Life is good! Fear not because of shaking or fire.
These are times of great shaking. That which can be shaken and removed, will be shaken and removed. That which can be cleansed or refined by fire, will be cleansed and refined.
Times of shaking and fire such as are now happening are hard, and scary, too. It is hard and scary, and will be for a while. Then it change comes. So persist. And there is another side to what is happening, too easy to miss when times are hard and scary. We are getting a foretaste of something wonderful.
In fact, we are already in getting a taste of heaven on earth. A foretaste, if you will:
- God is already with us and in us; we are his people.
- We have been being prepared as his Bride, and
- When we experience God in us, with us or near us, even now, we have no suffering – even where there has been pain. Our Lord fills us with joy.
- He has baptised us with refining fire, and we are, even now, being shaken. So it’s important to know what to do.
- As usual, when we have heard God and do as he says, we and our works survive cleansing and refining – fire and shaking.
We can and will survive cleansing and shaking as we do as Holy Spirit says to us. We are already God’s people, and Immanuel is with us, Holy Spirit is in us, and when we follow Holy Spirit, we have Fruit of the Spirit – including love and joy. We experience love and joy!
Life is good! Fear not because of shaking or fire.
Let me show you, and make the case for this being true.
~ ~ ~
First, what is coming, and what I believe we already have access to a foretaste of:
All Things Made New
21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” (NKJV, Revelation 21: 1-5.)
What glorious and wonderful promises God makes to us! He will make all things new and dwell with us and we will be his people. New Jerusalem is “prepared as a bride for her husband”. He will be our God. No more pain….
How are all things made new? What happens first? I don’t really know, but here’s what makes sense to me. First, not everything lasts or survives.
What lasts? That which survives fire or shaking.
There are many biblical examples of fire for refining mentioned in scripture. And the baptism by Jesus mentioned in Luke 3:16-17 promises not only Holy Spirit, but also fire for cleansing.
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” NKJV, Luke 3:16-17.
The effects of such fire reminds me of shaking, where things that can be shaken will be shaken. What survives shaking lasts, as seen in Hebrews 12: 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 [k]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, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. (NKJV)
What survives fire and shaking?
We who listen to and do as God says! You and your works are much more likely to survive shaking and cleansing, even survive refining – when we have heard God and do as he says. (If this isn’t clear, review Hebrews 12 above, the first verse, verse 25.)
These are times of great shaking. That which can be shaken and removed, will be shaken and removed. That which can be cleansed or refined by fire, will be cleansed and refined.
I think we are already in process to get a taste of this. A foretaste, if you will:
- God is already with us and in us; we are his people.
- We have been being prepared as his Bride, and
- When we experience God in us, with us or near us, even now, we have no suffering. Our Lord fills us with joy.
- He has baptised us with refining fire, and we are, even now, being shaken.
- As usual, when we have heard God and do as he says, we and our works survive cleansing and refining – fire and shaking.
We can and will survive cleansing and shaking as we do what Holy Spirit says to us. We are already God’s people, and Immanuel is with us, Holy Spirit is in us, and when we follow Holy Spirit we have fruit of the Spirit including love and joy.
Life is good! Fear not because of shaking or fire.