Three Taco Bell Drive-through customers opened their bag to find $3,600 in cash, not the food they had ordered. The money was in a store bag ready for deposit in the Bank . The three friends thought about keeping the money, but decided they would feel too guilty, so they returned it to a very grateful manager. Yes, there is a voice within each of us that tells us right from wrong. It is called the conscience. When we disregard it promptings, it becomes easier and easier to do wrong. A better choice is to listen to God and His Word for He is the One who gave us our conscience. It was David in one of his Psalms who wrote, “I said I will acknowledge my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the guilt of my sin.” Our kind heavenly Father stands ready to forgive each one of us. It is because of His grace. And Paul wrote, “…in the ages to come” God will “… show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Recently I read the cute story of a kindergarten child who was learning his numbers. To help him progress, his mother told him to count the number of times the clock chimed. Soon he mastered 1-12. Then something odd happened- the clock, chimed 13 times. “What comes after 12 Mommy?” he asked. “Thirteen” his mother answered. “Wow! Exclaimed the child, “It’s 13 o’clock, later than it’s ever been before!” ” We don’t know when our lives w ill end, but we do know that it is later than it’s ever been before. We are given this precious gift of time by God. We are to use it to make sure we are ready for the next life. Jesus invites us with the words, “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”He referred to the door of our hearts. And He also said, “ I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me.” I hope you have made that decision, or will, while there is time., because it’s later than it’s ever been before.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Who Made Our Universe August 14, 2013

All the wonders of the world around you are accidental. A thousand billion stars made themselves. No Divine Planner keeps them on their steady courses. The earth magnetized itself. A small flower invented itself so that we could extract digitalis for sick hearts. The top few inches of our land just happens to have topsoil ,without which we would have no vegetables to eat, no grass for animals, whose meat is our food. No one put the oil just deep enough in the earth to keep until we need it. Yes, some folks think our universe is just one big evolutionary accident, and we are all animals not accountable to God. The Psalmist was inspired to write, “the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” Did all this just happen by itself? Only blind, unsubstantiated faith could possibly belief it all just happened by itself. But through the ages, humble people have believed the Bible when it says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Peter Wentworth Baker has been in the wind chime business since 1981. The Millvale PEI company, Island Winds Wind chimes carries a lifetime guarantee on its products. Baker explains “we create these chimes and we would hate to think someone would throw them out because they didn’t bother to get them fixed.” He says that though they arrive in various stages of brokenness, the “chime doctor” fixes them as good as new. And our heavenly Father is in the creating business too. He made this vast universe and as a crowning act, He made man and woman and He has a wonderful plan for us. But sin interferes with God’s plan, and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and we choose our own way rather than His. This leads to troubles, heartaches and brokenness. But when we return to our Maker, He can heal our broken lives, restore our purpose for living and put a new song in our hearts, “even praise unto our God.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium. The gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless, so the only way to find it is through testing. Health Canada estimates about 16% of lung cancer deaths in Canada are related to exposure to t his gas. Many people are unaware of this potential killer, iin spite of the fact that testing kits are readily available. How careless we humans can be. In relation to our spiritual well being, it is a similar but more serious situation. That’s because the Bible clearly states that all of us have siined, and that salvation comes to us only when we become properly related to Jesus Christ by faith. The Word of God also exhorts us not to put off our acceptance of God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Sadly, so many choose to remain in ignorance, depending on their own self righteousness. This ultimately leads to spiritual death. How sad, since Jesus loves us all and extends an invitation to everyone to accept His generous gift.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The Butchart Gardens, in British Columbia is a National Historic site of Canada. Due to its striking floral displays, it, drawing many visitors every year. But this incredibly beautiful spot was once a limestone quarry. When the Robert and Jenny Butcharts originally moved to B.C., he was in the manufacturing of cement and came there because of the rich limestone deposits. After the quarry was exhausted, Mrs. Butchart made it into a sunken garden, and the rest, is history. Often we feel that our life is like an old limestone pit , and of little use. But God can make the most barren life bloom.A gospel song puts it this way- “Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion, He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.” And Jonah said of this life change – “You have brought up my life from the pit….salvation is of the Lord.” I am glad that Jesus is in the salvaging business.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The Butchart Gardens, in British Columbia is a National Historic site of Canada. Due to its striking floral displays, it, drawing many visitors every year. But this incredibly beautiful spot was once a limestone quarry. When the Robert and Jenny Butcharts originally moved to B.C., he was in the manufacturing of cement and came there because of the rich limestone deposits. After the quarry was exhausted, Mrs. Butchart made it into a sunken garden, and the rest, is history. Often we feel that our life is like an old limestone pit , and of little use. But God can make the most barren life bloom.A gospel song puts it this way- “Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion, He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.” And Jonah said of this life change – “You have brought up my life from the pit….salvation is of the Lord.” I am glad that Jesus is in the salvaging business.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

This Summer’s double issue of Time Magazine had as its cover story- The Pursuit of Happiness. The American Declaration of Human Rights, signed in 1776, sought to guarantee the right of everyone to this. The 18th century meaning of happiness was “… the good of the whole or civic responsibility.” . According to Aristotle, it was “an ultimate good worth seeking for its own sake.” But we often think of it as personal gratification. However we define happiness, everyone agrees that it is a state we want for ourselves. But the more we pursue it, the more elusive it becomes. If our happiness depends on circumstances, friends, or financial success, it will be fleeting, because all these can change. But if our happiness is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and His forgiveness, He has promised , “I am the Lord, I change not.” That’s because over and over again, Jesus has proven that He is the same, yesterday and today and forever.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Last month, the world observed the 44th anniversary of a space milestone with the first landing of man on the moon. It was on July 20th 1969 that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon. Another astronaut , the last man to walk on the moon, Eugene Cernan said from his quarter million mile perspective, “you can see from the Antartic to the North Pole and the continental shores. The earth looks so perfect. You feel .…like you are looking back at the earth as God must be looking now, as he must have been when He created it. Cernan continued, “ I am convinced of God by the order in space.” Yes, there is a God, and Yes, He did create the universe. And thankfully this wonderful Creator loves not only the physical world He created, but all of us who live in this world. John wrote of His love, saying, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“Lighthouses are here to help everyone. They are a symbol of hope, help and guidance.” That’s the opinion of Carol Livingston of the PEI Lighthouse society. She was summarizing the feelings of many Islanders. And Environment Minister Peter Kent says that the lighthouse preservation program of PEI has been very successful. It is believed that most if not all of the lighthouses will be saved. It is encouraging to learn that these beacons on our shores will continue to be part of our future as well as our past. And just as lighthouses dispel darkness and give guidance to those at sea, so Jesus, the Light of the world assures us that anyone who follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. He gives hope, help and guidance. And best of all, that invitation is for everyone. Jesus’ words given in John’s gospel are clear- “ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not walk in darkness.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell