Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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Child Sex-Slaves...and what Christians do about it.
Yesterday morning I watched Joyce Meyer preach as I readied for work. She was talking about poverty worldwide and how she saw a need so great that she couldn't just go home and do nothing. In her message (God's Passion, May 12, 2009), she explicitly said she wasn't preaching to get money for her organization...but she does want Christians to step-up and do something for someone...to make a difference.I know that the immediate response for many is to roll their eyes and turn to another blog. To be honest, I almost turned to CNN...but then Meyer began playing a video about child sex-slaves. Statistics simply played in print across a black background to the haunting melody of "Jesus Loves the Little Children." Soon I was crying, because the words were so antithetical to the message in the song, so contrary to the image we have of Jesus surrounded by children.
The video states that "Every minute two children are being prepared for sexual exploitation, children as young as five years old", and that demand is increasing for the younger children. In this ten billion dollar "industry", children can be forced to service up to 40 men a day, and that little boys and girls are in higher demand than weapons. Worse, as the video continues to relate, "To meet demand, child sex tours are increasing. The highest estimated numbers of child prostitutes are in India, Brazil, and America."
Disgusting, huh?
But you know what? It's so easy for me to tune this all out. I'll be honest and say I want to forget. Because I don't think I can do anything, or because I tell myself it isn't my problem. But Jesus can't claim any of those excuses. He hears every cry and every prayer from these children. And we Christians ought to be doing something about it; we're the ones he commissioned to do something about this! If Jesus can't tune these cries out, we have no legitimate excuse to either. He works through us; part of his leaving was so that he could then send the Holy Spirit who could accomplish still more than Jesus did in his earthly body through us! (John 16:7-14, John 14, 1 Corinthians 12)
We Christians fight about so much crap! About what the Bible means by "speaking in tongues", or Calvinism vs. Armenianism. Whether homosexual marriage will destroy the "sanctity" of marriage; if infant baptisms are valid; whether pets go to Heaven; which Christian denomination has it "right". In fact, I'll bet many readers have begun your argument as to whether Christians are really the ones to do something about forced-child prostitution or whether God should...perhaps even why God "allows" such things to happen. And I'm sure some readers are still stuck on the fact that I'm citing Joyce Meyer.
Seriously?! All this...in the face of child sex-slaves?! ...or the many other true abominations! How pathetic! Why can't we stand up and start fighting for things that really matter in this world?! Imagine for a moment Jesus, who sees everything, listening to us fight about this nonsense at the same time he hears a child crying as she's being raped!
Unfortunately, I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to make a difference with my limited experience and funds. I don't know how to help...or where. I don't think I'm good enough, either. I've done a missions trip, I sponsor a child, have tried helping people elsewhere, but overall, I feel as useful as a speedbump in the middle of I-75.
Nevertheless, I need to do something, and though I don't know what, it needs to be something.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27, NIV
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Comments (12)
The Almighty God is just throwing confirmations after confirmations at me to leave my current church. I have been following the cause for justice for a while and there are organizations such www.ijm.org and www.love146.org. My friend has been raising awareness through events. I had a feeling that the Lord wanted me to use the gifts that He has given me for social justice. The church that I am considering attending encourages Christians to do something, to follow Christ and the US Advocacy Director for Love146 is a member. http://www.vineyardusa.org/site/about/article/what-aroma-justice. Now, are all these connections coincidences, I do not think so. God leading me a certain direction right now and my church, which emphasizes doctrine cannot water me to do the things that He seems to want me to do with my law degree. This is where He is the pointing to right now, but how/when - how involved should I be? Where does He want me to make an impact? All these questions, but one thing is sure - the Holy Spirit speaks through you...
And, yes, we Christians must do something. And, this church makes me feel so alive again with the Holy Spirit, with the power of the ressurrection, with moving forward and showing the world what the love, justice, mercy, and Christ means through such advocacy.
Sorry for the long comment, this is a subject that means so much to me.
I'm going to check those links out. I know that I can't do much by myself, and I think Jesus knows this too. We Christians grow stronger as we work together. I'll be watching on your site for updates.
Question: you said "the Holy Spirit speaks through you." Did you mean me personally? Because, even though I'm told that every so often because of my blog, I wonder about the impact of just speaking. Words are powerful, yes, but action that backs those words up is more so.
BTW, it was a woman who cared about child slavery and women forced into prostitution and reflected Jesus Christ to me. I had met many Christians in my life, but never met a person who was as true as she was - she never bothered with doctrine, just lived the Christian life as we all should. She played a role in opening my eyes to Christ. And, because these issues are related to my first love, Christ, it is more so important that social remain in my life moving forward. What more, she never hammered the gospel upon me, just lived the life and the Holy Spirit did the rest for her...
www.onemillioncan.com
i highly recommend that site... there's alot of causes there for Christians to start giving to... and one of them is to help petition and end sex-slavery period... go visit it....
