END IT!

Perhaps you, like myself for many years, believe slavery was abolished in the 1800s with the American Civil War in the U.S. and William Wilberforce's efforts in Great Britain.

Perhaps you believe that people, even poor people in poor countries, have the freedom to choose work for themselves.

Perhaps you think that every woman selling herself on the street corner is doing so because she wants to.


Sad as they may be, we are comfortable believing these things.

BUT THEY COULD NOT BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

Slavery still exists.  It is not the racially determined plantation slavery we envision when we hear the word "slavery".  It has changed into something that is quite possibly much worse.  Approximately 500,000 Africans were shipped to what became the US in 200 years.  In Atlanta alone, 200-300 girls are lured or forced into slavery EACH MONTH.  Do the math.  At that rate, in 200 years, 720,000 lives would have been destroyed just in Atlanta.  And this happens all over the world.  We can't get accurate numbers, but we believe that there are about 27 MILLION slaves across the globe.

That number is staggering, but it's hard to process.  In fact, I really dislike using statistics, because instead of bearing shock value, they tend to numb us.  But if you take time to read stories or watch videos about one specific person, I promise it will break your heart. This is a video of the founder of LOVE146 telling the stories of a few children he met: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swmBqTKbFhM.

I can't possibly tell you everything about this problem or the solutions that are slowly but surely making a difference.  Entire websites are dedicated to this.  Full length documentaries can only scratch the surface.  Human trafficking exists in so many forms, but it can be summed up in this definition: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Basically, any time anyone forces anyone else to do anything they don't want to do and takes the profit.

I've been involved with awareness for the past couple of years, but I'm still processing it all and my heart is still broken. This is not a problem that can be solved easily and quickly.  No amount of legislation will get the job done, because this is illegal and out-of-sight slavery.  To combat human trafficking, we have to rescue and restore each individual victim which takes time and resources.

What can you do to further the end of this horror?  Learn about it--I'll post links to a few sites with stories and videos to educate you. Raise awareness--you don't have to be an expert to tell people about it.  Pray--pray for the rescuers, for the victims, and for the hearts of those who are so in darkness that they enslave other human beings.  And if you can, give.  It takes resources for these organizations to rescue and restore the survivors.

These people are made in God's image.  It's time for them to be set free. It's time to END IT.



Here are links to some websites with information and ways to partner.  If you want more, comment below or contact me and I'll try to help.

https://secure.enditmovement.com/
https://love146.org/
http://nefariousdocumentary.com/ (take care if you want to watch this...there are graphic images)
https://www.freetheslaves.net/

If You Love One Another...

I have recently been impressed by how broken the Body can be. We call ourselves Christians, but honestly, we have just as much--if not more!--drama as everyone else in the world.  A girl I knew growing up turned all the kids against me, leaving me with only a few friends; she called herself a Christian.  A church was virtually destroyed, turning on its own members and tearing itself apart over a trivial disagreement.  An extended family  has just experienced a rift that I doubt will ever truly mend.  And we all call ourselves Christians.

How wrong is that!  We are supposed to be reaching out to the world, showing people the gospel.  Sometimes, I wonder why the world doesn't come running for the Good News that we have; I mean, isn't it beyond amazing that God's grace is given to us freely?  Who doesn't love free!  But then I look around and realize that they see judgment and hypocrisy and drama and people tearing each other down and it is no wonder why they don't see anything appealing in the church.

And I'm not pointing fingers...I know I am no better than anyone else (although I will admit that I often like to think so!).  None of us deserve God's grace for anything we've done (Ephesians 2:8-9 anyone?).  He chose to give it to us without us having to do anything but accept it...because He loves us, even when we are unlovable.  If a Most Holy God can forgive the massive sins I have committed against Him, shouldn't I be able to forgive others when they wrong me just a little?

I know, I know, it's an old Sunday School slogan as old as the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.  So is loving each other and sharing and being nice because God wants us to.

But all that "Sunday School" knowledge does us no good if all we do is know it.  We are called to live out what we know to be right.  And it's not easy.  But loving one another is the second greatest commandment!  If God ranked it that highly, shouldn't we?  Besides,

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."          (John 13:35)             

Look at that again.  By LOVING ONE ANOTHER, the WORLD will be able to see that WE are Christ's followers.

Friends, if we cannot love those around us who have been ransomed by the blood of the Lamb, with whom we will spend eternity in Heaven, how will we show the world the love of God?  If someone invites you to join a group, but all you've seen that group do is fight and tear each other down, are you likely to accept the invitation?  I'm going to guess probably not.

