Brilliant American Journalist Sydney J Harris, wrote in an article he called “A Caricature of Civilization, ” “It is man’s singular fate to know the he is an incomplete creature, a kind of monster and angel joined together, with the monster forever betraying the angel.” Harris wrote columns in 200 newspapers throughout the USA and Canada. In light of ongoing and recent acts of terrorism, his words are sadly appropriate for our times. Our Creator prepared this beautiful world for us, and planted Adam and Eve in the pristine Garden of Eden. They rebelled, and we follow in their footsteps. Describing this, Paul wrote, “Just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” But the story does not end there. Though we are incomplete, as Harris suggests, Christ’s love shown at Calvary, provides completeness. He promised, “I have come that they may have life, and … have it more abundantly.” That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Last month, November 11, we observed Remembrance Day. It is a time when we express our thanks for the men who gave their lives, in the battle to keep our world free. When we see the military men and women returning home, to be re-united with their families, we rejoice, but many sadly gave their lives for the great cause of freedom. It is the right thing to do, the honorable thing to do. But this old world has known an even greater liberation. It occurred when Christ gave His life on the Cross, to redeem mankind. His sacrifice at Calvary made it possible for all men to be set free. “I John, in his gospel was inspired to write, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. “ Someone wonders today if there’s hope for them, in spite of the way they have lived? An old hymn gives the answer- “There’s room at the Cross for you, Though millions have come, there’s still room for one, Yes there’s room at the Cross for you.” That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Dave Cooper is an Islander who is seriously ill. I have his permission to tell his story. A few weeks ago, I heard him talk to a small group about his medical condition. I was astonished by what I heard. Though his health is precarious, he is facing it squarely, he is not in denial. His attitude is positive, as he faces what is ahead for him. Surprisingly, his inspirational uplifting words did not encourage his listeners to feel sorry for him. Instead, all of us were amazed at his outlook regarding the future. How could this be? We learned that a number of years ago he realized he needed Christ in his life, because of Jesus’ words- “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”. He had received Christ as His personal Saviour. He explained how he had become a Christian, had been forgiven, and learned that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Dave Cooper is a testimony that with Christ in our lives, we don’t need to fear the future. That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The expression “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” means that the perception of beauty is subjective. There wasn’t much beauty to behold, in an old 1830’s farmhouse, standing abandoned in the field near Selkirk Ontario, But Earl Clemens, a retired Ontario Pastor saw more than broken windows, and a rusty metal roof. He purchased it, and he and his wife Marlene dismantled it piece by piece, and reconstructed it near Delhi Ontario. Earl saw, in that old house, beauty to behold of lasting value, not visible to the casual eye. In doing so, he was illustrating the greatest of all perceptions of beauty where there seemed to be none. That happened when God, seeing mankind with no beauty or value because of our lost spiritual condition, sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to purchase, dismantle and re-create. Paul described the results, when inspired to write, “Therefore of anyone is in Christ, he, or she is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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He was a big overgrown boy scout, who grew up without much of a chance. We’ll call him “Willie”, not his real name, because he was considered one of the bad boys of the community, constantly blamed for trouble, whether he was guilty or not. On one occasion, following an altercation, he was being blamed for something he had not done. He listened, fully expecting a verdict and punishment. But when the Scout Master said, “Let’s hear his side,” Willie started to cry, surprising everyone, because they had never seen him cry before. When asked what was the matter, he said, “Nobody ever said before that I had a side.” He was responding to the first love and fair judgment he had ever received. And how wonderful, to know that though we all do wrong, since “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, “ and are all sinners by nature and by choice, the Lord Jesus reached out to us in love , and offers forgiveness, and life, by going to the cross in our place. That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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When did you first became aware of yourself? Dr. Taghi Modaress, of the University of Maryland has designed a study to show when children first experience self-recognition. Children between the ages of 2 and 5, when shown their image in a mirror, usually respond positively. But when shown themselves in a distorted mirror, they often run from it. Self-image can influence our life in a positive or negative manner. But more important than the image that we carry of our outer selves, is the picture presented in the Bible of our innermost being, or our hearts. It was Isaiah, the Old Testament Prophet who was inspired to picture us as “sheep gone astray.” And Paul wrote, that apart from a proper relationship with Jesus. “we are without hope and without God in this world.” When we are viewed in God’s mirror, and see our need, our prayer should be like David’s, “wash me and I will be whiter than snow… O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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Recently Volkswagen car-maker recalled up to 11 million vehicles, following the scandal over its rigging of emissions tests. A while back Toyota had massive recalls, and before that it was GM doing it. In light of these recall issues, one enterprising church had on its billboard. “A car is not the only thing that can be recalled by its maker.” In fact, every one of us will one day be “recalled” by our Maker. Interestingly, when the Bible addresses the “recall” by our Maker, there is a difference between how it describes the un-prepared and the prepared. In the case of one person man who made no preparation for the next life, whose philosophy was “eat drink and be merry” we read, “this night your soul shall be “required of you.” Later, referring to a man who had made the proper preparations, it is said that “he was carried by the angels” into the next life. The Prophet Amos of old urges us all, in light of our inevitable “recall” to “prepare to meet your God.” Good advice. That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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The World Anti-Doping Agency recently alleged wide spread corruption and collusion by Russian officials to cover up drug test results. This is the latest in a long line of athletes from many countries who have come under suspicion of taking dope to gain advantage over their competition. Former World Anti-Doping Agency President, Richard Pound said, “public opinion is going to move toward all sports being corrupt.” Someone might ask, “why do athletes do these things?” The answer is that athletes, like the rest of us are human. And the Bible describes our fallen nature as follows- “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” Cheating in sports also illustrates another Bible truth- “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Fortunately though, there is forgiveness for athletes and all the rest of us when we do wrong. John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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A university student said that taking drugs “taught me to be alone- completely alone.” She had taken a trip with some friends, but found herself terribly alone, cut off from others by impenetrable walls of private experience. Someone has said that “loneliness is today’s great soul sickness.” Affluent couples shut themselves up in expensive high rise apartments. Poor widows or widowers exist in one barren room in the slums. The party crowd races from one place of entertainment to another. All share a deep sense of alienation, separation and “aloneness”. But into this world of the lonely walks the Son of God. He promised His disciples, when they feared being alone, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” How good to know the One who “sticks closer than a brother.” No,we don’t need to go through life all alone. If we sincerely ask Him, Jesus is willing to give us abundant satisfying life. He is the ultimate and permanent answer to loneliness. That’s a minute of truth!

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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“You have a choice-every moment of every day. The key to a life worth living is to change your perspective from inward to outward, from giving up to giving back, from closing our minds to opening our hearts….” That is part of an insightful statement in “Chicken Soup For the Soul by writer Katrina Willis. It is good advice for us all, especially the part that encourages us to open our hearts. Not only should we open our hearts to others, but also open our hearts to the dear Saviour, the Lord Jesus. He invites us to open our hearts to Him with the words, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.” And He also said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” But as Katrina Willis reminded us, “You have a choice.” We are never forced to open our lives to Him. But the moment we do, He promises, “Him (or her) who comes to me, I will in no way cast out.” That’s a minute of truth !

Pastor Alex Rockwell
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