Ezekiel 37:4-6 “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.”

There’s a song we sang for years in church called “The days of Elijah”, written by Robin Mark in 1994. The song reminds us of the times in which we live, our responsibility as a church, and the great hope of salvation, a salvation the Lord has established for His people, to all who would believe.

When doing jail ministry, we often sing two or three songs before we delve into the teaching. The songs we sing have many overtures within them that reveal a depth of meaning. Often times I would make mention of the lyrics we sang and tie in the message to give the men some depth to what they were singing about.

The Declaration

Elijah was a prophet of the Lord. Prophets were spokesmen for God to the people. They upheld the Word of the Lord and exemplified the standard by which God had called the people. A prophet was held to a very strict standard of conduct. Any word related by God was to be spoken exactly as it had been received. Any deviation from God’s Word was an affront to God’s perfection and the prophet typically forfeited his life when he chose to cross that line.

Today, God’s people are His spokesmen and women, burdened with the task of declaring the Word of the Lord to this generation of people. The Bible is the very standard of Truth and is the message that we proclaim. It is therefore imperative that we understand the message of God’s Word and proclaim it faithfully. If we don’t speak God’s truth in the way He related it, we diminish God’s power before others and cheat those who hear from knowing the fullness of God’s glory.

Ezekiel 3:4 “Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.”

When people hear the Word of God spoken in light of how it was revealed, there is a transformation that occurs. The image of deception is reduced to a lie and our position before a Just and Holy God is made evident.

Proverbs 23:16 “Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.”

The Word of God is life to mankind. To those who receive it, they too are given the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name. They cannot know unless we tell them, they cannot see Him unless we walk in the purity of His countenance for we are called to higher standard and it is for others that we are called to live. Contrary to popular opinion, we are not called to live for ourselves, make ourselves look good in our own eyes, nor are we to lift ourselves up. The only One worthy of exaltation is Jesus, He earned that right upon the cross and justified it by His resurrection.

Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles”

Righteousness Restored

Mankind was made in perfection. Sin corrupted. The righteousness that Adam enjoyed prior to the fall, was lost for four thousand years. The law of the Lord showed the people what they lost and for thousands of years they strove to exemplify that which they once were.

Jesus appeared and fulfilled the law, thus elevating those who believed in Him to a position of righteousness once again.

Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

The faith of God’s people is in their Creator….their Savior and Lord. The world exclaims blindness for those who trust but little do they know, knowledge of God is acquired when faith is realized by obedience.

The Dead Arise

The parallel of dry bones becoming flesh was the restoration of Israel. Consider now the call of life which goes out into a dead world, relegated to destruction and lost to the judgement of sin.

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

The Spirit of God brings life. We are made complete in Christ. Our beings are not meant to endure apart from Him. You wonder why people search for purpose in a world that can only provide pain? They search to fulfill the flesh when it is the spirit of mankind that yearns for more.

The Spirit of Christ is that answer. For those who proclaim Christ, sin often diminishes the Spirit’s work in the life of a believer. A fresh anointing comes in the mornings of repentance. Insight into a realm that is denied by the world is kept exclusive to those who abide in Truth.

White Fields

Consider a field that has been prepared, the heads of grain are in full blossom, the stalks are tall and are ready for the harvest. A good farmer knows when it is time to bring in the harvest, he knows there is a window of opportunity that won’t last forever. The diligent worker is quick and careful to recover every last grain available in season.

John 4:35 “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest.”

The Lord is the preparer of the harvest. We are his workers in the field. He has called us to be diligent and harvest every grain that He has prepared. There are people in this world the Lord has prepared, He is waiting for you to be found faithful. At the end of the harvest we will rejoice together, the bounty will be great and the celebration will continue on for an eternity.

Luke 10:2 “Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The days of Elijah are upon us. John the baptist fulfilled the prophecy of the latter day Elijah who would prepare the way of the Lord. Today the call is for us to take a stand as Elijah did, for righteousness and for the sovereignty of God alone. The world is churning with anxiety and fear, seeking for answers in the midst of a world that is ever changing.

Will you be the bearer of the good news?

The gospel should be proclaimed by all who have been transformed by the power of God. The news is far too important and the time is now.