In Anchorage’s election this week the citizens were allowed to make a choice between following God’s laws and design for morality (by supporting Proposition 1) or following man’s desires to accommodate and perhaps mandate immorality in the public sector. Commonly referred to as “the bathroom bill,” Proposition 1 sought to overturn a 2016 municipal ordinance which provided “anti-discrimination protection” for “trans-gender” persons which would allow them to utilize public bathrooms and changing facilities based on how they “gender-identified” rather than their biological sex at birth. To boil all this down into simpler terms, the defeat of Proposition 1 means that a person born a biological male, but who now “self-identifies” as a woman cannot be denied access to women’s public restrooms, changing facilities, and other “women’s-only” private spaces.

There are more than a few problems with this issue. First, the rules for defining what gender a person is if we do not use biological sex at birth (which has ALWAYS been used in ALL civilizations) as the standard, how does one determine when a person has “changed genders.” The process by which people approach a true “sex-change” is lengthy and many people who label themselves as “trans-gender” never complete that process. So how do we discern between “true” trans-gender persons and sexual predators looking for access to easy prey? Second, a related point, as has been reported in the local news lately a man claiming to identify as a woman demanded access to a women’s only shelter for women who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse. The man denied entrance is now filing a lawsuit against the faith-based shelter for gender discrimination based on the 2016 municipal ordinance.

Third, and most importantly, what comes next in our slide into total depravity? In 1973 the Supreme Court “legalized” abortion in the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, which, in essence, legalized what God sees as murder. Since then, the moral decay of America has been at full throttle. We have accepted and in many cases, endorsed homosexual lifestyles including their “right” to be in recognized marriages. Now, with the “trans-gender” issue we are endorsing the right of a human being to determine his or her own gender. This action is a direct affront to God who created humans “male and female” (Gen. 1:27). God did NOT leave the gender issue open for debate! So, if all of these “rights” (abortion, homosexuality, and determining one’s own gender) are now part of our American culture, what is next? How far is too far? How long can we insult the God Who created and sustains us?

Before you throw up your hands in surrender and helplessness, let me offer you a couple thoughts.  First, if you are a believer, you need to VOTE in ALL elections within your area. Every single vote matters! While the election results are not yet fully counted, Proposition 1 lost by only a couple thousand votes. What would the result have been if EVERY believer of voting age had voted their morals and said “Yes” to Proposition 1? Given the number of church-goers in Anchorage, the result very likely would have been different. As a believer you need to be aware of and become active in civil government matters. The immoral legislation passed in our country is because Christians don’t participate in civic government. Make your voice known and influence the law of the land – it is your right and your duty.

Second, we need to pray! God’s Word (1 Tim. 2:1-2) tells us to pray for our leaders – that means ALL our leaders, not just the ones we like! Prayer will open the communication link between you and God which will result in your desire to follow Him and all His ways. To find out more about prayer, join us this Sunday (April 8) at our 11 a.m. service. I will be praying for you to seek and obey God’s will.  Don’t give up hope – remember God’s promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14: “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

– Pastor Dave

Fear and disbelief gripped the disciples. Their Messiah had been arrested and they ran away in fear (Luke 14: 50-52). Their fear was understandable…for three years they had followed Jesus awaiting the day that He would overthrow the Roman occupiers and set the nation of Israel free.

The prophesied Messiah was expected to deliver Israel from the oppression of her enemies. The people ASSUMED that meant the foreign powers which had oppressed them for so long. However, as usual, people think “too small” for God!

His plan was to deliver them from a much greater adversary – their own sinful nature.  Israel, like America today, was short-sighted and focused on purely physical and material well-being. They were so self-absorbed in their current circumstances that they couldn’t see the forest for the trees. They were interested only in the here and now. They wanted Jesus to be their earthly king and rescue them from the occupying forces of Rome. They could see NO WAY Jesus dying on the cross would achieve this goal of freedom. Furthermore, many of the people were concerned for their own lives since the government, including the ruling Jewish Council, may now come after them because they had been supportive of Jesus. It was indeed a time of great bewilderment and fear. The people ASSUMED that all their hopes for a Messiah delivering them died with Jesus. For three long days it appeared that their fears were founded. Then on the morning following the Sabbath, the world changed forever. Jesus rose from the dead!

