Time for the Revolution

TIME FOR A REVOLUTION—EZEKIEL 37:1-10

37:1-2 (Valley Experience) The hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel and carried him out in the spirit. He set him down in the midst of the valley which was full of dry bones; the word says that they were very dry. The dry bones represent the Whole House of Israel, who once alive in the grace and favor with God had become dead to sin; who were once a mighty army, are now defeated, dismembered, and scattered across the valley. The parallel that the dry bones represent the church’s spiritually dead condition because we are spiritual Israel; Gods chosen people. The body of Christ is living and breathing in a perpetual state of stagnation. We are living in the last day and time and the church at times resembles this heap of dry bones in this vision; lifeless, spiritless, purposeless, and scattered. As I look around the body of Christ I see the bones of Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers, and Evangelists. Not only do I see the bones of a mighty army, but our kids and loved ones because we wouldn’t take time, or take a stand and expose them to the truth. History is repeating itself in a deadly cycle.

1. The Fear is Gone: Just like Israel, the church once stood as a great and mighty army of the Lord. The vision represents the results of stagnation in the church. Whenever the church becomes stagnate we begin to lose ground in the battle; the enemy never stops his advances on the kingdom (from John the Baptist until now the kingdom suffers violence). There has been an unrelenting, nonstop assault on the body of Christ. We have not been properly processing the assault (broken homes, sickness, rebellion, discord, legislature, and the fear is gone). I wondered in myself how a mighty army could be reduced to dry bones laid out in a valley. God told me the enemy came in and caused an implosion. It wasn’t necessarily the swords of the enemy that killed this great army but it was the lack of vision, internal discord, and carnal distractions. Today’s church is being lured into the valley (compromise, tolerance, indecision) and we are being surrounded. Now is the time for the church to rouse to reality and get violent. We need to suit up, go violently into the enemy’s camp.

2. We Need A Blood Transfusion: These bones represent the structure of the church with no life and no spirit in her (very dry). This is the result of stoic stagnation. The blood has stopped flowing from the heart of the church to the rest of the body because the heart is struggling to pump the necessary supply of blood to the body. The heart of the church is the Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, Prophets, and Evangelists. Somewhere down the line we have stopped preaching the bloody Cross and the need for repentance, regeneration, and restoration. This fallacy has caused stagnation to occur in the body. Many are weak and sick among us because we don’t discern the body. We have come under a fierce attack and it has left the church in a scattered state. Now we find ourselves operating in the framework of the body and not the fullness of the spirit. Never forget the Blood of Jesus.

3. Time For You To Live: 37:3 Can These Bones Live? The condition of these dead bones was deplorable. Ezekiel knew that in himself he couldn’t see them rising again. He knew that if they could live again that only God could do it. He said Lord you know. This generation is slipping away and nobody seems to care enough to take the time to minister to them. Our mission field is the unreachable, those that have been cast away. It takes time and effort to discipline a disciple. God says to live!

4. Prophesy to the Bones: 37:4 Hear the Word of the Lord. God caused Ezekiel to prophesy the Word of the Lord to the dry bones. He didn’t cause him to preach his own words but He put the Word of God in his mouth and caused him to speak. He prophesied to the bones and said hear ye the word of the Lord. It’s time for the church to endure sound doctrine and hear the Word of the Lord. The Bible talks about in the last time they won’t endure sound doctrine. The Word of God is our lifeline and our source. We won’t have enough faith to fight the enemy without the Word of the Lord. Faith cometh by hearing….When you are taught the Word you can teach your situations the word. You can tell your troubles hear ye the Word of the Lord.

5. Resuscitation Leads to Revelation: (37-38). The word Breath is translated as wind or spirit. The breath breathed into these lifeless bodies represent breath of God or the Holy Spirit. God orchestrates our deliverance in such a way that He is the only one that can resuscitate us. Resuscitation leads to Revelation. In the natural when someone resuscitates you they cut off all other flows of air and breathes their air into you. In order for them to resuscitate you they have to get right up on you face to face and touch you. (When God resuscitates you He does the same). He says behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live. When God breathes into you He gets face to face. When you see God face to face He will make you a new creature, if any man be in Christ….and you will know who He is instinctively.

6. Revelation Leads to Revival: 37:7-8 (From chaos to Order). Jesus asked Peter who He was and Peter answered by the Spirit. That revelation led to a shaking that led to a revival. The Word of the Lord will bring order out of chaos. So when we prophesy as we are commanded and preach the word instant in and out of season there will be a noise, and a shaking. This shaking will cause a revival and the revival will start a revolution. Revival causes the bones to come together, strength to be added to the structure; then the life giving blood from the revival message causes the flesh to cover and protect the structure once again. Then God’s army will once again stand an exceeding great army. The issue here is standing as a great army is just the beginning. Once we stand as a great army we have to get ready for war.

7. Revival Leads to Revolution: 37:9-10 (the Breath of God). After we prophesy to the bones we must prophesy to the wind by prayer, praise, and worship. Prayer opens the door to God—praise charges the atmosphere where anything can happen—worship brings the rain. The church has lost faith, therefore we can’t please God. We don’t believe that God can heal anymore, or that God can fix that ungodly situation. But God is raising up a new breed under the framework of the old system but with a new mind that will call the winds to attention in real worship.