Jewel # 50 (Nov 28, 2009)

"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,

The Chimney Blackbird

When the weather begins to turn colder, have you ever noticed that blackbirds and starlings collect around the tops of warm chimneys?  If it gets crowded up there, sometimes there is pushing and shoving and squawking among the birds to find a warm spot.

One September afternoon, a blackbird had somehow gotten inside the oil furnace chimney above the roof of our house.  Even though the furnace was off, there was warmth from the morning use of the furnace, and the bird either fluttered or fell to the bottom of the chimney.  But soon it wanted to be out of there!

We could hear the bird fluttering and scratching, but it could not fly back up to the top opening.  It was hopelessly trapped, and we felt sorry for it, as it struggled inside the chimney to get out.

The only way for that blackbird to have its freedom was for us to take apart the top of the furnace so we could reach the bird and take it outside to set it free.   After considerable effort, we finally were able to capture the bird inside the  chimney.

The blackbird was black to start with, but now it was blacker with the soot and filth of the chimney.  We carried it outside to the garden hose.  But even after most of the soot was washed off, that blackbird still remained black - because it was born a blackbird.

You and I each have a sinful nature that we were born with, and we can't change it.  But we can have the soot and filth of our sins washed away.  However, water won't do it, nor will trying to lead a good, clean life help.  Being helpful to our friends and neighbours won't remove a single sin either.  God's Word says, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).  That makes us just as helpless to remove our sins as that blackbird was to get rid of the chimney soot.  But the garden hose was the remedy for the blackbird.  The bird was washed clean and set free.

God and His Son Jesus are offering you and me the remedy to remove our sins forever.  The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shed on the cross has the power to wash us clean from every sin and to set us free.  "The blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).  "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

The blackbird was released - clean and free again.  But have you been released - clean and free?
 Have you been to Jesus to have your sins washed away? 

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
So that not one spot remains?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can for sins atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Nothing good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Jewel # 48 (Nov 22, 2009)

"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,

The Cuckoo Bird

The European cuckoo bird has a strange habit.  When the mother bird is ready to lay her eggs, she doesn't build a nest for them.  Instead, she flies to the nest of another bird who is off hunting for food and lays one egg in that nest.  Then she finds another nest where the mother bird is gone for a few moments and lays another egg in that nest.  She does this until her whole clutch of cuckoo eggs has been laid so each one is in a different nest.

When the other mother birds return to their nests, they don't seem to notice that they have a strange egg in their nests.  They treat it just like one of their own, keeping it warm and protecting it.  But when the eggs all finally hatch, the baby cuckoo bird is larger that the other baby birds in the nest.  And this cuckoo baby gobbles up far more than its share of the bugs and worms that the mother bird brings to her nest for the babies.  The baby cuckoo bird grows big and strong, while the other baby birds in the nest become weak and sickly and many times even die.

Now I'm wondering if those of us who are Christians might have a "baby cuckoo bird in our nests'?  Are we allowing anything in our lives to gobble up the time and energy we should be using to read God's Word, the Bible, and spend time in prayer?  If so, we won't grow strong and healthy in ways that the Lord Jesus wants for us.

This is a good verse to remember to help us get rid of the "baby cuckoo birds" in our lives.

"Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion [power] over me."  (Psalm 119:133).

Jewel # 47 (Nov 14, 2009)

"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,

Defeated Yet Still Dangerous

When Danny Anderson was a young boy, he loved to go hunting for rattlesnakes with his dad.  He gave Danny some good advice: "Never touch a rattlesnake!"  That's very good advice, since rattlers will often strike at moving objects in front of them, and their bite delivers deadly poison from their fangs.  The kind of rattlesnakes where Danny now lives inject a poison that kills living tissue, stops blood from clotting, and can shut down vital body organs.  If the bite isn't treated right away, it can cause death and almost always leaves some kind of scar.  That's why I'm sure Danny wishes he had listened to the advice he got from his dad when was just a boy.

Danny, now fifty three years old, has often seen bull snakes around his property.  They aren't poisonous and are actually helpful to farmers by eating rats and mice.  Danny had never once seen a rattlesnake in the five years he'd owned this property, but they can be found not far away.

One Monday night, he was feeding his horses when a five foot rattler slithered up where Danny and his son were working.  Acting quickly, one of them grabbed an irrigation pipe and pinned the snake to the ground.  While it struggled, the other one grabbed a shovel and cut off the head, hitting it a few times for good measure.  That's when Danny made his big mistake.  He thought, wouldn't a rattle snake head make a nice souvenir?

