“Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing”

“Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing”

When it comes to theology and biblical interpretation,

beware the “new and improved” claims.

Over the course of my long Christian pilgrimage, I have occasionally been criticized for not plugging in to the latest theological fad...for not accepting as world-changing the latest mystical vision some religious leader has experienced...for not taking as absolutely indispensable every new book or video series...for not subscribing to this or that contrarian Bible teacher who has come up with dramatically “new and improved” Bible interpretations. 

The nature of the criticisms vary in both kind and degree. Some people are pretty cool about it. They don’t push; they’re not arrogant; they remain kind and courteous when we mutually decide to “agreeably disagree” in order to maintain our testimony and our fellowship in the Spirit. Others, however, are quick to take my disinterest (or disagreement) as a personal offense. They shrug their shoulders and walk away from me, figuring I’m too proud of spirit or too dull of mind (maybe both) to change my opinions in the directions they demand. And sadder still, there are some who also walk away but make sure that they “shake the dust off their feet” as they go. They break whatever bonds of goodwill that once existed and, from here on out, are duty-bound to treat me as a pernicious force, an enemy, perhaps even a heretic. My, my.

Of course, this begs the following kinds of questions. Are not changes required of even longtime believers? Must not even mature Christians learn new things, adapt to different situations, accept correction and even rebuke when called for? Certainly. After all, the Christian life is by biblical definition an existential and growing thing. Becoming more and more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is not merely the goal, but the process itself. 

That does not mean, however, that we should carelessly allow unprecedented, contrarian, and “creative” teachings that break on the scene to steer us away from those historic, Bible-based convictions our spiritual forefathers passed along to us. Furthermore, a healthy skepticism of these new doctrines, discoveries, and hermeneutic methods is especially crucial when the adherents of the same are full of categorical put-downs of well-established Bible teachings of the Christian heroes who have gone before us -- heroes of the Faith who have shown both by precept and personal practice their value as Bible interpreters.

I’ve been thinking a bit about this business because a few days ago I was asked for help from a friend who was worried about his pastor recently wading into new “theological streams.” He wasn’t bearing tales nor did he give me more information than what was needed to explain his perplexity. And I recognized the religious controversy right away for I have friends who have stepped into those same streams. I did not, of course, desire to cast shade on his pastor, only to answer his question and encourage him to avoid unwarranted worry and divisiveness.  Anyhow, I thought that perhaps my approach to the matter may be of some value to a wider audience for I know some of you sometimes encounter similar situations. So, below I print an edited version of my note -- plus a postscript.

Dear ----------,

As you can guess, this is a rather awkward note to write because I have great affection and respect for both Pastor ---- as well as for ---- (another person he had referred to). However, I appreciate your friendship and hope to give you an honest (if not exhaustive) answer to your concerns. Let me begin by affirming that, ever since my conversion to Christianity back in 1970, I have embraced those fundamental biblical teachings stressed in the Reformation (Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, and Sola Gratia). Nevertheless, I find myself in disagreement with several of things emerging from this relatively new school of interpretation that you refer to. 

The fact is that I am very wary of anyone who boasts of a unique theology, of newly unearthed interpretations of Scripture, of dissatisfied splinter groups who intimate that their fresh discoveries are superior to all others. Such people seem to prefer separation to unity and relish lively arguments over secondary matters. In contrast, I trust God’s grace to give revelation of Himself, His creation, and His plans for His children to the whole Body of Christ, not just a select few who are initiated into the mysteries.

To illustrate my perspective, let me say that I remain confident and stimulated “to love and good deeds” through my theological partnership with such traditional gospel champions as Billy Graham, Bill Bright, D. L. Moody, Chuck Swindoll, Elizabeth Eliott, W.A. Criswell, Peter Marshall, Tim Tebow, Fanny Crosby, John Walvoord, Charles Wesley, Billy Sunday, Chuck Colson, Harry Ironside, John Newton, D. James Kennedy, Joni Eareckson Tada, J. Vernon McGee, Norm Geisler, James Ford Jr., Chuck Smith, James Dobson, Josh McDowell, Ben Carson, Dwight Pentecost, Randy Alcorn, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaefer, and on and on. You get the idea. God’s grace to the Church has given us extraordinary examples of sincere, knowledgeable, courageous, and devoted champions of the Scripture’s interpretations -- and applications. And though there certainly are differences of opinions between these saints, they do not deter them from keeping the Faith, from humbly striving for the unity of God’s people, and from taking quite seriously God’s commands to be “doers of the Word.”  And so, even as I try my best to be a devoted student of the Bible who “rightly divides the Word of truth,” I pray my life will reflect a pursuit of the same goals as those desired by those mentioned above.

Finally, my friend, my suggestion is that if your questions or doubts remain troublesome to you, simply express them in respect and humility to your pastor. And let him know you want to be faithful and supportive -- even if differences of opinion might remain. I hope this helps a bit.

Denny

In closing, let me reiterate my basic warning. Be careful of any leader or “school of thought” who seeks to elevate themselves by means of harsh criticisms of others, especially the arrogance that assumes that anything existing before they came along is therefore old-fashioned, obsolete, ineffective, and unable to connect with modern times. And beware those of an unmistakably contrarian spirit who seem to delight in mocking and dismissing established views.

Instead, I urge an embrace of the Church’s historic and fundamental teachings and duties. Be a faithful, grateful Christian whose life emphasizes Christ’s finished work on the cross as the atonement for man’s sin, thanksgiving and praise, joy and mercy, love for the brethren and a lifestyle of showing forgiveness and patience to others, the frequent practice of evangelism, ministering the love of God to others in practical ways, standing for justice and speaking truth even in the public square. In other words, through the power of the Holy Spirit, “keep the main thing the main thing!”

“I Knew Every One of Those Songs!”

Here are some of the recent responses Claire and I have enjoyed from audience
members after our “When Swing Was King” shows that we present at senior care facilities. 

“Thank you so much. I absolutely loved it! You brought back so many memories and feelings. Please come back soon!”

“Oh, that was such wonderful music. And the pictures! Oh my; we always have such fun when you come. We are so grateful to you both.”

“What a blessing you two are to us. The music and the pictures and all the interesting things you tell us about the songs and musicians -- they’re all so nice. Thank you for putting so much work into these programs...and just for us!”

And we get to experience such kindness and appreciation several times every month. Neat, huh?

