Today's passage is from Ezekiel chapter 37, verse 1 to 14. Ezekiel chapter 37, verse 1 to 14 is written in the bulletin, also you can find it. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the spirit of the Lord, and sent me down in the middle of the valley. It was full of bones, and he led me around among them. And behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley. And behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, son of man, can these bones live? I answer, O Lord God, you know. To me, prophesy over these bones and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, behold, I will cause breath. to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinew upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinew on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, prophesy to the prophesied, son of man, and say to the breath, thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds of breath that breathe on these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried up and our hope is lost. We are indeed cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, all my people, and I will bring you into the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord. When I open your graves and raise you from your graves, all my people, and I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken and I will do it, declares the Lord. This is the word of God. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we humbly ask you to open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we can discern your will and obey it with your face. We pray in Jesus' name. Oftentimes I wonder if my children are mirroring my negative thoughts and attitudes because lately I've been hearing the following phrase from my cheese a lot. I don't like it. No. It's so boring. I don't want to try it. There are all sorts of negative expressions overflowing which sometimes I never understand. Where did my kids learn it from? Sometimes when I take it personally, but thankfully God gave me a wise wife to make them practice proper language practice and a positive thought training. So I desperately feel it when I look at myself and my children every day. But people's thoughts do not change easily. How many times in your life can you say that, yes, I can say this to Joe, and your life changed upside down, and then just your perspective, your thoughts, 180, how many times did you experience in your life that you changed, oh, I really changed my thoughts? This is from John 8 at 32. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. How great is the freedom we have when we know the truth, that we are saved only by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, not by our own thoughts, our own ability or efforts. How blessed is the truth that if we died with Christ and we believed it, we will also How happy is it to become an heir of the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ? And how much the message of no condemnation set us free when we are in Jesus Christ. Although we confess these truths with our lips, yet the most challenging things for us who believe in this truth is to lay down, lay down our thoughts every moment and accept God's thoughts and hold fast to God's thoughts. It is from Jeremiah 6, 19. Here, O earth, behold, I am bringing disaster upon these people, the fruit of their devices. Here, device is their thoughts, is thoughts. So when God bringing disaster, because the people own thoughts, because they are wrong thoughts, that's why God bring disaster. After God and then people of Israel made a covenant of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, God continued to speak through his servants, the prophets, to lay down their thoughts, repent, and then follow the way of the Lord, and then just bless the way, in a holy way, and then just the way of life. But they did not follow this commandment, just first commandment, over 860 years, 860 years, until Babylon's army attacked them, and then they were being captive. The stones, The trees, the money, the image you carve, the image you hold, the image you have, the things that you depend on, it's nothing, it's fake. Put it down and believe in the one true God and Jehovah God. You shall know others God before me. However, the first of these 10 commandments was not followed by God's people. The book of Ezekiel, we read, is a prophetic book in which the people of Judah, who did not obey God's word, who did not lay down their own thoughts, were eventually taken into captive in Babylon. And the terms of intense emotions were recorded for the people of that generation and to the age to come. Ezekiel, Yehezkel, got strengthened. is a prophet who was taken into captive with the King Jehoiakim of Judah in 597 BC as exile. As a Levite, he had an office of priest. Before this, 606 BC, there was a first captivity when Daniel and his friends and other Judahites were taken into Babylon. Babylon, the emperor of Babylon, Empire of Babylon, was an empire that boasted great power, education, politics, military, culture, social, economic power. To build a canal, it is 150 kilometer from the Euphrates River to their own 90 miles. They digging deep and then just huge fortress for themselves. Today, vision is a third of four vision from God in the book of Ezekiel. There are