Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries,
“The foolishness of man ruins his way and his heart rages against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3)
Foolishness. Ruin. Rage.
Can you think of three better words to describe the wicked irrationality of our day than the three which appear in the above verse? Consider, for instance, the acute spirit of lawlessness that is sweeping the world. This includes jihad and cultic terrorism, wave upon wave of the persecution of Christians, street crime that sees more than 50 shootings in one Chicago weekend, and the gruesome injustice and blasphemy that is abortion.
Consider the over-the-top sexual perversions that are praised and promoted by society’s opinion leaders. That’s sad enough certainly. But coercion is now being utilized by government, business, and peer pressure so that everyone must embrace this bizarre new order. Room for conscience or religious conviction? Forget about it.
Consider how leftist politics have ruined once beautiful cities like San Francisco and Seattle which have become stinking testimonies to trash, vermin, drug abuse, homelessness, city sidewalks becoming toilets, and violent crime.
Consider how Democrats in Congress have voted in lockstep over 50 separate times to actually protect infanticide! This is an utterly unfathomable abomination.
Consider the constant lies, double standards, gross hypocrisy, and character assassination that marks the modern press. Any sense of fairness or journalistic integrity has been completely trashed in their hatred of Donald Trump and, I would argue, their hatred of Christianity, conservative economics, the values of Western civilization, or just plain common sense.
Consider the ever-increasing moral pollution in education, the arts, business, and the unelected bureaucrats of “the deep state.” Even the sports community has caved into the foolishness with multi-millionaire celebrities complaining about being “victims” of American injustice, athletes being kicked off teams because they dare to speak biblical truths, men winning medals in women’s athletic contests…You get the picture.
And yet, even in this desperate and demented culture, there is striking evidence that God’s amazing grace is still breaking through. To be sure, our heavenly Father is still bringing souls to salvation through the gospel message. And He is still providing wisdom, endurance, and compassion to faithful Christians who look not to the pleasures and popularity of this world, but rather to the eternal blessings of the glorious city to come. But please note that God’s mercy is still at work in the culture wars too!I’d like to underscore just a few examples.
For instance, despite all of the lies, the unholy bribes, and the manipulation of the world’s system with which the devil has tried to enshrine the violence of abortion, we are currently witnessing some of the most remarkable pro-life victories. It’s incredible. Can you believe that nearly 50 years after the horrendous travesty of Roe v Wade and all of Satan’s work since then to anchor abortion in American law and social norms, that several states have passed remarkably far-reaching pro-life bills recently? Yes, we have wept over the draconian pro-abortion laws coming out of New York, California, and Illinois. And we will continue to weep over them and plead with God for their removal. However, we have also been thrilled to thank God for the courageous political leaders who have passed solid, visionary pro-life legislation in Alabama, Missouri, Louisiana, Iowa, Ohio, and elsewhere.
Even here in Nebraska with our present Unicameral generally unfriendly to pro-life matters, there was a startling victory very late in the session with LB 209, the Abortion Pill Reversal Information Act. As the Nebraska Family Alliance said, “This is a significant pro-life victory for our state. 55% of all abortions in Nebraska are medication abortions and LB 209 will help save babies by giving every woman a second chance to choose life.”
Make no mistake, these are truly miraculous achievements and, though wicked judges keep trying to suppress the actions of democracy (in this case, to deny laws which would restrict abortion and protect preborn babies), we can be deeply grateful that these bills passed. Why? 1) They push the cause of life ever closer to Supreme Court review. And 2) Even when enjoined by a “progressive” judge, the inspirational, educational, and convicting powers of these bills are of tremendous importance as they keep endangered preborn children in the national conversation despite the obfuscation efforts of the devil and his henchmen.
What about our prayers over these many, many years asking God to reveal to the American public what Planned Parenthood really is; namely, a greedy abortion business that openly lies about its origins and history; exploits women; pollutes the culture with the most aberrant programs of sex education; sells not only abortion but the “leftover parts” of the murdered child; and wastes untold millions of taxpayer dollars? For decades now Planned Parenthood’s evil posturing as a charitable organization — despite its failure to provide comprehensive health care for women and its soaring profits as an abortion profiteer — has been hidden from view by its willing accomplices in the media, the schools, and politicians. But now our prayers for the lights to shine are finally being answered. Hallelujah!
Think of what’s happened in just the last few years. Several undercover videos have shown the gruesome, twisted business which is Planned Parenthood. Those videos revealed Planned Parenthood thugs selling fetal parts, covering up statutory rape, lying to the public, mocking the very women they claimed to serve, and admitting that their vaunted claims of providing breast cancer screenings and other health care were bogus. In the past, those revelations would have been ignored by the leftist-dominated media. And they were again this time too. However, thank the Lord, the radical secularists are not the only players on the field nowadays. And so, thanks to the alternative media, the American public finally got clued in.
Then, in his running for President, Donald Trump helped further to trumpet the news about Planned Parenthood and, once elected, he did what so few Republicans who claim to be pro-life have done. He kept his promises! He not only talked about restricting abortion, he acted. He publicly praised pro-life champions and asked for their prayers and help to move the country back towards a reverence for the lives of the preborn. He added respected pro-life conservatives to his cabinet. He revived the Mexico City policy. His administration nominated strict constitutionalists to the courts; he cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood and opened the legal doors for states to do likewise; and he has used the “bully pulpit” well and often to give a powerful voice to the voiceless. The President’s honorable actions have, no doubt, emboldened many others, including the state legislators I mentioned earlier.
And then there’s the impact from movies like Gosnell and Unplanned. There’s the wonderful news that over 500 abortion workers have left the grim industry in recent months. Also, many abortion businesses have shut their doors. But that’s still not all. There are God’s blessings through science and medicine which have so enlightened the public about the wonder that is a preborn child. Think of the advances in fetology. Fetal surgery. Preemie babies surviving earlier and earlier. Sonogram images that have opened windows to the womb. Certainly the prediction that Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor made in 1983 is playing out; namely, that the framework of Roe v Wade’s three-part viability language “is clearly on a collision course with itself.” America has been lied to about abortion for decades but the truth is now crystal clear. We’re talking about babies here!
There are more miracles that I could write about, more answers to our prayers, more ways that a gracious God is giving America a fresh chance to change course. But let me mention one final example. We must all applaud and thank God for the crucial work of the pro-life pregnancy centers across the country (like our own Assure Women’s Center). These saints have saved many, many lives, to be sure, but they have also served very effectively as pro-life educators as the information they provide about the preciousness of preborn babies, the dangers of abortion, and the beauty of adoption passes from heart to heart to heart. Way to go, guys!
So yes indeed; there are many tremendous pro-life breakthroughs here in (what I believe may well be) the last days. Many blessings for us to be amazed at, to be encouraged by, to thank Almighty God for, and to be freshly stimulated by as we keep fighting for life in Christ’s matchless Name.
And Vital Signs Ministries? Well, I’m thrilled to say that we’re staying the course that God set us on way back in 1982. And, as always, we thank you for standing alongside us with your financial support, your prayers, and all other encouragements.
