I recently watched these two speakers and found them to be very informative and helpful. Often times we see information or facts and are left on our own to figure out what to do with them, or even to understand how to process them. These speakers, I felt, offered both information and direction:
Human trafficking: Rachel Lloyd at TEDxUChicago 2012
(This speaker is ~20 minutes)
Why I stopped watching porn: Ran Gavrieli at TEDxJaffa 2013
(This speaker is ~15 minutes)
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
The other night as I prayed for Las Vegas and the end to sex trafficking, I wept. I cried out to the Lord as I prayed through the exploits that degrade and destroy, I pleaded with [El Roi] the God who Sees all that happens in the darkness. And as I spoke with Him through my tears, I asked Him, “You see everything; You don’t just hear of the rapes, but You see them; You don’t just hear of the beatings, You see them; You don’t just hear of the manipulations, You see them...HOW?! How can You handle seeing and feeling all that pain and terror and disgrace?!” And into my heart flowed this song:
Man of sorrows what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned He stood,
sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
blameless Lamb of God was He,
sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
The Savior. Oh Jesus! He came, He lived, He died, He rose, He reigns for sinners. His work on the cross was enough to cover EVERYONE He sees: The one who is beaten and the one who swings the bat; the one who is gang raped and the ones who devastate her body; the one whose self-worth is broken and the one who kills her soul with their words; the one who is threatened and the one who holds the gun in her mouth. My heart weeps and marvels at such a Savior.
I think as a culture who are very singular; we consider the Savior and we say, “Jesus died for ME. He hung on the cross for ME. He died to give ME new life,” and we stop in this singular view of a savior and leave believing He’s only as good as our view of our sin is bad. We settle for a small view of an immense God.
But He is so much more! This Jesus, the one of whom it is spoken in John 3:16–17, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” THAT Jesus--His work on the cross didn’t stop with YOU or I...It covered EVERY SIN OF EVERY PERSON OF ALL OF TIME...
Paul who systematically killed Christians +
David who killed a man to steal his wife +
Rahab who used her body for her gain +
the thief on the cross who hung beside Jesus +
the men who raped and sodomized the little girl in front of Chong Kim [Movie: Eden] +
the men who made her watch +
the man who bought the child from her parents to traffic her +
the parents who sold her +
the man who jumped on the abdomen of the woman he sells to cause her to miscarry +
the woman who lured the teen to enslave her and taught her the tricks of the trade +
[insert participants in horrific injustice here].
Whoa.
What a Savior.
May our view be broadened, may our hearts overflow with the desire for justice, may we cling to the cross of Christ, may we weep for the lost and pray for their salvation, and may we desire that the courts of heaven be filled with both the oppressed and the oppressors who have turned to the Lord. Because justice will be served, as it says in Psalm 10, “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoes; call his wickedness to account till You find none.” For EVERY account of wickedness, justice WILL be served, in Hell or on the Cross.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned He stood,
sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
blameless Lamb of God was He,
sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Paul who systematically killed Christians +
David who killed a man to steal his wife +
Rahab who used her body for her gain +
the thief on the cross who hung beside Jesus +
the men who raped and sodomized the little girl in front of Chong Kim [Movie: Eden] +
the men who made her watch +
the man who bought the child from her parents to traffic her +
the parents who sold her +
the man who jumped on the abdomen of the woman he sells to cause her to miscarry +
the woman who lured the teen to enslave her and taught her the tricks of the trade +
[insert participants in horrific injustice here].
What a Savior.
May our view be broadened, may our hearts overflow with the desire for justice, may we cling to the cross of Christ, may we weep for the lost and pray for their salvation, and may we desire that the courts of heaven be filled with both the oppressed and the oppressors who have turned to the Lord. Because justice will be served, as it says in Psalm 10, “Break the arm of the wicked and evildoes; call his wickedness to account till You find none.” For EVERY account of wickedness, justice WILL be served, in Hell or on the Cross.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
My 5 stones.
JOB 29:17
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
PSALM 10
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
He has hidden His face, He will never see it.”
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But You do see, for You note mischief and vexation,
that You may take it into Your hands;
to You the helpless commits himself;
You have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till You find none.
The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from His land.
O Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted;
You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
MALACHI 1:11,14b
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts...
...For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
PSALM 18:6ñ19
In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry to Him reached His ears.
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
and devouring fire from His mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from Him.
