We are in the midst of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and I’m compelled again today to pray for the lives of the 40,000 or so victims of modern-day slavery (i.e. sex trafficking) in the cities where these events are held. The World Cup is said to draw some 500,000 visitors from all over the world and it is well known among anti-trafficking groups that where massive sporting events take place, sex trafficking is rampant. The women and children involved in the forced prostitution there can expect to be raped between 10 and 30 times a night, and with so many visitors in one place, if you do the math you can see why these events are such a draw for traffickers.
Over the past few weeks many anti-trafficking groups, including our very own Exodus Cry, have taken to the streets of Johannesburg, Cape Town and many of the cities in South Africa. Blaire Pilkington, Exodus Cry’s director of philanthropy, and her team are there to pray, raise awareness and minister to girls and tourists wanting to buy sex in hopes that they can detour people from participating in this immoral industry and possibly rescue a few out.
“We’ve seen several women that have gotten rescued out of prostitution already….” says Pilkington in an update from their website. “We began ministering to the two ladies, telling them of the Lord’s love for them, His plan for their life… and the girls’ faces began to change as we talked, and they told us they were ready, they wanted out. We grabbed their hands and led them through the streets littered with clubs, pimps and prostitutes.”
Children are at the tip of the arrow when it comes to trafficking as the average age of those entering into sex trafficking is 12. An article by CTV News shares the story of a 15 year old named Maggie, who was able to escape after she had been captured. “There was this other guy looking good, then came to me and was like ‘I’m looking for people who want to do modeling,’” she recalled in Soweto, an impoverished Johannesburg neighborhood. “I said okay. I’m good for modeling and I can do it.”
Stories like these in foreign countries are far too common. But even in the U.S., according to the department of health and human services, we have more than 100,000 children who are involved in forced prostitution. Children need fathers and mothers like never before. What we are seeing today is prophecy fulfilled. The hearts of the fathers are NOT turned to the children today and because of this the children have turned their hearts away from the fathers. The fatherless generation that is being created in this world is setting the stage for the harlot babylon yet at the same time for the turning of the fathers’ hearts back to the children and for the return of Christ to the earth. In that moment we will see the finalization of our adoption take place and be together with our Lord forever.
Adoption IS the preventative measure for human trafficking. Adoption, in many cases, is a rescue operation that snatches children out of the hands of future traffickers. What the underground railroad was to slavery, adoption is to human trafficking and abortion.
For the Parker family and the little one we are adopting (rescuing)! July 25 is the RSVP date! Go ahead and get your tickets now and reserve your seat for the Parkers Adoption Fundraising Banquet in the Tallahassee area at the Golden Eagle Country Club. Invites are being sent out now, but if you haven’t got an invite, don’t be shy. We would love to host you for dinner, share our vision and drop some very exciting developments to you!
Stephanie and I will be speaking that night as well as few others. Please join us!
We will be serving a catered full course dinner at our Adoption Banquet and will be selling tickets to cover the cost of the dinner and raise money for our adoption.
You can RSVP and buy your tickets using the Paypal link below or by emailing me at adamparker@ihop.org.
You can choose at what level you’d like to partner with us in this adoption by purchasing one of the following tickets (tickets are per person to cover the cost of the dinner in addition to helping raise money):
To RSVP and buy your tickets by debit/credit click here:
I wrote this post last week for the Orphan Justice Center which you can find here, but I thought that many of you would also love to hear some of these practical ideas for caring for orphans that anyone can do. You don’t have to be working in an orphanage in a country that ends with “stan” to be someone who cares for orphans. You can do it right along with your busy schedule.
In America, the task of caring for orphans (which I define here as any young person who has lost their parents through death, abandonment, abuse or neglect) for the most part has been given over to the government and to some whose heart has been moved to action. Most Americans think that adoption is a great thing, but less than 4% of American families have actually adopted according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
In the scriptures we see over and over again God’s heart of justice for the fatherless and His command for all christians to care for orphans. However, much of the church in America has adopted a similar cultural norm of pushing this responsibility off to others and allowing the government to take the lead role.
So I thought I would give 10 easy ways to care for orphans in an ongoing way.
1. Pray for them
When you pray for orphans and for families who are adopting, you are partnering with God’s heart in such an incredible way. In Luke 18 Jesus says that those who cry out night and day will have “speedy justice.”
2. Partner Financially with the Parker Family
We are building a team of partners who want to see an adoption revolution. Our mission is to rescue, adopt and restore orphaned children and our partners are an integral part of making this happen. Click here to become a Partner with the Parker Family.
3. Give Finances to Adoptive Families
We have families in the OJC family who are currently adopting and you may also know families who are adopting. Adoptions range from $7,000 – $30,000 so it really does take a community to rescue a life. We are among many who are CURRENTLY RAISING FUNDS for Adoption. Click here to give towards our Adoption.
4. Help raise funds for Adoptive Families
The task of fundraising for adoption is a hurdle sometimes for adoptive families. Having people who will help raise those funds makes a huge difference for both the child and the family.
