Revival - Too Late?

      “Son of man, can these bones live? - Ezekiel 37:3

   “Too late!” were the words a preacher shouted to the crowd from the lectern. Knowing the preacher and his reputation for an acerbic tongue, I left his presentation early and listened via a live stream from my hotel room. What did he mean by “too late?” He meant it was too late in terms of revival, too late in terms of reforming and too late in terms of repenting as a nation. How’s that for an optimistic view of things? If the situation was as hopeless as he stated, what was his advice? The message was designed not for a group such as a church, a gathering or a nation, but for the individual believer; kind of a direction to worry about yourself. That message was designed for the individual, to hang tight, keep the faith. Ironic I thought as his message was not much different from the prevailing message of modern churches that this preacher routinely criticizes with it being; “it’s all about me.”

  Shortly after, I received a phone call from someone who was also watching the live stream asking what I thought. I was honest and told him I had heard enough and shut the speaker off. It was not that his message was wrong or off base. I also added that the speaker’s main points should not necessarily be ignored, but what bothered me was that he was speaking for the authority and sovereignty of Almighty God. I honestly did not know if it was “too late” as so much of God’s providence works in conjunction with the transformed human heart. Doesn’t grace precede judgment?  It is only “too late”, I thought, if we decided it already.

  Where are we as the Body of Christ in the present moment? What is the spiritual temperature out there in this community and nation? Most would agree that we are as in Ezekiel’s day, looking for hope. That is why so many are seeking, as we see a change in the face of the church universal. That is the question every generation asks but what is more important is the conclusion we are offered from scripture.

  In Ezekiel, the question is: ‘Can these bones live?’ That is the question about life and the promise of life restored. The type of God you are trusting in frames the answer to that question, in Ezekiel’s day and ours. Are these bones going to remain here to be restored in a veiled future, or is God the God of Resurrection here and now as well as the future? How does God do this?

  Let’s see how the bones come together and for what purpose! Verse 4 “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”  What does it mean to prophesy? What most do not know is the ‘prophesy’ has all to do with preaching God’s Word and less to do with end times. In fact, after the Reformation, preaching was called “prophesying.” Why do we preach to dead bones? Isn’t it “too late?” The answer we find tells us another story as the Word of God breathes life in various stages to those bleached and useless bones. How does this happen before Ezekiel’s eyes? The answer is through the Holy Spirit.

   So what happens to a believer who receives the Holy Spirit? The answer is the unity we have in Jesus Christ; all are grafted into this new group called the church. That is what we need to remember.

Is it too late? This past week I spent three days in an intensive study and worship in which 5000 people gathered from all parts of the world to hear, sing and pray to the Triune God. While each day was a full course of study, there was the confidence and the feeling that God was with us. Why would God call us together to worship and praise Him if it was “too late?” Ironically, that speaker from the beginning of this was a guest at that very same conference years earlier and after which, he was never invited back!

Place your confidence and trust in the One who raises life from dry bones and expect the dead to live!

 Yours in Christ,

  Pastor Harry