Messages of God's Love: 2022

It was a cold and snowy day in November as I made my way to the Toronto airport for a business trip. I was about to take a flight to Thunder Bay, a city far in the north, on the north shore of Lake Superior, in Ontario.

I checked my bag and made my way to where I would board the Air Canada flight. The snow was falling gently and the large flakes looked harmless and beautiful as they decorated everything in frosty white. As we found our seats and buckled up for the flight, the captain welcomed us and said there might be a delay in taking off due to weather conditions. That was disappointing! I didn’t want to be late because I was supposed to meet a friend soon after my planned arrival. A few minutes later the captain came back on and made an interesting announcement. “We have been cleared to take off from Toronto, but not cleared to land in Thunder Bay!” When I heard that, I became uneasy and realized this flight could become dangerous. Soon, the captain’s voice came over the intercom once more. This time he said, “If we are unable to land in Thunder Bay, we will fly to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and disembark there!” I groaned. Winnipeg was not even in the same province I was heading to! Once again, the captain’s voice came over the intercom and said, “Alternatively, we may fly back to Toronto!” That was better! I might get to sleep in my own bed tonight and make new plans in the morning.

Two hours into the flight, the captain’s voice was heard again. He said, “We are over Lake Superior and about to land in Thunder Bay. Because we are experiencing white-out conditions with the snowstorm, we will be attempting to land using only instruments. Please assume the brace-for-impact position in case we have an emergency as we prepare to land.” I knew that meant, “We might crash-land somewhere because we can’t see anything!” Before I bent forward to get into the braced position, I looked out the window. I could not see anything but white. I started praying we would not land on the lake! It hadn’t been cold long enough to make the ice strong enough to hold up the weight of the plane, and we could easily sink in that extremely deep Lake Superior. With my head bowed, I asked the Lord Jesus to please guide the pilot and flight crew, and I thanked Him for saving me so that, even if we crashed, I would go to heaven.

Very tense moments followed. I was not sure if these were my last moments on earth. But I had peace. I was ready to die, because I had taken the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.

The moments seemed endless as we lost altitude and came down for the landing. When the wheels touched down on solid ground, there was a huge sigh of relief from every passenger. Then we started to applaud. We had made it safely!

As we left the plane a few minutes later, it looked like we had landed in the Arctic instead of Thunder Bay. There was very deep snow and I could see nothing else! How had we ever landed safely with all this snow?

Getting to my hotel in the cab was another frightening experience. But somehow the cab driver got me to my hotel. Safely there, I did not go out, even to eat, but ordered food brought to my cozy room. There, I said a prayer of thanks to the Lord Jesus for our safe landing.

The next morning, the roads had been ploughed, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful, sparkling new day. I was thankful to be safe and warm. I knew I had been saved from a possible plane crash. It was wonderful to be alive!

Children, have you ever felt like your life was in danger, as mine was? What peace it gave me as I sat there in the plane, not knowing if we would crash and be swallowed into the very deep Lake Superior, that I knew I would go to heaven. I knew this because I had accepted the Lord Jesus into my heart as my very own Savior. Do you know where you would be if you died? If not, you can. It’s very simple. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:31). That means you will be saved from going to hell and sure of going to heaven, if you believe on what the Lord Jesus did for you on the cross. He died there to pay for all of your sins. Sins are things you have done wrong, like disobeying your parents, hitting your brother or sister, stealing something or hating someone. Even one sin will keep you out of heaven! The Lord Jesus loves you so much He willingly died to pay for the sins you have done. He wants to be your Savior. Will you let Him save you now?

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

Messages of God’s Love 1/2/2022

A Question for You

One day Peter asked an interesting question. He asked, “Why does it say that God loved the world in John 3:16, and then He tells us not to love the world in 1 John 2:15?”

Have you ever wondered about that?

Often our questions can be answered by reading carefully where the verses appear in the Bible. Since the Bible is God’s Word, He can use it to answer all our questions. Let’s read the whole verse from 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.” Notice the two darker words, “world” and “whosoever.” God is telling us here that He loves the “whosoevers” of the world. That’s you and me, the people of this world.

Now let’s look at 1 John 2:15-16. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. ... For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” If we know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, this is a warning for our hearts. This is not talking about loving people by caring about them and wanting them to be saved from their sins. Rather, it warns us not to love the sinful things in the world that take away our love for the Lord Jesus.

Can you think of some things which take away from your love for the Lord Jesus?

Messages of God’s Love 1/2/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Sea Turtles, Part 3

“Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward.” Psalm 40:5

In Part 2 of this series we had a brief outline of two kinds of sea turtles — the leatherback and the hawksbill. Now we will look at two more kinds of sea turtles.

Loggerhead turtles are not nearly as large as the leatherbacks, but their way of life is similar. They are only about three feet long and normally weigh from 150 to 375 pounds. There is a great variety in the coloring of loggerhead turtles, but most of them have various shades of brown and some orange in their beautiful shells. Their name comes from their immense head and beak.

Loggerheads are found in warm areas of the Atlantic Ocean along North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, some areas of the Pacific Ocean, and all the way down to Australia.

Their choices of food include mostly shellfish which live on the ocean floor. They have no problem eating shellfish due to their powerful jaws. They can also eat the extremely poisonous “Man-o-War,” which is similar to a jellyfish, with no problem. Their thick shell protects them from its poisonous stings.

For some unknown reason, this one species of turtle does not always return to the same nesting places like other sea turtles do. However, their way of laying eggs in the sand is the same as other species.

The green sea turtle is the most appealing of them all. It is relatively small, a little over three feet long and weighs from 200 to 400 pounds. It lives in tropical seas all over the world and is well-known in many lands, with Hawaii and Panama being two of its favorite areas.

Its entire body is quite pretty, beginning with a dark-green head, marked with checkerboard diamond shapes having golden-yellow borders. Its large, sloping shell is the same color of green and has similar markings, only the diamond shapes are much larger and look as though they had been placed separately on the shell. Flippers and tail are also slightly green with a black tint. It is easy to see where the name “green sea turtle” came from.

A Bible verse states, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Let us remember Him, the Creator, when we enjoy the interesting things He has placed on earth and give Him praise and honor, not only from our lips, but from our hearts as well. He is worthy of our praise!

Messages of God’s Love 1/2/2022

God Knows Your Size

The Browns were excitedly packing for their annual family reunion in the Smoky Mountains. Lists were made, suitcases packed, and excitement grew as the day drew near to drive all the way from their home in Texas to the Eastern Smoky Mountains.

Finally, the day came. What fun it was to see all of the cousins again and to plan all the activities for their time together! One of the first activities was to go on a hike. Suddenly the Brown’s oldest son, Cameron, realized he hadn’t packed his hiking shoes and he only had some flimsy summer sandals that wouldn’t work for the rough trails. What could they do? There were no stores nearby, and any stores farther away were closed because it was a
holiday weekend.

Mrs. Brown’s brother, Paul, suddenly smiled. He asked, “Cameron, what size shoe do you wear?” Cameron said, “Size 9.” His Uncle Paul said, “Just a minute. I might have just the fix.” Off to his truck Uncle Paul went. He soon returned with a brand new pair of hiking shoes! Paul said they were marked as his size, but they were too tight for him. Cameron put them on and they fit him perfectly!

Where did those shoes come from? Paul lived in Michigan, where a young man he knew, named Brian, had died a year before. Thankfully, he knew the Lord Jesus as his Savior and had gone to be with Him in heaven. Brian’s family had found a few pairs of new shoes in his closet and decided to give them to Paul’s family, who had lots of boys. But this pair of hiking shoes hadn’t fit anyone in the family. Uncle Paul had put them into his truck, planning to donate them, but had never done it. These shoes had another purpose that the Lord knew about! The Lord allowed these shoes to go to the Smoky Mountains, so that they were there when Cameron needed them. The Bible says, “Before they call, I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24).

If we know the Lord, we are never left with no one to care about us. The Bible says that the Lord cares about us. (See 1 Peter 5:7.) He cares so much that He has numbered every hair on your head! While we don’t always see such amazing provisions for our needs as Cameron did, we can always trust the One who died for us. We know from His Word, the Bible, that He is always there for every one of us who call upon Him. All we have to do is ask Him for help and trust Him. He will always do what is best.

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

Messages of God’s Love 1/9/2022

Gumballs Out of Dirt?

All of the Sunday school children looked eagerly at the bag Chris held in his hand. It was a clear plastic bag full of brightly colored gumballs.

“What would happen if I opened this bag and dumped it on the floor? What would come out of it?” Chris asked the children.

“Gumballs,” all the children answered quickly, hoping he really would dump them so they could each scoop some up.

But instead, Chris asked another question. “Who can say their memory verse?”

One of the boys held up his hand and repeated, “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20.”

“That’s right,” said Chris. “When I was a little boy, that was one of the first verses I memorized. It didn’t mean much to me then, but as I grew up and experienced more and more of the love and goodness of God, I began to realize that everything in God’s heart is good. As I have learned more of His heart, I have learned that only good comes out of it. So now that verse has become much more precious to me, and I am thankful every day that the Son of God loves me and gave Himself for me.

“Now, I have another bag here. What’s in this bag?”

The children looked at the bag. “Rocks and dirt,” they told him.

“Right. And what would come out of this bag if I dumped it on the floor?”

“Rocks and dirt,” they all answered.

“Do you think that if I cut a little corner off this bag and squeezed the bag of rocks and dirt really hard, I could get a gumball out of it?”

Most of the children shook their heads “no.” Some weren’t sure.

Then Chris asked if anyone remembered the previous week’s memory verse.

One of the children repeated it: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Jeremiah 17:9.”

“That’s right,” said Chris. “That’s what our hearts are like. There’s not one good thing in them. Look at this bag again. Can you see any gumballs in it?”

The children examined the bag again. They could find no gumballs.

“How could I squeeze a gumball out of this bag if there are no gumballs in it?” Chris asked. “Yet there are lots of people in this world who have hearts like this bag of rocks and dirt. They are full of deceit and other bad things, and they keep thinking that they can squeeze out of those hearts something good that will please God. But that’s impossible. Unless we’ve been born again by the Spirit of God and have the Lord Jesus living in our hearts as our Savior, we cannot please God.

“Now, let me ask you this question: How many good things did people do to the Lord Jesus at the cross?”

The children shook their heads and answered, “None.”

“Our hearts are not any better,” said Chris. “But never forget that you can say, ‘The Son of God ... loved me, and gave Himself for me,’ even though you have a sinful heart. If you know you are a sinner and believe God’s Word that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleans us from all sin, you will become a child of God with a clean heart that can please Him.”

After the lesson, Chris let the children have gumballs from the bag. As they chewed their gumballs, we hope that each child remembered the lesson those gumballs taught them.

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood ... be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Messages of God’s Love 1/9/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Gorgeous Toucans

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

There are about 40 species of toucans, all living in southern Mexico and Central and South America. These birds live in flocks in dense forests. The special feature of these birds is their enormous, brightly colored beaks, which set them apart from all other birds. Here are details of two.

The sulfur-breasted toucan, also called the keel-billed toucan, has a beak longer than its body. Its beautiful beak is red, orange, lime green, blue and purple. It is easy to see why it is also called the rainbow-billed toucan! It has bright yellow feathers on the lower part of its head which extend to its breast a little way, ending with a touch of crimson in some. Its body feathers are mainly deep blue or black except for a bright red shield between their tail and body.

A large part of eastern and central South America is the home of the toco toucan, the largest and best-known of the toucans. It can grow up to 25 inches tall. Its seven-inch beak is bright orange and bright yellow, with a stripe of crimson along the top. A black swath is on the end of the upper half, as well as a black ribbon circling the entire beak near the bird’s eyes.

There is a beautiful orange circle around a smaller blue circle, surrounding their black eyes. They have a bright yellow or tan throat. Beyond that point, the body is black, except for a red heart-shaped area between the bottom of its tail and body.

Toucans nest in hollows left by woodpeckers. Several will live in the same hollow, laying their eggs and caring for the baby toucans. Baby toucans are not born with excessively long beaks, but their beaks grow as they do.

Toucans all have rather long, slender legs and long toes with sharp claws. Their unusual beaks are thin and lightweight in spite of how large they are, and they are great for catching flying insects, picking and peeling fruit or even occasionally robbing eggs from other birds’ nests. They have short, rounded wings and long tails. They are not particularly good at flying, mostly choosing to hop their way through the trees. When they do fly, it is only for a short distance. Another thing that makes them different from most birds is that their calls to each other are harsh, not musical like most birds.

As the opening Bible verse reminds us, it is the Lord God who created all things, including these spectacular birds. But, in spite of His greatness, He loves every person on earth. Another Bible verse tells us that He wants “all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). Are you saved from your sins?

Messages of God’s Love 1/9/2022

Rescued!

In the days before Alaska was a state, I lived in Anchorage and worked as a fish warden. (A fish warden is like a police officer who specializes in enforcing fishing laws.) My job often included flying a small amphibious plane, which is a plane that can land on both land and water, over the Pacific Ocean and the frozen northland. It was a dangerous job, and I was constantly asking the Lord Jesus to keep me safe.

One day I took off to do my job as usual. My plane was heavily loaded with fuel. As I gained altitude the engine sounded like it was having trouble. Not good, I thought. I wonder if I should go back. Since it had been a difficult takeoff because the plane was so heavy, I knew it would be impossible to land safely without first using up quite a bit of my fuel. So, I flew in circles quite a few times to use up some of the fuel in my tanks.

As I circled and the plane grew lighter, the engine started sounding better. I decided to continue my flight. I checked the oil pressure gauge and then I started out over the ocean.

I hadn’t flown far when something seemed to tell me to check the oil pressure. I checked the gauge again even though I had just done it. For some reason, the pressure was falling fast! I’d have to make an emergency landing.

In the few seconds I had left to fly in my disabled plane, I radioed the Coast Guard and told them where I was, and then I brought the plane down on the rough water. How thankful I was that the Lord had made me think to check the oil gauge again and that I had already had the time to use up some of the heavy fuel before having to land on the water! It made the emergency landing in the rough water safer. This gave me peace that the Lord was taking care of me and was with me now, in my extremely dangerous situation.

Soon I saw a Coast Guard plane coming closer. The pilot spotted my plane and started circling overhead. But he signaled that he couldn’t land! The sea was too rough, and the Coast Guard would have to send a boat.

My heart sank. It might take two hours for a boat to reach me from the nearest Coast Guard station, which was in Yakutat. How could I survive that long?

My plane was gradually drifting toward some rocks, and I thought of trying to swim over to them. But just when I had decided to do that, a sea lion lifted his head out of the water and roared at me! That quickly changed my mind. Instead, I hung on tightly to the plane, shaking with cold, and cried to the Lord Jesus to save me. “In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

As I prayed, the wind shifted just enough to float my plane away from the rocks. If the plane had hit the rocks, it would have been dashed to pieces with the crashing waves. The Lord was answering my prayers!

Suddenly, I heard the roar of a plane directly above me.

I looked up. There flying overhead was one of the most beat-up planes I’d ever seen. When the pilot brought it down on the water, it was spraying oil everywhere. And when I stepped from my plane onto this rescue plane, the fabric was so rotten that my foot went right through it. But I was saved!

My rescuer told me he had heard my SOS call to the Coast Guard, and he was sure I couldn’t last until a boat reached me. So, he decided to come get me.

Children, that was a wonderful rescue. That man was very brave to risk his life in coming to get me on that rough water with his old, beat-up plane. But that was my second rescue. I had a first rescue which was even more wonderful than that one.

Let me tell you about my first rescue. My Rescuer’s name is Jesus. He came all the way from heaven to earth, to die a painful death on the cross, because He knew there was no other way for me to be saved from the results of my sins. He loved me so much that He paid for all of my sins when He died on the cross. There, His blood was shed to wash me from all of my sins, and when I came to Him, believing in what He had done, He gave me the priceless gift of eternal life because of what He had done on the cross. And He wants to do the same for you!

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Have you been rescued from your sins by the Lord Jesus?

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

Messages of God’s Love 1/16/2022

The Flower Clock

Have you ever heard of a flower clock? I thought I knew all about clocks, starting with big grandfather clocks all the way down to small wristwatches. Yet when someone asked me if I had ever heard of a flower clock, I had to answer no.

The man who thought up flower clocks lived many years ago in Sweden. His name was Carolus Linnaeus, who was famous because he developed the scientific method of naming plants and animals.

Even as a boy, Mr. Linnaeus loved and cared for plants. As an adult, his garden was full of rare and unusual plants. It was in this garden that he studied flowers, and he learned how different flowers opened at different hours and times of the day. Almost every hour from 3:00 a.m. till 12:00 a.m. could be marked by the opening of a different flower. He thought that a garden could be planted in the form of a clock, with flowers that would open at the right hour for the place the plant occupied in the “clock.” Almost every hour of a flower clock could show a flower with a different beauty and fragrance all its own. What an unusual clock it would be!

The life of a Christian should be like a flower clock. Every hour, every day and every year should be bright and beautiful. The life of the Lord Jesus was like this. The description of His perfect life in Psalm 1 sounds something like a flower clock, doesn’t it? “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that [brings] forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he [does] shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

Are we like this? We should be. The name “Christian” means Christ-like. Yet how often we are not like Christ since the things that we do are not beautiful or fragrant. It is His life in us that is like the beauty and fragrance of a beautiful garden for God. Do we let His life show every hour of the day?

Messages of God’s Love 1/16/2022

Wonders of God's Creation

“[The sun’s] ... going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” Psalm 19:6

What a wonderful thing sunshine is! As the above verse tells us, there is no place on earth where the sun’s heat does not reach. The wise Creator God has made the sun’s distance from the earth just right to meet the needs of life on earth ... not too hot and not too cold.

For human as well as animal and plant life to exist, the earth must be protected from the fierce heat and deadly ultraviolet radiations of the sun. The Creator did not neglect this. It is like He has wrapped several great blankets, mostly invisible, around the earth for this purpose.

The atmosphere we breathe, called the troposphere, is the blanket of which we are most aware. It contains the oxygen which we breathe and which is necessary for life. It also contains nitrogen, carbon dioxide, moisture, dust, salt, ash and smoke from volcanoes and smokestacks. In addition to the protective value the troposphere contributes, it is the impurities in this atmosphere which cause beautiful sunsets and sunrises, which are a part of the beauties of God’s creation.

We do not have enough space here to give details about all the blankets, but beginning about 10 miles above the earth is a 22-mile-thick area called the stratosphere. In it is much of the ozone gas we hear so much about today. Ozone is the most important shield against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Above the stratosphere lie other atmospheric zones that are equally important to life on earth. There, most meteors that threaten the earth burn to ash, making brilliant “shooting star” displays. There also is a layer of atmosphere that keeps radio waves from drifting off into space and reflects them back to the earth. More important, much radiation from the sun is absorbed in these layers and kept from reaching the surface of the earth.

Finally, the greatest blanket of all, the exosphere, starts about 300 to 620 miles above the earth and reaches up to 120,000 miles into space. This is the first line of defense against the harmful rays which are emitted by the sun in such quantities that life on earth could not exist if we did not have this protection. It also keeps the sun’s heat inside the atmosphere, keeping our world warm.

Most of us rarely think about the wonderful way God has provided such vital protection in these blankets. Have you ever thanked Him for His loving care over you — one small person in God’s vast universe?

Messages of God’s Love 1/16/2022

Two Brave Fireman

Fire! There’s never a good day for a fire, but this day was especially bad. Mr. Patterson was away from the farm. Mrs. Patterson was on crutches with a broken leg. Eleven-year-old David and nine-year-old Gordon were both just getting over the flu, and Judy, their older sister, was working in town.

That fateful day, David was looking out the kitchen window. Suddenly he saw smoke in the pasture between the barn and the road that passed their farm.

“Mom, look!” he yelled. “Something’s burning in
the pasture!”

“What’s burning?” asked Mother as she hobbled into the kitchen on her crutches.

“The grass is on fire near the road,” cried David, “and it’s burning toward the barn! Look at all the smoke! Oh, it’s going to burn down the barn!”

“Quick, David, get some buckets from the shed and go get water to throw on the fire!” directed Mrs. Patterson. “You can get water from the trough by the barn. I’ll call the fire department.”

“I’m coming, too,” yelled Gordon, following his brother out the door.

“Oh, do be careful!” called Mother anxiously. Quickly, she called the fire department. She had never felt so helpless in all her life. Everything they owned was in danger, but with her leg in a cast there was nothing she could do but call for help.

Gordon and David grabbed buckets from the shed and filled them from the water trough. They ran to the burning grass closest to the barn and threw the water on the flames. Then they ran back for more water and back again to the fire.

Back and forth they raced, but it looked like they were losing the fight. After all, how could two boys with buckets put out a big brush fire?

“Keep at it, boys!” encouraged their mother. “The fire department is on the way.”

The boys worked harder. They were keeping the fire from moving so fast toward the barn where the tractors and animals were, but it was still creeping closer. They were not going to be able to stop it. The buckets were heavy, and they were getting so tired. Still, they worked as hard as they could.

The fire reached the corner of the barn. Just then, a fire engine roared into the driveway. The firemen jumped down and were soon working beside the boys with their hoses and shovels. It was not long until the fire was completely out. They had won—the barn, animals and equipment were saved!

Those boys were brave firemen!

David and Gordon had kept back the fire until the firemen got there to put it out, but they couldn’t put it out by themselves. They needed the firemen to do the job. We are all something like David and Gordon because we can’t do the job of taking away our sins. We might be as good as we can to try to earn our way to heaven, but we can’t do it, because, as the Bible says, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God even says that all the good things we do, if we aren’t saved, are as filthy rags. (See Isaiah 64:6.) Thankfully, God Himself has provided the way to meet our need.

The answer for our need as sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ. He, in His great love for sinners, was punished on the cross for the sins of all who would believe in Him. If you realize that you are a helpless sinner, on your way to that awful place called hell, then turn right now to the One who longs to save you. The Lord Jesus says, “Come unto Me” (Matthew 11:28). In Isaiah 43:11 we read, “Beside Me there is no Savior.” The Lord Jesus has already done everything that is needed for you to be saved. All you have to do is accept His offer of forgiveness for your sins.

Memory Verse: “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Savior.”Isaiah 43:11

Messages of God’s Love 1/23/2022

Mr. Woodpecker's Nest

Tap-tap-tap! Mr. Woodpecker was hard at work. He had found a nice tall tree that he thought was just right for raising a family. We were happy because he was working right outside our kitchen window, and the family loved to watch him working while we ate our meals.

Mr. Woodpecker made a hole in the side of the tree so that he and Mrs. Woodpecker would have a safe place to build a nest. But Mr. Woodpecker wasn’t the only one that thought he had found a good place for a nest. Every time he left, another bird would start to use his hole to build its own nest. We laughed to see Mr. Woodpecker come home and chase the intruding bird away. Then he would busily clean his hole out so that he and Mrs. Woodpecker could build their own nest. But the next time he left, another bird would start a nest, and Mr. Woodpecker would have to clean out his hole all
over again.

Then one night, we had a storm. We saw lightning and heard the loud thunder and the wind. When we got up in the morning, we had a big surprise. Right outside our kitchen window a tree had fallen in the yard! Well, it wasn’t a whole tree, but the big branch that held Mr. Woodpecker’s nest had broken off in the wind. The hole he had made for his nest made a weak spot in that branch, and the storm had broken it off right in the middle of the hole. Poor Mr. Woodpecker! All his work was wasted.

God tells us there is something like a storm coming for this world. It is a storm of judgment from Him because of sin. Mr. Woodpecker knew that he needed a safe place to build his nest, but the place he chose was not as safe as he thought. Do you hope that going to Sunday school or learning Bible verses will take away your sins? Do you feel safe because your parents are Christians? These things are like the place Mr. Woodpecker chose for his nest. They will not keep you safe through the storm.

But God loves you and has made a safe place from that storm against sin. The Bible says, “A man shall be ... a [shelter] from the [storm]” (Isaiah 32:2). That man is Jesus, for the Bible says of Jesus that “He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). If you trust the Lord Jesus, you won’t be left in this world for that terrible storm.

Messages of God’s Love 1/23/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Had Your Copper Today?

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits ... who [satisfies] thy mouth with good things.” Psalm 103:2,5

Did you know that your body contains many elements and minerals and that you would not live long if they were missing? The Bible tells us God “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). In doing so, He provided man with a wonderful body, perfectly balanced with the same elements and minerals that are in the soil. Not only that, but He also made food containing these substances in just the right amounts, so that the needed levels in our bodies can be maintained.

One of the most important elements is iron, which helps carry oxygen in the blood to the cells of your body. Certain kinds of meat provide iron, as do eggs, fish and some vegetables. But iron needs copper to help in its work, and this is supplied in various foods, including shellfish, nuts, dried peas and beans.

Everyone must have calcium to stay alive. Your bones and teeth contain more than two pounds of calcium, and it is an important ingredient in your nervous system, too. God has put this important substance in many foods, including dairy products such as milk and cheese.

Salt is another necessity. It is a mineral made up of two elements called sodium and chloride. Although it is essential, many people use too much. Most natural foods contain low, but adequate, levels of salt. We should be careful how much we add with the salt shaker since too much can be harmful. Phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sulfur are all elements your body needs. Almost all foods have these items in them.

Then there is zinc which helps to make strong bones that form the red blood cells and produces substances that heal injured skin and flesh. Chromium, selenium, manganese, iodine and many others must find their way into your body systems if you are to stay alive.

Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord God, our Creator, had plants and other foods with these minerals in them ready for Adam and Eve and all of us ever since then? He created these plants so that they would absorb these substances from the soil and water and then pass them on to us. This is part of His loving care to keep us healthy and strong.

Not only has He provided the right earthly foods, but more importantly, He has given us “the true bread from heaven.” The Lord Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Do you know this wonderful One as your own personal Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 1/23/2022

Lost in the Mountains

Daddy was feeling old as he and 11-year-old Peggy climbed the final mile of the difficult trail up Ampersand Mountain. Fred and Lyn, who had gone on ahead, were already enjoying the view at the top. They were sure they could see Mother in a boat far below on Lower Saranac Lake and were waiting breathlessly to tell Daddy about things they recognized on the lake.

Finally, Daddy got to the top. How good it felt to lie down on the rocks and enjoy the breeze coming over the peak! It was a lovely afternoon. The hard climb was rewarded with the
beautiful view.

But soon, it was time to start back. Daddy had said how important it was to stay together, especially for the trip down the mountain, and Fred and Lyn had already started out. Daddy told Peggy to hurry with putting on her socks and shoes so they could catch up with them.

Finally, Peggy and Daddy set out to catch up to Fred and Lyn, who by now were out of sight. As the trail went down the mountain, they came to a place where the path divided. Daddy looked for the markers which show the right way, but he could not find any. He called, but there was no answer. So, Daddy chose a way and started down.

Down they went, hurrying now. But suddenly the trail vanished. They couldn’t even find the path they had just come on. “Peggy,” said Daddy, “I think we took the wrong turn back there.” Daddy shouted as loudly as he could, but there was no answer.

Daddy thought about that serious verse found in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which [seems] right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When he and Peggy had started out on the wrong path, it seemed like the right way to them, but now they were lost in the wild forest of the Adirondack Mountains. And it was
getting dark.

They prayed together that God would help them. Then they looked for a stream to follow. Daddy explained that following a stream would prevent them from wandering in circles and would bring them to safety.

They found a stream to follow, but the underbrush soon became so thick they had to walk right in its rocky bed. Daddy was very tired, and he slipped and sometimes fell on the slippery rocks in the stream.

Daddy didn’t tell Peggy, but he was getting worried. What if he were to twist an ankle or break a bone as he fell on the rocks? And what about the cold of the night, when temperatures dip down into the 40s or lower?

Then the brush on the side of the stream began to thin out. Daddy staggered out of the stream and sank down on a log. They again told the Lord of the trouble they were in. But, as Daddy prayed, he dozed off, and Peggy had to shake him awake. Then even she realized the seriousness of the situation. She began to cry. Daddy tried to assure her that the Lord would take care of them, even if they had to sleep outside, but the lonesome howls of coyotes and the increasing darkness were not very comforting.

Suddenly, Daddy saw, not far away, a metal roof reflecting the last rays of twilight. Weakly, Daddy and Peggy headed for the building. It was a locked hunter’s cabin, but it was shelter, if they could get inside.

After trying windows and doors and finding them tightly locked, Daddy kicked out a panel of the door. Peggy was able to wiggle through and unlock the door from the inside. Inside the cabin was a pot-bellied stove, some mattresses and a propane lamp. They found matches and lit the lamp, then Daddy lit a fire in the stove and arranged the mattresses so they could sleep.

After a restless night, Daddy went to the stream for some water early in the morning. There was instant coffee and sugar, so they each had a strong cup of coffee with sugar. Then they straightened up the cabin and set out, after thanking the Lord for the shelter He had so lovingly provided for them.

After looking for a path and not finding any, they heard the distant sound of trucks on a highway. The stream went a different direction, so they had to decide whether to walk toward the sound of the trucks or follow the stream.

Peggy chose the sound of the trucks to follow, and Daddy agreed. He was still sore from yesterday’s falls on the slippery rocks. So, praying for the Lord’s protection, they set out into the woods. They had to go through a swamp, but finally they found a trail that led to the highway. It took them about two hours to reach the road.

Daddy looked awful. His bruised and scratched face, his messy hair, and his ripped clothes made it unlikely that anyone but a policeman would stop for him. He was glad Peggy was with him. A truck came, and Daddy hopefully put up his thumb to ask for a ride, but the driver roared right by. Next came a car with a lady driver. Daddy was hesitant even to put up his thumb, but the kind lady stopped. After they were in the car, Daddy explained how they had been lost all night on the mountain. “You must be the ones the State Police are organizing a search party for!” she exclaimed. Not far down the road Daddy spotted a ranger’s pickup truck. They thanked the kind lady and then told the forest ranger their story.

In a few minutes he radioed a message to the State Police, and the search was called off just before it was to start. Soon Daddy and Peggy were joyfully reunited with Mother and the rest of the family who had spent an anxious night. They were all so glad to hear of how the Lord had helped Daddy and Peggy!

Daddy and Peggy were lost and they knew it. It is frightening to be lost, but it is worse to be lost and not know it. There might be some reading this story who are “lost” in their sins and do not know it. Even though they do not think they are lost, God says they are. The Bible plainly says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Each of us as sinners is lost because of sin and far from God. Yet God in His love has provided a Savior, the Lord Jesus, who willingly went to the cross so that we could be saved. “The Son of Man [Jesus] is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Daddy had to decide which path to take. And each of us faces decisions every day of our lives. But not one of them is as important as the decision we must make concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you decided to come to Him? Don’t put it off. Actually, it is a matter of life
and death!

Memory Verse: “The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11

Messages of God’s Love 1/30/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Unusual Heads on Birds

“Thou art worthy, O Lord ... for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

Most birds look about the same, but some deserve more than just a quick look because of the unusual features of their heads. A few are so unusual that we might wonder why God made them that way.

One of these is the hoatzin of Venezuela. This bird, about the size of a turkey, has a bright blue circle around its bright red eyes above a large beak. Its most distinctive feature is a high crown of long feathers from its forehead to the back of its neck. The shorter feathers are orange and the longer ones tower above the rest in a scraggly combination of yellow, orange and black. Some call it the strangest bird in the world.

The crowned crane of South Africa holds its head high atop a long neck. Beneath its head a large, blood-red wattle (a hanging flap of flesh) hangs down its neck from black whiskers that start below its head and circle around its long, pointed beak to a big crown on its forehead. There is a big swath of white topped with red that covers its cheeks. This beautiful head is topped with a wide, tall crown of thin, black-tipped yellow feathers reaching high above its colorful head. It really is a spectacular sight!

Another bird with an unusual head is the king vulture of southern Mexico. Its head is bright red on top, with more red or orange and some yellow around its neck. It has large white eyes with big black pupils framed in the same bright red. In addition, a strange growth, like a long, thin arm with long, warty fingers, stretches across the back of its head, pressing down on black hairs on the sides and front of its head to the base of the beak. The orange and black beak is topped with a shapeless mass of bright yellow, bulgy, warty flesh. Add purple and black areas of color and you have a very colorful head!

Another unusual head belongs to the ocellated turkey of Mexico. Its tall, sky-blue head is held upright and has large, dark eyes set in wide circles of bright red. It has a short beak with a blue, rope-like wattle with a red tip draped over it. Even more unusual is a large number of yellow and red lumps that seem to have been stuck randomly on various parts of its head and neck. There is a crown of these lumps in a cluster at the very peak of a high dome on its head.

We might ask the question: Did the Creator have a reason for giving these birds such unusual heads? Yes, I’m sure He did. Many things in His creation that may seem strange to us demonstrate His creative power and remind us that He took pleasure in what He created. The Bible verse at the beginning tells us this. He kindly shares them with us and they bring us pleasure, too.

Messages of God’s Love 1/30/2022

What Andy Heard

Andy had gone to the store to buy a loaf of bread for his mother. As he returned home, he heard someone speaking loudly. Out on the corner of the block he saw a group of people gathered around a man who was standing on a small platform.

Andy walked up to the group of people and, because he was not very big and couldn’t see over the people, he pushed through the crowd to get as close to the platform as he could. He listened to the man for a few seconds and then turned to leave. He had heard something about the Bible, and he did not want to hear about “church stuff.” After all, it was Saturday, not Sunday. But Andy couldn’t get out. People had gathered all around him and he was stuck.

Since he couldn’t leave, Andy had to listen. He had heard some of the things the man said before, from going to Sunday school with his parents. They went every week, but Andy never liked it and never listened
very well.

Then the speaker said something that made Andy think. It was a verse from the Bible which said, “If [you] save not [your] life tonight, tomorrow [you will] be [killed]” (1 Samuel 19:11). Andy knew that the Bible was God’s very own book and that everything in the Bible was completely true. What could that verse mean?

All the way home Andy thought about those words. They worried him, and he could not get them out of his mind. Even after he went to bed that night, those words kept going through his mind: If you save not your life tonight, tomorrow you will
be killed.

“Mom?” he called to his mother who was still downstairs.

“Go to sleep, Andy,” answered his mother. “You should have been asleep long ago.”

“But I’m scared,” said Andy.

Andy’s mother came into his room and sat down on the bed. She could see that he had
been crying.

“What’s wrong, Andy?” she asked kindly.

“I heard a man preaching on the street corner this afternoon when I went to the store for you. He said that if I didn’t save my life tonight, tomorrow might be too late, and I might be killed.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean it just like that,” assured his mother.

“Yes, he did,” said Andy seriously. “How can I save my life tonight? What did he mean?”

Andy wanted to talk about it right then. His parents had talked to him before about the Lord Jesus and about his need to be saved, but Andy had never paid much attention. His mother realized that this was what they had been praying for — that Andy would realize he needed to
be saved.

So his mother started from the beginning and told Andy how God had created everything in heaven and on earth. She told him how our first parents, Adam and Eve, who lived in the beautiful Garden of Eden, had disobeyed God, and then how their children became more and more wicked as the years went by, until He had to destroy them with a flood.

“But God still loved people,” continued Andy’s mother, “and He sent many messengers to tell them about His love and to tell them to come back to Him. They did not obey the messengers. At last, after a long time, God sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, down from heaven to show how real His love was for man.

“Leaving behind Him all the wonderful things that were His in heaven, He became a little child and grew up on earth. When He grew to manhood, He went around telling people about God, healing their sicknesses and helping them in many ways.

“You would think that everyone would have loved Him for how good and kind He was. But instead they took Him and nailed Him to a big wooden cross. It was an awful thing to do to the Son of God!

“But it was on that cross that His love was shown the most. There for three hours, God punished Jesus for the sins of all who would accept Him as their Savior. Even though it was the middle of the day, the sun became dark, and the Lord Jesus was hidden while He endured the awful punishment we deserved, so that we, who are sinners, could be saved.

“At the end of those three hours, a soldier pushed a spear into the side of the Lord Jesus and out came His blood. The blood of the Lord Jesus is the only blood that can wash all our sins away, and it makes us clean before God. The Bible says, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7).

“A few people who loved Him buried the Lord Jesus in a special grave hollowed out of a rock. But after three days He came to life again — just like He said He would! After that He met with those who had believed in Him and told them He was now going back to heaven. But He had also told them that He would come again. He wanted His disciples to tell people that if they would believe in Him, He would forgive them for all the wrong things they had done and save them from the punishment they deserved. He is still in heaven, but very soon now He will come back and take to heaven everyone who knows Him as Savior.”

“But how can I be sure He will take me?” asked Andy.

His mother answered, “The Bible says, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved’ (Acts 16:31). That is what the man on the street corner meant when he talked about saving your life tonight. He wanted you to accept the Lord Jesus as your Savior today.”

Andy decided: “I want to take Him as my Savior right now.” Kneeling down with his mother, Andy told the Lord he needed to be saved from his sins and asked the Lord Jesus to be his Savior. Children, have you made that decision yet? It is the most important thing for you to do!

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

Messages of God’s Love 2/6/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: You Are Something Special

“Sing forth the honor of His name: make His praise glorious.”
Psalm 66:2

We learn in the first chapter of the Bible that the Lord God didn’t make all living things at the same time, but that a six-day period was involved. First, light and darkness were divided into day and night. On the second day dry land and oceans were separated and the atmosphere prepared for living things that would be created.

It was on the third day that grass, trees, flowers and vegetation appeared. How beautiful it must have been! With the appearance of the sun, moon and stars on the fourth day, all was ready for a great variety of living things, and on day five the birds, fish, whales and all water creatures were brought forth.

Then on the sixth day, the great variety of animals and miscellaneous creatures was created. Man was given the last place on this final day. Was this because the Creator thought more highly of the others? No, man actually was given the highest place of all — which is one reason why you are “something special.” Adam and all people after him were made to be God’s representatives on the earth and were put over every other living thing. Because of his importance before God, everything else had been prepared to be ready for his use, comfort and enjoyment.

Man, because of this high position, was responsible to give honor to his Creator. But when Adam sinned, it spoiled that honor, and ever since then mankind in general has been more and more dishonoring to God. Yet, in His love and patience God makes it possible for all who confess Him as God and His Son as their Savior to even now bring Him honor. Are you doing this?

You are “something special” in other ways too. Of all earth’s creatures, only man has an existence that will never end. How important it is to make sure that you will spend eternity in heaven and not in hell. An often-quoted Bible verse says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish [in hell], but have everlasting life [in heaven]” (John 3:16). Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior?

Then, too, every part of your body is a display of His special creation and wisdom, including the inner parts of your body. All of it demonstrates the special provisions the Creator put in you.

Thinking about these things, we can see that each of us is very special to God. May we praise Him for His goodness to us! “Praise ye the Lord. ... Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness” (Psalm 150:1-2).

Messages of God’s Love 2/6/2022

The Accident

The day started in a normal way for the Brown family. Early in the morning, they waved goodbye to Mr. Brown as he drove out of the driveway on his way to work. Then they were ready to eat their breakfast of hot scrambled eggs and fresh milk. Soon, it would be time to head outside to take care of their animals, but first, they took time to read a portion from the Bible together. That was when Isaac noticed that a neighbor had pulled into the driveway. Puzzled by his appearance at such an early hour, Mrs. Brown and Isaac went to the door to meet him.

“Has Mr. Brown gotten hold of you yet?” he asked.

“No,” Mrs. Brown replied slowly.

“Well, I don’t want to be a bearer of bad news,” the neighbor continued, “but he just called me and said that he hit a deer with his truck and landed in the ditch. He’s alright, but the truck is pretty beat up, I guess. He asked me to come tell you and ask you to pick him up.”

In spite of the neighbor’s telling them that Mr. Brown was alright, they were all a bit shaken up. They knew that the road on which the accident occurred was very narrow and hilly, with steep ditches. Mrs. Brown left in another vehicle right away to get Mr. Brown and help with whatever he needed. The children took a minute to pray for their dad, before continuing on to feed the animals.

When Mrs. Brown arrived on the scene, police cars were already there. She was very surprised to see Mr. Brown’s truck not only in the ditch, but also flipped upside down. She was thankful and relieved when she saw Mr. Brown walking toward her, alive and well.

Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Brown pulled into their driveway, followed by two large tow trucks. One had the truck on it, a badly beaten-up truck, which the towing company thought would never be driven again. Besides broken parts and dents, it was covered with mud, and plants were packed into the wheels and smeared onto the truck. The second tow truck brought Mr. Brown’s trailer, which had been attached to his truck when the accident occurred. They were thankful that the damage to the trailer was minor compared with the truck.

