Tim Tebow's Miracle Arrival

The following is the May 27 entry from the Mission Possible: One-Year Devotional by outspoken Christian champion Tim Tebow. Claire and I have been using this in our spiritual disciplines since back in November...and we have really blessed to have done so. Of course, I've been singing that tune since we began, but maybe reading posts like this one will be the spark for you to order your copy today.

At the very least, please pass this blog post on to your family and friends for it is a quick summary of a remarkable pro-life testimony.

Here it is:

Only God 

“Jesus said, ‘With people it is impossible, but not with God;
for all things are possible with God.’” (Mark 10:27)

In 1986, right before a certain missionary went onstage to preach before a crowd in a remote village on an island of the Philippines, he began to uncontrollably weep. He felt like God was putting it on his heart and in his head that babies all over the world were being aborted. And then God put it on his heart and in his head that he needed to have another baby. He already had four kids that were home on another island in another village with his wife, but he felt this need so strongly. 

He and his wife began to pray for the baby they hoped to have, and a while later, she became pregnant. They were so excited. When they saw the doctor, however, their excitement deflated. The doctor believed the baby wasn’t in fact a baby but a tumor. A bit later, more news: the tumor was, in fact, a baby, but the baby wasn’t healthy, and should the mother continue with the pregnancy, it could cost her life. The mother chose to trust in God and keep the baby. 

Her entire pregnancy was rough, filled with one ailment after another. But miraculously and much to the doctor’s amazement, the mother gave birth to a perfectly healthy boy. And she, too, survived. 

That day, I got to meet my mom. That’s right. That “tumor” was me. God has the power to accomplish what we cannot. Choose to trust Him, even when where you’re standing seems impossible. 

What impossible prayers do you have to choose to trust God for?

Our Love for the Father Through the Eyes of a Child

Our Love for the FatherThrough the Eyes of a Child

(Guest Column by Dr. Ralph Kramper)

As I talked to several sidewalk advocates outside planned parenthood in Omaha, Nebraska this morning, I was called by the Holy Spirit to write a brief reflection about a simple experience that was a teaching moment. The Holy Spirit is our advocate whenever we choose to call upon Him.

This morning, my son-in-law brought to our home his two daughters, one seven and one two. Of course, the older one was happy to be there to be watched and interact with the grandparents. When the 2 year old realized dad was leaving, she broke into immediate intense tears. It appeared the departure of a most loving dad was quite devastating. Fortunately, some Mickey Mouse "shorts" on the internet helped to distract her from the feeling of loss. When I returned home from praying at Planned Parenthood she returned to frantic tears when it was not dad at the door.

My in-soul advocate called me to reflect on what should be our response when we refuse and walk away from the love of the heavenly Father who made us in His image. Realistically, we should be in great distress and tearful that we have rejected His passionate love for us. His absence prevents peace in our hearts. He never leaves us.

Yes, God sent His only Son that we might be saved from our sins and dwell with Him forever. Indeed, we should recognize His absence and be in great distress. Fortunately, the Trinity never says, "I'm done with you!" Amazing the truth we can learn from a child.

The Top 5 (May 25)

* "Federal Court Rules Maryland Parents Cannot Opt Children Out of LGBT Lessons" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

From the article -- The federal lawsuit was brought by a group of Christian and Muslim parents who wished to remove their children from LGBT-themed lessons on religious grounds. Over 1,000 parents — including Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, evangelical, Muslim, and Jewish parents — attended a subsequent MCPS board meeting to protest the decision to rescind parental opt-outs.

Then, in August, Biden-appointed U.S. District Court judge Deborah Boardman ruled against Maryland parents, claiming that mandatory LGBT lessons do not constitute a religious liberty infringement. She wrote that reading books about transgenderism, drag queens, and bondage fetishes to children as young as three “is not indoctrination” and does not “directly or indirectly” coerce children into activity “that violates their religious beliefs.”

* "Half of trainee doctors at UCLA's prestigious medical school 'are failing basic tests after dean who's anti-white ignored affirmative action ban and terrorized staff with DEI rules'" (Dominic Yeatman, Daily Mail)

From the article -- The David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles boasts Nobel Prize winners on its faculty and accepts just 173 students out of the 14,000 who apply to it each year. But it has plunged from sixth to 18th place in the rankings since the appointment of Jennifer Lucerno as dean of admissions in June 2020 amid claims that the admissions bar for underrepresented minorities is now 'as low as you could possibly imagine'.

The number of students failing tests on basic medical knowledge has increased 10-fold in some subjects since 2020, the Free Beacon reported. And a majority of students are now flunking standardized tests on emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics among some cohorts. The collapse in standards has turned the institution into a 'failed medical school' according to one former member of the admissions staff.

Admitting students on racial criteria has been banned in California since 1996 and outlawed federally since a Supreme Court ruling last year. But faculty at the school said that Lucerno has ignored bans on affirmative action and allegedly told colleagues she wanted a highly qualified white male candidate pushed down the residency rank list because 'we have too many of his kind'.

* "Urgent: Lie Detectors Wanted" (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- A little known poem written in the 1920’s by the author of Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, describes the power of Bolshevik revolutionary and ruthless dictator Vladimir Lenin in a striking stanza. In this poem, “Lofty Melody,” Pasternak emphasizes the connection between Lenin’s comprehensive political power and his propaganda prowess. Writes Pasternak, “He ruled the flow of thought, and that is why he ruled the land.”

Pasternak understood that the prelude to controlling people’s lives was controlling their minds. And as the decline of Western civilization continues its dramatic course, it is critical that you and I take the challenge that Pasternak’s observation implies. After all, ours is an age when the erroneous inventions of Darwin, Freud, and Marx still dominate the academic world – an age when the terms and demographics used in the public debate over abortion are provided by the abortionists themselves – an age when lies of the devil have become the dominant messages in our culture’s music, movies, television programming, fashion, education systems, and the leftist reporting which masquerades as journalism. These godless sources clearly have ruled the flow of thought in our era, thus creating the most horrendous flow of action, including waves of unimaginable violence, sexual perversion, and open defiance of Almighty God.

* "Former NIH Director Admits Government Was Top Source Of Covid Misinformation" (Brianna Lyman, Federalist)

From the article -- So Collins admits the federal government lacked any scientific basis for this massive social policy it pushed on Americans, including by colluding with Big Tech to shut down public debate about Covid-19 responses. Such debate could have revealed that many Covid policies weren’t backed by good research. Instead, numerous federal officials pressed Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to shut down skepticism and contrary information it falsely labeled “misinformation” and “disinformation.”

* "Courting infamy: The ICC prosecutor's blood libel is part of the pincer movement for Israel's destruction" (Melanie Phillips)

From the article -- The Israelis have taken more care not to kill civilians than any other country. Yet astoundingly, they are being accused  of crimes against humanity. The people who really have exposed Gaza’s civilians to danger are the Hamas terrorists, who have used them as human shields and cannon fodder by siting missiles and the infrastructure of warfare among apartment blocks, schools and hospitals. These are real war crimes against Gaza’s civilians which Khan doesn’t even mention.

Khan has relied for his evidence upon claims made by partisan “human rights” groups who oppose Israel’s existence and have been defaming it with lies that have inflamed protests and attacks upon Jews across the world. 

Urgent: Lie Detectors Needed

A little known poem written in the 1920’s by the author of Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, describes the power of Bolshevik revolutionary and ruthless dictator Vladimir Lenin in a striking stanza. In this poem, “Lofty Melody,” Pasternak emphasizes the connection between Lenin’s comprehensive political power and his propaganda prowess. Writes Pasternak, “He ruled the flow of thought, and that is why he ruled the land.”

