Messages of God's Love: 2021

Mr. Wilson was excited about the new house we were building for him. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilson wanted to be the boss of building his house. Since he didn’t know much about construction, that turned out to be a big problem.

We had dug down on 3 sides of the planned house site for a basement foundation. We had prepared wooden forms that would receive the tons of cement needed to make a strong foundation, and today was the day to pour that concrete. It was going to take more than one truckload of concrete to get the walls poured. We hoped everything would go smoothly!

The first cement truck came on the jobsite carrying 40,000 pounds of heavy, wet concrete. The experienced driver drove onto the property, staying as far away as he could from the hole for the foundation. Then he carefully backed up to the big hole, positioning the chute where the cement would come pouring out over one of the side walls. With our help he poured out his load of cement. His truck was much lighter without all that concrete, so he drove away quite a bit closer to the hole than he had driven coming in.

The second truck was there already, waiting for his turn to pour cement, but this time with a less experienced driver. Mr. Wilson was right there to tell him what to do, guiding him into position. The problem was that he was pointing to the tracks left by the first truck as it had driven out, closer to the big hole. “Oh no,” we thought, “he’d better not get that close to the excavation with a fully-loaded truck!” We could tell that the driver was nervous and did not want to follow those tracks, but Mr. Wilson insistently directed him that way. This reminds me of a verse in the Bible that says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Unwillingly, the driver followed Mr. Wilson’s bad directions. Then it happened! As the full truck backed up beside the hole, the ground began to give way, causing the truck to tip and slide toward the edge! Right away the frightened driver shoved his huge truck into first gear and tried to pull forward. It was too late. He only got a few feet away before getting stuck!

He called his boss and asked them to send a tractor right away to pull him away from the edge. Then he jumped out of the cab and watched. The ground continued to give way. The truck tipped toward the foundation hole, the frame twisted, and the back of the concrete truck, weighing tons, gradually rolled into the hole. The wooden forms we had so carefully built cracked and splintered as the weight of the truck crushed them.

The tractor that was called to help arrived too late. The truck lay in a twisted mess on the floor of the basement, along with a pile of spilled concrete.

The driver’s boss made him climb into the barrel of his truck and wash it out. The chemicals in the concrete made him sick for a few weeks, but we were thankful that no one got seriously hurt. A crane and a tractor came and hauled the broken truck out of the hole and off the property. In time we cleaned up the job site and began again, building forms and pouring the walls without further trouble.

The Bible is true, and we need to listen to the warnings found there. “Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away” (Proverbs 4:14-15). Although Mr. Wilson didn’t intend to direct the second truck into the hole, that is exactly what he did. And there are people around us that do not have faith in the Lord Jesus who will steer you onto the wrong path, a path that will end in a worse disaster than a truck in a hole!

The Bible is clear that we choose one of two paths in life: “Wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life” (Matthew 7:13-14).

The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). He is the only path that will lead you safely to God. We hope that you will think about which path you are on and choose the one that leads to eternal life!

Memory Verse: “Go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”Proverbs 4:14-15

Messages of God’s Love 1/3/2021

Can You See?

“Son! Can you come over to the house quickly? Mom and I are both having terrible eye troubles this morning! We can’t see a thing!” said an almost panicked elderly Mr. McAllister.

Karl, the McAllisters’ son, told his dad he’d be right over. The McAllisters had barely been able to eat their breakfast because of this new eye problem of theirs. Then when they went to read their Bibles together after the meal, they both knew something really was dreadfully wrong. Neither could read a word from the Bible in front of them!

Karl came into his parents’ home and found them very distraught as they sat at the kitchen table. He took a good look at his father and another good look at his mother. He gently took off the glasses that were on his mother and put them by his father. He then gently took off the glasses that were on his father and put them by his mother. He then asked them to put on their own glasses that were beside them. Yes, the McAllisters had put on each other’s glasses! No wonder they couldn’t see
very well!

Children, we may smile at this story, but it made me think of a verse that is found in the book of Revelation, chapter 3 and verse 18. “I counsel thee to ... anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” The Lord Jesus is offering His wonderful salvation to cure our spiritual blindness! I hope that today you will take His gift and be able to say, like a blind man who was healed by the Lord Jesus once said, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).

Messages of God’s Love 1/3/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: A Cute, Expensive Pet

“Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind.”James 3:7

The above Bible verse tells us that people can tame all kinds of creatures. We might ask, “How could men and women, so much smaller than an elephant, a bear, or a whale, ever persuade these and other wild animals to do their amazing tricks or even become friendly pets?”

It can be done because it was God’s purpose to have it this way. Man is God’s highest creation, and it pleased Him to let man have dominion over everything else, as the Bible tells us: “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26). No animal ever showed fear or hatred toward humans until sin came into the world. Since then, they are no longer naturally friendly, so it takes patience and skillful training to teach them obedience.

Speaking of pets, how would you like to have a horse sit on your lap, or have one or two of them make themselves at home in your living room? Well, that’s just what is going on in many places today. However, these are not horses you can saddle for riding or use for farm work. They are what are known as “mini” horses and they look like living toys. Some are so small they could walk right under a race horse and not even bump their heads. Breeders who raise them have a rule that they cannot be called “mini” if they are more than 34 inches high (about the size of a big dog), and some are much smaller than that.

These little fellows should not be confused with Shetland ponies, which are much bigger. The “minis” are a friendly group all by themselves, and the Creator has allowed men to develop them over the years through what is known as a “breeding process.” But the “minis” are true horses and come in the same variety of colors as their larger relatives.

They make wonderful pets and love to be around children, and they will play actively with each other. But they are sometimes surprisingly bold, too, and if a full-sized horse seems to be intruding, “minis” will snort, toss their heads and perhaps stand on their hind feet in such a threatening way that the big horse is glad to get out of the way in a hurry.

These unusual little animals are usually just for people who can pay thousands of dollars for them, but most owners are happy to show their pets if you ask them nicely. Harnesses are often made to fit these little horses so they can be in parades or animal shows, pulling a small cart or wagon, sometimes with a small child riding in it.

Does God care about these “mini” horses? One Bible verse that tells us that He does is: “In whose hand is the soul [life] of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).

Messages of God’s Love 1/3/2021

A Deer in the Tent

Our family was camping at a lake with some of my large, extended family. What fun we were having! We swam and had campfires and enjoyed the beautiful mountain and lake where we were camping. One thing we especially enjoyed was getting pulled behind my brother’s boat on an inner tube, screaming and yelling as he turned the boat left and then right trying to dump us. Many of us slept in tents, but some were staying in a big cabin close by.

Late one evening, I was putting my children to bed in our tent. I happened to be right by the door of the tent when a deer’s head came through it. The deer seemed to be pretty aggressive! “Get out of here! Now!” I said in a frantic voice. I yelled at it and pushed against its head, but it kept coming at me! I kept yelling and pushing, thinking of my children and what havoc would come if a deer entered the tent!

Suddenly there was laughing outside the tent and the “deer” backed up. The “deer” was really only a deer’s head held by my younger brother! He had taken it off the cabin wall and decided to use it to trick me, making it look like a deer was coming into our tent. What a rascal! We all had a good laugh eventually, but at the time it wasn’t so funny!

Children, this incident made me think of some verses in the Bible that say, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

You will find as you go through life with the Lord Jesus (if you know Him as your Savior) that you have times when something scary happens, or perhaps there’s a hard time in your life. But you can be sure that it is only the enemy of our souls, Satan, who tries to scare you or harm you through that hard time. Can a roar hurt you? A roar might be scary sounding but it can’t hurt you. It can’t hurt you any more than a dead deer head that seemed real to me (and scary for a time) but wasn’t. If you belong to the Lord Jesus, then you are safe in His loving hands for as long as you live as well as for eternity! Call out to Him when you are scared or going through a hard time and He will help you, strengthen you to bear whatever you are going through, and give you peace. The Lord Jesus has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Because He said this, we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Besides having that promise of His presence, He promises that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). He knows how to make the hard or scary times of life work out for our good. Trust Him and you will find out how wonderfully true this promise is!

Memory Verse:“He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear.” Hebrews 13:5-6

Messages of God’s Love 1/10/2021

Dave and His Violin

ll in their places for their weekly practice. Each player felt either somewhat nervous or somewhat confident, for the conductor was a man who expected the best from his students. They had had all week to practice their music at home, and now he was ready, baton in hand, to hear them
play together.

Dave’s home practice had been less than normal that week; in fact, it had been zero. There had been so many more interesting things to do that his violin had not been out of its case all week. As a result, the notes of the music were still new to him, and now he faced the man who knew the music well and could hear a wrong note instantly. What was going to happen?

Maybe you don’t play in an orchestra, but you have your own tests and exams, and perhaps you know how it feels not to be ready. Often you might be either embarrassed or lose out on something important. But your biggest test is yet to come. God tells us that after death we will face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). When you face that moment of God’s judgment, you can’t be sent back to live your life over. God is not only a faithful and fair Judge, but He loves you very much. For this reason, He is warning you now of what’s coming, so you can be prepared.

Thankfully, there is good news for you before that judgment! God, who will one day have to judge you, loves you and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for you so that you might have your sins forgiven and one day be welcomed to His home in heaven. But this offer must be believed and accepted NOW. It is only offered to sinners. The Bible tells us “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). So, since we are all sinners, we may all accept this wonderful offer of mercy.

Dave was not feeling sorry that he had not done his assignment. Not at all. He just had a plan so that he would not be found out. He tucked his violin under his chin just as all the others did, and he stroked the bow in perfect time to the music — just a tiny fraction of an inch above the strings. The bow made no contact with the strings, so not one wrong note was heard. In fact, there was no sound at all from his violin. No one could accuse him of playing a wrong note!

However, the very sharp conductor seemed to detect a problem. He listened carefully, as he always did. If he heard a wrong note, it wasn’t coming from Dave! First the conductor asked half the players to be silent while the others played. Then he asked just a small group to play alone. Finally, he asked just Dave and one other player to play together. Dave’s silent violin was detected by everyone. His plan didn’t work. How embarrassed he must have been!

You might think you can hide your sin from God. You can’t! The Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). And, if you hope you can escape from God’s judgment on your sins, don’t wait until you die to find out! You won’t be able to. And it will be too late when you come to God’s judgment to have another chance. “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). Accept the free gift of eternal life He offers, and know you will be
safe forever.

Messages of God’s Love 1/10/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 1

“The winter is past ... the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.” Song of Solomon 2:11-12

Seasonal migrations are usual for many animals, fish, butterflies and other creatures, but nothing matches the wonderful migrations of billions of birds. These migrations take place all over the world twice a year — fall and spring.

It is a wonderful experience to observe a little part of this. When you are in the country in the fall as the sun is about to set, you might hear the honking of a flock of geese overhead. Looking up, you see them circling lower and lower, following the leader of their V-formation, until they drop down on a pond or swamp nearby. They may stay there just overnight or perhaps for several days, resting and feeding before continuing their long trip from Alaska, the Yukon, or Canada’s Maritime provinces. They are headed to the warmth of the southern United States or on into Mexico or even farther south, where they will stay through the winter months before returning to the north the following spring.

Many millions of ducks, swans and other waterfowl make these trips over North America’s flyways, and millions of other birds fly even longer distances than these twice a year. We have many questions. Why do they do this? How do they know where to go? How do they find their way? Where do they get the needed strength for such flights?

Bird watchers and trained researchers take such questions seriously and have spent years of research and much money and effort, trying to find the answers. Although they still understand very little concerning some of the details involved in such massive migrations, they have discovered things that are of interest. We will borrow from what they have learned to bring some of their findings to our readers in this and following articles.

However, when all is said and done, there is only One who truly knows all the answers, and that is their Creator. He is the Lord God, the Creator of the heavens and earth and all things contained therein. The Bible tells us, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made ... the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

It is claimed that there are about 100 billion birds in the world, and while many make their homes in warm climates and do not migrate, a vast number do. In North America alone, there are an estimated 10 billion birds that fly to and from other countries. Additional billions in Europe and Asia make their flights to other places as well. We will consider some of these in the following issues.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 1/10/2021

Lost in the Mountains

I love to collect pine cones! Even broken pine cones go into my bag when I’m collecting them, as the aroma of pine cones burning in the fireplace is wonderful!

One day we decided to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains, among the huge forests of pine trees. I got tired of hiking with the group as we were staying on the lower part of the mountain where there were few pine cones. So, disobeying what I knew was right, I left the group to climb up to a higher spot on the mountain. I was sure I could be back down and catch up with the group in good time, and I knew I would find some beautiful pine cones up higher. I was sure I’d be fine, as there was snow on the ground, so I could easily retrace my steps by seeing my footprints in the snow.

However, I had to dig around to find the beautiful pine cones, and it took longer than I expected, because the snow got deeper the higher I climbed up the mountain. It didn’t seem too long to me, though, before I had a bag full of my prized pine cones. I decided to go back to the group by retracing my steps. However, as I had been busily collecting pine cones, the sun had come out. To my dismay, it had melted much of the snow on the way I had come, and my footprints were not visible at all. I had been climbing longer than I thought! I also had told nobody I was breaking away from the hiking group. I had wandered here and there on the mountain going from tree to tree and now I was lost!

My cell phone did not work up in that high elevation no matter how many times I tried to text one of the hikers about the predicament I had put myself into. I tried yelling, but the only response I got was the lonely echo of my own voice. All I could see as I looked down the hill were the tops of many, many trees. I decided to head down the mountain, as I was sure I could find my way back to the group if I could locate the trail we had been on. I was getting cold and hungry, and my wet mittens had frozen in spots. I fell many times and slid and got some scrapes and bruises, but I finally made it down to the trail. I tried to run and catch up with the group, passing several signs stating “Beware of Bears!” which didn’t help me feel any safer! I was alone, cold, hungry and, worst of all, lost.

I tried and could not find the right way back; I realized there were several trails and I did not know the right one. Did you know that you are lost, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your own Savior? Not one of us can find the way to heaven by ourselves, but Jesus tells us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He has made the way for each one of us to go to heaven by dying for our sins. But besides saving us for eternity, if we give our hearts to Jesus, He will guide and direct us in this life when we trust in Him and ask for His guidance. I knew the Lord Jesus. But, I had done wrong, so I fell to my knees and asked the Lord to please forgive me for sneaking away from the group and going my own way. I asked Him to please help me to find my way back.

It was winter, and there weren’t many people on the mountains. As a matter of fact, I saw no one. Finally, I slid down to the winding road that was for cars, and I just sat on the side. Some of my cuts and scrapes were starting to sting by now, and I really hoped someone would come by and help me. I was experiencing something that the Bible tells us about. It says, “The way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). I had “transgressed,” which means I had done something I wasn’t supposed to do. So, now I was experiencing the hard part!

Then I heard the sound of a jeep in the distance! What a wonderful sound! It turned out to be a forest ranger, who had been told that I was missing from the group and approximately where my friends were when they noticed I was gone. The Lord had answered my prayer. The ranger took me back to safety in his jeep. I received a well-deserved scolding, but I was so thankful to be safe, warm and found. Luke 15:32 talks of being “lost and found.” The Lord Jesus is looking for you if you are lost and not yet found by Him. I hope you will believe on the Lord Jesus and the great work He did on the cross to save you from your sins, so that you too will be “found” and will spend eternity in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Memory Verse: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant.”Psalm 119:176

Messages of God’s Love 1/17/2021

The Doctor in Korea

Harry was a young man who was in the army. He had been brought up in a Christian family. His father and mother believed in and loved the Lord Jesus and had taught their children about Jesus, but Harry had never accepted Jesus as his own Savior. He knew how to be saved from his sins; he knew all about what Jesus had done on the cross; he had even memorized many verses in the Bible. But sadly, he had never taken the step of admitting that he was a sinner and accepting the Lord Jesus for himself.

Now Harry was in Korea during a war. Some of his buddies were killed right near him, but Harry still did not seem to be concerned about settling the question of his salvation, even though he could be the next to lose his life. If anything, the war seemed to make him hard-hearted. “God [speaks] once, yea twice, yet man [perceives] it not” (Job 33:14).

One night while Harry and his squad were on patrol, they were ambushed by the enemy. Several soldiers were killed, and Harry was wounded. Then, he was taken prisoner by
the Communists.

For many days he lay in a North Korean army hospital where he had lots of time to think. Still, his close call with death and God’s mercy in sparing his life did not seem to soften his heart.

Then one day a young doctor in that Communist hospital came to Harry and asked him many questions. To Harry’s amazement, he discovered that the young Korean doctor was a Christian! The doctor had to be very careful not to say too much about God, or he would be punished by the Communists. This made Harry begin to think. He thought to himself, Here I am, brought up in a Christian family, having gone to Sunday school, having read the Bible, and still I am not a Christian. Yet now I am being urged to become one by a North Korean army doctor in
Communist territory!

For the first time in his life, Harry was ashamed when he thought of how long he had ignored the Savior who loved him. The Lord Jesus wanted to bless Harry. He had reached Harry all the way in Communist North Korea to bring him that eternal salvation that only Christ can give. When Harry thought of that love and the prayers that he knew his parents were praying for him every day, it broke his heart. He surrendered to God and thankfully accepted the Lord Jesus as his own Savior.

If you are like Harry and have not yet surrendered to Christ Jesus who “loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20), we urge you to give up your fight and let Him wash away your sins and be your Savior too, before it is forever too late!

Messages of God’s Love 1/17/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 2

“Yea, the stork in the heaven [knows] her appointed times; and the [turtledoves] and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming.” Jeremiah 8:7

This Bible verse tells us very plainly of God’s care over the birds and His appointment of the time of their migrations. Last week we mentioned that much research had been done by ornithologists, investigating the migrations of birds throughout the world.

The greatest bird traveler of all is the Arctic tern. This bird flies from the Aleutian Islands to Antarctica every fall and returns again in the spring — some 12,000 miles each way! A shorter journey is the 25-hour, 500-mile, nonstop flight of the ruby-throated hummingbird. This 8-ounce wonder flies from the United States over the Gulf of Mexico to Central America. How can this tiny bird do this?

From various parts of Europe, storks make round-trip flights of 14,000 miles to Israel, the Nile River and South Africa. The young storks fly a week or two ahead of the parents, although they have never migrated before. How do they know where to go?

Swallows arrive in Southern California every March after a 6,000-mile flight from Argentina, going to the same nest previously used. Orioles wintering in South America return in May to their summer homes in the eastern United States after a 2,000-mile flight.

The Tennessee warbler, weighing about as much as two quarters, flies some 3,000 miles each fall from Canada and the northern United States to Central and South America. Some fly nonstop. Others take short rests en route. Their close relatives, blackpoll warblers, raise their families in northern Canada and Alaska. In September, they meet other blackpoll warblers in New England, and then the whole group continues another 2,100 miles on a 100-hour nonstop ocean flight to South America. By contrast, bobolinks in the fall fly almost entirely overland from Canadian prairies to the pampas of Argentina — a 6,000-mile trip.

Golden plovers from Alaska fly over the Pacific to Hawaii — a 2,000-mile trip — and, after resting, fly another 2,000 miles south. Parent birds leave first, leaving the young ones to follow later. Never having done this before, can anyone explain how the young ones know the way to the Hawaiian Islands? One thing we do know is that all of these migrations show us the Creator’s care over all His creation, from the smallest part to the greatest. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18).

Many library books will give you much more data than we have space for, but another time we will consider some of the questions we asked here.

Messages of God’s Love 1/17/2021

The Titanic

I’m sure many of you children have heard about the ship called the Titanic. The Titanic was a huge ship built over 100 years ago. It was a very comfortable and fancy ship built to carry people across the ocean. This wonderful ship had a swimming pool and a gym, special restaurants and every possible luxury to make a long ocean voyage very enjoyable.

The Titanic was built in England and its first voyage was to be to the United States. It began its first journey on April 10, 1912. A ticket for the Titanic was so expensive that mostly only very rich people could afford to pay the price, and when it left England, it had some of the richest people in the world on board.

Captain Edward Smith was the captain of the Titanic. Children, I hardly want to tell you this, but this man said something very sad and very wrong. He said, “Even God Himself couldn’t sink this ship!” What foolish words! Yes, this ship was built to be very strong, and it had very smart men to design and engineer it. Everything had been thought of to make this the very best passenger ship ever made. But, of course, nothing is stronger than God. However, with such confident people talking about how safe it was, tickets were purchased and many people sailing on that ship thought that it was “unsinkable.” They felt no fear. No need, they thought, to be afraid to sail on this wonderful, beautiful and safe ship. They thought they would not only have a wonderful time on this ship, but also that they could trust the ship to bring them safely to New York City about a week later.

Well, just four days after sailing away from England, the ship hit an iceberg. An iceberg is a gigantic piece of ice floating in the ocean. Icebergs can be hard to see and avoid since much of them is hidden under the water. This accident happened after it was already dark, when it would be even harder to see. Shortly before the Titanic struck the iceberg, the radio operator, Jack Phillips, had actually gotten warnings from other ships letting them know there were icebergs in their path. But Jack was busy letting the passengers know they had gotten messages from loved ones, and so, sadly, he ignored the warnings so he could continue what he was doing!

It was 11:40 p.m. when the ship hit the iceberg. It didn’t take long for the ship to start filling with water and then it began to sink. It was very frightening! Many women and children were put into lifeboats along with a few men, but only 705 of the people on the ship were able to be saved on the lifeboats. Because the ship was thought to be so safe, there weren’t even enough lifeboats for everyone on board.

The Titanic sent out calls to other ships nearby to come help them. One ship called the Carpathia was several miles away. It was not the closest ship to the sinking Titanic, but the captain decided to turn his ship around and go help. Sadly, the Titanic had already sunk with many people still on board by the time help arrived.

The Carpathia’s captain knew it was a risky job to guide his ship through the same patch of icebergs that the Titanic had been entering. He was known to have been praying during this scary adventure. He later said, “I can only conclude another hand than mine was on the helm.” Isn’t that nice? God was his helper. He guided this man and allowed him to avoid the icebergs that could have made his ship sink as well. The ship got to the spot where the Titanic had gone down about 1½ hours after it sank, but the crew got to work to rescue all the people who were in the lifeboats.

Children, the story of this rescue reminds me of an even more amazing rescue. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, came from heaven so that He could save you and me, not from a watery grave, but from eternal death. It wasn’t easy for Him to leave the Father’s house and come to die on the cross so we could be saved from our sins, and yet He did it. He died so that He could give us eternal life! Isn’t that wonderful love? If you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, today is the day to come to Him in faith and be saved. Have you trusted Him to save you from your sins?

I believe there is another lesson for us to learn from this story. Children, we all need to have something called “the fear of God” in our hearts. This is not a fear that you might have about some things that seem scary. This fear is having a lot of respect for someone more powerful than yourself. It is also being afraid to hurt someone we love very much because they are so good. We should always have this respect for God! The captain of the Titanic didn’t have this fear of God, and he found out in a very sad way that God is more powerful than he thought God was. I hope you are wiser than that!

Memory Verse: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10

Messages of God’s Love 1/24/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Beautiful Grebes

“Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made ... the earth, and all things that are therein ... and Thou preservest them all.” Nehemiah 9:6

Grebes are diving water birds found on almost every continent of the world. Among various species of grebes, one called the hooded, a native of the Andes mountains in Argentina, is one of the prettiest. From the top of its beak, pure-white feathers slope upward as far as the forehead where a red crest rises up beyond the top of its head like a hood, giving it its name. The rest of its head, back, sides and throat are deep-velvety black atop a long, snowy-white neck. Its body is coal black on top and white speckled with gray underneath. Brilliant scarlet eyes add to a most beautiful example of the Creator’s handiwork.

Another interesting species is known as the black necked, or eared, probably because of the group of yellow feathers pointing from its eyes to the back of its neck. Otherwise it is plain colored, grayish-black above and orange and white below. One called the pied-billed grebe covers its half-dozen eggs with mud in the daytime throughout incubation. When the little ones hatch, they quickly take to the water, clinging tightly to the mother’s feathers and back. They don’t seem a bit afraid when she dives and swims, going right along with her. Traveling this way, the mother snatches food wherever possible, and then by twisting her long neck backward she feeds all those on board.

The western grebe is the one most familiar to Americans. It has a long body and thin neck with brown or black feathers on top of its head and neck, but white below and having a long, yellow-pointed bill, making it quite pretty. The western is noted for carrying on an unusual “water dance” when mates are being chosen. Both the male and female, while floating on the water, will suddenly rise up side by side and run swiftly on the surface of the water for quite a distance. They also both go through elaborate head-shaking exercises to impress one another.

After the western’s nest is built, from two to six eggs are laid, and about a month’s incubation is shared by both parents until the chicks are born. Even then both the mother and father continue to share in raising them for about three months, carrying them on their backs when out on the water.

The ways of these birds show again the care of God in giving them remarkable instincts. But He gave more than this to mankind. In the Bible the question is asked, “Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?” (Job 38:36). The answer is that the Lord, the Creator, has done this, and the Bible also tells us that “the fear of [reverence for and faith in] the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Do you have that wisdom and understanding?

Messages of God’s Love 1/24/2021

Saved from the Ocean

Many years ago a ship was sailing down the east coast of America when the sailor on the lookout, surrounded by the vast stretches of the ocean, suddenly heard a phone ringing out across the water. Surprised and wondering what it could be, he looked around. Was he dreaming or only half awake? What was the matter? Where did it come from? This was before the days of cell phones, so a phone could only ring if it was connected to a wire that was carrying its signal. This was not possible in the middle of the ocean, normally!

There it was again! He was sure it was a phone ringing, but where was it? How could there possibly be such a thing way out there on the ocean, with nothing to be seen but endless waves? He called one of his shipmates, who, coming up to the deck from below, also heard it. They told the captain, and he heard it too.

They stopped their ship, and some of the crew went off to investigate in a smaller boat. It didn’t take them long to find a buoy floating in the water with a phone attached to it. The phone line was connected to a submarine in trouble. The sub was underwater except for a few feet of the stern and was swinging about helplessly. Inside, the men were suffering from lack of fresh air. They had already been in this dangerous situation for a day and a half.

When the sailors returned to their ship, a radio message was sent to the U.S. Admiralty for help. Then their ship pulled up close to the submarine and attached a strong rope to it until more help could arrive. They cut a hole in the upturned stern of the sub so fresh air could enter, and they handed hot drinks down to the exhausted men.

In the meantime, an American boy, named Moore, trying out his homemade radio, picked up the ship’s message. Thrilled to have received such an important communication, he called the Navy Department, and he was more delighted than ever to find that he was the first to have received the call for help.

Ships and tugboats were sent to the scene at once. The hole in the sub was soon enlarged, so that the men could get out. How happy it must have made the sailor who first heard the telephone bell to see 27 men step out of the submarine, saved from a horrible death, and know that he had played the first part in
their release.

This wonderful rescue happened, first, because the imprisoned men called out for help by phone; second, because the sailor heard the phone ringing and acted on it; and third, because the young boy, Moore, picked up the message on his radio and sent for help. Had the man on the lookout ignored what he heard, the poor men in the sub would probably have died, for few ships passed that way.

Twenty-seven men were saved because they cried for help and because two people heard and acted on what they heard.

But even more wonderful things are happening every day, because men and women and children in trouble are always crying for help, and every one of their cries is heard by God Himself, who is willing and able to save. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

On the other hand, there are many people who are sinking down to death and judgment every day, without God and without hope, to be lost forever in the ocean of eternal judgment. Do not be one of them! God loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you. The Bible says, “His arm is not shortened that it cannot save.” That means that you are never too far away from God for Him to save you. Only call upon Him and you will be safe forever!

Memory Verse: “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. ”Psalm 145:18-19

Messages of God’s Love 1/31/2021

Our Sick Goats

Last week, my family trimmed some rhododendron bushes and offered the branches to our herd of goats. Because they love to eat anything green, all but two of them started to eat greedily. Those leaves were so fresh and delicious!

However, by the next morning, they were sick. Nasty, smelly, green paste covered their whole pen, the barn wall and themselves. They looked miserable, and the baby goats’ cries were pitiful. What had looked to them (and to us) like a tasty treat had turned out to be poisonous and possibly deadly.

We started giving them liquids to help them, but they did not seem to know we were trying to help. If they were strong enough, they tried to run away. They did not know that without our immediate help, they would die.

This story reminds me of the situation many people find themselves in. They have sinned by disobeying God, not realizing that what looked fun or even beneficial, like the rhododendron leaves looked to the goats, was really dangerous. Now they are sick, and they cannot help themselves. They are on the road to hell and certain death, feeling miserable, yet not allowing the Healer to help.

Each of us living here on earth has sinned. Maybe we knew that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but we chose to “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25) anyway. Now we are miserable and sick with sin. We need the Healer.

Who is the Healer? He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, who came to earth over 2,000 years ago to provide the only remedy for our sin. The remedy is free. Because of His suffering, death and resurrection to take away our sins, all we must do to be saved is to accept the gift of God which is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Acts 16:31 tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” “With His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

We did manage to help the goats, and we were glad that some of them got better before long. It seemed that the ones who ate the most took the longest to get better, but finally all of them were healed.

Will you allow Jesus to heal you? Or will you keep running from Him and insisting on a path that leads to death and destruction?

Messages of God’s Love 1/31/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Well-Named Hornbills

“The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9

Hornbills are among the largest birds in the world. Some are about four feet long. Their main food is fruit, but lizards, mice and small birds are also in their diet.

A most amazing variety, the Malabar pied hornbill, lives in the jungles of Ceylon. About the size of a turkey, it has a huge curved beak in white, orange and black colors, almost as long as its main body. On top of this beak is a high black and orange cap, which looks like something that was glued on. The rest of its body is coal black, except for white patches under its big tail and a chalk-white throat. It nests in fruit trees, where it finds plenty to eat.

Far away in China and Thailand is another species, the rufous-necked. Its huge beak is black on the top and yellow underneath, contrasting with the bright scarlet coloring of its whole body, except for coal-black wings and back and long white tail feathers.

Another one, called the Oriental, nests in natural holes in the trunk of big trees. It also has a huge beak (but without the cap) which, when open, looks much like two yellow bananas side by side. Its wings are a combination of speckled black and white, and most other body features are a soft white.

The female of the Oriental has an unusual way of raising her young ones. When ready to lay two or three eggs, she first lines her nest with fresh grass and leaves. Then she squeezes through the narrow opening and closes all but a top slit with gooey material applied by her beak, locking herself inside!

While incubating her eggs, her mate faithfully brings food to her, inserting it through the open slit in the entrance. After the eggs hatch, she opens the hole, leaving the babies inside, but from the outside she again closes it, leaving a slit at the top as before. She and her mate then feed them through that slit until they are big enough to be released and take care of themselves.

There are others, such as the black-feathered ground hornbill of Africa with an unusual beak (horn) surrounded by huge pouches of deep red bare flesh. But these few provide typical samples of this unusual part of God’s creation.

The Lord is indeed good to all His creation, as mentioned in the opening Bible verse. Two other verses in the same chapter say, “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him ... in truth” (Psalm 145:10,18).

Are you one of the happy people who know Him as your Savior? Do you call on Him in prayer daily?

Messages of God’s Love 1/31/2021

Emily's Song

Many years ago, a man who wrote many hymns, named Philip Bliss, wrote a simple song which soon became popular and which has been a favorite of many children ever since. Perhaps you know it:

I am so glad that our Father in heaven

Tells of His love in the Book He has given;

Wonderful things in the Bible I see;

This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

Chorus:

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves even me.

If I forget Him and wander away,

Still He does love me wherever I stray;

Back to His dear loving arms would I flee,

When I remember that Jesus loves me.

Jesus loves me, and I know I love Him;

Love brought Him down my poor soul to redeem;

Yes, it was love made Him die on the tree;

Oh, I am certain that Jesus loves me!

Philip Bliss lived in Chicago when he wrote this song. He knew another man in Chicago called Ira D. Sankey, who was a well-known singer of Christian songs at the time.

About a year after this song was introduced, the fire called “The Great Chicago Fire” took place, and a large part of that city was destroyed. Many people were left homeless.

Ira D. Sankey was one of many who worked to help those who had been hurt by the fire. He had a large Sunday school where he taught the song “I am so glad that Jesus loves me” to many children. Among those who came to his Sunday school was a girl named Emily. She lived with her family in some houses the city had built for the homeless after the fire.

During the winter after the great fire in Chicago, a mother sent for Ira one day to visit her sick little girl, who was one of his Sunday school students. It was Emily. He remembered her quite well and was glad to go. Finding that she was so sick she was not going to get well, Ira asked how it was with her.

“It is all well with me,” she replied, “but I wish you would speak to father and mother.”

It was clear that she loved Jesus, and Ira asked her when she became a Christian. “Don’t you remember last Thursday,” she said, “when we had the children’s meeting, and you sang ‘I am so glad that Jesus loves me,’ and don’t you remember how you told us that if we would give our hearts to Him, He would love us? It was that day that I gave myself to Jesus. And now I am going to be with Him, for the doctors say that I will die today.”

Yes, Emily had been saved! She knew she was going to heaven, and she was looking forward to going to heaven, to be with Jesus, that very day. Now, if you had been in Emily’s place, about to die, would you have been as happy as she was?

The Lord Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Every one of us will someday come before God. But Jesus was telling those who knew Him that when they came to heaven, it would be like coming home ... it would be to God the Father’s house. He assured them that they would be there and that He would personally bring them there. Will He bring you there? Are you sure? Jesus wanted His disciples to know for sure, and He wants the same for you. Later, one of His disciples wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

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

Messages of God’s Love 2/7//2021

Sweet Fruit and a Warning

My family and I really enjoy clementines, a very sweet little orange. We also enjoy sharing treats with our neighbors. It was no surprise to me, then, when one day my parents decided to take advantage of a sale on clementines and buy extra to share with our neighbors.

That Sunday afternoon, we started off down the street with clementines and Sunday school papers, like the one you are reading now. Most of the neighbors we knew quite well, but there was one married couple we didn’t know so well. The man was sitting outside in a wheelchair when we arrived and was happy to see us. He accepted the clementines gladly and asked about the paper that we were giving him. Dad explained and asked if the man would like my eight-year-old sister to read it aloud. He agreed and listened while she read it.

When she was finished, Dad talked more with the man about how every person alive has sinned and in so doing has earned God’s judgment. He explained that none of us can do anything to make peace with God about all of our sins. But then Dad shared the good news that we can be saved from what we deserve because of our sins, by turning away from them and believing in the work that Jesus did when He died on the cross and rose again. He told him that Jesus made peace with God for us by taking the punishment for our sins on Himself. Dad warned the man that it was important for him to choose whether he would accept or reject what Jesus did for him before it was too late.

The man listened and seemed to be thinking about what Dad was saying.

We certainly hope that he did not put off accepting the Lord Jesus as his Savior, because when we woke up the next morning, a fire truck and a police car were parked in front of his house. We later learned that he had died of a heart attack in the night.

When we talked with him that evening, he did not know that his life would be taken from him that very night. How sad it would be if he pushed the decision aside, planning to make it “tomorrow,” because “tomorrow” never came.

Have you ever stopped to think about the sins in your life and the fact that one day you will be responsible to bear the punishment for them, unless you believe that Jesus bore it for you? Jesus already died on the cross and rose again, so all you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved (see Acts 16:31). How horrible it would be for you to reject His love for you! Do not wait, because you do not know if you will have tomorrow. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
(2 Corinthians 6:2)

Messages of God’s Love 2/7//2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Likeable Phalangers

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

Phalangers, or cuscus, are animals about as big as a house cat. They live in trees in the forests of Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea. They are active at night and rest in the daytime out of sight, often stretching out along the branch of a tree. Their tails are like an extra hand to them, curling tightly around branches or helping them as they travel swiftly through the trees.

There are several species of them, ranging in size from as small as a mouse to as large as a cat. Most of them have soft, thick fur in pretty colors. Their strong tails are woolly, except for the tips, which are covered with coarse scales. Their claws are ideal for climbing. Most of them eat insects, small birds and tiny animals, but others are more interested in vegetable dinners.

Females have up to six tiny babies — hairless and helpless at birth. After being carried and fed for a few months in their mother’s pouch, the babies become covered with fur and are then able to come out and learn how to care for themselves.

One species is named the spotted cuscus. It is considered by many to be the prettiest of all. Its grayish-white fur has odd-shaped patches of red. In addition to strong claws, its hind feet have fleshy pads which give it a firm hold on smooth branches. Like the others, it is a night hunter. Its food includes small animals and birds, as well as quantities of leaves.

The great flying phalanger has a blackish-brown silky coat on its back and is white underneath. It is about 20 inches long, plus a tail of the same length. Like the flying squirrels, which we considered a while ago, the Creator has provided it with special loose skin that stretches out between its front and hind legs as it glides through the air, jumping from one tree to another. It also uses its tail as a rudder.

Smallest of all is the pigmy flyer, only five inches long, including its tail. The newborn babies, carried in the mother’s pouch, are not much larger than a big ant.

If space allowed, we could consider many others, all of which are examples of the wonders of God’s creation in which He took much pleasure. In a coming time, those who know Him as their Savior will give Him their praises in the beauties of heaven. Up there we may learn much more about the wonders of His creation. Will you be there?

Messages of God’s Love 2/7//2021

A Test for a Teenager

“You like the cross, then you shall have it!” Martin’s father told him. Then he took his teenage son to a room at the top of the house and tied his wrists and ankles to a cross made of two beams. What had Martin done to be treated like this?

When Martin was very young, his father sent him to a Christian school, even though he hated Christianity. But first, he warned Martin sternly not to accept what he called “false teaching.” The boy hadn’t been at the school long, however, when something puzzled him. If the teaching of Jesus Christ was so wicked, as his father had said, how was it that these Christian people were so truthful, so kind and
so helpful?

During an epidemic of cholera, it was only the teachers and boys from the Christian school who cleared away the filth of the streets, while other people stood nearby and made fun of them! As he heard the story of the gospel and also saw it lived out in the lives of the Christians, he was very impressed.

What finally won Martin’s heart were some words he saw on a painting of the cross: “I did this for thee. What hast thou done for Me?” He could not forget it. After a day or two of serious thinking, he went to the principal’s office and told him he wanted to give his life to Christ. The principal reminded him that he must realize he was taking the risk of suffering greatly, or even facing death. He answered in a quiet voice that he trusted he was ready for that. Martin was only 16 years old.

Martin went home and told his parents that he had decided to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as he expected, his father was very angry, while his mother pled with him not to “disgrace the family.” But he was not disturbed by either threats or pleas. When nothing would persuade him to give up his faith, his father and brothers dragged him up to that room and tied him to the
wooden cross.

After a while, they brought him down and promised him food and money if he would give up on the Lord Jesus, but still he would not give in. Then they brought in one of the leading men of the town to argue with him. The man ended up getting so angry with faithful Martin that he beat him. Then Martin was sent up to his “prison” once again.

Two weeks later, Martin’s father had a remarkable dream in which he saw an angel come to him and say, “Why are you persecuting your son? Send him back to school.” So, to everyone’s surprise, Martin turned up at the school again where he got a big welcome from everyone.

The effect of the dream faded, however, and Martin was again severely persecuted at home. Then one day he managed to escape and again showed up at school. He was allowed to live in the hospital, and three of the school’s best boxers formed his bodyguard on the way back and forth from the hospital to the school.

