Jackie Scott has been waiting for years to be officially accepted by her country. The 68 year old woman who was raised in Ontario is the daughter of a Canadian serviceman and a British woman. But because she was born before her parents were married, and her mother was not a Canadian citizen, and a tangle of old immigration laws, she had been denied citizenship in the country she loves. In 2004 when she applied for a passport, she discovered that she wasn’t Canadian simply because she’d been born out of wedlock. How good to know that God does not deal unjustly, or in a discriminatory manner. Regardless of our background, gender, or what our parents may have done, God loves us and welcomes all into His family. All who trust Him, and come to Him in humility and sincerity can say that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Last month, in a Bank lineup, someone said, “Guess who died this morning?” Immediately he had the attention of everyone nearby, as he gave the name of a prominent Islander who had died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 60Dr. Michael Chan, a Cardiologist, says that currently 600,000 Canadians are walking around with heart failure, many not aware of it. That’s because many heart conditions do not reveal themselves until well along in the illness. Unfortunately, lack of awareness does not help, or lessen the danger. The word heart is often used in the Bible to represent our true nature. It is mentioned no less than 743 times. The Bible says that God searches the heart, and that it is deceitful and desperately wicked.” Are you walking around with a sick heart that could result in your missing heaven? While there is no known cure for physical heart disease, there is a cure for spiritual illness. It comes by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Last month, an individual with a remarkable story to tell was in Charlottetown, speaking at the Canadian National Gideon Convention. Describing his new life. His name is Rick Osborne, who once was a hardened criminal, involved with drugs, crime and biker gangs. He has spent 23 years in prison. While there, he was often violent and nasty, and spent much time in solitary confinement. But his life changed dramatically when a Gideon Bible was left in his prison cell. He became a new man after reading the Bible and inviting Christ into his life. He is now leader of a youth organization called Truth4 Teens, a ministry to troubled youth, based in Ontario. His story is mind-boggling and an illustration of a promise made in the New Testament, which says, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” While most of us are not hardened criminals like Rick, but we are all in need of a Saviour. What God did in his life, He can do in ours.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“I have recently been hired for a job as a counselor for troubled teens.the problem is that when I was in a dark period of my life, I was a cutter, and have deep scars on one arm.” ….how do I handle this now that I’m in the pshycological field? … It’s hard to avoid with hot summer weather here and my past literally “on my sleeve.” This person with her deeply troubled past cannot hide the scars of her former lifestyle. We may not have those kind of scars ourselves, but many of us do have deep emotional scars from our past that affect us today. Only by opening ourselves to the love and forgiveness that God offers us can we be healed. Consider these beautiful words about our Saviour from Isaiah. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities…by His stripes we are healed.” If you have the marks of past indiscretions, heed the words of the song, “Reach out to Jesus, He’s reaching out to you.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

He told me “I do not believe Bible is true.” Imagine 40 different physicians from many different countries, speaking different languages, writing over a period of 1600 years to compile a textbook for the treatment of a disease? How would you like to be treated by a doctor who was guided by that kind of a book? And yet the Bible, was written over a period of 1600 years, by writers who lived at different times and spoke different languages. And though many critics have tried, nobody has ever been able to prove one single error in the Bible. There is only one sensible feasible reason for the truthfulness of this life changing Book. We are told that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. “ God was the author, and He inspired humans to write what He wanted written. We can trust the Bible when it tells us that God offers forgiveness and cleansing, and to fit us for heaven. A loving God urges us to “seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

“I was absolutely gobsmacked when I got the email saying someone had found it. I couldn’t believe it.” Those were the words of Eirian (eye-ree-ian) Evans. The newly-wed lost his wedding ring while snorkeling in Australia, during a honeymoon diving expedition with his new bride Bethan, (beth-ann) .The disappointed young couple flew back to Britain. He said, “They asked me to leave my contact details with them. but I was convinced I would never see it again.” But Eirian was stunned after the cherished ring was found by a scuba diver – at the bottom of the Great Barrier Reef, lodged in coral. It’s always exciting to find a long lost possession. Luke’s gospel tells the story of a shepherd who left his flock of 99 to search for one sheep that was lost. He found the lost sheep and carried it back with rejoicing. Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Are you lost? Jesus, the good Shepherd is looking for you today!

Pastor Alex Rockwell

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