Friday, December 27, 2019

After the Christmas Rush: The Latest Compilation of "Must Read" Articles

On the third day of Christmas, Vital Signs Blog gives you 3 French hens...and a
terrific set of enlightening articles for those of you who are looking for solid information about issues of genuine importance, practical applications of your faith and morals, and a strong dose of common sense.

* "Why Bureaucracy, Not Your Doctor, Is Making All Your Medical Decisions" (Deane Waldman, Federalist)

* "Cuomo vetoes bill letting all judges officiate weddings because some were Trump-appointed" (New York Post, via Fox News)

* "Happy Kwanzaa! The Holiday Brought to You By the FBI" (Ann Coulter, Town Hall)

* "Climate Worship Is Nothing More Than Rebranded Paganism" (Sumantra Maitra, Federalist)

* "How An Unlimited Supply Of Borrowed Cash Is Destroying Higher Education" (Rebecca Kathryn Jude and Chauncey M. DePree, Jr.)

* "Vatican Rules in Favor of Gay Dutch Priest" (Stephen Wynne, Church Militant)

* "Rapper Eminem’s Powerful New Song 'River' is a Sorrowful Apology to an Aborted Child" (Corinne Weaver, LifeNews.com)



Denny, How About a Little Advice?

Hey Denny,

Like most young Americans, my worldview has been severely limited and morally warped by the leftist public school system, Hollywood, and the establishment media. I'm no snowflake but I am beginning to see I need better sources of instruction. So where do I go to get some straight information as well as a bit of enlightened application about how a Christian should deal with the important issues of the day?

Signed, G--------

-------------------

Dear G--------

Good question. I appreciate your honesty and desire to do something about the problem. That puts you way ahead of your peers (and most of my generation too!). So here are a few suggestions. 1) Read your Bible faithfully and frequently. Study your Bible. Think about what you read; talk to friends about it; apply it diligently.

2) Read other books. And develop a long and comprehensive view by extending your reading to such areas as theology, culture, politics, and even fiction. And, by all means, do not neglect old books. They are among the best friends you'll ever have.

3) Regarding "breaking news" and commentary -- many of my trusted friends applaud Fox News but, alas, Claire and I don't have cable TV. However, we do listen with some frequency to Rush Limbaugh but even more regularly do we check in with websites like Power Line, The Federalist, Lucianne.com, LifeNews.com, The Stream, BreakPoint, Town Hall, Fox News, Daybreak Insider, Family Research Council, City Journal, and, of course, items on Facebook that have been posted by other conservative Christians.

4) An even easier approach (at least to start) is to check in occasionally to Vital Signs Blog where you'll find scattered about several compilation posts that include 6-8 articles that I think are truly "cutting edge" in the culture wars.

May the Lord protect us both and lead us to truth, beauty, and holy living. Thanks for the note.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Amid the Christmas Rush: Part One

Despite the Christmas rush, don't miss the chance to stay alert, informed, and stimulated to effective prayer and action with these important articles.

* "12 Stories The Media Got Horribly Wrong In 2019" (Tristan Justice, Federalist)

* "The Era of ‘Good’ Fascism?" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Christianity Today took aim at Trump, but it only hurt itself" (Hugh Hewitt, Jewish World Review)

* "Netanyahu: [The U.N.'s] ICC makes Jewish rights to biblical Israel a war crime" (Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post)

* "'Silent Night' -- Persecuted Palestinian Christians Kept Out of Sight" (Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute)

* "The New War Against Africa’s Christians" (Bernard-Henri Lévy, WSJ)

* "Dear President Trump: Please Make America Flush Clean Again" (Margot Cleveland, Federalist)

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Finally! Darrell Scott's "Sentence Sermons"

Rev. Darrell Scott (1933 – 2017) was a faithful, compassionate, and much beloved Christian whose beneficial influence was not only profound but is still active in many, many lives.   Darrell was a dedicated student of the Bible, an excellent preacher, a disciple maker, an energetic and winsome evangelist, a humble intercessor, an encouraging friend, and a devoted husband and father.  Indeed, in all of these roles, he truly shined.  Earlier in his life, Darrell won the title of "Mr. Omaha" in a bodybuilding contest and, despite dealing for many years with serious heart problems, those succeeding decades saw him keep in excellent shape and vibrant spirits. He was thus a sterling example of self-discipline and commitment. However, it was through his ministries as the pastor of Pleasantview Church, preacher, evangelist, and friend that he became as widely known and keenly admired as just about anyone in town.  In a very real sense, Darrell Scott was still "Mr. Omaha" at age 84 and still building the body -- but it was now the Body of Christ that had claimed his attention.

Darrell Scott was also noted for the witty and wise proverbs with which he liberally seasoned his sermons and conversations.  Along with the Bible verses that he so faithfully memorized, Darrell had a remarkable knack for communicating spiritual truths in ways that were clear, persuasive, and memorable.  He often referred to these as “sentence sermons” while those of us who were quick to write them into the margins of our Bibles called them “Pleasantview proverbs” or simply “Darrell Scottisms.”

It turns out that we weren’t the only ones writing these things down.  So was Darrell.  Indeed, throughout his life, he kept notebooks in which he recorded pithy proverbs, one-line exhortations, sermon illustrations, quotations, even quick jokes that he knew would effectively connect with people. They came from his reading, from listening to the sermons of others, from conversations with friends from a wide variety of backgrounds and, of course, many of them came from the perceptive and experienced mind of Darrell himself.

Shortly before Darrell’s death, we talked about this extensive collection of proverbs and his frustration that he had never organized and edited it. Well, Claire and I, who had been close friends and enthusiastic fans of Darrell Scott since way back in 1970, offered to try our hand at the project.  He was delighted with our offer but warned us about how daunting a task it would be.  After all, he knew that our responsibilities with Vital Signs Ministries would mean that we would only be able to work on the project now and again.  Nevertheless, we agreed to grab a few friends and try. And that meant the world to Darrell.

We are now delighted and honored to present several hundred of what we believe are the most sparkling and provocative of these “sentence sermons.” We hope you will find them, as we do, of great value. Use them as points to ponder, stimulants to prayer, conversation starters, and sanity checks. And Darrell would love it if you would also use them as seasoning for your own letters, evangelism, counsel, and sermons.  Finally, for those of you who treasured your friendship with Darrell Scott, we hope these “sentence sermons” will help remind you of a very dear saint who we will all see again when we begin our heavenly celebrations in the presence of the Lord Jesus.

If you are interested in getting one copy or more (one friend has already ordered ten), let us know by phone, email or FB message. The cost is $3 which is simply the cost of having them printed.

Let the proverbs proceed.