As we move into the New Year, many make resolutions. Time magazine gave a list of top commonly broken ones; lose weight, quit smoking, eat a healthier diet, get out of debt, drink less alcohol and so on. But only around 8% who make resolutions keep them. So, it is tempting to just stop making any more resolutions. It was Paul the Apostle who wrote “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” However, before this can happen, we must first have God in our lives, in the person of Christ. Paul explained, saying, “If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” With Him in control in our lives, we will be able to keep our well thought out reasonable resolutions.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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It is 2019. As with each year, significant events will take place, some anticipated, others surprises. For example, on March 29th the United Kingdom’s membership in the European Union will cease. Gibraltar will also leave. This will have a major impact on the world as we now know it. We all face scheduled and unscheduled events, many over which we have little or no control. At such a time Christians put themselves into the hands of the God of the Bible. He reminds us that “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” And the Psalmist reminds us, who are in a personal relationship with God through Christ, “My times are in Your hands.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Vanessa, a young woman, wrote the following to a newspaper. “…of all the holidays that I celebrate, New Year’s Eve is perhaps the most important to me. A new year marks a new beginning, the opportunity to start all over again…”” No doubt Vanessa’s thoughts capture those of many of us. And it’s not only true about a new year, but also the possibility of starting a new life. Paul described what takes place when we recognize our need of change in our lives and invite Christ to start us on the road to a beautiful life. He wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” In this new year, 2019, a new life is waiting for all. There’s no better time than now to receive it.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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On Boxing Day, the gifts have been opened and enjoyed. One Christmas, when I was a young boy, my parents surprised me with a new hockey stick. Until then I had only hand me downs. I thought it was best gift I would ever receive. I was wrong. At the age of 17, I was given a better gift. The principal of my high school told me that becoming a Christian isn’t the result of going to church or being baptized, as I had believed. He said it is by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I knew I was not good. But my principal explained that we don’t become God’s children” by works of righteousness that we have done,” but that” The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I was given that greatest gift of all, eternal life.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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John Richard Jepson served in the Ambulance Corp of the British army in the first world War. His daughter, Sylvia, now lives near Delta B.C. She told me that her father was present on a battlefield in Ypres, Belgium on Christmas Eve in 1914. As darkness fell, some German troops sang Christmas carols. The British soldiers applauded and called out greetings.The next day, Christmas, all firing stopped for a while. German, French and British troops met to shake hands and share food. It became known as “the Christmas truce.” Jesus still offers Himself to all as “The Prince of Peace.” At Calvary, Jesus made peace possible between a Holy God and sinful man. Now all of us can receive the greatest gift ever offered- “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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It is Christmas Eve 2018. Sadly, great efforts are being made by some these days to take Christ, the reason for Christmas, out of Christmas. Many schools no longer mention the Bethlehem Baby. The old Christmas carols are seldom, if ever, sung in public places; and the greeting “Merry Christmas” is often replaced with “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings. But the truth of Christmas can never be erased. It is still as much needed today as it ever was, because we are just as much in need of a Saviour as people were then… we are still sinners. The Bible states, “There is none righteous, no not one.” Matthew, in his gospel wrote, “And she (Mary) shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” I hope you have a Christ centered, Merry Christmas.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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I recently read of a father who was having difficulty getting his adult son and daughter to come home for a visit, so he called and told them that he and their mother were considering getting divorced after 45 years of marriage. Shocked, the siblings asked him to promise not to do anything until they got home. Hanging up the phone, the father said to his wife with a smile- “Honey, the kids will be home for Christmas and they’re paying their own way.” This story, whether real or fictitious, reminded me that our Heavenly Father also wants us to come home to Him. But unlike this tale, where the children pay their own way home, we can’t pay our way back to God. Our Heavenly Father has paid for us to come Home. The Bible says, “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A young refugee child was being shown the wonders of a large toy store by his foster parents. At first his eyes grew wide with wonder, but then an expression of disappointment clouded his face, and he burst out, “But where is the Child?” Somewhere in his past he had learned, “Unto you is born this day…a Saviour Who is Christ the Lord,” and that it is His birthday we celebrate at Christmas. Then, a discerning store official had a Christmas crib with an image of the baby Jesus set up in a prominent place in the store. Seeing it, the little boy smiled with delight. Unknowingly he had taught a lesson on the real meaning of Christmas. “Jesus is the reason for the season.” This Christmas, let’s remember that He is the “indescribable gift.” Will He be in your Christmas this year?

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Author Max Lucado, in his book “Outlive Your Life” tells the amusing story of his three-year-old nephew Lawson, who wanted to play some basketball. The basketball was too large and the basket too high. So Lucado lowered the basket and held Lawson high enough so he could roll the ball over the rim. Then the little fellow in his excitement, held his hands high and shouted, “All by myself. All by myself.” It was a bit of an overstatement, but he acted like so many of us. God gave us this beautiful world, air to breathe, food to eat, a brain to think and best of all, He provided, the way to heaven. Jesus once said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, but we, in our self-righteousness shout, “All by myself. All by myself.” Jesus added, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” We need Him.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Chicken Soup for the Soul has a story of a young girl’s concept of love, of meeting the man of her dreams, marriage and the birth of their children. It described how her concept of love changed with the passing of years. She later said, “suddenly forever seems like a perfect amount of time to spend with someone I couldn’t imagine living without.” She is correct, but the most perfect love anyone can know is God’s love for us, and ours for Him. Since we are all on the way to forever, wise people will accept God’s loving offer of mercy and forgiveness and spend forever with Him. John described this relationship with these words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” With Whom are you going to live forever?

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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