Shoulder To Shoulder #1273 -- 1/10/22 ---- "Facing The Future With Fortitude (part one -- The Shaking)"
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1273 -- 1/10/22
Title: "Facing The Future With Fortitude (part one -- The Shaking)"
My Dear Friend and Fellow Kingdom Seeker:
Greetings again from a historic Yuma, AZ, where the Southwest was preserved and expanded into a thriving city. One of Arizona's "hidden secrets", Yuma sported a population of 99,559 residents in 2021. That, of course, doesn't count the 100,000 or so others who flood in (mostly senior citizens) each winter to enjoy comfortable weather and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Frankly, I'm still having trouble thinking of this place as our true "home". After 58 years in the Midwest, the last 24 of it in the same place in the Missouri Ozarks, moving back to Jo Ann's home state is still a real "stretch" to our imaginations.
Yuma is truly a historic city, but most people avoid it at all cost because of its reputation as one of the hottest spots in the U.S. during the Summer months. A friend many years ago said, "The only thing between Yuma and the gates of hell is a barbed wire fence, and it's down most of the time." Even locals' claim that, "...Yes, but it's a DRY heat!" doesn't convince people of what a great place it is. Today, for example, there was a beautiful sunrise over the Gila Mountains just two miles east of us, and the forecast is for partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 75 degrees. Our low last night was 52 degrees, and it is predicted to be the same tonight.
Yuma is "the lettuce capital of the U.S." raising more quantity and varieties of lettuce than any place in America, not to mention the cabbage, kale, dates, grapefruit, oranges, alfalfa, cotton, broccoli, and dozens of other types of produce. Of course, we also raise sand, but that's another story.
It is the home of the notorious Arizona Territorial Prison, where some of America's worst outlaws were incarcerated, and Yuma also served as the Quartermaster's Depot distributing military supplies to the U.S. Army all the way west to California, north the Nevada and Utah, and as far east as Texas and Oklahoma -- due, of course, to an unobstructed Colorado River flowing into the Gulf of California (known then as Sea of Cortez).
It was possible in the late 1800's and early 1900's for paddle wheelers to make their ways all the way up to Las Vegas at one point. Yuma also was the eastern point of the famous Plank Highway leading across the windswept Great Sonoran Desert sands to San Diego, and was also a major settlement in the construction of the Southern Pacific Railway to the west coast. The famous Butterfield State line also came to Yuma. Its history also includes an abundance of gemstones and rocks and the Castle Dome Silver Mines.
Today Yuma lays claim to the Goldwater Firing Range to the east, the U.S. Army Proving Ground to the north, the General Motors Test Track to the north, and the U.S. Marine Naval Air Station on the southeast edge of town. You also have date farms, ASU agricultural learning center, Castle Dome Museum and ghost town, Martha's Garden Madjool Date Farm, Mittry Lake Wildlife Area, Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, and "the Little Painted Desert". Then, who can forget the thousands of wild burro's populating the desert landscape and foothills around Lake Martinez and "the Little Painted Desert".
Most of all, though, is Yuma's new designation ---- "Bob's and Jo Ann's home"! It is truly a "small town", but with big city amenities such as Hobby Lobby, Sam's Club, J.C. Penny's (one of only a few left), Applebee's, WalMart (four of them!), Furniture Row, Chili's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, . . . . everything but Panera Bread and Culver's!
Now that you've had the two-cent tour, let's get to the point ---- "Facing the Future With Fortitude".
And, we'll dive into that topic right after you consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ Biblical Jerusalem -- Wealthy: A recent archaeological discovery reveals that during biblical times Jerusalem was a very wealthy city during the First Temple Period (10th to 7th Century BC). Many of the seals discovered appear to have been part of the temple treasury. King Hezekiah's name appears on at least one. Go to https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/clay-seals-give-clues-to-wealth-of-biblical-jerusalem/?fbclid=IwAR0DAdRstQ_RnquW_fhDg8o-xpSol7Bo31Wc4qkNJBjz-ZPIVuYCDex6fiQ .