To further comment and to commend u on this post... Worship and Justice go hand in hand. To sit in churches with the AC on while we wear our clothes and fight about whether or not we should either go to Panera or Chili's is just as sinful when someone is selling their bodies to some pervert just to be able to eat a meal or when a village can't drink clean water or when life changing surgeries can't be done in some remote desolate village with kids suffering. To worship God is to also be involved in justice causes... justice dealt out in ways to show love and to champion anger at sinful ideals like sex-slavery etc...
good post...
although I would say that there needs to be a doctrinal stance on things so that Christians are distinct... fundamentals must be in place that way we don't get confused with other charity groups... our mission is to preach the Gospel and present Christ and His ideals to the world... Mormons involved in charity cannot be looped in the same hole as us... but for the most part... just so long as we stick to the basic Scriptural fundamentals and not fight over open-handed issues and be the hands of Jesus... i vote yes...
Good post that's sooo sad about sex trade. Your right about christians fighting about so many things it's sad we should stop fighting and come together in order to help those in need in our work. Sexual exploitation is something so brutal. I myself have been sexually abused, raped, so I know what that is like but I also know that what I've gone through is nothing compared to what these kids go through. It's so sad.
I am responding to Laura, the author, when she writes, "Unfortunately, I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to make a difference with my limited experience and funds. I don't know how to help...or where. I don't think I'm good enough, either. I've done a missions trip, I sponsor a child, have tried helping people elsewhere, but overall, I feel as useful as a speedbump in the middle of I-75. Nevertheless, I need to do something, and though I don't know what, it needs to be something." I used to teach Personal Development seminars all about "getting what you want" etc. Now I am transitioning to God empowerment seminars, about getting "Ourselves" out of the way and letting God work through us. I think that God can do anything and that if we just quit listening to the lies, and the enemy, and we fully set ourselves aside [something I'm working on - not even close yet myself
] then we truly can make a difference.
I'm starting up the seminars about God in August, to hear more info and attend for free, go to http://lifetigers.com/ccgive.html and register to receive our updates.
This is not a "marketing" post, this is from my heart of service.
THIS is what God made me for (as far as I know right now).
So what is wrong with praying and asking God to intervene; do I expect Him to come down from heaven and beat these heartless people, No, but with prayer God will place someone there for the children.. Truly it is our responsibility but what tools other then prayer do you have. I must remind you to 1. put on the helmet of salvation. 2. Gird your waste with the gospel of truth. 3 have your feet prepared with salvation. 4. put on the breastplate of righteousness. 5 carry the sword of the gospel (I did this from memory so it may not be grammatically correct I apologize in advance) the point of this is this is not just flesh and blood that we fight, but the principalities of the devil and the evil one. Our prayers strengthen the one that has to do physical battle. How can we help flood the heavens with our cries and prayers .
@toolman1_4 - I agree that prayer can do things that little else will accomplish, but I'm sick of Christians sitting back and only praying, and/or hoping that someone else will do something. Nothing in the Bible points to that being our only answer/solution to big problems. Yes, prayer can do something and we should definitely pray that it ends...but is that all? Didn't Jesus finally need to come in the flesh to save us?
Definitely prayer ought to be our first go-to; we need to know whether the Spirit would have us do anything, then what to do, or even perhaps if we should be working somewhere else in the Kingdom.
I sense that you understand this and that perhaps we are saying the same things in different ways. I'm just sick of both the meaningless arguments among Christians and also the "it isn't my problem" mentality that occasionally crops up.
I most certainly agree that this battle goes beyond just sick humans; I sometimes want God to open my eyes to see the spiritual realm and at other times, know just why he doesn't do that. But not seeing it makes it easy to forget that it exists sometimes...but I wonder if man could ever come up with such disgusting plots like this and other things on their own.
Paul said, "When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out" (Romans 12:13, NLT). I take this to mean that when we see a need, we should do something about it instead of leaving the problem for someone else (Luke 11:30-37). Yet you're right in that a good prayer covering is hugely important.
I have no extra funds and I really don't know where to start.
I feel the same way and so as part of my post and between-the-lines, I asked that question and have had quite a few responses both here and as well on Revelife where this was also posted.
I feel that if I can't help here in any way other than to bring into people's attention, then I can pray, which is what you helped me to see. If I can't help here specifically, then certainly the Holy Spirit can give me ideas for other areas of need.
Such a sick world....