Ezekiel 37:1-37:10
I know I won't win any popularity contests with this word, but I am not just a preacher (I am a watchman on the wall, and I have a God given responsibility when I see the sword coming to sound the alarm)
God told Ezekial: When you see the sword coming and you don’t sound the alarm then the sword will come and take them away but their blood will I require at your hands.
But if you sound the alarm and they don’t listen, they don’t heed the warning (the sword will come and take them away but their blood will not be on your hands, because you sounded the alarm and they refused to listen.
So I stand in this pulpit tonight not just as a preacher, but also as a watchman on the wall. (I could stand up here and tell you that everything is going to get better and better, and the economy is going to get better and better and the morality and integrity of this nation is going to get better and better and that anti-semitism and racial strife and prejudice is going to get better and better and that our government is going to get better and better, and that all the tension with Iraq and Iran and North Korea and Russia is just going to dissolve into world peace.
(But if I did I would be a Liar)
I know there are a lot of so called prophets that prophesy peace peace ( everything is wonderful) and it’s just going to get better ) but it’s not true.
Jeremiah 8:11 Says: For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
That means the false prophets have put a band aid over a cancer and said it’s going to be alright.
I want you to know that Yes God is good and God is going to bless his people, and yes God is going to protect and prosper his own.
But I also see the sword of Judgment falling on the sleepy laodician church of America, (There are so many of these silver tongued smooth talking prophets that are telling the church that everythings fine.
But everything is not fine: God is not happy with what is happening in his church (it is not a time of peace, it is not a time to be asleep like Jonah the prophet.
It’s a time of war (It’s time for the church to beat her plowshares into swords) It’s time for the farmers to fight.
I know I’m speaking against many of these false prophets of the hour (but I’m telling you judgement is coming, in fact it’s already beginning.
In Ezekial Ch 9: He has a vision and in the Vision He sees those who love God and Serve God and Hate evil that sigh over the abominations that are being committed around them and he sees them being sealed, (That is being marked by God, marked as redeemed, marked as righteous.
Then he sees Judgement coming right after that: And the Lord said to the slayers, go after them and anyone you find who does not have the mark of God in their foreheads. (slay them young and old, male and female) and start at the house of God.
Although my heart is heavy as I speak this word I also have the great joy of telling you, that even in the midst of wrath and Judgment God will make his mercy known and visit us again with great Revival.
In Ezekial 37 Ezekial was given a vision
It was spiritual: It was a vision from God.
In a vision God revealed to Ezekial the spiritual and moral condition of the house of Israel.
Or we could say the Church of that day.
It was a description of how far Israel had fallen from her divine calling and position as the children of God.
It was a brutally true and honest assessment of Israel's lack of spirituality and God-consciousness (they were very dry) this means they were very far from God, and had no desire for God.
This is the first thing the Prophet is greeted by in his vision (A valley full of brokenness, broken disjointed dry bones. )
Why?
Because the first step to healing is honest assessment, recognizing, admitting, there is a sickness.
The first step to the solution is admitting you have a problem.
Now after God reveals Israel's nakedness, and uncovers her hypocrisy and shows Ezekiel the true condition of the nation of Israel, (symbolically the church).
God asked the Prophet the question; (Can these bones live again?)
In other words:
Is there hope for these bones?
Can they be restored?
Let me bring it home:
Can the church ever be revived?
Can the church ever quit fighting and arguing over stupid stuff that has no eternal consequences and get back to being the body of Christ the glory of God in the earth?
Can the church ever again be the agency of the kingdom of God in the earth?
Can the church strip off her worldly garments and be clothed in strength once again and put on her robes of righteousness?
Can the church ever again be the mighty army of God beating down the gates of Hell setting captives free, healing the sick, delivering the bound and the oppressed?
The Prophet's answer shows us how bad the situation was.
He answers: Lord God thou knowest.
In other words the prophet has to shift his attention from the problem to the power of God.
Let me just stop here to tell somebody: if you need a miracle, if you need a deliverance, if you need a healing or a breakthrough in your life, you have to shift your attention from the problem to the power of God.
Yes you first have to admit you have a need.
