Messages of God's Love: 2003

We watched as his chalk drew a sharp angle on the chalkboard, and then he placed the foot of his big, rubber-tipped compass on the point of the angle and drew a little mark on each line. Then, with the compass foot on each little mark, he drew marks which crossed each other in the exact center of the angle. A line was drawn from this cross to the point of the angle and the job was done. The angle was perfectly bisected.

“Now,” Mr. Stewart added, “since you have learned this, your homework assignment is to trisect an angle with your compass. Divide it equally, not in two parts, but in three.”

This was a puzzle for us. We asked our older brothers and sisters, our parents and anyone else around, but no one had the answer. Sam was a math whiz. We all figured he would have the answer the next day.

But Sam was as puzzled as the rest of us. Nobody had the answer. And the teacher smiled a knowing smile at our failure. “Nobody has ever found a way,” he said. “It is impossible.”

And that remains a fact. Trisection with a compass is impossible. There are three equal parts to every angle, but no one can find them. Even though it is hard to understand, every math whiz must believe and accept this fact.

And our God has showed to us that there are three Persons in the Godhead. It is God the Father who planned the creation of the world. It is God the Son who carried out these plans. And the Holy Spirit is the power that carried out the plans. It is impossible to separate these three because together they are one God. Are you willing to believe this? Or are you foolish enough to refuse it because you cannot understand it? Leave this mystery to the God who made you.

I remember the day, not long after that homework assignment, when we all rose to our feet - a thousand of us teenage students - and stood for one full minute’s silence in respectful memory of Mr. Stewart. He had been suddenly called into eternity.

This call will come to each of us. When it is your turn, will you meet the God whom you have believed on, loved and honored? Or will you meet the God whom you have refused because you cannot understand Him?

Listen. you don’t have to understand Him. God has come down to this world in the Person of His Son, and His name is Jesus. He loves you. He is willing to be your Saviour. There are wonders that you will never understand, but you know how to say “yes” and how to say “no.” Answer Him now. He loves and receives sinners just like you and me. Will you say “yes”?

“Verily, verily, I [Jesus] say unto you, he that [believes] on Me [has] everlasting life” (John 6:47). “He that [believes] on the Son [has] everlasting life: and he that [believes] not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God [abides] on him” (John 3:36).

ML-01/05/2003

Born a Captive

When I was nine years old, somebody gave me a cage with a pretty bird inside. I didn’t like to see that poor little bird in a prison like that, so I decided to let her go free. But I soon found out it was not that easy. You see, that little bird was born in a cage, and all her life was spent in one. Even with the cage’s door open, she refused to escape! I even took her out of it, but when night came, I found her sleeping on the top of the cage. She could not accept her freedom because she was born a captive.

You and I are also born captives. Do you know why?

When God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, they were perfectly free from sin. But it wasn’t long before they disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. “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). Since then every person is born a sinner, a captive to sin, and this includes you and me. Fear, unhappiness, illness and death are some of the terrible results of sin.

One morning we were surprised to find another bird beside the cage, a male of the same kind. I put him inside the cage with the female and, after a few days, decided to set him free. Impossible! To my surprise, he always came back. It seemed like the love he had for the other bird was bringing him back.

Perhaps you have tried to escape from sin by yourself and, like a bird born a captive, found it impossible. But there is One, the Lord Jesus, who came down from heaven to die for you on the cross and to save you from your sins. He knew what it was to be hungry and thirsty, and He suffered much pain and then death. He understands your feelings, and He loves you. His love for you is so great that He willingly went to Calvary’s cross. There God made Him sin for us. There Jesus suffered the judgment from God towards sin - our sin - so we could be set free from them.

Since the male bird would not leave for the love he had for the one that was born in captivity, I decided to take both birds out of the cage. It was wonderful to watch. After a few turns over the backyard, the two birds flew away together and I never saw them again. The same love that made the male bird come down to the female’s cage took her out of it forever. Since that day, the cage stands empty.

Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. He went up to heaven and wants to set you free from your captivity of sin and take you to His home in heaven. He tells you in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved [you] with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn [you].” He is waiting for you to accept His loving offer to set you free. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Will you let Him set you free?

ML-01/05/2003

Missing Clothes

Ed had a problem. He was visiting his brother, but he had forgotten his best clothes which he had meant to bring along. Now it was Sunday, and he didn’t want to wear his everyday clothes to Sunday school. “Hey, Paul, could I borrow something to wear today?” His brother did have some extra clothes and they were the same size, so Ed was able to get dressed up after all.

Later that day Aunt Lynn had a compliment for Ed: “You sure do look nice today.” Grandma was there too and she agreed, “You do look nice. I have been thinking that all day and meant to tell you.” Ed had to laugh and then confessed that he was wearing his brother’s clothes and not his own. Aunt Lynn and Grandma laughed with him.

The Bible tells us in Luke 15 about a boy who didn’t have the right clothes to wear. His father had given the boy his share of the inheritance. The boy took the money and left his father’s home. He went far away and wasted all his money. He got a job feeding pigs, but he was so hungry that he would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating.

This made the boy think about what his father’s house was like. He knew his father’s servants never went hungry, so he decided to go back home.

His father was watching for his son to return. He went out to welcome him home again. He could see that his son’s clothes weren’t very nice - he had been feeding pigs in them! The father told his servants to “bring forth the best robe, and put it on [his son]; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet” (Luke 15:22).

This boy was like you and me. We have gone far away from God, who has given us so many good things and loves us very much. The Bible tells us, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good manners and actions] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). You and I might try to be good, but the Bible says that even our best behavior is like dirty rags. God has a “best robe” waiting for each of us. But before He can give it to us, you and I have to come into His presence in prayer and confess, “Father, I have sinned.” And then we need to truly believe that God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus, died on the cross to cleanse us from our sins. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). Then we are clean and ready for that new robe of righteousness that God has waiting for us. We can thankfully say, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

Ed was glad to have good clothes to wear for Sunday school. If you will accept the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour, God has that very special robe waiting for you to wear in heaven.

ML-01/12/2003

Caesar, the Saint Bernard

When I was a child and lived on a farm, our family received a Saint Bernard puppy. That was a happy day for us children. We named him Caesar, and it wasn’t long before he grew up to be a very large dog. It was lots of fun romping and playing games with him.

What an appetite Caesar had! A big bowl of food was gobbled down in no time. But he earned his food, because he was a help around the farm. He was always willing to do things for us. He watched for the mail carrier, who put the mail wrapped in the morning paper in Caesar’s mouth. Then he always brought it right to one of us.

Mother had a garden in which she grew different kinds of vegetables. When she would get a basket and go to the garden to pick fresh vegetables for dinner, Caesar always went with her. After Mother filled the basket, she would give it to Caesar to carry. Carrying the full basket was not easy for him, but he managed to bring it right into the kitchen. Then the cook stove had to be lit. A big pile of wood and kindling was kept in a dry place near the house. When we children carried some of this wood into the house, Caesar was always right there to carry a few pieces too.

As we got older, my brother and I had to walk a mile to the railroad station to take a train to a Chicago high school. Our faithful, devoted Caesar knew when it was time for us to arrive home in the afternoon. He would go lie on the back porch until he saw us coming. Then he would bound up to meet us and carry some of our books strapped together back to the house.

Caesar was also an excellent watchdog. One afternoon he saw a stranger go into the basement of our house. He knew just how to handle that situation. Instead of following the stranger into the basement, he stood at the door growling, as if to say, “You stay there until my master comes; he’ll take care of you!” Father did just that, and then Caesar got extra food for his supper as a reward.

How many of you boys and girls are as obedient to your parents as Caesar was to his family? God’s Word says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). To obey is one of the best things we can do as Christians. Why was Caesar so obedient? Because he loved his master and wanted to please him. These are the same reasons for us to obey too. Our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves us very much and wants us to be obedient children. By reading the Bible, we can learn how He wants us to please Him. When Caesar was told to do something, he did it. If we read in the Bible that the Lord Jesus wants us to do something, then we should obey. By being obedient to God and to His Son Jesus, we as His children can live a life pleasing to Him.

First, though, each of us must become one of God’s family. Caesar was not born into our family; he had to be bought. We also must be brought into God’s family, but we cannot pay money to become a member. The price has already been paid. The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross, and there He was punished for the sins of all who would believe in Him. Those who are saved from their sins become part of His family. Won’t you accept Him as your Saviour now and become a member of His family? “Now therefore hearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My ways” (Proverbs 8:32).

ML-01/12/2003

Skating on Thin Ice

During the winter months when I was a boy, there wasn’t anything I liked to do more than put on a pair of ice skates and go flying as fast as the wind across a smooth sheet of ice. We lived by a pond, and I could hardly wait for it to freeze over. Before going out on the ice, I always made sure it was strong enough to bear my weight. I soon learned that three inches of new ice was stronger than thicker, older ice. I also learned that there were spots on the pond which I had to avoid, because the ice often was not thick enough and so was not safe.

I remember the skating outings at night under a full moon when a group of us would get together for some fun on the ice. One night, two of the young people crashed into each other, and we all gathered around to see if either one was hurt. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound! The weight of us all in one place had caused the ice to crack! Of course, we all quickly scattered to other parts of the pond.

Have you ever heard the saying, “He’s skating on thin ice”? It is used when talking about a person who is taking a dangerous course even when he is aware that it is unsafe. You may be “skating on thin ice” right now if you are ignoring God’s warnings about the danger of your sins. “Skating on thin ice” often has very unhappy results. I saw this actually happen one cold winter night.

A group of us had asked permission from a farmer to skate on his pond. He said yes, but on one condition - we were not to go down the inlet leading to the pond. We were all having a good time when I heard one fellow say, “I wonder why we shouldn’t go down there?” as he headed toward the inlet.

He soon got his answer. The next thing he knew, he was in freezing water up to his waist! The farmer knew the inlet had thin ice when he told us not to go down there. Thankfully, the water wasn’t deep, and it was thin enough ice that he could work his way to the side and climb out. He was quickly wrapped in a blanket and then got in his car and drove home. Years later I asked him if he ever went skating again. He said, “My mud-encrusted skates are still hanging in the basement. I figure that if I don’t have enough sense to listen to a warning, I shouldn’t be skating!”

Are you “skating on thin ice”? Yes, you are, if you are not listening to the warnings about your sins that God gives in the Bible. There is terrible judgment with no escape for those who die in their sins: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). The only way to escape that terrible judgment is to accept right now the offer of salvation that God has provided: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). That verse tells us that God’s love and grace to sinners are so great that He sent His Son Jesus down here to die on the cross for us. Another verse also says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [intercessor] for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Have you accepted God’s forgiveness for your sins through the death of His Son? If not, you are in very great danger and you are “skating on very thin ice”!

ML-01/19/2003

Saved From a Rattlesnake

Jason was spending a day at Muskrat Lake. He brought his dog Skipper along since the two of them went everywhere together. They were having a good time when suddenly Jason and Skipper saw a rattlesnake. It was ready to strike at Jason! Before he could think of what to do, Skipper attacked the snake. Instead of biting Jason, the snake bit Skipper. The snake was later killed, but Skipper’s life was in danger.

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

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

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

ML-01/19/2003

"I Love Jesus"

Five-year-old Ben was playing with the neighbor boys. He looked up and saw a very bright rainbow in the sky. It was so bright that it was a double rainbow - there was a second one over it.

Ben pointed it out to his friends and said, “God loves me!” Then he added, “I love Jesus. Do you love Jesus?”

They said, “No!”

Ben repeated, “I love Jesus!”

Dear little Ben had learned the wonderful fact that God loves him. Maybe he knows the verse that says, “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). God showed His love by sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross to put away our sins.

It is so sad that there are boys and girls even in what are called Christian countries that do not know about God. They do not know that He loves them and sent His Son Jesus to die for them.

Some of you who read this may know that God loves you. But can you honestly say, “I love Jesus”? It is very important to believe in Him yourself. Are you able to say with your mouth, “I know Jesus is the Lord”? Can you say, “I know God raised Him from the dead”? If you can say that from your heart, God says you are saved. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

The Bible tells us that someday the Lord Jesus will take everyone who is saved to heaven, and the people who do not love Him will be left behind for judgment. So do not wait. Come to Jesus; receive Him as your Saviour right now, and He will take you to heaven when He comes.

Then He wants you to tell others that you love Jesus, as Ben did. Ben was not preaching; he was just telling his friends what he knew and believed. He told them what Jesus meant to him.

ML-01/26/2003

Thomas' Substitute

Have you had a substitute teacher yet this school year? A substitute teacher is a teacher who comes in and takes the place of your regular teacher. This story will help you to understand what the word substitute means.

Before my mother was married, she was a school teacher. She taught in several country schools that had first grade through eighth grade all in one room. She often told stories about her experiences as a school teacher.

The story I remember the most was about Thomas, a rather disobedient boy who was always shooting spitballs. In those days, Mother gave spitball shooters a swat with her ruler, but even the sharp sting of a ruler did not stop Thomas for very long.

One day Mother caught him shooting spitballs again. This time she told Thomas that he would have to swat her with the ruler. He didn’t want to do it, and he was so upset that he even cried, but Mother explained that a rule had been broken. She reminded him that the penalty for breaking the spitball rule was a swat with the ruler. She told him that she was going to be his substitute and take his swat in his place. After a long wait, Thomas finally hit her very lightly with the ruler. Guess what? He never shot spitballs in school again.

Mother was teaching her students a lesson on substitution at the same time she was teaching them that a broken rule must have punishment. Thomas had sinned against my mother by breaking one of her rules, and yet she took his punishment for him. You and I have sinned against God, and the penalty for our sin is death. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” However, the Lord Jesus, who is sinless, paid the penalty for sin by taking the punishment when He suffered and died on the cross. While the Lord Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin, you and I are not automatically saved from our sins. A person can only be saved by believing that the Lord Jesus died for his very own sins and, through faith, trusting Him to save him from a lost eternity and to take him to heaven. In Acts 16:31 we read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” When a person trusts the Lord Jesus as his Substitute, he can know for sure that he is saved because God tells him so in His written Word, the Bible: “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).

I hope those of you who have trusted the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour are thanking Him often for loving you and for being your Substitute by taking the punishment for your sins. I’m thankful that the Lord Jesus took my place, and I’m grateful that He is my Saviour. If you still aren’t saved, won’t you trust Him to be your Substitute too?

ML-02/02/2003

"Where Is Steve?"

The whistle blew in the small Indiana town. “Fire!” people were shouting. “Fire at Steve Cole’s house!” Men and women, boys and girls were running to watch the firemen. It seemed that everyone was there . . . except Steve. “Where is Steve?” A fireman opened the kitchen door, and there sat my Uncle Steve.

Uncle Steve was old and forgetful, and his mind sometimes got foggy, and he could not think straight. He did not realize his house was burning and that he needed to get out.

Poor Uncle Steve isn’t the only one with that kind of problem. Lots of people do not realize that time is running out and that they need the Saviour. They think, “Maybe later I’ll think about those things.” But the Bible tells us, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Later would have been too late for Uncle Steve, and later may be too late for you if you are not yet saved from your sins.

Uncle Steve was brought out quickly, and the firemen tried to put out the fire, but the house burned to the ground.

Cousin Norman took Uncle Steve to his home. He told us that Uncle Steve was so dirty he almost didn’t know who he was. You see, Uncle Steve had no wife nor children, and no one had cared much about him. So Cousin Norman filled his bathtub with nice warm water and scrubbed Uncle Steve clean and then put clean clothes on him. Then he said, “Yes, you are my Uncle Steve!”

Since Uncle Steve couldn’t live in his old house anymore, Cousin Judy took him to live at her home. She kept him clean and gave him good food. So there were at least two people who cared for this poor old man. Someone else cared about Uncle Steve too. Maybe you already know who He is. Uncle Steve had heard many times about the Lord Jesus and His love for sinners and His death on the cross. But we don’t know that he ever accepted the Lord Jesus as his very own Saviour.

Isn’t it sad? He was over 80 years old and did not know the Lord Jesus. I know many of you reading this story already know Him and love Him, and I am thankful for that. But for those of you who have not received Him, don’t wait another minute! Don’t just sit in your “burning house”! “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).

Cousin Norman loved the Lord Jesus, and his sins are washed away in the blood of the Saviour. Cousin Norman washed the dirt off Uncle Steve’s body, but he could not wash even one sin stain from his heart. “None . . . can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:7). Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Will you let Him do that for you right now?

ML-02/02/2003

A Box of Pennies or a Hundred Dollar Bill?

“Wow, that box is heavy!” said one young boy as he passed the box to the boy sitting next to him in the front row of the Sunday school class.

“I’ll say it’s heavy!” said another boy when he lifted the small box that had several rubber bands around it to keep it closed. Everyone in the class took a turn holding the box.

“What do you think is in that box?” the teacher asked.

“Rocks,” suggested one child.

“I think it’s money,” said another as he gave the box a good shake and it rattled like coins.

“Yes, it’s money. There are one thousand pennies in there. How many dollars would that make?” asked the teacher.

“Ten dollars,” answered a bright, young boy.

“That’s exactly right. Now what’s this?” asked the teacher as he took a one-hundred-dollar bill from his pocket. “It’s not heavy and it doesn’t take up much space.”

The children’s eyes opened wide. Most of them had never seen a one-hundred-dollar bill before. Each of them took a turn holding it. Then it was handed to the boy who had the box of pennies. The teacher had a question for the boy who now was holding both the pennies and the one-hundred-dollar bill. “If you were going to give either the box of pennies or the one-hundred-dollar bill to somebody you love very much, which one would you keep and which one would you give away?”

Now I want to ask you who are reading this story the same question: “Which one would you keep and which one would you give away?”

God had a choice to make too. He knew we were sinners and needed a Saviour, and He loved us very, very much. He was going to send someone from heaven down to earth to be a Saviour and to show us how much He loved you and me. Who would He send? Who would He give up?

There are lots of angels in heaven, so many that we couldn’t count them all. Hebrews 12:22 says, “An innumerable [uncountable] company of angels,” and Revelation 5:11 also tells about many angels and others in heaven and says, “The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand” (that’s a hundred million!), plus “thousands of thousands.” That’s a lot of angels! You would think that God could spare one or two, or even a million, to come down here to show us He loved us even though we are sinners. But even all those angels put together could not remove one of our sins; an angel could not be our Saviour. There was only one Person in heaven that God could send down here who could remove our sins. It was His only Son - He gave up the One He loved and valued more than anything else! God kept the “box of pennies” and gave up the “hundred-dollar bill.” And He didn’t send His Son on a pleasant trip—He sent Him down here to die on a cross and bear the punishment for sin, because that’s the only way He could have you and me in heaven with Himself.

The child in Sunday school said he would give away the box of pennies and keep the one-hundred-dollar bill. Which did you choose?

God could have kept His beloved Son safely with Himself in heaven or send Him to this earth to be crucified by cruel, wicked men, because only the blood of Jesus Christ, the one sinless Person who ever lived on this earth, could wash away your sins and make you clean and fit to live in heaven. God wanted to have you there so much that He sent His Son to die for you. “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

Now it’s your turn to choose. Will you trust the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? or will you be like those wicked men who said, “Away with Him” (John 19:15), and, “We will not have this man” (Luke 19:14)? They chose to nail Him to a cross rather than receive Him as their Lord and Saviour.

What is your choice?

ML-02/09/2003

Rescued From the Wreckage

It was a cold evening with blowing snow and the temperature well below freezing.

“Listen . . . I hear a fire engine!”

We quickly went to the window. Dark smoke was rising above the houses on the next street. We put on warm clothes and walked in the direction of the smoke. We found an apartment building burning! Some of the people who lived in the building were standing there. They could only watch as their belongings went up in flames.

The question everyone asked was, “Is anyone still in there?” Firemen broke windows, intending to go in, but heavy smoke poured out and stopped them. They could only hope that everyone was out. We watched the firefighters with their water hoses until later that evening. The next morning we walked back over to see what was left. The building was still standing and there were icicles everywhere.

Firemen could not go into the building until that morning. To their amazement they heard cries from a terrified cat! They searched for it by following its meowing. One of them opened a kitchen cupboard, and there was the unhappy, confused cat, almost too cold to meow any longer! You can imagine how contented that cat must have been to get warm again!

When the firemen found the cat, it wasn’t curled up asleep in the cupboard, not caring that it was frightened, cold and hungry. It was meowing good and loud! It wanted to be rescued. And we are warning boys and girls, and grown-ups too, who are still in their sins not to ignore their danger. If no one had found that poor cat, it would have frozen to death. And any child or grown-up still in their sins faces an awful penalty: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

The Lord Jesus cares about you and wants to save you from that awful penalty. You only need to call to Him, admitting that you are a sinner and want to be saved. He promises, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Will you let the Lord Jesus rescue you and keep you safe?

ML-02/09/2003

"Tarzan" Gone Wrong

The shriek split the hot summer afternoon as one of the boys swung through the air and landed on the next branch. Shrieks like this were often heard from this yard, because the neighborhood boys would play tag high in the branches of a small group of trees. They called the game “Tarzan,” and the goal was to swing from branch to branch to avoid being tagged by the person who was “it.” A little tree off to the side was used as an escape route to the ground. When a boy jumped into it, the tree bent down almost to the ground, allowing him to get away. The boys found the game lots of fun and a good way to pass summer afternoons.

By late summer, the little escape tree was permanently bent over from all the use. So the boys straightened it up by tying a rope from it to a larger tree nearby. With the rope in place, they could keep using the little tree as a direct route to the ground.

One afternoon, Daniel was trying his best not to get tagged. He swung easily from tree to tree, one swing ahead of the boy who was “it.” Finally, he got cornered. Seeing that the little escape tree was close enough, he jumped across to it and landed in its branches, but . . . his foot got tangled in the rope!

The rope stretched tight and then pulled loose, pulling Daniel out of the tree and away from anything that he could hang on to. From fifteen feet above the ground with his foot tangled in the rope, Daniel was unable to break his fall as he rushed headlong to the ground. Everything went black!

In the hospital, doctors found that Daniel had seven broken bones in his back, two dislocated ribs and a severe head concussion. Only a miracle from God had saved Daniel’s life or kept him from being paralyzed for the rest of his life. Daniel’s mother rushed to the hospital to see her son, and she had one question to ask him: “Do you know why you’re here?” She hoped Daniel would realize that God was speaking to him.

Daniel had been raised by parents who loved the Lord Jesus and trusted Him as their Saviour. He had heard many, many times how Jesus had come to this earth to die for sinners. Daniel knew that he was a sinner and that God hated sin and that all sin must be punished. But he had never come to the Lord Jesus, admitting that he was a sinner and accepting Him as his very own Saviour. Daniel did not want to turn his life over to the Lord, because he wanted to live his life his own way.

Daniel had been a very athletic fourteen-year-old, but now he was flat on his back in a hospital bed. He could not walk, he could not eat, and he could not even write. He had lots of time to think, and he could have prayed, but he refused to turn to God in his pain. He understood that it was really a miracle that he was alive, but he still wanted to live his life his own way.

Three months later Daniel was allowed to go home after spending two months flat on his back and then another month learning how to walk again. Even at home he wore a body brace and was in pain all the time. Still he did not turn to the Saviour of sinners. But the Lord Jesus was patient with Daniel. “The Lord . . . is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

The next summer Daniel was sitting in yet another gospel meeting and trying his hardest not to listen. But the story that the preacher told reached Daniel’s conscience. It was the story in Luke chapter 18 of the two men who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee thought he was such a good person and did not consider himself a sinner. He prayed, “God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” But the publican knew that he was a sinner and needed a Saviour. He prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). And suddenly Daniel saw himself in that story and that he really needed to be saved from his sins. Right there in his seat in the gospel meeting, Daniel prayed as the publican had prayed and accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. Now he is thankful that the Lord has saved him twice - He saved his life when he fell out of the tree, and He saved his soul from eternal punishment for his sins.

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

ML-02/16/2003

A Lesson From a Three-Year-Old

The “suppertime” call rang out, and Nathan and Grandpa took their places at the table. Nathan’s eager eyes saw Grandma’s homemade bread and other goodies on the table. He folded his hands and waited . . . and waited. Though Grandpa was hungry too, he was finishing a little conversation with Grandma.

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

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

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

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

ML-02/16/2003

Refusing to Move

It had been raining hard during the night. When I got up in the morning and looked out my bedroom window, all I could see was water around the house. Everything, the flower garden and the fish pond included, was under two feet of water. When I went downstairs and looked down into the basement, I could see the Ping-Pong table floating in water so deep it was within two feet of the first floor rafters! That seven inches of rain that fell in four hours caused heavy flooding outside and inside. When the water finally went down, it was a huge job cleaning up the mud and rubbish left behind.

Later when I got married, my wife told me of her experience with flooding when she was going to high school. She worked for her room and board in the small town where the high school was located along the mighty Mississippi River. One spring the river overflowed its banks and flooded the town. She had to be taken out in a boat so that she could go home. She missed the last six weeks of her senior year of high school because of the flood.

Several years later, the Mississippi again flooded that town - the highest flood ever recorded there. Following that flood, the government authorities laid out streets for a new town on the bluff above the river and included utilities and schools. After buying most of the houses in the flooded area, the government helped build new houses for those who were willing to move to the new location. Their old houses along the river were then torn down.

A few years ago, we went to see the new town on the high ground. It looked very nice, with well-laid-out streets, a grade school and high school, bank, post office and even a fire station. However, when we went down the hill into the valley along the river, we found that a few people were still living in the area that the flood had ravaged and where it would probably flood again. They stayed in their homes, refusing to move.

They aren’t the only people who have ignored the opportunity to move to a safe place after they’ve been warned of their danger. Let me tell you about a very large group of people who made the unwise decision to ignore a warning from God.

A little over two thousand years after God created the heavens and the earth, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. . . . And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me. . . . I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark” (Genesis 6:5,11,1314). This ark was designed by God to hold two of every animal, seven of every bird, and seven of every animal that God called clean. It took Noah many years to build that ark, and all the while, he was warning people of the judgment God had told him He was going to send and to take shelter in the ark. But it must have seemed strange to these people that Noah would build such a large boat on dry land, and they wouldn’t believe his warning. They were like the people along the Mississippi River who refused to move to high ground.

When Noah and his family and all the creatures were safely in the ark, God shut the door of the ark. All the unbelievers were shut out. Then for forty days and nights it rained continuously, until all mankind and every living thing were destroyed by a flood that covered the entire earth. But the ark rode on top of the water through the storm, saving all who were inside.

The Lord Jesus warns us in Luke 17:26-27, “As it was in the days of Noe [Noah], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe [Noah] entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

We are living in days of corruption and violence once again, just like it was before the flood. Soon the Lord Jesus will call all who believe God’s warning out of the world to the shelter of His Father’s house, and the door to heaven will be shut forever! Those who ignore God’s warning will be left behind to face the worst judgment this world has ever seen. Will you believe God’s warning and accept the shelter of salvation He is offering you through His Son, the Lord Jesus? “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). “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

ML-02/23/2003

Rhoda and Peter

I cannot tell you how old Rhoda was, but the Bible calls her a “damsel,” so I think she could have been a young teenager. She may have been a servant-girl or even a daughter in the house of John Mark. I know she was an active girl and not afraid of the dark, even though it was late at night.

It was shortly after midnight, and there were many gathered together in that house, praying. Peter was in prison and his life was in danger. They were not signing a protest to the government to release him. Instead, they were praying to the God of heaven, the Father who loved them, and to the Lord Jesus who has all power in heaven and earth.

Rhoda was there at the prayer meeting. She knew Peter, for she had often listened to his voice and she knew it well. His words were precious, because he told her that she was not redeemed with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. He told her that Jesus, His own self, bore her sins in His own body on the tree. And he told her that she was a living stone in God’s great spiritual house. Perhaps she had not yet heard of all these wonderful truths, but all this was part of Peter’s message, and since it was God’s Word, it was precious to the hearts of those in John Mark’s house that night. Maybe there were groans and tears as they prayed for Peter in prison and about to lose his life.

Listen! There is a knock at the gate. It was Rhoda who ran down the passageway in the dark where she heard not only a knock but a voice calling to be let in. She recognized the voice, and she was so surprised and happy that she ran back to those praying with the news that Peter was at the gate!

But girls can be wrong! Why listen to Rhoda? It couldn’t be true. Didn’t she know that Peter was in prison? They told her she was out of her mind.

But she insisted that it was Peter’s voice and that he was at the gate!

“It is his angel,” they said.

Maybe there has been a time in your life when you knew that the answer is “Yes,” even when everybody around you said “No.” If you are trusting what God says, you may be sure that His Word is true. Others will see it later. Yes, God is true and His Word is worth trusting no matter what anybody says.

By this time everybody could hear the knocking on the gate, and when they opened it . . . there stood Peter - the very man they had been praying for! They were so delighted that they all talked at once, but Peter raised his hand to hush them.

After they became quiet, he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. It was a very interesting story that he told them, and we will tell it to you next week.

If you can’t wait, you may read it for yourself in the Bible, in the book of Acts, chapter 12.

ML-03/02/2003

The Taste of Sin

Jimmy was spending a long afternoon at Grandma’s house. Grandma lived in a neighborhood of mostly older people, so there were no children for him to play with. All the grown-ups were talking in the kitchen, and little Jimmy didn’t have anything to do.

Suddenly he remembered the pretty glass bowl that Grandma kept on top of the cabinet in the dining room. Yellow candies were usually in the bowl. Jimmy thought he needed one. He went into the dining room and peered over the top of the cabinet. Yes, there was the glass bowl . . . but no candies. Disappointed, Jimmy rested his chin on the cabinet top, looking at the empty bowl.

Now what could he do? He noticed the cabinet had some drawers. He pulled one open and started looking through it. All he found were napkins and tablecloths. They smelled old, like mothballs. But wait, what was this . . . a candy bar! He could tell from the wrapper that it had peanuts and chocolate in it.

As Jimmy took the candy bar out, he had an uneasy feeling inside. He knew the candy bar was not his. He thought of asking his grandma, but she had probably forgotten all about it and would be glad to let him have it. But then he would have to go into the kitchen and ask, and his mother wouldn’t like him asking for it. Jimmy decided just to eat the candy bar without telling anyone.

Jimmy’s uneasy feeling came from God. God, our Creator, has given each man and woman, boy and girl a conscience. That is the feeling that bothers us when we are doing something wrong. It also tells us we are sinners. Sometimes we decide to go right ahead and do what we want in spite of what our conscience tells us - just like Jimmy was about to do. Then we try to forget about it. But God does not forget. He is holy and cannot let even a little sin slide by without His noticing it. “God requireth that which is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15).

Grandma’s yard had a high hedge around it. Jimmy found a good place in the hedge to hide with the candy bar. He crouched in the cool, leafy shade of the hedge and unwrapped it. He took a big bite. But oh my, he spit it out just as quickly! The candy bar was so old it was hard and had an awful taste! It must have been in that drawer for a long, long time. What a disappointment it turned out to be for Jimmy.

Sin is just like that. It often looks like something we really want - something to make us happy. But it always ends in unhappiness. The Bible tells us that “the wages [payment] of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

If Jimmy had just asked his grandma about the candy bar, she would have told him it was not good to eat, and she would have given him something better. And if you will come to the Lord Jesus with your sins, He will wash them all away and give you something much better - His gift of eternal life - a happy home with Him in heaven forever.

ML-03/02/2003

Freeing a Skunk

One Saturday in early spring, Donny and Matthew were exploring in the woods near their home. They were looking for skunk cabbage plants . . . not for skunks.

Following the creek, they came across a skunk caught in a steel trap by its front foot. The two boys figured the trap had probably been set for muskrats, but it had caught a skunk instead. The skunk must have been searching for something to eat in the winter’s litter that had washed up along the water’s edge when it stumbled upon the trap.

Donny decided he’d try to free the skunk, but Matthew wasn’t too sure he wanted to get involved. As Donny slowly inched his way toward the skunk, Matthew stayed up on the bank, well out of the way . . . and held his breath.

“Watch out,” Matthew warned, barely talking out loud. “You’re going to be sorry, Donny.”

But Donny kept right on, talking gently to the skunk. He finally got close enough to reach forward and close his hand around the trap. Meanwhile, the skunk had pulled as far away from Donny as the chain would allow, never taking its little black eyes off him. The trap had caught the skunk’s front paw just above the wrist, but the bones didn’t seem to be broken.

Moving very slowly, Donny grasped both sides of the trap. The skunk stayed perfectly still, but its black eyes watched every move. Now Donny was holding his breath, too. Slowly he pressed down with both hands until the spring catch released.

Suddenly the skunk’s leg came free and it tumbled backward because it had been pulling away the whole time. It quickly got back on its feet, but just stood there holding up its injured leg. It looked at Donny for a few seconds and then finally turned and hobbled away. In talking it over later, Donny and Matthew both felt this was the skunk’s way of saying “thank you.”

A skunk might be one of the last animals anyone would want to release from a trap. In fact, most people would leave it alone. But Donny was determined to free that trapped skunk. Some people might think that they are too bad for the Lord Jesus to save - that He would rather not bother with them. But that is not the case at all. Everyone is a sinner, and it doesn’t make any difference if you are a big sinner or a little sinner. The Bible tells us, “There is no man that sinneth not” (1 Kings 8:46). The good news is that Jesus loves each one of us so much that He died on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). No matter how bad a person you might be, Jesus loves you and will save you from sin’s deadly trap. Will you let Him save you?

After you are saved, it will be such a relief to be rid of your sins, and you will have such peace that you will thank the Lord Jesus for the rest of your life.

ML-03/09/2003

Hook-in-the-Nose

When our oldest granddaughter, Barb, was ten years old, we decided that since she had grown up in a big city, she needed to see some of the Wild West. So we took off for the West in our truck camper. We visited the Black Hills, Devils Tower National Monument, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

All of this was new and exciting for a young girl. For the first time she saw moose, deer, bears, pronghorn antelope and mountain goats. She hiked mountain trails and swam in cold lakes, fed by melting snow.

One evening while we were eating supper in Devils Tower Campground, Barb suddenly asked, “What’s that sound, Grampy?” We could hear cattle bawling and men’s voices shouting. I told her, “It’s cowboys driving a herd of cattle.” She said, “Oh, Grampy, they don’t do that anymore!” The next minute her eyes widened, as out of a grove of cottonwood trees came a herd of cattle being driven by real cowboys on horseback with ropes, wide-brim hats and chaps.

One afternoon when we were camping at Custer State Park in the Black Hills, I heard Barb cry out in pain, “Grampy!” She had been playing with my fishing rod, and somehow she had hooked herself in the nose between her nostrils with a barbed fishhook! She was frightened and wouldn’t let me touch the hook. The only thing we could do was to cut the fishing line and take her to the nearest doctor, several miles away.

When she walked into the waiting room with the hook in her nose, she said she knew how a fish felt. The doctor cut the hook and pulled it out and then gave her a tetanus shot. When we got back to the campground, I took her swimming, and she felt much better since she was free from the fishhook. I called her my “Little Squaw Hook-in-the-Nose.”

When the Lord Jesus was living here on earth, instead of fishhooks, nets were used to catch fish. In Luke 5, when Peter, James and John had fished all night and had caught nothing, the Lord Jesus appeared and told them to go back and let down their nets. Peter thought it was useless but obeyed the Lord. It was then that the Lord Jesus, as Creator, filled the nets so full with fish that the nets broke. So the joyful gospel net is going out today, bringing in souls who are willing to be saved from their sins. Soon it will be full, and He will take those saved souls home to be with Him in heaven for eternity.

Our enemy Satan also has a net - an evil net: “As the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them” (Ecclesiastes 9:12). Those who are refusing or ignoring the salvation that God is offering through the death of His Son are caught in Satan’s evil net. They will spend eternity in that awful place of judgment for sinners who are still in their sins. But God’s beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, will set anyone free from that evil net who will call to Him to be saved: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

Are you still caught in Satan’s evil net? or do you have the truth of God in your heart? “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. . . . If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:32,36).

ML-03/16/2003

New Snow

The children were all in the living room in their pajamas waiting for a Bible story before they went to bed. The baby climbed up on the couch and pulled aside the window curtain. “Hey look, Mom!” shouted the five of them. “It’s snowing!”

We had recently moved farther south and out of the snow belt, and the children had been very sad about leaving the snow. But there it was, two or three inches of new, beautiful, white snow.

“Please, please can we go out and play in it?” they begged.

I looked at the six children all cleaned up and ready for bed. But it was now early spring, and we all knew the snow couldn’t last.

“Please, Mommy?”

“Okay, put your snowsuits on over your pajamas, and let’s go out!”

