Jewel # 133 (March 19, 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,

A Hungry Cougar

The family had just pulled into a camping spot, and Lisa, Anne and Jon ran off to explore the new campground.  It was their favorite kind of camping spot, among tall evergreens and near a rushing, ice-cold stream.  They discovered trails through the underbrush as they made their way toward the inviting water.

For their vacation this summer, Dad had borrowed a camper, much to the children's dismay.  They preferred their old tent, camping out like real pioneers.  However, the week so far had been fun exploring Vancouver Island's wild, beautiful parks.

Anne and Jon had just arrived at the edge of the clear, rocky stream when their father called them back up to the campsite.  They really didn't want to go back yet. but they obeyed, after first finding their sister.  Dad had learned from the ranger that there was a cougar in the campground!  It had killed a small dog that morning, and the ranger feared that it might grab a young child next.

A cougar, also known as a mountain lion, is usually 5 to 6 feet long and weighs 100 to 150 pounds when fully grown.  People rarely see it because it usually hides in the deep wild forests during the day and hunts at night.  This powerful animal silently stalks it prey, much as a house cat sneaks up on a bird or a mouse.  It pounces on its unfortunate victim, digging in with sharp claws and fangs, and dragging it down to the ground.

The cougar usually hunts deer, elk and mountain goats, and in the north it will hunt moose and caribou.  But if it is very hungry, it will stalk smaller animals - even skunks and porcupines.  Because the previous winter had been unusually cold and snowy, deer were scarce.  This starving mountain lion had come down from the mountains  to a populated area to hunt for smaller animals.

This frightening news of a cougar right in the campground caused the three children to scramble into the camper, glad for its sturdy walls to protect them.

Before long a shot rang out in the forest nearby.  Soon Anne, Jon and Lisa could see a small crowd gathering down the road.  Hurrying over with Dad, they saw a young cougar, like a giant kitty cat, lying dead in the back of the ranger's pickup truck.  The thin, soft-furred mountain lion looked harmless.  Its ribs were visible through its tawny skin.  For a moment the children were sorry that it had been shot.  But then they remembered the danger while it was alive and were very happy that the forest was safe again for campers and their pets.

This reminds us of the Bible verse, "Be vigilant [watchful]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).  The devil is our enemy, although he would like us to think he is not dangerous.  We can only find safety and protection from him by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as Lisa, Anne and Jon were protected from the cougar by going into the camper.

Have you run to the loving arms of the Lord Jesus?  The Lord Jesus loves you dearly and died on Calvary's cross for your sins, if you will trust Him.  He is waiting for you to run to Him for safety and protection right now.

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust" (Psalm 91:2).

Love you all,

Grandpa  

Jewel # 132 (March 3, 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 

Sturgeons Grow Big

"O Lord, how manifold are Thy works!  In wisdom hast Thou made them all: 

the earth is full of Thy riches." 

(Psalm 104:24)

Unlike the huge fish in South America's warm waters, sturgeons prefer the colder northern waters.  The best known common sturgeon is found mostly in European waters and along the North American coast from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.

Olive-green or bluish-gray in their top covering, they are not very attractive, but they are certainly unusual.  They range from 7 to 12 feet in length, and some species grow to 18 feet.  Twelve rows of bony knobs, looking like the teeth of a big saw, cover their bodies.  They also have armour of bony plates protecting their heads, which taper down to pointed snouts.  Beneath the long snouts they have small, toothless mouths with thick, sucking lips.  When feeding, they push their snouts into the mush of the ocean floor and suck fish, crabs and other shellfish into their mouths.

Only a few varieties become greater than 100 pounds, and some of these are the giants of the fish world.  The white sturgeon of the American Pacific Coast is usually found in freshwater rivers, such as the Fraser, the Columbia and the Sacramento.  The all-time-record catch weighed almost 2000 pounds and was 18 feet long!  However, that was some years ago.  Because of overfishing and pollution, it is unusual to find one weighing more than 1000 pounds now, but even that is twice as heavy as a large gorilla!  How would you like to have one of these huge fish on your fishing line?

In springtime the adults migrate  from the ocean into rivers.  The females, heavy with thousands of eggs, swim upstream until they find a place to deposit them.  These masses of eggs stick to rocks and plants until they hatch in about two weeks.  At the end of summer when the young fish have grown almost a foot long, they migrate downstream and out into the ocean.  Only a small number actually make it, since other fish eat many of the eggs as well as all the little fish they can catch.

There is always a good market for sturgeon meat, but even more so for the tasty eggs which are called caviar - a pound of which sells for as much as $800.  At that price most people cannot afford them, so they are served mostly in fancy restaurants or on the tables of the wealthy.

It was on the fifth day of creation that God formed the creatures of the sea - from the tiniest to the largest - and the sea creatures of today are just like those He placed in the waters thousands of years ago.

We can be confident that the world's interesting creatures didn't just happen to form themselves.  God created these creatures for our use and enjoyment.  He says, 

"Be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create" (Isaiah 65:18).

Love you all,

Grandpa

Jewel # 131 (Feb 12, 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

America's Lion, the Cougar

"The wild beasts of the field are Mine . . . The world is Mine, and the fullness thereof" (Psalm 50:11-12).

African lions do not live in the Americas except in zoos.  The American lion is the cougar, which looks similar to an African female lion.  The cougar lives in South, Central and North America.  It is often called by other names: mountain lion, puma, catamount and panther. 

A full-grown cougar is about four to five feet long, plus its heavy tail, which is two to three feet long.  It is an example of the Creator's handiwork in its handsome appearance and ability to adapt to a great variety of environments.  They live in mountains, forests, swamps, jungles and even in deserts.

In some ways the cougar is like the domestic cats that many of us have as pets.  It purrs when contented and has soft, dense fur, usually a tawny colour but sometimes reddish, silver-gray or even almost black.  It has a pretty head with cat-like whiskers, sharp teeth, clear yellow eyes and upright ears.  Its lithe, flexible body is supported by strong legs having large, padded paws. These paws are equipped with hidden claws that can be extended as needle-sharp weapons when fighting.  The cougar is lord of its surroundings, fearing nothing but hunting dogs.

The Creator has given cougars excellent sight and hearing.  Their food includes deer, mountain sheep, rabbits, coyotes, birds, rodents and an occasional fish.  They avoid humans but have been know to kill people.  Males and females live solitary lives and do not hunt together.  Wandering over vast areas, they use rocky ledges for lookouts or crouch in the branches of a tree over a game trail, leaping down on a passing victim.

One to five cubs are born in the spring and are blind for ten days.  Only a few inches long at birth, they soon are as cute and playful as domestic kittens.  Their tawny fur has black spots, which later disappear.  The mother trains them for about a year before they are on their own.

It is sad that the food supply of such a beautiful creature requires the death of others.  When the Lord God created the animals, all were at peace with each other, and He "saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25).  But Adam's sin brought death with it, as the Bible states: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" (Romans 5:12).  Death came not only to man, but also to every creature in the world.

The Bible tells about a time that is coming when all animals will again live peacefully with each other.  However, before that time, all who know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour will be taken to heaven, and God's judgment will fall on those who have refused Him.  How important it is to accept Him as your Saviour and Lord now, before it is too late.

Love you all,

Grandpa

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