Shaken!

Good Morning,

Ever think about what "shaking" means?

You shake a salt shaker, you should get results: Salt!

You shake a person you might get other results: anger!

What about when the earth shakes? It is a frightening
thing. I happen to live in earthquake country and
have been here when all the biggest ones hit.
For weeks afterwards it is like you are waiting for
another one... it puts you on guard.

I think our spiritual life often gets shaken.
It is during these times that our true spiritual state
comes into play. If we have developed our spiritual
life into one of faith and not fear, the shaking in our
life drives us to prayer, and to the sufficiency of God.

If we have not developed our spiritual life very much
and have become dependent only on the preaching
or teaching of others, when hard times hit, chances
are we will feel a bit lost and overwhelmed.

You see, truth be told, each of us will face many
difficult, trying and sometimes frightening experiences.
But depending upon our resiliance, inner strength,
attitude, and spiritual life we will all handle those
experiences differently.

If you do not fill yourself up with the word of God
to strength your spirit and give you verses to rely
on and plant in your heart, do not expect spiritual growth!

You cannot rely on your pastors, priests, bishops only
to develop your spiritual life. It has to be hands on.

If you don't spend time with God in prayer and
work on your issues, and learn to release your burdens
and grow stronger in Him, don't be surprised when
hard times hit and you fall apart.

You have not been preparing yourself! You have
become lazy and withdrawn from the presence
of God, the needfulness of His Holy word (his love
letter to you) and you have allowed the world
to become more important to you than God is to you.

You may not realize it, you may resent me saying it.
But the true test of a Christian, is when hard times
hit and how they handle it.

I may fall apart when things first hit, but I run to God,
and I pick myself up, and I fight back, and I get my
thinking in right order quickly. I know who my source is.

Let me tell you what shaking in my life means.

I want to be shaken, sifted and found faithful before Christ.
Nothing is more important to me.

When I get to heaven I want Jesus to look at me
and say well done thou good and faithful servant.
Nothing matters more.

What matters more to you? And how will that
work for you in eternity?

love
millie


Life Which Cannot Be Shaken - Message #353
- July 24, 2005

When we hear of a death in the family or a loved one is diagnosed as having
cancer, we are shaken. It seems as though the rug of life is pulled out
from under us. We are left flat on our backs. Our stomachs are churning.
Our heads are spinning. We grope for something, anything to hang on to. Our
world has been shaken.

The Bible talks about such things. When God came down on Mount Sinai, the
earth quaked. The Bible says, "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, in order that those
things which cannot be shaken may remain" (Hebrews 12:26-27).

Wow! There is real hope here. Certain things cannot be shaken. What are
they? Eternal things. Life, which cannot be shaken, is life connected to
heaven. It is life bound up in God through the Holy Spirit. We can lose our
jobs. We can lose family members. We can lose our cars and homes. We can
lose all of our clothing. We can lose our health. Things associated with
this life are easily shaken. But the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken. Those
who come to God through Jesus Christ are members of this unshakable
Kingdom. That's something to lean on. It's infinitely reliable. It's
ultimately dependable.

This is one reason why Jesus Christ says, "Do not lay up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break
in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

Contributed by Dr. Dennis J. Prutow