What a wonderful time we had, rolling snowballs, making snowmen and building forts. We laughed and ran, threw snowballs and rolled in the snow. Of course, when we went back inside the children were soaked to the skin, but even I was glad we had all gone out to play in what was probably the last snowfall of the season.

Soon, very soon, the Lord is coming for His own—those whose sins are gone. There is not much time left to come to Him to have your sins forgiven. “NOW is the accepted time. . . . NOW is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). And you’ll be more than glad, when the Lord Jesus comes, if you’ve trusted Him to wash your sins away in His precious blood and then lived to please Him in appreciation for all He’s done for you.

By the time the children came home from school the next day, there were only a few traces of snow left. That made us extra glad that we hadn’t missed the opportunity to play in the snow while we had it. But to miss the opportunity of spending eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus would be the most serious mistake you could ever make! The Bible gives solemn warning that those who die while still in their sins face an eternity of judgment. “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).

Use the opportunity you have right now to have your sins washed away. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

ML-03/16/2003

"Can't You Talk?"

I remember seeing a picture of a little girl and her duck. The little girl looked as if she were talking to her friend. The title underneath the picture was, “Can’t You Talk?”

I can imagine that the little girl had been talking away to her little duck, but, of course, he never answered her. We all know why -a duck can quack, but it cannot talk and it never will. It was born a duck, and it will never be anything else.

I sometimes think of this when we try to talk to boys and girls about the Lord Jesus. If we talk about games, pets or school, there is lots of chatter. But somehow when we begin to talk about the Lord Jesus, they do not have much to say and want to change the subject. Why is this?

You and I were born sinners, and we need to be saved from our sins (born again). In John’s Gospel chapter three, the Lord Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” I did not want to talk to anyone about the Lord Jesus either, until I was born again. When the Lord Jesus saved me and washed away my sins, I found that I wanted to be with others who also loved my Saviour. Together we would talk about Him.

What do you do when someone wants to talk about the Lord Jesus? Do you join in the conversation, or do you want to change the subject?

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it” (Malachi 3:16).

ML-03/23/2003

Just Like Gimpy

It was a cool, gray autumn morning when I first saw the stray dog. She wandered out of a muddy cornfield where the dry, yellow stalks still stood in their rows and onto the job site where I was working. I was standing on an extension ladder and brushing paint on the second-story windows of a new house when I saw her.

The stray was so skinny that she looked like a bag of bones. I could see the outline of her ribs through her brown, shaggy coat. She didn’t walk like other dogs. Something was wrong with one of her hind legs. It was as stiff as a board, and she had to swing it out in a half circle as she walked. Her ears were covered with scabs from flies. My guess was that somebody had abandoned her in the cornfield since she didn’t have a collar. There was no telling how many days she had gone without food.

The dog walked to where I was working and just sat down at the bottom of the ladder. She didn’t move. She just sat there the whole time I was working. When I had to change the position of the ladder, she would follow me and then, once again, plant herself right at the bottom of the ladder. It continued like that all morning. At lunch I gave her half a sandwich, which she gobbled down without chewing. The afternoon was spent like the morning with the dog content to sit at the foot of the ladder.

I began wondering what to do with her. When my employer came to see how the work was progressing, I asked him to take responsibility for the dog. He said he would check with the police about lost dogs, which he did, and no one had reported her missing. The police said we could drop her off at the dog pound.

The dog followed me to the hose where I washed out the tools at the end of the day. By the look in her eyes I could tell she was just looking for a friend. I thought about dropping her off at the dog pound but figured she was in such sad shape that no one would ever claim her. It wasn’t until I opened my car door that I made up my mind to bring her home.

My mom has a soft spot in her heart for dogs and welcomed the stray into our house. It was a good thing she liked dogs, because this stray had a lot of bad habits to break. A couple of weeks after I had brought her home, she snatched the Thanksgiving turkey off the kitchen counter where it was cooling and wolfed down as much of it as she could before she was caught. Instead of getting angry, my mom just figured that the dog had suffered so much from hunger that she ought to be forgiven.

My brother named her “Gimpy” because of her bad leg. Gimpy went on to share my mother’s home for many years and was a much-loved pet - as you can see from the picture.

I was nineteen years old on the day when I found the dog. A year later, when I was twenty, I needed a friend - not only a friend, but also someone who could fill a big emptiness that was in my heart. Somebody once said that God has made man’s heart so large that only God Himself can fill it. I was trying to fill my heart with everything else but God, and I was miserable as a result. Just like Gimpy’s belly was empty, my heart was empty, and it pained me.

About this time, a friend told me of the Lord Jesus who died on the cross for sinners and, after He was buried, rose from the grave. This friend told me that the Lord Jesus loved me and that His blood could wash away every stain of sin, if I would trust Him. Somehow the message sunk into my heart, and I told the Lord Jesus I wanted Him to be my Saviour. Just like Gimpy came and sat at the foot of the ladder and found a friend, I came to the foot of the cross by faith and found the only Friend who would never let me down.

That happened over twenty years ago. I had a lot of bad habits to break, but through it all, I knew Jesus loved me and would see me through the most difficult times. In Him my heart has found the One it was made for. Who did I belong to before I met him? Satan, the god of this world. But now I belong to Jesus, and He belongs to me. Song of Solomon 6:3 says, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,” and my heart echoes that happy thought.

“Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). This is so true. Why don’t you come and believe on the only One who can fill the human heart?

“Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

ML-03/23/2003

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Possum

Dear Children,

Let me tell you what happened this morning when I went out to the barn. I opened the door and walked over to get a pail of birdseed to fill the bird feeders, and guess what I saw . . . I saw a big mess of birdseed all over the floor! Some critter had been in the barn, found the bag of seed and had torn it open.

“Well,” I said to myself, “it’s your own fault for not putting this bag of birdseed into the seed bin which has a lid on it. Now then,” I said to myself, “I’ll just get that wire cage trap down and see if I can catch the critter that made this mess!” You see, this night critter could be one of many different animals.

I got to thinking about what the Bible says in John 3:19 about people who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Children, do you love darkness rather than light because you don’t want someone to see or hear what you are doing? I hope not.

So now I was going to try to catch this animal critter that did his evil deeds at night. I carefully opened the door on the cage and put in some bait - usually peanut butter on a slice of bread will catch anything. Then very carefully I set the cage down on the floor not far from the birdseed mess. “If this critter comes back again, I’ll catch it for sure!” I told myself.

The next morning I was up bright and early and took Chelsea, our dog, with me out to the barn to check the trap. Now, what do you think we saw in the trap?

Nothing! Not a thing! Oh well, we’ll have to try again.

But maybe this critter is smart enough not to come back. Or maybe this critter is like boys and girls who sin once - maybe tell a lie, maybe steal something - and don’t get caught the first time but do it again, and bingo! - they get caught! Do you know anyone like that? It’s a terrible feeling to get caught in any sin!

Next morning I was up bright and early again. Chelsea was all excited as we walked to the barn. She ran ahead of me, and boy-oh-boy, she was inside and barking and growling and snarling all at the same time! What a noise! I said to myself, “Uh oh, we’ve caught something for sure!”

Do you want to know what it was? It was a big, fat possum! He was trying to bite Chelsea, and Chelsea was doing her best to get through the wire cage to get at Mr. Possum! So I told Chelsea, “Leave it alone!” Chelsea looked at me, then looked at the possum and slowly walked away, still growling at it.

So here we had this night critter trapped in a cage. What do we do now?

It reminds me of Proverbs 6:2: “Thou art [trapped] with the words of thy mouth.” How can you get trapped with the words of your mouth? Very easily. By telling lies, by saying naughty words or things that are not nice. This is what God calls SIN, and this is how we get trapped with the words of our mouths.

But we have a way out of this trap! God says in 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The Lord Jesus will wash away every one of our sins if we will let Him. That will get anyone out of his or her trap of sin. And then we should learn that verse in Psalm 34:13: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile [lies].” That will help us not to say naughty words or tell lies.

Now, what should we do with Mr. Possum in my animal trap? Shoot him? Noooooo, I wouldn’t do that.

Gramma and I carefully picked up the cage so that the possum couldn’t bite us. (They have very sharp teeth.) We put the cage on the back of the truck and drove a loooooong distance away from our home to a wooded area.

When we stopped, I picked up the cage and placed it on the ground. Then I had a talk with Mr. Possum. I told him, “Don’t you ever come back and steal the birds’ seed again. It is their food . . . not yours!” Then I carefully opened the door of the cage to let him out.

Mr. Possum kind of sneaked out through the opening, stopped and looked around. Then realizing he was free, he took off like an arrow straight into the forest, probably saying to himself, “I’m free! I’m free! I never want to get into that cage again!”

And so, children, once you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, He has a work for you to do. Are you wondering what that is? We often sing the answer in Sunday school -

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day.

Just shine for Him, children! God loves each of you, and we do too!

Love,

Gramma & Grampa

ML-03/30/2003

Relighting Flames

I was sitting in my easy chair looking at birthday pictures with my two-year-old grandson, Reid, who was sitting on my lap. The week before, his mother and father had taken him out of town to celebrate his birthday with his other grandparents and aunts and uncles. Unknown to the others, one of the young uncles had put the kind of candles on Reid’s cake that you can’t blow out - the flame keeps relighting. When it came time for Reid to blow out the candles, he blew on them and they went out, but then they came back on again. He blew again, and the same thing happened. Frustrated, he began to cry. His mother scolded her brother and changed to regular candles so that they would go out when Reid blew on them.

When Reid and I looked at the birthday pictures, we came to the picture of the pretty, decorated cake with two candles shining brightly and a little boy crying. As we looked at the sad picture, I said, “Couldn’t you blow out the candles, Reid?” “Nooo!” he wailed and began crying all over again. I comforted him and told him that sometimes people like to play tricks on someone and don’t realize they are going to hurt the person’s feelings. Then they are sorry afterwards.

When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, 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). For more than two thousand years the enemy of our souls, Satan, has been trying to put out that light. But he can’t do it! The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His love and death for sinners are still shining in this dark world, and souls are being saved from their sins.

When Reid was still young, he admitted that he was a sinner and needed a Saviour. Then the Bible verse in 2 Corinthians 4:6 became true for him: “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour are to reflect that light: “For [you] were sometime darkness, but now are [you] light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

When Reid graduated from college, he became friends with a girl who was not saved from her sins. Reid, letting his light shine, began to tell her of the Lord Jesus who loved her and who came down from His Father’s home in heaven to die on the cross for her.

One evening Reid went to visit her, and she met him at the door and told him, “Last night I accepted the Lord Jesus as my Saviour.” How happy they both were. He had let his light shine in giving her the gospel, and now she had the light of Jesus Christ in her soul. Later they were married and are happily living as lights for the Lord Jesus, telling family and friends that Jesus is the light of the world, longing to save people from the darkness of Satan’s power.

If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour, are you letting your light shine out to your family and friends who are still in the darkness of their sins?

“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

ML-04/06/2003

"No Trespassing"

Joe and I used to have a lot of fun as we walked back and forth to school. We lived in the country, and the road to the school was about a mile long. There were fields and woods on both sides of the road, but no houses. Sometimes we would see a farmer on a tractor in the field, but usually there was nobody around. We used to run through the woods, climb the trees and sometimes pick the flowers along the way.

One day, we noticed a new sign which read, “No Trespassing.” This meant we had to stay on the road and not go into these woods. It meant we could no longer climb the trees or pick the flowers. We didn’t like that sign because it took away some of our fun. We threw a few stones at it the first day, and each day we threw more stones at it. Then we decided to throw mud at it until we could hardly read the words anymore.

We were acting like boys and girls who don’t like the warning signs in the Bible and who try to stay away from anyone who might tell them about Jesus.

One morning as we passed the woods, a new “No Trespassing” sign had been put up. This time we climbed the fence and pulled up the sign, post and all, and then we ran as fast as we could. But somebody had seen us. The farmer had been watching, and he chased us all the way to school.

He went right into the principal’s office. It didn’t take the principal long to find out who the bad boys were. We were punished not only at school but when we got home too! The farmer had gotten our names and phone numbers and called our parents. We had to pay for the sign we ruined and replace the sign we had pulled up.

Joe and I should have known that ruining the first sign and pulling up the second sign did not change the law, “No Trespassing.” Some people think that they won’t have to answer to God if they just forget about Him and ignore what the Bible says.

We ran away from the farmer for almost a mile, but we were caught and punished. Some people go on for fifty years or more, running away from God. But in the end, they will be punished for their sins. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The farmer was angry with us. But God, against whom you have sinned, loves you and wants to forgive you! He hates your sins but loves you so much that His own Son, the Lord Jesus, died for you so that you can go free, if you will trust in Him as your very own Saviour.

“There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

ML-04/06/2003

Almost Killed Twice

“God [speaks] once, yea twice, yet man [perceives] it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night . . . in slumberings upon the bed . . . that He may withdraw man from his purpose. . . . He [keeps] back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing” (Job 33:14-18).

Eleven-year-old Bob went to Sunday school. Norman, his teacher, asked the boys in his class to raise their hands if they had received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Bob watched as one boy after another raised his hand. He did not want to be different, so he raised his hand too. He didn’t like to admit he was a sinner.

During the week he was playing ball tag with his friend Billy. As they played, they ran into the road and a car struck both of them. They were knocked to the ground but not hurt much. The driver of the car wanted to take them to the hospital, but they got up and ran away.

Back in Sunday school the next Sunday, Norman again asked the boys to raise their hands if they had received the Lord Jesus. Bob watched the other boys raising their hands, and again he acted a lie by raising his hand.

During the week, Bob had to cross Wellington Street at LaSalle to get home. It was a dangerous intersection - they were wide and busy streets. As Bob dashed across Wellington Street, a streetcar struck him. He rolled across the lanes of traffic into the curb without being hit by an oncoming car. When he looked up and saw the streetcar conductor coming toward him, Bob got up and ran home.

At the next Sunday school session, the boys were asked again to raise their hands if they were sure they knew Jesus was their very own Saviour. Bob knew the story of God’s love and the way of salvation, but still he had not acted on it. Once again he raised his hand with the rest of the boys.

On his way home from school another day, Bob had to cross the busy intersection. Without looking carefully, he ran in front of a huge Mack truck. The truck driver screeched to a stop! It was a very close call. The nose of this frightened boy was almost touching the bumper of the truck!

That night Bob had a nightmare. He dreamed the double wheels of the heavy truck had run over him, and he was in HELL! Satan had finally gotten him! He woke up screaming in anguish.

Bob’s mother rushed into his room. “Robert, what is the matter?”

“I dreamed that Satan got me, and I was in hell!” a very shaken Bob answered. He waited no longer. On his knees by his bed, he told the Lord Jesus that he wanted Him to take his sins away and save his soul. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

The next Sunday Bob went to his teacher and told him that he was saved. Norman wanted to be sure of this. He knew Bob had been lying when he had raised his hand in class several times. Norman asked Bob to get down on his knees and confess to God that Jesus was his Lord. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Bob is now a grown man who loves to tell other people of God’s love in sending His Son, Jesus, into the world to save sinners. If any of you who read this story are not yet trusting in the Lord Jesus to save you from your sins, do not wait. The Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-04/13/2003

An Unwise Bird

Bright streaks of lightning slashed across the sky and thunder crashed loudly. The two men in the little rowboat could not hear each other, even when they shouted. Torrents of rain soaked their clothing and nearly blinded them. Waves more than twenty feet high threatened to swamp their small boat and sink it.

Several days earlier, on June 4, 1966, these two men, John Ridgway and Chay Blyth, had started out from Orleans, Massachusetts, to row their small boat, English Rose III, across the Atlantic Ocean to England. Now the storm was threatening to end their plans in disaster.

Finally the storm died down and then fog rolled in. As they rowed wearily on through the fog, a small yellow bird suddenly appeared out of the fog, flying strangely and looking very tired. Chay whistled to it, and John held out scraps of food to try to encourage the little bird to land on their boat where it could rest and be safe. Although it hovered over their boat for a few moments, it turned away from the refuge they offered and struggled on alone in the fog.

Are you as unwise as this little bird? Perhaps you realize you are a sinner and know you cannot get rid of your sins by yourself. Still you struggle and work hard. You try to make yourself good enough for God instead of letting go and accepting the salvation God offers you through the death and shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. The bird was offered a refuge in the boat, and God offers you a refuge. “In God is my salvation . . . and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:7). The Bible says about the 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).

As the little bird flew away from the only place of safety, the two men were sad. Chay later wrote in his diary, “It upset us both to think that the bird would probably be dead within a few minutes.”

Won’t you be wiser than the little bird? Accept God’s offer today. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

ML-04/13/2003

She Trusted Her Father

A newspaper reported the story of a fire in an apartment building where a little blind girl spent her days while her father was at work. As the fire spread, the firemen called to the girl to jump from the window of the sixth floor where she was standing and assured her they would catch her in the net spread out beneath. However, she would not jump and stood helplessly at the window.

One fast-thinking fireman rushed to the place where the girl’s father worked and brought him quickly to the apartment. He immediately called his daughter by name, saying, “It’s Daddy, honey. Jump and we will catch you in the net.”

The little girl changed her mind immediately. She climbed out the window and jumped where she could not see, landing safely in the net below.

What made the difference? It was trust in her father. She knew he would not ask her to do something that would harm her . . . she trusted him completely.

By dying on the cross in our place, the Lord Jesus made it possible for every person to become a child of God, learning every day to trust God as our loving Father. The more we learn to know Him, the more we understand that He loves us and only asks us to obey Him, because He knows what is best for us. The Lord Jesus tells us, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11). How wonderful to trust our heavenly Father the way the little girl trusted her earthly father.

ML-04/20/2003

Bark or Bone?

Maggie was glad to see me, but she came to meet me rather slowly. In fact, she was leaning backwards with her arms full of a big brown dog which was very much alive.

I do not know what goes on inside the brain of a big brown dog, but I know he was happy with the arms that held him. If he felt like running, he showed no sign of it. Loyalty and obedience kept him right where he was.

But I was a stranger, not to Maggie but to the dog. I was a trespasser on family property, and you know how dogs dislike trespassers. His brain told him that it was time for an angry bark, and even Maggie’s arms did not change this feeling.

However, there was a problem. In his doggie mouth was a nice meaty bone, perhaps a special gift from a neighbor, and he was carrying it home for a good chew. Now his doggie brain had to make a choice - the bark or the bone. He could not bark at me and keep the bone in his mouth.

I don’t know how a doggie brain works or whether he knew that he could not have both the bark and the bone. But I have some idea of how our brains work, and we have choices to make too. You have been given this story today, and you may read it carefully and find that God has a good message in it for you. Or you may think unkind thoughts and perhaps say angry words against those who give such information to you.

Why would you do that? Because God is a stranger to you. You don’t know that He loves you. You don’t know His beloved Son whom He sent so that you might not perish in your sins but be cleansed from them and have everlasting life. “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 knew Him - if you knew how much He loves you - if you knew what He has done so that He could pardon and cleanse you - surely you would gladly and thankfully receive His wonderful salvation!

Perhaps you can guess what choice that brown dog made. He barked a whole series of angry barks, and when he opened his mouth to bark, the bone fell to the ground. His anger at me was greater than his hunger for the bone. Even Maggie had a hard time quieting him. He stayed outside during our visit and perhaps went back to his juicy bone, if it was still there.

But after your indifference or anger, will you ever have a chance to go back and receive God’s loving forgiveness? Perhaps. I cannot tell. But right now, today, is the time to learn His love for a sinner like you. The anger of God is yet to come, but right now is the day of His grace and His love and His forgiveness. He does not offer bones that last only a short while; He offers eternity with Himself in His heavenly home. Will you make a choice far, far better than the brown dog did and accept His loving-kindness now and forever?

“In this was manifested [plainly shown] the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

ML-04/20/2003

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Wasps

Dear Children,

Yesterday, while visiting my sister, we watched a very interesting rescue!

And now you are probably asking, “Who was rescued, Grampa, who was rescued?”

My sister rescued a wasp. You know, one of those flying insects that stings and makes boys and girls run for help.

Now you probably can’t believe what I just said and are asking, “You mean you rescued a wasp?”

No, not me. My sister rescued it. Here is how it happened.

There is a pool of water in her backyard. A leaf had fallen into the water, and sitting on this leaf was a wasp. The wind was blowing the leaf around on top of the water, and this leaf with the wasp on it was starting to sink.

My sister has a very kind heart, and she did not want to see this poor wasp drown, even though she knew it could sting her. She knows God created wasps for a special reason, and it wasn’t to sting people. (That’s where sin comes in and the problems it has caused.) So she found a stick large enough to put under the leaf, and then she picked up the leaf and wasp together.

Why did she do this? Because her kind and tender heart did not want this poor wasp to drown.

Children, doesn’t this make us think of our loving, kind Father in heaven who loves each one of us? We read in Ephesians 2:78 of the “exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved [rescued] through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” What a loving, kind God we have up there in heaven.

We also read in 1 Corinthians 15:55 that there is a sting in death. But God does not want us to feel this sting. He wants to give us His gift, which is eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all the pain for sin at the place called Calvary, so that we would never have to suffer for our sins in the lake of fire . . . but only if you and I accept Him as our Saviour!

Now somebody is asking, “Grampa, what happened to the wasp?”

Well, children, after the wasp was lifted out of the water and placed in the sunshine, its wings dried, and away it flew! It was rescued from drowning and was now safe!

And, children, after you are saved (or rescued) from going down to the lake of fire, you will be safe and can walk and be happy in the sunshine of God’s love. “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

Here is a song we sometimes sing. Maybe you can sing it too.

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more;

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help, LOVE LIFTED ME!

Love,

Gramma & Grampa

ML-04/27/2003

Anchored Firm

I am sure that most of you know what an anchor looks like and that it is used to keep boats and ships from drifting. When thrown overboard, the hooks on the anchor catch on rocks or other objects on the bottom of the ocean and hold the ship.

A ship traveling from England to Turkey was caught in a storm. Reaching a harbor port, the captain signaled for the anchor to be let down. However, the wind was so strong that the anchor began to drag. It could not catch hold on anything on the sea bottom. A second anchor was let down, but it could not catch on the sandy bottom either. Little by little the ship was drifting closer to shore. Soon it would be grounded.

There was one anchor left, but it was a small one. No one thought it would do any good, but since it was their last hope, the captain ordered it to be let down. Much to their surprise the chain tightened and the ship stopped drifting! The little anchor held, and the ship was able to ride out the storm in safety.

The next day when the sailors lifted the anchors, the two big anchors came up easily because they had never caught on the bottom. But raising the little anchor was a different matter. The crew worked for a long time and finally were able to get the anchor to move, but it was very heavy. Something was coming up with it!

When it was finally raised out of the water, the sailors saw that the little anchor had caught onto a huge anchor belonging to an old sailing ship that either had sunk or had lost its anchor there. The huge anchor had caught on a rock. It was this huge anchor that was caught on a rock that had steadied their ship. The little anchor had hooked onto it, and then all the strength of the rock belonged to the little anchor.

What are you using as an anchor for your soul? Is it something you hope will hold and steady you? Hope is not firm and it will not hold by itself. It has to be set in something firm and solid, just like the little anchor was set in the rock. You need to set your hope in the Rock - the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can save you, hold you and protect you from the storm of punishment for your sins. Won’t you let Jesus be your Rock by accepting Him as your Saviour? He is the “anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).

“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2).

ML-04/27/2003

Costly Yellow Jackets

Last summer we had an experience with yellow jackets at our house that made us uneasy. Yellow jackets are similar to bees and hornets and have black and yellow stripes. When God formed this world for man, He made it for man’s comfort and blessing, and He pronounced everything as “good.” Today, of course, we know that bees and hornets and yellow jackets sting when they feel threatened, and these stings are very painful. They can also be quite dangerous to people who are allergic to them. How was the nature of God’s creatures changed? When Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God, it brought this whole world under a curse. “We know that the whole creation [groans] and [travails] in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22).

Yellow jackets make their nests out of paper, which they form by chewing up wood and other plant fibers. A colony of yellow jackets made its nest behind the wood siding of our house. We soon saw a lot of activity. Yellow jacket workers were busy going in and out of a crack in our siding, bringing supplies and food to the nest. Even worse, this crack in the siding was right next to our front door! It was interesting to see all of the activity, but troubling several times when people were stung. On one occasion, a friend came over with a bouquet of flowers and was stung at our front door. Something had to be done about that nest of yellow jackets behind our siding!

I called an exterminator and found out that he could solve our problem by applying a special powder around the crack in our siding. The cost would be $150. That seemed like a pretty high cost to me, so I decided to go to the hardware store and see what I could find.

I bought a can of spray, which was supposed to kill the pests. I sprayed it on several yellow jackets and then sprayed it in the crack in our siding. After using up the entire can, I had killed about twenty yellow jackets. I bought another can and sprayed the crack again, but still the yellow jackets came and went.

I went back to the hardware store, and this time I bought a trap which was supposed to attract yellow jackets by a sweet-smelling liquid in a jar. The yellow jackets could enter the jar but could not get out. The instructions were to hang this jar, which had a bright yellow lid, about twenty-five feet away from the nest. There was a hook about three feet away from the crack in the siding, so I decided to hang the trap on that hook instead. After several days, there were no yellow jackets in the trap. Then I decided that I’d better follow the instructions, and I hung the trap about twenty-five feet away in a nearby tree. Sure enough, soon several yellow jackets were attracted to the trap with its yellow lid shining brightly in the sun. Over several weeks, perhaps fifty yellow jackets entered into the trap and were drowned in the sweet-smelling liquid.

One afternoon as I was sitting on the front porch, I was interested to watch the activity around the trap. There was a yellow jacket inside the trap, flying around, trying to find a way out. And there were several yellow jackets flying around the outside of the trap, perhaps attracted to the sweet-smelling liquid. I thought of the story told in Luke 16:1931 of the rich man in hell who was in agony. The rich man called to Abraham to warn his five brothers not to “come into this place of torment.” I wondered if perhaps the yellow jacket inside the trap was trying to warn his friends on the outside. May each one of us pay attention to the warning to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7).

Since there seemed to be no less activity from the yellow jackets even after using the trap, I finally did what I probably should have done at the first. I called the exterminator. He came out a few days later and applied his special powder. That solved our yellow jacket problem.

That was a reminder to me that there is only one way of getting rid of our sins, and that is God’s way: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The cost of our salvation was enormous! The Apostle Paul wrote, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). But, salvation is freely offered to anyone who feels their need and accepts God’s provision for them. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We hope that each one of you has accepted God’s free gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

ML-05/04/2003

A Dangerous Game of Tag

Looking out of our kitchen window recently, there was a most interesting contest taking place! There were two animals in our backyard, a squirrel and a cat, and they seemed to be playing a game of tag!

The squirrel was in a tree, and the cat was at the bottom of the tree, closely watching the squirrel. The squirrel was wanting to come down to the ground, but there sat the cat, who was not his friend. So the squirrel waited, upside down, on the other side of the tree trunk, ready to dash at any moment to the ground. His tail was shaking nervously. Every so often he would climb around to the other side of the trunk and peek down at the cat. This game went on for at least twenty minutes, but the cat just sat waiting at the bottom of the tree. We wondered which animal would win the contest.

After a while, the cat seemed to get bored. He yawned and stretched himself by clawing at the tree trunk with his front paws. Slowly he walked away from the tree, taking a backward look every so often to see if the squirrel was coming down.

Sometime later, after checking to see if his enemy had left, the squirrel came down the tree very slowly. Then he scampered away safely.

How much the cat is like our enemy Satan who tries again and again to trip us up. He may keep trying for a long time, waiting for us to give up in defeat. The Bible has good advice for us in James 4:7: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

What a good lesson the cat and squirrel had for us that day. If they had gotten into a fight, one of them might have gotten badly injured or even lost its life. I suspect the cat would have won. For us as well, children, there would be very serious results if we give up and allow Satan to win the battles in our lives.

All of us who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ know that He is our Friend who will help us to win every battle with our enemy. The Lord Jesus is stronger than Satan and defeated him at Calvary’s cross when He rose from the dead in victory over sin and death. “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them [Satan and his evil spirits]: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

That squirrel was pretty smart to stay up in the tree, since he didn’t have a friend to call to for help. If you belong to the Lord Jesus, He is your Friend whom you can call to for help anytime and anywhere. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).

ML-05/11/2003

Arrested for Burglary

For two weeks the three young men had taken advantage of basketball season. They broke into houses to steal while people were away at the basketball games. As they prowled around the house they had chosen that night, looking for money and jewelry and silver, they didn’t realize that a frightened person upstairs was calling the police. Suddenly headlights were coming down the lane, and one of them shouted hoarsely, “Somebody’s coming!” The young burglars, ages 19, 20 and 22, raced for their van and took off.

They got around one patrol car, then drove into a ditch to get past another one. They were going to try to outsmart the police - their future was at stake. As they came to an intersection, they found another patrol car waiting for them, but they managed to avoid it and head north.

Driving up to 80 mph, the three burglars were desperate to get away. When a patrol car tried to pass them to get in front of them, it was sideswiped by their van. With five patrol cars after them, in a panic they jammed the accelerator to the floor. But the patrol cars were closing in, and they knew it was over. Finally they pulled over and gave themselves up. They were caught; they were finished. The three couldn’t say a word; the evidence was there in the van - numerous stolen items, including jewelry and silver. The three men were arrested for burglary, theft and evading police and they were taken to jail.

What an ugly picture of sin and crime. These young men chose a wrong path and were caught and punished. They could not succeed; they could not outsmart the law. They were speechless and guilty. And though you may never have committed a crime, you HAVE sinned and you WILL answer for your life of sin. “We must ALL appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his [life], according to [what] he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

God will have the evidence before Him; you will have nothing to say. “ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The important question will be, Are your sins washed away by the blood of Christ? Anyone who has received the Lord Jesus as Saviour has had his sins washed away. “The blood of Jesus Christ [shed when He died on the cross] . . . [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Isn’t this good news! We can be made clean; we can have those sins washed away if we only accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

God is gracious and God will forgive! “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). God will forgive your sins because of the work that the Lord Jesus did on the cross. Will you come to Him now as a sinner and let Him forgive you?

ML-05/11/2003

The Destruction of Pete and Charlie

Meat was scarce during World War II. To provide meat for the family, my father built a chicken house and started raising chickens. He would buy the chicks when they were very young and feed and raise them. Some were for eating, and some were for producing eggs.

As a little chick began to grow feathers, sometimes there would be an open wound at its tail. When this happened, the other chicks would peck at the wound until, finally, the bleeding chick would die if it was left with the flock.

One year we had two chicks with this problem, so my father took them out of the chicken house and let them run loose. We gave them food and water and a box they could run into for protection. They seemed to do quite well on their own and soon followed a regular path around the yard, keeping close to the house, shed and bushes for protection.

We named these two chickens Pete and Charlie, and as they grew, they looked quite different from their early, downy features. One developed into a White Leghorn—a smaller chicken; the other was a White Plymouth Rock - a larger stocky chicken. This didn’t bother them; the outcasts were good buddies. When one found a bug or something else good to eat, he would give a clucking call for the other to come and join in. They enjoyed daily dust baths and gave alarm calls when a cat or dog came into the yard. They seemed to be doing so well and enjoying their freedom that we decided not to shut them back in the chicken house with the other chickens. This decision led to their destruction.

One day we missed them. We looked everywhere, but Pete and Charlie must have wandered too far from safety, and an enemy - a weasel or raccoon - had gotten them. We never saw them again.

Are you, younger or older person, spending your time in the pleasures and bright lights of this world which only last a short time? Did you know that the devil rules the entertainment world? He is the enemy of your soul. First Peter 5:7 says to “[cast] all your care upon [Jesus]; for He [cares] for you.” Then the very next verse warns: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary [enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour.” If we had put Pete and Charlie back in with the other chickens, they would have been safe. But they were enjoying their freedom which led them away from safety and ended in their destruction. The enemy was stalking them, but they were unaware of it. Are you like our wandering chickens? Are you thirsting for the entertainments of this world that will only lead you deeper into the devil’s territory and can never satisfy your thirst?

Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:37). “Whosoever [drinks] of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. . . . The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Won’t you by faith accept the work that Jesus completed on the cross, suffering for sin, so that you can have everlasting life with Him in heaven? Escape the everlasting destruction that awaits those who leave this world still in their sins. Proverbs 27:20 warns, “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” Turn your eyes to Jesus. He will satisfy your thirst.

ML-05/18/2003

The Tough Eyelid

Anxious thoughts tumbled over in my mind as I rushed home from work. My son John had been playing with his cousin when he accidentally got hit in the eye with the sharp point of a pencil. When I arrived home and looked at his eyelid and then his eye, it looked serious. His eye was red with broken blood vessels and his eyelid was bleeding.

Off we rushed to the doctor. After careful examination the doctor explained, “The eyelid is tougher than you think. I think his eye will be fine in time.”

The eyelid designed by our creator God has tough, fibrous tissue which does not easily allow sharp objects to pierce it. Also, strong muscles can snap the eyelid shut in an instant, without you or me consciously thinking to do it, which would waste valuable time. That is what happened to John. His eyelids closed a fraction of a second before the pencil hit, protecting his eye from serious injury.

Eyelids automatically bathe and polish our fine optical instruments about every five seconds when we blink. Eyelashes also stand guard, being very sensitive to any dust, grit or foreign matter that could harm or irritate the eyes. They signal the eyelids to shut if necessary. Did you know that your eyebrows also help to protect your eyes? The next time your forehead is hot and sweaty, feel your eyebrows. They help to keep salty sweat from running into your eyes.

There is another most important use of the eyelid that we must consider before we stop, and for this we must use our voluntary muscles. There are things that can enter into our eyes which are far more dangerous than pencil points. These are things which can harm our souls. Besides the evil all around us, there are pictures and reading material in magazines, on the Internet and on television which can awaken what the Bible calls “the lust of the eyes.” Our eyes constantly transfer images to our brain, much like a camera, and there they often stay for the rest of our lives. In God’s Word, the Bible, God faithfully tells us that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14). We can avoid temptation often by simply closing our eyelids and turning away. Let’s use our eyelids to block out that which Satan, the prince of this world, would try to use to destroy us. “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (Proverbs 4:25). “He that . . . shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high” (Isaiah 33:15-16).

ML-05/18/2003

"Merci, Zot, Pour Jésus."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-05/25/2003

A Biking Accident

Have you ever had one of those days after school was out for the summer when you got kind of bored? I was about ten years old at the time of this story I’m going to tell you about. It was a hot day, and it was late afternoon. I had already ridden my bike all around our neighborhood and was looking for something else to do.

Our street had a dead end, and just beyond the dead end was a steep bank where, a few weeks earlier, many loads of dirt had been unloaded by big dump trucks. It had been fun watching those big trucks dump their loads of dirt. Then a new guardrail had been installed at the dead end to keep cars from rolling down the steep bank and into the ravine below. However, there were a couple of paths around the guardrail, and I followed one of them on my bike.

As I was sitting on the edge of that bank on my bike, the dirt felt cool on my bare feet. I could see the steep twenty-five-foot drop down to the bottom of the ravine. About halfway down, wild blackberry vines were growing thick. I sat there wondering if the berries were ripe yet and then got to thinking that maybe there were ducks down on the swamp and maybe there was even a wild animal slinking around down there at the bottom. I was so lost in my daydreams that I forgot where I was . . . until my bike started to roll over the edge of the bank and I couldn’t stop it!

I was in big trouble now, as I hung on to my bike for dear life as it rolled down that steep bank. I couldn’t stop it and I couldn’t get off ! What can I do? Will I die? my mind screamed! I cried out, “HELP ME, LORD!”

I must have blacked out because I didn’t remember anything else until I woke up all tangled up in my bike. The blackberry vines had cushioned my fall and prevented me from going farther down the bank, possibly to the bottom, to what would have been a much worse landing.

I hurt all over, and it was hard to get untangled from the bike in the middle of those thorny blackberry vines that were scratching me all over. It was all I could do to push the bike back up the hill. But at the same time, I knew that the Lord Jesus had answered my frantic, three-word prayer, and I was so thankful.

I attended Sunday school regularly and had learned that Jesus loved me and had died for me. I also knew that I was a sinner and that Jesus wanted to wash away my sins. One day when I was younger, I told the Lord Jesus that I was a sinner and wanted Him to wash away my sins. Now I belonged to His family.

In Sunday school I also learned Bible verses. One of them that must have come back to me as I went over the bank was, “Call upon Me [the Lord Jesus] in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). And that’s exactly what I did: I called . . . He delivered . . . and I’m still thanking and praising Him for helping me that day.