5. Give your time to help an adoptive family
At OJC we have people who are committed to giving their time and energy to help adoptive families. We call them FIA’s (Family Integration Advocates). They also give time and energy to training and becoming skilled in child development and caring for orphans who have come from less than optimal circumstances. You may have an organization that does this in a different way through mentoring or big brother / big sister. Either way, giving your time to care for a child can change their life forever. Click here for more information on becoming an OJC FIA >.
6. Volunteer 2-4 hours a week/month with a Organization that Helps Orphans
Many organizations that help orphans have ways that you can volunteer hours a week or hours a month. This can be anything from mowing a lawn, delivering food, helping with paperwork or providing respite care.
7. Volunteer to mow an adoptive families’ lawn
Don’t want to bother with an organization? Get involved yourself. Ask if you can mow a lawn, wash a car or help with a household project they are working on. Any amount of help you can give will go a long way for families who have adopted.
8. Sell unwanted household items on ebay and donate the proceeds
Again finances is an easy way to help, so find some unwanted household items… or even some valuable stuff and downsize! Donate that $50 you got from selling an end table or the $500 you got from selling that toolbox. Even a small gift goes a long way.
9. Ask your church to sponsor an orphan monthly or give towards an adoption.
Your church may already have adoption support on their radar, but if they don’t you can suggest it as a mission project! Saving the life of an orphan from an abusive, neglectful or abandoned situation will change their life forever. What better ongoing mission project than to get to the end of the year knowing your church has rescued x number of orphans!
10. Become an Adoptive or Foster Family
Consider becoming an adoptive or foster family. Visit an adoption agency or attend an adoption or foster care info meeting and find out more about adopting a child. You’ll find that adoption is easy. It’s not something that comes naturally, it may take some training and preparation and will stretch you like nothing else. But it’s putting one foot in front of the other and taking one step at a time. Adoption must be done and children need families, why not yours? Click here to find out more about becoming an OJC Family >.
You may or may not know this, but Stephanie and I recently brought 3 kids into our home. This has been such a roller coaster journey through the grand canyon and back, but well worth it. My wife is a champion Mom. She amazes me at how she is able to manage, encourage, and raise up 5 kids as well as teaching at the Daniel Academy AND homeschooling David and Manuel. She wrote a little about the last 6 weeks and I wanted to share that with you here.
Manuel, 6, Gerardo, 4 and Dana 2 came into our home 6 weeks ago. The beginning of their time here was very challenging. They weren’t used to structure or discipline or bedtime and those three things are huge parts of our family life. So, needless to say, the first couple of weeks held a lot of battle of wills. Overtime though the kids grew to not only obey our house rules, most of the time, but to actually enjoy the rules and the structure we have in place. They thrive on living within a schedule and we have seen much progress.
Manuel came to us very behind in school, but I have been homeschooling and he is making steady strides to catch up. He is also opening up and receiving our love more readily. Gerardo came to us hungry for attention and when we showered it upon he turned into this amazing outgoing little boy who is the life of the party, A.K.A our house. Dana was prone to many tempers in a day, but now her attitude is much more obedient and she is starting to really let her personality shine. She loves to be girly and often has a half dozen hair clips in her hair and gets very upset if she isn’t wearing her favorite shoes and dress. Unfortunately, the 4 boys have their G.I.Joe’s attack her doll house, so her girliness is often thwarted by the boys. David is loving being the oldest. He is trying hard to be an example and all the kids are lucky to have him for a big brother. Noah, who has always been super social, has taken it to another level with these kids. He is loving the interaction with all his brothers and sister. Life to him is one big play date. Not everything is perfect and easy taking in 3 kids and going to a family of 5 overnight, but the positive far outweigh the negative and we love having these children in our home!
One of the ministries here (Exodus Cry) at the IHOP-KC missions base is and has been in production of a full-length documentary on Human Trafficking from a perspective that has not yet been seen. Many of us have seen the Human Trafficking movie that aired on television as well as the Feature Film Taken that brought the issue to even more audiences, although a little glamorized and a little hollywood flare added for dramatic affect. However, most have not seen the slavery that is going on in the world as this documentary will unveil.
I was able to experience first hand the injustice that is happening in Southeast Asia on a missions trip to Thailand and Cambodia last summer. This film will bring into the light the many injustices that have been in the darkness for so long. Check it out.
Christmas has passed, our annual Onething conference is over and 2009 has finally come to an end. It’s hard to believe but the new year has started whether I was ready for it or not. Life on the missions base here in Kansas City is getting back to semi-normal; that is if we can get through all of this snow and negative degree temperatures that have been plaguing this city for the past few weeks.
Our awakening services have began again and we are continuing to see God move on the hearts of people. I love this stuff. I love hearing the testimonies of people who were bound by addictions, wrong mindsets and so many other things testifying of the power of God on their lives in setting them free.
