Challenging time

 It is a challenging time. When you look around the world, when you listen to the news, whatever news you listen to, you would have to say that this world is a mess. If you are a Democrat, you look at the Republicans and say how terrible they are. If you are Republican, you look at the Democrats and say how terrible they are. Watch the DNC and the RNC and you see the contrast between the two parties and how they address or lack to address the country's problems. If I was to say something that the left didn't like, I would receive responses that would attack my statements. If I say something that the right doesn't like, I would receive responses that would attack my statements. Notice something about this? There is no agreement between the two sides.

Look at what is taking place in Kenosha, WI. There are those who support the protesters and those those that don't. I have to say, the destruction is awful. It makes no sense to destroy people's lives in reponse to the shooting of Jacob Blake. Without waiting to see what the truth is about the shooting, riots began. Really? I know that there will be those who say it is just a result of the feelings that boil over. Does that give someone the right to destroy people's lives? You can say, "The police are the bad people." Do you actually know what took place in this shooting? It amazes me how quickly people are certain they know what took place. They don't want to wait to let justice work. The response will be: There is no justice when police shoot black men. I respond, why not listen to the police and stop. If you are innocent, listen to what you are told to do. 

In our country today we have decided that if you don't like those in authority, you don't need to listen to them. This is against the 4th commandment, but then again, who cares about what God says? We live in a country that doesn't care about God's Word, or what God says. Morality is based upon what I want and the way I think. I pick and chose what I like and what I do. God doesn't have the right to tell me what to do. I chose. I act. And because of that, we see the results.

Ball teams won't play because of this shooting. But what about when Cannon Hinnat was shot in the head? Who is this? Good question. It is a 5 year old boy that was shot in the head by a 25 year old man, in front of his two sisters. Terrible isn't it? Was there any protests? Was there any ball player that stood up and said that it was wrong? Were there riots? No, in fact, it was hardly even reported on. Did you notice what I did at the beginning of this paragraph? I did not mention race of either of them. But race was an issue with it but no one spoke up for the 5 year old boy. It made me sad. 

I know, people will say that as a pastor, I shouldn't say these things. Why not? Does being a man of God mean that I can't speak up when I see something horribly wrong? Does it mean that I can't say that the way our country is acting is wrong? Does it mean that I cannot speak up when I see people's lives destroyed without any real action of justice? 

Stop people. Stop attacking each other. Stop pitting black against white, brown or yellow or whatever color. Stop making everything about race. Stop fighting with each other. Stop. 

I pray for our country. I pray that the Lord will heal the divisions. I pray that we will treat each other with respect, no matter what color our skin. I pray that people will repent of their own personal sins. I pray that each one of us will take the log our of our own eye instead of trying to take the speck out of our brothers/sisters eye. 

Mostly, I just pray, Come Lord Jesus! Come quickly. 

Rambling on..

 Hello there. It has been a little while since I blogged. Why? Nothing has struck my fancy nor tripped my trigger. I don't like to blog about politics because that just invites arguments, and we all know that any argument online doesn't change anyone's opinions, it just creates anxiety and causes people to become upset with someone they don't even know. Often, we will ump to conclusions about the author, make judgments and random comments. I am not sure why we do that. Perhaps it is just to get the chance to voice our own opinions. 

I may not agree with your opinion and you may not agree with mine. And that is all right. It happens. Not everyone agrees. If you don't agree, that is the way it is. Rather than getting upset and attacking the other person, just scroll right on by. The reality is, the person doesn't really care if you agree or not. As humans, we can disagree. We will never agree on all things. Just ask a married couple. They don't always agree on the same things. What do they do? They learn to work it out and continue with each other. To attack each other will only lead to divorce. To continue to argue and tear each other apart will only tear apart the marriage. Couples that remain married for more than a short time, find ways to discuss and work on things together. They may even agree to disagree. I know some mixed marriages that have been able to stay married for many, many years. One supports the Chicago Cubs and the other supports another team. They don't agree but they still love and care for each other. I know adults who have different political views, and they remain friends. Why? Because friendship is more important than tearing each other apart.