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> ". . . we are in a most dynamic season in all of world history, and it is time that we awaken out of our slumber. Good and bad times are on the horizon, and it’s time to wake up and arise as the people of God. The Lord is creating a global crisis with no solution apart from Him, and He is the primary source of this shaking. . . . This is the real thing. From all appearances we are in the last days, and it’s time for the harvest." -- Rick Joyner
> "See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, 'YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.' This expression, 'Yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. -- Heb 12:25-29
> "God has a clear track record of shaking what does not submit in repentance to His persistent instruction, counsel, and warnings. It happened in Noah's day, it happened at Babel, it happened in Sodom. If God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their gross sin and iniquity, we should shudder at the thought of what America faces if we do not repent. God is not inconsistent in His dealings with man." -- T. Allen Robburts
> "A day is coming when God will judge the nations, and everything that He has not established will be shaken and removed from its place. All of the nations will be shaken, not one will escape! Even now God is starting to shake things up as we see men fainting with terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world and the heavenly bodies themselves starting to shake even now as we see tsunamis, ecological disasters and wild unpredictable weather patterns plaguing many nations today. Nations are tossing like the stormy sea, tossing in anguish and perplexity not knowing the way out." -- Brother Rraoul (Everything That Can Be Shaken...)
> "We will soon see prayer become the chief purpose and focus of the church, above any other activity. Intercession is no longer just an option. The basic calling of the church is to be 'a house of prayer for all nations' (Mark 11:17). There are no remedies for human problems without God, and the whole earth is about to learn this." -- Rick Joyner
> "The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook." -- Ps 77:18
> "The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.” -- Isa 24:5-6
> "Our Lord Jesus told us very clearly that as things were in the time of Noah and Lot so they will be in the world just before God’s wrath is poured out on a Christ hating, Christ rejecting world. The people in the time of Noah and Lot we are told were “eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying, selling, planting and building” and continued to do these things right up until the day Noah entered the ark and when Lot was taken out of Sodom. After this there was no reprieve for the wicked."
> "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; . . ." -- Hag 2:6-7a
> "God is in the process of shaking everything that can be shaken. He is not shaking some things: He is shaking everything. If you and those around you are not experiencing some sort of change and some sort of shaking in your own life, then you must not be living on planet earth. God is trying to get our attention, and He knows that it will take a great shaking to wake us up to His ways and His dynamic call on our lives at this time." -- Rick Joyner
> "Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the Lord of hosts In the day of His burning anger." -- Isa 13:13
> "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." -- Jesus (John 16:33)
THE FAILURE OF NO FORTITUDE:
"Fortitude" is an interesting word. It isn't used much these days, but it was one of my mother's favorite words. Preachers of old used to frequent its use in their fiery sermons challenging Christians to develop courage and boldness in their walks of faith.
Merriam-Wester Dictionary defines it as . . .
"Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage."
Dictionary.com defines "fortitude" in similar terms, stating, . . .
"Mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously."
While the word doesn't appear in most translations of the Bible, -- other words meaning the same thing do -- Weymouth's Bible Translation does, using it five times in the New Testament, all by the Apostle Paul.
Rom 5:3-4: -- And not only so: we also exult in our sufferings, knowing as we do, that suffering produces fortitude; fortitude, ripeness of character; and ripeness of character, hope;
II Cor 1:6: -- But if, on the one hand, we are enduring affliction, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if, on the other hand, we are receiving comfort, it is for your comfort which is produced within you through your patient fortitude under the same sufferings as those which we also are enduring.
II Cor 12:12: -- The signs that characterize the true Apostle have been done among you, accompanied by unwearied fortitude, and by tokens and marvels and displays of power.
I Tim 6:11: -- But you, O man of God, must flee from these things; and strive for uprightness, godliness, good faith, love, fortitude, and a forgiving temper.
The Amplified Bible also uses it in Rom 5:4 as a synonym for "endurance". The Douay version used by the Catholic Church uses the word eight times, three in the Old Testament, one in the New, and four in the apocryphal books.
The Greek word is ὑπομονή, pronounced in our alphabet, "hupomonē". Thayer's Greek Dictionary defines it as
"the characteristic of [someone] who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings." It is being, "patiently and steadfastly enduring". It is described as, "a patient, steadfast waiting for" or a "patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance."
I have chosen to use the word in this new series upon which we are about to embark because it seems to contain three very important character qualities that are too often missing in the lives of today's Christians -- courage, toughness, and tenacity -- or, as my mother would say, "stick-to-it-ive-ness" Merriam-Webster lists over 60 synonyms and antonyms for the word, including backbone, constancy, fiber, grit, grittiness, guts, intestinal fortitude, and pluck.
