Writing in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dennis McCloskey tells of his desire to move to Australia, but was conflicted because he had just met a beautiful lady, who would not leave the country of her birth. When he told her of his decision to go, she replied, “I want you to be happy, if this will make you happy, I think you should go.” At that moment, McCloskey realized she really loved him. Because when you really love someone, you give him or her the freedom to choose. Our Heavenly Father loved the world so much that “He gave His only begotten Son…” and He also loved us so much that He gave us the right to choose,- “that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” We know the invitation is still open, because John was inspired to write that Jesus said, (referring to the door of our lives) Behold, I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” He does not force Himself on anyone. The choice is ours.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Police solve many crimes by the use of the DNA. But The United Kingdom is giving consideration to introducing a universal DNA database. whereby, every person in the UK would be required to give his or her DNA, believing it would help to solve a greater number of crimes. The UK database is already the largest in the world, so some believe it is only a matter of time before the UK implements it. But did you know there already is a universal DNA database? David the Psalmist wrote “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off ….there is not a word on my tongue but …Lord, you know it altogether.” So God’s DNA database includes our actions, thoughts and speech. And since “…each one of us shall give account of himself, (or herself) to God,” how does one prepare? Thankfully, a Lawyer is ready to represent us. John wrote, “…we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A man noticed a boy and a dog, so he walked over to them and asked the boy, “does your dog bite?” No, my dog doesn’t bite ” the boy replied. But when the man tried to pat the dog, the dog bit him. Pulling his hand back he said, “You told me your dog doesn’t bite! The boy replied “this isn’t my dog.” This illustrates the importance of getting the facts right. And the most important area of life where we need to get the facts correct is in regards to the next life. Many are unaware that we can know, here and now that we have eternal life. John wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” Many have difficulty with this truth because they think they have to earn their way into heaven , by living a good life, and work to please God in everything. But the Bible makes it clear that is is “not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Teddy Bacon was shocked as he saw his watch slip into the water and disappear off Gibraltar in 1941,while throwing a line from HMS Repulse to the shore. In 2007, workers dredging the harbor where he lost his watch, discovered it amid masses of silt. And because Bacon also left an entry in the harbormaster’s log book with a description of the watch in 1941, workers knew who to send it to. Bacon said, “Now I wear it every day and it keeps perfect time, even after all those years in the water….it is absolutely excellent and I consider it a long lost friend.” It’s always exciting to find a long lost possession. Dr. Luke, in his gospel tells of a shepherd who left his flock of 99 sheep to search for one sheep that was lost. That story points out the loving persistence of Jesus, the Chief Shepherd Who came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” and Who said, “I am the good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” How good to know that He is still looking for lost sheep.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Recently a middle aged man, now living in Western Canada called me. He has been a friend, since his youth, and shared his finding of a woman about his age with whom he would like to spend the rest of his life. Apparently she shares his feelings. He told me that they were “Twin Flames.” The expression refers to a concept describing a special connection between two souls. It reminded me of a newspaper advice columnist, who printed various letters from people who had found their partners after years of singleness. The columnist’s conclusion was “It’s never too late to find one who truly loves you.” The greatest love story ever told is found in the gospel of John, where we read, “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.” And the wonder of it all is that He came to seek lonely people who need love. Dr. Luke, in his gospel explained, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A letter from a woman to a newspaper advice column described serious indiscretions during her college days involving incriminating pictures of her. Although now happily married, and having revealed these secrets to her husband, she worried that with today’s technology, the pictures could be anywhere. She ended with a plea to warn young people to think before doing something that could follow them throughout their lifetime. This woman’s honesty and warning may be helpful. Thankfully, when we admit our wrong-doing and then confess to the Lord, while there may be unpleasant implications from our actions, the Lord has promised forgiveness. King David revealed God’s merciful response to his moral failures, writing, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgression to the Lord and you forgave…my sin.” And today, anyone troubled by past or present indiscretions can turn to the good Lord, and receive forgiveness.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Moses, a 1500 pound camel was in trouble. The animal had fallen into a deep sinkhole about 8 feet deep. So its Oregon city owners called in the firefighters, who had to carefully shovel mud for several hours to free the animal. The concern was that Moses would break his legs if he tried to free himself while still partially buried. But Moses was patient and eventually the firefighters got him out unhurt. In a way, that camel is a good picture of all of us. We need outside help from the Lord to get out of the sinkhole of wrong-doing, and its power in our lives. We can’t dig ourselves out The Psalmist, referring to man’s spiritual condition, wrote, “He … brought me up out of a horrible pit,Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. “ And it is when we recognize that we cannot help ourselves, need outside help, we can cry out to the Lord for help, because as Paul reminds us, “when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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When the 2015 Federal Election has been decided, those who did not win, Harper, Mulcair or Trudeau will reflect on what they could have done differently. When the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, lost his majority in the 1972 election, he said, “no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” His quote was from Desiderata, a poem-sermon written in 1917 by Max Ehrman of Indiana. who went on to say, “It is a still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.” The sentimental essay sounds good but it really offers no way to be happy. In contrast, the Word of God, the Bible explains life realistically. It says, in effect, “Mankind is on a path to destruction, but God has done something about it. He gave His Son as a Substitute for us at Calvary. “Christ died for our sins.” Later Jesus said, “ I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Yes, God is in control, and no doubt the universe is unfolding just as He planned.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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When the 24th annual Augusta Armory Antiques Show was held in Augusta Maine earlier this year, it drew a strong turnout from people interested in searching for old treasures. The Show included 42 exhibitors. There is no doubt about it, nostalgia is very profitable, whether it is antique shows or garage and yard sales. Folks can’t seem to get enough, as they look into the past and try to re-live again some of those days when they were a lot younger. While we may not be able to re-live, it is possible to live again. The Bible tells us that we can have our present wiped out and have it replaced by something brand new. Jesus called it the new birth. And Paul the Apostle put it this way, ”If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become new..” That’s what the Saviour meant when He said, “You must be born again.” The key to this new life, this living again, is being “in Christ.” That happens when we sincerely invite Him into our lives.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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40 people lost their lives last month- suffocating in the hold of a smuggler’s ship. At least 2,100 migrants died at sea this year, trying to escape from war, persecution and poverty. These 40 or so, were poor people from Libya unable to pay for passage anywhere but in the hold of the ship. Those who could afford, it and travelled on the upper deck levels, survived and were rescued. In other words, the difference was the ability, or inability to pay for a new home, a new life. Thankfully, it is not that way in regards to who goes to heaven, and who does not. Our money or lack of it has nothing to do with it. As a matter of fact, nobody can buy his or her way into heaven. Because we are all lacking in righteousness. As Paul wrote, “there is none righteous, no not one.” But the good news is that Someone who could pay, became our Benefactor. When Christ died for us, God the Father “…made Him, ” who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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