Human Trafficking

In recent months, Prayer Watch and more recently, Shatter the Darkness have done shows on human trafficking. I'm not just jumping on their bandwagon, but want to help spread the word with you as some of you may not be familiar with either podcast.

I myself am no stranger to the topic. I did this as a research project in college, and have read local news articles that have addressed it.

The movie "Taken" with Liam Neeson was a dramatization of the industry. It was a gripping tale, and kept me tense throughout the entire film. You should see it as it contains a reasonably accurate look at the seedy underbelly of the trade of human flesh.

There is human trafficking in the USA, where i live. Recently, there were people suing for "whale rights" on account of the 14th amendment's disbandment of slavery in the USA. I wonder if they care about these people in sex slavery? Who is trying to help them?

Where are those who will speak for those being sold into sex slavery? Why indeed is the church silent on this topic?

I don't know that i have alot to say right now, other than we need to pray. For the victims and even for the perpetrators. God can work miracles to save those who are victims and can bring the perpetrators to repentence.

So what is human trafficking? It's exactly what it sounds like. People selling women and little children as sex slaves. The perps use drugs to keep the girls and other victims somewhat sedated while other perverts pay to have sex with them. Often times perpetrators are family or community members selling each other, or other people who have been trafficked themselves.

Some stats: http://shatterthedarkness.net/files/LIVE%20RADIO%20JAN%2030%20T%20FEB%203%202012%20HUMAN%20TRAFFICKING.pdf

These girls and other victims not only end up as sex slaves in apartments, basements, massage parlors and neighborhood brothels, but they also end up in strip clubs and pornography as well. If you struggle with porn, maybe this is a good time to look at the people in the videos as someone created in the image of God. "Love your neighbor as yourself" tells us that we should not see these people as sex objects for our pleasure, but as someone that Jesus Christ died for.

Jesus said:

Luke 4:18-19

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.


And here's some scripture on those oppress the poor. I would imagine this would include harming, using or abusing victims of sex trafficking.


Prov. 14:31

Anyone who oppresses the poor is insulting. God who made them. To help the poor is to honor God.


Matthew 25:35-36

For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and
you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.'

http://www.friendships.org/Scriptures.html


Christians, we need to bring this to God in prayer, then He will set these people free. We need to raise awareness, and in some cases even help those in need. There are organizations that help those coming out of sex slavery, see what your church can do to help those organizations in your area. Collect clothes, Bibles. Provide support. You'll have to find them in your area, but this might be a good place to start.

http://humantrafficking.org/organizations/348


Victims, Jesus Christ can heal you. Ask Him into your life, to take away the shame. He can do it. Ask Him to clean you of all the uncleanness, and any sins you may have committed. He loves you, He died for you. And He lives now and can heal you.


Perpetrators, it's not to late to stop, to repent and ask Jesus Christ to forgive you. He died for you too. But if you don't turn, if you don't stop trafficking your fellow humans, then He will have to judge you. Better to turn back now before it's too late. He can change you and show you a better way too. Perhaps He can use you to stop it.


Matthew 25:41-45

Then I will turn to those on my left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
demons. For I was hungry and you wouldn't feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn't give me anything to drink; a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' "And I will answer, 'When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me.'


For more information you can listen to Shatter's excellent look into this.


Episode 1

http://preemptionbroadcast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2012-01-30T16_19_29-08_00.mp3


2

http://preemptionbroadcast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2012-01-31T16_27_57-08_00.mp3


3

http://preemptionbroadcast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2012-02-01T16_20_11-08_00.mp3


4

http://preemptionbroadcast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2012-02-02T16_13_58-08_00.mp3


5

http://preemptionbroadcast.podomatic.com/enclosure/2012-02-03T21_36_00-08_00.mp3