Pasternak understood that the prelude to controlling people’s lives was controlling their minds. And as the decline of Western civilization continues its dramatic course, it is critical that you and I take the challenge that Pasternak’s observation implies. After all, ours is an age when the erroneous inventions of Darwin, Freud, and Marx still dominate the academic world – an age when the terms and demographics used in the public debate over abortion are provided by the abortionists themselves – an age when lies of the devil have become the dominant messages in our culture’s music, movies, television programming, fashion, education systems, and the leftist reporting which masquerades as journalism. These godless sources clearly have ruled the flow of thought in our era, thus creating the most horrendous flow of action, including waves of unimaginable violence, sexual perversion, and open defiance of Almighty God.

Jesus warned us that Satan is the father of lies and also that he is a creature committed to fierce action, especially against Christians. Indeed, the devil is never content with the lie itself; he is also a blasphemer, a deceiver, an accuser, a tempter, a murderer. And, in pursuit of these wicked things, he creates alliances with foolish, rebellious human beings. For instance, he uses such voices as a newspaper or magazine article, a film or a television program, a humanistic school curricula or museum exhibit, the allure of cocaine highs or illicit sexual thrills, get-rich-quick pitchmen or false preachers, and so on. Through such voices, the devil seeks to rule the land -- by ruling “the flow of thought.”

The psalmist tells us that those who speak lies go astray. The deception of the mind leads to “actualized” sin...and then more sin. Stressing the same truth, the Lord tells us that as a man thinks, so will he act. As apologist Francis Schaeffer repeatedly emphasized, “Ideas have consequences.” And no more crucial does Dr. Schaeffer’s remark relate to you and I than in this matter of believing lies.

Now this isn’t normally a topic we talk about. The word “liar” is considered too stern, too moralistic, too judgmental for social use…even in church. And certainly being a “lie detector” will not make you very popular nowadays. Nonetheless, those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have an unmistakable, undeniable calling which requires them to perform that very function. Detecting the lies that confront us throughout the day, refusing their power in our own lives, and then daring even in the public square to expose and refute those – these are critical elements of being a true disciple, a “light of the world.”

I fear for the state of the Church in the West because of the frequency with which everyday Christians succumb to worldliness, forfeiting their rich intellectual heritage for the propaganda doled out by the devil’s minions. Is it any wonder then that believers, “unsalty” and begrimed with the spirit of the age, have lost their power to influence the events around them? Rather than acting as sojourners in this foreign country of the world, we’ve settled in and become quite comfortable. Rather being transformed into the image of Christ Jesus, we have chosen to be poured into the molds made by advertisers, politicians, secular educators, entertainment moguls, and preachers who deny the necessity of both holy living and sacrificial service in behalf of others. It has been a tragic sell-out.

Is there a way back? Certainly. And it begins with the simple refrain, “Out with the bad and in with the good.” Or, put another way, we need much less of the world in us and much more of the Word. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the mature Christian is one who has by practice had his senses trained to discern good and evil. That is a comforting thought as well as a challenge. For despite the enveloping cloud of lies in our era, the Holy Spirit reminds us that the obedient Christian can overcome evil with good. Not only can we escape the tyranny of lies ourselves, we can even beat them back as they try to claim new victims.

It doesn’t come easy, of course. The most difficult reclining chairs to get out of are the ones that feel so good to be in. You have to be a diligent student of the Bible. You must strive for holiness, deny self, be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. And you have to engage the power of the Holy Spirit as you bring His light to bear upon everything you encounter. If you let down your guard in any area, you become easy prey for the father of lies. He will fool you. He will exploit you. And he will then toss you aside. How infinitely better is it to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd?

By wisdom a house is built

And by understanding it is established.

And by knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.

A wise man is strong

And a man of knowledge increases power.

For by wise guidance you will wage war,

And in abundance of counselors there is victory.

(Proverbs 24:3-6)

The above passage from Proverbs presents a dramatic contrast to Vladimir Lenin’s ambition to rule over men by dominating the world of ideas. For the wise man, as these verse illustrate, is one who builds his life on the sure foundations of God’s Word. That man can then influence the world of action as he teaches truth, exposes and overcomes the devil’s lies, and guides others towards spiritual freedom, justice, moral purity, and serenity of soul.

Unlike Lenin (and unlike Satan and his henchmen themselves), the wise man has trusted Jesus Christ’s death as payment for his sin. He has been adopted into God’s forever family and given the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to walk in the newness of life. In obedience to God’s commands for him to be a light-bearing disciple, the wise man will thus celebrate his freedom to know truth, but he will also bravely take on the duty of “lie detection” to help liberate others.

The Top 5 (May 18)

* "NFL Kicker’s Pro-Family Commencement Speech Sparks Left-Wing Backlash" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

From the article -- Commenting on the backlash against Butker’s speech, author and publisher at The American Spectator Melissa Mackenzie told The Washington Stand, “Butker kicked a hornet’s nest by denouncing the crass emptiness of a world where people are motivated by selfish desire instead of sacrificial love. So many people lead empty, self-seeking lives, whether it’s trading values for power or trading values for transient sexual pleasure.” She added, “Butker calls these sinners to account and asks them, instead, to return to the truth where peace, fulfillment and salvation lie.”

Mackenzie also stated, “That Butker sees these timeless truths at such a young age and is willing to use his celebrity to express his views is both courageous and necessary. Most people recognize the veracity of his point of view which is why they react so violently to it. Me thinks they doth protest too much.”

* "1948 Was Key" (Editors, One for Israel)

From the article -- Like a key that unlocked the proverbial Pandora's Box, the events of 1948 have rippled out from Israel and affected the whole world. Why does this small strip of land matter so much? Other lands are contested, fought over, have changed hands and experienced turmoil, but there is something seriously significant about the land of Israel. Clearly 1948 holds very different connotations for those on different sides of the conflict, and then there's a whole other meaning for those out in the nations. What does it mean for you? But most importantly, what does God think about it all?

* "The Left’s Campus Protest Scam" (Michael Lind, Tablet)

From the article -- “The issue is not the issue.” This saying of the campus left is as true today as it was in the 1960s. Whatever the ostensible issue may be that provides the occasion for a nationwide wave of campus protests, the list of demands presented to university administrators by student protesters and allied outside agitators is remarkably similar -- suggesting that the point of the exercise may lie closer to home.

For half a century now, the passion of idealistic students involved in campus protests that were purported to be about national and global issues (the Vietnam War, racism, police shootings, climate change, and now Israel’s war against Hamas) has been diverted into narrow efforts to multiply jobs and teaching opportunities for leftist professors, administrators, consultants and other foot-soldiers and clients of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. In turn, these campus activists have helped to transform American universities from engines of upward mobility and economic growth to taxpayer-funded ideological indoctrination centers...

* "SOS: Stop the World Health Organization's Tyrannical May 27 Power Grab" (Robert Williams, Gatestone Institute)

From the article -- The WHO is not elected, has no democratic legitimacy, is not accountable to anyone and has no control mechanisms to restrain its reach. After the horrifying failures of the WHO during Covid-19, the answer is not to give the organization more power, but to disengage from it entirely.

The UN and the WHO evidently want unlimited control. If they are not stopped right now by national governments that refuse to approve the new Pandemic Treaty and proposed International Health Regulations amendments, unlimited control is what they will have -- and it is we who will have given it to them.