Of course, as you might guess, there are a lot of other things we hear too. We enjoy residents’ stories about families, careers, dancing and romancing, war, travels, changes, triumphs and loss, happiness and sorrow. It is a great blessing to us to connect.

Oh yes, let me not leave out another of the most common responses to “When Swing Was King” that we hear; namely, “I knew every one of those songs!” This confident assertion is usually delivered with a big grin, but sometimes it’s with a pensive gaze as they are looking back into their history. In either mood, it is a heartwarming thing for us to hear for we know it stands as a positive testimony to the significance of the lives they have lived. Yes, the world may have passed them by and it doesn’t rate highly the times they lived, the achievements they made, or the culture they built. But suddenly, when Helen Forrest or the Mills Brothers begin to sing or the orchestras of Glenn Miller or Harry James begin to play, they remember, “Yes, we were there. Life wasn't always easy and we worked hard. But we were once young and there were good times too. We appreciated them and we miss them. And, even if no one else is around with whom I shared those days, these songs (and the pictures too) help me to remember and cherish them anew.”

Therefore, it is no wonder they are so sincerely grateful for Claire’s and my efforts to keep the music and memories of earlier times vibrant, fun, and available to them. No wonder they so quickly become both fans of “When Swing Was King” and our friends. They know that, in bringing this program to them, we are sharing with them an abiding respect for the remarkable musical arts of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s -- and sometimes even the 1960s -- and that we’re showing our abiding respect for them too. 

“I knew every one of those songs” thus becomes the highest compliment they could bestow on “When Swing Was King.” It is their warmhearted acknowledgement that each song we selected was relevant and appreciated. But there is yet another angle relevant here. Consider how many residents of a senior living facility struggle with memory loss. Sure, that’s an inevitable part of physical aging and little can be done about that. However, some of the memory loss (along with problems of boredom, loss of self-esteem, depression) can also derive from isolation and other lifestyle changes that have reduced mental stimulation. And, in such cases, even something as simple as “When Swing Was King” can be of help, For the music, the visuals, the stories, and the personal interactions which make up this unique outreach provide seniors a variety of entertaining, effective memory stimulants.

Everyone finds satisfaction in remembering. Everyone likes to scratch the itch, to fill the hole, to put back in their mind that elusive item that’s just past their reach. But for seniors, those who live daily with various levels of the frustration of forgetfulness, how terrific it is to discover that, by golly, “I knew every one of those songs!” It’s a vindication, a proof that not everything has slid into the mist. It’s a nice scratch to the itch.

Would you like to join us in this pleasant process of stimulating, reminding, befriending seniors? The monthly schedule for "When Swing Was King" is always up at the Vital Signs website. We (and they!) would love to have you come along for a show now and again. And, even if you can’t join us in person, you can certainly keep “When Swing Was King” and all of the other services of Vital Signs Ministries in your frequent prayers. That makes a big difference too.

The Top 5 (April 26)

1) "Trump’s Smithsonian Counter-Revolution" (John Fonte, American Mind)

From the article -- The current Secretary of the Smithsonian is Lonnie G. Bunch III, who is adept at dealing with donors, stakeholders, and Republican congressional appropriators. His language is mostly measured and reasonable. He talks in terms of truth, nuance, complexity, and non-partisanship. But in reality, Bunch is a partisan progressive, a skilled cultural warrior, and a promoter of the leftist “successor ideology.”

Bunch partnered with and promoted the biased 1619 Project, which asserts that slavery is the alpha and omega of the American story, and that maintaining slavery was a primary motivation for some American colonists who joined the revolutionary cause. The architect of the 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, bragged that it “decenters whiteness,” and she denounced her liberal academic critics as “old white male historians.”

Nevertheless, Secretary Bunch proclaimed, “I want the Smithsonian to legitimize important issues whether its 1619 or climate change.” On the Smithsonian’s participation in the 1619 Project, he declared, “I was very pleased with it.” Bunch proudly noted that people “saw that the Smithsonian had fingerprints on [the 1619 Project]. And that to me was a great victory.”

2) "'The Earth Is the Lord’s' -- Arbor Day vs Earth Day" (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- J. Sterling Morton’s call for tree husbandry was answered by the National Agricultural Convention meeting in St. Louis that year and by numerous municipalities, newspaper editors, and thousands of citizens.  The result was that the very first Arbor Day, April 22, saw almost a million trees planted. But though J. Sterling Morton was a tree planter extraordinaire, he was not a tree hugger.  His attitude towards the natural world was the traditional one; namely, that the earth was the Lord’s and man, acting as God’s servant, was to effectively oversee nature, to subdue it in a rational way, to beautify it, and properly benefit from it.

Morton was thus acting in accordance with the biblical mandate -- the program originally given to Adam in the garden of Eden -- a call to responsibly appreciate, nurture, and enjoy the created things with which God had adorned the earth. And most of the people who answered the challenge of Arbor Day were operating in the same spirit.  They were planting trees because trees were good things.  They bore fruit that man could eat.  They helped with soil conservation and provided protection from wind.  And they were pretty.

These people understood that trees were pleasant and productive plants, but they were for man’s use.  They were good things, not fellow souls.

Regarding this topic, you might also like taking a look at -- Donald Trump's "Presidential Message on Arbor Day, 2025"

3) "King Charles’ Easter Message Accelerates Britain’s Fall: The King’s anti-Christian statement and mass arrests for those voicing unfashionable opinions are ugly signs of Britain’s rapid decline." (Lou Aguilar, American Spectator)

From the article -- The present King of England, Charles III, had a decidedly less saintly message this past Easter, one as far as possible from Alfred’s unifying Christian vision: “On Maundy (Holy) Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon Him,” Charles wrote. “His humble action was a token of His love that knew no bound or boundaries and is central to Christian belief.… The love He showed when He walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others.”

Almost every portion of Charles’ message is wrong when not offensive. Christ did not wash the feet of “those who would abandon him.” He washed those of his 11 (absent Judas) Apostles at the Last Supper, none of whom abandoned Him (though Peter did deny him thrice that night) and most of whom died in His name. His love did know boundaries, like for those who would morally misdirect children — “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.” And the deep human instinct echoed in Islam is not caring for the stranger but destroying the infidel ones.

