Nomads2

“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are spending the night in Santa Fe New Mexico and will travel to Pueblo Colorado tomorrow…

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are addicted to the spectacular. We want the wind that splits the rocks, the earthquake that shakes the mountains, the fire that rains from heaven. And we assume the most gifted, the most charismatic, the most intelligent, the most powerful person is the one whom God will use the most.
But watch what happened to Elijah in 1 Kings 19. God was not in the wind. God was not in the earthquake. God was not in the fire. God came in a still small voice. Read that again. The same man who had just called down fire from heaven in front of a nation now had to lean in and strain to hear a whisper.
Here is the truth almost no one wants to hear. The loudest and most powerful prophet, the one with the most literal and figurative fire in his ministry, could not take one more step until he had a quiet moment alone with God. It’s all about the whisper. All the gifting in the world cannot substitute for the silent moment in which God recalibrates your soul.
In a screaming culture that lives at full volume from every screen you own, the voice of God is still quietly speaking to you. The most dangerous thing you can do is get so caught up in the world’s loud and in the busyness of doing the work of God that you can no longer hear the God of the work. 

Amir Tsarfati

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We are all safe at our homes in different parts of Arizona. Grateful to serve God as members of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief ministry…

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.”
‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesse, Pat and myself visited the last to sort things, as the rest of our team packed up all of our gear.

Around 1000 we left Bayou Des Glaises church and drove to Big Spring Texas. Of course, that included a stop at Buc-es’s.

“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Our crew, from left to right, Pat, Russ, Mike, Robbie, Michelle and Diana. We have all worked together on numerous callouts…

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We hit some bad weather and this instruction came in handy as Russ and I had many praying for us.

“May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sadly, this establishment had run out of food, but the owner directed us to a Mexican restaurant down the road and from what my teammates shared, it was delicious! The best thing is that we prayed for our server as she said she was a tough time as of late. We prayed and shared about God’s love. Remember her in your prayers, Melissa…

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Good council when you have bad wheels…

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Tis not that I did choose Thee

For, Lord, that could not be.

This heart would still refuse Thee

But Thou has chosen me.

A back in day hymn…

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

A favorite hymn from today…

The Lord Jesus Christ wrought our salvation on the cross…

God the Holy Spirit convicts today…

By His Grace we are saved…

“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.””
‭‭

God help us to be men and women of prayer. We don’t need more preachers, churches, or missionaries, we need more believers that know how to pray…

The mind of God is revealed in the Word of God, and the mind of the Christian NEEDS to know the Word of God in order to be guided by it.

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God loved the world of sinners lost

And ruined by the fall;

Salvation full, at highest cost,

He offers free to all.

Martha M. Stockton.

Christ stands without your door and gently knocks,

But if your gold or swine the entrance blocks,

He forces no man’s hold- he will depart

And leave you to the treasures of your heart.

No cumbered chamber will the Master share,

But one swept bare

By cleansing fires, then plenished fresh and fair

With meekness and humility and prayer.

There he will come, yet coming, even there.

He stands and waits and will no entrance win

Until the latch be lifted from within.

Joseph H. Odell

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life’s tempestuous sea:

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rocks and treacherous shoals;

Chart and compass come from Thee-

Jesus, Savior, pilot me!

Edward Hooper.

“He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭112‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If the Lord be with us, we have no cause to fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, and His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.
John Newton

Yesterday is a cancelled check…

Tomorrow is a promissory note…

Today is ready cash!!!…

Pray today about how you will spend your cash.

May we all spend it wisely…

“because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,

But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The last twelve days have been such a great gift from the Lord. Our team worked so well together, we had many close calls but managed to come home with all of our digits.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭17‬

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭

After a nice lunch we were blessed with nice weather to perform much needed maintenance on our equipment…

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God is good to us…

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭4‬ ‭

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

FBC Ruidoso parking lot…

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Jesus Christ!!!

Somewhere beyond the stars

Is a Love that is better than Fate,

And when night unlocks her bars,

I shall see Him, and I shall wait.