One day he was nearly recaptured, but almost the whole student body turned out to protect him. For three hours the persecutors surrounded the school. Finally, Martin got away, and, for his safety, he was taken to a high school in another city. There, as a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, he was baptized and took the name of Samuel.

Samuel went on faithfully for the Lord Jesus, in spite of so many troubles. What made him willing to suffer so much? It was what the Lord Jesus had suffered, in love, for him! Like another hymn says:

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

The Bible says we are all sinners, and that is exactly who He died for. When we think of the terrible judgment that the Lord Jesus took on Himself, that we deserved because of our sins, surely He is worthy of our best ... yes, our all! Are you following the Lord Jesus like young Martin did?

“He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Memory Verse: “He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

Messages of God’s Love 2/14//2021

Seeing Differently

When you look at the picture above, do you see a rabbit? Or do you see a duck? It depends on how you look at it, doesn’t it? There are other trick drawings like this. In one of them, looked at one way the drawing looks like an old lady in a scarf, and the other way it looks like a young lady with a fancy hat. Another picture seems to be a dog with a bone, but when you turn it upside down, it is an old Scotsman in a plaid beret.

This is how life is, too. When you look at things a different way, things seem different. For example, when you are 10 years old, 25 seems pretty old, but when you get to be 25, 50 seems really old. And at 50, 25 is young and 10 years old is really young.

How you see things depends on your age, where you live, your health, and many other things, but most of all it depends on whether you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior or not. First Corinthians 1:18 tells us “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.” There we see two ways of looking at the same thing. If you have trusted the Lord Jesus to wash away your sins, you can understand the value of the work the Lord Jesus did on the cross. If you don’t know the Lord, it seems silly to think there is any value in it.

First Corinthians 2:8-9 tells us that the princes of this world didn’t understand the wisdom of God, and as a result, they crucified the Lord Jesus. But God reveals to His people the wonderful things He has prepared for those who love Him. So, if you are looking at God from inside the door of salvation, things look really different than if you are outside. You can enjoy thinking of the future God has for you and trust Him, even if you might have trouble in your life. But people who don’t know the Lord Jesus may fear the future, and when trouble comes to them, they are worried and don’t have peace.

In Hebrews 11:3 we read, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.” God created the world and everything in it. When we have faith in God, we see the beautiful flowers, trees and plants in a different way than a lost soul does. We can see the mountains, rainbows, clouds, stars, and all the wonders of nature and realize that our great God is the One who made it all and keeps it going. Anyone who doesn’t know the Lord sees things in a different way. They may like to see those things, but they miss out on enjoying them with the Lord in mind. They are looking from a different direction.

Another example is found in 1 Peter 4:3-4, which talks about how people behaved badly before they were saved, but after they are saved, they don’t do those old, bad things anymore. Their old friends think it is strange that they won’t go with them now. They are looking from two different directions: Where the lost soul sees fun, the Christian sees sin.

I urge you to put your trust in the Lord Jesus so you can look at things from the right viewpoint.

Messages of God’s Love 2/14//2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 3

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed ... every fowl of the air.” Genesis 2:19

We have been considering some facts about the migration of birds, and the question has been asked, “Why do they migrate?” There are two main reasons. One reason is that those living for the summer in the north need to move away from soon-coming cold weather.

While departure times from northern points usually follow close schedules, in some way that we cannot understand, migrating birds have been given ability by the Creator even to know about weather changes, long before our weathermen, and will advance their migration time to be gone before heavy storms move in.

Then, after about six months in the sunny south lands, the birds somehow sense that the ice and snow on ponds and streams of the north are melting. Days are becoming longer again, and suitable climate conditions for hatching and raising their young compel them to make the return trip northward.

The second main reason for their migrations is that food supplies are all-important. Again, they instinctively know that plenty of fresh, nourishing food will be waiting for them at the other end of their journey. For instance, as though anticipating the arrival of hungry birds from the south, aphids, caterpillars, grubs, mosquitos, flies and other insects of the north make their appearance just in time for the travelers to benefit from this nourishing food, and there is plenty of it to last a long time! The same is true of new plant life springing up, providing additional food and nesting materials.

But after five or six months in the north, the appetites of the growing bird families have made the food supply scarcer, and shorter days and colder weather prevent it from being renewed. In contrast, southern lands have benefited by the birds’ absence, and new supplies will be awaiting their return in the fall.

Incidentally, in the Arctic areas there has been a general warming of the atmosphere, resulting in many birds now migrating there for the summer months that did not go there before. Who told them about the changed climate? and how did they find the way there?

The answers explained above may well be accurate, but the source of the implanting of these instincts in so many varieties of birds can only come from the Creator, of whom the Bible says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2 Chronicles 16:9), and, “In whose hand is the soul [breath] of every living thing” (Job 12:10).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 2/14//2021

The Prize

One Saturday morning, I was just finishing my breakfast, planning how I would have fun playing in the creek behind my house. It had a few frogs that leaped around on the rocks, the water was clear, and it was a lot of fun on a warm autumn day.

But just as I was sliding off my chair at the breakfast table, headed for the backyard, my dad said, “Johnny, I need your help today.” Today? I hoped he did not mean the whole day! That would wreck all my plans! But, I knew that children should obey their parents, so I stopped in my tracks and asked what he meant. He told me that he wanted me to start raking the leaves and putting the fallen leaves in bags. We had a huge yard with many huge trees and a lot of leaves, and most of those leaves were on the ground. This seemed like it would take forever.

My dad noticed I was not happy about this and he said, “I promise there will be a prize for you when you are finished. I have the leaf bags on the back porch for you to get started and there are more in the garage.” This was going to take all day and I’d be working near the creek. I’d be able to hear the water, but I couldn’t go
near it.

I started raking. At first, I spilled as many leaves on the ground as I got into the leaf bag, which also kept dumping over and spilling. It felt like I was never going to get this done. But, eventually, I figured out how to work faster and got more leaves in the bag. Soon I had several bags full.

Suddenly, I heard voices! I saw my five cousins running toward me, and they each had rakes! Now the huge job began to be fun as we each took a row and had races to see who could clean up the leaves in their row fastest. We started to sing Sunday school songs we knew as we worked. We admired the golds, reds, oranges and greens in the leaves. God had planned that the green leaves on the trees would turn these beautiful colors and fall to the ground. This happens because the sap in the trees, instead of going up to the leaves and feeding them, starts going down the tree trunks into the ground, to strengthen the roots for the long
winter ahead.

Before long, we had the whole yard raked and the leaves bagged. Just then we saw my dad coming toward us with two huge boxes. He called to us to come help him get more boxes out of his truck. As we started opening the boxes, we were excited to see we were getting a new slide to play on in the backyard! We soon had the slide built and it was big enough for all of us to climb on. This was a wonderful prize! And we really had such a good time together raking the leaves. It felt good to be so happy, but most importantly, the Lord was pleased to see me obeying Dad. The Lord wants us to obey our parents, and as we obey them, we are obeying the Lord as well. I could play in the creek later, but I was so thankful that I had worked happily and gotten such a special reward!

There may be times in your life when you will go through days that seem hard, boring, or maybe even painful. That is when you need to keep living by the faith which obeys God even when it is hard. Hebrews 11 talks about people who trusted God enough to keep on walking with Him, even though they were going through all kinds of problems. Now, all of them are receiving the reward for their obedience. Trust Him, even when it seems hard! He is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God is always good, and His rewards far outweigh what He asks us to do for Him!

Memory Verse: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Messages of God’s Love 2/21/2021

Brian

Mrs. Mills enjoyed teaching school and watching her students learn. But she had one student in her class who refused to pay attention. Brian was not learning and he was in danger of not even passing fourth grade. To Brian, having a good time was more important than learning. This meant that he did not have his homework done on time, and he could hardly ever answer questions correctly in class.

One day Brian’s behavior cost him something that mattered to him. Because the students in Mrs. Mills’ class were ahead of schedule in their workbooks, she arranged for them to have the first hour of each day, for a week, to play a game in the gym. But when she made the announcement Friday afternoon, Brian was reading a comic book which he had carefully hidden inside his school book. He was so interested in his comic book that he didn’t hear anything Mrs. Mills said.

Monday morning arrived and Brian found himself alone in the classroom with Mrs. Mills. Hoping he would learn an important lesson, she said, “Because you chose not to listen in class, you are in here by yourself and not in the gym with the rest of the class. Now you will come to class each morning the rest of this week and write for an hour, instead of going to the gym. It is important to pay attention.”

I wonder if there are any boys or girls reading this story who are like Brian when it comes to the Word of God. Perhaps you have never paid enough attention to the Bible to find out that God wrote it because He has a very important message for you.

One of those important things to learn is that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). If we have disobeyed God even once, we are sinners. Every time we try to hide something we are doing, we are hiding it because we know it is wrong. Hasn’t this happened to you? It proves that God is right when He says, “All have sinned.”

Another important thing to learn is that the result of sin is death. God explains that this kind of death means to be put in a place of awful sorrow and suffering in complete darkness forever, never to be allowed into heaven. If we refuse to pay attention to the Bible, it will result in our missing heaven.

But there is also very important good news! In the Bible we learn that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die for sinners like us. The Bible says, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Admit to God that you are a sinner and that you want Jesus as your Savior, and He will save you from the results of sin and death. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Learn a lesson from Brian, and don’t ignore this message! Take care of this important matter this very day!

Messages of God’s Love 2/21/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 4

“By them [springs of water] shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.” Psalm 104:12

Two questions were asked in an earlier issue about migrating birds: Where do they get strength for such flights? and how do they find their way?

For any of them, whether a small hummingbird or a large goose, to fly nonstop over a wide ocean certainly takes a great amount of strength and could not be done if the Creator did not give them a terrific hunger long before such a trip takes place. Eating large quantities of extra food provides an unusual layer of fat (sometimes doubling their weight) which becomes the “fuel” needed for their travels. Isn’t this a wonderful provision of the One who always has them in His care?

The question, “How do they find their way?” remains unanswered. All researchers can do is make guesses — one of which is that the birds are guided by the sun. But this raises a new question: How are they able to find their way when the sun is hidden by fog or clouds? Another guess is that when flying at night, they are guided by the moon and stars. So how do they navigate when these are not visible?

Still another guess is that their routes are learned from the parents. That seems to work with certain birds, but then we ask, What about those that fly away and leave their young ones to follow later? Some researchers have carried birds from one side of the Atlantic Ocean to the other side and raised them there until migration time. How do these find an entirely new route to the same destination as their former companions? Similar tests have been made by taking certain eggs to distant countries, hatching and releasing them at the migratory period. These birds also find their way without difficulty.

We must admit that wonderful controls are at work in the brains of these birds, and the most dedicated researcher may never find a true explanation. We know the real answer lies with the Lord God who gives them these abilities and implants needed intelligence in their heads so that they adjust to any unusual circumstance. Certainly, these migrations are one of the outstanding wonders of God’s creation.

Another very special wonder is that He invites every boy and girl, every man and woman, to come to heaven when life here on earth is finished. The Lord said when He was here, “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). This is His promise to everyone who comes to Him as a sinner and accepts Him as their very own Savior. Have you accepted His invitation?

Messages of God’s Love 2/21/2021

A Tree Becomes a Bridge

When the Brown family woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning in April, they had no idea that their corner of the neighborhood would be changed in more ways than one that day. They drove to Sunday school with the sun’s rays reflecting off their car. But when they returned home a few hours later, there were heavy, unexpected storm clouds overhead.

When they got home, they noticed a neighbor trying to trim her large tree which hung over the Brown’s driveway. Since they had moved into the neighborhood, they had tried being friendly to this neighbor, but they had been unable to build a relationship with her. Mr. and Mrs. Brown decided it would be a good idea for Mr. Brown to offer to help her trim the tree. She accepted his help, so while the rest of the family made lunch, Mr. Brown finished trimming the tree.

After lunch, it was nap time. Rain began to fall, and the wind became stronger and stronger. They lay in bed listening to the wind and rain, until they
fell asleep.

Suddenly, crack ck-ck-ck-CABOOM! The tree that Mr. Brown had just finished trimming fell in the strong winds. It landed on their car, covered their entire driveway, and blocked off part of the road. Mr. Brown imagined that their car was completely smashed, but cheerfully began to pick up debris from the storm. Other neighbors came to help, and they all worked together to clear the tree away. As they finally got the tree off the car, Mr. Brown was almost afraid to look. However, he was shocked and very relieved to see just two tiny dents!

The Brown family fixed dinner for all the willing workers, and then Mr. Brown ended the mealtime by reading the Bible.

After the incident of the fallen tree, the neighbor and the Brown family often had good times together, talking about God’s faithfulness and how He’d used the tree as a bridge between them, uniting them in a manner they never would have thought of. God had proven what He says in Isaiah 55:8: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.”

This story is not the only story in which God has used a tree as a bridge. Actually, there is a much more wonderful story of God making a tree into a bridge.

People, since creation, have rebelled against God. This rebellion has kept them separated from having a relationship with God. God does not want people to be separated from Him, yet because He is just, He cannot overlook sin. It must be punished. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” But, in His amazing love, instead of punishing us, God sent His Son Jesus “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). God used the tree, the wooden cross on which Jesus died, as a bridge to make a way for us to come to Him. Have you crossed this bridge that God has provided? Do you have peace with God?

There is another lesson to learn from the Brown family for those of us who know the Lord Jesus. The Bible says we are to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). The Browns showed great kindness to their neighbor, in spite of the fact that she had not been friendly to them in the past. They persisted, and finally it worked. They did that because they love the Lord Jesus and wanted to be able to share Him with her. How we act each day can have a good effect on how others react to the gospel that we want to share with them, or it can have a bad effect. God has made a way for us to have peace with Him in the gospel, and we can live in such a way that we can share that message of peace with others. This is what it means to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You can be a missionary for the Lord Jesus wherever
you live!

Memory Verse: “Having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:14-15

Messages of God’s Love 2/28/2021

The Destructive Raccoon

One spring in my yard we had several birds’ nests. In the front yard we had a black bird’s nest and, in our backyard, we had a crow’s nest. If you know anything at all about black birds and crows, you know they don’t get along. The crows were always looking for food to feed to their babies. The black birds attacked the crows anytime they dared to leave their nest. But all of the birds had one thing in common. They had a plan to care for their baby birds and they would do whatever it took. What we didn’t know was that there was also a raccoon who had a plan.

One day the crows discovered where the black bird’s nest was and they attacked it. They tore at the nest and pulled it out of the tree. I wanted to help the little baby black birds. So, I reached up high and put the nest and babies back in place. But later that day the crows attacked the nest again. I didn’t see the second attack, so the poor little babies died. It was hard to know whose side to take because both families of birds were doing their jobs to care for their babies. They all had a plan.

This is like you and me. We have plans and we do our best but things don’t always work out like we hope. Sometimes problems are too big for us to understand. Sometimes God has a different plan for us. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all [your] heart; and lean not unto [your] own understanding. In all [your] ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct [your] paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Remember I told you that there was a raccoon who also had a plan? Well, he had a very destructive plan. That very night the raccoon attacked the crow’s nest while they were sleeping. Now there were no more
baby birds.

Sometimes we can be fooled by Satan’s plans for us, which are always bad, destructive plans, but he is skilled at making them look good at the beginning. Don’t be tricked by Satan into making bad choices. The Bible says Satan is like a thief that comes only to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy,” but that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to give us life, and to give us life more abundantly. (See John 10:10.)

Trust in God and He will show you the right choices to make. God loves you so much, He would never withhold anything good from you. He gave you the most precious gift possible when He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins. That was God’s plan for you so you can be in heaven with Him one day! This one wonderful gift is enough to prove that all of God’s plans for you are good.

Messages of God’s Love 2/28/2021

The Lion - Kings of Beasts, Part 1

“A lioness ... brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey.” Ezekiel 19:2-3

Lions are the most famous member of the cat family. They are among the fiercest of animals and live in Africa, southern Asia and India. Six to 20 will live together in a group called a pride.

When hidden in tall grass or rocks, they are hard to spot. Hunters have sometimes almost walked into such a group before seeing them. Like a house cat snoozing much of the day, they spend 20 hours a day sleeping or resting. Perhaps this helps them live for 18-20 years. Do you think God cares about them? Yes, He cares for all of His creation. The opening Bible verse shows that He has made even lions to care for their young.

A lioness, temporarily leaving the pride, gives birth to two, three or four cubs about every other year. The cubs weigh around three pounds at birth and are blind and helpless, and the lioness nurses and trains them for about three months before returning to the pride. Then she and other mothers take turns babysitting for each other. If the cubs do not do as the lioness wants, they often get picked up by the loose skin at the back of their necks.

At two months, they accompany their mother to a “kill” for their first meal of meat. Soon she teaches them to stalk and capture their own prey. Female cubs stay with the pride, but male cubs are chased from the territory by their fathers when they are between two and three years old. These young males wander and hunt together until they are fully grown. Then they challenge males in other prides and may take over the prides.

A full-grown male, weighing 500 pounds, may stand four feet high and measure eight to ten feet from nose to the end of his tail. He is a handsome animal, dressed in yellow-gold with a shaggy mane and penetrating eyes. The female is smaller and has no mane. Strong creatures, they can carry animals in their mouths weighing as much as twice their own weight.

The big male is famous for his frightening roar which terrifies nearby animals so that they jump up and run. But the lion often soon catches them and can disable or kill some prey with one swipe of a paw.

How we need God’s warning to us: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). A place of safety from our enemy Satan is most important. God offers you that place of safety: “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 2/28/2021

A Costly Rescue

Over 100 years ago, Ed Spencer was a student at a university in Illinois. He was a well-known athlete who had won one of the first Olympic gold medals for the U.S.A. in 1896.

One evening while Ed and others were studying in the library, a violent storm was raging outside. The campus of the university Ed attended borders Lake Michigan, and storms on the Great Lakes can be quite violent. Even large boats have gone down in storms that are often as bad as storms on
the oceans.

Suddenly, some young men burst into the library to report that a large pleasure boat called The Lady Elgin had been driven onto the rocks and was sinking. There were many people on the boat who would drown unless something was done immediately.

Ed and others ran from the library to see what was happening and were soon convinced by what they saw that the situation was serious. The boat was indeed sinking. While the storm had calmed somewhat, the water was still rough and the waves high. Without any hesitation, Ed immediately dove into the water and swam out to the wreck. Using his athletic strength and stamina, Ed brought back one person to safety. Several more times he returned to the ship, and each time he brought someone else back safely.

By this time his friends on shore were concerned for Ed’s safety and urged him not to go out again. “You’ve done all you can,” they said. “You’ll kill yourself if you try it again!”

Ed’s only reply was, “I’ve got to do my best,” as he plunged into the water and swam out to the wreck once more. All in all, he rescued 17 people from that boat who would otherwise have drowned. After bringing in the seventeenth person, Ed himself could go on no longer. He slumped unconscious on the shore.

He was taken to the infirmary in the university and throughout the night remained delirious. Over and over again he would call out, “Have I done my best, fellows? Have I done my best?” Ed did recover, but the strenuous exertion of saving 17 people from Lake Michigan had cost him his health. He no longer was the athlete he was before, and he no longer could win gold medals for his strength. In fact, he was forced to live the life of a
semi-invalid.

We are saddened by this story, and our deepest feelings of sympathy are stirred for Ed who gave so much to rescue so many people. He could easily have stopped sooner and no doubt have kept his health, but he continued until he became unconscious. But there is Someone else who gave much more of Himself so that you and I might be saved from eternal punishment for our sins. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners before God and deserve eternal judgment for our sins. Romans 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23 warns us, “The wages of sin is death.” But the Bible also tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” and that the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world and died on Calvary’s cross so that all who believe on Him “should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Ed Spencer gave his health to save people from drowning, but the Lord Jesus gave His life so that we might be saved from eternal hell. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?

It is not recorded that anyone on that sinking ship refused to let Ed Spencer rescue them. No, he was their only hope of being rescued, and they allowed him to take them safely to shore. But many people today are saying “no” to the Lord Jesus and refusing to let Him save them from their sins. Very many don’t believe there is judgment coming, although God has faithfully warned us in the Bible that He will judge this world. Are your sins washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus so that you are safe from that judgment? He is your only hope.

Some years later, a man went to Phoenix, Arizona, in the western United States, as he had heard that Ed Spencer was living there. He decided to visit him. Ed was living in a small cottage on the edge of the city, and the visitor found him to be thin and sickly. During their conversation, the visitor remarked on Ed’s health and his small home and how much rescuing those 17 people had cost him. He suggested that, had Ed been able to keep his health, he might have had much more in this world and, no doubt, a much nicer home. “But despite all this,” he said to Ed, “I’m sure that those you rescued haven’t forgotten you. No doubt they send you some help from time to time.”

There was a long moment of silence, and the visitor looked over at Ed to see why he did not answer. He noticed that there were tears running down Ed’s face, and slowly, after several minutes, Ed replied, “Not one ever came back even to say ‘Thank you’!”

Again, our feelings are stirred, feelings of anger, that those whose lives had been saved at such a cost to the rescuer did not even care enough to say “Thank you.” Sad to say, such things are common in this world. But ... have you and I ever thanked the Lord Jesus for all He has done for us? First of all, have you accepted Him as your Savior? Have you come to God as a sinner and accepted His free offer of salvation? If so, have you ever thanked God for sending His Son to die for you, and have you ever thanked the Lord Jesus for dying such a cruel death so that you might be saved? “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Memory Verse: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12

Messages of God’s Love 3/7/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lion - King of Beasts, Part 2

“Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions?” Job 38:39

While male and female lions often hunt together, either as a single pair or in groups, it is usually the females that circle around and drive the prey towards the hidden males. With a sudden rushing leap, a male pounces on the victim, and death comes quickly. In spite of the fact that they must kill to survive, lions only kill when hungry and never for the sport of it. Although they are not aware of it, they are dependent on the Creator for their food supply. The Bible states, “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season” (Psalm 145:15).

Lions hunt antelopes, zebras, springboks, wildebeests, impalas and some smaller animals. However, they do not always do their own hunting. Sometimes they come upon other animals feeding on something they have captured and will drive the animals off and take over the prize. On other occasions, they watch the sky for vultures. These carnivorous birds quickly drop to the earth when they see a dead animal. Following this lead, the lion finds food without the work.

As strong and fierce as they are, lions are not always successful in their hunting; swift animals often escape. At times, the lion itself becomes the victim. When zebras and giraffes are pursued by a lion, they will sometimes watch until the lion is right at their heels and then give a vicious kick to the lion’s face. Many a lion has had its jaw broken and been forced to give up the chase. With such an injury, it cannot eat and will eventually starve to death.

The lions who have taken part in a big feed will lie down together and sleep off the meal in places where they are well hidden. At such times, with the lion’s stomachs full, a person or animal could walk by them and not be bothered.

Although the big male looks very noble, he doesn’t always measure up to the title. If food has been scarce or if he is extremely hungry, even if a female has made the catch, he will not let her or the cubs eat until he has eaten his fill. This sometimes results in the cubs starving to death.

The lives and habits of these huge beasts remind us that this world is full of trouble — the result of sin which is seen on every hand. There are many evil things around us which Satan, the “roaring lion,” uses to capture careless people, so a place of safety is most important. The Bible tells us of a sure place of safety: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before [you]” (Deuteronomy 33:27). Is He your hiding place?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 3/7/2021

The Courageous Bible Translator

“Tyndale, fly! You are betrayed! The building is to be searched!” As quickly as possible, William Tyndale obeyed this warning. Who was this man, and why did he have to leave where he
was living?

William Tyndale lived over 500 years ago. In those days the Bible was a forbidden book to almost everyone, and it was only kept in churches in England in the foreign language of Latin, which many people could not even understand. But William Tyndale valued the Bible as being God’s own book, meant for everyone to read, and so he wanted to make it available to people to read in English, the language they could understand. He knew many languages, including Greek and Hebrew, the languages the Bible was originally written in, and so he started to translate the Bible into English. He was one of the first men to do this great work.

When the authorities in England found out that William was working on the translation of the New Testament into English, they were terribly angry. They even decided they would kill him! But friends found out about this and warned him that his life was in danger. He packed up the precious pages he had translated of the Bible and whatever else he could, and he fled secretly from his home in England to Germany. There, in a foreign land, he found friends who would shelter him during this important work. Thankfully he knew German, so he could pass as a German and go unnoticed as being from England, if any of his enemies were looking for him.

Once he finished translating the New Testament from the original languages into English, he had a new problem. That problem was how to find someone who would print it. This work would be as dangerous as Tyndale’s work had been. To whom could he turn?

Again, the Lord helped His faithful servant. From various secret sources, he eventually learned of a printer named Peter Quentel, living in another city in Germany called Cologne. This man was willing to risk all he had for the dangerous work of getting the English New Testament printed. Secretly, Tyndale moved to Cologne. Each night he would creep to Quentel’s printing press and check each new sheet, making sure that no errors were made on the printed page. Everyone involved in the work was sworn to secrecy, and it was kept secret as much as possible even from others working in that place.

Unfortunately, someone who didn’t love the Word of God was working there, and eventually he discovered what was happening. One night while Tyndale was at the press, a white-faced helper rushed in. “Tyndale, fly!” he gasped. “You are betrayed! The building is to be searched.”

Gathering together a few precious sheets of what was already printed, Tyndale rushed away. He was none too soon. His enemies entered, searched every possible hiding place, and destroyed all that they could find of the Word of God.

It was a man named John Cochlaeus who was the betrayer. When he found out that Tyndale had gotten away, he advised the king of England to have all the ports of England watched.

But Tyndale was not going to England. He was heading to the city of Worms, Germany, traveling on the Rhine River. Again, he found friends there who would shelter him. And hopefully he would find a printer to finish the work. What faith and perseverance he had! And his faith in God and the courage he showed in going on with this dangerous work were rewarded. Within a few months the first bound copy of the New Testament was in his hands. What a joy after all he had been through!

Now the problem was how to get this precious Word of God into England! Hundreds of copies were ready, but they had to be taken into England secretly. Can you guess how this was done? The Bibles were hidden in barrels of flour and other goods, and they were taken by merchants who were interested in helping with this great work, by boat to ports on the English coast. But enemies were constantly on the lookout for these New Testaments, and whenever they were found, they were immediately burned. Many still made it through. What joy for those who received them! At last they could read the living Word of God for themselves and understand it! What an amazing gift that is!

Tyndale continued working on translating the Old Testament until one tragic day when he was again betrayed. This time he was imprisoned and condemned to death “by burning at the stake.” His last words, before he died, were a prayer which became famous: “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.” And the Lord answered that prayer. Within one year of his death, a whole Bible was being sold in England with the King’s approval! This was the first printed whole Bible in English. This Bible had been mostly his work, but it was partly that of another man. Even though William Tyndale had been killed, the Word of God that he had translated had survived!

Things after that changed so much that in September 1538 a Royal Proclamation stated that a Bible must be placed in every church in England. In some churches the Bibles were chained to the pulpits, and people who could not read came to hear others read it to them. Some of these Bibles still exist today.

“Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).

Children, what a privilege it is to hold the Bible, the Word of God, in our hands! We hardly have any idea how much Tyndale and others suffered so that we could have this wonderful Book! Have you believed the message the Bible tells about the infinite love of God? In the Bible we read this verse: “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).

And if you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, are you reading His precious Word daily and letting it teach you how to live in this world for Him? It is written for you, no matter how young you are. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Messages of God’s Love 3/14/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lion and Other Carnivores, Part 3

“How unsearchable are [God’s] judgments, and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33

Have you ever asked, “Why does God allow lions to kill and eat other animals?” This is a good question. When God created these great beasts, death, the shedding of blood, and eating flesh were unknown (Genesis 1). But Adam and Eve were warned by God that if they disobeyed His commands, death would result. As we know from the Bible, they did disobey, and immediately they saw an example of the penalty of sin when God killed animals to provide them with clothing.

After sin entered into the world and after the flood, God oversaw a change in many of His creatures, allowing some to become flesh eaters— carnivores— while others remained vegetarians. This certainly is an evidence of how dreadful sin is in God’s sight. The animals He had created for His pleasure were now to display the penalty of death through their activities, certainly not pleasing to Him. But in His perfect way, He saw that the needed changes were made in the appetites and bodies of these animals so they would hunt and then be able to digest the food they now ate.

Happily, in a coming day, the Bible tells us the original peaceful order will return. This will be after those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have been called into heaven and after God’s rightful anger against the world that has refused His love results in His terrible judgment on them. Then an earthly people pleasing to the Lord will live on earth, and the animals will be changed to be as they were when God first created them. One Bible verse that talks about this says, “The calf and the young lion ... shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 11:6-7).

All life now is dependent on the minerals, vitamins and nutrients provided in the soil by the Creator which come to us in vegetation, fruits, seeds and nuts. So, how do lions and other carnivores that don’t eat vegetation get this important nutrition? The answer is another wonder of God’s ways. As a grazing animal, such as an antelope or a zebra, eats vegetation, these important necessities are deposited in its body and then are carried into the body of the carnivore that eats it.

God has also planned for the good of the herds from which lions hunt. Many of the animals that are killed are not healthy. It is a mercy that they are killed quickly rather than lingering on as weak and sickly animals to die a slow death. Also, if the herds were not made smaller in this way, they would get too large for the food available for them, and many would starve. So, we see God’s wisdom in all things. “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find Him out: He is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice” (Job 37:23).

Messages of God’s Love 3/14/2021

Ellie and Her Unicorn

It was a warm, beautiful day in August when four-year-old Ellie and her parents left for a day at the beach. After they got there, Elllie’s parents blew up the pink unicorn they had brought for her to float in, to let Ellie enjoy the water safely while her parents swam nearby. They also made sure her arm floaties were on just in case she fell off the large inflatable toy. Still, her mom and dad were keeping a close watch on her as well! No doubt they all felt happy and safe as they enjoyed the beautiful beach
and water!

But suddenly, before anyone realized what was happening, the wind started to blow the unicorn with Ellie on its back away from her parents. Little Ellie started drifting out to the open ocean! Her Dad swam after her with all his might. Other swimmers also tried to reach her, but the wind was just too strong. They watched helplessly as the small child, clinging to the unicorn’s neck, drifted with alarming speed away from them all and further out to sea. Ellie soon looked to those watching like a little speck on the vast ocean ... a tiny child without a life-jacket, riding an air-filled plastic unicorn, sailing out over the deep blue sea, all alone.

When the authorities were notified, they got in contact with the captain of a large ferry which was thought to be the closest to where little Ellie and her unicorn were drifting in the water. The captain’s name was Mr. Karnesis. He had already noticed a tiny object in the distance moving at a fast pace through the water and could hardly believe his eyes when he was able to identify it as a child on a floating toy out this far from shore! He immediately set to work, stilling the ferry’s front engine so that the churning water would not cause the little toy to float further away. The water became as still and calm as a pond. The next thing he did was to perform a tricky maneuver for such a large boat — one that can hold hundreds of cars and passengers —bringing his ferry close enough to Ellie so that she could be rescued. Mr. Karnesis had to lower the ramp that was used to load cars onto the ferry right down onto the surface of the water. Then one of the men who worked on the ferry grabbed little Ellie from the sea. Ellie had been in the water only around 20 minutes, but it probably seemed like a lot more than that to her and her parents!

Soon, Ellie was handed over into her happy and grateful parents’ arms. Children, you are probably thinking, “Wow! How scary that would be!” It’s hard to even imagine going through such an experience as a four-year-old!

This true story reminded me that even our parents, or anyone else who loves us, cannot be our Savior! Just like Ellie’s parents, who loved their little girl so much but could not save her from death, your parents or your grandparents or an aunt or uncle who dearly loves you cannot save you from your sins. Psalm 49 tells us that no matter how much money someone has, no one can redeem his brother (buy him back from Satan). We learn in another place in the Bible that we are only “redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The only One who can save you from hell is the Lord Jesus, for He is the One who died for you and shed His precious blood on the cross to put away your sins forever. He is the only Savior! Will you call out to Him today?

Memory Verse: “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Revelation 5:9

Messages of God’s Love 3/21/2021

Are You a Seagull or a Mouse?

It was a beautiful day and the air was very still. So why was the plastic bag in the garbage barrel moving like that? There must be something alive in that barrel! Walking over for a closer look, I decided to see what was going on.

Sure enough, I found a bird — a seagull — looking up at me. It had a frightened look in its eyes. It must have been looking for food and thought it would find something good in the garbage barrel. But when it wanted to get back out, there was no room for its large wings to flap, and so it was stuck.

Seagulls are one of the birds included in the list of creatures that God called “unclean” in the Bible in the book of Leviticus. They were called “unclean” because of their dirty habits of living or eating. God told the children of Israel not to eat these creatures that had “unclean” natures. But He also gave them another list of creatures that they could eat. These creatures had “clean” habits of living and eating — they had “clean” natures.

In Romans 3:23 we learn something about ourselves. It says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” You and I have an “unclean nature” because it is our nature to sin. This sinful nature gets us into trouble, which we cannot get out of by ourselves. Not even our friends or relatives can help us.

Let’s go back to the trapped seagull. Was there any hope that it could be freed? Yes! The seagull was easily released from his prison when I tipped over the barrel. He just walked out and flew away. As he glided over the water, he seemed glad to be free.

Is there any hope that a sinner can be freed from his sins? Yes! God is able. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). If you know that you are lost, which simply means that you still haven’t come to the Lord Jesus to be saved from your sins, there is good news for you. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Here’s another story about an “unclean” animal. What happened to it was different.

One time when two friends were outside, they heard some scratching sounds in a garbage can. They discovered a mouse inside. The steep, slippery sides of the can kept him trapped in there. He could not get out of his prison, so one of the friends tipped over the can to let him out. The mouse walked out to the edge and looked around ... then he turned and went back in again. There were a few scraps of food in the garbage can and he apparently didn’t want to leave them, so the friends stood the can up again.

Do you think the mouse was foolish? He could have had his freedom, but instead he chose to stay in his garbage can prison for a few scraps of food. Millions of people are just as foolish as that little mouse. They would rather stay in their sins than be set free and belong to the Lord Jesus.

Which one of these “unclean” creatures are you like? If you trust in the Lord Jesus, you will be free from your sins. But if you refuse to trust in the Lord Jesus, you will die in your sins.

And if you are already a Christian, it’s good to think about what you are “eating” each day. If you are reading your Bible, thinking about what you read, and letting the Lord change you through it, you are “eating” good food that will feed the clean nature He has given you. If you think about the things that come from the world, things very easily found on the Internet, “feeding” on those things by letting them fill your eyes and your minds, you are “eating” bad food that will feed the “unclean” nature. This is not healthy for you and won’t help you grow in the things that make you a strong, happy Christian. What are you going to feed your soul on today?

Messages of God’s Love 3/21/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders

“The spider [takes] hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.”
Proverbs 30:28

While most of us don’t particularly care for spiders, they are an interesting example of how God “hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27), because no one fully understands how spiders function.

Have you ever watched a spider spinning its web? You may wonder where the silk thread comes from. It comes from silk glands in its abdomen. The liquid silk is forced through silk-spinning organs, called spinnerets, as the spider moves. Most spiders have two to six spinnerets, each with a different opening. These produce the different kinds of silk needed. For instance, when the spider needs a dragline for lifting itself up and down, it uses a spinneret that makes a coarse, strong silk. When making its web, an entirely different type of silk is required, and it uses other spinnerets. It also produces cottony silk for holding and hiding its eggs. Some silk glands produce liquid silk that becomes dry outside the body, while others produce sticky silk that remains sticky. All spiders spin silk, but not all spiders make webs.

How did the spider learn to use the correct spinneret for a certain kind of silk? How did it learn to use two spinnerets at the same time when it needs extra-strong silk? How can it travel with ease over sticky silk that will trap everything else?

The spider, lurking at one side of its web, waits for vibrations to signal that something is caught in the web. If the vibrations are very light, it ignores them. But medium vibrations mean food, so it hurries across the web to kill and eat the victim. However, if the vibrations are strong, it means something too large to handle is out there, and the spider will quickly cut the victim loose before it ruins the web. How does the spider know how to interpret these signals?

Here is the answer to all of these questions. Spiders did not have to “learn” how to make a web or where to place it. When the Lord God created them, He gave them these remarkable skills. These skills are often called instincts, and these enable them to live their amazing lives.

If the Lord God has such interest and care over these little creatures which are here today and gone tomorrow, how much greater is His concern for every person to whom He has given an everlasting soul. He tells us, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). This wonderful love caused the Lord Jesus to go to the cross to die, “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Have you accepted Him as your Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 3/21/2021

Lucas and Oliver

Lucas and Oliver were good buddies. Neither one came from a Christian home, but their parents decided it would be good for the boys to go to Sunday school. You see, both Lucas and Oliver were rascals. It seemed they were always playing pranks on anyone they could. So their parents thought Sunday school would be a help to them. But I am sad to say that the church where the boys were sent did not preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ who came into the world to save sinners. So the boys didn’t find anything there that would help change them. Nevertheless, they had a good time going there and ... causing trouble.

After a few weeks of trying to be patient with Lucas and Oliver and after having given several warnings to the boys, Miss Peterson, the Sunday school teacher, asked the boys not to ever come back. Yes, they were that naughty!

Several years later, when Lucas was about 18 years old, he heard the story of Jesus and how He came down from heaven and died on the cross to put away his sins. Lucas was a nice boy in many ways, but in his heart, he knew he was a sinner and needed a Savior. He accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior. When he grew a little older, he married a nice Christian girl, and they taught their family about the Lord Jesus, too.

Many years later, Lucas decided to go to his forty-fifth high school reunion. One reason he wanted to go was to see if any of his classmates had found Christ the way he had.

Lucas had a nice time visiting with the different people he used to go to school with, but he was saddened not to find anyone who seemed to be a Christian. But then he saw Oliver — the boy who had been his “partner in crime” in Miss Peterson’s Sunday school class so many years ago! As they talked, he was delighted to find out that Oliver had also come to realize that he was a sinner who needed a Savior and had
been saved.

And so it was that the boys who once were so naughty that they got asked to never again come to Sunday school were the same boys who came to find that Christ is the Savior for sinners!

What about you, boys and girls? Perhaps you go to Sunday school every Sunday and are being taught the only way of salvation through the Lord Jesus, who died for your sins on the cross. Just going to church or Sunday school isn’t enough to make you ready for heaven. One day the Lord Jesus will say to many who think they are ready for heaven, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23). Sadly, this will be said to people who right now are calling Him “Lord, Lord” and are even doing good works which they think make them ready to enter heaven. But Jesus taught that only those who do the will of God will enter that wonderful place, not people who do what we might think of as “good works.” In another place He teaches us what God calls an important work. He said, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He [God] hath sent” (John 6:29). Simply believing on the Lord Jesus, who died so that we can have our sins forgiven, is the only “work” that God asks us to do when we aren’t yet saved. We hope you will be like Lucas and Oliver, who realized they needed a Savior and came to the Lord Jesus to save them!