Although disappointed that the truck he really liked and used a lot was ruined, Mr. Brown joked with his children and took time to stop and thank the Lord for His loving protection. They took a walk together and then Mr. Brown started looking over the truck to see if he could repair it. With some work, he could get it drivable again, though it wouldn’t look as good as it did before!

Then Mr. Brown told his family what had happened. He had seen the deer dashing in front of him, and he instinctively swerved, trying not to hit it. Unfortunately, he still hit the deer. If he had driven straight, he probably would have missed it. He told them that the statement he was always told, “Don’t Veer for Deer,” proved true once again. If only he had thought of that!

What can we learn from this story? We can learn from Mr. Brown’s response to something that could have been very upsetting. We can be reminded of God’s care for us every minute. Those are certainly good lessons. We can learn something else as well. The day the accident happened, the Brown family was reminded of how quickly life can change, and how careful all of us need to be not to take our loved ones for granted. It is easy to go about our daily lives, forgetting that while the Lord has given family members to us, we don’t know how long we will have them. It’s so easy to let ourselves be annoyed by things that the people closest to us do and say, and then we don’t value them like we should. Instead of working together and enjoying being with them, we can compete with them, ignore them, or be disrespectful to them. Did you know that how we treat our family members matters to the Lord, who put each of us in our families in perfect wisdom? The Lord said: “Inasmuch as [you] have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, [you] have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40). That applies not only to how we treat our family, but also to all others who belong to the Lord Jesus.

Even if you don’t have others in your family who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, you can shine for the Lord in your home by treating your family with love and respect. And you can know that you are part of a very large family, the family of God. The Bible says that you, meaning all believers, “are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). That is a family that will last forever!

Memory Verse: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it
unto Me.” Matthew 25:40

Messages of God’s Love 2/13/2022

Messages of God's Love: Little-Known Takins

“Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10

An animal called the takin lives in the forests of India, Bhutan and China. Although it is as large as a cow, it is not often seen because a whole herd can quickly hide when people come near.

The takin is an unusual looking creature with a large head and a thick, short neck. On top of the male’s large head, above its ears, a pair of strong, U-shaped, black horns point backwards. Takins weigh up to 770 pounds and look clumsy, but they are extremely nimble, making trails in mountain areas at the top edges of canyons where people would be afraid to go.

These unusual animals are actually related to wild sheep. Their hoofs are split, like those of sheep and goats. Their calls sound like a combination of a bull’s bellow and the bleating of a goat. They also chew the cud.

Their food is a huge variety of plants, leaves and tender new branches of trees. To reach the foliage on branches too high for them, they stand on their hind legs and lean their front legs against the tree. Sometimes they bend a young tree down to the ground by straddling it. Salt is very important to their diet, perhaps helping to neutralize the effects of some poisonous plants that takins eat.

Herds may only have from 10 to 35 takins in the winter when food is hard to find, but in warmer weather, they can gather in groups of 50 to 300. Females take full care of their babies since the males don’t take much interest in the young. At times the bulls seem to be playful, but the playfulness turns into more serious battles when it is time to get a mate.

Babies are quite cute, usually fuzzy and dark brown, not at all like their parents who are grayish-red with a black mouth and snout. But as the young ones mature, they gradually change to the adult coloring. Young ones are quick to play together, tumbling and trying to outrun each other. Female babysitters often take over responsibility for the babies and young ones, caring for a dozen or more of them.

At one time takins were killed by native hunters for their tasty meat, beautiful horns and pretty hides, but now, at least in China, the government fully protects them from hunters.

These animals remind me of a Bible verse that says, “The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9). In the next psalm we read, “Happy is he ... whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is” (Psalm 146:5-6). We can see how kindly the Lord provides for all of His creatures, but He has done so much more for us who know Him as our own precious Savior. How we should praise Him!

Messages of God’s Love 2/13/2022

Stuck!

The decision to follow the deserted back road and find our way slowly out of the Redwood National Forest didn’t seem to have any danger; we didn’t mind the slower pace as the day was beautiful, the wildflowers were blooming, and the road was mostly even. We were thrilled to see a bear, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of the beauty on the way down out of the forest toward the main road.

But then, as we zigzagged back and forth down the steep California hills, the brakes on our car began to smell overworked. My husband found a pullout on a hairpin curve and parked the car. We rolled down the windows and enjoyed the afternoon breeze, unconcerned with the short delay. We were spending a wonderful weekend in the northern California redwoods and didn’t mind making our way slowly to our hotel for the night. Even though we still had a couple of hours of driving, we were in no hurry.

After the brakes had cooled down, my husband restarted the vehicle leaving the windows down. Then, as we pulled out onto the road again, we heard a distinct whooshing noise. It puzzled us until we fully rounded the corner. There we saw a large redwood tree that had fallen across the road we were on, just the moment before! We could still see the leaves trembling and the dust rising from the impact.

Again we stopped the car and this time the three of us got out to discover how bad the problem was. It didn’t take long to realize that this obstacle was enough to completely stop us in our journey. Then we began to discuss how long it had been since we had seen any other cars ... how long had it been since we had even seen another road ... how long had we been traveling totally carefree down this single road out of the forest ... and how long would we have to retrace our path to find another way out? The tree felt like an impossible roadblock. It may as well have been a mountain in our road, because there was no way we could move it.

Do you ever feel like you are suddenly in an impossible situation, like you are stuck and there is no way out? The Lord Jesus talked about how a small amount of faith, like a grain of mustard seed, is enough to move mountains. When you are faced with a problem, do you trust God to move it? I confess I wasn’t actually thinking about trusting God right then. Instead, I was considering how much longer we would have to be in the car and feeling a bit sorry for myself. Do you think God is pleased when we complain about a situation He has allowed in our lives? We know He isn’t! One time when the Israelites complained, He was so displeased that many of them died.

Well, I am happy to tell you that I didn’t get much of a chance to complain. Our God is so gracious that He had prepared the way out of our problem even before it had happened. Suddenly, though there had been no cars in sight for so long, right behind us came a string of cars, one after the other. Each one held part of the solution. One man had a hatchet. Another person had a tow chain. A pickup truck had four-wheel drive. The tree had been rotten, which was the reason it fell over, and as it came down, it had cracked and broken. When the chain was attached to one end and the truck pulled with the chain, the tree finished breaking and half of it got pulled clear of the road. The man with the hatchet used it to cut away the remaining small limbs to make a path wide enough for cars to pull through. In only about 20 minutes we were on our way once again, amazed at what had just happened. First, the Lord kept the tree from falling on us. He then had everyone lined up to clear the tree from our path with hardly any delay. That day we saw that God can move trees, and we know from the Bible that He can move mountains, too, for those who believe in Him. (See Matthew 21:21.) Jesus said, “If [you] have faith ... nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20).

You may have bigger problems in your life than a tree in the road, that look impossible. But God knows about them, and He cares about you. He has never failed anyone who trusts in Him. He can help you with your problems just as He helped us that day. He says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver [you] and [you will] glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).

Do you know this wonderful God as your own Father through the Lord Jesus Christ? You can!

Memory Verse: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.”
Psalm 46:1-2

Messages of God’s Love 2/20/2022

Do You Belong?

It is wonderful to belong to someone. One day I saw a picture of an old teddy bear and wondered why someone would enjoy having that old thing. It turned out that it had been found on an empty airplane. Some kind person picked it up and posted the picture because they knew it belonged to some small child who would need it to hug as he went to sleep.

It is God who made us with the desire to belong. He put the feeling down deep in our hearts and we always want to find something or someone to belong to. We might want to belong to a neighborhood group of friends, or be invited to a birthday party, or perhaps even feel the need to belong to a real family or a special friend.

You know what? It hurts to be all alone. Even big people cry when they feel left out or like they don’t belong. They don’t let you see their tears, but they cry alone when they think no one is watching.

Did you know that even the Lord Jesus cried when a brother died and the sisters were missing the brother that belonged to them? Jesus was not embarrassed to be seen crying. His tears showed how much He cared and hurt for the sisters when their brother couldn’t belong to them anymore. He cared so much that He fixed their problem! You can read this Bible story in John 11:19-35.

Psalm 102:7 is about the Lord Jesus when He was on earth. It talks about how He felt like a sparrow alone on a housetop. It is a sad picture because sparrows are social birds and belong in flocks. So even the Lord Jesus knows how it feels to be all alone. He understands you, and He wants you to belong to His family ... the best kind of belonging
there is!

Messages of God’s Love 2/20/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 1

“That which may be known of God is manifest [made plain] ... being understood by the things that are made.” Romans 1:19-20

Hummingbirds make up the largest family of non-singing birds in the world. More than 300 species have been identified. Most live in Central and South America, Cuba and Mexico. The United States has over 12 varieties.

Only one kind lives east of the Mississippi River, and great numbers of them are seen throughout summer months. It is known as the ruby-throated, and it is well-named because of the male’s brilliantly colored throat, contrasting with the white and metallic green of its other feathers.

The ruby-throated is one of the smallest birds in North America — less than four inches long. In spite of its tiny size, during the nesting season, the male becomes very bold. He is a real threat with his sharp beak and ability to swiftly dash around a larger bird and give it some sharp jabs. One was even seen scaring away an eagle that came close to its nest.

One of its favorite nectars is from the cardinal flower. These and other tubular, brightly colored flowers in home gardens attract them. The tiny bird darts from plant to plant, finding insects as well as feeding on the sweet nectar of the flowers, using its long, slender bill.

“Hummers” make their homes only in the Western Hemisphere of the world. A few spend summer months in Canada and, on occasions, as far north as Alaska. Most of these migrate south in the fall, where flower blossoms are fresh and sweet during winter months. Some migrate across the 500-mile Gulf of Mexico without stopping. This is truly amazing when you stop to think of the great amount of nectar and insects they normally eat each day just to stay alive. But the Creator has provided them with an amazing way of building up extra body weight before the migration, and they draw on this reserve while crossing the water. Others migrate over land, usually stopping for rests along the way to replenish their bodies with fresh food.

These lovely birds are wonderful examples of the Creator’s delight when, on the fifth day of His creation, He placed the first hummingbirds in the world. Ever since, He has had them in His care.

The opening Bible verse tells us that we should all recognize that God is the One who has done this. Do not be deceived by those who will not believe that God is our Creator. The Bible warns us about what happens to people who give up this knowledge of God, that their hearts become darkened, and they become foolish in their thoughts, even though they think they are wise. (See Romans 1:21-22.)

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 2/20/2022

Roadblocks

Summer evenings can be miserably hot, especially if you don’t have air conditioning in your house. Jill and Elaine were two friends who lived across the street from each other, and neither of them lived in an air-conditioned home. They did not have swimming pools to help them cool off, either.

One hot, sticky evening Jill and Elaine were walking home together through a park behind Elaine’s house. Passing the town’s public swimming pool (which was closed at night), Elaine suddenly had an idea.

“Jill, what would happen if we got caught climbing the fence to the pool?”

Jill laughed. “I don’t know. I think they would make you pay a fine or something.”

“It would be worth it on a hot night like this!” Elaine exclaimed.

So, feeling adventuresome, the two girls hurried home to get into their bathing suits. With clothes on over their bathing suits, no one at home was suspicious when Jill and Elaine said they were going jogging.

Once together again, the girls decided they had an even better idea. The public pool was on a well-lighted street, but there was a private swim club a short way through the woods at the end of their street. So that’s where they headed instead, deciding there would be less chance of getting caught.

The woods were pitch black except for thousands of fireflies glowing in the air, trees and bushes. There were rustling noises in the dark, which kept the girls slightly jumpy as they picked their way along the narrow path.

The deserted pool looked eerie in the dim light. Only the sound of electric bug-zappers around the pool broke the quiet as Jill and Elaine approached the swim club. To their dismay, they found that two feet of barbed wire had been added recently above the high fence surrounding the pool. It would be risky to climb over.

Barbed wire was not going to stop Jill and Elaine, at least not yet, anyway. They began looking for a good place to climb over the fence. As they tiptoed between the fence and the woods, they heard a scurrying sound and a small skunk ran out from under the trees and stood in their path. Jill froze! Elaine whispered, “Let’s go around the other way!”

The girls turned and started to go back, but another skunk ran past and went under the fence. It stopped beside the pool and waited. Jill and Elaine tried to sneak by, hoping to get away quickly, but suddenly the skunk came rushing back under the fence and blocked their way.

This time Elaine shouted at the skunk, “Move it, skunk!” Startled, the skunk ran away. Jill and Elaine ran too, as fast as they could — not through the woods this time, where a whole family of skunks was probably lurking, but around by way of some back roads. They were relieved to get back home!

Sometimes God puts up “roadblocks” to keep us from going the wrong way, as He used the skunks to keep Jill and Elaine from breaking the rules by trying to climb over the fence to the pool. It is His love for us that doesn’t want us to go the wrong way. Even before we are saved, He may allow difficulties in our lives to make us realize we need Him, which might seem like “roadblocks” to us.

The Bible says, “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 [sin] of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Sin simply means going our own way and doing what we want, instead of following God’s way and doing what He wants. The Lord Jesus took on Himself all the punishment for the sins of those who accept Him as their Savior. Now that Jesus paid for our sins, because God loves you and me, He wants us to come to the Lord Jesus, confessing that we need to be saved from sin and accepting Him as the only One who can save us. Do this right now and you will have not only a Savior, but a Friend and Guide who will lead you through every day of your life, helping you to do what is right.

Memory Verse: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:34

Messages of God’s Love 2/27/2022

How Susie Got Saved

Susie grew up in a family where her parents knew the Lord Jesus as their Savior. When she was little, she went to Sunday school and learned a new Bible verse every week. Susie looked like a good little girl. But Susie was a sinner.

There were those notes to her parents, for example. Susie found math easy to learn, and she didn’t feel the need to do the math practice during class time that everyone was supposed to do. So, she put out her math book and notebook to make it look like she was doing the work, but she had a library book that she was reading instead, hidden under her desk. Her teacher had written notes home to her parents twice about this, but Susie just signed the notes herself. That was like lying, wasn’t it?

But one Lord’s Day when Susie was 14, she heard a gospel message that made a big change in her life. The preacher was talking about the story of Noah and his family. God had told Noah to build an ark, and Noah had obeyed God. When the ark was finished, the day came that God told Noah to go into the ark with his wife, his three sons and their wives. Going into the ark would save them all from the flood that God had told Noah was going to come. The preacher said, “Noah’s sons were not saved because they were Noah’s sons. They were saved because they went into the ark.

“You are not a Christian just because your parents are Christians,” the preacher continued. “You must put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself. It is not enough to grow up in a Christian home.”

Susie had never thought about that before. But she knew that she was indeed a sinner and could not go to heaven without being cleansed from her sins. She knew she had done wrong about those notes from her teacher. Now, she wanted to be saved. So that very minute she told the Lord Jesus that she wanted to be safe in Him. He heard her silent prayer and saved her right then. The Lord Jesus not only saved Susie’s soul; He also helped Susie to stop telling lies.

Do you know that you are a sinner? The Bible tells us that all have sinned. But it also says, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Acts 16:31 Says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved.” You can believe on Him right now!

Messages of God’s Love 2/27/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 2

“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul [heart] diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen.” Deuteronomy 4:9

In last week’s issue we had an introduction to the beautiful hummingbirds and learned that the ruby-throated lives mostly in the eastern half of North America. Now let’s look at some that live in the western part of the continent.

One of these is the rufous, mostly orange-red but with a black chin and mottled gray over its head. Some of these spend the summer as far north as Alaska, but most remain in California and Oregon. Another is the well-named black-chinned, with metallic green top feathers, a deep black chin and white throat. One called Anna’s, also a dark green color, spends its summers along the West Coast and its winters in South America.

Some South American hummingbirds with descriptive names include the racket-tail, which has a forked tail, three times the length of its body. Another one with a long tail is named fork-tailed. An interesting one named bee is the smallest bird in the world. Its body is only about two inches long from the front of its beak to the end of its tail. It weighs less than a penny, but it can beat its wings as vigorously as the others, about 80 times a second. By contrast, the largest hummer of all, called giant, is about eight inches long. When it hovers, its wings only beat 15 times a second.

Hummers often eat 1½ to 3 times their weight each day. Their diet is mostly the nectar from flowers and tree blossoms but also includes a surprising number of insects and spiders, which provide essential protein.

Most hummers’ nests are tiny. Some of them are only about as big around as a quarter. However, the nest of the Giant Hummingbird can be much larger, about eight inches wide by six inches tall. Hummingbirds make their nests of softer materials than many birds, including moss, feathers and fluff from seed pods, creating a cozy and safe home for their eggs and hatchlings. They also sometimes use spider webs. To do this, the female, who builds the nest alone, finds a web stretched between two supports. Hovering for a minute, she decides just where to grab it with her beak. She pulls it away by flying backward and continues flying in reverse all the way to the nest. If she flew forward, the web would wrap itself around her and present a real problem.

How do you think she learned all this? Well, she didn’t have to learn it. This is one more example of the Creator’s wonderful provisions for every living thing He has placed on the earth. He gave them instincts which are passed on from generation to generation. “[God] doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number” (Job 9:10).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 2/27/2022

Thundering Hooves

Mildred Hansen lived on a horse ranch with her parents. She was only three years old on the day she was almost killed by their very own horses. Their ranch house was surrounded by grassy lawns and trees and enclosed by a white picket fence. A lane ran along the fence on one side, leading to the barns and corrals behind the house. The yard was a perfect place for Mildred to play, seemingly so safe with the fence keeping her from danger.

One beautiful day, Mother let Mildred go out to play in the afternoon. She was able to watch her in the yard through the open kitchen window. What she did not know was that someone had left the gate in the fence along the lane partly open. She also did not know that her husband, who had been gone for two days with his cowboys, was approaching the lane from the range with a herd of horses which were wild and mean and running like a pack of wolves.

Mother heard the rumbling, like muffled thunder that actually shook the house. Running to the window, she saw them filling the lane, charging in a cloud of dust straight for ... Mildred! Yes, Mildred had found the open gate and was now sitting in the dusty lane. Her daddy was at the back of the herd, unable to see her or know the almost certain death he was herding upon his small daughter.

“Oh, Lord, have mercy! Lord, save her!” her mother cried. There was only time for the cry. She ran out screaming and waving her arms at the men.

In only a few moments the herd of horses had passed. Mildred’s mother, sick with worry, found Mildred in the lane ... still sitting, covered with dirt from head to toe, but very much alive and crying loudly. Mildred was not hurt at all!

Only God could have protected her, and her parents realized that immediately. Did He send a strong angel? Or did God change the excitable, wild nature of those horses long enough to cause each one to leap neatly over Mildred? He was the One who made them, and He could control them!

Yes, God cares for children, and He cares for you too. Do you want to know how much He loves you? He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to save you from Satan. Satan has tempted you to sin many times, for you were born with a nature that loves to sin, just as all of us have been. “All have sinned” we read in the Bible (Romans 3:23). And, “the soul that [sins], it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). This is terrible news. All have sinned, and every one that sins will die. That means all of us will die. But there is wonderful news in the Bible as well, for it tells us that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He died to take your punishment so that He can now save you. Have you accepted the salvation He offers to anyone who will receive Him?

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

Messages of God’s Love 3/6/2022

The Keukenhof

Marlene was 10 years old when she visited the famous tulip gardens in Holland called the Keukenhof. She lived in a little town near Geneva, Switzerland, with her family. Because Switzerland is surrounded by other countries, Marlene’s family often drove to one of those countries on the weekend for a short vacation.

One spring vacation, Marlene’s parents wanted to take the family to Holland. It was not far from where they lived, but her parents decided to take a longer way there, because of having more time. They crossed by ferry to England first, then across to Belgium, and then drove to Holland.

Marlene didn’t like spending the long hours traveling! She often complained about it as they traveled, even whining that she wished she could have stayed at home. But finally they arrived in Amsterdam, Holland. There were many interesting sights to see over the next few days. But the trip to the Keukenhof tulip gardens was what Marlene
liked best.

Marlene loved flowers! When they arrived at the Keukenhof, she saw more beautiful flowers than she had ever seen in her life. Not only were there tulips of every color, but many other gorgeous flowers as well. Winding stone pathways curved under trees covered with sweet-smelling blossoms. Sparkling streams flowed past windmills and vast fields of pink, red, yellow and white flowers. There were even greenhouses with more varieties of trees and plants. Marlene felt as if she never wanted to leave. I wonder if she was ever sorry for all her complaining.

Those gardens were very beautiful, and Marlene, no doubt, was very glad she had endured the long car trip to get to see them. Did you know that if you are a Christian, you have even more wonderful things than a beautiful garden ahead for you? God says in the Bible, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). That means we can hardly imagine all the amazing things God has ahead for us in heaven. As Christians, sometimes we have hard things to endure in life because of our love for the Lord Jesus. But this life is very short compared to eternity. Whatever we endure on earth, it will be worth it all when we get home to heaven! We can learn from Marlene that we should be patient, trusting the Lord Jesus who loves us so much, that He is always doing the very best for us as we go through this life until we get to His wonderful home
in heaven.

Messages of God’s Love 3/6/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 3

“The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.” Psalm 111:2,4

The Lord God had a definite purpose in creating hummingbirds. More important than their beauty is their usefulness for certain types of flowering plants. It is amazing to see how the Creator has put the perfect kind of hummingbird by certain flowers that need them.

The bird thinks only of the sweet nectar in the flower, but if the plant could speak, it would no doubt be grateful each time the right hummer visits it. The bird’s beak inserted into the flower becomes covered with pollen. It unknowingly carries the pollen to another plant of the same kind, accomplishing what is known as cross-pollination, which is necessary for the development of seeds. Bees, moths and a few other insects also help in cross-pollination, but hummingbirds surpass them all.

Hummers’ beaks have been specially designed for their particular jobs. Some are short and just right for flat flowers, like the half-inch beak of the purple and green thorn-bill. By contrast, the longest beak of all hummers is that of the sword-billed. It looks like a four-inch knitting needle and is the only beak that can reach the nectar deep in the Andes passion flower. If there were no sword-billed hummingbirds, there would have been none of these plants after the first season, since nothing else can pollinate them.

Some hummers have curved beaks for the same purpose. Among these is one called Lucifer, noted for a violet beard and dark wings on a beautiful body. Its long beak curves slightly downward just the right amount to reach into the flowers that have exactly the same curve in them.

These are just a few of the more than 400 varieties known in the Western Hemisphere. With the few we have been able to briefly look at, when you see one now, you will understand more fully the wisdom of the One who created them and looks on them with pleasure.

But also think of the even more marvelous ways our Creator God has provided for you. A Bible verse states what the psalmist wanted to see: “Open Thou [my] eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18).

Another verse tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Do you read the Bible? Have you ever thanked the Lord Jesus for giving it to you, so you can know of His love and learn to trust Him as your Savior, Lord and Friend? Or does the last part of the verse
describe you?

Messages of God’s Love 3/6/2022

The Empress's Last Voyage

It was late spring in 1915. The beautiful passenger ship, the Empress of Ireland, was making her first voyage of the year up the St. Lawrence River in Canada. She had departed from Quebec and was scheduled to go all the way to London, England. The Empress had made 95 journeys back and forth across the Atlantic through the years she was working, safely carrying many immigrants to Canada from Europe. This voyage would be her last, though no one knew it at the time!

Gracie Hanagan, along with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hanagan, boarded the Empress with nearly 1,500 other passengers at Quebec City. They were traveling with a large group of Christians who were planning to attend a Bible Conference in London, England. Gracie’s parents knew the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and they loved to sing as well as knowing how to play various musical instruments. As the ship sailed up the St. Lawrence River, her father and several others sang some gospel hymns on the deck while many of the passengers listened. One gospel song they often sang at the concerts was, “Do you wonder why we’re joyful, why we’re always full of song?” Its chorus answers, “Never to be remembered, our sins are washed away!” That would be the last gospel message many of the passengers would hear.

At about 1:30 in the early morning of May 29, the Captain saw the light of an oncoming ship ahead. But then suddenly, a dense fog appeared and covered the river like a thick cloud. The Captain quickly changed his course and moved the Empress away from the main channel. He also sounded the booming ship’s horn in warning. In spite of these precautions, they suddenly saw a heavy coal freighter appear through the fog, coming at full speed towards the side of the Empress. The Storstead struck a huge gash into the thick steel side of the Empress. Water gushed in quickly, and they were unable to close any of the watertight doors below.

Captain Kendall gave orders for the lifeboats to be lowered immediately. However, it became very difficult to launch them, as the ship was quickly sinking, leaning on her side. Then the lights went out, and only a few emergency beacons shed their eerie light across the watery deck.

Gracie and her parents made it up the stairs to the deck, which by this time was sloping at a very dangerous angle. In her own words, Gracie said, “We were thrown into the water. I lost Mother and Father and never saw them again. I sank deep into the water, and when I came back up, there was a piece of wood nearby. I hung on to it. Then I saw a man in a lifeboat and called to him to take me aboard.”

Gracie had been very cold in the water as it was near freezing. Although she does not remember much about her rescue, she knows that someone on a lifeboat heard her cry and saved her. Gracie knew she needed help, and she asked for it.

Gracie was taken to the very ship that hit the Empress, as it waited for survivors. Sadly, the Empress sank in less than 15 minutes. Only 397 passengers survived that awful crash.

Gracie went to Toronto on a train and was lovingly cared for by her aunt and uncle. She is now with her parents in heaven, as Jesus became her Savior as well.

How about you? Can you say for sure that if you were to die today, your soul would be with the Lord Jesus in heaven? Gracie only had to call for help, and she was saved from death in that cold water. There was someone there ready to help her. Did you know that God is ready and waiting to save you from the judgment that your sins deserve? The Bible tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). That means that God does not want to send anyone to hell. That is where people who don’t believe on the Lord Jesus will go when they die. The Bible also tells us that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). You see, it is not difficult ... you only need to “call” to Him and He will save you! The Lord Jesus did all the work on the cross of Calvary to save you from your sins. Why don’t you just bow your head and trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, right now! He wants to save you!

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

Messages of God’s Love 3/13/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: More Than You Can Do, Part 1

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

Have you ever put a jigsaw puzzle together? Some of them are hard to do, but if you keep working at it, you find that the pieces all fit together.

Just to see what would happen (but never could), let’s pretend that you learned of a place where you could get parts for making a human body, and you think how nice it would be if you could make someone your size for a companion just by putting them together like a puzzle. So you send away for a full set (we’re still pretending, of course) and are full of excitement when it arrives.

Looking the packages over, you see that one is marked “Bones for Skeleton,” another reads “650 Muscles,” and the label on yet another reads “Blood Vessels, Veins and Capillaries.” Moving these boxes into your house, you temporarily leave behind others with a variety of labels, such as “7 Trillion Nerves,” “30-Foot Digestive System,” “Blood Cells: Red,” “Blood Cells: White,” “Skin Cells,” “Heart and Lung Parts” and many more.

After getting these all inside, you pick up a book that came with them, entitled “How to Assemble Parts. Follow Directions Carefully.” As you look over the instructions, you begin to realize what a difficult “puzzle” this is going to be!

You continue reading: “Arrange skeleton first,” it says. “This is an extremely important foundation for all that will be attached to it! Be sure the 26 pieces of vertebra are in just the right position so the spinal column will be curved correctly and flexibly, but strong enough for its job.” It goes on to say, “Note that these pieces are hollow so the thick spinal cord, containing blood vessels as well as 31 pairs of nerves, can pass through it all the way from the brain to the hips. Be sure everything is kept absolutely clean. Follow the diagram for placing the 12 pairs of ribs in their right positions. Be careful that the hip bones are placed at just the right angle and those for the legs, as well as shoulders and arms, so they will be free to move in their socket joints at all times.”

About this time (in our “pretend” account), you are beginning to feel very uncomfortable and wonder if you can possibly follow all those directions accurately, plus the directions for the great number of other items that will have to be placed in and around these parts of the skeleton. Undoubtedly you would begin thinking, “I shouldn’t be doing this at all” as the opening Bible verse came into your thoughts and you realized that only the Lord God can really make a human being and give it life.

In the next issue we will learn what becomes of this “make believe” situation.

Messages of God’s Love 3/13/2022

Ryan's Walk to the Beach

It was a warm fall day, and the leaves were just beginning to turn their beautiful colors. Ryan was alone in his backyard playing in the sandbox that his father had built for him. Ryan’s brother and two sisters were gone to school, but Ryan was only four years old, and he was not in school yet.

While he built roads and tunnels in the sand, Ryan remembered the big sand castles they had built at the beach that summer. There sure was a lot more sand at the beach than in his little sandbox. He did not think the beach was very far away, because it did not take them long to get there in the car. In fact, he thought he remembered the way to the beach.

As Ryan thought about it, he decided that he would take a walk to the beach to play in the sand. Carrying his bucket and shovel, he started down the sidewalk.

What he did not know was that the ocean beach was five miles away. It took Ryan quite a while to pass by all the houses in his neighborhood. Then he came to the shopping center with all its interesting stores. Each store window was different, and he almost forgot that he was going to the beach.

Ryan was taking a little trip that he could never finish. Besides being too far away for a four-year-old to walk, there were dangers along the way because of cars and trucks and other things to be careful of. And then there were interesting things that distracted him and made it hard to keep going.

Ryan finally reached the edge of town, tired but still looking for the ocean. Meanwhile, his mother had called the police when she couldn’t find Ryan. All of the police cars in their town had been alerted to be watching for Ryan.

Ryan soon came to some sand: huge piles of sand, right beside the road. But it was not the ocean; it was a quarry where they dig sand. There Ryan had found lots of sand to play in.

As the afternoon shadows got longer, Ryan started to get cold. He decided that maybe he had better go back home. Standing up, he looked around. There was no one around, and he did not know which way to go to get back home. He began to cry. How he wished someone would come to take him home.

“Hello, Ryan,” said a man’s voice behind him. “Do you want to go home?”

Ryan turned around to see a smiling policeman. He nodded his head “yes,” and between sniffs he asked, “Do you know where I live?”

“Yes, Ryan, I do,” answered the policeman. “I know where you live, I know your mommy and daddy’s name, and I even knew what color clothes you are wearing today, even before I saw you. Here, let me carry your bucket and shovel,” he said, taking Ryan gently by the hand. “Have you ever ridden in a police car?”

“No. But I don’t want to go to jail!” cried Ryan, pulling back.

“Oh no, I won’t take you to jail,” the policeman told him kindly. “I’m going to take you back home where your mommy and daddy are waiting for you.”

There is Someone waiting for you to come to Him, too. That One is God Himself. He loves you so much that He sent His very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die so that sinners like you and me can be saved from the punishment our sins deserve. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). The Lord Jesus was happy to come to earth to save us. The Bible tells us that He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He wants to save you! Will you let Him? Come to Him today and tell Him that you are a sinner and you want Him to save you. He always hears that prayer! He not only will save you, but He will also stay with you and take care of you all through your life. Ryan had the policeman to help him get home. You can have the Lord Jesus Himself with you to help you all the time if you will accept Him as your own Savior. Won’t you do it right now?

Memory Verse: “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of
the world.” 1 John 4:14

Messages of God’s Love 3/20/2022

A Special Kind of Love

Susan was so happy! She and her husband had come from quite a distance, so that Susan could choose one of the bunnies my family was selling. When they arrived at our house, we brought out the cute little bunnies for them to see. To most people, the bunnies might all have looked exactly alike, but not to Susan! She spent a long time looking at the faces of each little rabbit — one, then the next, and the next, then back to start all over again. Susan was having a hard time deciding because she wanted all of them! I don’t know how she decided, but finally she chose one little bunny to take home to be her own special pet.

This story makes me think of the love that God has for every single one of the people He has made. Perhaps you don’t feel very lovable, or perhaps you don’t think someone else you know is very lovable. But to God, you, and they, are extremely precious. Why does God love you? He loves you simply because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). The Bible tells us that God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to take the punishment for your sins. “God [shows] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Susan had to choose only one bunny to buy, but the Lord Jesus didn’t die for just one of us. He died for all of us who will accept His sacrifice. Come to the Lord Jesus by praying to Him, and you will learn how much He loves you! His love to us cost Him His life, and He gave it willingly. All we have to do is accept His wonderful gift. Don’t ignore the love that God is offering you!

Messages of God’s Love 3/20/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: More Than You Can Do, Part 2

“I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully [amazingly] and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

In the last issue we started a “make-believe” story, pretending that you thought it would be fun to put together another human being, if the body parts could just be ordered and assembled. In this imaginary account you had just received the many boxes of body parts, but you were beginning to wonder about the wisdom of getting involved in such a project. Now let’s go on from there.

Turning the pages of the instruction book, you find a heading, “Heart, Lungs and Blood Vessels.” It reads, “Now that the bones are laid out, note that each one has tiny holes running through it. Pass the capillary blood vessels through these holes and connect them to the larger blood vessels leading to the heart and lungs, as shown in the diagram.”

At this point you give up. You haven’t even gotten to the part about the miles of large and small blood vessels and know that neither you nor any person on earth could possibly put them in their proper places. Nor have you yet read instructions for placing the brain inside the skull and connecting its billions of nerves to other body parts, nor how to get eyes, ears, nose and mouth securely in their places and working properly.

And those millions and millions of cells! Where do they all go, and how are you to turn them into skin and blood and other parts of the body? You just don’t have the courage to even look at more instructions. All you want now is to get the foolish idea of making a human being out of your head and send the order back.

Well, this has all been “make-believe,” but perhaps this will help to impress each of us with how wonderful the human body is and how the Lord God alone can create a human body and give it a living soul: “The Lord God ... breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). He did this when He made Adam out of the dust of the ground and later also created Eve to be Adam’s companion. What He had planned for continuing life is also wonderful, in first creating a baby inside its mother and having it finish developing after it is born. No wonder David, the psalmist, could praise God in our Bible verse above, as he thought about the wonders of it all!

Aren’t you glad to know that the Lord God is the One (and the only One) who can create life? Even if we could put a body together, we could not give it life. But it is no puzzle to God to put all our body parts together in perfect order and give us the breath of life. Let us never be deceived by the teaching of “evolution” which states that we came from monkeys or other forms of life. The teaching of God’s Word, the Bible, is where real truth is always found.

Messages of God’s Love 3/20/2022

A Foolish Boat Driver

Have you ever been on a speedboat? It’s fun to race over the water, with the wind blowing through your hair. It’s fun as long as you can see where you’re going and don’t crash!

The Browns had a speedboat. They enjoyed using it during the daytime. But now it was night and they were safely anchored near a small island. They were enjoying the quiet summer air and the twinkling stars in another boat — a houseboat.

Suddenly, Mr. Brown heard the loud noise of a fast boat breaking the quiet of the still night. As he listened, he heard it racing along. But then he heard a loud scraping noise. Then the loud engine stopped, and all was quiet again.

Guessing that someone might be in trouble, Mr. Brown walked over the hill to see if they needed help. He saw some small lights at the end of the low peninsula, and as he got closer, he saw that a man and a woman were shining their cell phones at a fancy 20-foot ski boat that had been driven right up onto the island. It had been going so fast that the back had travelled 10 feet up from the edge of the lake. Now it had a very mangled propeller, and it was tipped sharply to its left side against a large rock. There were four young children sitting nearby in the dark, holding their small dog. Mr. Brown offered to help, but the man didn’t think they needed help.

An hour later, the Browns returned to check on them. This time, the man accepted Mr. Brown’s help. In that last hour, he had tried and tried to push his boat back into the water, but he had discovered he couldn’t do it alone. By then he had also discovered that the badly scratched hull was not broken and probably wouldn’t leak. The men tried to push the boat into the water, but it wouldn’t budge, so Mr. Brown left to get his strong speedboat to pull the stranded boat back into the lake.

While he was away, the woman told Mrs. Brown that they had been 12 miles up the lake and had not noticed how dark it was getting until it was too dark to see the shore. At that point the driver started hurrying to return to the boat ramp before it got any darker. They didn’t have a good strong light on the boat, and in the dark they had missed their way and run into the shore. One of the little girls had been thrown out of the boat when they hit the shore, but thankfully she didn’t look like she had been hurt.

Soon, Mr. Brown returned in his boat. It took a lot of hard work, but at last they were able to drag the ski boat back into the water. Although its propeller was bent out of shape, it was able to move slowly on its own. The Browns went with them the three miles to the boat ramp to make sure they reached it safely.

That boat driver thought he was going the right way — but he couldn’t see because he didn’t have a light. I hope none of you will be like that foolish boat driver and go through the darkness of this world without the light you need. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that [follows] Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). When the boat driver went with the Browns, he could see where he was going because they had a light. If you walk with the Lord Jesus, you will have the light you need to get through
your life.

Do you have the light that makes your path through life clear?

Memory Verse: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Messages of God’s Love 3/27/2022

Bob's Ears

Bob was having so much fun playing ball with his friends! They were in an empty field far enough away from home that he knew he wouldn’t be able to hear his mother call him home for dinner, and that’s exactly how he wanted it. He didn’t want his mother to end his fun! However, Bob’s mother loved her son, and she wanted him to come home for his dinner and to have the sleep he needed. So, when it was time for dinner, she simply told one of his brother’s, “Go get Bob. You know where he is.”

Bob had good ears. He just didn’t want to use them to hear his mother. Children, do you use your ears and obey what your ears hear? You have been told the way of salvation, perhaps many times. Have you listened and obeyed what you heard, or are you having too much fun doing what you want to do to listen to God? If that’s the case, you just don’t know how much God loves you! He calls you because He wants to give you the most wonderful gifts! First, He gave His Son to die for you. The Bible says that since He gave His own precious Son, God also with Jesus “freely give[s] us all things” (Romans 8:32). All things. Wouldn’t you like to have “all things” that God has to give? You can have those things after you first come to Him to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior from your sins. Then you will also get the rest of those wonderful “all things” He wants to give you. And you will be very happy if you stay close to Him and obey Him. The Bible tells us that in God’s presence is “fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). That’s why it’s so good to stay close to Him!

Messages of God’s Love 3/27/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Tiny Deer

“It is God that [girds] me with strength, and [makes] my way perfect. He [makes] my feet like hinds’ feet.” Psalm 18:32-33

Some time ago we had an article on miniature horses and how some owners would allow them in their living rooms as pets. But miniature deer (while true members of the deer family) are even smaller ... some so small they could walk under an adult deer, such as most of us know, and never touch it.

One of these is the toy or key deer, which lives on some of the islands known as the Florida Keys. It is a cute little beauty only 24 to 32 inches high. It has a black muzzle and large eyes, with velvety brown fur covering its head and top of its little body, and a white stomach.

It is sad that, because they are so friendly and associate being near people with food and water, they are drawn to be near people, which makes them more likely to be killed by cars. In the past people also killed them for meat, but now they are a protected animal.

Another member of this pygmy deer family, known as a muntjac, is a resident of England, though it originated in China. It is only about 16 to 26 inches high and some of them have short antlers. Not only is it the size of a dog, but it also barks like one. It is a light brown color with a paler stomach and darker stripes in its face.

They were first imported from China many years ago and their numbers are now in the thousands. Like those in Florida, they are extremely tame and quickly make friends with people. It is considered an invasive species in England, eating things in the woods that cause problems for other animals.

Then there is another known as the red brocket, located in areas of Mexico, and Central and South America. These are similar in size to the toy deer and the males have short antlers. They have a reddish coat except for partly black legs, a grayish head and neck, and inner thighs and a tail that is white when raised.

But the tiniest deer of all makes its home in the Andes Mountains of South America and has the odd name of pudu. This one is only 13 to 17 inches high and normally weighs up to 26 pounds, smaller than many dogs. Some are reddish brown with black heads, and others are darker brown, with lighter legs and underparts. A pudu is very wild, and it is hard to get a glimpse of one as it scampers over the mountain slopes and through the forests.

The psalmist’s use of “hinds’ feet” in the above Bible verse means “deer’s feet.” He was thankful that God, the Creator, had given him the strength to walk safely through difficulties in life, just as a deer does. And people who know the Lord Jesus as their Savior learn that trust in Him provides them with the same ability, giving them strength for every day. Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 3/27/2022

Kevin's Good News

Have you ever had a cat that had kittens? What an exciting time it is for the children in a family when they see the tiny kittens and later when the mother cat finally lets them hold her furry little babies! How much fun it is to watch them change from helpless, blind little things to scampering, roly-poly, cuddly, mischievous balls of fluffy energy.

