COME ALIVE!
I found myself in the hospital this past summer. I acquired a foot infection and the only solution was to have massive antibiotics forced into my body intravenously. After I had been there for several days, I began to feel better, but the onslaught of antibiotics had to continue. The day before I was to go home, I had an opportunity to read a passage of scripture that had been on my mind for some time. The nurses left me alone for several hours and I grabbed my IPad and began to read Ezekiel 37.
In that chapter, God took the prophet Ezekiel and showed him a valley full of dry bones. I knew this story but I was pressed to read it and listen to what God might say to me. As I read, it became clear that God had something to say. Today I want to share just one of those things.
When God showed Ezekiel the valley, he asked the prophet a question. It was a simple but challenging one. He said, "Son of man, can these bones live again?" I'm sure it caught Zeke off guard. So he answered God in a very safe way that seemed to take the pressure off of himself. He replied, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." I'm not sure that was the answer that God was looking for, but he moved on and commanded Ezekiel this way, "Prophecy to the dry bones." God certainly is big enough, powerful enough, and loving enough to have spoken to the bones himself to command them to come to life. But he wanted to use Ezekiel to speak His word to the bones.
Through that scripture the Lord began to speak to me in deeper ways than I had heard in a long time. He showed me the dry bones just like he showed Ezekiel. He showed me that these dry bones are Christians that have been hurt by religion, hurt by broken relationships, or are harboring anger toward God for circumstances that have torn apart their lives. As surely as God said to Ezekiel to speak to the bones, I heard the voice of the Lord say, "Son of man, prophecy to the dry bones."
It renewed a call in my life that had lain dormant for a long time. I have always known that my heart and ministry was for the church and He made it clear that he had a group of people for me to reach. So I answered, "Yes Lord, I will do it." I want to speak to people who have soured on Christianity. I want to try to show them the true love of God and draw them back to him. I want to smack the enemy right in the nose and tell him that these dry bones are God's chosen sons and daughters. Though he thinks he has the dry bones right where he wants them, God has a different plan and it involves new life and the very breath of God filling their lungs.
On February 24&25, we are having a conference called, Come Alive. It is a time designed to simply tell the Good News of God's love once again. A place where the hurting Christians are filled with the very breath of God. I invite all who feel you are like the dry bones. If there is some dry area in your life that you can't get over, this is your time. There is healing, there is hope, and there is always God's love to carry you. Come and let God do his incredible work in your life. For my part, I'm going to "Speak to the dry bones" with everything I have.
You can learn more, get all the details and register here: Come Alive 2017