“God stands in the shadows, keeping watch over His own.”

Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means “star.”

PROVIDENCE, is the way God leads the man who will not be led…

God is behind the scenes, keeping watch over His own…

What a sad commentary on our present day that most Christians only know God from a distance. Most never learn to walk with the Lord, to be in close fellowship, to obey God’s word…

“He knows and loves and cares,

Nothing this truth can dim:

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.”

This Book is worth reading and studying over and over again…

The hand of God is in the glove of human events…

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For such a time as this,” look forward to serving God today as He provides you/us with divine appointments…

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“A song of ascents. By David: Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony.”
‭‭Tehillim (Psa)‬ ‭133‬:‭1‬ ‭CJB‬‬

It is such a blessing to serve the Lord and work with our brothers and sisters from AZDR and California Disaster Relief…

“Don’t withhold good from someone entitled to it when you have in hand the power to do it.”
‭‭Mishlei (Pro)‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

““But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid.

Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,” says the Lord, “For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭46‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you believe the Word of God? If you do believe His Word, what conclusion can you come to about Israel?

God is not through with the nation Israel! God will punish them, but will not put an end to them…

“Has God cast away His people…?” (Rom. 11:1). No way!

Let God’s Word stand and accept it at face value…

There’s something about Israel that makes people uncomfortable, and it’s not what they say it is.

They’ll point to politics, settlements, borders, and wars. But scratch beneath the outrage, and you’ll find something deeper. A discomfort not with what Israel does, but with what Israel is.

A nation this small should not be this strong. Period.

Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked.

And still, they thrive like there’s no tomorrow.

In military. In medicine. In security. In technology. In agriculture. In intelligence. In morality. In sheer, unbreakable will.

They turn desert into farmland.

They make water from air.

They intercept rockets in mid-air.

They rescue hostages under the nose of the world’s worst regimes.

They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.

The world watches this and can’t make sense of it.

So they do what people do when they witness strength they can’t understand.

They assume it must be cheating.

It must be American aid.

It must be foreign lobbying.

It must be oppression.

It must be theft.

It must be some dark trick that gave the Jews this kind of power.

It must be blackmail.

Because heaven forbid it’s something else.

Heaven forbid it’s real.

Heaven forbid it’s earned.

Or worse, destined.

The Jewish people were supposed to disappear a long, long time ago. That’s how the story of exiled, enslaved, hated minorities is supposed to end. But the Jews didn’t disappear. They actually came home, rebuilt their land, revived their language, and brought their dead back to life — in memory, in identity, and in strength.

That’s not normal.

It’s not political.

It’s biblical.

There’s no cheat code that explains how a group of people return to their homeland after 2,000 years.

There is no rational path from gas chambers to global influence.

And there is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust, and still showing up to work on Monday in Tel Aviv.

Israel doesn’t make sense.

Unless you believe in something beyond the math.

This is what drives the world crazy. Because if Israel is real, if this improbable, ancient, hated nation is somehow still chosen, protected, and thriving, then maybe God isn’t a myth after all.

Maybe He’s still in the story.

Maybe history isn’t random.

Maybe evil doesn’t get the last word.

Maybe the Jews are not just a people… but a testimony.

That’s what they can’t stand.

Because once you admit that Israel’s survival isn’t just impressive, but divine, everything changes. Your moral compass has to reset. Your assumptions about history, power, and justice collapse. You realize you’re not watching the end of an empire. You’re witnessing the beginning of something eternal.

So they deny it.

They smear it.

And rage against it.

Because it’s easier to call a miracle “cheating” than to face the possibility that God keeps His promises.

And He’s keeping them still.

From-(AP on X)

“Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning on the hearth before him.

And it happened, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, that the king cut it with the scribe’s knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭36‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

King Jehoiakim did not think much about the Word of God. He took it and just chucked it into the fire…

Who is an actually reading and studying the Bible today? Is it really any different ignoring the Bible today? Isn’t it like chucking it into a fire?

“Maw, I found an old, dusty thing high upon the shelf. Just look!”

“Why, that’s a Bible, Tommy dear, be careful. That’s God book.”

