Jewel # 89 (July 12, 2011)

    

    

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

(Malachi 3:17)

The Ways of Woodpeckers

Thou hast made . . . the earth, and all things that are 

therein . . . and Thou preservest them all."

(Nehemiah 9:6)

Woodpeckers are pretty birds with barred or spotted black and white or brown and black feathers.  Males may have red or yellow markings on their heads.  Some, like the pileated and ivory-billed varieties, have beautiful tufts of feathers forming crowns on their heads.

Most of their hole drilling is to reach beetles, grubs and other insects inside tree trunks.  They have an amazing ability to hear these insects chewing the wood, and a hole is drilled at that spot.  The bird's tongue darts in to spear the insect.

Their tongues are one of the features setting these birds apart from other birds.  While most have tongues attached in their mouths, woodpeckers have tongues attached to thin, flexible bones passing over the skull and coiling up behind it.  God made them this way because a woodpecker needs to reach far back in the hole to catch the insect.  If its tongue were attached to its mouth, it would not be long enough, so one that stretches out far was provided by a wise Creator.  The tongues of woodpeckers are also specially designed in other ways.  The flicker has a long, sticky tongue.  Any ant, beetle or grub touched by it cannot escape.  Other varieties have barbs on the end to pierce the insect and pull it out.   The sapsucker drills most of its holes in just the outer layers of live trees.  These holes form little wells where sweet sap collects.  The end of its tongue has a brush, helping it to lap up the syrup.

The acorn woodpecker drills holes in trees, fence posts or utility poles and then stuffs one acorn in each hole.  Often hundreds and even thousands of these storage "cupboards" are made to assure it has plenty to eat in winter.

Woodpeckers are very beneficial to mankind, eating millions of harmful insects.  Without their help, many trees would die from the attacks of insects.  Thus they are another example of God's ways of keeping a necessary balance among all things in His creation.

Where do you think these remarkable birds learned how to capture insects hidden inside tree trunks?  Where did they receive the specially designed features of their bodies?  The Creator gave these abilities and features to them when He placed them on the earth.  The Bible reminds us, "in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10).

This also reminds us that we share in His blessings too.  We are responsible not only to enjoy them, but also to acknowledge that He is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).  He invites us to believe on Him, the only Saviour of sinners, for everlasting life.  "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life life" (John 5:24). 

 Do you have everlasting life? 

Love,

Grandpa

Jewel # 88 (June 27, 2011)

                             

"And they shall be Mine saith the Lord 

of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS."

(Malachi 3:17)

Hachiko and the Shibuya Station

The Shibuya Train Station, outside Tokyo, Japan, is one of the busiest train stations in the world.  Daily hundreds of thousands of people pass through the station doors on their way to and from work.  Outside the main door, on a raised flower bed is a life-size bronze statue of an Akita dog - a sturdy type of large, long-haired Japanese dog.  The statue of the dog is situated so that his eyes are looking directly at the doors.  The bronze on the top of the statue has been polished to a bright sheen by passersby running their hands over the metal.  

If you had visited the station about 90 years ago, in the 1920s, instead of the statue you might have seen a dog of real flesh and blood sitting in the exact same spot.  He would have been patiently waiting for his master to step out of the station.  The dog's name was Hachiko, and here is the remarkable story of the dog and his master.

Dr. Ueno was the Professor of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo in Japan.  In the morning, when Dr. Ueno would leave for work, Hachiko, his dog, would walk with him to the station and watch him go through the doors to board the train.  After the train pulled out of the station, the dog would turn around and walk home.  there were far fewer people back in the 1920s, and the roads were not as congested with cars.  Then in the evening, a little bit before the train was due to return to the station, Hachiko, who had an uncanny sense of time, would leave home and walk back to the train station to await his master's arrival.  The dog would position himself near the flower bed in order to keep a vigilant eye on the double doors of the station.  When the dog saw his master, he would jump for joy, prance up to Dr. Ueno, and give him a hearty welcome.  Then the two, happy to be together, would stroll home.

One morning, Dr. Ueno said good bye to the dog at the station, never suspecting it would be for the last time.  Later in the day, while teaching at the University, he suffered a major stroke and suddenly died.  Hachiko had no way of understanding his master had passed away, and he went to meet him at the train station.  When his owner didn't show up, the dog continued to wait for him at the train station through the long night.  Relatives of Dr. Ueno found the dog at the station the next morning and brought him home with them to care for him.  They lived several miles away  in a different neighbourhood.  They meant well; however, Hachiko was not happy with his new home and soon ran away.  He made his way back to the station where he felt it was his duty to wait for his master's return on the train.  Day after day, he waited at Shibuya Station, searching the faces of people coming out of the doors, hoping to see the one he loved.  It was a routine the dog would invariably follow every day for remainder of his life.   

