Messages of God's Love: 2010

Winters are long and cold where we live, and we always put out seeds for the birds to help them survive until spring. Once I was a bit annoyed at a chickadee, as it seemed to be very wasteful of the sunflower seeds. It kept throwing them down from the feeder. Now and then it would choose one, open it and eat it, but many were dropped to the ground.

I decided to check on those dropped seeds and found to my surprise that, although they looked like very ordinary sunflower seeds, there was no kernel inside. Of course, it was the kernel the little bird wanted to eat. Sometimes the outer shell of nuts or seeds develops, but the kernel inside does not grow and mature. The chickadee had no trouble knowing when there was nothing inside. Empty shells are fit only for throwing away.

This story, boys and girls, will help you to understand how God is able to easily tell those who belong to Him and those who are not His own. A verse in the Bible says, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9). When Jesus told Nicodemus that “[you] must be born again” (John 3:7), He went on to explain to him that he needed to be born of the Spirit—He needed that new life inside, and that would make him a child of God.

Nicodemus found it very hard to understand this, and you may too, but Jesus made it simple. He told him 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). If you believe that Jesus was God’s plan to save us and that by Jesus’ death on the cross He paid the price for our sins, you can come to God, telling Him you know you are a sinner and that you are truly sorry for your sins. He loves you and will joyfully receive you and give you His Holy Spirit, and that will mark that you belong to Him. The kernel inside of the sunflower seed is the new life for a future sunflower plant, and the Holy Spirit inside of you marks you out as one of God’s children with a future home in heaven. The Bible calls it everlasting life.

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

Do you have that new life that promises a home in heaven?

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

ML-01/03/2010

The Forgotten Pan

Kurt and Kathy and their three children live in a large farmhouse. Kurt has worked hard to fix up the house for his family. It is a nice place to live, as there is plenty of room for the children to play and for Kurt and Kathy to work.

One evening Kathy decided that the family would have a special treat for supper—fried shrimp. She put a big pan of cooking oil on the stove to heat so she could fry the shrimp. Then she decided to take a shower, and she forgot about the pan of oil heating on the stove. Kurt and the children were in the living room and did not know that Kathy was heating oil on the stove or that she was in the shower.

Have you ever forgotten something? I’m sure most of us would have to answer “yes.” Sometimes we forget a name or an important date or where we set something down, but usually it doesn’t cause a big problem. But forgetting something can be serious, and here is one very good example. The Bible warns us, “Beware lest [you] forget the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:12).

What about the problems that are ahead for you if you forget God and do not take His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Saviour? The Bible says that “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). What a terribly serious result to think about!

Kathy forgot about the oil heating on the stove, and it had a very serious result. Suddenly, there was a very loud explosion in the kitchen. The oil in the pan had gotten so hot that it exploded! Kurt ran to the kitchen, calling for Kathy. He saw right away that the area around the stove was in flames.

This was a serious emergency. Kurt and Kathy lived several miles from the closest fire department, and even though they called 911, they knew it would be a little while before help arrived. Kurt remembered they had two fire extinguishers upstairs in the house. And it took only a few seconds for him to run for those two extinguishers.

Kurt was able to get the fire under control by using the extinguishers on it. By the time the fire department arrived, there were only a few small sparks left of the fire. How thankful Kurt was that he remembered they had those fire extinguishers!

The Bible warns us of the serious result if we forget God. Ecclesiastes 12:1 instructs us to “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” When you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can know for sure that He will not remember your sins. Here’s what Hebrews 10:17 says: “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” That is a far happier result.

ML-01/03/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The World's Strangest Animal

“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18

The 18-inch duck-billed platypus, which is found in Australia and Tasmania, looks like a mix of several animals and birds. Although it has a bill like a duck, fur like a beaver, short legs like a lizard, claws like a muskrat, cheek pouches like a monkey and lays eggs like a turtle, it is a true mammal. No wonder people who think it evolved can’t figure out what it evolved from.

However, the Bible record assures us this is another of God’s creatures, adapted by Him to its way of life. Its duck-like bill makes it possible to get food from the muddy bottom of a stream or pond. Its beaver-like fur is waterproof and keeps it warm in and out of water. The short legs help it to easily move along its long tunnel to its nest. It is able to store food in its cheek pouches while continuing its hunting. Its webbed feet make it an excellent swimmer. In addition to all these features, the male’s hind legs are equipped with poisonous spurs for protection from enemies. When the webs of its front feet are pulled back, claws are exposed.

It is hard to get a look at this little fellow because it stays in its tunnel during the day and hunts mostly at night. Even though no ears can be seen (just ear slits), its hearing is unusually good, as are its sense of smell and touch.

Before the female lays her eggs, she increases the length of the tunnel to about 20 feet with a hidden opening on land. She brings in leaves and grass to make an underground nest where she lays from one to three eggs. She curls her body around the eggs for a week to ten days, until the one-inch-long, hairless babies hatch. Using her tail to hold them close to her body, she nurses the babies. She keeps them hidden in the nest until they are several months old and nearly full-grown.

We may wonder why God made such a distinctly strange animal. We can be sure He had a definite purpose and that He gives the platypus the same care that is given to all His creation.

Have you stopped to think that God made man with a special purpose in mind? He said of those called by His name, “I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). This assurance is given to all who have put their faith in the Saviour’s work at Calvary: “Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9). Can you apply this promise to yourself?

ML-01/03/2010

The Story of a Hunter

Most hunters today hunt for wild animals with a gun, but this is a story of people long ago who had never heard of guns. But most everyone knows about bow-and-arrow hunting, and this is what the hunter in this Bible story used.

Esau was a clever hunter. Sometimes he brought home a deer for his family, and his mother knew how to cook it just right. The good smell of roasting venison made everybody’s mouth water. Esau’s father, Isaac, especially liked it. Esau was his favorite son, and even the thought of such a venison dinner made him feel good.

Isaac was the father of Esau and his twin brother Jacob, and Isaac was a very special son of Abraham. He knew God in a way that most people did not know Him. He knew that the line of God’s blessing to every nation was to be passed down through himself, since he was the only son of Abraham and Sarah.

That blessing was a very special promise from God, and no one could break it. Now that he was old, Isaac wanted to pass the blessing down to his favorite son, and he wanted to get ready for this special occasion by eating something that made him feel good. Esau was the hunter, and Isaac asked him to bring home a deer so he could have a venison dinner. So Esau got his bow and arrows ready and went hunting.

But Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, had a favorite son too. She wanted the best blessing for Jacob. Now Jacob was not a hunter, so Rebekah said to him, Go bring me a young goat and I will make a roast that smells delicious, and your father will like it.

They were all busy, trying to make God’s promise of blessing come true by their own efforts. God let them try to work things out to suit themselves, but nobody can break God’s promise.

Your whole life may be spent trying to earn God’s favor, but your efforts will never win. God had His own wonderful plan—Christ died for our sins and rose again. The work is finished, and nothing can change His love for sinners. God’s blessing for you comes through His Son. Come to Him now and accept His loving blessing, and don’t try to win it by your own efforts. “The Son of God ... loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Jacob went out to the pasture, and a young goat was not hard to catch. Rebekah’s roasting meat soon smelled so good. Then Jacob dressed up in Esau’s clothes, and his mother covered his hands and neck with furry animal skin, because Esau was a hairy man. They did this so his father Isaac, who was blind, would think he was Esau rather than Jacob.