But then, in most city families, there comes a day when Mother finally says firmly, “Those kittens have to go!” Sometimes a sign goes up on the front lawn — “FREE KITTENS.”

Kevin’s mother was at her wits’ end with the latest litter of Blackie’s kittens. They got into her knitting, they tried to climb up the living room curtains, they chased each other up and down the furniture, and they tormented Trixie, the dog, every time she tried to take a quiet nap. Finally, Mother said it: “Those little creatures have to go!”

That afternoon when Kevin came home from school, he burst in the front door shouting, “Good news, Mom! I got rid of one of the kittens!”

“Really?” asked Mother. “How?”

“I traded it to Chris Bell for his valuable white rat!” Kevin beamed.

Mother felt like fainting. The idea of a large white rat being added to the family was the last thing she wanted.

“But, Mom, he’s had all his shots and he’s very tame!”

What could she do? The trade had been approved by Chris’s mother, and Kevin stood there with his new pet in his hands.

Kevin’s white rat lived in a cage in the cellar. He seemed to get loose at the worst times. Mother would be carrying a load of clean clothes up from the laundry room when she would suddenly feel the rat’s tail as it scampered over her foot. It almost made her drop the clothes! Sometimes it startled her by popping up from under the laundry sink. Mother tried to be friendly to the rat, but I’m afraid it never had the warm spot in her heart that it had in Kevin’s.

One day the poor rat met its end — in the paws and teeth of the mother cat. Kevin was terribly sad, but Mother and Kevin’s sisters were secretly glad.

I can’t help but think of how eagerly Kevin announced his “good news.” Boys and girls, do you know about the greatest news there is — God’s good news? The word “gospel” means “good news.” That news tells us that when we were sinners on our way to a lost eternity in hell, God sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary and to take the punishment for all who would believe in Him. He suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God. God’s good news tells us that He is now freely offering salvation to all who receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That is really good news — the best ever! Have you received Jesus as your Savior?

For those of you who have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, are you eagerly passing on the “good news”? “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that [believes]” (Romans 1:16).

Memory Verse: “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 4/3/2022

Missing!

Mrs. Perez was nervous. Her five-year-old son Jorge was usually home at four o’clock. But today, four o’clock came and went without any sign of Jorge. Mrs. Perez glanced anxiously through her sliding-glass door at the sound of each passing car. Surely that had to be her little boy finally being dropped off by the bus driver. But it wasn’t. Where could Jorge be?

Five o’clock went by, and soon it was dinnertime. Still there was no news about Jorge. Mrs. Perez felt very afraid and very alone. She had only been living in the United States for a short time and did not speak much English. Her husband was at work and she didn’t know how to reach him. It would be hard to find anyone who could help her find her son.

Another worry crossed her mind. Jorge had a heart problem and had needed surgery just last year. Maybe something had gone wrong with his heart. Maybe Jorge wouldn’t be coming home!

Mrs. Perez’s fear for her missing son grew as minutes slipped into hours. Finally, she picked up the phone to call her brother-in-law. She thought that maybe he could find her husband, who spoke English well. Surely, her husband would be able to find Jorge.

By the time Mr. Perez finally got home, Jorge had been missing for three hours. Mr. Perez quickly called the school, but all he got was the answering machine. Then he drove to the school and found that it was empty. Finally, he headed for the police station.

The police immediately called the school principal, Jorge’s teacher and even his bus driver. Nobody knew where Jorge was. His teacher said he had gotten on the bus, but the bus driver didn’t think he had.

Two more hours dragged by, and still no Jorge. Then the phone rang!

It was the police in a nearby town who were calling. They told Jorge’s parents that Jorge had fallen asleep on the bus, slumping down on the seat so far that the driver didn’t see him. When he woke up hours later, he was all alone on the parked bus, so he got off the bus and wandered out onto the street. That is where someone had found him.

You can imagine how happy Jorge’s parents were! They rushed to the police station and were soon joyfully hugging and kissing their son.

Are you missing? That might seem like a funny question! But many people are “missing.” The Bible says, “[Jesus] is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Anyone who doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior is lost. That’s what I mean when I ask if you are missing.

Mr. and Mrs. Perez loved their son very much, but God loves you even more, and He wants you to be part of His family. He loves the people in this world so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to this world to die for our sins, so that lost sinners can be found. When a lost sinner is found by coming to God because of what Jesus did, it is a wonderfully happy time in heaven, even more than when Jorge was found. It says in the Bible that “joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that [repents]” (Luke 15:7). When we come to Jesus, we become one of God’s own children. Belonging to Him, we are loved and safe. We can never be lost again. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath [given to] us, that we should be called the [children] of God” (1 John 3:1).

Have you come to Him and become one of the children in His family?

Messages of God’s Love 4/3/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Cute Viscacha

“God that made the world and all things therein ... is Lord of heaven and earth.” Acts 17:24

The cute little animal called the viscacha lives mostly in the mountains of Peru and Chile. They are 12 to 17 inches long, with long bushy tails, like a squirrel’s tail. They eat plants, grass, seeds and roots. Viscachas are related to chinchillas but act more like prairie dogs. The mountain viscachas live in deep crevices in rocks and narrow, stony tunnels, and if startled, will sound an alarm, scooting them all into safety when danger approaches.

These viscachas are covered with soft, short brown fur and tall, upright ears. This makes them look a lot like rabbits, except for their long side whiskers and bushy tails. Most of them have a plain black stripe down their backs.

The plains viscacha lives in Argentina, Paraguay, and southeastern Bolivia. They are larger than their mountain cousins, about 18 to 26 inches long, not including their tails. Their coats are a dark gray to pale brown, depending on the color of the soil where they live, and their underparts are plain white. They dig networks of burrows, many of which end up in a large den where from 30 to 50 of these social animals make their home.

These lowlanders often make their homes near cultivated fields where they get into farmers’ crops. This often results in their getting shot and becoming a tasty meal on a farmer’s dinner table.

In general, their faces are rather pretty. Although colors vary, they all have upright, open ears atop a light brown forehead. Their eyes stand out sharply inside a white circle of fur. Many of them have another white band going from the top of the tiny nose (itself surrounded by dark fur) up to the eyes. The chin and chest are covered with white fur like the underparts. There are many patterns involved, all looking as though someone had painted ribbons and patches on the cute little heads without a pattern to follow.

The plains viscachas stay in their dens in daylight, but at early dawn and again at dusk they go in search of food. While out searching, if they come across things of interest, such as bones, stones or a piece of bright metal, they take them home and make a pile of them to mark the entrances to their burrows.

We may not understand just what part these little animals have in God’s wonderful creation, but we do know that He delighted in placing them on the earth and now watches over them. The Bible says, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth ... all things were created by Him, and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). Aren’t you glad that “all things” includes you too?

Messages of God’s Love 4/3/2022

A Dangerous Hike

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the beautiful rocks as John, his two sons, Josh and Samuel, along with his good friend, Mark, hiked up a mountainside in northern Iraq. This is a country in the Middle East, the very land where many of the stories in the Old Testament occurred. The north, where this story takes place, is very beautiful, but it is also a land where much damage from war has taken place. People called Kurds and Yezidis have had to flee from their homes to save their lives, and many are still living in places called refugee camps, where they have very difficult circumstances. John and his friend love the Lord Jesus, and they wanted to help these people who have such difficulties, so they were working in one of these camps. But today they had a day off. They decided to take John’s boys for an adventure!

Memory Verse: “Prepare to meet thy God.” Amos 4:12

Messages of God’s Love 4/10/2022

A Dog Named Bucky

Bucky was a dog which lived in West Virginia. Although he was a big dog, he was gentle with the three children in the family who owned him. He was gentle with the children in the neighborhood, too. Bucky even liked the mailman. He would follow along with the mailman on his rounds, if he could slip out of his collar.

Now it sounds like Bucky was everybody’s friend, doesn’t it? But he wasn’t ... and this is what made his family and the neighborhood children so sad one summer, many years ago.

Bucky had a problem that got him into lots of trouble — he hated cats. You might think that this is normal for a dog. But according to a court judge in his town, Bucky would have to die for killing cats.

The judge had listened to several neighbors reporting that Bucky had killed at least 50 cats, including their own. He also heard from the dog catcher that Bucky was so smart that they couldn’t catch him anymore. The judge also listened to reports from Bucky’s owners and friends of what a nice dog he was with people. But the judge still decided that because Bucky was guilty of killing cats, he would have to be put to death.

However, there was good news for Bucky! Someone who read his story in the newspaper offered to give Bucky a new home where there were no cats living nearby. He was moved to another county in West Virginia and became the mascot for a sportsman’s club. He escaped the punishment he deserved because of the love and concern of someone for him.

This story about Bucky makes me think of a time of judgment that is coming soon. The Bible tells us in Revelation 20:11-15 that God will sit on a great white throne as the Judge who will decide where the people standing before Him will spend eternity. These are people who did not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and they will be judged according to what they have done in this life. In spite of any “good works” these people may have done, there will be no hope for them, because their sins were never forgiven. They will all be “cast into the lake of fire.”

But, there is good news for anyone who doesn’t yet know the Lord Jesus, before that day arrives. God doesn’t want to have to judge you. He loves you so much that He made a way to escape that final judgment. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, down to this world to pay for the sins of all who will believe in Him. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). He wants to save you. Will you believe?

Messages of God’s Love 4/10/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Cells That Make Up Your Body

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

When God made man, there was a great difference between man and all other creatures. Intellectually and spiritually, man was made higher than all other earthly creatures, and man had a responsibility to perform as the image (or representative) of God.

The human body is the most marvelous structure in all of God’s creation, and the cell is its vital living unit. The human body contains about 30 trillion cells! Actually, every living thing and trees and vegetation are made up of cells. Most cells can be seen only through a microscope, yet each is separate and distinct. There is a membrane around each cell which is so thin that it would take over 3½ million of them to measure one inch. Yet it is still quite capable of not only keeping its cell separate from all others, but regulating what substances will pass back and forth through it.

The cells are interdependent, and an amazing organization controls them all. This is very important, for life depends upon all of our body cells working smoothly together. God has wisely provided a nervous system that takes care of this. Every cell is a specialist in its own field — such as bone, skin, muscle, liver and hair — and a cell made for its particular function is not able to do the work of another kind of cell.

Just think what you are made of! A single protein molecule (part of each cell) contains thousands of atoms, all arranged in precise order. Remember that this is just one of up to 2 trillion molecules in one cell, and then add to that the innumerable atoms that make up the body and all its parts. Your mind could not grasp the total number, there are so many of them! No wonder the psalmist could say, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works” (Psalm 139:14).

If God has put all this interest and minute detail into making man, it is certain that He must be vitally interested in how each of our lives is used. More importantly, besides giving us this amazing body, He has given each of us a never-dying soul and completely provided the way, through faith in Christ, so that we can spend eternity in all the wonders of His presence in heaven. Have you, by faith in Him, found the joy and peace given to every person who believes in the Lord Jesus? (See Romans 15:13.)

Messages of God’s Love 4/10/2022

Riding a Gi-Raft to Safety

Here is a riddle for you:

My heart is immense; I am taller than a fence;
My limbs are long; when I swim they go all wrong;
I dine on delicious leaves, dangling at the top of trees.
What am I?

Do you give up? The answer is a giraffe. Giraffes are certainly tall and they have huge hearts. Each of their hearts weighs a whopping 24¼ pounds.

Recently, nine giraffes were trapped on a peninsula (a narrow piece of land that juts out into the water) away from the mainland where their food and other companions were. The peninsula where they had been feeding had become an island after lots of rain fell and made the water in the lake suddenly rise. This peninsula was then cut off from the mainland because of all the extra water, and it became an island. For their safety and health, the giraffes needed to be returned to the mainland where there was plenty of food.

However, giraffes aren’t good swimmers, and the lake was full of hungry crocodiles. While the crocodile is no match for a giraffe on land, giraffes would be almost defenseless against this toothy enemy in the water.

What could be done? Wildlife experts came up with a plan. They would build a large raft to tow the giraffes across the crocodile-infested lake. But first they had to solve two big problems: how to make a raft that would work for giraffes, and how to get the giraffes onto the raft once it was built.

They made the raft of empty oil drums sealed tight so they would float. Over these they attached a steel platform which would be strong enough to hold the huge giraffes. They built a tall railing around the raft to keep the animals from plunging off it if they got scared. The rescuers called the raft they made a “Gi-Raft.”

Now the problem was how to get the animals onto the raft. First, they tried to bribe the giraffes to get on the raft with foods giraffes like, such as bunches of mangoes and delicious leaves. When this didn’t work, they used a medicine to make the animals groggy and easier to be controlled.

One by one, all nine of the giraffes were made to get on the raft. Then they were towed across the lake by a motorboat and set free where they could live normal lives.

Just as there were two problems facing the rescuers of the giraffes, there are two problems that face all of us because we are sinners.

The first problem is how we can come to the God who loves us, when our sins have taken us away from Him. The Bible tells us that “your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). God solved this problem with a tremendous act of love. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus, to go to the cross and give His life for sinners. The Bible tells us that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because of this great act of love, no one needs to remain cut off from God.

This wonderful gift of salvation is available to everyone, but the second problem is that people don’t want it! The giraffe rescuers tried bribing the giraffes, but the Lord Jesus will never bribe anyone to come to Him. He gives salvation only to those who freely choose to come to Him. To all who will listen, He says, “Come; for all things are now ready” (Luke 14:17). To all who come to the Lord Jesus, He gives forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Will you be one who chooses to come to the Lord Jesus by faith?

Memory Verse: “God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Messages of God’s Love 4/17/2022

Are You Afraid?

Grandma and Grandpa were enjoying their first visit to sunny Spain and the beautiful city of Barcelona which overlooks the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. They had gone to Barcelona with their son-in-law who was on a business trip. The three of them spent the morning sightseeing in the old city.

When lunchtime came, they decided to eat in a restaurant at the top of a high building overlooking the harbor. Grandma didn’t like riding in elevators, but the view from the restaurant at the top was worth it. The food was delicious, and the three of them ate their lunch slowly as they enjoyed the scenery. Large ships making their way into the harbor, sailboats bobbing on the sparkling waves, and sturdy little fishing boats coming in with the day’s catch all captured their attention as they ate.

At last the leisurely lunch was finished, and Grandma prepared herself for the unpleasant elevator ride down to the street. Her son-in-law guided her and Grandpa through some doors and into a car which, even before it started, felt too shaky for Grandma. Suddenly, the car began to move, but not down, as Grandma expected. It began to move ahead, and soon the car was out over the Barcelona harbor with nothing underneath but the sparkling blue of the sea. Grandma gasped as she realized she was riding in a cable car. There was nothing to do but enjoy the ride, but she was glad when they were safely on the other side.

As soon as Grandma was out of the car, she and Grandpa began to chuckle about the surprise they had had. But I don’t think Grandma would have gone back into that cable car again, no matter how beautiful the view might be.

Although it is amusing to think of Grandma’s surprise ride, you probably know of people who are so afraid of a certain thing that they will not try it. Some are afraid to ride in airplanes; some are afraid of the dark or of going to the doctor. And then there are some people who are afraid to make a very important decision — the decision to be saved from their sins. They are afraid to accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior because of what their friends might think. They are afraid it might mean missing out on
some fun.

But what everyone should be more afraid of is the anger of God against sin. In the Bible, God tells us sin must be punished (Romans 6:23) and that each of us will be punished for our sins if we will not accept His plan of salvation. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, where He took all the punishment for our sins. He is a loving Savior who wants everyone to be saved. But if His gift of love is refused, then punishment is the only choice left — punishment forever in an awful place called hell.

You can escape that punishment by accepting the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Won’t you make that choice
right now?

Messages of God’s Love 4/17/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Kangaroo Rat, Part 1

“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring.”
Joel 2:21-22

This verse reminds us of the wonderful care of the Lord God for creatures everywhere and especially in the wilderness or desert areas where it would seem nothing could survive. But He has placed a variety of creatures in such places.

Today we will go to the warm, western portion of the United States and Mexico where the tiny kangaroo rat makes its home. Although not related to kangaroos, it does jump around like a miniature kangaroo on long, powerful hind feet.

Nearly two dozen species of these little fellows, about 11 inches long, including their six-inch tail, live in the hot deserts of California, Nevada, Arizona and northern Mexico. One of the largest of these is called the banner-tailed, because of the white, hairy brush on the end of its tail.

Banner-tailed kangaroo rats can be detected by the large mounds of sunbaked earth they make while digging a burrow. On the surface of these mounds, many holes appear, which are all entrances to their underground nests. These mounds are often 15 feet in diameter and four feet or more in height, full of twisting tunnels. Each burrow is used by only one adult, or one female with her young. It is really amazing that so small an animal can construct such a big project.

The above-ground tunnels eventually twist and turn as much as two feet below ground level until they all meet at the nest and storage chambers. The dozen or more entrances and twisting tunnels very effectively confuse snakes or coyotes. If an enemy does persist in following one underground, the kangaroo rat can quickly escape by using a different tunnel.

One feature of the kangaroo rat is that both its front and hind feet are like miniatures of the true Australian kangaroo. The long feet in back are used (just like those of the kangaroo) for sitting upright when resting or eating food they have picked, as well as moving about in long hops. The much shorter front feet are used mostly for digging and for stuffing food into cheek pouches. This food includes seeds and certain plants which they bring into special rooms in their burrows and store for winter use.

The Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth, has provided the instincts and activities by which kangaroo rats survive in their harsh areas. In next week’s issue, we will consider some of His special provisions for them.

Messages of God’s Love 4/17/2022

How the Lord Found Demetrio

Demetrio was a young man who worked in the tin mines in Potosi, Bolivia. But when war broke out between Bolivia and Paraguay, he was immediately drafted into military service. Because Demetrio was a soldier of courage and ability, he was soon made sergeant of his group.

Demetrio had never heard the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, so he did not know the way of salvation. In fact, he was a very ungodly young man who spent much of his spare time drinking with his friends. Many times, Demetrio was late for duty, but the punishment he received never seemed to affect him.

One day Demetrio was shot six times during a fierce battle when Bolivian troops were ordered to storm a Paraguayan fort. Badly wounded, Demetrio was taken to a field hospital behind the lines, where blood transfusions saved his life.

From the field hospital, Demetrio was sent to the main hospital in Potosi, the capital of Bolivia. Thanks to the skill and care of the surgeons who took care of him and by the grace of God, he was healed completely of his serious wounds. After a long time, he was able to walk again.

The doors of the hospital were heavily guarded, but on some nights Demetrio, along with other wounded soldiers who were tired of being stuck in the hospital, climbed over the walls, determined to have a night of what they called fun. When they returned to the hospital, they were severely scolded by the doctor, and a stronger guard was put on them.

One Wednesday night Demetrio and his friends escaped over the walls again, but this time Demetrio refused to go with them to the sinful place they were going. He wanted to be alone, to be quiet and think things over. He realized he was wasting his life and his health.

As he walked slowly down the street, he heard singing and stopped to listen. He found himself outside a building with a sign over the door which said, “Local Evangelico.” This was a place where God’s good news was preached. It wasn’t the music that attracted his attention so much as the words he heard being sung: “Busca a Dios,” which means, “Seek God.” Demetrio had never heard such words before nor had he ever read the book called the Bible. He stepped inside the door to listen. A gentleman suggested he take a seat, but Demetrio refused, preferring to stand at
the back.

After the singing, a man in a chaplain’s uniform stood up and opened a Bible. Demetrio remembered seeing him on the battlefield. Some of the soldiers used to go to his bomb shelter to speak to him, but Demetrio had not been interested then.

The chaplain began to speak. He spoke of the judgment of God, stressing that there is only one way to escape this judgment. That way is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, who came from heaven and who died on the cross of Calvary to save lost sinners. He went on to say that we are all lost sinners, and if we refuse to accept Christ as our Savior, we will not escape the judgment of God. We will have eternal punishment.

The chaplain said he had seen so many soldiers on the battlefields who were afraid to die because they were sinners and did not know the Savior. He had seen others die who had accepted Christ as their Savior, and they had perfect peace and no fear.

Demetrio proudly thought, “Well, I’m not afraid of death! Why be afraid? Haven’t I been a soldier, a proud fighter — wounded, but still not afraid of death?”

Still, the speaker’s words lingered in his mind: “You cannot escape the judgment of God unless you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who took the judgment for you on Calvary’s cross.”

That night Demetrio went to visit his mother and told her what he had heard. Never before had he done that. He returned to the hospital early.

That was on Wednesday night. There was another meeting scheduled for Friday night and Demetrio wanted to go. This time he asked permission to go. The doctor was surprised, but let
him go.

As he entered the meeting place, the people were singing, “Paz con Dios busque ganarla,” that is, “Peace with God I sought to gain.” Demetrio knew he did not have that peace, but now he wanted it, so after the meeting he went to the speaker and talked with him. The speaker told him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. He has made peace through the blood of His cross on Calvary.”

Demetrio suddenly understood that the Lord Jesus had been seeking for him. He got down on his knees with the chaplain and asked God to save him.

The next day everyone who knew him noticed a change in his behavior. The doctors said that if he continued as he was, he would soon be well again. They even ordered a new suit for him and told the hospital director to allow Demetrio to attend the gospel meetings. When the director asked what had happened to him lately, Demetrio answered happily, “Sir, I have Christ now and He is my Savior.” He went on to live for the Lord Jesus as long as he lived. His life showed the truth that “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).

Memory Verse: “Having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself.”
Colossians 1:20

Messages of God’s Love 4/24/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Kangaroo Rat, Part 2

“In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also ... and His hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Psalm 95:4-6

Last week we had an introduction to the interesting kangaroo rats of the western United States and Mexico, particularly one known as the banner-tailed. Today let’s take a look at the amazing special provisions the Creator gave them.

In these desert areas there are many scorpions, and their sting can kill little animals like kangaroo rats, but the Creator has made them immune to the poison. We all know that water is scarce in desert conditions, but He has enabled them to survive without drinking water. Instead, their water supply is produced when their bodies digest the seeds they eat. In addition, they have been given special noses so that very little moisture from their lungs passes out into the air when they breathe (as it does with other animals), but returns into their bodies. To further keep moisture from escaping, these little creatures often close the entrances to their tunnels when underground in the daytime. This keeps the temperature of their burrows more constant and maintains the humidity.

In late summer, our little friends are busy picking a variety of seeds, using their short front feet to stuff them into cheek pouches to be carried into the burrow for winter storage. The Creator has given them the ability to store this food so that it keeps without spoiling until eaten.

Banner-tailed kangaroo rats are certainly an interesting example of the wonders of God’s creation. However, a desert visitor might be disappointed by not seeing one, because they come out only at night to gather food. However, a visitor might be rewarded on a bright moonlit night. They put on a lively show at such times, but the visitor must remain perfectly still, for one movement or noise will send them scurrying back to their burrows. The Lord has given them very good hearing so that they can even detect the almost-silent approach of an owl or a snake interested in having them for a meal.

Not many of us will have an opportunity to watch these desert animals, but as we look around us and remember that all things have come from a divine Creator, we can see His wisdom and loving care in providing for all of His creation. That includes all the people He has made. If He cares so much for these little animals, how much more does He care for you! David wrote, “I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works” (Psalm 9:1). We can praise Him too!

Messages of God’s Love 4/24/2022

Joe the Firefighter

Joe was a volunteer firefighter in the little town of Willow, Alaska. Many small towns don’t have a regular fire department. Instead, people who live in the town volunteer and get training to fight fires. When a call comes in reporting a fire, a loud siren goes off, calling the firefighters. The men leave whatever they are doing and go to the fire as fast as they can.

One night the siren started sounding in Willow. A house was on fire! Joe and Nick, another volunteer firefighter, hurried to get the fire truck. As soon as they got to the house that was burning, they unreeled the big water hose and ran inside with it. The smoke was so thick that they couldn’t see anything. They had to feel their way carefully.

While Joe was holding the hose, he thought he heard someone call for help. He wasn’t sure because of the noise of the big hose spraying water. But then he heard the call again! This time he went to see.

Joe didn’t know that another firefighter, besides himself and Nick, was in the house, named Jeff. Jeff had come in through a window in another room. He had been checking to make sure that the people who lived in the house weren’t still inside.

Joe headed to where he thought the call had come from. He still couldn’t see because of the thick smoke, but then his foot hit against something. He bent down and discovered it was his friend Jeff! A big box had fallen on the young volunteer. Joe lifted the heavy box off Jeff, but Jeff was hurt and couldn’t move. Joe hurried for help to carry him out of the burning house.

Jeff knew he was in serious trouble when the heavy box fell on him. He knew he was hurt, and he knew he needed help, so he called to Joe.

Other people are in serious trouble too, but they aren’t smart like Jeff. They won’t call for help. They aren’t in a burning building, but they are in a world full of sin, that God says will burn up one day. We don’t have to stay in our sins and be here for that judgment. God tells us in the Bible that those who call on Him will be saved. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Joe cared enough for Jeff that he ran for help. They got Jeff out and took him to a hospital. And God cares about sinners so very much that He sent His Son Jesus to rescue all who will call to Him. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14).

The next day when the fire chief went to investigate, he found that the heavy box that had fallen on Jeff was actually a freezer full of fresh moose meat. A moose can weigh 1200 pounds or more, and a freezer full of moose meat would be much too heavy for a man to lift. How did Joe have the strength to lift that heavy freezer? God gave it to him! You see, years before, Joe had realized he was a sinner and he had called to the Lord Jesus to save him from his sins. God was now his Father, and our loving Father is always ready to help those He loves. He says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Memory Verse: “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

Messages of God’s Love 5/1/2022

The Birthday Party

Today was a special day for Carol! It was her twelfth birthday and her mother was giving her a birthday party with some of her friends. She hurried home after school to greet her friends as they arrived. They played games in the basement, and what fun they had together! When it was almost time for dinner, her father came home, bringing a package beautifully wrapped with a big bow. All of the girls were curious to see what was inside, but first ... dinner! The chattering girls sat down to eat, and they were quiet while Carol’s father gave thanks to God for the food.

When they finished eating, it was time to open that beautiful package.

None of them had ever seen anything quite like this present. It was a black plastic box with levers and buttons. Carol’s father explained that this was a tape recorder. When certain of its buttons were pressed, sounds could be recorded. He explained that they would be able to hear what they had recorded when they played the tape.

They all learned how to use the tape recorder, and then each girl took a turn recording a message in another room. When everyone had finished, Carol played the tape for everyone to hear. Tina was Carol’s best friend, and her message was the last one. The room became very quiet as Tina’s voice said, “I’m glad that I’m Carol’s best friend, because she told me about God and how He loved me so much that He sent His Son Jesus down to earth to die for my sins. I’ve learned the Bible verse that says ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,’ and I believe it. Now I want to tell everyone how happy I am that I’ve taken Jesus as my Savior.”

For several seconds there was complete silence in the room. Then someone said, “Let’s finish that ping-pong game,” and they seemed to soon forget what Tina had said on the recorder.

Perhaps all the others quickly forgot, but Carol did not forget. She had told Tina about the Savior, but she had never really believed in Him for herself. She had told everyone that she was a Christian. But she knew it wasn’t true.

When she went to bed that night, she kept remembering what Tina had said. It bothered her so much that she couldn’t sleep. Finally, she got up and woke up her mother and father. She told them that she wasn’t really saved and she wanted to be.

The three of them knelt down beside the bed and prayed. Carol told the Lord Jesus that she knew she was a sinner and thanked Him for dying for her sins. She knew there was nothing she could do to take her sins away so she could go to heaven. Now she understood that Jesus had died as her substitute, and all she had to do was accept this wonderful gift. At last she had the peace and happiness of knowing that her salvation was settled once and for all.

How about you? Are you saved from your sins? Do you realize that your sins will shut you out of heaven forever and only the Lord Jesus Christ can forgive your sins? “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

Messages of God’s Love 5/1/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: A Visit in the Riparian Area

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He [makes] me to lie down in green pastures: He [leads] me beside the still waters.”
Psalm 23:1-2

No, riparian is not the name of a country; it is one kind of beauty spot the Creator has made in many places, hidden away from general view.

A stream of clear, cool water makes its way around the slopes of a hill or quietly winds its course through a flat area where banks are green with grass and brush. Tall trees stretch out their branches and often meet overhead with those from the opposite bank. This is called a riparian area.

What lovely places these are ... quiet and peaceful with the sun peeking through the leaves and sparkling here and there on the stream. A riparian area is the home of many fish as well as a resting place for fish migrating upstream to lay their eggs. It is also a favorite place with many small animals, such as squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and gophers, as well as with numerous birds calling back and forth. It is a safe place for them all, hidden from their larger enemies, including birds of prey searching out in the open.

A visitor sitting quietly near the stream will soon see or hear these residents and perhaps get a glimpse of a mother deer with her little fawn, a coyote, fox or even a bobcat coming to drink in the cool, clear stream.

Sports fishermen love these places, too, as do campers, not only for catching trout and salmon, but because of the soothing and restful surroundings. They enjoy the pleasant calls of so many birds and lovely displays of ferns, flowers and other plants, many of which take on added beauty in the autumn time.

What a beautiful picture the stream presents as it moves through the riparian area — sometimes in a series of small white cascades, but more often quietly gliding through more level areas, where it is like the “still waters” referred to in the opening verse.

Perhaps the psalmist was enjoying a riparian visit when he also wrote: “He [sends] the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field. ... By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches” (Psalm 104:10-12).

If you have an opportunity to visit such a place as this, be sure to think of the One who created it and who also provides you with many blessings if you know Him as your Savior. And be sure to thank Him often for His wonderful ways and love to you.

Messages of God’s Love 5/1/2022

Hang On!

“Hang on; we’re coming!” yelled Gil to his friends Mitch and Rick. Mitch and Rick were clinging to a rock in the middle of the Nacimiento River with their friend Brian, who was unconscious. The three boys were spending their spring vacation from school on a camping trip in the rugged wilderness of the California mountains along with six of their friends. All members of their high school swimming team, Mitch, Rick and Brian had challenged the strength of the Nacimiento River. The river was running full with its ice-cold spring runoff from the melting snow in the mountains. They had challenged the river ... and it looked like the river was winning against one of them.

Their adventure had started about an hour earlier. Wearing wet suits, the three had used their strong muscles to battle upstream, walking and swimming against the current to the base of a waterfall. The challenge was fun and exciting — their strength against the roaring power of the river. From rock to rock they fought, until finally they reached the base of the falls where the river poured down the hillside among giant boulders.

They laughed and relaxed while they rested on a boulder, getting their strength back. They looked forward to the “float trip” back down the river. Before they started upstream, they had decided to rope together for safety. That way they knew that if one of them started getting carried away by the current, the other two could stop him.

All went well on the way back until they reached a narrow canyon with rock walls where the full force of the river channeled through a three-foot-wide opening. Coming upstream, they had clambered around this canyon, knowing that they could not fight against it.

But now, deciding to ride the river through the rushing chasm, they dove into the water. They quickly found they had underestimated the force of the river. Slammed and bashed from rock to rock, it was all Rick and Mitch could do to come to the surface in the violent water. Slammed against a rock, Rick was able to grab it and hold on. Then he helped Mitch to climb on the rock ... but where was Brian?

At first neither boy could see him. Then in the foaming current they saw him, pinned face down against a rock, his head under water. They yanked on the rope that connected them, but it was caught on another rock. They both left the protection of their rock and swam to their friend and tried to lift his head above the water, but the rope held
it down.

The three boys were in real trouble. They needed help, and they needed it fast! Their calls for help were heard by the others in their group who were at a campsite near the river. Running to the river, they were able to pass a knife to the boys on the rock who cut the rope, freeing Brian. Pulling him up on the rock, they were shocked at his condition. Bruised and scratched from being smashed against the rock, Brian lay without a sign of life, his face an awful shade of blue. Was he dead?

Mitch acted first. Although they could not detect a heartbeat or a pulse, they knew what to do. They started life-saving procedures immediately.

While Doug, one of the nine boys, was sent back to the truck parked a mile away to get help, the others worked on Brian. Once every second they used CPR to artificially pump Brian’s heart. Every five seconds they blew air into his lungs. Every few minutes they stopped to listen, hoping to hear a shallow breath. But Brian only lay still.

Thirty minutes passed, and still there was no sign of life ... thirty-five ... forty. Was it too late? Had Brian died?

Suddenly Rick cried, “He moved!”

But had he? The others wondered. Checking his pulse, they could feel it faintly. “Keep working on him!”

Every few minutes the boys would again check Brian’s pulse. His heartbeat was gradually coming back, getting stronger. But they knew that they had to get him to a hospital soon. Where was Doug?

It was two more hours before the boys heard the welcome sound of a helicopter. They waved and cheered when they saw the red cross of the ambulance helicopter above them. The lifeline was lowered and Brian was lifted up and taken to a hospital. He regained consciousness after another 48 hours and eventually fully recovered.

Why did the friends work so hard, and even risk their own lives, to save the life of their friend? The answer is ... love. Brian’s life was precious to these friends, because he was their friend. And whoever you are, did you know that you are precious to God? You are! He made you in His own image, and He loves you very, very much. He loves you so much that He sent His only Son to die for you so that you could be saved from a danger even more terrible than drowning in a river. The Lord Jesus, God’s Son, came to die so that you and I can be saved from spending forever in a terrible place called hell.

That river that almost killed Brian reminds me of God’s judgment against sin and of the love of Christ that was strong enough to bear that judgment for us. God, because of His love for us, took away the judgment we deserve by putting it on the Lord Jesus. It says in the Bible that “many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song of Solomon 8:7). Even though the Lord Jesus suffered more than we can ever understand to rescue us from what our sins deserve, that didn’t stop Him from loving us. I hope you know this One whose love is so wonderful!

Memory Verse: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” Song of Solomon 8:7

Messages of God’s Love 5/8/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 1

“God ... [does] great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.” Job 5:8-9

Many of us are familiar with the large white geese seen on farms. These are domestic, or tame, geese. They are raised for their eggs and to sell to meat markets or as food for the farmer’s family.

But we are going to look at some of the many wild geese in this and the following articles. While different in some ways, particularly in their coloring, they all have similar habits and patterns of life. They are large birds, often weighing 20 pounds or more and measuring two to three feet from the tip of their beaks to their tail feathers. The wingspan on most geese is six feet or more.

Their lives depend on water. Except when flying, they are usually swimming or on marshy ground near water where they make their nests. Usually, females build the nests by themselves, picking spots slightly higher than the swampy surroundings. Their nests are large, made of twigs and coarse grass and lined with a thick cushion of soft down plucked from their feathers.

Usually six to nine large white eggs are laid and incubated by the mother. Sometimes one of her webbed feet will accidently knock an egg out of the nest and send it rolling. This doesn’t seem to bother her. When it stops rolling, she stands over it with her back to the nest, and using her big beak, she rolls it backwards to the nest and up and over the side, back where it belongs.

Baby geese, called goslings, are fuzzy balls of yellow down. The first time they get in water, they are right at home and paddle off for a swim. They have waterproof feathers and webbed feet to ensure their safety in the water. In most varieties, the goslings stay with the mother all summer, then travel with her on the fall migration, and stay with her through the following winter season. In this long program, they are sure of excellent training for their adult lives.

Food eaten by these birds includes grass, leaves, roots and seeds, all of which may be found in the water or on adjoining dry land. They also like fish and other water creatures. At times they annoy farmers by getting into their crops. When grazing in fields or open areas, sentinels take turns standing guard along the edges while the others feed.

Geese of each colony usually remain together throughout the year and in migrating. Pairs stay together all year long, and some pairs remain with one another until one of them dies.

They are another interesting example of the wonders of God’s creation. “Thou art worthy, O Lord ... for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 5/8/2022

The Call of the Wild

Late in the quiet of the night I heard a coyote raise a shrill howl. It was followed by the high-pitched yapping of others in the pack. It was cold and the darkness was broken only by an infrequent gleam from the moon as the clouds occasionally parted. Then I heard a closer howl. My dog Andy shook himself and answered, not with his usual bark, but with raised nose pointed toward the moon he gave a long, quavering howl. I had never heard him do this. Then he trotted off toward the road.

Later, the howling of the coyotes and shrill yapping again woke me out of sleep, and I heard that same long howl from Andy ... and then silence. I wondered ... was my dog answering the call of the wild?

Andy had been a show dog, a beautiful blue merle collie, well trained and groomed. We had hesitated to accept him as a gift, but his master said he was too confined in the big city. He had to be locked up all day while his family was gone. His master wanted him to have more freedom out in the country. Still, we weren’t sure because it would be such a drastic change for a show dog.

However, we decided to try him out. Though he definitely missed his master, he was very obedient and stayed near the farm buildings without being chained. He seemed to enjoy the outdoor life and explored the grounds around the house and barns. He became an alert watchdog for us.

He still liked to come into the house, especially when he smelled a roast cooking. He would be very polite as I got a bone ready for him. Sometimes he would find my bedroom slipper and tease me by circling around me with the slipper in his mouth, hoping I’d play with him. He was definitely a people’s dog and liked us to return his affection.

He also liked to follow the tractor when the men were working the fields. But unless it was near the house, he was told to “stay home,” because there were coyote dens in the hills near the canyon. Coyotes couldn’t be trusted since they usually hunt in packs.

The next morning, we went about our usual tasks, and the sounds of the night before were forgotten ... until I went out the back door. On the ground I saw the sorriest looking dog I had ever seen. He tried to get up on his feet, but dropped back down. What animal was this? Had someone dropped off some strange, sick dog? He raised his head when I whistled. He had the long nose of a collie. I went closer ... could it be? Yes, it was ... poor Andy, so totally covered with blood he looked brown. He was so far gone he could barely move.

I put some warm milk into his bowl, but he didn’t even try to drink it. I examined him for wounds, but found only a small one on his side. The blood on his fur was not his. Someone else had gotten the worst of the fight.

Did you know that each of us who is saved from our sins has two natures? The nature we are born with does nothing but sin. But when we come to God as a sinner and accept His Son as our Savior, we are given a new nature from God. This new nature loves to please Him and wants to follow His Son, the Lord Jesus, who came into this world to save us from our sins.

Sometimes Satan tempts us with a wrong thing that looks like fun. Our perfect example is the Lord Jesus. He answered, “It is written,” when Satan tempted Him, quoting a Bible verse that showed that what Satan wanted Him to do was wrong. As you read the Bible and obey what it says, you will go through life in a way that is pleasing to your Savior. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Andy is fine now, and we never have heard the coyotes come close to the house again. I think he defended his territory and taught them that they were to stay away, once for all.

“My son, if sinners entice [you], consent ... not” (Proverbs 1:10).

Memory Verse: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent
thou not.” Proverbs 1:10

Messages of God’s Love 5/15/2022

Julie's Kindness

Julie felt like singing as she mowed the lawn one beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, and it felt so good to work outside and to cut that long grass at last. Pepper, the dog, was following after the lawn mower, eager to explore whatever the mower turned up.

Suddenly, ahead of the mower, Julie noticed a robin’s nest in the grass with a baby robin inside. She quickly got off the mower and went to rescue the nest. But Pepper was also interested in that nest! He started yapping at Julie, trying to jump up and get the baby bird that Julie was now holding high over her head. To make matters worse, the parent birds completely misunderstood Julie’s kindness and started diving at her from overhead. They wanted her to leave their baby alone.

Through all of this commotion, Julie became aware of another strange noise from somewhere behind her. She turned around in time to see the riding lawn mower chewing steadily through a young apple tree. She had forgotten to turn off the motor and the mower had continued on its way until it met something that momentarily stopped it!

What would you have done if you were Julie? She did the only thing there was to do — she started yelling for help!

“Kurt! Kurt! Come and get this dog!” Kurt came running and hauled Pepper away. Julie put the baby bird down in a safe place, then ran to stop the lawn mower.

Julie was trying to save that little bird because she felt sorry for it. But she got muddy footprints on her clothes from her dog, attacks from the parent birds, and lost an apple tree, all in saving the baby bird. This makes me think of the Lord Jesus who went through far more than that so He could be our Savior. He was cruelly betrayed by a friend, nailed by His hands and feet to a rough wooden cross, and then took the awful punishment we deserved from God to pay for our sins. Wasn’t that a wonderfully kind thing to do?

We may find it hard to understand why the Lord Jesus went through all that for sinners who hated Him, but there is a Bible verse that tells us that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). That means that He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. Have you believed in His love
for you?