You see, the people were afraid because they had put their faith in the power of what they saw as an “earthly king,” a human being. The people were guilty of thinking “too small” for God. God’s plan all along was to deliver Israel from oppression – the oppression of sin.  God had no intention of merely making their earthly life more comfortable – His goal was MUCH larger in scope. God’s plan was to deliver Israel and the rest of the world, from the oppression of sin and death once and for all. God’s offer of redemption and salvation has been extended to EVERY human being since Jesus rose from the dead declaring victory over sin and death. All you need do to gain your redemption and salvation is to trust fully in Jesus as your personal Savior, Lord and Master.

We live in a scary and uncertain world, but Christ-followers have no need to fear. Why? God said so!  God’s promise, “Fear not for I AM with you,” appears in some form or another 365 times in the Bible – once for every day of the year. Coincidence? I don’t think so! Jesus commanded His followers to “pick up your cross DAILY and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) Jesus knows we are naturally afraid of the uncertainties of this world so He reminded us to defeat fear with Faith. This is God’s word – it is what He said. The solution to overcoming your fears is for you to determine, “Do I believe God, or not?”

He is Risen. He is Risen, INDEED!

-Pastor Dave

Below is a list of our prayer requests for this week. I just learned that the teachers association has sent out a notice to the ASD teachers urging them to vote NO on Proposition 1 to “protect our children  from discrimination.”  Voting NO on this proposition will allow public restrooms and changing facilities to become essentially gender-neutral.  This in NO WAY protects our children.  I urge you, particularly if you have a child in school, to talk to their teacher, the school staff, other parents and anyone else you can think of to advocate for a YES vote on Proposition 1.

Remember – voting YES on this Proposition keeps locker rooms and restrooms restricted to biological gender – GOD’S PERFECT DESIGN!

There is  a lot of misinformation out  there about this proposition being “discriminatory” which, I fear, will cause uninformed voters to vote against it.  We MUST rally behind this proposition and actively engage others to join us to maintain common decency and morality in our community and in our schools!

-Pastor Dave

As I have been reminded recently by the American Heritage video series we study on Wednesday evenings, Americans have largely forgotten one of the basic character principles considered to be crucial by our country’s founding fathers – Duty.  Duty, as defined by Noah Webster, who has been called “a founding father who helped define American Culture”¹, in his American Dictionary of 1828,  is a concept foreign to most Americans today.

Duty:

1.     That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.

2.     Forbearance (avoidance) of that which is forbid by morality, law, justice or propriety. It is our duty to refrain from lewdness, intemperance, profaneness and injustice.

3.     Obedience; submission.

4.     Act of reverence or respect.

Note that duty is something required (owes to, bound by) and expected of every citizen. Duty is not optional nor is it self-serving; it is doing what is right out of obedience, submission, reverence and respect. Our founding fathers served out of a sense of duty and considered it to be of paramount importance for the maintenance of a free Republic. Americans today like to tout our “rights” of free speech, pursuit of happiness, religious freedoms, and many other liberties granted us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. However, those “rights” all come with “responsibilities” (duties) as designed by the founding fathers. Today, we seem to want to exert our rights without performing our duties. We complain about the way we are governed yet we do not exercise our right (and duty) to vote and otherwise legally influence the legislative process. When we fail to exercise our civic rights and duties to participate in the legislative process, we also, logically, should abdicate our right to complain about the results.

Noah Webster and the other founding fathers spoke and wrote voluminously about the importance of the duty of every citizen (We The People…) to participate in the governance of our country and built a democratic republic to facilitate this process.  This is nothing new, it is Civics 101. But what, you may ask, has that to do with my Christian Duty? As we will explore in a new sermon series starting this week, Christian duties are quite similar to Civic duties in our country because the founding fathers designed our government on CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! As we ponder how our country has fallen into a morass of immorality, political bickering, and ineffectual governance, we should recall the words of George Washington in his farewell address of 1796, “Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.” We The People have all but banished God, The Bible, and the morality taught therein from civil government. As can be seen by the statements of Webster, Washington, and many other founding fathers, this is far afield from the American government which they envisioned and designed.

It is time to change. We MUST get back to basics and exercise our civic and Christian duties in order to heal our land and realize the promise God so graciously extended His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God CAN heal our land and we need to do our part by turning from our wicked ways and seeking Him.  I urge you to start today:

All registered voters in Anchorage should receive a ballot in the mail this week. The first proposition on the ballot (Proposition 1) regards requiring public restrooms, locker rooms, and changing facilities to be separated by biological gender at birth. I IMPLORE you to vote YES on this proposition to keep these facilities separated by gender as God intended. There is a growing segment of Anchorage who are either ambivalent, misinformed, or deluded who will vote against this proposition and we must get out the vote to protect common decency and Christian morality.

