Jewel # 130 (Jan 29, 2013)

        

"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,

Freedom for a Gray Whale

Every year thousands of gray whales make the long journey from the coast of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico to the rich feeding areas in the waters around Alaska.  A gray whale was making this migration when it swam into lines that were attached to crab pots and buoys.  These lines were both long and strong.  The whale tried to escape the lines by rolling in the water, but its rolling only made the tangled mess of lines around its body tighter.  The tangled lines made it impossible for the whale to find food, because when it tried to swim, it had to drag the buoys and crab pots along with it.  The continual dragging of buoys and crab pots sapped the whale's strength, and the chaffing of the lines cut deep gashes into the whale's body.  Every year some of these wonderful animals get caught in crab pot lines or nets of fishermen.  Sadly, they usually end up dying.

Would this whale be one of them?

The whale tried the only thing it knew to do to free itself by rolling in the water, but that did not free it.  It only made matters worse.  Sinners who try to free themselves from their sins are just as unsuccessful.  It is impossible for a sinner to cut away those tangles and knots of sin.  "By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).  No amount of obeying laws, good works or self-improvement could ever set a sinner free.  A sinner needs the freedom only the Lord Jesus can provide.  "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).  By the grace of God, the Lord Jesus Himself offers to set you free from your sins - if you are willing.

    

A fishing boat was cruising several miles off the souther coast of California when they spotted the distressed whale.  As the boat moved closer, the crew could see that the magnificent creature was tangled and trapped in the lines.  They felt sorry for it and decided to show kindness to the helpless creature by cutting it free.

The crew lashed sharp knives onto strong bamboo poles, which they had onboard.  Slowly and carefully they positioned their boat alongside the huge animal.  The whale stopped its slow swimming and let the boat pull alongside.  Even though it was an untamed creature, it seemed to sense the fishermen were trying to help it.  Several of the crew leaned over the side of the boat and, very carefully, began cutting away the lines.  About an hour later when the last line was cut, the now free gray whale slowly swam in a circle around the boat, as if to say," thank you," before swimming out into the freedom of the ocean.

What a sense of relief this giant, intelligent animal must have felt when it was set free!  Have you felt the great relief that comes from being set free by the Lord Jesus?  John 8:36 offers this wonderful relief for any sinner still trapped in their sins:  "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."  You see, sinners need to be set free, because all of us have become entangled in the lines of our sins.  There are no exceptions: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  When we sin, it's as if a rope connected to the weights of guilt and shame gets wrapped around our hearts and acts as a drag on our lives.  It blights our joys, wrecks our peace, and wounds us in the depths of our souls. "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be trapped with the cords of his sins" (Proverbs 5:22).  And what cruel wounds those cords cause!  Sin is nobody's friend and causes shame and misery in this life and everlasting sorrow and agony in the life to come. 

The Lord Jesus is able to cut away the cords of sin from the human heart, because He went to the cross and bore the punishment for sin's awful shame.  How wonderful it was that the Lord Jesus, the very Creator of the universe, would come and die in the sinner's place!  On the cross, He finished what was necessary that all who trust in Him might be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life.  "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

The fishermen cut the gray whale free from the lines that held it and gave back its freedom of the ocean.  Boys and girls, too, need to be set free from the cords of their sins by the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved for a future, happy life in heaven.  If you will take the Lord Jesus as your very own Saviour today, you will thank and praise Him for the rest of your days.  And you will also have the promise of a home with Him in heaven.

Love to you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 129 (Jan 21, 2013)

"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 Dignified Penguin

"The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works."

(Psalm 145:9)

No other bird goes so far into  the harsh Antarctic area as the penguin, and God has provided everything it needs.  To insulate its body against the fierce cold, it has a complete covering of short feathers that extend down to its webbed feet.  It gets all its food from the ocean and can also drink the salt water. 