four visions in the book of Ezekiel. Chapter three, chapter eight, today chapter is 37, and then chapter 40. And then this is a third vision today. The book of Ezekiel is one of the most detailed and specific record of time when God's revelation or visions were seen. And if you have a chance, and then you can open the Bible of the book of Ezekiel. This is chapter one and one. In the 30th year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month. So he very detailed and specifically wrote down the dates and the year and even month and the dates. So because of his effort on record of time, it is easy to calculate that Prophet Ezekiel began his ministry at his age of 30 and worked for about 22 years. And he started his role in 592. So 597, he became captive in Babylon. as a prophet. And he was taken captive. That is the story. Since Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon in 586, so 592 he was called, and then East is Babylon, and then the other country is in Israel, 586, God would destroy this Jerusalem. So only six years left Only six years left until destroyed. God showed the sins of Jerusalem to the prophet Ezekiel and the elders as if he was broadcasting live stream through a satellite. Lamentations, mourning, and woe towards rebellious Judah were written in the book. It is very weighty and dark prophetic book because it conveys the world of disaster. The text we read today was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. It is already destroyed. And then after that, this story is written. It records the details of the vision God showed the prophet Ezekiel. From verse one to 10, mainly, it was the experience of the vision of the resurrection of the dry bones. It is a scene where God took him, the prophet Ezekiel, to a place full of bones and then commanded him to prophesy to dry bones. And verse 11 to 14, the interpretation of the vision is recorded. It is written that these dry bones are not dry bones, are actually formed by the dead body, dead human bodies, but are compared to the despair of the Israelites in Babylon's captivity, which God would promise to restore them. Today, I would like to look at three concepts found in the text and close by talking about the application that we should practice in our lives. This is point one, the hand of the Lord. It is one of very unique expression in the book of Ezekiel and the reason that is expression caught my attention is that it is translated as a Jehovah power. The power of the law is written in the Korean version. That's why it caught my attention. In Chinese, it's a trend noun. In Spanish, it's English power. In Korean version, kwon-neung, kwon-neung, this word is a compound word, is authority and power. It is compound word that just kwon-neung is just power and authority. It does not simply mean that just power, but at the same time, but also means that the subject of power has authority too. So these two words, combination, and then it's Korean. In Chinese, it is written in Korean version. It is true that in original Hebrew, it is interpreted as. in which means that Yad means Yahweh, the hand of the Lord was upon me. It means that God holds, or God just holds the prophet Ezekiel with his hands. But in ancient Near East culture, A&E culture, the hand was also used to symbolize power and authority. This is 1 Chronicles chapter 26. This is a confession of the king Jehoshaphat. O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of nations. In your hand are powers and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Almighty God, who has the authority to perform his power and might, was strongly present to Prophet Ezekiel. This phrase is repeated seven times in the book Prophet Ezekiel, and each time when the Prophet Ezekiel is mentioned, and this phrase is repeated. So let us look at the text that makes us easy to understand how God's power, or how God's hand, or how God's authority were used toward the Prophet Ezekiel. This is from Ezekiel chapter 8, 2-3. and gleaming metal. He put out of the form of hand and took me by the lock of my head and split, lift me up and beneath earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem to entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north where was the seat of image of jealousy which provokes to jealousy. So in Jerusalem, there was idolatry, just worshipers, and then the sculpture of the Bible, all the idols there, and then just, right now, this prophet Ezekiel is in Babylon. What God did with His hands and His power and authority is that lack of just prophets Ezekiel and holding up, and then, and just brought him to the, just seeing him to vision, and then what is happening in just Jerusalem right now? It is happening that they worshiping idols. In this passage, we can see that the Lord holding Ezekiel, lock of head, and ascended heaven, and showing all the, just that test of things, just seeing it is happening in Jerusalem. Therefore, we can make inference and then meaning by examining this verse. The hand of the Lord means that first, the power, the hand of the Lord in the book of Ezekiel was a symbol that holy reject idolatry. No, I do against your idolatry. That is hand that just against the idolatry happening in Jerusalem. I am the holy God who is against an idolatry of my people. Ezekiel, can you see? Against this idolatry. That is why hand of the Lord and then lock of his prophet's head and then just bring him to Jerusalem to show that what is really happening as a broadcasting live stream right now. Second, he was a hand of power that rejected the false thoughts of people of Israel. 