In the midst of life's challenges God takes us through a reality check of our circumstances. There are areas of our lives we would avoid but God had to usher Ezekiel through the valley of dry bones. As God ushers you to the fields of uncertainty, all we need is to have a feeling of total dependence on God - Omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent. Nomatter the challenge we have confidence in that God's hand is upon us for power and direction

1. Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matthew 12:34b, Hebrews 12:28 and 29.
Norton UMC Spiritual Formation Week
2 November 2015
THEME: USHERED INTO THE
PRESENCE OF GOD
BY PASTOR TAURAI EMMANUEL MAFORO
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2. Hebrews 12:29 says “For our God is a consuming fire”
The Greek term for consume in Hebrews 12:29 is different from that of
Luke 15 – the prodigal son. In Luke 15 the term used for consume is
ANALISKO – which means consumption in the negative sense, while in
Hebrews is KATANALISKO – which speaks of the gravity/intensity of
the consumption – totally wiping out as what the fire does – DESTROYING
THE SNAKE, ITS EGGS AND ITS HABITATION
To Ninevah the prophet Nahum 1:6 says; “Who may keep his place
before his wrath? And who may undergo the heat of his passion? His
wrath is let loose like fire and the rocks are broken by him”
This therefore is no cheap theme considering the Hebrew community
was going through trials and tribulations due to persecution and in 13:14
the writer talks about seeking for a city beyond the present.
Our God will totally wipe out any image of persecution and the power of
the oppressor – O the DEVIL IS A LIAR.
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3. HYMN 2017 – NGANDITUNGAMIRE MWARI
At any kind of gathering there is a special group of people that
we sometimes ignore their worth – ushers. At every entry point
you meet them. In the walk ways and isles they tread up and
down. Their eyes are always set at people coming into the
building and find an appropriate position for the visitor. Their
intention is to make sure you have all the comfort for you to
experience the goings-on in the theatre or auditorium.
As we begin this SPIRITUAL FORMATION WEEK, I thought it
very appropriate for me to speak of being ushered into the
presence of God.
INTRODUCTION
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4. God set up a grand scene for Ezekiel to be ushered into. The
stage was all set. BUT! On the stage were lifeless bones. A scene
that is different from that of Michael Jackson, where people
would sway, drop and cry at every moon-walking move. In many
people’s lives that have come for this revival the scenes in their
lives are dead and lifeless.
• Marriage is lifeless
• Future is hopeless and many other circumstances
At this powerful revival you will indeed be ushered into the
presence of God to experience wonders. Just get yourself ready.
Our God who is a consuming fire will deal with the rest.
INTRODUCTION
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5. Jerome calls the book a labyrinth of the mysteries of God and it is
for this reason that Jews forbade anyone to read this book until he
had attained the age of thirty due to its language and symbols.
But today we are not limited to the Jewish perceptions of the
book; instead we will venture into it and come out with the divine
revelations of God for this generation.
The Book of Ezekiel has three groups of prophecies;
a. Prophetic utterances of denunciation against the Jews
b. Prophecies against surrounding nations
c. Prophecies after the destruction of Jerusalem of which
today’s text follows
EXEGESIS
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6. The vision in Ezekiel 37 and I repeat the vision.
This is a spiritual message not to be taken literally
but understand and appreciate that God has a
special message of restoration to the desponding
Jews by predicting both their restoration after the
captivity and also their recovery from their present
and long standing dispersion.
EXEGESIS
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7. The valley of dry bones represents a state of hopelessness and
helplessness because;
• Life had come and gone
• The smelling had come and gone
• The vultures had taken all they needed and had gone
• The worms had gone into the deeper parts to take away
the bone marrow
• The weather conditions – rains, sun, hail storms, powerful
winds
• The bones were no longer held together and were
dispersed.
EXEGESIS
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8. It was indeed a clear intimation of the
resurrection of the dead and further
represents the power and grace of God in the
conversion of the most hopeless sinner to
himself.
EXEGESIS
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9. Ezekiel as the Prophet of Yahweh through his prophetic book we
come across a number of times where the hand of God is set
upon him before some major prophetic utterances.
