“Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and He won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29 Message
“Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please Him, with reverence and awe; because our God is indeed a destroying fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29 GNT
History reveals the rise and fall of many great empires. The enormity of the Egyptian empire could not sustain it. We have seen the Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans all come and go with only their stories and architecture to remind us that they were even here at all. All of these empires were movable, shakable, and ultimately destroyed.
Yet, there is a kingdom that cannot be shaken. There is a kingdom that surpasses all of the empires and kingdoms ever known to man or ever recorded in our history books. This unshakeable kingdom will never be removed, will never give way to another kingdom, for it is the Kingdom above all kingdoms.
“Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakeable kingdom!!”
In this life, physical comforts will be torn away from those who possess them. We know that wealth is not permanent, and health is not a guarantee. Generations have come and gone, and some races of people have even been completely wiped off the earth. Everything that can be shaken, does get shaken.
Natural weather events are a continual reminder to us of our human frailty. The strongest and most enduring of trees, like the sturdy oak, buckles beneath the force of wind from these such weather events. Nothing seems permanent or fixed.
Yet, we have been given an unshakeable kingdom.
This is not a kingdom ruled by man’s agenda, where we are all pawns in some horribly uncomfortable king’s requirements. This is a kingdom where we have been invited to feast at the table, to enter into fellowship with Him, and to present ourselves to the Greatest King the world has ever known. This Kingdom will remain throughout the ages, and will never succumb to rise of the next empire. The King of a Kingdom like this, could demand anything from us, but what He seeks is to know us, and for us to know Him. What a gift we have been given. The best part is, we are heirs of this kingdom.
“Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakeable kingdom!!”
So, what is the right response to this? When everything else is blown away, falls apart, or comes to an end, you and I will endure because of the kingdom we are a part of. Maybe it is time to remind ourselves when we feel shaken by what is happening around us, or to us that this is not permanent. This shaking will have an end. We also need to remind ourselves, that the rock on which we stand is not moving regardless of how much things are shaking around us. He is fixed, so let’s fix our eyes on Him.
“Do you see what we’ve got?”
Today, I am grateful that my hope and faith is not in something that is passing away. I am reminded that this entire gratitude journey is about seeing what I’ve got. I find it so easy to focus on what I think I don’t have instead of what I do have. In this case, there is nothing greater than that which I possess, or that which possesses me. “An unshakeable kingdom!!”
Comments(14)
Pat McRae says:
February 13, 2015 at 12:33 pmOk this is my third try 🙁 and God will not let me to move away from one word, “UNSHAKEABLE.”
OK Lord lets go, what do You want me to understand about this one word?
Am I unshakable? Where I stand in a Rhema Word YES! But in those areas I have not been able to grasp yet, “NOT YET!” So how can I move from shakeable to unshakeable?
God never asks a question He is not willing to answer. 🙂 if I am willing to sit still long enough and listen with my heart instead of trying to figure it all out in my head. 🙁 The wisdom of man has never made anything yet that can’t be shaken if God decides to shake it.
The rest of this portion of Scripture pretty much answers the question.
Do I accept the grace of God as mine, that can not be taken away from me by any demon from hell? Or do I lay the grace of God aside to try to make myself more acceptable to God? When that desire comes to do so, the wonderful Holy Spirit speaks “it is by grace you are saved, not by good works, not by your idea of what is right or wrong, only by grace!” It is the love that ushered that grace into my life that has made grace a Rhema Word for me. So grace received and much appreciated. 🙂
As I read further it is this very unmerited favour of God that allows me to serve God. How can I serve Him? Can I provide Him a meal or a drink? Can I wash His floors, sweep His steps, or do His laundry? Read a book to Him, write a letter, tie His shoe lace, wipe His nose or wash His face? Yes! I can serve Him in all these ways if I just look around and realize He said, ” if you just give a cup of cold water in My Name you have done it unto Me.” Is this what He is talking about here? No! He wants me, all of me! And as I worship Him in prayer and song with reverence (profound adoring, awed respect), and godly fear (respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe). His consuming fire will come and change the shakeable to unshakeable! How do I know? He has been doing it for me, and when He moves on your behalf no one can take it away. God Himself is the consuming fire that changes lives in such a profound way. 🙂 When we worship Him with reverence, respect, obedience and total submission His presence is a tangible presence where angels sing and trumpets blow! Where demons are exposed and dealt with. A place where one wants to stay, not wanting to return to the same old same old. It is in this place He takes the shakeable, exposing it to you, so His consuming fire, He Himself, can become your unshakeable King.
I am thankful today that this is the work He has been doing in me.
Susan Craig says:
February 13, 2015 at 3:05 pmWOW Pat! I actually understand your reasoning in what you wrote. One year ago,I never would have been able to follow that process. Thanking the Lord for what He has been teaching me through this study. One questioon tho-what does Rhema word mean???
