I prayed on specific words in relation to our Christian
walk. The word “Spark” was brought to my
mind. Maybe God brought it to my mind because
July 4, Independence Day, is close.
When we encounter Christ, it only takes a spark. In that instant we are changed, we are free,
and people will notice.
As kids, usually on the fourth of July, we used to have
sparklers that we would ignite and then run around the yard with them. You know
the little sparklers that you can buy in the stores. They were small, but you could see the light.
Then to light someone else’s sparkler we would put the two
sticks together, and the sparkler that wasn’t lit would come to light. We would pass it on. There is a song we would sing at campmeetings. “Pass it on” by Kurt Kaiser. The first verse starts with “It only takes a
spark to get a fire going.”
Verse 1
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You spread His love to ev’ryone
You want to pass it on.
~ Kurt Kaiser
It does only take a spark to get the fire going. That is how it goes when we have experienced
the love of God. In an instant, we are
changed. You want to share it. Once you
receive that love and feel that freedom, you want to pass it on.
Living IN Revival, we want to pass the good news on. The freedom that can be found in Christ. It is tremendous. It is FREEDOM. The TRUTH, the freedom, that in an instant, can change us. When we have that, we want to share it with those around us. We can find illustrations of this change in an instant and the need to share the story, in the Bible and all around.
The Woman of Samaria ~ Better Known as the Woman at the Well.
She had gone to the
well for water to quench her thirst. One
encounter, one conversation with the Lord. It only took a spark, and she went
back into her town proclaiming what she had experienced. “Come
see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do
you think this could be the Messiah?” and they went out to see for themselves.
– John 4:30 ~MSG
“They went out to see
for themselves.” There must have been
something about the woman. Think about
it. What a difference in that woman from the time she went to get the water
when no one else was around to when she went back to the town.
Something in her countenance had changed that when she returned and told her story, people wanted what she had found. She couldn’t keep the news to herself. It was something that she had to share. The town went to investigate for themselves. She had found something they were missing.
What a difference that one moment with Christ made not only in her life but in her town's life! She told of her encounter with Christ, and they went to see what she was talking about. They wanted a change in their lives themselves. ALL because of one conversation with Jesus, One Spark.
The Story of the Jailor
Acts 16:23-33 ~ In the NIV
Paul and Silas were thrown in jail after been flogged. It was midnight. They were bruised, battered,
and in pain. Yet, they were praying and
singing. “Suddenly there was such a
violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and
everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:26.
The story goes on.
The jailor wakes up and sees the prison doors open. Of course, he is going to freak out. He freaked out so much that he was going to
take his own life because of it. But
Paul shouted out “DON'T."
What kind of fire did Paul and Silas have for Jesus? They were bruised and battered but still singing and praying. The jailor saw this spark in them, and he wanted what they had. The chapter continues. “At that hour of the night the jailor took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” ~Acts 16:33
Based on that one spark of Paul and Silas, that jailor and his entire family were baptized. In one moment, the jailor was changed. That change was seen by his family. How else do you have an entire family be baptized in one instant?
That one event or that one spark changed the lives of that jailor and his family noticed. They wanted what the jailor had. In an instant, their lives were changed.
The Story of the Hemorrhaging Lady.
The woman who touched the robe of Christ was changed in an
instant. Luke 8:43-48, in the
Message. She was in the crowd. In fact,
the verse emphasizes, “she slipped in from behind and touched the edge of
Jesus’ robe. At that moment her hemorrhaging stopped.”
Because of her faith, in an instant, she was healed. So much was her faith, that Jesus stopped
what he was doing and called her out. It
wasn’t to embarrass her. He wanted her to tell her story. Jesus had to have known who it was who
touched his garment, but he wanted her to know that because of her faith, she
was changed.
He wanted her to tell her story. How many people heard what happened to her in
that moment? Her testimony of what God
had done, in an instant. IT truly is
amazing. She could have backed away and
not volunteered the fact that it was her, but she did.
It only takes a Spark.
Can you imagine the story she told that night when she went home? “Hello, husband, I have something to tell
you.” In a moment, her life is not the
same. In a moment, she knew Jesus and
was not the same.
The Story of Bryan Welch
You may not know the story of Bryan Welch, the co-founder of
KORN. With one spark, the Bible, he was
changed. According to Bryan, his rock
and roll lifestyle was a dangerous spiral.
He was on the brink of destruction with the drinking and the drugs.
A friend gave him a
bible. Bryan, in an interview he gave to
CBN said, “It’s about the book of life, and everybody needs to be taught…It’s
gonna do stuff like this—like change a guy in a rock band.”
According to the same article, one week later, Bryan Welch, rock
& roll star flew to Israel was baptized in the Jordan River. It only took a spark, and now Bryan is sharing
his faith to a multitude of people. He
is using his platform to tell his story and point people to Jesus.
The Story of Us
It takes only a spark, and we are changed. Christ wants us to spread the good news to those who need to hear it. When we are changed through Christ, we want to share it with anyone who will listen. He wants the world to hear of the freedom that can be found in Him. Through His freedom, others will want what we have found. Something about naturally passing it on to others, like the sparklers.
What is your story?
Abba Father,
I pray that the spark
that is changing people all around will start a wildfire of faith for others.
Our stories need to be spread, and I pray that each of us tells our story of the
Freedom that can be found in You.
You keep igniting that
spark in people, and we see time after time. We see you at work. Please
continue to ignite that spark. Soon all
those around us will know of your glory.
In Jesus Name, AMEN!
~ Laura Maxson