812, God has forsaken this land without looking at us. Our sins are great, but our ancestors' sins are also great. That's why we are punished for, 1802. Ah, you know, God is not fair. 1825. Our hope is lost, in today's text, 37, 11. That is a thought that Israel has. Whenever elders came to Ezekiel and then tried to question to Ezekiel, and all of a sudden, this hand of Lord appeared to Ezekiel, and then shook, and then show him, really happening in Jerusalem. And even God does not allow elders to question to Ezekiel, and when they are about to open their lips, and then just God, hand of the Lord, appeared, shook him, and then show what is happening in Jerusalem. So God hands these false thoughts of people. Therefore, on behalf of the people, the prophet Ezekiel was treated more harshly than other people. So hand of the Lord and power of the Lord is one of phrase that give us important clues about God's character in the book of Ezekiel. My hair is okay right now, yeah. He despise idolatry. He reject people's false thoughts. That is two clues that God really, really does not allow us to have two items in our lives, idolatry, false thoughts. The hand of the Lord now took the prophet Ezekiel to a place that is interpreted as a valley or just plain. This is the second point, dry bones. The place where God took the prophet Ezekiel was a place full of bones. The prophet himself shouts, behold twice in the book and to his leaders as he also overwhelmed by the surroundings. Ezekiel testified two facts. The first was that there were intensive amounts of bones, mauled bones, a lot, there are mauled, a lot. Second was that bones were very dry. It's mauled dry, it's very dry. It's a lot and very dry. In fact, as you might know, as we read today's text, these bones are parable. And the original idea of these many bones appear in verse 11. It is from 11. Then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, our bones are dried up and our hope is lost. We are indeed cut off. The original idea of bones in the text is the whole nation of Israel. However, the part I want us to pay close attention to is the thoughts of those people. What were their thoughts? First, our bones are dried up. Yabash. It's completely withered. As a flower, season by season, flower is withered. You cannot bring it back. The wither is wither, it's gone, just yabash. And second, our hope is lost. Abat is a strong word meaning that to perish, to die, it refers to a state in which there is no possibility, even a single threat of recovery, just exterminate, bloat out. So is there no chance? Yes, no chance. Just one person? No. How about 0.5? No. 0.1? No. Zero percent. No percent. No possibility. That is a bot. Third, we are indeed cut off. Kazzar. Destroy. Brother, don't try too hard. Just our relationship and with God, it's done. It's cut off. To be destroyed. How do you change the thoughts of these desolate people of Israel who has all the misunderstanding about God's power and glory and His authority? There is a saying that changing people's thought is more difficult than making the heavens and earth upside down. As I say in the intro, the negative thoughts of my six-year-old son do not change easily. He really reluctant to listen our voice these days. Even who is not in desperate situation, he's not in desperate situation as the Israelites, but he's very reluctant and he does not try to try. At one time, when I ride a bike in a and then I ride he was in a seat on a trailer and then just I just just hand off on my just wheel I just handle and then just I just fight him you know just down here oh maybe he's Joe you shouldn't anyway I I just like this and then I Jeremiah just like just set your arms and enjoy the wind and I you have to taste the goodness of God And he said, yes, I love. Father, thank you. Father, thank you. But I said, do you want to try your bike by your own? No, I don't want to try. But he reluctant to learn how to ride a bike these days. I keep forcing and just convincing him, if you ride a bike, we can go just biking and just everywhere and you and I will have fun. And he said, but I don't want to try. It is impossible for people to change their minds just as dry bones cannot become even raw bones. In this desperate situation, God asked the prophet Ezekiel a question. Subtle man, can these bones live? This is third point, my spirit. In the book of Ezekiel, there is a word that appears mainly with God's presence, glory, and power. The Hebrew word, ruach, which has several meanings, including spirit, breath, and wind. It appears total 389 times in Old Testament, and 52 of them are used in Book of Ezekiel, and surprisingly, 10 times it just argues in this short passage, today's passage, verse 1 to 14. Here is important observation. We confirmed from verse 4 to 10 that it is possible changing people's thoughts only with the Spirit of Jehovah. It is impossible. People change their own thoughts, but it is possible. only with the spirit of Jehovah, bringing back to life, bone to