Recently we celebrated 248 years as the United States of America. My little town has a Liberty Festival Parade every year, and this year’s was pretty impressive for such a small town. Floats, horses, mules, tractors, fire trucks and police vehicles, marching bands, princesses for all sorts of organizations, and a mule-drawn wagon. American flags draped everywhere. And one of the best things?

Not. One. Single. Rainbow. Flag.

It was glorious.

There are times when I despair for our country, but not this 4th of July. God, Family, and Country were celebrated all around. I love fireworks, but I have dogs, and they don’t understand why the world seems to explode on the 4th. So, instead of going to see the sky exploding in glorious light displays, I get to hold dogs in my lap and *maybe* watch them on TV. I don’t really mind, though. No crowds to deal with that way.

When we are fortunate, we get to see GOD’S Promise, a rainbow in the sky, highlighting His Glory. Not, that’s a Pride Flag I’ll celebrate anytime.

‭Genesis 9:12-17 NLT‬
[12] Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. [13] I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. [14] When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, [15] and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. [16] When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” [17] Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” [https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.9.12-17.NLT]

[American flag rainbow by Gene Lower¹]

‭Genesis 1:26-27 NASB1995‬
[26] Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.1.26-27.NASB1995)

Our world is binary and ordered. ONE GOD, Creator of the Universe. One sun, one moon, one earth. ONE Race: Mankind, the HUMAN race. TWO Genders, Man and Woman. We are the caretakers of this planet, and every plant and every living creature is here for us to maintain and use.

Unfortunately for those of us living today, a decision was made by the first two humans to allow Satan and sin into their lives. That’s why we have ugliness and evil in our world. Each of us is born with that sin “gene” within us, and it is up to us through our free will to deny it or embrace it. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

‭Romans 12:2-3 NASB1995‬
[2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. [3] For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (https://bible.com/bible/100/rom.12.2-3.NASB1995)

Jesus Christ came to earth to save us from the enemy. LITERALLY. Born to a virgin, savagely beaten and hung on a Roman cross till dead, buried in a tomb, and after three days, came forth from the grave the Resurrected Christ. The ultimate blood sacrifice to cover our sins and to redeem us. EVERYONE can receive His salvation. Even those confused, possessed individuals who believe that there are multiple genders and that you can be anything. Doesn’t matter your skin color. Your hair color or style. Tattoos. Piercings. Ethnicity. Personality. (What did I miss?)

All I’m saying is that however misguided we become, GOD is no further away from us than we can simply hold out a hand and He is there. Jesus said “I stand at the door [to your heart] and knock.” Will you let go of the world (and it’s idiotic behaviors) and grasp on to Jesus? He’s patiently waiting, with more love to give than you can imagine.