Jewel # 107 (March 28, 2012)

"And they shall be Mine,  saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up

MY JEWELS."

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren,

Lost for Seven Years

It certainly was a mystery when a cat named Smoky suddenly reappeared seven years after she had vanished from her owner's backyard!  Denise had held out hope that Smokey would return someday.  Even thought she had moved, she still had the same phone number.  Still, she was quite surprised when she got a call telling her that the Animal Control Service had her long lost pet!

"I don't know where this cat has been for seven years!" said Denise.  The Animal Control Service had used a small identification tattoo on the cat to trace Smokey to her owner.  Smokey is slowly getting reacquainted with her owner and new home.  Denise says it is important to have your pet marked with permanent identification.

I wonder if you have Jesus' identification mark on you, showing that you belong to Him.  God can see it, because He sees that you are covered with the precious blood of His beloved Son.  When the call comes to go to heaven, will you go to be with Jesus? or will you be lost forever?  It all depends on whether or not you have that identification mark.

Thankfully, Smokey wasn't lost forever because of the identification mark on her body that showed she belonged to Denise.  Are your sins covered with the blood of Jesus showing you belong to Him?

"The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

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

I love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 106 (March 14, 2012)

"And they shall be Mine saith the Lord of Hosts,

in that day when I make up

My Jewels."

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren  

Catch a Bird

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

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

"Did you ever catch one?" asked Margaret.  "No, I never tried," said her mother. "Didn't you even try?" said little Margaret surprised.  "If I could catch a bird, I'd try!"  And with that she ran into the house to get the saltshaker off the kitchen table.

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

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

Have you admitted to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner, and have you let Him wash your sins away? Have you ever thanked Him for dying for you? 

 "Not by works of good deeds which we have done, 

but according to His mercy He saved us." 

(Titus 3:5).

Love you all,

Grandpa