Although Belle was born 25 years ago in Romania, a country with many impoverished areas where human trafficking is common, this story has implications for the realities that occur in America also.

After her birth, doctors in the hospital told Belle’s parents that she’d died, and she was given to a trafficking orphanage. She was adopted and then sent to the United States. Operation Underground Railroad has many teams that rescue people all around the world from human trafficking, and the nonprofit helped Belle fly to meet her birth family for the first time.

It’s a common misconception that sex trafficking is worse in other countries than in America. But statistics show that the U.S. was ranked as one of the world’s worst places for human trafficking in 2018, and over 49,000 cases have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Jennifer Lopez was asked late last week what she thought about those who felt her performance at the Super Bowl LIV was too racy, and her response was laughter.

Dismissing those who disagreed as a “small faction” of people, she told Variety that it’s “silliness” to call it inappropriate while adding both she and Shakira are “really respectful performers who are moms, have kids, who are very conscious of what we do.”

Lopez didn’t outline her definition of respectful nor explain how her skimpy outfit and pole dancing fit into those parameters.

“We did a show that I believe was a celebration of women and our Latino culture that was really well received,” the star added. “That small faction of people that wanna be negative about it not something I can even let in because it was such an amazing night, so many beautiful things came out of it.”

SOURCE: Faithwire

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A new commercial from Starbucks is attempting to raise awareness of the daily challenges faced by transgender youth.

The advertisement aired during the first week of February and aims to show people that Starbucks welcomes everyone, regardless of who you are or want to be.

At Starbucks, writing your name on a cup and calling it out is a symbol of our warm welcome. Starbucks welcomes you, whoever you are. #whatsyourname Find out more at https://t.co/6BrvpLfKZb pic.twitter.com/w1ge3ZKu0C

— Starbucks UK (@StarbucksUK) February 2, 2020

The 90-second commercial starts out like a story, showing a trans teen who is referred to as “Jemma” during different times of the day.

At the end of the ad, the teen goes to Starbucks where the barista asks for a name.

“It’s James,” the teen responds with a smile. The employee writes “James” on the cup and the words “every name’s a story” appear on the screen.

The coffee giant launched the commercial as part of the #WhatsYourName campaign.

SOURCE: CBN News

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Jesus taught it. Paul reaffirmed it. And neither of them said their teaching was optional for Christians. Instead, God Himself commands us, His children, to love our enemies and to bless those who curse us.

No one said it would be easy. No one even said it would be possible, without divine help. But, without any question, the call to love our enemies is a divine command, not a human suggestion.

In the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:43-48).

In the words of Paul, “Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. … Repay no one evil for evil. Commend what is honest in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:14, 17-21).

To be sure, this is not talking about how our country’s military should respond to a foreign invader. Nor is it telling a husband and father what to do if a serial killer breaks into his home, intent on killing his wife and children.

These teachings refer to our interpersonal relationships. To our attitudes. To our responses.

Will we bless those who curse us, or will we curse them back? Will we love those who hate us, or will we hate them back? Will we overcome evil, or will we be overcome by evil?

There are certainly times for making a spirited defense of one’s position, especially for the cause of righteousness. And there are certainly times when evil must be publicly and plainly rebuked.

But you can rebuke someone while having great love for them at the same time.

You can even want justice to be done while having great love for the criminal justly sentenced for his crime.

In short, the command to love our enemies does not call on us to compromise our ethics. It calls on us to take our ethics to a higher level, hating evil to the point that we refuse to be corrupted by it.

At the recent National Prayer Breakfast, “Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and president of a conservative think tank, had decried a ‘crisis of contempt and polarization’ and urged his listeners to ‘love your enemies.’”

In response, President Trump remarked, “I don’t know if I agree with you,” adding, “I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong.” And, the president continued, “Nor do I like people who say, ‘I pray for you’ when you know that is not so.”

SOURCE: Charisma News

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This Monday, I stood in front of 600 male inmates at a prison in Izalco, El Salvador. The men were dressed in white T-shirts and white drawstring pants, and many of them sported tattoos on their faces and necks. All the men were members of violent gangs when they were incarcerated. About 20% of them were affiliated with the MS-13 gang—a group known for horrific attacks on women, children and police officers.

Yet I felt no fear as I looked out over the crowd and shared a message from Luke 15 about the prodigal son. Most of the men were carrying Bibles, and when I announced my text, they immediately turned to the passage. I could hear them yell, “Amen,” or “Gloria a Dios,” when I stressed an important point. And they clapped and cheered when I reminded them that the kosher Jewish father in the story welcomed his wayward son home even though the boy smelled like pigs.

Almost every prisoner in this huge group became a Christian after arriving at the Izalco prison. Two churches now operate inside the facility, pastored by men who were once tough criminals. All the men now gather for Bible study every day, they hold prayer and fasting vigils, and they are helping each other to grow spiritually.

When the men worshipped on Monday, six guys used plastic paint tubs for drums while an inmate with a huge smile led the praise choruses. The men sang louder and with more passion than I’ve witnessed in most churches in the outside world.

I told the inmates: “!Jesucristo vive dentro de esta prisión!” (“Jesus Christ lives inside this prison!”) The men screamed with approval.

“Our government is encouraging this movement,” says Oscar David Benavides, director of the prison. He says in 2016 he was allowed to encourage evangelism among inmates. When men experienced conversions, he intentionally moved them into buildings where there were non-Christian inmates.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, and the curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn from the way which I am commanding you today” (Deut. 11:26-28a).

When I drive down the highway, painted lines on the pavement provide helpful guidance. A dotted white line lets me know that if the lane of oncoming traffic is clear, I can pass other cars. A solid line means no passing is allowed. The highway department is not trying to take away my joy in driving. The lines on the road are intended to keep me safe, and keep others safe, while I’m on my way to my destination.

In a similar way, as we live and travel down life’s road, we can push the boundaries God has established. But we do so at our own peril. If we go outside His “road markings,” the likelihood is that we will get hurt, as well as hurt other people. At the very least, we will experience life on a lower level than He intended. The alternative is to take God at His Word, stay within His boundaries and trust Him to know what’s best for us.

—When God says to have no other gods before Him, He knows that other gods—such as money, fame, sex, pleasure, power—will enslave you.

—When God says not to create and worship idols, He knows that behind them are demonic forces who will weaken you, deceive you and suck you into evil attitudes, words, actions and thoughts that you had no idea you were capable of having or saying or doing.

—When God says not to misuse His Name, He knows that unless you reverence Him, you will not have even the beginning of wisdom with which to live and make your decisions.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board announced the hiring of Jason Thomas, a pastor with a decade’s worth of experience in campus ministry, to mobilize the denomination’s nearly 4,000 black congregations for missionary work.

“The IMB is excited to have Jason join our team as we work to deepen our relationships with African American churches across the convention,” Chris Derry, director of IMB’s partner relations team, said in a recent release from the organization. “His experience with church planting and growing historically black college and university ministries will aid him in guiding us to better listen to, equip and inspire more Southern Baptists from our African American churches to partner with our 3,660 field missionaries to take the gospel to the nations.”

Thomas’ hiring comes just months after Doug Logan, president of Grimké Seminary, Acts 29’s director of Diversity for Church in Hard Places, and a pastor at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia, highlighted in an op-ed published by the IMB why the organization needs to send out more missionaries of color and highlighted a number of reasons how they could do this.

“Like it or not, the legacy of European colonialism is a major stumbling block for many of the millions who suffer in places ravaged by centuries of light-skinned oppression. In contexts like these, black and brown missionaries simply bring credibility that’s hard to obtain otherwise. On top of this, diverse missionary teams avoid sending the wrong message about our faith. Simply by virtue of being different, they help the world see that the gospel is for all types of people,” Logan wrote.

He noted at the time that even though the IMB had fully funded missionary vacancies, very few of his friends who pastored majority black congregations were aware of the opportunities. He further suggested that the organization worked to build awareness among black churches through organizations such as the National African American Fellowship, which represents more than 4,000 predominantly black congregations in the SBC.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair

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A U.S. Postal Service employee in Maryland, who saved the life of a missing 2-year-old boy walking barefoot along a highway, said he’s not a hero and that God ordained that he be there at that time.

Keith Rollins saw the toddler, Ethan Adeyemi, who was wet and shivering and had been missing for about 10 hours, on I-95 in Howard County Thursday morning, WUSA90 reported. Police had launched a search with fire personnel, K9 units, aircraft, drones and helicopters from neighboring jurisdictions.

But it was Rollins who found the boy while driving. “It was God-ordained that I be in that place at that time. Remarkable, man, remarkable,” he was quoted as saying. “I happened to see a little head. I didn’t know whether it was a human head or whether it was an animal, so I pulled over and called 911.”

He said he then carried the child and took him to his vehicle. “I had a sweater that I tried to cover him up with, and turned up the heat and I called the police back and said that I had the little boy in my vehicle, and within a matter of minutes, the police were there.”

When neighbors and officials called Rollins a hero, he responded, “Giving glory to God that I was able to help at that particular time and be in the correct place at the right time. But a hero? Nah, not at all.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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