by Jeanie | Dec 19, 2008 | Uncategorised
Dear Friend,
Over the weeks I have been sharing from the 37th Chapter of Ezekiel’s Book. In as much as some of the things I have shared are informative, it’s my desire that they also be restorative. By the end of this series, I want you to see everything that represents dry bones in your life become living beings, Amen?
Ezekiel 37:7c. …………………and the bones came together, bone to bone
What I love about this phrase is that it illustrates God’s heart or if you like passion for order and bond. These bones as described by Ezekiel were not in order and hence needed to be assembled, organized, basically, put in order; but they also needed to be joined one to another so they could be functional again.
I have not experienced this but I have been around some athletes who’ve had bone dislocations. One, I know it is painful and two, it leaves them inoperative. They cannot run, jump or engage in whatever sport they do until their bones have healed, until they come back together even though there’s flesh covering the area of injury. Hang with me, I’m going somewhere with this.
Sometimes I’ve asked myself – Jeanie, how come some areas of your life are all right but others look really bad? Most of these times were times that I would have loved to give to meet a need but couldn’t due to some circumstances- things weren’t together you see? I don’t know what area of your life you need to come together; is it your health, career, relationship or may be like me, you love to sow into missions, support the less privileged and/or give towards other charitable causes, but you currently find it challenging because things are not together for you, today, God sent me to tell you that “it will come together”. Your finances will come together in Jesus Name!
I’ve discovered that most times, we really don’t need new things as much as we desire for things to come together; that is, to
have everything in its place. Let’s take a married woman for instance. She has a handsome husband, beautiful home, loving family, great friends, well paid job and many more streams of income but strongly desires a child. No amount of joy or fulfilment she gets from her job and wealth or the love she receives from her husband and friends can compensate for the child she truly desires, things are not together. One more instance, a young man who is very brilliant at his academics, God fearing, has a Godly mentor, cool friends or mates as they call them, lives in a lovely neighbourhood and attends a world renowned church but because of ailing parents hardly eats 3 square meals a day let alone furthering his education. Can you see that things are really not together?
I have learnt that things don’t always come together immediately as we often want them to, maybe sometimes because we haven’t done what we are supposed to do. Paul said to Timothy “according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them might war a good warfare;” (1 Timothy 1:18). Just because God has sent his word, does not mean that you have no part to play; or maybe, you warred for a while and got tired , friend, you ought to be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer. (Rom 12:12)
What do you think would have happened if Ezekiel, after hearing all the things the Lord promised to do, refused or failed to prophesy? Selah! Think real deep on this. Every prophecy from the Lord is a word in His will; the bible, you need to rehearse it until it becomes a part of you. Study to show yourself approved…. (2 Timothy 2:15)
If you have not studied the word, you cannot rightly divide it, you will find it difficult to use it properly; in other words, you cannot war a good warfare with it and hence there would be no rattling and no coming together of the bones. Friend, this is not your portion!
If you believe the promises of the Lord to you, say it! That is faith – when you expect to see what you don’t yet have but continue to speak about it.”It” being the things you look forward to seeing, the things that are yet to manifest. If you are unconvinced of the word, you will not receive from the Lord.
James 1:7
A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.
Declare this with me. I believe God and I declare that right now, for me, It (name that thing that you are believing God for) is coming together! Bone to bone. Declare it that thou may be justified. Hallelujah!
Ezekiel 37:
And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
God had previously spoken that He would breathe into, lay sinews and cover the bones with Skin but He did not do these until the bones came together. Have you heard a word from the Lord that seems overdue; I’m talking about something(s) that should have come to pass by now? Check yourself; is everything in its place or are the bones still disjoined?
I’m sure you’ve realized that the bones didn’t just come together randomly but they did, bone to bone -fitly fixed, every bone in its rightful place. Some bones may have been broken but they weren’t missing, they all came together. I prophesy that “it” will come together for you.
I hope you’ve heard God today. There’s more to come next week.
God Bless.
More in this series:
by Jeanie | Dec 12, 2008 | Uncategorised
Dear Friend,
Last week, I shared about change coming through the breath/ Spirit of God entering into you or into the challenges you are facing.