That is something that is lost today. We have lost the ability to disagree and remain friends. We have forgotten that we can still be kind to each other even if we are on opposite sides of the issue. We can even be very adament about our feelings and still get along. We have lost that. It seems that if you disagree with someone, you have to attack them, even try to destroy them in order to prove your point of view. Why? What good does that do? It doesn't. It just drives the wedge between people and destroys civility. Perhaps that is why there is such a divide in a country. And neither side is willing to talk to each other. They put out talking points, support them and then lie and deceive to get their point across. I watched a news show this morning where one person refused to believe actual news reports and videos. I could only shake my head. Did I attack the person? No, I just moved on with my life. That is the way it works.

I was disgusted this morning as I watched a video from Portland, OR from Saturday night. It showed Black Lives Matter supporters dragging a man from his truck and beating him unconscious. The man did not fight back. In fact, he sat on the ground and he was repeatedly hit and kicked. Even after he was unconscious, he was kicked in the head. Why? It is unclear why they did this. It happens to be that he was a white man beaten by black men. If it was the other way around, imagine the outcry. Anyway, I cannot think of any justification for this beating. None. I don't care what is said. He was drug out of his truck and beaten senseless. It shouldn't happen. It is terrible. This is not a peaceful protest. This is violence for the sake of violence. It has nothing to do with George Floyd or civil rights. It is anarchy at its worst. I am not sure how anyone could watch that video and not become upset. Will I get scathing comments about this? I don't know. Nor do I care. It was wrong no matter which way you slice it. 

Anyway, my rambles continue on. And I will ramble. I pray for our country, our leaders, our people. I pray for peace to come to all people. I ask God to guide our leaders in the right way to go, His way, and not their way. Yes, I remembe what was written by Paul to Timothy, First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV) I remember that as Paul writes that, the Roman rulers did not support Christianity or the message of the gospel, but he still encouraged prayer for them. We may not like our leaders, but we must still pray that God would lead them. If they are on the wrong path, then we should pray that God would take them to the right path. Yes, Lord, please lead our country.

Just some thoughts about blogging

Good morning. It is good to have you with me this morning. As I blog, I do so to put into words what I am thinking and feeling. Do I expect everyone to agree with me? Of course not. But the fact is, as I blog, it is what is in my heart as both a pastor and a citizen of the US. It is the opportunity for me to express my thoughts. Yes, my thoughts. It is what I think. It is was I think. In some cases, it is my understanding of what Scripture says concerning a situation in the world today. That is the wonderful freedom that we all have in this great country.

And you have the right to like it or not like it. That is your right as well. You can agree with me, and that is great. You can disagree with me, and that is great. But understand this, I don't believe that by writing a blog, I am going to change your opinion. And when you put a comment, I don't believe that it will change my opinion. I will not argue on line with anyone. That doesn't accomplish anything. I have not seen anything good come from such arguing. 

And it is my blog. If I feel like deleting a comment, I will delete it. Do I feel shame at doing it? No. Also, I won't be shamed into leaving comments. Why? Because it is my blog. It is a forum for me to state what I feel. You can say that it is your right to comment, and you would be correct. And it can be left or deleted. That is up to me, not to you. 

I do want to answer one thing that was commented. Yes, the Jesus in my church is white. Why? Is it because I believe Jesus was white? No. It is because a white Jesus connects with most of those who worship at the church. At the same time, a church that is mostly black, can have a black Jesus in their church. A church that is mostly Asian, can have an asian Jesus in their church. Why? Because that is who they will connect with in their lives. What nationality was Jesus? He was Jewish, meaning that He was like many in the Middle East. Does it matter what the Jesus in your church looks like? No. We do not worship the image, we worship the Savior. The image helps us in our time of worship. It doesn't make a church more racist than another. It means that is how the people connect with their Savior.

Anyway, know that I will continue to blog. I will continue to state what is on my mind. And I will handle my blog the way that I want to handle it. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. I welcome anyone to read it and to comment. If I don't feel like leaving the comment, that is the way it works in the world today. 

I pray that the Lord will bless your walk of faith. Stay focused on Christ the Lord. He alone is the Savior of this world. He alone is your Savior. 

