Messages of God's Love: 2005

Patti kept checking her watch. Traffic on the expressway was a mess that morning, and to make matters worse, there was an accident which caused a long backup. Finally, she passed the accident scene and traffic sped up. Still she had a long way to go.

Patti had an important meeting she was supposed to attend later that morning, but the meeting was in another state, so she was headed to the airport to catch an early flight. She had been staying with her mother who lived about forty-five minutes away from the airport. She left for the drive to the airport in what she thought was plenty of time, but the traffic problems had taken up much of that time.

Arriving at the airport, Patti parked her car, grabbed her luggage and ran to the terminal building. It had taken her ninety minutes to get to the airport, twice as long as normal, but she still had forty-five minutes before the plane was due to take off. It was enough time.

When Patti reached the ticket counter to check her luggage, the ticket agent looked at her ticket, checked the clock, then shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, but you are one minute late. Airline security requires your luggage to be checked in at least forty-five minutes before flight time, and you are one minute late! You’ll have to take a later flight.”

Patti was puzzled. She took business trips often, and she knew what the airline security rules were. However, for some reason she had not heard on the news that airline security had just been increased - it now required an earlier luggage check-in time. And since airline security does not have a “grace period” -not even one minute - Patti was turned away and had to take a later flight.

Most of us have been one minute late for school or a meeting at some time, but usually we weren’t turned away. We could just slip in, sometimes unnoticed. Once the door was closed, however, it was very noticeable that we came in late, but we were still allowed in. That is called a grace period.

The Bible tells us about a meeting that God has planned, and He has set the exact time for it. When that time comes, His Son, the Lord Jesus, is going to call everyone who has been saved from their sins up into the clouds to meet Him in the air and to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The verses in the Bible read like this: “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).

God has not told us the exact time for this all-important meeting because He wants every boy and girl and grown-up to get ready for that meeting right now! He doesn’t want anybody left out, because when that door to heaven is closed, it is closed forever! There will be no grace period—not even one minute! Nobody will be able to slip in unnoticed, and there won’t be a second chance to get there, like Patti had with a later flight.

Are you ready for that meeting with the Lord Jesus that will take all believers to heaven? Are your sins washed away? If not or you aren’t sure, here are Bible verses where God tells you what to do to be ready. “What must I do to be saved? . . . Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

The Bible gives a very serious warning to any boy or girl or grown-up who is still ignoring God’s invitation. When the Lord Jesus calls all believers to that meeting in the air and the door to heaven is closed forever, you will have no excuse. You will be left behind to spend a tragic eternity with the devil and his angels in outer darkness.

“Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Are you ready?

ML-01/02/2005

Caught in the Garbage

His little nose quivered with excitement. A tempting smell had reached the little field mouse, and he followed it until it led him right inside a garage and over to a big garbage can. He was hungry, and that food smelled so good. But he soon discovered that the plastic sides of the garbage can were too slippery to climb. He tried again and again, but he couldn’t climb up. So he tried another way. He ran up the wall beside it, and still smelling that food, he jumped right in.

He had a wonderful time climbing through the garbage, finding food scraps. He ate until his little tummy was full and then decided it was time to go home.

But he quickly discovered he had the same problem he had trying to climb in, only this time he couldn’t get out! He scrambled partway up the side of the can only to fall back down again. He jumped up the side time and again, getting a little way up, but always sliding down again. There was no way out. So there he stayed, trapped. He was down at the bottom with all the food scraps and good smells, but his freedom was gone.

At this point we must explain that our little mouse’s problem of being caught in the garbage can is just like the problem that every sinner has with sin. We are caught . . . and try as we might, we can’t get free. It looks pretty hopeless, and that’s exactly what Satan wants us to think. I doubt the little mouse knew that his situation was hopeless. He couldn’t get out of that garbage can without help, and you and I can’t get free of our sins without help . . . God’s help.

We do not know how long the little mouse was trapped in the garbage can, but when he was discovered, he was a pitiful, trembling little bit of fur. The owner of the garbage can looked in and saw him. Feeling sorry for the little mouse, he carried the can far away from the house. Then he tilted it on its side and allowed the mouse to escape to freedom.

The owner’s kindness saved him from death. This is exactly what the Lord Jesus will do for you, because He “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He is ready to save all who call upon Him, and He is able to deliver each one from the power of sin and Satan. He shows loving compassion and grace when a sinner realizes his lost and helpless condition and cries for mercy. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Will you let the Lord Jesus set you free? “If the Son [the Lord Jesus Christ] therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

ML-01/02/2005

"Who Wants to Die?"

Charles, the Sunday school teacher, brought a special little book to Sunday school. It was a photo album, but it was a different kind of album because all the people in the pictures had gone to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. On the cover of the album was a little poem:

“Teach me to live that I may dread

The grave as little as my bed.”

Let me explain what the poem means: We aren’t afraid to go to bed at night. Most of us look forward to going to bed. We are tired and need the sleep to refresh us for the next day. Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour aren’t afraid to die. We look forward to the time when we will be in heaven with the Lord Jesus. All the people pictured in the photo album had died and are now happily with the Lord Jesus.

After Charles explained about the people in the photo album, he asked the children what the memory verse was for that Sunday. One of the boys repeated the verse: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

Then Charles said, “I want some of you to come whisper in my ear how old you think you should be when you die.”

Three boys came up to whisper their answers. When no one else wanted to come up, Charles repeated their answers out loud. One boy said that you should be 90 years old. Another said that you could be any age. The third one said, “You die when the Lord calls you.”

Charles opened the album and showed a picture of a baby. Then he showed a picture of a four-year-old child and then a picture of a young woman. None of them were anywhere near 90 years old.

Then Charles said, “Anyone who wants to die, please raise your hand.” None of the children raised their hands. Charles asked, “Do you know when you are going to die?” The children all agreed that they couldn’t tell. He told them that the only time we can be sure of having is right now.

Charles asked, “When you were born, were your names written in the book of life?” The children shook their heads “no.”

“The people in this album don’t have physical life like you and I have, but they have a life now with the Lord Jesus that death cannot touch. How can we have that kind of life?”

Several hands shot up: “You have to ask the Lord Jesus to wash away your sins,” said one child. “You need to have Him living in your heart,” said another.

Charles read 1 John 5:11-12: “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Then he read John 20:31: “Believing ye . . . have life through His name.”

“But what about the people who don’t believe, who don’t have the Son of God in their hearts? Where do they go?” And one of the children answered very solemnly, “To hell.”

Then Charles asked, “After you die, can you change the place where you are?” Again the children shook their heads “no.”

“After you have died, there is no way of changing your condition. For all eternity you will be either in heaven or in hell without any chance whatsoever of making a change. Imagine being in the lake of fire forever and ever when you could have had your name written in God’s book of life. All you had to do was simply believe in the Lord Jesus and accept the forgiveness of your sins that He is offering you today.”

Will you do that today and have your name written in God’s book of life?

ML-01/16/2005

The Orphan Chick

Not long ago my husband was visiting a neighbor. The neighbor’s wife had a number of mother hens with baby chicks. She did not keep them in a pen, so the hens wandered all around the yard scratching, clucking and looking for food. Most of the baby chicks stayed close to their mothers, but one baby chick wandered around the yard more or less by itself.

Whenever there was danger or a sudden noise in the yard, all the mother hens would cluck to their chicks, and the baby chicks would quickly run under their mothers’ wings. They felt quite safe there.

As my husband chatted with our neighbor, he was surprised when he suddenly felt a baby chick up his pant leg! “Why did the baby chick do that?” he exclaimed.

“That’s an orphan chick; it doesn’t have a mother,” explained the neighbor. So my husband kept his leg very still, and the baby chick nestled close to his leg until it felt warm and safe and then thought it was safe to come out.

Later, when my husband told me this story, he exclaimed, “Imagine that such a tiny chick with such a tiny brain wanted love and security! The chick knew when it had these and missed them when it didn’t.”

Boys and girls, God has made your heart with even a greater need to find love and security. All the entertainments and activities of this world will never satisfy and fill your heart. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). Unless you come to the Lord Jesus and receive Him as your Saviour, you will never find the lasting love and true security that your heart searches for.

The little chick found a place of security that day in the leg of my husband’s pants. It felt safe there. You also need a place of safety from God’s judgment that is about to fall upon this world. The Lord Jesus bore God’s anger against sin while He was on the cross so that He could freely offer you the forgiveness of your sins. “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).

The little orphan chick found a safe place, but have you?

“Flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7).

ML-01/16/2005

The Catfish and the Basketball

What could that be floating strangely on the lake? As Bill stood on the deck of his house looking out over the lake, he saw a bright red ball in the water. Still, there was something very unusual about that ball. It appeared and then disappeared, and once again appeared, making a zigzag path across the water. Bill looked more carefully. Yes, it was a ball - an eight-inch, bright-red basketball that once had belonged to a child. But now it was moving across the water in the mouth of a very large flathead catfish!

Bill called to his wife to bring him a camera. This was a fish story that no one would believe unless they saw it! The fish was very large, and Bill figured it probably weighed around fifty pounds! As he watched the fish, he decided that the ball must have become wedged in its mouth. But the basketball was too big for the fish to swallow and too far into the fish’s mouth for the catfish to let go.

Bill unrigged the sail from his nine-foot boat and tried to corral the fish toward the shore. The fish dived, but each time it dived the air in the ball pulled it right back up to the surface! The fish dived again and again, and each time it would reappear on the surface. The effort of diving for its life was wearing out the poor fish.

That bright red ball may have seemed attractive to the catfish when it first went after it, but now it was proving a terrible mistake. Things that look good to you and me can sometimes be a terrible mistake. Do you remember the Bible story of Adam and Eve who both ate a piece of fruit, and that one act of disobedience meant that they must die? God had said that they were not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. But they chose to do what they wanted, instead of obeying God. All of us have made that same mistake. We have chosen our own way. It may have seemed all right to us, but we have disobeyed God. That careless lie, that little dishonesty or that bad word is sin in God’s sight. And it has unhappy results.

The fish in our story was struggling with the unhappy results from its mistake. It was being pulled up, up, up to the top of the water when it wanted to be at the bottom of the lake. It could not fight against that pull. But our sins are pulling us down, down, down, and we are just as helpless. We may try to be good and to stop sinning, but we cannot do it in our own strength. Our hearts are sinful, and the Bible says we are “without strength” (Romans 5:6). If we die in our sins, the Lord Jesus warns, “[Where] I go, ye cannot come” (John 8:21).

Was there any hope for the exhausted catfish? Yes. Bill finally got close enough to try to pull the ball from its mouth. He lifted the fish right out of the water by holding the ball, and that ball was still stuck tightly in its mouth. Finally he asked his wife to get a knife.

What do you think he did next? Have you ever stuck something sharp in a balloon? What happened?

When Bill carefully stuck the knife in the basketball, there was a whoosh of air escaping. Suddenly the ball was a whole lot smaller, and Bill was able to pull it right out of the jaws of the fish. The fish immediately made one more dive and disappeared into the deepest part of the lake.

Bill rescued that fish from its misery. It meant he had to leave the deck of his nice home and wade out into the water, but it didn’t cost him anything to rescue it. Within a short time he was in his house, quite dry and comfortable again.

When God saw us poor sinners in this world, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, who left heaven and came down to this earth. Because of His great love for you and me, the Lord Jesus came to rescue us from our sins, but this rescue was not quick or easy. It cost Him so much that we will never really understand all He went through for us. He was misunderstood, laughed at, beaten and finally nailed to a cross. The awful sins of many sinners were laid on Jesus in those three dark, black hours when He paid the penalty for them. Then a soldier stuck a spear in His side. It is the blood that flowed from His precious side that can wash away our sins and set us free. His hands and feet still have the marks of the nails. What a huge price He paid to rescue sinners from their sins!

Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Have you thanked Him for giving His life for you? “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

ML-01/23/2005

Pepper Loses His Tail

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 slid, 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 scrapes, 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, one thing had changed - Pepper did not chase cars anymore. He had 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 Jesus?

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-01/23/2005

A Deadly Embrace

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, the 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 who 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 his support crew!

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 to be free from your sins and no longer a captive of Satan? Jesus is able and willing to save anyone who comes to Him. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

ML-01/30/2005

Water Rescue

“Mayday! Mayday!” called the lieutenant on the radio of his F4 Phantom jet, streaking through the gray, rain-soaked sky. “I have engine problems . . . we are bailing out!” He radioed his location as the jet was losing altitude.

The radio operator at the Coast Guard Station in Astoria, Oregon, sounded the alert. The well-drilled crew of the rescue helicopter responded quickly to the alarm and completed their preflight routine rapidly. In a matter of minutes they were in the air and flying at nearly 190 miles per hour to the reported location.

The stricken jet was over the ocean and many miles away from the coast. Just that morning the pilot had heard a maritime forecast that predicted storm-lashed waves reaching heights of twenty feet. He braced himself for the shock he knew was coming. He pushed the eject button on the control panel, and the canopy over the cockpit flew open. Beneath him there was an explosion as the rocket booster under his seat ignited. The impact of the rocket booster was as if a giant sledge hammer had struck him with a terrific blow on his spine. He shot a hundred fifty feet into the air above the plane, accelerating so fast that he momentarily blacked out. When he came back to consciousness, he felt a sharp pain in his legs and backbone. He pulled the rip cord of his parachute. It opened up and slowed his descent. He had little time to collect his thoughts when, through an opening in the clouds, he saw the frothy whitecaps of the huge waves beneath him. Then he hit the water with a splash.

The water was unbelievably cold as the injured pilot tried to catch his breath. The wind-filled parachute tried to drag him across the waves, and then it collapsed into the water. He pulled a strap on a compartment on the back of his flight suit to release a small life raft which automatically inflated.

The pilot tried to pull himself out of the cold water and onto the raft but discovered his parachute had sunk beneath him and was holding him. The parachute and the injury to his back and legs made it impossible for him to climb out of the freezing water. All he could do was to hang on to the side of the raft and hope that help would arrive before the intensely cold water drained his life away.

The downed pilot hanging onto the side of the raft in the icy water had no strength to save himself. And sinners have no strength to save themselves either. God’s Word says, “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). You see, the sins we have committed have entangled us in chords so strong that there is no getting loose from them by ourselves. Those sins are pulling every unsaved person downward, away from God and His holiness and towards a lost eternity. One sin is enough to sink a sinner to hell, and we have committed many more than one! But God has a rescue plan for sinners.

The rescue helicopter flew at top speed to the last reported location of the plane. When making a low pass over the area, they spotted the pilot clinging to the side of the raft.

In his twelve years of service, the helicopter pilot had never attempted a rescue in such bad weather conditions. However, he and his crew knew that if they didn’t act quickly, the man below them in the water would not survive. Hovering fifteen feet above the waves, he directed his rescue swimmer, Lieutenant Kelly Mogk, to jump into the water. With a splash she landed several yards away from the raft and, struggling against the wind and waves, swam to it.

She noted the pilot’s face was beginning to turn blue, and he had a blank expression on his face. These were telltale signs of a falling body temperature caused by the bitterly cold water. She grabbed one of his hands and yelled at him to squeeze. When he was barely able to squeeze, she had no doubt he was close to death. She tried to push him out of the water onto the raft, but something was holding him back. Diving under the raft, she discovered that his sunken parachute was pulling him down. Further complicating the situation, the parachute chords had become entangled in his legs.

Lt. Mogk drew her knife from its sheath and repeatedly dove under the raft and sliced away at the chords. On one of these dives, her wet suit sprung a leak. The icy cold water began to numb her limbs also. Every time she dove, she ran the risk of herself becoming tangled up in the chords and drowning. At last the chords were cut free, and she was able to hoist him onto the raft. The flight mechanic lowered a cable with an attached harness from the open door of the helicopter. Exhausted, Lt. Mogk secured the injured pilot into the harness and watched as he was lifted up into the helicopter. The man needed medical help and fast if he was going to survive. To save precious time, the helicopter left immediately, leaving Lt. Mogk on the tiny raft. A second helicopter sent out from the base would pick her up.

This exciting rescue of the F4 Phantom pilot is a good illustration of sinners being saved by the Lord Jesus. God in His great love for you and me has made a way for us to be saved from our sins. He sent His Son into the world to die in the sinner’s place. Because the Lord Jesus made the perfect sacrifice for sin at the cross, all who call to Him will be saved. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

While on the cross, Jesus bore God’s wrath against sin for all those who would believe on Him. The moment a sinner trusts in Him, the sins that held him fast are cut away and cast into the deepest part of the ocean never to be brought up again. God says of all those who place their trust in the Saviour, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). Sinners who once were on their way to a lost eternity are forgiven, pardoned and justified, all because of what the Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross.

It was a great rescue that day when they plucked the pilot from the North Pacific. But an even greater rescue takes place when a sinner trusts in the Lord Jesus. Call out to Him in faith today and He will surely save you.

ML-02/06/2005

An Ignored Warning

When it was all over, one person had died, sixty-five were injured, and sunrise on the prairie showed the wreck of a passenger train with crumpled train cars strewn every which way.

For many of the passengers, this was to have been the trip of a lifetime. They had boarded the train in Vancouver and were taking a scenic train trip across Canada. So far they had traveled through the Fraser Valley, over the Rocky Mountains, and were now into the Great Plains. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the passengers were jolted awake and thrown from their seats as the train derailed. Twelve train cars jumped the tracks and landed in a crumpled wreck in a wheat field. It was the end of a dream vacation.

It took less than fifteen minutes for the rescue crews to arrive from the nearest town. While the injured were rushed to the nearest hospital, officials arrived to determine the cause of the wreck. Dawn was creeping over the tragic scene when it was announced that the derailment was caused by a broken front axle on one of the locomotives. But the axle had not broken without warning.

Only two hours after the train had left on its cross-country trip, a warning device, called a hot-bearing detection system, had signaled a warning that an axle bearing on one of the locomotives was overheating. When the crew saw it, they simply disconnected the warning device. The train had also passed an inspection station where no one checked carefully enough to see that the axle was giving out.

Why would a train crew disconnect a warning device? That warning could have saved the life of one person and prevented many others from being injured.

What about you? Are you ignoring a warning signal in your life right now? God tells us in the Bible, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Don’t just disconnect His warning message. The end of a life without Christ as Saviour leads to a tragic eternity. It can be avoided if you will pay attention to God’s warning: “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). Because of His love for sinners, Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the punishment for sin. If you will come to Him in prayer, admitting that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness for your sins, He will remove them forever. You will not face an eternity of punishment for your sins. Instead, you will live with Him in the joy and happiness of heaven forever.

Will you listen to the warning and accept Jesus as your Saviour right now, before it is too late?

“Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).

ML-02/13/2005

Always 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 also 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 outside 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 restlessness 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.

“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-02/13/2005

Recognizing the King

Have you ever dressed up in a costume to pretend you were someone else? Children sometimes like to do this, using old clothes from their mothers or fathers or even grandparents. But sometimes famous people do this to escape from photographers and newsmen. Some wear glasses and a fake nose to change their appearance completely. Some wear a wig with a different hair style and color from their own.

When he was still alive, it was well-known that King Hussein of Jordan often disguised himself for a good cause. He would mix with the people on the streets or at workplaces to find out how people felt or how they were being treated.

Let us suppose we overhear two men talking. The first man says, “Is that a new employee over there? I haven’t seen him here before.”

The second man answers, “I have been watching him, and I believe that is King Hussein!”

“Nonsense!” replies the first man. “That doesn’t look like King Hussein! That man is dressed just like us.”

“But look closely,” replies the second man. “He is the same height; he walks like the King; his voice sounds like the King’s, and look at his hands . . . I know it is the King. He is in disguise.”

One man looked closely and recognized King Hussein while the other did not. The Bible tells us that “Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God . . . took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:57). Jesus did not come in a disguise, so people would not know who He was. He came to earth as a man for a wonderful cause - so that He could save people from their sins. He took part in the normal activities of life, but He was not recognized by many people even when they were told who He was and saw Him perform miracles. They said, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” and did not look closer. But there were some who knew who He really was.

When Jesus asked the disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” (Mark 8:27), Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Another time Peter said, “We believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). Peter had spent enough time with Jesus to recognize that He measured up to all that the prophets had foretold of the coming Saviour. Jesus’ walk and ways were perfect; His words were amazing and true, so that even the Roman soldiers said, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). After His resurrection, Thomas doubted who He was until he saw Jesus’ hands with the wounds from the nails. Then Thomas could only exclaim, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

One day soon, every knee will bow to Jesus, but only those who believe who He really is and accept Him now as their Lord and Saviour will be in heaven to see Him in all His majesty and glory. Do you recognize Jesus for who He really is - the eternal Son of God, the Saviour of sinners? It will make the difference between eternal life and eternal death for you.

“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-02/20/2005

Little Pierre's Rescue

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 deserve. 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, and he also could not 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. And 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-02/20/2005

Left Behind

I loved my bike! It was really cool. And I liked to show off on it a little bit too.

One summer evening I’d been at Bible Study with my family. When it was over, I thought, I’m gonna take a short cut and get home before my dad does. So I hopped on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could. Yep, I beat him home!

I proudly stood my bike up in front of the porch where everyone would be sure to see it when they drove up. Then I sat down and waited. And I waited some more. I began to get worried. I knew I wasn’t that much faster than my dad. I got on my bike and rode back to where we’d had the Bible Study. No one was there!

Now I was really worried. I hopped on my bike again and hurried home. They weren’t there either. I threw myself and my bike down on the grass and cried my heart out. I thought Jesus must have come back and taken all my family with Him to heaven and I was left behind! I kept telling myself, I know I should have asked Jesus to save me. Why didn’t I do it long ago like Mom and Dad said?

My family still didn’t come home, and I couldn’t stop crying. I was sure it was too late for me to be saved now, but I didn’t know what else to do, so I began to pray really hard. I said, “Dear, Lord Jesus, I know you love me and died for me. If it’s not too late,” I sobbed, “and if you haven’t come yet to take all the saved people to heaven, please save me now. I know I’ve often been bad, but please, please forgive me.” Then I just laid on the grass and cried and cried.

I can’t tell you how happy I was when I saw our van drive into the driveway! My brothers and sisters came tumbling out, shouting, “Hey, Danny, you missed a trip to the ice cream store, and we all got big cones!”

But I didn’t care. The Lord Jesus hadn’t come yet after all, and now I was SAVED! I felt so clean inside and so happy! I couldn’t thank the Lord Jesus enough. And I’ve been thanking Him ever since, because I know He loves me and died for me and keeps me and provides for me every day of my life. What a Saviour I have!

Is He your Saviour? Are you ready? Don’t put it off like I did, because He is going to come real, real soon, and for sure you don’t want to be left behind! “Except ye repent ye shall . . . perish” (Luke 13:3). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

ML-02/27/2005

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Swallows

Hello again from Gramma and Grampa!

I will start out by answering the question about the swallows that were nesting in our barn. Yes, we had two nests, and each nest had four eggs. And, yes, the eggs all hatched into cute little baby swallows. Gramma and I were interested in the one nest that was right over our heads where we walked into the barn.

We enjoyed watching the parents catch bugs as they flew around outside. Then they would fly into the barn to feed the babies. As the days passed, these babies grew big enough to sit on the edge of the nest. I took a picture of them, which you can see. Look closely and you will see all four of them sitting there, all lined up, waiting for their parents to bring them a bug or two.

Shortly after, I told Gramma, “These birds will soon be leaving the nest.” So Gramma, Chelsea (you’ve all met our dog in earlier stories), and I went out into the barn, found a piece of wood to sit on, and enjoyed watching what was going on. We hoped to see the babies fly away. Well, we were disappointed, because they did not fly away. However, next morning when Chelsea and I went out to look, there were only three baby swallows in the nest! Then, after breakfast, we had another look . . . there were only two! The parents were calling them out of the nest one at a time! And now there were only two baby swallows left, and both were ready and waiting for their turn to go!

That reminds me of a Sunday school chorus:

Two shall be together, grinding at the mill;

Two shall be together, sleeping sound and still;

One shall be taken, the other left behind.

Will you be ready, when Jesus comes?

Children, are you ready and waiting for the Lord Jesus to come and take us to heaven? He said, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself” (John 14:3).

One of you may ask, “How can I be ready, Grampa?”

That’s a good question, and it’s very easy to answer. Look in your Bible at Acts chapter 16 and verses 30 and 31. A grown-up man asked the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer is this: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”! And not only was he saved, but verse 34 says the man “[believed] in God with all his house”! What a happy home that must have been!

Now I almost forgot to tell you the end of the story. The three of us went back out to the barn a little later, and guess what?

“One was left, Grampa?”

Nope . . . not even one! They were all gone! The nest was empty! Gramma and I were real happy, and Chelsea must have known we were happy, because she was wagging her tail! How wonderful is God, our Creator! We sometimes sing,

Isn’t He wonderful, wonderful, wonderful;

Isn’t Jesus my Lord wonderful!

Eyes have seen, ears have heard, it’s recorded in God’s Word;

Isn’t Jesus my Lord wonderful!

Yes, dear children, He is a wonderful Lord, and He has given us a wonderful salvation!

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

ML-03/06/2005

What About Your Sign?

The children were putting up signs on their bedroom doors. One was a printed sign from the variety store. It was red with white letters and said, “PRIVATE PROPERTY . . . KEEP OUT!” Another sign was written with pencil on white paper, and it said, “DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT KNOCKING.” Another sign simply said, “THE GIRLS’ ROOM.”

When little Joey saw the other children making their signs, he said, “Mommy, I want to make a sign too.”

“What do you want your sign to say?” she asked.

“I want it to say, ‘YOU MAY COME IN ANYTIME YOU WANT TO.’ ”

Wasn’t that a nice, friendly sign? Signs like these show us the feelings that different boys and girls have toward others and toward God. Some people seem to be wearing a sign that says, “KEEP OUT! PRIVATE! MY HEART IS MY OWN TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE!” They forget that God made them and that they must answer to Him for everything they think and do.

Others keep the Lord Jesus knocking on their door while they are trying to clean things up inside. They forget that to be happy in God’s presence their sins must be washed away. Only God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, can do that. If anyone will come to Him as a sinner, he will wash their sins away. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

He is knocking at your heart’s door right now. Won’t you let Him in? He loves you and would like you to answer His knock with little Joey’s sign - “COME IN ANYTIME!”

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will [eat] with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

ML-03/06/2005

The Lamb's Rightful Owner

The story is told of a little North African boy named Abd el Karuzeh. He lived in the limestone caves of Algeria, and, like all his friends, he was a sheep herder. But he felt different, because each of the other boys could point to one lamb in his flock that his father had given to him so he could start a flock of his own. But Abd el Karuzeh had no lamb of his own, for his father owned only six sheep.

Abd el Karuzeh got up every morning at daybreak and took his father’s sheep to the hills. He kept a sharp watch for eagles and hyenas that might harm the sheep. But though he was a good little shepherd, his heart was sad, for he knew he would always be poor; he would never have a lamb to start his own flock.

One evening, when all the sheep herders and flocks were returning, two boys were missing - sons of the Headman. When the evening shadows began to fall, they returned, telling how they had had to leave behind a little lamb that had fallen down a cliff. Its mother had jumped to avoid a snake, knocking the little lamb over the cliff. The boys had tried every way they knew to reach the lamb, but the stones gave way under them and the little twigs growing from the cliff face could not hold them.

Abd el Karuzeh listened closely. In his mind he pictured the helpless little lamb left there to be killed by eagles or hyenas. He stood back from the others, thinking.

Suddenly he decided. Quietly he turned and ran all the way back to the cliffs. He was scared as he thought about going over the cliff, but since he was small, he hoped he could reach the lamb. He could hear bleating, and as he looked down the cliff face he could see the cold, frightened little lamb on a ledge of rock. Could he do it alone? He would be risking his life, but he must save the lamb.

He took off his jacket and began to lower himself slowly until he found a toehold, and then another. Every moment he was in danger of crashing to his death. He clung to the tiny shrubs and inched his way downward until he could jump to the ledge where the lamb stood trembling. He picked it up, put it on his shoulders, and tied its feet together with his belt. Now he wondered how he could climb back up with the added weight of the lamb and the danger of its hoofs hitting the cliff face. He remembered how the toeholds had crumbled and given way under him on the way down, and now there was the added weight of the lamb to think of. He was frightened and wet with sweat.

He suddenly realized there was another danger. He saw his fingers were bleeding, and he knew the smell of blood quickly attracted the wild animals. No time should be lost! He must begin his upward climb right away!

He began to climb slowly and carefully, inch by inch, testing each shrub and toehold before moving farther. He knew an unexpected kick from the lamb might plunge them both to their death in the canyon below. He dared not look up or down - he could only think about his next move. When at last he wormed his body up over the edge onto the path, his heart was pounding so hard and loud that that was all he could hear.

Now there was a new fear - how to get home without being attacked by a wild animal. He saw something gleaming in the distance—something moving. Was it the eyes of hyenas or jackals? Then he heard a shout. It was his father’s voice. He was coming with the Headman, and they were carrying firesticks.

With great relief Abd el Karuzeh unwrapped the lamb from his shoulders and gave it to the Headman. “Here is your lamb,” he said.

The Headman looked at the boy for a moment and then answered, “My sons left this lamb to die. You risked your life. You are torn and bleeding. You are the rightful owner. This is your lamb.”

With his very own lamb in his arms, Abd el Karuzeh returned with the men to the warmth and safety of the caves.

While reading this story, did you see yourself exactly as that little lamb? You are lost in sin and far away from God until the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, rescues you and brings you safely into His flock. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity [sins] of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Not only was He torn and bleeding, but He died that you might be returned to God. But you must accept His rescue and thank Him for it. Every person is precious enough to the Lord Jesus that He not only risked His life, but gave His life and died for them. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

ML-03/13/2005

Nighttime Visitors

It was around eleven o’clock at night. There was a very loud thump, and then cans were rattling on our back patio.

We switched on the light, and there were three busy raccoons trying to empty our garbage can! In fact, they had managed to get the garbage can lid off and had tipped the can over. They weren’t one bit embarrassed about what they were doing, even though the light was shining on them. They just went on pulling out the plastic bags and tearing them apart when something smelled like food.

You know, boys and girls, those raccoons were acting very much like us. The raccoons didn’t care that the garbage can had a lid on it to keep them out. That didn’t stop them. And sometimes we see our school friends or other friends taking things that don’t belong to them, and they don’t seem to care. Even when they know it is wrong, that doesn’t stop them. And maybe you have taken something that doesn’t belong to you, even when you know it is wrong. Every one of us is guilty of taking something that didn’t belong to us. We need to always remember that God calls it stealing, and stealing is sin. He tells us, “Let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:28). Every day we need to ask the Lord Jesus to help us to do what is right and what will please Him.

ML-03/13/2005

A Good Decision

An older Christian gentleman from the United States was visiting in the country of Venezuela. Since almost everyone there talks in Spanish, he was giving out Spanish tracts near the place where he was staying. He offered one to a young boy, and the boy said “Thank you” in English. It was such a delight to the old gentleman to find someone who spoke English that he began talking to the boy. He learned that the boy was twelve years old and was also visiting from the United States. The boy was expecting to go back to his home in Miami, Florida, soon.

“And when you die, where will you go?” the gentleman asked. The boy didn’t know, so the gentleman explained to him how the Lord Jesus had come into the world to save sinners. He told the boy that Jesus’ precious blood could wash away every single stain of sin and make him fit to live in heaven with Jesus forever. Then the gentleman told him more: “If we refuse or simply put off coming to Jesus to have Him forgive our sins, we will end up with the devil and his angels in hell for all eternity.”

The boy listened carefully to what the gentleman was saying. Then he said with certainty, “I choose Jesus and heaven!”

What a good decision that was! Have you made that decision from the bottom of your heart? If you have, you belong to the Lord Jesus, and He says to you, “Follow Me” (John 21:19). “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

ML-03/20/2005

Trapped on the Sandbar

Don and Wilma walked out on the sandbar, enjoying the breeze as they listened to the waves crashing on the shoreline behind them. They were visiting the coastline of Nova Scotia and did not know that they were walking into the mouth of danger. Between them and the shore, the tide quickly poured over a low spot on the sandbar.

Ivan spotted them and quickly ran up the steps from the beach to the top of the embankment. “Cecil, a couple of tourists are trapped on the sandbar, and they don’t know it!”

Cecil Milton knew how fast the tide ripped around the sand bar. “I’ll call Denis now. He might have a boat handy.”

Did you know that God sees the danger you are in even before you stop to consider it? He still loves you even as you get tangled in a web of sin and regret. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). God saw your need and sent a Saviour who can rescue you from sin.

Denis looked across the ocean with his binoculars. His eyes widened. “Let’s go . . . those people on the sandbar are trapped!”

His boat sat beside the shallow river. The tidal waters would come in in about an hour and then he could easily put his boat in and drive out to them. But he couldn’t wait that long! Denis and his friend pushed the boat, but it wouldn’t budge. Then Linda walked by. “Help us!” he called frantically. “We’ve got two people offshore drowning!”

The boat slowly scraped a track to the river, but there wasn’t enough water to drive it away. Suddenly Mike came along with his four-wheeler. “Help us, Mike!” Mike pulled on the anchor rope as the others pushed. Slowly, painfully they moved ahead. Another man happened to come by, and he also helped.

When Don and Wilma realized their danger, it was too late to save themselves. The water slowly rose to their knees, then higher till they began to tread water. “But, Wilma, I can’t swim!”

“Don, tread water now or you’ll die! Maybe somebody will come for us.” Soon they were battling the cold water and the strong ocean currents and praying for help.

Do you think you can save yourself in your danger? What can you offer to God for all your sins? If you started today to do the best you could do, would that save your soul? The Bible, God’s Word, states that all of these sincere attempts to save ourselves are useless: “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). It is God Himself who sent His own beloved Son into the world to save us - to take the blame and punishment for our sins.

About then the fire department rescue squad arrived at Denis’s house. Through binoculars Rodger Hunter saw the couple quickly drifting away, and he saw Denis’s boat in the river straining to reach the deeper water. The boat finally moved on its own. It bounced off submerged rocks, but Denis paid no attention to the damaged boat. Two lives had been drifting away for twenty minutes, and there was no time to spare.

Rodger phoned Denis in the boat. “You’ve gone past them! They’ve drifted a good mile this way . . . I’ll direct you.”

Suddenly a thrill swept over the two men in the boat. “There’s a woman’s head bobbing in the waves! And there he is too . . . I hope we’re not too late.”

In a few long seconds they were beside the perishing couple. Wilma was almost gone. She could not help herself as they pulled her into the boat. But both were alive and saved!

Other people had arrived to help. Some brought blankets. One man had a four-wheeler and took the two victims up to the road. There the ambulance crew did their part. It seemed the whole town was there, interested in saving two people.

My friend, God is concerned about your danger, and others are also worried. Maybe a mother or friend has prayed for you. Perhaps a preacher has explained to you why you need to be saved. Those who care about you have tried to reach you with the gospel. Do you realize your danger? Friends can’t save you, but they are trying to point the way. Are you listening? “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).

The next day Denis thought about all the people who “just happened” to come along. He said, “It was as if somebody wanted them to be saved.” And yes, somebody - the Saviour who loves you dearly - wants you to be saved. You’ve drifted in your sins far too long!

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “He is able also to save them [completely] that come unto God by Him” (Hebrews 7:25).

ML-03/27/2005

Don't Be Like the Fish

Uncle Bob enjoyed his boat. He loved to be out on the water, and he loved to fish. One day he was out fishing with a friend and he exclaimed, “This is like a dream come true . . . the whole bottom of the boat is full of fish! They are so plentiful today, I think they’d bite at anything.” To prove his point, he ripped up a paper plate, baited his hook with a piece of it, and, you guessed it, in a few minutes he’d caught a fish! The two friends had a good laugh over the foolish fish.

Now, have you ever been like that fish that got caught with a piece of a paper plate? Sometimes when we are with our friends, we do what the others are doing just because everybody’s doing it. As a Christian, you and I should stop to think for ourselves and to ask ourselves the question, Will this thing that I’m doing please the Lord Jesus, who paid such a tremendous price to save me from sin and to deliver me from this present evil world? Exodus 23:2 plainly instructs, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.”

Don’t be like the fish that took that useless bait. Feed on the Bible, the Word of God. It has only good food for you, and there aren’t any hooks in it either.

ML-03/27/2005

Missing His Boat

Standing on his boat that was gently rocking with the waves, Greg Hartley made the final adjustments to his scuba gear. Satisfied that all his equipment was just right, he stepped off into the cold waters of Queen Charlotte Strait. This strait is a long, deep channel of water that runs between the northern part of Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Greg’s co-workers on the boat watched his trail of air bubbles for a few moments before they went back to other duties.

With a series of kicks with his flippers and a sweep of his hands, Greg swam to the bottom of the strait. The amount of sea life he saw during these dives always amazed him. Through his mask he saw red rockfish, green ling cod, multitudes of starfish, crabs and eels. He was hunting for sea urchins on the floor of the strait. When he would find one, he would grab the spiny little creature in his hand and then drop it into a bag which he had tied to his belt. Sea urchins are a favorite food of sea otters. Many people also consider them a special treat, and Greg made his living by diving for them.

His dive went well, and the bag was bulging with the red, and sometimes purple, little sea urchins. Greg checked his watch . . . it was time to surface. He swam upwards, and when he broke the surface, he turned around in a complete circle looking for the boat. It was nowhere in sight!

Slowly Greg realized that the tidal current had swept him along while he was diving, and now his boat was nowhere near. The current, moving as fast as a man might jog, had been carrying him out to sea. What a fool he had been for diving when the tide was rushing out!

Greg knew he must do everything possible to stay afloat until someone spotted him. He knew he couldn’t swim very long with the heavy scuba equipment on his back, so he opened the latches and the belt and let his expensive equipment slip off and sink to the bottom.

After treading water for what seemed a long time, he saw a log and swam to it. He pulled himself up and straddled it like a horse. The log would keep him floating, but he wasn’t out of danger since the outgoing tide was still carrying him out to sea.

The hours passed and the sun dipped beneath the horizon. By the light of the moon, Greg could just see the faint outlines of the waves as they washed up against the log.

Alone on the dark sea and growing very weary, Greg was drifting farther and farther away from the safety of shore. How many of us are drifting on the sea of life, away from the God who made us and loves us. God did not make us like a lower creature that is not capable of knowing Him; no, He gave us a living soul, with a heart that can know, love and obey Him. But instead of doing what pleases God, you and I have pleased only ourselves and drifted far from God. We have each fallen into sin and done that which is hateful in God’s sight. Romans 3:23 tells us plainly, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Even as sinners, God deeply loves us and cares about us. In order to bring us back to Himself, He sent His only Son into the world. The Bible says, “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). Not letting anything stop Him -the suffering or the cost of His life - Jesus went all the way to the cross. Referring to His death on the cross, He said, “If I be lifted up . . . [I] will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). The only way for a sinner to come back to God the Father is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross is able to wash away every spot of sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Throughout the long, dark hours, Greg sang songs to keep himself awake. Then out of the darkness he was startled to see a freighter bearing down on him. The prow of the ship was slicing through the water like a giant knife. To his dismay, the ship was headed directly towards him. It would soon crush him and snap the log to pieces as easily as if it were a toothpick. Wildly Greg waved his arms and yelled with all his might.

