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You are invited to join us for An evening for women to learn and experience Come for a social time at 6:30. The Gathering will last from 7-9pm. Grace Gathering Please RSVP to Suellen Moody at smoody10@gmail.com      
Agrarian societies rely on the cultivation of crops for subsistence by using plows hitched to working animals such as oxen. Productivity is doubled when two animals pull the plow in unison. A wooden crosspiece, called a yoke, placed on the necks of the animals, joins them as one. Frequently, a young ox is paired with an older, mature ox to properly guide and train the younger, inexperienced animal. Jesus makes the astounding statement to His followers that apart from being connected to Him in continuous unity, they cannot experience a harvest of righteousness in their lives. Salvation through faith in Christ birthed God’s holy nature in us by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. The holy life of Christ that we now possess, develops fully through a continuous yoking of our lives to Christ. He invites us in Matthew 11:28-30 to: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Apart from being connected to Christ and walking by the power of His Holy Spirit, we have no strength or wisdom to find our way out of sin. However, as we come to Christ, the Holy Spirit works powerfully in us to resist temptation, rescuing us from the heavy burden of sin and its devastating consequences. Will you come to Christ and be yoked to Him? Ask Him to reveal any stones or weeds of sin in your life that would choke out godly fruit production. He will plow the soil of your heart with His love and words, cultivating a rich harvest of goodness.
The old saying goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” After giving Ezekiel a prophesy for His people, one too grand to comprehend, God gave a vision to help him understand. Setting Ezekiel in a valley covered in dry bones, the Lord asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel responded, “O Sovereign Lord, only You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, saying: “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!This is what the Sovereign Lord says, ‘I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life…Then you will know that I am the Lord’” (Ezekiel 37:4-5). God gave a vivid picture to portray what He would do for His people. Years of rebellion against God left the nation of Israel exiled in Babylon, spiritually lifeless and void of hope. They were like a valley of dry bones. Yet their faithful God would one day restore them. The fulfillment of the prophecy continues to this day: “I will gather you from the nations and bring you back to your land. I will cleanse you from your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees” (Ezekiel 36:24-27). Ezekiel prophesied about the grace of God. God breathes His life, His Spirit, into His people. As we seek Him, God moves us to follow His decrees. Having been cleansed at salvation, God will continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness: the sin in our lives that hinders a right relationship with Him. As God delivers us from our sin, we know through personal experience that our God is the LORD and that He alone brings life to our souls. Ask God to reveal any “dry bone” areas in your life. Then, ask Him to reveal the life that His breath, His Spirit, longs to give you. |
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