SHAKE & BAKE - A HOLY SHAKE UP
by Joni Ames
www.JoniAmes.org 

Have you wondered about the recent unbearable heat? Or what about the earthquakes that are beginning to occur? "Signs of the times," some may say. But what does that mean?

For one thing, it tells us that God is speaking, so we need to listen. His very Voice shakes the heavens and the earth! - "Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." (Heb. 12:26) And He is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29).

God's very own creation is crying out to us to recognize the times and seasons we are in: "(19) For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now." (Romans 8:22)

A HOLY SHAKE UP

We're in the midst of a "holy shake up" by God in the earth. - Earthquakes, volcanos, tsunami's, etc., are natural signs of that. But what does it all mean?

When corporate America speaks of a shake up, they know that means that from the top to the bottom and back again, things are going to change. People who thought their positions of influence were secure soon find themselves looking for another job. In the political arena, those who are in power soon find they are stripped of it.

When pride gets a foothold, God deals with it. Even in the Church. So, in reality, these are some of the things we are about to see. Just as God came forth for David in Psalm 18 when the enemy was after him, so He will for you and I. God is no respecter of persons.

Proverbs 16:18 says: Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Psalms 10:2 tells us: The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

Isaiah 25:11 warns: And He will spread out His hands in their midst As a swimmer reaches out to swim, And He will bring down their pride, together with the trickery of their hands.

1 John 2:16 reminds us: For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.

WHAT ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE CHURCH?

Those who are condemning, word cursing and otherwise bashing the Church cannot help Her. You cannot help something you hate, point at, and condemn. But for those whose hearts are grieved and who are truly interceding for Her, there will be great victory:

Zephaniah 3:18-20:
(18) "I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, Who are among you, To whom its reproach is a burden.
(19) Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, And gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame.
(20) At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes," Says the Lord.

And it will be that, in the midst of great adversity that is coming upon the earth, the Church will truly "rise and shine" and become all that God knows He made her to be:

In Isaiah 60:1 & 2, He says to Her: (1) "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. (2) For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

GOD IS IN THE WHIRLWIND:

The weather is "heating up" to open the door to some nasty storms this year as well. But we know that God has His way in the whirlwind!

Nahum 1:3: The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.

Proverbs 10:25: When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.

Jeremiah 25:32: Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth.

WARS & RUMORS OF WARS

In Matthew 24:6 & Mark 13:7 Jesus tells us that we will "hear of wars and rumors of wars." - But, "See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." - And as you read more in Mark 24, even more of what is to come is explained. These are just 'signs of the times.' - And to us, they are signs that we must be about the Father's business, so that we be found faithful!

DOES GOD SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Psalm 37:13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.

WHAT SOULD OUR POSTURE BE AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US - AND TO OUR ENEMIES?

Psalm 37 says it best:

(1) Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
(2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.
(3) Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
(4) Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
(5) Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
(6) He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.


(7) Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
(8) Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm.
(9) For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.
(10) For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
(11) But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
(12) The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth.
(13) The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.


(14) The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.
(15) Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.
(16) A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.


(17) The Lord upholds the righteous.
(18) The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever.
(19) They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
(20) But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away.


(21) The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
(22) For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off.
(23) The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
(24) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
(25) I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
(26) He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
(27) Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore.
(28) For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.
(29) The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.
(30) The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.
(31) The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.
(32) The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him.
(33) The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.


(34) Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.
(35) I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree.
(36) Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.
(37) Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.
(38) the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
(39) But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.
(40) And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

We are also reminded in Galatians 6:7:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."

And Hebrews 12:14-29 tells us):

(14) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
(15) looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
(16) lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
(17) For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
(18) For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,
(19) and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.
(20) (For they could not endure what was commanded: "And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned* or shot with an arrow."
(21) And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling."*)
(22) But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
(23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
(24) to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
(25) 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,
(26) whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."
(27) Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, (so) that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
(28) 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.
(29) For our God is a consuming fire.