The Indispensible Gift

as we look in Ezekiel 37: 1-10 it begins with the prophet of God standing in the valley of dry bones.

A man of God surrounded by death, hopelessness, and despair.

As far as the eye can see there is only brokenness emptiness, death.

This is the valley of death.

Dreams have died here, hope for the future have died here, marriages have died here, ministries have died here.

The smell of death is in the air, there is not one drop of moisture anywhere.

There is nothing to even hint that anything could possibly change.

But God loves impossible situations, because when it turns around he gets all the glory.

I want to prophesy to somebody today who is facing an impossible situation.

God said to prophesy and tell you he is going to turn it around.

It doesn't matter how impossible it looks; you just need to look at that mountain or look at the valley of dry bones and start prophesying (thus saith the Lord).

Without the operation and activity of the Holy Spirits power instead of a mighty army of warriors ready for battle all we would have seen was a valley full of dead bodies with no power, no life.

Yes bones are connected, yes skin and sinews and flesh have come upon the bones.

But there is no life in them

Until the wind begins to blow.

When the wind begins to blow everything changes.

Life comes.

In a moment's time the valley of dead corpse become a living army by the breath of God.

The breath of God (the wind of God in Ezekials boneyard is the same wind and breath that flooded the upperoom on the day of pentecost and filled the bodies of 120 men and women with the supernatural life of God.

Zechariah 4:6 then he answered and spake unto me saying: this is the word of the Lord unto Zerrubabel saying not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Not by might might

Might =strength, efficiency wealth Army ability, activity, riches.

In this one verse God honors the Holy Spirit and declares the Holy Spirit as the one indispensable irreplaceable absolute necessity in the body of Christ.

God says: on this side you have strength, ability, talent, activity, energy, programs, and then he says (it adds up to nothing =not)

As far as God is concerned if you leave the HolySpirit out of the equation you have nothing.

One of the most important lessons we learn from Ezekiel 37 is: the absolute necessity and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Without the activity and operation of the Holy Spirits power instead of a mighty army of warriors ready for battle all we would have seen was a valley full of dead bodies.

We can put it together, we can dress it up, we can put everything in it's right place, we can sing the right songs, preach the right sermons, we can turn the lights down low and create the perfect worship climate (but if we don't have the life giving anointing, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit we have nothing.

This doesn't mean God won't use our talents and bless our programs and our work but it means that without the Holy Spirit's power it's dead it's worthless it's powerless it's impotent.

without the Holy Spirit's power and presence and operation all of our activity is dead and all it can do is kill.

Dead preaching kills, dead teaching kills, dead singing kills.

Only the Anointing of the Holy Spirit makes alive.

The Anointing makes our worship live, he makes our singing live, he makes our teaching live, preaching comes alive under the unction and anointing of The Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:6 this verse settles it once and for all, for all men for all time. (The supreme place the Holy Spirit must hold in the life and the ministry and the activity of the church and every individual believer.

Just as the body without blood is dead, so also is the church dead without the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Dead means void of the person, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit.

Incapable of producing life.

Powerless to lift, heal or deliver.

One of the most important things we learn from our text is: the absolute necessity and dependence on the Holy Spirits presence and power.

We see in this valley that one of the first things that has to happen is divine connections (God connections) bone to his bone.

I need to say: That is true for us too, we must find our divine connections, we don't fit everywhere with everybody.

One of the biggest problems and hindrances to growing in God are the wrong connections.

Flesh connections (connections and relationships that are birthed by fleshly lusts, wants, and desires.