5 Posts for Christmas: When I was in Prison

Ten Sobering facts...

1. In over 40 nations around the world, Christians are being persecuted for their faith. It might be illegal to own a bible or talk about your faith openly, teach your children about Jesus.  Millions are choosing to follow Christ nonetheless and face harassment, arrest, torture and even death.

2. Every year over 250,000 believers are killed for their faith in Christ.  

3.  Today's ultimate imprisonment is slavery.  There are more slaves today than any other time in human history.  

4. 27 million people enslaved today.  this is more than double of Africans enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

5.  Almost 9 million children are enslaved through trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, recruitment for armed forces, prostitution, pornography and other illegal activities.

6.  UNICEF values the global market for child trafficking at $12 billion a year.

 

7.  Two more children per minute are trafficked for sexual exploitation somewhere in the world.

8. Child trafficking is the fastest growing in the world.  It is the 2nd largest transnational crime surpassing gun running and just behind drug trafficking.   Soon it will be #1

9. Of all human trafficking, 80% are women or girls.  Half  are minors.

10. Surveys point out that 90% of all the prostitutes in the world desire to escape.   There are imprisoned.

"Then the King will say... I was in prison and you came to me. ....  Master, what are you talking about?... the King will say, 'I am telling the solemn truth: whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me - you did it to me.'"   (The Message)

Three ways to give Jesus a gift...

1.  Voice of the Martyrs

2.  iEmpathize

3.  Shared Hope 

(For a great story on "when I was in prison..." read this article on espn.com