Just when all seemed lost, the boat turned slightly to one side and slowed to a stop. Upon hearing that a man had been lost at sea, the captain had purposely placed a sailor to act as lookout on the bow of the ship. The sailor on watch had seen Greg and notified the captain, with just enough time to avoid hitting him. They picked Greg up out of the water and saved his life. It was a night he will never forget.

Before one more dark night goes by in your life, won’t you make the decision to let the Lord Jesus save you? Then you may begin a new life of living to please Him. You need not drift away from God any longer; Jesus is waiting to save you. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

ML-04/03/2005

"Stop Right Now!"

Emily 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. Emily 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, “Emily, stop! Stop right now!”

But Emily only giggled and ran faster.

THUD! Down she went! Oh, how her head hurt, and how she cried. Now all her fun was over, and she had a big red bump rising on her head to show for failing to obey.

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).

By nature, 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).

Emily suffered the consequences for not obeying. Will you obey God? or will you suffer the awful consequences?

ML-04/10/2005

Saved From a Christless Grave

Delays, delays, delays! That was what Abigail was experiencing on a day when she had planned so much. First, there was a friend who needed help with her arts-and-crafts project that she was hoping to sell. This friend insisted she stay for tea. It was late when she finally left to catch her bus. However, just as she was nearing the bus stop, the bus pulled away! She had to wait for the next one.

Once she was on the bus, she found a seat and sorted over the tracts she had brought with her. Mark 16:15 says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” and this was exactly what Abigail was doing with the gospel tracts she always carried with her. She picked one out for the young bus driver and went up front to give it to him. The tract was called, “Saved From a Christless Grave!”

“You are always giving me one of these religious papers,” the driver growled as he stuffed it into his pocket. “I suppose you think I’m a very wicked person!” Then he told her he was off work that afternoon and was going to have the time of his life! Abigail quietly prayed for his soul and continued on her way, feeling very sad for this young man.

The next day Abigail took the same bus at the same time, but the young driver she gave the tract to the day before wasn’t driving the bus that day. She asked the new driver about him. He told her that the young driver had been instantly killed the day before. It happened as he jumped off his bus to catch another bus. He was thrown down by the momentum of his jump and was crushed under the wheels of the oncoming bus.

Abigail was in shock, not only about the accident, but about the bus driver’s soul! After what he had said to her the day before, she didn’t have much hope that he had accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour in the few hours before he was killed.

Later, another bus driver told her that he wasn’t instantly killed. He said, “I was with him when he died, and he said to me, ‘You tell the lady who rides my bus that I went to be with Christ in heaven and not to a Christless grave.’ ”

As you read this story, I want you to know that someone has been praying for you, that you might see that you are a sinner and need to be saved from your sins so that you also will be saved from a Christless grave. The Lord Jesus loves you very much and died on Calvary’s cross for you. He is offering you the gift of forgiveness of your sins. He says to you, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Don’t put off this serious matter until tomorrow. God warns, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). The bus driver had only a few hours left to his life. He came so very close to ending his life in a Christless grave, but he took a few serious, important moments to decide to accept God’s gift. If your life should be snuffed out in the next few hours, would you land in a Christless grave that promises a tragic, Christless eternity with the devil and his angels? You can change that outcome right now by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

ML-04/17/2005

Tame Java Birds

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, and they were fed by human hands. 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 life in a house is not what was planned for them? Who could explain to them that God planned for 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 he tell them 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 planned 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 in your heart 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-04/17/2005

Floating on a Palm Tree

The tsunami, a ten-meter (nearly forty-foot) wall of water, roared in from the sea on December 26, 2004, killing more than 150,000 people on the Indian Ocean shores. On one island the seething mass of churning water came round the shore from one direction. Seconds later another white wall rounded the other side of the island, the waves surging towards each other. This was the first wave, and it sent speedboats flying across the tops of the waves like matchsticks.

The wave left as suddenly as it came. Ten minutes later the men who had been looking at the damage to their boats, which were now well inland, started racing along the shore, waving their arms frantically and yelling, “It’s coming in again!”

Like many others, 23-year-old Melawati, a lady from Indonesia, was caught in the flood without any warning. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii sent an alert quickly to twenty-six countries, including Indonesia, but it struggled to reach the right people with the alert.

“We sent an alert within fifteen minutes, but we don’t have any contacts in our address book for anybody in that particular part of the world,” said Charles McCreery, director of the Center.

After the wave had smashed inland, the water running back out steadily pulled Melawati out to sea. She saw the uprooted trunk of a palm tree in the waters. About 100,000 of her countrymen had already died, but she clung to this tree for five days and survived by drinking rain water. What did she think about as she clung to the tree under the hot sun? All she could watch was the shoreline fading in the distance and far-off boats sailing on past her.

As Melawati drifted farther out to sea by the hour, a tuna-fishing vessel sailing far offshore, one hundred miles from Melawati’s home, spotted somebody waving to them from a floating object. They were amazed to find Melawati sitting on the palm tree, alive even though she was slightly hurt.

Can you imagine the joy Melawati felt as the fishing vessel came to rescue her! She was so helpless - she had no food, no way back to shore, no phone on which to call for help, and no hope.

Like Melawati, we have been swept away, not by water but by our sins. Like lost sheep we have gone our own way, doing just whatever we want. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Perhaps we have rarely thought about God and about our need to repent and turn to Him to be saved.

We are just as helpless and hopeless as Melawati was. We could never save ourselves, could never wash away our stain of sin, could never open our blinded eyes to see. This is why the Bible says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God knows that He is our only hope. As we drift away day after day, He is calling us, reminding us that “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). He came purposely to be our rescuer.

When the fishing vessel came over to rescue Melawati, she joyfully and gladly accepted their rescue offer and lived to tell her story. Will you accept God’s offer to have your sins washed away by the blood of His dear Son that was shed on Calvary’s cross? If you will listen and believe, you will have the privilege of joyfully telling others of your rescue and the everlasting life you have been given.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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).

ML-04/24/2005

A Little Math Problem

How many of you like math in school? Maybe it is one of your favorite subjects, or maybe it is the one you dislike the most. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are very important skills to learn, as we continue to use them all through life. Now, we would like to ask all of you young students a question. Can the answer to this little math problem we show here ever be zero? Can you think of any way that we could end up with a big 0 at the end? As you read on, you will find out that it can be done!

God has told us that we are ALL very good at adding and multiplying. In the Old Testament He said that the children of Israel had multiplied all kinds of awful transgressions and sins, that they had added sin to sin and iniquity to iniquity. In 1 Samuel 12:19, the Israelites confessed that they had added to their sin by asking for a king.

Don’t you agree that it is very easy to add to our sins, and to multiply them too? For example, most of us have told a lie and then told several more to cover up the first one.

But we cannot subtract them. No matter how sorry we may be for the sin we have done, there it stays. It cannot be undone. But hear the good news! God can subtract! Subtract means “take away,” and the Bible tells us in 1 John 3:5 that Jesus came to take away (subtract) sins. John the Baptist recognized who Jesus was and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away [subtracts] the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus became the sin-bearer for all who accept Him as their very own Saviour, and where there is true repentance for sin, God delights to subtract. I can come to the Lord Jesus and tell Him that I am a sinner with a great number of sins and that I need His forgiveness. What will He do? Let us suppose that those figures in our math problem are the sum of my sins. The Lord Jesus will do His work by writing “minus 430” under my total, and my answer will be ZERO! Is the answer to your sin total zero?

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

So that not one spot remains?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

ML-04/24/2005

Crosses Along the Road

Jerry was on a long car trip with his aunt and older cousins. He was going to see his Grandpa and Grandma in Canada. They were driving on a windy road alongside a beautiful river, but Jerry was getting a little bored. He had nothing to do, so he decided to count how many crosses he saw by the side of the road.

Maybe you know that when you see a cross by the side of a road, it marks the place where someone died in a car accident. Jerry and his relatives had just entered the state of Montana when they passed a big billboard, reminding drivers and passengers to wear seatbelts. They all checked to be sure everyone had his seatbelt on. They didn’t want to end up adding to the number of crosses at the side of the road!

As he counted, Jerry saw tall crosses and short crosses. Some had names on them and some had flowers or flags beside them. In one place Jerry saw four crosses in a group, and he wondered if a whole carload of people had crashed there.

All along the windy river road for fifty miles, until they reached the next big town, Jerry counted crosses and drew a black line on a piece of paper for each one. Can you count the number of crosses he saw? Did you come up with the number sixty-two? That’s how many crosses he counted in fifty miles! It made them all sad to think that so many people had died beside that beautiful river. And probably not one of those people expected to die on that road.

The Bible tells us that for each one of us there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Now each of you probably knows exactly what day you were born; that would be your birthday. But do you know what day you will die? No, not one of us knows that. That’s why it is so important to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now! Then you will know that your soul is ready to go to be with Jesus in heaven if you were suddenly taken in death or if the Lord Jesus comes for all believers. Either one could happen this very day! But are you ready? Jerry is. He told his aunt that he knows the Lord Jesus as His very own Saviour. Be sure you know He is your Saviour too!

“Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

ML-05/01/2005

The Hidden Water Moccasin

One day Mr. Hogan, a farmer living in Kentucky, drove his car out to one of his fields. This field was part of the floodplain of the nearby river and was just now dry enough to begin planting. His tractor and planter had been left in the field overnight as he had been working there the day before.

It was a warm spring day, so he left the car door open while he unloaded bags of seed from the trunk. Returning to close the door, he just caught a glimpse of the tail of a snake disappearing inside his car.

Now most snakes in North America are not poisonous, but the family of snakes called pit vipers are poisonous. These have a deep pit or hole in front of each eye. This family of snakes includes copperheads, rattlesnakes and water moccasins, and all of these live in the state of Kentucky. Mr. Hogan saw only part of the snake’s tail, but it looked to him like a water moccasin. He knew these lived in the area near the river, and he also knew they were poisonous and would bite if annoyed or upset. He decided it would be best not to drive the car as long as the snake was in there.

His car was not new, but Mr. Hogan found good use for it. Now something had spoiled its use for him. This reminds us of the Garden of Eden which God made perfect and beautiful for man to enjoy. But Satan came into that lovely garden through the serpent (snake) and spoiled it. He caused man to sin, and ever since sin has ruined all God’s wonderful creation. Along with the sin came death: “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). Sin brings death more surely than the bite of a snake, and we have all been bitten by sin. But what a relief it is to read, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Mr. Hogan cautiously began looking for the snake. He even removed the seats but could not find it. He wondered if he had made a mistake. But no, he knew the snake had to be in there somewhere.

Each of us knows, or should know, that we have a sinful nature. We read in the Bible that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “All” means everyone-including you and me. The only One who lived on this earth and did not have sin in Him was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Don’t be tricked by Satan. He will tell you to forget about your sins, because you are not as bad as someone else. But the facts remain-“all have sinned,” and “the wages of sin is death.”

Not finding the snake, Mr. Hogan decided to call an expert to come kill it. The man, called an exterminator, closed the doors and windows of the car and filled it with a poisonous gas. Two days later Mr. Hogan found the dead water moccasin under the dashboard.

Satan, “that old serpent, the devil,” came into this world hoping to destroy man. But for any man, woman, boy or girl who trusts in the Lord Jesus, Satan has been defeated. The Lord Jesus, by His death and being raised from the dead, has defeated the power of Satan.

Mr. Hogan did not have to know everything there is to know about snakes to understand that a water moccasin is dangerous. And you do not have to know very much about sin to understand that you need to be saved from it. If you are not saved, why not accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now? You can go through life happily (or until the Lord Jesus returns for His own) and be at peace with God.

“Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21).

ML-05/01/2005

Standing on the Ocean Floor

Do some of you children know Uncle Howard? He’s the one who is called “the candy man.” Uncle Howard told me an amazing story last week, and I want to tell it to you.

Some years ago, Uncle Howard and his wife invited a foreign-exchange student from Norway into their home so she could attend a year of schooling in the town where they live. This young girl came to our Sunday school while she was living with them. She finished her schooling, went back to Norway, and then later got married and now has two children.

Near the end of December, this family took a vacation and flew to Phuket, Thailand, to go snorkeling in the Indian Ocean. Before leaving home, they sent a computer message to Uncle Howard’s family, telling them about their vacation plans.

The Sunday morning of the great earthquake and the tsunami that followed, they were down at the beach with their swimming gear and had gone into the water to look at underwater sea life. Suddenly, to their amazement, the ocean water level dropped, and they found themselves standing on the ocean floor in their swimming flippers!

One minute they were having a wonderful time snorkeling, and the next minute they realized that something unbelievably strange and terrifying was happening! They screamed at what they saw and knew their lives were in great danger!

Children, are you ready to meet God? What about your sins? The Bible warns, “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). It also gives us another warning: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). It is telling us that right now is the time to “prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). You know, your body may die, but your soul will never die! And the Bible tells us that our souls will spend eternity either in heaven with the Lord Jesus or in hell with the devil.

Maybe you are thinking, I’m still a very young person, and I’ll have plenty of time to turn to God when I’m a little older. But stop and think: How much time did that family have to get ready to meet God? Standing on the bottom of the bay, they looked toward the ocean and saw a gigantic wall of water headed straight toward them at very high speed! THEY HAD NO TIME! IT WAS TOO LATE!

Here is the rest of the story. That December morning Uncle Howard’s family heard about the huge earthquake and the dreadful tsunami that followed. They saw on the map that the city of Phuket was exactly in the direct path of that giant wave’s destruction! “OH, NO!” they said. “How can we find out if our friends are safe?” They soon decided that it was impossible to find out. The disaster was so huge and over such a large area that there was no way to contact them. All they could do was to send a computer message to their home in Norway and wait for an answer . . . if one would ever come.

Some days later a computer answer did come, and this is what Uncle Howard’s family learned. The first wave smashed into the four of them and swept them up the beach. One of their boys caught hold of a tree and was able to climb out of harm’s way. Then the larger, second wave hit the other three family members. They were hurtled farther inland along with all the debris and wreckage, which injured them with wounds and bruises. But through the great mercy of God, when the waves went back out to sea, none of them had been killed! After some time, through a miracle from God and His loving-kindness, all four of them were brought back together again.

The father had to be hospitalized in Phuket a short while. Then he was able to fly home with his family where he could get more medical help.

We know that thousands of people died in the tsunami. If you had been on the beach that day, would you have been ready to meet God if your life had suddenly ended? Jesus loves you and wants to save you. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Accept Him as your Saviour right now and be ready! Just pray in your heart and tell the Lord Jesus that you want to be saved right here and now. Tell Him you know you are a sinner and you believe what the Bible tells you -to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus to be saved from your sins - and you want to be saved right now.

Children, this is so important! Run to Christ! Be in a hurry! “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

ML-05/08/2005

Tommy's Toe

Tommy was 11 years old, and he knew the verse, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). But Tommy liked to swing on the gate in their basement. Even when he had been told not to, he did it just once more. What a nice ride it was! Then . . . SMASH! . . . the ride ended when Tommy’s toe hit the wall.

How his toe hurt! During the night it hurt so much that he couldn’t sleep. His disobedience could not be hidden. The next day his parents had to take him to the hospital where the toenail had to be removed.

Although Tommy is a grown man now, he still has trouble with that toe. It continues to remind him that when we disobey, we don’t get away with it. Do you remember this verse: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23)?

Any of you boys or girls who know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, do you want to do something that will please Him? Here is one thing that will make the Lord Jesus happy: “Obey your parents.” This is so important that it is written in the Bible twice. We have already given you one reference -Ephesians 6:1. The second place is in the book of Colossians, which only has four chapters. See if you can find it.

ML-05/08/2005

"I'm Sharing it with God"

“Hi, Gramma,” said five-year-old Cheryl, cuddling her doll in her arms as she came close to my chair. Beside me on the kitchen table sat an apple . . . round, rosy and inviting. Cheryl spied it and began dancing around the table, her hair bobbing up and down. Her doll, now held loosely by one hand, dragged behind her. Cheryl’s brown eyes never left the apple.

“Yes, you may eat it,” I said in answer to her look.

The doll dropped. Cheryl climbed up on a chair and started munching happily.

My eyes returned to my book. Too soon the munching stopped. I looked up to see what had happened. Cheryl was sitting with her arm stretched as high as it could reach, and in her hand was the last third of the apple.

“There’s still fruit on your apple, honey.”

“I know.”

Still she sat, now propping her arm up with her other hand so the apple would be as high as possible.

“Why don’t you finish your apple?” I asked.

“I’m sharing with God. Don’t you think He’d like a bite?”

“Sweetheart, I’m sure God is very happy that you want to share your apple with Him, but because He is God, He doesn’t need to eat like we do.”

As she brought the apple down, Cheryl asked thoughtfully, “Can God hear me now?”

“Yes, right now He can hear all we say, and He knows if we really mean what we say or if we’re just talking.”

Cheryl looked up and said shyly, “I love you, God.” Then she slowly finished her apple and got down to continue playing with her doll.

“Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer [encourage] little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein” (Luke 18:16-17).

ML-05/15/2005

Three Lumps on the Sand

Early one fall morning, a resident on Big Island, Nova Scotia, looked out over the beach near his home. He was used to seeing the waves lapping on the shore and hearing the cry of sea gulls. But this day there was something unexpected and unusual about what he saw. There were three, big, gray lumps on the beach, as well as a smaller one. These had definitely not been there the night before. Since high tide had been early in the morning at 6:00, perhaps something had been washed in by the waves? A closer check revealed three adult dolphins and a baby dolphin, and all were alive and trapped on the black mud of the beach!

Perhaps the dolphins had been chasing smelts, which are small, silvery fish that dolphins like to eat. Maybe the school of smelts had headed towards shallow water, and the large dolphins, in chasing them, had simply followed. But now the dolphins were in serious trouble. The tide had gone out, leaving these four big animals beached on the soft, black mud. All their frantic efforts to get back to open water were not getting them anywhere. The dolphins could breathe air through their blowholes, so they were not in danger of suffocating. But it was really the size of the animals that was a problem.

The Lord has made dolphins to live and to swim in ocean water, which supports their heavy weight. Even the baby dolphin weighed about two hundred pounds, and the three full-grown dolphins each weighed close to four hundred pounds! This was no problem in the open sea, but now these mammals were on land. Without water to support them, their weight threatened to crush and damage their organs. Also, the animals were becoming very stressed as they flailed around, and one of them even began vomiting.

What trouble had come from chasing those little fish! Sometimes what seems very harmless leads to serious results. Even one little lie or an angry word can get a boy or girl into serious trouble. It is so easy to follow your friends and do what is wrong.

Each one of us is a sinner. The Bible warns that “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction” (Matthew 7:13). Destruction is ahead for sinners, and boys and girls with sin on their hearts are in more trouble than those beached dolphins!

One of the island people placed an anxious call to the Department of Fisheries, and conservation officers came to the beach. But rescuing the dolphins would not be an easy job - the mud was just too soft. When the men walked on it, they would sink. Before they could even reach the dolphins, they had to bring wooden pallets to make a walkway over the mud! The rescuers were fighting against time, along with freezing temperatures and snow flurries. The conservation officers, the local fire department and residents all worked anxiously together for two hours. How much longer could the dolphins last?

The men made a big tarpaulin sling and slid it under one of the dolphins. “All right, let’s all pull!” someone shouted, and about a dozen people began to pull on the tarp. Working together, they were able to pull the dolphin towards a waiting all-terrain vehicle that was hitched to a trailer. They loaded the first dolphin onto the trailer and went back for another. One by one the dolphins were driven to another spot on the beach where they could be set free in water. There conservation officer Craig McDonald waded into the chilly, gray water of the Northumberland Strait to try to guide the released dolphins. They were disoriented at first, but finally they began to swim around and seemed to be recovering from their ordeal. The tide was coming in quickly, bringing deeper water, and the rescuers were relieved and happy. They expected that the four dolphins would soon rejoin their dolphin family in the open sea.

What a relief this must have been for the dolphins, to be taken from soft, black mud and placed once more in salt water. The baby dolphin needed rescue just as much as the big ones. Many boys and girls are equally stuck and helpless in their sins, just like men and women. In the Bible, David said that the Lord had brought him up from the “miry clay.” This did not mean that David was stuck in black mud, like those dolphins. But David knew that his sins had put him in great danger. He cried to the Lord for help. We read David’s words in Psalm 51:7, “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” The Lord Jesus, who made us, wants to rescue us from our sins and bring us to a place of safety. For the dolphins, safety lay in the deep, cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean where they could live for up to twenty years. But the Lord Jesus wants to forgive our sins and make us safe forever! He did not share this rescue work with others. He had to be forsaken of God and suffer alone on the cross and die alone. But now He invites you to come to Him: “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). Will you let Him rescue you from your sins?

Whatever you write,

though in haste or with heed,

Write nothing

you would not like Jesus to read.

Whatever you say,

in a whisper or clear,

Say nothing

you would not like Jesus to hear.

ML-05/22/2005

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: The Lost Certificates

Dear Children,

I am sitting in a chair, looking out through the kitchen window at our creek, which is still covered with ice. Last week we had two wolves out there on the ice. Gramma and I were watching them play with a stick. First, one had the stick, then the other had it, and they would chase each other. We both had a good laugh watching them. And then suddenly they stopped, looked around, lifted their noses, and away they went. I wonder what they heard and then smelled that made them take off.

But I’m not writing today to tell you about wolves; I’m writing to tell you about what happened to our young friend Ryan. He was given some gift certificates and went to a shopping mall with his dad to see what he might like to buy with those certificates. (Maybe you children know that gift certificates are just as good as money.) So after parking the car, they walked together into the mall.

After checking some of the stores, Ryan decided what he would like to buy. He reached his hand into his pocket to bring out the gift certificates . . . but they weren’t there! He knew he had put them in his pocket, and he blurted out, “Dad, I’ve lost them!” His dad suggested they walk back to the car the same way they had come in, and maybe they would find them. Nope . . . they couldn’t find them anywhere!

Now then, children, what would you do if this happened to you? . . . The money is lost! . . . It’s gone!

Let me tell you what happened to a man in the Bible named Peter who almost lost his life and needed help. Peter was in a boat; it was dark and windy; the waves were high. As he was looking out over the sea, he saw someone walking on the water. He got scared, and then he heard a voice say, “It is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27). It was the voice of the Lord Jesus. Peter answered, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.” The Lord Jesus said, “Come.” Peter got down out of the boat and started to walk on the water! But, he forgot to keep his eyes on the Lord Jesus, and he started to sink! He shouted out, “LORD, SAVE ME”! Peter really needed help now. And immediately the Lord Jesus reached out His hand and caught him! Peter was rescued! Isaiah 59:1 tells us, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.” The Lord Jesus heard Peter and saved him!

Now then, Ryan and his dad both know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. As they made their way to the courtesy desk in the mall to report the lost certificates, they asked the Lord Jesus to help them find the certificates.

At the courtesy desk, the smiling clerk asked, “What can I do for you?” Ryan’s dad told her the problem of the lost certificates. She listened very closely to their problem. Then, still smiling, she reached down into a drawer and picked up an envelope and gave it to Ryan’s dad and asked, “Is this what you are looking for?”

Oh, joy! There were the gift certificates! . . . all of them! Some honest person had already found them and turned them in! “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for that answer to our prayer!” “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

This story has a very happy ending. But, dear children, you have something far more precious than gift certificates. It is your soul! Your soul is going to live forever and ever. Children, do not be careless with your soul and lose it in the lake of fire! The Lord Jesus paid a great price to have you in heaven with Himself! You know, when Ryan realized his gift certificates were lost, he did not waste a moment in searching for them. Have you found the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? If not, do it now! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Lots of love to all of you,

Grampa

ML-05/29/2005

A Visit to the Colosseum

While traveling through France toward the city of Cannes, we passed through the old city of Nimes. We did not know anyone there, but we stopped a while to look at some of the historical old buildings. I think most boys and girls reading this would have enjoyed the visit too. First we came to the old Colosseum, built by the Romans about two thousand years ago. Such a huge structure it was! The thousands of stones that were used to build it were still firmly standing.

We climbed to the top of the four-story structure and looked down into the arena. As we looked around, we talked about the many Christian men, women, boys and girls who had been put to death there, because they had the courage to confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Each of us visitors wondered out loud if we would have been faithful enough to have gone through the torture that they had suffered.

Leaving the Colosseum, we began to give French gospel tracts to everyone we met. One dear old lady, sitting alone on a bench, took the tract with a happy smile and said, “Merci beaucoup, Monsieur. J’aime le Sauveur.” What this means in English is, “Thank you very much, sir. I love the Saviour.”

We stopped and talked with her and learned that she had known the Lord Jesus as her Saviour since she was a little girl. Here was an old lady living in a city which generally would have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus and where they used to put Christians to death. Yet she loved the Lord Jesus and was so very happy to talk about Him. Best of all, she had known Him since she was very young.

For those of you who are young, we hope that you also will accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour while you are still young. We must warn you that if you decide to wait until you are older, you may never have another chance. The Lord Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).

ML-05/29/2005

China's Bad Choice

Mr. and Mrs. LeConner could smell the fresh sea breeze as they stepped out of their pickup truck. They had just arrived at a campsite at the edge of the Strait of Juan De Fuca in the state of Washington and the place was beautiful. Looking through the trees, they could see blue water stretching out to the horizon. They looked forward to spending a few days of peace and quiet in this spot.

However, in the trailer behind the truck, their black cat named China had different ideas. She was not used to riding in the trailer, and the long ride had upset the cat. She had only one thought when the door of the trailer opened . . . escape! She streaked through the doorway and hit the ground running . . . under the picnic table and off into the undergrowth.

The strange surroundings frightened her, and she ran to a very tall fir tree that was leaning out over the water. Digging her claws into its rough bark, she climbed as if her life were in danger.

Up and up she climbed. Mrs. LeConner called out, “China, stop, please stop!” But China didn’t stop. She climbed until she was nearly seventy feet high! Then she found a resting place in the crook of a branch.

The LeConners begged their cat to come down. They made the smacking sounds they used to call her at mealtimes. They placed specially cooked food at the bottom of the tree, hoping she would smell it and come down. But China didn’t budge from her resting place.

Cat’s claws are designed in such a way that climbing up tree trunks is fairly easy, but climbing back down is difficult for all but an experienced cat.

The LeConners spent four days trying to coax their cat out of the tree. The closest fire department could not help. Seventy feet is nearly eight stories high, and their tallest ladders were only half that height.

On the fourth day of their not-so-relaxing camping trip, the LeConners gave up trying to recover their pet and returned home without her.

Would poor China ever get rescued? The campground director felt sorry for the cat. He stopped to talk to her every day as he checked all the campsites. He even contacted the local newspaper, which ran a story about the cat.

On the tenth day China had spent in the tree, a young man who worked as a logger offered to rescue her. He put long, spiked cleats onto his boots and, using a leather strap wrapped around the trunk, he started up. Painstakingly this man climbed fifty, sixty, seventy feet up the tree. Just as he reached out his hand to grab the cat, she backed away frightened . . . and fell.

Because of China’s bad choice to climb up that tree with no way to get back down, she was in a very dangerous spot. Then to make matters worse, when someone wanted to rescue her, she backed away from him and didn’t want his help. This led to a fall that could tragically end her life.

You and I have made some pretty bad choices in our lives too. Our choices have been sinful ones. And we also have backed away from the one person who can rescue us from the danger we are in. The one who wants to rescue us also loves us - the Lord Jesus Christ. He sees exactly where we are in our sinful lives and wants to save us from our sins. But like China, we back off and don’t want help.

On the long way down, China bounced off a few branches. The logger called out to the men below what he could see: “She bounced off a rock and slid into the water . . . I see her trying to swim!”

Quickly the campground director climbed down the rocky bank and waded out into the water. He picked up China as she was struggling to climb onto a rock. He saw that she had been badly hurt by the fall.

The campground director rushed China to a veterinarian where she required immediate surgery for a broken hip and broken leg. The surgery went well, but the owners didn’t want to pay the very expensive bill and gave up all claim to the cat. People in the local community got together and collected money to pay for the surgery. After recovering from her injuries for several weeks, China was put up for adoption. You will be glad to know that China now has a new home where she is loved and well cared for.

If you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, you are in great danger too. God’s Word says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). To rescue us from our sins, the Son of God came to this earth and went all the way to the cross. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Because of the price He paid for sin, all who believe on Him will be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).

How sad and fatal will be the fall of all those who refuse His call to be saved from their sins. When they leave this world, they will be sent away from His presence for all eternity. The saddest part is that it doesn’t have to happen. “The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Do you hear the voice of the Saviour calling to you to come to Him and be saved? Will you let Him rescue you from your sins?

ML-06/05/2005

A Faithful Dog

In World War I, an army officer had a faithful dog named Stief. The officer was wounded during one of the battles. At the time, Stief was tied up behind the lines. Sensing his master’s danger, Stief chewed through his leash. He dashed through deadly shelling to his master’s side, got a firm grip on his clothing and pulled him to safety. As the dog tugged and pulled, bullets wounded him in the shoulder and leg.

Both Stief and his master lived. What a brave and faithful dog Stief was!

You and I are also wounded -by sin and by Satan’s arrows on the battlefield of life. We would all have died in our sins had it not been for the faithful love of Jesus. He knew our danger and came to rescue us. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, came down into this world to save sinners. He died on the cross as the substitute for all who will confess that they are sinners and believe that Jesus died for their sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He is the wonderful Saviour of all who place their trust in Him.

What would you think if Stief’s master had said to his dog, “Go away. . . . I don’t want you. . . . Leave me alone. . . . I’m all right.” You can’t imagine him saying that, can you? But that is just what many boys and girls and grown-ups are saying to the Lord Jesus who came to save them. They prefer to go on in their sins and not think about the awful danger ahead, than to have Jesus save them. Is that what you are doing? It is a serious matter to live without Christ, but it is far worse to die without Him and be lost forever in the lake of fire.

Stief dragged his master to a place of safety, and the Lord Jesus sets all those who trust in Him in a place of safety. Even now they are protected by His precious blood. The punishment of God against sin can never touch them. And before that judgment falls on this Christ-hating world, the Lord Jesus is coming to take all believers home to heaven.

“Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

ML-06/12/2005

The Hooked Seagull

As four of us were walking along the Cabrillo Beach pier, in the distance we noticed something dangling from the railing. We could see that it was moving. Coming closer, what we saw made us all feel sad.

A fisherman had tied a piece of fishing line to the railing of the pier with some bait attached to the hook. That bait looked like pretty good food to a seagull, and one had tried to snatch the bait and now was caught on the fish hook by its beak. As the seagull struggled to get loose from the hook, it lost its footing on the railing and was just hanging by its beak at the end of the fishing line. It was completely helpless and squawking for all it was worth.

Would you have rescued that seagull if you had been there? Some people might argue that there are thousands of seagulls flying around, and they are bothersome and annoying, especially on the beach. Why bother with one that was trying to steal some bait and got itself hooked? It’s just one less to irritate us.

I am so glad that the Lord Jesus didn’t have that attitude about sinners. As He looked down from heaven, what He saw were sinners in distress and helpless - hooked by their sins. But to Him each sinner had great value, and He loved them enough to help them.

You and I aren’t really so different from that seagull; both of us are unable to get free from what has captured us. But thankfully the Lord Jesus had a plan to set you and me free from our sins. And as we watched that seagull dangling from the fishing hook, we came up with a plan to set it free.

Coming close to the squawking gull, a lady in our group spoke quietly to the bird, then gently placed both her hands around it and held it firmly and closely to herself. The bird quieted down, perhaps sensing that it was being helped. And then one of the men slowly worked that fishhook out of the gull’s beak. Once it was out, the lady opened her arms, and the seagull was free.

And that is exactly what the Lord Jesus wants to do for you and me. As sinners we can’t do one thing to get free from our sins. No matter how hard we might work on it, it’s no use. The Bible says, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). But our case is not hopeless, because Jesus’ wonderful love for you and me brought Him down here to rescue us from the punishment that we deserve for our sins. He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

The Lord Jesus lived a sinless life and then was willing to lay down His life as a substitute for any sinner who wants to be set free from their sins. He endured God’s punishment against sin in those three hours of darkness as He hung on Calvary’s cross. He could have decided that we weren’t worth all that suffering and shame, but His deep love for you and me held Him to that cross, until He spoke those victorious words, “It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up [His spirit]” (John 19:30). On the third day, God raised Him from the dead, and now He is alive and sitting at the right hand of His Father in heaven.

Freedom from our sins is available for you and me, but we must first admit to the Lord Jesus that we are truly sorry about our sins and need to be set free, and then accept Him as our very own Saviour. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

As the seagull flew off, it looked back and squawked, as if to say, “Thank you.” What a lesson that is for those of us who are free from our sins. We should thank the Lord Jesus every day for loving us and setting us free.

ML-06/19/2005

The Collapse of the Bridge

I remember how shocked all of us were to learn of the collapse of the bridge on the Connecticut Turnpike over the Mianus River some years ago. As a bus driver, I had driven over that bridge many times before it collapsed, and I never once questioned the safety of the bridge.

It took many months of study to find out exactly what caused the bridge to collapse. But one thing became clear - there were warning signs before it collapsed, and those warning signs were ignored. How solemn to think that if the warnings had been taken seriously, the terrible disaster and loss of life could have been avoided.

Boys and girls, all around us are warning signs that this world full of sin is headed for punishment by a holy God. And what is so sad is that people do not take the warnings seriously. Some mock the Bible and others simply ignore what God says about the coming judgment.

After the bridge disaster, I heard something very sad. At the time the bridge collapsed, one driver was able to stop his car, and he parked it at an angle across the roadway. He hoped to block others from going over the edge of the roadway into the river. Soon another car approached fast what was now the end of the roadway. The man tried to flag the car down to warn the driver, but the car simply swerved around him and his car. As it passed, the driver cursed at the man and then suddenly plunged over the edge to an almost instant death!

It is sad to know that had the driver stopped to hear the warning, he would be alive today. How sad to know that there are people rushing on to the awfulness of an eternity in hell without Christ! Some mock or curse the person who faithfully brings the warning, then hurry on, not believing or caring about the awful end ahead of them.

God has not left you without warning. Before it is too late, listen to God’s voice and receive the Saviour He has provided. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-06/19/2005

No Ice Cream?

A young Chinese boy was sitting all alone on the sidewalk in front of a store in a poor part of Chicago. It was a hot, sultry day, and Mr. Jackson, who was waiting for his friend on the opposite corner, noticed how hot, sweaty and sad the Chinese boy on the sidewalk looked. I wonder if an ice cream cone would cheer him up? thought Mr. Jackson.

He glanced at his watch. He still had a few minutes before his friend would arrive to pick him up. He hurried into the corner store and bought a big ice cream cone and went over and offered it to the hot, sweaty boy. “Would you like to have an ice cream cone on such a hot day?”

But the Chinese boy wasn’t too sure about it. Apparently he had only recently arrived in the United States. He knew only a very few English words and evidently had never tasted ice cream. The boy just turned his head away and said, “No!”

Mr. Jackson was not easily put off. He offered the cone again, but the boy was not going to take that strange looking thing from a stranger. Mr. Jackson was puzzled. Finally, with a quick push, he tried to jab it in the boy’s mouth, but the boy ducked and ended up with a patch of ice cream on the end of his nose. In just a few moments the ice cream melted and slid down into his mouth.

What do you think happened then? The thirsty boy looked up with a big smile and said just one word: “More!” With a hearty laugh, Mr. Jackson handed him the whole cone and then hurried over to meet his friend.

The Lord Jesus is offering us a wonderful gift too: salvation from our sins and a home with Him in heaven. Are you turning away from the Lord Jesus? Have you turned away from His gifts? He is watching you with a loving heart as you read this story, and He wants to win you for Himself. I’m sure you don’t know how wonderful it is to have Jesus as your very own Saviour, just as our Chinese friend didn’t know how wonderful an ice cream cone tasted on a hot day. But when he had a taste, he said, “More!” And those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour have found Him to be everything that we need or want. As we walk with Him and accept His Word into our hearts, we receive more and more of Him and His gifts of love.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

ML-06/26/2005

Heroes

Bluff Island in New York’s Adirondack Park has a cliff about eighty feet high overlooking the water. There is an easy trail to the top, and the view from there is worth the climb. On a summer weekend, there are often many people at the top enjoying the view.

Halfway up the cliff is a ledge and a tree from which a rope used to hang. Usually there were a few brave young people who would swing out on the rope and then drop into the deep water below. Once in a while someone would even dive from the top of the cliff, but it took lots of courage to do that. One boy we knew stood for over half an hour at the top, trying to get enough courage to dive off. Finally he dove, and it was over in just a few seconds . . . safely, I am thankful to say.

Many years ago a local resident who had gone off the top of the cliff many times, agreed to jump off on a horse as a stunt. It was to be recorded on film. He was a little nervous about going off on a horse, but he was to be well paid, and money was scarce then. At last he thought everything was ready. He made a perfect dive, in spite of his fears, only to learn that he had jumped too soon, and the cameras has not gotten the picture. So he had to do it all over again, which he did successfully.

One time I was in the city of Agra, India, to see the Taj Mahal, which is nearby. I saw a crowd gathering as they watched a person high on a wall. The crowd gasped as the man dove from that wall over a hundred feet into a deep well. When he came out of the well, he walked around in the crowd collecting coins. I was almost the last person he came to, so I asked him how much he had collected. He opened both hands and showed me fourteen rupees - perhaps a nice sum to him but actually worth only about $2.25 in United States money at the time.

People do very daring things for different reasons - some for money, some for glory or fame, and some for the challenge and thrill. But the money is soon gone, the fame fades away, and the thrill is only for a few moments.

The Bible tells about people who did many brave things, not for money or fame or thrills, but because they believed God and were faithful to Him and to His Word. Do you remember Gideon who went out against Midian’s large army with only three hundred men? How about Jael, the wife of Heber, who slew the feared Sisera with a hammer and a tent nail. A favorite of children is David who killed a lion and a bear, which were after his father’s sheep. He also slew the giant Goliath who defied the armies of the living God. Maybe you remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were willing to be cast into the burning, fiery furnace rather than worship the king’s golden image. And we can’t forget Daniel who went on praying three times a day, even though the penalty was to be thrown into the lions’ den.

Boys and girls, these are God’s heroes. Let’s ask His help that we might be like them. They were men and women of faith “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed [became] valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Hebrews 11:33-34). Read the rest of verses 35-40 and the first four verses of chapter 12. Yes, these are God’s heroes - this is His honor roll.

ML-06/26/2005

Crash Landing in a Lake

The put-put-put of a single engine plane broke the silence over the mountains surrounding Lake Sutherland. Looking up, someone might have seen a small, orange seaplane against a blue sky, flying just above a ragged ridge of mountain peaks. Instead of wheels, the plane had long floats attached under it so it could land on water.

On this perfectly still day, the pilot passed over the lake once to make sure the way was clear for landing, and then he turned the plane in a tight half circle. Pointing the nose downward to begin the long descent, the plane soon dropped below the mountaintops . . . then below the timbered hillsides . . . then below the treetops lining the lakeside. When he was just above the water, the pilot should have leveled the plane until the floats touched the water and then skimmed across the surface. Instead, the nose of the plane continued to point downward.

WHAM! The plane slammed into the water! A tall plume of water shot high into the air. The force of the impact broke off the wings of the plane and turned it into a mangled mess. The pilot and his companion in the cockpit were thrown violently forward, saved from severe injury only by their seat belts.

The impact with the water had taken the two men completely by surprise! After they recovered from their momentary shock, they quickly unbuckled their seat belts, pushed hard against the jammed door, and then dove out into the cold water.

A man who lived in a lakeside cottage saw the entire accident. He paddled his canoe out to the damaged plane and was able to bring the two men to safety. They were only bruised, but the plane was completely destroyed. Later a motorboat towed the wrecked plane to shore.

Evidently the surface of the lake was so glassy smooth that the pilot misjudged his height during the attempted landing and slammed into the water. And evidently many people are misjudging the distance they are from eternity and aren’t concerned about their soul’s need of salvation.

As the two men were flying towards the lake that day, we wonder if they had any thought that they might not have a safe landing. You and I are also traveling towards eternity, but have you thought about where you will spend yours? Each of us will either spend eternity with the Lord Jesus in heaven or spend it without Him in the blackness of hell. Eternity is only so many heartbeats away for any one of us.

Eternity in heaven is open for everyone, but it is our sin that will keep us out. “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2223). Heaven is God’s home, and there can be no sin in His presence. To rescue us from sin, God sent His Son to die on the cross. “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The blood the Lord Jesus shed on the cross can wash any sinner clean and make him or her ready to enter heaven. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Will you seriously consider that you are a traveler on the road to eternity and that because of your sin you need the Lord Jesus to wash you clean? This will give you a sure and safe arrival in heaven.

Which will yours be - a safe eternity in heaven? or a lost eternity in the destruction of hell? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

ML-07/03/2005

Saved from the Lion

Hannah lived on a mission compound in West Africa with some other missionaries. She enjoyed visiting women and children in the surrounding villages, telling them about the love of God that sent the Lord Jesus Christ down from heaven to die for sinners. These women were glad for Hannah’s visits, because she was kind and often helped them when they needed something. Since she was their friend, they listened to the words she read from the Bible. Some gave up their heathen religion and received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.

Wild animals often prowled around in the forests near Hannah’s house. Although she lived alone in a small house, she trusted the Lord to protect her, and He did. “God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2).

One night Hannah thought she heard an animal trying to get into the cattle shelter which was close to her house. She lighted a lantern and set it outside to frighten the animal away. Going back into the house, she suddenly stopped. There was a lion looking in the back window at her! She thought it was going to jump right through the window into the room! Hannah quickly ran out the front door, slamming it shut. At the same time, she heard the crash of glass as the lion jumped through the window! She screamed for help!

The men on the compound came running with their rifles. They slowly opened the door to Hannah’s house with their rifles ready. Where was the lion? They carefully searched each room but found no trace of the lion, except for the shattered window pane and blood. It must have gone out the same way it came in when it found nothing to eat.

Hannah was saved from danger by running away from the lion as soon as she saw it. She could have tried to fight it, but she knew the lion was too strong for her. She needed help.

Satan is a very strong enemy too, and none of us can fight him alone. But the Lord Jesus Christ has defeated Satan; He has already won the victory for us. We can run to Him for salvation and protection. Have you run to Him for safety? He wants to save you right now. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

ML-07/03/2005

Funny Tricks

A delicious dinner of fried chicken had been enjoyed by the family. The children wiggled and shifted on their chairs. They, as well as their dog Ginger, knew the routine - a chapter read from the Bible and prayer after the meal. Petted and spoiled as she was, Ginger had some manners. She sat during the dinner fairly patiently, only now and then licking her chops and whining softly to make her presence known. After dinner the table was cleared, the chicken bones collected in a paper bag and everything taken into the kitchen.

At last the family kneeled down for prayer. In an instant, Ginger was heard padding across the kitchen floor right to the bag of bones. Rattle, rattle, crunch, crunch! Ginger paused and scampered back into the dining room for a peek. Yes, still on their knees! She hurried back to the bones before prayer time, her “safe time,” was over. Naughty Ginger!

“She thinks she’s a person,” laughed one of the children. “She acts like a bad girl!”

We smile at Ginger’s crafty trick which got her a good scolding. But are not our own ways just as foolish? Can we hide a lie or naughty deed from God? “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

Ginger’s family chuckled at her tricks, but does God think our sinful ways are funny? “Fools make a mock at sin” (Proverbs 14:9). There are no “cute little sins.” Our loving Saviour had to bleed and die for every single sin. When this lesson was realized by one little girl we know, she exclaimed, “Oh, Mommy! Did He do that for ME?” Have you understood this wonderful truth and come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins washed away?

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6

ML-07/10/2005

Locked in a Suitcase

“Hide and seek” is a favorite game of children everywhere. Three-year-old Tiger Fawley was having a wonderful time playing this at home with his nine-year-old sister Scarlett. When he noticed a watertight suitcase, he decided to crawl inside and shut the lid. His thirteen-year-old brother Jack helped him get it closed. But trouble was ahead! When the lid slammed shut, it locked in place with the little boy inside.

Tiger was not scared. It was an interesting hiding place. He just curled up inside and waited. But the voices outside his suitcase became very worried.

Jack knew exactly where Tiger was. He knew that because the suitcase was locked, Tiger was in trouble, so he called his mother Donna.

When their mother saw what had happened, she was terribly frightened. She said everything was in “a mad panic.” The suitcase had a combination lock, and in her fright she couldn’t remember the code. How could they help Tiger get out? She was afraid that he would suffocate in such a small space. So she rushed to get a drill and told Tiger to move over as far as he could to one side of the suitcase so she could drill holes in the other side. She managed to do this with trembling hands, and the drill never touched Tiger. But Donna still couldn’t get the suitcase open! She tried to pry it open with a spade, but she was not strong enough to force it open.

“What do you want in there?” his sister Scarlett called to Tiger. Tiger just giggled. “I could do with a flashlight,” he told her. But for his mother Donna, this was no laughing matter.

Donna quickly got the suitcase with its precious contents into her car and started out for the nearest fire station. Tiger needed more than a flashlight. He needed someone to help him out of his prison. Even though he was not worried, he was trapped, and his family couldn’t do anything about it.

Boys and girls sometimes are not at all concerned about being trapped in their sins. But if they do not know they are sinners, that is even more serious. None of us can free ourselves from our sins. Our own efforts can never save us. Trying to do good things or going to Sunday school or getting rid of bad habits does not make us ready for heaven. We cannot escape the punishment for our sins unless we turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tiger’s mother decided to turn for help to someone bigger and stronger than she was. She did not even stop to put on a pair of shoes. Even though it was March and still cold outside, she was in her bare feet when she drove up to the Whitehall Fire Station. She hurriedly got that suitcase out of the car and began pulling it anxiously to the front door. The firemen looked up when they saw her coming, wheeling that heavy suitcase.

What a strange story this frightened woman blurted out to the firemen! At first they thought she was joking with them. She claimed her little boy was inside, and never in the time they had been firefighters had someone come with such an unusual problem. But as soon as they realized she was serious, they got out their tools. Two big, husky firemen quickly pried open the case. Fire-service spokesman Ian Bailey says that Tiger popped out looking hot and sweaty but remarkably calm. So everyone cheered, and the firefighters gave him a soft drink and a cookie.

I know everyone was glad to see Tiger safe and unharmed. He probably likes to talk now about the big firemen who helped him out of his difficulty. Do we love to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ and all He did for us? He saw sinners in need of salvation. This was a need far, far greater than the problem of little Tiger trapped in a suitcase. We were in danger of being lost forever, and there was no easy answer to our need. The only way we could be saved was by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was willing to suffer on the cross, to give His own life and to be punished by God for our sins. Now He offers a way of escape to anyone who will believe in Him.

This is a wonderful offer. Have you come to the Lord Jesus to let Him take away your sins? “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation”? (Hebrews 2:3). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

Aunt Jenny had been painting a picture all morning. It was an oil painting of the barn, lake and woods which she could see from her living room window. The picture was about half finished as she put her brushes away to stop for lunch. As she stood back to study the picture, her little niece Patti came running into the living room.

Patti saw Aunt Jenny looking at the picture. She stopped and looked at it, too, and said, “That’s a pretty sky, Aunt Jenny. Are you going to put God in it?”

Aunt Jenny did not expect that question, so she asked, “What do you mean, Patti?”

“Well,” answered Patti, “if God lives up above the sky, shouldn’t you put Him in your sky picture?”

Patti did not know what King David said about God in Psalm 139. King David said that God is everywhere! He said that God is before me and behind me, He is above me and beneath me. How can I run away from Him? If I rise up to heaven, He is there. If I go to the very deepest, He is there. Even the darkness cannot hide me from Him, because darkness and light are both the same to God.

Yes, King David found out that God is everywhere! He saw him when he woke up and in everything he did during the day. So King David just talked to God and said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:2324).

I hope Aunt Jenny and Patti make the wonderful discovery that King David made. Have you made that discovery too?

ML-07/17/2005

Water Rescue

Lake Washington is the biggest lake in the state of Washington and a popular place to go in the summer for boating, swimming and enjoying sunny days. One day a few summers ago, Tom and some of his friends were in a park near the lake.

The young men were by the boat ramp where boaters were loading their boats in and out of the water. It was a “no swimming” area since it was used for boating only. To Tom’s surprise, he saw a man jump from a boat with his little son on his back and begin to swim for shore. He could only guess that the man didn’t want to wait for his turn to use the boat ramp and thought he could get to shore faster by swimming.

Although the day was sunny, there was a strong breeze blowing, and the waves were choppy. The man was not as good a swimmer as he thought he was, for he soon found he wasn’t able to swim through the choppy waves. The people on shore were horrified to see him drop his son off his shoulders and try to make it to shore by himself !

Tom had taken lifesaving lessons and he was willing to help, but which person should he try to save? The man was big, and he could swim, so he might be able to get to shore by himself. Also, he was a bigger man than Tom and might drown both Tom and himself if Tom tried to save him. The boy was little and couldn’t swim at all. Tom could see he was going down in the water. He quickly chose to try to save the little boy.

Tom swam to the boy through the choppy waves, using the lifesaver’s stroke. As he swam, all the things he had learned in his lifesaving class came back to his mind. He swam around the boy until he was behind him, and then he grabbed him around the chest with one arm.

He spoke to the boy and said, “Don’t be afraid! . . . I have you now!”

Tom swam for the dock through the rough waves, holding the boy with one arm and swimming with the other. It was a hard job, and he was afraid he might not make it, but the Lord helped him to reach the dock.

The people on the dock just stood there watching. No one offered to help, until Tom said, “Will somebody help take the boy?” Then one person reached down and pulled the boy up on the dock, and Tom climbed out of the water too.

Are you wondering what happened to the man, the father of the boy? He had managed to swim in by himself and was sitting on the shore, wet and exhausted. And are you expecting that he was very grateful to Tom for saving his son’s life? Well, you will be disappointed to learn that if he was grateful, he didn’t say so. He looked down and mumbled some excuse and never did say “thank you.”

This is hard to understand, isn’t it. If somebody risked their life to save mine, I would be grateful to them for the rest of my life, and I would tell them so. But I have had an even greater lifesaving experience. Someone who loves me very much didn’t just risk His life to save me; He gave up His life to save me from my sins. It cost Him His life’s blood so I could have everlasting life in heaven. I am so very thankful to Him for His great love that has saved me. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Do you know who this person is? His name is Jesus, and He loves you and died for you too. If you know you are a sinner, have you told Him that you want to be saved from your sins? Have you accepted Him as your very own Saviour? If so, are you thanking Him every day of your life for what He has done for you?

I wonder if that little boy ever thinks about the day he nearly drowned and about the young man who saved his life. I also wonder if that little boy has heard about the Lord Jesus who loves him and died for him. Tom was able to save him from drowning, but the Lord Jesus can save him and give him everlasting life in heaven.

“God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

ML-07/24/2005

A Cruel Rescue

One day I was canoeing down a river. I could tell from my map that there was a high waterfall ahead around which I would have to carry my canoe and supplies.

As I rounded a bend of the river, I could hear the roar of the waterfall, even though I was still two hundred yards away. I slowed the canoe and kept close to the bank of the river as I looked for the trail around the waterfall. As I searched for the trail, I could feel the water was beginning to flow quite swiftly.

Backpaddling to slow the canoe, I noticed a branch floating by with a young bird clinging to it. The mother bird was fluttering around, chirping and scolding, trying to get the young one to fly to shore. But it would not leave the branch which was now rushing towards the waterfall. When her fluttering and scolding didn’t do any good, the mother bird suddenly pushed the young bird off the branch so that it had to fly to keep from falling into the water. The young bird flew to a tree on the shore where it was safe.

Although what the mother bird did may seem cruel, she saved her young one from going over the falls. How often the Lord Jesus works this way too. Perhaps He has brought unhappiness into your life and you wonder why. What the mother bird did seemed unkind, but it was really the best thing for the young bird.

If a problem makes you turn to the Lord Jesus and, as a result, you acknowledge your need of Him as your Saviour and trust Him, it will then be for your good. How much better to have problems and unhappiness if it turns you to the Lord Jesus. God has shown His love to us by giving His only Son to die on Calvary’s cross. There He suffered and died for sinners, and now He waits to save every sinner who will come to Him just as they are and accept Him as his or her Saviour.

“All these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit” (Job 33:29-30).

ML-07/24/2005

"Where Are You Going?"

Two evangelists started out on a trip, stopping their car now and then to give out tracts in small villages.

One young boy, about ten years old, was handed a gospel tract. One of the men asked him, “Where are you going?”

The boy answered politely, “Oh, I’m just going across the street to the little store over there.”

“That isn’t what I meant,” explained the man. “Where are you going when you leave this world?”

The question took the young boy by surprise. He had never been asked this before. He did not know what to answer.

What would you have answered if you had been this boy? Would you hang your head and not answer or wish that you were somewhere else right then?

God has His eye on each one of you boys and girls. You need to prepare to meet Him; He is your Creator. The Bible says, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). Do you believe God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves you so much that He died on the cross for your sins? Have you accepted Him as your very own Saviour?

Everyone will face God their Creator someday. This is the most important matter in life to prepare for. Don’t put it off !

ML-07/31/2005

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: The Baby Goose

Dear Children,

Some of you have asked if I would tell you what happened to that baby goose that I found on the lawn when I was cutting the grass. Okay, here’s what happened.

I was cutting the grass on the south side of the property when I came across this baby goose lying flat on its back. It was wiggling its feet, wings, neck and head and was really struggling hard to turn itself over onto its belly. So I stopped the lawn mower, put my gloves on, and walked over to see if I could help it.

I very gently picked up the baby goose and then walked over to the narrow part of the creek that runs through our property. I carefully placed the little goose, with its feet down, in the water, and away it swam! Boy, did it move fast! But . . . this is not the end of the story.

“Why, Grampa? What happened next?”

Well, along that part of the creek there are many bramble bushes that are full of thorns and tangly vines. And that baby goose swam straight across the creek and into one of those bramble bushes! I was not too happy with that baby goose. I looked at it and said, “What a stupid goose! Maybe I should just let you stay there, and some fox or coyote will have goose for dinner!”

“You didn’t leave it there, did you, Grampa?”

No, I didn’t. But untangling that goose was going to make a lot of extra work for me. I had to go to the house, put on my chest waders to wade across that part of the creek, and also pick up my long-handled landing net.

When Gramma saw all this going on, I told her what happened. She said, “I am coming to help you.” I told her that was great because I would probably need help.

Now I got to thinking, Why did this baby goose do this? And I’ll tell you the two reasons I came up with: First, it was afraid of me and did not realize I was trying to help it. Second, it had no one to guide it or tell it which way to go. Its parents were out in the main creek and it was alone, so it did what it thought was best. And, as we have seen, it made a mistake. That was the wrong direction to go! It made me think about boys and girls and grown-ups who go through everyday life doing what they think is best. But sometimes a mistake has been made, and they find themselves in trouble.

You know, children, when it comes to knowing the way to heaven, we cannot make a mistake, because God’s Word, the Bible, plainly says in John 14:6, “I [Jesus] am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” If you follow what God tells us, you won’t make a mistake!

“That’s right, Grampa. We learned that in Sunday school. Now what about the goose?”

Well, I had to wade across the creek to untangle that goose from the bramble bush, and it wasn’t easy. I’m glad Gramma was there to help. Now I had the baby goose in my hands again, and Gramma asked, “What are you going to do with it this time?” I told her to come with me and see. We both walked together along the creek until we came to the pond. The pond joins the main part of the creek and there is open water on the south side.

Now, I spoke kindly to this baby goose and said, “You see that open water out there? . . . That’s the way to go. You will find other geese just like yourself out there . . . and don’t get sidetracked . . . go straight out! . . . because if you do get sidetracked, I can’t rescue you again . . . the water is too deep for me!”

Well, children, whether that goose understood me or not, he made no mistake this time. Straight out he went just as fast as his feet and legs could paddle! He was rescued!

And so, children, thank God for Sunday school teachers, dads and moms, grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles or anyone else who will point out to you from God’s holy Word the right way to heaven! God’s Word does not make a mistake, and we don’t want you to either!

There’s no other way I can see

To save a poor sinner like me,

But Jesus my Saviour who died on the tree;

He’s the way up to heaven for me!

Lots of love,

Gramma and Grampa

ML-08/07/2005

Magnets

A magnet is fun to play with. It is able to pull objects to itself made from iron and steel. Other objects made of wood and glass or even other metals such as brass and aluminum are not affected by a magnet.

An ordinary straight pin used in sewing is made from either brass or steel. But just looking at the silver-colored pins, it is very difficult to tell them apart. However, if you put some of both kinds in a bowl and bring a magnet close by, you can easily tell them apart. The pins made of steel will “jump” to the magnet, while those made of brass will be left behind. They are not made of the right metal to be lifted by the magnet.

The Lord Jesus Christ is like a magnet to this world. The people are all mixed together, like the two kinds of pins. They may all look about the same, but there are two kinds - those who love Jesus and those who do not love Him.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is going to return. All those who love Him and have their sins washed away by His precious blood will be caught up to be with Him. They are like the steel pins that are pulled by the magnet. But those who do not know Jesus as their Saviour will not be caught up when He comes. They are like the brass pins and will be left behind, shut out forever from heaven. They will never be with Jesus.

When Jesus returns, will you be caught up? or left behind?

“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: so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

ML-08/07/2005

An Ignored Warning

Few people traveled the country highway at night, and even fewer were out this particular night because of a big windstorm. In his headlights, the driver of the big eighteen-wheeler truck could see the tops of the evergreen trees whipping back and forth. But the strong wind didn’t bother him; he was driving a powerful truck that could handle just about anything.

The trucker was listening to the radio as he cruised down the highway. A voice interrupted the regular programming: “Attention: This is a special bulletin. Hood’s Canal Bridge has been temporarily closed until further notice due to high winds.”

The trucker heard the warning, thought about it for a moment, and then decided it didn’t apply to him. The warning might apply to others in cars, but he was driving a powerful, heavy truck that could get across any bridge. He had a schedule to keep, and the only way to get where he was going was to cross that bridge. His mind was made up . . . he would keep going despite the warning.

The Bible has a special bulletin for you and me, and it is good news! It tells us of a Saviour who has made a way for sinners to have forgiveness for their sins and eternal life. It tells of God’s love that sent His Son into the world to die in the sinner’s place. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Because the Lord Jesus paid the supreme price for sin at the cross, you and I can receive the gift of eternal life, instead of the death and punishment we deserve for our sins. There is no other way for any of us to be accepted into heaven but through faith in Christ. “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). Have you placed your faith in Christ? If you have, you are on the road to heaven. If you are trusting in your own strength to get you through, you will surely perish. Don’t go on in your own strength. Turn to the Saviour before it is forever too late.

On through the night the trucker drove the big rig. At about 3:00 a.m. he came to the bridge. A barricade with a “CLOSED” sign blocked the way. The driver stopped his truck and got out of his cab to push the barricade to the side. The wind swept his hat away before he returned to his cab. Then he drove slowly onto the bridge.

Driving down the highway, the wind had been partially blocked by trees and hills. On the bridge over the open water, the wind hit the truck with terrific force. Hood’s Canal Bridge is a floating bridge built on big pontoons and is a mile and a half long. When the truck was partway across the bridge, a mighty gust of wind struck it and actually pushed the big trailer several feet sideways on the pavement! The trucker’s heart seemed to jump into his throat! For a moment he thought the truck would be blown off the bridge. He could picture the truck toppling right through the railing and disappearing into the dark waves with him inside.

Too scared to drive any further, the trucker decided to stop right where he was and wait out the storm. For two long hours he waited on the bridge with the high winds shrieking all around him. Nervously he waited for the winds to die down so he could drive off.

God is reaching out to sinners in grace. He loves their souls but hates their sins. If you have realized that God is displeased with you because of your sin, God doesn’t want you to “wait” in such a state. No, He wants you to “flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7). He wants you to go directly and without delay to the Saviour for forgiveness. He offers complete cleansing from all your sins, if you will come to the Lord Jesus. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

“Waiting” didn’t work for the trucker. The storm only grew worse. The bridge was taking a terrible beating from the wind and waves. One of the cables snapped that held the pontoons to the large anchors, and the bridge began swaying back and forth. When the trucker felt the wild movement of the bridge underneath him, he realized he didn’t have any time to waste. He quickly pushed open the door of his cab and leaped to the pavement. Then, leaning into the wind, he ran for his life. The wind stung his face as he ran, and he had to jump over a light post that had crashed down. Just as he got off the floating part of the bridge, he turned around to see his truck fall into the waves. Moments later the entire floating section of the bridge broke up into large pieces and floated away on the waves into the night. The trucker had narrowly escaped with his life.

All his trouble that night would have been avoided if he had listened to the warning on the radio or even stopped at the barricade. Instead, he had stubbornly continued on his way, and it almost cost him his life. When the gospel is shared with you, like it is in this little story, what are you going to do with it? Will you hear it and believe the message? Or will you stubbornly choose to go on in your own strength as if all will be well? All eternity is at stake. Won’t you be wise and come to the Saviour at once? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-08/14/2005

Entangled in the Nest

Have you ever seen a hummingbird? It’s a tiny bird that zips around on wings that beat up to seventy times per second! This fast beat of their wings makes the humming sound that has given these birds their name. Those that we have seen where we live are in shades of green with rose colored throats, and they are very pretty. Their wings are always beating so fast, even when they are hovering over a flower. It’s hard to imagine that they ever sit still!

Uncle Joe has very pretty wind chimes on his porch, and guess what? A hummingbird built a nest right on top of the chimes! Hummers often make their nests out of moss and bind them together with spider silk.

The mother hummingbird laid one tiny egg in that little, cup-shaped nest. As time went on, the tiny egg hatched, and the faithful parents would fly back and forth all day long, feeding their baby day after day.

The baby hummingbird grew, and at last it could flap its wings . . . but it did not fly away. It seemed to have grown large enough to be able to leave the nest, but for some reason it stayed there. The parents continued to feed their growing baby that did not leave the nest.

Uncle Joe thought that was unusual since the half-grown baby was strong enough to flap its wings. He got out a ladder and looked into the nest; then he saw why the baby bird hadn’t flown away. A claw on one of its feet was caught in the weaving of the nest and was holding it tight when the young bird would flap its wings.

There was no way that little bird could help itself. Even its parents couldn’t set it free, because its little foot was entangled in the nest. Boys, girls and grown-ups have a problem just like that baby hummingbird. Our problem is our sins that are holding us tight, and we can’t get free without help.

The Bible tells us that every one of us came into this world with a sinful nature that likes to do naughty things. God calls those naughty things sin, and He has said that no sin can ever enter into heaven. “There shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] anything that defileth [spoils], neither whatsoever worketh abomination [evil], or maketh a lie” (Revelation 21:27). God also tells us plainly that we are all sinners: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23). That leaves you and me sadly helpless, just like the little hummingbird.

You’ll be glad to know that Uncle Joe was able to untangle the little bird’s foot that was caught in the nest. Then that little hummingbird did something very unusual. It just sat on Uncle Joe’s finger for the longest time, looking at him. Do you wonder what it was thinking? If it could have talked it might have said, “Mister, I don’t have anything to pay you, but thank you for untangling my foot so I can fly away. I would have died in the nest if you hadn’t set me free.” Then Uncle Joe walked over to a tree where the little bird hopped onto a branch and then flew away.

And God is the only one who can untangle you and me from our sins. He loves us so much He gave His only Son to die in our place. The Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross for sinners to cleanse us from our sins. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). If you will tell the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner and that you want Him to wash your sins away, He will set you free. Your sins will be gone, and you will have His promise of being in heaven with Him someday.

ML-08/21/2005

Split Rock Lighthouse

The Split Rock Lighthouse is located above Minnesota’s scenic North Shore Drive east of Duluth. Built on a cliff, the lighthouse sends out its warning light over Lake Superior. Below the lighthouse is a large formation of rocks that extends far out into the lake.

In the early days of navigation on Lake Superior, many ships crashed on these rocks and sank. Navigators knew about these rocks and tried to avoid them, but ships and lives were lost in spite of their best efforts. Why couldn’t they stay away from this area?

It was finally determined that the lake bottom in that area was made up of iron ore. This ore deflected compasses several degrees. This error, unseen by the navigators, caused them to steer in a wrong course that ended on the rocks. Finally, the boat companies united to get a lighthouse in that area so boats could steer by the light instead of by an unreliable compass.

Many younger and older people are steering their lives by an unreliable compass. If we are relying on anything other than God’s Word, the Bible, it is unreliable! God’s Word is “a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). By it we are directed to the One who said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

The Word of God is true, accurate and not affected by the most powerful forces of this world. It always points to the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way” (John 14:6), and as the living compass for our lives, it also says, “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

When the light of life is received, the compass of God’s Word continues to guide safely and accurately by its wonderful truths. If as Christians we follow the Bible, it will help us to steer clear of the rocks and shoals in our journey. Obedience to that compass assures a journey of peace and happiness, regardless of the waves and strong winds. The One who has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5), is on board. And until that soon-coming time when we will be in the land to which He leads us, the safe harbor of heaven, He says, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

ML-08/21/2005

276 Survivors: Shipwreck at Malta

Do you remember the story of the sailing ship in a fierce storm in the Mediterranean Sea? There were 276 people on board, and we left them with four anchors holding the ship from crashing on rocks while they waited for morning to come. As dawn began to lighten the sky, Paul got some of the food ready that was on board. They all watched as he gave thanks to God and then urged them to cheer up and eat. They all ate enough to regain their strength and threw the rest away to lighten the ship.

Morning light showed them a strange island with a creek flowing into the sea where they could run the ship aground. They pulled up the anchors and hoisted up the mainsail and let the wind drive them in to shore. The front of the ship stuck fast, but the back part was broken to pieces by the pounding waves.

“Kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape,” cried the soldiers. But their leader said no and told everyone who could, to swim to land. Those who couldn’t swim were told to grab a board or a broken piece of the ship so they could float to shore.

Can you guess how many made it safely to land? Every single one of them made it! God had promised Paul that he and all those who were on board with him would be safe. Nobody can break God’s promise!

That promise was not made to you, but here is one God has made for you: “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).

It was the island of Malta where they landed. (Can you find it on the map?) They were all soaking wet, and it was cold and pouring rain. The best thing for them was a big bonfire, and the kind natives of the island had one blazing in no time. Paul set to work gathering sticks to pile on the fire, but there was more than sticks in his bundle . . . a nasty snake did not like the fire and bit him on the hand and hung on.

Everyone knew it was a poisonous snake, and they thought the snake’s bite would kill Paul. After he shook the snake off into the fire, they watched Paul closely for a long time, but he felt no harm.

Did you know that if you belong to Jesus, you are His forever and He will never let you go? If you are born into God’s family, no one can snatch you out of His hand. God loves His children and He takes care of them, but He does not spoil them.

The chief man on Malta was very sick, but in answer to Paul’s prayer he was wonderfully healed, and many others were also healed in the three months that they stayed there. It seems that Paul the prisoner was the most important man on that ship!

Are you saved? Do you belong to Jesus? You are very important to the God of heaven. He is watching over you, but He has not promised to give you the top place and to make you comfortable. Paul left that island as a prisoner and went on to a prison in Rome . . . and finally to death. Our Jesus is worth all we can give, and more. He is “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

You may read this whole story in the Bible in Acts chapters 27 and 28.

ML-08/28/2005

Curiosity Killed the Mouse

As Mrs. VanArnem got ready for bed, she took off her watch, her brooch and her three rings. Then she carefully laid them all on the dresser.

During the night the house was quiet, and no one went into Mrs. VanArnem’s bedroom. Still, when she got up the next morning and went to put on her jewelry, one of the rings had disappeared. The watch, the brooch and two of the rings were exactly where she had left them, but her valuable diamond ring was gone!

Mrs. VanArnem called her children and her servants together and told them about the missing ring. They searched all over the house. Every possible hiding place was examined carefully, but no one found the ring.

Three years later workmen came to do some repair work on Mrs. VanArnem’s house. Part of the floor was taken up, and there under the floorboards lay the skeleton of a mouse with the beautiful diamond ring around its neck. The poor little mouse must have been nosing around on top of Mrs. VanArnem’s dresser, looking for something to eat and must have accidently stuck its head through her ring.

Since the ring was so smooth and round, it probably didn’t hurt the mouse at first. But as the mouse grew and its neck got larger, the ring probably began to pinch and to hurt. The workmen who examined the mouse’s bones said its neck bones had been bent by the pressure of the ring which had finally strangled it.

That poor little mouse didn’t intend to get trapped. He was just curious about something pretty and got caught in it.

The same type of thing can easily happen to any of us too. Every time you sin it is as though a little wire is slipped around you. At first it doesn’t seem too bad, but those wires get tighter and tighter and stronger and stronger all the time. The Bible says that the sinner “shall be holden [held] with the cords of his sins” (Proverbs 5:22).

How could the mouse have gotten free of the ring? No other mouse could have helped him, but some person could have slipped the ring off his head or could have cut through the ring to set him free.

No boy or girl can get free from his or her own sins either. Only the Lord Jesus, through His death on the cross and His blood shed, can remove the sins that have trapped each one of us. “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

The little mouse couldn’t ask for help, but you can. Won’t you call to the Lord Jesus today? He loves you and says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

ML-08/28/2005

A Strange Pet

“Come, see our new pet,” we say to our friends, and then we show them our large, plastic owl with big, life-like eyes. This new “pet” at our house is on a strange assignment. You see, large owls are natural enemies of crows. So this plastic owl is supposed to scare crows away from the area and to keep them from building a nest in our tall pine tree. The strange thing is that it really works!

Of course, God cares about crows as much as all the other birds, so we must treat them all kindly. God tells us in Matthew 10:29, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father [knowing].” If God cares that much about all the little sparrows, just think of how much He cares and loves boys and girls and wants them to be saved! He assures each one of us in Luke 12:7, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

When my husband first put the plastic owl outside, there was a crow nearby. He was a very curious crow. He jumped up to the peak of a nearby roof and scrambled along the top edge, until he came to the point nearest to where the owl was being placed. The crow scolded my husband over and over again, wagging his head back and forth. He seemed to be telling us that he did not like our plastic pet, and he began to alert all the crows in the area. We could see them flying away, high in the sky.

After an hour or two, we bring the plastic owl inside and then wait a day or two before we put it out again. But in the meantime, if we see a crow hanging around, the plastic owl goes back outside to send the crow on its way. We say the owl is worth its weight in gold, because it is doing a good job of fooling the crows and scaring them off, even though it isn’t real.

Are some of you boys and girls fooling your parents or Sunday school teacher into thinking that you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour when you really haven’t? Deep down in your heart, you know if you are only pretending, and the Lord Jesus knows too. If you have not told Him that you are a sinner and that you want Him to wash away your sins in His precious blood, then you aren’t really saved at all. You are just like our plastic owl - a fake.

Our owl is fooling the crows for the time being, but eventually the crows will find out that it isn’t real. And if you are fooling people into thinking that you belong to the Lord Jesus, eventually your parents, friends and Sunday school teacher will find out that you are only pretending. But the Lord Jesus already knows what’s in your heart. He tells us in John 10:2728, “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.” Boys and girls who have accepted Him as their Saviour want to follow Him and please Him.

Are you truly saved? or are you pretending?

ML-09/04/2005

The Best Way to Help

Julie was looking for something to do while her mother was busy fixing dinner. She was trying to be helpful to her mother. She had already set the table for dinner. She had taken her bath and had on clean clothes. Daddy would be home from work soon, and then they would be eating dinner.

Walking out into the backyard, Julie saw that the birdbath had nearly dried up. I know, she thought, I’ll fill the birdbath so the birdies can have a drink.

As she ran to get the watering can, she remembered what her mother had said to her after she had gotten cleaned up: “Don’t play in water, because you always get your clothes wet.” Mom won’t call this playing in water, she thought. This is really helping.

She made a trip to the faucet to fill the watering can. Slowly she poured it into the birdbath. I think one more can of water will fill it, she thought as she ran back to the faucet again. Soon she returned and, climbing back up on the box, she began to empty the can of water.

But there was one important thing that she had not noticed. The birdbath was not sitting evenly on its stand. It was slightly tipped to one side, so that while on the opposite side it looked like it was only partly full, the side closest to her was nearly spilling over. As Julie poured in that last can of water, it poured over the full side, right down the front of her clean clothes. It surprised her so much that she suddenly stepped back off the box, lost her balance and fell right into the flower bed!

Picking herself up and looking at her wet, dirty clothes, she said, “Now what will Mom say?”

“What do you think I’m going to say, Julie?” said her mother who had just come outside.

“I was trying to help you by filling the birdbath,” explained Julie, nearly in tears. “I didn’t mean to make all this mess.”

“You never mean to make messes,” answered her mother, “but when will you remember that the best way to help me is always to do what I tell you? Come on in now and change your clothes.”

Julie was only trying to help, but she really was disobeying her mother. Are you doing the very same thing to God? Are you trying to do your very best to please Him, but actually you’re disobeying Him instead? Some people think they can earn their way to heaven by doing good deeds. But the Bible tells us what God says about this idea: “All [your] righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

If even the best things that we do are seen by God as “filthy rags,” how can we ever expect to please Him? We can’t, unless we follow His instructions given to us in the Bible. He tells us that the Lord Jesus already has done everything that’s needed for us to be accepted into heaven. The Lord Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross to be punished for sinners. To obey Him, we must admit that we are sinners and cannot please Him and then accept what He has already done for us. If we believe that He was punished on the cross for our sins, then we can know for sure that we are saved. “To obey is better than sacrifice [to suffer loss]” (1 Samuel 15:22).

ML-09/04/2005

Stuck in a Drawer for 44 Days

The moving van was coming today! What an exciting time for eight-year-old Kerianne. She watched as the big, empty truck arrived, and busy men began loading the family belongings and furniture. The whole business was a noisy affair, with lots of banging around, taping of cartons and moving boxes. Kerianne thought all the confusion and activity were fun to watch.

But there was someone else who shared her home. Cane, the family cat, did NOT like all the noise and activity. He looked for a safe place away from all the noise and confusion. He found an open dresser drawer in a bedroom, jumped into it and curled up. This was a refuge, away from all the busy feet, and Cane settled down for a little nap. He liked his hideout and was quite contented in that peaceful spot.

But was he really safe?

The noisy movers began loading the bedroom furniture into their big truck. They shut the dresser drawers, of course, and lifted the furniture into the waiting van. In all the noisy confusion, it seems that no one saw Cane. No one heard anything as they shoved and grunted and heaved boxes and belongings.

Then Kerianne noticed that Cane had disappeared, and a search began. She could not find him indoors. Nobody had spotted a black cat wandering outside near the house. Her mother drove around her Hawaiian neighborhood for a long time afterward, looking for Cane. Finally she realized that they would probably never see their frightened pet again.

Kerianne said it was the saddest day of her life when they had to leave their home. She couldn’t bear to leave her beloved kitty behind. “He was family,” she said. And Kerianne’s family was moving a LONG way away. They were leaving their home in Hawaii and moving to Crofton, Kentucky. But Hawaii is an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The moving trucks were not just driving the family possessions over a stretch of road. There was an ocean between Hawaii and Kentucky, and all those crates and boxes had to be loaded onto a big ship. There would be days stretching into weeks as the ship crossed the ocean, then a wait until everything was reloaded onto another moving truck, and then the long, overland trip to Kentucky.

Cane probably thought he was in a wonderful, safe place when he jumped into that drawer. He felt he was okay because it seemed right to him. Sometimes boys and girls think they are okay because they are doing what seems right to them. They know that God does not like sin, so they try very hard to be good. Maybe they promise themselves that they will do things that they think will please God. But even though they really believe this, it does not mean they are safe. Being good is not the way to heaven. The Bible says that “there is a way that [seems] right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). Just because we are doing our best does not mean we are safe, unless we have done what the Lord Jesus asks us to do. There is only one way to heaven, and that is to accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. If we refuse, then “the ways of death” are ahead for us.

It certainly seemed that for Kerianne’s beloved cat, death would be the end for him too. Cane was shut up in that dresser without food or water. The days stretched out into long weeks. Slowly the ship moved across the many miles of ocean, and finally the family reached the United States. When they got to Kentucky, Kerianne’s mother bought her a puppy. Kerianne was so sad about losing her favorite cat that her mother thought another pet might cheer her up. Forty-four days, more than six weeks, had passed since the movers had come to their home in Hawaii. But no one in the family had forgotten about Cane.

At last the day came when a truck arrived with their belongings. Kerianne’s father was going through their stuff. He smelled what he called a “very foul odor” coming from one of the dressers. Right away he thought about Cane. It flashed into his mind that maybe Cane had been trapped in that drawer, and he didn’t want the others to be there when he found a dead body. Preparing himself for the worst, he began opening the drawers of the dresser . . . and staring back at him were TWO EYES!

Completely shocked to see Cane alive, Kerianne’s daddy picked the cat up and hurried to get a bowl of water. They rushed Cane to an animal clinic where the cat was checked for injuries and pumped full of fluids for two days. “He was absolutely skin and bones,” said the vet. The cat weighed less than three pounds, but with food and care, Cane improved quickly. In a few weeks, he was running around the house again, and the family was overjoyed.

What a happy day it was when Cane was found. Kerianne says that even Seikich, their other family cat, was so happy to be reunited with Cane that she licked and licked him. And all this joy was only over a cat. How much more precious and valuable is the life of a boy or girl. The Bible tells us that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that [repents]” (Luke 15:10). It is a thousand times more wonderful to think of a boy or girl who is brought back from the dangerous position of being lost. An eternity without the Lord Jesus is a terrible thing! There was an end to the time that poor cat spent in darkness, but there is no end to an eternity without the Lord Jesus. He does not want any boy or girl to be lost forever. He loves you and invites you to find safety and salvation right now. “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-09/11/2005

Dean's Decision

Do you go to school? Some children go to school to learn their lessons, and some children have school at home to learn their lessons.

When Dean was five years old, he started public school for the first time. He liked playing with the other children, singing songs and doing all the fun things that boys and girls do in kindergarten. But when he was six years old and started first grade, it was not so much fun. He had a hard time sitting still, and he had a hard time learning to read.

Dean’s mother decided to teach him at home. She asked Dean’s grandmother if she would help out too. Grandma liked to teach, and she loved Dean very much, so she said, “Yes, I would like to help.”

Dean did much better at home, especially at math. But each day before they started math and the other regular school lessons, Grandma would read some verses from God’s Word, the Bible, and pray. She told Dean that the Bible says, “All have sinned” (Romans 5:12). Then she explained that the Lord Jesus died on the cross and took the punishment for the sins of every person who would put their trust in Him as their Saviour. Those people would not be punished for their sins, but would someday be in heaven with Jesus.

Dean said to Grandma, “My mom and dad say I am a good boy.”

Grandma replied, “I know you try to be good, but sometimes we do things that we shouldn’t, and that is sin. We need to tell God that we have sinned and let the Lord Jesus wash away our sins in His blood.”

Grandma also taught him verses from the Bible. He learned 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.” Another one he learned was Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” And then there was Psalm 23, which took a little longer to learn since it has six verses.

Six months later, on March 8, Grandma was going to pray with Dean and she asked, “Is there anything that you would like to pray about?” She thought that he might want to pray for a friend who was sick, as he had a few days before.

Dean said, “Yes.”

Grandma waited for him to tell her what he wanted to pray for, and when he didn’t say anything more, she said, “Oh, would you like to pray?”

Dean said, “Yes.” And then he prayed, “Dear God, thank you for sending the Lord Jesus to die on the cross. Please wash away my sins.”

Grandma’s eyes opened wide, and she thought, This is a special day! She was so happy, and the Lord Jesus was happy too. The Bible tells us, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10). Repent means to change your mind about thinking you are good and to believe God when He says you are a sinner. That is exactly what Dean did, and he was saved!

Dean’s dad was upstairs, and Grandma said, “Now that you are saved, would you like to go tell your dad? He would be really glad to hear that news!”

Dean was a little shy to tell anyone, but he went upstairs and told his dad, and when his mom came home, he told her too. They were so happy to hear Dean’s good news!

We hope that if you haven’t thanked God for sending the Lord Jesus down to this world to die for sinners, you will do so today and let the Lord Jesus save you, just as simply as Dean did.

ML-09/18/2005

The Real Problem with Pam's Vision

Seven-year-old Pam was having eye problems, so one afternoon her mother took her to the eye doctor’s office for an examination. The doctor sat Pam in a chair and covered her left eye. He asked her if she could read the bottom line of the eye chart on the wall.

Pam studied the bottom line and then said, “No.”

“How about the next to the bottom line, Pam? Can you read that?” asked the doctor.

Again she answered, “No.”

“What about the line above that?”

Now Pam’s mother and the doctor began to worry, for Pam sadly shook her head to indicate she could not even read that line.

“Are you sure, Pam, that you can’t see the letters on that line?”

“Sure I can see them,” said Pam, “but I can’t read them.”

At last the mystery was solved. Pam saw the letters, but she could not read them, because they did not spell out a word she recognized. Pam’s mother and the doctor were both relieved. Now the doctor could find out what was really wrong with Pam’s eyesight, and he soon prescribed glasses to help her see better.

Do you have an eye problem? All of us do when it comes to seeing ourselves the way God sees us. We cannot possibly “see” how bad we really are. Yet we actually do not need to “see” that with our eyes, but we simply need to understand that we are sinners in God’s sight.

Once we admit that we are guilty of being a sinner, there is the next line to read on God’s “chart”: God hates sin and He cannot have it in His presence. We need to “see” this clearly or we will struggle on without getting anywhere. Pam struggled with the letters because she was trying to form words with them. You will struggle with your sins if you think you have only a few small ones that do not amount to much.

The fact is that a letter is a letter and a sin is a sin. Each one stands alone. And it only takes one sin, great or small, to keep you out of heaven. The total number does not matter.

But just as the doctor had the only remedy for Pam’s eye problem, God is the only One who has the remedy for your sin problem. His Son, the Lord Jesus, was punished on the cross for the sins of all who would accept Him as their Saviour. Believing this in your heart provides an instant cure that lasts forever. No further treatment is necessary. The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Do you believe what God says?

ML-09/18/2005

Trevor's Conscience

Trevor was a good boy in school and had never really gotten into any serious trouble. He was also a Christian. By that we mean he had accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and usually tried to please Him.

There was another boy in Trevor’s class who was a bully, and everyone was afraid of him. George enjoyed beating up and bullying other children not as strong and tough as he was!

Trevor, like other children in his class, was afraid of George. He decided that if he made friends with him, George would not bother him!

Do you have a problem like this at school? Maybe you think if you could make friends with the “tough guys” in your class they would like you, and other children would be afraid of you too! That’s exactly what Satan would like you to do. He tells you not to worry if you get into a little trouble - it’s worth it. But the Bible has a warning: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man [sows], that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). In other words, if you do something wrong on purpose, God says it will bring you sadness.

Trevor told his mother about his new friend and what he was like. She was quite upset and warned Trevor, “Do not have anything to do with George! He is a very bad boy!” Trevor’s mother believed what the Bible says in James 4:7, “Resist the devil [and his temptations], and he will flee from you.”

Some time later, Trevor came home from school upset. His mother wanted to know why.

“I can’t tell you, Mom,” he said. “It’s just too bad!”

She asked him again.

Trevor was almost in tears. “I did something really bad!”

“Did it have something to do with George, the boy who fights,” she asked?

“Yes,” he whimpered.

“Trevor, you must tell me about it and you need to tell the Lord Jesus what you have done, and then you will be happy again.”

Trevor hesitated but finally confessed that George had used the Lord’s name in vain. And then Trevor added, “I think I laughed!”

What a tender conscience Trevor had, and how his mother appreciated her son’s honesty. “Let’s pray about it, Trevor, and confess it to the Lord Jesus.” After this, Trevor was happy again.

Psalm 25:45 says, “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me.” Psalm 86:5 says, “Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive.”

ML-09/25/2005

Carried Out to Sea

High waves crashed along the sandy beaches of South Carolina. Up and down the coast, radios were broadcasting small-craft warnings, telling pleasure boaters of dangerous water conditions and high winds.

About then two teenage boys pushed a fourteen-foot sailboat through the surf and quickly jumped in. The boat had no sail, and the boys hadn’t brought a radio, flares, drinking water or any other gear that might help anyone find them. They planned to go only a short distance from shore. However, the ocean had other ideas. Unknown to the boys, they had launched their sailboat into a riptide. This is a strong, surface current flowing outward from shore.

The riptide and strong winds swiftly carried the boat out to sea. The boys tried with all their might to paddle against the current, but it proved too strong. Soon they were out of sight of land and had been carried out into the great ocean current called the Gulf Stream. This current flows from the Gulf of Mexico northeast to Scandinavia.

When the boys didn’t return home that night, their families contacted the Coast Guard, and immediately a “Search and Rescue” mission began. A Coast Guard computer specialist entered all the available information into a computer program that analyzed the wind and ocean currents and predicted the area where the boys would most likely be found. The Coast Guard searched this area with boats, planes and helicopters. Many private citizens also joined the search, which continued for five days. Each day that the boys were not found, the search area was enlarged, until finally it covered over a thousand square miles of ocean.

The families of the boys waited anxiously for news. On the sixth day they got word, but not what they wanted to hear. The Coast Guard Commander told them there was almost no chance of finding the boys alive, and the search was called off.

Do you know that God is searching for you? He has not called off His search, because He loves you. Perhaps you never realized that you are lost because of your sin. One leak can sink a great ship to the bottom of the ocean, and one sin is all that is needed to take a sinner to hell. To make a way for you to be saved from your sin, God sent His Son into the world: “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). If you don’t know Christ Jesus as the Saviour of sinners, you will continue to be lost. There is nothing you can do in your own strength to escape the results of sin. Just as the boys were unable to get back to shore by their own efforts, a sinner is unable to remove his guilt before God.

The Lord Jesus said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Seeking for you, He went all the way to the cross, where He died so that your sins can be forgiven. The Lord Jesus’ coming to earth and dying on the cross was all part of God’s “Search and Rescue” mission for lost sinners. His plan is all of love and kindness, for none of us deserve what He offers us freely as a gift. The moment you call out to the Lord Jesus in faith He will save you. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The sins which would have kept you out of heaven will be forgiven.

The Coast Guard gave up the search for the boys too early. Drifting on the ocean currents, they were still very much alive. The sun beat down on them throughout the day, burning their skin until it blistered. To find relief, they would jump in the water and swim near the boat. However, sharks were soon drawn to the swimmers, and the boys would have to climb quickly back on board.

Without water to drink, the boys were becoming very weak. Sometimes they would gargle using seawater to relieve the dryness in their mouths, but seawater is undrinkable, and they could not quench their thirst with it. They also became hungry. One of them caught a jellyfish and ate parts of it. The strange flesh eaten raw made him sick for a long time afterward.

For six long days the boys drifted on the ocean currents. Sometimes dolphins frolicked near them, and the sight of these playful creatures gave them hope that all might yet turn out well.

Late on the sixth day, one hundred and eleven miles away from where they started, a fishing boat named the Renegade spotted the boys and brought them on board. The teens were then transferred to a Coast Guard ship where they got medical attention and made happy telephone calls. When one of the fathers heard his boy’s voice on the phone, he shouted with joy, “It’s my boy! It’s my boy! He’s been found! He’s been found!”

The families of the missing boys rejoiced when they were found alive. Did you know that there is joy in heaven when a sinner repents and turns to God? “I say unto you, that . . . joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:7). Joy is what heaven is all about! Death and sadness abound in this old world, and joys seem few and hard to find. In heaven joys abound, and death and sadness will no longer exist. If you repent and turn to the Saviour, you will be on the road to heaven and will begin to taste some of the joys of the happy place to which you are going. Won’t you come to the Lord Jesus Christ? Don’t let another day pass before you let Him save you.

ML-10/02/2005

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: Snake in the Woodpile

Dear Children,

We have a fireplace at our house, and we burn about eight cords of firewood in it each winter. Let me tell you the size of a cord of stacked, cut firewood: It is about four feet high, four feet wide, and eight feet long. See if you can picture in your mind eight stacks of firewood that size . . . that’s a lot of firewood, isn’t it! But our winters are cold, and we keep cozy and warm with a fire burning in the fireplace.

Now all that firewood is in a big pile outside, and we carry it in and stack it in the barn to keep it dry. That’s a big job. Since I was recovering from an operation, Rylan came over to do the stacking for me. I sure was glad to have his help.

Before Rylan started to work, I warned him that he would probably find snakes in the woodpile. He looked at me with a grin on his face and said, “Yeah, sure, Grampa . . . I know your tricks!” Now Rylan is a big boy, seventeen years old and six feet tall, but I asked him anyway, “Are you afraid of snakes?”

He answered, “No, I’m not afraid of snakes.”

I knew he would find some in the woodpile, because they catch bugs, mice and whatever else lives in the woodpile. So Rylan brought out the wheelbarrow and got right to work moving the wood into the barn.

It wasn’t long before I heard a startling, loud yell! I ran out of the barn to see what had happened. Rylan was standing back from the woodpile and staring right at it. I said, “What’s wrong?”

He said, “Look . . . look at that big black snake!”

I said, “Where? . . . I can’t see a snake.”

So he took my arm and we walked closer to the woodpile. “There it is . . . can you see it now?”

I said, “Oh, yes, I see it. Boy, it’s a nice big one, isn’t it!”

Rylan said, “Yes, and I almost grabbed it. I thought it was just a piece of wood . . . until it moved!”

Then I said to him, “But you told me that you weren’t afraid of snakes! Why are you afraid of them now? You’ve got gloves on . . . go pick it up and get it out of here so we can finish piling the wood.”

He said, “No way, Grampa!” Well, by then the snake had moved over into the next pile of wood anyway, and we couldn’t see it anymore.

Now this snake (or serpent, as God calls them in Genesis 3:1) probably had been watching Rylan for some time. The devil, or Satan, is watching every move that we make, whether at home, at work, at school or at play. He is setting traps for each one of us, trying his very best to make us sin against God. And you know, children, when we sin, God writes it down in His book. We sometimes sing a song in Sunday school that reminds us,

He sees what we do, and He hears what we say,
My Lord is watching all the time.

That old serpent, the devil, tries to blind us to sin! Just as Rylan at first could not see that big snake, Satan whispers in our ear, “It’s okay to tell that lie . . . no one else will know it.” Or, “It’s okay to say that bad word . . . no one else will hear it.” Or, “It’s okay to take that . . . no one else will see you.”

WRONG! God knows it! God hears it! God sees it! And God writes it in His book! Genesis 16:13 says, “Thou God seest me.” Children, don’t ever forget those four words - “Thou God seest me.” Just four words, but they will help each one of us to stay away from sin. And so, because we have sinned, God has made a way to save us from our sins. We find this way in 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.” There’s another wonderful Bible verse in Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

And now some of you boys and girls are asking, “Grampa, did Rylan see any more snakes?”

Yes he did. I asked him how many he saw before he finished stacking all the wood, and he answered, “Tons of them!” Then he said, “But I never tried to pick up any more of them, because I know what they look like now!”

And so, children, if you know it’s a sin to do something, don’t do it! What are our four words again? That’s right! “Thou God seest me.”

Lots of love to each one of you,

Grampa

ML-10/09/2005

Joe's Plans

“Are you coming to my birthday?” little Joe asked us recently.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Joe. We live too far away.”

“Will you please come next year, then?” he asked sadly.

“We’ll see,” we answered.

Joe was asking everyone the same question. He thought his birthday was the most important event of the year. His life was totally centered on his upcoming birthday party. He even asked his dad, who was there every day, if he was coming to his party! Turning five years old is very special to a little boy or girl.

Then one day his mother told him that they would be away on vacation on his birthday. Little Joe burst into tears! This was too much of a disappointment! How could he handle this news?

His parents told him he would still have a party, but it would have to be before or after their vacation time. The next time we talked to Joe, we told him we would have a party for him when he came to visit us.

Now Joe was all happy again. Maybe his birthday was going to be fun after all. He just had to forget about the old plans and think about the new plans.

Romans 8:28 in the Bible says that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” Joe hasn’t had many disappointments in his young life so far, so he wasn’t very good at handling this one. God has a reason for every disappointment in our lives, even though we may not know the reason why until we get to heaven. But this much we do know, that God’s plans for us are the very best, because He loves us so very much.

“Hereby [we know] the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16).

ML-10/09/2005

"ISSUMAGIJOUJUNGNAINERMIK"

When Christian missionaries went to work among the Eskimos, they found that the Eskimo language did not have a word for forgiveness. Since forgiveness of sins is the reason Jesus came to earth to live and then to die on the cross, they needed a word for forgiveness. This is the word they came up with: ISSUMAGIJOUJUNGNAINERMIK. Can you pronounce it? It means, “Not to think about it anymore.” Because the Lord Jesus took the punishment for the sins of everyone who has trusted in Him to be their Saviour, their sins are gone - their record is wiped clean! And God doesn’t even think about those sins anymore! He says, “I will forgive their iniquity [sins], and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). True love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs, and God truly loves us.

When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, Peter asked Him, “Lord, how [often] shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? . . . seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Now seven is quite a few times to forgive someone who has hurt you, isn’t it? Peter must have thought so. But the Lord Jesus told him how many times we should forgive - “until seventy times seven” (vs. 22). Then Jesus told Peter a story.

A certain king had a servant who owed the king more money than he could ever pay. So the king ordered that the man, his wife, his children and everything he owned was to be sold so the payment could be made to the king. When the servant heard the king’s order, he fell down before the king and said, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay everything back. Instead, the king forgave the full amount the servant owed and let him go free!

You and I also have a huge debt that we could never pay ourselves. That debt is our giant load of sins. But the Lord Jesus went to Calvary’s cross and paid the debt for every sin for each person who will receive Him as their Saviour. He is willing to forgive you and me of every single one of our sins! He has already completely paid the price for those sins with His own blood. “We have redemption through [Jesus’] blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).

God wants us to accept His wonderful, free gift - to be washed completely clean of every sin in the blood of His beloved Son. In this way, by simply believing in the Lord Jesus, we are born into God’s family and become one of His children. Then He wants us to act like His children.

Do you want to be like Jesus? If you do, you must freely forgive others. If we continue to talk about or think about how others have hurt us, we have not really forgiven them. Remember the Eskimo word for forgiveness: ISSUMAGIJOUJUNGNAINERMIK, which means, “Not to think about it anymore.” God tells us in Ephesians 4:32, “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

ML-10/16/2005

A Trip to the Beaver Dam

The five children tumbled excitedly into the car. We were off to see the beaver dam. The sky was sparkling blue and the fall colors were at their best as we drove through the hilly, wooded New Brunswick countryside to the river where the beavers had their home.

The dirt road came to an end about an eighth of a mile from the water’s edge, and a footpath led us down to the low dock that jutted several feet out into the stream. We cautioned the children to be very quiet as they approached the dock and to walk as softly as possible. They tiptoed forward expectantly and were rewarded by seeing five sets of little buck teeth underneath five pairs of bright, dark eyes looking up from the water.

The dock was old, flimsy and slippery with wet, green moss. It was made of two long planks nailed together by cross boards underneath and secured to the land, but it had no support beneath the end that was over the water. As soon as we stepped on it, the far end began to sink, and with every step farther, it went a little lower into the water.

Because the dock was old and rickety, the rest of the family seemed to have no difficulty in seeing that it was wise to stay on the shore to watch the beavers. But five-year-old Emily was very anxious to get as close to them as possible.

“Please, Mummy, can’t we go out there?” she begged again.

Finally, I gave in and walked with her out on the dock, getting closer to the beavers that were only a few yards away. When we got as far as we could go without getting our shoes soaked, Emily carefully knelt down and started talking softly to the babies.

Now the mommy and daddy beaver climbed out of the water onto the top of their mud and stick house. They began running back and forth on their house and on their dam, and then they slid down into the water to swim alongside their babies, all the time watching us with wary eyes.

While the rest of us were watching the adult beavers, one of the babies had ventured close enough so that Emily felt she could reach out with her hand and pet him.

Immediately the father beaver gave a resounding slap on the water with his thick, flat tail!

Emily was so startled she jumped up and immediately slipped on the dock and right into the water! She was gasping from the shock of the cold water and looking up at me with pleading eyes that said, “Save me, Mummy!”

Do you think I decided to leave her there? No, not for one instant! I love her too much! And the Lord Jesus says, “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). If we feel our need, as little Emily did then, and look to Him, why, He will never leave us floundering in our sins until we sink down into the pit of hell. He loves us too much! He will lift us up at once, and we will feel the comfort of those everlasting arms that are underneath us to hold us from the moment we are saved until we’re safely home in heaven with our blessed Saviour.

Will you look to the Lord Jesus and be saved?

ML-10/16/2005

Squirrel Training

On the way to Sunday school, I saw an interesting and unusual sight. I was driving down a street through a neighborhood of homes and trees, when I saw a squirrel family about two hundred feet in front of me. There were two adult squirrels and one baby squirrel starting to cross the street. I slowed down and then stopped about twenty-five feet away from them.

The first adult squirrel made it safely across the street, but the baby squirrel stopped about halfway and looked at my car. The other adult squirrel, who was following the baby, stopped as well and then ran back the way it had come.

The first adult squirrel began making chattering noises to the baby from one side of the street, and the second adult squirrel made chattering noises to the baby from the other side. It seemed that both parents were warning the little fellow. What was the baby squirrel going to do?

The little squirrel suddenly turned and went back to the side he had started from. And then the first squirrel quickly ran after him but only after it watched my car to see that I wasn’t moving. I did not move the car until the squirrel family was together again. If the baby squirrel had not listened to the chattered warnings of his parents, he could have been hit, for there was another car behind me.

The squirrel parents seemed to be giving the little squirrel a training session. Some animals and birds do that with their young. Perhaps you have read how an eagle stirs up the nest and then pushes the baby eaglet out of the nest and off the ledge of a high cliff. If the baby starts to fall, one of the parents will swoop down underneath the eaglet to catch the young bird on the parent’s back. Then the parent carries the eaglet back to the nest. The baby is not yet trained enough to fly and needs more lessons.

Boys and girls, if God cares that much for the squirrel and the eagle, don’t you think He cares even more for you? John 3:16 begins with God’s love: “God so loved the world [you and me], that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He has your safety and security in mind, but you have a responsibility too. The little squirrel listened to his parent and turned and ran back to safety. And your responsibility is to listen and do what God says.

God loves you and has given you His book, the Bible, to tell you about His Son Jesus. God’s love and concern for you is so great that He sent Jesus to die for you so that you can have your sins forgiven. Will you do as God says and believe and accept the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour? “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

I thought about how much those squirrels are like us. Perhaps in squirrel language one parent was telling the baby what to do and the other was saying, “You heard your father - now do it!”

In God’s plan, your parents will guide and direct you in what is right and wrong and how you should live to please the Lord Jesus. God wisely says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). He also says, “Hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8).

Boys and girls, do you always obey your parents?

ML-10/23/2005

Blood, the Only Help

When Charlene first learned that she had a serious blood disease, she thought she would be able to overcome her illness without using the help that was available. She struggled on for a full year, but her condition only grew worse. Finally, she concluded that she would have to turn to the help her doctors had recommended-she would have to have a series of blood transfusions.

The blood for these transfusions comes from a blood bank. The blood bank gets its supply of blood from volunteers, people whose blood is carefully screened to be sure it is healthy blood. Receiving transfusions of healthy blood is the only help medical science has for Charlene’s blood disease. There is no cure, and Charlene was told that without blood transfusions her disease was a death sentence.

Some of us might think it strange that Charlene waited a whole year before turning to the only treatment that could prolong her life. She knew the disease was incurable and eventually would take her life. Why wait? . . . That’s a dangerous way to live. And yet, are you any different? God tells us in the Bible that you and I have an incurable disease. It is the disease of sin, and it also carries a death sentence - an eternal death sentence. “By one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for . . . all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). That’s very plain; we all have it. But there is something we can do about it.

Unlike Charlene’s disease, our disease of sin does have a cure. We have a God who loves each one of us. He knows all about this disease of sin and loves us too much to let it destroy us. He is the only one who could provide a cure, but it cost Him the death of His Son Jesus. Jesus had to die on Calvary’s cross and shed His blood for our cure. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). His blood can wash us clean from all our sin! Each one of us can have that cure right now by coming to Jesus in prayer, admitting that we are helpless to get rid of our sins and accepting the cleansing power of His blood to wash us clean.

Charlene has received seventy-seven blood transfusions and knows she would not be alive now without them. And God is offering you the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus for your sins, but it will do you no good until you receive it. Why wait? That’s a dangerous way to live when you know there is a cure waiting for you.

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

ML-10/23/2005

Terry's Run

In 1980 millions of people were touched by the courage and determination of a young Canadian man named Terry Fox. Although crippled by the terrible disease of cancer, he was determined to run from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Vancouver, British Columbia, to raise money for cancer research. A few miles east of Thunder Bay, Ontario, stands a very impressive monument marking the end of Terry’s “Marathon of Hope.” Anyone traveling the thousands of miles of hilly country between that point and St. John’s cannot help but be amazed at the courage and determination of this young man with an artificial leg. This year, 2005, the Royal Canadian Mint has minted a new dollar coin in Terry’s honor.

We can think back to others in the past who, through research and determination, conquered diseases such as tuberculosis, smallpox and polio. Although Terry was not able to finish what he set out to do, the millions of dollars that he raised have gone far in helping to find a cure for this disease.

There is, however, a disease far worse than cancer for which man’s research will never find a cure. Everyone has this disease, and it is fatal. It is called sin. But there is a cure provided by a loving God for anyone who will accept it. The determination of Terry Fox reminds us of the deep love and determination of the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross to provide a cure for the disease of sin. “He [Jesus] 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). A man would be foolish if a cure for cancer were found and he refused to accept it. But are you ignoring or refusing to accept God’s cure for the disease of sin? “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Have you accepted the cure?

ML-10/30/2005

Dog Versus Coyotes

Mike was an active little dog, in spite of the fact that he looked somewhat overfed. He guarded his territory, fearlessly chasing away any trespassing dog, cat or wild animal. The size of a trespassing animal didn’t bother him at all, for he was a brave little dog.

One day Mike chased a trespassing rabbit out of the yard and followed it into the surrounding brush. He barked fiercely as he trailed it. His master stood by, smiling at Mike’s scrappy spirit.

Suddenly the fierce barking changed to a frightened, shrill yelping. Moments later Mike tore out of the brush, raced across the yard and leaped for safety right up into his master’s arms.

At the edge of the yard appeared two coyotes who were hot on the trail of their next meal . . . so they thought. They backed off when they saw Mike’s master and slunk away to look for something else for dinner, maybe that rabbit that was out there in the brush somewhere.

Mike had left the safety of his master’s side. Chasing that rabbit took him beyond the safety of his boundaries and into an enemy’s territory. This mistake nearly cost him his life. But when trouble came, he knew that he would find safety in his master’s arms.

Those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour have a place of safety for their souls. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). We are safe only when we stay close to our Saviour. Satan is just like those coyotes - he is “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). But the Lord Jesus saves all who come to Him. He loves you and wants not only to save your soul, but to protect you and keep you safe. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Won’t you accept Him today as your Saviour? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

ML-11/06/2005

When to Talk to Strangers

Most parents take the time to teach their children not to talk to strangers, which is usually good advice. However, a time may come when a child is in danger, and a stranger might be the only person to turn to for help.

Brennan Hawkins, an eleven-year-old boy, had gone on an outing in the Rocky Mountains in Utah. Somehow he got separated from the group of boys and adult leader he was hiking with and wandered about lost in the mountains for four days. Four days is a long time to go without food and water. And there were other dangers - bears and cougars live in those mountains, and at night it gets very cold.

Many volunteers set out searching for the boy as soon as he was reported missing. Some rode horses, some rode off-road vehicles called quads, while others hiked. Brennan saw a couple of these searchers, but instead of calling out to them, he hid himself. To him they were strangers, and he had been taught to stay away from strangers. He didn’t know that these “strangers” were out in the wilderness searching just for him and only wanted to return him to his family.

Many people don’t understand that the Lord Jesus is seeking for them, to bring them the greatest blessings man can possibly receive from God. Instead, they see the Lord Jesus as a stranger and want nothing to do with Him. The Lord Jesus may be a stranger to you too, but what He really wants to do is save you from your sins. He can save you because He gave up His life on the cross for you. He was buried in a dark tomb where his body lay for three days. Early on the third day, He arose from the grave - a mighty victor over sin and death! His disciples saw Him, spoke with Him and ate with Him, and one of them was even invited to thrust his hand into the spear wound in the Lord Jesus’ side. After forty days of showing Himself to be alive in resurrection, He was taken up to heaven in plain sight of the disciples, and now - today - He is sitting at the right hand of God.

Jesus may be a stranger to you, but you are no stranger to Him. He knows every thought that goes through your mind and every feeling that passes through your heart. He also understands the greatest need of our hearts, which is to be loved by God and to have our sins forgiven.

Jesus wants you to come as a lost sinner and place your faith in Him to have your sins forgiven. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Once you have your sins forgiven through faith in the Lord Jesus, you can begin to know God’s wonderful love. Could anything be more wonderful than knowing your sins are forgiven and that God loves you with an unfailing love?

Brennan finally realized that he would need the help of a stranger to be rescued, because he was hopelessly lost. When he saw a man hiking on the trail, instead of hiding, he stepped out into the middle of the trail. The volunteer searcher, named Forest Nunley, first used his cell phone to report that he had found the boy and then sat him down and gave him water and food. Brennan’s mother cried for joy when she heard her boy was safe. After four days, his parents had almost given up hope that he would be found alive.

The Lord Jesus may seem to be a stranger to you, but won’t you call out to Him? He is your only hope of being saved from your sins. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). No one loves you like He does. Don’t consider Him as a stranger one more day . . . call out to Him right now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-11/06/2005

Tug-of-War

There were games and races for the children, but the biggest event at the picnic was the game called “tug-of-war.” A long rope was stretched across the grass, and a pocket handkerchief was tied in the very center of the rope. Then a line was chalked on the grass, and the handkerchief was placed exactly over the chalk line. After everyone was divided into two teams, each team grabbed one end of the rope. When the whistle blew, both teams began to pull on the rope, with each team trying hard to pull the handkerchief across the chalk line to win. It was a test of strength!

How those boys and girls and teenagers pulled! What energy they put into it! But the handkerchief did not move a single inch. Then some of the tuggers lay down on the ground so they could pull even harder. Every nerve, every muscle seemed to be strained as they pulled with all their strength. But the two sides were so evenly matched that the handkerchief didn’t move either way. It was impossible to tell which team would win.

The onlookers were shouting to the two teams, “PULL! PULL! PULL!” Then the boys and girls on one team gave one mighty tug, and the handkerchief was finally pulled across the chalk line! There was loud cheering for the winners!

After this game, one of the men had a message for all the children. “Today, boys and girls, I want to talk to you about another tug-of-war. The weight to be pulled is a human soul. It is your soul, boys and girls. You are the one who is being pulled in two directions, just like that handkerchief.

“And who are the tuggers? I myself have my hands on the rope, but there are other hands on the same side of the rope besides mine - each Bible lesson you hear, each hymn you sing, each prayer that is said, each danger you escape and each sickness too - each one gives you a pull towards the Lord Jesus who loves you. But so far you have not crossed that line to come to Jesus; you have not crossed the line which divides those who are saved from those who are not saved. Why are you so hard to move?

“Is it because there are other hands on the other side of the rope? Yes, other tuggers are pulling in the opposite direction. Each friend who doesn’t love Jesus, each selfish wish, each sinful thought or act - each one gives you a pull in the wrong direction, away from safety and away from the Lord Jesus. Satan, your enemy, has a great army of soul tuggers. The Bible warns, ‘ Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour’ (1 Peter 5:8).

“Don’t let Satan win that tug-of-war for your soul. If he wins, your life will end in a terrifying eternity in the lake of fire. Instead, will you let Jesus win your heart and soul? He not only loves you, He died for you and wants you to spend eternity with Him in that safe and happy place called heaven.”

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

ML-11/13/2005

Soda Pop Shower

Riding down the freeway with Grandma, six-year-old Larry held tightly to a cold, wet can of soda pop. Larry, his grandma, mother, brother and sister had been berry picking. It had been a hot day, and because they were all tired and thirsty, they had stopped to visit Aunt Margaret on the way home. She treated them to a cold drink of soda pop, a special new kind to Larry. He liked it so much that Aunt Margaret had given him an extra can just as they were leaving. He was bouncing happy! But when his mother heard him shaking his can of pop as hard as he could, she turned to tell him more about soda pop.

“Soda pop is not to be shaken. If you do, the fizzy bubbles will keep making more and more until they are all crowding to get out all at once. If you were to open it now, POP! they would explode all over you and the inside of the car. Now you will have to wait a long while so the bubbles can calm down.”

Larry seemed to understand. He began to complain if someone bumped his arm, and he even asked Grandma to try to “drive smoother” and not to hit so many bumps since it jiggled his pop.

Minutes later everyone jumped out of the car at Grandma’s house. No one noticed that Larry had slipped behind the car. Suddenly a loud POP! was heard. Whirling around they all saw a foamy fountain of soda pop spraying over Larry’s head and shoulders. It was so funny to see his look of surprise and shock! They all forgot their manners as they laughed and laughed. Poor Larry wanted to cry. He had not obeyed the warning, and now he knew, too late, that what his mother had said was true.

How many children, and grown-ups too, are disobeying the warnings from the Bible of hell and punishment for their sins? Jesus Himself tells us more about hell than anyone else in the Bible. Someday these people will know that they, like Larry, should have listened.

His mother tried to clean up Larry a little before they started home. “I’m so embarrassed, Mommy,” he whispered. “Please don’t tell Daddy!”

Sin is like a stain too, but it is a stain on the heart rather than the soda pop stain on Larry’s clothes. It can never be hid from God and must be punished by Him as well. But God, who knew all our sins, laid them on the Lord Jesus and punished Him so that those who believe in Him will not be punished. “Christ . . . who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2124). There is a heart cleansing for you that will make you so clean and pure that even God cannot find one spot. But you must tell the Lord Jesus that you need and want His cleansing. A gift is not yours until you take it. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Larry went home smelling like the vanilla in the creme soda, but God’s sin cleansing is complete!

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

ML-11/13/2005

Message from the Sky

The airplane dropped through the hot Mexican sky and flew low over the sleepy village. The loud buzzing noise made nine-year-old Panchito afraid, and he ran outside to see the first airplane he had ever seen. Suddenly a white cloud burst from the plane. Was it smoke? The white cloud quickly broke up into a thousand pieces as the wind scattered the little papers. On flew the little plane, apparently just fine.

Others also noticed the little papers fluttering downward over the fruit gardens on the edge of town. Panchito forgot his fear and joined the other children as they squealed and laughed, running through the fields to pick up as many of the little papers as possible.

The picture on the front is very interesting, Panchito thought. I wonder what the words say? His parents had died, and since he had never been to school, he could not read. He knew who must help him. He ran to her house.

Grandmother sat down beside him and read the touching story of God’s love for sinners, of how the Lord Jesus died on the cross and about heaven and hell. This was a new message, and it was very different from the religious superstition and witchcraft that Panchito had always heard in his town.

One man was very upset when he read the papers. He frowned and spoke angrily to the people. “Bring me all of these papers. Come and we’ll burn these lies in the town square.”

The adults fearfully and quietly handed their papers over and carefully collected them from the children. But Panchito was interested in the stories and Bible verses in the papers and tried to save them to be read another day.

Tucking his papers inside his shirt, Panchito took the shortest way home and quickly slipped his treasure under his straw sleeping mat. Then he joined the other children in the town square where they watched the papers flame up. The smoke and ashes rose into the sky as some men said bad things about the people who had dropped the messages of God’s love from the airplane.

The curious Panchito often brought out his hidden papers and secretly had somebody read to him. What is wrong with these words? he wondered. The paper explained how that God’s Word, the Bible, teaches that God loved the world so much that He gave His beloved Son to die for our sin. Was there something wrong with such words? Were they not true?

The paper talked about sins. Panchito felt bad as he thought about some of the swear words he had used that week. He had learned in church that stealing was sin. So were bad thoughts and disobedience. This seemed to be the bad news that the paper talked about. But apparently the Bible said that God had done something about sin. The verse from the Bible was beautiful: “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).

Many years passed as Panchito sometimes thought about those important words. The papers had long ago become dirty and frayed, and he had finally lost them. In 1991, as he walked across the main plaza in town, he was handed a gospel tract. At home his daughter read it to him. He was surprised. “This is like the message that came from the sky at my village fifty years ago.”

The next day he went to the place where the man was speaking about God. Panchito had never heard anybody read from the Bible before, but he recognized the message.

The preacher asked, “Do you know that the Bible tells us that we have all sinned?” Panchito nodded his head. He knew this. He had read this in his paper from the sky. The preacher read John 5:24: “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.” Panchito could hardly sit still. He had also read this message. SO, it was true! SO, it was in the Bible!

As he walked toward the preacher, Panchito thought, This is the same message I read in a paper when I was a child. This message is true. I am a sinner and I know that God sent His Son Jesus into the world so I can be saved and forgiven of all my sin. I receive and believe this message right now, and I must thank God for saving me.

Not only did Panchito welcome the Lord Jesus, but his wife, four of his children and some of his grandchildren also received the message of the Saviour and were saved. In order to read more of the Bible on his own, Panchito learned how to read, even though he was not a young man.

Perhaps the message of the Bible has not come to you from an airplane. Perhaps you have the Bible in your hand or nearby. The message is the same - we have sinned. God did send His Son Jesus into our world to pay for our sins. He was sinless, but He suffered as though my sins were His. God offers us the gift of eternal life and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It’s a message from the sky -from heaven. It’s for the heart. Have you received it?

ML-11/20/2005

A One-Word Way to Heaven

“Who can tell me in one word the way to get to heaven?” the Sunday school teacher asked her four- and five-year-olds. Several hands went up.

“Okay, Peggy?”

“Sunday school,” replied Peggy promptly.

“What do you say, Megan?”

Megan suggested, “Praying,” and Lisa added, “Being good.” But not one of those answers was the correct answer the teacher was waiting for.

Then small, dark-eyed Alison shyly put up her hand and whispered, “Jesus.”

“Not by works of righteousness [good things] which we have done, but according to His [Jesus’] mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

ML-11/20/2005

Squirrel Paths

Our next-door neighbor began feeding the few squirrels that played around in our yards. One was really tame, and our neighbor would even feed it in her house! Little did she know that she soon would have an army of squirrels! News must travel fast among squirrels, because more and more began coming for her handouts.

Not only did the squirrels eat her nuts but everything in sight. They even helped themselves to anything they wanted in our gardens.

To our amazement, we noticed that the squirrels always came from the same directions toward our neighbor’s house. Some crossed our front yard and some crossed our backyard. We also noticed distinct paths starting to appear! They were squirrel paths, and each day they became easier to see until soon all the grass was gone and the paths were bare earth.

You and I are following paths in our lives. These well-worn paths are the popular paths of sinful pleasures. Sadly, they only lead downward to a lost eternity. If you are following these paths of sinful pleasures today, won’t you stop and turn around before it is too late? Turn to Christ Jesus today and follow the path of happiness that ends in His heavenly home. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

Those of us who have accepted Christ as our Saviour should be seeking to follow the paths that would please Him. A good verse for us to memorize is Psalm 25:4: “Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths.”

ML-11/27/2005

Ivy

As we traveled through England, we were interested to see that many trees were being slowly overgrown with ivy. It was a lovely sight to see big trees in full leaf with their trunks thickly covered with ivy leaves. However, among the ivy-covered trees there always seemed to be a few in different stages of dying. We noticed one tall trunk without a single branch. It had been a stately tree but was now just an ivy-covered post. Others had a few remaining branches without any leaves of their own or had leaves only at the end of their ivy-covered branches. Finally, we understood what was happening. The ivy, beautiful as it was, was slowly but surely killing these trees, whether they were mighty oaks or stately ash.

It seemed to us that the simple answer to the problem was to cut the ivy roots at the base of the tree so the ivy would die. But a closer look showed us our answer wasn’t as easy as we thought. We saw a maze of thick, tough vines with an iron grip on the tree with roots spreading in every direction, sucking moisture from the soil and robbing the tree of its life-giving water, until eventually the tree died. It would take much hard work to save a tree and free it from the grasp of its enemy.

Sin is just like that ivy. Sin unchecked will grow and grow, until it eventually takes over and finally destroys. The mighty oak might laugh at the tender little ivy stem starting out at its base, but the ivy will always have the last laugh, for the tree will surely die. Sin pays death as its wages, and sin will destroy just as certainly as ivy destroys. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But there is good news! The last half of Romans 6:23 tells us, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” God, who is rich in mercy and loved us even when we were in the cruel chains of sin, can break those chains that have an iron grip and free us-freedom to live and grow as He intended. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). If the tree refused to allow a man to cut and tear away all the ivy, then it would be doomed to die. But if the tree could admit that it was going to die unless the man saved it and let the man cut away the ivy, the tree would live. The Lord Jesus Christ is able to set the sinner free from his sins and will release all who come to Him. Have you been set free?

ML-12/04/2005

Where Can God See?

“Can God see us in our house?” asked three-year-old David as he looked at the star-filled sky above him. His grandmother had just reminded him of his Sunday school memory verse: “Thou God seest me.”

“Yes, He can,” said Grandmother. “And He can even see us at night.”

“But we close the curtains on our windows at night” was David’s reply.

David’s grandmother patiently explained how God can see everything we do, He can hear everything we say, and He knows everything we think. So there is no hiding from Him. Children are not the only ones who think it is possible to hide from God. Teens and grown-ups both sometimes think this way about their sins. But God has said, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). God does not want us to try to hide from Him but to admit our sins to Him. “He that [covers] his sins shall not prosper: but whoso [confesses] and [forsakes] them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

ML-12/11/2005

S.O.S.

A customer named Don came into my auto shop to get an estimate to repair his car. A week later when he came back, I noticed that he was very quiet. Something had happened to him, and he told me the following story.

“Last Sunday morning I wanted to go for a boat ride. I told my wife that I was going to be on Lake Washington. I said good-bye to her and drove to where I kept my boat. It was such a beautiful day that I decided to go out through the locks into Puget Sound. I had filled the tanks with gas, so I knew I had enough fuel to last all day. I was having a good time, enjoying the sunshine and the breeze, until suddenly in the middle of the afternoon the engine stopped. What could be wrong? I looked in the gas tank and found that it was totally empty! Where had all the gas gone? I still don’t know and I can’t explain it.

“Now what? I wondered. There were many other boats around. Surely someone would be able to help me. I waved and called and waited. But nobody answered or even saw me.

“Evening was coming on and I was drifting northward, and still no one helped me. I blinked my little flashlight over and over with the SOS distress code, but no other boats answered my call for help. Now I was becoming scared.

“Nobody knew where I was, because I had told my wife I was going to be on Lake Washington. She wouldn’t think of telling anyone to look for me in Puget Sound.

“Night had come, and the wind was pushing me farther and farther out towards the open ocean. No one would ever find me there. I thought about my wife and family. I thought about my sins. I thought about God. I thought about leaving this world in a watery grave. I was afraid, and I started to pray.

“That night God was searching my soul. I drifted in the dark, hour after hour, feeling the waves and seeing nothing. Finally the morning light came, but the sun was dimmed by a mist. My chance of being seen and rescued seemed hopeless. I cried to God, ‘Have mercy on me.’

“It was the second day. I prayed and again thought over my life, because I thought I would soon meet God. I drifted, far from land with no boats in sight. Afternoon came, and finally I saw a small ship. I signaled with my flashlight, SOS, SOS, SOS. The ship continued on its course . . . and my heart sank.

“As I watched the ship, at last I saw it make a turn toward me. They had seen my call for help! They picked me up and pulled my boat into Port Angeles, a safe harbor.

“I called my wife and told her I was safe. I also told God that I was thankful that He had saved me from a watery grave. I wasn’t a believer in God when I went out, but I am now.”

Don’s story brings Psalm 107:2331 to my mind: “They that go down to the sea in ships . . . these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. . . . He . . . raiseth the stormy wind. . . . Their soul is melted because of trouble. They . . . are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. . . . Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

Don was saved from a life-threatening emergency, but I must ask the question, “Did he ever accept the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour?” God is the Saviour of all men in many ways. Don was saved from death in the ocean, but to be saved for heaven he must accept the Lord Jesus as his very own Saviour. I hope his belief in God is not just for answering his prayer for help, but for eternal salvation by believing that the Lord Jesus suffered and died for his sins. This is the only way Don can know that his sins are forgiven and that he is on his way to heaven.

“We have redemption through [Jesus’] blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

ML-12/11/2005

When Deer Eat Junk Food

Do you like junk food? Things like potato chips and taco chips, French fries, doughnuts, and candy? They all taste good, don’t they? But they certainly aren’t healthy food for our bodies.

Do you know what else likes junk food? The mule deer that live in Grand Canyon National Park. They eat the junk food left by visitors, and some visitors actually hand-feed chips and candy to the deer. The park rangers say the deer really like the junk food, and that once they get a taste of it they can’t resist it. After they’ve eaten a certain amount, they get hooked on the stuff, and it is harmful to them. Their bodies lose the natural ability to digest vegetation, their normal food that God has provided for them.

The park rangers found some of the deer in very poor health and nearly starving, with no hope of recovery. So they had to do away with two dozen of them. All because of junk food.

There are other kinds of junk food too - for our eyes and ears. This junky stuff is found in comic books, magazines, television, videos, radio and the Internet. Sometimes just a little taste of this unhealthy junk food gives our eyes and ears an appetite for more. Satan will gladly feed us all we want. The more we see, hear and read, the more we crave, and it is so harmful. Soon we no longer want what is healthy and good for our eyes and our ears and our hearts. We can become just like those deer, hooked on junk of this world that causes poor health and starvation of our souls.

Christian boys and girls, beware of Satan’s junk food. Just one taste can soon turn into an unhealthy habit. Satan knows this, and that’s why he makes it so appealing. The Bible gives some excellent instruction to help us: “Submit yourselves . . . to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the [boy and girl] that [trusts] in Him” (Psalm 34:8). “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

ML-12/18/2005

"Boo," the Orphaned Baby Orca

“There goes Boo!” an excited girl said, pointing over the railing of the Vashon Island ferryboat. Other people soon crowded the edge of the boat to catch a glimpse of the black and white baby orca swimming in the blue water not too far away. Frequent riders on the ferryboat had given the orca the nickname of “Boo,” which stands for baby orphan orca. What a baby she was! She was a year old, twelve feet long and weighed close to one thousand pounds. Even though she was so big, she still was a baby and needed looking after by a mother and relatives.

It had been several weeks since she swam alone into the area. Her mother must have died, and she had somehow gotten separated from her pod of orcas. Now she was struggling to find food to stay alive. Biologists who had approached the baby orca had said the bad odor of her breath was a sign of ill health. She also had patches of flaky skin and looked malnourished.

Many people wanted to help the orphan. They didn’t want this beautiful creature to waste away and die. They also didn’t want her to have to live in captivity in an aquarium. It had never been tried before, but the biologists decided to try to return the orphan to her pod, over four hundred miles away. They hoped an adult whale from her orca family might adopt her.

Without help, the baby orphaned orca would die. Maybe you never considered yourself an orphan, but any soul who has not been saved by believing in the Lord Jesus is very much an orphan. If you have not placed your faith in the Son of God, you are still in your sins and cannot in your heart know God as your Father. Anyone like this might be called a spiritual orphan. Boo was in trouble and in danger of perishing, and every soul outside of Christ is in danger of perishing in a real sinners’ hell. If the Lord Jesus is not your Saviour, will you look at your danger and turn to Him who is waiting to save you? “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).

The moment a person believes that the Lord Jesus died for their sin, the blood that was shed on the cross washes them clean, and the Holy Spirit comes into their hearts and makes them a child of God, and He becomes their Father. “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). How wonderful it is when a soul comes to Christ and learns of the Father’s love!

Boo also had another name. Biologists keep a close watch on the orcas in the Pacific Northwest. When a new baby is born, they give it a number as well as a name. Boo’s number was A73, and they had named her Springer. They could also identify which orca pod she belonged to, because each pod makes a different chirping sound when they swim. Springer belonged to Apod, which spent a good part of the year off the west coast of Canada in Johnstone Strait.

After weeks of swimming alone, the time to rescue the baby whale finally arrived. Men in a rowboat coaxed Springer into a fish pen. Enclosed in the fish pen, biologists fed her a steady diet and gave her medicine to make her healthy. Being well cared for, she rapidly put on a hundred pounds.

Springer spent a month in the pen growing stronger. At last the whale experts decided she was healthy enough to make the journey to her birth pod. Men in wet suits jumped into the water and guided her into a type of sling. She was hoisted onto the deck of a waiting boat and placed in a tank of water. The fast-traveling boat carried the whale the many miles up the coast of Canada to the Johnstone Strait. The trip took over fourteen hours.

Upon reaching the strait, Springer was lowered into another spacious pen that was stocked with salmon especially for her. She was there only a few days when she heard the chirping sound of her birth pod of whales. She became so excited that she leaped out of the water and loudly chirped back. The pod of whales was curious and swam closer.

The biologists figured that if ever there was going to be a good time to release Springer, it was now. Would she be accepted? There was only one way to find out . . . they opened the gate and the baby orca quickly swam out.

For a few days her acceptance was in doubt. Springer seemed to follow the group of orcas from a distance. Sometimes when she would see a boat, she seemed to remember the kindness shown to her by humans and followed the boat instead.

Then everything changed for the better. A mature female orca without a calf of her own seemed to adopt Springer. They were seen swimming together, and once the female was seen scolding Springer when she approached too close to a boat.

Everybody was happy when they saw that Springer was accepted by her birth pod of whales and even had one especially caring for her. She will likely grow up to be a wild orca, swimming with her pod along the Pacific Coast. This is what God had designed for her.

God didn’t make you to be a spiritual orphan either. He made you that you might know and enjoy His love and be part of His family. In order for you to become one of His children, you must believe on the Lord Jesus and His sin-cleansing blood shed for you. You don’t have to worry about finding acceptance with God. A believer’s acceptance is all because of what the Lord Jesus has done.

Would you like to become part of God’s family and have the promise of a home in heaven? The Lord Jesus has already paid the price on the cross that God requires for a sinner to become one of His children. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “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-12/25/2005

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: Three Boys and a Bag of Money

Dear Children,

This letter will be a bit different from my other letters, because what I am going to write to you about took place about seventy miles from here. Gramma and I read about this in our newspaper, and she said I should tell you this story. So here is what happened . . .

A man was taking $15,000 in a money bag to deposit at the local bank. On his way he stopped at a fast-food restaurant to have a hamburger and a cup of coffee. When he left the restaurant, he forgot to pick up the money bag that he had set down beside him!

Horrors! How could he possibly forget something like that! It’s hard to believe, but he did. When he went back and found it was gone, he said he felt like he was having a heart attack. When he told his wife, he kept saying, “There is no God; there is no God.” But his wife said to him, “It will be found!”

So what do you think happened to that bag of money? Now, don’t read the end of the letter to find the answer, because I want to tell you what happened.

Shortly after the man left the restaurant, three teenage boys went into the very same restaurant and sat in the very same seat where the man had sat. They saw this bag, picked it up and walked out to the parking lot, and then opened it up. They saw money! Lots of it!

Now, what will they do with it? Keep it? or give it back?

I have a question for each one of you right now. What would you have done with it? Be honest now.

Before I tell you what the boys did with all that money, let me tell you about four men in the Bible who had the terrible disease of leprosy and what happened to them. (I hope you’ll read this story for yourself in 2 Kings, chapter 7.) Nobody wanted anything to do with lepers because the disease can spread to others, and a person with the disease dies a very slow death.

The city where these four lepers lived was surrounded by their enemies, and the people in the city were slowly starving to death. But one day God told them that the very next day they would have lots of food to eat. However, the people did not believe Him. But what God says is always true, and that very night the Lord God made a noise so loud that the enemies who surrounded the city thought a great army was coming and that they all would be killed! So, in the darkness they all ran as fast as they could. They left everything behind so that they could run even faster.

Now these four leprous men were starving as well. The lepers said, Our enemies have lots and lots of food, and we’re dying of hunger. Maybe they will have mercy on us and give us food . . . or they may kill us. Either way, we are going to die.

So the lepers left the city. But to their great surprise, there were no enemy soldiers out there! God had chased them all away, just like He said He would! Now everything the enemy left behind was theirs!

The joyous lepers started to hide the money and to hide the food . . . until one of them said, This is wrong! All the people in the city are dying, and there is enough food here to feed everyone!

So the four lepers ran back into the city and told the king, The enemy is gone! There is lots of food out there that the enemy left behind! So the city and the people were saved!

“Okay, Grampa, we’ll read the story ourselves. Now, what about the boys and the bag of money?”

First of all, the three teenagers knew it was wrong to keep the money. I would like to think that they had learned from the Bible that God says, “Ye should do that which is honest” (2 Corinthians 13:7). They should give the money back to the owner.

So off to the police station the three boys went along with their parents. The true owner was found! The owner was so happy with the boys’ honesty that he hugged them and thanked them over and over. Then because of their honesty in returning the money, he gave each one of the boys a very large gift of money.

The owner was happy, the police were happy to meet three honest boys, and the parents were very happy that their sons had done what was right. Now then, maybe the owner who had said, “There is no God; there is no God,” changed his mind and was saying, “There is a God; there is a God!” I hope so. Don’t you?

As for Gramma and me, we got to thinking about a gift that God has given us, and it is priceless! All the money in the world cannot buy it! God has given this gift to us through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son! Listen to these words: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). What a gift! Do each of you children have it?

Lots of love,

Grampa

P.S. Don’t forget to read 2 Kings, chapter 7.

ML-01/09/2005

Korah Swallowed by the Ground

Why did Moses become the great leader of Israel in Bible days? Because God chose him and trained him ever since he had been a baby. Then, when he was eighty years old God gave him his important leadership assignment.

Korah didn’t like it that Moses was the leader, and he told Moses, We are important too! Moses, you take too much leadership! And Korah talked about it so much that he persuaded others to join him in complaining.

Do you understand Korah’s feeling? Perhaps you think Dad takes too much leadership in your home. But remember, it was God who put dads in positions as heads of families. If you are a complainer, you will drag others with you until there is open rebellion against God’s authority!

That’s what Korah did. Others joined him, and when Moses called them, they answered, We will not come up!

Then Moses ordered a test before the Lord. Korah and his two hundred fifty men were to come together and bring their censers with burning incense in them before the Lord. God answered by showing His glory for all of them to see. Then He told Moses and his brother Aaron to get away, and He would immediately destroy the rebellious gathering.

But here is something strange. Moses and Aaron did not hurry away to safety for themselves. They got down and prayed, and the Lord spoke again: Go and tell the people to get away from the tents of these wicked men! Don’t touch anything of theirs!

This time Moses obeyed at once and told the Lord’s message to the people. Now they all had their opportunity to get away from the tents of those wicked, rebellious men. If they believed that God would truly punish this rebellion, they had a chance to escape. And many of the people listened to Moses and did escape.

Moses gave one last warning, and then the earth split apart and swallowed the rebellious men with their households, and they went down alive into the pit, and the others fled at the cry of them. Then fire came from God and destroyed the two hundred fifty men who had offered incense.

There was rebellion and warning and judgment. It is just the same today, and that is why God has recorded this account for us in the Bible in Numbers 16. It is a warning that there is judgment for sin. Maybe this is your last warning! Read it for yourself and remember that God has not changed. There is a way of escape today, but no promise for tomorrow. John 3:16 tells us of that way of escape that is offered to you today: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

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

ML-01/30/2005

Elijah and the Ravens

They were big black ravens - birds that are bigger than crows, with almost the same coloring and with the same hoarse “Caw, caw!”

Have you ever heard them? They are smart birds and soon learn the ways of men. They can steal the clothespins off your clothesline. Like crows, they like small objects that are shiny, and, if you’re not careful, they will spread their great wings and fly away with that pretty ring that you set down for a moment. They will even sit on top of the funniest scarecrow when they find it is harmless.

Why do most people dislike ravens? Because they like to eat the eggs of songbirds and will quickly peck into a dozen ripe apples without really eating one. And why does God call them unclean birds? Because they also feed on dead creatures killed on the road. Anything will do for a hungry raven.

In our Bible story today, the ravens were hungry. There had been no rain, and so there was no ripe fruit or grain in the fields. Maybe there were animals who had died of starvation, and that would be food for ravens, but the pickings were poor.

God cared about this matter of no crops, and He could have sent rain, but He didn’t. God wanted the people to look up to Him. Their looking only to themselves was self-pleasing and sin, including all the sorrow that goes with it. God says, “Look unto Me . . . all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22). God did not give ravens the power to think about their Creator, but you can. Will you look up to God now? All our supplies come from God Himself.

Where Elijah lived they had no rain either and nothing to eat. But Elijah knew God, and he had love in his heart for God’s people. He suffered from hunger just as they did.

God said to Elijah, “Hide thyself by the brook Cherith,” and Elijah obeyed. There was water there, and he drank. But what about dinner? God had also told him that the ravens would bring him food, so it was no surprise to see those great black wings flapping in the sky as the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and more bread and meat in the evening.

Ravens don’t act like that, but God can do anything. He has ordered that birds should fly from warm southern countries to make their nests in the north. So they come, every year, without fail. The ravens obeyed Him too. They brought that food to Elijah every day, without fail. That’s how powerful our God is.

Did you know that the same God sent His Son to die for you? And while He was here on earth, the heavens opened for God to say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And not only that, but because Jesus died for us sinners, God can take you right up to where Jesus is in heaven and make you happy to be there! That’s how powerful and how loving our God is.

The ravens had no thought of refusing what God told them to do. God did not give them the power to make a choice. But you can. You are a sinner who has sinned against God, but He still loves you and gave His Son Jesus to be the Saviour for you. He offers you forgiveness of your sins and eternal life through the death and shed blood of His beloved Son. Will you accept Jesus as your Saviour? Or will you refuse Him and suffer the eternal consequences for your choice? “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Elijah enjoyed his food until the brook dried up, and then God took care of him another way. Would you like to read about it? Read the account from the Bible in 1 Kings 17.

ML-02/27/2005

Elijah and the Widow

Do you know the story of Elijah who stayed by the brook and the ravens brought food to him? Because there had been no rain, he stayed there until the brook became a trickle, and soon there was no water left to drink. He might have made a little plan for himself, but he waited for God’s plan, and that’s the wisest thing to do for every decision we face in life.

God told him, Arise, go to Zarephath, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.

Now this did not seem like a good plan. Poor widows in a time of famine can’t feed anybody. But God can, and with Him it was no problem. It is impossible for a person to give you the breath of life, and it is impossible for a person to take away your sin. But God can! He has given His Son to take our sin upon Himself when He died on Calvary’s cross. The only problem is in the sinner who will not come to Him. Won’t you come and see?

Elijah went to Zarephath, and there was the widow at the city gate, stooping to gather a few dry sticks, and I’m sure there were plenty of dry sticks around. Please, called Elijah, may I have a little water in a cup? And the widow went at once to get it for him, though I’m sure water was scarce. Bring me a bit of bread in your hand, he added.

As the Lord your God lives, she said, I don’t have a cake, but only a handful of flour in a barrel and a little oil in a jar. I am gathering two sticks to make a little fire and one little pancake so that my son and I may eat it, and then we will die.

She had very little. But Elijah had a promise from God, and the widow had faith to believe it, and that made her very rich.

Elijah told her, Go and make me a little cake first and bring it to me, and after that make one for you and your son. And now came the promise: The bin of flour shall not be used up, and neither shall the jar of oil go dry, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.

Making a cake out of flour and oil was something that she did every day for herself and her son, but now will she take her last handful of flour and the last of her oil to make a cake for God’s messenger? Would God’s promise hold true that she would not run out of either flour or oil?

Can you and I do the same? Can we make our everyday duties an act of true faith in the God who is in control of all things?

Yes, the promise came true -each day there was flour in the bin and oil in the jar. The family’s needs for food were supplied one day at a time, until the Lord sent rain upon the earth.

This promise was for one widow only, and maybe her neighbors went hungry, but God’s promise today is for anybody. God says, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17), and the word “whosoever” includes you. But are you choosing to leave yourself out because you don’t believe God’s promise?

Now the widow had one more thing to learn. God had another miracle that only He is able to do. Her son became sick, very sick, until he stopped breathing. Who could she turn to for help?

She called to the man of God -Elijah. She knew she was a sinner, and now that death had come to her son, her conscience made her afraid. It was God who had power not only to keep her flour and oil from running out, but to restore the life of her son too. It is good for us to remember this.

Why had this happened? Elijah was puzzled too, but he did not turn away. Give me your son, said Elijah, and he carried the child up to his room and laid him on his own bed. He stretched himself out upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to life.

Yes, the Lord heard Elijah’s prayer. The child’s soul came back to life, and Elijah took him to his mother.

The widow said, Now I know that you are a man of God, and the word of the Lord that you speak is true.

The Bible tells us about an even more wonderful resurrection. Our Jesus rose from the dead! And when He returns to give the great shout in the sky, those who belong to Him, whether dead or alive, will rise at once to meet Him in the air.

Do you believe that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and if you are His, that you also will rise to meet Him? “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).

You may read this story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17.

ML-03/20/2005

David and the Young Egyptian

“Come on . . . keep up with the crowd!”

Maybe you have felt that you have the same problem too. Is somebody always saying, “Faster, faster!” or “Hurry up!” if you lag behind a little?

That’s how this young man of Egypt felt that day. He was a servant to an Amalekite, and it had been an exciting day for the Amalekites. They had robbed David’s city of Ziklag while he and his men were gone. They took the families as prisoners and finished up by burning the whole place down. Maybe the young man enjoyed the adventure, but they all knew they had no right to do what they had done and that David and his men would be angry when they found out. They also knew that they must get away fast! This was no time for stragglers!

But the young Egyptian did not like the running away part, because he felt sick. And finally he was just too sick to keep up with the Amalekites any longer, so they left him behind.

At the same time, David had some men who couldn’t travel any longer as they chased after the Amalekites who had taken their families as prisoners. David left those men beside the brook Besor where they could safely rest until he could return for them again. But not so with the Amalekites. They said, Just leave that Egyptian in the field. Who cares about him?

Maybe you know that feeling, when you’ve been left out because you couldn’t keep up with the gang. So who cares?

God cares. He sent this problem into your life so that you could learn about His loving heart. He understands the heartache, and He knows the cause. The trouble with that young Egyptian was that he was on the wrong side! He was not on God’s side, and God is the One who wins, because all the earth is His. He sent His beloved Son to die for sinners like you and me, because He cares!

The young Egyptian was left in the field without a drop of water or a crumb of food. Three days and three nights he lay in the field, until the sound of footsteps alerted him. David’s men had found him, and they brought him to David. They saw that his immediate problem was hunger and thirst. And they quickly gave him bread, water, raisins and figs, and then he felt much better.

David asked at once who he belonged to. And the young Egyptian told the whole truth, that he was an Egyptian and a servant to an Amalekite. He told the complete story of what they had done to the city of Ziklag, even though he knew how invaders were treated.

Can you bring me down to this company? asked David. Yes, he could do this, but he wanted to be sure that David knew that he was now on David’s side. Promise not to give me back to my old master, he pleaded.

Our God will never give you back to the slavery of the world’s service once you belong to Him. Never! Do you think that when Jesus has bought you with His precious blood shed on the cross that He will ever let you go? If you think so, then you don’t know Him. Read the Bible daily and see how much He loves you. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son [Jesus] to be the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

It is not hard to guess the rest of the story. David found the Amalekites having a party with the stolen stuff, and he rescued all their beloved wives and children and everything that had been stolen, and he destroyed the wicked invaders.

Our God has not changed. He is still waiting for you to know His loving heart. There is no need to continue to serve your old master, Satan, whom you have tried so hard to please. This world and Satan have nothing to give you except that which has been stolen from the Creator. Our God is over everything, and our Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He lovingly still holds out His nail-pierced hands to you. Will you switch sides and come to Him now?

You may read this story for yourself in 1 Samuel, chapter 30.

ML-04/10/2005

A Story About Jesus

The stories of Jesus are full of surprises. Maybe you have read many storybooks that have surprises, but no one ever wrote a story like this one. It is from the Bible, so it is all true!

When Jesus was a boy, He lived in Nazareth with His parents and brothers and sisters. There were five boys in the family, and Jesus was the oldest. We don’t know how many sisters He had, because the Bible doesn’t tell us. When He was about thirty years old, Jesus went to live in Capernaum, but then He returned to Nazareth where He had been brought up. He went to the usual place of worship and stood up to read.

What book would He read? The Scriptures, of course. It is the only book to show us the way to God. The attendant gave Him an old book - a scroll of Isaiah - and He read the wonderful words from chapter 61, “He hath sent Me to [heal] the brokenhearted.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if some doctor lived near you who could heal the brokenhearted? Someone who could also open blind eyes to see and set prisoners free? There was Someone right there in Nazareth who could do all those things, and all for free. It was Jesus, the very person who was reading to them. They enjoyed the message and His gracious words of hope.

Then Jesus reminded the listeners of the days of hunger long ago when God had sent Elijah to a Gentile country to a widow who received from God enough food to feed Elijah and her family too. And He reminded them of Naaman, that poor army captain of a Gentile country who had leprosy and was healed completely through Elisha. Those were miracles, but that was not the way they wanted it. Those miracles to Gentiles hurt their religious pride, and they were furious with Jesus for reminding them.

God tells you the same message today. Never mind where you were born or your pride in your religion. Religious or not, God wants to save you, no matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus wants to save you so much that He died for you. Does this make you happy? or angry? or do you say, “Who cares?”

The crowd that day decided to get rid of Jesus. Their plan was to take Him to the top of a cliff and throw Him over it. Perhaps you have another way to be rid of Him - just leave Him out of your life, and out of books, and out of schools, and out of Sundays. Whatever your plan is, it won’t work because Jesus loves you, and He wants to save you from your sins right now. After you leave this life, you are going to meet Him, either as your Saviour or as your Judge.

The crowd took Jesus to the hilltop that day, but He passed right through the middle of them and went on His way. They could not destroy Him then, for God’s plan was that Jesus must die on the cross for sinners, and the crowd could not change God’s plan. Jesus’ love took Him to the cross to be the Saviour for you and me today.

About a year later, Jesus returned to Nazareth. They were amazed at His wisdom and His wonderful works, because they said that He was just the carpenter’s son and they knew His brothers and sisters. So how could He be so wonderful? They didn’t believe that He was the Son of God.

Yes, our Jesus is wonderful! He was a real man, and he got hungry and thirsty just like all of us do. But He was also the Creator God, and this power could be seen in everything He did. We can’t begin to understand everything about Him, but we can understand that He loves us very much. Romans 5:8 says, “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And 1 John 3:16 says, “Hereby perceive [understand] we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.”

Whether you will have Him or not, He is still the Saviour of sinners and the Judge of all the earth. He has saved many of us from our sins. Will you let Him save you?

You may read this story for yourself in Luke 4:16-30.

ML-05/15/2005

Joseph's Message to His Father

Good old farm wagons are not often seen today. They were slow and bumpy, but they never had engine trouble or flat tires. In America there was a horse to pull them, and in other countries it was probably an ass, which is like a donkey, only stronger and bigger.

Joseph was the most powerful man in Egypt at the time of our story, and his father was a hungry, old man living in the land of Canaan. They had not seen each other for twenty years, and maybe you don’t know why. The real problem was the ten older brothers who wanted Joseph out of the family altogether.

Are you one of the crowd who wishes that Jesus was out of your life-story too? The memory of Him as a baby in a manger long ago might be all right, but you don’t want His power and authority over you right now. You want to live your own life without Him.

There was no food for the family in Canaan, and no one can live without food. Joseph had plenty in Egypt, because he had been storing it up for seven years. But the hungry family in Canaan had almost nothing left. They may have had a little fancy food, like nuts and honey, but that isn’t enough to live on.

Perhaps some of you can understand and remember hungry days when you didn’t have enough to eat. Or perhaps you are overweight but are still hungry-hearted. You know that it is not plenty of food that makes people happy. Your fill of all sorts of goodies can leave you heart-hungry and unhappy.

Joseph knew that his family in Canaan was nearly out of food. He sent wagons to bring his father to Egypt, and the wagons had enough room to bring all Joseph’s brothers and their families-more than sixty people. Since there were at least twenty asses, there was plenty of pulling power for the wagons. His father was a sad, old man with poor eyesight, but nobody could fail to see that lineup of wagons. His sons explained that they were sent from Joseph to bring him and all his family to live near Joseph, who was a ruler in Egypt. The poor old man had a hard time believing that Joseph was still alive, but there were the wagons he had sent, loaded with food for the journey. And ten of his sons had returned from Egypt and told their father that Joseph had said, Never mind your stuff . . . just come!

When Joseph’s father saw the wagons, he believed the message. His spirit was renewed and he came!

Will you believe the message from Jesus and come to Him? God has sent you a wonderful book, and He has sent you real believers who can tell you that it is true. You cannot see Jesus, but He is real. We have a thousand daily proofs that He is real - our food and clothing and friendships and even our very breath - all comes from His hands of love. And we have His wonderful book which answers the need of our hungry hearts. Satan may tell you that you can’t understand that book, but God will give you understanding if you ask Him.

God’s book explains that you need a Saviour to cleanse you from your sins. Our living, loving Jesus is the Saviour who took the punishment for the sins of every believer while He was on the cross. You also need His company every day. Here is His promise: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

Will you come as Joseph’s father did? It may have been a long, bumpy ride, but it ended in wonderful hugs and tears of joy. He found his beloved Joseph, and he was never hungry again.

If you come, your life will have a joyful ending in the Father’s house. You will be happy, but Jesus will be happier than you are. That wonderful book reports that “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that [repents]” (Luke 15:10).

You may read this story for yourself in Genesis 45-46.

ML-06/12/2005

Two Travelers Visit Lot

Lot had many reasons to be happy. He was a rich man, and he had chosen for himself a beautiful place to live. He had a wife and four daughters. Two were married and two lived at home with their parents. He also had a very important place of authority in the city of Sodom. As they say today, he had it all.

One evening two travelers came to his door, and Lot quickly invited them in to share supper and a night’s lodging. The men said, No, we will spend the night in the street.

Those men were God’s messengers, and they knew that Lot was a true believer in God. But they also knew that there was something wrong in Lot’s home. It’s good to be a true believer in the God of heaven and to live a good life, but do you remember that if Jesus is your Saviour you really belong to Him now? Let God make your choices. If you are making your own choices, there is something wrong in your life. For one thing, you are missing the joy of God’s daily companionship.

Please stay, urged Lot, and so the two travelers stayed. Lot was the cook, and he made them a feast and showed them where to sleep. But before they could relax, there was a crowd outside. A whole gang of rioters, old and young, were pounding on the door and calling to Lot to bring out his visitors. This was not just fun or curiosity; they had wicked plans.

Lot stepped outside to calm them down, but they would not listen. Even though Lot was a judge in the city, his life was in danger from this gang. So the two messengers opened the door a little and pulled Lot inside. But a closed door isn’t much protection when a gang is all fired up and about to break down the door. So God’s messengers saved Lot by striking those rioters with blindness, and they couldn’t see to find the door!

Will you find the door to a happy life by any plans you can think of ? You are welcome to come right now to our wonderful Saviour who said, “I am the door” (John 10:9). The same hopeless searching will happen to any sinner who will not have Christ the Saviour of sinners right now. And when God shuts that door to heaven, what will you do? “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

God’s messengers now told Lot that they had come with God’s authority to destroy the wicked city of Sodom. Bring all your family and come with us, they said. Lot went at once to tell his married daughters and their husbands.

We have to get out of here, because God is going to destroy the city! But they thought it was a joke. Lot had not been living as a believer in God, so why should they listen to him now? If you are a real Christian, are you living so that people are ready to believe you? Stop and think about this.

Morning came, but Lot still did not want to leave Sodom. He had a nice home there, and the sun was coming up as usual. So God’s messengers grabbed the hands of Lot, his wife and his two unmarried daughters and hurried them out of the city, leaving everything behind. Then God in His mercy warned them, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.”

Oh, please! Let me go to this little city instead, cried Lot.

God’s messengers agreed, but Lot and his family missed the joy of letting God decide. Lot lost not only all his riches, but his wife and his married children too. And his two daughters who came with him were sinful and wicked.

As they hurried out of Sodom, God had warned them, Don’t look back! But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

That morning was the very last sunrise over Sodom. It was completely destroyed by fire from heaven, and there were no survivors.

God wants you to listen to this story. He has told it to us because He is the same God today. His mercy calls to you now, but His judgment is sure to come. God is slow to judge and ready to save, even though it cost Him the blood of His beloved Son. Will you come to Him today? and will you let Him make your choices? Then your life will not end in loss and sorrow but in eternal reward.

You may read this story about Lot in Genesis chapter 19.

ML-07/10/2005

Paul and the Shipwreck

It was not a pleasure trip but a matter of important business, and the best way to deliver the cargo was on a sailing ship in the Mediterranean Sea. Good seamanship and good winds were very important, and for this trip they had both. All is well when you have experienced men in charge. Isn’t that true?

Well, I’m not so sure. The best of plans can fail. There is only one book that can be trusted through waves or clouds or storms of failed plans. I wonder if you know about that book and the God who wrote it and the wonderful Saviour of sinners of whom it tells. Do you know the name of that book? It is the Bible! If you feel that you cannot understand the Bible, ask the God who wrote it. Or ask the Saviour of sinners of whom it tells. Our Jesus is alive, and He is listening.

The sailing ship had arrived at a harbor where it was not suitable to stay, and the master and owner of the ship planned to sail on. They had a little discussion about this, because sailing was dangerous at this time of year. However, most of them voted to sail anyway . . . in spite of one warning voice.

That warning voice was Paul, and his warning was based on wisdom given to him from God. But who cares what God says? Do you care what He says? Have you met God who knows all things? You may have planned your own life, but God says that “there is a way which [seems] right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

The south wind blew softly as the sailors pulled up anchor and set the sails for departure. The waves were quiet and the sky was blue. However, it wasn’t long until a fierce wind rose up against them, and the waves turned into high mountains of water. The dark, stormy sky blocked the sun, moon and stars for two whole weeks!

Some people might think that you must be brave and forget your troubles, but this was too much and too long. The sailors tried all possible methods to prevent the ship from breaking up, but there were quicksands ready to suck them down and waves high enough to swamp a ship totally out of control. So to lighten the ship, they threw even the ship’s rigging overboard. Now all hope that they could be saved was gone.

Perhaps you have not reached that point in your life. If you are living your life without the Lord Jesus, hopeless despair is in your future. Will you believe God now, right now while you have the Word of God to trust in?

When things were totally hopeless, Paul spoke up. He reminded the men on board that they should have listened to him sooner, but he gave them a promise: “There shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but [only] of the ship.” An angel had given Paul this promise from God, but you and I have the Bible. Our message is from the same God who sent that angel to Paul before the Bible was completed.

“Be of good cheer,” said Paul, “for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. [However], we must [first] be cast on a certain island.”

About midnight the sailors sensed that they were near shore, so they tested the depth of the water several times and each time found that it was shallower. Those in charge were afraid of rocks, so it was decided to drop four anchors and wait for morning.

But the sailors were too scared to wait. They sneaked a lifeboat over the edge, but Paul’s warning to the soldiers spoiled that plan. The order was given to cut the ropes, and the lifeboat fell empty into the sea.

Paul was a prisoner on that ship, but he had a promise from God that took away his fear. He told everyone that since they would all make it safe to land and they hadn’t eaten anything for two weeks, they should eat some of the food on board to regain their strength.

Now the angel gave Paul a solid promise, didn’t he? But we have a promise which lasts longer than a safe landing on an island. Our God promises everlasting life -bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ. But instead of trusting God’s promise, are you going to find some little boat that will take you away on uncertain seas until you are lost forever? Believe the Word of God now and be saved forever! All God’s promises are unbreakable, whether of eternal hell or of everlasting life in heaven. “Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).

We will tell you the rest of the story another day or you may read it for yourself in the Bible in Acts chapter 27.

ML-07/31/2005

Joshua and the Captain of the Lord's Army

Battle plans were all made, and Captain Joshua was sure of victory over the city of Jericho. Perhaps you have felt like that too, maybe just before an exam or a contest or a race. Or perhaps you have planned a music program or a large dinner reception and everything is ready. You feel sure that everyone will do their part well, and you are expecting the event to be a great success.

As Joshua was expecting victory, he looked up and saw a man with a sword drawn in his hand! A man usually carries a sword in a sheath at his side, but this man’s sword was in his hand, up and ready for action. It took courage to go right up and face the man, but that’s what Joshua did.

Are you for us or for our enemies? asked Joshua.

The man gave a strange answer. His answer was, No. That may not seem like an answer to Joshua’s question, but if that is God’s answer, don’t find fault with Him. Just listen.

The man told Joshua, I have come as captain of the army of the Lord.

Now Joshua was already captain of the children of Israel. This may have hurt his pride and self-importance. Perhaps you can understand that too. It is natural for each of us to choose the most important place. But Joshua knew that this man was sent from God Himself and that all honor belongs to God. He also knew that hope of victory in any battle is only in God.

What does my Lord say to His servant? asked Joshua. He was prepared for battle, but he knew that God is in control of everything we do and even our very lives. God had given Joshua the battle plans. Would He change them now? Would He cause the plans to fail and spoil his life?

Perhaps you do not know our God if you think that He likes to spoil things for us. Listen to the order which God gave to Captain Joshua.

Take your shoes off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. And Joshua did exactly as he was told . . . no arguments and no further questions. He obeyed. Will you also believe without arguing that the God who is in control of all things is holy?

The next day the battle plans which God had given were carried out with total success. The only failure was one of Joshua’s own men who failed to obey God’s command. Joshua needed that lesson of God’s total control, or perhaps he would have failed too.

Maybe you have made good plans and you’re all prepared, but what is all that without power? You plan on going to heaven someday, and God wants you there, but your power to go there must come from God Himself. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). You also know that the world crucified God’s Son. God’s response to this is simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Without question or argument, will you now believe on this wonderful Saviour whose blood cleanses from all sin? Our God is forever holy, and His holiness can be satisfied in nothing less than His beloved Son who died for sinners. “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).

You may read this story for yourself in Joshua 5:13-15.

ML-09/25/2005

A Darkness that Could Be Felt

It is good of God to give us sunlight, which finds its way into every little crack. It is very hard to find blinds or curtains dark enough to shut it out.

“God is light” (1 John 1:5), and He always was light, even before the sun was created. On the first day He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and there was light, even though the sun was not made until the fourth day.

Here is a story of three days when God sent darkness into the land of Egypt where His people were slaves.

