Did You Miss These Gems? Part Three.

* “The Hubris of Judges Threatens Our Ability to Govern Ourselves” (Michael P. Tremoglie, Daily Signal)

* “The mess Rod Rosenstein made” (Steven G. Calabresi, The Hill)

* “Rep. Kevin McCarthy: ‘Troubling’ Amazon Removed Christian Legal Group From Its Charity Program” (Robert Donachie, Daily Signal)

* “School Can Force Students to Share Bathrooms With Transgender Students, Federal Court Rules” (Rachel del Guidice, Daily Signal)

* “Leftist Fraud All the Way Down” (Stephen Hayward, Power Line)

* “This Is How Alexa Can Record Private Conversations” (Spencer Soper, Bloomberg)

* “Is This the Worst Judge in America?” (Timothy Meads, Town Hall)

* “The AP Is Scandalized: Trump Administration Doesn’t Buy Climate Extremism” (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* “No, Pastor Stanley, We Should Not Unhitch Ourselves From the Old Testament” (Michael Brown, The Stream)

Did You Miss These Gems? Part Two.

* “Does America’s Declining Birth Rate Signal the Death of Hope?” (David French, National Review)

* “Baby Bust: Fertility is Declining the Most Among Minority Women” (Lyman Stone, Institute for Family Studies)

* “What a New York Tragedy Tells Us About the Abortion Debate” (Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review)

* “Democrats' Turn To Socialism Is Ominous Sign For The Party — And For The Country” (Editors, Investor’s Business Daily)

* “8 signs pointing to a counterintelligence operation deployed against Trump's campaign” (Sheryl Attkisson, The Hill)

* “How a ‘Far-Left Propaganda Machine’ Got a Respected Legal Group Expelled by Amazon” (Greg Scott, Daily Signal)

* “BSA Scouts out New Condom Policy” (Family Research Council)

* “Report finds cases of STDs reach all-time high in California” (Christopher Weber, Sacramento Bee)

* “You Shouldn’t Make the Cheer Team If You’re Bad at It” (Katherine Timpf, National Review)

Did You Miss These Gems?

* “How Liberal Activists Are Shutting Down Choice for Birth Moms” (Kelsey Harkness, Daily Signal)

* “YouTube suspends abortion pill reversal videos, silencing women who chose life” (Danielle White, Live Action)

* “Don’t confuse me with the facts on Gaza” (Avital Leibovich, The Times of Israel)

* “The Media Coverage Of The Israeli-Palestinian Clash Is Built On Myths” (David Harsanyi, Federalist)

* “The Conservative Case for Breaking Up Monopolies Such as Google and Facebook” (John Hawkins, Town Hall)

* “Why is Theresa May apologising for Africa’s anti-gay laws? White paternalism is still at work.” (Mathew Otieno, Mercator)

* “The merit badge of surrender: how the Boy Scouts of America are succumbing to the gender revolution” (Andrew T. Walker, Mercator)

Forget the MSM. What's Really Happening?

Okay, okay. Are you freaking out over of the onerous, odorous, over-the-top shenanigans being pulled by the Left? I understand, Binky.

But here's the road to sanity. Stay calm. Read the right stuff...like the superb articles in this list. And then take the prayerful, principled actions that, as the Bible puts it, shine your light into the darkness.

* “How to Renew Our Witness and Make Christianity Counter-Cultural Again: Part 1” (Tom Gilson, The Stream)

* “How to Renew Our Witness and Make Christianity Counter-Cultural Again: Part 2” (Tom Gilson, The Stream)

* “Blood is on Hamas’ hands, not Trump’s” (Michael Goodwin, NY Post)

* “‘Remember this Moment’” (Editorial of The New York Sun)

* “The Strzok-Page Texts and the Origins of the Trump-Russia Investigation” (Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review)

* “The Obama Legacy Deserves To Be Destroyed” ( David Harsanyi, Federalist)

* “‘Diversifying’ the University of Texas” (Mark Pulliam, Misrule of Law)

* “The Party of Some Women” (Adriana Cohen, RCP)

* “5 Reasons The Southern Poverty Law Center Is A Hate-Mongering Scam” (Joy Pullmann, Federalist)

May’s Marvelous Music

Want to bring a lift to your spirit, a bounce to your step, and a sweet blessing to others? Great! You certainly can do so by joining us and our guests (the residents of area senior care facilities) at any one of our May presentations of “When Swing Was King.”

Once there you will enjoy the warm hospitality of staff and residents, about 250 stirring photos from the years of the big band era, and these delightful songs performed by the original artists:

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra, “Little Brown Jug” (1939)
2) Chick Webb Orchestra, “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (1934)
3) Eddy Howard, “To Each His Own” (1946)
4) Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, “42nd Street” (1947)
5) Benny Goodman Orchestra (vocals by Helen Ward), “Goody, Goody” (1936)
6) Count Basie Orchestra (vocals by Jimmie Rushing), “Pennies from Heaven” (1937)
7) Andy Williams, “Autumn Leaves” (1959)
8) Les Brown Orchestra, “Younger Than Springtime” (1958)
9) Artie Shaw Orchestra (vocals by Helen Forrest), “Day In, Day Out” (1939)
10) Freddy Martin Orchestra, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
11) Harry James Orchestra (vocals by Frank Sinatra) “All or Nothing At All” (recorded 1939, released 1944)
12) Pied Pipers (with Paul Weston Orchestra), “Mairzy Doats” (1943)

For a Change, Let the Political Leaders Hear from You!

Among my notes from last week's letter-writing party are the ones I print below.

Why don't you think about sending along a couple yourself? No; check that. Don't think about it. Just do it! Use these as samples to help out and also the targets You'll find in the previous Vital Signs Blog post.

Dear President Trump,

What a wonderful, engaging, and principled 16 months you have given us in your presidency. And what surprising victories you’ve secured despite the over-the-top negativity of the old guard media and the unconscionable obstruction of the Democrat Party! Thank you and way to go. Please stay the course – the nation and the world need courageous and wise leadership.

Oh, wait a sec! There is one very serious worry I have. Will you please drop the idea of renominating Chai Feldblum to the EEOC? Regarding issues of justice and religious freedom, she’s downright awful.

Dear Senator Sasse,

Thanks so much for your principled service in behalf of Nebraska, the nation, and the cause of freedom.

Three things that are central to my concerns this spring: 1) Defunding Planned Parenthood – completely and ASAP. 2) Passing the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act. And 3) Securing stronger pressure on nations who persecute Christians and others of conscience — including such “allies” as Saudi Arabia.

Please stay the course on these critical issues.

Governor Ricketts,

What an impressive achievement it was to finally stop Nebraska’s HHS money from going to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion business.  Yes, I know there will be legal challenges but what a profound movement is underway as pro-life champions across the nation are expressing common-sense into law. It is refreshing to see, truth, mercy, and justice being raised in the public square.

Thank you!

Dear Senator Fischer,

Here are three items that are of great concern to us this spring.

1) The aching need to get the government out of the abortion business by defunding Planned Parenthood of the millions of dollars it receives from taxpayers. Money given to local health centers that have no connection with the killing of preborn children – that’s the way to go.

2) Isn’t it way past time to put Senate Resolution 355 into effect and thus stop the Democrat’s irresponsible (and, indeed, unjust) obstruction to President Trump’s judicial nominations? Of course it is. Please co-sponsor and work aggressively for this move.

And 3) Enough of the compromising, weak-willed leaders of the U.S. Senate.  We need principled, courageous champions in the leadership who, like the President, do not “easily suffer” being pushed around.

Thanks for your work for Nebraska and the nation.

Dear State Senator Watermeier,

It was a profound honor to her you at the Day of Prayer activities down in Lincoln last week and to learn more about the remarkable impact you have had in your brief time in the Unicameral.  Thank you so much!  We were particularly impressed with your good work on the HHS funds being cut from Planned Parenthood, the long battle you waged to win the Choose Life plate (It’s on one of our vehicles already), and the launching of the Nebraska Prayer Caucus.  Way to go!

You remain in our prayers.

Denny & Claire’s Suggestions for Tonight’s Letter-Writing Party

Well, actually, it was last night's letter-writing party. Only 8 of us were present
but we still turned out 50 cards and letters in 90 minutes. Good job, guys!

(And we de don't count the additional 1/2 hour of conversation, coffee, and chocolate chip cookies!)

We present this "action target" list (and, as the next few days go by, a few samples of our work) in hopes that you might consider sending a few notes of your own. For, believe me, we have seen throughout the years that personal letters do make quite a difference.

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

1) Thank you notes to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for signing a law that will (if allowed by leftist judges) ban most abortions; that is, if a fetal heartbeat is detected.

2) Thank you notes to First Lady Melania Trump for her new initiative “Be Best,” a White House-based effort she will lead to raise awareness of critical issues children now face in America, especially their well-being, social media use, and opioid abuse.

3) Thank you notes to Nebraska Family Alliance: Karen Bowling, Executive Director; Nate Grasz, Policy Director; Hallie Hamilton, Communication Director; Rachel Menter, Administrative Assistant; and Dawn Witt, Bookkeeper.

This year, four NFA-supported bills became law, but those weren’t our only victories. Every NFA-opposed bill was defeated this year!

4) The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act is likely the only religious freedom bill that the Congress will consider all year. And it’s an important one that seeks to protect faith-based adoption agencies from adverse action by the government.

5) Omaha Congressman Don Bacon was recently criticized by former Democrat Congressman Brad Ashford for Bacon’s earning a 100% rating from the Family Research Council. Imagine that — a noble charitable organization that works for the sanctity of human life, religious freedom in the U.S. and abroad, the protection of Constitutional liberties, the promotion of biblical teachings on marriage and the family, and so on is deemed by Mr. Ashford as a bad thing! What does that tell you about his values?

6) Thank yous to President Trump for his efforts to drain the swamp, to place conservative jurists in America’s courts, and to promote religious liberty and the sanctity of life.

However, letters should also be sent to the President asking him to withdraw the ultra-liberal (and Obama appointee) Chai Feldblum for the Commissioner post of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Ms. Feldblum is on record as believing that religious liberty must give way to postmodern ideas of sexuality. For instance, she has written, “I’m having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win...Sexual liberty should win in most cases. There can be a conflict between religious liberty and sexual liberty, but in almost all cases the sexual liberty should win because that's the only way that the dignity of gay people can be affirmed in any realistic manner.”

Ms. Feldblum's advocacy has already resulted in numerous outrageous actions taken by the U.S. government. Executive Branch. The President must be reminded that he campaigned on promises of religious liberty and actually has issued an Executive Order to that end, part of which reads, “Faith is deeply embedded into the history of our country, the spirit of our founding and the soul of our nation…[This administration] will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied, or silenced anymore.” Yet the re-nomination of Ms. Chai Feldblum would profoundly undermine that promise. Mr. President, don’t do it.

7) Political leaders of every stripe need to act in opposing Planned Parenthood. Most expressly, they should be working to defund the nation’s leading abortion business and transferring those tax monies to local health centers that deal in genuine health and well-being and have nothing to do with destroying preborn boys and girls.

8) Thank you to Sarah Huckabee Sanders (White House Press Secretary) and Kellyanne Conway (Counselor to the President) for serving our country in jobs that require great personal sacrifice, courage, a forgiving spirit, and vision. (You might also say thanks to Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, and others.

9) Speaker Paul Ryan has announced he will not seek reelection this November. Therefore, U.S. Senators need to support for a new leader someone who will truly fight for conservative values. Enough of the soft headed and compromising members of the GOP establishment like current frontrunners Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader (R-CA) or Steve Scalise, Majority Whip (R-LA). Let’s get someone instead who is a visionary, a principled leader, and a genuine champion…someone like Jim Jordan (R-OH), a constitutionalist, a man of integrity, and a founder of the House Freedom Caucus, the band of members of Congress dedicated to fighting for liberty.

“If Jordan or someone like him runs, he could also nationalize the race for Speaker. This would encourage voter turnout in the 2018 mid-term elections to elect more conservatives to Congress. Jordan could also lead the conservative argument for Congress to preserve and protect the Republic by launching a ‘Contract to Save America’ campaign. Congress needs to bind themselves to the will of the people for the good of the Republic.

10) Senators should end the Democratic obstruction of judicial nominations…now. “Democrats have been using an existing Senate rule requiring 30 hours of Senate floor debate on most of President Trump's nominees. At the current rate of the Democratic obstruction, confirming the president's nominees will take about 9 years!

Senators should be signing on as co-sponsors and promising to work hard to secure Senate Resolution 355 in order to put an end to the Democratic obstruction.

11) Thank yous to Governor Pete Ricketts, Lt. Gov. Mike Foley, State Senator Dan Watermeier, and others for their recent pro-life efforts here in Nebraska.

12) Letters should be frequently written to diplomats representing countries who are persecuting Christians, asking the leaders of those countries to stop their unjust persecution of believers through property confiscation and other financial pressure, imprisonment, torture, and execution.  Here’s a sample note: “I write today with a simple but urgent request, one that is prompted not only by my studied convictions that Christianity is true and a great blessing to all cultures, but also by those common human ideals which should direct the laws of all nations towards justice, mercy, and wisdom.  My request is that you please stop persecution (of any sort) against Christians and other peaceful men and women of conscience.”

What a Roundup!

Here's some of the most important news and commentary from recent days. And they just happen to be some of the best written too.

* “Yes, Community Health Centers Are a Better Alternative for Women than Planned Parenthood” (Chuck Donovan, National Review)

* “The ‘Qipao’ kerfuffle: Cultural appreciation is not cultural appropriation” (Jean Seah, Mercator)

* “Amazon a Prime Suspect in Charity War” (Family Research Council)

* “Was Social Media A Mistake? Here’s An Experiment To Find Out” (Robert Tracinski, The Federalist)

* “Marie Stopes: From ‘Married Love’ to unmarried sex” (Carolyn Moynihan, Mercator)

* “Obamacare Is Still with Us, and Getting Worse” (Michael Tanner, National Review)

* “Bill Nye, the Abortion Guy, Headlines Planned Parenthood Lunch, Talks Population Control” (Lauretta Brown, Town Hall)

* “An Omnibus Climate & Energy Roundup” (Stephen Hayward, Power Line)

* “Red-Carpet Catholicism Is a Loss for the Church” (Kyle Smith, National Review)

Your Sins, Your Enemies, and Your Fears Will Be "Cleared Away"

“Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away his judgments against you. He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you will fear disaster no more.” (Zephaniah 3: 14,15) 

Now, there’s a passage to lift your spirits! For remember, all who have trusted in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to pay the penalty of their sins, whether they be Jew or Gentile, are “grafted in” to the covenant God has made with the spiritual Israel (Romans 11, et al). And that means that these exquisite, exciting promises are yours!

And here are a few more points to ponder:

1) The judgments of a holy God against your sins are “taken away” -- completely and forever -- because Jesus, the King of Israel has paid for them with His death on Calvary’s cross. John the Baptist rejoiced in this glorious truth when he saw Jesus coming to him at the Jordan River: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” What an exhilarating miracle -- our sins and guilt and lack of righteousness are taken away where they will condemn and shame us no more. No wonder the prophet Zephaniah calls for the people of God to shout for joy. 

2) The above promise has a twofold fulfillment. One is for now. One is for the future. One points to what theologians call the “positional truth” of our salvation. If you have received Christ as Savior (that is, trusted in His sacrifice to atone for your guilt before God), then you are saved, born-again, forgiven forever, adopted into God’s family, grafted into the covenant, etc. It is a done deal. From God’s perspective, the believer is, at the very moment of faith, cleansed from sin, redeemed, and sealed with his Spirit. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that with your complete trust in Christ, God actually imparts His righteousness into you. Wow.

But, you say, you still struggle with sin. That’s correct. Having your sins forgiven doesn’t mean that you will be free from sin in this life. But when this part of the adventure is over, you will be. And there is the double fulfillment -- the penalty of your sins are taken away right now but, in the day when you are ushered into the presence of God, the very presence of sin will be taken away…and forever. 

3) A double fulfillment is also in play with the promise of God “clearing away” our enemies. Our enemies, of course, are all too obvious: our carnal nature, the devil, the rebellious world around us. And those enemies have, in our past, enslaved us. But, in Christ, we have been made new and the shackles of our old slavery have been broken. We can now, by the power of the Holy Spirit (which was given us at the moment of our salvation), walk in newness of life and victory. We are free. In this important sense, the Lord has already “cleared away” our enemies. Even the macabre and frightful enemy of death has lost its sting for we are guaranteed the same resurrection which Jesus experienced.

But again, through unbelief, rebellion, cowardice, selfishness, and other sins, we surrender over and over to our old enemies. Our aching need is to live free, to live for the Lord, to live like the people He has created us to be. And, one great day, we will do so without any stumbling or backsliding. Ah, yes…this is why we can “rejoice and exult with all our heart” as Zephaniah bids us. For in that glorious day of Christ’s triumph, all of our enemies will be “cleared away” completely and forever! 

4) Fears of disaster regularly assail us in this life and drain us of confidence and joy. They deter us from lives of selflessness and mercy. We fear failure, sickness, loneliness, shame, disability, disappointment, the seeming victory of evildoers, and so much more. Yet here too we rejoice in the twofold nature of God’s promise. On the one hand, we look forward with great hope and happiness to that glorious day when all disasters are defeated, when all fears are swallowed up in our eternal bliss. O rejoice indeed!

And because of that splendid future, we can so much more confidently deal with the disasters of this life. This is not all there is. We have a future. We have an inheritance that is glorious and liberating and beautiful. And it is forever. And why can this be? Zephaniah tells us, it is because “the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” Yes, the Lord is with us at this very moment as our Savior, Advocate, and Helper, But the day will soon be here when we will join our Sovereign Conqueror and Almighty Lord in the New Jerusalem with all sin, all enemies, all fears defeated and destroyed forevermore. 

“Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away his judgments against you. He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you will fear disaster no more.” (Zephaniah 3: 14,15)

“Five Annihilating Words: One Night He Heard Screams”

“The daughter of a former German diplomat in Moscow was trying to explain to me why her father, who, as an enlightened modern man, had been extremely pro-Communist, had since become an implacable anti-Communist. It was hard for her because, as an enlightened modern girl, she shared the Communist vision without being a Communist. But she loved her father and the irrationality of his defection embarrassed her. ‘He was immensely pro-Soviet,’ she said, ‘and then -- you’ll laugh at me, but you must not laugh at my father -- and then one night in Moscow, he heard screams. That’s all. Simply one night he heard screams.’

A child of Reason and the 20th Century, she knew that there is a logic of the mind. She did not know that the soul has a logic that may be more compelling than the mind’s. She did not know at all that she had swept away the logic of the mind, the logic of history, the logic of politics, the myth of the 20th Century, with five annihilating words: one night he heard screams.

What Communist has not heard those screams? They come from husbands torn forever from their wives in midnight arrests. They come, muffled, from the execution cellars of the secret police, from the torture chambers of the Lubianka, from all the citadels of terror now stretching from Berlin to Canton. They come from those freight cars loaded with men, women and children, the enemies of the Communist State, locked in, packed in, left on remote sidings to freeze to death at night in the Russian winter. They come from minds driven mad by the horrors of mass starvation ordered and enforced as a policy for the Communist State. They come from the starved skeletons, worked to death, flogged to death (as an example to others) in the freezing filth of sub-arctic labor camps. They come from children whose parents are suddenly, inexplicably, taken away from them – parents they will never see again.

What Communist has not heard those screams?”

(Whittaker Chambers, Witness, pages 13, 14)

The Profound Present of a Compliment

“A sincere compliment, as the poet Phyllis McGinley suggests, is a gift we give to others. It is an important way to encourage, to express kindness and goodwill, to be a winsome witness of Christ as we gratefully delight in the virtues, skills, and demeanor of those whose lives touch ours. Indeed, giving the gift of compliments is very much a part of our Christian discipleship. Think of Jesus’ compliments to Nathaniel, to Mary Magdalen, to the widow who gave her mite, to the Roman centurion, to the Syrophonecian woman, to Mary of Bethany, to the churches in Revelation…and to all the saints who pass into His presence who will hear, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’”

I write about the powerful present that is a compliment in this month’s Vital Signs Ministries letter. Check it out right here.

“Making Mention” Prayers

The apostle Paul writes to the believers at Thessalonica, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.” (First Thessalonians 1: 2,3)  But Paul and his ministry colleagues engaged in many more “making mention” prayers than these verses refer to. Indeed, he uses the exact same words (connected in every case with prayers of Thanksgiving for believers) in Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16, Philemon 4, and very similar wording in Colossians 1:3 and Philippians 1:4. That’s quite a lot of references — more than enough for us to be curious about what “making mention” prayers are all about.

The Greek words Paul uses here reveal no mysterious meaning. No, “making mention” means just what it seems; that is, briefly naming in his prayers the believers in the various churches who have lifted his spirits because of their faithfulness to God. Now, the apostle may well find time to intercede for them regarding other issues. And he may well, in other instances, spend more time in his prayers for them. But what we see in these passages are that Paul’s Thanksgiving-oriented prayers simply make mention of them. We see too that he did so as a frequent activity. That is what is made clear with the word “always,” a word that is used in extra-biblical Greek literature to refer to an ongoing cough. Therefore, this doesn’t point to a mystical preoccupation — an ideal that is, in practice, unattainable. It merely means that Paul remembered, thought of, and made mention of these Christians in his regular, ongoing prayers.

I find these little verses of tremendous interest and full of stimulating applications. Among them? 1) Paul, though responsible for the immense responsibilities of apostleship, preaching the gospel, defending the Faith, overseeing the churches, traveling, sometimes making tents, sometimes dealing with persecution and the trials of imprisonment, was nevertheless a Christian leader who frequently prayed for individual believers. His prayers were not solely concerned with “cosmic forces” but also for individual saints. 2) Paul’s prayers were not prompted only because of trouble, trial, or sin in peoples lives. No, he obviously spent a great deal of his prayer time interceding for Christians who were doing well. Are we remembering to do the same? Again, Paul’s example and the number of Bible verses involved here testify that we should be.

3) Another important thing to note in reading all of these verses is that Paul was not merely praying that God bless these believers, but he was thanking God for their love and loyalty to Christ. Indeed, gratitude towards God is clearly the emphasis. We are so used to supplication in our prayers (asking God for blessings) that we often overlook the need to simply give Him thanks for blessings already received. And Paul recognized that those blessings were not just daily bread, deliverances, spiritual strength, conversions, the fruits of the Spirit, and on and on…but they included God’s splendid work in other saints. We should make sure this is a part of our prayer experience too.

4) Were Paul and Silas and Timothy praying “off the top of their heads” or did they perhaps have a prayer list? Did they have set times of prayer or did they merely find whatever time in the day was available? Did they pray together as a group? Or did they pray alone? Did they talk to God out loud or silently? We will not, on this side of the Jordan, be able to conclusively answer such questions. Yet I feel fairly safe to suggest the answers are: all of the above! And so the task before you and I is to emulate their behavior, using whatever methods serve best to help us pray more frequently, more intelligently, and more confidently.

5) These verses also prove that prayers for others do not need to be long, detailed, impassioned prayers. Some times they will be. That will depend upon the need, the depth of the relationship, and so on. But don’t be fooled by false guilt. Short, “making mention” prayers also please God and draw down His blessing. Furthermore, those brief prayers also lift our spirits and stimulate us to the same love and good deeds we see in our faithful brothers and sisters.

And here’s one more item I have found inspirational in these verses, 6) Just as the faith, love, and hope of the believers in Thessalonica, Ephesus, Rome, and the rest provided great joy to the apostle Paul and his team, you and I can greatly contribute to the joy, thanksgiving, and spiritual health of other believers as we stay the course for the Master. Should our primary motivation for faithfulness be our desire to please the Lord Jesus Himself? Of course. But, in the glorious plan and provision of God, it does not end there. Our faithfulness pleases the Lord, yes; but it also enriches and guides other Christians, rebukes and convicts unbelievers, moves the Kingdom of God forward, impresses angels and disheartens demons, and lays up treasure for ourselves in heaven.

In summary — Make prayers for others a priority. It will take creativity, work, and endless restarts and fine-tuning. But keep after it. Also make sure you’re not neglecting to pray for Christians who are doing well. And pray in joyful thanksgiving to God for their doing so. Finally, let your efforts to create an effective prayer life be as purposeful and committed as all of your other spiritual responsibilities.

P.S. To learn more on this matter, you might consider joining us for our next  L’Abri Evening (Tuesday evening, April 24th) where we will be listening to and then discussing an audio recording of Anna Friedrich talking about “Everyday Artistry: Prayer, Bible-reading, and other Disciplines as Opportunities for Creativity.” Mrs. Friedrich is a wife and home school mom who worked at the Swiss L’Abri for 5 years and is now serving with her husband Dave with the Southborough L’Abri team. Details are over on Vital Signs Blog.

Spiritual Disciplines: The Focus for the Next L’Abri Evening

It’s been quite awhile since Claire and I have hosted a L’Abri Evening and, to be quite honest, the main reason was that we hadn’t found any sessions from recent Rochester L’Abri conferences that we found of sufficient interest. So we began to think about other options. For instance, we considered a discussion on a Francis (or Edith) Schaeffer book and on a showing of the film series How Shall We Then Live? And we may pursue one of those paths in the future. However, we did recently discover a very enlightening presentation from February’s Rochester conference that we decided to offer as our next L’Abri Evening program.

It was a shorter “breakout” lecture by Anna Friedrich entitled, “Everyday Artistry: Prayer, Bible-reading, and other Disciplines as Opportunities for Creativity.” Mrs. Friedrich is a wife and home school mom who worked at the Swiss L’Abri for 5 years and is now serving with her husband Dave with the Southborough L’Abri team.

The lecture (which we listened to on our way to Branson) was well planned, well delivered, and presented very helpful counsel regarding spiritual disciplines. Unlike too many of these lectures, it was practical to the max.

We have set Tuesday evening, April 24th for the listening/discussion party. We will begin at 7. As always, there will be refreshments as well as scintillating conversation so please consider joining us. And, yes, RSVP’s are greatly appreciated.

Spring May Be a No Show, But "When Swing Was King" is Still Springing Forward!

Yes, spring may have lost its way but that won’t keep us from swinging into April with the newest edition of “When Swing Was King,” the extremely popular program that Vital Signs Ministries brings to 11 senior care facilities each month. “When Swing Was King” is a delightful journey back in time with original hits from the big band era, a visual smorgasbord of the same era featuring hundreds of photographs, a fun and interesting narration, and the opportunity for sharing memories and conversation with friends.

It’s no wonder that we’re told over and over that “When Swing Was King” is the residents’ favorite program of each month. How cool!

Why don’t you come along and see what all the hoopla is about? The schedule for each month is always posted on the Vital Signs Ministries website.

And this month’s lineup? It’s a real doozy!

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra (Ray Eberle, vocals), “At Last”

2) Harry James Orchestra (Helen Ward, vocals), “Where or When”

3) Artie Shaw Orchestra, “Oh, Lady Be Good”

4) Nat King Cole Trio, “Route 66”

5) Vaughn Monroe Orchestra, “Blue Moon”

6) Larry Clinton Orchestra (Bea Wain, vocals), “Heart and Soul”

7) Benny Goodman Quartet, “After You’ve Gone: Take One”

8) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers, vocals), “I’ll Never Smile Again”

9) McGuire Sisters, “Sugartime”

10) Bing Crosby, “Stranger in Paradise”

11) Les Brown Orchestra (Doris Day, vocals), “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time”

12) The Mills Brothers, “Paper Doll”

Envying Sinners? You'd Better Stop It.

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:17,18 -- NASB)

The teacher of Proverbs has an important exhortation here, one that acknowledges the strong allure of sin, yet which also urges the man of God to deny that temptation by turning instead to a healthy, joyful, and forward-looking trust in God. This is an ever-timely warning, one that can provide great help to us in our ongoing battles with sin’s deceptive enticements.

Let’s break down a few elements of this exhortation.

1) Sin begins in the heart -- our inner attitudes and affections.  The overt acts of sin have their start inside us. (Remember 1 John 1:13-16 and Matthew 5.) Walking in holiness is much more than avoiding the deeds of robbery, adultery, cursing, murder, or exploitation. It is not enough to avoid “acting out” sin. The battleground is, in point of fact, our minds.  It is there that that we are either victorious or defeated, pure or corrupt, pleasing to God or disappointing to Him. Thus, the initial warning of Proverbs 23:17: “do not let your heart envy sinners.”  The basic danger we face is not murdering someone, it’s hating them. It is not hooking up with someone who is not your spouse, but mentally lusting for them. It is not breaking into your neighbor’s home to steal, but being unsatisfied and ungrateful with your own income and possessions. Again, sin begins in the heart and so that is where the Lord commands us to be on our closest guard against it.

2) Do we really envy sinners?  We don’t usually think of our struggles with evil in this way.  We are more likely to think of temptation as being an idea or some kind of evil force…perhaps some line of attack from the devil himself.  But this proverb is just one of the many Scriptures that show us temptation can arise from our attitudes towards other people – even unbelievers.  Their beauty and youth.  Their health and mobility.  Their affluence, eloquence, social standing, relationships, freedom, success.  When we allow our eyes to stray from the Lord, from His Word, from the many and lovely gifts He has given us, and from our heavenly future (more on that momentarily), and start comparing our lot with others, we’re in spiritual trouble. We are likely to end up dissatisfied (at times even despairing). We complain and blame God for whatever we feel lacking. We give way to envy.  But God wants to kindly teach us that there is absolutely no future in this.  No happiness.  No spiritual growth. No heavenly reward. So, let’s listen carefully to His wisdom and choose a different course.

3)  “Live in the fear of the Lord always.” Yes, there is another option.  Instead of letting our hearts be filled with dissatisfaction, ingratitude, and envy towards sinners, our hearts can be filled with the Holy Spirit as we live in the fear of God. Now, you’ve often heard that when the Bible speaks of fearing God, it actually means a solemn reverence for Him. And that’s true. But it’s not the whole truth. A comprehensive study of the Bible’s teaching on this matter reveals that while “the fear of the Lord” certainly includes that sense of solemn reverence towards God, it also involves ongoing trust, gratitude, love, awe, obedience, encouragement, comfort and…yes, an honest fear of the repercussions of sin in our lives.  Make no mistake, God is a jealous God Who disciplines His own.  So be sure to behave yourselves as heavenly children. Honor God with a life of faithful obedience to His Word. As you do so, the temptation to envy sinners will lose its appeal. So, delight yourself in the Lord.  Find in Him your joy, your satisfaction, your purpose, and your strength. And, in God’s divine irony, once your focus is on Him, you can properly see others – not as people to envy, but as people to serve, pray for, and be an example to.

4) Consider the future. There is, in 23:18, a marvelous postscript to the previous proverb.  God reminds us that there is another huge consideration in this matter; namely, the eternal consequences of our present battles with temptation and sin.  Those sinners we are sometimes prone to envy?  Their end is judgment and an eternal separation from God and all His delights.  But, in astonishing contrast, the people of God have a sure hope -- a word also translated “expectation” And that sure hope, that guaranteed expectation of believers is a full redemption of mind, body, relationships, and even the physical world in which they will live forever with Christ  And that hope will not be cut off. But the wicked?  That’s a whole different story. He has no portion at all in this.  He is cast out defeated, wanting, and alone…eternally. So why envy sinners? There’s no logic or value in doing so.  Oh no, it is much better to keep the big picture in mind and live in the fear of God: honoring Him, loving Him, and glorifying Him as we joyfully anticipate the grand future before us.

“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”  (Proverbs 23:17,18 -- NASB)

Remembering the Embrace of a Loved One

How goes our “When Swing Was King” ministry to the residents of the 11 senior care facilities we visit every month?

I’ll let the residents themselves answer that question:

“We love your visits! It’s our favorite program of everything they offer.”

“How do you do it? How do you manage to make each program even better than the last one!”

“Oh, I so appreciate your shows. When I listen to those old songs, I feel my husband’s arms wrapped around me again.”

For the month of March, we were honored to entertain 285 people! Isn’t this remarkable?

What a precious ministry the Lord has given Claire and I in this special part of Vital Signs Ministries.  And, of course, Claire and I think you would enjoy the “When Swing Was King” shows too — as well as the opportunity to visit some very special folk. So check the schedule on the VSM website and find a date to come join in the fun.

Have Your Sins Been Nailed to the Cross?

During our Thursday morning Panera conversation last week, Patrick and John and I were talking about a friend’s journal entry which recounted dramatic pro-life activities we were involved in 35 years ago! Those diary stories led to 1) an interesting review of our ministries over the long decades, 2) the tragic and wicked devolution of culture over those same decades, 3) God’s providential grace and power, and 4) the glorious inheritance that awaits us in Christ’s heaven when this part of our adventure is done.

And, at one point in our coffee conversation, this journal entry from so long ago caused us to speculate on the possibility that a full record of our lives exist. Every action.  Every thought.  Every deed performed in the Spirit.  And yet every sin too.  As you might guess, that was a somewhat unsettling thing to consider.

But then we gratefully, joyfully remembered that though such a record of our sins, shame and failure does exist (I Corinthians 3:12 ff), it will not be held against us. Why? Because, for those who receive Christ's atoning work on the cross, Jesus paid for their sins – every single one of them.

The specific Scripture passage that we went to for comfort was Colossians 2:13,14. “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Isn’t that terrific news? There is, in fact, an “Eye in the sky” that notes everything we do, say, and think.  But the wrath that should rightfully fall on the sinner for those sins has, by God’s amazing grace, fallen instead upon Jesus when He died on the cross to pay our debts.  Wow. What love, what mercy.

If you haven’t yet received that windfall gift of salvation, you can do so (right at this very moment) by simply letting go of your own efforts to pay your way into heaven and instead rely completely on the gracious sacrifice Jesus made for you.  That heavenly record – all those “decrees against us” – have been “taken out the way.”  So, believe it, trust in His atoning sacrifice, and walk in newness of life today.

A Few Recent Gems

* “Dear California: Call Me When the Commies Leave” (Stephen Kruiser, PJ Media)

* “The Politicization of the FBI” (Joseph E. diGenova, Imprimis)

* “Why Won’t Georgia Protect Christian Speech on Campus?” (Paul Mirengoff, Power Line)

* “Sex Ed and Stalinism at the Local School Board” (Austin Ruse, The Stream)

* “California’s Reputation for Loony Left Behavior Only Gets Worse” (John Fund, National Review)

* “All Obama’s Scandals That Didn’t Embarrass Him” (Elizabeth Harrington, Washington Free Beacon)

* “Scientologists Open Two New Mega-Churches in a Single Weekend” (John Ellis, PJ Media)

* “Pope Francis Has Launched a New Renaissance…in the Borgia Sense of the Word” (John Zmirak, The Stream)

* “Obama Pressures Facebook to Censor News; Zuckerberg Complies and Crushes Trump on Facebook” (Karin McQuillan, American Thinker)

An Old Idea is New Again (But It's Still a Bad Idea)

Inez Feltscher Stepman, Director of the Education and Workforce Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council and a senior contributor to The Federalist, comments on the new popularity of an old (and very bad) idea; namely, socialism.

"Earlier this week, The Washington Post ran an article by Elizabeth Bruenig titled ‘It’s Time to Give Socialism a Try,’ in which she argues that the current flailings of liberal democracy should be replaced with socialism. Although the author stridently and probably sincerely denies being a “totalitarian nostalgist,” the reality is that socialism requires totalitarianism. A system so incompatible with human nature cannot exist without an increasingly-ruthless enforcement mechanism. And as we see with the rising illiberal left in America, nice-sounding ideas quickly turn into demands, and demands into law, backed by the full force of government.

Not to get too personal here, but this kind of ‘let’s try it again’ rhetoric really chaps my behind. Both of my parents grew up under the communist regime in Poland, and my grandfather logged time in a Siberian gulag. They came to the United States seeking a freer life, not to hear more of the same old siren song.

There’s nothing romantic about life under socialism or communism. We know where rhapsodizing about socialism leads. It’s not new, and the Post and the New York Times shouldn’t treat it like the trendy flavor of the month.”  (Inez Feltscher Stepman at Bright, an email update provided by The Federalist)

Say It with Flowers...and Swing

The last “When Swing was King” show for February was a real doozy including not only the usual elements, those being 12 classic hits from the big band era, about 200 lovely and interesting photographs, stimulating conversation with the residents of the senior care facility, and the enjoyment of shared memories. But this time around, we were also able to share the beautiful blessing of flowers. That’s right; thanks to Alan Nelson, a wholesale florist with the Bill Doran Company, we brought along an entire box (and a very big box, at that!) of gorgeous flowers arranged in individual bouquets to hand out to the residents.

I wish you could’ve been there to see their response to this beautiful blessing. But then, of course, you could have been! Indeed, we are always delighted to have other friends come along to our “When Swing Was King” shows to join in the happening. The March schedule is available on the Vital Signs Ministries website.