Messages of God's Love: 2012

One of my favorite words is very short. It is the word “DONE.” When I have a long To-Do list, it is fun to be able to cross off one item and write “Done” beside it, especially if it was an important one.

I expect even you school children may have To-Do lists:

1. Work on math homework (ugh)

2. Work on my science project (this one is fun)

3. Clean up my room (it’s always on the list)

4. Set the table for dinner (tonight’s my turn, again)

5. Scrub the mud off my boots (it was fun getting the mud on)

And grown-ups always seem to have To-Do lists, and usually they don’t get everything on their lists finished. They just keep adding more things to replace what has been crossed off with the word “Done” beside it.

If God were to have a To-Do list, one item would be Number 1 and would have been the most important of all and the very hardest of all! It must have caused Him great pain rather than pleasure to do it. That most important item became the greatest Number 1 the world has ever known:

1. PROVIDE A WAY OF SALVATION AND FORGIVENESS TO ALL SINNERS!

We humans brought sin into God’s perfect world and ruined it. As a result, we have been separated from Him by our sins and face punishment for them, which we deserve. But God is a God of love, and He and His Son had a plan to fulfill that difficult Number 1. When the right time came, God sent His own beloved Son, Jesus, to earth to die on a cross. He came willingly as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world, that all who trust Him for their soul’s salvation will be saved. The Bible tells us that the last words of the Lord Jesus on the cross were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). God’s own Son, by His terrible suffering and death on the cross, has fully paid the required penalty for sin! As a result, the door to heaven was opened, and it is still open today to “whosoever will”! The way of salvation was crossed off as “DONE”! “Come ... and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). “The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

He is waiting and willing to save every single person who comes to Him for salvation, and by coming, your name will be written in the Book of Life with the word “DONE!” beside it. Then “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

If accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour is still on your To-Do list, do it now and have the joy of crossing it off as DONE!

ML-01/01/2012

God Feeds the Gulls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-01/01/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Water and Ice

“Trust in the living God, who is the Saviour [Preserver] of all men, specially of those that believe.”

1 Timothy 4:10

Everyone knows that hot liquids rise to the top and cold ones go to the bottom in a container. Right? Not always. Although this is true of other liquids, water is an exception. Cooler water does become heavy and drops toward the bottom when first exposed to cold air. Warm water beneath rises past it to the surface. This continues until the water temperature cools to 39°F (7° above freezing). When this temperature is reached, something unusual happens. Instead of sinking, the water at this temperature remains on the top, and when the temperature drops to 32°F, it freezes there. The warmer water is still underneath, but it can no longer work its way to the top.

Everyone also knows that the hotter things become, the more they expand, and the colder they become, the more they contract. Right? Not always. Water is again the exception. As ice forms, it expands, which helps to make it lighter than the water below. The water temperature under the ice is always 34.2°F (more than 2° above freezing). Continued cold weather may make more ice form, but it is always from the top downward.

Surely the Creator had a wise purpose in making this exception. Here is at least one good reason. If cold water in a pond, lake, river or ocean continued to drop to the bottom, what would happen? When the temperature reached the freezing point, ice would form at the bottom, building up layer upon layer, until the whole area would become a solid block of ice. No water would remain, and all fish and other marine life would die. When the air temperature warmed up, only the ice on top would melt. The ice below would never melt under these conditions, except in very shallow places.

Not only would all marine life die, but everything living on land would also die. Water in liquid form is essential to the preservation of all life. Streams and rivers would stop flowing, ocean currents would be changed, and so many things would be affected that life could not go on. But as it is now in God’s amazing creation, fish and other water creatures live normally in their liquid environment. There may be a temporary ice covering over them, but life for them and on earth goes on in its usual way.

Here is another example of the Lord preserving and caring for all His creation. How wonderful to trust the God of Psalm 36:6, “Thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.”

But while it is good to know Him as Creator, how much more important it is to know Him as Saviour. As our Saviour He gives us eternal life when we trust in His finished work on Calvary’s cross. “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). Do you know Him as your Saviour?

ML-01/01/2012

Stranded on a Ski Lift

Dominic paused at the top of the mountain, feeling the chill in the frosty air as the sun dipped lower in the sky. A quick check of his watch told him that it was almost 4:00, and he decided to call it a day. He’d had a great time snowboarding down the snowy slopes, but now it was time to quit. Since the ski lift was nearby, he made a quick decision to get on it and ride down the mountain.

All was well for a short time as the ski lift moved downwards towards the foot of the Austrian mountain and the warmth of the ski lodge in Hochzillertal. But then, unexpectedly and suddenly, the ski lift came to a complete stop. The ski operator had shut down the lift, not realizing that far above him Dominic was still in the lift and only partway down. Suddenly Dominic found himself in a quiet lift that was no longer moving. It was only -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dominic shouted for help, but the engine noise of distant snowmobiles drowned out his cries, and no one heard him. He thought about jumping down to the ground below but figured he might break both legs jumping from such a height, and then he would probably freeze to death. There he was, suspended far above the snow-covered slope, shivering with the cold, and he did not have a cell phone. A sign had been posted at the top of the lift that said it was not to be used for downward trips. If only he had paid attention to that warning message!

Do you know that God has posted a warning to us? The Bible says, “There is a way that [seems] right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). Many think the right way to get to heaven is to try to be good or to go to church faithfully or to be kind to people and not harm anyone. But the Lord Jesus tells us that this is the broad way that leads to destruction. He has made a way, the only way that leads to His home in heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Lord Jesus died to take our sins on Himself and pay the penalty for them. Now He invites you to accept the free gift of salvation that He paid for. You cannot earn it. It is not what you can do but what He already has done for you. All the “being good” in the world is not enough to pay the price for sin. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

It is a serious matter to ignore a warning. Dominic had read the sign at the top of the mountain, and the consequences had caught up with him. It soon became dark and colder. He placed his hands in his armpits and tensed his muscles to keep warm, but he began to grow colder and numb and was falling asleep. He began to realize that he would freeze to death before help could come in the morning. What could he do?

He thought of the money he had brought with him. He could not spend it now, and it would not be of any use to him if he died. He was only 22 years old, and he did not want to die! Then the thought came to him that if he could make a little flame of fire with that paper money, maybe someone would see it and wonder why there was a flare of light on the darkened ski lift. So he found his lighter and started to burn what he carried with him. First he set fire to a paper tissue. Then he burned some business cards and restaurant receipts and finally came to his paper money. That money had seemed important to him only hours before — now only one thing mattered. By destroying it, could he save his life?

Carefully he brought the flame of the lighter to his first piece of paper money — a Euro bill. It caught fire, and for a few minutes there was the warmth and a little light. Would anyone see it? But no one below noticed, and Dominic was still trapped and shivering in the icy darkness. Soon he burned another. One by one he burned the bills, until a total of €100 (about $135) went up in flames. At last only one bill was left. He lit it carefully.

Just at that moment, a snowmobile driver going along on the dark mountain below spotted the tiny fire. “How strange,” thought the man, and he decided to raise an alarm.

It was another thirty minutes before the right people could be contacted and rescuers could reach the lift. Dominic was finally freed at 10:30 p.m. He was treated in the hospital for hypothermia and able to go home later that same night. Although his money was gone, his life had been saved.

Do you think money will help you get into heaven? No amount of money in the world can buy you salvation. Dominic was saved because he chose to burn up his money and because someone noticed. The Lord Jesus does not want your money, but He does want to rescue you from your sins and save you from a lost eternity. He loves you and gave His life to save you, and now He invites you to accept His gift. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

ML-01/08/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Mussels

“Lord, Thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.”

Acts 4:24

Like other bivalves, mussels are animals that live in water. They live inside two protective shells hinged at the back so they can be opened and closed. Mussels are often found on offshore rocks at ocean beaches where they are alternately covered with water and exposed to air. Food from the waves is sucked in through a long siphon and passed on to their gills, where thousands of microscopic hairs trap the food and force it on to their mouths.

Living in groups, the edible blue mussel attaches itself to ocean rocks, using an adhesive from a gland in its “foot.” Thousands of tons of water beat against it from tides and waves, yet it clings tightly to its home. Isn’t it amazing that such a small form of life can resist such great power?

Another amazing fact is that mussels do not die when the tide goes out and leaves them exposed to air. They stay alive during this temporary dry spell by keeping water inside their shells and by moist seaweed and moss draped over them by receding water — all a planned part of God’s protective care.

Freshwater mussels are like their ocean cousins but live on the bottom of a stream or lake. There the female lays thousands of eggs, carrying them in a mantle (a fold in the body wall) attached to her shell until they hatch. After hatching, each little mussel, which is equipped with numerous tiny hooks, attaches itself to a passing fish. It remains there for several weeks, feeding on the fish’s blood. This does not kill the fish. After the mussel has grown to a good size, it drops to the bottom of the stream to live as an adult.

One of the mussel’s greatest enemies is the muskrat. Knowing its teeth cannot break the hard shell, the muskrat takes them out of the water one by one, spreads them on the ground and occasionally turns them over. Uncomfortable in the heat of the sun, the mussels open their shells. This is what the muskrat has been waiting for, and he quickly eats them.

Everything about these small creatures reminds us of the wonders of God’s creation and His delight in making such great varieties of all things. The Bible tells us, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible. ... All things were created by Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).

While they all act by God-given instincts, they do not know anything about their Creator who takes care of them. But God has given you and me intelligence so that we can know Him and His great love for us. Have you taken the opportunity to know Him and His Son, Christ Jesus, who died for us?

ML-01/08/2012

A Surprise and a Secret

They climbed up a very high mountain that day. The three men with the Lord Jesus were Peter, James and John. The Lord knew exactly what would happen on that mountaintop, but the three men who followed Him did not know. Jesus had said, “Follow Me” (Luke 9:23), and that was enough for the three men. They knew who had called them, and they followed.

It must have been a long climb that day, and the three men were so tired that they fell asleep after the climb. It was a wonderful surprise on the mountaintop, not like anything they had ever seen before, but they almost missed it. There was Jesus, shining like the sun! His face was bright as sunlight, and his clothing was white as the light. There were two men talking with Jesus — Moses and Elijah. I don’t think that Peter and James and John understood what the two visitors talked about with Jesus, but I do, and if you read Luke 9:31, you will understand too.

Seeing these two Old Testament men of God talking with Jesus was all so wonderful that Peter did not want it to come to an end. He wanted to make three tents of worship — one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.

Wasn’t that a good plan? No, not at all! You can’t put Jesus on the same level with anybody else. Jesus is more than a good man; Jesus is truly the eternal Son of God!

A cloud came and overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud that said, “This is My beloved Son: hear Him” (Luke 9:35). And they fell on their faces and were afraid.

Now they knew it was God who had said those words, but our loving and kind Jesus did not want them to be afraid. He touched them and said, “Arise, and be not afraid” (Matthew 17:7). And there was Jesus alone with them.

Jesus had one more thing to tell them as they climbed down the mountain. He said, Don’t tell anybody what you saw. (Then if it’s a secret, how do we know?) They listened as Jesus added, Until the Son of Man is risen again from the dead.

Peter, James and John did not understand what Jesus told them, because when He was dead, they were totally sad, and when He rose from the dead, they were completely surprised.

But what Jesus had said was the truth. He DID rise from the dead, and then it was time to tell others what they had seen on the mountaintop.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Matthew, Mark and Luke tell this story. Read it in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-13 and Luke 9:28-36.

Memory Verse: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25

ML-01/15/2012

The Biggest Piece of Money

It was cold, very cold, one night many years ago. Jimmy stood by his small newsstand on the corner trying to sell papers. There was hardly anyone on the street that night. Those passing by were bundled up against the cold wind, hurrying to get inside. No one wanted to stop long enough to buy a paper.

Jimmy wanted to buy a cup of coffee to help him warm up. His clothes were old and nearly worn out, and his coat was not very warm. But he did not even have a nickel, and that is what a cup of coffee would cost. If only he could sell a paper.

Here comes another man, he thought as he shivered again. “Buy a paper, mister?” he asked.

The man looked at Jimmy. “I don’t need a paper,” he said, “but would you like some money to buy a cup of coffee?”

“I sure would,” replied Jimmy. “That’s why I wanted to sell you a paper.” The man pulled a handful of change out of his pocket and handed it to Jimmy saying, “Take one piece of money.”

Jimmy picked out a nickel and said, “Thank you, sir,” and turned to go to a nearby restaurant. Then thinking about it, he turned back to the man who still stood holding the handful of money. “Did you say I could have one piece of money?” he asked. “Could I have a dime?”

“Yes,” replied the man. “I told you that you could have one piece of money.”

Jimmy put the nickel back and took a dime. But there is a quarter and there is a fifty-cent piece, he thought, still looking at the handful of money. “Mister, could I have the fifty-cent piece?”

“Yes. I told you that you could have one piece of money,” the kind man repeated.

Jimmy put the dime back and took the fifty-cent piece, the biggest piece of money in the man’s hand. “Thank you,” he said again and turned to leave.

“Wait a minute,” said the man. “I am glad you took the biggest piece. That’s what I wanted you to take, but you took the smaller piece first. Did you know that God has many gifts for us? You use them every day. He gives you air to breathe, food, a home, a mother and father — many things that you take for granted.

“But God has a much better gift for you. He wants you to accept this gift — His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you will receive His best gift, believing that you are a sinner and that Christ died on the cross for your sins, He will give you everlasting life. There will be a home ready for you in heaven, besides His other gifts to you while you are here on earth. Won’t you accept His best gift now and thank Him?”

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

Have you accepted God’s “biggest piece of money” — His gift?

ML-01/15/2012

The Happy Warblers

“I [the Lord] know all the fowls of the mountains.”Psalm 50:11

Warblers are well named, defined by the dictionary as “small songbirds that sing in a trilling manner.” This means their songs have a long run of notes that run up and down quickly and with many variations.

There are about 125 varieties of warblers. Most of them spend the short summer months in North America and the rest of the year in Central and South America and a few other tropical areas. They are small birds, about the size of a sparrow or a little smaller. All are very active and have cheerful, warbling songs, although their songs are not all the same. There is also a great variety of pretty colors among the warblers, including red, yellow, blue, greenish-gray, yellow-green and orange, with many having black and white accents.

Warblers are a real help to us. They eat caterpillars, moths, plant lice, aphids and other insects that are harmful to growing crops and flowers. Farmers are pleased when these birds nest nearby.

Their food is obtained in a variety of ways, and the Creator has specially designed the beaks of each kind for their needs. For instance, the long, slender beak of the blue-winged variety easily penetrates buds and flowers for insects that are otherwise hard to reach. The American redstart has a flat beak that helps it capture insects flying through the air. Each kind of warbler’s beak, legs, feet and wings are designed in ways that only the Creator could do for its individual pattern of life. Many find insects in foliage while walking on the ground; others find their food while flying; some, like the black-and-white species, hunt insects on tree trunks and branches. The Creator gave them strong claws on their feet so they could cling to the side of a tree.

Nests are mostly cup-shaped in trees or shrubs, but a few build them on the ground or in rocky areas. The females construct the nests in which they usually lay four eggs, incubating them for nearly two weeks. When the little ones are hatched, both parents feed them for another two or three weeks before their feathers are developed and they are able to fly away on their own.

These cheerful birds, with their great variety of songs, would surely thank God for His goodness if they were able to. Perhaps King David was thinking of this when he wrote, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). But he knew birds could not do this with their voices and added in the same verse, “Praise ye the Lord.”

We should praise Him for His wonderful works and His love and goodness in dying on Calvary’s cross for the sins of everyone who will accept Him as personal Saviour. Have you thanked Him for that work of love for you?

ML-01/15/2012

Will's Scary Dream

Will lived close to his grandfather’s farm, and most days he loved to go there to see what was going on. But on the days when he knew his grandpa was going to butcher an animal that had been raised for meat, Will stayed away. Still, he wasn’t always able to avoid seeing the butchering going on. One moment the animal was alive, and then it was killed and soon ready to be cut up and become meat for many meals for his grandpa’s family. The butchering was messy and even a little bit scary to watch.

Will’s family loved the Lord Jesus. Every evening after dinner, they all brought their Bibles and read a chapter from that precious book. Will had often heard how God the Father had sent His only, much-loved Son into the world to be hung on a cross to die for sinners. Will knew he was a sinner and needed to be saved, but he just never got around to settling the matter of his sins with the Lord Jesus.

One night when Will was seventeen, he had a horrible dream. In his dream something had happened at school, and because of what had happened, some of the students were going to be butchered, just like Will had seen the animals killed on his grandpa’s farm.

In his dream, the butcher pointed at Will and said, “Your turn next!”

Will thought, Oh no! ... I’m not saved, and I’m going to die and end up in hell! Still in his dream, he cried to the Lord Jesus to save his sinful soul! Then he woke up.

Wow! Am I ever glad that was only a dream! But I’d better hurry right now and ask the Lord to save me for real! Otherwise I might die without being ready, and how awful that would be! And Will did just that and settled the matter of his sins with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you settled the matter of your sins with the Lord Jesus who died for you and made the payment for sin? He loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Do you know that we can’t take even one sin into heaven with us? They must all be washed away in Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. All you have to do is tell Him that you are truly sorry for your sins and that you want Him to remove them forever, which is what Will did. He was relieved to have the matter settled once and for all. Now He knows that no matter what happens in his life, Jesus is his Saviour and he is ready for heaven.

If you have not come to Jesus yet to be cleansed from your sins, won’t you do it right now? Don’t be like Will and wait until you are seventeen. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). “In whom we have redemption through [Jesus’] blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Memory Verse: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7

ML-01/22/2012

The Library Fine

Recently I went to the library to take out some books. While checking them out, I was totally surprised when the lady, after carefully checking the computer screen, looked at me and said, “There is a book fine outstanding since last December. A book you returned was overdue, and this fine will remain on our records until you pay it. Do you want to pay it now?”

I was shocked to think that, quite unknown to me, there was a fine against my name. No mistake about it, the fine was mine. But it brought to my mind something far more serious. It is possible that some boys and girls aren’t aware of the fact that God is also keeping a record of everything we think and say and do. And no mistakes will be made. God tells us that all have sinned, and those with sins still on their record cannot enter heaven. (Every one of us can quickly remember some sins that are recorded against our names, and unless the penalty for our sins is paid, they will keep us out of heaven.)

How can we ever get these awful records wiped clean? I took out some money, paid the fine, and immediately the library lady cleared my computer record. Just a simple transaction between the library lady and me, and the record was gone in a few moments. But we cannot pay God money, for He clearly says, “Ye [are] not redeemed with ... silver and gold” (1 Peter 1:18). So what can we do about clearing the record of our sins since we can’t pay a fine for them?

There is good news. God has made a way for a guilty sinner to have his record of sins wiped clean and be made ready for heaven. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for my sins instead of me, and all I have to do is accept Him as my own Saviour. I must have a personal transaction with Him — come to Him with my record of sins, and He will clear that record because He has already paid the “fine” for me. The Bible says, “Christ ... once suffered for sins, the Just [Christ] for the unjust [you and me], that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Will you ask the Lord Jesus to wipe your record clean? “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions [sins] from us” (Psalm 103:12). “Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Gone, gone, gone, gone, yes my sins are gone;

Now my soul is free, and in my heart’s a song;

Buried in the deepest sea; yes, that’s good enough for me;

I shall live eternally. Praise God! My sins are gone.

ML-01/22/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Unusual Yak

“To every beast of the earth ... I have given every green herb for meat [food]: and it was so. And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

Genesis 1:30-31

Yaks are very large animals. Some stand six feet high at the shoulders and weigh up to twelve hundred pounds. They are covered with long, black hair that sometimes hangs almost to the ground. Their sharp, curved horns are two to three feet across. These animals live in high, cold altitudes, like the slopes of Mount Everest. Large numbers also live in Tibet at altitudes of fourteen thousand to twenty thousand feet where few other animals could survive. Various species are also in the East Indies, central Asia and China.

Female yaks and their calves form herds of a hundred or more, often feeding in deep snow, brushing it aside with their heads and hoofs to get at the grass underneath. When water is scarce, they eat snow. Most of the year the males live alone or in small groups. When wolves appear, adult yaks will quickly form a circle with their lowered heads and threatening horns turned outward. This is a defense taught by a wise Creator who cares for all His creatures.

During winter, a soft, dense undergrowth of hair grows beneath the coarse outer hair. As the weather warms, this is shed with clumps hanging from their bodies before dropping off.

Some yaks have been tamed as beasts of burden. These are the smaller species, but they are still strong and able to carry heavy loads twenty miles a day over mountain passes. They are agile creatures and can skillfully cross steep rockslides and do not hesitate to travel through deep snow or swim icy rivers.

They also provide rich milk and meat which tastes like beef. Their soft hair is used to make cloth, and their coarser hair is used in mats and tent coverings. Their hides are used to make saddles and boots.

The yak is another example of the wonders of God’s creation and reminds us, “The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof” (Psalm 50:1). He has adapted the yak perfectly to its cold environment.

But the thoughts of God toward each of us are deeper and more loving than toward any other creature! The Bible says, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you” (Jeremiah 29:11-12).

Have you accepted His kind thoughts? Have you ever prayed to Him and admitted that you are a sinner and accepted Him as your Saviour? If not, He waits for you to accept His love.

ML-01/22/2012

The Little Possum Visitor

Our dog Wesley and I were just returning to our house after taking a long walk in the snow around our little farm. Suddenly I heard Gramma shouting, “There’s a possum on the barbecue!” I quickly decided this was something I needed to check into since the barbecue is right beside our back door.

I watched Wesley very closely as I did not want the two of them to fight. Possums can be vicious fighters! I grabbed Wesley’s collar and led him upstairs and into the house. It was a struggle, but I won. He sure wanted to get at that possum!

With Wesley safely inside, I took a close look at the possum and saw that it was very young, perhaps two months old. It studied me very intently with those beautiful eyes that all possums have. So I began talking to the little animal very softly. (I better tell you right now that I had leather gloves on.) Then I slowly reached around it with my left hand, as it watched my hand very closely. Then with my right hand I caught it at the back of the neck and picked it up, just like we pick up cats. It did not struggle at all. I was still talking to the possum, and then I stretched out my left hand and placed it right in the palm of my hand!

I asked Gramma to go inside and get our son Doug, who was visiting us, to take a picture of it in my hand, and now you can see it! Isn’t it a beautiful little creature? Look at its fur with a little bit of snow on it, its dark eyes, pink nose and a mouth full of teeth. Notice its pink toes and claws and a little bit of pink on the tips of its dark ears. Beautiful!

This is a picture of one of our God’s creations! Immediately Genesis 2:19 came to my mind: “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.” This is a good verse to always remember, especially when you hear people trying to say that we came from monkeys or frogs or something else. I just politely ask them, “Well, where did the monkey and the frog come from?” And I point them to those Bible verses that we just read. Those verses are from the holy Word of God, and it never changes. Why? Because Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not.” And another good verse to remember is Hebrews 13:8, which says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

Our cute little possum sitting in my hand started to crawl up my arm. So I picked it up and turned it around, and it never tried to bite me! Next, I asked Gramma to get me some food for it. Then I carried it to the barn, put the food on the ground, set the possum down next to the food, and watched to see what would happen. That little fellow looked up at me and then started eating. I left the barn and shut all the doors. Two days later I found little possum tracks in the snow going away from the barn and heading down to the trees along the creek. Our little possum friend is FREE!

Children, at one time I was a slave to sin and Satan, because I was a sinner. Then when I found out that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) and that “the blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7), I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour right then and there! I knew my sins were gone and I was free and headed for heaven!

“How old were you, Grampa?”

I was fourteen.

Boys and girls, are you saved and free from your sins? Are you headed for heaven? Do not remain a slave to sin habits and other evil things. Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour right now. This will be the happiest day of your life, knowing that your sins are gone and you are headed for heaven!

Lots of love,

Grampa and Gramma

Memory Verse: “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air.”

Genesis 2:19

ML-01/29/2012

Evelyn's Worry

The Colosseum in Rome is a gloomy place even in daylight. Daddy, Mother and their six children were vacationing in Italy, and it was already dark when their van pulled up to the Colosseum. The children piled out and began exploring the ruins, except for little Evelyn, who was not her usual happy self. She stuck close to Mother, and her wide eyes kept peering into the poorly lighted ruins.

Suddenly, with a serious look, she asked her mother, “Do they still throw Christians to the lions here?”

Mother gathered her worried little girl into her arms and assured her that believers in the Lord Jesus were no longer thrown to the lions here in Rome. Still, God’s Word, the Bible, reminds us that our “adversary [one who is against us] the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It is good to remember that all around the world Christians are still feeling the bite of the roaring lion, the devil. Some are even paying with their lives for confessing that they belong to the Lord Jesus.

“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).

Boys and girls, please pray for true Christian believers in many countries where they are being put to death for following Jesus.

ML-01/29/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Unusual Opossum

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” Psalm 33:8

What is this strange creature coming down the forest trail that looks like a miniature gray trolley car loaded with passengers all hanging on the outside? It turns out to be a mother opossum (often called possum), carrying eight babies who are clinging to her back and her long, bare tail that she arches over her back. The mother opossum is very careful about her big family.

Female opossums are the only wild animals in North America that have pouches (like kangaroos). Although the most common one grows to about the size of a house cat, baby opossums are no bigger than a bumblebee when they are born. Within two minutes they smell their mother’s milk located in her pouch in the outer skin of her abdomen and climb in, remaining there for two to three months. Then for a few more months they are given piggy-back rides while their mother introduces them to other foods — fruits, nuts, insects, fish, frogs and earthworms. They mostly hunt for food at night.

One thing the mother doesn’t have to teach them is how to “play possum.” This is an instinct the Creator gave them when He first placed them on the earth, and it is carried on from generation to generation. When danger threatens, instead of trying to run away, they fall into unconsciousness and their bodies become stiff, their jaws drop open and saliva foams around the mouth, their teeth are bared, and their eyes are closed or half open. They look just like a dead animal and even give off a dead animal odor.

A fox or coyote might come up to one, but the opossum is usually left alone because the attacker is not interested in dead meat. Opossums remain this way for forty minutes to four hours before returning to consciousness and continuing their normal lives. Isn’t it wonderful how the Creator has given them this protection?

As we consider the various habits God has given all His creatures, we are amazed. One important provision He has given each of us is an intelligence to understand His precious Word, the Bible. It is there we find that He loves us, and He knows all about us. We also find that we are lost sinners. Yet His desire is that we might live forever in His heavenly home, although we cannot go there with our sins.

Does the Bible provide a remedy for us? Yes. In Titus 2:13-14 we read of “the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity [sin].” If we admit to Him that we are sinners and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins, God will then accept us as His very own sons and daughters forever and ever. How important it is to do this right now!

ML-01/29/2012

A Bad Shortcut

Last winter a 22-year-old medical student from Quebec, Canada, was driving to New Brunswick to spend the weekend with friends. Her car had a GPS (Global Positioning System), which she was using to help find her way. These systems are usually very helpful and dependable when you are driving in an area where you’ve never been before.

At one point the GPS directed her to take a shortcut. Like most of us wanting to finish our trip quickly, she decided to take it. However, this shortcut took her on a little-used road that soon became impassable with deep snow. Now she was stuck in the snow, lost and far from the main highway. But she did make the wise choice to stay with her car and not try to walk to find help.

Nothing was said in the newspaper article about this student praying to God, asking for His help, but hopefully she did. The article did say she was strong in character and that she did all the right things to survive. Not only did she stay with her car, but she also rationed the snacks she had with her. She had no idea how long she would be stuck there, and she said later that she expected to be there until spring.

Those of us who are trusting God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Saviour know that we can turn to Him at any time for help. There are many Bible verses that instruct us to do this. Here are a few: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “The angel of the Lord [encamps] round about them that fear Him, and [delivers] them” (Psalm 34:7).

The student’s story has a happy ending. Three days later snowmobilers who happened to be traveling that way rescued her. Do you think she’ll be quick to take another shortcut in the future? I don’t think so. And there are no shortcuts to heaven. God’s plan of salvation says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me [Jesus]” (John 14:6).

You can trust what the Bible says, because God wrote it and what He says is always true.

MEMORY VERSE: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

ML-02/05/2012

Teasing Isn't Always Fun

Is there someone in your family who really likes to tease? Denise was nine years old and thought it was fun to tease her brothers and sisters.

One summer day she and her younger sister Anne and younger brother Daniel were having fun climbing on an old lumber pile near a sawdust shed on their farm. It was not long until the lumber pile did not seem high enough, so they climbed onto the roof of the shed. The roof was on a slant, and they started at the low end and were going to crawl up to the high end to look over the edge. They knew very well that it wasn’t safe to be up there, but they decided to climb up anyway.

It so happened that an electric wire hung quite low over the lower end of the shed. Denise decided she was going to tease Anne and Daniel. Standing up, she yelled, “Watch me touch this wire!”

They all knew that wires could be dangerous. Anne and Daniel were sitting higher up on the roof, and immediately both of them screamed, “NO!”

Oh, but Denise was having fun. She moved her hand a little closer to the wire.

That really scared Anne and Daniel. As they yelled for her to stop, they did not realize that they were scooting higher on the roof—backing away from that dangerous wire.

Denise refused to stop. Finally her hand was so close it nearly touched the wire, and just then Daniel suddenly disappeared! He was so badly frightened that he had scooted right off the upper edge of the roof and fell to the ground below.

Now it was Denise’s turn to be frightened. Her fun was over. She and Anne peered down at their brother lying very still on the ground below.

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). The three children knew what they were doing was dangerous, but as long as they were careful they thought no one would know the difference. The Lord Jesus knows our hearts, that if we can get away with something once we’ll do it again. Sometimes He allows an unhappy event to stop us.

The girls called to their parents who came running. Dad carried Daniel right to the house. Poor Daniel was in a lot of pain and moaned and cried. It was punishment enough for the girls to see their brother hurting so badly. How thankful they were when they found out he had not broken any bones, and he soon recovered from the fall.

Often we may be doing something where we hope no one sees us. If it hadn’t been for the accident, no one would have known about the three children climbing on the shed roof. But how important to realize that nothing is hidden from God. “All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). He not only sees what we are doing, but He can look right down into our hearts. Some of us have hearts that are filled with sin. Some of us have hearts that are washed clean from sin.

Which kind of heart does He see in you? “Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

ML-02/05/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: How the Body Gets Its Oxygen

“The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7

Body cells keep us alive by performing their various functions. To do this they need a constant supply of oxygen, which begins when we inhale. As the air passes through the nose, it is warmed and moistened. If foreign particles are present, little hairs called cilia stop them. Sneezing or blowing the nose clears out these particles.

When we inhale, our lungs stretch like balloons being filled with air. Then, in about two seconds, the lungs contract and the air is exhaled. This takes place about fifteen or twenty times a minute. Getting a sufficient quantity of oxygen from this air and into the bloodstream is the main function of the lungs. This is why they need fresh, clean air that is free of smoke, dust and fumes in order to maintain good health.

When expanded, the lungs have a surface of about two square feet for the air to pass over, but this is not enough to take care of their work. When God designed man’s lungs, He wisely added to the lung capacity without making that organ huge and bulky. He did this by forming blood channels ending in tiny sacs all over the linings of the lungs. There are about 600 million of these sacs, which increase the capacity of the lungs to 600 to 1,000 square feet (larger than many classrooms), which is 300 times the capacity of the lungs alone! Each one of these tiny sacs brings blood to its surface. In the two seconds that air flows over these sacs, oxygen is transferred to the blood. This oxygen enriched blood moves on to the heart and is pumped throughout the whole body.

The lungs not only take oxygen out of the incoming air, they also remove carbon dioxide from the blood. This carbon dioxide is a product of the body-cell processes and must be removed. The blood carries it to the lungs where it is expelled by the lung’s exhaling action.

This entire process goes on without our thinking about it (except when we have a cold and have difficulty breathing). Only God could design and make our wonderful bodies and their remarkable details, which are the same today as when he created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God, “in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10), is always aware of everything pertaining to our lives. Have you ever thanked Him for His goodness in watching over you so carefully? “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

ML-02/05/2012

Why Did Ahithophel Die?

Ahithophel had a very good job. He was counselor to King David, and that made him a very important man. He was a wise man too, and his advice was good. He also had good health. Then why did Ahithophel die?

Here is the story. King David had a very good-looking son named Absalom who was a popular prince. But having lots of friends was not enough; he wanted to be king. And when he sneaked away from his father’s care and blew a trumpet to call his friends together, there were many who followed him. And included in that crowd was Ahithophel, his father’s wise counselor.

It was an excited crowd that followed Absalom, and they shouted, Absalom reigns in Hebron! They knew that the only way Absalom could become king would be by killing his father, King David. They also knew that the king had many loyal followers too. How could they win this battle?

Of course they asked Ahithophel, the wise counselor, and he gave Absalom some good advice. He said, Do it right away. Don’t give King David time to make plans. Fight him right now!

This reminds me of the day they planned to kill the Lord Jesus. Pilate, the governor, asked the crowd, What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all shouted, Let Him be crucified! But Jesus was the Son of God, and their answer was proof that they did not want Him.

Jesus made no answer to their shouting. He knew that He must die to save those very men who were shouting against Him. His friends had all left Him, and He stood alone. Then He was nailed to that cruel cross, and all the people jeered and insulted Him while He hung there. They were guilty of His death. But Jesus died like no other man ever did. God Himself poured out on Him the penalty for the full load of sins of every true believer. No one saw this, for it happened in the dark. But when the light came back, He cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Yes, the terrible penalty for sin had been completely paid! He left nothing for you and me to do but to trust Him! “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

After Ahithophel had given Absalom good advice, another man came along. His name was Hushai, and he said, No, Ahithophel’s advice is not good. Gather together a big army and lead it yourself in person against King David. Now Hushai was really working for King David, his friend. His advice gave the king time to escape and get his army ready for war.

Ahithophel was sure that his advice was good, and maybe it was, but it was not God’s way. Maybe you have some good advice about escaping the judgment of God, but at the end of the road, it won’t work! God’s Word is settled in heaven. There is no other Saviour but Jesus.

So what did Ahithophel do? He went home, set his house in order and hanged himself. That was the end of the road for him ... on earth. But he has yet to meet God about his choice.

And so you also must meet God someday, perhaps sooner than you think. Will you meet Him as a forgiven sinner and thank Him for all eternity for dying for you? Do you know that He loves you and will welcome you into His home in heaven forever? Or will you meet Him still with your sins and no loving Saviour and no precious blood to wash them away? You will face your own punishment.

When you are dead, you cannot change your mind. Then it is too late for forgiveness and a home in heaven.

You may read this story of Ahithophel in 2 Samuel, chapters 15-17.

MEMORY VERSE: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

ML-02/12/2012

A Lesson in Trusting

When I was a young person, I was given an assignment which I dreaded. I had to stand up and speak in front of a group of people. I had never done anything like that, and I was scared. I prayed about it more than once, but I had no peace about the assignment.

Early one morning I went out into the meadow where it was quiet and I could be alone with God. I sat down on the ground to think things over. As I sat there, a spider came along and began to spin her web. She climbed up one upright plant stalk and attached her silk to the top of it. Then she drew her fine line of silk over to another upright object and attached it there. I watched with great interest as she went around and around, until her whole beautiful web was woven.

The spider had chosen a good place for her web—an open place where many insects would be flying and be caught in her web. This would provide her with food. Then possibly her pattern would be to lay her eggs on that web and raise a spider family.

However, that spider didn’t understand the whole picture. You see, the second upright object that her web was attached to happened to be my boot, and in another few moments I planned to stand up and leave. This would bring her whole little world crashing down around her.

Are you sometimes afraid of something you see coming into your life? Or does your world seem to be tumbling down around you? That morning I learned a little more of how to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I knew the Lord was going to take care of that spider with her damaged web, and I was reassured that He was going to help me with my assignment too.