Disgusted

I know I have been quiet since July 23rd. Yes, I have held my thoughts and went about my life doing that which I feel I need to be doing - showing the love of Christ and supporting the lives of those who are struggling with the situations of today's world. I have spent some time writing sermons and Bible studies, making calls, visiting with members, working on my MAP for the Doctor of Ministry, spending time with Penny, sitting on the porch and doing my best to avoid the news of the world.

But this morning, I heard something that really upset me. You might know that John Lewis died. He was a politician who was invovled in the civil rights march of the 60's. He did many things to move civil rights forward. He received a 6 day funeral, which I feel was a over the top. Who needs to have 6 days worth of funerals? A president of the US doesn't even need a 6 day funeral. The only other one who has had such a funeral was a criminal who was killed by a police officer in Minneaoplis, MN. That made me shake my head as well. But that isn't why I am writing today.

Do you know Scipture? Let me quote something for you:

He was wounded for our trangressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Do you know who this is talking about? I will wait for you to answer. (Sitting quietly while you think it though.)

Well? Who is it talking about? You? Me? Someone else? NO! This is talking about the Savior, the Messiah, the One who suffers and dies upon the cross for the salvation of all mankind. The whole of Isaiah 53 is talking about the suffering Servant, the Messiah. Read through the whole of Isaiah 53. You will see that it brings forth that which Jesus Christ went through for each one of us, for our salvation.

End of story, right?

Wrong. This is what upset me. At John Lewis's funeral yesterday, Rev. Raphael G. Warnock of Ebeneazer Baptist Church said this:

"We celebrate John Lewis. He was wounded for America's transgressions. Bruised for our inequities, and the chastisement of his peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed..."

Do you see what was done? Do you understand what is being done? Who is this Scripture talking about? John Lewis? Or the Savior? And if you put John Lewis into this passage, you make John Lewis into a savior. America was not saved by John Lewis. Isaiah was not writing about John Lewis. And you might say, "The pastor was just being creative to make a point." What point? That John Lewis is the one that we look to? That John Lewis, by the shedding of his blood, saved America from the problems of what it was facing? That John Lewis brought peace to America by the things he went  throught?

I am sorry. No wait, I am not sorry. I am upset that a Christian pastor would give to a sinful, fallen human being that needed Jesus Christ to take his place in order to bring to him salvation, and would give that message to the very man who was saved by Jesus. John Lewis is not and never was the savior of this nation. Isaiah never spoke of John Lewis in this fashion. This is heresy. This is false teaching. This is abusing Scripture and assigning to a mere human that which belongs only to Jesus Christ.

This is sinful. This is breaking the 1st Commandment. John Lewis is not a god. John Lewis is not a savior. Stop it world! Stop this lunacy.

Jesus is the only Savior. Jesus is the One who suffered and died for our sins. Jesus is the One who shed His blood for the salvation of mankind!

Let me ask you, does this upset you as much as it does me? Does it upset you as much as it does out Lord? Isaiah 45:5a I am the Lord and there is no other. And even Revelation 13:5-6 And the best was given a mouh uttering haughty and blasphemous words...It opened its mouth to utter blasphemes agsint God, blamspheming his name and his dwelling...

Welcome to a new world, where we worship man and not God. I pray that as a child of God, you are upset by anyone applying that which is given to Jesus to a fallen human. Lord, have mercy and forgive us.

Frustrated with the way the world is going.

Each morning I get up and watch the news. That is my first mistake. It seems as though watching the news is bad for your health. I know it is bad for my health. I watch the news and listen to the reports of murder and mayhem. Yes, murder. How many people were shot over night in the cities around the nation. Chicago has this many, New York has that many. How many can be shot and killed at a funeral? How many children are shot? How many children died?

