John Ruskin was a brilliant writer, patron of the arts and art critic of the Victorian era is said to have had a beautiful stone paperweight. On it was carved a single word – TODAY. Someone has said, “we may learn from the past, anticipate the future, but today is a special gift which will never come again. It is only in today that we have the ability to act. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” And the Psalmist wrote, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Wise counsel for all. So many times we hear of people who suddenly are taken from us, dying some would say, “before their time.” It is so important to be ready for the next life, and the only one who can prepare us for that next life is Jesus, who said, “….I am the way…no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A recent CBC poll asked, “should the word ‘God’ be in Canada’s national anthem?” 86 % said yes. Only 14% said take it out – no. This is surprising in view of the fact that according to the General Social Survey, in 2005, only 21% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported they attended a religious service at least once a week. So 86 % of respondents want the word ‘God’ in the national anthem, but less than 25% of all Canadians even attend church. It is one thing to mouth mental assent to something, quite another to really believe it When comes to one’s relationship to God, it is more serious. Paul spoke of this mental dichotomy, writing “…if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

In 1999,Daniel Miller, a geo morphologist, who studies land formation and the changes that occur, warned that there was a potential for a catastrophic landslide near Arlington Washington. He cautioned about the safety of building houses in the area. Unfortunately, his warning was not heeded and the mudslide in March took many innocent lives. It’s easy to shrug and say, “It can’t happen to me.” This “head in the sand” approach is also often taken about our spiritual welfare. Well it doesn’t change anything by saying, “I don’t believe in that stuff. ” Jeremiah wrote – “I have been watching, declares the Lord. I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen, you did not answer.” Happily, God’s invites all to, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near… return to the Lord, And He will have mercy… He will abundantly pardon.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

It has been said that our ancestors did without sugar until the 13th century, without coal fires until the 14th century, without butter until the 16th century, without coffee, tea an soap until the 17th century, without gas, matches, electricity or automobiles until the 19th century without radio and T.V. until the 20th century. Now our society has as its highest goal, more and more possessions. But money and materialism cannot satisfy the longings of our souls. Jesus asked “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? The Psalmist tells us that God Himself “satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” A gospel song says it beautifully, “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. And only he can change your heart and make you whole. He’ll give you peace you never knew, love and joy and heaven too, for only Jesus can satisfy the soul.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A yellowed letter, written by Violet Collier on November 15, 1919 in the town of Vulcan Alberta, has turned up 94 years later in Australia. Tim Lacey bought an ancient trunk in Balaklava, Australia a few years ago, found the letter, and decided to return it to the writer’s family. The writer’s grandson, Dave Collier, now 70, surprised by the tone of the letter said that the negative comments revealed a very different side to his grandmother. So often uncomplimentary records of past show up, and especially now, in this technological age. But even when skeletons come out of our closets, we can seek God’s forgiveness for past transgressions. The Psalmist wrote, "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. ”And the prophet Micah, reflected that God, "will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." What a promise!

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“Blood, it’s in you to sell: why Canadians give and get blood for free” was the title of a discussion last month in Charlottetown about the history of blood in Canada. It was led by Dr. Sarah Glassford, an assistant professor of history at UPEI. They talked about free blood transfusions available in Canada, while in other countries, blood is sold. The Bible too, has much to say about blood, specifically the blood of Christ. The book of Hebrews affirmed, “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” Paul declared that those who accept Christ’s sacrifice for us, “ have been justified by His blood.” Those who invite Christ into their lives are ” justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Free life-giving transfusions in Canada are great. But it’s even greater to have eternal life, given to us freely through Jesus’ blood, shed on Calvary.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Well known author Max Lucado went to a Portland Maine airport to catch a flight to Boston. After checking his bag he got his ticket and went to the gate, past security, took a seat and waited and waited and waited for the flight to be called. Finally, when he inquired, the attendant informed him “You are at the wrong gate Mr. Lucado.” This sounds like many of us when we think about how to get to heaven. We check in at the gate of good works, church attendance and so on, but no call for our destination comes. We are at the wrong gate. Since nobody can be good enough to earn his or her way to heaven, Jesus reminds us, “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. That is because Jesus is the only gate. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A cosmetic company put out a new product designed, in their words “to boost eyelash health with daily use.” The release says that “ in one month you can expect lashes that are fuller, stronger and more abundant.” The constant bombardment of advertising for hair color, weight loss, stronger abs or in this case a cure all for eye lashes, means advertisers know that many are obsessed with the outward appearance. But how much attention is being give to inward traits – as honesty, compassion for others, or unselfishness? It’s important to remember that “man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart.” He describes us on the inside with words such as “all we like sheep have gone astray”, and “there is none righteous, no not one.” We can look good outwardly, but not inwardly. But God offers us an option. He invites us “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A small card came to my mailbox. In it were the words, “There is only one bridge to PEI.” Then it added, “there is only one who has bridged the way to heaven.” Interested, I read on. Then the note continued, ”For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” As I looked at that little card, I smiled, realizing that whoever sent it has it right- there is only One who bridged the way from earth to Heaven- Jesus.. A verse in John’s gospel, gives His own words, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The Confederation isn’t the only way to PEI. But there definitely are no other ways to heaven. We don’t get there by doing good deeds, being baptized or going to church. It is, as the Bible says, “not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us.” The only way to heaven is a person-Jesus.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Abigail Van Buren, writes the column Dear Abbey. In a recent article, she gave the heart-touching story of Robert Test, who, knowing he was dying, expressed his wish that his death would give life to others. He detailed his desire for the donating of his eyes, heart, blood, kidneys and other body parts to others, to give them a new chance at life. Robert Test was, indeed, a selfless, generous thoughtful man. And his life and death are pictures of, the Lord Jesus Christ. When we were born, we were born to live. But Jesus, unlike anyone else, was born to die so we could have life, eternal life. Paul told us “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” To make that gift happen, “Christ died for our sins. ”That’s what He meant when He said, “I have come that they (mankind) may have life.” What a gift! Have you received it?

Pastor Alex Rockwell