If you search the scriptures, you’ll notice that each time the word “Spirit” or “Breath” is used; the result thereafter is always outstanding, extremely mind blowing and may sometimes seem strange but that’s change! And friend, that same change is coming to you today.
Ezekiel 37
6 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.”’”7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling;
God is so good (I really couldn’t think of a more suitable attribute). He is not just interested in giving you a quick fix so you can fall apart and queue again for repair. God does not want you to remain feeble; He wants you strong, and able to stand on your feet. Sinews speak of strength and stability as a matter of fact; they are a source of power because they are the connective tissues that join muscles to bones. They‘re also able to endure tension and resistance.
Can you try and picture what God is doing here? He’s saying, “It does not matter what left you unfastened and torn apart, I’ll fix it, I’m adding the connective substances to hold and steady you”. If what you’ve been waiting for is some sort of connection to advance in business, ministry or any of your endeavours…Let me hint you on what God is doing behind scenes right now, He’s hooking you up! Friend, your change is coming!
The flesh are soft tissues, they’re primarily muscles and fats which cover the bones. In effect God is saying here – “I will cover you, I don’t want you to lay bare; this structure I’m working on is too valuable to be exposed and not have protection”. The skin is an external protective covering which consists of layers that regulate body temperature, aid in respiration, and one that determines your complexion. Friend, can you see that God really cares about your comfort and wellbeing, overall? I want you to keep this in mind.
In verse 7, Ezekiel said he prophesied as he was commanded. God is no different as He has always been. If you heed and keep his commands, you will live! Here’s a word from His servant Moses:
Deuteronomy 8:1 (NIV)
Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers. (Emphasis mine)
Herein this verse lies God’s chief modus operandi; First, you need to obey (follow every command), and then live before you can increase, enter, and possess the land or receive the promises of the Lord to you. I pray you catch this. The Word of the Lord will not go and return void, it will bring about the necessary change if you obey; similarly, the reverse will occur if you disobey. Today, I want to encourage you to obey God, to say and to do what He has commanded you, so you can live.
Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded and there was change. All of a sudden, bones that lay dormant in the dull valley began to make noise and even rattle. As you obey the command of the Lord today, I declare that you will experience change in your surroundings and that situation that seems unchanging will begin to shake. Your days of lying dormant are over. Clap your hands and give God Praise! Hallelujah!
More in this series:
by Jeanie | Dec 3, 2008 | Uncategorised
Ezekiel 37
5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
Some indicators that one’s airway passage is obstructed includes the inability of the person to speak, them grasping or pointing toward their throat, difficult breathing and perhaps a skin color change.
You will agree with me that the situation Ezekiel describes in this chapter is much more complex – many dry bones……… in an open valley; but prior to this verse He answered a question God asked him. So before we carry on, I want you think about that condition that has left you speechless and wheezy; I’m talking about those areas in your life that you keep grasping and
pointing at, think about those times you were glowing, what changed your skin tone? What has made you pale? Do you want change? Would you like to live again?
The breath of God is the essence of God. It was this same breath that gave life to the lifeless man God had formed out of the dust of the ground… Breath. This is how Moses records it in Genesis:
Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The account in Ezekiel 37 is similar to that of Genesis 2. In our main text in Ezekiel, God sees these very dry bones lying in the open valley and He tells His servant that He would breathe life into them so that they would live. God said that this breath He is about to breathe will not lie on the surface but it will enter you, in other words, make a way into; it will penetrate regardless of how congested or dense your situation seems. This breath will enter you and that life that it gives you within, you will live out!
What I really love and find encouraging in this verse is that God even before He began His message put a warranty on it. In essence He said, “I know that things still look dry and you’re almost convinced that they will remain the same, i.e. Unchanged, but don’t lack faith; don’t be hesitant to believe what I’m about to do. I promise you that that My breath will definitely enter you and I guarantee that it will make you live!”
Let me encourage you friend, God knows your condition and His breath is coming into every inert thing in your life to revive it; that mess you’re in will turn to a message, your test will now become a testimony, change is coming and you will live! Open up your mouth and declare this with me “I will live”!
Job 33:4
God’s Spirit has made me. The breath of the Almighty gives me life.
More in this series:
