When Battle Is Your Calling

The opening remarks and prayer for Nebraska Right to Life's Gala Banquet I presented last Friday evening in Lincoln:

Good evening. In the face of what’s been happening in our culture, particularly in the raging, repulsive reactions of the left to the overturning of Roe v Wade, way too many Christians are trying to ride out the storm by staying out of it as much as possible. Yes, they prefer right to triumph over wrong. But, for all practical purposes, what they prefer most is to stay comfortable and safe and not rock the boat any worse by making waves themselves. They want to be -- at peace.

But we need (we most desperately need) another kind of Christian in times like these --  Christians who care enough about truth to speak it, Christians who love enough to sacrifice and serve those who are in dire straits, to work hard and to pray hard that they might please God by being courageous warriors, loyal ambassadors, and obedient sons and daughters of their heavenly King.

Abraham Kuyper, the Dutch statesman, journalist, theologian, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, once wrote, “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin. You must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith.”

So, in the service of He Who has called us to overcome the darkness (which, among other terrible wickedness in our day, has involved the massive shedding of innocent blood), let us humble ourselves before God, gratefully receive His gracious empowerment, and rededicate ourselves this night to, as our brother Kuyper urged us, “lay our convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of our faith.”

To that end, will you join me in letting Saint Patrick’s simple 5th Century prayer bring us before God. Our father in heaven, hear our prayer this night.

May the strength of God pilot us.

May the power of God preserve us.

May the wisdom of God instruct us.

May the hand of God protect us.

May the way of God direct us.

May the shield of God defend us.

May the hosts of God guard us against the snares of the evil one and the temptations of the world.

May Christ be with us. Christ before us. Christ in us. Christ over us.

May thy salvation, O Lord, be always ours this day and forevermore.

And Father, we also ask You now to bless our evening. Bless to our bodies this food we take with one another. Pour out Your grace upon those who have prepared the meal and so kindly serve it to us. Let Your Holy Spirit move mightily through each speaker and each part of the program. And may we all leave here more encouraged and better equipped to serve Your righteousness and truth. We pray in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

What Did They Say About Abortion? (Part 2)

“For those who conceal sexual wantonness by taking stimulating drugs to bring on an abortion wholly lose their own humanity along with the fetus.” (Clement of Alexandria, Pedagogus, 2nd Century)

“Thou shalt not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is begotten. For everything that is shaped, and has received a soul from God, if slain, it shall be avenged, as being unjustly destroyed.” (The Apostolic Constitutions, circa 380 AD)

“Destruction of the embryo in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And that is nothing but murder.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics)

“The most significant thing about abortion legislation in Biblical law is that there is none. It was so unthinkable that an Israelite woman should desire an abortion that there was no need to mention this offense in the criminal code. All that was necessary to prohibit an abortion was the command, ‘You shall not murder’ (Ex. 20:13).” (Meredith Kline, American theologian and Old Testament scholar)

“He who destroys germinating life kills a man.” (Karl Barth)

“When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit.” (Pioneer feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton)

“The right to life is the first right mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every human being, born or pre-born, is entitled to this fundamental right.” (Dr. Jerome Lejeune, French pediatrician and geneticist)

“The Bible makes it clear that God sees the unborn infant not as a piece of superfluous biological tissue, but as a person created by Him for life.” (Billy Graham)

“It does not matter whether you take away a life that is born or destroy one that is coming to the birth. In both instances, the destruction is murder.” (Tertullian, Apology, 2nd Century)

“Surely at such a time (conception), the order of nature established by God in procreation should be followed.” (Martin Luther)

“Why sow where the ground makes it its care to destroy the fruit? Where there are many efforts at abortion? Where there is murder before birth? For you do not even let the harlot remain a mere harlot, but make her a murderer also. Why then do you abuse the gift of God and fight with His laws, and follow after what is a curse as if a blessing, and make the place of procreation a chamber for murder, and arm the woman that was given for childbearing unto slaughter?” (St. John Chrysostom, Homily 24 on Romans, late 4th Century)