Then you have to take your eyes off the problem and get them on the power of God.
The longer you look at the problem, think about the problem, and talk about the problem the worse it's going to get.
Ezekiel knew the situation was beyond his ability: he knew that the only one who could change it was God.
Every one of us will come to a place in life that is a Lord God thou knowest place.
It is the place where you know, it is beyond human ability, Your momma can't do it, your daddy can't do it, your doctor or your lawyer can't do it.
Thats when you recognize that if it's going to happen it is going to have to be the power of God.
Ezekiel's answer was a statement of dependency, a recognition of his insufficiency his weakness, his need.
I love God's response.
God says prophesy upon these bones: (it is though God is saying that's all I needed from you was your dependence upon me now let's get to work).
Let me pause here to tell you that God doesn't show us these kind of hopeless conditions and circumstances to overwhelm and frustrate and depress us.
If God shows you these kinds of things it is because God has chosen you to use you and to change the situation.
It was already in the mind of God to make Ezekiel an agent of change.
We look today at the church and we see so much worldliness that has made her way into the church: some time ago we would preach against soap operas, (As the world turns, Days of Our Lives, All My Children, General hospital) And this made people mad.
People don't like you preaching against their stories.
But today the soap operas are much worse then they used to be, now the soap operas are demonic, they are demonically inspired, What used to be considered evil is good:
The villains are now the heroes.
Now the vampires are the heroes of the shows
(I don’t know if Christians are aware of this but drinking human blood is the deepest level of satanic involvement and devotion to the devil there is)
I'm not mad at anybody but: I'm angry at the devil (the devil is perverting our spiritual lifeline and many Christians do not even know it's happening).
It's the blood of Jesus that saves me, that heals me, that delivers me, that sets me free, that sustains my life.
The blood of Jesus is my lifeline.
I eat his flesh and drink his blood, and I live by the blood of the lamb.
I'm not condemning anyone ( I'm just sounding the alarm)
Virtually every sit com or situational comedy on television is now endorsing and encouraging either homosexuality or lesbianism or both and Christians sit and watch and laugh and don't know they're drinking poison.
We have today what is known as a tolerance attitude in the church: I drove into a town the other day and the character trait for the month for the city was tolerance
(The meaning of the word tolerance is:
1.The power or the capacity of an organism to tolerate unfavorable environmental conditions.
2.A disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior
3.A permissible difference: allowing freedom to move within limits.
4. Broad mindedness showing respect for the rights or opinions or practices of others.
5.To survive the introduction of an organism or a poison in the body.
Can I say it? Yes (I have to say it)
The church has become tolerant: We have allowed the world to pressure us into conformity, to accommodate the world in the church.
One of the practices making it's way into the church is called (beer and hymns) It used to be (we called sipping and tipping and slipping around (sin) but the tolerance position is (as long as it's not overdone) as long as it's in moderation.
Only two glasses of beer per service (just enough to loosen you up, but not enough to get you drunk)
The fact is whatever you tolerate will eventually control your life
The church was never called to tolerate sin: but to come out from among them and be separate,and touch not the unclean thing.
To shun the very appearance of evil
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeard to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world.
1Pet 5:8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may destroy.
Yes
The church has fallen far from her high and holy calling.
But be encouraged my Friend, be encouraged my brother and my sister:
If You can see the sin and deception and worldly things that have become comfortable in the church, And it grieves your heart to see the church accepting false doctrines of grace to the exclusion of personal responsibility, and Chrislam that introduces an ungodly mixture of Christianity and Islam,
And a bloodless cross-less Christianity, & a message of inclusion that calls everybody saved without a savior and without a sacrifice and without repentance.
If you hear these false prophets prophesying that there is no literal hell and no eternal judgement
And if your heart hurts to hear homosexuals and lesbians and fornicators standing behind the pulpit quoting select verses from the Bible to justify their sinful life styles;
Then this is not to frustrate you, it is not to leave you feeling discouraged and depressed, it is not so you can fold your hands and hang your head down in despair and hopelessness.
Neither is it to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich and pretend evil does not exist
Rather it is because God has called you to be an Ezekiel to your generation.