Memory Verse: “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29

Messages of God’s Love 3/28/2021

A Prayer for 33 Cents

When I was about seven years old, I had an exciting goal! Mom had given me a little round tub with a plastic lid, and I was going to save up $10.00 in it to give to missionaries. Although there weren’t very many ways to make money, I did what I could — things like pulling weeds in the front yard for a penny each and watching sidewalks and parking lots carefully for any coins that someone may have accidentally left behind. I also looked for coins on the floor inside stores, but anytime I found one, I was sure to tell a cashier about it. (Since it was inside the store, it wasn’t rightfully mine, unless a store worker said I could keep it.) Sometimes the cashier would tell me to keep it, but other times she would simply thank me for finding it and add it to the collection of other coins in her money drawer.

After a long time went by (or at least it felt like a long time), I finally had a total of $9.67 — just 33 cents away from my goal! I don’t honestly remember if I was praying about my project before that point, but when I got to $9.67, I decided to pray very specifically for the last 33 cents that were needed to reach the goal. A short time after I started praying, my mom, with my siblings and I, made another trip to the grocery store. I was on the lookout for anything that might be a part of God’s answer to my prayer for 33 cents!

As we walked through the store aisles, I suddenly saw something that thrilled me and surprised me at the same time. It was a $1.00 bill on the floor of a main aisle of one of the busiest grocery stores in town. Besides the fact that I had never before and have never since seen that much money just lying on the floor in a store or parking lot, I could hardly believe that no one had seen it and picked it up before I did.

As usual, I took what I had found to the cashier, wondering if she would thank me for finding it and put it into the money drawer, but really believing that she would say I could keep it. My heart and mouth overflowed with thanks to God when she said it was mine! God had given me more than three times the amount I had asked for. He had answered my prayer exceeding abundantly above all I could ask or think!

Children, do you ever pray about things that you or someone else needs? I hope you know that the Lord cares very much about every detail of your life, even if it’s only 33 cents, and He loves to hear children’s prayers and answer them. “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us” (1 John 5:14).

Messages of God’s Love 3/28/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The American Buffalo (Bison), Part 1

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm.”
Jeremiah 27:5

The buffalo or, more correctly, the bison has the distinction of being the heaviest land animal of North America. Some bulls weigh up to 2,200 pounds, but cows are smaller. The buffalo is from nine to nearly 12 feet long and as tall as six and a half feet from the ground to the top of its hump. They are strong and tough and can live through storms that kill other beasts. They are also great runners. They can run up to 30 miles an hour for long distances!

When Native Americans were the only people west of the Mississippi River, there were millions of bison forming herds, often as far as the eye could see on the prairies of middle America, from Mexico north into Canada. For the Native Americans, the buffalo was their main food, and they made tepees, blankets, clothing and other essentials from the hides. God provided plenty of grass and water, and even though the Native Americans killed many, it did not make much difference since so many calves were born every year that their numbers just continued growing.

But as settlers moved west after the Revolutionary War, it became a different story. It is easy to understand that the settlers, like the Native Americans, found buffalo a good source of food and hides. Unfortunately, as they settled the land, they not only used buffalo for these purposes, but they also determined to get them off the land they wanted to farm. As a result, many thousands were killed just to get rid of them.

Hunters from the eastern part of the country and “sportsmen,” even from Europe, went west with their guns, thinking it was great sport to see how many they could kill. There was no thought about using the meat or hides. All of this leaves a sad picture of that part of America’s history. The result was that, around 160 years ago, instead of millions of buffalo, there were only about a thousand left in the United States and Canada combined.

Bison are part of God’s creation, and He surely had the Native American people in His thoughts in preparing such an abundant supply to meet their needs. Many people today are sad and ashamed to think of the way the bison were deliberately killed. God, who said, “I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine” (Psalm 50:11), must have been displeased to see this cruelty and waste. However, we can be happy to know that His watchful eye and care are over the bison that are beginning to flourish again.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 3/28/2021

Noises in the Barn

One January evening, when I was around 13 years old, my younger brother Isaac and I went to the barn to do our chores. It was dark, and we weren’t exactly thrilled at the thought of being outside alone. But, for several minutes, all went well. Then — I heard strange crashing noises. All of the barn doors were locked except one. On both sides of that one unlocked door were lots of metal garden tools, buckets, and other outdoor equipment. Since I was already a little nervous, my imagination ran wild. To my mind, the noises sounded like a large animal — or maybe even a person — was hastily trying to come out of its hiding place in the tools by that door. I whispered to Isaac, “What is that noise?” The noise stopped. “I’m sure it is nothing,” he replied. I wasn’t convinced, but I said, “Okay!” and kept working.

Shortly thereafter, the metal clattering noises began again. My voice shook a little as I said, “Don’t you hear that? It sounds as if something or SOMEONE is in the barn, right next to our only escape from the barn.” Isaac still didn’t sense any danger, but loudly asked, “WHO IS IN HERE?!!!” The noise stopped. Now we were both scared and stood completely still in the middle of the barn.

Let’s pause here a second and think about a couple of things. First of all, my fear was entirely based on my imagination. I did not KNOW that there was something scary there. Second, fear is contagious. Now my brother and I were both afraid. “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

After a short time, we slowly went toward the door to investigate. The crashing began again. We froze. I stood there thinking, “If we run to the door, whoever it is will jump out and catch us, and if we stay here, he will get out of his hiding place and corner us.” Just then, my protective and brave brother shouted: “WHO IS IN HERE??!!!!” Suddenly, a massive, dark figure loomed in the doorway! Isaac and I gasped.

Then the person dressed in black, whom we supposed to be an attacker, calmly asked, “Isaac, why were you yelling at your sister?” It was our dad, dressed in his heavy black coat and overalls! He had been throwing junk metal onto a scrap pile just outside the barn. After we hysterically explained and Dad apologized, we had a good laugh.

Thinking about this story later, I realized that I was foolish to get so fearful about something when I obviously didn’t have a real reason to be afraid. How often I (and perhaps you, too) have big fears based on some little detail, and the thing we fear does not even happen! The Lord doesn’t ever want us to be afraid. He says, “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; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). This is a wonderful promise! Our God is more powerful than anything that we might think could hurt us. He says in this verse that He will help us, even if we actually do go through things that are hard. He will give us the strength to bear them, so that we never need to fear. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

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; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”Isaiah 41:10

Messages of God’s Love 4/4/2021

Our Happy Day

It was an exciting day! We were driving to Aunt Ruth and Uncle Austin’s house in Pittsburgh to spend the night. My sister, Heidi, and I both had plans to visit Aunt Ruth’s candy jar out on the big porch. Aunt Ruth also had a garden in her big backyard, and I loved to look for spiders while Heidi looked for ladybugs. There were a lot of steps going down to the garden, and Uncle Austin gave us each a can of water and a brush, and we got to “paint”
the steps.

Heidi and I were having such a good time! Then we spotted a pretty red bird called a cardinal. We decided to follow it, hoping to get up close to see it better. It kept hopping away, and just as we would get close, it would take off again. We tried to stay very quiet and not scare it into flying away, so that we could keep following it as it hopped from yard to yard. There were no fences to stop us, so we kept following the beautiful bird. It had feathers that sparkled in the sunlight, and it looked like it was wearing a hat with the red tuft at the top of its head. It sang a pretty song, too, as it landed on a bird feeder and had a snack of birdseed. Soon it was off to a yard farther away. We could hear its song and we could still follow it. When we found it again, we watched it flutter around, enjoying a shower in a neighbor’s sprinkler. This was a fun adventure the bird was taking us on!

Suddenly, we heard a front door shut. This scared the cardinal and it took off flying high into the air, and our game of follow-the-cardinal was over. My little sister Heidi said, “We better go back because it is getting dark!” But we soon discovered that we had made so many twists and turns and cut between so many houses, following the cardinal, that now we were lost! It was getting dark, and we had no idea where we were!

Are you lost? I don’t mean lost from home, but lost from God. Have you believed that Jesus died for your sins and talked to Him about it in your heart? If not, you are lost. But you don’t have to stay lost. The Lord Jesus said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Please stop right now and talk to the Lord Jesus — you do not have to wait — right now is the perfect time! Tell Him you believe He died on the cross for your sins and you want to be saved. He will hear you and will come into your heart.

A man saw us in his front yard and called to us, “Where do you children live?” I gave him the only address I knew, my address in Michigan, a long way from Pittsburgh! Just then we heard Uncle Austin’s voice calling, “Brian! Heidi! Where are you?” I grabbed Heidi’s hand and we ran toward Uncle Austin’s welcome voice! We were so happy to be safe in Uncle Austin’s car that we did not mind the scolding we got for wandering away, as we were so thankful to be found. We had been lost, but now we were found.

We pulled up to Aunt Ruth and Uncle Austin’s house, safe and “home.” We had a nice hot bath and some of Aunt Ruth’s wonderful cookies. Then we enjoyed sitting on the back porch in our pajamas, looking up at the stars twinkling outside the big windows. It had been a wonderful day! And someday soon, children, all those who are “found” by the Lord Jesus will be at home with Him in His Father’s house. We will enjoy being home with Him and all the wonderful things of heaven! Will you be there?

Messages of God’s Love 4/4/2021

The Wonders of God's Creation: The American Buffalo (Bison), Part 2

From the place of His habitation [heaven] He [looks] upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” Psalm 33:14

When people worried about the disappearance of bison from North America over 150 years ago, they persuaded the governments of Canada and the United States to set up protective areas throughout the West, such as Yellowstone National Park and Custer State Park. Others suggested it would be profitable to raise them like cattle in protected areas.

These arrangements resulted in a gradual increase in the number of these animals. Now there are around 500,000 of them in parks and fenced game preserves, like the National Bison Range in Montana, where large herds prosper.

Bison are impressive with their large, shaggy, bearded heads and sharp, curved horns. When herds are threatened in any way, the males huddle together to form a ring around cows and calves, providing good defense. God, their wise Creator, gave them this instinct. In winter, thick, heavy hair grows over the back part of their bodies. This drops off in springtime, sometimes hanging in loose patches until the animal rubs it off against a tree or big rock.

Calves, weighing about 30 pounds, are born in early summer and can stand up and nurse in half an hour. At about six weeks old, they begin to change their diet from milk to grass. This, along with other small plants and twigs from certain trees and shrubs, becomes their entire food supply for the rest of their lives. They do most of their grazing in the morning; afternoons are spent resting and rolling in the dust to get rid of insects.

When they are angry, bulls charge one another, approaching slowly with heads down, feet pawing the ground raising clouds of dust, tails raised, and making loud, angry sounds from their open mouths. They make a very scary sight! Suddenly, they slam their heads together, pushing each other back and forth until one finally gives up. When the fight is over, the loser walks peacefully away.

The Bible tells us God cares for the beasts of the field. But He cares much more for all people, who, when He created us, were made in His likeness and for whom He has always shown His love. The greatest proof of His love was at the cross of Calvary where “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Messages of God’s Love 4/11/2021

A Police Officer's Mercy

It was a beautiful day and I was excited to go to the beach with my daughter. I happily drove down the steep hill to the park, but I wasn’t paying much attention to my driving and I was about to get into some trouble. When we got to the bottom of the hill, I turned right, only to realize that I was headed the wrong direction on a one-way road! I also noticed, in my rear-view mirror, that there was a new stop sign at the bottom of the hill, and I had failed to stop at it. Just as I made that observation, I noticed a policeman looking at me. I paused as I considered the best course of action. Should I continue going the wrong direction or back up on a one-way road? Neither one seemed like a good choice, but as it turned out, the police officer who approached me was concerned with my speed. Unfortunately, I had been so taken up with the scenery that I hadn’t noticed the speed limit sign stating “15 MPH.” The officer guessed my speed to be about double that.

The officer asked for my proof of insurance and my license. I was able to give him my license and then I started the search for the insurance card. Again, things weren’t looking good for me. I was borrowing my mother’s car and it appeared that she didn’t keep her insurance card in her glove compartment as I do. I explained the situation to the police officer and told him that if he didn’t mind waiting, I would just quickly call my mother to ask her what her policy number was. She didn’t answer her phone. Neither did my brother who knew most of her information. Now what was I to do? The officer didn’t have any suggestions. But he did have a question. He asked me if I could think of any reason why he shouldn’t give me a ticket. I was relieved that he didn’t use the word “jail,” but I also wondered how many tickets he was considering. I deserved four.

Now children, I want to ask you what you think I should have said. I could not think of any good excuse for my wrong actions — but I really didn’t want to pay for a bunch of tickets either! Well, I had to admit to him that I could not think of any reason why he shouldn’t fine me. I stated that I knew it was his job to enforce the laws and that I had clearly broken a few. What a relief it was to see the look on his face change and to hear him say he decided not to give me the tickets that I so deserved.

Wasn’t that nice of him to show me mercy? It makes me think about a verse in Proverbs about God’s mercy. The verse says, “He that [covers] his sins shall not prosper: but whoso [confesses] and [forsakes] them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). If I had not admitted that I was wrong, I may well have gotten quite a few tickets. Since I did admit it, the police officer showed me mercy. And God is always ready to give us mercy if we confess our sins to Him. “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). We never need to be afraid to confess to our parents or the Lord or anyone else, if we have sinned against them, because He promises He will forgive us. And He also promises we will have mercy if we confess, and don’t hide, our sins. If we do hide them, there are often very big consequences when our sins are found out, just as I might have gotten four tickets if I hadn’t admitted I deserved them!

It did not cost the police officer anything to offer me forgiveness for all the laws I had broken, but it did cost God a lot to forgive us of our sins! He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to suffer on the cross for our sins and to die for us so that we could have forgiveness through His name. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Propitiation is a big word, but it means that God no longer sees our sin, because it has been completely dealt with by the Lord Jesus, and it is forever taken away. This makes it possible for a holy God to show us mercy, yet still be righteous. What amazing love that is!

Our next story will give an example of why it’s important to confess our sins right away.

Memory Verse: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

Messages of God’s Love 4/11/2021

Forty-Six Year of Guilt

How would you like to live with a guilty feeling for over 46 years? That is what happened to Arthur. And it was just over some crackers with peanut butter!

Arthur was in first grade when this story happened. Like many children used to do, he liked to take a snack to school. One day Arthur’s mother gave him some crackers with peanut butter to take to school. For safe keeping, Arthur gave them to his teacher. Later that morning when Arthur was ready for his snack, he found that it had disappeared ... right from the teacher’s desk. Someone had taken the crackers!

Arthur’s teacher told him to do a foolish thing. She told him to smell the breath of each of his classmates to decide who could have eaten the peanut butter and crackers. Arthur felt he had to accuse someone, so he named Sally, even though he did not think she had eaten them.

Poor Sally was so upset that she cried and cried and was unable to come back to school for several days. Arthur said that 46 years later he could still picture Sally’s face in front of him as though it were yesterday. So, after 46 years of feeling guilty, he placed an ad in a large newspaper asking Sally to forgive him. He hoped that she would see the ad.

Many people today are just like Arthur. They know that they are sinners and “hope” that God will forgive them. What they need to know is that God has already provided a way so they can be forgiven. It is by confessing our need of a Savior and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way to be saved. “What must I do to be saved? ... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).

Messages of God’s Love 4/11/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders, Part 2

“I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.” Psalm 145:5

In our discussion about spiders recently, we learned that all spiders spin silk, but not all spiders make webs. Each species of spider has a different life story.

The first spider we’ll look at is the bola spider which catches its dinners by “fishing.” Instead of spinning a web, it produces one long thread with a drop of sticky silk on the end. It sits on a branch and drops this line down, swinging it back and forth until an insect flies into the sticky ball. Then it pulls up the thread, like reeling in a fishing line, and eats its meal.

The triangle spider spins a three-sided web between two twigs, with a tail hanging down from the bottom. The spider holds tightly to this tail to keep the web open. The moment an insect touches the triangle, the spider lets go of the tail, and the web springs like a trap and captures the victim.

Any female spider may mistake the male for prey and eat him. However, males have ways of guarding against this. If a male wishes to make friends with a female, he vibrates the edge of her web with one of his feet. The female is immediately alerted. If she is hungry, she crosses the web, and that’s a signal for the male to make a quick exit. But if the female remains quiet, he senses she has already eaten and he goes to her, sometimes taking a little present. However, he never stays long or he will have to pay for his visit with his life. This is why one species is known as the black widow, because she almost always kills and eats her mate.

Flying spiders point their abdomens toward the sky and spin webs that act like parachutes. When the wind catches one of these, the spider holds on tightly, and off it flies on a real adventure. Sometimes they are lifted thousands of feet in the air and are carried over oceans and mountains before landing.

The crab spider hides in a flower and waits for an insect to land and then captures it. It not only looks like a miniature crab, but it can also walk backwards and sideways like a crab. Some crab spiders change their color to match the flower they are hiding in.

The many spiders all over the world and their amazing ways are fascinating examples of the wonders of God’s creation. They show us that the little things as well as the big things of life are all under His watchful care. It is good for us to remember that we are also under His care and that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3)

Messages of God’s Love 4/11/2021

Eddie and the Pears

Eddie and his neighborhood friends were walking home from school one afternoon. As usual, there was a lot of playful teasing along with daring one another to do silly things. As they walked along the road in the warm sunshine, they saw some pear trees on the other side of a fence. The ripe fruit looked and smelled so good! “Hey,” one of the boys said in a low voice, “let’s climb the fence and pick a few pears! I don’t see the owner anywhere around. And besides, he won’t miss them.”

No sooner had he spoken than all of them, including Eddie, hopped the fence and quickly climbed up the trees. As Eddie was about to steal some fruit (for that is what they were doing), he suddenly remembered a Bible text that hung in their home: “Du Gud seest mig.” Can you understand that? Most of us don’t know Swedish, which is the language Eddie’s parents spoke, but you may know the English version of Genesis 16:13, “Thou God seest me.”

Genesis 16 tells the story of an Egyptian woman who ran away from her home and the woman she worked for. When God spoke to her out in the middle of the desert, she realized that He knew where she was and what she had done. He told her to go home, but also promised that He would take care of her. Eddie knew that God loved him and was watching him all the time, and so his conscience was bothering him. His parents had faithfully taught him that God doesn’t like stealing or lying or pride. All those bad things and many more are called sin.

One little girl I know asked her Mom to close the curtain in her room at night, so God couldn’t see her! She must have had a bad conscience like Eddie had as he sat up in that pear tree. We can’t hide from God, and we don’t need to! We can go right to the Lord Jesus and tell Him about our sins. He will take care of them and wash us clean in His blood, the blood that He shed when He died on the cross to save us. “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).

I am glad to tell you that Eddie slid quietly back down the tree that afternoon and hurried home without a single pear in his pocket. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). It is nice to know that the Lord, who loves us so much, is also looking to see any good things you are doing each day. Why don’t you let Him have the joy of seeing you do something good, out of love for Him, today?

Memory Verse: “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing whichis good.” Ephesians 4:28

Messages of God’s Love 4/18/2021

God's Books

We had just arrived in Boston by plane from Canada. We stood in line to go through the usual United States immigration check, just like we always did when flying into the United States. But this time there was a special check for criminals and terrorists. Each person had to step up alone to an official in uniform who had a special yellow book in front of him.

When my turn came, the official asked my name and I told him. He opened his book to a page that had a list of names. Then he asked where I was born. When I told him, he again checked in his book. Then he said, “OK, you may go now.”

I was very glad my name was not found in that yellow book or I would have been arrested.

God has books too. He has written down everything that every person in this world has ever said or done. Even what we think is written down in God’s books. Did you realize that when you tell a lie or take something that does not belong to you or disobey your mother, it is being written down in God’s book?

Someday God’s books will be opened. You will stand before Him and He will look up your name and read to you what He has written down. He knows everything about you, and you will remember that what He reads is all true. The Bible says this: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12).

God is very fair, and so He has the other book mentioned in this verse that He will look at too. It is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. When anyone accepts the Lord Jesus as their Savior, He gives them eternal life. As the Bible says in John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” Then their name is written down in that wonderful book, the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will never have to stand before God to be judged for their sins, because when they believe on the Lord Jesus, their sins are erased out of God’s other book. “I have blotted out [erased], as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins ... I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:22).

Is your name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life? or is it still in God’s other book?

Messages of God’s Love 4/18/2021

Wonder's of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders, Part3

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3

With more than 40,000 species of spiders in the world, there is a wealth of interesting details to investigate. Here are a few more spiders that do not spin webs:

The dune wolf makes its home in a sand tunnel and comes out to catch its food on the ground. The trap-door spider builds a tunnel in the ground, cementing the walls with glue and lining them with silk to make a cozy home. Over the opening, it makes a hinged door that opens and shuts as it comes and goes.

One of the most amazing is the water spider. It can walk or run on water but lives most of its life underwater in a silken nest. Working from a twig or stem above the water, it first forms a bell-shaped, air-tight balloon from its silk. It carries this down into the water and anchors it solidly. Scientists have now discovered that this balloon acts like a fish’s gill, taking oxygen from the water they are living in. The spider can sit in that bell for over 24 hours, only needing to dash to the surface to get more air once a day.

The fisher spider also gets its food from the water, but this one lives out in the open air. Although unable to swim, it can walk on the water because of hairy patches on its legs that hold air and make it buoyant. It chases insects on the surface but will dive down if something looks interesting below.

You might wonder how a spider could dive underwater and not drown. The secret is that it takes in air through the lower part of its abdomen. When ready to dive, air becomes trapped all over its hairy body, and with this it can breathe underwater for a long time. You would think the air bubble would make the spider float to the surface. However, the spider dives directly to some solid object where it hangs on with its legs and waits for a victim to swim by. It has been observed catching minnows and piercing them with poison before taking them to shore to eat.

Spiders are very beneficial to mankind, disposing of many flies, mosquitoes and other harmful insects. They all tell of God’s wonderful plan in creation and the way He has provided for the individual needs of each one of them.

But more important than all this is what God says of you and me: “I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). But we cannot be to His glory unless we are His children through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you, through faith, accepted Him as your very own Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 4/18/2021

Sonya's Friend

It was a crisp Sunday afternoon in mid-autumn. Sonya lifted her hand and caught a red leaf as it floated downward to the dusty, unpaved street. She was glad for this quiet part of the city and for a chance to be alone after chattering all afternoon with her university friends.

Sonya lived several years ago in the country of Moldavia, a country that borders on Romania, and whose name got changed to Moldova in 1991 when it got its independence and the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic came to its end. But at the time of this story, Sonya’s father was a high-ranking Communist official, and her mother was also very active in the Communist party.

As Sonya walked along, she began to hear music — beautiful singing. It seemed to come from a yard completely surrounded by a high board fence with a heavy wooden gate. She had never heard such sweet melodic song before, so full of warmth and joy. She pushed the gate open a crack and looked inside.

In the middle of the yard sat a modest house that served as a meeting place for a Christian group. Sonya could see that the house was bursting with people because a large overflow crowd stood in the yard.

Some of them noticed Sonya as she peeked in through the gate. “Come in!” they said. Sonya followed timidly as some men pushed a narrow path through the crowd for her. Once inside the building they helped her find a place to stand where she could see and hear more easily.

Although at first somewhat fearful, Sonya quickly found herself caught up in the spirit of the meeting. She enjoyed the singing of the crowd immensely. Then when the preacher began to speak, she listened attentively. For the first time in her life she heard the Bible read and the gospel message presented — God’s love to lost, ruined man in the gift of His dear Son. She heard that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that salvation is only obtained through His blood shed in death upon the cross.

At the close of the service, the speaker invited any to remain who wished to be saved and to follow the Lord Jesus. Compelled by an inner urge, the work of the Spirit of God, Sonya pushed her way to the front to join four other young people.

Then with tears streaming down her young face, she told them all:

“Friends, all my life I have been told there is no God. In school I was told that religion was for the old, uneducated, illiterate and superstitious babushkas who were still living in the past. In my atheistic home, my parents scoffed at the idea of God and ridiculed those who believed in Him.

“Yet my life was not happy. It was empty and without purpose. In my despair I turned to my friends and told them about my emptiness and search for some kind of meaning and fulfillment in my life.

“Some of my friends sympathized with me and confessed that they, too, were going through the same difficulties, that their lives were just as empty and meaningless as mine.

“Other friends of mine laughed at me and ridiculed my search for some meaning to life. They told me that one only goes through life once, so I should get everything I could out of it — eat, drink and be merry, because tomorrow we will all be dead. But I was not satisfied with their advice, and I continued my search for something that would fill the void in my heart.

“Today, dear friends,” she continued, “for the first time in my life I found exactly what I was searching for. I heard that there is a God, that He loves me, and that He will forgive my sins. I can have peace and joy and wonderful hope of eternal life. My search has come to an end. This is what I want. And from today on I want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.”

When Sonya left the meeting that night, she had no idea how soon her new commitment to the Lord Jesus would be tested. It happened as soon as she
got home.

Usually her parents paid little attention to her. They did not question where she spent her time, nor seem to care when she came home very late. But this night her parents were waiting for her.

“Where have you been?” her father asked. The parents’ unexpected attentiveness caught Sonya off guard, but she managed to answer honestly. “I have been to a religious service.”

Both parents stared at her in silence, their burning eyes reflecting both shock and amazement. “And what happened there?” her father finally said in icy tones.

“I became a Christian!” Sonya found strength to reply.

At this both angry parents stood up and began to yell, mocking Sonya and cursing her. When her father became so enraged that he began to strike her, she had to flee from home.

Sonya did not come back home until her parents had cooled off. After several days they permitted her to return, but she lived under the cloud of their bitterness. Why shouldn’t they be bitter? they reasoned. Their only child would never make them proud of her as a good atheistic Communist. She had “ruined her life.”

Shortly after, officials at the university heard of Sonya’s conversion. They tried to force her to reject her faith and give up Christ. But her Savior stood by her and strengthened her. When she refused to give up the Lord Jesus, they expelled her from the university.

Sonya’s steadfastness brought her persecution from school and government officials and rejection from her relatives and former friends. But to her, Jesus, the Son of God, who loved her and gave Himself for her, was her dearest Friend, worth far more than anything she had lost. The great desire of her heart now was to live for Him, to follow Him, and to wait for His coming from heaven. She could have said, with the Apostle Paul, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Does the Lord Jesus Christ mean anything to you? I hope you know Him as the Friend Sonya found Him to be.

Memory Verse: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:8

Messages of God’s Love 4/25/2021

Wonder's of God's Creation: Breathing and Eating, Part 1

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

What a marvelous creation the human body is, designed by our Creator who makes no mistakes. Let’s look at the importance of the nose, mouth and throat in the life of each of us, for it is through them that necessary air for our lungs and food for our stomachs reach the vital parts of our bodies.

The nose certainly is easy to see, but it is much more complex than it appears, for it is made up of a combination of parts working together. Its main purpose is to warm and cleanse the air we breathe, but it also has other functions, including the sense of smell and enhancing the sense of taste.

Air enters the nose through two openings called nostrils. The soft inner linings of the nostrils, like the rest of the airway, contain many small glands which secrete mucus onto the surface. This surface is also covered with tiny hairs called cilia. These are extremely important since their job is to filter incoming air, trapping dust, bacteria and other impurities that would be harmful to our lungs. These tiny hairs wave back and forth constantly, moving the trapped impurities on down to the throat and then to the stomach, which knows how to dispose of them.

Helping the cilia do their work are four groups of sinuses. Some of these are located above the nose and secrete small amounts of mucus into the nostrils to moisten them and aid in the filtering process. Part of this moisture from the mucus is added to the air we inhale as it is warmed in the nose, so it will be just right for the lungs. Other sinuses located above and beside the nose also assist in this task.

Of course, there are times when a cold virus or allergies make it difficult to breathe through the nose, and then we have to breathe through the mouth. This is a wonderful provision of the Creator, for otherwise we couldn’t get enough air under such conditions to keep us alive. However, breathing through the nose is the best way to prepare the air for the lungs.

As our opening verse says, the very first breath that gave life to Adam was breathed into his nostrils by the Lord God. This was not true of any other creature, and mankind has always had a special place in God’s thoughts.

When God reads your heart, does He find that you have special thoughts toward Him too? He has done so much for you in providing His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be your Savior if you will only trust in Him. Your thoughts should be of true thankfulness and acceptance of His wondrous gift of salvation.

Messages of God’s Love 4/25/2021

A New School

We had just moved from Iowa to California. The day had come when I had to go to a new school for the first time. I missed my teacher back in Iowa, Miss Macnab. She read us great stories and always showed us the pictures in the book. When I fell down on the playground and hurt my knee, she cleaned up my knee and made it feel much better. Miss Macnab had given me a nice spiral notebook when I had to tell her “bye” so I’d have it to take to my new school on this first day. She said that she would always remember me. Now I had the spiral notebook she had given me, and I remembered it as I walked with my mother
to school.

Everything was so different in this part of California than in Iowa. The backyards were much smaller, and there were tall walls around each yard. I was used to no fences and huge backyards. In Iowa I could hear the mooing of cows every day, and I could see large fields of corn as they grew in the summer. I knew everybody’s name on my street and when I went to the grocery store with my mother, I knew everybody there too. I knew nobody in California. Suddenly I heard my mother say, “Okay, I’ll be here to pick you up after school. I hope you meet new friends and enjoy your new teacher. I’ll be anxious to hear all about it when I come for you.” We had arrived at school and I had to face the day alone. Then I remembered the Bible verse we had read at dinner the night before: “I am with you alway[s]” (Matthew 28:20). I knew that meant the Lord Jesus was always with me, so I knew I wasn’t really alone.

I hesitated at the doorway of my new classroom. The other children squeezed by me like I wasn’t there, as they happily laughed and talked to each other. I felt a shiver down the back of my neck. But then my new teacher came up to me and said, “Welcome, Jane, to our class!” She took my hand and showed me to my new seat. I saw a box of crayons on my desk that were all sharp and shiny, two new pencils with little horse-shaped erasers, and a new spiral notebook with a cow on it — just like the cows I saw every day back in Iowa!

Lunch time came and I saw I was the only one who had a lunch box. The other children all had brown paper bags for their lunch. I was afraid they were going to laugh at me for being different. This was hard! Then I heard a friendly voice, as a girl with long braids sat down next to me with her lunch. She said, “Hi, I’m Allison. I like your lunch box. It holds more food than my bag does. Where are you from?” I told her that I was from Iowa. She said she heard they grew really good corn in Iowa because that is where her mom was from. Wow! She liked my lunch box and had heard of Iowa! I secretly said a little prayer: “Thank You, Lord Jesus! Thank You for making California not so scary and for being with me!”

We went out for recess and Allison told me I could be on her team in kickball. I started having fun playing and laughing with the other children, and I got in a kick that scored well for our team! The other kids cheered for me and said, “Nice job kid!” I surprised myself when I heard myself say, “Thanks! My name is Jane.” I remembered that the teacher had told them that, but they probably hadn’t
been listening.

Soon the teacher called everyone to line up to choose new teams for volleyball. I knew I was pretty good at volleyball, but when you fell down in Iowa, you were on a grassy field. Here in California it was on asphalt and that would really hurt. Just then I heard my name called as I was picked for a team. As we played, I found it was much easier to run to hit the ball on asphalt than grass, and the tall fences kept the ball from going far when hit out of bounds.

The bell rang and it was time to go back to class. After we were settled, my new teacher started to read us a story. Then she showed us the pictures that went with the story, just like Miss Macnab!

Before I knew it, it was time to go home. As we left the classroom in a line, I could see my mother standing out on the sidewalk, right where she’d said she’d be. I had such an exciting day to talk about! The Lord had helped me every moment of that day that I was dreading so much!

The Bible says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:1,4). Children, are you facing some hard or different situations in your life right now? Remember that you can ask the Lord Jesus, who is the Good Shepherd of all who know Him, to help you. He is able to comfort and help you, because He loves you and is always with you!

Memory Verse: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Messages of God’s Love 5/2/2021

Wonder's of God's Creation: The Mouth Does More Than Talk, Part 2

“Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments [instructions].” Psalm 119:73

The mouth is a very efficient part of the head and contains things that are most essential to everyday living. These include the teeth that God perfectly designed to help digest the food we eat.

As the mouth closes on a bite of food, chewing immediately begins. The tongue quickly becomes active, moving the food from side to side and gradually working it back from the sharp front teeth (incisors and cuspids) to the bicuspids and finally to the molars, which finish the chewing process. All this time saliva has been added to the food, so that when the food is ready to be swallowed, it is also moist enough to safely pass into the throat and then on down to the stomach.

At the back of the mouth where the nasal passage opens into the throat, there could be danger of the tongue pushing food up into that airway, which could cause problems. However, the Creator designed a separation, called the palate, which prevents this from happening. This palate actually forms the roof of the mouth. At the front it is hard and rigid, but in the back, it is soft and elastic.

Another precaution against food going the wrong way after it has been chewed is a safety valve (uvula) attached to the soft palate and hanging down. When you swallow, this uvula, along with the soft palate, blocks off the entrance to the rear nasal passage, preventing food or liquid from going the wrong way.

On either side of the uvula are the tonsils. These help destroy harmful bacteria that have entered the body.

Your lips are the first thing to touch food entering your mouth. They are very sensitive and help signal if something may be too hot or cold. They are important to speech and singing, as well as visually showing the kind of mood you may be in — cheerful, sad, frightened or surprised. The tongue, which covers the whole floor of your mouth, is the main organ of taste and detects whether something is sweet, sour, bitter, salty or tasteless.

Doesn’t it seem strange that when the nose and mouth have such important functions, we scarcely ever think about them? How good the Creator has been to provide these parts that continue to function automatically each day, with rarely a conscious thought from us. Who but God could form each part of our bodies in such wonderful ways?

“Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. ... Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:3-4).

Messages of God’s Love 5/2/2021

Jake the Horse

Ellen and Rose loved their old horse, Jake. The girls were small enough that Jake could easily take them and a couple of their friends all for a ride at the same time. When Jake got tired, he would just lie down on the ground. That was his signal that he had carried them long enough. Then the girls would hop off, give Jake a hug, and go do something else.

One evening Dad had a talk with the two girls. “Jake has been a good horse and we all love him, but he’s too old to take you riding anymore. We’re going to put him out to pasture. You girls can visit with him, but I don’t want you to ride him anymore.” The girls were sad, but they understood that they were getting bigger and Jake was getting older.

A few days later Ellen invited several of the neighbor children to her house to play. They’d had a happy time, but now it was getting late and the sky was clouding over. Ellen’s mother came out to see how the children were getting along, and when she saw the dark clouds, she said, “I think you children had better go home now. It certainly looks like it’s going to rain.” Then she
went inside.

Jake was standing in the field near where the children were playing. Ellen thought, It will be okay if we ride Jake just this once to take my friends home. Of course, the children were glad to have a ride home. So they saddled Jake, and Ellen got her old metal-handled umbrella. Then she and the neighbor children climbed up on Jake’s back. When they were almost to the children’s driveway, Jake lay down, and the children jumped off and ran the rest of the way home in the rain.

Ellen tried to get Jake back up, but Jake was tired. Ellen’s conscience was bothering her. She knew she was disobeying her dad, and she felt sorry for Jake too. But it was raining harder now with lightning and thunder.

“Come on, Jake,” she coaxed. “We’ve got to go home.” Finally Jake got up and Ellen climbed on again, resting the metal handle of her old umbrella on his back and snuggling down under its shelter as best she could.

If I can just get Jake back in the barn, Ellen thought, Dad will never know I rode him. But the longer Ellen rode Jake, the more her conscience bothered her. She knew she was disobeying her dad, even if it had been to help her friends. “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

She urged Jake to keep going. At last they were in the pasture, almost to the barn. Rain was pouring down and lightning was flashing, but Ellen felt better. The barn was so close. Now nobody would know how naughty she had been. Just then Jake shuddered and crumpled to the ground, dead.

Ellen jumped off and undid the bridle. That was pretty easy to take off. But tugging as hard as she could, she wasn’t able to get the saddle out from under the heavy old horse. She ran into the house, calling for Rose. Together they pulled and tugged and finally got the saddle off. The girls dried it, hung it in the barn and went in the house.

When Dad came home, he said, “I guess old Jake’s gone.” Ellen heaved a sigh of relief ... her sin hadn’t been discovered. Then she heard Rose saying, “Yes, Ellen rode on him today and he just got too worn out and died.” Now Ellen was in real trouble, not only for disobeying, but for trying to cover it up.

Sometimes we can hide our sins from other people, but we can’t hide our sins from God, not even one of them. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). Not only does God see every one of our sins, but Romans 14:12 tells us that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” What are you going to do about your sins?

The next morning when Dad went out to bury Jake, Ellen went with him. As they looked lovingly over the old horse, Dad noticed an unusual swelling where the bridle had been. As he looked more closely, he saw that Jake had been badly burned. The metal handle of Ellen’s umbrella had acted as a lightning rod and drawn the lightning down through Jake and into the ground. Jake had saved Ellen from being struck by lightning!

Tears were running down Ellen’s face. “Jake, you died for me. You kept me from being killed by lightning,” she sobbed.

Because of our sins and disobedience, the Lord Jesus died for us. “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). But the Lord Jesus is no longer dead. God has raised Him from the dead and He is sitting at God’s right hand in heaven, and we can pour out all our love on Him. That is what He wants — sincere thanks and worship from our hearts. Do you believe that His death on Calvary’s cross was for your sins? Have you thanked Him today for dying for you and giving you eternal life?

Memory Verse: “Every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12

Messages of God’s Love 5/9/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Throat's Part of Our Lives, Part 3

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

In the last two articles we have looked at how the nose and mouth serve us. After their work is done, the throat (pharynx) takes over. Food on its journey from the mouth to the stomach passes through the pharynx. The pharynx is about five inches long and is connected to the tube (esophagus) that leads to the stomach. Air from the nose also travels down part of the pharynx on its way to the voice box (larynx) and then to the windpipe (trachea). So part of the pharynx is used for both food and air.

At the point where the pharynx divides into two tubes, one taking air to the lungs and the other taking food to the stomach, the Creator has provided an amazing safety valve (epiglottis) to keep the air and food separate from each other. When no food is on the way, the valve allows the air to pass along to the voice box, windpipe and lungs, but keeps it out of the food tube. But when food is present, this wonderful valve shuts off the part to the windpipe, and the food goes down the correct tube to the stomach. But not always. Sometimes when we laugh or talk while swallowing, food does accidentally enter the larynx, and then we choke until the food is removed
by coughing.

The voice box (larynx) is an important part of the throat. It enables us to talk and sing. It has two vocal cords through which air from the lungs is forced when we talk. These cords are usually relaxed, but speaking or singing draws them close together, and as air is forced through, they vibrate to make a great variety of sounds. The amount of passing air and the tightness of the cords determine the sound. This means that when talking or singing, the cords have to change their tightness over and over instantaneously.

Of course, forming words and music also requires the use of the tongue, mouth and even our teeth. But how wonderful it is to think how all these cooperate to work so perfectly. Animals can make sounds, but they cannot speak or sing as we do. Birds can produce God-given melodies delightful to hear, but they cannot compose any other music. It is only mankind that has this ability, and that is because of the kindness of our Creator in making it possible.

When we consider all the ways God has provided for us, surely we should let our vocal cords bring forth songs and prayers of praise and thanksgiving to Him, as our opening verse tells us.

Messages of God’s Love 5/9/2021

A Little Too Close

“That’s a little too close!” said Mrs. Bailey to her husband, as they heard the terrible screech of metal scraping metal. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey were an older couple and today they were on their way home after doing some shopping. While driving towards home, kindly Mr. Bailey noticed a car parked by the side of the road.