“From conception to our final breath on this earth, all life is a sacred gift from Almighty God. It must be cherished in our hearts and protected through our actions, both in our capacity as individuals and also through our laws and policies as a nation.” (Dr. James Dobson)

“The solution [to a crisis pregnancy] is not to kill the innocent baby but to deal with the mother’s values and her attitudes toward life.” (Rev. Jesse Jackson, 1977 March for Life, Washington, DC)

“Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women.” (Pioneer feminist Alice Paul)

“Probably nothing has been as damaging to our cause as the advances in technology which have allowed pictures of the developing fetus, because people now talk about the fetus in much different terms than they did 15 years ago. They talk about it as a human being, which is not something that I have an easy answer on how to cure.” (Harrison Hickman, pollster for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, addressing NARAL’s 20th Anniversary Conference)

“The fetus carried in the mother’s womb is already a man and it is quite unnatural that a life be destroyed of one who has not yet seen its enjoyment. For, it seems more unworthy that a man be killed in his home rather than in his field because for each man his home is his safest refuge. How much more abominable ought it to be considered to kill a fetus in the womb who has not yet been brought into the light.” (John Calvin)

“How can the ‘dream’ [of Martin Luther King] survive if we murder the children? Every aborted baby is like a slave in the womb of his or her mother. The mother decides his or her fate.” (Dr. Alveda C. King)

“The unborn child is a human being created in the image of God, and to deny this is to deny the authority of the Bible. It is impossible to read Psalm 139 and truly believe what it says without realizing that life in the womb is human life. It is impossible to truly believe in the incarnation and not realize that the Child conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit was indeed the Son of God from the time of conception. If we truly believe the Bible, there is no question when human life begins. And to deny this is to deny the authority of the Bible. Are we so blind not to see what is involved?...But if we are not willing to take a stand even for human life, is there anything for which we will stand?” (Francis Schaeffer)

“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” (President Ronald Reagan)

The Top 5 (January 27)

* "4 Ways Republicans Should Talk about Life in 2024" (Mary Szoch, Washington Stand)

* "CBO: Biden Admin Has Released 6.2 Million Illegal Migrants into U.S. in 3 Years, Often Through ‘Parole’ Loophole" (Neil Munro, Breitbart)

* "Sacking Unaccountable Bureaucrats Should Be The Next GOP President’s No. 1 Priority" (Jonathan Bronitsky, Federalist)

* "Big Law’s Troubling Sway at the Supreme Court" (John G. Malcolm, Daily Signal)

* "The Treason of the Intellectuals" (Niall Ferguson, Free Press)

What Did They Say About Abortion? (Part 1)

Here are several appropriate quotations regarding the sanctity of life and the abhorrent evil of abortion. They are from a variety of sources, some that may well surprise you. But please note that the reason I’m posting these brief statements is not merely to encourage and inspire you, but that you yourself will now pass along these quotes in your letters, conversations, social media posts, etc. Never forget that these truths are under constant attack in our culture so we must take our responsibility to counter the lies with the truth. 

To that end I suggest this – copy these quotations; put them on your text edit page or in a notebook; and use them in the weeks to come (one or two at a time) in your correspondence. And, yes; look for another couple of installment of quotes here on Vital Signs Blog in the coming days.

And one more suggestion. Please utilize the other resources of Vital Signs Ministries relevant to the purpose of shining the light of truth regarding the sanctity of life including Key Scripture Passages Relating to the Sanctity of Human Life, Views on Abortion From Church History, An Old Testament Defense of Preborn Children: A Brief Exposition of Exodus 21:22-25, and so on.

“Thou shalt not destroy thy conceptions before they are brought forth; nor kill them after they are born. Thou shalt love thy neighbor more than thy own life. Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion.” (Barnabas, The Epistle of Barnabas 14:11, circa AD 125)

“We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life “the unborn “without diminishing the value of all human life.” (President Ronald Reagan)

“The first feminists were pro-life. Elizabeth C. Stanton called abortion ‘evil.’ Sarah F. Norton called abortion a ‘crime.’ Susan B. Anthony called abortion ‘child murder.’ Alice Paul called abortion ‘child murder.’ Alice Paul called abortion the ‘ultimate exploitation of women.’” (Lila Rose)

In answering the slanderous charge that Christian that Christians were cannibals who took the body and drank the blood of Jesus Christ, Athenagoras wrote in his Legatio (165 AD): “How could we kill a man -- we who say that women who take drugs to procure abortion are guilty of homicide and that they will have to answer to God for this abortion? One cannot at the same time believe that the fetus in the womb is a living being -- as such in God’s care -- and kill one already brought forth into the light.”

“Moreover, those, too, who give drugs causing abortion are deliberate murderers themselves, as well as those receiving the poison which kills the fetus.” (Basil the Great, Canon, 4th Century)

From a 1963 pamphlet by Planned Parenthood: “Abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun.”

“A high view of Scripture and a high view of life go hand-in-hand. You cannot be faithful to what the Bible teaches about the value of human life and be in favor of abortion.” (Francis Schaeffer)

“We regard the destruction by parents of their offspring, before birth, with abhorrence, as a crime against God and against nature.” (Presbyterian Convention, Pittsburgh 1869)

“To accept the fact that, after fertilization has taken place, a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion. The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical conception. It is plain experimental evidence.” (Dr. Jerome Lejeune, French geneticist and recipient of the Kennedy Prize and the William Allen Memorial Medal for his discovery of the genetic basis of Down’s syndrome.)

“You shall not slay a child by abortion.” (The Didache or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles which was a 2nd century catechism for young converts to Christianity. Also from this document comes this statement, “The Way of Death is filled with people who are…murderers of children and abortionists of God’s creatures.”

“The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion…because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for me to kill you and you to kill me…there is nothing in between.” (Mother Teresa) 

“We’re living in an age of genocide…And we do believe that there is not only the genocide of war, and the genocide that took place with the extermination of the Jews, but the whole program…of birth control and abortion is another form of genocide…They claim the poor are bringing forth tremendous numbers of children and so the solution is to kill them off.” (Dorothy Day, American advocate for justice and peace; founded the Catholic Worker Movement.)

“There are women who swallow drugs to stifle in their own womb the beginnings of a man to be -- committing infanticide before they even give birth to the infant.” (Minucius Felix, Octavius, circa AD 180.)

“There was a time when our enemies wore white hoods and drove old pickups. But today, they wear white lab coats and drive Jaguars. For our [black] community, the real weapon of mass destruction is the suction machine at the local Planned Parenthood.” (Dr. Johnny Hunter)

“Once impregnation has taken place it is no longer a question of whether the persons concerned have the responsibility for a possible parenthood; they have become parents.” (Helmut Thielicke)

“The child, by reason of higher physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.” (United Nations’ Declaration of the Rights of the Child, November 1959)

The Top 5 (January 20)

* "GOP Experts Warn Candidates to Stop Treating Abortion ‘Like a Hot Stove’ They Won’t Touch" (Suzanne Bowdey, Washington Stand)

* "Double Standard of Justice Could ‘Crumble the Entire System’: Former FBI Agent" (Suzanne Bowdey, Washington Stand)

* "Diversity Is Going To Get Us Killed" (John Hinderaker, PowerLine) -- And, if you're interested in this story, you should also check out Lloyd Billingsley's "Sully, Phone Home."

* Video Clip: "Want to Fight Poverty? Then Fight for Freedom." (Kite and Key Media via Vital Signs Blog)

* "Discipleship is More Than a Sunday Experience" (Dr. Andrew Burggraff, Shepherds Seminary) 

Want to Fight Poverty? Then Fight for Freedom.

An excellent, eye-opening primer on the relationship between prosperity and freedom. Pass it on to your "progressive" friends.

Appealing for Justice Towards Persecuted Christians

“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

In the next couple of days, Claire and I will be sending letters (like the one I’ve posted below) to political leaders and ambassadors of some of the countries who are the absolute worst in persecuting Christians: Burma, China, Eritrea, Belarus, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Vietnam. (The addresses to the respective embassies can be found here.)

We hope this action encourages you to lift up prayers for our brethren who are suffering under such despotic regimes…and you might even decide to write a letter or two or three on you own. Indeed, if you need information or assistance, just let us know.

A letter to the leaders of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,

I am writing as an American minister of Christ’s gospel with an urgent appeal for you to initiate new moves of justice and compassion regarding the sad plight of prisoners who are experiencing unfair and harsh imprisonment in your nation because of their faith in Jesus for eternal salvation. Please recognize that sincere Christians represent a wonderful blessing to your nation as they are morally upright, diligent workers, respectful, kindhearted, and generous. They do not seek to undermine the State, but indeed seek to enhance your nation's strength and culture through prayers, devotion to family life, and peaceful service.

Therefore, to mistreat persons merely because of religious differences (or other acts of conscience) is a tragic mistake, one that frustrates, angers, and saddens people of tolerance and goodwill throughout the world. Please act quickly to open the jail cells of those enduring undeserved punishment for their religious faith. 

“Religious freedom, an essential requirement of the dignity of every person, is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights, and for this reason, an irreplaceable factor in the good of individuals and of the whole of society as well as of the personal fulfillment of each individual.” (John Paul II)

Thank you for your consideration of this crucial human rights matter.

Still "Swinging" After 13 Years

Well, we are certainly into the “swing” this month as we begin our 14th year of “When Swing Was King” shows to area senior living facilities. We are blessed beyond description at the fact that the presentations are more popular than ever. And our comeback from the covid hysteria seems pretty well complete with our schedule now back to 12 (sometimes 13) every month. 

Of course, please remember that you can always join in the nostalgia, beauty, fascination, and fun of “When Swing Was King” simply by coming along to any of our shows. The schedule is always on the Vital Signs Ministries website.

And the January songlist? As always it's a very an impressive one:

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra (Ray Eberle, vocals) -- “The Nearness of You”
2) Bob Crosby & the Bobcats -- “Skater's Waltz in Swing Time”
3) Count Basie Orchestra (Helen Humes, vocals) -- “And the Angels Sing”
4) Benny Goodman Orchestra -- “Let’s Dance”
5) Chick Webb Orchestra --“There’s Frost on the Moon”
6) The Andrews Sisters -- “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen”
7) Artie Shaw Orchestra (Helen Forrest, vocals) -- “All the Things You Are”
8) Les Brown Orchestra (Doris Day, vocals) -- “Sentimental Journey”
9) Bing Crosby -- “Moonlight Becomes You”
10) Harry James Orchestra -- “Deep Purple”
11) Gordon MacRae -- “Oklahoma”
12) The Four Lads -- “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”

The Top 5 (January 13)

* "What more proof do you want that abortion is Satanic?" (Michael Cook, Mercator)

* "Congress must stop terrorists who keep coming in through Biden’s broken border" (John Kennedy, New York Post)

* "A Culture in Collapse" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Inspection of abortion clinics proves beyond a shadow of a doubt they cannot police themselves" (Maria V. Gallagher, NRL News)

* "Orwellian Nightmare: Biden Admin Consulted Anti-Christian Group for ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Strategy" (Tyler O'Neil, Daily Signal)

The Top 5 (January 6)

* "The unholy alliance between wokeism and barbarism: After 2023, surely no one will deny that Western civilisation is under threat from without and within." (Brendan O'Neill, spiked!)

* "Trafficking, Terrorism, and Trauma: Speaker Johnson Describes What Republicans Saw at the Border" (Ben Johnson, Washington Stand)

* "The Global Empire of Palestine: The Palestinians have something better than a state. They have the backing of today’s worldwide power brokers." (Lee Smith, Tablet)

* "2023 has exposed the moral depravity of the radical left: Jews, women, the working class – leftists have betrayed everyone they once claimed to speak for." (Tom Slater, spiked!)

* "Africans Might ‘Know It’s Christmas’ If They Weren’t Slaves To ‘Green’ Energy" (Daniel Turner, Federalist)

The Reading Year in Review

It was an excellent year “between the covers.” Book covers, that is. My total number of books ended up at 71 with several sizeable challenges among them. 

The highlights (almost all of them being re-reads) included the whole of the Sherlock Holmes canon; 3 Dickens novels and a couple of Sabatini’s; The Lord of the Rings trilogy (plus The Hobbit, of course); Lewis’ space trilogy and his Chronicles of Narnia; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; Ben-Hur; Cripple Creek Days; Seabiscuit; The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization; a couple of Paul Tournier’s works; Malcolm Muggeridge’s Confessions of a Twentieth Century Pilgrim; 4 of Shakespeare’s history plays; Fahrenheit 451; Killer Angels; Cal Thomas’ Watchman in the Night; 10 Books That Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn't Help; and the massive collection rightfully entitled, The Ultimate Christmas Collection.

And among the books specifically planned for the first quarter or so of this year? We Will Not Be Silenced by Erwin Lutzer; David Copperfield by Charles Dickens; No Little People: Sixteen Sermons for the 20th Century by Francis Schaeffer; Witness by Whittaker Chambers; What’s So Great about Christianity by Dinesh D’Souza; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne; Jesus Is Risen: Paul and the Early Church by David Limbaugh; Heaven by Randy Alcorn; And in the End: The Last Days of The Beatles by Ken McNab; and Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace.

Want to join me for any of these?

P.S. My complete list can be found at this post over at The Book Den.

The Top 5 (December 30)

* "Paul Rand's Annual Festivus Report Is Out: $900 Billion in Government Waste" (Senator Paul Rand)

* "2024 -- The Year of our Reckoning" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* "Planned Parenthood’s Trans Hormone Business Is Booming, Creating Thousands Of New Patients 'For Life'" (Megan Brock & Kate Anderson, Daily Caller)

* "Rogue Agencies Flout Constitution and Undermine Our Republic’s Institutions" (Preston Brashers, Daily Signal)

* "The Best Is Still Yet to Be" (Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries)

"The Best Church Music in Town"

"The best music of any church in town." 

That was a recent description of the music we provide for the Sunday afternoon church service that Vital Signs Ministries conducts for the residents of Aksarben Village Senior Living. And I think it might be an accurate description indeed. For those of you interested in the fairness of this opinion -- or those simply interested in listening to great music -- I'm going to list the video clips we have shown during the Christmas season and, if you look them up on YouTube, you can make your own assessment.  (And merry Christmas Day 4!)

* Music: Away in a Manger (Gracias Choir & Orchestra. Solist, Jihyuk Shin)

* Music: Hark the Herald Angels Sing (Celtic Women, Dublin, Ireland)

* Music: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Larry Ford at the Christmas Gaither Gathering in South Africa)

* Music: O Holy Night (Tennessee Ernie Ford and Gordon MacRae, 1958)

* Music: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Anderson University Men’s Choir)

* Music: Angels We Have Heard on High (Soundiva Classical Choir, Italy)

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (The Drudge Family)

The First Noel (Mat and Savanna Shaw)

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (Gracias Choir. Soloists Sooyeon Lee and Hyemi Choi)

Go Tell It On the Mountain (Lynda Randle)

Once In Royal Davids City (Kanyakla. Uthiru, Central Province, Kenya)

Silent Night (Cedarmont Kids)

Joy to the World (The Petersens)

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Hillsdale College Choir)

Angels We Have Heard On High (Gracias Orchestra & Choir. Solists Sooyeon Lee & Jihyuk Shin)

A Shepherd on Christmas Night

One of the highlights of our Christmas season thus far (remember, today is only the 3rd Day of Christmas) was Tom Kotchka coming by our house for a cup of tea and a brief chat. And in that conversation, we discovered that a few years back Tom had written some scripts designed for dramatic reading, one of which was a Christmas-themed narrative that he was going to present at a party that night. Well, could we get a preview? Yes, indeed. And it was really neat -- a provocative piece, well-delivered, memorable, and using only Old Testament references to the Christmas event.  

I asked Tom if I could share that Christmas narrative with others and, because he most graciously said yes, here it is. 

A Shepherd on Christmas Night

“It is nights like this that I don’t mind being a shepherd. No rain, just a hint of a breeze, perfect temperature. Yes, it is a good night to be a shepherd. But the night seems different. No, the rabbinical leadership in Jerusalem has not changed, the walls of the city of Jerusalem, 4 or 5 miles to the north behind me, are still standing. And…and the holy city is still filled …with… Roman soldiers. They are everywhere, even here, below, in my beloved village of Bethlehem.

I’m so disgusted with those Roman soldiers that I could spit. I would like to tell you how I really feel about those soldiers, but when I look up to the sky above me, I am struck as to how clear it is. I can see hundreds, maybe even thousands of stars. It’s like I’m looking deep into heaven. It almost feels like I could talk directly to El Shaddai, God Almighty.

Maybe it feels more like He is wanting to speak to me, a shepherd. Now, don’t laugh, King David was a shepherd. Maybe it is just the lack of activity out here tonight, what with the Roman census being taken in town. Listen -- even the sheep seem quiet tonight. Maybe, maybe this is a good night to ask God what to do about those Roman soldiers. Or how we are to live with a foreign army occupying OUR Promised Land. Or about the Promised Messiah.

No, no, no, I don’t want to seem presumptive. Besides, I asked the priest the last time  that I sold lambs to the Temple. Zacharias, one of the priests, told me ‘My son, in the fullness of time, God will send His Chosen One (Gen 49:10, Isa 11:1) But you, a shepherd, remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah, and listen for ‘the voice of Him crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”’ (Isa 40:3) “Prepare ye the way of the Lord”. How does one prepare for the Lord? Especially if you are a shepherd, we are not exactly thought of as royalty, and the Roman soldiers limit our activities when we are in town.

‘Hey, you, shepherd, what are you doing here?’ ‘Me, I am just preparing for the next King of Israel, a King in the line of David.’ ‘Treason!’ would probably be the first word to cross his lips…and the last word to fall on my ears.

Yet the Prophet Isaiah says ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ (Isa 9:6). ‘For unto us a Child is born.’ A child-Messiah? I don’t understand, even though the Prophet Isaiah seems clear: ‘Hear ye now O House of David, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel (Isa. 7:14).’ I am sure that hundreds of years from now people will be asking, ‘How is that even possible for a virgin to give birth?’ Even though I don’t understand, I can still believe in God’s Word. Especially the words of the Prophet Micah: ‘But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.’ Somehow, I don’t think the Prophet had shepherds in mind. Shepherds would not be able to welcome a child-Messiah out here in the open field or even in a sheep-fold. Actually, even the most prosperous in Bethlehem would not be able to prepare a place for the royal baby tonight with all the census people in town.

And that would be ironic since our people have waited over…well, 700 years since the prophet Isaiah and the prophet Micah spoke those words. Maybe our wait is over? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be around when the King was born? Oh, what joy that would be! Yes, what excitement! Yes, what Promises fulfilled! Yet…if it were tonight, what have I done to prepare the way of the Lord? What have I done to prepare me? Oh, little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…and yes even my own heart lies still. The stars drift by, yet this night God may send the Savior, One Who will change the world…and, maybe…even me.

(Thomas Kotchka)

The Top 5 (December 23)

* "Dr. Rand Paul Releases 2023 ‘Festivus’ Report on Government Waste" (Office of Senator Rand Paul)

* "A judicial insurrection against democracy: The Colorado ruling forbidding Trump from standing for election is a grotesque assault on democratic rights." (Brendan O'Neill, spiked)

* "The revival of an ancient calumny: In response to the genocidal Hamas agenda, churches have turned on its Jewish victims." (Melanie Phillips, Jewish News Service) 

* "Illegal Migrant Encounters At The Southern Border Surpass 547,000 In Less Than Three Months" (Jennie Tier, Daily Caller)

* "We Are Well Beyond Hypocrisy" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

Exercising an Unstained Mind: A Yuletide Consideration

A couple of weeks back, an entry in Mission Possible: One-Year Devotional by Tim Tebow emphasized the need to exercise one’s mind…and to do so in a purposeful, careful way that keeps one from being influenced by the ungodly doctrines, temptations, and vanities of the world. What a critically-needed challenge this is for Christians. After all, such biblical admonitions as we read in James 1:27 (“keep oneself unstained by the world”) and Philippians 4:8 (dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute”) are to be closely, consistently obeyed.

Tebow’s entry recently brought to mind two illustrations of just how rare the “exercising of the mind” is nowadays.

1) A December tradition of longstanding is my re-reading old Christmas novels and story collections. Some of them are in actual books from my library but an awful lot of the stories are in a massive Kindle collection I purchased years ago for a single dollar -- The Ultimate Christmas Collection. Charles Dickens. Louisa May Alcott. Booth Tarkington. O Henry. Henry van Dyke. Washington Irving. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Bess Streeter Aldrich. Selma Lagerlof. Frank Stockton. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anthony Trollope. Kate Douglas Wiggin. And many, many more. Plus the collection includes a lot of old (and magnificent) Christmas poetry too. William Blake. Thomas Hardy. Christina Rossetti. Charles Wesley. Alfred Lord Tennyson. Robert Herrick. Ben Johnson. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. George MacDonald. And on and on. 

Here’s the point. The superior quality of that literature in artistic excellence, wholesomeness, and spiritual intentions compared to the schlock of a television movie from the Hallmark Channel or one of the modern “Christmas mysteries” set in a bookstore or a bakery is absolutely stunning. So why then do Christians (remember, Christians whose minds are supposed to be set on things pure, lovely, and of good repute) so easily, so lazily, so indiscriminately settle for poorer choices? Why do we ignore the immense amount of art and literature that is genuinely good, uplifting, and spiritually valuable while allowing the world to spoon-feed us its paltry (when not actually perverse) alternatives?

2) The beauty and comfort of our Christmas edition of “When Swing Was King” is tremendously appreciated by our audiences in all 12 of the senior citizen facilities where we present it. The residents tell us how wonderful the songs are, how encouraging are the opportunities to remember the lyrics and then sing along, how heartwarming are the Christmas photographs and artwork that is in the program. We, of course, are delighted that they so deeply appreciate the quality, wholesomeness, and personalized touch that marks the show. 

And yet what happens immediately after they’ve enjoyed this charming and meaningful 45-minutes of an old-time Christmas? Sad to say, as we pack up our gear and prepare to leave, we see the residents wheeled away and parked in front of a loud, big-screen television broadcasting an inane, slapstick, suggestive game show or maybe one of the lurid soap operas. And that’s not all. With our program over, the music programming is turned back on and over the intercom we hear “Santa Baby” by Madonna, “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney & Wings, or “Last Christmas” by WHAM! And, if we are disheartened and offended by such lousy sounds, you can imagine how these dear folks are reacting as the screeching of Cyndy Lauper and Boyz in the Hood replace the calm joy they had just enjoyed with Crosby, Sinatra, and the Lennon Sisters.

Exercising our mind? It’s a crucial responsibility. And leaning upon what the world serves up isn’t going to do the trick. So, take the effort to go find yourself some more wholesome Christmas literature and music…and art and movies…and conversations and hobbies…and service projects in which you share the beauty and bounty of this happy, holy season to others.

The Top 5 (December 16)

* "The New Religion of the Left: Nihilism" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

* "The Axis of Disorder: How Russia, Iran, and China Want to Remake the World." (Michael Mazza, Global Taiwan Institute)

* "Feds Sent Nearly $2 Billion To Planned Parenthood And Other Pro-Abortion Groups, Gov’t Report Finds -- America's largest abortion provider raked in over $1.5 billion in taxpayer money from 2019 to 2021" (Spencer Lindquist, Daily Wire)

* "Conspiracy Theory, Conspiracy Fact: The Great Reset is an actual conspiracy, concocted by fabulously wealthy would-be autocrats." (Darryl Cooper, Claremont Review of Books)

* "The Not-So-Scary Truth About Climate Change" (John Stossel, Daily Signal)

The Christmas of the Talking Animals

If a quiet 1/2 hour ever comes along in your hectic holiday schedule, you might enjoy this heartwarming Christmas story I wrote several years ago. In fact, this link takes you to the audio version that KGBI used to play on Christmas morning back in the days when I was broadcasting Vital Signs on the radio there.

It’s a story (not strict autobiography, by the way) about a 9-year old boy with a lively imagination whose 1952 Christmas spent on his grandpa’s Missouri farm becomes a particularly exciting and meaningful one. I think you’ll find “The Christmas of the Talking Animals” a winsome, wholesome story with a very old-fashioned ingredient; namely, a spiritual moral.

Yes, the World Is Watching

One's Christian witness, when truly enlightened and empowered by the Holy Spirit, always has effects. For God isn't wasteful and not only does He speak continually to the consciences of men and women through His Word and His creation; he also speaks through the testimony and exemplary lives of the saints.

Isaac emphasized that wondrous truth in one of his prayers this morning as he thanked God for the clear evidence that our pro-life witness outside the Planned Parenthood abortion business was being duly noted by the people driving by. In some cases, that evidence was pleasant and encouraging as people complimented our presence by a friendly wave or a honking horn. In other cases, people who (for whatever sad and wicked reasons) were angry with our peaceful, prayerful presence indicated it with raucous yells and obscene gestures. Even those who are obviously trying hard "not to see us" standing there on the quiet street with large, colorful, winsome signs are a demonstration that our presence (and thus, our message) is being effectively received.

However, this morning there was one particularly memorable and marvelous moment. A large dark truck slowed down, pulled over to the sidewalk where we were gathered, lowered the passenger side window, and I walked over to the truck. Of course, one never knows what might be coming next but, in this case, God provided us an encouragement that was of profound power. For the 43-year old driver explained how happy he was that we were there and told us he has prayed for us every time he's seen us. He went on to tell us that he himself was conceived when his birth mother was raped. Yet his mother continued the pregnancy, loving and protecting him until she graciously relinquished him to a terrific couple. "They were the best parents anyone could have asked for," he said proudly. "And so I have really strong reasons to be pro-life and to bless you all for your efforts!"

That dramatic encouragement -- added to the sweet Christmas carols we had sung in between our prayers and conversations this morning -- certainly underscores the relevant truth of Isaac's prayer. The world is watching Christians. And God is compassionately, miraculously ministering His truth through His children. 

The Top 5 (December 2)

* "Republicans can win on abortion if pro-lifers tell their stories" (Christopher Bedford, Fox News)

* "Can Europe Become Western Again?" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Caller)

* "China's growing espionage and propaganda threat in the U.S" (Morgan Phillips, Daily Mail)

* "Exposed: Meta’s $36 Billion Plot to Reengineer Society and Mark Zuckerberg’s Dangerous Future Plans for Tech Addiction" (Seamus Bruner, Breitbart)

* "Pope Francis dines with transgender women for Vatican luncheon" (Jamie Joseph, Fox News)