Skin Deep Or Real Thing? Sally is in love with George but George is not in love with Sally! It is not a good idea to be in love with the one that is not in love with. Outwardly, the relationship looks cool, like something you even want to envy, but it’s actually riddled with insecurities, endless quarrels and perpetual suspicion. The relationship is only skin deep!
The Johnsons who have been married for a while are great actors. They have been living in a cycle of strife, but they have learnt to put up appearances. All they are interested in is how people see them, not how God sees them. They are just going through the motions, their love is just skin deep and any little provocation would result in expulsion of deep seated magma within the crust of their hearts.
We have been looking at the book of Ezekiel for a while, and this morning, I want to show you an insight God gave me here which describes many relationships and marriages! Skin Deep Or Real Thing?
We looked at verse 7 yesterday. Today, we are looking at verse 8
Eze 37:8 (KJV) And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
Sinews, flesh and skin came upon the bones! What an astounding miracle!
But there is a “But”
It says there is no breath in them! It was a miracle, but not complete!
This describes a lot of relationships and marriages. Just skin deep. Covered with sinews and flesh, but no breath. So it is still lifeless.
A little provocation, there is fight. A little correction there is strife for a month. A different opinion, there are tantrums, withdrawal, and silent treatments! Good and playful intentions are seen as an affront and disrespect. The couple is walking on egg shells!
That relationship or marriage has sinews, flesh and skin, but no breath! Skin Deep Or Real Thing?
What did God do? He didn’t give up.
He said again, Prophesy!
So you don’t give up at this stage. There is hope because it’s not completely dry bones again, at least there is sinews and skin now!
Pray this morning, that God will complete His work in your life, relationship and marriage in Jesus name! You may also use REVIVE day 5 to pray as that was what we discussed and prayed about. You will see the video below!
Bone To His Bone. Let me start by wishing you a beautiful Merry Christmas! I pray that you experience the reason for the season!
Today, we will quickly continue with our study and look at Ezekiel 37. We stooped earlier at verse 5.
Eze 37:6-7 (KJV) And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. [7] So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
Where I am going exactly is verse 7!
and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
This morning, this is the word of the Lord for you!
Bones are coming together! Bone to his bone!
What are bones here? Take a look at this scripture here:
Gen 2:23a (KJV) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones,
When Adam saw Eve for the first time this was what he said!
I pray for you this morning, bones are coming into alignment for you!
Things are coming together for you in a beautiful sequence.
The lines will fall on you in pleasant places. All things are working together for you!
The valley of dry bones was a hopeless situation. The bones were not only dry but they were also scattered!
Everything was in disarray!
Yet God performed a miracle!
Bone came to his bone!
God will give you a miracle in your relationship or marriage!
For singles, bones will come together! In supernatural circumstances, you will meet that God-ordained person in Jesus’ name!
For couples, in every marriage that has been “scattered” there is a coming together!
Scattered communication, scattered emotions, misplaced affection, and so many issues! Irrespective of what it is, God is performing a miracle in your marriage today!
The situation is intense with the Johnsons. The marriage is extremely troubled. There have been accusations and counter-accusations. Wrong words have been said. Strife and bitterness have become the order of the day. The marriage seems headed for a resounding crash.
Sally’s relationship with her fiancee is troubled too. She changed her status to “it’s complicated” because that is what could describe the scenarios.
Both situations above can be described as deep valley experiences.
In our study in Ezekiel 37 yesterday, we saw that the beginning instruction that God gave to the prophet is to prophesy, and say something!
The next verse says:
Eze 37:5 (KJV) Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
God is revealing His plan of action! Your Relationship or Marriage Will Live
He is going to cause His breath to enter into that relationship or marriage and it will Iive.
It doesn’t matter if the marriage seems dead.
God has a plan of action. Something will “enter”
I pray for you this morning, God will breathe into your relationship, and cause it to live in Jesus’ name!
His breath is the power of the Holy Spirit.
How much of the Holy Spirit are you giving space for in your relationship or marriage?
Oh Pastor, don’t spiritualize this!
Well, no matter how disconnected you are from the Holy Spirit, no matter how far away from developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit, the truth remains that the Holy Spirit is the one that will do most of the work within you.
You are the one that will enter yourself. The breath God will cause to enter is not some air, it is the person of the Holy Spirit. Your Relationship or Marriage Will Live
If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, that is the coolest thing that can happen to you and your spouse or fiance.
The next thing is to bring alive your relationship with the Holy Spirit so that you may live and your relationship or marriage may live.
