The Holiness of God

As most know, I am a youth pastor. In my study time this morning, I read the following verses from Ezekiel 36, starting with verse 22:

"Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went. I will honor the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations - the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am Yahweh - the declaration of the Lord God - when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.
For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within youl; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirity withing you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. Then you will live in the land that I gave your fathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and will not bring famine on you. I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.
Then you will remember you evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act - the declaration of the Lord God - let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!"


Several things were revealed to me through this passage:

1. God will be glorified. Glory belongs to Him and to Him alone.
2. We cannot act in such a way as to glorify Him without His first taking our hardened hearts and replacing it with a heart that can feel. Have we hardened our hearts in the church? We are so quick to profane the name of God. And He makes it clear that He will not put up with it for long.
3. Sometimes God's blessings are meant to chastise us. Do we really think that we deserve the blessings we have? Are we willing to humble ourselves and give the glory of it to God? Does he receive the firstfruits? How easily we rely on self. When things go well, we pat ourselves on the back. When they take a downward turn, we shake our fists at God. We are to realize that we could have none of what we are blessed with if not for the hand of God.
4. God was disappointed. He made the change so that He could be glorified, not because the people were repentant. We are to realize that we serve a God of Holiness and Righteousness, and repent when we profane his name among the nations.
5. We see here the reason He gave His Son, Jesus, to die in our stead. So that He may be glorified. And so that we, His children, might partake in all that He has promised us, not by our self, but through the hand of God making provision, that He may receive all praise, honor and glory, and that we may have no place to boast.

I fully believe in grace. It is a gift that I did not deserve, as the people of Israel did not deserve the blessings they received. It is given that I may see my insufficiency without Christ. And that I might trust in Him as the full atonement for my sins.

Per request

The Snuffy

One of my dear friends requested that their portrait be placed on this blog to "spiff it up" a little.

The illustrious Sharptooth Barney 

Sharptooth Barney's great-grandfather. 

Uncoordinated Ponderings

Ahhhh...the perilous world of blogging. Please do not come here seeking to learn anything and everything about the mastermind behind Sharptooth Barney. You will not find such information here. What you will find is a series of thought, in the order of my choosing, concerning whatever happens to cross this carnivor's mind.

Will it be random? At times.
Will it make sense? Sense lies with the reader. Who is to say if you can fathom what may appear here.

What I can assure is that whatever is posted here is what I am thinking at that exact moment in time....no more, and no less. If you choose to join me in this journey, welcome aboard. If you get bitten, it isn't my fault. If you choose to stay away, it may have been a safe choice on your part, but you will never know if the words flowing from this mysterious mind would lead you down a path that would change your world forever.

So welcome, new friends. I look forward to the journey. And for those who chose the safer route...well, just remember: things are rarely as they seem.