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under His feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His covering,
His canopy around Him,
thick clouds dark with water.
Out of the brightness before Him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through His clouds.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered His voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
And He sent out His arrows and scattered them;
He flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at Your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
ISAIAH 42:14ñ17
For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
I broke the fangs of the unrighteous
and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek Him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
He has hidden His face, He will never see it.”
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But You do see, for You note mischief and vexation,
that You may take it into Your hands;
to You the helpless commits himself;
You have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till You find none.
The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from His land.
O Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted;
You will strengthen their heart; You will incline Your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts...
...For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry to Him reached His ears.
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because He was angry.
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
and devouring fire from His mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from Him.
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under His feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His covering,
His canopy around Him,
thick clouds dark with water.
Out of the brightness before Him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through His clouds.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered His voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
And He sent out His arrows and scattered them;
He flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at Your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
Learning from 1 Samuel 17:9–54
As I venture forward in praying against Las Vegas, I have been seeking wisdom and direction from 1 Samuel 17:9–54 by considering David and Goliath’s interaction. Here is what I see:
Verse 9: When Goliath falls, his followers will turn to serve the Lord.
Verse 16: Pray morning and evening.
Verse 24: Pray AGAINST the fear and fleeing of God’s people in the face of this beast.
Verse 28: Expect opposition of those older and close; pray against this.
Verse 29: STAND FIRM in God’s call.
Verse 30: CONTINUE.
Verse 33: Pray against doubt and dissuasion.
Verse 34–36: REMEMBER and speak aloud what God has already done. Proclaim proof of His power and testimony of His deliverance.
Verse 36: Call sin what it is and do not forget that the offense is first against God.
Verse 37: PROCLAIM and pray for deliverance from the Deliverer.
Verse 38–39: DO NOT fight in man-made armor. Pray on God’s armor (Ephesians 6).
Verse 40: Take up my staff (God leads). Take up 5 stones (5 scripture verses).
Verse 41: There are layers of defense to get through to reach Goliath--do not be naive and think the battle is won after small victories.
Verse 42: Expect to be met with disdain. Expect to be scoffed at for being too __ [young, naive, out of touch, etc]__.
Verse 43: Expect to be mocked--especially by those who doubt prayer and reject Jesus. Expect spiritual warfare to increase in intensity.
Verse 44: Expect threats and the promise of our failure from the lying enemy.
Verse 45: COME IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTS (armies, legions!) Remember that the greatest injustice is the rejection of God and denial of worship due Him...His offense is to be defied and He picks up the offenses of His creation second.
Verse 45: Proclaim and remember how small and meager the weapons of man and the enemy are in relation to God. He is infinitely greater. It may often feel as through we are alone fighting.
Verse 46: Proclaim VICTORY in Jesus’ name and might. Seek utter destruction of this Goliath and his fruit--STRUCK DOWN, HEAD REMOVED, the slaughter of His people with him. Proclaim the GLORY OF GOD, pray all the dead in sin that fall will cause hearts to turn to Jesus and worship/praise stollen from Him will be returned 1000 fold!
Verse 47: It is the Lord’s battle, may His deliverance be accredited only to Him. Remember God saves NOT with weapons of man, but with the mercy of Jesus. He WILL give us Las Vegas because HE wants Las Vegas more than we do.
Verse 48: Goliath arose--he will appear greater and more immense before his fall, he is confident and will not shy back from a fight. He does not fear God and WILL approach us. DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED by the enemy. David ran toward the battle line, Goliath sauntered with arrogance. David ran for the glory of God.
Verse 49: Wield the verses! PRAY them! Believe them! SHOUT the truth! Be precise! Know the enemy; know the vulnerabilities of the enemy; be specific, call evil what it is, proclaim power as attributing to who truly holds it. Gen 3:15 “He shall bruise your head...”
Verse 50: David prevailed; he struck and killed without a sword in his hand. We do not need tanks and guns and violent weapons....we need the Lord--His name, his battle, his victory! There was no sword (of metal) in David’s hand! God gave the victory then, and God will give the victory now.
Verse 51: The enemies’ own weapons will decapitated them--and seeing the demise and way in which God so easily destroyed what they arrogantly saw as unable to be defeated will cause them to tremble and flee--and the people of God will pursue them and finish the fight.
Verse 52: At the victory over this goliath (the fall of Las Vega), many will join the fight and bring down sex trafficking around the world.