For the next nine years, Hachiko took up his post near the flower bed to await his master's return.  The dog's heavy fur protected him in the rain, sleet, snow, and every type of weather.  Friendly shopkeepers, knowing the loyalty and faithfulness of the dog, were happy to provide him with food and water.  Hachiko was a young dog when Dr. Ueno died, and he lived to an old age for a dog, yet he never missed a day watching for his master's return.

Commuters who saw the dog every day watching the doors of the station could not help but admire his loyalty.  When Hachiko grew old, these people took up a collection of money to have a statue made to commemorate the dog that they had come to admire.  The bronze statue that stands outside the station doors today honours Hachiko for his steadfast faithfulness.

Loyalty is a character trait that is highly admired wherever it is found.  We desire friends and family to show loyalty, and we find bitter disappointment when it is lacking.  Perhaps the worst disappointment is when we find it lacking in ourselves.

Would you like a friend who is faithful and true, who loves you and would never let you down?  Of course you would, and I know One for you.  His loyalty far exceeds all others.  In undying loyalty to the human race, He came to earth and gave His life at Calvary's cross.  His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, and although you may be a stranger to Him, He is no stranger to you.  He knows all about you, from the inner workings of your heart to the number of hairs on your head.  He knows your every need and is willing to help in every situation.

The greatest need we have is due to the fact we have sinned and earned the wages of death.  Sin has left a crimson stain on each one of us.  The Lord Jesus shed His precious blood to wash away the stain of sin for all those who believe."The blood of Jesus Christ His [God's] Son cleans us us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).  "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; thought they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

When a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus, the stain of sin on his soul is totally cleansed away, and their debt of punishment is completely paid.  All who believe in Him receive the gift of eternal life."The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Dr. Ueno didn't know he was going to die that last day he boarded the train.  And none of us can say for certain when our last day will be either.  Once this life is over, it will forever be too late to trust in the Saviour.  This is why it is so urgent for souls to hear the gospel message and believe while they can.  We re not guaranteed a long life or even another day.  Right now is the time to believe in Christ, and be saved, because tomorrow may never come .

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Won't you consider the great truth of the gospel and put your faith in Jesus Christ today that you might be saved?  No one can compare to the Lord Jesus Christ in love, loyalty and faithfulness - no one.  Men may disappoint, but the blessed Saviour never!

Love

Grandpa

                     Picture of Dr. Ueno          Statute of Hachko

                      

Jewel # 87 (June 16, 2011)

    

   

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,

Charlie's Bad Choices

Charlie, a boy of about 12, usually kept out of trouble.  He was raised in a Christian home where the Bible was read.  He loved the Lord Jesus, and, in fact, he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour when he was just six years old.

Charlie loved to play football and baseball with his school buddies.  They often played the game of marbles in the schoolyard too.  Boys did that many years ago.  Long before computers and video games were around.  Where his family lived, the backyard of their house was right next to the school yard, so he often found his way there for some of the pickup games going on.

Another game the boys often played was handball.  They played it up against the back wall of the school.

One afternoon in the summer, a few boys were playing handball, and Charlie was just standing by, watching.  After the boys got tired of the game, some of them picked up stones and started throwing them at the school windows.  And you know what happened next . . . some of the windows got broken!

Charlie was standing back from the group, just watching what the boys were doing.  But a neighbour saw what was happening and phoned the police.

After they had broken some of the windows, the boys ran from the schoolyard, and Charlie went home.  However, it wasn't very long before a police car stopped at his house.  Someone had reported that Charlie was with the boys who broke the windows.  Now he was in big trouble!  Make no mistake; Charlie had not thrown even one stone.  But he was with the boys who were throwing them!

He had to learn a hard lesson that his dad and mom drilled into him, reminding him of the Bible  verses in Proverbs 4:14-15:  "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."

The big lesson that Charlie had to learn was to walk away from his friends who were doing things that he knew were wrong and go home when the boys first started throwing stones at the school building.