In truth, the twit monarch’s words drip with anti-Christian and antisemitic venom. Former Chaplain to the Queen (Charles’ late great mother Elizabeth II) Dr. Gavin Ashenden ripped the statement. “It’s very offensive both for Jews and Christians to have this put together,” he said. “It’s as if there’s no distinction between Jesus the Savior and Mohammed the warlord.”

4) "Let Next Pontiff Be a Catholic Pope" (Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, NewsMax)

From the article -- Catholics believe that he is the Vicar of Christ on earth. But Francis may have been the worst pope in history.

He watered down Church teachings on marriage, sexuality and confession. He declined to judge right from wrong. He forbade the Mass that every canonized saint in Heaven attended and participated in since 1564. He has even claimed that all religions are equal and welcomed in the eyes of God — contrary to 2,000 years of express Church teaching. This is heresy. He attacked long-standing theology, universal liturgy and Thomistic Natural Law; when his principal job was to preserve them. He even questioned the concept of sin.

5) "Trump’s Counterrevolution Strategy: Flood the Zone, Drain the Swamp" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

From the article -- I could go on, but you see what he is doing. He’s doing so many radical corrections in a way that a Romney or a McCain or the Bushes, even Ronald Reagan would not have dreamed of that he feels the opposition will say, “Well, what do we do? Should we reply here? Do we put our interest here? Should we do this?”

And so, what is the strategy that the Left is using? They’re flooding the zone, too. But they’re doing it not with counterproposals. They don’t say, “This is what’s wrong with closing the border and we wanna reopen it. This is what’s wrong with the Houthis policy. This is what’s wrong with the trade deficit. This is what’s wrong”—no specific proposal. They’re just flooding it with hysteria, the Spartacus talk, late-night comedy trashing him, another person arrested saying that he wants to kill Donald Trump, keying Teslas, firebombing Tesla agencies, outrageous things from Hollywood stars, videos from Congress. All of a sudden—we didn’t even know who Rep. Jasmine Crockett was. She’s filled that void.

But what I’m saying is they want to be so rambunctious, so crazy, so 360 degrees unhinged that they’ll create an image or a malu—where everybody wants to get almost in a fetal position: “Please, please make it all go away. I don’t know what Trump is doing but it’s so disturbing. Everybody’s so angry.” That is their strategy.

Now, what is Trump’s counterstrategy?

3 Requests of President Trump

Dear President Trump,

I want to again express my ongoing appreciation for your principled efforts to “make America great again.” You have shown the United States -- and the world -- just how absolutely inept and corrupt has been the Deep State. 

More important, you have boldly, patriotically taken the first steps to bring us out of that dismal swamp. Yes, the despots who inhabit that malevolent morass are desperately fighting back, but we are among the millions who are praying that you stay the course...and that even more Americans (including Democrats) will awaken to the critical cultural war that is directed against you and your team. Don’t give up, Mr. President. Stay the course and may God weaken the hands that would keep our nation in bondage to “the baronial bureaucracy” and tinpot judges.

Let me also use this brief note to make 3 appeals -- two of them quite serious and the other related to your service as Director of the Kennedy Center. Here they are:

1) Would you please increase your efforts to defund Planned Parenthood? And please do so ASAP!

2) Please know that Nebraska conservatives are greatly embarrassed by our 2nd District Congressman’s sudden desperation to be petted by the “cool kids” of the establishment press. His petty, naive, and poorly presented criticisms of you and your administration’s efforts to right the ship of state have been odious. We apologize for him. However, I do ask that you mark Don Bacon as one of those sort-of Republicans who need a strong conservative opponent to face him in the next primary.

3) Okay, about the Kennedy Center matter. What about a program celebrating the recent collaboration with Marty Stuart’s unparalleled collection of country music memorabilia and the Country Music Hall of fame? It was a truly noble and historic action on Stuart’s part and it would make an excellent opportunity to show off this all-American genre of music. Why not bring to Washington, D.C a celebration that would feature Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives alongside with such other beloved performers as George Strait, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly Parton, and the Oak Ridge Boys?

That’s it for now, Mr. President. And again, hang in there. America -- and the world that would be free -- are counting on you!

“The Earth Is the Lord’s” -- Arbor Day vs Earth Day

In 1872, right here in the state of Nebraska, a journalist turned politician began a campaign that he hoped would help stabilize and beautify the rather sparse landscape of his state.  The man was a Nebraska City resident who believed that such a campaign would be a good idea in other places too.  And it was.

J. Sterling Morton’s call for tree husbandry was answered by the National Agricultural Convention meeting in St. Louis that year and by numerous municipalities, newspaper editors, and thousands of citizens.  The result was that the very first Arbor Day, April 22, saw almost a million trees planted.

But though J. Sterling Morton was a tree planter extraordinaire, he was not a tree hugger.  His attitude towards the natural world was the traditional one; namely, that the earth was the Lord’s and man, acting as God’s servant, was to effectively oversee nature, to subdue it in a rational way, to beautify it, and properly benefit from it.

Morton was thus acting in accordance with the biblical mandate -- the program originally given to Adam in the garden of Eden -- a call to responsibly appreciate, nurture, and enjoy the created things with which God had adorned the earth.

And most of the people who answered the challenge of Arbor Day were operating in the same spirit.  They were planting trees because trees were good things.  They bore fruit that man could eat.  They helped with soil conservation and provided protection from wind.  And they were pretty.

These people understood that trees were pleasant and productive plants, but they were for man’s use.  They were good things, not fellow souls.

Indeed, J. Sterling Morton (a conservative Democrat who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Grover Cleveland and whose son became a prominent Republican who was Secretary of the Navy under Theodore Roosevelt) was a faithful Episcopalian.  His understanding of the monumental difference between man (created in the express image of God) and nature (created for the enjoyment and benefit of man) was part of the basic Christian worldview.

The kind of conservation ethic he represented was rational, healthy, far-seeing, and well-rooted in sound environmental ideas.  It was the same enlightened conservation ethic of farmers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, of visionaries like Johnny Appleseed, and conservation champions like Teddy Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell, and other sportsmen who led the way in establishing our national parks and wildlife refuges. It was part of the longstanding tradition of taking care of the environment for man’s use -- not for nature’s sake.  It was the perspective of the farmer, the rancher, the hunter, and fisherman that we all be responsible and take care of the environment in order that man -- both in the now and in the future -- may be best served.   

Thus, Arbor Day was (and, by the way, still is) a responsible event, one that calls for individual volunteer efforts rather than government coercion.  In fact, the people associated with Arbor Day are decidedly apolitical.  “The only stand we take,” says an official with the Arbor Day Foundation, “is that it’s a great thing to plant trees.”  No demands for government intrusion.  No insistence on group think.  No call for Nanny State regulations and taxes. No worshipping Gaia or Mother Earth.

What a dramatic difference this is from the “holiday” that has tried to bully its way over and past Arbor Day, the extremely political, propagandist, and manipulative event that pirated the same day, April 22, and now tries to crowd out the very memory of Arbor Day. That event of course, is Earth Day. Or as the United Nations calls it -- International Mother Earth Day. To be sure, this newly-invented, politically-charged “holiday” is often dominated by socialist (even pantheistic) tenets and, therefore, absolutely ignores who the true heroes of American environmentalism are; namely, those hunters, fishermen, and other genuine conservationists mentioned earlier. 

And, of course, International Mother Earth Day also ignores the innumerable passages in Holy Scripture which deal with God as the Creator and Sovereign King of the earth...and those which testify to the glory of Almighty God that is revealed in His creation...and those which exhort men to carefully serve as responsible stewards of the natural order...and the eventual destruction of the earth which occurs not through man’s ecological failure, but rather by the holy judgment of God. 

The last item, by the way, occurs just before God creates a new heaven and, yes, a brand new earth. 

International Mother Earth Day vs Arbor Day? For the Bible-based Christian, the choice is an obvious and easy one.

The Top 5 (April 19)

1) Why Progressives Increasingly Support Violence: A new survey finds more than half of left-wing respondents believe assassinating Donald Trump could be justified. (Zack Dulberg & Max Horder, City Journal)

From the article -- We found that nearly one-third of Americans surveyed—and around half of those identifying as left-of-center—believe that the murder of certain public figures is at least somewhat justified. The figures are startling: 38 percent of respondents, and 55 percent of those left of center, said assassinating President Trump would be at least somewhat justified; 31 percent of respondents, and 48 percent of those left of center, said the same about Musk. Forty percent of respondents, and 58 percent of those left of center, deem it at least somewhat acceptable to “destroy a Tesla dealership” in protest.

Our report also discovered an online “assassination culture,” found in predominantly left-leaning digital spaces, such as Bluesky and Reddit. This subculture justifies and glorifies political violence. Some of these networks’ users wield the name “Luigi” or use the Luigi video game character as coded endorsements of Brian Thompson’s alleged assassin, Luigi Mangione. These users cloak explicit calls for violence in stylized memes. Many believe that political murder and sabotage are acceptable forms of protest.

What motivates these attitudes? To answer that, we looked for statistical associations between respondents’ backing for political violence and other psychological and behavioral measures. We identified three key variables that predict support for violence: left-wing authoritarianism (characterized by a willingness to use coercion and punishment for progressive aims), external locus of control (the extent to which individuals feel powerless in their lives), and use of the left-wing social media platform Bluesky.

Also on this topic: Democrats Ignore Black Hole Threatening To Suck Them In (Mary Rooke, Daily Caller)

Also on this topic: Luigi Mangione and the American Abyss: The assassination of Brian Thompson does not call for a “conversation” about health care -- it calls for a reckoning with Americans’ moral breakdown. (Heather MacDonald, City Journal)

2) Is Civil War Coming to Europe? (Rod Dreher, The European Conservative)

From the article -- In a number of private conversations with ordinary French people—this was before the Le Pen verdict—I brought up the Betz interview (none had heard about it), and asked them if they foresaw civil war coming to France. Nearly all of them said yes. They said so with an unnerving sense of calm, as if they accepted it as a matter of course. When I complimented one couple on their country, and told them that one day I would like to live in France, they responded in unison, “No!” Stay in Hungary, they said; you’ll be safe there.

You would never know from the mainstream media that this sort of sentiment is bubbling among the population of Europe and the UK. In his interview with Perry, Betz says that many people suffer from what he calls “normalcy bias”—that is, the belief that such a thing cannot happen here. Oh, but it can! 

3) Mainstream Media, Academia Sacrifice Even More Credibility in Articles on Mayan Child Victims (Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection)

From the article -- Archaeologist Lorena Paiz, who led the discovery, said the altar was believed to have been used for sacrifices, “especially of children.”“The remains of three children not older than four years were found on three sides of the altar,” Paiz revealed. The altar was found within a Teotihuacan residential complex which typically feature houses with rooms and central altars, according to Paiz. And while the discovery might add an interesting new dimension to the historical accounts of the region, an academic’s attempt to paint the sacrifice of children as “not violent” and the unquestioning recitation of the explanation for it by mainstream media stirred a great deal of controversy.

Non-violent child sacrifice? This from CBS News and an archeologist after the discovery of an altar for the sacrifice of children in Mexico: "It was a practice; it's not that they were violent, it was their way of connecting with the celestial bodies." 

And while CBS took the brunt of the criticism from social media, the line was parroted in other outlets. For example, here is the exact quote from the Associated Press -- María Belén Méndez, an archaeologist who was not involved with the project, said the discovery confirms “that there has been an interconnection between both cultures and what their relationships with their gods and celestial bodies was like.” “We see how the issue of sacrifice exists in both cultures. It was a practice; it’s not that they were violent, it was their way of connecting with the celestial bodies,” she said.

Also on this topic: This is yet another reason why no one should trust the media (Tom Knighton, Tilting at Windmills)

4) Over The Last 80 Years, We Have Witnessed The Dismantling Of Our Society’s Christian Foundation (David Reagan, Harbinger's Daily)

From the article -- 
The Top Public School Discipline Problems in the mid-’40s:
Talking
Chewing gum
Making noise
Running in the halls
Getting out of turn in line
Wearing improper clothing
Not putting paper in wastebaskets

The Top Public School Discipline Problems in the mid-’80s:
Drug Abuse
Alcohol Abuse
Pregnancy
Suicide
Rape
Robbery
Assault

5) 33 Shocking Facts That Prove That the Entire U.S. Healthcare Industry Has Become One Giant Money Making Scam (Michael Snyder, Discern Report)

From the article -- 9) Globally, the pharmaceutical industry brings in about 1.6 trillion dollars in revenue each year.  That is more money than the Pentagon spends. 10) There are 10 pharmaceutical industry executives that received total compensation of at least 20 million dollars in 2023. 11) According to the CDC, 1.5 million people a year are rushed to emergency rooms in the United States because of adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs.  600,000 of those people are age 65 or older. 12) On average, more than 1,200 pharmaceutical drugs are recalled by the FDA each year. 13) In 2023, the six largest health insurance companies in the United States had combined revenues of almost 1.1 trillion dollars.  That is also more money than the Pentagon spends. 14) The profits of health insurance companies in the U.S. increased by 287 percent in a 10 year period.