Have you come to Jesus to have Him wash your sins away? If so, then you can call on Him for help whenever you are in any trouble. It doesn’t have to be only big troubles, like mine was. You can call on Him for help with little troubles too.

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

ML-06/01/2003

A Lesson From a Dove

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-06/01/2003

"What's a Fool?"

Mr. Wilson was recently in London, England, and caught a commuter train which was waiting in the station before setting off.

A little girl about four years old was looking out of the window, and Mr. Wilson overheard her saying to her mummy, “What does that say?” pointing to a poster on the station platform.

In the quietness of the commuter car, her mummy said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1).

Then her little voice asked, “What’s a fool?” to which her mummy replied, “Someone who doesn’t believe in God.”

And so the seed of God’s Word was sown in the hearts of many commuters that day who overheard the conversation.

A poster on another station platform reads, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Isn’t it wonderful that these gospel verses have been posted in 120 different railway stations throughout the country of England, and each day they are read by old and young who are on their way to work, going shopping, or just sight-seeing. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

ML-06/08/2003

A Windshield Lesson

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, being extra careful because the roads were wet and slick. Suddenly, my son Matthew spoke up from where he was sitting. “Mom, I’m thinking of something.” This announcement usually meant he had been thinking about some fact for a while and was now ready to explain to me all that his seven-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain,” he began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

“That’s really good, Matthew.” Wondering if we could learn a little more about the subject, I asked, “If it rains again tomorrow or maybe next week, I’m going to have to turn my windshield wipers on again. What does that tell you?”

Matthew didn’t hesitate one moment with his answer: “If we sin again, God will forgive us.”

I will always remember this little lesson whenever I turn my wipers on.

“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-06/08/2003

Kissing a Rattlesnake

“Hey, everyone watch me kiss my rattlesnake on the lips,” John announced to the group of friends at a party. He puckered his lips in a mock kiss. His friends gathered around to watch the show.

“Don’t do it!” his friend Robert protested. “That’s crazy! The snake will bite!” he warned.

“Don’t worry. I’ve done it many times before, and my snake has never bitten me,” John said with a cocky smile.

As his friends all watched, John reached into the glass aquarium where he kept his pet snake. He picked it up with one hand behind its head and the other under its body. The rattles were silent. The snake was a little over two feet long and had only two rattles at the end of its tail—a young snake.

John held the snake up for his friends to view for a moment and then moved it towards his face to kiss it. The small crowd gasped as the snake suddenly struck with an open mouth and sank its fangs into John’s upper lip. At that instant, the snake’s poisonous venom was sent through its long, hollow fangs and into John’s lip before the snake was pulled away.

In astonishment, John dropped the snake to the floor and cried out, “I’m going to die! I’m going to die!”

Robert, the same friend who tried to discourage John from kissing the snake, quickly killed the snake that was coiling on the floor as if to strike again. Then he turned to help his terror-stricken friend whose upper lip was already swelling. In a firm voice he told John not to panic and that they would get help. Someone quickly called 911 and were told that paramedics were on the way.

At the hospital they treated John with antivenin for the snakebite. After a severe illness he recovered from the poisoning. The doctor credited the recovery due to the rattlesnake’s small size and being young.

It’s dangerous to keep a poisonous creature for a pet. It’s even more dangerous and foolish to kiss such a creature. Most of us don’t have to be told, “Don’t kiss a poisonous snake.” However, there is something very dangerous that you and I easily get accustomed to, and that is sin. Sin carries a poisonous bite with it that is far more deadly than that of John’s rattlesnake. “When lust hath conceived, it [brings] forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, [brings] forth death” (James 1:15). Sin isn’t harmless. It is the deadliest evil known to man: “The sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56). “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20).

No one has escaped the bite of sin. “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23). Therefore, every one of us needs God’s life-saving remedy for sin, which is available only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross and became the only sin offering God will ever accept. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:1415). Sin’s deadly poison has been defeated by its remedy in God’s beloved Son.

Won’t you recognize that sin is deadly, and believe that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for your sins? He will give you the gift of eternal life. God says there is no other way to be saved from sin’s deadly sting.

ML-06/15/2003

Teeny

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

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

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad;

I found in Him a resting place,

And He has made me glad.

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

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

ML-06/15/2003

Ladders and Heights

As a boy, Bill liked to climb trees. He would find the tallest tree in the neighborhood and climb to the top of it, not thinking about the danger.

When Bill got a little older, he built tree houses, anchoring them to two large tree branches. These tree houses had railings or walls for safety, and one even had a roof. But one unsafe feature was the ladders that were necessary to climb up to the tree houses. These ladders were made of short boards nailed to the tree trunk, and these boards often worked loose.

One day a neighbor boy slipped on a loose board and fell, fracturing both his wrists. Bill felt really sorry for his injured friend, and that was the end of his tree house building.

Bill grew up and got married and had a family. He began to build houses in his spare time. There he was, again climbing up ladders onto roofs and stepping across open rafters and not thinking about the danger.

Some of us have known and worked with people who are climbing different kinds of ladders. These are ladders for riches, power and pleasure. Their whole purpose in life is to make a name for themselves, not thinking about the fact that God says this world is full of sin and one day He will destroy it. God asks each one of us the question, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Have you thought about it?

It wasn’t until Bill was older that his fearlessness of heights caught up with him while helping his son build his house. Bill was on a ladder that was placed on a ridge beam twelve feet high. He was nailing the tops of the rafters to the beam while his son was nailing the bottoms of the rafters to the wall. The next rafter to be nailed was lying beyond Bill’s reach. He foolishly took one foot off the ladder and kneeled on the beam to reach over to get hold of the rafter. The next thing he knew was that he was falling, and he landed on his back on the floor and on the edge of the fireplace opening. The wind was knocked out of him, and when he could breathe again, he sat up . . . and then felt the pain.

Bill ended up in the hospital with two broken bones in his spine, but, being a Christian, he thanked the Lord that he was not paralyzed. “Great are Thy tender mercies, O Lord” (Psalm 119:156).

Bill was on a course that finally led to his downfall. You know, Satan loves to lead a child of God on a course of bad habits or bad companions that will lead to his fall. “Let him that [thinks] he [stands] take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). This verse is intended to warn Christians of the temptations of Satan and where they can lead.

And to those of you who are seeking for pleasures and success in this world only, you will never be satisfied. The pleasures of this world are here today and gone tomorrow. Stop and think of the love of God who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this sinful world so that you may have eternal life. God placed on His beloved Son the sins of every person who would trust in Him. Today He sits in heaven at His Father’s right hand. He is saying to you today, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

ML-06/22/2003

"To Shore, Tang!"

The Ethie, like many ships, never sailed without her dog Tang on board. There was one day in the Ethie’s history when Tang was of more value than any of the crew. Of all dogs, the Newfoundland is fearless and most famous for saving lives at sea. It is an obedient, strong, hard-working dog, but above all its other traits, it is known for its natural love of water. Its waterproof coat and great strength make it more suited than any other animal to be the companion of the island’s fishermen.

A terrible storm was pushing the Ethie toward the rocks near the shore of Bonnie Bay, Newfoundland. Bravely the Ethie struggled, with engines pounding so hard the whole ship was shaking. She fought the storm with all her strength, trying to reach the open water, but lost and struck the rocks.

The continual crashing of the waves began breaking the ship apart, and flares were fired to call for help. Rescue parties came running along the shore, but the waves were too high for the men to reach the Ethie with lifeboats.

A brave member of the Ethie’s crew attempted to swim to shore, pulling the end of the lifeline, but the violent waves dashed him to his death against the rocks. As the ship was being torn apart under their feet, fear filled the men. They knew that soon they would be in the water and hopelessly lost.

Then the captain had an idea. He placed the lifeline in Tang’s mouth. “To shore, Tang!” the captain commanded. Tang leaped into the water, only to be spun over and over in the waves among the rocks. He finally swam clear of the deadly rocks and, looking like a tiny black speck among the violent waves, he swam on. When he reached the shore, the rescue party gladly took the end of the lifeline from his mouth. Using this lifeline, they managed to save everyone on board the ship.

The crew was unable to save itself as the ship was being broken up, nor could the sailor who tried to swim for shore. He thought he could make it on his own strength in the violent waves, but he was wrong.

There is something even more sad - people who think they can save themselves from hell by their own strength. God tells us we are without strength because of our sinful nature. That is why God gave His Son “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Do you realize you are lost and without strength? The Lord Jesus died on the cross to save us from the awful penalty of our sins. But the value of His death comes only to those who believe. “When we were . . . without strength . . . Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

ML-06/22/2003

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: Little Margaret

Dear Children,

You have been asking me to tell you about some of the children that Gramma and I talked to when we were teaching Sunday school. Yes, Gramma was a teacher for twenty-six years, and I was a teacher for thirty-one years. Let me tell you about little Margaret.

Margaret was only eight years old when she started to come to Sunday school. She lived about ten miles away, so each Sunday her Sunday school teacher would pick her up. She was always ready and waiting with a big smile on her face. This was the only Sunday school she had ever attended, and she loved it, right from the very first day.

Children, do you love Sunday school? Do you love the Bible verses in the Sunday school paper that you are asked to memorize? I hope so!

Little Margaret was learning all the verses from her Sunday school paper, so we gave her a beautiful new Bible for her very own. I cannot tell you how happy she was!

There was only one thing that made Margaret sad, and that was when the Sunday school teacher would tell her how the Lord Jesus Christ was so hated by the people and how the people shouted out to “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” She couldn’t understand why the people hated Him. All she could think about was the good things He did - healing sick people, making blind people to see, and lots of other things.

Her favorite verse was John 3:16. She didn’t think that anyone really loved her, but when her teacher pointed out in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world,” she knew that meant that He loved her too!

Little Margaret had just turned nine years old when she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour. She was very interested in John 3:16. She wanted to know all about “whosoever” and “eternal life.” We explained to her that “whosoever” means “me,” and that when we believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, then we have eternal life. We showed her Romans 6:23, that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” I said before that Margaret was a very happy child. But knowing her sins were gone and that she had eternal life made her even happier than she was before. Now she started telling other boys and girls in Sunday school that they needed to be saved. We were all very happy for Margaret.

It was in the month of September that little Margaret was sound asleep at home in her second-floor bedroom when disaster struck. FIRE! FIRE! What a terrible word to hear when everyone is asleep in bed! Can you imagine what it would be like if the Lord Jesus came while you were sleeping in bed? No chance now to be saved. You have said “No” once too often to your Sunday school teacher and maybe to your parents or brothers and sisters. Why did you say “No”? Because you said, “Maybe tomorrow,” or, “Next week,” but not today. And now everyone that is saved is gone! You go looking for them, but you can’t find them. You are left behind! The Lord Jesus said in John 14:3, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there [you] may be also.” How sad that, with all the opportunities you had to be saved, you refused. You said, “No.” Now you are left behind! How sad; how awful!

Fire trucks and firemen arrived at Margaret’s house. Water hoses were turned on the house. Family members were rescued by the brave firemen who risked their own lives to save them. “Is everyone out of the house?” asked one fireman.

“No! Little Margaret is still inside!”

Back into the flaming house raced one brave fireman! He found little Margaret lying on the floor of her bedroom. He rushed outside through the smoke and flames, carrying Margaret in his arms, but it was too late. Little Margaret was now safe in the arms of Jesus, the One she loved and trusted for her soul’s salvation just a few weeks before.

When we went to the funeral home to look at the face of little Margaret, Gramma and I could say that she was safe in heaven. We could also say that someday we will see her again.

A few weeks later, Margaret’s brother came to Sunday school, and he had a bag in his hand. He opened it and brought out a Bible that looked in poor condition. The cover was dirty, but inside the pages were very clean. He smiled at us and said, “This is Margaret’s Bible.” What a beautiful surprise! Sure enough, inside was her name and the date she trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour. Everything in their house was completely destroyed by the fire, but here was Margaret’s Bible. It was found under the burned-out bedspring of her mattress. No doubt Margaret laid it there, under her bed, just before she went to sleep. Then she woke up in heaven!

Dear children, if something like this happened to you, would you wake up in heaven? or in hell? There are only two places we are told about in the Bible where the souls of men, women, boys and girls will go when they die. The happy place is heaven; the very awful place is hell.

Little Margaret made a wise choice. She came to the Lord Jesus for salvation, He forgave her of all her sins, and now she is in heaven with Him. Don’t you agree that she made a very wise choice? Will you make that same wise choice right now?

Lots of love to you children,

Gramma & Grampa

ML-06/29/2003

A Voice in the Pain

I suppose that some who read this story have had a broken bone at some time. Those of you who have broken a bone will remember the plaster cast that was not supposed to get wet. And I’m sure you’ll remember how your arm or hand or leg or foot itched under the cast where you couldn’t scratch it. You’ll also remember how there were some activities that you could not do in your normal way. But most of all, you’ll remember the pain. Broken bones really hurt!

We were taking care of my cousin’s dog. This dog loved to chase me and nip at my heels. Being only six years old at the time, I was afraid of the dog and would run away from him. I have since learned that, instead of running away, it is better to face a problem, nipping dogs included. But I ran.

There were abandoned streetcar tracks crossing the field where I was running. I tripped over the first rail and landed on the second one. The pain I felt in my arm told me something was very wrong. I headed home, went into the house and told my mother, “I hurt my arm.” My lower right arm was hanging limp! Mom took one look and turned white.

In those days we didn’t have special bone doctors; we had a family doctor, and that’s where my dad took me. The doctor xrayed my elbow and told us my arm was broken in the worst possible place - the elbow socket. The arm was set at a ninety-degree angle in a plaster cast, and I had to wear a sling around my neck to hold up my arm.

That night my dear dad sat up with a very pain-filled little boy who didn’t sleep much. Besides comforting me in my pain, he faithfully told me that God, in love, was speaking to me through this accident. Dad explained that even though I was a sinner, God loved me so much that He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus, down to this earth to bear the pain of the terrible Roman crucifixion. On that cross, that holy, sinless Son of God died for me. Dad told me that Christ rose from the dead, went back to heaven, and was waiting for me to accept Him as my Saviour.

I can’t say I understood all that Dad talked to me about that night. However, it was the beginning of a work in my heart that led me later to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour.

God often speaks to us, and if we don’t listen, then sometimes “he [you and I] is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain” (Job 33:19). This is exactly what happened to me and eventually helped me to see, even as a young boy, what a sinner I was. “Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom” (Job 33:24). “Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:56).

God has fearfully and wonderfully made our bodies, and in six weeks the bone in my arm had healed and my cast came off. But what was wrong? I couldn’t straighten my arm! The muscles had shrunk and weakened because I hadn’t used them for six weeks. To strengthen those muscles, the doctor had me carry a pail of sand around for a certain amount of time every day until my arm was straight again.

The muscles in my arm had become weak because I couldn’t use them while the cast was on. Our hearts and consciences will become weak if we don’t read God’s Word every day and spend some time praying. Satan, our enemy, is quick to use the weakness in our souls to lead us into a path of sin. Let’s remember to read our Bibles and pray every day so we keep our hearts and consciences healthy and strong.

ML-07/13/2003

Orphan Lamb, Accepted

A flock of sheep grazing peacefully in a field is always a pretty sight. Few of us think about how hard it is sometimes to take care of them through the cold winter. At this time of year sheep are growing long, thick wool coats to keep them warm through the winter. In the spring when the lambs are born in the fields, they sometimes die because it is still too cold. They do not have warm, woolly coats when they are born. So if they arrive while there is still snow on the ground, some usually die.

Sometimes a mother sheep will die, leaving a little lamb without a mother to nurse it. The shepherd then has to find a way to take care of the little lamb so it will not die too. He can either try to feed it himself from a bottle or find a mother sheep to take care of it. However, usually no other sheep will accept the lamb, because it is not her own.

Now what do you suppose the shepherd does? He looks to see if there is a mother sheep whose own baby lamb has died. He finds her dead lamb, removes its skin and carefully places it over the body of the living lamb that has lost its mother. It is just like putting on a coat. The shepherd then takes the little orphan lamb to the mother sheep that has just lost her own baby. She sniffs the lamb all over, smelling mostly the coat of her own dead lamb. She thinks it must be her own baby, and she accepts it and nurses it.

This is just what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for those of us who have accepted Him as our Saviour. He is that Lamb who died on Calvary’s cross for us. Because of all that He did there for us, we can claim Isaiah 61:10: “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” God the Father accepts us, not because there is anything good in us, but because He sees us wearing the “coat of salvation” that the Lord Jesus has given us.

Have you thanked Him today for dying on the cross so you could be saved from your sins and live with Him in heaven? “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood . . . to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 1:56).

ML-07/13/2003

Swept Downstream!

It was cold outside. Michael’s mom made sure her five-year-old son was snug and warm in a jacket and hat. He couldn’t wait to get outside to play.

“Stay close to the house,” his mom told him as she let him out the door.

“I will, Mom.”

Michael ran to the corner of his street and found some boys to play with. The boys were good friends. They played tag for a while before one of the boys suggested they head to the creek. One of them said, “Let’s build a dam.” Michael forgot all about listening to his mom’s order to stay close to the house and followed along with the other boys.

The small community they lived in backed up to a thick forest. Chimacum Creek was in part of the forest and was several hundred yards away. It was spring, and recent rains had swollen the creek. In summer, the boys would spend countless hours wading and splashing in the creek. It ran over rocks and fallen logs, and in certain seasons of the year, large salmon swam upstream to spawn. However, because of recent rains and snowmelt in the Olympic Mountains, the creek was more like a swift-running river.

The boys threw small rocks to make splashes in the water. Two of them together heaved an old log into the creek and then watched the current swiftly carry it away downstream. Michael found a large, round stone and hefted it over his head. He stepped to the bank and threw the rock as far as he could into the creek. It made one big splash!

As Michael stepped back, his foot slipped out from under him, and he fell into the swollen creek. Before he could even yell for help, the current swept him downstream! In most places the water only came up to his chest, but the current was so strong he was never able to get his feet set under him. Michael gasped because of the cold water and fought to keep his head up so he could breathe.

Nick, one of the boys, knew at once he couldn’t rescue his friend who was disappearing downstream. He ran to Michael’s house as fast as he could. Panting for breath, he told Michael’s mom that her son had fallen into the creek and was being carried downstream. She immediately called 911. In a matter of seconds, the 911 operators put out an emergency call for help.

One of the dads who lived nearby was a volunteer fireman. He always carried his emergency radio clipped to his belt. He heard the emergency call as he was driving his pickup truck on his way to work. He hit the brakes hard, turned the truck around, and sped towards the creek. He knew the habits of the boys well and was able to guess where they were playing. When he got to the end of the road, he drove his truck right over brush and rocks and even small trees in his race to get to the stream. He knew life or death for the boy might be a matter of seconds. When he got near the creek’s edge, he flung open the door and raced out.

A woman who had arrived only minutes before, pointed him towards the boy. A little ways downstream he saw the little boy’s head and arm jutting above the water. Michael had found a branch of a fallen tree in midstream and was hanging on to it with one hand.

Without hesitating, the man jumped into the creek and plowed through the water to the boy. The water was icy cold, and he banged his knees on submerged rocks. He was so focused on rescuing the boy, he ignored the pain. When he got to Michael, he grabbed on to him and struggled to pry the little boy’s fingers off the branch, because they had stiffened in the cold water. The man carried him to shore. Other adults had arrived and helped them up the bank of the creek. A short time later, an ambulance arrived and took Michael to a hospital where he was treated.

How good it was for Michael that a volunteer fireman heard the emergency call and then, without any hesitation, came to the rescue. The fireman was very strong and brave and was able to save him.

How good it is for you and me that “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14). When we were being swept away by the power of our sins, the Lord Jesus, without any hesitation, came to rescue us. The One who created the universe came down from heaven to earth to become a man. Because He loved you and me so much, He went to the cross where He died in the sinner’s place. “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The Lord Jesus knew that if He didn’t go to the cross, we would be swept away and die in our sins. On the cross, the Lord Jesus shed His precious blood which is able to wash away the sins of every person who turns to Him by faith. Now the good news of the gospel is free to go out to the entire world. It proclaims “that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15).

Some people don’t see their need of the Saviour who died on Calvary. They think the good news is fine for others, but not for themselves. They don’t believe that they are being swept along in sin’s power, nor do they see the danger ahead if they continue in their sins. If you are one who doesn’t think you need salvation, won’t you consider this for a moment? The fact that you can read a little gospel story like this and then lay it down without ever wanting to know more about God’s love is proof that sin has you in its deadly current and is carrying you away.

We hope and pray that you will feel your need of the Saviour, so that you will call upon Him at once for salvation. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

ML-07/20/2003

An Old Lady's Story

I think that most grandpas and grandmas would agree with me that spending time with grandchildren is special. When we go to visit our grandchildren who live far away, we like to do special things together with them. My young granddaughter Heather and I love to go to a cute, little coffee shop nearby early in the morning. She gets hot chocolate and I have a good cup of coffee. We usually share a large cinnamon roll or a yummy muffin. This little coffee shop has a fireplace with big, soft chairs on each side, and that is our favorite place to sit and chat together. We talk about lots of things and have such a good time.

Last winter while we were visiting our family, Heather and I went to our favorite little shop. I paid for our food while Heather went to save the soft chairs by the fireplace. As we sat down and gave thanks to the Lord for our food, an old lady sitting across from us started right in talking nonstop to us. She told us she was ninety-six years old and came in every day for her coffee. I imagine she was lonely and talked to everyone, but we were disappointed because we were not able to have our own private conversation. However, we wanted to be polite to her, and she began to tell us a story.

There was a man who came into the coffee shop every day on his way to work, and he always asked her to go to church with him. She told him that she was of a different religion and did not really want to go. He just would not take “no” for an answer, so finally she decided that he must have a good reason to keep asking, and she went with him.

She said to us, “I had gone to church all my life, and I never knew who God was. I met Him face to face through His Son Jesus, and now He is with me all the time. I’m not lonely anymore.”

We were so glad to hear this old lady’s confession of the Lord Jesus. She is very close to the end of her life, yet it was not too late for her to accept Him as her Saviour. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4:7).

Heather and I were very glad that we had been kind to the old lady in listening to her story. It is an old, old story of Jesus and His love, but it never gets boring. In fact, it is very exciting to meet others who love Him and will spend eternity together with us in heaven. When we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our own personal Saviour, it is important to tell others about what He has done for us, just as this old lady did. Even though Heather and I both love the Lord Jesus too, we were so cheered when we left. We had smiles on our faces as we walked to our car.

If you have not met Jesus Christ, do not wait until it is too late for you. You may not live to be ninety-six; you may not live to see tomorrow. He loves you so much that He died for you. Meet Him today and confess Him as your Lord and Saviour. You will never be sorry you did. “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).

ML-07/27/2003

Raccoons in the Chimney

The raccoon was on the prowl. Her hunting instincts sent her out into the night, and the dark mask around her eyes represented her hunting habits - robbing birds’ nests of eggs and even the young birds, as well as capturing other small creatures and raiding garbage cans.

This raccoon was not hunting for food on this particular night. She was looking for a place to make her own nest where she could raise a family of three or four kits. The natural home for raccoons is in the woods in a hollow log or tree or an empty den in rocky ground or under ledges. But as man continues to clear woodlands for building housing developments, the raccoons are forced to find other - and sometimes dangerous-places for their homes. Some climb down chimneys and use the smoke shelves of wood-burning fireplaces. The raccoons would not know that a hot, wood fire will kill their young when they build their nests in such places. And often homeowners build fires in their fireplaces, not knowing that raccoon babies are inside their chimneys.

These raccoons are like parents who carelessly expose their children to the dangers of Satan and his schemes. The Bible warns: “Enter not in the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:1415).

One night we heard a noise in our fireplace. I said something to my neighbor about it, and he told me I probably had his raccoon. They had heard noises in their living room fireplace, so they hired a chimney sweep to chase out the raccoon and then place a cap on the top of the chimney to keep them out.

I didn’t want the raccoon to set up housekeeping in my fireplace either. I waited until after dark when I knew she would be out hunting, and then I put a cap on the top of my chimney. We have not been bothered with raccoons in the chimney since then.

Boys and girls, are you aware of the hidden dangers in this evil world? Satan, who is the evil prince of this world, will tempt you to play with fire as the raccoon does. He is the enemy of your souls and would lead you into a life of sin and eventually into an eternity in the lake of fire when your life here on earth is over.

The Bible warns us: “There is a way which [seems] right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). But we have a faithful, loving God who tells us to “seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:67). And in His offer of mercy He assures us, “The Lord . . . is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). That is why in His great love for us He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, down to this earth to become a man, go to the cross and die. It was on that cross that God punished His beloved Son for every sin of every person who would trust in Him for their soul’s salvation. The work is complete. All you have to do is come to Christ and believe. Won’t you do that right now?

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

ML-08/03/2003

Ynnad

Danny is in kindergarten, and he has just learned to write his name. Can you read it here? (You will have to hold it up to a mirror to see it correctly.)

Danny writes his name on books, paper or anything he can find - even on the wall, which, of course, he should not do. Young children love to write their names once they have learned how. When my younger sister learned to write her name, she wrote, “Amy, Amy, Amy,” everywhere!

We like to be able to write our names, but it is far better to have our names written in heaven! If you have trusted Jesus as your Saviour, then you can “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Is your name written in heaven?

ML-08/03/2003

"Tomorrow? Why Not Right Now?"

It had been years of hard struggle, serving in an army camp, but it was over now. The high chain-link fence had been their boundary, and hard labor had filled their days. Mail came through the gates, but not freedom.

And then suddenly one dark evening, the captain announced, “The war is over! You men can go home tomorrow!”

I wonder if you can imagine the relief that swept right down the narrow isles and up into every bunk. Perhaps you have never been kept behind a fence like that, but there are all kinds of chains and bars that keep you where you are. For some of us, it’s a bad habit that we can’t break, or it’s loneliness or peer pressure or pride. No matter what it is, for each of us it’s the chains of sin, tightly holding us and keeping us away from the loving arms of the Saviour who died for sinners. The biggest barrier of all is our own stubborn will.

Albert heard this wonderful news as the others did. He had a beat-up old car parked somewhere outside the camp. He hoped it still had gas and a good battery, and he had the key. And stored up in his head was the memory of a loving family and an empty place at that long table waiting for him. It doesn’t take long for us to imagine how anxious he was to go home.

God does not imagine things, because He knows all things. He even showed the Apostle John wonderful visions of things which have not happened yet but which definitely will happen, because God has said so, and He knows. That is the God who wants you to believe His good news right now. Don’t let your stubborn will keep you chained up any longer!

Albert’s thoughts raced. “Tomorrow? Why not right now?” he asked. “Okay, if you want to” was the answer. His few belongings were jammed into his bag and, without a moment’s regret, he left the crowded bunkhouse and the happy men making their plans for tomorrow. He switched on the headlights and rattled his old beater down the road and headed home.

It must have been 3 a.m. when he turned off the headlights at his home, and the sound of the doorbell rang through the darkened house. They would all be sound asleep - would anyone hear?

Let me tell you, it’s wonderful to have a God who never sleeps, who never fails to hear, who never changes His loving desire to have sinners like you and me saved and in His home forever. Albert knew there was a welcome for him, if only he could make them hear. And do you know that if you will come to the Saviour of sinners, you will find a welcome and a place in His heart and in His home that could never be occupied by anyone but you?

The loud rrrring again echoed through the silent household, and finally his little sister heard. She jumped out of bed but did not open the door until she peeked cautiously through the window. And then . . . WELCOME HOME!

Yes, you will be welcome if you come to the Father through the Lord Jesus. He knows all about you. Every thought in your mind is perfectly clear to Him. Jesus died to cleanse away your sins and to set you free. Jesus is the way to the Father’s heart and the loving welcome of the Father’s home forever.

You are welcome to come. Tomorrow? Why not right now? “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-08/10/2003

What Skipper Wanted

Skipper wanted a drink, but his water dish was dry. There was not one drop of water in it. He went to Lisa and sat up begging and barked. He said just as plainly as he could, “Please, Lisa, I want a drink.”

“You’re a good doggie,” said Lisa and patted him. “Now be quiet,” she added. She did not understand what he wanted.

Lisa’s sister Ruthie did not understand him either. “Oh, Skipper, do you want a dog biscuit? Well, here’s one for you.” Skipper took the dog biscuit and then laid it down on the floor.

Daddy did not understand either. “Okay, Skipper,” he said. “There’s a bone for you out in the garage. I’ll get it for you.” But when the bone was laid down in front of Skipper, he just looked at it. He did not want a bone either.

“I wonder what Skipper wants?” Mother questioned as she turned on the water in the kitchen sink.

Skipper walked over to the sink and whined as he looked at the water. “Maybe he wants some water, Lisa. Check his water dish.”

Lisa found the dish completely empty. There was not even a drop! Lisa brought the dish to the sink and filled it up. Did Skipper’s tail wag! At last he had his drink.

Boys and girls often want something too. But they are not like Skipper who knew exactly what he wanted, because children often do not know what they want. First they want a toy, but they soon get tired of it. Then they start reading a book. When that does not interest them anymore, they look for something else to do. They are always wanting something that they do not have.

A person who has the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour has everything that he needs. Being saved is what brings real happiness. The water they gave Skipper took care of his thirst, but he would soon be thirsty again. The Lord Jesus Christ will give us the “living water” which will last forever. He is that “living water.” He is the only one that can satisfy all our needs. He loves us so much that He died for the sins of all who will trust in Him. Will you believe that He died for your sins?

Jesus 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).

ML-08/10/2003

Wayne and the Cougar

“Class dismissed . . . have a good afternoon,” Wayne Culling announced. Thirty middle- school students sprang out of their seats and rushed for the door. School was over for the day, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

As a substitute teacher, Wayne liked the students, but sometimes they wore him down. He felt a need to relax and decided to go for a hike out in the timberland.

He drove to his home near Crescent Beach on the Olympic Peninsula. Pulling on his hiking boots, he headed for the beach. As he breathed in the fresh sea air and felt the ocean breeze, Wayne felt refreshed. After walking the length of the beach, he turned inland and hiked up a trail that led into the foothills.

Tall evergreens with wild undergrowth cover the rugged foothills that lie between the ocean and the mountains. He walked a long distance on the trail without seeing another hiker. But as he walked, a strange feeling began to come over him that he couldn’t shake off. Then he heard a noise behind him that made him quickly turn around. He saw a tawny brown blur through the leaves of the undergrowth many yards away. Suddenly, he understood the reason for his strange feeling - an animal was following him! The glimpse of color looked like deerskin, but he knew it wasn’t a deer . . . deer don’t follow people. He walked faster, careful not to show any signs of panic. Although he hadn’t seen the animal clearly, he concluded that he was being followed by a cougar!

In the wild, you see a cougar for only one of two reasons: either you have surprised it or it is stalking you! In all the years he had lived in this remote area, he had never seen a cougar before.

You and I have an enemy who is stalking us: “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan, our enemy, hates everything that is true and good and that comes from God. If you have not come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins washed away in the precious blood of Christ, this enemy is stalking you and will do everything in his power to keep you for himself.

Realizing that this dangerous animal could be stalking him, Wayne picked up a broken branch. He remembered that this makes a person look larger, and sometimes that is enough to scare a cougar away. Then he decided to whistle, to show the cougar that he had not panicked. Predators, such as cougars, sense that panic in its prey makes it easier to catch.

Turning around, he saw the cougar on the trail twenty-five yards behind him. “Go away!” yelled Wayne. Unfazed, the cat walked steadily towards him. Wayne quickly looked for a tree to climb. He couldn’t remember if climbing a tree was recommended for escaping a cougar, but he didn’t have a choice. Several sturdy fir trees were close by, but the lowest branches were far too high to grab. A few steps off the trail he saw a smaller hemlock tree, about thirty feet tall. It would have to do.

Wayne made a dash to the tree and climbed up the branches as fast as he could. He was halfway up when he looked down and saw the whiskered face and the golden green eyes of the cougar looking up at him. Seeing the slim, muscular body and the powerful legs of the cat, Wayne realized it could easily climb the tree if it wanted to pull him down. Wayne grabbed the branches above him and climbed higher until he reached the top of the tree. Hanging on tightly, he began to breathe a little easier. Then the unexpected happened! With his arms and legs wrapped around the slender tree, it wasn’t strong enough to support his weight, and it began to bend over! It bent over so far that his entire body was upside down!

Wayne figured his end had come. If he let go of his hold on the tree, he would fall almost on top of the cougar. He was helpless and defenseless!

As he hung upside down, one by one all the things in his pockets began to fall out - first his wallet fell, then his coins fell, and then his keys fell. The keys made a clinking metallic sound as they hit a branch near the cougar’s head. Something in that sound startled the animal, and it bounded off. Once Wayne felt it was safe, it didn’t take him long to get out of the tree and get out of the area.

Satan doesn’t give up as easily as the cougar did. He has different ways to keep people from getting saved. One is by feeding them lies. A favorite lie he will tell you is that you are not so bad that the Saviour needed to die for you. The truth is that every member of the human race has sinned. The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and every sinner still in their sins is on their way to a lost eternity -an eternity that will be spent away forever from the God who loved them and in the awful company of the devil and his angels. Not one person will ever enter into heaven with even one sin on them. Only the precious blood of the Lord Jesus shed on the cross can wash those sins away. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus to have your sins forgiven?

Another lie Satan uses is to tell you that if you do enough good deeds for others you can earn a place in heaven. The Bible tells us that we can never enter into heaven by good works: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

Are you trying to earn God’s favor by good works? It can’t be done. God is too rich to sell salvation, and we are just too poor to buy it. He does offer it to you as a gift: “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You can receive this salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you believe on Him, your place in heaven is reserved and your soul’s salvation will be out of the reach of Satan forever.

ML-08/17/2003

"Mockers"

Have you ever heard a mockingbird sing? This bird got its name because of its ability to “mock” or imitate the sounds of other birds it hears. The mockingbird often changes from one song to another as it imitates different birds. One was reported to have imitated as many as thirty-two different songs in ten minutes! It seems there is almost no limit to the number of songs a mockingbird can imitate. Many are able to learn at least one hundred eighty songs in a few months - some learn many more. There are “mockers” who have been heard singing for an hour without repeating songs. God has given His creatures amazing abilities!

The meaning of the word imitate is to copy something or someone. Sometimes we are able to learn kind and helpful things by copying the good examples of others - imitating what they do. But sadly, sometimes we copy things that aren’t good. The mockingbird is so good at copying sounds that it can imitate the not-so-pleasant sounds of scolding squirrels, croaking frogs and even screeching rusty gates. And like the mockingbird, sometimes we copy things that are unpleasant. Have you ever done something mean or hurtful because you saw somebody else doing it? Maybe you have said a naughty word after you heard one of your friends say the word. Those are not good things to copy.

It is always right to imitate good manners that we hear and see others using. How pleasant it is to hear “please” and “thank you” being used and to see those who show care and kindness to their own family members as well as to others.

If you love the Lord Jesus and have accepted Him as your very own Saviour, who do you imitate? And do you try to be a good example to other boys and girls who might imitate you? The Lord Jesus is the perfect example to copy, for He never sinned, never spoke a wrong or unkind word and never fought back. God’s Word tells us how we can be good examples even when we are young: “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

The Lord Jesus gives us examples to copy in other Christians. We are to follow those who are living a life pleasing to Him in all ways. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). But the very best example to imitate is the Lord Jesus Himself. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us” (Ephesians 5:12).

ML-08/24/2003

Isidoro

Isidoro was an Indian farmer who lived in Bolivia near the jungle. He farmed his land in an old way called “slash and burn.” First, they would cut down the tall trees and brush out of the jungle, then burn them and then plant their crops among the stumps.

This was a poor way to farm, and Isidoro never made much money from his crops. He had a small hut made of sticks and a roof made of palm leaves. But Isidoro was poor in another way too. He had never accepted the riches of God’s grace. He did not know “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty [becoming poor] might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

It was not that he had not heard about God’s love to sinners. His cousin had told him that God sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, into the world to die on the cross so that sinners might have their sins forgiven. His cousin had also warned him of the danger of turning away from such an offer of salvation. He had told Isidoro plainly that the Bible says that those who die in their sins will spend eternity in the lake of fire that burns forever and ever.

Sadly, Isidoro didn’t bother listening to his cousin’s talk of “religion.” But God Himself planned to speak to Isidoro, for God sometimes gives His own warnings in order to help us know that His Word is true.

One night Isidoro was alone in his hut in the jungle. He settled down for the night, planning to have a good rest. During the night he woke up knowing something was wrong. FIRE! His hut was in flames! He did not have a moment to grab anything out of his little home. He ran out and escaped with only the clothes he was wearing. Without even any shoes, Isidoro had to walk barefoot in the dark night through the jungle to the next village.