Turning to his wife he said, “I wonder if that car and driver are having a difficulty of some kind and could use some help? Please roll down your window and we’ll pull up close and ask.” Sadly, he pulled a little too close to the car and scraped it all the way down. Not only that, he ended up taking off the bumper! There was no one in the car (it was simply a parked car by the side of the road) and they were horrified to hear the scraping all the way down the length of the car, as well as the bumper pulled off, so, in their panic, they just hurried home, pulling the bumper attached
by a wire.

As they entered their driveway, they pushed a button in their car that would put up the garage door. Fearing that surely someone was after them, they put the garage door down as quickly as they could. This, however, left the bumper, still attached to their car by a wire, sitting on the other side of the garage door in their driveway, in plain sight for all to see. Then they entered their home through the garage and just sat in the living room in fear, expecting the police to come and give them a ticket, and perhaps even put them in jail.

Children, I don’t know what the end of the story was for the Baileys. But this story made me think of how there might be one of you who feels really bad about something you did, but you have never told anyone. It bothers you, and you just wish it would go away! Did you know that God knows all about it? Yes, in Psalm 139:2 it says He even knows our thoughts before we think them! So, do you think we can hide anything from God? If we can’t hide our thoughts, then we know we also cannot hide our actions, can we? Genesis 16:13 says, “Thou God seest me.” Certainly, the God who made you and me sees everything we do and knows every thought we have, just like the Baileys’ big mistake was in plain sight for all who came by to see.

But we have good news! God who sees and knows everything is the very same God who loved you so much, even with all of your sins, that He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world to die on the cross for your sins. He died to pay the penalty for our sins, wrong thoughts and anything else that would keep us out of heaven. Why don’t you confess to Him right now that you are a sinner and need Him to save you? He loves you very much and is waiting for you to come to Him. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

Memory Verse: “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.” Psalm 139:2

Messages of God’s Love 5/16/2021

Fake Lettuce

Several years ago, our garden was producing lettuce generously, and we often made fresh salads to eat as a meal. One evening, as we were enjoying our salads, Dad had trouble chewing one bite. No matter which teeth he tried to chew it with, how hard he chewed, or how long he chewed, he could not even tear through the leaf of lettuce in his mouth. At first, he thought that my sister and I were playing a joke on him, but when we denied it, the faint humor of the situation was gone. He took the leaf out of his mouth and ... it was fake! None of us were responsible for putting it in Dad’s salad, and we were all puzzled about how it got there. Later, we found out that as our next door neighbor shook out her fake plants to get the dust off the leaves, she lost one leaf and it landed in our garden. It looked so similar to our home-grown lettuce that it was “harvested” along with the real lettuce.

Just like the fake lettuce leaf blended in with the real lettuce leaves in our salad, maybe you are “blending in” with the Christians around you, but you haven’t received the Lord Jesus as your own Savior. Maybe you think that you can do good, regularly go to meet with other Christians, maybe even give money to missionaries, and you will make it to heaven that way. However, God’s Word tells us that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). All the good things we do aren’t even good in God’s sight until we are one of His children. The fake leaf went unnoticed until Dad tried to eat it, and you may go “unnoticed” until you stand before God one day and your name is not found in the Lamb’s book of life. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “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). When you stand before God, as one who has rejected His free gift of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus, it will be too late to repent and accept Jesus’ finished work on the cross. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). I hope you will come to the Lord Jesus to save you today!

Messages of God’s Love 5/16/2021

Wonder's of God's Creation: What's Under Our Feet?, Part 1

“Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain.” Isaiah 45:18

In our busy lives, most of us don’t think about what is below the ground or under the bottom of the ocean ... unless an earthquake or volcano gets our attention. But there are many things down there known to man, while we can only guess at other things. What we do know for certain is that “in the beginning God created the heaven [atmosphere and starry skies] and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We also know that He had a purpose in this creation, not only for His own pleasure, but for the benefit of mankind and the other creatures He was to place in it.

Genesis 1:2 tells us the earth which God had created in perfection was “without form, and void.” Though there are some things about creation that God in His great wisdom has not told us, we do know that He took great pleasure in preparing the heavens and the earth with its many elements to sustain plant, animal, and, of greatest importance to Him, human life. He prepared such things as gold, silver and other minerals, coal, gas and oil, along with gems of all kinds, formed under the surface for the use of mankind. He outlines six days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis.

Water, one of these vital elements, covers about 70% of the earth’s surface, making a beautiful scene from space. The greatest depth of around 36,000 feet is in the Pacific Ocean. Incidentally, the bottoms of the oceans are not flat but have valleys and mountains, and some mountains under the ocean are higher than the tallest mountains on land. Many islands of the seas are actually the tops of such peaks.

If you could bore a hole straight through the middle of the earth, it would be almost 8,000 miles long, while the distance around the equator covers about 25,000 miles. Earth is not the largest planet, but it is the most important since it is the only one on which God has placed mankind and other forms of life. Here He provided just the right amount of heat and light from the sun, a perfect composition of air for sustaining life, ample water for every need, plus a balance of night and day to meet the requirements of life. Consider also the perfect strength of gravity to hold things in place and yet allow them to be moved as needed. On any other planet, lower gravity would make you too light, or higher gravity would make you uncomfortably heavy. These are just a few of God’s benefits to us in His marvelous creation.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 5/16/2021

Rafa Runs

“Rafa, stop! Stop! Come back!” I yelled as he ran away from me down the long road at the entrance of the park.

I had borrowed a big pickup truck and had stuck Rafa, my small Shetland Sheepdog in the bed of the truck with a cap over it. My two sons, Arvids and Johnny, also came along with me. We drove for about 15 minutes, making many turns as we went. Rafa wasn’t big enough to look over the sides of the truck and out the windows to see where we were going.

I didn’t realize how much the new experience of being jostled around in the back of the bouncy pickup truck had upset Rafa. But I was about to find out.

It was a gray winter day with low-hanging clouds. The part of the park we drove to was mostly grasslands left in their natural state. I parked beside the road. Opening the tailgate of the truck, I lifted Rafa out and set him on the ground. I let go of him for a second to grab his leash, and that little dog took off running down the road. I called out to him to stop, but he kept going. He wasn’t playing or anything. He didn’t like the truck ride, and now, upset, he was running home! Nothing was going to stop him. The only problem was that he didn’t know which way to go! In his mind he probably thought all roads lead
to home.

“Johnny, Arvids,” I yelled to the boys, “run after him and see if you can catch him!” They run faster than I do with my bad knee. But Rafa had a big lead and he wasn’t slowing down for them.

How do I know Rafa was running for home? Because he was a homebody. He loved his home far better than any other place in the world. In his mind there were two places in the world, home and not home, and I knew he wanted to be home.

I jogged behind trying to catch up with the boys chasing the dog. Rafa never slowed down, so the boys really had no chance of catching him. After running a block down the road, Rafa turned to the left into the tall grasslands of the park. The grass was thick, winter brown, and about three feet tall. Whatever made him decide to turn into the grass, I don’t know. He must have thought home was in that direction. In the grass he became hard to see. Once in a while we could see a patch of black fur moving through the grass. He ran straight ahead, not turning to the left or right, like a dog on a mission. The boys tried to follow him in the grass. Straight as an arrow he ran for a quarter of a mile.

That silly dog! If he kept going he would never find his way home again. In fact, he would end up getting lost far from the home he loved.

We would have lost him for sure, but then something fortunate for us happened. He ran straight into a giant briar patch. The stickers and thorns of this patch were so close together that it stopped Rafa in his tracks. It was too big a patch for him to easily get around. He paused there to catch his breath and my boys caught up to him. They picked him up and carried him back to me. It was a close call. We had almost lost him! When they got back, I put the leash on him and then we all took our walk through the park.

We were fortunate to catch the little fellow. Do you know that little dog is not very different from a lot of human beings? A lot of us have confidence that we know the way home to heaven when we really don’t have a clue. We just kind of start going in any direction, thinking we will be fine in the end. The problem with that is that we are sinners running away from God and not to Him.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). There are a lot of people who have a lot of confidence that the way they are going through life is just fine, and they don’t know that the way they have chosen to travel is leading them to death.

I loved my little dog, but his thinking he could get back home by running off in any direction was not a good idea. It is also not a good idea for sinners to think that they may live any way they want and still get to heaven.

The dog was stopped by running into a giant briar patch. The tangled stems of thorns and stickers were too thick for him to get through. Sometimes, God lets us run into a hard thing in our lives. It gets us to slow down and maybe to start thinking about what is most important in life. If it were not for the troubles in our lives, many of us would never come to the Savior.

Are you thinking you can live any way you want and you will still get to heaven? It just isn’t going to happen. In order to give us a home in heaven, God sent His Son into the world. The Lord Jesus gave His life so that all who have gone the wrong way, away from Him, may still find forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Because He died and rose again, the Lord Jesus is the way to heaven. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He said (John 14:6). You can’t get to heaven any way you choose, but you can get there through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How about turning your heart to Him who gave His life for you? Only then can you have complete confidence that the way you are going will bring you home to heaven.

Believe in Jesus Christ, and then run towards God, and not away from Him. Start living for Him every day, in every way.

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

Messages of God’s Love 5/23/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: What's Under Our Feed?, Part 2

“Happy is he ... whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is.” Psalm 146:5-6

We are naturally curious to know what is underneath our feet. Some answers have been provided by scientific exploration. The outer crust of the earth, for instance, is not the same in every place, but in general it is about 18 miles deep on land and only about 3 miles deep under the ocean floors.

It is the soil of this crust that the Creator prepared to nourish plant life. At various depths, but still within the crust, coal, oil, minerals and gems are found in abundance. This indicates how liberally He has provided for generations before us, ourselves, and those generations that may come after us.

Below the crust is a layer about 1800 miles thick called the mantle. Scientists believe this is where big earthquakes start, as well as volcanos that break right through the crust and release their fiery lava, steam, smoke and ashes from mountaintops. Such forces have been known throughout history and in our present time. Mount St. Helens in Washington State is a fairly recent example (1980), and constant eruptions on the Island of Hawaii are another. Frequently we hear of disastrous earthquakes in South America, Mexico, Asia and even in the state of California. There is no sure way to tell exactly where or when any of these events may happen again.

Finally, at the center of our earth is the core. Scientists presume it has a cover of molten metal over 1,000 miles thick surrounding it, and they also presume the great core itself is made of solid iron or nickel or a mixture of both. However, no one knows for sure. This is something only the Creator knows.

Volcanos, earthquakes, strong winds and rain do make some changes in the surface of the earth, but they are not of too much consequence. The world will remain essentially the same until God’s judgment falls on it, because of man’s sinful departure from Him. That is the time of which the Bible says: “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Before that judgment comes, He will take all those who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior to heaven. Later He will recreate a world of unspoiled beauty where sin will never mar it again. However, those who have refused the Savior’s love will never see this new beauty, because hell will be
their destiny. These are true and serious thoughts. Are you sure your eternity will be in heaven?

Messages of God’s Love 5/23/2021

The Moose and the Swing Set

Dean Tanner of Anchorage, Alaska, looked out his window one morning and was a little surprised to see that his daughter’s swing set was no longer in the backyard. Now this was no ordinary swing set, because he had built it. It was 14 feet long and 10 feet high and made of heavy lumber. Someone had gone to a lot of work to steal that heavy, bulky swing set. Mr. Tanner’s first thought was to call the police and report the stolen swing set, so that’s what he did.

After calling the police, Mr. Tanner went out into the yard to look around. He found tracks in the snow made by the swing set’s heavy lumber as it was being dragged away by the thieves.

As Mr. Tanner turned the corner to the side of the house, he stopped and stared in amazement! There was the swing set lying in the driveway, and lying beside it was the thief. With his horns all tangled up in the swing chains lay a rather tired-looking bull moose!

Mr. Tanner and his daughter tried to get near to untangle the moose, but he was a very unhappy bull moose and would not let them get too close. So, they called the Fish and Wildlife Department about their problem. They sent one of their workers who came and shot a tranquilizer dart into the animal.

When the moose began to get sleepy, they quickly untangled the swing chains from his horns. Then the worker gave him another shot to wake him up, and in a few minutes he got to his feet and ran back into the bush.

Boys and girls, this poor old moose is a picture of you and me. Because our sins have separated us from God, we are all tangled up in Satan’s chains of sin. And no matter how much we struggle or how hard we try, we can’t get free from those chains. We just drag all our sinful ways and habits along with us. But there is Someone who wants to cut off those chains of sin for us. The Lord Jesus Christ came here for that very purpose! Only He had the power to defeat Satan, untangle those chains of sin, and set us free. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6).

If you are still tangled up in your chains of sin, let Jesus set you free from sin and its terrible end, which is everlasting darkness. Will you tell Him about your sins and that you want Him to take them away? He will set you free and give you peace and joy in your heart. “If the Son [Jesus] therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Memory Verse: “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6

Messages of God’s Love 5/30/2021

Shop Class

Charles was a young Christian in high school. He always took his New Testament to school and often told his friends and classmates about the Lord Jesus Christ who came into this world to save sinners. Because of this, he was sometimes ridiculed and called “Holy Chuck.”

One afternoon in shop class as the students were working on their projects, one boy yelled out, “Hey, Holy Chuck, let me have your Bible and I’ll preach a real nice sermon!” The others laughed, but Charles calmly handed the boy his New Testament and said, “Okay. Why don’t you read to us from the Gospel of Luke in chapter 16, starting at verse 19.”

And so the boy found the place, with a bit of difficulty, and started reading the story of two men: a poor man named Lazarus and a rich man, who had both died. Lazarus went to heaven, but the rich man was in hell. The boy became quite serious when he got to verse 23: “In hell he [the rich man] lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and [sees] Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that [you] in [your] lifetime [received your] good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and [you are] tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from [here] to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from [there].”

After he finished the chapter, you could have heard a pin drop. Something that had seemed so funny minutes earlier was no longer funny. The truth of God’s own Word could not be laughed at.

We don’t know if that boy or any of the others believed what had been read that day. But we would like to ask you if you have believed that there truly is a heaven and a hell? It means you have to decide ... where are you going after you die? The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). You will spend eternity in one of two places — either heaven or hell. You must decide if you want it to be heaven. If you do nothing, your decision is already made. Would you like to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus who loves you, in a wonderful place where all is light and love and happiness forever, living in God the Father’s house as one of His own children? Then believe what God says and admit to Him that you are a sinner, and then trust Jesus to save you from your sins by believing that His death on Calvary’s cross was for you.

If you do not come to God this way, then your eternity will be spent in the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. The Bible warns of the terror and unhappiness of hell: “There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:50).

Please stop and think that eternity is forever! Will you decide right now for everlasting life in heaven with a Savior who loves you? “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Messages of God’s Love 5/30/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: A Few Facts About the Oceans

“All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, [there] they return again.”
Ecclesiastes 1:7

This Bible verse gives us one of King Solomon’s wise observations. How marvelously the Creator designed, through the inflow of rivers and evaporation of ocean surfaces, that our oceans continue to have about the same levels since the Lord God first established them. About three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans, just the right amount to bring the greatest benefits to all.

Rain, as we know, is necessary for life to exist, and most of it comes from the evaporation of seawater into the atmosphere. Winds carry this moist air over the land, where the moisture falls as rain or snow. Much of the snow that falls on mountains remains until the summer sun melts it. The melting snow gradually fills streams, lakes and underground water sources with fresh water for all living things during hot, dry summer months. This should always be a reminder of how God cares for us and all His other creatures.

The oceans and the sun’s warmth combine to make the world a livable place. The great amount of water on earth helps moderate the earth’s temperatures. In summer the water absorbs heat from the sun and stores it until winter when it is released to reduce the chill of the air over the land. In summer this storehouse of water is cooler than the land air and, blown by the wind, again adds to the comfort of all.

Many things besides fish and other sea creatures are in the oceans. Chemicals and minerals, for instance, continuously deposited by rivers that empty into the oceans, bring millions of tons of gold, silver, manganese, iron and innumerable other elements into them, some of which are recovered for man’s use. For instance, the salt in the shaker on your dining room table may have come from the ocean. The saltiest seawater of all is in the Red Sea, and among the least salty is the surface waters of the polar seas, where huge icebergs form. As the icebergs slowly melt, they dilute the salty seawater.

The sea is more than five miles deep in some places in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, and many high mountains rise from those deep floors. The tips of some of these mountains protrude above the water to form islands, such as those in Hawaii, the Aleutians, the Marianas and others. Many of these islands make beautiful places to live.

Solomon, as indicated in our opening verse, was familiar with many of the wonders of the oceans. He also left this important message for us in the Bible: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It is important to know the Lord Jesus as the Creator, but more important to know Him as your Savior! Is this true of you?

Messages of God’s Love 5/30/2021

Beware!

John was a farmer. One hot day, he was disking — going back and forth across the field in his big tractor, turning over the soil so that it would be loose and fine and ready for planting.

That day, at break time, John went over to watch his farming partner digging a ditch with a backhoe. The big machine dug into the ground, scooping out huge piles of soil. As John watched, he spotted a couple of snakes. He was curious to find out what kind of snakes they were, so he picked them up and put them inside the toolbox on his tractor. Then he went back to work.

John kept working for several hours. Meanwhile, unknown to him, inside the closed tool box, which was near to the tractor’s warm, noisy engine, the snakes were becoming
extremely unhappy.

At supper time, John parked his tractor in the shop. Then he called to the other workers to come see the snakes he had caught. As he lifted the lid of the toolbox, immediately the snakes shot up out of the box, hissing angrily. John jumped down from the tractor, his heart beating wildly. He knew to get away as quickly as possible from snakes that were so angry!

Children, what would you think of someone playing with a dangerous snake? I’m sure you would say that is not a smart thing to do, but that it is smart to stay as far away from dangerous snakes as you can! The Bible teaches us that Satan is dangerous, and it calls him a serpent, which is a snake (Revelation 12:9). Just as it isn’t smart to play with a dangerous snake, it isn’t smart to play around with sin, which Satan wants you to do and tries to get you to do. If you think that you can “try out” sin just a little bit, to see what it is like, you will quickly find that it is far too powerful and dangerous for you. God’s Word, the Bible, always teaches us to “depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7), not to play around with it. It makes this even more clear in Proverbs 4:14-15, where it teaches us to do everything we can to stay away from evil — to “enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.”

John found out that one of the snakes he had caught was a very dangerous and poisonous water moccasin! He and his friends killed the snake, and they were thankful that none of them had been bitten by it.

All of us want to have a happy life. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34:12-14 that if we want a happy life, we should first “depart from evil.” Then it tells us positive things we can do. “Do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” God doesn’t leave us without knowing how to spend our time, and how to spend it very happily! There are good things He has planned for us to do. And there are ways even for children to seek peace and do things that help bring peace. One of those ways is to get along with your brothers and sisters if you have any. Another way is to share the good news about salvation through the Lord Jesus with your friends.

Memory Verse: “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14

Messages of God’s Love 6/6/2021

The Best Secret

Gretchen was eight years old. She was the daughter of a printer who was printing the German Bible translated by the famous Christian named Martin Luther. She spent a lot of time in the shop and was beginning to learn to read.

One day while in the shop, she picked up a little piece of paper which had these words on it: “For God so loved the world, that He gave ... ” These were the only words on the paper, but they were happy words to her. She had been taught that God was a great and fearful judge. This thought scared her. But here on this paper it said that “God so loved the world, that He gave ... ” What a wonderful thing! She had never heard anything like that before. To think that God loved the world was something quite new to her. She had only thought of Him as being very angry with the people of this world and of wanting to judge them and send them to hell.

She tucked the piece of paper in her dress, and during the days that followed she read it again and again. “God so loved the world, that He gave ... ” She wondered what it was that He gave. She didn’t realize it, but just the thought that God loved changed her whole life.

One day her mother said to her, “Gretchen, what has happened to you? What makes you so happy, child? You are so happy and cheerful lately.”

Gretchen took out her little piece of paper and showed it to her mother. “It’s the words on this scrap of paper that have made me so happy,” she said.

Her mother read it and then said to Gretchen, “I don’t understand. Gave what? What did God give? Where did you get this scrap
of paper?”

“It’s from God’s book,” explained Gretchen.

“I still don’t understand,” said her mother. “I don’t see how you can be so happy with what’s written on that paper. You don’t know what God gave.”

“Oh, Mother,” said Gretchen, her face filled with joy even more than before. “I don’t know what He gave, but if God so loved the world that He gave anything, I will never be afraid of Him again!”

Gretchen had discovered the most important “secret” there is, although she only knew about half of the story. I hope she soon learned to know what we know: that it was His Son that He gave. God so loved that He gave His only Son, whom He loved very much, to take the punishment for all our sins. This is the way God loves you. Does it make
you glad?

Here is the whole verse that Gretchen only saw part of: “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).

Messages of God’s Love 6/6/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part 1

“He [satisfies] the longing soul, and [fills] the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9

The body requires essential elements to keep it alive. Food, which comes through the basic elements of sunshine, rain and soil, is the only source of sustaining life (together with water) and God has given the body an ability to take the food we eat and change it into a usable form.

All food, to do us good, must find its way into our bloodstream, which then carries it to all the cells in our bodies. (You have more than 30 trillion of these cells.) But blood cannot carry and use large particles of food, so the all-wise Creator has provided a means of breaking food down into a liquid form which has microscopic particles. For this job He has given us a very efficient digestive system. Let’s look at the first part of it.

When food is not already liquid, it must become liquid, and this starts with the action of our teeth, especially designed to cut, tear and grind all solid food that comes into our mouths. The chewing process not only grinds the food into small particles, but it also mixes in special juices (called saliva) from the mouth. The tongue helps in this mixing process by keeping the food from being swallowed too quickly and by moving the food around and bringing it in contact with the teeth again and again. The tongue also senses the texture and taste of the food so that we can enjoy what we eat.

Chewing, with food broken up into very small bits and mixed with saliva, represents the first stage of the digestive system. At this stage, chemicals in the saliva called enzymes have already started to break down the starches in our food to simple sugars which the blood can use. It has also prepared the food for the next stage of digestion which takes place in the stomach.

If man were to try to make a system to digest food, he would need complicated machinery, chemicals and acids, but still could never do anywhere near the job carried on by our wonderful bodies, designed with utmost wisdom by God — another evidence of the wonders of His creation.

Knowing these amazing facts, we should be careful about the food we eat. Still, how much more should we be careful about what we feed our minds and hearts. Jesus said, “My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ... I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:32-33,35). May God give each of us a fresh appetite for the One who is the true bread from heaven!

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 6/6/2021

A Pony in the House

Star was a brown Shetland pony with a long white mane and tail. Right in the middle of his forehead was a spot of white that looked like a star, and that is how he got his name.

Star lived on a farm with lots of bigger horses, until one day a family called the Trumaines bought Star and took him to their house. They built a nice stable for Star that was just big enough for one pony. The Trumaine children — Elly, Sue, and their little brother Stu — soon loved Star. They fed him and brushed him. To them Star was the best pony in the whole world. Soon Star loved them too, because of all the loving care they gave him.

Elly and Sue worked patiently with Star and trained him to do different tricks. They could make Star kneel on his front knees like he was taking a bow. They trained him to rear up on his hind legs and remain standing on his two hind feet. They could even stand on his back, balancing while he slowly walked.

Sometimes they treated Star almost as if he were a person. One afternoon Elly thought Star needed a nap, so she did her best to make him comfortable. She brought out her own blanket and pillow and made Star lie down on his side. Then she put the pillow under his head and tucked the blanket in all around him. Star seemed to enjoy it even though ponies usually sleep standing up.

Another afternoon Elly came up with a strange idea. She decided Star should come into the house for a bowl of milk at the kitchen table! Sue didn’t think it was a good idea at all. “We’ll get into trouble, Elly!” Sue said.

Elly answered, “We were never told not to bring Star in the house. And besides, don’t you think Star deserves the very best we have? Anyway, Mom and Dad will never know. They won’t be home for at least another hour.”

It didn’t take much convincing from Elly for Sue to change her mind.

They led Star up the steps of the back stairway and through the back door. First, they gave Star a tour of the house, thinking that it was quite natural for the pony to be interested in the place where they lived.

Then they brought him into the kitchen where they poured milk into their mother’s favorite mixing bowl and set it on the table in front of Star. He was delighted and slurped it up with his long pony tongue. Star wasn’t very neat, so some of the milk splattered on the floor. Then when he was almost finished ... he sneezed and knocked the bowl off the table! It landed on the floor and broke with a crash!

Now the girls were in trouble. They decided it was time to take Star out of the house. They led him to the back porch, but he would not go back down the steps. The girls tugged on his lead rope, but he wouldn’t budge! Going up the steps had been easy, but going back down was a different matter. They tried standing at the bottom of the steps and pleading with Star to come down, but he just stood still, blinking his eyes. Star must have been afraid of falling.

In thinking over their problem, Sue remembered that the steps to the front door were wider. She suggested to Elly that maybe Star would walk down those steps. So, they led him to the front of the house. But no matter how hard they coaxed him, he would not go down those steps either.

The girls were almost in tears. They knew their parents would be home any minute, and they knew full well that they would be in more trouble than just over the broken bowl if their parents found Star in the house! They even tried coaxing Star with carrots and sugar cubes, but nothing worked. Star just would not go down the steps.

Just then the two girls saw their parents’ car pull into
the driveway.

Let’s stop here for a moment and think how the girls got themselves into trouble. It was easy to get Star up the steps and into the house, and didn’t the girls have a good time! But when it was time to take him back outside, they couldn’t get Star to go down the steps. It’s also easy for boys and girls to get into trouble, sin trouble. But how impossible it is for them to get out of it ... unless God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, helps them.

In fact, every person on earth (except the Lord Jesus) has gotten into sin trouble. The Bible tells us, “There is none righteous [good], no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and, “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). When a person sins, it’s as if they get a stain on their heart, and there is no way they can get rid of that ugly stain. But God has seen our need, and because He loves us so much, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross. There He bore all the punishment for the sins of anyone who will believe that Jesus died for them. That is why it is so important to believe in the Lord Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, His blood, which was shed on the cross, cleans us, once and for all, from every stain of sin and makes us ready for heaven.

It is very important to know this: One sin is enough to keep a boy or girl out of heaven, while a million sins will not keep a boy or girl out of heaven if they accept Jesus as their own Savior. If you have not yet accepted Him, now is the very best time to settle the matter. After you become a believer, why don’t you tell someone, like a friend or your parents, how you have accepted Jesus as your Savior.

Now it’s time to tell you what happened to Star and the girls. When Mr. Trumaine got to the house and heard the girls’ tearful story, he tied a blindfold over Star’s eyes. Then he carefully and slowly led him down the steps and then off to the stable where he belonged. Elly and Sue were so glad their daddy was able to get Star safely back to his stable. But they both did get in trouble, and never again did they think of bringing their pony into the house.

Memory Verse: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10

Messages of God’s Love 6/13/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part 2

“Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about.” Job 10:8

Job knew that everything inside him was made by a divine Creator and that the workings of his body didn’t “just happen.”

In the last article we thought about how our bodies need a continual supply of food, and how the body gets this food ready for its use, first of all, by the chewing process. After the food is properly chewed and moistened in the mouth, it is swallowed into the throat. Once it reaches that point, the eater has no more control over it, for everything then takes place automatically. The long tube between the mouth and stomach is known as the esophagus, where muscles push the food along to the stomach. Food remains in the stomach for three or four hours for further processing.

At this point we meet another miraculous structure that God has designed within us. The membrane of the stomach has about 35 million little glands that work together, making gastric juice, which, with enzymes and helpful bacteria, break down proteins and carbohydrates and manufacture all kinds of vitamins from the food. You didn’t know you had a vitamin factory inside you, did you?

Eventually, everything that entered the stomach becomes fluid (with very few exceptions), and when this has taken place, this organ has served its purpose. The liquefied food is then automatically passed along into the next stage of the digestive process, which takes place in the small intestine. The result of the empty stomach is that hunger is experienced and the appetite for more food is renewed. Mankind, in general, has taught himself to eat just three times daily, but most other living creatures must eat during almost all their waking hours in order to satisfy the needs of their bodies. Our kidneys, liver and other organs, which are eventually nourished by the food we eat, have very interesting functions as well. Thus, the body works together harmoniously just as God designed it to function.

The way in which food must pause for processing in various parts of the body reminds us that God’s holy Bible should be read with care. Through the Holy Spirit we will grow stronger spiritually as the living Word of God is digested. The Apostle Paul spoke of this when he wrote of being “nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6).

Never hurry when you read the Word of God. It is better to read a few verses and “hear what God the Lord will speak” than to read many verses in a hurry without time to think about what you are reading. Good advice for everybody is found in the verse: “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them” (1 Timothy 4:15). May our prayer be, “Feed me with food convenient for me” (Proverbs 30:8).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 6/13/2021

The Lost Cougar

The small town of Quilcene is just a few stores and homes huddled together at the base of the Olympic Mountains in the State of Washington. The steep slopes of these mountains are thickly covered with extremely tall evergreen trees. The beautiful mountain peaks are flecked with snow in summer and covered in deep snow in the winter. Most of these mountains are within the boundaries of the Olympic National Park, which covers thousands of square miles, and is just as wild as it was hundreds of years ago.

Hikers in the park often see wildlife such as bears, eagles and mountain goats. Cougars, or mountain lions, also live in the park, but they are rarely seen, as they like to keep their distance from humans. A person can hike in the mountains all their life and never see one of these beautiful animals.

However, one cougar recently left the park and wandered down the eastern slopes of the mountains looking for food. Cougar cubs usually stay with their mothers until they are 18 to 36 months old. During this time their mothers teach them how to hunt, along with other skills they need to survive. But for some reason, this young cougar, only about a year old, was on its own and not yet able to find the food it needed to stay healthy. As a matter of fact, it was starving. It only weighed about 35 pounds instead of the 100 pounds it should have weighed.

One night, it glided through the shadows of the buildings of Quilcene. Many a farmer or rancher in the area would have shot the cougar on sight if they had seen it prowling by their barns or stables.

As daylight approached, the cougar found what looked like a good place to rest. It saw an open gate to a large animal pen filled with hay. The weak cougar went in and made a nest in the hay.

Amazingly, the cougar had wandered into the one place where it would find the help it needed so badly. It had wandered into an animal rescue center! A worker there named Sara found the animal sleeping on the hay, and she saw at once how sickly and close to starving it was, almost ready to die. She took the little animal to a vet as quickly as possible, and it was so weak that it didn’t even fight them when they handled it. The vet gave it some shots and cleaned and bandaged some sores on its front leg. But Sara and the vet still thought the young cougar was so sick that it might not live, even with the very best care.

Sara took the cougar back to the animal rescue center, cared for it and made sure it had good food. For a few days she didn’t know if it was going to survive, but then it started putting on weight, and a week later it started snarling and growling whenever she approached its pen.

Sara was not upset about the cougar being angry and not appreciating all the care she gave it. She was happy, because she knew it was feeling better and acting like a healthy cougar would.

In Washington, cougars that are rescued cannot be released again into the wild, so Sara searched for a possible home for him. She found an animal refuge park in Florida that was willing to take him. She packed the little cougar up in an animal crate and shipped it to Florida, where he could live happily.

That young cougar wandering in the night, starving and unable to take care of itself, reminds me of what it’s like to be a lost sinner. Sinners are lost because their sins have taken them far from God. Sinners are hungry, too. I don’t mean hungry in their stomachs, but hungry in their hearts. They try to fill their hearts with things that were never meant to satisfy their heart hunger, but the more things they try, the emptier they feel.

Sinners also can’t take care of their sins on their own. They need someone bigger and stronger than themselves to take care of them. Thankfully, there is Someone who is ready to take care of every sinner! That Person is the Lord Jesus, who came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

If you are a sinner, you don’t have to stay in sin’s darkness a moment longer. You may come to the Lord Jesus, who is the Savior of sinners, and put your trust in Him right now. He wants you to. He gave His life so He could save you from your sins. He is the One who will satisfy your heart. He said, “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). He will never turn you away if you come to Him!

Memory Verse: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

Messages of God’s Love 6/20/2021

God Cares

My family likes to freeze a lot of fruits and vegetables in the summertime to enjoy during the winter. One year, as the space in our freezer was filling up fast, we started praying for a second freezer. One particular afternoon, my parents were talking about what to do and decided to pray about it again. As Dad and Mom finished praying, the phone rang. One of my mom’s aunts wanted to know if we could use another freezer, because she didn’t need a large one anymore. My family was so excited to see how God had faithfully and amazingly provided for us!

God is a wonderful provider. He provides for our physical needs of food, clothing and shelter, and He has also provided for our spiritual needs — the needs of our heart. When God created us, He knew that we would sin. Because God is perfect and cannot have sin near Him, our sin separates us from God. But God doesn’t want us to be separated from Him — He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to be His own sons and daughters, and He has provided a way. When Jesus came to earth many years ago, He died a cruel death, so that He could take the punishment for our sin. He rose from the dead three days later so that we can have eternal life. Some people choose to ignore God’s spiritual provision for them; they will have to bear their own punishment for sin — eternity in the lake of fire away from God. Don’t reject the wonderful provision that God is offering you today! “Behold, what manner of love the Father [has given] us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1).

Messages of God’s Love 6/20/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part3

“Now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20

When that sandwich, apple and cookie you had for lunch have finally been dissolved by the enzymes and acids of the stomach, it all moves into what is called the small intestine. Although it is actually 20 feet or more long, this long, tubular passage fits into a small area in a series of closely overlapping coils. How wonderfully God has designed all the parts of the body!

The upper part of this organ is called the duodenum. Its job includes neutralizing the highly acidic material coming from the stomach for the rest of the digestive system to handle. The pancreas, nearby, helps by sending along other fluids, as does the liver, which also has numerous other duties.

After more thorough breaking down in this part of the body, the food continues downward in the small intestine where complete and final digestion takes place. It is here that vital amino acids are made from the proteins that are found in the food we eat. Tiny blood and lymph vessels in the walls of the small intestine can now absorb this food. They carry it to the liver, where final refining takes place. Blood is enriched there with protein molecules, glucose, amino acids and other components, and then it goes into the general circulatory system. All of the cells of the body are fed with this nutritious product.

What’s left of the food, having now yielded up its storehouse of nutrition, passes into the large intestine, the colon. There is now nothing left but waste, and when this has been eliminated from the body, the entire process has been completed as far as these organs are concerned.

Isn’t it remarkable how these complex parts of the body process the food we have eaten? They all work automatically, helping each other, but never getting in the way of one another. Only God could create such a plan, put it into operation, and have it continue day after day, keeping the body alive and active, sometimes longer than 100 years.

Food that we eat takes care of our needs for a little while. But Christ is our heavenly food, and He gives eternal life to any who come to Him, willing to admit they are sinners and to accept Him as their Savior and Lord. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). Has this been your experience?

Messages of God’s Love 6/20/2021

Gertrude

Gertrude was not a girl, or a dog, or a cat, or even a gerbil. Gertrude was the name given to a cow by Gary, the farmer who owned her. How did she get a name like that? Well, it wasn’t her full name. She had earned the name Galloping Gertrude, but she was called Gertrude for short. She earned this name because she liked to run! She ran down roads, across fields and over (and sometimes through) fences. She seemed to like running to lots of places where Farmer Gary didn’t want her to go.

Gertrude was only one of many cows that Farmer Gary had on his farm. These cows all had calves each spring. Farmer Gary would keep the calves for a year and then sell them, but he kept the cows. Gertrude had been on the farm for about three years. Each spring she had a new little calf, and she was a good mother. One day it was time for Farmer Gary to move some of the cows with their calves from the barnyard to a pasture across the road. In the confusion of sorting out some of the cows and their calves, Gertrude’s calf was herded off to the pasture, but Gertrude was left behind with the other cows in the barnyard.

For almost two days Gertrude mooed and mooed in the barnyard. She couldn’t find her calf, and she was unhappy about that!

Hearing her mooing and not seeing her calf beside her, Farmer Gary realized what must have happened. He decided to move Gertrude to the pasture across the road to be with her calf again. That day some friends were at his house, and with their help, moving Gertrude should have been easy. There would be four people to direct one cow out the barnyard gate, down the lane, across the gravel road, and through the gate into the pasture where her calf was. They had plenty of time to move her that evening before it got dark.

But Gertrude got in trouble the minute she headed out the barnyard gate. She was supposed to turn right to go down the lane. Farmer Gary was standing on the left side, blocking her from turning that way. Across the lane from the barnyard gate, he had parked his pickup truck to block the opening into another field. Farther down the lane his wife and their friends would direct her across the road and through the pasture gate. All Gertrude had to do was quietly walk out of the barnyard, down the lane, and right into the pasture where her calf was waiting. It should have been easy because everyone was sure Gertrude wanted to find her calf.

But it didn’t happen that way! One thing led to another. First Gertrude ran right around the truck which was supposed to be blocking the opening into the other field. She ran all around that field with Farmer Gary running close behind her, trying to get her headed back to the lane. Then things got worse. Instead of going back through the opening to the lane, Gertrude found a break in the fence which led into a neighbor’s pasture. Running in that pasture, she got into more trouble. She stumbled headfirst into a creek, got up to continue on, breaking through several more fences, and ending up in the neighbor’s barnyard with their cows.

Gertrude had more problems now. Her wanderings had taken her into unfamiliar territory. The cows in the neighbor’s barnyard didn’t like her there and kept butting at her. Finally, she jumped over the fence. Free at last, she may have thought, but she wasn’t! She had jumped out of a cow lot into a pig lot. Gertrude, a clean, beautiful cow, had gotten in with a bunch of dirty pigs.

Farmer Gary was still following her, trying to guide her in the right direction. He patiently tried to direct her out of the pig lot onto the lane again, but Gertrude still wouldn’t cooperate. She jumped another fence, this time back onto Farmer Gary’s farm. She galloped across his field, over another fence, and out onto the lane. She galloped across the road and headed right to the pasture where she was supposed to go in the first place. But instead of going in through the opened gate, she jumped over the fence, breaking it in the process. At last, an hour later, she was in her home pasture with her own calf and friendly cows. But what a path of unhappiness and destruction she left behind — fences to mend, apologies to the neighbors, frustrations and tiredness on everyone’s part — all because she wanted to go her own way.

Boys and girls, do you know that God has only the best plans for you, if you will follow Him? First and most important, He wants to save you from your sins. Even though we are sinners, He has provided a way for each of us to enter heaven. The “gate” of heaven is entered by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, as our own Savior. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

After we are saved, He wants to guide us in His good plans for our lives. Often, though, we would rather go our own way, doing what we want to do. If we ask, “How can I know the way the Lord Jesus wants me to go?”, the answer is that it is found in God’s Word, the Bible. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). If we follow the directions that God gives us through the Bible, our path in this world will follow what He has planned for us.

Memory Verse: “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.” Jeremiah 29:11

Messages of God’s Love 6/27/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Glowing-Tailed Cornet

“God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.” Genesis 1:16

Astronomers say there are uncountable comets throughout space, with more than a trillion in our Milky Way galaxy alone and billions more circling the sun. Many of these are in gigantic elliptical orbits and take thousands or even millions of years to complete their circuits. Some comets have heads fifty thousand miles in diameter and tails one hundred million miles long.

Among these many comets, there are only about two dozen whose circuit brings them close enough to earth that we can see them. Encke’s comet appears every three years. Biela’s and Brooks comets show up at about seven-year intervals. Halley’s comet, the most well-known, comes within sight at 76-year intervals. It is the only one generally seen without special telescopes.

