Nomads2

“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, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Adonai your God is with you wherever you go.””
‭‭Y’hoshua (Jos)‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭CJB‬‬

““Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭59‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ NKJV

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

““And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭10‬ ‭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 ‭NKJV‬‬

“You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation.”
‭‭Amos‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s nobody’s business what I drink.

I care not what my neighbors think,

Or how many laws they choose to pass.

I’ll tell the world I’ll have my glass.

Here’s one man’s freedom cannot be curbed.

My right to drink is undisturbed.

So he drank in spite of lawor man,

Then got into his old tin can,

Stepped on the gas and let it go,

Down the highway to and fro.

He took the curbs at fifty miles,

With bleary eyes and a drunken smile.

Not long ‘til a car he tried to pass,

Then a crash, a scream, and breaking glass.

The other car was upside down,

About two miles from the nearest town.

The man was clear, but his wife was caught,

And he needed the help of that drunken sot,

Who sat in a maudlin, drunken daze

And heard the scream and saw the blaze,

But too far gone to save a life.

By helping the car from off the wife.

The car was burned and a mother died,

While a husband wept and a baby cried.

And a drunk sat by, and still some think

It’s nobody’s business what they drink.

Author unknown.

A recent NY Times opinion column¹ asked the question: What is available worldwide, requires no new technology, costs no money and could save more than 800,000 children’s lives a year?  The answer was “breastfeeding.”  

While the opinion was written while the authors were in Kenya, the implications are worldwide.  Many African women give water, instead of breast milk, to their babies during the first six months of life. Unlike more developed nations, this water comes right out of rivers and is not treated.  Babies do not have fully developed immune systems, so they are at risk from pathogens found in river water.  

However, the estimate of saving 800,000 newborns a year is a world-wide number, based on data suggesting less than half of all babies born around the world are nursed by their mothers.  Apart from water, the major replacement for mother’s milk is artificial baby formula.  The components of formula, while the best effort of humans, falls short of natural mother’s milk.  For example, colostrum, the milk produced for 2-4 days after birth, is highly concentrated with white cells, stem cells, antibodies, and immune factors that protect the baby from infection.  Transitional and mature milk continue providing these ingredients and nutrients in less concentrated form.  

Why the decline in breastfeeding? Some mothers are unable to produce enough milk.  Some cultures have a social stigma connected with publicly feeding a baby.  Some claims imply formula is as good as mother’s milk.

I want to focus on the divine plan that was, perhaps, unintentionally inserted into the NY Times article.  The authors stated, “In many ways, breast milk is miraculous. It has been custom designed for babies’ health over thousands of years.”  

The word “miracle,” from the Latin miraculum, was used to translate ancient Hebrew and Greek words for “wonder” or “sign.”  Of all the miracles mentioned in the Bible, none deal specifically with breast milk.  There are, however, scriptures indicating its vital importance in health and well-being.   The Lord likened the ignorance of wicked Israelites to babies who were plucked from breastfeeding (Isaiah 28:9).  To grow in our faith, we must be like newborns who crave spiritual milk (1 Peter 2:2).  We learned to trust in God when at our mother’s breast (Psalm 22:9).

It is impossible to separate the wonder of breast milk from the custom design for a baby’s health.  We believe God never acts against the ultimate order He has created.  Yet we have only a superficial knowledge of the creative order.  The Bible simply states that God created humans (Genesis 1:27).  Just as no complex physics algorithms were offered in the creation of the universe, so too, we have no biological details of the complexity of human life.  We have, though, discovered how carefully God designed milk for newborns.  While manufacturers may be reluctant to admit their formula is no match for what the Lord had designed, we cannot but stand in awe of God’s almighty creation, from gametes to babies to breast milk.

I wonder if more of us considered mother’s milk to be a miracle, whether we would be more motivated to help all mothers see this wonder; not from a humanitarian perspective, but from reverence to the divine design.

¹  https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/opinion/breastfeeding-africa-women.html by Nicholas Kristof and Trisha Mukherjee, 1-8-2025

““Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.””
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When as a child, I laughed and wept, Time crept;

When as a youth, I dreamed and talked, Time walked;

When I became a full grown man, Time ran;

When older still I daily grew, Time flew;

Soon I shall find in traveling on, Time gone.

Unknown author…

One day we will find only ashes in our hands and eternity ahead of us- are you ready?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, He will lead you into eternal life…

In chapter 4, God is going to try to win Jonah over to His point of view. This chapter will show us that God will never interfere with our Free Will. God will not force on us any issue whatsoever, we are all free moral agents.

God has actually moved heaven and hell and has come by way of a cross to knock at your heart’s door. But, He will not come any farther than that until the door is opened from the inside.