The current onslaught of adverse and unpleasant circumstances -- i.e. COVID, saber rattling, riots, COVID (again), crime, political decisions, COVID (and again), economic uncertainty, racial tensions, COVID (and . . . ), terrorism, cyber attacks, . . . . -- have resulted in devastating consequences, even among Christians.
Seldom has there been a time when so many people are being overwhelmed with fear and anxiety on the one hand, and anger, rage, and hatred on the other. Clearly, it is for many a time of ". . . men's hearts failing them for fear."
Well, you get the idea. We are facing what I see as an unprecedented era in not only American history, but global history as well. While I can remember numerous times of concern and alarm, I cannot recall an occasion or condition in my lifetime where that alarm was as loud and as intense as it is now. Yesterday I preached from Matthew 24 when Jesus identified fifteen distinct conditions that would be present at the same time -- indicating that He was actually "at the door", just waiting to make His grand return to the world's stage.
A WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN' GOIN' ON:
World conditions today remind me of those many episodes on the farm when my grandfather's 1928 Model A Ford or my uncle's 1932 Chevrolet sedan would "shimmy" down the country road because the king pins in the steering mechanism had worn down. Often the only thing that would help keep the cars on those narrow dirt roads were the ruts that had been created by frequent use exacerbated by mud-producing rains.
It seems that the world has the same problem -- the "king pins" are shot. They have been neglected, void of attention. When you neglect or ignore the "King Pin", it's only a matter of time before the great shaking takes place.
It is the accurate description of a fundamental right and act of God. He declared this in Hebrews 12:25-29 ----See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
While we need to look more closely at Jesus' explanatory warning in the Matthew 24 passage, we need to look at this passage first.
I sometimes wonder if we Christians really do believe the Bible, for so often we seem utterly shocked by things that happen around us, as if they come as a total surprise -- even though clearly indicated in the Bible. Such is the case with the current condition of global "shaking" that has been going on for the past thirty years or so.
This "shaking" is both physical (as in earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunami's, hurricanes, and the like) allegorical, and spiritual. I have written about this in the past, but in light of events and conditions developing over the past year, I want to revisit the subject again. What is happening around us (and perhaps with us) is not only repeatedly predicted in Scripture, but is not nearly as far into the future as some have assumed. Events and developments that on the surface seem to have no interconnecting theme, to the contrary actually reveal the phenomenon about which the writer of Hebrews penned those words above. There is clearly a "whole lot of shakin' goin' on."
Why are we so hesitant to connect the dots representing this global display of God's activity? Is it because we are afraid we might "over-spiritualize" things beyond their credibility? Is it because we don't want to be seen as radicals or fanatics? Is it because we are ashamed to be identified as "Jesus freaks" or "Last Days" gurus?
Or perhaps we have mistakenly beenwaiting for some cataclysmic event instead of considering that this "shaking" is more likely to be a prolonged cycle, perhaps years-long in duration. Are we saying with our mouths that Jesus could come at any minute, but in actual attitude and practice, don't expect Him any time soon? Is it even possible that we really don't take much stock in the Bible's description of God's agenda regarding sin and rebellion in general and the return of Christ in particular?
Nobody can deny that many things the Bible predicts about the "as-it-was-in-the-days-of-Noah" era are also present in the day in which we live. This past Sunday I preached from Matthew 24 about Jesus' description of what things will be like just before He comes. He identified fifteen specific factors as being present at the same time -- and that this would be an indication that He was standing "at the door" (Mt 24:33). When it comes to those predictions, every single one of them is present right now.
Maybe we are tempted to, instead, deny His predictions because we feel so helpless; everything seems so out of control and "topsy turvey". It may be good to take a couple of steps back from the blur in order to get some degree of focus and clarity. Maybe, instead of looking at only specific isolated occurrences, we need to get more of a panoramic sweep of things.
I recall the night many years ago in Rockford, IL, in a Bible conference where I was preaching, that my good friend, Jim Hylton, preached a message on "The Shaking That Must Come". God so impacted my heart that I have since preached many times on the topic, using the description found in Hebrews 12 as the basis for those numerous sermons.
Based on the teachings of Scripture, we can be assured that our sovereign God is going to do something so massive and radical in His activity of retribution, restoration, and reconciliation, that the entire world is going to heave and shudder under His feet. He is, indeed, going to have the final word in the matter as He metes out justice, righteousness, and mercy upon mankind. It appears that Isaiah 24 paints a graphic panorama of what that shaking may look like.