Oswald Chambers on “The Collision of God and Sin”

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2:24)

The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken. There is nothing more certain in Time or Eternity than what Jesus Christ did on the Cross: He switched the whole of the human race back into a right relationship with God. He made Redemption the basis of human life, that is, He made a way for every son of man to get into communion with God.

The Cross did not happen to Jesus: He came on purpose for it. He is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The whole meaning of the Incarnation is the Cross. Beware of separating God manifest in the flesh from the Son becoming sin. The Incarnation was for the purpose of Redemption. God became incarnate for the purpose of putting away sin; not for the purpose of Self-realization. The Cross is the centre of Time and of Eternity, the answer to the enigmas of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man but the Cross of God, and the Cross of God can never be realized in human experience. The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God. When we get to the Cross, we do not go through it; we abide in the life to which the Cross is the gateway.

The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The Cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened – but the crash is on the heart of God.

A Weekend of Import

It was a good weekend highlighted by a stimulating Vital Signs Book Brunch on Saturday morning and an inspiring Palm Sunday church service at Aksarben Village Senior Living on Sunday afternoon. The brunch event saw Diane, Mary and Christopher, Ruth, Karla, and Claire and I discussing Randy Alcorn’s terrific Lord Foulgrins’s Letters over coffee and tea -- and pumpkin muffins and cream puffs and lemon tarts and chocolate chip cookies! This book, following the approach taken by C.S. Lewis in his classic The Screwtape Letters, presents remarkably enlightening and challenging theological truths in a very practical, even entertaining way. And, even though the book was originally published in 2000, its applications are remarkably relevant to today’s culture and to an individual Christian’s spiritual pilgrimage.

Randy Alcorn is a Bible-centered teacher in both his nonfiction works (Heaven; Happiness; Money, Possessions, and Eternity; Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?; Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments; The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving; If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil) as well as his also bestselling  fiction (Deadline; Dominion; Deception; Edge of Eternity; The Ishbane Conspiracy; Safely Home) and I appreciate all of his work. Nevertheless, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters is special. Yes, like Randy Alcorn, I’m a big fan of C.S. Lewis and I have long cherished Screwtape. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the great value of Lord Foulgrin’s Letters and I recommend it without reservation.

And then our church service at Aksarben deserves highlight status as well. Our YouTube music selections this week were quality plus -- Southern Raised doing an acappella rendering of “I Need Thee Every Hour,” The Isaacs singing “The Goodness of God,” and the Gracias Choir and Orchestra performing “Majesty.” My brief sermon covered Matthew 21: 8-15 (“The King Arrives in His City”) as we examined the difference between the expectations of the people for a "National Liberation Day” from Roman rule and what the Messiah actually offered; namely, a spiritual kingdom, forgiveness of sins, the cleansing of the Temple, and the healing of the blind and the lame. It’s an exciting passage of Scripture, indeed. And, as usual, our fellowship time afterwards was grand -- enjoying drinks and treats and visiting for 30-45 minutes or so. There were 15 residents yesterday at church and there were quite a few in the Vital Signs team to help: Allen, Ruth, Tom, Pat, and Mary. Like I said, a very good weekend.

And now this week? It is starting out fabulously also as the Lord allowed me to safely drive our seriously ailing Hyundai to the dealer to see if it can finally be fixed. Thank you, Father, for getting me here without serious trouble. And now I await Claire picking me up to head down to Lincoln for our “When Swing Was King” show at Legacy Terrace and then lunch at the Engine House with good friends Harold and Mary Dee Berry. 

Is One's Salvation A "Done Deal?"

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation —having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Believing the gospel of salvation results in many supernatural and ongoing effects in a person’s life.  And one of the most glorious and comforting is the truth the apostle Paul describes in the verse quoted above; namely, that the Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit to guarantee the ultimate redemption he will receive in heaven.  You see, the New Testament explains that when a person places his trust in Jesus Who died on the cross to pay the penalty of mankind’s sins, that sinner is forgiven -- completely and forever. 

And that salvation comes with three effects: 

1) The person, at the very instant of his belief in Christ’s atoning death in his behalf, is saved from the penalty of sin.  That’s right; the judgment of God against sin no long rests on the sinner because it was poured out instead upon Jesus. This is the “substitutionary atonement.” Christ died in our place to pay the price of our sin. It is the aspect of salvation that is called justification.

2) The Christian can also be saved from the power of sin in his life for he has been “born again” and is a new creature, indwelled by the Holy Spirit Who gives the believer the ability to resist temptations and live in holiness. This is the aspect of salvation that is called sanctification.  

And 3) The Christian will one day experience a salvation from the very presence of sin. The Christian who receives Christ as his Savior immediately experiences the first two effects of salvation. But the third effect will be realized when Christ receives His adopted child into His presence and ushers him into the heavenly home He has prepared for him. This is the aspect of salvation that is called glorification.

It is this third aspect of salvation that Paul highlights in the Ephesians 1:13-14 passage.  And he repeats the point later in verse 30 of Chapter 4: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  But these aren’t the only times Paul underscores how the destiny of the Christian has been sealed by the power of God.  For instance, he comforts the church members of Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:22) by reminding them that they are sealed, representing God’s pledge (literally, a down payment) on their heavenly inheritance. 

Also, in 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul’s young protégé is exhorted to remember that God’s seal is not only related to a believer’s eternal standing but also to his present experience.  In that verse Timothy is told that the seal of God is a “firm foundation” reflecting not only God’s ownership and protection of His children but also the motive and empowerment for their holy living.