Poor Isidoro. Everything had been lost . . . or was there something saved after all? Yes, his life had been saved. He had not died in the fire. Isidoro began to think about his cousin’s warnings about what happens to those who do not obey the gospel. He had been terrified to wake up in a hut that was on fire. How awful it would be to wake up in the lake of fire that will never be put out!

Isidoro knew now that he needed the Saviour. He believed God’s Word that Christ had died for his sins. He was still poor in this world’s goods, but he was now “rich” in God’s grace. Now he knew for sure that he would someday be in God’s home in heaven.

Boys and girls, have you found this treasure in God’s love? Are you sure that you will be in God’s home in heaven? If you die in your sins, you will wake up in the flames of hell. Turn to Christ today, just as Isidoro did, and you will have God’s riches and be safe from the judgment of your sins. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

ML-08/24/2003

A Terrible Fall

Duke is a friendly, three-year-old boxer dog. One afternoon, Duke’s owner took him for a walk and let him off his leash for some exercise on the empty top deck of a parking garage. Duke took an interest in a bird that had landed on the top deck. The bird flew, and Duke chased.

Duke’s owner didn’t know what happened next, having turned away for a moment. But she heard the impact - the thud of a sixty-five-pound dog hitting the pavement after jumping over a waist-high railing and falling three floors.

Poor Duke! Three of his four legs were broken and his head had taken a very hard blow. His owner now had to decide how much the dog was worth to her. Should she tell the animal doctor to end his life? or should she tell the doctor to save his life at a great cost to mend those three broken legs and his head injury?

Let me tell you about another terrible fall that was far more serious than Duke’s life-threatening fall. God had placed Adam, the first man, into the garden of Eden where God had given Adam everything he could ever need or want. God gave him instructions that he was to follow: “Of every tree of the garden [you may] freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, [you shall] not eat of it: for in the day that [you eat] thereof [you shall] surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Then Satan, that evil enemy, entered the garden and tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. They disobeyed God’s instructions and ate the fruit. That fall of disobedience brought sin into the world, which has resulted in suffering, wickedness, sorrow and death to every person, starting with Adam and Eve. “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).

God knew the only way He could save man from his sins and sinfulness was going to be at the greatest cost this world has ever known! He was going to have to send His only Son into this sinful world to die for sinners and bear the punishment for their sin. Were sinners worth such a tremendous cost?

Because God loved you and me so very much, He said “yes”! To Him we were worth the cost! The Bible tells us what He did: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

You will be glad to know that Duke’s owner loved her dog so much that she was willing to pay the high cost to save Duke’s life. Duke has almost completely recovered from his fall, and he and his owner are both happy, even though Duke will never be able to understand what saving his life cost his owner.

For those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our very own Saviour, we will always be happy in His presence, but we will never be able to understand what our eternal life cost Him when He paid our debt on Calvary’s cross. But we will have all eternity in heaven to thank Him and praise Him for paying that tremendous cost to save us.

Do you believe that Jesus died to save you from your sins?

“Our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem [rescue] us from all iniquity [sin]” (Titus 2:13-14).

ML-08/31/2003

A Sword in His Mouth

Maybe you have heard of a girl drawing a picture with a pen in her mouth or of a man painting a picture with a paint brush in his mouth. They are certainly very clever, and it is truly wonderful what such artists can do. However, today’s story is far more wonderful than that. Just listen!

This is the story of a sword coming out of God’s mouth! It is a powerful sword too, not just a toy sword or a picture of one. This sword is not made of steel - it is far more powerful than even steel. And the One who uses it is the very same One who “[upholds] all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). The sword is the word that comes out of God’s mouth, and it can be used as He pleases. Now that’s a powerful sword, isn’t it?

Here is a story of one time when this great sword was used.

The people of Egypt were evil. They made slaves out of God’s people Israel and made them work hard, gathering clay and straw and making bricks for the king’s building projects. And because the Egyptians were afraid that their slaves might become powerful enough to rebel, the king ordered that all baby boys should be thrown into the river. The Egyptians gave no respect or honor at all to the God of heaven. They worshipped the gods of the sun and the river and the fields, and they included all the evil deeds that are a part of this sort of worship.

God let it continue for a while, but He saw what was going on and He cared, just as He cares today. God sent the Egyptians many warnings, which everybody felt and understood, but the king’s heart was hard. He said, “No,” he would not allow his slaves to go free with all their families and their possessions.

But there came a night when God would not allow this wickedness to go on any longer. “Go,” He said to His people Israel. And that night, the sword of God’s judgment was used against Egypt. There was no fighting and bloodshed. God’s word is the sword that comes out of His mouth, and there is no striking back or escaping. The Lord struck dead all the firstborn in the land of Egypt that night, from the oldest child of the king on his throne right to the oldest child of the prisoner in the dungeon, including all the firstborn of cattle.

Our God still has the sword in His mouth, and there is no answering back or arguing with Him. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and this sentence cannot be changed.

But God’s people Israel were protected that night - not one was struck dead. How could they be protected, since they were sinners too? God had a most wonderful answer to that question. The lamb, the little first-year lamb with nothing wrong with it, was killed instead, and its blood was sprinkled on the upper and side posts of the doors of their houses. This blood is what God saw on that awful night, and this is why the firstborn of every Israelite family was alive and could march out of Egypt with the rest of the family and their cattle and their possessions.

And for the same reason, the sword of the Lord has no terrors for me. A woolly lamb didn’t die for me, but Jesus, the precious Lamb of God, has died for me, and the God who promised safety for Israel has promised that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7)!

This provision is not for just one special nation or skin color; this is for you. Which will it be? The sword of God’s judgment? or the Saviour who died for sinners? There is no other choice.

You may read this story in the Bible, in Exodus chapter 12. Watch for another story about the sword out of God’s mouth.

ML-09/07/2003

Puff Adder in the Potato Plant

Almost everyone likes sweet potatoes. However, they have to be grown in a warm climate. In some parts of Africa they grow very well and are a main food, because white potatoes don’t grow well there.

A missionary lady in Africa had an African boy plant and take care of a patch of sweet potatoes for her. It was a pleasant sight to look at the many little potato hills all covered with long, green potato vines.

The missionary was looking forward to a meal of these potatoes baked with wild honey, so she walked over to see if the ground on the little hills was cracked open. That was the way to find out if the potatoes were ready to eat.

Choosing one of the largest hills, she pushed aside the vines. Instead of finding cracked ground, she was terrified to find a puff adder curled around the potato plant! Puff adders are very dangerous, poisonous snakes. Everybody in Africa is afraid of them.

This dangerous snake reminds us of Satan. In the Bible we read, “That old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” (Revelation 20:2).

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness by the Devil. Then the Devil again tempted Him three times. Each of the three times Jesus answered by saying, “It is written,” and then quoted a verse of Scripture. After the third time of quoting Scripture, the Devil left.

When we are tempted to do wrong, may we follow the Lord’s example by quoting a verse of Scripture.

What a loving Saviour we have! It was He who protected the missionary from being bitten by the puff adder. She screamed at the top of her voice, “Muroro!” (serpent) when she saw the puff adder. The garden boy heard the cry and came running with a big, long stick and killed the snake. It never frightened or harmed anybody again.

The Lord Jesus is ready at all times to protect and care for all those who put their trust in Him. “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4).

ML-09/07/2003

"It's the Eyes!"

Each night before her four children went to sleep, Mommy had each one repeat the Bible verse that they had been given to memorize for Sunday school the following Sunday. The verse for this week was Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

After each of the children had said the verse, Mommy tucked them into bed, kissed them good night and went into her own room. Before long she heard someone whimpering and went to see who it was. The three boys were sound asleep, but Esther was crying.

“What’s the matter?” Mommy asked her sad little girl.

“Oh, Mommy, it’s the eyes, the eyes,” she cried.

“What eyes?” asked Mommy.

“The eyes of the Lord. They’re in every place and they’re looking at all my sins!” sobbed Esther.

“Why don’t you ask the Lord Jesus to wash your sins away? Then He won’t see them anymore.”

Mommy couldn’t have made a better suggestion, for we read in God’s Word, “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), and, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Esther knelt down beside her bed and told the Lord Jesus she wanted Him to come into her heart and wash her sins away in His precious blood.

This is what the Lord Jesus promised about Esther’s sins: “I will forgive [her] iniquity, and I will remember [her] sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

Esther’s sins are gone! He wants to do the same for you. Will you come to Him in simple faith like Esther did?

ML-09/14/2003

The Humming Caretaker

Too weak and ill to move or even to talk, Mr. Harlin lay quietly in his hospital bed. His hearing, however, was very good. He heard the squeaky wheels of the supply cart rolling up and down the hallways. He heard the elevator “beep” as it arrived at his floor, and he recognized the footsteps of his wife and daughter as they walked toward his room. He also heard the moanings of other ill patients in that hospital.

One day as Mr. Harlin dozed in his bed, a new sound reached his ears. A woman was humming as she walked down the hall toward his room, and Mr. Harlin recognized the tune she was humming. It was one that he knew well, and most of you do too. In fact, I’ve heard Mr. Harlin’s little grandson sing the song in Sunday school. Can you guess what that tune is that even very young children love to sing? If you guessed, “Jesus Loves Me,” you are exactly right!

The humming continued as the caretaker came into his room. She never said a word; she just hummed her encouraging little song the whole time as she busily straightened up his room. Mr. Harlin repeated the words in his mind:

Jesus loves me, this I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me, He who died,

Heaven’s gate to open wide;

He will wash away my sin;

Let a little child come in.

Jesus loves me, loves me still,

When I’m very weak and ill;

From His shining home on high,

He will watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me, He will stay

Close beside me all the way;

If I trust Him, should I die,

He will take me home on high.

Mr. Harlin was feeling very weak as he had been quite ill, but he was so glad to know the Lord Jesus, who is strong and who loves him. Day after day, he was encouraged by this little song that the caretaker hummed as she went about her duties in that hospital. Now that he is well again, he still remembers how the humming caretaker was such a cheer to him.

Don’t you think that caretaker was shining for the Lord Jesus without ever speaking a word? It’s always nice to sing the words to “Jesus Loves Me,” but if you can’t remember them, you can always hum the tune. Many, many people will remember it and know that it tells them that Jesus loves them.

“He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). “Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:2).

ML-09/14/2003

Dinky

When I was a boy about eight years old, I was given a goat. We gave him the name of Dinky. We lived on a farm, and he was such a good pet for a farm boy to have. I remember how much Dinky liked to climb up on top of the woodpile. It seemed so easy for him to climb up on things. We often ran together, played together and had lots of fun. But his ability to be able to climb so easily always surprised me.

On the farm in those days, we milked the cows, separated the cream from the milk and made our own butter from the cream. We always gave Dinky some of the extra skim milk to drink, and he loved it.

One cold morning in the late fall, a terrible mistake was made. Some buttermilk was given to Dinky instead of skim milk. The buttermilk must have been too rich for a goat, because Dinky got so sick from it that he died. How very sad I was to lose my good friend and best playmate.

Even as a grown-up, I still remember how sad I felt and how very lonely I was for a long time. Perhaps some of you boys and girls have had a pet that you loved and played with a lot. And then one day your pet died. Some of you will understand how sad and lonely we are when a beloved pet is gone. We never forget those sad feelings. But now I want to tell you about a best friend who will never leave us. This friend lives in heaven, and His name is Jesus.

Jesus loves you much more than a pet ever could. In fact, He loves you so much that He died for you on an awful cross made of wood. And because of His great love for you, He wants to save you from your sins so you can live with Him forever in His happy home in heaven. He wants to be your friend forever. He tells us in Proverbs 18:24 that He will be “a friend that [sticks] closer than a brother” to you, if you will let Him wash your sins away.

In order to keep a pet, you have to take care of it. You have to feed it and give it water every day, and some pets need exercise on a leash or play time in the house. But when Jesus is your Saviour and friend, it’s the other way around - He takes care of you and supplies everything you need! And He wants to spend time with you each day, and you can do this by reading what He has written to you in His book, the Bible, and by talking to Him in prayer.

Jesus wants to be your very best friend. If you will let Him come into your heart, He has promised that He will never go away: “I will never leave [you], nor forsake [you]” (Hebrews 13:5). Will you let Jesus wash away your sins and be your very best friend?

There’s a Friend for little children

Above the bright blue sky,

A Friend who never changes,

Whose love can never die.

Unlike our friends by nature,

Who change from year to year,

This Friend is always worthy

And He is always near.

ML-09/21/2003

Paul's Story

Paul was an active boy of eight and got along well with his classmates and the neighborhood children. He liked playing ball and hide-and-seek in the yard with his older sister and friends. He especially liked going on camping trips with his family.

Paul started going to Sunday school when he was quite small. There he heard about the Lord Jesus who loved him so much that He left His Father’s side in heaven to come down into this world to die on the cross for sinners. Paul enjoyed singing the songs in Sunday school, and his favorite was “Oh Happy Day.” When he sang the refrain, he would sing it loudly and happily:

Happy day! Happy day!

When Jesus washed my sins away.

He taught me how to watch and pray,

And live rejoicing every day.

Happy day! Happy day!

When Jesus washed my sins away.

Anyone hearing him sing the song so enthusiastically would think that this young boy had already experienced that happy day when his sins had been washed away in the blood of Jesus.

One morning while his father was still in the bedroom, his mother came into the bedroom holding Paul’s hand. “Tell Daddy what you just told me,” she said.

With his face shining, Paul said, “Last night I woke up and I heard the wind howling outside, and it seemed to tell me I was a guilty sinner. I got out of bed and got down on my knees and asked Jesus to wash my sins away. I got back into bed, smiling all over.”

With tears in his eyes, Paul’s father took Paul into his arms and thanked the Lord Jesus for saving his little boy.

Paul wanted to tell Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, an older couple who lived far away, that he was now saved - his sins were all washed away in the blood of Jesus. This older couple sometimes came to visit the family, so Paul decided he was going to write them a letter to tell them Jesus had washed his sins away. He knew they would be happy to hear such good news.

Mr. Wilson’s reply to Paul’s letter came back as a story he wrote, and here is part of Mr. Wilson’s story:

Two Letters

“Would you like to hear about two letters I received last week? One of them came from a boy who is about eight years old and goes to Sunday school every week, unless he is sick. His name is Paul.

“Well, the other day I had a letter from Paul which made me very happy. He wrote and said, ‘I was saved the other night. Now I know the Lord is my Saviour.’ Wasn’t that good news to tell? I am sure Paul could tell others how to be saved. He could say, ‘Just believe on the Lord Jesus as I did - believe that He died on the cross and suffered for sinners so their sins could be put away. He died for me.’

“The other letter I received was one that told about a man who, instead of being eight years old, was nearly nine times that old -he was about seventy. The letter was from his sister and she said that he had been very, very sick. But one day he was free from pain and his mind was quite clear for a while. During that little time, he told his sister, ‘I have accepted the Lord and I do believe in Him - I love the Lord Jesus.’

“Our dear, young friend Paul may have the joy of living to please the Lord Jesus the rest of his life, but this man cannot have much longer to live. He is saved and knows it, but he has missed much by not coming to the Lord Jesus a long time ago.”

Mr. Wilson’s story about the two people who had gotten saved from their sins about the same time, a young person and an old person, made many people happy, and they thanked and praised the Lord Jesus to know two more would be in heaven one day. We hope that all you boys and girls reading this paper accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour while you are young. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). But if anyone reading this happens to be older and is still unsaved, do not wait any longer! Accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now before it is too late for you. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-09/28/2003

Alison

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1

Alison is a fine young lady who graduated from college. It was a thrill to watch her climb the steps to the platform and receive her diploma. It took her a little longer than most of the students to climb those steps, because she had to walk with the help of two special canes. The dean kissed her on the cheek, and everyone clapped for her. Her mother wept with happiness.

You see, life has always been a little more difficult for Alison. She was a normal baby for the first few months of life. Then suddenly she got quite sick with a disease called cerebral palsy. Alison’s life as a child with this disease was difficult for her and her family. Much time and money was spent on medicines, therapy and operations.

When Alison was only eight years old, her father suddenly died. Then she and her mother had to take care of themselves.

Through all of these problems, I have never seen a happier, sweeter, more pleasant person than Alison. It has always been a pleasure to be around her. Everywhere she goes people love her.

Why do you suppose she is such a lovely person? I believe it is because we see the loveliness of Christ in her. You see, she and her mother are both believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Alison went back to college for more studies. Her purpose was to be able to help other people who are handicapped to make the most of their abilities. She gives the Lord Jesus all the credit for her abilities and skills.

Boys and girls, we have so much to be thankful for when our bodies and minds are whole. Have you thanked God for this? I hope so!

However, each one of us is born with another kind of handicap -our life is handicapped with sin. “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 ruin and judgment with it. But God loves sinners and wants them to be whole. Because of the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus, on Calvary, God can take your sins away. In heaven Alison will have a new body, free from its handicap of cerebral palsy and its handicap of sin. But right now she has a saved soul because she came to the Lord Jesus to have her sins taken away.

How about you? Are you saved? Wouldn’t you like to be?

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

ML-09/28/2003

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Blue Jays

Dear Children,

I want to tell you what Gramma and I saw this morning. We watched a mother blue jay and one of her babies fly in and land on one of our bird feeders.

The baby sat there with its feathers all fluffed out and its little beak wide open. It was waiting for its mother to put some food into its mouth. The mother bird would eat some seed for herself, then put some into the baby’s mouth. This went on for about five minutes. Then they both flew away.

In a very short time, Mother and Baby were back again for more seed. But this time Mother did not feed her baby, even though Baby sat there with its beak wide open, ruffling its little feathers. Mother blue jay acted as though Baby wasn’t even there.

Gramma and I thought this was very strange for Mother not to feed her baby! Then they flew away.

Again, in a very short time, they both returned. It was this third time that Gramma and I realized what Mother blue jay was doing. Children, have you guessed what Mother blue jay was doing?

I hear one of you say, “Grampa, she is teaching Baby blue jay to feed itself.”

You are right!

Again, even though Baby ruffled its feathers and opened its beak, Mother still did not feed it. Then, all of a sudden, Baby realized, If I am going to get something to eat, then I must feed myself!

Right then and there, Baby learned how to feed itself. CHEERS! We watched both Mother and Baby feed themselves to the full, and then they flew away back into the trees.

Yes, they often came back to the feeder, along with others. One morning Gramma and I counted eleven of them!

Dear children, each Sunday your Sunday school teacher reads to you from God’s Word, the holy Bible. Your teacher explains to you how you can have your sins forgiven and be ready for heaven. Like Mother blue jay teaching her baby, your teacher can tell you all about God’s way to heaven, but it is up to you to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself. Someone asked long ago, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

We sometimes sing this song:

A little child of seven,

Or even three or four,

May enter into heaven

Through Christ the open Door.

Bye, bye for now!

Love from Gramma and Grampa

ML-10/05/2003

The Tree Bridge

When we travel, we often go over bridges. Some of them are so short that we hardly notice them. Others are high and long and cover many miles. The longest bridge in the world is near New Orleans, Louisiana. It stretches for 24 miles! There is an interesting bridge in Arizona, however, which is not the highest nor the longest. It was not built by anyone, and at one time it was alive. It was a very large tree that formed a natural bridge over a deep canyon.

Hundreds of years ago this huge tree was growing on the edge of the canyon. The mountain stream that ran through the canyon washed out the soil from around its roots. Then one day during a severe storm, the tree fell. It was so large that when it fell it reached all the way across the canyon! There it lay for years and years. Some people might think that this great tree was a failure.

Something happened to that tree as it lay there over the years. Gradually the wood was being changed into stone or what we call petrified wood. Now it is a solid, stone bridge which can never rot or break. Many people use it to cross the deep canyon safely.

Some people think that our Lord Jesus, as a man, didn’t accomplish very much and that His life was a failure. “He is despised and rejected of men . . . despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3). Men tried to get rid of Him and crucified Him so “that His name may be no more remembered” (Jeremiah 11:19). However, the Bible explains that by His death the Lord Jesus Christ became the “strong bridge” to take us from earth to heaven. He is the only “bridge” we can use to cross from this dark, sinful world into the light and holiness of heaven.

Have you crossed this bridge by having Jesus wash away your sins? If not, do not wait any longer. He loves you very much and will wash you clean of your sins if you will come to Him by faith.

“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

ML-10/05/2003

Put Salt on Their Tails

“Aren’t the birdies pretty, Mommy?” said three-year-old Margaret to her mother one sunny day as they sat together in the yard. “See, there’s some in the grass . . . and see that pretty blue one over there in the tree? I wish I could catch a bird. Will you help me catch one, Mommy?”

“Do you know what my daddy always used to say, Margaret? If you could put salt on a bird’s tail, you could catch it.”

“Did you ever catch one?” asked Margaret.

“No, I never tried,” said her mother.

“Didn’t you even try?” said little Margaret surprised. “If I could catch a bird, I’d try!” And with that she ran into the house to get the salt shaker off the kitchen table.

For a long time Margaret chased the birds, trying to put salt on their tails. Finally she got discouraged and ran over to her mother in tears. “They won’t stay still long enough for me to put salt on their tails,” she sobbed.

Mother scooped Margaret up into her arms and said, “No, that way won’t work. That’s just like trying to get to heaven by doing good works, isn’t it? We just aren’t able to do good because we are sinners, so we can’t get to heaven that way. It won’t work. We have to trust the Lord Jesus. He said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me’ (John 14:6). He died for us to wash away all the naughty things that we’ve done so we can go to heaven and live with Him there forever. Wasn’t that very, very kind of Him?”

Have you admitted to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner, and have you let him wash your sins away? Have you ever thanked Him for dying for you? “Not by works of righteousness [good deeds] which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

ML-10/12/2003

The German Shepherd and the Husky

My husband and I happened to be looking out of our living room window when we saw a stray German shepherd dog coming down the sidewalk. He was looking from side to side and seemed bewildered and lost. We held our breath as he approached a big husky dog that lives across the street from us and was tied outside. We wondered if the German shepherd would notice the husky. Sure enough, he saw the dog and wagged his tail vigorously. He found his way around a snowbank and trotted right up to the place where the husky sat tied!

We were concerned because that husky doesn’t seem to like other dogs. When they pass by on leashes with their owners, he barks furiously at them and pulls hard on his rope as if to break it. We often wondered what he would do if the rope did break.

There was quite a wild meeting when the two dogs faced each other, but it didn’t last long. The owner of the husky came outside and separated them, and then he took his dog inside the house.

The stray German shepherd wandered off and seemed even more bewildered than before. We did not expect to see that dog again.

Sometimes you and I, who are saved from our sins and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, behave like that stray German shepherd. We are not satisfied to walk in the safety of what we know is pleasing to the Lord. Instead, we wander from one attraction to another, not realizing the danger in being friendly with the world and its pleasures. God gives us a solemn warning in Proverbs 4:14

15: “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”

But the German shepherd had not learned his lesson. Two days later I could hardly believe my eyes — he was back! He was over in the yard where the husky lives and smelling all around where the husky is usually tied up. He even looked inside the husky’s doghouse! We couldn’t understand why he came back when he had already had a nasty fight with the husky. Thankfully, this time the husky must have been inside the owner’s house.

Dogs are not the only ones who sometimes don’t learn a lesson the first time and go back for more. Sometimes you and I have tried a little of the world’s pleasures and enjoyed them. We don’t see the danger, so we’ll give it another try and go just a step further. Our enemy Satan has all kinds of temptations to draw us into his “doghouse.” His aim is to lead us on until we have dishonored the Lord Jesus’ name and made ourselves miserable.

Boys and girls, men and women, let’s be on our guard and pay attention to another of the warnings from God’s Word: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Obeying God’s Word is truly the way of happiness.

ML-10/19/2003

The Swerving Driver

Darren, Melissa and Bill were driving home one night when they saw a car swerving all over the road and even over lawns. The three decided to call for help and then follow the car until the police arrived. They realized that whatever the driver’s problem was, he could possibly swerve into oncoming traffic and seriously hurt someone, including himself.

They quickly made the call, then followed the car at a safe distance until it stopped . . . right on the railroad tracks! The driver looked as if he had gone to sleep. Darren and Bill were trying to decide if they should pull the man out of his car since commuter trains often run on those tracks. But before they got to his car, the driver suddenly started to drive away.

The three teenagers realized the driver was in real danger, and they cared enough to help him. They couldn’t save him but called police who could. Many of you reading this story have trusted in the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. All of you at one time traveled the very dangerous roads of a sinful life. A friend or relative who cared about you may have been watching and praying for you as your life of sin took dangerous turns. And at some point that caring friend or relative, who could not save you himself, told you about the Saviour of sinners. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

A police car was waiting down the street and recognized the two cars from the descriptions Melissa had given over the phone. The police car moved right in behind the swerving car and turned on the siren and flashing lights. The driver got scared and drove faster to get away. He ran over a curb, knocked over a small tree, and finally stopped with the car wedged between a light post and a fire hydrant. His car was all smashed up, but he was not injured.

The police found insulin bottles on the floor of his car. This told them that he had the disease called diabetes. It also told them that his driving behavior was due to the fact that he was overdue for his medication. They immediately had a paramedic give him his life-saving medicine. He would have died without it.

The man who was acting as if he were intoxicated was actually suffering from a disease that could have taken his life that night if Darren, Melissa and Bill had not cared enough to help him. You and I have friends and relatives who are on the dangerous roads of a sinful life. Do we care enough to warn them that they are headed for an eternity of everlasting punishment for their sins? Do we care enough to tell them of a Saviour who loves them and died to save them from that awful eternity? The Lord Jesus certainly cares about them, for the Bible says, “The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9

ML-10/19/2003

Paid in Full

In a far-off area of one of the Philippine Islands, the usefulness of Al’s old motorbike had finally come to an end. He didn’t have enough money to buy another, but he had no other way to get to the mountain villages. Al prayed for another motorbike so he could continue to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the mountain people. The distances were so far that even after riding on his motorbike for three hours, he still had to walk another five or six hours to reach the villages.

When Al was offered a good, second-hand motorbike, he decided to try to buy it, but he did not know when he would ever get it paid off. It was a great debt.

A Christian worker from Canada was visiting in that area of the island and heard about Al’s need of money to pay for his second-hand motorbike. When the worker returned home, he told many of his friends of Al’s faithfulness in taking the gospel message to the mountain villages. He also told them that Al was not able to pay the money he owed for the second-hand motorbike. Many of those people decided to help him pay for it, and when the Canadian worker returned to the Philippine island, he had enough money to give to Al to pay off his debt.

Al’s wife went with him to pay the bill, and they both were so happy when they saw the owner write the words “PAID IN FULL” on the bill. The motorbike now belonged to Al. A debt that had been impossible for them to pay was paid by someone else.

You and I have a debt that we simply cannot pay - it is the great debt of our sins that we owe to God. We need outside help, and God Himself has supplied the answer to that need for us. “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ came all the way to earth, becoming the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world by dying on the cross in our place. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

But before we can have the words “PAID IN FULL” written across the great debt of our sins, there is something that each of us must do. Al accepted with thankfulness the gift of money for payment of the motorbike debt, and I must accept God’s offer of payment for the debt of my sins by believing that Jesus died on the cross for them. I must admit my need of payment that I cannot make for my sins and accept God’s gift of salvation, and thank Him for the great price His Son Jesus paid to have me in heaven.

Are the words “PAID IN FULL” written across the debt of your sins?

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

ML-10/26/2003

A Loon Comes for Help

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

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

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

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

The Lord Jesus said, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). Have you gone to the Great Physician for the healing remedy for your sins?

ML-10/26/2003

How to Be Saved

Linda called out, “I’d really like to be saved! I want to get to know Jesus! But how do you do it?” The lady was a resident in the nursing home where I was speaking.

“You just have to trust Him by believing that He died on the cross to save you from your sins,” I told her.

“But I thought you had to go to church to do that,” she said.

“No, that’s not necessary.” I explained, “The Apostle Paul was in the middle of a road when he got saved.” Then I read to her Acts 9:35: “ ‘As he [Paul, who at this time was called Saul] journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.’ ”

Certainly everyone doesn’t get saved through the same events as Paul did. But Romans 10:9 tells us exactly what we must do: “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.”

Another person from our group explained, “We need to open our hearts to the Lord Jesus and invite Him to come in. Sometimes we sing a little song that goes like this:

Into my heart, into my heart,

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;

Come in today, come in to stay,

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Let’s sing it now as a prayer,” he suggested.

Linda closed her eyes as she sang that prayer along with us.

Another person in our group then told Linda and the other residents the account from the Bible about the thief hanging on the cross next to the Lord Jesus. “The thief simply said to the Lord Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise’ (Luke 23:42-43). He was hanging on a cross, dying; he had no time to go to church. He got saved right there on that cross.”

Linda was so happy to hear these things, and she trusted the Lord Jesus as her Saviour right then and there by believing that He died on the cross for her sins.

Before the residents returned to their rooms, they were each given a large-print Gospel of John booklet. The following morning a Christian worker at the nursing home took a large-print Bible to Linda. She found Linda reading and underlining the Gospel of John booklet she had received the day before. Linda was so pleased with her new Bible that she was either reading it or carrying it around all day, telling everyone she saw how very happy she was that Jesus had come into her heart. She also told the Christian worker that she hadn’t been happy or felt loved since her husband had died. Now she knew that God loved her so much that He had sent His own beloved Son to die for her sins so she could be saved and live in heaven with Him when her life down here was over.

Not only can you accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour right now, wherever you happen to be reading this, but you also don’t have to wait until you’re older and in a nursing home. NOW is the time to trust in Jesus. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:2:

“Behold, NOW is
the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.”

ML-11/02/2003

The Trouble With the Clock

“What’s wrong with our clock?” asked Mr. Kelly when he came home from work. “It’s 6:00 and the clock says 5:30.”

“I don’t know what has happened to it. It has always kept good time until today,” answered Mrs. Kelly. “Elsa missed her school bus this morning because of that clock.”

Mr. Kelly moved the hands of the clock around until it read exactly 6:05. “Let’s check it later.”

When Mr. Kelly checked the clock, he saw that it had lost more than fifteen minutes. So he reset it again, but still it would not keep the right time. It ran slower and slower. Finally, it completely stopped.

The next evening Mr. Kelly said, “I’m going to take the back off the clock and see if I can find the problem.” When he opened it up, he discovered that something had made a little home inside the clock! In among the parts was a silky web, and the little spider that had made the web ran away as fast as its eight little legs could carry it.

“Good thing you got out of there in a hurry!” scolded Mr. Kelly. “You tied up the parts of our clock with your web!”

He cleaned out the spider’s web, and then the parts started working again in the clock. He set the hands for the correct time, and the next morning the clock was still correct. Once again the clock told Mrs. Kelly when to get breakfast ready, it told Elsa that her bus was due, and no one was late again because of the clock.

The clock looked okay on the outside, but the trouble was on the inside! That is the very same problem you and I have - trouble on the inside - our hearts are tied up in sin. The Bible tells us, “From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts . . . murders, thefts . . . wickedness . . . pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within” (Mark 7:21-23).

We cannot just take our hearts out and clean out the bad things, like Mr. Kelly did with the spider and its web inside the clock. We have to have our heart washed clean from sin by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The heart that we are talking about is not the heart inside of us that pumps our blood; it is the part of us that loves and affects our thoughts and our understanding. We need to accept and believe the message of the gospel with this heart, not just with our minds. This is why it says in Romans 10:910, “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.”

Won’t you accept the Lord Jesus in your heart as your Saviour?

ML-11/02/2003

Carried by the Tornado

It was more than a wind. It was a real tornado that twisted through the campground that summer day. There was a warning, but no one guessed it would be so severe. The people in the campground were travelers and had not been through a real tornado before.

When the storm struck, things were torn and twisted for a few minutes. Trees were uprooted, roofs were blown off, and rubble and furniture went flying about.

And then suddenly it was over. No one was killed, but as the owners began to look over the damage, the air was split with the cries of a young mother. “My baby! Where is my baby? Oh, my baby!” The baby’s crib had been tossed into a nearby garden, but it was empty. “Where is my baby?” the frantic mother cried. And no one knew.

I wonder if you know that the Bible has something to say about a storm, a storm of wrong information. Ephesians 4:14 warns us, “That we [from now on] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” The baby in the campground was light enough to be tossed anywhere with no choice at all. How can we have enough weight to hold down firmly what the Bible says against what everybody thinks these days? There is danger of being tossed about by all the changes in people’s own ideas of God and His beloved Son, until we have no security at all. Maybe you’d like to forget the whole thing and get on with life, but there comes a time when this is impossible.

The crib was no security, and “my church” is no security either, or even my own thoughts, or the opinions of my friends. It must be what God has said! Read your Bible for security. Its Author is not dead, and He cares more about your soul than you care yourself. He has promised, “If any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself ” (John 7:17).

Anyone who is trusting God’s Word will not be tossed about by every wind of teaching, even if it comes with the force of a tornado.

At the same time as that poor mother was crying out for her lost baby, there was a family about a mile away who had felt the force of the tornado too. After the storm was gone, they went out to look over the damage. Nothing major . . . except . . . what is that in the crotch of that tree? A bundle of something that wasn’t there before. A baby! A real live baby - howling and unhurt!

It was some time before connections to the family were made by police radio and the baby was cuddled in the mother’s arms again. The story had a happy ending.

Will your life story have a happy ending too? Yes, if the Lord Jesus, as revealed in the Word of God, is your firm foundation, your Anchor, your Saviour. But if everybody’s ideas and opinions, every change in the devil’s menu for the day, has power to toss you about so that you don’t truly believe in the Lord Jesus, then your life story will not have a happy ending.

Will you trust Him now? He is the only security, now and forever.

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

ML-11/09/2003

Stalked by a Cougar

In the mountains around Lake Leland, Washington, a mother deer sensed danger. Her keen hearing had picked up a slight rustling of branches. Her twin fawns were immediately alerted by their mother’s tenseness. She turned and saw a stalking cougar many yards off. In an instant, the three deer bounded off down the mountainside.

The cougar charged and, after a short chase, knew he had missed his prey. He let out a blood-curdling scream and then followed them, using his sense of smell to track the deer down the mountainside.

With all the wariness of a wild animal, the mother deer sensed the cougar would follow them. Her instinct told her that she and her fawns had to flee a great distance to escape the danger. The three deer zigzagged down the timbered mountainside, sprinting and then walking. However, her fawns were becoming tired and needed to rest.

At the foot of the mountain, a few ranches were built around Lake Leland. The mother deer was wary of humans and their homes. Her instincts told her that they could be dangerous, but she sensed a much greater danger was stalking them.

The three deer came to a fenced pasture where several riding horses were grazing in tall grass. A ranch house was a short distance away from the pasture.

The mother deer leaped over the barbed wire fence, while her fawns squeezed under the bottom strand of wire. The three then went to the center of the pasture and began to graze near the horses. The mother deer must have sensed that being near the horses would provide some protection against the cougar.

Have you found a place of safety by trusting in the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of sinners? The world you live in is full of real dangers. Satan, an unseen spirit, continually tries to lead souls to destruction. He does all he can to keep souls in the dark about their need of salvation so that they end up for eternity in that awful place called hell. He will certainly do all he can to keep children from obeying the gospel call for them to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus.

Also, God’s wrath against sin awaits every person who has not settled the matter of his sins with God. In His holiness, God cannot let sin go unpunished. Unless a sinner repents of his sins and flees to the Lord Jesus for safety, it is certain that God’s wrath will burst in awful judgment on him. Oh, that every boy or girl who hasn’t found safety by the Saviour’s side would “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7) and come to the Lord Jesus at once. God’s wrath is a fearful thing and a real danger. Even though He loves sinners, He hates their sins. The same God who says He “so loved the world” (John 3:16) says, “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4).

Each one of us can find safety in the Saviour, because He died in the sinner’s place. “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:89).

When boys and girls come to the Lord Jesus for salvation, they will belong to Him forever. He will watch over them and bless them. He will be much more careful of them than any mother deer could ever be of her fawns.

Later that evening, the cougar, following the deer’s scent, crept to the pasture. Soundlessly, he slipped beneath the bottom strand of wire in the fence. The tall grass and dusky light concealed him almost perfectly. He was creeping closer to the deer when one of the horses suddenly spotted him. With a snort and whinny of fear, the horse began to race around the pasture. Alerted by the horse, the mother deer and her fawns attempted to flee. Running as fast as she could, the mother ran into the barbed wire fence, which she hadn’t seen in the darkness. The fence made a loud twanging noise as she hit it.

