Author Archives: normdave

The Book of Ecclesiastes uses the word ‘Vanity’ 37 times. Vanity means Empty, Purposeless… “Even if we possess the whole world and all the things that men consider necessary to make their hearts content, we learn we cannot be satisfied without Jesus Christ.” Dr. J Vernon McGee. “…He has put eternity in their hearts.” EcclesiastesContinue reading “Our Hearts…”

The cities of refuge do what Jesus Christ is doing for us today, sheltering the sinner, you and me from judgement. ”God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.“‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ”I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of theContinue reading “Cities of Refuge…”

”So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. Now it came to passContinue reading “Life out of death…”

In one of those rare moments of leisure, I was reading some articles on military history, when I came across one about Audie Murphy 1.  I had forgotten that he was the most highly decorated serviceman in World War II.  In addition to three Purple Hearts for being wounded, he earned two Bronze Stars, two SilverContinue reading “Pastor Tom…”

If you had only 90 seconds left to live, what would you do?  Panic?  Laugh? Pray?  Kiss your loved ones?  Finish your cup of coffee or glass of wine?  Do nothing?  Your response would probably depend on how serious you took the news. On January 23rd the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announced the Doomsday Clock had only 90Continue reading “Pastor Tom…”

Are you planning to go to Punxsutawney, PA for the annual gathering on February 2nd to see whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not? Phil and his groundhog ancestors have participated in the superstitious prediction of weather in North America since 1886. Canada, of course, has its own Groundhog Day, as do many otherContinue reading “Pastor Tom…”

In our modern world we are confronted with defining when a life begins and when it ends.  The beginning and end are bookends for human existence.   Ancient civilizations recognized the beginning of life was somehow connected to pregnancy.  They also practiced ending life prematurely through wars and executions; abortions were done for a variety ofContinue reading “Pastor Tom…”

Be Prayed Up. A prayed up heart is a ready witnessing heart… Know God’s Word. Put it in your heart and in your mind… Show Love and Respect. Use words if you have to… Be Patient. Love, be love, show love, when others can’t or won’t… Talk about Jesus…Be bold, He changed your life, shareContinue reading “Be a Witness…”

”But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies isContinue reading “Numbers 13…”

”For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,“‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The Apostle Paul is telling us the foundation of the Gospel message.Continue reading “The Scriptures…”

We have a mixed multitude in our churches today. They are unconverted members, one foot in the world, and one foot firmly planted in the world. They run, with enthusiasm, in both worlds… This mixed multitude is unable to desire or understand Jesus Christ as the Bread of Life, our manna. They chase after thatContinue reading “Mixed Multitude…”

College football is big business.  It costs money to recruit, train, equip, and feed the 105 football players allowed under NCAA regulations.  Plus, you have the salaries of all the coaches, staff, and administrators.  The top 25 head coaches have a salary of $6.3M – $11.4M, not counting bonuses; these incomes are a bit moreContinue reading “Pastor Tom…”

”Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”“‭‭Numbers‬ ‭10‬:‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ An invitation. This couldContinue reading “Come with us…”

”For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.“‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ What are you thinking? Experts believe we have 25,000 to 100,000 thoughts a day. ”casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,Continue reading “What are you thinking about???”

The Father- “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Son- “The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;” The Holy Spirit- “The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

There are plenty of images and decorations for Christmas.  Because of Constitutional concerns over separation of Church and State, you don’t find many of them displayed on government property.  The state of Iowa is an exception; it permits religious displays on government property during holiday periods.  A Nativity set was put up on the rotundaContinue reading “Pastor Tom…”

”For with God nothing shall be impossible.“‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭37‬ ‭KJV‬‬ ”Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.“‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭KJV‬‬ Every time we call Him Jesus we are saying, God with us (Immanuel), He is God, He is God withContinue reading “Jesus”

The Right Kind of Help By Oswald Chambers And I, if I am lifted up…will draw all peoples to Myself. —John 12:32 Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutelyContinue reading “Day 22…Home…”

”“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.“‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭45‬-‭46‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Pearl of great price…

I have only one photo today, as usual, everyone can take pictures, videos and even fly drones, but not us. I only complain on almost every post because I love to take photos and display them on this site. All of our recovery work will cease tomorrow. We have a sort of a job thatContinue reading “Day 20…Lahaina Fire…”

”He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.“‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “The heart will blaze the trail that the feet will follow.”

The Gospel is written a chapter a day By the deeds that you do and the words that you say. Men read what you say whether faithless or true. Say, what is the Gospel according to you?

Love incarnate, love divineStar and angels gave the signBow to babe on bended kneeThe Savior of humanityUnto us a Child is bornHe shall reign forevermoreNoel, NoelCome and see what God has doneNoel, NoelThe story of amazing love!The light of the world, given for usNoel

A typical day for us, prayer, breakfast, vans, ice chests, screens, tarps, shovels, five gallon buckets, gloves, tyvex suits, N95 masks, pump sprayers, golf carts, walking, searching, praying, talking, digging, lunch, more digging, sifting, cleaning, driving, paperwork, showers, Bible study, dinner, prayer, debriefing, prayer, meetings, bed, and rinse and repeat, same tomorrow… We would notContinue reading “Day 14…Lahaina Fire…”

After church we had a great lunch with North Carolina Mike. We had some plans to visit some more of Maui, but eventually just hung out and rested for the remainder of our day off… What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing butContinue reading “Day 12-13…Lahaina Fire…”

“Man of sorrows!” what a name For the Son of God who came Ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah! what a Saviour! Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah! what a Saviour! Guilty, vile and helpless, we; Spotless Lamb of God was He: “Full atonement!”Continue reading “Day 11…. Lahaina Fire….”

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, AndContinue reading “Day 10…Lahaina Fire”

This a great way to end a beautiful ministry opportunity that the Lord provided for us, lunch at the ocean. Our teammate Mike was under the weather for a while and then decided he would rather hang out with the Incident Command team than us. So we had lunch at the beach and ate iceContinue reading “Day 9…Lahaina Fire…”

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not,Continue reading “Day 8…Lahaina Fire….”

“Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy ofContinue reading “Day 7…Lahaina Fire…”

This is Henry. He is a decorated war veteran and we had the privilege of finding three of his four war medals that he really wanted to recover. A Navy veteran…

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. His delight isContinue reading “Day 5…Lahaina Fire…”

A warm day of work. Our team was able to assist two families today. Both jobs were difficult due the type of construction of their homes. Our team consists of me, from Arizona and four fellas from North Carolina. We are probably the best team in Lahaina!

I got to assist with the cultural briefing today. The clouds went away just in time for a fantastic sunset. Norm was at the reception center helping residents with the numerous organizations there. It was a good day…for both of us…

We are blessed to be serving in Maui again. Norm served and then I served and now we are back again, this time together.

What makes Thanksgiving so special?  Why do we celebrate this holiday? Thanksgiving is unique as it celebrates the larger concept, something everyone, regardless of religion, race, or creed, can relate to and recognize—something uniquely American.  It’s deeper than just Pilgrim’s dressed in top-hats sharing some turkey with the American Indian natives.  There is a reasonContinue reading “The first American Thanksgiving…”

“Order for the Visitation of the Sick.“ “The minister shall say to the sick man: Do you believe that you cannot be saved but by the death of Christ? The sick man answers, Yes. Then let it be said unto him: Go to, then, and while thy soul abides in you, put all thy confidenceContinue reading “Our Great Intercessor…Jesus…”

The relationship between the first three books of the Bible… -In Genesis- man is ruined. -In Exodus- man is redeemed. -In Leviticus- man is worshipping God. “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you doContinue reading “Relationship…”

“It has been said that Moses spent forty years in Pharaoh’s court finding out he was a somebody. He spent forty years in the wilderness finding out he was a nobody. And then he spent forty years finding out what God can do with a somebody who realizes they are a nobody.” Pastor Greg Laurie.Continue reading “Numbers 32:23…”

Law demands—grace gives. Law says “do.”—-grace says “believe.” Law exacts—-grace bestows. Law says “work.”—-grace says “rest.” Law threatens, pronouncing a curse—-grace entreats, pronouncing a blessing. Law says “Do, and thou shalt live.”—-grace says “Live, and thou shalt do.” Law condemns the best man—-grace saves the worst man. “For by grace are ye saved through faith;Continue reading “Lahaina Fire, day twelve…”

Please join us in prayer for the residents of Lahaina. Many are seeing their homes for the first time since August 8th…

“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.””‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ TheContinue reading “Lahaina Fire day 6…”

The county here has been allowing residents to enter the town in zones and today, Monday has been my busiest so far. Very hot rewording work for the Lord. We are all trying to show the Love of Jesus to this community. Ninety nine lives lost. I remember every day I come to the site…

Day 2 started early, a 45 minute drive to the recovery center to catch a bus to the burn area. No photos can be taken of any property that has been affected. About 20 or so gold shirts spread out throughout the small area where we are allowed to work. Some work was scheduled andContinue reading “Lahaina Day 1-2…”

“The heart stands for what we are, the hand for what we do. What we are, that ultimately we do.” ““For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, norContinue reading “Heart-Hand…”

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭122‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ One ofContinue reading “Pray….”

“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.””‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Proverbs 3:27.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=IJQnBuEGYU8&si=Nzsu9tLG62O7PN6P In the video it says that there is “No Gospel in Calvinism,” I also can state from experience that there is “No Love in Calvinism.” I can’t understand why people will sit in a fellowship, under a Pastor that spews this false doctrine out week after week. I know Christians that even though theyContinue reading “Calvinism…”

In January of 2010, Randy and his wife Bertha gave Norm and I on the job training on preparing food for flood victims in Salome Arizona. We still remember cooking 180 pancakes and 130 hot dogs. When Bertha went to be with the Lord in 2012, Randy gave Norm Bertha’s disaster relief kitchen apron. ThatContinue reading “A look back…”