"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire."
Hebrews 12:25-29
Some of us have gone through horrible situations in our lives and no doubt, have asked, “Why?” I have gone through many horrible situations physically—being in the hospital numerous times because of various health issues. In the past, I have also asked, “Why?” And that’s a good question. But if we don’t want to hear the answer, then that’s a bad thing. Sometimes we need to ask the question, but we also need to listen to God for His answers. When I look at the news and see our world on fire, when I look at the Middle East and the sin that is there, it seems as if things are absolutely coming undone. But, I honestly believe that there is more sin here in our nation than overseas. When I look at the millions of unborn babies that our nation has killed, and that our country is the largest producer of pornography and alcohol, I realize that we are not a blameless nation. And then I think about the Church and how we have to push and beg and plead for people to walk with God—sometimes it gets tiring. At times, we feel like saying, “Forget it. I don’t want to do it anymore.” But we have to keep doing it because God keeps doing it. Our God is a jealous God. He has a great jealousy for you and me. God will not let us get complacent and compromise our lives or even slip a little bit. God is going to give us a wake-up call. We may not like it, but in the end, we’re going to realize and thank God, for that wake-up call. Thank God that His mercy has kept us in the game and that He has held us together. And so, we give God the praise and glory. God does shake and God does move and it doesn't mean that we’re immune from that. He does it with our spouses…with all of us.
So why is God shaking our world? A while back, it was reported in the news that thirty-six countries and fifty major cities were on fire. In Pakistan, fourteen people were killed by the police due to rioting. London, the United Kingdom, Amsterdam, Belgium, Paris and France were on fire with all kinds of upheaval going on. Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Gaza, and Jordan were also on fire with all kinds of unrest taking place. Let’s not forget Turkey, Africa, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Somalia, and many more countries that were on fire. People are going crazy; there is a huge rebellion going on. We look at that and think, “Well, thank God it’s over there.” No, it’s coming here quicker than we think and there is no way that we’re going to be able to be ready or to protect ourselves, because we don’t understand. We watch the events on television and we just don’t know what to think or do—we’re afraid.
Well, I do have one answer for us. The next time we vote during the elections, we should not vote as a Democrat or a Republican. We need to be like Joshua in the Old Testament. Joshua walked out one day and saw this angel and asked, “Are you for us or against us?” And the angel answered, “I’m not for you and I’m not for them, I’m for God.” (Joshua 5:13-14 paraphrased) That’s what we need to understand. The next time we vote, we need to take the Bible into the voting booth and then ask ourselves before God, which candidate holds true to the value of this Book? If we do that, we might be able to redeem what God has given us. If not, it’s over. We need to begin praying every day for our nation. After that, we can accept whatever God does. But we’re not going to sit back and do nothing. We’re going to look to God; we’re going to seek God; and we’re going to pray to God. And then we’re going to vote as God would have us vote.
So, why is God shaking our world? The answer, the bottom line is because people are not listening to God. It doesn't mean that God is mad or God is upset but people are just not listening to God. He lifted the hedge for a moment on September 2011 (9/11) with the destruction of the twin towers in New York. All of a sudden, we saw the damage done in our own country. And so we turned to God for a moment, but now the hedge is back down. Our nation is going to be under judgment because we are not turning, we are not heeding, we are not listening. Things are not getting better; they’re getting worse. We are turning away from God and we’re not listening to God. You would think that the Church of Jesus Christ would be absolutely on fire during this time. Well, that’s not the case. There’s carnality and complacency—we don’t like this or we don’t like that. Listen, it doesn't make any difference what you and I don’t like. What is God saying? Am I going to be obedient to the Spirit of the Living God, or am I going to resist Him like they did in the Old Testament?
“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29) The contrast here is absolutely incredible. When God spoke to Moses at Mt. Sinai, it was so powerful that the people came to Moses and said, “We don’t want to hear the voice of God anymore. God can speak to you and you come and speak to us.” So they moved about eleven miles away from Mt. Sinai. Well, God is speaking from heaven to possibly the Hebrew Jews that have not come all the way out of Judaism, they have not turned all the way over to Christianity, and, they have no idea that their city is going to be destroyed. It reminds me of where we are today. Do we know what is going to happen tomorrow? Are we heeding God’s warning? Are we listening to what God is saying? Are we turning away from God? If we’re out of God’s Word, we’re not in fellowship, we’re turning away. So, why these perilous times?