Verse 53: The “plunder” of Vegas will provide resources for these women and children to heal and start over.
Verse 54: The armor was useless/powerless against the mighty hand of a just and loving God. Remember and look. Dwell in the might and power of God. DO NOT FORGET GOD DID IT--NOR FORGET HOW FAULTY MAN’S PROTECTION IS.
Verse 16: Pray morning and evening.
Verse 24: Pray AGAINST the fear and fleeing of God’s people in the face of this beast.
Verse 28: Expect opposition of those older and close; pray against this.
Verse 29: STAND FIRM in God’s call.
Verse 30: CONTINUE.
Verse 33: Pray against doubt and dissuasion.
Verse 34–36: REMEMBER and speak aloud what God has already done. Proclaim proof of His power and testimony of His deliverance.
Verse 36: Call sin what it is and do not forget that the offense is first against God.
Verse 37: PROCLAIM and pray for deliverance from the Deliverer.
Verse 38–39: DO NOT fight in man-made armor. Pray on God’s armor (Ephesians 6).
Verse 40: Take up my staff (God leads). Take up 5 stones (5 scripture verses).
Verse 41: There are layers of defense to get through to reach Goliath--do not be naive and think the battle is won after small victories.
Verse 42: Expect to be met with disdain. Expect to be scoffed at for being too __ [young, naive, out of touch, etc]__.
Verse 43: Expect to be mocked--especially by those who doubt prayer and reject Jesus. Expect spiritual warfare to increase in intensity.
Verse 44: Expect threats and the promise of our failure from the lying enemy.
Verse 45: COME IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTS (armies, legions!) Remember that the greatest injustice is the rejection of God and denial of worship due Him...His offense is to be defied and He picks up the offenses of His creation second.
Verse 45: Proclaim and remember how small and meager the weapons of man and the enemy are in relation to God. He is infinitely greater. It may often feel as through we are alone fighting.
Verse 46: Proclaim VICTORY in Jesus’ name and might. Seek utter destruction of this Goliath and his fruit--STRUCK DOWN, HEAD REMOVED, the slaughter of His people with him. Proclaim the GLORY OF GOD, pray all the dead in sin that fall will cause hearts to turn to Jesus and worship/praise stollen from Him will be returned 1000 fold!
Verse 47: It is the Lord’s battle, may His deliverance be accredited only to Him. Remember God saves NOT with weapons of man, but with the mercy of Jesus. He WILL give us Las Vegas because HE wants Las Vegas more than we do.
Verse 48: Goliath arose--he will appear greater and more immense before his fall, he is confident and will not shy back from a fight. He does not fear God and WILL approach us. DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED by the enemy. David ran toward the battle line, Goliath sauntered with arrogance. David ran for the glory of God.
Verse 49: Wield the verses! PRAY them! Believe them! SHOUT the truth! Be precise! Know the enemy; know the vulnerabilities of the enemy; be specific, call evil what it is, proclaim power as attributing to who truly holds it. Gen 3:15 “He shall bruise your head...”
Verse 50: David prevailed; he struck and killed without a sword in his hand. We do not need tanks and guns and violent weapons....we need the Lord--His name, his battle, his victory! There was no sword (of metal) in David’s hand! God gave the victory then, and God will give the victory now.
Verse 51: The enemies’ own weapons will decapitated them--and seeing the demise and way in which God so easily destroyed what they arrogantly saw as unable to be defeated will cause them to tremble and flee--and the people of God will pursue them and finish the fight.
Verse 52: At the victory over this goliath (the fall of Las Vega), many will join the fight and bring down sex trafficking around the world.
Verse 53: The “plunder” of Vegas will provide resources for these women and children to heal and start over.
Verse 54: The armor was useless/powerless against the mighty hand of a just and loving God. Remember and look. Dwell in the might and power of God. DO NOT FORGET GOD DID IT--NOR FORGET HOW FAULTY MAN’S PROTECTION IS.
