A Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On!

(A Word to cause us to Rest. Re-Calibrate; Reprogram. Renew. Resurrect/Reset. Reinvent; Revive. Relearn. Re-Burn. Return. And RUN ON to complete our RACE. This is what I'm up to these days. This is what The Spirit of God is doing in our lives. This is what He is doing in the Nation. Selah)

Jesus, the Example – from HEBREWS 12

1- 3 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

{* Loss of heart comes from having one's hopes too long deferred. But in this writing the Author exhorts us to resist the sin of unbelief, that so often accompanies disappointment. He encourages endurance, that comes from focusing on our example, and not on our own temporary set backs!}

A Father’s Discipline (4-13)

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons; 

“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

{*Here the writer of this exhortation reminds us that the discomfort we feel is often discipline, correction and instruction from a loving Heavenly Father. He encourages us to remember that, and to  lay aside our rejection filters, to get our strongholds – from soul wounds of parental lack or abuse – healed, so that we can take the Father's correction with the Love with which it is given, and profit from the growth it will yield as we obey Him!}

Do not yield or succumb to bitterness (14-17)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

{* Here the writer is saying that if we focus on our discomfort, more than the Repentance it has come to procure, if we focus on our temporary suffering, rather than the strength it was brought to produce in us, if we suffer on the passing disappointments of "hopes deferred";  more than we focus on the end goal of "desire fulfilled", if we put fleshly desires before God's desire for us, it will causes us to become bitter, fruitless and eventually pruned from the Tree of Life....}

Contrast of Sinai and Zion (18-24)

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

The Unshaken Kingdom (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 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.”

{* In these two passages the writer solemnly warns us that we are not playing with a light thing here. He is trying to impress upon us the seriousness of this situation and the importance of us getting it! We are not to play with Fire! Meaning that we should not treat His discipline with contempt, nor take it lightly. It is no small thing that the Creator of our entire world gives US His undivided attention!

We must receive God's teaching, believe His goodness, and long for His correction – in order to walk in the Blessing which accompanies true obedience. In order to receive a Kingdom which can NOT be shaken, we must be shaken, so that all that is temporary falls away and only what is eternal remains. That is why, folks, there's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on!}

Selah.

Sandra Carlton Duncan

3/9/21