“God is in This Fight”….are we?

   

  Please read to the end. Don’t turn away. There is hope…maybe even through you…

  When I first began to learn about the horrors and realities of human trafficking, especially those involving helpless children, I wanted to bury my head under a pillow and shout out, “I can’t hear you!” My first visual exposure was years ago through the Rescue Life ministry of James Robison’s Life Today International.** The spotlight was then on countries like Thailand, The horror of it kept me awake at night, and I gave to this ministry which focuses not only on rescuing adults and children, but also on trying to prevent their being trafficked in the first place. They also minister healing to victims, teach vocational skills for a new start, and provide orphanages and schooling for rescued children. 

   Over the past decade, however, I began to learn how widespread this indescribably cruel and life-devaluing practice is in our own country, as well as all those in ‘ other ‘first world’ countries. I discovered also that victims’ own families, including their parents, sell them into trafficking, as do workers in the foster care system where children are especially vulnerable. 

    I didn’t want to know these things. I wanted to run away from having ever heard about them. But I kept seeing in my mind the faces of real children (as young as two years old) staring out from behind padlocked bars, abused 10-12 times a day with no escape. I felt like throwing up. Fear took hold for my own grandchildren and even my adult children. (Adults in their forties are also part of the trafficked population.) 

   I donated money, prayed for the ministry (and others like it). I knew it wasn’t enough. Hebrews declares we should care for those in prison as if we were right there with them.*** Jesus says we are accordingly considered sheep or goats by the way we care for strangers in need****. Prayer is crucial and the most powerful thing you can do, but it must be followed by active obedience. (Take time to reread James 1.)

   After viewing “Sound of Freedom,” which I dragged myself by the collar to go see, I knew I had to do more than donate and pray. I had to take additional action. I searched the net and found a locally-based ministry and offered to volunteer. Since then I have met an amazing man with a ‘do-something’ aviation ministry. Invisible Angels fills the gap between escaping victims and their sources of restoration, hope and healing. Ted flies them; from their escape point where they have no money, no ID, no support, and nothing but the clothes on their backs; to people and organizations dedicated to helping them not only survive, but start life anew.

   The testimony of the innumerable miracles and crazy perseverance it took to create and sustain this life-giving ministry is found in his true story, God is in This Fight.* [Incidentally, if you have a friend or family member into aviation, this book includes eye-opening details about what it takes to operate this ministry from a pilot’s viewpoint.] However, Ted shares not only about the miraculous development of the ministry itself but also provides vital insights into our growth in the Word, in our relationship with the Lord, and in the battles we face to completely trust and follow His direction. He will keep you on the edge of your seat and inspire you wherever you are right now in responding to God’s current call on your life. 

   If your question regarding the fight against human trafficking is “How can I make a difference?” here are some suggestions from Ted. However, he will be the first to tell you that listening to the Holy Spirit for direction is priority one. God may certainly give you other actions to take.

Ted: “ Many people have the same question: How can I help? You can make a significant impact by partnering with dedicated support and rescue organizations through small monthly donations. To illustrate, if one thousand people each contribute just $10 a month, that amounts to $10,000 monthly, which goes a long way in supporting their vital work. Consider partnering with safe homes such as Selah Freedom (www.selahfreedom.org), Life Recaptured (www.liferecaptured.org), Created of Tampa (www.createdwomen.com), Camille Place (www.camilleplace.com), Missing Peace (www.missingpeaceministry.org), and Her Song (www.hersong.org), as well as placement organizations like Free Indeed (www.iamfreeindeed.com). Support organizations such as Invisible Angels (www.invisibleangels.org) and The Freedom Aviation Network (www.freedomaviationnetwork.org). These are all run by highly trained professional staff and volunteers…. Beyond financial support, two key items top the list of what these organizations need: funding and awareness. Have conversations about human trafficking within your community, from youth groups to corporate gatherings. You can contact any human trafficking organization, and they would be more than happy to provide a speaker for an event to raise awareness and educate others.” —Ted Greenfield.

 I (Julie) would add James and Betty Robison’s Rescue Life* ministry to the list of trustworthy organizations.. As another example of what these ministries may need, one in my area told me they could use help putting on fundraisers and manning tables at events. You can search out an organization in your area and put yourself on their volunteer list for whatever is workable for you. Many of us are older and can’t run a marathon, but we can help in many other ways. Start by donating even small (or large!) amounts regularly to one or more groups of your choice. (I highly recommend Invisible Angels, because they work in conjunction with the other groups listed, helping survivors reach them, many times from other states.) Share with friends and get the word out! There are many who care but are either unaware or don’t know what to do to make an impact. Share and give as if someone whose life is a living nightmare depends on it. It might well be a small child.

*Invisible Angels: www.Invisibleangels.org

 Available on Kindle ($5.99) or other ebook, as well as in paperback: https://www.invisibleangels.org/our-story

 *Rescue Life:: https://youtu.be/WEEV2TvD_8c?si=J343tKShHh4Y8y6N 

 **”‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:35-40 NIV)

***Hebrews 13:3  Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering..”

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This is a scary one:

Matthew 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal

Hiding Easter Baskets

 

   For those of you who enjoyed the tradition of hidden Easter baskets in your family, why do you think it was more fun for you as a child to hunt for your Easter basket than to just find it sitting out for you? Why did your search make your discovery seem even more valuable?

