Charlie Brown, in the cartoon is up to bat. Strike one. Strike two, strike three. He has struck out again and slumps down on the player’s bench. He says, “Rats! I’ll never be a big league player. I know I’ll never make it.” Then Lucy tries to console him. “Charlie Brown,” she says, “What you need to do is set yourself more immediate goals.” Charlie Brown looks up and asks, “Immediate goals?” Lucy responds, “Yes, when you go out to pitch, see if you can walk out to the mound without falling down.” Interesting advice, Lucy. We too need to set an immediate goal and take the first step. True, we have all failed and done wrong. That’s because we are all sinners. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We cannot please God without Christ in our lives. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me. ”We all need to ask the Savior to forgive us and fit us for heaven, and for the life here and now. The best preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

He could receive mails, but could not send any. So he called his server for help. The young lady who answered, asked if he would allow her to take control of his computer remotely in order to solve the problem. The man agreed, and after a while he could see his cursor moving around on the screen of his computer, as if by magic. The technician then gave instructions as to what needed to be done. When her instructions were followed, the problem was solved. This rather common method of giving control of your computer to a technician is a very good illustration of what God expects of us. In a similar manner, God says to His children, “Put your hand in the hand of the Man Who stills the water. And the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” The Savior wants you and me to put our lives into His hands. We can trust Him to take good care of us.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

Believe it or not, a study of Canadians’ body mass index and mortality suggests that people who are overweight live longer than people of normal weight. And the study says that slightly overweight people had a lower risk of dying than those of normal weight. Well what do you know about that? On one hand we’re told to get thinner, on the other we’re advised to put on weight. It seems like the rules change as often as the weather. But in regards to our spiritual health, God’s Word, the Bible is always consistent. It clearly tells us to admit our spiritual bankruptcy and inability to please God by good works. Then it tells us speaking of Christ, “… there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Weather and medical people being human, make mistakes but our all-knowing Heavenly Father is never wrong, never has to say “oops.” And that applies to those thin or fat, young or old, and regardless of ethnic background.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

Recently I read about a group of students asked to list what they thought were the present day “Seven Wonders of the World.” As expected, the usual places such as the Taj Mahal were chosen by most students. The teacher noticing that one student had not turned in her list, asked her if she was having trouble The girl replied, ”Yes, I couldn’t make up my mind.” The teacher said, “well tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “ I think the Seven Wonders of the World are to see, to hear. to touch, to taste, to feel, to laugh and to love. ”These “wonders” of the human body that we often take for granted or ignore are examples of the greatness of God’s creation. No wonder the Psalmist exclaimed that we are” fearfully and wonderfully made.” But perhaps the greatest of all is the ability to love others, and especially the love of God for us. John wrote, that “God so love the word, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

“Crazy. I am shocked. And I still haven’t fully processed it because it’s a huge deal, ”Those were the words of 19 year old Kelsie, from New Brunswick, when she learned in May, that she had just won seven million dollars in a lottery. Many long for riches. The truth is that we are all rich. Suppose your Bank credited you each morning with $86,400, and carried over no balance at the end of the day. What would you do? You’d draw out every penny each day. Well everyone has such a Bank. Every day God gives each of us 86,400 seconds. Each day a new account is opened and each night no balance is carried over to the next day. Each day is special, and is never repeated. So what should we do? Draw out or make proper use of every second. Paul, in the New Testament reminds us that “now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation,” and urged his readers to make their peace with God before it is too late with the words, “redeem the time…”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

Two young New Brunswick boys decided to make a little fire in the woods near their homes – just for fun, with surprising and frightening results. They didn’t take into account the fact that it was a windy and very dry day. Before they knew it, the underbrush was on fire and a large tree burst into flames. Fortunately for them although the fire was out of their control, it was easily extinguished by the fire department. How like so many of us! Sometimes it begins with indulging in what we see as a “harmless habit.” We progress to ignoring God’s standards of morality and then it’s easy to substitute our ideas of right and wrong for God’s clear instructions. Suddenly, our lives are out of control. Wrong-doing always brings consequences. Thankfully, God invites us to “seek the Lord while He may be found…” We do not have to be enslaved by harmful habits. Jesus said “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

“I can’t help you. I have no troops” That was part of an encrypted six line message dated July 4,1863. It was part of a dispatch which offered no hope to doomed Lt. General John C. Pemberton, who was forced to surrender to Union Forces led by Ulysses S. Grant. It ended the siege of Vicksburg Mississippi, in what historians say was a turning point midway in the American Civil War. The situation which Pemberton found himself in reminds us of the fact that there are times in our lives when we reach the end of our resources and are hopeless. It is then that we must look beyond ourselves and to another source of deliverance. The psalmist spoke of such a situation when he wrote ot those who “reel to and from and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wit’s end.” But he added, “Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble and He brings them out of their distresses.” If you are at your wit’s end today, I urge you to cry out to the Lord. He will hear you and He will help you.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

You’ve probably heard several versions of the humorous story of the father who wanted his daughter and son to come home for Thanksgiving. So he called and told them that he and their mother were getting divorced, after 45 years of marriage. The kids were shocked and asked him not to do anything until they got home. Hanging up the phone, the father said to his wife with a smile – “honey the kids will be home for Thanksgiving and they’re paying their own way.” It’s probably a fictitious story, originating from different locations but it reminded me of the Heavenly Father, who also wants us to come Home to Him. But unlike this humorous story where the children pay their own way, Our Heavenly Father has paid for us to come Home. He gave His Son, who paid the price for our sins at Calvary. Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

“I attended a prestigious college, but 35 years later I have no job. I’m in debt, depressed and battling many phobias.” Those words were written to an advice column. The writer was complaining that her Facebook friends only wanted to hear “positive things” and even planned to deactivate her Facebook until she felt better. Our society puts great emphasis on success and achievement. Everyone, it seems, loves a winner, but are not to fussy about hanging out with those they consider to be losers. But thankfully, there is One who stands with us whether we succeed or not, win or not. I refer to Jesus Christ, He is the One of Whom it is written that He “sticks closer than a brother.” He is the One of whom the Psalmist wrote, “When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.” To the discouraged, defeated, and friendless, our Lord says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/

On May second, 1915 a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander, Major John McCrae. Because the Chaplain had been called away, as the brigade doctor, McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for his friend Alexis. After the burial, Dr. MacRae wrote his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields”, which serves as a reminder to all of the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. May we never forget their sacrifice.. And those who died for others are imitators of the One who died at Calvary for us all. Paul spoke for all who trust the Savior as the One “who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This Remembrance Day, 2014, let us remember the brave ones who died for our freedom, and let us also remember our Savior who died for the world and to offer forgiveness and eternal life to all.

Pastor Alex Rockwell

Listen to this message and others here:

https://toolsforhope.com/toolbox/just-a-minute-tools/just-a-minute-mp3-files/