Messages of God's Love: 1998

Standing before the judge was a middle-aged woman, dying of cancer. She had written a check for $200 even though she didn’t have any money, and she had been caught. There was no excuse for her. This woman knew what she had done was wrong, and also that she had no way to pay back the $200 debt. Because she was so sick she could not work, and so she had no money.

We are all standing under the judgment of God because we have sinned against Him, so there is a penalty to pay. There is no way that you and I can pay the penalty for our sins by ourselves. God is a just God and cannot let us go free, just as Judge Pike couldn’t say to the woman standing before him, “I really feel sorry for you. You can go home now.” If he had, he wouldn’t have been a fair judge! No, Judge Pike had to order this woman’s penalty.

“You must pay back the $200 and pay all court costs,” he told her. Not paying would mean she would have to spend time in jail.

Another man was in court that day. He had charges against him from the city and had his own problems to face. But he felt sorry for this woman.

After the court session was over for the morning, the man went to the bailiff and asked if there were any way that he could pay what the woman owed. The bailiff was really surprised to hear this. In all his years of serving Judge Pike, no one had offered to pay the penalty for someone else!

There is only one Person who can pay our penalty for our sins, and He already has paid that price. However, He had no charges against Himself. He is Jesus. He knew that we had sinned and could not pay that debt to God. Because He loves us and cares about us, He died that He might pay that penalty for us. Anyone who will personally accept His payment for his or her sins can walk out of the courtroom free. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The man paid the woman’s debt, and a receipt marked “paid in full” was given to her. She now owed nothing! This grateful woman made sure she thanked the man for what he had done for her. He had not only paid her debt, but he had saved her from possibly going to jail for 60 days. And Jesus not only died for us, but for those who personally accept His payment for their sins. He has saved us from punishment in hell forever. Our penalty for sin is “paid in full,” and we can go free!

Will you personally accept what Jesus has done for you because He loves you?

Then you will be able to say, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

ML-01/04/1998

Fire!

A friend of mine was awakened in the middle of the night by the cry of “FIRE!” Running to the window, he saw that it was the house across the street. He quickly dressed and ran out to help.

He found that all the people who lived in the house had gotten out safely, except for one little girl. She was still asleep in her bedroom on the second floor. The mother was panic-stricken, not knowing what to do.

My friend decided to try to save her, even though flames and smoke were pouring from the house. He rushed up the burning steps to the second floor, through the heat and smoke.

The child was still sleeping and did not know she was in any danger. My friend quickly picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket, then made a dash down the flaming stairs. About five minutes after he handed the little girl to her mother, the roof fell in with a crash! She was saved just in time!

Although the little girl was not hurt, my friend suffered much to save her. The fire burned his arm and hand badly, leaving one of his fingers permanently scarred and twisted because of the burns. Whenever I shake hands with him, the twisted finger seems to whisper over again the story of the house on fire.

Perhaps you, like that little girl, do not realize that you are in danger! You are sleeping on in sin, not thinking that at any moment you might die, and your soul would be lost forever. Listen now to the good news that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” He let cruel men who hated Him nail Him to a cross, hammering nails through His hands and feet. He suffered and died on that cross, because He loves you and me. One of those men thrust a spear into His side, and blood and water flowed out. God tells us this blood from the Lord Jesus can wash away sins, yours and mine, if we will just believe in Him. (This is called being “saved.”) When those of us who are saved are in heaven with the Lord Jesus, we will see the nail marks in His hands and feet and the spear mark in His side from His suffering on the cross for us. They will always remind us of how much He loved us and what He went through to save us.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

ML-01/04/1998

Love As Strong As Death

The swift waters of the Surutu River in Bolivia can drown a man but they cannot drown love. The Bible says, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song of Solomon 8:7). Little Abel found out the truth of this verse one day.

His father, Juan, had taken Abel along to visit Christian friends on the other side of the Surutu River. As they returned home, they saw that the waters of the river had risen considerably. The river was muddy so they could not see the bottom. This made it dangerous to cross the river, and they knew that many people had drowned trying. Little Abel and his father did not know how to swim, so another Christian friend crossed the river first to see if it was safe. They all knew that the swift river often digs holes in the bottom. Their Christian friend, who knew how to swim, walked across safely and then motioned them to come across. It appeared that the water was only waist deep all the way across. Juan carried his son in one arm and grabbed their bag of clothes with the other hand and started to cross.

It was difficult to know exactly where their Christian friend had walked, so Juan took each step cautiously. In the middle of the river, Juan suddenly stepped in a hole and went under the water. He was terrified as he realized that he could not touch bottom. In a panic he wildly felt for the bottom and then pushed with all his might to come to the surface. He gasped for a breath but quickly went under again.

In a moment Juan knew that he had to make a choice. He could let go of the bag of clothes and try to save himself and his son, or he could let go of both the clothes and his son and have a better chance of saving himself. Not much choice! He let go of the bag of clothes but grabbed little Abel tightly and pushed off the bottom of the river again so he could gasp for a breath. Juan continued to jump off the bottom, gulping for a breath whenever he could and clinging tightly to his son. In his wild effort to save their lives, he finally managed to jump out of the hole to a higher place where he could again touch bottom, and the water was only waist deep. The bag of clothes was lost, but Juan and Abel were safe!

Juan could have gotten out of the hole much easier if he had let go of his son, but “love is strong as death.” Juan’s love for his son was as strong as his fear of death. He did not just think of saving himself, but he held his little son tightly, even if it would mean death for both of them.

Does this make you think of an even greater love when you read this story? The love of the Lord Jesus for you and me was even greater than Juan’s love for his son, but the Lord Jesus’ love was also a love that was stronger than death. Juan didn’t have to die, but the Lord Jesus gave His life when we were His enemies so that you and I could be saved. “Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

The waters of the river did not drown Juan’s love for his son, and the waters of the judgment of God against our sins did not drown the love of the Lord Jesus for us. Listen to the words written about the Lord Jesus when He was on the cross: “Save Me, O God; for the waters are come in unto My soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Me” (Psalm 69:12). The Lord Jesus could have called 10,000 angels to rescue Him, but His love was as strong as death. He stayed on that terrible cross to pay the price for our sins so we could go free.

Is there any love like the love of Jesus? Has it touched your heart? Have you ever thanked Him for dying for you? Do not turn away from His love! Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour today, and you can begin to enjoy His love that was as strong as death for you. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

ML-01/11/1998

Footprints

This morning when I went out for a walk I read a story! Not in a book, but in the snow! On the ground I could plainly see a story of all the animals who had passed that way since yesterday afternoon when a couple inches of snow fell. There were perfect little cat paw prints. There were medium-sized dog tracks. There were big tracks from our old dog who drags her feet when she walks. There were footprints from a fox, birds and even the pet rabbits who got away and live in our woodpile! All these tracks told me a story of who had come and gone and even a little of what they had been doing. These animals didn’t know they had left behind a story!

This reminds me of the Bible verse that says, “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). God can see everywhere you have been and everything you have ever done. Did you know you are leaving tracks?

If you have not come to God as a sinner and let Him forgive your sins by washing you in the blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, do so now before it is too late. Then Jesus’ blood will cover all the footprints of sin you have left behind. You will have a new life that wants to make Him happy, and all your steps can be following Him. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23).

ML-01/11/1998

The Golden Gate Bridge

As World War II was drawing to a close in May of 1945, we were on a troop ship traveling back to the United States. Many troops were being returned home for leaves after long tours of duty in the Pacific area. Some of the soldiers on that ship had been away from their families and homeland for as long as four years. You can imagine how glad all of us were to be returning home. There was an added joy on board the ship when we got the announcement of the enemy’s surrender in Europe. However, our greatest joy and excitement was knowing we were going home!

But I have an even greater joy as I look forward to the promise of another homecoming, because I have trusted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. The Lord Jesus, whose precious blood cleanses from all sin, has promised, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). This wonderful promise from the Lord Himself gives us joy, knowing that we shall soon be home in the Father’s house. The Lord Jesus tells us that He has prepared heaven for us by going back there after He bore our sins in His own body on Calvary’s cross.

The enemy of all who trust the Lord Jesus for salvation and forgiveness of our sins often brings things into our lives to rob us of that joy of looking ahead to being in heaven with the Lord Jesus. And we had a similar experience as our ship was bound for San Francisco, the location of the Golden Gate Bridge. All of us were excited about seeing the bridge, because it was the gateway to our homeland. But just as the devil often brings dark clouds of doubt and fear into our lives, the day we entered San Francisco Bay a heavy fog surrounded our ship. The fog was so thick it completely hid the bay and the bridge from view.

We could hear the foghorns on the pilings, the supports of the bridge, sounding to warn the Captain of their location. The nearness of the horns let us know we were indeed approaching the harbor and the Golden Gate. However, our excitement, like the skies, was overshadowed by the thought we might not even see the Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol to us that we were home at last. Just when we had about given up hope of seeing the Golden Gate, the fog lifted enough for the bridge to loom in view. With the bridge directly in front of the ship, emotion overcame many of us because of its beauty and what it meant to us. Its sudden appearance told us we had reached our longed-awaited homecoming.

Every boy and girl and every grown-up is on a journey to eternity. Some of you are already prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when He calls us to come up to the “Golden Gate” of heaven. You have heard the wonderful story of God’s love in giving His beloved Son to die for sinners. Recognizing that you are a sinner, you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. If you have not yet opened your heart to believe the wonderful news that you may have all your sins washed away through the blood of Jesus, you are far from that heavenly home. You are like a ship upon a stormy ocean without a rudder or a captain to take you safely to heaven. On our ship we were fairly sure we would reach America, but those who neglect God’s great salvation and put off believing on the Lord Jesus are on a ship that is on a broad ocean that leads to destruction.

Just as those foghorns let us know how close we were coming to the Golden Gate Bridge that spans San Francisco Bay, the Lord Jesus has told us some things that will happen in the world just before He comes to take us up to the “Golden Gate” of heaven. We know from the Bible that many of those things are already present in the world. Make sure you are on the “ship of salvation” with the Lord Jesus as your Captain so you will have the joy of seeing and entering the “Golden Gate” of heaven. When you believe in your heart on the Lord Jesus Christ, God forgives your sins and you are just as ready for heaven as though you were already there. Make sure of your homecoming by trusting the Lord Jesus today. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-01/18/1998

Skipper the Hero

Jason was spending a day at Muskrat Lake. He brought his dog Skipper along since the two of them went everywhere together and enjoyed playing outside.

They were having a good time when suddenly Jason and Skipper saw a rattlesnake in the grass. It was ready to strike at Jason! Before he could think of what to do, Skipper attacked the snake. Instead of biting Jason, the snake bit Skipper. The snake was later killed, but Skipper’s life was in danger.

Jason’s family rushed the dog to a vet who helped him recover from the snakebite. Skipper is fine now, and no one is more pleased with his brave dog than Jason. Skipper even had his picture in the newspaper with Jason beside him. How thankful Jason was that Skipper saved his life.

How thankful we should be, too, that the Lord Jesus took the punishment on Calvary’s cross for every person who would accept Him as their own Saviour. He suffered there for us so that we wouldn’t have to bear our own punishment for our sins in hell. What a wonderful Saviour He is! “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

We hope that everyone reading this story can truly say, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Can you?

ML-01/18/1998

Nikko

Come on, Nikko, let’s go get some gas!” Mr. Parker called to his little dog. Nikko came running, tail wagging, and jumped into the front seat next to Mr. Parker for the trip to the gas station.

Nikko is a special little companion to Mr. and Mrs. Parker, and he likes to go with them wherever they are willing to take him. Although he’s just a little dog, he has a big place in their hearts.

After Mr. Parker filled the gas can, he ran inside the station to pay. He knew he’d only be gone a minute or so, so he had not bothered to lock the car. “I’ll be right out, Nikko . . . you wait here,” he’d said to his little buddy. But when Mr. Parker came out, the car was gone and so was Nikko!

Now a car is worth a lot more than a dog, usually, but what do you think the Parkers were more worried about - their car? or their dog? That’s right; they were more concerned about their dog! There are certain things that money cannot buy, and love is one of them. Do you know what it’s like to be loved by someone? Most of you have parents that love you, and maybe you have a special pet that loves you. But no matter who you are, I know of Someone who loves you so much that you’ll never come to the end of learning how much He loves you. Do you know who He is? He is God. He tells us in the Bible, “I have loved [you] with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Parkers did everything they could to find their special little pet. They called several police stations and hung posters that offered a reward to anyone who would return their dog safely. Then they waited. And God, who loves you, has done far more to show you His love and to be able to take you safely to His home in heaven. He gave up His only Son to come down to Earth to die for you, because you, too, have been stolen. You have been stolen by Satan, who does not love you and wants to destroy your life with sin and keep you out of heaven. There is one thing God cannot do; He cannot take you to heaven with your sins. There can be no sin in heaven, and so your sins have to be washed away in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan stole us away from God, but God has paid an awful price to redeem us - to buy us back -the blood of His own Son. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The day after their car and dog disappeared, the Parkers got a call from the police. “Mrs. Parker, we have your car.” The Parkers were told that three teenage boys had been driving it and got stopped by the police. But Nikko was not in the car. He was still missing. The Parkers were so sad as they sat and waited for news of their beloved little dog. Not even getting their car back made them happy. And so, even though God owns the whole world and the whole universe, the one thing He wants more than all of that is your heart. Isn’t that amazing? You are so precious to the God who created the universe, and He says in the book of Proverbs, “My son [and my daughter], give Me thine heart.”

As Mrs. Parker sat and sadly waited, her phone rang again! This time it was a woman. “Mrs. Parker? I have your dog Nikko here. I will return him to you if you will give me the reward and drop the auto theft charges.” This meant they would have to give the reward to the people who probably were the very ones who stole their car and their dog.

But Mrs. Parker didn’t hesitate even a minute. “Yes, I’ll give you the reward and drop the charges! Where can I meet you to get my dog?”

“Outside the police station,” the woman on the phone said.

Mrs. Parker gladly agreed to give the woman the reward so she could have her little dog back in her arms and in her home. And this story is just a little picture of how much God loves you. Just think of the price He paid to have you as His own - the blood of His dear Son! We can’t understand love like this, but He wants to teach you even more wonderful things, if you’ll only come to Him and accept His love. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “Our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity [sin]” (Titus 2:13-14).

ML-01/25/1998

Tammy's Doll

Tammy used to pass a store that had a beautiful doll in the window. One day when she and her older brother Tim were passing the store, Tammy said, “I would just love to have that doll!”

What a surprise Tammy had a few weeks later! Her brother gave her a box, and what do you think was in it? It was that very same doll she had seen in the window. How she thanked Tim over and over for such a wonderful gift.

Do you think Tammy paid her brother for the doll? Oh, no! She just accepted it and thanked him for it. And that is what God wants us to do with His wonderful offer of salvation - just take it as a gift. He has sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, to die for you. If you will come to Jesus, telling Him you know you are a sinner and accept Him as your Saviour, God will make you one of His own children. Why not come to Him today? God’s gift of salvation is the best of all gifts.

If you have already accepted God’s gift of salvation, have you thanked Him for it?

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

ML-01/25/1998

Pierre

It was a hot summer day and the swimming pool was packed with children. Overhead the sky was clear and there was no wind. Everything looked normal and safe.

Almost out of nowhere, a summer storm was brewing. Threatening thunderclouds had gathered, and suddenly they opened up. Rain poured down and thunder rumbled too close for comfort. The lifeguards ordered the pool to be evacuated and quickly whistled for everyone to get out.

All the children began to head for the ladders to climb out, but the storm was moving faster than the children were. Travis, the head lifeguard, saw that those still in the pool were in danger and that something had to be done, and fast! He jumped into the water and began tossing the children out of the pool as fast as he could. Blinding flashes of lightning with deafening cracks of thunder were all around.

The people at the swimming pool had little warning of their danger, but you and I have had God’s warning of danger ahead for our entire lives. The Bible is God’s letter to us, and in it He tells us plainly that we are sinners and that there is judgment ahead for our sins. Just as those children needed help to get away from their danger, you and I cannot get away from our sins and the judgment we deserve by ourselves. We need help. Jesus has done that by putting Himself in the path of the judgment to save us.

Travis threw the last girl out of the pool and then scrambled out himself - just as a lightning bolt struck the water! The bolt momentarily blinded the bystanders who feared that both the lifeguard and the child had been struck in the water. They had made it out of the pool, but Travis lay unconscious on the deck.

After a few moments Travis regained consciousness. As his mind began to clear, he realized how close a call it had been - the water in the pool was still steaming from the lightning strike. You can be sure that every child and every parent was grateful to Travis for what he had done for them!

Thankfully, Travis was not killed in saving those children, but Jesus had no choice but to die to save us from our sins. Because God loves you and me so much, He sent the Lord Jesus down here to take that punishment on the cross for the sins of every person who will accept Him as his or her Saviour. The girl in the pool could have said to Travis, “I’ll get out by myself ! ” Instead she let Travis lift her out of danger. Will you let the Lord Jesus remove you from your danger by letting Him wash away your sins? You can’t do it by yourself. He is the only One who can. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

In bitter cold and through blinding snowstorms the weary soldiers plodded on. They had followed their leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, to Moscow, and now they were retreating across the frozen Russian countryside. Every day more and more of the weary, freezing soldiers gave up the struggle and fell by the side of the road.

As column after column of troops marched west, one of the soldiers heard a cry coming from a snowdrift at the side of the road. Stopping to make a quick search, he found a small boy sobbing and shivering in the bitter cold. The little boy told the soldier his name was Pierre. He had fallen off a wagon that had gone on ahead and had not been missed.

Gently the soldier picked up Pierre and, opening his own coat, tucked the little boy inside. Then, hurrying to rejoin his company, the soldier marched on, carrying Pierre safely inside his warm coat.

Day after day the soldiers continued their march, and little Pierre was often passed from soldier to soldier. Many of the men took turns carrying the little boy and keeping him safe and warm inside their coats. As they marched they had to cross dangerous rivers and fight battles with their enemies, but through it all little Pierre was kept safe. The soldiers had rescued him from the snowdrift, and they protected him and cared for him until he was returned safely to his home in Paris.

Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus has done something far more wonderful for you than the soldiers did for little Pierre. The Lord Jesus loved you so very much that He suffered and died on the cross to save you from the punishment your sins deserved. All you need to do is admit that you are a sinner and that you need a Saviour. Then thank the Lord Jesus for dying for you. “The Son of God . . . loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Little Pierre could not do anything to save himself from the snow and cold, nor could he find his way safely home to Paris. He trusted the soldiers for everything, and they carried him the whole way.

In the same way, the Lord Jesus not only saves us, but He carries us all the way home to heaven. He has promised us: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

All through the battles the soldiers protected Pierre, and no enemy could harm him. So the Lord Jesus is guarding and protecting us from our enemy, Satan. In John 10:28 we read that Jesus said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” He saves us and then takes care of us and protects us.

Isn’t He a wonderful Saviour? Is He your Saviour?

ML-02/01/1998

Hans' Decision

When Hans was a teenager he worked for a Christian doctor who often held gospel meetings at his house in the evenings. It was Hans’s job to greet the people at the door, take their coats and show them the way to the room where the meeting was being held. When all the people had come in, Hans would sit in the doorway and listen.

The subject of one of these meetings was the second coming of Christ. Many Bible verses were read telling that the Lord Jesus will come again to take all His own, those who through faith in Him are washed from their sins in His precious blood, to His Father’s home in heaven. Other verses were read that tell that those who do not believe are to be left behind in this world for the final judgment.

Later that night after the meeting was over the doctor asked Hans, “Did you understand what was said during the meeting?”

“Yes, sir,” he answered.

“Do you know what the Lord Jesus will do when He comes again?”

Hans answered, “Yes.”

“All right,” the doctor said, “I just wanted to tell you that when the Lord Jesus comes, all the things which I now possess I will not need since my whole family and I will then leave this world. So you may have my entire house if you are still working for me when the Lord Jesus comes.”

Hans never expected such an offer, and imagine his surprise when the doctor added, “You may have all my furniture, my cars, everything I own!”

Hans was so taken by surprise he almost forgot to say, “Thank you.”

That night he was so excited he couldn’t sleep a wink. A thousand thoughts were racing through his mind. But suddenly, as he lay thinking of how rich he would be, another thought struck him: What use would a house, cars and even a million dollars be if when the Lord Jesus comes I am left behind to meet Him as my judge? I would much rather go to heaven with Him than be left behind with the door closed to heaven.

As the silent hours of the night passed and Hans continued to think of the truth he had heard from the Bible he finally could stand it no longer. His mind was made up. He went to the doctor’s house and knocked on the door.

“Well, Hans, come in. What’s the trouble?” asked the doctor.

“Please excuse me, sir, but I don’t want your house when the Lord Jesus comes.”

“Really?” asked the doctor.

“No!” answered Hans decidedly, “and I don’t want your cars or your money either.”

“Well, Hans, what do you want then?”

“When the Lord Jesus comes I want to go to heaven with Him too!”

How glad the doctor was to hear that! He took Hans to another room where they could read and talk together. Then they kneeled down and the doctor told the Lord Jesus that Hans wanted to be saved. Hans also prayed with all his heart, telling Jesus that he was a sinner and wanted to be saved from his sins. And the Lord Jesus, who is always ready, day or night, to give peace and salvation to every truly repentant sinner, heard Hans’s prayer.

But what about you? Would you be ready if the Lord Jesus should return today?

“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at [evening], or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning” (Mark 13:35). “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-02/08/1998

Ann's Cats

One time I was visiting a friend in another city and I stayed in her home. My friend’s little daughter Ann had two cats which were interesting to watch.

One cat was a black cat named Shadow. He was a gentle cat that was very nice to have around. The other cat was a large, white, angora cat named Snowball.

Now, Snowball was a pretty cat with long, silky hair, but her nature was not nice. In fact, she was the meanest cat that I have ever seen. When visitors would come to Ann’s home they would usually say something about what a beautiful cat she was. But after being there for a while, they would find out what Snowball was really like. She was nasty and mean, and you never knew what she might do next. She could be lying quietly on your lap while you petted her, and then suddenly she might reach out with her paw and scratch you!

Once Ann tried to keep a puppy in the house too. The puppy and Shadow got along fine, but Snowball was so mean that the puppy was terrified! She would chase him and hiss at him. The poor little puppy always seemed to have scratches on his nose and face from her sharp claws. They finally had to find a new home for the puppy.

Snowball reminds me of some people who are so nice at times, but mean and nasty at other times. There are some boys and girls who are like that too. How nice it is to meet children who are always friendly to other people.

If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then you can be cheerful all the time. This is because God’s Holy Spirit is living inside of you. God your Father would like you to do only good things, but sometimes we let that “old self” show and tell us what to do. Then we can be just as mean and nasty as we were before we were saved. This is sin, and we should confess to God what we have done and ask Him to help us. This is the way to please Him and live our life for Him.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).

ML-02/08/1998

Playing With Sharks

Spray burst into the air as the salty waves crashed on the coral reefs that surrounded the little islands just off the coast of northern Africa. Nearby, the small ship Elie Monnier lay at anchor, rolling on the large waves of the North Atlantic. The beautiful, clear waters seemed to welcome Captain Jack and his friend Nick. They and their crew had come to film the beautiful undersea life.

Every day they nervously noted the different kinds of sharks near their boat. At first they were jittery about the sharks when they went into the water. They had been warned repeatedly of the danger of sharks in these waters and so were very cautious. No cameraman on their ship was allowed to swim out for pictures alone; instead they traveled in pairs. One carried the camera while the other carried a harpoon, ready for any danger.

Once while peering through the water, Captain Jack could just make out the shape of a huge shark in the gloom ahead. But as it moved closer, his heart missed a beat as he saw the immense jaws of the nearly 25-foot-long monster. He moved closer to his friend Nick who had the harpoon. Their muscles tensed as they watched the great fish swimming slowly toward them. Suddenly the shark caught sight of the two men. Fear and fascination filled Jack and Nick. To their intense relief the shark whirled and swam away, seemingly in fear.

Days of filming passed, and the two friends gradually were becoming less afraid of the sharks. Before long Jack was even going out looking for sharks to film. Even the known man-eating sharks seemed to be afraid of the men and would turn and swim away. Just like Jack and Nick were losing their fear of the sharks, boys and girls lose their fear of sinning against God. God’s Word, the Bible, even says that there are “pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25). Sin doesn’t always seem so bad. Some people even think they have control over their tendency to sin. However, the Bible says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26).

Jack and his friends were certainly starting to be foolish about playing around with the sharks. One day one of the men even swam into a cave with sharks and pulled their tails. The sharks darted outside the cave and swam away while Jack’s friends filmed them.

Another day Jack decided to take the Elie Monnier away from the islands for some deep-sea filming. As soon as they reached the deeper waters, Nick sighted a small whale. He and Jack grabbed their camera and dove in to follow it beneath the waves. Only 15 feet beneath the surface they noticed an 8-foot-long gray shark. Fearlessly they swam toward it, assuming that it would run from them as all the others had. Instead, it headed toward them and began to circle. Nick reached for the shark’s tail and gave it a twist. The shark shook him off and continued slowly circling the two men.

Fascinated by the shark, the men were being drawn deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean. Fascinated by sin, boys and girls are drawn further and further into serious trouble. The Bible tells us that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust [desire], and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived [the desire is followed], it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15).

Jack would soon worry about death himself. Swimming up right beneath him were two vicious-looking, 16-foot-long, steel-blue sharks. Now he and Nick were finally becoming afraid. Surrounded by sharks more than 60 feet beneath the surface, they struggled against panic as the sharks slowly circled closer and closer to the two divers. Jack tried blowing air bubbles at the sharks to scare them off. That didn’t work. Then he tried a chemical that had been effective in driving away sharks. The gray shark swam right through the chemicals and closed in on the desperate men. It swam directly toward Jack until its giant jaws completely filled his vision. In desperation Jack smashed his camera against the shark’s snout! It veered away . . . but began to circle again.

Fighting for the surface, Jack and Nick grew more and more tired. Their strength had begun to give out, and the sharks seemed to be settling in for the kill. Their efforts had failed to drive off the sharks, and they were as helpless as a person in the clutches of sin. Jack and Nick were trapped by the sharks, just as many boys and girls are trapped in the clutches of sin. Sensing the end, the sharks moved faster and faster as they closed in on Jack and Nick.

The two friends managed to reach the surface and desperately tried to get the attention of the crew on the Elie Monnier. But no one on the ship seemed to notice them.

Exhausted, one man watched underwater for the sharks while the other rested. When the sharks approached, they dove toward them and turned the sharks aside. Their oxygen supply dwindled. Soon they would be forced to dive while holding their breath. Before long they wouldn’t have the strength even to dive, and then . . .

They had almost given up hope when suddenly a dark shadow moved over their heads, and the sharks turned and plunged into the depths of the ocean. The ship’s crew had seen their struggles and attempts to alert them. The shadow of the Elie Monnier’s hull passing overhead had driven off the sharks.

A loving God always hears the sinner’s cry for help. He will come swiftly to help anyone who cries out for mercy, and He will free them from their sin. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). The Lord Jesus has died and taken the punishment for sins. Now He is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Won’t you cry out for His help today?

ML-02/15/1998

The Runaway Train

It was a dark, snowy night in the Canadian Rockies, and a 117-car freight train was making its usual run over a pass. The only people in the engine were the engineer and two firemen.

The train reached the top of the mountain and began to go down the other side. The engine and the first few cars started down at normal speed as they were held back by the weight of the rest of the train behind them. But as more and more cars started down the other side, their weight began to build up behind the engine. The train began moving faster and faster! The engineer soon noticed that the brakes weren’t working very well - then he noticed that they weren’t working at all! The tracks were coated with ice, and the 117 cars were sliding down the icy tracks and gaining speed!

Our lives often run smoothly, and we don’t think we need God’s help. But sometimes He allows us to hit trouble spots. It is then we learn that we really aren’t in control. Only God can keep our lives in control. Don’t wait until you are older to discover that you have no brakes! Little habits developed while you are young can ruin your life as you get older. The Bible reminds us that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now, and let Him control your life.

The train went faster and faster down the mountainside. The engineer and the two firemen thought about jumping out, but the train was already moving too fast. Its speed climbed all the way up to 85 mph, which was twice the speed it should have been traveling!

The three men could only sit and stare death in the face as the train hurtled along. The engineer told the men to start praying -and they did. Turning to God was all they had left, but you don’t have to wait until the last minute. You can turn to Him right now and know that He will help you all the time.

Back in the caboose, two more crewmen wondered what was going on. They knew the train was running away, but they didn’t know why, so they uncoupled the caboose from the rest of the train. This would allow the caboose to slow down.

Finally, as the rest of the train hurtled around a curve, it derailed. One hundred and four cars spilled over and plunged into the river below. But the engine and the detached caboose—which had its own set of brakes - stayed on the track! God had saved the men from certain death.

God loves you and sent His Son to die for you. The blood of Jesus can wash your sins away, and He will keep you forever. Will you accept Him as your Saviour -right now - while you are young? “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

ML-02/22/1998

Birds in Prison

We live beside a family who is very interested in nature. They have many kinds of trees and different kinds of wildflowers that they enjoy in summer. They also have a bird-feeding station that keeps their backyard alive with birds all winter. But if you step inside their house, you will also find two happy little birds just waiting to light on your head or shoulder or finger!

These little birds, Java sparrows, don’t know what it’s like to soar above the treetops. They have never had the freedom to fly for miles. Their tiny eggs were hatched inside a house. They were fed by human hands. And when their eyes opened they were already familiar with human voices and the sounds of the house. They don’t know any other way of life and are happiest when people are around. They fight each other for the place closest to a person’s face and are constantly trying to “kiss” people’s lips. It takes a little while to get used to having birds suddenly so close.

Although it is an interesting experience to be around birds so tame, it is still rather sad. They are, after all, prisoners. No, they are not in a bird cage, but they do not have the freedom to fly outdoors in the open sky. The house they live in is their prison.

Who could explain to them that this life is not what was intended for them at all? Who could explain to them that God intended them to enjoy the freedom of a warm climate and to use their wings to fly where they pleased? Only if someone could become a Java sparrow could they be told so they would understand.

What a picture these little birds are of every member of the human race. We were born into a sinful world, far from God. His plans for us on earth were spoiled when man sinned, and we were, in a way, stolen by Satan. We are in Satan’s prison.

But God wanted us back. He wanted to tell us that this was not what He had intended for us. He wanted to tell us how very much He loved us. But He lives in heaven, and we live on earth. How could He tell us so we would understand?

God found a way. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to become a man here on earth. Jesus would show us how much God loved us. And He did.

But Jesus did even more. God had told Him that He wanted to buy us back, that He wanted to redeem us from our sins. And Jesus offered to pay the price for us. The price was not money. He went to Calvary’s cross and shed His blood to pay the awful price that God required for the sins of every person who would trust in Him to be bought back. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). “Ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Would you like to be delivered from Satan’s prison of sin? All you need to do is believe that Jesus died on Calvary’s cross for your sins. He promises to redeem you and make you a child of God. Satan can never steal you again. God says, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

ML-02/22/1998

Lost - $2000

October in southeastern Idaho is the time for sugar-beet harvest. Sugar beets, which look like very large turnips, are used to make white sugar. The beet harvester digs the beets out of the ground and loads them into trucks. Then the trucks haul them to the beet dump. At the dump they are unloaded into great huge piles, waiting to be taken to the sugar company and cooked down into sugar. Harvest is a very busy time with everyone working hard to get the beets out before winter. Even the farmers’ wives help out by driving the trucks.

A young man named Jaime worked for one of the farmers. Near the beginning of harvest one of his jobs was to scrape the dirt road with a tractor to make it smooth for the trucks to drive on. That day he had put his wallet with $2000 cash inside into his back pocket. Most of us wouldn’t think of carrying that much money in our back pocket, especially out in the field on a tractor. Jaime probably wasn’t very wise to take his money to the field, but he had a reason for having that much money in his wallet.

Jaime had a brother-in-law in Mexico who wanted to build a house. He needed to borrow money, and Jaime had agreed to loan some to him. He had taken $2000 out of the bank and was going to exchange it for a money order which he could mail to Mexico. But while he was driving the tractor along the dirt road that day, his wallet fell out of his pocket and he didn’t know it.

Later that evening when he discovered that his wallet was missing, he was terribly upset. In thinking back over the day, he knew it must have fallen out on the dirt road. He spent all the next day searching along the three or four miles of road for his wallet. It was almost like looking for a needle in a haystack. He told the farmer he worked for what had happened and how anxious he was to find that money.

The farmer and his family were Christians and they had often prayed for Jaime, that he would realize that he was a sinner and needed the Saviour. They told Jaime that they would pray and ask the Lord Jesus to help him find his wallet. Every night after they came in from harvesting, they prayed about that wallet and, more importantly, that Jaime would find the true riches of faith in Christ that can never be lost.

Five days went by and no wallet was found. On the morning of the sixth day as the beet digger was loading one of the trucks, one of the main chains on the digger broke and got tangled up. It was a major breakdown and would take time to fix. The truck drivers all helped pick up the beets that had scattered on the ground and then stood around waiting until the beet digger was repaired.

It was a little chilly standing around, so two of the drivers, Liz and Kris, decided to take a brisk walk to warm up. They started down the dusty dirt road, talking together and enjoying the fresh crisp morning. After a while, they turned and walked back the other direction to stay fairly close to the trucks.

As they walked along, Kris saw something black in the dust that looked like a comb. She picked up the flat black object and brushed the dirt off and said to Liz, “Look at this! I wonder what it is?” Liz gasped and yelled, “You found the wallet that was lost!” And sure enough, when they opened it there was the thick wad of money inside.

What an exciting moment to find a valuable treasure half buried in the dusty road where the big trucks had driven for the last five days. They ran back to tell the others what they had found and share the excitement. Then the farmer and the truck drivers bowed their heads and gave thanks to God for the events that led the ladies’ steps right to the wallet.

Vince, one of the other drivers, took the wallet right over to Jaime who was in another field. Jaime was very happy to see his lost money again. Vince asked him if he would like to thank God for allowing his wallet to be found. Jaime answered that he didn’t know how to pray to God, so he asked Vince to pray for him. Jaime was amazed to hear someone speak so openly to God, so Vince told him that he, too, could go directly to God the Father and speak to Him and ask Him to cleanse his heart from sin. Jaime nodded and agreed that it might be a good idea.

We don’t know if Jaime has done this yet, but we hope he won’t put it off. It is the most important decision of his life and will assure him a treasure far more valuable than $2000 - one that can never be lost! “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). Letting God cleanse his heart from sin will assure him of a home in heaven with all its wonderful riches.

God showed Jaime that He cared for him by so small a thing as a found wallet, and now He has given Jaime the opportunity to accept His only Son as his Saviour. There is only one way to come to God and that is through the precious shed blood of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

ML-03/01/1998

Rescued With a Song

During World War II, Lieutenant Jack Richards was shot down in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. His plane sank almost as soon as it hit the water. Rolling over on his back, he floated for some time in his rubber suit, thankful that he had escaped without being injured. But for all he knew, he might be in enemy territory. Anyway, he knew he was stranded.

Darkness began to creep over the ocean, and Jack could just make out the wooded outlines of an island. He decided to swim to it. But distances were confusing, and he wondered if he could swim that far. Overhead he could see the star of the Southern Cross. Thoughts of home raced through his mind as he swam on. Ahead he could see the island dimly outlined by the moonlight. Jack prayed for strength and help, talking to that blessed One who was his Saviour and Lord.

It was after midnight when he reached the shore. He crawled into a cave and thanked God for helping him. Exhausted and hungry, he soon fell asleep.

In the morning he awakened to see the sun through the fringe of bushes. What would he find on the island? Well, he would soon know! Emerging from his “hotel room,” he looked around. Everything was still; the island was thick with trees and other brush.

Carefully, he slipped through the cover of the brush, feeling that he was being watched, but seeing no one. Toward noon he saw an open space ahead and approached more slowly. Then a bend in the path exposed a little building that looked like a little church. Throwing caution to the wind, Jack broke from cover and ran. He lifted the latch, and the door swung open. Sure enough, it was a little gospel hall. Kneeling down, he gave thanks to God for saving his life and asked Him for help and safety. Rising, he went back outside, closing the door behind him. He was startled to see at the edge of the clearing a large group of natives - men, women and children.

Connecting them in his mind with the gospel hall, Jack began to greet them with words and smiles and motions, only to be met with a stony silence. Puzzled to know what else to do since they did not understand English, he began to sing. He first tried “Amazing Grace,” but there was no response from the natives. He tried another, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” but the result was the same. Again he spoke to them, but there was not the slightest response. The natives watched every move he made. They did not seem to be hostile, just curious.

He decided to try one more song. He began a favorite childhood hymn that everyone knows, “Jesus Loves Me.” Instantly those faces came to life, rippling with smiles. By the time the first verse was finished Jack was almost overwhelmed by their friendliness. They brought him food and drink, and the next day helped him to return to his camp.

God’s care of Jack brought him to a place where he could be rescued by those who also loved his Saviour. Although they could not speak the same language, their hearts were the same, because of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7).

ML-03/08/1998

A Horse on I95

“There’s a horse on I95 headed south on the northbound lanes!” the police officer reported, calling in for additional help.

During the night a moose had rammed into the fence of Daisy’s pasture and knocked it to the ground. Daisy had escaped. The family who owned Daisy followed her tracks through the wet, mucky woods, across a stream and finally to the ditch that ran alongside the highway. But once Daisy got to the road she didn’t leave any tracks, so they were no longer able to follow her. Daisy’s owners then called the police for help to find her.

“Yes, we’ve got her,” the Police Department said. “It sure took a long time, but we finally managed to corral her at Pittsfield after she had backed up traffic for several miles.

Daisy had been on the loose without even a bridle on, so she was hard to catch. But finally a man who knew how to handle horses approached her with a bucket of oats and a halter. Daisy was hungry, and, like most horses, she loved oats. While she was eating the oats, the man was able to slip the halter over her head quite easily.

Many of us have spent time running through life unbridled. I remember not wanting anyone to limit my freedom by telling me what I could and couldn’t do. But one day someone who recognized that I was actually lost offered me living food for my empty soul. It only took one taste of that Bread of Life to know I wanted more. “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). I found that Jesus completely satisfies. He is the One who knew my wandering life of sin was empty and gave me His forgiveness and eternal life instead.

Jesus died on the cross so He could offer you forgiveness and eternal life, if you are willing to repent of your empty life of sin and turn to Him. I hope you will be as eager to accept God’s gift of love and feed on the Bread of Life as Daisy was to gobble up those oats.

ML-03/08/1998

What Do You Do First?

We were going through the book of Acts in my Sunday school class of children in the early grades. When we came to chapter six, in trying to explain what “daily ministrations” were I asked the class, “What do you do when you first get up in the morning?” Most of the children answered, “We get dressed.” A few said, “We eat breakfast.” But Brian sat quietly, shaking his head “no.” So I asked Brian, “What do you do?” And he said, “First we pray.”

What a sweet reminder of the really important things from a little eight-year-old.

ML-03/15/1998

Elephant Ride

Have you ever wanted to ride on an elephant? You might find it fun for a few minutes. However, we had to take a long trip on elephants one day, and we did not enjoy our elephant ride!

Sarah and I were missionaries in a country that used elephants for travel. We had just visited a new village some distance from where we lived, and now we were on the backs of two elephants, tramping through wet jungle on our way home. As we brushed wet leaves from our faces and caterpillars out of our hair and out from down our necks, we looked forward to getting home and having baths and sleeping in our own beds.

But our trip got worse. Soon we had sores at every spot where our bodies rubbed against the howdahs. Howdahs are the baskets we sat in on the elephants’ backs. Mosquitoes, flies of all sizes, and other insects of all kinds feasted on us, and we had many swollen, itchy and sore bites. Our elephant drivers lost their way through the “caterpillar” jungle, and we wandered around for a long time before they found the trail again.

Then it started to rain - not a gentle rain, but a tropical downpour with strong winds that blew our umbrellas inside out. We had to close them and put them beside us in the howdahs, and so we got drenched.

The downpour continued, and we could see that there were running streams of water in places where there had never been a watercourse before. And where there had been streams, they were now rivers. Finally we came to the last river we had to cross that day, not far from where we lived.

Usually this river was so shallow it didn’t even reach our knees. Now it was so deep that, if it hadn’t been moving so fast, I might have thought it had turned into a lake. The rocks and boulders were completely covered. I couldn’t guess how deep the water was, but one look at the faces of the elephant drivers and we knew we were in real trouble. Seeing the churning water carry huge clumps of bamboo and whole trees and logs, I could understand why they were frightened to cross it. And so were we.

Sarah was on a larger elephant than I was on, and she was terrified for me. She was right - I was in for trouble in the deep, rushing river. My smaller elephant plunged into that river, and the next thing I knew my howdah suddenly tipped over! Water poured over me . . . and then we were rightside up again, and the elephant was climbing out on the other side of the river. In that short time, we had been carried about 300 feet downriver from where Sarah’s elephant had climbed out of the water.

Have you ever been afraid of something? Perhaps you are afraid of a teacher, or a test, or a bully at school, or even of the dark. Maybe you have a serious illness and you are afraid to die. The Lord Jesus loves you and can carry you safely through whatever problem you face that scares you. King David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4). Death is probably the scariest thing any of us will ever face. But even that did not make King David afraid, because he knew the Lord loved him and was his Shepherd. And you can know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, as well as your Shepherd. The Lord Jesus died so that He could wash away your sins, making you His very own, and then take care of you in all of your problems, big or small. He tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 to “[cast] all your care upon Him; for He [cares] for you.”

As a Christian friend helped us down from our elephants, he was amazed that we had crossed that swollen river safely. He knew that the miracle that day was not that the elephants had crossed that flooded river. Elephants can swim and like water, but when an elephant swims it uses muscles that expand its stomach -right where the moldy ropes tie the howdah onto its back! The miracle was that the ropes holding my howdah had not broken as my elephant swam through that river.

And so, boys and girls, you never need to be afraid if you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. He is strong enough to carry you through any size problem that comes your way. All you need to do is ask Him to help you, and He will, because He loves you so much.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee”
(Psalm 56:3).

ML-03/15/1998

Under the Microscope

When I was in junior high school, my uncle invited me and some of my friends over to his house for supper. For dessert, among other things, was a plate of figs. Yum! Figs and dates and raisins are my favorite dried fruits.

While we were eating the figs, one of the boys said to my uncle, “We have been studying about bacteria at school. These figs are sweet and sticky. I wonder if we could see any bacteria on them if we looked at them through your microscope?”

Now I knew that moldy cheese, food gone bad and stagnant water all had bacteria, but I was sure dried figs wouldn’t have any.

My uncle said, “Let’s find out.” He brought his microscope out and adjusted it on the table. Then he shaved off a thin layer from the outside of the fig with a razor blade. We all watched closely as he carefully placed the shaving on a glass slide and slipped it in place under the powerful scope. After looking at it through the microscope for a minute or two he said, “Come and see for yourselves.”

When it was my turn to look I saw two or three things that were moving. “Ugh! Who would have thought there were bugs on those figs?” I said in disgust. They looked like bugs to me, but my uncle said they were bacteria.

“Now, what has the microscope done?” my uncle asked.

We all knew that it hadn’t done anything except open our eyes so we could see the actual condition of the figs.

“Hey, it’s better to know the truth than to be deceived,” he said. “But by the looks on your faces, I think you’d rather not know the truth so you could still enjoy the figs!”

I have never forgotten that evening, and I sometimes think the Bible is like a microscope for us, because it shows us the truth about everything. It exposes the true condition of our hearts and the true condition of the world in which we live.

One of the things the Bible tells us is that by nature our hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Then it tells us the other side of the truth. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If you believe both sides of the truth that God has told us in these verses and honestly receive them into your heart, you will be washed clean from all your sins. This makes you fit for the presence of God in heaven through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood shed on the cross.

Have you let God’s microscope expose the truth of what’s in your heart?

ML-03/22/1998

Just in Time!

The beautiful campgrounds in the California mountains were closed for the season and the summer’s visitors were gone. Only the ranger and his young family remained. He was still working on the trees, trimming and cutting them and getting the area ready for winter.

The weather was still warm, and the ranger was off working. His wife and two small children were sitting in the bright sunshine, enjoying the beautiful day. It was a full-time job for the mother keeping two-year-old Jimmy out of trouble and danger. Fearless, he would dart about, usually followed by big Sheba, the family’s German shepherd dog. She was their guard by day and night. There were many coyotes in the area, and even by five o’clock in the afternoon they could be seen slinking through the bushes. Perhaps only Sheba knew just how much she was needed.

One afternoon Jimmy ran off toward a small rise which had a sharp drop into a dry wash. His mother quickly jumped up to go after him, only to freeze with sudden fear. A mean, grey coyote had shot out from the brush in a hurtling charge at Jimmy. In an instant it would be too late! But it was not too late for Sheba! With magnificent strength and speed she cut off the coyote, and the two rolled in a snarling fight. Quickly, the coyote ran off . . . for that time. Perhaps he was old and needed an easy victim.

Yes, he would wait and watch for another chance, and to the patient hunter the chance comes. Satan, our powerful enemy, also waits with tricks and snares that can lure boys and girls into his trap. But the Lord Jesus loves you and wants to give you joy, peace and the blessings of your sins forgiven and a home in heaven. Satan, like the coyote, would like to drag you away into his evil world to crush and ruin you forever.

A day or two later Jimmy and Sheba were playing in and out of a large dry culvert that carried rain water under the road. Sheba streaked through the culvert with Jimmy chasing her. He had not come out on the other side yet when his mother saw, again too late to help, the same grey ball of fur hurtling for her son! Would Sheba see? Could she possibly cut off the coyote this time?

Sheba did see the coyote! Just like our blessed Lord Jesus not only sees and knows our need, but “in due time” (at just the right time) He came down to save us from sin and Satan. Sheba whirled and leaped! Again the fangs of Sheba and the enemy clashed, and not an instant too soon! Jimmy was safe.

Are you frightened to know that you are hunted by the most deadly enemy in the entire universe? Except for the power and work of the blessed Lord Jesus who loves you, you cannot escape from Satan. You and I have our own wills that love to sin and do just what Satan wants us to do. Now Sheba had to rescue Jimmy twice. But by one complete work, the Lord Jesus broke Satan’s power over us. That power is sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God will send those who die in their sins to the lake of fire with the devil and his angels (Revelation 20:15). Oh, pray that urgent prayer - “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Then believe that “faithful saying . . . Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

ML-03/22/1998

The Wall of Separation

In our kitchen we have two places on the walls above the counters that have square holes cut in them. The square pieces have been put back in, but the marks are still there. Sometimes people ask us what those holes were for and we tell them our story.

Ever since we moved into this house, our mother cats have found a way to get into the attic to have their babies. We never went up in the attic ourselves, because it was just a crawl space full of insulation. But the mother cats liked the attic. They would raise their little babies up there until they were old enough to follow them. Then they would bring them down to the big, outside world.

Last year one of the cats had another litter of kittens up in the attic. As I came into the kitchen one morning, I heard a faint mewing sound coming from the top cabinet. I opened it, but there was nothing there. This seemed a little strange, but I left the house and thought no more about it. The next day I heard the sound again and wondered what it could mean. When my husband came home from work, we listened carefully to the sound and finally decided that a baby kitten must have fallen down from the attic and was stuck inside the wall. We knew that the mother cat couldn’t do a thing about that kitten’s problem and that it would die if we left it there. But there was a wall separating us from rescuing that kitten.

We felt so sorry for that poor kitten, yet the only way we could help it was to cut a big, ugly hole in our kitchen wall. My husband got out his saw and carefully cut into the wall where we thought the kitten was stuck. Sure enough, when he pulled out the square piece of wall, there was the tiny newborn kitten right in the middle of the hole. I picked it up and tried to comfort it. My husband climbed up into the attic and brought down the mother cat and her babies. Then we put them in a cage so she couldn’t take them back to the attic.

After several days we let the mother cat out, and the next morning when I came into the kitchen I heard mewing again! The mother cat had taken the babies back to the attic and the same thing had happened, only this time it was in a different spot.

Again, we carefully cut another hole in the wall, and there sat a little kitten. Suddenly, we noticed a little paw sticking through the top corner of the hole and realized that there was another kitten stuck in there too. It was frantically wiggling its paw at us like it was trying to say, “Please, please, help me out of here!” We managed to pull it to safety too. This time, the hole to the attic was boarded up so that no cats can get in there again.

Now we have those marks on our wall to remind us of the rescue and salvation of those kittens. And I want to tell you about some other marks of rescue and salvation. You and I are helpless sinners, separated from God by a wall of our sins. There is not one way that we can rescue ourselves from our sin. That is why we need a Saviour. The Son of God, at great cost to Himself, bore our sins in His own body so that the wall of sin could be taken away. He died so that we could live. Why did He do that for us? It was because He loved us so much that He didn’t want us to die in our lost and helpless condition. Our Saviour is the Lord Jesus Christ, and in John 3:16 we see the reason that He rescued us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As those kittens grew up, we liked to cuddle them and play with them. One of the kittens was so sweet and loving; it was a real pet. But the other kitten wasn’t very nice. It was wild and mean, and when we tried to pet it, it would run away. It didn’t seem very grateful to us for saving its life. Sadly, when we don’t accept the Lord Jesus as our Deliverer, we are treating Him the same way. He died to save each one of us, and when we accept Him as our Saviour we are set free. When we see Him in heaven, we will see the marks of our salvation in His blessed hands and feet and side, and we will thank Him forever.

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

ML-03/29/1998

Being Thankful

The “suppertime” call rang out and Nathan and Grandpa took their places at the table. Grandma’s homemade bread and other goodies met Nathan’s bright eyes as he folded his hands and waited . . . and waited. Though Grandpa was hungry too, he was adjusting his knife and fork and plate as he finished a little conversation with Grandma.

The wait was too long for hungry Nathan, so he put his little hand on Grandpa’s arm and said, “Say grace, Grampy, say grace.” So with their heads bowed, Grandpa thanked God for His love in giving Jesus to die on the cross and for the food that He had again provided for them, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grandpa’s prayer had especially pleased Nathan, so when eyes opened he looked up at his grandpa with a satisfied smile and said, “The Lord Jesus loves that!”

What a truth and lesson we have from a three-year-old. The Lord Jesus does love to hear our thankfulness for everything He has provided for us. Salvation from our sins through His precious blood is, of course, the greatest. But our food, health and safety are included in His daily care for us, too. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

ML-03/29/1998

One Slip

Friend,

As you enjoy this
mountain, this world, your life,
remember that one slip may
have permanent consequences.

These words are engraved on a memorial stone at the top of Mt. Erie in the state of Washington.

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday in September. We had driven up a steep, narrow, winding road to the summit of Mt. Erie and were enjoying the view. Islands and waterways could be seen in the distance, and right below us we could see tiny farmhouses, patchwork fields and a small lake.

One side of the mountain had a steep, rocky cliff that dropped off sharply below the lookout point where we stood. We held five-year-old Paul firmly by the hand, and the two older children were told to stay back from the edge.

How tempting it was for the children to creep closer to the edge for a better look down, to see what was on the other side of that big rock!

In our lives we sometimes come to decisions and situations that we know are dangerous. We can be tempted to see how close we can get without getting in trouble. It may be running with the wrong crowd at school or reading bad things - Satan knows our weaknesses. But God’s Word, the Bible, gives us all good advice: “Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15).

As we returned to our car from the lookout point on Mt. Erie, we paused to read the inscription on the memorial stone. Next to the engraved picture of a 13-year-old boy named Jonathan Glass were these words:

Due to a fall on Mt. Erie
August 26, 1992,
I was changed in an instant
from mortal to immortal.

Three Marines who were
rock climbing tried to revive me
but to no avail, for I had already
been transported to God’s
perfect place, on eagles’ wings.

This boy’s family, although sad at their loss, knew that their son had put his trust in Jesus, the Son of God. When Jonathan died, he was taken to be with his blessed Saviour.

His family wanted Jonathan’s death to be a warning to others to be careful on the mountain. But more importantly, they hoped that all who read that marble monument would come to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, as Jonathan had. And so the memorial stone carried one last message at the bottom:

“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten
Son [the Lord Jesus Christ],
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have
everlasting life” (John 3:16).

It was a quiet and sober drive back down Mt. Erie as we thought about the message we had just received - be careful, but be ready. Are you ready to meet God if your life should end today? All who have trusted in Jesus are waiting to hear His call to come up to heaven to be with and like Him forever. “Be ye therefore ready” (Luke 12:40).

ML-04/05/1998

Pepper

We live next door to a family with five children and a dog named Pepper. He is a friendly little dog who enjoys playing with the children. But even though Pepper is friendly and has a happy home, he once had a bad habit. He chased cars. It was this bad habit that got him into trouble one day.

It was winter and Pepper was chasing a car when he slipped on a patch of ice. As he fell his long tail got caught in the back bumper of the car and was badly mangled. His owners took him to the vet who cleaned up and treated his other cuts and bruises. But Pepper’s long tail was in such bad shape that it had to be removed.

Pepper’s five little owners were terribly upset. Poor Pepper! How would he ever get along without his tail? But it did not seem to bother him. He was just as friendly as always. However, there was one thing that had changed -Pepper did not chase cars anymore. He learned his lesson.

We can all learn a lesson from Pepper. We all have problems or sadness. Often the Lord Jesus uses these to make us stop and think. Is there a bad habit we have that God does not like? Are we “chasing” after something that is not pleasing to the Lord?

When problems come up, the first thing to do is go to the Lord Jesus in prayer about them. He sometimes has something to teach us, and He will help us to learn. If we are willing to learn the lesson, then we will be happy in the sunshine of His love. Pepper did not worry about living without his tail, and we do not need to worry about tomorrow either. How good it is to be able to take everything to God in prayer and ask Him to help us and guide us.

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

ML-04/05/1998

Different Directions

As the children tumbled out of the van, the sun was shining on the lake, making the little ripples sparkle invitingly.

“Can we go out in the boats?” the children asked excitedly.

“You sure can,” their parents answered.

Soon all six of the little boats were inflated and manned by the children, eager to be off on some new adventure. Mom was in one boat, taking the youngest children for a ride one at a time. As she came back toward the shore to drop off one child and pick up another, she noticed that Jeannie and Roberta were going round and round in circles in their little boat. The problem was that Roberta wanted to return to the shore while Jeannie wanted to go to the other side of the lake, and so they were paddling against each other. Round and round they went, but they weren’t going anywhere. Sometimes they were laughing, sometimes grumbling. All the time they were paddling hard, but they weren’t making any headway because they were paddling in different directions.

Has your life ever been like that? If you have confessed to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner and let Him wash away your sins and become the Lord of your life, you are one of His disciples. It’s as though you are in a boat with Him. But there’s one big difference between you and the Lord Jesus in your boat and Roberta and Jeannie in their boat. You know that the direction the Lord Jesus wants to take is the right way, because He is God and He knows what is best for each person.

Several places in the Bible we read about the Lord Jesus being in a boat with His disciples. One time He had been busy teaching and healing sick people all day long. Now it was evening and He was very tired. “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake,” He said to His disciples. So when they had sent the people away, they all got into a little ship together and Jesus went to sleep. They hadn’t been sailing very long when the wind began blowing violently and the waves washed over the ship until it was filled with water. But the Lord Jesus kept right on sleeping on a pillow in the back of the boat.

“Wake up! Wake up!” His disciples cried to the Lord. “Don’t you care that we’re all going to drown?”

The Lord Jesus got up at once and rebuked the wind and commanded the sea to be silent and still. Immediately the wind stopped blowing and the sea became calm.

Sometimes as you are paddling your boat across the sea of life, you may feel that the Lord Jesus doesn’t seem to care what’s happening, that you need to cry to Him to wake up. But it was He who had told the disciples to sail over to the other side of the lake, and He fully intended them to get there even though there were difficulties on the way. So He asked them, “Why are you so frightened? How come you have no faith?”

Then they were afraid and said to each other, “What kind of man is this that even the wind and sea obey Him?” That’s a good question, and the answer is that He is God. John 1:1 says, “The Word was God,” and verse 14 says, “The Word was made flesh [Jesus], and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Are you trusting the Lord Jesus for your salvation and following His direction? Or are you trying to paddle in a different direction than He chooses? He is always worthy to be trusted, and if you trust Him and follow His direction, He will take you safely to the other side (heaven), even though there may be storms along the way.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

APRIL 12, 1998

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”
John 10:27-28

ML-04/12/1998

Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed that part of the memory verse is in darker type? We’ll explain why.

We are happy that many of you learn these verses every week. Memorizing God’s holy Word is very important. Can you think of some reasons why? One very important reason is given to us in Psalm 119:11. It says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” If a verse has been learned, the Lord Jesus can bring it into your mind just when you need it most - to help you do or say what is right and what will please Him. And learning the gospel verses will help you to tell others about God’s love and how to be saved from their sins.

Some of you children probably learn these verses by yourselves. Some of you younger ones may have someone help you learn them. Perhaps there are some very young children who are only able to learn part of the verse each week. Since our memory verse this week is longer, we have printed in darker type a part for beginners to learn. We try to do this each time we have a longer verse.

We hope this will encourage everyone, even the very young, to memorize Scripture.

Bogus the Sheep Dog

Bogus was a sheep dog that worked on a large sheep ranch in Montana many years ago. Puppies born on sheep ranches are trained from a young age to obey the herder and to guard the sheep at all times.

When Bogus was six months old, he had the looks of a fine sheep dog - smart, strong and eager to please his master. He was given to a herder to train at a sheep camp in the mountains, far from the home ranch.

This herder turned out to be cruel and mean. Another herder who worked for the ranch, named Sandy, found out about it. Sandy’s sheep camp had been near to Bogus’s camp all winter, and the dog had shown up several times whimpering with a rope around its neck. Something was wrong.

Sandy asked the boss if he could trade dogs with the cruel herder. The boss said yes, so Bogus became Sandy’s dog. This made the other herder angry, and he quit working for that ranch.

Sandy won the dog’s trust and love slowly. Bogus worked hard and took good care of Sandy’s sheep until one day when a bear came into the herd. Sandy got his gun and fired a shot at the bear. Frightened by the gunshot, Bogus took off into the hills, leaving the sheep to scatter. He didn’t come back for a whole day. Sandy lost two lambs to the bear that day.

Sandy remembered finding an old bullet wound on Bogus’s hip which had proved Sandy’s fear that the other herder had shot at the dog. But a gun-shy dog is no use as a sheep dog. He can’t be depended on, so Sandy had to get a new dog. The boss was planning to get rid of Bogus, but when Bogus saw the gun, he ran away again.

Many people don’t see that they are under Satan’s power. Those that do see can’t free themselves. God wants “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18). The victory over Satan has already been won at Calvary’s cross. “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

All summer, as Sandy herded his sheep in the mountain pastures, he saw signs that Bogus was around, but he caught a glimpse of him only once.

One day, the flock startled a mother bear and her cubs in a high mountain meadow. One of Sandy’s dogs unwisely chased a cub, which made the mother bear angry. She chased the dog, which turned and headed straight for the sheep! Sandy quickly fired his gun at the bear. She turned and started toward him.

Sandy ran forward to take closer aim, but he tripped and fell. The gun was knocked from his hands. He shut his eyes as the huge bear came charging on. Suddenly, he heard a familiar bark and snarl and looked up to see Bogus hurtling his body toward the mother bear! They fought, snarling, biting and clawing, each getting bloody wounds and gashes. Sandy reached for his gun and shot the bear.

Bogus tried to get up and come to Sandy but couldn’t because of his injuries. Sandy went to him and Bogus licked his hand, even while he still held the gun!

This story has a happy ending. The dog’s wounds soon healed and he worked for Sandy on into his old age, cured forever of the fear of guns that had made him useless earlier. We can see how the love that Bogus had for his master Sandy overcame his fear of guns and of his old cruel master. I’m sure the love between Bogus and Sandy was stronger than ever, after the dog proved his loyalty and saved Sandy’s life.

And your life can be happy and have a happy ending too. Once you accept God’s love and let Him take away your burden of sin and fear, you will want to please Him and serve Him forever. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear. . . . We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:1819).

ML-04/19/1998

The Only Way

Tony was looking for an old friend. When he got near where his friend lived, he stopped to ask someone how to get to his friend’s house. The man giving him directions lived in the area. After receiving the directions to his friend’s house, Tony asked, “Is that the best way?” The man who gave him the directions answered, “That is the ONLY way.”

Boys and girls, there is no other way to heaven except through the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned,” and “that through this man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38). If you and I are going to be in heaven, it must be through faith in one Person, the Lord Jesus, and the blood He shed on Calvary’s cross. We must open our hearts to receive Him as our very own Saviour. The Bible tells us this is the ONLY way to heaven. Jesus said, “I am THE way” (John 14:6).

The good news of the gospel must be believed, and God expects us to believe what He says. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures . . . He was buried, and . . . He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:34). Do you believe what God says about the way to heaven? You must if you want to be in that happy place where we all want to go. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

ML-04/19/1998

Wrong Identification

When my wife and I got to the airport for a flight to Philadelphia, we headed to the check-in desk. We had bought our tickets several weeks earlier, and with the ticket came a statement that picture identification would be required at check-in. In most cases a driver’s license is all that is needed. When we arrived at the check-in desk, the ticket agent looked over my ticket and asked for my identification. Knowing the requirement, I already had my wallet out to show him my driver’s license.

The alert ticket agent looked very closely at my ticket and at the driver’s license I handed him. Then he said, “I need identification with the same name as the one on the ticket.” I stood there not understanding what the problem was until he showed me the name on the license. It came as quite a shock to me that it was not my license. I was carrying another man’s driver’s license! The ticket agent called his supervisor over. After some discussion and checking my wife’s driver’s license and seeing that her last name was the same as mine, the supervisor made the decision to let me board the plane.

The man whose driver’s license I was carrying had gone to the county jail with me two weeks earlier to preach the gospel to the prisoners. Before we could enter that part of the jail where the prisoners were, we were required to leave our driver’s licenses with an employee at the front desk. My friend went to the women’s section of the jail and I went to the men’s section. When time came for us to leave, the jail employee who returned our licenses accidentally made the switch. Because the two of us looked something alike and because we left at different times, the mistake made by the jail employee was understandable.

Have you ever had to show identification to enter a certain place? Perhaps where you work you have to show your identification badge before going in. Some high schools require their students to carry school identification cards at all times. There is another place where everyone, even boys and girls, must have necessary identification before entering. That is heaven. And God tells us in the Bible what is necessary.

The precious blood of the Lord Jesus shed on Calvary’s cross has the power to cleanse us from our sins. The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Only those who believe this and receive Him as their Saviour have their sins washed away. This is the necessary identification to enter heaven.

The very worst thing that could have happened to me at the airport with the wrong identification would have been that I could not get on the plane. But anyone who passes from this life still in their sins will never enter heaven. The Bible tells of some who will arrive at heaven’s gate who feel their good works outweigh their sins and that should let them in. But the Lord Jesus will have to tell them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). How awful it will be to be turned away and to face an eternity apart from Christ in hell.

The Lord Jesus loves you and offers you free salvation. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). He also said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). You can have the necessary identification for entering heaven simply by believing in your heart that Christ died for your sins and accepting Him as your very own Saviour.

Have you done this? Don’t put it off!

ML-04/26/1998

Purple Crayon Stains

When Nancy opened the clothes dryer she found purple all over the clothes. Somehow she had overlooked a purple crayon that had been left in Nathan’s pocket when she did the wash. What a mess! Purple crayon had melted in splotches all over that dryer load of light-colored clothes. What could she do?

Sin has made a mess of our hearts too. It has left a red stain on everything that we do.

Nancy called a friend and asked, “How can I get rid of these purple crayon stains?” And we have a Friend who knows all about the red sin stains on our hearts. This Friend loves us and would like nothing better than to wash those stains away in His precious blood and make us clean and happy. Won’t you call on that Friend, the Lord Jesus Christ? He loves you more than any earthly friend ever could. Will you let Him wash away those stains of sin from your heart?

It took Nancy a long time and a lot of work to get all those purple crayon stains out of those clothes. But the Lord Jesus will take all your sins and their stains away the minute you call on Him. He did all the work necessary long ago on Calvary’s cross when He bore all the judgment of God against sin. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

ML-04/26/1998

Able to Save

The big plane shook as if it were angry. Andy held the sides with a firm grip as he moved toward the escape hatch. It was just ahead. Some of the thick smoke was being pulled outside by the rushing wind.

The blazing fire lit up the inside, but outside it was a cold and black night over France. Fighter planes and bombers had been fighting for hours. Andy’s soaring Lancaster bomber had been hit, and it was out of control and going down. Andy was in trouble.

Maybe you know somebody who is in trouble because he or she is still lost in their sins. Are you one? or will you give them this paper to read so they will know the way of escape? “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

The engines that were still working roared. Suddenly above the roar Andy heard banging at the back of the big bomber. Somebody was calling for help! As he strained to see through the smoke, the orange flames lit up the frightened face of his friend. He was the rear gunner and he was trapped in his seat by a broken door.

Andy never hesitated. He went back to help, crawling through the fierce danger of fire and smoke. I wonder at the amazing heroism of Andy Mynarski. He was one of 13 Canadians who won the Victoria Cross for valor in World War II.

His story reminds me of how the Lord Jesus came into our unfriendly and sinful world. He came for one reason - to be the Saviour for sinners. He knew what He would have to do and what would happen. There were no surprises. He knew He would die on a cruel cross, bearing the punishment for sinners. But He never hesitated. Do you wonder what made Him do it? It was His deep, deep love for you and me. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son [Jesus] to be the propitiation [full remedy] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

The trapped gunner and Andy fought with the broken door. As the fire burned closer the gunner motioned him away. “Save yourself,” he yelled, as the doomed plane rushed toward the dark ground.

With his clothes on fire, Andy stood in the escape hatch and paused to salute his friend. Then he jumped out. What sorrow must have filled his heart. He had suffered much, yet he could not save his friend. He was so helpless and unable. He had the love and desire to save, but not the power.

Have you ever read the wonderful words of Hebrews 7:25 about the Lord Jesus? “HE IS ABLE . . . to save them to the uttermost [completely] that come unto God by Him.” These are words of victory. They plead with us to turn to Him with our dark burden of sin and its awful, eternal results.

Poor Andy was unable to save his friend, or himself. He was severely burned and died shortly after parachuting to the ground. His friend survived the crash of the bomber, but was taken prisoner.

We are touched by this story of love unto death. But the Saviour gave His life that we might live. Not only has He loved us, but He has the power to save us right now and for all eternity. He cannot fail.

Your burden of sin is not too great for Jesus. He did not save Himself but died to save us. He took the blame and punishment for our sins so that we might be forgiven. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Will you let Him save you?

ML-05/03/1998

There Is No "If"

Tommy and his mother were looking at a children’s book of Bible stories. The story about Noah had a big picture called, “Noah Entering the Ark,” which was very interesting to Tommy. He could see the animals, birds and Noah and his family going into the ark. His mother explained that they were all escaping to safety from the flood that God was going to use to punish the people on the earth.

“What if the ark had wrecked and sunk?” asked Tommy. “Then everybody in the world would have been drowned!”

“That couldn’t happen, because God was in control,” his mother answered. Then putting her arm around Tommy she added, “There is no IF, Tommy, when God says ‘should not perish’ in the Bible verse, John 3:16, that you know.”

Tommy repeated the verse slowly, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

“God means what He says in that verse, Tommy,” Mother continued. “If you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and take Him as your Saviour, you will be safe, just like Noah, his family and all the animals that were in the ark. There is no IF, Tommy.”

How true this is! God says to all who trust in Him that they shall have “everlasting life,” or as it says in another verse - they “shall be saved.” It is also true the opposite way. To those who choose not to believe, Psalm 1:6 says they shall perish. There is no IF about that either.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

ML-05/03/1998

The Bag of Candy

John had just come home from the store where he had bought a bag of candy. How good it looked! He popped one in his mouth, then set the bag on the kitchen table and ran outside to play.

Soon John’s little brother, Steve, came into the kitchen. He saw the bag sitting on the table. He looked inside and then looked around to see if anyone was watching. Nope, there was no one around. He quickly took the bag to his bedroom and closed the door.

Now, where will I eat it? he wondered. Then he had an idea. He crawled under the bed covers and started eating the candy.

Boys and girls, do you know that there is One who is watching you every minute? There is no place you can go that will hide you from God, not even hiding under the bed covers. “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13). The Bible also says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Have you ever taken any candy that wasn’t yours or maybe some money or something else from your brother or sister? Or maybe it was a cookie out of the cookie jar. Perhaps no one else knows about that secret sin. But the Lord Jesus knows about it. And it makes Him sad when you sin, but He still loves you. He wants you to confess to Him that you are a sinner and believe that He took your punishment on the cross for your many, many sins.

Soon John came back into the kitchen from playing and noticed his bag of candy was gone. He looked around for it and then yelled, “Hey, where’s my candy?”

His mother came into the kitchen, and they both began looking around for the missing bag. She happened to notice that Steve’s bedroom door was closed. She decided to check it out.

She knocked and then went into the room with John right behind her. What do you think they saw? A great big hump under the bed covers! Pulling them back, she found a very guilty-looking little boy. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Steve gave back what was left of the candy, and then he had to be punished for stealing.

The Bible says that “stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell” (Proverbs 9:17-18). Your sins will take you to hell unless you come to Jesus and confess to Him that you are a sinner and let Him wash your sins away. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

Will you come to Jesus right now?

MAY 10, 1998

ML-05/10/1998

Middle of the Road

Early Monday morning I went to the bank shortly after it opened. There was only one teller’s window open, and there was only one customer at that window. I took my place in line behind her. Since she had three bank bags of money to deposit, there was a little wait in line. Just to pass the time I said, “You must have had a good sales weekend.”

The lady turned around and said, “Hello,” and called me by name. I was surprised and had to ask who she was. She informed me that her children had gone to school where I had been a teacher and that her boys had been in my class.

Upon learning her boys’ names, I didn’t remember them. I explained that they must have been somewhere in “the middle of the road” of the thousands of students I had taught over many years. The very good students or those whose behavior was very bad are the ones most teachers remember.

Now, it’s not bad to be in “the middle of the road” when it comes to school, but there isn’t any “middle of the road” when it comes to where each of us will spend eternity after we leave this life. The Bible tells us there are only two roads, and it explains where each road ends. One is wide and the other is narrow: “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. . . . Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Many of you boys and girls have been taught about these two roads. We all began our lives on the broad road. The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Each one of us has been born a sinner and has practiced sin from a very young age. This puts us on the broad road that leads to destruction - the place of suffering called hell. The only good thing about the broad road is that you don’t have to stay on it; there is enough room to turn around.

Turning around on the broad road is what it means to repent - to be sorry for your sins. Believing you are a sinner and believing that the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for your sins on the cross turns you around on the broad road and places you on the narrow road that leads to life - to heaven.

If you are still on that broad road, won’t you turn around and accept that wonderful gift of God’s love? “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

ML-05/10/1998

A Fifth-Grade Kindness

The students in Mr. Rich’s fifth-grade class wanted to do something kind.

“That’s very nice,” said Mr. Rich, “but just what type of kind deed would you like to do?”

Several of the students had suggestions. Some were impractical, some were too expensive and some were too difficult. Then one of the students came up with another idea: “Maybe we could save an animal from the shelter for unwanted or stray pets.”

“Yes! Yes!” they all agreed. “It would be a good thing to save a puppy from being put to death just because no one wanted it. We could care for it and give it a home.”

Mr. Rich wasn’t sure how this would work out. He knew the father of one of his students was a veterinarian, so Mr. Rich called him to talk to him about what the class wanted to do.

“That’s very interesting,” said the father. “I have recently had a request from a nursing home that would like a pet for their residents. If your students are willing to adopt an animal for the nursing home, I’ll go to the animal shelter and see what I can find.”

When the vet visited the shelter, he found a cute little brown and white puppy. He took the puppy home with him for a few days. He wanted to see if it would be a suitable pet for older people. He quickly discovered the little dog had the qualities necessary for a nursing home pet. The puppy was energetic and friendly, lovable, but not yipping and yapping all the time.

You and I can understand that that puppy needed to be adopted; it needed a new home. Most of you children are cared for by someone who loves you, and maybe you don’t understand that, just like that homeless puppy, we still each need to be adopted too. We need to be adopted into God’s family. Because you and I are sinners, we face punishment for our sins. The Bible says, “As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men [everyone], for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). But God has wonderful news for you and me. Even though we are sinners, God still loves us and wants to save us from that eternal punishment. He sent His beloved Son Jesus down to earth to pay all the expenses of adopting us. He died on the cross so that we could have our sins washed away. And when you and I let the Lord Jesus wash our sins away, we become His sons and daughters; we are adopted into His family. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon [given] us, that we should be called the sons [and daughters] of God” (1 John 3:1).

The students loved the little puppy and named him Boo. Each one brought whatever money they could to pay for Boo’s license, food, dishes and whatever else he needed.

Finally the day came when Boo was to move to the nursing home. The happy students lugged in two 50pound bags of dog food, dog dishes, a bed and Boo himself and formally presented him to the residents. All the residents and the nurses loved Boo.

But the job wasn’t finished. Each year the children in Mr. Rich’s class would all go to visit Boo and the residents and to present them with additional food and anything more that Boo needed. He was a happy dog and brought a lot of joy to a lot of people in that nursing home for many years.

And how thankful you and I can be that once we become part of God’s family by having our sins washed away, not only will we be very happy, but He will provide everything we need in this life here on earth and also for our future happiness in heaven. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Will you let the Lord Jesus wash your sins away so that you can become part of God’s happy, adopted family?

ML-05/17/1998

Caribou

During winter when the snow becomes deep, some of the larger animals that do not hibernate (sleep through the winter) often have difficulty finding enough food to eat. In Canada where this occurs with the caribou herds during most winters, the Canadian Air Force will help by hauling hay for the caribou to eat. Once the herds are located, planes loaded with bales of hay will fly near them and drop these bales for them.

A pilot reported that he was hauling hay to a large herd stranded in deep snow in an area 400 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Many of the caribou were lying down, because they were too weak to stand. When the hay was dropped they could not even get up to eat. As the pilot circled the herd he saw a strange sight. Several of the stronger caribou walked over to the hay, picked some up in their mouths, and carried it to the weak and dying animals. They laid the hay down close enough so that the caribou who could not get up could reach it.

What a good lesson this is for each of us in being kind to others. Every kind act we do for others, if it is done to please the Lord Jesus, will be rewarded by Him. The Lord Jesus says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40).

“I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Have you done something kind to please the Lord Jesus?

ML-05/17/1998

A Serious Mistake

While I was serving with the 25th Infantry Division in South Vietnam in 1968, I made a mistake which almost took my life.

One night the army tanks stopped in a large field of tobacco plants. The tanks were arranged in a big circle pointing outward with the infantry soldiers in foxholes in front of the tanks. In this way the tanks could protect the soldiers from the enemy, and the soldiers could protect the tanks from rockets.

The guard schedule was set up, and I was on first guard duty. We settled in for the night. It was a clear night with no noises to disturb the stillness. The huge silhouettes of the tanks loomed comfortingly behind us, and I leaned back and relaxed.

Toward the end of my guard time, I decided to make a bed of the large tobacco leaves which were all around. I found that the broad leaves fit nicely into the ground furrows and made a perfect bed. This was going to be a comfortable night! As I was just finishing my bed, I heard a noise behind me and turned around to see one of the tank crew sitting on a tank with his automatic rifle pointed right at me! With horror I realized that he had mistaken me for an enemy soldier! Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he realized that I was an American and scolded me for moving away from my position. How thankful I am that God spared my life that night by not allowing the soldier to shoot. And how thankful I am that He also saved me from my sins and gave me everlasting life soon after that happened.

You see, I soon realized another mistake I had made in my life. I had been trying to make a comfortable place in life without getting right with God about my sins. God had sent His Son to die for my sins, and I simply ignored Him and tried to enjoy life in the darkness of my sins. When I realized that death and judgment for me could be right around the corner, I accepted the great salvation that God lovingly offers to every person. Now I am safe forever, because my sins are gone.

Jesus will be coming back soon to take to heaven all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour. Don’t make the greatest mistake of all by neglecting God’s salvation. Something worse than a rifle is pointed at you. It is judgment for your sins. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

ML-05/24/1998

Joe the Fireman

Joe is a volunteer fireman in the little town of Willow, Alaska. Many little towns don’t have a regular fire department. Instead, men who live and work in the town volunteer to take training in fighting fires. When a call comes in reporting a fire, a siren blows in town that calls the firemen. The men leave their jobs and go to the fire as fast as they can.

One night the siren blew in Willow, calling the volunteer firemen. A house was on fire. Joe and Nick, another volunteer fireman, hurried to the garage to get the fire truck. As soon as they got to the house that was burning, they unreeled the big water hose and ran inside with it.

The smoke was so thick that they couldn’t see anything. They had to feel their way carefully.

While Joe was holding the hose he thought he heard someone call for help. He wasn’t sure because of the noise of the big hose spraying water. Then he heard the call again. This time he went to see.

Joe didn’t know that another fireman besides Nick was in the house. Jeff had come in through a window in another room. He was checking to make sure that the people who lived in the house weren’t still inside.

Joe headed to where he thought the call had come from. He still couldn’t see because of the thick smoke, but his foot hit against something. He bent down and discovered it was his friend Jeff ! A big box had fallen on the young volunteer. Joe lifted the heavy box off Jeff, but Jeff was hurt and couldn’t move. Joe hurried for help to carry him out of the burning house.

Jeff knew he was in serious trouble when the heavy box fell on him. He knew he was hurt, and he knew he needed help. He was smart; he called to Joe.

Other people are in serious trouble too, but they aren’t as smart as Jeff. They won’t call for help. They aren’t in a burning building, but they are in a world full of sin, and God says one day He is going to burn it up. God warns us in the Bible that only those who call on Him will be saved. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Joe cared enough for Jeff that he ran for help. They got Jeff out and took him to a hospital. And God loves sinners so very much that He sent His Son Jesus to rescue all who will call to Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The next day when the fire chief went to investigate, he found that the big heavy box that had fallen on Jeff was actually a freezer full of fresh moose meat. A moose can weigh 1200 pounds or more, and a freezer full of moose meat would be much too heavy for a man to lift. But God gave Joe the strength to lift that heavy freezer.

Years ago Joe realized he was a sinner and he called to the Lord Jesus to save him from his sins. God has been helping Joe ever since.

Do you realize you are a sinner in serious trouble? God loves you and wants to save you from your sins. You only need to call.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee” (Psalm 50:15).

ML-05/24/1998

An Old Lump of Rock

For years the little stream had played the same soothing sounds. Tumbling over the rocks, it ran under the bridge in the woods. The people in the nearby town had passed the little stream many times.

Often a poor man also passed by. A frayed and shabby bag was slung over his bent back. It held the few vegetables he would try to sell in town.

He usually walked by, greeting the stream as an old friend. Sometimes he sang along with it. But this day he stopped and looked into the water.

That old lump of a rock is what I need, he thought. It looked a little different. The color was a little odd. He had glanced at it a hundred times before but had never stopped to really look at it. But this day he realized it was just the right size to hold his weathered door open on the hot afternoons of August in North Carolina.

It was some time later that a geologist passing by saw the rock, right there at his door. It actually was more than a doorstop. It was the biggest lump of gold ever found east of the Rockies! But it had sat unweighed and only valued as a lowly doorstop at the poor man’s door.

Many people had passed by it for years, seeing no value in it. The poor man had given it only a slight value - as a doorstop. But its real value was always there and never changed. While the gentle stream washed its rough but priceless features, or while it sat daily by the old man’s door, its real and unvalued worth was the same.

Years ago the Lord Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do [people] say that I am?” (Mark 8:27). They answered Him that some thought He was John the Baptist and others thought He was one of the old prophets. But Jesus asked them again, “Whom say ye that I am?” Simon Peter quickly answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:1416).

Today some people think of Him as a poor man from Galilee, just a carpenter. Some see a wise and good prophet and stop to hear a few words. Some see a good man and get nothing more from Him than the example of His life. In many hearts He is like the rock by the door, completely undervalued.

You see, He was God, come into this world as a man. Yes, He was a carpenter, but remember He also created the world and the solar system by speaking the words. He was also the One who had inspired all the other prophets before Him, and they wrote about how He would be born and live and die for sinners.

Take a closer look; read the Gospel of John. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). He also said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).

Are you using Him as a lowly, nearly worthless doorstop? Have you been overlooking the GOLD? He died on the cross for you because He loves you and wants to save you from your sins. Will you accept Him as your very own Saviour?

ML-05/31/1998

Eddie's Clock

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock.

All was quiet in the big country house. Even the grown-ups had all gone to bed. No sound of any kind could be heard anywhere, except the steady tick, tock, tick, tock of the old grandfather clock downstairs.

Eddie sat up in bed and looked around him. I don’t like this quiet, he thought. It feels like there is no one else in the whole world but me.

Suddenly Eddie heard a little different noise downstairs.

What’s that? he wondered.

Tick, tock, then more slowly, tick . . . . . . . . . tock, then tick . . . tick . . . tick. This was followed by a whirrrrrr, a thud, and then . . . silence!

For a few moments Eddie did not move a muscle. What had happened? He could feel the silence. That friendly tick-tock of the grandfather clock which he had heard his whole life had stopped!

Through the stillness there seemed to come to Eddie another sound - regularly it beat, tick, tick, tick, tick. This held his attention and he strained his ears to listen. Then he became aware of a little thump going on inside himself, and he put his hand over his chest.

“It’s in my chest!” he said out loud. “It’s my own heart beating, and it sounds just like a clock!” Eddie lay down again and began to think.

Has that grandfather clock got a heart too? I wonder . . . it ticks just like I do, only louder, because it is bigger than I am. It has ticked for seven years . . . Daddy told me . . . and now it has stopped. I must have ticked for seven years too. Will my heart stop ticking? What will happen if it does? I guess I’ll die. What will happen then?

Quite suddenly, Eddie began to think about sin. He knew that he had never let the Lord Jesus wash his heart clean from sin and make it white as snow. He knew that sometimes he disobeyed and did things that were wrong. And he also knew that the Lord Jesus had said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). He seemed to hear a still, small voice saying, “Eddie, if you want to know that some day when your heart stops beating you will come to live with Me in heaven, you must come to Me now and confess that you are a sinner. I love you and will forgive you and wash your sins away.”

Without waiting another moment Eddie got out of bed, and in the quiet stillness of the night, kneeling beside his bed, he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour.

From that happy moment he never doubted that when his heart stopped beating he would enter heaven, which the Lord Jesus has prepared for all who trust in Him.

“What must I do to be saved? . . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3031).

What will happen to you when your heart stops beating?

ML-05/31/1998

The Stolen Bible

“Mother! I won a prize!” exclaimed John, and running in the door he showed her his new Bible. It had a black cover, gold-edged pages and inside was written,

John Harrison
A prize for good conduct and
attention to learning
From Langford Sunday School

John and his mother lived more than 100 years ago in England, near the ocean. His father had been a fisherman but lost his life when John was very small. John and his mother were so poor that at the age of 12 he had to look for a job. Because there was no work near home, he decided to look for a job on a ship. So his mother packed up his clothes in a bundle, and he put his Bible in his pocket. “Be sure to read a chapter every morning and night as you have always done with me,” his mother said. “Do not let your shipmates’ example or scoffs keep you from doing this. Good-bye and God bless you.”

John promised to obey, and after a prayer that God would guard him and help him keep the promise, he started on the 12mile walk to the ocean-port town.

John soon found work on board a ship, and being a quick learner he did a good job. The ship had a kind captain who encouraged John to obey his mother’s request to read his Bible every morning and night. But things were not pleasant for long, for many of his shipmates made fun of him when they saw him reading his Bible and praying.

James Evans, one of the sailors, did all he could to disturb John, and one day while John was busy working, James found John’s Bible and hid it. When John reached for his Bible that night to read, it was gone from under his pillow!

When the captain heard about it, he said, “One of your mates has played a bad trick, but you shall not disobey your mother’s wishes. I have a Bible which my good mother gave me when I first went out to sea, but, sadly, I was not like you. I put it aside and never read it. But now, by God’s blessing, I will change that. I want you to come down to my cabin every morning and every night and read a chapter to me.”

When the ship reached England again, John had a month at home before going back on board ship. During that time the captain came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. One of the first things he said to John when he saw him again was, “My lad, we must still have our daily readings together. And what is more, I mean to have prayers morning and evening on board my ship!”

The ship had not gone far out to sea when a violent storm came up, and James Evans was badly hurt by a falling mast. He slowly got worse and called for the captain and John. He said, “John, in trying to hurt you I have done myself good. Do you know what this is?” Then he pulled out John’s treasured Bible from under his pillow. John was so surprised, for he had not known who had it all that time! Then James told John and the captain that one day, out of curiosity, he picked up the Bible to read it and it opened to Luke chapter 15 where he read of the prodigal son. He remembered what his own mother had taught him as a boy and realized what a bad sinner he had been. But he also read about God’s love and willingness to forgive sinners because of the Lord Jesus’ death on the cross. James believed what God said about forgiving sinners and got peace and joy. He asked John to forgive him for stealing the Bible and later died thanking God for the gift of His Son. He died a sinner saved by grace!

John worked for his kind captain for many years, and when the captain retired John became the captain of the ship. He always took his Bible with him and read it morning and night to his sailors. Only God knows how many more were saved through John and his Bible!

Let this little story make you think about your sins and come to the Saviour who loves you and died for you and can forgive them right now. If you have already been forgiven, read the Bible daily and don’t be afraid to let others see that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You may lead others to our forgiving Saviour. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).

ML-06/07/1998

Cabbage Seeds

One summer I planted a packet of Chinese cabbage seeds in my garden, and I think every one of those seeds must have sprouted, they came up so thick. So I dug up some of those little cabbage plants and moved them farther down the row, leaving six to eight inches of space between each one. But I didn’t finish the job that day, and I never did get the rest of them transplanted.

The crowded ones that were left as they had come up grew tall and weak and spindly. They finally went to seed without ever giving us any food at all. But the ones that had been transplanted and had more space grew into nice, thick heads of cabbage and gave us quite a few salads during the spring and early summer.

Each time I walked by that row of cabbages it was a good object lesson to me of how we do need to give space in our day to the Lord Jesus, to read His Word, the Bible, and to pray so that we will grow to be strong Christians and bear fruit for our Saviour.

ML-06/14/1998

How Ann the Lifeguard Was Saved

Lifeguards are in the business of saving other people, but this is the story of how God saved me.

I believed in God. I never doubted that He was out there - somewhere. But I didn’t know Him. Sometimes I tried to read the Bible, but when I came to a part I didn’t understand my interest would lag and I would quit. I felt empty, but I had no idea why. When I told my friends how I felt, they would look at me as though I were a bit strange. They didn’t seem to care that they didn’t know God. I didn’t know it then, but God says, “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me” (Proverbs 8:17). I couldn’t say I loved God. How can you love someone you don’t even know? But in my own uncertain way I was seeking Him, and God knew that and guided me.

I had a picture on my bedroom wall that was supposed to be Jesus when He was a boy. I was proud of that picture. It made me feel religious. But one day as I studied the picture I thought, This is a picture of God’s Son and I don’t even know Him! So I prayed this prayer: God, please help me to get to know Your Son.

That summer I worked as a lifeguard at the swimming pool. One day a rather friendly lady brought her children to swim. We began to talk when I was off duty, and she seemed interested in me. I began to tell her how frustrated I felt because I hadn’t been able to get to know God or His Son.

“Just a minute,” she said. “I’ll be right back,” and she went to her car. Soon she came back with a New Testament and showed me places to read in the gospels. I took that precious little book home. The more I read, the better it got.

The next few days were wet and cold. The pool was open, but not many people came to swim. I had many hours to sit and read God’s Word. By the time we had another hot, sunny day, I’d read most of the way through the New Testament.

Once the weather had turned warm again, the lady who had given me the New Testament came to the pool with her children. We talked about Jesus, God’s Son. A few days later she invited me to go with her to a gospel service. As the preacher spoke, God opened my understanding. I saw that Jesus had died for ME. He had made Himself responsible for MY sins. I was free! Forgiven! Because He had risen from the dead, I would rise too! I was bubbling over with happiness. God had answered my prayer. I knew He loved me. I knew His Son - He was now my Saviour. I was at peace.

I went home and told my mother. She kept studying my face. She must have been able to see the joy in my eyes. But when she saw me reading my Bible so much she was afraid. “We were never allowed to read the Bible,” she said. But she was happy to listen when I read it to her.

A couple of years ago my mother died, but before she did I believe she came to know Him as her Saviour too.

What about you? Do you know Him? Have you let Him save you from your sins? “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

ML-06/21/1998

Lassie and Chantel

One day not long after my mother was taken home to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus, my granddaughter, Chantel, was busy packing her suitcase as if she were going on a trip. Chantel is only six years old.

After packing her suitcase, she picked up the leash for Lassie and went outside. She brought Lassie in on the leash, then picked up her suitcase and started out of the house.

Her mother said to her, “Chantel, just what do you think you are doing with that suitcase and Lassie?”

Chantel answered, “Me and Lassie are going to heaven to see Great Gramma. We miss her, you know.”

So Chantel’s mother sat down with her and explained to her that you just can’t walk to heaven. Chantel knows where her great gramma is. You see, Great Gramma knew the Lord Jesus as her very own Saviour, and when she died she went to be with Him in heaven.

Do you know anyone in heaven? Heaven is a very beautiful place. The Lord Jesus said in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many mansions.” If you die, will you go to heaven? You will if you are saved from your sins. But if you are still in your sins, you will go to the terrible place called hell, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched [put out]” (Mark 9:44).

Great Gramma accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour many years ago, and He washed all her sins away in His precious blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Are your daddy and mommy going to heaven? Will you be with them in heaven? Why not accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now and know for sure that someday you also will be in heaven.

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

ML-06/21/1998

A Trip to Canada - or Heaven!

“We’re going on a trip to Canada!” our children told the neighbors.

How excited the three children were! It was great fun to get everything ready for the long trip north.

“Don’t forget my fishing pole,” said our eight-year-old fisherman.

“Have you packed my Sunday dresses yet?” asked our only girl.

There certainly were a lot of things to take, although fishing poles and good dresses weren’t the most important things we needed in our suitcases. Mother finally had to make a list. Money, extra clothes, maps, toothbrushes, life jackets, medicines - it seemed like a lot for a two-week trip to Canada! And when the car was being packed, all three children tucked in some extra toys that Mother didn’t even know about!

“Did you bring my jacket?” asked Dad after we started off. “And what about the children’s passports? They may ask for them at the border.” Yes, everything had been packed, but even while they were on this trip, Mother and Dad thought about another trip they would soon be making. But, strange to say, on this other trip they wouldn’t need a single thing that they had brought along for the trip to Canada!

Maybe you’ve already guessed that the other trip they expected to take was when they would leave this world and go to heaven. They were sure they would be going someday because the Bible says, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). The Lord Jesus Himself said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:23).

But not a single thing this family packed would be needed for the trip to God’s home in heaven. No passports would be needed, because it does not matter at heaven’s door what country you are from. God’s Word says, “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). Money would not be necessary, because the Bible says we are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

But what about the medicines that had been packed just in case someone got sick? Would they be needed in heaven? No! The Bible says, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). And the toys, fishing poles and pretty dresses? Oh no, none of these will be needed either. Instead, there will be robes of white, harps and a marriage supper. But most important, the One who died and shed His precious blood to wash away our sins will be there to fill heaven with joy and praise. Wouldn’t you like to go with us to God’s wonderful home in heaven? You only need to trust in the Lord Jesus today!

It is only fair to warn you that if you don’t accept God’s great salvation, then you will make a very different trip when you leave this world. Those who do not receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will be cast into the lake of fire. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). There is something in hell that poor sinners will need. They will need water to cool their tongue, but not a drop will be given. Oh, please come to the Lord Jesus for salvation! He loves you and wants you to be with Him in the mansions of heaven.

Perhaps you are wondering what we will do in heaven if we don’t even need toys or fishing poles. I think one of the first things I will do is join in the singing of praises to my Saviour who died for me. And next - I will look for you. Will you be there?

ML-06/28/1998

The Bird Feeder

Do you have a bird feeder near your window? Have you noticed the birds only feed at certain times? Our neighbor has a feeder that we can see from our dining room, and we notice that the birds usually come to feed at our mealtime.

Chickadees come zipping in from all directions. But when two large pigeons arrive, the chickadees and other little birds disappear. The pigeons, which are large birds, have learned how to get the food by balancing themselves on the swinging feeder. One perches on one side and the other perches on the opposite side. By flapping their wings, they can hang on and get some food.

Last year our own feeder was hanging on a branch of a tree near our window. We noticed that the birds didn’t come to feed like they used to, and we wondered why. One day we found cat tracks in the snow below the feeder, and another day we saw a long, slinky furry body hanging from the tree and reaching into the feeder. It was a gray squirrel. No wonder the birds wouldn’t come! Two enemies had found the feeder! One was looking for birds to catch, and the other was looking for favorite seeds to eat and dumped most of the food on the ground.

You know, boys and girls, there is sometimes more than one reason why we don’t feed on the Word of God. Satan, our enemy, doesn’t want us to read the Bible. He wants us to feed on other things so we lose our appetite for the Word of God. It’s easy to make time for those other things, but we need to make time to read and pray every day to make us healthy Christians. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). “O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

ML-06/28/1998

The Diseased Tree

Daniel and Jessica really liked the big tree in their backyard. They often climbed it and kept some of their toys in it. Daniel had nailed steps up the trunk so that it was easy to climb.

It looked like a very strong tree. There were large branches, lots of leaves for shade and it had pretty flowers in the spring. But right at the base of the tree, ants had built a nest. Unknown to the family, for many years a colony of ants had been hollowing out the base of the tree trunk. The hole they had made weakened the tree on the inside, but no one realized this because they had not seen the busy little ants working. Daniel and Jessica kept on playing in the diseased, weakened tree.

Little things, like ants, will destroy a big, tall tree. And little things, like sins, will destroy a person’s life. Even though there are many trees that aren’t diseased by ants, the Bible warns us that every person is diseased by sin. “By one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). You and I have the disease of sin that weakens US and will destroy us if we ignore it.

One day Daniel and Jessica went out to play in their tree. They had tied a rope to a bucket and were having lots of fun putting things in the bucket, then pulling it up into the tree where they would unload it. Jessica climbed up higher in the tree just for fun. Soon she was up about 15 feet.

Then the tree began to crack and slowly started to fall. Jessica and Daniel were frightened, but they hung on as it crashed through a bush and hit the ground. They were unhurt, but there was the big leafy tree, all splintered and broken—destroyed by a colony of little ants.

If the family had noticed soon enough that ants were hollowing out the tree, they could have gotten rid of the ants and saved the tree. And you and I, knowing that we have the disease of sin, can have those sins washed away now and be saved for all eternity. Another Bible verse tells us who can wash our sins away: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The Lord Jesus suffered and died on Calvary’s cross to wash away the sins of every person who will come to Him to be saved. Will you tell Him that you know you are a sinner and let Him wash you clean? He loves you and He is waiting to save you right now. “The Son of Man [Jesus] is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56).

ML-07/05/1998

Kevin's Dangerous Ride

Mrs. Fisher said she had never before been so frightened in her life. She was driving slowly along Park Street, just two blocks from her home, when suddenly she saw something speeding down the hill on Linden Street. Even though she tried to stop and swerved up over the curb to miss it, the object was just too close, and she heard the loud thud of something hitting her car.

When Mrs. Fisher jumped out of her car, she found a bloody-faced boy on the ground. He had been riding down the hill flat on his stomach on his skateboard.

The screeching of brakes and loud thud brought Mrs. Kase running out of her house on the corner. One glance told her what had happened, and she ran back inside to call the police. Mrs. Fisher was so thankful as it seemed the police were there almost immediately.

The injured boy kept trying to get up off the grass. He insisted that he was not hurt, even though he was covered with blood. When Officer Jim arrived, the boy refused to tell the officer his name, giving such reasons as, “I’m not hurt; my mother isn’t home,” and, “I don’t want to go to the hospital.” Then the paramedics arrived and there was no more argument -the boy was loaded into the ambulance, and off they sped to the hospital.

Later, Officer Jim came to Mrs. Fisher’s house to get her report of the accident. The boy had not been seriously injured, Officer Jim assured her. Following xrays and a good clean-up, he had been sent home. It turned out that he was much more frightened than hurt.

Kevin was 11 years old. Just the day before the accident occurred, he had been stopped by Officer Jim and sternly warned about riding his skateboard down the hill on Linden Street. Officer Jim had written down in his records that he had talked with Kevin.

No wonder Kevin was afraid! He knew he had been warned by the officer, and now he not only was hurt but he was also in serious trouble. Officer Jim told Mrs. Fisher that he gave Kevin a ticket for disobeying the law.

Have you ever thought of how many times you have been warned that you are a sinner - by your parents, at Sunday school and maybe even by Christian friends? How thankful you should be if you have listened to that warning and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and know you are safely on your way to heaven. But what if you are like Kevin and are ignoring the warning? In Job 33:14 it says, “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.” Has God warned you once . . . twice . . . and still you are not paying attention to His warnings?

Kevin did not listen to Officer Jim’s warning. God’s Word, the Bible, tells us, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Have you listened and obeyed what you have been told by God? Kevin ended up with his name written in Officer Jim’s police records, and that was something he did not like. God is keeping records too, but it is good and important that your name be included in His records. “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Accept the Lord Jesus Christ now and your name will be written in His book.

ML-07/05/1998

The Little Boy Prince

This is the story of Abijah, the little boy prince in the land of Israel. Since this is one of God’s stories, we may be sure that it is true. But we know only as much as God is pleased to tell us in the Bible.

The palace in which young Abijah lived was probably rich and beautiful, but it was certainly very wicked. His father, King Jeroboam, seems to have been rather afraid of God and jealous of the power which such a God would have over his people. In his jealousy, King Jeroboam made two calves of gold and set them up for the people to worship, one at each end of his kingdom. This trap was successful because the people did not have so far to go, and they could worship these golden idols and still live in sin. The children of Israel preferred to forget what God had really said: “Thou shalt worship no other god. . . . Thou shalt make thee no molten gods [gods made of melted metal]” (Exodus 34:14,17). Even today many people think religion is all right if they do not have to obey God.

Would you fit right into King Jeroboam’s family, those who did not want to obey God? Abijah didn’t. Young as he was, he had somehow heard of the God of Israel. God had already brought the children of Israel out from the slavery of Egypt and given them wonderful riches in the land of Israel and taught them to worship Him with joy. I don’t know how much young Abijah knew, but his heart said “Yes” to God who had been so kind and good to His people. Even if all the rest said “No” to the true God, there was something in this boy’s heart that said “Yes,” and God saw it and heard it and it was of great value to Him.

But big trouble came into the royal household. King Jeroboam was given the bad news that his young son was very sick. Now doctors can be very helpful for sick children, but there are times when things get so bad that we all feel that all we can do is pray. But King Jeroboam was not a praying man. Where could he turn in his trouble?

He remembered the prophet of God who had told him the truth long ago. Maybe the same old man could tell him if his sick son would get better. He decided to send the queen to this old man to find out. So he called in the queen and told her to take him a present of some loaves of bread and a jar of honey, but not to wear clothes like a queen and not to tell him who she was.

Now why did he say that? Did he think the prophet was just a fortune-teller and could be fooled into not knowing it was the queen? Listen! If you want to receive a message from the Word of God, the Bible, or if you want to speak to God, you must remember that He is the God who made you. He not only knows your future, but He controls your future. He is the One who decides.

So the queen wore everyday clothes and went to see the old prophet. He was blind anyway so what she wore made no difference, and he paid no attention to her gift. He greeted her when he heard her footsteps coming. “Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam. . . . I am sent to [you] with heavy tidings [bad news].” And she hadn’t even said a word to him yet.

Actually, she had been sent to him, but he said, “I am sent to you”! That is just what God does, if you would only listen to Him. He is sending a message to you right now, and He is sending it because He cares. It is a message of bad news, but you can’t escape bad news anyway. Life is like that. But God’s message to you isn’t only bad news about your sins; it includes important good news. His message is of love, forgiveness, joy and peace, because His Son Jesus died for sinners. If you try to cover up the truth of your sins and offer Him a present of the good things you’ve done, His message to you is heavy and hopeless because you are not being honest with Him.

The prophet’s message to the queen was long and full of the judgment of God. You may read it yourself in 1 Kings 14:716. It included the honorable death of her young son and the awful and disgraceful death of the king and all his family. “And when [your] feet enter into the city, the child shall die,” he told her.

We can’t help but wonder why she did not stay outside the city, giving up the royal palace to save her son’s young life. It all depended on her.

But I have a Saviour who loved me enough to leave heaven. He came down and lived in poverty and died on a cross outside the city of Jerusalem for me. And my heart, like that little prince’s, says “Yes” to Him. What does your heart say?

But giving up the royal life was too much for the queen to do. She returned to her city, and God in His mercy allowed her feet to reach the doorstep of the royal palace before the child died. She lost her son, and they will be separated for all eternity. The young prince had gone to heaven, that happy place where princes and beggars are welcomed home if their hearts have truly responded to the Saviour as God has shown Him to us. Could you answer Him as that young prince did? Will you say “Yes” to Him right now?

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12).

ML-07/12/1998

God Feeds the Gulls

Jamie lived on the coast of England within sight of the ocean. He went to school but had so much trouble learning that he was taken out and sent to stay with his grandma. Maybe she could help him.

Jamie’s grandma was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and instead of beginning with the ABC’s, she began by teaching Jamie about the love of God. She read Bible stories to him of how Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and fed lots of people with just a few loaves of bread and fishes. All this was new to Jamie. He had never read the Bible or Sunday school papers like you are reading now.

When Grandma explained how God took care of His creation and even fed the birds, Jamie didn’t think that God did feed them. “Oh no - we give the crumbs to the birds,” he said. But just then a flock of sea gulls flew by. “Who feeds these?” asked Grandma. Jamie had to admit, “God feeds the gulls.”

Soon after this Jamie went back home, and one day his family, being very poor, used up the last of their food. He and his brothers and sisters went to bed hungry. In the morning with no breakfast in the house, his mother told him to take the younger children down to the shore to play. So Jamie led them to the shore to play in the sand and build sand castles. Soon the children were busy and forgot their hunger. But Jamie went for a little walk along the beach. He watched the sea gulls flying, dipping to the water, finding plenty to eat. Jamie cried, “God, You feed the gulls; why will You not give us bread?” Sad and hungry, he started back to the children. But before he’d gone very far he saw something glittering in the sunlight on the sand. He picked it up. It was a large coin! God had heard his cry and sent the answer!

The children ran home quickly with Jamie and the piece of money, and their mother used it to buy bread for their breakfast.

Jamie learned a valuable lesson that day - God will provide for those who trust in Him. Jamie trusted in God not just for food, but to wash away his sins. When Jamie grew up he became a preacher of the wonderful gospel story which tells of God’s love for sinners. That love is so great that He sent His Son to die on the cross of Calvary and suffer for the sins of all those who will let Him be their Saviour. Will you trust Him to be your Saviour now and experience God’s wonderful love and care in your life?

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust” (Psalm 91:2).

ML-07/19/1998

A Lesson About Peace

“Mommie! We found a bird!” shouted Joel as he burst in the door. “Come see our bird!” I went outside with Joel and saw that, sure enough, Daddy did have a small bird in his hand.

The children had gone for a walk with their father. It was a beautiful spring day in April, and the children were glad to be outdoors. Now they were very excited about the small bird in their father’s hand.

“It’s a little dove,” Daddy said. “The wing has been injured and we walked right up to it and picked it up.”

“We want to take care of it!” the children said. So we brought some bread crumbs outside, and all five of the children gathered around to watch the bird eat. But, of course, the poor little dove was so afraid of us it would not eat.

“Maybe it’s thirsty,” someone suggested. So we brought water, but the bird would not drink either. Daddy knew what the problem was, and so he explained, “With all the children crowded around to see the dove, it’s too scared to eat. Let’s put the bird down on the ground and get back a few feet.” We all stepped back several feet away from the bird. Still it did not eat. We had done all that we could think of to care for the dove, but it was not at peace even several feet away from us. It would not trust us, so it could not enjoy the things we had offered it. The poor bird only wanted to hop farther away.

We began to think about the lesson our dove was teaching us. Our kindness was not enjoyed by the bird because it was not at peace with us; it did not trust us. God’s Word tells us of many kindnesses and wonderful blessings that God is offering us.

If you are not enjoying the love of God, His promise of a happy home in heaven, and many other good things, perhaps it is because you are not at peace with God. Maybe you know that God cannot be pleased with some of the things that you have said or done. You cannot excuse your sins and enjoy God’s love at the same time!

The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). He suffered for our sins and shed His precious blood so that He can freely offer us the forgiveness of sins. Believe in the Lord Jesus today, and you will have peace with God and can begin to enjoy all the good things that God has to give. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

The little dove was not at peace with us because it did not know that we did not want to harm it but only to do it good. It is God’s great joy to bless those who accept His Son, the Lord Jesus, as their Saviour. “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace” (Job 22:21).

ML-07/19/1998

The Rainy Day

It was fun living so close to such a beautiful park - just two short blocks away. Grandma always enjoyed taking the two-year-old twins and their older brothers to see the peacocks. Sometimes they would fan their tails! And the hungry ducks were always ready to snatch up the bread the boys threw to them. What fun it was to swing so high on the swings and to zip down the slippery slides. Grandma and the boys all loved to go to the park, but sometimes the weather wasn’t good enough to go.

One day when Grandma came to the boys’ house it had been raining so hard that she had to shake the rain off her coat before she could hang it up. Justin clapped his hands when she came in and said with a big smile, “It isn’t raining at the park, Grandma!” And he ran to get his jacket.

It isn’t only children who do not want to believe the truth. There are grown-ups who are just as sure that their own thoughts are right as Justin was that it wasn’t raining at the park. Some people choose to believe that God is too loving to punish people for their sins. But our God who cannot lie says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Yes, God is a God of love, but He is also a God of truth and righteousness.

Now, why do you think Justin told his grandma it wasn’t raining at the park? Do you think it was because he wanted that to be true? And why do some people say God won’t punish sin? Is it because that’s what they want to believe?

What do you think is really the truth? Was it raining at the park? Yes, it was. And if Grandma and the boys had gone anyway, they would have been wet, cold and very uncomfortable. And will God really punish people for their sins? Yes, He will. We are all responsible before Him.

Grandma and the boys did not go to the park. Instead they enjoyed reading stories together and doing puzzles in the warm, dry house. And God has made a plan so that you and I can escape the punishment for our sins. God sent His own beloved Son to bear that punishment on Calvary’s cross as the substitute for any boy or girl or grown-up who will accept Him as their very own Saviour. “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). Another verse says, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Will you receive God’s plan of salvation by accepting Jesus as your Saviour? If not, you will bear your own punishment for your sins in that awful place called hell. God does not lie.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

ML-07/26/1998

A Wonderful Chinese Word

There are some beautiful gospel pictures hidden in the writing of the Chinese language. In the old Chinese writing they had thousands of characters to represent things. In our language we have the alphabet with letters which we put together to make words to describe things or thoughts.

The Chinese character for MAN is like this, as if a boy put his hands in his pockets and then spread his feet apart.

The Chinese character for COME is quite interesting. First, a cross is made. By itself it stands for the number TEN in Chinese, reminding us of the Ten Commandments. No person has ever in his life kept them completely except for the Lord Jesus, because He was without sin. All of us are sinners and deserve death. God said, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But if we put a MAN on the CROSS, like this, how wonderfully we see what Jesus the Saviour did for us when He was lifted up on the cross that we might be saved from the punishment for our sins. We must confess what we are and have done, and then trust in Him for our eternal salvation. We have each sinned and broken God’s laws and commandments in one way or another. But the Lord Jesus was made sin for us, suffering there on the CROSS; then He died, and His blood was poured out, making it possible for sins to be taken away.

Now in this large character what else do we see? “Oh,” you say, “there are two other MEN, one on each side of the MAN on the CROSS.” That is exactly right. And that is the Chinese word for COME. When Jesus was put on the cross, two thieves were crucified with Him, having to die for their own sins. One of these two men repented of his sins, trusted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, and asked Him to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

We do not read in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, that the other thief believed. He did not repent of his sins, and so he died with his sins unforgiven. He must spend eternity forever away from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you heard the earnest message of welcome from the Lord Jesus when He said, “Come unto Me” (Matthew 11:28)? Oh, do not miss His forgiveness which is offered free to sinners. Jesus is no longer on the cross, but at God’s right hand, still waiting for you to COME to Him, as is so wonderfully illustrated by our Chinese word picture.

“Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

JULY 26, 1998

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
Hebrews 2:3

ML-07/26/1998

Kim: A Story of Forgiveness

During the Vietnam war, an attack was made on a little village in South Vietnam that was 25 miles north of Saigon. Nine-year-old Kim and her family lived in this village, and unlike the rest of the villagers who fled, Kim and her family hid in a temple.

When Allied troops heard of the attack and that the enemy had taken over the village, they ordered a counterattack on the village. But as a precaution, the attacking Allied general asked, “Are there any villagers there?” The answer was, “All the villagers have fled.” He asked again, “Are there ANY villagers there?” The answer again was that there were none left in the village, and so he issued the order to attack. Kim and her family’s hiding place was no longer a place of refuge - it was a deathtrap.

Kim’s family soon heard the roar of the Allied planes and realized that they were no longer safe. As the planes came closer and closer, Kim’s family started to run - and then the bombs rained on the village.

Kim and her two brothers were running down the road when the bombs hit. Her two brothers were killed instantly, and the heat wave from the dropping bombs burned the clothes right off Kim’s back. Screaming, “It’s hot! It’s hot!” Kim ran straight into an Allied soldier’s arms. But just before she reached the soldier, a man with a camera snapped a picture that took in the whole burning village with Kim in the middle, running.

Overnight, the picture hit the news. It appeared in newsmagazines and newspapers around the world. Millions of people saw the heartrending picture of Kim running in terror from her burning village.

Back in Saigon Kim was hospitalized for months with the awful burns on her back and arms. She slowly recovered and eventually grew up to become a young lady in South Vietnam.

One day Kim heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. She heard how Jesus loved her and died to forgive her sins if she would simply believe on Him. Kim did believe and became a forgiven child of God.

Soon after this she was married, and she and her husband moved as refugees to Newfoundland, Canada. Everyone knew about the war picture, and Kim was asked to speak at many functions. Everywhere she went Kim would also tell how Christ had forgiven her for her sins, and she would add, “I wish I could meet the man who bombed my village - I would like to forgive him.”

The man who attacked her village was still alive. The day after the attack he had seen the heartbreaking picture in the paper of Kim and was very troubled. The picture haunted him - he saw it everywhere he went. After he left the army, he became an alcoholic and his wife soon left him. Alone and desperate and with Kim’s picture still haunting him, this man heard the gospel of God’s love and forgiveness of sins. Deeply feeling his need of forgiveness, he accepted God’s gift of salvation. He then served the Lord full time, but he never forgot the picture of Kim.

One summer this man heard that Kim was going to New York City to speak to a group of Vietnam veterans. He made arrangements to travel there to hear Kim’s message. As always, Kim told of how she had been forgiven by God for her sins, and she finished with, “I would like to meet the man who bombed my village - I would like to forgive him.”

The man heard this amazing statement and rose and walked to the front of the room. “I am that man,” he said simply. “Will you now forgive me?”

It was a very touching scene that followed as Kim publicly forgave the man who had caused her so much pain. She had been forgiven herself by a forgiving God, and although she could not forgive as God could, she was willing to forgive others. “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Have you come to Christ to have your sins forgiven? It’s just as simple as what that man did after Kim said she wanted to forgive the person who had bombed her village. The man went up to her, told her who he was, and received her forgiveness. Christ not only loves you, He died for you so that He can offer you forgiveness for all your sins. You simply need to come to Him in prayer, tell Him you are a sinner and that you want His forgiveness for your sins. His promise to you is, “I will forgive [your] iniquity, and I will remember [your] sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

You may have His forgiveness right now. “Be it known unto you . . . that through this man [Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38).

ML-08/02/1998

Snooky's First Offense

What a sad day it was for Snooky’s family! Their three-year-old German shepherd was sentenced to die. Snooky was a big dog, but she was friendly. She even liked to stand on her hind legs and greet their neighbors with a loving lick. But one day someone left the front door open just as the mailman walked past on his rounds. That’s when Snooky’s troubles started.

The proof was strong—teeth marks in two mailbags and one shredded pair of pants. Biting the mailman was what brought Snooky’s sentence of death.

Snooky’s owners, their lawyer and several neighbors came to the dog’s defense. They went to the judge and insisted that Snooky was not a mean dog. “It was her first time, her first offense, and we don’t think she should die,” they explained to the judge.

The judge thought about it, and then he changed his mind, saying that Snooky could stay with her family. What a relief!

The judge was able to save Snooky from death even though she deserved punishment. Each one of us also deserves punishment because we are sinners. The Bible says that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and we each deserve to be punished for those sins. Revelation 20:15 tells us that our punishment will be the lake of fire (hell), and that will be forever. But when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we are saved (Acts 16:31), because the Lord Jesus was punished for those sins. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The judge could remove Snooky’s punishment and save her from death, but he could not take her punishment for her. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only One who could be punished for our sins so that we can be saved. Have you asked Him to be your Saviour - to take away your sentence of death?

ML-08/09/1998

The Elk Hunt

I’d spent the day at the watershed in southeastern Washington state hunting elk. Finally I’d been able to get one. That will mean lots of meat for our freezer, I thought thank-fully as I strung up the elk in a tree and began dressing it out.

I hadn’t been working on the elk very long when it began to get dark. I took my little pencil flashlight from my pocket and held it in my mouth so I’d have both hands free to work. Suddenly a strange feeling came over me; I felt as though I was being watched. I turned around and behind me, only about five feet away, was a big, tan cougar sneaking along the ground toward the elk. I’m sure it was attracted by the smell of the freshly killed elk.

I picked up my gun to shoot the cat, but as I leaned over my flashlight dropped and went out. I aimed where I thought the cougar would be and shot. I missed, but the noise of the gun so very close sent him scurrying off.

Have you ever been alone in the dark in a strange place? It’s a frightening experience. But just think how you’d feel if you were left in the blackness of darkness forever! The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 2:15,17 that such a place is reserved for those who have forsaken the right way.

It was quickly becoming very dark, and I was thankful for what attention I had paid to the trail on the way in as I began to feel my way back to my pickup truck, one step at a time. What a relief it was to finally reach out and feel the cold metal of the pickup. But I know it was only the Lord who brought me safely back to the road. I never could have done it myself; there were more opportunities to miss the trail than to stay on it. And that’s the way Christians must walk through the darkness of this world too, step by step with Jesus who is the light of the world. He says, “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

The next morning I returned with a friend to carry out the elk. As I looked over that night’s situation I was even more thankful that I’d been able to get back to my truck. And when we are in heaven and see all the way God’s goodness and light has led us through this sinful world, how we’ll praise Him and thank Him for His kindness and love. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

ML-08/16/1998

Tell the Truth

“CRASH!” went the glass from the window as it shattered onto the back porch. Kevin stared at the broken window. He could hardly believe it. I didn’t know I could throw a football that far. The throw had been a nice spiral, too, but it went right through the back porch window. I guess I shouldn’t have thrown it toward the house, he thought as he ran up to see what had happened.

Looking at the mess he thought, Mom and Dad are going to be mad at me when they get home. And I’ll probably have to pay for the new window, and I hardly have enough money to buy Mom’s birthday present. Maybe, just maybe I won’t have to tell them I did it. If they ask me, I’ll have to tell them, but if they don’t ask me, then maybe it won’t be like lying.

Then something popped into his mind. He remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said just the week before. They had been reading in Acts about Ananias and Sapphira and what happened to them when they lied. “Boys,” their teacher had said, “telling the truth is so very important. There is no such thing as ‘a little white lie’ in God’s sight. Those who are not Christians think nothing of lying about something if it will help them. But the penalty that fell on Ananias and Sapphira shows what God thinks about lying. Yes, boys, a lie is an awful thing, and often it is just the beginning of a path of sin. Also remember that an acted lie is just as bad as a spoken lie. Someday one of you may be tempted to hide something by keeping quiet. In God’s sight that is just another way of lying. When Satan tells you to keep quiet, ask God to help you to tell the truth and not sin by keeping quiet. He will help you to do what is right and pleasing to Him.”

Just then Kevin’s parents drove into the driveway. As Kevin went around to the front, he asked God to help him tell the truth.

Kevin’s father immediately saw that something was bothering him. “What’s wrong, Kevin?” he asked.

“I broke the back porch window with my football, and I’m really sorry.”

“How did it happen?” asked his father.

“I threw my new football toward the house, and it went lots farther than it has ever gone before . . . then SMASH! I’ll pay for the new window, Dad.”

“That’s all right, Kevin,” said his father, putting an arm around Kevin’s shoulder. “Accidents happen. I’m just glad that you came and told me about it right away.”

As they talked more about it, Kevin told him how he almost didn’t say anything about the window. But then he remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said - that keeping quiet is another way of lying.

“Son,” said his father, “I’m glad to see that you’ve learned a lesson today. It’s so easy to lie even without opening your mouth. I hope you’ve learned something else too. When you’re tempted to do something wrong, ask God for help to do what is right. Never think you can do it by yourself.”

“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue” (Psalm 120:2).

ML-08/16/1998

Jake and Snowflake

Jake the dog and Snowflake the cat live on a small farm. Jake lives in a nice, warm dog house. His duty is to bark or give warning to his master when strangers come near the house. Snowflake, who is pure white, lives in the barn in a nice nest of straw up in the rafters. Her duty is to keep out the mice who like to eat the covering on electric wires in the barn which could then cause a fire.

Jake and Snowflake do not get along together at all. They both live outside winter and summer, so they know each others’ habits.

One day the barn door was left open while Snowflake was down on the barn floor. Jake spotted her! That could only mean trouble! Snowflake knows it’s dangerous to come down during the day, because Jake is always loose.

Boys and girls, this reminds us of Satan. The Bible warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be very careful and watchful because our enemy Satan, or the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to destroy. The verse reads like this: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Jake made a dash for Snowflake, but Snowflake spotted a ladder that was leaning against the wall of the barn, and she made a run for it. Whew! she just made it! Cats are not noted for climbing ladders, but Snowflake sure learned in a hurry that day. As she started to climb, Jake leaped up at her and just missed her tail.

When Snowflake got to the top of the ladder, she jumped over to her nest and looked down at Jake and gave a long meeeeoooow. Jake looked up at her and growled as if to say, “I’ll get you the next time!”

Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus Christ is a ladder to heaven for you and me! Satan would love to have us, but Christ has made the way to heaven for us through His own precious blood. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Will you trust Him today?

ML-08/23/1998

An Old Message

“Gyda chariad anwylaf Alice i blant bach ymhob man.” I’m sure you are wondering what language this is and what it means in English! It is a 130-year-old Welsh message from a girl who lived in Wales. Even though it is an old message, it is still a good one and has the same meaning as when it was written. It says, “Alice sends her dear love to all children everywhere.” We’ll let Alice tell her own story.

“My father was very kind to me, but until six years ago he spent lots of money at the tavern and often came home drunk. My mother and I had come to love the Lord Jesus when the gospel of God’s grace to sinners came to the country of Wales. People all up and down the country got worried about their sins, and Christians read to them out of the Bible about how Jesus Christ died to save sinners, and if they would believe in Him, God promised to erase their sins and not ever remember them. Mother and I believed this and thought about Father and asked God to make him think about his sins and send him to hear the gospel preaching.

“One night when mother and I came home from the preaching, Father wasn’t home. Mother was afraid he was at the tavern again and wished he had been at the preaching instead. We prayed for him and were singing a hymn when all of a sudden Father came in. He went over to mother and said, ‘Catherine, I’ve not been to the tavern, though the devil tempted me. I’ve been to the preaching tonight!’ And then Father kissed Mother and me, and we all cried together. It was funny that we should cry when we were all so glad, but we cried for joy! That preaching brought my dear father to the feet of Jesus Christ, and we thanked Him for that answer to prayer and my father’s salvation.

“Ever since that night Father has asked God for strength to keep close to Jesus Christ. He does not go to the tavern anymore and makes a better living for us. He is sorry he spent so many years serving the devil.”

Not long after Alice’s father came to know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, Alice got sick and couldn’t see or walk anymore. She had lots of pain but she said she would rather be sick and have her father saved and serving God, than be well and have her father unsaved and going to the tavern. Her only wish was that she could get well so she could get all the children together to read the Bible and pray with them and beg them to turn to Jesus with all their hearts!

Alice sent you a loving message 130 years ago. Almost 2000 years ago God sent you this loving message: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

A message came from heaven to cheer my heart one day;

It set the joy-bells ringing, and chased my gloom away.

’Twas in the holy Bible, John’s Gospel, chapter three,

Verse sixteen I discovered was written there for me.

I read the wondrous story how God in heaven high

So loved a world of sinners, He sent His Son to die.

And that word “Whosoever,” believing I could see,

Though meant for everybody, was mostly meant for me.

That means me; that means me;

“Whosoever will believe,” and that means me;

I am so very glad because the Saviour said,

“Whosoever will believe,” and that means me.

ML-08/23/1998

Flood Rescue

At first the rain came gently in northwestern Missouri in 1993. But then, day after day, it continued to rain, and it came harder and harder. The little streams turned into creeks. The creeks turned into rivers. And still the rain continued.

Farmer LaHue and his son Trent were warned that the Missouri River would rise rapidly. He was a wise farmer, so he started moving his grain out of the grain bins in the area where it would soon flood.

It is always wise to pay attention to any kind of warning. Boys and girls and men and women are warned to flee from the judgment that God says is coming like a flood. Some folks are wise and flee to Christ who is the only one able to save them from the coming flood of judgment. He loves you and died for you, and He offers you the only way of escape.

For four days they worked around the clock to move their corn from the area that would flood. Kind neighbors came to help, loading their wagons and trucks. The LaHues also had a herd of cows with baby calves to move to higher ground as the floodwaters rose. Some of the calves were stubborn and would not follow their mothers away from the flooding river. They soon were standing on little mounds of earth surrounded by the rising floodwaters. They couldn’t escape. Trent went out in their boat and began to rescue them. Back and forth he went, lifting the stubborn calves into the boat and carrying them to safety.

On one mound he found two little fawns. He lifted them into the boat and brought them to their mothers who were watching from a hill. The mother deer could not rescue those fawns, but Trent could.

He saw rabbits swimming in the flood waters, but they were unable to save themselves even by swimming. Trent came along with the boat and picked up 32 rabbits with a dip net. They sat safely in the boat as kind Trent carried them to safety.

No one but Jesus can rescue you from the flood of judgment for your sins. He sees your need and has kindly and lovingly offered to wash your sins away. He went to Calvary’s cross and bore God’s judgment for the sins of every person who will believe and trust in Him. Will you accept His offer of rescue? “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

ML-08/30/1998

Attacked by an Octopus!

The storm was finally over. It had almost been a hurricane; the wind and waves had caused much damage in the harbor. The most serious damage appeared to be to the ship S.S. Dunvegan Castle which had collided with the pier. There had been damage to both the ship and the pier, but it was hard to tell how bad the damage really was.

To learn how much damage had been done to the ship, an underwater diving company was hired. John Palmer was sent to make the inspection dive. With him was his support crew which stayed on the ship to assist him during the dive. John reviewed with his crew the signals he would use during the dive, especially in an emergency.

John went overboard in his diving suit with attached air hoses and with ropes to pull him back to the boat. The sea was calm, and he was able to make a good inspection of both the ship and the pier. He was about to signal his crew to pull him back to the surface, when suddenly something darted out from a crevice in the rocks and gripped his arm as if it were in a vise. In a moment of awful horror, John realized that he was in the grip of an octopus! Then another tentacle flashed around his chest, and he was held in a deadly embrace!

John was helpless. There was nothing he could do to get free. He knew his only chance was to get help from above!

Are you still being held captive by your sins? Sin is deadly! Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save you and break you free from its tentacles of power. If you have never come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins taken away, you have no more power to free yourself than John had. Call to the loving Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will set you free. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

Help from the deck was John’s only hope to get out of this alive! With all his might he desperately pulled the emergency signal. Almost immediately he felt himself rising . . . they had gotten his signal and were pulling him up. But his enemy, the octopus, was going up with him! Still, he didn’t lose hope - he would soon reach help. Up, up, up he went. It seemed to take forever, but finally he could see daylight. He soon reached the surface of the water.

“An octopus!” yelled the first man to see John. “Quick! Get a knife!” Using the knife and a small ax, they worked at releasing John. It was not an easy job since octopus tentacles are lined with hundreds of tiny suction cups. But at last John stood free - no longer the captive of an octopus. What a relief !

Would you like relief from your sins? Jesus is able and willing to save anyone who comes to Him. “He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters” (2 Samuel 22:17).

ML-08/30/1998

The Root of the Problem

It was only a little tree that needed to be cut down. We were clearing an area for a garden, and that little tree was right in the middle. It didn’t take very long to cut it down. Then we started to dig out the stump, but underground we found the largest roots that I had ever seen for such a small tree! Those roots twisted around each other and everything else and were six inches around in places! That little tree was causing us big problems.

As we worked we found another source of our root problem. It was a stump of an old tree about five feet away that had been cut down. Its huge roots had grown all over our yard and that stump also had to be removed. After two days of digging, we finally managed to get enough of those roots dug out to plant our garden.

The Bible talks about roots that are troublesome: “Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you” (Hebrews 12:15). Besides bitterness, there are roots of anger, jealousy, greed, selfishness and even hatred. And even boys and girls, like young trees, can develop these roots. Have you ever been so angry with someone that you hit them or did something else mean? Do you remember being so jealous of a friend that you told a lie about the person? Have you ever wanted something so much that you took it even when you knew it belonged to somebody else? What about always wanting to be first and pushing others out of the way to get there? Oh my, all these are tangled roots of sin that will cause problems even in young lives. And if these roots of sin are allowed to continue, they don’t go away - they grow bigger and bigger and bigger. And as boys and girls grow into adults, those roots of sin just keep on growing.

Only Jesus can remove those little and big roots of sin in our hearts. He can give us a whole new heart and life, if we will trust in Him. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

Have you come to Jesus to be washed clean of your sins?

ML-09/06/1998

Stuck

Five-year-old Emily walked slowly along, looking down at the sidewalk. Suddenly she stopped. What was that? Something bright and shiny had caught her eye. Kneeling down, she peered down through the metal grating along the curb. There, down in the hole underneath the grating, was a coin, and Emily wanted it.

Working her small hand carefully through the grating, she stretched her arm as far as it would reach and was delighted to find she could just reach the coin. She grasped it firmly in her small fist and then tried to pull her arm back out. But that is when she found she was in trouble. She was stuck. She could not get her hand back out through the grating.

Emily tugged and pulled as hard as she could, but the more she pulled, the more the grating hurt her. She was worried now and began to call loudly for help.

Emily was in trouble, but if you have never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you are in far worse trouble than she was. You are trapped in your sins, and there is no way you can free yourself. Proverbs 5:22 tells us that “his own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden [or trapped] with the cords of his sins.”

A neighbor lady heard Emily’s calls for help and hurried over to find out what was wrong. When she saw how firmly Emily’s hand was stuck, she hurried home and came back with some butter. Smearing the butter all over Emily’s hand, she tried to make it slippery enough so Emily could slide it through the grating. But it didn’t work. She was still stuck.

Another neighbor came out with some grease for Emily’s hand, and another tried pouring liquid soap over her hand. But nothing helped, and Emily remained stuck.

Are you trying, like Emily, to get yourself out of the trouble you are in? Maybe you are trying to get rid of your sins by doing good to others, or by going to Sunday school, or by reading your Bible. None of these things can ever take away one single sin. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can set us free from the sins that have trapped us. He loved us so much that He died on the cross and shed His blood so that you and I could be set free.

Emily’s neighbors finally called the fire department, and the firemen, after much effort, managed to get her hand free from the grating. How glad she was to be able to stand up straight again and to run home to her mother.

The firemen, however, found something out. They discovered that the reason Emily could not get her hand through the grating was because she was holding on tightly to the coin she had found. If she had only let go of her treasure, she could have opened her hand and easily pulled it back through the grating, sparing herself all the fear and pain.

Are you hanging onto something that is keeping you trapped in your sins? Perhaps you have friends who would laugh at you if you came to Jesus, or maybe some bad habit that you don’t want to let go of is holding you back. Don’t let anything keep you from coming to Jesus. Let go. He wants you to come to Him right now, and He will wash all your sins away. Won’t you accept Him today?

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

ML-09/06/1998

Someone Who Loves God

A man stopped to have his shoes polished by a shoe shine boy. The boy had his equipment handy and had offered to shine his shoes for a dollar. While the boy’s hands were busy with the job, he said to the man, “Sir, do you love God?”

Perhaps no one had ever asked the man such a question before, and he was not pleased. “What difference does it make to you whether I love God or not?” he asked the boy.

“Lots of difference. If you love God you will be able to pray that my mother and I will get a new place to live. The house where we are now is gonna be torn down, and we have no place to go. I heard yesterday that God answers prayers for people who love Him. Now I’m asking everybody, and I can’t find anyone who loves God!”

The man seemed bothered by the conversation and he said, “Ask somebody else. In this city full of churches you’ll find someone who loves God.”

At the end of the day, the boy was totally discouraged. In the whole day, I haven’t found one person who loves God, he thought. But he was directed to Steve who was a real Christian.

Steve brought his Bible and had a good chat with the boy. “God so loved the world,” Steve read, “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Steve explained to the boy about the God who loved him so much that He sent His only Son to die for him. The boy began to understand that his new friend loved God because God loved him first. Steve explained that you can’t stir up love to God in your own heart. It grows in your heart in answer to the great love God has for you. One way God has shown us His love is that even though we are sinners, Christ died for us. The Son of God gave Himself for me. When you think of that, you can only love Him back!

“Thank you, sir,” said the shoe shine boy. “Now I think I know God well enough to ask Him myself.”

Steve said he heard the boy pray in simple confidence. And a few days later, the boy and his mother were happily settled in a new place to live.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16). “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

ML-09/13/1998

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

How many times have you sung that hymn? If you have ever been to a Sunday school, most likely you have sung it a lot. Children all over the world sing it because it has been translated into many languages. I’ve heard it sung in Chinese, Spanish, French and in the language of the Inca Indians.

In the Inca language it goes like this:

Cristo munawan!

Bibliapi ajinanin.

We usually think that mostly children sing “Jesus Loves Me,” but I know lots of older people who like to sing it too. In fact, it was the very last song that José ever sang. José was an old leper who lived in a small village in Bolivia. He always wore a bandage over his nose because the disease of leprosy had eaten away part of it. And the ends of his shoes were empty, because leprosy had eaten away his toes.

The first time we visited in JosŽ’s home, we were a little nervous. We had never been in the house of a leper (someone with leprosy) before. But it was not long before the Bibles and hymn books were out and José sang of God’s wonderful love and read from His precious Word.

But José was old, and not long after this we heard that he was very sick and about to die. He no longer knew who his wife was and was too weak to eat . . . but he could still sing. And the song he sang was “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”! He sang it several times before he died and went to be with Jesus in heaven.

Just a few years later another old lady in Bolivia was also about to die. We called her “Sister Maria” and our children went to visit her on what turned out to be her last day before she went to be with Jesus. Although she was too weak to get up, she knew who we were, and as our children sang she began to sing with them,

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

That was also the very last hymn that Aunt Ola sang. She also had received the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, and she slipped away into His arms while she was singing that wonderful little hymn.

Have you stopped to think why this hymn would cheer up old people when they are sick and weak and about to die? Why would they want to sing something so simple in their last moments on earth? I’ll tell you why - because the love of the Lord Jesus is the most important thing we can know in all the world! Happy times, friends and even family can completely fade away, but the love of the Lord Jesus never changes and will last when everything else is gone. Do you know about the love of Jesus? You may have sung the hymn many times, but can you say, “The Son of God [the Lord Jesus], who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20)? The Lord Jesus proved how much He loves us when He died on the cross. Accept Him as your Saviour and you will begin to enjoy His great love. Then you can truly understand and sing, “Yes, Jesus loves me.”

ML-09/13/1998

A Gift Offered

It wasn’t the kind of offer that comes every day. Dr. Staby, the college professor, said he would pay all the expenses for three of his students, Barry, John and Bill, to visit greenhouses in Cali, Colombia. Dr. Staby had made frequent trips to visit the greenhouses of Colombia, and he decided the three college students would benefit from seeing the acres of flowers grown there.

Barry, John and Bill had about two months to prepare for the trip. Bill, who had known Dr. Staby for only about six months, obtained a passport and made other necessary preparations for the trip. John seemed to be planning the same way as Bill. Barry did nothing. He had worked for Dr. Staby for nearly five years, but he did not believe the offer.

God is offering you a gift. The price has already been paid by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died for you on Calvary’s cross. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The gift of eternal life that God is offering you must be accepted now, because the Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Less than two weeks before the planned trip, Dr. Staby passed out the tickets. Barry was shocked. He still had done nothing to get ready, because he hadn’t believed Dr. Staby’s offer. He quickly tried to get a passport, but it was too late.

Many men, women, boys and girls have heard the gospel time after time, but they have never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. They are like the foolish virgins who didn’t get oil for their lamps. Midnight came and “the door was shut.” They cried, “Lord, Lord, open to us,” but He answered, “I know you not” (Matthew 25:10-12). Don’t put it off until tomorrow, for the Lord Jesus may have already come, or you may have died and it will be too late.

Everyone thought John was ready, including John. He flew from Ohio to Miami with Bill and Dr. Staby. At the airline counter in Miami the agent asked John for his passport before he could get on the plane for Colombia. He reached into his back pocket where he had placed it. It was gone! Lost, stolen or forgotten, it didn’t make any difference - it wasn’t there, and he could not go to Colombia without a passport.

Those of us who are Christians delight in knowing that once we are saved, we can never be lost. It is not enough, though, to act like you are saved. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If your sins are not washed away when the Lord Jesus comes back, you cannot go to heaven. You will spend eternity in the lake of fire.

John said that night was the saddest he ever spent as he prepared to return on the next flight to Ohio.

Bill believed Dr. Staby’s offer. He applied for his passport right away, and then he kept it in a safe place. When the time came, he was ready to go, and he enjoyed the trip to Colombia with Dr. Staby.

The time for you to believe God’s offer and be saved is right now! If the Lord Jesus should come back today, then you will be ready to go.

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

ML-09/20/1998

Nothing Behind You Matters

The coach blew his whistle, and four strong boys dove instantaneously. In a few seconds they were skimming through the water, almost gliding over it, as they raced to the other end of the pool. When they were halfway, the coach’s whistle signaled the next four to start. They dove in as the next four poised themselves on the diving platforms. By this time the first four were headed back up their lanes, straining every muscle to win the round. As they climbed out, the coach nodded his approval, and they got back in line to dive again.

Again and again the coach’s whistle sounded, and evening after evening the boys came to practice. No wonder there were so many “Boys’ Swim Team Champions” pennants on the walls of the pool area. And underneath the pennants was a motto: “NOTHING BEHIND YOU MATTERS.”

Any champion swimmer or runner will tell you they have been trained never to look back during a race. Looking back to see how far they have come or how close the next racer is breaks the rhythm or the stride. It makes them lose a little time, and usually that time can never be made up. What a good motto that is for those swimmers. It reminds them not to look back, but only to press forward.

Believers in Christ have been given these same guidelines. Paul told the Philippians, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:1314). The finish line for Christians is that entrance into heaven and seeing our Saviour face to face. Forget past accomplishments or discouraging failures: “NOTHING BEHIND YOU MATTERS”! Press toward the finish line . . . it’s very close!

ML-09/20/1998

The Baby Robin

One day in the month of July a mother robin was teaching her babies to fly. Her nest was in a nearby maple tree.

One baby robin seemed to be learning quite well until it fell to the ground. Of course, mother robin couldn’t pick it up. She could only cry out in alarm in her loud “cheeping” voice as she flew anxiously from branch to branch and tree to tree, keeping close to where her baby was on the ground.

I gently picked up the baby bird and carried it down to my neighbor, Mr. Hughes, to ask if he had a bird cage I could borrow. Thankfully he did have one in his garage and was eager to help. We put the little bird in the cage, and I carried it over to hang on an inside limb of my pine tree. I wanted it where I hoped the neighborhood cats would not be able to easily reach it, but where the mother bird could still feed her baby. It was not long before she was flying to the cage with worms when no one was around.

Another neighbor has a pure-white cat named Tom, and he was soon exploring the area and was very interested in what was in that pine tree. All the while the mother robin was watching, anxiously chirping and hopping from branch to branch.

One night before I went to bed, I checked to see if all was well. I could see Tom sitting across the street near the cedar hedge watching. I opened my bedroom window wide so that I could hear any noise.

Then something did happen. I awoke with a start in the dark of the night to hear mother robin frantically chirping outside my window. My clock showed 2:00 a.m. I got up quickly and hurried to the front door. What I saw was Tom up in the pine tree pushing the bird cage around and around with his paw. He was trying his best to get at the baby robin. I ran out and shooed that cat away!

Meanwhile, mother robin was still chirping frantically, wide awake and anxious at 2:00 in the morning! What a loving mother she was, watching over her baby even in the dark night hours.

And our loving God and Father watches just as carefully over His children. He tells us in the Bible that He watches over us day and night: “He that [keeps] thee . . . shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper” (Psalm 121:35). And He lovingly guards and protects us just like a mother bird: “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Psalm 91:4).

But our Father’s great love goes even further than His daily care over us. He wants each of us to spend eternity with Him in those mansions of heaven. Since He cannot have us in heaven with our sins, He made a very costly plan that shows us how much He loves us. He sent His beloved, sinless Son, the Lord Jesus, to die for us. The Lord Jesus willingly went to the cross and took the punishment for the sins of every person who will accept Him as his or her substitute. If you will accept Him as your Saviour, your sins will be gone forever and a place in heaven will be reserved for you. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love!

We kept the baby robin in the cage for about a week where it was protected while it grew stronger. The cat could still frighten the baby bird, but he couldn’t touch it! When we finally opened the cage to let the baby robin out, it flew off and away with its watchful mother.

One day soon the Lord Jesus is going to come back to take all of us who are true children of God to heaven to be with Himself. Only then will we begin to understand just how much He loves us. Will you be there?

ML-09/27/1998

An Empty Camera

Isn’t it fun to get your pictures back from the photo company and look through all the pictures you’ve taken?

One day I took my camera to school and took some pictures of the children playing on the seesaw, jumping rope, climbing on the monkey bars and sitting in the classroom. When I got home, I opened the camera to take the film out so I could get the pictures developed. But what a disappointment - the camera was empty!

Are you empty like that camera? You know, if the Lord Jesus is not living in your heart, there won’t be one thing recorded in your life that will be pleasing to God. He sees your life as empty.

All that day I thought I was taking pictures. I worked hard to get the children to pose for me, but when the day was over I had nothing to show for it. Our lives may be like that too. We may think we are doing good things, but unless we’ve had our sins washed away and been born into God’s family, we are like a camera without film - empty.

My camera clicked and sounded like it does when there is film in it, but I wasn’t really taking pictures. And we may talk like a Christian and look like a Christian from the outside, but we must have the Lord Jesus living in our hearts to really BE a Christian.

Jesus said, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode [home] with him” (John 14:23). Isn’t it wonderful that we can have the Lord Jesus constantly with us!

Don’t be like an empty camera - a complete disappointment to God. Be like a camera with film in it - a true and useful child of God that brings joy to His heart. The Lord Jesus tells us in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth [lives] in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

ML-09/27/1998

"It Will Always Be a Coyote"

Jon was a hard worker on his father’s sheep ranch in Montana. There was always work to be done after school and on Saturdays: chores, shearing, fences to repair, and other jobs.

One day his father reported that during the last month four lambs were missing. They decided coyotes must have gotten them. The number of coyotes had been increasing, and now they were causing problems. Although they probably could not kill a full-grown sheep, lambs were an easy catch for a pack of coyotes.

A two-day coyote hunt was organized by Jon’s father. Several were sighted and shot. One of the ranchers found a coyote pup which they thought should be killed. As Jon watched the pup it reminded him of a small dog - so cute and cuddly. The pup looked at Jon with sad eyes. Jon decided that it would make a nice pet for Cheryl, his little sister.

He finally convinced his father to let him keep it, but his father did not like the idea. When he finally agreed he reminded Jon, “It may be a cute puppy now, but it’s a coyote, and it will always be a coyote!”

Jon wrapped the pup in his jacket and carried it back for Cheryl. Soon the pup was another member of the ranch and was named Bucky. Everybody, including Jon’s father, enjoyed the playful pup. At night Bucky slept near the door since his watchful eyes and good hearing made him a good watchdog. No one really thought of him as a coyote.

One cold, clear night when Bucky was about a year old, the full moon stirred a restless feeling within Bucky. He went to the edge of the yard and gave the long, mournful cry of the coyote. Jon, who had not gone to sleep yet, heard the call and looked out the window. In the moonlight he could see the shadows of several other coyotes, and without looking back Bucky ran off to them. Bucky’s coyote nature had stirred within him, and he had gone to live with his own kind.

Bucky acted and lived like a dog and even looked like a dog, but he was a coyote and had a coyote’s nature. Some of you may act like a Christian and in every way pass for a Christian, but if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Saviour, you are not a Christian. You were born a sinner, and you have a nature that sins. You may even have Christian parents and live in a home where the Bible is read and obeyed. You may go to Sunday school and repeat your Bible verses perfectly every week. But remember, you will always be a sinner in God’s sight unless you are born again -unless you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Saviour. He died for sinners and He wants you to be saved from your sins. He loves you so much that He came into this world and died on the cross, shedding His blood to wash away sins. Won’t you accept Him as your very own Saviour? If you do, God will give you a new heart and a new nature that cannot sin. Your sins will be gone, and you will no longer be a sinner in God’s sight. He will see you as a new person because of what the Lord Jesus has done.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

ML-10/04/1998

Helpless!

Have you ever been completely helpless? A friend of mine named Carl who served in the Vietnam war told me his story of a time when he experienced total helplessness.

“It was toward the beginning of the war when I was wounded. One day during an attack four of us soldiers were advancing toward a wounded point-man to try to rescue him when some enemy soldiers fired at us. I took a bullet in my hip but managed to escape, but the three soldiers I was with were killed instantly.

“Because of the seriousness of my injuries, I could not be transported out of Vietnam immediately. They placed me in a field hospital. The hospital, or Quonset hut as it was called, was simply a half-dome structure made of corrugated steel. There was no air conditioning or running water and only minimal electricity available. Conditions were terrible. The heat was unending and oppressive, and the moans of the injured and the stench of death never stopped.

“One evening the hospital was attacked. As the bombs began to fall, the nurses and orderlies ran for their lives to the bunkers which were located at the ends of the building. All the lights went out and screams filled the air. There I lay, unable to help or protect myself. I was completely helpless in the face of death.

“Somehow in the darkness I managed to crawl under my bed where I lay until the attack was over. I was one of the few men who could move at all. When the nurses finally came back, that is where they found me.

“Soon after, I was shipped to Japan and then back home after further recovery. But I never forgot the complete helplessness of that long night.”

Have you ever felt as helpless as Carl did? If you are still in your sins, you are just that helpless, and the Bible says that you also have a sentence of death for those sins: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). There isn’t one thing you can do to get rid of your sins by yourself. But there is good news. We want to tell you that there is a Saviour who loves you and is offering you the gift of salvation. The Lord Jesus died on the cross to redeem people from their sins, and He is offering you forgiveness for your sins if you will by faith accept Him as your very own Saviour. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:89).

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:2).

ML-10/04/1998

God Loves Down-and-Outers

I looked down at my dirty shoes and decided to go to the hotel’s shoe shine parlor. As I entered I noticed a Bible under one of the seats.

“Is that your Bible?” I asked the shoe shine man.

“Yes, sir, that’s my Bible,” he answered, picking it up and clasping it to his chest.

“Let me sit here while you polish my shoes and tell me your story,” I said.

He looked me right in the eye and asked, “Sir, do you believe in miracles?”

“I certainly do! Every one of us that’s saved is a miracle of God’s grace.”

“It’s sure a good thing you feel that way, sir, ’cause you’re looking at a miracle right this minute!”

“Please tell me about it.”

He began, “I was hungry! Was I ever hungry! And I was a no-good drunk. I’d left my wife and kids and spent the very last nickel I had, and I was hungry. I was sleeping in the bushes and scrounging every little bit of food I could. So one day I walked by this mission, and WOW, did it smell good! There was food cooking in there. The sign said ‘EVERYBODY WELCOME,’ so I opened the door and what did I see? A bunch of people all dressed nice! This is no place for me, I says to myself. I’m dirty and so are my clothes. So I slept in the bushes that night and the next night too, and I was so hungry.

“The next day I says to myself, Even if they are all clean and nice, I’m going to that mission! And do you know what those mission people did? They gave me a big hug and filled my tummy and told me that Jesus loves me. And now I’m just so happy ’cause Jesus saved my soul.

“Yep, nobody ever told me before that God loved this down-and-outer so much that He came down to this bad old earth so He could die to make my heart whiter than snow. That was the best news my ears ever heard!

“But I wanna tell you something else. I ain’t the only down-and-outer in that mission any more. I couldn’t keep that news to myself, that Jesus really does save sinners! So I went out and brought in as many homeless sinners as I could find, and now there’s a bunch of us in that mission with our hearts made whiter than snow!”

It doesn’t matter what kind of clothes you wear or even if you’re clean or dirty; everybody needs to have their heart washed white and clean. “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

ML-10/18/1998

Teena Did Not Obey

Teena was a lively three-year-old who was always running. She was not, however, quick to obey. A command to “stop” or “come here” often made her want to do just the opposite, with a teasing laugh.

One day a friend of the family took her to a hotel which had a pretty fountain inside that changed colors. There were many other interesting things to see there too, and it was an exciting new world to the little girl. Teena ran here and there, and seeing a lovely patio outside, she made a dash for it.

Her friend, realizing that the little girl might not see that there were sparkling-clean, sliding glass doors onto the patio, called, “Teena, stop! Stop right now!”

But Teena only giggled and ran faster.

THUD! Down she went! Oh, how her head hurt. Now all her fun was ruined, and she had a big red bump rising on her head to show for failing to obey. At least her lesson was learned with a glass door and not a speeding car.

Are you thinking that she was a foolish little girl not to obey? Yes, she was. But are you any wiser? Do you laugh when you hear warnings about Satan’s lies and the punishment ahead for sinners? The Bible clearly tells us that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” (Ezekiel 33:11).

Naturally, none of us likes to obey. But a person who does not learn to obey will always have trouble. It is only when we listen to God’s command to repent of our sins and turn to Him that we can be forgiven. And oh, how He wants to forgive us. He is a loving, giving, gracious God who punished His beloved Son, Jesus, so that He would be able to wipe clean our awful record of sins. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).

Will you obey God, or will you suffer the awful consequences?

ML-10/18/1998

Isle Aux Morts

This island is located near the southwest corner of Newfoundland. Its name means “Island of the Dead.” It has been given this name because of the many shipwrecks that have taken place. Many brave sailors have lost their lives, because of the numerous storms in this area. It is known to have more shipwrecks than any other place in the world.

The meaning of the name “Morts” is mortuary where dead bodies are kept. That’s not a pleasant name for the place where people may live. However, we all live in a world where death arrives every day. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? If so, the judgment is already past for you; the Lord Jesus bore your sins on Calvary’s cross.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world.”
Galatians 1:34

ML-10/25/1998

Leona, the Dancer

It was New Year’s Day when the drums and flutes began to play. Now, three days later, the drums continued to boom out their rhythms and the flutes kept on playing their short, shrill tunes over and over. Men and women from a town high in the Andes Mountains had been dancing up and down the streets for all three days. They were so tired that they could hardly keep on dancing, but still they did not stop. Fear kept them dancing until the end of the third day. Sadly, they thought that the drums, the flutes and the dances would drive away the evil spirits of the New Year. Most of the dancers had never heard of the wonderful love of God who forgives sinners when they receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. They did not know that God protects His own children and that Jesus is stronger than evil spirits.

As they passed by the house many times with the same short, shrill tune and the continual beating of the drums, I wondered if perhaps the evil spirits had come closer to the poor dancers instead of going away.

“I used to dance in the streets like that,” said Leona.

Leona? Dancing in the streets? It hardly seemed possible. Why, I had seen Leona giving out gospel papers in the streets, not dancing. She often came to ask if I had more of the papers. “I don’t know how to read,” she said, “but I know they tell about my Saviour.” Another time when Leona visited us, she said, “It hurts to see the gospel papers thrown on the ground. Some do not want them.”

Yes, Leona was different now from the dancers in the street. She had lived most of her life chewing coca leaves, dancing with the others, and living without any thought of God. If you had seen her only about two years before, you probably would have thought that the old Indian lady, wrinkled and stooped, had lived without God for too many years. How could she be saved now? But a loving, patient God knew that it was not too late. He sent a Christian to tell Leona about the Saviour, the Lord Jesus who died on the cross and shed His blood to save sinners. She received the “Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:34).

Now, Leona the dancer was saved by the grace of God. Although she was the oldest Indian at our Bible meetings, she was usually the first to arrive. How God had changed her life after so many years without Him!

“How old are you, sister Leona?” I asked.

Leona chuckled. “How old would I be?” she replied. “My parents told me when I was 16, but that was too many years ago. I can’t remember now.”

Another day I went to visit Leona in her home. It was a small hut made out of mud bricks. There was no window, just a door. She lived with her son and his seven children, and they were so poor that the children sometimes ate cornstalks.

“How are you getting along, sister Leona?” I asked.

“We’re okay, but the venchukas won’t let us sleep,” she said. Venchukas are beetles that hide in the thatched roofs and come out at night to bite those who are sleeping. Leona’s hut was so dark that they would come out even during the day if it was a cloudy day.

Finally we had to leave Leona’s town in the mountains. We were sorry to leave our friends there. But one of the last things Leona said to us was, “My heart bothers me, but I have only one Doctor -He’s in heaven! I have only one Saviour - in heaven!”

Now we have learned that Leona also left that town in the mountains. She left her mud hut to go to live in a palace! She left this world to go to live forever with her Saviour. She was poor in this world, but now she is rich in heaven.

How will it be with you? Will you be rich in this world but poor in hell? God would like to welcome you to His happy home in heaven, but His doors are closed to one thing - the doors of heaven are closed to sin. Leona had many years of sins to be washed away, but the blood of Christ was able to remove them all. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Won’t you come to the Lord Jesus for salvation like Leona did? If you do, God will welcome you someday into His home, not just as a visitor, but as one of His own children. “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:23).

Leona will never again sleep in a mud hut where the venchukas bite, yet it is not just the wonderful home in heaven that makes her happy. No, even there on the street of gold with all the songs and beauty of heaven, Leona’s joy is not in what is there, but rather in who is there. The Lord Jesus, Himself, our Saviour, will be the great joy of heaven. Come with us there.

ML-10/25/1998

The Two Puppies

A friend of mine had two young Terrier puppies that looked identical. The more I studied these two dogs, the more I saw that they seemed exactly alike. They were still young enough that they liked to drink milk, but you could tell that their teeth were starting to grow. How did I know? Because they chewed on everything! Boots, mittens, toys - anything small they found, they chewed.

Then the day came when their owner decided to sell them. He wanted both of them to go to good homes. However, you cannot always know how somebody is going to treat a dog after they buy it. Even though he thought the two buyers would be good owners for the puppies, it turned out that one buyer was kind, but the other buyer was very unkind.

The puppy who had a kind owner was always with his master, trotting by his side or running and playing with him. He had good dog food to eat, and he was brushed often.

The other puppy had a hard time. Some days he got enough to eat, but other times his owner would go away and forget all about him. Sometimes his owner would hit him with a stick. Before they were sold, the two dogs had been together in the same happy home, but now things were very different.

Two boys or girls may grow up together in a Christian home. They will each have had the same teaching and love shown to them by their parents. But when it comes time to decide about the Lord Jesus Christ, they sometimes go different ways. Then they have different masters and they are treated differently. Of course, our puppies did not have a choice as to who their master would be. However, boys and girls do have a choice.

Every boy and girl has a precious soul which God says is worth more than the whole world! But since we are all sinners, Satan is our master, and we need to be redeemed (bought back). But who could pay such a price? God loves us so much that He paid that price. In love He sent His only Son to die on Calvary’s cross. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered on the cross for our sins and paid the full price to redeem those of us who will accept Him as Saviour. Will you accept Him right now as your own Saviour? Then He will be your Master, and what a wonderful Master He is! He will make you very happy, and someday He will take you to His home in heaven.

However, if you are not saved from your sins, you are lost, and Satan is your master. He is a hard and unkind master. And if you continue to serve him, someday you will die in your sins and be lost forever.

Why continue to be a slave of sin and Satan? Come to the Lord Jesus now and thank Him for dying for you. He is a loving Saviour and Master, and He wants you to belong to Him.

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve”
(Joshua 24:15).

ML-11/01/1998

Joseph's Adventure

It was dark when four-year-old Joseph opened his eyes. He couldn’t see much, but he could tell he was lying on the floor with chairs all around him. His family was on vacation, and they had just had a busy day at a science center -so busy and tiring that Joseph had fallen asleep in the Bible meeting the family attended that evening. When he wakened, all he knew was that he was in an unfamiliar building with no family in sight.

Joseph got up and wandered around, but he never called for his mommy or daddy. If he had, his parents certainly would have heard him and answered. Joseph knew that if his family were still around, their van would be out in the parking lot. So out the door he went in search of the van.

Joseph was soon to be more alone than ever. Have you ever felt alone and scared? Almost everyone does at some time. Did you know that there is someone who knows where you are even when you are lost or alone and that He cares about you? His name is Jesus, and He loves you. If you will call on Him, He will help you.

Joseph went out to the parking lot and discovered that the van was still there, so he decided to go back into the building to look for his family again. Now there was a new problem - the door had locked behind him when he went out, and Joseph couldn’t get back into the building! Little Joseph was trapped outside in cold November weather, barefoot, and with no coat on. Now he was in serious trouble.

Jesus says to you, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will [help you]” (Psalm 50:15). Because He loves you, He is watching you, even if you’re not in trouble like Joseph was. Did Jesus see little Joseph all alone outside that night? Yes He did, and He sent someone to help him.

Joseph walked down the busy street in front of the building and sat down under a tree when he got tired. Before the cold could injure him, God sent along two men who wondered why a barefoot little boy was out so late at night and asked him who he was. Joseph was able to tell them his name and also to point in the direction he had come from. The two men took Joseph in that direction in their car until he pointed to the building where the rest of the family was.

To keep Joseph warm, one man kept him in the warm car while the other went to knock on the door to see if anyone was there. Joseph’s parents were very surprised to see their son in a stranger’s car in the parking lot, but they were very thankful to see that he was safe. As soon as the men left, they got down on their knees to thank the Lord Jesus for keeping little Joseph safe.

If you trust in Jesus, He says you will be a son or daughter to Him. Since God never sleeps, He always knows where you are and will take care of you. In fact, He already loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you! Call on the Lord Jesus now. He’s waiting and ready to help you.

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

ML-11/01/1998

"Am I Too Little?"

“Am I too little?” asked little Deena after the talk to the hobby class children was over. Most of the children had gone into the next room for cookies and juice, but Deena stood right in front of me. She looked up at me, waiting for me to answer.

“Too little for what?” I asked, not knowing just what she meant by her question.

Her head drooped, and she looked down at the floor. I continued since she seemed too shy to answer my question. “You’re not too little to come to the hobby class. We like to have little girls here.”

Deena still stood looking down as if her question had not been answered. Then as she raised her head I could see that her eyes were filled with tears. She asked, “But am I too little to be saved?”

I picked her up and wiped her tears. Then we sat down on some nearby chairs.

“No, Deena,” I answered, “you are not too little to be saved. It was about children just your age that the Lord Jesus said, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God’ (Mark 10:14).” Then I slowly and simply explained to her the story of the love of Jesus and how gladly He receives and saves anyone from their sins, even little children who will accept Him as Saviour.

When we finished talking and praying, she was a happy little girl. She had some juice and cookies and said to me as she left the room, “I’m going to tell Mommy that Jesus died for me, and I can go to heaven now because my sins are gone!”

Wasn’t that a nice confession? But there is more. The next week she came to the hobby class bringing another little girl with her. Deena brought her friend right up to me and said, “Ann wants to be saved too.” Yes, Deena had both believed in her heart and confessed with her mouth (Romans 10:9) that the Lord Jesus had saved her from her sins. Her joy was so great that it attracted others, just like a magnet, to the Saviour.

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

ML-11/08/1998

"I'm Going to Jump in!"

One day a group of families got together to visit a place where we children had not been before. While we were playing, I ran alone over to investigate a fountain that was set in a large cement pool. The water had been turned off and the pool was drained. There was just a lot of green slime in the bottom of the empty pool.

“I’m going to jump in!” I called to the other boys who couldn’t see that the pool was empty.

“No you’re not!” they called back.

“Yes I am!” I yelled as I jumped in. What I didn’t know was that the green slime was slicker than ice. Down I crashed, hitting my head sharply against the pool.

Oh, I hurt all over, and I was scared I was going to die. Of course, the boys ran over to see if I was okay, and they got me out. My head was hurting and throbbing, and I was still frightened.

Later that night when I was lying in bed beside my brother, I started to cry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m scared. Do you know how to get saved?”

“Ummm, I think I’d better get Dad,” my brother answered.

When Dad came in, he sat on the edge of the bed and went over some of the same Bible verses I’d heard so often. We talked about Romans 3:23 - “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”; 1 Corinthians 15:3 - “Christ died for our sins”; and John 3:16 - “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” But this time there was a difference in me. God had my attention, and I knew that those verses were the words of a loving God speaking to a frightened little boy. That night I let Jesus wash my sins away, and then I knew for sure that He loved me and had saved me. From that time on I knew that whatever happened, my sins were gone and I would someday live in heaven with Him.

God wants to speak to your heart too. I don’t know exactly what words He’ll use to speak to you, but I do know He loves you and wants to save you from your sins. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

ML-11/15/1998

Kim Learns to Add

Kim is a cute little girl in second grade. But you will soon see that Kim didn’t pay much attention last year when her first grade teacher was teaching the class how to add. Kim could not add the number 1 to another number. Can you? I wrote out a page of problems for Kim like this:

1 + 1 = 4 + 1 =

2 + 1 = 5 + 1 =

3 + 1 = 6 + 1 =

Can you write the answers on this paper? With a little help Kim could. I explained that each answer was one number higher than the number she started with. She seemed to understand, so I asked, “If you add 1 to 132 what would you get?”

“1,000,073,” she replied with a big smile.

Thinking I had made the question too hard I asked, “Kim, if you add 1 to 84 what would you have?”

“1,056?” she asked, not really sure.

“Kim,” I said, “you are just guessing. I want you to THINK.”

Now, I’m going to ask all of you who are reading this story to answer some questions. Don’t guess at the answers; THINK!

Here is the first question: How many bad things are going to be in heaven? Did you answer, “None”? That’s right, because even one bad thing would spoil heaven, just like one bad thing that Adam did spoiled the earth.

Now I’m going to ask you a more personal question. Have you ever done even one bad thing? If you said “Yes,” that is right. But if you said “No,” that answer is wrong, because God tells us that all of us have done bad things. God calls bad things sins, and He says in 1 Kings 8:46, “There is no man that sinneth not.”

Here is the next question: Since you have done bad things, how can you go to heaven when no bad things are allowed there? Don’t guess; THINK! Here is the answer: You can only go to heaven if you let the Lord Jesus forgive your sins. Ephesians 1:7 tells us that in Jesus “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

But how can He forgive us? Does He just say, “Oh, you’re a nice person . . . I’ll forget about your sins”? Don’t guess about this. It’s most important that you KNOW the answer to this question.

The Lord Jesus can’t ignore our sins. Every bad thing each of us has ever done must be punished. But God knew we’d have to spend forever in hell and we still wouldn’t be finished being punished for our sins. Because He loves us so much, God provided Someone else to take that punishment. He sent His own perfect Son to die on Calvary’s cross to be punished for our sins.

So now your punishment for your sins will be paid by the Lord Jesus if you will come to Him and truthfully say, “I am a sinner, and I want to be forgiven.” He will forgive you and wash away all your sins in His precious blood. In 1 John 1:7 we read that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

You’ll be glad to know that Kim has learned how to add. She can now add the number 1 to another number correctly. And I hope that when she reads this story she will learn the only way there is to heaven. She needs to let the Lord Jesus forgive her sins.

Now, here’s one last question for you: Will you let the Lord Jesus forgive your sins?

“Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7).

ML-11/15/1998

The Big Move

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are kind people who live in a quiet and peaceful country area. Recently, the Browns were hearing some strange noises, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night. The noises seemed to be coming from the adjoining building. Mr. Brown found the noises annoying, so one day he decided to see what he could do about it. What he found was quite a surprise!

Mr. Brown discovered there was another family living on the farm. Not only were they making a lot of noise, they were making a terrible mess! He found a family of raccoons living in a nest in the building’s loft. The Browns decided the unwelcome guests would have to be moved away.

Mr. Brown found a large cardboard box, and, one by one, the four babies were gently placed in it. The mother stood her ground nearby, but she did not attack Mr. Brown. She watched closely what was happening to her babies. Mr. Brown carried the box with the babies in it over to the nearby woods. The mother raccoon followed him. She seemed to sense that she could no longer live in the loft. When they reached a nice wooded area, Mr. Brown let the babies go, and the mother came over to rescue her family.

The Lord Jesus watches over these little animals and sees even if a sparrow falls to the ground. Matthew 10:31 tells us, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” That means that boys and girls, and grown-ups too, are worth a whole lot more to Him. He loves boys and girls so much He died for them. And He knows what is happening to them at every moment.

Boys and girls often have to go through changes in their lives. Like the raccoon family, it might be moving to a different home and neighborhood. Or it could be changing to a different school. Sometimes it is an illness that means an unpleasant trip to a hospital. And some boys and girls go through the sadness of losing a member of their family. All of these changes make us feel sad. Some may be just a little sad, but some are very sad or even scary. But we know that Jesus cares and loves each one of us, and He will help us through these sad times. He has promised always to be with us, in the good times and in the sad: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. . . . We may boldly say, The Lord is my helper” (Hebrews 13:56). “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3).

Will you let Jesus be your helper all the time, but especially when you are sad or afraid?

ML-11/22/1998

A Deadly Game

To hear of someone winning a fight with a shark would be exciting, but I once tangled with a tarp and I nearly lost the battle.

We lived in western Colorado near the great fishing and camping areas of the Rocky Mountains. As you might suppose, my father had equipment for these activities which he eagerly unpacked each spring to air out. One sunny morning, Dad had spread a large, heavy canvas tarpaulin out in the yard. I was only ten years old and full of fun. Using the tarp as a “stage” on which to perform, I played and danced around until I dropped. Then I stretched out on it to rest.

As I gazed lazily up at the blue sky, a sudden gust of wind flipped a corner of the tarp over me. Crazily, I started rolling and unrolling myself in the heavy old canvas. Had I been told I had to do this, I likely would have complained, “Roll up in that musty old thing? No way! I might suffocate!”

Young people sometimes behave this way. If someone dares them to do something, the bait is almost sure to be swallowed. But if someone casually suggests it, they might take the first step of a sinful or dangerous habit, perhaps not even thinking of what it could lead to. And that’s what I did; I just kept adding one more roll-over each time, always hurrying to unroll in time to breathe. Then, you guessed it . . . I suddenly reached the “point of no return.” The old tarp held me tightly . . . I couldn’t unroll!

My frantic struggles only used what little air there was more quickly. My air was running out; I tried to call for help. Within moments, I drifted into the long, dark tunnel of unconsciousness.

I was just another victim of doing something foolish. How often has a young person, daring to try some dangerous habit, been trapped while thinking that they were in control and could just stop when the fun was over. But no . . . the habit holds them tightly, and many go down to death.

And what then?

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this [death] the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But there was someone who loved me and cared enough to check on me. Mother, no doubt led of God, had heard my last muffled cry. Instantly, she unrolled me from the tarp and quickly breathed the breath of life back into my limp body. Mother’s loving care of me saved my life.

You may or may not be involved in a dangerous habit that looks tempting and exciting, but don’t be tricked; “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). There is nothing funny or brave about sinning. It is your sure ticket to death and hell. That is the bad news. The good news is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). My mother loved me enough to check up on me in my foolishness, and our loving Saviour, who knows everything about us and yet loves us anyway, offers the only remedy for sin. He bore the punishment for those sins “in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). He can finish your story of sin with a happy ending: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

ML-11/22/1998

Gumballs Out of Dirt

All the Sunday school children looked eagerly at the bag Chris held in his hand. It was a clear plastic bag full of brightly colored gumballs.

“What would happen if I opened this bag and dumped it on the floor? What would come out of it?” Chris asked the children.

“Gumballs,” all the children answered quickly, hoping he really would dump them so they could each scoop some up.

But instead, Chris asked another question. “Who can say their memory verse?”

One of the boys held up his hand and repeated, “ ‘ The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20.”

“That’s right,” said Chris. “When I was a little boy, that was one of the first verses I memorized. It didn’t mean much to me then, but as I grew up and experienced more and more of the love and goodness of God, I began to realize that everything in God’s heart is good. As His heart has been opened up to me, only good has come out of it. So now that verse has become much more precious to me, and I am thankful every day that the Son of God loves me and gave Himself for me.

“Now, I have another bag here. What’s in this bag?”

The children looked at the bag with disgusted looks on their faces. “Rocks and dirt,” they told him.

“Right. And what would come out of this bag if I dumped it on the floor?”

“Rocks and dirt,” they all answered.

“Do you think that if I cut a little corner off this bag and squeezed the bag of rocks and dirt really hard, I could get a gumball out of it?”

Most of the children shook their heads “no.” Some weren’t sure.

Then Chris asked if anyone remembered the previous week’s memory verse.

One of the children repeated it: “ ‘ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.’ Jeremiah 17:9.”

“That’s right,” said Chris. “That’s what our hearts are like. There’s not one good thing in them. Look at this bag again. Can you see any gumballs in it?”

The children examined the bag again. They could find no gumballs.

“How could I squeeze a gumball out of this bag if there are no gumballs in it?” Chris asked. “Yet there are lots of people in this world who have hearts like this bag of rocks and dirt. They are full of deceit and wickedness, and they keep thinking that they can squeeze something good out of those hearts that will please God. But that’s impossible. Unless we’ve been born again by the Spirit of God and have the Lord Jesus living in our hearts as our Saviour, we cannot please God.

“Now, let me ask you this question: How many good things did people do to the Lord Jesus at the cross?”

The children shook their heads sadly and answered, “None.”

“Our hearts are not any better,” said Chris. “But never forget that you can say, ‘ The Son of God . . . loved me, and gave Himself for me,’ even though you have a sinful heart. If you are truly sorry for your sins and believe God’s Word that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7), He will wash every sin away, and you will become a child of God with a clean heart that can please Him.”

As they chewed their gumballs, we hope that each child remembered the lesson those gumballs taught them.

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

ML-11/29/1998

A Hooked Loon

Two fishermen were in a boat near Thunder Bay, Ontario, when they noticed a loon acting rather strangely. Loons are water birds, much like ducks, that can swim long distances under water as they catch fish to eat. They usually do not let people get close to them. They will dive under water, coming up much farther away. But the loon that these two fishermen were watching actually came right up beside the boat. It even allowed them to pick it up!

The men lifted the loon into their boat, and then they could see that it had a fishing line wrapped around its beak, neck and wings. It also had four hooks and three wire leaders stuck in its body. The men took the loon to shore where they cut off the fishing line and removed the hooks with pliers. While they worked to free the loon, it remained quiet until they finished.

“I really think this bird came to our boat for help,” one of the fishermen remarked. “During that painful process of removing the hooks, it never struggled or made a sound. We even took a picture of it before we let it swim away.”

Somehow the loon seemed to know that it could be helped by the men. Boys and girls, and grown-ups too, have Someone special they can go to for help. They can be healed not just from illness, but from their sins. This Great Physician’s name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can take away sin and give peace and comfort. The blood He shed on Calvary’s cross is God’s remedy for sin.

The Lord Jesus said, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:3132). Have you gone to the Great Physician?

When put in their right order, these letters form part of a Bible verse.

“The __ __ __ __ __ __ __ hath found an house” (Psalm 84).

ML-11/29/1998

Close to Death

Have you ever come close to losing your life? In my 16 years, I have come close to death more than once.

One time was at night, and I was with a couple of friends driving on a country road. While trying to pass a slower moving car, we topped a hill and discovered that another car was moving quickly toward us from the other direction. We were headed straight for a head-on collision! Thankfully, the road was wide enough that our car could fit in between the two cars with only inches to spare. For those endless seconds, I knew we were close to serious injury - or worse.

It may sound strange to you, but I am not afraid of death. I know where I am going when I die. I know that Someone else loved me so much that He died on the cross for my sins, so that when I do die, I will not be punished for those sins. His name is Jesus Christ. I accepted Him as my very own Saviour several years ago, and I know that He has given me everlasting life - life which even physical death cannot take away. This promise from God is given to us in the Bible: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that [you] may know that [you] have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Another time I was in a car driving through Philadelphia. It was rush-hour, and the freeways were crowded and traffic was moving fast. Suddenly, a car beside us decided to move into our lane, and there wasn’t room for both cars! Thankfully, with some quick car handling we got out of the situation without harm.

In both close calls, no one was hurt. But if almost anything had been different, both could have been fatal. Sixteen is not too young to lose your life. Lots of people have died long before they reach 16, including several of my friends. I did not expect to come so close to death on those two car trips, but death can claim young people in unexpected ways at unexpected times.

I do not know when I am going to die, and neither do you. What if it were today? Are you ready? God says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Are you facing that judgment for your sins? God says more: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:2728). If you will believe that Christ died for your sins, the punishment has already been paid at the cross for you. God’s gift of eternal life will be yours and can remove all fear of death. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that [hears] My word, and [believes] on Him that sent Me, [has] everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Those of us who already have believed that Jesus died for our sins know that we may never pass through death, because of another promise God has given us in the Bible. He says, “I [Jesus] will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). He doesn’t tell us exactly when He will come for us, so it could be today. This is another important reason to be sure the matter of your sins is settled right now.

ML-12/06/1998

Sonya

Sonya and her family are refugees. Refugees are people who have had to flee from their native country because of danger to their lives. They usually go to another country that will protect them.

Several years ago, conditions in Sonya’s native country of Albania were so dangerous that Sonya and her family and some of their friends and neighbors left Albania and went to live in Switzerland.

Mr. Richards, a gospel preacher, went to Switzerland. When he heard of the group of Albanian refugees, he decided to go visit them. He wanted to tell them about the Lord Jesus who loved them and died for them.

When Mr. Richards met seven-year-old Sonya, he found that she did not even know who God is. So he sat down to talk to her. He wanted to introduce her to the God in heaven who loved her.

Mr. Richards did not understand the Albanian language and Sonya did not speak English, but they both could speak some French. So Mr. Richards told her about God who loved her so much that He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus, down to this earth to suffer and die for the sins of all who will trust in Him. He repeated this verse to her which she had never heard before: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Sonya was so happy to hear of such a loving God that she wanted to thank Him for what He had done. She closed her eyes, and in a mixture of French and Albanian, she prayed a very simple, four-word prayer. What she said was, “Merci, Zot, pour JŽsus.” Do you know what that means? It means, “Thank you, God, for Jesus.”

Do you think God heard such a short, simple prayer? Yes, He certainly did, and I’m sure He was very happy to hear Sonya’s “thank you” for His wonderful gift.

Have you ever thanked God for sending Jesus to die for you? You do not need long prayers or fancy words to talk to God. Sonya spoke only four words and in a mixture of two languages, but the prayer came from her heart, and God heard it.

Recently Mr. Richards went back to Switzerland and visited Sonya again. He found that she was happily telling all her Albanian friends about the God who loved her so much He sent His Son - Jesus.

Have you ever told anyone about the God who loves them? If not, why not tell a friend today.

ML-12/06/1998

Forgiveness

One fall evening four neighbor children arrived at our house for a little fun on the trampoline. They were hoping to get in as many jumps as possible before going home to do schoolwork.

Neighbor children often visit our yard to use the trampoline. They are always welcome, but there are several rules they must follow for safety’s sake. Here are the rules:

1. Don’t chew gum or eat candy when jumping.

2. Never go under the trampoline.

3. Only 3 children may jump at one time (unless they are very small).

This last rule seemed to be hard for the children to obey. On this particular evening all four children wanted to jump together, and so they did. It was great fun for a while, with each child trying to jump higher than the others. But the weight of four children caused one of the springs on the trampoline to snap and fly off. Suddenly their fun was over.

The children realized then that disobeying the rule was going to have a consequence. The Bible tells us that disobeying is sin, and all sin, even what we call a “little sin,” has consequences. Many years ago, Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden. Because of their one sin of disobedience, God said they were going to die. The results are still the same today. The Bible warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). And we are all sinners: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23).

The four children now had a decision to make about the broken trampoline. Should they go to the house and confess they had broken the trampoline because they had disobeyed a rule, or should they make up a story of how it got broken? We were thankful that these four children decided to do what was right.

The four very timidly came to the door and gave a very soft knock. When the door was opened, they confessed that all four of them had been jumping on the trampoline together, and then they showed us the broken spring. They offered to pay to have it fixed.

We were glad these children were honest and came to us and confessed truthfully what they had done. We were happy to forgive them and told them they did not have to pay for the repair.

This is a little picture of how God wants to forgive us. We are all sinners and have disobeyed more than once. We are told in the Bible that if we come to Him and confess that we are sinners and need His forgiveness, He says, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

In our trampoline story someone had to pay for the broken spring, but it was not the children. God can now freely forgive all who confess to Him that they are sinners, because God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, has paid the consequences for their sins. The Bible tells us that “He [the Lord Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement [or punishment] of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Have you ever confessed to God that you have sinned and accepted the forgiveness He is freely offering you through the price His Son paid on the cross? “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

ML-12/20/1998

Teeny

One day a stray kitten came to our house. It stayed around, and now it seems to love us. All we did was give it something to eat, show it a little love and name it Teeny. Now Teeny comes and rubs against our legs, purring so loudly it sounds like a little motor. Teeny was only a little stray kitten, but how the children love him.

Doesn’t this remind us of the Lord Jesus? He picks us up, lonely stray sinners, and brings us to Himself. He shows us His loving-kindness, watches over us and sees that we have everything we need. We are just drifting in this world with no purpose to our lives. But when we come to the Lord Jesus, we find a purpose for living and a home.

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad;

I found in Him a resting place,

And He has made me glad.

Oh, how happy He must be when we thank Him for all that He has done and when we tell others about Him.

“Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee” (Psalm 84:4).

When put in their right order, these letters form part of a Bible verse.

“Ivory, and apes, and ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ s” (1 Kings 10).

ML-12/20/1998

A Special Call

Our friend’s family had brought a large group of children to an animal park, and I had brought my family to join them. After enjoying the animals for a while, we were preparing to go home. Because there were so many children running around, my sister Vicky showed everyone how our parents used to call our family together with a special honk of the car horn.

Our parents had died years before, but the memory of that family honk would always remain in our minds. We laughingly told them about one time when I had moved back to my hometown after being away for some time. I lost track of where I was to meet Vicky outside of a shopping mall, so I just drove the car slowly around the mall, honking our special honk softly. Sure enough, she heard that special honk and drove her car up to meet me, like when we were children. We laughed because we both knew our parents wouldn’t be calling us and we responded anyway. There is something within Vicky and me that says “come” when we hear that sound.

Our friends listened to our special honk story, said “Good-bye,” and drove away. Vicky and I continued talking for a few minutes. All of a sudden, from a distance, we heard our family’s special honk loud and clear. Instantly, we both stopped talking, turned our heads and prepared to go in the direction of the sound. There across the parking lot were our friends watching us, with all the children laughing, because of our response.

I am listening for another special call. It won’t matter where I am or what I am doing; I will hear it. It won’t be a car honk; it will be a shout and a trumpet call. But not everyone will hear it. Our special car honk was meant for only our family, and this special shout and trumpet call will be heard only by members of God’s family. Every Christian is a child of God and a member of His family. He has promised us that whether we are already dead and buried or still alive, we will hear the Lord’s special call. “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Our parents’ special honk called the family to come. The Lord’s special call will take His family home to heaven, and we might hear it today!

Will you hear that special call?

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons [children] of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not” (Luke 12:40).

“What a silly monkey! No one could ever catch me that way,” said Andy.

“Me either,” said Alice.

“What are you talking about?” asked Bruce who had just joined them.

“Oh, the missionary was telling us this afternoon in Sunday school how they catch monkeys in Peru. He said the Indians there like to eat monkeys. So, to catch them they cut a round hole in a coconut just big enough for the monkey to stick his hand in. Then they put a peanut inside the coconut and tie the coconut to a tree. Along comes Mr. Monkey. He likes peanuts very much, you know. When he discovers there is a peanut inside the coconut, he puts his hand in to get it. But when he holds the peanut, his hand becomes a fist and it’s too big to pull out! But the silly thing about Mr. Monkey is that he won’t let go of the peanut. When the Indian sees Mr. Monkey he says, ‘Now, I will have a nice monkey dinner.’ ”

“Mr. Monkey sees him coming. He is afraid and squeals and chatters. Mr. Monkey pulls harder and harder to get his fist out of the coconut. But still he will not let go of the peanut. Then the Indian grabs him!”

“Silly monkey!” said Bruce.

“Yes,” said Andy, “but that is not all of the story. The missionary said that we think the monkey is silly, but we are just as silly.”

“Why?” asked Bruce.

“He explained that we are all sinners, and Satan has us trapped. If we do not run to the Lord Jesus Christ for safety, Satan will have us forever! We are just like that silly monkey, because we hang onto our sins and won’t let go of them. Anything that we hang onto that keeps us from coming to the Lord Jesus is like the peanut that made the monkey lose its life.”

“I’m glad I’m not like that monkey,” said Bruce. “I’m glad I know the Lord Jesus as my Saviour. My sins are gone forever!”

Boys and girls, what about you? Are you trying to hold onto the things of this world, rather than letting them go and turning to the Lord Jesus who loves you? No matter what it is, if it keeps you from asking the Lord Jesus to be your Saviour, you are just as silly as Mr. Monkey. Don’t wait any longer. Satan, your enemy, has his eye on you! He does not want you to come to the Lord Jesus. But Jesus is lovingly welcoming you to come, just as you are. Once you admit to God that you are a sinner and accept His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour, your sins are gone and you are on your way to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-12/27/1998

Bible Stories

Philip and Andrew

There was a great crowd -thousands of people, and they were hungry. We have seen pictures of hungry crowds like that, and perhaps some of you have suffered from little or no food. Most of us don’t know very much about being hungry. We wish we could help those who are, but we don’t know what to do.

The Lord Jesus looked up and saw a crowd like that. They had followed Him because they saw how wonderfully He had healed sick people, and they wanted a share of His miracles. There were a few disciples close to Him who were there because they loved Him and had answered His call to follow Him. One of these was Philip.

In the heart of Jesus there is perfect wisdom, love and power. He wanted Philip (and you and me too) to know this, so He asked a test question: “[Where] shall we buy bread, that these [people] may eat?”

Philip’s idea was to buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and with this maybe everyone could have a little. Philip didn’t even have the money, but this idea was the best he could think of.

When you have a problem, do you offer God the best idea you can think of to solve it? Like Philip’s, your own plan is so tiny that it is no good at all. Have you stopped to think that you are speaking to the same Jesus who has perfect wisdom, love and power? Answer His test question by telling Him you don’t know the answer, but you are sure He does. Philip didn’t have the right answer. He could have said, “Show us, Lord.” When you don’t have the answer, trust Him and say, “Show me, Lord.”

There was another disciple there - a quiet man named Andrew. He spoke up and said to Jesus, “There is a lad here, [who has] five barley loaves, and two small fishes.” He seemed almost ashamed of such a suggestion, so he added, “But what are they among so many?” Maybe that was not a good question, but he was asking the right Person. Give the problem to Jesus, and give Him what you have. See what His hands will do!

We don’t hear any more about the lad, but we know that he was willing to give to Jesus, not part of his food, but all of it. Can you imagine how thrilled he was when he saw what Jesus did with it and had a share of that miracle supper himself !

The Bible doesn’t tell us what the lad’s name was, but it is enough that Jesus knows. Is there a lad here today? Is there someone willing to give to Jesus something he would find useful for himself if he kept it?

Then Jesus said, “Make the men sit down.” There was plenty of grass to sit on, and Mark tells us that they were seated in groups of 50, men, women and children, probably at least 10,000 in all. With such a tiny supply of food on hand, Jesus’ disciples really must have been trusting Him when they seated the hungry crowds for supper.

Then Jesus thanked God His Father for the food. And He divided the bread and fish so that Philip and the other disciples could pass it to the eager hands stretched out for supper.

Do you stop to thank God for your food before you eat? Every bite comes from God, and if you are hungry you are ready to eat it all. But do you sometimes grumble a bit if it’s not your favorite? “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

But where is Jesus now? Why is He not here to feed the hungry today? Because He was unwanted. The crowds shouted, “Away with Him, crucify Him.” And He is gone. What does your heart say to Him now? We have shared lots of things with the selfish and wicked crowds, but we have turned away from Jesus while we enjoyed His gifts, and now He is gone. But He is risen from the dead and is living now in heaven, with the same wisdom, love and power that filled His heart when He was here. He is ready to forgive you - ready to make you His own. He loves you and died for you. Will you come to Him right now?

Jesus told His disciples to gather up the leftovers after everyone had eaten. They found that they had 12 baskets full of food. What did they do with it? Don’t worry. He does not explain to us His full supply for our needs. But if Jesus is your Saviour, you will never come to the last crumb of His wisdom, love and power. Your basket will always be full.

“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

ML-06/14/1998

Strange Fire

If you are camping on a chilly evening, it is a big challenge to light a fire without matches. It takes a skilled camper to do this. But if he really needs a fire, he will probably succeed.

Here is a greater challenge. You or I happen to come along and see a camp fire with a pot of water boiling and a pan of sizzling fish and no one around. We see no clues, so how can we tell how that fire was lighted? God certainly knows the answer, but we would have no way of finding out. Maybe there are two other fires close by where other campers are cooking supper. Was this fire started from one of those? We just cannot tell. Now let me tell you a story from Leviticus chapter 10 about a fire, and since it is one of God’s stories, we know it is true.

Nadab and Abihu were the two oldest sons of Aaron the high priest. They could well remember being up in the holy mountain with their father, and they knew their religion well. Now they were dressed in priestly robes and had a very important place in the worship of the Lord. Their duty was to carry a censer with smoking incense in it. (A censer was a metal pot that held burning coals. The priest sprinkled incense made of sweet spices over the burning coals. As the incense burned, it gave off a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke.) I’m sure it was a very impressive sight. Nadab and Abihu were important religious men, and they were doing their job.

But . . . there was something wrong. God had told them exactly where to get the burning coals for lighting the incense. They were to get them from the fire from the great brass altar where God had ordered that a clean animal should be offered in sacrifice to Himself. This was the only right way to light the incense, but they had lighted it from some other source. Probably no one knew what they had done, not even their father. But God knew. They were offering to God strange fire.

Who could tell that they had gotten the fire from some other source? No one but God. You and I must meet God too, and many of us offer our praises to Him now and often come together to worship. But our worship must be according to His directions. It must begin with the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross where He suffered God’s judgment against sin. If you offer any praise which does not begin with this perfect sacrifice, God will not accept you.

The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is not only for everyone - it is for you personally. God has given you and me the Bible so that we will know that nothing but the death of Christ will ever make us welcome in His presence.

God tells us what happened to those two priests. “There went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them.” Right there, all of a sudden, those two men lay dead. Their cousins came and carried their bodies away. Their father was a faithful priest and his heart was very sad, but he could not save them. If they had taken the fire from the burnt offering upon the brass altar, they would have lived. But they made their own choice and disobeyed God.

We have a choice to make too before we meet God. We may choose the Saviour who died for sinners, or we may choose something else and disobey God. Robes and religion and incense will not save you from the wrath of God, but the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you can save you right now. Will you accept Him as the sacrifice for your sins?

“There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

ML-08/09/1998

Walking on Water

If you live where some of us do, you have probably walked on water many times. In the cold north, teams of horses and even trucks drive right across the rivers in January. Of course, it is frozen water, rock-hard, but it is still real water, and only God could make it like that. It was God who designed and made that wonderful material called “ice.” One reason was so that Northerners could have an extra advantage in getting around in the hard months of winter. God is very wise, isn’t He? But this story isn’t about walking on ice; it’s about walking on water.

That very same God who designed water and ice came down to earth as a man in the person of His Son, Jesus, and He lived here with ordinary people. Those who believed and followed Him were called “disciples.”

One day, Jesus had His disciples get into a boat on the shore of the sea of Tiberias while He sent the people who were at the seaside home after supper. Jesus must have been tired, but He went up into a mountain to pray and was there alone as it grew dark.

By this time the boat was out in the middle of the sea, and a bad storm had suddenly come up. The disciples were rowing into the strong wind, and the little boat was tossed about in the crashing waves. They struggled hard with their oars, but the wind was too strong to row against. They felt all alone and afraid in that dark, stormy night with the high waves and strong winds against them.

Perhaps you understand those scary feelings too. Maybe you have struggled hard and gotten nowhere and have felt discouraged and alone and in the dark. Most of us can remember a time like that.

Of course Jesus could see the disciples out there in the storm, because distance and darkness don’t block His vision. He saw them struggling, and He waited.

Now don’t be discouraged if God leaves you waiting. If you trust Him when you can’t see any hope, you will find that He is worth trusting. He will never let you down, for if you belong to Him, He is still with you while you wait. He promises, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). And the disciples were about to learn this.

It was about 3:00 in the morning when Jesus went out to them, walking on the water. Since He created the water, it was no problem for Him to walk on it. The howling wind and crashing waves were all under His control too.

The disciples in the boat saw Him, but they thought it was a ghost or a spirit, and they were afraid. These men did not know who was walking out to them. But when you and I know Jesus as our very own Saviour and Lord, all fear is gone. The Saviour who walked on the water that day is not a ghost or a spirit, but a real living Saviour who had come to them because He loved them. Peter was almost sure of this, so he called out, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.” Then above the howl of the wind and crash of the waves, he heard and recognized the voice he knew so well, and the answer he heard was just one word, “Come”!

Of course, it is impossible for you and me to walk on water, but with God all things are possible, and Jesus is God. Peter believed Jesus and answered by stepping right over the side of the boat and walking on the water to go to Jesus. I cannot tell you how far it was; however, I know that the wind was still howling and the waves were still crashing. And as Peter walked on the water, he took one look around at the raging storm, and then he began to sink!

Although Peter looked away from Jesus to the storm, the eyes of Jesus never looked away from Peter. And Jesus’ eyes full of love are watching you right now. Do you belong to Jesus? Have you come to Him when He has called you to “Come”? Then He will never, never let you sink!

Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter. It did not matter about distance. The Lord’s hand is never too far away to save you, even though He is in heaven now. I’m sure Peter never forgot that loving clasp that would never, never let him go, and Jesus and Peter walked together through the storm back to the boat. And then the storm stopped at once.

Was Peter safer in the boat on a quiet sea than he was on the waves on a stormy night? No, of course not. In Jesus’ hand we are sure of safety anywhere, until we are home with Him in heaven. God does not tell us we will never have any troubles, but He tells us we will never have to bear them alone. And He tells us that the end of the road is heaven where He is and where storms are over forever.

Do you know this same Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? There is no other Saviour but Jesus, and there is no other way but His way. Listen to Him and come to Him now.

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).

ML-10/11/1998

Azmaveth

Who was Azmaveth? First of all, he was one of King David’s mighty men. He did not become mighty by muscle-building exercises. He was mighty because of how he chose to use his great strength and courage. When it was time to fight King David’s battles, there were no bombs and guns; they used swords and spears which required strong arms. And often they marched all night before a battle with no resting-time. Azmaveth was ready for all this because he was a mighty man.

Maybe some of you are strong too, but most of you are ordinary. You don’t expect to ever be a gold medal winner. But Azmaveth was more than a mighty man -he was King David’s man. He marched ahead with loyalty in his heart to King David, and no fear or offer of money could turn him any other way.

Azmaveth had another special honor. He had charge of the king’s treasures, and those treasures were not small. King David had won them in battle. You may read about the gold and silver and beautiful jewels in 1 Chronicles 29:2. This was a great responsibility for Azmaveth, but he was strong and faithful so that King David lost nothing.

What a high honor it is to be one of God’s treasurers. Would you like that honor? God’s treasures are given to His children, and His treasures can never be lost. Let’s check over some of them. They are found in the first chapter of Ephesians, and I will list a few of them for you.

First, we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Then, we are adopted into God’s family.

We are accepted in God’s beloved Son.

We are redeemed by His precious blood.

If you are one of God’s children, these treasures are yours. He purchased these priceless treasures with the lifeblood of His only begotten Son, and they belong to every one of His children. Their value never goes up and down with the market, and their colors never fade. We might forget them and fail to enjoy them, but they can never be taken away or lost. Are these treasures important to you? Do you value them?

Perhaps we should close the treasure chest because we might be showing them to someone who is not one of God’s children. Are you one whose fun and friends have turned you away from God’s treasures? You aren’t interested? If so, the enemy is pleased, because he wants to keep you from having these treasures. This is not a spear-and-sword battle; it’s an even more serious battle for your own priceless soul, because God dearly loves you and wants you for Himself. It is because Satan hates God that he wants to keep you from having the treasures that God wants to give you.

Here is something amazing to remember about our Lord Jesus Christ. “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Are you rich with God’s treasures? If not, He wants to give them to you now. Accept Jesus as your Saviour and you will be rich with God’s treasures.

ML-11/08/1998

The Story of Forty Years

Perhaps you remember the Bible story of God’s promise to give the children of Israel the fertile land of Canaan.

When the people did not believe God and grumbled and complained, God delayed the blessing and caused their wandering trip to Canaan to last 40 long years. During that time, He fed all those people in the waste and hostile wilderness without any fields of grain, vegetable gardens or imports. How could He do this? It would be an impossible problem for us, but it was no problem to God. We would never have guessed God’s method if He had not told us.

God said, “I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain [amount] every day.” The next morning, the dew lay on the ground all around their camp, and when the dew dried up, there was a small round thing on the surface of the ground. “What is it?” the people asked. In their language the word was “manna.” Moses explained to them, “This is the bread which the Lord [has] given you to eat.”

This was a surprise, wasn’t it? They could not be lazy, because a million people made a very large camp, and they had a long way to walk to the land beyond their tents where the manna lay on the ground. The Bible describes the manna as being like coriander seed. Coriander seed is round and about this size: O - about 1/8 inch in diameter. So it was steady work to gather a day’s supply for a hungry family. Probably everyone helped, even the children. It had to be gathered early, because once the sun was hot, it melted and was gone. “Don’t keep any extra manna overnight,” instructed Moses. “Gather it fresh every morning.”

“But surely it doesn’t matter if we sleep in a little longer,” some said. There was something in their hearts that said, We don’t have to obey Moses. He’s eighty years old! You may understand this rebellious feeling, because it is right there in your heart too. Why can’t I have my own way? I don’t have to do what the Bible says!

So, some of them gathered enough to eat for two days, and perhaps they thought that they were extra hard workers and could rest the next morning. But in the morning, those families looked into the pot of yesterday’s manna and . . . it smelled awful and it was crawling with worms! They had to throw it out and go hungry that day.

Didn’t they know better than to choose their own way? It never works to disobey God. It might seem to for a while, but God knows all things and His way is right. To choose your own way is not only foolish, it is sin. But in His mercy, God gave them fresh manna the next morning, and His mercy is the same for you right now. Do you know how much He loves you and how perfect His ways are?

Then Moses had another command. “There will be no manna on the seventh day (Saturday, their holy Sabbath day). Gather twice as much on Friday.” This could be baking day, or they could boil the manna or leave it fresh. It made no difference, because it would keep over Saturday, even if the weather were warm. The seventh day was a day of good food without hard work.

But isn’t one day as good as another? Even if you are a Christian, you may think that you can choose your own way and your own time of receiving God’s blessings. Some of the people thought that same way, and they went out with their empty pots to gather manna on Saturday, the Sabbath, and there wasn’t any! They came home hungry, and it may be that they learned their lesson faster than we do. The lesson is simply . . . let God make the choices. He knows our needs better than we do, and His timing is perfect. We can find out what His choices are by reading His Word, the Bible, and “listening” to His voice.

God does not command us to stop working on the seventh day. Not now. It was on the first day of the week (Sunday) that our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and on that day we specially love to remember Him. He looks for a loving response in your heart, since He gave His life for you. The answer, “I don’t care,” or, “Some other day,” will leave you empty and hungry in your heart, even if you are a Christian. Listen to the Word of God, and let Him make your choices. “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler [guardian] to all them that trust in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31).

You may be wondering about the need of clothes and shoes for all those people during those 40 years of walking. That’s another wonder from God’s supply. Their shoes never wore out and their clothes were always new! No wear and tear and no patching. Do you see what a God we have? Why not trust Him now and forever!

And where did a million people and their cattle find enough water to drink in desert conditions? We’ll tell you about that, Lord willing, another day. But if you can’t wait that long, read Numbers chapter 17.

ML-12/13/1998

Poetry

Three Precious Promises

1. Take an and a ,

Put an in between,

And a marvelous blessing

at once will be seen,

For ’tis “Ask, and it shall be

given unto you”;

’Tis thus Jesus speaks, and

His Word’s always true.

2. Between an and a

Put two ’s straight away,

And a wonderful promise

you’ll have for today,

For the Lord is so kind,

He says, “Seek, and you’ll find”;

And the blessing He’ll give is

what just suits His mind.

3. Between two lovely ’s

Place an , and ,

And a rich mine of wealth

at once you will see,

For the Saviour says, “Knock,”

and the door opens wide;

Faith’s key does unlock, and

Christ’s word must abide.

Then “Ask,” “Seek” and

“Knock,”

For this is God’s way,

And sure are His blessings,

which ne’er pass away.

ML-08/02/1998

Keeping Guard

You have a little prisoner,

He’s nimble, sharp and clever;

He’s sure to get away from you

Unless you watch him ever.

And when he once gets out,

He makes more trouble in an hour

Than you can stop in many a day,

Working with all your power.

He gets your playmates by the ears

And says what is not so;

He uses many ugly words

Not good for you to know.

Quick, fasten shut the ivory gates

And chain him while he’s young;

For this same dangerous prisoner

Is just . . . your little tongue.

“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

ML-06/07/1998

Are All the Children in?

I wonder if, when the shadows fall

On the last, short earthly day,

When we say good-bye to the world outside,

All tired with our childish play,

When we meet the Saviour of boys and girls,

Who died to save them from sin,

Will we hear Him ask, as Mother did,

“Are all the children in?”

ML-03/01/1998

Lessons from Nature

The Odd Opossum

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”
Psalm 33:8

What is this strange thing coming down the forest trail? It turns out to be a mother opossum carrying eight babies who are strung along her back and clinging to her long, bare tail. The mother opossum is very careful about her big family.

Female opossums are the only animals in the United States and Canada that have pouches (like kangaroos). Although the most common kind grows to about the size of a house cat, baby opossums are no bigger than a bumblebee when they are born. Within two minutes they smell their mother’s milk located in her pouch in the outer skin of her abdomen and climb in, remaining there for two to three months. Then for a few more months they are given piggy-back rides while their mother introduces them to other foods—fruits, nuts, insects, fish, frogs and vegetation. They hunt for food at night.

One thing the mother doesn’t have to teach them is how to “play possum.” This is an instinct the Creator gave them when He first placed them on the earth, and it is carried on from generation to generation. When danger threatens, instead of trying to run away (they are not very fast on their feet), they fall to the ground with their jaws dropping open, tongues hanging out, eyes glazed and barely breathing. They look just like a dead animal and even give off that kind of an odor.

A fox or coyote might come right up to one, but the opossum does not move a muscle or blink an eye and is usually left alone because the attacker is not interested in dead meat. People who have found one “playing possum” have grabbed its fur, shaking it just to see what will happen. But opossums always remain perfectly still until the danger is past. Isn’t it wonderful how the Creator has given them this ability?

As we consider the various habits God has given all His creation, we look on in amazement. One important provision He has given each of us is an intelligence to understand His precious Word, the Bible. It is there we find that He loves us, and He knows all about us. We also find that we are lost sinners. Yet His desire is that we might live forever in His heavenly home, although we cannot go there with our sins.

Does the Bible provide a remedy for us? Yes. In Titus 2:13-14 we read of “the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity [sin].” If we admit to Him that we are sinners and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins, God will then accept us as His very own sons and daughters forever and ever. How important it is to do this right now!

JANUARY 4, 1998

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
1 Peter 2:24

ML-01/04/1998

Don't Get Near the Portuguese Man-of-War!

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary [enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith.”
1 Peter 5:8-9

The ocean-living Portuguese man-of-war is actually a deadly jellyfish. Its beautiful colors are deceptive. Its most visible part, called the crest, is usually a transparent pink, and its body is a bright blue, about eight to twelve inches across. Deadly tentacles (seen only underwater) trail as long as 60 feet below its body. These are covered with thousands of stinging cells containing poison almost as deadly as a rattlesnake’s.

The air-filled crest provides a sail and also helps keep it afloat. But if frightened, the crest deflates and immediately the jellyfish drops below the surface. When the danger is past it again pumps air into the crest which rises up firmly, and it continues sailing on its way, propelled by the wind.

Some varieties catch their prey by shooting out stinging harpoons, paralyzing the victim and then swallowing it. The more common ones, however, rely on fish bumping into a tentacle and being instantly poisoned by the stinging cells.

The Portuguese man-of-war is not bothered by many enemies, but big loggerhead turtles are an exception. These turtles are not afraid to swim right into the tentacles, tearing off bites which they swallow without harm. The turtle does feel the stingers on the soft parts of its body, but apparently considers the meal worth a little pain.

The man-of-war has an amazing companion that travels with it. A small fish, by the name of nomus, swims among the tentacles without being harmed, picking off scraps of food stuck to them. Swimming in and out of this den of poison, it tempts larger fish to chase it into the tentacle trap where they cannot escape. The relationship of these two unusual companions is another example of how the Creator often uses two dissimilar creatures to help one another.

These vicious creatures can inflict serious and even fatal stings. Even if a beached man-of-war appears to be dead, avoid it, for its stinging tentacles are still dangerous.

This deadly resident of the sea reminds us of Satan, the great enemy of God and man! Just as the man-of-war appears attractive but conceals its deadly poison from view, the devil never tires of trying to deceive every person in one way or another. The Bible warns us that he is capable of appearing as “an angel of light,” deceiving those who discover too late that they are caught in his deadly poison.

What is a safeguard against this enemy? The Bible gives the answer: “The fear [reverence and love] of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27). Trust in Him at all times, and when Satan’s temptations come, ask the Lord Jesus to help you turn away from them. Only He can give you the strength to do so.

JANUARY 11, 1998

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20

ML-01/11/1998

Hidden Beauty Spots

“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens.”
Psalm 8:1

Not many people travel to the far northern parts of Canada, Greenland and the Yukon where forests suddenly end and tundra and ice begin. This area is cold and uninviting to all except the most adventuresome. Still, it is part of our world and God’s wonderful creation. To us it is a strange and mysterious region, but to Him it is a place of purpose for some forms of life that are always under His watchful care.

Trees in this forest border are mostly small and weather-beaten, some barely rising above ground level, but they provide homes for hardy birds, animals and insects. Birds such as blue jays, grouse, owls, ptarmigan and others thrive on the insects, berries and seeds of the tundra. Here, too, squirrels, martens and foxes can be found. Other animals such as moose, caribou and musk-oxen prefer open tundra where there is good grazing, but they return to the shelter of the trees in winter.

Tundra in most places is covered with brush and grass, but just a few feet down the ground is frozen hard, which restrains trees from growing very large. To the eye, this tundra appears as endless as the ocean - a lonely and rather frightening place. Its black sticky soil, however, supports dense growth of low shrubs, moss, lichens and many kinds of berry bushes.

In late summer this great expanse exhibits beautiful colors. Blueberries, billberries and others, along with the leaves of their bushes, change to red, purple, blue and other colors, and the entire landscape is changed into a thing of beauty. At the same time birch, willow and aspen trees at the tundra’s edge add lovely yellows, reds and browns. Over it all at night an added spectacle sweeps the sky - the amazing northern lights shimmering across the whole expanse, piercing the darkness with their striking forms and colors.

But, with the exception of a few adventurers and some native Indians, only birds and animals see this beautiful part of God’s creation. However, when we remember that the Bible says of the Creator, “For Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11), we see that this beauty is not wasted. The One who has included it in His creation has great pleasure in looking on it.

Don’t you wish you could see all this? We may never see anything like it on earth. But for those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and know Him as their Saviour, there is a promise that we will see and be part of the glories of heaven itself, which surpass the grandest of all earthly beauty. Will you be included with those who will enjoy those wonders for all eternity in the presence of the Saviour who loves them and gave His life for them?

JANUARY 18, 1998

“I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:3

ML-01/18/1998

Two Creatures With Many Legs

“Every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination . . . or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things . . . them ye shall not eat.”
Leviticus 11:4142

The first of our two subjects is the centipede. This name means 100 legs, but it is just a general term since not all of the 1500 centipede varieties have the same number of legs. The most common have only 30 (15 pairs), but large tropical centipedes may have more than 300! The centipede suggests danger, for their first pair of legs has poisonous claws used to kill their prey. In the tropics, there are large centipedes whose bite can be very dangerous; however, the common variety in North America cannot pierce human skin, and their victims are only earthworms and small insects.

These long, thin, blind creatures are composed of many segments, each segment having one right and one left leg attached. Most centipedes are born with very few segments, but at each moulting, new segments and legs are added. You might wonder if so many legs would get tangled up, but this is not the case as they travel fast with all their legs working in unison. Active at night, their days are spent hiding underground, under stones or in a piece of rotten wood.

Then there are the millipedes. This name means 1000 legs, but 200 would be more accurate. Their brown, cylindrical bodies are much like the centipedes’ except that each segment has four legs, and most varieties have only 30 or 40 segments. There are other differences too. The millipede, without poisonous claws, is entirely harmless. And rather than worms and insects, this creature’s food is mostly decaying plants or moist vegetation, which is why so many appear in damp flower beds.

They are often a nuisance because they damage plants, but there is no need to be afraid of them. In fact, they themselves are afraid when exposed and immediately coil up in a tight little circle, their heads in the center and their legs all pulled under their bodies.

While both these creatures are part of God’s creation and under His care, we are reminded that in Old Testament days, under the law, God told His people not to eat them (see opening verse above). Instead, He named clean animals and birds that stand up or fly above the earth as their proper food.

We are not now under those laws, but we see an important lesson in them. God does not want us to find our pleasures in the sinful things of this world, but He tells us to “seek those things which are above . . . not . . . things on the earth” (Colossians 3:12). This is the way of true happiness. You will see if you follow it.

JANUARY 25, 1998

“Our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity.”
Titus 2:13-14

ML-01/25/1998

The Unusual Yak

“And to every beast of the earth . . . I have given every green herb for meat [food]: and it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
Genesis 1:30-31

Sometimes called “grunting ox,” yaks are very large animals. Some stand six feet high at the shoulders and weigh up to 1,200 pounds. They are covered with long, black or brownish-black hair that sometimes hangs almost to the ground. Their sharp, curved horns are two to three feet across. These animals live in high, cold areas, like the slopes of Mount Everest. Large numbers also live in Tibet at altitudes of 14,000 to 20,000 feet where few other animals could survive. Various species are also in the East Indies, central Asia and China.

Female yaks and their calves form herds of 100 or more, often feeding in deep snow, brushing it aside with their heads and hoofs to get at the grass underneath. When water is scarce they eat snow. Most of the year the males live alone or in small groups. When wolves appear, adult yaks will quickly form a circle with lowered heads and threatening horns turned outward. This is a defense taught by a wise Creator who cares for all His creatures.

During winter a soft dense undergrowth of hair appears beneath the coarse outer hair. As the weather warms, this is shed with clumps hanging from their bodies before dropping off.

Some yaks have been tamed as beasts of burden. These are the smaller species, but they are still strong and able to carry heavy loads twenty miles a day over mountain passes. They are agile creatures and can skillfully cross steep rock slides and do not hesitate to travel through deep snow or swim icy rivers.

They also provide rich milk and meat which tastes like beef, since they are related to cattle. Their soft hair is used to make cloth, and their coarser hair is used in mats and tent coverings. Their hides are used to make saddles and boots.

The yak is another example of the wonders of God’s creation and reminds us that “the mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof” (Psalm 50:1). He has adapted the yak perfectly to its cold homeland.

But the thoughts of God toward each of us are deeper and more loving than toward any other creature! Just think of what the Bible says: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you” (Jeremiah 29:11-12).

Have you accepted His kind thoughts? Have you ever prayed to Him and admitted that you are a sinner and accepted Him as your Saviour? If not, He waits to prove His love to you. You will be eternally saved and have real happiness if you accept Him as your Saviour right now.

FEBRUARY 1, 1998

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
1 Peter 3:18

ML-02/01/1998

The Noisy Puffbirds

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Psalm 50:11

There are many species of puffbirds in the rain forests of Central and South America. They are not very large birds, only about seven inches from their beaks to the tips of their tails, but they make up for any lack in size by their loud and noisy chatter. Their heads are rather large in proportion to their bodies and have a feather tuft on top of their foreheads. Some also have another tuft under their bills, and they all have large red eyes. The name “puffbird” has been given to them because they often sit with these feathers fluffed out like a puffball.

The Creator has provided them with wide short bills, enabling them to scoop insects easily from the air. Sitting in groups on a branch or other high place, individuals dart out quickly now and then for passing bugs and flies, or spiders and lizards they may spot, as well as small frogs.

One, called the white-eared, is among the prettiest. It is all white on its throat and lower parts, decorated with a vivid orange beak and reddish-brown cap. This has narrow black ribbons across it, matching its tail feathers. Its reddish-brown wings are decorated with numerous black patches.

Another, the swallow-wing, has a bluish-black cape over its head and down most of its back and wings, but sports a distinctive white area between its cape and tail. Its body has a pretty combination of a blue beak and breast with orange lower plumage.

The smallest, but most active, is the white-fronted. In spite of its name, only half of its front is white with the rest being a grayish-blue, nicely matching its broad tail feathers. The male and female of this group surround their burrow entrance with sticks to help conceal it. Working together, they remove the fresh dirt from the burrow so enemies can’t easily find their underground home.

With all puffbirds both parents work together digging a burrow and making a nest at the end. After the eggs are laid, they both share incubating them. However, after the eggs hatch, the male always stays with the chicks for a week or more while the female finds food. She brings this to the tunnel entrance and drops it, and the little chicks get good exercise walking up to get it. The male doesn’t eat any of this food, so he has to make quick trips outside to satisfy his hunger. The chicks fly from the nest when they are about three weeks old.

The Bible verse at the top of the page tells us that the Lord God knows all about these birds which He has created and cares for them. He knows all about you, as well, and wants you to trust in Him by accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Have you done this?

FEBRUARY 8, 1998

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

ML-02/08/1998

Beware the Puffer!

“Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.”
Psalm 77:14

There are many strange creatures in the oceans. One of the most unusual is the puffer fish, of which there are some 100 kinds. It is also called by other names, such as swellfish, sea porcupine, globefish and tiger puffer. The puffer is found in all oceans, including those along the eastern and western shores of North America.

Puffers are not pretty fish, except for a few of them such as the swellfish, which is bright green on top with yellow sides and white underneath. The protruding eyes of most are unusual, sparkling green or blue and apparently able to see in about every direction at once. But otherwise, these fish are not at all attractive; they have bulging eyes, fat stomachs, rubbery fins and puckered mouths. They have no scales and some have smooth skin.

The reason the title of this article says “Beware the Puffer!” is because they are one of the most deadly fish in the seas. They are able to raise sharp spines all over their bodies, able to bite with strong teeth, and, most importantly, able to kill with deadly poison.

Puffers, lacking a skeleton or ribs, cannot swim like other fish because their tails and fins are not able to propel them very well. Instead, they often just drift in the ocean, with their fins not doing much good and their tails merely acting as rudders. Because of this they do not like deep waters, but stay near shores where they find their food - clams, oysters, marine worms and even crabs and shrimp. The Creator has given them amazingly strong jaws and hard, sharp teeth which easily crunch the toughest shellfish to get at the inner parts.

The name puffer describes them very well when they defend themselves. At the threat of danger, they inflate their stomachs with air or water. Their tough, elastic skin stretches until they are as round as a ball and two or three times their normal size. Then they float belly upward on the water’s surface. Some raise those strong, sharp spines on their bodies. It is rare for even a shark to tackle one. When the threat of danger is over, they return to normal size.

Do you think the Lord God, who created them, gives any thought to such strange fish? The Bible assures us that He does, telling us, “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). We may not understand why such unusual creatures were included in His creation, but we can be sure He had a purpose in creating them and now watches over them as He watches over each of us.

When we think of this we should remember another scripture, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

FEBRUARY 15, 1998

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”
Psalm 50:15

ML-02/15/1998

The Always-Hungry Grasshopper

“And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt . . . and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees.”
Exodus 10:14-15

People who live where there are grasshoppers know about these insects. Even if you can’t see them you know they are there by the noise they make. Actually, the noise is not made with their mouths, but by rubbing their wings with their hind legs.

A grasshopper is a most unusual creature. Its head has two long antennae extending forward and curving upward. Its head, shoulders and other body parts are protected with tough armor. It has wings which fold smoothly along its back and past its large hind legs.

Locusts are similar to grasshoppers, but that name usually refers to those species that migrate in great swarms and are very destructive to crops, as told in Bible accounts such as the opening verse. But grasshoppers of the western world can also be very destructive, as farmers in the United States and Canada will tell you.

In late summer, a female digs a hole in the ground with her ovipositor and fills the hole with foam. Then she lays as many as 120 eggs in the hole and covers the opening with soil. The eggs hatch the following spring, and the newborn grasshoppers look like the adults except that they have no wings. They immediately begin feeding on tender vegetation and grow so rapidly that they soon shed their skins (molt). They molt five or six times before they reach full-size. Their wings grow to full-size during the last molt.

A grasshopper has six legs. The hinged back legs have strong thigh muscles which power its long leaps. It can leap about 20 times as far as the length of its own body. These powerful legs also push it off to fly.

The Creator has not only provided them with ability to leap or fly away from enemies (ever try to catch one?), but He has also given them excellent camouflage among the green and brown vegetation they eat.

Perhaps grasshoppers are given to us as a solemn lesson, speaking of those who are destructive, creating nothing good in themselves, but trying to spoil the truth of God’s goodness. There are many people who fit this description today, and the Bible warns us about them: “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers . . . teaching things which they ought not” (Titus 1:10-11).

How can we keep from being deceived? Those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will most easily fall into the snares of such deceivers. But if you have put your trust in Him, a good answer is also provided: “[Build] up yourselves on your most holy faith . . . keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20-21).

FEBRUARY 22, 1998

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1

ML-02/22/1998

Don't Argue With a Jaguar

“For every beast of the forest is Mine. . . . And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Psalm 50:10-11

A jaguar can easily be mistaken for a leopard, since the brownish-yellow fur of each, covered with black spots, is so similar. But there are some differences. The adult jaguar is larger, and many of the circular spots covering its body have a black spot in the center, while those of the leopard are solid. Some South American jaguars are almost coal black.

The jaguar, up to 8 feet long including its 21/2-foot tail, may weigh up to 290 pounds. The huge mouth in its large head has strong, sharp teeth and a long tongue covered with tiny rasps that help get the last bite off the bones of its victims. Out of that mouth also comes a frightening roar. This ferocious cat is the most feared animal in Mexico, Central and South America.

Huge, well-padded paws have fearsome claws that (like a house cat’s) remain hidden in the toes but are extended as fierce weapons when fighting or catching prey. However, in spite of these fearful features, it is a handsome animal with small, erect ears, beautiful eyes and large shoulders.

It is not afraid of water, jumping right into a stream or pond to catch its prey, which might include a fish, turtle or even a small crocodile. Normally it stalks the animals in high grass or brush - seeing, but not being seen -silently creeping closer and suddenly pouncing on its victim - a deer, peccary, armadillo, tapir or other animal. Its sturdy legs and large shoulders provide plenty of strength to drag even a heavy victim a mile or so away, where it may hide a portion for another day.

A jaguar prefers to live alone except when raising its family of two or three cubs. It often travels many miles a day hunting for food. When not on the move, it likes to stretch out on a tree limb or a smooth, shaded rock. Being master of the rain forest, it has no fear of attack except by hunters.

The Bible does not mention the jaguar, but the Lord, wanting His people to change their bad ways, said, “Their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me. . . . As a leopard by the way will I observe them” (Hosea 13:67). This means that while they forgot Him, yet, like an unseen leopard (or like our unseen jaguar), He was watching everything they did. Farther on in the chapter He adds, “In Me is thine help” (vs. 9).

Have you forgotten Him and are you careless in your ways? Oh, how lovingly He invites you to confess it to Him and accept Him as your Saviour before it is too late! If you have not done this, won’t you do it right now?

MARCH 1, 1998

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”
John 14:6

ML-03/01/1998

The Handsome Goldfinch

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father [being aware of it]. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:29,31

The goldfinch, often called the wild canary because of its lovely song, is one of America’s most beautiful songbirds. It is about five inches long and is found over most of the United States and southern Canada.

The male is an exceptionally pretty and compact, neat little bird. In the spring and summer he is dressed in bright yellow feathers with a contrasting jet-black cap, wings and tail feathers with pretty cross stripes of white. His legs and short, sharp beak are orange-brown. But in the fall and winter his bright yellow body changes to look more like the olive-brown female.

These birds fly in a rapid up-and-down wavelike motion. It is delightful to watch this display and hear their distinctive lovely songs. They seem so happy in the way of life the Creator has arranged for them.

Their nests are made of thistledown and fibers from various plants and are woven so tightly that the nests will hold water. The inside of the soft nests will have three to six pale-blue eggs. These are laid from July through September and hatch out as cute baby chicks after about two weeks. While the mothers incubate the eggs, their mates faithfully bring them quantities of seeds to satisfy their hunger.

The Creator has made the goldfinch a seed-eater rather than an insect-eater. And in His wisdom He has arranged for their young to hatch out in the late summer, just as seeds are ripening with the most nourishment and are easy to find. Thistle seeds are their favorite, and climbing about the prickly thistle plant does not seem to bother them a bit. There is also a variety of other food for them as well, including ripe berries and the seeds of grass, weeds, wheat and oats.

The baby goldfinches are not able to digest whole seeds, no matter how ripe they are. Until they are older and able to gather and digest their own food, the parents feed them by eating and digesting the seeds in their own stomachs (crops) and then, placing their beaks in the little ones’ mouths, they bring up the digested food.

How did the goldfinch - and all other finches - know to delay their nesting until late in the summer? And how did they learn such an unusual way to feed their little ones? We know the answer. The Creator gave them the instincts to do these things when He first created them, and each new generation does not need to be taught again, because these instincts come naturally to them, just as the Lord God planned it.

MARCH 8, 1998

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” Romans 4:7

ML-03/08/1998

Hardy Olive Trees

“Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.”
Leviticus 24:2

The olive tree has always held an important place in the world. You may have noticed that the illustration of an olive branch is still a symbol for peace. It is a very rugged tree with a gnarled trunk, willow-like gray-green leathery leaves and many yellow blossoms. Even with little care it will often still be producing olives, although it may be more than a thousand years old. Some of the olive trees brought to California by the Spaniards in 1769 are still alive.

In Bible days olive trees had a special part in the lives of people in Palestine and neighboring countries and are often referred to as tokens of God’s blessing on His people. Their fruit, the shiny purple-black olive, not only provides a high-energy food, but its oil has been used for centuries for lighting lamps, cooking, ointment, lubricants, in soap and other things. Kings and priests were usually anointed with olive oil before taking their place of honor among the people. But more importantly, God’s people, Israel, were carefully instructed to use olive oil in many places inside the tabernacle and the temple in connection with sacrifices offered to the Lord, as our opening verse shows us.

Olives in the Mediterranean and Jordan areas ripen from October to January. When finally ripe, entire families often pick together - pulling the fruit off by hand - fathers up on ladders, mothers reaching lower limbs and children climbing up the trunk for others.

Both the seed and flesh contain oil which is removed by presses. In olden days, donkeys provided the power to crush the oil from the olives by walking slowly in a circle around big millstones. Today this is usually done by modern machinery.

When old trees eventually produce too little fruit, they are cut down, mostly to be used for firewood. However, some selected hard pieces, yellow in color and with patterns in the grain, are more likely to go to skilled artists who make lovely carvings. These sell for high prices in tourist shops as souvenirs.

In the first chapter of Genesis we learn that on the third day of creation God created fruit trees, and when He looked on this lovely creation He “saw that it was good.” (See Genesis 1:11-12.) Many years later when King Solomon thought about the beauty and wonder of God’s creation, he wrote: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

All of us, young or old, should be glad when we see the marvelous works of creation. They show us a little of the majesty and wisdom of the Lord God, our Creator. How thankful we should be that all things were made by Him for us to enjoy.

MARCH 15, 1998

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”
Psalm 56:3

ML-03/15/1998

The Fierce-Looking Lobster

“Behold, God is great, and we know Him not. . . . He spreadeth His light upon [the earth], and covereth the bottom of the sea.”
Job 36:26,30

Lobsters are strange-looking creatures of the sea which are easily recognized by their stiff shell, large fan tail, spindly legs and large claws. Dark green or dark blue (they don’t turn red until cooked), they blend in with the ocean floor. Eyes with thousands of facets are atop two stalks, and two wire-like antennae that detect food or danger extend out in front. They do not have ears, but listen through the sensitive hairs on their legs.

They have five pairs of legs. The first pair end in large claws which extend in front of the head. These are for defense but also are used to crush shells of clams and oysters to get at the meaty parts. The other four pairs are for walking. The large fan tail has four pairs of swimmerets, providing power for swimming or scooting away backwards when frightened.

Male lobsters are cranky and hostile, and it is not unusual for them to lose a claw or leg, which amazingly grows back eventually. Until then it looks lopsided.

A lobster never stops growing and reaches thirty-five pounds or more if it lives long enough. But its armor-like shell doesn’t grow with it. Every summer the lobster splits its shell and steps out of it. Its new shell, which has formed under the old one, is soft and gives the lobster no protection. It hides under a rock or piece of seaweed while its new shell hardens.

The female lays thousands of eggs usually only once every two years. She carries them safely under her large tail for 11 to 12 months before shaking them out of their eggshells. The baby lobsters rise to the surface and drift in the ocean currents, sometimes traveling great distances before they sink to the ocean bottom three to five weeks later. As they drift they are easy prey for other sea creatures and birds. Those that escape these enemies grow to maturity, but then may become victims of lobster traps and wind up on dinner tables.

The result is that not many lobsters live very long. No doubt this is why the Creator provided the female with the ability to produce so many eggs. Those that manage to escape all the hazards can live as long as 15 years, but few do.

Some might think God would not be concerned about lobsters on the ocean floor, but the light of His vision goes even to “the bottom of the sea” (see opening verse). The Bible tells us: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest [visible] in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). This includes each one of us. Have you ever thanked Him for His care over you? But more important, have you accepted His offer of salvation through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?

MARCH 22, 1998

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10

ML-03/22/1998

The High-Leaping Impala

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Joshua 1:9

South Africa has a great variety of animals, some hunters and vicious and others gentle and harmless. Among this second group are several closely related antelopes such as the gazelles, klipspringers, springboks and impalas. The impala is a beautiful animal. Its velvety coat is a soft brown color over its head, neck, back and legs, but plain white on its stomach and another patch under its stubby tail. Its nimble legs are long and slender but surprisingly strong, and for a good reason, as we will see.

This timid animal is only about three feet high and weighs between 100 and 150 pounds. Males have V-shaped horns, beginning with a short backward slant and then straightening upward a total length of two or three feet. These horns are indeed a part of the Creator’s display of beauty on this animal and look as though they might have been carved by an artist.

The impala is quite content with the food supply of the prairie -herbs, bushes, shrubs and the most important and nourishing Savannah grass. But there is the constant threat of a lion or other prowling hunter. When an impala becomes aware of an enemy, it barks an alarm, and in a flash the whole herd scatters in various directions. This is where their slender, strong legs are so valuable, as they run for safety in a series of dashes and long-distance jumps as high as 10 feet and as far as 30 feet in single, graceful leaps . . . a beautiful sight.

When bounding away from danger in these great leaps, the front feet are in the air on the first bound. When the hindquarters come up, the white patch under their tail becomes a signal to others that danger is present and it is time for them to also get moving. The lion, presuming it is well hidden, seems to be surprised at the swift action and gets confused as to which impala to chase. When it hesitates, sometimes they all escape.

The Creator has also provided another means of warning through tick birds that frequently ride on an impala’s back. These birds not only rid it of pesky insects, but also give their own warning when they see danger approaching.

The Creator’s care over these gentle animals should remind us that His care over us is even more tender. He invites you to prove His wonderful love, as the writer of Psalm 147:11 expresses it so well: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear [love] Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” Has He ever had the pleasure of hearing you thank Him for His love?

MARCH 29, 1998

“The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20

ML-03/29/1998

The Miracle of Springtime

“While the earth remaineth . . . cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22

Those who enjoy the pleasure of springtime most live in areas where winter is cold and harsh with lots of snow and ice. Springtime seems a long way off when the long, sharp icicles are hanging down from houses and barns, and the trees (except evergreens) are standing leafless.

But what is the new sound that we hear this morning? There’s water dripping somewhere outside. Searching around, we find the rooftop snow has begun to melt and is running down the gutters of the house. Drops of water are forming on the tips of icicles and are dripping to the ground. Let’s hurry and pull on our boots, put on our jackets, pull up our hoods and head outside. We’re going to look for other signs of spring!

When we get outside we discover the snow and ice are slowly melting from the warm wind that has been blowing from the south during the night. As the day warms up we notice the frozen stream is beginning to show signs of melting. Water from melting snow is seeping around the edges of the ice. Soon the ice will break away from the shore, and as the melting continues, a jumble of small ice floes will crash along, rushing faster and faster downstream.

But most signs of spring are silent. One of the first is a plant called skunk cabbage. As far back as January its roots started growing again, and before the snow has all melted its yellow flower and leaves appear. Many insects that are coming out of hibernation are attracted to it. In the flower garden crocus plants push their bright colorful flower buds right through the snow. Pussy willows display their soft, fuzzy, gray flowers. Many birds soon appear, returning from the south, but we’ve been hearing the cardinal’s beautiful springtime call since early February. All nature seems to be coming back to life.

Sap rises in the stems and branches of bushes and trees, and we see their leaf buds are swollen and beginning to burst open. Soon the trees of the orchard will burst forth with their beautiful blossoms. Farmers start preparing the soil for planting, and the newly exposed earth smells so good.

What a wonderful miracle springtime is! It is God’s way of reminding us that in His power life can come from death. It is a beautiful picture of the change in every person’s life who has accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. The Bible assures us, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Do you have this new life? “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

APRIL 5, 1998

“Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” Proverbs 4:14-15

ML-04/05/1998

The Marvel of Birds' Eggs: Part 1

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Psalm 50:11

There are over 9000 known species of birds in the world, making up many millions that are active every day. In springtime millions of birds’ eggs are in nests throughout the world in a great variety of sizes, shapes, colors and markings. The smallest (some no larger than a pea) are those of a hummingbird, and the largest are those of an ostrich, 24 times as large as a chicken’s egg.

Each part of an egg is important. The yolk is surrounded by a substance called albumen, and the shell holds it all together. The yolk provides food for the almost-invisible cell that will eventually become a bird, and albumen (the white part in a hard-boiled egg) provides moisture. But food and moisture would do no good if the developing bird couldn’t get oxygen or get rid of the deadly carbon dioxide given off with every breath. Calcium is also needful so strong bones can form.

How can all of this take place when the new life is completely surrounded by the shell? The Creator has wisely designed the shell with tiny holes (pores) that can only be seen with a microscope, but which allow air to enter and carbon dioxide to leave. The shell also gives off part of its own calcium for the calcium needs of its tiny resident. An extra supply of air is also stored in a separate area at the end where the chick’s head will form and, by using its special “egg tooth,” will break out of the shell. This takes lots of energy, and without the extra air supply the little chick would never make it. So you see, an egg is really a far more wonderful plan of the Creator than we can fully understand.

The body of the mother or father bird sitting over the eggs gives just the right amount of warmth to help the little bird to develop. While sitting on the nest, a God-given instinct tells the parent to turn each egg over from time to time so that the yolk stays in the center and all parts get their share of heat.

Scientists can examine eggs and the way in which so many different varieties are formed but cannot understand how this all came about, unless they acknowledge that it was the Lord God who created and now preserves them. God’s Word, the Bible, tells us: “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty . . . that no flesh [person] should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye [Christians] in Christ Jesus . . . that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31). Do you acknowledge your Creator?

(to be continued)

ML-04/12/1998

The Marvel of Birds' Eggs: Part 2

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.”
Genesis 2:19

Among the millions of eggs in birds’ nests throughout the world, some are round and others are oval or pear-shaped. They have a wide range of colors and markings - from pure white to pink, brown, blue, green, yellow and even black.

It is a provision of the Creator to use an egg’s coloring primarily to match its surroundings so it can’t be easily seen. For instance, those of many desert birds match the color of the sand, rocks or brush around them. A striking example of how the pretty soft-pink color can conceal an egg from its enemies is found in the egg of the African sand grouse. She makes her nest on the ground underneath a camel’s foot tree which has leaves the same color as the eggs. When the leaves fall around or into the nest, the eggs are almost impossible to see.

Eggs of owls, woodpeckers, kingfishers and many other burrowing birds are always white, so they can be easily seen by the parents in their dark homes. Another example of the Creator’s provision is the plovers that nest on sandy or rocky ground. Their eggs are entirely covered with markings that perfectly match the sand or gravel on which the nest rests.

With seabirds that make their homes on rocky cliffs without using a nest, the Creator has arranged an exception to uniform coloring. In a small crowded space where eggs laid by many birds of the same kind lie almost next to each other on the bare rock, amazingly, the color of each bird’s eggs are often different from those of its nearby neighbor. Otherwise no mother would be sure which were her own.

Occasionally, easily seen nests contain brightly colored eggs that seem to invite being snatched by nest robbers, but instead they are left undisturbed. That is because these eggs have a very bitter taste. No matter how hungry a snake, mongoose or other robber might be, after one experience they definitely are not interested in eating another.

The variety of egg shapes is also of interest. Many seashore birds, such as those already mentioned that lay their eggs on the bare ledge of a cliff without a nest to hold them, have eggs that are pointed on one end and large on the other. When these eggs are accidentally bumped, they won’t roll over the edge and be destroyed; they just spin around in a circle.

We know birds never give a thought to the wonderful design of their eggs, but we can easily see that they are special provisions of the Creator. A Bible verse tells us: “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). This includes you. Have you ever thanked Him for His goodness and tender mercies toward you?

