On June 23, 12 boys went exploring in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province with their soccer coach. They ended up trapped deep inside an underground cave when it began to rain heavily, and the cave was filled with water. Since the boys could not swim, unless someone from outside came to help them, they were trapped We now know that help did come, and they were all rescued. What an incredible picture of the spiritual situation of us all. We too are trapped, in our sins. The prophet Isaiah reported, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned everyone to his own way…” Paul the Apostle added, “There is none righteous, no not one.” As with those Thai boys we all need outside help. And as in their case, help is available. Christ, “The son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Millions watched breathlessly last month when 12 boys and their soccer coach, were trapped in an underground cave in Thailand. The rescue was dubbed “Mission Impossible.” But brilliant planning and courageous action by navy Seals resulted in a dramatic rescue. However, as great as this mission impossible was, there is a greater one. The conversion and transformation of millions held captive by powerful chains and debilitating addictions is the greatest mission impossible” ever. Matthew gave us Jesus’ words about the impossibility for some to make it into heaven. Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” We lack the strength to overcome our sin, and captivity to wrong-doing. Paul wrote, “when we were without strength, Christ died for the ungodly.” With God, all things are possible.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Last month, one of the most watched and riveting scenes in the world took place in the Tham Luang cave in Thailand, where12 boys age 11 to 16 and their soccer coach were trapped, then rescued after 18 days. One of their rescuers, a former Thai Seal, Saman Kunan died while assisting. His courageous volunteer act reminds us of another volunteer—Jesus Christ. Speaking of His willingly laying down His life, John was inspired to write, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Saman Kunan played a major role in the saving of 13 lives. Jesus, in dying for our sins, made it possible for all who believe, to be saved eternally. Of Him it was written, “…The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The late Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer has been described as a legendary intellectual, whose columns and commentary shaped Americans for generations. He once wrote brilliantly, “The one thing I do believe is that of all the possible views of God, atheism is the least plausible. The idea that there’s no meaning or purpose or origin… is to me entirely implausible, for reason of physics, apart from faith. Because if you reason back to first causes, and if you’re an atheist, you get to a logical contradiction.” Krauthammer’s words echo those of the Psalmist David, who, describing those who leave God out of their lives, said “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God…the Lord looks down from heaven … to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside…there is none who does good, no, not one.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The speaker at the dedication service of a new church building in Halifax, told the story of a jogger who fell off a cliff and was hanging helplessly from the branch of a tree, in danger of falling. So, he decided to pray for help. ““Lord, you’ve got to help me. I’ll do anything.” To his surprise, a loud voice from above said, “Let go and trust me.” It was a long way down, and the jogger could not get back to the top. He paused, then cried out desperately, “Is there anyone else up there?” Though told in jest, the story illustrates our attempts to negotiate with the Lord on our own terms rather than obeying what God tells us to do. Some hearing God say, “all have sinned,” or “Repent and believe the gospel,” cry out, “Is there anyone else up there?” Let’s beware of creating our own God who tells us only what we want to hear?

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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What is Jesus Like? Archaeologists got excited when they discovered a statue in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra in Jordan. It was believed to be the first statue of Jesus Christ found in that area. Many wonder what the Saviour looked like. Though little is written of His physical appearance, several verses in the Bible, tell us what He is like. In Matthew’s gospel, in Jesus’ own words, we read,” I am gentle and lowly in heart.” Isaiah, in the Old Testament, described Jesus, as follows–“He has no form or comeliness, and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” It’s better to know what Jesus is like than what He looked like. When we humbly acknowledge our spiritual need as sinners, ask His forgiveness and invite Him into our lives, we will know what He is like. Then later, in heaven, we will see Him in all His glory.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer Prize winner, psychiatrist and best-selling author died last month at the age of 68. He once said, “You don’t want to talk in high falutin, ridiculous abstractions that nobody understands. Just make things plain and simple.” Jesus was plain and simple when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Apostle Paul was plain and simple when he said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Author and comedian Mark Twain is believed to have said, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” An honest recognition of what God, in His Word is saying to us should lead us to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please think about that today.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The human eye is truly amazing. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine estimate that the human retina can transmit data at roughly10 million bits per second. It has also been determined that a human eye can open and close 30,000 times a day. Our eyes can flash with indignation, twinkle with mirth, or droop with sadness. But even more amazing are the eyes of the One who made our eyes. The Psalmist asked rhetorically, “He who formed the eye, shall He not see?” Yes, God is all-seeing, all-knowing. Paul the Apostle wrote, “The natural man (the person not properly related to Jesus Christ) receives not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned (or understood).” But our eyes can be opened, the moment we acknowledge our spiritually fallen condition and turn to Christ.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the most important figures in the history of music. In the later years of his life Beethoven spent hours playing a broken, out of tune harpsichord. But Beethoven would play with tears running down his cheeks as though hearing something sublime. In fact, he was, for he was totally deaf. He heard the sound that the instrument should make, not what it did make. Sometimes we may feel like that harpsichord—out of tune and broken. But our heavenly Father sees not only what we are now, He sees what we can become when we put ourselves in His hands. It is then that He can make something beautiful of our lives. Paul wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The cartoon Family Circus has little Dolly running along and saying, “I’m smiling because I’m having a good day…so far.” She speaks for a lot of us, because when our smiles depend on our circumstances, they are frequently subject to sudden change. People say, “Under the circumstances, I’m okay.” Once when King David was in serious trouble, we read, “… David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul…But David found strength in the LORD his God.” Did you know that there is a peace and happiness available to us despite the circumstances when we give our lives to Christ? He said” My peace I give to you, not as the world gives…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The wise person places the uncertain future in God’s hands.

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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