Messages of God’s Love 5/15/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 2

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

Following an introduction to wild geese in the previous issue, we’ll look at a few of the many varieties. Like most birds, females usually have subdued colors, and where coloring is described, it refers to the male goose.

Living in both Canada and the United States, the Canada goose has a dark beak, head and neck, with a white band under its throat. In this case, both male and female have the same coloring. This goose is one of the smallest varieties but great in numbers — about seven million.

Another one with great numbers is the snow goose, making its home mainly in Alberta, Canada. It is well-named because of its pure-white feathers all over, except for a little of the wing tips. It is an impressive sight to see a white blanket of thousands landing on shores or water.

The red-breasted is one of the world’s beautiful birds — vivid in its brilliant red breast, with a black and white head and a patch of red on its cheeks. Its body is also black, with beautiful white lines between the red and black parts of its body and accentuating its wings, tail and legs.

The emperor is also impressive, with its pure white head and back of its neck contrasting with the black of the front of its neck. The wings are blue-gray with black outlines, and the rest a beautiful pattern of brown and black. Its legs and feet are orange.

The spur-winged goose perhaps looks less like an ordinary goose than any of them. Its brilliant red beak runs up to its forehead. The lower part of its face and throat is white, with a black mantle of feathers over the top of its head and neck, circling around to its breast. The wings are an iridescent blue-green, but its stomach is black and white, with red legs matching its prominent beak.

The brant of the Arctic ocean coastlines is a saltwater bird. It has a small white patch directly under its black head and beak, with the black continuing down over its neck and stopping in a distinct line part way down its upper body. A white body, contrasted with white-streaked gray wings, makes it a lovely looking bird.

This is just a sampling of the great number of varieties of geese found in North America, Europe and other parts of the world. Every one of them tells of the Creator’s wonderful creation of such an amazing variety of living things.

The opening Bible verse states that, while young, we should be enjoying the knowledge of God and the blessed Lord and Savior, through whom all things have been created and are upheld. Reading God’s Word cannot help but impress us that the teachings about the creation in the Bible are true.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 5/15/2022

The Runaway Van

It was a hot summer day. The Johnsons had just moved and Mrs. Johnson needed to get some groceries. She had just started up the big family van and shifted into gear when one of the children came running up to her. “Mommy, Mommy! There’s a puddle of gasoline underneath our car in the driveway.”

Concerned, Mrs. Johnson turned off the van and went into the house to tell her husband about the gas under their car. He told her that he had recently filled up the gas tank, and because it was such a hot day, the gas was expanding and spilling out. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “But why don’t you take the car to do your shopping, rather than the van, and help use up some of the gas so it doesn’t keep spilling out?” So, Mrs. Johnson took the car instead of the van.

Shortly after she left, one of the older girls saw their little brother Tony playing “mechanic” underneath the van parked in the street.

“Tony, you’d better not play under there,” Nancy warned him. “What if the van started to roll down the hill?”

“Okay,” said Tony, and off he went to play with his brother.

A short time later a man knocked on the Johnson’s front door. Betty, the oldest child in the family, answered the door. The man standing there asked her if they owned a green van. “Yes, we do!” Betty said.

“Well, it rolled down the hill and ended up in our front yard,” said the neighbor man. “In fact, our tree stopped it from going any farther. It looks like it went over my next-door neighbor’s six-foot retaining wall along their driveway.”

“Oh no!” exclaimed Betty, and she called to her father to come hear the bad news.

Mr. Johnson soon arranged to have the van removed from the neighbor’s front yard and towed to an auto body shop for repairs.

When Mrs. Johnson returned from shopping, she heard the bad news. She realized that when she had turned off the motor in the van, in her concern about the spilled gas she forgot to put the gearshift into “park.” Something had made the van go rolling down the hill, over a wall and into the neighbor’s yard. Only moments before, a few children had been playing in the street, but God had allowed those children to be out of the street and safely in their own yards when the runaway van rolled down the hill, thankfully. And there was more to be thankful for — that Tony had listened to his sister and had stopped playing under the van! The Johnsons thanked the Lord Jesus for His protection over Tony and the other children that day.

Children, do you know this loving Savior, the Lord Jesus? Do you go to bed at night in peace, knowing He is with you? Do you pray to Him each morning and trust Him for His help in the day? You can have peace day and night if He is your Savior. If you love Him, whether good things or bad things happen to you, He makes them all work for good. Little Tony had accepted the Lord Jesus as his own Savior, and so if the van had rolled over him, he would have been safely with the Lord Jesus forever.

What about you? Where would you be if you suddenly died? We hope that you will believe right now on the Lord Jesus, who will wash away all your sins in His precious blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Memory Verse: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Messages of God’s Love 5/22/2022

Stuck Kittens

Ever since we moved into our house, our mother cats have found a way to get into the attic to have their babies. We never went up in the attic ourselves, because it was just a crawl space full of insulation. But the mother cats liked the attic. It was a safe place to have their kittens until they were ready for the big, outside world.

Last year one of the cats had her litter of kittens up in the attic. One morning I heard a faint sound coming from the top cabinet. I opened it, but there was nothing there. This seemed strange, but I thought no more about it. The next day I heard the sound again. When my husband came home from work, we both listened to the sound and decided that a baby kitten must have fallen from the attic and was stuck inside the wall. We knew that the mother cat couldn’t do a thing about that kitten’s problem and that it would die if we left it there.

The only way we could help that poor kitten was to cut a big, ugly hole in our kitchen wall. My husband got out his saw and carefully cut into the wall where we thought the kitten was stuck. When he pulled out the square piece of wall, there was the tiny newborn kitten right in the middle of the hole. I picked it up and tried to comfort it. My husband climbed up into the attic and brought down the mother cat and her babies. Then we put them in a cage so she couldn’t take them back to the attic.

After several days, we let the mother cat out, and the next morning when I came into the kitchen I heard mewing again! The mother cat had taken the babies back to the attic and the same thing had happened, only this time it was in a different spot.

Again, we carefully cut another hole in the wall, and there sat a little kitten. Suddenly, we noticed a little paw sticking through the top corner of the hole and realized that there was another kitten stuck in there too. We managed to pull it to safety also. This time, the access to the attic was boarded up so that no cats can get in there again.

Just as those kittens were helpless, you and I are helpless sinners. We are separated from God by our sins. We need a Savior. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, at great cost to Himself, bore our sins in His own body so that our sins could be taken away. John 3:16 tells us, “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.”

As those kittens grew up, we liked to cuddle them and play with them. One of the kittens was sweet and loving. But the other kitten was wild and mean, and when we tried to pet it, it would run away. It didn’t seem grateful to us for saving its life. When we don’t accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are treating Him the same way. He died to save us. I hope you are grateful to Him for that, and love and obey Him!

Messages of God’s Love 5/22/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 3

“Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.” 1 Chronicles 16:12

What a wonderful experience it is to see and hear a large flock of geese flying overhead. The honking noise of a flock, whether in flight, making a landing, or on the surface of a pond or lakeshore, can be so great that people nearby have to shout to be able to hear one another.

Throughout most of Canada and the United States, millions of geese — in many varieties — migrate south to escape the cold winter of Arctic lands, Alaska, Canada and the northern United States. Their destinations are the southern parts of the United States, Mexico, some Atlantic islands and even far-away Europe. While in the North, they enjoyed abundant food and raised their young through the spring and summer, but now it is time for warmer southern spots.

In these southbound flights, millions of Canada geese follow the long-used four “flyways” stretching across Canada and the United States. In addition, there are thousands of geese of other species that migrate to southern Oregon and California. Some also go to wintering places in New Mexico where the Rio Grande River Refuge awaits them.

In late summer, similar flocks head for reserves in the southern and eastern United States. Many of these flocks gather in huge groups in the Hudson Bay area of Canada before starting the long journey south. At some mysterious signal, leaders take off and others follow in V-shaped formation. They travel about 30 miles per hour, usually around 7,000 feet above ground, but some fly as low as 3,000 feet. Some have been spotted by airplane pilots as high as 29,000 feet (more than five miles high)! How high they fly seems to depend on how long the flight will be, as well as how high the mountains are over which they will fly. In their long flights, which may take two weeks or more, stops are made along the way for resting and feeding.

How do these amazing birds know where to go when seasons change, and how do they know after a few months to return to the exact same nesting spots? Many experiments have been made to explain this, but the real answer is that the Creator gave the first pair these amazing instincts which have been passed on from one generation to the next.

David, who wrote our opening Bible verse, may not have known about geese migrations, but this verse encourages us to remember all God’s wonderful works and words. We have the advantage of God’s written words in the Bible. Do you read it and remember it?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 5/22/2022

A Pair of Fuzzy Eaglets

One summer afternoon, a lady and her small dog were walking along Marine Drive in Sequim, Washington. Marine Drive runs along a high bank next to Sequim Bay. Along one side of the road are homes, but on the other side is a narrow, grassy shoulder and then a very steep decline of about 90 feet down to the water’s edge. Trees grow on this hillside, hanging on to the steep ground, oddly shaped by the strong winds.

In one of these trees along the edge of the road, about 40 feet above the level of the road, wedged into some thick branches, bald eagles made a huge nest out of small branches and twigs, and they lined it with moss and seaweed. Their nest was four to five feet wide, a couple of feet thick, and could have weighed thousands of pounds.

People walking along the road often pause near the tree to see if they can spot any eagles in the nest. The lady walking her dog didn’t see anything in the nest, but her small dog stopped and refused to budge when she pulled on the leash.

Eventually, she bent down to see what the dog was looking at in the bushes. She got a big surprise! She saw a darling pair of baby eaglets sitting on the ground staring back at her with their big eyes. They were covered with gray down and had the faintest beginning of white pin feathers coming out of their heads. Their yellow talons looked oversized for their bodies, and their bellies were fat and round, giving them a comical look.

The eaglets made no effort to hide or run away. They were too young to walk, much less to fly. Parent eagles are very protective of their young, but the unfortunate parents had no way to return their eaglets to the nest. Their sharp talons would have pierced their babies and ripped them to shreds if they tried to pick them up.

The lady knew these eaglets needed help. She called her husband to come to her on her cell phone. Then they called the Raptor Rescue Center a few miles away. A worker from the center came out at once, picked the eaglets up, placed them in a box, and drove them to the local veterinarian. There they were fed and given a health check. The eaglets were in the best of shape.

After talking it over, everybody involved thought the best thing they could do was to return the eaglets to their nest. They asked a local logger to help. This man was eager to do all he could. He and a fellow worker came out to the tree where the nest was. He strapped on some sharp cleats to the bottom of his work boots. Then with a wide leather strap wrapped around the tree and digging his cleats into the bark, he was able to climb up to the nest. As he climbed, he could see the parent eagles flying in circles in the sky above the tree watching what was going on.

On a limb just above the nest, he rigged a pulley system of ropes. His friend standing near the road held the ends of the rope. The eaglets were gently placed into a duffle bag and it was zipped closed so they wouldn’t fall out. Then the bag was tied to one of the ropes and the man on the ground pulled hand over hand on the other end of the rope until the eaglets got all the way up to his friend by the nest. The logger in the tree carefully removed the babies from the bag and placed them back in the nest.

Eagles mate for life, and they also take very good care of their young. Soon the parents were seen landing on the nest and inspecting their eaglets. The next day people watching the nest saw one of the parents bring a large orange Dungeness crab to the nest to feed their babies.

The eaglets covered with gray fuzz didn’t yet have the ability to fly like their parents. And even though eagles take very good care of their young, these eagles couldn’t help their babies when they fell out of the nest. The eaglets needed someone else to save them from their problem. This makes me think of children that grow up in Christian homes. Their parents know the Lord Jesus and love their children, and they may teach them all they can about Him. But they cannot save their children. Only the Lord Jesus can save them. I hope, if you are a child with Christian parents or not, that you have come to the Lord Jesus to save you! He alone is able to save you from your sins, and He wants to be your very own precious Savior. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:31). You must do this for yourself. Have you done it?

Memory Verse: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21

Messages of God’s Love 5/29/2022

A Toad in Danger

Have you ever seen a toad? Toads are little brown animals, similar to frogs, except that their skin is bumpy instead of slimy. In the summertime where I live, there’s always at least one toad hopping around on our gravel driveway or by the house. We like to see the toads, and so do our cats! I like to see the toads because they are interesting creatures that help people by eating harmful bugs, but our cats like to hunt them!

One evening, I was watching a toad and noticed that one of the cats was sneaking up to pounce on it. Quickly, I picked up the toad and took him to the garden where plants would give him shelter and he would be safer from the cats. The toad didn’t know it, but without my help, he would have been in trouble!

Many of us are like that toad ... in danger but not realizing it. The danger many people are in is more serious than the danger the toad was in. If the cat had killed the toad, that would have been the end for the toad. The danger we are in is caused by our sins. The Bible says that all of us have sinned and that the person that sins will die. And then, the Bible says, after death comes “the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). After we die, each one of us will face the only true God, who is perfectly holy. God will judge our lives — and even one sin that we think is no big deal is enough to keep us out of heaven.

But there is good news! God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth to die in our place. After He died, God raised Him from the dead. His resurrection shows us that the work Jesus did on the cross was enough to pay for all of our sins! If we realize we are sinners and turn to God, believing that Jesus’ sacrifice was for us, we will not have to be judged for our sins after we die. Instead, we will be able to spend eternity in heaven with God. What is
your choice?

Messages of God’s Love 5/29/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 4

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

Every fall millions of birds fly south along North America’s west coast, coming down from the Arctic, Yukon and western Canada. Many make long rest stops at the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge at the border of Oregon and California. Thousands of these birds are Canada geese and snow geese.

For many of these birds, the Klamath Refuge is the end of their trip, and they stay there until returning north in the spring. Others remain there the whole year. Tens of thousands of snow geese, great numbers of Canada geese, and smaller numbers of other varieties account for these great bird masses.

Flight groups never get mixed up or show any uncertainty as to where they are going. Each individual bird and each group follows its own “flyway” year after year on their flights south. But when they fly north in the spring, most take entirely different routes. Their God-given instincts apparently direct them to follow the winds and air currents most favorable in each direction.

We might also ask, “How is it possible for these heavy birds to make such amazing flights?” When the Creator provided them with migration instincts, He also gave them bodies with extra-strong bones having hollow centers which are filled with air. This not only reduces their weight, but an ample air supply is provided along with additional air storage sacs in their bodies — all that the strenuous flying requires and which could not be supplied only through breathing at the high altitudes.

But that’s not all that’s special! Many of them fly in V-formation. They have not had any training for this, but it is a God-given instinct which serves an important purpose. By flying a little above and behind the bird in front of them and forming the “V,” a goose benefits by the lifting help of air currents formed by the beating wings of those in front. The farther behind in the “V,” the more it benefits from this lift. But the lead bird at the front does not have this help. When he tires, he drops to the back, and one of the two that were closest behind him moves up to the front until he gets tired. Then he drops to the back, and another one moves up to take his place. This goes on during the whole flight — all the birds readjusting their positions automatically.

Birds do not know that their Creator is always watching over them. But boys and girls and men and women who know Him as their Savior can always have peace of mind no matter what happens. Our beginning verse assures us that the Lord is always watching over His own and will never leave us.

Do you know the One who loves you this much,
personally?

Messages of God’s Love 5/29/2022

No Higher Than That Peg

The water rose higher and higher in the Eel River. The heavy rains and the melting of winter’s heavy snows had filled all the streams and rivers. “Will it never end?” asked Ernie of the man next to him as they filled sand bags as fast as possible. The sand bags were being loaded on trucks and taken to places on the river where the water was starting to rise over the banks.

All over the state, rivers were flooding. Highways and railroad tracks were covered and were being washed away. Homes and other buildings were flooding, and people were being rescued by boats or helicopters. Farmers were helpless to save their crops planted on the floodplain. They drove their animals to higher ground after their barns and corrals were destroyed. Day after day, warnings went out for people to be aware of the danger around creeks, streams and rivers.

“Hey, Ernie, come here,” called his boss above the noise of the trucks. “There’s an old man living in a cabin in the woods where Bull Creek meets the Eel. Take Steve and Bob with you and make sure he gets out. The water is going to be at his front door in a few hours. If he won’t leave, carry him out!”

The three men climbed into the four-wheel-drive pickup truck and headed for Bull Creek. Several detours prevented them from taking the shortest way to the cabin. Finally, after a difficult trip back along the long, winding dirt road, they reached the
lonely cabin.

After looking over the place, Ernie remarked, “No sign of the old man. He’s probably gone, but let’s check the cabin to make sure.”

Climbing out of the truck, they walked through the drenching rain to the front of the cabin and knocked loudly. There was no answer, so they knocked again. As Ernie knocked the second time, he heard the latch being opened from inside and the door slowly opened.

“What do you want?” growled the old man who answered the door. “This is private property!”

“The river is rising fast,” explained Ernie. “Within the hour this area is going to be flooded.”

“See that peg in the ground behind you?” asked the old man. “I’ve lived here for 50 years, and the water has never come higher than that peg. And it’s not going to come any higher this time either!”

Ernie and the others tried to explain that this flood was much worse than any before, but he would not leave. They finally had to pick up the old man and carry him to the truck. He struggled and yelled, but he could not get away. They knew that he needed to be rescued, even if he didn’t know it.

But then, as they tried to make room in the truck for the old man, he broke away, ran back into his cabin and bolted the door. No amount of pleading by the three men could convince the old man to open the door. They tried getting in the windows, but they were too small. They tried to break down the door, but couldn’t. The cabin was built solidly, but could it stand up to the onrushing
Eel River?

The old man was going to trust his life to what he knew about the river. That was all he knew and that is what he believed in. Would he be right?

The river had continued to rise while Ernie and his two friends tried to convince the old man to leave the cabin. Then they heard a roar as a new wall of water came rushing down Bull Creek. Ernie and the others jumped into the truck and left, escaping just in time. From their safe, higher spot, the three men looked back just as the raging torrent hit the cabin with such force that it was torn from its foundation and smashed to pieces.

This story makes me think of a verse that talks about a Man that is a hiding place from the wind, a cover from the storm (see Isaiah 32:2). That Man is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son. God’s Word tells us that there is something like a big storm coming on this world, a storm of God’s judgment because of all the sin in this world. No one will be safe from that storm except for those who take the hiding place God has provided in His Son, believing in what Jesus did for us. Everyone is welcome to come to that safe hiding place from judgment. “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Jesus didn’t come to judge us, to punish us for our sins. He came to save us by taking our punishment Himself, so we could be saved. Isn’t that good news? I hope you have taken your place in the hiding place God has provided!

Memory Verse: “God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17

Messages of God’s Love 6/5/2022

Daisy

One cold April morning a neighbor boy brought me a gift. It was a baby squirrel he had found under an oak tree in his yard. She was about 2½ inches long with a tail about the same length. The tiny squirrel was very cold, for she had no fur.

So, I fixed up a special bed for her. I filled the bottom of a box with crushed paper, then wrapped a hot water bottle in a blanket and put it on the paper. On top of the water bottle, I put a nest of cotton and gently lay the tiny squirrel in it. We named her Daisy.

Next, I warmed up some canned milk and coaxed a few drops into her tiny mouth by using an eye dropper. But getting milk into her tummy this way would take all day! Then I thought about my daughter’s doll bottles. That was better!

Like all baby squirrels, Daisy had been born blind and without fur. After two weeks, her eyes opened and her little body and tail were covered with a soft furry coat.

Daisy lived in our house for two years. I had a branch inside she learned to climb, because I was preparing her so that when the right time came, she would be ready for life on her own, outside. I introduced her to foods from outside. Then one day Daisy and I went outside and I set her gently on the ground. She was free! After that, she lived like other squirrels and raised several families of her own.

This story makes me think of how God takes care of His children, those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Once we become God’s children, we have His promises that He is with us and will take care of us all the days of our lives. “I will never leave [you] nor forsake [you]” (Hebrews 13:5). “He [cares] for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Messages of God’s Love 6/5/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lovely Chamois

“The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats.” Psalm 104:18

The Latin word chamois means “rock goat,” which describes these 2½-foot-high, 55- to 132-pound antelopes. Both males and females have fairly straight, short black horns which hook backward at the top, and bodies covered with brown fur except for whitish fur on the head and hindquarters, and prominent black stripes running down their faces. The kind Creator has given them strong legs and hooves and also large lungs which are necessary to sustain the enormous amount of energy needed for life in the mountains. Their heads are short with sharp eyes and alert, upright ears. They have just a stub of a tail.

Grassy meadows on high mountain peaks make ideal summertime homes, providing nutritious grass, but in winter they go to lower altitudes to escape the cold, fierce winds of the heights. They have an outstanding ability to climb and romp about the mountainsides. A 20-foot ravine presents no problem for them — they just jump over it! At times, rather than working their way down a long, smooth area, chamois may simply slide down, making a landing on the narrow ledge that has been their target.

These animals are very alert for enemies, such as eagles, lynxes and wolves or even people trying to get near them. When an enemy is still a long way off, chamois guards warn the herd with sharp whistles and stamping hooves, causing the whole herd to disappear immediately among the rocks.

Each herd will strongly resist another herd’s attempt to take over or share its territory. To keep others away, bucks rub a waxy substance from their heads on bushes, trees or rocks. This marking leaves an odor which warns others not to intrude on their territory. Where do you suppose they learned to do this? We know they didn’t need to learn to mark their territories, since it is quite common with many wild animals and a provision the Creator has given for their protection. How good He is to all His creation!

Females usually give birth to just one kid each year, but sometimes there are twins. The kids can walk almost immediately and have no fear of high, rocky places. Like other young, including boys and girls, they are very playful —running, jumping and sliding down snow-covered slopes but never straying very far from their mothers who keep watchful eyes on them.

We should not be surprised to see how well chamois survive in the surroundings that would be very dangerous for humans. The Lord God designed them for that exciting life, and they are included in our opening Bible verse. When the psalmist wrote that wonderful psalm, he exclaimed, “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (vs. 33). We should be happy to do
this too.

Messages of God’s Love 6/5/2022

The Dead Radio

Tom needed a job, but jobs were hard to find in Alaska. Finally, after several weeks, Tom found a skipper of a salmon fishing boat who needed help. Tom volunteered to go. This would be his first fishing trip.

They were to leave Bristol Bay at 11 p.m. They had made arrangements for their small 32-foot boat to follow a big tender (a supply ship). But the tender did not really want them to follow. “Your little boat can’t possibly keep up with us,” said the other skipper. “And don’t expect us to come help you if you get into trouble!”

In spite of this discouragement, Tom and his skipper set out at the appointed time, following the tender, and sailed out of the quiet bay onto the open sea.

Everything went well until they came near Cook Inlet. Then they felt the power of the ocean as 20-foot waves tossed their little boat around. Tom’s stomach did not feel as good as it had a few hours before.

In the middle of Cook Inlet with the tide going out, a strong wind picked up. As they fought to stay upright, the two men on the little salmon fishing boat heard their engine suddenly sputter.

“Go back to the engine and see what’s wrong,” shouted the skipper above the roar of the sea. Tom struggled to the rear of the boat. Partway back a huge wave swept over the side of the boat and knocked Tom down. He staggered back to the wheelhouse and opened the door just when another giant wave crashed over the boat, flooding the wheelhouse. The two men tried the radio, but it was dead. There was no way now to contact the big ship, which was steaming off in the distance. At least the motor is still going, was their only comforting thought.

And then, in spite of the noise of the wind and waves, they heard an awful silence — no engine! An extra battery in the boat was hooked up to the radio. They tried again and again to contact the tender, but received no reply. Realizing their danger, they put on their survival suits and waited.

The two fishermen, hopes fading, could do nothing but wait in their little boat, tossed around by the huge waves. Suddenly — could it be? Yes, the tender was coming back! Somehow their call for help must have been heard after all.

They watched as the big ship circled around them several times and then threw them a line. In the raging waves, Tom and his skipper realized that they would have to lighten their boat so the tender could safely tow them. They decided to throw important items onto the tender. As they threw the first things over, Tom saw danger coming. The tender was down in the valley of the tremendous waves, and their little boat was high on the crest above it. Suddenly their boat slid down the side of the wave and crashed into the tender! Tom, seeing the crash coming, leaped off onto the tender, but his skipper was knocked down with the force of the impact.

The skipper, left alone on the little fishing boat, tied the line that had been thrown to him. Then the tender began towing him through the rough seas toward the safety of the nearest harbor. But the sea in all its power was too much, and the lifeline snapped. Back again came the tender, circling around, throwing another line. Tied up again, they made it to Kodiak Island where another fishing boat towed them to a quiet place where the two fishermen could repair their boat.

When he talked with the skipper of the tender, Tom discovered that their calls for help had been heard, but for some reason they had not been able to hear the tender’s reply.

What a frightening experience Tom and his skipper had, being in a small boat on a raging sea with no motor and thinking they had no radio! Tom’s experience makes me think of many of you who have very hard experiences in your lives. Perhaps you are bullied at school or made fun of for being a Christian. Some children have even lost their parents or their homes. Perhaps you feel like Tom, that no one knows what you are going through and no one can help you. But the Lord Jesus sees exactly what you are going through, and He understands perfectly how you feel. You can pray to Him about whatever it is. There is a Bible verse that says, “Lord, all my desire is before [You]; and my groaning is not hid from [You]” (Psalm 38:9). This tells us that the Lord sees even our thoughts and deep feelings that we can’t put into words at times. He cares so much about you that even your thoughts and feelings are before Him. That means He is seeing them, caring about them, and thinking about them. He wants you to tell Him all about your trouble, and whatever it is, He will help you through it. Another Bible verse says, “The Lord [thinks] upon me: [You are] my help and my deliverer” (Psalm 40:17).

If you don’t know this wonderful Savior for yourself, you can. The Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:31). He died for you because He loves you so much. I hope you have believed on Him!

Memory Verse: “Lord, all my desire is before Thee; and my groaning is not hid from Thee.” Psalm 38:9

Messages of God’s Love 6/12/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Valuable Sulfur

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.”
1 Corinthians 10:26

Perhaps you have never seen sulfur, but it is a pale-yellow, chalk-like element often mined underground. Sometimes it is found as pure sulfur, and other times it is mixed with other substances from which it is separated. Often, instead of digging it out of the ground, it is first melted by having hot water forced into it. The sulfur rises to the surface and is then pumped into tanks and vats, where it dries, or else it is shipped as a liquid.

The word “sulfur” is not used in the Bible, but where brimstone is mentioned, it is the same thing. Remember the time God judged the wicked people of two cities, raining down fire and brimstone on their cities? (See Genesis 19:24.) Also in Isaiah 34:9, at another time of His judgment on the wicked, it says, “The dust thereof [shall become] ... brimstone, and the land ... burning pitch.”

Sulfur is used both for fertilizers and in sprays for plants to destroy insects and pests that are harmful. It is also used in such things as match heads, gunpowder, rubber and even medicines. Sometimes it is placed in pools that sheep and cows are compelled to walk through in order to kill insects that get into their wool and hides.

Actually, the chief use of sulfur is in compounds such as sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid, which are used in many factories in manufacturing. These sulfuric items have to be carefully handled, for just a drop of sulfuric acid on a person’s skin can be very painful.

Liquid sulfur dioxide is usually stored in iron tanks and its principal use is in bleaching cloth (removing colors). As mentioned above, it is used in making sulfuric acid, which is one of the most common acids in all countries. Workers often wear face masks and protective clothing as a necessary protection from harm to their bodies. It is important to remember always that these sulfur products, while they are valuable and useful in many ways, should not be handled carelessly.

Sulfur is one of the things reminding us that the earth was not just soil, sand and rocks when God created it. He knew all the things that would be needed in our lives and included not only vast supplies of food and water, as well as sunshine, rain and the air we breathe, but much, much more. Sulfur is one of those important things, along with coal, oil, iron, copper, gold, silver and many more.

How important it is to believe what God tells us about how all these things came into being. God’s Word, the Bible, is always true, including the verse, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven [sun, moon, stars and planets] and that are in earth [sulfur included], visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16).

Messages of God’s Love 6/12/2022

Last-Second Rescue

Exams were finally over for Sherry and she was so relieved. She was looking forward to Saturday’s hiking trip at Niagara Falls with her three friends. The furthest thing from her mind was the possibility of dying, and yet, before the day was over, Sherry would come very close to death.

The four friends began their hike at the bottom of the falls. They hiked up a trail that climbed the steep slope beside the roaring falls. Keith called back to the others, “We seem so insignificant!” but no one heard him over the roar of the water. Seven thousand gallons of water were falling every second with enough force to erode four feet of rock a year from the edge. Spotting an observation platform upriver from the falls, the four friends hiked to it and walked out to gaze down at the rapids. It was here that Sherry did a foolish thing. Leaving the safety of the observation platform, she climbed over a railing and walked a short distance onto a narrow ledge about 20 feet above the water. She did not think of the danger and just slowly walked along the ledge, casually throwing little stones into the rushing rapids.

The height along the path started to make Sherry feel a little dizzy, so she turned to rejoin her friends. Just at that instant she tripped, lost her balance, and fell head-first into the rapids. Coming to the surface, she struggled in a frantic effort to reach shore, clawing and flailing at the water. But the downward pull of the current was so strong it kept pulling her under. Up ... down ... up ... down. Sherry was powerless in that current; she could not do one thing to save herself. She needed someone to save her, and she needed someone FAST, for the current was pulling her quickly toward the falls.

On the shore, Sherry’s friends were frantic. “Sherry’s in the water!” one shouted. “Where is she? I can’t see her!” another screamed. They all raced along the bank trying to keep Sherry in sight.

Greg, one of the friends, was a strong swimmer, so he dove into the water. In seconds he was almost paralyzed by the cold and knew he had to get back on shore quickly. They all knew her life was in danger, but not one of them was able to save her.

By now Sherry was really afraid, for she knew that her life was coming to an end. Then, to stop swallowing water, she rolled over on her back. Feeling a little calmer, she prayed that her friends would save her. God was going to answer Sherry’s prayer, but not in the way she thought. He was going to send someone else who could help.

A man named John was driving along the highway that follows the Niagara River. When he saw a man frantically yelling and waving at him, he pulled over. He quickly learned about Sherry’s desperate need, and he was willing to try to save her.

“Get the rope from the back of my truck,” he ordered while pulling off his shoes. By now Sherry was only 110 yards from the 175-foot drop and as close to shore as she would ever be. If she were not rescued now, she would go over the falls.

John jumped into the cold water with the rope tied around his waist. With great difficulty he swam the 80-foot length of the rope, calling to Sherry. He strained, lunged and almost reached her, but the rope was just a little short. John was desperate! He made one more try, stretching every muscle in his body ... and was just able to grab Sherry’s hair. Afraid that she would panic and pull them both under, John wrapped her in a big bear hug while those on shore pulled hard on the rope. They steadily pulled them both to shore. What a relief when both Sherry and John were safely on land! How thankful everyone was that they both recovered from the very frightening experience and that Sherry was rescued from certain death.

What could Sherry do to save herself in this scary experience? Nothing. All she could do was pray. And children, that is all you can do to be saved, too ... pray in faith to the Lord Jesus to tell Him you need to be saved and you believe in what He has done on the cross to save you from your sins. He doesn’t expect us to “do our part.” He knows we are not able to do anything to save ourselves, for His precious Word tells us, “When we were yet without strength ... Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Sherry had to be saved by someone else. So do we. All we can do is to believe in what the Lord Jesus has already done for us. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and [you will] be saved” (Acts 16:31).

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

Messages of God’s Love 6/19/2022

The Herring's Enemy

It was a beautiful spring morning, and I was out enjoying the sunshine, the warm breezes and the fresh green leaves. My walk brought me to the banks of a quiet stream to watch the yearly migration of herring. Every spring these small fish (about 12 inches long), guided by the instinct given to them by their Creator, swim upstream from the ocean to lay their eggs in shallower water. I sat down and watched the fish gather by the dozens in a small pool before fighting their way upstream through the rapids on the way to the lake at the end of their journey.

I soon discovered I was not the only one interested in the fish. Seeing some movement in the grass and some splashing of water along the stream bank, I moved closer to investigate and saw a curious sight.

A snake had grabbed a passing fish and was trying to pull it out of the water. How that fish fought! One moment they were in the water, then back on land, moving almost too quickly for my eyes to follow all the action. Back and forth they went as the snake kept a firm hold on the struggling fish.

As I watched the battle, the herring grew weaker, and I knew that it had almost no chance of escaping from the snake. Feeling sorry for it, I grabbed the tail of the snake. Quickly it let go of the fish and turned to face its own enemy. As the fish flopped back into the water, I dropped the snake, which turned and slithered away in a hurry.

That snake reminds me of an enemy we have; he is called the devil. The Bible tells us that “your [enemy] the devil ... walketh about, seeking whom he may [destroy]” (1 Peter 5:8). Thankfully, the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came into the world to save us, because we could never save ourselves from this strong enemy. In His love, the Lord Jesus died to save us from him. He will save all who call to Him for salvation. Why not accept Him as your Savior today? “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Messages of God’s Love 6/19/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Three Unusual Animals

“In [the Lord’s] hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:10

The Addax

The heavy-bodied, short-legged addax is a desert-dwelling antelope. It is a grass-eating animal with large, flat hooves that help it walk easily over the loose sands of Africa. Like so many animals of the desert, it can go many days without drinking, and it can even get all the water it needs from the grass it eats.

Only the males of many species of antelopes have horns, but both the male and female addax have long, twisted, handsome horns—the most distinguishing feature about them—sweeping back high above the ears of their pretty heads. They stand about 40 inches high, with fairly white coats and darker tan or brown faces. A white band of fur crosses its face below its eyes, and it has a dark tuft of hair on the forehead which looks like a wig. These beautiful animals are nearly extinct in the wild.

The Numbat

Another name for the numbat is the banded anteater. This rare animal is one of the prettiest animals in Australia. It is about seven inches long, plus a seven-inch tail. Alternate brown and tan stripes surround its body behind its front legs, and its pointed, gentle-looking face has big eyes and large ears. Legs, feet and the lower part of its body are golden brown. It is a very beautiful little animal.

Numbats are true termite-eaters. The Creator gave it features to help it extract these insects from the tunnels they make in rotten wood. The numbat will pass up ants and other insects as long as termites are available.

The Coypu

The coypu is a large rodent with webbed hind feet. It looks and acts like a beaver and lives on the edges of lakes and rivers. It has sharp orange-yellow front teeth to help it eat the water plants, mussels, snails and small fish which are its food. Originally found only in South America, it has been introduced to other countries, mostly by fur farmers. The coypu has a soft underfur called “nutria” which sells for high prices to be made into winter jackets and coats. Many of these animals are now raised on game farms because of the high demand for this nutria.

One to 13 little ones are born at a time, with up to three litters being possible each year. Fully developed when born, the babies are able to eat grass immediately, but they nurse for seven to eight weeks before leaving their mother.

The opening Bible verse tells of the Creator’s care for all living things, including boys and girls. Another verse exclaims, “O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:1). Can you think of something wonderful to praise
Him for?

Messages of God’s Love 6/19/2022

The Stolen Necklace

Kasturi was planning a wonderful surprise for his daughter who would soon be getting married. He wanted to buy her the perfect gift. What could he get?

He lived in a small country town many miles from the big city of Chennai in southern India. After a long bus trip, he arrived in the city and began his search for something special.

At last he found just what he wanted — a beautiful gold necklace. It was very expensive, but that didn’t matter. After all, it was for his daughter. Wouldn’t she be thrilled! After paying for the necklace, Kasturi carefully put the precious gift in his briefcase and walked to the bus station where he had a long wait before his bus came along.

It so happened that the only bus he could catch didn’t go all the way to his town. He would have to change buses partway home. Arriving at the town where he was to change to another bus, he was disappointed to learn that he had missed the last bus home that day. Now he would have to wait all night here in this strange town. But wait! Didn’t Raja, his good friend from school, with his wife Nanda, live here somewhere? Of course! But how could he find them?

After much searching, Kasturi at last found his old friend’s house. He was gladly welcomed by Raja, who invited him to spend the night with them. Nanda cooked him a meal, and afterward Kasturi happily told his two friends of his daughter’s coming wedding. Opening his briefcase, he showed them the wonderful necklace he had bought her. Raja and Nanda looked at the wedding gift and then looked at each other with not-so-nice thoughts.

Later that night after Kasturi had gone to bed and they were sure he was asleep, Raja and his wife crept into his room and took his case. Back in their own room, they removed the necklace from the briefcase, wrapped it up in some old clothes, and hid it in a wastepaper basket. Then after quietly replacing the briefcase beside their sleeping guest, they settled down for the night.

The Bible says in Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” And in Proverbs 28:13 it says, “He that [covers] his sins shall not prosper.” One sin nearly always leads to another as we shall soon see in our story.

In the morning Kasturi was eager to be on his way, so after a cup of coffee, he went to his room to get his briefcase. He made one quick check to make sure everything was all right. But what was this? Where was the necklace? It was gone!

“Do you know anything about this, Raja?”

“No, no. I don’t know what could have happened,” replied Raja. His wife, too, and all their children denied knowing anything.

You see, boys and girls, how one sin leads to another. First the husband and wife took something that did not belong to them, and then they told lies to cover up what they had done.

Kasturi must have felt very sad as he walked to the police station to report the theft.

“Where did this happen?” the policeman asked. “In Raja’s house? Oh, but he is highly respected in this town! We cannot suspect him!”

But Kasturi was desperate to get the necklace back, so he appealed to the Commissioner of Police for help.

The Commissioner called Raja and Kasturi and questioned them both. Then he made a decision. He told Raja to write a note on a piece of paper that would be taken by a policeman to his wife Nanda, telling her to give the policeman the necklace. If she did as Raja requested, that would prove they were guilty. If she did not produce the necklace, then maybe they were innocent.

Caught in a very difficult situation, Raja confessed everything and told the Commissioner that the necklace was hidden in the wastepaper basket in his bedroom.

Kasturi got his valuable gift back, and, rushing to the bus station, he just barely caught the last bus going to his hometown that day.

As I have thought about this story, I think it shows us a good picture of all of our hearts. Thankfully, we don’t know all the bad things we are very capable of doing. Raja was thought to be a good man by people who knew him. Others may think of you or me as good people, and we may not think we would steal and then lie to cover up what we have done, because we have had better training than that. But it could be that we are proud of how good we are, and pride is just another awful sin. And, God sees our hearts. He tells us that all our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. (See Jeremiah 17:9.) That is not a pretty picture of our hearts! Only one perfect Person ever lived on this earth. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is God’s Son. He came to earth to take the punishment for the sins of all who will believe on Him, to wash away our sins in His own precious blood so that we can live with Him in His holy home called heaven. I hope you know and love that One who loves you so much!

Memory Verse: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

Messages of God’s Love 6/26/2022

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Babirusa

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

The 200-pound babirusa is a wild pig found in Indonesia. It is gray, about three feet long, and has a rope-like tail. It has a long, pointed snout, small ears and smooth skin that makes it look something like a hippo.

The most impressive part of the babirusa’s appearance is its tusks. The male has two prominent pairs of curved tusks. The lower pair grows out of the side of its lower snout and is used in battle with other males. Another pair grows out of the top of its upper snout and curls toward its forehead. This pair is for protection in those battles.

It’s not likely you would want a fierce-looking animal like this for a pet. However, its looks are deceiving, for it is actually shy and passive. It lives beside rivers and lakes where it feeds on water plants, wild fruits and other vegetation, and where it likes to wallow in the mud, just as pigs do everywhere.

These animals are a member of the pig family, similar to those on farms in many countries. However, there is a major difference between these wild animals and the pigs or hogs raised on most farms. Domestic hogs have only one stomach and so cannot eat grass and vegetation; they need corn, soybeans and other grains. However, babirusas have an extra part to their stomachs, like sheep and goats, and whatever they eat goes into this “sac” where it is digested before it can nourish their bodies. Because of this, it is much cheaper to raise babirusas and feed them inexpensive vegetation — which the Indonesians do.

Females make nests in carefully hidden places and usually give birth to just one or two precocious piglets each year. Natives often capture these, taming them and raising them on their farms for meat, which tastes as good as any pork or bacon. Little children usually take care of them.

Strange as these animals are, they are just one more example of God’s pleasure in placing a wide variety of creatures on the earth. Psalm 40:5 says, “Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward. ... If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” The greatest “wonderful work” ever done was the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore on the cross the sins of all who will admit their need to be saved and accept Him as their Savior. His sacrifice shows the worth of the highest member of creation, human beings. Each person on earth is invited to accept the wonderful gift of salvation. Have you accepted it?