Boys and girls, you probably can guess that Charlie has never forgotten that lesson, and he has never forgotten that verse either.  It is a good verse for each one of you to always remember and follow.

Love,

Grandpa    

Jewel # 86 (May 30, 2011)

                   

"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 Always-Hungry Grasshopper

"The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt . . . and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees."  (Exodus 10:14-15)

People who live where there are  grasshoppers know about these insects.  Even if you can't see then, you know they are there by the noise they make.  Actually, the noise is not made with their mouths but by rubbing their wings with their hind legs.

A grasshopper is a most unusual creature.  Its head has two long antennae extending forward and curving upward.  Its head, shoulders and other body parts are protected with tough armour.  It has wings that fold smoothly along its back and extend past its large hind legs. 

Locusts are similar to grasshoppers, but that name usually refers to those species that migrate in great swarms and are very destructive to crops, as told in Bible accounts such as the opening verse.  But grasshoppers of the Western world can also be very destructive, as farmers in Canada and the United States will tell you.

In late summer, a female digs a hole in the ground with her ovipositor and fills the hole with foam.  Then she lays as many as 120 eggs in the hole and covers the opening with soil.  The eggs hatch the following spring, and the newborn grasshoppers look like the adults except that they have no wings.  They immediately begin feeding on tender vegetation and grow so rapidly that they soon shed their armour skins.  This is called molting.  They molt five or six times before they reach full size.  Their wings grow to full size during the last molt.

A grasshopper has six legs.  The hinged back legs have strong thigh muscles that power its long leaps.  It can leap about twenty times as far as the length of its own body.  These powerful legs also push it off to fly.

The Creator has not only provided them with the ability to leap or fly away from enemies (ever try to catch one?), but he has also given them excellent camouflage among the green and brown vegetation they eat.

Perhaps grasshoppers are given to us as a solemn lesson, speaking of those who are destructive, creating nothing good in themselves and trying to spoil the truth of God's goodness.  There are many people who fit this description today, and the Bible warns us about them: "There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers . . . teaching things which they ought not" (Titus 1:10-11).

How can we keep from being deceived?  Those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will most easily fall into the snares of such deceivers.  But if you have put your trust in Him, a good answer is also provided: "[Build] up yourselves on your most holy faith . . . keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 20-21).

Love 

Grandpa

Jewel # 85 (May 14, 2011)

  

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

in that day  when I make up "My Jewels."

(Malachi 4:17)

To my dear grandchildren

Saved Through Queen Mary

I first met Alice in 1986 when I visited a nursing home where she was a resident.  Without even greeting me, she immediately said, "I was saved through Queen Mary."  I thought to myself, How did she know that I was a Christian?  It turned out she did not know, but, rather, she just delighted to tell everyone that she was saved through Queen Mary.  I heard her greet many others in the same way that she had greeted me.  Here is her story:

It had happened 47 years earlier, and Alice was then a young woman 32 years old.  She stood outside the gate of Buckingham Palace.  She could see the splendors of the royal residence and wished that she could go in.  The famous guards of Buckingham were like statues; they stood silently with their eyes looking straight ahead.  Alice knew that they were forbidden to speak, but she tried to start up a conversation with one of the guards anyway.  Somehow she got him to say something.  But very quickly a messenger was sent, and Alice was summoned before the Queen.

You can imagine her fears as she was brought into the presence of Her Majesty, knowing she had been the cause of the guard breaking the rule.  However, her mind and her conscience were soon set at rest as she was warmly welcomed and made to feel at home.  Queen Mary spoke to her of the joy of salvation and of the hope of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever felt like Alice, that you were outside looking in?  The Queen saw on the face of Alice that she so much wanted to come inside, but Alice could not go into the palace unless she was brought in by the guard.  God would like to invite you into His palace, but you cannot go into His palace unless you go with Jesus, God's Son.  Jesus Said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6).

If you were brought into God's heavenly palace and you were about to stand before the Majesty of the holy God, would you be like Alice and have fears about the wrong things that you have done?  God has a message of peace for you.  "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31).

The guard who escorted her out of the palace told Alice that the queen had often brought in others to give them the same message of salvation and hope.  She said that it was her job.  If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you have the same job as Queen Mary and the same job as Alice - to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ, your Saviour.  We are told in in Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so."

Have you accepted God's offer of salvation and peace 

through His Son Jesus?  If so, have you told anyone about Him today?

Love,

Grandpa    

Jewel # 84 (April 29, 2011)

"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 Lovely Pintails

"These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their food 

in due season.  That Thou givest them they gather."