“God’s Book?” the young one said, “Then, Maw, before we lose it

We’d better send it back to God, ‘cause you know we never use it.”

““Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God is saying the same thing today!

He has provided His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us, to pay our sin debts, arising so we might have righteousness… If you are to be saved, you must be in Christ Jesus….

Are you, in Him???

You are a Christian, and someone quoted this verse to you. Remind them of the very next verse…

“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Only God can make a heart transplant! If you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God has given you a new heart-

God is a heart specialist-

God is the Great Physician!!!

Horatio Gates Spafford was born in New York, on 20th October 1828, but it was in Chicago that he became well-known for his clear Christian testimony. He, and his wife Anna were active in their church, and their home was always open to visitors. They counted the world-famous evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, among their friends. They were blest with five children, and considerable wealth. Horatio was a lawyer, and owned a great deal of property in his home city.

Not unlike Job in the Old Testament of the Bible, tragedy came in great measure to this happy home. When four years old, their son, Horatio Jnr, died suddenly of scarlet fever. Then only a year later, in October 1871, a massive fire swept through downtown Chicago, devastating the city, including many properties owned by Horatio. That day, almost 300 people lost their lives, and around 100,000 were made homeless. Despite their own substantial financial loss, the Spaffords sought to demonstrate the love of Christ, by assisting those who were grief-stricken and in great need.

Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday in England, knowing that his friend, the evangelist D. L. Moody, would be preaching there in the autumn. Horatio was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead: his wife and their four remaining children, all daughters, 11 year old Anna, 9 year old Margaret Lee, 5 year old Elizabeth, and 2 year old Tanetta.

On 22nd November 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship, Ville du Havre, their vessel was struck by an iron sailing ship. Two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, as the Ville du Havre sank within only twelve minutes.

All four of Horatio Spafford’s daughters perished, but remarkably Anna Spafford survived the tragedy. Those rescued, including Anna, who was found unconscious, floating on a plank of wood, subsequently arrived in Cardiff, South Wales. Upon arrival there, Anna immediately sent a telegram to her husband, which included the words “Saved alone….”

Receiving Anna’s message, he set off at once to be reunited with his wife. One particular day, during the voyage, the captain summoned him to the bridge of the vessel. Pointing to his charts, he explained that they were then passing over the very spot where the Ville du Havre had sunk, and where his daughters had died. It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin and wrote the hymn “It is well with my soul” there and then, the first line of which is, “When peace like a river, attendeth my way..” There are other accounts which say that it was written at a later date, but obviously the voyage was one of deep pathos, and is the clear inspiration of the moving and well-loved hymn. Horatio’s faith in God never faltered. He later wrote to Anna’s half-sister, “On Thursday last, we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe….. dear lambs”.

After Anna was rescued, Pastor Nathaniel Weiss, one of the ministers travelling with the surviving group, remembered hearing Anna say, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”

Naturally Anna was utterly devastated, but she testified that in her grief and despair, she had been conscious of a soft voice speaking to her, “You were saved for a purpose!” She remembered something a friend had once said, “It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”

Following this deep tragedy, Anna gave birth to three more children, but she and Horatio were not spared even more sadness, as on February 11th, 1880, their only son, Horatio (named after the brother who had died, and also after his father), he also died at the age of four.

In August 1881 the Spaffords left America with a number of other like-minded Christians, and settled in Jerusalem. There they served the needy, helped the poor, and cared for the sick, and took in homeless children. Their desire was to show those living about them, the love of Jesus.

The original manuscript of the Spafford’s hymn has only four verses, but later another verse was added. The music, which was written by Philip Bliss, was named after the ship on which Horatio and Anna’s daughters had died – Ville du Havre.

Horatio Spafford died of malaria on 16th October 1888. Anna Spafford continued to work in the surrounding areas of Jerusalem until her own death in 1923. Both Horatio and Anna were laid to rest in Jerusalem. It can truly be said, in the words that Spafford penned that, “It is well with their souls.”