Freda says:
February 13, 2015 at 3:39 pmHi Susan, I am really enjoying all of the interaction happening here. I love how God pulls people together and uses our journeys to encourage and help one another along. I will respond to your question to Pat regarding the Rhema word, but she is free as well to add anything she wishes to it 🙂
The Rhema word is a greek word, which translates “the spoken word.” For example when the Holy Spirit speaks to you to do something specifically. Rhema literally means an utterance (individually, collectively or specifically.) Keeping in mind that whatever we hear must come in agreement with the written word 🙂 Hope this helps.
Susan Craig says:
February 13, 2015 at 4:37 pmIs this Greek word Rhema in the Bible? Can you give me some verses that it is used in so I can study this and understand better it’s meaning for my life??? Thank you Freda!
Pat McRae says:
February 13, 2015 at 9:20 pmHi Susan, I might not be using the word correctly but for me it means it is a word from God that I have taken a hold of and nothing can shake my belief in it. For me I believe with all my heart I am forgiven from all my sins and no one can shake me on that. It is like a light bulb goes on and you finally understand the truth of a statement that God gives you.
Freda says:
February 13, 2015 at 9:44 pmHi Susan, I think Pat puts it quite well 🙂
Whenever you see “word” used in Scripture it can have one of two meanings from the original language. Logos, and Rhema. It is not unlike our language where we can have one word with several meanings depending on the context in which they are used.
We are focusing on Rhema – so I will give you a couple of verses where the original word used means the spoken word.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
“The words [rhema] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
Not sure if this helps or makes it more confusing. 🙂
So, the actual word Rhema is not used in english. It would be where you see “word” in scripture in certain situations.
God speaks a word. We embrace it and appropriate it. We are transformed 🙂
Freda says:
February 13, 2015 at 9:51 pmAlso wanted to add a few more verses for you.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema – spoken] of God” (Romans 10:17).
And here is an example of it being carried out.
When Jesus told Peter to cast the fishing nets on the other side of the boat, Peter answered, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at your word [rhema] I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5).
Susan Craig says:
February 15, 2015 at 2:33 amThanks Freda and Pat for clearing that up for me-I had heard of logos before as in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word-meaning Jesus! I had not heard of rhema before this post. Interesting how two different words in Greek were both translated into one word with 2 different meanings. The English language can be difficult sometimes. 🙂
Pat McRae says:
February 13, 2015 at 9:41 pmTo finish my post: Do I have shakeable areas in my life that need Him? Yes! I am sure there are many that I know nothing about. But for those ones He has exposed, He has dealt the mighty blow and they are now unshakeable. Will I go looking for the rest? No! As I am in His presence, offering my sacrifice of prayer and praise He will show me what is next. I will say, “Yes Lord” and He will complete the work He has begun. I am thankful today that Jesus provided a way for me to live in my Daddy’s presence. As I listen to praise and worship music, ponder His Word and commune with Him here in my home His presence fills me and always brings a peace that passes all understanding and joy unspeakable full of grace. Only a Consuming Fire can cleanse, rejuvenate and cause growth. I am thankful He is my consuming fire, taking me from glory to glory.
P.S. I am also so thankful for the awesome privilege to be part of this 2015 Gratitude 50
Susan Craig says:
February 13, 2015 at 4:29 pmDo you see Susan? Do you understand Susan? Look with your spiritual eyes and know with the sure wisdom of God Himself!! Do you really get it?? This is the bedrock foundation for everything He is trying to teach you. If you don’t stand on this, you are like the man who built his house on the sand-when the winds and rains come, you will fall, you will surely NOT stand. Get this in your thick skull- but not just in your mind,get it deep inside your heart and soul-never forget this one thing I am trying to get through to you-this is essential for you to not only know but to build your whole life upon. If you miss this,you miss it all!!!
EVERYTHING you depend on apart from Him is shakeable-it is temporary,it will not last-there is nothing eternal in it. Stop building idols in your heart and life!! Stop wasting your time and energy chasing after things that will not last nor remain after the fire of God’s righteous judgement !!! Why are you so swift to believe lies rather than the Truth??? Remember the flood?? Remember how the whole world was destroyed by water except for Noah and his family and the creatures God directed him to bring into the ARK?? Remember the fire that came from Heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?? These are some warnings I have given that you must heed if you wish to be saved from destruction like Noah and Lot were!!! Do you really understand the message that I am giving you here????? NOTHING here on this earth is going to last-it is ALL destined to be destroyed by fire. If this is true, then why do you continually chase after the lust of the eyes,the lust of the flesh,the pride of life when it is fleeting and will not last?? There is nothing permanent in this world. It is shakeable,it is shakeable,it is shakeable.
