John and Carol Arnott. Preparing for the Glory. Shippensburg PA: Destiny Image, 2018. E-book.

John Arnott with his wife pastors the church in Toronto, Ontario, where the Holy Spirit moved in great power in 1994 and sustained a revival for twelve years. Preparing for the Glory, though, does not give much testimony about what happened there. Instead, this book anticipates a coming revival that will dwarf the one that they were involved in.

In North America there were two locations where the mid-1990’s revival was centered: Toronto and the Panhandle of Florida. It was exciting, and churches and people from all over were affected. The revival made Jesus and the Holy Spirit real for many people. While I have not always seen the Holy Spirit’s power the same way in recent years, I remember what He did in those days. Jesus is real and the Bible is true. This is not a subjective opinion. It is based on an external reality that I and many others have experienced.

There are many thoughtful and encouraging ideas shared in this book. This is another one of those books that could just be wholly dipped into a bucket of highlighter ink.

We know from history that in every revival there are church people who are naysayers. But just because God does things in an unexpected way does not delegitimize it. People are hungry for God.

In the same way that a truly starving person doesn’t send the meat back to the chef because he wanted it medium, not medium rare, so the hunger for more of God at any cost makes gratefulness the driving response to anything He does. (7)

The authors repeat the idea, presented or confirmed by others, that the glory to be prayed for will come like a tsunami. John Arnott tells us the Lord said to him, “I am going easy on you now so you won’t be totally shocked and terrified when the real power shows up.” (17)

There is more to come.

I recall reading something by Christian author Rick Joyner that he first heard about one of the revivals (whether Florida or Canada, I do not recall) when a friend called him to tell him about it. His friend excitedly said that at least one quarter of the outpouring was from the Holy Spirit. Joyner was excited because he believed that he had rarely encountered anything more than about five percent.

So we want more of God, but can really handle more? I am reminded of Moses. After he came down from Mt. Sinai after spending forty days in God’s presence, the people could not stand to look at him. They asked him to wear a veil over his face until the glory faded. (Exodus 34:34-36)

The Arnotts also recognize “a historical tendency for leaders of one revival to be the first to criticize the next wave of revival. To that we say, ‘Help me, Jesus.’” (18) God is humbling.

The book notes that God tests us with His Spirit’s power:

He gives you a little and watches to see how you do. When He sees that you are faithful with what He gives you, he knows He can trust you with more.” (38, cf. Matthew 25:21ff.)

We are warned that “Asking for more will require sacrifice,” whether time, sleep, other activities, or our own dignity. (43)

We have to be reminded that “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (Psalm 19:9) Preparing for the Glory puts it this way:

And the worldview of Heaven is absolutely right and true and perfect…We want Heaven to conform to us, rather than the other way around. But the truth is, that’s never going to happen. (50)

The Lord is God, and we are not.

We are warned not to worry about what others think. God asks, “Me? or them”? God also asks, “Why can’t you love people who see things differently than you?” (62)

If you want to see God move, you have to expect that He will. He is always up to something; it’s up to us to look for it. (77)

Innocent, simple faith that believes what God says is real and that expects Him to do what He says he will do—That is the mark of a mature believer, not complicated doctrine and fancy arguments. (78, dash added)

I choose to not making experience or lack thereof my standard. I will read Scripture, I will listen to others, and I will go where You [God] are moving. (82)

Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the “best” thing; she had chosen to be in his presence above anything else. Worship and soaking are the primary ways we do that…We set aside everything else and just focus on God. (90)

Soaking is a term that came out of that nineties revival. It simply meant remaining—more or less still—in God’s presence, or entering in and remaining.

Revivals going all the way back to the Middle Ages—and really all the way back to Daniel 10:8—have a record of people falling down in God’s presence. This book explains it this way:

…when people fall down, there are generally two issues being addressed—fear and pride. It’s not the same when you are sitting down and someone prays for you, or even when you are already kneeling; you still get to hold on to your dignity. But when the Holy Spirit takes you down to the floor, He is addressing both fear and pride in you. (96)

Some complain that such things are not only undignified but show a lack of self-control. And self-control is one of the Holy Spirit’s fruits (see Galatians 5:22-23), so how can such things be from God? “But self-control means God gives you control over you to defeat issues of sin and wrong choices, not to have control over the Holy Spirit”! (97)

There are many warnings in the book about doing things, even ministering, to draw attention to yourself.

We believe this next great tsunami of revival will be about the Bridegroom and His Bride, that it will serve as the invitation to a wedding—to the Wedding. To the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (122, cf. Revelation 19:7-9 and Luke 14:16-17)

“A Bride readies herself for her groom by setting herself apart.” (124) The Parable of the Ten Virgins is important (see Matthew 25:1-13). The oil “represents the Holy Spirit in the context of intimacy.” (126) “We must steward the revival, the presence.” (148)

The good news is, as we fall more and more deeply in love, we serve Him not because we are slaves but because we are sons and daughters who love their heavenly Father and who love people and desperately want to see the earth filled with His glory. (159)

The goal of revival is not to make clones. It is to make a family. And families are full of people who are different from one another. (161)

I have been blessed to teach at a Christian school whose founder said: “No cookie cutter Christians!” God is real. He wants us to be real, too.

A friend, now with the Lord, who was in Christian ministry also shared that the Lord had shared with him that His next wave of revival would indeed be like a tsunami. He pointed out that before a tsunami hits, the water recedes far back, exposing the sea bottom to resemble dry land.

So things in the world may appear to be getting “dry” and difficult and unspiritual and ungodly and even hostile. But the big wave is coming. “Ways of life need to rebuilt from the bottom up.” (183)

Some well known Christian figures added to this book. Mission leader Heidi Baker and California pastor Bill Johnson wrote introductions. Randy Clark, Chuck Pierce, and Barbara Yoder wrote afterwords.

One of the afterwords reminds us:

In many popularized bestselling end times works, the focus has been on preparing for collapse, disaster, and the unfolding of a satanic agenda. Well, Preparing for the Glory…calls the body of Christ to be ready, for sure, but to be ready for the prophesied outpouring that God wants to release in all the earth. (186, cf. Matthew 24:14)

Let it come.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (Isaiah 60:2)

But truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. (Numbers 14:21)