Sunday night, Sept. 23, 2018, I was in a local worship gathering with several people from different areas. There was just one agenda, and that was to worship God. We have all been in many worship meetings in our lives, and we can agree that sometimes God just chooses to “show up” and make Himself known among us. Of course, He’s always among us, but occasionally He likes to manifest His presence in a supernatural way. Last night He did; He took a bunch of normal, everyday people and, sure enough, He worked powerfully. During this time of worship, God gave me this word that I would like to share with you:
“Over the next 15 days (Sept. 24-Oct. 8, 2019; through Columbus Day) I am creating sparks on the earth.” (These sparks are not like quick, overnight Asuza-Street-outpourings by tomorrow). These are sparks. The flint is sovereignly being struck by the hand of God. There will be sparks in private prayer meetings, public church services, homes, hospitals and within bank accounts. Sparks will fly over the next 15 days. This is the beginning of a new voyage, a calling out for many people. Most of all, God is pulling out the holy from the rabble; He is removing the impure from among His people. He is setting fire to the dead, dry wood!
The Sparks Will Reveal the Heart of the Issue
Recently, I was watching one of my favorite shows, Bar Rescue. This specific episode illustrated the blatant disrespect and deep rebellion coming from the workers toward the owner of the establishment. It was disturbing to me. Every word coming from some of the workers behind the owner’s back was a curse word, or they said things like, “He can go get his own (obscenity) food for the people tonight: I’m done with this!” The owner had to put up with this every night. After watching hidden cameras of this disrespectful behavior taking place, the host of the show, “Big John,” came in and set them straight. In a single meeting, one of the workers was fired immediately. While watching this, the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying, “And you think you are any different? You think you never complained when the Lord asked you to do this or that? You never talked or grumbled behind the Lord’s back because you had to do something more important than what He had asked you to do? Pausing for a moment … The Lord said to me, “This is exactly what it looks like every time you complain instead of praise me in the tough times.”
That evening, I was quickly reminded that displaying the life of Jesus to the world is a privilege and not a task; one that we can’t put false expectations or selfish boundaries on. If we are willing to accept the goodness of God when things are going well, then we must also be willing to accept the tough times. In both, we have to be willing to respect our Creator. We can’t sign up for just “the good gospel” that one that doesn’t have any sacrifice, we must be willing to sign up for the full gospel; the one that will crush that which is not Him out of us, and will illuminate what is of God within us. Sometimes we have to accept that we are broken in order for Christ to put us back together again.
Thank God Paul didn’t stop writing the gospel when he sat imprisoned:
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph. 4:1).
The Sparks Will Cause You to Stay When Everyone Else Wants to Go
You have heard people often say, “Go big or go home!” I can’t tell you how many ministries and entrepreneurs this has destroyed over the years. Have you ever heard of “despise not small beginnings”? We have created too many “Go big or go home Christians.” If it isn’t big, they are out. The sad truth is that this is like a cancer in the body of Christ—and it must die! We have too many Christians who are waiting for their big moment on Oprah, and, unfortunately, refuse to go right down the street to help the elderly woman in need. “Go big or go home” is changing to “Go and stay until God tells you to leave.” The world doesn’t need another picture-perfect Christian. The lost need simple, ordinary people living out an extraordinary lifestyle with no strings attached. We must be willing to say, “Lord, I am willing to go and do whatever you ask, and stay as long as you need me to stay, regardless of the cost. “Go big or go home” is officially burned up with this spark!
The sparks will take us on one of the deepest journeys we have ever walked on with the Lord.
Some of the scariest moments in life can be when we don’t see the hand of God, but He asks us to walk forward anyway. It is through these precious times when the Lord takes us on a sovereign journey, a voyage that was designed for just you and Him at that exact moment in time. It is a place that you walk through where others refuse to go along beside you. It sometimes feels like a valley when others are on the mountain top. But the valley doesn’t stay forever. There is a mountain near every valley. God is calling His church (you and I) to walk through the valleys of our lives in power. God is calling us to a new depth, and an inner glory that truly reveals Christ through us, with a much deeper maturity—one that brings a greater understanding of who Christ is. This spark is a “calling out from among us” moment—a destiny that pulls on us much harder than we are willing to let go this time, one that won’t let us turn back. This spark is catching hold of an eternal fire; a well-seasoned, mature, obedient and joyful child of God. This spark is a faith walk like nothing we have ever walked before.
“But we all, seeing the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).
A Prophetic Spark over Japan, North and South Korea, and the Children of Africa
There will be multiple sparks in several “pocket” regions in many parts of the world. There will be sparks among the Millennials in Japan and the two Koreas. I see sparks among the children in Africa. I hear the Lord whisper, “I am raising up a new generation in Africa.” {eoa}
Andy Sanders had an encounter with God just before his high school graduation that altered his life forever. He has since devoted his time to preaching the gospel and writing. He co-authored the Capturing the Supernatural series (capturingthesupernatural.com). Andy has a B.A. from Central Bible College and carries a master’s degree and a doctorate in Christian education from Freedom Seminary, graduating with honors. His family resides in Syracuse, New York.
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
Charisma Staff 