Lord please forgive me for heeding the calls to stray and wander from your truth. Forgive me for my tendency to wander away from YOU!!! Forgive me for putting anyone or anything above my need for You first of all. You are my King. Your Kingdom is unshakeable!! Only Your Kingdom will last . Lord please help this TRUTH to penentrate deep into my heart,my soul,my mind until it becomes the rock upon which I stand-the rock from which flows everything I hold dear to my heart, everything I do in this life, every motive , everything I am. Thank you Lord that in your grace and mercy, you provided the only Way any of us can be saved. We were all on the road to destruction before You reached down and plucked us from the jaws of death and placed us with You in Heavenly places. Remind me daily of your love for me. Help me to be constantly thankful for Your saving grace. I stand in awe of You who created me, who loved me, who saved me, and who will righteously judge the nations of this world and every human being who has ever existed on this earth. I did not deserve your love,I did not deserve your grace and mercy, I did not deserve your salvation-I do deserve judgement. Remove anything in me that is shakeable and leave only those things that are pleasing to You!! My Lord and My God-You deserve ALL of me,and ALL the praise and ALL the glory,AMEN.
Sue Holmes says:
February 14, 2015 at 12:41 amI know of a kingdom that is very shakeable. It’s mine … or it was. It has been shaken a good many times. It isn’t a good feeling, living inside a shakeable kingdom. For the most part the walls seem to hold but they have developed cracks & holes. The floors were weak and squeaky. You see, my kingdom had taken a lot of hits over the years. There have been times of having to patch up one wall while another developed a deep fissure. It is a very false feeling of security.
The closest I have come to something like this in the physical world would be during an earthquake while on SVG. We weren’t even near the epicenter but the effect was enough to shut down businesses in the city temporarily. Being a Nova Scotian, something like this was new to me. The reality of what was possible didn’t hit me until I had left the upstairs apartment we had stayed in. Once on the ground, sandwiched between our bus on one side and the wall of the church on the other side, I noticed the small cracks forming in the ground beside me. It was a picture of what could have been. It was a very small picture of just how shakeable life can be. Nothing is unshakeable outside of God’s kingdom.
It’s not difficult today to look at the world around us and see how acts of terrorism, violent storms or simple displays of the darkest evil can tear our temporal earthly world apart. But there is a strong tower that exists inside a safe kingdom that we can run to. Today’s scripture has reminded me of just how uncomfortable my kingdom felt. We were never meant to live inside such a faulty, weak and temporal kingdom.
Tonight I offer gratitude for the kingdom that is founded upon grace and mercy. I do see what I have. I’m reminded of the words to a hymn that never grows old. It says, “I once was blind but now I see”. I am thankful for these past 21 days of gratitude and for the ones still to come. They have caused me to focus on what is available to the one who lives in the unshakeable kingdom. Most of all I am thankful for the One who made it possible for me to enter that kingdom.
Susan Craig says:
February 15, 2015 at 2:43 amSue,I totally get that our world can be shaken. I experienced that a few weeks ago when my son went missing. But I learned alot about me when my world was shaken-I learned that I had not been trusting God the way I should be so hopefully I am stronger now than I was then and pray I will have a deeper faith and trust in God from now on. Being part of God’s unshakable Kingdom is a concept that I never really thought of til now. I assumed that was not available to me til I died and went to heaven. 56 years old and still learning new things from the Word of God and his body of believers. 🙂
Jim Holmes says:
February 14, 2015 at 1:17 amThis passage has me thinking about 50 years ago or less. My grandfather, my parents, and many others heard the gospel coming into their homes by radio. Sunday was a day everyone knew was different from every other day. There was this kinda hush all over the world as I knew it then…it was a day of rest. It was a day that was set aside for God. There was this sense that God was close….His kingdom was come.
Today some 50 years later…we live in a different place, and certainly in a different time. Radio broadcasting the gospel is strikingly much less, and many do not know, or never have heard the story of Jesus. Our malls are busy. Our streets are noisy.
The kingdom of God hasn’t changed. It is the world around us that has become withdrawn from the One it once knew. The world mirrors the heart of man in that “the kingdom of God within you and I”(Luke 17:21) is expressed through our lives. Jesus said “the kingdom of God has come near you” (Luke 10:9,11)…so just look around and look for it and you’ll still see it.
It is a kingdom that cannot be shaken. It is a kingdom in which Jesus reigns. It is the kingdom of God on earth, when Jesus reigns in your heart, for then, you carry His presence into the world, bringing light into the kingdom of darkness. It is heaven touching earth…light pushing back the darkness. When and where we do not remove ourselves from the throne of our lives, let us do so, and call on God who by His mercy and grace saved us, to take His place on the throne of our lives. All praise and honor and majesty to Jesus who reigns upon the throne of our lives!
Susan Craig says:
February 15, 2015 at 2:48 amI agree with you Jim-our modern society is going backwards with regards to it’s knowledge of God- Thankless and Godless is what it has become. A sure sign of end times. I am thankful that there are still some left who do trust in God and are part of His Unshakable Kingdom.