* "Lenin 100 Hundred Years Later" (Daniel J. Mahoney, Fusion)

From the article -- To the historical determinism central to the Marxism of Marx, Lenin added a penchant for revolutionary conspiracies and a criminal preference for clandestine activities, including robbery. He had no love for Russia whatsoever. And he loathed the European working class (and sundry social democratic parties) for siding with their respective countries over ideological criteria at the outset of World War I. A master tactician, expert conspirator, and ruthless Machiavellian, Lenin plotted with the Germans to return to Russia in a sealed train in April 1917, in time to inflict the coup de grace on a weak and ineffectual Provisional government dominated by feckless liberals and socialists. He was amply funded by a Germany that aggressively sought to undermine what was left of the Russian empire. Any self-respecting government would have arrested him for treason. While peasant mobs looted and set fire to landed estates, and the revolutionary Soviets systematically undermined the integrity and cohesion of the Russian armed forces, Lenin prepared the final blow, a coup d’état (not a popular “revolution”) to seize control of a vast nation for what was by then called the Bolshevik party. A first coup failed in July 1917. A second succeeded in October 1917. Lenin now had his opportunity to achieve utopia-in-power. But what utopia did he have in mind?

Disrespecting Female Athletes Is a Disrespect to All Women

The following is a letter I'm sending today to the NCAA. Similar letters will also be sent to the International Olympic Committee, to President Biden, to Nebraska's Congressional delegation, and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen.

To the NCAA,

Such a bizarre contradiction of the original intents of Title IX could hardly be imagined than allowing biological men to invade female sports, stealing from girls and women the opportunities for honest and fair athletic competitions for which they have long dreamed, strenuously trained for, and fully deserve to receive. Indeed, this recent fad of accepting biological men into female athletics is not only a reprehensible repudiation of the very purposes laid out in 1972 in Title IX, it is also a blatant denial of the most basic principles of feminism, moral decorum, and science.

Please face the facts. No change of pronouns, no psychological reorientation, no drugs or surgery can provide a sufficient excuse for forcing girls and women to compete with persons born as males who thus have inherent (and profound) advantages of strength, speed, and stamina. There’s no other way to put it -- girls and women are being cheated. And the worst offenders are not the biological men lining up at the starting line with women, but rather the schools and sports associations that allow them to do so…and, of course, the Biden administration which, though claiming so loudly to be pro-woman, is being exactly opposite those claims by trying to force Americans into one of the most despicably sexist policies of all time.

This is a matter of simple fairness, so please do the right thing. Resist this new anti-woman fad. Instead, respect female athletes by ensuring for them a level playing field.

P. S. I include this popular visual from the Babylon Bee that accurately (if though satirically) illustrates the foolishness and over-the-top unfairness of forcing women to compete against men.

The Top 5 (May 11)

* "The Democrat Party’s Antisemitism Went Mainstream With Barack Obama" (Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist)

From the article -- It goes without saying that if the aforementioned demonstrators were “MAGA Republicans” protesting an Islamic country and harassing Muslim students, legacy media “journalists” would be relentlessly spamming the phone lines and emails of every GOP official in the country asking for condemnation. They will never hold Democrats to the same standard, and their refusal to call out Obama for ignoring the leftist occupation of universities shows it.

While the media’s inaction isn’t surprising, neither is Obama’s silence. Obama’s decision to remain mum on the issue is representative of his behavior and the individuals encompassing him throughout his life...

* "The People Setting America on Fire: An investigation into the witches’ brew of billionaires, Islamists, and leftists behind the campus protests." (Park MacDougald, Tablet)

From the article -- Have America’s college students suddenly converted en masse to anarcho-communist-jihadism? Not quite. Many are far left and anti-Israel. Some are foreigners, or the children of foreigners, who have imported the conspiracies and hatreds of their homelands. More, admitted under relaxed pandemic-era admissions standards and proudly ignorant of both American and world history, are taking the “decolonial” half-knowledge pushed by their elders to its logical conclusion.

But students are not the only, and perhaps not even the most important, faction active in the campus protests. As in the “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter protests of the summer of 2020, “outside agitators”—professional radicals and organizers, black bloc antifa thugs, Marxist-Leninist revolutionaries, and Palestinian and Islamist radicals—have played a central role in organizing and escalating the campus protests, just as they have organized and escalated the wider anti-Israel protest campaign that began almost immediately after Oct. 7. This largely decentralized network of agitators is, in turn, politically and financially supported by a vast web of progressive nonprofits, NGOs, foundations, and dark-money groups ultimately backed by big-money donors aligned with the Democratic Party...

* "Biden’s double game on Hamas should fool no one: A presidential speech condemned past and present antisemitism. However, it contradicted policies aimed at letting the terrorists win and appeasing pro-Hamas voters." (Jewish News Service)

From the article -- The reason for Biden’s carping at Israel had nothing to do with human rights or America’s strategic interests. It was motivated by politics. From the moment that the Oct. 7 attacks happened, the left wing of the president’s Democratic Party has been vocal in its distaste for Israel and opposition to a successful effort to take out Hamas. So-called “progressives,” as well as the extremists of the left-wing congressional “Squad,” were falsely accusing Israel of war crimes and “genocide” even before the bodies of the Oct. 7 victims were cold. They are motivated by intersectional and critical race theory ideologies, which falsely label Israel as a “white” oppressor and regard the Palestinian war to destroy the one Jewish state on the planet as a righteous cause. They want self-determination for everyone but Jews, perceiving Hamas’s genocidal goals as a form of justified “resistance.”

Living as he does in a left-wing bubble inside the White House and, as he has always been throughout his long political career, a weathervane determined to stay in sync with liberal fashion, Biden thinks the anger at his initial pro-Israel policies is the reason why he continues to trail former President Donald Trump in the polls. He believes that mollifying disaffected young leftists, as well as Arab and Muslim-American voters, is the key to retaining the support of the Democratic base.

* "A simple and persuasive way to explain your pro-life view is as easy as one, two, three." (Paul Stark, NRL News)

From the article -- If someone asks what you think about abortion, or why you’re pro-life, what do you say? How do you get supporters of abortion to rethink the issue—or even change their minds? We can put forward our case clearly, concisely, and in a way that appeals to those who aren’t already pro-life. Here are three key points to make when articulating your view....

* "To Abortion Workers: 'Jesus Still Loves the Little Children'" (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- The Wednesday focus in Vital Signs “3 for 5 Prayer Campaign Against Planned Parenthood” is to “pray for spiritual conversion among Planned Parenthood employees and supporters.”...Well, with this prayer target in mind, I thought I’d write up a quick summary of the appeal I made to the abortionists last Monday morning when Claire, Keith, and I were engaged in our prayers and public pro-life witness on the sidewalk there. It is one of the messages I have spoken to abortion workers for over 40 years and it goes something like this...

The “Imperative” Take-Aways from the Assure Banquet

We were blessed to be part of the very large audience at the Assure Women’s
Center banquet last night…and for several reasons. For instance, it was wonderful to again hear director Toni Clarke detail the effectiveness of Assure in helping women and families, dissuading women from committing abortion, winsomely sharing the gospel with clients, helping people experience thorough forgiveness and healing from past abortion decisions, engaging in unique and highly persuasive educational ministries through social media, and more. Assure is clearly one of the most influential and thoroughly biblical Christian ministries in the Midwest.

But last night was also important because the leadership of Assure, knowing all too well the grave dangers to pro-life work posed by the extremist Protect Our Rights ballot initiative which, if successful, would enshrine absolutely unlimited abortion in the Nebraska state constitution, addressed the matter with courage and wisdom. Toni herself spoke briefly to the matter, but Assure also built into the evening’s program remarks directly aimed at the ballot initiative by Lorelee Byrd, Karen Bowling of the Nebraska Family Alliance, former Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen. Thank you, Assure, for including that crucial service to the pro-life community in the evening’s purposes.

And, of course, I must not fail to mention that the keynote speaker for the Assure banquet, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, provided inspiration and encouragement to the large gathering present. Among his stimulating remarks were “5 Imperatives in Defeating the Culture of Death.” They were 1) We must secure the right to speak freely. 2) Defend reality. 3) We must aim at victory, not compromise. 4) Focus on winning back the culture. And 5) Courage is contagious. Within these five challenges, Dillon had a lot of sage advice, presented in a provocative, often humorous, way -- advice and challenge that this veteran pro-life activist deeply appreciated.

