Genealogy is said to be America’s second most popular hobby. It’s big business in Canada too! And The Bible has much to say about the subject. Genesis introduces our first parents, Adam and Eve, but those ancestors disobeyed God, passing on a sinful nature and tendency to wrong-doing to all. Paul wrote “…through one man (Adam) sin entered the world and death by sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” However, into this world came the Lord Jesus, dying for the sins of the world, bringing good news for all. Paul explained “…if by one man’s offense (Adam) death reigned, much more those who receive abundance of grace …will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.” That’s why Jesus said, “Nobody comes to the Father except through Me.” With Him in our lives, God becomes our Father.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Scans and X-rays reveal much. But according to Nebraska ophthalmologist Dr. David Ingvoldstad, an authority on retinal disease, some chronic health problems can be diagnosed by an examination of the retina. These include hardening and narrowing of the arteries, stroke and multiple sclerosis. As God looks over this world, His eye also makes a spiritual diagnosis. We are told “… the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” But until our hearts become loyal to God, the report of His examination of our hearts reveals, that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” The new hearts we all need come as we turn from wrong-doing and receive Christ as personal Saviour.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Oscar Wilde, the Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet, once wrote, “No man is rich enough to buy back his past.” If there’s happiness in our past, we want to relive it. If we have failures and sadness in our past, we want to erase them. Someone has said, “the past is gone– forget it. The present is here- live it. The future is before us–prepare for it.” We can’t forget our past, since it impacts our present. But while we live in the present, we must also realize it’s the time to prepare for the future. And since in God’s eyes, “there is none righteous, no not one” we can’t “buy back our past.” Thankfully God intervened and bought back our past. This happened on Calvary’s cross when “Christ died for our sins” forgiving and erasing our past.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A weasel temporarily immobilized one of the world’s most complex machines, getting into a transformer that helps power the world’s largest atom smasher near Geneva. It set off an electrical outage. A similar incident is mentioned in the book of Song of Solomon. The” Shulamite” woman, who became the bride of King Solomon, warned of little things that can do damage to a relationship. Knowing that small foxes do most of the damage to vineyards, she said, “It is the little foxes that spoil the vines…” Often “little things” spoil things we value. These “little things” such as neglect, selfishness, or unwillingness to forgive another can do serious damage to marriages and families. Watch out for weasels and little foxes.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Many life changing inventions common today were initially rejected. In 1834, about a century ahead of its time, the precursor of the computer was designed. The first fax process was patented in 1843 but fax machines didn’t come into service until 1964. The gospel of Christ, proclaiming God’s plan for forgiveness, and offering the gift of eternal life, became available when Christ died on Calvary’s cross over 2,000 years ago. But while millions of lives have been, and are being transformed by the power of that gospel through the centuries, most people reject it. The offer is still available. It is, “… God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” .

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Decreased sunlight causes the brain to produce less serotonin. This can result in low energy, anxiety and even anti-social behaviour. Some call it “cabin fever”. So medical professionals recommend vitamin D to compensate in winter when we get less sunlight. In the Bible, light is often associated with goodness and darkness with evil, and Jesus is called “the light of the world.” In fact, John, records Jesus saying, “And…the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil… He explains, “… he who does the truth comes to the light…” So when we leave the darkness of wrong-doing, we repent and invite the Light of the world, Jesus, into our lives.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The ground all around it is scorched black. So many are asking how the terrible Fort McMurray fire spared a little wooden memorial cross for Michael Le Clercq, with its framed photo and tiny lights. Young Michael died in a car crash south of Fort McMurray six years ago. That memorial cross still standing brings comfort to his grieving family. Over 2000 years ago, God’s Son was crucified on a wooden cross. Paul wrote of that cross, “Christ died for our sins.” Later he exclaimed, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross…” Though this old world is torn by war, sin and disaster, the cross of Calvary stands secure as a beacon of deliverance to all who call on the Lord. And Jesus still offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who ask for it.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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In ‘Anne of Green Gables’, author Lucy Maud Montgomery writes of young Anne making a mistake while baking a cake. Then, facing stern guardian, Marilla, Anne exclaimed, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” Though fictional, Anne’s words present an important truth- there’s a universal longing to start over. And thank the good Lord, we can start over. That’s because in the New Testament, we learn that “…if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. “That means the past is forgiven, and tomorrow is a new day. Jesus called it being “born again.” And this new start is available to all.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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“God never leaves you alone to suffer through an experience like this.” Those are the words of Caleb Hettinga, a survivor of the deadly crash on the luge bobsled track at Calgary’s Olympic Park on February 6. His face and skull were seriously injured and he lost vision in his right eye. Two of his friends were killed. The eighteen-year-old, an evangelical Christian, credits his deep faith for helping his recovery. He said he felt “peace and hope through this.” God’s care for us all is mentioned in the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, where the Lord promises, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you…” This “peace that surpasses all understanding is for all who humbly admit wrong-doing and invite Jesus into their lives.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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In 2015, Canadians made a decision electing a new government. In 2016 US voters will make a decision on who will be their President. These decisions are having and will have a huge impact on decision makers. We make important decisions daily. Old Testament prophet Ezra wrote of “… Multitudes…in the valley of decision, for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” He spoke of God’s decision regarding the judgment of multitudes of evil doers. But it’s a solemn reminder of the importance of decision making. We are all in a “valley of decision” concerning our relationship with Jesus, God’s Son. A gospel song asks ‘“What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be. Someday your heart will be asking what will He do with me?” .

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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