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Dry Bones, Dried-up Withered Branches
May 4, 2021
by Dan Li
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know.” Ezekiel 37:1-3
In our present time, we are in a time of great drought of the presence of God. Many people who once knew God are now parched and withered, away from the life-giving sap of the Vine, because they did not abide in Jesus (see John 15).
Droughts like this precede the what follows next- times of God’s judgment – because He is not happy with the population, so a spiritual drought ensues as God pulls back His presence as people become lovers of pleasure and self more than lovers of God. (2 Thess 2:10-12)
I feel sad and grieved as I look over the present state of America, the land that once flowed with the knowledge and presence of God, such a richness of His presence, so much light. I have been praying for America, actually more specifically, the lost sheep– those who once truly knew Jesus, but having parted from Him, are now shriveled up, nearly completely devoid of the life of Jesus that once resided in them. As I pray, I wonder, ‘Lord, can you bring them back to life?’ The Lord knows! (verse 3). And a further reading of Ezekiel 37 reveals, He is certainly able to.
Even more Bible verses flow into my mind as I ponder this (that God is able):
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Gen 18:14a
and,
“With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” Luke 18:27
and,
“for God is able to graft them in again” Rom 11:23b
And while I know God can, I also know God would probably like to:
“not willing any would perish, but that all would come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9b
My prayer is that those who knew Him would repent, turn from their sins in sincerity, knowing that the time is nearly at an end and judgment is sure to come next.
I know that the “falling away” occurs prior to the return of the Lord, and also occurs near the time-frame of the coming Antichrist (2 Thess 2). I know these things are long been prophesied to happen, and thus will surely happen. So, I’m not praying that would not happen, as it must, but I am praying for those who have been estranged from Christ, that they would return to Him prior to judgment, and be reconciled to Him. He is the Savior, a man’s only hope. The coming events will nonetheless still happen, but who will be saved from their sins?
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, And He shall send Jesus Christ, Which before was preached unto you” Acts 3:19-20
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:16,19-20
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom 13:11-12
“Therefore He says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” Eph 5:14
“For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure/unclean person, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience. Therefore do not become partakers with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light, in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (for the fruit of Spirit is found in all that is good and right and true)” Eph 5:5-9
God is able to breathe new life into those dead, dry bones, and bring them back to life, and put the breath of life in them.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” Acts 3:19
For those who are right with God, in good standing, pleasing to God, a few verses for us to remember:
“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach/gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out My indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their own way I have recompensed upon their heads, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 22:30-31
Though prophecy must be fulfilled, and the end of days must come, we need to pray for the lost sheep, lest they be destroyed.
And,
“If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou say, Behold, we did not know it; does not He that ponders the heart consider it? and He that keeps your soul, does He not know it? and shall He not render to every man according to his works?” Proverbs 24:11-12
We have a responsibility towards our neighbor, or brothers and sisters, to not forbear, not hold-back from rescuing, praying, warning, encouraging to do what is right and repent, those that are drawn unto death (Prov 24:11, James 5:19-20).
“When I say unto the wicked, you shall surely die; and you do not give him warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turns not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man does turn from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also you hast delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:18-21
And,
“Therefore I give you record this day, that I am innocent from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God.” Acts 20:26-27
May we pray, warn, and declare the whole counsel of God, not just the soft and gentle places of Scripture but ALL of it. May we be innocent of their blood, because we did sincerely pray, and warn. Amen.
“Seeker-sensitive” is damning for those who hear it and also for those who preach that fake “gospel” and fail to preach the whole counsel of God.