ML-02/12/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: "Proud as a Peacock"

“Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?” Job 39:13

The name peacock actually applies only to the male. The female is a peahen, and together they are called peafowl. Both of them are very pretty, but it is the male that has the most beauty with his thirty-inch body and five-foot tail. Each feather over his entire body is patterned with a brilliant iridescent “eye.” He seems to enjoy displaying this beauty by frequently spreading his tail and parading around.

These birds are native to Asian countries but have adapted easily to the many places where they have been taken. The Bible tells us that King Solomon imported them to Israel, probably to roam in his lovely gardens. The pharaohs of Egypt also imported them.

There are two main color types. One is known as the blue Indian. It has a metallic blue-green neck and breast, with purplish-blue underparts and a long train of greenish feathers. The blue Indian is the national bird of India.

The other is called Java green, and it has metallic bronze plumage and a crest of long, straight feathers on its head. It is the more splendid and stately of the two species, with longer and slimmer legs. Its face is blue or yellow, and the crest of its head forms a long, straight tuft of fully barbed feathers.

Both types are beautiful, but the blues are more popular because they are even-tempered. The greens are always fighting among themselves and sometimes attack people. The females (hens) of both varieties are pretty and almost as large as the cocks, but they lack the long train of feathers and crowns.

The “eyes” of the feathers on nearly all peacocks appear as a deep purple-green pupil, centered in an orange iris, topped with yellow, lavender and green semi-circles. How faithfully the design follows the pattern given by the Creator when He first placed them on the earth! Each generation of peacocks repeats the design perfectly.

The only thing that spoils these unusually pretty birds is their voice. It is disappointing to hear their harsh, rough cries that sound like fighting cats or someone desperately calling for help.

“Proud as a peacock” is a common expression. Of course, the peacocks do not know about it. But we who have the Bible to read and follow know that we should not let pride come into our hearts and minds. One Bible verse states: “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11). May we always remember to be humble and give all praise to Him, “the Son of God, who loved [us], and gave Himself for [us]” (Galatians 2:20).

ML-02/12/2012

Disobedient Hunny

Hunny was a large, hunting dog with long, strong legs for running very fast. This dog has one of the strangest sounding breed names—Weimaraner. This breed of dog also has webbed toes, so they are good water dogs too. But in our story today, Hunny wasn’t anywhere near water. She liked to go for walks and liked sniffing all the many smells in God’s creation ... especially animal smells.

Hunny also liked to please Jill, her master, but sometimes Hunny would smell something on their walks that got her attention, and then Jill’s voice wasn’t important. This day what she smelled so interested her that nothing else mattered, not even Jill’s calls to “STOP!” It was a rabbit, and Hunny chased after the rabbit as fast as she could run.

The rabbit ran into a thicket with Hunny close behind. Jill screamed, “STOP, HUNNY, STOP!” But Hunny didn’t obey; that rabbit was all she was paying attention to at the moment.

Hunny didn’t know there was a wire fence in the middle of the thicket. Perhaps Jill knew about the wire fence and screamed out the warning to her, but Hunny ignored Jill’s warning.

God sees far ahead in the paths you and I are walking, and He also sees dangers ahead that we can’t see. He warns us of these dangers in His wonderful book, the Bible. Here are some warnings He gives us that we should pay attention to and obey. “Flee from the wrath to come” (Luke 3:7). “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). “Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15). But if we choose to ignore God’s warnings, the results will be far worse than what happened to Hunny.

The rabbit was small enough to run right through the holes in the fence. When Hunny tried to do the same thing, she was too big to fit through the holes—BANG! The disobedient dog slammed into the wire fence that was in the middle of the thicket.

Jill was anxious that Hunny might have gotten injured, but remarkably, God spared her from a fence injury that day. Her only injury might have been to her doggie pride—that the rabbit got away.

God loves you very much and invites you to spend eternity in heaven with His Son, Christ Jesus, who died for you. He offers forgiveness for your sins if you will by faith accept Him as your very own Saviour. “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 choose to ignore His warnings and His offer of forgiveness, you will die in your sins and face “the wrath to come.”

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

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

ML-02/19/2012

Beautiful Snow

People in warm climates are often thankful they do not have to experience winter. But one thing many of them miss is the beauty of a snow-covered landscape when ugly scars on the earth are covered over with a soft, white blanket of snow and everything outdoors takes on a new beauty.

Millions of tons of snow fall over large areas each year. It fills us with wonder when we stop to realize that all that snow is entirely made up of delicate, beautifully designed snowflakes, one of which might not even cover your little fingernail. And such beautiful designs! People who study and photograph them continually find to their amazement that no two are alike.

With few exceptions, snowflakes are always six-sided. Sometimes the six sides are flat and straight, but usually they have six beautifully designed arms coming out from a center circle having its own design. Each spear-like arm matches the others on the same flake, but no two flakes have been found that are exactly alike. A scientist who made photographs of more than 400,000 snowflakes showed in his pictures that this was truly so. Isn’t that amazing! No one but the Lord God, their Creator, could design so many.

Snowflakes form in the clouds, starting as tiny specks of dust surrounded by little drops of water that change into flakes as freezing air blows on them. As they fall many collide, changing the shapes from which they started and arriving on earth with sometimes less than six sides, or becoming long and narrow. But, together with the unchanged ones, each has its part in forming the snowy landscapes that attract skiers, tobogganers and photographers.

Even more important is God’s planning. The snow on mountains, becoming deeper with each snowfall, is held in the cold temperatures on these high places until hot summer months. Then a gradual melting releases snow in the form of water into streams and rivers to supply necessary moisture to forests, meadows, gardens, ponds, lakes and reservoirs in the lower areas — wise planning of the Creator of all things.

In the Bible there is a lovely verse which says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). By “reasoning together” we learn that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to wash away our sins, and that by confessing ourselves to be sinners and accepting His offer to be our Saviour, we are saved.

If He is not your Saviour yet, He invites you to come to Him right now. He will accept you as one of His own, making your sins “as white as snow” in His sight.

“Great things doeth He [God], which we cannot [understand]. For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth” (Job 37:5-6).

ML-02/19/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Putting the Sun to Work

“The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.” Ecclesiastes 1:5

The Crocodile

Many crocodiles live in the Nile River. Their young hatch from eggs, and the egg laying and hatching is quite interesting.

Before laying her eggs, the female finds ground that is exposed to the hot sun. After digging a hole about a foot deep, she drops her eggs into it. Then she covers them with dirt and presses it down firmly. Until the eggs hatch, the mother crocodile stays nearby, guarding them. She will attack anything that tries to dig them up.

Nearly three months after the eggs have been laid, she seems to know that the babies are starting to break out of their shells. But unless they get help, they will not be able to get out of the deep nest since the sun-baked soil has become hard as rock. With her strong claws, the mother crocodile rips the nest open and frees the baby crocodiles. She picks them up very gently in her jaws, holding twenty or more at once, and carries them to the river or a pool where she releases them. After a few lessons in the water, they are on their own.

The Mallee Fowl

This large bird makes its home in Australia. Its method of hatching its young is quite similar to that of the Nile crocodile. Rather than making a nest as most birds do, the female digs a pit in the ground. She partially fills it with leaves, lays her eggs on them and finally covers it all with dirt. From then on she turns the care of the nest over to her mate.

The decaying leaves and the hot sun heating the soil provide just the right temperature for incubation. While waiting for the chicks to hatch, the male bird takes very good care of the eggs. From time to time he scrapes away the soil to check on them. If it doesn’t seem to be just right, he will sometimes clean everything out and make the nest all over again. Since his mate lays eggs several times a year in separate nests, the male spends much of his life babysitting eggs.

How did the crocodile learn that the heat of the sun would cause her eggs to hatch underground? Who taught her how to carry the babies to water? How did the Mallee fowl discover such a strange way to hatch her eggs? Who told the male how to take care of the nests?

Such instructions could only have come from the One who created them, and He instructed them the very day He created them.

Do you know the Scriptures have something to tell us about instructions? The Lord says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:8). The way of happiness is to follow His instructions and guidance.

ML-02/19/2012

Saving the Eaglets

Severe storms hit the area around Mooseheart, Illinois, last May. The winds were so strong that the bald eagles’ nest was blown 85 feet to the ground, and inside the nest were two young eaglets. They survived the fall but, being only five to six weeks old, they were too young to be able to fly or find food on their own.

Does God care about baby eagles? He certainly does. Does He care about boys and girls? He certainly does. Baby eagles need parents to feed them and take care of them, and God our Father has given most of you boys and girls loving parents who take good care of you. They not only give you good food and warm clothing and a bed to sleep in, but many of your parents tell you about the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, who loves you so much He gave up His life for you.

Do you know what the word “saviour” means? A saviour is one who saves another from danger or death. These little eaglets were going to need a saviour to save them or they would die. Not only could they not find food for themselves, but also there were animals on the ground at night that would like an eaglet or two for dinner.

And boys and girls and grown-ups also need a Saviour. That’s because we are all sinners, and our sins require punishment. The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We need to have our sins washed away by the blood of Jesus that He shed on Calvary’s cross for any who will come to Him to be saved. When our sins are gone, we can live in heaven with Him when our lives here on earth are over. Heaven is a safe and happy place, and there will be no dangerous storms up there.

Before the storms hit Mooseheart, some of the residents in the area had been watching the nest and the activity of the parent birds carrying food to the nest. This told the residents that there were eaglets in the nest, even though they couldn’t see them because the nest was very high off the ground.

After the storms finally moved out, several worried residents checked on the eagles’ nest. They discovered it had been blown to the ground and found the two little eaglets, still alive in the nesting material that had fallen into tall grass under the tree. They saw the parent eagles circling overhead, but they were not coming down to the nest to feed and protect their eaglets.

The residents called wildlife experts who decided they would build a replacement nest of stronger material, using some of the original nesting material inside. Once the replacement nest was securely anchored in a stronger tree, they carefully carried the two eaglets and placed them in the new nest.

Residents watched from a distance to see if the parents would come feed the eaglets. They were seen circling the new nest, but they never came down to feed the young birds. After several days, the wildlife experts felt the eaglets could not survive much longer without food.

A wildlife rehabilitation center was contacted and came to take the eaglets where they would be fed and cared for until they could be returned to the wild. After five months of special care that included training to fly, the rescued eaglets were fully grown, healthy and strong enough to be set free in a state park where many bald eagles return each fall to spend the winter. A river runs through the park that supplies the wintering eagles with ice-free water and plenty of fish to eat. The grown-up eagles were released in the park in November and will have a happy home in their new location.

The Lord Jesus has a happy home already prepared in heaven for boys and girls and grown-ups too who have accepted Him as their Saviour. Have you been washed clean from your sins so heaven with Jesus our Saviour will be your happy home someday?

“The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

MEMORY VERSE: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

ML-02/26/2012

A Twelve-Year-Old's Decision

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

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

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

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

ML-02/26/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Ever-Present Beetles - Part 1

“These may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth ... the locust ... the beetle ... and the grasshopper.... But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.” Leviticus 11:21-23

It is interesting to find beetles mentioned in the Bible and included in the “clean” food approved by the Lord for the Israelites. Most creeping things were not to be eaten, but the locust, beetle and grasshopper were exceptions. Do you know why? Read the Bible verse carefully, and you will see that the “clean” insects had legs above their feet. This raised them above the ground. The bodies of creatures without legs above their feet are always in contact with the ground.

This distinction is a lesson for us. If we allow Satan to occupy us with this world so that we do not want to be separated from it or to rise above it in our thoughts, this is not pleasing to God. But if our thoughts and affections rise above the world (heavenward) and separate us from it, then God is well pleased.

There are over 200,000 kinds of beetles, and it is interesting to notice how the Creator adapts each kind to its surroundings. All “clean” beetles have four wings. The top pair is a stiff outer case not used for flying but for protecting the inner pair when folded and at rest. The many beetle varieties include all sizes—tiny ones small enough to crawl through the eye of a needle up to the Goliath beetle of Africa, which is the size of a man’s fist. One of the tiny ones is only one-tenth of an inch long and is blind and has no wings; this one would be “unclean.” It lives in a nest of yellow ants where it receives good care because of a sweet liquid the ants take from it. When it is hungry it nudges an ant. Their two mouths come together, and food from the ant is transferred to the beetle.

The yellow tiger beetle, which is brilliant green with coppery-colored legs, is a ferocious little creature. It lives on sandy shores or on flat, open places and catches insects by attracting them with a fragrant perfume. Then it kills them with its sickle-shaped jaws.

The unusual water beetle lives below the surface of ponds. It carries air down in a bag-like part of its body and comes back up when it needs more. The Creator provided this one with exceptional eyes so that when on the surface of the water it can see both what is in the air above and what is going on down below. The diving beetle also spends much time in water and is equipped with fine hairs on its underside that hold an air bubble for breathing when it dives down.

We will look at more interesting beetles in the next issue.

ML-02/26/2012

Glenda's School Essay

Do you remember reading about Samuel as a young boy serving in the temple? If you look up 1 Samuel 2:18 in your Bible, it says, “Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child.” Children and young people who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour don’t have to wait until they are older to serve the Lord. The following story is another example of a young person who was used in an unusual way to bring the gospel to her family and to her hometown.

The village of Point in northern Saint Vincent is a pretty village overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Palm trees sway in the tropical breeze, and the people are friendly and easygoing. There are many believers there, including a lady by the name of Glenda. But let me tell you how it all began.

When Glenda was a young schoolgirl, she attended school in Georgetown, a few miles south of Point. One of the assignments was to write an essay describing the town where each student lived. So Glenda wrote her essay about her home village of Point.

As the story was told by Mr. Seymour, her teacher, she wrote such a delightful description of her village that he said to his wife, “We must visit that village with the gospel message, and soon.” He had never been there before and was anxious to see this village of Point that Glenda wrote about in her essay.

It wasn’t long until the teacher and his wife were on their way. They walked the ten miles to Point, carrying a good supply of gospel materials. They spent two days passing out tracts and “Messages of God’s Love” and visiting from house to house with the gospel message. They also held outdoor gospel meetings there, as well as children’s meetings at the nearby town of Owia.

This was just the beginning of a regular, weekly evening trip for Mr. Seymour. For years he would leave school at 3:00 on Thursdays, walking the ten miles to Point and arriving at 6:00. As a result, not only was Glenda saved, but many of her family were saved as well. The gospel message still goes out today in that area by this same teacher.

We never know how the Lord can use any one of us. Little did Glenda know that her essay would bring such eternal results. She is now a teacher in that area and often comes to a local Bible bookstore to buy pencils with Scripture verses on them, Christian books and New Testaments for her students.

The Lord can use each one of us. We are all missionaries wherever He has placed us. It may be in our own families, our neighborhoods or in a faraway land. What is important is to be faithful to the Lord from day to day and use the opportunities He gives us to shine for Him.

Many of us know this Sunday school song. Can you sing it?

Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light,

Like a little candle burning in the night;

In this world of darkness, so we must shine,

You in your small corner, and I in mine.

“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2).

MEMORY VERSE: “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” Psalm 100:2

ML-03/04/2012

What Is a Sinner?

Robby and his sister Mary were trying to memorize 1 Timothy 1:15—”Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” They were stumbling over the word “sinners,” so their Sunday school teacher asked if they knew what a sinner is. They didn’t know, so she asked them some questions to help them understand.

“See if you can answer these questions honestly,” she said to them. “Have you ever told a lie?” They both said “no.” “Have you ever said ‘no’ to your mother?” They both said “no.” “Have you ever hit your brother or sister?” “Yes!” said Robby. “She said she would give me the prettiest piece of candy, and then she gave me the ugliest!” Then Mary also answered, “Yes. I hit him because he hit me!”

Their teacher tried to explain that getting angry and hitting were sins, because they are wrong. And people who do these wrong things are sinners. Our sins need to be washed away with the blood of Jesus so we can live in heaven with Jesus someday. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

A week later Robby and Mary were sitting in Sunday school again when the teacher asked, “What is a sinner?” Instead of pointing at themselves, Mary looked at Robby and Robby poked Mary! Mary knew Robby was a sinner and Robby knew Mary was a sinner, but neither of them wanted to admit their own guilt.

You might smile at this story, but are you doing the same thing? Do you think that just because you haven’t killed or stolen or done something really, really seriously wrong that you’re not a sinner? Are you pointing at someone whom you think is worse than you are and forgetting that the Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)?

Please be very honest with yourself. Admit that you are a sinner, and accept Jesus as your Saviour today. He will give you a heart washed clean from sin that wants to please Him. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

ML-03/04/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Ever-Present Beetles - Part 2

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” Jeremiah 23:24

Thousands of the world’s beetles keep hidden from their enemies, often living in almost total darkness. But they are never hidden from God their Creator who knows about each one of them. The deathwatch beetle considers itself well hidden as it bores into wood or books. Its stomach has two tiny pockets containing yeast cells that help digest this kind of food.

The larva of the oil beetle, hatching from an egg deposited near a flowering plant, is quite a hitchhiker. Immediately after birth it climbs to the flower and waits for a bee to arrive. Leaping onto the bee’s back and clinging to its hairs, it is carried to the hive where it drops off and finds there a good supply of sweet food as it grows. How do you suppose it learned to do this? It is part of the wise instinct the Creator gave it.

The tiny braconid beetle is an enemy of the tomato hornworm. The female beetle lays eggs under the skin of the worms, and the eggs hatch into maggots that eat the flesh of the worms. Tomato growers appreciate this good service.

Beetles are found in strange places, but none stranger than the head stander beetles. They live in certain sand dunes along the African seacoast where temperatures reach 150°F through the day. Like all living things, these beetles require moisture to endure the hot sand, but there is seldom any rain in these deserts. However, the Creator supplied them with an unusual ability to get water. Just before dawn as the sea fog moves in from the ocean, the head standers climb to the top of a sand dune. They lift themselves up on their short front legs and long, spindly hind legs, pointing their heads down and turning their bodies toward the foggy breeze. They wait patiently, and soon small water droplets from the fog wet their hard backs, and drops roll down their legs into their mouths for a cool drink of pure water!

None of these beetles could achieve their surprising ways of life by gradually developing them over centuries of time. The species could not have survived until fully equipped for their amazing ways of sustaining life. How nice to know that the Lord God, the Creator of all, had even the needs of lowly beetles in His purposes when placing them on the earth.

We know every human is more wonderfully made than any other creature. In addition, we have an everlasting soul, a mind and a heart that can learn of and accept God’s wonderful love. That love has provided an eternal home in heaven for each one who admits to God that he or she is a sinner and accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Have you done this?

ML-03/04/2012

Can Anybody Hear You Think?

“Shhhh, listen ... I want to hear you think!” The children all laughed, because nobody can hear you think. That’s one thing you can do all by yourself and nobody knows.

But God knows. He not only knows what you think, but He understands. And more than that, He knows your thoughts before you think them, and that’s more than you know yourself! Psalm 139:2 makes us sure about that: “Thou understandest my thought afar off.” Can Jesus know and understand people’s thoughts too? Yes, because Jesus is God. Here is a story in Luke 5 about that.

There were a great many religious men sitting in the house that day. It was such a big crowd that the doorway was blocked. But if you really want to bring your sick friend to Jesus, you aren’t going to be stopped by a little thing like a crowded doorway. We MUST take this man to Jesus, they said, and if he is too sick to walk, we’ll carry him inside right in his bed!

It took four men to carry the sick man’s bed, one at each corner, but they found the doorway blocked. Now what could they do? Well, let’s try the roof! one of them suggested. So they carried him up the outside stairs, broke open a hole in the roof by removing the roof tiles and then let the bed down by ropes right in front of Jesus!

Now that was a surprise ... a surprise to everybody except Jesus. He knew that the sick man’s problem was sin, and He also knows that your problem and mine is the very same—SIN. Boys and girls, don’t let anything stop you from coming to Jesus, because He is the only One who can say what Jesus said that day to the sick man. He told him, Thy sins are forgiven thee (vs. 20).

There were frowns on the faces of those religious people around Jesus, but He knew their thoughts. They were thinking, Who can forgive sins, but God alone? (vs. 21). They were right in thinking that question, but the problem was that they didn’t believe that Jesus is God.

Is that your problem too? If you don’t believe that Jesus is God, your sins are not forgiven. You believe that Jesus is not telling the truth.

Jesus answered what they were thinking, even though they did not say anything out loud to Him. He asked those frowning people, [Which] is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? (vs. 23). They probably didn’t answer Him, but if you and I really know what Jesus has done for us, we can answer His question.

It was very, very hard for Jesus to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, because He could never say this if He did not take the punishment for those sins Himself. We can never measure that punishment! It took the three hours of darkness on the cross to put away our sins. Do you know and understand that it required Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross to say those words to you? The religious people in that house did not know, but you can know, and you can thank Him now and forever for His love that made Him willing to do this for sinners who deserve nothing but hell.

Jesus said to the sick man, Rise up and walk, and there was no question about it. The man stood up, picked up his bed and walked. That was a big change in his life, wasn’t it? The crowd was amazed and glorified God, and being filled with fear they said, We have seen strange things today (vs. 26).

We hope that after reading this story you will say more than what the unbelieving crowd said. Will you believe and confess that Jesus is God and that He died on the cross and took the punishment for your 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).

You may read this story for yourself in Luke 5:18-26.

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

ML-03/11/2012

The Rescued Cat

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.

Firemen could not go into the building until the next 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!

When the firemen found the cat, it wasn’t curled up asleep in the cupboard, not caring that it was trapped, 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).

ML-03/11/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Hardy Olive Trees

“Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.” Leviticus 24:2

The olive tree has always held an important place in the world. You may have noticed that the illustration of an olive branch is still a symbol for peace. It is a very rugged tree with a gnarled trunk, willow-like gray-green leathery leaves and many yellow blossoms. Even with little care it will often still be producing olives, although it may be more than a thousand years old. Some of the olive trees brought to California by the Spaniards in 1769 are still alive.

In Bible times, olive trees had a special part in the lives of people in Palestine and neighboring countries and are often referred to as tokens of God’s blessing on His people. Their fruit, the shiny purple-black olive, not only provides a high-energy food, but its oil has been used for centuries for lighting lamps, cooking, ointment, lubricants, in soap and other things. Kings and priests were usually anointed with olive oil before taking their place of honor among the people. But more importantly, God’s people Israel were carefully instructed to use olive oil in many places inside the tabernacle and temples in connection with sacrifices offered to the Lord, as our opening verse shows us.

Olives in the Mediterranean and Jordan areas ripen from October to January. When finally ripe, entire families often pick together—pulling the fruit off by hand—fathers up on ladders, mothers reaching lower limbs, and children climbing up the trunk for olives they can reach.

Both the seed and flesh contain oil, which is removed by presses. In olden days, donkeys provided the power to crush the oil from the olives by walking slowly in a circle around big millstones. Today this is usually done by modern machinery.

When old trees eventually produce too little fruit, they are cut down, mostly to be used for firewood. However, some selected hard pieces, yellow in color and with patterns in the grain, are more likely to go to skilled artists who make lovely carvings. These sell for high prices in tourist shops as souvenirs.

In the first chapter of Genesis, we learn that on the third day of creation God created fruit trees, and when He looked on this lovely creation He “saw that it was good” (see Genesis 1:11-12). Many years later when King Solomon thought about the beauty and wonder of God’s creation, he wrote, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

All of us, young or old, should be glad when we see the marvelous works of creation. They show us a little of the majesty and wisdom of the Lord God, our Creator. How thankful we should be that all things were made by Him for us to enjoy.

ML-03/11/2012

Jimmy Changes His Mind

Jimmy was a typical young teenager who loved to have fun, and sometimes his fun included tricks he played on friends. Usually his tricks didn’t harm anybody or anything, but one time the trick could have had serious results.

Late one evening Jimmy and his friend Al were walking home along a dark village street near his home. As they passed a house that was in the process of being built, the boys came up with an idea. The neighbors who were having the house built were letting their family of boys sleep in the attic of the new house. Because the inside wasn’t finished, the only way to get into the attic was from the outside by a ladder. Jimmy and Al knew this and also knew that the boys had planned to sleep in the attic that night.

The two friends decided to sneak quietly to the side of the house, remove the ladder and hide it in the ditch. Once they completed their secret plan, each boy headed to his own home and hurried off to bed.

But Jimmy had difficulty falling asleep. He tossed and turned. Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined the broken, lifeless bodies of young boys lying on the ground of the unfinished house. He tried to erase the thought that the boys might fall from the attic to the ground, but still he couldn’t sleep.

After some struggling with himself, Jimmy crept out of bed, slid into his jeans and quietly left his home and hurried down the street in the darkness. He found the ladder hidden in the ditch and quickly carried it to the house where the boys were sleeping in the attic. He carefully placed it back against the house where he and Al had found it. Then he hurried down the street back to his home and into bed.

Jimmy knew what he did was wrong and that the Lord had been speaking to him. He whispered a prayer, telling the Lord Jesus that he was sorry for the trick he had played and thanked Him for helping him to make it right. Jimmy’s mind was at rest, and he immediately fell asleep.

Jimmy belonged to the Lord Jesus, and he knew that God didn’t want him to remove that ladder. In the eyes of God, sin is disobeying what we know is right. He realized that what he had done in fun could have caused a tragedy. He knew he needed to confess his sin and correct the deed, and then he could thank the Lord for His forgiveness. “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).

“A prudent man [forsees] the evil, and [hides] himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 22:3).

MEMORY VERSE: “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-03/18/2012

Does God Talk to You?

One day in Sunday school Frank heard the story of how God called Samuel by name and then talked to him. Frank asked his teacher, “Mr. Cook, does God ever talk to people today?”

“Yes, Frank,” replied Mr. Cook. “God still talks to people today but not usually out loud like He talked to Samuel. He talks to us in different ways and often through what we read in the Bible.”

“I wish God would talk to me,” Frank said thoughtfully.

Mr. Cook answered, “Frank, I’m sure He will talk to you if you will listen. Try to listen to Him this week and see what will happen.”

Frank decided that he would try really hard to listen to what God said to him. That night when Frank read his Bible before he went to bed, he read the story of Jesus speaking to His disciples and telling them, “Be not afraid.” As he read it, Frank realized, God is talking to me through this Bible story. He is telling me not to be afraid.

The next day Frank and some school friends were walking home from school when they saw a boy across the street who was new in the neighborhood. One of the boys said, “That new kid thinks he’s smart, and besides that, he’s stuck-up. Let’s go over and show him that he isn’t so smart ... let’s beat him up!”

A Bible verse came into Frank’s mind that he had learned in Sunday school: “Be ye kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32). A voice inside him seemed to say, Frank, it wouldn’t be kind to beat up that new boy; it would be wrong. Then Frank instantly thought, I think God is talking to me now, even though it’s not out loud. He is telling me what to do.

Do you think Frank obeyed what God was telling him? I think so.

Another day, Frank’s mother asked him to go to the store for her. Frank wanted to make the trip go faster, so he went to Tom’s house next door to borrow his bike. Tom, his friend, wasn’t home, but his bike was out in the yard, so Frank hopped on and pedaled off to the store. He left the bike outside and went in to buy the groceries for his mother. When he came back out, he discovered to his horror that the bike was gone! Somebody had stolen it!

With a heavy heart, he walked home. When he told his mother what had happened, she said, “Frank, you must go over and tell Tom what happened. You’ll need to offer to pay him for his bike if it isn’t found.” Suddenly Frank thought, “God is talking to me through my mother. She is telling me what God wants me to do.”

Do you think Frank did what his mother told him to do, realizing God was talking to him through his mother? I think so.

Frank was only in grade school, but he learned this valuable lesson—God does talk to us. It is our job to listen to Him and obey Him. The Bible says it this way: “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6). “The Lord is my helper” (Hebrews 13:6).

Have you listened to God talking to you today?

ML-03/18/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The High-Leaping Impala

“Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:9

South Africa has a great variety of animals; some are hunters and vicious and others are gentle and harmless. Among this second group are several closely related antelopes such as the gazelles, klipspringers, springboks and impalas. The impala is a beautiful animal. Its velvety coat is a soft brown color over its head, neck, back and legs, but plain white on its underparts and another patch of white under its stubby tail. Its nimble legs are long and slender but surprisingly strong, and for a good reason, as we will see.

This timid animal is only about three feet high and weighs between 100 and 150 pounds. Males have V-shaped horns, beginning with a short backward slant and then straightening upward a total length of two or three feet. These horns are indeed a part of the Creator’s display of beauty on this animal. They look like an artist might have carved them.

The impala is quite content with the food supply of the prairie—herbs, bushes, shrubs and the most important and nourishing Savannah grass. But there is the constant threat of a lion or other prowling hunter. When an impala becomes aware of an enemy, it barks an alarm, and in a flash the whole herd scatters in various directions. This is where their slender, strong legs are so valuable, as they run for safety in a series of dashes and long-distance jumps as high as ten feet and as far as thirty feet in single, graceful leaps—a beautiful sight.

When bounding away from danger in these great leaps, the front feet are in the air on the first bound. When the hindquarters come up, the white patch under their tail becomes a signal to others that danger is present and it is time for them to also get moving. The lion, presuming it is well hidden, seems to be surprised at the swift action and gets confused as to which impala to chase. When it hesitates, sometimes they all escape.

The Creator has also provided another means of warning through tick birds that frequently ride on an impala’s back. These birds not only rid the animal of pesky insects but also give their own warning when they see danger approaching.

The Creator’s care over these gentle animals should remind us that His care over us is even more tender. He invites you to prove His wonderful love, as the writer of Psalm 147:11 expresses it so well: “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear [respect and love] Him, in those that hope in His mercy.” Has He ever had the pleasure of hearing you thank Him for His love?

ML-03/18/2012

What Did You Eat for Breakfast?

The Sunday school teacher was talking to the children. “Yesterday our boys were out behind the shed killing rabbits and getting them ready for the freezer. Now we don’t like the idea of killing nice, cuddly rabbits, but for you and me to eat meat, an animal must die.”

Then he asked the children, “How many of you had bacon for breakfast or a hamburger for lunch one day this week?” He reminded them that we get ham and bacon from a pig, and we get hamburger meat and roast beef from a cow. Pretty much everybody knows where chicken meat comes from. And what about those fish sticks you like to eat? For you to eat any of these meats, an animal, chicken or fish had to die.

The next part of the lesson was about the bread we eat. The teacher gave each of the children a wheat seed. Then he asked, “Does your wheat seed look like it could turn into a loaf of bread?”

The children all laughed and said, “NO.”

Then he told them that if you want wheat bread, a grain of wheat must be buried in the soil and die before it can grow seed heads of wheat that can be ground into flour for baking bread.

“Now, if all of you planted your seed, what would you get?”

“Lots of wheat!” they all said.

“But if each of you planted a stone, what would you get?”

The children looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. “Nothing,” they finally answered.

“Why is that? A stone is much bigger than a seed.”

One of the older children answered, “It doesn’t have any life in it.” That was the right answer.

Just as animals and seeds must die so you can have food to eat that will keep you alive, the Lord Jesus had to die and come back to life by rising from the dead. This was necessary so you and I could receive His life—eternal life—to be ready to live in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever ... . As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:51,57).

Are you puzzled and wondering how we can “eat” the Lord Jesus? Think about how you eat food. You fill your mouth with food, chew it until it’s easy to swallow, then you swallow it down. In a similar way, you must fill your mind and heart with the Word of God. Then you “chew” on it and maybe memorize some of it. Ask the Lord Jesus to help you understand and remember what you’ve read. Then just as your digestive system makes food useful to your whole body, the Lord Jesus will make the bread of life useful to you. This will help you to grow into a Christian that the Lord Jesus can use for His plans.

“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).

MEMORY VERSE: “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-03/25/2012

Who Wants Roy?

Nobody wanted Roy. He had been found all alone in a poor little shack in Toronto, because his father had deserted him when he was a very sick boy. The Children’s Hospital had given him medical care, and now he was up and around and a big problem to everybody there in the hospital.

Howls from the playroom were very common. “Roy pushed over my tower.” “Roy took my doll.” “Roy crashed my truck.” Nothing was any fun if Roy was there, and he was only five years old.

On Sundays the hospital gave permission for a Sunday school class, but it was impossible for anyone to listen if Roy was there. So Roy was locked in a little room by himself until the lesson was over.

One Sunday Mr. Willis visited the hospital, and they told him about the little boy in a room by himself. Do you know how that Christian man felt about that little boy? How did the Lord Jesus feel about unwanted sinners, like the poor man in Mark chapter 5? Did Jesus set out to find good people and stay away from that poor man that nobody wanted to go near? Oh, no! Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous [good people] but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).

Mr. Willis asked to be locked in the little room with Roy, and he began to tell the boy that Jesus loved him.

“That’s not true,” Roy answered. “Nobody likes Roy.”

“But Jesus does,” insisted Mr. Willis. “It says so in His book, right here.”

“Who is Jesus?” asked Roy.

“He is the Son of God. And He died for you because He loves you.”

“I want to see it in your book. Where does it say that Jesus loves Roy?”

Mr. Willis opened the Bible to Galatians 2:20. “Here it is,” he said, pointing to the verse.

Roy took the Bible and studied that spot for a long time. Finally he said, “Where’s the R?”

Roy had never learned to read anything but his own initial, and it was not there.

“No,” said Mr. Willis, “it is not there. But if it said, ‘Jesus loves Roy,’ we might think it meant Roy Johnson who always seems to be a good boy. But it says, ‘The Son of God, who loved ME, and gave Himself for ME.’ I like it best that way, because it means ME.”

“Does it really mean that Jesus loves ME?” asked Roy.

“Yes, and He gave Himself for YOU.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. That’s exactly what it says. Do YOU want the Lord Jesus, Roy?”

Yes, Roy wanted Jesus. And the love of Jesus changed Roy’s whole life.

Do YOU want Jesus? He will change your life too.

The Wonders of God's Creation: All-Important Chlorophyll

“O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.” Psalm 104:24

To chemists chlorophyll is the remarkable molecule by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy. If there were no chlorophyll, there would be no plant or animal life. Since the cells in all animal life cannot utilize sunlight directly, it is through the chlorophyll in plants that sunlight is absorbed and its energy stored in their cells.

Briefly, here is what takes place: This marvelous compound, which only God can make, absorbs light energy and uses it to combine molecules of carbon dioxide from the air into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is further converted by the plant into other starches and fiber, which are the principal components of green trees, plants and grass. Chlorophyll is the means by which carbon is separated and passed along to make this food.

Now when this process takes place, oxygen is produced which the plant cannot use. The Creator has at this point provided a wonderful exchange between animal and plant life. Chlorophyll enables the trees and other plant growth to get rid of the oxygen by releasing it into the air through leaves and other surfaces. Oxygen, as we know, is exactly what animal and human life requires, so the release of oxygen by plants is essential to maintain the amount we need in the air to breathe.

But that’s only half the story. When exhaling, all breathing creatures release carbon dioxide into the air. When this carbon dioxide is absorbed by growing plants, the cycle is completed. With the action of chlorophyll, the whole process is thus kept in motion, maintaining life all the time. How wise God has been in all His marvelous creation!

Yet chlorophyll, for all its wonders, is only active when cells are exposed to sunlight. This is evident when a healthy plant is moved into a dark room or basement, soon losing its color and beginning to die. But if brought back to a bright room or where it can absorb sunlight, it will once more become green and strong, because chlorophyll can take over its duties again and will revive the plant.

In many ways this is a picture to us—a reminder that the need of every Christian is to “walk in the light” of God’s Word, the Bible. This is the only way we can have joy and happiness, as well as being able to bring others to know the love of God and salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you a healthy Christian? Are you living in the sunshine of God’s love?