“Let My people go!” was God’s message to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. No! said Pharaoh. However, he was fearful enough of God to release them a little bit, but God wanted him to release them totally - with no return.

I wonder if you know the God who wants the same for you - total release from the power of Satan. He wants to save you . . . not a little bit . . . but all the way home to heaven.

Perhaps you would like to stay under the power of sin and Satan a little longer. Maybe you would rather be saved some other day. But are you having troubles in your life? hurts and bumps? sickness? loss of money? people who don’t treat you right? bad news? things that don’t turn out right? God is sending troubles to make you listen. Why? Because He loves you, and He does not want you to live in darkness but to enjoy the light of life.

God sent darkness into the land of Egypt, thick darkness that they could even feel! Darkness so dark that people were afraid to move. Candles? No indeed. When God sends darkness, nobody can make even the tiniest spark of light. When God sends outer darkness, there is no light at all and no possibility of making any.

But God’s people had light in their homes! It was God’s light, and I really cannot explain it. We Christians have light in our homes too, if we love and obey God’s Word. It is light that cheers our hearts and shows us the way to go. Our “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

King Pharaoh sent for Moses and told him, I will let you all go, even your children, but your cattle must stay behind. But their cattle were important for sacrifices to God, and their freedom would not be total if they could not serve Him with sacrifices.

Did you know that God requires a sacrifice for sin today too? Not a cow or a sheep, because those sacrifices had to be repeated over and over again. Our God has sent His only begotten Son as the sacrifice for sin, once for all. Our Jesus shed His precious blood just once, and this is forever. God can never accept any other sacrifice to take away sin.

When Jesus, the Son of God, was on the cross, there was darkness over all the land for three hours. God in all His holiness turned away from the sacrifice who was bearing our sins. Never will we Christians feel darkness like that. It was like the darkness of hell, for God is not there. Jesus did not deserve this; we did - for our sins! We who know Jesus as our Saviour are children of the day, not of night nor of darkness. Our future home will be in heaven where God lives. There is no need of the sun nor the moon, and there is no night there. But without God, it is the blackness of darkness forever.

Moses would have nothing to do with King Pharaoh’s halfway offer of leaving the cattle behind. No, he said, we won’t leave a hoof behind!

Good answer! Good for Moses and for you and me too. We want to belong to Jesus totally - for big things and little things. Don’t leave anything in the land of slavery. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

God lifted the darkness in Egypt after three days, but Pharaoh still would not let God’s people go. So God brought one more disaster -death - and death is the end of opportunity.

Maybe there is something hurting you today. God sent it because He loves you and He wants you to listen. Will you choose the God who is light? or the blackness of darkness without Him forever?

You may read this story for yourself in Exodus 10:20-27.

ML-10/30/2005

Sisera's End

Our Jesus owns everything -the world, sun, moon, stars-everything. He made them all, and they all obey His commands. Now think about this: “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). He gave up everything when He came to earth, knowing He was going to die on a cross so sinners could be saved from their sins and spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Sisera was not like that. He was a powerful captain, and he had nine hundred chariots of iron all ready to carry his soldiers thundering into battle. With all that power, of course he was a winner . . . or was he?

Sisera’s army was very cruel to God’s people, the children of Israel. For twenty long years Sisera and his army persecuted them, making their lives very hard.

We might wonder if God saw what was going on and if He cared. Oh yes, God saw every detail, and He very much cared. He cares for every single person who is going through a difficult time, and He cares for you too.

The children of Israel cried to God about Sisera and what he was doing to them, and God heard their cry. And sometimes this is why He sends troubles into our lives, so that we will turn to Him. Often when life is going smoothly, we forget all about God. But when a problem comes to us and we can’t figure out a solution, God always has the answer. Do you turn to Him for those answers?

God had the answer for the children of Israel too. He sent a message to a lady named Deborah, a prophetess for God’s people. We don’t have prophets and prophetesses today like they did then, because God has given us His Word, the Bible. He wants us to read it to find His wisdom and answers to our problems. He says in Psalm 119:105 that “[His] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

God gave Deborah a message to give to Barak. She told him God said to get together ten thousand men and go to Mount Tabor. God was going to bring Sisera and his army to that same mountain and was going to give them into Barak’s hand. Barak believed this message from God, but he was afraid. He said to Deborah, If you come with me, I will go.

Perhaps you understand how he felt. You would like to be saved from your sins, but you don’t want to take that step alone. Don’t worry; you won’t have to. Jesus will be with you the whole way.

Deborah went with Barak to meet Sisera’s army at Mount Tabor. Sisera did not know that God had anything to do with all this, and he may have smiled as he said good-bye to his mother and went off to what he thought would be an easy victory with his nine hundred chariots plus many more soldiers.

Deborah told Barak, Go now! The Lord has given Sisera into your hand. Has not the Lord gone out before you?

The battle was short and the victory was sudden! Sisera was so afraid that he jumped out of his chariot and ran away on foot. He came puffing and thirsty to the tent of a woman named Jael. She let him come in, gave him a drink of milk, and provided him a place to sleep with a blanket to cover him.

But Sisera was still scared. He said to Jael, If somebody comes, tell them there is no man here. Then he fell into a deep sleep. Jael knew Sisera was an enemy of the Lord, and very softly she took a tent peg and a hammer and pounded the nail right through his temples into the ground.

It wasn’t long before Barak came running to catch Sisera. Jael went out to meet Barak and said, Come and see. And she showed him that Sisera lay dead in her tent.

Sisera’s mother may have watched for her victorious son, but he never came home. What a miserable ending for all his selfish pride! And his last words were telling someone to lie for his protection. He had caused twenty long years of persecution, but the end came exactly how and when God planned it.

Will you come to our wonderful Lord Jesus right now? It was for our sakes He became poor that we through His poverty might be rich. Our Jesus is raised from the dead and is far above all nations and kingdoms and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named. And still He cares about you and wants to make you His own - His very own - that you might be with Him forever. The end will come, exactly when God has planned it. Then, will you be saved forever? or lost forever?

Make your choice right now!

(You may read this story in the Book of Judges, chapter 4.)

ML-11/27/2005

A Letter from Grampa: Jonah

Dear Boys and Girls,

Do you like to go fishing? We have grandchildren who like to fish in the pond and creek in our backyard. And sometimes they catch some really big fish. When two of our granddaughters netted some big ones, one of them said, “I’m glad there aren’t any whales out in the creek or pond. I sure wouldn’t want to get swallowed up by one!” I decided I wouldn’t want to be swallowed by a whale or any big fish either. And that got me to thinking about Jonah and the big fish.

Maybe some boys and girls don’t know the story about Jonah that God has recorded in His Word, the holy Bible. Okay, I’ll tell you just a little bit about it.

Jonah is the name of a book in the Bible that tells the story about the man named Jonah who lived long before the Lord Jesus was born. The beginning of the book says, “The word of the Lord came unto Jonah . . . saying. . . . ” But, Jonah wouldn’t listen to God; he was being disobedient! Instead of doing what God told him to do, he went down to the seaport (the opposite direction) and bought a ticket to take a boat across the sea and get away from God.

Jonah forgot that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, [looking at] the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). God saw exactly what Jonah was doing, and it was not good.

After Jonah got into the boat, it wasn’t long until the sailors knew something was wrong! A terrible storm blew up, and the sailors knew that it was the season of the year when there usually weren’t storms. Jonah was right down in the bottom of the boat, fast asleep, maybe hiding from God. But the sailors found him and asked him a lot of questions.

Jonah told the sailors what he was doing and admitted that it was his fault that the storm was upon them. He told them that the only way to stop the storm was to throw him overboard! So that’s what the sailors did - threw him overboard! And what a miracle took place! The wind stopped blowing, the waves died down, and it was a beautiful, calm day.

“But, Grampa, what happened to Jonah? Did he drown?”

No, because God had prepared a great fish to swallow him, and poor Jonah was in the belly of that fish for three days and three nights! That’s a looooong time! At the end of those three days and three nights, Jonah confessed, If I’m ever going to get out of here, it will be only through God Himself! So he said, “Salvation is of the Lord.”

Then, guess what? Another miracle! This great fish deposited Jonah right out on dry land! Then Jonah did what he was told to do in the first place. He went into that great city and spoke the words that God told him to speak: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

“Grampa, did the people believe Jonah?”

Yes, they sure did . . . every one of them . . . from the youngest to the oldest! Children, wouldn’t it be just great if everyone who reads this story, from the youngest to the oldest, would trust the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ? “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).

Children, don’t be like Jonah and try to run away and hide from God. Our God is a kind and loving God who wants to give us a very precious gift. It’s called “eternal life” - a life that lasts forever in heaven! God’s Word says, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). I sure hope you’ll accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and know that you have eternal life.

Now, the next time you go fishing and catch a big fish, are you going to think about Jonah like I did?

Lots of love,

Grampa

ML-12/04/2005

Who Will Love Him Most?

Simon the Pharisee liked to listen to new stories, just as the rest of us do. He found it so interesting to listen to Jesus that he invited the great prophet-healer to his house for a feast, and Jesus came.

Simon’s guests had walked the dusty streets in sandals. It was common courtesy in those days for servants to bring water to wash and cool their guests’ dusty feet. Then the host would kiss each guest’s cheek and add a touch of perfumed ointment to their heads. These courtesies made the guests feel comfortable and welcome.

Jesus came into Simon’s house as an invited guest and took His place at the table. However, He was not given the common courtesy of comfort and welcome.

There was a woman in that city who was sure of two things. First, she knew she was a sinner, and second, she knew that only Jesus could forgive her. Perhaps in those two things she knew more than Simon did. Do you know that those two things apply to you too?

The woman brought an alabaster box of special ointment and stood behind Jesus. She had tears running down her face, because she knew she was a sinner. She began to wash His feet with tears and wipe them with her long hair. Then she kissed His feet and poured her precious ointment on them.

Simon did not say anything to the woman, but he was busy thinking. He had no idea that his wonderful guest was the One who knows all our thoughts and why we think them. Just think! This story is two thousand years old, but you and I know what Simon was thinking that day because God recorded it in the Bible. This is the God that you and I must meet someday-joyfully or in terror!

Simon had thought that Jesus was a prophet, but now he wondered why Jesus didn’t seem to know what an awful sinner the woman was. Simon thought she was so wicked that she had no right to touch Jesus.

Oh, didn’t Simon know that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15)? No, Simon didn’t know. Simon was a religious leader in fancy robes, but he didn’t really know who Jesus was. He didn’t know that it’s only sinners who are invited into Jesus’ presence. Many of us can gladly say, “I know! I came to Him, and He is my Saviour now!”

Then Jesus told Simon the story of a man who had two people who owed him money. One owed five hundred pennies (which was a huge amount in those days), and the other one owed fifty pennies. Sadly, neither one of them had even one penny to pay the man. Then the man said, I freely forgive you both.

Jesus asked Simon, Which one will love him most?

I suppose the one to whom he forgave the most money, answered Simon.

Maybe Simon was pleased when Jesus told him that his answer was correct. But there was more for Jesus to tell Simon: You see this woman? You did not give Me water for My feet, but she washed My feet with tears. You didn’t give Me a kiss, but she has kissed My feet many times. You did not put oil on My head, but she has poured special oil on My feet.

Jesus was truly a prophet, but He was far more than that. He knew all about the woman’s sins, and still He turned to her and said, “Thy sins are forgiven.”

No one else has the right to say this. If you want forgiveness for your sins, you must go to God Himself for this. “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7).

Simon had nothing more to say. And the woman said nothing either, but the guests were all filled with thoughts. We don’t know that woman’s sin, but we know what the guests were thinking: Who is this prophet who also forgives sins?

Do you know who He is? He is Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the One who took my sins upon Himself when He died for me. Then He, and no one else, has a right to say what He said to that woman at His feet, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

What about your sins? Have you come to Jesus for forgiveness?

You may read this story for yourself in Luke 7:36-50.

ML-12/18/2005

Friendly Sheep Dogs

“Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.”
Isaiah 65:18

Different species of dogs are used in herding flocks of sheep. Without using dogs, raising the woolly animals would often be impossible. These dogs are generally all called “sheep dogs” regardless of what species they are.

Years ago in many pasturelands of America located close to mountains or forests, a serious problem developed with coyotes killing great numbers of lambs and sheep. Rarely could the sheep dogs they used then stop the coyotes for fear of their own lives, and owners and shepherds didn’t know what to do about it.

In searching for an answer, they heard that in parts of Europe where wolves were killing sheep, the problem had been solved by using “guard dogs” that could live right with the flocks and protect them. In the country of Yugoslavia, flocks of sheep were accompanied by dogs that looked almost like the sheep themselves, both in size and the color of their fur. More searching found the same answer in other parts of Europe, although the dogs were not all the same kind.

Some of the dogs were brought to America and put in with flocks of troubled sheep. It was soon observed that these European dogs did not behave like the usual American sheep dogs. They were very friendly with their woolly companions, walked and slept among them, and worked their way through the flocks without frightening them or causing them to run off.

At nighttime the coyotes learned something too. These dogs were not afraid of them but chased them away and even killed them if they got in a fight. The owners and shepherds happily discovered that their loss of sheep to coyotes was greatly reduced. Ever since then guard dogs have been used in large numbers wherever there are coyotes.

It is interesting how friendly these dogs are with the sheep. This is due partly to the fact that from the time they are puppies they live with the sheep, look very much like the sheep, and grow up apparently thinking they are all one family. They lie down together and rub against each other in a friendly way, and the dogs will even lick the sheep on the mouth, just like a kiss.

This is another example of the wonders of God’s creation. The dogs’ protective ways over the sheep remind us of the Bible’s warnings to us about Satan. He is likened to a wolf who is seeking to catch sheep (people) and harm them.

But the Lord Jesus Himself assures us, “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). Do you know Jesus as your Good Shepherd?

ML-01/02/2005

JANUARY 2, 2005

The Beauty of the Snow

“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

How clean and lovely the new snowfall looks. Every unsightly place now is hidden under a fresh, white blanket. The above verse is a picture of our sins which have separated us from God. It invites everyone to hear how their sins may be made “white as snow.” Many Bible verses explain this. Here is one: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

It is always snowing somewhere, and about one fourth of the world is permanently covered with snow. Glaciers and icebergs all begin as snow, which builds up and is compressed into ice by its own weight. Some of these glaciers are more than two miles thick! Snowflakes are transparent ice crystals that have formed high in the sky. Their whiteness results from light reflecting from their many facets. Each flake is a wonderful display of God’s delight in making things of beauty for His own enjoyment as well as ours. Ninety-six varieties and shapes of snowflakes have been classified, most being hexagonal (six-sided), and amazingly, no two snowflakes have been found to be identical.

We think of snow as being very cold, but to many animals and insects it is a warm blanket. Insulated under the snow and safely hidden from enemies, animals such as mice, ground squirrels and porcupines, and some birds and other small creatures make snug, warm homes. The little pika not only has comfortable rooms under the snow connected by tunnels, but he also has a runway to a nearby “barn” where he stored a good supply of food during the summer months. Many insects also keep active with hidden runways taking them to feeding grounds underneath the snow. As the snow deepens, it is also helpful to some larger animals. Deer and rabbits are able to reach twigs and buds of trees and shrubs that had been too high to reach from the ground. Isn’t it wonderful how the Lord cares for these creatures throughout the year?

One snowflake seems so small, but multiplied by millions, they provide a storehouse of water in hot summer months. This is another provision of the Creator for all life. On the other hand, too much snow can cause a disaster. The habits of every person are like this. At first the habits do not seem like serious matters, but, depending if they are good or bad and repeated over and over, they may become a real benefit or something harmful to ourselves and others.

Being aware of this we can pray, “Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path” (Psalm 27:11). “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). The Lord will gladly answer such prayers.

ML-01/09/2005

JANUARY 9, 2005

Farms in the Ocean

“By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.”
2 Peter 3:5

Ocean waters cover nearly three-fourths of the earth and are an important part of God’s creation—the home of fish and other creatures He provided for our food. When it has become difficult to feed people where there is little farmland and food is scarce, sea farms have been established. Following are examples of what can be grown in a sea farm.

MARINE PLANTS: Certain seaweeds have always been an important food for people as well as domestic animals. Kelp is one outstanding seaweed with stems growing as long as two hundred feet. But crops of kelp are never certain, because they receive no care and are often destroyed by fish. Now, however, some natural kelp areas are being “farmed,” and new areas are being planted, screened and tended carefully, resulting in large crops.

SHELLFISH: Oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters and other shellfish have been taken out of the ocean in great quantities and are becoming scarce in some places. Sea farmers now set aside protected places where they control the number of shellfish harvested. One big oyster farm is in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, and smaller ones are in other parts of North America, as well as in Italy, Japan and other places.

SALTWATER FISH: Today there are fish hatcheries where eggs are taken from freshwater fish and hatched in ponds or tanks alongside streams and lakes. “Fish farms” have also been established in ocean waters where eggs of local saltwater fish are hatched. The fingerlings are raised to full size in wire cages that have been dropped into deep water where they grow safely and rapidly, providing a new source of nutritious food.

These new sources of seafood from sea farms are helping to feed the increasing numbers of people who don’t have enough food. No doubt additional sea farms will soon be helping out with ever-improving methods.

A Bible verse tells us: “[The Lord] causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb [plants] for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth” (Psalm 104:14). And He also provided seafood for part of our food. God has provided plenty for everyone, but there are not always people willing to share with others, and much food is wasted while people go hungry.

When we help take care of someone’s need, it pleases the Lord Jesus. He tells us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). We should be glad to help those in need, and this should also include telling them of the love of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who wants all to know Him as their Saviour. This is man’s greatest need.

ML-01/16/2005

JANUARY 16, 2005

The White-Tailed Ground Squirrel

“Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all.”
Nehemiah 9:6

Many kinds of ground squirrels are found in the desert. Most of them are harmless and curious and fun to watch. One of these is called the white tail or antelope chipmunk and is often mistaken for a true chipmunk. It is identified by its black and white stripes ending at its shoulders, whereas the chipmunk’s stripes go to the tip of its nose.

The white tail is easily recognized as it scampers along with its white-backed tail held over its back. It spends all its time gathering seeds and nuts, stuffing them into its cheek pouches and then carrying this food to store in its den. It also eats parts of cactus and yucca plants, beetles, crickets and other insects.

It is amazing to see the white tail climb a spine-covered cactus, stuff its pouches with seeds, turn around and go back down headfirst to the ground, never getting a scratch from those sharp needles. How can it possibly do this? This ability is, of course, one of the special features supplied by its Creator who wisely provides for every need and who “[does] great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number” (Job 5:9).

Like most other ground squirrels, the white tail lives in the rocky foothills. The entrance hole to its den is always hidden under a boulder or behind the covering of a bush. Since rattlesnakes, coyotes and hawks are a constant threat, it has other hidden entrances that are ready for any emergency.

In its underground den it builds a nest lined with feathers, grass and other soft materials. There are usually a dozen or more babies born each spring. These are nursed by the mother until they are strong enough for the outside world. Once outside the little ones are great fun to watch . . . so full of life and amusements as they play together. But the mother keeps a sharp eye on them to see that they do not wander from her hidden shelter. The family stays together until the young ones are big enough to care for themselves.

As part of the wonders of God’s creation, these little animals remind us that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5). Referring to that goodness, the psalmist also said, “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).

Have you thanked Him for His goodness to you? He has promised that you may also live in His heavenly home for all eternity if you willingly admit that you are a sinner in need of salvation and accept Him as your Saviour.

ML-01/23/2005

JANUARY 23, 2005

Be Thankful for Chickens

“O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard.”
Psalm 66:8

Most everyone has seen live chickens and knows that is where the eggs come from that we cook in so many different ways. In former days, even city folks kept a few chickens in their yards and enjoyed fresh eggs, as well as an occasional roast chicken dinner. But today they are usually raised by the thousands on what are called poultry farms. Eggs are shipped out daily from these farms to markets and grocery stores. More than five billion eggs a year are marketed in the United States alone.

American Indians never saw chickens until the Pilgrims brought some Rhode Island reds with them from England. Now there are over fifty varieties, including cornish, New Hampshire, white rock, Rhode Island reds, Plymouth Rock and the white leghorn which is the most common and produces most of the eggs sold in the United States. Some 450 million hens supply these. A champion white leghorn can lay 361 eggs in one year, but most lay between 100 and 300.

Like all birds, chickens actually lay eggs to produce baby chicks. If they could steal away from the poultry farm and make hidden nests in which to lay eight to ten eggs, they would keep them warm under their fluffy feathers for about three weeks until they hatched and then take good care of the chicks. But on today’s poultry farms, that is impossible since the eggs are removed continually. Incidentally, young hens less than a year old are known as pullets and young roosters as cockerels.

Part of the interesting work of poultrymen is raising chicks in warm areas called incubators. Special fertile eggs are placed in these incubators, hatching in 20 days. When it’s time, the little chick inside the shell pecks its way out with its strong little beak. At first it is not very cute because its feathers are wet. But after an hour or so it dries off and is so fluffy and cute you’d want to pick it up and hold its fluffy little body to your cheek. But you might get a gentle peck from its tiny beak in return.

Although poultrymen must be given credit for their careful work in raising these millions of chickens and marketing their eggs, it is really the Lord God, the Creator, who designed this amazing way of a chicken’s life beginning in an egg. And He further designed chickens in such a way that poultrymen can raise them for us as a wonderful food supply.

The Bible tells us, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). As He is supplier of everything we need, we should be continually thanking Him, especially for His loving care over us.

ML-01/30/2005

JANUARY 30, 2005

Some Amazing Fish: Part 1

“In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.”
Exodus 20:11

There are over 20,000 species of fish in the world, and new ones are being discovered all the time. All have been designed by the Creator for the particular part of the ocean, river or lake in which they live, so that they may find food and resist their enemies.

Among these are about eighty kinds of South and Central American freshwater fish that have built-in electricity. Some of these that live in deep, dark waters can turn headlights and taillights on and off as they swim. Others, contacting an enemy fish or one they want for food, turn on a powerful electric current to stun or kill the fish.

Still others in this group, swimming in waters too dark to see through, send out electric signals (like radar) and find their way without difficulty. Some talk to each other through this means. A little three-incher has the appropriate name of flashlight fish. When chased by an enemy, it swims in a zigzag pattern, turning on a light located near its eye while “zigging” and turning it off when “zagging.” This completely baffles the enemy which doesn’t know where it will show up next and eventually gives up the chase.

One of the strangest of all fish is the orange sea dragon, related to the sea horse. The sea dragon is well-named. Seen from the side, it has a horny head with bulging eyes. Its narrow, wavy body twists into odd shapes as it swims. Then it has growths all along its long, snake-like tail with similar growths along the top and bottom of its body. This whole design makes it look like a dragon or piece of seaweed drifting in the current. When the female lays eggs, she drops them on a sticky part of the male. He carries them around for many days before they hatch and leave him.

The nine- to twelve-inch batfish walks and sits like a toad and almost looks like one as it crawls along the ocean floor. It is covered with what looks like bony warts all over its skin. When resting, it uses its flippers like elbows, its head lifted up and supported by them.

Many of these fish appear to be completely hidden in the dark, deep homes they occupy. But a Bible verse asks these questions: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). Another verse speaks more plainly about people: “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). When we think of this, it should make us try to please Him in all that we do.

(to be continued)

ML-02/06/2005

FEBRUARY 6, 2005

Some Amazing Fish: Part 2

“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see . . . His wonders in the deep.”
Psalm 107:2324

A bright-red scorpionfish makes its home off the Mexican coast. It’s scary to have one of these approach you underwater - its big, ugly mouth grins at you and its black, bulging eyes look you over. However, it is quite harmless. Its red skin looks like it has loose patches ready to fall off.

The main enemy of the 10-inch puffer is a shark, but they must sneak up on the puffer or they are faced with a big problem. When a puffer thinks a shark is after it, it suddenly puffs up its body into a large ball. The shark doesn’t like the looks of this and quickly leaves. But all the puffer has done is swallow water or air, if near the surface, which makes it puff up like a balloon. Then it turns over on its back and floats to the surface like a piece of driftwood.

The flying fish of the Sargasso Sea lay eggs that look like the seaweed plants where they live. After hatching, the baby fish look even more like a part of these plants. Even close up, it is almost impossible to tell which is plant and which is fish.

The eight-inch anableps of tropical America, sometimes called the four-eyed fish, adapt to both fresh and salt water. These swim along the surface with the top part of their bulging eyes seeing what is floating or moving at the surface, while the lower part at the same time watches for things below. We wonder how it decides when there is something of interest both above and below the surface.

Another Amazon River fish uses its flat teeth to crack hard nuts, spitting out the shell pieces. It gets good nourishment from these nuts and also from seeds and fruits.

When the female European bitterling is ready to lay eggs, she hunts for a mussel shellfish. Finding one, she drops a tube from her body and inserts it into the flesh so gently that the mussel doesn’t seem to know anything is happening. The three or four dozen eggs deposited stay inside the mussel for about a month, and then they hatch and swim away. The mussel seems none the worse for its role.

There are many creatures barely known to mankind, but all are known to the Creator who had His purpose in placing them in the waters of the earth. But of most importance for us to know is the love of the Lord Jesus who died on the cross for us and who invites us to come to Him as helpless sinners, accepting His invitation to receive Him into our hearts as Lord and Saviour. Have you done this? It is the only way to heaven.

ML-02/13/2005

Some Amazing Fish: Part 3

“Thou hast made . . . the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.”
Nehemiah 9:6

Many books have been written about amazing fish. We have already learned about a few of these fish in the last two articles. Here are a few more.

In Java, a three-inch fish protects itself from enemies above by swimming upside down under a floating leaf drifting in the wind. In this position it is on the lookout for tiny minnows below, darting down and swallowing one or more before returning to its leaf cover.

A snail that crawls along the bottom finds its meals mainly on sponges. It has a companion, a small shrimp, riding on its back. The shrimp snatches bits of food that are stirred up as the snail disturbs the sandy bottom.

Another free rider is the remora. It has a suction cup on top of its head which it uses to cling to the side or bottom of a shark or other large fish. Being lazy by nature, it is quite satisfied to live its entire life in this unusual way, eating scraps of food which drop from the shark’s mouth.

The archerfish gets its name because of the accuracy with which it shoots out a stream of water from its mouth (like the arrow of an archer) and captures an insect resting on a plant, sometimes as far as ten feet away! The sudden dousing from this water startles the insect from its perch and, its wings being too wet to fly, it drops to the water where the archerfish snaps it up.

The anabas of Africa can travel surprising distances overland, seeking a new home when the water dries up in which it normally lives. The Creator has provided this unusual fish with “reservoirs” of water inside its body, enabling it to survive during these travels.

When the female tipona expels her eggs, her male companion immediately catches them in his mouth and carries them around for eleven days before they hatch and swim away.

Croakers have choruses which are not always pleasant to human ears. From May to late September in La Jolla, California, they often begin “singing” about sunset. The volume of their “chorus” keeps increasing for two or three hours with a soft drumming sound in the background -sometimes quite annoying to people living nearby.

The psalmist was one who walked close to the Lord and delighted in the things of His creation. He wrote, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11). As you think of the grand scope of His creation, can you say with certainty, “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (Deuteronomy 4:39)?

FEBRUARY 20, 2005

ML-02/20/2005

The Strange Hoatzin

“These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their [food] in due season.”
Psalm 104:27

The hoatzin is a rather large bird, about two feet long and weighing about two pounds. It is one of the most colorful birds in the world and a native of South America. It is found along the banks of the Amazon and other rivers. Its main food is leaves and fruit of plants growing in the marshes, as well as occasional small fish, crabs or frogs. It is not a good flyer and spends most of its time on the ground or in low brush, except when nesting.

An impressive crest composed of a dozen or so thin black and yellow feathers stands up in fan shape on the top of its head, which is deep blue. Its neck, brown on the back and over its wings, is marked with white stripes. The front is solid white between its strong, sharp beak and its breast, where deep orange takes over down to its gray legs. Long tail feathers on the young are gray with light yellow tips, but on adults they are dark brown with a wide yellow band at the tips. Hoatzins are unusual looking but very colorful birds.

As many as five eggs are laid in loosely woven nests which are built as high as twenty feet above ground alongside a river or stream. The young hatch out in about a month, and during the first two years of life they often stay with the mother to help take care of new hatchlings. If they are not available, other friendly hoatzins become helpers.

Young hoatzins are born with claws on their wings which they use to climb on tree branches until they learn to fly. When they get older, the claws fall off.

If an unprotected young one in this high nest is threatened and no helper is near, it will dive headfirst into the water below, swimming under the surface for quite a distance. Then, when the danger is past, it will work slowly back through the brush. When it reaches the right tree, it will climb to its nest.

Do you think the Creator knows about these hoatzins, so well hidden in the jungles? He certainly does, as the above Bible verse says, and He provides for all their needs. But His love for you and me is much greater. He says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

He invites you to know Him as your Saviour, to enjoy His love while still on earth, and then to share it more fully in the wonder of heaven for all eternity. Will you accept His loving-kindness and thank Him for it today? “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:78).

ML-02/27/2005

FEBRUARY 27, 2005

The Peccary, or Javelina

“Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.”
Psalm 77:11-12

Peccaries, also called javelinas, are related to wild hogs and live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and South America. They are also called collared peccaries because of a white band around their chests. The rest of their bodies are dark gray. They look like pigs but are smaller, weighing only thirty to sixty pounds. Like pigs, they grunt, have large heads, short necks, tough, round snouts, sharp canine teeth and stubby tails. Their feet are also different from pigs’. The Creator gave peccaries feet suitable for fast running and clinging to rocks.

Unlike pigs which have large litters, peccaries usually give birth to twins, which are about the size of rabbits. Within two days, the mother takes the babies to join the herd. Peccary herds stay close together, and the babies get lots of attention. When one of them is hungry, any sow will allow it to nurse. Adults also let the babies jump over them, push them aside, and even steal food from them.

The herd spends most of its time feeding on acorns, parts of cactus plants, seeds, insects and occasionally a lizard or rattlesnake. Each herd is identified by its own musky smell. If an outsider comes into their territory, it is quickly discovered and chased out. However, they prefer to live peaceably and will flee from danger. But if cornered, they will defend themselves viciously with their sharp teeth. Their most common natural enemy is the jaguar. Normally they run away when a human gets close to them, as may happen because of their poor eyesight.

Peccaries live an unhurried life and in warm weather indulge in afternoon naps in beds prepared beforehand. These are in areas of soft dirt which have been routed out with their tough snouts, leaving hollows where they snuggle down for long naps. At night they have similar sleeping places, but in a separate area.

These animals are another example of how the Lord God has populated the earth with living creatures of all kinds. He delights in His creation, caring for all of them, as the Bible says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5).

However, the Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to provide everlasting life for animals. In His great love, He died on the cross for all persons who will place their trust in Him. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can say, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1).

ML-03/06/2005

MARCH 6, 2005

The Water Strider

“Lift up your eyes on high and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number.”
Isaiah 40:26

Springtime has come; the snow and ice over the pond have melted, and there are new signs of life. An amazing variety of creatures rises to the surface, having come from the muddy bottom or from stems of plants, as well as from under rocks, roots and water-soaked logs. Along with frogs, snails and salamanders are a number of small insects such as sow bugs, beetles and nymphs stirring about on the bottom.

Included in this awakening in lakes and ponds of Canada and the United States are numbers of water striders, also known as water skippers or skaters, which live on the surface. If placed on your open palm, a full-grown strider with its thin, wire-like legs extended would just about cover it.

They are usually found in large groups, quickly scattering in all directions when threatened and coming together again when the danger is past. When one of these is seen skimming over the water, it appears to be mostly legs, since each leg is about twice as long as its body.

But it is these long, thin, spindly legs that enable it to “skate” over the quiet surface of a pond with its body lifted slightly above the water, never resting on it. Both the front and back pairs of legs extend from the center of the strider’s body - the back legs do the steering, as well as some of the pushing, while the front legs provide most of the power that gives it such speedy movements.

Actually striders do not swim; they glide smoothly and quickly over the surface. Taking advantage of the surface tension on water, they can stay on the surface without breaking through and can skate along with remarkable speed. No splashing takes place - the legs just touch the surface lightly and leave little dimples behind them.

Water striders feed on dead insects as well as tiny live ones they are able to capture as they skate and sometimes hop about in their search for food. It is plain to see the Creator designed them only for swampy areas, for they cannot travel on dry ground.

You might think these little creatures, skimming about in such a lively manner, are hardly worth a person’s attention. But they do serve a purpose in God’s creation and are one more example of His wisdom and pleasure in making them an important part of the area of the world where they live.

How often do you take time to “stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14)?

ML-03/13/2005

MARCH 13, 2005

Orca (or Killer) Whales: Part 1

“God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth.”
Genesis 1:21

In the past, orca whales, which are actually part of the porpoise family, have been referred to as killer whales. However, research has shown that they rarely attack whales and have not been known to attack swimmers or boats. As a result, the true name of orca is now used. Some of these whales are trained to perform in marineland exhibits.

An adult male will generally be thirty feet long and weigh as much as three to ten tons. They are the largest and fastest of the porpoise family and can swim as fast as thirty miles an hour. Huge dorsal fins on the backs of males are as high as six feet and look like black sails when above water. The fins of females are about half that size. Life span for males is about fifty years and up to eighty years for females.

Their coloring is striking - black on top with a clear white underside and occasional patches of white in the black areas. Like many other things of God’s creation, no two ever look exactly alike. Some live in every ocean, usually where there are cool waters with ample supplies of food, which includes fish (especially salmon), seals and even small porpoises. When food is scarce, they may attack whales twenty times their size, biting into their soft stomachs. That is how they got the name “killer,” but this rarely happens.

You may have read of the life and ways of gray whales, with their twelve-thousand-mile migrations from Alaska to Mexico and back. But orca whales do not migrate at all, and trips are limited to searches for food. Groups of them have been known to travel as much as a hundred miles a day, chasing migrating salmon, each adult eating two to three hundred pounds of fish in the chase.

The groups that have been studied most are around Vancouver Island in Canada, in Puget Sound waters and near the islands of Washington State. Puget Sound is a busy place, and boat operators and residents along the shores see orcas frequently.

While groups may have from fifty to eighty or more orca whales, these include what are known as family pods. Each pod contains six or more females only - grandmothers, mothers, aunts and sisters. Pods travel together but do not mix. Females are about ten years old before their first calf is born and then average another one every five years. The older females help take care of the baby orcas as long as necessary.

In the following issue we will look at some of their ways of life. These are extremely interesting and bring to mind the Bible verse, “Remember [God’s] marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (1 Chronicles 16:12).

(to be continued)

MARCH 20, 2005

ML-03/20/2005

Orca (or Killer) Whales: Part 2

“They that go down to the sea in ships . . . these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.”
Psalm 107:23-24

Orca whales and humans often seem to be attracted to each other. These whales have never been known to attack a human. They swim in pods, and some pods are more friendly than others. A man once reported that while rowing his boat on Puget Sound, a pod overtook him but slowed down to swim alongside. One of them swam back and forth under his boat several times, lightly brushing the boat with its fin, as though wanting to be friendly. Marine scientists studying them get to know some well enough to give them individual names.

The lively antics of orca whales are amusing and amazing. Naturally playful, they seem to challenge one another in splashing and breaching (leaping out of the water) as much as thirty feet, turning somersaults in the air, slapping the water with their tails, twisting their bodies and landing on their sides or backs with a big splash.

Diving under a patch of kelp, a water plant, seems to be another form of amusement as they pull strands of it loose from the roots. Kelp has air sacs that enable it to grow upright in the water, and when its stem is cut loose from the roots, it rapidly shoots out of the water a foot or more into the air. The whales seem to enjoy this. Incidentally, they don’t eat the kelp; it just washes ashore in the waves.

Orca whales never seem to fight among themselves. This is unusual and is another of the Creator’s wonders. An observer in a boat reported watching two pods, traveling in opposite directions, meet near the surface. He watched to see what they would do. When about fifty feet apart, both pods stopped for thirty seconds, then submerged and mixing, passed each other with gentle touches, seemingly as a greeting, and then went their separate ways. They are kind to each other in another way. When one of them is injured and can’t swim to the surface for air (being mammals they breathe air), others immediately come to help. They swim under the injured orca, bumping it to the surface where it can breathe.

They are known to often visit shallow, rock-bottomed areas where they can rub their bellies, sides and backs on the rocks. They apparently do this to scrape off small parasites on their skin, or perhaps just to scratch an itch.

We know the Creator took great delight in placing these lively creatures in ocean waters, and they are all under His watchful care day and night.

Is He watchful of people too? Yes He is. Job 34:21 tells us, “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings.” What does He see as He watches you?

MARCH 27, 2005

ML-03/27/2005

The Melodious Frog

“He [looks] to the ends of the earth, and [sees] under the whole heaven.”
Job 28:24

Most people who live in the city have never had the pleasure of listening to frogs sing. During warm spring and summer nights, their chorus is delightful to hear.

Most frogs spend their lives in or near water, but some are land residents. These must seek out damp places to live, since their skin requires constant moisture. They have special glands which help keep their skin moist by supplying a coating which slows moisture evaporation. This makes their skin seem cold and wet to the touch.

Frogs have no ears, and their protruding eyes are only attracted to moving objects. However, they have sensitive organs that transmit sound, and they also have a good sense of smell. All frogs are excellent swimmers.

In parts of Africa frogs disappear when their ponds dry up; they bury themselves in the bottom of the pond. They can exist like this for months. Then when torrential rains come and the ponds fill again, they come out of hiding. Seeing frogs after a rainstorm, superstitious people mistakenly think they have come from the sky.

The females lay thousands of eggs in the spring, floating them in water in large jelly-like masses. Warmed by the sun, the eggs soon hatch into tadpoles. The fish-like tadpoles do not look like frogs. Their fat, little bodies have long tails but no legs. Nor do they have eyelids or lungs. They remain this way for many weeks, breathing like fish through their four pairs of gills. Eventually hind legs grow - just little “buds” in front of the tail at first - soon followed by front legs.

Then eyelids and jaws develop, and the tail gets shorter and shorter as it is absorbed. Finally, when the four legs have developed, the tail absorbs completely. The gills also disappear and lungs develop, changing it into an air-breathing frog. It announces the change by croaking, a habit it continues the rest of its life.

But think about this: Where frogs live in moist vegetation and cannot get to water, the eggs are laid in damp leaves or rotten wood. These do not hatch out as tadpoles but as tiny frogs, with the frog parts fully formed! It is easy to see that the Lord God, the Creator, made this special provision for these particular frogs.

As the opening verse says, the Lord God sees each part of His creation at all times and supplies even frogs and tadpoles with everything they need. King Solomon knew that God is watching over people as well and wrote, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

When the Lord God looks so kindly on you, does He see someone who loves Him, knows Him as Saviour, and thanks Him for His great kindness?

