In the Battle Between Church & Strip Club: Love Wins!

In the Battle Between Church & Strip Club: Love Wins!
Update on previous blog: “Strippers Fight Back“

After hearing breaking news about women from an Ohio strip club showing up to protest at a local church that had been picketing their club for years, our friends from JC’s Girls in San Diego decided to show up. And I mean literally. They got on a plane and went to the strip club in Ohio to love on the girls.

What happened next is truly incredible. On Day 1, they had the opportunity to visit the strip club dressing room, tell share their stories, and tell them how much God loves them. They were met with open ears and open hearts.

On Day 2, knowing that God can change things around through Love, they decided to reach out to the Pastor of the church that had been protesting. There too, they were met with open hearts and ultimately invited to speak to the entire church on Sunday. They invited the congregation to “CHANGE THE FACE OF CHRISTIANITY by standing with us and truly LOVING God’s Beautiful Girls just as Jesus would.”
The people of New Life Ministries Church rose to the call and committed to loving their community, beginning with the women who worked at the local strip club. They went to the women, loved them, hugged them and even sought forgiveness from them. The Pastor himself promised one woman “he would not fail her”.

Even the Pastor and Strip Club Owner have reconciled and scheduled a lunch date!
My heart is touched and inspired by this story. It is amazing to see what happens when we fulfill the mandate of
Love that is placed on our lives. I believe that this community will never be the same.

http://iamatreasure.com/2010/08/in-the-battle-between-church-strip-club-love-wins/

Love believes, love hopes, love
endures. LOVE NEVER FAILS !!

I do not understand.

What good comes out of this when the girls are just being loved and embraced by the christians and still continue in their wicked ways?

Is this the "gospel of tolerance" that tells people, God loves you as you are, you are soo valuable to God, just accept his love there is nothing wrong with you?

I do not think that campaigning and protesting with banners and megaphones is the right way either.

Thanks Neil! :)
What makes it even better is that this was only 40 minutes from where I grew up. I love to hear about God moving in/near my hometown.

See JimP, this is what I'm talking about! I was about to leave SI but then I seen there are some folk who know what love is.

It works much better to witness with no condemnation doesn't it?

I'm confused as well. Maybe I'm missing some of the details of some of the conversations between the church and the women .....

What I do know is that the Lord Jesus, our example in all things, often showed love to the unlovely -- but it included Him exhorting them to go and sin no more. Let's ask ourselves how He would respond to these women.

Christians certainly shouldn't be mean-spirited, but Ephesians 4:15 tells us not just to love, but to speak the truth in love. All parents understand (or should) that showing love to children sometimes includes disciplining them.

Showing love to women caught up in a sinful profession like theirs may open the door of dialog, but only the Truth will ultimately set them free.

narrowpath wrote:
What good comes out of this when the girls are just being loved and embraced by the christians and still continue in their wicked ways?

I'm sorry, I have something to ask. Where would you be if God had said, "Narrow can't stop some of his wicked ways, so I'm going to hold off on saving him." How long was the time from when you got saved until you stopped your wicked ways?

Matt 10.8 says, "freely ye have received, freely give." No where in the Word does it say or even allude to that if 'wicked ways' are still happening, the cost of giving goes up!

DHuff wrote:
What I do know is that the Lord Jesus, our example in all things, often showed love to the unlovely -- but it included Him exhorting them to go and sin no more.

In Luke 14.22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

It doesn't say anywhere here that the Lord told them to go and sin no more; did I miss it if it was there?

God called us to love, period, no judgment (that's His job), so I beseech you to please read the following Scriptures on love...

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Romans 13.10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Galatians 5.13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

1Tim 1.5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

You know what? I'm not where I was 5 years ago, let alone 10 years ago or 25 but thank God Jesus believed in me!

God bless you,
Lisa

Good words, Lisa, and thanks for sharing those passages. Like I mentioned, I realize I don't have all the information about the encounters between the church and the ladies, and I'm definitely glad that believers are taking the initiative to be loving toward them.