The Alaska Family Action organization, a group dedicated to promoting the biblical precepts of the family, prepared an information paper on the subject of Proposition 1. I will have printed copies available for you Sunday. You can also view it on our FB page and here: [Proposition 1 Information].  Please get the word out to your friends, co-workers, and neighbors so we can vote to effect decency, morality, and biblical principles in our community.

-Pastor Dave

 

¹ The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, Joshua Kendall, Penguin Books, New York, 2010.

In the past days since the Parkland, Florida High School tragedy a noticeable undercurrent of fear has swept through America. While I am not in any way attempting to downplay the tragic loss of each individual life on that sad day, I am curious how this one event involving less than fifty total casualties has caused a national uproar over gun control. Whether or not you support stronger gun control laws is not the issue here; the point is whether or not gun control measures are addressing the cause of violent crimes or merely a symptom. Those who demand stricter gun control measures point to the number of school shootings in recent history to support their position that tighter gun control measures would have saved lives and avoided these tragedies. They also maintain that tighter gun control laws would reduce violent crimes in general since it would make it more difficult for criminals to obtain weapons. On the other side of the argument are those who staunchly defend our 2d Amendment right to bear arms and defend ourselves.  FBI statistics show that the cities in America with the toughest gun control laws (Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans) also have some of the highest rates of violent crimes resulting in gun-involved deaths so the argument that general disarmament will reduce gun-involved violence does not appear to be supported by the facts.

There is no doubt that BOTH sides of the gun control debate manipulate numbers to support their own side of the argument. Again, the point here is NOT about stricter gun control laws – any way you stack the numbers, the number of gun-involved deaths each year pale in comparison to other causes of death. One of the  mantras of the 2d Amendment supporters is that “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”  Regardless of your position on this issue, it’s hard to argue with that statement…guns require a shooter.  America’s fear should not be of guns, but of those who will use them for nefarious purpose. What we as a nation need to address is not the tools of violence but rather the disease of those who want to kill.  Mental Health professionals tell us that most people who commit (or attempt to commit) mass murder are mentally unstable. There is certainly evidential data to back up their assertion.  So, why are we not calling for a national overhaul of our Mental Health system? Other psychologists say that mass shooters are often inspired by violent video games and movies which glorify violence and  minimize the value of life. So, why are we not seeking to ban the production of those media? The truth is we will never stop senseless killings until we restore the morality which God intended for us to have. Our “One Nation Under God” has banned God from our schools, our government, and, in many cases, even our workplaces. When we quit teaching and obeying God’s standards for morality we become like the nation of Israel in the time of the Judges where “Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” (Judg. 21:25). If we truly want peace to reign in our country and to stop living in fear, we must turn back to God acknowledging His Lordship in our lives and in our country. Revival starts with you – open your Bibles, I’ll see you Sunday morning.

-Pastor Dave

The special investigation into Russian meddling in the last presidential election has absolutely consumed the news media for over a year now with liberal and conservatives alike casting dispersions upon one another.  Mud-slinging of epoch proportions. This past week Special Counsel Robert Mueller released the names of thirteen Russian individual agents and agencies who have been indicted by the Grand Jury for attempting to disrupt the election process through the spread of misinformation and the staging of purposely divisive events such as public rallies.  Mueller’s report also indicated that no U.S. persons were knowingly involved in the attacks.  The report also indicated that these attacks started before all the presidential candidates had even been named.

An analysis of the attacks shows that their purpose was to sow seeds of discord and divisiveness in America as evidenced by the fact that the attacks targeted candidates in BOTH political parties and occurred both before and after the election.  Why would Russian agents try to breed and encourage divisiveness in America? Quite simply, it is to weaken our nation’s power and capabilities.  Any nation which turns against itself will eventually fall prey to the divisiveness and become ineffective since it cannot develop and sustain public policy.  When our leaders are spending all their time pointing fingers at each other and our citizenry is becoming increasingly polarized on multiple issues (e.g., immigration reform, gun control, racism, sexism, etc.), our country cannot effectively run a government.

