The thunder rolls out from the distance rumbling across the land. An eerie calm stills the trees. The brightness of daylight fades as skies begin to darken. Everyone knows that a storm is approaching. Even the animals seem to know. It is time to leave the gardening and begin to close the windows in preparation. But I really want to finish this project that is almost done. This is something that has some importance to me and my family in the scope of our lives. Our lives are filled with activities of home, school, business, and many pleasurable and productive responsibilities. I don’t have much time to do the gardening things and need to get finished. Besides, maybe the storm will go around and not come here, and it may not be severe.As we busy ourselves with the gardening of our lives we don’t really notice the darkening greenish gray sky that is beginning to move over us. Suddenly we have this strange feeling and all the hair on our body stands up. Instantly we are knocked to the ground as an unbelievably powerful surge of energy explodes from the sky. In an instant everything changes. We realize we are still alive and mostly unharmed and lift ourselves up to see the big oak tree only a few yards away ripped apart and still smoldering from the massive lightning strike.
The garden project is no longer a priority. We leave our tools and run for the house. Inside we check on others and rush about securing doors and windows. However, even before we are finished the howling winds begin smashing against the house. The electrical power goes off, and we hear things hitting against the house. We gather the family and run to get into the basement. Nestled in a secure corner and wrapped in quilts, we hear the roaring wind and crashing and smashing above us. Suddenly, our number one focus is God. Prayer is urgent and with great emotion. We desperately need to feel close to God and know He is close to us.
After only minutes that seem like hours, the storm passes, and we emerge to find our house and all that was in it is now scattered piles of debris drenched with water. All of our hard work and all of our possessions are destroyed. Not even a change of cloths is left. We have nothing. Our priorities are now completely shifted. Some things that seemed very important to us only minutes ago mean almost nothing now.
We are all here and unharmed. We hold tightly to one another our hearts are filled with love and praise to God. Giving thanks to God is the number one thing in our hearts. Our spontaneous prayer is: “Thank you, God, that we are all alive.” The peace and joy of the Lord begin to fill our hearts. Tears fill our eyes as we realize that we have been too busy to commune with our loving God who is our only solid rock in this temporal life. We have missed living in this place of real peace and joy in intimate oneness with our Lord. Soon the family begins to repent to one another for our shortness and contempt with each other while we were so busy with the “good things” of this life. Soon neighbors and others come to help us and we are so thankful that they are alright. We also become very thankful for the basic things of life that they share with us. We thank God for the things we took for granted until a few hours ago.
Again we repent for always wanting more or better than we had in the past and not being thankful to God for what we had. We feel God’s love flowing through our neighbors as we give thanks to God for His provision. Truly we are gushing with love for God and for our neighbors as well as each other in our little family.
How could we have missed this wonderful life? How could we have drifted away from the really important things and embraced emptiness?
Our lives had been very busy with many things that seemed so important that we had missed life. When we thought we were rich, we had been truly impoverished.
Hours later we learned that the factory where we were employed with good pay for many years was severely damaged. The factory had been struggling in the poor economy and the strong competition from manufacturers who had moved their factories to other countries where there was less labor cost and fewer taxes. It is probably not going to be possible for the factory to rebuild and reopen.
Our prayer becomes, “Thank you, God, that we have you and that we are all alive and well.” We wonder if the Lord allowed the sudden storm of destruction to jolt us from our foolish life and turn us back to Him.
As I asked the Lord what He wanted to say to His people, I received the above in a vision like a dream while awake. I believe it speaks clearly of the current situation of many of His people, families, tribes, and nations.
For many a shocking jolt of destructive power will in one day change life as it was known before causing many to turn back to God. A series of destructive events are already occurring as signs or a foretaste of what is to come to shake all things that can be shaken.
At the same time that the thickening dark clouds are releasing their destructive power, a mighty surge of supernatural empowerment will come upon the sons of God to preach and demonstrate with great boldness the pure gospel of the kingdom of God to the entire world.
The fire of God will roll across the land dissolving all that is not of God.
A child shall speak to a nation.
A whisper shall become a mighty shout as thunder from God.
Natural will be swallowed up in supernatural and restored as a garden of life.
Nothing shall stand before the Son of God manifesting Himself into the world. Every person yet alive on earth will worship the Lord God Almighty. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Christ Jesus is Lord. The whole earth will be filled with His glory.
This kingdom of God is now, always was and forever shall be.
It shall be fully manifested in the earth as it is in heaven.
Considering all these things what manner of person ought we to be?
Father God we bow before Your Majesty. Jesus, you are Lord of all and King over all the earth. Fill us, oh Lord, with Your strength, Your courage, Your boldness, Your love, and Your wisdom. Explode Your life in us that exceeds all that is in the world. Let the lightning of Your loving presence be a shocking jolt to blast us out of our mundane life of self concerns and into Your heavenly supernatural life in the Spirit. Open our mouths, oh Lord, to speak Your heavenly words and proclaim Your magnificent glory into the world. Fill us, oh Lord, with Your boldness that flows from purity of holiness and Your strength that flows from pure love. Let Your supernatural life rise up in Your people. We open our hearts and empty ourselves; fill us Lord. Let us lose our life to find it. You are worthy oh Lord. Amen
Keep on pursuing love. It never fails
and His kingdom never ends.
Ron McGatlin
www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net
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