Faith that is Unshakable

In 1957, singer Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the hit song “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Elvis Presley recorded his version of it in 1970. Of course, that secular song referred to shaking bodies on the dance floor, as the rock ‘n roll craze swept our nation. There’s a different kind of shaking happening today — a spiritual, political, economic and social shaking. While people, governments, institutions and all sectors of society are being rocked with change and uncertainty, we, the church, must maintain an unshakeable faith that is anchored securely in the Rock of Ages!

The race riots and elections of 2020, the persistent pandemic, interruptions in supply chains, shortages of parts and products, plus a series of natural disasters have shaken our society to the core. Everything, it seems, has changed from the way we have church to the protocols kids face in schools to how we conduct business and meetings to the way we shop. Not much is “normal” anymore. Pastor Tony Evans said it well: “Don’t get shook up when things get shaken up!”

The author of Hebrews prophesied — “‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, so that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:26-28, NKJV). God is shaking the world and the church in these last days. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken! The good news is we are part of an unshakeable kingdom — “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18, KJV).

Paul refused to be shaken by his adverse circumstances. Even though he faced persecution, opposition, hardship, hatred, threats, danger and infirmities, he remained unshakeable! Like water off a duck’s back, he just let it all roll off. He said, “None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy” (Acts 20:24, KJV). As the old hymn proclaims, “Though the tempest rages, I shall not be moved. On the rock of ages, I shall not be moved . . . Though all hell assail me, I shall not be moved, Jesus will not fail me, I shall not be moved, just like the tree that’s planted by the water, I shall not be moved!”

Just as a building is only as strong as its foundation, our lives are only as stable and sturdy as our spiritual base. We are either building our lives on solid rock or on sinking sand. Jesus shared this analogy in the Parable of the Two Builders in Luke 6:47-49: “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Notice the storms battered both houses. No matter what we do, the storms of life are coming; you can count on it. After the storms subsided, one house collapsed while the other house was still standing — unshaken!

Jesus is the rock of our salvation! If we build our lives on the rock-solid truth of His Word, we will not be shaken. As another great hymn expresses, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteous; I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name . . . When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!”

Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The prophet Haggai preached after the Babylonian captivity. About 80,000 captives returned to Israel, eager to rebuild their towns, their temple and their lives. They quickly became discouraged due to few workers, little money, inferior materials and Darius II’s order to stop rebuilding the temple. Then Haggai uttered a powerful prophecy that has already been fulfilled once in history but will happen again in the last days. “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts . . . ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Hag. 2:6-7, 9, NKJV).

This prophecy was fulfilled over the next few centuries. The Persia Empire fell to Greece, Greece fell to Rome and the nations were “shaken” in war by these clashing empires. Before and during the time of Christ, Herod spent over forty years remodeling and enlarging the temple to win political favor with the Jews (John 2:19-21). What made Herod’s temple “greater” than Solomon’s temple? It was larger, fancier, more expensive and Rome paid the tab. (If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill!) But what truly made it “greater” was the ONE who visited it! He was dedicated there as an infant, made annual pilgrimages to it for Passover and taught there during His earthly ministry. In fact, Jesus said, “A greater than Solomon is here!” (Matt. 12:42, NKJV), referring to Himself.

Futuristically, the glory of the latter house (the church) will be greater than the glory of the former house again. God likes to save the best for last. The church is not going out with a whimper; it’s going out with a roar! God is causing and allowing a “whole lotta shakin’ to go on in these last days, but His Word and His true church will be unshakeable! So don’t be shaken by the chaos in the world, the uncertainty of the future, the tragedy of the pandemic, the instability of the economy, attacks of the devil, persecution from unbelievers, sinners acting like sinners, the liberal policies of our own government. Determine that no matter what happens in the world, in the church and in your own life, you are going to remain USHAKEABLE in your faith! As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58, NKJV). {eoa}

Ben Godwin is the author of five books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. You can read more articles or order his books at bengodwin.org.