If the allegations against the Russian agents hold true, it is certainly a contemptable and illegal attack upon the United States by a foreign power. However, even if the allegations are proven true and we were to find a way to prevent such meddling in the future, that would only address a small part of the problem.  These attacks were primarily implemented via social media and irresponsible management of news media. Sadly, the United States has become a country who seems anxious for any kind of scandalous or fantastic story.  “News” has become “entertainment” and a platform through which we can promote our own cause or just jump on a bandwagon of someone else’s cause.  This fact makes our country highly vulnerable to the winds of change as we drift perilously in the water allowing ourselves to be blown in any direction.

The writer of Hebrews warned us against such careless behavior:

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard [The Gospel of Jesus Christ], so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard [Eye witnesses], 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.  (Heb. 2:1-4)

Scripture admonishes us to pray for our civic leaders and to pray for unity in the church. The flag of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is inscribed with the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” This motto is actually centuries old and can be found verbatim in a work from Aesop.  However, the veracity and importance of the motto as it applies to our country and the church have never been greater.  As a church and as a nation we must return to our core values and quit focusing on “symptoms” (murders, drug abuse, racism, sexism, immorality and lawlessness of any ilk) while ignoring the cause of these societal woes – SIN! The answer to our problems is NOT gun control, immigration reform, better social programs or new laws – it is open heart surgery: we must open our hearts and allow The Holy Spirit to operate.

Satan is the father of lies and the great deceiver. He wants to breed discontent, discord, and selfishness into our lives. Divisiveness among a group of people extinguishes unity and weakens their positions. America needs to quit falling for Satan’s ploys and go back to the absolute truth and morality of Scripture. We must put God first in every aspect of our lives and turn our country back to the morality and Christian principles upon which she was founded.  Then, and only then, can we reasonably pray “God Bless America.”

-Pastor Dave

This week the country suffered another senseless massacre – a school shooting in Parkland, Florida.  While information is still developing, initial reports are that at least 17 people have died with several more injured.  The alleged shooter was a former student of the High School who had been expelled. While differing groups rush to fix blame for the disaster (gun control advocates, law enforcement groups, etc.) we must remember to PRAY for everyone involved – ESPECIALLY the alleged shooter.  As we are continuing to learn in our sermon series about Christian Curiosity, many of the tragedies and sinful behaviors in our culture are caused by our own disobedience to God’s laws.  We CHOOSE to live a lifestyle which God has told us will destroy us. The country’s flagrant disobedience of God’s perfect design for humanity is the primary cause of most of our crimes, societal injustices, and tragedies. Scripture is VERY clear on the fact that God WILL judge nations who turn their backs on Him. The solution is so simple – confess our sins and repent. This simple solution is, however, extremely difficult to enact because we refuse to cede our place as Lord and Master of our own lives to The One who is Truly Lord and Master of EVERYTHING in the Universe.  We, the people, can CHOOSE to follow God and enjoy His blessings or we can choose to defy Him and suffer the consequences.  Please pray for us to return to being One Nation UNDER GOD!

-Pastor Dave

This morning in Washington, D.C., the President spoke at the 66^th Annual National Prayer Breakfast. The full transcript of his speech is found below. Some of the President’s critics claim his “God and Country” speech was high-handed rhetoric meant to appeal to the Christian community.  Other groups attacked his remarks as being “too Christian” and ignoring the other faiths represented in America.  Still others, specifically the Atheist coalition and ACLU, denounced the speech as being “anti-American” and “anti-science” as well as discriminatory against Atheists.  The speech made a number of references to America’s Christian heritage and the blessings of God we have enjoyed (I have highlighted some of them).

My intention in sharing all this with you is not to endorse the President or even his speech, but simply to ask you to take the time to read it, compare it to what Scripture says and what the founding fathers of America said and  wrote and see if you agree.  Would America’s founding fathers have considered the content of the speech appropriate? It will also be interesting to watch how the media reacts to the speech over the next few days. My goal is for us to THINK! We need to be aware of the fact that we cannot separate our faith and our civic/political lives.  I encourage you to be a Berean! Read the Scriptures, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and pray for our country to turn back to  God. I look forward to your feedback!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Dave

 

Remarks by President Trump at the 66th Annual National Prayer Breakfast

February 8, 2018

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Charlie.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  And thank you, Randy, for that very kind introduction.  I want to thank you and Congressman Charlie Crist for serving as co-chairs this year.

It’s an honor to be with so many faith leaders, members of Congress, and dignitaries from all around the world as we continue this extraordinary tradition.  I’m very glad to be joined by many members of my Cabinet.  You’re doing a terrific job.

