Sunday, May 13, 2012

Testimony of Faithfulness

    So, for the past few months I have been on one long and wild mission.  It was a journey of great joy, rough times, and some sorrows.  I have been working with Exodus Cry , an anti-human trafficking organization.  I was asked to lead a team around the central United States to bring Awareness to the issue of sex slavery, by speaking about, and screening the film Nefarious, Merchant of Souls .  Our purpose was to expose the crisis of this great injustice, and bring awareness to colleges, church's, and houses of prayer.  We were nearly in a different city, and venue every night. We took the I-35 route which covered most of Texas all the way up to Minnesota. We dubbed our tour route Isaiah 35.  So we took Isaiah 35:8 as our mandate.

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness: Isaiah 35:8

 In the midst of the tour, though through many victories and defeats at times, Director Benjamin Nolot said to us  "The very nature of a "screening tour" is rough and ugly, but often the most precious things in life are birthed in a manger."

There was much weight to this statement at that time, but there is much hope as well.  Many things came up in my heart as I was trying to lead a team, but more importantly, was trying to love the team that I was leading.  This film is such a witness to who Jesus is and the power of His love, that I knew there would be much opposition against us.  The way things came up between me and my team to bring us at odds, and the way things came up at the screenings to prevent the film from being seen.  Oh,  I have so many stories.  One is, that along the way one of my team members father passed away on our trip, it was hard to let her go seeing that  we would be left short handed.  We knew it would be hard, but when you have a mission from the Lord, it is ignorant to think that He will not give the grace needed to press on at all cost.  It was the reality of 2 Corinthians 12:9 that Paul faced. 

But He said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

There were times when I was so tired and felt so oppressed by all the attacks from the enemy, that I could barely walk up to the stage to speak. And when I even got up there, I had not idea what I was going to say after the film to help people respond to it.  I needed help myself.  There was times when I was speaking to Leaders of the city, State Senators, State Representatives, and church leaders.   But as I was faithful to stand and know that I didn't need to know what I was going to say, because the Lord was going to speak through me.  And well, He did just that.  So many times people said, that was an amazing response, when I had no clue what I even said.  So much of the christian walk has nothing to do with what you can accomplish, but everything to do with what you can be faithful too.  I mean from the rising of the sun unto is going down the name of the Lord shall be praised, is a direct testimony of God's faithfulness to creation.  Even when it is cloudy and stormy behind that dark veil is the witness of His faithfulness no matter if you can see the sun or not.  

In the midst of this tour, there was much overcast.  There were even periods of time that it always seemed overcast.  But I wanna tell you about the Son that shines after the storm roles through. W e had many hard times especially in Texas, and we also also spoke with many Senators and State Reps. there.  We implemented what is called the Swedish style of Legislation.  The legislation states that NO longer should the women in prostitution be treated as criminals but as victims of a grotesque crime against humanity.  And within that the traffickers, pimps, and Johns ( Buyers of prostitutes) are severely prosecuted.  Well after we stormed through Texas and Oklahoma this article came up:
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April 27, 2012
40 arrested human trafficking sweep
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — U.S. immigration officials say 40 people have been arrested in Oklahoma and Texas as part of a nationwide investigation into human trafficking that led to 637 arrests nationwide.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokes-man Carl Rusnok in Dallas said Thursday that 25 were arrested in Dallas, 12 in Oklahoma City and three in the Dallas suburb of Carrollton as part of an investigation called “Project Nefarious” that began in February.

The ICE office in Dallas covers all of Oklahoma and 128 counties in northern Texas. — AP
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Note the name of the investigation "Project Nefarious".   After all that was endured, it seemed that with much faithfulness there is much fruit.  Bearing fruit never comes easy and takes a lot of hard work and pruning to bear good fruit.

 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  John 15:2

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