“And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭30‬-‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“If religious books are not circulated among the masses and people do not turn to God, I do not know what is to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be. If God and His Word are not received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy. If the evangelical volume does reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the Gospel is not felt through the length and the breadth of the land, anarchy, misrule, degradation, misery, corruption, and darkness will reign without mitigation or end,”

Daniel Webster.

“The longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of the truth that God governs in the affairs of men.”

Benjamin Franklin.

“if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”
‭‭II Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!””
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

These verses are the only bright spot in all of the Book of Lamentations…

There’s something about Israel that makes people uncomfortable, and it’s not what they say it is.

They’ll point to politics, settlements, borders, and wars. But scratch beneath the outrage, and you’ll find something deeper. A discomfort not with what Israel does, but with what Israel is.

A nation this small should not be this strong. Period.

Israel has no oil. No special natural resources. A population barely the size of a mid-sized American city. They are surrounded by enemies. Hated in the United Nations. Targeted by terror. Condemned by celebrities. Boycotted, slandered, and attacked.

And still, they thrive like there’s no tomorrow.

In military. In medicine. In security. In technology. In agriculture. In intelligence. In morality. In sheer, unbreakable will.

They turn desert into farmland.

They make water from air.

They intercept rockets in mid-air.

They rescue hostages under the nose of the world’s worst regimes.

They survive wars that were supposed to wipe them out, and win.

The world watches this and can’t make sense of it.

So they do what people do when they witness strength they can’t understand.

They assume it must be cheating.

It must be American aid.

It must be foreign lobbying.

It must be oppression.

It must be theft.

It must be some dark trick that gave the Jews this kind of power.

It must be blackmail.

Because heaven forbid it’s something else.

Heaven forbid it’s real.

Heaven forbid it’s earned.

Or worse, destined.

The Jewish people were supposed to disappear a long, long time ago. That’s how the story of exiled, enslaved, hated minorities is supposed to end. But the Jews didn’t disappear. They actually came home, rebuilt their land, revived their language, and brought their dead back to life — in memory, in identity, and in strength.

That’s not normal.

It’s not political.

It’s biblical.

There’s no cheat code that explains how a group of people return to their homeland after 2,000 years.

There is no rational path from gas chambers to global influence.

And there is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the pogroms, and the Holocaust, and still showing up to work on Monday in Tel Aviv.

Israel doesn’t make sense.

Unless you believe in something beyond the math.

This is what drives the world crazy. Because if Israel is real, if this improbable, ancient, hated nation is somehow still chosen, protected, and thriving, then maybe God isn’t a myth after all.

Maybe He’s still in the story.

Maybe history isn’t random.

Maybe evil doesn’t get the last word.

Maybe the Jews are not just a people… but a testimony.

That’s what they can’t stand.

Because once you admit that Israel’s survival isn’t just impressive, but divine, everything changes. Your moral compass has to reset. Your assumptions about history, power, and justice collapse. You realize you’re not watching the end of an empire. You’re witnessing the beginning of something eternal.

So they deny it.

They smear it.

And rage against it.

Because it’s easier to call a miracle “cheating” than to face the possibility that God keeps His promises.

And He’s keeping them still!

Berel Salamon.

“O most glorious God, direct my thoughts, words, and work, wash away my sin in the immaculate blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit, daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ whom You gave to die for me and hast given me the assurance of my salvation.”

President George Washington’s prayer journal, April 30,1789

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

In the land of Israel, there was not a man to be found, that could stand in the gap. We all need to thank God that He found a Man that could stand between yours and my sins. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Man that stands in the gap. God sees those who belong to Him in Christ

I am thankful for the Man who stands in the gap today!!!

A couple of months ago the obituaries of two women were published in major newspapers¹.  Both were centenarians; Julia Parsons, an American, was 104, and Betty Webb, a British woman, was 101.  More newsworthy was the fact that both women were code breakers during World War II, part of top-secret teams working to unscramble messages sent by the German military.