When I was a young unbeliever, God ministered to me, and revealed himself to me, through some very loving, more mature Christians. I'm grateful that they loved me just where I was (which is Scriptural), but I'm even more glad that they share the entire Gospel message with me -- including the parts about repentance and putting away my sinful lifestyle (which is also Scriptural).

I guess my point was that I trust the believers who are spending time with these ladies will do both.

"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7)

In Christ,
David

You know what? I'm not where I was 5 years ago, let alone 10 years ago or 25 but thank God Jesus believed in me!

jesus loves women!
and Lysa you inspire me!

DHuff,
Some of the women witnessing used to be strippers as well, and i'm pretty sure they are not anymore. So I would think they are also telling these women that what they are doing is sinful and not at all pleasing to the Lord.

Just because someone isn't rebuking sin like a pharisee doesn't mean they're easy-believism either.

This is not the only place this is happening. I know of some godly women that do the same around my area. The take basket full of nice things and sit and talk to the women. Their husbands sit in the car and pray. They have women who tell them nobody ever cared about us. Some cry and share their hearts. They haven't had a convert yet, but are expecting to reap a harvest. I can't help but praise them for doing what they can and leaving the rest to Jesus.

I know of some godly women that do the same around my area. The take basket full of nice things and sit and talk to the women. Their husbands sit in the car and pray.

Do they actually go into the strip clubs to do this? A sister here is actually the one who sent me this via email. And she has a burden to do the same. However, She was wanting to go into the club. And I have been pretty apprehensive about doing that for safety reasons. However, I suppose I've gone into a bar before, but still...

And bravo to the husbands! that's a switch of roles.

Yes they do go in. They pour a lot of prayer on all this before hand. Their husbands praying in the parking lot offer a bit of safety to them though. However nobody should go do this unless they know they are sent. If God sends them He will be faithful to take care of them as well.

Thanks, everyone, for your insights about this. Very much appreciated! It has reminded me of some things that I already knew, but -- well -- needed to be reminded of:

1. God's love, His mercy, and the power of His Spirit working through obedient believers, are more awesome than we can imagine.

2. starofGOD's good reminder that, if we're called upon to rebuke sin, we shouldn't do it with the spirit of a pharisee (Eph 4:15)

3. Hate the sin, love the sinner.

4. I felt sure when I joined the SI forums I would be on the learning end much more than the "teaching" end. I was definitely right, and am glad :-)

God bless,
David

4. I felt sure when I joined the SI forums I would be on the learning end much more than the "teaching" end. I was definitely right, and am glad :-)

Im in the same boat brother :)

I was confused about the original post but now fully understand it and am glad I do. I wonder if the husbands ever get out of the car and pray in the parking lot in a prayer circle that would definitely change things but it might hurt the owners business and so it probably wouldn't be long for the owner to ban the woman from coming in the club. I remember reading a story about Billy Graham's wife she would bring cookies to every business like once a month and then realized she never gave cookies to the local bar, she started to and had many witnessing opportunities and even developed many friendships

I agree that anyone that does such a ministry needs to be sent by God to do it and not just do this at a wimp, prayed up and sword ready to go for the darkness to be battled with, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

I think sometimes we forget this verse.

4. I felt sure when I joined the SI forums I would be on the learning end much more than the "teaching" end. I was definitely right, and am glad :-)

DHuff,
we are all on the "learning" end until Christ returns and we become like Him. (Jn 3:2) (Besides that's a better place to be anyhow!:)
I learned many things from this article and from you all talking about it as well.

God bless you

I do not know how the pray, only that they do pray. Hopefully the are led even in that.

Opened up to these verses this morning, I'm pretty it is pertaining to this post in particular.

Ps 146:7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: 8The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
9The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
- I'm pretty sure these strippers would be considered the "oppressed" and the blind, and possibly even the fatherless or the hungry.

jer 22:3Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

zec 7:9Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.