The Scorpion and the Turtle, a thought-provoking allegory goes as follows: Being a very poor swimmer, a scorpion asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. The turtle replied, "You’ll sting me and I’ll drown." The scorpion replied, "If I were to sting you, I would go down with you, and drown as well.“ The turtle, exclaimed, "You’re right! Hop on!" Halfway across the river the scorpion gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they sank to the bottom, the turtle asked,” Why did you do it?" The drowning scorpion sadly replied. "It’s just my character.” And often we ask, “Why do people do wrong?” The answer- It’s our character. It’s our sinful nature. Thankfully there is One who offers us a new character, a new nature. Paul wrote “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” A new nature is available to all.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Google’s popular email system, Gmail, was one of the world’s first email systems to scan emails for “keywords” which it uses to send pertinent advertisements to its users. So sending a message about your dog may result in your receiving ads for dog food or pet stores. Unfortunately, many Gmail users have no idea their emails are being used in this way. However, while the Gmail system can search your e-mails, it cannot search your heart. Only God can do that. As Jeremiah the Prophet wrote, “ I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” Someone says, “sounds like big brother is watching.” True, but He is merciful and regardless of what He sees in us, He still loves us and wants only our best. When we see our true selves and reach out to Him, He forgives, cleanses, and gives us a home in heaven.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The Toronto Star reported the following true story. An off duty ambulance Attendant, walking his St. Bernard dog near a Toronto dock wharf, tripped, hit his head, and fell unconscious into the water. Fortunately for him, his dog jumped in and holding his master’s head above water, dragged him to the dock ladder. The man came too, called for help and was pulled out. A firefighter friend, was so impressed, he asked the man to bring what became known as the “hero dog” to the fire station. While the dog acted on instinct, it’s act illustrates the most heroic rescue of all time. Luke, in his gospel wrote, “the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Then Paul explained what happens when Jesus finds us, saying, “God demonstrates His own love for us ,in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” All who sincerely ask, receive the gift of eternal life He offers.

“When you’re ready to quit, we’re ready to help.” I read those words on a vehicle ahead of me recently. They are meant to encourage folks to quit smoking. If you want help with this or other problems, you can call 1 800 218-2885, toll free. Research has shown that withdrawal symptoms, the leading cause of failure in efforts to quite, decrease more sharply for those who quit smoking cold turkey, than those who try to cut back slowly. Similarly, many plan some day to gradually become Christians. But becoming a Christian is not a gradual process. It is instantaneous. That’s because the moment we sincerely and humbly admit our spiritual needs and ask Christ to come into our lives, He responds immediately. He doesn’t need time to think about it. He is waiting for our call. He has already made provision for this by sending His Son to the cross. Remember? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…..

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The popular Facebook has a face recognition which will automatically identify people in uploaded photos on the site. Useful? Sure. But the downside is that privacy is significantly threatened. And it’s not just Facebook clients, but everyone a Facebook has identified, even once in an uploaded photo. We can remove the tags, delete the photos, even the Facebook account. It’s no use. The permanent record is there. You cannot hide from Facebook. That could cause problems. And of greater importance – You cannot hide from God either. The all-seeing, all knowing God keeps our records. That can be scary, but there’s good news. Our loving heavenly Father is willing to delete all our misbehaviors from His records, if we sincerely ask. He promises, “call unto me and I will answer you,” and when a jailer in the Bible asked how he could be sure of heaven, he was told, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

It is known simply as a “chicken cup,” but it was one of the most expensive Chinese cultural relics ever auctioned. It is a rare wine cup fired in the imperial kilns of China’s Ming dynasty more than 500 years ago. When purchased last month at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong, it brought the astounding price of 36 million dollars Amazing! But there has been a much greater and costlier purchase. Paul told the Corinthians that they, and all believers belong to God, because we have been “bought at a price.” It was the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins. “Christ died for us.” Doctor Luke, in the book of Acts spoke of the “church of God” (made up of all true believers) which Jesus “purchased with His own blood.” The purchase of the “chicken cup” will benefit it’s buyers, but the purchase made by Christ brings eternal benefits to all who receive the free gift He offers.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

It is said that in the later years of his life, Ludwig Loodvig) van Beethoven the great German composer and pianist spent hours playing a broken harpsichord. It was worthless, and out of tune. But Beethoven would play with tears running down his cheeks as though hearing something sublime. In fact, he was – for he was deaf. He heard the sound that the instrument should make, not what it did make. Do you sometimes feel like that harpsichord ? Out of tune? Broken? Then listen! Our Heavenly Father sees not only what we are now, but what we can become. A beautiful song says,” He is the Potter, I am the Clay, Molded in God’s Image, He wants me to Stay. When I Stumble and Fall, when My Vessel Breaks, He just Picks up those Pieces , He does not Throw the Clay Away. Paul explained how this happens. “If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A swimming instructor tells the following amazing but true story. He said, “One night I could not sleep, so decided to have a swim, hoping this would relax me. I didn’t put the lights on for I knew every inch of the place. The moon was shining brightly and I could see my body clearly outlined on the opposite wall. As I raised my arms for the dive, my shadow made a perfect sign of the cross. I thought of the words of an old hymn ‘he died that I might be forgiven.’ I was not a Christian, but I began to think of the cross of Christ and what it meant. …for some reason, I did not dive. I … made my way to the stairs. As I walked down, my feet touched the bottom of the pool. Unknown to me, the caretaker had drained the pool. The cross on the wall saved my life that night. I knelt in gratitude and asked the Christ of the cross to save my soul.” Quite a story. How good to know that “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us..”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A young boy found a $5 bill on the street one day. From that time on, he never lifted his eyes when walking. He accumulated 29,519 buttons, 54,172 pins, 12 cents, a bent back and a miserly disposition. But he missed the blossoms of trees and flowers in the spring, the blue sky, the rainbow and the smiles of his friends. Someone says, “dumb kid” But when we think about our own lives, it is not true that our time crunch often pushes our desire to get ahead, our often senseless chasing of pleasure also keep us from looking up and seeing the beautiful things of life? In the book of Isaiah, our Lord urged, “Look to me…” and the writer of Hebrews encourage us to be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” The song-writer put it well, with the words, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will go strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A University of Manitoba study has found that , Justice is blinded by good looks. Given the choice of attractive or unattractive suspects, people tend to choose the unattractive as the probable culprits. The study found that attorneys and judges could also be swayed in favor of the attractive. Not so with God. How we look, what we wear, our gifts to charities or our Bank account do not impress Him. Because, as the Bible tells us, “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” And when He looks, He sees that we are “desperately wicked.” The good news is that no matter what we look like, or how we dress, God loves all men and women exactly the same. We are told that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…” And this love, forgiveness cleansing and preparation for heaven is available to all who humbly, and sincerely ask for it.

Pastor Alex Rockwell