ML-03/25/2012

God's Messenger, the Hiccups

Stephen’s hiccups just would not go away! His mom tried giving him honey, then she suggested he count to ten while holding his breath and several other methods, but nothing worked. Then she remembered having heard someone say that sometimes a sudden surprise will stop them. Stephen’s mom thought it was worth a try, so without thinking about what she would say, she turned to Stephen suddenly and with a gruff voice said, “STEPHEN! WHAT WERE YOU DOING LAST TUESDAY AFTERNOON?”

There was a long silence as Stephen’s face became white with guilt. All he could think was, Who could have told my mom? He was sure no one had seen him!

But Stephen had forgotten to look up. “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13). And though no one on earth had seen Stephen in his secret sin that Tuesday afternoon, God saw, and He sent His messenger, the hiccups, to tell on him. And sure enough, as soon as the hiccups’ assignment was finished, they went away.

Do you have some secret sins that you are sure no one else knows about? Everyone has some, for we are all born sinners. Luke 8:17 says, “Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest [displayed]; neither anything hid, that shall not be known.” This could be very embarrassing for all of us. But you know, boys and girls, God is so kind that He says, “If we confess our sins [to Him], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Then he assures us, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). Since Christ bore our sins in His own body on the cross, we have only to rest in the fact that He has taken our punishment for us and realize that what God no longer remembers we must not think about anymore either. Now God says in Philippians 4:8 that we are to think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report. When we think of our Saviour, we think of the whole list at once, don’t we? But God also wants us to notice these traits in others. Seeing these traits in our friends and relatives is God’s love working in us.

Now it may surprise you to know that just as God does not want us to have secret sins, He also does not want us to have secret love. He says “open rebuke is better than secret love” (Proverbs 27:5). So tell those around you today how they have helped and encouraged you in your Christian life. It may come at the very time that Satan is trying to discourage them by telling them what a failure they are. You can be God’s messenger to encourage them to continue in well doing.

How about starting right now with your mom and dad?

MEMORY VERSE: “Nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known.” Luke 8:17

ML-04/01/2012

The Birthday Cake

Mother was going to make a birthday cake for Nicole. This was not her real birthday; it was her half-birthday, because she was only six months old.

“It will be a very little cake,” said Mother, “ because she is only half a year old!”

“May we help make it?” both Mark and Julie asked.

“I could certainly use some help,” said Mother. She pulled two chairs over to the counter. “And you know,” she went on, “there’s something God can teach us while we make this cake.”

Mark and Julie climbed up on the chairs and took turns stirring the butter and sugar Mother had just put into the bowl.

Mother said, “The two things we’ve put in so far we like very much, don’t we?”

Mark and Julie agreed, because they sure did like butter and sugar.

“But now we have to put in some things that don’t taste very good—baking powder and flour.”

The two children tasted a little of both the baking powder and the flour and quickly agreed that they didn’t like the taste of either one, but especially the baking powder.

Then Mother went on with her explanation. “But when we mix together the things we like and the things we don’t like, what do we get? We get a cake that tastes good!” Mother added little spoonfuls of other things, and Mark and Julie kept stirring.

Then Mother explained, “God works the same way. He lets some things come to us that we like very much, butter-and-sugar kinds of things. But He also lets some things come to us that we don’t like, baking powder-and-flour kinds of things. These may be unhappy things like being sick or being hurt by something someone says about us. But God knows that all these things are needed to make us turn out the way He wants. We couldn’t make our cake very well if it had only sugar and butter in it. And God couldn’t use us very well either if only things we like happened to us.”

Nicole’s little half-a-birthday cake (with only half a candle on it) was dessert for supper that night. After supper Daddy taught them a Bible verse that said just what Mother had been telling them while they made the cake: “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).

ML-04/01/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Unusual Sea Creatures

“Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea.” Isaiah 42:10

There are over 20,000 species of fish in the world, and all have been designed by the Creator for the particular body of water where they live. Let’s look at a few that live in the Red Sea.

The foot-long stargazer fish hides itself completely in the sea’s sandy bottom, with only its unusual mouth showing with teeth that look like broken pieces of spaghetti. Small fish, curious about this display, are immediately snapped up by the stargazer’s vicious mouth.

Garden eels anchor their tails in burrows at the sea bottom. The rest of their yard-long bodies are held vertical and sway with the current, making them look like stalks of seaweed. They never leave this position (except when frightened), but sway toward one another—sometimes in a friendly way—sometimes to fight. If something frightens them, they sink into their burrows, completely hidden, and remain there until the danger is past. Small bits of marine life drifting by are their food supply.

The jet-black razor fish is very timid. When frightened, it drops to the bottom and lies there unmoving like a flat stone until the intruder leaves the area. Like the stargazer, sometimes it will bury itself in the sand.

Another Red Sea native is a six-inch-wide Red Sea urchin. It is related to the starfish and looks something like one. But this sea urchin has hundreds of black, prickly spines all over its body to protect it.

The dark brown sea moth is another unusual sea creature. It has a long, narrow snout and a heavy, armor-like coat that matches the color of the sandy sea floor. As it slowly glides along with its nearly transparent “wings,” it is almost invisible. But when pursued, it can put on a burst of speed to escape all but the swiftest fish. Its armor becomes too tight as it grows and drops off from time to time, but it is soon replaced by new armor.

The snapping shrimp and the little goby fish are friendly companions and make their home together in a burrow in the sea bottom. The shrimp uses its claws to keep the burrow entrance open while making sure one of its feelers is always touching the goby. If the goby senses danger, it wiggles its body in warning, and the shrimp immediately scoots down the burrow, with the goby quickly following.

These are just a few of the millions of fish and sea creatures watched over by the Creator. His eyes never leave them, just as He watches over every person in the world. We are told, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). What does He see when He looks at you?

ML-04/01/2012

Micah Thought He Had Everything

He had a home and family and silver and nice little idols and a priest for his religion. Now what more could a person want? Yes, he had a little sin in his past life, a little stealing from his mother. However, his mother had forgiven him, and that settled the matter.

Does forgiveness from a man or woman really settle the matter of sin? If you think so, you have never faced the God who made you, and you haven’t read His book, the Bible. Sin is against God, and only God can forgive. Mark 2:7 says, “Who can forgive sins but God only?”

Micah had a lot going for him, but somehow way down inside was something called “fear.” Do you think it might have been because of his sins? Do you have fear down inside because of your sins?

Then came a day when some men came to Micah’s house while he was away, and they heard the voice of his priest talking. Good, they said. We recognize that voice ... it’s Micah’s priest. Let’s make him an offer. It was a good offer, because there were six hundred soldiers waiting at the gate looking for a place to settle. So they offered Micah’s priest a better job than he had—more money and more honor. He agreed, and away they all went, taking Micah’s priest and Micah’s idols and whatever else they wanted.

Micah soon heard about this, and his neighbors shared his concern. Follow them and get your stuff back! they said. So a group got together and followed them. Soon the six hundred soldiers looked back and saw this little group following them.

What’s the trouble? they called.

Trouble? said Micah. You’ve taken my idols and my priest, and what’s left? And now you are asking, What’s the trouble?

Can you imagine how Micah felt? How would you feel if someone took away your idols and your priest? What would you have left?

If you are a true Christian, you should not have idols, because you have the true God. And if your Priest is the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest, no one can take Him from you. If someone were to rob you of everything you own, you are still richer than the thief! We would certainly feel terribly upset and even angry, but our hearts could never say, “What is there left?” Our Jesus is forever! He cares when we are hurting and upset, but He lovingly assures us, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:10). That’s His promise. If we had our hearts set on riches, perhaps He wants us to see that no one can take away our Saviour. Whatever we lose, we can never lose Jesus, because He can’t lose even one of us!

Maybe, like Micah’s priest, you are looking for the best job, the most pay and the most honor. You will certainly find all this in our Saviour, but not on this earth. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), and this means believing what we cannot see.

After His crucifixion, the disciples saw Jesus go up as far as the cloud, but after that they did not see Him anymore. However, they heard the angel’s promise that He would come again. And they had heard the Lord’s own promise, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). By faith we are absolutely sure that this is true.

What do you have that you can’t lose? Will you have our wonderful Saviour today and the gift of salvation that He is offering you? The debt we owe for our sins is already paid, now and forever!

You may read this story about Micah in Judges 18:1-26.

MEMORY VERSE: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:10

ML-04/08/2012

Skipper

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, “I want a drink.”

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

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

“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 bowl.”

Lisa found the bowl was dry. 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 always want 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-04/08/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Cute Cottontails

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” Jeremiah 23:24

Have you wondered why certain animals are called hares and others are called rabbits when they look so much alike? Although they are closely related, there are differences. Hares have nests above ground; their babies are fully covered with fur; their eyes are already open when they are born; they can hop around within just a few minutes.

Most rabbits have underground nests; their babies have no fur at all; their eyes are closed when they are born; they don’t venture outside for about three weeks. Both rabbits and hares are silent animals, but in serious danger they can let out loud screams.

There are about eighty species of rabbits, but today we will just consider a few of the cottontails. It is natural for us to see all cottontails as lovable as they are so inoffensive and quietly go about their business, eating inner bark of saplings and shrubs, as well as clover and various grasses, fruit and other foods. This is one of God’s creatures that has no desire to harm any living thing and just takes care of its own needs. Incidentally, the cottony underpart of their tails, which is almost always showing, accounts for their name.

All cottontails are timid, with short bodies, small roundish faces, large ears (but nowhere as big as a jackrabbit’s), large placid eyes, and most have soft tannish fur. But two kinds, both referred to as swamp marsh rabbits, don’t have underground nests. These live aboveground and at times build large nests among the low branches of bushy trees.

Many rabbits live on marshy land, but others prefer arid deserts. Two of these are the pygmy and the nuttall—both cottontails. The nuttall is considerably larger than the pygmy and not as shy. The pygmy is really tiny, weighing less than a pound and goes about its business mostly at night. A resident of the desert close to the mountains of California and Oregon, it cares for itself and raises its young where food and water are scarce, summers are very hot, and winters are extremely cold.

A shrub that grows only in those areas has the name “rabbit brush.” The pygmy particularly likes to make its home under this shrub, where it is not exposed to some enemies that are numerous in the more-lush desert sagebrush.

These little animals are clever at hiding themselves, but they are always under the watchful care of God, their Creator. As the beginning Bible verse says, you and I are never out of His watchful care either. Have you thanked Him for this love and care and accepted the invitation to become one of His own children by accepting His Son, the Lord Jesus, as your Saviour?

ML-04/08/2012

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Have you ever faced this decision? I’m sure you have and so have I. But when it comes to the matter of life or death, be very careful how you handle that decision. We each have only one life!

This decision was running through a man’s mind as he climbed over the icy steel and concrete fence that was installed years ago. Millions of people come from around the world to view the majestic splendor of Niagara Falls, and the strong fence was built for the safety and protection of these people.

The day was cold and wintry, and everything was coated with thick ice. Heavy mist that is always rising from the falls had been freezing on trees, roadways and fences, including the safety fence in front of Horseshoe Falls, the most popular area of Niagara Falls. But the man climbing over the fence didn’t care about the icy conditions. He had only one thought—to jump into that raging, turbulent river and end it all. Life had become meaningless to him. The voices of the onlookers were ringing in his ears—”STOP! STOP! ... DON’T DO IT!” But he shut his ears to their cries. He stopped at the edge of the powerful river and stood still, staring at the rushing water. The voice in his mind was saying, No one will miss me ... I am unloved and unwanted and no one will care.

The man’s thinking was completely wrong! If he had read God’s Word, the Bible, he would have found that God loves him! “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He would have found that God wants him! He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He would have found that God cares for him! “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). And he would have found that ending his own life would be wrong! “Do thyself no harm” (Acts 16:28).

The poor man’s problems had so filled his mind that he completely ignored all the good things that God wanted to give him. And so he stood alone for an hour at the water’s edge on an icy surface that sloped toward the river. He was only seconds and inches away from a tragic death. Thankfully, there were others interested in his life.

By this time, many people had gathered along the safety fence, shouting encouraging words to him, but not one dared to step out onto the slippery ice. The park police had arrived and talked to the man until firefighters trained in ice and water rescues arrived with their life-saving equipment—cold-water suits, climbing gear, ropes, boots that grip on ice—everything necessary to save this man.

For fifteen or twenty minutes, there was no recognition that the firefighters were there. The man just stared down at the rushing, powerful river. Then slowly he turned and began walking back towards his rescuers. A cheer went up from the crowd as they realized he had been saved from a watery grave.

How many men did it take to rescue this man? Twenty, maybe thirty, just to save one person. Now think of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world to save every one of us! “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). One man, the Lord Jesus Christ, can save anyone and everyone who will simply put their trust in Him!

Did this poor man appreciate the work of those who rescued him? We don’t know since nothing more was said about him. But for those of us who have been saved from the pit of hell, we can sing the words of this beautiful hymn with heartfelt love and praise to God.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.

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

ML-04/15/2012

Catch a Bird

“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 saltshaker 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-04/15/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Mallards by the Million

“The Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them.” Genesis 2:19

What an interesting job Adam was given! The English language was not then in use, but in whatever language he spoke, it was his privilege to be the first to call a duck a duck.

The mallard is the wild duck from which most domestic ducks have been bred. The male (sometimes called a greenhead) is a beautiful bird with a glossy metallic green head and neck, yellow bill, narrow white collar and chestnut breast. The rest of its body is mostly grayish-brown with black central tail feathers that curl up.

Millions of mallards spend summers on the Canadian prairies and across the northern half of the United States, particularly in North Dakota where “pothole” ponds are ideal for nesting.

Females are mottled brown and, like the males, have orange legs and webbed feet. Their nests are well hidden, lined with down and feathers and are usually in tall grass at the edge of a pond or lake. The hatching of the six to fifteen olive-colored eggs and training of the ducklings are left to the mother. The ducklings can walk and swim expertly a few hours after hatching.

Mallards are the most common and noisiest of all ducks; the female’s quack is so loud it can be heard a mile away. In addition to acorns, wheat and other grains, their food includes water insects, frogs and fish. When feeding in shallow water, mallards have a “bottoms-up” position, feasting on underwater plants and insects.

They like to eat in concealed places in the daylight but raid grain fields at night, to the dismay of many farmers. Some areas are now planted especially for them so that they will not go into the farm fields until after crops have been harvested. Then they feed on the grain left on the ground.

Some mallards spend the entire winter along the coasts of Alaska and western Canada, but others migrate to Texas and California before winter, returning north in early spring. Their migrations are beautiful to see as their V-shaped groups, with heads and necks outstretched, move swiftly along high in the sky.

Do you think the Lord God, the Creator, cares about birds and their nests? A Bible verse tells us He certainly does: “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way ... thou shalt not take the [mother bird] with the young” (Deuteronomy 22:6). And if He cares about birds on their nests, doesn’t He care much more about you? The Bible answers this also: “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7). What a loving God we have! Have you ever thanked Him for His loving care over you?

ML-04/15/2012

Rescued From Icy Water

Jess Phillips wakened to frantic pounding on his front door! It was his neighbor who quickly told him that Emmy, his dog, had fallen through the ice into open water about three hundred yards from shore. Jess had let out his one-year-old golden retriever pup earlier that morning, then he had gone back to sleep in the family’s Lake Maloney cabin.

The weather had been a little warmer, and out by the open water the ice was beginning to get thin around the edges. Neighbors told Jess they thought Emmy had gone after bald eagles on the ice, which is not surprising, since that’s what golden retrievers do—chase birds if there aren’t any rabbits around to chase.

Hearing that news about Emmy, Jess was suddenly wide-awake and outside, trying to think what to do. As much as he loved his dog and was anxious to save her, he knew he couldn’t go out there on the ice to try to rescue her. There was too much risk that he would fall through the ice too, and then there would be two of them in trouble. But he had to do something fast or the loved family pet would drown. Nobody knew how long Emmy had already been struggling in the icy water.

What do you do when suddenly you have an emergency on your hands that you can’t solve? You call for help. Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour know we can immediately turn to Him with a quick prayer for help, and He always answers! Psalm 50:15 tells us to “call upon Me [the Lord Jesus] in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”

We don’t know if Jess prayed for help, but we do know a quick call was made to the County Sheriff’s Department, and they soon arrived with the Volunteer Dive Team. The team knew just what to do. The divers took a boat out on the water to where Emmy was still struggling and suited up to jump into the icy water to rescue her.

Jess thought for sure she wasn’t going to last long enough for them to save her. He really loved Emmy, and if he could, he would have done anything to save her.

The Dive Team was successful in getting Emmy into the boat, saving her from drowning. Jess rushed her to a vet where they found her body temperature had dropped so low she was in a state of shock. They quickly warmed her up in a warm bath to get her circulation going and then kept her all night where they could watch her and keep her warm.

Thanks to the rescue team, Emmy’s story has a happy ending. “They never gave up,” said Jess. “They risked their lives to save my dog. Those guys are pretty special to me.”

Those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) when He saved us. But He didn’t just risk His life to save us; He voluntarily gave up His life on Calvary’s cross. It was His great love for sinners that made Him willing to take the punishment for our sins and die for us. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He loves us so much He went the whole way and never gave up on us. That’s how much He loves you and me.

Your story can have a happy ending too, if you will let the Lord Jesus save you from your sins. He has a happy home in heaven where He is waiting for those who have come to Him to be washed clean from their sins.

Will you accept His loving offer to save you? He is the only One who can.

“The Son of Man [the Lord Jesus] is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

MEMORY VERSE: “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

ML-04/22/2012

"He Hit Me Back!"

Andrew was standing in the middle of the classroom, holding his left jaw and shouting, “I’M NOT CRYING! I’M JUST REALLY ANGRY!” James was standing a few feet away with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face.

As an adult helper for the Sunday school group, I took both four-year-old boys aside and sat them both on little chairs. I sat down on a third chair and asked, “What’s happening here?”

Andrew, still holding his jaw, jumped off his chair, pointed to James and exclaimed, “He hit me back!”

Now, if we think about what Andrew said—that James hit him back—that means Andrew hit James first. And do you know what else it means? Both Andrew and James are sinners, like each of us. They both were letting their sinful natures tell them how to act. Even though they both said they were sorry, smiled at each other and left for home as “good friends” again, their real problem hadn’t been fixed.

Later, I chuckled as I thought about Andrew and James—until I realized that their four-year-old behavior is just a younger example of my own. Because of my sinful nature, I want to handle things my way. Both Andrew and James come from families that love Jesus, but that doesn’t change how their sinful natures act. Even after someone becomes a part of God’s family by being truly sorry for their sins and believing that Jesus died on the cross for those sins, the Bible tells us they will still struggle with doing what is wrong. God’s Word tells Christians that we each still need to “put off the old [nature] with [its] deeds; and put on the new [nature]” (Colossians 3:9-10).

We will continue to have children who misbehave, say they are sorry and become friends again. But that can’t last. It is only by obeying what God says that any of us, children or grown-ups, will permit the new nature from God to control our words and actions. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

ML-04/22/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: What Is Our Blood Made of?

“The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11

An adult has about one and a half gallons of blood flowing through his veins. The blood and the functions it carries out are what keep the body alive. Consider how many different parts make up your blood: One drop contains about 250 million red cells, and in the entire blood supply there are about 25 trillion! New ones need to be produced continuously because they only last about 125 days with two million dying every second. As small as a red cell is, each one contains about 270 million hemoglobin molecules as well!

How did this come about? Medical scientists could never put such a complicated combination together, and it certainly couldn’t have just produced itself gradually. No, when God breathed the breath of life into man, He provided a complete body system with everything that would ever be needed, our blood and all its complex parts included. Nothing was left to be further developed, and ever since it has remained the way our Creator made it.

In addition to red cells, blood also contains white cells. There is normally about one white cell to 650 red ones, and there are about 75 billion of these in the blood stream. An important duty of the white cells is to fight infection. There is also another line of defense known as antibodies, which are always present to carry on the fight against infections of all kinds. Then, too, there are platelets, which are half the size of white cells. The work of these can be seen when wounds on the skin heal. The platelets stop the loss of blood by forming a scab, which is the beginning of the healing process.

The red cells are constantly doing their life-giving work of carrying oxygen to the cells of the body. The white cells are often more visible to us in the form of pus, which is composed of the bacteria and dead white cells the body has used in the battle against infection.

With so much dependent upon it, we can easily see that it took a wise and divine Creator to make our blood so wonderfully complex and able to continue its ongoing work with every tick of the clock.

These thoughts remind us of One who willingly shed His blood, giving up His life on Calvary’s cross. The Bible tells us that “it is the blood that [makes] an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross for us. If we believe that it was His blood that can make us clean in God’s sight, then we will be saved and have eternal life. “By His own blood He ... obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). Accept the Lord Jesus Christ now as your very own Saviour, “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

ML-04/22/2012

Saved in a War Zone

We sat on the ground with our automatic rifles across our laps. This was dangerous country, and we didn’t go anywhere without our rifles, not even to a little outdoor church service.

Captain Gunther was the chaplain, a dear Christian man who loved the Lord Jesus. He was one of God’s faithful servants during the Vietnam War who risked his own life by holding these little services for any soldiers who wanted to come. He couldn’t hold the services on a regular basis, so he sent an assistant around to tell us when he was planning to hold a service and at what time.

I attended the services as often as I could, not to hear the message Captain Gunther preached, but to get out of extra duty that we all disliked. However, I began to be concerned that I could lose my life, just as so many of our soldiers were.

I was nineteen years old, as were most of my buddies fighting beside me in the war. I knew I was a sinner, and I also knew that there was a good possibility that I might not come out of the war alive. That fear made me decide I had better get the matter of my sins settled with God, so I again attended one of the services, this time to listen closely to the chaplain’s message.

At the beginning of the service, Captain Gunther took an old cassette player out of a plastic bag and shook off the dust. He pushed the button, and scratchy organ music began to play. Then he passed out old, outdated programs from Bible talks that had been held during wartime in other countries.

These old programs told the wonderful story of God’s love for sinners. He read Romans 3:23 to us: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Then he read 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and He explained that the Lord Jesus suffered and died for sinners on Calvary’s cross so we could be saved from our sins. That was the answer I needed!

After the service, Captain Gunther asked if anyone wanted to remain behind to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to be his Saviour. He would dismiss the others, and they would pick up their rifles and leave.

I was one of two soldiers who stayed behind, and right then and there I accepted the Lord Jesus as my very own Saviour, believing that His suffering on the cross was for my sins. I left that little service with peace in my heart, knowing that if I died in the war, I would go to be with my Saviour in heaven.

Boys and girls, you may not live in dangerous conditions like we soldiers did, but the message Chaplain Gunther preached that day is the very same one God wants you to hear and believe today. His loving message is for everyone. No matter how young you might be, you are a sinner, just as Romans 3:23 says. But our Lord Jesus loves you so much He went to the cross to take the punishment for your sins. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

Are you sorry for your sins? If you are, tell the Lord Jesus and believe that wonderful message that He died for you. He will wash you clean of every sin and give you everlasting life, just as He did for me. Then I’ll see you in heaven someday when Jesus takes us there.

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

ML-04/29/2012

"I Can't Get Down!"

One day the older kids climbed up on Grandpa’s car, so up went Anna too. Anna is a very active three-year-old and wants to keep up with her older sister and brothers.

When Grandpa called to tell them to come down off the car, the older three slid to the ground. But Anna stood on the trunk of the car with a scared look on her face. In a trembling voice she said, “I can’t get down!”

Anna was an unhappy little girl. She wanted to obey, but she had gotten herself into a spot where she needed help. Lots of people have done just what Anna did. Maybe they were looking for fun and found themselves in trouble they couldn’t get out of. Some children and teenagers think it is fun to smoke cigarettes or fool around with drugs. Then when they get older, they discover they have a bad habit that they can’t give up.

Anna was not entirely to blame for her problem. She had followed the others. The popular saying, “Everbody does it,” can get you into trouble, and the results may stay with you the rest of your life.

The Bible says, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Proverbs 1:10). Don’t be afraid to say “NO” when a bad suggestion is made. “Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15). After you have said “NO,” then turn and walk away from those who want you to join in their “fun.”

Acts 4:23 is a helpful verse. It tells about Peter and John being freed from prison and then says, “Being let go, they went to their own company.” If you are a Christian, stay with your Christian friends and encourage and help each other.

Are you wondering what happened to Anna who was on the car and couldn’t get down? Grandpa heard her call and came and picked her up, gave her a hug and set her down on the ground where she was safe.

It may be you are already in trouble and, like Anna, you have to say, “I can’t get down.” Get down on your knees and tell the Lord Jesus all about it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). You may have to live with the results of your sin the rest of your life, but the Lord Jesus still loves you and will forgive you and help you to follow Him.

ML-04/29/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Clever Roadrunner

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.” Psalm 50:11

The roadrunner is a strange North American bird full of comical manners and mischief. Belonging to the cuckoo family, it is nearly two feet long and has long legs with two toes in front and two in back. It blends into the desert countryside with its black and white feathers. Year after year, it lives in the same nest made of sticks and often lined with snakeskins.

When chased, the male allows its pursuer almost to catch it, then leaps into the brush and disappears. If an intruder approaches the nest, the female remains quietly on her nest until the intruder is almost upon her before flying away. If she has chicks, she hops away from the nest and pretends to have a broken leg, limping along just beyond reach of her enemy. This leads the intruder away from her chicks a safe distance where finally she flies off. How did she learn to do this? The Creator gave her this instinct when He placed the first roadrunner on the earth.

This swift-footed bird prefers to walk, but will fly occasionally. It is interesting to watch one strutting through the desert with its neck and head stretched out, stopping often with its tail feathers and bristly crest bobbing up and down. Its black eyes are always alert for its next meal—insect, mouse, lizard, snail or rattlesnake—that it catches in its long beak.

This bird’s life seems to be full of fun. If a horse and rider appear, it is quite ready to run in front of them, challenging them to a race. After tiring of the game, it disappears off the side of the road.

It frightens cats by rushing toward them with its wings spread, head stretched out and beak open, making strange noises. Most cats will make a quick getaway, but some cats will hold their ground and even swipe at the bird with their paws.

The roadrunner is not afraid of rattlesnakes. It will circle the snake and tease it to strike. When the snake strikes, the roadrunner jumps into the air or hops aside where the snake cannot reach it. The moment the snake’s body is straightened out the bird quickly pecks it with its sharp beak. The angry snake coils and strikes again and again, but always with the same result. Finally, tired out, the snake cannot continue the fight, and the bird finishes it off.

God has given special abilities to each of His creatures, and He takes pleasure in caring for them. He cares for you too, but more than that, He loves you and invites you to be His child. The Bible explains how: “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). Are you part of His happy family?

ML-04/29/2012

God Hates Lying

This story is not hard to understand, because you and I have felt the same way ... a lie doesn’t matter. It makes us feel important, and no one will ever know. Right? WRONG!

It happened in the days when people gave large amounts of money for the spread of the gospel. In fact, some people sold everything they had, even their houses and land. The risen Saviour meant so much to them that they all ate their meals together, and they were very happy. Some suffered beatings and prison, but that was not half so important as Jesus was.

Then something spoiled it—selfishness! Ananias and Sapphira had a nice piece of land, and they sold it just as others had done. Ananias came and laid some money at the apostles’ feet.

But was it ALL the money? He didn’t have to give it all. In fact, he didn’t have to sell the land, but everybody else in their crowd was doing it, and Ananias wanted to show off how generous he was.

Peter had no way of knowing whether this was the full price or not, but God knew, and He gave Peter the wisdom to see Ananias’s problem. Peter knew very well that Satan hated this group of happy followers of Jesus, and he wanted to spoil their togetherness.

Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the price? asked Peter. It was yours, and you had power to give. Why did you think up this lie in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!

Those are terrible words! ... Every lie is a lie not to men but to God. What can you and I do? Tears won’t wash a lie away. There it stands, recorded in God’s book. Is there any hope for me, a liar?

Yes, oh yes! Jesus died for sins like that. He took them all, and they were so terrible that God Himself did not comfort Jesus but poured out all His fury against sin onto Jesus on the cross. When He had taken all God’s punishment for sin, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Where are my sins now? Gone! “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Does this mean your sins are gone? I don’t know. If you don’t care or you don’t believe God’s Word, then your sins are still recorded against you. It only takes one sin to take you to hell.

Do you know what happened to Ananias that day? He immediately fell down dead, and the young men wrapped him in graveclothes, carried him out and buried him.

About three hours later, his wife came in, and she had not heard the news about Ananias. Peter asked her, Tell me whether you sold the land for this amount? She answered, Yes, for that amount. You see, she had the same pride in her heart too, and she told the same lie to cover it up.

Peter had God’s wisdom to see her problem too, and he said, How is it that you both agreed to test the Spirit of the Lord? See, the men who buried your husband are at the door and shall carry you out too. Immediately she fell down dead, and the young men carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

The result of this was great fear. Even the believers all understood that you can’t tell a lie to God. He always knows! If you and I are real Christians, let’s take this to heart too. God hates lying, and He also hates the pride and selfishness that cause us to lie. It took the death of God’s beloved Son, our sinless Saviour, to wash away one lie.

Remember first of all that Jesus loves you. Would you like to be forgiven? The Lord said, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34).

You may read this story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.

MEMORY VERSE: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

ML-05/06/2012

Six-Mile Fall

Vicky, a 31-year-old airline attendant, fell six miles without a parachute and lived to tell the story.

The plane in which she was an attendant exploded in the air. She was making coffee in the back of the aircraft when the explosion took place. “I don’t remember anything,” she says. But one thing she does know is that for some reason she is the only survivor of the strange accident.

What Vicky does not talk about is that for some reason God has spared her life. We hope she thanks Him as much as she thanked the person that found her in the plane’s wreckage. “The man that pulled me from the wreckage burned his hands from the hot metal,” she says. When Vicky met him later, she said, “I was so happy—I kissed his hands!” But what the Lord Jesus has done for her can save her soul; He died for her! His hands and feet were nailed to Calvary’s cross and His side was pierced, from which flowed soul-saving blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Have you realized you are completely helpless to save your own soul, and have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Vicky had no choice; she was completely helpless. Her rescuer, a forest worker, was nearby and heard the noise of the airplane metal falling down the mountain and heard her screams. The Lord Jesus sees your need of His saving power, and because He loves you so much, He is offering you salvation completely free. “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).

Will you accept the soul-saving offer that cost the Lord Jesus His life?

ML-05/06/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Lowly Earthworm

“They shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God.” Micah 7:17

This verse from the Bible tells of a time when the enemies of the Lord will try to hide from His judgment. No words describe those enemies better than “like worms of the earth.”

Although earthworms are a very important part of God’s creation, many people think they are good only for fish bait, which is why they are also called angleworms. But they are much more important than this, as we shall see.

There may be 50,000 or more earthworms hidden in the ground in an acre of rich, moist soil. They come to the surface to pick up old leaves or other dead vegetation only when it is moist, then roll them tightly and take them down into their tunnels for future food.

Let’s take a close look at one. If it is healthy, it is plump and pink-red in color. Its body, tapered at both ends, is slightly moist. This one has a collar around it in which eggs are carried before slipping off to hatch underground. If we could see inside this worm with a microscope, we would discover as many as ten hearts. Perhaps the reason for so many is this: If a worm is cut in two, each piece will soon form a whole new worm. We also see its tiny mouth and the 120 segments of its body with about 1000 little bristles underneath. These bristles enable it to move through the soil. We also see that it has no eyes, ears or nose. These are unnecessary because it is guided by vibrations and breathes through its skin. What an amazing little creature God has made and cares for!

Earthworms are an important part of God’s creation, mainly because they are excellent tillers of the soil. Wriggling through the ground, their soft snouts push the soil into their mouths. As this soil passes through their bodies, little bits of food are retained. The rest is carried to the surface and deposited in little “castings” (now soft, fertile soil), which fertilize the land. Not only do they serve this important purpose, but also their tunnels loosen the ground, allowing air and water to penetrate to the roots of trees and other vegetation. Some scientists insist the earthworm is the world’s most valuable and beneficial creature.

Does God have a lesson for us in this overlooked, humble creature? Yes, the Bible tells us, “Base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen ... that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29). We learn from this verse that we do not have to be highly intelligent to come to God. The simplest person may, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, prove to be wiser than one whom the world considers to be brilliant. Are you one who trusts in Him through this simple but precious faith?

ML-05/06/2012

Flashlight Man

For several years, Mr. Seymour was the principal and also a teacher at the school in Fancy, Saint Vincent. He lived in Dickson Village, about sixteen miles south of Fancy, on a windy, mountainous, costal road.

Back in the early 1980s there were fewer motor vehicles in Saint Vincent than there are now, so he would walk every Sunday evening from his home in Dickson Village to the room where he would stay during the school week in Fancy. He would walk back home again on Friday evening. Most principals before him who had lived a long way from Fancy had traveled there on Monday and returned early Friday. However, Mr. Seymour was a faithful teacher and principal and wanted to be in the classroom and at his desk five full days a week.

As a result of these weekly trips from Dickson Village to Fancy and back again, Mr. Seymour got to know the road very well. He felt at times that he could walk it with his eyes closed in spite of its twists and turns and ups and downs. But let me tell you what happened one Sunday evening, as Mr. Seymour told me the story.

After teaching a large Sunday school in Dickson Village every Sunday afternoon from 3 to 4 p.m., Mr. Seymour would pack several things into his backpack, say good-bye to his family and head down the road and over the mountains on his sixteen-mile walk to Fancy. In his backpack would be some food items, his school books, clothing, a Bible, gospel tracts and a very important flashlight. In the tropics it gets dark by 6 p.m. and so most of the walk was done in total blackness. There were no street lights. This made his flashlight necessary for staying on the road and making it safely to the room where he stayed. However, on this particular evening he decided he did not need his trusty torch (as it is called in the West Indies). As he said later, he was sure he knew the road well enough to go without using the flashlight.

As he reached the last hill to Fancy, he was feeling very pleased with himself and proud that he had not had to use his flashlight, even though the sky had clouded over and it had started to drizzle rain. And even though it had been a long walk, he got a fresh burst of energy and began jogging up that last hill, which had many twists and bends. Suddenly it seemed he was jogging in midair. He had missed the last hairpin turn and had gone over the very steep bank. Far below was the sea and jagged rocks! But the Lord was merciful, and Mr. Seymour only fell about twenty feet and was not seriously injured. He was able to grab hold of the vegetation and rocks to break his fall and then scramble back up to the road. His injures were very slight, and from that time on he never again failed to use his flashlight.

God has given us the best light, His wonderful Word, the Bible. “The entrance of Thy words giveth light” (Psalm 119:130). The Bible gives us light to show us how we can be saved, as well as how we can live to please the Lord Jesus. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Sad to say, many people have rejected the light of God’s Word and have chosen their own way. That is the way of death and eternal sorrow. “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). Mr. Seymour almost lost his life because he failed to use the light he was carrying in his backpack. But even more serious than that is to end up in hell because we refuse the light of God’s Word. And for believers, we can make a mess of our lives if we do not follow the light God has given us for everyday Christian living.

Mr. Seymour would often tell this story to the boys and girls in Sunday school and gospel meetings, and for many years he was known in that area of the island as the “Flashlight Man.”

MEMORY VERSE: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

ML-05/13/2012

Sweet Potatoes

Almost everyone likes sweet potatoes. However, they have to be grown in a warm climate. In 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 pleasant to look at the many little potato hills all covered with long, green potato vines.

The missionary was looking forward to eating these potatoes baked with wild honey, so she walked over to see if the soil 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 soil, she was terrified to find a puff adder curled around the potato plant! Puff adders are very dangerous, poisonous snakes.

This dangerous snake reminds us of Satan. The Bible reads, “That old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan” (Revelation 20:2).

We know that the Lord Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil for forty days. At the end of that time, the devil tempted Him three final times. Each of the three times, Jesus answered by saying, “It is written,” and then He repeated a verse of Scripture. After the third time of repeating Scripture, the devil left. When we are tempted to do wrong, we should follow the Lord’s example by repeating 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 place their trust in Him. “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4).

