This Week

I rarely get sick. This past week, however, I've been run over with a flu/cold bug that's been going around. I'm postponing my usual post to avoid the necessity for you to decode my ramblings. I'll either write later this week or next weekend. Thank you for your patience.

With Liberty and Justice for All

There are approximately 6.5 Billion people in the world

27 Million of them are slaves.

     80% of these are women.

     50% are under the age of 16.

Whether it is by kidnapping, selling children to pay off family debts, or falling for false job promises—nearly 1 million people every year are sold into slavery. This is not just happening in far off countries. This could be down the street from you.

“It happens here,” Theresa Flores says, “to white, middle-class teens who live in the suburbs. It’s easy to think that because you live in a nice neighborhood, you’re safe. Well, you’re not. We’ve let our guard down.”

Theresa was just 15 years old when she was blackmailed into the sexual slave trade in my own state of Michigan. The men threatened that they would harm her family. Her parents had no idea that every night she was picked up and forced into this life.

In other countries, parents do know, but have debts that cannot be paid. Selling a child to heavy labour or into sexual slavery is their only way to repay it.

In India, girls from the lower castes are taken as soon as they have their first period. In some places, they are taken as young as 9 or 10 years old.

In Afghanistan, powerful men openly have Bacha Bazis. This "is a practice recognized as sexual slavery and child prostitution^[1] in which prepubescent children and adolescents are sold to wealthy or powerful men for entertainment and sexual activities. This business thrives in northern Afghanistan, where many men keep them as status symbols."

Lest men get pictured as the brutes, a representative from Women at Risk International said it is not just men pimping women. Many times women oversee the enslaving other women. No one can point the finger at one gender.

I hope this makes you mad. It should!

God has told His people to be the agents to extend mercy to those in need.

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does Yahweh require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

The authors of the Psalms were less naive than we are today. They knew the injustices around them. They knew the children offered up to Molech. They heard of the young girls and boys raped in temple prostitution.

Arise, Yahweh! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. (Psalm 10:12)

Over and over in the Pentateuch and through the prophets, God tells His people to watch out for the helpless, to treat the refugees and foreigners with dignity and justice, to speak out for those unable to speak for themselves.

It is through us that God wants to work. We are His hands and feet in the world. We are the face of Christ to the dying. We must reach out with His love and show mercy. We will be held accountable for what we did with what we knew.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

   for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

   defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (Proverbs 29:7)

Why them and not us? We have a responsibility for the very reason that we are not the oppressed, so we have a platform from which to help those who are. You and I have been spared for a reason.

What can we do?

First, pray.

Boaz Johnson, professor from North Park University in Chicago, explained at a recent conference that prayer is our first step and our most powerful weapon. If you want to do something without praying, this urge may originate from pride. Instead, begin by seeking God on behalf of the slaves, pleading with Him to save them, to send people to physically rescue them, to send people to share the Good News that will set their souls free, and to send people to mentor and love them as their wounds begin to heal.

At the same conference, Andrew Kooman (see below for information) reminded us that we need to keep focusing on Jesus or we will act out of hatred or just out of activism. We need to go back to the Source of love "to act justly" and righteously. Even the oppressors need God's saving grace.

Second, do what God shows you to do to help.

Why her and not you? Why him and not you? If it was your child, would you help? Don't wait till it is!

Get mad and do something! Know what's going on and pray!

People in Action:

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, to prosecute perpetrators and to strengthen the community and civic factors that promote functioning public justice systems.

Born to Fly International "does three great things: It shows our kids a wider world, raises support for kids who have too little, and gives the first contact for our kids to touch those who have so little.” ~Dr. Clive Calver, president, World Relief

Women at Risk International unites and educates women to create circles of protection and hope around women at risk through culturally sensitive, value-added intervention projects.
 

Andrew Kooman is a gifted writer and a compassionate faith-in-action Christian. Using the gifts God has given him, Andrew educates others on the truth of trafficking and goes to other countries to help those in need. His emphasis on re-focusing on Jesus and obeying gives Andrew a activism stemming from love.

Fitcher's Bird

For the first time in my life, I am reading through the Grimm Brother's Fairy Tales (I have to do some intellectual reading like this occasionally). I never realized how very gory some of their stories are. For example: Fitcher's Bird.

There once was a wizard, Fitcher, who would dress as a beggar. When a young woman would come to her door to give him bread, he had the power to touch her and she would leap into his bag. Once home, he would give her anything she wanted, but warned her she would die if she lost the egg he gave her or went into the forbidden room.

A family of three girls, one by one, got taken. The first two were caught having peeked into the room. The wizard sawed them into pieces and left them in the secret blood-soaked chamber with all the other murdered girls.