   I began pondering this question after reading the following statement In Ted Greenfield’s book, God is in this Fight*: “God doesn’t hide things from you, He hides things for you.”  I knew this was true, also, from Proverbs 25: 2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings** to search it out.” I also know from my own experience writing this blog over the past 10 years, that His call to it involved discovering hidden gold nuggets’ 

   Finding the sparkling gems in Scripture often involves a treasure hunt, not a casual read. Not a ‘check off the chapters’ approach. He doesn’t want us to settle for the superficial, putting in our time and not drawing closer to Him, hungry for His deeper truth. 

   He doesn’t want us to do so with other people, either. Seeing, appraising, judging others based on superficial experiences with them grieves God. How many times have we later discovered that we entirely misjudged someone for lack of getting to know them better? Finding out the impact of their past, encouraging the sharing of their deeper thoughts, or drawing out treasure from their perhaps more reserved or cautious personalities?

   My sister and I were just recalling how after moving to a new town, many students at the high school thought we were ‘stuck up’ because we walked staring straight ahead or looking away from them. They assumed we were proud because our dad was a new administrator there.  Instead, we were shy and terrified of our new, seemingly unwelcome, environment. Unfortunately, I can count any number of times I have misjudged people or placed them in categories in my mind after knowing them only briefly.

   I know this grieves God, in fact, it grieves Him that I would deign to judge another at all. I can hear Holy Spirit whispering, “If you only knew…”

   As is true with God’s Word, the more we take time to  search for treasure in people, the more we often find nuggets of gold.. Let’s ask the Lord to help us in these treasure hunts. Unearthing hidden treasure in both requires patience, active perseverance, and sincere listening….

   ….to others and to the Source of all Truth. Compassion flows there, along with insight, discernment, trust, and understanding. Let’s not run by so fast we miss what He, as our Perfect Parent, is excited to watching and waiting for us to discover.

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*I can’t recommend this book enough. I will address it more directly in a future post.

**Scripture says all believers are ‘kings and priests  to God’ (Rev 1: 6)

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” —-Proverbs 2: 1-5

“3For our spiritual wealth is in him, like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered—heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge. 4I want you to know this so that no one will come and lead you into error through their persuasive arguments and clever words.“ —Colossians  2: 3-4

What is Ruling Us?

 

   I try to pray to God each day that my family and I would please Him in thought, word and deed. Recently, He stopped me and said,

 “You need to add one more thing to that list.” 

“What else is there, Lord?” 

“Your soul. Please me in soul.”

“Isn’t my soul covered in thought, word, and deed?”

I rehearsed in my mind the elements of the soul:  mind, will, and emotions. “Lord, my thoughts are part of my mind. What I say and do comes out of my will, right?  Doesn’t that about cover it?

“Take a look at your emotions and see how greatly they affect what you think, say, and do.”

   As I focused on His question, I pondered the truth that our spirits, created by and joined with God’s, are to rule over both our souls and bodies. The problem is, they rarely do. For some of us, it is our bodies that take the lead, but for most I believe it is our souls: our mind, will, and emotions. Most assuredly, it is our emotions that often dictate our thoughts and what comes out of our mouths, as well as the actions we take.  

   I thought about how often emotions like anger, unforgiveness frustration, resentment, fear, discouragement, sorrow, pride, as well as positive ones like thankfulness, joy, and elation affect our thoughts, words, and actions. When we allow our emotions to rule us, even when they are not dark ones but stem from sincere compassion and empathy, we are not listening to Holy Spirit. We jump in, often without God’s wisdom or direction, to ‘rescue’ others. It all seems so right and good, but it may not be. We may actually be interfering in plans He has for others. He may be calling another of His children, for example, to step up to the plate and get involved, resulting in blessing for both parties. He may have an even bigger solution than we are trying to provide. We should never stop being compassionate or helping others, but taking time to pray for His direction beforehand is wisdom He prizes.

   Our souls; our emotions, our wills, our beliefs of all kinds; can lead us into prolonged thoughts, words and deeds which can be life or death-giving. Letting our emotions direct us, instead of our spirits submitted to God’s, can get us in a world of trouble, or even derail situations in ways we may never know.

   The Father made us all so different. Yet the principle still applies. Some of us are wildly empathetic, some of us are more reserved, more cerebral, or more reticent to interact or intervene. Because we are so different, we are often bewildered by the attitudes, words, and actions (or inactions) of others. God appears to love variety in His creation, whether it be human, animal, plant, or mineral. Yet all of us are to be submitted to the guidance of His loving Spirit. Some of His creation has no choice, but we do. And therein is the rub. 

   There we can find people screaming at one another and spouting all kinds of hateful things in the name of ‘right’. Or we can see cold, calculated, intellectual evisceration. Both are deadly. We can even see twisted compassion (see 8/12 post) spouting both of the above. 

   When we do not take time to lay our emotional and intellectual responses to situations at the feet of Jesus for direction, we can grieve Him deeply by our thoughts, words and deeds. Like Paul, we may be so sure we are right and yet be deadly wrong, even in doing something seemingly altruistic His planning, His timing, His chosen cast of participants, His resources, His truth , His ways spoken in His way….bring Life, Freedom, and Transformation. 

   Take time today and every day to ask Him about His perspective, whether it be concerning world situations or your very personal ones. Let’s ask Him daily to help us submit our personalities, our thought life, our words, our actions, our entire souls to His Spirit so that we please Him by bearing good fruit (instead of unknowingly bearing the outwardly beautiful but internally rotten kind.)

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Hebrews 4:12 (NIV): “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” —-Hebrews 4: 12

Here is a song that reflects the heart of my post:

https://youtu.be/ABWnLjXer10?si=mCBg8V6D2-oXqH4m