This rattlesnake reminds me of another deadly enemy of man-kind - Satan.  He was conquered, defeated and crushed by Christ at the cross.  Even Satan's best weapon, death, was taken away from him when Christ was raised from the dead - "Death is swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54).  But that doesn't mean we should challenge Satan or ignore his power.  He is a very clever and sneaky enemy!  He acts  like a roaring lion as he attempts to scare Christians away from faithfulness to Christ and obedience to their Lord.  We should remember the warning of Satan's poison and use the Word of God to resist his efforts.  "Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

But Danny didn't remember his dad's warning.  He said, "When I reached to pick up the rattlesnake's head, it raised up and almost did a back flip and bit my finger!  I had to shake my hand real hard to get it to let loose."  Experts say that the rattlesnake's heat-seeking sensors and touch sensors can both function for a while after death and cause the snake's muscles to react without the brain telling them what to do.  Scary!

Danny would have ignored the little bite, but his wife insisted they head for the hospital.  Ten minutes later, with his tongue already swelling and the snake poison spreading, they reached the nearest hospital.  In minutes he was in an ambulance, heading for a larger hospital where he could get a full, six-shot antivenin treatment.  Two days later he came home from the hospital.

Danny thought it would be fun and quite safe to pick up a rattlesnake head.  Careless people think it would be fun and harmless to go places and do things where Satan still has his power.  He hides his deadly poison in things that look inviting.          

Have you read books or magazines, played games and enjoyed entertainment that has the poison of sin mixed with it?  Danny's wife had the best advice: "Get out of there and head for the hospital right away!"  And it's a good thing Danny listened.  The Lord Jesus gave us the perfect example for resisting Satan, by using His Word to defend against the devil.  You can read about it in Luke 4:1-13.  Notice how many times Jesus says, "It is written," and then quotes the Word of God.

Danny says the next time he sees a rattlesnake he'll kill it, but then he'll grab a shovel and bury it right there!  And you and I should follow God's instruction in Proverbs 4:14-15 when we meet up with sin: 

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

Jewel # 46 (Oct 30, 2009)

"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,

Buried in an Avalanche

Jason Kostner is a young man who enjoys skiing on Mt. Shasta in California.  He is somewhat unusual in that he often takes his dog along.  His dog is an Australian Shepherd named PJ who loves to run.  PJ sometimes even rides the chairlift with Jason up to the top of the mountain.

One day in April when there was still plenty of snow on the mountain, Jason started skiing down the part of the mountain called the "Powder Bowl" with PJ running along behind him.  The Powder Bowl is just south of what is called "Avalanche Gully."

While he was skiing down the slopes, he suddenly felt the snow shifting under his skis.  He looked around and saw that the entire snow-covered mountainside was sliding down in an avalanche!  Just for a moment he was able to see PJ, and the avalanche of snow was curling over the dog . . . then PJ was out of sight.

The next thing Jason knew was that the bank of snow racing down the slope hit him and sent him flying through the air in a cartwheel.  He was able to land in a kneeling position on his skies.  He quickly raised himself and was able to ski out of the path of the avalanche, but he knew PJ was trapped somewhere in the snow.

As fast as he could, Jason made his way to the bottom of the slope where the avalanche had finally come to a halt.  He anxiously scanned the huge pile of snow, but there was no sign of the dog.  He called loudly, "PJ! . . . PJ!"  But no PJ came bounding towards him.   

Have you ever been buried in snow or somewhere else where you couldn't escape?  What a hopeless feeling that is.  The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, and we are buried in our sins:  "There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22-23).  The good news is that there is saving help for sinners: "The Son of Man (Jesus) is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).  And He is searching for sinners buried in their sins right now.  He is the help and hope for sinners.

But how could Jason help PJ?  He knew that if PJ was buried in the avalanche, there was only a slim chance of finding him alive. Avalanche victims have only a fifty percent chance of surviving if they are found within twenty minutes after they are buried in the snow.  But Jason was not willing to give up hope.  He called for help on his cell phone.

An Avalanche Search and Rescue team made up of a golden retriever dog named Cider and his trainer happened to be nearby.  They raced to the avalanche area, knowing that minutes might make the difference between life and death for PJ.  Cider was a little older than a puppy and had been trained in search and rescue procedures.  The dog searched for an hour without picking up any scent.

Then another trainer and his dog arrived.  Kenai was also a golden retriever and had more experience than Cider.  The trainer widened the search area and led the dogs in a crisscross pattern over the snow.

Jason really loved his dog and did everything he could to find him.  He didn't give up hope even when finding the dog alive seemed impossible.  And do you know that God really loves you and is searching for you, and He has not given up hope.  In order to find you, he sent His very own Son Christ Jesus from heaven to this world of sin where, on Calvary's cross, He paid the penalty for sins of every person who would believe on Him as his or her Saviour.