The Germans encoded their communications using a device called the Enigma machine.  Originally developed by the Dutch to communicate banking secrets, the Germans bought the patent for Enigma in 1923 to use for intelligence purposes.  Enigma encrypted codes offered 150 quintillion (150 followed by 18 zeros) possible solutions, and the Nazis believed their codes were unbreakable.

However, the Polish government had worked to decipher Enigma codes, and gave their findings to the Allies in 1939.  In 1941 the Royal Navy captured a German U-boat with an on-board Enigma machine; this was a closely guarded secret because they did not want Germany to know they had the machine.  

Julia was recruited in 1942 by the U.S. Naval Communications Annex in Washington to decode German messages.  She was told, in no uncertain terms, that she could not speak with anyone, including her husband, about the nature of her work.  Betty started at the British Government Code and Cypher School in Bletchley Park with a dire warning: she would be shot if she ever leaked details about her work. 

Betty Webb never spoke about her work.  She often saw a colleague, known only by her code name Biddy, on a street in Birmingham.  They never spoke, only nodded.  Then one day in 1975, Biddy shouted across the street: “It’s out.  We can talk.”  The previous year the British government had declassified the work done at Bletchley Park.

The news came to Julia Parsons in 1997 when she visited the National Cryptologic Museum near Fort Meade, MD.  On display were Enigma machines, along with how they worked.  Julia asked why, since the devices were top-secret.  A tour guide replied they had been declassified in 1974.

We can appreciate the need to keep some professional or private secrets.  For instance, I was not at liberty to discuss some of my work for the government, and I did not tell Kathie about a surprise birthday party I planned for her.  On the other hand, people often have dark secrets they do not want to reveal, many of which the Bible calls sin (Matthew 15:19).  It can be difficult or embarrassing to talk about a divorce, an abortion, an addiction, a lie, etc.

Yet how many times have we acted like Adam and Eve, trying to hide our enigma from God (Genesis 3:6-11)?  They thought their sin had been encrypted by avoiding the Lord, but He quickly decoded their act of eating forbidden fruit.  God made it known He will judge every secret, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14).  Jesus declassified all secret sins when He taught us the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:4); we can now talk about it.

In contrast, the secular worldview tries to convince us there are aspects of our faith that should be kept secret and not talked about.  Like sharing the good news (Mark 16:15), or that Jesus is the only pathway to Heaven (John 14:6).  Those secular codes are already broken, so we can go everywhere and proclaim God’s word.  Or sing it in the southern Gospel style of Stuart Hamblen: “It is no secret what God can do, what He has done for others He will do for you.”

“And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.””
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God called Ezekiel by this title one hundred times in the Book of Ezekiel. Daniel is also called by this term. These are the only two men in the Old Testament to be called the son of man.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus used this title for Himself, eighty-six times.

It speaks of Him in His rejection, His humiliation, and His exaltation;

He, Jesus Christ, is the Son of Man…

Faith is the ability to feel so sure of God, that, no matter how dark the day, there is no doubt as to the outcome. For God’s people there is a GLORIOUS FUTURE…Henry H Halley.

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.”
‭‭

Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Habakkuk signifies an embrace, or one who embraces another, takes him into his arms. He embraces his people, and takes them to his arms, i.e., he comforts them and holds them up, as one embraces a weeping child, to quiet it with the assurance that, if God wills, it shall soon be better.

Dr. Charles Feinburg.

““Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God gives mankind the only two choices available.

Notice the two groups that are mentioned.

The lost, those that believe in themselves, and those that trust in the Lord.

The ain’ts and the saints, the two people groups of this world.

Don’t wait and take a chance, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved….

God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the laborer, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailingly sympathy, undying love.

Annie Johnson Flint.

“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.””
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Is there no other way, Oh, God,

Except through sorrow, pain, and loss,

To stamp Christ’s likeness on my soul,

No other way except the cross?

And then a voice stills all my soul,

As stilled the waves of Galilee.

Can’st thou not bear the furnace,

If midst the flames I walk with thee?

I bore the cross, I know it’s weight;

I drank the cup I hold for thee.

Can’st thou follow where I lead?

I’ll give thee strength, lean hard on Me!

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