Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up
and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down
immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Luke 19:5 (New International Version)

Reflection:

One of the greatest things about Jesus Christ
was His constant encounters with notorious
sinners as well as the most pious religious
rulers of the day.  That really speaks to me.
Jesus broke through many of the culture's social,
racial, and religious barriers.  He talked with tax
collectors and accepted an invitation to a party
at a tax collectors home and even made him
one the twelve disciples.
Jesus went to sinners and ate, drank, and
fellowshipped with them. He didn't condone or
participate in their lifestyle, but He reached
out to them where they were.
Christ completely ignored the prejudice of the
day.  He dined with Zacchaeus, a virtual
outcast, He exonerated women who were
considered the lowest of low, and used
the love and acceptance of children to gain
entrance into eternity.
There is this one imperative truth that Christ
gave to you and me.  That while being
religious won't get you into heaven, neither
will being a sinner or a social outcast keep
you out.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT THAT'S
ONE TRUTH THAT HAS SET ME FREE!

An Appeal to End the Horror of Human Tafficking
Kathi Macias


The term "human trafficking" or "trafficking in persons"
(TIP) often draws raised eyebrows and skeptical
expressions—until statistics are laid out to show
that approximately 27 million people are enslaved
today, whether for the purposes of slave labor,
prostitution, or involuntary organ "donations."

The Salvation Army has made the rescue of those
enslaved around the world their number-one goal
at this time, holding seminars and conferences
to educate people and to garner support from
various individuals and organizations.

The United Nations describes TIP in this way:

"The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring
or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use
of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of
fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving
of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a
person having control over another person, for the
purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include,
at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution
of others or other forms of sexual exploitation,
forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar
to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

In a nutshell, human trafficking is modern-day
slavery, and it is the fastest growing criminal industry
in the world. It is currently tied with the illegal arms
industry for the second largest criminal industry in
existence, with the drug industry being the only
one to edge it out.

Oh, I know. Most people naively believe that human
trafficking happens only in faraway countries—
Thailand or Cambodia, perhaps. True, it does occur
there at a tragic rate. But it also takes place right here
in the United States daily, to such an extent that some
states are instituting task forces to try and stop it.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot promises that
their new task force "will take an aggressive stand
against human traffickers, who have turned Texas
into a hub for international and domestic forced labor
and prostitution rings" (www.humantrafficking.org,
"News and Updates," April 5, 2010).

Another myth about human trafficking is that it only
involves adults. Millions of children around the world
are crying out in pain and terror over the heartbreaking
error of that statement. According to Wikepedia,
trafficking in children may come about as an "exploitation
of the parents' extreme poverty. Parents may sell
children to traffickers in order to pay off debts or gain
income, or they may be deceived concerning the
prospects of training and a better life for their children.
They may sell their children for labor, sex trafficking,
or illegal adoptions."

Can there be anything that grieves the Father's heart
more than the forced enslaving of people made in His
own image—by others bearing that same divine imprint?
I believe each time anyone becomes aware of such evil
and cries out against it, that cry is spurred by the Father's
own pain. If ever the Church needed to be involved in
helping to right a human wrong, it's now. Human
trafficking must stop! And each of us who names the
Name of Christ must ask the Father what He wants
us to do to help make that happen.

In my case, that includes writing about it—every chance
I get, including blogs, letters, articles, and a new
fiction-based-on-real-life series that I'm just now starting.
Will you pray for me as I research and write it? And
will you also pray and ask God what you can do to
answer His heart cry of "Let My people go"? Millions
of enslaved human beings around the world are depending
on you to respond.

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com;
kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com), a radio show host
and the award-winning author of more than thirty books,
has just begun writing a three-book fiction series on the
topic of human trafficking. The first book, Deliver Me from
Evil, will release from New Hope Publishing in Fall 2011.

Original publication date: June 17, 2010

Scripture:

13 That is why you need to put on God's
full armor. Then on the day of evil you will
be able to stand strong. And when you
have finished the whole fight, you will still
be standing.14 So stand strong, with the
belt of truth tied around your waist and the
protection of right living on your chest.
15 On your feet wear the Good News of
peace to help you stand strong.16 And
also use the shield of faith with which you
can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil
One.17 Accept God's salvation as your
helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.18 Pray in the
Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers,
asking for everything you need. To do this
you must always be ready and never give
up. Always pray for all God's people.
Ephesians 6:13-18 (New Century Version)

Reflection:

When I was younger I heard a great deal,
especially from my Christian friends, about the "power
of the Spirit".  I began to ask the question "How
do I get this Spiritual Power?" 
I began to realize that to develop real spiritual
power I need to let go of my old ways of
doing things.  This was a way of life that I had
gotten extremely use too, it was a way of life that
was very much a part of me, it was me!  I was a
liar, I often displayed anger, I had a terrible attitude
towards myself and those around me and I
just didn't care about people or for that matter God.

I then realized that God wanted to help me
replace this life of sin with a new and powerful
spirit filled approach that uses honesty, goodness,
calmness and peacefulness, faith in God, forgiveness
through Jesus Christ, wisdom from the scriptures,
compassion and love towards others.
When I realized this "life change", I felt within
me real spiritual power. 

PLEASE CHANGE YOUR LIFE NOW AND FEEL THE
POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU!
ACCEPT GOD'S SALVATION!

Prayer:

Breath in me, Spirit  of God,
that I may think what is holy;
drive me, Spirit of God,
that I may do what is holy;
draw me Spirit of God,
that I may love what is holy;
strengthen me, Spirit of God,
that I may preserve what is holy;
guard me, Spirit of God,
that I may never lose what is holy.
AMEN