Even at our Onething conference, which drew over 20,000 people this year, we saw so many set free from wrong mindsets, self-hatred, a spirit of fear, religious spirits, depression, suicide, and anxiety bringing joy and freedom, a greater love for the Word, and a passion for Jesus and souls. In addition, in the last 2 months or so we have had more than 900 salvations and baptisms.
God is on the move. He is up to something. We have also seen the convergence and greater partnership between Toronto Vineyard, Bethel Church, YWAM, Urbana and the Call2All with IHOP-KC in the last 2 months. My soul is stirred with a greater passion for the Word, a desire to intercede for others to make wrong things right and give myself to doing His works of justice for those who are oppressed.
I know many of you joined with us at the Onething conference online as we had more than 25,000 viewers over the web. I want to encourage you to continue to join us for the awakening services every Wed – Sat at ihop.org or on GodTV. But more so, that you would press deeper into the Word and intercession for others; that you would carve out more time in each day to pray, to be in the Word and to give yourself to works of justice.
“Therefore… I beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1)
“ 7 Now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night…? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily.” (Lk. 18:7-8; NAS)
God ties intercession as essential to the breaking in of justice for those in need. This justice comes in partnership between Jesus and His people. There is a mystery and a majesty of intercession that we must seek revelation on. In intercession we basically tell God what He tells us to tell Him and He does the rest. This is how He has chosen to operate His kingdom; in partnership with His people. It is profoundly simple, seemly weak in the world’s eyes, yet accessible to all.
When we as God’s workers, do works of justice out of a place of intimacy with Jesus we are positioned to be energized to love God and people far better than if we tried in our own strength. God has chosen to use the things that men consider weak (i.e. prayer and fasting) to triumph over evil. “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood when we pray, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness… in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12). Thus, we are contending for power to confront the demonic forces behind injustice. Power to heal the sick is far better than only helping the sick with care or finances.
Through intercession we are united to God’s heart for the people and the places we pray for. Love is expressed in a practical way through intercession that releases deliverance to those in need.
“11 You also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” (2 Cor. 1:11)
“19 This will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer…” (Phil. 1:19)
We must have a vision for justice in our prayer life and our prayer meetings. Let us pray always, not lose heart and stand in confidence that God will give speedy justice to those who cry out night and day.
Once you have started your prayer meeting and you have a few weeks, months or even a year under your belt, how do you sustain it? How do you keep your prayer meeting going week after week? How do you fuel people to keep the fire burning? You must have vision, and your vision must be fueled by the message.
Most people will try anything once, but there must be a vision for something greater than yourself, greater than your meeting in order to sustain your prayer meeting over years. Your vision must transcend your own ability to accomplish goals, yet also be clear enough for people to wrap their mind around and get behind.
Your vision must also be founded up on the message. Here at IHOP-KC we have determined 4 primary pillars that fuel everything that we do. These 4 pillars are intimacy with Jesus, intercession, end-times, and justice. The messages that come out of IHOP-KC will fall into one of these categories and the direction that we are headed is filtered through these as well.
I have found even in my personal life that setting these 4 areas as a foundation for personal devotion, bible study and setting up an action plan for the Word has catapulted my time with God. My encouragement to you is to make your vision personal. Give yourself, your time and your energy to your vision in a personal way, not just for “your ministry.” Let the vision God has given you be your guide regardless of if you “have a ministry” that is leading others. Once you have a vision, get an action plan for the Word based on your vision and begin to unpack the layers of that vision. You can’t sell others on your vision if you are not sold yourself.
One of the most provocative and revealing documentaries is soon to be coming out of the IHOP-KC Missions Base and will be released in 2010. IHOP-KC’s human trafficking ministry called Exodus Cry is currently filming a documentary called “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls.” They have been to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Chiisinau, Prague, and most recently San Jose, Costa Rica.
The goal is to finish filming in January of 2010 for a hopeful release date in the summer. They still have to travel to locations throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as Nigeria, Israel, Dubai, India, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. Once the film is finished they plan on launching a global awareness and prevention campaign. Please keep them in prayer as a project of this magnitude is truly unprecedented.
You can find out more information by visiting the following links:
Those who know me know that a few weeks ago I returned from 3 weeks in Thailand and Cambodia. We spent time there in ministry in the red light districts of Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand as well as visiting an amazing organization in Poipet, Cambodia. We talked with girls in the bars of Nana, Patpong and Walking Street as well as did video interviews with people from all over the world from the Netherlands to the UAE to Australia.
My hope is that this will fuel your fire for intercession, provide greater insight to the problem of human trafficking and cause you to rejoice in the fruit of your prayers and all of you who supported me on this journey.
Manuel, 6, Gerardo, 4 and Dana 2 came into our home 6 weeks ago. The beginning of their time here was very challenging. They weren’t used to structure or discipline or bedtime and those three things are huge parts of our family life. So, needless to say, the first couple of weeks held a lot of battle of wills. Overtime though the kids grew to not only obey our house rules, most of the time, but to actually enjoy the rules and the structure we have in place. They thrive on living within a schedule and we have seen much progress.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed
