By Pastor John Mateos Ong
Haggai 2:6-7 says, ““For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
The Promise of Shaking - Sometimes, God uses shaking when there is a problem. If you look at the current condition of the church, do you think it needs shaking? If Jesus were to return right now, will He be pleased with you? It’s a surprise that we even have to check if pastors and church leaders are reading their Bible everyday. Are the worshippers living pure lives? Are all the lives of the church members surrendered fully to the Lord? Is God pleased? That is why a shaking is needed. It is not ecessarily pleasant but it is going to be good. Especially if God is doing it.
The Purification and Strengthening of Faith - The shaking is going to purify and strengthen your faith. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Jesus is preparing the church. Right now, the church is in no conditiion for His comeback. Do you live your life like Jesus is coming soon? Thank God Jesus has not yet come.
The Call to Greater Intimacy with God - James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” There are two people who go to church: those who come to church to come to God annd thoose who just go to church. Intimacy is a heart thing. If you are living a double life, it is useless. The shaking is calling us to greater itimacy with the Lord. If you are intimate with someone, you enjoy their company right? You want to spend every minute with them. Being with that person is not a burden; you are not forced to do it. Be confident in the sufficiency of God’s grace but do not be complacent of you being saved. Yes you are saved by grace through faith. There is no doubt about it. But your faith needs to be tested. Do you really have an intimate relationship with God. If you don’t, you might be holding on to something that is not true. God’s manifestations in your life have to be backed up by transformation.
James 1:23-26 says “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” Make sure your motives for going to church is right. Go back, see your need for Christ and embrace Jesus again. For real this time around. It is not about religion growing bigger but more people being more intimate with Him.
How to grow a lifestyle of intimacy with God:
Lifestyle of prayer
Regular fellowship
Love and fear of God
Discipline and self-control
Habit of confession
Staying alert
Obedience to God’ command
There is a promise of a shaking which is inevitable because the condition of believers is not right for His return. The faith of believers is going to be purified and strengthened because of this. The shaking will produce grater intimacy with the Lord because the best relationships are forged during the greatest trials.
Haggai 2:7-9 says, “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.””
Comments