Halley’s is thought to weigh about six billion tons and is distinct from all the others with its great fiery tail streaking across the sky. During its pathway near the earth, it is an amazing sight and can be seen out on the seas or from open fields and hillsides all across North America, Europe and other countries. It was last seen in February of 1986.

No one seems to know what Halley’s comet is really made of. Some think it is made up of solar dust and gases squeezed tightly together. Others suggest it is a great frozen ball of ice mixed with dust. But whatever it may be, it is evident that as it draws near the sun, the intense heat breaks down some of it into great volumes of vapor. This vapor trail, streaking out behind it as a tail millions of miles long, which is exposed to the sun’s brilliance, provides the wonderful exhibit viewed by so many. Actually, only a small part of the comet is drawn off each time, so its life will continue for whatever period of time the Creator has determined for it.

The sun’s gravity keeps Halley’s and other comets in their orbits, drawing them close and then swinging them out great distances into space on precise schedules. This is another example of the wonders of God’s creation, for although the sun determines the orbits, it is God who controls them, just as He controls the uncountable number of stars in space.

As David gazed with wonder at the starry skies, he exclaimed, “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad” (Psalm 96:11). “The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory” (Psalm 97:6). When you think of all this grandeur, what does it mean to you? Is the One who made it and controls it your Savior as well as your Creator? Can you say, “This is my Lord and Savior. I have put my trust in Him”?

Messages of God’s Love 6/27/2021

Lost in the Woods

My family had just moved from Michigan to California. Now that we were settled, we planned to visit the major state parks in California. One happy day, we went to Sequoia National Park, where there are massive redwood trees. Sequoia trees are the largest trees in the world, being very wide as well as reaching up to around 300 feet tall! Although I was only 10 years old, I set off to explore the vast forest alone. That wasn’t very safe ... as a matter of fact, it was dangerous! But that thought didn’t occur to me then! I did feel very tiny as I walked through that huge forest, collecting a few of the largest pinecones I’d ever seen! The blue jays that flew overhead were especially large, and their distinct calls were the only sounds I heard in the extreme quiet of the mountain forest. I had fun trying to follow them as I walked, looking up into the clearest, bluest sky I’d ever seen, enjoying the spicy smell of the pine trees.

After I had wandered this way for a while, I noticed it was getting dark. I had a piece of chalk with me and I had marked the trees as I hiked, so that I could return safely to our cabin. But as I started to retrace my steps, something unexpected happened. It started to rain! The rain came down harder and harder, and it quickly erased all my chalk markings off the trees! I was now completely lost, it was getting dark, and I knew that there were bears in these woods.

Thankfully, I knew the Lord Jesus. So, I got down on my knees and asked Him to please help me. When I was done praying, I heard the sound of water. I knew that if I followed a stream, it would eventually take me to a town. I started walking toward the sound of the water, and after about an hour, I found the stream. It was really dark now, and I was scared! Every sound I heard made me think there was a bear stepping on sticks and pinecones, heading my way. Again, I knelt down by a bush and asked the Lord Jesus to please continue guiding me to a town and to please keep me safe. Then I remembered the Bible verse, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He [knows] them that trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7).

I walked and walked. I was starting to get hungry. I was also very concerned because I had not seen anyone fishing or hiking, or even lights from a town in the distance. It was very dark in the forest by this time, and I could hardly see where I was walking. Stumbling along the bank of the stream, I started to hum songs I had learned in Sunday school: “Christian walk carefully” and “Safe am I ... in the hollow of His hand.” I kept walking, stopping only to get a few sips of water from the rushing stream. I got my shoes soaking wet getting the drink, so now I made a sloshing sound as I walked. I was afraid the sound could be heard far away by bears! I continued humming, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” as I tramped along the river stream, trusting and praying I’d make it out of this mess I’d gotten myself into!

As I looked ahead, I saw a light, and it was moving — it had to be someone holding a flashlight! I started to yell while I ran toward the light! After about 15 minutes of running as fast as I could over the rough terrain and often falling down, I came to a forest ranger! He was out looking for me! He had been told two things — that there was a young girl missing who had started out hiking many hours ago, and that five bears had been seen in the general area. Oh, was I glad to see the forest ranger and his jeep — and his flashlight! It turned out it would have been another three miles before I got to a small roadside store, and it was already closed for the night anyway. I was so thankful that the Lord had sent a forest ranger to take me back to safety — and that He had kept me from falling into the rushing stream when I stopped for drinks, from the bears, and from so many other dangers I didn’t even think about.

I was soon reunited with my family, fed and safe in our warm cabin. Before I went to sleep, I pulled the sheet over my head and thanked my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for keeping me safe. But most of all I thanked Him for saving me from my sins, because this allowed me to trust in Him in my trouble.

I had been saved when I was six years old and had learned the verse, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). It was that simple. I didn’t have to work or do anything else to be saved. I only had to believe that the Lord Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for my sins, and I would be saved and one day go to heaven to be with Him. From that day on I also had the Lord Jesus with me always, to help me, as the Bible promises. Psalm 50:15 says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” And children, as this verse says, it’s so important to thank the Lord Jesus when He brings you through a danger and answers your prayers! I hope you have taken my faithful Savior as your Savior and now walk with Him each day.

Memory Verse: “The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39

Messages of God’s Love 7/4/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Man's Good Friend - the Dog, Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 7/4/2021

Surprised By a Seal

“Who wants to go to the aquarium today?” Mother called. Mary and her sister and brother whooped with delight. They loved to go to the waterfront, and a visit to the aquarium would be a special treat on this summer day. Mother said they would be meeting some of their friends there. It sounded like it would be a very fun day!

When they arrived at the aquarium, their friends were waiting for them. They all paid the admission charge and went into the cool building.

The children were fascinated by the brightly colored fish swimming in the windowed tanks. There was even an eel! And they had never seen so many different kinds of starfish.

“Oh, look at these giant crabs,” someone shouted. In another tank an octopus was attached to the tank walls by the strong suction cups on its eight long arms. I wouldn’t want those powerful arms to get a hold on me, thought Mary.

The last room in the aquarium had a large, open tank. When Mary and her friends leaned over the edge, they saw seals of all sizes swimming and diving in the water. The seals poked their furry brown heads out of the water as they dove and played, hoping someone would throw them a bite of fish.

Nearby was a sales window where visitors could buy a bag of small fish to feed to the seals. Mary wished she could buy some, but Mother said no.

As Mary leaned over the edge of the pool watching the seals, she had an idea — she would pet one of those furry, soft-looking heads! Quickly she reached out and touched the nearest seal as it came up for food. Before she could pull her hand away, the seal bit her, raking its sharp teeth down her finger.

“Ouch, he bit me!” Mary squealed, more surprised than hurt. As she backed away from the tank, she saw that she had been leaning over a sign. It read: “DON’T TOUCH THE SEALS — THEY BITE!”

That sign was meant for Mary as well as everybody else. Just because she had not bothered to read it did not change the fact that those seals would bite. And lots of people have not bothered to read the Bible. They have not read God’s warnings about the serious results of sin. However, that does not change the fact that unforgiven sinners will be punished. The Bible tells us that the end result of sin is death (see Romans 6:23). It also warns us that all who are not found in the book of life (every unforgiven sinner) will be cast into the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15).

The aquarium director took Mary and her mother into his office and kindly bandaged up her bloody finger. He was sorry about what had happened, but Mary knew that it was her own fault. She had not read or obeyed the warning sign that was right in front of her and, as a result, had gotten herself into trouble.

How kind of the director to give Mary first aid for her hurt finger. And how kind of God to offer to keep you from the results of your sins. Though the first part of Romans 6:23 warns that the wages of sin is death, the second part tells us God’s remedy — “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Will you accept God’s remedy for your sins just as Mary accepted the director’s first aid for her hurt finger?

Mary’s finger healed quickly with only some tiny scars to remind her of how unwise she had been. But punishment that never ends is waiting for any who turn away from God’s remedy for their sins. Have you accepted God’s remedy? Are you forgiven?

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

Memory Verse: “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” Acts 13:38

Messages of God’s Love 7/11/2021

I'M Alive

“I’m alive!” exclaimed Steve Callahan in a telephone call to his brother Ed. “I always wanted to spend a few months at sea, but not like that!” Steve had just been rescued from a six-foot rubber raft near the West Indies in the south Atlantic Ocean. He had survived for 76 days and had drifted almost 1,800 miles before being rescued by some fishermen.

Steve’s ordeal began when his 22-foot sailboat sank near the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. He had planned a five-week trip and was on the way only four days when the boat struck a reef and began sinking. Steve was asleep at the time.

“I woke up when I heard a huge ‘bang’ on the side of the boat,” he recalled from his hospital bed. “I barely had time to get on deck when water started gushing in like someone had turned on 50 water hoses!” He quickly inflated his life raft and piled supplies into it before his boat sank.

Steve’s survival gear included two pints of water, a fishing line, a protractor and charts for navigation, a few pencils, a few days’ supply of food and a cheap spear gun. That’s not very many supplies for a 2½-month trip! Most people today are poorly supplied with what is really needed for this life. Steve had the “basic emergency supplies” for his life raft. God is offering you far more than just the “basics.” He offers a complete rescue to whoever wants it.

The food that Steve had managed to throw into his life raft did not last very long. But he was able to spear fish with his spear gun. Eating fish and barnacles kept him alive.

Day after day he drifted with the westerly current. He watched seven ships pass by without seeing him. Finally, 76 days after his boat sank, Steve was rescued. Birds flying around the raft attracted the attention of the fishermen who found and rescued him. Although Steve was in bad shape from lack of water, sunburn and starvation (his weight dropped to 110 pounds), he recovered quickly after being taken to a hospital.

News of Steve’s rescue was sent by CB radio to other fishermen in the area. After all, it is not often that a person spends 76 days in an open raft in the ocean and lives to tell about it! The news was eventually heard by the Coast Guard in Miami, Florida, who notified Steve’s family of his rescue.

Do you think that Steve had any thought of saying “no thanks” to those fishermen who wanted to rescue him? Of course not! Yet, there are boys and girls who are saying “no thanks” to the Lord Jesus. They are refusing His offer to save them. Don’t wait any longer! The Bible says, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Messages of God’s Love 7/11/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Man's Good Friend - the- Dog, Part 2

“I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm.” Jeremiah 27:5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Messages of God’s Love 7/11/2021

The Phantom Flagman

In the 1800s, trains were used commonly as a way for people to get around in England, as they are now. One night, a British express train was racing through the chilly darkness. All was going as normal, but suddenly they ran into thick fog. The engineer wisely slowed his train down, to keep everyone safe.

Now, being the one responsible to drive a train isn’t easy at any time, but on this particular evening it was really stressful. Fog pressed in on the train from all sides like thick folds of a heavy gray blanket. Even with the powerful headlight stabbing the darkness ahead, the engineer had to strain his eyes to see down the track. Added to the normal feeling of being responsible for people’s lives, this night he had an extra reason for feeling responsible, as well as wanting to be on time. In addition to several hundred other passengers, Queen Victoria herself was a passenger on his train.

Suddenly, he was startled to see, directly ahead, outlined in the brilliant beam of the engine’s headlight, a figure in a black cloak in the middle of the tracks waving his arms frantically! The engineer made a desperate grab for the emergency brakes and brought the express train to a screeching halt.

Amid the noise of the excited and frightened passengers, the trainmen got out to investigate. They searched and called, but there was no sign of the mysterious figure who had flagged their train.

Who had he been, and why had he stopped the train?

The crewmen were puzzled. They decided someone had been playing a joke. Even the engineer was almost convinced that it had either been somebody’s poor idea of a joke or his imagination playing tricks. But he wasn’t absolutely sure.

Just to make sure, he climbed down from his cab and walked up the tracks. He stopped when the tracks ended abruptly. There, not even 200 yards ahead of the stopped train, he found a washed-out bridge! The whole bridge had fallen into a swollen stream. If it hadn’t been for the mysterious flagman, the train would also have fallen into the stream, very likely killing the crew and all of the passengers, including the Queen.

Before the train backed up to detour around the washed-out bridge, the train crew looked again for the mysterious person who had saved the train. It wasn’t until the train reached London safely that the strange mystery was solved.

Lying at the base of the locomotive headlight, the engineer found a huge dead moth. Perhaps most people would have brushed the insect off and thought no more about it. But as he held the dead insect gently in his hand, he frowned thoughtfully.

Then he did a strange thing. He wet the wings of the moth and carefully pasted it to the glass of the headlight. Then he climbed back into the cab of his engine and switched on the light.

“Ah!” he cried triumphantly. “I thought so!” As the bright beam stabbed ahead into the darkness, there appeared once again the “phantom” the engineer had seen earlier. But now the “arms” weren’t waving wildly. They were still.

Yes, their mysterious rescuer had been a huge moth! Somehow, in the few seconds before the train reached the wrecked bridge, it had flown into the beam of the headlight and had gotten stuck. In the dense fog, the wriggling, trapped insect had resembled a cloaked figure waving his arms! An entire train and many lives had been saved by the projected shadow of a moth.

Later, when Queen Victoria was told of the strange incident, she said confidently, “It was no accident, of that I am sure. It was God’s way of protecting us.” And who but God could have ordered that a moth would save a whole trainload of people? He is almighty, strong to save His children by any way He chooses. Do you know Him as your loving and powerful Father? He loves you and wants you to know Him and to trust Him. He made you and cares about every detail of your life. The first step to having a relationship with Him is to accept the Lord Jesus as your own Savior. Then He wants you to know that He is with you and caring for you every moment of your life. “Trust in Him at all times. ... God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8). He also wants you to read the Bible, which is His own love letter to you, so you can get to know Him better. And He wants you to obey Him — and His will for you is “good, and acceptable, and perfect” (Romans 12:2). What a truly happy life He has planned for you!

Memory Verse: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Messages of God’s Love 7/18/2021

Be About

“[Did you not know] that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).

Jesus was only 12 years old when He said this. His mother Mary scolded Him for staying behind to ask questions in the temple while she and Joseph, His earthly father, had gone on towards home without Him. They hadn’t known He was missing and it frightened them! But they should have known where to look for Him, for He was the Son of God as well as the Son of Mary. He had always been a perfect child, so they should have known He wasn’t doing anything wrong. And He wasn’t! He was doing His Father God’s business, like the perfect child He had always been.

He is our example. If God is our Father, we are glad to do His work, aren’t we? But what does He have for us to do today? You can’t do some of your father’s business for him. How can you do God’s?

If your mom or dad sends you to tell someone something, you are doing your mom’s or dad’s business. God has things He would like you to do for Him today! Ask Him to bring to your mind what they are. Perhaps it is to run somewhere to get something for your mother. Perhaps it is to be kind to your sisters and brothers when they are not in a good mood. Perhaps it is to please others instead of yourself. Do these seem like very small things to do? Then they won’t be hard to do. Try to please God today, and then you will be able to say, “I am trying to be about my Father’s business.” Ask God to help you, because you cannot be good by yourself!

Messages of God’s Love 7/18/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: A Skunk - Be Careful, Part 1

“The Lord of hosts ... is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.” Isaiah 28:29

Would you like a skunk for a pet? Probably not, yet many people have them as pets ... after removing the scent glands. They find that skunks are friendly and can be playful.

These animals live only in North and South America and are part of the weasel family. There are about a dozen species, which are all very similar. Although often seen in daylight, they are most active at night. They have a slow and deliberate walk. All have distinctive black and white markings and long, bushy tails. Perhaps the Creator gave them these special features so they may be recognized and avoided even in the dark.

Skunks have a very effective chemical weapon called mercaptan, which is produced in a pair of scent glands near their tails. These animals prefer to be left alone. However, any animal or person who comes close enough to make them feel threatened will first be met by a cold, unblinking stare and thumping of feet on the ground. These are intended to warn, “You’re too close! Back off!” If the intruder does not retreat, the skunk will quickly turn around, lift its tail and, without further warning, squirt a vile-smelling fluid up to ten feet with good aim! Besides smelling terrible, this fluid burns skin and can cause temporary blindness. An animal or person who has had this experience will usually stay far away from a skunk! However, some dogs never seem to learn the lesson.

The most common skunk is the striped skunk. It is about 30 inches long, including its tail, and has fewer white markings than other kinds. It is at home in wooded areas, near farms and has adapted to residential areas where there are fields nearby. Sometimes a female skunk will make a nest in a barn or under a porch or deck where she and her four or five babies, which are called kits, can become a real problem. Getting rid of them is usually done by trapping.

Their main food in the spring is mice. In summer they switch over to grasshoppers, beetles and other insects, often ripping open rotten logs to find them. Another favorite food is eggs, and sometimes they raid chicken coops. They also eat ripened tree fruit that has fallen to the ground.

The care given to these animals by the One who created them is written in Psalm 119:64: “The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy.” For you and me, there is a companion verse which says, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding” (Psalm 119:73). It is good to ask for an understanding of His love, to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and to thank Him for all His kindness.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 7/18/2021

Escape!

The last day was the hardest. Five years of planning had gone into this, three years of working silently in the night to make every detail perfect. Now the day was finally here. This time tomorrow they would be free — or dead! This night seven people would attempt to crash through the Iron Curtain from Czechoslovakia in a homemade tank.

Only one job remained — to get through this day, pretending that it was no different from any other. They could not say good-bye to anyone. It would not be safe.

In his automobile repair shop, Vaclav Uhlik pretended to do his usual work. Darkness came at eight o’clock. Now there was nothing to do but wait through the hours until the last light went out in the village.

With Vaclav would go his wife Marta and his two children — Eva who was four and Vaclav who was six. Even the children did not know what would happen that night.

Vaclav Uhlik crossed the yard into his shop. He did not need a light. After all these years of preparation, he could easily find every piece that was hidden there to form the tank they would escape in.

Anyone coming into the shop during the day would have seen only heaps of rusty scrap metal and the stripped framework of an old British tank. He had fitted this tank with a flatbed to haul wood from the forest.

Anyone surprising them in the night would have seen a very different vehicle. For three years they had been building, piece by piece, a top for the old tank. Dismantled, it looked like a pile of discarded scrap. Assembled, it was transformed into something that looked, at least in outline, like one of the tanks used by the border patrol. By practicing for many nights, they were able to put their tank together in
35 minutes.

Once it was dark all through the village, they began to dig out the hidden pieces of armor plate and bolt them into place.

At two o’clock a.m. Vaclav woke Marta. There was not much for her to do. There were no personal possessions to be packed. With seven people in the tank, they could take only a feather mattress and a couple of blankets needed for padding the steel floor. All of them had never before been in the tank together. Up to this time they dared not let the children see it. It was a tight squeeze now with each person jammed against the next. Sitting in the driver’s seat, Vaclav was the only one who could see out. When everyone was in place, he started the tank and turned it slowly into the sleeping street. The village was completely dark. They got through it without seeing anyone.

Once outside of town Vaclav increased the speed to 40. The bolted plates of the tank rattled and banged fearfully. They passed a car and then a milk truck. Then they passed two military policemen on foot. They waved a greeting to the tank, and Vaclav blinked the lights in reply. He stepped up the speed to race the dawn.

Three miles before reaching the border they had to pass a large camp where 500 border policemen lived and went on and off duty. Vaclav had never passed it at night. He did not know what time the shifts changed, nor what guards they had posted. He pushed the speed up to 60 miles per hour. They rattled and banged past the camp’s gate.

As they approached the fence that separated them from freedom, the road made a right-hand turn and ran parallel with the border. When they slowed to make the turn, Vaclav’s heart stood still. At the turn in the road stood a border guard!

He had to drive past him slowly, and the guard could not help getting a good look at them. The sky was growing light; dawn was creeping over the fields. In Vaclav’s mind’s eye he could see every mismatched bolt that would draw the guard’s attention.

Vaclav held his breath, expecting him to reach for his gun. He didn’t. It was still early, and he must have been half asleep. He waved them on.

More danger lay ahead. Three hundred yards from where the guard stood was a swampy place where Vaclav would have to make a full stop to raise the tires and lower the treads that would take them through the marsh.

Vaclav turned the steering wheel sharply toward the electric fence and came to a stop. With both hands he grabbed the lever that operated the treads and pulled with all his strength. Nothing moved. He pulled again frantically, and they still wouldn’t go down. He jerked and jerked again. Finally, with one last tremendous effort the treads went down.

He moved faster than he ever had before. He flung the tank into gear and floored the gas pedal. There was a bouncing jolt as they hit the wires and tore them loose. There were deafening roars as land mines exploded and blinding flashes of light as flares began to blaze all along the broken fence.

In the soft ground of the marsh, the tank slowed to a crawl, but it did not stop. It slogged on through the swamp and finally got out on the other side on a road that led to a new life. They were out! They were free!

The desire to escape from communism was very strong in Vaclav and his friends. Communism was like a terrible wall that separated them from freedom. Sin is also a wall. It separates the sinner from God. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). To have freedom from our sins, we need God’s help. Vaclav Uhlik and his friends worked hard to build something that would take them to freedom. For the sinner, the work has already been done. The Lord Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins on the cross. God loved the sinner so much that He punished His Son instead. “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If you will take Him as your Savior, then you will be free from sin. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

These brave people escaped from the slavery of communism. But there are many people still trapped in the slavery of sin who have heard there is a way of escape, but have not taken it. There is only one way, and it is very plain: It is through Christ and His death on the cross. Won’t you take Him as your Savior today? “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).

Memory Verse: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” John 6:47

Messages of God’s Love 7/25/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: A Skunk - Be Careful, Part 2

“God Himself ... formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain.” Isaiah 45:18

In the last article we looked at the striped skunk. The spotted skunk, sometimes called a civet, is another major species. It is among the smaller species, having habits much like the striped species. Some consider it the prettiest of all skunks with its soft, glossy fur and white-tipped tail proudly held over its back. The white areas of its fur form many patterns over its body, with no two skunks the same.

This skunk is most likely to make its den in a burrow or under a boulder, but sometimes it invades barns or crawl spaces under houses. Its musky spray is not as strong as others, but it is still effective. Unlike the striped skunk, it can easily climb trees for fruit and to raid bird nests. It will even go into water for frogs and crayfish.

The hooded skunk is the least numerous of skunks and does not have the prominent markings of other species. Its name comes from the long, white hairs that stand up on its head like a hood. It is found only in Arizona and New Mexico and in the country of Mexico. It prefers to make its home in an abandoned burrow. Living in the desert, its choice of food is limited to rodents, beetles and other insects. Occasionally it will add to its diet an unwary bird or its eggs, as well as fruit from desert plants.

The hognose or badger skunk has coloring different from the rest. The entire top of its body is usually white, as is its long tail, but the rest of it is brown or blackish with an occasional white spot. Its snout is bare, accounting for the name hognose. It is sometimes called a badger skunk because its claws are so much like a badger’s. Its back claws are dark and short, while its ivory-colored front claws are strong and long, provided by the Creator for digging. Its food is similar to that of the hooded skunk.

Skunks show us the Creator’s wisdom in providing for all of their needs and giving them such an unusual means of self-defense. They have no way of knowing the One who watches over them, but the Bible tells us that “the works of the Lord are great. ... He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion” (Psalm 111:2,4).

Messages of God’s Love 7/25/2021

Saved From the Jaws of Death

Seventy-four-year-old Mr. Wilbanks was sitting near his house by a pond, enjoying the beautiful weather while his puppy ran around, exploring. Suddenly, out of the corner of Mr. Wilbanks’ eye, he saw an alligator dart out of the pond and grab the puppy in his jaws. In a flash, the alligator turned and swiftly reentered the pond holding the dog in its mouth. Mr. Wilbanks said he never knew before that an alligator could move that fast!

Mr. Wilbanks might have been 74 years old, but he didn’t act like it. Without the least hesitation, he lunged out of his chair and plunged into the murky pond water. In the waist-deep water he saw the alligator with the dog near the bottom of the pond. He clamped his knee down on the alligator’s back and pinned it to the bottom of the pond. Then he reached down with both hands and grabbed it by the snout. Being a strong man, he lifted the 4- or 5-foot gator with the dog clamped in its mouth right out of the water and held it at arm’s length.

With a few steps he sloshed out of the pond. Then he shifted his hands so he could pull the gator’s jaws open and release the dog. Though he was pulling as hard as he could, the jaws of the animal were stronger and remained shut. Mr. Wilbanks didn’t give up. He pulled and pulled until the jaws opened and his dog fell to the ground. Then he turned and tossed the gator back into the water.

He brought the dog to a vet who stitched up a puncture wound and kept it in the animal hospital to keep an eye on it for a few days before releasing it back to Mr. Wilbanks’ care.

Mr. Wilbanks also had his hands roughed up from grabbing the inside of the gator’s mouth, so a doctor gave him a tetanus shot to prevent infection.

The alligator? He is still swimming around in the pond. Mr. Wilbanks just figures it was doing what alligators do, and he will keep his dog on a leash from now on to prevent it from happening again.

It’s a good thing that alligator wasn’t much bigger or Mr. Wilbanks never would have been able to force its jaws open. An alligator’s jaws with all those teeth is a fearsome thing.

This story reminds me of another story about a shepherd boy who was watching his flock of sheep. A lion came out of the nearby wilderness and snatched one of the sheep. The shepherd boy could have thought, “It’s only one small sheep,” and ran the other way. But he didn’t. Instead, he ran to the lion and snatched the lamb from the lion’s jaws. When the lion rose up to attack the boy in retaliation, he grabbed it by the beard and killed it. The boy’s name was David, and you can read this exciting story in 1 Samuel 17 in the Bible.

Come to think of it, both the story of the alligator and the story of the lion remind me of the great truth that every believer in Jesus Christ has been snatched from the jaws of death too. Through sin, the great enemy of our souls, the devil, had gotten power over us. In our natural strength we were helpless against him. If we had been left to ourselves, he would have dragged us off to an eternal death. He was in the process of doing this and would have succeeded, but Someone much stronger and mightier than ourselves came to our rescue. Who is this rescuer? None other than the Lord Jesus Christ. On the cross He died for sinners so we can go free. “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). After He died, He arose out of the grave, completely victorious over the power of death. Because of what He did at the cross, all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

You must not think the devil only has people who have fallen deeply into sin clamped in his jaws. Every human being has come under his deadly power through sin and is in danger of being carried off to the darkness of a lost eternity. It is really a life-and-death situation for every one of us.

The lamb and the dog didn’t need to ask to be rescued. Sinners do need to come to the Lord Jesus to save them. God created us without our permission, but He will never save us without our saying “yes” to Him. The Lord Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ... that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Only when a sinner repents and comes to the Lord Jesus in faith will He save them from sin and death. All who believe in Christ are saved from the jaws of death.

Memory Verse: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

Messages of God’s Love 8/1/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Stately Egrets, Part 1

“God created ... every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying ... let fowl multiply in the earth.” Genesis 1:21-22

Egrets are found in several parts of the world but most commonly in Africa, South and Central America, and parts of the United States. This would include Florida and other Gulf Coast areas, the coasts of California and Oregon, also scattered locations from Maine to Texas, and a few in Utah.

With few exceptions, such as the Cattle Egrets, the vast majority of these birds seek out shallow waters along the shores of lakes, rivers or swamps where they wade through marshy areas to find fish, frogs, small birds and other creatures that form the major part of their food supply. Their method of capturing these is to stand motionless for long periods in water about a foot deep, waiting for a desirable bit of food to appear. Then, quicker than your eye can follow, the long neck stretches out and its long, sharp beak grabs and sometimes stabs its victim, which it quickly swallows.

Nesting is usually high in a tree where the male first picks a suitable spot where a nest of dead sticks and twigs can be lodged securely. Often whole colonies nest in close groups. Having found the right spot, the male then tries to win the attention of a female for a mate, attracting her with repeated, loud calls until she comes to look him over.

Then, with a display of his beautiful feathers, wide-spread wings, and the plumes on his back lifted up, he goes through a variety of poses, either twisting his neck up over his back or extending it skyward. At the same time his beak changes colors to show how excited he is. Sometime during this display, he may pick up a dry stick in his beak and offer it to her, perhaps to work up her interest in nesting together.

Over the years many egrets have migrated from Africa to South and Central America, and some have worked their way northward into nearby areas of the United States — mainly Florida. In more recent times, numbers of them have moved into many other states, as mentioned in the first paragraph.

The Scripture verse at the opening of this article tells us how the many varieties of this interesting bird — along with all other birds — were created on the earth. Then the Creator instructed them that they were to bring forth after their kind. And that is exactly what has taken place with each variety. They are here today because God made them for His pleasure, as well as ours. He created them with the same beauty that we see them have today. Let us thank Him for this wonderful provision every time we see such lovely creatures.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 8/1/2021

Be in Time

Do you enjoy fresh, homemade bread? Children, and adults too, usually do! The children who attended this grade school in the village of Oxfordshire, England, about 60 years ago, were very fortunate. Every morning, a wonderful baker named Mr. Alex Cameron baked many loaves of bread and dozens of rolls, and then he delivered them to this school. The children loved the fresh bread and fancy rolls Mr. Cameron always brought them promptly at 8:00 a.m. every school day for morning snack. He also left plenty of bread for wonderful sandwiches for lunch.

One Monday morning, in spring, the children were looking forward to the warm bread as usual. But when Mr. Cameron hadn’t shown up by 8:15 a.m., they knew something must be wrong, and they were very concerned about him. He had always been on time. The school janitor offered to go out and look for Mr. Cameron. Perhaps his truck had broken down somewhere and he needed help. The janitor returned by 8:45. He had not found Mr. Cameron. There were few phones in this small village back then, so they could not call him.

When he had still not arrived by 9:00, the school principal decided to go to Mr. Cameron’s house. He saw that Mr. Cameron’s truck was still in his driveway. He found the house key under the door mat, and after knocking a number of times without getting an answer, he used the key to enter the house. There he was shocked to find Mr. Cameron sprawled out on the floor. His eyes were open, and he was looking up at him, but Mr. Cameron was unable to move. The principal quickly found two neighbors, and they carried Mr. Cameron to the car and took him to the nearby hospital. Dear Mr. Cameron knew the Lord Jesus. He had prayed that the Lord would send help as he lay helpless on the floor. And the Lord did!

The doctor told the principal that Mr. Cameron had experienced a stroke — an illness that can take all your strength away and leave you unable to do anything for yourself until you recover. The doctor and nurses took very good care of kind Mr. Cameron. And the doctor said that if he had not been found, he would have died within an hour. Isn’t it good that the principal was on time that day?

Children, you may feel very young and healthy and death may seem very far away. But just as Mr. Cameron didn’t expect to have a stroke that day, we never know when something will happen that could take away our health or even our life. It’s so important to be ready for that. Mr. Cameron was found because the principal cared enough about him to go looking for him. And the Lord Jesus cared enough about you to come to earth to look for you, since you were a sinner, far from God. “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood to pay for your sins. He came to seek for you! If you believe on what He has done, the Lord Jesus will come into your heart and put His love in your heart. It fills His heart with rejoicing when anyone comes to Him! But sadly, those who refuse to listen to the message of salvation, of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did to wash away our sins, will not go to heaven, but to hell. God doesn’t want to send anyone to that terrible place.

Amazingly, Mr. Cameron was soon able to go back to work part time, making and delivering his delicious bread. This dear man, who had prayed that the Lord would send help when he had his stroke, had an almost miraculous answer to his prayer. The Lord not only sent help, but He also eventually healed him! Mr. Cameron gave the Lord all the glory for this wonderful answer to prayer.

Having Mr. Cameron back and working made the children of the village very happy. It made him happy too. He enjoyed serving them! And the Lord Jesus loves you even more than you can understand, and He promises to take care of you if He is your Savior. I hope you trust Him for all your needs, as well as
your salvation!

Memory Verse: “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.”Luke 15:6

Messages of God’s Love 8/8/2021

Bandit the Thief

Bandit is a young, energetic puppy. She has been getting herself in a lot of trouble in her new family’s house, running off with clothing, pulling items off of tables, and shredding paper. Her new family’s two kittens often get her lively attention, but for some reason, they don’t like it.

One day, Bandit’s family decided to look for some new toys that would help keep her busy, so off to the local pet store they all went, taking Bandit along on her leash. Bandit got to see some baby chicks, other dogs, and lots of people that came up to greet her, if she hadn’t already greeted them first!

At one point, her family was talking to a lady when the lady noticed Bandit had something in her mouth. “Oh, no! What do you have in there, Puppy?” she asked Bandit. The lady bent down, and Bandit eventually dropped a tiny cat toy into her hand. “I think she has something else in there,” her owner said, and sure enough, after some more persuading, another cat toy dropped out of Bandit’s mouth.

We think it’s a little amusing that this little dog chose not one, but two cat toys! It was as if Bandit wanted to find something to bring home for her
kitty friends!

Bandit didn’t know it was wrong to steal from the store, and she almost got away with shoplifting. We know it’s wrong to steal, but Bandit is only a dog, without a conscience that tells her right from wrong. Children, have you ever done something you knew was wrong and then felt troubled about it? Well, you know what? We all have! Just as Bandit got caught, eventually, we will be caught, too, because the Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). That’s because all our sins are known to God. But the good news is that the Lord Jesus died for us so that all of our sins can be forgiven. “Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13:38).

Messages of God’s Love 8/8/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Stately Egrets, Part 2

“Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.”
Job 12:7

Last week we considered a few facts about the lovely egrets, their homelands, nesting and methods of securing food. Now we will look at some of the outstanding species more closely.

The Great White Egret is the largest of all egrets and looks regal as it stands with large, snowy wings outstretched and its long white neck gracefully curved. It has long black legs, a beautiful white feathered body and long yellow beak and is truly an outstanding bird — another example of God’s marvelous creation.

Perhaps because of its large size, the Great White Egret is bold. It has been seen in Florida waters standing upright on the back of a crocodile that is swimming at the surface. As the crocodile moves along, an occasional frightened fish will leap out of the water. The watchful egret jumps off its moving perch to catch it and then returns to the crocodile’s back to enjoy the treat.

The Little Egret looks like a miniature of the Great White Egret but only about half its size. It is very active and appears in great numbers in
many places.

The American Egret is another large egret, about three-and-a-half feet long with a wingspan of nearly five feet. When flying lazily along, it has the most dignified appearance of all, with its long neck in a comfortable “S” curve and legs stretched out behind. Its slow speed makes an onlooker wonder how it can remain high in the air. It carries the same dignity when wading or standing like a statue in a swamp, searching for a fish or frog.

The American Egret nests high in a cypress tree overlooking a bog or marsh. Seen mostly in Florida and the southern states, some also make their homes along the shores of California and Oregon. It is one of the species which was almost wiped out by hunters who killed them for their beautiful feathers. Fortunately, the government stopped the hunting before it was too late.

The Snowy Egret is another very beautiful bird, similar to the Great White but smaller. Its pure-white feathers are emphasized by a black beak and legs and yellow feet. A spectacular crest of plumes behind its head adds to its beauty. This one was also nearly wiped out by hunters.

The animals and birds of the earth teach and tell us a message, as our opening verse states. Their survival would certainly be one point; they have no schools or teachers to show them how to face life and find food and shelter. This shows us that the Lord God who has created them also cares for them. In this way they teach us that “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord”
(Psalm 33:5).

Messages of God’s Love 8/8/2021

The Interpreter

When David Brainerd went to preach to the Native Americans in 1744, he could not talk to them in their own language. He lived with them, ate the same food, and did his best to talk
to them.

You might wonder how he could possibly tell them about God’s love if he didn’t know their language. He used an interpreter. An interpreter is someone who listens to what you say in your language and then tells it to others in the language they can understand. We read of Joseph speaking through an interpreter in Genesis 42:23. The Native Americans among whom David Brainerd worked had never heard of the one true God. They still worshipped many gods. They had learned very little except wickedness from their white neighbors in the Delaware Valley. The only person in the tribe that David could find who could speak English at all was Tinda Tautamy, a thief and drunk most of the time.

Tinda Tautamy did try to stay sober while he interpreted for David. However, he was not interested in the gospel of God’s grace which he heard and translated to his own people. He was not suitable for this work, and he took little interest in making the Native Americans understand God’s message
to them.

Then, one day David was speaking to an audience of English-speaking men and women. Tinda Tautamy was there but he was not needed to translate, so he had nothing to do but sit and listen. And he did listen. The Holy Spirit used the message David was bringing to those unsaved people to awaken his conscience. He became deeply aware of his sin and its consequences. For many days he was greatly burdened, knowing that he needed to be saved from his sins.

One night, in a fitful sleep, he dreamed that he was trying to climb a steep mountain up to heaven. The way was covered with thorns, and he could not find a path. He tried climbing again and again, but he kept slipping back. He made no progress and there wasn’t anyone around to help him. He was ready to give up when he thought he heard a voice speaking to him quite plainly: “There is hope, there is hope, but you must come My way.” He woke up and knelt right down and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, confessing his sins. The awful burden he felt was lifted and he had peace. “If [you will] confess with [your] mouth the Lord Jesus, and [will] believe in [your] heart that God [has] raised Him from the dead, [you will] be saved” (Romans 10:9).

After that Tinda Tautamy was more than an interpreter. He was eager to tell others about his Savior. When David spoke to the Native Americans about salvation through Jesus Christ, Tinda Tautamy would put his own heart and the faith and love that he now had into the words. The Native Americans who listened, knowing what kind of sinful man he had been, knew now that Tinda was a new man in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Each one of us, like Tinda Tautamy, is an interpreter. If we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, our lives as well as our mouths should be telling others about Him. Are we telling the story well, or do we sometimes cause others to misinterpret it? Does what we do each day tell others that we belong to Christ?

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”John 3:7

Messages of God’s Love 8/15/2021

Morris the Moose

September 21, 1988, was a day that many people in the small town of Truro, Nova Scotia, will not forget. That was the morning an unusual visitor came to town and caused some excitement. It wasn’t a famous person who was the cause of all this excitement. This visitor had dark brown hair, four long legs, weighed about 700 pounds, and was wearing a clothespin above his left eye!

Nobody seemed to know where Morris the Moose had come from. But one thing we did know was that he had gone through someone’s backyard and run into their clothesline on his way into town. The clothespin told us that much. Another thing we knew for sure ... Morris was lost! There he stood in a parking lot, surrounded by cars and buildings, not knowing which way to turn. Morris was lost and frightened! As big and strong as he was, there was nothing he could do for himself. Morris was helpless.

Have you ever felt lost and frightened because you realize you are far from God? There is good news for you! God cares about you. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to this earth to bring you back to Himself. He is a loving Father who wants to welcome you to His heart. Since we are lost and helpless, the Lord Jesus has come to earth to do all the work so that He could bring us back to His Father. He died and took all the punishment we deserve for all the wrong things we have done. Isn’t that wonderful love? “The Son of God ... loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Thankfully for Morris, help was very near. One of the buildings beside the parking lot belonged to the Department of Natural Resources. Soon, conservation officers shot Morris with a tranquilizer dart, and then they safely returned him to his woodland home ... without the clothespin!

