The Final Lap

CHAPTER 2
Prepare the Way

Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
"Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”
Ezekiel 37:5 (NKJV)

A vision came to the prophet Ezekiel.  In the vision, the Spirit of God grabbed him and placed him in the middle of a dry valley.  In this valley he saw nothing but bones, millions of them.  These were the sun-scorched remains of an army that had once been strong and powerful. 
God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” 
Ezekiel answered, “My God, only you know that.” 
Then God said, “I will breathe life into these bones again.  I will put meat on them and place skin over them, but there is one thing I need of you.” 
“Anything, Lord.”
“I need someone to prophecy unto them.  To speak life unto them.”
Obeying the voice of God, Ezekiel stretched forth his hand and said “Life come to these dry bones!”
Suddenly Ezekiel heard something rattling behind him.  Turning, he saw that the bones were moving, coming together to form human skeletons.  Then skin began to appear over the bones and within seconds, Ezekiel was standing before what looked like a lifeless people, an army of zombies waiting to collapse. 
What was wrong with them?
Then God said unto Ezekiel, “Prophecy, son of man; prophecy to the four winds and command breath into these people.” 
Ezekiel boldly prophesied, calling the Spirit of God to come from the north, south, east, and west to blow through the lifeless army.
As the winds began to blow, eyes began to open.  Ears began to hear.  Fingers started moving and arms began to stretch. Ezekiel watched in awe as God brought his army back to life. (Summary of Ezekiel 37)

“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
Make straight paths for him.’” 
Matthew 3:2 (NIV)

 Matthew 3:2 is speaking of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ.  Forerunner implies that he was in a race.  He would not win the race on his own.  He was part of a team.  He was the one who was privledged to put the baton into the hand of the Lord Jesus, the fastest runner on the team.  Jesus took that baton and ran the most difficult race of all.  He was faithful to run His race even when the race led him to a cruel death on the cross.  But three days later He arose from the dead and gave His team the lead. 
 And the race isn’t over!  Jesus has now put the baton into our hands.  And like John the Baptist who was called to prepare the way for Jesus’ first coming, so are we now called to prepare the way for his second coming.  Just like Ezekiel was called to prophecy to dry bones, we also are called to prophecy to this lifeless generation. 

In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
 Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your young men will see visions;
Your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
And they will prophesy.
Acts 2:17-18 (NIV)

The eyes of the Lord are looking for someone who will dare to be His voice at a dead work place, in a dry neighborhood, and even to a lifeless body of believers who look like zombies sitting on the pews every Sunday morning.  God has anointed you and me with the power to bring this generation back to life.  He wants to use us to do such incredible things that it will turn the hardest heart and the most deceived mind.  What is God expecting from us in order to do such things? He only needs us to be fully committed. 

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth
To strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

 When Israel was in bondage to Egypt, the eyes of the Lord fell upon a fully committed individual named Moses, who proclaimed “Let my people go!”  (Ex. 5:1 KJV)  Forty years later, The Lord found another man whose heart was fully committed to Him. The man’s name was Joshua, and Joshua boldly stood outside the city of Jericho and prophesied, “Shout, for God has given us this city!” (Joshua 6:16 NIV)  Even when Israel was trembling at the threat of a great giant, God found a young Shepard boy named David who was fully committed to the Lord’s plan.  He pronounced, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he would defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26 KJV)
 In all these situations God sought out committed individuals to be His “spokesman.”  He is still seeking those individuals today who will proclaim, prophecy, and pronounce the Word of the living God. 

Out of the Comfort Zone

 God never moves alone.  I find this amazing.  He has always used people.  The only times we can really see God moving on his own is in the first five days of creation.  On the sixth day God created man in His image to carry out His will.  Even when God became a man he used twelve disciples to help him in his ministry.  Though He was perfect, they were far from it. 
 I am so glad that God does not use perfect people, because there are none.  Jesus performed the miraculous and then told us, an imperfect people, to do the same thing.  He even told us to do greater things. (John 14:12)  The reason that we can do greater things is because His Spirit is in us, and His Spirit is perfect.  1 John 4:4 say’s “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”(KJV)  Fear, lack of talent, or any other excuse is really no excuse at all because the Greater One lives in you. 
 
Not In Full-time Ministry

“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” is the race that all believers are called to run. (Mark 16:15 KJV)  It is the baton that has been placed in our hand.  It is the mantel that has been thrown over our shoulders.  It is the debt we owe to the world. (Rom 1:14-15) And this calling is NOT just for those in full-time ministry.
 When I accepted the call, I was not in full-time ministry.  I was only 14.  I had no pulpit to stand behind, but that didn’t stop me.  Everywhere I went I told people about Jesus. My blueprint for ministry was the book of Acts. Put simply, the book of Acts is people telling other people about Jesus everywhere they go, and God following up with signs and wonders. 
 So, that’s what I did!  The more faithful I was, the more my race led me further and further out of my comfort zone.  I was soon leading people to Jesus at gas stations, while playing basketball at recreational center’s, while working out at the gym, and even during the middle of one of my high school football games (which I was playing in, no less!)
 Just as God spoke through the apostles in the book of Acts, so He will speak through you and I if we will simply let Him!