ML-05/13/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The African Aardwolf

“O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God!” Psalm 36:6-7

The aardwolf, sometimes called earth wolf, lives in the dry, open areas of eastern and southern Africa. It is related to the hyena, though smaller, and looks like a dog with extra-large ears and a pointed muzzle. It is about three feet long and has a bushy, black-tipped tail of the same length. Like hyenas, it has a sloping back and hind legs shorter than those in front. Its fur is rough, coarse and yellowish striped, with a crest down its back that rises in angry bristles when it is attacked.

In spite of its fierce looks, loud barks and roaring, the aardwolf is harmless, shy and nocturnal, sleeping in underground burrows during the day and doing its hunting at night. Although it has strong claws and sharp teeth, it uses them only for defense or for getting food. It eats mostly large insects, white ants and harvester termites. It finds these last two by breaking into nests and mounds with the sharp claws on its five-toed, strong front feet. Since these insects are its main food, the Creator has provided it with a sticky tongue to help catch and consume as many as 200,000 harvester termites in a single night. It may also eat eggs, some small mammals and birds.

Because of the aardwolf’s sharp claws and teeth, plus the fact that it can spray enemies with a foul-smelling fluid, this animal is left pretty much alone. The claws are important for digging the deep burrows where it sleeps. These burrows are cleverly designed. Three or four pairs of aardwolves each have their own burrow, and each burrow is extended farther into a central chamber where, on occasion, the aardwolves come together. In bad weather they stay underground for days at a time, but when the weather is clear, some will interrupt their daytime sleep to enjoy an outdoor sunbath.

If an empty burrow is available, they use it and avoid digging their own. However, they still have to make changes to provide a room where babies, usually triplets, are born. Like dogs, their babies are blind and helpless at birth, but in less than a year they are fully grown.

It is not likely anyone would want to make pets of aardwolves. But in spite of their unusual characteristics, they are part of God’s creation, and He takes care of them even though they are unaware of it. The Bible tells us of His love and care, and each of us should respond as the psalmist did when he wrote, “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord” (Psalm 145:9-10). Do you give Him praise and thanksgiving for His care of you?

ML-05/13/2012

"Help! Help!"

Do you think it is possible to be in trouble and not know it? Ian and Jim learned the answer to that question.

One day they rowed their boat to a little island, which was only a large rock in the harbor of the fishing village where they lived. They got out of their boat and pulled it up on the rock.

They were having lots of fun playing on their own island! No one else was there to tell them to be quiet or in any way spoil their fun.

All of us like to have our own way. Nobody wants to be told what to do or what not to do. However, “there is a way that [seems] right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25).

Are you one of those people that think they can do as they please, and that since they only live once, they might as well enjoy it? They say that when you die, that is the end of you. Their whole idea is this: “Rejoice ... in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). They forget the end of the verse: “But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” So they go on living without thinking about God and that someday they will face Him.

While Ian and Jim were playing, the tide rose high enough to make their boat float off the rock and begin to drift away. The boys were stranded on their island, but they didn’t know they were in trouble. They were so busy playing that they never thought about the tide coming in.

When the two boys decided it was time to head home, they had an unhappy surprise when they discovered their boat was gone. They could see it drifting away and out of their reach.

Do you think they went on playing and having fun? No! They began to call loudly, “HELP! HELP!”

People in the fishing village heard them calling. It wasn’t long before a motorboat headed out to their little rock island to rescue them and their drifting boat.

Maybe you have not thought about it, but it is dangerous to go on without calling to God for help. God’s punishment for sin is ahead for all who do not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

When they heard the boy’s calls for help, the villagers on shore rescued them. And the Lord Jesus, who loves you, will hear your call to Him and will rescue you from your sins. He said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Are you still stranded in your sins? Have you called for help?

MEMORY VERSE: “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

ML-05/20/2012

"More Than a Blanket"

“Mr. Thomas died yesterday,” Kathy’s mom told her. Kathy, a young person, was surprised to hear that news since their neighbor was only in his forties. He had died suddenly of a heart attack, and now he was gone.

Thankfully, Mr. Thomas knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. He had learned from reading the Bible that he was a sinner and that he needed to be saved. He also learned that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3), and he accepted God’s gift of “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Now he is with his Saviour, “which is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

What about you? God has not made salvation something hard to understand. The Lord Jesus paid the price for sin when He died on the cross. If you know that you are a sinner and are sorry for your sins, tell Him and “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Later, after hearing the sad news, Kathy was thinking about what supplies she would need to buy to make fleece blankets for a few friends’ birthdays. She suddenly felt that the Lord would like her to make a blanket for Mrs. Thomas. I don’t really know her, and I don’t know what colors she would like, or if she would even want a blanket, she thought. But she knew that Mrs. Thomas was also a believer, and that made her love Mrs. Thomas, even though she had never met her.

After work that day, Kathy stopped at the fabric store and found fleece for her friends and for Mrs. Thomas. Soon a blanket was sewn up, and one of Kathy’s family members dropped it off at Mrs. Thomas’s house with a card and a plate of cookies.

Not long after, Kathy received a phone call from Mrs. Thomas. She thanked Kathy and said, “It’s more than a blanket to me.” Her heart had been really touched, knowing that someone had made it especially for her and that there were loving prayers going up for her and her family.

The Lord Jesus sees the big picture that we cannot see. A blanket didn’t seem like anything very special, but the Lord used His perfect plan to bring comfort to a widow and to teach them both a loving lesson about His ways.

Have you ever felt in your heart that the Lord Jesus had something for you to do? Even if you are a very young believer, a child, He may have a work of love for you to do. He might tell you it would be nice to pick a handful of wildflowers for your mom or to help her set the table for supper. He might have you help someone by picking up something that was dropped on the floor. You might see somebody who is sad, and the Lord tells you that he or she could use a cheer-up hug. Maybe you know someone who is not saved and you know that the Lord wants you to pray for him or her and to tell that person about the love of the Lord Jesus. God has a reason for everything that He does. Listen to what He has to say to you, and don’t put off doing what He has for you to do. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17).

ML-05/20/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Paper Wasp

“How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.” Romans 11:33

In the sunny days of early spring, the queen paper wasp comes out of hibernation to build a paper nest. She usually attaches it under the eaves of a house or other building. This wasp is equipped with strong jaws that she uses to chew old wood into a soft pulp. This pulp, mixed with the juices in her mouth, produces a product much like the paper used to make newspaper. She constructs the nest with this material.

Before making the living part of the nest, the queen cements a stem of the same material onto the underside of the eave. Then she begins building the nest, starting from the underside of the stem. She forms cells into rings that grow wider and wider, until the nest is completed. Some nests are up to six inches wide. As each six-sided cell is added, an egg is laid inside and cemented in place. The queen also deposits a little ball of nectar inside each cell. It is attached next to the egg to provide food for the larva after it hatches.

The wasp continues her work day after day, making paper for the cells and laying her eggs in the cells. After the larva hatches from the egg, it remains attached to the side of the cell by its tail because it is not ready to fly. By the time the larva finishes the ball of nectar, it is ready for bigger things to eat. The queen and her workers then chew up cabbage worms and insects and feed this to the larva. Thus these helpful wasps destroy large numbers of harmful insects. In addition to food, water is brought to the larva by the worker wasps. In hot weather the workers also cool the nest by fanning with their wings and sometimes spraying it with water from their mouths.

Soon the larva is big enough to fill the cell. It then spins a cap over the opening of its cell, forming a cocoon. Later it breaks through this and comes out as a fully developed wasp.

We may wonder at the abilities of these little creatures. Who taught them to manufacture “paper” and form it into nests? How does the queen know how to cement the eggs and nectar into place? And how does she know when to put aside her nest building and find food for the larvae? How do the larvae know how to spin their cocoons and cover the cells while going through the final process of becoming mature wasps?

Their ability to do these things did not come from experiments or a gradual development. It came from God, the Creator of all things. How wonderful to know Him not only as the Creator, but, more importantly, to know Him as your very own Lord and Saviour.

ML-05/20/2012

Really Thirsty!

“Have any of you ever been really thirsty ... so thirsty that the only thing you could think about was getting a drink of water? That’s the way it often is in the country of India,” said Pablo as he began to print a Bible verse on the chalkboard—”Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life ... .” (Revelation 22:17).

“What’s the last word of this verse?” he asked the children.

“Freely,” they answered. It had been their memory verse that week, so most of them knew the answer.

“Now, I want to tell you the story of a Christian family that lived in the country of India. When it rains in India, it rains a lot. But when the dry season comes, it’s very dry. Even some of the deep wells dry up, and people have to search for water. When they find it, they may have to carry it a long way back to their houses.

“This Christian family was very happy that the Lord had saved them from their sins and they wanted to share that good news with others so they could be saved too and know they were on their way to heaven. However, the family’s landlord worshipped other gods and didn’t want to hear about the Lord Jesus. So he told the Christian man that he and his family had to move out.

“‘You’ve got to get out of my house!’ the landlord said. ‘My god is just as good as your God, and I don’t want to hear any more about Jesus!’

“So the Christian man and his family left that house and tried to find another place to live, but no one would rent them a house. So they went to live in the room where they meet with other Christians to worship the Lord Jesus. This room had a roof with posts holding it up, but it didn’t have walls. So the Christian man started building a small house next to this meeting room, and he dug a deep well.

“Then the dry season came. Many wells dried up, but the Lord kept the Christian man’s well full. His neighbors came to him and begged him to sell them some water. No, he wouldn’t sell them water.

“Why do you think he wouldn’t sell them water?” Pablo asked.

“Because they wouldn’t rent him a house,” the children answered.

“How does God give us the water of life?” Pablo asked.

“Freely,” one of the children answered.

“That’s right! Now if we love the Lord Jesus and know that we are justified freely by His grace, how does God want us to act?”

“Like the Lord Jesus?” one little girl asked timidly.

“That’s exactly right! If God freely gives us all we need, how should we give to others?”

No one answered, so Pablo had to tell them that the Christian man wouldn’t sell his water because he knew that God had supplied it, and God wanted him to give it freely to his neighbors. So that’s what he did.

Do you think that would make his neighbors more willing to hear about the Lord Jesus and how He died for them so they could have eternal life too? I’m sure it did.

Have you accepted God’s free offer of the water of eternal life? “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).

MEMORY VERSE: “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-05/27/2012

The Exploding Campfire Rocks

When I was younger, I used to camp with a group of boys. One time we were camping near a small lake that had formed under a waterfall of clear water. In our exploring, we discovered that the ground that formed the waterfall, the lake and the camping area was made of volcanic lava, formed many years before.

We built a fireplace to cook our dinner, using big round rocks we found under the water. Our dinner was still cooking when we heard the first explosion. One after another, the rocks around the fire suddenly began to blow up like bombs, throwing pieces of rock and fire in all directions! We boys ran as fast as we could, looking for shelter from the exploding rocks.

When the rocks finally stopped exploding, we figured out what was making them explode. Those rocks around the fire were actually big balls of hardened lava that had gas trapped inside. When they became hot from the fire, the gas that was trapped inside expanded and blew apart the rocks. Thankfully, none of us got hurt.

Those rocks make me think of a sinner who keeps sin trapped inside of him, sometimes for many years, and this is what will destroy him. Those unforgiven sins make him sad and without hope. God wants to change this, because He loves the sinner and offers to remove his sins and give him eternal life. And God’s offer is for whosoever will believe in the Lord Jesus as Saviour. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). On the cross Jesus took upon Himself God’s fire of judgment for sin. Now everyone who trusts in Him is free from the terrible fire of eternal punishment.

Even after the rocks stopped exploding, no one wanted to be the first to go near the fire, because we didn’t know if any more rocks would explode. You also don’t know when you will have to meet God, so it is urgent to accept the Lord Jesus right now as your Saviour and be free from your sins. “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-05/27/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Turtles and Tortoises - Part 1

“O give thanks to the Lord ... to Him who alone doeth great wonders: for His mercy endureth forever.” Psalm 136:3-4

There is so little difference between turtles and tortoises that they could easily all have the same name. Generally, those living along ocean beaches or close to other water are called turtles, and those that live in deserts or on land elsewhere are known as tortoises. Neither species have teeth, but they effectively use the horny edges of their jaws as good teeth substitutes.

The females dig nests in sand or soft earth with their hind feet where they lay a few or up to a hundred eggs or more. Some sea turtles lay at least two hundred eggs. The eggs are carefully covered and left to incubate in the warmth of the sun. When the babies hatch, they dig their way out of the nest and are “on their own,” for a turtle never knows its parents. Those that survive such enemies as snakes, large birds, skunks, raccoons or other animals may live for fifty years or longer. The common box turtle, a native of North America, sometimes lives more than one hundred years.

One called the wood turtle should perhaps be called a tortoise, for it wanders far into forestlands during summer but hibernates in mud under water in winter. This is one of the larger turtles and has an olive-green shell with spider web patterns all over it.

Another, known as the spotted turtle, prefers wet areas in searching for food and making its home. It got its name from the bright yellow spots all over its coal-black shell.

One from Mexico, protected from hunting by the government, is the Bolson tortoise. It weighs up to thirty pounds and has an unusually heavy, wrinkly looking, yellow shell and armor-like plates on its forelegs. It digs a twenty-foot-long burrow with the spade-like feet and sharp claws of its front legs, working right through hard soil without difficulty. The long burrow is a good retreat from both the heat and cold of Mexico’s climate. Living in waterless surroundings, it never needs a drink, for the Creator has arranged for it to get all the moisture it needs from the vegetation it eats.

The more we study God’s creation, the more our attention is drawn to the great variety in His handiwork. Different species of bees, ants, bears, deer, turtles and many others tell us of His pleasure in creating them—alike, but different! Let us always remember that no creature ever appeared by chance —all were created in the Lord God’s infinite wisdom and for His pleasure. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

ML-05/27/2012

One Hundred and Two Dead Men

King Ahaziah fell down through a wooden screen in his palace, and he was badly hurt. Oh, he groaned, maybe I’m going to die.

Because of him, a great many other people had died, but it’s different when you face these things yourself. What would you do if you thought you were about to die? Call the hospital helpers, of course. Now, I think you really know that your life is in the hands of God. He’s the One who gave you life in the first place.

Ahaziah sent messengers to the god of Ekron, named Baal-Zebub, to ask if he would get better and live or would he die? The messengers never got there. A man of God, named Elijah, met them, and he had a message from God, the true God, the One who is in control of your life and mine and the king’s too. His message for the king was, You will certainly die.

And God has a message for you. He has said, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). That sounds frightening, and it is! Since you are a sinner, how will you face the judgment? Read the next verse: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (vs. 28). That sounds like an offer of escape, and it is! If you will come under the shelter of the blood of Christ, when you face death, the judgment for your sins will be behind you—not before you! This message for you is much better than the message that King Ahaziah heard.

The king didn’t like what his messengers told him, and he asked who this man was. They said, He wore hairy clothing and a leather belt. Then the king knew it was Elijah the prophet, and he thought to himself, I’ll get that man! He sent a captain and fifty soldiers who brought a command to Elijah. The king says you are to “Come down.” But Elijah’s answer was something that you or I can’t say: Let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men. And that’s exactly what happened!

God won’t do that to you ... not right now. Instead, the message to you is that the way is still open, but come to Him NOW! The fire will come, and it will be everlasting fire. God hasn’t changed, and neither has His message.

When the king heard what happened to the first group, he sent another captain with a second group of fifty soldiers. They were just as bold, and they were burned up too. Then he sent a third captain with another group of fifty soldiers, but this captain believed what he had heard. He fell on his knees before Elijah and begged, Please let my life and the lives of these fifty soldiers be precious in your sight.

Have you ever knelt down before God and asked Him that your life might be precious in His sight? Actually you don’t need to ask Him, because He has already proven this is true—when He gave His only begotten Son to die for you. He wants you in heaven because you are precious to Him!

God told Elijah to go with this man, and he went at once to the sick king. But his message to the king was not good. You turned to the god of Ekron and not to the true God. You shall certainly die.

The god of Ekron, whoever he may be, does not decide your eternity. It is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who will welcome you to His home in heaven because your sin debt is paid, or He will send you to a lost eternity because you refused Him. Which will it be?

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

You may read this story for yourself in 2 Kings, chapter 1.

MEMORY VERSE: “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

ML-06/03/2012

Quail Hollow

Lizzy’s family was on a vacation. As they drove toward their aunt’s cabin in California, the children tried to imagine what it would look like. They hoped there would be a lake or a stream and maybe even some deer. Now they were almost there, and Dad drove slowly so they wouldn’t miss the turnoff. Up a hill, under tall trees, a few more turns and there it was. No lake. No stream. Just a little gray cabin. How boring!

But wait! Lizzy spotted something. There was a quaint little sign that said, “Quail Hollow.” On it was a picture of a little round bird with a cute topknot. Lizzy wondered if maybe they would see something interesting after all!

When supper was over, the children asked their aunt about the sign, so she turned off the living room light. Then she told them to remain still and quiet and left them by the big side window. As the sky grew darker, the children quietly watched. Soon out of the bushes they saw several mother quails and their peeping chicks creep cautiously to the feeder on the ground to eat crumbs and seeds. A cottontail rabbit even came to nibble at the lettuce and carrots.

Quail Hollow was a safe place for these little creatures to come eat. And before the week was over, the children had seen many kinds of birds, more rabbits and even a raccoon!

Lizzy’s aunt loved the quail and other animals and provided safety and food for them, and the Lord Jesus loves you and can provide safety for you if you will let Him. Have you ever admitted to Him that you are a sinner and come to Him to have your sins washed away with His precious blood? He died for you so that you could be safe forever. “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). He loves you so much! Won’t you come to Him today?

“The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him” (Deuteronomy 33:12).

ML-06/03/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Turtles and Tortoises - Part 2

“The Almighty, we cannot find Him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment.” Job 37:23

The alligator snapping turtle lives in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley. It measures about four feet from its snout to the end of its tail and weighs about 150 pounds. It is considered the most dangerous of all turtles. Three rows of rough, bony ridges run from front to back on its yellowish top shell. It finds frogs, fish, worms and even small turtles in the water to eat and is swift as a rattlesnake in capturing them. It does not attack humans unless annoyed, but its immense, strong jaws could bite a person’s arm or foot off.

It has an interesting way of catching fish. Lying in a quiet spot at the bottom of a stream or pond, its wide-open mouth exposes a tongue on which a piece of pink flesh that looks like an angle-worm wriggles back and forth. This makes an effective bait, attracting small fish, which intend to make a meal of the “worm.” So right into the turtle’s mouth one swims, and—you guessed it—instead of getting a meal, it becomes a meal.

Another interesting one is the gopher tortoise, named for the extra-long tunnel it digs with a roomy den at the end. It sometimes shares this den with a gopher, frog, owl, snake or raccoon. They get along peacefully together in the den. This tortoise’s black shell looks like lumps of coal stuck together.

One unusual turtle is the Matamata of South America. Its rather flat shell has hard spikes on the top to discourage predators. It has a long neck and pointed head and paralyzes its prey by dousing it with a mouthful of poisonous spray.

A book could be written about these strange amphibians, including the eastern box turtle. Its high brown shell is decorated with tan figures, some of which look like letters of the alphabet. This shell provides unusually good security, for the turtle can completely withdraw its head, tail and legs underneath it. It has further protection from a flexible seal all around where the top shell meets the under shell. The underside hinges in the middle so it can box itself in tightly.

The Creator has given each turtle and tortoise just the right equipment for the conditions under which it lives. Our opening Bible verse declares that this wisdom and power, beyond our ability to fully understand, come from Him. Each of us should often thank Him for His love and goodness to us in so many ways. But we should particularly thank Him for the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Calvary’s cross. His death provides salvation to all who put their trust in Him and know Him as their Lord and Saviour.

ML-06/03/2012

Caught in a Raccoon Trap

Dear Children,

Some time ago I wrote to you about a blue jay that was trapped in our barn. Now this time I’m going to tell you about a black bird that got caught in our raccoon trap! This trap is not made to trap birds. It’s made to trap small animals—like raccoons, possums and, yes, even skunks! But if any bird gets too curious ... ZAP!—CAUGHT!

Do you know who is a master at trapping boys and girls and men and women into his traps of sin? It’s Satan. He uses all kinds of bait, like bad drugs, smoking, drinking alcohol, lying, stealing, swearing and lots more. Sad to say, many boys and girls and older people get caught in Satan’s terrible traps and never get out! Have you ever been caught in one? It’s very easy to get caught ... and then how do you escape? If you really want to know, I’ll tell you in a minute.

Some other creature was eating all the birdseed and bread that I put out at night for the early birds in the morning, and this uninvited animal was eating all of it! So I put some peanut butter and bread and a few raisins inside the trap to catch the critter, but I caught nothing.

While Gramma and I were eating breakfast, we watched some black birds coming close to the trap. They hopped around the trap, on top of the trap, and then ... you guessed it! ... right into the trap and ZAP!—CAUGHT!

This black bird was jumping around and doing its very best to escape, but no way. The trap door had slammed shut, and I am the only one who could release the bird.

Some traps set out by Satan to trap children, teenagers and grown-ups are very difficult to escape from. But, there IS an escape, if you really want it. Someone asked this question years ago: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). If you are caught in one of Satan’s traps, it leads down to hell and the lake of fire! However, God is offering His free gift of eternal life in heaven. First John 1:7 says, “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son [cleanses] us from all sin,” and we are immediately set free! And then in Luke 15:7 it says, “Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that [repents].” Will you be that one sinner set free today that will give God thanks for saving you from Satan’s trap?

Within ten minutes of that black bird being trapped, I went down the stairs, opened the trap door, and away the bird flew! Free!

Dear children, thank God for the open door into heaven. Jesus said, “I am the door: by Me if any man [woman, boy or girl] enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).

Lots of love,

Grampa

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

ML-06/10/2012

Treasure Hunt

Do you like to hunt for treasures? Many boys and girls collect things they find, like pretty stones, seashells, colored leaves, pop cans and lots of other things, and they call them treasures. Maybe you have some treasures you have found.

Dave Crisp liked to hunt for coins. He was so serious about looking for his treasure that he was known as a “hobby metal detectorist.” That’s a really big name for somebody who looks for coins. However, sometimes the coins he found were valuable, and he used a metal detector to find them.

One day as he was using his metal detector in a field in southwest England, Dave came upon a huge collection of very old, buried coins. After he dug up a few of the coins, he knew that he had found a prize, more valuable than he had ever found before! He stopped digging and called in experts from a museum.

The experts dug up a large pot holding 52,000 coins, weighing 350 pounds and worth $5,000,000! It took the museum workers about three months just to wash the coins and make a list of them. How the coins got in the field remains a mystery, but the museum workers did learn that the coins are over 1700 years old.

What kind of treasure are you looking for? The greatest treasure you will ever find is available to everyone—to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. “Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

If you know the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour, there is a special place to look for more valuable treasure—in God’s Word, the Bible. The person whom God inspired to write Psalm 119:162 Said, “I rejoice at Thy word, as one that [finds] great [treasure].” As you search in God’s Word, you will find many treasures of the Lord’s love and care for you. One of those treasures is His promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). You will never be alone!

Dave Crisp found a very valuable treasure. As you read the Bible, the hidden treasures you will find in it are much more valuable than the ones Dave found. Most boys and girls keep their treasures in their rooms at home, but did you know that you can keep some treasures in heaven? Whatever you do for the Lord Jesus, He says they are treasures that He keeps for you. Someday He will show you just how valuable they really are.

“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven ... for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).

ML-06/10/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Noisy Puffbirds

“I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.” Psalm 50:11

There are many species of puffbirds in the rain forests of Central and South America. They are not very large birds, only about seven inches from their bills to the ends of their tails, but they make up for any lack in size by their loud and noisy chatter. Their heads are rather large in proportion to their bodies and have a feather tuft on top of their foreheads. Some also have another tuft under their bills, and they all have large, red eyes. The name “puffbird” has been given to them because they often sit with their feathers fluffed out like a puffball.

The Creator has provided them with wide, short bills, enabling them to scoop insects easily from the air. Sitting in groups on a branch or other high place, individuals dart out quickly now and then for passing bugs and flies or spiders, lizards and small frogs that they may spot.

One, called the white-eared, is among the prettiest. It is all white on its throat and lower parts, decorated with a vivid orange bill and reddish-brown cap. This has narrow black ribbons across it, matching its tail feathers. Its reddish-brown wings are decorated with numerous black patches.

Another, the swallow-wing, has a bluish-black cape over its head and down most of its back and wings but sports a distinctive white area between its cape and tail. Its body has a pretty combination of a blue bill and breast with orange lower plumage.

The smallest, but most active, is the white-fronted. In spite of its name, only half of its front is white and the rest is a grayish-blue, matching its broad tail feathers. The male and female of this group surround their burrow entrance with sticks to help conceal it. Working together, they remove the fresh dirt from the burrow so enemies can’t easily find their underground home.

With all puffbirds, both parents work together digging a burrow and making a nest at the end. After the eggs are laid, they both share incubating them. However, after the eggs hatch, the male always stays with the chicks for a week or more while the female finds food. She brings this to the tunnel entrance and drops it, and the little chicks get good exercise walking up to get it. The male doesn’t eat any of this food, so he has to make quick trips outside to satisfy his hunger. The chicks fly from the nest when they are about three weeks old.

The Bible verse at the top of the page tells us that the Lord God knows all about these birds that He has created and cares for them. He knows all about you too and wants you to trust in Him by accepting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Have you done this?

ML-06/10/2012

Tommy's Rescue

Tommy had spent a week at a day camp and had heard how God loved him and had sent His Son Jesus to die for him. Even though he was just nine years old, Tommy decided to trust Jesus as his Saviour. He believed that on the cross Jesus had taken the punishment he deserved for his sins.

Some weeks later, Tommy was at a lake with his family and was so happy to discover he could go out alone in a canoe. He had learned how to paddle it and get back to the dock by himself. So one afternoon while his dad sat on the dock reading, Tommy headed off in the canoe. A wind suddenly came up, and the water became rough with waves. Hard as he tried, the canoe refused to turn in the direction he wanted it to go. Instead, he found himself being blown farther and farther away from the shore.

Now Tommy was really scared and started to cry. But his dad, not realizing what was happening, never looked up from his reading, and Tommy was out too far for his calls to be heard.

But all was not lost. Tommy thought about what he had learned at the day camp. He remembered that God loved him and would hear his prayer. So he stopped crying and prayed that God would make someone see him before the waves took the canoe out of sight.

Did God answer his prayer?

His sister was in the cottage and suddenly decided to go see where Tommy was. Searching the water, she finally saw him far away on the other side of the lake. She quickly told the family where he was. They got a boat and followed him across the choppy lake and rescued Tommy from his scary adventure.

Tommy was happy to tell his family that after he had prayed he was not scared any more. He knew God would send someone for him. Isn’t it great that God hears the prayers of children, as well as older ones, who call upon Him? In the Bible we have a wonderful promise from God: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). Tommy probably will never forget his lesson of how God answered his prayer.

MEMORY VERSE: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Psalm 50:15

ML-06/17/2012

The Confused Goose

As I sit looking out on the little lake that is behind our house, I see several families of geese. The ganders (fathers) swim in front, followed by their goslings in a straight line, with the hens (mothers) bringing up the rear. These are Canada geese—large birds that are black and gray with a white chinstrap—beautiful birds. They have been coming back here in springtime for years to build their nests, lay their eggs and raise their goslings on the grasses and lawns surrounding the lakes.

But there is something unusual about one of these families. The leader of one family is a snow goose. He is all white with black wing tips. Some years ago, through some mix-up, he came back in the spring with the Canada geese. They seem to accept him as one of their own. He doesn’t seem to know that he is different, but he demands a place of higher rank in the pecking order.

I suspect that there are many so-called Christians who are not true Christians at all. They enjoy the company of believers, attending meetings and Sunday schools and singing the gospel songs. However, they have never admitted that they are sinners and placed their trust in the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ to wash their sins away in His precious blood. To us they seem to be saved, but to God they stand out like the snow goose. “The Lord [knows] them that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Have you truly placed your trust in the finished work of Christ and thanked Him for saving you? Or are you a bluffer, like the snow goose?

The snow goose may select a mate, and she may make a nest and lay eggs. But, because they are different species, a cross between a snow goose and a Canada goose is not possible, so the eggs never hatch.

What happens next is the worst fighting and fussing you have ever heard from geese. We can hear the higher pitched shrieks of the snow goose above the noise of the others, often with gander wings beating one another. Usually the snow goose drives off one of the weaker ganders, and he wins as the head of the weaker gander’s family. The snow goose claims the family just as if it were his own. The goslings don’t seem to know the difference, and they follow the white gander, with their own mother behind them. He has stolen a family!

If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you have an enemy who would like to steal your heart! Satan will try to set the attractions of this world in your heart to take away your love for the things of the Lord Jesus. Proverbs 23:26 pleads, “My son, give Me thine heart.” The psalmist gives good instruction: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).

I feel sorry for the gander that lost his family. He often follows at a distance, sometimes calling out to his mate, but he gets no answering call. Boys and girls, be careful that your heart is not stolen from the Lord Jesus. “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).

ML-06/17/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Life From Seeds

“God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself.” Genesis 1:11

The way in which plants, flowers, grass and trees reproduce themselves is amazing. The seeds that are formed sometimes can push the tenderest blade of new life through the hardest soil. No matter how tiny, a tree seed has within itself the capability of producing roots, the tree trunk, branches and leaves. It contains cells with enough food to nourish the new growth until roots and leaves develop.

There are seeds that retain life for twenty years or more under extreme desert heat. These have God-given “time clocks,” and do not sprout until the right conditions are present. Often this will be through a heavy cloudburst or a spring flood, which removes the chemical coating of the seed that has preserved it for so long. Now as the coating dissolves, the seed splits open, root and shoot are produced, and a new plant begins to grow. One desert plant produces self-planting seeds with spiral tails. The spirals are sensitive to the slightest moisture in the air. They respond by coiling and uncoiling in such a way that they dig themselves into the dry, sandy soil. When rain finally comes, they are self-planted and ready to take root.

It is easy to understand that people plant various kinds of seeds, but other seeds are scattered far and wide by wind, water, birds, animals and insects. For instance, one Russian thistle may have 100,000 seeds, all of which are carried by the wind to new locations, even across mountains and oceans! Also, many seeds—the coconut is one—float down rivers and across oceans to distant shores and take root there.

The tasty fruits of trees and bushes, eaten by birds and animals, contain seeds or pits. These creatures may carry fruit a considerable distance before eating them and discarding the seeds or pits, where they often will take root and start new plants. What a wonderful provision of the Creator to use animals and birds to take part in providing a future food supply for their kind in places all over the world.

The Bible tells of one who sowed seed in a large area. Some never took root; others grew awhile and then died, but some fell on good ground and brought forth much fruit. In Matthew 13, the Lord Himself explained about this. The seeds are examples of God’s Word being sown throughout the world. Some people paid no attention to it, and it did not take root with them. Others enjoyed it for a little while but did not really accept it in their hearts, so there was no new life there either. But the happy ones were those who received and believed the Word and received the new eternal life, which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Which one of these “seeds” are you?

ML-06/17/2012

Minty, My Tiny Baby Goat

I was working on my computer when Dad came to the door. “Abigail had twins,” he reported, “but the female is so small I don’t know if she’s going to make it. Come out when you can.”

As soon as I could, I headed out to the barn. It was early June—springtime—when my goats have their babies. Abigail was a big, pretty goat and a good mother.

I peered into the pen. Uh-oh, I thought, that kid is really small. (Baby goats are called “kids.”) She was so small that I said to Dad, “Is it worth trying to save her?” We decided to try, after all, she was alive, and life is valuable.

The tiny one-pound goat (later named Peppermint but lovingly known as Minty) had a twin brother that was much larger, maybe three or four pounds. He was healthy, but Minty was frail and was going to need lots of special care if she were to survive. We took her out of the pen so she wouldn’t get stepped on by the other goats and kept her in a cardboard box.

For some baby animals, it takes some encouragement to teach them to drink from a bottle, but Minty caught on quickly. From the time she was born, she was very good at sucking milk from the bottle. She also had a good pair of lungs and would often greet us with a high-pitched “MAAAA.” This was her way of talking to us. For weeks we bottle-fed her, using both her mother’s milk and later cow’s milk. I grew to love this little goat, so tiny and weak, and soon she began to recognize us, knowing we were her food supply.

One day when she was older but still being bottle fed, I took the bottle out at noon. Several of the kids, including Minty, had escaped into the hedgerow. I knew where they were, so I called to her, “Minteeeee! Minteeeee!” From across the back pasture she heard her name, and she came to me!

When I remember how small Minty was and how we love her because we had to take special care of her, I realize that this is what the Lord Jesus has done for us. From heaven He saw that you and I were helpless, hopeless sinners, even when we were very small children. He loved us so much that He didn’t want to let us die as sinners—we were valuable to Him. He knew what it would take to save us, and He chose to do what was necessary. He gave up His home in heaven and came down to earth to die for sinners—little children and grown-ups too—so that we could be saved from our sins.

In Bible times, when mothers brought their children to Jesus so that he would touch them, the disciples told them to go away and not to bother Him. But Jesus said to His disciples, “Suffer [let] the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). He cares and loves even the smallest children, as well as bigger children and teenagers and grown-ups too, and He wants all of us to be saved from our sins. Have you accepted Him as your very own Saviour? If not, you can do that right now. You need to tell the Lord Jesus that you are sorry for your sins and that you want Him to wash them away. Will He do that for you? Here’s your answer: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

All believers, having been washed from their sins, need the pure milk of God’s Word so that they may grow spiritually. Little children can begin to learn about Jesus and His love for them when they are very young, just as Minty started out with only milk from a bottle. But as she grew, we later gave her hay to eat. And as children grow older and learn to read, they can begin reading the Bible and memorizing verses that will help them for the rest of their lives.

Minty is now almost two years old and weighs about fifteen pounds. And as young believers read the Bible and grow in their Christian lives, they will learn more and more of God’s love and also learn to do what pleases Him.

MEMORY VERSE: “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14

ML-06/24/2012

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 mommy 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-06/24/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Hidden Insects - Part 1

“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24

In many forms of animal, fish and bird life, the Creator has supplied protective camouflage to their surroundings. But it is most remarkable with insects, which are a main food for birds, fish, snakes and amphibians. The Creator has designed camouflage for certain insects so that they are hidden from their enemies, even though they are actually in full view.

Most frequently this camouflage is in their coloring or the imitation of the surface on which they rest or feed. The fact that most of them can remain perfectly still for long periods of time adds to their safety. There are literally thousands of insects so protected in very interesting ways. We will look at a few examples.

Those known as stick insects, with odd shaped legs and bodies, perfectly match the leaves or branch on which they rest in full view without moving during daylight hours, waiting until it is dark to eat the leaves. Birds often alight on nearby branches overlooking these insects and never suspect they are missing out on a meal.

The green wings and bodies of other insects are spotted in such a way as to give the appearance of leaves that have been partially eaten or damaged. Others, the exact color of a given flower, sit on its petals and appear to be part of the flower. An outstanding example of these insects are African plant hoppers. They come in two colors—green and yellow. When feeding on a bush of their favorite food, the green plant hoppers go to the top where they look like the green buds that they are eating, while the yellow plant hoppers go to feast on the yellow flowers that they match perfectly.

Some caterpillars that are able to remain motionless for hours are thin and covered with rough spots, so that they look exactly like twigs jutting out from plants or bushes. At times they hold to a bare branch with their hind feet only, while the front part of their bodies sticks out stiffly like a twig. These are so perfectly disguised that a photographer who once happened to spot one and took its picture, wasn’t able later to distinguish it from other parts of the branch when he examined his finished photograph!

These insects can “hide” themselves from their enemies, but as the opening Bible verse tells us, they cannot hide from their Creator. His eyes are always on every creature, including every human being. What does He see when His eyes are on you?