And so Jacob went in first to his father, and the old man was puzzled at the sound of Jacob’s voice. He said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. His clothes had the hunter smell too, and the roast was delicious. Isaac was fooled, and he gave the blessing of God to Jacob, the younger twin.

In spite of all their cheating and lying, Isaac’s giving the blessing to Jacob could not be changed. Jacob got what he wanted, but he did not have a happy life.

Then Esau, Isaac’s favorite son, came home with the deer he had killed. This might have been a joyful feast, but it wasn’t. Isaac cried out with frustration and pain, and Esau cried out with anger and disappointment when he heard that Jacob had already received the blessing.

The blessing that Esau had been so sure of was lost forever. It was a sad, sad cry—Bless me also, O my father! Yes, there was a blessing for him too, but it was temporary, and there was anger and fighting in its future.

You can’t make God’s promises come true by your good works or break them by your sins. The blessing God offers you was completed when Jesus said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Look up to Jesus and believe, and then thank Him, and let me tell you one thing—it will change your life! God will show you how blessed you are, until He takes you to His home in heaven forever.

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

You may read this story for yourself in Genesis 27.

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

ML-01/10/2010

Car Burning!

Have you ever seen a car burning?

As we traveled along a highway, we saw a car up ahead totally enveloped in flames! Our hearts sank. We wondered, Was anyone in the car?

As we got closer, two young men were running away from the flames. Then we saw several suitcases on the ground near the car.

“Oh, what a relief! Everyone is safe!” We knew they would save other people before saving their suitcases.

These young men were saved from the burning car. But were they saved for eternity—saved from the burning fire of God’s judgment for their sins?

“God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved.... There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Just tell Him that you are a sinner and want Him to forgive your sins, and you will be safe from that terrible fire of judgment. “What must I do to be saved?... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

ML-01/10/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: It Fooled the "Wise Ones"

“It is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1 Corinthians 1:19

Many years ago, the fossil of a strange fish was found on a shore of the Indian Ocean. It was an unusual fossil with a hollow spine and, unlike other fish, had paddle-shaped fins attached to its body by “stubs.” It was given the name coelacanth. After much study, scientists decided that this type of fish had been extinct for 30 million years and was the great-grandfather of present-day fish. They thought that the way its fins protruded showed it was about to change to a land animal with legs and arms. Other identical fossils were found, but no one ever thought anything resembling this could be alive today. They all thought that it had evolved into other creatures long ago.

Imagine the embarrassment of these “experts” when, in 1938, a live coelacanth was caught off the coast of South Africa. All theories about this “extinct” fish were shown to be wrong, as others were caught and exhibited all over the world. Furthermore, the living ones were exact duplicates of the fossils, with identical fins and tails. They had not evolved but had continued just as God had made them since the day He created them.

The coelacanth is indeed an unusual fish. The largest one caught weighed 209 pounds and was five feet long, steel blue in color with heavy scales. Seven paddle-shaped fins protrude like limbs, and it has an extra rudder at the tail. Living in depths of 650-2000 feet, it has been supplied with glowing eyes. This fish is just another example of the interesting variety of creatures that God has put on the earth and in the seas.

We can always trust and believe the Bible, the Word of God, in everything that it tells us, and we should reject the incorrect teaching of evolution, which denies God’s hand in creation. Those who teach it usually omit the fact that evolution is a theory based on ideas and not on facts. Since they cannot prove those ideas scientifically or in any other way, it is evident that Satan is using evolution to try to take away the truth of the Bible and the knowledge that God is the Creator. The Bible tells us, “By Him were all things created” (Colossians 1:16). It also says, with respect to where our hearts should be, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

This is the promise of God for everlasting life. Do you truly believe and accept His Word in your heart, and have you confessed this to others?

ML-01/10/2010

Lost in the Blizzard

It had been snowing heavily all that Sunday morning. My family and I had been invited to my cousin Bob’s house for dinner. After the Sunday worship meeting, Bob took my two oldest children along with his two oldest in his car and started for his house. His family lived in a small town ten miles south of our city. We took Bob’s two youngest children and our youngest in our car but stopped off at home first to put a snow shovel in the car.

As soon as we drove out of the shelter of any buildings, I realized how serious conditions were. It was a whiteout! I couldn’t see beyond the car’s hood, and snowdrifts were forming across the road. I drove about two miles and then decided to turn the car around and go back home. I had to get out two or three times in the bitter cold to shovel the car out of drifts. We finally reached the safety of our home but little realized that we would not know where our loved ones were in the other car from noon until 6:00 the next morning. This was before people had cell phones, so we simply had to pray to the Lord for their safety. Isaiah 32:2 was our comfort: “A man [the Lord Jesus] shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert [shelter] from the tempest [storm].”

Bob’s wife, Mary, had to stay home that day, so you can imagine the worried phone calls between our houses all afternoon and evening. In small towns, people often go out of their way to help one another. Mary finally called a state trooper friend who rounded up a big front-end loader and two snowplows. They started at midnight, digging their way toward the city, through the sub-zero, howling blizzard. Finally, at 6:00 the next morning, they came upon a group of 40 cars stuck in large drifts. Among them was Bob’s car, and all were safe and warm inside.

We were so grateful to Bob for his care of our children and to our Lord Jesus who watched over their safety. We were thankful that Bob also had a full tank of gas. This permitted him to run the car’s motor and heater from time to time to keep them all warm.

A few travelers stranded in the snow that night ran out of gas. Some perished in their cold cars, and some left their cars and perished in the snow. They remind us of the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25 who had no oil in their lamps. They were not true Christians, who are cleansed from their sins; they were pretending to be Christians. When the call came to meet the bridegroom, who is like Jesus, the door was shut, and they were left outside to perish in their sins. Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to bear your sins away? or will you be left behind to perish in your sins?

A rescue team was sent out to those lost in the storm, and God has sent His beloved Son to rescue sinners from perishing in their sins. “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). When God’s Son was born into this world, the angel proclaimed, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). In Luke 19:10, Jesus proclaims, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

How thankful and happy we were to hold our dear rescued children in our arms again. I’ve often thought that when the Lord Jesus calls us away and all the saved ones are caught up to the Father’s house in heaven, safe from the awful storm of God’s judgment on this wicked world, how sad it will be if some of our loved ones are left behind to perish in their sins. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

MEMORY VERSE: “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

ML-01/17/2010

Mystery of the Bobbing Light

It was early morning and wouldn’t begin to get light for another hour. The street I was driving on didn’t have any streetlights, so it was quite dark outside. Suddenly, up ahead I saw a white light close to the ground, and it was bobbing up and down and sometimes moving sideways. It wasn’t a steady light you might see on the front of a bicycle, and it wasn’t blinking.

As I drove closer to this strange light, sometimes it would disappear for just a few seconds, but then it would be there again, bobbing up and down. It was a mystery.

Soon I was close enough to see a lady walking a big, black dog on a leash, and then I discovered what the strange, bobbing light was. The lady had trained her dog to carry a flashlight in his mouth to light the way as they took their early morning walk. And when the dog would turn his head as he walked ahead of her, that bobbing beam of light seemed to turn off for a few seconds. The mystery of the bobbing light was solved.