Most scholars agree that it is a description of a future condition yet to come, and not just a description that related to some event in the Middle East that has already transpired. There are too many descriptions that seem to pertain to a greater scope that has not yet transpired. Read what the oracle says: . . .
Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.
The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away.
The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.
The new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh. The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
The city of chaos is broken down; Every house is shut up so that none may enter. There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished. Desolation is left in the city And the gate is battered to ruins. For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples, As the shaking of an olive tree, As the gleanings when the grape harvest is over.
They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD. Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea. From the ends of the earth we hear songs, "Glory to the Righteous One," But I say, "Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me! The treacherous deal treacherously, And the treacherous deal very treacherously."
Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth. Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.
he earth is broken asunder, The earth is split through, The earth is shaken violently. The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.
I
So it will happen in that day, That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. They will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.
-- Isaiah 24:1-23
Clearly we have not yet seen such a global shaking, and we do not know when the shaking will take place. We don't even know if it all transpires at one time, or if it takes place over an extended period of time. From our perspective here, though, we can surmise that the shaking began a number of years ago with slight tremors, but has continued with each tremor becoming stronger. We, in my opinion, are within striking distance of a major "category 10" spiritual and moral earthquake, and God's process will only intensify until the work is finished. We had best be prepared.
So, with that in mind, here are some updated thoughts on things I wrote several years ago, trying to address five simple questions -- What, Who, Why, Where, and When:
WHAT IS GOD SHAKING?
There is one great truth that we must always keep in mind. It must be like a foundation . . . an anchor . . . a corner stone . . . a stack pole. God is the God of a kingdom. It is His kingdom. It is an eternal kingdom. It is the only kingdom designed by, for, and through Him alone. It is an unshakeable kingdom, and the only one that can withstand even the most violent shaking. All other kingdoms rise and fall, are born and die, succeed and fail. No nation or governmental form is immune -- not even the United States.
So, in a sentence, God is shaking everything, so that in the final outcome, His Kingdom alone will be left standing. We cannot miss that fundamental fact.
It seems to me that, whether it is a government, a land mass, or an ideology, . . . and whether the shaking seems to have education, economics, politics, religion, or any other area as its perceived epicenter, . . . the real fact of the matter is that God is shaking everything that can be shaken. The shaking may be taking place in your own little world orbiting around your family, your health, or your job . . . or it may be a much more comprehensive orbit . . . but it is happening in relationship to one or more of three fundamental litmus tests:
First, God is shaking . . .
1) Every Society Resting on Godless Values ---- In all of human history, no society has survived for long when it did not rest on the foundation of Godly values . . . things like honesty, integrity, truth, service, justice, mercy, and so forth. Godlessness has brought down many a culture and many a society. This should not surprise us, of course . . . the Bible so indicates that over and over again.
It is righteousness that exalts a nation and preserves a society. Dishonesty, greed, selfishness, hoarding, love of things, materialism, . . . all of these are cancers that internally eat away at the very core of a society's being. Nations seldom disintegrate because of outside forces, but collapse because of the rot and decay within.
Armies can invade and conquer quickly, so they are most noticeable and they can be quickly countered. Internal deterioration, however, is harder to see . . . it is usually hidden and, even when seen, moves so slowly that we don't pay much attention . . . until it is too late. It is almost too late here.
God is also shaking . . .
2) Every System Set Toward Godless Purposes ---- It matters not whether it is Communism, Islam, Atheism, Secular Humanism, Monarchy, or even Democracy; any system that doesn't have the divine purposes of God as its agenda will eventually run head-on into a rude awakening . . . a divine encounter with God.
Frankly, it's not the form of government or societal operation that is most important . . . it is its character. It is its ultimate goal or purpose. Once a nation loses its soul to independence from and rebellion toward God, it is only a matter of time until it will collapse. God, in His great mercy, seeks to issue a wake-up call to a nation or a society by giving it a good shaking.
God did that in America on September 11th, 2001 . . . but we soon lapsed back into our comatose state of bloated and obese contentment and arrogant superiority. Even the church went back to sleep. Most pundits and pastors agreed that their churches were back to the "same ol' same ol'" within six months, and life had returned to normalcy with only faint memories lingering and no lessons learned.
Since then, God has sent more tremors, the most recent of which have been the riots that destroyed entire sections of cities. The political upheaval has certainly shaken our country, threatening to topple all for which our founders suffered, fought, and died. Rampant corruption in the political, news media, and business circles were used by God as a wake-up call to us. There is little doubt that the COVID pandemic was intended to get our attention.