bone, sinews, flesh, skins, and breath. Although this was a vision, Ezekiel, the prophet Ezekiel, had a chance to see, in front of his eyes, God showing his power and mighty and authority. Who has authority of the life? And then Ezekiel observed this miraculous scene. There is a very important task for us who read these verses here. It is a task of verifying whether the prophecies and God's word have been fulfilled in history when we look at the prophets. When the prophecy becomes true, then we have opportunity to just understand and then opportunity I believe this text also gives us much stronger than before our faith. It has become our foundation. Personally, this is one of my areas that I really love, is that I feel the power of life springing up within me. Volcano of fire, that much, it is a spring me up when I, and convinced me that God is a true living God. It's with a Bible text. Then I just, it's in my heart, it is just become fire. And then it makes me to spread the word and share that thought. See, brothers and sisters, this is written in the Bible, and then it really happens. It matches. That's why the Bible is true. And it made me just power. I just eat energy bar, like a 10 energy bar at that time. Coming back to our question, are the writings of the prophets and the word of God literally fulfilled in history? This is from Ezekiel 36, 26, and 27. This is one of the verses I really love. And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk. in my stature and be careful to obey my rules. After this babylon captivity, seven years, as God has promised. Also, as God said to the prophet Jeremiah, the Israelites miraculously returned to Jerusalem after seven years of the captivity. In addition to after Babylonian captivity, Israel, who worship idols for a long time, almost 1,900 years, just aroused God's wrath, no longer call the name of idol, at least in Israel. From after the captive, they no longer call Ba'al in the region of Israel. The problem idolatry has disappeared from the Israelites because of the new heart given by God, the Holy Spirit. If you go Israel now, Investing my money little by little, just day by day, dollar by dollar. I hope that I can save up to just $5,000. And then so that I can go to Israel. But if you go to Israel, current Israel, if you go there and landed there, you will not find the name or just carved image of Ba or anything. And now that it has become holy land. Yoon can testify because she went there, yes. Holy Spirit renews a person's heart. In this way, can the dead soul be revived. Holy Spirit moves people's heart in this way, impossible works become reality. Only when the Holy Spirit removes the hard stone, prejudice, stubbornness, arrogance, and misunderstandings, and give us a soft heart, we accept our Lord's Walked path led by the Holy Spirit. This is not a fantasy novel. This is reality. When Holy Spirit works in our hearts, when he gives us new softened heart, we receive the Lord Jesus and then we follow his way. Let us glorify God with thanks and praise for giving us a new heart. This is the last question for application as I closing. Now, what do I, the people around us, and societies have a false thoughts like dry bones? As you all know, there are so many different types of people voice around us. As Israelis community did, all those thoughts are meaningless, useless, false statements like dry bones. Just as our sons spit out so many negative language, Satan, our enemy, the king of this world, penetrates into our culture, education, societies, economies, and all areas, making people just live hopelessly and being swayed by it and being swamped in it as becoming dry bones until they die. This is happening in our lives. What is our calling who is already saved by grace and became new creature in Christ in this dry born world that idolize themselves and call themselves as I am a God? This is generation we see many people worshiping themselves. They love their own way, they do not try to lay down their own thoughts. It is a life that is completely dependent on the Spirit of God and lives as His instrument. It is a life that is completely dependent on the Spirit of God and lives as His instrument. As God commanded the prophet Ezekiel, and the prophet Ezekiel just prophesied. We, we the fool of trust, must continue to proclaim the word of God in a world full of dry bones. Our proclamation will become a reality. Those people will return to the living Lord and confess. This is verse 14. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken and I will do it, declares the Lord. This is God's promise. So let us put our. God's Word, let us proclaim His Word to these dry bones. And then they will come to the Lord, and then they will confess, I know God is my Father. I know Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I know Holy Spirit is my guide who speak truth in my life. Let us pray. Father, thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts who were completely dead like dry bones so that we became alive before you, Father. By following the guidance of your Holy Spirit every day, lead us to become your true instruments and to be your people who proclaim truth in this world where lies and false thoughts have abounded like dry bones. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.