19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
God’s dwelling place in heaven is so holy, so magnificent, that when it is opened for John to look into, creation itself responds. When God truly shows up things must change. Too long we have played at this walk of faith, putting God on our schedule. If He wants to move in our lives then He must do it between the hours of 11:00 and 12:00 on Sunday. We put God in a small little box, confining Him to our agenda. I wonder what would happen if we turned our agenda over to God. I can imagine a few storm-like events happening. Every spiritual awakening in history has turned those exposed to God’s moving on their ends. Just like a violent hurricane, their lives are changed forever. When God moves in your life, things must change. Once God has truly shown up by His Spirit, you either surrender or you become resistant. And whichever path you choose, you become increasingly committed to that path. You increase in your surrender or in your resistance. There is no middle ground in which to stand. That is why it is so important to yield when you know God is speaking to you. Don’t wait. Forget the embarrassment of the altar call, go forward and surrender. When you are reading the Scriptures and you feel God place His finger on a sin in your life, repent and yield right then. Stop in that moment and draw on God’s resources. God does not show up every moment in these types of earth shattering ways, so take advantage of His energy in the moment. Move as close to God as you can at that point in time. The more we yield, the more we will recognize the ever-present presence of God. He wants to move in mighty ways in this world, but He is looking for vessels who will yield to His will.
The Arnold Journey 