Yet aren't we doing the same to the world?  "Join our club! We have the same drama that you do, but we do it in a setting called 'Christian Fellowship'.  The  perks are that you get Jesus!"

Yippee.

Except for one thing.  We tell the world that we're better, we look down our noses, and we judge them with our sanctified pointing fingers.  But they see that we aren't better.  In fact, in some ways, we are worse, because we claim higher standards but in the end are base hypocrites.  At least most in the world don't preach one thing and practice another.

You may be saying, "That sounds nice and all, but you have to understand: I just can't get along with so-and-so.  Our personalities clash or they make me mad or whatever."  And while that may be true, you have to love them anyway.  Maybe you don't have to spend all of your social time hanging out with them, but you still have to love them.

Look, I don't have the answers.  Do I have trouble loving some people?  Absolutely.  Are there people that I have ignored or held a grudge against?  Yes.  So I can't just give you a magic formula...because there is none.  A couple things that might help though: Look for the best in everyone.  This is a good idea even if you're not a believer.  (Just be careful not to ignore red flags that a person can eventually do you real harm!) Another thing, which is related, is to see everyone as made in God's image, a precious creation no less valuable than you are.  And, of course, it's hard to stay angry with someone if you are praying for them.

Still, there is no easy "Three Steps to Improve Your Relationship with Anyone" or "Five Ways to Show Love in One Easy Checklist" (though those would certainly be nice!).  You are going to have to put forth effort. There is no way around that...never has been...never will be.

If you draw closer to the heart of God, you will find a heart for loving others growing within yourself.  Is it easy?  No.  But it isn't supposed to be easy.  That is why we need Christ's strength to enable us to do the impossible.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us love one another as God has first loved us and show the world that we are, indeed, followers of the One who is love. 

Everything Must Go!

I recently endeavored to clean out my closet.  Ever since we moved over the summer, I have tossed things into my closet and left them there to deal with later.  Later never came.  Until now.

So, in a burst of energy, I pulled a bunch of boxes out and started sorting through them.  Old childhood toys I had never gone through, with their attached memories, were the hardest to get rid of.  A lot of times, I can't be the one to physically throw things away.  I have to get someone else to deal with them, whether it is going to donation, consignment sale, or the trash.  And some of the things I struggle with getting rid of are just junk.  It really needs to be thrown away but I just can't.  I  know if I could just get rid of those things I would have more room for the things I will really use, but I am so attached to the junk that I can't throw it out.  I do, however, occasionally get a few hours in which I am willing to get rid of pretty much everything I don't need.  But later I always wonder if I was too ruthless in my selection.

But isn't this an accurate depiction of our lives?  All of us grow up with bad habits and ingrained sins that we can't seem to part with.  No matter how much we may want to become holy, a part of us still enjoys living in sin.

So we buy a Rubbermaid container and box the sin away into a dark corner of our closet to deal with later.  We say, "One day, when I have time and spiritual energy, I will deal with that sin.  But I don't have time right now."

And you're going to have time later?  Let me tell you that later will never come if you don't make it.  You have to deal with your sins as you are tempted by them.  Don't just walk by that plastic box.  Pull it out of your closet, take full stock of what it is, and then resolve to get rid of it.  Unlike junk in your actual closet, sin will keep regenerating inside that container, even once you've resolved to get rid of it.  But if you don't deal with it, it will spill over into new container that will eventually crowd everything else out of your closet.  You won't have room for joy and peace if your closet is full of anger and fear.

"But I can't even clean out my real closet!  How can I possibly clean my heart's closet?"

I'm glad you asked!  Because the truth is, YOU can't.  That is what the Holy Spirit is for.  He will come in and show you each box full of sin.  He won't show you everything at once, because that would overwhelm and discourage you.  But He will begin.  He will prod you to fight that one box of pride next time someone challenges your dignity.  He will encourage you to rest in God next time you watch the news and become afraid.  He will remind you to love when you are tempted to get angry.  And with every battle you face, Christ's strength will go with you to help you defeat it.  Remember,

^"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV)

Jesus promises us that He will not give us something harder than we can handle.  Not only that, but He will also show us the way out and give us the strength to endure.  (By the way, this is a good verse to memorize so that it is with you when you are faced with temptation).

This isn't an easy process.  You won't see the end of the road now, and you won't see it until you reach eternity.  But God has so many gifts for you!  His love, peace, and joy are ready to fill you if you can just let go of the sin that has cluttered your heart.  Let Him begin to clear your heart.  Few things are more satisfying than walking into a clean closet.