Word for the day "What! dry Bones in Church?"

Ezekiel 37:1-2 (ESV) In the vision of Ezekiel 37, God led the prophet into a valley filled with dry bones. “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many, and they were very dry” What an awful scene—a vast stretch filled with skeletons as far as Ezekiel could see.Maybe like Ezekiel you have wondered, “God, all I can see before me are difficult things. Why are You leading me through this dark valley?” It is because in the valley of dry bones, there is no other source of life. We have no breath of our own there, no power or strength. The valley of death brings us to a place of total dependency. Two thousand thirteen was one of the hardest years of my life, yet looking back, I thank God for every moment of it. Amidst all of my life’s dry bones, I see the Hand of God moving me to a place where my life ends and His life begins. I have literally cried more than I can ever remember in my life!The valley of dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision reveals two imperatives: First, it represents the condition of God’s people then and the Lord’s Church today; It is God’s greatest vessel on earth to express The Lord’s nature and show His power (The Church). But I also have a burden because today many churches are filled with dry bones. This is not a criticism, it is a reality. As people of God, we can grow dry before we know it. Jesus put it this way: “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4, ESV). We can go through the motions yet have no life at all inside.The second imperative revealed in Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones is our culture today. At one time we were a nation that honored God. Seventy percent of Americans once professed Christ and attended church. The latest statistics show that number is now merely eight percent. We are living amidst spiritual darkness, yet we reside in a valley of dry bones!How can a dry-bones church—one that is lifeless, prayer less, lukewarm; ever speak to a dry-bones culture? It can’t happen unless our spirits are revived, awakened by the Holy Spirit. May the Grace of God be realized in your life today and for the rest of your life.In the Love of God,Pastor JamesDON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR TICKETS!