David and Goliath
Las Vegas is on my heart...it actually has been for many years. I find the entire concept of the city to be immensely sorrowful; to relish and call for the practice of indulging the flesh in all manner of sin...it is a city that delights in what God hates. If you love God, this city’s heart should beat in opposition to yours...if it doesn’t, I would encourage you to consider where you truly stand. Because here is the truth: What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas as nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord. You know those cards with naked women that are pressed into your hand by vendors along the street at night--yes, the ones that litter the ground and are stepped on by the shoes of every passer by--God made those women in His image and likeness, to Him they are not objects for your physical pleasure, but humans with souls that house innate dignity, to be honored, protected and loved, they are women Jesus died for. You know those men and women who press those cards into your hands--the ones with the dead eyes and vests promising you things that are hot and sexy.--He died for them too. And you know the hands that dial the numbers to “order” their chosen woman to use and abuse for the night--the ones who choose to believe there is choice involved for the one they will objectify--Jesus death was for them as well.
There is brokenness and bondage and distain for the Lord woven throughout the structure of Las Vegas...it is a Goliath of immense heights, intimidating and fierce in his booming voice and power.
But I am a David.
I am one prayer on my knees. I do not have the height or the volume to be heard amid the din of sin that destroys the souls of many in the broad hallways of Las Vegas. I do not have the resources or the fire power to beat down the doors of the wicked and break the chains of the women in captivity. I really am nothing for Goliath to fear just by looking at me.
But I am a David.
And David’s God is my God. And my God is an immense God: He IS power; He is love; He is justice; He is holy; He is KING; He is OVER ALL. “Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. (Rev 15:3–4)” I do not have anything earthly to boast in; no WMDs, no strength in my body...but I reside in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the great Deliverer, the One at who holds the world together by the word of His power, the One whose voice shakes heaven and earth, the One who desires to SET THE CAPTIVES FREE.
And by HIS might, this Goliath WILL fall.
If you care to join me as I fight in Prayer for Las Vegas, I will be posting my meditation on 1 Samuel 17 and the “5 Stones” I will carry with me into battle. Morning and Evening, may I be faithful to lift my voice to Heaven on behalf of the souls and lives that languish there, dying in the filth of their own sin and/or bound in the shackles of sexual slavery. Lord, have mercy.
I am one prayer on my knees. I do not have the height or the volume to be heard amid the din of sin that destroys the souls of many in the broad hallways of Las Vegas. I do not have the resources or the fire power to beat down the doors of the wicked and break the chains of the women in captivity. I really am nothing for Goliath to fear just by looking at me.
And David’s God is my God. And my God is an immense God: He IS power; He is love; He is justice; He is holy; He is KING; He is OVER ALL. “Great and amazing are Your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed. (Rev 15:3–4)” I do not have anything earthly to boast in; no WMDs, no strength in my body...but I reside in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the great Deliverer, the One at who holds the world together by the word of His power, the One whose voice shakes heaven and earth, the One who desires to SET THE CAPTIVES FREE.
If you care to join me as I fight in Prayer for Las Vegas, I will be posting my meditation on 1 Samuel 17 and the “5 Stones” I will carry with me into battle. Morning and Evening, may I be faithful to lift my voice to Heaven on behalf of the souls and lives that languish there, dying in the filth of their own sin and/or bound in the shackles of sexual slavery. Lord, have mercy.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Promises and pictures in Isaiah 42
I have really been enjoying Isaiah 42 lately. Good stuff. VERY good stuff. I love the proclamations it contains of the Lord establishing justice. I have been reading it with a heart burdened by the realities of sex trafficking, and the contents of this chapter are wonderful and fearful and blazing and hopeful and full of promise.
A couple of interesting things before I launch into my meditation: I have discovered recently that as I read scripture, God seems to be clearly defining for me when He is referring to Himself and when He is referring to His body (the Church). There are many things spoken of in scripture that He is bringing about before His second return, and He plans to use His Church (His hands and feet) to do it. It has been a powerful and sobering realization as I read to feel the Spirit point His finger with emphasized distinction at which references to “I” refer to Christ and which references to “I” refer to Christ’s body.
As I read Isaiah 42:14–17, this is what I see:
(14) For a long time I have held My peace;
I have kept still and restrained Myself;
now I [through the church] will cry out like a woman in labor.
I [through the Church] will gasp and pant.
(15) I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
(16) And I [through My Church] will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
and the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
(17) They are turned back and utterly put to shame
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images, “You are our gods.”
In verse 14, I see the Church rising up (or in this case, kneeling down) to labor in prayer. The pains of this labor will be great because the pains over which they pray are great. It will require physical strength.
In verse 15, I see the Lord remove obstacles from our path, and destroy the plants that bear the fruit of the injustice we stand in prayer against; I see the life source that feeds into supply/demand issue dry up and cease to flow.
