Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Acts

I've been reading in the book of Acts lately and the question that keeps coming to my mind as I read about all the miracles and lives that are completely turned upside down during the ministries of amazing people like Paul, Barnabas, Phillip, Stephen, and others is: How come that's not happening now? (Wow, that is a very long sentence!)

If we as Christ followers believed like the Christ followers in the book of Acts, think of how different our world would be. People would be coming to Christ right and left, people would be healed and risen from the dead all over the place! How amazing would that be to experience?

So, I guess I'm just struggling with what it all means to me. How do I get there? How do I become so in love with Jesus Christ that it seeps out of my every pore. How do I make my words be so drenched in the love and the knowledge of who Christ is that lives are eternally changed?

The only answer I've come up with so far is to pray for it. I'm not even close to being close to getting there, but I'm finding that by starting to pray for it, something is stirring within my very soul. I've never had such a thirst and hunger to read God's word before, nor have I ever had such a deep desire to spend my day in constant prayer. So I believe that that is a start. I'm not sure if I'll ever get there, but I know that Jesus wants us to become like Him, and He will make that happen as long as we allow Him to change us.

Jesus, take this heart, this mind, and soul. Take all of me and make it Yours. I am nothing and You are All. I need You, Father. Without You, there is nothing.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

What I'm learning

I just wanted to share some things that I am learning as I research Human Trafficking. Just some food for thought.

Did you know that there are an estimated 800,000 people sex trafficked around the world? Did you also know that an estimated 18,000 are trafficked into the USA annually?
*www.freedomcenter.org

There are at least 100,000 underage American girls being sex trafficked in the US today.
*National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Did you know that the average age that a child is forced into this horrible life of slavery is 12-14? Did you also know that of those prostitutes that have been questioned, 87% say they would leave prostitution if they could, 78% say they need a safe place or home, and 73% said they need job training?
*www.hookersforjesus.net

The life expectancy for these children who get forced into the sex trade is 7 years. 7 Years before they die of suicide, drug overdose or are killed off by their pimps.
*www.traffick911.com

The last thing I want to do is probably the easiest thing to do... just turn a blind eye and forget about those staggering numbers. I need to remind myself that those numbers are just an estimate by foundations who do the studies...more than likely there are many many more that go unaccounted for.

So, where does that leave us? What does Christ call us to do? Think about it. Pray about it. Let your heart break and then do something about it.