Posted by We were in New York some weekend ago to attend an anniversary of a Filipino church we were members of when we were still living in New York City. I was asked to give a short inspirational message, and here’s what I shared.
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This church has its humble beginning when a small company of believers started meeting in an apartment of one it’s members. But the founding members had a vision when they formed this church.
Speaking of vision, one of the most fascinating visions that is recorded in the Bible is when Ezekiel saw a valley that is full of dry bones. No, it’s not a Sci-Fi or a horror movie, it is a real Bible account found in Ezekiel 37.
Then God asked Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And he answered, “Lord, You alone knows.”
Then later on the vision, Ezekiel heard a loud rattling noise and then he witnessed the bones coming together – like in the song “Dem Bones” – “the head bone connected to neck bone, the neck bone connected to shoulder bone, the shoulder bone connected to back bone, the back bone connected to hip bone, the hip bone connected to thigh bone, the thigh bone connected to knee bone, the knee bone connected to leg bone, the leg bone connected to ankle bone, and the ankle bone connected to foot bone.”
It did not stop there. Then tendons, muscles, and skin were added to these bones. Lastly, breath from the 4 winds, entered them: and they became alive! Then they stood up, and became a vast army.
When and where did Ezekiel received this vision?
First of all, Ezekiel is a man that was supposed to become a priest. He was a priest-in-training, from the tribe of Levi, but when he was in his 20’s, his life was rudely interrupted. Jerusalem was conquered, and he was taken to Babylon as a captive. When Ezekiel received this vision, the nation of Judah was exiled in Babylon.
But despite of the condition of the nation of Judah, which was defeated, destroyed, taken as captives, and exiled in Babylon; despite of their condition that was hopeless and lifeless, just like dry bones – yet God said that He will bring them back to life, resurrect them, rescue them, that they will become like a strong army once again.
Maybe some of you here, had your life interrupted. Maybe you are in a situation that you did not plan, but cannot get out of it. Maybe some of you are feeling hopeless and lifeless. Our church may had projects that were interrupted or plans that were derailed. We even used to have our very own church building. Though not because of our own doing, we were forced to leave, and now our church is like a church in exile.
But God has a vision for this church. We are not hopeless. We definitely are not lifeless. For God is breathing new life to this church.
Are you catching the vision?
In the early 1940’s, New York City was bustling just like today, and was the center of commerce and social happening. Then World War 2 erupted. People’s lives were interrupted. Many businesses closed down. But New York City was resilient. It transformed into a kind of center that helped fight the war.
First, Brooklyn Navy Yard became the leading builder of battleships in all the world. Pfizer built the very first Penicillin manufacturing plant in NYC that supplied this very important antibiotics for the soldiers wounded in the war. Various garment shops in the city cut and sewed thousands of Army and Navy uniforms for our soldiers. Many factories contributed in whatever way they can and build equipment needed for the war. This includes Steinway Piano Company here in Queens. Steinway made glider wings used to drop troops behind enemy lines; it also produced coffins for those who died in the war. At least they can claim that their coffin was made by Steinway.
But the biggest contribution of New York to World War II is manpower. By 1945, there were 14.7 million men who were enlisted to the army. Out of the 48 states in the US (Hawaii and Alaska were not part of the US at that time), more than 10% of the enlisted men in the entire US army were from New York. Sadly to say, New York, also had the most US soldiers die in WW II. That was the sacrifice made by New York.
More than 75 years later, we are still at war. But our enemy is not of flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (Ephesians 6:12). God needs an army to fight this war. Including here in New York City.
Just like in the vision of Ezekiel, I am seeing a vast army. Its an army, not of dry bones, but whole breathing people, powered by God’s Spirit. And I am looking at this army, right here, right now, in this church. You are that army.
Are you catching the vision?
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(*images taken from the web)