Dead Men Walking

 "And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking."  Mark 8:24

Recently, our Home Missionary, Scott Poling and his lovely wife, returned Stateside from their mission field of Berlin, Germany, to preach for our Missions Conference.  One night, Brother Poling preached a message Titled, "Visualize."  

He based his message on Ezekiel 37, The Vision of the Dry Bones.

This message changed my perspective concerning the Lost Souls around me.  Hearing this message changed my heart.  I began to see the hopelessness and the lack of joy in the lives of those without Christ.

I began to see the people I run into on a daily basis, differently; I look into their eyes and see that they really are not living a life to the fullest, but they are merely existing.

After hearing this message, I've noticed my response to the actions of the Lost towards me has also changed.  To understand that they have been blinded by Satan from the truth, I've noticed:

    My irritation turns to compassion-

    My impatience turns to grace-

    My critical expectation of their behavior, turns to forgiveness-

    My lack of time for them turns to looking them in the eye with love.

I also learned how thankful I am to know Christ as my own Personal Lord and Saviour.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of Christ as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else."

If I had not had a friend who saw my soul's condition clearly, I could still be nothing but dry bones.

Do you still just see men as trees walking?  Or can you see their dry bones?

And if you can see their dry bones, what are you going to do about it?  Will you leave them as dead men walking?  Or will you tell them how they can have joy unspeakable, and full of glory?

I can identify the Dry Bones-

    I can see dead men walking.

        They are no longer trees, but lost souls, who need Christ-

            I'm willing to tell them!

                But that's just me!