Messages of God’s Love 6/26/2022

Fanny Crosby

How many of you children have heard of Fanny Crosby? Fanny lived a long time ago — way before your parents were born, or your grandpa and grandma, or even your grandparents’ parents! Fanny was born in 1820.

When Fanny was only six weeks old, she got very sick. Her eyes were affected too, so her parents took her to the doctor. For some reason, the doctor made a mistake and treated baby Fanny’s eyes in such a way that it caused her to lose her sight. She was blind for the rest of her life.

But you know, in spite of not being able to see, little Fanny was a happy child. When she was eight years old, she wrote a cute little poem:

Oh, what a happy child I am,

Although I cannot see!

I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be;

How many blessings I enjoy

That other people don’t!

To weep or sigh because I’m blind,

I cannot, nor I won’t.

That sounds a little funny, doesn’t it? But that’s really how she was — a very thankful and happy little girl who grew up to be a happy lady.

Fanny’s father died when she was only six months old, so it was her mother and grandmother who raised her and taught her about the Lord Jesus. They encouraged her to memorize verses in the Bible, and by the time she was only 10 years old she was memorizing five chapters of the Bible a week!

She didn’t complain about what happened to her or about other things either. As a matter of fact, she told someone that it seemed it was on purpose, and by God’s perfect, protective care of her, that she should be blind all her life, and she thanked Him for that plan. She said if perfect sight were offered to her, she wouldn’t accept it! She realized she might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if she had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things around her. She told someone else, “When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

One of the hymns she wrote that you might remember singing sometimes shows us how much she was looking forward to seeing and being with her Savior, the Lord Jesus.

When my life work is ended, and I cross the swelling tide,

When the bright and glorious morning I shall see;

I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side,

And His smile will be the first to welcome me.

Refrain:

I shall know Him, I shall know Him,

And redeemed by His side I shall stand;

I shall know Him, I shall know Him,

By the print of the nails in His hand.

Another of her songs, which perhaps you have sung in Sunday school, is a favorite with many of us:

Tell me the story of Jesus;

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard;

Tell how the angels in union

Spoke as they welcomed His birth,

“Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Can you guess how many hymns Fanny wrote in her life even though she was blind? No one knows for sure, but it could be as many as 9,000!

Well, children, many of you probably have two good eyes. Are you using them for the Lord Jesus? Are you reading your Bible every day and trying to memorize some of it as well? I hope you are! That is a wonderful use of the eyes that God has given you.

Memory Verse: “Giving thanks always for all things unto
God and the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Messages of God’s Love 7/3/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 1

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

Christmas Island, located just below the equator in the Indian Ocean near Australia, is very interesting to naturalists. One reason is because of the unusual birds that live there. Two of these — the frigate bird and the golden bosun — are not found anywhere else in the world.

In addition, there are more than a dozen varieties of crabs. One is called the red crab because of its bright red color. It’s a harmless creature with a body about the size of a man’s hand.

The life habits of red crabs are unusual and among the most amazing of all inhabitants of that island, or the entire world for that matter. It is estimated there are about 30 million red crabs on the island. There used to be many more, but an ant called the yellow crazy ant was accidentally introduced to the island, and it has destroyed about 10-15 million of them.

Most crabs live in oceans or on ocean shorelines, but the red crabs prefer living among the trees of a rain forest high on the island, a long way, for a crab, from the salt water. They maintain the moisture they need to survive by making their homes in burrows in the soil among the tree roots. During the cool part of the morning and evening, they come out to feast on the constant accumulation of flowers, fruit and tree leaves that fall to the ground. They also eat snails, dead birds or insects that they occasionally come across. During some feeding hours, the forest floor looks like a huge red carpet spread among the trees.

After the first rain of the rainy season, usually in November or December, the red crabs follow an irresistible urge to go to the ocean, their most interesting event of the year. During this time (if the rain comes in time) the entire adult population of about 30 million crabs, led by the males, start out in a long, stretched-out mass, on a migration of five to eighteen days. If the rain comes too late, some crabs will wait until the following month. Those migrating need to get to the ocean to spawn before daybreak on a very exact day. This day is always during the last quarter of the moon on a receding high tide. The speed of their travel depends on how close the first rainfall is to this exact morning. Their goal is the ocean around 2½ to 5½ miles away. If they have time, they may travel slowly with time to stop to eat and drink along the way.

Do you think God is aware of these red crabs as they undertake this long trip? Indeed He is, for they are part of His creation. This Bible verse assures us He is looking after them: “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). He is watching over you, too!

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 7/3/2022

Little Rebel of the Woodpile

Schatzen, a wire-haired brindle dachshund, peeped out from under his long, shaggy eyebrows and looked unhappily over the little backyard which was now his home. Being a “high-class” dog with “papers” did not help the aching of his doggy heart for his old, loving playmates. Perhaps that is why he refused to go into the doghouse his new owners had provided for him. Instead, he chose to live under the woodpile against the garage. His “wiener dog” body, having very short legs, did not need much headroom. He only came out to eat and, of course, to bark at cats and rabbits if nobody
was around.

Today, as a dreary rain fell, he dozed, but he was suddenly awakened by a cold feeling on his hind legs. His woodpile house was leaking! As he wriggled to a new spot, he heard his new owner at the back door.

“Schatzen, come here!” She whistled and called again. Getting no response from Schatzen she shouted, “Well, go ahead and be stubborn!” and she slammed the door.

The next day food was placed outside the door for Schatzen, and the owners then left for a short vacation. The drizzle continued all day as Schatzen dozed. Unknown to him, the rain was slowly soaking the boards in his woodpile. Weighted and sagging, they made his tunnel to get out too low. When Schatzen tried to leave his cozy inside room, he found he was a prisoner in the woodpile! And the owner he had ignored had driven away for a long weekend! Would he die all alone in the woodpile?

On the fourth day, he heard a wonderful voice speaking to his new owner ... his old owner! He cried and yelped! She was listening and she heard him. Those boards began to fly and quickly she reached the trembling, wet little thing. Schatzen looked up with eyes sad enough to melt a heart of stone. Soon, even though he was soaked and chilled and hungry, he was happy to be back with those he loved.

Later, as his dear old owner was holding him warm and snug, she whispered, “You precious, stubborn little thing!”

“Elsa,” she said to her daughter nearby, “Schatzen is a good picture of us before we are saved. We want to do things our own way and we’re held prisoner by sin. All Schatzen could do was cry. Just like us, he was helpless. ‘When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.’ That’s Romans 5:6. But Isaiah 65:24 shows how quickly our God will help us — ‘Before they call, I will answer.’”

You will be glad to know that Schatzen soon moved to a new, happy home where there were children. But what about you? Are you refusing to listen to God’s voice to you? Every day you add to the heavy load of sin. But just one cry to Him, and Jesus will hear — Jesus Himself, the very Son of God. Because He could not sin, God could punish Him instead of you and me, for our sins. He did this when Jesus died at the cross. Now He wants you to let Him lift off from you your heavy load of sin, and then you, too, will go one day to a bright new home where Jesus is.

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

Memory 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

Messages of God’s Love 7/10/2022

Bullies

Laura was a quiet girl with different abilities than most children. She smiled sweetly, always carried her books in her big backpack on her back, and didn’t have friends, really, because she was “different” than the other children at school. Her lonely eyes looked like they longed to see a friend.

One day Laura was having lunch across the cafeteria table from a Christian girl named Ruth when two girls came up, grabbed Laura’s milk carton and started squeezing milk through a little hole in it all over Laura and her backpack. Laura looked very sad, and Ruth felt really sorry for her. Without thinking, Ruth hopped out of her seat on the cafeteria table’s bench, went around the table, grabbed the milk box from the girl who was squeezing it on Laura, and marched the box to the garbage can, there to toss it where it couldn’t be used to spray milk on Laura anymore. The two girls said nothing and soon disappeared, but Ruth didn’t know what they might do to her, if they had the chance.

One day when Ruth was walking through a little bit of woods on her way home from school, she saw the two bullies coming towards her on the path. She was a bit afraid ... she was all alone in the woods with those two girls who might easily decide to hurt her. But she had something to learn about bullies that day. The two girls actually moved off the path to get out of her way, as if they were afraid of her!

Perhaps you have been bullied at school, too. Did you know that the Lord Jesus loves you and wants to help you in all of your problems? Psalm 18:3 says, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from [my] enemies.” Pray to the Lord Jesus about your problem. He may show you a surprising way to be saved from your enemies, perhaps even by giving you an opportunity to be kind to them. Often bullies act like they do because they have had very sad lives and have been bullied by others, sometimes even by their own parents. The best thing you can do for bullies is to pray for them and look for ways to show the love of God to them. Maybe the bully will become a child of God if you do that! They might even become your best friend.

Messages of God’s Love 7/10/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 2

“The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion. ... The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Psalm 145:8-9

In the last issue we left 30 million red crabs with a long trip ahead of them. They were ready to start on their annual migration from their forest homes.

In the dim light of early morning, the large male crabs start out ahead of the rest. The females follow close behind. They leave with the first rainfall of the rainy season, so everything is soaking wet from the heavy rainfall provided by a watchful Creator, which suits the crabs.

Leaving the high forest area, they soon come upon homes in their way. A woman may wake up during the night, hearing strange noises in the kitchen. Hurrying to discover the cause, she finds half a dozen crabs crawling through the house. How did they get in? Someone had left the back door partly open to cool the house, and when the crabs came to the open door, they just walked right in. They will not turn to the right or left if there is an opportunity to go straight ahead.

There are places where the edge of the forest ends at the top of high rocky cliffs. This doesn’t stop the crabs’ migration. Down they go, inch by inch, holding on to any supports they find as they creep downward. Soon the entire cliffside is solid red from the hundreds of thousands of crabs on it. Here and there some lose their grip or the stone they hold onto gives way. Down they plunge to their death. The others eventually reach bottom, followed by an endless mass of more crawling red.

At the bottom there are other hazards. A railroad track may need to be crossed. If a train comes by, those on the rails at that moment quickly meet a sad end to their journey. Also, regardless of how hot the steel rails have become in the sunlight, they keep on going. Many are burned on tender parts of their bodies as they crawl over the hot rails, and they also soon die. Officials in Australia close some roads and do many other things to protect the crabs during these migrations, so many more are kept from dying that would otherwise be killed.

You might ask, “If God is watching over them, why does He let them die?” The answer is not that God does not care, for the lead verse tells of His compassion and mercies over all He has made. But Adam’s sin in disobeying God in the Garden of Eden brought death into the world — to humans and all other parts of the creation. But Romans 6:23 has a wonderful message: “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Have you accepted this loving gift of life?

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 7/10/2022

Adventure in the Woods

Have you ever met a bear up close, with no fence in between to protect you? I did once, and it was rather scary.

I was with a group taking a hike up a forested canyon near the Teton Mountains in Wyoming. After lunch, most of the group headed back down the trail, but the rest of us decided to go on to the top. The men and boys were soon far ahead up the trail, leaving four of us girls to follow.

It was a beautiful September day and the trail was close to a stream. As we walked along, we enjoyed the fresh pine-scented air and the many different bird songs.

Suddenly, Wendy, who was in the lead, ran back to us whispering, “There’s a bear ahead!” We looked to where she pointed, and sure enough, about 60 feet away there was a big black bear. He was standing in the middle of huckleberry bushes looking right at us. Now he had probably been enjoying a feast of nice ripe berries and didn’t like being interrupted, because he stood his ground and didn’t run away. Since he wasn’t leaving, we decided it would be a good idea for us to leave! We carefully made our way, hiding behind the trees for a short distance. Then we ran up the switchback trail as fast as we could until we were sure that we were far away from the bear. As we stopped to catch our breath, we thanked the Lord Jesus for protecting us.

After a short rest, Wendy and Kristen were ready to go on to the top, but Elaine and I decided to stay by the stream and wait to join them when they came
back down.

We watched little dipper birds near the water and the eagles spiraling up by the peaks until, suddenly, we noticed that the sun was about ready to dip behind the mountains. The other girls had not come back down the trail, and since we were five or six miles from the car, we started back. But now those woods looked rather shadowy, and we thought about the bear we had seen on the way up.

What would you do if you were alone in the woods and a little afraid? We decided to tell the Lord Jesus about our fear and ask Him to help us know what to do. Was that a wise decision? Yes, it was, because He promises in the Bible, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver [you]” (Psalm 50:15). I am so glad that the Lord Jesus Christ has washed all my sins away with His precious blood, so that now I belong to Him, and I know He hears my prayers.

Just as the two of us finished praying, we heard rocks clattering up the trail. We knew that something big was coming! We weren’t sure what to do, but then around the bushes came two horses with riders. We asked the men if they had seen our group up the trail, but they said no one else was up there. Then they kindly offered us a ride back down the mountain.

What a speedy answer to prayer that was! It reminded me of a verse in Isaiah 65:24 that says, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” As we trotted down the trail on horseback, I thanked the Lord Jesus for seeing our need and sending those men so quickly. We were soon back at the car and found everyone else there, including Wendy and Kristen. We were all glad that our adventure had ended safely.

If you belong to the Lord Jesus, He promises to be with you and help you in all your circumstances. “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26). How wonderful it is to belong to Him! Have your sins been washed away in His blood shed on Calvary’s cross?

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

Messages of God’s Love 7/17/2022

Are You Sure You Are Saved?

Are you being raised in a Christian home? If so, that is a great privilege. I trust your parents read the Bible to you in your home and take you to Sunday school and other meetings where you hear the good news of salvation. You probably know many wonderful things ... that God loves you and sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross to save you from your sins ... how wonderful heaven is and how awful hell is ... that Jesus may come at any minute to take those who believe on Him to be with Him in heaven, and about the terrible judgments after that which will come on this earth and the people in it.

But perhaps you haven’t yet believed on the Lord Jesus, and you can understand how Marie felt as she lay awake in bed one night. She listened carefully, but she couldn’t hear her parents’ breathing. She was scared and thought, Maybe the Lord Jesus has already come and I am left behind. She got up and went to their room to be sure they were still there and that she had not been left behind. Thankfully, not long after this, she trusted in Jesus’ work on the cross as being for her, too, and now she is waiting for Him to come for her as well as all the other believers. The Lord Jesus gave her rest, and her worry was gone.

If you are afraid because you aren’t yet saved, don’t wait any longer! Jesus loves you so much that He died to save you from the judgment that your sins deserve. He is waiting for you to simply come to Him in faith to be saved. He never turns anyone away. He said, “Come unto Me, all [you who work hard and are heavily burdened], and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). He cares about you. If you think you have to work hard to be saved or feel like there is a heavy burden of sins on your conscience, He invites you to simply come to Him. He will give you rest. He alone can!

Messages of God’s Love 7/17/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 3

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” Deuteronomy 4:39

In last week’s account of the bright red crabs of Christmas Island, we considered the distance and difficulties of their annual migration and how some die along the way.

Finally, the survivors reach the end of their journey at the ocean’s sandy beaches. There they spend a little time absorbing water and salt from the ocean after their difficult journey. The males, who arrive first, dig burrows in the sand. When the females arrive, the males fight for the female of their choice. They mate and then the males head back to their forest homes. The females remain in the burrows built by the males. After each lays up to 100,000 eggs, they keep them safe in a special pouch on their abdomen during the next two weeks as they begin to develop. Then, at just the right moment of high tide, the females, each loaded with those thousands of tiny eggs, go into the waves where the eggs are released and immediately hatch into tiny larvae. When this important job is done, the females who survive the dangers of entering the ocean turn their backs on the ocean and start the long trip overland and back up the cliffs to their forest homes.

The crab larvae go through several different stages while in the water. They don’t look at all like crabs until they spend three to four weeks in the water. Many years, very few or even no baby crabs emerge from the ocean. They have been eaten by sea creatures such as huge whale sharks. But once or twice in ten years, when the ocean conditions are right, enough of these tiny baby crabs survive to come ashore by the millions and begin the difficult journey to the forest of their parents. This is enough to keep up the population of these crabs.

The tiny crabs begin the march to their forest homes by God-given instinct, climbing the immense cliffs and all the other obstacles en route. This is amazing, considering they only measure less than two tenths of an inch when they emerge from the ocean! After a long and grueling trip, they finally reach the forest where the others live, where they hide in forest debris or rocky areas for three years. Four or five years after spawning, they will join in the annual migration to the ocean and back.

We may not understand why God created such unusual creatures, but we do know that “by Him were all things created ... and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17). The Bible tells the true story of creation. We can put full trust in the truth of the Bible and enjoy seeing and learning something of God’s wonderful works here on earth.

Messages of God’s Love 7/17/2022

Beneath An Avalanche

It was the close of a warm day late in the month of August, and little Franz Hoffmeister was playing near the cottage door with his baby sister Karine. His older sister, Therese, was cleaning up after the evening meal while his ten-year-old brother, Robert, was working on a project. They lived in a little Swiss house called a chalet. Twelve-year-old Therese was taking care of the other children while their father was away guiding a party of travelers over the mountains. Since their mother had died about a year before, Therese was often in charge of the others while their father worked.

Just after sunset Therese put the two little ones to bed. Robert locked the cottage door, and soon all four children were sound asleep. In the middle of the night Therese was awakened by a sudden shock, as though something had struck the little cottage and made it shake all over. She was frightened for a moment, but then all was very still, and, tired after her day’s work, she soon fell asleep again.

Some hours later in the dark cabin, little Karine awoke and called loudly for her breakfast. Therese was lying awake, and Franz called out in the darkness, “When will it be morning?” Therese did not know but decided to get up. It was still strangely dark, and they could not find any matches, so they dressed as well as they could without any light.

Then Robert unlocked and opened the door, but was immediately knocked to the floor, half buried in cold, soft snow. An avalanche of snow had slid down from the mountains and buried their home. This was why it was so dark. The whole cottage was buried under snow. While they were sleeping, they did not know they were in danger.

Are you in danger and don’t know it? God is looking down upon you in tender love, but if you are not saved, then your sins are like that huge pile of snow, and they have separated you from God. (See Isaiah 59:2.) But God doesn’t want to leave you in that dangerous place.

“What can we do, Robert?” asked Therese.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“Will Father dig us out?” asked Franz.

“I’m afraid he won’t be able to find us,” answered Therese.

“Then will we die here in the dark? Oh, if only I could see you, Therese,” Franz said, starting to cry.

The hours dragged on. Poor little Karine cried until she was exhausted. The four frightened children could do nothing but huddle together for comfort and warmth.

At last they heard a noise, a heavy thud on the roof. Then they heard scraping noises around the door, and suddenly the beautiful sunshine came streaming through the open door from a tunnel that had been made down through the snow. “Little Franz, are you there?” someone called.

“Yes, yes,” cried a chorus of four voices from inside the cabin. In a few moments the neighbors carried the children out — out to fresh air and their father, who had been shoveling to reach them since early morning.

Yes, their father had found them. His love wouldn’t let him leave his children to die, buried in snow. And God is a much more wonderful Father, who doesn’t want to leave us buried in our sins to die, away from Himself. He, too, has done everything to be able to find you and bring you safely to Himself. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, down from heaven into this world to save you from your sins. When the Lord Jesus calls, “Come unto Me,” will you answer “yes, yes,” just as the four children in the buried house did? It is very simple, you see. Salvation is God’s work, not yours. It was done for you long ago when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross and He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Do not wait any longer. He is calling you today. He says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Won’t you listen and answer Him?

Memory Verse: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Messages of God’s Love 7/24/2022

Are You Sure You Are Saved, Part 2

Sometimes Ruthie got scared when she heard the gospel preached. She wasn’t sure she was saved. So just in case she had not really meant it the other times, she would ask the Lord Jesus to wash away her sins again. She was really scared of hell and did NOT want to go there.

Then one day she heard the story about the sick woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ clothes and was immediately healed (Luke 8:43-48). The Lord Jesus wanted the woman to have peace, not just healing, so He asked, “Who touched Me?” That woman was afraid! (Older people can be afraid, too.) Perhaps she was afraid Jesus didn’t want to heal her. Do you feel that way, sometimes? Afraid that Jesus is against you instead of for you? It took a lot of courage, but she told the Lord Jesus in front of all the people that she had touched His clothes so she would be healed. Then He said some wonderful words that proved He wanted to heal her. He said, “Daughter, be of good comfort: [your] faith has made [you] whole; go in peace.” The Lord gave Ruthie peace, too. Finally, she understood that it was faith in Jesus that saves us from our sins.

If you don’t have peace about your salvation, look in the Bible at the Lord Jesus to see all that He has done for you. Don’t look inside your own heart to see if you have believed enough. We are saved by believing in Him, not by believing in our own faith.

Messages of God’s Love 7/24/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Gulf Stream Waters, Part 1

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

The Mississippi River empties a great quantity of water into the Gulf of Mexico. Other rivers and streams also empty their water into the Gulf, making a tremendous amount being continually added. If all this water didn’t have a means of escape, it would have flooded all the land surrounding the Gulf long ago.

So where does all the water go after it empties into the Gulf? The western side of the Gulf is bounded by the shores of Texas and Mexico, so there is just one direction left open — eastward below Florida, and that’s where it flows.

Moving at about four miles an hour (the same speed as a fast walker), this tremendous flow of water into the ocean is called the Florida current. Farther along it joins the Gulf Stream or “the warm ocean current of the North Atlantic.” In some places it flows as fast as 134 miles a day. Any given amount of this current takes many months to travel its full route.

After swinging around the bottom of Florida, the islands of Cuba and the Bahamas are in its path, causing it to turn north and travel along the United States’ coastline, on up to the New England states, and then to the maritime provinces of Canada. By that time, it is much wider than when it started. Then swinging northeast, it passes Nova Scotia and Newfoundland where the cold water of the Labrador Sea flows into it, making quite a change in the temperature of the Gulf Stream. Finally, flowing into the North Atlantic waters below Iceland it loses its identity, although its current and warming effect can be felt as far away as Norway and Spain.

All this flow of water, finally spreading out and mixing with the great North Atlantic Ocean, is a partial answer to why “the sea is not full” as stated in the opening Bible verse. But a more interesting reason is that the Creator has arranged continual evaporation from the surfaces of all oceans, lakes and rivers that equals the amount of water that rivers, rain and snow add to them.

Evaporation is mainly what forms clouds. Just the right amount of water is drawn back again into the skies, forming clouds, to later drop as snow, rain and hail for the benefit of all God’s creation. And this is just what the second part of the verse says: “From whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” The evaporation and returning moisture have balanced out perfectly through all the centuries of the world’s history, because they are so ordered by God who has created them.

In our next issue we will look at some of the benefits the Gulf Stream carries with it.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 7/24/2022

Teeny

Teeny was the name of Ted’s pet cow. Now that would be a good name for a pet gerbil or mouse or maybe a pet bird. But who would give that name to a cow — one that weighed 1,500 pounds? The answer is that Teeny wasn’t always that big. When young Ted first saw her, she was a tiny newborn calf. “I don’t know if she will make it or not,” the vet was saying. “She is very weak, but she is worth trying to save.” The little black and white calf was lying in the corner of the barn. She lay there helplessly, with no strength in her spindly legs to get up and nurse from her mother as most calves do.

“Keep giving her the medicine every day,” advised the vet. “It will take time, but with good care and lots of love she might
make it.”

“Can I take care of her myself?” Ted asked his father. He had looked at the weak little calf with her big black eyes, and he wanted to help her so much.

“Yes, you can,” Dad said. “And if she lives, she will belong to you, and any calves she might have will also be yours, Ted. But it’s not going to be easy. She’s just a teeny thing and terribly weak.”

That is how Teeny got her name. From that time on the little calf was called Teeny.

Several days passed and Teeny didn’t seem to be getting any better. But Ted continued giving her the medicine, making sure she was warm, helping her get up to walk a little, and getting milk from her mother and feeding it to her from a special bucket. But most importantly of all, Ted talked to her, coaxing her to get better and scratching her head to show her he really loved her.

Finally, after several weeks, Ted could see she was improving. His kind treatment was working, and soon Teeny was not only standing up but running around just like any other frisky calf. The vet had said she was worth saving. Now as Ted hugged his little calf, he knew that she was worth all the loving care he had given her.

Do you know that God thinks you are worth saving too? He sent His own precious Son to die in order to give you everlasting life, if you believe on Him as your own Savior. The Bible tells us the story of a man who found a treasure in a field, and because of his joy in that treasure, he goes and sells “all that he [has] and [buys] that field” (Matthew 13:44). The treasure in that story is the people who believe on the Lord Jesus. If you are one of them, you can know for sure that, to the Lord Jesus, you are worth everything you cost Him. His joy in having you as His treasure makes it worth all the sufferings He endured on the cross so that He could save you and have you as His special treasure. As a Bible verse tells us about the Lord Jesus, “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). (The word “travail” in this verse means “hard work.”) This means you, if you believe in the Lord Jesus. He sees you, and He is satisfied.

Memory Verse: “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.” Isaiah 53:11

Messages of God’s Love 7/31/2022

Teeny's Calf

Eventually, Teeny grew into a large cow, but she was still called Teeny. Ted continued to give his big pet lots of love and attention. He could still hug her around the neck, but he could no longer pick her up or hold her in his lap.

Then one day when Teeny was about two years old, she had a little calf of her own. What a cute little calf he was, so lively and frisky. Ted was so happy with the new calf. He spent lots of time thinking about a good name
for him.

Teeny’s calf was lively all right — too lively. Before he even had a name, he somehow squeezed under a fence and ran out onto the road and was hit by a passing truck. Of course, Ted was very sorry about the calf dying. And so was Teeny. She bawled for her calf for several days.

So, Ted and his dad decided to go to a cattle sale barn not far from them. There they found a day-old calf that was for sale. It was black and white like Teeny’s own calf that had been killed. They bought it to give to Teeny.

Teeny looked it over and took one sniff. Would she accept this new calf who needed a mother? No. She knew it wasn’t her own little calf. She chased it away and kept on bawling and mooing as loudly as ever.

Then Ted’s dad had an idea. They had saved the hide of Teeny’s calf that had been killed. Dad punched holes in the edges of the hide and wrapped it around the new little calf, tying it securely with a rope that had been strung through the holes in the hide. Then he brought the calf back to Teeny. This changed things right away. Teeny sniffed the calf over a few times and then began licking it. The little calf was accepted.

In a way, we are all like that little calf. Although God loves us so much, He cannot accept us as one of His children until our sins are covered over, as the skin of the dead calf covered the living one. But God has provided the covering for our sins through the death and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus as your own Savior, you are now “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). That means you are accepted just as much as the Lord Jesus Christ! You never need to worry that you aren’t good enough. To God, you are seen as just as good as the Lord Jesus. We have so much to learn and to grow in, that very often we may act nothing like the Lord Jesus. But that’s not how God sees us. What a wonderful, loving Father He is to us!

Messages of God’s Love 7/31/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Gulf Stream Waters, Part 2

“[God] doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.” Job 5:9

Last week we considered many interesting facts about the Gulf Stream. Now let’s look at more facts about this amazing body of water.

Even in winter this ocean current from the Gulf of Mexico is much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean waters through which it flows, and that is very welcome to the sea life along its route. People along the eastern shores of North America, particularly those in New England and Canada, can be very thankful that these waters help provide milder winter weather than many places inland.

Ships traveling northward are thankful for the four-mile-an-hour boost the Gulf Stream provides. This is particularly true of huge tankers and freighters that sit deep in the water. The benefit of the stream’s northeast flow has always made the Gulf Stream particularly attractive to sailing boats of the past as well as those that sail today, going up the eastern coast of the United States and Canada and even on to Europe.

These waters, along with other currents, also carry some seeds and fruits, some of which wash up, take root and add to the beauty of remote shorelines. Usually, these are seeds encased in tough enough exteriors to withstand the salt water voyage they have to make. Coconuts are one example of these travelers.

Sports fishers have found great numbers of fish in these waters, including unusual ones from the Caribbean Sea. They like the large numbers of trout, salmon and varieties of tuna, some as large as sharks. Fish are attracted to the Gulf Stream because of its warmer waters. Whales and sharks also swim to these warm waters, particularly in the northern areas which otherwise are quite cold.

There is not room to mention all the varieties of birds and other creatures that benefit by this warmer “river in the ocean.” But God, the Creator, is aware of and provides for them all. We know this from a Bible verse which states: “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made ... the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

How good it is to know Him as the Creator of all things, but it is much more important to know Him as your Savior and true Friend. Is He your Savior and Friend?

Messages of God’s Love 7/31/2022

Stranded on Egg Island Rock

“Hang on!” called John to his wife above the noise of the wind and the pounding waves. Timing his jump from the wildly rocking boat, John leaped ... and landed on the rocks of Egg Island Rock, close to the island where he lived. Even though the rocks were covered with ice from freezing spray, he managed to get a foothold and to climb up to higher rocks. In his hand he held the rope attached to the boat he had just left. His wife Marge was still in the boat, holding on tightly as the boat was tossed by the pounding waves. Bracing himself, John worked the boat around so that it was facing into shore. Then, working with an incoming wave, he pulled on the rope as hard as he could. The boat surged toward shore and got close enough so that Marge, too, could leap onto the
ice-covered rocks.

As John struggled to help her while still holding the rope, the receding wave and a gust of wind caught the boat. It was flung violently around, tearing the rope out of his numb hand. In a moment the wind had carried the boat away and with it their small amount of food and
emergency gear.

John and Marge Fairservice were lighthouse keepers. Their house was the only home on Sambro Island just off of Nova Scotia’s Halifax Harbor. There they took care of the lighthouse whose revolving light warned ships coming in and out of the harbor of the dangerous rocks.

That morning in early January, John and Marge had taken their three children to the mainland to go back to school after their year-end holidays. While going to school on the mainland, the children lived at the home of some friends. After visiting with their friends and buying some groceries, John and Marge started on the three-mile boat trip back to their home on the island. The weather, which had been clear that morning, was now looking stormy, with dark clouds rolling in from the southeast.

The normal 15-minute trip started out fine. But as the boat met the full force of the wind funneling between Outer Sambro Island and Egg Island Rock, the motor suddenly stalled. Immediately they were at the mercy of the wind which swung them around, almost tipping them onto the reef that ran out from Egg Island Rock. John tried to stop the boat by throwing out the anchor, but the water was too deep for the anchor to catch. Their only hope was to wait for the wind and waves to take them close enough to the granite shoreline of Egg Island Rock, where hopefully they could get out of the boat and perhaps get the motor started again.

Now that they had gotten onto the small island and lost their boat, they were stranded only 40 feet from their home island. It was very cold, and this looked like a real winter storm blowing in. They knew they faced freezing to death if they could not reach home. It was now dark, and each swing of the revolving light briefly lit up their house. It was so close ... yet so far away.

John knew they must not stay on that small island through the night because the waves were getting higher. Already they were breaking at their feet. They had only one hope — John would have to swim across the 40-foot channel to Outer Sambro Island. If he could reach the small gravel beach and get to the house, he could radio for help.

Using his “floater” jacket as a life preserver, John slipped into the icy water at low tide, when the distance to his home in the freezing water would be the shortest. The cold was far worse than he had imagined. Waves kept washing over him, but he struggled on, stroke after stroke. His hands and arms soon turned numb. He didn’t think he could make it!

Although it seemed like hours, John was only in the water a few minutes before his feet touched bottom on the other side. He had made it! Struggling to shore exhausted and nearly frozen, he stumbled and clawed his way up the icy, rocky path which led from the shore to their house. The light from the lighthouse lighted the way for him.

As he clawed at the unlocked door with hands too numb to work normally, he wondered if he would be able to turn the knob. By pressing the knob between both hands, he finally heard the welcome click as the door opened. Stumbling into the warm house, he headed straight to the radio, fumbling with the dials.

“This is an emergency!” he called weakly on the emergency channel, which was being monitored at the local Coast Guard station.

The Coast Guard quickly moved into action, getting the exact details of Marge’s location and alerting a crew for the rescue. Within minutes the cutter was pulling away from the dock in the harbor. But would they make it in time to rescue Marge?

As the cutter’s powerful engines brought it close to Egg Island Rock, a bright searchlight was turned on. It swept along the small rocky island. Was Marge still safe? “There she is!” one of the crew called.

With much difficulty Marge was rescued by two of the crew using a small rubber boat and then a lifeboat.

John 12:25 says, “He that [loves] his life shall lose it; and he that [hates] his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” What if John had decided it was too miserable to go into the icy water to get to where he could get help? If he had “loved his life” on that rocky island, he and Marge would have died. God has made a way for us to have eternal life. Are you taking that gift, or do you think it is going to be too hard to live the Christian life? If you haven’t received God’s wonderful gift, you will die an eternal death. That’s so much worse than any little hardship it costs to live for the Lord now.

Memory Verse: “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” John 12:25

Messages of God’s Love 8/7/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Year-Round Ptarmigan

“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

Ptarmigans (pronounced tar-mi-gans) are birds weighing about a pound to a pound and a half, and measuring just over a foot long. They make their homes in northern Canada and Alaska and many other cold areas. Their name means “feet like a rabbit,” because thick, soft, warm feathers cover their legs right to the claws.

Although they live in such cold areas, they do not migrate, so the Lord has given them ways to stay warm in the extreme cold of winter. Besides the warm feathers on their feet, He has given them thick layers of warm feathers all over. Without these, they could not survive the fierce cold of winter where they live. Also, in a wild snowstorm, they know to burrow into a snowbank for protection.

In spring they hollow out nests on the ground. The female lays six or more eggs, which she then incubates. Foxes, weasels, hawks and other carnivorous birds are a threat to these eggs and the chicks later. So, while the female is tending the chicks, the male often conceals himself on a nearby rock or branch of a tree. When an enemy approaches, he will either attack it or draw it away so it will attack him instead of his family. Sometimes the male loses his life protecting his family. And if the female is killed while the chicks are still in her care, the male often takes over and raises them by himself.

Their pure-white feathers in winter make them almost invisible against the deep snow of their homeland and preserve them from hungry enemies. But as spring begins and the snow melts, large rocks, patches of bare soil, and dark clumps of vegetation appear. Ordinarily, an all-white bird walking in these surroundings would be immediately visible to a hungry fox or hawk. However, just as these changes take place, the color of the bird’s feathers also changes, turning into a combination of dark and white, helping to keep them safe.

Do you think the ptarmigans plan this color change? No, they couldn’t! As our opening verse says, the Lord is the One who keeps them safe. Everything about them shows the wonders of the Creator’s care for them. But He has an even more special care for every boy, girl, woman and man whom He has made. Here is what He tells us: “I have loved [you] with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Messages of God’s Love 8/7/2022

Please Make Them Snore

Lee Wong lived many years ago in a small village in central China. He had been brought up to worship idols. But when missionaries came to his village, he learned that God loved him so much that He sent His Son to die for his sins. He believed this good news, and God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, became his Savior. From that time on he shared this good news with his friends.

A few months after Lee Wong became a Christian, news came that a group of bandits was on its way to their village. The news had barely gone through the village when the bandits appeared. They seemed to be in a hurry and only stopped to seize all the young men they could find. They bound them securely together and led them off as prisoners.

Lee Wong found himself being tied tightly to Chang, one of his friends whom he had often had long talks with about the
Lord Jesus.

They reached the town of Hi’shien just before it got dark, and, as there was little resistance from the townspeople, the bandits soon took it over. The bandits decided to stay there for the night. They checked the prisoners and tightened the ropes which bound Lee and Chang. The ropes cut into their flesh and they were thrown roughly onto the ground in the dark inner room of a small house.

Later on that night four bandits came into the room where Lee and Chang lay. After locking the door they began to play a game. Lee lay in silence watching his captors, and as he watched he was busy thinking. Some weeks before he had been reading a story in the Bible which one of the missionaries had given him. It was about a man named Peter who had been shut up in prison, but who had had a remarkable escape. Now, Peter’s God was Lee’s God, and the missionary had said that He was “the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Lee began to pray, “Oh, Lord,” he said, “when Peter was in prison, you made the chains fall off. Lord, do it again please.” He also prayed for his friend, asking that he also might be set free and that he would come to know the Savior.

The soldiers soon tired of their game and began to yawn. One by one they lay down ready to sleep. Every now and then one of them would sit up and take a look at the prisoners who lay as still as they could.

While he prayed, Lee worked his hands gently up and down and soon found, to his delight, that he had worked his ropes loose. Before long one hand was free and he knew it would not be long before he was completely free. Very quietly he stretched out his hand and touched Chang only to find that he also had loosened his ropes, although he was not yet free.

Lee began to pray again. “Oh, Lord, when Peter went out of the prison, the soldiers fell asleep. Do it again, Lord; make these four soldiers fall asleep.” Then he lay very still listening. The soldiers were breathing deeply, but every now and then one of them would move, and Lee knew that if it were discovered that they had loosened their ropes, they would be beaten and probably tied back to back. “Oh, Lord,” he prayed earnestly, “please make them snore so I will know that they are sound asleep.”

Sure enough, one bandit after another began to snore! Lee and his friend worked hard at their ropes until at last they were both free. They got up and stood shaking on their feet. They had been tied so tightly that it was some moments before they could move. When they could, they tiptoed quietly to the door. They held their breath in fear as they turned the heavy key in the lock of the door. It made such a loud noise that they were sure it would wake up the men. But no, they continued to snore loudly.

Very softly, the two prisoners crept out, closing the door behind them. They had to cross another room, but it was empty. When they reached the outer door, they found to their relief that it was open! Quietly the two went down the dark street, keeping as much as possible in the deepest shadows. Chang knew the town well, so he guided his friend out to the farmland, and soon they arrived back in their own village.

“Your God really answers prayer!” Chang exclaimed as they walked down the deserted village street. “I want to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Just then they saw a light streaming out into the night from a window down a side street. They turned and walked down to see where the light was coming from, and Lee saw that it was the room where the missionaries had been meeting the night he had first heard about God’s way of salvation. As they came closer, they could hear the sound of voices. The Christians of the village were praying for Lee and Chang to be released! What happiness there was when Lee and Chang walked into the room!

Lee Wong never forgot the wonderful deliverance the Lord Jesus had given him that day, and from that day on he was known as “Peter.” Chang accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior too, and from then on he also spent his time telling others about Jesus.

Wasn’t it good that Lee Wong had read his Bible and knew the story about Peter? We have such a wonderful treasure in the Bible, which is the Word of God. It is the way God talks to us, and if we read it, we can get all the help we need to get through every day we live. Maybe none of us will ever be in the situation Lee and Chang were in, but every one of us needs God’s help and wisdom each day. “[Your] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). When you are going through your day, He can give you the wisdom you need each moment through what you have read in His Word (like a lamp that shows what’s right at your feet as you walk a dark path). His Word will also give you the wisdom you need for decisions that affect the future (like a strong light to shine farther down the path of life). Another thing the Bible does for us is found in Isaiah 30:21: “[Your] ears shall hear a word behind [you], saying, This is the way, walk ... in it, when [you] turn to the right hand, and when [you] turn to the left.” If you are turning the wrong way, the Lord can speak to you through His Word, to keep you in the right way. What a treasure we have in the Bible!

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

Messages of God’s Love 8/14/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Tasmanian Devil

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.”
Nahum 1:7

The world contains many creatures strange to us, seen only by explorers or natives in some faraway spot. But the Creator had a purpose in forming every one of them, and they are always under His watchful eye.

One of these is the Tasmanian devil, found on the island of Tasmania, off the coast of Australia. It lives in woodlands and rocky, hard-to-reach places, hiding all day and coming out only after dark. Many who have seen this animal think it resembles a small bear or badger. It is about the size of a bulldog and is usually black with white patches. Its name reveals a vicious and fierce-fighting character towards nearly anything it encounters.

This animal’s large, heavy head contains sharp, strong, fang-like teeth that quickly tear and crush the flesh of victims and are so strong they can even bend some steel traps! When approached by an animal or person, it puts on a scary show, opening its mouth wide to expose these weapons, accompanied by growls and weird, screaming howls, frightening enough to turn most things away in a hurry. It also has very strong claws used in defense or when attacking its prey. They have never been known to kill a person, but anyone getting too close may get some cuts!

This animal’s diet is mainly the flesh of other animals, including sheep, pigs and chickens, which makes it an enemy of farmers. But one thing in its favor is that it also eats dead animals and birds, just as vultures do, and therefore provides a needed service in disposing of decaying bodies that spread disease and smell horrible.

Strangely enough, if caught young enough, they make rather nice pets. They keep themselves clean by bathing in pools of water or streams, or like cats, licking their paws and wiping them over their faces and coats.

With their savage habits, it is easy to understand the name “devil,” and their fierce ways make us think of Satan, that evil one of whom the Bible warns, “Your adversary [enemy] the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is a warning for each of us always to be on guard, because our enemy’s evil ways can cause great harm.

How can we be protected from Satan? The verse at the beginning tells of One who will protect us if we trust in Him. How good it is to know this Savior and have His help and protection from Satan’s evil ways! Are you trusting in this Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ?

Messages of God’s Love 8/14/2022

When Johnny Stole a Car

Johnny and Charley were about the same age and they lived next door to each other. There was an old rusty wire fence between their two yards, but Johnny and Charley had found a clear low place under the fence where they brought their little shovels, toy cars, toy trucks and toy tractors. They had a good time playing together in the dirt hole they had made there.

One day, Charley came to the hole under the fence with a little yellow plastic toy car which Johnny had not seen before, but Johnny knew it was special. He knew it was a Cadillac! Johnny wished he had a special car
like that.

Another day, not long after, Johnny came to the hole under the fence and noticed that the little yellow plastic Cadillac was there — and that Charley wasn’t there. Johnny decided to take the little toy car away and hide it.

Perhaps a day or two later, Charley and Johnny met at the hole again, and Charley noticed that his little yellow car was missing. He must have remembered how Johnny looked at that car.

“You took my car,” said Charley.

“No, I didn’t,” lied Johnny.

“Yes, you did,” said Charley. “Give it back to me.”

“I don’t have it,” said Johnny, lying again.

“I’ll tell my mother,” said Charley.

I don’t remember what Johnny said then, but I think that he was naughty enough to think that Charley’s mother couldn’t do much.

Charley’s mother came and talked to Johnny. He still insisted that he did not have the car. But, apparently Charley’s mother believed her son more than she believed Johnny, so she talked with Johnny’s mother.

Johnny’s mother asked both of the boys about the car, and Johnny still insisted that he had not stolen the car. But Johnny’s mother knew him very well, and she suspected that he was lying. She kept questioning Johnny until he gave up and confessed that he had taken the toy car. Johnny got the car and gave it back to Charley, and he told Charley that he was sorry that he had taken the car and that he had lied to him.

And he told Charley’s mother that he was sorry for stealing and for lying to her.

And then he had to tell his mother that he was sorry that he had stolen the car and that he had lied to Charley, and that he had lied to Charley’s mother, and that he had lied to her. Johnny remembers that part quite well. Johnny does not remember if his mother punished him for his lying and stealing, though he thinks she probably did. But he certainly has never forgotten the theft, the lies, and the lessons he learned that day.

What lessons did Johnny learn that day?

“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Johnny thought that nobody saw him and that he could get away with stealing. He forgot that God saw everything and loved him too much to let him get away with sin.

“He that [covers] his sins shall not prosper: but whoso [confesses] and [forsakes] them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Johnny thought that he could cover his stealing by lying. Instead, all he did was make things worse. Johnny cannot remember how often he lied that day — to Charley, to Charley’s mother, and to his own mother. Sins add up so quickly!

I am glad to be able to say that Johnny and Charley were good friends again after that day. And I am happier to tell you that Johnny came to trust the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that now he can write about what he did and know that “the blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

We all sin. The good news is that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Never be afraid to tell the truth! God’s love is greater than our sins, and He can forgive us and help us when we don’t try to cover our sins.

Memory Verse: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Messages of God’s Love 8/21/2022

Barry

Barry was the name of a Saint Bernard. He was famous for rescuing lost travelers and people who had been buried in avalanches in the Swiss mountains.

There is a statue of Barry in the Museum of Natural History in Berne, Switzerland. It was paid for by Arthur Chasi, one of the 40 people whose lives were saved by Barry. This is the story of his rescue.

Arthur had been walking along a mountain roadway when he was suddenly buried beneath the edge of an avalanche. The major part of the avalanche had roared down the mountain just ahead of him. It had wiped out houses, trees and everything else in its path.

The rescue teams that came to search for buried people concentrated on the major area of the snow slide, looking for survivors buried in the snow and debris. But Art was not buried where the searchers were looking. He was about one-half mile away, unconscious under three feet of snow.

Barry was with one of the rescue teams that had come to the avalanche scene. He and the other dogs would use their superb sense of smell to find buried people. The dogs were trained to announce anyone they found by standing over the spot and barking. Then the men would dig through the snow until they uncovered the person.

At first Barry stayed close to the center of the avalanche disaster area. He had found several bodies of those who had been killed. Then moving farther and farther away, he picked up Art’s scent. He barked loudly, and soon men were there with shovels. They found Art, half frozen, but still alive. He was taken to a hospital where he was cared for until he recovered.

In the Bible we read that the Lord Jesus came into the world “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He died on the cross so that He could save lost sinners. One day soon He will take all those He has found safe home to heaven.

He is willing to save anyone who will trust Him. Has He saved you, or are you still far from Him and in your sins? If you really want to be saved, you only need to tell the Lord Jesus. He loves you very much and wants you to accept Him as your Savior. Won’t you do that right now?

Messages of God’s Love 8/21/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Long-Nosed Coati

“My help [comes] from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.” Psalm 121:2-3

The coati, also known as the coatimundi, are animals that look very much like raccoons, and they are their close relatives. They are usually reddish-brown in color with white throats, and their mask-like faces are black and white. Their long tails have about ten pretty, black rings, and their snouts are long and flexible — just right for rooting in the soil for grubs and worms. Their legs are equipped with sharp, strong claws. These claws are used to dig in soil too tough for their snouts and to tear apart decayed logs to reach the insects that live inside. They also eat fruit, rodents, lizards and small snakes.

All of their features were given to the coatis by the Lord at the time He created them. He designed them in the way exactly right to meet their needs. The Creator made all things perfect the first time and left nothing to develop gradually by itself. “God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Coatis live in the high, forested mountains of Central and South America, Mexico and a few areas in the southern United States. They sleep in rough nests among tree branches. Females and babies live in groups of about 30. The little ones, playful and curious, are watched carefully by their mothers.

As the coatis hunt for food, they travel in groups led by a mother. Behind her come the young ones, and another mother brings up the end of the line. If a youngster wanders away, one of the mothers quickly hauls it back in line. If a mother senses danger, a quick warning is given to freeze, scramble up a tree or hide in the bushes, depending on the danger. These interesting animals make many different kinds of sounds — growling, barking, hissing and others. These sounds, along with certain body movements, all have their own meaning and are how they communicate with one another.

Unlike raccoons, coatis hunt during the day and sleep during the night. One thing is certain: No matter where they are, they are always under the watchful care of their Creator. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Do you know that He is watching you too? Job asked, “[Does] not He see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4). Yes, He certainly does. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” He delights to care for and watch over those who love Him, and He enjoys finding them walking in ways that are pleasing to Him.

Messages of God’s Love 8/21/2022

Garden Gate

Tracy had noticed the gate for some time. It was made of iron and was built into the high stone wall she passed every day on her way to school. Through the gate she could see a beautiful garden of flowers. Oh, how she wanted to walk through this garden sometime! But the gate was always closed and locked whenever she went by it.

One Sunday in her Sunday school class, Miss Morton, Tracy’s teacher, talked to her class about the “gate of salvation.” She drew a word picture of a gate through a wall. The Lord Jesus Christ was the only person who had the key to this gate. She said He was willing and waiting to open the gate for anyone who asked to go through it.

“That’s just like the gate in the wall that I pass on my way to school,” Tracy thought to herself.

About a week later Tracy was peering through “her gate,” as she called it, when an old man walking down the road stopped beside her.

“You seem interested in that gate,” he remarked.

Tracy was too shy to reply.

“Do you want to go into that garden?” he asked, smiling warmly.

Now, although Tracy knew nothing about the garden, she did know that rich people lived in the area and that the garden belonged to one of them. Looking at this man, she did not think he was one of those rich people, so she was sure he would not have the key to the gate. It bothered her to think that he had found out her secret wish.

She didn’t answer him, and being a little frightened, she ran down the road as fast as
she could.

The next Sunday Miss Morton told her class that she had a surprise for them. Mrs. Sanderson, who lived in the area where the garden was, had invited them all to come for lunch at her house the following Thursday, a school holiday.

“You will like Mrs. Sanderson,” Miss Morton told them. “She is a very nice Christian lady.”

Tracy was excited. She did not often go to someone’s home for lunch, especially someone as rich as Mrs. Sanderson.

When Thursday came, it was a sunny, warm day, and the six girls in Miss Morton’s class were all excited. Mrs. Sanderson’s home was very beautiful. But the girls thought the garden where they were going to have lunch was much prettier.

When they were finished eating lunch, Mrs. Sanderson said her husband wanted to talk to them for a few minutes. Mrs. Sanderson went into the house to get her husband. When she returned, Tracy was startled and felt her face get red, because Mr. Sanderson was the same old man who had talked to her by “her gate” the week before. She sat very still, hoping that he would not recognize her.

He came up to the table and spoke to the girls. “And now, my young friends, I want to talk to you for just a minute or two,” he began, smiling as he looked from one girl to the next. “The other day I was walking down the road. I had a key in my pocket. It was the key for an old gate which leads into a garden at the other end of our property. It is my own garden; I take care of it myself and grow the kind of flowers we used to have in our garden when I was a boy.

“I saw a little girl standing by the gate to the garden. I knew by the way she was looking through the gate that she really wanted to go into the garden. I spoke to her and asked her if my thoughts were right, but I knew by her silence and by the way she looked at me that she was pretty sure I could not open the gate for her. So she just turned and ran on down the road.

“I think a lot of us are like that little girl. We don’t realize that we are being given an invitation. God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is inviting us to come to Him so that He may open the ‘door of salvation’ for us. We just turn our back on Him and run away.”

Mr. Sanderson went on to explain how the Lord Jesus had said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). As he spoke, Tracy suddenly knew that she wanted to have the Lord Jesus open the “door of salvation” to her, so that she could enter in.

After Mr. Sanderson stopped speaking, he asked the girls if they would like to come to see his little garden. Five of them got up quickly, but Tracy sat still in her seat.

“Don’t you want to go, Tracy?” Mrs. Sanderson asked, but Tracy could not answer.

Miss Morton came over beside her. “What’s wrong, Tracy?” she asked.

“Oh, Miss Morton,” she said, “I’m the girl Mr. Sanderson met. I wish I hadn’t run away ... and I — I don’t want to run away now if only the Lord Jesus will open the door for me.”

Miss Morton put her arm around Tracy and assured her that the Lord Jesus was still waiting for her. So right there in the Sandersons’ garden Tracy accepted His invitation.

Won’t you accept His invitation right now so that you, too, can be saved?

“Strait [narrow] is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

Memory Verse: “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in,
he shall be saved.” John 10:9

Messages of God’s Love 8/28/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Lemurs of Madagascar, Part 1

“Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.”
1 Chronicles 16:12

Lemurs are cute little animals with a wide variety of sizes and colors. Most have very long tails provided by the Creator to help them keep their balance when jumping between high trees. The hind legs of most are longer than the front legs. Perky, upright ears and sharp eyes have also been provided to help them avoid their enemies.

Lemurs live in trees most of the time. Their strong legs, feet and clawed toes enable them to scamper around as nimbly as squirrels. They wrap their long tails around the branch of a tree to hang upside down while looking for food below them. They eat leaves off of trees, fruit, berries, insects, flowers, bark and tree gum. Most of them find their food at night. Because the females are the leaders, if a male gets careless and eats food before his mate does, he is likely to get a hard slap from her.

Now let’s look more closely at a few varieties that live on the island of Madagascar. An unusually pretty one, with the ability to make long jumps, is the sifaka. It is named this because its call sounds like that word. Larger than most of the others, its body and tail are white with black on its face and beautiful brown markings in various places on its body, including its chest. It usually lives in groups of three to ten animals. Like other lemurs, this one doesn’t drink from a puddle or pool of water; it gets moisture by sipping dew from leaves. Unlike many of the others, the sifaka is active in daylight hours, perching on a large, high branch during the night to sleep. At daybreak it bursts out with loud calls that can be heard for a great distance.

Another lemur has the simple name brown lemur, because its coloring is brown. It has long, husky hind legs — more than twice the size of the front legs — and a bushy brown tail longer than the rest of its body.

Like all creatures, other than mankind, these pretty animals are not aware that the very One who created them is always caring for them. Psalm 36:6-7 tells us, “O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God!” The same writer stated in another psalm, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:6-7). How happy it must make His heart when a boy or girl does kneel down to worship Him with praise and thanksgiving!

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 8/28/2022

One Little Candle

Susie and her mother were visiting Susie’s grandma. Susie had recently learned a song she liked. Over and over again
she sang:

“This little light of mine,
I’m going to let it shine.”

“I like that little song, Susie,” Grandma said. “Where did you learn it?”

“At Sunday school,” answered Susie.

“Well, well,” said Grandma, “now I’ll sing a song for you that I learned in Sunday school when I was a little girl.”

And Grandma sang just as lovely a song as Susie had. This was her song:

“Jesus bids us shine with a
pure, clear light,
Like a little candle burning
in the night;
In this world of darkness,
so we must shine —
You in your small corner,
and I in mine.”

“Do you know what that reminds me of?” asked Susie’s mother. “I’m remembering a little candle that was burning one night a long time ago that saved our lives. Do you remember that candle?” she asked Grandma.

Grandma would never forget! It happened when Susie’s mother (whose name was Jeanne) was a little girl. Jeanne and her parents lived in an area called “Florida Beach.” Florida Beach was a stretch of sand along the east coast of Florida with water on both sides. During severe storms and hurricanes with high tides and high waves, the ocean waves would wash over this narrow strip of sand.

One day the path of a hurricane passed near where they lived. The winds had become very strong and the waves very high. Jeanne and her mother watched the water swirling higher and higher. It felt as if their house were going to collapse and they were afraid. “I wish Daddy were home!” Jeanne could remember thinking: “He would know what to do.”

Finally, she and her mother decided to go to Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim’s house which was just up the beach. Although they got soaking wet from the high water and the wind-driven rain, they were able to reach Uncle
Jim’s safely.

The four were glad to be together. Soon the high water would be swirling around Uncle Jim’s house, too. They would have to try to get to the mainland!

All four of them got into Uncle Jim’s car. The waters swirled against it, but they decided they had to try to reach the mainland anyway. They would have to take the road to the bridge which crossed the Intracoastal Waterway to the mainland. But there was so much water swirling around that they couldn’t see the road; they could only guess where it was. They had made that short trip so many times in good weather; now it seemed to take forever. As the water rose higher and higher, Uncle Jim drove slower and slower. They began to wonder if they had made a mistake in leaving home. Maybe they couldn’t make it to the mainland!

They were almost to the bridge when they drove off the road into a ditch. The car got stuck and water started to pour in. It didn’t take long for them to see that if they stayed in the car, they would drown. There was only one choice left — they must leave the car behind and start walking.

The wind tore at them. Palm trees had been blown down everywhere. They waded through water that was nearly two feet deep. They were wet and cold and it was getting dark. They hardly knew where to go.

It was then that one of them spotted a little glimmer of light. It was only a candle, but that candle showed them the way to a house that was still safe. The people who lived there had put the candle in the window for that very reason — to guide people to their home. Inside there was protection and warmth.

The two songs that Susie and her grandmother had sung were both about a candle. They tell us that those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are meant to be a light shining out to others. The light doesn’t have to come from a big person. The light shining in the window that saved four people from the hurricane was just one small candle. But even a small light looks bright when everything around it is dark. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that [follows] Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). If we belong to Him, we have His light in our life. Then, if we let His light shine out in our lives, it will be a bright light in the dark, sinful world around us. Won’t you let your light shine for Him?

“Jesus bids us shine first of all for Him;

Well He sees and knows it if our light grows dim:

He looks down from heaven, to see us shine —

You in your small corner, and I in mine.

“Jesus bids us shine next for all around;

Many kinds of darkness in this world abound,

Sin and want and sorrow; so we must shine —

You in your small corner, and I in mine.”

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Memory Verse: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Messages of God’s Love 9/4/2022

Activity

The story and our memory verse for this week are about letting our light shine for the Lord Jesus to those around us. The memory verse says we are to do it in such a way that others, who see the good works we do, will glorify our Father which is in heaven. If they know we are doing something good because we love the Lord Jesus, not just because we are “good people,” that will make them thankful to God for what we do. I once heard a story about a man who didn’t say much to teach people about Jesus, but he did everything he could to help those around him. He was able to help fix things that other people couldn’t. He used this ability in such a way that many people came to know the Lord Jesus because of what he did. You might be able to do something to help someone in such a way that you can tell them you are doing it because you love the Lord Jesus. That would be a good way to let your light shine. On the lines below, write some ideas of things you can do to shine for the Lord Jesus. There are a few filled in for you.__

1. Help carry in an older person’s groceries.___________

2. Play with someone who doesn’t have any other friends.

3. _____________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________

Messages of God’s Love 9/4/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Lemurs of Madagascar, Part 2

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath.”
Deuteronomy 4:39

One of the smallest of all lemurs is called the brown mouse lemur. This one is only about five inches long, plus a tail about four and a half inches long. It weighs just a few ounces. This tiny creature has brown fur over the top of its head, back, arms and tail, with white fur on its chin, neck and stomach.

By contrast, one of the largest is the indri. Its body is about two feet long and it weighs between 13 and 21 pounds. Surprisingly, its tail is quite short. But it is handsome with its black and white body and black paws, which look like they have fancy gloves and slippers on. The indri can jump more than 30 feet between trees. A male and female, waking from a nap in the daytime, make strange calls which can be heard a long distance away.

Another large lemur, and the best-known lemur, is the ring-tailed. You may have seen this one in a zoo. Its name comes from its long, heavily furred tail, which has wide rings of black and pure white around it. It is active during the daytime, and it is very social, living in groups of up to 30 lemurs. It is very vocal and has special calls to alert the group of danger. This lemur sunbathes in the morning to warm itself, facing its white belly toward the sun.

There is something interesting about those named black lemurs. They bite at poisonous millipedes and then rub them over their fur. They seem to use the poison the millipedes spray as a sort of “bug spray,” to protect themselves from biting insects that might give them diseases, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

There are five varieties of a species known as bamboo lemurs. They got this name because they mostly eat the tender parts of bamboo shoots. Bamboo contains cyanide, which is poisonous to most living things, but some of these eat up to 12 Times the lethal amount of cyanide for most animals their size in their daily diet. The prettiest is called the golden bamboo. The males have red-gold tails, golden eyebrows, golden chipmunk-like cheeks, teddy-bear ears and black noses and eyes.

The amazing things we see or hear about things in nature should remind us that nothing came into the world by chance. A Bible verse tells us, “Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all” (Nehemiah 9:6).

Messages of God’s Love 9/4/2022

Kankwali's Questions

Some years ago, in a village in Central Africa, there lived a man named Kankwali, who was the most powerful and feared person in that area. Kankwali was what was called a witch doctor, or a “medicine man.” He acted under the power of wicked demons, yet people thought he was wise, and they accepted what he said about many things. He wasn’t a “doctor” as we know them, and what he told people to do for their illnesses often made them get sicker, or even die. He was often responsible for the death of innocent people, because he said that they were guilty of causing someone to get sick by angering the evil spirits. People were so afraid of him they would do almost anything to keep him happy with them.

One day, however, something new happened in that village. Some missionaries moved into the village, and they brought the good news of God’s love. The missionaries started a school for the children, who were happy to go and learn things they had never learned before. Kankwali viewed this new situation with mixed feelings. Eventually, however, Kankwali got so curious about what the children were learning that he asked them what these strangers were teaching them at the school. In their own simple way, the boys and girls repeated the story which they had heard.

They told Kankwali that they had learned that God loved everyone in the village, and even in the whole world, in spite of how sinful everyone is. They told him how God in His great love sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, down to earth, where He died for our sins. And they told him that Jesus was raised from the dead and now lives to save whoever will believe on Him. God’s free gift to all people, they told Kankwali, was everlasting life, and He also gives the power to live our life in a way pleasing to Him each day.

This certainly was news for the medicine man. Did God really have a personal interest in him? Did God really love him? Could God forgive him? Would God receive even him? These were the questions that crowded Kankwali’s mind, and such questions may well be asked by each of us. The answer to these questions is very simple: “Whosoever [that means, anyone who] shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

“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).

Kankwali believed God’s wonderful love, and he was saved. The Lord Jesus Christ became to him the one and only Lord of his life. It meant that he was now serving a new master, because doing evil things in everyday life and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ don’t go together. One or the other had to go. He completely gave up witchcraft and its evils. He became a new man with a desire to live for the Lord who had saved him.

Kankwali continued to plant his garden and to fish from his canoe on the river in order to earn his living, but his whole life was changed. Instead of serving the devil and causing misery and death, he started following Christ, and he began to tell others about the One who had saved him.

We see in the story of Kankwali the power of the gospel. When God forgives a person, He also gives that person a new life, and He gives them the power to overcome sin. “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: “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

Messages of God’s Love 9/11/2022

Koko and All Ball

Koko was an unusual gorilla; she was one of the most unusual gorillas in the world, because Koko learned to talk. She didn’t talk exactly like we might talk, but Koko talked with “Gorilla Sign Language,” like the sign language of the deaf. Over the years a woman by the name of Penny Patterson taught Koko to talk with her hands, and Koko learned over 1,000 signs of “Gorilla Sign Language.” As part of her lessons, Koko’s teacher read stories to her. Among Koko’s favorite stories were “The Three Little Kittens” and “Puss in Boots.”

Knowing Koko’s favorite books, it is no wonder that one day Koko asked for a kitten of her own! Gorillas are vegetarians, and even in the wild they are very gentle towards small animals, so people knew Koko wouldn’t hurt a kitten. But, thinking something less than a real kitten would do, they first brought Koko a stuffed toy kitten. No, that wasn’t what she wanted. Koko made it very plain that she did not have a toy in mind at all — she wanted a real kitten! So they brought a litter of kittens to Koko for her birthday, to let her choose her own kitten. Koko picked out a boy kitten that had no tail to be her very own pet, and she named him All Ball.

All Ball became Koko’s constant companion and best friend. Koko loved her furry little friend. Although All Ball was a feisty and playful little kitten who loved to bite everything that moved, including gorillas, the two became very attached. Koko would hug and kiss and cuddle the little kitten as though it were her own baby. All Ball must have felt very safe and secure when Koko would pick him up in her large, powerful arms and hold him tucked up close to herself.

Then one sad day, All Ball wandered out of the gorilla cage onto the street where he was struck and killed by a car. Poor Koko was very sad when she heard the news. How she had loved her little friend. If she had known what was happening, don’t you think she would have used all her strength to prevent All Ball from being killed?

I am sure Koko would have prevented her kitten’s death if she could have, but she was unable to. This story makes me think about the Lord Jesus and His love and power. Unlike All Ball, if you belong to the Lord Jesus because you have believed in Him, you are safe forever. He said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). You may die, but you will never “perish” in hell, and you already have eternal life. Nothing can ever take you out of His strong hand. All Ball must have felt very safe in Koko’s arms, but we can be safe forever in the strong arms of Jesus. What a happy thing it is to know the Lord Jesus’ love and tender care. Is He your Savior?

Messages of God’s Love 9/11/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Storks, Part 1

“The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times ... but My people know not the judgment of the Lord.” Jeremiah 8:7

In many countries one of the most commonly known birds is the stork. There are about 19 varieties, ranging from two to five feet in length with long necks, broad wings and short tails. Their nests are usually huge; some are up to six feet wide and nine feet deep. They add to the same nest year after year. Some nests get so heavy that they break tree limbs and platforms that people have built for them on a roof, chimney or wall.

The Creator has given the African and Asian storks instincts to migrate north to Europe (up to over 12,000 miles) to spend the summers and to return to their southern homes when cold weather comes. Many people in Europe enjoy having the storks in summer. But more and more the storks are staying over the winter as well. They have found food sources in dumps and other man-made things such as fish farms. Climate change has also made it unnecessary for some to migrate as far south as they used to.

Storks are a spectacular sight when flying with their long legs, wide wings and long, pointed beaks. They are strong fliers and make quite a picture in the air with their necks extended and legs outstretched, soaring like eagles on their broad wings. Let’s look at a few of the species.

The lower body feathers of openbill storks are jet black, while their other feathers are a beautiful contrasting white or light gray, and their beaks are a darker reddish-pink color. They live almost entirely on large snails found underwater. They are named “openbill” because the Creator has given them special beaks which don’t close completely to handle eating snails.

Marabou storks make their home in eastern Africa. They are not only the largest but also the least attractive of all storks. An unusual feature is their reddish inflatable throat pouch which hangs down from their throats. These pouches look like big red sausages when they fill them with air. They use them in their courtship ritual. Like vultures, these storks eat mostly dead animals or birds. In some areas they rob flamingo nests, eating both the eggs and the young, a habit that is distressing to many people. It will be wonderful in the millennium, which is the thousand-year righteous reign of the Lord Jesus, when this earth doesn’t suffer from the effects of sin even in animal life!

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 9/11/2022

Lost on Mount Seymour

David stood on a cliff on the side of Mount Seymour overlooking a valley of tall pines. Snow on the pine branches sparkled like millions of diamonds in the sunlight. Silvery little streams wandered through the forest. It was a gorgeous view.

“How beautiful!” David thought as he stood there by himself. “A few minutes looking at this was more than worth a couple of hours hiking to get here.”

He turned to leave, heading down a different path from the one he had taken as he came up. As he was hiking down, his daypack which held oranges, bread and juices slipped from his shoulders and rolled down the mountainside. “It doesn’t make sense to look for it; I’ll never find it,” he thought, and he went on his way.

As the path went down, the forest became darker. Soon he lost his way, and when night arrived, David was tired, cold, hungry and lost. He lay down next to a fallen tree and tried
to sleep.

The next morning, as soon as there was a little light, he began walking again. The forest which he had admired so much now seemed like a maze, a confusing tangle of narrow places to squeeze through in a dark world. He could not find the way out of this maze. The sunshine which had sparkled and gleamed on top of the forest only shone weakly through the branches, leaving David in the dark and cold shade. The warmth of the sun would have been so welcome!

David kept walking all day, telling himself that help couldn’t be far off. As he got more and more hungry, he thought longingly of food. Pictures of food floated through his mind, and he hung onto them as long as he could. They couldn’t give him any energy, but they did give him hope. The second day ended like the first, with David lost, hungry, tired and cold.

For nine long days, David wandered through the forests surrounding Mount Seymour — nine days of walking; nine days without food or shelter. Each day left David weaker than the day before and a day closer to the end of his strength.

On the tenth day, David’s feet were frostbitten and blistered. He could no longer walk or stand. But he could crawl, so he started crawling, over rocks and creeks and snow banks. He realized he would die soon if he didn’t find help, because his strength was failing. When the tenth night came, David, believing he would never wake up if he let himself fall asleep, forced himself to
keep crawling.

Then, during that tenth night, at 3:15 in the morning, David found a house — a house where someone was living. Crawling to the front door, he was able to ring the doorbell and get help. He had found help, just in time.

David’s amazing struggle to survive gives us a picture of what life is like apart from the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Life looks so beautiful, often, to young people and children. And God has made everything beautiful in its time. It’s wonderful if you have a happy home with parents who love and care for you. But true peace and joy will only last in anyone’s life if they have the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord. That forest looked so beautiful, but David almost died because he got lost in it and didn’t have food and shelter.

Like David, we are all lost and hungry in our hearts if we don’t know the Lord Jesus, because of sin. Thankfully, the Lord Jesus came to earth to find lost people. He said, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). If you come to Him, He will save you and carry you safely all the way through your life until we all go to His wonderful home in heaven. The Lord Jesus will then be the food to truly meet the hunger of your heart, because He said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

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

Messages of God’s Love 9/18/2022

The Brave Squirrel

Mr. Winslow was in for a surprise when he returned home from a short vacation. As he drove up his driveway, he saw footprints in the snow around his house, so he could tell that someone had come to his house while he was gone.

As he opened the door to his home, he was greeted right away by his pet squirrel Joey. As he walked around his home, he noticed a few doors were open that he knew he had left shut before leaving his home. And then something really suspicious caught his eye. A special wooden safe had scratches on it around the lock. He called the police and a female police officer came to see what she could find. The officer was quite surprised when something ran by her and she found out that he had a squirrel for a pet!

The officer who investigated the theft found something that led to suspecting a certain man. She came back a couple of hours later with some of Mr. Winslow’s belongings and an interesting story.

As she had questioned the suspected burglar, she noticed that the man had scratches on his hands. She asked him if the squirrel could be responsible for those. The man said he sure was! That squirrel kept attacking him and scratching his hands while he was trying to get into the wooden safe and wouldn’t stop until he had to give up and leave.

Mr. Winslow had found that his squirrel was often not easy to have as a pet, but he was glad for how he had protected his house! He gave him a special reward: his favorite treat, the candy called Whoppers!

God has interesting ways of showing us or others things we have done, doesn’t He? God has many wonderful qualities, and one of them is that He is omnipresent. That is a big word, but it just means that God is everywhere. He is in all places, all the time! He is with you now, right where you are, and He is just as much with me right where I am. He watches over you as you sleep, and He is with you everywhere you go. Psalm 139 is a wonderful psalm that speaks about God’s omnipresence. It says that He has examined us and knows us. He knows when we sit down and when we get up. He even understands our thoughts before we think them all the way through! He knows all of our ways very well. Even darkness doesn’t hide us from Him, because to Him the night is just as bright as the day. He even saw us when we were hidden from the eyes of all others, inside of our mothers. (See Psalm 139:1-16.) I hope you know this God, who loves you and knows you so well, as your own Father. He loved you so much that He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins. If you don’t know Him yet, won’t you come to Him right now?

Messages of God’s Love 9/18/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Storks, Part 2

“Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done.” Psalm 33:8-9

The Painted stork of India is different in appearance from any of the others. Its feathers include a beautiful combination of black and white mainly on its wings, but also in a band across its chest, with some bright pink and softer pink feathers on its tail feathers. Its back and head feathers are white, and it has a rather bright orange face above its long yellow-orange beak. Its legs are usually pink.

The Australian black-necked stork is unique. It has beautiful shiny, dark green and purple iridescent head, neck, wing and tail feathers. It has a very long black beak. Most of its back and belly is white, as well as white outlining its wings, seen when its wings are outstretched in flight. Its legs are a bright coral red color and the female’s eyes are bright yellow.

The White stork is actually black and white. Its lower wing and back feathers are mainly black, contrasting beautifully with the rest of its body, including its neck and head, which are pure white. It has a deep, salmon-red bill and legs. These storks are among the ones mentioned last week that migrate between Africa and Europe.

The Saddlebill of Kenya, Africa, displays another combination of black and white with pink knees and feet, separated by spindly, grayish legs. Its name comes from an unusual beak which is entirely red except for a broad black band around the middle, as well as a bright yellow patch (“saddle”) which gives it its name, at the top of its beautiful bill.

The Yellow-billed stork of Africa is another pretty stork. It is almost entirely snow white except for underlying back feathers, and its face and forehead are covered by a dark red skin. It has pink legs and some pink feathers during the breeding season. And it has a beautiful bright yellow beak that gives it its name.

It is so amazing to consider just a few of the varieties of storks made by the infinitely wise Creator. He takes pleasure in the creatures He made, and we can enjoy them with Him. One day soon He will be surrounded by people who love Him, who will worship Him as He is worthy to be worshipped, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). It is good to thank Him for all that He has done, even now!

Messages of God’s Love 9/18/2022

The Young Preacher

“That young man there looks very miserable. Look! Look, young man! Look now!” the preacher said, pointing to a young man in his audience. Who was this young man, and why was he so unhappy?

The young man was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. That is a name now well-known and loved by many people. Charles was born almost 200 years ago to John and Eliza Spurgeon. His home was a happy one with plenty of love, where the things of God were taught to him from an early age. When he was 15, he began to realize, with great unhappiness, that he was indeed a sinner who needed a Savior. This particular stormy evening, he was walking in the snow and he was cold and tired. He saw a church and since he wanted a shelter from the weather, he decided to step inside for a bit. In the amazing timing of God, the preacher was speaking from Isaiah 45:22, which is sometimes called “the gospel in a nutshell.” “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else,” read the preacher.

As Charles stood there listening to the message, he was surprised when suddenly the preacher pointed to him and said, “That young man there looks very miserable. Look! Look, young man! Look now!” He realized the preacher was saying the truth, and right then and there he did look to the Lord Jesus and believed on Him as his very own Savior. He said that the peace of God filled his heart then and there with the assurance that “I was His and He was mine!”

Charles’ love for the Lord and His Word grew and grew. When he was only 17 years old, he became a preacher himself, and people loved to listen to him. As a matter of fact, so many people came to hear Charles preach, that for a while he rented the largest building in London to hold the huge crowds, while a bigger building was being constructed for him to preach in. The very first night in this building, with around 12,000 people inside the building and many more outside, he had barely started preaching when someone yelled “Fire!” In those days, they didn’t have good plans or even many exits for emergencies like that, and as the thousands of people tried to rush out of the building, many were hurt and seven even died. The sad part is that there was not a fire at all. It was only a troublemaker trying to disturb the meeting who had called “Fire!”

This tragic event caused great sadness in the young preacher’s heart. For a while he could hardly do anything but cry all day and have terrible dreams at night. But the Lord Jesus is the great Physician, so, amazingly, only two weeks later he was able to preach again.

Mr. Spurgeon went on through his whole life to be greatly used of God. He preached for many years and wrote books that are still helping people today. But Mr. Spurgeon battled his whole life with the sadness that began the night of the fire.

Perhaps one of my readers can sympathize with Mr. Spurgeon. Perhaps you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior and yet you struggle with this same feeling of sadness like he did off and on. We would like to encourage you to talk to someone about this, but above all, talk to the Lord Jesus. You are not alone in feeling like this, as it is a problem many people face. As the preacher said to Charles Spurgeon, “Look to Him!” Yes, look to the Lord Jesus not only for your salvation but also look to Him for every problem that you have. You can be sure that He knows all about your troubles and is right with you to help you with them. The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). That means He cares about us so much that He feels whatever hard things we are going through right along with us. And He not only feels what we go through, but He can help us, so the next verse tells us that we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). You can come directly to His throne, through prayer, and get the help you need. Even if He doesn’t take away a trouble, He is always with you, to help you with everything you go through, every day.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear;

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a Friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Memory Verse: “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
Isaiah 45:22

Messages of God’s Love 9/25/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: At the Ocean's Bottom, Part 1

“In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also. The sea is His, and He made it.” Psalm 95:4-5

Imagine you are standing at the seashore on a lovely summer evening, looking across the water at a beautiful sunset as gentle waves quietly wash up on the sand. What a beautiful and peaceful sight this can be!

Perhaps two or three days later you come to the same spot. Now the wind is blowing fiercely, huge waves are thundering against the beach, and the sky is black with threatening clouds. How changeable the ocean can be, you might think, and you are reminded that our own lives are often changeable also.

But no matter how rough the ocean’s surface appears, if you could look deep down into the ocean, you would find it calm and undisturbed by the turmoil overhead. Perhaps such a contrast should cause us to realize that when troubles come into our lives, we also should find it possible to be calm, by casting all our cares upon the Savior who tells us to do this. We can be encouraged by these wonderful reminders from God’s Word: “O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto [You]? or to [Your] faithfulness round about [You]? [You rule] the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, [You still] them” (Psalm 89:8-9).

More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by the oceans. The largest ocean is the Pacific, covering more than one-third of the surface of the earth. Before underwater explorations were made, it was generally thought that the floor of the oceans was almost level, but researchers have since discovered amazing facts about what is below the surface. It is now known that the floor of the Pacific is mostly rough and irregular, having mountains and deep valleys in many places never seen from above.

If Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain with its peak five and a half miles above sea level, were placed in the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, it would still be completely covered by more than a mile of salt water. The ocean at that point is close to seven miles deep!

In other parts of the same ocean where the water is not so deep, many of the underwater mountains break through the surface, causing the upper parts of them to appear as islands. The highest of these is the island of Hawaii, surrounded by other beautiful, lower ones, including Oahu, Maui, Kauai and others, extending all the way to Midway Island.

These things all speak majestically of God’s wonderful creation, and we will look at them further in the next few articles.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 9/25/2022

The Abandoned Well

“HELP! HELP!” Carl and Bruce called as loudly as they could. “GET US OUT OF HERE — WE’RE SINKING! HELP! HELP!”

Carl and Bruce were in trouble that was completely unexpected. They had crossed an empty lot as they returned home from a friend’s house after dark. Over the years Carl and Bruce had spent many happy hours in this abandoned field along with lots of other children, hiding, chasing, climbing trees and inventing games to play.

“I can jump farther than you can,” Bruce had challenged that night.

“That’s what you think!” answered Carl. “Let’s both run together and jump when we get to the tree.”

They both ran as fast as they could, and when they reached the tree, they both jumped as far as they could. Bruce was taller, but they both landed together. That’s when their trouble started.

As they landed, the ground gave way under them. They didn’t know it, but they had landed on an old abandoned well. Years before it had been filled in with cans and trash which by now had rusted and decomposed. The force of the boys’ landing from their jump caused the spot to cave in.

“Hey, Bruce, what’s happening? We’re sinking!” shouted Carl with fear in his voice.

It had happened so quickly! Suddenly it was dark, and the boys realized that they were now in a deep hole.

“Let’s try to climb up the sides,” suggested Carl. They tried as hard as they could, but they couldn’t get out. Everything they touched just fell into the hole with them. There was nothing to hold onto or step on. The more they tried to escape, the deeper they sank.

“What should we do?” asked Bruce.

“Call for help, I guess,” answered Carl. “Maybe someone living near here will hear us.” So they started yelling for help as loud as they could.

“SOMEBODY HELP US!” the boys called again and again.

Leah and her mother lived near the empty lot and were sitting in their sun-room reading.

“What was that?” asked Leah.

“It sounds like someone calling for help,” answered her mother. Getting up quickly, she said, “We’d better go see!”

The boys’ calls for help led Leah and her mother to the hole. They were surprised at the deep hole and realized that they couldn’t get the boys out by themselves. So, Leah stayed and talked to the boys while her mother ran home to get her husband. He soon came with a long rope and pulled the boys out. Neither of the boys was hurt, only scared. Within days the abandoned well was filled with sand and rock so no one could fall in again.

Boys and girls, this story reminds me that each one of us is going to have an unexpected thing happen to us someday. One day, each of us will come to the end of our life on earth. But where we go next doesn’t have to be like an unexpected jump into a deep dark hole. The trouble is that our sins have made us deserve to go to a very deep dark hole called hell. But God doesn’t want us to go there. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He talked about how if a person’s animal fell in a well, they would quickly get them out. (See Luke 14:5.) We can all understand that. If you had a pet or a brother or sister you loved who fell into a deep hole, you would do everything you could to get them out, wouldn’t you? And if even we like to help animals or people we love who are in trouble, how much more does God, who is perfect in love, want to help people who are in trouble?

The good news is that the Lord Jesus gave His life for us so we don’t have to go to hell. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God commendeth [or, God shows] His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” There is no greater love than that. God loves us even when we are sinners. If you know that you are a sinner, have you believed God’s wonderful love and taken His free gift of salvation? If you have, then the end of your life will land you in a wonderful place ... with the very One who loved you so much that He died for you, the Lord
Jesus Christ.

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

Messages of God’s Love 10/2/2022

God's Word

Do you own a Bible? If you do, you own something that will last forever! The Lord Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The Bible has been the most loved and the most hated book in the world ... loved by those who know God and hated by those who hate God. Here is one story that shows how the Bible is stronger than all who fight against it.

In 1778, a Frenchman named Voltaire died. He hated the Bible and wrote a whole book hoping to destroy people’s belief in it. He did everything he could to fight against the Bible, and he really seemed to believe that, within 100 years of his death, Christianity and the Bible would have been completely destroyed and that they would be just part of history. But only 58 years later, the Geneva Bible Society used Voltaire’s house to store Bibles and tracts. Just think of HIS home being used to protect the Bible he despised!

If this wonderful Book had not truly been God’s Word, it would have been destroyed long ago. Emperors and popes, kings and priests, princes and rulers have all tried to destroy it. They died, but the Bible lives on. Try to learn a verse from your Bible every day. The Lord Jesus will then use those words to help you on many occasions. Hide God’s Word in your heart. “[Your] Word have I hid in [my] heart, that I might not sin against [You]” (Psalm 119:11).

