3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

He’s in heaven, we’re not. The end game is to be with Him. We’re called to let Him use us to get as many people there as we can impact. This world isn’t home, it’s temporary. Heaven is permanent. So is hell.

He does whatever he wants to. He has given us this earth to do what we want with it and we’ve made a mess of it. We aren’t good stewards of the beautiful creations of this world. From the beautiful creature called human, from California to the New York island; from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters (you get the idea), we destroy. It isn’t God doing the destruction, it’s us. We choose to go against God’s design, against His wishes, against His call whether we say we’re doing it in His name or not. Give me Hitler and I’ll give you Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin. Give me American industrialists and I’ll give you China, India, Russia. Give me American poverty and I’ll give you that Americans on welfare make more money than 80% of the people of the world (@ $8k/yr).

The point is that God is in heaven letting us do what we want – for now. He says he’s coming back; I believe that, how about you? He’s going to fix this broken world. We might be here for it, we might not be. In the meantime, doesn’t it behoove us to expend our efforts to make this world something that’s closer to His plan (love, forgiveness, stewardship, peace) than our current state? For a brief summary of his plan read Matthew 25:35-36.

I find it interesting that what Christ brought to the middle east is now called a western cultural bias, while most parts of the world still hold personal and family honor (pride) as the primary cultural bias. Can we get over our pride and false humility to make the difference he calls us to make?

Mao said change (political power) grows out of the barrel of a gun.  Jesus says change comes from The Father, Son and Holy Spirit – God.  Who’s had a greater impact?  Change comes from being intentional.  What are your intentions?  What is important to you?

I don’t understand why he’s let it run this far and can’t get my head around his plans. That’s ok.  My God doesn’t fit in a box of my understanding. He’s way too much for me to get my head around, and to this simpleton, that’s comforting. He’s God and I’m not. He’s perfect and I’m not. His ways are not my ways. One way we are similar: He does whatever he wants and so do I.  I’d better be zeroing in on His ways.