I’ve been posting about the power of God at work in us. How far are you willing to go to walk in the power of the Spirit? Experience tells me that we would rather talk a good game and make excuses, than to put forth the effort to see the real thing.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:7-8
This is the last verse I looked at in my previous post. It deals specifically with the power available to those who remain in Christ. It says that they can ask what they wish and it will be done.
Think about the trust God places in that kind of believer. I personally wouldn’t give that kind of power to most Christians that I know. It would be dangerous.
The fact is that in this fifteenth chapter of John, the Lord referred to us remaining in Him 8 times in 4 verses. I think He’s trying to make a point. It’s required that we remain in Him if we want Him to manifest His power in us.
I asked a question four posts ago – in the first of this series (Power and Authority – The Difference). I asked which form of power – AC or DC – was better?
You probably answered the question as most people do. They say that they prefer DC batteries because they can go where they want. They can take their device with them when they leave the house. When you have to plug it in the wall, you’re confined to stay at home to use it.
This is the big problem in the body of Christ today. We want to be able to leave the house. If your goal is to go in and out of the house, then batteries are better.
If you intend on doing that in the spirit – living for Christ sometimes and living for self at other times, then the power of the law is better than no power at all. Christians of this generation have a real problem with remaining in the spiritual “house.”
There are two forms of power. The greater of these requires you to remain in Christ. Our goal seems to be to live with one foot in the world, and one with Christ. You can’t do that and use the power of the Spirit to any great extent.
We need to take an honest, hard look at our walk with God to see where we fit into this picture. We must then be willing to make the changes necessary to remain in Christ.
Question: What will it cost you to remain in Christ? Are you willing to pay the price?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: body of Christ, Christ, Jesus, one foot in the world, plugged in, power, power of God, power of the spirit, remain in Christ, spiritual power, spiritual walk, the law, this generation, trust
In my last post I talked about the differences between the power of the law and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
There’s another big difference between the law and the Spirit. When you walk by the Spirit, you are totally dependant upon the Spirit. The law, on the other hand, allows you to be self-sufficient. All through Scripture we see this truth. If we are to minister for Him, then we must work in His strength. There is no other way to operate in the Spirit of God
The law gives you the appearance of self-sufficiency. That is, until the batteries die. That’s why it’s so hard to reach people in legalistic churches. They know what they’ve done to keep the law – to live right. They know the effort they’ve put forward.
“I’m okay because I’ve served God faithfully for forty long years.”
That brings us to the final difference that I want to cover. It’s actually the same as the last one, but from a little different perspective. To understand this we could look at the whole of the Gospel of John, chapter 15. Instead, I’ll only look at a few verses that emphasize the point I’m trying to make.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:7-8
REMAIN IN CHRIST! That’s the crux of the whole matter. In order to be entrusted with the power of God, we must remain in the Spirit of Christ. This is what trips most of us up. We don’t want to remain.
The law is a little more lenient, it allows you to be transient. What’s transient? Now there’s a word you don’t hear very often, but it describes the situation exactly. Let me explain it to you.
My parents used to have a summer home in the state of Maine. It was in a trailer park in the woods. We used to have a lot of fun going up there each year.
My parents spent most of the summer and fall there. They knew all of their neighbors and had a wonderful time living there. While my family and I visited, we heard about another section of the park, with a different sort of people. That was the “transient section.”
The transient section of the park was reserved for those who would come for only a week and then leave to go somewhere else. They didn’t remain there permanently, as my parents did. Instead, they wanted to come and go as they saw fit. This seems to be a problem of epidemic proportions in the body of Christ today.
We don’t want to remain in the Spirit. We want the freedom do what we want and have the blessing of God on our lives.
According to Christ, it is as we remain in Him that we enter the place of power.
Question: Why does remaining in Christ sound so difficult to this generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: blessing of God, Christ, dependant, dependant on God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, law, legalistic, power, power of God, power of the spirit, remain in Christ, self-sufficient, transient Christian
I’ve been posting about the two different sources of spiritual power – the Holy Spirit and the law. Remember, it’s the law that powers sin. There are some important differences between the law and the Holy Spirit.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
Literally, this verse says God is powerful enough to do everything you need according to His grace. In all things, at all times – this means that the power of the Holy Spirit is permanent, whereas the law is temporary.
If I base my walk on how well I follow the law, I’ll soon be in big trouble. Everything is fine while I’m at church, especially if I just went to the altar and repented. I go on my way feeling strong spiritually.
Then it happens, on my way to the car I get into an argument. It all goes downhill from there. Now Satan has a base for accusation again and I can feel my power dwindling.
On the other hand, I can base my spiritual walk on the Holy Spirit within me. I know that He’s always there. I can run to Him in all things, at all times, and I know that He’s able to meet my need no matter what.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1 Corinthians 4:20
There’s a second difference – the Holy Spirit is true, but the law is deceitful. What does that mean? When it comes to the law, you can always talk a good game.
“I pray, read my Bible, and am always on time for church.”
You can make it appear that you’re very powerful in the Lord, if that’s what it takes. It’s a good thing that most believers don’t know what true power is or the charade would be over.
With the power of the law, you can hold the batteries in your hand. Show off how much voltage you’re capable of. We can even hear other’s proclaim, “Boy, those are a lot of pretty big batteries.”