Messages of God’s Love 10/2/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: At the Ocean's Bottom, Part 2

“[Your] way is in the sea, and [Your] path in the great waters, and [Your] footsteps are not known.” Psalm 77:19

In the last article we looked at the Pacific Ocean. The next largest ocean is the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 3,000 miles wide and its deepest place is 27,493 feet. It has the distinction of having the longest chain of underwater mountains in the world. This range is just over 40,000 miles long. Some of these are higher than the Rocky Mountains but still out of sight under the water. But most of the floor of the Atlantic is simply wide, flat areas in which deep sea channels have made cuts like rivers.

It would take an entire book to list all the islands in every ocean and the details of those islands such as Japan, the Philippines, the Bahamas, Cuba, Iceland, Madagascar and many others which represent entire nations. These islands have become the homelands of millions of people and often supply part of the world’s food.

Most of these islands have been formed in one of two ways. Many are volcanic, that is, they began as exploding volcanoes, breaking through the ocean floor. Over a period of many years with many eruptions, they became higher and higher, finally breaking through the surface and rising above it. Some of these, like the island of Hawaii, are still active volcanoes and are adding to their size through thick, fiery streams of lava.

Other islands were formed by coral that built colonies on underwater volcanic peaks that were no longer active, lifting the summits higher, year by year, and eventually causing them to rise above the surface. There, ocean waves gradually deposited many kinds of matter that decayed and turned into soil. Birds making their nests on these new islands often helped by dropping seeds that took root, helped by the fertilizer of decaying fish and other marine life that had been washed into the coral by stormy waters. Wind and rain also brought deposits of dust and vegetation from great distances, so that in the course of many years, rich fertile soil was formed.

Some people fear that someday the oceans may rise and cover many shores and even cities. But there is a Bible verse that should remove that fear. It says, “Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth ... and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?” (Job 38:8,11). The answer to that question is the mighty God, the Creator of all things, who keeps everything under His controlling power. He it is who controls the boundaries of the oceans.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 10/2/2022

The "Forgotten" Bible

Mr. Meyer was a Christian man from West Germany. He traveled in Russia quite a few years ago, when it was still under Communist rule. One day, when he had finished his work for the day and was returning to his hotel in Moscow, he got lost. He didn’t understand much Russian, so how could he find his way? Then he saw a policeman directing traffic at a busy corner, so he went to him to ask him for directions, speaking to him more in German than Russian. The policeman surprised him by answering him in German. “I learned German during the war,” explained the policeman. “I don’t get much opportunity to practice it. I’ll be taking a lunch break in a few minutes. Can we talk for a few minutes?”

Mr. Meyer was not in a great hurry to get back to his hotel, so he agreed. Soon the two men were chatting happily over lunch.

During the conversation, Mr. Meyer kept looking for an opportunity to tell the policeman about the Lord Jesus. He prayed silently, asking the Lord Jesus to guide him as to what he should do. He knew that if he talked about the Lord, he could be turned over to the Russian secret police. Then any future visits to Russia would be impossible.

Suddenly Mr. Meyer felt the Lord had given him the answer. He had a German Bible in his briefcase. He opened his briefcase and took out his Bible. He knew that this was safe to do since visitors to Russia were allowed to keep anything they owned. “But,” he thought, “how can I give this to the policeman?”

Setting the Bible on the table between them, Mr. Meyer looked at his watch and then quickly got up saying, “I’m sorry to have to leave, but I must get back to my hotel.” Turning to leave, he left the Bible on the table, praying that the Russian policeman would take the Bible home and read it.

Later that evening Mr. Meyer received a telephone call from the policeman. “You left your book on the table in the restaurant when you left today. I have it. What shall I do with it?” he asked.

“Why don’t you keep it for now,” answered Mr. Meyer. “It’s written in German. Read it so that you can keep up with the language. I will be returning in several months and will contact
you then.”

Mr. Meyer returned to Germany and he kept praying for the Russian policeman, that he would read the Bible and see that the Lord Jesus is the only Savior of sinners and be saved.

Finally, he returned to Russia. He called the policeman on the telephone and asked about
the Bible.

“Yes, I have your Bible,” answered the policeman. “I read it every day. Have you come to take it back?”

“Not if you want to keep it,” answered Mr. Meyer.

“Do you really mean that?” exclaimed the policeman. His voice was so happy that Mr. Meyer felt certain that God was working with him.

“Yes, keep the Bible,” said Mr. Meyer. “Keep it as a gift from me that God will bless.”

“God has already blessed me,” the policeman answered. “I have found Jesus Christ, and He is my Savior. What more do I need? That gift is worth more than all the world’s riches put together!”

Isn’t it wonderful how God works? This Russian man who lived where Bibles could not be obtained easily, became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ by reading a German Bible! We can pray for others like him who live in places where the gospel cannot be freely given out. How thankful we should be if we have the freedom to read our Bibles and talk about the Lord Jesus without fear!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior for all sinners in every place in the world. God loves people everywhere and wants them to be saved. God says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). You are a “whosoever” too. Have you called upon Him yet? Can you say, “I know that Jesus died for me”?

“He that [believes] on the Son [has] everlasting life: and he that [believes] not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God [abides] on him”
(John 3:36).

Memory Verse: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

Messages of God’s Love 10/9/2022

John's Trouble

The Bay of Fundy is a very unusual place on the eastern shores of Canada. Tides there are so extreme that in some places the water level can go from nothing all the way up to 53 feet deep, in just 6 hours. When the water is at low tide, it leaves a very big area to explore. Docks that sit at the level of the water at high tide are then 30 or more feet up in the air! Some of these have ladders down the side so you can go down to explore what is often underwater, called the intertidal zone. That ground can be muddy, but in general it’s easy to walk on.

John’s family was taking a trip to visit relatives in the area of the Bay of Fundy. It was a Lord’s Day and they had been to Sunday school and were wearing their nice clothes, but now John and his two brothers were ready for an adventure. Their parents drove them down to the bay so they could go out to explore while the tide was way out. They carefully rolled up their pants and set out on their adventure.

John, who was only 6 years old, was walking along happily when suddenly he began to sink. He had landed on something like quicksand. He tried pulling out one foot and then the other, but he couldn’t budge. The tide comes in very fast there, and if it had begun to come in, he would soon have drowned.

He called to his brothers for help, and thankfully they were able to pull him out. His legs and theirs got pretty muddy, and they got mud on their clothes, but they were all safe.

Have you ever had a happy adventure change to something scary or dangerous? We are glad that John had brothers near him who could help him, but what about you? The Bible says, “Two are better than one ... for if they fall, the one will lift up his [companion]; but woe to him that is alone when he [falls]” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior? If you do, you are never alone, because He is always with you to help you. King David said in a prayer to the Lord, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon [You]: for [You will] answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

Messages of God’s Love 10/9/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: At the Ocean's Bottom, Part 3

“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

All of the continents are surrounded by “continental shelves,” which are areas that extend out from the shore under shallow water that’s about 200 feet deep. In some areas of the world, these shelves extend only about half a mile out from the coast, while in others the continental shelf goes out about 800 miles. It is along these continental shelves that most commercial fish are caught.

Moving out from the continental shelves, we come to deeper ocean waters. It is so difficult to map and explore this area that the ocean floor is more unknown to man than the moon ... or even Mars. If you wanted to explore the ocean floor, you would not be able to explore the deepest places, even if equipped with a diving suit and scuba-diving tanks, because the pressure of the deep water would crush you to death. Very few people have ever ventured into the deepest part of the ocean called the Challenger Deep. They had to use very special equipment.

The little that we do know about the ocean floor is very interesting. Not only do volcanoes break through the ocean floors, but springs of clear, fresh, cold water bubble up in places, and also springs of boiling-hot water. The Creator has designed just the right kinds of sea life to live in each of these places.

In spite of the fact that even most submarines cannot venture into the deepest places of the ocean, the Creator has placed some unusual forms of sea life in very deep water, which are perfectly able to live at those depths. Many fascinating sea creatures live in this place of darkness. One is a jellyfish called the Crossota jelly that looks like a beautiful firework, with many dainty tentacles all lit up in the darkness hanging down from its beautifully lit up, colored center. Another, the Pacific viperfish, has such huge teeth that it can’t close its mouth all the way. The teeth act like a cage to keep their prey from escaping rather than actually piercing their prey. This viperfish has little lights all along its belly. The Strawberry squid, Feather Stars, Phronima Amphipods, Pompeii worms, Bloody Belly Comb Jelly, the Vampire squid, and the Barreleye fish are more fascinating creatures from far beneath the surface of the ocean that you would enjoy studying.

What a happy thought to think of the pleasure our Lord had in creating such a great variety of areas of the world and creatures to live in them, and to know that He cares for those creatures and supplies their needs. He cares about you so much more.

Messages of God’s Love 10/9/2022

Amy's Kitten

Amy was playing in the yard one warm summer evening. She was catching fireflies and putting them into a jar. They looked so pretty lighting up in her jar!

As she chased a firefly that was near the back fence, she saw something crawl between the fence posts. Looking closely, since it was nearly dark, she found that it was a little gray kitten. It was a dirty, skinny little kitten, but as it rubbed against Amy’s leg, she could hear it purring. She felt sorry for it. Picking it up, she carried it into the kitchen. “Look what I found,” she announced. “A kitten!”

As soon as Amy’s daddy saw the kitten, he told her to take it back outside and let it go. She could feed it something on the porch first, but a cat was not going to live in their house. Amy cried and pleaded with her daddy to please let her keep it. Her daddy loved Amy very much and didn’t like to make her unhappy. But he did not like cats. He told her to put it out on the porch for now, and he would think about it.

How could he keep Amy happy without keeping the kitten, he wondered? He decided that the next day he would take the kitten out to Grandpa’s farm and then he would buy Amy a new doll. “That should make her happy,” he told himself.

After Amy went to bed, Daddy went out on the porch to see if the kitten was still there. When he couldn’t find it, he figured it had probably run away. “So I won’t have to take it out to the farm, but I’ll still get her the doll since she will still be upset about it,” he explained to his wife.

She smiled and suggested, “Maybe you’d better look over there in the corner of the porch in Amy’s doll bed.”

Daddy looked, and what he saw was a doll on the floor, a saucer of milk, and the dirty little kitten sound asleep in the doll’s bed.

“Amy put it there,” her mother said. “That’s how much she loves that little kitten. She gave it her favorite doll’s bed. Don’t you think you could let her keep it?”

Daddy did think about it. The next morning he went into Amy’s room and gently wakened her. “You can keep the little kitten,” he told her.

Oh, how happy she was! Nothing could have pleased her more, and she threw her arms around her daddy’s neck and gave him a big hug and a kiss.

We may not feel like we are anything like that kitten, but in God’s eyes we are all like the little stray kitten — lost and needing Someone to love us and take care of us. You see, we are lost because we are sinners, and our sins have taken us away from God. But God still loves us, and He sent His beloved Son to die for us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [believes] in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Those who come to the Lord Jesus with their problem of sin will find that He will welcome them and take away their sins. He never turns anyone away, because He said, “Him that [comes] to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). He washes our sins away; He comforts us and feeds us by His Word. He shows us not only how much He loves us, but tells us that He will keep us and never let us go. One day very soon He has promised to come to take us to the Father’s house in heaven to be with Him forever. What a wonderful Savior He is. He is my Savior. I hope He is your Savior, too!

Memory Verse: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” John 10:28

Messages of God’s Love 10/16/2022

Haile's Cave

Tom, Dick and Jack were cousins and good friends. It was a real treat for Dick and Jack, who were city boys, to spend their summers at Tom’s house in the country outside Albany, New York, where they had many adventures together as they grew up. Tom was older than the other boys, and it was he who knew about secret spots in the woods where they would play together for hours. He knew where the fishing was good, where there were old Native American trails, and where there were neat caves that boys their age could safely explore. And Tom was a great storyteller, too. So, when it rained and they had to stay indoors, the boys would go up to the attic and Tom would tell them about his adventures, including the things he had discovered exploring Haile’s Cave in Thacher Park in the Helderberg mountains.

Finally one summer, Tom’s mother felt the boys were old enough to explore Haile’s cave on their own. They packed a lunch, a flashlight and some matches. Then Uncle Henry drove them out to the Helderbergs. The boys were excited about exploring the cave, although Jack, who was the youngest, almost changed his mind when they peered into the darkness and suddenly a bat swooped out of a cave, scaring them all a little.

It was fun to explore the cave. But after they had gone in quite a distance, Tom suddenly turned off the flashlight, and the three boys were in the blackest darkness they had ever experienced. Tom pretended he could not get the flashlight to turn on again, and Dick and Jack were really frightened. Jack was glad the others could not see him, because there were tears in his eyes. What if they had to try to find their way out in the dark? Would they have to wait for Uncle Henry to miss them and come in with a rescue party?

What a relief it was when Tom switched on the flashlight, and the boys were once again able to see their way through the passageways. And then, how good the sunlight looked as they came to the mouth of the cave!

All three boys had thought during that time of darkness in the cave about how awful it would be to be cast by God into what the Bible calls “outer darkness,” to be in the “blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). The awfulness of being shut out from the presence of God to be in darkness for all eternity suddenly became very real to them. How glad they were that God in love had sent His only begotten Son to be punished for their sins during those three hours of darkness on the cross of Calvary so that they would never have to know the “outer darkness” of hell! They knew that simply confessing to God that we are sinners deserving to be shut out from God’s presence and believing on the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we pass from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. What a joy it is to be in
God’s light!

Messages of God’s Love 10/16/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Oryx

“O Lord, how manifold are [Your] works! in wisdom [You have] made them all.” Psalm 104:24

The scimitar-horned oryx of northern Africa is noted for its spectacular horns slanted in a high curve over its body. Their horns can be 40 to 50 inches long. These pretty animals, part of the antelope family, are about four feet high at the shoulders and, except for those horns, are similar to a small horse. It is mostly white, but with some beautiful reddish brown around its head, neck and chest, and some lighter brown elsewhere.

Another oryx species is the Arabian oryx, which makes its home in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx looks much like its close relatives, only its body is mostly white except for some beautiful black markings. The horns of the Arabian oryx are also outstanding. Straighter and not as long as the scimitar-horned oryx’s, they are still impressive, at up to 30 inches long. The Lord made these animals very specially for living in hot desert climates. Their white hair reflects the desert heat, yet they are also able to capture heat on cold mornings with their thicker undercoat. Their legs also get darker in the winter, to hold more warmth from the sun. Wide feet help them walk more easily on the soft desert sand. Amazingly, they can also go several months without water, getting the moisture they need from their food.

All these oryx species have been the victims of hunters who wanted their horns for trophies. This went on for so long that they almost entirely disappeared from their homelands. Fortunately, zoologists have acquired some for zoos, and these have given birth to little ones in the safety of such shelters. This program included zoos in Phoenix, Arizona, and London, England, and the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, California, where they have done well.

Although scimitar-horned oryx were declared extinct in the wild in Africa in 2000, they thrive in Texas. Thirty-two were introduced there in 1979, and more than 11,000 live in Texas now, making that the place of the highest oryx population of anywhere in the world.

As the beginning Bible verse expresses it, these spectacular animals remind us of the wonders of God’s creation. He made everything seen and unseen. That includes each of us as well, and His Word, the Bible, tells us of His love, inviting us to be His very own children by accepting His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Savior. Have you done this? If not, don’t wait any longer, for He is soon coming to take His own home
to heaven.

Messages of God’s Love 10/16/2022

Grandpa's Bike Ride

It was a lovely day in late May and Grandpa was going on a bike ride on a long trail near the city where he lived. Made where an old railroad track had been, the trail was straight and fairly easy to ride. It crossed some roads here and there, but mostly it was a beautiful, relaxing place to ride a bike. Even though he was 77 years old, he had plenty of energy for this 16-mile round trip that lovely spring day.

As Grandpa was getting toward the end of his ride, he still had plenty of energy and he decided to put his hands low on the curved-down handles of his old ten-speed bike and finish his bike ride as fast as he could. The only problem was that now he was riding bent over, with his face toward the ground rather than toward where he was going.

He stayed on the right side of the path and occasionally checked for others who might be coming or going. Then, unexpectedly, he saw a post just ahead of him in the middle of the path, put there to warn bikers that there is a road crossing the trail. He braked as hard as he could, but in just a second, he was out in four lanes of traffic on a fairly busy road.

Grandpa was in the first lane and about to hit a car in the second lane. He tried to do a sharp turn to the right in the lane he was in, but he was going so fast that instead of turning, he crashed onto the road. The Lord was watching over Grandpa, and all four lanes of traffic stopped right away. Some people simply got out of their cars on the road where they stopped, probably to see if he was okay. Other very kind people came wanting to help ... some offered to call for an ambulance, some offered water, and some just asked if they could do anything. He thanked them but said he thought he only needed to rest. He untangled himself from the bike, got up and got himself with the bike in his left arm to the grass where he sat down. He rested until he felt able to continue on to where his car was, less than a mile away.

Other than some road rash, Grandpa’s legs and his left arm and shoulder were okay. But when Grandpa started to get up from his crash, his right shoulder, where he had landed in his fall, was really hurting. Once he got to the side of the road, he moved his arm a little. Since he didn’t hear or feel anything scraping, he decided he had probably dislocated his shoulder. He swung his arm back hard and thought he got it back into the socket. It seemed to go in, but that shoulder injury was very painful and it took him a long time to get over it completely!

Children, did you know that even grown-up people still have lots of lessons to learn? Grandpa said after this accident that he hoped he learned the lesson he needed to learn. That’s a good attitude to have, isn’t it? Psalm 119:71 Says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn [Your] statutes.” We learn more about the Lord and His ways as we go through life, which is like God’s school for us. If you know the Lord Jesus and you have a problem, He is going to use it to teach you something, because He is a good Teacher. He always carefully measures out the trouble to be just the right amount to help you learn the lesson He wants you to learn. Romans 8:28 is a wonderful verse: “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” God’s purpose is always for our good, and if we love Him, He makes everything that happens to us, even the bad things, work for good.

Memory Verse: “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.” Hebrews 12:5-6

Messages of God’s Love 10/23/2022

Kittens in the Hayloft

Kittens! Who doesn’t love them? Certainly boys and girls do. Our kitten story took place on a farm where kittens were often seen playing in the barn. Daddy had remarked that morning in the children’s hearing, “I think Tabby might have a nest of kittens up in the hayloft.” So of course, when Ned and Polly were free, they climbed straight up to the hayloft to see the new kittens. They could hear Tabby’s cozy “pr-ow” as she “talked” to her babies. Very small answering mews indicated that Daddy had been right — there were kittens here somewhere in the hayloft.

“But it’s so dark!” little five-year-old Polly complained, “and Tabby’s way far back. I want to see them, Ned.”

Now Ned was only six, but he thought seriously as to how they could get to see the kittens. “Wait, Polly! I’ve got matches in my pocket. I’ll light one and then you can see.”

“Oooh, no, Ned! Mamma said you should never, ever take matches! Maybe I’ll tell Mamma.”

“You dare and I’ll — I’ll never show you the kittens!”

So, naughty Ned lit a match and carefully directed its light into the little tunnel Tabby had made. But somehow in the excitement, well, need I tell you the sad story? Within moments the loft was ablaze. Ned and Polly tumbled back and half fell down the ladder, clothing torn and singed. Poor Daddy’s nice barn — all the hard-worked-for hay, harnesses for the horses — all, including dear old Tabby cat with her babies, were tragically swept up in the flames, all because of disobedience.

Now, when God tells children in Ephesians 6:1 to obey their parents, it is true wisdom. It is not a boring rule made to take the fun out of life. God loves children and takes great care so that they may have the protection they need. And His goodness goes much further than this life. He loves you so much He does everything to make you want to come to His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:37,44). If you come, you will be happy forever as God’s own child in His beautiful house called heaven. If you say “No” to Him because, like Ned, you want your own way, there is fire ahead for you — the everlasting flames of hell. We learn things about hell from the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself, the One who suffered the awful punishment for the sins of those who would accept Him as their Savior so that they would never feel those flames. Because God is holy, never accuse Him of being unfair or cruel for sending rebellious sinners to those flames. What more could God do for you and me than to give His own Son to be our substitute? There is no forgiveness for those who refuse that gift. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

Messages of God’s Love 10/23/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Lovely Sunbitterns

“Take unto you the whole armor of God, that [you] may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13

Sunbitterns are found from Guatemala to Brazil. Fully grown, they are about 18 inches in length and have small heads with rather long beaks and necks. Their bodies are plump, and they have pretty tails with brown and black bands across the straight black and white feathers. They have brown, black and white wavy lines on their wings.

While they appear very plain in general, when one of these birds is excited or facing an enemy, the beauty of its feathers shows more clearly as it extends its wings into a threatening posture. Then, hidden orange, black and yellow areas look like huge eyes to their enemies. Who wants to attack an animal with such large eyes? With its long neck, head and beak lifted high, and its tail feathers fanned out too, it looks threatening.

Their nests are made of mud, leaves and grass and are built in the forks of tree branches. If a predator comes near the nest, one of the parent birds will distract it by pretending to have a hurt wing.

Mother and father birds take turns incubating their two or three eggs for about a month. They also share in bringing food to the newborn chicks as soon as they hatch. One reason they nest near water is for the plentiful supply of insects, small fish, frogs, lizards and other small creatures in such places. Just as soon as the chicks hatch, they are fed this kind of food.

The Creator has given this bird the amazing display in its wings to protect it from danger. If you are a Christian, did you know that the Lord has given you all you need to protect you from your enemy, Satan? He has given you the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11) to keep you safe. This armor includes the “shield of faith” (verse 16) which can quench all the fiery darts of Satan. Satan loves to put doubts into people’s minds about God, about His goodness, even about their own salvation. Don’t try to fight that battle alone. Hold onto a verse of the Bible that tells you the truth about whatever Satan wants you to doubt. “Trust in the Lord with all [your] heart; and lean not unto [your] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). The Word of God, the Bible, is far more powerful than Satan.

Messages of God’s Love 10/23/2022

Boat People

Slowly the ship steamed out of sight, and those on the small fishing boat stopped waving frantically to get its attention. Ai-My Chau, her five-year-old son Fun and the others crowded on the small boat sat down again. This was not the first ship that had passed by them without stopping ... and it would not be the last.

These people were “boat people,” fleeing Vietnam when Communism took over their country. Ai-My had made secret arrangements for herself and her son to escape. They were to meet a small boat at a certain place on the coast. This small boat, called a sampan, would pick them up and take them to a larger (50-foot) fishing boat which would take them on to Malaysia.

Even meeting the sampan was dangerous. To avoid being discovered, the passengers would be taken out to the fishing boats in the dark, between 10:00 at night and 5:00 in the morning. They couldn’t take any luggage with them.

Ai-My and her son ended up waiting on the shore until after midnight before the sampan finally picked them up. Then, after much difficulty, they reached the fishing boat where along with 46 other people they started for Malaysia.

Why were these people willing to face so many dangers and leave everything behind? Because they valued their freedom more than their things or even their lives. For them it was worth losing everything else in order to have freedom.

Some days later, serious problems came to the people on the fishing boat. The boat’s engine quit. They had to use a make-shift sail as their only way to get anywhere. Then their food and water ran out. Ai-My decided she would do something she had done when she had been standing on the shore waiting for the sampan to come ... she prayed. She did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. In fact, she had never even heard of Him. Yet she knew that there must be a God and that it was only God who could help them now. She prayed for rain. God answered that prayer and it rained that night, enough so that using the sail to catch the rain they filled two large water cans. “Yes,” thought Ai-My, “there is Someone watching over me.”

Those on the small boat endured many more hard days. For 30 days they drifted wherever the winds and tides carried them, and for 20 of those days they had no food. At least 30 ships passed by them, either not willing to help them or not able to help them. But finally help did come to the watching people. A ship stopped that was willing and able to pick up all of them.

The ship that picked up Ai-My and the other “boat people” took them to Hong Kong. There they were placed in a refugee camp, and it was there that Ai-My first heard about the Lord Jesus. A missionary told her about God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save sinners. “Jesus Christ loves you and He was the one taking care of you,” the missionary told her.

“That’s the God I was praying to,” said Ai-My. “I knew He was there answering my prayers, but I didn’t know His name.”

“Listen to what God is saying to you,” the missionary continued, reading from his Bible. “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else”
(Isaiah 45:22).

The missionary read more from the Bible, explaining to Ai-My about God’s perfect creation, how sin came in and spoiled it, and how all of us are sinners as a result of one man’s sin. Then he continued, “The good news is that God’s Son Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all who would accept Him as their Savior. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He was dying for sinners just like Ai-My. If you just accept Him, then you, too, can have the everlasting life that only He can give.”

Ai-My was saved right there in the refugee camp. Her son Fun was later saved, too. Now they had gained something worth far more than everything they had left behind, because the Bible says, “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
(Mark 8:36).

I hope that you have made the decision that Ai-My and Fun made to be saved. You may not know it, but you are also in danger if you don’t know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. You belong to a cruel master, called Satan. But the good news that Ai-My heard is also true for you. The Lord Jesus came to save you from that cruel master, by paying the penalty for your sins.

Ai-My loved to tell others about the God who loves the “boat people.” He loves you, too. Won’t you accept His Son as your Savior? No one is saved by doing good works or going to Sunday school or anything else we can do. The Bible says it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5). That means that we are saved not because of what we do, but because of what He has done for us because of His great love for us. He is so great that He doesn’t need us to do anything for Him, but He is also so full of love that He wants our hearts, to make them full of love, joy and peace, and so we can love
Him back.

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

Messages of God’s Love 10/30/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Coypu - A Problem

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8

The coypu is a large rodent that looks similar to a beaver. They have webbed hind feet, are about three feet long, including their tails, and weigh about 20 pounds.

These animals originally lived only in South America. However, years ago they were introduced into Europe and North America where they have been raised for their valuable fur, which is called nutria, their original name. For several reasons, some of them were brought to the swamplands of Louisiana over 100 years ago and set free, and they have become a serious problem there as the years have gone by.

One of the reasons they were brought to Louisiana was the demand for their beautiful fur. It was also hoped that they would destroy troublesome plants that were taking over the Louisiana swamps. Although coypu occasionally eat a snail or small fish, they mostly eat vegetation which they devour while swimming or wading in the shallow swamps. But the people who brought them to Louisiana failed to experiment with the coypu before bringing them there, and they soon discovered that the coypu didn’t do what they expected them to do.

The lively animals discovered that just a short distance from their new homes were rice and sugarcane crops, which they really liked. Farmers quickly became unhappy with the damage they caused. If the coypu would have just left the rice and sugarcane alone, the wild, tangled vegetation in the swamps would have supplied plenty of food for them, and it would also have helped hide them from enemies like alligators and eagles.

The biggest problem with these animals is trying to control their ever-increasing numbers. A mother may have eight or nine babies a year. An estimate is that there are now more than 25 million coypus. When fur sales used to be good, it kept their numbers under control. But as people are now buying fewer fur coats, there is a serious question whether the increasing number of these animals will become a problem too great to handle.

This reminds us that often the plans of men and women and boys and girls don’t work out, just as the plans about the coypu didn’t work. This is usually because we think our ideas are good and fail to pray to the Lord for His guidance. Psalm 118:8 says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

Have you put your trust in the Lord and do you turn to Him for guidance?

Messages of God’s Love 10/30/2022

There's An Animal in My Room

One evening a missionary and his wife were reading together in their African home. They were startled by a loud voice calling through the door.

“Lady,” someone called, “tell this poor girl about the good God.”

The missionaries went to the door to see who had come to see them. There stood a young woman whose face was covered with dirt, and her hair was matted and dirty.

The visitor told them that she had come a long way to hear words from the missionary. They invited her to come in and spend the night. She was taken to her room, and then the missionary and his wife prayed together, asking the Lord for guidance to say the right things to this dear girl so that she might believe the good news of salvation.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream. Before the missionaries could move, they heard their guest running down the stairs. The terrified girl ran into the room, breathing hard, and looking as though she were about to faint.

“Why didn’t you tell me there was an animal in my room?”
she gasped.

“There is no animal in your room,” said the missionary. “My wife will go back to your room with you.”

“No! No! It will jump on us!” said the girl, pulling back.

Taking the girl by the hand, the missionary’s wife led the frightened girl gently, but firmly, back to the room. “Now, show me what scared you,” she said.

The girl pointed to the mirror on the wall above the dresser. Then the missionary realized that the girl had never seen a mirror before. It was her own reflection that had frightened her.

“That’s you,” she explained to the girl. “It’s a reflection just like when you walk beside a river and see the nearby trees in the water.”

After watching a few of her motions copied by the mirror’s reflection, the girl was convinced that the “animal” was herself. “I’m so dirty and ugly,” she said to the missionary. “Can I be clean like you?”

The missionary’s wife saw to it that the girl got a bath. Then she washed her hair, braided it for her, and gave her a clean dress. Looking at herself in the mirror the girl said, “I’m clean and pretty now.”

“Yes,” agreed the missionary’s wife, “but only on the outside.” Then she told the young girl that on the inside she was just as “dirty” as she was before. She showed her from the Bible that God sees us “dead in trespasses and sins.” “Each one of us is like that,” she explained to her. “Everyone in your village, everyone in Africa, everyone in the whole world is a sinner. To make things worse,” she added, “God hates sin and sin cannot be in His presence.”

The young woman asked, “Then can I be clean on the inside, too?”

“Yes,” answered the missionary, “but it’s not by taking a bath and putting on a clean dress. The only way that we can be clean on the inside is to be washed by something that can wash away our sins from God’s sight.”

“What will do that?” the girl asked anxiously.

The missionary turned to 1 John 1:7 and read, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin.” She went on to explain to the girl how the Lord Jesus suffered on the cross for the sins of those who believe on Him. She showed her other verses from the Bible that told of the love of God and His Son for sinners just like her.

The girl listened carefully to everything. Then in simple faith she asked the Lord Jesus to wash away her sins and be her very own Savior.

Now she was clean on the inside, too.

“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).

Memory Verse: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

Messages of God’s Love 11/6/2022

Copperheads

Mr. and Mrs. Cameron had been fishing all afternoon, and yet, in spite of their different kinds of fishing tackle, they had not caught a single fish. Over on the shore, though, a small boy was pulling in one fish after another. Finally, the Camerons decided to go over and ask him what he was using for bait.

“There are lots of worms under there,” he explained, pointing to a rotten log nearby. “They make good bait, but they bite your hand a bit when you put them on the hook. Help yourself. There are plenty of them.”

Worms that bite? That didn’t sound right, so Mrs. Cameron decided she had better check up on it. Going over to the log, she lifted it and found ... a nest of poisonous baby copperhead snakes.

In alarm she called to the boy: “These aren’t worms. They’re copperhead snakes! Let me see your hands.”

Sure enough, the boy’s hands were covered with tiny bites and were beginning to swell up from the poison. They rushed him to a doctor who gave him a shot of antivenin to counteract the poison, and the boy’s life was saved. The doctor said that if they had waited another hour, the boy would have died.

Perhaps some of you are doing something just as dangerous as playing with tiny poisonous snakes and ignoring their bites. The little baby copperheads didn’t look dangerous. In fact, they even helped the boy catch a lot of fish. But their bites were deadly.

Perhaps there are “little” sins that you have done. Like the baby snakes, they may even seem to help you in one way or another. A “little” lie to tell your mom you did all your work helped you get to something fun, sooner. A “little” stolen cookie tasted good! You may not even realize that you are a sinner, and you’re getting what you want from your “little” sins. But do you know what the very first sin was, done in the Garden of Eden about 6000 years ago? It was simply the “little” sin of eating a piece of fruit. But it was disobedience to God, and it brought death to the ones who did it, and to everyone in the world. And your “little” sins will also bring you death.

You see, any sin in God’s sight is so horrible that it brings death to the one who does it. But God loves us so much that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. Even baby copperheads can kill, and even what may seem to you to be “little” sins need to be washed away. Thankfully, the Bible tells us that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Messages of God’s Love 11/6/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: The Possum That Isn't a Possum

“O Lord: let Thy loving-kindness and Thy truth continually preserve me.” Psalm 40:11

When an early explorer in Australia first saw certain furry little animals in the forests, they somehow reminded him of possums in England, so he called them “possums.” But if he had watched them longer, he would have realized they weren’t possums at all. Since then, different names have been given to many of them; some are known as lemurs, phalangers and colugos.

But one of these did keep the possum name and is now known as Leadbeater’s possum. It is an unusually pretty little animal with soft, gray-brown fur on the top parts of its body and white on the lower parts of its body. With sharp claws and soft cushions on the toes, it can run safely over smooth bark without a sound. An adult is about 13 inches long including its very long tail, and it weighs less than an apple.

It is a great tree climber and, like most of its kind, can make long jumps between trees with its four legs spread out, to become a living kite. Its long tail acts as a rudder as it glides through the air.

This agile animal nests in hollow trees where little ones are born. For several weeks the tiny babies stay in their mother’s pouch until ready to follow her and learn how to gather food, mainly insects and plants and tree sap.

These possums need hollow trees to be able to survive. The problem is that such trees take over 100 years to develop, and the forests they need for food and homes have become very scarce due to logging and fires. Scientists are working to understand and provide for their needs better, as at one point they were thought to be extinct, and even now are on the critically endangered species list.

Isn’t it wonderful to see how the Lord made these and all animals just right for the circumstances He put them in? We see His perfect wisdom in all of His creation, and you can trust that He also knows just what you need in your life. He is the One you can trust completely. The Bible tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all [your] heart; and lean not unto [your] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Do you need guidance, wisdom or encouragement in your life right now? Go to Him for it. He will never lead you the wrong way, and He can give you just what you need.

Messages of God’s Love 11/6/2022

The Crossword Puzzle

Jenny was propped up in bed looking out her bedroom window. If only she could be outside playing with Patty and John, instead of having to stay in bed. Although she wasn’t sick, she had been in bed for several days now, and she was bored. Over and over again she wondered how she could have been so clumsy as to have fallen out of the oak tree. She had climbed the tree so many times before, and she knew every branch of it, and yet one little slip, and she ended up with not only some bad bruises, but a broken leg! And the doctor said she had to stay off the leg for a whole week, even though it had a cast on it.

She had read all the books her mother had gotten for her, but she was still bored. She looked out the window again. A pair of robins had built their nest under the eaves outside her window. She watched as they made trip after trip with their beaks full of insects for their babies. Watching them caught her interest, and she began to count the number of times they flew past her window. Then she picked up the book she had been reading and tried once more to get interested in the story. But she soon tossed it aside, exclaiming, “I’m tired of books. I wish there was something else I could do for a change.”

Just then her sister and brother came racing in. “Anything we can get for you, Jen?” Patty asked.

“Yeah, I am so bored! I don’t want to read another book for a whole year!” Jenny said disgustedly.

Patty looked around the room for an idea. “What about putting a puzzle together?”

“I’ve done all of them,” stated Jenny.

“What about doing a crossword puzzle?” suggested John.

“Okay,” agreed Jenny, brightening up.

John ran and got the puzzle they remembered seeing in the kitchen. “Here it is, Jenny. It’s a Bible puzzle. It says you’ll need a Bible to look up the answers. Where’s yours, Jenny?”

“In the bookcase over there,” replied Jenny, “and I think there’s a pencil on the table.”

Patty and John left as Jenny was trying to answer the question: “Can you give the name of the brother of Caleb who judged Israel forty years?” She turned to the reference — Judges 3 — and after a few minutes discovered that Othniel was the answer.

Sometimes there was no need for her to search through her Bible to find the right word. For instance, the clue to “34 across” was: “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the ____ of the world.” Jenny knew very well that the answer was “sin.” She had heard Miss Peters in her Sunday school class talk about how the Lord Jesus had died on the cross so that our sins might be taken away. Just last week Miss Peters had talked about 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son [cleanses] us from all sin.”

As she searched for other answers, a card slipped out of her Bible. Jenny looked at it and then felt ashamed. She had forgotten that several months back Miss Peters had given each of them a card with a different chapter to read each day. Once they checked them all off she would give them a special reward. Had it really been that long since she had last read her Bible? She decided to start reading it again that very day.

The next day who should come visit her but Miss Peters. It was not long before Jenny was telling her all about the puzzle and how the card had fallen out of her Bible, reminding her of how she had not been reading her Bible for so long.

“I remember forgetting to read my Bible, too,” Miss Peters admitted to Jenny. “You know what my mother did to teach me a lesson? One day I came down for breakfast as usual, but when I looked at the table, there was no place set for me! In surprise I turned to my mother, who was watching me to see what I would do. Then she said to me very kindly that the spiritual part of me, that part of me that loves the Lord Jesus, needed food as much as my body did. She said that reading the Bible was like breakfast for that part of me. I had always eaten my breakfast before going to school, but for days and weeks I had gone without my ‘spiritual breakfast.’ That taught me a lesson, Jenny. Perhaps your experience will teach you the same.”

“From a child [you have] known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make [you] wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

Memory Verse: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4

Messages of God’s Love 11/13/2022

A Dangerous Ride

Mr. Brewster was building a road to the top of a mountain that was very steep and rocky. Experienced road builders told him it would be impossible to plow this road, so Mr. Brewster knew that the job would be very difficult and even dangerous. But each morning, he prayed that the Lord would keep him and his two sons safe as they worked.

Most of the work was done with a huge bulldozer. Everything went well until they were almost to the top of the mountain. Then one day the earth beneath the outside track of the bulldozer gave way, causing the huge machine to slip and hang dangerously over the side, and then it begin to race down the side of the mountain.

The bulldozer sped down the mountain. There was no stopping it! In the moments that followed, as Mr. Brewster rode that big machine, he prayed harder than he had ever prayed before! If the machine caught a big rock the wrong way, it would flip end over end. If it slid sideways, it would roll over and over down the mountain. Either way, it would mean death for Mr. Brewster.

Thankfully, Mr. Brewster knew that all his sins were washed away in the blood of the Lord Jesus, and if he died, he was ready to meet God. And since he knew Jesus as his Savior, he could pray to God his Father for help. And God answered his prayer. Mr. Brewster stayed on the bulldozer all the way down to a safe stopping place.

Everyone can have the same wonderful Father that Mr. Brewster had. God wants to be your Father through the work His Son did on the cross. God is a perfect Father who loves each of us with a wonderful love, and He has all power to help His children. He loves us so much that He made a way to save us by giving His own Son to die for us. The Bible promises, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). If you know that you have sinned (done bad things), call upon the name of the Lord Jesus right now in prayer, and believe on Him as your own Savior. Then you will have God as your Father, and you can ask for His help in everything you do.

Messages of God’s Love 11/13/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Snails With Mobile Homes

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that [proceeds] out of the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:4

Snails with shells are part of the mollusk family and are related to clams, oysters and mussels. They can be divided into three groups, according to where they live: on land, in freshwater or in saltwater. There are about 43,000 species, with some as small as a grain of sand and others growing to three feet long. They may live from two to 15 years. All have spiral-shaped, hollow shells to which they are attached, although they can extend most of their bodies outside of their shells when hunting for food or moving about.

Most of us are familiar with snails found in gardens. During the night they climb on plant stems and eat leaves and blossoms, but they hide in daylight. Their brown or blackish round shells provide camouflage against birds or small animals that like to eat them. Many other kinds have rather pretty shells and unusual ways of life.

The largest land snail is named the giant African land snail, found originally in East Africa, but now found all over the world except in Antarctica. It grows more than eight inches long, lives up to five years, and lays up to 1000 eggs a year.

Among the saltwater snails are two found in the kelp areas all the way from southeastern Alaska to Baja California. One, the Calliostoma annulatum, is a very beautiful snail. The other is the Calliostoma ligatum. Food for these includes parts of kelp plants and small animals. The Calliostoma annulatum also sometimes eats dead animals.

The Liguus Tree Snail, with many different beautiful shell patterns, lives in trees growing near water in Florida. They are also known as “living jewels.” They eat fungus and algae that they scrape from the bark of the trees where they live.

Some snails live on land and some in water. This reminds me of people who are created to live for God, with heaven as their home, and people who refuse to believe in what God has done for their salvation, who are headed to hell. They may look very similar, but they have two very different eternal homes, just as the snails have two kinds of habitats. They also have different diets. If you are a Christian on your way to heaven, your food is “the bread of life” (John 6:48), which is the Lord Jesus. We can enjoy this food by reading His Word. People who aren’t saved can’t enjoy the Lord Jesus. Their food is only the food that belongs to Satan’s world — bad things that don’t feed the new life a Christian has. I hope you don’t eat bad food, but enjoy the good food that God has given you!

