MOVERS AND SHAKERS CHANGE THE WORLD

By Van Yandell

2 Corinthians 11: 24-26 “Of the Jews five times received I forty lashes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.”

In the New Testament, especially during the week before the crucifixion, the Pharisees and Romans saw Jesus as a troublemaker. Throughout history, it has been nothing uncommon for many to see the movers and shakers as troublemakers.

Some have an inclination to see things that are not right or not as good as they could be. Being motivated to mention these discrepancies, at times they have been classified as trouble makers or movers and shakers.

If one is prone to pointing out what they see as problems, they should be willing and capable of helping solve those problems. Being classified as a complainer is often the result.

Others tend to visualize a perfect world and recommend improvements. There is no doubt in the minds of Christians Jesus made a definite improvement in the connection between man and God.

Jesus preached forgiveness of sin by grace and mercy. 1 John 1: 9 “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This was contradictory of what the Pharisees believed and taught.

John 1: 17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Yes, Jesus definitely was a mover and a shaker; He shook up the world!

John 1: 17, gives us a better description or definition of how Jesus changed the world more than any other passage in the Bible. Before Jesus’ death on the cross and then His resurrection, the world sought atonement for sin by making a blood sacrifice on the altar.

Hebrews 9: 22b “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” Jesus’ suffering and shed blood provided the world with remission of sin that nothing else could provide. He became that blood sacrifice for every one of us.

The connection between the Old and New Testaments is made primarily because of the concept of the blood sacrifice. The Old Testament Jew took an animal to the altar to sacrifice for his atonement. The most known place of sacrifice was on Mt Moriah where God told Abraham to take his son Isaac and sacrifice him.

Deuteronomy 17: 1 “Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evil favouredness: for that is an abomination.” The sacrificial lamb must be without blemish; it had to be perfect.

For Jesus to have been the perfect blood sacrifice for the sins of mankind, His life had to be without sin (1 Peter 2: 22). Only then could He serve as the atonement for everyone.

Many are today promoting that Jesus was not born of a virgin. Matthew 1: 23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Had Jesus not been born of a virgin and fathered by the Holy Ghost, He could not have lived a perfect sinless life and would not have sufficed as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Movers and shakers are people that have power and influence and make things happen. Throughout American history we have had many movers and shakers. The signers of The Declaration of Independence were movers and shakers. Because of them we have freedom that many in our world only dream of.

Several American presidents were movers and shakers while other were figureheads only and mostly worthless. Others created a state of chaos and poverty for the people they represented.

Leaders in business and industry are movers and shakers. They get things done! Many object and even protest against the higher paid CEO’s of industry but without them, no one would have a job and multitudes would be in poverty.

Capitalism has been a victim of the misconception that some in management are being paid excessive salaries. But without them the factories would close and the masses would starve.

The shakers job is to shake things up and make things happen. Whether in current day business and industry or in Bible times, without these that are bold, assertive and innovative the world would stop.

Being a mover and a shaker is not safe at times. Stephen preached the gospel of Jesus and became the first martyr for Christ. Acts 7: 59 “They stoned Stephen, he called upon God saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Acts 17: 6b “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” Paul and his fellow missionaries were movers and shakers. It is time to turn the world upside-down once again for the Gospel.

As we saw in the leading scripture (2 Corinthians 11: 24-26) the Apostle Paul suffered many hardships and sufferings to the extreme to go into the (known) world and testify Jesus. To be a mover and a shaker is not always easy and certainly not safe or simple. But for a better world and to get the truth to the masses, they must be.

Van Yandell is a retired Industrial Arts teacher, an ordained gospel evangelist and commissioned missionary. His email: vmy2121@outlook.com