Anything about us that is set toward Godless purposes, He intends to destroy -- one way or another, and according to His own sovereign timing.
Then, God is shaking . . .
3) Every Structure Depending on Godless Resources ---- Laws, strength, influence, economics, and education depend on Godly resources in order to survive. Our nation's second president, John Adams, wrote, "We have no government armed in power capable of contenting with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
John Quincy Adams wrote in 1853, "It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence." Every President of the United States except three or four has expressed similar sentiments at some point during his presidential tenure.
When a people determine that they have become so strong and self-sufficient that they no longer need to rely on God and His provisional resources, that people will fast find themselves on the downward slope of deterioration ultimately leading to disintegration . . . with their only hope being the mercy of God -- if He chooses to release it when they choose to repent and return to Him.
If you want some examples, both ancient and modern, of the collapse of cultures and societies that failed in these three areas, consider the culture of Cain that ended up being destroyed by the Flood. Or, study the great Babel in Genesis 11. Look even at the Children of Israel and how God rebuked and punished them time and time again when they wandered away from their divinely inherent values, purpose, and resources. Look again at the Persian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire. Consider more recently, Nazism and Communism.
So, what makes us think that we are immune from God's retribution and "Shaking"? We have drifted away from the very things that gave us birth, provided us safety, guaranteed prosperity, gave us power, and made us the most generous nation in the world. That drift has placed us directly in the pathway of God's "shaking", . . . and it has begun.
The question is, . . . How long will it last?
The answer is, . . . That depends on how long it takes for us to wake up . . . and whether or not God is done with us.
WHO IS GOD SHAKING?
In a nutshell, . . . everybody! Millions are being shaken through persecution and martyrdom. Billions are being shaken through oppression. Untold numbers are being shaken by economic collapse, illness, family violence or disintegration, war and military conflict, educational obsolescence, dehumanizing political systems, plagues, and oppressive religions.
This shaking is taking place among people in high positions, people in strategic posts, people in influential roles, people in the marketplaces, and people seemingly insignificant. Nobody is immune.
Is this because God is angry? No, it is because He is no respecter of persons, and no matter one's state in life, the wages of sin is still death, and the neglect of spiritual realities leads to the same place for one and all.
Above all, however, I believe God is taking special note of those who confess Christ as Savior and Lord . . . for it is we who have the greater responsibility . . . and therefore the greater accountability for the mess the world is in.
Our calling is a higher calling than any other, and expectations for our values and our behavior demand a greater scrutiny, a greater expectation, a greater demand, . . . and a greater consequence when we do not obey. If there was ever any particular group of human beings that need, deserve, and must have the shaking that only God can initiate, it is His Church.
WHY IS GOD DOING THE SHAKING?
God needs to reason to do anything He does. However, I do think we can get some indicators as to what some of His reasons may be for bringing this current "shaking" upon us. Let me share at least a few:
God is shaking us in order . . .
1) To Remind Mankind That It's Not In Control: ---- Scripture is clear that all of nature is a tool in His hand to declare His handiwork, His authority, and His sovereign majesty. Just as Paul announced in Romans 1, the creation tries to take credit from The Creator, and God continually puts man in his place by releasing often cataclysmic events that nobody can prevent, control, or conclude.
How humiliating it must be for all who try to predict or control the forces of God's creation. Even the winds obey His voice. It is He who masters the seas. The idea that man can control weather is laughable.
And, if it isn't creation, it is the powers of darkness, the forces of armies, or the limited skills of man that are mere tools in God's hand to remind mankind that it will never have the last word in anything. An earthquake here, an economic crisis there, a military coup over there . . . all in spite of man's attempt to harness it all and bring some semblance of order to society.
Likewise, He is shaking us in order . . .
2) To Convince Mankind that It Needs Deliverance: ---- It's nigh on impossible to convince man that he is both helpless and hopeless. God often brings some type of "shaking" to help remind him that, not only is he not in control, but he desperately needs the One who controls all things. It is God Who created all things, for Himself, by Himself, and it is He by whom all things hold together (Col 1).
Such "shakings" are one of Gods ways of showing man how desperate he is without the God Who created him. . . . for who else is there to deliver man from himself, from the consequences of his sin, and from the rebellious and renegade world in which he lives? Man needs deliverance, and God is the only One Who can provide it.
Then, God is shaking us in order . . .