The third sister managed to enter the room, but avoided being caught. The wizard was then under her control. She managed to piece her sisters together and trick the wizard into carrying them, now alive, back to her parents. She escaped while he was gone by dressing in feathers like a bird. Then her brothers and friends trapped the wizard and his friends in the house and burned them alive.

Reading in the book of Proverbs, I am struck by the similarity of this story with the illustrations Solomon gave to his sons to entreat them to follow wisdom.

The adulterous wife and the lady fool are synonymous (fool in Hebrew means morally deficient...of course, this goes way beyond just adultery, but adultery is the pictures the teacher uses).

Wisdom too is pictured as a lady. This female imagery, I can only guess, is also an illustration. Each boy will grow up and pursue either one "lady" or the other. As natural as the pursuit of a woman to be his wife, so these personified women...Lady Wisdom and Lady Fool...will one or the other be the quest of his life.

Here is where the parallel to the fairy tale is striking.

Speaking of the adulterous or Lady Fool, he teaches...

Do not let your heart turn to her ways
   or stray into her paths.
Many are the victims she has brought down;
   her slain are a mighty throng.
Her house is a highway to the grave,
   leading down to the chambers of death. . . . .
   ...she says to those who lack judgment
'Stolen water is sweet;
   food eaten in secret is delicious!
But little do they know that the dead
      are there,
   that her guests are in the depths of
      the grave. (Proverbs 7:25-27; 9:17-18)

The resemblance between the fairy tale and the teachings of Solomon split here. In the story, the girls had no way to resist the path of wickedness. Their only hope was to outsmart him.

Solomon warns that action must be taken before the temptation comes knocking. DO NOT even step foot in her path, he warns his children. Stay away from her neighborhood. If you go near, you will be caught, outwitted, and destroyed. There is no way to escape unscathed.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11, cf 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 2 Timothy 2:22)

We are not helpless slaves of fate unless we are still slaves of sin. If this is where you are, you were born in the wizard's bloody chamber and have no hope to excape from dying there...except one.

Red, Yellow, Black, and White

One thing I love about our pastor is his love of internationals. Almost nothing excites him more than to worship with Christians from other countries. So, as one church closed its doors, he gladly welcomed to our church the African members, from Burundi, and the couple that ministered to them. This morning, Africans from various countries, now living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other parts of Michigan, visited our church to participate in singing, preaching, and interpreting what was said into other languages.

Oswald Chambers said: "The missionary of the Cross is not first a British or an American subject, but a Christian."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see ourselves this way? If we felt a greater alliance to our brothers and sisters in Christ than we do to our national politics? If we viewed our cultural differences with loving humour as we would a sibling's quirks; we may laugh at our differences, but will stand together for our family honour, to respect our Father's name?

In reality, we have eternal commonality with Christians of every skin tone and language, but only fleeting acquaintance with our countrymen and women who are unbelievers.

As the strange congregation gathered around Yeshua in Revelation 5 sang:

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (v 9)

That's us! What a beautiful rainbow of colours worshiping around the throne of God.

Let's focus on the big picture. Yes, it's important to take our obligations seriously as citizens of the nations God has placed us. But let's not forget, this is temporal. The souls of those saved and those who will be saved as we share the Good News are eternal.

And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13b-16)

The best investment is the one that will last forever.

Russian Roulette

Does life ever seem to you like a game of Russian Roulette? Especially when it comes to tragedy?

At times it has for me. Just emotionally, of course; my brain doesn't buy it. There have been times when it feels a gun is placed to all our heads. Click. Nothing, so you go on living. Bang. Someone near you dies or is hurt.

Thankfully, I know that life isn't random events. It's this knowledge that reigns in my feelings.

I read this morning the well-quoted and loved passage of Psalm 139. There David goes into great detail on God's care of him, of His watch over who he is today, of His creation of him in the womb, and of His knowledge of exactly how many days he has and how they will play out.

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

What are you going through today? Sickness? Worry? Grief?

[Yahweh], You know when I sit and when I rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar...
You are familiar with all my ways...
You hem me in—behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me...
Where can I flee from Your presence?
...even the darkness will not be dark to You; 

He knows. He is there. The darkness may hide Him from our perception, but you were in His plan before the earth was formed. He has not forgotten you. There is no chance He will forget you.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Yahweh who planned your existence, formed your body and designed your mind, personality, and gifts, will hold on tightly to you. Hold tightly to Him.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psalm 139:23-24)

9-1-1

Who can forget where one was September 1, 2001? Terror struck New York and Washington, and its ripples shot through the rest of the States.

The smallest child is taught to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. Whether intentional or accidental, the date called out this emergency.

Yet out of horror, beauty sprung up as we saw the bravery of men and women risking their lives before and after the towers fell. We truly wept with those who wept.



For a minute, all of America came together. People flooded into churches to find something greater than themselves. And in many parts of the world, nations looked on us with compassion and friendship instead of distant mocking.

It is strange to look at what has happened these past nine years. Steering away from the political realm, it grieves me to see the misrepresentation of Christianity by pastors burning the Koran. Bigger plans for this were thankfully abandoned. Yet, I think of the Bible's blatant command:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Being known by love and reaching out in forgiveness to their enemies is what Jesus and His followers modeled. The great irony in Emperor Nero's reign was his maligning Christians for burning Rome, cannibalism, etc., yet they reacted in love and died gallantly.

Today, I fear that many pastors, more or less their congregations, do not know the God of the Bible or what He taught. We have embraced the god of our own understanding and religiously clung to him, split churches over the colour of his carpets, slammed shut the hearts of the searching by our selfishness and pride. Some have made patriotism, politics or a political party a religion, and they are more devoted to preaching their good opinion than to sharing the Good News.

If we don't know Yahweh, how can we make Him known to a world that is empty and aching? We slander Him by our very eagerness to serve Him without knowing Him, Oswald Chambers so rightly said.

What will it take to awaken us again? Will a third world war have to happen? Will we lose religious freedom before we realize how much we've lost? Will we bring on persecution by our flaunting of our rights before those who hate us?

If you know the God of the Bible, make Him known. But honour Him with your gentle love and respect for all those He died to save.

Developing Prayer Power

Last weekend I had the chance to hear my father preach (something I always enjoy). He spoke on Romans 8:26-27—"Developing Prayer Power."

One of my earliest memories of my father was finding him on the coach reading his Bible or down on his knees praying. He chose an hour when the house was quiet, and he did it every day. I believe this left a deep impression on all my siblings as well as myself. His example spoke more to me about the importance of daily time with God than numerous sermons could have. So, when he admitted in his sermon that he doesn't fully understand prayer, one listens.

What can we know about prayer?

I. Understanding Our Need to Pray

A. Our Weakness (v. 26a): "the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness"

We are not only totally unable to do anything good in the flesh, but we also don't know how to ask for what is good. The Holy Spirit then helps us "in our weakness."

Divine participation: the Spirit brings us to salvation, guides us to all Truth, shows us our need to be dependent on Him, gives us hope in the midst of trials—not doing everything for us, but working in us so that we do what fulfills God's purpose.

B. Our Prayerlessness (v. 26b): "we do not know what to pray for"

Cross-reference this passage with Matthew 7:7-11 where Jesus tells His disciples what our intercession should look like:

     1) Ask and keep on asking—Simplicity. Our prayers do not need to be flowery or complex, but rather should be simple, asking our Father in heaven for what we need and desire.

     2) Seek and keep on seeking—Intensity. Our prayers shouldn't be trite or out of habit/tradition, but should be honest, heart-felt, intense.

     3) Knock and keep on knocking—Persistency. If God says "wait," He has a purpose. Keep seeking His will until He tells you "yes" or "no."

C. Our Groaning (vv. 22, 23, 26c) "creation groans, we grown, the Spirit groans"

The Greek word here for "groan" is to "utter a deep sound expressing grief, disapproval, etc."

Can you relate? Have you felt the groan in your heart when you've seen pictures of disasters, heard of the horrors of injustice, witnessed the twisting of truth, felt the pain of loss? We all have.

We know creation groans too. We've all seen the oil-covered birds and sea creatures in the Gulf. We've known of species that have gone extinct. We've known the waste and destruction of once beautiful land. It groans.

In this passage we also hear that the Spirit groans. His groans, however, change circumstances and hearts. Although we do not know what to ask for, the Spirit asks for what is good and harmonious with the will of God.

All that is good and bad in life are different colours on God's canvas. We do not see the whole design now, but one day we will see these colours formed the perfect picture under the control of the Artist's hand.

II. Understanding God's Resources in Prayer (v. 27)

A. Knowing the Mind of God: "He who searches the hearts knows"

The Holy Spirit knows our heart and our motives, and He also knows the mind of God. We must cooperate with the Divine. We need too accept what we don't understand. However God answers our prayer or works in our life, He is fulfilling a good purpose.

B. Yielding to the Will of God: "the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"

The Spirit helps us to pray; our part is to yield to Him for what we don't understand.

C. Fulfilling the Purpose of God: "intercedes with groans that words cannot express"

God knows what is best and has promised the best for those who love Him.

Conclusion: To be effective in our Christian lives, we need to develop a growing prayer life. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7 that through prayer we can replace anxiety with peace. We must begin by praying and intensify our prayer life; interceding for others and not just ourselves.
 
Prayer is a journey that takes us throughout life and ends when we speak face-to-face with Yahweh.