It was a good way for the lady and her dog to light the sidewalk ahead in the darkness. Anyone who is a true believer in the Lord Jesus as his or her Saviour needs a light for the pathway in this dark, evil world. The Bible, God’s Word, tells us how we can have the necessary light so that we don’t stumble and fall. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Reading and following the instructions that God has written is the best way to light our path. He said, “I am the light of the world: he that [follows] Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Do you have the “light of life” to light your next step?

ML-01/17/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: Who Put the Rings Around Saturn?

“When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” Psalm 8:3-4

The expanses of outer space are filled with wonderful displays of God’s creation, but man has been privileged to examine only very few of them. With the use of space probes and new technology, some parts of our solar system have now been more closely observed, and we are able to learn more of what the Bible means when it says, “One star differeth from another star in [its] glory” (1 Corinthians 15:41).

One of these displays is the second-largest planet, Saturn. This planet is approximately one hundred times the size of the earth and about a billion miles away. Circling around it is a magnificent halo of rings. These rings have always been there, but they were not known to astronomers until Galileo discovered them in 1610 with his small telescope. In recent years, space probes passing Saturn have sent back remarkable close-up photographs of these rings, leaving astronomers puzzled as to how the rings got there and what keeps them in place.

The rings surround the planet at its equator, but they do not touch it. Their position seems to change as Saturn orbits the sun in an elliptical (oval-shaped) orbit, but they are always parallel to the planet’s equator. There are three major rings consisting of hundreds or even thousands of narrow “ringlets.” It is estimated that there could be as many as ten thousand ringlets, which are probably continuously changing over time. The three major rings are very wide. Astronomers say the outermost ring may measure as much as 180,000 miles across.

Astronomers believe the rings are actually made up of trillions of chunks of ice, from particles as small as a grain of sand to boulders larger than a house.

Those who know the Lord God as the Creator of all things don’t need to wonder who put the rings around Saturn. God Himself placed them there, and ever since the days of creation we may be sure He has enjoyed their beauty. He is the One who keeps them in their amazing pattern. King David expressed it well when he said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

How important it is to recognize that it is God who has brought all things into being. The Bible plainly says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It is important to not only know Him as your Creator, but to know Him as your Saviour as well. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). Won’t you accept His invitation to come to Him right now and accept Him as your Saviour?

ML-01/17/2010

The Shoeshine Boy's Question

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve said he heard the boy pray in simple trust. And our faithful, loving God delights to answer prayer. A few days later, the shoeshine boy and his mother were happily settled in a new place to live.

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

MEMORY VERSE: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.” 1 John 3:16

ML-01/24/2010

Inside Out and Backwards

His mother asked, “Casey, you know the little tag on the neckline of your shirt goes in the back and not the front, don’t you? Your shirt seams are showing too! You are inside out and backwards!”

“Well, the right side was dirty, so I put it on inside out,” Casey answered.

His mother quickly said, “You do have another shirt you can put on.”

Casey said, “That takes too much time, and I’m in a hurry!” And away he went with his friends.

Later after supper, Mother and Dad had a little talk with their busy son. “Tonight is prayer meeting,” Casey was told. So he washed his hands and face and combed his hair. “I’m ready to go,” he said.

Dad said, “Son, get your Bible and we’ll see what it says about how we look and act. Please remember that we are going to be with the Lord Jesus tonight.”

“Let’s look at Genesis 41:14. ‘Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment [clothes], and came in unto Pharaoh.’ Now notice, Casey, that Joseph didn’t put on fancy or expensive clothes, but he got cleaned up and wore clean clothes. You remember the story, don’t you?” Casey nodded. “That was showing respect and being discreet, which means wise,” Dad said.

He went on, “Verse 39 says, ‘Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art.’ And in verse 41 Pharaoh said, ‘I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.’

“When we go to meet the Lord Jesus, we don’t want to look dirty or sloppy. Dressing neat and clean is being discreet. It shows that you have respect for the Lord Jesus. Then I am sure He is pleased to see you there.”

Casey’s mother gave him a big hug and a clean shirt.

Then Dad said, “Now take your Bible and look at Proverbs 3:21-22: ‘My son ... keep sound wisdom and discretion: so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.’

“Now I want you to write out these four verses we’ve just read. Study the word ‘grace’ in Proverbs 3:22. If you have a stiff neck, you do not bend your neck in submitting to correction. In this verse, the father is telling his son not to be stiff-necked.

“Now, Casey, write out these four verses we have talked about and put them on my desk before you go to bed.”

In the morning, Dad found the four verses written out and on his desk. He went to his son, hugged him and praised him for being obedient.

“My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother” (Proverbs 1:8).

ML-01/24/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Strange Kiwi

“God [gives] it a body as it hath pleased Him.... All flesh is not the same flesh.” 1 Corinthians 15:38-39

A strange bird called the kiwi is found only in New Zealand. Since it hides in its burrow until late evening or night, many people living there have never seen one. Its name comes from its call, “kee wee,” which is only heard as it moves about in the darkness.

This is the smallest of all birds that cannot fly, while the ostrich is the largest. Although it is a true bird, it looks something like an animal without a tail and even has cat-like whiskers. It is about the size of a chicken and is covered with pretty, soft, gray and brown feathers. It has strong legs and feet and can run rapidly through the undergrowth.

The Creator did not forget to give the kiwi the ability to fly. Instead, He took pleasure in forming it just the way it is and gave it special ability to live on the ground. Since worms and underground insects are its main food, it has been given an unusually long, strong bill to dig with. It hunts mostly in moist or swampy ground where the digging is easiest. Every other bird has nostrils at the base of its bill, but the kiwi’s nostrils are out on the end of its bill. What do you think is the reason for this? Those who have studied this bird believe it smells the food it is searching for through these openings on its bill. Its small eyes do not see much in the dark, but its keen sense of smell enables it to find all its food, including snails, berries and certain vegetation.

Burrowing under the roots of a tree, a pair builds a nest and lines it with leaves and grass. The female usually lays just one very large, white egg, which weighs one-fourth as much as the kiwi itself! The kiwi’s egg is the largest in proportion to its size of any bird on earth.

After the female lays her egg, the male incubates it. For over two months he stays on the nest, only eating and drinking on quick trips outside. The hatched chick is covered with soft, dark fuzz called “down.” After only a few days, the chick wanders off to make its own way, and the parents seem to forget about it.

God watches over these strange birds, just as He does over all His creatures. We are also part of His wonderful creation, but we have a responsibility to Him as to what we do with our lives. He gives us good instructions. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1); “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Are you doing these things?

ML-01/24/2010

Set 2

The Safety Booklet

It was stuck in the door—a booklet on safety. I found it when I returned home from the store. Carrying it into the house, I laid it on the table along with the other mail.

Later, looking through the mail, I noticed the booklet again. It was all about downed power lines and what to do and what not to do if you should be near one. I read it from cover to cover and then set it aside with the other mail for my husband. I remember thinking to myself that there was a lot of good information packed into that little booklet. However, I soon forgot about it.

My husband found the booklet a few days later when he went through the stack of mail. He also read it and remarked about how good it was.

After that the booklet would be found in most any room of the house. Each member of the family who read it thought it was too good to throw away, so they would set it somewhere else. Then another person would pick it up and read it.

