Come up! Don't Just Come Back
Notes
Transcript
1 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. 2 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. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 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; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 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.
9 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.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 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!’ 12 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. 13 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. 14 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.’ ”
Return to the scene of the fall.
Return to the scene of the fall.
1 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. 2 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. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!
16 For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again,
But the wicked shall fall by calamity.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from him.
Sometimes life feels like a two-step, we take two steps forward to take one step back. God called Ezekiel to this place so that he would understand that the momentary bondage was not an issue.
there are those of us who can’t testify because we are running from what God wants to use us for.
Sometimes we avoid what we see as a grave yard, is Fathers place of res erection. sometimes the things we need most are in the places we want to be the least.
God Didn’t bring Ezekiel to shame the nation but to prove to that nation that He is greater then the anything that we could do to ourselves or others could do to me. Isreal was in Babylonian captivity because they forgot their God ( how many of us can relate that in some of the darkest times of our circumstances we forgot in some way that we belong to Him). He brought the prophet to this place to show Him Glory for ashes.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
God is working all things to His Purpose not My Comfort!
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
Side Note:
Side Note:
A lot of people, (Myself included,) have let guilt and shame keep them from fellowship. fellowship is not a reward for achievement, rather it is a means of Grace that leads to victory!
A lot of people, (Myself included,) have let guilt and shame keep them from fellowship. fellowship is not a reward for achievement, rather it is a means of Grace that leads to victory!
Isolation leads to bondage. Fellowship leads to freedom!
Isolation leads to bondage. Fellowship leads to freedom!
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
in the above verse how many of them where together…?
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The Apostles Doctrine.
Fellowship, Fellowship, Fellowship.
The Breaking of Bread.
Prayers
None of us where called to do this by ourselves. including me, I want to take a moment and thank all those people who have stood with me personally as well as this Church with your presence, your Pennies, and Prowess.
I’d Like to thank Pastor Exum for standing by me personally during this time and especially for standing in this pulpit week after week feeding the greatest people on the planet. Thanks to Bishop OJ Johnson who stood in for Pastor Exum. after driving Him initially. thank you brother Franklin for Driving my Pastor.
I’d like to thank Pastor Deadra for filling the pulpit on Wednesday Nights and Sunday Nights, for all the people who steeped into ministries so that she could fill the pulpit.
I’d Like to thank Rickie and Tina Banks who traveled to be here in support of me on my return to the pulpit. i’d like to thank those of you who are here today as my guest who took time from your responsibilities to support me.
to the guys that have stepped in to help me personally, there is no way I could ever repay you for all the personal sacrifices to help me move through this world.
to my family: thanks for all that you gave to sustain me in this transition.
7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Obedience is the beginning of faith.
Obedience is the beginning of faith.
4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 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.” ’ ”
22 So Samuel said:
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
rarely do I ever understand what God is doing with me, through me or for me as I walk in obedience. often it is not until much later. I am quite sure that I am quite sure I wont understand the impact of what Father God is doing in me until we get to glory.
by this reasoning, the process of growing in grace starts with learning to obey Him when I don’t understand Him.
Ezekiel prophesies structure out of chaos
Ezekiel prophesies structure out of chaos
33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
the Lord would have us develop ourselves in His character.
People act as if God is going to “Just Happen” if it happened for you like that Praise God. it did not happen for me that way. ‘
I have to partner with The Holy Spirit to get it done I have to yield myself to his leading, I have to watch my mouth.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Once the structure is in place and we are yielding our members to the spirit of God.
Once the structure is in place and we are yielding our members to the spirit of God.
9 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.” ’ ” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Zechariah 4:6
The New King James Version Chapter 4
6 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