What a happy ending to our story! And your life can be happy now and have a happy ending too, because you can be saved from your sins. The Lord Jesus is very near and waiting to save you right now. Don’t wait another minute to pray to Him and accept Him as your very own Savior. The Bible tells us He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Messages of God’s Love 8/15/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Busy Phalaropes, Part 1

“God created ... every winged fowl after his kind.” Genesis 1:21

You may never have heard of the pretty sandpiper-like birds called phalaropes. There are great numbers of them that travel thousands of miles every year, mainly between the cold Arctic lands of the North and the warm tropical countries of Central and South America. Some travel even farther south, to West Africa, New Guinea and the coasts of Arabia. Those that make the longest trips fly 15,000 miles each year in their round-trip migrations!

There are three species of this strange bird. One is known as the Gray (but sometimes called the Red); another has the name of Red-necked (also called the Northern), and the largest of them all is the Wilson’s.

The Gray phalarope travels in early summer up into the Arctic tundra areas where great quantities of food await it. The Red-necked (Northern) prefers to have its summer home a little farther south, sometimes as far south as Canada. The Wilson’s variety chooses areas farther south yet, nesting in southern Canada and along the northern border of the United States.

Because the Wilson’s phalarope spends part of its time in California where it can be observed closely, more is known about it than the others, so we will limit our study mostly to that species.

The coloring of all these birds is different in summer than in winter. The one called Gray has gray and white plumage in winter, but is bright red in summer. The Wilson’s, on the other hand, is also a very pretty bird in summer; its wings, neck and the top of its head are a combination of blue, orange and deep red with the rest of its body white. In winter its coloring changes, giving it brown wings and legs and a brown crest on the top of its head, but plain white over the rest of its body.

The Creator equipped these birds with long legs, partially webbed feet and long beaks, all of which are useful as they wade along shorelines, searching for insects and food particles. But they are also good swimmers and have been given thick, waterproof feathers that help them float high on the water.

With most birds, the male has the outstanding colorful feathers, but with these it is just the opposite. Especially during the nesting period, the females are actually the prettiest and like to show off their colorful feathers when trying to attract a mate. The mother bird is also a little larger than her companion (just the opposite of most other birds) and has some strange ways about her, which we will look at in the following issue.

Meanwhile, let us never forget that “all things were made by Him [the Lord God]; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 8/15/2021

Over the Fence

The boys in our story were homeless children. It seemed like no one cared about them. There are many such children in our cities, even today. Some of them might know who their mother is, but some don’t even know that. They have dropped out of school, have no real home, and are on their own. But there is Someone who cares very much for these children, just as He does for every child. That Person is God Himself, who made all of us.

One day, a man who loved God named Mr. Fegan saw one of these boys, named Willie, and he asked him, “Where do you sleep?”

“In the boxcars ... if we don’t get caught,” answered little Willie.

Soon after, Mr. Fegan went out one cold night in November to find the boys and bring them to his home.

The railroad yard had an eight-foot-high fence all around it. It was guarded by a watchdog and a watchman who did not hesitate to kick and slap the homeless boys and turn the watchdog loose on them whenever he found them in the yard. But on the night of our story, the watchman must have been having a nap in his nice, warm guardhouse.

Mr. Fegan brought a friendly policeman to the fence and whispered to him in the darkness, “If you don’t mind bending over, I’ll put my handkerchief on your coat so it won’t get dirty, put one foot on your back, and I’ll be over the fence in a jiffy. I’m looking for some boys who might be sleeping in empty boxcars.”

“No boys over there,” smiled the policeman, but he cooperated. “All right,” he said, “over you go!”

Mr. Fegan quietly moved down the dark rows of empty boxcars, stopping beside each one to listen for the boys. He climbed up into one of the boxcars where he could hear the heavy breathing of the sleeping boys, and sometimes a gasping breath as they shuddered with cold in their sleep.

Why not leave them there? Mr. Fegan had a warm bed at home that cold night, but at the moment it was empty because he cared about the well-being of these boys with no home. And the God of heaven cares about your well-being too. His care is not just a faraway pity or caring just enough to give you a little money and let you go on your own sinful way. God sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, down here to give you the right to become one of His children — to have a special place in His home in heaven, because He loves you and wants you there. Will you accept His loving care and offer of sins forgiven, or will you turn your back on Him and ask to be left alone?

Mr. Fegan gently wakened the nearest boy and, explaining that he was a friend who wanted to help them, led him to the fence and boosted him over into the arms of the friendly policeman. He was soon back with another, and they were followed by another 11 boys who lined up against
the fence.

“How did you get over the fence in the first place?” he wanted
to know.

“We didn’t get over; we got under,” said one boy, and he led him to a spot where part of two boards had been broken away, leaving a small opening through which a small boy could just wiggle his way in by lying flat on the ground.

Just as the railway company didn’t want to give the boys an easy way in or a place to rest, so this world treats people. It doesn’t give anyone anything good. It offers hard work for things that don’t last. But the Lord Jesus has paid a huge price so God can forgive your sins. And He offers you peace that lasts forever. If you accept His loving offer of salvation, you will find that the One who has forgiven your sins is ready to be your friend and care for you all the rest of your life. His promise is, “I will never leave [you], nor forsake [you]” (Hebrews 13:5).

Mr. Fegan took the boys to his special home for boys, where they were lovingly cared for. They were also trained in job skills so that they were able to find a job and live on their own. His heart full of love won the love of a
thousand boys.

Will you choose to struggle for the world’s short-lived pleasures, or will you come to the Lord Jesus and let Him choose your pleasures for you and care for your every need?

“In [God’s] presence is fullness of joy; at [God’s] right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

“In whom [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

Memory Verse: “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”Psalm 16:11

Messages of God’s Love 8/22/2021

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Busy Phalaropes, Part 2

“Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer ... I am the Lord that maketh all things.” Isaiah 44:24

In last week’s issue it was mentioned that the mother phalarope has some strange ways. One example is that the female birds prefer to travel without their mates, and in flying either north in the spring or south in the fall, they always arrive at their destination a few weeks ahead of their mates.

Arriving at a promising area, each female selects a spot for a nesting site. She works with her strong legs and beak, digging a shallow nest in the dirt, either close to a pool of clean water or sometimes in a meadow a short distance away. When she has finished the digging, she leaves it up to the male to line the hole with moss or leaves when he arrives. Usually the females make their nests near others, to form a sort of colony.

When the males arrive, each female picks out a mate. Then she shows him her nest and soon is busy laying three or four eggs. After this she leaves him, and he takes over the responsibility of incubating the eggs and taking care of the chicks when they hatch. Sometimes the mother bird will decide to raise a double family. She will build another nest, lay eggs in it, and this time, seeing her mate is already busy on the first nest, she actually takes over and incubates and raises the second group herself. Aren’t these strange things for a mother bird to do?

When fall weather is coming, the mother birds leave the little ones with the father birds and depart by themselves for the tropical lands where they will eventually arrive to spend the winter. A few weeks later those left behind also leave on the same journey, joining her at a stopping point on the way.

A main stopping point for the Wilson’s species is small Mono Lake in the mountains of California. This lake is quite salty and the home of myriads of little creatures called brine shrimp, which the phalaropes especially like. At Mono Lake the birds stop for a month or more, refreshing themselves with this nutritious food as well as mosquitoes and brine flies, fattening up and renewing strength for the rest of their journey. Thousands of them leave together, temporarily darkening the sky as they take off.

In the lives of these interesting birds, we easily see God’s wonderful care over them and His wisdom in directing them north in the summer and south in the winter, to preserve their great numbers and provide ample food for them at all times of the year.

His ways are best for each of us too, and the Bible gives us good counsel, saying, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

Messages of God’s Love 8/22/2021

Donny's New Friend

Donny sat all alone on the old log at the top of the hill behind his house. It was a beautiful fall day with bright sunshine, blue sky and drifting white clouds. But Donny was not seeing much of this beauty. Today Donny’s thoughts were on Spotty, his dog that had just died. Donny and Spotty had played on this same hill many times. They had often sat together at this same spot. But now that would never happen again. Yesterday Spotty was hit by a car, and he died.

Donny Alloyne was a lonely boy and did not make new friends easily. His father’s job had made them move every couple of years. Donny did not even like his last name, Alloyne, which was pronounced “alone.” He felt really alone now without Spotty. As Donny sat staring off into space, he felt so sad and lonely. Suddenly, he heard the rustle of leaves and cracking of a twig. Turning, he saw old Mr. Turner climbing up the hill.

Mr. Turner was a nice old man who lived in a small house down the road. Whenever Donny saw him, he was either working in his garden or walking in the woods. Donny had met him before up here on the hill.

Mr. Turner stopped and talked with Donny for a couple of minutes. Then realizing something was wrong, he sat down and asked, “What’s wrong, son?”

Donny could not hold back the tears. With a choking voice he told Mr. Turner all about Spotty’s accident. Mr. Turner listened quietly to the whole story.

Sitting beside the sobbing boy, Mr. Turner silently asked his Savior, the Lord Jesus, for just the right words to say to Donny. Mr. Turner understood what loneliness was. His wife had died a number of years before. He also knew that it was only the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who could really fill Donny’s heart with happiness.

As he sat on the log beside Donny, Mr. Turner began to tell him about this “Friend that [sticks] closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). He told about His promise to always be with us. Gently and simply he told the story to Donny, helping him see the love of God in giving His Son and of Jesus’ love in being willing to die for sinners. He then read to Donny from his small pocket Bible about the birth, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Donny listened carefully. He had never heard anything like this before. He had heard about Jesus, but he never knew about His love for sinners. Donny also saw for the first time that he was a sinner and needed his sins forgiven. Right there on the log beside Mr. Turner, he accepted the Lord Jesus as his own Savior.

After that things were different. A new happiness and friendliness came into his empty, lonely heart. The love of God and his newfound Savior filled his lonely heart. It wasn’t long before his parents and school friends noticed the difference. When they asked what had happened, he told them about how lonely he had been and what Mr. Turner had told him. He explained to them how the Lord Jesus was now his own Savior and was always with him.

Are you lonely and searching for something like Donny was? The Lord Jesus Christ can fully satisfy that need. Will you let Him? “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me”
(Revelation 3:20).

Memory Verse: “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

Messages of God’s Love 8/29/2021

I Jus' Don't Have Nothin' theMatter With Me

Years ago, in a large city in the United States, a group was formed to help and encourage the children with disabilities in that area. They did many good things, and one of those was that every year they had a big party for all of the children in their program. It was always a very happy occasion.

A newspaper reporter was invited to visit one of these annual parties to observe their activities and to write an article for the newspaper. When he came into the entrance hall of the building, he paused to look at row after row of “helps,” including crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes and braces — the symbols of the children’s needs and sorrows. But then he heard singing and laughing inside the banquet hall. He went inside and discovered the happiest group of children he had ever seen.

When he left, the reporter paused again in the hall to look at the “helps.” Then he heard someone crying. Looking around, the reporter saw a beautiful little girl sitting on the stairs. She was very nicely dressed and didn’t seem to have anything wrong with her. He went to her and asked why she was crying. She sobbed: “I can’t go in with them ’cause I jus’ don’t have nothin’ the matter with me.”

The good news is that this is not true with God’s salvation! No one ever needs to be left out of heaven because they don’t have anything wrong with them. God wants us all there, and He says, “There is no difference: for all have sinned” (Romans 3:22-23). And so we are all welcome to enter heaven. We are sinners, and Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The problem is that we may think we are not sinners, and so we don’t think we need to be saved from our sins to enter heaven.

Do not keep yourself from heaven by thinking you are not a sinner. If you have ever told even one lie, you are a sinner. Or if you have ever been angry even once with someone, you are a sinner. There are only two kinds of people in this world — lost sinners, and sinners who have been saved and are now children of God. Which are you?

Messages of God’s Love 8/29/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sand Dunes of the World, Part 1

“Every one that [hears] these sayings of Mine, and [does] them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.” Matthew 7:26

Sand dunes are found throughout the world, reaching from coastal areas into faraway, arid deserts. Perhaps the great Sahara Desert of Africa, called the harshest desert on earth, is the one most well-known. However, we will just look at a few in North America. Many of these are beautiful, with their rippled surfaces and piles of sand several hundred feet high.

Sand dunes move, but the whole dune doesn’t move at one time. Its movements are the result of individual grains of sand being blown by the wind up to the top of an existing formation and then spilling down the other side. In heavy winds, this blowing sand looks like a thin sheet of water coming off the top. In this way a dune “travels” and will sometimes cover a roadway, a farmer’s land or a forest of tall trees. But more often the wind eventually changes direction and blows the sand back to its original point or somewhere nearby.

Many of the North American sand dunes are found along the Atlantic Coast, from Florida to New England, including the one called “Florida Scrub.” This one is composed of age-old dunes formed by sand washed in from the ocean over many, many years, and then blown into dunes by wind.

One of the largest dune areas is known as the Algodones Dunes — almost 50 miles long — stretching between California, Arizona and Mexico, with mounds of sand up to 300 feet high. Another area of large dunes in California is at Death Valley. There the Eureka Dunes rise some 700 feet above the hot desert and are among the tallest dunes in North America. If you make the difficult climb to the top of the dunes, you may be rewarded with more than a beautiful view. If the sand is totally dry, you may hear what sounds like a deep note from a pipe organ, or the distant hum of a small plane. They don’t know why this happens, but it may have something to do with sand blowing against surface sand as it heads down the face of the dune.

The Bible verse above speaks of a foolish man building his house on sand, and when the storms came, it fell, because the sand was not solid. But two verses before that tell us of a wise man building his house safely upon a rock where storms could not harm it.

This is something to really think about. It reminds us that as we go through life, we need a good foundation, which can only be found if we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. Trusting in Him gives us a sure foundation, not only for this life, but for life that we can have forever. Are you building your life on that precious Rock ... or are you building your life on sand?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 8/29/2021

The Queen's Visit

I remember one day when I was a little girl and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada. All of the school children in our city trooped to the football stadium to greet her. There were thousands of us sitting in the grandstand, practicing our songs and watching our leader for the signal to cheer.

The queen arrived almost on time. She was not dressed in her royal robe and royal crown, but in beautiful but rather normal clothes. Sitting on a decorated platform, she smiled at us as we sang our song of welcome. When she thanked us, we got the signal from our leader and we really let go and cheered ourselves hoarse. She was our queen and our hearts were loyal!

It made me think of another royal visit. The King of kings once stood before a great crowd, and the governor announced, “Behold your King!” They saw Him standing there wearing a royal purple robe, but on His head, instead of wearing a crown of jewels, He wore a crown of thorns! He had fed thousands when they were hungry, and He had healed many sick ones by His loving hands. And yet they didn’t love and cheer for Him as we did for our queen. They cried out, “Away with Him, crucify Him!” It was a mighty roar as they shouted for His death!

What had He done to make them so angry?

Nothing. The leaders were jealous of Him and afraid of losing their own power. Crowds are easily influenced by their leaders, so they persuaded the people that He was a deceiver. They were tools in Satan’s hand to try to destroy the Son of God, whom the Father had sent to be the Savior of the world. The voices of that shouting crowd won out, and the Lord Jesus was crucified.

I thought of this that day as I heard the shouting crowd of school children. When our leader ordered a pause in our cheering, the queen told us how she enjoyed our beautiful country, and she praised our city and added some good advice. She also brought us greetings from her children who were still in school.

Then she made a final statement which lifted us right out of our seats. “And now,” she added, “I declare that you may have the rest of the day as a HOLIDAY!”

How we roared, stamped, clapped and cheered! A holiday! It was hard for our leader to quiet us so that we could be dismissed in an orderly manner.

What happened next?

Our teachers and some of our parents were very upset. There had been no preparation for this day off. It interrupted many plans, and there was no one to take care of some of us children. Who could handle such a jumble? Some of us got into trouble, while others just had a boring afternoon because they were locked out at home and had no place to go. Even when given a happy surprise, nothing in this world works out perfectly!

But what happened after Jesus was crucified?

He rose from the dead! His precious blood, shed on the cross for sinners, is still worth more than anything in the world, and it is the only thing that can cleanse us from our sins. Because He died for our sins, God offers you everlasting life. And He has everything for this life and the life that will go on forever planned according to His perfect wisdom. Satan is defeated. There is no disappointment in the hearts of those who accept His gift of everlasting life. No wonder we can say, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Which crowd do you join? With those who do not want Him, or with those who receive Him? If you receive Him, you may not find yourself one of a large and happy crowd right now. But wait until the day when Jesus is crowned as Lord of all, and then you’ll sing His praise with more than 10,000 times 10,000 people who will all love Him, and not one voice will be against Him. God’s most costly gift — eternal life through the Lord Jesus — is the only one that is perfect and gives no disappointment, right now and forever.

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

“Oh, think of the King of glory —

From heaven to earth come down;

His life so pure and holy;

His death, His cross, His crown;

Of His divine compassion;

His sacrifice for you:

Then what will you do with Jesus?

Oh, what will your answer be?”

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

Messages of God’s Love 9/5/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sand Dunes of the World, Part 2

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1

Sand dunes are popular places, not only for their distinct beauty, but because they are fun to climb, slide down or take close-up pictures of their interesting shapes, contrasted in shadow and sunlight.

In the previous issue, some North American dunes were mentioned. The Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado is another extremely attractive area with some of its dunes over 700 feet high. The Hawaiian Islands also have several. The big Mo’omome dune on the island of Molokai is an outstanding example with unusual vegetation and wildlife.

A person would be foolish to go out on the brilliant White Sand dunes of New Mexico without sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen on exposed skin. Eyes can be seriously damaged and skin badly burned by reflected sunlight from the pure-white surface, which actually is not sand, but gypsum, a common mineral.

In fact, extreme caution should be taken when exploring any dunes. In addition to the hazards of exposure to the sun, you can be easily lost. It is wise to keep a landmark visible at all times so you can find your way back safely.

There are many more dunes in the western states, including some on the Washington, Oregon and California seacoasts, as well as a massive group in Nevada and other inland places. In some of these, the dunes make a zooming, airplane-like noise when people scuff their feet through the sand or slide down the steep banks.

Where does all the sand come from? In deserts it is usually particles from rocks and shale broken down by storms and winds. Those along the ocean are partly the result of rocks and shells being ground by pounding waves. But rivers and streams also deposit great quantities of sand into the ocean. This sand was formed by their waterfalls, swift rapids and strong currents. Ocean waves sweep most of this onto shore, and wind carries it to the dunes from there.

The Creator has placed sand dunes throughout the world as part of His wonderful creation, and they often add special beauty. In the last issue we talked of how sand moves and is not a good foundation to build on. This was an illustration of how we need a good foundation as we go through life, which can only be found when we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior.

A Bible verse says, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). Another one explains who that rock is: “Who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?” (Psalm 18:31). In these verses the psalmist points us to a firm foundation which is safe for all time and eternity. Make sure God is your Rock!

Messages of God’s Love 9/5/2021

Puppy-Puppy

Mrs. Grady lived high up in the San Jacinto Mountains in Idyllwild, California. She loved dogs and had two of her own. She took good care of her pets, but a nearby neighbor had several unlicensed dogs which were allowed to run loose.

This neighbor’s dog had a large litter of puppies, among which was a friendly little female puppy. Mrs. Grady often saw this puppy sitting outside, cold and hungry. She would call, “Here puppy, here puppy,” and when the puppy came running, she would give her some food. The puppy grew to be a beautiful, friendly dog, but she had never been given a name. She often came to Mrs. Grady’s home for treats, and when it was cold or rainy outside, she would stay in the house all night. As Mrs. Grady continued calling to her, “Here puppy-puppy, here puppy-puppy,” it soon became the name everybody used for her. She had a name at last: Puppy-Puppy.

Most children are given a name soon after they are born. Not only do their parents know their names, but the Lord Jesus knows each one of their names too, because He loves all children. The Bible tells us that He is the Good Shepherd, and “He [calls] His own sheep by name ... and ... they know His voice” (John 10:3-4). Are you one of His own sheep, and do you know His voice?

When Puppy-Puppy was two years old, Mrs. Grady’s neighbor’s dog had another litter of puppies. In that litter there was one little puppy which soon became Puppy-Puppy’s best friend. They were always running and
playing together.

When the new little puppy was about five months old, there was a terrible scare in that neighborhood. A large, hungry mountain lion, which weighed almost 200 pounds, came down into Idyllwild and caught several little dogs. Mountain lions sleep during the day and prowl in search of food at night. A mountain lion is very strong and moves about quietly looking for food. It is also very quick and suddenly leaps on its prey, killing it, and then carrying it off to
its den.

One night when Puppy-Puppy was sleeping at Mrs. Grady’s home, the dog became very restless and excited. She ran to the door and scratched frantically to get out. Mrs. Grady knew something was very wrong, and so she let Puppy-Puppy out.

The dog ran furiously to her home. There was the mountain lion, crouching and creeping slowly towards the sleeping little puppy. The neighbor saw it and threw a pop can at the mountain lion to scare it off, but it didn’t work. It didn’t even flinch. Just then Puppy-Puppy arrived and ran between the mountain lion and her little puppy friend. Instantly the lion grabbed Puppy-Puppy and hurried off to its den.

We can be touched by love like this that one animal can have for another animal, but it is just a faint picture of the love that the Son of God had for you, when He died on the cross to save you from the just result of your sins. “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The Lord Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). He has this great love for you! Do you believe it?

Memory Verse: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:13-14

Messages of God’s Love 9/12/2021

Shimbi

Many years ago, we pitched camp near a river in Africa where there was a group of villages. We wanted to bring the good news of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ to these Africans, some of whom had probably never heard of His great love.

The caravan was rather large. Many things had to be taken with us. In those days there were no stores along the roads. Food for a three-week trip plus all we needed for camping and cooking had to be carried with us.

After the tents were pitched and before it got dark, the helpful carriers went into the forest to find wood to build a fire for everyone to sit around. Each man brought a long log and piled it on top of others until the pile was three or four feet high. What a big fire it made!

Messengers went to the villages inviting the people to come hear words read from God’s Book. When they would see the flames of fire (which could be seen a long way off), they were to come to
the meeting.

The dry logs soon burned down to bright red ashes. It was an interesting sight to see the people come. The men came with a blanket draped over one shoulder, the women carried babies on their backs, and children ran happily beside them. While waiting for the meeting to begin, little girls sat close to the missionary, chattering about lots of things. They also liked to peek into the tents to see all the things we had, many of them so strange to them.

When all were seated around the warm ashes, the missionary stood up, started a well-known hymn, prayed and read a chapter from the book of Mark. (Mark was the only part of the Bible translated into their language at that time.) He spoke faithfully to the people about the love of God in sending the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to die for sinners. On the cross He was punished for the sins of all who would accept Him as their Savior. The missionary explained that each of them was a sinner and that without Christ they would not go to heaven.

There did not seem to be much response at the meeting. But a happy surprise awaited us the next morning. A young boy came to the tent door. Greeting us by clapping his hands together and saying the usual “mutende” (peace), he said he wanted to believe. He had not been able to come to the evening meeting, so came in the morning. His name was Shimbi. He not only wanted to accept the Lord Jesus as his Savior, but he wanted to attend the boys’ school on the mission station so he could learn to read. He wanted to be able to read God’s Book.

Sure enough, when school opened, he was there. He was a bright pupil and told others in the village about the Lord Jesus. His sister came to the mission station saying she also wanted to believe. She said, “Shimbi has believed, and I do not want to be left out.”

Perhaps you have heard the gospel many times. Have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior as Shimbi did? Accept Him now! Soon it will be too late. Don’t wait any longer. God loves you and wants you to be saved. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Messages of God’s Love 9/12/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Some Amazing Fish, Part 1

“In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.” Exodus 20:11

There are over 34,000 species of fish in the world, and new ones are being discovered all the time. All have been designed by the Creator for the particular part of the ocean, river or lake in which they live, so that they may find food and resist their enemies.

Among these are about 80 kinds of South and Central American freshwater fish that have built-in electricity. Some of these that live in deep, dark waters can turn headlights and taillights on and off as they swim. Others, contacting an enemy fish or one they want for food, turn on a powerful electric current to stun or kill the fish.

Still others in this group, swimming in waters too dark to see through, send out electric signals (like radar) and find their way without difficulty. Some talk to each other through this means. A little three-incher has the appropriate name of flashlight fish. When chased by an enemy, it swims in a zigzag pattern, turning on a light located near its eye while “zigging” and turning it off when “zagging.” This completely baffles the enemy which doesn’t know where it will show up next and eventually gives up the chase.

One of the strangest of all fish is the orange sea dragon, related to the sea horse. The sea dragon is well-named. Seen from the side, it has a horny head with bulging eyes. Its narrow, wavy body twists into odd shapes as it swims. Then it has growths all down its long, snake-like tail with similar growths along the top and bottom of its body. This whole design makes it look like a dragon or piece of seaweed drifting in the current. When the female lays eggs, she drops them on a sticky part of the male. He carries them around for many days before they hatch and leave him.

The nine- to twelve-inch batfish walks and sits like a toad and almost looks like one as it crawls along the ocean floor. It is covered with what look like bony warts all over its skin. When resting, it uses its flippers like elbows, its head lifted up and supported by them.

Many of these fish appear to be completely hidden in the dark, deep homes they occupy. But a Bible verse asks these questions: “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). Another verse speaks more plainly about people: “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings” (Job 34:21). When we think of this, it should make us try to please Him in all that we do.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 9/12/2021

A Chicken in China

Mr. Chang was a gospel preacher who lived in a little village in China. This story happened in 1947, when the Communists were fighting the Nationalist soldiers, trying to take complete control of China.

One day some Nationalist soldiers, retreating from the Communists, asked Mr. Chang if they could sleep in the room that he used to preach the gospel. Mr. Chang allowed the soldiers to sleep there, even though he knew what the Communists would do to him if they found out about it.

Several days later Communist soldiers arrived. They soon found out that Mr. Chang had put up Nationalist soldiers for the night. They arrested him and put him in prison. Poor Mr. Chang! He knew what the punishment would be — he would be killed for what he had done.

The day before Mr. Chang’s trial, his wife and several other Chinese Christians were in the room where Mr. Chang preached, praying for him. A chicken from the neighborhood wandered into the room cackling loudly and laid an egg right on the floor. The chicken made so much noise with its cackling that it disturbed the prayer meeting. Mrs. Chang got up and caught the chicken. She wrote a short note about the egg and tied the note to the chicken’s leg along with some money to pay for the egg. Then she took the chicken outside and let it go.

About an hour later, the lady who owned the village inn came down the street, bringing a man with her. Following them came a crowd of curious villagers. Arriving at the door of the little room, the lady said to the man, “This is where the Christians are.” Then she turned and left.

The man said he was the Communist judge who had come to judge Mr. Chang the next day. He asked Mrs. Chang some questions: “Did you write this note that was tied to the chicken’s leg? And did you include money with the note?”

“Yes,” answered Mrs. Chang to both questions.

“Well,” said the judge, “that chicken belongs to the lady who owns the inn where I’m staying.” Then he asked her several more questions about her honesty and why she would pay for an egg when it had been laid on her own property.

Mrs. Chang told him about her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and how He not only saves us from our sins, but He gives us a new life that wants to please Him in all things.

The Communist judge was impressed. “There will be no trial for your husband,” he stated. “I will have him released from jail, and we will forget the whole incident about the soldiers.”

How wonderful are the ways of God! The prayers of those Chinese Christians were answered in a way they did not expect.

There is a wonderful verse in the Bible that says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). Let’s not forget the last part of that verse: “Thou shalt glorify Me.” How often we take God’s loving care for granted and forget to thank Him.

As Mrs. Chang explained that day, God sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, into this world to save sinners like us. He took our place and died for our sins on that awful cross. Now He is risen, gone back to heaven, and He wants us to trust Him as our Savior. Then He gives us a new life that wants to please Him in all things. “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).

Have you thanked Him for this wonderful gift?

Memory Verse: “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

Messages of God’s Love 9/19/2021

Lost At Sea

Thirty men aboard the ship, the Lee Wang Zin, all died, and no one knows why. The crew disappeared when the huge freighter loaded with iron ore capsized off the coast of Alaska for no known reason. In answer to radio distress signals, rescue ships were sent to try to rescue them. But when the freighter was finally sighted, it was completely upside down, and there was no sign of life. What had happened to the crew? Had they all died and gone into eternity?

Since there was no sign of survivors or life rafts, the rescuers made every effort to determine if any of the ship’s 30 crewmen were still alive inside the ship. With difficulty, they were able to climb onto the overturned ship. They tried to contact any of the crew who might be trapped inside.

Being trapped with no possibility of escape must be a terrible experience, yet many in the world today are trapped in a worse place than an upturned boat. Men and women, boys and girls, often go through this world without thinking about the fact that they are slaves of sin and Satan, headed for death and an eternity in the lake of fire. One day, even if they aren’t prepared, they will die. God is a loving God and doesn’t want this to happen to anyone. And so the Bible warns us, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12).

The courageous efforts of the would-be rescuers at the Lee Wang Zin were useless. After five minutes they knew they were the only men alive on that ship. But they tried one more thing. A rescuer dressed in diving gear was able to get inside the overturned ship. When he came back up to the surface, he had to report the sad fact that he had not found anyone, dead or alive, as he explored the boat. The strange thing was that there were fully-equipped life rafts on the boat, but they had not been used.

For the 30 men of the Lee Wang Zin, it was too late. They had passed from this world into eternity. If you had been one of the crew of the Lee Wang Zin, where would your never-dying soul be now? The Bible says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). It also tells us to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Believe in Him now; accept Him as your own Savior and be sure your sins have been forgiven!

Messages of God’s Love 9/19/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Some Amazing Fish, Part 2

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

A bright-red scorpionfish makes its home off the coast of Mexico. It’s scary to have one of these approach you underwater — its big, ugly mouth grins at you and its black, bulging eyes look you over. However, it is quite harmless. Its red skin looks like it has loose patches ready to fall off.

The main enemy of pufferfish are sharks, but they must sneak up on the puffer or they are faced with a big problem. When a puffer thinks a shark is after it, it suddenly puffs up its body into a large ball up to three times its original size. The shark doesn’t like the looks of this and quickly leaves. But all the puffer has done is swallow water (or air, if near the surface), which makes it puff up like a balloon. Then it turns over on its back and floats to the surface like a piece of driftwood. Almost all pufferfish are extremely poisonous, but sharks are immune to their poison, so the Lord has given them this extra way to protect themselves.

The flying fish of the Sargasso Sea lay eggs that look like the seaweed plants where they live. After hatching, the baby fish look even more like a part of these plants than their parents. Even close up, it is almost impossible to tell which is a plant and which is a fish.

The eight-inch anableps of tropical America, sometimes called the four-eyed fish, adapt to both fresh and salt water. These swim along the surface with the top part of their bulging eyes seeing what is floating or moving at the surface, while the lower part at the same time watches for things below. Does it make you wonder how it knows what to focus on when there is something of interest both above and below the surface?

When the female European bitterling is ready to lay eggs, she hunts for a mussel shellfish. Finding one, she drops a tube from her body and inserts it into the flesh so gently that the mussel doesn’t seem to know anything is happening. The three or four dozen eggs deposited stay inside the mussel for about a month; then they hatch and swim away. The mussel seems none the worse for its role.

There are many fish barely known to mankind, but all are known to the Creator who had a purpose in placing them in the waters of the earth. While these things are interesting, the most important thing for us to know is the love of the Lord Jesus who died on the cross for us and who invites us to come to Him as helpless sinners, accepting His invitation to receive Him into our hearts as Lord and Savior. Have you done this? There is no other way to enter heaven.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 9/19/2021

The Story of George Fraser

George was a teenage boy who did not like anyone to say “no” to him, but he was always quick to say “no” to other people. That is why, when his brother invited him to a meeting to hear about God’s way of salvation, his quick answer was “No!”

But then as George thought it over, he wondered to himself, “What kind of people go to this kind of meeting anyway?” So he decided he would go with his brother to see what kind of people were going, but he would not go inside himself.

However, when they reached the door of the building where the meeting was going to be held, George heard something which suddenly made him very determined to go in! There was a man standing at the door telling the people still waiting to go in, “No, the place is filled. You cannot go in.” Immediately George decided he was going to go in anyway.

Looking around the outside of the building for another way to get in, he found a gutter downspout from the roof to the ground, and up near the roof was a small window open for ventilation. Hand-over-hand George climbed up the downspout and managed to seat himself on the windowsill of that small window with his legs dangling inside the room. From his perch he looked down on all the many faces below him.

The songs and prayer were slightly interesting, but the preacher’s subject was such a surprise after what he had heard at the door that it almost made him fall from his strange seat. The subject was, “Yet there is room!” The preacher read a story from the Bible in Luke 14 about a man who made a great supper and invited many people to come. But when the time came for the supper, each of the invited guests said “No!” All their excuses were different, but each of them refused his invitation. They were too rich or too busy or too involved with other people to care about this supper. The man was angry at this. But then he told his servant to go out into the streets, lanes and highways to bring in poor people and people who had disabilities to be guests at his great supper. All of them were people who could bring nothing to him but themselves, and they had nothing standing in the way of wanting this supper. After the servant had called in all he could find, there was still room. “Yet there is room,” he told his master. The master wanted his house filled with guests, so he sent the servant out to bring in more.

What about the first guests who were invited and said “No”? Were they still welcome to come along with the others to the supper? No. We are told the words of the man who had invited them: “None of those men which were [first invited] shall taste of my supper.” It was his time to say “No.”

The preacher did not notice George sitting in the window, but he told about God’s invitation which is so often refused. The invitation welcoming every sinner into God’s home of everlasting joy in heaven is possible because of the death of God’s beloved Son. Those who say “No” may have pleasures and friends now, but they also have troubles and worries with no Savior to help them, and then eternity in a terrible place called the lake of fire. Those who say “Yes” to the invitation to come to the Savior have the peace of forgiveness and the joy of knowing Him in their hearts. They have troubles too, but they never have to bear them alone, because the Savior is always with them, and at the end of this life, they will have a home in heaven with Christ forever.

After the meeting was over, George climbed down, an unhappy young man. He decided not to forget about what he had heard until he found the Savior for himself. For two weeks his misery lasted. He could not find peace. Finally, he decided to go back to his old life and forget the whole thing. But then he remembered, “I will still have to face God about my sins.” He had to make a decision. Right then God brought these words from the Bible to his memory: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “That’s it!” he cried. “I’m a sinner, and Christ Jesus came into the world to save me!”

He lay awake for hours thanking and praising God, and then fell into the best sleep he’d had since the night of the meeting. In the morning, he told the good news to his family, and from that time he wanted to tell others of his Savior. He loved to write hymns. Here is one of them which you may already know:

Oh blessed gospel sound!

“Yet there is room!”

It tells to all around:

“Yet there is room!”

The guilty may draw near;

Though vile, they need not fear;

With joy they now may hear:

“Yet there is room!”

The good news is that God has not yet shut the door to heaven. You are still welcome to come to Him wherever you are, by simply trusting Him, and you will receive a welcome from the Savior of sinners. Will you come?

Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

Memory Verse: “Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17

Messages of God’s Love 9/26/2021

Despised or Believed?

Many years ago, just before World War I, there was a Christian man who travelled around to distribute Bibles. One day he gave a Bible to a family as a gift. The father accepted it but immediately ripped some pages out of the Bible and used them to light his pipe. The Christian went away sad at this abuse of the precious Word of God.

However, a few years later, he again came to that area and visited the same house. During the war, this family had lost a son, and his few belongings had just arrived at the house. Among his belongings was a Bible. The Christian picked it up and noticed that it was the very one he had once given to the family from which the pages had been ripped out.

The son who had died in the war had written something in the back of the Bible. This is what it said: “Despised and scoffed at but finally believed. Through it I was saved.”

Boys and girls, perhaps you have your own Bible. Do you believe it or do you despise it? If you believe it, do you read it so you can get to know God better through it? It is the greatest treasure you will ever hold in your hands on this earth! David, in the Psalms, says that what God has in His Word is more wonderful than great riches and “sweeter than honey.” (See Psalm 19:10.)

Messages of God’s Love 9/26/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Some Amazing Fish, Part 3

“Thou hast made ... the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all.” Nehemiah 9:6

Many books have been written about amazing fish. We have already learned about a few of these fish in the last two articles. Here are a few more.

In Java, a three-inch fish protects itself from enemies above by swimming upside down under a floating leaf drifting in the wind. In this position it is on the lookout for tiny minnows below, darting down and swallowing one or more before returning to its leaf cover.

A snail that crawls along the bottom finds its meals mainly on sponges. It has a companion, a small shrimp, riding on its back. The shrimp snatches bits of food that are stirred up as the snail disturbs the sandy bottom.

Another free rider is the remora. It has a suction cup on top of its head which it uses to cling to the side or bottom of a shark or other large fish. It is quite satisfied to live its entire life in this unusual way, eating scraps of food which drop from the shark’s mouth.

The archerfish gets its name because of the accuracy with which it shoots out a stream of water from its mouth (like the arrow of an archer) and captures an insect resting on a plant, sometimes as far as ten feet away! The sudden dousing from this water startles the insect from its perch and, its wings being too wet to fly, it drops to the water where the archerfish snaps it up.

The anabas of Africa can travel surprising distances overland, seeking a new home when the water dries up in which it normally lives. The Creator has provided this unusual fish with “reservoirs” of water inside its body, enabling it to survive during these travels.

Croakers have choruses which are not always pleasant to human ears. From May to late September in La Jolla, California, they often begin “singing” about sunset. The volume of their “chorus” keeps increasing for two or three hours with a soft drumming sound in the background — sometimes quite annoying to people living nearby.

The psalmist was one who walked close to the Lord and delighted in the things of His creation. He wrote, “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11). As you think of the impressive variety in His creation, can you say with certainty that “the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (Deuteronomy 4:39)?

Messages of God’s Love 9/26/2021

Bibles in Russia

Can you imagine having to go to meet with other Christians in secret, out in the woods, or carefully sneaking to a house or apartment to be able to read the Bible and pray? That’s the way it was in Russia under the Communist government until around 30 years ago. Under the Communist government, any form of religious worship had been discouraged. Sometimes those who attended churches or Bible meetings were put in prison. But at last, after more than 70 years of Communism in Russia, that government came to an end. Finally, the good news of Jesus Christ was more openly allowed in that country. People heard — some for the first time — that Jesus loves them and died for them. This wonderful news soothed and filled many empty hearts there, just as it does in other countries.

However, the Russian people had suffered a lot. They had been betrayed, at times by people they thought they could trust. Some had been thrown into prison for no reason. They had suffered for years with no real freedom. So now, they still found it hard to trust others. The Lord used something interesting to begin to help them. There were many hardships in that vast land. They lacked many things that we take for granted, even basic necessities of life, like food. This gave an opportunity for Christians to find ways to help them, to show them love, and also to tell them about the Savior. No doubt this kindness helped pave the way for people who had been so hurt to learn to trust again.

One village, Provideniya, had no meat, fruit or vegetables in the stores one summer shortly after the fall of Communism. The Olson family from Alaska found out about this problem and wanted to help. They loaded up a small plane and flew the hour-and-twenty-minute trip from Nome, Alaska, to Russia. Their plane was full of cabbages, potatoes, carrots, onions and medicines to give to the people of Provideniya. They also took many Bibles to give away, and they told the villagers of God’s wonderful message of salvation. The people eagerly took the Bibles and started thinking about God’s kind and loving offer of free forgiveness for their sins. The Olsons saw tears on ex-Communist guards’ faces as they received those precious Bibles, a freedom they had never had before.