The basic Greek word translated “seal” in these instances is sphragis.  It is a word connected with ownership, security, authority, and permanency.  Therefore, its use by the apostle Paul is a dramatic illustration of how wonderfully secure is the believer’s position in Christ -- fully forgiven, redeemed, empowered for holiness and service, and yes, guaranteed an entrance into God’s heaven. For, of course, the seal of God is unlike any earthly counterpart we can imagine. We’re not talking about Saran Wrap, Tupperware, or latex caulking here! Oh no; the gifts which God seals in us will never evaporate, never leak out, never be contaminated or weakened by a foreign substance, never lose power.  

Summary? Our relationship with God including, of course, all three aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification) can be thoroughly and joyfully depended upon. The deal is truly sealed.

The Top 5 (April 12)

1) “With Loss of Power in Congress, the Left Turns to Theatrics” (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

From the article -- I’ve mentioned in other videos that there’s been a poverty among the Democratic Party of constructive criticism, alternate agendas to President Donald Trump.

In other words, without power in the Congress or the White House or the Supreme Court, they’ve turned to theatrics or performance art, street violence, the Teslas, cutting videos with potty-mouth senators, profanity, trying to disrupt Congress, keying Teslas, threatening people. This huge 1,400 protest—I shouldn’t say they’re huge, they were actually quite small. You know, “Hands Off.”

It’s kind of funny. I see these people in their late 60s and early 70s, mostly white people, and they seem to have the same signs, the same agenda, and they leave at the same time. They kind of look like my baby boomer group. And I always think back when I was at UC Santa Cruz in 1971 and I see these people. I said, “I would think you were the people that I went to school with. And you were doing that when you were 18, 19, and 20, and you haven’t changed. You’ve learned nothing and forgotten nothing.”

2) “Don’t Be Neutral on Abortion” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Ministries)

From the article -- With all of this, however, what I find most revolting about MOD’s official statement is the shameful arrogance of using this weasel word in the first place. Really? Neutral on abortion? Neutral on the practice of poisoning and/or dismemberment of millions of living preborn boys and girls? Of course, the March of Dimes knows better than any the facts of embryology. They are also well aware of the horrific measures utilized to kill these little kids. And yet they have no inclination or time, no honesty or moral sensitivity to make a judgment on abortion -- the most barbaric and horrific crime in all history? This is utterly irrational...as well as immoral.

And yet, as remarkably stupid and depraved as the MOD’s posturing is, I am grieved to say that oh-so-many Christian churches in the West have followed a not dissimilar policy. Let’s face it -- for several decades now, abortionists have been torturing and murdering preborn boys and girls at an incalculable rate. And with barely a ripple of protest. Does anyone believe then that the Church’s response to this malevolent madness has been what God wanted from us?

Haven’t we tended to be weak and timid and compromising in our response to this evil? After all, this holocaust hasn’t been perpetrated underground; it’s not been a campaign of violence occurring across an ocean. The abortion mills are in our neighborhoods. And Planned Parenthood and its ilk are in our schools and libraries, in our Girl Scout chapters and social service agencies, and, due to immense government funding using our tax dollars, in our wallets.

3) “Catholicism on the Decline in the US: There is a crisis of belief in the Catholic Church. Will the priests and bishops of America remedy that?” (S.A. McCarthy, American Spectator)

From the article -- Less than two-thirds of Catholics said that they are sure that God exists. However, while nearly 90 percent of Catholics said that they believe in Heaven, less than 70 percent said that they believe in Hell. Only 21 percent of Catholics said that they consider themselves very religious, 55 percent said that they are somewhat religious, and nearly a quarter (24 percent) said that they are not really religious or not religious at all.

According to these numbers and Pew Research’s 2007 data, Catholicism is on the decline in America. Not only do fewer Americans identify as Catholic, but those who do are less involved in the practice of their faith. In 2007, nearly 60 percent of Catholics said that they prayed daily, as opposed to 13 percent who said that they rarely or never prayed; meanwhile, over 40 percent of Catholics said that they attend Mass every Sunday, as opposed to 19 percent who said that they rarely or never attended Mass.

With such low shares of the Catholic population practicing or really even knowing about their faith, it should come as little surprise that many self-professed Catholics have abandoned the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nearly 60 percent of self-professed Catholics said that abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances and less than 40 percent said that abortion should be illegal in all or most circumstances; in 2007, 48 percent of self-professed Catholics said that abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 45 percent said that it should be illegal. In 2007, 57 percent of self-professed Catholics said that they support same-sex marriage. That share has risen to 70 percent today. The Catholic Church declares both abortion and homosexual acts to be grave sins.

4) “Teachers Need to Ditch Their Union: Teachers' unions are bad for teachers, students, and taxpayers.” (Larry Sand, American Greatness)

From the article -- When teachers join a union, they are joining three—their local, state, and national affiliates. And the bulk of their dues money is not going where they think it goes. The NEA currently siphons off $213 yearly, but most of the money goes to the state affiliate. In the Golden State, the California Teachers Association, the NEA’s state partner, grabs $816 yearly. There is no set amount for the local union; however, it is typically about $200 per annum.

How does the union spend the dues? As explained by Mailee Smith, Illinois Policy Institute’s senior director of labor policy, the NEA’s spending on politics and other contributions is more than four times higher than its spending on representation, with just 9% of its expenditures on teacher representation, which should be its core focus.

And just who benefits from the political spending? As Open Secrets discloses, in 2024, NEA spent $22,744,023 on politics, with 98.24% going to Democrats and a paltry 1.76% going to Republicans.

5) “The Vatican’s Embrace of Sex Change Mutilation Suggests We’re at a Maccabees Moment” (John Zmirak, The Stream)

From the article -- All Christians face a Maccabees moment right now, but Catholics face it in a very pointed way: We actually have a high priest (pontifex maximus) in Pope Francis. Given his authority to teach and rule, his status is even higher than the chief priest’s in Jerusalem’s Temple: According to Catholic tradition, a pope stands almost in the same role that Moses did to the Israelites, as the trustworthy interpreter of divine revelation to the faithful.

Our current Moses isn’t handing down God’s commandments, alas. As Jules Gomes reported here a few days ago, Pope Francis’s doctrine cop, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s old job), has blown up a key Christian doctrine: God’s creation of human beings as men and women.

Up till now, the Catholic church has firmly and without wavering denounced the hormonal disruptions and surgical mutilations promoted by our psychological establishment to “treat” gender dysphoria by remaking the body to match the mind’s sad delusions. Now Fernández has ruled that there are exceptions to this teaching in cases of “strong dysphorias that can lead to an unbearable existence or even suicide.”