And then there is mayhem. Portland is on its 56th night of protests. These aren't protests. They are riots. They wait till the sun goes down, then they begin their destruction. They burn things. They put graffitti all over the buildings. They attack police. They set out to hurt people and destroy property. And they accomplish both. How can you have that many nights of "peaceful protests"? I watch the report of how a police officer in Chicago hit and hurt a peaceful protester. She did nothing but stand there. And she was attacked! Can you believe it? Can you imagine that police would just lash out that way? Or wait, was that a frozen water bottle that was thrown at the police officer? Was that a black unbrella used as a weapon against the police? Are those rocks being thrown at the officers? But it wasn't her. She was innocent. She was just standing there. Yeah, right. When things get violent, I wouldn't be just standing there. I would head the other way. The police are supposed to allow themselves to be beat on, cursed at, abused, hurt, attacked and hospitalized, all in the name of peaceful protests.

They aren't peaceful protests. You can trot out some that are peaceful. They usually take place during the day. And remain peaceful. But then folks that are out to cause problems get involved and hijack peaceful protests. Wait, was that a rally in support of police in New York City where a group of thugs, not involved in the rally, came up and attacked the officers? Yes, it turned nasty. Why? Not because of the police. But because of those who have a total and complete lack of respect or any sort of moral character.

Destroying property is not peaceful protests. Putting graffitti on buildings is not peaceful protests. Setting out to hurt people is not peaceful protests. Plain and simple, this is anarchy. And there are those who support, those in positions of authority and leadership. Why? I have no way of knowing why. I have ideas. They think that by giving in, they will gain support. They want to hurt America. They want to work to keep Trump from being reelected. They have other agendas. Why does the media report as it does? There is a narrative out there.

Now I know that some of you will disagree with me. You will tell me how terrible Trump and all his followers are. You will show some thing that Trump said that is terrible or wrong. And you would be right. He isn't perfect. He makes mistakes (remember, that is what you call it when you or someone you support says or does something wrong, you call it a mistake in order t o make it sound like it istn' so bad). But when was the last time you watched a group of conservatives out burning down buildings or writing "F-U" on buildings or throwing frozen water bottles at police or breaking windows of buildings and destroying police cars?

You can say that this is just pent up feelings from years of frutration. Let me ask, do you think that it is only a certain group of people that get frustrated? Does that frustration give you the right to hurt others? To destroy property?

Defund the police. That is so stupid. Really. It is stupid. Send an unarmed social worker into a domestic dispute. Really? After you hear of how police officers are assaulted by people in those situations? And don't say it happens because they are police officers. If you will become violent with police, what is to stop you from being violent without them? A social worker? When the man is beating on his wife and the social worker comes to the door, do you really think that standing there, asking him to stop and talk about his feelings is going to make him stop? Of course - not. That is lunacy. When someone breaks into your house, are you going to call a social worker or a police officer? When your wife or daughter is being raped, do you want a social worker or a police officer? You can say those are extreme cases but what happens when there is no police available because they have been defunded? What is to stop the criminal from acting? And don't you dare pull out your gun, for then you are a bad person. Reason with the criminal. That will work.

I just shake my head. The law is given as a curb - to control violent outbursts of sin and keep order in the world. The law is specific. And it needs inforced. If you attack someone, you should be arrested and convicted. If you burn a building, you should be arrested and convicted. If you destroy someone's car, you should be arrested and convicted. It doesn't matter how "frustrated" you feel. You do not have the right to act in that way. Plain and simple.

What is the real problem going on? We have left behind God. When you remove God form society, from the moral fabric of society and life, all you have left is sin. Sin. Each and every person is sinful. Born sinful, they will follow their sinful desires and actions if there is nothing to stop them. It looks like it was before the flood. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5 ESV) When you are not raised with the morality of God and His Word, the wickedness of the heart shows itself in the many sinful actions. Original sin leads to actual sin. If morality is not taught, you will not acted in a morally acceptable fashion. If you do not have to answer to God, you can do as you wish because you have no one to answer to. Sin will run rampant. And we are seeing that today. We see it every time we see the violent clashes between peaceful protesters and police. We see it every time that gun is fired by someone who should not even have the gun in the first place. We see it in gang activity. We see it anarchy and the related organizations. We see it when we watch the police officer attacked and the protester hit. We are seeing it more and more because we have turnes away from God. We have turned away from God.

Yes, there are good people who are trying to do what is right. There are people following the Lord and living as His children. We give thanks for them and for all those who do live morally correct lives according to the will of God (and not the will of the world).

