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Igniting the Spirit


(Ezekiel 37:1-14—Preacher: Ps Paw Liang)


The Valley of Dry Bones: Without Identity and Hope
Ezekiel was sent to prophesy and gave the message of hope to the people of Israel. They were the captives from Judah when Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon in 587 BC. Jerusalem as the symbol of pride and the Temple the symbol of God’s presence were in ruins. Will glory return to Jerusalem? The captives might had long given up the possibility to return to the Promised Land. And in doing, might had given up their identity, as God’s people, they said “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” “Can these dry bones live?”
Structure with flesh and skin but no breath (7,8)
How is your church? Sometimes life can become too mechanical. People are good at performing religious duties yet there isn’t any spirit or passion in it. There is no breath, no life! It’s robotic or it may like a just recently died body—it looks good but it feels cold and no life! What do we know that a church is alive? Like a home, the family members will rush to get home when the home is alive, warm and full of spirit. Members especially the youth will feel draggy to go back to a dysfunctional home.
God Gives His Spirit to the body (v14)
This prophesy is talking about three things: 1) the resurrection of the body when Jesus come again 2) resurrection from the death of sin to the life of righteousness and spiritual life in Christ 3) church becoming alive again. The Lord says, “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”
A Living church is a growing church and will bear fruits. The church will have God’s prophetic power: to be the salt, bring healing to the world! To be the light, bringing hope and direction to those who are in darkness. The church bell is the symbol of the prophetic voice and direction for the community!
Based on the picture in this chapter let’s check on ourselves before the Lord: How Am I as a person? How is my marriage/family? How is my church? A Valley of dry bones? Having structure, flesh and skin but no spirit? Alive and full of the Spirit?
May the Holy Spirit breathes in you and ignite the spirit within you. As you depart from this place, may you go with the Living Spirit. In your home, your work place, everywhere that the Lord leads, may you be: Full of life! Full of hope! Full of the Spirit! So God may use you to ignite the spirit of the place wherever you go!






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