I want to extend our appreciation to the First Lady of Rwanda for leading the opening prayer.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

I also want to thank my two great friends, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.  They’re some here.  Where are they?  They are two terrific people.  Stand up, Mark.  You deserve it.  Even though he comes from Hollywood.  (Applause.)  Roma, thank you very much.  Thank you for being here.

Major Scotty Smiley and Tiffany, we’re moved by your faith and your courage, and inspired by your service and sacrifice.  That was really beautiful.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

And to my friend, and everybody’s friend, Steve Scalise, we are so glad to have you with us today.  Your presence reminds us of Jesus’s words in the Book of Matthew: “With God all things are possible.”  You are fantastic.  You really are, Steve.  (Applause.)  Fantastic man.

America is a nation of believers, and together we are strengthened by the power of prayer.  This morning, our hearts are full of gratitude as we come together for the 66th annual National Prayer Breakfast.

But our hearts are also saddened by the absence of the co-founder of this wonderful breakfast who passed away last year, Doug Coe, who everybody loved.  (Applause.)  For 60 years, Doug devoted his time and passion to this Prayer Breakfast and to many other wonderful causes.  Today, we are blessed to be joined by Doug’s wife Jan, and two of their sons, David and Tim.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Great man.

I want to thank you for carrying on Doug’s legacy also, and bringing our nation together in prayer.  You are indeed carrying on his great legacy.

Each year, this event reminds us that faith is central to American life and to liberty.  Our founders invoked our Creator four times in the Declaration of Independence.  Our currency declares, “In God We Trust.”  (Applause.)  And we place our hands on our hearts as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance and proclaim we are “One Nation Under God.”  (Applause.)

Our rights are not given to us by man; our rights come from our Creator.  (Applause.)  No matter what, no Earthly force can take those rights away.  (Applause.)  That is why the words “Praise be to God” are etched atop the Washington Monument, and those same words are etched into the hearts of our people.

So today, we praise God for how truly blessed we are to be American.  (Applause.)  Across our land, we see the splendor of God’s creation.  Throughout our history, we see the story of God’s providence.  And in every city and town, we see the Lord’s grace all around us, through a million acts of kindness, courage and generosity.  We love God.

We see the Lord’s grace in the service members who risk their lives for our freedom.  We see it in the teachers who work tirelessly for their students, and the police who sacrifice for our communities — and sacrifice they do.  (Applause.)

And we see the Lord’s grace in the moms and dads who work two and three jobs to give their children the chance for a better and much more prosperous and happier life.

As the Bible tells us, for we are God’s handiwork, created in Jesus Christ to do good works.  America’s heroes rise to this calling.  In their selfless deeds, they reveal the beauty and goodness of the human soul.

When catastrophic hurricanes struck, first responders and everyday citizens dove into rushing waters to save stranded families from danger.  And they saved them by the thousands.  Neighbors opened their homes to those in need of food, clothes, shelter.  Firefighters braved blinding smoke and flames to rescue children from devastating wildfires.

During the horrific shootings, strangers shielded strangers, and police officers ran into a hail of bullets to save the lives of their fellow Americans, right in Las Vegas.  A terrible day, a terrible night.  But such bravery.

Families have adopted babies orphaned by the opioid epidemic and given them loving homes.  Communities and churches have reached out to those struggling with addiction, and shown them the path to a clean life, a good job, and a renewed sense of purpose.

And soldiers, sailors, Coast Guardsmen, airmen, and Marines have spent long months away from home defending our great American flag.  (Applause.)

All we have to do is open our eyes and look around us, and we can see God’s hand.  In the courage of our fellow citizens, we see the power of God’s love at work in our souls, and the power of God’s will to answer all of our prayers.

When Americans are able to live by their convictions, to speak openly of their faith, and to teach their children what is right, our families thrive, our communities flourish, and our nation can achieve anything at all.  (Applause.)

Together, as Americans, we are a tireless force for justice and for peace.  We have witnessed this truth over the past year.

For years, ISIS had brutally tortured and murdered Christians, Jews, religious minorities, and countless Muslims.

Today, the coalition to defeat ISIS has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory just recently held by these killers in Iraq and all throughout Syria.  (Applause.)

Much work will always remain, but we will never rest until that job is completely done.  And we are really doing it like never before.  (Applause.)

