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UCAN sharing: resuscitated

Scripture: Eze 37:7-10 (Recommend you read the whole chapter)

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jn 10:10

No one has a more powerful touch than the Lord. To Him there are no limits to what he can do and when.
Unlike man who is extremely limited and driven by that fact God is not limited. We must consistently
remind ourselves that Gods arm is never short. One of the key factors in Christians being far from God is
unbelief. We dont trust God to do what he says he will. We dont believe he can or he will for us
personally. If you have ever prayed for a love one to be healed or blessed and nothing happen then you are
aware of the feeling of disappointment and questioning that follows. The amazing thing is that despite our
short comings God who can do anything still chooses to reveal this power to us who lack so much faith. It is
our inability to believe that makes the effort on Gods part to breathe life in to us so much more
spectacular. Knowing our tendency to be fearful and unbelieving God still reveals his powerful love by
breathing life in to our dry lives.

The life of a Christian getting to know God has been likened to that of a garden (Lk 13:6-9). As we know
and abide (stay close too) in God He is able to do amazing things to our character. He removes the roots of
lies and carnal thoughts that so entangle us and feeds us with his truths. As a result we grow up like to be
trees of righteousness and truly plantings of the Lord (Isa 61:3). This active process requires the
cooperation of the planting. The passage in Luke was how the planting was not bearing fruit and so the
Lord wanted it removed from the garden but Jesus, the gardener, interceded. He tends our hearts with the
Holy Spirit living in us. Note that all of God is involved in each persons development spiritually. This
reflects Gods level of commitment to each and every person. He desires that all be saved and come to life
in Him. This shows us who God is, that being a God that can do anything at anytime he still chooses to
confine Himself by working through us despite our unfaithfulness.

Each Christian needs to meditate on how much we need God every day. He is the only true source of life
and if we embrace anything else other than him we are deceived and will suffer greatly. Yet man in his
arrogance often believes that he knows what is best for his life and chooses to walk away from the
presence of the Lord and his truth. This has been happening since Adam who seeing the sin Eve had
committed choose to willfully join her rather than be obedient to God. Christians today suffer in the same
struggle. We are immersed in a world that openly embraces ideas that declare God doesnt exist. Then the
world leading itself concludes that what God says is wrong is right and what God says is right is wrong. A
result of this powerful flow is that we may be moved away from God and fail to hold to his truths and take
up the worlds lies. This can happen consciously and unconsciously. From all around us the voices tell us
things that lead us from God and in to death.

Spiritual death happens when we disconnect from God. The only thing that separates us from Gods
presence is sin (Isa 59:2). In the Garden of Eden there was perfection until disobedience then Adam and
Eve had to leave Gods presence. Why? God cant abide in the presence of darkness. He would have had to
destroy Adam and Eve. God didnt want this. Instead God gives man what he wants and allows man to go.
We too receive the same. Like the prodigal son we too can take the love God has given and wander back in
to the world. What God doesnt take away are the consequences. We are free to choose the direction but
the not what we will find there. The prodigal soon found this out to be true as he entered in to spiritual
death. If we remain long enough away from God the extent of our spiritual death deepens making it harder
and harder to turn back and humble ourselves (repent).

When we remain in sin we become vulnerable to all the desires of our carnal nature as well as the lies of
Satan. Satans plan is simple. Deceive and get us to move away from God so that he can entrap us in sin
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and make us ineffective. He cant our souls unless we forsake God but he can steal our joy and peace and
the power to serve God. We end up like the pile of dry bones in Eze 37. Verse 2 says the bones were very
dry. Jesus said in John 7:37-38 that if we believe in Him and want him (Thirst) above all else then from
within us will spring rivers of living water. God is still in the business of raising the dry bones, ours.

In Eze. 37:11 the passage identifies who the dry bones are. They are Gods people and we by extension are
also Gods people. We too can become far from God, religious and pretentious until we are in sin and sin is
in us. But Gods love never fails. His love is not based on what we do or who we are. It is only based on who
God is and God is an awesome loving and faithful God that wont let go of anyone who still has a grain of
belief in their heart. God sees them always as they can be in him so He avails himself to bring life where
the life has gone. It is a working of the Lord. And while we may see healings and blessings of all sorts in the
here and now the greatest work is that God is in us. The dry bones took form and had bodies but they had
not life till God breathed on them. This breath is the same breath Adam got in the garden (Gen 2:7) and it
is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit who will guide us in all truths if we are willing to be lead (Jn 14:26).
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Jn 8:36

This is all the work of the Lord but the question rises Why did the people get dry in the first place?.
They neglected their God and took to the world. They left their first love and received the lies the made
their hearts hard. What can we learn from all this? God is always waiting to bring us back to life in Christ.
He doesnt abandon us even when we fall. The question is how do we respond? Will we see our need and
turn from our sin and humble ourselves before him who can lift us or will we cover the sin up till we forget
it is sin? Our part is to stay soft before the Lord and constantly recognize our need for him. Jesus said in Jn
15:4 that apart from Him we can do nothing so let us not try. Let us be like the prodigal and run home
humbly seeking grace from our Father who gives it so freely. No matter what your condition today you can
still use a fresh breath from God. Turn to him now and ask Him to breathe on you. Ask him to be your Lord
and fill your sails with His Spirit. He desires to do so.

See Casting Crowns Spirit Wind for a song to go with this sharing.