He has called you to be a prophet to your generation
An agent of change.
He has called you to be an intercessor.
Ezekiel was an intercessor (a prophet yes but first of all and especially an intercessor).
You may not be an apostle or prophet pastor teacher or evangelist.
You may never stand behind the pulpit and declare the word of the Lord, but you can be an Ezekiel in your prayer closet.
You can prophesy the divine destiny of the church, you can rebuke sin, you can cry out for revival, you can prophesy to the wind to come and blow up on his church again.
You can call for the fire of God to fall from heaven and purify his church ( all from your prayer closet.)
You have a powerful call upon your life: you are called to be an intercessor to this generation.
I stand here today to tell you: God is going to do it again; God is going to send revival.
The church may have gone down, but she is not out.
She may have fallen from her rightful place but she is getting back up.
She may have gotten her robes dirty with the filth of this world, but she is being washed clean by the blood of the Lamb.
Revival is coming to the body of Christ:
I prophesy: revival is coming to the body of Christ, the church is being raised up, and righteousness is being restored.
I prophesy that we are on the threshold of the greatest revival the world has ever seen.
You say man of God how can you say that? we have never seen so much immorality and hostility and darkness and spiritual wickedness and perversion and idolatry in the Christian world and in the church.
That's the reason why I'm more convinced than ever that revival is coming.
Because it looks impossible, it looks hopeless, it looks irreversible, It looks like the devil is winning.
It looks like truth and righteousness have been trampled down in the street, but just like those two prophets in the book of Revelation that are resurrected from the dead.
Truth and righteousness are going to be resurrected and the church is going to once again shine forth with the glory of God.
It's not over.
I'm prophesying to the dry bones today: Oh you dry bones hear the word of the Lord.
It's not over.
The church is not dead.
I'm going to restore you says the Lord.
And (as I prophesied:) there was a noise and a shaking.
Don't suppose that revival is just going to appear out of nowhere.
There is a word that is coming from God that is going to shift the atmosphere.
This word is going to shake things up.
This word is going to rebuke sin and stir up the hypocrites and the religious.
This word is going to expose the marriages = covenants that have been made with the world.
This word is going to break up some happy marriages with this world system.
God says:
I'm going to put your royal robes back on you.
I'm going to fill you with my spirit once again.
You're going to walk and talk and live and breathe by the power of the Holy Ghost.
You're going to stand up on your feet a mighty army.
You're going to march into the enemy's camp and take back everything that has been stolen from you.
Oh you dry bones hear the word of the Lord:
God isn't finished with you yet.
Your best days are ahead of you.
The glory of the latter house, shall be greater than the glory of the former house.
You haven't seen anything yet.
But before the church can be restored to divine order it first has to be broken.
In other words:
All that is structured and arranged and ordered of the flesh has to be broken, all that is false religion must be torn down.
The altars of Baal must come down.
All flesh connections have to be severed.
Before Abraham could be connected to his promise, he had to break the flesh connection with lot first.
The reason many believers haven't connected with their promise yet is because they are still nursing connections in the flesh.
They're choosing the flesh over the spirit.
As the word went forth: divine connections were made. (Bone to his bone).
I prophesy that tonight, there are flesh connections that are going to be broken and divine connections are going to be made.
Nothing is more important in life than the right connections.
The right church
The right mate
The right friends
The right business partners.
The power of God flows through the right connections.
When its a divine connection it will feed and it will strengthen it will nourish the anointing and the destiny in your life.
If the connections in your life do not support and encourage and feed and strengthen your anointing and your destiny, you need to deliver yourself from them.
I don't care if its people, or it's your TV shows, or your music, you better be sure it's a divine connection.
Now God says: Prophesy to the wind.
The bones have been covered with muscles and flesh and skin, and the bones have come together.
There are bodies but there is no life.
There is order but there is no life.
There is structure and arrangement but it is dead.
There is a shape and form but there is no power.
This is a description of religion.
Religion can put everything in order, religion can build an altar, religion can even shout and dance and even pray, but religion cannot bring the fire of God.
Religion talks about God, sings about God, even preaches about God, but religion doesn't know God.