This is why we continue to proclaim the message of the Gospel. We proclaim the need for the Holy Spirit to change the heart and life of each one of us. We focus attention on Jesus Christ and what He has done upon the cross. Yes, we continue to keep our eyes focused on the cross of Jesus Christ. We continue to proclaim Christ. Plain and simple. That is what we do.

Yes, the world needs Jesus. And that is why He came into the world.

God or gods

Today I am sharing a devotion I wrote on Isaiah 44:6-8

The world we live in offers us many gods. Oh, we don't call them gods, not like they did in year gone by. Israel struggled with such gods as Baal, Ashorah, and Molech. They faced many gods in Egpyt, Assyria and Babylon. As they returned from the Babylonian captivity, these gods has faded away but they faced new gods - more gods made by human hands or by human desire.

So we face them today. When we teach our children the 1st Commandment (You shall have no other gods), it is a struggle for our world today because we don't talk about "gods." After all, who actually has a shrine or an altar to some sort of god, where they burn incense or offer sacrifices to that god? Well, maybe they do that in India but they are Hindus, and we don't really understand what they worship. And the Japenese might burn incense to their departed elders, but is that really worshiping a false god? (Understand, I am presenting an argument. This is worshiping false gods.) So what "god" do our children know?

That is the struggle we face. What is a god - that which we fear, love and trust in above the true God? Wait, who is the true God? And what do we know about this God? Isaiah writes: 

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: "I am the first and the last; besides me there is no god." (Isaiah 44:6 ESV)

This true God is the One revealed in Scripture, the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here we see the Father and the Son - The Lord and the Lord of Hosts, the Lord God almighty. We see the God of the Bible, the One we hear about in Revelation:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God. (Rev. 1:8 ESV)

And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." (Rev. 21:6 ESV)

I am the Alpha and the Omego, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. (Rev. 22:13 ESV)

Here is where we see the God of all eternity, the one who was, and is and is to come. Here we understand that He alone is the true God. This is the God we worship. It seems so simple for us to hear these words from Isaiah and agree with him. There is no god beside the Triune God.

But then again, maybe there is. In the world today, it is safe to say (in my mind) that the new god is science. It is science that is going to save us. It is science that has all the answers. It is science that you must liten to in order to survive. Without science, there is no hope to survive the current pandemic. You are to listen to science. To accept what it tells you. And if you question science, you are seen as someone who has broken the 1st Commandment of society, "You shall hav enot other god than science." You are suspect at best and an unbeliever at worst. And in questioning science, you question the very right to live. Do as science tells you or you will die.

Is taht the new god? It used to be sports stars or stars of the silver screem. But those gods have fallen from their pedestal (or been pulled down) and are replaced by scientists, health care workers and those considered on the front lines of fighting this virus. Who do you listen to? Listen to the god of this age. They have the answers for you.

Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.

Let him declare and set it before me,

since I appointed an ancient people. 

Let them decalre what is to come, and what will happen. (Isaiah 44:7 ESV)

Are the gods of this age really gods to be trusted? We see them change almost daily. One source, one power, on god today, falling from the pedestal, or perhaps dragged from it by the next god of the age. "Listen to me!" it cries, and the people listen. Perhaps we even listen because we feel that it answers our questions or quiets our fears. Perhaps the new god of science, a viral god, can quell the fears of this nation at this crucial time. Do we listen? Do we follow? Where do we put our fear, love and trust?

As the Lord says, "Let them declare what is going to come, and what will happen." And yet, these  new gos cannot, any more than the old gods could. They cannot tell you waht was to come. Oh, they make their claims, but do they really know what is to come? If this happens, then that might take place. But what they say soon changes. One teacher told me, "Things are so fluid, that we don't know what to expect." And it that way. One model says this, so do it. Another model says that, so do that. Can the gods of this age answer?

Who can tell us waht is to come except for the true God?

