I think “if I had only watched my step, this would not have happened” or “if I could go back and do it again, I would not have had those items in my arms and I could have caught myself”. How many things are there in your life that you wish you could get a mulligan for? I would still have all my teeth because I would not have been in the situations where I could lose them. My choice of occupation would have been far different had I listened to my Grandma when I was a child. I would still be in my then new Cavalier rather than the ol’ busted car I replaced it with after the accident. After these incidents and accidents, there was a moment when the thought “if I could just get a do-over, things would be so much better.” So many people will, on New Year’s Eve, make a promise to do better, to resolve to be nicer to others, get in better shape, to turn over a new leaf, a new beginning. Now, there is nothing wrong with making New Year Resolutions but let’s face it, many do get broken before the month of January even closes out. There is, however, something we can resolve to do that would have a long-lasting even eternal affect on our lives. A week before New Year’s Day, we celebrate the birth of the Great Redeemer, the Savior of us all. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:12-14 This is the promise of a new beginning with an eternal consequence, and I mean that in the most positive way. When we make the conscious decision to acknowledge our brokenness, to believe the power of Christ and to confess our sins to Him, that is the moment of a wonderful new beginning. A friend of mine only came into the church when there was a lunch going on and never came in for the service. He later told me that he did not feel clean enough to be in the service and we helped him to realize that this faith family wanted only to love on him and include him in the family. At some point in time, something clicked for him and he realized that his place was with the family and from that moment he rarely missed a service until the day of his passing to glory. His new start was not by the hand of man but the power of the Spirit in his life. He is with our Savour and one day we will be reunited but until that day, I, for one, celebrate new beginnings and new opportunities. This Sunday, January 1, will celebrate New Starts. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

We have, as a modern western culture, moved so far away from so many great traditions that could, in my opinion, change the way people view and treat each other. Many cultures still have the holy kiss, also known as the brother or sister kiss which signified a desire for there to be a peace and a blessing upon those you meet. Combine this with the traditional greeting of Shalom aleichem – peace be upon you, and the response, aleichem shalom – unto you, peace and it becomes a very personal and intimate greeting of hearts. There is still that type of a greeting, sort of, in our culture but it is guarded at times and was interrupted by the pandemic where people were fearful to come into contact with one another. Relationships and our mental health took a terrible hit with the latter. Greetings are a very complicated thing in western culture. For example, there are rules for the pastoral hug, one arm only and side on. There is also the wave – we just met usually from a distance, the handshake – formal and non-binding on first meeting, the awkward handshake to fist pump – this is where one anticipates and yet is mistaken and, well, it’s complicated. Upon researching this topic, there are hundreds of different styles of handshakes with just as many meanings but the one I like the best is sometimes called the hand hug or the arm wrestle grasp. This is the one where each come together, grasp each others hand firmly and pull the other into their personal space for an embrace. This is usually reserved for the closest most trusted friends and family. This is, in my opinion, the modern day version of shalom aleichem. Where am I going with this? Well, I could go on for pages defining just handshakes and embraces but I want us to consider the most personal of spaces and how we approach the welcoming. I know that not all are comfortable with being so open and vulnerable to greet another with a hand hug embrace at the door of their house or even the church. It is understandable that some are uncomfortable with this but the question is this; do we embrace those who come into the church, the gathering of Christ followers, with the same exuberance that Jesus welcomes us? There are so many out there who fear coming into the circle of faith, into the church, for fear of judgement or retribution yet we were given an example of the pureness of His embrace in Luke 15:20. So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The son was fearful of judgement and retribution yet the father sat there watching for his return and when it happened he may have shouted “Baruch haba leveytnu: blessed is the one who comes to our home”. We put up fences to guard our property and keep our families safe, we have attached garages so we can get into our homes without fear, cameras stand sentinel to dissuade trespassers and our property is chained down or locked in sheds so it does not go missing. There is enough fear out there that vulnerability is shielded by distrust and guarded with emotional walls. Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Here is the challenge for us all; on the door of the church, at the entrance to our homes, in our hearts is there a sign that says “Baruch haba leveytnu: blessed is the one who comes to our home”. This Sunday, January 8, will celebrate New Welcomings. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Facebook Live - Main Ave Fellowship YouTube Live – You Tube We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. .www.mainavefellowship.ca Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”

The Perfect 7-day Diet – Peter’s Picks ‘Truth - Why We Need a Saviour’ Day 1: Romans 5:12 – “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Day 2: Isaiah 64;6 – “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” Day 3: Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Day 4: Romans 3:23 – “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Day 5: Romans 3:10-12 – “As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous - not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.’” Day 6: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Day 7: Romans 5:20 – “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.” ** Verses taken from the New Living Translation