The whinnies of the horses and the twanging of the barbed wire aroused the owner of the ranch who was sitting in her front yard. She knew immediately there was trouble in her pasture and started running in that direction. On the way she picked up a big stick.

The owner entered the pasture through the gate and ran into the tall grass. She saw the three deer standing by the fence and the horses running. At first, she didn’t know what had caused the commotion. Then she turned around and saw the cougar about fifteen feet behind her. It snarled angrily at her and let out one of its eerie screams. It sent shivers of fright down her spine and, for a moment, she didn’t know whether to flee or fight.

Just then, the owner’s favorite riding horse ran to where the cougar crouched. Whinnying loudly, she reared up on her hind legs with her front hooves pawing the air before they came crashing to the ground a few feet away from the cougar. Wanting nothing to do with those flying hooves, the cougar ran off into the night.

The owner credited her horse with saving her from the snarling cougar. What an amazing rescue!

Everyone who has been saved by the Lord Jesus knows that they too have been rescued in a truly amazing way. They know that God, in amazing grace and love, sent His Son into this world for this very reason. The creator of the universe became a man and let Himself be nailed to a tree so that all people might come to Him and find forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Truly, nothing is so amazing in the entire world as the truth contained in the Bible verse, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). When He died, He bore the punishment for the sins of all those who would believe on Him.

If you have not yet been saved, won’t you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Placing your faith in Him is the only way you can be rescued from sin and danger. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that [believes] on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).

ML-11/16/2003

The Birds Learn a Hard Lesson

The continuous chirping and scolding caught my attention. I assumed a cat must have come into the yard. That always sets the robins and sparrows to chirping in alarm. Even though the birds are in the trees and the cat is on the ground, the birds are upset and scold and squawk at the cat until it is gone. But this time the chirping and scolding just kept up and became almost frantic. I glanced out at the trees and saw birds fluttering and hopping from branch to branch in alarm, but there wasn’t a cat in sight.

Forty-five minutes later, the noisy disturbance was still going on. Something clearly was wrong out there, but I did not know what. It was time to investigate.

I looked all around on the ground for a cat in hiding, but there was nothing. I scanned the trees and didn’t find one up in a tree either. And I knew my cat was in the house, so he wasn’t the problem.

As I studied the particular tree where most of the commotion was, suddenly I saw why the birds were so upset. Up in the center of the tree sat an enemy - a large, motionless hawk, and now his fierce eyes were watching me! We stared at each other for a few moments. He never blinked. The birds just kept up their frantic scolding as some of them flitted from branch to branch. From all the commotion they were making, it seemed they knew that this hawk was their enemy.

Or did they? Why did they stay there? Why didn’t they fly away? Was it because that tree was home to some of the little birds? Did they not know that enemies can invade homes?

There was no doubt this large bird was a predator. I was close enough that I could see his big, hooked beak and the long, sharp talons on his feet. And those birds were a whole lot closer to him than I was. I wanted to warn those birds to fly away, but I don’t speak bird language.

However, I do speak your language, and I want to warn you that a predator can invade people’s homes - and yes, Christian homes. Television screens and computer screens have a predator lurking inside. Maybe you have already been warned to stay far away from the predator’s bait.

But do you? Do you watch videos and shows of evil, lust and violence? Do you go to the Web sites of wickedness? Don’t you see Satan’s big, hooked beak and those long, sharp talons? Why don’t you stay far away from him and his evil bait? The Bible warns, “Go not in the way of evil . . . avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15). Satan is a predator, and he’s looking for victims who ignore warnings!

Since there was no way I could warn the birds, I decided to go back in the house. I had been inside only a few moments when the chirping and scolding turned to an alarmed frenzy! I ran to a window just in time to see the hawk drop to the ground with a small bird in his talons. The captured bird was still moving a little, but not for long. The hawk stomped on the little bird two or three times until it was motionless, then picked it up in its talons again and flew off . . . to eat breakfast.

The other birds in the tree soon quieted down, but they had lost one of their companions who had come too close to the enemy. What a hard lesson to learn. Would they be on their guard the next time?

What about you? Will you pay attention to the warnings of those who love you and care about you and want to protect you from Satan’s treacherous schemes? He is the world’s most successful predator! If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Saviour, you can turn to Him for help and protection if you have let your guard down and find yourself entangled in Satan’s wickedness. The Bible reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Another verse assures us that God is stronger than Satan: “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Later that same day, I was outside when I saw the same hawk fly into the yard and work his way into the very same tree and onto the very same branch where he again perched motionless. Waiting for dinner?

This time there were no birds in the tree. Had they learned the lesson?

Satan doesn’t give up looking for victims either. But if you will listen to the warnings and what God tells us in Proverbs 2:11-12, you will have the protection you need: “Discretion [wisdom] shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: to deliver thee from the way of the evil man.”

You have a little prisoner,

He’s nimble, sharp and clever;

He’s sure to get away from you

Unless you watch him ever.

And when he once gets out,

He makes more trouble in an hour

Than you can stop in many a day,

Working with all your power.

He gets your playmates by the ears

And says what is not so;

He uses many ugly words

Not good for you to know.

Quick, fasten shut the ivory gates

And chain him while he’s young;

For this same dangerous prisoner

Is just . . . your little tongue.

“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). “The tongue is a little member, and [boasts] great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire [kindles]!” (James 3:5).

ML-11/23/2003

Michelle's Secret Power

When the Earley family moved from their farm in West Virginia to a large city, Mr. and Mrs. Earley realized it might take a while for their five children to adjust to much larger schools. You can imagine how anxiously Mrs. Earley waited for that first school day to be over so she could hear how each child had gotten through the day.

Michelle, who was fifteen, was jubilant. “Guess what, Mom?” she said. “I met a couple of really nice kids in every class!” Stephen, age seventeen, said honestly, “I didn’t make any friends, and I didn’t make any enemies.” Cheri, who was ten, said excitedly, “Mom, I love this school!”

But with Christopher, who was fourteen, and Cindy, who was twelve, it was a different story. “I felt lonely,” Chris said. “Nobody talked to me.” And Cindy just wished she were back at the school in West Virginia that she had not liked when they lived there!

We are not all like Michelle and Cheri, and, of course, God did not intend us to be alike. However, we can learn from each other.

Michelle was older than Chris, and she had learned that you have to be friendly in order to make friends. She realized that every student in school, just like every grown-up, is basically lonely. Each one is looking for someone to take a personal interest in him or her. But above all, Michelle knew from experience that only the Lord Jesus can fill a lonely heart. She had accepted Him as her Saviour, knowing that He loved her so much He gave up His life for her.

Let me tell you what Michelle’s secret power was. She had made up her mind to go to school, not just as a student, but as a missionary! This new school was going to be a new opportunity for her to tell others of her loving Saviour who could fill any lonely heart. She decided to wear a button on her collar that said, “Jesus is coming again.” She planned to leave a tract at the side of her desk, praying that a friend or classmate would ask to read it. She also would look for opportunities to link an assignment to something in the Bible. This had been an opportunity her mother had used when she was in high school, though she would never have worn a button or given a tract or even carried her Bible with her, as her older brother had bravely done. Yet her mother had been brave enough to stand in front of the class and give a book report on the Bible.

Do you think God was more pleased with one way over another? Not at all. If you are a Christian and know for sure that Christ has put all your sins away by His death on the cross, God wants you to tell that good news to others. If you will ask His help, He may arrange events to make this happen in a very natural and easy way.

Often just a quiet life of “not making a friend or an enemy” is more powerful than we might think. Eventually what we live of Christ will cause others to notice and ask questions. However, let your joy show. Just a smile to someone you pass in the hallway can put sunshine into a lonely heart and pave the way for sharing with them the One who promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

Are you a missionary at your school? Often the most popular and attractive students at school are the most empty inside and are looking for something real. If you have never tried telling someone about your Saviour, ask God for His help. He says, “Ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2), and, “If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). He longs to answer and show His power to you as well as to the person you talk to. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).

ML-12/07/2003

Selling Sunday School Papers

Roger was ten years old. Like a lot of boys his age, instead of listening carefully to his Sunday school teacher, Roger often would let his mind wander and think about other things. He didn’t pay attention to the story of the Lord Jesus who came to die for sinners.

Every week Roger received a Sunday school paper, much like this one you are reading right now. Roger didn’t know what the papers said, because he didn’t read them, and no one read them to him. But he did notice that in the upper right-hand corner was printed the price - 10¢.

Roger’s family did not have much money, and as he thought about the 10¢ price printed on the papers, the idea came into his mind that maybe he could sell the leftover Sunday school papers as a way to earn a little money. So one day he took the leftover papers into the neighborhood to sell them.

At the first house Roger came to, a lady answered the doorbell. Roger asked her if she would like to buy a Sunday school paper. Instead of answering yes or no, she invited him into the house and asked him if he would like a glass of chocolate milk.

Now Roger had never tasted chocolate milk. In fact, he had never even heard of chocolate milk, but it sounded good, and he eagerly answered that, yes, he would like some chocolate milk. As he looked around the house, he couldn’t help but see that it was a very nice house with nice things in it. He noticed that it even had running water!

After the lady had served Roger a glass of chocolate milk and a ham sandwich, she asked him if he knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, the very person his Sunday school papers talked about. Roger said no, that he didn’t know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. The lady asked him if he wanted to receive Him and to know that his sins would be gone and that he would go to heaven. Roger said, “Yes.” Then at the lady’s invitation, they knelt next to the couch where Roger prayed and told the Lord Jesus that he wanted Him to be his Saviour and wash his sins away.

When Roger left the lady’s house, his heart was so filled with happiness and peace that he forgot all about selling the Sunday school papers. Instead, it became his joy to tell his friends of the Saviour who died for them that they might have the gift of salvation, “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Thirty years later, Roger traveled about two thousand miles back to the area where he grew up. He wanted to find the lady who had led him to the Lord Jesus. When he arrived in the city where he had lived as a boy, he found a phone book and searched for her name-Everheart. He remembered her name, because she “ever had a heart” to tell the story of Jesus.

The city had grown into a large city, and there were many people with that same last name listed in the phone book. So Roger decided to go down the list and call each phone number with the name Everheart, hoping to find the lady who had given him the chocolate milk and told him about the Lord Jesus.

The first phone call Roger made was answered by an older lady. He asked the lady if she knew of a little boy who had come to her house to sell Sunday school papers many years ago.

The lady answered, “Roger, I’ve been praying for you for thirty years! Please come and see me!”

Roger was glad to be able to visit the lady again who had treated him so kindly and told him about his need of forgiveness of his sins through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Before Roger left, Mrs. Everheart once again asked him, “Would you like a glass of chocolate milk?”

We cannot offer you a gift of chocolate milk, but we can offer you the very same gift of salvation that Mrs. Everheart offered to Roger: “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). Roger accepted that gift of salvation. Will you?

ML-12/14/2003

Daily Ministrations

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

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

ML-12/14/2003

Swimming in the Wrong Direction

The beach was almost deserted because it was a cold evening, but a couple of swimmers could be seen in the water. One was a man who came to the beach every evening to swim two hundred meters. The other was a woman swimmer.

When the man finished swimming his lap in one direction and was turning to swim back, he saw that the woman swimmer seemed to be in trouble, but she was heading farther out to sea. He swam towards her and asked if everything was all right. The woman replied that she was becoming very tired.

“Then turn back,” he told her.

To his surprise the woman answered, “No, I’m heading in the right direction.”

The man explained to her that she was confused on her directions and that she was actually swimming farther away from shore. But the woman insisted that she was right.

Feeling his responsibility in this serious situation, the man changed his tone of voice and pleaded with her to believe what he was telling her. He assured her that he would swim alongside her if she would turn around to swim back. He finally convinced her to turn back, and together they swam towards shore.

When she saw the beach, the woman gave a cry of relief - she was safe! We can only imagine how thankful she was to her rescuer as she thought of what the end of the story might have been if he had left her swimming in the wrong direction.

Many of us have our minds made up that we have our lives headed in the right direction. We believe that at the end of this life we will enter God’s heavenly home as long as we lead a good, clean life and are kind to people and helpful to those who are in need. But the book that God has given us, the Bible, would tell us that we are headed in the wrong direction! Certainly there is nothing wrong with living a good, clean life and being kind and helpful to others, but according to what God tells us, that is not the way to reach heaven. The Bible tells us there is only one way to be allowed into heaven. If we choose to go another way, we must face the sad result that we will never reach that beautiful shore and will be lost forever.

This is the way the Bible teaches: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to die in our place, that “whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

Like the rescuer in the story, we plead with you to turn back -change direction - and follow the Lord Jesus. He is the One who loves you and died for you, and He never told a lie nor deceived anyone. If you will come to Him by faith, believing that He died for your sins, you will be certain of reaching the shore of heaven when your life here on earth is over.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

ML-12/21/2003

"Do Grandpas Ever Die?"

Davy and his mother were looking at old photographs. There was a funny one of his daddy when he was only three years old and one of his mother when she was only one year old. Davy saw some pictures of his grandparents and great-grandparents too. He knew his two great-grandpas, “but where are the great-grandmas?” Davy asked. He didn’t know them.

His mother explained that they had died before he could remember them, and both were in heaven right now.

Davy thought about this for a while. “Mom,” he finally said, “do grandpas ever die?”

To five-year-old Davy, his great-grandpas seemed so old he thought they must have always been around! His mother explained to him, “Yes, someday they will also die, unless the Lord Jesus comes first.”

Davy learned this Bible verse, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Then he told his mother that he was ready to die, because he had asked the Lord Jesus Christ to wash his sins away.

So when Davy goes to heaven, he will meet his great-grandmas, but best of all, he will see the face of Jesus who loved him and died for him. That day is coming very soon.

What about you? Are you ready if the Lord Jesus comes or if you should die?

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

ML-12/21/2003

Snowball's True Nature

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

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

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

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

Snowball reminds me of some people who are so nice at times but mean and unpleasant at other times. You may know some boys and girls who are like that too. How nice it is to meet children who are always pleasant to other people.

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

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

ML-12/28/2003

Man's Good Friend: The Dog, Part 1

“Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.”
Isaiah 65:18

There are more than twenty-five million dogs just in the United States, and no one knows how many millions more there are throughout the world. Where did they all come from, and how is it that there are so many kinds? Actually the Bible doesn’t say much about them, but we can be sure they were included on the sixth day of creation when God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle . . . and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so” (Genesis 1:24).

“Cattle” as used in this verse does not just refer to cows but includes many other animals that we call “tame” or “domestic” animals. It would seem that some dogs may have been included in this group. Others may also have been created separately as part of the group called “beasts of the earth,” referring to what are now wild animals, living apart from people. We cannot say positively it was this way, but we know that there are wild animals today in the dog family, such as wolves, coyotes, dingoes, jackals and hyenas of Africa, all of which had their original start on that sixth day of creation. But through the thousands of years since then, tame dogs have been companions of men and women and boys and girls all over the world. Most tame dogs have a nature which wants to love and be loved, and they will be a loyal friend in any circumstance.

The reason for so many varieties of dogs is due to the fact that, when puppies are born, they sometimes have the combined characteristics of a male dog of one kind and a female dog of another kind. As a result, they don’t look exactly like either of the parents.

People who raise dogs sometimes crossbreed on purpose in order to produce a new variety. However, it is important to remember that a dog is always a dog, whether wild or tame. Even though its appearance may have changed from the original, it still belongs to the dog family as created by God. We all know that a dog and a cat can never crossbreed any more than a horse and a cow can. God created them to continue “after their kind,” and they can never change this pattern, although God does allow them to mix within their own species, which somewhat changes their looks into what we call “a new breed.”

In the next issue we will explore the special and unusual ways of some tame, or domestic, dogs that are helpful to mankind.

(to be continued)

ML-09/07/2003

Man's Good Friend: the Dog, Part 2

“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

With few exceptions, dogs are among the most outstanding of all animals and have amazing ways of showing their many skills and abilities.

What other creature can match the faithful loyalty of a dog to its master, no matter what kind of person he or she may be? Most people will avoid a drunk person asleep on a sidewalk or in a dirty alley, but not so with his dog. It will stay beside him in daylight or darkness, rain or shine and guard him from harm.

Or what better care could a blind person have than that of a Seeing Eye dog as it leads him or her safely across streets, on and off buses, in and out of buildings - always ready and eager to help its blind master.

Think of how a dog can find its way where it has never been before, walking great distances, perhaps footsore and starving, back to its master who has abandoned it hundreds of miles from home.

For another example of their skills, let’s look at sheepdogs and the duties they carry out so well. There are many breeds that can do this work and prove very helpful to the shepherd. The Border collie is the one used most in England and North America.

Sheepdogs are very necessary where sheep graze in open fields. Training for this work starts while the dogs are still puppies, and they soon become skilled at rounding up sheep that stray from the flock. In addition to what they do without having to be told, their masters may signal them to drive the flocks out to pasture, keep them in one specific area, or bring them back to the corrals. A master’s signals, which may be by voice, arm motions or different whistles, instruct the dog to turn the flock left or right, ahead or back, wherever the master wants them to graze. Trained dogs can even separate one half of the flock to one place and the other half elsewhere. Their remarkable abilities in this work are amazing to watch.

God told Adam to “have dominion over . . . every living thing that [moves] upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28), but when sin came into the world, that privilege was spoiled in many ways. However, God has graciously permitted man to be superior over dogs and other animals. We should be grateful to Him for this kindness.

Above all else, let’s thank Him that through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, each of us may have forgiveness of our sins and the promise of everlasting life with Him in heaven. Do you have this forgiveness for your sins?

ML-09/14/2003

Not Nailed In

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

Russ and Elsie were given a very pretty birdhouse. Russ pounded a tall, strong post into the ground and set the birdhouse on top of it. “All I have to do now is nail the house to the post,” he said. But before he got around to it, a pair of titmice built a nest in the house and laid their eggs.

One morning several weeks later they saw that a raccoon had been at work during the night. The birdhouse had been knocked off the post, the nest was destroyed, and the tiny eggs were eaten. Russ, Elsie and their family were all very sad. And the little mother and father titmouse must have been sad too. The house had looked so pretty, but it wasn’t safe.

The poor little birds were an illustration of the unhappiness we cause when we put off doing something that should be done. Many of you children have heard the story of Jesus and how much He loves you. You have read in the Bible that you are a sinner and have been warned that you need to come to Jesus to have your sins washed away in His precious blood. But some of you have put it off.

Russ picked up the house and set it back on the post. Again, he intended to nail it there firmly. However, time passed, and the nails never found their way into the pretty little birdhouse to make it safe.

The next spring a pair of wrens reminded Russ that he hadn’t put in any nails. But it was already too late - the nest was built and the eggs were laid. Russ and Elsie hoped the birds would be able to raise their family safely.

Then one night there was a terrible storm. Heavy rain flooded the yard and the wind blew branches off the trees. In the morning when Russ and Elsie looked outside, the little birdhouse was sadly on the ground again.

Russ picked up the birdhouse and set it on the post. “Please don’t put the house back on the post unless you are going to nail it and make it safe right now!” Elsie insisted.

“God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not [ignores Him]” (Job 33:14). We all make mistakes, but it’s very sad when we make the same mistake over and over. And not coming to Jesus to have your sins washed away is a very serious mistake. God warns us in the Bible of a terrible storm of judgment that He is going to bring on this sinful earth. But He has also told us that there is safety from that storm. That safe place is in heaven with Jesus.

Will you come to Jesus right now? Just tell Him that you know you are a sinner and are sorry about your sins, and believe that He died for you. He’ll wash every sin of yours away and carry you safe to heaven before He sends that terrible storm of judgment.

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

ML-07/27/2003

Jotham and the Trees

Jotham was a young man, probably a teenager. He was the youngest son of the valiant Gideon who had freed Israel from the Midianites, and now Gideon was dead. Jotham had many brothers and one half-brother who was the proudest and most selfish of them all.

Abimelech, the proud and selfish half-brother, said that he wanted to be king. And to make sure that none of his brothers would be king, he set out to murder all his brothers at once. Jotham heard of this and escaped, but all the others were killed.

The young man did not stay in hiding. He came, not to fight for his rights, but to show the mistake of those who had followed Abimelech and made him king. Listen to Jotham’s message. There is a lesson in it for you and me.

Jotham climbed to the top of the mountain where the blessings on Israel were proclaimed. It was a blessing for Israel that he wanted and not his own personal vengeance that took him up there. And from the mountaintop he shouted this story:

The trees decided to choose a king over them, so they invited the olive tree to be their ruler. But the olive tree was an oil-producer, used for both lighting and food. The olive tree questioned if it should leave its oil producing, which honors God and man, to be king over the trees.

What would you say if you were offered a promotion like that? Did you know that if you are a real Christian, the Holy Spirit is like the oil within you, and it is far more important to be shining for Jesus than to be high and important among people? The olive tree gave a wise answer.

Then the trees said to the fig tree, “Come . . . and reign over us.” But the fig tree’s business was to grow sweet, juicy fruit, and it was not wise to leave this job to take top place as king over the trees.

Is this your choice too? God wants you to grow sweet fruit for Him and for others for His sake. He tells us that the fruit He values is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. That fruit is love, joy and peace. Don’t leave this opportunity and take the top place to be important.

Then the trees asked the grapevine to be king, but the grapevine had been chosen to make wine to cheer God and man. The grapevine refused to leave its job of producing wine.

Would this be your choice too? It is more important to bring joy to the heart of God and of others than it is to have everyone cheer for you.

Finally, the trees asked the bramble bush to be king, but even the scratchy bramble had a better choice. If it were chosen to be king over the trees, they would all have to come and put their trust in its shadow. And if not, fire would come from the bramble bush and destroy the tallest cedars.

Which choice of a king over the trees was successful? Not one of them. Every choice they suggested was unwise. Choosing someone for the place of importance and power belongs to God. Jotham knew this. And it seems that the trees in our parable knew this better than some of us do. God gives places of authority to some of us too, but this is not to be snatched away from others. If God has placed you in a position of authority over others, ask Him for wisdom to use this power wisely for Him and for others. “Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all” (1 Chronicles 29:11).

“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

ML-01/26/2003

Peter's Story

Remember how we promised to tell you Peter’s story? We left him raising his hand to hush all the surprised people in John Mark’s house in the middle of the night. He was about to tell them how God had set him free. This is the story of how he got out of prison.

Herod the king wanted to please the people, and since they did not like God’s message, he locked up Peter - God’s messenger—in prison. Herod made very sure that no power on earth could set Peter free. There were sixteen soldiers on guard duty that night. As Peter the prisoner lay down to sleep, each of his hands was chained to one of the soldiers guarding him. Besides that, there were prison keepers on guard outside the prison door.

You’ll never guess what God did to set Peter free. And if you don’t know already, you could never guess what God has done to set one poor sinner, like you or me, free forever from the power of Satan. God sent His only Son Jesus to take the sinner’s place in judgment. Neither you nor I could make such an amazing plan. Only God could. I accepted God’s plan of freedom from my sins and Satan’s power. What about you? Have you accepted His plan of freedom from your sins?

In the night, God sent an angel to the prison, and a light shone around Peter. The angel struck him on the side to waken him and helped him up, and his chains fell off from his hands. Then the angel told him to fasten his belt, put on his sandals, put on his coat and follow him. And during this time, not one soldier woke up.

Peter obeyed the angel, thinking it must be a dream. The angel led him past the first and second prison doors, and then the iron gate leading to the city opened for them all by itself. They passed down the street, and suddenly the angel disappeared, leaving Peter standing alone under the stars. Now he knew for sure that it was not a dream but really true that God had sent His angel to set him free.

We who have trusted the Saviour of sinners are ready to tell you the same thing: “Now I know for sure that the Lord Jesus has made me free!” God promised this in John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Guess what Peter did next. He went straight to the prayer meeting at John Mark’s house where Rhoda was and told them how God had set him free. Then he left the city and went to another place.

In the morning, there was not a trace of him anywhere in the city. Of course, Herod the king was very angry, and he added to this wickedness by killing the soldiers who had been on guard duty that night when the angel set Peter free.

King Herod had a miserable death soon after that, and he has gone where unforgiven sinners go. But I am sure I will meet Rhoda in heaven, because she trusted in the God who sent His Son to die for sinners.

You may read this story for yourself in the Bible, Acts chapter 12.

ML-03/09/2003

Riding on a Donkey

This is a wonderful story, for no king in the whole history of the world would be able to ride an untrained donkey. But this King, who was born in a stable, was the Creator of all things. The fish and the birds and the animals obeyed His commands. Perhaps in this they were wiser than you are. Do you obey His commands?

Jesus sent two of His disciples to go into the city where they would find a mother donkey and a colt tied up where two roads met. They were told to untie them and bring them to Jesus, and if the owner questioned them about it, they would say, “The Lord hath need of him.”

This happened exactly as Jesus had said, and now He was ready to ride to the temple in Jerusalem. And the wonder is that God had the prophet Zechariah record hundreds of years before that this would happen and on this very day.

Is this God your God? He certainly is mine! And I never want to say His name carelessly as many others do, because I know Him and reverence Him. I wish you knew Him too!

The disciples took off their coats and threw them onto the back of the colt, and Jesus sat on him. Other people spread their coats on the road and cut down branches of palm trees and spread them on the road. Poor donkey? No, he was not a poor donkey! If the branches were in his way, he just stepped a little higher and kept on going. He was carrying Jesus, the Son of God, on his back. That untrained little donkey was the willing servant of the One who created him. The air was filled with shouts, but that little donkey showed no fear.

“Hosanna!” cried the crowds. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” That word “Hosanna” means “bestow blessing.” Perhaps even the crowds did not know why they said this. It is very good to praise the Lord, but better still to kneel and praise Him when you are alone and there is no one but God to hear you.

After that wonderful donkey ride, Jesus went into the temple and found them selling things in there for religious offerings and making money. God had told them long ago how to build a temple for His praise, and now the temple was being used in a wrong way and for themselves. You have heard of the kindness and love of Jesus, but have you heard that He hates sin? Jesus did not destroy those men, but He upset the tables and poured out the money and drove them all out. We do not have a God who does not care if we sin.

That very same week the crowds were shouting again. This time the King who had ridden on an untamed donkey was wearing a crown of thorns and was clothed by the soldiers in a purple robe, just to make fun of Him. This time the rulers had decided that He spoiled their religion and their self-importance, and the people agreed.

“Away with Him! Crucify Him!” they shouted.

Were you there that day? No, but you have the same decision to make as if you were there. If He were dead, it might not matter, but Jesus is not dead. He is the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners. If you say “No” to Him, then you are saying, “Away with Him!” just the same as the crowd did. Since He is living and is coming back, it is impossible for you to go on without a decision.

Jesus loves you and died for you. Won’t you receive Him as your Saviour? “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

ML-05/25/2003

The Tower of Babbel

Some of you children live where the land is flat right to the skyline, and at night that sky is sprinkled with stars. Some of you live in the mountains with snowy peaks and where there are tall trees and small trees. And some of you bend your heads way back to look up at tall buildings towering into the sky where you hardly ever see a star because of the city lights.

But none of you have ever seen a tower like the one in today’s story. It was not destroyed by the crash of airplanes, but it is gone, as all the inventions of man must finally go. Here’s the story of the tower of Babel, and since it is written in God’s Word, we know that it is true. You may read it for yourself in Genesis chapter 11.

It happened long ago in the plain of Shinar. The people at that time were very clever and full of ideas. They knew a lot, and they wanted to learn more of the secrets of the universe, so they planned a tower tall enough to reach above the clouds right into the heavens. Stone would not do, so they found special clay and made kiln-dried bricks and firmly cemented them together with asphalt. They had no textbooks of engineering and no machinery, but they all spoke the same language and had the same goal. They decided to give themselves a name so they wouldn’t be scattered all over the earth.

But they were God’s creation, just as you and I are, and God loved them. God loves you and me too, and He has planned for mankind a wonderful joy and a wonderful place with Himself in heaven that no man can improve. When man tries to improve on what God has made for us here on earth, man only spoils it. God came down to look at their tower, He heard their plans and He saw that they had decided to break through the limits that His wisdom had set for them. He saw, as they did not see, that they were planning their own misery, and in His wisdom, He decided to stop them.

If you do not know the story, you will never guess what He did that night. Destroy the tower? No. He did something that only God could do. The people all spoke the same language since they all lived in one part of the world. So God removed from the brain of every family all memory of the language that they had been speaking, and each family was given a different language. Each language was perfect in its details and understood only within the family. Isn’t our God powerful - far beyond the most powerful person you know?

With so many different languages, they could not work together. The families moved apart, and the planned tower became a ruin. The name Babel means “confusion,” and we still have the confusion of those many languages today.

We have come a long way since then and God has not stopped us. Research has explored and uncovered many wonders of God’s creation, but each new discovery does not increase the happiness of mankind. Do you feel frustrated and sad? God cares. That is why He sent His only begotten Son to die for you. That is why the Lord Jesus wants to welcome you to the place which He calls, “My Father’s house.” There is room there for saved sinners, but there is no room for rebellious sinners. Will you accept Him as your own Saviour right now?

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

ML-06/08/2003

Jeremiah and King Zedekiah

The great city of Jerusalem had lost something, and they could not find it because they did not look for it in the right place. They had lost the favor of God. In fact, they had thrown it away as if it was worth nothing.

We have lost the favor of God too, because we have sinned against Him. Do you know where to find God’s favor? The Bible gives us the answer - right in the strong, loving arms of Jesus! His death on the cross, where He shed His precious blood to wash away our sins, is the reason why God can give to you and me something much better than what we lost. Don’t keep on looking for God’s favor in the wrong place.

In today’s story, Jerusalem was in trouble. The city was under siege -that means that the great army of the king of Babylon was camping all around the city. The people inside the city walls were starving hungry, and no food came in.

King Zedekiah, the king of Jerusalem, was a people-pleaser. It seems that he listened to anything and tried to please everybody.

The prophet Jeremiah was not a people-pleaser. He listened to what God said, and he told the truth no matter what people said. Jeremiah was as hungry as the rest of them - maybe more so -but still he told the truth as God told it to him.

Jeremiah’s message from God was that Jerusalem would NOT be saved. He told the people that the king of Babylon would destroy them. The only way they would live was to surrender to the king of Babylon. But the people hated this message. King Zedekiah may have believed it, but he had no courage to do what Jeremiah said.

Do you have the courage to say, “I believe that God’s message is true; I know that God will punish this sinful world that deserves it; I will take Jesus as my Saviour right now!”?

Most people hated Jeremiah’s message, and they got the king’s permission to put him in prison. They chose the worst part of the king’s dungeons - a dark hole with muck at the bottom. They dropped him down into the hole with ropes, and his feet sank in the oozy mud.

But God cares what happens to His messengers. King Zedekiah had an Ethiopian helper named Ebed-melech who believed and trusted God. When he heard that Jeremiah was in that terrible dungeon, he went to the king and said, “My lord the king, these men have done evil. [Jeremiah will] die for hunger . . . for there is no more bread in the city.”

The king told Ebed-melech to take “thirty men . . . and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon.”

The kind, Ethiopian helper did more than he was commanded. He remembered how thin Jeremiah was, and he got some ropes and then searched for old rags to pad the ropes to make it softer for Jeremiah’s armpits as they pulled him out. This did not give Jeremiah liberty, but it put him in a much more pleasant place and assured his small bread supply every day.

Then the king called for a secret interview with Jeremiah. He told the king the very same message he had told him before - that judgment on Jerusalem was sure to come. Jerusalem had sinned and God MUST punish sin.

“I am afraid,” said the king.

Perhaps you are afraid too. If you don’t know Jesus the Saviour of sinners, you should be afraid. But listen right now to this message from the Word of God: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). If you come to Him now, you will find His loving promise to be true: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). The ones who are lost are those who will not come to Him now.

What happened to Ebed-melech? God promised him that he would be saved from the judgment which fell upon the city. Why? Because he was kind to Jeremiah? No. God said, “Because thou hast put thy trust in ME.”

It is not your good deeds that will save you, but it is your trust in God that makes the difference for all eternity. No good deeds could ever wipe out the sins of the past, but the precious blood of Jesus is enough to make you spotless when you stand before the throne of God. Will you trust Him for this?

Was King Zedekiah captured after all? Yes, he surely was. You may read that sad story in Jeremiah 39 in the Bible.

Jeremiah’s life was spared. God has special purposes and plans for those who trust and obey Him. We can only say, as Jesus Himself said long ago, “Come and see” (John 1:39).

ML-07/06/2003

Why Snakes Don't Have Legs

Did you ever wonder why snakes don’t have legs? If you have ever gone to the zoo, you have probably seen all kinds of snakes - big ones and little ones and in many different colors. But I am sure you have never seen a snake that had legs. Do you know why snakes don’t have legs? The answer is in God’s Word, the Bible.

When God created the first man and woman, He placed them in a beautiful garden. It was filled with all kinds of good things for them to eat. God told them they could eat the fruit from any tree except one. If they ate the fruit from that tree, God said they would die.

But the wicked one that the Bible calls the devil went into that beautiful garden in the form of a serpent (snake). The devil told the woman they would not die if she and her husband ate the fruit that God told them not to eat. So the woman disobeyed God and ate fruit from that tree. Then she gave some to her husband, and he ate it too. They both disobeyed God, and this is sin. We know that later on they did die, just like God said they would. So you see, boys and girls, what God tells us is the truth. What the devil tells us is a lie.

After the devil lied to the woman, God said that the serpent would crawl on the ground. And that is what the snake has been doing ever since.

All boys and girls sometimes disobey their parents or do other things that they know are wrong. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This means that all boys and girls are sinners.

The Lord Jesus loves each one of us so much, He let wicked men nail Him to a wooden cross where He suffered for sin and died. The suffering from the nails in His hands and feet was terrible, but suffering for our sins was far worse! During the three hours of darkness that covered the world while He was on the cross, Jesus took the punishment for the sins of everyone who would believe in Him.

Maybe you have never told the Lord Jesus you want Him to be your Saviour. Wouldn’t you like to come to Him right now to have your sins washed away? “The blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Jesus died and was buried, but He rose out of the grave alive again and is now waiting to save you. Just think, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, is alive in heaven right now. He is inviting you to be saved from your sins. Won’t you accept Him as your Saviour?

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that [hears] My word, and [believes] on Him that sent Me, [has] everlasting life” (John 5:24).

ML-09/21/2003

Another Sword

You can read in the Bible of the sword which goes out from the mouth of God. This is not a sword made of steel — it is far more powerful than even steel. And God who uses it speaks with power, and when He uses that sword, no one can answer back or fight with Him. Here is another story about that wonderful sword.

You remember that the great God who created all things by the word of His power became a baby and grew up to be a man in the same world where you and I live. His name was Jesus. All He needed to heal sick people was to speak a word. He didn’t need medicine or doctors or operations. All He needed to feed thousands of hungry people was just a command. He used a small amount of food, and His power made it enough to feed five thousand people, with leftovers.

Why then was Jesus hated? Why did they search the garden of Gethsemane in the darkness until they found Him and then tied Him up with ropes? Because He told them the same thing that He is telling you — that you are a sinner — you have sinned against God, and you need His salvation or you will be lost forever. This was and still is the message no one wants to hear.

Peter was with Jesus in the garden that night and Peter loved Him, but Peter made a mistake. He drew his metal sword to defend his Master. He may have been aiming for the servant’s head, but all he did was cut off the man’s ear. This mistake was corrected in a way that only our Jesus could have done. He touched the servant’s ear and healed him.

Jesus knew that Peter was trying to protect Him. And this is the wonderful answer of the Lord Jesus to Peter in the garden that night. “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:53-54).

Those thousands of angels at His command could have instantly wiped out every person in the world. The sword of the Lord has power beyond our wildest imagination. But God’s sword was NOT used against those wicked men, because Jesus was ready to go to the cross and meet that sword Himself so you and I could go free!

God had already called, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd [Jesus], and against the Man that is My Fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the Shepherd [Jesus]” (Zechariah 13:7).

The sword of God was used in full strength against our blessed Lord Jesus when He was on the cross. No one was allowed to see that awful smiting that Jesus endured while He suffered for sin. God made darkness come over all the land. Total darkness. It was as if God were telling us that this was too deep and serious for any of us to understand. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” You and I do not understand this, but we know it is true, because the Bible is true — it is God’s Word.

At the end of three hours of bearing God’s punishment for sin, Jesus was still alive and able to pronounce that His own work was finished. No one but God Himself could say, “It is finished,” as Jesus did. And after that, He gave up His life. Who but God could do that?

If then the sword of God’s judgment against sin has finished its work, is there any punishment left for you and me? If we are protected in the loving arms of Jesus our Saviour who died for us and rose again, there is no need to fear — we are set free. However, the sword of the Lord will still fall on those who are not protected in the strong, loving arms of Jesus.

