Highly Recommend Nefarious:Merchant of Souls as a must-see film on human trafficking

You must watch Nefarious: Merchant of Souls because of the excellence of the film as well as the message. Nefarious is a documentary that doesn’t hold back, there is no political agenda only kingdom hope: that is Jesus. They have traveled all over the world documenting human trafficking in Israel, Las Vegas, Cambodia, India, Thailand, Amsterdam, Sweden,  Costa Rice and many others. This isn’t a trite group of 20-somethings high on some proverbial issue with a rink-a-dink camera and their parent’s money. This is a group of professional cinematographers, writers, producers that have a deep passion for excellence in film. This documentary took over 2 years to create.

While watching this documentary you can’t help but feel scandalized by the secrets hidden in darkness in these countries. Why do so many governmental officials accept bribes and pay-offs at the exploitation of the innocent. Benjamin Nolot steps behind the veil of the sex trade and pulls back the fraudulent ideas and schemes of greedy pimps. He asks the hard questions to pimps and human trafficking survivors alike all with a father-like sensitivity. It isn’t his curiosity that causing Nolot to search out the shrouded stories of sex slavery, it’s the insatiable and necessary answers to the truth of the abject occurrences in young men and women’s lives all at the hands of oppressors.

This isn’t a phase of pseudo-justice film-making, this is lasting truths, real stories, undeniable testimonies and the hope of Jesus Christ. What I love most about the film is that you aren’t left feeling hopeless. This isn’t about raising awareness (although that is needed). It is about appealing to a higher court than even the Supreme Court, it is to enter into the heart of the Father that daily looks upon injustice and weep with Him. Tangible tools are given at the end: prayer and to become an incurable fanatic. This Wilberforce quote , If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large. Is poignant to the film, brilliant really to begin entering into one of the beauties of humanity, and that is to help another. To reach out and grab hold of one who needs to be taken in, nurtured, loved and cared for.

Nefarious is a must-see film. Really, you must buy it. You must view it. Even if you don’t agree with the teachings of Jesus, I believe that you will find hope when watching this film, allow yourself to believe that which bears witness to your heart’s cry. Listen all the way through the facts, gorgeous cinematographer, well-versed narration and to the end where testimonies from former prostitutes and recognize the hope found now in their eyes. 


Buy the film: http://exoduscry.com/store
Become an Incurable Fanatic.

Prayers to Strengthen the Inner (Wo)Man

Help me, Holy Spirit, to cultivate the hidden person of my heart, the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. (1 Peter 3:4)

I want to keep Christ at the center, that love for Christ would be perfected in my relationships, that we might have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)

Let me remind my friends that they are no longer slaves but sons, and if a son, than an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)

Help me, Jesus, to have self-control, to not be idle, wandering from house to house, and not only idle but also a gossip and busybody, saying things which I ought not. (1 Timothy 5:13)

I set my heart to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares me, that I would run with endurance, the race set before me, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. (Hebrews 12:1,2)

I need grace to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word…to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only. (James 1:21,22)

Keep me as a faithful steward of the mysteries of God. (1 Corinthians 4:1)

Remind me, Holy Spirit, that all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

I long to love well, to suffer long and be kind, to not envy, parade myself or be puffed up. I set my heart to not behave rudely, seek my own, think any evil. I do not want to rejoice in iniquity, but rejoice with the truth. Help me, Holy Spirit, to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. (1 Corinthians 13)


Above all, I want to have fervent love for Christ, for love will cover a multitude of sins, to be hospitable, without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8,9) 

Remembrance

Never forget to remember, paradoxical isn't it? But really, don't forget to remember. Remembrance is the beautiful memory of what once was. It is the strength in the storm, the calm in the midst of seemingly precarious moments.

I remember Jesus' mercy. I remember how He never quit calling my name. Over and over again He chased me down, He never gave up on me. I remember how He won my heart, those gentle cords of loving kindness brought me to repentance. 

Remembrance keeps me steady, I can stand on the Rock that is higher because He's already proven Himself faithful and He's sure to remain. 

There is hope for I remember that Jesus promised that He would rule and reign over wickedness. The day of vengeance is in His heart, Jesus remembers injustice done to me. Because He never forgets, neither will I.

O sweet Restorer of my soul

Takes the broken and makes it whole

My dark heart You call lovely

Seeing past the insecurity

This God of love

Misunderstood for He is far above

Forgetful man cannot erase

The perfect Man dying in my place

And so to my Beloved I promise

To remember to keep this

Act of mercy always before me

God, cursed, on a tree

True Simplicity

There’s a strong force in my will coming up against a sliver of a desire in my heart for humility. This force beckons me to seemingly better things. It taunts and tantalizes my senses with false promises of increased happiness. The thing is, I’m so used to it that I unwittingly succumb to its powers. It’s the teasing of unrequited, potential treasures found in the upgrade. Yes, the ability to upgrade.