Suddenly Cider picked up a scent and started digging just the way he was trained to do.  Soon the men were helping him dig.  Four feet down into the snow they found the body of PJ.  Carefully they lifted him out of the hole.  His body was limp, and there didn't seem to be any body heat as they laid him on top of the snow.  Then to their astonishment, PJ opened his eyes and looked at them!  He was still alive!

A sense of relief washed over Jason.  They wrapped the dog in blankets and rushed him to a veterinarian who assured Jason that with rest PJ would recover.

You don't have to remain buried in your sins.  If you will truly admit to God from your heart that you are a sinner who needs to be saved and accept Christ Jesus as your Saviour, He will forgive every one of your sins, removing them forever!  Will you let Him save you from your sins?  He is your only hope.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Jewel # 45 (Oct 23, 2009)

"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,

Max Finds a New Friend

The big polar bear just sat and looked at his food and wouldn't eat.  He was so lonely.  You see, Max the polar bear had traveled for many years with a circus, and now they had moved him to the Bronx Zoo.  The zookeepers gave him a nice, new home with a pool in the center where he could swim - everything a bear could wish for - but he was a very lonely bear.  He was used to having other animals and circus people around, but in his new cage he was all alone and sad.  After exploring his new home, he just howled.  Max needed a friend.

Have you ever been lonely?  Even when there are people around, sometimes we feel lonely, because not one of those people is a friend.  But I have a friend who is always with me.  His name is Jesus, and He never leaves me alone, no matter where I go.  He has promised me, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).  Is He your friend too?

Even though there were grizzly bears and brown bears in cages nearby, their noises only seemed to frighten Max.  And there was the other problem too - because he was so lonely, the big polar bear hadn't eaten since he had moved into the zoo.  The zookeepers were worried and didn't know what to do.

Early one morning before the zoo visitors began to arrive, a zookeeper had tried to tempt the bear to eat by giving him fresh meat for breakfast.  But Max would have none of it.  He sat with his snout held straight up in the air and just moaned.  The keeper felt sorry for him and said to him, "Too bad they took you away from the circus, old fellow."

Just then the keeper heard a scraping sound on the walkway behind him.  When he turned, he saw a small, half-starved dog trying to get into the cage.  The keeper clapped his hands and yelled to scare the dog, but it didn't run away.  The dog had smelled the meat the keeper had placed in the bear cage, and he wanted it.

Suddenly the dog sprang forward and squeezed between the bars and was inside the cage.  The big polar bear had been watching them after hearing the keeper talk to the dog.  The keeper expected to see the bear quickly crush the life out of the dog.  Max walked over to where the dog was sitting and chewing on the meat.  The dog was watching the bear out of the corners of his eyes, but he didn't run away.  He either wasn't afraid or he was too hungry.  Max looked down at the dog, and then he lifted one paw and gently put it on the dog's back.  Then he began to lick the dog's head.  The dog kept right on eating.  Then Max lay down and began to play with the dog, and his play was very gentle.  The polar bear's sharp claws never showed as he gently played with the dog.

Once the dog had eaten his fill, he scrambled to his feet and looked around.  The keeper, who had been watching through the bars, thought the dog would run off, but instead, the dog began to play with the bear as though he had known him all his life.  Soon the two animals were romping around the cage, and the dog was yelping with happiness and excitement.  He not only had eaten a good meal for the first time in a long time, but now he had found a play fellow that did not snarl and bite him. This great big polar bear was now his friend, and the dog was now Max's friend!

Jesus would like to be your friend, and He wants you to be His friend.  He says, "Come unto Me" (Matthew 11:28), and He also says, "Suffer [let] the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14).  But most of all He would like to be your Saviour, because He loves you and died for you on the cross.  He wants to wash away all your sins so that you can live with Him in His happy home in heaven someday.  There won't be any loneliness or unhappiness in His wonderful home that He has all ready for those who love Him and are washed clean from their sins.  Have you let Him wash your sins away?  "The blood of Jesus Christ [God's] Son cleans us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

After a while the dog was tired of playing and sat down by the pool.  Max was tired too, and the two very different animals lay down together.  The keeper  left them there to go find another breakfast for the polar bear.  When he came back the dog was still there.  The keeper tossed the meat inside the cage, and for the first time since his arrival, Max began to eat and ate every scrap of food, while the dog sat and watched.  Then the two animal friends curled up and went to sleep, side by side.

