If Christ didn't come to condemn the world.... why then do we?

Just seeing John 3:16, many who read this will say the quote with no problem, but how many would recognize or recite John 3:17 with such ease? (If you can't recite it, then your job now is to look it up!)

In the past few decades, I truly feel the church has lost site of the fact that Christ didn't come to condemn the world and that we (the church) are now his representative here. As such, we too should not condemn the world. Does this mean that we should not declare things as sin, certainly not! We must identify sin, but unless the individual calls out to Christ as their salvation, then it would do them no good to try to live up to standards that the church is having trouble keeping.

Read now what the Apostle Paul says about friendship with sin Vs. friendship with the people Christ didn't come to condemn. 1st. Corinthians 5:9-13.

Bottom line in what I am saying - we know that the world is perishing (we as Christians can't stop this, it is God's plan!) That being said however; we need to love those that are currently condemned no matter what we may see as vice in their life. Furthermore, we need to hold those who claim Christ as Lord to a higher standard. When a brother or sister stumbles - we need to hold them to account as we lift them up. If they refuse to repent; then sadly they by definition have rejected not you, but Christ.

Thankfully there is Grace!

Contributed by Duke Clements

Join us for a congressional briefing on domestic minor sex trafficking

We got this from our friends at Shared Hope International.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

2:00 pm

538 Senate Dirksen building

You are invited to a briefing on the sex trafficking of minors in the U.S with a special introduction by acclaimed actor Mira Sorvino. This form of modern day slavery is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. Over 100,000 children are trafficked for sex in the U.S. each year, according to recent estimates.

To learn more about this tragic problem, please come to the briefing at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 (the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing room.)

Briefing agenda:

Mira Sorvino: Welcome and introduction

Senators Ron Wyden and John Cornyn: comments on the re-introduction of the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act

Libby Spears, filmmaker - Director of the documentary film "Playground": brief commentary and viewing of the trailer for "Playground"

Panel of speakers:

Dr. Sharon Cooper, Forensic Pediatrician, University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Sgt. Doug Justus, Portland Police Bureau (ret.), former head of the Portland Police Department vice unit

Natasha, a Victims' Rights Advocate and sex trafficking survivor

Ernie Allen, President and CEO, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

We hope to see you there!

Update on the MD Human Trafficking Policies

Just received this mail from our friend @ the Polaris Project. I was at the Annapolis State House today and is exciting that this is really happening. Please get involved!!!

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2011 MARYLAND HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION
March 1, 2011

The Maryland legislative session has reached its halfway point – and there are now 8 human trafficking bills under consideration! Below is a brief update, but as always if you have any questions please let me know!

The hearings are a great time for us to publicly push these important bills and show our strong support, but our work does not end with that. The Maryland committees do not vote the same day as the hearing, in fact, they may not vote for several weeks! Therefore, it is incredibly important for us to keep the pressure on. You can do this by looking up your legislators at http://mdelect.net/electedofficials and making a quick call to urge them to move these bills forward.

· HB 674 - Education - Human Trafficking - Awareness, Training, and Distribution of Materials Status: Hearing is scheduled for March 2 at 1pm in the House Committee on Ways and Means. Purpose: Directs the Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Dept. of Education to provide training materials to educators in the public school system. The goal is to raise awareness and provide educators with the tools to identify any students who may be victim of human trafficking. What You Can Do: Please join us for the hearing on 3/2/11 at 1pm. Still looking for teachers to testify, but all are welcome! In lieu of that, please contact your delegates and urge them to support this bill!

· NEW!!!!! HB 1304 Posting the Human Trafficking Hotline at TruckstopsStatus: Introduced on 3/1/2011Purpose: Requires all truckstops, rest areas and bus stations in Maryland to post the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline. What You Can Do: The bill has not yet been assigned to a committee, but when it is, your testimony will be critical!

· HB 345/ SB 299 Human Trafficking Investigations (Wiretapping) Status: HB345 passed the House on 2/24, SB299 is pending in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.Purpose: Provide law enforcement with the additional tools to conduct surveillance and wiretapping in human trafficking investigations. What You Can Do: Please call and urge your senator to vote YES on SB299, and if your senator is on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, urge him or her to adopt the same amendments as the House.

· HB 266/SB 327 Human Trafficking Victim Protection Act Status: Awaiting a vote in the House Judiciary and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committees. Purpose: Provide the courts with the authority to order restitution for victims of human trafficking of convicted traffickers, and provides a system for victims of sex trafficking to remove convictions for prostitution if they occurred during the time they were trafficked. What You Can Do: Please call your senator and delegates (especially if they are on the House Judiciary Committee or the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee) and urge them to vote yes on a favorable report for this important bill.

· HB 418/SB 247 Human Trafficking - Asset Forfeiture, Labor Trafficking, Anti-Human Trafficking Fund Status: Awaiting a vote in the House Judiciary and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committees. Purpose: 3 things: Adds “labor trafficking” to the human trafficking statute; creates asset forfeiture of all ill-gotten gains of a convicted trafficker; and creates the Anti-Human Trafficking Fund, where proceeds from forfeited assets will go, and in which law enforcement or victim service providers can apply for grants. What you can do: Please contact your delegates and urge them to ask Chairman Vallario to "bring HB418 up for a favorable report in committee". Additionally, if you have a moment more, please urge everyone you know to call their delegates too!


To look up who your legislators are go to: http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/ and for more info on the bills just go to http://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/policy-advocacy/pending-legislation and click on Maryland.
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