It’s time! Jesus keeps saying this to me about a number of different things! It’s time for men to be men. It’s time for B Squad to rise up and know that they are royalty. It’s time to say what I am supposed to. It's time to walk in a revelation of truth and identity. It's is time to stop trying to control God. It's time to give Him complete control! It’s time to say goodbye to Asia! It’s time for Africa! What?!
Asia has been incredible. My heart has been completely broken and put back together more times than I can count. Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia. These were all just names on a piece of paper standing between me and Africa four months ago. Now they have faces and memories and tears and names of loved one to represent them. They have personal struggles and corporate struggles to mark them. It has been a wild ride and I can’t say that I enjoyed every minute of it. But I am thankful for every minute of it!
As this season passes, as the leaves turn, I can’t help but look back at all the vibrant colors that they carried. Asia taught me some tough lessons. I saw a new type of poverty and oppression. Before, I had heard of how a gross number of the world tries to survive on one US dollar a day, but it wasn’t real. Not to me. Now names and faces replace statistics. Now it’s real in a way that stirs up soul and spirit.
Asia is also the center for human trafficking. It is absolutely mind blowing what happens almost unchecked. It has become so normal. Cambodia really stole my heart in this way. This is where my eyes were open to horrifying truth. Asia has so many sexual strongholds, but in Cambodia they have infected the culture. It is normal for the men there to buy sex every day. In fact young men are encouraged to get practice in before they marry. Sexual molestation by parents is normal. You might actually even see young boys being fondled in public when they start crying to get them to stop. Girls are sold as young as five for sex and babies are sold as commodities to become slaves. Don’t get me wrong, there are so many amazing people, but the country is in a war for its life and God is about to pour out His Spirit in an extremely powerful way. It is going to be good.
The strongholds really messed with me. Jesus had me interceding against them and in turn, I was extremely attacked and found myself falling asleep in prayer some nights. I would have dreams of men who were traveling in for the sex industry. These dreams were unpleasant to say the least and actually brought shame until I realized what was going on. Jesus wanted me to pray for these men. I started to and the dreams stopped. Now I don’t know how you explain that from the Bible, but I know it happened. Or wait, does that mean that I am an old man? What I now realize is that the enemy was exposing cracks in my armor. Cracks, that once exposed, Jesus and I got to close together. Asia tried to kill me, but only made me stronger in Him and so much more dependent on Him. So Asia I thank you for the good times and bad. The struggles and the victories. The hard lessons and the slap in the face by reality. I thank every single one of the strong men and women of God that I met along the way. You are incredible and do His work with joy and discipline that inspires!
I have had a lot of expectations for Africa and what it will be for me. I release them to Him. I have been recharged and rekindled with a brighter fire than ever before. The only expectation that I carry into Africa is that my relationship with Jesus is going to continue to grow in intimacy no matter what. There is an increase hitting my life that I don’t even truly understand at the moment! In fact I just wrote that, during the revelation of the increase. Thank you Jesus and yes I would love more! I am hungrier than I have ever been for The Spirit of the Living God! I want Him and need Him. It is a relationship that I am learning to steward and prioritize. My hunger for Him expects His Presence. So Africa, get ready cause I am!