3) To demolish proud and foolish humanistic philosophies: ---- All of academia reels under the constant onslaught of God's revelation against its ridiculous philosophies of relativism, socialism, materialism, atheism, and secular humanism. Every few days a scientific development or an archeological discovery exposes the futility of the human mind.
God is steadily about the business of debunking man's illogical philosophies and demolishing all the arguments concerning man's origins and God's existence. Man's arguments for global warming, progressive betterment, over population, genetic engineering, and the like simply do not and cannot stand the test of honest scrutiny.
Using its own brilliance of science and technology against it, God lines up every philosophy and brings it down in a heap of babbling rubble. No human rationale, argument, or justification can stand against God's "shaking".
In addition, God is shaking us so as . . .
4) To Show Some Things To The Church: ---- Even the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is subject to the "shaking" that is going on . . . and it will continue to be subjected to it until it finally becomes the pure and holy Bride totally free from any spot or blemish (Eph 5). The Church of today is a far cry from the Church that it is to become.
As part of the "shaking" process, God is showing us the futility of our traditions (Mk 7:13), the narrowness of our theology (Acts 8), the restrictions of our systems, and the uselessness of our intellect. "We know too much and believe too little, . . . and act on even less."
God never intended us to deify our traditions and turn them into golden calves to be preserved, polished, and worshiped. He never intended our beliefs to become doctrines of theology that could be debated by minds rather than be trusted and obeyed. He never intended us to live by what we believe, but rather by Whom we trust.
The Church has hamstrung itself into a paralysis of its going by focusing on the analysis of its knowing. We have institutionalized the system, worshiped our techniques, created our beliefs into tests of faith, and built our own towers to reach the heavens.
God wants His church to stop thinking of itself more highly than it ought to think (Rom 12:3) and start being transformed by the total make-over of the way it thinks and functions (Rom 12:1-2).
Next, I think God is shaking us . . .
5) To Purify His People: ---- Tragically, sin has essentially invaded the lives of Christians, and has become so commonplace that it is not only recognized, but is renamed, condoned, tolerated, and accepted as normal and unavoidable, . . . and is far too often embraced as an acceptable and normal practice.
Injustice, Immorality, Inconsistency, Perversion, Shallowness, Prayerlessness, Selfishness, Greed, Jealousy, Unbelief, Fear, . . . the list is endless of sins that offend God . . . all in the Body of Christ . . . with no sense of shame or guilt . . . and no particular desire to repent from it. God sends "shakings" to get the attention of His people, and to get them to repent and receive His purifying forgiveness. Those whom the Lord loves, . . . He chastens.
Also, I have no doubt that God is shaking us in order . . .
6) To Destroy the Spirit of Religiosity In The Church: ---- Traditions, facilities, possessions, systems, programs, piousity, superiority, soulishness, . . . all of these are foreign irritants that bring on a deadly cancer of the soul of a church. While traditions, facilities, resources,systems, and programs can be wonderful tools in the hands of God's people if they are used properly and with the right motives, they can also become gods rather than tools.
Churches that use them wisely will prosper. Churches that don't will find themselves becoming people who have a form of godliness, but deny its power (II Tim 3:5). God often releases great suffering, persecution, or failure in an effort to shake the Church in to an awakened state so it can see its sinful ways and turn from them.
Similarly, God is shaking us . . .
7) To Prepare His People For Persecution: ---- Often God gives His people a wake-up call through some type of traumatic "shaking" through which He not only reveals Himself afresh, but also alerts them to the fact that as long as they are in the world, there will be difficult times. It is easy to become "at ease in Zion" and forget that Jesus told us that as long as we are in the world, we will have persecution because, since they hate Him, they will also hate us (John 17).
Periodically in my weekly letters I include links to current accounts of persecution around the world. That is for a reason. . . I want you to pray for them, but also want you to remember that it is very likely that our day is coming as well. The rise of vindictiveness, hatefulness, and destructive measures toward Christians right here in the United States is alarming. Persecution has arrived at our own doorstep -- and it is not going away . . . ever.
Finally, God is shaking us in order . . .
8) To Pave the Way for Christ's Return: ---- One need only read the lists found in scripture regarding Christ's return to understand that all of this is the precursor to Christ's return. By all accounts, it appears that Jesus is already "at the door" (Mt 24:33), hand on the latch, just waiting or the trumpet to sound (I Cor 15:52).
". . . Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." -- Eph 5:25-27
I will leave greater commentary on this for a later time -- but He's definitely trying to get us ready.
WHAT INDICATORS TELL US THE SHAKING IS IMMINENT?
If one is to live a life of blessing, fruitfulness, courage, and influence in such an upcoming precarious time, he must heed certain sign posts. More than 40 times God links His blessing to our obedience. A common grammatical couplet is "if" and "then". "If" we will, "then" He will. One of those commands is to discern the times, meaning to recognize, pay attention, and act appropriately to what we understand.
This command is given three times in the Book of Revelation, with the promise that we will be blessed for doing so (Rev 1:1-3; 16:15; and 22:7). With that in mind, consider seven major indicators that show us the world is entering an era of great and often violent "shaking".
1) Recognize and understand Israel's Role in God's plans. This is a nation that was created, chosen, and hand picked by God. He promised they would become a great nation, would have a land He had promised, would live 400 years in slavery, would be liberated and brought back to their land by God, would be again scattered throughout the nations and reduced to a few in number, would nonetheless survive, and would be hated and persecuted but preserved among the nations. They would both survive -- and thrive.
He also promised that Israel would be a light and blessing to the nations, would lose their national language but regain it, would again be regathered bat to its land at the appointed time, would be reborn as a nation in a single day, would prosper, would have her produce distributed worldwide, would have her land partitioned off by other nations, would become a major pain in the neck to world nations, and would have an army that was disproportionately powerful.
To cap it all off, God promised that He would fight for her and destroy her enemies, and the return to her land would be a sign of Christ's soon return during that generation. All of these and other prophecies have either been fulfilled to the smallest detail or are in the process of being fulfilled. If you want to know what's coming down the pike, study Israel.
2) Recognize the Biblical Significance of Natural Disasters and Calamities. Literally hundreds of earthquakes occur daily around the world; Jo Ann felt a couple light "shudders" yesterday evening right here in Yuma. Many occur unnoticed, but scores are of a destructive nature.
Volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods, earthquakes, . . . it is as if the entire earth is a great loud speaker shouting out that God is alive, He is here, and He is in full control. He is saying, "You cannot deny me any longer, and you cannot hide from me, no matter where you go." Take a look at Rom 8:22; Rev 8:7-11; Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:11; Zech 10:11, etc.
3) See the Progressive Interconnecting of the Global Economy to Christ's Return. We are watching before our very eyes the fulfillment of Bible prophecies such as found in Rev 13:16-18; Rev 16:2; and Rev 19:20. Several years ago France's President Sarkozie called for the shaky economy of the U.S. and other countries to brought under the control and dictates of the International Monetary Fund.
There is such an interconnection between national economies that if one nation defaults, the entire global economic system will be in danger of collapsing. Imagine how that opens up the minds of the world for a genius deliverer. The Bible is clear that globalism is the agenda of godless minds. Today we are watching as globalism grows stronger.
How can we deny the fact that China's tampering with us -- and other nations -- through power, economics, trade, and cyber invasion and control are drawing us ever closer toward that one-world government with its three primary spearheads of economics, high technology, and intimidation. And, it all leads toward the predictions found in scripture. We are watching prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes.
4) Consider the role of oil and nuclear power to Bible prophecy. Oil is now the leverage of choice and nuclear power is the club of intimidation and threat. Both will play a crucial role in future developments. Since 2005 numerous alliances have been built around those two commodities, and are being persuasively used today to leverage nations into positions of power and control . . . not just between nations, but across entire regions . . . and continents.
Shutting down the Keystone Pipeline and giving the Green Light to Putin's pipeline to Europe may have been political and economic from the human perspective of those involved, but it is further evidence of the reliability of Bible prophecy.
5) Recognize the Progressive Consolidation of Political Powers. The predictions of the Bible are literally coming together before our very eyes as treaties, trade agreements, economic partnerships, and governmental consolidations between nations take place, often unnoticed to all but the most alert, and we are finding the biblical predictions of four or five major alliances becoming living realities in our day.
Notice that most of those alliances fulfill Bible prophecy and seem to orbit around three primary consolidations -- Arab nations, Russia, and China. This seems to be directly according to biblical predictions. Only a few questions remain as to who is on what side. We can only wonder where the United States stands in this scenario that is nearing completion.
6) Understand the Dramatic Rise of Terrorism and Militant Islamists. Genesis 16:11-16 and Genesis 22:9-19 predicted much of what we see happening today. The first passage identifies the Arab nations of today and reveals the spirit of constant infighting between them. The second shows us God's choice of Israel as His chosen people against whom Ishmael's descendants will fight.
Another passage which I cannot recall at the moment shows us the rise of another people far to the East who will hate Israel with a passion. That nation? . . . . Iran. Radical Islam has one endless agenda . . . destroy Israel and all her allies. That remains the sole objective of terrorists and militant Islamists . . . and it will not change.
7) Take a Second Look at the Confusion over Second Coming "Theories". Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps one of the reasons for so much debate, disagreement, and confusion about the return of Christ is simply because Satan delights in our debating it rather than preparing for it?
I have my own strong opinions concerning the matter, but I have much greater opinions about why Jesus told us to work while it is yet day because night is fast approaching when all work will be over. Many of these theories are formed by piecing together fragments and hints and coming up with a particular conclusion that may or may not be true.
I believe strongly in the Rapture of the Church, the visible bodily return of Christ, a time of great tribulation and struggle unlike anything heretofore seen, a literal kingdom ruled by Christ, and heaven someday. More importantly and more strongly I believe we live in a day when resources are abundant but time is short for making sure every person on the world has a chance to hear the Gospel. The rest of the details I will leave in God's hands.
HOW CAN WE ENDURE THE SHAKING?
All evidence points toward an impending wave of challenges, turmoil, and overwhelming conflict that will not only be personal, but also global in its scope. It will involve virtually every strata of society. We are already seeing the developing stages of it. Frankly, I do not anticipate our nation ever being able to return to a place of stability, freedom, and peace that we have known in days gone by. Those days, in my opinion, have indeed "gone by". They are no more.
Therefore, what can we do to be ready for it, and endure it? I suggest these:
1) Devote yourself afresh to the King and Master of Your Life. Set your heart like flint to love, serve, and obey Him with a determination that will take you into and through the shaking instead of resisting it or running from it (Rom 10:9-10; Rom 14:7-9; I Cor 6:19-20; Phil 2:5013; Phil 3:7-16).
2) Dean with Any and Every Known Sin and make consistent godly living your lifestyle, and not just your claim (Acts 17:28; Phil 3:7-16; Eph 2:10; Eph 4:1-6; Eph 5:17-21).
3) Yield Yourself Fully to God through trust and obedience. Align your values and priorities along eternal issues rather than temporal ones that don't last, and release the control of your life to Him only (Mt 6:19-34; Phil 3:13-16; Rom 12:1-2).
4) Make Everything Right Between You and Others (Mt 18:15-20; etc.).
5) Simplify Your Lifestyle and Use Your Resources For Godly Endeavors. Let your time, energy, skills, and possessions be used to advance the kingdom while time remains. Liquidate things you don't need or use by giving them to the poor or to ministries, or by selling them and turning them into spendable cash that you can invest in kingdom opportunities (Acts 4:32-33). Turn loose of anything and everything that might perish in the "shakings" that are coming. Invest in causes that promote righteousness, proclaim the Gospel, and minister to the suffering.
6) Establish time in God's Presence as a Daily Priority. Prayer, Bible reading, praise and worship, meditation, silent contemplation, and other such activities should be integrated into your daily schedule. Your time with God each day will impact the effectiveness of your life before others.
7) Give God Full Right to Examine You (Psalm 119:23-24). Allow Him to point out every single thing that displeases Him, let Him remove it, and ask Him to make you more like His son every day (Rom 8:28-29) If you will, He will fill your heart with peace -- and joy!
FINALLY:
Will spiritual awakening ever come again before the return of Christ? Hopefully. Is a "shaking" coming again before His return? Almost certainly. I believe the evidences are clear for both. Which one comes first, only God knows. I see indicators for both, but there is great resistance among Christians to repent over their own sins and turn back to God. The "great apostasy" -- the massive abandonment of faith by so-called "professing" Christians seems to be reaching critical mass with nothing to stop it.
A fresh and violent shaking from the Lord is ahead of us; whether it precedes or follows an awakening remains unclear to me. However, I do believe that another great awakening, far more powerful than anything the world has seen heretofore, is a possibility. There is no doubt that the events of the past two or three years are being used of God to stir the hearts of His people.
God is shouting, . . . "WAKE UP, YOU SLEEPY SLUGGARD!!!!!"
I only pray that we will . . . and heed His call.
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
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Copyright January, 2022
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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