In the next issue we will see if we can find more of these hidden insects.

(to be continued)

ML-06/24/2012

A Special Friend

Here’s a question that the Lord Jesus asked: “Which of you shall have a friend?” (Luke 11:5). Sometimes we need a friend really badly, and here’s the story of a time like that.

An unexpected traveler came to a man’s house at midnight. He probably never intended to be so late, but perhaps he had lost his way. But there was one thing known about him for sure—he was hungry!

I have met lots of hungry people too. These people are really, really hungry, even though they have a pocketful of money and the hamburger-and-fries places are open. These hungry people spend their money on expensive restaurants or strong drinks or fast cars or movies or gambling or exciting friends, but nothing works. The same old hunger is always there.

Have you felt like that? You need a Friend! You need Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. He satisfies the searching and hungry soul with good things. But the rich He sends away empty, because they don’t want what He offers them free of charge—free because He has already paid the cost.

The man in our story had a neighbor friend living close by. People in that country had no streetlights and didn’t go out at night except in an emergency ... but this was an emergency! The man had no food to give the hungry traveler at midnight, so, without waiting till morning, he went to his neighbor to get some food.

The neighbor was in bed and didn’t want to be disturbed in the middle of the night. As far as he was concerned, tomorrow would do. But for the man who had the hungry traveler, tomorrow would not do. He continued asking the neighbor for three loaves of bread and said he would repay him. Finally the neighbor got out of bed and gave him as many loaves of bread as he needed.

I have a Friend too. He is never too busy or too tired to answer my need. His name is Jesus, and He is a perfect Friend who knows all about me. Sometimes He answers my need quickly, and sometimes in His wisdom He keeps me waiting. Maybe that’s because He wants me to learn to turn away from all other help and just depend on Him. He has given each of us this promise to lean on: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). His supply never runs out!

The man in our story asked for three loaves of bread, but he got as many as he needed, and that was probably a lot more than three. Our God will supply all your need, not according to your need, but “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” And His riches are endless!

Do you know this special Friend?

You may read this story for yourself in Luke 11:5-10.

MEMORY VERSE: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

ML-07/01/2012

A Priceless Newfoundland Dog

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-07/01/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Hidden Insects - Part 2

“By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.” Colossians 1:16

Last week we looked at a few insects that have God-given abilities to conceal themselves from their enemies by various disguises, even though they are actually in plain view. Let’s look at a few more of them.

Some insects are protected, not because they are concealed, but because they look like others that are avoided because they are poisonous or have a terrible taste, and the predator can’t tell one from the other. One of these is the yellow and black tiger moth of Arizona that looks like a very distasteful beetle and so is avoided by even the hungriest bird or snake.

Another, the larva of swallowtail butterflies, looks like a vicious small snake. It has what look like huge eyes and a big mouth, but which are really only markings on a swelling on its body behind its real, but harmless, mouth. It doesn’t need to hide; attackers are scared away just by its deceptive looks.

Treehoppers, which suck juice from plants, look like thorns along the stems they feed on and fool birds, even when such plants may have no real thorns naturally. And the American katydid looks precisely like a spotted green leaf, while a grasshopper living in one of Africa’s deserts can instantly change its color to match pebbles on the ground wherever it alights.

Sphinx moths’ wings have a pattern that looks very much like the bark of trees to which they cling in daylight. Even if one is seen alighting, it seems to disappear if the eyes of the searcher are turned away for a moment or two.

The walking-leaf beetle of the Philippines lays eggs that look like seeds. When they hatch, the babies are the same color as the buds on which they feed. When fully grown, their bodies look like the leaves on which they then feed. In addition, their legs have yellow edges that look like leaves that have been nibbled. On a windy day they hang from a branch and move with the wind just as the leaves next to them do. How wonderfully the Creator has provided these safety features for the insects we have reviewed, plus many, many more!

The opening Bible verse assures us that nothing is invisible to Him who has created it. This includes every human being, and God has provided wonderful protection from Satan’s power for all who are in the shelter of the Lord’s love. Another verse assures us of this: “He that [dwells] in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). When you trust in the Lord Jesus, you are sure of His loving shelter. Does He shelter you?

ML-07/01/2012

God's Care

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? If you do, you have a wonderful God and Father who cares for you and provides everything you need everyday. He can use you in blessing to others and even make those things to also be a blessing to you in the future. The Bible says, “He that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Proverbs 11:25). The following story will illustrate the joy of knowing the Lord and sowing the “good seed,” which is the living Word of God.

You may have read the story a few weeks ago about a man named Garvin Seymour from Dickson Village, Saint Vincent. He was a teacher and also the school principle. You will remember that he used to walk sixteen miles every Sunday afternoon from his home village to the village of Fancy where he taught in the school there. Then Friday after school he walked those same sixteen miles back to his home and family. Those thirty-two miles were over a rough, mountainous, coastal road. Part of the way he traveled after dark and had to use his flashlight to see where the twisty road turned, so he wouldn’t fall over the edge.

One Sunday afternoon as he headed back to Fancy after spending the weekend with His family, he was feeling rather sad and depressed as he started out for the long walk. There were really four reasons why he felt this way: first, the long walk alone that he knew was ahead of him, knowing that it would be dark before he got there; second, he was asking the Lord, “Why me?” as he started out; third, the physical strain of the sixteen-mile walk; fourth, the fact that he had to leave his wife and family again.

However, he knew he had to do it and had said goodbye to his family and headed down the road. The miles seemed to be longer than usual, as he trudged up and down the mountains and around the curves. He finally reached the village of Owia, crossed a small river, and was thankful that it wasn’t dark yet. He still had several miles to go, when suddenly he realized how hungry he was. Usually Mr. Seymour carried some food with him, but for some reason there was nothing to eat in his bag this time. He wasn’t worried though, because he knew that just ahead at the three-way spilt in the road there was a small store that carried snacks and fruit drinks. So he felt better and hurried along, but when he reached the store, he found, to his disappointment, there was nothing there to eat! (Remember this happened many years ago when stores were not as well stocked as they are in Saint Vincent today. This was an isolated area of the island.)

By this time, Mr. Seymour was very hungry and more weary and discouraged than ever. There was nothing he could do but start up the next hill and hope that the store about halfway up had something to eat and drink. To his dismay, it was the same story ... nothing to eat or drink! By now Mr. Seymour was really hungry and very thirsty. He looked up the hill and prayed that the last shop at the top of that long, steep hill would have something—anything! Even just some dry bread or biscuits! Up, up he climbed. It seemed like every limb in his body ached and that his legs would give out from under him. His stomach growled and his throat was dry. How thankful he was to finally make it to the shop and find that they had some buns and some fruit drink.

As he sat on a bench in the shop eating and drinking and still wondering why the Lord allowed such things in his life, he looked up and saw a Bible verse on the wall. Here is what it said:

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

This verse really spoke to Mr. Seymour, because it was the living Word of God. It reminded him that he had a God and Father who loved him, had saved him, and was caring for him everyday. And then he remembered that he himself had distributed several of these cards with that verse on it some months earlier in that village. Now God was using the very verse that he had given to the shop owner to encourage him and speak to his heart. It reminded him of this Bible verse: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

He bowed his head and thanked his heavenly Father that His care never stops. He went on the rest of his journey, no longer hungry and thirsty and with a song of thanksgiving in his heart.

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?... For your heavenly Father [knows] that ye have need of all these things.... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31-33).

MEMORY VERSE: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

ML-07/08/2012

A Puzzle for You

Can you write the names of the books of the Bible that begin with the letter E? There are six of them. If you have memorized the books of the Bible, this should be easy for you.

E _ _ _ _ _

E _ _ _

E _ _ _ _ _

E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

E _ _ _ _ _ _

E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ML-07/08/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Sea Otter

“Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” Psalm 135:6

The sea otter lives only along the Asiatic and North American coasts of the Pacific Ocean. It is five to eleven feet long, including its tail, and weighs up to a hundred pounds. It has beautiful, dark brown fur and spends hours grooming its fur with its paws.

The sea otter spends most of its time in salt water. It makes its home in thick beds of kelp (seaweed) where it is quite safe from seals and killer whales, two of its enemies. Before going to sleep, it wraps itself in strands of kelp so it won’t drift away. However, sometimes it is seen napping in the open water, floating on its back with its eyes covered with its forepaws.

A female has only one pup at a time, which is born in the kelp beds and is totally helpless. In fact, it can’t swim until its mother teaches it. She holds it up with her forepaws, much as a person would hold a child while teaching it to swim. The mother cleans the pup’s fur continuously.

The Creator has provided the sea otter with ears and a nose that seal closed when it dives. He placed the eyes near the top of its head so it can see, even while almost totally underwater. It is an excellent swimmer and can swim long distances underwater.

It always seems hungry and eats at all hours. One of its favorite foods is abalone, a shellfish that clings tightly to rocks near the bottom of the ocean. The otter can’t pry these loose but takes a rock from the bottom and smashes the abalone’s shell to get at the meat. It also brings clams and other shellfish to the surface along with a good-sized stone. Swimming on its back, it places the stone on its chest and then smashes the clam down on the stone to break its shell and get to the meat.

Sea otters love to play and often chase one another through the water. They have been seen lying on their backs in the water, tossing sticks in the air and catching them in their paws before they hit the water. They will do this over and over.

It is amazing that creatures such as this go on year after year and century after century, doing the same things and being provided for in the same way. This should not surprise us when we think that God made every one of His creatures in just the way that would best suit it for its life’s pattern and purposes. He also said at the time of creation, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind ... and it was so.... And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:24-25). So we should not expect any of these creatures to change from one form to another, because God made every creature to continue “after his kind.”

ML-07/08/2012

A Spring Calamity

When we were visiting with some of our family in early spring, we were fascinated by a robin’s nest very close to their kitchen window. The mother and father robin took turns sitting on the nest. Soon the eggs hatched and the parents started bringing food to the hatched babies. All day long they were very carefully feeding their tiny babies that only had a little fuzz on them. In time, real feathers would develop and grow, as the babies grew bigger.

Before we left for home a week later, we could see that the babies had grown quite a bit. They had their little beaks up in the air, wide open and waiting to receive food.

About a week after we had been home, I was talking to our daughter on the phone and asked her about the baby birds. “Did the little robins learn to fly yet?”

“Oh,” she said, “the most terrible thing happened this morning when I was watching them. A big, black crow landed on the robins’ nest and picked up all three baby robins in its beak and flew away with them! I’m so glad the children were in school, as they would have been terribly upset!”

This was a terrible calamity, especially when the mother and father robin had taken such good care of their babies. It makes us sad to think about it. But those of us who read the Bible know that when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the results of their sin affected not only all people born into the world ever after, but it also affected all of God’s beautiful creation, including the plants and all creatures. As a result, many creatures in the wild now kill to eat, including crows, and God sees it all. But He also sees the little sparrow that might be in trouble. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father ... . Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29, 31).

There was not much that could be done to help the poor mother and father robins. But you and I have a loving Father in heaven who sees and knows everything that happens to you and me too, and He cares. He loves us so much that He is willing to help us, no matter what the problem might be. He wants us to call to Him when we need His help, even though He has already seen our problem. He says, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). And how good it is for us to thank Him right away too, because we know He is going to help us.

MEMORY VERSE: “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24

ML-07/15/2012

No Middle of the Road

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-07/15/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Bluefin Tuna

“Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas, and everything that [moves] therein.” Psalm 69:34

There are few places in the world where you would find people who have not tasted and enjoyed tuna fish. There are many varieties of this fish, and it is estimated that more than two million tons are caught each year for fish markets or by sportsmen.

The largest is the bluefin tuna that sometimes matches the size of a shark or a porpoise. It may weigh as much as one thousand pounds and grow to be more than ten feet long. But most that are caught are around three feet long, which is big enough to give a sport fisherman a real battle.

Although found in every ocean, many live in the Atlantic Ocean, with Nova Scotia and Norway being two of the places where great numbers feed. The larger bluefins are often caught in these places and are prized as a food fish. The meat is sold fresh, canned or frozen. Most are packed in ice and shipped to cities throughout Canada, the United States and Europe, as well as Japan for their sushi and sashimi raw fish markets.

The bluefin, as with all tuna, has a very distinctive shape. From its large mouth to the very narrow connection at its crescent-shaped vertical tail, it is as streamlined as a dolphin. The tuna is among the swiftest of fishes, and the hardy bluefin has been known to swim as far as a hundred miles a day. It is a pretty fish, deep-blue along its well-muscled body. The Creator has provided an extra-strong heart, so that many live to be thirty to thirty-five years old.

The Atlantic tuna migrate each year from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea in schools estimated to contain as many as ten thousand. These migrations, as far north as the Arctic Circle and back, set a long-distance record in the fish world.

Females lay tremendous quantities of eggs that float near the surface. These hatch and grow rapidly, but many become the victims of hungry sea creatures. Those that survive weigh about nine pounds in a year’s time and become mature in three or four years. However, they continue growing no matter how old they become.

Tuna, as well as all other creatures, are always under God’s care and live their lives through instincts He has given them. In the Bible we also find that “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). We should thank Him for this, but even more for the message, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). Have you thanked Him for that love and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Saviour?

ML-07/15/2012

Running by the Rules

Have you ever run a race? Most of us have, even if it was just with a friend who said, “I’ll beat you to the tree!” Then off we ran as fast as we could for the tree so one of us could say, “I won!”

But it’s not only children that run races. Sometimes teens and grown-ups really get serious about running in races, and they work hard, often running every day to help their legs and breathing to become stronger. That is what a young man named Scott had been doing for several years. He wanted to come in first in a marathon race, which is really an outstanding victory for a runner. The first three runners crossing the finish line usually win medals.

It takes a lot of training for anybody to run a marathon race, whether they come in first or in the middle or last. Do you know how long a marathon race is? It is 26 miles and 385 yards! Most of us ride in a car if we are going that far!

There are rules a marathon runner must follow, just as there are rules for you and me to follow every day of our lives. Did you know that God wants us to follow His rules so that we may receive a reward in heaven? Before we can even start training for that reward, we must accept God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Saviour. Have you done that? John 3:36 explains what each of us must do: “He that believeth on the Son [the Lord Jesus Christ] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” When we read God’s Word, the Bible, we learn of other “rules” everyone should follow, but especially once we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, and honor your father and mother (Luke 18:20) are just a few of the things we should do to please God.

Scott really liked to run, so it was not hard for him to train for a marathon. Last winter in a marathon race in Fort Worth, Texas, he ran faster than 9,000 other runners, and he finished first! He was more than three minutes ahead of the second-place runner. But instead of a celebration at the end of the race, there was confusion because of a rule Scott had not obeyed.

Every marathon race has a rule that each runner must register to run, and Scott had not registered to run in that race. To add to the confusion, Scott was wearing a friend’s shirt with the friend’s name on it. His friend had registered, but for some reason he could not run that day. The race officials were quick to take first place away from Scott and give it to runner number two.

Scott knew the registration rule, but he disobeyed it and ran anyway. Do you suppose that at any time he had read this warning in the Bible: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23)? He did admit to the race officials that he had not registered. Even though he had worked so hard to win, breaking that rule caused him to lose the first prize. He also lost the chance to run in a much more popular marathon later in the year. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one [receives] the prize? So run, that ye may [receive the prize]” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Scott did not run by the rules, so he did not receive the medal as a reward. How about you? Are you following God’s instructions so that you will receive a reward in heaven? He is willing to help you do that, if you will ask Him. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

MEMORY VERSE: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23

ML-07/22/2012

The Boy in the Camera Shop

The boy was only ten or twelve years old. He came often to the camera shop to get pictures developed and printed. The shop owner did not know whether they were the boy’s own rolls of film or whether they were brought in for someone else. The boy came again and again, and each time he came the shop owner laughed at him.

Why would he laugh at a good customer? Well, each time the boy came in he did something that the man thought was amusing—he gave the man a gospel tract. What a strange thing for a boy to do! Why would he continue to hand the man a gospel tract every time when the man always laughed at him for thinking he needed it? Probably, the reason was that the boy knew the Lord Jesus as his own Saviour and found, as many of us also do, that the message was too good to keep to himself. And he probably went home and prayed for that shop owner, because he knew that the Word of God has power, even when it is laughed at.

About ten years passed, and the boy had stopped coming. But when closing time came in the camera shop, the man moved his displays all to one side and arranged chairs in the center for a meeting. What could this be for? He set out Bibles too, and before long people began to arrive for a Bible study. It was his own store, and he was free to use it to spread the good news to others. The owner who had laughed at the boy and his gospel tracts had, in time, accepted the Lord Jesus as his own Saviour. He was now spreading the good news and the words of warning to those who would listen and to those who laughed.

If you know the Lord Jesus and what He has done for you, don’t get discouraged. This may be your last day for passing the good news on to someone. Be faithful today. “Thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). The boy’s faithfulness with those gospel tracts had good results. And your faithfulness today will have good results.

ML-07/22/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Delightful Plovers

“Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done.” 1 Chronicles 16:11-12

The sixty-five species of long-winged plovers come in a wide variety of colors and sizes. These birds live throughout the world, and most are found near lakes or oceans where they find food along the beaches. It is interesting to watch them: They run fast and then abruptly stop for a bit of food, or they follow an outgoing wave, looking for bits of sea life left behind. Then they scoot rapidly back before the next wave catches them.

Plovers build their nests on beaches, scraping out saucer-shaped hollows in the sand or gravel. The nests, spotted eggs and even the birds themselves blend in with their surroundings so well a person could pass close by without seeing them. This protection is just one of the benefits provided by their Creator.

An interesting species is the Egyptian plover. In the oppressive heat of summer, the mother bird carries water in her beak, trip after trip, to dampen the young ones and keep them cool. This is the same plover that hops into a crocodile’s open mouth to pick food particles from its teeth, and the crocodile never harms the bird. Who do you think taught them these things?

But it is the golden plover that is one of the world’s greatest travelers. In spring it nests and raises its young in the far north on the shores of the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. When the little ones are able to care for themselves, the parents leave them, taking off on a nonstop 2500-mile flight to Hawaii, without the help of a map or compass. They also fly that great distance without eating, drinking or stopping to rest! What amazing strength the Creator has given them.

But even more amazing, their young ones, left behind to mature, take off a few weeks later on the same trip with no parents to show them the way. Their Guide, who was the same One who guided their parents, is the very God who created them and provides strength and guidance for them to make it safely to their journey’s end. Like their parents, after resting a few weeks in Hawaii, they then fly southeast to South America and other places in the South Pacific to spend the winter. The following spring they fly north along the eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean to their former nesting grounds, completing a round trip of about eight thousand miles!

The opening Bible verse informs us that the Lord Jesus wants to be your guide and strength too. Psalm 32:8 also says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” Are you letting Him guide you through your life? Following His directions is the only safe and happy way.

ML-07/22/2012

He Didn't Read the Letter

Mr. King did not like to read. Before he and his wife were married, he enjoyed reading her letters and even wrote some to her, because they lived far away from each other. But now they were married, and he no longer felt the need to read her letters. When she was away on trips with their children, he sometimes put her letters away without reading them. Perhaps Mrs. King never would have guessed this, but one letter to him that he didn’t read caused the whole family a great deal of distress.

It was winter and Mrs. King and their two children took a train trip to visit her parents who lived a long distance away. Before they left to return home, Mrs. King wrote her husband a letter to tell him that there had been a change in the train schedule. She wanted him to know that they would have to get off the train at a different station and on a different day.

Mrs. King and the children got on the train that day, excited to be returning home. The trip went smoothly, and they got off in the place that she had written about. Mrs. King quickly saw that there was only a very small and very cold train station and a tavern. They were hoping to see Mr. King, but, of course, he wasn’t there—he hadn’t read her letter. A mother with young children had no reason to want to go into a tavern, but neither did she or the children want to wait in the cold train station. Soon she had no choice.

Mrs. King and the children walked through the cold winter night to the tavern where they could get warm while they waited. There they sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited. She kept wondering why Mr. King wasn’t there to meet them. He must have read her letter!

A very special letter has been written to you too. God has written it, and it is far more important than any other letter written to you. His letter is called the Bible, and it has some very important information for you. He writes that He loves you very, very much and has a wonderful home in heaven for you and anyone else who would like to live there when life here on earth is over.

However, God explains that there can be no sin whatsoever in heaven, so sinners who are still in their sins cannot go to heaven. Long ago, God and His Son Christ Jesus made a plan whereby sinners could be set free from their sins, but it was going to cost Jesus His life. He volunteered to go to Calvary’s cross and pay the price for the sins of every sinner who would believe and by faith accept Him as their very own Saviour. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Not only would they be set free from their sins, but also their names would be written down in His book of life.

God’s letter to you also has a warning. For those people who will not read His letter or refuse to admit that they are sinners in need of a Saviour, there is a very unhappy place reserved for them after they leave this world. The Bible calls it “the lake of fire” where they will spend eternity, because they refused to believe that Jesus loves them and died to save them. Their names are not written in His book of life. The Bible clearly says, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). What needless loss and great unhappiness for sinners who have refused God’s love and forgiveness! All because they didn’t feel the need to read God’s letter and follow His directions.

And Mrs. King did not know that her husband had not read her letter. As a result, he was quite unaware of their problems. He was sound asleep in bed at home, the unread letter safe in the house.

Finally, Mrs. King called him, and he had to come in the middle of the cold night to pick up a very unhappy wife and children. All the information for their arrival had been included in his wife’s letter, but he had not read it—and so he was not ready for their return.

I hope as you read the Kings’ story, you will think about what God has written to you—that He loves you and wants to set you free from your sins so that you will have a place reserved in heaven. You have to make the choice—heaven or the horrors of the lake of fire. Which will you choose?

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

MEMORY VERSE: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19

ML-07/29/2012

A Little Girl's Message

A number of years ago Mr. Wilson was 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 read, “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 read, “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 had been posted in many different railway stations throughout the country of England, and each day they were read by old and young who were on their way to work, going shopping or just sightseeing. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

ML-07/29/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Inseparable Companions

“His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9

In the deserts of southern United States, the creamy blossoms of the yucca plant are a beautiful sight when they are in bloom. However, this plant would soon become extinct if it were not for the work of a little moth. The moth itself also would not survive if it did not have the yucca plant.

No bees, ants or other insects help fertilize the yucca flower. This is entirely the work of the pronuba moth. The yucca blossom opens in the evening and is open most of the night. While still daylight, the female moth flies to a half-open yucca blossom. When the blossom opens fully at night, she collects a good supply of pollen. Then she forms the pollen into a ball about the size of her head. She tucks it under her chin and goes to another blossom. As she walks up the pistil, she deposits several eggs into its hollow center. Then she continues her climb to the top where she deposits the ball of pollen on the top part of the pistil, rubbing it in by pressing her head against it again and again. This pollinates the yucca flower.

After some weeks, the flower turns into a pod with a hard shell filled with seeds and the moth’s eggs still inside. The eggs hatch out as tiny caterpillars that use the seeds as their only source of food. Later they chew through the pod, drop to the ground and spin themselves into cocoons. Adult moths eventually come out of the cocoons at the same time that new flowers are forming on the yucca. And the cycle begins again.

Any other moth would just find a place to lay her eggs and then be on her way. Why does the pronuba moth collect pollen from one flower, then change to another flower before laying her eggs, and finally depositing the ball of pollen so necessary to the life cycle of the yucca? Certainly, all this is not by chance. A Supreme Power has told the little moth what to do.

Some may say this is only instinct, but it is the Lord God who gave the pronuba moth the necessary instincts when He created the first one. How serious to realize that man has been given an intelligence much higher than instinct, but is walking in his own way away from God. The Bible says of man, “When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-22).

The Spirit of God pleads with everyone to “[cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Are you submitting to God, the Creator of everything?

ML-07/29/2012

Adonijah's Big Party

Have you heard of Adonijah? He was a son of King David, a very good-looking man. Since King David was very old, Adonijah decided he wanted to be king in place of his father. So he planned a big party, with plenty of roast beef and roast mutton (sheep) for everybody. And he invited lots of people to his party, including most of his brothers and a priest and his father’s servants. But he didn’t invite Nathan the prophet or Solomon his brother and some others who followed King David and his son Solomon. What was all this big celebration for? It was for Adonijah, who had chosen to make himself king.

But we follow a different King! It was Jesus the Son of God who said, “Follow thou Me” (John 21:22). It was Jesus who was sent by God to be my Saviour and to die for me. If Jesus is your Saviour too, you will not be joining the followers of any false god, no matter how many good reasons they give you. Jesus is our Saviour, because we are sinners and we need Him. “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7).

King David heard of the big party given by Adonijah, but this was not his choice for a new king. King David followed the God of heaven, and he knew that when he himself died, his son Solomon was to take his place as king.

King David’s answer to all this was to make Solomon king. I have appointed him king over Israel and Judah, said King David. And Solomon sat on King David’s own mule and was anointed with kingly oil. The matter was settled, and the people shouted, God save King Solomon! Then there was the sound of a trumpet and people shouting with great joy.

All this joyful shouting reached the ears of Adonijah’s party. What’s all this shouting about? he said. The city is in an uproar!

Too late, Adonijah! You did not think about King David’s choice of a new king. You only thought about yourself and the people who followed you. You gave them a big party, but you did not think about who would be God’s choice for a new king.

You who are reading this story today, come and ask God what His choice is. Does He want you to follow Jesus or some other person who cannot save you? Is there someone else who has taken the punishment for your sins and died for you? Will you follow the world’s choices or will you have Jesus as your Saviour and share His home forever?

Hearing that Solomon was the new king, Adonijah’s guests were afraid, and they went away and left him alone. So he ran to the altar for safety. At King Solomon’s command, he was sent home to prove he would obey him as the new king, but Adonijah’s heart was not changed. He showed that evil was still in his heart, and a soldier in King Solomon’s army was later appointed to end Adonijah’s life.

All the opportunities the world offers will not change your heart. Come to the Lord Jesus, right now. His love is forever, and there is no salvation for you anywhere else.

You may read this story in 1 Kings, chapters 1 and 2.

MEMORY VERSE: “Who can forgive sins but God only?” Mark 2:7

ML-08/05/2012

Fire Ants

Tommy and Sarah were playing together in the backyard of their new home. Their family had recently moved to a southern state, and they were not used to everything found in that warmer climate. Mother had said, “Don’t go near that little pile of sand over there because there are fire ants in it, and they bite!”

After Mother went back into the house, Tommy and Sarah went over to the anthill. They stood watching the little ants with great interest. “Let’s get a stick and poke it into the pile,” said Tommy. So they each found a stick and began to poke around in the pile of sand. This stirred up those busy little ants.

The Bible tells us that “it is an honor...to cease from strife [stay out of trouble]: but every fool will be meddling” (Proverbs 20:3). Meddling means to start a quarrel or to step into something that is none of your business. Tommy and Sarah were meddling with that anthill when they were told not to. Not only did they disobey their mother, but also they were very unwise to meddle with fire ants.

Almost immediately hundreds of biting, reddish-brown ants swarmed up the sticks and on to Tommy’s and Sarah’s hands and arms, and more crawled up their legs.

Suddenly Mother heard screams from the backyard. She came rushing out of the house to find biting fire ants all over Tommy and Sarah. She quickly rushed the two children into their wading pool. As she tried to wash the ants off the children, they crawled onto her arms and bit her too. When she finally got the ants off the children and herself, all three of them were covered with hundreds of tiny, red, stinging bites!

How sorry the children were for not listening to their mother. They had learned a lesson the hard way. “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). They could have saved themselves and their mother a lot of pain and unhappiness if they had only remembered the Bible verse they had learned in Sunday school: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).

We certainly hope Tommy and Sarah’s painful lesson will keep them far away from the ants. But even some of us who are older ignore lessons and warnings, and there are usually sad results. Those of us who have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, young or old, can turn to Him for help when we are tempted to sin. We have the promise, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

ML-08/05/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Giant Panda

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

There are two varieties of panda, but they are very different from each other. The lesser panda is small and raccoon-like with long, reddish-brown fur and a long, ringed tail. Its home is in the Himalayan Mountains near India. The more interesting panda looks like a big stuffed toy and seems like a cross between a bear and a raccoon. This one is the giant or great panda. It also lives in the high Himalayas along the border of China and Tibet.

The giant panda has a round, white head with jet-black ears and nose and black circles around its eyes that look like they’ve been painted on. It looks cuddly and is loved by people everywhere. When fully grown, it is almost five feet long and two feet high at the shoulder—about the size of a small bear with just a stump of a tail. The cubs are especially cute and lovable, and their mothers carefully watch them.

There are five kinds of bamboo that they will eat. They seem to know which parts of these plants have the most food value. At certain seasons they eat just the leaves and stalks and at other seasons only the plant stems. Having big appetites, they munch on about a hundred pounds of bamboo every day.

Living in such a small area in this remote part of the world, pandas usually hide when people approach, so they are not seen in the wild very often. The Chinese people love them and are concerned because they may become extinct.

In 1972 The Chinese wanted to send a complimentary gift to the President of the United States. They selected a pair of these animals and shipped them to the Washington, D.C. zoo. To help preserve these lovable animals, arrangements were made to place more of them in zoos in other cities as well, and this has helped to multiply their numbers.

Although most people did not know about the great panda for many years, it has always been under the watchful care of its Creator, as the opening verse of this article tells us. Another Bible verse says: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest [displayed] in His sight” (Hebrews 4:13).

If God thinks about and cares for animals in far-off remote mountains, just think how much more He must care for you. This care is shown by His great love to all people in sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world to “give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). If you will come to Him as a sinner and tell Him you are sorry for your sins and accept Him as your Saviour, you will become His very own forever. If you have not done this as yet, He invites you to come to Him today.

ML-08/05/2012

Two Life-Saving Teens

Dear Boys and Girls,

In this letter I’m going to tell you about two boys who went fishing at just the right time! Little did they think that they were going to be needed as rescuers.

The place where Alex and Danny were going to fish was a pier that people use for launching their boats into the water and taking them out again. The water is the fast-moving Niagara River, which is very dangerous! This pier juts out into the river fifty feet.

When the two young teens started down the pier, it was beginning to get windy and the waves were growing higher. To their surprise, a small boy was already fishing in their favorite spot. As Alex and Danny were looking for another spot to fish, the two friends saw the young boy accidentally drop his fishing pole into the water. Then to their alarm, the boy jumped into the water to save his fishing pole!

Maybe you have read in the Bible in the Book of Luke, chapter 15, about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. This young boy had just lost his fishing pole. Thankfully we can read that the lost sheep, coin and son were all found! But what about this young boy and his fishing pole that were both in the water?

The boy, who could barely swim, was struggling in the water, with waves washing over his head. Then his father, who couldn’t swim very well either, jumped in to save his son, but he too struggled against the high waves. They both began screaming for help. When the grandmother quickly came and saw waves washing over her grandson’s head, she jumped in to save him since she could swim. Soon she was also in trouble, and the current of this powerful river was beginning to pull all three of them away from the pier and towards Niagara Falls. They needed help and they needed it NOW!

Do any of you children remember the story about Peter who thought he would walk on the water to meet the Lord Jesus? When he took his eyes off the Lord, he started to sink! What a feeling that must have been! So Peter called with a loud voice, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). Just three words ... and immediately the Lord Jesus stretched out his hand and saved him! What a Saviour!

Horrified at what they were watching and hearing them all calling for help, Alex and Danny decided they had to come up with an idea fast to save these three people before they were caught in the river’s current. Then it would be hopeless.

The two teens knew it was foolish to jump into the swift river to try to save this family. They decided to tie their fishing rods together to make a six-foot pole that each of the three family members could grab one at a time. They ran to the side of the pier, stretched out this long pole and pulled in the little boy first, then the father and then the grandmother. All three were saved from drowning! What a happy moment that was when the three were standing on the pier with the two boys who had just saved them! And nobody even gave a thought to the lost fishing pole that started it all.

God used these two boys to rescue this family from the threat of death. And now children and grown-ups, just stop and think for a moment about death and what comes after. Will you be in heaven or hell? God in love sent His Son Jesus to save us from spending eternity in hell, because it is our sins that will take us there. And the very moment you or I trust the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, our names are written down in the book of life in heaven. We are saved for an eternity with Him! And He assures us, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

Children, we hope and pray that one day we will meet each one of you in heaven. And if you haven’t trusted Jesus to be your very own Saviour, please do that right now!

Lots of love,

Grampa and Gramma

MEMORY VERSE: “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” Isaiah 43:1

ML-08/12/2012

Birds in the Bible

Here are the names of 10 Bible birds, but the letters that spell their names are scrambled. See if you can arrange the letters to spell their names correctly. Since some of the verses have the names of more than one bird, check the verses in the order they are given, beginning with Genesis 8:8.

LOSWAWL

OCPKCAE

RWSRPOA

NSAW

ENILAPC

RTSKO

OEDV

ELGAE

Genesis 8:8———————————————————————-

Deuteronomy 32:11——————————————————

1 Kings 10:22——————————————————————

Luke 12:6————————————————————————-

Psalm 102:6———————————————————————

1 Kings 17:4———————————————————————

Psalm 104:17——————————————————————

Psalm 102:6———————————————————————

Psalm 84:3————————————————————————

Leviticus 11:18—————————————————————-

ML-08/12/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Intricate Eye

“He that formed the eye, shall He not see?” Thou God seest me.” Psalm 94:9; Genesis 16:13

The eye is a most amazing organ—far more efficient than any camera. The lens of the eye, surrounded by fluids, automatically keeps the eye in focus. It allows us to immediately see a distant object clearly when turning our glance from a book we are reading. It is the cornea, a clear, oval window in front of the eye that bends light rays and sends them on to the lens.

The pupil is the channel through which these light rays travel. In bright light it appears small because it contracts, but it opens wider as the light dims. It is wide open in the dark and can increase its sensitivity to light some 10,000 times. In fact, human eyes exposed to darkness for a while can see almost as well as an owl.

When the lens has focused the image, it is then passed on to the retina—the inside coating of the eyeball. The remarkable retina is only as thick as a piece of paper but has ten layers. It contains about 150 million rod and cone cells. Most of these are rod cells, which help us see in dim light and separate shades of black and white. The cone cells help us see color and bright light. The retina has many blood vessels, but the cornea and lens have none because they must be crystal clear at all times.

The white of the eye nourishes the cornea and so has many blood vessels. It produces tears and another fluid that helps keep the eyes moist by flushing salt water over them. This is done when we blink, which we do about 30,000 times a day. Besides keeping the eyes moist, blinking helps remove foreign particles that might damage this sensitive organ.

Everything about the eye is automatic. How wonderful it is that we can see stars trillions of miles away, and yet with no thought we can focus on a tiny object just a few inches away. When watching an exciting activity, the eye will send millions of electrical impulses instantly to the brain, which immediately takes over to put the information to use. The picture received by the eye is always upside down, but the brain turns it right side up.

The eye is actually one of the great masterpieces of the divine Creator. It is important to remember that our eyes are not just for this life, but we will see in eternity as well. Job declares, “I know that my Redeemer liveth ... whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold” (Job 19:25-27). The Lord said, “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me ... may [see] My glory” (John 17:24).

Those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour will enjoy these delightful promises. However, the eyes of those who reject Him will only see Him as their Judge rather than as their Redeemer, and they will face eternal punishment. Which group are you in?

ML-08/12/2012

How Can I Know?

One morning the Sunday school teacher told a Bible story about a rich young man who asked the Lord Jesus how he could have eternal life. Jesus knew this young man’s heart and that he thought he was a pretty good person, so Jesus decided to give him a little test. He told him he needed to keep the law in order to have eternal life. The man said he had obeyed the law since he was a little boy! To show the man that he really didn’t love his neighbor as himself, which the law required, Jesus told him to go and sell everything he owned and give all his money to poor people. Then he should come and follow Him.