APRIL 3, 2005

ML-04/03/2005

Unusual Bird Nests

“As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young . . . taketh them, beareth them on her wings.”
Deuteronomy 32:11

Bird nests come in a great variety of sizes and shapes. Hummingbirds build tiny nests, only an inch or so wide. By comparison, a new eagles’ nest may be three feet wide, but, because they add new material every year, an old nest may be ten to twenty feet wide. Storks add new material to their large nests every year too. A lady told of hanging a pair of man’s socks outside to dry, and when she went to get them later, she found a bird was using one of them for a nest and had already laid two eggs in it. And a farmer who found his lost ball of string, which had an opening in its center, discovered that it was now a nest with three baby wrens inside.

Many seabirds lay their eggs on bare, rocky ledges and sit on them until the baby birds hatch. The penguins have an unusual nesting arrangement. The female lays just one egg right on the bare ice. She scoops the egg onto her overlapping webbed feet and turns it over occasionally. When the little one finally hatches, it is kept warm in the same spot on the parent’s feet until it develops enough feathers to come out in the open.

Cliff swallows make their nests out of mud. They plaster one beakful of mud at a time against the side of a barn or the bare cement of an overhanging bridge.

Flamingos also use mud to make their nests. A large area of mud flats alongside a seashore will often be covered with hundreds of their high-walled nests. These nests are all close together and look exactly alike, but the birds always find their own. The female makes her nest while sitting in the mud with legs folded under her. Then beakfuls of mud are placed in a circle a few inches wider than herself. She eventually forms a circular wall all around herself that looks like a tiny open-top mountain. After this hardens, she lays just one egg. Both parents take turns incubating it for about a month, until the little one hatches.

There are hundreds of other kinds of nests, all telling of the wonders of God’s creation. He is the One who has provided birds with both instincts and abilities to build just the right kind for their individual needs.

The Lord God, the Creator of all things, watches over everything He has created. The Bible often tells of His care of birds. One verse gave special instructions to the children of Israel: “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee . . . in any tree, or on the ground . . . thou shalt not take the dam [mother bird] with the young” (Deuteronomy 22:6). Did you know He watches over you all the time too?

ML-04/10/2005

APRIL 10, 2005

The Elephant Seal

“God created great whales, and every living creature . . . which the waters brought forth abundantly.”
Genesis 1:21

It’s not hard to see where elephant seals get their name. Some of these huge mammals, sometimes called sea elephants, weigh as much as four tons. But the name comes not so much from their size, but from the large, fifteen-inch nose of the male. It laps clear over his chin when his mouth is closed. The females only weigh about a ton when full-grown, and their noses are not quite so large.

It is quite a sight to see these orangy-pink or dark-brown, twenty-foot-long bodies stretched out in a huge mass of a thousand or more on a sunny beach. It’s not unusual to see several large seals napping while another, half their size, is taking its nap sprawled across their backs for lack of other space.

The bodies of elephant seals have thick, tough, wrinkled skin, and their faces have long whiskers. Their big flippers take the place of feet and legs, enabling them to move about on the sandy or rocky shores or, on rare occasions, to fight one another. They are excellent swimmers and can dive deeper than most submarines, up to four thousand feet, in their search for fish or other seafood. They have been known to stay underwater a full hour before coming up for air.

Most of these seals live along the California coast, sometimes traveling as far as Alaska or Hawaii, but always returning to the beach where they were born. Some that live on the beaches of Georgia migrate clear across the Atlantic Ocean in the fall to the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. This is where their pups are born and raised and then swim with the parents on the long trip to the United States the next spring. Incidentally, pups are born with their eyes already open and are able to swim immediately.

At certain times great battles take place in the big colonies. Each male (bull) wants to have the greatest number of females (cows) under his care. Most have three to forty cows, and a few bulls may have more than a hundred. The weakest bulls, however, may not have any and live apart from the others.

Mammals such as these, with their unusual appearances and ways, remind us that the Bible says of the Lord God, “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). But He tells us in another verse that His creation of people is extra special: “My delights were with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:31). In this verse we can hear His loving voice saying to you and me, “Hearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My ways” (verse 32). Are you one who is happy to keep His ways?

ML-04/17/2005

APRIL 17, 2005

Unusual Heads on Birds

“Thou art worthy, O Lord . . . for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

Most birds look about the same, but some deserve more than just a quick look because of unusual features of their heads. A few are so unusual that we might wonder why God made them that way.

One of these is the hoatzin of Venezuela. This bird, about the size of a turkey, has a bright blue head with large, black-bordered, bright-red eyes and a large, pointed beak. Its most distinctive feature is a high crown of long feathers from its forehead to the back of its neck. The shorter feathers are pinkish-yellow and the longer ones lean forward above the rest in a scraggly combination of yellow, red and black. Some call it the strangest bird in the world.

The crowned crane of South Africa holds its head very high atop a long neck. Beneath its head a large, blood-red wattle (a hanging flap of flesh) drapes across its neck to meet black whiskers that reach on up to its long pointed beak. This all finally forms a big cap of black over its head. It also has a wide, tall crown of thin black-tipped lavender feathers reaching high above its colorful head. It is really a spectacular sight!

Another bird with an unusual head is the king vulture of southern Mexico. Its head is bright red on top, down to the back of its neck. It has large white eyes and black pupils framed in the same bright red. In addition, a strange growth, like a long, thin arm with long, warty fingers, stretches across the back of its head, pressing down on black hairs on the sides and front of its head to the base of the beak. The beak is covered with a shapeless mass of bright orange, bulgy, warty flesh.

Another unusual head belongs to the ocellated turkey of Mexico. Its tall, sky-blue head is held upright and has large, dark eyes set in wide collars of bright red. It has a short, white and yellow beak with a blue, rope-like wattle with red tips draped over it. Even more unusual is a large number of yellow and red, marble-sized lumps that seem to have been stuck on various parts of its head and neck. Most of these lumps are in a big cluster at the very peak of the high dome of its head.

We might ask the question, Did the Creator have a reason for giving these birds such unusual heads? Yes, I’m sure He did. Many things in His creation that may seem strange to us demonstrate His creative power and remind us that He took pleasure in what He created. The Bible verse at the beginning tells us this.

ML-04/24/2005

APRIL 24, 2005

The Importance of Water

“God . . . covereth the heaven [sky] with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth.”
Psalm 147:78

The human body is about seventy percent water, which, next to oxygen, is the most important element enabling us to live. Almost everything in nature demands water. The Creator has satisfied this need through clouds, dew, rain and snow, as well as the unseen humidity of the air.

Not all places on the earth have the same amount of water. Desert areas do not receive the same amount as rain forests or swampy areas where trees and other vegetation grow right in water. Yet the Creator has placed the forms of life best suited to the climate in each part of the world. Consider the cactus and trees of deserts where rain may only fall two or three times a year. The Creator has so formed the vegetation that, when rain does come, they can store it in their roots and trunks for later use. Camels crossing desert sands drink huge amounts before traveling and can then survive comfortably for a week or more without drinking.

Grown-ups use up to three quarts of water a day. Not all of it comes from liquid we drink -almost everything we eat has water in it. For example, meat is often seventy percent water, potatoes eighty percent and watermelon more like ninety-seven percent.

Farm crops need lots of water either from rainfall or irrigation, as do grass and flowers. This is also true of trees, whether fruit bearers, leafy oaks and maples, needle-bearing evergreens or giant redwoods. Where does all the water come from, and is there the danger that we may run out?

Solomon wrote, “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 brings our attention to one of the most remarkable provisions in God’s creation: The amount of water in the world - in clouds, snow on mountains and the contents of lakes, rivers and oceans (aboveground and underground) -remains the same. None of it is ever lost! The oceans hold just so much, and in spite of rivers, rain and snow draining into them, there is a perfect balance. Evaporation sends just the right amount back into the sky to return later as rain or snow, keeping the perfect balance by the only One who could design such a cycle-the Creator Himself.

Because water is so vital for maintaining life, the Lord used water as a symbol of accepting Him as Saviour, to give us everlasting life. He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Have you taken a drink of that water?

ML-05/01/2005

MAY 1, 2005

The Lively Tarsier

“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.”
Acts 15:18

The alert and lively tarsier lives in the East Indies and the Philippines. It is small, ranging from ten to fifteen inches long, including its long, thin tail. Living in trees, it uses this tail as an extra support when clinging to a branch and also to help keep its balance when leaping from tree to tree. Its fur is brownish-gray except around its mouth, chin, nose and between the eyes, where it is usually yellow or light orange.

Seen face-on, it is an amusing and lovable little creature. Its eyes look like a big pair of goggles, and the spread of its mouth is a pleasant grin. A button nose sits above its small mouth and chin, and its rather large ears stand rigidly erect.

This long-legged little fellow belongs to the primate family and is about the size of a large squirrel. The second and third toes on each of its hind feet have sharp, long claws, and both front feet and hind feet are cushioned underneath with non-skid ridges. These help it to get a good grip on tree trunks and branches. Incidentally, its long, hind legs help make it a champion jumper among animals its size; it can leap as high as four feet and as far as six feet in distance.

One outstanding feature is the tarsier’s large, owl-like eyes, which are close together. The pupils are about three times as large as those of other animals its size and are surrounded by dark rings. These eyes are in many ways its most valuable possession, for it is a night worker. The Creator has wisely provided it with most remarkable vision to aid in its nighttime search for insects, snails and small lizards, which make up its diet.

In addition to good eyesight, the tarsier’s head can turn around so far that it can see behind itself without moving its body. The Creator also gave it very sensitive hearing. Its large ears can twist individually in various directions - one this way and the other that way - when trying to identify a sound. As for itself, it moves quietly through the darkness and, wherever possible, keeps well hidden among tree leaves.

The Bible tells us to be glad and rejoice in that which God has created. The more our attention is drawn to the wonders of His creation, including these little tarsiers, the more we are impressed with the truth of the opening Bible verse. It is good to think about this as we see the various forms of life all around us, for each one represents a part of God’s creation. How happy we can be to know Him, not only as our Creator, but more importantly, as our Saviour too.

ML-05/08/2005

MAY 8, 2005

Sweating Is Good for You: Part 1

“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works. . . . How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”
Psalm 139:14-17

Sweat is something we don’t think much about . . . until it drips from our foreheads or stains a shirt or blouse. But we should be thankful for sweat. It is one of the marvels of the human body, designed by the Creator to add to the comfort and enjoyment of life.

Humans have a greater capacity to sweat than most other mammals. Elephants, for instance, can only hunt for shade, waggle their big ears like fans, or spray water over their bodies to keep cool. Hippos stay under water when it is hot, and even lions and tigers stay in the shade or jump into the water when they become too warm. Dogs that seem to be smiling are really cooling off by opening their mouths and letting their wet tongues hang out for relief.

The human body has about two million sweat glands, called pores, like tiny tubes coming from the lower part of the skin to the outside. You may ask, “What’s the purpose of this sweat system?” Actually, it is God’s design to give human beings a healthy and quick way to cool off in hot weather after playing or working hard or when excited by emotions. Sweating brings relief, and when the emotions are past, the skin returns to normal. At all times, awake or asleep, various parts of the body are sweating, usually so lightly that we are not aware of it.

Perspiration helps keep us cool by its evaporation, just as many air conditioners do. Have you noticed a nice cool feeling while you’re dripping wet after a swim, but when dried off you get warm again? That’s just what sweating does for you. Sweating covers you with moisture that does the same thing, and largely because of its action your body temperature of 98.6° (except when sick) is always the same, summer or winter. In addition to the cooling benefit of the moisture in sweat, some of the undesirable chemicals that get into our bodies (from improper food or drinks and pollution and dust in the air we breathe) are removed by sweating and deposited on the outside where they can do no more harm.

The more we consider the bodies the Creator has given us, the more we are amazed at the wonders of every part and how they have been designed by His supreme wisdom. The praise and expressions of David in Psalm 139 quoted above, and his recognition of the One who created him, are exactly the thoughts that each of us should have.

Have you ever praised and thanked our Creator God who made and preserves you?

(to be continued)

ML-05/15/2005

Sweating Is Good for You: Part 2

“Thorns also and thistles shall [the ground] bring forth to thee. . . . In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.”
Genesis 3:18-19

When Adam sinned and the Lord told him, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” he soon learned what that meant. Before disobeying God, he had no cares or work - just the pleasure of walking through the garden God had provided, occasionally picking the fruit.

Now that was changed. Thorns and thistles would grow, and the soil would not so easily give its nourishment. This meant hard work was going to be required, which would produce the sweat of which the Lord God spoke. While this must have been hard for Adam to accept, it was actually one proof of God’s love for him, that, in spite of the sin he and Eve had committed, he would benefit from the very sweat that would always remind him of his sinful nature.

How does the body know when to send sweat to the skin? The Creator has made a most amazing provision. A part of the body called the hypothalamus is what starts, stops and regulates sweat. This complicated organ, about the size of your thumb and located under the center of your brain, performs much like the control tower at an airport where pilots of airplanes are told when to come in, when to leave, which runway to use, and other instructions to insure their safety. Similarly, among many other things, the hypothalamus tells you when to eat, when to drink, when to put on or take off an overcoat, when to sleep, and when to wake up. These instructions, as well as the control of perspiration, are all functions of the hypothalamus.

The first step in sweating takes place as this little part of the brain sends a message to thousands of sweat glands to open up and pour out moisture. How does it know when to do this? Only the Creator who designed it knows exactly how it works, but its work is truly marvelous. Under hot conditions, the sweat cools your skin; on a cold day, it orders the same sweat glands to shut down and hold back the moisture so you can warm up. Isn’t this remarkable?

This wonderful provision of love for Adam and for all of us reminds us that, although God hates sin, He does love sinners and offers the very best gift of all, in spite of our sinful nature. His Word, the Bible, tells us, “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Have you accepted this gift and believed on Him as your Saviour?

(to be continued)

ML-05/22/2005

Sweating Is Good for You: Part 3

“Being in an agony He [Jesus] prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:44

Sweat is 99% water, and it also contains sodium chloride (salt) and other elements. Under normal conditions, your body loses about a quart of water a day through perspiring, but someone who is playing hard can sweat as much as two quarts in an hour. That’s why it is wise to drink lots of water to replace it.

Have you ever wondered why perspiration has an offensive odor? Perhaps the Creator allows this as a reminder that sweat was not present until sin came into the world through Adam and that we are all sinners. But it is not always accompanied by bad odor. When we are in good health, we sweat all the time, although we may not be aware of it. The occasional bad odor comes from bacteria acting on impurities brought out with the sweat in places where moisture does not promptly evaporate-such as the armpits or feet. But when such spots are kept clean, the odor usually is not noticeable.

As mentioned earlier, one of the penalties placed on Adam because of his disobedience was that the labor that was necessary to maintain life would produce sweat - an ever-present reminder that he had sinned against his Creator.

Approximately 4000 years later, on the very night when the Lord Jesus was about to go to Calvary’s cross, we read that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with some of His disciples. Withdrawing a short way from them, He engaged in prayer to His Father, saying, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” He then returned to the disciples, found them asleep, left them and once more prayed in the same manner, agonizing at the thought of the load of sin He was to bear. Again He joined the still-sleeping disciples and then again drew apart for a third prayer to His Father. It was on this third occasion that we read (the opening verse) that the agony of the thought of taking the sins of mankind on Himself caused Him to “sweat as it were great drops of blood.”

The very sins of the world, which had begun with Adam and caused him to sweat ordinary perspiration, were now as a terrible load to be borne by the loving Saviour who had never sinned. And in the terrible agony at the thought of bearing the sins of others, His sweat became as great drops of blood!

He could have refused to go to Calvary and relieved Himself of that great burden, but instead He endured it, saying, “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11). In this way His death provides salvation for every sinner who will trust in Him as Saviour. Have you trusted Him?

ML-05/29/2005

Long-Legged Stilts and Avocets

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1:3

There are several varieties of the closely related large birds called stilts and avocets. These are among those with the longest legs in the world. The Creator gave them these long legs for wading in marshes and swamps and along ocean shores while searching for insects, small fish and other underwater food. These birds often nest near each other and get along quite well.

They do have some differences. An avocet has three partly webbed toes and a smaller unwebbed toe behind each foot, whereas a stilt’s foot has only three unwebbed toes. Also, the stilt’s eighteen-inch-long narrow beak is straight, and the avocet’s curves upward.

An avocet’s body is black and white on top and solid white underneath, with a tan head and neck. The American black-necked stilt is typical of other family members, with glossy black covering the top of its head, long neck, wings and tail, but otherwise almost entirely white. Its beak is a combination of dark pink and black.

Before nesting, these both follow the usual custom of birds everywhere-the male goes through a ritual. The avocet gets the attention of a female sitting on the shore by wading out in the water where he crouches, leaps and dances with his wings wide-spread. This seems to impress her, and when he comes ashore they build a nest. The male stilt does much the same but adds another feature to his display. He playfully sprays the female with water thrown by his strong wings. Apparently impressed, when he comes ashore they will build a nest together.

The nests of these two related birds are very similar and are always on the ground, on bare sand, on mud flats, or occasionally on a grassy spot. Sometimes they are built in the open, but more often under a low bush. Soon three or four eggs appear, with the pale-yellow eggs of the stilts having speckled dark marks, and the olive-colored eggs of the avocets having scattered brown and black spots.

It is interesting to see several of these birds, each standing on just one leg with the other leg drawn up and completely hidden under its wing feathers. You would think a puff of wind would blow them over or at least cause them to put the other foot down. However, their foot and leg muscles are strong, and they may stay in that position for long periods of time.

As we consider all the interesting living things throughout the world, let us always remember that they did not just happen to be here. The opening Bible verse clearly informs us that the Lord God is the Creator, and He found pleasure in creating them and watches over them, just as He watches over us night and day.

ML-06/05/2005

Bluffing Its Way Through

“The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.”
1 Chronicles 28:9

We all know what it is to “pretend.” This goes on with many wild creatures of the world every day-usually when they are frightened and want to scare away a threatening enemy.

The hognose snake, sometimes called a puff adder, is one of these. It may play dead when frightened, just like an opossum does. At other times it inhales more and more air into itself, until its body is about twice as big around as usual. Either of these tricks usually works and causes an enemy to give up the idea of attacking it.

The coral snake has white, yellow, black and red bands around it. It is very poisonous, but there are other snakes that look like the coral snake that are not poisonous. If one of these is threatened by an animal or another snake, it puts on a show and acts just like the coral snake to frighten its enemy away.

A five-inch-long caterpillar called hickory horned devil has been provided with vicious-looking but soft horns on the top of its head. It also has bulges around its mouth that look like big sharp teeth. When frightened, it raises the front of its body straight up and moves its head around, as though it will either take a bite out of whatever threatens it or stab it with its fierce-looking horns. The bird or small animal that was hoping for dinner “escapes” as quickly as possible.

You may have heard of the frilled lizard of Australia and New Guinea. It has been provided with four sturdy legs and a large fold of loose skin that normally lies flat against its body like a collar. But when threatened this lizard immediately rises on its strong legs and puffs out its huge collar which makes it look more than twice its usual size. When its mouth is wide open and a row of sharp little teeth are showing while it makes fearsome sounds, its attacker usually changes its mind and makes a quick getaway.

You may think of other interesting examples of the Creator’s provisions for defenseless animals, fish and birds.

Sadly, some people are also pretenders and claim to be wiser than God. Some teach that there is no God or that the Bible is not true. Others say that we will get to heaven just by being good. Many of them teach that the world and all life were not created by God but just “happened to come about.”

Turn away from such evil teachings and do as King David did when people told him false things. He said, “I esteem all [God’s] precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).

ML-06/12/2005

Little-Known Takins

“Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.”
Psalm 50:10

An animal called the takin lives in the high-altitude forests of the Min Mountains of Tibet and China. Although it is as large as a cow, it is not often seen because it hides when people come near, although some have attacked hunters.

It is an unusual looking creature with a large head and a thick, short neck. Atop the male’s large ears a pair of strong, Ushaped, black and rather blunt horns point backwards.

Takins weigh about 650 pounds and look clumsy, but they are extremely nimble, making trails in the mountain areas at the top edge of canyons where people would be afraid to go.

These unusual animals are actually related to mountain goats. Their hoofs are more like those of goats, and their calls are a combination of a bull’s bellow and the bleating of a goat. They also chew the cud.

Their food is a variety of plants, leaves, thistles, wildflowers, nettles, berry vines and tender new branches of trees. To reach the foliage or leaves on branches too high for them, they will stand on their hind legs and lean their front legs against the tree. Sometimes they will bend a young tree down to the ground by straddling it. In winter when snow is deep and plants are buried, they eat the foliage of trees as high as they can reach. Sometimes this is not enough food, and in severe weather many of them die.

Herds may have from ten to thirty takins, including parents and young ones. Females take full care of their babies since the males don’t take much interest in the young. At times the bulls seem to be playful, but soon the playfulness turns into serious fights.

Babies are quite cute, usually a fuzzy dark-brown color, not at all like their parents who are grayish-red with a black mouth and snout. But as the young ones mature, they gradually change to the adult coloring. Young ones are quick to play together, tumbling and trying to outrun each other. Female baby-sitters often take over responsibility for the babies and young ones, caring for a dozen or more of them.

At one time takins were killed by native hunters for their tasty meat and pretty hides, but now the Chinese government fully protects them from hunters.

These animals remind us of an expression in a Bible verse that says, “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). A little farther on we read, “Happy is he . . . whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is” (Psalm 146:56). Is He your Lord and Saviour?

ML-06/19/2005

Lightning Is Scary

“As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:27

Every day around the world there are countless flashes of lightning that strike with breathtaking speed and power. Sometimes it is a single streak, and sometimes it breaks into several branches or forks. This is called forked, zigzag or chain lightning.

When lightning is present, it is best to go inside a house or building. Don’t stand near a fireplace or open window, and don’t touch plumbing fixtures, electric wiring or telephones. One of the safest places is inside a car. If you’re caught out in the open, lie down flat, even though it may be raining. (You can dry off later.) Never stand under a tree, near a telephone pole or alongside a tall building; lightning often strikes and travels down tall objects, striking whatever is beside them. If you’re swimming, get out of the water as fast as you can. Not all lightning flashes reach the earth; some jump from cloud to cloud. But you can’t count on that.

Sudden heat from these flashes causes the air to expand violently. This process starts a great air wave that results in thunder. Lightning travels at a speed of a thousand miles a second on its way to the earth. Some lightning will travel as far as twenty miles between clouds. A stroke between a cloud and the earth may measure up to eight miles long.

Lightning is actually beneficial. Air is 78% nitrogen, which is a necessary chemical element for all plants with roots in the ground. You might ask, “How does nitrogen in the air become available to the roots of plants?” The Creator provided for this when He made the world. Lightning combines nitrogen with oxygen as it flashes through the air and changes some of it into tiny particles. Rain carries this usable nitrogen to earth and washes it into the soil.

Our opening Bible verse says, “So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” This refers to the time when the Lord Jesus comes to bring judgment on the world for its sinful ways and refusal to walk in God’s way. But before that time, He will come in a happy way, as the Bible also tells us: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout . . . and the dead in Christ [those who have known Him as their Saviour, but have died] shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain [those who love the Lord and know Him as their Saviour] 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 4:1617).

Will you be included in that happy crowd?

ML-06/26/2005

Lonesome Kakapos

“God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind. . . . And God blessed them, saying . . . let fowl multiply in the earth.”
Genesis 1:21-22

The kakapos of New Zealand are heavy birds, weighing up to six pounds. They cannot fly, they make nests in holes dug in the ground and they feed mostly on seeds of plants. These birds are related to parrots, and because they do most of their feeding at night, they are also called the owl parrot.

Their enemies include dogs, rats, cats and other animals, as well as hunters who not only collect their pretty olive-colored feathers, but consider them a nice addition to the dinner table.

The kakapo’s call is unusual. Wanting to attract a mate, a male fills his breast with air and, after a bob or two of his head, lets out a loud, booming call, very much like someone blowing a blast of air across the top of a large bottle.

According to a recent article, there are only eighty-six kakapos left in the world. Years ago well-meaning people imported some new animals that promptly found the kakapos very tasty and have continued to kill them ever since. As a result, when a male bird tries to attract a female with his booming call, there are seldom any answers. Because of increasing scarcity, few nests now have eggs in them or little ones to take over when the older ones will all be gone.

Strangely, although this unusual bird has fairly large wings, it only uses them in an extreme emergency. Explorers visiting their area reported that walking through a forest they suddenly saw a big kakapo perched high in a tree. As they tried to get close to it, it spotted them. Instead of flying away as other birds would do, it dropped to the ground, never once opening its wings to break the fall, and then scooted off through the brush on foot.

It is interesting that since these birds do not use their wings, the only way they can get up into a tree is to claw their way up the trunk, using their strong toes and beaks to get from branch to branch.

The Creator included these beautiful birds in the vast number of other kinds and instructed, “Let fowl multiply in the earth.” He not only created them, but provided ample food and nesting places for them as well.

We can see how most bird species have multiplied in abundance over the centuries. However, because of man’s carelessness, some, like this lovely bird, seem destined to completely disappear before long. Let’s always do what we can to protect birds and other creatures that were put on the earth so long ago and that the Creator looks upon with pleasure. The Bible really tells us to do this in Isaiah 65:18: “Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.”

ML-07/03/2005

For Your Sweet Tooth

“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. . . . My meditation of Him shall be sweet.”
Psalm 104:33-34

The word sugar does not appear in the Bible. The closest reference is when the Lord says, “To what purpose [comes] there to Me . . . the sweet cane from a far country?” (Jeremiah 6:20). People in the land of Israel apparently did not grow sugarcane but sent away for it. The natural sweetener they had in their own land was mostly a constant supply of honey, which is often referred to in the Bible.

We may be sure the Creator included sugarcane for our use when He caused vegetation to grow on the earth. In the many years since then, it has been grown in great quantities throughout the world.

In preparing sugar from canes, it is first ground in big rollers, squeezing out the sweet juice. This juice is treated to remove anything that might be harmful and then put in big tanks where the water is removed. This leaves sugar crystals to be further processed until it appears just as it comes to your kitchen table. Bakeries and candy makers are among the largest users - some buying tremendous quantities for their products.

Sugar is an important part of our diet. A grown person eats about one hundred pounds a year in candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes, pies and breakfast cereal. Its chief value to us, aside from a sweet taste, is how quickly it is digested and can raise energy levels for a tired or hungry person. But we have to be careful about how much we put into our bodies. Too much can be harmful, especially to teeth.

Other sources of sugar have been discovered over the years. The main one is the sugar beet, which is grown in fields and dug out of the ground just like a potato. It is processed in a refinery in much the same way as cane sugar. Looking at a sugar beet as it comes from the ground, it is hard to imagine the amount of sugar it will produce.

You are perhaps familiar with the sweet maple sap that comes from maple trees in some northern parts of North America. This is sometimes refined into dark sugar. There is also grape sugar with its special sweet taste, another called malt sugar, and sugar made from corn, sweet potatoes and even carrots.

In addition to enjoying God’s love and singing to Him, the psalmist exclaimed, “How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103). In another place he says, “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

The more we read God’s Word, the Bible, the sweeter we will find His loving words to us. Have you tasted that sweetness?

ML-07/10/2005

The Cute Viscacha

“God that made the world and all things therein . . . is Lord of heaven and earth.”
Acts 17:24

These pretty little animals are from one to two feet long, plus long bushy tails, and they eat the plants, grass, seeds and roots of the mountains and plains of South America. Viscachas are related to chinchillas but act more like prairie dogs. They have burrows and post sentries while gathering food. The sentries sound an alarm, scooting them all into their burrows when danger approaches.

Those in the mountain areas are mostly shorter and are covered with soft, short, gray or brown fur. This makes them look something like rabbits, except for their long side whiskers and bushy tails. Most of them have a plain black stripe down their backs.

Those living on the plains are larger and heavier. Their coats are a coarse gray or light brown, and their underparts are plain white. They dig networks of burrows, many of which end up in a large den where two dozen or more of these animals make their home. Sometimes lizards, snakes, toads, foxes or owls make their way into these dens, but, although some are natural enemies, they seem to get along together in the dens. No doubt this is a special provision of the Creator to preserve the viscachas from being wiped out.

These lowlanders often make their homes near cultivated fields where they get into farmers’ crops. This often results in their getting shot and becoming a tasty meal on a farmer’s dinner table.

In general, the faces of the various species are rather pretty. Although colors vary, they all have upright, open ears atop a light-brown forehead. Their eyes stand out sharply inside a white circle of fur. Many of them have another white band going from the top of the tiny nose (itself surrounded by dark fur) up to the eyes. The chin and chest are covered with white fur like the underparts. There are many patterns involved, all looking as though someone had painted ribbons and patches on the cute little heads without a pattern to follow.

Viscachas stay in their dens in daylight, but at early dawn and again at dusk they go in search of food. While out searching, if they come across things of interest, such as bones, stones or a piece of bright metal, they take them home and make a pile of them, just like the pack rat of North America.

We may not understand just what part these little animals have in God’s wonderful creation, but we do know that He delighted in placing them on the earth and now watches over them. The Bible says, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth. . . . All things were created by Him, and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). Aren’t you glad that “all things” includes you too?

ML-07/17/2005

Nitrogen Is All Around You

“In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.”
Exodus 20:11

In an earlier article we considered the importance of oxygen. Nitrogen is also extremely important, and the Creator has arranged that the air we breathe is more than three-fourths nitrogen and only about one-fifth oxygen. While oxygen is the more important of the two, by itself it would be far too strong for us. So the Creator has wisely combined the two in just the right balance (along with small amounts of other elements) to provide us and all air-breathing creatures with just the right combination for our comfort and health.

In addition to this, if oxygen were present in larger quantities, a fire could probably never be put out, but nitrogen, which does not burn, keeps this from happening. Actually no plant, animal or person could survive without nitrogen.

In spite of there being so much nitrogen in air, our bodies could not survive unless some were provided by another source. Once again we see another wonder of God’s creation, in that He has provided that vegetables, fruit and cereals we eat contribute large amounts. Also, since animals, poultry and fish have it in their bodies, we get an additional supply when they are included in our diets.

Where do plants get this extra nitrogen? Much of it comes from the air and some from the soil through their roots. But one of the spectacular ways is through lightning which brings large quantities to plants, some of it passing on through their roots and into the soil for other vegetation.

Much of the fertilizer and plant food sold by garden supply stores also has a high quantity of sodium nitrate in it, which is a means of providing nitrogen-rich food to the plant. But sometimes a plant can get too much of it. An example of this is a tomato plant that is covered with too much leaf and not enough fruit.

In Psalm 40:5 we read, “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward. . . . If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” As we look at these wonderful works, it should cause us to agree with the psalmist who said, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:67).

Not only should we worship and thank Him for His marvelous works, but more importantly, for His love in providing His Son, the Lord Jesus, as the Saviour for all eternity to all who put their trust in Him.

ML-07/24/2005

Enchanting Hummingbirds: Part 1

“That which may be known of God is manifest [made plain] . . . being understood by the things that are made.”
Romans 1:19-20

Hummingbirds make up the largest family of non-singing birds in the world and, in relation to their size, they are the most intelligent. More than four hundred kinds are identified. The largest number and variety are in Central and South America, Cuba and Mexico. The United States has nineteen varieties - seven on the West Coast, one in the eastern half and the rest along the Gulf of Mexico.

Only one kind lives east of the Mississippi River, and great numbers of them are seen throughout summer months. It is known as the ruby-throated and is well named because of the male’s brilliantly colored throat, contrasting with the white and metallic green of its other feathers.

Actually the ruby-throated is one of the smallest birds in North America-less than four inches long. During the nesting season, the male becomes very bold. He is a real threat with his sharp beak and ability to swiftly dash around a larger bird and give it some sharp jabs. One was seen scaring away an eagle that came close to its nest.

One of its favorite nectars is from the cardinal flower. These and other tubular, brightly colored flowers in home gardens attract them. The tiny bird darts from plant to plant, finding insects as well as feeding on the sweet nectar of the flowers, using its long, slender bill.

“Hummers” make their homes only in the Western Hemisphere of the world. A few spend summer months in Canada and, on occasions, as far north as Alaska. Most of these migrate south in the fall, where flower blossoms are fresh and sweet during winter months. Some migrate across the five hundred-mile Gulf of Mexico without stopping. This is truly amazing when you stop to think of the great amount of nectar and insects they normally eat each day just to stay alive. But the Creator has provided them with an amazing way of building up extra body weight before the migration, and they draw on this reserve while crossing the water. Others migrate over land, usually stopping for rests along the way to replenish their bodies with fresh food.

These lovely birds are wonderful examples of the Creator’s delight when, on the fifth day of His creation, He placed the first hummingbirds in the world. Ever since, He has had them in His care.

The opening Bible verse tells us that we should all recognize that God is the One who has done this. Do not be deceived by those who will not believe that God is our Creator. Another Bible verse warns us of this: “Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 11:16).

(to be continued)

ML-07/31/2005

Enchanting Hummingbirds: Part 2

“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul [heart] diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen.”
Deuteronomy 4:9

In last week’s issue we had an introduction to the beautiful and amazing hummingbirds and learned that the ruby-throated live mostly in the eastern half of North America. Now let’s look at some that live in the western part of the continent.

One of these is the rufous, mostly orange-red but with a black chin and mottled gray over its head. Some of these spend the summer as far north as Alaska, but most remain in California and Oregon. Another is the well-named black-chinned, with metallic green top feathers, a deep black chin and white throat. One called Anna’s, also a dark green color, spends its summers along the West Coast and its winters in South America.

Some with descriptive names include the racket-tail, which has a forked tail, three times the length of its body. Another one with a long tail is named fork-tailed. An interesting one named bee is the smallest bird in the entire world. Its body is only about two inches long from the front of its short beak to the end of its short tail. This tiny bird weighs less than a penny. But it can beat its wings as vigorously as the others, about eighty times a second - faster than your eye can see. Its wings are seen as a blur in flight. By contrast, the largest hummer of all is called giant and is about ten inches long but as noiseless as a butterfly in flight.

All hummers must eat at least their own weight each day to keep strong and healthy. Their diet is mostly the nectar from flowers and tree blossoms but also includes a surprising amount of insects and spiders, which provide essential protein.

Hummers’ nests are a surprise. The insides of their nests are about as big around as a quarter. They are usually made of very small twigs or stems, often coated with clay on the outside and strengthened with spider webs wrapped around it. To do this, the female finds a web stretched between two supports. Hovering for a minute, she decides just where to grab it with her beak. She pulls it away by flying backward and continues flying in reverse all the way to the nest. If she flew forward, the web would wrap itself around her and present a real problem.

How do you think she learned all this? Well, she didn’t have to learn it. This is one more example of the Creator’s wonderful provisions for every living thing He has placed on the earth. He provided helpful instincts which are passed on from generation to generation. As we think of these little beauties, we can easily understand these words of the Bible: “[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number” (Job 9:10).

(to be continued)

ML-08/07/2005

Enchanting Hummingbirds: Part 3

“The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. . . . He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.”
Psalm 111:24

The Lord God had a definite purpose in creating hummingbirds. More important than their attractiveness is their work for certain types of flowering plants. It is amazing to see how God has placed at least one variety close by to meet the special needs of these flowers.

The bird, of course, thinks only of the sweet nectar in the flower, but if the plant could speak, it would no doubt be grateful each time the right hummer visits it. The bird’s long beak inserted into the flower becomes covered with pollen. It unknowingly carries the pollen to another plant of the same kind, accomplishing what is known as cross-pollination, which is necessary for the development of seeds. Bees, moths and a few other flying insects also help in cross-pollination, but the hummingbirds surpass them all.

Hummers’ beaks have been specially designed. Some are short and just right for flat flowers, like the half-inch beak of the purple and green thorn-bill. By contrast, the longest beak of all is that of the sword-bearer. It looks like a five-inch knitting needle and is the only beak that can reach the nectar deep in the Andes passion flower. If there were no sword-bearer hummingbirds, there would have been none of these plants after the first season, since nothing else can pollinate them.

The curved beaks of some hummers are interesting. Among these is one called Lucifer, noted for a black beard and dark wings on a beautiful body. Its long beak curves slightly downward just the right amount to reach into the flowers that have exactly the same curve in them. Another with a longer curved beak is the sickle-bill. And an unusual one whose beak curves upward is known as the mountain avocet. These are just a few of the more than four hundred varieties known in the Western Hemisphere. With the few we have been able to briefly look at, when you see one now, you will understand more fully the wisdom of the One who created them and looks on them with pleasure.

But also think of the even more marvelous ways our Creator God has provided for you. A Bible verse states what the psalmist wanted to see: “Open Thou [my] eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18).

Another verse tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Do you read the Bible? Have you ever thanked the Lord Jesus for giving it to you, so you can know of His love and learn to trust Him as your Saviour? Or does the last part of the verse describe you?

ML-08/14/2005

The Lively Marmosets

“Consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

Deuteronomy 4:39

If you think monkeys in the zoo are interesting, you would really enjoy seeing the miniature marmosets in the rain forests of Central and South America and Mexico. These are true monkeys but are the world’s smallest ones. With few exceptions, a full-grown marmoset is only about the size of a small kitten, but at first glance their long, furry tails make them look nearly twice as large.

They are captivating little creatures, with small, round faces surrounded by a long cap of white fur. The rest of their fur is a variety of colors. Their diet is made up of fruits, insects and the green stems and leaves of shrubs and trees.

Unlike most animals, baby marmosets are cared for mostly by their fathers. It is not uncommon to see a tiny one clinging to its father’s back as he scampers through the trees, but at feeding time it goes back to its mama.

God has given us marmosets in many varieties, one of which is known as the golden marmoset, so named because of its bright, silky, golden fur. It is a truly beautiful little animal. But perhaps the most graceful of all is one called silky marmoset. Its fur also has a golden sheen but is more chestnut in color.

The smallest is understandably named the pygmy marmoset. It is only about the size of a large mouse. Its lovable appearance includes long, soft fur behind its ears, draping over both sides of its head, like an expensive cape, almost hiding its pretty face and large mouth. The rest of its fur is rather dark, and its long tail is circled with light-colored rings. Many people consider the pygmy marmoset the prettiest of all monkeys, large or small.

Another, almost as small, is called the buffy-headed marmoset. Its light-brown face, inquisitive dark-rimmed eyes and black chin whiskers account for its name. Its heavily furred arms and legs are dark or light brown or sometimes blackish. This one lives in small groups apart from the others, and it is difficult to get more than a quick glance at one as it scampers through the lower branches of the deep jungles of Brazil where it lives.

It’s good to know these interesting creatures are always under the Creator’s care, as the Bible verse tells us: “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). Have you ever thanked Him for His extra special care over you and His love in providing a way of salvation for you, if you will accept Him as your Saviour? “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

ML-08/21/2005

Meat-Eating Plants

“The grass [withers], the flower [fades]: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8

Some time ago we reviewed a few unusual plants - the yellow pitcher, the red sundew, and the warty butterwart. Each of these plants traps and eats insects by dissolving them into a juice which the plant can absorb.

Another meat-eating plant is the bladderwort, which grows in swampy areas. Its stems, rooted in the muddy bottom, produce leaves and flowers that float on the water surface. This plant attracts underwater bugs, some of which can’t resist taking a nibble of the bladder-like swellings on its underwater stems. But the moment they touch it, a “door” flies open, and they are sucked inside. The door closes behind them, and they turn into food for the bladderwort.

A similar water plant, the Venus fly-trap, grows in shallow ocean waters along the coasts of North and South Carolina. A small white flower grows on top of the plant, nestled in a tuft of leaves which have short, stiff hairs on their edges. When a small object touches one of these hairs, the leaf snaps shut, capturing whatever touched it. If it is a pebble or something undigestible, the leaf promptly releases it, but if it’s an insect, the leaf immediately begins to digest it, and the plant is nourished.

A plant that does not actually eat insects is the beautifully flowered passion vine of South America. It attracts insects that find its leaves and sweet nectar appealing, but the insects damage the plant when they get to the flowers. So the Creator provided guardian ants that love the nectar that drips from the flowers, and they will not allow other insects to climb to it. However, the ants can’t do anything about birds and insects that fly to the plant, wanting to get at the pollen deep inside each flower. To safeguard the important pollen, each plant has been given a stiff, collar-like opening that can only be entered by the Creator’s specially designed, long, curved beak of an unusual hummingbird that He has arranged to live close by.

Another vine also in South America, the passifiora, has delicate, fragrant blue flowers and relies on bees to pollinate it. But other insects find that when they chew its leaves, a poison is given off that makes them very uncomfortable. Most of them seem to sense this and leave the passifiora alone.

It is interesting to hear of these and other amazing wonders of God’s creation, but we know they will not last forever. He tells us in the Bible that all will be destroyed in a coming time when God is going to bring the world into judgment. But there is one thing that will last forever. Read the beginning verse again to find out what it is.

Do you obey it?

ML-08/28/2005

Valuable Sulfur

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
1 Corinthians 10:26

Perhaps you have never seen sulfur, but it is a pale-yellow, chalk-like element often mined underground. Sometimes it is found as pure sulfur, and other times it is mixed with other substances from which it is separated at chemical companies. Often, instead of digging it out of the ground, it is first melted by hot water piped into it and then pumped into tanks and vats, where it dries into powdery form for various uses.

The word “sulfur” is not used in the Bible, but where brimstone is mentioned, it is the same thing. Remember the time God was angry with the wicked people of two cities and burned them with fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24)? Also in Isaiah 34:9, at another time of His judgment on the wicked, it says, “The dust thereof [shall become] . . . brimstone, and the land . . . burning pitch.”

Sulfur is used in fertilizers and also sprays for plants to destroy insects and pests that are harmful. It is also used in such things as match heads, gunpowder, rubber and even medicines. Sometimes it is placed in pools that sheep and cows are compelled to walk through in order to kill insects that get into their wool and hides.

Actually the chief use of sulfur is in compounds such as sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid, which are necessary in many factories in manufacturing various products. But these sulfuric items have to be carefully handled, for just a drop of sulfuric acid on a person’s skin can be very painful.

Liquid sulfur dioxide is usually stored in iron tanks and its principal use is in bleaching cloth (removing colors). It is also used in making sulfuric acid, which is one of the most common acids in all countries. Workers often wear face masks and protective clothing as a necessary protection from harm to their bodies. It is important to remember always that these sulfur products, while they are valuable and useful in many ways, should not be handled carelessly.

Sulfur is one of the things reminding us that the earth was not just soil, sand and rocks when God created it. No, He knew the things that would be needed in our lives and included not only great supplies of food and water, as well as sunshine, rain and the air we breathe, but also much, much more. Sulfur is one of the important things, along with coal, oil, iron, copper, gold, silver and many more.

How important it is to believe what God tells us about how all these things came into being. God’s Word, the Bible, is always true, including the verse, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven [sun, moon, stars and planets] and that are in earth [sulfur included], visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16).

ML-09/04/2005

The White Whale Shark

“By Him [the Lord God] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth.”
Colossians 1:16

There are about 350 kinds of sharks in the oceans of the world. We usually think of these creatures as dangerous, and many are, including the one known as the white whale shark. When one of these twenty-foot, fearsome-looking citizens of the sea is spotted, it is easy to see why they are called whale sharks. They swim extremely fast and can keep up with big ships as they follow them for the food scraps that are being thrown overboard.

These sharks are found in many places, mainly off the coasts of South Africa and Australia, but along the Pacific coast of North America as well. They usually travel alone or in pairs and are always on the lookout for fish and other seafood, including seals, sea lions and small porpoises.

Their most common method of capturing food is to hide in rocks deep under the surface, waiting for a seal or other victim to swim by. They make a quick dash, attacking the victim from underneath if it is too large to be swallowed whole. Their jaws have many strong, sharp teeth, with spare ones embedded under those on top. The spares soon fill in the space of any that break off.

It is through its snout that a great white senses the nearness of other creatures swimming nearby. This is a more reliable way of locating food than by their rather poor eyesight. Incidentally, it is thought by marine experts that the rare attack on a human is the result of mistaken identity - probably thinking a swimmer is a seal. These experts suggest that where sharks of any kind are likely to be, it is best for swimmers not to wear dark swimming suits. They say divers and others who wear black wet suits may really be asking for trouble.

Baby white whale sharks are about three and a half feet long at birth and look just like a miniature of the mother. They stay close to her while learning how to catch their own food.

We might wonder why such vicious creatures were placed in the oceans, but they were not vicious until sin came into the world and spoiled all of God’s creation. But there is a day coming, after those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour are taken to heaven, when all creation will be at peace again. This is the time referred to in Isaiah 11:6 where we are told, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid [baby goat]; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Will you be with us in heaven looking down on this happy, peaceful scene?

ML-09/11/2005

Three Unusual Animals

“In [the Lord’s] hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:10

The Addax

The heavy-bodied, short-legged addax is one of the desert-dwelling antelopes. It is a grass-eating animal with extra large hooves that provide easy travel over the loose sands of Africa. Like so many animals of the desert, it can go many days without drinking.

Only the males of some antelopes have horns, but both the male and female addax have long, twisted, handsome horns - the most distinguishing feature about them -sweeping back high above the ears of their pretty heads. They stand about forty inches high, with gray coloring in summer and darker coloring in winter. A white band of fur covers their faces like a towel, and a dark tuft of hair on the forehead looks like a wig. But these do not in any way detract from their striking beauty.

The Numbat

Another name for the numbat is the banded anteater. This rare animal is one of the prettiest animals in Australia. It is about twelve inches long, plus a seven-inch tail. Alternate black and white stripes surround the top and sides of the body and its pointed, gentle-looking face has big eyes and large ears. Legs and feet are golden brown, with the lower part of the body entirely white. It is a very beautiful little animal.

It is a true termite-eater. The Creator gave it features to extract these insects from the tunnels they make in rotten wood. The numbat will pass up ants and other insects as long as termites are available.

The Coypu

The coypu is a large rodent with webbed hind feet. It looks and acts like a beaver and lives on the edges of lakes and rivers of South America. It has sharp teeth, which it uses to cut down plants for nest building. It feeds on water plants, mussels, snails and small fish. The coypu’s soft underfur is called “nutria” and sells for high prices to be made into winter jackets and coats. This fur is in such demand that many of the animals are now raised on game farms.

Eight or nine little ones are raised each year. The little ones are good swimmers and are able to be on their own in about a week’s time, but they usually stay longer than that with their mother.

The opening Bible verse tells of the Creator’s care for all living things, including boys and girls. Another verse exclaims, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1).

Can you say the same?

ML-09/18/2005

Fish-Loving Harbor Seals

“God created great whales, and every living creature . . . which the waters brought forth.”
Genesis 1:21

There are great numbers of harbor seals from the Arctic Ocean to Mexico on the west coast of North America and from the Arctic down to South Carolina on the east coast, as well as along European and Asian coasts. They are called harbor seals because they stay near shore, and they are also called hair seals.

These seals are much smaller than sea lions or elephant seals. A full-grown seal is about five feet long and weighs about two hundred pounds. Baby seals weigh about thirty pounds at birth. They are born in spring and nursed for about a month, after which they are on their own. The pups, which can swim right after birth, make loud cooing sounds which are recognized by their mothers when they get separated.

They are appealing mammals, starting out as pups with a smooth, gray skin with patches of dark spots. The adults are speckled dark brown or sometimes almost reddish. They have tan, oval faces with dark eyes and long, white whiskers and large, flipper-like tails. They have a friendly look but are actually timid and quickly wiggle from the sandy shore into the ocean waters when people or animals get too close.

Harbor seals may live for twenty years, but they are not as strong as their larger relatives. Still, they are excellent swimmers and can dive two hundred feet deep after food. Although good swimmers, they tire rather easily, resting frequently on shore or on a rock protruding out of the water where there are almost always others already enjoying sunbathing. Some do their hunting at night.

They feed on kelp, crabs, squid and octopi, and they also enjoy fish, particularly salmon. They can be a real problem where streams or rivers empty into the ocean and great numbers of fish start to migrate upstream. Some of their favorite salmon areas on the west coast of North America include the entrance to canal locks between Lake Union and the salt water in Seattle, the mouth of the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon, as well as at the Trinity and Sacramento Rivers of California.

In addition to being killed by many fishermen, the harbor seals’ worst enemies are sharks, particularly the one called great white, as well as dogs, bear, coyotes and foxes attacking them along the shores where they are resting. Efforts are being made to protect them from fishermen.

They are indeed one of the wonders of God’s creation, and He cares for them. The Bible says, “In [the Lord’s] hand is the soul [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).

Have you thanked Him for His care over you, and have you accepted His offer to have His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour?

ML-09/25/2005

Geese Fly High: Part 1

“God . . . [does] great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.”
Job 5:89

Most of us are familiar with the large white geese seen on farms. These are called domestic or tame geese. They are raised for their eggs and to sell to meat markets or as food for the farmer’s family.

But we are going to look at some of the many wild geese in this and the three following articles. While different in some ways, particularly in their coloring, they all have similar habits and patterns of life. They are large birds, often weighing twenty pounds or more and measuring two to three feet from the tip of their beaks to their tail feathers. The wingspans on most of them are six feet or more.

Their lives depend on water. Except when flying, they are swimming or on marshy ground nearby where they make their nests. Usually the females build the nests by themselves, picking spots slightly higher than the swampy surroundings. Their nests are large, made of twigs and coarse grass and lined with a thick cushion of soft down plucked from their feathers.

Usually six to nine large, round, white eggs are laid and incubated by the mother. Sometimes her webbed feet will accidently knock an egg out of the nest and send it rolling. This doesn’t bother her much. When it stops rolling, she stands over it with her back to the nest, and using her big beak, she rolls it backwards to the nest and up and over the side, back where it belongs.

Baby geese, called goslings, are fuzzy balls of yellow down. The first time they get in water, they are right at home and paddle off for a swim. They have waterproof feathers and webbed feet which ensure their water safety. With most varieties the goslings stay with the mother all summer, then travel with her on the fall migration, and stay with her through the following winter season. In this long program, they are sure of excellent training for their adult lives.

Food eaten by these birds includes grass, leaves, roots and seeds, all of which may be found in the water or on adjoining dry land. They also like fish and other water creatures. At times they annoy farmers by getting into their crops. When grazing in fields or open areas, sentinels take turns standing guard along the edges while the others feed.

Geese of each colony usually remain together throughout the year and in migrating. Pairs stay together the year round, and some pairs remain with one another until one of them dies.

They are remarkable examples of the wonders of God’s creation, as a Bible verse tells us: “Thou art worthy, O Lord . . . for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

(to be continued)

ML-10/02/2005

Geese Fly High: Part 2

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1

Following an introduction to wild geese in the previous issue, we’ll look at a few of the many varieties. Like most birds, females usually have subdued colors, and where coloring is described, it refers to the male goose.

Living in both Canada and the United States, the Canada goose has a dark beak, head and neck, with a white band under its throat. In this case, both the male and female have the same coloring. This goose is one of the smallest varieties but great in numbers -more than three million.

Another one with great numbers is the snow goose, making its home mainly in Alberta, Canada. It is well-named because of its pure-white feathers all over, except for a little of the wing tips. It is an impressive sight to see a white blanket of thousands landing on shores or water.

The large blue goose (related to the snow goose) is also very numerous. Most spend the summer months in northern Canada and migrate to Louisiana and Texas for the winter months.

The red-breasted is one of the world’s beautiful birds - vivid in its brilliant red breast, with a black and white head and a patch of red in the white part. Its body is speckled dark gray, with a few patches of white.

The emperor is also impressive, with its red beak contrasting with a pure white head and back of its neck. The upper part of its body is blue-gray with brown markings, and the rest a mixture of brown and white. Its legs and feet are pink.

The spur-winged goose perhaps looks less like an ordinary goose than any of them. Its brilliant red beak runs up to its forehead. The lower part of its face and throat is white, with a black mantle of feathers over the top, circling around to its breast. The rest of its body is mostly blue-green, but its wings and stomach are white, with red legs matching its prominent beak.

The brant of Greenland is a saltwater bird. It has a small white and red patch directly under its yellow-beaked black head, with the black continuing down over its neck and chest. A white body, contrasted with white-streaked brown wings, makes it a lovely looking bird.

This is just a sampling of the great number of varieties of geese found in North America, Europe and other parts of the world. Every one of them tells of the Creator’s wonderful creation of such an amazing variety of living things.

The opening Bible verse states that, while young, we should be enjoying the knowledge of God and the blessed Lord and Saviour, through whom all things have been created and are upheld. Reading God’s Word cannot help but impress us that the teachings of creation in the Bible are true and give lasting joy and wisdom.

(to be continued)

ML-10/09/2005

Geese Fly High: Part 3

“Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.”
1 Chronicles 16:12

What a wonderful experience it is to see and hear a large flock of geese flying overhead. The honking noise of a flock, whether in flight, making a landing, or on the surface of a pond or lakeshore, is often so great that people nearby have to shout to be able to hear one another.

Throughout most of Canada and the United States, millions of geese - in many varieties - migrate south from the soon-coming, cold winter of Arctic lands, Alaska, Canada and the northern United States. Their destinations are the southern parts of the United States, Mexico, some Atlantic islands and even far-away Europe. While in the North, they enjoyed abundant food and raised their young through the spring and summer, but now it is time for warmer, southern spots.

In these southbound flights, it is estimated that more than three million Canada geese follow the long-used four “flyways” stretching across Canada and the United States. In addition, there are thousands of geese of other species taking shorter trips to southern Oregon and California. Some also go to wintering places in New Mexico where the Rio Grande River Refuge awaits them.

In late summer, similar flocks head for reserves in the southern and eastern United States. Many of these flocks gather in huge groups in the Hudson Bay area of Canada before starting the long journey south. At some mysterious signal, leaders take off and others follow in Vshaped formation. They travel about thirty miles per hour, usually around seven thousand feet above ground, but some fly as low as three thousand feet. Some have been spotted by airplane pilots as high as 29,000 feet (more than five miles high)! How high they fly seems to depend on how long the flight will be, as well as how high the mountains are over which they will fly.

We might ask, “How do they know these things in advance?” Again the answer is that this knowledge is really part of the instincts given them by the Creator. In their long flights, which may take two weeks or more, stops are made along the way for resting and feeding.

How do these amazing birds know where to go when seasons change, and how do they know after a few months to return to the exact same nesting spots? Many experiments have been made to explain this, but the real answer is that the Creator gave the first pair these amazing instincts which have been passed on from one generation to the next.

The person who wrote our opening Bible verse possibly didn’t know about geese, but he called on his people to remember all God’s wonderful works that they were familiar with, as well as remembering what God had told them. We have the advantage of God’s written words in the Bible. Do you read it and remember it?

(to be continued)

ML-10/16/2005

Geese Fly High: Part 4

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee.”
Joshua 1:9

Every fall about two million birds fly south along North America’s west coast, coming down from the Arctic, Yukon and western Canada. Many make long rest stops at the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge at the border of Oregon and California. Thousands of these birds are Canada geese and snow geese.

For many of these birds, the Klamath Refuge is the end of their trip, and they stay there until returning north in the spring. Others remain there the whole year. It is estimated that 100,000 snow geese, great numbers of Canada geese, and smaller numbers of other varieties account for these great bird masses.

Flight groups never get mixed up or show any uncertainty as to where they are going. Each individual bird and each group follows its own “flyway” year after year on their flights south. But when they fly north in the spring, most take entirely different routes. Their God-given instincts apparently direct them to follow the winds and air currents most favorable in each direction.

We might also ask, “How is it possible for these heavy birds to make such amazing flights?” When the Creator provided them with migration instincts, He also gave them bodies with extra-strong bones having hollow centers which are filled with air. This not only reduces their weight, but an ample air supply is provided along with additional air-storage sacs in their bodies - all that the strenuous flying requires and which could not be supplied only through breathing at the high altitudes.

But that’s not all that’s special! Numbers of them, flying in V-formation, have not had any training. This is a God-given instinct which serves an important purpose. By flying a little above and behind the next bird forming the “V,” a goose benefits by the lifting help of air currents formed by the beating wings of those in front. The farther behind in the “V,” the more it benefits from this lift. But the lead bird at the front does not have this help. When he tires, he drops to the very back, and one of the two that were closest behind him moves up to the front until he gets tired. Then he drops to the back, and another one moves up to take his place. This goes on during the whole flight - all the birds readjusting their positions automatically.

Birds do not know that their Creator is always watching over them. But boys and girls and men and women who know Him as their Saviour can always have peace of mind no matter what happens. Our beginning verse assures us that our Creator is always watching over us and will never leave us.

Do you know personally this One who loves you this much?

ML-10/23/2005

Helpful Guinea Pigs

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm.”
Jeremiah 27:5

In some parts of South and Central America and Mexico, guinea pigs are considered a choice food, roasted and served with potatoes or rice. They are inexpensive and easy to raise. But being gentle and small as a little bunny, they are also often treated as pets and allowed to scamper around the house. Very clean and quiet, the only noise they make is like that of a kitten, but instead of a “mew,” their call is more like “cooee,” and because of this they have the nickname “cuy.”

Guinea pigs come in a variety of colors - black, white, yellow, brown and a bluish-purple. A full-grown one in the wild weighs a pound or two, but when provided with plenty of food, they often reach four pounds. They are cute, have no tails, rarely bite and are a favorite pet for children. It is hard to figure how they got the word “pig” included in their name. They are rodents and are not pig-like at all. Instead, they are clean and pretty with soft fur, small dark eyes and a head shaped more like a baby seal than a pig. Often they will be heard chattering quietly in squeaky tones.

In the wild, mothers give birth to six to twelve young and only care for them for about six weeks. After that they can take care of themselves. Those raised commercially, along with those in private homes, total in the millions. Since they are so popular as a food product, many natives find raising and selling them an easy way to make a living.

In North America and other parts of the world, guinea pigs are not thought of as food. Besides being kept as pets, many are used in scientific experiments. Scientists infect guinea pigs with diseases and then try to cure them. This has been very helpful over the years in developing many good medicines and keeping off the market those that are harmful. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “Don’t make a guinea pig out of me!” What that person means is, “Don’t use me to test anything.”

As we consider the great variety of birds, fish, animals and other creatures, we are amazed at how the Creator designed and provided for each species. The Bible tells us that the Lord God had pleasure in creating each one.

Let us also remember that His special love and thoughts are toward every boy, girl, man and woman in the world. He has said that all who come to Him, confessing themselves to be sinners and accepting Him as Saviour, have His promise, “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Is He your Saviour?

ML-10/30/2005

The Grand Saguaro-A Desert Giant

“Blessed be the Lord God . . . and let the whole earth be filled with His glory.”
Psalm 72:18-19

In parts of Arizona and New Mexico and the country of Mexico, the deserts are extremely dry. The surface of the ground may have a few spiny cacti but is mainly covered with rocks that become very hot in the sun.

Among the cacti are the towering saguaros. They have bare and heavily ribbed green trunks and branches, some as high as sixty feet. No two of them look alike. One may look like a huge totem pole with no branches, and another may have just one branch almost as tall as its trunk. Usually there will be twin branches on opposite sides, branching out about five or ten feet above the ground and forming a big “U,” almost touching the sides of the trunk. In some areas there may be just a few saguaros, and in other places great numbers of them grow, each with its own shape.

Saguaros have no thorns, leaves or bark, but the trunk and branches have a dozen or more thick, deep, vertical ribs. For a short time each year, pretty white flowers bloom that produce fruit which can be eaten.

With the sun beating down on them so fiercely day after day and with hardly any rain, how do saguaros manage to grow and stay alive? The answer is that the Creator has designed them in a very special way. At certain seasons heavy rains soak the ground in which they grow. For the saguaros to benefit from these rains, their roots are just a few inches beneath the surface and spread over a wide area in a great mass of small roots and fibers, unlike most trees that send roots down deep. These shallow roots are able to quickly absorb water coming their way, which is then drawn up into the trunk and branches to be stored in the thick ribs for future use. Saguaros benefit from even light rain or dew, because the Creator has arranged for the mass of small roots and fibers to grow so near the surface.

Some birds make nests by boring holes in the fleshy trunks. When this happens, a waxy coating covers the exposed edges, preventing evaporation of any of its valuable water. This waxy coating dries so quickly that it doesn’t seem to bother the birds.

The opening Bible verse says that the whole earth is filled with the Creator’s glory. When we realize that all things have been made by Him, we can see that these amazing desert plants were specially designed by Him. How good to think of His wonders in all created things and to agree with the psalmist who wrote, “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 9:1).

ML-11/06/2005

Charming Sandpipers: Part 1

“Thou art worthy, O Lord . . . for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

When we look at the great variety of birds the Creator has placed on the earth, it is not difficult to understand the above Bible verse and see that He had real pleasure in creating them.

There are many millions of sandpipers in many varieties throughout the world. They are found mostly in North America and Europe but some live in other countries also. The one most often seen in Europe is known as the common sandpiper, and the two most common ones in North America are the spotted and the western. Some of them are given nicknames such as “stilts,” “shanks” and “peeps,” because of their special habits.

Most sandpipers migrate, spending fall and winter in warm southern areas and flying thousands of miles to northern Canada, the Yukon and Alaska in spring. As an example, over six million of the western species leave South America in May for northern places where they nest, raise their young and find abundant food provided by a kind Creator.

Some of these fly along the Pacific coast, others across Midwestern states, but the greatest number prefer the Atlantic coast. Whichever route is taken, many stops are made along the way for eating and resting. They fly in great masses, but not in formation like geese and ducks.

Sandpipers find much of their food in water or on sandy shores, eating mostly at night. Food includes many kinds of small sea life, such as clams, mussels, a small fish now and then, and many insects caught while flying over the seashore. Large groups often stand perfectly still on the sand, heads pointed into the wind, and many, if not all, stand with one leg tucked up under their feathers. They are also interesting to watch as they run rapidly in a group, feet in shallow water, some stopping now and then to poke their beaks into the sand or water to snatch a tasty bit of food.

Sandpipers usually nest on the ground, scraping out a shallow round spot and lining it with grass. Two or four eggs are laid, with both parents taking turns incubating them. By late fall, parents and young are ready to make the trip south to their winter homes.

In the following issue we will look at a few of the interesting varieties in more detail. Meanwhile, if you are near a sandy lakeshore or ocean beach, keep your eyes open and you may see some.

We have already mentioned the Creator’s pleasure in placing these birds on the earth. Another Bible verse tells of His watchful care over them: “Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein . . . and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6). Have you thanked Him for His watchful care over you?

(to be continued)

ML-11/13/2005

Charming Sandpipers: Part 2

“Of Him [the Lord God], and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever.”
Romans 11:36

Last week we looked at the lovely sandpipers in general. Here are some interesting facts about a few of them.

The one named spotted is one of the best known all along the Pacific coast. It is usually seen running along the shore, stopping now and then to teeter up and down several times, then running again. This has given it the nickname “tip-up.”

The large-beaked spoonbill and the broad-billed are among the great migrators. Their large beaks contrast with the small beaks of others. The westerns, also migrators, are very pretty with white breasts and underparts and mottled dark and light brown wings, tan heads and sharply pointed beaks.

An unusual one that doesn’t migrate is named eastern. It spends winters and summers in the midwestern United States in deep woods, wading in shallow ponds and swamps, stirring up food with its feet.

The greater yellowlegs has long, colorful legs, making it nearly a foot tall. Another tall one is the nine-inch-high stilt, living along the Atlantic coast and in Texas.

Among the shorter ones is the least, probably given this name because it is so small. It is quite pretty with black wings, speckled top and tail feathers and white underparts. Its head, with a sharp black beak, fits snugly into its round little body. It often stands a long time on one leg, the other tucked under its body and completely hidden.

The one called purple is really black with gray and brown markings. Its winter home is in Central America, but it migrates far north in spring and summer. Then there is the red-headed, with a long black beak and pretty reddish feathers so smooth against its small skull that it looks almost bald.

A provision the Creator made for many birds is in Delaware Bay, near Washington, D.C. This is where great numbers of horseshoe crabs migrate each spring and lay millions of eggs, which many birds eat. Great numbers of sandpipers find this a good stopping place when migrating north, including the semi-palmateds. Feeding on this tasty treat, they fatten up for the last lap of a several-thousand-mile migration. Many other kinds of birds join them in this feast.

We must stop here, although there are many more interesting species. These are all examples of God’s creation, placed on the earth by Him and are dependant on Him for their short life span. They do not know of God’s care over them, but we can know about His care over us and thank Him for it. The Bible tells us, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7). Does He know you because you trust in Him?

ML-11/20/2005

Preparing for Winter: Part 1

“He [God] saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth. . . . Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.”
Job 37:68

Many of God’s creatures live in areas that have cold winters, and He has provided them with special ways to survive. Some migrate to warmer places, but an amazing number live year-round in the areas which the Creator has provided for them. It is, of course, His provision for their special needs in the freezing temperatures that enables them to survive through the winter months. These creatures include a great variety of birds, animals, insects, fish, seals, whales, dolphins and others.

Often a rocky cave in a hillside, soon to be buried in deep snow, is used by bears year after year, and other creatures know well enough not to try to occupy it. In fact, in many areas all bears go into hibernation on the same day, with their spots selected well in advance.

How do they know to prepare for winter? It is all through God-given instincts, including not only preparing a place beforehand, but of even more importance, by eating extra quantities of food in the fall. The increase in weight is mostly fat and helps to keep them warm as well as nourishing their bodies while they are hibernating.

Surprisingly, it is during hibernation in the darkness of a cave that a mother bear usually gives birth to two little cubs. In spite of the darkness, they promptly find a ready milk supply from their sleepy mother who goes right back to sleep after she nurses them. These cubs are no bigger than small kittens. It is one of the marvels of God’s creation that they can survive in the darkness. They know just where to feed when they are hungry and then snuggle up to their mother’s warm body until the next feeding time.

Deer, elk and caribou do not hibernate, even in extremely cold places. In the fall months they build themselves up with heavy eating, which not only provides fat for warmth but also causes their specially insulated hair to grow thick to provide a heavy overcoat for cold weather. They search daily for grass, leaves and other vegetation, even in snowstorms. They have to paw through the snow with their sharp, strong hoofs to uncover much of what they eat.

These are typical examples of the Creator’s care. Psalm 36:67 tells us, “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.”

Have you thanked Him for His loving-kindness to you and placed your trust in Him? Always remember that “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).

(to be continued)

ML-11/27/2005

Preparing for Winter: Part 2

“While the earth remaineth . . . cold and heat . . . summer and winter . . . shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22

In our last article we reviewed a number of large creatures of the North which hibernate or have other ways of surviving the cold winter months. How the Creator arranged for the smaller creatures to survive is also interesting.

Chipmunks and squirrels do not really hibernate in winter. During summer and fall they are busy burying hazelnuts, acorns and other foods or carrying them up tree trunks and hiding them in a nest-hole. They are storing up food for wintertime when they will be snug and warm in their tree-trunk nests. They spend much of the winter in long naps, but wake up often to satisfy their hunger. Then they drop off to sleep again.

Arctic hares and weasels also do not hibernate, but each fall the Creator provides them with warm, thick coats of snow-white fur that keeps their bodies warm. They also are equipped with special winter “snowshoes” which enable them to move easily over the snow when searching for food.

Mice and other small rodents spend the entire winter in nests and tunnels they have made in the ground or grass beneath deep snow. There they feed on vegetation and insects and are safe from hawks and larger animals. This also gives them good protection from the cold weather above the thick blanket of snow.

Red foxes of the North keep active through the winter too. They are provided with beautiful, thick, red winter coats with a dash of white at the tip of their long tails. They sleep on top of the snow, wrapping their long tails tightly around their curled-up bodies.

Many birds keep active in the winter, including bobwhites. A dozen or more will huddle snugly together on the snow in a tight circle, each with its head pointing outward as a lookout for a fox or other enemy. Ruffed grouse also stay on top of the snow. Their close-fitting, insulating feathers keep them warm. They are also provided with feather “snowshoes” on their feet in the winter, enabling them to walk or run over the snow with ease.

How interesting it is to look briefly into the lives of these creatures which are not aware they are under God’s care. But it is far more important for us to thank Him for His very special care over us. Psalm 23:6 tells us, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

This is God’s promise to all who will let Him wash away their sins by trusting in the Lord Jesus. He bore the punishment on Calvary’s cross for the sins of all who will trust Him as their Saviour. Have you let Him wash your sins away?

ML-12/04/2005

Stars of the Sea

“Thou . . . art Lord alone; Thou hast made . . . the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.”
Nehemiah 9:6

About two thousand kinds of starfish, or sea stars, abound in the world’s oceans. The greatest number are found along the Pacific Coast of North America. There are many varieties, and most have five pointed arms, but there are some which have more. The sunstar has thirteen arms, and others have as many as fifty!

It is common for starfish to eat dead sea creatures, but they also eat live clams, oysters and crabs. A clam or oyster tightly closes its shell when attacked, but the greedy starfish attaches a suction-cupped arm on each side of the shell to pull it apart. The shellfish holds out for a long time, but the starfish has more strength and finally pulls the shell apart. Then, placing its stomach over the victim’s body, the starfish slowly digests it.

Starfish may appear to be harmless little sea animals, but many of them are actually vicious. They will attack other starfish of their own kind or another variety, and it is not always the biggest that wins out.

The stomach is on the underside of the starfish’s center and is like a piece of soft but tough elastic. The starfish crawls over the victim and covers it with its stomach. Then it patiently waits while the food is slowly digested. It is amazing how large a victim can be eaten that way. The meal may take several days or even weeks to digest.

A surprising number of starfish in a wide variety of shapes and forms live in the ice-covered waters of Antarctica near the South Pole. One of these is so different and pretty that it has been named feather star. Instead of solid arms, its body is covered with beautiful, long, yellow “feathers” with thin centers that wave back and forth in the ocean currents and snare small particles of food that drift by.

Another outstanding one, the odontaster, is bright red and eats anything dead or alive, from the tiniest algae to large marine creatures. One named brittle star has a round, smooth, tannish body, about a foot in diameter, and five long, spindly legs, tapering to points at the ends. These probe around for food to bring to its stomach.

While many of these creatures seem strange to us, the Creator had a definite purpose in placing them in the seas and preserving them, as the beginning verse reminds us. But He does not love them as He loves every person on the earth. This is expressed so well in the Bible verse that speaks of those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, saying, “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Have you accepted that love and thanked Him for it?

ML-12/11/2005

Two Unusual Monkeys

“Behold, God is mighty, and [despises] not any: He is mighty in strength and wisdom.”
Job 36:5

All monkeys in South and Central America are active only in daylight hours except for one kind -the owl monkey. People who have seen them tell us they are cute little fellows with velvety gray and white faces, white eyebrows and tiny beards, along with bright yellow chests and underparts.

Although these monkeys are gentle when young, when older they come up with many annoying tricks to play on those who may be caring for them. One writer said, “At a year old they are gentle and affectionate, at two years they are playful but can be annoyingly angry, but at maturity they are simply troublesome and full of mean tricks.”

When other monkeys are getting ready for a night’s sleep at sunset, owl monkeys are just getting started, usually traveling in pairs. They’ve had their sleep during the day. How can they see in the dark? The Creator has provided them with special, large, orange eyes with black pupils, enabling them to find fruits and insects just as easily as other monkeys do in the daytime.

Our second monkey is known as the wanderoo, or sometimes it is called the black monkey. This monkey lives in India. It is very sober looking and acts rather dignified. It has a big head completely surrounded by a wreath of grayish-white thick fur reaching to its cheek, which, like the rest of its body, is coal black.

An adult is about three feet long from nose to the tip of the tail and weighs as much as 80 pounds. Its whole appearance has a dignified and grandfatherly look.

Its manner of eating is unusual. It stuffs its mouth with all it can hold, puffing out its cheeks, before swallowing any of it. This seems to be just another way of showing its dominance over everything around it. The other monkeys don’t seem to argue with it either. Actually, they show it a lot of respect, as some people also do.

These are just two of the amazing varieties of animals and other wild creatures of whom the Bible tells us, “For Thy [God’s] pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). As we look at the wonders of God’s creation, we can’t help but be impressed. Have you ever agreed with what the psalmist said, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate [study] also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings” (Psalm 77:11-12)?

ML-12/18/2005

A Ferocious Caterpillar

“God made . . . everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:25

Caterpillars are usually considered a pest in gardens, but otherwise they are harmless creatures. However, on the island of Hawaii there are several species of one known as a fighter caterpillar. It comes equipped with sharp claws and strong jaws, making its meals out of insects flying or crawling within its reach. These caterpillars are only about an inch long and are camouflaged to look like a colored leaf or a twig, from which they reach out to catch their prey.

Examined closely, they resemble a miniature, spike-covered, golden fist with six fingers, each of which is equipped with a needle-like spear. They reach out so fast with these that if a person is not watching closely he will miss the action and wonder how that insect ever got into the caterpillar’s claw.

These well-armored creatures are the larvae of an unusual Hawaiian butterfly which lays eggs on leaves, two or three at a time, where they hatch out looking like little worms. These larvae go through some molting stages, finally spinning cocoons around their bodies and later emerging as pretty butterflies. It is before the cocoon is formed that this vicious way of life takes place.

While in the larval stage they are sometimes referred to as “earth measurers,” because of their looping way of moving about, like some other caterpillars do. To do this, with their hind legs they first firmly grasp the surface on which they lie, then stretch out full length before changing the grip from back to front. The back then moves forward in a horseshoe-like loop, gets another grip on the surface, and the process is repeated over and over. If an insect gets in the way, it is either devoured or knocked out of the way with the “looper’s” tough head.

At times, instead of going forward, one will move down to a lower spot by anchoring a spider-like thread, which it extrudes at the starting point, then dropping away, it extrudes as much thread as is needed to reach the desired spot. Then it resumes activity in a normal way.

We might wonder why the Creator made such awkward bits of life, but they have a definite place as part of His creation. Caterpillars are always mentioned in the Bible in connection with God’s judgment against evil. This is a solemn reminder that in a future day those who have not accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will be brought into terrible judgment.

However, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour will never face that judgment, because they have trusted the only One who could, and did, bear that judgment for them. His promise to these is eternal life in the splendors of heaven.

Which group are you in?

ML-12/25/2005

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-10/02/2005

"I" Names Word Search

This word search uses Bible names which begin with the letter “I.” See how many of the names listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction.

ICONIUM ISRAEL

ISAAC ISSACHAR

ISAIAH ITALY

ISCARIOT ITHAMAR

ISHMAEL ITTAI

ML-12/25/2005

"K" Names Word Search

This word search uses Bible names which begin with the letter “K.” See how many of the names listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction.

KADESH KIRJATH KORAH

KENITES KISH KORE

KIDRON KOHATH

ML-03/06/2005

"I" Names Word Search

ICONIUM ISHMAEL ITTAI

ISAAC ISRAEL ITHAMAR

ISAIAH ISSACHAR

ISCARIOT ITALY

ML-04/03/2005

"K" Names Word Search

KADESH KISH

KENITES KOHATH

KIDRON KORAH

KIRJATH KORE

ML-11/13/2005

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books in the
Old Testament?

O J B

__ __ __

R A Z E

__ __ __ __

T H E R E S

__ __ __ __ __ __

ML-04/10/2005

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books
in the New Testament?

M O T H Y I T

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

S N A I S E H P E

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

L E V E R I A N O T

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

ML-09/11/2005

Bible Book Name Unscramble

Can you unscramble
these names of books
in the New Testament?

S H R E W B E

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

M A J E S

__ __ __ __ __

H E L P O M N I

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

K L U E

__ __ __ __

ML-09/25/2005

Scripture Verse Word Search: Joshua 24:15

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 “for” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

ML-01/09/2005

Scripture Verse Word Search: 1 John 1:9

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 “and” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

ML-06/05/2005

Scripture Verse Word Search: Proverbs 9:10

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.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

ML-08/14/2005

Messages of God's Love: 2005

Table of Contents

One Minute Too Late

Caught in the Garbage

"Who Wants to Die?"

The Orphan Chick

The Catfish and the Basketball

Pepper Loses His Tail

A Deadly Embrace

Water Rescue

An Ignored Warning

Always a Coyote

Recognizing the King

Little Pierre's Rescue

Left Behind

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Swallows

What About Your Sign?

The Lamb's Rightful Owner

Nighttime Visitors

A Good Decision

Trapped on the Sandbar

Don't Be Like the Fish

Missing His Boat

"Stop Right Now!"

Saved From a Christless Grave

Tame Java Birds

Floating on a Palm Tree

A Little Math Problem

Crosses Along the Road

The Hidden Water Moccasin

Standing on the Ocean Floor

Tommy's Toe

"I'm Sharing it with God"

Three Lumps on the Sand

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: The Lost Certificates

A Visit to the Colosseum

China's Bad Choice

A Faithful Dog

The Hooked Seagull

The Collapse of the Bridge

No Ice Cream?

Heroes

Crash Landing in a Lake

Saved from the Lion

Funny Tricks

Locked in a Suitcase

Water Rescue

A Cruel Rescue

"Where Are You Going?"

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: The Baby Goose

Magnets

An Ignored Warning

Entangled in the Nest

Split Rock Lighthouse

276 Survivors: Shipwreck at Malta

Curiosity Killed the Mouse

A Strange Pet

The Best Way to Help

Stuck in a Drawer for 44 Days

Dean's Decision

The Real Problem with Pam's Vision

Trevor's Conscience

Carried Out to Sea

A Letter from Gramma and Grampa: Snake in the Woodpile

Joe's Plans

"ISSUMAGIJOUJUNGNAINERMIK"

A Trip to the Beaver Dam

Squirrel Training

Blood, the Only Help

Terry's Run

Dog Versus Coyotes

When to Talk to Strangers

Tug-of-War

Soda Pop Shower

Message from the Sky

A One-Word Way to Heaven

Squirrel Paths

Ivy

Where Can God See?

S.O.S.