 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||
 |
|
||||||
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
As a young boy, I loved to watch Lassie. It seemed almost every episode contained a scene where the Collie star of the show would bark in such a convincing manner that her hearers recognized that something was wrong. Often either Timmy, Mr. and Mrs. Martin (Timmy’s parents), a friend, passing stranger, or an animal was in trouble.
Of course, Lassie would return to the farm or find someone who would follow her to the person or animal in danger. Perhaps most amazing was the way Lassie always arrived with her rescuers just in the nick of time!
It makes - or at least used to make - for a great Hollywood production. However, unlike a script with imaginary problems created to make a television show, we humans have a real problem. Indeed, our predicament looms much larger than any the characters in Lassie ever faced in front of the camera.
While it is true that there are times when the Creator of the universe may sovereignly send a canine, close friend or even a celestial being to intervene on our behalf - in this case they can’t help. Because, according to the Bible, our big problem is based on the fact that we have all rebelled against God. Indeed, every single one of us needs rescuing. We all need help, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yes, we all have a spiritual problem. We all (outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ) are separated from God. There is no animal, angel, or mere human that can save us from our moral dilemma. This is something even a dog can’t do.
But the Good News is God has already sent someone to extricate us. The Bible says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Yes, God sent His Son to deliver us from the judgment we all deserve. He did what no dog could do. As Paul told the believers in Rome, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). All we have to do is accept “the gift of God” (Romans 6:23). God provided the present that everyone needs!
| More than three decades ago (at the ripe-old-age of eleven) Tom C. Rakow poached his first deer with a twenty-two caliber rifle. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of some very bad hunting habits. Then in 1977, Tom came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior while watching a Billy Graham Crusade on television. Not surprisingly, one of the first things that happened was that Tom’s hunting attitudes and activities began to be transformed. Although Rakow would be the first to admit that God still has a whole lot of work left to do in his life, he’s convinced that a return to biblical principles (which predate aluminum arrows, game wardens, black powder, and the Second Amendment) will serve as a helpful bridge between divergent views held by hunters and non-hunters alike. Dr. Rakow has written for major publications and also authored “Copy Me!” Bible Quizzes, Hunting & the Bible: A Scripture Safari, Raccoon Hunting Basics, Devotions for Dog Lovers, and SELF-INFLICTED HUNTING ARGUMENTS: Biblical Responses to a Loaded Issue in 2003. In addition, Tom is in demand as a speaker for wild game banquets and also hosts a weekly radio broadcast called “First Light.” In 1994, he founded the Christian Deer Hunters Association, a national, non-profit, interdenominational, volunteer ministry to deer hunters. More recently he founded the Christian Anglers Association. Dr. Rakow has studied the Bible in its original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and regularly researches hunting-related issues as they pertain to a biblical world view approach. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Moody Bible Institute (IL), Asbury Theological Seminary (KY), and Bethel Theological Seminary (MN). Rakow has been listed in the Dictionary of International Biography - 23rd Edition, and Who’s Who in Religion. Tom and his wife, Beth, and their four daughters reside in Minnesota where he has served as a full-time pastor since 1989. |
 |
Send a letter to the editor, or submit your own story, photos, or poetry for publication in a future issue.
Have something you want our resident wildlife biologist to look into, then drop him a note.
Have questions or comments about the web site, please contact our web master.