Messages of God’s Love 11/13/2022

The Runaway Tractor

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson lived on a small farm just outside the city. They had three children: Becky who was eight, Randy, six, and Wally, who was just three.

One summer day Mrs. Wilson was working in the kitchen when Randy and Wally came running through the door waving their water guns. They had been told they couldn’t use them inside the house, so they had been busy shooting water on things in
the backyard.

“Mommy, can we water your flowers with our water guns?” asked Randy.

Mrs. Wilson thought that was a good idea; her flowers could always use more water. So she filled their little bucket with water again, and they ran back outside, happy their water guns had a job to do.

It was lots of fun at first, but soon they got tired of it. They looked around to see what else they could do with their
water guns.

“I know; let’s wash the tires on Daddy’s tractor,” suggested Randy.

“Okay,” said Wally, delighted with the new idea. Water guns filled from the bucket again, off they ran for some new fun.

It wasn’t long before Randy and Wally got tired of washing tractor tires, too. Randy had a new idea.

“Wally, let’s climb up and look at Daddy’s tractor.”

Wally thought that would be fun, so Randy helped him climb up and soon the two brothers were sitting in the big
tractor seat.

“I know how Daddy cranks this tractor,” Randy said.

“How?” asked Wally.

“Well, he pushes in that starter,” explained Randy, pointing to the starter button.

Wally put his foot up on the starter button and pushed it.

Now, the tractor was old and almost impossible for even their father to start. But when Wally’s foot pushed the starter button, the tractor started right up! Since it had been left in high gear, it lurched forward and
took off.

Randy quickly jumped off the tractor, but Wally was too scared to do anything. He just hung onto the steering wheel.

Inside the house, Mrs. Wilson heard an engine running that sounded to her like the old tractor. She ran outside to see, and what she saw terrified her! Coming up the hill towards her was the old tractor with Wally standing on the seat, hanging on tight to the steering wheel.

Mrs. Wilson couldn’t do anything to stop the tractor, but she knew Who could help her little boy — she prayed to the Lord Jesus to save Wally.

Right about then the tractor crossed a little ditch which made it whirl around and take off at full speed in the opposite direction. Not far ahead were two tall oak trees, and beyond them was a wide, deep ditch.

Mrs. Wilson started running after the tractor, praying as she ran, hoping somehow to get Wally off the tractor. He was still standing, hanging onto the steering wheel, too scared even to cry.

Then, as the tractor raced by one of the oak trees, the inside of one of its big tires caught the tree. This made the tractor start going up the tree trunk, and it kept going ... higher and higher.

Mrs. Wilson, close behind the tractor, was terrified that it was going to flip over backwards on top of little Wally and herself. She again prayed to the Lord Jesus to save both of them!

The Bible says, “While they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). The Lord Jesus answered Mrs. Wilson’s cry. The tractor stopped.

Mrs. Wilson quickly picked up poor, frightened Wally. She was so weak with relief that she sat down on the ground. With tears streaming down her face, she thanked the Lord Jesus for saving her little boy. Wally hadn’t gotten even a scratch.

Have you ever felt like Randy and Wally did the day their fun almost ended very sadly? They kept looking for something new and fun to do, and their fun didn’t make them happy for long. All the fun and all the greatest things in this world can’t make any of us happy for long. Solomon was a king of Israel that you can read about in the Bible. He was the richest and wisest man who ever lived. He could buy anything he wanted. He was so famous that a queen travelled for about three years or more to come see him. He was so wise that she asked him her hardest questions, and he could answer all of them. With all of these riches, fame, and wisdom, you would think Solomon would be the happiest person who ever lived. But he wasn’t. He found it all to be completely empty. He wrote: “Vanity of vanities, [says] the preacher; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 12:8). That means everything is empty, like a bubble that pops and is gone.

Thankfully, Solomon also knew about the Creator of all things, God, who is the only One who can make us truly happy. He wrote, “Remember now [your] Creator in the days of [your] youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). He was wise enough to know that you shouldn’t wait until you are old to think about the One who created you, God. Solomon’s father David wrote, “[You] will show me the path of life: in [Your] presence is fullness of joy; at [Your] right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Fullness of joy, pleasures forever ... that’s just what our hearts need and want. True joy and pleasure for both now and forever are found only in the Lord Jesus. If you don’t know Him as your Savior yet, believe on Him today. Then walk with Him every day, the rest of your life. He will never fail you and never disappoint you!

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

Messages of God’s Love 11/20/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Inside a Beehive

“Being fruitful in every good work.” Colossians 1:10

A beehive may have 20,000 to 80,000 or more female worker bees, one all-important queen and hundreds of male drones. The activity of a hive centers around the queen. Her job is to lay eggs, and she lays about 1,500 eggs every day. In addition to the queen’s area, the section of the hive set aside as a nursery is also very important. Here the queen deposits the eggs, one to a cell. While she does this, bees given the job of attendants to the queen feed her and keep her spotlessly clean.

Female worker bees have various jobs inside the hive. Nurse bees take care of the eggs until they hatch into larvae. Then they prepare “royal jelly” which is fed to the larvae for three days. After this the diet is changed to pollen and honey, called “bee bread.” When a larva grows large enough to fill its cell, it weaves a silken web around itself, and a nurse makes a wax cover for the cell. About twelve days later a fully developed bee comes out.

Other house female worker bees take nectar and pollen from outside workers, called “foragers,” and pack it into cells. There, worker bees change it into honey, royal jelly or bee bread, according to the need of the hive. Honey is made as worker bees fan the nectar so the water evaporates. Other workers are used as guards at the entrance of the hive. In hot weather they all work to make air conditioning by continually fanning their wings to circulate the air. When it becomes cold, they group together and do activities that raise the temperature just the right amount. Who do you think taught them to do these things?

Some of the eggs produce male bees, called “drones.” Once in her life, the queen mates with 1 to 40 drones, most likely from other hives. The drones have no work except to mate with queen bees. They can’t even feed themselves, so they need worker bees to feed them. That may sound like a good life, but if they aren’t needed or food is short, the worker bees can just kick them out of the hive and they will starve to death.

At the end of two or three weeks, nurses give up their inside work and become foragers, until they die about a month later. During this time each bee collects enough nectar to make a teaspoon and a half of honey.

The busy bees are an example for all of us who know the Lord Jesus. The worker bees work together and are never lazy. This is just what the Bible tells us to do ... not to be lazy but to work earnestly for the Lord Jesus. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, it is good to work with others in things that are pleasing to Him.

Messages of God’s Love 11/20/2022

A Warning Ignored

Over 200 years ago, the Buckingham canal was built in India. (A canal is a man-made river that often flows between bodies of water or other rivers.) The canal was important to the people in that area. It was a long one that was used for transportation, for watering crops and even for drinking water by the towns and villages that it went through.

Since the canal was about 90 feet wide in most places and up to 18 feet deep, ferryboats were used to cross it at various places. The ferry at one village named Vaddeswaram was used constantly by people going to their work in the fields in the morning, and then returning home at the end of the day. It was a cleverly-designed ferry, for it didn’t require any work to take it across the canal. It was simply attached by a strong cable to a large stake in the middle of the canal. By changing how the cable was attached to the ferryboat, the power of the water flowing in the canal did all the work.

The ferryboat in Vaddeswaram was only meant to carry 15 people. There were signs clearly stating this on the boat and on both sides of the canal, but it was not unusual for up to 40 people to use the ferryboat at one time.

One day, a larger number of villagers than usual crowded at the ferry to cross the canal. About 55 people pushed their way onto the ferry and wanted to be taken across. Because of the danger of carrying so many people, the ferryman refused and warned them that to carry so many people would be very dangerous. But none of the people would get off. They argued that the boat had often carried many more people than it was supposed to, and nothing had happened. Still, the ferryman refused to sail. To make a point as to how dangerous he thought it was to carry that many people, he got off the boat and sat down at the side of the canal. The crowd got very angry and some began to curse him. Finally, he reluctantly came back to the ferryboat when he saw that nothing would make them believe him.

The boat began its slow, drifting ride across the canal, moving with difficulty because of the heavy load. About halfway across, the cable suddenly broke. The people were not balanced evenly on the boat, and it began to tip dangerously to one side. The people panicked, and, in their rush, the ferry got completely out of balance and turned over, throwing everyone into the water. The few people who knew how to swim were grabbed by others who could not swim, in their terror. Within 30 minutes, 50 of the 55 people on the boat were drowned, most of them less than 50 feet from shore. Only five people and the ferryman got safely to shore.

The government looked into the incident very thoroughly and decided there had been no fault made by the ferryman. Their final decision was that all 50 people died because they ignored the written warning and the pleading of the ferryman. The warnings were there for their safety, but they didn’t want to listen to them.

It is sad that these people died because they refused to listen to the warnings that were there to keep them safe. The Bible tells us that everyone who keeps the commandment (rules or laws) will “feel no evil thing” (Ecclesiastes 8:5). God’s rules are all for our good! But sadly, not one of us obeys all of God’s laws, for the Bible tells us that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), that is, all of us have broken God’s laws. It also says that the soul that sins will die (Ezekiel 18:4). So, according to the Bible, all of us have sinned and all of us will die. Do you believe that? If you do, there is good news for you, because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Even though we have sinned against Him, God loves us too much to want to send anyone to hell. In wonderful love, He sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, in order to save us from the judgment that our sins deserve. All you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus and tell Him that you believe in what He has done. Don’t be like the villagers of Vaddeswaram who ignored the warnings about the ferry. You now know the way to be saved from the punishment you deserve because of your sins. Have you believed it
for yourself?

Memory Verse: “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments
are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3

Messages of God’s Love 11/27/2022

Goats

If any animal could be the picture of contentment, it would definitely not be a goat! Our goats are no exception. As many people know, goats can get into trouble no matter how hard their owners try to keep them out of it. Usually the reason for the trouble is their lack of contentment.

For one thing, they are escape artists, always finding the weak spots in their pasture fencing or a gate left open by accident. They seem to think that “the grass is greener on the other side,” or at least that their lives would be better without being penned in. But the fences are there to protect them ... to keep them from wandering into a nearby road in front of a car ... to keep them from eating things that are poisonous to them ... and to keep them from getting lost.

In our lives there are “fences” too. They are rules for us put there by God, our parents, or others in authority over us. If we are honest, we have to admit that there are times we resent these rules, and we try to find a way around them. We forget (or ignore) the fact that they are there for our good. It is not easy to remember that “fences” are a blessing in disguise.

That is where thankfulness comes in! Whether or not we understand why our parents or another person over us have a specific rule, we can thank God for the love and protection of the one who has given it. We can also thank the person God is using. Sometimes having a thankful heart helps us understand the reason for the rules.

Another thing that seems to show our goats’ lack of contentment is what happens when we fill their feeders with hay. Instead of standing at one feeder and enjoying the hay in front of them, they constantly move from one feeder to the next — even though the hay is exactly the same. How many times do we become so occupied with what we don’t have, or what someone else has, that we don’t enjoy the good things the Lord has given to us? Probably far too often — more than any of us would like to admit.

We can get impatient with our goats’ discontentment. Why can’t they just be happy with everything done for them? Thankfully, God doesn’t get frustrated with us because of our lack of thankfulness, but it must grieve His heart. Let’s not be like the goats!

“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

Messages of God’s Love 11/27/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: How Much Are You Worth?

“Fear not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
Matthew 10:31

Some years ago it was thought that the human body, if reduced to salable items, would be worth only about a dollar. However, as scientists learned more about the body’s valuable chemicals and minerals, they revised the figure to $150,000! In today’s dollars, it would be much higher than that. Actually, the wonderful way the Creator has formed our bodies makes them priceless!

No one could ever make anything like a human body with its wonderful parts all working together. As one example, scientists speak of genes. These are tiny things called molecules in the cells that help determine, even before you are born, the kind of person you will be and how you will look. Genes help determine whether a baby will develop into a person who is quiet or lively, tall or short, and having a certain color to his or her skin, eyes and hair.

The human body is made up of some 37 trillion cells. Each cell contains 46 chromosomes, and every chromosome has hundreds to thousands of these tiny genes. Do you think these parts, so necessary for life, just happened to come about or perhaps took millions of years to develop? No — that would be impossible! Adam’s body was given all of these important parts when the Lord God created him, and the pattern has been passed on in the human race ever since.

Animals also have cells, chromosomes and genes, although they are not the same as those of a human. The most important difference is that it is only of humans that the Bible says, “The Lord God ... breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). We each have a body, a soul, and a spirit, and all of them will go on forever in either heaven or hell. John 3:16 tells us that if we believe in the Lord Jesus, we have “everlasting life.”

God cares so much about our bodies that He has numbered each of our hairs, and His promise about everlasting life includes the body as well as the soul. He has told us that when the Lord Jesus comes to take those of us who love Him to heaven, He will give each one a new body made “like unto His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).

Will you be one of those who receives such a wonderfully changed body and lives forever with the Savior in heaven? Or will your soul go on forever away from the Lord Jesus in outer darkness? Your genes do not determine the answer to that question. It is a decision you have to make!

Messages of God’s Love 11/27/2022

The Little Grackle

Where we live there are many blackbirds with shiny feathers that look purple in the sunshine. They are called grackles. Noisy, bold, dirty and usually in large flocks, they’re not the nicest birds to have around ... but there is beauty in all of God’s creation. There is beauty even in a grackle.

A favorite nesting place for grackles in the summer is in an unused fireplace chimney. Our story begins with a baby grackle in a chimney near an old hospital.

One morning while the hospital’s caretaker, Tom, was eating breakfast in his cottage, he heard a flutter of wings by the fireplace. With a thump, a gawky little grackle landed in a heap in the ashes, terribly dirty, his eyes full of soot and ashes. Tom carefully picked up the dazed baby bird, cleaned off the soot and ashes and decided to keep the baby bird as a pet. He fed it each day with food from his own plate. After a while, the bird became tame and would fly around Tom while he worked outside. Tom fixed up a protected area in the toolshed where his pet grackle could sleep or come in out of the rain. But when he was hungry, he knew right where to go — to Tom’s cottage.

Tom taught the bird to repeat a couple of words. But the only word that anyone beside Tom could understand was “Jack, Jack.” So, the grackle’s name became Jack.

“Jack, Jack” greeted Tom each morning as he walked to the toolshed. Even Tom’s footsteps were soon recognized by Jack.

Jack was very obedient to his new owner. Tom decided that Jack must have learned a lesson from his fall down the chimney. Evidently in his hurry to get out of a crowded nest, Jack had stepped over the edge and had fallen down that long, dark chimney into the fireplace. If he had fallen down any other chimney, he probably would have died. It was a good thing Jack fell down the chimney of someone who loved birds.

One night there was a severe summer thunderstorm. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, wind whipped the trees, and it rained hard. Tom did not worry about Jack because he was sure Jack was safe in the toolshed.

But the next morning as Tom walked to the toolshed, there was no “Jack, Jack” to greet him. Opening the door, he found that Jack was gone. He must have been so frightened that he flew out into the bad storm.

Tom kept looking for Jack and finally found him, but he looked almost dead. His feathers were wet and he was very cold. Once more, Jack probably would have died if Tom had not found him. This time Tom decided to keep his pet inside his cottage. He built Jack a big cage where he would be protected and safe.

Tom’s love for Jack reminds me of God’s love for us. The first people God ever made were Adam and Eve. They were in a beautiful garden called Eden where everything was just perfect. But they believed a lie from Satan and disobeyed God as a result. God knew what they had done, and He still loved them, but they were scared of Him and hid from Him. He called to them, “Where [are you]?” (Genesis 3:9). We are like that too. Like Adam and Eve, we are far from God because of our sins. Just as He did to them, God is calling to you, “Where are you?” He loves you and wants you to be His own child, even though you have sinned.

Even though God had to send Adam and Eve out of Eden, He never stopped loving the people He made. He loved us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to search for us and to save us, so that one day He could take us to an even better home than Eden where Adam and Eve were ... His very own house in heaven. Just like Tom loved Jack enough to make him a place in his own house where Jack could live, the Lord Jesus has prepared a place for those who love Him in God’s own house, heaven itself. That is the wonderful love of God! When man ruined what God had given to him, He just made a better place for man to be for all eternity, where sin can’t come to ruin things. Have you believed that wonderful love?

Memory Verse: “The Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” Genesis 3:9

Messages of God’s Love 12/4/2022

God Answers Prayer

Joy and her mother, Mrs. Frank, were cleaning out the refrigerator when they came across some Northern Spy apples that Joy’s aunt had given them a little while before. They decided to make applesauce out of them. That night at dinner they told Mr. Frank about the applesauce they had made that day.

He looked at them curiously and asked, “You didn’t turn the Northern Spy apples into applesauce, did you?”

“Yes,” they replied, “because we didn’t think anyone was eating them.”

“Oh,” said Mr. Frank sadly, “I was enjoying them, since they are a rare type and I don’t have the opportunity to eat them often. They remind me of my own Dad eating and enjoying them.”

Joy wanted to cry. She was very sad they had taken away his special treat. She decided she had to get him some more Northern Spy apples. So, she prayed that the Lord would send them more Northern Spy apples, if it was His will. She called five or six local fruit farmers, but none of them grew Northern Spy apples. Even the farmer’s market where her aunt bought them was all sold out.

That night Mrs. Frank offered to call a different local farmer the next day, to see if he sold any. After work, Joy called her mom to see if she had found any of the special apples.

Happily, Mrs. Frank said, “Yes! I called Mr. Brown and he had Northern Spy apples, so I went over and bought two big bags of them! Dad is enjoying them now.”

Joy was so happy! She thanked the Lord right away, who had lovingly answered her prayer in His way and time.

Isn’t it wonderful that we can take ALL our requests to the Lord Jesus in prayer? He cares about us and about every detail of our lives, even the ones that might not seem very important to other people. Trust Him and ask Him when you have something you want or need. He has different answers for our prayers. Not always does He say, “Yes.” Sometimes He says, “No,” but that is because He knows better than we do what is really the very best. Sometimes He says, “Wait,” and we should keep praying until we see the answer to our prayers, or until we have peace in our heart that He will do what we have asked. We can always trust His loving heart, no matter what His answer to our prayer is. “Ask, and it shall be given unto you” (Matthew 7:7).

Messages of God’s Love 12/4/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Interesting Bats, Part 1

“The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Romans 8:21

In North America, bats are active only at night. This is one thing that makes many people, who don’t know how helpful they are, afraid of them. Many people think bats are scary or dangerous.

We might think bats are part of the bird family because they fly. Actually, bats are animals. They don’t lay eggs as birds do but give birth to live babies, usually only one a year, called pups. Bat mothers nurse their pup, just like most animals nurse their babies, for a few weeks. Then the babies learn to fly and take care of themselves.

How unfortunate that bats are so often thought of as evil creatures, for they are one of the most important ways the Creator planned to control mosquitoes and other harmful insects. A single bat can easily eat 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour! So, for example, when you multiply this by the more than 15 million bats living in Bracken Cave in Texas, you reach a total of about 100 tons of pesky insects eaten in just one night. Let’s not harm bats!

Some bat varieties prefer fruit and nectar to insects. The Creator has included in His design for these bats to pollinate plants, fruit trees and berry bushes as they search for sweet nectar. In fact, there are some flowers and plants that would soon be extinct if they were not pollinated by bats.

Many bats hibernate in the fall and winter, after fattening up in advance. However, if they are disturbed and become excited, this reserve of fat is not enough to keep them alive for very long. Well-meaning but uninformed explorers, who bring lights and noise into caves, wake up and excite the resting bats, and many may die soon afterward. Careful “cavers” who know this, avoid caves where bats are hibernating.

In still other instances, people who do not like bats go into caves and kill great numbers with fire or dynamite or other means, not realizing that these animals are actually among the most helpful little creatures on earth. Thankfully, in some parts of the world, bats are now protected, though there are still many things in our world that kill them, such as wind turbines, storms, extreme heat, diseases and fires that destroy their homes.

The Bible verse at the beginning of this article mentions how even the animals (creatures) will one day be delivered from all the bad things sin has brought into this world. That wonderful day is coming soon!

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 12/4/2022

The Hard Question

One Sunday morning I was telling my Sunday school class of young children the story of Adam and Eve. During the lesson I asked, “Joel, have you ever gotten in trouble?”

“No,” he said very solemnly.

“You’ve never done anything wrong?” I asked.

“No,” he assured me.

I asked my neighbor, Michael, who I had seen get in trouble more than once. Then I asked Rhonda. Both of them said they had never gotten in trouble.

Next there was Tony, and he was six. Since he had lived six whole years, I was sure that he must have gotten in trouble. So I asked him the same question. But Tony was sure that he had never been naughty and had never gotten into trouble.

Several more of the children told me the same thing. Robby, my little grandson, was next. He was the second-to-last child to be asked. He was sitting there looking at me with his bright eyes. The class was very quiet. I asked, “Robby, have you ever gotten in trouble?” His answer was the same — he had never gotten in trouble. I said, “Robby, you’ve been at our house when I’ve seen your mommy take you into the other room when you’ve been naughty. What is going on in there, Robby?”

He didn’t seem to know. He just sat still and looked at me.

Now there was only Jason left. “Jason, have you ever gotten in trouble?” I asked.

Jason sat looking down at his hands that were fidgeting on his lap. And finally he said in a very small voice, “Yes.”

“Why did you get in trouble, Jason?”

“I was bad.”

How very hard it is for us to admit that we have been bad. But God tells us that we have all sinned — we have all done things that are wrong. “There is no difference: for all have sinned” (Romans 3:22-23). “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him [God] a liar” (1 John 1:10). So, it’s important to admit that we have been bad and that we need to be saved from our sins.

The children wiggled around a bit when Jason told the truth and admitted that he had been naughty. I said, “Jason, how very nice that you’ve been able to tell the truth. I’m sure that everyone in this class has done wrong things and has gotten in trouble at some time.”

We sat in silence for just a moment. Then Joel spoke up. “Sometimes I tell the truth.” You know, we might as well always be honest with God, because He sees everything we do, He hears everything we say, and He even knows what we think. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him [God] with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). But the wonderful part is that even though He knows how many wrong things we have done, He still loves us just the same. In fact, He loves us so much that He sent His own beloved Son to die on Calvary’s cross and to bear the punishment for all of our sins, to take them away forever. Won’t you admit to Him that you have sinned, and trust Him to wash your sins away? You’ll be very happy because then He will make you one of His children. And someday the Lord Jesus will take you, and all of us who believe on Him, to His heavenly home to live with Him there forever.

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3).

Memory Verse: “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13

Messages of God’s Love 12/11/2022

Collar of Iron

Danny was playing with his toys in the backyard. But somehow playing with his favorite trucks in the sand and crawling through the car tire seemed boring. He wanted something new to play with. Since his parents collected interesting old things, he had some “goodies” to look over. Suddenly, he saw a rusty iron ring. It was the inside ring of a large wooden wheel from an old farm wagon.

Danny rolled his new toy around the patio until he was tired of that. Sitting on the grass, he remembered how he used to put the ring over his head to make a collar around his neck. Small children’s head bones grow very fast in the early years of life, so three-year-old Danny found that this iron collar did not go over his head like it used to without tugging hard. At last he got it on. “Mommy, look at me!” he called.

About an hour later Danny’s father got a telephone call at work. Someone heard him say, “Oh no! What did he do now? Yes, I remember he used to put it over his head. Well, try lathering him up with shampoo. If you can’t slide it off, then you’d better bring him over.”

A little while later Mommy showed up at Daddy’s work with Danny. A dripping, soapy, sad-faced Danny came in with his worried Mommy. Danny did not know whether to laugh or cry, though others looked like they were trying not to smile. He knew he could trust his parents, however, and he stood bravely through the rescue operation. Mommy padded his neck well with a towel and then Daddy slowly cut through the hard metal ring with a hacksaw. Soon a relieved Danny was free from his iron collar.

What a painful prison his “toy” proved to be! This is a good picture of what sin does to us. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Our sins, that can seem so pleasant when we start doing them, make us prisoners, like iron bands from which we cannot get free by ourselves. And sadly, death is what we earn when we sin: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from the prison of your sins and what they deserve.

However, once we believe on Him, we have a new kind of “bands.” They are wonderful bands ... bands of love. “The love of Christ [constrains] us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This simply means that since He died for us and loves us so much, it makes sense that we will love Him and want to live for Him. “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). “Henceforth” means “from now on.” Who will you live for from now on?

Messages of God’s Love 12/11/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Interesting Bats, Part 2

“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Ephesians 2:10

There are about 1,400 varieties of bats throughout the world. They live almost everywhere on earth, except where it is extremely hot or extremely cold. The largest kind, called Flying foxes, has a wingspan of from five to over six feet and can weigh more than two and a half pounds. The smallest bat, the Bumblebee bat, is about an inch long and weighs less than a penny.

Bats are the only animals that can truly fly. (There are some squirrels and lemurs that appear to fly but are actually just gliding from tree to tree.) Although bats are not birds, they have been provided with wings made of thin skin stretched over delicate “finger” bones and muscles, so that their wings are also their hands.

Bats “see” in the dark by producing high-pitched twittering sounds through their mouths and noses. These sound waves strike objects and bounce back immediately to the bat. The bat’s large ears catch the sounds and send them to the brain, where the bat can identify and avoid whatever they “see” in their way, or catch and eat it, if it’s an insect. In this way they not only avoid bumping into things, but they can also identify a moth, a frog or other creatures they catch for food.

So, bats fly with their hands and “see” with their ears, enabling them to find their way through the most difficult places, even in the darkest night. Another interesting fact is that they do not have nests; they hang upside down, holding onto the edge of a rock wall, a timber or other support. Even newborn bats do this without being taught.

Here are just two more of the many varieties of bats:

The greater horseshoe bat found in Europe, and parts of Africa and Asia, has a funny-looking nose, with a horseshoe-shaped fold of skin under it, which may be there to help catch echoes. When it sleeps, it wraps its wings neatly around itself as it hangs upside down.

The fishing bat, especially fond of small fish, locates its prey with sonar and snares it with its exceptionally large feet. The very faint noise of ripples on the water if the minnow is swimming near the surface also helps tell the bat where to find it.

Our Creator God has given us many amazing and unique creatures to enjoy, and He designed them perfectly to do the job He gave them to do. Like our verse says, if you are a believer, He has a job for you to do, too, and He made you for that purpose.

(to be continued)

Messages of God’s Love 12/11/2022

George Muller

“What have I done? My father will kill me!” were the words of 16-year-old George Müller as he sat in a jail cell. George Ferdinand Müller was born in 1805, in the country of Germany. George was not a very nice boy. He was known for lying, cheating and stealing, and the cause of his trouble this time was that he spent the night in a hotel and then refused to pay for it. His father, of course, didn’t kill him, but rather paid to get him out of jail, and after that George began to think a little more seriously about his life. He began to realize he wasn’t headed in the right direction. His father had long wanted to send him to school to become a preacher. Now George decided that might be a good thing.

While at the school, he became friends with a boy his age by the name of Beta. Now Beta was not always a good boy either, but George knew he sometimes met with Christians to sing and read the Scriptures, and he asked Beta if he could join him. Beta hesitated as he wasn’t sure George would like to hear the things taught at those meetings, and he might even make fun of it while there. But the following Saturday found the two boys at the meeting. There for the first time, George heard the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and how He had died for bad young men, like he was. He went home and knelt by his bed and prayed. He asked the Lord Jesus to be his Savior — to forgive him of all the sinful things he had done and to give him new desires.

For the first four years of his life as a Christian, George did not make much progress in his spiritual life. Then he became convicted that he wasn’t reading his Bible the way he should be. He started doing that ... and that began his journey to being the great man of God he became. He would later tell others it was his habit to read the whole Bible four times a year.

Through a series of events, including bad health, George moved to England when he was 24 years old. A year later he met and married the sister of a friend of his named Mary Groves.

It was a common sight in England in those days to see children who had lost both parents, called orphans, living in the streets. There were hundreds of them. They would huddle together to stay warm at night and during the day they would beg, hoping someone would give them a piece of bread. George and Mary Müller cared deeply about those children. After some time of praying and searching their Bibles, George decided the Lord wanted them to give a home to these orphans.

George and Mary opened a home for orphans in 1836 in the town of Bristol. At first, they were able to give 30 girls a home. But more and more girls, and eventually boys too, arrived. Soon it was necessary to buy more homes, which they purchased on the street where they lived. Eventually they were able to buy land farther away from the town and build some large buildings to hold all of their loved children. By 1845 they were caring for 300 children, and 25 years later they had more than 1700 children!

From the very start of this work, George decided he would make his needs, and those of the children, known only to God in prayer. He never told others if they needed money, food or clothing. But George spent many hours in prayer asking God to provide food and other basic necessities for their large family. Sometimes the answer came at the last minute.

One day, for example, the children were all sitting at the table on time for breakfast, but there was not any food in the house to give them. George asked them all to bow their heads to thank God with him for the food. As he said “Amen” there was a knock at the door. It was the baker with an armload of bread for the children. He said he woke up at two in the morning with the urgent sense that he needed to get up and make bread for the children at the orphanage. They were hardly done speaking when the milkman arrived on the porch. He said his milk cart had broken down right in front of the orphanage. His milk would spoil by the time he fixed the wheel that was broken. Could George use some free milk for the children? And so that morning the 300 children saw God provide for their breakfast in an amazing way! How true and wonderful is the verse that says, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

George cared for over 10,000 orphans in his life. These children got a good education as well as learning about Jesus and His love. Mr. Müller continued all through the years in telling his needs to God alone and waiting on Him to provide. When any child grew old enough to leave the orphanage, he gave them a Bible and two changes of clothing.

George often said, “God is real and He can be trusted.” He also said, “Expect great things from God and great things you will have.”

George and Mary took the following verse as their “life verse” as they served the Lord in this way: “Sell that [you] have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that [fails] not, where no thief [approaches], neither moth [corrupts]. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33-34). They gave everything to the Lord, and they trusted the Lord to provide for them as others gave to Him, too.

Children, perhaps you realize you are like George was when he was young — a bad boy or girl. The good news is that you don’t have to stay that way! The Lord Jesus loves you and wants you to come to Him confessing your sins and telling Him you want Him to be your Savior. He will save you and make you a new person, just like He did for George. “If any [one] be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Another favorite verse of George and Mary Müller’s was: “If [you] know these things, happy are [you] if [you] do them” (John 13:17). Are you a happy Christian? If you aren’t, perhaps there’s a lesson for you in
this verse.

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 12/18/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Bats Are Helpful, Part 3

“To every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that [creeps] upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.”
Genesis 1:30

In the two previous issues we have looked at some of the amazing bats found in various parts of the world. There are about a thousand varieties, every one intensely interesting, but of course we can only briefly consider a few. Here are a few more:

The Panamanian frog-eating bat has no difficulty hunting its prey on the darkest of nights. A frog sitting on a log or rock can’t help croaking occasionally and usually plops safely into the water if its croak attracts an enemy. A bat’s ears pick up the croak, and then, even if it’s in the water, their radar is sensitive enough to detect ripples surrounding the frogs. They attack the frog head-on with wide-open mouth and long-fingered hands snatching it away. End of frog.

Another, the leaf-nosed bat, has unusual flaps of skin on its face that are responsible for its name. These seem to be helpful in bringing in the sonar rebounds that help it find its way, as well as capturing insects.

There are many flowering plants that depend entirely on bats for pollination in order to produce seeds that help them reproduce. If these plants were to disappear, the bats themselves would soon die out, as they need the plant’s nectar and pollen. This relationship is called symbiosis. In other words, they need each other and it works out beautifully, just as the Creator designed it.

In Mexico the Sanborn’s long-nosed bat is one of these. It has an extra-long red tongue for gathering nectar and pollen. This bat’s main source of food is nectar and pollen from the agave plant’s flowers. This food is very high in acid, and most bats couldn’t handle it, but the Creator has provided the long-nosed bat with special stomach glands to handle the acid. For a while, the agave plant was being overharvested, and the bats were in some danger of extinction. Thankfully, people have begun to do what is needed to fix this problem, and the bats are not considered endangered anymore.

This can be a lesson in sharing for each of us. The Bible says, “Be ... kind one to another” (Ephesians 4:32). We can learn a lesson from how people are doing what is needed to save these bats. We can learn to think about others who have needs. Our loving Father cares not only for us, but for all of His creation, including the animals, and all of the people in the world. Do we care about others and want to share what we have with them?

Messages of God’s Love 12/18/2022

Ali Grew

When Grandpa was a boy, which was many years ago, he and his family often travelled to Florida for their vacations. It was a long drive for four active young boys in a car with their parents, but it was well worth it to play on the beach and ride the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

In those days, there were roadside stands that sold cute baby alligators. When Grandpa was ten, he and his brothers wanted one of those cute little alligators, and their parents decided to let them buy one. They named their new pet “Ali.”

At first Ali was small enough to keep in a box and they enjoyed taking her out of the box when they wanted to play with her. They played with her like you would play with any fun pet, inside or outside the house. But Ali grew.

Soon, she needed a bigger home than a cardboard box. They had a large built-in cement fish tank in the basement of their home, and so now when they weren’t playing with Ali, that is where they put her. Outside there was a big cement fish pond the previous owners of their house had used, about 12 feet long and 4 feet deep. Grandpa’s family didn’t have fish in the pond, but they had plenty of children, and the boys liked to play in this pool. They had fun taking Ali to play in that pool with them. But Ali kept growing.

Eventually, Ali was too big to play with. Somehow the boys knew that. Her teeth were sharp and her mouth was big. Grandpa and his brothers were afraid to pick her up anymore. If they visited her in the basement and she was sleeping, they might prod her with something to get her to wake up. That is what happened one day that finally ended their time with Ali. They poked her with a broom handle. She woke up, alright. She woke up and snapped at that broom handle. She snapped it right in two. “Oooh!” shouted the boys in delighted fright.

But their mother heard the noise, and she came to investigate.

“What was all that noise about?” she asked them.

They told her about the broken broom handle. Of course, she realized a broken broom handle could very well have been a broken finger or worse! She talked to their father, and that was the end of having an alligator as a pet. Thankfully, the nearby zoo was kind enough to take Ali and care for her.

Yes, children, small, cute, dangerous animals grow up to be large, not-so-cute and very dangerous animals. That is how sin is. At first, we may think we can play around with things that our parents or our consciences tell us are not good for us. Some children get into very bad things at a young age. At first, these bad things may seem to give them some happy feelings. But with time, those habits of sin grow bigger and stronger, until they can completely destroy a person’s life. Be wise! Don’t get into things that you know, or your parents tell you, aren’t good for you. The Lord Jesus has a wonderful path for you to take through the world, and He will guide you into that path.

You don’t have to experience the pain which the dangerous sins of this life will give you. But even if you already have gotten hurt by sin, you can trust the Lord Jesus to help you and deliver you from even the most dangerous sins. He is stronger than all the enemies in the world, all the sins that we have done or that others have done to us. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). If you have sin in your life, don’t be afraid to tell Him about it. He knows about it already, and He can deliver you from it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). His blood is enough to wash away the worst sins there are.

Memory Verse: “Greater is He that is in you, than he that
is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Messages of God’s Love 12/25/2022

Bad Thoughts

A young Christian once said to a wise older Christian, “I am bothered with bad thoughts.”

“My boy,” replied the older man, “if birds fly around your head, you can’t help it, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

If you had a grapevine, tender and green,

Growing taller and taller each day,

And a little fox tried to spoil your vine,

You’d drive that fox away!

If you have a heart washed clean from sin,

And you’d grow more like Jesus each day,

If bad thoughts try to spoil your life,

Seek to drive those thoughts away!

“But how?” you might ask. Fill your mind with good things. Fill it with the Word of God. And think about the Lord Jesus Christ, who overcame all the power of evil at the cross, who rose again, and who lives for you in heaven. Look to Him, knowing you can’t help yourself. Trusting Him, go on with your heart resting on Him, who gives strength when there is trust in Him, and a sense of your
own weakness.

Messages of God’s Love 12/25/2022

Wonders of God's Creation: Father of a Slipper, or Shoebill

“[God does] great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number.” Job 5:9

One of the strangest-looking birds lives in tropical east Africa. It was called father of a slipper by ancient Arabs, perhaps because its huge eight-inch-long bill looked like the slippers they wore. The name was later changed to shoebill.

The shoebill is a relative of the stork. Its massive five-foot-tall body is covered with coarse, gray feathers. It has wings up to eight feet wide and long legs. Wading through swamps, it feeds on frogs, snakes, fish and even baby alligators. It often points its large head skyward, snapping its oversized bill open and closed rapidly, making a racket that sounds like a machine gun. In spite of its rather awe-inspiring appearance and sound, it is harmless to humans.

Shoebills are quiet, mostly solitary birds, not feeding or nesting close to other shoebills. Even the male and female of a pair seem to prefer to stay in opposite ends of their shared territory.

Shoebills lay 1-3 eggs on huge, floating nests, which they incubate for 30 days. Only one of the chicks is usually raised to maturity. The chick to hatch first is usually the one that survives, and it will even drive another chick from the nest. Both parents take care of their chick, feeding it whole food that comes straight from their belly into the chick’s mouth.

Though the shoebill seems like one of the world’s strangest creatures, we know it is part of God’s creation. Unusual and strange to us, we can be sure that God had a purpose for it, and it gave Him pleasure to create it.

Speaking of shoes, it is interesting to think about them in another way. For instance, some shoes have a tongue, and so do we. Many Bible verses speak of using our tongues in the right way. Here is one: “Keep [your] tongue from evil, and [your] lips from speaking guile [bad things]” (Psalm 34:13).

In many ways the sole is the most important part of a shoe, and the soul is the most important part of every person. It is only by faith that our souls will enter an eternity in heaven. How wise is the Bible verse that tells us, “Set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). Does your heart and soul seek for Him?

Messages of God’s Love 12/25/2022

Messages of God's Love: 2022

Table of Contents

Snowy Flight

A Question for You

Wonders of God's Creation: Sea Turtles, Part 3

God Knows Your Size

Gumballs Out of Dirt?

Wonders of God's Creation: Gorgeous Toucans

Rescued!

The Flower Clock

Wonders of God's Creation

Two Brave Fireman

Mr. Woodpecker's Nest

Wonders of God's Creation: Had Your Copper Today?

Lost in the Mountains

Wonders of God's Creation: Unusual Heads on Birds

What Andy Heard

Wonders of God's Creation: You Are Something Special

The Accident

Messages of God's Love: Little-Known Takins

Stuck!

Do You Belong?

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 1

Roadblocks

How Susie Got Saved

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 2

Thundering Hooves

The Keukenhof

Wonders of God's Creation: Enchanting Hummingbirds, Part 3

The Empress's Last Voyage

Wonders of God's Creation: More Than You Can Do, Part 1

Ryan's Walk to the Beach

A Special Kind of Love

Wonders of God's Creation: More Than You Can Do, Part 2

A Foolish Boat Driver

Bob's Ears

Wonders of God's Creation: Tiny Deer

Kevin's Good News

Missing!

Wonders of God's Creation: The Cute Viscacha

A Dangerous Hike

A Dog Named Bucky

Wonders of God's Creation: The Cells That Make Up Your Body

Riding a Gi-Raft to Safety

Are You Afraid?

Wonders of God's Creation: The Kangaroo Rat, Part 1

How the Lord Found Demetrio

Wonders of God's Creation: The Kangaroo Rat, Part 2

Joe the Firefighter

The Birthday Party

Wonders of God's Creation: A Visit in the Riparian Area

Hang On!

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 1

The Call of the Wild

Julie's Kindness

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 2

The Runaway Van

Stuck Kittens

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 3

A Pair of Fuzzy Eaglets

A Toad in Danger

Wonders of God's Creation: Geese Fly High, Part 4

No Higher Than That Peg

Daisy

Wonders of God's Creation: The Lovely Chamois

The Dead Radio

Wonders of God's Creation: Valuable Sulfur

Last-Second Rescue

The Herring's Enemy

Wonders of God's Creation: Three Unusual Animals

The Stolen Necklace

The Wonders of God's Creation: The Babirusa

Fanny Crosby

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 1

Little Rebel of the Woodpile

Bullies

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 2

Adventure in the Woods

Are You Sure You Are Saved?

Wonders of God's Creation: Christmas Island's Red Crabs, Part 3