Sometime later our son Rick, who was seventeen at the time, was driving on the main street of town during a heavy rainstorm. The winds gusted to hurricane force. Rick was following a bus that had stopped for a passenger. He was waiting for the bus to move on so he could make a right turn.

Suddenly several live power lines fell across Rick’s car, snapping, buzzing and shooting fire! Rick didn’t move, he didn’t panic—he waited for help. After several minutes many people gathered nearby, shouting advice to Rick about what he should do. Most of what they told him was wrong, and he would have been killed if he had followed their advice. Rick calmly sat still and waited.

Thirty-five minutes passed before the power was finally turned off and Rick was told that it was safe to move the car.

Later I asked him how he had known what to do. He led me to his car. Opening the door, he pointed to the booklet that had been around the house for several weeks and somehow had ended up on the front seat of his car.

Yes, Rick had been in real danger. But by acting correctly and not listening to bad advice, he escaped injury and possible death. How many of you are not acting wisely about eternal life? Do you know the danger you are in if you are not saved? Each of us as sinners is on a dangerous road that leads to hell. But God in His love for us has provided a way of escape. He tells us about it in His Word, the Bible, where we find exact instructions on how to be saved from our sins and receive everlasting life. Read them for yourself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Be careful! There are people who are giving wrong instructions. They have their own ideas. Don’t be misled by what they say. Read what God says in the Bible, and then do what He tells you. If you have a Bible in your home, have you read it? Rick would not have known what to do if he had not read the safety booklet. God shows us plainly the way to heaven, but we must go His way or not at all.

MEMORY VERSE: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

ML-01/31/2010

Gracie

A tiny, homeless kitten that’s been taken into Grace Shelter is a warm, furry bit of love that everyone adores. Grace Shelter is a place for people with special needs, and everyone there loves this kitten. This is the story of how the little kitten was given a loving home.

Last September, while Marcia, the Shelter manager, was on her way back to work from her lunch hour, a kitten ran past her and out into the street. She scooped the kitten up and carried it back to work with her.

Several of the people who spend time at Grace Shelter were sitting on the back deck, waiting for Marcia to return. When they saw her holding the tiny stray, they immediately fell in love with the kitten. Of course, the question was asked, “Can we keep her?”

Marcia posted signs in the area about the lost kitten, hoping the owner would come forward and claim his or her pet, but no one did. She asked the director of the Shelter if the kitten could stay there, and he agreed.

Now everyone has fallen in love with the kitten they’ve named Gracie. Her favorite spot to sleep is on the sill of the office window where she is able to see everything and everyone.

Has the Lord Jesus lovingly picked you up as a homeless lost soul? He is a “shelter in the time of storm” if you put your trust in Him. He wants to cleanse you from all your sins and provide you with everything you need.

Gracie will probably spend a long time cheering up people at the Shelter, but her life span may only be twenty years. The Lord Jesus has promised those of us who belong to Him a loving home in heaven that will last forever! He gives us everlasting life. Are you going to be there?

John 3:36 says, “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.” Will you accept God’s offer of a loving home in heaven by accepting His Son Jesus as your very own Saviour?

ML-01/31/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Mighty Elephant

“Behold now [the elephant], which I made ... . He [eats] grass as an ox.... His bones are like bars of iron.... The shady trees cover him.... He [drinks] up a river.... His nose [pierces] through snares.” Job 40:15-24

Except for whales, African elephants are the largest creatures on earth. They may weigh five or six tons.

When a baby elephant is born, the excited herd groups around the mother to protect her, and one of the females becomes an “auntie” to help with the baby. The 250-pound baby cannot walk immediately after it is born. It has to be helped to its feet over and over again, until it can stand alone. It grows to full size in about twenty years and may live to be sixty years old or more.

The elephant is a friendly and curious animal. It eats leaves, grass, roots, water plants, and other vegetation. Sometimes it will shake a fruit tree and eat the fruit that falls to the ground. Each day an adult eats at least four hundred pounds of food and drinks fifty gallons of water. The Lord God placed them where there is plenty of food for them to eat.

The elephant’s ivory tusks are often several feet long and may weigh two hundred pounds or more. God compensated for the weight of the tusks by lightening the head bones with numerous air pockets. The tusks can push heavy objects out of the way, dig for roots and even become weapons when the elephant is angry.

An elephant’s trunk is an amazing structure. It has 2500 muscles and is actually a stretched-out nose and lip. With it the elephant can pluck a single blade of grass, uproot a large tree, and pick up water, dust or mud to spray on itself when it is hot or bothered by insects. The trunk is also used as a trumpet to call its companions. When needed, it becomes a weapon and sometimes is used for spanking a baby.

When the elephant is angry, its ears stand out threateningly, but the Creator has also given them a more practical use. Perspiring like most other animals does not cool an elephant. Instead, it cools itself by waving these big ears back and forth. An entire herd doing this is an impressive sight.

The elephant not only follows its God-given instincts, but it is also very intelligent. However, no matter how smart these and other creatures are, it is only man to whom God has given a never-dying soul: “[Man’s] spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). A person will either go to heaven or hell, depending on what that person’s decision is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tell us, “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).

Which group are you in?

ML-01/31/2010

Lost in the Woods

As you read the following story, I hope you will think of the Lord Jesus who came down to this world “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). That’s you and me! He also promised to be our Saviour, Guide, Comforter and Friend when we call on Him and follow Him all the way to His home in heaven.

This story is about Jack who loved biking. After work he would often go exploring new forest trails. One pleasant evening he decided to ride the trails through a rather dense forest. He really was enjoying the stillness, the new scenery, the ponds and the birds. He kept riding for a good many miles. Then, noticing the sun was going down, he decided it would be wise to head back to the main road.

He pedaled as fast as he could, hoping he was choosing the right trails back to where he started. However, he began to notice landmarks that showed he was back at the same spot where he had been earlier, and darkness was closing in. Frantically he tried one path and another, until, to his alarm, he realized that he couldn’t find his way back—he was lost! Now he was really scared, and he did the only thing he could do—he called loudly for help.

That same evening another biker, Rob, who knew the trails very well and had often helped others find their way out, was also heading for home. He came to a crossing where there was a shortcut to the main road, so he stopped for a moment to decide whether to take it or enjoy a longer ride. Just at that moment he thought he heard something. He listened, and a far-off sound broke the stillness. Was it a call for help? Again he heard it, so he quickly mounted his bicycle.

Do you think he took the short cut and got away as fast as he could? No, he took the longer trail and pedaled as fast as he could. Soon he rounded a curve and saw in his headlight the lost man standing by his bicycle. When Jack saw the light coming, he called, “How do I get out of here ... I’m lost.” And not only was he lost, he was shaking with fear, cold and hunger. Rob rode up, and reassuring Jack that he could lead him out, opened his backpack and gave him some snack food and a drink. He waited until Jack calmed down, and then, lending him his spare light, Rob rode ahead and said, “Follow me.” And off they went.

We can only imagine the relief and thankfulness of that young man. He was following a guide with a light and knew he would arrive safely home. He was so grateful to Rob, he did not want to lose this new friend. “I would like to ride with you when you go biking,” he said. “I want to keep in touch with you ... you know the way.”

You and I do not need to get lost on our journey through life. The Lord Jesus knows the way that we should take, and He invites us to follow Him. He says, “I am the light of the world: he that [follows] Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jack desperately wanted to get safely home, and like him, we are all hoping to get safely to God’s home in heaven. However, we will only get there if we follow the One who knows the way, the Lord Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Bible warns that “there is a way that [seems] right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). How wise it is to call on Him before we lose our way.

