Smiling with God...

"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for nobel purposes and some for common use?" Romans 9:21 God's sovereign choice to do what He desires for His creation. Though this is a tough concept to really think about because basically what Paul is saying here is that you could be a common folk. Not exactly what you want to hear. A common use?! Who wants to be that?! Here in America, you are constantly fed the idea that you could be SOMEBODY. But what Paul explains here is that well, you could be somebody in man's terms but you could be common use kind of person, and God chooses who is who. Not exactly the most soothing message to hear. You are a common person. That's great. But it really is great. If you think about Paul teaches in another book that we are part of a body of Christ a body has zillion of parts, some are visual and big and well known, others are small and in the background. But you need all of it ...

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations just as it had been said to him, ‘so shall your offspring be’” Romans 4:18 Wow, what faith.This is what it means to live by faith. To firmly believe in the promises of God and know that it will come to pass. I can now say that God’s promises will be fulfilled. I can now embrace that God’s work shall be completed in me. I trust that God will finish what He started. If He says it, it will be. Against all hope God is working. But there is a part two, Abraham in hope believed. We must have faith in God. Be confident in God through the thick and thin. There are many things in my life where I fail to realize that God’s will come through. There are promises that are yet unfulfilled that I now know that I can trust in now. I am now confident that God can and will bring me out of the this season better and stronger. God is orchestrating, God is putting the pieces together, God is bring the plan for ...

The word of the Lord came to Solomon: “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations, and keep my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.” 1 Kings 6:11-13 God here lays it out to Solomon before he starts building the temple. If you do this... then I will fulfill. Before the building of the temple, before anything is completed, God lays down the real law, a simple command, be obedient. Be obedient to His command, be obedient to His following. Be obedient to His order and structure. That is what God asks Solomon here, that is what he is asking me to do today. I can’t stand when I am forced to do something that I don’t want to do. I remember I was working for this place and I they made us do something I just had a problem with. I hated it, I couldn’t stand it. I pouted about it, I tried to “reason” my with the b...

"But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1 Kings 8:61 After a dedication to the temple Solomon here sees the importance of a committed heart to the Lord. But there is something about commitment. When the heart goes then then everything else follows. When your heart turns then your life will turn along with it. I guess what is important here to see is that once you move in one direction and your heart commits to it, then your emotion, intellect, and energy follows. I see why here Solomon ask that if God is to give us His 100% then we have to follow suit. The heart committed can see through tough times and focus on what is important. I liked this girl a lot I thought, but after constant rejection I gave up. My heart became uncommitted. I liked this other girl, and we dated for a month, but was rejected again and my heart towards her has changed. I see how why a committed heart is nece...

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it s possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but, as you will." Matthew 26:36 He had to ask. I mean why not? He knows the impending doom that has to be done, but instead of taking it, Jesus, like David prayed hard to change the mind of God. Why? It's not like we didn't know what was going to happen. We all know that when David heard that his son was going to die, he prayed and lamented, and did his son live? No. Here Jesus knows that he God assigned him to walk this very path, but here he pleads and to no avail. He has to walk the path. What sacrifice. Doing things even though you don't want to, that is awesome. Walking in the will of the Father is not easy. There will be times that walking with God will be like the best. But there will be times where we have to walk through the fire. We have to walk through the hard times. But at least I know t...

“He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? Will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:22-23 David in all his grief cried out to God in desperation to save his child. But nonethess, the child was taken away, the words of Nathan was fulfilled and like that it was over. David, then got up, doing all he could do he moved on. Though it was custom and tradition to lament and fast after a death, David here recoginzed that it was final, it was done. Moving on after a death, is tough. But for some it’s not just a death, but maybe a shattered dream, a long lost wish unfulfilled, or just something that never materalizes. When it dies, it dies. But the lesson here isn’t just the reaction after death, but also what to do till it dies. David did all he could, he pleaded, fasted, did everything he coul...

“He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interest, but man’s!”” Matthew 16:23 So it is here again Peter, the one who does something great, but then stumbles again right after. But you see it though, a promise. Though Peter messed up in many ways, there was something that he did right. He was passionate for Jesus, sometimes too passionate. Some ways he let that get the better of him. But the great thing is that Jesus saw past that, Jesus saw past the immature, the unshaped, and undiscipline character. What he saw was the rock, who he gave the keys to. Funny thing about Jesus, he sees the potential that lay beneath the surface. He doesn’t see what it is, he sees what it can become. I like Peter the disciplie. I can relate to him in a lot of ways. Somedays I can do great with God. I am in total fellowship, walking with him, smiling, conversing, and working in total agreement with him. The very...