Doug Van Pelt

God's Had Enough ... and He's Got Your Back!

In Ezekiel 36, God is telling His prophet to prophesy to mountains (interesting instruction, don't you think?), and He reveals that He's heard the derision and scoffing that Israel has received from its neighbors (i.e. warring nations around it). It seems that God gets perturbed about people talking trash about His people. So He steps in.

"'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorn of the nations. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.'"

Wow.

God goes on to clarify, however, that He's not doing this for His people's sake. (You see, they acted unbecomingly and shamed His Name.

"'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.'"

They surely did not represent well. So God is stepping in to keep His Name "from being dragged through the mud" any longer.

He also speaks of restoring His people:

"'I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws."

I want that kind of heart (a heart of flesh, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, anxious to follow God's ways, eager to please Him).

I'm heading back to California tomorrow. I will visit my old stomping grounds to gather information for a novel I'm writing. I asked the coach of my old high school if I can have permission to visit the locker room and whatnot, and watch their scrimmage from the sidelines. He also asked me to "speak to the students." That was quite a shock and pleasant surprise. It'll be interesting to see how that works out. It'll be around 2 pm PST on Friday, for those that want to pray. Then Saturday will be the "Up From The Ashes" concert/makeup show for the cancelled Beyond The Mountain 2-day Festival.

Here are some pictures of the big cats that Klank got us close to last week.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at August 24, 2005 08:56 AM