Of course, another wonderful blessing in the evening for Claire and I was being able to share it with the guests at our tables: Bev, Suzi, Gary & Christi, Charlotte, Kathy, John & Tabi, Karla, Sonya, Dan & Cindy, Tom & Lila, David & Ruth, Matt & Vivien, Matt, Luke, Ryan, Kyra, Reagan, Rob & Hope, Mark & Mary, and Sharon. What a noble company indeed!

Thanks so much, Assure staff, for a most inspiring evening. And thanks even more for the ongoing work you do for moms, babies, families, the Church, and the hopes of restoring to our culture a respect for the sacredness of human life.

To Abortion Workers: "Jesus Still Loves the Little Children"

The Wednesday focus in Vital Signs “3 for 5 Prayer Campaign Against Planned Parenthood” is to “pray for spiritual conversion among Planned Parenthood employees and supporters.”

Indeed, here is the sample prayer we offer: “Please, Lord Jesus, reveal to those who work with, promote, or otherwise support Planned Parenthood the organization’s inherent evils.  Give them a new understanding of the sanctity of life, marriage, family, and purity.  And with repentance and conversion, make of these ‘born again’ people effective servants of Your grace and holiness.”

The Scripture exhortation we connect to the Wednesday prompting is 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Well, with this prayer target in mind, I thought I’d write up a quick summary of the appeal I made to the abortionists last Monday morning when Claire, Keith, and I were engaged in our prayers and public pro-life witness on the sidewalk there. It is one of the messages I have spoken to abortion workers for over 40 years and it goes something like this...

“Good morning! You know, among our prayers this morning, are heartfelt prayers for you and your colleagues. Specifically, we are praying that you wake up to the real nature of this business -- the evil, barbaric destruction of preborn boys and girls. We are praying that (for the sake of both your happiness and the state of your eternal soul) you find another job, one where you can truly help people rather than being a part of a business that lies to women, plays on their fears and confusion, and then actually kills little human beings for money. 

I know you know the song ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children.’ You have probably sung it yourself when you yourself were a kid. Well, that’s not just a religious song. Make no mistake; Jesus does love the little children; each single child is a very big deal with Him. And He is urging you today to separate yourself from a business whose primary profits come from cruelly tearing these little children to pieces. Please reconsider what you’re involved in here. Hundreds of abortion workers have found forgiveness, spiritual cleansing, and a fresh start with God, simply by trusting Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay the penalty of all their sins and to start a new, noble, and eternal life with Jesus as their forever Friend. Won’t you take this wonderful opportunity also? Please, leave this wicked place today and come to Jesus.”

I hope this brief post serves as an effective reminder for you to pray for us as we engage in this pro-life witness, but also to pray for the conversions of men and women who are going so far in “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness” that they willingly work in such a heinous business. And, of course, we encourage you aloso to participate with pro-life advocates all over the country in all of the points of the “3 for 5 Prayer Campaign. You’ll find it right here on the Vital Signs Ministries website. Thanks so much.

The Top 5 (May 4)

* “The Biden Administration Has Redefined ‘Sex.’ What Does That Mean for Schools?” (Jonathan Butcher & Lindsey Burke, Daily Signal)

* “Can The Current Universities Be Saved?” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* “10 Lies Democrats Tell About Our Elections (And How To Refute Them)” (Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist)

* “The show trial of Donald Trump: The railroading of the former president is in plain sight” (Hugh Hewitt, Fox News)

* “George Soros is paying student radicals who are fueling nationwide explosion of Israel-hating protests” (Isabel Vincent, New York Post) 

And 3 bonus links ---

* “To Be Happy, Women Must Do The Opposite Of Everything Secular Western Culture Tells Them” (Joy Pullman, Federalist)

* “Abortion Hurts...Even the Survivor” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

* “CDC Found Evidence COVID-19 Vaccines Caused Deaths: Internal documents contradict claims from the CDC, which refused to explain the discrepancy.” (Zachary Stieber, Epoch Times)

Abortion Hurts...Even the Survivor

The harm performed on a preborn child by an abortionist is cruel, barbaric and, alas, lethal.

But the harm doesn’t stop there.

As we tell abortion clients when we sidewalk counsel outside an abortion clinic (giving them the facts about abortion that are denied them inside the building), the violent, remarkably unnatural act of abortion also creates terrible risks to the woman’s health. In both the long and short term, a woman putting her pregnant body in the hands of an abortion profiteer faces a whole host of dangers -- not to mention the grave spiritual consequences of such an act.

These dangers posed by abortion to mothers should never be a mere “side issue” for sidewalk counselors, CPC workers, and other pro-life advocates who hold high the banner for the sanctity of life. This is because we require the mother’s change of mind to save her baby’s life, of course, but also because we are genuinely concerned for her welfare too.

Abortion hurts...even the survivor. That must always be one of our most important messages, shared with true compassion and accompanied by practical ways to help.

For a review of just how abortion hurts women, check out the information provided by such research resources as the Elliot Institute about both the physical effects and the psychological effects of abortion. It will better equip you to speak life, love, and health to those who desperately need to know.

A Quick Get-Away to Art, History, and the Company of Good Friends

How unusual and stimulating our last two days have been! We are in Kansas City on a 2 -day holiday with Larry and Deb Harrold Herald, staying in a massive and magnificent old house (built in 1902) in the historic Hanover Place district near downtown. Claire and I had left Omaha just after our Sunday afternoon church service; enjoyed a very pleasant drive with conversation, prayers, and some old radio programs; and then joined the Harrolds at the bed and breakfast a few minutes after 7:00. Catching up, sharing memories, snacking on Paleo apple muffins, and a bit of reading H. Rider Haggard rounded off our Sunday and a very restful sleep prepared us for the full day to come.

6:30 Monday morning found me at Mother Earth coffee shop on Gillham Road, just two minutes from the house. Spacious, quiet, clean, classical music playing softly, and good coffee -- I could certainly use a place just like this in Omaha! And after journaling, devotions, making final edits on the May newsletter, and beginning J. Warner Wallace’s excellent Cold-Case Christianity, I rejoined the crew to take on the august Nelson -Atkins Art Museum which houses the most impressive art collection in the Midwest. Heavy on ancient China and India, the museum also has several remarkable Egyptian pieces. But that’s only the beginning. Their vast collections also include art by Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Seurat, Gaugin, Vernet, Tolouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Cezanne, Caravaggio, Gainsborough, Constable, Turner, Stuart, Benton, Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt, and many, many more, including very provocative items from Medieval and Renaissance Christian art.

We were wowed all morning and our tour through the centuries stimulated us to make notes of several things we want to explore in the future. Of course, there was a lot of modern, lousy stuff there too that progressives hail as art. But, believe me, there was more treasure than trash and I recommend the place to anyone visiting Kansas City.

Oh yes; we also had a very nice lunch right there in the lovely atrium of the museum.

Our afternoon and evening were more sedentary, but still very enjoyable. We watched together (on a really large TV screen) some of our favorite Christian music selections; we talked about a host of topics; I explored the old house’s basement; we had a delicious BBQ dinner at Jack Stacks (I highly recommend the Burnt Ends Stew); and we had a “command performance” of the April “When Swing Was King” program. A bit more talk, a bit more reading, and a brief (and successful) search for a lost phone concluded what was a full and invigorating day

Today (Tuesday) began again for me with coffee at Mother Earth but I was back home in time to join in on to the Arabia Steamboat Museum just north of downtown. Many years ago I read the book, Treasure in a Cornfield, which told the amazing story of five men (all regular working stiffs) who took on the herculean task of uncovering a steamship that had sunk in the Missouri River before Civil War! That steamship was found way, way down in a cornfield, a mile and 1/2 from the modern shore of the river. It was an amazing true-life story. But to go to the museum today and see a portion of the material they unearthed from America's past is almost indescribable. Indeed, the Arabia Museum houses the most extensive collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. Browsing through that material, along with learning more about the story of its astounding discovery, along with the privilege of meeting one of the original 5 adventurers made it the most memorable of experiences.

