4/30/08
I do not understand God.
I went on the street ministry outreach with three 18 year old boys from the center (Manuel, Ernesto, and David) and a woman pastor. We split into two teams in the city. My group went to a police station where we bribed the guards with bread to speak with some of the prisoners. (Bread and Bananas can get you into anywhere in Mozambique). They led us into a cell with eight men. We greeted them and the woman pastor shared the gospel of Jesus. She then asked me to share a word with the men. When we first entered the cell I prayed for the Holy Spirit to melt these men’s heart as they heard the word. I prayed that all eight men and three guards would surrender their lives to the Lord. I sat down on the concrete with the men and shared my story with them. I told them everything the Spirit laid on my heart. Seven of the men got on their knees with me, confessed their sins, pronounced belief in Christ’s salvation, and received the Spirit as we laid hands on them. I don’t understand how God works! I don’t know why some hearts melt when they hear the word and some hearts harden as the eighth prisoners heart did. He got angry and started yelling at us as we shared Jesus. He was angry to the point that he would not even accept the bread we offered him (a big statement for a hungry man). I don’t know much about God, but I do know this: He is good and who are we to question the justice of our creator. Paul responds to this in the book of Romans.
“What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For He says to Moses, “I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”. – Romans 9:14-15 (see all Romans 9 for more on pre-destination)
Does not the potter have a right to do what He wants with His clay!