Everywhere we go we are in relationship with other
people—at home, at work, at church. Being involved in good
relationships is one of the things that makes our lives enjoyable. But
in order to experience the fullest potential they have to offer, we
must build them on a strong foundation.

I have discovered that the strongest foundation for good
relations is love. Jesus said, “By this shall all [men] know that you
are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love
among yourselves]” (John 13:35, AMP).

As we learn to
walk in love in our relationships, we can give up our fight to be
right, become a good student of others and discover the best approach
in dealing with people in any situation.

The Foundation for Good Relations

I used to feel as if I was fighting the devil from
daylight till dark, seven days a week. One morning about 11 years ago I
discovered that the primary reason for my struggle was that I wasn’t
walking in love.

My husband, Dave, and I had just returned from doing a
conference. We went to McDonald’s to have some coffee and read our
mail. Both of us were very tired.

When I’m tired, I like to sit in the sun to be revived.
But in order to sit in the sun, we needed to sit in one of the booths
near the windows, and by the time we arrived, there was only one left.
So Dave said, “You go get the booth, and I’ll go get the coffee.”

As I started walking, I saw out of the corner of my eye a
little old man heading for the same booth. I stepped up my pace a bit
and beat him to it. Fortunately, he knew the lady who was sitting in
the booth right behind us and asked if he could sit with her.

She answered, “Yeah, you can sit here. She beat you to it, huh?”

The worst part of the story is that the man was crippled.

God convicted me right then and there. “Aren’t you cute?”
He asked me. “Here you are, a born-again, baptized-in-the-Holy-Ghost
preacher, in the middle of teaching an ‘anointed’ series on love, and
you’re racing a crippled man for the last seat at McDonald’s!”

This incident helped me realize that I wasn’t walking in
love. True love prefers other people and allows them to go first. Love
will let somebody else have something, even if it’s the last one
available. Love is not self-seeking (see 1 Cor. 13:5).

In order to truly walk in love, we must get our minds off
ourselves and focus on others and their needs. We can have bumper
stickers, Jesus pins, teaching tapes and countless Christian books, but
if the people we come in contact with can’t see love in our actions,
our claim to be “Christian” is of little value.

Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Clothe yourselves therefore, as
God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are]
purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on
behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly
opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] above all
these [put on] love.”

The only way that we can put on love is by choice. Just
as our clothes don’t jump off the hangers and onto our body, love
doesn’t just jump out of the Bible and into our character. We must
choose to put it on every day; this is our part. But God is the One who
gives us the strength to walk it out.

First Thessalonians 5:23-24 tells us it is the God of
peace Himself who sanctifies and separates us from profane things—such
as the tendency to be selfish and self-centered. Through the power of
the Holy Spirit living in us, we have the ability to carry out Christ’s
commandment to love one another.

Don’t Fight to Be Right

One way to express our love for others is to be a
peacemaker. The Bible says that we are to live in peace with everybody.
“Be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace, and
[then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love,
and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will
be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11).

A person who is living in peace is one who has given up
the fight to be right. Years ago I found it difficult to be this kind
of person. I always had to have the last word, and I always had to be
right.

Dave and I would fight over some of the most ridiculous
things you can imagine. For example, we would watch a movie on
television and fight over who the actors were. It seemed to me that
Dave thought half the men on television were Henry Fonda, and it made
me so angry I couldn’t stand it.

We would go to church every Sunday, rush home and fight
over the couch, and then watch movies and argue about who the actors
were. One night while we were arguing, I heard the Holy Spirit say to
me, “Joyce, if Dave lives his whole life and comes to heaven thinking
that the person in the movie was Henry Fonda, it really doesn’t matter.”

Wow! What a revelation.

It’s hard to believe I made such a big deal over such
insignificant things for so many years! But usually it is the little
issues in our relationships that cause the most problems.

The Bible says “the little foxes…spoil the vineyards [of
our love]” (Song 2:15). We need to stop making a big deal out of little
things. There are enough big concerns to deal with.