He tells us who to trust - not the gods of this age but His only-begotten Son that He sent into this world, to bring true hope, peace and salvation to a world that is tearing itself apart and to a people who do not know which way to turn. Listening to the voice of the Shepherd in the chaos of this world brings hope and peace. The Lord is my Shepherd - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow, I will fear no evil. Why? Because the Lord God has shown me the depth of His love for me, that which He is able to do for me as He died upon the cross and rose again from the dead. He tells me the outcome of all that I face. It is what leads Paul to write, "For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18 ESV) 

Fear not, nor be afraid,

have I not told you from of old and declared it?

And are you my witnesses!

Is there a God besides me?

There is no Rock; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8 ESV)

So fear not, nor be afraid! But the gods of this age seek to creat fear and not peace. The gods tell us, "You will die." Yes, you are right, I shall die. Not because you have told me but because the Word has told me. Because of my sin, I shall die. From a virus? Form a disease? From an accident? Fro a war? Who knows? God does, but the gods of this age do not for they are not gods at all. They are made in the hands and the minds of sinful, corrupt man.

God has shown this to me. But He has not shown me the outcome - the empty grave. For death does not win. That is shown in the hands, feet and side of the One living Lord, the One who was slain but is now alive. 

Yes, you and I are His witnesses. In this age of new gods and new teachings, we are witnesses of the One, the only God who gives life, forgiveness, peace and hope where these gods cannot. 

Is there any God besides Him? No. There is not. He alone is the true God. As we hear the call of the false gods of this age, we need to remember:

On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

WIth Isaiah we proudly proclaim: There is no Rock, I know not any!

Do you proclaim Christ?

Thinking about some of the things that are out there in the world today. Coronavirus is a part of our daily lives today. If you watch local news, the numbers of new cases is read like baseball scores. Whenever a new case happens here in Page County, I get an email and a text, telling me that another case has been confirmed. It has only gone off 20 times in the past 3+ months as there has only been 20 confirmed cases in the county. Excitement! It gave people something to talk about when they saw each other or talked with each other on the phone or internet. Another case! WooHoo! All right, I am being cynical. But it felt like there was a sense of excitement when another case was found. It was the talk of the town.

We are made to be afraid of the virus. It will kill you. If you don't social distance and wear a mask and stay away from every other person, you will get the virus and you will die. If you don't get it, your grandma or grandpa will get it from you, and they will die. The whole idea is stay inside, stay away from each other, stay home from work, stay out of school and if you do that, then you just might not die or you might not kill another person. Live in fear. Be afraid. Be very afraid of this virus.

And I think, I wish that people were that afraid of hell. I wish that people would be just as adamant about telling people about that which will save their lives - Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, you are going to die and go to hell. Period. If the virus kills you, and you don't believe in Jesus, you will go to hell. If you die from a heart attack, a car accident or any of the other million ways you might (it is "might" but the fact is that we are all going to die in some fashion) die, and you don't believe in Jesus as your Savior, you will not go to heaven. You will go to hell.

But that is something that we don't share. We can be told that we must accept what we are told by this doctor or this expert, even if there is another doctor or expert that says just the opposite about the virus. Accept it. Believe it. Live it. If you don't, you aren't being loving to others.

Yet don't tell anyone about Jesus because you cannot force your beliefs on someone else. You must wear a mask, but don't tell anyone about Jesus. You must stay 6 feet away from other people, but you cannot tell them about Jesus because that is forcing your beliefs on others. Wait - force your beliefs of the coronavirus on others, but don't force your beliefs on salvation on others. I shake my head. Why/ Because Christians listen to this way of thinking and avoid talking about their faith because they don't want to force their beliefs on others.

There are so many other things that upset me. A black national anthem being played at football games. When did we get a black national anthem? I don't remember that being accepted by the nation. When will there be the Hispanic national anthem? Or the white national anthem? There won't be! Why? There is only one national anthem. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. As a child of God, I find that I am just as disgusted, or maybe more so, when we are told there are other ways to salvation that Jesus Christ. Really? When did Jesus say that there are other ways to the Father? He didn't. There is no other way. There is only one way of salvation for whites, blacks, hispanics, asians and so on. That way is through Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who suffered and died upon the cross and rose from the dead on the 3rd day.

One way to salvation. One hope for life. Not found in a national anthem. Not found in a mask. Not found in our attempt to make things my way. It is found only in Jesus Christ. Plain and simple. Remember that.