Later in the day when the zoo visitors began to arrive, the dog woke up and left the cage.  But he stayed around all day, going into Max's cage every now then to play with him.  The keeper called the dog over to him and made friends with him.  He plans to adopt the dog so Max will have a friend to play with and won't be lonely anymore.

"There is a friend that [sticks] closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24).  Do you know who that friend is?  It is Jesus, and He loves you.  Will you let Him be your friend and Saviour?

Jewel # 44 (Oct 12, 2009)

"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,

Beautiful Autumn Leaves

"Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord."
(1 Chronicles 16:33)

King David spoke these words as he encouraged God's people to praise the Lord for all His wonderful works.  Trees are a good example for they are an important part of God's creation, and in their autumn beauty, they seem to "sing out" to their Creator.

Although many trees keep their leaves or needles year-round, many species drop their leaves in autumn.  But before they fall, there is usually a brilliant and varied display of colour in these leaves.  Red maples and sugar maples, along with oaks, blaze with fiery red, orange and gold; dogwoods turn a shade of purple; sassafras take on scarlet and orange; poplars and aspens become golden yellow.  Other species add their various beautiful colours and make the forest almost appear to be on fire.

Leaves are to a tree what lungs are to humans, controlling the passage of air and moisture to and from the tree.  Chlorophyll in the leaves is like blood to humans, converting the water and air into living tissue.  Sunlight provides the energy for this process.

Under the guidance of the Creator, every leaf is a miniature chemical factory, performing simply and efficiently in supplying sugar as part of the tree's food.  (The remainder comes from the roots.)  Leaves continually give off moisture, which, along with their shade, provide coolness on a hot day.  The leaf's chemical activity absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and in exchange gives off oxygen, so vital to air-breathing man, animals, birds and insects.  Without the forests and other plants of the world, there would not be sufficient oxygen to sustain all this life.

As fall approaches, a small ring of tissue begins to dry where the leaf stem is attached to the tree.  It is at this point, called the abscission layer, that the leaf will separate from the tree.  little by little this layer interferes with the leaf's processes, and soon the green colour fades away as its chlorophyll is cut off.  Then the spectacular colours appear - red, orange, purple, gold and yellow.  These colours have been in the leaf all along, but the green chlorophyll has hidden them.  Finally, the leaves are forced off by wind and rain, and a corky seal closes off where the stem was attached.

What a treat it is to be present when this wonderful colour change takes place.  The Bible tells us, "The Lord hath made all things for Himself" (Proverbs 16:4), and He surely has great pleasure in seeing this lovely display.  However, this beauty is only temporary, but we are assured that "the glory of the Lord shall endure forever" (Psalm 104:31).  All who know Him as their Saviour will be in the presence of His glory (heaven) and beauty for all eternity. 

Will you be there?

Jewel # 43 (Oct 6, 2009)

"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,

THE TWINKLING FIREFLY

"Know unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18)

The firefly is a beetle that is fascinating to all of us.  Seeing their little lights flashing on for a second or two on warm summer evenings is an interesting experience.  They are also sometimes called lightning bugs.  Many children who see them like to catch some in a jar so they can watch them up close as they turn their lights on and off.  In some tropical areas there are large firefly species, and people keep them in bottles to use for light.

Scientists would like to duplicate this kind of heatless light, because it is much more efficient than electricity.  They know how the light is produced, but the chemical reactions, one set to turn on the light and another to turn off the light, are so complex that man has not been able to use them.  We should not be surprised at this, because it is a very special reaction created for these insects by God their Creator.

The firefly begins life in the ground; even its eggs have a glow to them.  Before it is ready to fly, it develops into a glowworm.  You may have seen these shining as they crawl around looking for food.

There is another illuminated insect found in some caves in New Zealand.  This little fly, while still in the worm stage, gathers in groups of several thousand on the ceilings of caves and glows in the darkness.  After attaching itself to the roof of the cave, a two-foot long string drops from its mouth with small, sticky balls on it.  It waits in the darkness with its taillight glowing, until it feels a victim struggling to get loose from one of the sticky balls.  Pulling it up, it eats the victim along with the string.  Then it lets down a new string.

There are over 500,000 species of insects throughout the world, and God has made each one different.  This variety speaks of His handiwork and never-tiring care over them.  All these little creatures, as we see them today, are the same as they were the day they were created thousands of years ago.  God designed each one to reproduce after its kind.  Furthermore, they always obey His laws without question, and by doing so every need is provided for.

These lighted creatures remind us that the Lord Jesus was announced as the true light of the world.  God has given His people a special kind of light that He also wants displayed.  His Word, the Bible, says, "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). 

It is only when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour by faith that He brings us "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).  Then we can please Him in our activities and shine out for Him.