God will never come in uninvited…

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”
‭‭Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

All God has ever asked of any person, any sinner, is to simply believe Him. Believe what He has done for you. Believe that Christ died for you- you and your sins. Believe that He was raised from the dead. Believe that He is now at the right hand of God. If you want to be with God the Father, you will have to go thru His Son, Jesus Christ.

The people of Nineveh believed. Then they demonstrated their faith by proclaiming a fast.

Faith always leads to work…

“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a great gift we have been given, by God, to have the privilege of working with brothers and sisters who love the Lord Jesus Christ and love each other. This allows us all to share and show the love of Christ with each homeowner and individual we spoke to. Praise the Lord for the leadership shown by NMDR, made our work easier. Praise to AZDR and their dedication to our deployment. Thanks to all of our church members praying for us…

“Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭42‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

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.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Tomorrow morning we start work on flood recovery…

“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The Book of Ecclesiastes…

“The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.

The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.

All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

About a week has passed since Hurricane Helene hit the U.S.  Helene is the deadliest hurricane since Katrina.  Hardest hit was western North Carolina, where more than half of the known 215 deaths occurred.  Floodwaters reached rooftop levels in many places; the rapidly moving water washed away homes and isolated, or destroyed, many communities.  You have seen the photos.

 

I have been involved with disaster relief for 40 years, including some notable hurricanes like Andrew, Katrina, and Harvey.  In every disaster people have asked “why” questions related to God, nature, governments, and people.  Sometimes the answers are so vague or misguided they are of little help or comfort.  I am certainly no expert, nor do I offer worldly answers.  But I offer a reflection based on my Christian faith.

 

Our modern world surrounds us with amazing technology.  We have harnessed electricity and split atoms.  Pictures can be taken of what is inside our body and what Earth looks like from space.  Wind velocity and direction can be measured inside the area of a hurricane.  Images of a hurricane appear on TV, along with computer models of where it might be headed.  “Why couldn’t we predict exactly what was going to happen in NC?”  Because we are much more limited in our knowledge and capability than we care to admit.  The Bible tells us, “The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2).  When we see all that God has done, we cannot comprehend it, though we work hard to find definitive answers (Ecclesiastes 8:17).

 

The response to a large-scale disaster like Helene is commendable.  But it does take time, and manpower.  For instance, local citizens used kayaks to rescue people until swift water rescue teams and helicopters arrived.  Another example was the two days for a Baptist feeding unit to arrive from Texas to provide 50,000 hot meals per day; in the meantime, local efforts provided MREs for survivors to eat.  I could go on, but remember that many of the survivors or responders may not be Christian, or even believe in God.  Yet each of them was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  As Christians, we believe God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), but do all affected by a disaster love God?  Probably not, yet as Job said, “God is mighty and firm in his purpose” (Job 36:5), a purpose based on his love for the entire world (cf., John 3:16).  

 

Lastly, reflect on human nature itself.  I am amazed, but not surprised, by the overwhelming demonstrations of love found in the midst of disasters.  It is not confined to the love believers have for the least of God’s people (Matthew 25:40).  Rather, it is how God also uses love in the unbeliever to achieve his purpose.  I’m not suggesting an act of love is a means of salvation for the unbeliever.  It is, though, an expression of the amazing love of our Lord at work.

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.

Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Please continue to pray for our AZDR team members that are still serving in northern Florida. We had well over 1200 requests for help and teams from Ohio, California, Washington, Oregon, and New Mexico are still taking trees off of houses and blocked driveways…

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Good afternoon!

I’ve been in the Boone area for a week now, returned home last night. It’s awful up here. Some areas may not get power back till after winter. 1400 people still missing.

I put my newly completed Crew Chief certification to work! I had a bunch of great people to work with, included two unsaved guys who just came to help out – one from New York! Please pray for Kenny and Billy – they certainly saw God’s people at work, and certainly heard to Gospel as well!

Let me know if you contemplate heading up here in the north… we could use you, and I would love to reconnect with you!

I got this from a friend and former teammate in Lahaina last year. I can’t believe that we are not hearing this on the news 24-7. If we had a different administration in office it would be shouted from the rooftops. Please pray for North Carolina and all of the SBDR members that are serving to bring the love of Christ to everyone they meet…

“Also I will make him my firstborn, Higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, And my covenant shall stand fast with him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭89‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We don’t have because we don’t ask…

“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.””
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Please be in prayer for our AZDR and NMDR teams that start work for real tomorrow. Thanks…

“The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”
‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.””
‭‭Ruth‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are heading to FBC Live Oak Florida to start serving those affected by Hurricane Helene. Should arrive tomorrow before lunch…

“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ NKJV

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”
‭‭II John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“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, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