In the beginning of verse 16, I see the Lord give sight and reveal a way that has not been known or seen: Safety for the oppressed, purity for the oppressor. I see a way laid out before them that is wonderful to walk upon; a path of holiness, redemption, salvation, righteousness; a path that leads to life and not death, with the Lord as the unfailing, faithful guide. I see the Lord revealing the darkness for what it is and shining the Light of redemption onto the paths that lie before those who are freed from their bondage to walk in the light...what has been made rough, HE will level...He, the repairer of what has been broken will lay out hope beneath the feet of those who walk in His ways (Isaiah 52:12 “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”). This is a wonderful thing!
In the second half of verse 16, I see a declaration of who God IS and is NOT: “These are the things I do...” He proclaims, this is how He operates, not just this one thing, but this type of promise and hope flows from Him in action because of who He is; a God of justice, love and peace. “...and I do not forsake them.” He proclaims, this is the reality of His promise, His presence and His love. He does not go back on His word, He does not walk away from His own, He does not forsake us...not now, not ever.
In verse 17, I see a statement to the oppressors; the ones who buy and who sell these women and children. They may think they get away with their dirty deeds because they’ve skirted the law thus far in their oppression and abuse, because they trust the darkness, their power through money, fireplace pokers, manipulation, physical strength, stigmas and ability to hide behind the faces of those they objectify and sell...these metal objects they hold up as gods are the shackles of the prisoners and the money they make off them.
But here is the truth...God is a God of justice (Isaiah 42:1–7), He created not just every person, but the universe in which they reside. HIS voice is all that matters, and His voice says, “I will faithfully bring forth justice...I am the Lord...I will...bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” If you think that your anonymity, your money, your ability to evade justice at the moment means you’ve succeeded, you are wrong. You have only escaped justice to this moment because God is patient and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), He has restrained His hand of power for the sake of your soul...but how long? The Church has risen in prayer, turn from the darkness and repent in the light. Release your hand from the neck of the prisoner and tear down your altars to your metal gods. You spit in the face of the Almighty, and you will be swallowed up when He opens His mouth.
A couple of interesting things before I launch into my meditation: I have discovered recently that as I read scripture, God seems to be clearly defining for me when He is referring to Himself and when He is referring to His body (the Church). There are many things spoken of in scripture that He is bringing about before His second return, and He plans to use His Church (His hands and feet) to do it. It has been a powerful and sobering realization as I read to feel the Spirit point His finger with emphasized distinction at which references to “I” refer to Christ and which references to “I” refer to Christ’s body.
As I read Isaiah 42:14–17, this is what I see:
(14) For a long time I have held My peace;
I have kept still and restrained Myself;
now I [through the church] will cry out like a woman in labor.
I [through the Church] will gasp and pant.
(15) I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the pools.
(16) And I [through My Church] will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
and the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
(17) They are turned back and utterly put to shame
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images, “You are our gods.”
In verse 14, I see the Church rising up (or in this case, kneeling down) to labor in prayer. The pains of this labor will be great because the pains over which they pray are great. It will require physical strength.
In verse 15, I see the Lord remove obstacles from our path, and destroy the plants that bear the fruit of the injustice we stand in prayer against; I see the life source that feeds into supply/demand issue dry up and cease to flow.
In the beginning of verse 16, I see the Lord give sight and reveal a way that has not been known or seen: Safety for the oppressed, purity for the oppressor. I see a way laid out before them that is wonderful to walk upon; a path of holiness, redemption, salvation, righteousness; a path that leads to life and not death, with the Lord as the unfailing, faithful guide. I see the Lord revealing the darkness for what it is and shining the Light of redemption onto the paths that lie before those who are freed from their bondage to walk in the light...what has been made rough, HE will level...He, the repairer of what has been broken will lay out hope beneath the feet of those who walk in His ways (Isaiah 52:12 “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”). This is a wonderful thing!
In the second half of verse 16, I see a declaration of who God IS and is NOT: “These are the things I do...” He proclaims, this is how He operates, not just this one thing, but this type of promise and hope flows from Him in action because of who He is; a God of justice, love and peace. “...and I do not forsake them.” He proclaims, this is the reality of His promise, His presence and His love. He does not go back on His word, He does not walk away from His own, He does not forsake us...not now, not ever.
