Takes a Spark
by Sandra Moats
It only takes a spark to get a fire going. When you have a hot
charcoal it only takes a spark for a fire to break out. In the times
we are living in there are few who remain hot in their faith. Many
have become lukewarm and some cold, but there are those that still
remain hot in their Christian life.
In Revelation 3 we are told that God will “spew thee out of his
mouth” if you are lukewarm. It is better that we are hot or cold. Re
3:15. Hot means believers that are following and living for Jesus. Re
3:18. Being cold means one who is not following Jesus.
It is always better when red-hot coals remain together in
anticipation of the coming spark or visitation of the Holy Spirit.
Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. Pr 27:17. It is
important that we meet together as believers and continue to let the
words of Jesus burn within us so that we remain hot. But if all but
one of the charcoals is taken out of the fire pit, it still only takes
a spark to get a fire going. A lone hot charcoal can still explode
into a fire when sparked. Many a forest fire has begun because of a
hot coal left in a fire pit that was sparked into a fire.
Many a Christian in these times, living in various dry areas, have
felt like a lone coal trying to remain hot until the spark comes. The
key for hot coals is to remain hot is to stay in love with Jesus as
your first love. Re 2:4. Continue in the Word of God, reading your
Bible and praying daily. Ro 1:9. For many years, while living in the
northwest, I have witnessed hot coals move into the area. Often they
have said, “I don’t know why we are here.” God has called many a
believer to this area because it is the one of the coldest Christian
spiritual areas in the United States. Generally, people living in the
northwest could care less about becoming a Christian, and much less
living a life of faith. The land is cold and the general public is
cold to the gospel.
Believers must remain hot! If the hot coal becomes cold and is
covered with the dust of the world it is no longer able to receive the
spark. The dust of the world is the care of everyday living that has
snuffed out the joy of walking with Jesus. The dust of the world is
the fellowship of unbelievers that water down and even mock the
Christian life found in the Bible. The dust of the world is the thing
that you allow to come into your life that will dampen the hot fire of
your faith.
When you meet with other believers it should be like being in a
fire pit. When you talk among yourselves about what Jesus has done in
your life during the last week your heart should burn. Remember in the
Scriptures that their hearts burned within them as Jesus explained the
Scriptures to them. “And they said one to another, Did not our heart
burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he
opened to us the scriptures?” Lu 24:32. Your pastor is God’s shepherd,
who is supposed to explain the Scriptures to you, in such a way that
your heart will burn within you as you listen.
The Scriptures are alive! They were not written by the hands of
men, but by inspiration of the Holy Spirit who spoke and moved through
the chosen writers. The importance of assembling ourselves together
for worship is that together is there is more opportunity to catch the
spark and a large fire can ignite. One coal alone can catch a spark,
but coals together have much more opportunity to get a large fire
going.
Keeping yourself hot in the midst of a dry generation and area is
a challenge, but if you keep touching and holding the Word of God, the
Bible, in your heart that fire will not only remain, but also grow.
You cannot remain the same when you love the Word of God; for it is
Jesus Christ made manifest. Every time you touch the Bible think about
it being the essence of what causes you to remain hot and maintaining
your vibrant Christian life.
Living a vibrant Christian life is the coal remaining hot even
during the times when they are the only hot coal in your space. Even
though the northwest is known to be a cold, dry, place spiritually, it
is the exact spot where God would call His faithful believers to
remain hot. God has a plan for the northwest, just as He has for other
areas that are dry and in need of a great spiritual rain. His delight
is for His followers to remain hot until His Holy Spirit sparks the
great revival that will bring forth streams of refreshment and life.
Those who are hot coals have an irresistible fervency to walk in
God’s commands. God’s ministers or servants seek Him, and as they do,
He makes them to be a swift and potent fire flaming forth upon His
direction. The vibrant Christian will shake off the world’s dust and
pick up the Scriptures, which hold the fire of the Holy Spirit, that
is more than enough to spark any revival in the driest area.
Revelation was written on the isle of Patmos in a cave while John
was there at the age of 92 for his faith in Christ. It was a prison
island. God took him away from the church duties to listen and write.
His time of persecution took him into the framework of his great
mission on earth. He left earth with the Holy Spirit having written
through him the book of Revelation that tells us about the end.
One fact about a dry area is that it only takes a spark to get a
fire going. Are you that hot spark of the Jesus Christ in a dry land?
If you are, all you have to do is spark by sharing the love of Jesus
Christ wherever you go. Use your talents to bless other believers so
they will be encouraged to remain hot. Use your talents to bless the
unbelievers so they will be touched to come to Jesus.
Remember it only takes a spark to get a fire going. In a dry area
it only takes one spark to get a large wildfire going. Sometimes
revival has been likened to a wildfire. The point being people do not
control it, but the Spirit of God moves upon lives where He wills. He
will move from one hot coal to another until the area has been burned
and harvested for His purposes.
Such as was in the great revival of 1906. It was sparked among a
few vibrant believers who met in an old barn in Los Angeles,
California. They were meeting together seeking the Lord for revival.
Well when the Holy Spirit visited with that spark it took off and went
all over the world. Out of that revival many denominations were
started that are still functioning today.
The spark is the Holy Spirit. The vibrant Christian is one who
holds unto the Word of God, prays, and believes though they see
nothing happen. Even if their life ends they hold out the faith for a
spark. The match is the instrument of which the spark comes through.
An interesting thing about revival is there is always someone God will
use as the match which the spark of the Holy Spirit comes through.
Sometimes it has been old ladies praying, sometimes a preacher. One
thing for sure the spark will use His own means to spark a fire. And
when you are in a revival you know the fire of God has touched you.
When I was touched I never forgot it, and still today when I step into
a revival like what is happening in China, the fire is rekindled.
The key then is for us to remain hot until He, the Holy Spirit,
sparks revival in our area. I am praying for revival, for the spark of
the Holy Spirit to touch our area that is so desperately dry. And when
He comes upon this area He will ignite those hot coals that have
faithfully remained hot.
Do not allow the dust of the world to cover your Christian life!
Rise up out of the ashes and bring forth the flame as a minister of
God. Ps 104:4; Heb 1:7. If you have let the dust of the world come
upon you, stand up and shake it off! Let your eyes again be set on the
Word of God and His enduring promises, and be His servant in the dry
place.
Empty Blessings
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