Merry Christmas all
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’ve really got no excuse. But you can expect a whole bunch of them coming soon. Urbana 09 (http://www.urbana09.org) is just a few days away. Please be praying for our travel and everyone else as well as who knows what’s going to happen with this storm. May God bless you and grant you peace in the days to come.
~Adam
I’ve come to realize something these last few days. Something I should have realized long ago. There is a power out there. It’s greater than you’re darkest of days, or your worst moment. It’s greater than your biggest mistake. It’s so great it will move mountains for you, cross the widest river for you. It’s so great, that the one who wields this power would sacrifice everything for you, even one’s own life.
A friend of mine was visiting the other day. He was talking about his daughter. She was born into a pretty crappy situation, and her mom didn’t want that for her. My friend adopter her. And here is what he was saying: ”There isn’t a thing my daughter could do that could stop me from loving her. She might piss me off, or get herself into trouble, but I lover her. She isn’t my flesh, begotten by me, but I love her has much as I love my own begotten son.”
I know without a doubt my friend would do anything for his daughter. And that is the power I was speaking of. It’s love.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately. And to be honest, it hasn’t been fun. You see, this week on campus, we’ve been doing a bunch of events related to human trafficking. It hurts to know that there are at least 27 million people enslaved in the world today. I just want to cry. Those trafficked are sold for sex, labor, child soldiers, body parts, and who knows what else.
We watched Blood Diamond (imdb link) last night. And all sorts of emotions started coming to me. Thoughts of these child soldiers, who are taken, brainwashed, and trained to kill. Thoughts of young girls (as young as 12 or 13, or younger) who are tricked or forced into prostitution. Thoughts of how their pimps trick them into getting hooked on drugs, so the girls feel like they have to prostitute themselves to get more drugs. Thoughts of how a 12 year old virgin girl will be sold as a virgin 2o times at $500 dollars a night, but then is sold for the normal price of $15 a night because her body is too messed up to bring in any more.
Thoughts about how in other parts of the world, you can buy a slave for $100, but can usually bargain the seller down to $50, or maybe even as little as $2.5o. Thoughts about how people will sell a saves organ to make a quick buck on the black market, leaving their victim on the side of the road to die. Thoughts about how this happens on the other side of the world. Thoughts about how this happens here in the US. Thoughts about how that happens here in South Dakota. Thoughts about how Americans are the number one promoter for human trafficking.
It goes on and on, but I couldn’t stop there. I started thinking about the poverty I’ve seen in Honduras and other places. And then I started thinking about those closes to me. I know people that have been sexually molested as a child. Or boys who grew up without a father, even though he was just down the stairs. At least two my close friends have experienced a suicide in their family, one heard the gun shot.
What then is my point you ask. It goes something like this. I see all this pain and hurt in the wold. I see people chained to things. I see my own pain, hurt, and chains. And I can’t stand it. And so I try to break free, I want to see others break free. I’ve come to see that we can’t…at least not on our own.
Isaiah 61 keeps popping up in my life:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.8 “For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.
If you didn’t know, Jesus references this passage in Luke 4
16[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[e]20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
You see, Jesus is the Christ. He is the only one that can free us. He is the only one that can comfort us. He is the only one that can heal us from our pain and hurt. And so today, I cry out! I’ve see Jesus do a great work in me and those friends I mentioned above. We’re not perfect, but we know with the help of God, we can overcome anything. But there are so many that have never even heard the name of Jesus. Maybe you haven’t. If you haven’t, but want to. If you want freedom in your life, just cry out for God to come and work in your life.
If you have, then you know the power of this healing I talk about. The rest of the world needs to hear it. Both those that are trafficked, that those trafficking need to hear it. Maybe it’s someone closer, your mom or dad, or maybe a sister or a son. I encourage you, be bold! Tell the world!
One thing I’ve really been striving to do recently is seeking God first in all things. I mean, I’m pretty good at it, I give a lot of my time, and I’m always at Oasis (Sunday night church), and InterVarsity stuff. But what about my life? What about my relationships? What about my money? What about my career path?
Well, I’ve been trying. I’m definitely not perfect (thank you to those around me who are patient and put up with me over and over), but it’s like that Matthew 6:33 verse:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
In my seeking after God these last few weeks, he has brought this passage to life for me. He takes care of me and blesses me in all my situations, good or bad. Praise God!
So yeah, I guess I want to encourage you to join with me and seek god first, in all things. It’s worth it!
An interesting question presented itself in my head tonight during Men’s study. I’ve talked a lot this past summer about how I want to fight and be a part of God’s army, how I want to take my stand against the devil’s schemes. I don’t think I ever talked about (or even thought about, for that matter) why. Why should I fight, why not just give up?
Interesting enough, I think the answer to that question can be found in the movie Braveheart. I saw it for the first time to night, very good movie. The answer, freedom.
In the movie, Wallace takes a stand against the king of England. The king offers all kinds of good things (land, titles, etc) if the Scottish will surrender, in the name of peace. It’s a though and Wallace knows it. He knows that if they surrender, the king of England will indeed give them these nice sounding things, but they are bound to the king. Slaves.
Princess Isabelle: The king desires peace.
William Wallace: Longshanks desires peace?
Princess Isabelle: He declares it to me, I swear it. He proposes that you withdraw your attack. In return he grants you title, estates, and this chest of gold which I am to pay to you personally.
William Wallace: A lordship and titles. Gold. That I should become Judas?
Princess Isabelle: Peace is made in such ways.
William Wallace: Slaves are made in such ways. The last time Longshanks spoke of peace I was a boy. And many Scottish nobles, who would not be slaves, were lured by him under a flag of truce to a barn, where he had them hanged. I was very young, but I remember Longshanks’ notion of peace.
It’s the same thing. It’s a trick. If we don’t take our stand against the devil, we, in essence, become slaves to him. Trust me, I’ve been there. Those times when I gave up in the middle of a battle because I didn’t want to fight. I gave up control of my body.
But Christ offers us something different. He offers Freedom, true freedom. So why fight for Christ, freedom. Many (well, at least one) have said that the greatest line in the film is:
Every man dies, not every man really lives.
And it makes sense. There isn’t much life in the life slave, just existing. But in Freedom, life flows in abundance. I encourage you to stand, fight for what you believe in. Let us stand together in Unity, one in mind and one in spirit. Since the best line from the film is already taken, I leave you the second best (as I see it):
Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it.