“Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” Drake
Forward Thinkers if you are like me under the age 52; born after 1964, before last Sunday no one our age in the city of Cleveland, Ohio had ever experienced winning a championship. But, in game 7 on Father’s Day 2016 all that changed.
Forward Thinkers I believe many reading this article who have never experienced winning before are about to become victorious.
Forward Thinkers do I have a Believer today reading this article bold enough to declare Pastor Deckard that’s me? I’ve been through some stuff but I still believe this is my season to win even if it takes a historical comeback to do it I believe I will do it this season.
Forward Thinkers you don’t have to be a big sports fan to know LeBron James and if you watched the games you know Kyrie Irving is a future star but before I get to the text I want to bring three other people to your attention that played a major role in the championship journey for Cleveland.
Kevin Love- played in Minnesota on a losing team for years but made a decision to join the Cleveland team. Forward Thinkers your now decisions will determine your next step to your destiny or destruction.
JR Smith- his real name is Earl Joseph and he has played for five different teams including a team in China over the past twelve seasons. His life has been filled with many negative situations and decisions including his relationship with the Bloods. He cried after the game on Father’s Day and said everybody gave up on him during his times of trouble except his Father. He said no matter where he was his father kept believing in him. Forward Thinkers I want every Prodigal son and daughter to know your Father God in heaven still believes in you and you can still come back and win in life.
Forward Thinkers before I get to the text I want to remind you that the owner (I still refuse to mention his name, lol) made a bold decision during the season to change head coaches. Forward Thinkers this season we must be bold enough to make difficult decisions if we really expect to win.
Forward Thinkers examine your team now and make adjustments now so you can win now.
Ezekiel 37:1-14New International Version (NIV)
37 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
The bible calls the place a valley of dry bones and today Forward Thinkers we are living in a valley of dry bones, a place where everything looks hopeless and dried up.
Why do I say we are living in a valley of dry bones because Freddie Gray dies, his backbone broken while in police custody and nobody is found guilty, Forward Thinkers I guess in the valley of dry bones just being Black can be a cause of death in 2016.
Forward Thinkers we are in the valley of dry bones when McGregor Park, the home of Dr. Martin Luther King’s statue, is now also the place called Kush Corner where this week 18 people overdosed smoking fake weed in 100 degree heat.
Forward Thinkers we are in the valley of dry bones because in the last 14 days I’ve ministered to 4 different families who have lost a love one to gun violence and politicians are playing political chess games with gun laws.
Forward Thinkers we are living in the valley of dry bones when the church is more concerned about titles, programs, and money than the people in the pews or the families in the community.
Forward Thinkers we are living in the valley of dry bones when Romaine Harrison, an inmate at TDC, dies in prison from so-called health complications but the prison doctor can’t explain the fresh stitches in his head.
Forward Thinkers we are living in the valley of dry bones when in 1 year 615 inmates died in custody.
Forward Thinkers we are living in the valley of dry bones when my in-box is full with women crying out due to domestic violence.
Forward Thinkers in the midst of all this God asked the question can these dry bones live again.
Forward Thinkers God did not ask the question because he didn’t know the answer; God asked the question to see if we would seek Him for revelation. Matter of fact God had already answered the question when He declared there is nothing too hard for God and when He said with God all things are possible, and finally when He said we can do all things through His Son Jesus.
Forward Thinkers Ezekiel replied the way we should reply: Lord only you know the answer to life’s most difficult questions. Ezekiel was saying Lord I don’t know the answers but I trust you do and I’ll follow your lead. Forward Thinkers one of the problems with the modern day church is we are leaning on our own understanding instead of seeking God for wisdom and revelation.
Forward Thinkers God then commands Ezekiel to: Prophesy (Preach) to the dry bones and tell them what the word of God says.
The question now is not can we win but how will we win. God says our comeback victory will be in the Word.
Preach the Word of God-no more opinions, no more he say-she say
Preach Love (God is Love) love never fails, Jesus loved us enough to die for us
Preach like you believe what you are preaching- power, passion, purpose
Forward Thinkers look at the results of preaching God’s word over man’s opinions a losing team full of dry bones gets up and walks in victory. Forward Thinkers now it’s your season to get up and walk in victory.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church now located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net