In verse 17, I see a statement to the oppressors; the ones who buy and who sell these women and children. They may think they get away with their dirty deeds because they’ve skirted the law thus far in their oppression and abuse, because they trust the darkness, their power through money, fireplace pokers, manipulation, physical strength, stigmas and ability to hide behind the faces of those they objectify and sell...these metal objects they hold up as gods are the shackles of the prisoners and the money they make off them.
But here is the truth...God is a God of justice (Isaiah 42:1–7), He created not just every person, but the universe in which they reside. HIS voice is all that matters, and His voice says, “I will faithfully bring forth justice...I am the Lord...I will...bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” If you think that your anonymity, your money, your ability to evade justice at the moment means you’ve succeeded, you are wrong. You have only escaped justice to this moment because God is patient and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), He has restrained His hand of power for the sake of your soul...but how long? The Church has risen in prayer, turn from the darkness and repent in the light. Release your hand from the neck of the prisoner and tear down your altars to your metal gods. You spit in the face of the Almighty, and you will be swallowed up when He opens His mouth.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Article: What the Johns Don't Want to Hear
Article recommendation: What the Johns Don't Want to Hear, written by Victor Malarek
This is an straightforward article stating the truths of sex trafficking...saying it like it is. Please read it, and then consider this:
On the other side of this coin stands this reality: men have the ability to have immense power for good in fighting this fight because many of these women have never encountered a man who didn't want to use, abuse, take from and devalue them; a man who stands up for them, protects them and offers them dignity holds SO much ability to do good simply by doing what is right.
And in case you are read this article and dismissed it as not applying to you because you haven't physically purchased sex, yet you indulge in porn, know this: pornography is not a separate thing from sex trafficking...it is one in the same.
This is an straightforward article stating the truths of sex trafficking...saying it like it is. Please read it, and then consider this:
On the other side of this coin stands this reality: men have the ability to have immense power for good in fighting this fight because many of these women have never encountered a man who didn't want to use, abuse, take from and devalue them; a man who stands up for them, protects them and offers them dignity holds SO much ability to do good simply by doing what is right.
And in case you are read this article and dismissed it as not applying to you because you haven't physically purchased sex, yet you indulge in porn, know this: pornography is not a separate thing from sex trafficking...it is one in the same.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Three small persons.
I ended my last post surrounding the effects of pornography on society with a statement about the world around me being shaped into a place where women and children are simply objects; void of emotion, dignity and personhood. I wanted to elaborate on that. (Also, here’s an article you can read about research surrounding men’s brains around sexualized women: Princeton Research)
I have three daughters. They’re lovely humans, and even as tiny children, they already exhibit wonderful qualities and abilities that are certain to produce good in the world around them.
Daughter #1 is very independent; she has a strong point of view and the desire for her voice to be heard. She spends hours drawing and using her imagination to create worlds to share with the people in her life she loves. She is generous and helpful and thoughtful; she loves to give gifts and seems to always notice things people like so she can get them something they legitimately would appreciate (a rarity for a 3-year-old). She is intense and compassionate; her name means “merciful friend,” there is no doubt this is a fitting name for this beautiful child; with her tender heart and creativity, she will bring the mercy of Christ into relationships.
Daughter #2 is a spitfire of incredible and intense proportions; even in the womb I felt her strength. She is fiercely emotional and strong-willed. She examines the world around her with a wonderful, busy curiosity; in her mind there is no height too high to climb to. And yet, she shakes when she is afraid, interrupts her playing to come give her mama snuggles and sweetly guards her baby sister. Her name means “of noble strength and prayer,” she is certain to be a warrior for good in this world, her strength submitted to the Lord and bridled in prayer.
Daughter #3 is a vibrant ray of sunshine; she beams with happiness and her demeanor is one of extreme gentleness. Her joy radiates through her entire body, causing her smile to beam and her limbs to wiggle. She contentedly plays, yet stops everything to soak in every ounce of attention you give her. Her name means “joyful light,” she will shine in this world of darkness for the One who fills her with Light.
What incredible humans these 3 are! What a privilege it is to watch them grow and observe who their Creator made them to be. They are wonderful image bearers, persons by design.
And do you want to know something? They are going to have to fight for their personhood.
They are going to have to FIGHT for their PERSONhood!
WHY?! Why, when by very definition a human is a person, must they fight to claim what they simply are? Why?!