The children listened well but felt sad to hear that the young man turned away from Jesus. The man didn’t want to sell everything he owned and give away all his money to poor people; his money was more important to him than having eternal life. All Jesus really wanted the man to do was to confess that he was a sinner and ask Jesus to save him.

It’s not by GIVING away all our money or by DOING anything that we receive eternal life. The children in Sunday school were able to answer the question, “How do we get saved?” Some of them had learned Acts 16:31 and could repeat it by heart: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Many of them knew that they had been lost sinners, but they had asked Jesus to wash their sins away in His blood. They knew they would go to heaven someday. But some of them didn’t FEEL saved and so weren’t sure about their sins being gone.

Six-year-old Tony had this problem. He raised his hand after hearing this story and said wistfully, “I wish there was a way we could KNOW FOR SURE that we are saved.” Lots of children and grown-ups also have this same wish. Unlike the rich young man, they have confessed to Jesus that they are sinners and asked Him to wash them clean, but they aren’t perfectly sure that this has actually taken place. It’s hard for them to understand that BY FAITH they need to believe that Jesus has done what He has promised to do. Jesus never goes back on His Word!

It reminded me of what a lady told about her son John. When he was about the same age, he came to her and said, “Mom, I’ve asked the Lord Jesus to save me so many times I can’t count them anymore, and I’ve had it. I guess I’ll just have to believe!”

Yes! That is all we can do—just believe! Romans 10:9 tells us, “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.”

How would you feel if you told your friend something and he said, “I’m not sure I can believe that”? Instead of looking for some physical proof that Jesus really washed your sins away, just believe what He said and rest on His promises. “He that believeth on the Son [Jesus] hath everlasting life” (John 3:36). Tony was assured that believing what Jesus said in the Bible was a more solid foundation than relying on our feelings of being saved. Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Believe His promises, and you will have peace in your heart!

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

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

ML-08/19/2012

Duda and Elisiario

When visiting a small village in central Brazil, Fernando met a young man whose name was Elisiario. Fernando invited him to come to the gospel meeting that he was going to preach that evening in a small room. It is important to notice that “Elisiario” is not a very common name, even in Brazil.

Walking around the village, Fernando also met a young woman who had just arrived there, and her nickname was “Duda.” She came from southern Brazil with a group of students in a government aid program. Duda didn’t know anyone else in the village but met Fernando on the village street and was also invited to come to the gospel meeting.

That evening in the small room, Fernando spoke about the love of God in giving His beloved Son Jesus to die on the cross to save sinners. And he also spoke of God’s desire to save everyone in that little room who would trust the Lord Jesus that very night. God would freely forgive their sins and save their souls for heaven.

As he finished the message, the young preacher gave a sincere invitation. And because he knew the names of only the two persons that he had met that day, who didn’t even know each other, he decided to use their names as an example of God’s desire to save. He said, “God wants to see you, Duda, and God wants to see you, Elisiario, with Him in heaven!”

That phrase was like lightning striking Duda, and soon she was crying about her sins and trusted in the Saviour Jesus. In tears she told Fernando that God was speaking to her that evening. She told him that when she was a little girl, her father had died in an accident with his truck. Her great desire was to see her father, of whom she had no remembrance. But her mother always told her, “Duda, one day you are going to meet your father in heaven.”

And do you wonder why Duda was so impressed that night? Because her father’s name was also Elisiario!

And you, don’t you want to go to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you? Trust in Him now as your Saviour, and one day you will be with Him and with all those who have already gone to be with Him, because His precious blood has washed their sins away. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

ML-08/19/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: A Summer Thunderstorm

“He [causes] the vapors to ascend.... He [makes] lightnings for the rain; He [brings] the wind out of His treasuries.” Psalm 135:7

The psalmist was always impressed with the display of the elements, referring to them as the voice of God speaking to man. In Psalm 29:4 he said, “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” Perhaps you also have felt this as you have watched a thunderstorm, seeing the splendor of the lightning and trembling a little as a clap of thunder seemed to shake the earth. Yes, God’s voice is in these things.

In summer, although clear blue skies may accompany a bright, sunny day, a storm will sometimes come up unexpectedly. Warm drafts of air, called thermals, often start this change. Quickly rising extremely high, moisture in thermals condenses and forms a beautiful, fleecy cumulus cloud, looking like a mound of whipped cream. But its beauty is deceiving. Within it turbulent winds form, whirling like a cyclone at speeds of over two hundred miles per hour. Soon it changes its beauty into a darkened thunderhead. Inside the cloud the temperature is dropping, and soon ice particles are whirling madly about. Crashing into one another, they become hailstones.

All this violent action creates brilliant flashes of lightning. Soon the hailstones grow too heavy to stay aloft and break through, falling to earth. At times they remain frozen and, merging with one another, can become as large as baseballs, landing with enough force to dent car tops or break windows. What is God saying in all this? Surely He is reminding us that we are as nothing in the presence of His power when it is displayed this way.

Not all storms are destructive. Usually the hail melts and turns into rain on the way down, and the soil quickly drinks it up. This is the goodness of God, as the Bible tells us: “He [looks] to the ends of the earth, and [sees] under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and He [weighs] the waters by measure ... He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder” (Job 28:24-26).

Not only does soil drink up this moisture, but plants and trees welcome it. Birds come out of hiding and also sing for joy, for the rain has brought to the surface a feast of worms and insects. If the rain continues, it seeps down to channels under the surface of the earth and replenishes the “water table”—a reservoir kept in the cool earth for the benefit of many of God’s creatures, including man and his wells and irrigation systems.

The thunderstorm and its moisture provide just another way in which the Lord looks over all the earth and blesses it with His goodness. Think about this the next time you witness a thunderstorm. Let God speak to you in it.

ML-08/19/2012

"Jaws of Life" To the Rescue

One morning in May, we saw a deer in our yard that seemed to be anxiously looking for something in the rocks and boulders that form a wall between our yard and the neighbor’s yard. When we first went out and looked around the wall, we didn’t see anything. The deer moved away from us, but she wouldn’t leave our yard. So we went back to the house and watched from there. After a few minutes, the deer came back, and again she searched for something in among the same rocks.

We were puzzled. So this time we went to the area where she seemed to be searching with her nose in among the rocks. Then we heard what must have been a baby fawn crying down in among the rocks. Now we knew why she wouldn’t leave!

We carefully moved some of the rocks and smaller boulders, and then we saw the baby fawn’s face in among the rocks! The poor little creature had apparently fallen into one of the gaps between the rocks and was now trapped. No wonder the mother deer stayed somewhat close by even when we were out there. Her baby was in trouble!

With our neighbor’s help, we tried to move some of the larger boulders, but they were too heavy for us. We were also concerned because we didn’t want the rocks to cave in on the baby deer. Who could we turn to for help?

Boys and girls, have you ever been in trouble and didn’t know who could help you? Usually your mother or dad is close by and can help or tell you what to do. But there are some problems that even parents can’t solve for you. The most important one is the problem of your sins, and that’s a problem that every single one of us has, because we are all sinners. Some of us know where to turn for help, and probably some of you boys and girls know too. But there may be some of you who don’t know. We’ll gladly tell you.

There is only one Person who can solve the problem of our sins. The Bible tells us who that Person is: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). And do you know why He came to save us? Because He loves us so much, He was willing to die for us. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It cost Him His very life to save us from our sins. He shed His blood on the cross, and it’s that precious blood that washes us clean from our sins when we accept Him as our Saviour. He is the only One who can save us from our sin problem.

But who could help us save the baby fawn that was trapped in the rocks? The only choice we had was to call the County Fire Department and ask them for advice. They had what turned out to be the answer. They sent out a special team that was able to move the larger rocks out of the way by using the “Jaws of Life.” This is a special tool used for rescuing people who have been in an accident and are pinned in the wreckage.

The mother deer never left the yard while the team used their noisy “Jaws of Life” to move the large rocks and boulders. Soon they were able to reach in and carefully lift out the baby fawn, which did not appear to have been injured.

It was only a matter of a minute or so until the little fawn and its mother were back together, and the thirsty little fellow was soon nursing. The baby deer may have been stuck in the rocks most of the night. We were all so thankful that the rescue was successful, and mother and baby were soon safely back in the woods.

What the Lord Jesus wants to do is rescue you from your sins so that you can live with Him in His happy home in heaven. Just like that mother deer waited for her baby to be rescued, the Lord Jesus is waiting for you to let Him wash all your sins away in His precious blood that He shed for you. He loves you very, very much. Will you let Him solve the problem 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).

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

ML-08/26/2012

The Saving Arm

As Peter walked along the dike,

He heard a dreaded sound . . .

The trickle of leaking water,

That caused his heart to pound!

He hurried down the dike’s steep side

And did not hesitate

To use his arm to fill the hole

Before it was too late.

The darkness settled around him;

All night alone he stayed,

Holding back the angry sea,

That his country might be saved.

When no one else could save us,

Nor hold back dark judgment’s tide,

The Son of God stepped in between

When He was crucified.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“He saved others” (Matthew 24:42).

“He that believeth on Him is not condemned” (John 3:18).

ML-08/26/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Is It an Anteater or a Porcupine?

“Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:9-10

An unusual animal called an echidna or spiny anteater lives in the high, rocky areas of Australia and New Guinea. Its roly-poly body is about eighteen inches long and is covered with sharp quills that almost hide its black fur. Because of the quills, it is sometimes mistaken for a porcupine. It is one of the few egg-laying mammals.

Its eyes are small, and it apparently has no ears. Its long, bare snout has a narrow mouth, but instead of teeth, a long tongue with ridges on it crushes its prey. It is a slow animal that hunts at night and hides in the daytime. The only time it hurries is when escaping enemies. Then its sharp claws rapidly dig a hole deep enough to bury its head and legs. The rest of its body is protected with its needle-like quills, which make any animal back off. If there is not time to dig a hole, it curls up into a ball, tucking its bare spots safely under the quills, or it will fight with its sharp claws if it has to. Because of these instincts and safeguards provided by the Creator, a spiny anteater is seldom captured.

There are two kinds of this anteater—the long-nosed and the short-nosed. Except for this difference, they are much the same, searching through the soil, in rotten logs or inside termite mounds for food. The short-nosed anteater hunts mostly termites, ants and other insects, but the long-nosed prefers worms of various kinds. Its longer tongue has tiny hooks on it that firmly hold onto its prey.

The mother anteater has a kangaroo-like pouch on her stomach in which an egg is laid once a year. When the baby hatches, the pouch becomes its home. But when only a few weeks old, its quills begin to grow. Then the mother puts it outside where it learns the ways of anteater living.

These animals are part of the wonderful creation of our Creator God of whom our opening verse speaks. King David often wrote of the wonders of God’s creation and gave Him praise: “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. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary [place of worship]; who is so great a God as our God?” (Psalm 77:11-13).

How good it is for each of us to thank and praise the Lord God for all His care and love for us. We should especially thank Him for the love that has provided a Saviour for all who will place their trust in Him. Have you done this?

ML-08/26/2012

A Burning and a Shining Light

There was a man in Bible times who was called “a burning and a shining light” (John 5:35). His name was John. His parents were too old to have a baby, so when he was born, it was a complete surprise to the neighbors and to everybody who knew them.

John’s father’s name was Zacharias and his mother was Elisabeth. Zacharias was a priest who served in the temple of God. One day while he was faithfully on duty, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and promised that he and his wife would have a joyful surprise of a baby boy that would be born to them. Zacharias and Elisabeth did not have any children, and now they were too old to have a child. Had God chosen the wrong man? No, God never makes mistakes! “With God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

Zacharias found the angel’s message hard to believe, so God took away his ability to speak. When he left the temple that day to go home, there were people outside, but he only waved to them and didn’t say a word. When he got home, he gave Elisabeth the angel’s message, but he told her without saying words, because he could not speak.

Do you find it hard to believe what God tells us in the Bible? It seems impossible that God wants to take sinners like you and me to His wonderful, sinless home in heaven. He hates sin. Wouldn’t we spoil that beautiful place right away?

That’s why God sent His perfect, sinless Son to die for sinners. Jesus shed His blood on the cross so that you and I could be washed clean of every single sin—gone forever! Does this seem impossible? Come and see! God will give you a new nature that loves to please Him. And that is the nature you will take to heaven, and you will be as sinless as His Son.

When baby John arrived, the neighbors all thought he should be named Zacharias, after his father. But the answer was “No.” God had already named him “John” and told Zacharias the baby’s name that day in the temple when he was given the happy news that they would have a baby boy. Someone brought Zacharias a writing table, and he wrote, “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). And that settled the matter.

John grew up to be a man, and he left his comfortable home and lived in the desert. His food was locusts, which some people in other lands still eat today. He also ate wild honey. His clothes were made of hairy camel skins, and he wore a wide leather belt.

John preached in the desert, and he told the people to “Repent,” which means to feel very sorry about your sins. The people listened. They came in crowds to the Jordan River to hear him and were baptized, confessing their sins. If you have been baptized, it was in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but this was before the people knew Jesus. John’s message was, “Repent,” and he was a burning and a shining light. The people rejoiced in his light. He was preparing their hearts for the coming of the One whom we know as Jesus, the Saviour of sinners. It is good to repent, but that is not enough because we are covered with sin. Who can wash us clean from all our sins? Only Jesus! “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

John became known as John the Baptist. Do you know why?

You may read this story about John in Luke chapter 1.

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

ML-09/02/2012

Daisy on the Loose

“There’s a horse on I-95 headed south on the northbound lanes!” the police officer reported, calling in for additional help.

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

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

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

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

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

ML-09/02/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Impressive Trumpeter Swan - Part 1

“God created ... every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:21

If ten people were asked which of all the birds they liked the most, there would probably be ten different choices. Someone might choose the peacock, another an eagle, another a flamingo, but probably one or more would choose a swan. It is difficult to make such a choice because every creature of God is outstanding in some way; different features are attractive or interesting in each of them.

We can easily understand a person choosing the swan. They are lovely, graceful and majestic as they glide slowly over the smooth water of a pond or lake. A pair of them almost looks like the king and queen of all birds.

There are several species of swans, and it is difficult to tell one from another. The one called the trumpeter is the largest and has a black bill. This swan was once almost extinct, but its breeding grounds are now protected from hunters. An adult weighs up to forty pounds and is the heaviest flying bird in North America. With its neck extended, it may measure five feet from the tip of its bill to the end of its short tail. Each of its huge wings is nearly four feet long—that’s about how tall many boys and girls are. If an adult swan were mounted sideways on your bedroom wall, the tip of one wing would touch the ceiling, and the tip of the other would reach the floor.

Those beautiful white wings are not only for flying; they are also used as powerful weapons to strike an enemy, along with their strong bills and large webbed feet.

It is impressive to see a flock of swans flying in perfect formation high in the sky. It is also interesting to watch these large birds land on water. As they drop down to the surface, their strong, webbed feet extended in front, they skid along the surface a short way, spraying water, before settling down. It is equally amazing to see them take to the air from water. Paddling hard with their webbed feet to gain speed and at the same time beating their wings hard, their feet soon come to the surface. Then they race along the surface until, with necks stretched out, they are clear of the water and then tuck their feet under their tails as they begin to gain altitude.

Although unknown to them, there is never a moment when these unusual birds, called trumpeters because of their loud calls, are not under the watchful eye of the Creator. The Bible tells us, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven ... the earth, and all things that are therein ... and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

(to be continued)

ML-09/02/2012

Abbey Gets Saved

Abbey was sixteen years old and lived in a suburb of Port of Spain, Trinidad. At the time of this story, I was actually staying with the family for a few days while visiting and preaching the gospel in that country. Her parents were believers who loved the Lord Jesus, and I had always thought that Abbey was a believer too. Here’s why: She was always respectful when the Bible was opened and read. She would often ask questions and be a part of the discussion when it was read in her parents’ home. She was always at Sunday school and other Bible meetings. She had always enjoyed singing the hymns and gospel choruses with her beautiful voice. She would always enter into conversation about the Lord Jesus and His great love and work on the cross. And she seemed to really enjoy being around other believers. But let me tell you what happened on a certain Sunday evening.

It was a Sunday night, and the gospel had been lovingly and faithfully presented. A gospel message from the Bible and an invitation to come to Christ is given every week at this hall. This particular night the speaker gave special importance to the love of God and the love of Christ, with John 3:16 specially emphasized: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Galatians 2:20 was also read: “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” As I listened to the faithful message, I prayed that there would be someone saved as a result of the living Word of God being preached.

As the meeting ended, I was both surprised and delighted as Abbey stood up in front of everyone there and confessed that she had come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour during the service that night. For one hour we celebrated together. We sang, we thanked the Lord Jesus that Abbey was now truly saved, and there were many tears of joy.

If you had asked me earlier that day if I thought that Abbey was saved, I would have said, “Yes.” But Abbey had not been saved! She had only made it look like she was a believer. Yes, we can pretend to be real but still not have our sins washed away in the blood of the Lord Jesus. There were people like that when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, and about them He plainly said, “This people [come near] unto Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). They made out that they were true believers and may have fooled many people, but the Lord knew exactly what was in their hearts. We may fool our parents, our brothers and sisters, our Sunday school teacher and many others. But remember, we cannot fool the Lord! “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Judas Iscariot is another example of one who pretended to be a true disciple of Jesus but was not real. He eventually betrayed Jesus with a kiss. So clever was Judas in his coverup that none of the other disciples suspected that he was not a true believer—that he did not believe Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. But when they were all together for the passover supper, Jesus exposed the lie that Judas was living by giving him a piece of bread after He had dipped it at the table. The secret was out!

After Judas betrayed Jesus, he took his own life, still an unbeliever. He will not be in heaven—he will spend eternity in “outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). What about you?

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

ML-09/09/2012

Joe's Birthday Party

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

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

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

“We’ll see,” we answered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-09/09/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Impressive Trumpeter Swan - Part 2

“[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.” Job 9:10

Swans live in various parts of the world. The largest number live in Alaska (most of these migrate south in the fall), and smaller groups live in Canada and the United States. The male, with his coal-black bill and long neck, along with his massive white wings and white body feathers, makes a very impressive picture. But he is not to be tampered with. He is quick to attack another swan or animal as large as a moose or even a person, should any get too close to his nest.

The nests may be five or six feet across and are built of cattails and other plants woven together with tough grass. Usually four to seven large, white eggs are laid by the pen (female) that incubates them for a month. When she has to leave the nest during this time, she covers her eggs with down plucked out of her feathers or with plants pulled out of the ground. The cob (male) is almost always nearby as a guard.

After pecking and kicking their way out of their shells, the cygnets’ (chicks’) wet down (soft, fluffy feathers) dries quickly, and they are soon testing out their little legs. They grow fast on the food supplied by the parents, which includes snails, insects and other water creatures as well as green water plants. Soon they are taught how to find their own food by stirring the bottom of the pond with their bills and feet, causing the food to float to the surface.

The eggs hatch in June, and the cygnets begin eating water plants when just a few days old. Soon they take to the water and by October are ready to fly. Learning how to feed doesn’t require much training, for they automatically turn their tails up in the air, like ducks, and plunge their long necks down to the bottom of the pond for their food. An adult eats about twenty pounds a day, but, of course, cygnets start out needing much less.

With their sparkling black eyes, custard-colored beaks and grayish-white downy feathers, cygnets make a pretty picture nesting beside the mother who is so much larger. Families stay together through the first winter but separate in springtime.

These beautiful and interesting birds speak of the Lord God’s interest and care over all He has created, but they do not know the One who made them, as we do.

With all the Bible tells us of His special love for us, how wonderful it is when the Lord touches our hearts and we can say as King David did, “Cause me to hear Thy loving-kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk” (Psalm 143:8).

ML-09/09/2012

Hungry Goats

Tonight the goats were in the barn, but I wanted to give them some cornstalks in their outside feeder. Oh, how they love cornstalks and chomp them down hungrily! But even though I called and called to them and thumped a cornstalk on the fence to get their attention, either they didn’t hear me calling them or they were ignoring me. I was going to have to go to them.

So I went into the barn with a cornstalk and waved it and asked them if they wanted some cornstalks. They did, of course! They came eagerly to the inside feeder and looked at me. Now I had their full attention. However, they were going to have the cornstalks on MY terms, not theirs, because I wasn’t bringing all those stalks into the barn.

Have you ever been offered something you would really, really love? God is offering you a home in heaven. What would be a better place to live than heaven? The Bible tells us that heaven has a beautiful city with a street of gold. The walls of the city have beautiful, precious stones in their foundations. It also tells us that in heaven there is no more crying, no more pain, no more sad feelings, no more death and no more sin! But the very best part of heaven is that Jesus Himself is there! He’s the One who loves you so much He died for you!

Wouldn’t you love to be in heaven? You can be, but since it belongs to God, you will only be allowed into heaven on HIS terms. And since there isn’t any sin in heaven, you must be washed clean of every single sin. Any ideas you might have about earning your way into heaven simply will not work. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is a gift, but you have to follow God’s terms to receive it.

If the hungry goats wanted those cornstalks, they had to follow my terms. As I went out of the barn, they watched me closely. So far so good. So I ran to the outside feeder, still holding the cornstalk. Then it clicked in their goat brains—Aha! We must go out there to get them! So the little herd came bounding through their pen, around the corner into the pasture, and over to the feeder where I was waiting. CORNSTALKS FOR EVERYONE! And they tore into them with great eagerness.

Are you willing to follow God’s terms to be allowed into heaven? It means you must be very sorry about your sins and believe that His Son Jesus paid the price for them when He died on Calvary’s cross. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Your sins will be gone forever, and the door will be wide open with a wonderful welcome for you to live in heaven with Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.

“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).

MEMORY VERSE: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

ML-09/16/2012

Busy Little Ants

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

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

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

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

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

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

ML-09/16/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: What Your Nose Knows

“In whose [God’s] hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10

Many people think of the nose merely as a means of breathing and smelling, but it is much more than that. As one of the world’s best air-conditioners, it is an extremely important provision of God when He created man.

What is it that my nose knows? Among other things it knows how to filter air, how to add moisture to dry air, how to make cold air warm, how to bring back memories, how to tell the difference between good and bad food, and how to make my voice sound good or bad. It knows many more things too.

First, your nose filters all the air you breathe. It does this in two ways—by hairs in the nostrils catching impurities and by sticky mucus secreted from tiny sinus tubes above it. The mucus, controlled by tiny “brooms” that sweep it into position, traps impurities and prevents them from entering your lungs.

Why should moisture be added to dry air? Because your lungs and throat require controlled amounts of moisture. The nose also supplies this with just the right amount added to each breath. Cold air is also harmful to your tissues, and the Creator has placed automatic “warming ovens” at the top of each nostril. These are flat pieces of bone about the size of a postage stamp, which warm the cold air before it is passed on.

What does your nose have to do with memories? The pleasant odors it detects often make us think of an event that took place long ago, just as an unpleasant smell will bring a not-so-welcome memory.

How does it know good food and bad food? By sensitive little bulbs that pick up the slightest odor. When something smells spoiled or sour, your nose sends a message to the brain that immediately tells you not to eat it. This is another safeguard the Creator has provided.

Finally, your nose has much to do with your voice, for as you speak, much of the tone passes through the nasal passage. We become aware of this when the nose is stopped up due to a cold or allergies and our voice and singing sound strange to others, as well as to ourselves.

The nose was given an important part when the Lord God formed man and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). This was not done to any other creature, and it is another example of God’s special interest in us. He gave us a life not only for this world, but also for eternity, and He has assured us that our eternity will be in heaven if we accept His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Saviour. The Bible faithfully tells us to do this right now: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow may be too late.

ML-09/16/2012

Jonathan Couldn't Sit Still

Maybe you feel like that. You want things to happen, and you want to make them happen. That’s how Jonathan felt, but he saw things from God’s point of view, because he was a true believer. He was ready to fight and to share the victory.

Are you ready to fight? God will give you plenty of fighting to do against enemies like selfishness and jealousy and pride, beginning with your own self. You can’t win unless you ask God Himself to give you strength, and then you’ll have victory to share. Here is Jonathan’s story.

He had only a thousand men in his army, which was a small army compared with his Philistine enemies. However, he defeated the military post of the Philistines in Geba, because he knew they had no business being there, and they were spoiling the land.

The Philistines heard about Jonathan defeating their military post in Geba, and Jonathan’s father, King Saul, knew what would happen. So he blew a trumpet to gather his army together. The Philistines also got ready to fight with Israel. Guess how many of them came together to fight—30,000 chariots, 6000 horsemen, and so many people they were like the sand on the seashore!

King Saul’s little army was really scared! They hid in caves, in thick bushes, behind rocks, on cliffs and in pits, and a few of them followed him, but they were shaking. King Saul was a religious man, and he knew that he should call upon God for help. Samuel the priest promised to come within seven days to offer a burnt offering.

Why couldn’t King Saul offer it himself? Because he lived before our precious Saviour came to earth and died on the cross for our sins. King Saul must do what God told him to do. It was Samuel’s job to offer a burnt offering, not King Saul’s.

And you must do what God says too. There is only one Saviour and only one way to make Him your very own Saviour. Trust Him now! Don’t try some other way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man [comes] unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). There is no other way.

King Saul saw his army sneaking away, but he waited for Samuel. He waited, but not quite long enough. He decided to offer the burnt offering himself. As soon as he had finished, Samuel came, and King Saul went out to meet him.

Samuel said, What have you done? King Saul had a long explanation, but it would not do. He had been plainly told to wait for Samuel to offer the burnt offering, and he had done it himself foolishly, disobeying God’s command. Samuel announced that King Saul’s kingdom would not continue—not then and not forever.

Is it that bad to disobey God just a little bit? Can’t I trust someone else besides Jesus and have my own way to get to heaven?

There is only one Saviour, and He is the only offering that will take away your sins. That offering was Jesus and His blood shed on the cross that paid the penalty for sin. He is the only way to God Himself and His home in heaven. Will you believe and trust Jesus now?

In another issue of this paper we’ll tell you what happened next. In the meantime, you may read the whole story in 1 Samuel, chapters 13 and 14.

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

ML-09/23/2012

Ruthie's Watermelon

Ruthie had just been given 35¢. This was a lot of money for a 7-year-old, and she wanted to buy something very special. As she walked down the street, she saw a fruit stand with a sign that read:

RIPE WATERMELONS

35 ¢ / LB.

Yum, yum! ... just right on a hot day, she thought. “I’ll take that one,” she told the owner, pointing to a big one. He placed it on the scale—8½ lbs. “That will be $2.97,” he told her.

Ruthie held out her 35¢. “This is all I have ... I didn’t know it cost so much,” and she was about to cry.

The owner showed her a very small one growing in his field behind the fruit stand. “I’ll take 35¢ for that one,” he told her.

Ruthie said, “Okay, I’ll take it.”

Buying that watermelon was going to cost Ruthie every penny she had. And Jesus knew that redeeming sinners from their sins was going to cost Him everything He had. He paid for our salvation with His own blood—He gave up His life for you and me.

Ruthie paid her 35¢ and started home. The owner called to her, “Wait! You didn’t take your watermelon.”

Ruthie replied, “It’s not ripe yet. It must grow some more. I’ll come back again and take it home.” So off she went while her watermelon remained attached to the vine, growing—through day and night, sunshine and rain.

Ruthie came to check it often. Soon it was ready to take home to enjoy.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine.... Abide in Me” (John 15:1,4). A little song many of you sing in Sunday school explains what that means:

Read your Bible, pray every day,

And you’ll grow, grow, grow.

When the time is exactly right, Jesus will come again and take home to heaven all those He has bought with His blood. Will that include you?

“Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). “Ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

ML-09/23/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Don't Step on a Stingray!

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power.... There is nothing too hard for Thee.” Jeremiah 32:17

Stingrays are flat-bodied sea fish related to sharks and seem to be afraid of nothing. Mature stingrays measure four to five feet wide across their flat, fleshy “wings” with which they gracefully swim. Long, flexible tails have one or two sharp spines on them. The common species is darkish gray on top and white underneath. Others have different coloring, including one called blue-spotted, which is chocolate colored with round blue spots over its entire body.

Stingrays often lie half buried in sand in warm, shallow water along North America’s Atlantic Coast and other places in the world’s oceans. This is a time when they can be vicious, although they are not as vicious as the electric rays. If left alone, they do not attack anyone swimming among them, but if you should unintentionally step on one, you would immediately regret it. The angry ray would strike your leg with its whiplike tail, and its sharp, barbed spine with poisonous glands would dig into your flesh. This is terribly painful, but it is even more painful as it pulls the spine back out, with the barbs tearing the flesh even more! This painful wound is nearly as dangerous as a poisonous snakebite.

Incidentally, off the shores of the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean, sport divers swimming among big schools of stingrays and feeding them by hand have developed a friendly relationship with them. They will even pet and hug them, which the stingrays seem to enjoy. These divers have discovered that the scaleless skin of these big creatures is as smooth as velvet, but the divers are careful not to irritate them in any way.

The mouth of a stingray is not in front as with most other fish, nor does it have visible jaws, but it has what looks like a large hole under its head. To secure its food, mostly made up of fish, crabs, oysters, sea worms, small squid and other water creatures, it cruises slowly over the ocean bottom. Since its eyes are on top of its head, it cannot see what is down there, but when its mouth comes in contact with anything edible, it sucks it up and if unsuitable it spits it out. But good food is passed along to a grinding plate with strong teeth where shells and other unsuitable parts are removed and the edible food is crushed and swallowed.

We may not understand why stingrays were part of God’s creation, but we know they have a place in His purposes. And we know He looks with love on every person in the world and invites us to receive that love into our hearts by accepting His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our personal Saviour. Is your heart open to Him?

ML-09/23/2012

"I'm Going to Jump in!"

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

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

“No you’re not!” they called back.

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

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

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

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

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

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

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

God wants to speak to you too. I don’t know exactly what words He’ll use, but I do know He loves you and wants to save you from your sins. Will you let Him?

ML-09/30/2012

Magpies Are Thieves!

Magpies are rather pretty birds, with black and white feathers and long tapering tails. They are related to crows and jays and are about the same size and just as noisy, often quarreling and fighting among themselves.

Besides being noisy, there’s something else about magpies that makes us not like them very much. They have a nasty habit of stealing eggs and baby birds from other birds’ nests. And you can guess what they do with the eggs and baby birds—they eat them! Magpies are thieves!

Boys and girls, have you ever taken something that doesn’t belong to you? Sometimes those of you in school need a certain color marker or an eraser or something else that you don’t have. If you ask to borrow it and then return it, that’s okay. But if you just take what you need from your neighbor’s desk and keep it, that’s stealing. The Bible says in Exodus 20:15, “Thou shalt not steal.” Stealing is sin, and God writes it down against your name. And He also gives you a warning: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Sometimes those sins can have very serious results. I’m going to tell you about a magpie thief and the serious results for that bird.

As we were hiking through the hills, we saw something strange. It looked like a bird hovering beside a ledge on the side of a hill. As we came closer, we saw that it was a magpie hanging upside down from a string that was wrapped around one of its wings.

There was a bird’s nest on the ledge. The bird that had built the nest must have found some tangled fishing line, thrown away by an unhappy fisherman who wasn’t able to untangle it enough to use it for his fishing. The mother bird had used the tangled fishing line as the base of her nest and filled in the empty places with dried leaves and twigs. She was satisfied with her nest and laid her eggs in it.

Along came a hungry magpie and spotted the eggs in the nest. We can only guess that the magpie was pecking at the eggs and must have gotten entangled in some of the fishing line. When the magpie tried to get free of the line, it only became more and more entangled. The result—it was hanging below the nest—dead!

Boys and girls, stealing even something small is a sin. There is no way you or I can erase God’s list of sins against our names. There is only one way to have our sins blotted out of God’s record, and that is with the blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that was shed on Calvary’s cross for sinners. Because the Lord Jesus loves you and me so much, He willingly came to earth and lived a perfect life. Then He let those who hated Him nail Him to the cross where He suffered for the sins of each person who would believe on Him. One of the soldiers pierced the side of the Lord Jesus with a spear, and His blood flowed out—the blood that blots our sins out of God’s record. When you have accepted Him as your Saviour, He says, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:22).

God has blotted them out,

I’m happy and glad and free;

God has blotted them out,

I’ll turn to Isaiah and see;

Chapter forty-four,

Twenty-two and three;

He’s blotted them out and now I can shout,

For that means me.

MEMORY VERSE: “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee.” Isaiah 44:22

ML-09/30/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Gazelles and Gerenuks

“God ... hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” Hebrews 1:1-2

Two of Africa’s closely related animals are the gazelle and the gerenuk, both part of the antelope family. You have probably seen tranquil pictures of these pretty, graceful animals with their light tan and pure white hair grazing on the open plains. While they retain separate herds, they frequently graze side by side. Both animals get enough moisture from their food that they can go longer than most animals without drinking water in that dry land.

The two are similar in many ways, and the Lord God created them well suited to their surroundings. Both have long legs and are swift runners. Both have large, soft, black eyes with good vision as well as large, pointed ears for keen hearing. And both have long, round horns and long, slender necks, the gerenuk’s being the longer. In fact, its native name means “giraffe necked.”

Their food is primarily lush grasses but includes leaves of many trees and shrubs. One distinction of the gerenuk is its appetite for the leaves of the African thorn bush, which is covered with sharp thorns. It is amazing how it avoids the thorns and manages to get at the high branches, sometimes standing upright on its hind feet. Other animals avoid that thorny bush.

A difference between these two similar animals is the way they respond to the threat of vicious predators. Gazelles, aware of approaching wild dogs, lions or leopards, immediately jump high in the air, bouncing up and down to signal the rest of the herd. Then they all run off at bursts of speed as high as sixty miles per hour or at a sustained speed of thirty miles per hour.

Gerenuks react differently. When their keen senses tell of a nearby threat, they pass the message around, then freeze like statues, at times standing still for several minutes. The threatening enemy, realizing it has been spotted, usually leaves. But if it seems evident that the enemy is going to attack, the gerenuks dash off in strong leaps and bounds at great speed, usually escaping.

These animals are always in the care of the One who created them, as the Bible tells us: “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). He does not expect animals to know this, and they cannot thank Him for it. But He has done something even greater for humans in providing Himself as the Saviour of sinners. He invites you and me to personally accept His death on the cross to put away our sins forever. Will you come to Him as a sinner and accept His loving gift of forgiveness and eternal life with Him in heaven? Each one of us should accept His invitation and thank Him for such love.

ML-09/30/2012

Jonathan Couldn't Sit Still: Part 2

Do you remember King Saul’s son Jonathan who couldn’t sit still while the enemies of God were spoiling the land?

Jonathan was a true believer, and he didn’t hide in the rocks as some of King Saul’s soldiers had done when they saw the huge Philistine army. Jonathan knew an enemy when he saw one, and on this day he saw many Philistines.

King Saul originally had a small army of a thousand men, but now it was only six hundred men. But Jonathan’s was smaller still, for he had only two—himself and his armor bearer. However, he had faith in the living God, and our God is worth more than an army of millions!

The Philistine’s camp was high on a hill, and the only way to reach them was climbing on hands and knees between two sharp rocks. Jonathan went first and then his armor bearer followed behind him, and there was no secret about it. Of course the Philistines saw them coming and said, Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding! They shouted to Jonathan and his armor bearer, Come up to us, and we will show you something.

If Jonathan had trusted his own plan, he would not have been there, but listen to his words of encouragement to his armor bearer: Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.

Do you see what made Jonathan so sure? It was not two climbers on their hands and knees looking for personal glory. No, it was the Lord who would deliver the enemy into the hand of Israel!

At that moment, King Saul was sitting, trembling, under a pomegranate tree. But Jonathan and his armor bearer used their swords against the Philistines until they were trembling and even the earth quaked!

