Shaking Time! Will You Remain or Be Shaken Out?

Amos 9:9 (NIV) – “For I will give the command, and I will shake the people of Israel among all the nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, and not a pebble will reach the ground.

Prophet Amos tells the people that Israel has sinned like many other nations. Israel is in a situation where it seems very difficult to determine who is still faithful to God and who has abandoned their faith in God. To solve this problem, God promises to bring shaking time. There will be a shaking time!

Shaking time is an analogy from the preparation of grains after harvest. The process of harvesting leaves good grain mixed with unwanted stones and rotten grains and even dry pieces of leaves of the grain. The farmer then engages in winnowing and shaking. Winnowing blows the chaff away and shaking removes unwanted pebbles. Prophet Amos promises that there will be a shaking time in Israel.

Luke 22:31-32 (NIV) – 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus tells Simon Peter that he will be tested and tempted to the point that he will deny Jesus three times before the Rooster or Cock crows. Jesus calls this sifting. This is the shaking that is done to wheat and other grains after harvest, to make it pure. We therefore understand that the temptations that shake our faith are the shaking time events. It sifts us.

Jesus had just been arrested. Jesus had refused to fight back. Jesus seemed helpless. The disciples including Peter were scared. Then in that moment of fear, a temptation comes. Someone associates Peter with Jesus. That meant shame, but it also meant that Peter could also be arrested and tortured with Jesus. This was a scary moment. His faith was under a great test. On that instant, Peter denied Jesus!

That temptation is what Jesus calls the shaking of Peter like wheat is shaken. Sifting to remove unwanted chaff and pebbles. Temptations and trials shake our faith. Peter was greatly shaken. Prophet Amos tells us that there will be a shaking time again in future. Will you remain or be shaken out of faith?

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV) – 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 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.

The trials of all kinds that we go through are what shakes our faith. This is the shaking that removes the unwanted and makes faith remain very pure. It’s like the refining of gold in fire. Fire burns all that is unwanted and gold becomes purer. Trials of all kind burn the unwanted and our faith becomes purer. This refining of gold in fire is also the shaking of grains to remove the impure. Prophet Amos, our Lord Jesus, and Apostle Peter have all told us that there will be a testing of our faith. A time of shaking!

James 1:2-4 (NIV) – 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Trials of many kind tests our faith. A tested faith is a better faith. The shaking time may seem negative but it leaves us better believers than we were before. That is why all promises of shaking end positively for believers. There will be a shaking time, but believers will come out victorious!

Amos 9:9 (Message Bible) – “I’m still giving the orders around here. I’m throwing Israel into a sieve among all the nations and shaking them good, shaking out all the sin, all the sinners. NO REAL GRAIN WILL BE LOST,

Shaking time is hard time, but there is a promise. No real grain will be lost. Not a pebble of grain will be lost. God has promised our safety during the time of shaking.

Luke 22:31-32 (Message Bible) – 31 “Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. 32  Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. WHEN YOU HAVE COME THROUGH THE TIME OF TESTING, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”

Jesus tells Peter that he will come through the shaking time. He will come through the time of testing. He will not perish. He will not fail. He will not be lost. He will survive. Peter denied Jesus, but he repented and go restored. Temptation will bruise us and we may backslide, but if we repent and return to Jesus like Peter did, He will forgive us and restore us. We too will come through the time of testing. We shall not be shaken out.

1 Peter 1:6-7 tells us that our shaking time, our refining in fire, will result in praise, glory and honor. In other words, it will end well. The fire is hot and hard to bear, but it will end well. Believers shouldn’t fear shaking time. It will end in praise, glory and honor!

James 1:2-4 tells us that the shaking time, the testing of our faith by all kinds of trials, will produce perseverance, and will result in our maturity in faith. James tells us that we will be complete, lacking nothing. That means the shaking time will end well for all believers. Key word is believers.

Hypocrites will not survive the shaking time. They will either lose hypocrisy or be lost. I pray that hypocrisy is lost and the individual is saved. Shaking time will improve the quality of our faith and the quality of church members.

We cannot be church members who believe what the church stands for but we doubt and reject other church positions. Shaking will address this attitude. Shaking will address those who seem nominal, non-committal, laid back, and who seem to show up in church to just tick a box and walk away without involvement. Shaking is coming! They will become better believers much more committed or they will leave never to return. Shaking time is coming!

Tribalism and tribalist will be shaken out. Racism and racists will be shaken out. Erratic church attendance. Erratic return of tithes and giving of offerings. Everything erratic will be shaken to either be consistent or get out. Shaking time is coming!

Committed believers but also immoral will be shaken out. Committed believers but they use alcohol in small amounts secretly, and other drugs, will be shaken out. Committed believers who also consult witches and seek miracles by paying for prayers, will also be shaken out. Shaking will change the person for the better or throw the person out of the church, leaving the church a better place. 

People who promote church politics will be shaken out or quit the politics. People who oppose the church for selfish reasons masquerading as piety will change their ways or be shaken out. Shaking time is coming!

Shaking will be done by persecution because of our faith. Believer have been persecuted in the past. Believers in various parts of the world are undergoing persecution even today. There will be future persecution of believers. Persecution will shake the faith of believers, but God promises to support and strengthen us through it all. We are not alone and we will survive!

Shaking time at present will be done by all kinds of trials of our faith. Diseases will shake our faith. Money problems will shake our faith. Relationship challenges will shake our faith. Spiritual challenges will shake our faith. Failure in school will shake our faith. The fake believers will be thrown out, but the genuine believers will come out victorious. Shaking time is coming and is upon us!

Save us dear God. Give us another chance as you gave Peter and others. May shaking leave us better spiritually than we were before. May shaking end with us still faithful and within the church. In Jesus name, Amen!

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