Post by Zac Loh on Nov 10, 2007 3:03:16 GMT -5
The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.”’” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:1-14; underline mine)
Preaching and breath are closely connected. In preaching, we emphasize - using our breath to increase or decrease our volume. There is a manner of preaching which we speak things into being. It is a prophetic preaching.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, (2 Corinthians 4:13)
There is a faith going forth, in believing that what we speak will take place. This is not confined to preaching at the pulpit. This is very applicable to one-to-one preaching of the gospel. We are a prophetic people.
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)
Basically, there are two types of prophecy: the forth-telling and the foretelling. Forth-telling is to speak things into being whereas foretelling is indicating the future. But the line cannot be drawn too clearly because most times a prophecy contains the element of both.
Ezekiel’s prophecy of the valley of dry bones, leans more towards the forth-tell category, even though the foretell element was there as well.
The hand of the LORD
But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:20-21)
We need God’s favor in preaching the gospel to people. It is God’s favor that gives us the opportunity to preach the gospel. God creates the situation for us.
We are not doing God a favor by preaching the gospel. Some people think like that. But it is a privilege to preach to others about Jesus.
The favor of God will create attentiveness and receptiveness in the heart of the people we meet. When we are experiencing the favor of God like this, we won’t think it is cumbersome to preach the gospel. We will not feel stressed. We will be happy preaching the gospel!
Let us pray consistently for God’s favor in reaching out to the lost. Believe God for His favor. Be depended on God’s favor, and we will have more of His favor!
The Spirit of the LORD
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4:18-19)
So he answered and said to me: “ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
It is not by our effort that we can make things happen. We may use all our emotional strength and intellectual prowess to convince others about Jesus.
Without the Spirit of God, it would not work at all. We need to surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. But more than that, we need to spend time in prayer. Opportunities come because we asked God. We need to spend time to soak ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and consistently let the Holy Spirit fill us.
There is no magic trick. Opportunity doesn’t suddenly come. And that the Holy Spirit doesn’t suddenly show up for anybody.
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:2-6)
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 9:13-16)
Our speech needs to be with grace, seasoned with salt, for we are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. Not with human wisdom, but by the constant infilling and out-flowing of the Holy Spirit. When we are soaked-up with the Holy Spirit like a sponge, with every squeeze of an opportunity; the words that come out would have been seasoned by the Holy Spirit because we have been spending time to be marinated by the Holy Spirit.
“Son of man, can these bones live?”
The people of this world are spiritually dead. This world is like the valley. And the people of this world are the dry bones.
“Prophesy to these bones, and say to them.”
If we don’t prophesy to them, they won’t live. If we don’t preach to them, they will never know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)
“Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)
We cannot breathe life into others if we ourselves are not filled with His breath. By spending time in God’s presence; we are taking-in the atmosphere of heaven, we are breathing-in the Holy Spirit. Then, when we are full of the breath of the Holy Spirit, we can breathe life into others. The breath of the Holy Spirit will come out together with the words that we speak. The faith of God will come out. We will speak things into existence in the life of our listeners.
“Prophesy to the breath” “Come from the four winds, O breath”
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Can we prophesy to the Holy Spirit? You know, faith can activate the anointing. The late Smith Wigglesworth said, “If the Holy Spirit doesn’t move, I will move the Holy Spirit.” He didn’t imply that he would instruct the Holy Spirit, but somehow God respects faith. The Holy Spirit, Who is God Himself, is moved by a person’s faith.
“These bones are the whole house of Israel”
Many people of God are spiritually dry today. There needs to be prophetic preaching in the church. We need to speak to the people of God and impart faith into them. There needs to be an anointing of the breath and the wind of God.
Oh, let the Holy Spirit come like a wind upon the people. Let Him blow the breath of life into each one of them.
Let us by faith …preach to them the Word of life.
Preaching and breath are closely connected. In preaching, we emphasize - using our breath to increase or decrease our volume. There is a manner of preaching which we speak things into being. It is a prophetic preaching.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, (2 Corinthians 4:13)
There is a faith going forth, in believing that what we speak will take place. This is not confined to preaching at the pulpit. This is very applicable to one-to-one preaching of the gospel. We are a prophetic people.
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)
Basically, there are two types of prophecy: the forth-telling and the foretelling. Forth-telling is to speak things into being whereas foretelling is indicating the future. But the line cannot be drawn too clearly because most times a prophecy contains the element of both.
Ezekiel’s prophecy of the valley of dry bones, leans more towards the forth-tell category, even though the foretell element was there as well.
The hand of the LORD
But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:20-21)
We need God’s favor in preaching the gospel to people. It is God’s favor that gives us the opportunity to preach the gospel. God creates the situation for us.
We are not doing God a favor by preaching the gospel. Some people think like that. But it is a privilege to preach to others about Jesus.
The favor of God will create attentiveness and receptiveness in the heart of the people we meet. When we are experiencing the favor of God like this, we won’t think it is cumbersome to preach the gospel. We will not feel stressed. We will be happy preaching the gospel!
Let us pray consistently for God’s favor in reaching out to the lost. Believe God for His favor. Be depended on God’s favor, and we will have more of His favor!
The Spirit of the LORD
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4:18-19)
So he answered and said to me: “ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
It is not by our effort that we can make things happen. We may use all our emotional strength and intellectual prowess to convince others about Jesus.
Without the Spirit of God, it would not work at all. We need to surrender and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. But more than that, we need to spend time in prayer. Opportunities come because we asked God. We need to spend time to soak ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and consistently let the Holy Spirit fill us.
There is no magic trick. Opportunity doesn’t suddenly come. And that the Holy Spirit doesn’t suddenly show up for anybody.
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:2-6)
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 9:13-16)
Our speech needs to be with grace, seasoned with salt, for we are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. Not with human wisdom, but by the constant infilling and out-flowing of the Holy Spirit. When we are soaked-up with the Holy Spirit like a sponge, with every squeeze of an opportunity; the words that come out would have been seasoned by the Holy Spirit because we have been spending time to be marinated by the Holy Spirit.
“Son of man, can these bones live?”
The people of this world are spiritually dead. This world is like the valley. And the people of this world are the dry bones.
“Prophesy to these bones, and say to them.”
If we don’t prophesy to them, they won’t live. If we don’t preach to them, they will never know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)
“Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)
We cannot breathe life into others if we ourselves are not filled with His breath. By spending time in God’s presence; we are taking-in the atmosphere of heaven, we are breathing-in the Holy Spirit. Then, when we are full of the breath of the Holy Spirit, we can breathe life into others. The breath of the Holy Spirit will come out together with the words that we speak. The faith of God will come out. We will speak things into existence in the life of our listeners.
“Prophesy to the breath” “Come from the four winds, O breath”
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Can we prophesy to the Holy Spirit? You know, faith can activate the anointing. The late Smith Wigglesworth said, “If the Holy Spirit doesn’t move, I will move the Holy Spirit.” He didn’t imply that he would instruct the Holy Spirit, but somehow God respects faith. The Holy Spirit, Who is God Himself, is moved by a person’s faith.
“These bones are the whole house of Israel”
Many people of God are spiritually dry today. There needs to be prophetic preaching in the church. We need to speak to the people of God and impart faith into them. There needs to be an anointing of the breath and the wind of God.
Oh, let the Holy Spirit come like a wind upon the people. Let Him blow the breath of life into each one of them.
Let us by faith …preach to them the Word of life.