Another Christian family flew to Russia in a small airplane for the same purpose. On their return trip, the airplane ran out of fuel just 10 minutes before they would have landed at Nome. Their plane went down in the freezing cold Bering Sea. Somehow, in the 1½ minutes the plane was floating on the water before it sank, the seven people got out with empty five-gallon gas cans. They used these to help them float. They were in 35-degree water with five-foot waves for 45 minutes before a helicopter came and lifted them out. Miraculously, every one of them survived the experience and thanked the Lord Jesus for saving their lives. Only two were hospitalized overnight.

This miraculous escape from death caused many in the city of Nome, Alaska, to think about God’s miraculous power. To the people who knew the North and the cold water of the Bering Sea, the family’s survival was a real demonstration of God’s power. Isn’t it wonderful how God can help those who serve Him and use even such scary things to cause more people to think about Him?

Right now, with the COVID-19 pandemic and many other problems, God is speaking to people all around the world, not just in Russia and Alaska. Time is running out for people everywhere to accept His offer of forgiveness for their sins. He tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that He is patient toward us, not willing that any should have to go to hell, but wanting all to come to repentance. So, He has waited this long before shutting the door to heaven, and He is still waiting. But the time to accept His loving offer will be over someday soon. The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus is going to come to take to heaven all the people who have trusted in Him as their Savior. We believe that time is coming very, very soon. Then the opportunity to accept God’s offer of free forgiveness for your sins will be over.

Many of those people in Russia, who heard the good news of salvation for the first time, believed it and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What about you? Can you say, “Jesus died for my sins,” and that you are forgiven?

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name [than Jesus] under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

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

Messages of God’s Love 10/3/2021

To Whom Do You Belong

One day in a court room, the judge had a strange case to decide. There was a man and a woman both claiming that a certain dog was theirs. What would you do? The judge quickly found out who the dog belonged to. He put the man on one side of the room and the woman on the other side. Then the dog was let loose between them.

The man called “Teddy!” The woman called “Prince!” Immediately the dog ran to the man and jumped on him happily. The judge’s decision was easy
to make!

Children, there are two voices calling to you, too. One is the voice of Jesus the Savior. The other voice is of Satan the devil. Whose voice do you obey? To whom do you belong? “To whom [you] yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants [you] are” (Romans 6:16).

The Lord Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. ... My sheep hear My voice ... and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:14,27-28). His voice only calls us to good things!

Messages of God’s Love 10/3/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Strange Hoatzin

“These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their [food] in due season.” Psalm 104:27

The hoatzin is a rather large bird, about two feet long and weighing about two pounds. It is one of the most colorful birds in the world. It is a native of South America. It is found along the banks of the Amazon and other rivers. Its main food is leaves and the fruit of plants growing in the marshes, as well as occasional small fish, crabs or frogs. It is not a good flyer and spends most of its time on the ground or in low brush, except when nesting.

An impressive crest composed of a dozen or so thin black and yellow feathers stands up in a fan shape on the top of its head, which is deep blue. Its neck, brown on the back and over its wings, is marked with white stripes. The front is solid white between its strong, sharp beak and its breast, where deep orange takes over down to its gray legs. Long tail feathers on the young are gray with light yellow tips, but on adults they are dark brown with a wide yellow band at the tips. Hoatzins are unusual looking but very colorful birds.

The mother hoatzin lays as many as five eggs in loosely woven nests which are built as high as 20 feet above ground alongside a river or stream. The young hatch out in about a month, and during the first two years of life they often stay with their mother to help take care of new hatchlings. If they are not available, other friendly hoatzins become helpers.

Young hoatzins are born with claws on their wings which they use to climb on tree branches until they learn to fly. When they get older, the claws fall off.

If an unprotected young one in this high nest is threatened and no helper is near, it will dive headfirst into the water below, swimming under the surface for quite a distance. Then, when the danger is gone, it will slowly work its way back through the brush. When it reaches its own tree, it will climb to its nest.

Do you think the Creator knows about these hoatzins, so hidden in the jungles? He certainly does, and, as the above Bible verse says, He provides for all their needs. But His love for you and me is much greater. He says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

He invites you to know Him as your Savior, to enjoy His love while still on earth, and then share it more fully in the wonder of heaven for all eternity. Will you accept His loving-kindness and thank Him for it today? “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7-8).

Messages of God’s Love 10/3/2021

A Funny Groundhog

Uncle Rob lives in the beautiful city of Montreal in Canada. Winter there is very cold, but he built a sunroom onto their house. A sunroom is a room with so many windows that you almost feel like you are outdoors. Now, even on the coldest winter day, they can enjoy the outdoors without getting cold. Uncle Rob and his wife, Aunt Sally, enjoyed this room a lot. But one day, they started hearing noises underneath their sunroom. Uncle Rob soon discovered that there was a big, fat groundhog living under the sunroom making all the noise. This would not be a good thing to have under their sunroom. Groundhogs can do a lot of damage to a house. So, Uncle Rob found what he needed to be able to block that unwelcome visitor from its chosen home. He waited until the groundhog left to go hunting for food one day. Then he got sturdy boards and closed in all the bottom sides of the room so nothing could get under it again. However, he came up 12 inches short of the boards he needed to finish the enclosure under the sunroom. So, Uncle Rob went to look for more wood. In the garage, he found a thin piece of plywood that he could slide in to fill the gap until he could get to the lumberyard to get more heavy boards.

“There! Mr. Groundhog will have to find a new home! He’s locked out of our sunroom!” Uncle Rob declared. He happily put away his tools, confident they had seen the last of the groundhog. But what was this? It wasn’t long before Uncle Rob and Aunt Sally were in their sunroom and could hear the same sounds of the groundhog gnawing away at the underneath part of the floor and banging about. How could this be?

The next morning, they went outside to see how anything could get in under the sunroom which Uncle Rob had so carefully boxed in. They arrived just in time to see Mr. Groundhog sliding the small piece of plywood open, like it was a very convenient patio door, and going into his now safe, cozy and spacious “house.” What a great place to sleep and live it now was! Now Mr. Groundhog had this lovely place to live without the wind and snow or the fear of intruding animals. He even had his own door which he could open and shut!

Did you know that God has a special home that has been lovingly prepared for each of us who know the Lord Jesus as our own Savior? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself has prepared a wonderful place for us in heaven that is totally safe, secure and beautiful and that will last forever. But just as Uncle Rob didn’t want a groundhog living under his sunroom, God doesn’t let sin into His lovely home. But God loves us so much that He made a way that we can go to His home. He sent His very own Son down to this earth to die for our sins. We only need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins, and we will be saved. Then we can be sure that we will go to that wonderful home that He has prepared for us. John 14:2 tells us, “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” There are only two places to go at the end of our lives — either heaven or hell. Please take the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Savior today and then you can be sure that you will join everyone who is going to heaven. Then you can also be sure you will be with our precious Lord Jesus Christ, safe and secure, forever!

Memory Verse: “In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

Messages of God’s Love 10/10/2021

Tom's Good News

Tom had a disability that affected his legs. He used to go to school on crutches, but his problem with his legs got worse, so he could no longer go to school. Tom was often alone. He had a friend named Jack who used to come visit him, but Jack had moved away. Now he spent his days in an upstairs bedroom with no company except Grandmother, who was tired when she came home after working all day. They didn’t have much money, but she loved him very much.

You might think Tom would be very unhappy in his circumstances. But his friend Jack had given him a Bible before he moved away, and Tom had found good news in it which had made him very happy. This good news was too good to keep to himself. So, he had thought of a way of sharing it.

“Granny,” said Tom one day, “I want some paper.” The very next evening Granny brought Tom some paper and a pencil.

Tom carefully folded a sheet of paper into four squares. In each square he wrote one of his favorite verses from the Bible in his best writing. In one square he wrote: “I know whom I have believed” (the Lord Jesus), 2 Timothy 1:12. In another square he wrote: “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us,” Romans 8:37. When each square was carefully torn off and folded, he wrote on the outside: To the passerby. Please read. Then he watched out the window, and as someone came by, he dropped one of his messages.

Then one day, he heard someone coming up the stairs. A young man walked into the room with a square of paper in his hand. He had read one of Tom’s messages. It made him go looking for a Bible to find out the meaning of the wonderful words written on the square of paper. He had continued reading, on and on in the Bible, until he found that the Savior of sinners was the answer to his soul’s need. But he wanted to find who was responsible for this way of spreading the message.

“Why do you do this?” he
asked Tom.

Tom’s answer is worth remembering. “Because I know Jesus,” he said, “and knowing is loving, and loving is doing. It isn’t love without.”

Do you understand Tom’s answer? It means if you know Jesus, then you will love Jesus, and there is something for you to do to show that you love Him. There are many, many children and grown-ups all around us who are still far from God and in their sins. They need to hear the good news of God’s love and forgiveness for sinners. If you know and love Jesus, ask Him to show you ways that you can share with others the good news that there is a Savior for sinners.

“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).

Messages of God’s Love 10/10/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Peccary or Javelina

“Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.” Psalm 77:11-12

Peccaries, also called javelinas, are related to wild hogs and live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and South America. They are also called collared peccaries because of a white band around their chests. The rest of their bodies are dark gray. They look like pigs but are smaller, weighing only 30 to 60 pounds. Like pigs, they grunt, have large heads, short necks, tough, round snouts, sharp canine teeth and stubby tails. Their feet are different from pigs’ feet. The Creator gave peccaries feet suitable for fast running and clinging to rocks.

Unlike pigs, which have large litters, peccaries usually give birth to twins, which are about the size of rabbits. Within two days, the mother takes the babies to join the herd. Peccary herds stay close together, and the babies get lots of attention. When one of them is hungry, any sow will allow it to nurse. Adults also let the babies jump over them, push them aside, and even steal food from them.

The herd spends most of its time feeding on acorns, parts of cactus plants, seeds, insects and occasionally a lizard or rattlesnake. Each herd is identified by its own musky smell. If an outsider comes into their territory, it is quickly discovered and chased out. However, they prefer to live peaceably and will flee from danger. But if cornered, they will defend themselves viciously with their sharp teeth. Their most common natural enemy is the jaguar. Normally, they run away when a human gets close to them, as may happen because of their poor eyesight.

Peccaries live an unhurried life and in warm weather indulge in afternoon naps in beds prepared beforehand. They have these in areas of soft dirt which they dig up with their tough snouts, leaving hollows where they snuggle down for long naps. At night they have similar sleeping places, but in a different area.

These animals are another example of how the Lord God has populated the earth with living creatures of all kinds. He delights in His creation and cares for all of it. The Bible says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psalm 33:5).

However, the Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to provide everlasting life for animals. In His great love, He died on the cross for people who will place their trust in Him. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can say, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1).

Messages of God’s Love 10/10/2021

Jake and the Mud Wasps

One sunny day in June, Gramma said to me, “Grampa, it’s about time we got rid of that old sandbox by the barn. The children are all grown up now.”

I said, “You’re right.”

So out to the barn I went to get a shovel and a pry bar to dig out the boards. Our dog Jake came along to help. First, he checked in the barn to make sure that Snowflake, our cat, was up in the rafters and not down on the ground where he could chase her.

That accomplished, we went to the sandbox. As I pried up the first board, out flew a swarm of mud wasps! I dropped the pry bar and ran away as quickly as I could. My two old legs could really move that day!

And what did Jake do? Well, he wanted to see what I was running away from, so he went over to investigate. I called, “Jake! Jake! Get out of there! Come here! Hurry up!” But Jake was determined to see what was there, and he wouldn’t listen
to me.

This reminds me of God’s Word in Matthew 3:7: “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Flee means to run away as fast as you can. What is the wrath to come? God’s Word tells us in Revelation 20:15: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to flee to Him as quickly as possible so that we will not be cast into this terrible place of punishment. He wants to
save us.

You see, boys and girls, Jake was being bad; he wasn’t listening to me. God’s Word, the Bible, says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” This means that every one of us has been bad, just like Jake.

It didn’t take long for those mud wasps to find Jake, and then did he run! He turned in circles and rolled in the grass, trying to get away from those wasps.

Finally, he came to me! I picked up a big pair of gloves and started to pick the wasps out of his hair and squash them. But it was too late for poor Jake. He had gotten stung twice on his lip, and it was all swollen.

After I got Jake all fixed up, I put on a coat and face mask and then carried some oil over to that mud wasps’ nest and poured the oil all over it. Do you think Jake came with me? No way! He had learned a lesson he would
never forget.

Boys and girls, the Lord Jesus is calling you away from the dangers of sin and the lake of fire. Won’t you run to His loving arms right now? Don’t wait, like Jake did, until it’s too late. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Let’s remember again the warning in Revelation 20:15: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

“Whosoever believeth in Him [our Lord Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Will you trust Him today?

Memory Verse: “Flee from the wrath to come.” Matthew 3:7

Messages of God’s Love 10/17/2021

Monsters in theDark?

Do you ever feel frightened when you are alone after dark? When I was a little girl, I used to think that a monster lived in my bedroom closet and that if I left the closet door open, it would come out and get me after the lights were out. This was only my imagination, but just the same I was very afraid of that “monster.”

One day I told my secret fear to my Uncle Bill who was visiting us and whom I loved very much. My dear uncle painted me a very comforting Bible verse in blue and gold letters. It said, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for [You], Lord, only [make] me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Uncle Bill helped me read the words, and I liked the verse very much. Along with the verse, which was painted on a piece of paper, he gave me money to buy a frame so I could hang it on my bedroom wall. Then he left to go back home on the train.

When I was seven, I didn’t very often have dollars given to me. When I saw that money, I immediately thought how wonderful it would be to have a new doll, instead of the frame. I knew that money would be enough to buy a nice cuddly doll with eyes that opened and closed. The more I thought about the doll, the less I wanted a frame for the Bible verse, and the more I wanted the doll. I was very naughty and told my mother I thought it was mean to make me buy a frame when I wanted the doll so much more.

But my mother didn’t agree with me. She insisted that I buy the frame.

I cried and fussed and pouted, but it didn’t make any difference. The verse was framed and hung above my bed. But now, instead of the verse being a comfort to me when I was afraid, it only made me angry.

Do you know why? Because I was a naughty and covetous little girl. Do you know what covetous means? It means greedily wanting something you don’t have. One of the ten commandments God gave to Moses was, “[You shall] not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Being covetous is a sin.

All of us have displeased God with our sins, but He still loves us. He proved how much He loves us as sinners when He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary’s cross for us. There the Lord Jesus took the punishment for the sins of every one who will accept Him as their very own Savior. “Christ also [has] once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Guess what? That verse on my wall has meant more to me all through my life than many dolls ever could have. It has helped me, even as an adult, go quietly to sleep quite a few times when otherwise I might not have been able to. Remember what it says: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for [You], Lord, only [make] me to dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Messages of God’s Love 10/17/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Orca (or Killer) Whales, Part 1

“God created great whales, and every living creature that [moves].” Genesis 1:21

In the past, orca whales, which are actually part of the porpoise family, have been referred to as killer whales. However, research has shown that they rarely attack whales and have not been known to attack swimmers or boats in the wild. As a result, the true name of orca is now used.

An adult male will generally be 30 feet long and weigh as much as four to eight tons. They are the largest and fastest of the porpoise family and can swim up to 35 miles an hour. Huge dorsal fins on the backs of males can be as tall as six feet and look like black sails when above water. The fins of females are about half that size. The life span for males is 30 to 50 years, going up to 70 years. Females have about the same life expectancy, but they can live as long as 80 or 90 years.

Their coloring is striking — black on top with a clear white underside and occasional patches of white in the black areas. Like other things of God’s creation, no two are exactly alike. Some live in every ocean, usually where there are cool waters with ample supplies of food, which include fish (especially salmon), seals and even small porpoises. When food is scarce, they may attack whales 20 times their size, biting into their soft stomachs. That is how they got the name “killer,” but this rarely happens.

You may have learned about the life and ways of gray whales, with their 12,000-mile migrations from Alaska to Mexico and back. But orca whales do not migrate at all, and their trips are limited to searches for food. Groups of them have been known to travel as much as 100 miles a day chasing migrating salmon, each adult eating 200 to 385 pounds of fish in the chase.

The groups that have been studied the most are around Vancouver Island in Canada, in Puget Sound waters, and near the islands of Washington State. Puget Sound is a busy place, and boat operators and residents along the shores see orcas frequently.

While orca communities may have up to 200 orca whales, these include what are known as family pods. Each pod contains 5 to 50 orcas, all closely related. Families stay together all of their lives, the males leaving only long enough to mate with females of other pods. Pods may travel together but do not mix. Females are at least 12 years old before their first calf is born and then they average another one every six to seven years. Other pod members help take care of the baby orcas as long
as necessary.

In the following issue we will look at some of their ways of life. These are extremely interesting and bring to mind the Bible verse, “Remember [God’s] marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (1 Chronicles 16:12).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 10/17/2021

Opo

It seemed as though Opo’s mother had been killed, and because she was so lonely, the young dolphin turned to people for companionship. At first, she followed boats, loving to have her back scratched with an oar or a broom. Then she began to swim around with people who were swimming at Opononi beach. No one knows who was the first to get the courage to touch the wild dolphin, but after Opo learned that swimmers wouldn’t hurt her, swimming among the people at the beach became a daily habit.

She learned to enjoy the company of the swimmers, and they enjoyed the antics and games of the dolphin. One of Opo’s favorite tricks was to find a bottle on the bottom of the ocean, toss it as far and as high as she could with her mouth, then swim “faster than lightening” to catch the falling bottle on her tail. Onlookers would cheer when Opo did such tricks, and she seemed to enjoy the applause.

Opo really liked swimming among groups of young people. She seemed to especially enjoy it when the children of Opononi held their school picnic at the beach. The children all waded out chest deep into the water and formed a circle, holding hands. It was as though Opo understood what the children wanted her to do. She swam into the center of the circle to perform tricks with a beach ball.

Opo seemed to sense those children who were gentle and avoided those who played too roughly. Opo’s favorite swimming friend was 13-year-old Jill Baker, who often swam at that beach. “Whenever Opo saw me go into the water,” Jill said, “she would leave the other swimmers and come to me.” Opo would often dive down and let Jill get on her back and then take her for a ride.

Soon Opo became very well-known, and people traveled long distances to see and touch the friendly dolphin. The store owners near the beach noticed that their business picked up. To honor the dolphin that attracted the visitors, they set up a sign at the entrance of the village. It read: “Welcome to Opononi. But please do not kill our happy dolphin.”

Opo won the love of so many people that they got together to pass a law forbidding anyone to hunt, capture or hurt any dolphin in the bay.

Only a few days after this law was passed, Opo didn’t show up to play at the beach. Volunteers went out to search for her, but they did not find her. Later a clam digger found Opo’s body on some rocks. Apparently, she had been the victim of an underwater explosion.

The townspeople buried Opo on their beach, setting up a monument over her grave in memory of their happy and lovable friend.

Among all of God’s creatures, dolphins are some of the most friendly and sociable. When God made them, He gave them a heart which needs others to make them happy. Opo, who had probably lost her mother, found companionship with the swimmers of Opononi beach.

When God made you, He gave you a heart so large that only God is big enough to fill it. Even our best friends, the kindest of brothers and sisters, and the most loving parents, although wonderful in themselves, aren’t enough to fill a child’s or an adult’s heart. Only our Maker, the loving Lord Jesus, is able to satisfy our hearts.

“Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4) are the words of the Lord Jesus. How do we abide — or stay — in Him and He in us? First, we need to know Him as our Savior. Once we admit that we are a sinner and accept the salvation He offers us, then the Lord Jesus is our Savior. We then can enjoy loving Him, this Man who loved us so much that He died for us.

“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God [stays] in him, and he in God. ... God is love; and he that [stays] in love [stays] in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:15-16).

Memory Verse: “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.” John 15:9

Messages of God’s Love 10/24/2021

He Found the Savior

Mr. Wan lived in the mountains of southern Hunan in China. He had followed a false religion for 60 years. For part of his life, people had come to him to cast out demons from the sick and to help people who were dying.

Mr. Wan didn’t know anyone who was a Christian. The nearest missionary lived two days’ journey away. But somehow he got a copy of part of the Bible written in his own language.

At first as he read the little book, he really liked certain parts of it. But his long life in a false religion made it hard for him to believe what he read about the living God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes when he had read a few verses, he would throw the book down. But then he would pick it up again. There was something about the story of Jesus that was very beautiful to him.

But then, one of those times as Mr. Wan read, he came to the word “Savior.” Suddenly it was a message straight to his heart. At last he understood the gospel, the story of God’s love to men and women, boys and girls. All of us have a conscience that tells us that we have sinned against God, but the Bible tells us that the very same God we’ve sinned against has provided a Savior.

Mr. Wan read on in his little book, perhaps coming to that wonderful verse, John 3:16: “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.” Whatever it was, he understood that he only needed to believe.

Now Mr. Wan had eternal life! He no longer needed his idols, so he gathered all of them up and destroyed them. The living God was his God now! “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ... a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Messages of God’s Love 10/24/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Orca (or Killer) Whales, Part 2

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

Orca whales and humans often seem to be attracted to each other. These whales have never been known to attack a human. They swim together in groups called pods. Some pods are friendlier than others. A man once reported that while rowing his boat on Puget Sound, a pod overtook him but slowed down to swim alongside. One of them swam back and forth under his boat several times, lightly brushing the boat with its fin, as though wanting to be friendly. Marine scientists studying them get to know some well enough to give them individual names.

The lively antics of orca whales are amusing and amazing. Naturally playful, they seem to challenge one another in splashing and breaching (leaping out of the water) as much as 30 feet, turning somersaults in the air, slapping the water with their tails, and twisting their bodies and landing on their sides or backs with a big splash.

Diving under a patch of kelp, a water plant, seems to be another form of amusement as they pull strands of it loose from the roots. Kelp has air sacs that enable it to grow upright in the water, and when its stem is cut loose from the roots, it rapidly shoots out of the water a foot or more into the air. The whales seem to enjoy this. Incidentally, they don’t eat the kelp; it just washes to shore in the waves.

Orca whales never seem to fight among themselves. This is unusual and is another of the Creator’s wonders. An observer in a boat reported watching two pods, traveling in opposite directions, meet near the surface. He watched to see what they would do. When about 50 feet apart, both pods stopped for 30 seconds, then submerged and, mixing, passed each other with gentle touches, seemingly as a greeting, and then went their separate ways.

They are kind to each other in another way. When one of them is injured and can’t swim to the surface for air (as mammals they need air to breathe), others immediately come to help. They swim under the injured orca, bumping it to the surface where it can breathe.

They are known to often visit shallow, rock-bottomed areas where they can rub their bellies, sides and backs on the rocks. They apparently do this to scrape off small parasites on their skin or, perhaps, just to scratch an itch.

We know the Creator took great delight in placing these lively creatures in ocean waters, and they are all under His watchful care day and night.

Is He watchful of people too? Yes, He is. Job 34:21 tells us, “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He [sees] all his goings.” What does He see as He watches you?

Messages of God’s Love 10/24/2021

The Bear Who Came to Lunch

Henry and Jane were visiting a national park. As they entered, they noticed large signs
which read:

STAY IN YOUR CAR.
KEEP WINDOWS CLOSED
WHEN PARKED.
DO NOT FEED ANIMALS.

A park employee at the entrance also warned them about these rules. They spent several days in the beautiful park and enjoyed being able to see so many animals in their natural setting.

One day it was very hot, and they were driving slowly along with their windows open, enjoying the beautiful park scenery. Then they came to an area where several cars were parked along the road. Deciding that there must be something there worth seeing, they pulled over and parked their car. As they looked around, they soon saw what everyone was watching. Near the road were six beautiful elk feeding in a meadow. Not wanting to frighten the animals by getting out of the car, they took some pictures out of the open car window and sat watching the beautiful animals for some time.

When Jane turned away from looking out of Henry’s window with him, to her great surprise there stood a black bear looking at her through her open window! She could feel his hot breath on her neck. Jane screamed and leaned over against her husband. He quickly opened his door, and both of them scrambled out his side. Then he quickly slammed the door shut behind them.

That bear climbed right into the car through Jane’s open window and began tearing up the front seat. Then, sniffing the air, it climbed over to the back seat. The bear must have smelled their lunch in the trunk, because it began to claw and tear at the back seat. Those long, sharp claws soon found their way right through the seat and into
the trunk!

Seeing what was happening, people in a nearby car rushed off to find a park ranger. Henry and Jane could do nothing but stand back and watch that bear, now sitting in their ruined car, contentedly eating their lunch!

Soon the ranger came and managed to get the bear out of the car. But the inside of the car was a mess. The upholstery was all torn up, stuffing from the seats was scattered all over, and springs stuck up out of the seat. All of their belongings were a mess.

Remembering, too late, the warning to “KEEP WINDOWS CLOSED WHEN PARKED,” they sadly got back into the car and found a place to sit on the torn-up front seat. They decided they had better just go home, and they drove right out of the park. What a sad ending to a happy vacation!

How much better it is to obey not only the authority of people God has put over us, but to obey our heavenly Father! Have you heard the gospel message and obeyed it? Have you heard that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15)? Are you truly sorry about your sins, and have you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Savior? He died to save you from everlasting death and punishment if you will trust Him.

Memory Verse: “Now therefore hearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” Proverbs 8:32-33

Messages of God’s Love 10/31/2021

Flazey

Mr. Haley owned a pet store. One day, when he was visiting Florida, he bought a large fish to take back to his store. He put the fish, called a grouper, in the large tank in the store’s front window. There were other interesting and unusual fish in the tank, but this new fish was the largest. It was about a foot long and weighed three pounds.

The grouper soon grew fat on the five pounds of chopped fish that Mr. Haley fed it every other day. The fish didn’t move around much; it just stayed at the bottom of the tank. Mr. Haley decided that it was lazy. This made him think of a funny name for the fish — Flazey — short for fat and lazy.

Flazey soon became a favorite. Customers would stand at the tank watching it, often talking about how fast the fish
was growing.

Some weeks later, Mr. Haley noticed that a few of the unusual and expensive tropical fish he used to have in that tank were gone. He wondered who could be taking them out of the tank without his knowing it. He kept close watch, but more of his expensive fish disappeared.

Then one day the mystery was solved. As he stood watching Flazey, suddenly one of his tropical fish, worth several hundred dollars, disappeared down its throat! His favorite and popular pet was the thief!

Mr. Haley needed to find a way to stop Flazey from destroying more of his expensive fish. Since so many people, including himself, had grown fond of the grouper, he did not want to destroy it.

Mr. Haley’s hard question of what to do with Flazey is a little picture of God’s hard question of what to do with sinners and their sins. God loves sinners, but He hates their sins. It would have been fair and just if God had decided to destroy us because of our sins. That is what we deserve. But God’s love for us is so great that instead of destroying us, He made a way so that He could save us. He punished Another for our sins, His only Son, so that sinners, who deserve punishment from God, could be saved. God’s very own Son “was ... offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28).

Word got around of Mr. Haley’s difficult decision of what to do about Flazey. Mr. Haley’s customers kindly solved his problem. They collected money and bought him a plane ticket to Florida. Mr. Haley and Flazey flew back to Florida where Mr. Haley could put her safely back into the ocean where she came from.

It was so kind of those people to do that. But God’s kindness is so much greater. He gave His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die to pay for our sins. Now God offers you forgiveness of all your sins and eternal life as a free gift. Come to Him to receive this wonderful gift — today!

Messages of God’s Love 10/31/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sweating Is Good for You, Part 1

“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works. ... How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:14,17

Sweat is something we don’t think much about ... until it drips from our foreheads or stains a shirt or blouse. But we should be thankful for sweat. It is one of the marvels of the human body, designed by the Creator to add to the comfort and enjoyment of life.

Humans have a greater capacity to sweat than most other mammals. Elephants, for instance, can only hunt for shade, coat themselves in mud, or spray water over their bodies to keep cool. Hippos stay under water when it is hot, and even lions and tigers stay in the shade or jump into the water when they become too warm. Dogs that seem to be smiling are really cooling off by opening their mouths and letting their wet tongues hang out for relief.

The human body has between two and four million sweat glands, called pores, like tiny tubes coming from the lower part of the skin to the outside. You may ask, “What’s the purpose of this sweat system?” Actually, it is God’s design to give human beings a healthy and quick way to cool off in hot weather after playing or working hard or when excited by emotions. Sweating brings relief, and when the emotions are past, the skin returns to normal. At all times, awake or asleep, various parts of the body are sweating, usually so lightly that we are not aware of it.

Perspiration helps keep us cool by its evaporation, just as many air conditioners do. Have you ever noticed a nice cool feeling while you’re dripping wet after a swim, but then as you dry off you get warm again? Sweating covers you with moisture that does the same thing as that water you swam in, and largely because of its action your body temperature of around 98.6° (except when sick) is always the same, summer or winter. In addition to the cooling benefit of the moisture in sweat, some of the undesirable chemicals that get into our bodies (from improper food or drinks and pollution and dust in the air we breathe) are removed by sweating and deposited on the outside where they can get washed away.

The more we consider the bodies the Creator has given us, the more we realize how amazing are the wonders of every part of them and His supreme wisdom in designing them. The praise of David in Psalm 139 quoted above and his recognition of the One who created him are exactly the thoughts that each of us should have.

Have you ever praised and thanked the Creator, God, who made you and keeps you alive?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 10/31/2021

A Cougar in the Sink

Just as the sun was beginning to rise, a man was driving his car down a street in Ephrata, Washington. In the dim morning light, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a brown blur moving very fast. When he turned to look closer, he saw a long tail and a faint shape in the early morning darkness. Then the shape quickly disappeared into some dark shadows. He had a hunch it was a cougar. He wasn’t sure. He had never heard of a cougar being sighted inside the city limits before.

He thought about it and decided the safe thing to do was call
the police.

“I saw a shape running through town. I have a hunch it was a mountain lion,” he told them.

The shape he saw really was a mountain lion (another name for a cougar). Some hunches we have are true. Have you ever had a hunch about God? Have you ever had the hunch that a greater power than yourself was looking out after you? Or a hunch that this world didn’t create itself? Or the hunch that if we leave God out of our lives we are missing something terribly important? Or the hunch that God loves you and wants to be part of your life?

If you have ever had any of these hunches, you can find out if they are true by praying to God and asking Him to make Himself known to you. God delights to answer such prayers. He wants us to have more than just a hunch He exists. He wants us to come to know Him and love Him with all our hearts. The Bible is the book where He has revealed Himself fully. He can help you understand it, if you ask Him to.

The cougar wasn’t spotted again until 9:30 that morning. Another man in a small black sedan was driving down an alley when the big cat jumped out of some bushes into the middle of the alley in front of him. The cat was nine feet long from the tip of his nose to the black tip of his tail. He was sleek, athletic and agile. The driver of the car took out his cell phone and started recording a video of the big cat. When he drove closer the cat got spooked and turned and started running down the middle of the alley to get away. The driver sped up to keep up with the cat.

A cougar can move amazingly fast, but not as fast as a car. He just wanted to get away. In the forest he was the one who did the chasing, but now he was the one being chased.

To escape from the black sedan, the cougar abruptly turned to the side and leaped over a five-foot-high wooden fence with some bushes on the other side and into somebody’s backyard.

This driver reported the address of the house where he had seen the cougar jump the fence. Fish and Wildlife officers were sent to the scene. When they got there, they walked through backyards searching for the animal, knowing the cougar could be hiding behind any bush.

The cougar did his best to get away from them. He ran from backyard to backyard. He desperately wanted a place to hide. In the forest he had many places to hide, but in a town with homes where people lived, he didn’t know where to go. Then he saw a screen door at the back of a house. That house might be a good place to hide. With a swipe of his claws, he ripped open the screen on the backdoor and entered the house.

The man who lived alone at the house came out of his bedroom to investigate the noise. He was shocked when he saw the 180-pound feline in his living room. He slipped out the front door and closed it behind him.

Fortunately, the Fish and Wildlife officers were searching nearby. Minutes later, two officers entered the house. Both of them carried rifles equipped to shoot tranquilizer darts. The animal was spooked from hiding behind a couch and tried to get away by running into the kitchen. An officer raised his rifle to his shoulder and shot the big cat in the hip with a tranquilizer dart.

One tranquilizer dart was not enough to stop the big cat. He saw the window over the kitchen sink and thought that was his path to freedom. He jumped up to make his escape, clawing at the glass to break it open. But the other officer fired his rifle and another tranquilizer dart hit the animal. The second tranquilizer dropped the cat in his tracks and he fell into the kitchen sink as if he had gone to sleep there.

The officers saw he was a big, healthy, male mountain lion.

Working together, they picked the mountain lion up and carried it to the back of their truck and placed it in a strong crate, locking it in.

When the effects of the drug wore off, the cougar found himself in the back of a pickup truck, bouncing over a bumpy mountain road. The Fish and Wildlife officers drove a couple of hours up this road.

When they got to a remote spot, they stopped and opened the gate to the crate so the mountain lion could jump out. As the cougar jumped from the crate to the ground, the two officers fired their pistols into the air and shouted. The loud shots and the yelling scared the cat, and it ran off as fast as it could. The officers didn’t want the cat to think it could be comfortable around people. They wanted to scare the big cat off so it would never come near men or where they lived again.

The officers later said the cougar had wandered into town and then probably became disoriented and didn’t know which way to go to get out. “Disoriented” is a big word and simply means the cat lost his way.

The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because of sin, we have all become disoriented, just like that cougar. We run away from God instead of running to Him. We think we can hide from Him when His eyes are in every place. We think sin can make us happy when all it does is make us miserable.

To save us from our sins, God, the Father, sent His Son into the world. On the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered, bled and died so that sinners may have a way to return to God. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

“Christ died for our sins” are five of the most beautiful words ever spoken (1 Corinthians 15:3). Because He died, sinners who deserve death and punishment may go free and find the forgiveness of sins and a new life in Him.

Memory Verse: “Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.” John 7:37

Messages of God’s Love 11/7/2021

Wonder's of God's Creation: Sweating Is Good for You, Part 2

“Thorns also and thistles shall [the ground] bring forth to thee. ... In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.” Genesis 3:18-19

When Adam sinned and the Lord told him, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” he soon learned what that meant. Before disobeying God, he had no difficulties in his work, just the pleasure of tilling and protecting the garden God had provided with no weeds or destructive bugs.

Now that was changed. Thorns and thistles would grow, and the soil would not so easily give its nourishment. This meant hard work was going to be required, which would produce the sweat of which the Lord God spoke. While this must have been hard for Adam, it was actually one proof of God’s love for him, that, in spite of the sin he and Eve had committed, he would benefit from the very sweat that would always remind him of his sin.

How does the body know when to send sweat to the skin? The Creator has made a most amazing provision. A part of the body called the hypothalamus is what starts, stops and regulates sweat. This complicated organ, about the size of your thumb and located under the center of your brain, performs much like the control tower at an airport where pilots of airplanes are told when to come in, when to leave, which runway to use, and other instructions to insure their safety. Similarly, among many other things, the hypothalamus tells you when to eat, when to drink, when to put on or take off an overcoat, when to sleep, and when to wake up. These instructions, as well as the control of perspiration, are all functions of the hypothalamus.

The first step in sweating takes place as this little part of the brain sends a message to thousands of sweat glands to open up and pour out moisture. How does it know when to do this? Only the Creator who designed it knows exactly how it works, but its work is truly marvelous. Under hot conditions, the sweat cools your skin; on a cold day, it orders the same sweat glands to shut down and hold back the moisture so you can warm up. Isn’t this remarkable?

This wonderful provision of love for Adam and for all of us reminds us that, although God hates sin, He does love sinners and offers the very best gift of all, in spite of our sinful nature. His Word, the Bible, tells us, “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Have you accepted this gift and believed on Him as your Savior?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 11/7/2021

How God Used a Cow

A group of boys were on a camping trip. Already they had put up their tents and, climbing into their sleeping bags, were preparing to settle down for
the night.

Leslie, the group leader, was about to go to his tent when he found himself looking into a young face and heard a boy’s voice saying, “Please, would you be good enough to do me — a — favor?”

Billy was a newcomer but already he and his leader had become good friends.

“Well, sonny, tell me. What is it you want?”

“Well, I’ve got to sound the reveille at 5:30 tomorrow morning, and I’m afraid I won’t wake up. Mother says I’m an awful sound sleeper, and I wondered if you would wake me up.”

“And supposing I don’t wake up myself. What then?” asked Leslie with a twinkle in his eye.

The boy’s face fell. “I never thought of that,” he said
with dismay.

“Never fear,” smiled his friend. “You leave it to me. I’ll wake you at 5:15.” With this comforting assurance, the small boy ran off and was soon asleep.

But when Leslie went to his tent, he began to feel a little nervous. He was a sound sleeper himself. Suppose he did not wake up in time to rouse the little bugler!

However, Leslie was a Christian and loved his Savior. He believed that nothing was too small to pray about, and so when he kneeled down that night, he gave the problem to the Lord, asking Him to undertake for him and his young friend. The Bible says, “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him. ... He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him” (Psalm 145:18-19).

Leslie lay down near the entrance of the tent and was soon fast asleep.

The next thing he knew was that he was suddenly awake and felt as though a pail of water had been thrown in his face! Thinking someone was playing a joke on him, he jumped up. He was just in time to see a big cow disappearing outside the tent door. In a flash he realized what had happened.

Someone had left a wash basin full of soapy water at the door of the tent. A curious cow, strolling around in the early hours of the morning, had taken a drink, and finding the soap not to her taste, she had promptly snorted it into the face of the sleeping Leslie.

Fully awake, he remembered the promise he had made to his young friend, and looking at his watch he saw that it was exactly 5:15. Then he understood. With a prayer of thanks to God for answering his prayer, he went to wake up the little bugler.

When the other boys heard the story, they had a good laugh and wondered why such a thing had happened to Leslie! But at breakfast, as Billie and his leader looked at each other, they smiled, because Leslie had told Billie how he had prayed the night before and how the Lord had answered his prayer. “The Lord will hear when I call unto Him” (Psalm 4:3).

Memory Verse: “Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto Him.” Psalm 4:3

Messages of God’s Love 11/14/2021

Saved in a Dumpster

Did you have a good night’s sleep last night? Where did you sleep? You may have a soft, comfortable bed with plenty of blankets so you can stay warm in cold weather. We can get so used to the comforts of our homes that we can’t imagine living any
other way.

Have you ever slept in a garbage dumpster? Probably not. But did you know that there are actually people who sleep in garbage dumpsters? They are homeless people. They sometimes find an alley with a large garbage dumpster. They lift the lid and climb inside for the night, because they don’t have a home. They cover themselves up with paper or whatever else is in there so they can stay warm while
they sleep.

When I was a little boy, I was raised in a Christian home. I had a soft, warm bed along with other nice things. As I grew up, I heard the Bible, the Word of God, read in our home. I knew songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and learned verses like 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 when I grew up, I went away from my home. I had no job and became a homeless person, living on the streets. One night I climbed into a dumpster and closed the double lid over my head. I wrapped myself in newspapers before going to sleep. When I woke up, the sunlight was coming in through the crack between the two lids. I was lying in the dumpster looking at the sunlight as it was shining on me. I started to think, What am I doing in a garbage dumpster? Bible verses started coming to my mind about how the Lord Jesus loved me and how His Father had sent Him to die on Calvary’s cross for my sins. Right then and there in that garbage dumpster I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. It was that simple. I was saved because I believed that the blood of the Lord Jesus, which He shed on the cross, had washed away all of my sins.

