SHAKE AND BLOW

INTRODUCTION

 

          Washington policy makers think of themselves as the "shakers and movers," but an earthquake and a hurricane has shaken and blown people off the East Coast of the United States. Lois and I haven't felt the effects of Hurricane Irene. but we did feel the earth move from the D.C. area earthquake of last week.

 

          Have you ever thought how inappropriate the hurricane name "Irene" is?  ’Irene’ is a Greek word that means ‘peace’. Obviously, there is nothing remotely peaceful about a hurricane; there is calm in their eye, but that’s about it. Hurricanes bring destruction and damage, not peace. Thus I am awarding ‘Hurricane Irene’ the title of the Oxymoron Of The Week.

 

          By now you know the 5.8 quake was centered in Virginia, just northwest of Richmond. It shook Washington D.C. and tremors reached New York and even further north. The epicenter of last week's earthquake was just 84 miles from D.C.

The first earthquake that hit in the D.C. area was just 30 miles away and was a 3.6 quake. That was on July 16, 2010. God was merely clearing His throat.

 

          Most of us didn't notice that there were three earthquakes in three days in the United States. First there was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Trinidad, Colo., the largest earthquake in that state since 1973. Then a magnitude 5.8 quake centered in Mineral, Va., jarred a region from Charleston, S.C. to Boston. Finally, there was a relatively mild 3.6 in the San Francisco area Tuesday night.

 

CURIOUS. . .Sometimes you have to shake people to wake them up. . .Hmmmm. . .

 

Pastor Phil   <><<

 

August 28, 2011 - Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland

 

SHAKE AND BLOW

Matthew 24:1-14

 

"God is on the move and has targeted one of the world centers of human power: Washington, D.C. He is shaking and blowing to let the world know whose really in control, and its not us."                                                    Pastor Phil

 

"(G-d) whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Hebrews 12:26

 

I. THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."                       Matthew 18:18

            A. Our world impacts the spiritual/unseen world - Luke 15:7

            "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner   who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."

                        1. Heaven rejoices?

                        2. When just one sinner repents?

            B. Heaven rejoices over us / heaven sometimes weeps - Luke 19:41

            "Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,"                    

                        1. If you do not believe that what we do here affects heaven

                        2. Why pray?

            C. Jesus delegates His authority/dominion to us

                        1. We bind things on earth / Heaven agrees with us and binds

                        2. We loose things on earth / Heaven agrees w/us and looses

                        3. We REACT, heaven REACTS / We ACT, heaven ACTS

 

II. OUR SPIRITUAL CONNECTION ISN'T ONLY W/GOD - Eph. 6:12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."              Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

            A. We struggle with four Satanically inspired enemies

                        1. RULERS - The First Ones, First Person or thing in a series

                        2. AUTHORITIES - Power, Right, Strength to do anything

                   3. POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD - "Spirit-beings who have                                parts of the cosmos under their control"

                   4. SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLIES

                          "Spiritual forces that are wicked and inhabit the physical

                            sphere above the earth"

            B. God is on the move Invading places of Satanic Power on Earth

                        1. He is placing Satan's limited authority under Siege

                        2. Key Centers of Satan's influence are shaken and blown

                                    a. The Breath of God is saying, "I'm in Control!"

                                    b. God always has the last word

                        3. He speaks through the Earthquake and through the Flood

SHAKE AND BLOW, cont., p2       

 

III. WHAT CAN BELIEVERS DO TO KEEP PREPARED?

            A. Physical Preparedness - Prepare for the future - Matt. 7:24-27

            "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken

            him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain

            descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;

            and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears

            these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who            built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came,

            and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its

            fall."

                        1. Cannot make short-term readiness for Earthquakes

                                    a. Hurricanes grant a few day's notice

                                    b. Earthquakes happen suddenly

                                    c. They give little advanced notice

                        2. Have to build structures that will withstand shaking

                        3. Have to design for the long-term future

            B. Spiritual Preparedness - Put on God's Full Armor - Ephesians 6:13 

            "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,

            you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything,

            to stand."

                        1. Paul's Outline for Spiritual Readiness - Eph. 6:14-18

                                    a. Wear TRUTH like a Belt - v. 14a

                                    "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,"

                                    b. Put on RIGHTEOUSNESS - v. 14b

                                    "having put on the breastplate of righteousness,"
                                    c. Walk in the GOSPEL (Good News) - v. 15

                                    "and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel

                                     of peace;"
                                    d. Protect  yourself with FAITH - v. 16

                                                "above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be

                                     able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."
                                    e. Wear SALVATION like a Helmet - v. 17a

                                    "And take the helmet of salvation,"

                                    f. Advance with God's Word - v. 17b

                                    "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"
                                    g. Surround Yourself with Prayer - v. 18

                                    "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,

                                     being watchful to this end with all perseverance and

                                     supplication for all the saints--"

 

IV. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE FUTURE? -  Luke 21:25-26

            "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on

            the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves

            roaring; 26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those

            things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be

            shaken."

            A. Warfare by Heaven's Armies results in shaking down here

SHAKE AND BLOW, cont., p3

 

                        1. God will continue to shake us through National /Natural                                               Disasters                 

                        2. He will shake us until he gets our attention

            B. Stay tuned in to the "NDWN" - Natural Disaster Warning Network    

                        1. God has His own Disaster Warning Network

                        2. Stay Tuned in through Prayer and Readiness

                        3. FEAR becomes an Interference to God's Broadcasts

                        4. There are 365 "Fear Not's" in the Bible, one for each day of                                         the year

                        5. Banish Fear and Doubt

                        6. Trust God with your whole heart - Great things are coming!
                        ". . .but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do

                         exploits."  Daniel 11:32,b

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHAKE AND BLOW

Matthew 24:1-14 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.
10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

CLOSING ILLUSTRATION

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

 

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

 

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received

a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

"Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

 

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.

Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled,

"Get up!  A storm is coming!

Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly,

"No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

 

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.  Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

QUESTIONS:

Can you sleep when the wind of adversity blows in your life?

Does what you value and own have the ability to withstand when God shakes it?

Are the things that really matter to you in this life fully secured?