If you have recently received bad news about your health, your finances or family and friends, I hope the following quote from Helen Steiner Rice will be an encouragement to you. She has written, “No matter how steep the mountain-the Lord is going to climb it with you.” Rice, an American writer of inspirational poetry was once acclaimed as "America’s beloved inspirational poet laureate". Her poems still hold timeless appeal, and in writing that the Lord climbs our steep mountains with us, she is in line with Bible truths, such as Nahum 1:7, where we read, “The Lord is good., a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows them who trust in Him,” and it is supported by Jesus’ promise “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear…”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

C.S. Lewis, famous for the Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia, once wrote, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” This brilliant man, and student of life never wrote anything more appropriate or practical or truthful than these words. What did he mean? Just this- until a person has made his or her peace with God, there can be no real happiness. He is saying until we acknowledge that in us there is “no good thing” (because we are all sinners by nature and by choice) and that we need His forgiveness and presence in our lives, all attempts to find happiness and peace will be in vain. But happily, when we come to that place we experience what Paul wrote to the Romans-“ Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Apart from a proper relationship with Jesus Christ- there is no happiness and peace. “There is no such thing.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

”There is no Ebola” was the cry of young men when they attacked an Ebola quarantine centre, in Monrovia Liberia last month. The 29 patients fled, but later returned to hospital. These mis-guided young men were living in a make believe world, refusing to accept well documented facts about a terrible disease. In that way, they illustrate the make believe world of many today, who say, “there is no original sin.” It is a creation of fanatical, evangelical Christians. They hold that in each one of us there is a divine spark, which, when fanned by education and the right environment, we please God They are well-intentioned, but misguided. The Bible truth that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” is well documented and undeniably real- just as real as the disease called Ebola. But thankfully, there is a cure. Paul wrote, “ God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinner, Christ died for us.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

On November 24, 1971, a man believed today to be Dan Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the airspace between Portland Oregon and Seattle Washington. He extorted a ransom which today would be over a million dollars. After landing and receiving the ransom, he ordered the plane back into the air. Then he parachuted to an uncertain fate. The hijacker has never been captured or positively identified. The action hastened the change of airport security. Airline passengers are now required to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before departure. What this man did effected us all. Two others’ actions changed the world in a far more significant way. Through Adam’s choice,.”… death spread to all men.” But Christ entered the picture. “Through one man’s offense (Adam) judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act (Christ’s) the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Poor Mark Eskelsen, a homeless man, pretended he was a Sheriff, broke into a private home in Beaverton Oregon and helped himself to the hot tub and called 911 from his cell phone. He asked for towels, hot chocolate and a hug. He did not get any of these. Instead, he was arrested. He later admitted he was not the sheriff. He said, “I just need a hug and a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it. Well, Mark did not get what he asked for, he got what he deserved. He was charged with trespassing and improper use of 911. He got justice, not mercy, and I guess that’s the way it has to be in our society. but I’m glad that God’s grace gives us mercy when we sincerely and humbly call out to Him Paul put it this way- “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men”, and Jeremiah adds, “ Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

There is no God. All creation is one gigantic accident. But…why do salmon swim upstream to spawn and die? How do European eels know they should go to Bermuda to breed? Why do the earth and other planets stay in orbit? How come the human pancreas maintains just the right level of sugar in the blood to supply energy? All a series of accidents – right? But if so, somebody who believes in that theory needs to clearly explain these amazing happenings. Or- what about the possibility that the God of the Bible is the Intelligent Designer of all things, and the universe did not create itself. Then examine the amazing evidences for the truthfulness of the Bible, especially fulfillment of prophecy, and we come to a personal relationship with the central Person of the Bible- Jesus Christ. Of Him it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The famed cabinet maker decided to surprise a lifetime friend with a gift, his own work. He searched the world over for the best wood. Then for months, day and night he worked to produce a beautiful table. He finished his masterpiece after hours and hours of hand polishing. Finally, bringing masterpiece to his friend’s home, he is welcomed, and the priceless gift is given. But then, the cabinet maker is shocked and horrified when he sees the friend take a piece of sandpaper and move toward the table. Intervening, the master craftsman Shouts “please stop. There is nothing more to do. It is finished.” And it is just like that regarding our relationship with God. Christ did all the work for our forgiveness and the gift of eternal life by dying at Calvary for us. On that old rugged cross, He cried out “It is finished! We can add nothing to it We have only to receive it. Or as the Bible puts it, “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

"Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." the following words were humorously spoken by the famous Mark Twain suggesting that it’s not a good idea to take your dog to the pearly gates. And although he spoke in jest, there is nevertheless some truth in what he said. Getting into heaven does not come by merit. We are told that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us.” In other words entrance into heaven when this life is over is a favour- not something we earn. Aul wrote, “by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works…” And why is that true? Because you and I are sinners and do not have the ability to make ourselves good enough to enter heaven. As Mark Twain, “ Heaven goes by favor.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“Most people tend to avoid looking ahead to the end of their days.” That’s probably one of the understatements of the year. It was part of a newspaper commentary giving suggestions for making out one’s will. It is a very common habit to put off making important decisions regarding the future. It’s as though we think we will always be young and healthy, and sickness only happens to others. So many say, “why think of tomorrow, just live for today.” But the reality is that there is a tomorrow to prepare for. Am I ready for the next life? Are you? Have we made preparation? If not, I saw good advice on a grave stone in the Annnapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. On that stone the following words were engraved, “prepare to meet thy God.” To do that you and I need to become properly related to God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A national magazine tells the story of a couple who adopted two baby wolves. They took them to their home and for a while the wolves acted like friendly puppies. But when they grew older, they turned on their masters, who barely escaped with their lives. No matter how kind their treatment, or ideal their environment, the wolf nature with which they were born eventually became evident. Similarly, our sinful, Adamic nature with which we are all born, evidences itself in the tendency to do wrong. No amount of education or ideal environment can erase it. We need a new nature, and God promises that in His Word. Paul explained it in a letter to the Corinthians with the words, “If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” Though we do not become sinless, we now have a new nature, and the power of God within to defeat our natural tendency to do wrong.

Pastor Alex Rockwell