Religion is the show, its the shape and fashion, it's the form, it's the ceremonies, the rituals, the going through the motions.
It's the form of godliness that denies the power thereof.
Prophesy to the wind: come oh breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live.
Nothing but the breath of God can give life.
Nothing but the Spirit of God can give life.
Nothing but the presence and the power of the Holy Ghost can give you life.
Churches gather all over the world every Sunday, but in many churches the Holy Ghost is not welcome.
We have programs, and methods, and mechanics, and routines, and ceremonies, and rituals.
And the Holy Ghost isn't necessary.
We know how to have church.
So all over the world every Sunday: Dry bones come marching into the church rattle around, make some noise, perform their duties, then march back out very dry.
Why is it that we have programmed the Holy Spirit out of our services? Because when the Holy Spirit comes he doesn't come as a bystander or spectator, he doesn't come just to watch.
When the Holy Spirit comes, he comes to take over, he comes to take control.
There's no such thing as revival without the Holy Spirit.
The spirit gives life.
It is the Holy Spirit who puts life in our preaching, life in our singing and dancing, life in our shout, life in our prayer,
Without the power of the Holy Spirit we are dead.
Our preaching is dead.
Our singing is dead.
Our worship is dead.
And the truth is many of our churches and I'm talking about full gospel apostolic, charismatic, tongue talking bible thumping, pew jumping churches and denominations are dead because they have pushed the Holy Spirit out.
But I'm prophesying to you right now: The wind is blowing again.
There is a fresh anointing, a new move of the Spirit on the horizon.
The power of God is coming back to the church:
People are getting sick and tired of dead impotent powerless religion.
People are getting hungry for the real thing.
All across the land people are waking up out of their slumber and they're crying out for a move of God.
They want his presence.
A fresh fire is falling.
No longer can we be satisfied or pacified with a fireless altar (The God that answers by fire let him be God).
Hearts are catching on fire.
Churches are catching on fire.
That same wind that blew through Ezekiels bone yard and raised a nation from the dead, The same wind that blew through the upper room on the day of Pentecost and gave birth to the New Testament church is blowing again.
The wind is blowing again.
It's blowing in our churches.
It's blowing in our homes.
It's blowing in our schools.
There's a noise again in the house.
Dead bones are coming to life.
Dead churches are coming to life.
Dead marriages are coming to life.
Dead wombs are coming to life.
Dead dreams are coming to life.
Dead bodies are coming to life, the doctor says: there's no hope, but the wind is blowing again and when the wind blows it brings life.
It blows out sickness and disease.
It blows out debt and worry and stress.
It blows out depression and anxiety.
It blows out fear and doubt and unbelief, it blows out worldliness ungodliness perversion uncleanliness.
It blows out the works of darkness.
The wind is blowing again this wind is bringing miracles signs and wonders.
This wind is bringing joy and peace.
This wind is restoring holiness and righteousness.
This wind is breaking poverty and lack.
This wind is healing, restoring, resurrecting and empowering the church.
The wind is going to blow in our preaching again.
It's going to blow in our singing again.
It's going to blow in our worship again.
The church is going to be known once again as the house of God, because God is going to fill his house again.
If you want the wind to blow on you again
If you want the wind to blow on your church
If you want the wind to blow on your life, blow on your preaching, blow on your singing, blow on your prayer, blow on your shout and your dance ( I want you to get up here right now).
If you need healing in your body, if you need deliverance, if you need to get right with God, you need to get down here.
(The power of God is here right now)
I want you to lift your hands and cry out to God to let the wind blow (Cry out to God to send the wind).
Cry out to God to send the fire.
Cry out to God for a fresh anointing, a fresh fire, a fresh baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.
Cry out to God for revival for yourself for your church for your city for your children, for your grand children, for your schools for this nation.
Repent of your sin:
Repent for your lukewarmness and indifference
Repent for being at ease in Zion
Repent for flesh connections that have grieved the Spirit of God in your life.
Repent for just being religious
Repent for not praying
Repent for having no burden for the lost
If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land. 2 Chron 7:14
That's talking about revival (That's the only thing that will heal our land) Revival
Revive us again Oh Lord.
