It was so obvious to me at first. The distractions all around, like sirens, beckoning me to come and taste of their pleasure. Tv shows with blatant sexual themes enticing and tantalizing men for the sake of ratings. Advertisements convincing me that i want what they have. Society telling me to live the american dream, get comfortable, have fun, and live it up. And what kills me is that this bombardment became so overwhelming that i began to slowly slip back into the disillusionment that He brought me out of. A distraction is something that prevents you from giving your full attention to something else. One thing i've been convicted about lately is that if i believe even just a tiny portion of what the Bible tells me who this Jesus is, my life should be without a doubt completely different. This Man should have my full attention and not just out of discipline but out of desire. What better way to combat an unstoppable force than to lure it from it's Lifeline and bait it with shiny trinkets and time-wasting pursuits. And there you have a body caught in the snare of disillusionment, complacency, hypocrisy and division amongst it's very own members. It's not that this body could not escape or even crush it's captor, but out of contentment with far lesser and temporary pleasures she chooses to stay there all the while her Lifeline is reaching out His hand.
We wonder why we don't see more of God, why He doesn't seem to answer or seems so far removed, but i firmly believe we just don't make room for Him. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." It's a radical and extreme commandment, but why shouldn't our lives be radical? I'm telling you that i have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and we are selling ourselves short for something so cheap. "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever," Psalm 16:11. Can we take scripture for what it says and believe that He is the true source of pleasure? After all, He is the Creator of pleasure and the One who placed that desire in us.
I'm sure this is offensive to some and foolishness to others, especially since some may deem this an 'incorrect interpretation' of His Word. But honestly, i can't hold it in. People ask me how my time was over there and how it must have been so different, so eye opening. There were amazing things that happened during my stay there and i cannot wait to share some of those stories, but some of the biggest things that took place were within me, and with Him developing a heart in me for the church in America it would be foolishness to not share the full, unadulterated truth. "...Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 corinthians 1:20. So, he who has ears let him hear, it's time to lay aside the rags of the church of laodicea and put on Jesus Christ.
If you have been following my blog i hope you know where i stand and from what position i write this. I'm a broken person who has fallen short of the glory of God, but i've been made new, forgiven, and adopted as a son of the living God. I fail often, judge others including my brothers and sisters, become conceited and self-righteous, and remain where i am because of fear. Man, the hypocrite and the skeptic that i've been addressing is me. I have royally screwed up again and again. But, i've been purchased by the blood of Christ and set free from the things that have chained me. No longer am i a slave to sin. No longer am i going to believe the lies the enemy constantly whispers in these ears. No longer will i remain frozen by the fear of man or the unknown. I have the Spirit of God who rose Christ from the dead living inside of me! Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?! I'm not perfect, but i believe He is going to finish the good work He started in me, and in Him and His promises do i find my hope.
So you see, i can't not write something that He puts on my heart. It can be difficult for something to stick out when it's been a part of your life all along. When it's normal to you and everyone else around you. I'm telling you coming from an outside perspective that it shouldn't be. He's got SO much more for us and it would be selfish, even disobedient, to not share that. So if this is offensive or something new, talk to Him about it. Too many times we try to figure it out in our head or talk to other people about our problems before even going to the One who has the answer to them. If this is the relationship like we say it is, walk it out. If He's willing to go to the cross for us, i'm pretty sure talking to Him wouldn't be too extreme. The same God that spoke to Abraham, Jacob, Noah, Moses, Elijah, Samuel, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea, and a load of others is the same, because He never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" hebrews 13:8. I've been finding that it's so much fun to follow Jesus, and each day is a new adventure.
Welp, this really had very little to do with china, so..... another blog is coming soon.
your brother on this crazy adventure,
jo