2 Timothy 3:1 says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.” There are moments when God has to shake our lives, our marriage, and even our business, because our priorities are out of whack. Sometimes, God has to really get our attention. For me, it was when I had to stay in and out of the hospital for eight months. During those eight months, God refreshed my heart. God showed me some things about myself that He wasn't really happy with. There is now a new fire, a new passion, a new desire to come back and do things the right way. They are God’s wake-up calls. So when we talk about perilous times, these are important issues in our lives.
In 2 Timothy 3:2–5, “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” This almost defines the Church of Jesus Christ. We know that God wants us to pray and yet we don’t. We know that God doesn't want us fighting in our marriages, but we do. And when studies show that one out of every two marriages in the world end up in divorce, and similarly, one out of every two Christian families end up in divorce, we see that there is no difference whatsoever between Christianity and the world. When we can have abortions and separate from our spouses by just calling it quits, something is seriously wrong. God has to wake us up.
There’s not a nation turning to God now. Our nation, our Congress, our Senate is not turning to God. Some of our schools and churches have not really turned to God. We’re desperate now, but we have to become extremely desperate. Our families are praying, but we need to pray together. We need to spend more quality time together. Looking at ourselves, we have a hard time bowing before God. Where were we when God was taken out of the schools? Did we stand up? When God was taken out of the courts, did we stand up? When God was taken out of the government, did we stand up? When God is taken out of everything that we believe in, are we going to stand up? When God is taken out of the Christmas nativity scenes, are we going to stand up? Silence is the greatest judgment of all. We have the truth, but we sinned against the light.
Ezekiel 18:31-32 says, “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” Do you know what that means? We are rebellious. We are holding on to our transgressions. Does God want us to die? Does He want to destroy our family? Does He want to destroy our business? The answer to all of these questions is absolutely not. God wants to bless us, but we are not listening. You and I have our agenda. The world has its agenda, the global system has its agenda, but God has His. And God is going to shape and mold us, because He wants to do something in our lives. Does God have a right? When our child needs to be disciplined, do we have a right to discipline that child? When all of a sudden, our spouse is not treating us right, do we have a right to talk to him or her about it? Of course we do.
“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?’ says the LORD. ‘Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!’” (Jeremiah 18:5-6) That hunk of clay is you and me. So who is in charge here? It’s the One Who has the hand and the One Who is looking down—that’s God. Jeremiah 18:8-10 says, “If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good…” What God is saying here is that if any nation at any moment turns, He will forgive them. If we’re doing great, then the church is doing good, things are being blessed, and the nation is being blessed. But when we begin to sin, the nation begins to sin, then God has the right to deal with our lives.
Three Reasons Why God Shakes the World
1) He shakes the world because He has to get our attention.
Hebrews 12:25 says, “ See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.” Listen to God. God is speaking and God is speaking to our hearts, but we don’t want to hear it. We are grieving the Holy Spirit; we are resisting what He wants. We have heard God say, “Ask for forgiveness” and “Trust in Me with all your heart,” but we refuse to do that. And so, God has no other option than to wake up a nation warning us for not listening. Because of the love of God, and because of the great compassion of God, He is willing to do that. He is willing to wake us up. God loves us so much that He is willing to do a work in our hearts and bring us back. He wants to change our lives. Are we okay with that? It doesn't matter. God is not in this thing for our comfort. He’s in this thing to develop our character, and our character is beginning to slip, so He needs to work on it.
“Are you turning?” Look at Hebrews 12:25, “much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.” Are you listening or are you turning your back? If you’re not in God’s word, and you’re not in fellowship, and you’re not in ministry, then you’re turning your back. God spoke to Israel’s ten tribes of the northern kingdom and told them that Assyria is going to come after them and destroy them. They did not believe because in their eyes, they were God’s people. In 725 BC, the Assyrians came, stripped the people naked and dragged them across the desert. Afterwards, God warned the southern kingdom that in 586, they are going to go into captivity. God gave them almost 200 years to think about it, but they didn't listen or turn. Because of their wickedness, God was forced to bring people in and raise them up as adversaries. God keeps coming—even today. What is it going to take? Is it going to take a nuclear bomb to explode in Los Angeles to get our attention? God doesn't want that. He doesn't want to have to be begging and pleading. We need to love God and realize that these are the last days of our lives.
Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” Here’s what it means in the Greek: have you slipped? Have you tied down your life in Christ? Is your anchor in God? Is He your hope? Is He everything that you have? Because when He shakes, He is going to remove that which is not His. Everything I have built is going to be destroyed. But everything that He is, will stand. So God has eternal perspectives and eternal values. If we say to ourselves, “I’m going to build this house, this business, this church, this family or this and that,” God says it’s all going to fall. Everything we build is going to fall unless we build it on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So, God shakes our lives to get our attention.
2) God shakes the world because He wants to restore the truth.
In Haggai 2:6–9, “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater…” What is this about? Ezra is on his way back to rebuild the temple. And what God is saying is that they would not leave Babylon. God is going to shake them out and send them back. And when all of a sudden this thing begins to get built and the glory comes back and the things of value come back, the old men are going to weep, but the young men who never saw revival are going to rejoice.
So those who were saved during the revival in 1970, are going to weep, because they've been waiting for this! But those that never saw it, are going to rejoice because they've never seen it and this is what they've been waiting for all their lives. And that is what God is saying. So He takes away, that He might give us what we really want. Now we think we want evil, but what we really need is God. So is that bad? Is God evil because He takes away something bad and gives us something good? Is it evil because He takes away Satan and gives us the Holy Spirit? Is it bad because He takes away that which is destroying our lives and our families, and He fills us with the love of Jesus Christ and gives us a love for the people of God? So God, You have a right to shake us and wake us up. Shake us and show us what You want to do in our lives.
We have two ways to go when God shakes. One, I can get mad at God and hate Him. Some of us are so mad at what God has done that we have a hard time fellowshipping. Some will say that He has taken things away from their lives. He’s taken away their health; He’s interfering with their lives; He’s ruined their plans; He’s taken away this; and He’s taken away that. Or there is another perspective as to why God shakes—We can see God’s love. God shook us into action. God shocked us into reality! He also shocked us into heaven—it’s a great thing. So when God shakes your life, what happens? When God brings something into your life that you don’t like, how do you feel?
3) God shook the world because He has a gift.
Hebrews 12:28 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken…” Do we realize that God took us out of the kingdom of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of God? He took us out of darkness and brought us into that marvelous light. He took our feet out of the flesh and out of that miry clay and He put our feet upon the Rock. He took us out of building our life on sand and built our life instead on the Rock. He wants to show us that we have a purpose. God has an unshakeable kingdom. Our lives are going to be shaken. Our marriage is going to be shaken. Our church is going to be shaken. Everything in our lives will be shaken, but He will never forsake us. If our hearts condemn us, we have one greater. But if our hearts do not condemn us, we have peace with God. God’s gift to us is not only an unshakeable gift, but it is also unshakeable love. It isn't that we love Him first, but that He loved us first. We cannot get away from God. His love is irreversible. No matter what we think, God is committed to us. He loves us for the rest of our lives. We can do whatever we want, but His love is unconditional—it’s unshakeable. We will never shake up God’s love. That’s why God is shaking our lives. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Hospitals are going to pass away, families are going to pass away, but God’s Word will remain. The heavens will roll up as a scroll—God is going to make a new heaven and a new earth. That is why God is shaking us and trying to get our attention. Unfortunately, we don’t always listen. We sometimes turn our backs on people. We turn our backs on God. We should never turn our backs on people or God—we need to build a relationship. God is committed to us. We have access to an unshakeable kingdom. It doesn't make a difference if we’re white or black, Mexican, Hispanic or Asian; it has nothing to do with that. We are part of the kingdom of God, perfectly unshakeable, and absolutely loving. It’s a gift. God’s love for us is a gift.
Has God been shaking you? Are you afraid of what you see? I am. Do you have an answer? I don’t. Do you have peace? I do. Time is running out so we need to bow our knees and pray. God is trying to wake us up.