King Saul was puzzled. Who is missing from us? he asked, and they soon found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

Bring the ark to me, said King Saul, and while he talked to the priest, the noise of the battle grew louder in the Philistines’ camp, and the Philistines went on beating down one another. King Saul and his six hundred men joined the fight, and his other men sneaked out from hiding and joined too. The victory was huge!

King Saul was determined to win, so he tried to add a little to Jonathan’s courage and faith. Cursed be anyone who eats or drinks today, he said, and the fighters remembered this. But Jonathan had not heard this curse, and when he saw some wild honey dripping from a tree, he dipped his rod into the honey and ate some. Then he felt better and stronger for the battle.

But fighting without food leaves men weak, and when the day was ended, King Saul’s soldiers were so hungry they killed some of the farm animals right there on the ground and ate them with the blood. Oh, no! said King Saul when he heard this. Roll a great stone here and kill the animals and drain the blood. It is God’s command not to eat blood.

Then King Saul wondered, Should we go down and kill the rest of our enemies? He asked God this question, but God gave him no answer. There’s something wrong, said King Saul. Someone has sinned since God does not answer. Even if it’s Jonathan my son, he shall surely die! That sounded very religious, but it seems that King Saul had forgotten the sin in his own heart. He drew lots to find out who the guilty person was, and the lot fell upon Jonathan. (Drawing lots meant putting names on sticks and pulling out one without being able to see the name.)

Now Jonathan must die, because he had eaten a little honey when he did not know the king’s command. NO! cried the people. He has brought salvation to Israel. Not a hair of his head will fall to the ground! So the people rescued Jonathan, and the king’s curse did not stand.

But God’s curse WILL stand, and no voices can rescue any sinner. We have sinned against God, not once, but many times. How is it possible for Him to forgive us? What will happen to His curse upon us? Galatians 3:13 gives us the answer: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that [hangs] on a tree.” Christ was made a curse for us. If the Lord Jesus Christ is your Saviour, there is no curse left for you. If He is not your Saviour, no crowd of voices can rescue you.

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

You may read this story for yourself in 1 Samuel 14.

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

ML-10/07/2012

Bible Brothers

Can you match the man’s name in the first column with his brother’s name in the second column? Draw a line connecting the two. If you need some help, look up the Bible references that are listed in the order of the names in the first column.

AARON

PETER

ABEL

MOSES

ANDREW

ABIHU

BENJAMIN

JOHN

ESAU

JAPHETH

JAMES

CAIN

NADAB

JACOB

SHEM

JOSEPH

1 Chronicles 6:3; Genesis 4:8; John 1:40; Genesis 42:4; Genesis 25:26; Luke 5:10; Numbers 26:60; Genesis 7:13.

ML-10/07/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Desert Tortoise

“God made the beast of the earth ... and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind.” Genesis 1:25

The desert tortoise, with its twelve-inch-diameter arched shell, stumpy hind legs, flat feet and short tail, lives in the deserts of Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Mexico. It is an expert digger, sometimes digging a burrow up to thirty feet long where it will hibernate for six months during the winter.

Some of these tortoises have been known to live well over fifty years. How do they find enough food to stay alive in such a harsh climate? They feed on the plants that grow there—grass, flowers, wild fruit, certain shrubs and even prickly desert cactus. Sometimes they eat snails and insects too. But if food is scarce, they can go without eating for a month. They hunt for food only in the cool hours of the morning and evening, crawling into their burrows when it is hot.

The tortoise, though wonderfully designed by the Creator to withstand fierce desert heat, does need water, which is scarce in the desert. God has given their bodies the ability to get all the water they need from the vegetation they eat. They do drink water when they find it, usually from pools in a rainstorm, but that does not happen very often.

Early in June the female digs a dirt nest several inches deep, making a cavern under the hard surface soil. Her eggs (about ten) look like ping-pong balls. As each one drops into the nest, she packs dirt around it. Then she fills the whole nest with dirt, tamping it down and smoothing it over so it is cleverly concealed. From then on the eggs are on their own, as are the young tortoises that hatch about three months later. It is amazing how they can hatch underground and stay alive as they dig their way to the surface. The Creator, who watches every living thing, takes care of them.

The newly hatched tortoises are exact miniatures of their parents and are about the size of a half-dollar. They have soft shells and need to hide or run quickly to avoid being eaten by vultures, coyotes and snakes. As their shells harden, they become like pieces of armor. The young tortoises soon learn that they have no need to fear harm from their enemies, and so they just go about the desert slowly and peacefully.

The world in which we live is often compared to a desert, in spite of all its glamor and attractions. God’s enemies, encouraged by Satan, seem to be increasing daily. Yet for those who love God and know His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as their own Saviour, He has provided an armor to protect from all evil. (See Ephesians 6:10-17.) The important thing is not just to know that the armor is provided, but to “put on the whole armor of God.”

ML-10/07/2012

Freedom for a Gray Whale

Every year thousands of gray whales make the long journey from the coast of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico to the rich feeding areas in the waters around Alaska. A gray whale was making this migration when it swam into lines that were attached to crab pots and buoys. These lines were both long and strong. The whale tried to escape the lines by rolling in the water, but its rolling only made the tangled mess of lines around its body tighter. The tangled lines made it impossible for the whale to find food, because when it tried to swim, it had to drag the buoys and crab pots along with it. The continual dragging of buoys and crab pots sapped the whale’s strength, and the chaffing of the lines cut deep gashes into the whale’s body. Every year some of these wonderful animals get caught in crab pot lines or nets of fishermen. Sadly, they usually end up dying.

Would this whale be one of them?

The whale tried the only thing it knew to do to free itself by rolling in the water, but that did not free it. It only made matters worse. Sinners who try to free themselves from their sins are just as unsuccessful. It is impossible for a sinner to cut away those tangles and knots of sin. “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16). No amount of obeying laws, good works or self-improvement could ever set a sinner free. A sinner needs the freedom only the Lord Jesus can provide. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). By the grace of God, the Lord Jesus Himself offers to set you free from your sins—if you are willing.

A fishing boat was cruising several miles off the southern coast of California when they spotted the distressed whale. As the boat moved closer, the crew could see that the magnificent creature was tangled and trapped in the lines. They felt sorry for it and decided to show kindness to the helpless creature by cutting it free.

The crew lashed sharp knives onto strong bamboo poles, which they had onboard. Slowly and carefully they positioned their boat alongside the huge animal. The whale stopped its slow swimming and let the boat pull alongside. Even though it was an untamed creature, it seemed to sense the fishermen were trying to help it. Several of the crew leaned over the side of the boat and, very carefully, began cutting away the lines. About an hour later when the last line was cut, the now free gray whale slowly swam in a circle around the boat, as if to say, “Thank you,” before swimming out into the freedom of the ocean.

What a sense of relief this giant, intelligent animal must have felt when it was set free! Have you felt the great relief that comes from being set free by the Lord Jesus? John 8:36 offers this wonderful relief for any sinner still trapped in their sins: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” You see, sinners need to be set free, because all of us have become entangled in the lines of our sins. There are no exceptions: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). When we sin, it’s as if a rope connected to the weights of guilt and shame gets wrapped around our hearts and acts as a drag on our lives. It blights our joys, wrecks our peace, and wounds us in the depths of our souls. “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be [trapped] with the cords of his sins” (Proverbs 5:22). And what cruel wounds those cords cause! Sin is nobody’s friend and causes shame and misery in this life and everlasting sorrow and agony in the life to come.

The Lord Jesus is able to cut away the cords of sin from the human heart, because He went to the cross and bore the punishment for sin’s awful shame. How wonderful it was that the Lord Jesus, the very Creator of the universe, would come and die in the sinner’s place! On the cross, He finished what was necessary that all who trust in Him might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

The fishermen cut the gray whale free from the lines that held it and gave back its freedom of the ocean. Boys and girls, too, need to be set free from the cords of their sins by the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved for a future, happy life in heaven. If you will take the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour today, you will thank and praise Him for the rest of your days. And you will also have the promise of a home with Him in heaven.

MEMORY VERSE: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

ML-10/14/2012

Jesus Can and Jesus Will

I cannot make this black heart white,

But Jesus can.

I cannot make my life a light,

But Jesus can.

I cannot beat back every foe,

Nor make my naughty temper go,

Nor wash my robes “whiter than snow,”

But Jesus can.

Not only Jesus can, we say,

But Jesus will.

Jesus can wash my sins away,

And Jesus will.

This heart I ask Him to renew

And fill with all that’s good and true;

More than I ask, Jesus can do,

And Jesus will!

ML-10/14/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Jupiter-The Colorful Planet

“The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.” Psalm 97:6

High in the sky, 267 million miles from the earth, is the planet Jupiter. This largest of all planets (that we know about) makes its orbit 480 million miles away from the sun at a speed of 28,000 miles per hour. It is heavier than all the other planets put together, as large as 13 earths, and its surface is 120 times as great. Its night and day of only about ten hours contrasts with the earth’s 24-hour revolution.

In 1979 and again in 1986, spacecrafts flew by this great planet and found that its actual surface could not be photographed because a thick covering of clouds always hides it.

Jupiter can be seen from the earth by using a strong telescope. Its pink- and salmon-colored clouds are a beautiful sight as it shines brightly on a clear night. Perhaps the most interesting and puzzling detail about Jupiter is its 20,000-mile-long red spot, which seems to drift and change color from time to time and even temporarily disappears. Scientists think volcanoes may cause it, but no one really knows. The 300-mile-per-hour whirling storms that scour its surface may cause it.

Because Jupiter is almost five times as far from the sun as is the earth, it is extremely cold and nothing could live on it. No water could exist in its -200°F temperature. Also, its atmosphere (poisoned by chemicals that erupt from inside it) could never support life even for one moment. Men, properly dressed in space suits, have walked on the moon, but none will ever walk on Jupiter!

This reminds us of the wisdom of God, the Creator, in placing the earth at exactly the right distance from the sun (approximately 93 million miles) to provide the correct amount of heat and light for all the creation He has placed here. King David, no doubt thinking of this, said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).

Jupiter is one of the four major, outer planets of the sun, the others being Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. Not one of them could sustain any form of life. Only the earth was formed for that purpose. Jupiter’s attractiveness as a marvel of God’s creation includes one large ring around it, discovered by a spacecraft trip, plus the fact that it has sixteen moons circling it, some with erupting volcanoes. Twelve of them circle clockwise and four counter-clockwise.

As we gaze up into the starry sky, let us always remember that the One who placed the planets there keeps all in perfect order. In their beauty and the pattern of their orbits, which is always the same, He has taken great pleasure. We are privileged to share their beauty with Him in a small way.

ML-10/14/2012

Who Likes to Go to the Dentist?

Dentists are usually very nice people. If we met our dentist in a store, we’d be happy to say “hello,” and we might also be happy that we weren’t in the dental chair in his office. It’s not the dentist that we don’t like; it’s what the dentist has to do to our teeth that makes us not like to be sitting in his chair. Checkups on our teeth are necessary, and how thankful we are if we get a good report that there are no cavities.

Our teeth are very important to good health. God gave teeth to us so we could chew our food properly, which is the first step in making food useful for our body’s needs. We can’t live without food, and so we need to keep our teeth in good working order.

Do you have a toothbrush? Most everybody has at least one. We use it to brush all the food particles off our teeth. Food left on our teeth can cause decay. That decay is called a cavity, and that’s when we have to make a trip to see the dentist. He will drill out the decay and replace it with a filling.

I’ll tell you about a trip I took to see my dentist because I was feeling pain in a lower molar. (A molar is one of the larger teeth in the back part of the mouth.) The dentist looked into my mouth and said he couldn’t see any problem, so he decided to take an X-ray. The X-ray showed what neither of us could see—that there was decay hiding underneath an old filling. The dentist gave me two choices: I could have him try to repair the tooth or I could have the tooth pulled.

This reminded me of what we read in the Bible about sin. Sins can’t always be seen, but we all have committed sins—many, many of them. God tells us the truth: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And God sees every one of our sins—those lies that we tell, the things we take that don’t belong to us, the bad words we say, and even when we’re mean to somebody on the playground. God can look right down into our hearts and see what’s hidden in them; He doesn’t need X-rays to see our sin problem.

The X-ray of my tooth showed it had a big problem, and now I had to make a choice to get it fixed. I decided to have the tooth pulled, but I had to make another appointment to have it done.

You and I each have an appointment that must be kept as a result of our sin: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We are thankful that God has a cure for sin that is available to anyone who will believe God and accept the cure He has provided. The next verse tells us, “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). Are you trusting in the Saviour who shed His blood to wash your sins away?

After the tooth was pulled, I asked the dentist if I could have the tooth to take home. The dental assistant gave it to me in a plastic bag. I could see the decay that was under the old filling. Now that the tooth was no longer alive, the decayed part of it turned black over the next few days, and I was thankful it was no longer in my mouth. My tooth problem was solved.

If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you have been cleansed from all your sins, and you have been given a new life. Are you thankful for this great salvation provided by God through the death of His dear Son, 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).

MEMORY VERSE: “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-10/21/2012

"I Caught It!"

We were riding in a jeep over the dusty mountain roads of Bolivia, through miles and miles of desert. There was nothing green, just lots of tumbleweed and an occasional hut, then more miles of emptiness and another little hut. We wondered what the people did for a living away out here in the desert.

As we came to the top of a high hill with our trail of dust rising behind us, we looked down into the valley and saw a child running toward the road. That’s the way it is in that part of Bolivia. Anyone who sees a vehicle coming heads for the road as fast as he can...just in case there will be something there for him.

As we watched the child running with his arms reaching up, we saw him fall and get up again. Then, because he was watching our jeep and not looking where he was going, he fell again into the tumbleweed. We lost sight of him for a moment, but soon he was up and running again. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him in his race toward the road. A couple more times he stumbled and fell, but immediately he was up and running again. He reached the road just as our jeep passed the spot where he was. Someone threw him an apple. He caught it.

“I caught it! I caught it!” he shouted, hugging the apple to his chest.

What eagerness! What thankfulness, and for so little.

The gift of God...have you caught it? Don’t miss it! It is of more value than anything else. It cost God His only begotten Son, yet for you it’s free! “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Don’t let anything stop you from accepting God’s loving gift. Hug it to your chest for your very own. You will thank Him forever. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

ML-10/21/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Harvester Ants

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, [provides] her meat in the summer, and [gathers] her food in the harvest.” Proverbs 6:6-8

Ants in many areas find abundant food year-round and do not need to store it. But many ants do store food; among them are the harvester ants. They use seeds as their main source of food but also add termites and other insects to their diet.

To be sure they have enough to eat in the months when food becomes scarce, these ants “[provide their] meat in the summer, and [gather their] food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:8). They collect seeds and store them in several separate storage areas within their nests called granaries. These stored seeds are saved for future meals. Certain workers are assigned to the specific duty of storing the seeds. When they are brought to the nest, the husks are removed and carried outside to a garbage pile. If any of the stored seeds begin to spoil or sprout, they are immediately removed. If some seeds become damp, the ants promptly take them outside to dry in the sun. When dry, they are brought back into storage. This food supply is guarded very carefully, and the ants do not rob the store while there is still food available outside.

Since the ants are not able to swallow solid food, God has given them a means of changing dry seeds into what is known as “ant bread.” They produce this by first chewing the seeds and then making a little pile of this chewed material and covering it with juices from their digestive systems. This makes it liquid enough to sip.

All this, of course, is God’s order for these little creatures, which He refers to as being “exceeding wise” (Proverbs 30:24). The Word of God uses them as an example for ourselves, telling us also to prepare for the future. There is more meaning for us in such a lesson than only storing up food to eat. God urges us to think of a coming eternity and to prepare for it now, before the “summer” of our lives is past.

The sorrow of those who fail to prepare for an eternity in heaven is heard in the awful cry, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved [for heaven]!” (Jeremiah 8:20). Do not let this be your cry. You must realize that you are a sinner and in need of a Saviour. By faith you have to accept Jesus’ work on Calvary’s cross and His precious blood that He shed there to wash away your sins “while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).

ML-10/21/2012

A Miracle for the Family

Many boys and girls, and some older people too, enjoy going camping in parks where they can enjoy God’s beautiful creation for a few days or even a week. But how would you like to live in a park? Jerry Toops, his wife Lisa and their three children lived in a house in a park in Missouri, where Jerry was the park superintendent. It was a great place to live ... until the early morning of December 14, 2005.

At 5 o’clock that morning, while Lisa was up feeding their baby, she heard a roar that sounded like many jet planes, something she had never heard before in the quiet park. She yelled for Jerry to get the other two children, but within ten seconds a wall of water hit their house. Jerry knew immediately what had happened! The dam, that was only two miles from their house, had ruptured and sent a wall of water thirty feet high into their part of the valley! Their house was destroyed, along with many beautiful trees.

Lisa held tightly to baby Tucker and prayed, “Jesus save us!” as she and the baby were swept outside the house. Then she heard Tanner, who was just five years old, calling her. He had also been swept outside the house in the blast of water. She was able to find him and managed to hang onto both Tucker and Tanner.

When Jerry struggled to the top of the water, he was able to swim to the roof of the house and climbed onto the top. He said, “I knelt down and prayed—I prayed they would be all right.” Jerry knew he was helpless to save his family in the rushing water, but he knew where to turn for help. God tells us, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).

Neither parent had time to find three-year-old Tara, but she made it through the swift water on her own. She remembered the doggie paddle lessons she’d been taught in a backyard pool.

Meanwhile, the rushing water swept Jerry off the roof. He kept grabbing anything he could touch and finally was able to cling to a tree.

What do you think the whole family needed at this point? Not someone to bring them breakfast or a good book! They needed to be saved from the rushing water and to be saved fast! Have you ever thought about your need to be saved, not from a flood but from the lake of fire? God’s Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “NOW is the accepted time ... NOW is the day of salvation.” The Lord is waiting to hear you call to Him for salvation, just as Lisa called to Him to be saved. He is willing and waiting to save you from your sins right now, making you clean and ready to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

But for this family in immediate danger, they had to wait for help to arrive. About an hour went by before the volunteer firemen arrived to rescue the family. They found Jerry up in the top of a tree; they found Lisa with baby Tucker and Tanner clinging to each other where they had been swept into a field about one half mile from their house. And last of all, they found Tara by herself and whimpering. By then the disaster had left them all so weak that they were not even able to call for help. The firemen were listening for the slightest whimper and were there to answer and save them.

Do you know that the Lord Jesus hears us even before we call? “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). Have you told the Lord Jesus of your great need to be saved and have your sins washed away? He is always listening and will answer and save you.

Jerry was the first one found and taken to the warm ambulance. He suddenly saw something almost unbelievable! The rescuers were returning with all his family! “You know, I believe in miracles, and I believe this is one!” he said in a trembling voice. They all spent a few days in a hospital recovering from their narrow escapes.

I’m sure Jerry and Lisa often think of the day their lives were saved. Not many people live through a dangerous experience like that! If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you can be thankful for the day you were saved. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, NOW is the time to call to Him, or even whisper, and tell Him you know you are a sinner and want Him to save you from your sins.

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

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

ML-10/28/2012

"Grow up" Or "Go up"

While driving in town, I was stopped at a red light. In front of me was a little, battered-up Volkswagon. On its bumper was a sticker that said, “When I grow up I want to be a Cadillac.” I thought to myself, Little Volkswagon, you and I both want something. Mine will happen, and yours won’t.

I want to “go up,” not “grow up”! The Lord Jesus died for me so that I could be saved from my sins. He died for sinners, but only those are saved who admit that they have sinned and accept the Lord Jesus as their very own Saviour. It is because I have believed the good news of salvation that I am saved. Because my sins are gone, I know for sure that I will “go up.”

A battered-up, little car cannot change what it is, because it does not have life. It can never grow up or be anything else other than a Volkswagon. But for people who are saved, the Lord Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).

Because Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead and went to heaven, what I want will soon happen—I will go up to be with Him. Accept Him into your heart so that you may go up when He comes to call His own out of this evil world to be with Him in heaven.

ML-10/28/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Big Trees From Little Seeds

“He that received seed into the good ground is he that [hears God’s Word], and [understands] it; which also [bears] fruit.” Matthew 13:23

The size of the seed has no relationship to the size of the tree that grows from it. Douglas firs in Oregon and Washington may grow 200 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet in diameter, and they start from a very small seed. The giant redwoods and sequoias in California also start from very small seeds. The largest known tree, a sequoia called General Sherman, started almost 4000 years ago from a seed so tiny (1/16 of an inch long) that it takes 3000 seeds to weigh an ounce! Although lightning knocked about 100 feet off its top, the tree is still 275 feet tall and more than 30 feet in diameter at its base.

Other parts of the country also have big trees. The 400-year-old champion white oak, near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, spreads its branches 158 feet across. Like all oaks, it began as a little acorn, perhaps buried by a squirrel and forgotten.

A tree seed, like all seeds, is a storehouse of all the parts that will grow from it. Nothing can change it to anything else. As it germinates, new cells form the parts of the plant that will develop from it. These cells take over their individual work as if told what to do, which is exactly the case as God the Creator has designed the work of each cell. Some form bark, some form wood tissue, and some produce branches; others produce leaves or fruit or more seeds, and some form roots. This process continues until a full-grown tree will contain billions of cells, each faithfully doing its own job, just as the Creator planned.

Where sliding soil causes a young tree to tip outward, a special message is given to certain cells to make an “elbow” so the tree will grow straight up again. When this happens, the trunk stops growing on the inner side while the outer side continues to grow, until the straightening is completed, and then they work together again. The next time you see a tree this shape, think how wonderfully God arranged this growth correction. Actually, the trunk becomes stronger at this point than the rest of the tree.

This reminds us that a person who admits his faults to the Lord Jesus becomes stronger when he asks His help to correct them. The psalmist said, “I will confess my transgressions [sins] unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

The Bible also speaks of those who love the Lord in this way: “Blessed is the man that [trusts] in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that [spreads] out her roots by the river” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). If you are trusting in the Lord Jesus, then this is His description of you.

ML-10/28/2012

The Little Lost Duckling

Dear Children,

This is a story about a poor little baby duckling that got lost from his mother and brothers and sisters. Somehow he got separated from them while swimming along in the river. The little duckling just wasn’t strong enough to swim back up stream against the current of the river to find his way back to his family. The mother duck and the other ducklings had stayed together where the current of the river wasn’t so strong. But this fuzzy little fellow had wandered into the river current, and now he couldn’t get back.

A large white swan saw the little duckling struggling and immediately came to rescue the little lost fellow. The swan guided the duckling to a safer part of the river by dropping its large beak into the water and gently pushing the duckling into calmer water. The swan, along with its mate, became foster parents to the little duckling and took good care of it.

Boys and girls, this is a wonderful picture of God’s love and care for you and me. We do not deserve His love or His care because of our sin, but He loves us just the same. We read in God’s Word, the holy Bible, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But we also read, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

You may ask, “Who is a sinner?” Here is a very simple answer: Anyone who breaks one of God’s commandments is a sinner. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever disobeyed your mother or father? Have you ever taken a piece of candy without asking? I know all of us would have to hang our heads and say, “Yes.” That makes each one of us a sinner, and it only takes one sin to keep us out of heaven!

Now then, this poor little duckling made a big mistake by swimming away from his mother. I wonder how long it took him to understand he needed help. When the big white swan came along to help him, do you think the duckling said to the swan, “Go away! I don’t need your help!” That would have been very foolish for the duckling to say to the swan.

You know, Gramma and I are very happy that our God looked down from heaven and saw us in our lost and sinful condition, even though we did not realize it at the time. Because He loves and cares for each one of us, He sent His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary’s cross to rescue us from our sins so that we would not end up in the lake of fire! What a great love He had for you and me! Those of us who have accepted His offer of love and have been washed clean of our sins through the blood of the Lord Jesus can now say, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). And I’m sure if the duckling could speak swan language, it would have said to the big white swan, “Thanks for rescuing me!”

Have you ever sung this little song of thankfulness to the Lord Jesus?

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,

Thank you, Lord, for making me whole,

Thank you, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation, so rich and free.

Lots of love to each one of you,

Grampa and Gramma

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

ML-11/04/2012

Bible Characters and Their Objects

Can you match the person in the first column with his or her object in the second column? Draw a line connecting the two. If you need some help, look up the Bible references that are listed in the order of the names in the first column.

Aaron

coat

David

cord

Dorcas

jawbone

Gideon

rod

Joseph

needle & thread

Lydia

ointment

Mary

ox goad

Rahab

purple

Samson

fleece of wool

Shamgar

sling

Exodus 8:17; 1 Samuel 17:50; Acts 9:39; Genesis 37:3; Judges 6:36-37; Acts 16:14; John 12:3; Joshua 2:15; Judges 15:16; Judges 3:31

ML-11/04/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Lions' Teeth Are Not for You

“All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.” 1 Corinthians 15:39

Our thirty-two enamel-coated teeth are marvelous structures. They are designed and arranged so the surfaces of the upper and lower teeth fit together for eating and speaking. Have you ever thought about how each tooth is different?

In front are the incisors, or cutting teeth, remarkably shaped for taking a bite from an apple or sandwich or snipping a celery stalk in two. Behind these are the cuspids (called canines or dogteeth), used for tearing off bites too tough for the front teeth. Then come the two pointed bicuspids, and finally the broad, flat molars to which all food goes for grinding. All these teeth are especially designed for man’s needs.

The teeth of animals are different. A lion’s set of teeth would certainly not be useful to you. The Creator has provided for each animal’s particular needs. Gnawing animals, such as rats, mice, horses, rabbits and others, have incisors but no canines, since these are not needed for cutting off grass or gathering grains or other items in their diet. Because these incisors wear down from constant use, God has wisely arranged that they never stop growing during the animal’s life.

All flesh-eating animals have canine teeth made strong enough for tearing flesh. You can easily see these in the mouth of a dog, a lion, a cat or a tiger. These “fangs” are used not only for eating food but also for catching and killing. Most of these animals have rough tongues that act like rasps for removing flesh from bones. The teeth of hyenas are anchored in big, strong jaws, enabling them to break and crush large bones. Their molars have three cutting edges to help break up the skeletons of dead animals on which they feed. All these carnivorous (flesh-eating) animals bolt down their food without chewing it and do not use their molars for grinding food as we do.

The next time you brush your teeth, notice how wisely God has arranged them for your use. What He has done for mankind as well as for His other creatures reminds us of the wonders of His creation.

His Word, the Bible, is also likened to food ... not for our bodies, but for our souls. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). It is certainly right for us to give thanks to the Lord for each meal we eat. Let us also thank Him for our Saviour. Jesus said, “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-11/04/2012

Who Opened the Prison Doors?

Something wonderful happened in Jerusalem. Jesus had already died and was buried, and then He rose from the grave and went back to heaven. That was the most wonderful part of all, but that was not the end of the story. Jesus is real and alive in heaven right now, and He was real in the hearts of many who loved Him in Jerusalem.

God had given Peter and the other apostles power to heal sick people as they went about preaching about the risen Jesus. There were hundreds who believed what Peter and the apostles told them about Him, and they became believers and were added to the Lord Jesus too. Did you notice? They were not added to Peter but to the Lord Jesus. In fact, the new believers were so anxious that their family and friends should know about the Lord Jesus that they brought the sick people into the streets and laid them on beds and couches. They hoped that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might pass over them. Sick people even came from nearby cities, and they were all healed! Don’t you think Peter was a very important person?

No, not really. The Lord Jesus is the important person, and Peter was only the messenger. The high priest and his friends simply hated all this preaching and were jealous, and they grabbed the apostles and threw them into prison. They thought, That will keep them quiet!

But God has obedient angels who do whatever He says, and one of those angels opened the prison doors in the night and told the apostles, Go to the temple and speak to all the people all the words of this life.

Are you wondering why the angel didn’t go himself to tell the people? Because God did not send angels with this message. Angels could not say, “Jesus died for me,” because the holy angels did not sin, and they never needed a Saviour. But I am a sinner, and I need a Saviour. And you are a sinner, and you need a Saviour too.

In the morning the high priest called the council together and ordered the guards to bring the prisoners. And you and I know what the guards found—there was nobody inside the prison! They soon found the same men preaching in the temple.

The captain brought the apostles peacefully to the council where they were angrily told, Don’t preach anymore! You’re trying to blame us for the death of this man Jesus!

Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We are to obey God rather than men. God has raised up Jesus whom you hung on a cross and killed. God has exalted Him by His right hand to be the Prince and Saviour who forgives sins.

Peter’s words cut right to their hearts like a knife, and it made them furious. They wanted to kill Peter and the other apostles, but instead they gave them a beating and let them go.

But here’s a surprise. The apostles left the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name. And they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners.

Is Jesus just an ordinary man to you? You will meet Him in eternity and find that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Will you receive Him as your Saviour right now? There will be no precious blood to wash away your sins if you die without Him. He is more than a man; He is the Son of God, and He is my Saviour forever!

You may read this story for yourself in Acts 5:12-42.

MEMORY VERSE: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

ML-11/11/2012

Attacked by Yellow Jackets

Joe, his two sisters and Grandma were having a nice walk one sunny afternoon in a field near the house where they were visiting. At a pleasant time like this, what could be lurking in the field to harm them? Certainly there was no threat to them that they could see.

TRAMP, went someone’s foot on a nest of yellow jackets. Immediately up came an army of these angry wasps and covered Joe’s head! As Grandma tried to chase them away, she was stung several times. Poor Joe was stung by a lot of yellow jackets at the same time, even though he was running very fast towards the house. Angry wasps are fast fliers! Even his youngest sister got stung twice while running.

After the four of them were safely inside the house, another wasp hidden in Joe’s jacket stung him! By this time poor Joe was sobbing loudly!

No crying could ease the pain he had to endure. It is terribly painful to be stung by even one of these angry wasps, and Joe had many stings. For some people, it can mean death if they are allergic to bee or wasp stings.

All of us have been stung by sin, but those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour have the sting removed. Jesus took that sting in our place when He suffered and died on the cross. Those who are trusting in Him can thankfully answer these questions: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). The answer for believers is, “Because of Jesus, they are gone!”

“The sting of death is sin.... But thanks be to God, [who gives] us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).

Has Jesus removed the sting of death for you?

ML-11/11/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Lizards Are Almost Everywhere - Part 1

“Through faith we understand that ... things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3

There are more than 3000 different kinds of lizards throughout the world. They live where the ground never freezes, mostly in deserts, but sometimes in swamps, meadows, forests and even houses and other buildings. Most lizards are harmless and a help to mankind by eating quantities of insects that destroy crops.

Among the interesting ones are thirteen varieties of the whiptail lizard. These have tails which are half again as long as their bodies and which they use in running over the sand. The males are dark brown and decorated with narrow gold stripes.

Another one is the barking gecko, which in the hottest part of the day burrows into the sand to escape the heat of the African desert. Its home area has just enough rainfall to permit a small amount of plant life to grow, but most of the year this is not available. However, the barking gecko gets along very well on seeds and scraps of plants and other food blown about by desert winds. The Creator has given it pad-like feet, enabling it to scoot easily across the dry sand while chasing this food.

As mentioned, there is rarely any water where this little animal lives, and this gives us another example of the Creator’s care of His creatures. When a foggy night comes, our little friend goes out to benefit from it. The fog condenses into drops of water on its skin. The gecko licks up these drops and in this way gets all the water it needs.

An unusual lizard is the twelve-inch anole, which has skin like very coarse sandpaper. Its flat head has a large mouth that gives it a smiling look. An opening in the side of its body takes the place of an ear. The slender male is green or brown with a patch of brilliantly colored skin that puffs out from his neck to attract a mate or scare a challenger. At the same time, he spreads his front feet and bobs his body up and down in a peculiar manner. The female lays her eggs on the sand, covers them lightly and lets the sun keep them warm until they hatch. She does not need to raise or train them since the Creator has given the baby lizards instincts that enable them to be on their own immediately.

When we consider God’s kind ways toward even these little animals, it causes us to think how much more kind and loving are His ways to those who love Him. Perhaps you have memorized Psalm 23, which opens with, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want,” and closes with, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Have you thanked Him for His kindness and love to you?

(to be continued)

ML-11/11/2012

A Bear Causes a Big Problem

George drove his old station wagon down the unpaved forest road towards his favorite fishing hole. Fishing was one of the things he loved most. The winding road led through thick forests, until at last he saw the deep, blue lake ahead of him. What a happy sight!

The road sloped down right to the water’s edge. He stepped on the brakes twenty feet away from the water, shifted into park and turned the engine off. Reaching over the seat, he grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box and left his sack lunch of sandwiches and donuts on the passenger seat.

George walked to the water’s edge and down a shoreline trail a short way to his favorite spot. Then he baited his hook with a fat nightcrawler. The worm wiggled on the hook—nothing like a wiggly worm to attract the fish. Soon George was busy reeling in panfish, and by midday his stringer was full. Not a bad morning’s catch. He decided to call it quits, and, picking up his things, he began hiking back to his station wagon.

On the way back he heard a commotion—groans and grunts—coming from what sounded like a large animal. What’s making those noises? he wondered as he neared the car. Then he saw it! A black bear had stuck its head and upper body into his car window and was struggling to pull its fat lower body through the window.

George knew immediately—It’s after my lunch! He also wisely decided that it was too late to do anything about it. He set his stuff down and sat down on a tree stump a safe distance away to watch what the bear would do next.

The bear gave up trying to pull its whole body through the window and decided to eat the lunch with half his body squeezed into the car. He grabbed the sack with his paw and scattered the contents all over the car. Bit by bit, the bear gobbled up what it could reach. Then, not seeing any more food, the still-hungry animal began rummaging through all the nooks and crannies of the car with his paws, looking for more to eat. While rummaging, the bear bumped the gearshift lever and knocked it from “P” for park into “N” for neutral. The car began to slowly roll downhill, gathering speed as it went and heading straight for the lake.

The front bumper of the car hit the water first, then the grill, then the front tires and then water started to fill the inside of the car, rising to the height of the front seat. When it came to a stop, the entire car, except for the brown top, was underwater. The bear made a furious tug and pulled himself free and ran off, splashing through the shallow water.

What a commotion the bear had made, and what a problem George had now! It all could have been avoided if only he had closed the car window. He had a long way to walk to find help. Then he had to hire a tow truck to pull his station wagon out of the water and tow it back to a car repair shop in town. Then a mechanic charged him a lot of money to get his engine running again.

How George wished he hadn’t been so careless in keeping his car safe. All he needed to have done was just close the window. He would have saved himself a huge amount of trouble and money.

Are you being careless with your soul? God wants you to let the Lord Jesus save your soul so you don’t suffer loss—a loss far greater than George’s. The only way your soul can be saved is to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. “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).

What is the result of believing on the Lord Jesus? Those who believe in their hearts receive the forgiveness of their sins and a wonderful new life that makes them ready for heaven. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He doesn’t want you to wait until you think you can become a better person. That won’t help—you’ll still be in your sins. He wants you to come right now just as you are. He is the only Saviour because of the mighty work He did on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin and shedding His blood that has the power to wash away your sins. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Once you are saved, God wants you to keep your heart fresh in His love by staying close to Him. Of course, someone who loves God will love His Word and keep His commandments. To keep God’s love fresh in our hearts, we should be careful to keep sin out. Sin makes the love of God grow cold in our hearts. It has the ability to sneak into our lives if we are careless, just as the bear sneaked into the open window of the car. That is why we need to store Bible verses in our hearts. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11). Only by hiding God’s Word in our hearts can we have victory over sin.

Poor George was careless. As a result his lunch was stolen and his car got a dunking in the lake. Don’t be careless with your soul. Won’t you be sure that your soul is safe by admitting to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner and accepting Him as your very own Saviour? Then if you will hold tightly to His precious Word, you will enjoy God’s rich blessings and avoid much unhappiness.

MEMORY VERSE: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).

