Rattle - The Bones

In the time of Ezekiel Israel was hopeless and helpless, spiritually dead and literally in captivity because of their sin. But God promised them new hearts, new spirits, and spiritual restoration (Ez 36:26-27). The vision of the dry bones demonstrates that God can revive lives by the power of his Spirit and through the obedient repentance of his people (37:1-10). When Ezekiel obeyed and prophesied to the dry bones, the impossible happened. God’s Spirit rattled the bones awake and breathed life into them. The problem is that many of us are unaware of our spiritual deadness. God’s warning to the churches in Revelation 2-3 points to exactly who needs revived. Those who are joyless, exhausted, compromisers, deceived, hard-hearted, complacent, and or lukewarm. “Revival starts with me,” and must begin individually before it can happen corporately. When we recognize our need, turn to God in repentance and prayer, and surrender to him in obedience, the status quo is disrupted and God responds. Our response as a church is a call to repentance and prayer, asking God to revive dry bones. For the over-achievers, this week is a great time to read James - and do it.