(no subject)
this passage has come up in my life about six times in the past week. i have to post this one.
it's in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones.
(1) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. (2) He made me walk among them in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain. How dry they were! (3) He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life? "Lord GOD," I answered, "you alone know that." (4) Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! (5) Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. (6) I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD. (7) I prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. (8) I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. (9) Then he said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.
(10) I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army. (11) Then he said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They have been saying, "Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off." (12) Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. (13) Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people!
i know that Phil talked about this at mission so many of you already know the passage. i also heard it sunday at church, my pastor gave a sermon on it. and i also heard it at the pentecost vigil at Christ the King. and i talked about it a little at genesis club when we were talking about faith. then last night i heard it again at band practice in the song "days of Elijah."
so, i'm starting to think this is not a coincidence.
God is telling me this - He is asking me "will these dry bones live?"
will dexter's dry bones live? will pioneer's dry bones live? will gabriel richard's dry bones live? will huron's? will chelsea's? will washtenaw's? will my family's? will my friend's? will my community's?
the Lord wants ALL the dry bones to live and become an army for Him against the evil one. its clear - especially now.
we who are already followers and members of the Lord's forces, we must be leaders of these newly saved dry bones. We are the generals, the admirals, the seargants, the lieutenants and the captains.
notice how in ezekiel, first the dry bones get physical life. they get muscles and flesh, but they have no spirit! i think this means that we need to give them life in Christ, but then trust God to give them a spirit and a fire for Him.
lead them and leave them.
lead them to the Lord, and then leave them there for Him to fill them with the spirit.
pray continuously for revival of the schools - for the dry bones to
RISE!
with a fire in their hearts for the Lord, and a mind seeking His purity.
we are the body of Christ, too true. but we are also the army of the Lord, Living God. Jesus says "those who are not with me are against me and my Father."
that's simple, guys.
and although it's true, God Wants to revive His children! He doesn't want them to remain dry bones!
the hand of the Lord is upon us - how can we fail? we can't. we will not.
"Show [the dry bones] that their state, however deplorable, is not hopeless."
mhmm. i think thats all.
Praise God.
it's in Ezekiel 37, the valley of dry bones.
(1) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. (2) He made me walk among them in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain. How dry they were! (3) He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come to life? "Lord GOD," I answered, "you alone know that." (4) Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! (5) Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. (6) I will put sinews upon you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life and know that I am the LORD. (7) I prophesied as I had been told, and even as I was prophesying I heard a noise; it was a rattling as the bones came together, bone joining bone. (8) I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them, and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. (9) Then he said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life.
(10) I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them; they came alive and stood upright, a vast army. (11) Then he said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They have been saying, "Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off." (12) Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. (13) Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people!
i know that Phil talked about this at mission so many of you already know the passage. i also heard it sunday at church, my pastor gave a sermon on it. and i also heard it at the pentecost vigil at Christ the King. and i talked about it a little at genesis club when we were talking about faith. then last night i heard it again at band practice in the song "days of Elijah."
so, i'm starting to think this is not a coincidence.
God is telling me this - He is asking me "will these dry bones live?"
will dexter's dry bones live? will pioneer's dry bones live? will gabriel richard's dry bones live? will huron's? will chelsea's? will washtenaw's? will my family's? will my friend's? will my community's?
the Lord wants ALL the dry bones to live and become an army for Him against the evil one. its clear - especially now.
we who are already followers and members of the Lord's forces, we must be leaders of these newly saved dry bones. We are the generals, the admirals, the seargants, the lieutenants and the captains.
notice how in ezekiel, first the dry bones get physical life. they get muscles and flesh, but they have no spirit! i think this means that we need to give them life in Christ, but then trust God to give them a spirit and a fire for Him.
lead them and leave them.
lead them to the Lord, and then leave them there for Him to fill them with the spirit.
pray continuously for revival of the schools - for the dry bones to
RISE!
with a fire in their hearts for the Lord, and a mind seeking His purity.
we are the body of Christ, too true. but we are also the army of the Lord, Living God. Jesus says "those who are not with me are against me and my Father."
that's simple, guys.
and although it's true, God Wants to revive His children! He doesn't want them to remain dry bones!
the hand of the Lord is upon us - how can we fail? we can't. we will not.
"Show [the dry bones] that their state, however deplorable, is not hopeless."
mhmm. i think thats all.
Praise God.