Kingdom Shaking
One of the realities of living in
the Kingdom is that we sign up for both great victories and great battles that
are bigger than we are. Many Kings are tasting a level of resistance, warfare
or testing way beyond anything we've experienced before. The first temptation
is to assume that, because we're having problems, we must be doing something
wrong. Don't take warfare personally. It's not about you. If a soldier is
shaken by a bomb blast, he doesn't start an introspective review of his personal
history looking for the cause. He just shoots the plane down.
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 12:26-29 NASU
Who's Doing the Shaking?
The second thing to notice in
this verse is that God's voice is behind the shaking. When He's done, there
will remain a Kingdom and some Kings who cannot be shaken.
We are not ignorant of enemy
schemes. Warfare is real. God and the enemy both have plans, strategies and
activities at any point in time. You can prophetically pick up on both... The
glorious things God is doing and the fear of enemy tactics will both resonate
in your spirit. What I appreciate about the best prophetic ministries is that
they choose to focus on what God is doing. Prophetic activity that seizes on an
enemy strategy and passes it off like it's from God, just scares people. It
does have an anointing in the sense that it can touch us, but we just have to
discern which camp it's coming from.
We need the same discernment on a
personal level. Our theology has to acknowledge God's Kingdom plans, enemy
harassment and personal adjustments. Here's the tricky part: all three can be
going on at once! God is so wise, He can shake the Kingdom and use enemy
activity to mature His people...even though our individual maturity is not the
primary purpose. We are refined in fires.
Focus on your Dream
When we're going through a storm,
we have two choices. We can focus on 1) the problems, enemy activity, our
mental fear and worry, or 2) we can focus on the dream God put in our heart.
The latter is really faith. In age, Abraham was "as good as dead." Yet, in his
heart and God's heart, there was a dream and a desire to father many nations.
Our situation and circumstance might be as dead as Abraham; it's the dream of
faith that resurrects us.
And so
from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. Heb
11:12 NIV
Practically, faith is moving from
hope to substance by finding the dream that resides in both God's heart and my
heart. When the Father and I start doing the same thing, the dream really does
get more substantial and it feels like the wind is at our back... divine
appointments, favor with God and man, financial breakthrough, signs following,
authority, confidence, creativity... lots of things start coming together.
Yes, but how? - OK, I'm still
about as dead as Abraham regarding my dream. What should I do?
1.
Get the dream in writing as an act of faith.
Have a heart plan to get there. If you coast through life with no real
definition of your dream, your destiny will just keep moving out in front of
you, always just beyond your reach. Your heart has to have a good reason to
achieve success. The best reason is that our individual dream is part of a
larger Kingdom strategy that the Father is orchestrating. We're seeking the
Kingdom first (Matt 6:33) and thrilling our own heart at the same time.
Religion is servants offering sacrificial obedience against their will. Kingdom
is a friend of God working out of our own heart's desire doing what the Father
is doing.
2.
Choose to focus on your dream, pray toward it
and work toward it. We have to "guard our hearts" because the primary enemy
tactic is to try to steal or discourage the desire of your heart. Your mind
will also naturally gravitate toward examining all the failure scenarios. The
goal is not to "lose heart." You and I each have a specific "race marked out
for us." It's the assignment within our mountain that ignites our passion. It's
the desire God wrote on our heart toward which we naturally gravitate.
Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you
will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb
12:1-3 NIV
Winners or Whiners
All this leads somewhere. We
learn to savor whatever life brings us and resurrect the good out of every
storm and season. Paul wrote epistles from prison and volunteered for Rome
knowing that it would lead to his death. The purpose behind the bigger picture
usually extends far beyond us. We're thankful to be part of the Kingdom. We
count it a privilege... whether it's abundant life, great victories, with signs
following, or sharing His suffering, shame, and rejection. The dream and the
Kingdom survive, unshaken, and we refuse to set up camp in the wilderness of trials
and testing on the way to our land. In the Kingdom, the norm is cups running
over; trials are always temporary. We are always and ultimately more than
conquerors, able to do all things.
I have
learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along
with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both
of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me. Phil 4:11-13 NASU
They
called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to
speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the
Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never
stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5:40-42 NIV (see also 1Pet 4:12-16)
John Garfield
Share this article:
Price: $14.99
Price: $7.99