Friday, January 28, 2011
VISION FROM HEAVEN
5 verses. This is amazing to me. In Acts 25:14, we see Saul persecuting Jesus. And in the span of 5 verses, we move from persecution to appointment to obedience and hear him say, "I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven." And right here, right now, I want this more than anything. I want MY vision from heaven. And I want to say, "I was not disobedient to it." Scary though. To ask. For God is not going to run it by me first to get my OK. He's just going to give it. And I know what I'm made of. But you know, I've lived without a vision, without a passion, and it's awful. So I'm asking. "I WANT MY VISION FROM HEAVEN!" It's going to look different from Sauls. But, it's going to look the same as well. "I'm going to send you to...open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people..." Bring it on!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Mention, Proclaim, Tell
MENTION
"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." Isaiah 63:7
PROCLAIM
"Then he revealed his Son to me so that I could proclaim the good news about Jesus..." Galations 1:16
TELL
"For I have appreared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you." Acts 26: 16
These are the verses I received yesterday and today and I'm seeing a common thread. And so I'm returning to this place where I've previously said I would not be quiet. But I have been quiet. It's been years since I last posted. Why? Because I have been dumb. Dumb in the head...the events of the past few years have left me questioning the things I thought I knew. Dumb in the mouth...the things I've witnessed have stunned me speechless. But it's true what they say. "It's not what you know...it's Who you know." And I know Jesus. And "In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) It seems I do have something to say. Speak Lord.
"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." Isaiah 63:7
PROCLAIM
"Then he revealed his Son to me so that I could proclaim the good news about Jesus..." Galations 1:16
TELL
"For I have appreared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you." Acts 26: 16
These are the verses I received yesterday and today and I'm seeing a common thread. And so I'm returning to this place where I've previously said I would not be quiet. But I have been quiet. It's been years since I last posted. Why? Because I have been dumb. Dumb in the head...the events of the past few years have left me questioning the things I thought I knew. Dumb in the mouth...the things I've witnessed have stunned me speechless. But it's true what they say. "It's not what you know...it's Who you know." And I know Jesus. And "In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) It seems I do have something to say. Speak Lord.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
NightLight
On the plane, returning home from a trip to Thailand, the tears started. I was caught off guard. Oddly, there were no tears while there. Is that because it was all so surreal? But, reality hit. I really did see those things.
I really did enter the Nana Entertainment District of Bangkok, and in one of the bars there, watched young girls, nearly naked, dance for the entirely white population (at the time I was there) of male patrons. I really did observe on their faces a leering desire as they watched the girls. I really did, watch a man pay a fee to the Mama-san allowing him to take the girl for the night. What did her night look like after leaving? Did he take her to a room where 5 men were waiting to rape and beat her? That’s not uncommon, nor is murder.
Young girls, each one lovingly knit together by her Maker in His image and for the purpose of displaying His glory. Where did it all go so wrong? I don’t know. But I do know now that it’s being made right. Because, I saw that also.
There is a business/ministry in Bangkok called NightLight that is reaching out to these girls. On Tuesday and Friday nights of every week, those that volunteer there, go on outreach to the bars to form and maintain relationships with the girls. They share about NightLight and invite the girls to come and be a part of it. At the present time they have approximately 80 girls who have said yes. Their lives now look like the following:
They are given full time employment as jewelry makers in exchange for their promise not to “dance.” The wage they are paid is large enough for them to support themselves. But, it’s about more than a job and income. With the position come new identities – business woman, artisan, designer! Other job perks: a large and nutritious lunch, child care, emergency shelter, and an afternoon a week of fun and games.
There is another new and wonderful identity not mentioned above that some acquire – Child of God! The Gospel is as much a part of NightLight as is the making of jewelry. Church is attended by all every morning. There is also mentoring and discipling – Jesus 101, Jesus 102, etc., and Purpose Driven Life. There is prayer ministry where deliverances and healings are common place. There are lives dedicated to the Lord and baptisms!
I must share about attending one of their church services. I was sitting towards the front of the church, with a majority of the girls sitting behind me. The service started with worship and I heard one of the loveliest sounds that I ever have – their sweet voices joined in praise to God. To think that at one time, out of their mouths came the sounds that accompany sex – their responses to men commanding them, “Say this to me. Tell me this.” And in the place of that – WORSHIP! The experience was similar to hear them recite together scripture. The Thai are normally a soft spoken people, but when they read aloud The Word, they READ ALOUD THE WORD! It was very moving. There is also a time during the service when they come together in the middle aisle to greet each other. There is at that time touching and giggling and overt joy. They are God’s little girls as was His original intent. Wrong made right. NightLight – a very bright light in the darkness.
NightLight makes quality jewelry for both men and women. There is jewelry intended to be beautiful and jewelry that declares the belief that people SHOULD NOT BE FOR SALE. Please consider NightLight for all your gift giving needs. Your purchase provides jobs for women and helps build Gods Kingdom. In addition, the comments you will receive when wearing it will provide an excellent opportunity to educate others about the injustice of sex trafficking of women and children. Please go to nightlightbangkok.com today!
I really did enter the Nana Entertainment District of Bangkok, and in one of the bars there, watched young girls, nearly naked, dance for the entirely white population (at the time I was there) of male patrons. I really did observe on their faces a leering desire as they watched the girls. I really did, watch a man pay a fee to the Mama-san allowing him to take the girl for the night. What did her night look like after leaving? Did he take her to a room where 5 men were waiting to rape and beat her? That’s not uncommon, nor is murder.
Young girls, each one lovingly knit together by her Maker in His image and for the purpose of displaying His glory. Where did it all go so wrong? I don’t know. But I do know now that it’s being made right. Because, I saw that also.
There is a business/ministry in Bangkok called NightLight that is reaching out to these girls. On Tuesday and Friday nights of every week, those that volunteer there, go on outreach to the bars to form and maintain relationships with the girls. They share about NightLight and invite the girls to come and be a part of it. At the present time they have approximately 80 girls who have said yes. Their lives now look like the following:
They are given full time employment as jewelry makers in exchange for their promise not to “dance.” The wage they are paid is large enough for them to support themselves. But, it’s about more than a job and income. With the position come new identities – business woman, artisan, designer! Other job perks: a large and nutritious lunch, child care, emergency shelter, and an afternoon a week of fun and games.
There is another new and wonderful identity not mentioned above that some acquire – Child of God! The Gospel is as much a part of NightLight as is the making of jewelry. Church is attended by all every morning. There is also mentoring and discipling – Jesus 101, Jesus 102, etc., and Purpose Driven Life. There is prayer ministry where deliverances and healings are common place. There are lives dedicated to the Lord and baptisms!
I must share about attending one of their church services. I was sitting towards the front of the church, with a majority of the girls sitting behind me. The service started with worship and I heard one of the loveliest sounds that I ever have – their sweet voices joined in praise to God. To think that at one time, out of their mouths came the sounds that accompany sex – their responses to men commanding them, “Say this to me. Tell me this.” And in the place of that – WORSHIP! The experience was similar to hear them recite together scripture. The Thai are normally a soft spoken people, but when they read aloud The Word, they READ ALOUD THE WORD! It was very moving. There is also a time during the service when they come together in the middle aisle to greet each other. There is at that time touching and giggling and overt joy. They are God’s little girls as was His original intent. Wrong made right. NightLight – a very bright light in the darkness.
NightLight makes quality jewelry for both men and women. There is jewelry intended to be beautiful and jewelry that declares the belief that people SHOULD NOT BE FOR SALE. Please consider NightLight for all your gift giving needs. Your purchase provides jobs for women and helps build Gods Kingdom. In addition, the comments you will receive when wearing it will provide an excellent opportunity to educate others about the injustice of sex trafficking of women and children. Please go to nightlightbangkok.com today!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A Glimpse at His Heart and Our Response
A Glimpse…
Picture this scene. An anxious father is sitting at the bedside of his frail, hospitalized child. The diagnosis has been made. The prognosis is not good. Through moistly clouded eyes, he watches her sleep. “She’s so small,” he thinks. “She’s just too small to be suffering the pain of tubes and needles and tests; too small to have to be confronting this malicious attacker. She should be playing instead of fearfully watching the doorway for who would come in next. It’s so unfair!” It is agonizing for him to witness and he wishes he could take her place. The tears roll down his cheeks as he prays, “God have mercy, God help. Please relieve her suffering. Please let her survive this. I can’t imagine living a life without her.”
Now, imagine a similar scene – this one recently shown to me by the Lord.
Another child lies sleeping in another place. This one is also small. This one also, instead of play, endures unjust daily pain, is abused by an evil enemy, and watches the doorway with fear. But, there are differences. This child’s room has no window to let in color or the light of day and her bed is neither clean nor soft. Her bed is a slab of stone levels below the earths’ surface and on it she is raped 20-30 times a day. She is a child sex slave. Her bedside companion stays near but she cannot see Him. It is Jesus. He loves her. He hurts for her and prays for her. He can’t imagine a life without her. And so, again, he retraces His steps to the doorway to see if we are coming. He doesn’t see us and so He cries out in desperation, his voice tear choked, pain ravaged, and hoarse from repetition, “Come find her! COME FIND HER!”
...at His Heart…
What kind of heart does that - draws willingly near to that degree of suffering and filth and remains, steadfast and faithful? His heart never gets hard as ours does. He never looks away like we do. He doesn’t medicate with the multitude of substances we have at our disposal to numb ourselves. He stays, eyes wide open to the horror, heart exposed to an agony we cannot imagine. We read in Psalm 139 that there is no place we can go where God is not, that He knows our every thought and sees our every move and we are made glad by it. We read in Psalm 34:18 that God is close to the brokenhearted and we are thankful. But do we ever stop to consider the price His heart pays for being Who He is?
The church must be about the cause of rescuing these children. This situation is everything the Lord tells us to war against. These victims are: children (Mark 9: 37, 42), innocent (Proverbs 6:17), weak and needy (Psalms 82:4), oppressed, hungry, poor, and naked (Isaiah 58: 6, 7, 9, 10), and they are broken hearted, held captive, in darkness, mourning, grieving and despairing (Isaiah 61:1-3).
We need to get them out for their sake, but we also need to be about getting them out for the sake of the heart of Jesus - OUR Jesus. We are His, but HE IS OURS (Solomon 2:16), and He is hurting.
…and Our Response.
He is calling. And, as Henry Blackaby said in his book, Experiencing God, “Gods revelation of His activity is an invitation for me to adjust my life to Him and join in His work.” How do we adjust our lives to Him? We pray. In Run with the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells us to “pray. Search for that center in which God’s will is being worked out (which is what we do when we pray) and work from that center.” And then, most amazingly, we have the apostle Paul telling us in 2 Corinthians 1:11, that our prayers are a real and actual part of the rescue operation!
And so, pray. Pray that the scene depicted in Exodus 14, when the waters flowed “back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen”, would be a visual example of our prayers flooding and covering this detestable and unacceptable situation.
Pray that the church would be united in this cause. (Philippians 2:2)
Pray that God would grow our faith in regards to Who He is and what He is able to do. When the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, God made it possible for them to walk out easily!
Pray for the deliverance of these children that they could have “bestowed 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… that they would be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Let us pray.
Picture this scene. An anxious father is sitting at the bedside of his frail, hospitalized child. The diagnosis has been made. The prognosis is not good. Through moistly clouded eyes, he watches her sleep. “She’s so small,” he thinks. “She’s just too small to be suffering the pain of tubes and needles and tests; too small to have to be confronting this malicious attacker. She should be playing instead of fearfully watching the doorway for who would come in next. It’s so unfair!” It is agonizing for him to witness and he wishes he could take her place. The tears roll down his cheeks as he prays, “God have mercy, God help. Please relieve her suffering. Please let her survive this. I can’t imagine living a life without her.”
Now, imagine a similar scene – this one recently shown to me by the Lord.
Another child lies sleeping in another place. This one is also small. This one also, instead of play, endures unjust daily pain, is abused by an evil enemy, and watches the doorway with fear. But, there are differences. This child’s room has no window to let in color or the light of day and her bed is neither clean nor soft. Her bed is a slab of stone levels below the earths’ surface and on it she is raped 20-30 times a day. She is a child sex slave. Her bedside companion stays near but she cannot see Him. It is Jesus. He loves her. He hurts for her and prays for her. He can’t imagine a life without her. And so, again, he retraces His steps to the doorway to see if we are coming. He doesn’t see us and so He cries out in desperation, his voice tear choked, pain ravaged, and hoarse from repetition, “Come find her! COME FIND HER!”
...at His Heart…
What kind of heart does that - draws willingly near to that degree of suffering and filth and remains, steadfast and faithful? His heart never gets hard as ours does. He never looks away like we do. He doesn’t medicate with the multitude of substances we have at our disposal to numb ourselves. He stays, eyes wide open to the horror, heart exposed to an agony we cannot imagine. We read in Psalm 139 that there is no place we can go where God is not, that He knows our every thought and sees our every move and we are made glad by it. We read in Psalm 34:18 that God is close to the brokenhearted and we are thankful. But do we ever stop to consider the price His heart pays for being Who He is?
The church must be about the cause of rescuing these children. This situation is everything the Lord tells us to war against. These victims are: children (Mark 9: 37, 42), innocent (Proverbs 6:17), weak and needy (Psalms 82:4), oppressed, hungry, poor, and naked (Isaiah 58: 6, 7, 9, 10), and they are broken hearted, held captive, in darkness, mourning, grieving and despairing (Isaiah 61:1-3).
We need to get them out for their sake, but we also need to be about getting them out for the sake of the heart of Jesus - OUR Jesus. We are His, but HE IS OURS (Solomon 2:16), and He is hurting.
…and Our Response.
He is calling. And, as Henry Blackaby said in his book, Experiencing God, “Gods revelation of His activity is an invitation for me to adjust my life to Him and join in His work.” How do we adjust our lives to Him? We pray. In Run with the Horses, Eugene Peterson tells us to “pray. Search for that center in which God’s will is being worked out (which is what we do when we pray) and work from that center.” And then, most amazingly, we have the apostle Paul telling us in 2 Corinthians 1:11, that our prayers are a real and actual part of the rescue operation!
And so, pray. Pray that the scene depicted in Exodus 14, when the waters flowed “back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen”, would be a visual example of our prayers flooding and covering this detestable and unacceptable situation.
Pray that the church would be united in this cause. (Philippians 2:2)
Pray that God would grow our faith in regards to Who He is and what He is able to do. When the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, God made it possible for them to walk out easily!
Pray for the deliverance of these children that they could have “bestowed 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… that they would be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Let us pray.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
For The Display Of His Splendor
ISAIAH 61: 1-3,7,10
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has annointed me
to preach good new 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,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, 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 call oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance;
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.
The Lord recently gave me a vision. It was of a dance recital, very much like the one many of us have attended in Tomahawk in the spring. There was a stage and dancing on it were young girls. You knew by the gleam in their eyes and the size of their smiles that they were living a long awaited moment. The pink on their cheeks and lips had been carefully applied. They wore feathery plumes of different colors in their specially styled hair. The bows on their shiny shoes matched the color of their dresses which were covered in sequins and glitter that sparkled in the spotlight shining on them. They knew they were beautiful. But, the moment would have been empty and meaningless without the presence of that special someone watching in the audience. For some, it is a grandparent. For others , a mom or an aunt. Many wonder, " Does he see me - my daddy - looking so pretty?" It was at that moment that God spoke. "They too need their recital." No other words were necessary. I knew who He meant. He was referring to the million plus little girls on a different stage - a very dark one. Their stage is a brothel and they are held prisoner there to be raped 20- 30 times a day for anothers profit. There are no bright colors there - only shades of gray. They are dirty, ashamed and full of despair. But, God wants to see them dance! Because they are loved by Him, made by Him and for His glory. Let us do all we can to set them free that they might dance before their daddy, clothed with garments of praise and robes of righteousness! A day in the Son! 0:20 AM 0 comments
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has annointed me
to preach good new 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,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn, 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 call oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance;
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.
The Lord recently gave me a vision. It was of a dance recital, very much like the one many of us have attended in Tomahawk in the spring. There was a stage and dancing on it were young girls. You knew by the gleam in their eyes and the size of their smiles that they were living a long awaited moment. The pink on their cheeks and lips had been carefully applied. They wore feathery plumes of different colors in their specially styled hair. The bows on their shiny shoes matched the color of their dresses which were covered in sequins and glitter that sparkled in the spotlight shining on them. They knew they were beautiful. But, the moment would have been empty and meaningless without the presence of that special someone watching in the audience. For some, it is a grandparent. For others , a mom or an aunt. Many wonder, " Does he see me - my daddy - looking so pretty?" It was at that moment that God spoke. "They too need their recital." No other words were necessary. I knew who He meant. He was referring to the million plus little girls on a different stage - a very dark one. Their stage is a brothel and they are held prisoner there to be raped 20- 30 times a day for anothers profit. There are no bright colors there - only shades of gray. They are dirty, ashamed and full of despair. But, God wants to see them dance! Because they are loved by Him, made by Him and for His glory. Let us do all we can to set them free that they might dance before their daddy, clothed with garments of praise and robes of righteousness! A day in the Son! 0:20 AM 0 comments
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)