If you will come to Him now, you can be set free from all punishment for your sins. If you refuse to come to Him, you will bear the punishment from God’s sword for your sins.

Have you been set free from God’s sword of punishment?

“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). “If the Son [Jesus] therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

ML-10/12/2003

Elijah and the Cake

It is wonderful to be satisfied. But some of our readers are always hungry, some are always sick, and most of us are always wanting what we do not have. But here is the story of a mother who had enough, even when those around her became thinner and hungrier every day.

The country where this mother lived had had no rain for three years. The crops dried up in the fields and vegetable gardens, cows gave no milk for children and there was no meat for dinner. Nobody had enough food, and there were not many smiles.

This poor, thin mother had one little boy and one big barrel that had only a tiny handful of flour left in the bottom. She also had one bottle with a tiny bit of oil left in it. Sadly, all she could do was to go find two sticks to build a little fire and cook a little pancake for the two of them. After that, their food would be gone and they would starve to death. There was no other hope.

What a sad situation it was for this mother and her little son. They did not have enough. Maybe you have a lot more than she had, but you are going to lose it ALL when you die. What will you have then? Enough? If you have Jesus as your Saviour, you have enough. Nothing, not even death, can take you away from the Saviour who loves you.

God knew all about this poor mother. As she was finding sticks to build the fire, she heard Elijah at the city gate calling to her. Now Elijah was God’s messenger to His people Israel. He asked her for a little drink of water. She turned to get it for the traveler, but then he also asked her for a little piece of bread.

Her answer is surprising because she lived in a country where God was not known, but she said, “As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake.” Her answer was true. And then she truthfully told him about that little bit of flour and oil and her plan for her and her son to eat it and die.

It is wonderful to tell God the truth. Perhaps it would take longer for you to list everything that you have, but you could end up the same way - use it all and then die.

“Make me . . . a little cake first,” said Elijah, “and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”

If you were that mother, would you gasp at such an impossibility? There wasn’t enough flour and oil to make a little cake for him to eat and then another one for her and her son to eat. Would you turn away and not listen anymore?

But Elijah’s message came from God. God’s message to you may be just what you don’t want to hear - that you are a hopeless sinner and can do nothing to earn heaven for yourself. Keep on listening! God’s Word is true, from cover to cover!

“Fear not,” said Elijah. And this was God’s promise: “The barrel of meal shall not [be used up], neither shall the cruise of oil fail, until the day that the Lord [sends] rain upon the earth.” Do you understand that promise? There would always be some flour in the barrel and some oil in the bottle as long as she needed it. God didn’t promise a full barrel or a full bottle. Just enough. Enough for each day as it came. If she did not use it all each day, it did not pile up.

You don’t need to ask if God’s promise came true. His promises always come true. “The barrel of meal [was not used up], neither did the cruise of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord.”

Each of us who lives right now in November of 2003 can say that we have as much of our blessed Lord Jesus as we want, and our lives show how much we want. Our stomachs may have too much or too little, but that is not where our happiness lies. It is the Lord Jesus Himself who is enough for each day and gives us real happiness.

You may wonder why the Bible does not tell us that she shared this food with her neighbors who were starving too. Perhaps they were not willing to believe in the living God and His promises. I cannot share my salvation with others, but I can tell them to come to Jesus for their own salvation. Will you come and believe? He has promised, “Him that [comes] to Me I will in [no way] cast out” (John 6:37). “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life [salvation] through His name” (John 20:31).

You may read this story for yourself in the Bible in 1 Kings 17:816.

Next week we will tell you more of this mother and her son, if the Lord doesn’t come first.

ML-11/30/2003

Elijah and the Lifeless Boy

Do you remember last week’s story about the mother who had enough food for herself and her little son and for Elijah as long as the famine lasted? But life was not all happiness after that. This mother had more to learn. God sent trouble into her life, and she was puzzled and sad and sort of angry. Why would God send such sadness to her after all this?

Her only child, was sick, so sick that he stopped breathing. She hugged the little lifeless body to herself and called Elijah, God’s messenger, who had a little room in her loft. “O thou man of God,” she said, “art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son?”

She was right in saying that God had taken away the child’s life, but she did not know the heart of God. Her conscience was troubled by the past sin in her life, and she did not know the God who can bring back life.

Do you? Have you learned that the precious blood of Jesus has power to clean every trace of your sin from God’s record? Do you know the Saviour who was raised from the dead and who lives in heaven right now? It is wonderful relief and joy to know Him.

“Give me thy son,” said Elijah. He took the child from her arms and carried him up to his little room and laid him on his own bed. But Elijah was puzzled too. Why does God send sorrow to His children? Perhaps we don’t know now, but we will know someday. Elijah cried to the Lord and then stretched himself upon the child three times. “O Lord my God,” he said, “let this child’s soul come into him again!” And God restored the child’s soul, and he began breathing again. Then Elijah brought him to his mother. “See,” he said, “thy son [lives]”!

But while that mother waited with empty arms, she had learned something. “Now . . . I know,” she said, “that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” (We must remember that before the Bible was written, God’s Word came through His prophets, like Elijah.)

The food supply had not taught her that the Word of God is the truth, but sorrow had taught her. “Now . . . I know,” she said. Do you know? Are you sure that those sins of yours are settled before God and that you really believe that the Word of God is truth? If so, your life will have a happy ending in heaven, regardless of what the troubles may be right now. God is faithful. Will you trust Him now?

“We know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).

“Thy [God’s] Word is truth” (John 17:17).

You may read this story for yourself in 1 Kings 17:17-24.

ML-12/07/2003

Jonathan and David

Here is a story about two young men who were very best friends. One was the son of a king, and one was a shepherd, but their hearts were “knit together.” That means that they were such close friends that they loved each other. Maybe you have a best friend you truly love.

The young shepherd was having a hard time, because the king hated him with a heart full of jealousy and was determined to kill him. The young man spent his days on the mountainside and his nights in a cave, hiding from the jealous and hostile king.

He was not alone. There were many unhappy men who came to the mountainside with the young shepherd, shared his cave at night, and stayed right with him in his troubles.

But where was the young shepherd’s best friend - the king’s son? He was at home in the palace with his angry father. His heart was still true to his friend, but he did not go with him to the mountains. Perhaps he thought he could do more good by staying at home. If so, his thoughts were wrong, for it didn’t work out that way.

When the two young men were together, the king’s son told his dear friend that he knew that God had given the kingdom to him, and when he became king, he, the king’s son, would be next to him. That was his plan, but it is best to let God make our plans for us, and it is good to know what His plans are.

How can you know? By reading God’s Word, of course. He has it all written down for you to read, and no one can change His plans. He promises eternal life and a home in heaven with Himself forever and ever, just by trusting Him right now as your Lord and Saviour. If you are wondering how that could be so wonderfully true, just read John’s Gospel and see!

And if you really do belong to Him, don’t choose the company of those who hate Him. You might make very good plans with that sort of company, but God will not make those plans work out. Choose God’s company now - right now even when others don’t want Him. Let Him plan your future, and wait to see what He will do.

Do you know the names of these two young men in our story? The young shepherd was David, and the king’s son was Jonathan. They were very best friends, and they loved each other, but David’s love was greater. That’s like the love of Jesus; it’s always greater than ours. He loved us all the way to the death of the cross.

There was a dreadful battle one day, and the king and his sons were killed - yes, Jonathan died too. This was the time when David became king, but he was full of deep sadness because he had lost his best friend Jonathan. If only Jonathan had joined that unhappy crowd of men that stayed with David, he might not have lost his life and caused David such deep sadness.

What choice are you making today? If Jesus is your Saviour, are you choosing what the world calls the “good life” in the company of the haters of Christ? If so, you make sad the heart of the One who loves you more than anyone. Choose Jesus. Choose to follow Him now, even if the world’s palace is nicer than the protection of the cave, and you will see what happens when He comes again in glory to claim you for His own. He wants your company, not only in heaven, but now - right now.

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). “I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts” (Psalm 119:63).

ML-12/28/2003

Bald Cypress Trees

“By Him were all things created . . . visible and invisible. . . . All things were created by Him, and for Him.”
Colossians 1:16

Every tree is a marvel of God’s creation. Think of the giant Sequoia that begins life from a small seed, tucked in a cone, that has taken root in the moist ground. After germinating, it may grow for as long as four thousand years, reaching a height of three hundred feet or more. Or perhaps the word “tree” brings to mind fruit trees blooming in orchards in the spring.

The Creator made the first trees three days before He created Adam. The trees already had fruit for Adam and Eve to eat when they were placed on the earth shortly afterward. When God looked on what He had created, He “saw that it was good,” and it has been good ever since.

The bald cypress trees in the southern United States are an unusual variety. These relatives of the Redwoods grow in water in swampy areas. They are sometimes called fat-bottomed cypress trees because of large “knees” at the base of their trunks which protrude from the water. Above the knees, the trunks grow straight and tall. The trees’ flat needles drop in winter, making them non-evergreen conifers.

Among the many groves of this lovely tree is one called Moro Bottoms in Arkansas. It also has a wide variety of other trees, providing a lovely place to visit. The Big Bend Wildlife Refuge in Florida also has beautiful stands of bald cypress. And in the nearby Everglades Park, trails and foot bridges enable visitors to get close to beautiful groves of this outstanding tree.

In the Chicksaw Wildlife Refuge in western Tennessee, trails allow visitors to reach out and touch the trunks of these trees, standing so stately in water. More can be seen in the Black River Reserve of North Carolina, which is home to some of the oldest bald cypress trees in North America. These unusual trees can also be seen in the Atchafalaya Swamp in Louisiana.

In addition to these trees, many other varieties help beautify these preserves, and visitors also often see colorful birds and a variety of water-loving animals. These all show the wonders of God’s creation and are part of His design for the world around us.

Do you believe what the Bible tells us, that it was His creative wisdom and power that made these beautiful displays for us to enjoy? Along with our opening verse, here are several more verses that assure us this is true: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). Also, “The living God . . . [gives] us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). I believe it. Do you?

ML-12/14/2003

DECEMBER 14, 2003

Fringe-Toed Lizards

“Thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone. Teach me Thy way, O Lord.”
Psalm 86:10-11

There are more than two thousand kinds of lizards throughout the world, and the fringe-toed lizard is perhaps the most amazing of all. It gets its name from the small, tough scales on its hind toes that swivel like tiny paddles when making its way across loose sand. It can run over this loose sand with amazing speed or, when necessary, dive into it for safety.

This is a cute little creature with a slender, orange body about three inches long. As far as is known, it lives in just one area in North America, and that is a place near Palm Springs, California, called Thousand Palms Canyon. This lizard lives comfortably there among huge sand dunes that are also occupied by tarantulas, rattlesnakes, rabbits, quail and a wide variety of other creatures.

Rough, furrowed skin covers the lizard’s body, but its underbody, throat and legs are smooth. Its flat body and pointed snout, provided by the Creator, aid when diving headfirst into loose sand for safety. With surprising speed, it buries itself completely and disappears from view, either lying motionless beneath the sand or moving off quite a distance without being detected.

How can this creature breathe under the sand? The Creator has taken care of that need in a remarkable way. He has given it a special nose like no other creature has. Part of its nose is a trap beyond which sand cannot pass, although allowing the small amount of air to pass which it requires. When back on the surface, it simply blows out the trapped sand.

The lizard’s eyes have been given additional protection from harm. Each eye has two overlapping lids, preventing even the tiniest speck of sand from reaching the delicate part of the eyeball. One of these lids acts just as yours does - blinking up and down when something threatens; the other moves from side to side to do the same thing. If, as rarely happens, a speck of sand gets past this double guard, it simply wipes it away with a fringed toenail of a hind leg.

This lizard apparently gets sufficient moisture from the stems of desert plants. If this is not enough, it can move out into the morning fog that condenses and runs down its furrowed skin into its mouth, which it holds lower than the rest of its body for that purpose.

As the opening verse expresses, we can see an example of the marvelous designing that speaks of the greatness and wonder of God and His creation even in a little creature like this. Pondering this, the psalmist said, “Teach me Thy way, O Lord” (Psalm 86:11). That excellent desire should be in the heart and mind of each of us also.

ML-12/21/2003

Whales Eat Their Fill of Tasty Krill

“God created great whales . . . which the waters brought forth abundantly.”
Genesis 1:21

In the cold Antarctic Ocean, krill are found in vast numbers. The name krill includes extremely small shrimp, red crabs, tiny lobsters and fish larvae, all swimming together in huge schools that often cover several miles.

Tiny shrimp make up the greatest part of these groups. Their eleven pairs of legs are extremely important to them - the five back pairs are shaped like paddles for swimming, and the six front pairs are used for capturing tiny food particles. To do this, they throw out each leg in a circular motion and draw the food particles into their mouths.

Where do krill come from? They begin life deep in the ocean as eggs too small to be seen easily. The larvae hatching from these various kinds of eggs don’t grow to full size for four years. During this time they don’t look at all like the adults.

It is the grown krill that are hunted for as they are very nutritious and tasty to whales, seals, porpoises and other marine life. When aware that a hungry enemy is near, sometimes krill wriggle out of their shells. The empty shells hold their shape, deceiving the hungry enemy. Then the now-unprotected krill drops deep into the ocean and remains there until a new shell grows to cover it over.

Whales, mainly baleens, living or migrating through this area, are krill’s greatest enemy, and one of them can swallow as much as five tons of krill a day. When gulping a mouthful of krill-filled seawater, the whale traps and crushes the krill by closing its huge mouth. The seawater squirts out before the whale swallows the remaining krill.

In addition to whales, it is estimated that millions of penguins and seals, as well as numerous kinds of sponges and fish, dispose of many tons of krill each day. Yet krill continue to reproduce in great numbers.

Isn’t it remarkable how the Creator provides these tiny bits of sea life to meet the food needs of so many larger creatures and yet enables the krill to replenish their numbers year after year? It is a reminder that He is looking upon all substance of the sea, earth and sky at all times and is in control of each one.

However, these ocean creatures have only a short life and then cease to exist, whereas every person has his lifetime here on earth and then enters eternity to exist forever. Where will your eternity be spent? If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, it will be in heaven with Him and the vast number of others who have accepted Him as their Saviour. If not, it will be in an awful place the Bible calls “outer darkness.”

Will you choose heaven?

ML-12/28/2003

The Friendly Dolphin

“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

Below the ocean’s surface, a dolphin is giving birth to a baby which will be about three feet long and weigh more than a hundred pounds. Coming up occasionally for air, the mother will require an hour’s time to bring her baby into the world. If this baby would be born headfirst, like most other creatures, it would drown, for it must breathe air. So God has provided that it will be born tailfirst, and it won’t need to breathe until immediately after birth.

With birth completed, the newborn will go to the surface for air with its mother’s help. Then she will turn on her side to let her baby nurse. Soon another dolphin will appear and look the baby over carefully. The mother will not be concerned, because this is an “auntie” that will help in the baby’s training and protection until it matures.

Dolphins have never been known to purposely hurt a person and are quick to make friends. They seem to enjoy swimming alongside ships, and, because they swim very fast, they sometimes go great distances, often swimming in large circles around the ships.

Dolphins are friendly with each other and communicate by means of squeaks, clicks and whistles. When one is injured, others stay with it, guiding or pushing it out of danger. Should one be unable to rise to the surface for air, others will swim under it to lift it to the surface.

These graceful creatures spend their entire lives in water and have no way of surviving on land, yet they are air-breathing mammals. Their bodies are remarkably streamlined for fast movement through water so they can easily catch fish, their main food. The common dolphins grow to fifteen feet long and weigh a half ton or more. The bottle-nosed dolphins, usually seen performing in water shows, are closer to six feet long and weigh about two hundred fifty pounds.

How wonderful that God has populated the world with so many interesting creatures. And a verse from the Bible tells us that all creatures, including humans, are dependent on Him for life: “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16).

In the same psalm we are told, “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them” (vss. 18-19). This is His invitation to us to call on Him for the salvation of our eternal souls. Have you made your call to Him?

ML-12/07/2003

Bufo Relatives

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1

No clown ever looked funnier than this little toad, sitting upright with its four legs ready to jump, eyes bright and a big grin across its face as if saying, “Hi there. My name is Bufo Boreas. Want to be friends?”

The bufos hatch from eggs in ponds beside the Los Angeles River in Southern California. But after changing from a tadpole into a toad, they leave their birthplace, climb the bank and go in search of a new home. A golf course or park area will do very well for a year or two, but eventually they will return to their original home to join others in producing millions of eggs that will soon hatch into tadpoles.

In these trips across land, many hazards await these toads. Although large numbers are killed each year crossing busy roads or die on sun-baked parking lots, their numbers never seem to decrease.

Nearly five hundred miles farther north in high meadows near Yosemite Park, an equally restless cousin to bufo boreas also leaves its home to seek adventure in life. This one is bufo canorus, but because of a rugged lifestyle, it is not as cheerful as its relative.

To escape the killing cold of the high mountains, these little creatures hibernate from October until May or June when they come out into the warm sunshine to sit and soak up the sun, while at the same time gaining strength and energy for the journey that is before them.

Soon, like those in the south, they start out to find a suitable pond for a summer home and to raise new batches of tadpoles. But they face quite a trip ahead with many snowdrifts to be crossed, and that is not easy for toads that cannot let their bodies get too chilled or they will freeze to death.

However, their Creator has given them remarkable instincts. Coming to a patch of snow too large to go around, they stand up on their hind feet to look it over, and then, with only occasional rests, tiptoe on their four feet across the patch, keeping their bodies high and dry. They are surprisingly sure-footed on those slippery surfaces. After crossing several such areas, the sought-after pond will be found and provide a summer home. What amazing toads these are!

The opening verse tells us to “remember” the Lord Jesus, and that means not only as Creator but also as the Saviour of sinners. He invites us to live in His home in heaven when our lives here on earth are ended. He has paid the full price for every sinner who comes to Him confessing that he is a sinner and accepting Him as his Saviour. When this is done from the heart, heaven will be his eternal home.

Will heaven be your eternal home?

ML-11/30/2003

Lessons From Fish

It looks like the fisherman who caught these fish had a good day of fishing. He fished patiently with his rod and line, probably using a worm or minnow for bait. Several times during the day he felt the exciting tug on his line that signaled another fish had taken the bait.

Now that the fishing day is over, the fisherman must prepare the fish before they can be eaten. He will clean them by removing the fins and scales and maybe the head and tail, and then they are ready for the frying pan.

The fins and scales have to be removed, because they are not good to eat. But these were very important to the fish.

God told the children of Israel, in the Bible, that they could not eat anything that lived in the water that did not have fins and scales. Frogs, crabs and lobsters do not have scales and fins, so they could not eat them.

Do you know why God made this law and what lessons it has for us today? Fins enable the fish to swim against the current, so that it doesn’t just move along with the current. The scales of the fish are like a coat of armor. They give the fish protection from the things around which might injure it. God calls any fish “clean” that has fins and scales. The ones without these He calls “unclean.”

God shows us many examples like this in the Bible. Fish remind us that He wants us to swim against the current. It is very easy to do what other children are doing and just go along with them. But it takes energy to “swim upstream” and say “no” and not go along with the rest or do wrong things that they are doing, because you want to please the Lord Jesus.

Have you ever heard of the salmon which swims long distances and even leaps up over waterfalls to get back to the stream where it hatched from a tiny egg? God gave it the strength and energy to do this. He will give you the strength and energy to go against any force of evil, if you are one of His “clean” (saved) ones and ask for His help.

When other children do things that are wrong and unkind, remember that you don’t have to go along with what they do. Going upstream against their ways may be very hard and a real struggle. The Bible gives us a very good example in our blessed Lord Jesus’ dying for us, with all the people against Him. His life and His death were “against the current.” Now those of us who have been saved, because He has washed away our sins in His precious blood, find that the world has not changed over 2,000 years later. The world is still against the Lord Jesus, and we can expect its ridicule when we try to please Him.

“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).

ML-11/09/2003

The Sociable Weaverbirds

“God Himself . . . formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.”
Isaiah 45:18

The weaverbirds of Africa, Asia, India and Java are part of an interesting species and are noted for their intricate nests. Using their beaks and feet, they braid their nests from grass, bark strips, plant stems and other plant materials. Each group has its own design; some look like a community umbrella and some build suspended nests with side openings or with long tubular-shaped entrances.

One variety, the sociable weavers, builds an umbrella-shaped community roof, sometimes as large as an African hut. The underside of this umbrella roof is divided into many, many compartments, sometimes as many as one hundred, with a pair of weaverbirds occupying each compartment. Another specie, the village weavers, also forms colonies, but these suspend a great number of nests from a single tree without building a roof. From a distance, their nests look like great pieces of fruit hanging from the branches.

Weaverbirds are small, living in most parts of the world. Our English sparrows and house sparrows are part of the weaverbird family but don’t construct the unusual woven nests as those on other continents do. All are equipped with short, strong bills and eat seeds and grain. They all chatter continually. The males are usually brightly colored during mating season but dull in color the rest of the year, and the females and young birds are plainly colored - the Creator’s way of concealing them from enemies.

When seeking a mate, the male weaverbird often makes several nests, and when a companion is found, he lets her choose one of them. Usually after she has chosen one, he tears down the others, but sometimes he’ll find more mates to fill the unused ones.

Something amazing about weavers, and many other birds too, is that if the eggs are hatched artificially and the young birds are raised away from their parents, they will build nests identical to those of their parents! Where do you think they learned how to build them? This is one more example of the wonders of God’s creation, the One “in whose hand is the soul [life] of every living thing” (Job 12:10).

In the same book of the Bible, we are instructed: “Hear My words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto Me” (Job 34:2). We should certainly do this, “for His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). We also are given the wonderful promise, “He that [hears] My word, and [believes] on Him that sent Me, [has] everlasting life” (John 5:24). Are you one who has both heard and believed?

ML-01/05/2003

The Human Brain: Part 1

“Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?”
Job 38:36

Every part of the human body is a remarkable example of God’s handiwork, but the three-pound brain is the most marvelous part. Because the brain is so important, the Creator designed a fluid cushion around it and further protects it with a strong, one-quarter-inch-thick skull. Our brain is the most amazing of all the wonders of the world, and no one fully understands how it functions. Within its small space, it can hold more information than all the volumes of books in the largest library in the world.

Nearly every action of the body is connected with the brain. You cannot wiggle your toe until the nerve center in your brain sends out the right signal, nor can you read and understand this page without the brain’s amazing processing system. The brain is something like an electrical control center. Various parts of the body continually send information to the brain which makes the proper hookups. Then messages are sent to the brain cells responsible for that particular duty. From the two hundred million nerve fibers available, that section of the brain picks out the right ones to do whatever is required.

Suppose your eye is irritated by a speck of dust. Immediately the message is sent to the brain. The part of the brain that controls the eyes immediately takes over, sending electrical messages to the proper nerve fibers. These then send instructions to the tear glands of the eye to supply moisture for washing out the speck, and another message goes to the eyelids to blink when the tears flow.

How about when a plate of food is placed in front of you? Certain cells in your brain send a message to the eyes to focus on it. Another group of cells instructs you to pick up a knife and fork. Others tell your arm to carry the food to your mouth, and still others instruct your mouth to accept the food and chew it. There is no delay in this process, and you don’t even have to think about it.

All of the fifteen billion cells in your brain were already in place at the time of your birth. Each cell is constantly in touch with about one hundred others, and so all are interconnected to take care of every part of the body on an instant’s notice.

Only God could design all this equipment to fit into such a small space and arrange for its functioning throughout a person’s lifetime. We should be thanking Him for the wonderful and amazing way He has created each of us. The words of King David are good words for us to express too: “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:73).

(to be continued)

ML-01/12/2003

More About the Brain: Part 2

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7

The brain has three main parts. The cerebrum is the main one, which is divided into two halves and connected by about two hundred million nerve fibers. Most of its surface is deeply folded so that its four hundred square inches can fit into a small space at the top of the head. The cerebrum contains what is commonly called “gray matter.” This is where the brain receives messages from various parts of the body and distributes them to the proper cells. Actually, the electrical circuits and controls in the brain are more numerous than those in the combined broadcasting stations of the world.

There are “silent” areas in the front part of the brain which do not connect to body parts. This is where thinking, affection, pity, knowledge, memory and other non-active processes are generated.

Another part of the brain is the cerebellum, which is under the back part of the cerebrum. Here is where control is maintained over the body’s muscles. Also, from this part of the brain the skills of a musician, doctor, artist, athlete and other voluntary physical activities originate.

The third section is known as the medulla oblongata. It is shaped like a bulb at the top of the spinal column. This is where control is maintained over involuntary actions - breathing, heartbeat, blood circulation, digestion and other vital body processes. This is also the area that regulates emergency action such as fright, running, fighting or any activity that places a strain on the heart or lungs.

The brain is connected to the all-important spinal cord and is protected by the skull. The skull has been designed with a large hole at its base which fits snugly to the top of the spine. Through this hole, the nerve cord descends from the brain to reach all vital parts of the body. The Creator has seen to it that they are all well protected.

How does the brain produce thoughts? What actually is the mind? No one knows except the One who has created us. The brain is certainly a superb creation with no supervision needed on our part to keep it functioning.

But, sadly, we do not always use our brains and minds as we should. The prophet Jeremiah declared: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). However, if we know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, He has given us a new nature and delights to see our hearts and minds using that nature to please Him by walking in right paths.

“Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name” (Psalm 86:11) is a good daily prayer.

ML-01/19/2003

The Likable Desert Fox

“The glory of the Lord shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in His works.”
Psalm 104:31

All foxes are pretty, but the little desert kit fox is the most likable. It is only the size of a large house cat and so gentle and full of curiosity that it sometimes follows people. If seen, it does not run off unless threatened. It makes a lovely picture with its large, furry, triangular ears standing alert, button nose sniffing the air, and its round eyes watching everything that’s going on.

The fur of the desert kit fox is usually gray with patterns of yellow and black. It has a typical fox’s bushy tail, which is about half the length of its twenty-inch-long body. Its short legs are muscular, and although it cannot run fast for long distances, it can make quick turns to disappear into brush or behind rocks.

When Jesus was on earth, He said, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). How sad to think that the One who was the very Creator of the world had no place to lay His head at night! But He has provided a safe home for foxes where they can rest and sleep.

Dens of the kit fox are usually made by digging a burrow in firm sand or dirt or under tree roots. Sometimes the fox may move into a den abandoned by another animal. The burrows are usually six or seven feet long with more than one opening for emergencies.

Normally four or five kits are born soon after the den is completed. The father fox brings food to the mother while she stays with the kits. Gradually she acquaints them with the outdoors, teaching them to catch rodents, lizards, insects and even birds and how to protect themselves from enemies.

The Creator has well adapted these desert citizens to their surroundings with coats blending in with the desert. The soles of their feet are covered with fur, but the toes remain bare so they can dig in the ground. Scorpions abound in such places, and their bite is deadly to most foxes, but God has given the desert fox an immunity to the poison so it does not affect them. He has also given them keen hearing, vision and sense of smell, all to help them find food and to protect them from their enemies.

The Bible expresses this well: “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). But there is more than this in His love for every person who will respond to Him. Psalm 31:19 says, “Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee.” Have you found this happiness of truly trusting in Him?

ML-01/26/2003

Garibaldis Are Tough

“Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.”
Psalm 69:34

The garibaldi is a fish less than a foot long, scarlet in color, and very protective of its home territory in the offshore ocean waters of California. They are usually found in tide pools reaching 90 feet below the surface. This fish was named after the Italian warrior Giuseppe Garibaldi of the 1800s, who is remembered for his bold and tough style of fighting.

When mature, this fish develops a bump on its head that adds to the fierce looks of its mouth and the spinal fin running all the way along its back. Extra-large scales on its bright body add to its fierce look, along with its green eyes.

The males choose rocky, fortress-like areas for their homes. With few exceptions, they challenge all intruders no matter how large they might be. However, they seem to make sure that there are crevices in the rocks for escape if invaders are too tough for them. One exception they make to challenging other fish is the little senorita. This little fish is allowed to safely come to them to clean parasites from their bodies.

When about five years old, a male garibaldi cleans off a rocky space for a nest and guards it carefully. But strangely, when a mate shows up he dashes threateningly toward her. However, she avoids him and heads for the nest, even though he may nip her a few times on the way. When she reaches the nest, she swims slowly back and forth, dropping thousands of eggs which stick to the algae he has allowed to grow there. When she has finished, the excited male fertilizes them with a fluid from his body, and from then on he intensely guards them from intruders. Meanwhile, the female has disappeared, quite content to leave all problems to him.

Eggs hatch in about three weeks, and the baby garibaldis are half an inch long. They begin life with a blue color, but as they get older this is replaced with a permanent scarlet or orange. When about four inches long, the males of the group take on the aggressive ways of their father, while the females are chased off and have to make their own way in their watery world.

This is one more instance where mankind has been allowed to discover one of the amazing varieties of creatures God has placed on the earth primarily for His own pleasure, but which He often allows us to enjoy as well.

The psalmist expressed his appreciation of these works of the Creator when he wrote, “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward. . . . They are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5).

Do you ever think about your Creator?

ML-02/02/2003

The World's Oldest Living Things

“I the Lord . . . have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.”
Ezekiel 17:24

Bristlecone pine trees, gnarled and weather-worn, are considered the oldest living things in the world. Many started growing as long as four thousand to five thousand years ago - some before the great pyramids of Egypt were built and others while the Israelites were crossing the desert. While some bristlecones are one hundred feet or more tall, many are short and stubby, and each has a beauty of its own.

How do they survive in the mountains of California and Mexico at heights of ten thousand feet or more, where summers are extremely hot and winter storms bring sub-zero temperatures and fierce windstorms? A strong root system that clings to patches of soil in the hard, rocky areas is part of the answer. Their tough, waxy needles also help them survive.

Where bristlecones grow there is not much rainfall, but the Creator supplies some of their moisture requirements another way. At that high altitude, summer fog and clouds blow over them. Enough tiny droplets of water collect on the needles to form drops that fall to the ground, providing moisture for the roots. The needles also prevent snow from piling up and breaking the branches. When the load gets too heavy, the needles bend down and the snow slides off. As this snow melts, it supplies further moisture to the roots. The needles also contain a protective poison that keeps birds and animals away from them.

Older trees, and some younger ones, have survived lightning and severe storms that have killed sections of the trees, leaving partly dead trunks and branches alongside the living, green ones. The dead parts actually shelter the living parts. Over the years these dead parts have become polished, gnarled and twisted by severe weather, resulting in natural beauty. A visitor observing one of these ancient trees cannot help but wonder at their long survival under such harsh conditions.

Bristlecones begin life as a seed dropped from a cone, perhaps blown from the parent tree and taking root in a sheltered bit of soil some distance away. Their rate of growth is so slow that the smallest tree growing now is very likely many times older than the person looking at it. Young trees are usually straight and upright, but wind, rain and snow have made many of them bent and weathered while still small.

When we consider the beauty and majesty of these trees that God has created, we can understand the meaning of the Bible verse that says, “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded, and they were created. . . . Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars [related to the bristlecones]” (Psalm 148:5,9).

“What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”

Matthew 27:22

ML-02/09/2003

The Oil Bird or Guaracho

“He [looks] to the ends of the earth, and [sees] under the whole heaven.”
Job 28:24

The oil bird is unusually interesting and lives in Central and South America. A fairly large bird, it measures about eighteen inches from its beak to the tip of its tail. Its wings, when outstretched, measure close to three feet across and it has very short legs. It has a powerful beak that has long whisker-like feathers at each side. This reddish-brown bird has white spots on its head and outside wing feathers and black bars across its tail.

Oil birds make permanent homes inside pitch-black caves where a person would need a light to see. Whole colonies share many of these caves, building their nests and raising their young in the darkness. You may wonder how they live under such dark conditions. Their Creator has given them a navigational system similar to bats. Like bats, the birds make sharp, quick sounds while flying in the caves. These sounds echo back to their sensitive ears, telling them when something is in the way and a safe way around it.

These birds also hunt in the darkness for the fruit of certain palms and other fragrant kinds of fruits. Good night vision and a keen sense of smell help them find these fruits, which they gulp down whole while flying. Fruit of this kind is very nourishing and is all the food they need for themselves and their growing chicks.

The guacharo was given the more common name of oil bird because of their chicks. When they first hatch, chicks are quite large and have enormous appetites, gulping down all the fruit their parents bring. These fruits are full of fat and oily juice, and in a short time the chicks, while still in the nest, grow larger than their parents. Once their plumage begins to fill out, they gradually thin down. By the time they are three or four months old when they leave the nests, they are nearly a normal size. This is further helped by the exercise of searching for their own food.

In times past, natives of the area discovered that the fat of these young, oversized birds produced a rich oil when they were caught, killed and the oil boiled out of the body. They used the oil to make an excellent butter and as fuel for their lamps. Killing these birds is no longer permitted, but that is how the oil bird got its unusual name.

Does the Lord God, their Creator, see these birds in the dark caves or when they are flying about at night? Yes, He both sees and cares for them, for His eye is always on every living thing, just as the opening Bible verse tells us.

ML-02/16/2003

The Restless Caribou

“God Himself . . . formed the earth and made it; He hath established it.”
Isaiah 45:18

With temperatures dropping to eighty degrees below zero, the frozen regions of North America are usually considered wastelands where nothing can survive. Actually, many creatures, including the caribou, live in these regions.

A full-grown caribou weighs from three hundred to seven hundred pounds, stands four feet tall, and is six to eight feet long. The Creator has provided them with all they need to survive in the cold, including soft, thick, insulated fur. They require much food, yet they live where grass and leaves are not plentiful. The Lord God has created a special food for them called reindeer moss or lichen. This grows rapidly in the summer months, covering the ground and clinging to trunks and branches of trees. It is a rich food and can be eaten year-round. In deep snow where there are no trees supporting lichen growth, a God-given instinct tells the caribou to search for it on the ground. Caribou have sharp hooves that dig through snow and ice to reach this food. Most of their wakeful time in winter is spent digging and eating.

Caribou are about the most restless of all animals. They roam in large herds, numbering in the thousands. These large herds devour all food wherever they stop, and they must move on each day to find more. During their migrations, they travel at least six hundred miles northward in summer, where calves are born in late May or June, and then return in winter. Nothing stops these migrations. If mountains are too high to cross, the caribou go around them. If lakes and rivers are not frozen, they swim through them.

Both male and female caribou have antlers, but the male’s antlers grow much larger than the female’s. These can be used as dangerous weapons along with their strong legs and sharp hooves. Many a wolf, attempting to overcome a caribou, has learned too late that it is no match against a strong, healthy caribou. Yet wolves do follow herds, and if they discover a calf separated from the others or a crippled adult, they will successfully attack and kill it.

This reminds us of Satan, the evil one who, we are warned, “[walks] about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Boys and girls need the protection of their parents. A godly family will ask the Lord each day to help guide and preserve them from Satan’s attacks. All the family members, both young and old, need to feed continually on the Bible, God’s living Word, so they do not become weak and vulnerable to the enemy. Let us thank God for His wonderful promise: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. . . . They shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

ML-02/23/2003

An Alarm Clock in the Ocean?

“The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. . . . The Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”
Psalm 29:34

Unusually high tides reach Southern California beaches from March through July each year. When these extreme tides are due in the third or fourth night of the full moon, schools of grunion, a small edible fish, swim into the surf and allow themselves to be washed ashore on a sandy beach - but not until the highest wave of the incoming tide has passed.

Ashore on the bare sand, females scoop out shallow holes with their tails where they lay hundreds of eggs. The males follow quickly and fertilize the eggs, and then the females give a final swish of their tails to cover the eggs with sand. This all has been accomplished within thirty seconds! Then they all wriggle down the beach to be swept into the ocean by the next wave.

But how about the eggs? How can they hatch in such a strange nest? The grunion have been well directed by their Creator in their timing, for no wave will reach the eggs until the next extremely high tide in another two weeks. This amount of time in warm, moist sand provides ample incubation. When a high wave finally reaches them, the eggs pop open, and the little fish are washed into the sea to begin their lives.

This annual event is so reliable that the hour and minute can be foretold. People flock to the beaches to witness it, some of them catching the fish in their hands.

Is there an alarm clock that tells the grunion just the precise moment to ride in on the highest wave? And how do they know where the sandy beaches are? If any mistakenly went to a rocky one, they would be pounded to pieces. Their instructions come from their Creator, and there is no possibility that this pattern will change. How carefully God watches over all His creatures.

After sin came into the world, all things were affected, so that today we do not see anything in perfection, but we do see something of His might and wisdom even in lowly creatures like the grunion. A time is coming when all will be made right again: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). But before that takes place, there must be God’s judgment on this sinful world and all in it who have not had their sins forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ, “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14). How important it is to listen to the warning: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

ML-03/02/2003

The Charming Ocelot

“The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.”
Psalm 145:9

Ocelots, which are about twice the size of house cats, are considered by many to be the most beautiful of the four-footed animals. They have pretty cat faces with long, white whiskers and small, upright ears pointing forward. Most are whitish or a tawny yellow, but the fur may also be reddish or smoky gray. Whatever their color, they are always spotted with beautiful black dots, varying in size, on the legs and feet and larger shell-shaped spots on the rest of their bodies. No two ocelots are ever marked the same way. If caught when young, an ocelot can be tamed and makes an excellent pet.

These are tropical animals and are at home in the marshy areas or riverbeds of the humid jungles of Central America and south to Paraguay in South America. They can also be found in the thick brush of southeastern Arizona and southern Texas.

Ocelots spend most of their lives on the ground but are agile climbers. Active at night, they prowl about the underbrush, hunting for food. To avoid bright sunlight, most ocelots curl up inside a hollow tree, in dark caves or in the shade of heavy thickets during daylight hours. Wherever possible, they make their homes in trees and walk silently along the branches surrounding them.

In some jungle areas, their favorite food is monkey meat. They will sometimes play dead to attract a monkey and then suddenly pounce on it. If monkeys are not available, they annoy farmers by going after lambs, young pigs or rabbits, but their diet also includes rats, mice, birds, snakes and lizards. Rather than chase their victims, they will drop on them from a tree branch or silently stalk them through the woods or brush.

In past years, the beautiful furs of these animals have been their downfall, as hunters have trapped and killed them in great numbers. This is now against the law, although there are poachers who disregard this fact and kill them anyway.

The spotted coats of ocelots are an indication of the Creator’s care over them, providing effective camouflage in the light and shadows of their home areas. They, of course, know nothing of the Creator’s care, but as the Bible verse at the beginning of this article indicates, there is no creature, no matter how small or how large, how beautiful or how plain, that is not an object of His mercies and kindness.

But there is another Bible verse that every boy and girl, as well as every grown-up, may claim: “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17). Have you thanked Him for those precious thoughts?

ML-03/09/2003

Your Wonderful Body

“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Psalm 139:14

Your body, and every other human being’s, is more wonderful than the world’s most amazing piece of machinery! It is composed of some sixty trillion cells, making up more than five thousand parts. Furthermore, the Creator has provided it with an intellect far superior to the rest of His earthly creation.

The single cell with which your life began determined what kind of person you would be - tall or short, the color of your eyes, the color of your hair and many more details. By the time you were born, there were some two trillion cells to your body, and as you grew older the number increased to sixty trillion. Various groups of cells are responsible for a particular part of your body, and all groups work together in perfect unity.

Let’s consider your eyes, which are like two cameras working together perfectly, but far superior to the most advanced camera man has made. Healthy eyes can immediately adapt to about ten thousand different focuses, without your even thinking about it. Their pictures come in upside down, but your amazing brain lets you see them right side up.

Your ears can pick out one voice in a crowd or the melody of an entire orchestra. Vibrations they receive send electrical signals to your brain, which immediately identifies the sound and tells you what to do about it.

Your tongue has three thousand taste buds, enriching your life by the enjoyment of food and drink. A sense of smell is important too, warning you against what is harmful.

Your brain has tremendous ability to store information. It is more wonderful than the most advanced computer in the world and is never fully at rest, even during sleep. Your memory is like a huge library, divided into two categories - short-term and long-term. Our Creator designed this to help us along life’s way - not retaining information of little importance, but storing away that of value to be brought to mind when necessary.

Your heart, lungs and digestive system, as well as arms and legs and other parts, are also very important members of your body.

We don’t give much thought to our body parts until they are injured or sickness occurs. However, we should think of what the psalmist wrote in our opening Bible verse. Like him, let us praise and give our thanks to the Lord God who has not only made us, but who invites us to be in heaven with Him when Jesus comes for His own or when our life down here is ended. We may be sure of this if we turn to Him, admitting that we are sinners and accepting Him as our Saviour. He promises, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Have you done this?

ML-03/16/2003

The American Buffalo (Bison): Part 1

“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

The buffalo or, more correctly, the bison shares with the moose the distinction of being the two heaviest land animals of North America. The buffalo is from nine to twelve feet long and as tall as a man from the ground to the top of its hump. Some bulls weigh nearly a ton, but cows are smaller. They are strong and tough and can live through storms that kill other beasts. They are also great runners - up to thirty miles an hour for long distances.

When Indians were the only people west of the Mississippi River, there were millions of bison forming herds, often as far as the eye could see on the prairies of middle America, from Mexico north into Canada. For the Indians, this was their main food, and they made tepees, blankets, clothing and other essentials from the hides. God provided plenty of grass and water, and even though the Indians killed many, it did not make much difference since so many calves were born every year that their numbers just continued growing.

But as white people moved west after the Revolutionary War, it became a different story. It is easy to understand that the settlers, like the Indians, found buffalo a good source of food and hides. But as the people settled the land, they not only used buffalo for these purposes - they determined to get them off the land they wanted to farm. As a result, many thousands were killed just to get rid of them.

Hunters from the eastern part of the country and “sportsmen,” even from Europe, went west with their guns, thinking it was great sport to see how many they could kill. There was no thought about using the meat or hides. When railroads reached that part of the country, some hunters shot the beasts from moving trains. All this leaves a sad picture of that part of America’s history. The result was that, just one hundred years ago, instead of millions of buffalo, there were only about a thousand left in the United States and Canada combined.

Bison are part of God’s creation, and He surely had the Indian people in His thoughts in preparing such an abundant supply to meet their needs. Many people today are sad and ashamed to think of the way the bison were deliberately killed. God, of whom it is said, “I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine” (Psalm 50:11), must have been displeased to see this cruelty and waste. However, we can be happy to know that His watchful eye and care are over those bison that are flourishing again.

(to be continued)

ML-03/23/2003

The American Buffalo (Bison): Part 2

“From the place of His habitation [heaven] He [looks] upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”
Psalm 33:14

When people worried about the disappearance of bison from North America nearly one hundred years ago, they persuaded the governments of Canada and the United States to set up protective areas throughout the West, such as Yellowstone National Park and Custer State Park. Others suggested it would be profitable to raise them like cattle in protected areas.

These agreements resulted in a gradual increase in the number of these animals. Now there are more than thirty thousand of them in parks and fenced game preserves, like the National Bison Range in Montana, where large herds prosper.

Both bulls and cows have horns and humped shoulders. They are impressive with their large, shaggy, bearded heads and sharp, curved horns. When herds are threatened in any way, the males huddle together to form a ring around cows and calves, providing good defense. God, their Creator, gave them this instinct. In winter, thick, heavy hair grows over the back part of their bodies. This drops off in springtime, sometimes hanging in loose patches until the animal rubs it off against a tree or big rock.

Calves, weighing about thirty pounds, are born in early summer and can stand up and nurse in half an hour. At about six weeks old, they begin to change their diet from milk to grass. This, along with other small plants and twigs from certain trees and shrubs, becomes their entire food supply for the rest of their lives. They do most of their grazing in the morning; afternoons are spent resting and rolling in the dust to get rid of insects.

When angry, bulls charge one another, approaching slowly with heads down, feet pawing the ground, tails raised and blowing volumes of air from their nostrils and raising clouds of dust - making a very scary sight. Suddenly they slam their heads together, pushing each other back and forth until one finally gives up. When the fight is over, they walk peacefully away.

The Bible tells us God cares for the beasts of the field. But He cares much more for all people who, when He created them, were made in His likeness and for whom He has always shown His love. The greatest proof of His love was at the cross of Calvary where “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Until the Saviour comes to call those who love Him into heaven, His invitation to you stands open to accept Him as your own Saviour. However, once believers are called up to heaven, it will be too late for any who are left behind to accept His invitation. Will you be called up to heaven? or will you be left behind to face the punishment for your sins?

ML-03/30/2003

Slave-Maker Ants

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8

In the deserts of Arizona, there are ants known as the western slave-maker ants. Unlike other ants, these are not capable of hunting food for themselves or for their young and could not live without other ants doing this for them.

Because of this inability, slave-maker ants make raids on another species of ants known as the formicas, and here’s what takes place. Several times a year the leaders in the nest send out scouts to find formica nests. When the scouts find these nests, they come back and somehow tell the others the “good news.” Then a huge army of several thousand takes off behind their scouts, following them to the unsuspecting victims.

With no warning, the slave-makers march right into the formicas’ nest, but they don’t attempt to fight them. Instead, they spray the entire area with a chemical from their bodies. This chemical does not bother the raiders, but it is so unpleasant to the formicas that the queen and all her workers get out as fast as possible. However, they cannot take with them the thousands of their babies, known as pupae, that have not yet hatched.

That is exactly what the raiders want to happen. Each raider grabs one pupa and carries it back to its own nest. Thousands are carried back where some are eaten by the hungry raiders. Most are carefully looked after and in a short time develop into full-sized ants. These captives are taught how to go after food to bring back for themselves and for their captors. Of course, these newly hatched ants can’t remember anything about their former home and fit right into this pattern, apparently accepting the fact that finding food for the others is their job.

The cruel and selfish ways of the slave-makers bring to mind our opening Bible verse, telling us to beware of Satan, who is always wanting to devour us. Another verse in 2 Timothy 2:26 talks of people who are caught in “the snare of the devil . . . taken captive by him.” Just like the slave-making ants, the devil wants to make us his slaves and make us serve him. Every person in the world is often tempted by him, although many do not realize Satan is their cruel master.

But for those who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, there are many other Bible verses to help us resist the evil one. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). James 4:78 tells where to turn for help: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw [near] to God, and He will draw [near] to you.” We are invited to turn to God in every trouble, and we can be sure of His loving help.

ML-04/06/2003

A Fish Family From the South

“Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.”
Job 12:8

In South America there are many kinds of fish, ranging in size from tiny to huge. One of these, a three-inch resident of the Amazon River, is given a name that is almost as long as it is - Aequidens curviceps. It is brightly colored - blue on top, green underneath, yellow fins and tail, and a red band running around its middle.

A pair of these fish spends much time looking for a place on the bottom of the river to produce their young. Once they have chosen a spot, both go to work cleaning away the dirt and pebbles. When satisfied that their nest is ready, the female swims slowly over it, laying hundreds of eggs in neat, orderly rows. The male follows closely behind her, covering the eggs with a fertilizing substance called “milt.”

Most fish lay their eggs and then forget about them, but not these parents. One of them always stays close by, constantly fanning the eggs with its fins and occasionally taking each egg in its lips to clean it.

Just four days before the baby fish are going to hatch, the adults scoop saucer-like depressions in another place in the river bottom. When the babies hatch, the excited parents divide them into groups and lead them away from their birthplace to these new spots. There they are hidden from the eyes of bigger fish which would find them to be a good meal.

The newly born fish are nourished for several days by absorbing their egg sacs. This soon disappears, and the babies have to find their own food. The tiny fish begin swimming away from the nest, perhaps not aware their parents have not yet left. If the babies wander too far away, one of the parents goes after them, picks them up in its mouth and brings them back to home base where it spits them out. Eventually they are strong enough and experienced enough to take care of themselves, and then the parents leave them.

What a great variety exists among all of God’s creatures! The Bible tells us that “Thou [the Lord] hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). It seems He has taken great delight in bringing so many kinds of fish into the world. Through the centuries, every fish throughout the world has obeyed God’s command to “bring forth . . . after his kind” (Genesis 1:24), and they will continue to do so in the future.

The Scriptures speak wisely: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8). Rather than accepting man’s ideas, it is wise to trust and believe what God says about creation.

ML-04/13/2003

The Open-Billed Stork

“The stork in the heaven [knows] her appointed times; and the turtle [dove] and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming.”
Jeremiah 8:7

Except for people living in Florida and Central and South America, few Americans have seen a stork living in the wild. However, many live in Europe, Africa, India and some other lands. They are large birds with long beaks and legs and partially webbed feet. It is a pretty sight to see them soaring through the air, big wings spread out, long necks extended and legs stretched out behind.

The open-billed stork is different from other storks in several ways. One difference is that it makes its rough nest of sticks near marshes, whereas most storks prefer dry, hotter places. But the main difference is that this one lives almost entirely on snails, and other storks don’t eat them at all.

Here’s how the open-billed got its name. The Creator has given it a special bill because of the way it gets its food. Other storks have smooth bills, but this bill is grooved all along the edges. Also, the upper part of the bill curves down, and the lower part curves up, so that when the tips are together there is a spot left open in the middle - open-billed. This along with the grooves helps it to hold the slippery snail shells securely until it has a chance to insert the pointed tip of its bill into the shell, cutting the snail loose and eating it. Certainly, this specially designed bill is a provision of the Creator, enabling this stork to capture the great number of snails it eats daily.

Open-bills will ride on the backs of hippos wading in the same marshy feeding area. The hippo pulls up its own grassy food and exposes snails, which are quickly snatched by the stork.

When stork eggs hatch, the little ones are naked, but before long they grow a soft coat of down followed a little later by feathers. Both parents take care of them, shading them from the hot sun by stretching out their wings over them and also regurgitating food which they have brought for them. The greedy youngsters eat more than their stomachs can hold, but the Creator has provided for this too. Instead of making them sick, the extra food goes into a pouch in their throats until their stomachs are ready for it.

These interesting birds provide another example of the way God cares for every creature, large or small, as a Bible verse tells us: “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing” (Job 12:10). We are told in other Bible verses how much more He loves and cares for every boy and girl in the world. Have you ever thanked Him for His loving care?

ML-04/20/2003

The Graceful Springbok

“O Lord . . . Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.”
Revelation 4:11

Springboks are one of the most graceful members of the antelope family. They live on the prairies of Africa where they share the friendly company of zebras, giraffes, wildebeests and many others. However, they are sometimes victims of hungry lions that capture them by creeping up unseen and then making a sudden leap before there is opportunity to escape. Wild dogs are also among their enemies, but the dogs usually pick out the sick, old, or very young that have gotten away from the herd.

Springboks are well named, for one of the features that helps identify them is their practice of suddenly springing high in the air. They appear to do this often just for the fun of it. They seem to be one of the Creator’s happy animals. It is a lovely sight to see them leaping this way on their long, thin but strong legs.

Springboks are delicately colored animals, appearing to wear a tan cape over their backs and down the outsides of their legs. The remainder of their bodies is pure white. Crowning their heads is a pair of horns. These horns extend for about eighteen inches from their heads and gently curve forward at the top. Springboks have appealing white faces with stripes between the eyes and nose, as if skillfully sketched with soft crayons, large deer-like eyes and long, erect ears.

These animals, which do not search out shade while browsing, seem to prefer the open country with its extremely hot sunshine. Their usual food is the wild grasses of the prairie, but when these are hard to find they will substitute leaves and tender parts of shrubs and will even eat roots dug out of the ground with their sharp horns.

In times of drought and when food runs low, thousands together make long migrations to greener pastures. We might ask, “How do they know where to go and how do they know when to return?” Those who have studied their ways cannot answer these questions, but to us who know of the Creator’s care over all living things, it is not difficult to realize that He is the One who directs them to go and gives them the sense when it is time to return to their native land.

Several Bible verses declare this care so well: “These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat [food] in due season. That Thou givest them they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good” (Psalm 104:2728). Have you thanked Him that His same loving hand is stretched out for you too? He invites every boy and girl to trust in Him and know Him as their loving and very own Saviour.

ML-04/27/2003

Let's Talk About Spiders: Part 1

“The spider [takes] hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.”
Proverbs 30:28

While most of us don’t particularly care for spiders, they are an interesting example of how God “hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27), because no one fully understands how spiders function.

Have you ever watched a spider spinning its web? You may wonder where the silk thread comes from. It comes from silk glands in its abdomen. The liquid silk is forced through its spinnerets as the spider moves. Most spiders have two to six spinnerets, each with a different opening. These produce the different kinds of silk needed. For instance, when the spider needs a dragline for lifting itself up and down, it uses a spinneret that makes a coarse, strong silk. When making its web, an entirely different type of silk is required, and it uses other spinnerets. It also produces cottony silk for holding and hiding its eggs. Some silk glands produce liquid silk that becomes dry outside the body, while others produce sticky silk that remains sticky. All spiders spin silk, but not all spiders make webs.

How did the spider learn to use the correct spinneret for a certain kind of silk? How did it learn to use two spinnerets at the same time when it needs extra-strong silk? How can it travel with ease over sticky silk that will trap everything else?

The spider, lurking at one side of its web, waits for vibrations to signal that something is caught in the web. If the vibrations are very light, it ignores them. But medium vibrations mean food, so it hurries across the web to kill and eat the victim. However, if the vibrations are strong, it means something too large to handle is out there, and the spider will quickly cut the victim loose before it ruins the web. How does the spider know how to interpret these signals?

Here is the answer to all of these questions. Spiders did not have to “learn” how to make a web or where to place it. When the Lord God created them, He gave them these remarkable skills. These skills are often called instincts, and these enable them to live their remarkable lives.

If the Lord God has such interest and care over these little creatures which are here today and gone tomorrow, how much greater is His concern for every boy and girl to whom He has given an everlasting soul. He tells us, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). This wonderful love caused Him to go to the cross to die, “the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Have you accepted that work in faith and made Him your Saviour?

ML-05/04/2003

Let's Talk About Spiders: Part 2

“I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.”
Psalm 145:5

In our discussion about spiders last week, we learned that all spiders spin silk, but not all spiders make webs. Each species of spider has a different life story.

The first spider we’ll look at is the bola spider which catches its dinners by “fishing.” Instead of spinning a web, it produces one long thread with a drop of sticky silk on the end. It sits on a branch and drops this line down, swinging it back and forth until an insect flies into the sticky ball. Then it pulls up the thread, like reeling in a fishing line, and eats its meal.

The triangle spider spins a three-sided web between two twigs, with a tail hanging down from the bottom. The spider holds tightly to this tail to keep the web open. The moment an insect touches the triangle, the spider lets go of the tail, and the web springs like a trap and captures the victim.

Any female spider may mistake the male for prey and eat him. However, males have ways of guarding against this. If a male wishes to make friends with a female, he vibrates the edge of her web with one of his feet. The female is immediately alerted. If she is hungry, she crosses the web, and that’s a signal for the male to make a quick exit. But if the female remains quiet, he senses she has already eaten and he goes to her, sometimes taking a little present. However, he never stays long or he will have to pay for his visit with his life. This is why one species is known as the black widow, because she almost always kills and eats her mate.

Flying spiders point their abdomens toward the sky and spin webs that act like parachutes. When the wind catches one of these, the spider holds on tightly, and off it flies on a real adventure. Sometimes they are lifted thousands of feet in the air and are carried over oceans and mountains before landing.

The crab spider hides in a flower and waits for an insect to land and then captures it. It not only looks like a miniature crab, it can walk backwards and sidewards like a crab. Some crab spiders change their color to match the flower they are hiding in.

The many spiders all over the world and their amazing ways remind us of the wonders of God’s creation. They show us that the little things, as well as the big things of life, are all under His watchful care. It is well for us to remember that we are also under His care and that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

ML-05/11/2003

Let's Talk About Spiders: Part 3

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1:3

With more than 40,000 species of spiders in the world, there is a wealth of interesting detail to investigate. Here are a few spiders that do not spin webs.

The dune wolf makes its home in a sand tunnel and comes out to catch its food on the ground. The trap-door spider builds a tunnel in the ground, cementing the walls with glue and lining them with silk to make a cozy home. Over the opening, it makes a hinged door that opens and shuts as it comes and goes.

One of the most amazing is the water spider. It can walk or run on water but lives most of its life underwater in a silken nest. Working from a twig or stem above the water, it first forms a bell-shaped, air-tight balloon from its silk. It carries this down into the water and anchors it solidly. The spider keeps a large air bubble trapped in the top of the balloon so that it can breathe while it catches underwater insects. It can live on this air bubble for several months.

The fisher spider also gets its food from the water, but this one lives out in the open air. Although unable to swim, it can walk on the water because of hairy patches on its legs that hold air and make it buoyant. It chases insects on the surface but will dive down if something looks interesting below.

You might wonder how a spider could dive underwater and not drown. The secret is that it takes in air through the lower part of its abdomen. When ready to dive, it traps a bubble of air under its hairy body, and with this it can breathe underwater for a long time. You would think the air bubble would make the spider float to the surface. However, the spider dives directly to some solid object where it hangs on with its legs and waits for a victim to swim by. It has been observed catching minnows and piercing them with poison before taking them to shore to eat.

Spiders are very beneficial to mankind, disposing of many flies, mosquitoes and other harmful insects. They all tell of God’s wonderful plan in creation and the way He has provided for the individual needs of each one of them.

But more important than all this is what God says of you and me: “I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). But we cannot be to His glory unless we are His children through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you, through faith, accepted Him as your very own Saviour?

ML-05/18/2003

The Frisky Marten

“Who [knows] not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing.”
Job 12:9-10

There are countless beautiful and interesting animals living in the wild, rarely seen because much of their activity is at night or their homes are in places difficult to reach.

One of these is the marten, living in much of Canada, Alaska and other parts of the United States. Sometimes it is incorrectly referred to as a sable or fisher-marten, but it is somewhat different than these, although closely related. This animal’s soft fur is usually grayish-brown above and lighter below. In past years, hunters trapped them in winter months, when their fur is at its best quality, but this hunting is generally no longer permitted.

The marten is a slim, fur-covered mammal, about two feet long and looks similar to a weasel. It has a rather pointed face, with large ears and large, alert eyes - provisions of the Creator to enable it to identify sounds quickly and see well when hunting at night.

It is mostly at home in the trees where it can keep up with the liveliest squirrel or chipmunk. Part of its tree-food comes from eggs and small birds taken from nests, but it finds other food on the ground as well. This includes almost all small animals, such as squirrels and mice, snakes and ground birds. It has a “sweet tooth” and is not afraid to rob a beehive, since its thick fur protects it from bee stings. Unlike the fisher-marten, it will not go into deep water but does catch frogs and fish near the shore.

In late spring, the mother usually gives birth to two or three young in a den, usually made in a hollow log or a tree. The young are born with a light covering of soft fur and are extremely tiny, weighing only an ounce or so, but they are fully grown in three months. While growing, they are frisky and full of pep, often having harmless fights among themselves. Later that energy is spent in continual hunting for food or fighting other animals.

Though martens are rarely seen by people, they are always seen by their Creator who reminds us in Jeremiah 23:24, “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” And this Creator, the Lord God, whose eyes are always on them, is the One who provides for them as well, for He cares for all His creatures.

How thankful we should be that He is also watching over each of us. The Bible assures us of this: “The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He [ponders] all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21). Is He pleased when He sees the ways of your life each day?

ML-05/25/2003

The Hardy Carp

“Jesus saith unto him . . . Go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money.”
Matthew 17:26-27

History tells about the interesting fish called the carp living in the inland lakes and streams of China more than 2000 years ago. Since then, other countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, have experimented with them in ponds, lakes and rivers.

Not only do people enjoy the sport of fishing for carp, some people, mostly Europeans, enjoy eating them fresh, smoked and canned. There is no way of knowing whether the fish mentioned in the above Bible verse was a carp, but it was probably similar.

Not everybody is happy with carp, partly because they multiply and spread rapidly in lakes and rivers. A female lays about 500 eggs at a time in clumps that stick to rocks or weeds near the bottom. Though carp are useful as food, they are also harmful because they destroy the eggs and breeding places of more valuable fish and deprive other fish of food and shelter. Carp destroy many water plants, making ponds and streams muddy that would otherwise be clear and attractive.

The carp, some as long as thirty-six inches and weighing as much as thirty to eighty pounds, can hardly be called a pretty fish. Most of them have large, coarse scales covering their bodies, with whiskers along the sides of the mouth and tough, bony fins. However, there are several varieties with just three or four rows of scales on the sides. One called the leather carp is nearly scaleless with only a few scales.

The carps’ method of eating is somewhat disgusting. With their whiskers and flexible lips, they feel along muddy areas for insects, fish eggs and other food. Now and then they suck up a mouthful of mud, then spit it out, apparently to see what they’ve caught. They finally swallow the food along with the mud, only slightly diluted. In spite of this, many people enjoy fishing for them, and they remain a profitable item in many fish markets of the world.

Though they are not popular, these fish serve a purpose in God’s creation. Just by observing their ways we can see the Creator’s wisdom displayed, as the following Bible verses point out: “Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath [made] this? In whose hand is the soul [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:8-10).

Not only is the life of a carp in the Creator’s hands, so is yours! All His non-human creatures follow His commands, but His desire is that all humans would also follow His commands. Do you?

ML-06/01/2003

An Outstanding Water Lily

“O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things.”
Isaiah 25:1

Like some other beautiful plants, the Queen Victoria water lily grows in water, although its roots reach down to a rich soil base. This plant grows best where there is room for its huge, colorful lily pads to spread out on the water’s surface. This lily pad’s large, flat surface, sometimes as much as three feet across, is decorated with an upturned edge forming an outside rim. It is actually made up of several overlapping leaves and held tightly together by strong veins underneath. These veins grow out from a tube that extends down three feet or more to the roots. Food from the soil, blended with water, rises through this tube to keep the entire plant healthy and strong.

The rib-like veins not only form the leaves into a flat circle, they also add strength and support to the plant. When natives of Bolivia, where this plant was first found, discovered the strength of these lily pads, mothers would at times lay their babies down on the flat surface for a napping spot. The little ones would be safe and content, provided the mother picked a shady spot.

Seeds were taken and plants successfully grown in England and North America. In later experiments by nurserymen, it was found that a full-sized Victoria could easily hold a person weighing as much as 150 pounds!

The flowers growing close to the side of the plant are beautiful. Each large flower lives only two days, gradually changing from a lovely white to pretty reddish purple. But more flowers continue opening throughout the whole year, and a healthy plant with its beautiful floating flowers always makes an outstanding picture.

An interesting fact about these flowers is that they do not open fully until late in the day and close again as dawn approaches. This means that insects attracted to them during the night often are caught unawares as the petals enclose them and are trapped inside until the next evening. But it is nice and warm in there, and they are not harmed. This is actually an interesting way the Creator has arranged for the flowers to be pollinated. The insect moving around inside the closed blossom becomes covered with pollen. When it later escapes, it often flies to another Victoria plant, transferring the pollen, one of God’s ways of assuring that healthy seeds will be formed.

These beautiful plants are another example of the wonderful ways of the Lord God when He created all things of this world. Our opening Bible verse speaks of praising God for His wonderful ways. May we always thank Him for not only His wonderful ways, but for the great love He provides for anyone who will come to Him.

ML-06/08/2003

Water-Loving Ibis

“God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:21

Ibis are among the world’s largest birds, some measuring as much as four feet from the tip of their beaks to the end of their tail feathers. All have long necks and legs with partly webbed feet. They eat mostly fish, frogs and snails, captured by probing in shallow muddy water with their long beaks. They also eat large insects, mice, moles and small snakes. Farmers welcome them because of their huge appetites for these pests.

Some ibis species live by the thousands in colonies, grouping in trees or bushes, making large bowl-shaped nests built of twigs and interwoven sticks with a thin inner layer of grass. Others prefer to nest in single families in marshes or open forest areas. Many varieties of ibis are scattered from the southern United States through Mexico and South America, and also Africa and Australia. With changes in seasons, some make flights of thousands of miles, while others remain in one place throughout the year.

Two varieties in North America prefer to make their homes in areas cleared of forest or in open, dry country. The American white is a large, pretty bird, almost solid white with black wing tips, red face and legs, and a yellow beak. The wood ibis is darker in color. Both kinds usually nest close to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Australian white looks much like the American white. It is noted for its practice of breaking a shellfish open by holding it firmly against a flat stone or hard surface with a foot, then using its tough beak as a hammer to break it open.

The bald ibis, found only in the mountains of Africa and the Middle East, has quite a color contrast to the others. It is mostly greenish black except for a dash of deep pink or brown where its wings are attached to its body. The male has a deep-red head-top. The head itself is pinkish, but the long, down-curved beak, long legs and feet are light orange.

One that is worshipped by natives around the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Australia is the sacred ibis. The worship habit probably came about centuries ago when natives first noticed that these birds got rid of troublesome pests.

It pleased the Lord God, the Creator of all things, to place these and thousands of other bird varieties throughout the world, both for their usefulness and also as objects of great interest. Each has its particular place in the creation in which He delighted.

For those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, there is a wonderful time coming in heaven when He will show us His wisdom and love in all He has done. Will you be there to hear that wonderful account?

ML-06/15/2003

The Pika-A Mountain Farmer

“The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season.”
Psalm 145:15

The furry pika measures about seven inches long and weighs about eight ounces. This energetic little animal is a relative of hares and rabbits and is sometimes called a coney. In North America it is found only among the rocks high in the mountains of the western United States and Canada.

The pika’s outstanding feature is its busy activity in the summer months. It wisely prepares food for use in winter, when the snow will lie deep and it must stay in its den with its family. Unlike many mountain animals, it does not hibernate but does remain quite inactive during the cold season.

While cutting and gathering plants, flowers, berries, aspen leaves and other vegetation in summer and fall, the pika is constantly in motion. God has provided this rodent with four incisor teeth to do all this work. A lot of food is necessary, because one little pika family will need about fifty pounds of dried food during the cold winter days while confined inside the den.

Everything it cuts or gathers is brought to the entrance of the pika’s den, and, like a farmer preparing hay, it is piled in separate mounds in the sunshine to dry in the clear mountain air. When rain threatens, it carefully picks up these piles and carries them inside, bringing them back out for further drying when the sun is shining again.

Where did this little animal get such wisdom? And how does it know how to store its food underground so it will not mildew or rot? This wisdom is given to it by God who, in creating everything “after his kind,” has provided for its unique way of life. This is passed down from generation to generation, without the need of lessons or experiments. If it didn’t know how to do this, it would die the very first winter of its life. The Creator watches over everything He has made and provides for the needs of each one in His own wise way.

Living so far from civilization, the pika is much like the coney spoken of in Proverbs 30:26 - “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make their houses in the rocks.” Eagles, hawks and many animals are enemies of this quiet little fellow, but when sheltered by the rocks into which he hurries when they come close, he is perfectly safe.

When David was delivered from his enemies, he said, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my Rock; in Him will I trust” (2 Samuel 22:23). He is the only refuge from Satan, our dread enemy. Do you know the Lord as the Rock of your salvation?

ML-06/22/2003

Army Ants on the Move

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”
John 1:3

The large, fierce army ants live in the tropical countries of the world. They have no permanent home and are always on the move except when they rest to raise their young. As they travel, worker ants lead the way with larger soldiers at the sides. The main colony follows, carrying larvae in their mouths. Finally, the queen comes, surrounded by large numbers of workers. As this colony moves, it may cover an area fifty or sixty feet wide and a quarter mile long.

Every small living creature they come across is killed, mainly insects. They either eat what they kill or break it into small pieces and take it back for the queen and her workers.

Interestingly, these ants are blind and are guided only by feelers and a sense of smell. As they move, they leave an identifying scent. The messengers and scouts follow this scent back to the main group when they have found food. Large numbers then return with the scouts to where the food was found.

Usually, the only time the colony stops is to let the queen lay more eggs. Rather than build a nest, they cling together in bunches on logs or in hollow trees. After she has finished laying thousands of eggs, the colony moves on in columns, taking the eggs with them.

When the colony makes an overnight rest stop, the columns break up, and they climb up bushes and vines to form living balls. They stay there until daylight, then come back down and continue their move.

The ways of these vicious ants seem cruel and harsh. And yet they serve a purpose by holding in check many creatures that would otherwise overrun the jungle. They are part of God’s ways to keep His creation in balance.

In observing the army ants, we can see that their survival over the centuries has been the result of complete obedience to the ways of God in His creation. To the children of Israel, the promise was given: “Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.” But, sadly, “They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward” (Jeremiah 7:2324).

How happy you and I would be if each of us had a desire to please the Lord and obey God’s Word. But we cannot be obedient and happy unless we have a new life - a new nature-given to everyone who accepts the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Do you have this new life, and are you obeying Him?

ML-06/29/2003

The Osprey and Its Prey

“Doth the hawk fly by Thy wisdom? . . . Doth the eagle mount up at Thy command, and make her nest on high?”
Job 39:26-27

The osprey, also called fish hawk, with a five- to six-foot wingspread, is a bird of prey in the hawk family. It is shiny brown above, but parts of its head and neck have enough white to resemble the bald eagle. The underparts of its body are plain white, including its heavily feathered legs. It is very impressive with its erect head and sharply curved beak.

These birds are found in many countries. In North America they spend summers from Labrador to Florida and Alaska to California. Most winter from the southern United States to northern Argentina and Paraguay.

Ospreys do not have songs; they have high-pitched whistles. They feed only on fish, which is why they live near both fresh and salt water.

Their huge nests are a mass of sticks, usually lined with grass or seaweed. They use the same nest year after year, always adding to it until it may reach three feet high and three feet wide. Before so many forests were cut down, tops of trees were a favorite nesting place. From high branches they could look down into the water and choose their fish targets. But now many build nests on telephone poles, posts in water, roofs of barns and ledges. Helping to solve this problem, naturalists build platforms thirty feet or more above the water, and the ospreys find these good substitutes.

Other ospreys build nests on rocks as high as three hundred feet. It is quite a spectacle to watch one take off from this height, hovering over the water, then diving feet first, hitting the water with a great splash and often going completely under, to snatch a fish in its strong talons. It carries the fish back home in its talons, perhaps eating a few mouthfuls on the way.

The male migrates north again in early spring, soon followed by his lifetime mate. Returning to the same nest, they clean it and add to it. Soon they have three or four young chicks to care for. The mother stays with the young at all times, and the father provides all the food. The little ones eat so much they become heavier than the parents but return to normal size before learning to fly.

The Bible tells us that on the fifth day of creation, “God created . . . every winged fowl after his kind” (Genesis 1:21). And in Psalm 145:15 we are told, “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat [food] in due season.” Another Bible verse says, “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings” (Job 34:21). Is that comforting to you? or does it trouble you?

ML-07/06/2003

A Skunk - Be Careful! Part 1

“The Lord of hosts . . . is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.”
Isaiah 28:29

Would you like a skunk for a pet? Probably not, yet many people have them as pets . . . after removing the scent glands. They find that skunks are friendly and sometimes playful.

These animals live only in North and South America and are part of the weasel family. There are about a dozen species, all very similar. Although often seen in daylight, they are most active at night. They have a slow and deliberate walk. All have distinctive black and white markings and long, bushy tails. Perhaps the Creator gave them these special features so they may be recognized and avoided even in the dark.

Skunks have a very effective chemical weapon called mercaptan, which is produced in a pair of scent glands near their tails. These animals prefer to be left alone. However, any animal or person who comes close enough to make them feel threatened will first be met by a cold, unblinking stare and thumping of feet on the ground. These are intended to warn, “You’re too close! Back off!” If the intruder does not retreat, a skunk will quickly turn around, lift its tail and without further warning squirt a vile-smelling fluid up to ten feet with good aim! Besides smelling terrible, this fluid burns skin and can cause temporary blindness. An animal or person who has had this experience will usually stay far away from a skunk! However, some dogs never seem to learn the lesson.

The most common skunk is the striped skunk. It is about thirty inches long, including its tail, and has fewer white markings than other kinds. It is right at home in wooded areas, near farms and has adapted to residential areas where there are fields nearby. Sometimes a female skunk will make a nest in a barn or under a porch or deck where she and her four or five kits become a real problem. Getting rid of them is usually done by trapping.

Their main food in the spring is mice. In summer they switch over to grasshoppers, beetles and other insects, often ripping open rotten logs to find them. Another favorite food is eggs, and sometimes they raid chicken coops. They also eat ripened tree fruit that has fallen to the ground.

The care given to these animals by the One who created them is written in Psalm 119:64: “The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy.” For you and me, there is a companion verse which says, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding” (Psalm 119:73). It is good to ask for an understanding of His love, to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to thank Him for all His kindness.

(to be continued)

ML-07/13/2003

A Skunk - Be Careful! Part 2

“God Himself . . . formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain.”
Isaiah 45:18

In the last article we looked at the striped skunk. The spotted skunk, sometimes called a civet, is another major species. It is among the smaller species, having habits much like the striped species. Some consider it the prettiest of all skunks with its soft, glossy fur and white-tipped tail proudly held over its back. The white areas of its fur form many patterns over its body, with no two skunks the same.