I thank God for the peace Dave and I have in our home and
in our relationship now. Every once in a while a conflict will come up.
When it does, we confront the issue in love and come to a resolution so
we can go on in peace. As you and I commit our relationships to the
Lord, He will give us the grace to learn to let go of the little things
and experience more of the joy He died to give us.

Seek to Be a Student of Others

Once you and I begin to walk in love and give up the
fight to be right, we can be more in tune with the needs of others.
Learning to discern others’ needs constituted a major breakthrough in
my life. Like many people, I had a tendency to give others what I
needed instead of what they needed.

A number of years ago, my husband invited me to play a
game of golf with him. He was not playing well that day, and after he
had hit a couple of bad shots, I put my hand on his back, patted him
and said, “It’ll be all right.”

Dave didn’t appreciate my expression of encouragement. He
took my hand, moved it and said: “Don’t do that. I don’t like you doing
that. I’ll be fine.”

I was offended by his response. I got out of the golf
cart and stomped down the fairway thinking, Yeah, you don’t need
anything, Mr. “I’ve Got It All Together.” You can’t even take a little
encouragement because you are too full of pride to admit that you’re
not doing well.

At this point in our relationship, Dave and I were trying
to work through some things. One of the things I was working on was to
stop feeling rejected by him. In fact, I was teaching a series on
rejection at the time.

So instead of staying mad, I stopped and said to God: “I
am not going around this mountain again. I believe You are in charge of
my life, and if You allowed this to happen, then there is something You
are trying to teach me. What is it?”

God spoke to my spirit and said, “If you were playing
bad, you would want Dave to pat you on the back and encourage you. If
he didn’t, you would think he was cold and unloving. The problem is
that you’re trying to give Dave what you need, and he doesn’t need
that.”

This comment opened my eyes. God showed me that the
reason for many of the problems in our relationships is that we don’t
take the time to stop and study the other person. If we will follow the
leading of the Holy Spirit, He will show us what others need. Once He
does, we need to freely give it to them.

The fact that we don’t need a particular thing doesn’t
give us the license to withhold it from somebody else. Proverbs 3:27
says, “Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful
owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it.” If we will
slow down and seek to understand others instead of seeking to be
understood, we will be able to give them what they need.

Adjusting and Adapting Our Approach

Sometimes in relating to others it is necessary to make
adjustments in our approach to handling issues that involve them. We
determine what these adjustments are by getting to know them. First
Thessalonians 5:12 says, “Get to know those who labor among you
[recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and
respect them all].”

Paul is referring here primarily to people who are over
us in leadership, but I believe this instruction can be applied to all
our relationships. The more time we take to get to know those we are in
relationship with, the better we will be able to understand them and
make the required adjustments.

When I first began walking with the Lord, I was a very
stubborn woman. I felt as if all the problems I was experiencing were
the result of other people, and if they would just adapt to me, the
majority of my problems would disappear.

Romans 12:16 quickly set me straight. It says, “Live in
harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded,
exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give
yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in
your own conceits.” In other words, you and I need to be ready and
willing to adjust to others—not wait for them to adapt to us.

I had to apply this verse to my relationship with my
general manager many years ago. She has always been very respectful and
kind, but we have two very different personalities.

She has a melancholy type of personality, and I have a
choleric one. This means that she is very detailed and desires plenty
of information and time in order to make a quality decision. I, on the
other hand, am less concerned with the details and more interested in
making a quick decision.

Before I got to know her as well as I do now, I would
talk to her about different issues and expect her to give me a quick
evaluation of the situation. As a result, she would become very upset
and sometimes even cry.

Her response frustrated me. Finally, one day I asked her:
“Why are you crying? I am just asking a question. What is the problem?”
She said: “I feel pressured—I feel as if you are forcing me to give you
an answer that I don’t have yet. I need time to think.”

Now I could have taken the attitude, I’m the boss, and I
don’t have to put up with this. But I certainly wouldn’t have been
exhibiting the love of Christ: “Love endures long and is patient and
kind … It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is
not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love
in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way” (1 Cor.
13:4-5).

To walk in the love of Christ, I had to adapt and adjust
my way of handling these types of situations with Roxane. I had to give
her more time to make a decision.

