“The Devil made me do it.” Those words became a national catch phrase in the 1970s, when comedian Flip Wilson coined them. But listen to this one: Woody Smith, a Kentucky man accused of strangling his wife, claimed that excessive caffeine from sodas, energy drinks and diet pills left him so mentally unstable he couldn’t have knowingly killed her. Excuse making has been around for a long time. When Adam, our first father, was confronted about his disobedience blamed Eve, saying “it was the woman whom You gave to be with me…” But John warned, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” But thankfully, John wrote this in the very next verse, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So let’s stop blaming the devil or someone else. Let’s be honest, admit our wrong-doing and accept God’s forgiveness and cleansing.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Last month Terraine Saunders, 46, was walking on a sidewalk near his home in Maryland at about 6:30 in the morning. Another man driving on that same road dozed behind the wheel of his vehicle. The vehicle left the roadway, jumped the curb and hit Mr. Saunders, killing him. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and was cooperative. Police do not believe speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in the incident. In life, similarly, it is often true that people are asleep at the wheel of their lives. While physically awake, they are spiritually asleep, unaware of what is really going on, unconscious to the dangers ahead, missing out on the joys of life. Most seriously, they are unaware of their eternal accountability, of the need to prepare for the next life. To these spiritually asleep at the wheel, Paul urged, “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.” This is your wake-up call.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The prediction that our world would end on December 21,2012 has come and gone, and we are still here. Many of these rumors involve the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, a comet causing catastrophic effects, a hidden planet sneaking up and colliding with us, and other various stories. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists took steps to reassure everyone that there is no evidence that the world will end anytime soon. There have always been rumors about the end of the world. While many who have made these predictions have been sincere and well intentioned, they have all been wrong. The world’s most authentic, most trustworthy book of all time warned about end of the world predictions, “no man knows the day nor the hour.” And Jesus promised, “I will come again… ..Let not your heart be troubled…you believe in God, believe also in me…..I go and prepare a place for you…” Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Are you prepared?

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Our environment makes us act unlawfully. There are no absolutes, so no such thing as right and wrong? University of Cambridge researchers don’t agree. Their study found that teens who avoided crime did so because they saw it as “wrong”, but that teens with little sense of right and wrong were responsible for most juvenile crimes. Professor Per-Olof Wikstrom, the professor of Ecological and Developmental Criminology at Cambridge who led the study observed, “The idea that opportunity makes the thief, that certain environments are conducive to crime, runs counter to our findings.” The Bible warns “be not deceived…whatever a man sows that he shall also reap.” And Solomon, the word’s wisest man advised, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. “ As juvenile crime increases, surely it’s time to get back to the Bible, back to teaching our youth we can’t do wrong and get away with it.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Many highly educated brilliant people believe that the Bible is accurate and trustworthy. One such person was world renowned scientist, Professor Terence John Hamblin. He had a distinguished career in the field of hematology. For thirty years he worked as a consultant at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in England, and was recognized as an expert in the treatment of myelodyplastic (my-ello- displastic) syndrome, and chronic lymphocytic (limpha cytic)-leukemia. But the learned professor was also a devout unashamed outspoken Christian, and saw no conflict between science and his reliance on biblical truth. So the next time someone suggests that being a born again Christian is for dummies only, ask him or her to check out Professor Terence John Hamblin, or Dr. Nels Silverthorne, one time head of Toronto’s Sick Children’s Hospital and inventor of a vaccine for whooping cough. Hamblin and Silverthorne had brains and education, but also a strong faith in God and His Word.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

He was a routine admission to busy Bellevue Hospital – a bum from the Bowery, a charity case. He was found lying in a heap, bruised and with a deep gash in his throat. All he wanted was another drink. He died three days later – still unknown. A friend sought him, and identified him in the local morgue. His name – Stephen Foster. Before his tragic death at 38 years, he wrote such famous sons as Oh! Susanna, Beautiful Dreamer, and My Old Kentucky Home. Many in today’s world, like Stephen Foster, have lost hope. Maybe you know someone like that. Please reach out and extend a hand of kindness and help – because there is hope for all men. God’s love reaches to everyone. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.” God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If you are down and out, reach out to Jesus; He’s reaching out to you.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

The Abbotsford B.C. police department recently sent out holiday greeting cards to prolific criminal offenders in that city. The cards read, “It’s never too late to make a better choice for your life.” For the sake of your family and yourself, consider 2013 to be the year you choose a new and better life.” This is a commendable effort, but often people often lack the ability to self-reform. A better option is to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness for our wrong-doing and the strength to live a life that is productive and helpful to others. That’s because of two promises – first, “In Christ we have redemption through His blood even the forgiveness of sins,” and second, we can “do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” The police letter said “It’s never too late.” That is true while we are still alive. Think of it – for all the rest of your life you can have the Son of God, the Savior of the world living within. And with Christ in your vessel, you can smile at the storms of life, because He is the God of the second chance.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

A popular song by Carrie Underwood describes a young woman driving her car with a baby in the back, spinning out of control on black ice one night. In that split second of fear and panic she comes to the realization that she has absolutely no control over her destiny, and in a cry of anguish and fear she cries out "Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands, ’cause I can’t do this on my own, I’m letting go. So give me one more chance, to save me from this road I’m on, Jesus take the wheel." Most of us can relate to that song, because so often, we too hang onto things until way too late, and then cry out to God to help us out of the jam. We only want to invite God in when we’ve made a total mess of things, and then hope that He’ll be gracious and help us out. The good news is that God is listening, and is gracious to us. He longs for us to reach out to Him, even in moments of fear and desperation. But wouldn’t it be so much better if we would cry out "Jesus take the wheel" before we started our trip?

Chaplain Bob

21 men were issued summons in Kennebunk, Maine recently. They are accused of paying a fitness instructor for sex. 29 year old Alexis Wright, a Zumba instructor, has been charged with turning her dance studio into a brothel. Wright, the woman involved, secretly videotaped her encounters. It is believed that the list could include some well-known people, which in turn heightened public curiosity. If the charges are proven, it will mean ruined reputations and great embarrassment. But none of us should take on a holier than thou attitude. That’s because “there are none righteous, no not one.” And while our misdeeds may be different and not videotaped, there is One who sees all and knows all. But there is good news – no matter what we have done, there can be forgiveness. That’s because of the truth of the old gospel song, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.” Paul put it this way, “By grace are you saved through faith.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Images released recently from a newly launched NASA satellite show nighttime auroras, wild fires and even lights from fishing vessels. Meanwhile, NASA’s new Mars rover has returned its first 360-degree color panorama from the surface of the Red Planet. We are very interested in learning more of our world and universe. But curiously, many don’t have the same interest in knowing the God who made it all. The prophet Isaiah invites us to, “Lift up your eyes…see who has created these things… the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth….” Do you personally know God, your Maker? If your answer is “no, but I’d like to“, then I have good news for you. Jesus, God’s Son is the way to God the Father. He said in John’s Gospel, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” When we know Christ by faith, we know God the Father too. He said “I and My Father are one.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell