Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, November 2022
Romans 1:18 describes the wicked as those “who suppress the truth in (or by) unrighteousness.” The Greek word translated “suppress” is katecho, a rare word for the New Testament which means to hold down, hold back, or quash. Indeed, the word conveys the image of someone putting all their weight on something to repress it. Do you notice any suppression of the truth happening nowadays? Of course, you do. “Fact checks” that are anything but. Internet search engines and other Big Tech platforms aggressively censoring whatever doesn’t comply with their propaganda and nefarious purposes. Political ads that misrepresent and mislead. And the “manipulation machines” which are modern media, government schools, and the Deep State who seek not only to stifle but even punish those who dare to tell the truth…
* about the humanity of preborn babies;
* about the inescapable biological realities of human gender and sexuality;
* about the scientific impossibilities of evolution (i.e. anyone hear about the miraculous complexities of DNA?);
* about the dangers of improperly vetted drugs forced upon the populace;
* about the inevitable conflagration of crime which results from open borders, de-funded police, and a deliberately broken justice system;
* about the horrendous offenses against human rights which are the inevitable products of communism;
* about the exclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ; and so on.
Of course, the truths involved in these matters are clear and incontrovertible enough – that is, when they are given a fair hearing. But today’s progressives allow no debate whatsoever. The honest, careful, and dispassionate scrutiny of facts has been cancelled by the monopolies of misinformation. And whatever they need to control the flow of thought, these “silencers” will use: cheating vote machines, bubble zones and other police actions against pro-life speech, denial of employment, search engine algorithms, the malevolence of the IRS and the DOJ, etc. It is a terribly sad and unjust situation, but the sinister suppression of truth has become a hallmark of our times and the progressives have thus declared “open season” on truth-tellers.
But please remember this simple, wonderful reality. The liars do not win. Those who love truth and share it in humility and love do. Certainly, the liars seem to be having their own way now. But appearances, like temporal power, can be very deceiving. For remember…
“A false witness will not go unpunished
and he who speaks lies shall perish.” (Proverbs 19:9)
“Of old I have known from Your testimonies
that You have founded them forever.” (Psalm 119:152)
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
Make no mistake; the lies themselves perish and the liars face eternal judgment. No one is getting away with anything. And that fallen, cursed angel who is a blasphemer a destroyer, a murderer, and the very father of lies? Well, he ends up in the lake of fire – condemned, forever alone, and influencing absolutely no one. But the truth? Truth will not be suppressed forever. Bless God, truth is triumphant forevermore. And Christ’s ambassadors (the truth tellers) will savor that victory throughout eternity as we share in Christ’s redemption of all creation.
So let us be quite sure in the here and now to be steadfast in our embrace of truth, in our refusal to compromise or be ungrateful, and in our bold and generous sharing of truth with others. Rest assured, dear saints, that even in this wobbly world, the enlightening, liberating power of truth is busting out all over. “And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overpower it,” (John 1:5)
Truth is stronger than lies and, tragically, those who seek to “suppress the truth in unrighteous” not only lose the battle, they lose their very souls. So you, my Christian brothers and sisters, be sure to stay the course as champions of the truth, ambassadors of the coming kingdom, winsome witnesses of the light of Jesus Christ.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16)
“Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord; Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me for I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth for I have hoped in Your ordinances. So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty for I seek Your precepts. I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed. And I will delight myself in Your commandments which I love.” (Psalm 119:41-47)
And now, before I close this month’s letter, let me mention a few “news notes” about ways Vital Signs Ministries is pushing back against the suppressing spirit of our time.
Since our last letter (and in addition to our “regular” ministries of the abortion clinic witness, the “When Swing Was King” shows, the Aksarben Village church service, and our hospitality/encouragement activities), we hosted our quarterly Governing Board agenda; provided 10 tickets to the Business & Professional Persons for Life luncheon that I helped organize, and recorded teaching video clips for the VSM YouTube channel. I also finished my 8-week adult Sunday School course on spiritual disciplines (with written summaries of each class now posted on Vital Signs Blog) and we made another visit to Wichita where I conducted a gospel-rich memorial service for my brother-in-law John Whissen.
October also saw Claire and I take our annual 2-week working vacation down in Branson. In the “working” part, we wrote over 60 ministry letters and cards, prepared sermons, started learning a new photo editing program for use with the “When Swing Was King” outreach, made improvements in the VSM website, and wrote this letter to send back to the printer. But there was the “vacation” part too – several hikes along Table Rock Lake, several times at Lake Taneycomo feeding ducks, reading books, visiting friends and cousins, putting together Christmas-themed jigsaw puzzles, and otherwise relaxing a bit. It was very nice.
And coming up in November are a couple of key Vital Signs efforts to exhort, encourage, and enlighten which you are cordially invited to:
Book Brunch – The next Vital Signs Book Brunch (discussing The Christmas Room) is on Saturday morning, November 19 at our home. Need a copy of the book? Just let us know.
PAL Night – The next letter-writing party is our always festive Christmas card edition. It’s on Monday evening, November 28th from 7 o’clock to 8:45 at our home.
Thank you for all of your support to keep Vital Signs Ministries effectively pushing back against the lies and suppression of the cancel culture. Remember…truth wins!
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! In fact, you may find of interest some of the thanksgiving-oriented posts we have uploaded over on Vital Signs Blog and the Book Den.