13-08-2017
Ezekiel 37:1-14New International Version (NIV)
The Valley of Dry Bones
37 The hand of the Lord was on 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 led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
Ezekiel is a godly man waiting to be ordained as a priest in the temple.
The temple is destroyed. The people is exiled. The situation is hopeless.
God has a higher purpose for Israel.
Today, many people (1 in 7) are displaced from their homeland.
End of 2016, globally, 65 million people are forcefully displaced.
Migrants in Malaysia is about 6 million.
Refugees 150,000.
Asylum seekers 50,000.
There is a voice, like the call from Macedonia.
They say, "Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off..." (Ezekiel 37:11)
Can these bones live?
Do you see dried bones in our midst? Can you hear their cries?
Everything begins with our perspective.
What is God really saying?
Reverse Mission - Disciple nations at our doorsteps.
Every believer is a missionary/disciple-maker.
Church on the move/church without walls.
Missional movements - They are on transit; they come and they go. When they go back, they can plant church there.
God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. They need to hear the Word of God.
Prophesy/Bring the Word of God to them:
- Engage them
- Encounter them
- Empower them
Engage communities through:
- Meeting a need
- Sowing a seed of love
- Building a bridge
- Facilitating an encounter with Christ
Education is one way to transform communities.
Luke 10:6New King James Version (NKJV)
6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
God
- Preserves them
- Prepares them
- Promotes them
God has a future for you. God loves you.
No comments:
Post a Comment