The emperor penguin is the largest of the penguin family - about three to four feet tall.  All penguins have wings, but they cannot fly.  Instead, their wings are used as flippers to swim extremely fast underwater.  

Special muscles give these wings great strength.

The emperor penguin does not build a nest.  About a month after arriving on the ice barrier, a pair has a family of just one chick.  Before the female lays the single egg, she goes several weeks without eating.  Then about the middle of May the egg is laid.  She turns its care over to the male and then dives into the ocean to feed, and she is gone for some weeks.  As this is really the beginning of winter in the Antarctic, the male has a difficult problem since there is no nest for the egg.

The Creator has provided a way to keep the egg warm.  The male stands with his feet close together and rolls the egg on top of them.  With the egg securely in place, "papa" pulls a soft pouch of skin down over it making it snug and warm.  He stands in this position - never moving or going for food or water - for two months!

Here is something else amazing.  Although "mama" has been away all this time, on the exact day the chick hatches she comes out of the ocean, her belly big and round from gorging on seafood.  There are thousands of penguins that look just like her mate, but she goes right to him.  Then she takes over, putting her beak in the newly hatched chick's mouth and feeding it from her full belly.  She does this until it can take care of itself.  Meanwhile, the skinny male takes to the water to find the food he needs.

Shortly after the chick is fully grown, it joins others on the ice floes, and the currents carry them north several hundred miles to the New Zealand area or to the tip of South America.  The next May they repeat the cycle all over again.

We know that when the Lord God created the penguin, He made it exactly as it is now, so it could thrive in that part of the earth.  "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth  and in the seas" (Psalm 135:6).

Do you know the One who is your Creator and wants to be your Saviour as well?  That is the most important question.

Love you all

Grandpa

Jewel # 128 (Jan 9, 2013)

"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

Snatched From the Jaws of Death

"YELP!" Steve Gustafson heard a high-pitched cry for help.

The sixty-six-year-old man turned from his yard work and looked toward the pond at the edge of his back yard where the sound had come from.  Stunned, he saw that a seven-foot-long alligator had slithered out of the pond and had snatched Mickey, his small terrier, in its jaws!  He loved his pet and, without a second thought, ran to help.

Steve was willing to risk his life because he loved Mickey.  Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ loves us so much that He was willing to give up His own life to save us from our sins that would land us in that awful place called hell?  He died on Calvary's cross, because He knew that unless He gave up His life, we could never be set free from the awful power of sin and its results.  He was the only hope to save sinners.  And Steve was the only hope to save his dog.

When Steve got to the edge of the pond, the alligator  had already gone back into the water, and all he could see was its tail.  He guessed where the body of the gator would be and jumped like he was doing a giant belly flop off a diving board.  He crashed onto the back of the alligator.  Later he said it felt like landing on a pile of rocks.

Steve knew he had to get Mickey to the surface of the water so the dog could breathe.  He grabbed the hind leg of the gator with one hand, and with his other fist he hit it as hard as he could on the back of its head.  The dangerous creature let go of the dog, spun its head around and bit Steve on the hand.  When the alligator released his bite on Steve's hand, Steve saw his chance and pinned the mouth of the alligator closed against the bottom of the pond.

He held the gator like this for a few moments, until Mickey had a chance to escape.  Then he shoved the alligator away from himself, picked up Mickey, and slogged out of the pond.  The alligator swam off in the opposite direction into the murky water.

Both Mickey and Steve required a few stitches to close up bite wounds.  Steve thought it was a small price to pay to save his pet.  Later a news reporter asked him, "Why were you willing to risk so much for your dog?"

Steve replied, "I had to do it . . . I love my dog.  He is my best friend.  What else could I do?"

The large alligator had completely overpowered the little dog.  There was no way Mickey was going to escape those jaws of death without help.  And Steve was the only one who could help Mickey escape the alligator's deadly hold.  Satan, the great enemy of our souls, has his deadly hold on sinners like you and me.  "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).  Through sin he has sunk his "jaws of death" into us and is attempting to drag us to an eternity of suffering in hell.  He will not let go, and we are no match for him.  There is only one Person who has the power to save us. 