And it’s everywhere. I can’t escape it. While it is permissible, at times, it is not beneficial especially with the pursuit of being conformed to Christ is taking place. Simply enough, the tangible efforts to better my surroundings, meal times, communication and overall happiness are in the balance.

For example, if my engaged roommate’s wedding date arrives surely I should call dibs on the bigger and better room available. Or if I’m enjoying a delicious bread bowl of soup, certainly a dollar upgrade to enjoy a sugary treat is acceptable anytime. Oddly enough, should my cell phone features after two years of faithful service become stunningly antiquated a slight fee will, yes, upgrade me to the up-to-date options available to the rest of the west. If suddenly I’m making six figures instead of five, I can finally move out of middle class suburbia and upgrade to a house by the lake. If a burst of increases comes an upgrade to a fifteen inch Mac Pro is obvious so that I can ditch the dinky ten inch net book I’ve been embarrassingly carting around.

But should I give in? Should I indulge every single desire of opportunity that passes before my eyes? If my wages increase, should my standard of living also rise? There’s so many options, so many opportunities. Upgrades are ingrained in our culture. Sometimes it isn’t even an option, but an obvious.

The rich increase their wealth while the poor remain stricken. Churches close their doors for lack of funding while bars and clubs continually re-open with remodeled interiors.

Simplicity is missing. Choosing to bypass the upgrade and remain with the initial decision isn’t foolishness. You may disagree, but God doesn’t. For in fact, should wages increase so should giving extravagantly to the poor and needy in the name of Jesus.

It’s not one size fits all either. Simplicity is based upon a case by case, calling by calling basis. Yet it needs to be regarded as important. The decision to buy the new, trendy kitchen table or keep the old, sturdy and reliable one is proposed or give the excess money to a missionary in need.

Knowing that this life is but a vapor. It’s only seventy years, eighty by strength. The treasure acquired here will not last, it becomes rust, eaten by moths and stolen by envious thieves. Sow into what truly lasts, the Spirit. Give unto what is much greater than an invitation to better oneself. Make choices that no one else may see, but what the Lord shall one day reveal in front of many. Small acts that separate salt and light from plain and dark.

Creation's Mystery

On my flight to Denver I just saw one of the most, if not the most, beautiful movements of creation in my life. As the plane ascended into the sky, passing through layers and layers of clouds there seemed to be a break. To my left, out of the window, a dark, deep crevice-like shape forming in the midst of soft white clouds. Yellow light slowly streamed through the midst of the center. For how large it was I do not know; however, it revealed to me mystery.


If God were like a cloud, then I’d picture a fluffy, friendly puff. If God were like the eye of a storm, then I’d picture havoc, chaos, madness and beauty.

What I just saw moments ago, took my breath away. Never before has creation ever fascinated and moved my heart as such. Most likely because the 21st century is so inundated with knowledge we have yet to experience, but are familiar with through pictures and video of someone else’s adventures into the far off reaches of the natural world. Now while we may love the advancements of technology and the like, our own fascination with the unknown hardly exists. This renders our ability of sense to become static. The sense of wonder lost in the abyss of information overload.

As I read through stories of the saints of old captivated by the stars in the night, I cannot understand the overwhelming awe they emote. I don’t have to wonder how they got there or what exactly what they are, my third grade teacher already told me, why search it out? Imagine that, a nine year old already seemingly jaded by the earth that was meant to give witness to Someone so other than. But science has explained it away and creation because obvious.

What if the sense of wonder came back? What if the answer to every question was available in mere seconds? What if the lust of man could no longer be satisfied in a matter of moments? It makes me wonder if families would be far more interactive with one another rather than their TVs. If instant gratification ceased to exist, attention to the here and now might occur.

If one glimpse of one untapped region of cloud formations provoked my heart to search out mystery, imagine if an entire generation became gripped with the beauty of Jesus; the mystery of godliness.

Jesus, the picture of love that so offends the world. Dying for love. Sacrificing self to the ones who most deserved punishment. Jesus is the name the world mocks. Half the time most don’t even know why they scoff at this blessed name. Jesus is offensive because it’s an exchange of all for all. Eternal life exchanged for temporal obedience through love. He never forces. Arms wide open and heart exposed waiting to see if just one may voluntary choose love. It is a sacrifice to lay aside every dream and desire, allowing another to give guidance. Man thinks he is the highest form of wisdom, every person does this. For example, we’re annoyed when another tells us what to do and they have no authority to give such a word. But He holds authority, after all He formed and fashioned everything we know into existence.

Every person is a soul. Every person has an eternal destiny. It’s written on the inside of us. Even if questions are asked and answers given so quickly, it’s all in vain to try and cover up the biggest question in the heart: what is the purpose of life?

I won’t answer it for anyone, it must be searched out. However, the question begs being asked.

The Price for the Prostitute

Today I began my first day at Exodus Cry: the Prayer Movement to End Human Trafficking. My new co-workers genuinely exemplify a deep burden of injustice of the issue of sexual slavery in this day and time. Not only do they commit to excellence in the workplace, but also loving one another well out of the overflow of wells of revelation of the Father’s desire for them. By a simple six hour time span I had become convicted by my immense lack of compassion for those steeped in the atrocity of human trafficking and my helplessness apart from God to see a solution.

Max Lucado proposes 25 questions for Mary, Jesus’ mother, in his book, “God Came Near.” Question number sixteen reads, “What do you think He thought when He saw a prostitute offering to the highest bidder the body He made?”

My mind was thinking of this tonight as I asked the Lord to encounter me afresh with His burden over the injustice of human trafficking in this world and the perverse lust of my culture. There are said to be calculated some 20 million slaves in the world; uncalculated 200 million and eighty percent are sex slaves. Pornography, the gateway into the selling of bodies, grosses over 200 billion dollars a year. Truly, truly an epidemic is on our hands and blindness on our eyes.

I asked Him, what did You feel as You watched a prostitute sell her body to the highest bidder? Surely You had countless times, share with me how You felt. His answer: I was the one who paid the highest price for her body, no man can possibly out bid Me in My zeal and passionate desire that she may forever be near and for her heart to accept My love voluntarily.

No righteous man, no wicked man can outbid Jesus. False justice will not truly rescue a woman out of her depravity, even if an organization physically brings her out of chains only Jesus can set her free. No wicked man can possibly win the soul of a woman, prostituted or not.

That’s what it’s all about: Jesus paying the price. It’s not about what can man do in his own striving to liberate captives. There is One greater who has set captivity captive because of His anointing by the Father to give beauty for ashes and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

It comes by the blood of the Lamb slain for the transgressors; mocking, beating, bruising, marring Him beyond recognition. It comes by the innocent Man in whom no deceit was found in His mouth, only intercession for the transgressors that they may be with Him in paradise.

No evil thought entered His mind over the ones driving steel into flesh, only prayers supplicated to His Father. The highest price paid for each prostitute to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence to find help in their times of need.

This is the answer. Jesus Christ the Deliverer of the slave. Savior to the sick. Redeemer of the sinner. Husband of the unfaithful. Judge over injustice.

No man can match or outbid the price that Jesus has laid upon every head of every prostitute mandated to flaunt herself to the lusts of the streets of Las Vegas, Mumbai, Rio de Janero or London. The beauty is that she is not found in shame before God, but accepted as a daughter with full rights to the kingdom of heaven.

The Glory of Humility

Humility on earth is possible for a few reasons. The first being that God Himself became man, in and of itself is a vast expanse of humility to search out. The second is that humility is only possible if one is set on eternity, on eternal riches. The third, a strong, man-pleasing will. The last, supernatural help from the Spirit.


Lowliness isn’t limited in that it begs insecurity, it’s confidence. Meekness isn’t weakness, but rather control over the impulses of the flesh. The way to humility is to study the life of Jesus and how He embodies humility, depths can be searched out simply through the fact that Creator became creation. There is such an empowering to be humble, after all God beautifies the humble, why would He expect it to be perfected in the flesh? The Helper comes to reveal the true nature.

In Sermon on the Mount the meek inherit the earth, in part now but in fullness in the age to come. All of the beatitudes have partial fulfillment now, but will see the true blessedness when the veil is lifted between God and man. There is hope to walk humbly before God. Real belief of the meaning of life and the purposes that follow are needed, which are only found in the Man Christ Jesus.

Jesus was well aware of His former glory, of His role as King forever while walking among man in Jerusalem, yet not once did He boast of it. Not once did He stop the men who beat Him because of the immense power He possessed. He remained humble, never attaining it for it is who He is. It’s okay to feel the tension of this scandalous truth; God becoming man and producing a back to be beaten in order that humanity may be brought near. Again, it is such a vast and deep subject that should be discussed with the Lord in deep, prayerful communion in the Word.

I just want to offer the reality that this mind of humility needs to be in the Church, just as it was in Christ Jesus. Do not lookout for self, but for the interest of others. God never once demanded that He be honored, understood or viewed rightly as He was manifested in the flesh. He embraced a lifestyle in which everyone underestimated Him.

If Jesus is the pearl of great price then surely it’s worth it to store up my treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves can’t break in and steal it. Earthly wealth, man’s praise, riches, all of it fades away. But the Lord strengthens the weak and beautifies the humble. Why worry about the reputation that man has? It’s not the actually evaluation of identity and value given anyways. Humility is where it’s at, not insisting on fairness and rights. Not demanding fame and acclaim.

The Servant of all rulers, the One who comes up under the government on His shoulders rather than lording His power over it. For he who is greatest among shall be the servant, whoever desires to be first shall be the slave. Slavery isn’t a choice, bondservants choose.