APRIL 19, 1998

“We love Him, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19

ML-04/19/1998

The Marvel of Birds' Nests

“Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young.”
Psalm 84:3

We have been looking at birds’ eggs and some of the unusual nests built by birds in various parts of the world. With most nesting birds, the female picks the spot and starts to build the nest by herself. The male bird may show up later and not approve of his mate’s work and make her change it or do it over again. Or sometimes he will rearrange the work she has already done.

Many birds do not even make nests. In last week’s article we looked at the seabirds that lay their eggs on bare rocks. Others, like the royal terns, just make a slight bowl-shaped spot in the sand, fully exposed, where one egg is laid. Often thousands of terns do this as a group, with the sandy “nests” nearly touching each other. Penguins, flamingos and many other birds nest in similar huge groups. Their nests are close together, yet when each mother returns from gathering food she knows which nest is hers.

The European cuckoo, too lazy to build her own nest, invades another’s while the owner is away. She knocks out one of the existing eggs and lays one of her own which matches almost perfectly those already there. When the true mother returns, she is unaware of what has happened. When the little cuckoo eventually hatches, the true mother accepts it and raises it even though it doesn’t look like her own babies.

The softest nest of all is made by the eider duck in the maritime provinces of Canada. The mother duck plucks enough down from her own body to make a soft, warm, comfortable lining for her eggs and the ducklings that will eventually hatch. Other ducks “wintering over” instead of migrating will also do this.

An ornithologist once wrote, “How well suited the lining of a bird’s nest is, not only for the comfort of the young, but to keep the eggs from breaking. The tender and brittle eggs, which you can hardly carry in cotton, lie there without harm.”

Certainly the wonders of God’s creation are not hard to see in every phase of bird life. He looks after even the lowly sparrow as well as the more exotic birds for their whole life span here on earth. But King David, who wrote the opening Bible verse, was also thinking of the goodness of the Lord Jesus to the people of the earth when He invited them to let Him be their Shepherd and Saviour, with a promise not only for this life, but for the life hereafter. King David wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you can also apply to yourself what King David wrote.

APRIL 26, 1998

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7

ML-04/26/1998

The Bluefin Tuna

“Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.”
Psalm 69:34

There are few places in the world where you would find people who have not tasted and enjoyed tuna fish. There are many varieties of this fish, and it is estimated that more than two million tons are caught each year for fish markets or by sportsmen.

The largest is the bluefin tuna that sometimes matches the size of a shark or porpoise. It may weigh as much as 1,000 pounds and grow more than 10 feet long. But most that are caught are around 3 feet long, which is big enough to give a sports fisherman a real battle.

Although found in every ocean, many live in the Atlantic Ocean, with Nova Scotia and Norway being two of the places where great numbers feed. The larger bluefins are often caught in these places, and the flesh is sold fresh, canned or frozen. Most are packed in ice and shipped to cities throughout Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as many being flown to other countries.

The bluefin, as with all tuna, has a very distinctive shape. From its large mouth to the very narrow connection at its crescent-shaped vertical tail, it is as streamlined as a dolphin. The tuna is among the swiftest fishes, and the hardy bluefin has been known to swim as far as 100 miles a day. It is a pretty fish, deep-blue along its well-muscled body in which the Creator has provided an extra-strong heart, so that many live to be 30 to 35 years old.

The Atlantic tuna migrate each year from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea in schools estimated to contain as many as 10,000. These migrations, as far north as the Arctic Circle and back, set a long-distance record in the fish world.

Females lay tremendous quantities of eggs which float near the surface. These hatch and grow rapidly, but many become the victims of hungry sea creatures. Those that survive weigh about nine pounds in a year’s time and become mature in three or four years, but keep on growing no matter how old they become.

Tuna, as well as all other creatures, are always under God’s care and live their lives through instincts He has given them. In the Bible we also find that “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). We should thank Him for this, but even more for the message, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live [have eternal life] through Him” (1 John 4:9). Have you thanked Him for that love and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Saviour?

MAY 3, 1998

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:10

ML-05/03/1998

Spittlebugs or Froghoppers

“God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty . . . and things which are despised . . . that no flesh [person] should glory in His presence.”
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

There are countless insects in the world, some so small they can only be seen with a microscope. Yet in some way each one has its part in keeping nature in balance, even though it is hard to see how some can be useful when they are such a nuisance. But besides being helpful in a way we may not recognize, the opening Bible verse tells us that God allows them to help keep us humble rather than proud. Another verse informs us, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

One such insect called the spittlebug, or froghopper, is an example of this. Have you ever wondered what those globs of white froth are for on grass stems and plants in a field or in your own yard? The next time you see one, open the small mass of bubbles and you will find inside two tiny nymphs clinging tightly to the stem, sucking juice from it.

That mass of bubbles is not spit. It is partly digested plant sap that the nymphs mix with a material similar to that used by some other insects for spinning silk cocoons. Of course, they don’t realize the Creator gave them this unusual ability to protect themselves from the hot summer sun as well as from other insects and birds that would quickly eat them. The sticky froth stops them.

By the time the nymphs are fully grown, the bubbly foam has disappeared and the nymphs have turned into flat, hopping insects about half an inch long. These spittlebugs are brown, greenish or sometimes red and black. They are also called froghoppers because they hop from plant to plant and seldom fly. The grass and plants on which they feed while protected by the froth sometimes wither away and die. Then, as adults, the spittlebugs fly into pine trees and damage them severely, eating the needles and are thus a real pest in parts of North America.

These insects seem to be mainly a nuisance, yet God has created them for a purpose which perhaps only He can understand. But we can see how they help to keep us humble when we think of how much effort has been made to get rid of them, and still, year after year, they continue to show up.

God is never pleased with proud ways. So let us always remember His promise: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
Proverbs 15:3

ML-05/10/1998

Unpredictable Lemmings of the North

“In [the Lord’s] hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:10

In the cold, snowy, northern parts of the world a furry little animal called a lemming makes its home. This plump little rodent is related to the mouse. It is only about four or five inches long, including its stubby tail. Most kinds have grayish or brownish fur.

Living in such cold climates, the Creator has wisely supplied lemmings with warm coats and furry feet with padded soles. Underneath deep winter snows they live active lives, eating grass or other plants.

Early in June they come to the surface of the snow, often so many in number that they look like moving blankets. During spring and summer two or three litters of young are raised, greatly increasing their numbers. When food becomes scarce, they become restless and begin great migrations. At times they are so abundant that they spread out a mile or more wide, all moving, always west, as they eat. They are good swimmers, crossing lakes and rivers as they migrate.

Hungry animals and birds, such as foxes, weasels, owls and hawks, feed on them. The lemmings are in such great numbers that those caught are hardly missed. However, when being chased some lemmings panic, and on reaching the ocean they plunge in and swim on westward and eventually drown. Some remain behind, raise new families, and in a few years their numbers have greatly increased once again.

In Canada the lemmings live north of the Arctic circle on the mainland and on polar islands where there is vegetation underneath the snow and ice. Although brown in summer, their coats change to pure white in winter. Eskimos use their fur to make warm clothes.

It seems sad that such pretty little animals should become the food of birds of prey and hungry animals, or in desperation drown in ocean waters. It was not like this in the day of their creation before sin entered the world. Happily, God has promised a future time when this will be corrected. The Bible says “the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption” even though “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:2122). When that takes place, their peaceful way of life will proclaim, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). That time will come after God’s judgment takes place on this sinful world. The animals will be delivered from the suffering they experience in this creation that is spoiled by man’s sin. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour will be taken to heaven before that judgment takes place and will look down with delight on the change when it is brought forth.

Will you be among those in heaven? You can be.

MAY 17, 1998

“He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Romans 8:32

ML-05/17/1998

The Impressive Trumpeter Swan: Part 1

“And God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:21

If ten people were asked which of all the birds they liked the most, there would probably be ten different choices. One might choose the peacock, another an eagle, another a flamingo, but probably one or more would choose a swan. It is difficult to make such a choice because every creature of God stands out in some way; different features are attractive or interesting in each of them.

We can easily understand a person choosing the swan. They are lovely, graceful and majestic as they glide slowly over the smooth water of a pond or lake. A pair of them almost looks like the king and queen of all birds.

There are several species of swans, and it is difficult to tell one from another. The one called the trumpeter is the largest. This swan was once almost extinct, but its breeding grounds are now protected from hunters. An adult weighs up to 40 pounds and is the heaviest flying bird in North America. With its neck extended it may measure 5 feet from the tip of its bill to the end of its short tail. Each of its huge wings is nearly 4 feet long - that’s about how tall many boys and girls are. If an adult swan were mounted sideways on your bedroom wall, the tip of one wing would touch the ceiling, and the tip of the other would reach the floor.

Those beautiful white wings are not only for flying; they are also used as powerful weapons to strike an enemy, along with their strong bills and large webbed feet.

It is impressive to see a flock of swans flying in perfect formation high in the sky. It is also interesting to watch these large birds land on water. As they drop down to the surface, their strong webbed feet extended in front, they skid along the surface a short way, spraying water, before settling down. It is equally amazing to see them take to the air from water. Paddling hard with their webbed feet to gain speed and at the same time beating their wings hard, their feet soon come to the surface. Then they race along the surface until, with necks stretched out and feet tucked under their tails, they are clear of the water and begin to gain altitude.

Although unknown to them, there is never a moment when these unusual birds, called trumpeters because of their loud calls, are not under the watchful eye of the Creator. The Bible tells us, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

(to be continued)

MAY 24, 1998

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

ML-05/24/1998

The Impressive Trumpeter Swan: Part 2

“[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.”
Job 9:10

Swans live in various parts of the world. The largest number lives in Alaska (most of these migrate south in the fall), and smaller groups live in Canada and the United States. The male, with his coal-black bill and long neck, along with his massive white wings and white body feathers, makes a very impressive figure. He is not to be tampered with. He is quick to attack another swan or animal as large as a moose, or even a person, should any get too close to his nest.

The nests may be five or six feet across and are built of cattails and other plants woven together with tough grass. Usually four to seven large, white eggs are laid by the pen (female) who incubates them for a month. During this time, when she has to leave the nest, she covers her eggs with down plucked out of her feathers or with plants pulled out of the ground. The cob (male) is almost always nearby as a guard.

After pecking and kicking their way out of their shells, the cygnets’ (chicks) wet down dries quickly, and they are soon testing out their little legs. They grow fast on the food supplied by the parents, which includes snails, insects and other water creatures as well as green water plants. Soon they are taught how to get their own food by stirring the bottom of the pond with their bills and feet, causing the food to float to the surface.

The eggs hatch in June, and the cygnets begin eating water plants when just a few days old. Soon they take to the water and by October are ready to fly. Learning how to feed doesn’t require much training, for they automatically turn their tails up in the air, like ducks, and plunge their long necks down to the bottom of the pond for their food. An adult eats about 20 pounds a day, but of course cygnets start out needing much less.

With their sparkling black eyes, custard-colored beaks and grayish-white downy feathers, cygnets make a pretty picture nesting beside the mother who is so much bigger. Families stay together through the first winter, but separate in springtime.

These beautiful and interesting birds speak of the Lord God’s interest and care over all He has created, but they cannot be expected to know the One who made them, as we do.

With all the Bible tells us of His special love for us, how wonderful it is when the Lord touches our hearts and we can say as King David did, “Cause me to hear Thy loving-kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk” (Psalm 143:8).

MAY 31, 1998

“I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
John 10:9

ML-05/31/1998

The Fish With an Unusual Eye

“Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He . . . in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” Psalm 135:6

About the only thing most people know about a flounder fish is that it is very good eating and it can be purchased at fish markets year-round. There are two unusual things about this fish, however. It can change its color to match the surroundings as it moves from place to place, and early in its life one of its eyes changes location.

A female lays about a million eggs in spring which do not hatch until late summer. Of course, a good many of the eggs are eaten by various creatures, but those that survive to hatch soon develop into small “fry.” These are also choice food to other fish, so that out of a million eggs only a few hundred are likely ever to become full-sized fish.

At first a baby flounder looks like a typical fish, but within a few days its body begins flattening as something amazing takes place. While the right eye remains in the same location, the left eye begins to move up and over the top of the head - a little bit each day - and finally comes to rest beside the right one. (In a few species the right eye does the traveling.)

Why do you suppose the Creator provides this unusual experience to these little fish? The reason is that the flounder is a member of the “flatfish” family. Being a rather inactive fish, a flounder will spend most of its life lying flat on its left side in the sand or muddy bottom of the ocean floor, snatching whatever food comes by. If the left eye remained in its original place on the left side, it would be of no use and would only be harmed by the sand or mud on which it was lying. So the Creator provided this unusual way of placing both eyes where they are useful. We can see this as an example of the pleasure He had in designing so many amazing things throughout His creation, as stated in the opening Bible verse and again in Revelation 4:11: “For Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Another verse tells us to “stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14). This is good counsel.

You are of much more value to God than a little flounder on the floor of the ocean. He loves you and wants you to accept His love by confessing that you are a sinner and need the Saviour who is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When this is done sincerely, He immediately accepts you as His own child and assures you of a place in heaven with Him when you leave this world. If you have not yet taken this important step, won’t you come to the Lord Jesus today?

JUNE 7, 1998

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”
Romans 1:16

ML-06/07/1998

The Desert-Wise Cactus Wren

“Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself to behold the things . . . in the earth!”
Psalm 113:56

The cactus wren is about the size of a robin and is the largest member of the wren family. Its brown feathers mottled with white, along with the bright red or orange iris of its eyes, combine to make it a pretty bird.

As its name indicates, the cactus wren lives in the hot deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The Creator has given it the ability to thrive in these harsh deserts, and it seems quite content there. It has been given a remarkable instinct to place its nest among the needle-like armor of spiny cholla and other cactus plants. This defense is so good that its enemies (owls, wood rats, ground squirrels and snakes) do not attack it often. So sure is the wren of this protection that it makes no attempt to conceal its nest which is built only about three feet off the ground.

The straw-colored nests are often as big as a man’s head. Shaped like a flask, they are constructed of desert plants, grass and twigs and lined with soft wooly fibers and feathers. These nests show the God-given skill handed down from one generation to another. When finished with her nest, the female wren builds a landing platform surrounded by sharp cactus spikes. This platform permits her to enter a passage, sometimes a foot long, that leads into the nest itself.

However, the male bird does not share this nest. Instead, if he cannot find an abandoned one to use, he builds another one nearby. He is not as careful about its construction as the female is with hers. The female’s nest may be reused year after year, but the male’s often will fall apart during the first winter’s storms.

Cactus wrens are wary creatures, although they do select high perches for singing their lovely songs. However, when searching for food they prefer to fly close to the ground where they are screened by desert bushes. Most of their food is insects and seeds of desert plants. When hunting, these wise birds know that much food can be found under stones, so they turn these over to catch the insects that live in the coolness underneath. Some of these stones may weigh half as much as the birds do.

Our opening verse tells us of our Creator God who, though mighty, humbles Himself to look after all His creatures. This also includes you, and not only does He care for your needs, but the Bible tells us, “The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

What does He see when He looks into your heart?

JUNE 14, 1998

“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19

ML-06/14/1998

Lizards Are Almost Everywhere: Part 1

“Through faith we understand that . . . things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
Hebrews 11:3

There are more than 3000 different kinds of lizards throughout the world. They live where the ground never freezes, mostly in deserts, but sometimes in swamps, meadows, forests and even houses and other buildings. Most lizards are harmless and a help to mankind by eating quantities of insects that destroy crops.

Among the interesting ones are 13 varieties of the whiptail lizard. These have tails which are half again as long as their bodies and which they use in running over the sand. The males are dark brown and decorated with narrow gold stripes.

Another one is the barking gecko which in the hottest part of the day burrows into the sand to escape the heat of the African desert. Its home area has just enough rainfall to permit a small amount of plant life to grow, but most of the year this is not available. However, the barking gecko gets along very well on seeds and scraps of plants and other food blown about by desert winds. The Creator has given it pad-like feet, enabling it to scoot easily across the dry sand while chasing this food.

As mentioned, there is rarely any water where this little animal lives, and this gives us another example of the Creator’s care of His creatures. When a foggy night comes our little friend goes out to benefit from it. The fog condenses into drops of water on its skin. The gecko licks up these drops and in this way gets all the water it needs.

An unusual lizard is the 12-inch anole which has skin like very coarse sandpaper. Its flat head has a large mouth which gives it a smiling look. An opening in the side of its body takes the place of an ear. The slender male is green or brown with a patch of brilliantly colored skin that puffs out from his neck to attract a mate or scare a challenger. At the same time he spreads his front feet and bobs his body up and down in a peculiar manner. The female lays her eggs on the sand, covers them lightly and lets the sun keep them warm until they hatch. She does not need to raise or train them, as the Creator has given them instincts that enable them to be on their own immediately.

When we consider God’s kind ways toward even these little animals, it causes us to think how much more kind and loving are His ways to those who love Him. Psalm 23 begins, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” and ends with, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Have you thanked Him for His kindness and love to you?

(to be continued)

JUNE 21, 1998

“God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:17

ML-06/21/1998

Lizards Are Almost Everywhere: Part 2

“Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward.”
Psalm 40:5

The frilled lizard, about 32 inches long including its 10inch tail, lives in Australia and New Guinea. When threatened, it opens its mouth wide and fans out a collar of skin around its neck, making it look much larger than it actually is. At the same time it hisses fiercely, rearing up on its hind legs and thrashing its tail. Though it is bluffing, these antics frighten off almost anything.

Another, the moloch lizard, lives in dry, hot deserts. It is strange-looking with an upturned snout and horny crest on its head. Its body almost looks as though it’s made of grape-size chunks of flesh, poorly glued together. Sharp points extend all along its back to the tip of its long tail. It is one of the many lizards able to change colors to match its surroundings. It satisfies its thirst in the same way as the barking gecko in last week’s article. It collects moisture on its skin from fog changing into water drops. These drops run to its mouth along tiny canals.

Male agamas, African residents, are brightly colored in brilliant reds, blues, greens and yellows. The female is not so spectacular in her olive-green color, but she does have bright red spots on her sides. These lizards come boldly into houses, dashing on their long legs after insects or squatting on pieces of furniture with their heads bobbing up and down.

Why are there so many different kinds of lizards, and why did the Creator make them? We find the answer in the Bible. It was not His purpose merely to have a beautiful globe spinning through space, but that all kinds of living things should make their homes on it. We read this in Isaiah 45:18: “God Himself that formed the earth . . . created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” Also in Revelation 4:11 it says, “For [His] pleasure they are and were created.”

In His kind thoughts toward people, who He says are the most important part of His creation, we are told of “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Not only did He have pleasure in His creation, but He wants us to share that pleasure with Him.

Another kind of creation is also mentioned in the Bible: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means that those who accept Christ as their Saviour receive a new life which is pleasing to God. When we walk in His ways, this brings happiness to us as well. Have you become part of that new creation by accepting Christ as your Saviour?

JUNE 28, 1998

“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:24

ML-06/28/1998

The Hardy Musk-Ox

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power.”
Jeremiah 27:5

The 4 to 5-foot high, 900-pound musk-ox is not really an ox. It looks more like a water buffalo or a big ram. The Eskimos have their own name for it, “oomingmak,” which means “the bearded one.”

Not many creatures could survive in the musk-oxen’s harsh American Arctic homeland, but when it pleased the Creator to place them there He gave them special features to survive. One feature is their long, shaggy, dark-brown coat covering their entire body, right down to their hooves. During winter months an additional covering of soft, downy wool grows under the heavy outer coat, but when warmer weather returns this drops off, leaving just the coarse outer covering to keep them comfortable.

An important feature to protect them from wolves and polar bears is a pair of massive horns that curve down the sides of their heads, then turn upward with sharp points. As they follow their God-given instinct to stay together in herds of a dozen or more, they can make a united resistance when attacked. They do this by forming a circle, faces turned outward and horns lowered in warning. It would be a foolish enemy that would tackle such a determined group.

The Creator also gave them sharp, curved hooves with soft pads for traveling across the tundra and over rocky mountain slopes. With these hooves and the help of their strong horns, they dig in the tundra for hidden plants and in winter paw and toss the snow away to expose this food.

Many of the herds prefer to spend the winter among the high peaks of the cold Arctic area (where temperatures often reach more than 50 degrees below zero), because the strong winds of the mountains expose the lichens and moss they eat. In warmer weather they return to lower areas where grass, willows, flowers and water are again plentiful.

Incidentally, calves stand on their feet immediately after birth and can keep up with the herd just a few hours later. They grow quickly and reach full size in five or six years.

As we notice the special features the musk-ox has been given, we remember the Bible verse that says, “God that made the world and all things therein . . . giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). May each of us respond to the care and love our Creator shows us in even greater measure than He does to animals and trust in Him as the prophet Isaiah did when he wrote, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1). The Lord God loves to hear the praise and thanks of those who trust Him. Have you ever thanked Him?

JULY 5, 1998

“By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12

ML-07/05/1998

Monkeyshines

“Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit.”
Joel 2:22

There are about 125 species of monkeys in the world. Here is a short summary of three of them - all natives of South America.

The capuchin monkey, with its 12-inch tail, has a rather pretty blackish or golden-olive color and a white-bordered face and chest. It is one of the most clever, full of pranks, and quickly makes friends with people as well as with dogs and other animals. Little ones ride on the mother’s back as she scrambles through the trees.

Years ago these monkeys were useful to organ-grinders who earned a meager living on the streets playing music on their hand organs. The capuchin, held on a long leash, climbed up to balconies and upstairs windows with a tin cup for people to drop in money. Then the monkey brought it back to its master.

Another is the spider monkey which has long, black or sometimes red, glossy hair. It is somewhat larger than the capuchin, with long, sprawling legs and arms, which accounts for its name. However, its long limbs give it an awkward walk - its front hands point outward and the hind feet point inward.

Its two-foot-long tail is like an extra hand, gripping tree limbs tightly so that its body can hang from a tree limb while it searches for food or just enjoys a good swing. It sometimes uses this flexible tail to hook insects out of holes that are too deep for its hands to reach. The spider monkey is also quite an acrobat and easily carries its little ones on its back as it runs among the branches of the tall trees.

The short-tailed red Uakari is about the size of a cat. Its coat of long, red, silky hair covers its entire body, including a stubby tail, but its face, like that of nearly all monkeys, is bare. It is full of mischief, but very strict in training its young. When angry or excited, its face turns scarlet, its fur rises and its cries sound like insane laughter.

These agile animals always amuse us with their monkeyshines, but they are an example of God’s creatures that seem to enjoy His goodness to them. We do not expect them to know about the Creator’s care, but the Bible tells of His care over all living things, more particularly over each of us. Job 12:10 says, “In whose hand is the soul [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” What love He has shown us, and not only in caring for our daily needs! He provided His Son, the Lord Jesus, to bear on the cross the sins of all who trust in Him, so that when our life on earth is over we will be in heaven with Him forever. Will you be there?

JULY 12, 1998

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.”
John 1:12

ML-07/12/1998

Those Feet of Yours: Part 1

“He . . . set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.”
Psalm 40:23

A newborn baby has 350 bones, but some are so soft and pliable that they hardly seem to be bones. Some of these fuse together as the baby grows, so that when he is full-grown the number is reduced to 206. It takes the foot, with its 26 bones, about 20 years to fully develop as one of the most distinctive parts of your whole body.

The arrangement of these 26 foot bones has been perfectly designed by the Creator not only to support your weight, but to enable you to move about easily. This is important because just in the normal pattern of activity an adult walks about 65,000 miles during his lifetime (equivalent to two-and-a-half times around the world).

Your foot’s perfectly designed arch works like a spring simultaneously with the bending of your knees and movement of the ankles and toes. Many of these bones are not strong in themselves, being only half the thickness of a pencil, yet the way they are arranged makes them strong enough to support a heavy person. If you had xray vision and could see through the skin of your foot, you would discover why these bones don’t break, even with all the rough treatment they get. The bones in the foot are attached to strong muscles by over 100 tendons, keeping them in place and working in harmony with the muscles so that the workload is shared by all of them working together.

Not only are those parts of the foot kept in such remarkable order, but to further strengthen them, the whole wonderful package is kept in place by tape-like bands strapped over and around them. Then there are the important blood vessels bringing constant nourishment to all parts, as well as nerve endings that carry messages to and from the brain.

The principal purpose of our legs and feet is, of course, to carry our bodies wherever we need to go, and God in His Word, the Bible, reminds us to be careful where we let them take us.

If we are His children, through faith in Christ, the opening verses tell us what He has done for us. Another verse says, “Ponder [think about] the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established” (Proverbs 4:26). Then Hebrews 12:13 says, “Make straight paths for your feet.”

These are important instructions if we are to live happy Christian lives, pleasing the Lord Jesus and helping those around us.

(to be continued)

JULY 19, 1998

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.”
Psalm 91:2

ML-07/19/1998

Those Feet of Yours: Part 2

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:105

In last week’s article we looked at the marvelous structure of a person’s foot with its 26 bones, as well as tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels.

Your feet, which you may have just taken for granted, are one of the outstanding features of your body. No machine designed by the most clever engineer could, for its size, match the human foot for its ability to move your body about and hold up the amount of weight put on it. The only way we can grasp at all how it can work so marvelously is to admit that God, the Creator, has provided its wonderful design.

Its job is not only to enable you to walk around, but to run, jump, kick and stand still when necessary. If you weigh around 100 pounds, then the pressure on each foot when you run fast will be equal to about 500 pounds, and a man weighing 175 pounds will have a running pressure of 1000 pounds or more. Just think also how a healthy foot can take the terrific impact of a soccer or football player giving a forceful kick to it!

You may be resting when just standing still, but the foot has work to do even then that you don’t think about. At such times messages fly back and forth from your brain to each foot in order to keep you steady and in balance—subconsciously tightening a muscle, moving your big toe, the ankle bone, the heel, the sole of your foot and other parts, all handling their part in the messages that come through the amazing nervous system the Creator has given your body. Thus you keep your balance without even knowing all this is going on. But that’s why, if a person faints while standing, he will immediately fall over. The body parts can’t communicate with each other at such a time.

The Bible tells us of this, stating, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. . . . There should be no schism [division] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Corinthians 12:18-25). Isn’t that a wonderful thing?

So we see a little of how important this part of the body is and the wisdom of taking care of these feet, so valuable to us. Let us remember, too, that the Lord Jesus is constantly watching our walk: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). And when we are aware of mistakes we have made, our prayer should be like that of the psalmist: “When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up” (Psalm 94:18). Yes, He will always put us back on solid ground when we confess our sins to Him.

ML-07/26/1998

Don't Step on a Stingray!

“Ah Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power. . . . There is nothing too hard for Thee.” Jeremiah 32:17

Stingrays are flat-bodied sea fish and seem to be afraid of nothing. Mature stingrays measure four to five feet wide across their flat, fleshy “wings” with which they gracefully swim. Long, flexible tails have one or two sharp spines on them. The common species is darkish gray on top and white underneath. Others have different coloring, including one called blue-spotted which is chocolate colored with round blue spots over its entire body.

Stingrays often lie half buried in sand in warm, shallow water along North America’s Atlantic Coast and other places in the world’s oceans. This is a time when they can be vicious, although they are not as vicious as the electric rays to which they are related. If left alone, they do not attack anyone swimming among them, but if you should unintentionally step on one you would immediately regret it. The angry ray would strike your leg with its whiplike tail, and its sharp, barbed spine with poisonous glands would dig into your flesh. This is terribly painful, but it is even more painful as it pulls the spine back out and the barbs tear the flesh even more! This painful wound is nearly as dangerous as a poisonous snake bite.

Incidentally, off the shore of Cayman Island in the Caribbean, sports divers swimming among big schools of stingrays and feeding them by hand have developed a friendly relationship with them. They will even pet and hug them, which the stingrays seem to enjoy. These divers have discovered that the scaleless skin of these big creatures is as smooth as velvet, but the divers are careful not to irritate them in any way.

The mouth of a stingray is not in front as with most other fish, nor does it have visible jaws, but it has what looks like a large hole under its head. To secure its food, mostly made up of fish, crabs, oysters, sea worms, small squid and other water creatures, it cruises slowly over the ocean bottom. Since its eyes are on top of its head it cannot see what is down there, but when its mouth comes in contact with anything edible, it sucks it up and if unsuitable it spits it out. But good food is passed along to a grinding plate with strong teeth where shells and other unsuitable parts are removed and the edible food is crushed and swallowed.

We may not understand why stingrays were part of God’s creation, but we know they have a place in His purposes. And we know He looks with love on every person in the world and invites us to receive that love into our hearts by accepting His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our personal Saviour. Is your heart open to Him?

AUGUST 2, 1998

“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 13:38

ML-08/02/1998

Is It a Mule, an Ass, or a Donkey?

“Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.”
Psalm 32:9

Those familiar with work animals would have no difficulty answering the question in our title, but most of us would have a hard time telling these animals apart. Let’s study them a little.

The mule has a donkey for a father and a horse for a mother. Except in rare instances, a mule cannot be a father or a mother - a donkey and a horse are almost always the parents of a mule. But when we reverse the parents - the father is a horse and the mother is a donkey - then the offspring is called a hinny, although it looks just about the same as the mule. Rather confusing, isn’t it?

The Bible mentions mules many times. Even kings rode on them and people gave them as gifts to Solomon. They are about the size of an average horse, but have larger heads, much longer ears, tufted tails and smaller hooves. They are more surefooted and work more slowly than horses. In fact, they are very stubborn and can’t be hurried.

Mules are common throughout the world, especially in Asia and parts of Europe. They make excellent pack animals over mountain trails. Thousands were used by the United States Army before modern machinery was developed.

How about the ass, which is also mentioned in the Bible? The names “ass” and “donkey” are given to the same animal; the male is also called a “jackass” and the female a “jenny.” Although they have bigger ears, they are smaller than most horses.

In the Far East the ass still takes the place of a horse and is preferred by riders. They are also used as pack and work animals. Jesus rode on one: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass” (Zechariah 9:9). You can read this interesting story in Matthew 21.

With few exceptions, asses (donkeys) and mules are stubborn and want to do things their own way. Because of this and the frequent need to use a whip with them, as well as with some horses, we are counseled in the opening Bible verse not to be like them. Instead, another Bible verse says, “With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:78). Another verse says, “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:23).

When we walk before the Lord as stated in these verses, we need no whip nor bridle and will find how much He loves to bless us.

AUGUST 9, 1998

“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9

ML-08/09/1998

Hidden Insects: Part 1

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:24

In many forms of animal, fish and bird life the Creator has supplied protective camouflage to their surroundings. But it is most remarkable with insects, which are a principal food for birds, fish, snakes and amphibians. The Creator has designed camouflage for certain insects so that they are hidden from their enemies, even though they are actually in full view.

Most frequently this camouflage is in their coloring or the imitation of the surface on which they rest or feed. The fact that most of them can remain perfectly still for long periods of time adds to their safety. There are literally thousands of insects so protected in very interesting ways. We will look at a few examples.

Those known as stick insects, with odd shaped legs and bodies, perfectly match the leaves or branch on which they rest in full view without moving during daylight hours, waiting until it is dark to eat the leaves. Birds often alight on nearby branches, overlooking these insects and never suspecting they are missing out on a meal.

The green wings and bodies of other insects are spotted in such a way as to give the appearance of leaves that have been partially eaten or damaged. Others, the exact color of a given flower, sit on its petals and appear to be part of the flower. An outstanding example of these are African planthoppers. They come in two colors - green and yellow. When feeding on a bush of their favorite food, the green planthoppers go to the top where they look like the green buds which they are eating, while the yellow planthoppers go to feast on the yellow flowers which they match perfectly.

Some caterpillars that are able to remain motionless for hours are thin and covered with rough spots, so that they look exactly like twigs jutting out from plants or bushes. At times they hold to a bare branch with their hind feet only, while the front part of their bodies sticks out stiffly like a twig. These are so perfectly disguised that a photographer who once happened to spot one and took its picture, wasn’t able later to distinguish it from other parts of the branch when he examined his finished photograph!

These insects can “hide” themselves from their enemies, but as the opening Bible verse tells us, they cannot hide from their Creator whose eyes are always on every creature, including every human being. What does He see when He is looking at you?

In the next issue we will see if we can find more of these hidden insects.

(to be continued)

AUGUST 16, 1998

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:105

ML-08/16/1998

Hidden Insects: Part 2

“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.”
Colossians 1:16

In last week’s issue we looked at a few insects that have God-given abilities to conceal themselves from their enemies by various disguises, even though they are actually in plain view. Let’s look at a few more of them.

Some insects are protected, not because they are concealed, but because they look like others that are avoided because they are poisonous or have a terrible taste, and the predator can’t tell one from the other. One of these is the yellow and black tiger moth of Arizona that looks like a very distasteful beetle and so is avoided by the hungriest bird or snake.

Another, the larva of swallowtail butterflies, looks like a vicious small snake. It has what looks like huge eyes and a big mouth, but which are really only markings on a swelling on its body behind its real, but harmless, mouth. It doesn’t need to hide; attackers are scared away just by its deceptive looks.

Treehoppers, which suck juice from plants, look like thorns along the stems they feed on and fool birds, even when such plants may have no real thorns naturally. And the American katydid looks precisely like a spotted green leaf, while a grasshopper on one of Africa’s deserts can instantly change its color to match pebbles on the ground wherever it alights.

Sphinx moths’ wings have a pattern that looks very much like the bark of trees to which they cling in daylight. Even if one is seen alighting, it seems to disappear if the eyes of the searcher are turned away for a moment or two.

The walking-leaf beetle of the Philippines lays eggs that look like seeds. When they hatch, the babies are the same color as the buds on which they feed. When fully grown, their bodies look like the leaves on which they then feed. In addition, their legs have yellow edges which look like leaves which have been nibbled. On a windy day they hang from a branch and move with the wind just as the leaves next to them do. How wonderfully the Creator has provided these safety features for the insects we have reviewed, plus many, many more!

The opening Bible verse assures us that nothing is invisible to Him who has created it. This includes every human being, and God has provided wonderful protection from Satan’s power for all who are in the shelter of the Lord’s love. Another verse assures us of this: “He that [dwells] in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). When you trust in the Lord Jesus, you are sure of His loving shelter. Are you sheltered by Him?

AUGUST 23, 1998

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8

ML-08/23/1998

The Useful Gourd

“And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head.”
Jonah 4:6

The Creator could immediately prepare that gourd for Jonah, but if you were to plant gourd seeds it would take much longer to have a gourd. Perhaps you are acquainted with this unusual “fruit” that is ready for picking in early fall. Some are covered with warts and some come with pretty colors and designs and different shapes. They can either be raised in your home garden or purchased at a store.

Growing on the ground like squash or pumpkins, gourds have been popular around the world for centuries. However, they are seldom used for food as the taste is far too bitter. We use them mostly for decoration. After ripening, a curing period is required before the outer skin is peeled off. Then they can be decorated, perhaps by carving beautiful designs on them before painting. Some prepared by skilled carvers and painters make beautiful ornaments for various parts of a house, or perhaps to hang from a porch ceiling.

Musicians sometimes make large gourds into drums, rattles or use them for the sound chamber of guitar-like instruments. Women in some southern countries make them into hats, cutting large ones in two and painting them in brilliant colors and designs. Other women in Asian countries cut large ones the same way, but use them as containers on their heads for carrying articles or even for carrying water. These women can balance loads on their heads so well that they often walk long distances and never use their hands to hold them in place.

Other common uses for gourds are as floats for fishermen’s nets and as dippers, spoons and bowls for the kitchen. Some have even used them for wheelbarrow wheels. Others are made into bird houses. These are hung from a tree branch or mounted on a pole near a house or barn after boring a hole for the bird to enter.

Gourds, with their many varieties and uses, represent just one kind of plant among an endless variety the Creator has put on the earth for food or to give service and pleasure to mankind. Yet few people pay attention to the Bible verse that says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

How thankful we should be for all His wonderful provisions, but most of all for God’s love in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to give His life on Calvary’s cross where He bore the sins of all who will acknowledge they are sinners and accept Him as their Saviour. If you have not yet accepted this great love, will you today? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

AUGUST 30, 1998

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
John 3:36

ML-08/30/1998

"Proud As a Peacock"

“Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?”
Job 39:13

The name peacock actually applies only to the male. The female is a peahen, and together they are called peafowl. Both of them are very pretty, but it is the male that has the most beauty with his 30-inch body and 5-foot tail. Each feather over his entire body is patterned with a brilliant iridescent “eye.” He seems to enjoy displaying this beauty by frequently spreading his tail and parading around.

These birds are native to Asian countries but have adapted easily to the many places where they have been carried. The Bible tells us that Solomon imported them to Israel, probably to roam in his lovely gardens. The pharaohs of Egypt also imported them.

There are two main color types. One is known as the blue Indian. It has a metallic blue-green neck and breast, purplish-blue underparts, and a long train of greenish feathers. It is the national bird of India.

The other is called Java green, and it has metallic bronze plumage and a crest of long, straight feathers on its head. It is the more splendid and stately of the two species, with longer and slimmer legs. Its face is blue or yellow, and the crest of its head forms a long, straight tuft of fully barbed feathers.

Both types are beautiful, but the blues are more popular because they are even-tempered. The greens are always fighting among themselves and sometimes attack people. The females (hens) of both varieties are pretty and nearly as large as the cocks, but they lack the long train of feathers and crowns.

The “eyes” of the feathers on nearly all peafowl appear as a deep purple-green pupil, centered in an orange iris, topped with yellow, lavender and green semicircles. How faithfully the design follows the pattern given by the Creator when He first placed them on the earth! Each generation repeats the design perfectly.

The only thing that spoils these unusually pretty birds is their voice. It is disappointing to hear their harsh, rough cries that sound like fighting cats or someone desperately calling for help.

“Proud as a peacock” is a common expression. Of course, the peacocks do not know about it. But we who have the Bible to read and follow know that we should not let pride come into our hearts and minds. One Bible verse states, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11). May we always remember to be humble and give all praise to Him, “the Son of God, who loved [us], and gave Himself for [us]” (Galatians 2:20).

SEPTEMBER 6, 1998

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Psalm 51:7

ML-09/06/1998

Gorillas Can Be Gentle

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power.”
Jeremiah 27:5

A full-grown gorilla can be 6 feet high and weigh 500 pounds. An animal this large with a heavy, black fur coat certainly looks threatening, but if you’re kind to one and it gets to know you, it can be as gentle as a Shetland pony. People studying the habits of gorillas have spent many pleasant days with them in their African forest homeland.