(Psalm 104:27-28)

In the large family of ducks, pintails have a prominent place, noted for their speed and handsome appearance.  The females (hens) are rather noisy with their loud quacking, but the males (drakes) use double-toned whistles that are much more melodious.

Drakes' heads are usually reddish brown, with solid-white feathers covering their underparts and reaching partway up their necks.  Holding those pretty heads gracefully, they look like statues on the water.  The hens, like their mates, have slender necks but dull-coloured feathers.  The tail feathers of both extend to sharp points, accounting for their "Pintail" name.  This is particularly noticeable when flying.

Their melodious whistling is on of the first signs of spring when they are preparing to migrate to spots along the border of Canada and the United States and on into the Yukon and Alaska.  In the fall they reverse the flights, traveling far and wide.  Some from Canada fly to England, some from Alaska to far-off Hawaii, and others show up in India, Russia, Africa and Europe, while a large number make shorter flights to California, Louisiana, Mexico and South America.

In the fall months, pintails are among the first to leave the north, and the following spring they are the first to fly  back.  On these travels, great flocks nest in prairie country in Canada near the U.S. border, north and west of North Dakota, where there is an ample supply of wheat and other grains left on the ground after harvesting.  Some also make California their choice, enjoying the barley and rice grown there.  Hunting clubs, government groups and others are working together, planting separate fields of grain in places easy for the birds to reach, thus providing them with their own private farms in order to spare farmers' crops.

Pintails, along with numerous other ducks feeding in marshy areas, all mix happily together, their many calls blending in a tremendous chatter.  As evening comes, pintails, teals, mallards and other ducks all rise from the ponds or fields in large flocks to find roosting places for the night.

With so many millions of birds in the world, do you think the Creator, the Lord God, can tell them apart?  And does He really know about each one?  Yes, He certainly does, just as the opening Bible verse tells us.  Another verse states it this way: "I know all the fowls [birds] of the mountains" (Psalm 50:11).

He also has His eye upon you and wants you to follow His guidance every moment of your life.  The Bible says, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).  This is the only true and happy way of life.

Love

Grandpa     

Jewel # 83 (April 12, 2011)

"But 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 Barbary Ape

"The eyes of all wait upon Thee. . . .  Thou openest Thine hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing."  (Psalm 145:15-16)

Its fun to watch monkeys in the zoo, especially when they do tricks their trainers have taught them.  Even King Solomon found them interesting and brought some to Jerusalem, probably as part of his zoo.

There are many species of monkeys and apes in God's creation, and He has supplied everything they need.  Since they do look a little like humans, some people think that humans and monkeys are related, but the Bible assures us this is not so.  There are many differences, both in body structure and intelligence.  Apes and monkeys are part of the animal creation.  Man was formed separately and is distinct and superior to all other created things.   The Bible says, "God created man in His [God's] own image" (Genesis 1:27). 

The Barbary ape is actually a monkey rather than an ape.  It is a native of Africa but is also a famous resident of the Rock of Gibraltar where it was found when the British came there in 1704.  These apes live in large colonies of several dozen, with a powerful male as their leader.  He is responsible for the behaviour of those in his colony, although the young ones being full of play and mischief are given lots of freedom.  Babies are lovingly nursed by their mothers and cling to their mothers' fur for the first few weeks of life.  They eventually grow to be about three feet tall.  They have excellent memories and are always curious about anything new or strange.

Like most monkeys, the Barbary ape is a great climber and very acrobatic even though it has no tail.  Most of its time is spent searching for food, which includes fruit, leaves, roots, seeds, locusts and lizards.  Its sense of smell is poor, but its sight and hearing are excellent.

Barbary apes live where there are many dangerous scorpions that have deadly, poisonous stingers in their tales.  But this ape has no fear of them.  When a scorpion is spotted the ape quickly pounces on it in just the right way.  Then the tail with its poisonous stingers is twisted off, and the ape has a scorpion dinner.  How long do you think it took these apes to learn this trick?  Actually, they did not need to learn it, because God gave them that ability when He created them.

We are impressed with God's watchful care over these interesting apes.  But the psalmist was thinking of something even more impressive when He exclaimed, "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:17).  Have you thought of God's loving care in providing a Saviour for you?  He invites you to come to Him through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that you might have your sins forgiven and have everlasting life. 

Love

Grandpa