Here Fernández is simply repeating a favorite talking point of the transgender industry: that the grotesque procedures necessary to torture a male body to look female, or vice versa, are often the only alternative to suicide. Research has proved this claim false again and again, but don’t expect that to matter. Claiming that resistance to transgenderism threatens the lives of those who suffer dysphoria is key to winning a highly political battle. Fernández is on the Enemy’s side in that battle — and evidently Francis is as well.

“Don’t Be Neutral on Abortion”

In this month’s edition of the Vital Signs Ministries newsletter,

Denny talks about the March of Dimes’ “neutrality on abortion” and the extreme moral danger of Christians adopting the same attitude. 

Check it out at this link.

A Few Words from Sam (Sam Sorbo)

After hearing Kevin and Sam Sorbo speak the other night at a benefit for the pro-life outreach of Lincoln Pregnancy Center, Claire and I were not only impressed, we were inspired. Indeed, we've become fans and, from now on, we will be reading their books, checking out the movies produced by Sorbo Studios, and listening in to Sam Sorbo's podcast.

You might consider the same.

And, as a teaser, here are a few of the notes I jotted down as I listened to Sam's presentation. They are not necessarily direct quotes (I was writing down one line as I listened to the next!), but the ideas are nearly identical. 

* Lies bring death. And there are so many liars today with so few truth speakers. Do you know the truth? Then begin to share it! Share it boldly; share it often.

* Our culture denigrates the value of children. In our selfishness and hedonism (s well as our ZPG ideologies), we try to avoid them. If they show up, we murder them before they get a chance. We manipulate (and even surgically mutilate) children in the guise of “progressive sexuality.” We sell them to thugs to be abused in the most horrendous ways. And in our government school system, we make sure they remain ignorant intellectually, compliant to secular authority, and highly skeptical of religion.

* The Progressive State doesn’t want smart people. The Progressive State doesn’t want a free people.

* Instead of saying “pregnant,” let’s say the woman is “with child.” See the noble difference? (An example from her book Words for Warriors.)

* Don’t think of sacrificing for your kids as mere sacrifice, but as a noble, loving investment -- an investment in them and in the world.

* What do the government schools teach? Don’t ask. Don’t try. Don’t read. Don’t think. Therefore, don’t give your kids to the government schools.

Chastity: The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does chastity mean? 

Simple. In the context of sexuality, chastity is refraining from sexual intercourse before marriage -- and then practicing fidelity, understanding, and kindness during marriage.

2. Why should I practice chastity? 

Well, there are a whole lot of reasons including the often-overlooked spiritual values of purity. But here are a few specifics:

* You won’t have to worry about an unplanned pregnancy, a very real prospect for the sexually active. And yes, pregnancy is quite common even when various forms of “birth control” are being used. For instance, birth control failure rates among American teens are almost 20%. And that includes those condoms that advocates of “safe sex” (a tragic misnomer, indeed) are always pushing. Scientific fact? Condoms fail in pregnancy prevention 18%-35% of the time!

* You’ll be free of sexually transmitted disease. 12 million people contract a STD every year. That’s 33,000 people every day! And remember, besides “safe sex” not only being an effective defense against pregnancy, it isn’t all that safe for you in itself. For instance, condoms are not effective in preventing you from acquiring, say...Chlamydia, HIV/AIDs, or the Human Papilloma-virus. Yipes!

* You won’t have to deal with the loss of self-respect, loss of innocence, worry, distractions from important life goals, guilt, a ruined reputation, exploitation and so on. Plus, you’ll not be burdened with “damage control” problems (physical and/or emotional) that prior sexual involvement inevitably brings into your marriage.

3. But what if I really love my boyfriend (or girlfriend)?

 Isn’t having sex okay then? 

No; it isn’t. True love is about commitment and loyalty. It is serving and honoring the other person, seeking their very best. It is not exploitive.Authentic, self-sacrificing doesn’t push for momentary, risky, physical pleasure being paramount in the relationship.

A couple dedicated to one another in marriage exemplify genuine love, a relationship that values one another’s total personal (spirit, intellect, emotions, dreams and aspirations) and not only the physical.

4. How can I say “no” without losing my boyfriend (girlfriend)? 

Set your standards high and don’t compromise. Realize that the person who insists on having their way physically is not someone who has your best interests in mind. That’s not love. That’s merely using you which is a very bad precedent for your life together...even if you manage to stay together for awhile. Don’t settle for less than real love.

5. I have already had sex.

So, I guess it’s too late for me to think about chastity, right? 

No, not at all. It is never too late to begin doing the right things. You can always start over. And, as a Christian, I certainly stress the availability of forgiveness and empowerment that comes from believing in Jesus Christ. No one was perfect except Jesus. And He paid your penalty and mine when He was crucified. A new start is what Christianity is all about. And a practical application of that wonderful truth is this -- chastity is within our grasp today. Yesterday’s sins and hassles don’t need to enslave us. Let’s start fresh and pure and resolved to get it right this time.

Look at it this way. Say you’ve done something foolish and spent all the money in your savings account. Does that mean you can never start saving money again? Of course not. Despite the seriousness of the loss, you simply start from here on.  It’s the same way with your sexual lifestyle. 

Whatever has happened before, realize it is time to start “saving” again. Begin right now to save sex for its intended purpose -- and that’s the delightful, exciting, bonding experience you will share with your future spouse. And among the dividends of your “saving sex” for the right person and the right time are all those terrific benefits to your health, your heart, your mind, and your true love.

Chastity? It’s a winning lifestyle any way you look at it.

The Top 5 (April 5)

1) “Europe’s Latest Attacks On Free Speech And Free Elections Prove Vance’s Munich Warning Right” (Elle Purnell, Federalist)

From the article -- Vance called out the U.K., Germany, Sweden, and the European Union for censoring and criminalizing the free expression of their citizens, citing police raids against Germans for comments posted online and the prosecution of a British man who dared to pray in silence outside of an abortion facility. ‘Across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” he said. 

That may have been an understatement.

2) “It was the woke elites who ‘purged’ America’s museums, not Donald Trump” (Brendan O'Neill, spiked!)

