The Dead, Rising

EZEKIEL 37 The prophet Ezekiel was transported by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley of dry bones. The bones were very dried out and scattered everywhere. The Lord asked, “Can these bones live again?’ Ezekiel answered, “You alone know the answer.”

People are dead. They are either dead in their sin or they have become like the dead in their spirit. Due to man’s disobedience all who are without Christ are dead, subject to an eternal hell. Christians have become dead denying all that God has to offer in and through the Holy Spirit. They reject the workings of the Holy Spirit claiming the Holy Spirit is not relevant to the church today, rather the Holy Spirit was only poured out on the early church.

Dry bones, very dry bones abound everywhere. Can these bones live again? Ezekiel followed the Lord’s leading prophesying to the dry bones. The bones first rattled, then they came together before muscle and flesh formed over them. The Lord then breathed life into them and they stood to their feet – a great army.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out like a mighty wind filling the place where they were meeting. 120 believers were filled with the Holy Spirit empowered to take the Gospel to ALL the world. The Holy Spirit has filled and empowered believers ever since that eventful day.

The Holy Spirit like the breath of God gave life to the dry bones, breathes new life into people. Churches have either stopped preaching or have moved the working of the Holy Spirit to the back room. Men are relying on the wisdom of men rather than the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is life.

Denying or prohibiting the work of the Holy Spirit weakens the body of Christ. When the Holy Spirit is welcomed and invited to move freely it delivers new life and fire raising up an army of believers. If you find your journey to be a struggle and have not been filled with the Holy Spirit, you are basically trying to survive through your own power when the power of heaven is available.

Ezekiel simply prophesied to the dry bones and the Lord brought life. If you desire the Holy Spirit simply ask the Lord to fill you. As you do praise him with a loud voice allowing the Holy Spirit to prompt you to speak in a new heavenly language. Yield your tongue, when you speak in this new tongue this is evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is being empowered for the service in which you were called. The Holy Spirit enables you to step out in boldness. You are no longer dry bones in a heap but have been given new life through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. With your new life comes purpose. God chose you for a purpose. Christ commissioned the early church to “GO and preach the gospel to ALL!” You have been commissioned as a believer to do likewise.

As your eyes are opened you will see the dead all around you. They go about their day with no purpose or hope. These dead are attempting to destroy the living not a purpose, rather, a by-product of their sin. Like Ezekiel you can speak new life into these bones praying they will accept the message and allow the Lord to breathe new life into them.