The world around them shouts at them, with increasing loudness, “You are an object. You are to be used and abused and discarded as we see fit. Your value will come from how satisfied I am with the use of you. You are no more dignified than this shirt I have chosen to wear; your thoughts have no purpose; your emotions are worthless, unless I can exploit them for my gain; you are only as valuable as the money I could get for you on the open market.”
My heart is broken.
It is also angry.
My daughters should not have to fight for their personhood, and neither should yours and, for that matter, neither should you! I don’t care who you are, if you are a person, you are NOT a thing. Get mad, get heart-broken...whatever it takes to get you moving to do something! Take back the dignity stolen from the female gender.
Oh, beautiful baby girls, may NOTHING succeed in snuffing out your light or squelching the good you will do in this world. Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)...HIS voice is all that counts in matters of your worth.
I have three daughters. They’re lovely humans, and even as tiny children, they already exhibit wonderful qualities and abilities that are certain to produce good in the world around them.
Daughter #1 is very independent; she has a strong point of view and the desire for her voice to be heard. She spends hours drawing and using her imagination to create worlds to share with the people in her life she loves. She is generous and helpful and thoughtful; she loves to give gifts and seems to always notice things people like so she can get them something they legitimately would appreciate (a rarity for a 3-year-old). She is intense and compassionate; her name means “merciful friend,” there is no doubt this is a fitting name for this beautiful child; with her tender heart and creativity, she will bring the mercy of Christ into relationships.
Daughter #2 is a spitfire of incredible and intense proportions; even in the womb I felt her strength. She is fiercely emotional and strong-willed. She examines the world around her with a wonderful, busy curiosity; in her mind there is no height too high to climb to. And yet, she shakes when she is afraid, interrupts her playing to come give her mama snuggles and sweetly guards her baby sister. Her name means “of noble strength and prayer,” she is certain to be a warrior for good in this world, her strength submitted to the Lord and bridled in prayer.
Daughter #3 is a vibrant ray of sunshine; she beams with happiness and her demeanor is one of extreme gentleness. Her joy radiates through her entire body, causing her smile to beam and her limbs to wiggle. She contentedly plays, yet stops everything to soak in every ounce of attention you give her. Her name means “joyful light,” she will shine in this world of darkness for the One who fills her with Light.
What incredible humans these 3 are! What a privilege it is to watch them grow and observe who their Creator made them to be. They are wonderful image bearers, persons by design.
And do you want to know something? They are going to have to fight for their personhood.
They are going to have to FIGHT for their PERSONhood!
WHY?! Why, when by very definition a human is a person, must they fight to claim what they simply are? Why?!
The world around them shouts at them, with increasing loudness, “You are an object. You are to be used and abused and discarded as we see fit. Your value will come from how satisfied I am with the use of you. You are no more dignified than this shirt I have chosen to wear; your thoughts have no purpose; your emotions are worthless, unless I can exploit them for my gain; you are only as valuable as the money I could get for you on the open market.”
My heart is broken.
It is also angry.
My daughters should not have to fight for their personhood, and neither should yours and, for that matter, neither should you! I don’t care who you are, if you are a person, you are NOT a thing. Get mad, get heart-broken...whatever it takes to get you moving to do something! Take back the dignity stolen from the female gender.
Oh, beautiful baby girls, may NOTHING succeed in snuffing out your light or squelching the good you will do in this world. Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8)...HIS voice is all that counts in matters of your worth.
The hammer.
At the 2014 Exodus Cry Abolition Summit, Benjamin Nolot shared with us the benefits of using media to fight slavery. He brought us through history, describing how creative media was used in the abolition of slavery time and time again. He talked about how evoking the public’s empathy and favor always turned the tide. As a graphic designer and appreciator of the power of art, it made me really excited. At the end of his update, he gave the following quote by Bertolt Brecht:
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
What a wonderful quote, my head said! I wrote it down...but the moment my pen punctuated the sentence, I had another thought that turned the warmth that it had left in my heart to icy cold: Pornography is legal because it is considered to be art (freedom of speech).
Pornography is legal because it is considered to be art.
So take this beautiful, thought-provoking quote and put the “art” form in place:
“Pornography is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
Let that sink into your mind for a moments. It turns this lovely quote into a terrifying caution to us, explanation of the effects of our actions, and the disgusting reality of what is happening in our world.
There are 68 million searches a day for porn online. The top producers of porn (the US and Germany) each produce over 400 porn films for DVDs per WEEK. 88.2% of top-rated porn scenes contain aggressive acts; 94% of these times the aggression is directed at women. [1]
Most children encounter porn by age 10-11; many children look to pornography thinking it will give them the information they need to know about sex and relationship; and those engulfed in this destructive habit are reordering their minds to believe what they see is normal and desirable. [2, 5]
This is not a slow moving hammer, it is a jackhammer, reshaping the brains of its users and turning them into distorted men. Studies show that after viewing porn, men are less likely to show empathy to rape victims, believe women deserve to be raped based on how they’re dressed, are angry if women won’t sleep with them, are unable to sustain real relationships with real women, and are ok with coercing partners into unwanted sex acts. [3, 4]
“The Pornification of our culture at large has turned women into ‘things’; has given men (and women) the belief that women are to be bought, sold, used, abused, beaten, raped, tortured... and they like it (or are supposed to).” - L Mickelwait M.P.D.
Through the “hammer” of pornography, society is being shaped into a world where women and children are simply objects; void of emotion, dignity and personhood.
Let that sink in for a moment. Is this what you desire for the women and girls in your life (your mother, your sister, your wife, your daughter, your friend)? Is this what you desire for the men and boys in your life (your father, your brother, your husband, your son, your friend)? Both females AND males should be infuriated by this.
Sources:
1) Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., Sun, C., & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression and sexual behavior in best-selling pornography videos: A content analysis update. Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1065-1085.
2) http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts#porn-changes-the-brain
3) Bridges, A., & Wosnitzer, R. (2007). Aggression and sexual behavior in best-selling pornography: A content analysis update. International Communication Association.
4) Gahyun, Y., & Yang, D. (2012). Effects of exposure to pornography on male aggressive behavioral tendencies. The Open Psychology Journal, (5), 1-10.
5) Burton et al., 2010; Cowan & Campbell, 1995; Cowell & Smith, 2009
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
What a wonderful quote, my head said! I wrote it down...but the moment my pen punctuated the sentence, I had another thought that turned the warmth that it had left in my heart to icy cold: Pornography is legal because it is considered to be art (freedom of speech).
Pornography is legal because it is considered to be art.
So take this beautiful, thought-provoking quote and put the “art” form in place:
“Pornography is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”
Let that sink into your mind for a moments. It turns this lovely quote into a terrifying caution to us, explanation of the effects of our actions, and the disgusting reality of what is happening in our world.
There are 68 million searches a day for porn online. The top producers of porn (the US and Germany) each produce over 400 porn films for DVDs per WEEK. 88.2% of top-rated porn scenes contain aggressive acts; 94% of these times the aggression is directed at women. [1]
Most children encounter porn by age 10-11; many children look to pornography thinking it will give them the information they need to know about sex and relationship; and those engulfed in this destructive habit are reordering their minds to believe what they see is normal and desirable. [2, 5]
This is not a slow moving hammer, it is a jackhammer, reshaping the brains of its users and turning them into distorted men. Studies show that after viewing porn, men are less likely to show empathy to rape victims, believe women deserve to be raped based on how they’re dressed, are angry if women won’t sleep with them, are unable to sustain real relationships with real women, and are ok with coercing partners into unwanted sex acts. [3, 4]
“The Pornification of our culture at large has turned women into ‘things’; has given men (and women) the belief that women are to be bought, sold, used, abused, beaten, raped, tortured... and they like it (or are supposed to).” - L Mickelwait M.P.D.
Through the “hammer” of pornography, society is being shaped into a world where women and children are simply objects; void of emotion, dignity and personhood.
Let that sink in for a moment. Is this what you desire for the women and girls in your life (your mother, your sister, your wife, your daughter, your friend)? Is this what you desire for the men and boys in your life (your father, your brother, your husband, your son, your friend)? Both females AND males should be infuriated by this.
Sources:
1) Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., Sun, C., & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression and sexual behavior in best-selling pornography videos: A content analysis update. Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1065-1085.
2) http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts#porn-changes-the-brain
3) Bridges, A., & Wosnitzer, R. (2007). Aggression and sexual behavior in best-selling pornography: A content analysis update. International Communication Association.
4) Gahyun, Y., & Yang, D. (2012). Effects of exposure to pornography on male aggressive behavioral tendencies. The Open Psychology Journal, (5), 1-10.
5) Burton et al., 2010; Cowan & Campbell, 1995; Cowell & Smith, 2009
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