From the article -- What’s the real ‘purge’ here? The Trump administration expressing disapproval of such hyper-racial propaganda in a federal-funded museum? Or the museum’s own erasure of the late 20th-century belief that we should treat people as individuals rather than as members of a racial bloc with their own distinctive ‘traits’? It’s the latter, isn’t it? They purged the spirit of MLK, not least by suggesting black people don’t do ‘objective, rational linear thinking’, and Trump’s just asking them to stop.

The order tells us that the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum is planning to celebrate the ‘exploits of male athletes’ who play in ‘women’s sports’. It’s true. The museum believes there is no ‘monolithic experience of womanhood’ and it plans to ‘include transgender women’ – ie, fellas – in its documenting of ‘women’s history’. If it’s a ‘purge’ to say men should be excluded from the category of womanhood, I guess I support purges now. What next: accusing London’s Science Museum of a ‘purge’ because it has no exhibitions on the magical healing of witch doctors?

On this topic, see also: “Restoring Sanity to American History” (Anne Love, Washington Stand)

3) “UK Police Arrest Parents, Jail Them For Criticizing School Policies” (David Strom, Hot Air)

From the article -- When Maxie Allen complained to his daughter’s primary school about the recruitment process for a new head teacher, he hoped it would result in more openness and transparency.

Instead six uniformed officers from Hertfordshire police were sent to arrest Allen and his partner after the school objected to them sending numerous emails and to their criticisms including “disparaging” comments on a parents’ WhatsApp group.

Allen and Rosalind Levine were detained in front of their young daughter before being fingerprinted, searched and left in a police cell for eight hours. They were questioned on suspicion of harassment, malicious communications and causing a nuisance on school property. After a five-week investigation, police concluded there should be no further action.

The couple had previously been banned from entering Cowley Hill Primary School, in Borehamwood, after questioning the appointment process for a head and “casting aspersions” on the chair of governors on WhatsApp.

They say they were blocked from attending the parents’ evening for their daughter Sascha, nine, and were not allowed to be in the audience for her Christmas performance. Crucially, even though Sascha suffers from epilepsy and is neurodivergent and registered disabled, the couple were unable to meet teachers to inform them how to administer medication and ask questions about her learning progress.

4) “Don't You Know This City Belongs to Muslims?’: The Persecution of Christians” (Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute)

From the article -- Pakistan: A Muslim man twice abducted a married Christian mother of three, raped her, fraudulently converted her to Islam, and fabricated an Islamic marriage, said her Christian husband, Asif Masih (woman's named withheld as a rape victim). The kidnapper, Muhammad, worked as a security guard where the 37-year-old mother worked as a cleaner. One day he told her of an opportunity to apply for financial aid, and she went with him to fill out what he said were governmental forms for economically challenged applicants; she also gave her thumbprint as part of the application. In fact, and unbeknownst to her, the documents she signed were marriage and conversion to Islam certificates:

“I had no clue about his real intentions and trusted his offer for assistance... I’m not literate, so I had no idea that he had obtained my thumbprints to prepare false religious conversion and marriage certificates. He then forcibly took me to his house, where his wife and two children were also present. He locked me in a room where I was kept hostage for eight days."

Muhammad also called the woman's husband, Asif, who is suffering from cancer, saying that she had willingly married him and converted to Islam: “[But when Muhammad] claimed that she had changed her faith and married him, I immediately knew that it was a lie because she was a devout Christian and could not renounce Christ even if her life was at stake. She was clearly deceived by Sadiq, who used the false conversion certificate and marriage to deter efforts to recover her.”

After a council of elders pressured Muhammad to release the woman, on condition that the matter would be dropped without recourse to legal action, the kidnapper agreed -- until Feb. 14, when he and two accomplices again abducted her: “[Muhammad] held me hostage in a relative’s house and repeatedly tortured and raped me on gunpoint for three days.”

On Feb. 17, she managed to escape and return to her family: “I had no money with me and begged passersby to give me some so that I could board a bus to Pattoki. I was traumatized by the assaults, but the hope of seeing my husband and children again gave me the strength to reach my family.”

Police were again alerted, but were reluctant to act, until an attorney got involved. He helped to get the woman's statement recorded in court and facilitated a medical examination on March 4: “It is due to her support that the case has picked up pace, otherwise the police were not cooperating with us.”

And here’s one on a topic I had never heard about – 

5) “Top Ten Reasons To Run From The Enneagram” (Mark Baker, Hope for Life)

From the article -- For the past few years, the Enneagram has been steadily increasing in popularity, including within the Church. As with any new(er) teaching that is introduced, believers have a great responsibility to thoroughly examine and accurately vet it according to Scripture (Acts 17:11; Is 8:19-20; 1 Thess 5:21; 1 Jn 4:5-6). Of course, this is especially true if we are going to teach any particular idea to others.

By now, after several years of increasing popularity of the Enneagram, there are many people who have already done the heavy lifting when it comes to researching and distinguishing the problems in the Enneagram (see links below). For our purposes here, we will simply list the main problems and reasons why believers should stay far away from this decidedly unbiblical ideology, and, instead, should lovingly warn others (Jas 5:19-20).

An Open Letter to Senator Deb Fischer

Dear Senator Fischer,

Just a quick list of a few of the reasons I am writing you this morning...

* As you know, Senator, Planned Parenthood is NOT a charity nor is it an honest health care provider. It is, in fact, a mega-abortion profiteer which not only charges women for barbarically destroying their preborn children but which also sucks in an almost unbelievable flood of dollars from federal and state governments.

* Indeed, more than 1/3 of Planned Parenthood’s millions come from American taxpayers. And that amount is more than $2,000,000 a day!

* The scandal of Planned Parenthood’s lack of integrity and quality care is increasing as more women are maimed and even killed by shoddy and callous abortionists. My goodness, even the New York Times has begun to report on the botched abortions, the IUDs implanted in pregnant women, the delays in calling for emergency medical care when their patients are in life-threatening distress, and so on.

* And those vast amounts of money that Planned Parenthood draws isn’t going to help women. It is instead going to further the efforts of the Democrat party. Oh yes, except for the money needed for the exorbitant salaries of their leadership. Case in point? Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson’s yearly salary of $904,014.

Senator Fisher, as a dependable friend of the pro-life movement, you know this is the best chance the nation has had in many years to defund Planned Parenthood. So, let’s get this thing done, okay? Thank you.

Most sincerely,

Denny Hartford
Director, Vital Signs Ministries
Omaha, Nebraska