ML-11/18/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Lizards Are Almost Everywhere - Part 2

“Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are [toward us].” Psalm 40:5

The frilled lizard, about thirty-two inches long including its ten-inch tail, lives in Australia and New Guinea. When threatened, it opens its mouth wide and fans out a collar of skin around its neck, making it look much larger than it actually is. At the same time it hisses fiercely, rearing up on its hind legs and thrashing its tail. Though it is bluffing, these antics frighten off almost anything.

Another, the moloch lizard, lives in dry, hot deserts. It is a strange-looking lizard with an upturned snout and horny crest on its head. Its body almost looks as though it’s made of grape-size chunks of flesh, poorly glued together. Sharp points extend all along its back to the tip of its long tail. It is one of the many lizards able to change colors to match its surroundings. It satisfies its thirst in the same way as the barking gecko in last week’s article. It collects moisture on its skin from fog changing into water drops. These drops run to its mouth along tiny canals.

Male agamas, African residents, are brightly colored in brilliant reds, blues, greens and yellows. The female is not so spectacular in her olive-green color, but she does have bright red spots on her sides. These lizards come boldly into houses, dashing on their long legs after insects or squatting on pieces of furniture with their heads bobbing up and down.

Why are there so many different kinds of lizards, and why did the Creator make them? We find the answer in the Bible. It was not His purpose merely to have a beautiful globe spinning through space, but that all kinds of living things should make their homes on it. We read this in Isaiah 45:18: “God Himself that formed the earth ... created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” Also in Revelation 4:11 it says, “For [His] pleasure they are and were created.”

In His kind thoughts toward people, whom He says are the most important part of His creation, we are told of “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Not only did He have pleasure in His creation, but He also wants us to share that pleasure with Him.

Another kind of creation is also mentioned in the Bible: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means that those who accept Christ as their Saviour receive a new life that is pleasing to God. When we walk in His ways, this brings happiness to us as well. Have you become part of that new creation by accepting Christ as your Saviour?

ML-11/18/2012

Flint Does Not Change

It was a hot day! We had been hiking beside a mountain stream, and now we were hot and sweaty. We took off our shoes and socks and dangled our feet in the cold, rushing water. It felt so good on our hot, tired feet.

As we sat enjoying the rushing water while we rested, we began to look closely at the stones under our feet in the bottom of the mountain stream. Most of them had been worn round and smooth from tumbling under the constant flow of water. But then we noticed a few thin stones with sharp edges; some of them seemed as sharp as a good paring knife—maybe even sharper. These stones couldn’t be worn down by the rushing water and tumbling stones that tumbled against them. These stones were flint.

The North American Indians knew about these hard, sharp stones of flint. They used them as arrowheads and as blades in their tomahawks. Maybe some of you children have found arrowheads when you’ve hiked the trails in what used to be Indian country or even on the stony shores of lakes. People who have found arrowheads can see that they have not changed in maybe four hundred years. They are still whole and just as sharp! Flint does not change.

It is said of the Lord Jesus, when it came time for Him to go to the cross, that, like a flint, He never changed. He knew what was ahead—the shame, the spitting, and the cruelty of being beaten and then nailed to the cross. But there was more, much more: He would bear in His body God’s terrible punishment for the sins of everyone who would believe in Him.

Knowing all He would have to suffer, the Lord Jesus did not change His mind. He firmly set His face to go to Jerusalem where He would be crucified. God His Father had asked Him to do this for you and me. He said, “The Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7). Nothing, absolutely nothing could change His mind! He loved God His Father and wanted to do His will, and He loved you and me too deeply to change His mind about going to the cross so we could be set free from our sins.

For those of us who have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, we will live in heaven with Him forever, because our sins are gone. Will you be included?

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

MEMORY VERSE: “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-11/25/2012

A Mother's Rescue

One hot summer day, my two youngest children and I were walking along a busy city street. Just as we got to a large oak tree, a squirrel’s nest fell at our feet. It was about the size of a large beach ball and made out of sticks and leaves. Part of it split open when it hit the sidewalk so that we were able to see what was inside. There lay four, tiny squirrels, squirming and squeaking. Like all newborn baby squirrels, they were naked with just a trace of fur, and their eyes were still closed.

“What shall we do?” asked one of the children, and the answer arrived just at that moment. Down the tree came the mother squirrel. She sniffed her babies all over to see if they were all right. Then without a moment’s hesitation, she picked up one in her mouth, ran with it as fast as she could across that busy street, and went directly to a tree with a hole in it. She climbed the tree and placed her baby inside the hole.

As we stood and watched, one by one the mother rescued each tiny squirrel until all were safe. She must have been very smart to make those seven trips safely across that busy street! It is wonderful that God gives His creatures a mother’s tender care and an instinct to know just what to do in a time of danger. The mother squirrel already knew about the hole in that tree across the street, and her little ones were safe.

As we think about those helpless baby squirrels, we see a picture of helpless, lost sinners.

Sinners are blind. “The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Sinners are naked. God sees all our sins; we can’t cover them up. “All things are naked and opened, unto the eyes of Him [God] with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

Sinners have fallen and are at the mercy of destroyers. “The devil, as a roaring lion, [walks] about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Those little squirrels were in real trouble. Death was ahead for them, until their caring mother rescued them and provided a place of safety. Death and hell are ahead for lost sinners, but a loving God has provided a rescuer in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus has provided that place of safety for you and me. By faith, we can be washed clean of every sin through the blood He shed on Calvary’s cross.

Will you accept the Lord Jesus as your rescuer from everlasting death and hell and receive His promise of everlasting life in heaven? “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). “Whoso [puts] his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

ML-11/25/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Birds That Eat Bees

“The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9

There are many varieties of bee-eater birds, ranging in size from six to fourteen inches. All have pretty feathers in various color combinations of bright red, yellow, blue, brown and purple. All of them have a black mask over the eyes. These unusual birds live in Mediterranean countries, Africa, Australia, India and other tropical areas. The European bee-eaters migrate south in the winter.

Bees, wasps and hornets make up 80% of the bee-eater’s diet, along with a few other insects. These are captured in the air. Even the young birds can do this without any lessons from their parents. Their food being caught this way explains why the Creator gave them long, pointed wings and swallow-like tails. These features enable them to fly swiftly and make quick turns in their flights, so that they rarely fail to capture their prey.

Another special feature about these birds is their long, pointed beaks. What purpose do these serve? If they only ate flying ants and termites, a short, wide beak like a swallow’s would do very well. But catching bees and wasps is another matter, since a sting in the mouth or throat would not only be painful with swelling, but would probably mean death to the bird. So God gave it a specially designed beak.

Overtaking a bee in mid-air, this bird skillfully catches the bee across its middle, holding it just tightly enough until the bird returns to its perch where it beats its captive against something solid to kill it. Then the pointed beak is carefully used to remove and discard the stinger and to squeeze out any remaining poison from the stinger end of the bee. Not until all this has been taken care of does it eat the bee or give it to its babies. Isn’t that an amazing feature of this bird!

We can easily believe that when God Himself created these pretty birds, He gave them their knowledge of how to capture and eat these poisonous insects safely. This instinct and skill has been inherited by each generation ever since. If they had had to learn on their own how to safely catch the bees, carefully kill them, skillfully remove the stingers and remaining poison, their mistakes would have caused their deaths, and the species would have died out.

The Bible tells us, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). It also tells us, “The Lord searcheth all hearts.... If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee” (1 Chronicles 28:9). What does He see when He searches your heart?

ML-11/25/2012

Who Will Rescue the Cat?

Most everybody knows that cats will climb trees. Sometimes it’s when they are afraid of another animal, like a dog. Or sometimes it might be because they are trying to get away from their owners who want to take them into the house. Or sometimes cats climb trees just for the fun of it. I’m sure they can see lots more up in a tree than what they can see on the ground.

Most cats can climb back down without any problem. However, once in a while one can’t get back down, especially if it is up high in a tree and is frightened. Somebody nearby usually knows when this happens, because a frightened cat will meow and meow and meow. Recently in British Columbia, Canada, a frightened cat was stuck high up in a tree for five days.

Terry noticed the frightened cat when it was 7 meters (23 feet) high in the tree. He got out his ladder to see if he could reach the cat, but his ladder wasn’t long enough to get near it. To make matters worse, the cat climbed higher each day, until finally it was up about 25 meters (82 feet). That was a mighty tall tree with a very frightened cat high up in the branches! Who could possibly rescue it? Terry had tried, but he couldn’t help the cat.

Sometimes people run away from God! Maybe they are afraid of Him, because they know they are sinners and guilty before Him. The Bible tells us that God hates sin, and He says there is a price that must be paid for our sins if we want to enter heaven someday. But there’s nothing you or I can do to pay for them and wipe our record clean. If we die still in our sins, they will take us to hell where we will pay for them for a very long time—eternity. Can anybody rescue us sinners?

Rescue was still on the minds of the neighbors who heard the cat’s cries day after day. Knowing that the fire department has long ladders to rescue people from burning buildings, they called and explained that the cat had been up in the tree for five days and needed somebody to rescue it. But the fire department couldn’t be convinced to bring their long ladders to help this poor cat. Terry couldn’t help, and the fire department wasn’t interested in rescuing animals. Could anybody rescue the cat?

Then the neighbors came up with a plan, but they were going to have to pay for the rescue. They all donated money and collected $100, which was enough to hire someone willing to climb the tree and bring down the cat. The man they hired knew what to do. When he climbed the tree, he took a backpack with him. When he reached the cat, he carefully lifted it into the backpack and brought it safely down to the ground, where I’m sure somebody had food and water waiting for the hungry and thirsty cat.

Just like the cat, we can’t rescue ourselves. Because God loves sinners and wants us to be in heaven, He made a plan to rescue us from our sins. When He asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, said, “Here am I; send Me” (Isaiah 6:8). Because of His great love for sinners, He was willing to go all the way to Calvary’s cross to pay the price for our sins. It cost Him far more than $100; it cost Him His very life! He did not turn back from the terrible suffering and shame He knew He would have to bear for our rescue. Isaiah 50:6 tells us some of what He suffered from man: “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.” And then He was nailed to a cross where He took God’s punishment for the sins of anyone who will believe and accept Him as Saviour. You may ask, “Why did the Lord Jesus do this for us?” It was because of His deep and wonderful love for poor, lost sinners.

Will you let the Lord Jesus rescue you and save you from a lost eternity in hell paying for your own sins? You need to admit to Him that you are a sinner and are truly sorry for all your sins, and He will gladly wash them away forever. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The matter of your sins will be all settled! Then thank Him for His wonderful love and for being your Saviour.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

MEMORY VERSE: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

ML-12/02/2012

Helping Mother

Some of you children, girls especially, like to help your mother in the kitchen, but boys can help too. When it comes time to stir cake or cookie batter in a bowl, that is sometimes a job that little people can do. And it’s always fun to be able to lick the spoon when Mother says it’s okay—mmmmmmm good!

But there are other jobs in the kitchen that boys and girls can help with. Lily is three years old, and she is learning how to peel a hard-boiled egg. It’s not always easy to peel off all the shell, but she’s working hard at it, and it looks like she’s doing a good job, don’t you think? Being a helper always pleases the Lord Jesus. Here’s a Sunday school song that we sometimes sing about being a helper. Maybe you sing it too.

In the house and out of doors,

Scrubbing pots and sweeping floors,

Washing, ironing, mending too;

These are things that I can do.

In the house and out of doors,

Chopping wood and doing chores,

Pounding nails or driving screws;

These are things that I can do.

I’ll do it all for Jesus,

For He’s coming very soon.

ML-12/02/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Orchids in Action

“Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet ... Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Luke 12:27

Orchids usually make us think of special occasions when a lady may carry a bouquet with orchids in it or may wear an orchid corsage. Most of us think of orchids as being grown in a greenhouse or other protected environment, but in many countries they thrive outdoors in the wild. There are over four hundred varieties.

Orchids sold by florists are definitely lovely. For the most part, they have a trumpet-like main flower, backed by broad, smooth petals. A wide variety in different colors is available, but the most common is deep lavender. Orchid plants are tough, and great numbers grow in rain forests and other tropical areas, and even in the swamps of colder lands. Here are a few of the more unusual varieties.

The fly orchid’s petals look like a female fly and have an odor similar to that of this insect. This attracts a male fly. Although he is disappointed in what he finds, the plant benefits from his visit as he unknowingly transfers pollen from one plant to another. This produces seeds to grow more plants.

Another, known as the ophrys, makes a variety of images with its foliage and flowers that look like spiders and other insects. These, attracting investigators, are pollinated the same way as the fly orchid.

One of the most interesting is the bucket orchid. This one benefits from red ants that live among its roots and crawl into the flowers for nectar. Again, the pollen is transferred from one flower to another. If it were not for the ants, this orchid would soon die out, and if it were not for the orchid, the ants would do the same. They need each other to survive. This kind of relationship is called “symbiosis.” And there are other plants and insects that have symbiotic relationships.

However, some orchids have been purposely designed by the Creator to be unattractive to insects. Hummingbirds pollinate them best. The hummers’ long beaks help the pollination process when the birds dip them deep into the flowers to reach the sweet nectar.

There are many other features of the lovely orchids, but these examples help remind us of how wonderful the Lord God’s ways are with all His creation. He often uses two living things of entirely different types to benefit one another in ways that only He can arrange.

He is your Creator too, and He can do far more than take care of your lifetime needs on earth. His wonderful invitation stands open for you to have eternal life in heaven by coming to the Lord Jesus who died on Calvary’s cross. He gives eternal life and forgives the sins of all who admit they are sinners and accept Him as their Saviour. That is the pathway to true happiness now and forever.

ML-12/02/2012

King Herod's Birthday

King Herod had a birthday party, and it was a very special one. However, King Herod was not a Christian, and deep down in his heart he was not a happy man. Every birthday made him a year older and a year closer to the grave. People might say, “Happy Birthday,” but that did not take away the problems in his heart.

He had tried very hard to make himself happy, even taking his brother’s wife for himself. And when John the Baptist told King Herod that was the wrong thing to do, he put John in prison. He knew this wasn’t right, so he just tried to forget all about John and have a happy birthday anyway.

His party must have been a big celebration, and part of the entertainment was a dancing girl. King Herod really enjoyed her grace and skill, and he told her she could choose her reward. It can be anything you like, he said, even half of my kingdom!

That’s a big choice for a girl. What should she ask for? Maybe her mother could help her choose, so she slipped out and asked her mother, What shall I ask for?

What would you say if you got an offer like that? Maybe you would want piles of money or a big important place in the world. But there are things money can’t buy. You want something that lasts forever, don’t you? There’s no use asking King Herod, because he couldn’t give you something that lasts forever anyway. You might ask for a reserved place in heaven, but that’s only for sinners whose sins are forgiven. God Himself can’t have sins in heaven. What would you ask for?

The girl’s mother had a heart full of hatred against John because he found fault with her, and her hatred came out in her answer. Tell the king you want John the Baptist’s head on a platter, she said.

So that was the dancing girl’s request—John the Baptist’s head! The king did not smile when she told him what she wanted. He was very sorry, but he had made a promise, and there were other people sitting there who had heard him tell her that she could choose her reward. What would they think of him if he answered, No? Would he offend those people? Or would he offend God?

Boys and girls, don’t let other people scare you. Jesus is worth more than the entire world! “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Jesus, the Saviour of sinners, is forever. What is your choice?

King Herod sent a man with a big sword who beheaded John in prison. The dancing girl got what she asked for. The disciples came and buried John and went and told Jesus.

Is there no hope for King Herod or for that wicked woman? Oh, yes. They could come to Jesus too, since Jesus died for sinners, but I’m afraid they never came. In fact, it was this same Herod who was in Jerusalem when Jesus had been taken prisoner and had to stand before Pilate for questioning. When Pilate heard that Herod was in Jerusalem, he turned Jesus over to Herod to make the decision if He was guilty of death.

King Herod asked Jesus many questions. When Jesus didn’t answer his questions, Herod mocked Him, treated Him badly and sent Him back to Pilate.

We don’t read anywhere in the Bible that King Herod was ever sorry for the way he treated the Lord Jesus. If he had been sorry, he could have been forgiven for mocking the Lord Jesus and treating Him so badly and also for having John the Baptist beheaded. We have a God who loves us and who is ready to forgive, because “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Are you sorry for your sins? Now is the time to come to God for forgiveness, and it will last forever!

You may read this story for yourself in Matthew 14:6-12 and Luke 23:6-12.

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

ML-12/09/2012

Footprints

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

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

If you have not come to God as a sinner and let Him forgive your sins by washing you in the blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, do so now before it is too late. Then Jesus’ blood will cover all the footprints of sin you have left behind. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7). You will have a new life that wants to make Him happy, and all your steps can be following Him.

ML-12/09/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Quarrelsome Stickleback

“Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made ... the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.” Nehemiah 9:6

Sticklebacks are a family of small fish found in both freshwater and saltwater across the Northern Hemisphere. They get their name from the sharp spines on the tops of their bodies. The most common is the 3-spined variety, a very lively little fellow about 2 inches long. There is also a 4-spined, a 10-spined and a 15-spined. The freshwater sticklebacks reach lengths of 1 to 3 inches, while saltwater sticklebacks reach lengths of up to 7 inches.

The one we will look at is the 3-spined, which is rather pretty in its grayish-golden color with patches of red in the springtime. In spite of its small size, it is a tough fighter, especially in nesting season. Two of them in combat will dart and snap at each other. If one gets his teeth in, he will hang on like a bulldog, whirling round and round until the other admits defeat and escapes. When this happens, the winner’s shining green sides, golden and scarlet head and silvery-white stomach become brighter, but the loser’s colors fade in defeat. However, if he wins a battle later, the bright colors come out again. Sometimes after the winner has chased the loser away, the loser gets bold and chases the winner back home. Then they go at it again, never actually fighting, but chasing back and forth until they get tired of the game.

Fights are usually in defense of a muff-shaped nest, made of all kinds of fibers found in the water and fastened together with a sticky material given off by the male. In defending his nest, this little fellow’s fierceness is great enough to scare away fish much larger than itself.

The male nest builder convinces several females to use it as a place to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in ten days and then the nest he has worked so hard to build is destroyed. Most of his time is then spent guarding the young ones until they are able to care for themselves.

Contrary to the usual pattern of parents, the mother fish has no interest in her young ones, and if the father didn’t care for them they would not survive. But it is another example of the Creator’s interest in making a wide variety of creatures, and we know from the verse at the beginning of this article that He cares for even such tiny creatures as these. We also need God’s care and protection, and He tells us to “seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually. Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (1 Chronicles 16:11-12). Have you thanked Him for such loving care?

ML-12/09/2012

The Mud-Bound Horse

Have you ever been stuck in the mud? Did someone have to help you out? We hope you didn’t have to leave your shoes behind in the mud.

Sin is like mud; the more you struggle to get out of it on your own, the more you sink. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can save you from your sins. “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock” (Psalm 40:2). If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, why don’t you thank Him right now for saving you from the horrible pit of sin?

Carol and her daughter were enjoying the day, riding their horses along a beach in Australia. Suddenly Carol’s horse began to sink in an area of wet, soggy, muddy ground. If you were stuck in the mud, you probably did not weigh enough to sink very fast. However, a horse might weigh a thousand pounds, and that would make the sinking much faster! Carol quickly got off the horse so her weight wouldn’t add to the horse’s weight, while her daughter quickly called for help on her cell phone.

The horse was frightened, and the more it struggled, the deeper it sank in the mud. Carol and her daughter were also frightened for another reason other than that the horse was stuck in the mud. They knew that in a few hours the ocean tide would come in. If they couldn’t get the horse out of the mud before the tide came in, the horse would drown.

When the rescue workers arrived, they knew they had a real problem ahead of them. Seeing the horse struggling and frightened, they decided to give it an injection to calm it, and then they were able to dig the mud out from around the horse.

After three hours of hard, messy work, the rescue workers were able to fasten a sling under the horse. Then they used a tractor to slowly pull the horse out of the mud. Carol was so relieved that her horse was not hurt during the rescue and that it had been pulled out before the tide came in.

Have you really thought about what the Lord Jesus had to do to rescue sinners like us from that pit of sin? He knew we were hopeless and helpless to rescue ourselves. He was the only one who could lift us out of that pit. It was His deep and wonderful love for us that made Him willing to go to the cross to bear God’s punishment against sin, shedding His blood so that we could be washed clean from every sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

He is offering to rescue you from your pit of sins right now, if you will accept Him as your Saviour. Will you do that?

MEMORY VERSE: “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock” Psalm 40:2

ML-12/16/2012

Christopher's New Minibike

When Christopher was fourteen, he saved up enough money to buy himself a new minibike. He liked to ride it, and he often asked me, his mother, if I would like to try it out. I wasn’t very eager, but one summer day there were about a dozen young people at our place, and they were taking turns riding the minibike. Christopher insisted, “Come on, Mom, you take a turn too.”

Now I was used to riding my pedal bike. The brake on my bike was a hand lever right up by the handle grip, so when I squeezed tightly on this brake lever, the bike would stop quickly. But the minibike was altogether different—it was just the opposite. Right beside the handle grip was the lever that controlled the gas, so when you squeezed that lever you went faster instead of stopping.

Becoming a Christian and having a new life is just the opposite of our old way of life too. First Corinthians 15:22 tells us, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” In Colossians 3:9-10, it tells us that when we have become a Christian by accepting the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we “have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.”

I hopped on the minibike. As long as I stayed on the driveway things went pretty smoothly, but when I started to ride out across the field, the going got a lot rougher. I got scared, so I automatically squeezed what would have been the brake lever on my bike. The minibike speeded up and started flying over boulders, mowing down saplings, shooting down little hills and over potholes. The faster I went, the tighter I squeezed; the tighter I squeezed—the faster I went!

The young people watching me were having a good laugh at my expense. I was beginning to think things over. You can’t ride a minibike the same way you ride a bicycle, and that’s the way it is in life too. When we become a Christian, our whole way of life is changed. Romans 6:13-14 tells us, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

As I realized the change I needed to make in the handling of the minibike, I let go of my grip on the gas lever and gradually came to a stop.

We need to let go of our way of life too, and let God be in control of our new one. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through our Lord Jesus, God has given us a new life, with new desires, and the Spirit of God is the power of that new life. We are to consider the old life to be dead, and just live the new one. Let’s do it!

ML-12/16/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: You Would Like a Cuscus

“Of Him [God], and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

One of the most colorful and lovable little animals in the world lives in the jungles of several areas of the South Pacific, including Malaysia, New Guinea and Australia.

There are many varieties of the pretty little cuscus (sometimes called a phalanger). Some have white fur; others have honey, black, or even grayish-green fur. Some have mixed colors, such as the whitish-gray spotted cuscus, with numerous patches of a soft reddish color spread over its coat. In fact, many of them change color several times in their lifetime. Their round, bulging eyes may be yellow, orange or red, and their button noses are usually a bright yellow. All are tidy in their habits and keep their woolly fur in good condition by frequently combing it with their sharp claws. They can live to be eleven years old.

The cuscus is part of the mammal family known as marsupials. The mother usually gives birth to one or two very small, underdeveloped babies each year, and she carries them in her pouch for several months before they are able to hop out and make their own way around.

These animals are about the size of house cats and are good climbers. They spend most of their lives in trees where they hunt smaller animals, insects, lizards and small birds’ eggs to eat. They also add vegetable matter, such as fruit and green leaves, to their diet. Very seldom do they come to the ground. They never seem to be in a hurry, and it is not unusual for one to sit all day high in a tree sleeping, for they do most of their hunting at night.

The Creator has given them strong claws and fleshy pads on their hind feet to make them more surefooted on bare branches. He has further provided for their safety with a tail that they can wrap around a nearby branch for extra security.

The cuscus have few enemies, but if they are threatened, they will lash out with their forepaws while barking and snarling. Actually, they are difficult for other animals or birds to kill, because their thick fur fits so loosely on their bodies that an enemy cannot easily get a good hold on them.

We have enjoyed considering many animals, both small and great, gentle and vicious, ugly and handsome, and with each one we could think of the words of Psalm 104:24: “O Lord, how manifold [numerous] are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.”

It should be our joy also to follow this reminder: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6). Just think of how much we have to thank Him for!

ML-12/16/2012

Saved by a Tract

A young man named Garvin grew up in a village on the island of St. Vincent. All during his childhood he attended Sunday school and gospel meetings every week with his family. However, as he passed through his teenage years and became an adult, he knew that he was not saved. During those growing-up years, he heard many, many times that he was a sinner and that he needed the Saviour of sinners to save him from his sins. However, Garvin had never really taken the good news of salvation into his own heart. Like many young people, and even some who are not so young, he was only interested in having a good time with his friends. He wanted the freedom to live his life in his own way. However, putting off that decision while living a sinful life and heading for a lost eternity in hell is a very dangerous way to live. Garvin knew this.

One day all that changed! He was walking down the street when he met a young man who was passing out gospel tracts. As they passed each other, a tract was pushed into his hand, and something made him stop and read it. The Spirit of God had been working in Garvin’s heart and conscience for some time. He stepped to the side of the roadway and read the tract, which reminded him again of the guilt of his sins. He accepted Christ as his Saviour right then and there! At twenty-one years old, he “passed from death unto life” (1 John 3:14), because the Lord directed someone handing out gospel tracts to give him one, on that hot, humid, tropical afternoon.

Today, Garvin is a faithful servant of God. Many years have passed since he was saved, but he still loves to tell others about how the Lord used a tract to cause him to admit his guilt and regret his life of sin. Ever since that day, he carries a bag of tracts, the “silent messengers,” and hands them out everywhere he goes. He understands the value of getting God’s good news of salvation into the hands of sinners.

Some of you children, teenagers and grown-ups reading Garvin’s story right now are doing exactly what he had done—putting off that decision for some other time and thinking, Don’t bother me with that now. The Bible has warnings for each one of you about waiting to make that decision: “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). Many of you know that Jesus is coming back to take to heaven everyone who has accepted Him as their Saviour. The Bible says that nobody knows exactly when that will happen: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 25:13). It could be today. The point is, Be sure you are ready! Garvin would tell you, “Make that decision, and make it right now!” You will never regret it.

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

ML-12/23/2012

The Ignored Warning

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

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

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

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

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

What about you? Are you ignoring a warning signal in your life right now? God tells us in the Bible, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Don’t just disconnect His warning message. The end of a life without Christ as Saviour leads to a tragic eternity. It can be avoided if you will pay attention to God’s warning: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Because of His love for sinners, Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the punishment for sin. If you will come to Him in prayer, admitting that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness for your sins, He will remove them forever. You will not face an eternity of punishment for your sins. Instead, you will live with Him in the joy and happiness of heaven forever.

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

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

ML-12/23/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Beauty in a Snowflake

“Great things doeth [God], which we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth.” Job 37:5-6

People in warm climates are often thankful they do not have to experience winter. But one lovely thing they miss out on is the beauty of a snow-covered landscape when much of the grime and unattractiveness of the earth is covered over with the beauty of a soft white blanket of snow.

Millions of tons of snow fall over large areas each year. We are filled with wonder when we stop to realize that all of the snow is entirely made up of delicate, beautifully designed snowflakes, so small that many would scarcely cover your little fingernail. And such beautiful designs! People who study and photograph them continually prove, to their amazement, that no two snowflakes are alike.

With few exceptions, snowflakes are always six-sided. Sometimes the six sides are flat and straight, but more often they have six beautifully designed arms coming out from a circle, forming a common center, which has its own design. Each spear-like arm matches the others on the same flake, but, as already mentioned, no two flakes have been found that are exactly alike. A scientist who made photographs of more than 400,000 snowflakes verified in his pictures that this was true. Isn’t that amazing! No one but the Lord God could create so many different designs.

Snowflakes form in the clouds. They begin as tiny specks of dust surrounded by little droplets of water that change into flakes as freezing air blows on them. As they fall, many collide, changing the shapes from which they started and landing on earth with sometimes less than six sides, or becoming long and narrow. But each snowflake has its part in forming the snowy landscapes that attract skiers, sledders, tobogganers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and many, many photographers.

Even more important, the snow on mountains, that becomes deeper with each snowfall, is held in the cold temperatures of these high altitudes until hot summer months. Then a gradual melting releases snow in the form of water into streams and rivers to supply necessary moisture to forests, meadows and farms in the lower areas—wise planning by the Creator of all things.

In the Bible there is an important verse which says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). By “reasoning together” we understand that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to wash away our sins, and any who will confess to God that they are sinners and accept His offer to be their Saviour are saved.

If He is not your Saviour, He invites you to come to Him right now, and He will accept you as one of His own, making your sins “as white as snow” in His sight.

ML-12/23/2012

Snatched From the Jaws of Death

“YELP!” Steve Gustafson heard a high-pitched cry for help.

The sixty-six-year-old man turned from his yard work and looked towards the pond at the edge of his backyard where the sound had come from. Stunned, he saw that a seven-foot-long alligator had slithered out of the pond and had snatched Mickey, his small terrier, in its jaws! He loved his pet and without a second thought ran to help.

Steve was willing to risk his life because he loved Mickey. Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ loves us so much that He was willing to give up His own life to save us from our sins that would land us in that awful place called hell? He died on Calvary’s cross, because He knew that unless He gave up His life, we could never be set free from the awful power of sin and its results. He was the only hope to save sinners. And Steve was the only hope to save his dog.

When Steve got to the edge of the pond, the alligator had already gone back into the water, and all he could see was its tail. He guessed where the body of the gator would be and jumped like he was doing a giant belly flop off a diving board. He crashed onto the back of the alligator. Later he said it felt like landing on a pile of rocks.

Steve knew he had to get Mickey to the surface of the water so the dog could breathe. He grabbed the hind leg of the gator with one hand, and with his other fist he hit it as hard as he could on the back of its head. The dangerous creature let go of the dog, spun its head around and bit Steve on the hand. When the alligator released his bite on Steve’s hand, Steve saw his chance and pinned the mouth of the alligator closed against the bottom of the pond.

He held the gator like this for a few moments, until Mickey had a chance to escape. Then he shoved the alligator away from himself, picked up Mickey, and slogged out of the pond. The alligator swam off in the opposite direction into the murky water.

Both Mickey and Steve required a few stitches to close up bite wounds. Steve thought it was a small price to pay to save his pet. Later a news reporter asked him, “Why were you willing to risk so much for your dog?”

Steve replied, “I had to do it ... I love my dog. He is my best friend. What else could I do?”

The large alligator had completely overpowered the little dog. There was no way Mickey was going to escape those jaws of death without help. And Steve was the only one who could help Mickey escape the alligator’s deadly hold. And Satan, the great enemy of our souls, has his deadly hold on sinners like you and me. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Through sin he has sunk his “jaws of death” into us and is attempting to drag us to an eternity of suffering in hell. He will not let go, and we are no match for him. There is only one Person who has the power to save us.

God in love and grace sent His own Son to be that one to save us. The Son of God became a man with flesh and blood to destroy Satan’s power. “As [we] are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). Only through faith in the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, can we escape the jaws of eternal death.

God loves us so much He doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity in hell with the devil and his demons. “The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Won’t you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have your sins forgiven? Then heaven, a place of wonderful light, love and joy, will be your home forever.

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

ML-12/30/2012

Emily Did Not Obey

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

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

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

But Emily only giggled and ran faster.

THUD! Down she went! Oh, how her head hurt, and she cried hard. Now all her fun was over, and she had a big red bump on her forehead to show for not obeying.

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

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

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

ML-12/30/2012

The Wonders of God's Creation: Termites and Their Ways

“Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee:... the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.” Psalm 139:12

The two thousand species of termites are found throughout the world. These insects live in large colonies in dark places and only come out into the open when swarming to establish new colonies. There are three classes of termites in their colonies: workers, reproducers and soldiers.

The workers, along with the baby nymphs, form the largest part of the colony. They never leave the nest, even at swarming time. Their lives are spent tunneling and feeding on wood. They digest the wood and feed it to the king, queen, nymphs and soldiers.

The queen’s responsibility is to provide eggs to keep the colony growing. Soon after mating, she swells up with eggs until she is much larger than the workers. In fact, this load of eggs is so great that she has to finally settle down in her royal chamber where she will stay the rest of her life, producing millions of eggs.

The workers stand by to take the eggs as soon as they are laid. They lick each one clean before placing it in the nursery area. It takes many months for the eggs to hatch and the young termites to fully develop. During development, the nymphs are blind and helpless. They could not survive if the workers did not take care of them by constantly bringing them food.

Most of the soldiers have large, armored heads and fiercely attack enemies. Standing guard over the nest, they often plug the entrances with their heads to keep intruders out.

Termites usually live where it is dark and moist, because they cannot survive under other conditions. Where it is necessary to cross exposed areas, they make tunnels of mud.

In Australia, a species known as “compass termites” builds nests as high as twenty feet above ground. The sides of these nests always face east and west, with the ends pointing north and south. Lost travelers have found their way by using these nests as compasses. Since these nests are exposed to the hot sun, the termites build ventilating flues in them to maintain a constant, cool temperature.

These creatures, seeking dark places and hiding their activities, remind us of those persons who “loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). They foolishly think they can hide evil deeds. But the Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Our opening verse also reminds us of the One from whom nothing can be hidden.

But we are happy to tell you that the Lord Jesus Christ, who knows all the secrets of our hearts, loves us and invites us to come to Him as the Saviour of sinners. “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-12/30/2012

Messages of God's Love: 2012

Table of Contents

Do You Have a To-Do List?

God Feeds the Gulls

The Wonders of God's Creation: Water and Ice

Stranded on a Ski Lift

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Mussels

A Surprise and a Secret

The Biggest Piece of Money

The Happy Warblers

Will's Scary Dream

The Library Fine

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Unusual Yak

The Little Possum Visitor

Evelyn's Worry

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Unusual Opossum

A Bad Shortcut

Teasing Isn't Always Fun

The Wonders of God's Creation: How the Body Gets Its Oxygen

Why Did Ahithophel Die?

A Lesson in Trusting

The Wonders of God's Creation: "Proud as a Peacock"

Disobedient Hunny

Beautiful Snow

The Wonders of God's Creation: Putting the Sun to Work

Saving the Eaglets

A Twelve-Year-Old's Decision

The Wonders of God's Creation: Ever-Present Beetles - Part 1

Glenda's School Essay

What Is a Sinner?

The Wonders of God's Creation: Ever-Present Beetles - Part 2

Can Anybody Hear You Think?

The Rescued Cat

The Wonders of God's Creation: Hardy Olive Trees

Jimmy Changes His Mind

Does God Talk to You?

The Wonders of God's Creation: The High-Leaping Impala

What Did You Eat for Breakfast?

Who Wants Roy?

The Wonders of God's Creation: All-Important Chlorophyll

God's Messenger, the Hiccups

The Birthday Cake

The Wonders of God's Creation: Unusual Sea Creatures

Micah Thought He Had Everything

Skipper

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Cute Cottontails

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Catch a Bird

The Wonders of God's Creation: Mallards by the Million

Rescued From Icy Water

"He Hit Me Back!"

The Wonders of God's Creation: What Is Our Blood Made of?

Saved in a War Zone

"I Can't Get Down!"

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Clever Roadrunner

God Hates Lying

Six-Mile Fall

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Lowly Earthworm

Flashlight Man

Sweet Potatoes

The Wonders of God's Creation: The African Aardwolf

"Help! Help!"

"More Than a Blanket"

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Paper Wasp

Really Thirsty!

The Exploding Campfire Rocks

The Wonders of God's Creation: Turtles and Tortoises - Part 1

One Hundred and Two Dead Men

Quail Hollow

The Wonders of God's Creation: Turtles and Tortoises - Part 2

Caught in a Raccoon Trap

Treasure Hunt

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Noisy Puffbirds

Tommy's Rescue

The Confused Goose

The Wonders of God's Creation: Life From Seeds

Minty, My Tiny Baby Goat

Do Grandpas Ever Die?

The Wonders of God's Creation: Hidden Insects - Part 1

A Special Friend