The fact that I can make a decision faster than she can
doesn’t mean I’m better—it just means we’re different. If I had chosen
not to change, I would have missed out on many years of her faithful
assistance, which has been a tremendous blessing to both our ministry
and me.

People Change From the Inside Out

The bottom line is that all of us are uniquely different,
and God created us that way on purpose. I have come to the realization
that it is a waste of our time and energy to try to make people what we
think they ought to be. We need to learn to make allowances for them—to
give them time and space to make mistakes and grow at their own pace.

The Bible says you change, “[Not in your own strength]
for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you
[energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and
to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight” (Phil.
2:13). If you and I don’t have the power to change the flaws in our own
lives, then we certainly don’t have the power to change them in others.
Only God can change people, and the changes He brings—which are
permanent—come from the inside out.

I encourage you to give up finding fault with others and
to instead look for the best in them. Make a decision today that you
are going to submit to God and begin walking in love. When you do, your
relationships will improve, and you will enjoy all the people God has
placed in your life! 

Joyce Meyer is the author of more than 80 books, including Battlefield of the Mind. She is also host of Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs.

Are you a proton believer?
Are you a part of a proton
company of believers? Are you a part of a proton church? Proton is the Greek word for “first” mentioned in 1
Corinthians 12:28. It means “firstly in time, place, order, or importance.”
God desires a proton people.

It was never the will of God just to have apostles. God’s
intention is to have an apostolic company
of believers. When believers have an apostolic spirit, they will be proton
believers and at the forefront of what God is doing. They will manifest certain
characteristics that set them apart.

Proton believers are sent ones and have an awareness of
being sent. Jesus is the sender (see John 20:21) and
they live by the sender (see John 6:57). They draw their life and strength from
Him and desire to do His will (see John 6:38). They do the work of sent ones (see John 5:36); they
judge as sent ones (see John 5:30) and their works bear
witness that they have been sent. They are not men-pleasers, but God-pleasers.
Their motivation is to do the things that please the sender (see John 8:29).

Proton believers are pioneers—the first. First refers to
responsibility, inheritance, blessing and authority. It is a privilege to be
first and there are advantages. It’s a favored position. There are many ways
one can be first. One can be first in authority and be a ruler or leader, first
in rank such as a captain or general, first in suffering such as a martyr,
first in blessing as of the firstborn, etc.

Proton believers are breakthrough people! A breakthrough is
a significant or sudden advance or development. It is also an act of removing
or surpassing an obstruction or restriction. If a trail is not there they will
make one. They are on the forefront of what God is doing on the earth.

Proton believers are people of conviction, passion and zeal.
They are not double minded. They know what they believe and are convinced it is
from God. People of conviction change things. Proton believers preach, worship
and minister with passion. Jesus was consumed with zeal (see John
2:17).

Proton believers are people of extreme courage, faith, great
grace and many gifts. It takes courage and boldness to be on the forefront.
These believers are bold in preaching the truth without compromise, bold in
praise and bold in dealing with demons. They are stewards of the manifold grace
of God (see Acts 4:33). They are multifaceted and
operate in different operations and manifestations of the Spirit. They are a
blessing everywhere.

Proton believers are people of revelation, purpose, destiny,
perseverance and sacrifice. They have insight into truth that was hidden in
previous generations and stewards of the mysteries of God (see 1 Cor. 4:1). They unveil what was previously hidden and
see what others cannot see. Proton believers know the plans and purposes of God
and move strategically in that direction. They have spiritual tenacity and will
not give up in spite of the attacks of darkness.

Proton believers are sacrificial team players. They are
willing to make sacrifices to advance the purposes of God and offer their time,
money and life. No price is too high. They have a grace to labor in spite of
what they may encounter. Although they have different ministries and anointing,
proton believers understand the importance of working together in
teams—apostolic teams—evangelistic teams—deliverance teams—prayer teams—praise
and worship teams, etc.