Well, God is the God of fresh beginnings. I climbed out of that garbage dumpster, got some clean clothes, took a shower and began looking for a job.

One day I went to a company and filled out a job application. The man looked at my application and said, “What have you been doing all your life? Where have you been? You’ve got no history of work.”

I said I was a homeless person and slept on the streets. Then I told him how I had gotten saved in a garbage dumpster. And do you know what the man told me? He said, “Well, brother, I’m a Christian too, and you’ve got
the job.”

That’s the way the Lord Jesus is. He is the God of fresh starts. He loves us so much. You might wander away, but never forget that God wants you to come back and He’ll take you back, no matter where you are or how far you’ve gone. But the best time to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior is right now when you are young. Young or older, will you accept Him right now?

“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).

Messages of God’s Love 11/14/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sweating Is Good for You, Part

“Being in an agony He [Jesus] prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44

Sweat is 99% water, and it also contains sodium chloride (salt) and other elements. Under normal conditions, your body loses about a quart of water a day through sweat, but someone who is playing hard can sweat as much as two quarts in an hour. That’s why it is wise to drink lots of water to replace it.

Have you ever wondered why perspiration has an offensive odor? Perhaps the Creator allows this as a reminder that sweat was not present until sin came into the world through Adam and that we are all sinners. But it is not always accompanied by bad odor. When we are in good health, we sweat all the time, although we may not be aware of it. The occasional bad odor comes from bacteria acting on impurities brought out with the sweat in places where moisture does not promptly evaporate — such as the armpits or feet. But when such spots are kept clean, the odor is usually not noticeable.

As mentioned earlier, one of the penalties placed on Adam because of his disobedience was that the work that was necessary to maintain life would produce sweat — an ever-present reminder that he had sinned against his Creator.

Approximately 4000 years later, on the very night when the Lord Jesus was about to go to Calvary’s cross, we read that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with some of His disciples. Withdrawing a short way from them, He prayed to His Father, saying, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” He then returned to the disciples, found them asleep, left them and once more prayed in the same manner, agonizing at the thought of the load of sin He was to bear. Again He joined the still-sleeping disciples and then again drew apart for a third prayer to His Father. It was on this third occasion that we read (the opening verse) that the agony of the thought of being the sin-bearer caused Him to “sweat as it were great drops of blood.”

The very sins of the world, which had begun with Adam and caused him to sweat ordinary perspiration, were now as a terrible load to be borne by the loving Savior who had never sinned. And in the terrible agony at the thought of bearing the sins of others, His sweat became as great drops of blood!

As an obedient Son, He did not refuse to go to Calvary and relieve Himself of that great burden, but instead He endured it, saying, “The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11). In this way His death provides salvation for every sinner who will trust in Him as Savior. Have you trusted Him?

Messages of God’s Love 11/14/2021

Journey Across the Ocean

When I was a boy, I lived in England. I loved living there, walking over the green hills, picking gooseberries in the summer, and never being too far from the sea, since England is on an island.

World War II and its many frightening nights of hiding in bomb shelters was over, but my father couldn’t forget it. He was also tired of the rain and fog that made my homeland so beautifully green. He thought a move to Canada would be a good one for his children — my sister and me.

One winter I overheard my parents talking about this move, night after night, after I had gone to bed. I didn’t want to leave my beautiful homeland! I could tell my mother didn’t want to either. When I looked at a map, I could see that Canada was a third of the way around the world ... very far away. What would life be like in a new country?

But, finally, the decision was made. We would move to Canada that summer. Our furniture was sold, and soon we were packed and on our way to Liverpool to catch a huge ship for the journey to our new home. Our first stop on this journey would be New York, in the United States.

The ship was gigantic! It was so large it couldn’t come fully into the port, and we had to take a small ship to get to it. We had a tiny cabin on one of the lower decks. When I saw the beds, I thought they looked like boxes, with high sides on them. I soon learned why they were built this way; as you got tossed around by the waves, you didn’t fall out of your bed because of the high sides. I found a red crayon left in our cabin, and I used it to mark the outside of the door of our cabin, as there were hundreds of identical doors to cabins.

After all the people were safely on the ship, the huge ship pulled out of the harbor. We were on our way to a new land! After we lost sight of England, all we could see in every direction was water ... wave after wave in all directions. We didn’t know what would happen on our journey, but we had to trust the captain of the ship that he knew how to take us safely to the new land.

As I wandered around the huge ship, I was especially interested in the captain’s area, but I couldn’t get very close. It had dials and wheels that the captain used as he steered the ship on our nine-day journey across the ocean. I liked to walk around all the decks, watching people and hearing them talk.

Finally, one day when I woke up, I could see land! It was the United States. I could see a huge statue of a woman holding a torch high above her head — “The Statue of Liberty”! Everyone seemed excited about seeing that famous statue and being in New York Harbor.

We got off the huge ship and onto the land. There was a lot of noise and pushing with all the people getting off the ship. After we got through customs, my father handed us each something we’d never eaten before ... meat in a long, rolled-up shape with a kind of tomato sauce on it, inside a long bun. A hotdog with ketchup! I thought it was delicious and hoped we had those all the time! Then we got some French fries, which we called “chips” back home, and the best ice cream I’d ever had. The United States seemed like an okay place!

After just a few days in New York, we boarded a train for Ontario, Canada. I started noticing that everyone spoke with a funny accent. I had to say “Pardon me” a lot, and it was hard to understand them when they repeated what they had said.

My father had a sister who I called Aunt Jessie, who had immigrated to Windsor, Canada, a few years before we did. She was very kind to me, taking me to stores I liked and showing me where I’d go to school and where I could play ball with some new friends in the nearby park.

Aunt Jessie also encouraged my sister and me to go to Sunday school. There I learned about the Lord Jesus and how He had loved me enough to die for my sins. I learned that I needed to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for my sins, and to tell Him that. I did that. I’ve never
been sorry!

That began an even bigger journey than the one across the ocean! Now I was headed to heaven, and the Lord Jesus was the Captain of this “ship.” Life as a Christian was different, but so happy! I learned that I could trust my Captain to steer my life better than I ever could have done it alone. Unlike on the ship, I could go directly to this Captain anytime I wanted, to tell Him what I was thinking or feeling, to ask His help for problems, even small problems, like needing help on a test at school, or to tell Him when I had sinned, so I could have again the joy of walking with Him. This daily journey of walking with the Lord and going toward heaven changed my life more than any move across the world could! I hope He changes yours too! The Bible says, “The path of the just is as the shining light, that [shines] more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). If you walk with the Lord, your life will be like the shining light this verse talks about, getting happier and brighter as each day goes by. Is the Lord Jesus the Captain of your life?

Memory Verse: “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18

Messages of God’s Love 11/21/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Worms on the Ocean

“The Lord is a great God. ... The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.”
Psalm 95:3,5

Every October and November the Samoan Islanders receive a supply of food from the ocean which they consider a great treat. In each of those months, this food comes at sunrise, for two days during the last quarter of the moon. Just three days before this happens, there is a great migration of land crabs marching from the mountains to the sea to spawn, so the natives have this double notice to get ready to collect this treat.

The treat is the tails of the Palolo worm. The Palolo worm lives at the bottom of the ocean, hidden in rocks and coral. At these two months of the year, they back partly out of their burrows and break themselves in two. The hind part — the tail, which has undergone a huge change for just this purpose — rises to the surface to lay great numbers of eggs, and the front part stays in its underwater home, where it grows a new tail. By the second day, the whole area is afloat with these tails. The natives eagerly collect as many of them as possible.

What an amazing performance this is! Do you think the crabs and worms are watching the moon or looking at calendars? No, they simply follow the guidance of their Creator in ways we cannot understand.

Species of the Palolo worm go through similar activities in the waters around Japan, the Fiji Islands, the Gulf of Mexico and other places in the Pacific. Some are active at the same time as those near the Samoan Islands, but many are active at different times of the year.

How do these interesting residents of the ocean know just the right days to appear? What controls them so that they all leave their homes at the same time? It is God who has given them the instinct and living patterns suited exactly to their needs. This instinct tells them the exact hours and days to leave their underwater homes. The Lord God, who “upholds all things by the word of His power,” watches over them to see that they carry out their appointed role in His creation.

If the Lord of all creation guides the Palolo worm, we know He cares much more for us. Haven’t we found it true that “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23)? But He does more than taking care of us every day. He has also given us an everlasting soul and made a way to give us an invitation to spend eternity in heaven with Him. It cost Him His own Son to give you this gift ... have you taken it?

Messages of God’s Love 11/21/2021

Hans' Decision

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

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

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

“Yes, sir,” he answered.

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

Hans answered, “Yes.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Really?” asked the doctor.

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

“Well, Hans, what do you want then?”

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

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

But what about you? Are you ready if the Lord Jesus returns today? “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout ... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive ... shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Memory Verse: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Messages of God’s Love 11/28/2021

Shark Attack!

Andrew and his teenage nephew John were enjoying a vacation on the beaches of Australia. This was another beautiful day to go swimming. The waves were gentle as John dove into the clear, warm water to enjoy the ocean. Andrew still stood on the beach. He watched as John swam out to where the water was about five feet deep, when suddenly he saw the fin of a shark knifing through the water toward John! He called frantically to John to come in, but John did not hear him. So, Andrew made a running dive into the water in hopes of helping John, even though he knew it could easily mean death for both of them.

His powerful strokes soon brought him to within reach of John, but John had already been badly bitten on his left leg. The shark had disappeared temporarily and Andrew, holding tightly to John, swam as fast as he could for the shore. But the shark appeared again, and this time it went after John’s
right foot.

Andrew pulled and struggled to free John, hoping to save his life. Finally, he was able to beat off the shark with his hands, but not before John’s right foot and ankle were also badly mangled.

John had been conscious through it all, but after Andrew got him to shore he collapsed on the beach. With the help of others who, hearing their cries, had hurried over, John was rushed to the nearest hospital. Although he was badly injured, the surgeons were able to save both his legs and feet.

If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, you are in a danger even worse than John’s! The danger that has a death-hold on each of us is sin. Not only does the Bible tell us we are all sinners, but it also tells what happens to sinners: “The soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). This death is not just no longer living. If you die in your sins, you will face punishment that never ends.

Thankfully, there is wonderful news for sinners: “Unto you is born ... a Savior” (Luke 2:11). This Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible says about Him that “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The Lord Jesus saw us trapped in our sins, and He came from heaven to rescue us. “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

John could do nothing to save himself from that shark. Andrew was the only person near enough to save him. Andrew was John’s savior in this situation. You and I have been “bitten” by sin. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are helpless. But sin can’t take away your life if you will let the Lord Jesus save you. He loves you and will gladly be your Savior, washing away all of your sins and giving you eternal life. “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish” (John 10:28). Will you let Him be your Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 11/28/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Frogs

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

When God looked at His creation, He “saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). It is good to remember that, while some things may not seem attractive to us, they all have a purpose in God’s design for the good of the whole world.

This is certainly true of frogs. They are of real benefit to us in eating great quantities of insects. They have been designed by the Creator to do this efficiently.

Adult frogs eat only living things. Their tongues are placed in the front of their lower jaw for lightning-fast action (faster than a human eye can follow). A frog is a model of patience, sitting quietly without any movement, until an insect flies or crawls near it. Then, flicking out the whole length of its sticky tongue, the frog catches and swallows the insect. Its diet includes flies, grubs, slugs, beetles, grasshoppers, mosquitoes and other insects. No wonder farmers consider frogs their friends and encourage them to stay on their property.

Many frogs hibernate in various ways through the cold months. The leopard frog spends the winter under the ice, but most others bury themselves in the mud. In Australia where it gets very hot, they do not exactly hibernate. They do enter a state of “dormancy” which is similar to hibernation. One large frog, known as the water holding frog, is able to hold a great amount of water in its body, which keeps it alive through dry spells for up to five years of this dormancy. Natives who are dying of thirst have often been saved by killing some of these frogs and drinking their stored water.

To escape their enemies, such as snakes, turtles and large birds, some frogs are able to change their color to match their surroundings as they move from place to place. But more importantly, they have the ability to jump quickly and far, to safety. Even a two-inch tree frog can jump four or five feet, and the big ones can jump much farther.

Much time and money has been spent by scientists who are curious to know how frogs got these interesting traits. Some say, “It must have taken millions of years, by means of evolution.” Those who believe God do not have problems like this, since they know that God, through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, created everything perfectly in the beginning. Can you join us in saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things” (Revelation 4:11)?

Messages of God’s Love 11/28/2021

Bogus the Sheep Dog

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

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

But Bogus’s master turned out to be a cruel man. Another herder who worked for the same ranch, named Sandy, discovered this problem. His sheep camp had been near to Bogus’s camp all winter, and the dog had shown up several times whimpering, with a rope around its neck. Something was wrong.

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

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

Sandy remembered that there was an old bullet wound on Bogus’s hip which showed that the other herder must have shot at the dog. No wonder Bogus was afraid of guns! But a dog who is afraid of guns is no use as a sheep dog. He can’t be depended on. Sadly, Sandy had to get a new dog. Worse yet, the boss was planning to shoot Bogus to get rid of him. Thankfully, when Bogus saw the gun, he ran away.

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

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

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

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

This story has a happy ending. The dog’s wounds soon healed and he worked for Sandy on into his old age, cured forever of the fear of guns that had made him useless earlier. We can see how the love that Sandy had shown Bogus helped him to overcame his fear of guns and of his old cruel master.

This story is a little picture of how much the Lord Jesus loves you. People who don’t know the Lord Jesus have a cruel master called Satan. But thankfully, the Lord Jesus loved you enough to die so He could rescue you from Satan. Unlike Sandy, who couldn’t help Bogus completely, the Lord Jesus didn’t stop until He had fully paid the price for sins, to deliver those who receive Him from that cruel master. He says this: “The thief [Satan] [comes] ... to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd [gives] His life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11). Have you taken this good shepherd, who has so much to give you, to be your very own? And are you letting Him lead you through your life? You can trust the One who died for you!

Memory Verse: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Messages of God’s Love 12/5/2021

Lola's Fatal Mistake

Lola was a kind, cheerful 80-year-old lady. She enjoyed having visitors and taking friends out to eat. She always remembered birthdays and liked to send flowers and fruit baskets to her many friends.

By the time Ruth and Terry got to know Lola, she had a serious health problem. This problem was so serious that the doctor had to remove one of her legs to save her life. But Lola was still pleasant and kind to her friends and family.

Ruth and Terry both knew the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and they were concerned about Lola because she did not know Jesus. In fact, Lola had a much more serious problem than missing one leg. She did not believe she had ever sinned! When Ruth or Terry would talk to her about her need of the Savior, she would smile and say, “I have never sinned.” Both Ruth and Terry knew what the Bible says in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But Lola insisted that she wasn’t a sinner. It was foolish of Lola not to admit that she was a sinner, but she just would not believe that someone as good and kind as she had been had ever sinned.

Finally, Lola became seriously ill and died. Terry told Ruth, who had been away on vacation, that Lola had died still insisting that she had never sinned. How sad they felt now that there was nothing more that could be done. Her eternity without Christ was now permanent.

Many of us have been taught that the Bible says that lying, disobeying, stealing, swearing and cheating are sins. But so is getting angry with someone, or being proud of yourself, or not wanting to share your things with others. Every one of us is guilty of sin, and so every one of us is a sinner. But if we admit we are sinners, there is good news for us!

The Bible tells us that, although we have sinned and God hates our sins, He loves sinners and sent His Son Jesus to die for us so our sins could be forgiven. “God [commends] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Will you confess to God that you are a sinner and accept His loving offer of forgiveness?

Messages of God’s Love 12/5/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Kangaroo Rat

“The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:9

There are 16 known species of this funny little animal in the western United States and Canada, in addition to several kangaroo mice, which are its cousins. They are fun to watch, particularly if you could see them playing in the moonlight. They nest and live in burrows under trees or fallen logs, but in the desert, they make their homes in the sand.

Its name describes it well, since it looks very much like a miniature kangaroo and hops about in much the same way, resting on its tail from time to time. It is one of God’s creatures which is active at night and is seldom seen in daylight. But this is not without danger since snakes, coyotes, foxes and other animals that are also active at night find it a tasty meal whenever they can catch one.

However, God has given it an unusual defense against such enemies. With long and powerful hind legs, it makes long leaps, gliding through the air. Its tail, which is extra long with a powder-puff of hair on the end, acts as a rudder during these leaps. By twisting it one way or the other it can change its direction in mid-air. This makes it difficult to catch for those animals who are chasing it.

An unusual feature of this long-legged rodent is that it never drinks water, even though it lives in such hot places as Death Valley. Yet its blood has the same proportion of water that is found in other animals. Several things account for this. Being active only at night keeps it from losing moisture by evaporation in the sun’s heat. Also, it never sweats or pants, which aids in conserving moisture.

But the real answer is that it actually manufactures water for itself through a body chemistry peculiar to it alone. Water, as we know, is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. Starch from the seeds it eats contains a supply of hydrogen and the air it breathes is rich in oxygen. Through a complex process God has given it, the chemical plant inside its body puts these together to make water.

The kangaroo rat, made by its Creator, is also cared for by Him even though it is active only at night. The Bible tells us that darkness does not hide us from God, but He sees the same in the night as in the day. (See Psalm 139:12.)

This is a serious thing to think about. Hagar said, “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13), and David prayed to God saying, “My sins are not hid from Thee” (Psalm 69:5). If we walk in obedience, this is not a scary thing, for David also said, “O Lord ... [how happy] is the man that [trusts] in Thee” (Psalm 84:12). Do you trust in God?

Messages of God’s Love 12/5/2021

The Intruder

“Bump, bump, bump ... ” was the sound Mr. Corrigan heard as he sat in his living room one morning enjoying his cup of coffee. “Who is that?” he thought to himself. He followed the sounds and there it was — coming from the bathroom, and the door was closed. He could see a shadow under the door.

“Oh no!” he thought as he quickly dialed 911 and told the dispatcher there was an intruder in the house and to please
come quick!

The police responded quickly and came into the home with their full body gear. They also brought their large German Shepherd in case he was needed. With guns pointed, they banged on the bathroom door, but there was no response.

“Open up!” demanded the police officer. Still no response. “Open up, or we will have to sic the dog on you when we take down the door!” Again, no response. So they got out their tools, took down the door, and with guns pointed and the dog about to pounce ... they discovered a Roomba (an automatic electric vacuum) that had somehow made its way into the bathroom and shut the door and was very much trapped.

They all had a good laugh and Mr. Corrigan was a bit embarrassed, but they were all very glad the “intruder” was only a vacuum cleaner!

Children, you may smile or even laugh at this story, but it reminded me that someone is knocking on your heart’s door too — the Lord Jesus Christ. He knocks not because He wants to hurt you, but because He loves you. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any [one] hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will [eat] with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). He wants to save you from your sins! If you open up your heart’s door to Him, He will come in and make your heart a wonderful place. As you come to know the Son of God, you will grow in love and thankfulness for Him who loved you and gave Himself for you. Won’t you open up your heart to the Lord Jesus right now? He is knocking — will you make Him wait, or will you open your heart to Him?

At the heart’s door the Savior’s waiting,

At the heart’s door locked in sin;

Can’t you hear Him gently knocking?

Open the door and let Him in!

Memory Verse: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

Messages of God’s Love 12/12/2021

The Special Dog

Skippy is an unusual dog. He has a glossy, brown coat, loves to be petted, and has endless energy. But that is not what makes him special. Skippy is a hearing-ear dog. He has been trained to help people who are deaf. He belongs to a lady who can’t hear, named Janet.

What a change Skippy has made in Janet’s life! Before Skippy came, Janet was not able to respond to the sounds most of us hear every day. Skippy has been trained to let Janet know when he hears an alarm clock, a smoke alarm, a doorbell or telephone ring, or the buzz of an oven timer.

Before she got Skippy, the house could have been on fire, and Janet wouldn’t have known it. Now if the smoke alarm goes off, Skippy almost immediately begins running in circles. Then he goes directly to Janet and paws at her clothing. When she gets up to follow him, Skippy goes to the smoke alarm on the ceiling, looking back to make sure Janet is following him.

If the phone rings, Skippy takes her to the phone. If the doorbell rings or someone knocks, he leads the way to the door. When her alarm clock goes off in the morning, he jumps up on the bed and licks her face to wake her up.

Skippy must not get his sounds mixed up, or he would be of no help to Janet at all. If he heard the smoke alarm and led her to the telephone, or if the alarm clock rang and he ran to the door, Janet would not get the correct message.

Just as Skippy has to listen carefully to the sounds he hears, we must listen carefully to what God has to say to us. In Revelation 3:20 He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Do you hear His knock? Have you answered it by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and confessing Him with your mouth, as your Lord (Romans 10:9)?

Once we have accepted Him, there are many things the Lord tells us that we must listen to if we want to be really happy Christians. Here are a few of those things: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1). “Love one another” (John 15:17). “Be ye kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32). “Rejoice in the Lord alway” (Philippians 4:4).

Just as Skippy has to listen carefully all the time, we need to read the Bible every day so we can hear and understand the things that God has to say to each of us. The Bible is a very special letter from God to us. I love to get letters in the mail, don’t you? Wouldn’t it be sad if you sent a letter to someone and they never bothered to read it? Do you read God’s letter to you?

Messages of God’s Love 12/12/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: The Potto

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

In the forested areas of Nigeria, the potto, also known as the bush baby or bush bear, shares its surroundings with other little animals that are similar to it. The potto is a small, reddish, woolly animal with a short tail. It has a sharp, pointed nose and small ears that are shaped like a human’s. It takes good care of its furry coat every night, carefully cleaning and combing it with its teeth.

God has created the potto to make it possible to follow its peculiar way of life. It has special limbs (arms and legs) which allow it to hang upside down from branches most of the time as it looks for leaves, fruit and insects to eat. The Creator has given it strong muscles to enable it to move this way under the limbs of trees. It uses these muscles even when sleeping, since it spends the night in the same upside-down position, clinging to the tree so tightly that no one could pry it loose. In fact, even death will not cause it to let go.

To help it live this unusual lifestyle, God made it with its thumbs and big toes heading in opposite directions from its other fingers and toes. Its wrists and ankle joints are also turned so that its feet and hands are at right angles to its legs and arms.

But the most amazing thing about the potto is its hip joint. The connection of the thigh bone to the hip has an unusual swivel “ball and cup” arrangement. This allows either the lower or upper part of its body to completely turn around while the rest of its body remains in place. When the potto wants to change direction while hanging from a branch, it remains upside down holding on tightly with its hind feet. Then it tucks its head in and crawls over its chest and stomach and out through the hind legs, with its head pointing to the ground. Next, it reaches over its head with its forepaws, firmly grasping the branch. Then, releasing one hind leg at a time, the rest of its body turns over so it resumes a full upside-down position, now headed in the opposite direction. Isn’t this an amazing performance?

Throughout God’s creation there are vast numbers of unusual animals with peculiar habits adding greatly to the wonders of His creation. The Bible tells us that “the Lord hath made all things for Himself” (Proverbs 16:4). It was His joy to make so many different creatures, and He watches over each one carefully.

This reminds us that He has also made us and wants each of us to know Him, not only as our Creator, but also as our Lord and Savior and to be obedient to His Word, too. As part of this, we are called upon to control and direct “every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Are you doing this?

Messages of God’s Love 12/12/2021

Playing With Danger

“Look!” Hugo called to his friend. “There’s a condor!”

“There are two of them!” his friend called back.

Hugo and his friend live high in the mountains of Bolivia. Their homes are probably different from most of the homes that you have seen. They are made of bricks of mud that have been dried in the sun. The land is very dry and there are high mountain peaks all around the plateau where Hugo and his friend live.

Condors often live in this area. They are one of the largest and heaviest land birds. They have a wingspread of 12 feet — twice the height of many men! Like vultures, they eat dead animals. Condors are so common in the mountains of Bolivia that they are the national bird of
that country.

It is always a special sight to see condors flying high above the earth when they leave their nests in the high mountain peaks to search for food. Now Hugo and his friend stood watching as the birds began to fly overhead. How they would like to see those huge birds
up close!

Suddenly Hugo had an idea. “Let’s lie down and be very still,” he said to his friend. “Condors eat dead animals. Maybe they will think that we are dead and will come closer. We’ll get to see them up close.”

“Okay,” his friend agreed.

So, both boys lay down on the ground and stayed very still, hoping that the condors would notice them. Hugo kept his eyes closed except for a little slit so that he would be able to see if the birds noticed them. Sure enough, the condors changed their direction and began to fly in large circles overhead.

Wow! thought Hugo, those birds did notice us! But he did not say a word nor did he move even a little. He wanted them to come closer. This was fun! The birds continued flying in circles overhead and slowly began to come closer and closer to the two boys.

Hugo never realized just how big those condors could be. Peeking out of the little slits in his eyes, Hugo began to get a close-up look at the large birds. How ugly their bald heads were, and their big, hooked beaks seemed so close!

They circled just overhead now, always coming closer. Suddenly Hugo was struck with fear. Those birds were very ugly, and they thought he was dead! They wanted to eat him!

Hugo knew that their fun with the condors had gone too far. Suddenly he yelled to his friend, “Let’s get out of here!” They jumped up and ran as fast as their legs could take them to a place of safety. They had been very frightened by the condors, but they reached home safely and learned a lesson they would never forget.

Hugo and his friend had thought they were going to have fun, but their “fun” ended up being pretty scary and even dangerous. Sin can be like Hugo’s dangerous fun. Sin often seems like it’s not so bad, and the Bible tells us that there is sometimes even pleasure in sin, but only for a little while. The truth is that the devil is your enemy and he is a cruel master. Like those fierce condors, Satan is a dangerous enemy, who, the Bible says, is like a roaring lion, walking about, looking for people whom he can devour. (See 1 Peter 5:8.) You may think that you can “play” with sin and then leave it when you want, but the Bible warns us that “sin, when it is finished, [brings] ... death” (James 1:15). Only the Lord Jesus, who never sinned, can rescue you from sin and death. “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Will you let the Lord Jesus
save you?

Memory Verse: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18

Messages of God’s Love 12/19/2021

The Bee Sting

Are you afraid of bees? Normally, they don’t bother us if we don’t bother them, but sometimes there are exceptions. In this story, the Lord used a bee that acted strangely to teach a wonderful lesson to a little boy named Paul.

One summer day, Paul was playing outside while his mother worked inside where she could see him. Suddenly a large bee came buzzing around and around Paul’s head. For some reason, it seemed determined to sting him. He tried to scare it away, but the more he tried, the closer the bee flew to his head. Finally, he ran inside to escape the bee, but the bee just followed him. Very afraid, Paul ran to his mother and hid under her apron.

Paul’s mother, who had seen Paul’s fight with the bee, was surprised at his fear. But, full of motherly love, she immediately put her work down to completely cover him up with her apron, holding it in place with her arms. She had just finished doing this, when the bee landed on her and stung her in the arm, leaving his only stinger there. The bee sting surprised Paul’s mother, and, of course, it hurt. But, as she looked at the bee on her arm, she had a thought, and it was used to help Paul come to Jesus.

His mother said, “You may come out now; the bee has stung me instead of you. Come out, and look at it on my arm.”

Curious, Paul lifted the apron and stuck his head out to see. Sure enough, there was the bee on his mother’s arm. She said, “There it is; you may play with it now, for it cannot sting you. It had only one stinger, and it has left that in my arm.” Paul felt bad that the bee had stung his mother, but seeing the stinger in her arm, he knew he was safe now.

His mother then explained to him how this was an example of what she had been trying to help him understand for a long time — that just as she had taken the bee’s sting instead of Paul, so Jesus had taken Paul’s place and had taken the punishment for Paul’s sins so he wouldn’t have to go to hell.

Paul had learned the verse, “With His stripes we are healed,” but he had never understood it. But when he thought about the bee and the bee sting, he finally understood that Jesus had given Himself to be punished instead of him. It was very clear — God would not punish Paul, because He had already punished Jesus!

“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). This means that the Lord Jesus was punished by God as if all our sins were done by Him. Jesus willingly took the full punishment for our sins, so that now, if we believe in what He did, we can have peace with God. Isn’t His love for us wonderful?

Messages of God’s Love 12/19/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sea Turtles, Part 1

“Happy is he ... whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is.” Psalm 146:5-6

Those of you who live near warm ocean waters enjoy swimming in the ocean. But how would you like to swim as far as some sea turtles swim? Baby turtles take off from the shore where they hatch and swim hundreds or even thousands of miles away to live, remaining in the water for many years before returning. They have been doing this since they were created. Their ability to return to the exact spot they started from years earlier is truly amazing!

Although they breathe air, some sea turtles make long dives beneath the surface hunting for food — fish, shellfish, sea snails and seaweed. The Creator designed their bodies so that the salt contained in their food and in ocean water does not hurt them.

How do they rest and sleep out in the deep ocean? They just close their eyes while floating on the surface and sleep as long as they like, bobbing in the waves. If closer to shore, they can wedge themselves on the bottom of the ocean under rocks.

Turtles are not born in water; they hatch from eggs laid on land. The reason a female turtle comes back to the starting point of her long trip is to lay a huge quantity of eggs. She usually returns in the spring to the exact spot her own mother and grandmother came to years before. Some of these sandy shores are on tiny islands, just a speck in the great ocean.

Crawling out of the water at night, the female turtle makes a slow, tiring trip over the sand to a spot far from incoming waves, even at high tide. She scoops out a large, deep hole, piling the sand behind it. Then she deposits 80 to 120 eggs the size of Ping-Pong balls into the hole. She then scoops the sand back over them until the spot is level, carefully scraping it and the surrounding area so birds and animals won’t discover the nest.

With her eggs safely hidden, the mother turtle works her way back to the ocean on her flippers. Tears are running from her eyes — not because she is sad — but because the Creator has kindly arranged the tears to wash excess salt from her body as well as grains of sand that get into her eyes when she is digging the nest.

The tropical sun warms the sand covering the nest. Within a few months, the babies break out of their shells, crawl to the surface of the sand, and head for the sea — not to return until they are old enough to lay their own eggs. However, only a few baby turtles reach the water safely. Many are eaten by birds and animals while they are still on land.

In the following two articles, we will look at some of the varieties of sea turtles and their individual ways of life.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 12/19/2021

I Smell Smoke!

“Today we are going to do a science experiment,” said Miss Lozano to her third-grade students. “We have been studying chemical change, and now I will show you what that looks like.”

Miss Lozano took out a small paper towel, a match and a tin pie plate. She had shown third-grade students this experiment for several years now, and the boys and girls always enjoyed watching a chemical change take place right in front of their eyes.

First, Miss Lozano put the paper towel in the pie plate. Next, she lit the match and burned part of the paper towel. Then she showed the children how the fibers in the paper had turned to carbon. It was a perfect experiment for the science class.

However, there were air conditioning vents in the school, and the smoke from the burned paper towel soon traveled through the vents to the principal’s office. That smells like smoke! the principal thought. There were 875 students in the school, including 99 pre-kindergarten students. These children were only four years old, and it was their first year to be at school. The school hadn’t had a practice fire drill yet, so the pre-kindergarten children wouldn’t know what to do during a
fire drill.

The principal had a decision to make. Should he take the time to go around the school to look for a fire? He knew that in most fires even one breath of smoke can kill a person if there are poisonous gases from a carpet burning. If he rang the fire alarm for the children to go outside, the pre-kindergarten children wouldn’t know what to do, and they
might panic.

The principal made a wise decision. He calmly announced over the loud speaker that all teachers should take their classes outside right away. Then he called the Fire Department.

Quickly, the students filed outside, and almost as quickly they heard sirens wailing as the big fire trucks pulled up to the school. They had brought a big pump truck with over 500 gallons of water to use right away until they could connect to the fire hydrant outside the school. Six firemen searched the school wearing hats, boots, flameproof coats and air tanks for breathing. What they found were a few ashes in a tin pie plate in Miss Lozano’s class.

Once the students were allowed back into their classrooms, the firemen in their flameproof coats and boots came into Miss Lozano’s class. She was a little embarrassed as she explained, “I’ve done this little experiment every year with my class and nothing has ever happened before!” The children thought they noticed just a slight smile on the teacher’s face and a few giggled. Then the teacher laughed, and suddenly the class exploded with laughter — the sight of all that equipment and those big firemen for their tiny fire, so safe in a tin pie plate!

But no one thought the principal had made a mistake. He had to think of all the students in the school including the children who had never had a fire drill. He wasn’t about to take a chance, and no one found fault with him for that.

How about you? You also have been told that there is a fire coming for those who have not taken Jesus as their Savior. And it’s not a tiny fire in a tin plate. It’s the lake of fire called hell, and the Bible says it will never be put out. God has warned you about it now, because He loves you and wants to save you from that never-ending fire. Have you made the wise decision to accept God’s offer of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? All you need to do is accept that wonderful gift by believing in what the Lord Jesus did for you at the cross. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

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

Messages of God’s Love 12/26/2021

The Deadly Viper

Louis always had a real interest in different kinds of animals, but his favorite animals were snakes. This interest in snakes almost cost Louis his life.

Louis knew what he wanted when he smashed the glass to a display case at the zoo. In this display case there were two five-foot-long Gaboon vipers. Reaching through the broken glass, Louis quickly grabbed the vipers and stuffed them into a black plastic bag.

I’m not sure if Louis knew how poisonous the Gaboon viper is, but he was soon to find out. It is one of the most poisonous snakes in the world.

It was late at night when Louis climbed onto a city bus, carrying a black plastic bag with his new “pets.” He sat down for the ride back to his home, with the bag beside him. He peeked into the bag. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. One of the snakes had bitten him! Blood started running down his arm and soaked through his shirt. Louis did not know what to do.

The Bible tells us, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). After the snake bit Louis, his sin was quickly “found out.” Not only had he sinned when he broke the window and stole the snakes, but now he also was facing death. Louis was in very serious trouble and needed help, fast!

The others on the bus soon realized that Louis needed help. The driver quickly stopped the bus and called the police.

Louis was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. When the doctors at the hospital discovered what had bitten Louis, they immediately sent out an emergency call for antivenin to the Gaboon viper poison, the only remedy that could save his life. Thankfully for Louis, an antivenin was found and rushed to the hospital where Louis lay, close to death. It had to be given quickly to save his life. There was no time to waste!

Did you know that all of us have a problem even worse than Louis’s poisonous snake bite? Our problem is sin. God says “all have sinned” and “the wages of sin is death.” That means that we will die because of our sins someday. But thankfully, just as there was a remedy for Louis, there is a remedy for sin. That remedy is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Just as Louis had to receive the remedy for the snake bite, so we each have to be willing to receive God’s remedy for our sins. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus as your very own Savior and accepted the only remedy for your sins?

Messages of God’s Love 12/26/2021

Wonders of God's Creation: Sea Turtles, Part 2

“God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place. ... And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:9-10

Last week we had an introduction to sea turtles in general. Now let’s see what differences there are among them. Actually, there are several varieties, but we will select only a few of the better-known ones.

The leatherbacks are the largest of all turtles. Mature ones weigh as much as 2000 pounds and get from over 6½ feet long up to 10 feet long. Because of their size, they are safe from attack except from men with special equipment or a shark or killer whale. They can dive nearly 4000 feet below the surface of the ocean in search of food, a greater depth than any other air-breathing creature.

They do not have a hard shell like most turtles have, but they are covered with a tough, leathery skin called a carapace. This carapace is composed of small bones embedded in the thick skin on their backs. But on their underside they have a more tender skin, no tougher than a human’s, which the Creator has provided to help them swim swiftly through water.

Leatherbacks are black, speckled with white, and have two huge, long front flippers, two shorter back flippers, and a bony, short, V-shaped tail, all of which equips them to travel thousands of miles through ocean waters. Some tagged ones have been known to travel more than 3000 miles from their birthplace.

The leatherback is the only sea turtle that is capable of surviving in cold, northern Atlantic Ocean waters, and many live there through summer months, enjoying the plentiful food supply in those waters. However, most of them live in warmer waters off the coasts of Mexico and southern California, as well as in the Caribbean Sea and warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

The hawksbill makes its home in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. This is one of the smaller varieties, only about 30 inches long. It has a beautiful shell from which jewelers used to make items called “tortoise shell,” but that is no longer done.

An outstanding characteristic of the hawksbill is that its principal food is poisonous sponges that grow on coral reefs, covering the reefs with a glass-like coating. Although this coating breaks up into sharp, needlelike crystals and contains a poison deadly to humans and other creatures, the hawksbill thrives on it.

Next week we will look at several more sea turtles.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 12/26/2021

Messages of God's Love: 2021

Table of Contents

Following the Wrong Path

Can You See?

Wonders of God's Creation: A Cute, Expensive Pet

A Deer in the Tent

Dave and His Violin

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 1

Lost in the Mountains

The Doctor in Korea

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 2

The Titanic

Wonders of God's Creation: The Beautiful Grebes

Saved from the Ocean

Our Sick Goats

Wonders of God's Creation: Well-Named Hornbills

Emily's Song

Sweet Fruit and a Warning

Wonders of God's Creation: Likeable Phalangers

A Test for a Teenager

Seeing Differently

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 3

The Prize

Brian

Wonders of God's Creation: Birds on the Move, Part 4

A Tree Becomes a Bridge

The Destructive Raccoon

The Lion - Kings of Beasts, Part 1

A Costly Rescue

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lion - King of Beasts, Part 2

The Courageous Bible Translator

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lion and Other Carnivores, Part 3

Ellie and Her Unicorn

Are You a Seagull or a Mouse?

Wonders of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders

Lucas and Oliver

A Prayer for 33 Cents

Wonders of God's Creation: The American Buffalo (Bison), Part 1

Noises in the Barn

Our Happy Day

The Wonders of God's Creation: The American Buffalo (Bison), Part 2

A Police Officer's Mercy

Forty-Six Year of Guilt

Wonders of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders, Part 2

Eddie and the Pears

God's Books

Wonder's of God's Creation: Let's Talk About Spiders, Part3

Sonya's Friend

Wonder's of God's Creation: Breathing and Eating, Part 1

A New School

Wonder's of God's Creation: The Mouth Does More Than Talk, Part 2

Jake the Horse

Wonders of God's Creation: The Throat's Part of Our Lives, Part 3

A Little Too Close

Fake Lettuce

Wonder's of God's Creation: What's Under Our Feet?, Part 1

Rafa Runs

Wonders of God's Creation: What's Under Our Feed?, Part 2

The Moose and the Swing Set

Shop Class

Wonders of God's Creation: A Few Facts About the Oceans

Beware!

The Best Secret

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part 1

A Pony in the House

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part 2

The Lost Cougar

God Cares

Wonders of God's Creation: What Happens When We Eat?, Part3

Gertrude

Wonders of God's Creation: The Glowing-Tailed Cornet

Lost in the Woods

Wonders of God's Creation: Man's Good Friend - the Dog, Part 1

Surprised By a Seal

I'M Alive

Wonders of God's Creation: Man's Good Friend - the- Dog, Part 2

The Phantom Flagman

Be About

Wonders of God's Creation: A Skunk - Be Careful, Part 1

Escape!