You do this by communicating with Him and listening to Him for instructions on what to do and how to do it.
You should no longer live by reactions, feelings, and sentiments! All these don’t bring life.
What will bring life is a conscious and deliberate relationship with the Holy Spirit
Open Your Mouth Sound is powerful. When a baby is born, the first sign of life is that the baby makes a sound. Once the baby cries out, everybody is happy! Why is this so? It is because sound announces life!
We started looking at Ezekiel 37 yesterday!
The situation was hopeless. It was a valley of not just dry bones, but very dry bones!
Where do we even start? If it’s somebody who just died, maybe there will be a window of hope for resurrection. But very dry bones?
Is your relationship or marriage like a valley of dry bones? Well, the first instruction God gave to Ezekiel is to open his mouth!
Eze 37:4 (KJV) Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
You will need to do the same in your situation. Notice, God did not argue or deny the dryness of the bones!
But open your mouth and say “Hear the word of the Lord…” Open Your Mouth
This is what we are doing with REVIVE! Hear me, nothing withstands the word of God!
The teaching and prayers for REVIVE Day 2 is on Youtube and You can access it here!
So open your mouth and begin to declare life into that relationship or marriage! Begin to say the right things!
Ignore all the attitudes or uncooperative attitudes of your spouse. Focus on the instruction!
As singles, it’s the same thing. Speak life into that relationship and say what you want to experience rather than what you are experiencing!
The dry bones were in a valley…
When either of the spouse is in a valley, things are unclear, sight is obscured, and the mountaintop advantage is absent.
So ignore attitudes and pull yourselves out of that pit of depression, confusion, and irritation toward your loved one! Open Your Mouth
Where do you think all the irritation and hatred are coming from? Where do you think all the assumptions are coming from?
Sure you know they are not from the Holy Spirit. They are coming straight from hell. Demonic entities assigned to ruin things for you. But you reject their antics by opening your mouth!
Do you know you are a repairer, a renovator and restorer?
Isa 58:12b (KJV)…and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
You are a repairer of the breach!
Take a look at the Message Translation
Isa 58:12b (MSG) …You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
Your relationship or marriage can be livable again!
How? By the word!
You build by the word.
God himself framed the world with His word. We are created in His image, so we can build our world with the Word too!
Open your mouth and let God fill it with choice words that will navigate you out of that depression and confusion!
I speak life to your relationship or marriage now! I command the power of hell to be broken over your life in Jesus’ name! If there is any sickness of pain you have, I command them to leave now in Jesus name! Be healed now!
I want to be sincere with the question I want to ask right now.
With the way your marriage is, is there still any hope yet?
Have you given up on your marriage or relationship and you are just going through the motions?
What is your response?
I want to show you something powerful this morning, which was what we taught on REVIVE Day 1. If you missed it on Mixlr earlier this morning at 5.00am, there will be a repeat broadcast on YouTube soon.
I was writing a story yesterday! Permit me to pause the story and I will be back to continue the story later!
Can These Bones Live?
Eze 37:1 (KJV) 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,
These valleys were full of bones and Ezekiel must have been asking, what is God up to here? I mean these are dry bones and nothing much can come out of them.
Have you come to a place like that in your marriage where you believe it can’t be good again?
Have you been in a cycle of strife and bitterness that you believe marriage is not for you?
Have you had so many broken relationships as singles that you believe you should just remain single?
This is where Ezekiel found himself. Can These Bones Live?
Verse 2 makes it worse!
Eze 37:2 (KJV) 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.
Lo, they were very dry! It’s not a little dry and but very dry!
Things have gone really bad!
Eze 37:3 (KJV) And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
If Ezekiel were a Nigerian, he would be like “God, are you whinning me? How can they live?
He said, God, it’s you that knows!
Are you in that place already? Can your marriage be good again?
Uhmm, It’s God that knows!
When will you get married?
It’s God that knows!
This is what we addressed and prayed about this morning! Can These Bones Live?
God is asking you that question not to point you to the impossibility but to ignite your hope that He will intervene in your situation!
God will come through for you!
He will intervene!
The first step is to let all aches and bitterness go! Let God! Forgive and let God bring something new in your life!
God was trying to work on the heart of Ezekiel with that question!
God wants to heal your heart first!
Psa 12:5 (MSG) Into the hovels of the poor, Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks: “I’ve had enough; I’m on my way TO HEAL THE ACHE IN THE HEART OF the wretched.”
Decide to forgive one more time. Decide to let go of bitterness!
Watch the video below the page anytime from around 8am and use the prayers!