“The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ””
Ezekiel 37:1-6 NKJV
Raised to life
The church today suffers from chronic dry bone syndrome. There are so many saints who have sat in many a service and not really heard the preaching and teaching of the word of God. They might be preoccupied with inner thoughts, or perhaps, sadly, the pulpit is bereft of truth.
In not receiving the full counsel of the word, they have been rendered as spiritually dead. In these churches, the Lord is not preached, and the focus is more on doing service, and little in actually preaching the Gospel.
We are entering a season when the bones must come alive, for the season of spreading the Good News is nearing peak harvest, and soon will be gone. Reading Ezekiel thirty seven this morning, I thought of the state of the American church. We have become distracted and dry, for we have not sought the counsel of the Lord, and we have ignored the gentle pleadings of the Holy Spirit.
Often it is because of distractions, those things that have merit, but have come to overwhelm the other ministries.
Fortunately, I am seeing a change coming. I have noticed a quickening in many Christians, as the signs around us are pointing to the wrapping up of the age and the coming of a new, greater Kingdom.
Those preachers who are committed to preaching the word, are doing so by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the dry bones are receiving inspiration. I think of my own little church. We are seeing a great deepening, as people who previously were comfortable sitting in the pew and remaining dry, are being raised to life.
There is a rattling in those pews!
It is a delight to see the spiritual reanimation of the saints, the warming of the frozen chosen. They have become alive and they have been placed on mission.
It is of the utmost urgency that the followers of Jesus be moistened by the constant washing of the word, for we are in danger of becoming dry in these increasing arid times. It is hared to find the preaching of the word of God, even in some evangelical churches, for those in positions of authority have turned their hearts to other matters not pertaining to the saving of souls.
Dryness in these dangerous times, where there are a wide variety of alternative moral views, can lead the follower of Jesus down a path that leads to sin. We find ourselves without the tools that assist in discerning what is sin and what is holy.
The word of God is the sole definer of what we are to believe, and it has the power to guard us from those who have been ensnared by the evil one.
“He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;”
Proverbs 2:7-13 NKJV
Brothers and sisters, the times we are in will test us, stress us, and push us to the brink. The ongoing pressure can create a division between us and the Lord if we do not avail ourselves of the tools the Lord has given us. Let us be intentional in meeting with the Lord in prayer, poring over His word studiously, and taking time to worship Him in all that we do.
By doing all of these things, we can avoid the dryness in this crucial season of evangelism. We can also enjoy the benefit of the Lord walking alongside us, examining us, that He help us identify those dry places.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 NKJV
It is by the power of God that we can be made alive and stay alive. It is by the power of God that wee can go into all the world sharing the Gospel, for this is our primary purpose.
Have a Wonderful Lord’s Day!
#prayfortheharvest
#prayforthepersecuted
#prayforthepeaceofIsrael
#prayforthegospeltospreadeverywhere
Musings from an idle mind 
For sure! The valley between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic ocean is dry bones! May the Lord’s reviving Holy Spirit, burn him and bring these bones back to life? Praying with you, Bernie.
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