It is believed to be the oldest message in a bottle ever found, having been tossed into the sea between 1904 and 1906. It was discovered washed up on a beach in the North Sea Island of Amrum in Germany. It was part of a study about sea currents. Very interesting! There’s another old message, not in a bottle but in a book. The Bible still bears a relevant message for today’s world- a message of love. John, in his letter to early believers wrote, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Sadly, though that message has been around for centuries, many have never “discovered” it, and are totally unaware that its message is “ living and powerful” and able to transform lives. Please read your Bible It can change your life!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A house keeper for Days Inn wanted to be a “good role model” for her kids, when she returned $4,700 which she found in one of the rooms she was cleaning. She quickly returned the purse to the front desk. When the owner was located, she received “a nice little reward.” But she also gained the respect of her fellow employees, her family and a clear conscience. Wise Solomon, in the Book of Proverbs wrote, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of the heart.” That refers to our conscience given to us all, by our Maker. Face it! We know right from wrong, but often choose the wrong way, because we all have a sinful nature. Dr. Luke in the Book of Acts in the New Testament exhorts us, “Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” That’s possible because, as Peter wrote, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Apparently even the “millenials” (those born between 1980 and 2000) don’t think much of their own generation. According to a poll by Pew Research Center, they scored themselves as follows: 49%- wasteful, 43% greedy, 59% self absorbed. On the plus side, they described themselves as environmentally conscious and idealistic. Socrates said, “Know thyself,” so it a start to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. But it’s even more important to know how we rate on God’s scoreboard, which, among other interesting facts says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and “There is none righteous, no not one.” Although God’s assessment of us, is totally accurate, He wants us to know that He “loves us with an everlasting love.” and gave His one and only Son, the Lord Jesus, so that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”What a tremendous offer!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Wellness is prized these days and a healthy lifestyle is considered a virtue. But Stockholm Business School Professor, Carl Cederstrom says, “we have gone over board and made wellness “an ideology.” He also warns against a “self-righteous attitude” and says “not everyone can live up to the wellness creed.” Interesting! While physical health is important, it is far more important to consider our spiritual health. Timothy wrote, “…bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” And as many cannot live up to the “wellness creed” nobody can live up to God’s standard of righteousness. Paul made this clear, writing, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But thankfully, though we cannot reach heaven on our own, Christ took our place, paid the sin debt we cannot pay. All we need do is humbly ask for forgiveness.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Sierra Leone’s first Ebola survivor, Victoria Yillia, lost 21 of her relatives to that devastating disease. She was hoping that her new born son, Barnabas, would be the beginning of a new family. Sadly, only weeks after his birth, the baby also died. Not many have suffered like this woman. It is good to know that Our Saviour cared for the suffering, and has been described as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” and that “He … carried our sorrows. “ Matthew, in his gospel described the love and concern of our Saviour for the suffering, with the words, “…when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd.” If you are grieving, or have a broken heart today, remember please, that “No one understand like Jesus, He’s a Friend beyond compare. Meet Him at the Throne of Mercy, He is waiting for you there.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Wayne Gretzky really understood hockey. He once said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” And the Bible also makes reference to people with understanding, speaking of “…the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” They understood the times in which they lived. And so should we understand the times in which we live today.

The rapid progress of the world in the last generation has given rise to widespread expectation that civilization, as we know it, is headed for some sort of climax. The world is changing as rapidly in one year as it formerly did in 100 years. The advent of rapid transportation, fearful weapons of mass destruction, the population explosion and the wide spread dissemination of information and radically new ideas, have left the entire world in a state of uncertainty. This has resulted in increased interest in prophecy, and what the Bible says about the return of Christ to earth. One in every 25 verses in the New Testament includes a mention of His return. This world may well witness history’s most dramatic event in the lifetime of some living today. So let’s take a look at three of the startling and surprising events that have taken place or are now taking place before our very eyes.

FIRST- the revival of Israel. This small nation is at the hub of three major continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. Genesis records, “The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, to your descendants I will give this land.” This was in reference to Palestine. For many years Israel as a nation did not exist. Her people were in captivity. During this time, the Old Testament Prophet Amos was inspired to write, “…I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards…they shall also make gardens…” In 1900, not one single Jewish village existed in Palestine. The total population was 25,000.. By 1939 it had grown to 400,000. Then dramatically, on May 14, 1948 a direct fulfillment of prophecy took place when the State of Israel was proclaimed. Today there are more than eight million Jews living in the land, just as God had promised. This is the biggest movement of the nation since the Exodus from Egypt, over 3500 years ago. God’s clock is ticking.

SECOND- The rise of Russia to a place of international power and importance is another factor in the contemporary situation, in which the stage is being set for the final drama at the end of the age. At the end of World War II, Russia was a broken nation with its cities destroyed. Today Russia produces more oil than anyone else on the planet, is the number two oil exporter in the world, produces more natural gas than anyone else and supplies more than 30 percent of Europe’s natural gas needs. (This probably explains why Russia was able to get away with invading the Ukraine with very little European intervention) Why has this happened? To fulfill prophecy. The Book of Ezekiel prophesied that after Israel is back in their own land again, a country to the north will invade her in the last days. Never has Israel been threatened by a country from the north, and Russia is clearly the only country north of Israel capable, or likely to do so, and clearly has never been a friend to Israel God’s clock is ticking.

THIRD-One of the most significant developments of our time affecting everyone of us is the rising power of Eastern countries, such as China, Japan and India. With millions of souls, and a large geographical area, the potential for economic and political development is obvious. Daniel makes reference to this, in the eleventh chapter of his book. He speaks of troubling “news from the east and the north”, and explains that a great army will come from the East and, along with an army from the North, participate in the final war-the battle of Armageddon. God’s clock is ticking.

Dr. Gary Gilley, a brilliant student of prophecy makes reference to these events, saying, “While it may be argued that none of these taken alone proves anything, when the evidences relating to the end of the age are considered together and summed up- the revival of Israel, the rise of Russia and the growing power of the Orient …they contain an impressive list of events and situations which are undoubtedly major signs that the end of the present age may be very near. “

When Christ returns to earth, will He find you ready and expectant? While nobody knows when that will be, the wise will recognize that God’s clock is ticking, and take steps to be prepared. We need to admit that each one of us is a sinner, by nature and by choice, and that we can’t prepare ourselves for the next life. Only by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ can we be ready, Thankfully, when we do, we will find the Saviour waiting with open arms to forgive and welcome us into His family. ”Whosever will may come.” But the choice is ours.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“The claim that cosmetics can bring back youthful skin is largely marketing. Cosmetics can only address surface beauty. I believe you always want to get the truth out there about things.” That is the opinion of Perry Romanowski, a chemist for 17 years in the cosmetic industry. False advertising is rampant today and the advice, “Buyers beware” should be heeded. There is one Who always speaks truth, and that is God. Isaiah in the Old Testament tells us that our Heavenly Father said, “I the Lord speak the truth, I declare what is right. “And the Lord Jesus repeatedly used the phrase, In fact, He made the claim, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” In a world of broken promises, cheating, lying and deception, it is comforting to know that we can depend on our Heavenly Father, and His inspired Word, the Bible. And he has promised to forgive and receive all sincere seekers.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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“I never gaze at the stars without feeling that I am looking into the face of God. I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look into the sky and say, “there is no God.” Those are the words of the famous Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. He was re-stating the biblical truth, that God has revealed Himself in nature. Paul put it as follows- “ Since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…” But God has also revealed Himself through His Son Jesus. It is not for lack of evidence that men and women do not believe, but rather because of an unwillingness to take God at His Word in spite of the evidence available. Jesus once said, “you will not come to me that you might have life.” Abraham Lincoln saw God in the sky above. But He is best be seen in Jesus Christ, Who said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The Canadian Medical Journal says foraging and eating wild mushrooms can result in liver failure and even death and mistaking toxic mushrooms for edible varieties is a common error,. Dr. Adina Weinerman at the Sunnybrook Science Center in Toronto, wrote “Distinguishing safe from harmful mushrooms is a challenge” even for those who study fungi. It’s vital that we know the truth from error in all areas of life. John, in his epistle, warned, “Beloved, do not believer every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, … many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist…” And the major teaching error is that we must earn our way to heaven. But the Bible clearly state that it’s “by grace we are saved through faith, and that not of ourselves.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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On August 6,1945 Captain Robert Lewis was the co-pilot of the bomber which dropped the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. An estimated 200,000 people died in the attacks. Many years later, when Lewis was asked if he remembered his reaction on that fateful day, he remarked: “ I wrote down the words, My God, what have we done?” Last month, a Hiroshima Day memorial was held in Charlottetown. Committee organizer Olivia White said, “The commemoration is … to call attention to the work being done towards a nuclear-war-free world.” These are worthy aspirations, so far not reached. But while man cannot bring peace, God offers personal peace for those who have Christ in their lives. Paul wrote of this, saying “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Christ.” And to believers, he promises , “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding… through Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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