God in love and grace sent His own Son to be that one to save us.  The Son of God became a man with flesh and blood to destroy Satan's power.  "As we are partakers  of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14).  Only through faith in the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, can we escape the jaws of eternal death.

God loves us so much He doesn't want anyone to spend eternity in hell with the devil and his demons.  "The Lord is  . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).  Won't you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have your sins forgiven?  Then heaven, a place of wonderful light, love and joy, will be your home forever. 

Love you all

Grandpa   

Jewel # 127 (Dec 18, 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,

The Ducklings' Rescue

Do you know any songs about ducks?  I can think of two that children like to sing.  One starts like this: "Five little ducks went swimming one day."  Another one is, "Five little ducks that I once knew."  Our story is about six little ducks, and unlike the songs, it is not all happy.

Aaron arrived at work one morning in the spring, and when he got out of his car, he noticed a mother duck acting very strange near the drain in the parking lot.  He went to investigate, but the closer he got to the drain, the more excited the mother duck became, even hissing at him.  He could hear tiny quacks coming from down inside the drain, and then he knew what was making the mother duck so upset.  Her babies had fallen into the drain hole!

Two of Aaron's coworkers arrived, and they pulled off the grate that was covering the drain hole.  Aaron took off his shoes and socks and climbed down into the drain.  He was able to grab the first duckling and hand it out to a coworker who set it on the ground.  But the duckling quickly jumped back into the drain and this time landed on Aaron's back.  That little duckling did not know he was in trouble!

There are boys and girls who have never heard that they are sinners and need a Saviour to save them from their sins.  Just like that little duckling, they are in trouble and don't know it.  They need to hear that the Lord Jesus Christ loves them so much He died for them and that He is offering to wash their sins away in the blood He shed on Calvary's cross.

Here's what happened to that duckling.  Aaron quickly scooped up the duckling again and handed it out to a coworker.  That little duckling was given a second chance.

Now what about you boys and girls who have heard many times that you are a sinner and need to come to the Lord Jesus to have your sins washed away?  Some of you are just like "second chance duckling."  You have heard many times that the Bible says, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).  What are you waiting for?  It's dangerous to wait, because time is running out!  Accept the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour right now and be safe!

While the mother duck paced nearby, Aaron was able to rescue five ducklings from inside the drain.  He heard a sixth one's tiny quacking, but as he listened, the quacking became more and more faint.  He waited for about fifteen minutes, hoping the duckling would swim back to him, but his feet became numb from the cold, and he had to get out of the drain.  Time had run out for that last duckling.  How sad to leave one behind.

What do you think the mother duck did next?  She could not say "thank you" to Aaron, but she stopped pacing and waddled away with the five saved ducklings following.  She headed towards a creek that was not too far away, but far enough away from the danger of that drain where one little duckling was left behind.

Boys and girls, many of you know that the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus is going to come again to take to His happy home in heaven everyone who has accepted the Lord Jesus as his or her Saviour.  The Bible doesn't tell us when that will happen, but it does tell us to be ready:  "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man [Jesus] cometh" (Matthew 24:44).

Just as that one little duckling was left behind, will you be left behind?  

Love you all,

Grandpa   

Jewel # 126 (Dec 3, 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,

Rhinos - Ugly and Mean!

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve Thee, or abide by thy crib [stable]? . . .

wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great?"

(Job 39:9,11)

The unicorn is mentioned several times in the Bible.  While no on knows for sure, some think it refers to the rhino, perhaps because the word "rhinoceros" means "nose-horned."  All rhinos have horns - some have two while others have just one.  These horns actually are not made of bone but are made of hair-like fibers growing tightly together and are very tough and strong.