Actually, wild gorillas are rarely seen as they are shy and disappear quickly when approached. As many as 6 family groups (a group being a male, two or three females and young ones) often live together, sharing feeding grounds. A male gorilla is much more powerful than a human, with its massive bones, broad shoulders and long arms. Its open, vicious-looking mouth reveals strong jaws and tusk-like teeth, surrounded by a wrinkled, oily-black face with a large flat nose and furry ears. Underneath it all is a rounded “potbelly” stomach.

A frightening habit is when a large male lets out an ear-splitting scream while thumping his hairy chest. When several more join in, it is easy to understand why a listener would consider them fierce animals. But all this noise seems to be just that -harmless noise - merely “letting off steam.”

Such big animals need lots of food, and most of the day is spent eating bamboo shoots, tree buds, vines, ferns, thistles and the wild celery which they particularly like. They are not meat eaters.

Females give birth to just one tiny baby, weighing from 3 to 5 pounds. It is helpless and remains with its mother for about 3 years. At first the mother carries the baby by holding it gently to her chest. When the baby is about 3 months old it is strong enough to ride on her back and has fun sliding down her sides. Groups of little ones play together, climbing and swinging on trees or sliding down tree trunks. They often play while the parents take daytime naps. Each night the adults make new nests on the ground or in the lower branches of a tree, pulling grass and tender branches together, something like a huge bird’s nest. But they only use them once and make a new one each night.

While gorillas and other apes look something like men, they are not related. The first chapter of Genesis makes it very plain that man was a separate creation, distinct from beasts, fish and birds. This is confirmed again in the New Testament, which tells us plainly, “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds” (1 Corinthians 15:39). There are those who try to teach otherwise, but the Word of God is always true.

SEPTEMBER 13, 1998

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.”
1 John 3:16

ML-09/13/1998

Insects in Watery Homes

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1:3

The Lord God is not only the Creator of the beautiful and spectacular things of nature that we see, but the above verse includes the many things we are not even aware of. One of the world’s largest insects, called the giant water bug, is one of these.

These insects live in tropical regions, and some are found in North America. Most are two inches or more in length. They can fly, but since their wide flat bodies float, they usually stay close to their homes in ponds or lakeshores where they prefer quiet water.

Their front legs are wide and flat with sharp edges and are helpful in capturing insects and even fish as big as themselves. Hind legs provide paddle-like power for fast swimming on or below the surface. Their bite can produce a painful swelling, so anyone collecting them should be careful.

The male of one variety allows his mate to spray his back with a glue from her body, and then she lays 100 or more eggs on it. He carries these around for ten days, until they hatch. Other species glue their eggs on water plants.

Although not aware of it, water bugs are always under the watchful eye of their Creator and serve a useful purpose in destroying many harmful insects.

Another insect that lives in a watery home is the damselfly, which looks like a small dragonfly. The female lays her eggs in shallow water among the weeds. Sad to say, often a tiny wasp named polynema, which is about the size of a grain of rice, is likely to show up. Using paddle-like wings as oars, the female dives down to lay eggs, depositing one on each of the damselfly’s eggs already there. Then she swims to the surface and flies off.

By the time the damselfly’s eggs hatch into nymphs that will remain under water for some time, the polynema’s eggs placed on them have changed into worm-like grubs that slowly eat their hosts, until they become full-grown wasps and fly into the air. But many little damselflies will never become full-grown, because their intruder’s hunger has killed them.

You might ask, “Did God create polynemas too?” Yes, but when He created them they were not harmful in any way. Their harmful change was the result of sin coming into the world - all created things have been affected by sin.

But the time is coming, after all believing Christians are taken to heaven and God’s judgment against wickedness and evil has taken place on the earth, that there will again be a peaceful creation. If you are one who knows the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you will be in that happy home above, looking down on the lovely new creation. Will you be one of those up there?

SEPTEMBER 20, 1998

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

ML-09/20/1998

The Beautiful Darters

“Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.”
Nehemiah 9:6

Darters are fish from one to eight inches long and are of the perch family. They have this name because of their swift darting movements from one resting place to another. Many live in streams throughout the United States, but their largest numbers are in the Ozark Mountains of the south-central United States. Darters seem to favor those clean mountain streams with the shallow but cold, swift water that races over the rocky bottoms. Most live right in the rapids where they catch insects and other small creatures.

There are many species of darters, each with its own distinctive coloring. The stippled darter is one of the prettiest. Throughout most of the year it has transparent blue fins and tail and an olive-brown body with dark stripes on top. But in the spawning months of April and May, the male makes an amazing change. Its fins and tail turn bright blue with a fringe of deep orange. The body loses its olive color and turns a pretty mottled blue, silver and gray on the upper half and the lower half turns a brilliant crimson.

Another good example is the Missouri saddled darter. Again in the spawning season, the male loses its olive-brown coloring and changes to a brilliant green with bright orange bands. When the spawning season is over, he gradually changes back to his original colors until the next year.

While the darters are putting on this brilliant color display, other little fish (about minnow size) sharing the streams go through similar changes. The hornyhead chub turns deep yellow; the bleeding shiner becomes crimson; the redbelly dace turns from silver to bright red with two black stripes.

In many ways these brightly colored fish look like tropical fish seen in aquariums, but they are in no way related. Tropical fish keep their bright colors permanently; these others display their bright colors only in the spring spawning season. Tropicals are rather slow swimmers and used to comfortably warm water; the northern species are active and hardy, since they live in swift waters that are often icy cold. The Creator has made each species to fit in perfectly with its surroundings.

What a lovely display this is of the Creator’s purposes in adding beauty and variety to all His creation. We know each creature was a complete work when the Lord God made it, and when He did so He “saw that it was good.”

Let us never forget that “all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). Nor should we neglect the Bible’s good instruction: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

SEPTEMBER 27, 1998

“He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.”
Psalm 91:4

ML-09/27/1998

The Marmot (Mountain Whistler)

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Psalm 50:10-11

Hikers who enjoy the quiet of the high elevations of many mountains in western North America are sometimes startled to hear a sharp whistle nearby. They will usually stop, thinking someone is trying to get their attention. But if they look closely they are pretty sure to discover that the whistler is a mountain marmot. They will probably find it perched on top of a rock, carefully looking them over.

The marmot, between one and two feet long, looks similar to a beaver. It is the largest member of the squirrel family. Short-legged and with its nine-inch furry tail stretched out behind and its small ears perked up, its dark eyes closely watch the hiker. If the hiker should start to climb toward this reddish-furred sentinel, a sharper whistle would warn all other marmots to run into their burrows, which the watcher also would do. Soon it would cautiously look out and, if the danger had disappeared, give an appropriate whistle to let its companions know the coast was clear. Aside from the warning whistles, large groups communicate with one another in whistle-language. It is not hard to see why they are called whistlers.

Expert excavators, each family digs its own burrow which is from 10 to 25 feet long. It has an entrance under the shelter of a rock which is big enough to ensure that no bear or coyote can shove it aside. At the end of each burrow, a den is lined with moss and grass, and space is reserved to store food. Frequently, two burrows lead to one den which provides a safety factor for quick entry and an extra means of escape if necessary. Retiring for the winter with fattened stomachs dragging on the ground, they are well prepared for hibernation until spring. All these details tell of the Creator’s care over them.

Usually four or five pups are born in May, and a few weeks later they begin to wander outside. They stay with their parents through the summer and following winter. The youngsters playfully roll and tumble together as parents watch, and all have a happy relationship, nuzzling and stroking each other with their paws.

We read in the Bible, “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God!” (Psalm 36:67). Marmots have no way of knowing of the Creator’s watchful care, but we who have been more favored than any other creature are told in God’s holy Word, the Bible, of His constant care. We also read of His love that has provided everlasting life for all who accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Saviour. How thankful we should be for such loving care.

OCTOBER 4, 1998

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

ML-10/04/1998

Turtles and Tortoises: Part 1

“The Almighty, we cannot find Him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment.”
Job 37:23

There is so little difference between turtles and tortoises that they could easily all have the same name. Generally, those living along ocean beaches or close to other water are called turtles, and those that live in deserts or on land elsewhere are known as tortoises. Neither species have teeth, but they effectively use the horny edges of their jaws as good teeth substitutes.

The females dig nests in sand or soft earth with their hind feet where they lay a few or up to 100 eggs or more. Some sea turtles lay at least 200 eggs. The eggs are carefully covered and left to incubate in the warmth of the sun. When the babies hatch, they dig their way out of the nest and are “on their own,” for a turtle never knows its parents. Those that survive such enemies as snakes, large birds, skunks, raccoons or other animals may live for 50 years or longer. The common box turtle, a native of North America, sometimes lives more than 100 years.

One called the wood turtle should perhaps be called a tortoise, for it wanders far into forest lands during summer but hibernates in mud under water in winter. This is one of the larger turtles and has a large olive-green shell with spider web patterns all over it.

Another, known as the spotted turtle, prefers wet areas in searching for food and making its home. It got its name from the bright yellow spots all over its coal-black shell.

One from Mexico, protected from hunting by the government, is the Bolson tortoise. It weighs up to 30 pounds and has an unusually heavy, wrinkly looking, yellow shell and armor-like plates on its forelegs. It digs a 20-foot-long burrow with the spade-like feet and sharp claws of its front legs, working right through hard soil without difficulty. The long burrow is a good retreat from both the heat and cold of Mexico’s climate. Living in waterless surroundings, it never needs a drink, for the Creator has arranged for it to get all the moisture it needs from the vegetation it eats.

The more we study God’s creation, the more our attention is drawn to the great variety in His handiwork. Different species of bees, ants, bears, deer, turtles and many others tell us of His pleasure in creating them -alike, but different! Let us always remember that no creature ever appeared by chance - all were created in the Lord God’s infinite wisdom and for His pleasure. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

OCTOBER 11, 1998

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”
Isaiah 59:1

ML-10/11/1998

Turtles and Tortoises: Part 2

“O give thanks to the Lord . . . to Him who alone doeth great wonders: for His mercy endureth forever.”
Psalm 136:34

The alligator snapping turtle makes its home in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley. It measures about four feet from its snout to the end of its tail and weighs about 150 pounds. It is considered the ugliest and most dangerous of all turtles. Three rows of rough bony ridges run from front to back on its yellowish top shell. It finds frogs, fish, worms and even small turtles in the water to eat and is swift as a rattlesnake in capturing them. It does not attack humans unless annoyed, but its immense, strong jaws could bite a man’s arm or foot off.

It has an interesting way of catching fish. Lying in a quiet spot at the bottom of a stream or pond, its wide-open mouth exposes a tongue on which a piece of pink flesh that looks like an angle-worm wriggles back and forth. This makes an effective bait, attracting small fish which intend to make a meal of the “worm.” So right into the turtle’s mouth one swims, and—you guessed it—instead of getting a meal, it becomes a meal.

Another interesting one is the gopher tortoise, named for the extra-long tunnel it digs with a roomy den at the end. It sometimes shares this den with a gopher, frog, owl, snake or raccoon. They get along peacefully together in the den. This tortoise’s black shell looks like lumps of coal stuck together.

One unusual turtle is the Matamata of South America. Its rather flat shell has hard spikes on the top to discourage predators. It has a long neck and pointed head and paralyzes its prey by dousing it with a mouthful of poisonous spray.

A book could be written about these strange amphibians, including the eastern box turtle. Its high brown shell is decorated with tan figures, some of which look like letters of the alphabet. This shell provides an unusual amount of security, for the turtle can completely draw its head, tail and legs under it. It has further protection from a flexible seal all around where the top shell meets the under shell. The underside hinges in the middle so it can box itself in tightly.

The Creator has given each turtle and tortoise just the right equipment for the conditions under which it lives. Our opening Bible verse declares that this wisdom and power, beyond our ability to fully understand, come from Him. Each of us should often thank Him for His love and goodness to us in so many ways. But we should particularly thank Him for the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Calvary’s cross. His death provides salvation to all who put their trust in Him and know Him as their Lord and Saviour.

OCTOBER 18, 1998

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

ML-10/18/1998

Your Body's Kind Boss

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalm 145:3

Do you know that your body has more than 5,000 parts? The Lord God, who created us, made each part for a special purpose, and they work together as a unit just as they did when He created Adam. We have learned how important some parts are, such as the heart, lungs and digestive system, but perhaps you have never heard of a very important part of the brain called the hypothalamus. It is about the size of a man’s thumb, and you can see in our picture exactly where it is.

This amazing little part realizes you need food even before your stomach is aware of it. So it sends a message like this to your stomach: “It’s time more nourishment was getting into this body. Tighten up your muscles to make him hungry so he’ll eat some food.” Without such a message, your stomach wouldn’t tell you to eat something.

The same is true of your heart. When you are afraid, working extra hard, running or nervous, a message is sent to your heart: “Beat faster to make the blood flow more quickly into this person’s veins.” Holding your hand on your chest and feeling your heart pumping would tell you that your heart is doing exactly as told. At the same time your lungs are told to bring in more oxygen, which is why you find yourself breathing harder under such conditions.

It is important that your body temperature stays at about 98.6ûF even if the weather is roasting hot or freezing cold. You can count on the hypothalamus to be on the job. Let’s say you are outside in the sun and uncomfortably hot. A message is sent to your blood vessels: “Tighten up a bit and don’t let the blood go through so fast!” The heart gets similar instructions, and the sweat glands are told to get to work to help cool the skin. That isn’t all. The stomach is told to make you thirsty so a new supply of water can replace the evaporating sweat. If the day is cold, the opposite messages are sent. These include telling the sweat glands to close up to keep necessary water inside, while the blood is told to flow more quickly to help produce heat.

There is much more we could learn about the remarkable hypothalamus and how a loving and wise Creator has placed one in your body to handle these along with hundreds of other duties.

People did not know about such things in the days of King David, but he recognized how wonderfully God had made him and wrote, “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully [amazingly] and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works” (Psalm 139:14). Have you ever thanked God for His wonderful care over you?

ML-10/25/1998

The Mongoose Snake Killers

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

Over thirty species of mongooses are found in the jungles of southern Asia and Africa, but many have been introduced into other parts of the world. The common mongoose is about 16 inches long and has stiff yellowish-gray hair that is grizzled with brown and black. Its small ears are set behind sharp eyes on a pointed head and nose. Some species are night hunters while others feed in the morning and evening and rest during the heat of the day. Though they are fierce fighters, they can be easily tamed. These curious animals are attracted to shiny or brightly colored objects and, like pack rats, place many such things in their nests.

Although not immune to poison, they don’t hesitate to attack vicious snakes. Much like the roadrunner bird, a mongoose will slowly circle around a snake, then makes a swift attack. The snake strikes back, but the attacker dodges easily and tempts it again and again. Each time the snake becomes more tired, and finally the mongoose kills it. The Indian and gray mongooses are often tamed and used by exhibitors on street corners in India to stage fights with deadly cobras. The mongoose is always victorious, and the owner makes a living with the coins tossed to him for his pet’s performances.

The diet of these animals includes rats, mice and other small animals, birds, fruit, nuts and insects. Some also eat crabs and other shellfish. The banded mongoose, which is two feet long from its nose to the tip of its tail and has thick brown and tan fur, is one of these. After catching a shellfish, it stands on its hind legs and hurls its catch to the ground, breaking the shell so it can get at the meat. This species also has an unusual way of eating large eggs. Standing with a rock behind it and holding the egg in its front paws, it tosses the egg backward between its hind legs, smashing it against the rock, then turns around to eat it!

This little animal is another example of the pleasure the Creator has in the variety of living creatures He has brought into being. Those who love the Lord God can share His pleasure by recognizing that He created all things and by believing His Word, the Bible, which is the only source of all that is true.

Reading the Bible every day helps us to understand the wonders of God’s ways and to see why He tells us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jeremiah 29:11). Have you thanked Him for His thoughts of peace and love toward you?

NOVEMBER 1, 1998

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me.”
Psalm 86:7

ML-11/01/1998

A Few Facts About Oceans

“All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”
Ecclesiastes 1:7

This Bible verse gives us one of King Solomon’s wise observations. How marvelously the Creator designed, through the inflow of rivers and evaporation of ocean surfaces, that our oceans continue the same since the Lord God first established them. About three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered by its oceans, just the right amount to bring the greatest benefits to all.

Rain, as we know, is necessary for life to exist, and most of it comes from evaporation of sea water into the atmosphere. Winds carry this moist air over the land where the moisture falls as rain or snow. Much of the snow that falls on mountains remains until the summer sun melts it. The melting snow gradually fills streams, lakes and wells with fresh water for all living things during hot, dry summer months. This should always be a reminder of how God cares for us and all His other creatures.

The oceans and the sun’s warmth combine to make the world a livable place. The great amount of water helps moderate the earth’s temperatures. In summer the water absorbs heat from the sun and stores it until winter when it is released to reduce the chill of the air over the land. In summer this storehouse of water is cooler than the land air and, blown by the wind, again adds to the comfort of all.

Many things besides fish and other sea creatures are in the oceans. Chemicals and minerals, for instance, continuously deposited by the inflowing rivers bring millions of tons of gold, silver, manganese, iron and innumerable other elements into it, some of which are recovered for man’s use. For instance, the salt in the shaker on your dining room table may have come from the ocean. The saltiest seawater of all is in the Red Sea, and the least salty is in the polar seas where huge icebergs form. As the icebergs slowly melt, they dilute the salty seawater.

The sea is more than five miles deep in some places in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and many high mountains rise from those deep floors. The tips of some of these mountains come above the water to form islands, such as those in Hawaii, the Aleutians, the Marianas and others, many of them making lovely home sites.

Solomon, as indicated in our opening verse, was familiar with many of the wonders of the oceans and left this message for us in the Bible: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It is important to know the Lord God as the Creator, but more important to know Him as your Saviour! Is this true of you?

NOVEMBER 8, 1998

“Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”
2 Corinthians 8:9

ML-11/08/1998

Tragedy in the Ocean

“As the fishes that are taken in an evil net . . . so are the sons of men snared in an evil time.”
Ecclesiastes 9:12

Some man-made articles are causing real trouble and tragedy for some of the oceans’ residents. Many sea animals, birds and other creatures become entangled in nets, fishing lines, plastic bags and plastic holders from six-pack cans of beverages. These often result in painful and sometimes long-lasting injuries and even deaths. We have also heard of the damage oil spills cause to ocean and shoreline wildlife.

What is happening? Along comes a whale, porpoise or seal and, not seeing a fishing net, swims into it and is soon entangled. The more it struggles the more it is entangled and cannot swim to the surface for needed air. The result? It drowns.

Someone in a boat throws a plastic bag overboard with a few scraps of food in it, and it eventually sinks below the surface. If it is a large bag, a seal interested in the food might thrust its head into the bag and not be able to pull back out. Even a small bag might resemble a jellyfish or something else to eat. A seal or porpoise may swallow it and it sticks in its throat. In either case the victim is almost sure to die.

Naturalists have seen more than one of these ocean swimmers who have gotten a plastic holder caught around its head, but no matter how much it struggles, it cannot get rid of what has become a tight collar around its neck. Climbing on a rock or lying on the sand, eventually it also dies.

When God placed man upon the earth, He made him responsible over the rest of His creatures, including the fish of the sea. Sadly, sinful man is often careless or cruel to God’s creatures. But there are kind people who spend a great deal of time freeing such victims. One group is called the Whale Hotline. They travel by boat to a captured whale, dolphin or seal on the ocean surface, gently approaching it and freeing it after hours of hard work. On other occasions it may just be one or two people who feel sorry for a trapped creature and do this job.

Sometimes a sea lion or porpoise will be found ashore with a band of plastic around its throat so that it cannot eat. Kindhearted people, with guns that do not kill but put the animals to sleep, gently cut the collar away. Waking up, the animal is free from its trap.

King David prayed, “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed. . . . Deliver me speedily. . . . Pull me out of the net that they [his enemies and Satan] have laid privily for me: for Thou art my strength” (Psalm 31:14).

Let us look to God who alone can save us from the evil nets and snares of the devil.

NOVEMBER 15, 1998

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
1 John 4:9

ML-11/15/1998

Leaf-Cutting (Parasol) Ants: Part 1

“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind . . . and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind.”
Genesis 1:25

There are over 12,000 kinds of ants throughout the world, all extremely interesting. The one we will learn about today, the leaf-cutting ant, is fascinating in many ways. Some of their colonies in Central and South America contain a million ants or more, and tons of soil are often dug by them while making their large nests with many rooms.

This ant is not interested in seeds, fruit or any other food except the food it makes in its own home from pieces of green leaves, farmed and tended by them very carefully. Just getting these leaf pieces to the nest is a big project.

First, scouts have the duty of finding a tree with the right kind of leaves and then marking out a trail to the tree with special odors. In ways provided by their Creator, they pass the word when this is accomplished. Then workers, which have sharp mandibles like the teeth of a saw, go to that particular tree. Each selects a suitable leaf and cuts out sections much larger than themselves. These pieces of leaves are passed, one by one, to other workers which lift them up over their heads, like a parasol, to carry them. Each worker carrying a piece joins hundreds of others walking in a single line back to the nest over the marked trail. The trail may be 400 or 500 feet long (which would be like a person walking 20 miles with a heavy load). Usually they make this round-trip several times a night!

At certain times, pesky flies, that want to lay eggs in the carrier ant’s body while it is busy with its load, land on the piece of leaf, waiting for an opportunity to attack. But the ants prepare for this by sending along a tiny sister ant who hops aboard the leaf after it has been hoisted up, scurrying all over it on the way to the nest, to chase away any flies that show up. On arrival, she hops down and returns to the tree to make another trip with another carrier ant.

We might ask, Who taught these ants such amazing skills? As the Bible verse above tells us, the Lord God created the ants, just as He did all living things, and He gave each species different instincts that often amaze us. King David, in thinking about these wonderful provisions, wrote, “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honorable and glorious. . . . He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered” (Psalm 111:24).

When we look at all the wonderful things about us, let us always remember who it is that has made them.

(to be continued)

NOVEMBER 22, 1998

“The Lord is my helper.” Hebrews 13:6

ML-11/22/1998

Leaf-Cutting (Parasol) Ants: Part 2

“And all men shall fear [respect], and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing.”
Psalm 64:9

In the last issue we learned how these amazing leaf-cutting ants gather green leaves for a food supply in their nests. What kinds of leaves do they gather? They are chosen with care and always with a preference for orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit leaves. This presents a real problem for fruit growers who discover all the leaves from a single tree have been removed during one night.

What do the ants do with these leaves? Here again we see an amazing procedure in the wonders of God’s creation. Great numbers of worker ants are awaiting delivery of the leaves by the carriers (mentioned in last week’s paper). The workers chew the leaves into a pulp but do not swallow it. This pulp is given to yet other workers who coat it with an acid-like moisture before taking it to a storage area inside the nest.

While waiting many days for this to ferment and produce a coating of fungus, the pulp deposits are carefully guarded by yet other workers. Soon the fungus appears all over the surface of the pulpy pile, and this becomes the main food of the colony.

As this busy program goes on day and night, a certain amount of food spoils. There is also a problem of foreign insects coming in and being killed, as well as the death of some workers. Being very clean creatures, it is the duty of some workers to carry the spoiled food and dead insects promptly to an outside “garbage dump.”

The methodical ants have a highly developed method of distributing the fungus food, which is the responsibility of yet another group of workers. They deal it out as follows: tiny workers who just tend the garden and feed the babies get the least amounts; leaf-cutters and carriers get portions sufficient to keep up their strength; the biggest amounts go to soldiers who fiercely defend the nest when necessary and to the queen and “princesses” who will soon be starting colonies of their own.

If human beings tried such a program, long training would be required, and even then there would be many who wouldn’t work out too well. But the ants need no training. Each one just goes about its own business and stays on the job for its lifetime. This is another example of the Creator showing His care for all His creation and reminds us of His word in the Bible: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:68). Let us each prepare for a future eternity by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour today.

NOVEMBER 29, 1998

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”
Revelation 1:5

ML-11/29/1998

You Would Like a Cuscus

“For of Him [God], and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
Romans 11:36

One of the most colorful and lovable little animals in the world lives in the jungles of several areas of the South Pacific, including Malaysia, New Guinea and Australia.

There are many varieties of the pretty little cuscus (sometimes called a phalanger). Some have white fur; others have honey color, black, or even grayish-green. Some have mixed colors, such as the whitish-gray spotted cuscus, with numerous patches of a soft reddish color spread over its coat. In fact, many of them change color several times in their lifetime. Their round, bulging eyes may be yellow, orange or red, and their button noses are usually a bright yellow. All are tidy in their habits and keep their woolly fur in good condition by frequently combing it with their sharp claws.

The cuscus is part of the mammal family known as marsupials. The mother usually gives birth to one or two very small, underdeveloped babies each year, and she carries them in her pouch for several months before they are able to hop out and make their own way around.

These animals are about the size of house cats and are good climbers. They spend most of their lives in trees where they hunt smaller animals, insects, lizards and small bird eggs to eat. They also add vegetable matter, such as fruit and green leaves, to their diet. Very seldom do they come to the ground. They never seem to be in a hurry, and it is not unusual for one to sit all day high in a tree sleeping, for they do most of their hunting at night.

The Creator has given them strong claws and fleshy pads on their hind feet, to make them more surefooted on bare branches. He has further provided for their safety with a tail which they can wrap around a nearby branch for extra security.

The cuscus have few enemies, but if threatened they will lash out with their forepaws while barking and snarling. Actually, they are difficult for other animals or birds to kill, because their thick fur fits so loosely on their bodies that an enemy cannot easily get a good hold on them.

We have enjoyed considering many animals, both small and great, gentle and vicious, ugly and handsome, and with each one we could think of the words of Psalm 104:24: “O Lord, how manifold [numerous] are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.”

It should be our joy also to follow the reminder, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6). Just think of how much we have to thank Him for!

DECEMBER 6, 1998

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”
1 John 5:13

ML-12/06/1998

The Happy Warblers

“I [the Lord] know all the fowls of the mountains.”
Psalm 50:11

Warblers are well named, defined by the dictionary as “small songbirds that sing in a trilling manner.” This means their songs have a long run of notes that run up and down quickly and with many variations.

There are about 125 varieties of warblers. Most of them spend the summer months in North America and the rest of the year in Central and South America and a few other tropical areas. They are small birds, about the size of a sparrow or a little smaller. All are very active and have cheerful warblings, although their songs are not all the same. There is a great variety of pretty colors among them, including red, yellow, blue, greenish-gray, yellow-green and orange, with many having black and white accents.

Warblers are a real help to us. They eat caterpillars, moths, plant lice, aphids and other insects that are harmful to growing crops and flowers. Farmers are pleased when these birds nest nearby.

Their food is obtained in a variety of ways, and the beaks of each kind have been designed by the Creator to best serve each of them. For instance, the long, slender bill of the blue-winged variety easily penetrates buds and flowers for insects that are otherwise hard to reach. The American redstart has a flat bill which helps it capture insects flying through the air. Each kind of warbler’s beak, legs, feet and wings are designed in ways which only the Creator could do for its individual pattern of life. Many find insects in foliage while walking on the ground; others find their food while flying; some, like the black-and-white species, hunt their prey on tree trunks and branches. The Creator gave them strong claws on their feet so they could cling to the side of a tree.

Nests are mostly cup-shaped in trees or shrubs, but a few build them on the ground or in rocky areas. The females construct the nests in which they usually lay four eggs, incubating them for nearly two weeks. When the little ones are hatched, both parents feed them for another two or three weeks before their feathers are developed and they are able to fly away on their own.

These cheerful birds, with their great variety of songs, would surely thank God for His goodness if they were able to. Perhaps King David was thinking of this when he wrote, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). But he knew birds could not do this with their voices and added in the same verse, “Praise ye the Lord.”

We surely should praise Him for His wonderful works and His goodness in dying on Calvary’s cross for the sins of everyone who will accept Him as his or her personal Saviour. Have you thanked Him for that work of love?

DECEMBER 13, 1998

“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.”
2 Samuel 22:31

ML-12/13/1998

Mallards by the Million

“The Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them.”
Genesis 2:19

What an interesting job Adam was given! The English language was not then in use, but in whatever language he spoke, it was his privilege to be the first to call a duck a duck.

The mallard is the wild duck from which most domestic ducks have been bred. The male (sometimes called a greenhead) is a beautiful bird with a glossy metallic green head and neck, yellow bill, narrow white collar and chestnut breast. The rest of its body is mostly grayish-brown with black central tail feathers that curl up.

Millions of mallards spend summers on the Canadian prairies and across the northern half of the United States, particularly in North Dakota where “pothole” ponds are ideal for nesting.

Females are mottled brown and, like the males, have orange legs and webbed feet. Their nests are well hidden, lined with down and feathers, and are usually in tall grass at the edge of a pond or lake. The hatching of the 6 to 15 olive-colored eggs and training of the ducklings are left to the mother. The ducklings can walk and swim expertly a few hours after hatching.

Mallards are the most common and noisiest of all ducks; the female’s quack is so loud it can be heard a mile away. In addition to acorns, wheat and other grains, their food includes water insects, frogs and fish. When feeding in shallow water, mallards have a “bottoms-up” position, feasting on underwater plants and insects.

They like to eat in concealed places in the daylight, but raid grain fields at night, to the dismay of many farmers. Some areas are now planted especially for them so that they will not go into the farm fields until after crops have been harvested. Then they feed on the grain left on the ground.

Some mallards spend the entire winter along the coasts of Alaska and western Canada, but others migrate to Texas and California before winter, returning north in early spring. Their migrations are beautiful to see as their V-shaped groups, with heads and necks outstretched, move swiftly along high in the sky.

Do you think the Lord God, the Creator, cares about birds and their nests? A Bible verse tells us He certainly does: “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way . . . thou shalt not take the [mother bird] with the young” (Deuteronomy 22:6). And if He cares about birds on their nests, doesn’t He care much more about you? The Bible answers this also: “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). What a loving God we have! Have you ever thanked Him for His loving care over you?

DECEMBER 20, 1998

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5

ML-12/20/1998

North America's Flying Squirrels: Part 1

“But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.”
Isaiah 65:18

While there are many flying squirrels in lands south of the equator, there are only two look-alike varieties in North America. The northern lives mostly in Canada and is about the size of a common gray squirrel. The southern is slightly smaller and lives in the forests of the eastern United States.

Their name in Latin means “gray mouse that flies,” and because of their amazing movements through the air, in some places they are known as “fairy diddles.” Actually, a more realistic name would be “gliding squirrels,” for they do not actually fly but, as we will explain in the next article, they have special bodies which enable them to make gliding leaps between trees.

Unlike the gray and red squirrels which are active during the daytime and which are familiar to most of us, both of the North American “flyers” are active at night. This is why they are seldom seen, and people are often unaware that they are in the neighborhood.

These squirrels do not hibernate, but if the weather gets unusually cold, a dozen or more will keep warm by snuggling together in a nest. Once the weather warms up they resume their activities.

These closely related little animals are alike in many ways. They all tend to have grayish-brown backs and white stomachs. Their pretty fur is thick and silky, and their chins have long whiskers. They also all have flat tails nearly equal in length to their bodies, large ears and big black eyes. It is plain to see how the Creator wisely provided these features to help them in their manner of nighttime living.

They are playful creatures, chasing each other from tree to tree or scampering up the trunk, accompanied by loud squeals. When gathering nuts they sometimes stop their work and bat some around, apparently just for the fun of it. In fact, seeing their different playful ways, they seem to be one of the few animals that get much pleasure out of all that the Creator has done for them. They don’t seem to take life seriously and have been seen exchanging what appears to be kisses with their companions. However, on rare occasions when they become irritated, one might be spotted stamping its feet like a spoiled little child, or lying on its back kicking its feet in the air as if to pummel a real or imagined enemy.

In many Bible verses the wonders of the Lord God’s creation are spoken of, such as the words of King David: “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 9:1). There is real joy for all who, like King David, do this with their whole heart. Do you?

DECEMBER 27, 1998

“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
Luke 12:40

ML-12/27/1998

Bible Word Puzzles

For Little Folks

If you are between the ages of five and nine years old, there is a hidden message for you in this diagram. Starting at the top row, work from left to right and then go on to the next row. Find all the times that your age is shown, writing down each letter that is shown under your age. This will be your message from the Bible.

ML-03/08/1998

"L" Names Word Search

This word search uses Bible names which begin with the letter “L.” See how many of the names listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across -every direction.

LABAN LEVI LOT

LAZARUS LEVITICUS LUKE

LEAH LIBYA LYDIA

LEBANON LOIS LYSTRA

ML-02/08/1998

Passover Word Search

This word search uses words from the story of the passover. First read Exodus 12 in your Bible. Then see how many of the words listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across -every direction.

BLOOD ISRAEL

BREAD JUDGMENT

CONGREGATION KILL

DESTROYER LAMB

DOOR LINTEL

EGYPT LORD

FEAST MALE

FIRE MOSES

FIRSTBORN NEIGHBOR

GIRDED NIGHT

HASTE PASSOVER SHOES UNLEAVENED

HOUSEHOLD PLAGUE SIDEPOSTS WORSHIPPED

HYSSOP ROAST STAFF

ML-04/05/1998

Elijah and the Two Altars Word Search

This word search uses words from the story of Elijah and the two altars. First read 1 Kings 18 in your Bible. Then see how many of the words listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction.

AHAB CARMEL FIRE JEZEBEL PROPHETS TRENCH

ALTAR CONSUMED FOLLOW KNIVES RAIN TWELVE

BAAL CRY GOD LEAPED SACRIFICE WATER

BARRELS ELIJAH HEAR LORD SAMARIA WOOD

BULLOCK FAMINE ISRAEL OPINIONS STONES

ML-10/11/1998

Books of the New Testament Word Search

This word search uses the names of the books of the New Testament. See how many of the words listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction.

MATTHEW CORINTHIANS

MARK GALATIANS

LUKE EPHESIANS

JOHN PHILIPPIANS TIMOTHY HEBREWS JOHN

ACTS COLOSSIANS TITUS JAMES JUDE

ROMANS THESSALONIANS PHILEMON PETER REVELATION

ML-12/13/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Proverbs 29:1

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “that” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy”
(Proverbs 29:1).

ML-02/15/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Proverbs 29:1

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “that” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy”
(Proverbs 29:1).

ML-02/15/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Isaiah 53:6

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “the” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 53:6).|{}|

ML-05/31/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Galatians 6:7

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “is” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”
(Galatians 6:7).

ML-07/12/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Romans 3:22-23

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “of” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:22-23).

ML-07/19/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: Psalm 23:1

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across—every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “is” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”
(Psalm 23:1).|{}|

ML-09/06/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: John 1:12

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “as” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name”
(John 1:12).|{}|

ML-09/13/1998

Scripture Verse Word Search: 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “the” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all”
(1 Timothy 2:5-6).

ML-10/18/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble
these names of books
in the New Testament?

T R E E P

__ __ __ __ __

L A S T A G A I N

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

K R A M

__ __ __ __

L O S S I C S O N A

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-03/29/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble
these names of books
in the New Testament?

A T I N A S L A G

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

H A M E T T W

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

T H I N I N R O A C S

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-06/14/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble
these names of books
in the Old Testament?

N O M Y O U R E T E D

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

H U T R

__ __ __ __

M A L I T T S O N N A E

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-06/21/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble
these names of books
in the New Testament?

R A M K

__ __ __ __

S A M N O R

__ __ __ __ __ __

H B R W S E E

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-07/26/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
Old Testament?

B O J

__ __ __

L E S T C E A S E S I C

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

H I A S I A

__ __ __ __ __ __

C H I L O R E N C S

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-08/02/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
New Testament?

S O S O S A L I N C

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

L A P N I P H I P S I

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

S A M J E

__ __ __ __ __

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
Old Testament?

H E M H A I E N

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

N A I L E D

__ __ __ __ __ __

C H A I R Z H E A

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-11/15/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
Old Testament?

B A A D H O I

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

L E U M S A

__ __ __ __ __ __

H A C I M

__ __ __ __ __

ML-11/22/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
New Testament?

P H A N S P I P I L I

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

N O J H

__ __ __ __

S L A N T I N E S O S H A

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

T O Y M I T H

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-12/06/1998

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
Old Testament?

S E A H O

__ __ __ __ __

H A I N A P H Z E

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

S I S N E E G

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-11/08/1998

Messages of God's Love: 1998

Table of Contents

The Court Case

Fire!

Love As Strong As Death

Footprints

The Golden Gate Bridge

Skipper the Hero

Nikko

Tammy's Doll

Pierre

Hans' Decision

Ann's Cats

Playing With Sharks

The Runaway Train

Birds in Prison

Lost - $2000

Rescued With a Song

A Horse on I95

What Do You Do First?

Elephant Ride

Under the Microscope

Just in Time!

The Wall of Separation

Being Thankful

One Slip

Pepper

Different Directions

Have You Noticed?

Bogus the Sheep Dog

The Only Way

Wrong Identification

Purple Crayon Stains

Able to Save

There Is No "If"

The Bag of Candy

Middle of the Road

A Fifth-Grade Kindness

Caribou

A Serious Mistake

Joe the Fireman

An Old Lump of Rock

Eddie's Clock

The Stolen Bible

Cabbage Seeds

How Ann the Lifeguard Was Saved

Lassie and Chantel

A Trip to Canada - or Heaven!

The Bird Feeder

The Diseased Tree

Kevin's Dangerous Ride

The Little Boy Prince

God Feeds the Gulls

A Lesson About Peace

The Rainy Day

A Wonderful Chinese Word

Kim: A Story of Forgiveness

Snooky's First Offense

The Elk Hunt

Tell the Truth

Jake and Snowflake

An Old Message

Flood Rescue

Attacked by an Octopus!

The Root of the Problem

Stuck

Someone Who Loves God

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

A Gift Offered

Nothing Behind You Matters

The Baby Robin

An Empty Camera

"It Will Always Be a Coyote"

Helpless!

God Loves Down-and-Outers

Teena Did Not Obey

Isle Aux Morts

Leona, the Dancer

The Two Puppies

Joseph's Adventure