Proton believers are people of praise, governed by the Word
of God, with strategic goals to accomplish God’s purpose and the power,
authority and anointing to succeed. They love to sing new songs (see Ps. 96:1), are submitted to the authority of the Word of
God, will contend with the powers of darkness that are set against the
expansion of God’s kingdom, and know how to transition from old paradigms into
new paradigms and from what God was
doing to what He is now doing.
They serve God in newness of spirit (see Rom. 7:6).

God desires that His people be proton people. By His grace and empowering Spirit you can be a proton believer that demonstrates God’s
kingdom in this current age.

Adapted from Ordinary People—Extraordinary Power by John Eckhardt, copyright 2010, published by
Charisma House. If you are eager for God to use you to heal, deliver, prophesy,
preach, and demonstrate God’s kingdom, then this book is for you. Learn what it
means to be apostolic and how you can be a part of what God’s doing in the
world today. Order by clicking this link.

PRAYER POWER WEEK OF 3/14/2011

This week ask God to
place you at the forefront of what He is doing today, and to connect you with a
team of kingdom-minded people that will demonstrate His kingdom and usher in
worldwide revival.  Continue to
pray for our nation’s safety, wisdom for our leaders regarding domestic and
foreign affairs, the situation in Libya, Israel and the Middle East, our
military, their families and the persecuted church.  Ask the Lord to use you as His ambassador to those who are
in need around you.  Acts 4:33; 2
Cor. 5:20; John 8:29

Everybody is either in a trial now or between trials.

You have either just had one, you are going to have one, or you are having one. But why call it a “fiery” trial as Peter does? This is because by its light the fire reveals precisely what we are spiritually.

It is apparent, of course, that this only appeals to those who have a desire to be godly.

For example, our endurance can be tested during a trial by how we respond to it. If we begin complaining and murmuring, we will acknowledge later that we did not stand up to the trial very well for we did not display a godly nature. Thus trials will test our ability to manifest all the fruit of the Spirit. They test our work whether we have been walking in the light, and they expose how spiritual we really are, which is the sum of all that has gone on before.

What makes a trial a trial is that God, as it were, leaves us, and we feel deserted and betrayed. We say, “God, I don’t believe this; why would You do this to me? Why desert me at a moment when I needed You the most?” Is that not the way you have felt? That’s why it is called a “fiery” trial; God leaves you to test you, to see what is there. And so, this is the thing about the trial by fire: it exposes how spiritual we really are—which is the sum total of all our Christian living so far. We are forced to see ourselves, and we can find out how Christlike we truly are.

Excerpted from When God Says “Well Done!” (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1993).

I used to get paid to watch movies. And sit in front of a TV. And listen to music. And play video games. In fact, if I were still at my previous workplace, my job would now include hanging out on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like. Yep, I once earned a paycheck by consuming media all week long. 

Sounds like a sweet gig, doesn’t it? Trust me,  it wasn’t always. Don’t get me wrong: I loved the people I worked with and the organization that hired me to help parents of teenagers navigate the waters of pop culture. And for a season, it wasn’t just fun to review the latest movies, TV shows, CDs or video games; I knew I was part of an invaluable ministry for parents. I was a gatekeeper, helping them know what their teens were into—the good, bad and very ugly—so they didn’t have to wade through the muck while searching for pearls in the entertainment world. 

But immersing yourself in that arena 24/7 is anything but a blast. Try reviewing Jersey Shore or Skins without getting either nauseated or depressed over how far we’ve fallen. I’ll never forget screening Hostel (a hard-R, ultra-depraved “torture porn” flick) the night before my first son was born. (Talk about scaling the heights and depths of humanity in a 24-hour period!)

Fortunately, I don’t remember most of the filth I took in for others’ sake. But that isn’t the case for the average teen, child or adult who’s now only a click away from having unlimited perversion in any form, delivered on any medium, embedded in their brains. Technology has always ushered in a wave of immorality, yet today we find a unique problem: a generation clueless as to why such depravity is even wrong in the first place.

Something’s seriously amiss when male students at a Bible college see nothing wrong with taking photos of their genitalia during class and texting them to female friends. That’s a true story, and sadly not unlike others I’ve heard involving young Christians, many of whom have become walking reflections of whatever content is on their iPod, iPhone or iPad. 