The white rhino of Africa (the largest) can be 15 feet long, over 6 feet tall and weigh 7000 pounds.  Its massive head has large, trumpet-like ears and huge nostrils on an ugly, wrinkled snout with two horns.  Its hide is thick, tough and warty.

Its loose skin hangs in folds and is the home of many parasites, which attract birds known as oxpeckers.  These birds may spend all day on a rhino's back and sides, providing considerable relief as they dig our and eat the troublesome parasites.  The birds also give warning calls when other animals or people approach.  This is another example of the Creator providing benefits between two creatures that are nothing alike.

These beasts are truly vicious and short-tempered.  They will charge anything crossing their path, be it an animal, person or even a car or train. Although they look clumsy on their short legs, they run as fast as a horse.  It is a terrifying experience to be charged by one galloping at top speed, its feet pounding the ground while it snorts loudly through flared nostrils.

Its front horn, with which it defends itself, is two to three feet long.  Its eyesight is poor, but a strong sense of smell and extra-sharp hearing make up for that problem.  They are lightening fast when charging and extremely dangerous when wounded.  Rhinos are often hunted for their horns, which sell for hight prices on the black market.  Natives who like to carry daggers with handles made from the horns also hunt them.  Although protected by the governments of Africa and Southeast Asia, poachers kill great numbers illegally just to get the horns.  It is feared these animals may someday become extinct unless the poaching can be stopped.

When those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour are with Him in heaven, we will learn and understand why such creatures as rhinos have been given a place in His creation.  Meanwhile we can say, 

"Thou art worthy . . . for Thou hast created all things,

 and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

(Revelation 4:11)

Love you all

Grandpa  

Jewel # 125 (Nov 16, 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,

A Bear Causes a Big Problem

George drove his old station wagon down the unpaved forest road towards his favorite fishing hole. Fishing was one of the things he loved most.  The winding road led through thick forests, until at last he saw the deep, blue lake ahead of him.  What a happy sight!

The road sloped down right to the water's edge.  He stepped on the brakes twenty feet away from the water, shifted into park and turned the engine off.  Reaching over the seat, he grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box and left his bag of sandwiches and donuts on the passenger seat.

George walked to the water's edge and down a shoreline trail a short way to to his favorite spot.  Then he baited his hook with a fat nightcrawler.  The worm wiggled on the hook - nothing like a wiggly worm to attract the fish.  Soon George was busy reeling in panfish, and by midday his stringer was full.  Not a bad morning's catch. He decided to call it quits, and, picking up his things, he began hiking back to his station wagon.

On the way back he heard a commotion - groans and grunts - coming from what sounded like a large animal.  What's making those noises? he wondered as he neared the car.  Then he saw it!  A black bear had stuck its head and upper body into  his car window and was struggling to pull its fat lower body through the window.

George knew immediately: It's after my lunch!  he also wisely decided that it was to late to do anything about it.  He set his stuff down and sat down on a tree stump a safe distance away to watch what the bear would do next.

The bear gave up trying to pull its whole body thorough the window and decided to eat the lunch with half his body squeezed into the car.  He grabbed the bag with his paw and scattered the contents all over the car.  Bit by bit, the bear gobbled up what it could reach.  Then, not seeing any more food, the the still-hungry animal began rummaging, through all the nooks and crannies of the car with his paws, looking for more to eat.  While rummaging, the bear bumped the gearshift lever and knocked it from "P" for park into "N" for neutral.  The car began to slowly roll down hill, gathering speed as it went and heading straight for the lake.

The front bumper of the car hit the water first, then the grill, then the front tires and then water started to fill the inside of the car, rising to the height of the front seat. When it came to stop, the entire car, except for the brown top, was under water.  The bear made a furious tug and pulled himself free and ran off, splashing through the shallow water.

What a commotion the bear had made, and what a problem George had now! It all could have been avoided if only he had closed the car window.   He had a long way to walk to find help.  Then he had to hire a tow truck to pull his station wagon out of the water and tow it back to a car repair shop in town.  Then a mechanic charged him a lot of money to get his engine running again.