Are you on the only way that leads to everlasting life?

MEMORY VERSE: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25

ML-02/07/2010

Matches!

One little match can start a big fire, but Mike wasn’t worried about that. He just wanted to start a little fire, one he could sit by and enjoy in the pine forest near his house. He had used up at least a couple of packs of matches trying to start the fire before his mother caught him. He was reaching up into the little blue jar on the fireplace mantle to get another pack when she walked into the living room.

Deciding to find out what he had been doing with the matches, she discovered a pile of pine needles that he was trying to burn. Thankfully, in gathering the pine needles he had also gathered some wet pine needles and dirt. That was why the pile wouldn’t burn, which probably prevented the whole pine forest from going up in flames.

Matches are like sin. One little match could have started a fire that might have burned down the whole pine forest, and one little sin can start a bad habit that could ruin your whole life. The Lord Jesus not only wants to save you from your sins and the punishment you deserve in hell, but also from the terribly destructive power of sin in your life right now. If you have already trusted Jesus as your Saviour but have allowed some sin in your life, tell Him about it. He promises that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7).

ML-02/07/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Scary Squid - Part 1

“The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship ... our Maker.” Psalm 95:5-6

Millions of squid live in the world’s oceans. Many of them are found off the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland on south to the United States’ waters, and also along the Pacific coastal areas from the Aleutian Islands to South America. They are more abundant in the colder waters, but there are also unknown numbers elsewhere.

The longest on record was fifty-seven feet from tip to tip, but larger squid undoubtedly live in deep places of the ocean where they are rarely seen. These are very vicious squid, able to kill small whales, porpoises and octopuses, and would not hesitate to kill and devour a person. But the Creator keeps them at depths where men do not venture except in submarines.

There are nearly four hundred species of squid, ranging from huge giants down to only six inches long. The smaller common squid represents the greatest number and is harmless. It lives on tiny forms of marine life.

Regardless of size, all squid have slender, soft, boneless bodies that are dark gray with red spots. They have two fins at the tail end and eight long, snaky arms attached at the head end. These arms are equipped with rows of round sucking discs. A fifty-pound squid can spread these arms out about ten feet beyond its body. They also have two additional, long, whip-like tentacles that reach even farther. The purpose of these arms and tentacles is to catch and hold fish and pull them into their mouths where they are rapidly eaten.

Long before airplanes had jet engines, squid used jet propulsion for swimming, provided by the Creator. It works by a loose mantle that fits over the squid’s body below its eyes. This fills with water which squirts out through a muscular tube, making it move backward. However, the tube is flexible and can be pointed up, down, ahead or sideways, to move the creature any direction.

Except for those seen at sea aquariums, it is unlikely any of us will come face to face with any of these creatures. However, they are really a wonderful example of God’s handiwork. As the Bible states, “God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind” (Genesis 1:21).

But He is not only the God of creation; He is also the God of love. Another Bible verse tells us, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). Have you experienced that love by accepting His Son, the Lord Jesus, as your Saviour?

ML-02/07/2010

Where Is Peter?

King Herod knew everything; at least he thought he did. Peter was preaching to the people about Jesus and that He was alive, and it made King Herod angry! Everybody knew that Jesus had been crucified and had died on that agonizing cross. And they all knew that He had been buried in a cave, and a huge stone had been rolled over the entrance to the cave. The stone had been sealed, and Roman soldiers stood on guard to make sure no one stole the body of Jesus. So how could Jesus possibly be alive?

But He IS alive! Peter was absolutely sure of this, and what he was preaching made King Herod so angry he said, Arrest that man! And Peter was arrested and put in prison, with far more guards than an ordinary prisoner. There were sixteen soldiers, four at a time, appointed to guard him. And they put big, rattling chains on his wrists, along with three locked doors between him and freedom.

But the next morning Peter was gone! Sandals, coat—everything was gone—except his chains. If the king was angry before, he was furious now. Somebody must be to blame for Peter’s escape! Somebody must pay for this!

King Herod was up against the power of God, and no amount of rage was going to change God’s plan. Perhaps you feel angry too when people tell you that you can’t do wrong and get away with it. It is impossible! God says twice, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4;18:20). But the good news is that this same Jesus who died and rose again from the dead is ready to save you right now. He died to save sinners like you and me. He wants you! Will you come to Him right now?

King Herod ordered that all those soldiers should be executed! They must be to blame for letting Peter escape, and King Herod was going to show his power.

God has power too, but He does not show His power like that. He made the earth and all that is in it by His mighty power. What then could He do to you since you have disobeyed Him? Here is the greatest wonder in the whole world’s history—”Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He could not save sinners unless He took those sins upon Himself and paid for them. And that is what He did in those three hours of darkness on the cross. The work is finished! And His payment is big enough for your sins too.

Will you say “No” to this offer? Will you refuse the Saviour who died for sinners? If so, then you must bear the punishment for your sins forever, and nobody could say that God does not care. God proved that He cared when He laid all the sins of every believer on His Son and punished Him instead. If you refuse the Saviour of sinners, then you must spend eternity without God, without love and without light.

King Herod was eaten by worms after that, and he died an awful death. God has not forgotten, and King Herod will pay for his own sins.

But I have not told you where Peter went after he left the prison. Herod did not know, but I know, because I read the story in Acts 12. Would you like to know? Then get a Bible and read the story yourself. It is too wonderful to miss!

MEMORY VERSE: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4

ML-02/14/2010

Tracks in the Snow

Have you ever seen animal tracks in the snow? Maybe your cat or dog has made tracks all over the yard, and you recognized that they were your pet’s tracks. Tracks certainly do show that an animal has been walking around. Recognizing your pet’s tracks is one thing, but not recognizing the tracks can be a little scary and can be a warning to “beware”!

Lots of cats had been missing in one part of our city. Everyone was told not to let their cats go outside, because there were bobcats roaming around. Since there was deep snow in the woodlands, animals such as bobcats were forced to hunt for food in populated areas.

One morning we saw strange tracks in the snow in our backyard. The tracks came right to our back step! We phoned the animal control number and explained what the tracks looked like. The officer there knew immediately that they were the tracks of a bobcat. This meant that a bobcat had been lurking in our backyard, looking for a victim to catch!

The Bible warns us about Satan, our enemy, doing the same thing. First Peter 5:8 warns us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour.” But those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour can ask Him for protection from our enemy. “Whoso [puts] his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

In the spring when the snow started to melt, do you know what melted last in our yard? It was those tracks made by the bobcat—they had turned to ice! Sin leaves its mark, and the result of sin lasts a long time, just like those bobcat tracks. But if we will come to the Lord Jesus and tell Him what we’ve done, He gives us a promise in Hebrews 8:12: “[Your] sins and [your] iniquities will I remember no more.” God does not remember them, if we are one of His children and they are confessed to Him.

ML-02/14/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Scary Squid - Part 2

“They that go down to the sea in ships ... in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.” Psalm 107:23-24

While the squid is an enemy of fish and other marine creatures that are smaller, it also has many enemies of its own that consider squid a very nice answer to their hunger. Sea life larger than themselves—killer whales, porpoises, octopuses and other kinds of large sea creatures—gobble up the small- and medium-sized squid when they get the chance.

But a squid has several means of defense. In addition to being able to swim away faster than nearly anything else in water, the Creator has given it other means of self-protection. For one thing, its strong arms can often wind around an attacker and kill it, even if it is larger than itself. It also has two other very interesting defensive weapons that it uses. One is the ability to change color almost as fast as you blink your eyes. This helps it to hide from an enemy by blending in with its surroundings. Another is to shoot out a cloud of thick black ink, sometimes even making it in a shape that looks just like itself. Then it backs quickly away while the badly fooled enemy attacks the inky mass and, to its surprise, finds nothing there. Aren’t these amazing survival features the Creator has given squid?

The shallow ocean shores of some California islands are one place where great quantities of squid are caught. Every winter millions of them, six to eight inches long, come there to lay tremendous quantities of eggs, and fishermen (as well as sharks and other big fish) are always waiting for them—somehow knowing just when this will take place. They scoop up tons of them, but scarcely make a dent in their numbers. The same thing takes place in the Mediterranean Sea where they are caught in a similar manner. Millions of tons go to the world’s fish markets from these and other places every year.

Ocean workers, mentioned in the opening Bible verse, as well as cruising tourists, tell of interesting encounters with squid. One common thrill is to see smaller ones jump from the water, by means of their jet propulsion, as high as twenty feet and fifty feet in distance. Sometimes they accidentally land on board bigger boats and at other times jump over smaller ones.

Truly the works of the Lord are marvelous, and though we may not understand why He created some of these strange creatures, we know they serve His plan in ways known to Him. He also has a plan for every boy and girl, and every man and woman. Have you thanked Him for His love for you and asked Him to show you what His plan is for you and how you can honor Him in your life?

ML-02/14/2010

Bought for a Dollar

Heartbreaking cries came from the little Chinese girl, as the stick came down again and again on her back.

“Didn’t I tell you to sweep the courtyard and gather sticks for the fire? You’ve been playing around instead, you good-for-nothing brat! You’re not worth the rice I feed you,” screamed the harsh woman.

The five-year-old child stood trembling, big tears rolling down her cheeks. Her black eyes looked large in her thin face. Thick black hair hung in tangles down her back. Her ragged clothes were torn, and her tiny arms looked like twigs.

Five long years before, a tiny child wrapped in rags had been put in the Chinese woman’s arms. “We don’t want her,” a voice had said in the darkness. “Sell her or do whatever you want with her.” Mrs. Chou had an illegal business selling unwanted children as slaves to rich people, who paid her well.

And now, five years later, this child’s life was one of complete misery. It reminds me of what life is like for many who don’t know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Whether they know it or not, they live as slaves of a cruel master—Satan. He has no love for any of them and only uses them for what he can get out of them. Thankfully for the little girl, her life with this cruel woman was about to change.

A knock was heard at the door. Peeking through the door at the wall of the compound where she lived, Mrs. Chou saw foreigners, a man and a woman, and she suspected they had come to spy on her for the government. But the man called out, “We are your friends; we have come to do you no harm.”

When Mrs. Chou let them in, she was shocked to hear the woman say, “We have heard that you have several unwanted children here. Would you be willing to let us have one of them? You see, I have no children of my own, and I want to raise a little girl as my own daughter.”

Mrs. Chou led them through the pigs and chickens to the back of the house. By the dim light of an oil lamp, they could see several small children huddled together in a big room that was filled with an awful smell and the shrieks of small babies. The lady gasped in horror! How could anyone live in such a terrible place? she wondered.

She looked around, and then she saw her ... a tiny, ragged girl whose eyes were still red from crying from her beating and her face covered with oozing sores.

“Oh, no! You don’t want that one,” Mrs. Chou told her. “She’s a thief and a wildcat ... now this one ... .” But the lady broke in: “Yes, I want her. She looks like she needs a mother more than all the others. How much do you want for her?”

“A silver dollar. That will pay for the rice and bean curd she has eaten.”

As the little girl looked at the missionaries, her eyes filled with terror. She had heard that these “foreign devils” took Chinese children to their homes to take their eyes out to make medicine with them. As Mrs. Chou pushed her toward them, she began to shriek, “NO! NO, I DON’T WANT TO GO!” She threw herself on the ground and began to kick as hard as she could. When she had settled down a little, the lady leaned down and spoke gently to her. “We won’t hurt you. We want to be good to you and love you. Won’t you please come with us?”

Silly child, we might think. Who wouldn’t want to go with someone who was speaking kindly to them, rather than stay in such filthy, cruel misery? This little girl had no idea of what love and kindness were, and she clung, strangely enough, to the horrible life she knew.

I wonder if anyone reading this is like this little girl. Has Satan filled your heart with fear of what life might be like if you were to accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and follow Him? Satan likes to tell people they will be slaves—no freedom, no happiness and many other lies. Satan is a liar and the father of lies! Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11). Jesus always tells the truth. God is pleading for you to listen to Him and to turn away from Satan’s lies. How could God want anything but good for us after loving us so much that He gave His Son to die for us?

Little Chen Li, the name her new parents gave her, was forced by Mrs. Chou to go with the foreigners. What the little girl found waiting for her were many wonderful things—a clean home, clean clothes, good food and best of all, a father and mother to love her. It took time, but all the love and kindness eventually made her fear disappear, and in its place was a heart full of love for her father and mother.

Chen Li was bought for only a dollar. Do you know that the largest possible ransom has been paid to buy you? God has paid for sinners with the blood of His own Son! Chen Li could not understand the love of her new parents at first. They bought her to give her love and to make her clean and happy. That is exactly what God wants to do for you ... to cleanse you from your sins, fill your heart with joy and give you the peace of knowing you are loved by God your Father. He also promises a future home in heaven. This can all be yours because of the price His Son Jesus paid to redeem you. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

MEMORY VERSE: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

ML-02/21/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Cleanup Committee

“There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen.” Job 28:7

You would not want a vulture or a condor as a pet. Their naked heads and necks, often covered with warts or loose-hanging skin, and large, hooked beaks make them unattractive. Among the many kinds, he largest is the South American condor, which stands about four feet high with a multi-colored head, topped with a crown of loose skin. The California condor is almost as large.

Condors have a graceful, soaring flight of hundreds or even thousands of feet in the air. South American condors, living high in the Andes Mountains, may fly as high as 20,000 feet. Rising on air currents, they soar in wide circles, often for hours without flapping their great wings. They have been provided with an excellent sense of smell and the keenest eyesight of any creature and can spot a dead animal from as high as 5,000 feet. Something amazing happens when they find a dead animal. Although only one or two of these birds may be seen in the sky, the minute one drops down to feed on carrion (a dead animal), others quickly appear in the sky, also dropping down to squabble over the prize.

We can see why the Creator designed them as He did. Their heads and long necks have no feathers so they can easily reach into the dead animal’s body. Feathers would get so filthy they could never get them clean. The sharp hook on the end of their beaks helps tear off pieces of flesh. Their tongues, lined with “teeth” that point inward, move the food into their gullets. When several birds are present, a carcass is stripped to the skeleton in minutes. Frequently they eat so much they have difficulty becoming airborne again.

California condors are rare because the large animals they eat are scarce and man has killed many. They also have a slow rate of reproduction. They do not breed until they are six years old and lay only one egg every two years.

