Shaken and Stirred

The last couple of years have been quite the whirlwind with all manner of events taking place. As many of you know, this year saw the release of the final James Bond movie featuring the actor Daniel Craig as the titular protagonist, more commonly known as agent 007. He is iconically known as someone who prefers to drink martinis “shaken, not stirred!” I’ve often wondered about this choice in this notable character’s identity. Since I do not drink, I don’t know all of the nuances of how and why certain drinks are made the way they are or why people ask for them to be made a specific way.

I did a brief search and as I looked into it, the reasoning could not have been more obvious. It turns out that in the case of James Bond, the martini is a drink that is predominantly preferred to be stirred, as opposed to the way that Bond orders his so that there is a stronger punch from the alcohol. Given the nature of James Bond’s job as, international spy, he needs to keep his senses sharpened, and therefore desires it to be shaken to weaken the impact of that alcohol.

Hearing this, I heard God speaking something strange but familiar for this season. He said, “Shaken and Stirred!” I immediately knew what God was saying about His people and this season. It doesn’t take much discernment to see how there is a great upheaval happening all around us. Since 2019, and for many in the body of Christ, even before then, there has been a great shaking. I have been seeing the revelation of Hebrews 12:26-29, where it says, “...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, 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. For our God is a consuming fire.”

In this aspect of shaking, God is truly shaking things up for His Kingdom's purpose. His Church, His people, are feeling this shaking. The shaking is reverberating across the entire body of Christ to reveal to her what is unshakable and what is unnecessary and powerless fluff. When COVID-19 came onto the scene, many churches began to see what was “essential” even as the world began to declare that they were not and thus attempted to cancel them. Many churches determined that they were not irrelevant or non-essential and pushed to begin to get to the core of the faith to strengthen the body and reach the lost.

Many places were told they could not gather, could not touch, and could not comfort minister. Faith itself was being shaken to see just how strong the faith of the Church truly is. Now is the time where faith is being shaken to determine whether we are living by faith or by some other means. As this is being revealed, it is God’s purpose in this to stir His Kingdom to greater faith for where she needs to be. The light of the Kingdom must shine brighter and become more attractive for a world that is completely shaken. So, if you are feeling the shaking today, let it be the catalyst to the stirring of your faith. Allow it to be the very thing that ignites hope and a fire for doing what God has called you to do in this hour.