How George wished he hadn't been so careless in keeping his car safe.  All he needed to have done was just close the window.  He would have saved himself a huge amount of trouble and money.

Are you being careless with your soul?  God wants you to let the Lord Jesus save your soul so you don't suffer loss - a loss far greater than George's.  The only way your soul can be saved is to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  "If thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved" (Romans 10:9).

What is the result of believing on the Lord Jesus?  Those who believe in their hearts receive the forgiveness of their sins and a wonderful new life that makes them ready for heaven.  "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).  He doesn't want you to wait until you think you can become a better person.  That won't help - you'll still be in your sins.  He wants you to come right now just as you are.  He is the only Saviour because of the mighty work He did on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin and shedding His blood that has the power to wash away your sins.  "The blood of Jesus Christ HIs Son cleans us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Once you are saved, God wants you to keep you heart fresh in His love by staying close to Him.  Of course, someone who loves God will love His word and keep His commandments.  To keep God's love fresh in our hearts, we should be careful to keep sin out.  Sin makes the love of God grow cold in our hearts.  It has the ability to sneak into our lives if we are careless, just as the bear sneaked into the open window of the car.  That is why we need to store Bible verses in our hearts.  "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119:11).  Only by hiding God's Word in our hearts can we have victory over sin.

Poor George was careless.  As a result his lunch was stolen and his car got a dunking in the lake.  Don't be careless with your soul.  Won't you be sure that your soul is safe by admitting to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner and accepting Him as your very own Saviour?  Then if you will hold tightly to His precious Word, you will enjoy God's rich blessings and avoid much unhappiness.

Love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 124 (Nov 2, 2012)

Did you know?  Bee-eaters bathe in dust to protect themselves from parasites.

"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

Birds That Eat Bees

"The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works."

(Psalm 145:9)

There are many varieties of bee-eater birds, ranging in size from six to fourteen inches.  All have pretty feathers in various colour combinations of bright red, yellow, blue, brown and purple.  All of them have a black mask over their eyes.  These unusual birds live in Mediterranean countries, Africa, Australia, India and other tropical areas.  The European bee-eaters migrate south in the winter.

Bees, wasps and hornets make up 80% of the bee-eater's diet, along with a few other insects.  These are captured in the air.  Even the young birds can do this without any lessons from their parents.  Their food being caught this way explains why the Creator gave them long pointed wings and swallow-like tails.  These features enable them to fly swiftly and make quick turns in their flights, so that they rarely fail to capture their prey.

Another special feature about these birds is their long, pointed beaks.  What purpose do these serve?  If they only ate flying ants and and termites, a short, wide beak like a swallow's would do very well.  But catching bees and wasps is another matter, since a sting in the mouth or throat would not only be painful with swelling, but would probably mean death to the bird.  So God gave it a specially designed beak.

Overtaking a bee in mid-air, this bird skillfully catches the bee across its middle, holding it just tightly enough until the bird returns to its perch where it beats its captive against something solid to kill it.  Then the pointed beak is carefully used to remove and discard the stinger and to squeeze out any remaining poison from the stinger end of the bee.  Not until all this has been taken care of does it eat the bee or give it to its babies.  Isn't that an amazing feature of this bird!

We can easily believe that when God Himself created these pretty birds, He gave them their knowledge of how to capture and eat these poisonous insects safely.  This instinct and skill has been inherited by each generation ever since.  If they had had to learn on their own how to safely catch the bees, carefully kill them, skillfully remove the stingers and remaining poison, their mistakes would have caused their deaths, and the species would have died out.

The Bible tells us, "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18).  It also tells us, 

"The LORD searcheth all hearts. . . . If you seek Him, He will be found of you" (1 Chronicles 28:9).

What does He see when He searches your heart?  

Love you all

Grandpa