The hand of God represents power and direction
For us to deal with life’s threatening circumstances we must not
go in our own charisma without the leading of God.
Many have taken huge leaps in life and fell hard for the hand of
God was nowhere?
• Before you think of dealing with marriage
problems – you need God’s lead
• Before you make a decision to jump ship and
get a new job – you need God’s lead
CARRIED BY THE HAND OF GOD
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10. In this generation we have listened to the preaching of a
gospel that makes people live in their zones of imaginations
and far away from reality. Today we must come face to face
with our realities.
CARRIED BY THE HAND OF GOD
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11. “I know not the way God leads
me, but well I know my
guide”
RUKARIRO URWU
RWANGU
MARTIN LUTHER QUOTE
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12. In Ezekiel 37 the spirit of God takes Ezekiel to a place that
we would rather avoid, a place we would rather not talk
about, places you would rather have people never know
about like many people would say;
“I don’t want to talk about my failures in life”
“I don’t want to talk about my troubled marriage”
“I will never want to hear anyone talk about my broken
and hurting past”
“I don’t want to meet the father of my children”
“I don’t want to see them again”
CARRIED BY THE HAND OF GOD
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13. Instead of avoidance, the Spirit takes Ezekiel and walks him
through the valley of dry bones and his findings were sad –
“lo, they were very dry”.
You can only be able to deal with your situation when you
faithfully and honestly assess the present condition.
Allow the spirit of God this evening to walk you through
your; hurts, bitterness, terrible memories, sad past,
bleeding heart.
CARRIED BY THE HAND OF GOD
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14. Ezekiel is met with a tough question: “…Son of man, can these
bones live?” and this is a question that linger in many of our
minds and for that reason we sing – NDIMI ISHE WEMBA
INO;
Can I ever get another job after the mistake I made last time?
Can this child ever succeed in life considering how many times
they have failed?
Can I ever find trust in this marriage due to unfaithfulness?
Can I ever be trusted by my parents after letting them down
many times?
Can the moral standards of our country be restored when
shameful Nude Carnivals are celebrated in the spirit of tourism?
Can Zimbabwe’s economy recover?
THE POWER OF THE PROPHETIC
WORD
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15. Our response to these mind boggling questions should be
that of trust in the Almighty and say “Ö, Lord thou
knowest”
The next step God instructs Ezekiel himself to speak life to
the bones.
But for us to be able to prophesy to our situations it is the
content of our hearts that matters, else we speak and speak
without anything happening.
THE POWER OF THE PROPHETIC
WORD
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16. The word prophet has come from the Hebrew root: nabi –
which means to bubble forth like from a fountain and
therefor if there is no water in the fountain, there is nothing
to speak.
We therefore need the abundance of the word of God in
order to realise an overflow of prophetic utterances.
The text we read from Matthew 12:34b says “…for out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”. Jesus was
speaking to the Pharisees and says “A good man out of the
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things…”
POWER OF THE PROPHETIC
WORD
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17. When we prophesy the following happens;
a. The dry bones will hear the word – “Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” –
Rom 10:17
b. There is movement – the bones started
shaking and bones came together to their original
place.
c. Joining of all the parts and covering
d. The breath of God – Life restored
GOD’S RESTORATION
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18. When God brings restoration to our present circumstances
we will walk in the power of resurrection. Where there was
no life we begin to celebrate life.
Great armies of God will be raised and the devil will not
stretch his hand upon us for we have on our side the God
who is a consuming fire.
Katanalisko – will be the clarion call in the face of all of
life’s challenges
GOD’S RESTORATION
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19. Let me encourage you brethren by restating
the theme scripture;
“Wherefore we have received a kingdom
which cannot be moved, let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: For our God is a
consuming fire”
Hebrews 12:28-29.
CLOSING SCRIPTURE
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20. I urge you therefore this evening as we get
into prayer to come before the Lord;
• Asking the leading hand of God,
• Speaking life to your dead situations,
• And pleading for the restoration of God.
CONCLUSION
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