There is this saying in the church, something I have heard all my life. “You have to shut the world out,” I would hear over and over. And, while I know what they mean and their intentions may be good, I think that this statement has bred fear in the church. Fear of sin.
We were never told to stay away from the world. In fact, we were always meant to be in it, to infiltrate it with a new culture, the Kingdom culture that Jesus brought when He came to this earth. When Jesus was here, He did not hide from sinners, afraid He might somehow get contaminated with their sin. He did the exact opposite. He went looking for sinners! He would walk into a town and look for the sinners, the broken, the hurting, and when He found them, things changed. Freedom came, sin fled, and people stepped into the identities they were always created to walk in.
See, love does not shut out. Love invites. There is no fear in love and so love doesn’t mind sitting in the dirt with the hurt and broken, the abused and the exploited. Love doesn’t mind being seen with the less reputable. Love seeks out such people.
We have been called to follow the more excellent way. That way, according to 1 Corinthians 12:31, is love. To follow something means we cannot stay standing where we are. Following indicates a movement that mimics the movement of another. While I do see Jesus frequenting temples in Scripture, I see Him frequenting the homes of sinners, hanging out with thieves, drunks, and adulterers, spending time with the poor and the hurting much more often. It wasn’t in temples that we see lives rocked by love. It was when Jesus was in the dark places that we saw the kind of love that would change everything. It’s when we see that even while we were His enemies, Jesus laid down His life for us that we come to true repentance.
This is the way I must follow. This is the way of love. Love does not hide; love invites.
To all of my supporters, I want to say a huge THANK YOU!! Without you, I could not have had the greatest six months I’ve ever known. I want to take a moment to update everyone on my plans going forward. I feel the Lord calling me to continue working with Wipe Every Tear and Adventures in Missions, bringing freedom and healing to women who are caught in the sex trade. Through prayer and counsel, I have decided to go to Gainesville, GA for a semester to participate in a training for missionaries called Center for Global Action. This training will provide much needed guidance in going forward toward my goal to be in full-time missions. Adventures in Missions is the ministry that does this training and I look forward to all that I will learn from this ministry. In order to participate in this training, I will need continual financial support. The program is $3,950.00 which includes all of my living expenses as well as any fees for the school for the three months. I would ask that you prayerfully consider continuing your partnership with the work God is doing. If you are not currently a partner, I ask that you prayerfully consider becoming one.