We had a quick but very enjoyable lunch near the museum (the City Market area) and are now involved in more relaxing pursuits back at our home base. We may very well continue to do so until we all take off tomorrow morning -- Larry and Deb for home in Omaha, Claire and I for Wichita in order to visit my little sister Sherry for a couple of days. Thank You, Lord, for this momentous get-away with dear friends. 

The Top 5 (April 27)

* “Conservatism’s ‘Three-Legged Stool’ Has No Legs Left” (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

From the article -- It’s hard to overstate how out-of-touch this way of thinking is, as if the past 15 years simply never happened, to say nothing of the past 50. Consider the three legs of the stool. On fiscal conservatism, we’re swimming in an ocean of debt that grows no matter which party controls Congress, while inflation is killing middle- and working-class families. On traditional values, we legalized gay marriage and then quickly moved on to normalizing transgenderism and acquiescing to so-called “gender-affirming care,” even for minors. On peace-through-strength foreign policy, we lost the War on Terror and are now funding multiple wars all over the world as part of a crumbling global imperium. The stool has no legs left...

* “Mean Girls Rising: Democrats are increasingly beholden to leftist radicals in their midst.” (Joel Kotkin, American Mind)

From the article -- Once the putative party of the people, the Democrats are increasingly the party of political “Mean Girls.” Epitomized by the congressional “Squad,” radicalized women are driving the party ever further to the leftist fringe on issues such as embracing Hamas, apocalyptic climate policies, mass illegal immigration, and transgenderism.

Party organs including the New Republic and the New York Times hail these activists as the “future of the Democratic Party.” Unlike traditional Democrats who won over small business owners, members of industrial unions, and aspiring middle class minorities, the Mean Girls have broken with the New Deal tradition that united the party. Rather than appealing to the aspirations of  families, in the new configuration it’s all about “the personal is political,” with lifestyle and sexual orientation as defining issues....

* “A Letter-Party Wrap  -- Along with Sample Letters” (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the post -- Dear Congressman Bacon, Okay, President Biden and the Democrats rightly get the blame for some of America’s horrendous national sins. For instance, the twisting of Title IX to allow men into girls’ showers, or the mega-abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood getting an incredible third of its $2 billion revenue from the government. However, it is the Congress who controls the purse strings of the government! So why hasn’t the Republican-controlled House put a stop to these travesties? Because, like junior high kids who wilt at the possible displeasure of the “cool kids” clique, Republicans refuse to stand their ground before the criticism of Democrats and the establishment media. Were Republicans to actually do in Washington what they promise their constituencies back home, how much more moral and safe and efficient and happy our nation would be.

* “FBI Director Accused of Hypocrisy for Monitoring Conservatives but Not Pro-Hamas Protests” (S.A. McCarthy, Daily Signal)

From the article -- The director of the FBI is being accused of hypocrisy for allowing the targeting of concerned parents, Trump supporters, and American Catholics but not “monitoring” pro-Hamas rallies and protests on college campuses. Director Christopher Wray was asked in an interview on Tuesday about “actively monitoring” the rallies erupting across college and university campuses, which have become the subject of controversy and condemnation from even senior government officials. Wray replied, “We don’t monitor protests.” [No, says Graham Allen] They just monitor Republicans, Church, Christians, Donald Trump supporters, and parents who attend a PTA meeting...

* “When the Church Shrinks Back” (Aaron Edwards, Decision Magazine)

From the article -- The reason so many Christian leaders have drifted on these issues is that they’ve come to see Biblical sexual ethics as “unloving,” even “evil.” Such is the fruit of secular infiltration of the church. These doctrinal erosions don’t happen overnight. They occur gradually, year by year, compromise by compromise. It sounds like Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 4:3—of a time “when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions”—was written for today. 

Even some evangelicals are losing their way, ceasing to be as convinced of their convictions as they once were. Increasing numbers now identify as “deconstructed ex-vangelicals,” more keen to proclaim stories of how the church has hurt them than stories of how Christ has redeemed them...

A Letter-Party Wrap (Along with Sample Letters)

Yesterday Vital Signs Ministries hosted our quarterly letter-writing parties with the issues considered including sanctity of life, religious freedom, sexual and gender sanity, and a lot of thank-yous to those who well deserve them. Both parties proved a terrific success with 8 letter-writers at the brunch party (Sandy, Allen, Cindy, Dan, Ann, John, Claire and I) and 9 in the evening edition (Keith, Carol, Becky, Don, Sharon, Karla, Claire and I) And the total for the two parties? 85 cards and letters! Great job, guys!

Many of those letters dealt with the government’s giving $699 million to the mega-abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood, President Biden’s outrageous twisting of Title IX which will (among other stupid travesties) allow men into girl’s bathrooms and showers, the vicious attacks on Israel and the anti-Semitic demonstrations around the country, the pornographic actions of Instagram, and school choice. Below in this post you can find reprints of a few of those letters.  But first, here’s a breakdown by recipient: 

President Biden (4 letters); Kamala Harris (3); 3 Supreme Court Justices; Senator Deb Fischer (5); Senator Pete Ricketts (5); Senator Marco Rubio (1); Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (3); Congressman Don Bacon (7); Governor Jim Pillen (5); Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (1); Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert (3); and 3 State Senators.

In addition: Israeli Ambassador Herzog (5); Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu (1); Food and Drug Administration (1); Instagram (1); College of the Ozarks (2); Hillsdale College (1); Scheel’s (3); the letters section of the Omaha World Herald (1); and 3 pastors.

Finally, among those receiving notes of thanks, encouragement, and compliments were Vital Signs Ministries colleagues who are dealing with tough trials (3); Assure Women’s Center (5); Amir Tsarfati (2); the Omaha Police Department (3); Eternal Perspective Ministries (2); and receiving cards signed by all of the letter-writers present…the Omaha Fire Department, Julie Arant, Alliance Defending Freedom, Samaritan’s Purse, Tim Tebow Foundation, Joni & Friends, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and One for Israel. 

Okay, about those sample letters…

To the Public Pulse of the Omaha World Herald,

The latest annual report of Planned Parenthood is out and it reveals information that the abortion business certainly hopes the public will not learn about. For instance, that surgical abortions are at an all-time high (392, 715); revenue is at an all-time high ($2 billion with $699 million of that coming from taxpayers); hormone therapy, puberty blockers and other “gender care” dramatically increasing; and for every adoption referral Planned Parenthood makes, it performs 228 abortions. As they say, it’s your tax dollars at work.

Congressman Bacon,

Okay, President Biden and the Democrats rightly get the blame for some of America’s horrendous national sins. For instance, the twisting of Title IX to allow men into girls’ showers, or the mega-abortion profiteer Planned Parenthood getting an incredible third of its $2 billion revenue from the government. However, it is the Congress who controls the purse strings of the government! So why hasn’t the Republican-controlled House put a stop to these travesties? Because, like junior high kids who wilt at the possible displeasure of the “cool kids” clique, Republicans refuse to stand their ground before the criticism of Democrats and the establishment media. Were Republicans to actually do in Washington what they promise their constituencies back home, how much more moral and safe and efficient and happy our nation would be.

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,

We are just a few of Israel’s friends who are writing tonight with a quick word of thanks for your noble and courageous leadership and a reminder that the few of us are only a small slice of the many, many Americans who support Israel, who pray for her safety and prosperity, and who are urging our own leaders to be much more supportive of Israel in her battles against terrorism and anti-Semitism. As evangelical Christians, we have a loyal love for the nation of Israel and we will continue to pray for you.