We know that millions of people in Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, and other countries suffer under repressive and brutal regimes.  America stands with all people suffering oppression and religious persecution.

Last week, during the State of the Union, the world was inspired by the story of a North Korean defector, Mr. Ji Seong-ho, who is now back in South Korea.

Before his escape, when Seong-ho was being tortured by North Korean officials, there was one thing that kept him from losing hope: Over and over again, he recited the Lord’s Prayer.  He prayed for peace, and he prayed for freedom.  And now, as you know, Seong-ho is free and a symbol of hope to millions of people all around the world.  (Applause.)

Here with us today is another symbol of hope, a very brave 9-year-old girl named Sophia Marie Campa Peters.  Sophia suffers from a rare disease that has caused her to have many strokes.  At one point, the doctors told Sophia that she would not be able to walk.

Sophia replied, “If you’re only going to talk about what I can’t do, then I don’t want to hear it — (laughter) — just let me try to walk.”  (Applause.)

She tried, and she succeeded.  And one of her doctors even told her mom — and they’re right here in the front row where they should be — “This little girl has God on her side.”  (Applause.)  Thank you, Sophia.  Thank you, mom.  Great mom.

I said, “Do you love your mom?”  She said, “I have a great mom.  I love my mom.”  (Laughter.)  Right?

Just two weeks ago, Sophia needed to have a very high-risk surgery.  She decided to ask the whole world to pray for her, and she hoped to reach 10,000 people.

On January 24th, as Sophia went into surgery, she far surpassed her goal.  Millions and millions of people lifted Sophia up in their prayers.

Today, we thank God that Sophia is with us, and she’s recovering, and she’s walking very well.  (Applause.)

And I have to say this, Sophia: You may only be 9 years old, but you are already a hero to all of us in this room, and all over the world.  Thank you, Sophia.  (Applause).

Heroes like Sophia come from all across our country and from every different background.  But they all share one thing in common: Through their love, their courage, their sacrifice, we glimpse the grace of almighty God.

So today, inspired by our fellow citizens, let us resolve to find the best within ourselves.  Let us pray for that extra measure of strength and that extra measure of devotion.  And let us seek to build a more just and peaceful world, where every child can grow up without violence, worship without fear, and reach their God-given potential.

As long as we are true to America’s founding and the example that all of these great founders have set, we can all be heroes to everybody, and they can be heroes to us.

As long as we open our eyes to God’s grace and open our hearts to God’s love, then America will forever be the land of the free, the home of the brave, and a light unto all nations.  (Applause.)

Thank you for this incredible event and to our wonderful hosts.  And thank you to all of our heroes for serving, protecting, and inspiring America each and every day.

God bless you, and God bless America.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END

For the past two Sundays I have been preaching about the importance of Christians reading The Bible EVERY day.  Today, my wife shared with me a devotional that reminds us to set our priorities on God and His Word trusting that He will provide everything else we need.  The devotional comes from Joseph Prince Ministries and can be found on josephprince.org:

One Thing is Needful

George Müller, who lived in the 1800s, cared for about 10,000 orphans in total in his five large orphanages. But he never allowed his huge responsibility to take him away from the Word of God. He said that every day, he would set aside time to study the scriptures until his inner man was happy in the Lord.

Once, Müller met a man who worked between 14 and 16 hours every day. He told the man, “You are destroying your health. You don’t have time for your family and, most importantly, you don’t have time to nourish your inner man with the Word of God.”

The man replied, “I hear you, but I can’t see how I can cut down my working hours and spend time in the Word because even with the 14 to 16 hours I put in each day, I still can’t put enough bread on the table for my family.”

As the man walked away, Müller said, “He doesn’t believe that if he gives time to God’s Word first, God will take care of all his needs.”

Likewise, do you really believe that every day, only one thing is needful? Even if the bills don’t get paid, the children are not making any headway in their studies and the office work is not completed, all these things can wait. Only one thing is needful—that you spend time in the Word of God.

When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister Mary had left her to serve alone (Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His Word), Jesus defended Mary by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42)

My friend, you will not lose out when you take time to sit down and listen to God’s Word. Even your health and well-being will be blessed. (Proverbs 4:22) So take time today to meditate on His Word. It will make your way prosperous (Joshua 1:8–9), and give you divine health and good success!

-Pastor Dave Jones

As always, we have much for which to be grateful and we need to take all our cares and concerns to God. Please join me in praying for all our family.

-Pastor Dave Jones