If God is love...

If God is love, why did he kick Satan out of heaven?

This was the question Dylan came up with last week...

My first thought was wow, how do you answer that? Then as I thought a little, I realized that God never stopped loving Satan. He simply realized that if Satan stayed in heaven that he would have destroyed it. So, while he stilled loved Satan, God knew he had to get him put of heaven.

This is an important point for us to remember. Sometimes love is tough. When we find ourselves asking things like why does God allow pain? Maybe there is a reason... Maybe we are seeing tough love...

We don't always understand God's actions (or inactions), but God always loves us.

Have you seen or experienced God's tough love?

What would God look like to reach you?

If God was tyring to get your attention by showing up in your life, or by placing someone in your life, what would he look like?

In William P. Young's book, The Shack, the main character had a rocky relationship with his father, so God appears to him as an old woman. This made him much more receptive to what God had to say.

Or in the TV show Touched By An Angel, different characters were met by different angels. Some women, some men, some young, some old. They always seemed to know which one would be the right one to reach the person they were trying to help.

So if God needed to get you to listen to him, what would he look like? Who would he be?

Putting the pieces back together

Every day we live out our lives. We tend to fill up our time with a lot of things.  Work, hobbies, family, friends, chores, sleeping, eating...  Why do we do all of these things?

Recently I have been trying to keep this in focus.  My job has been very hectic and my typical 9-5 (actually 7:30 - 4:30) job has been spilling over into my nights, and weekends.  It has been taking away from my family's time.  I have been tired and stressed, and it has shown in my attitude.  I'm not proud of this.  So what do we do about this?  Sometimes we have to be busy.  Often times we have very mundane and trivial things that just have to be done.  So how do we do these and not get our priorities out of line?

Brother Lawrence, a 17th century monk, discussed this in great length.  He wrote The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life about this.  A more modern take on this is Steve Case's God is Here, Connect, which was inspired by Brother Lawrence's writings.  Lawrence's main point was that no matter what we are doing, we should be doing it for God and we should be doing it with God.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 4:11

We don't necessarily change what we are doing.  But we change how and why we are doing it.  I'm sure that if I can readjust my attitude while working extra hours, that my attitude toward my family when I get home will be much different.  I'm sure their attitude toward me, and feelings about me working more, will also change.

So what does God expect from us...

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?  Deuteronomy 10:12

I pray that I can begin living my life with this constant clear connection to God.  I pray that I can make every moment and every action in my life for God.  I pray that you will, too. 

In His image...

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?   2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV

How do you smell this week?

How have you seen God exemplified by someone's actions this week?  How have you tried too exemplify Christ?