"Satan is so much more in earnest than we are-- He buys up the opportunity while we are wondering how much it will cost." -Amy Carmichael
But is that it though??
What about sitting at the bar with the prostituted woman, asking her about the child she never gets to see, because she feels she has to work at this bar to support her family?
Have you ever felt the need to share a Coke with a ladyboy as you try to shout over the rap music about the God who created them?
Have you ever imagined watching your friend wave goodbye to you as she leaves with the man who purchased her for the evening?
Sex slavery is real. You know that. You've heard the stories, watched the videos that brought tears to your eyes. But is that it?? Is that all that we, as Christians, think we can do? Pray someone helps them and put an X on our hand on a certain day to spread awareness? Do we really think this alone will accomplish anything??
That is a lie. A lie straight from Satan.
Christians, something must be done. Action must be taken. These people are BOUND by darkness. Not only are they being sold for their bodies, they are worshipping very evil things. Evil things that have such a strong hold on their hearts and minds that they fear to break free from it. Do we realize that by us only helping out in the easy, comfortable, convenient ways that people are dying and going to HELL??
These people will never receive freedom, earthly OR spiritually, unless God's people will go to them. Go into the bars. Go to the places they are prostituted. Become friends with the prostitute.
It's so hard. Trust me, my heart has never experienced such anger and hurt. My soul is in anguish because of the vast lostness of these people. Because of the men who use these women for evil.
But don't think it takes some super Christian to do something like this. Don't think God is looking for the perfect, bravest, super-est Christian He can find. I am NOT cut out for this. I've only been to a party with alcohol once in my entire life, and I didn't even try any of it. I suck at starting conversations with random people, especially if they're different than me. If my comfort zone was New York City, then bar hopping would be located somewhere around Mexico. I don't really have anything in common with these people except one thing- I also have a desperate need for a Savior. The only important difference between me and them is that I just happen to already know the Savior.
Doing this type of ministry is so hard, and honestly I don't feel comfortable doing it. I feel like I'm so out of place. But, God didn't call us to the easy life. He didn't call us to a life we're good at. He didn't even call us to a life we like.
And it doesn't really seem right for a Christian to bar hop with the prostitutes, and shoot pool with them in the bars--right? That would look bad, wouldn't it? Be a tainted witness??
Wrong. That's exactly what Jesus would do. Exactly what He did do.
Church, I challenge you to get uncomfortable. Think about these people that have no hope, but are desperately searching for it. But, don't only think of the prostitutes. Think of the normal, everyday people. The people all over the world worshipping Buddha, their ancestors, nature, Allah, or the people that are so hopeless they worship nothing. Who will show them?? Who will go to them and show them the unending hope found in Christ??
In this type of work, the harvest is so plentiful, but the workers are so, so few. Would you be willing to "stop putting an X on your hand" and get up and go--to the prostitutes, monks, atheists--and tell them of the Savior who died for them? Because until we're okay with being uncomfortable and doing the hard things, these people will continue to die and go to Hell.
I'm not asking you if you feel "called" to do this. I am saying that God gave the command to go a couple thousand years ago [See Matthew 28; also the whole Bible]. Once we are His child, our desire should become the desires He shows us are His in the Bible. What I'm asking is this: Are you willing to count the cost (which are great) so that God's will to reach the nations can be done? Do we think Hell is a bad enough place and God is a worthy enough God to stop simply LOOKING at what the cost are, and just be willing to do what it takes--no matter the difficulty, uncomfortableness, or the cost? It's time to WAKE UP church! Let's stop mumbling the Gospel amongst ourselves over and over at home. Let's get out, away to far away lands, and get the Gospel spread to EVERY nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Because until we see the emergency and desperate need to reach these people with the Truth, Jesus will not come back. He promised he wouldn't come until "this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all [people groups/languages] and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14). This will not happen for a very long time unless we followers of Christ get going to the people who haven't heard yet.
Are you ready to stop living the easy life and start living the crucified life Christ desires for us to live?? Let's reach the nations. Let's get uncomfortable.
-Kristi