To the Food and Drug Administration,

The FDA is supposed to watch out for the health and well-being of the people in this country. However, you are allowing unborn children to be destroyed by powerful abortion chemicals and, at the same time, you’re endangering the lives of untold numbers of women. How wicked! 

To the officials at Meta,

Why does Instagram and Facebook promote the sexualizing of children? You should be ashamed of the way your company promotes pornography and the abuse of women and children. Please reconsider how you can stop these horrific practices. Remember that God sees all that you are doing and one day you will be judged for these actions.

Dear Senator Rubio,

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading your Decades of Decadence. What a terrific book -- enlightening, inspiring, and frequently infuriating! You did such an excellent job in your research and in the writing of the book. Way to go! But thank you, Senator, even more for the principled, energetic, winsome leadership you are providing in the United States Senate. Stay the course!

You are in our frequent prayers.

Dear President Biden,

I’m writing this morning with 10 specific complaints which I hope you will, with God’s grace granting you repentance and a brand new start, make right very soon. 

1) Please stop promoting the barbaric bloodshed perpetrated for profit by abortionists. 

2) Please stop lying and cheating and bribing.

3) Please stop trying to divide the American people along lines of race, religious convictions, ethnicity, gender, economic status, and political opinions.

4) Please stop placating wicked bullies like Iran and China. Indeed, please stop “weaponizing” government agencies to harass (even persecute) Christians and others who oppose your radical “woke” plans for America.

5) Please defend America’s borders. 

6) Please stop wasting American money on useless, counterproductive, and even blasphemous practices. 

7) Please stop your incessant actions to promote, assist, and fund perverted sexual practices and ideologies. 

8) Please free American industry and creativity so that we can once again be energy independent. 9) Please start protecting religious freedom and freedom of conscience. 

10) Please stop trying to destroy America’s most noble ideas and traditions.

You are in my prayers, Mr. President, as I ask God’s grace for you to make a dramatic change of heart and mind.

To the brave men and women of the Omaha Police Department,

We are having a letter-writing party tonight and, among the thank-yous we’re sending, is this one to you guys. Thank you for your sacrifice and skill, your compassion and bravery as you serve the people of our city. You are in our frequent prayers. 

Senator Fischer,

Please do whatever you can to defund the nation’s largest abortion business, Planned Parenthood. Also, whatever you can do to turn off the funds to Biden's vile re-definition of Title IX. Every woman in the Congress and Senate should be outraged by this move. Thanks for fighting!

To the fantastic team of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,

We are in the middle of one of Vital Signs Ministries quarterly letter-writing parties tonight and, along with our letters of advocacy regarding sanctity of life, religious freedom, sexual and gender sanity, and so on, we also like to take time to send along a few thank-yous to saints who are doing a strong and beautiful work for the Lord Jesus. So...thank you! And may our Lord continue to bless and protect and purify and empower you all to glorify His name and secure His purposes. Stay the course, dear friends. Maranatha!

Dear Speaker Johnson,

I am very disappointed in the huge amount of aid that is just gone (once again!) to Ukraine without money being spent beforehand in securing our own borders. You broke your promise, Mr. Speaker, and it was a terrible disappointment to those of us who had such high hopes for your leadership. 

Dear Governor Pillen,

Thank you for standing firm on the life issue, school choice, and the integrity of women’s sports. There are so many areas in these culture battles where we need attentive and courageous “watchmen on the wall.” Thanks for fighting and not backing down. 

Dear Justice Thomas,

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and your service. I have looked up to you all these years as you have stood so magnificently for truth and justice in our nation. You have been so unjustly attacked and yet you continue to stand firm. I know you also get your wisdom from above. Thank you for fighting for me; you are not fighting in vain! I thank God for you. 

To the College of the Ozarks,

Thank you so much for the great work you are doing for America’s youth and for the noble cause of American ideals that serve not only our nation, but the whole world. Please know we support you as you stand against the unjust, immoral schemes of President Biden to force the College to comply with his horrific twisting of Title IX. You are in our frequent prayers.

Dear Ambassador Herzog,

Just a quick word to say we stand with Israel in her noble and courageous defense against the forces of hatred and terrorism. Your nation’s leaders and her people are in our frequent and fervent prayers.

We apologize for the weak and inconsistent attitudes of the present American administration towards your nation. For we know how profound is the support for Israel by the majority of Americans -- support that continues despite the horrendous and viciously unfair coverage by the leftist media. Stay the course! And May God protect Israel.

The Top 5 (April 20)

* "California’s Senate Democrats Reject Bill to Make Purchasing a Child for Sex a Felony" (Katy Grimes, California Globe) 

From the article -- As we explained at the time, human trafficking was defined as a “non-serious” crime because of Proposition 57 passed in 2016, which meant the act of human trafficking could no longer be considered a strike under California’s Three Strikes law. There is a plethora of history like this with California’s Democrat lawmakers.

Six proposed bills in 2018-19 would have corrected unclear language and serious flaws in Proposition 57, passed in 2016 by voters, which reclassified many serious heinous crimes as “non-serious.” The initiative specified early parole for persons who committed non-violent offenses. However, the initiative never specified what is considered a non-violent felony. But all 6 bills were killed by Democrats.

* "Planned Parenthood Checklist: More Abortions, Less Actual Health Care, More Tax Dollars Than Ever" (Melanie Israel, Daily Signal)

From the article -- In the long term, the trend of more abortions and fewer health services is even more stark. Pro-life scholar Michael New points out that “in the past 10 years, the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood has increased by 20%. Meanwhile, cancer screenings fell by more than 58%, and prenatal services declined by more than 67%.”

After going all-in on “gender-affirming hormone therapy” starting in the 2015-2016 reporting year, Planned Parenthood reports an all-time high of 45 clinics offering such services. Planned Parenthood buries the specific number of services in an “other” category in the medical data tables. We can reasonably infer that gender services drove a noticeable spike in the category. It went from 8,153 in 2015 to 177,237 in this year’s report.

Now take a look at the financial side of things. Planned Parenthood reported:

$2.5 billion in net assets, up from $2.3 billion the previous year.

$699 million in government funding, up from $670 million the previous year.

$2 billion in total revenue, up from $1.9 billion the previous year.

* "The Joy of Imagining Heaven" (Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries)

From the article -- Too often we’ve been taught that Heaven is a non-physical realm, so we fail to take seriously what Scripture tells us about Heaven as a familiar, physical, tangible place. We cannot anticipate or desire what we cannot imagine. That’s why, I believe, God has given us glimpses of Heaven in the Bible—to fire up our imagination and kindle a desire for Heaven in our hearts. And that’s why Satan will always discourage our imagination—or misdirect it to ethereal notions that violate Scripture. As long as the resurrected universe remains either undesirable or unimaginable, he succeeds in sabotaging our love for Heaven.

If God didn’t want us to imagine what Heaven will be like, He wouldn’t have told us as much about it as He has.

* "Why Not Do Only the “Pleasant” Ministries?" (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Blog)

From the article -- So, with all of this heavy decadence to lift and with the playing field tilted so dramatically against us, why do we bother protesting abortionists? Why not gracefully resign the job, pat ourselves on the back for all the years we’ve sincerely tried to make a difference, and just move on to ministry activities that are less confrontational, less sorrowful, less hopeless?

* "The Obama and Biden Administrations' Betrayal of America's Closest Ally in the Middle East: Israel" (Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone Institute)

From the article -- What onlookers see, including terrorists and America's enemies and adversaries – when they also factor in the open US southern border across which millions of illegal immigrants have recently poured, including 46,000 Chinese, many of whom are military-aged men possibly "building an army from within" – is that the Biden administration is perfectly content to welcome and support terrorists.

The White House actions have bolstered America's adversaries and pretty much extinguished America's credibility as an ally. The universal "optics" are that if America will throw its closest ally, Israel, under the bus, what chance has anyone else got?

Why Not Do Only the “Pleasant” Ministries?

Our Monday started with our pro-life witness on the street outside Planned
Parenthood, the unbelievably evil business that lies to women, exploits their fears and confusion, kills their preborn sons and daughters with high-powered vacuums and knives and poisons, and then guarantees its ongoing business by promoting to America’s youth the grossest and most perverse sex propaganda imaginable. In so doing, this mega-abortion profiteer not only exploits millions of dollars from their clients, it is enriched yet further with millions of dollars taken from the pockets of American taxpayers. It is a truly sickening reality.

Set against this monstrous evil, our small and simple witness doesn’t seem like much of an opposition, does it? It’s only a few pro-lifers (5 of us on that Monday) holding beautiful baby signs and offering truth, compassion, and liberating alternatives to abortion to both clients and staff. Just a few pro-lifers, quietly standing outside this blasphemous business, praying to God for a swift end to the injustice and bloodshed that goes on inside. 

Again, we are hardly a powerhouse of opposition. After all, Planned Parenthood enjoys protection from the law; it is funded by Big Tech foundations as well as federal and state governments; it has been given a “free pass” from ambulance-chasing lawyers who are otherwise ready to bring lawsuits against anything that moves; it receives lavish praise from all corners of the media; and, saddest of all, the abortion industry has conducted its horrific violence with a general indifference from the pulpits of American churches.

So, with all of this heavy decadence to lift and with the playing field tilted so dramatically against us, why do we bother protesting abortionists? Why not gracefully resign the job, pat ourselves on the back for all the years we’ve sincerely tried to make a difference, and just move on to ministry activities that are less confrontational, less sorrowful, less hopeless? Why not focus instead on things like our “When Swing Was King” shows? For compared to sidewalk counseling or abortion protests in the public square, ministries like “When Swing Was King” and the Sunday afternoon church services at Aksarben Senior Living are a lot more pleasant and rewarding. And, of course, in ministries like those, there’s abundant evidence that we’re making a positive difference. We lift spirits and build self-esteem. We successfully chase away boredom and loneliness in people’s lives. We build friendships, secure a winsome reputation, and garner plenty of appreciative praise.

Indeed, rather than people being callously indifferent to our anti-abortion activities (let alone being the target of ugly curses, obscene gestures, slander, and physical threats), the residents and staff of the other senior centers give us smiles and applause, expressions of gratitude and compliments. And, as you can imagine, that’s pretty wonderful stuff. So, since these kinds of ministries produce such obvious and happy effects, why don’t we just go with things like that and make life a little easier in our last years? Believe me, these questions have been asked of us frequently over the decades. Goodness, we have sometimes asked them ourselves! However, the answer to these questions lies in the noble opportunity given us by God to embrace His wisdom, grace, and empowerment. 

Here’s how it works. God’s mercies have been poured out upon everyone who trusts Christ’s sacrifice on Golgotha’s cross to be the complete (and forever) payment for their sin. Praise be to God! But, as astonishing and liberating as this is, it is just the beginning. For the Christian is not merely saved from hell, he is also adopted into God’s family, given spiritual gifts and callings, and baptized into a custom-made adventure which finds its triumphant destination in heaven. And for that pilgrimage, our Lord gives the redeemed divine powers to serve as His ministers, ambassadors, and warriors with solemn duties to be “lights of the world” -- lights that shine so brilliantly that the watching world will see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father. Wow.

But, to do this effectively and consistently, we must be true to the marching orders we have been given in Holy Scripture. For instance, our lights are not to be hidden in a pitcher or under the bed. They are not to be turned into safe corners or to blaze forth only when in the company of other lights. Oh, no. We are commanded by our Captain to let our lights shine before others, to shine from the tops of the hills, to shine in the dark places, to shine in the very midst of a crooked and perverse generation, to “shine like stars” in places where the unrighteous will see and be drawn to the same splendid truths that saved and elevated us. 

Now I freely confess that shining our light in pleasant surroundings and to audiences who appreciate our witness is great. And, though our ministries to the elderly and infirm do involve their own degree of difficulty, hard work, and sadness, we are deeply grateful to our God Who has allowed to engage in these activities. But the several Bible references I’ve mentioned above referring to lights shining in the darkness -- combined with the commands our Lord gives us to confront correct error and rebuke evil, to stand firm in the faith even when speaking prophetic truths to those in power, to “do” justice, to deliver those drawn towards death and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter, and so on -- well, that doesn’t give us any excuse to present before the Lord only those tasks that we consider more pleasant or comfortable or fun or successful.  No, the tough duties are ours too. The ones that are stressful, the ones that elicit criticism and opposition (even persecution), the ones that routinely break our hearts and have us crying out all the more desperately for the Lord’s return. 

So, as long as abortion profiteers wage their grisly war against babies, exploit their moms and dads, pollute the culture, brazenly deny the order of creation, and wage war against the Creator God, Vital Signs Ministries will continue to peacefully, prayerfully voice our protest…even as we seek to persuade people from ever showing up at the doors of a Planned Parenthood or other abortionist. But does that mean we will ignore other ministry opportunities when the Lord adds them to our agenda? Of course not. Indeed, just like you, our Christian journey is likely to have us involved in many different tasks, different seasons, different levels of commitment, different skill ratings, and different degrees of difficulty. Just stay closely tuned in to Jesus and seek to “man up” and accomplish whatever jobs He sets before you today. Leading a charge. Washing the dishes. Making a donation. Mowing the lawn. Holding a sign in front of an abortion mill. Volunteering at a pregnancy aid center. Explaining to the local librarian why they should offer more classic children’s literature instead of perverse propaganda. Visiting someone who needs some encouragement. Writing a letter to your Congressman. Saying your prayers. Keeping unstained by the world. And so on. 

That, my friends, is what life as a servant of Jesus Christ will look like. So take an honest look at the needs and opportunities around you and ask the Lord to put you where you can best serve His purposes. And, once underway, keep looking up and stay the course. His rewards are right around the corner.

Ronald Reagan's Simple Testimony

I was sitting in a room, and across from me, about ten feet away, was seated the then governor of California and soon-to-be president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.  I had the opportunity to ask him some questions.  I said, “Governor, I would like to ask you a very important spiritual question.  If something were to happen to you and you were to die and stand before almighty God, and He said to you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?”

His response was surprising.  He doubled over, put his head down between his knees and stayed there some time.  Then, after about thirty seconds, he slowly straightened in his chair, looked me in the eye, and in a very sober tone said, “I don’t deserve to go to heaven.  The only thing I could say would be, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him  should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”

(From  D. James Kennedy's Risen Indeed: Evidence for the Resurrection, Coral Ridge Ministries, 2005)

The Top 5 (April 13)

* "On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas" (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

From the article -- By taking this stand, that abortion should not be a federal issue, Trump has not just betrayed his pro-life supporters but taken the side of Stephen A. Douglas over Abraham Lincoln. He has insisted that popular sovereignty, not moral principle, should decide the abortion question, just as Douglas insisted popular sovereignty in the new federal territories must decide the slavery question...

As Lincoln understood about slavery back in the 1850s, the eventual political consequences of tolerating abortion in some states will be the acceptance of it in all the states. (We’ve already seen this with the abortion referendums in Kansas and Ohio, with more referendums on the way.) Moral neutrality on abortion — Trump’s “popular sovereignty” approach — will weaken the foundation for legal prohibition and open the way to tolerance and eventually political acceptance.