This skunk is most likely to make its den in a burrow or under a boulder, but sometimes it invades barns or crawl spaces under houses. Its musky spray is not as strong as others, but it is still effective. Unlike the striped skunk, it can easily climb trees for fruit and to raid bird nests. It will even go into water for frogs and crayfish.

The hooded skunk is the least numerous of skunks and does not have the prominent markings of other species. Its name comes from the long, white hairs that stand up on its head like a hood. It is found only in Arizona and New Mexico and in the country of Mexico. It prefers to make its home in an abandoned burrow. Living in the desert, its choice of food is limited to rodents, beetles and other insects. Occasionally it will add to its diet an unwary bird or its eggs, as well as fruit from desert plants.

The hognose or badger skunk has coloring different from the rest. The entire top of its body is usually white, as is its long tail, but the rest of it is brown or blackish with an occasional white spot. Its snout is bare, accounting for the name hognose. It is sometimes called a badger skunk because its claws are so much like a badger’s. Its back claws are dark and short, while its ivory-colored, front claws are strong and long, provided by the Creator for digging. Its food is similar to that of the hooded skunk.

Skunks show us the Creator’s wisdom in providing for all of their needs and giving them such an unusual means of self-defense. They have no way of knowing the One who watches over them, but the Bible tells us that “the works of the Lord are great. . . . He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion” (Psalm 111:2,4).

It is the Lord God’s compassion which has provided a Saviour to redeem from their sins all who call upon Him and trust in Him. Have you done this, and are you looking forward to being with Him in heaven?

ML-07/20/2003

The Deadly Cobra

“Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil [men]. . . . They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips.”
Psalm 140:1,3

A wide variety of cobras live in lands such as Africa, southern Asia and the East Indies, including the Philippine Islands. The one we will look at is the king cobra, the largest and longest poisonous snake known, reaching a length of eighteen feet. Cobras are nervous, and it is scary to watch one when excited raise its head two or three feet and then flatten its neck, expose its poisonous fangs with its greenish tongue flicking in and out, and stare at you with its beady eyes. Actually, it is more likely to retreat rather than attack and is more interested in finding a frog, bird, small snake or small mammal to eat.

Some varieties of king cobras have brownish-olive backs; others are gray or black with light bands over the back, with underparts ranging from white to yellow or black. Scales on the back of the larger variety are mostly deep black with some brown areas and the underpart a tannish-yellow. Their red eyes with coal-black pupils are always open since they have no eyelids, and they only see an object when it moves.

Snake charmers of India train small cobras to stay coiled in an open basket until the charmer plays a flute while swaying his body back and forth. Soon the snake rises up and also sways, to the delight of spectators who give the charmer a few coins for the show. Most of these people are unaware that the snake is deaf and can’t hear the music, but it is actually sensing danger and holding itself on guard. It would do the same thing without the music.

Many people in those Asian lands worship cobras. Tragically, they are taught by their heathen priests that these serpents are gods, controlling not only every person’s life and health, but also controlling their crops, sunshine, rain and storms. Expensive temples are built to worship these snakes, including idols often shaped like a coiled cobra or groups of them with raised bodies at various heights from the floor, having human heads crowned with gold or jewels. People bring flowers, food and expensive gifts, bowing down to these idols and worshipping them.

We are thankful for Christian people who try to turn these deceived people to the Lord Jesus as the only true, loving Saviour and away from the power of Satan. In Revelation 12:9, Satan is referred to as “that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which [deceives] the whole world.”

Do not let that evil one deceive you. The Lord Jesus wants you to put your trust in Him. His Word, the Bible, invites each person to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

ML-07/27/2003

The Importance of Oxygen

“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”
Psalm 150:6

What is colorless, tasteless and invisible? Oxygen, and it is essential for almost all living things-including people. Even fish need oxygen, and the Creator has provided them with gills to absorb oxygen from water.

Oxygen is important for many things. Hospitals use it every day to help save lives of seriously ill people or victims of accidents. Also, without it there could be no fire in your fireplace or furnace, no pure water to drink, and almost every living thing on earth would die.

With all this demand for oxygen, is there the danger that it may run out? No. The Creator well knew how much of this element would be needed to sustain all forms of life, and He provided an abundant supply when the world was created. He also planned for oxygen renewal.

Incidentally, if oxygen and hydrogen (which are the two elements of water) are separated from each other and exposed to fire, they would instantly make the fire burn more fiercely. But here is something amazing: When they are combined in the form of water and applied to a fire in a large enough quantity, they extinguish the fire! This is another wonderful provision of the Creator for the safety of humanity.

God, our Creator, has arranged a remarkable partnership between people and plants. People must have oxygen; plants must have carbon dioxide. The Creator designed each to supply what the other needs to maintain life.

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, which they need to live, and release oxygen into the air, which we need to live. For us to inhale this oxygen-enriched air into our lungs, we must first exhale carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide, harmful to our bodies, is exactly what trees and other vegetation need to live.

Let us always remember that our oxygen comes from trees and other plants of the world. We must be careful to avoid unnecessary destruction of plants - our only source of life- sustaining oxygen.

The Bible verse at the beginning of this article speaks of using our breath to praise the Lord. Have you ever thanked Him for His marvelous plan of salvation, as well as His amazing provisions for us in creation? Another psalm expresses it, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

ML-08/03/2003

The Pronghorn Antelope

“Turn not from it [God’s Word] to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”
Joshua 1:7

The pronghorn antelope, with its graceful horns, is found only in the western parts of North America and Mexico. It is the size of a small deer, with light tan coloring except for white fur on its face, underparts and hindquarters. This coloring allows it to blend in with the prairie where it feeds on grasses, the tender twigs of sagebrush and other shrubs.

A doe will use her sharp hoofs to beat off a coyote threatening her young, but otherwise the pronghorn has no real means of defense. However, being the fastest large mammal of North America, a mature animal can sprint for a short distance at a mile a minute and forty miles an hour for about two miles to escape from an enemy.

The pronghorn has remarkably keen sight. Its large eyes are placed far back on the side of its head, giving it a great circle of sharp vision. When it sees something threatening, it raises the white patch of fur around its tail - a warning signal to its companions-and they all run away. The Creator gave them the instinct to have one of their herd always stand watch. Even when they lie down, they face in different directions so an enemy cannot take them by surprise.

A doe usually bears twins in the spring. Their eyes are already open, and they are able to stand right away. Prowling animals cannot easily find them because they give off no scent for some months. At ten months they are fully grown, and by the end of a year they can run as fast as their parents.

What leads the pronghorn into trouble is its curiosity. Hunters will tie a piece of cloth to a stick and wave it in the air while remaining hidden. The pronghorn comes toward it to investigate, and the hunter shoots it. This is just like the person who knows that the Bible teaches the way “which leadeth unto life” (Matthew 7:14), but who is tempted to investigate the things that Satan and the world offer. Satan is always ready to deceive all who will be attracted by these temptations, leading them into tragedy and sorrow.

The Bible says, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). As our opening verse advises, do not be like the curious pronghorn and leave the right path. The Lord will give you the strength to stand firm and show you the right way. His instruction is, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee” (Psalm 50:15).

ML-08/10/2003

The Water Hyacinth - Both Loved and Hated

“The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.”
Song of Solomon 2:12

Beautiful flowers with sweet smells are usually enjoyed by everyone. However, there are a few exceptions and the water hyacinth is one. It’s true that it has a cluster of beautiful lavender flowers growing on a strong stem with green, curly leaves, but this beauty is the cause of a big problem.

Originally a native of South America, travelers found the water hyacinth so attractive that many carried plants back to their homes in countries all over the world. They could easily carry it since it is a floating plant and its roots need no soil. No doubt they were extremely pleased to see how quickly the plants multiplied in their garden pools . . . until they discovered they had a real problem on their hands.

The water hyacinth grows and multiplies so quickly that it soon takes over a garden pool, choking out other water plants. Just ten of these plants will, in less than a year, multiply into thousands, until the surface of the water is completely covered. And if the pool is connected to a stream, some of the hyacinths will drift into the stream and start new groupings along the way, with some drifting on into a lake. If not soon destroyed, even a large lake can become completed covered, so that a boat cannot get through. Then these plants have to be pulled out and hauled away at great cost.

In spite of this problem, the plant does have a benefit that interests certain industries. The roots of water hyacinths live on the impurities in water - impurities like chemicals and other harmful matter that dissolve in water and make it unfit for drinking or for use in swimming pools or in manufacturing. When this bad water reaches the plants, the impurities are taken out by the plants’ roots. This saves some of the expense of getting rid of the impurities some other way. However, removing the plants costs lots of money too, for workers have to continually go into these pools or lakes on rafts or boats to thin them out. But still the hyacinths and their problems are less costly than other water-purifying methods.

These lovely looking plants which can cause so much trouble make us think of bad habits that at first may seem harmless, but which can lead to serious trouble if they are not stopped. A Bible verse tells us, “Happy is the man that feareth [honors the Lord] always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief” (Proverbs 28:14). The Lord Jesus wants us to confess our sins to Him right away, and when we sincerely do this and trust in Him, He will forgive us. Be sure to remember this.

ML-08/17/2003

The Noisy Cicada

“[God does] great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.”
Job 5:9

The periodical cicadas, also called locusts, have the longest life cycle of all insects and are seen just once every thirteen or seventeen years, depending on their species. They appear in late May or early June, mostly in the northeastern United States, but some show up in the Midwest and northern California as well.

Most people become aware of them in early summer when they come out of the ground, sometimes millions of them, climbing tree trunks or anything upright and shedding their skins. In the next few hours, their bodies harden as their large wings unfold, growing stronger and becoming colorful. They can then fly short distances into trees.

Males make an ear-piercing buzzing song to attract females. The shrill notes are not made with their mouths but are produced by vibrating drum-like membranes on the undersides of their bodies. Sometimes males will group together, producing a chorus of song. At times they will suddenly become totally silent for several seconds—as if by signal—and then all begin their shrill buzzing again.

These one-and-a-half-inch to two-inch-long insects with bulging eyes are harmless to people but do serious damage to tree branches. The females make deep slits on the undersides of twigs and branches for depositing their eggs. These twigs are so badly injured by these slits that the tips usually die. A few weeks after the eggs are laid, the outdoors gradually becomes quiet again as the adult life cycle is over and they begin to die. Their work of producing a new generation has been completed.

In a few weeks, the eggs hatch and the little nymphs appear and drop to the ground. They immediately burrow into the soil, not to be seen for another thirteen or seventeen years, unless someone uncovers a few when digging in the soil. What do they live on in the soil all those years? As far as scientists can tell, they feed on tree roots. This does not seem to hurt the trees.

There is another species of cicada which has a shorter life span, staying underground for only two to five years. These are called dog-day cicadas. Because different groups develop at different times, some adults appear each year, and their buzzing songs are heard in late July or early August.

The more we discover and investigate the great variety of animals, birds, fish and insects the Creator has placed on the earth, the more we are impressed with His wisdom in not only creating them, but in caring for them as well. We should say like King David did many years ago, “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 9:1).

ML-08/24/2003

Swamp-Loving Bitterns

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
Psalm 50:11

If you spend time in swampy areas and look closely, you may happen to see one of the lovely bitterns that make their homes in swamps. Being part of the heron family, there are many varieties throughout the world, and two of them are residents of northern United States and southern Canada.

Let’s look at one named the least bittern. It is called “least” because of its smaller size compared to other bitterns. It is only about twelve inches long when measured from its feet to the tip of its long bill when it stretches its neck straight up. Its body is only about the size of a quail or robin, but its legs, neck and bill are much longer.

The Creator has provided this secretive bird with colors suited to hiding in its marshy home of cattails, tall reeds, long grasses and low bushes. Its feathers are buff except for a black crown and back. Similar buff coloring on its neck and breast is lightly striped in black tones. This combination makes the bittern almost impossible to spot when something has alarmed it and it freezes with its bill pointing up in the midst of swamp foliage. If the wind moves the reeds, the bittern sways with the movement of the reeds. Adding to its excellent camouflage, the striped coloring of its long neck and breast look like the reedy plants in which it stands.

One reason bitterns like such watery surroundings is the plentiful food found there - fish, eels and frogs. They also eat mice and other small animals, various insects and seeds. Unlike most birds, they do not flock together. Usually only one is seen by itself or occasionally a pair.

Bitterns are among the world’s most cautious birds, preferring to stay in the surroundings that hide them so well. Only occasionally will they venture out on open water or into a close-by meadow for a meal of grasshoppers, other insects or seeds. They can run fast on open ground but fly slowly, keeping close to the tops of the reeds and brush.

Nests are built above water level where from three to six young are raised each year. The mother bird does all the incubating and feeding of her brood until they can care for themselves.

As we look at even a few of the multitudes of bird varieties in the world, it gives us happiness to realize the Creator, the One who is Lord of heaven and earth, has found pleasure in them all. But He says in Proverbs 8:31, “My delights were with the [children] of men.” You are much more important to Him than any bird, fish or animal - so important to Him that He died on the cross for you. Is He important to you?

ML-08/31/2003

Thrown in the Sea

“There arose a great tempest [storm] in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves”
(Matthew 8:24).

One cold November night about 9 p.m. in a small fishing village along Canada’s Bay of Fundy coast, two fishermen set out in a small boat to reach their fishing boat anchored offshore. The older man, 59year-old Leslie, and his 24year-old son Charles were about one hundred yards from shore in heavy seas and a sleet storm when their small boat was swamped by giant waves. Both men were thrown into the water.

The water in the Bay of Fundy is always cold, with temperatures reaching only in the forties in mid-summer. Many men have died, and still do die, in these waters where thirty-three-foot tides are the highest anywhere in the world. “[God commands], and [raises] the stormy wind, which [lifts] up the waves thereof” (Psalm 107:25).

Leslie, who could not swim, was suddenly in very serious trouble.

God’s Word, the Bible, says that “man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). “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). Man is a sinner by nature and needs a Saviour, and God has provided a Saviour for mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God is seeking to turn man from his own way, and He may need to raise a storm in your life for you to see your need. Turn to the Lord Jesus now and have your sins washed away by His precious blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

The wind was in the fishermen’s favor, as it was blowing toward shore and would help to carry them in. But the five-foot-high waves continually washed over them, and each time they swallowed more water. Finally, numbed with cold and exhausted, Charles managed to get his father to shallow water and then to the rocky shore. He rolled him over to remove his water-soaked coat and then dragged him out of danger.

After lying on the shore for some minutes, both men crawled the one hundred yards to their car and then were able to drive themselves home. Both lived for many years afterwards.

Leslie and Charles both are now with the Lord Jesus in heaven. They had put their trust in the only Saviour of sinners. Won’t you?

“The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56).

ML-08/31/2003

Red-Tailed Hawks

“[Does] the hawk fly by Thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?”
Job 39:26

There are many species of hawks, most of them quite pretty in a variety of colors. An outstanding one is called the red-tailed hawk because its tail is made up of beautiful red feathers, each with a black base and a pure white tip. The rest of its body is pretty too, either a tannish-brown, a bluish-gray or soft white. It is the most common hawk in North America, found in areas from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It is also found in Central Alaska and in Central America as well.

Because this hawk is found in so many places, it has been given a variety of names, including red hawk, chicken hawk (unjustly), squealing hawk, buzzard hawk and white-breasted hawk, but the official name is red-tailed. It measures about two feet long from its bill to the tip of its tail. When full grown and with wings outstretched, it measures about four feet across.

A red-tail usually nests in open areas near trees where mice, rats, squirrels and moles abound. It will perch perfectly still on a tree limb or fence post until one of these rodents is spotted. Then swiftly and silently it swoops down and captures it, killing it instantly. Its food also includes fish, rabbits, snakes, frogs, lizards and insects.

Besides hunting in wooded areas, these hawks often soar at great heights, making wide circles in the sky. Suddenly a pair of sharp eyes spots a prey far below. Then it dives silently at great speed and catches the prey in its sharp, curved talons.

Pairs of these birds stay together for life. They often use the same nest year after year in the fork of a treetop. Two or three eggs are usually laid during March or April, and both parents share incubating them for about a month. The young hawks learn to fly in a surprisingly short time and soon leave to be on their own.

An answer to the question asked in the opening Bible verse is given in Psalm 104:27: “These wait all upon Thee [the Creator]; that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season.”

When we think of all the birds and other creatures dependent on God, their Creator, for their needs, we are also reminded of His wonderful care over us. The Lord Jesus tells us, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:30-31).

Do you know the Creator as your Saviour? Can you say, “I will remember the works of the Lord: 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)?

ML-09/21/2003

Beauty in the Depths of the Sea

“O Lord, Thou art My God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things.”
Isaiah 25:1

The chambered nautilus, sometimes called the pearly nautilus, is considered to be the most beautiful and amazing shellfish in ocean waters. Only five species are living today; however, at least two thousand fossil forms are known. They are found along the coasts of the Hawaiian Islands, several South Pacific islands, South America and India, usually at the edge of coral reefs where waters are warm. They live at depths of twenty to one thousand feet.

When one of the coiled shells of these sea animals washes ashore, it is a real prize for a shell collector if it is not severely damaged. Live nautiluses are now trapped and placed in aquariums in the United States and other places so people can see their beauty. Measuring from eight to ten inches in diameter, their coiled shells are exceptionally pretty, with alternate red and white stripes over the top and solid pearly white underneath.

The animal and its shell begin life hatching from an inch-wide egg about as long as a man’s finger. As the animal grows, its shell develops in the form of a spiral. It adds a new chamber to its shell each time it outgrows the old chamber, and each one becomes slightly larger. For the first half-dozen years, it outgrows the chambers rather rapidly, but by ten years of age, just one chamber is added per year. When reaching its life span of about twenty years, its shell will have as many as thirty chambers surrounding the original center piece, and its body will be about the size of a man’s fist.

As the chambers increase the shell’s size, the unusual creature within moves forward while a new, perfectly curved partition forms behind it. When one of these shells is carefully cut in half, the beautiful, curved mother-of-pearl walls can be seen.

The nautilus has long, finger-like tentacles on the front of its body that catch small fish, crabs and lobsters, which form its food supply. A jet propulsion system moves it either forward or backward as it catches food.

These beautiful and interesting creatures are another example of the wonders of God’s creation, as the Bible verse expresses it, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven . . . the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

How important it is to not only know the Lord Jesus as your Creator, but to know Him as your Saviour. Is He your Saviour?

ML-09/28/2003

The Useful Water Buffalo: Part 1

“Behold now behemoth [large beast], which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. . . . His bones are like bars of iron.”
Job 40:15,18

There is no relationship between the water buffalo of Asia, India and Africa and the animals we often call buffalo in North America. Their correct name is bison.

Wild water buffalo, which live in grassy jungles, swamps and marshes, are huge animals, much like the large beast described in the opening Bible verse. Fully grown water buffalo measure up to six feet high at their shoulders and weigh more than a ton. Because of their fierce natures, loud roars and great strength, only a well-armed hunter would want to get near them.

But the water buffalo in which we are interested have been tamed over many years - becoming somewhat smaller in the process - and are as gentle as a cow with people they know and serve. They seldom kick or attack people or other animals and are more useful and friendly than most bulls on North American farms. It is not uncommon to see children or grown persons riding or even sleeping on the bare back of a water buffalo, with only a rope or strap needed to guide them.

As a working animal, milk producer, source of meat and even as a human companion, this bulky animal is one of the most important domestic animals in the world. Their owners consider them a source of power, wealth and pride. In fact, this large beast, with its droopy neck and massive horns, has become so valuable that its reputation is spreading to more and more parts of the world, where people welcome them to replace hand and machine labor.

These animals, that do work no other animal could match, are a successful answer for many farmers who cannot afford a tractor or other machinery. Surefooted, their broad hoofs are well suited for moving through deep mud. As a result, they have become the principal means of plowing and preparing rice paddies in many areas which are covered with several inches of water with muddy soil underneath. Besides plowing, water buffalo transport heavy loads on sleds or carts and do a variety of other jobs on farms where their slow speed is plenty good enough.

Do you think animals of this kind are watched over by their Creator? They certainly are. There is not one part of God’s wonderful creation, large or small, that is not under His watchful care, as this Bible verse assures us: “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are therein” (Nehemiah 9:6).

Let us never forget another verse that tells us: “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). Does that make you uneasy? or does it make you glad?

(to be continued)

ML-10/05/2003

The Useful Water Buffalo: Part 2

“God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle . . . and God saw that it was good.”
Genesis 1:25

Water buffalo seem to enjoy being up to their necks in a gooey mud hole. This is because they cannot stand much exposure to the sun. In the heat of the day, their owners allow them to move to shady spots or, better yet, wallow in a nice, cool pond or mud hole. Then they enjoy buckets of water splashed on them when the mud bath is over.

In addition to serving their owners with their work, water buffalo provide nutritious milk, which is much richer than that of dairy cows, from which butter, cheese and yogurt are made. Buffalo meat is very tasty, providing steaks and hamburger. They are useful in other ways too —their hides make excellent leather, and even the big horns are used for a variety of articles.

Considering all this, it is easy to see why water buffalo are so popular in Asia, India and Africa. As an example of the value natives in several Philippine cities place on them, every May 14 is a holiday mostly in their honor. Groomed very carefully with hoofs and horns highly polished, hair trimmed and flowers draped over their necks, groups of one hundred or more are proudly paraded through the streets.

Going back to the sixth day of God’s creation, God placed these animals, along with all others, on the earth, and they were peaceful and harmless in contrast to the present state of those in the wild. That sad change began to take place after sin came into the world, and sin has affected all of God’s lovely creation ever since.

The fact that many animals have been tamed provides a little picture for us to think about. By nature we all are sinners and are far from God. But through His love we can be brought in peace to Him, by admitting we are sinners and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. Through His death on the cross, He has carried away the sins of all who will admit their sin and accept for themselves what He did on the cross. When this is done, a wonderful change takes place — much more wonderful than that of a wild water buffalo becoming a tame one. We are sure of this because the Bible says: “Therefore if any man [person] be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you have not been changed, the Bible also says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Do not delay one minute longer! Be changed now while the opportunity is still offered to you.

ML-10/12/2003

The Lovely Avocet

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.”
Genesis 2:19

There are four species of the pretty bird called the avocet, and all are quite similar except for coloring. One of these is the American avocet. It migrates north in spring to the Arctic and returns south to Canada and the United States in fall. This long-legged, web-footed, 18inch resident of marshes and ponds is called a “wader,” because much of its time is spent wading as it hunts for food.

Beautiful color combinations mark the American species. The tan, smooth feathers of its neck, head and breast are set off with a small, white circle around each dark eye. It has a larger circle at the base of its long, up-curved, slender, black bill. Below the breast the body is pure white, partly covered with black wings. Long, slender, strong legs and extra-large, partially webbed feet complete the picture. In flight it trails its legs behind like a rudder.

When choosing a mate, the male, while wading in water, entertains a female sitting on the ground. She may encourage him with motions of her head and wings. He struts gracefully through shallow water, stopping now and then to bow to her. Then he spreads his wings wide and shows her how gracefully he can dance. If she responds to all this, they soon begin to build a crude nest on the ground.

The female lays three or four spotted eggs which will hatch in three or four weeks. The male incubates them for a week or more and then turns the rest of the job over to the female. If an enemy threatens her, he is close by and immediately comes to her assistance.

The baby chicks can run around soon after hatching. If the parents warn them to be still, they “freeze” immediately and stay that way, even permitting a person to pick them up.

The Creator has provided these birds with long, flat, up-curved bills to enable them to find food from the marshy areas. They use their bills to scrape along the bottom for shellfish and worms. They also swing their open bills back and forth just above the surface of the water to catch hovering insects.

The opening Bible verse tells of the Creator’s bringing all birds and beasts into the world, and we know He took great pleasure in all He created. More importantly, we are also told of His special love for each one of us. He wants each of us to accept the Lord Jesus as Saviour — the One who died on the cross, providing the only way to heaven.

If you have not yet come to Him, why not come right now? “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

ML-10/19/2003

OCTOBER 19, 2003

The Plump Wombat

“Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself to behold the things . . . in the earth!”
Psalm 113:56

The wombat, sometimes called the Australian badger, is another of the interesting animals found in Australia. It is a marsupial, which means the mother carries her baby in a pouch until the baby is able to fend for itself. With most marsupials, this pouch is on the front of the mother’s body, like the kangaroo’s, but the wombat’s pouch is on her back. It would seem the Creator did this so that in digging her burrows she does not throw dirt into the pouch or on the little one inside.

Wombats are chubby and waddle when they walk, resembling bear cubs in many ways. Adults are two to three feet long and may weigh eighty pounds. Their long, coarse fur is most often brown, but some have fur that is gray, yellowish or black. They have broad heads with snouts like pigs, very small tails and strong legs and claws used for digging their burrows. They also have sharp teeth for gathering roots, leaves and bark for food, which is done at night. They curl up and sleep in their burrows during the day. These animals can be affectionate pets.

Babies are as tiny as mice at birth and immediately crawl into the mother’s pouch, where they nurse and develop for about six months. When the mother walks about, her baby may be seen poking its head out, watching where they are going.

One species, which lives in the southern forests and grasslands of Australia and nearby islands, has the name hairy-nosed and likes living together in large colonies. Their hair is silky, and with their long ears and furry muzzles they are rather cute.

A more common wombat has the name naked-nosed. This one is larger and has much coarser hair, short ears and a leathery nose free of fur. These prefer living in smaller groups.

All wombats, like badgers, are powerful and tough for their size. They live in burrows, many of which interlock with several openings. They will frequently move from one burrow to another, perhaps doing this to keep their enemies from knowing exactly where they nest.

Wombats are a good example of an interesting animal which God created and still cares for. The pouches of marsupials are an excellent illustration of how all animals have been created for their individual way of life. This way of life has continued “after their kind” ever since God said, “Let the earth bring forth the . . . beast of the earth after his kind” (Genesis 1:24). This includes the fact that a dirt-digging marsupial like the wombat was always to have its pouch on its back, in contrast to the others having theirs on the front. The wise Creator has made them this way.

ML-10/26/2003

Garden Eels and Flying Fish

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

Garden Eels

If you were to look underwater near some beaches in the Red Sea, you might come across what looks like a group of three-foot-long pieces of black garden hose standing upright and gently swaying as the water flows around them. But as you would move closer, they would sink out of sight, one by one, into the ocean bottom. Then, if you remained perfectly still, they would come back up, and you would later learn that these marine creatures are called Gorgasia, or garden eels.

They are nourished by specks of sea life that float into them. Occasionally they bend over and fight one another, perhaps over bits of food. But they usually stay upright all day long, sinking into their anchor holes at night.

Flying Fish

Unlike garden eels that spend most of their time motionless, flying fish spend most of their life in motion. Many of them make their homes in warm waters near the equator, but some can be found in warm waters as far north as Florida and California, as well as other parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The smallest species are only about two inches long and the largest about eighteen inches long.

These fish don’t really fly; they throw themselves out of the water by a strong push with their tails, flying through the air several hundred yards. They spread out their fins which act like the wings of a soaring bird. They can turn in flight, using their body muscles and tail fin. Flying is not done for fun. Like other small fish, they are often the targets of larger fish. They escape by taking to the air.

Sometimes they look like skipping stones as they skim over the waves, their tails flipping them back up each time they drop down to the surface of the water. They are seldom very high in the air, but occasionally drop onto the decks of small boats. Then they are likely to wind up in a frying pan, for they make a very tasty meal.

- - - - - - - - -

Does the Lord God, the Creator, pay attention to such things as garden eels and flying fish? He certainly does, as a Bible verse tells us that “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

This verse and many more like it cover all living things. But it is most important to notice that this includes people, for whom He has a special, loving care. He invites us to come to Him in faith and trust His wonderful love.

Do you know Him as your Saviour?

ML-11/02/2003

Food From Afar

“O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God!”
Psalm 36:67

Shortly after Columbus discovered America, explorers in Peru, South America, came across an important food they had never seen before. They were pleasantly surprised to find that these round or oval, hard tubers were good to eat after being boiled, baked or fried. The explorers took some home to the British Isles. They grew well there and had such good food value that they soon became a chief food.

What was it they had discovered? Potatoes! Soon so many potatoes were raised in Ireland that they got the name Irish potatoes. However, they should have been called Peruvian potatoes, since that is where they were first found. Even now, it is one of the world’s most valued and most widely grown vegetables, and new varieties are being developed.

Being a main food for so many of us, let’s look at the food value of a potato. It is about eighty per cent water and twenty per cent solid matter. Starch makes up about eighty-five percent of the potato’s solid matter, and protein makes up about ten per cent. It also contains important vitamins as well as the elements calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. And there’s good news for people who count calories: A medium-size potato contains only about seventy calories. But that number quickly rises if butter is added or eaten as potato chips or French-fried potatoes.

Potatoes are a close relative of tomatoes, red peppers and eggplants. However, they are not related to sweet potatoes or yams. Potatoes must be replanted each year since the plants die when the tubers mature or when frost kills the plant. The tubers develop on the underground parts of the plant and range in size from that of a pea to more than six inches long. Usually two to three potatoes develop per plant, but some varieties may grow ten to twenty per plant.

Potatoes are grown in every state of the continental United States, but most are grown on large farms in northern states where growing conditions are best. Russia actually grows more potatoes than any other country. Other leading growers are China, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, France and Spain.

When the Lord God provided necessities for all His creatures, it was throughout the entire world. On the third day of creation He declared, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [plants] yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth” (Genesis 1:11).

The more we learn of the great varieties of that wonderful provision in so many parts of the world, the more we should thank Him for His wisdom and loving care over all His creation and particularly for the way this benefits each one of us.

ML-11/09/2003

Birds That Build Playhouses: Part 1

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.”
Genesis 2:19

In Australia, New Guinea and neighboring islands, there are eighteen known varieties of bowerbirds. Some have descriptive names such as stagemaker, spotted, satin and gardener. They range in size from the nine-inch golden bower to the fifteen-inch Archbold’s variety.

Many are very pretty with feathers of green and orange and other bright colors. The satin bower is one of these, as is the regent with its golden-yellow head, neck and wing patches contrasting with its black body. Others are plain gray or brown. All nest either in bushes or in holes of tree trunks where four or five eggs are laid. These hatch in about two weeks, and the young soon learn to find their food, including fruits, seeds, lizards, frogs, spiders, insects and even small snakes.

The outstanding feature of these birds is that the males build elaborate playhouses, called bowers, which are used only to attract a mate. The most common type is located in bushy areas. The male first finds bushes where there are two rows of bare bush stalks that run parallel for several feet, a foot or more apart. He busily covers these rows by attaching long twigs and grass, arching them to make a dome overhead. Then he cleans out the walkway underneath to provide a smooth “run.” Some build more than one room and run and connect them together.

The male then decorates the walls and coverings with shells, bright feathers, flowers, colored leaves and pretty stones. Some of these items will also be spread on the walkway underneath. The final touch is made by smashing juicy berries into pulp and then, with his beak, painting it on the bare upright stalks. Each male decorates his bower with bright objects of one color. Interestingly, the nests of bowerbirds are not decorated; they are simple structures built mostly in trees and not on the ground.

Since these unique birds do not learn how to make bowers from their parents, how do they learn to build and decorate them? The answer is that when God created bowerbirds and placed them on the earth, He gave them the instincts needed for this special trait.

Considering how obedient these birds are to these instincts, perhaps we should consider if we are obedient to God’s instructions to us. One of these tells us, “[God] now [commands] all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30-31). Another verse gives us this promise: “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). Have you repented, confessed that you are a sinner, and accepted God’s wonderful salvation?

ML-11/16/2003

Birds That Build Playhouses: Part 2

“I know all the fowls of the mountains. . . . The world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.”
Psalm 50:11-12

Last week we learned about the God-given ability of bowerbirds to build dome-shaped playhouses, called bowers. Other types of bowers are also made by other species of bowerbirds. The golden finds a dead stalk out in the open that is six or seven feet high. He adds twigs and sticks that he has decorated with colored objects to the sides of the stalk. He may add shorter towers close by, carefully clearing the ground around all of them.

The MacGregor also makes his bower around an upright stick, but his is more elaborate. He adds a patio at the base, enclosed by a circle of pebbles in which he displays additional bright items. Another species, the gardener, builds a cone-shaped playhouse with a moss-covered court where he places flowers and fruits. He replaces these daily.

The golden crested uses a tree fern with its umbrella top. He interlaces sticks several feet high around this fern, forming a fence. Attractive objects are attached all around, and a patio is included. He usually places three neat mounds of fruit on the patio, with each mound a different color.

Why do the bowerbirds build these strange playhouses? For one purpose only - each wants to show his work of art to a female bird, hoping she will be attracted to it and accept him as her mate. Having completed his project, he flies to a nearby branch and pours forth song after song, hoping a curious female will come to investigate. When one shows up, he becomes greatly excited, flies to the ground, perhaps picking up a berry and offering it to her. Then to attract her to his bower, he struts proudly through the run or around the patio with his wings outstretched, showing off his bright colors. Outside the run he hops around and sometimes jumps over his bower to impress her. But if she isn’t interested, she flies away, and he returns to the tree branch to invite another female. Strangely, when the male has finally attracted a mate, they abandon the playhouse and build a simple nest elsewhere to raise their family.

How great a variety of birds God gave us! Each one displays His wonderful creation. Revelation 4:11 tells us why He created so many wonderful and interesting things: “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” As we view any part of His creation, it is plain that it is only God who could produce these many wonders. At His word all were instantly created and given the ability to “bring forth after its kind.”

ML-11/23/2003

Unscramble Bible Book Names

Can you unscramble these names of books
in the New Testament?

H O N J

__ __ __ __

L E M O N H I P

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

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-09/14/2003

For Little Folks

ML-07/20/2003

"G" Names Word Search

This word search uses Bible names which begin with the letter “G.” See how many of the names listed below you can find among the letters. Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction.

GABRIEL GAIUS GATH GETHSEMANE GILEAD GOLIATH

GAD GALILEE GENESIS GIDEON GILGAL GOSHEN

ML-04/20/2003

Scripture Verse Word Search: Romans 2:4

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.

“Despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

ML-05/04/2003

Scripture Verse Word Search: Proverbs 29:1

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across - every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “that” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1).

ML-07/06/2003

Scripture Verse Word Search: Isaiah 43:1

Can you find the words of this Scripture verse in this word search? Look up, down, diagonally, backwards, across—every direction. Use a ruler if necessary.

Circle each word in the diagram as we did with “not” and then circle the same word in the verse once you have found it.

“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

ML-08/17/2003

Messages of God's Love: 2003

Table of Contents

Trisecting an Angle with a Compass

Born a Captive

Missing Clothes

Caesar, the Saint Bernard

Skating on Thin Ice

Saved From a Rattlesnake

"I Love Jesus"

Thomas' Substitute

"Where Is Steve?"

A Box of Pennies or a Hundred Dollar Bill?

Rescued From the Wreckage

"Tarzan" Gone Wrong

A Lesson From a Three-Year-Old

Refusing to Move

Rhoda and Peter

The Taste of Sin

Freeing a Skunk

Hook-in-the-Nose

New Snow

"Can't You Talk?"

Just Like Gimpy

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Possum

Relighting Flames

"No Trespassing"

Almost Killed Twice

An Unwise Bird

She Trusted Her Father

Bark or Bone?

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Wasps

Anchored Firm

Costly Yellow Jackets

A Dangerous Game of Tag

Arrested for Burglary

The Destruction of Pete and Charlie

The Tough Eyelid

"Merci, Zot, Pour Jésus."

A Biking Accident

A Lesson From a Dove

"What's a Fool?"

A Windshield Lesson

Kissing a Rattlesnake

Teeny

Ladders and Heights

"To Shore, Tang!"

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: Little Margaret

A Voice in the Pain

Orphan Lamb, Accepted

Swept Downstream!

An Old Lady's Story

Raccoons in the Chimney

Ynnad

"Tomorrow? Why Not Right Now?"

What Skipper Wanted

Wayne and the Cougar

"Mockers"

Isidoro

A Terrible Fall

A Sword in His Mouth

Puff Adder in the Potato Plant

"It's the Eyes!"

The Humming Caretaker

Dinky

Paul's Story

Alison

A Letter From Gramma and Grampa: The Blue Jays

The Tree Bridge

Put Salt on Their Tails

The German Shepherd and the Husky

The Swerving Driver

Paid in Full

A Loon Comes for Help

How to Be Saved

The Trouble With the Clock

Carried by the Tornado

Stalked by a Cougar

The Birds Learn a Hard Lesson

Michelle's Secret Power

Selling Sunday School Papers