Reflecting on 2018 and Preparing for the Battles – New and Old – Quickly Approaching in the New Year

By 

Jay Sekulow

|
December 31, 2018

4 min read

ACLJ

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As we prepare to begin a new year, we are facing new challenges, as well as those that will carry over as we continue to fight.

At this time, it’s important to pause for a moment to reflect on the diligent work of our ACLJ legal team in 2018, the victories we were afforded in defense of life, the Constitution, religious liberty here at home, and for persecuted Christians all over the world.

As you know, this past year we were blessed when after years of tireless fighting for their freedoms, we saw Pastor Andrew Brunson and Christian mom Asia Bibi spared from harsh, unjust sentences – including imprisonment and execution – and set free.

Our FOIA lawsuits exposed rampant corruption, disregard for the Constitution, and subversive attempts to sabotage the conservative agenda by the lawless Deep State bureaucracy and rogue leftist-holdovers inside the FBI who put our national security at risk. In addition, we battled the Deep State’s attacks against our ally Israel.

In our continuing fight for the precious unborn, we achieved major wins against taxpayer funded Big Abortion. We defeated state laws that would force pro-life pregnancy centers to actually PROMOTE abortion to desperate mothers looking for help.  

And we witnessed a major step in the battle to finally defund taxpayer supported abortion when the Trump Administration announced a proposed regulation to stop federal funds through Title X from winding up in the pockets of Planned Parenthood. This money was never supposed to be given to any organizations that perform abortion services, yet for years Planned Parenthood exploited loopholes to line its pockets. Under this new rule, that would end.

The ACLJ submitted public comments in steadfast support of this move.

This year we also celebrated the historic opening of the U.S. Embassy to Israel in the holy city of Jerusalem – a victory I personally spent decades fighting for and was there on the ground that day to witness the momentous occasion.

None of these, or many other victories would have been possible without the support and prayers of ACLJ members. You make the critical work we do possible. You invigorate our spirits with bold determination as we enter this next year with our sleeves rolled up. We are well aware that we have a brief moment to appreciate our victories because we have to hit the ground running in 2019.

There are those looking to destroy the conservative, common-sense America we believe in and remake it into a new nation under their own lawless, Leftist agenda. If we rest, they will win.

Christians in the Middle East are pleading for their lives in the wake of horrific jihadist attacks. The danger is far from over. These are our brothers and sisters. We cannot ignore them. We have already gone directly to the U.N. on their behalf. We will not give up until they receive the necessary aid and protection to rebuild their lives.

Innocent Christians sharing the Gospel around the globe are now in grave danger, like Pastor John Cao in China who just spent Christmas in prison as the Chinese government continues its crackdown on Christianity. And Christian teen Leah Sharibu, who remains a prisoner of the Islamic terrorist militia Boko Haram in Nigeria. They have threatened to kill her or enslave her for life if she doesn’t renounce Christ and convert to Islam.

And countless innocent babies will continue to be slaughtered, if we don’t topple the taxpayer-funded Big Abortion machine. New regulations could deal a devastating blow to Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups, but it’s not enough to knock them out for good. We refuse to sit back and let one more dime of our tax money be used to abort another precious baby.

We’re also engaged in a case to defend the free speech of sidewalk counselors to share pro-life messages on public sidewalks.

We have major battles coming up quickly in 2019. 1 Corinthians 16:13 commands us “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

The ACLJ is prepared to stand firm, and act with courage and strength for our conservative agenda, and continually on guard to swiftly defend innocent lives, the Constitution, and persecuted Christians.

But as always, we cannot be successful without you. On behalf of myself and our entire ACLJ team around the world, thank you for your continued support and prayer as we take on a new year and new battles.