Although so unattractive, vultures and condors are an important part of God’s creation, and He has provided them with the features so necessary in their lives. They are helpful because they eat dead creatures which otherwise might decay and spread disease.

While vultures are suitably occupied in their way of life, they make us think of foolish people whose appetites are for the “dead things” of the world and who have not obeyed the important Bible verse, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15).

God’s Word, the Bible, points to the right things to occupy us. A wise person who proved this said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Are you a wise or foolish person?

ML-02/21/2010

Set 3

A Litter of Nine Puppies

Dear Children,

I want to tell you about a litter of nine puppies that were born to a mama dog that belongs to our niece. The puppies looked like little teddy bears, so we called them the teddy bear puppies. They were so roly-poly and cute, but I am sad to tell you there was something wrong with one of the puppies.

“Grampa, what was wrong with the puppy?”

Before I tell you about it, I want to say something about each one of us. We read in the holy Bible, God’s Word, that you and I were born in sin and that we have a sinful nature. You see, children, our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they lived in the Garden of Eden, sinned against God when they disobeyed Him. And so now it is very easy for us to sin by being disobedient, telling lies, stealing, cheating, saying bad words and other things we do. We know it is wrong to sin, but we do it just the same. Romans 3:23 tells us very clearly that “all have sinned,” so every single one of us is guilty—every one of us has something wrong—SIN.

Now I’ll tell you about the puppy that had a problem. When the animal doctor looked at all the puppies one by one, he discovered that one puppy was blind in one eye. Gramma and I couldn’t tell which puppy had a blind eye, because they all looked the same to us, except for their different colors. They played together and ate together. They did not understand that one of them couldn’t see out of one eye. But my niece knows the puppies so well that she knows exactly which one of these puppies has the blind eye, just by looking at them. But you and I wouldn’t be able to know just by looking at them.

Children, we do not look at ourselves the same way that God sees us. He looks right down into our hearts! The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord [sees] not as man [sees]; for man [looks] on the outward appearance, but the Lord [looks] on the heart.” He knows whose heart is still full of sin and whose heart has been cleansed from sin.

“But, Grampa, what will happen to the puppy with the blind eye? Would anybody want it?”

Well, I have very good news for you. That little puppy was already promised to a good home where it is loved and cared for. I know that will make you happy, and it made Gramma and me very happy as well.

Children, listen closely now. Do you and I have any right to be in that happy place called heaven where there is no sin? No, we do not! Our sins will keep us out! But our Father in heaven loves us so much that He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to a place called Calvary. And on that cross at Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ gave His lifeblood for you and me! Galatians 2:20 says, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” He paid the price to cleanse us from our sins so that we can be in heaven, and He wants us there with Himself. Will you be the boy or girl who will believe that Jesus died for your sins and accept Him as your very own Saviour today? Remember what 2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Boys and girls, will I see you in heaven someday? I surely will if your sins are gone.

Lots of love from Grampa

MEMORY VERSE: “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

ML-02/28/2010

"Love Your Enemies"

Long ago in the United States, there was a man who had slaves, as many people did in those days. He had one slave who was a very good servant, and he loved this slave named John.

One day the master and John went to the market where slaves were sold. There they saw a very old man who was to be sold as a slave. His hair was gray, he could no longer stand upright as he had when he was young and strong, and he shook from weakness.

John begged his master to buy that man as his slave. The master was surprised, but he bought the slave, just as John wanted him to.

John carried the weak old man home to his own cabin and put him in his own bed. When the old man was hungry, John fed him. When he was thirsty, John gave him water. He put the old man in the warm sunshine when he was cold and moved him to the shade when he got too hot.

“What is the meaning of all this?” the master asked John one day. “Is this man your father?”

“No,” John answered.

“Is he your friend or brother?”

“No,” said John. “He is my enemy. Years ago he stole me from my home in Africa and sold me to be a slave. I am now doing what the Bible tells us to do: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’” (Matthew 5:44).

ML-02/28/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: Two Creatures With Many Legs

“Every creeping thing that [creeps] upon the earth shall be an abomination ... or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things ... them ye shall not eat.” Leviticus 11:41-42

The first of our two creatures is the centipede. This name means one hundred legs, but it is just a general term since not all of the fifteen hundred centipede varieties have the same number of legs. The most common have only thirty (fifteen pairs), but large tropical centipedes may have more than three hundred! Centipedes suggest danger, since their first pairs of legs have poisonous claws used to kill their prey. In the tropics, there are large centipedes whose bites can be very dangerous; however, the common variety in North America cannot pierce human skin, and their victims are only earthworms and small insects.

These long, thin, blind creatures are composed of many segments, each segment having one right and one left leg attached. Most centipedes are born with very few segments, but at each molting new segments and legs are added. Active at night, their days are spent hiding underground, under stones or in a piece of rotten wood.

We might wonder why the Creator put these strange creatures on the earth, but they are all part of His divinely planned creation, and He gives them the ability to make out very well in their unusual lives.

Then there are the millipedes. This name means “a thousand legs,” but two hundred would be more accurate. Their brown, cylindrical bodies are much like the centipedes’ except that each segment has four legs, and most varieties have only thirty or forty segments. There are other differences too. Millipedes, without poisonous claws, are entirely harmless. And rather than worms and insects, their food is mostly decaying plants or moist vegetation, which is why so many appear in damp flower beds.

They are often a nuisance because they damage plants, but there is no need to be afraid of them. In fact, they themselves are afraid when exposed and immediately coil up in a tight little circle, their heads in the center and their legs all pulled under their bodies.

While both these creatures are part of God’s creation and under His care, we are reminded that in Old Testament days, under the law, God told His people not to eat them (see opening verse above). Instead, He named clean animals and birds that stand up or fly above the earth as their proper food.

We are not now under those laws, but we see an important lesson in them. God does not want us to find our pleasures in the sinful things of this world, but He tells us to “seek those things which are above.... not ... things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). This is the way of true happiness, which you will see if you follow it.

ML-02/28/2010

Our Ride on the Subway Train

Have you ever ridden on a subway train? It travels underground through long tunnels that men have built. That way the train avoids all the traffic and stoplights on the streets above that all the cars and buses have to deal with, and so it is a faster ride.

When you want to get off the subway train, you reach up and pull a cord. That makes a beeping sound that tells the conductor that you want to get off at the next stop. Then he will stop the train at the next station, open the door and let you get off.

When my brother and I were still quite young, our grandma would often take us downtown on the subway. On one of these trips, Grandma and I got on the train and had just sat down when we heard a loud banging on the window. We looked out, and there was my brother, pounding on the window frantically and crying, “LET ME IN! LET ME IN!” The doors of the subway train had closed before he had a chance to get on!

You may never have been on a subway train going to the city, but every one of us in this world is on a “subway train,” and it’s not headed for a happy time. No, the train we are on as soon as we are born is headed for that awful place called hell, because each one of us is a sinner. I was on that train once, but I’m not on it any longer. I called to the Lord Jesus to take me off and put me on His “gospel train.” I confessed to Him that I was a sinner and had done lots of bad things. I told Him I was sorry about them and wanted Him to save me from the punishment I deserved for my sins.

Now, if you’re going to get on a subway train, you must have a ticket, and you also need a ticket to get on God’s “gospel train.” But the wonderful thing is that the Lord Jesus has already bought a ticket for you or anyone who is truly sorry for his or her sins and wants to be saved. He paid for those tickets with His very own blood. After He had died on Calvary’s cross, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and then blood and water flowed out. And a Bible verse says how wonderful and priceless that blood of Jesus is: “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). That’s the answer to our sin problem!

I didn’t know what the answer was to my brother’s problem as he pounded on the subway window, crying to be let in. I’ll never forget how scared Grandma and I both were. But Grandma quickly called to the conductor to open the door and let my brother in before he got left behind in the subway tunnel.

The conductor quickly opened the door, and you can imagine just how fast my brother jumped on the train. Nobody had to tell him twice not to wait a second longer! But how many times have you heard the gospel message, that God loves you and sent His beloved Son to die for you? Are you still just standing around on the platform, not sure you want to get on the “gospel train”? It is God’s plan of escape from the punishment for your sins. Don’t wait! That door will soon close, and you’ll be left behind.

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

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

ML-03/07/2010

Inside or Outside?

How many of you have sung this song in Sunday school?

One door and only one,

And yet its sides are two—

Inside and outside,

On which side are you?

One door and only one,

And yet its sides are two—

I’m on the inside;

On which side are you?

Do you know what this song is asking? Here is a story to help you understand.

One day Tom and Tracy went to visit some friends. As they were walking near their friend’s house, a very large dog from a neighbor’s house ran toward them with a deep, “WOOF! WOOF!” Without even knocking, Tracy opened their friend’s front door, jumped inside and slammed the door behind her. Tracy was safe! She was on the inside, but poor Tom was left on the outside with that big dog.

If you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus, you are safe on the inside. You are safe from the judgment that is coming on sinners. All who are sinners are on the outside and will be cast into the lake of fire. They are not safe; they face terrible danger. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are safe. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

What about Tom who was left on the outside? Happily for him, the big dog was friendly and did not hurt him. Then he came inside too.

Now let me ask you, “On which side are you?” Are you safe on the inside with the Lord Jesus? or are you in danger on the outside, facing the punishment for your sins? “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation [worth being accepted by all], that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

ML-03/07/2010

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Beautiful Leopard

“Can [a person] change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23

Leopards live in parts of Africa and in Asia from Israel to China, Malaya and Sumatra. They are the third largest member of the cat family. Only lions and tigers are larger. Besides being beautiful animals, leopards are graceful, alert and smart. They are good climbers and spend part of their time in trees.

The leopard is fierce and prefers to hunt alone. Its tawny color and spotted pattern blend with the grasses and leaf shadows, enabling it to crawl through brush or lie on a tree branch undetected by its prey. Unbelievably strong, it can carry prey weighing 80 to 150 pounds up into a tree 10 to 25 feet above the ground before it settles down to eat.

The Creator has given the leopard excellent sight, smell and hearing. It is extremely patient in hunting impalas, antelopes, jackals, monkeys, sheep, goats and dogs. It may watch its victim for an hour or more before beginning its stalk. Then it creeps toward it and makes a swift, final dash with a great leap onto its catch. At other times it may stretch out on a tree branch over a game trail. It lies entirely motionless until something comes along, and then it drops down onto its prey.

A litter of two, three or four kittens is born in a cave, hollow tree or den underneath a big rock. The mother has the responsibility of feeding and raising them. After four months, she teaches them to hunt and to take care of themselves. About two months later they leave and are on their own, probably never having seen their father.

The questions in our opening Bible verse have only one answer: A person cannot change the color of his skin, and a leopard cannot change the spots on its coat. The rest of the verse draws a parallel: If we could change our skin or the leopard could change its spots, then we could also change from being sinful to being good. But the Bible states the facts: “There is none that doeth good,” and “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:12,23).

How then can we ever hope that God will accept us since we are sinners? This is a most important question, and the answer is again found in the Bible: “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). By believing that Christ died for your sins and accepting Him as your Saviour, you are “born again,” and everyone with this new life belongs to God as His child and is assured of spending eternity in heaven. Do you have this new life?

ML-03/07/2010

A Visit to Philippi

There was a day when the Apostle Paul and his fellow traveler Silas visited Philippi. They heard about a prayer meeting down by the riverside, and you may be sure that’s where they went. There were no cushions or comfortable chairs, just dirt and pebbles on the ground to kneel on for people who really wanted to pray to the God of heaven. A Christian lady by the name of Lydia was also there.

Paul knew a lot more about Scripture than the people of Philippi did, but this was not for showing off but for sharing. God opened Lydia’s heart to invite Paul and Silas to come and stay at her house, even though she knew that Paul was not a popular person in town.

Paul and Silas went out the next day, and behind them followed a young slave girl who was very good at telling fortunes. She was so good that she made lots of money for her masters. She followed Paul and Silas, shouting, These men are servants of the most high God. They show us the way of salvation! For many days Paul listened to the slave girl repeating this, but he soon saw that it came straight from the devil. No, he would not have the devil’s help in the message from God! He turned and cast out the slave girl’s evil spirit by the power of God that is stronger than Satan.

It was wonderful relief for the poor girl! The power of Satan was broken in her life, but her masters also got no more money since she no longer had the evil spirit that could tell fortunes. Her masters were furious, and they knew how to stir up trouble for Paul and Silas. They dragged the two men to the marketplace and called the town’s officials to punish these intruders who they said were teaching unlawful things against the Romans.

Were they really teaching unlawful things? No. But we don’t read that Paul and Silas said a word in their own defense.

The officials gave orders to beat their bare backs, and this was not a little beating. Paul knew the beating was not fair, and he also knew that if he said, I’m a Roman, they would stop their beating right away. But still Paul didn’t say anything. God was their defender, and they left the matter with Him.

After the beating, the jailer chose a horrible dungeon for them and locked their feet in stocks and then went to sleep. Why not? He didn’t care about them.

But these prisoners were different. They prayed in prison and then they sang praises! The other prisoners heard them, but the jailer slept on.

Now here’s something to remember: God knows what to do! He sent an earthquake, a very special earthquake that threw open the prison doors and loosened every prisoner’s chains and stocks. It woke the jailer so that he jumped out of bed terrified!

One look at the open prison doors and he said, They’re all gone! The officials will kill me for letting them go, so I’ll take my sword and kill myself! But don’t forget, God cared for that jailer, and Paul and Silas cared too.

Don’t kill yourself! cried Paul from the prison. We are all here!

It was midnight, and the jailer called for a light. He ran into the prison and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

What did he mean? Not saved from the officials, because he thought using his own sword was the answer to that. Here was a power he did not understand. Saved from what? From the power of God against him. Do you feel this too? The power of God is against you and your sins, and you cannot escape by taking your own life. There is only one way of escape, and here it is—”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). The jailer believed, and he was saved from the power of God against his sins.

He brought the two prisoners home, washed their beaten backs, fed them, and was baptized, he and all his household, believing in God and rejoicing. What a night—and what a happy family!

If you would like to know what happened next, read this story in Acts 16 and find out.

MEMORY VERSE: “What must I do to be saved? ... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:30-31

ML-03/14/2010

The Jailer

There were two men locked in a jail one night

For preaching the Word of God,

And for telling the lost of the way to heaven

Through the Saviour’s precious blood;

And this was their message to anxious souls: