My particular charity seeks to come alongside the most at risk women and young people, trapped in abuse, poverty, addiction and exploitation. It will come as no surprise that my job is to talk! Talk about our work - and talk about Jesus.
Just today I met a new girl. She is currently still a 'working girl'. She is working to pay for her partner's drug habit. She reminded me, painfully, of the girl mentioned in Acts 16:16.
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then
he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Here is a woman who is being exploited by a syndicate of men because of her vulnerability. She makes money, it says, for her masters.
The sad reality is that all across the world and in every corner of this United Kingdom there are women just like this one.
The may not be 'possessed' in the same way as the girl in Acts but make no mistake they are controlled, dominated and just as fearful. Many of the girls I am talking about will be victims of human trafficking, moved across International Borders and treated as slaves or possessions of their own 'masters'.
Others, like the girls I now see on a daily basis remain in the one location, where their abuse is carried out day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
I want you to notice something powerful about the passage of scripture.
This woman cried out time and time again, but it wasn't until Paul was 'exasperated' that he finally did something about it.
I couldn't help but think, what will it take for us to get so exasperated, so annoyed, so disturbed and interrupted that we will STOP, and do something about it?
Notice also when Jesus is brought into the picture there is suddenly a whole new normal. A NEW NORMAL.
She was once bound, under the control of something else, exploited and used.
Jesus comes in and her life is transformed and set free... IN AN INSTANT.
Friends, the scars will be there for a lifetime. But Jesus was the answer.It caused some problems, the men who made money from her didn't like it, but Jesus is all about the one. Her life matters.
Can I just encourage you today to stop. To read the news. To read your Bible and then to join the dots of the two. There is a cry going out in this nation, and as long as the church is tied up arguing about if and when woman should speak or teach or whatever... there will be other women left ignored.
Visit www.thea21campaign.org www.hopeforjustice.org.uk or www.awayout.co.uk for a local perspective. But do something. Get annoyed, get exasperated, get JESUS into the situation.
Please.