* "Trump’s Mixed Messaging On Abortion And IVF Plays Right Into Democrats’ Electoral Strategy" (Jordan Boyd, Federalist)

From the article -- The Republican once hailed as the most successful pro-life president in American history made clear on Monday that he is softening his position on abortion and beefing up his support for in vitro fertilization ahead of the 2024 general election.

Former President Donald Trump has a history of criticizing heartbeat bills when they come from his political rivals, misrepresenting the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs v. Jackson decision, and wrongfully blaming Republicans’ 2022 midterm losses on their unapologetically pro-life positions. His recent declaration on “abortion rights” only further confirms that his once-celebrated pro-life track record doesn’t meet voters’ demands of a Republican president.

 * "YouTube Spreads Abortion Pill Misinformation" (Stephen Kokx, Human Life Review)

From the article -- Pro-lifers point out that while abortion pills are dangerous in themselves, using them alone and without medical supervision can be especially harmful. To that end, ADF released a video in February titled “Abortion Drugs are High-Risk. We must hold the FDA Accountable for Removing Commonsense Safeguards.” The minute-long clip featured a woman who said she suffered “intense pain and prolonged bleeding” after taking abortion pills on her own.

YouTube added a “context” note to the video in response, claiming that abortion, whether medicinal or surgical, is “done by a licensed healthcare professional.” Attorneys generals from 16 states sent a letter to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan arguing that the note was not only misleading but also false, as chemical abortions are NOT done “by a health professional.”

* "Admit it, Dawkins, you totally screwed up" (Laura Perrins, The Conservative Woman)

From the article -- Dawkins was part of a group of New Atheists who after 9/11 were all the rage for a while, a bit like bell bottoms, although you don’t hear much from them now. Goodness, what an insufferably smug bunch they were: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett, as well as Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Hitchens has passed on and Ayaan Hirsi Ali has converted to Christianity. Dawkins now declares himself a ‘cultural Christian’..

I can perhaps understand why Dawkins and Co didn’t want to focus on Islamic extremism and instead pushed the idea that children gathering around the crib at Christmastime was just as mad and bad as flying planes into buildings. Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist, and if you want to stay alive these days, best to keep your mouth shut when talking about certain belief systems. Still, Dawkins is now in a panic. He is suffering from buyer’s remorse.

* "Repentance Brings Revival" (Franklin Graham, Decision)

From the article -- Few were worse than King Manasseh, the son of righteous King Hezekiah. His 55-year reign was marked by great wickedness and evil. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. He built altars to false gods. He practiced sorcery and divination, and even sacrificed his very own son in the fire. He also shed much innocent blood (2 Kings 21:1-18). Can you even imagine such evil?  The compiler of the Chronicles, however, pens a wonderfully encouraging addition to the distressing narrative of the kings that should give hope to all who feel they are unworthy of God’s reconciling love, even those who have committed great sin in their lives. 

“A Test of Character” (On Reading The Wind In the Willows)

Claire and I just finished another interesting and inspiring online Hillsdale College course, this one entitled “Classic Children’s Literature.” And that has prompted me to drop into Vital Signs Blog another quick post on the subject. You see, I have already posted a column dealing with children’s literature earlier this week. That short piece (“What’s Missing from the Guardian’s List of Books For Boys? Plenty!”) was prompted by a request from a friend here in our neighborhood who needed ideas on books for his son. 

But today, sparked by Dr. Daniel Coupland’s closing Hillsdale lecture on Kenneth Grahame’s delightful The Wind In the Willows, I’m moving again into the realm of children’s fiction with a short column which I sincerely hope will be an encouragement for you yourself to take a trip with Ratty, Badger, Mole, and Mr. Toad very soon. (And, by all means, don’t wait until you have a kid around! The book is a gem for perceptive adult souls too.)

“A Test of Character” (On Reading The Wind In the Willows)

The intriguing, heartwarming, and much beloved book The Wind in the Willows began as tales told by Scottish-born banker Kenneth Grahame to his only child, Alastair whose premature birth created such health issues as being blind in one eye. Alastaire loved his father’s stories but they  ended up going much farther afield, even winning the praises of such notables as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, A.A. Milne, and President Teddy Roosevelt. Indeed, Roosevelt is not only credited with persuading Scribners to publish the book in the first place, the President wrote a letter to Grahame from the White House enthusiastically thanking him for his effort and told him that he considered the characters in the book to have now become his “dear friends.” 

You say you haven’t read it lately? Maybe even since the days of childhood? Well, I would urge you to discover afresh the joys, the beauty, and the profound life lessons of The Wind in the Willows. And to further whet your appetite, let me pass along a few remarkable responses to Graham’s classic, including famed Vanity Fare editor Richard Middleton who said of The Wind In the Willows, “It is the best book ever written for children and one of the best written for adults”.

And check out the opinions of A.A. Milne, the celebrated author who gave us the Winnie the Pooh stories. Milne once said of The Wind in the Willows: “I shall not describe the book, for no description would help it.  But I shall just say this; that it is what I call a Household Book.  By a Household Book I mean a book which everybody in the household loves and quotes continually ever afterwards; a book which is read aloud to every new guest, and is regarded as the touchstone of his worth.  But it is a book which makes you feel that, though everybody in the house loves it, it is only you who really appreciate it in its true value, and that the others are scarcely worthy of it.  It is obvious, you persuade yourself, that the author was thinking of you when he wrote it.  ‘I hope this will please Jones,’ were his final words, as he laid down his pen.”

Here’s yet another sparkling observation from Milne: “One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows. The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love, and, if she does not like it, he asks her to return his letters. The older man tries it on his nephew, and alters his will accordingly. The book is a test of character. We can't criticize it, because it is criticizing us. But I must give you one word of warning. When you sit down to it, don't be so ridiculous as to suppose that you are sitting in judgment on my taste, or on the art of Kenneth Grahame. You are merely sitting in judgment on yourself. You may be worthy: I don’t know. But it is you who are on trial.”

C.S. Lewis also chimed in on The Wind in the Willows. “It might be expected that such a book would unfit us for the harshness of reality and send us back to our daily lives unsettled and discontented. I do not find that it does so. The happiness which it presents to us is, in fact, full of the simplest and most attainable things -- food, sleep, exercise, friendship, the face of nature, even (in a sense) religion. That ‘simple but sustaining meal’ of ‘bacon and broad beans and a macaroni pudding’ which Rat gave to his friends has, I doubt not, helped down many a real nursery dinner. And in the same way the whole story, paradoxically enough, strengthens our relish for real life. This excursion into the preposterous sends us back with renewed pleasure to the actual.” 

Elsewhere Lewis wrote, “I never met The Wind in the Willows or the Bastable books till I was in my late twenties, and I do not think I have enjoyed them any the less on that account. I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last.” 

And finally, here’s one more. G.K. Chesterton scholar James Woodruff once named The Wind in the Willows as the most Chestertonian thing ever written…by anyone other than Chesterton, that is. He claimed this was because it is “a celebration of the primal things Chesterton loved -- Home and Friendship and Adventure -- all suffused with a sense of wonder and lived out by characters who write poetry and go forth to battle and both eat and drink with right good will.”

So how can I add anything else to these superb testimonies? Suffice it to say, that I too did not come to The Wind In the Willows until my adulthood. But, bless the Lord, that I finally did discover the Riverbank, the Wild Wood, Toad Hall, and the other enduring locales found in Kenneth Grahame’s wonderful world -- complete with the matchless illustrations provided by Ernest H. Shepard. My, my; this book has deepened my wonder and appreciation of so many grand things: God’s rich and intriguing Creation, home, faithfulness, friendship, kindness, the responsibility to defend the young and the innocent, hospitality, the noble longing for adventure that lies in each human heart, and the need to courageously fight for the right. 

The Wind In the Willows -- go and enjoy!