This isn’t just a youth issue. As media consumption becomes ubiquitous for every age group, our appetite for entertainment grows more insatiable—and our morals continue to decline. We can blame Hollywood all we want, but it’s no longer the core generator of content—we are. (Thank you, social media.)

I’m not pulling out the overused “evil media” card, nor am I advocating for believers to tune out pop culture. I am, however, begging us to develop the ability to discern right from wrong amid our being oversaturated with content. Remember, media—social or not—aren’t the problem; they’re just vehicles. It’s the content in those media that’s often not only problematic, it’s mimicked to the extent of becoming the new cultural norm. 

As “vehicles” for the Holy Spirit, we can present a different standard and culture: the kingdom of God. Jesus likened this kingdom to finding a pearl in a field of dirt. We know the fields of today’s media world can be mucky. But rather than mindlessly wandering through the sludge, let’s develop enough discernment to find the pearls.

While helping some of the largest nonprofits around the world and producing media programming in 40-plus countries, Phil Cooke has been shot at, threatened with prison, survived two military coups and fallen from a helicopter.

If Charisma Online Editor Felicia Mann has more twinkle in her eyes these days, it’s because the Tampa, Fla., native is engaged. With her July wedding nearing, we just hope our website doesn’t turn into an extension of The Knot. 

Movieguide founder Ted Baehr believes his life’s purpose is to be used by God to redeem the values of the media while educating audiences on how to use discernment in selecting their entertainment. We think that’s pretty cool.

By the age of 10, Chad Bonham had already wrecked two of his friends’ go-karts. Racing was clearly not in his future. So he took the next logical step and decided to write about it—and every other sport imaginable—instead.

Every 15 seconds a child dies from a water-related sickness. The Passion movement is doing something about that. In April, the ministry will host its second Do Something Now event of 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas, with one goal: to marry worship and justice. 

Passion conferences draw thousands of young people every year to pray, worship, and give time and money to causes such as funding wells in India or clothing the homeless. To illustrate the amount of wells being built in India, students are encouraged to pour water into tubes to represent what they give monetarily. At Passion’s January event in Atlanta, students gave more than $75,000 to purchase 24 wells. Overall, the conference brought in more than $1.1 million for charities. Passion leaders are hoping to provide even more wells next month.

“It seems to me that if the primary view of sanctification comes through simplicity, poverty, suffering, [then] if you don’t get those things it’s almost like when God blesses it’s hard to be sanctified because you don’t know what to do with it. What if God wants to sanctify you through not poverty but generosity, not suffering but blessing; and what if it’s not through simplicity but complexity?”

—Mark Driscoll, who questioned Francis Chan’s decision to leave his megachurch and give away everything last year. Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church, suggested Chan might be following the “theology of poverty,” a belief that he says is just as detrimental as the prosperity gospel.

“I believe it’s motivated by love and a desire to be Christ-like; I don’t want to suffer needlessly or just to suffer. To me, the core issue here has to be love. I think in times of prosperity, for me, I look at Scripture and go: ‘Wow, this is awesome. Look at this great-selling book, all this money. What do I want to do? I want to give it to the people who need it.’ I get excited about that.” 

 
—Francis Chan, who says he did not needlessly give away his money or step down from his church but was striving to be like Christ

Rick Warren If a ministry is God-anointed, it doesn’t matter who criticizes it. If it’s not anointed, it doesn’t matter who praises it. 

Joyce Meyer The Word is like medicine, but it is most effective when applied properly. If I have a headache, I don’t put a Band-Aid on my head.

Brian Houston Serving sacrifices self, because self doesn’t want to serve. LIVE to serve. DIE to self!

Cindy Trimm Did you know that procrastination is a sign of fear?

Robert Morris A little faith will bring our soul to heaven. Great faith will bring heaven to our soul.

News By Numbers

3% of teenagers from age 13 to 17 say that Jesus Christ is their role model

Barna Group

49% of Americans say the lack of civility in American politics is a 
“very serious problem” 

 PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey

Joe Hurston and his family know about giving. Hurston has given his life to missionary work in Haiti since 1978, living in the poorest conditions. But this year the tables turned and the longtime missionary family is learning how to receive.

Last year, while the family was away on a missions trip, a plumbing problem caused pipes to burst and flood their Florida home. For almost a year, Hurston and his wife, Cindy, and their three youngest children—Joliet, 17, Peter, 12, and Dieunika, 4—lived in an RV camper. 

Hurston was recently working on his mission plane at Tico Airport in Titusville, Fla., when another small aircraft landed on the runway. Inside was Ty Pennington, designer and host of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, who gave him the news that his family had been selected to receive a new home.  

After their old home was demolished, a new 3,400-square-foot home emerged. An estimated 3,000 local volunteers worked around the clock to construct the new house, which has a modern design spin on a Deep South plantation.  

Just as important, the new home features a 9.6 kilowatt solar panel system that will reduce the family’s energy bill to zero over an annual time period—allowing them to put that savings back into their mission work. 

Hurston could hardly speak when he heard he would have no more power bills to pay. 

“After living in tents and in places where all we had was a 15-kilowatt generator—we know what a great gift this is,” an overwhelmed Hurston said.

Hundreds of spectators and volunteers gathered outside the home in January and shouted “Move that bus!”—the phrase used to signal the climactic unveiling of the house. One supporter, a Haitian man, held high a homemade sign thanking the couple for their service to his country.

As the family caught the first glimpse of their new home, tears flowed freely. They embraced and simultaneously lifted their eyes and hands toward heaven. 

“I’m still having a hard time believing this is really happening,” Hurston said. “I haven’t always been able to give my family everything they deserve—we’ve lived in some pretty awful, poor conditions. This is beyond a dream, beyond anything we could ever imagine.”

After seeing the inside of the home, Hurston said it is “like a vacation—a place where we can rest and find peace and joy. It’s a place where we can be revived so we can go out and do even more ministry.”  

The Hurstons: Living a Well-Watered Life

In 1978, missionary pilot Joe Hurston began delivering food, clothing and medical supplies to Haiti. He and his wife, Cindy, eventually adopted two daughters from the country—Joliet, now 17, and Dieunika, who is 4—giving them a total of eight children. The family also lived in Haiti two years. While there, Joe served as a missionary for Campus Crusade for Christ and helped translate the Jesus film into Creole. 

In 2004 the Hurstons shifted their focus to providing clean water wherever it was needed. They developed a purification system called the Vortex Voyager, which weighs only 20 pounds and produces up to 30 gallons of pure water per hour. 

Today the Hurstons run a nonprofit organization called Air Mobile Ministries that is based on Matthew 25:35, 40, with the slogan, “Doing the Lord’s work one cup at a time.” The couple has delivered water-purifying systems to 38 countries, including the U.S. (after Hurricane Katrina), Haiti, Pakistan, Brazil and Indonesia. Since last year’s earthquake in Haiti, the couple has gone back there 22 times and delivered nearly 650 portable water-purifying systems.

In addition to a new home that ABC’s Extreme Makeover program built for the Hurstons, the couple’s  plane will get a new GPS system, new fuel tanks and a complete upgrade makeover.  BP Oil is also giving the family $10,000 worth of plane and auto fuel, and Tim Caudill, an Orlando, Fla., textile screen-printer, has donated $30,000 worth of clothing for the Hurstons to deliver to Haiti.

For 16 years, Annie Lobért was known at various times as a prostitute, high-class escort and stripper. At the age of 18, Lobért willingly entered the sex industry as a rebellious and curious teenager, only to be sex-trafficked later into a life of coercion and threats—and utter misery.

“Ninety percent of prostitutes are sex-trafficked,” says Lobért, who finally broke free from the industry, became a Christian and now lives to help others who want to get out. 

She says people don’t understand that although many women enter the industry on their own free will, they eventually lose control of their lives: “In the end, you’re trafficked.” 

In 2005, Lobért began reaching out to those victimized by the sex industry and eventually founded her Las Vegas-based organization, Hookers for Jesus, with the intention of aiding the children, teenagers and women used in sex slavery. 

“I’m fighting for these girls,” she says. “I can’t see these girls dying anymore. I can’t take it.”

Lobért and her team take their ministry to the streets, casinos and nightclubs, offering those who are willing a chance for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. 

The organization’s Destiny House, a safe transitional home, is one way the team offers assistance. “Once we feel [the women] are ready … they start looking for jobs, and they start integrating back into society,” Lobért says. 

In December, Lobért’s ministry was featured on the Investigation Discovery channel in a three-part series titled “Hookers: Saved on the Strip.”

Your Turn

10 ways you can help end sex trafficking

1. Pray: Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come.” God has ordained His kingdom to operate in conjunction with human participation. He will avenge our cries and bring speedy justice when we cry out day and night for these women and children.

2. Be compassionate: Open your heart to the plight of the oppressed and allow yourself to be moved by the things that move God’s heart.

3. Stand in purity: Lust fuels slavery. Activism begins with a commitment to personal purity; otherwise, we will find ourselves in partnership with the very spirit that keeps the sex trade booming.

4. Spread the word: Become informed. Tell others in your sphere of influence about the realities of modern-day slavery.

5. Volunteer: Be a servant. Offer your time, talents and passions to organizations in your community that serve victims of trafficking. 

6. Watch: Slavery thrives in shadows. Ask the Lord to shed light on the underworld of trafficking and give you eyes to see. You can play a vital role in keeping watch in your community. To report human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 888-373-7888.

7. Reach out: Touch one life. Women and children are being sexually exploited in every city in America. If you look for them, you’ll find them. Whether it’s a woman being sold on the street or dancing in a strip club, get to know them, love them through their struggles and believe with them for the full restoration that comes through Christ.

8. Speak up: Be a voice for the voiceless. Let your voice be heard by contacting local politicians and community leaders about your concern for those victimized in the commercial sex trade.

9. Adopt a child: Who will father the fatherless? Ninety percent of women in domestic prostitution were at one point in the foster-care system. Trafficking is an exploitation of vulnerability. Adopting a child who is lost in the foster-care system can prevent another young life from slipping into the tentacles of forced prostitution and human trafficking.

10. Invest: Sow into freedom. Join the abolitionist movement by giving financially to ministries that partner with the heart of Jesus to bring liberty to the captives and healing to the broken.

—Blaire Pilkington, director of philanthropy for Exodus Cry, a prayer movement to end sex slavery

Choosing Radical Forgiveness

I loved the January edition of Charisma magazine. I am a victim of severe sexual abuse that occurred in my childhood over a period of years. The pain was so deep that I completely suppressed it, even denied it. Even after years of Christian ministry and church planting, I had not dealt with it until the Lord began to put His finger on it. The first thing He showed me and walked me through was forgiving my abusers with all of my heart. Today I am a totally free man with a healed heart, and I have been able to lead many people into forgiving others. Thank you for bringing such great spiritual truths to your readers.

Reinhard Hirtler,
Wilkesboro, N.C.

Thank you for the excellent articles in the January 2011 issue of Charisma focusing on forgiveness and the need to be in the Word. We need to make personal connection with our Father and to engage in fellowship with Him. The need for teaching on forgiveness is great in the body of Christ. I also appreciated your candor in your article “Building Houses of Belief” (by Marcus Yoars). We truly need to grow in faith and firm reliance on God’s Word and promises, applying and standing on the truth so we will not be tossed about with opinions or judgments of others or by the storms of life. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to us as we read so we will have understanding. 

M. Elaine Beachy,
via e-mail

A MESSAGE OF HOPE

The entire December issue was exceptionally powerful. I dog-eared article after article for others to read and cut out some to mail. I also passed on some articles via your website to others in ministry around the world. It so impressed me that you highlighted various proven ministries and mission outreaches and committed to conveying 100 percent of all contributions to any of them. God bless you for being a Spirit-filled lightning rod between God and His people, infecting us all with His own passionate end-time dreams for this world.

Chris Jorgensen,
Fort Myers, Fla.