An old Dutch fable tells of a spider who spun a single thread of web from the high roof of a barn to a lower level. There he spun a web, caught flies, lived well and grew fat. One day, he decide that the thread was useless, so he snapped it. But the web collapsed the spider fell to the ground and was stepped on and crushed Jesus told a parable with a similar truth. He told of a prosperous rich man who thought only of this life, saying, “I will say of my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease: eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided.” Then Jesus added, ‘So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Is a word to the wise sufficient?

Pastor Alex Rockwell

In many cities across the land, offices have no seats. Workers stand up to do their work. Sitting is being described as unhealthy by medical professionals, who point out the perils of a sedentary lifestyle. According to the Mayo Clinic, 50-70% of Americans spend six or more hours a day sitting. If this could be cut in half, two years could be added to the life span. There is a definite relationship between sitting and thinking. Busy as we are, there is need to be still and think. The Bible, says it well-“be still and know that I am God.” In other words, God, our Creator wants us to stop in our busy lives and think about the most important part of our lives- our relationship with God our maker. When we do, enlightened by His Word, the Bible we will see ourselves as He sees us, be drawn to a recognition of our true spiritual needs (“all have sinned”) and to inviting His Son into our lives.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Now that the pleasant summer days are here, most of us ha e forgotten the harsh winter past that some have called, “The winter that never ended.” But God gives each season just as He gives the seasons of life, childhood, youth, adulthood, old age. Time passes quickly and no one can know for sure how much time we have left on this earth. But we can be sure of one thing. God reassures of His love and extends an invitation to all who will listen. The famous John 3:16 passage says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” When we acknowledge our wrong-doing, ask God’s forgiveness and accept His gift of eternal life, we can say with confidence, “My times are in your hands.” Corrie Ten Boom reminds us “Never be afraid to trust and unknown future to a known God.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

C.S. Lewis taught at Oxford University and became a renowned apologist writer, using logic and philosophy to support the tenets of his Christian faith. He is also the author of The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series, which have been adapted into various films for the big and small screens. Lewis once wrote, “though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” In a world of constant change in the economy, the family, the lifestyle and where we never know what is around the corner, it is very encouraging to be reminded that we have One who never changes. He said, “I am the Lord, I change not.” And of our Savior, we read, “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and today and forever.” We can only be connected to that unchanging Father through the Son who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Last month, for 30 hours, police searched for the killer of three Mounties in Moncton NB. Then, abruptly they caught the alleged killer, using an aircraft rigged with sophisticated surveillance equipment. When the MX-15 is used, anything with a heat signature, such as a human being, registers as a bright white. This amazing technology pictures the way our Creator sees us, everywhere. Adam and Eve, our first parents, tried to hide from God when they disobeyed and sinned against Him. He found them. But God does not only see wrong-doers. He also watches over us to protect and comfort us. We read in the book of Chronicles, “… the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Those who have Christ in the life and walk with Him have nothing to fear from God’s surveillance.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A person with whom I am well acquainted came to a stop sign. He looked both ways and then made what the policeman who stopped him called a “rolling stop”. However, that is not a real stop, so he paid a fine. That man now comes to a complete stop at every stop sign. I have since seen many drivers do the same. Slow down, and sometimes not even look both ways and drive through the stop sign or red light. But as irritated as stop signs can be when we are in a hurry, it’s still the law. And we should not ignore the stop signs of life by trying to pretend they don’t exist. Unfortunately many ignore them because they think they have a better idea. But God’s Word still says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” In the end, it’s smarter to obey God’s Word than to live by our own rules

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The EU and the US have accused Russia of violating international law by intervening in Crimea. In an article titled “list of treaties, the Wikipedia Internet Research Source cites all the treaties and agreement formalized between nations and groups from 1283 up through 1209. The article compares this long list of agreements with a list of wars, arguments and broken treaties, and it calls into question the usefulness of human agreements when most of them have been broken. But how wonderful to realize that while mankind generally speaking cannot be trusted, God can. He always keeps His Word. You and I can trust Him and the greatest area of trust is in regards to our eternal destiny. He has said, “whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” When we acknowledge our spiritual needs and invited Christ into our lives, He keeps His Word.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Should technology enforce morality? “How would private behavior change if we felt that the world could hear every wicked thought? That was Elizabeth Renzetti’s question in a recent Globe and Mail article..” It might surprise some to know that is it is not primarily our bad behavior that keep us from pleasing God? It is our it’s unbelief and failure to accept Jesus as our Savior. None of us could ever be good enough to earn our way to heaven anyway. Faith, (believing that God can and will do whatever His Word promises) is the main event with God. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us, “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is ..” And Paul reminds us, that “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” While it is true that faith, without works is dead, works are the outward results of a faith within the heart.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

When archaeologists discovered a statue in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, they were very excited, because it was believed to be a statue of Jesus Christ, the first of its kind to be discovered in the area. Many would like to know what Christ looked like. But the Bible does not tell us very much. It does, however, tell us what He is like. Several verses reveal much about Him. Here are a few: Matthew’s gospel tells us that Jesus is “…gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Isaiah wrote in the Old Testament before Jesus came to earth with the following words- “He has no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him…a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Let’s not be so concerned about what Christ looks like physically, but with what He is like. If we invite Him into our loves, one day we will see Him in all His glory.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Recently I read about a tender hearted little boy seen crying near the corner of a busy highway. A kindly passerby stopped to inquire. The boy pointed to a turtle in the middle of the road. Waiting for a break in the traffic, the man rescued the turtle and returned it to the little boy, thinking it was his pet. But the little guy shook his head. “Please put him down by the river. He lives there.” He had shed tears of compassion because a small creature was in danger. In that he illustrates our Savior. Once when Jesus, looked on a large crowd of sick people who needed help, Matthew wrote, “…when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” That’s How Jesus sees us when our hearts are broken and when we are overwhelmed. If we reach out-He embraces us with His love and compassion.

Pastor Alex Rockwell