The reason I said that the law is deceptive, is because the batteries can be dead and no one would know the difference – unless they looked for change being produced. I’m going to let you in on a little secret – even the little pink bunny that keeps going and going eventually dies. His batteries run out.
When yours do, because you’re relying on how well you follow the law, then you’re left with only the appearance of power. That’s when we get together and “Remember when…” Remember when our batteries were charged and we saw someone saved, or healed so many years ago.
It’s time for the church to tap into the only reliable source of power – the Holy Spirit whom God has placed within us.
Question: How have your attempts at following the rules turned out?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: deceitful, deceptive, God is able, grace, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit versus the law, permanent, power of the spirit, powerful, remember when, sin, source of power, Spirit of God, spiritual power, talk, talk a good game, temporary, the grace of God, true
In my last post I talked about power and authority. Power is the ability to produce change. Authority is the permission to use power.
Jesus told us that we had authority over all the power of the enemy. This causes me to question our current church experience. If what the Lord said is true, then why does the enemy seem to be winning?
To understand this you must realize that just like electricity, there are two forms of spiritual power.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
These were some of the last words of Jesus before He was taken up into Heaven. We must realize that our power comes from God Himself through the Holy Spirit in us. This means that the two sources of spiritual power are the Holy Spirit and sin.
This is a very important fact to know if we’re to grow in our spiritual walk. Our goal should be to only receive our power from the Holy Spirit.
We must be certain that we’re not powered by the same thing that powers the enemy’s kingdom. To have this assurance, we need to ask a very important question. If sin is a power source, then what is the power of sin?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
That should be an eye opener. Most Christians have no idea that the power of sin is the law. We seem to have missed this fact even though it’s plainly taught in the Scripture. This means that without the law, sin would have no power.
As a matter of fact, Satan’s power is derived totally from sin. So if there were no law, then the enemy would have no power. Everything that Satan is able to do is powered by the law. Whether you realize this or not, every accusation and attack that he makes is all based upon the law. The problem we have is that just knowing this truth isn’t enough to defeat him.
Like AC and DC, both forms are very powerful. AC is the type of electricity that powers your house. DC is the type that starts your car in the morning as well as supplying power for the lightning we see in a thunderstorm. In the same way, the two forms of spiritual power can be very potent.
We, as believers, need to understand the differences so that we’ll not fall into the trap of trying to use the enemy’s power to defeat sin in our lives.
Question: How do we sometimes try to use our sinful nature to defeat sin in our lives?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: AC, authority, Christ, DC, devil, electricity, enemy, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, permission, power, power of sin, power of the spirit, produce change, Satan, sin, spiritual power, the enemy's power source, the law
A few months ago, I talked at length about the power of God that’s working in us. In that discussion we saw that true power is the ability to produce change. It should be obvious that the power of God changes everything that it touches.
At some point, we also talked about the two components of power – love and a saved mind. In that regard, faith is the fuel that energizes our love to action. This is the nature of the power of God working in our lives. It should be our goal to act just the opposite of those who “have a form of godliness but deny its power.”
Over the next few posts I want to continue to look at the power of God and how it parallels natural electric power. One of the things that we know about electricity is that it can come in two different forms. We know them as Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC).
The fact is that both are useful. As a matter of fact, I can use both of these forms of electricity to power my portable DVD player.
I can choose to use the DC batteries or plug the AC adapter into the wall plug. Which is better? Think about that and we’ll talk more about it in a later post. You will probably be surprised at how closely the answer to this simple question relates to Christians today.
In talking about spiritual power, Jesus said the following to His disciples…
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Luke 10:19
We need to learn that authority goes hand in hand with power. I haven’t talked about the concept of authority yet, so we need an understanding of how it fits into the whole picture. While power is the ability to produce change, authority is the permission to use power. In the natural realm the Electric Company gives you the authority to use electricity in your home or you will have no power.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18
Jesus said that He had been given permission to use all power in Heaven and on earth. It is a blessing to know that He has given some of this power to us. According to the Lord, our power is effective over all the power of the enemy. Now that’s good news, that our power is greater than Satan’s kingdom.
There is no reason for me to fear, because God’s power is operating in me.
Question: How should the above knowledge affect our walk with God?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: ability to produce change, alternating current, difference, direct current, greater, love, permission to use power, power, power and authority, power of God, power of the spirit, saved mind, spiritual power
We live in an age of hero worship. It seems that people are more inclined to follow those with the most glitz and showmanship. It has, unfortunately, carried over into the body of Christ.
When it comes to the teachings we accept, how do we decide who to listen to? We need to be asking the right questions. This was something that was clearly portrayed in the ministry of Christ.
The following is taken from the Scriptural passage found in the Gospel of Luke 4:16-40. You will want to read that first to understand what I share in this post.
In that section of Scripture, Jesus preaches at two different synagogues. One was in His hometown of Nazareth, and the other in Capernaum. In both cases He preached the same message. Knowing that it was the Lord, I am assuming that both messages had the same level of anointing.
In spite of these similarities, only one of the towns, Capernaum, received a blessing out of the visit. It is clear to see from the narrative, that the reason was the questions that they asked themselves as Jesus was ministering.
This is important to us because we are guilty of the same type of attitudes that these people had. I believe that we have missed out on countless blessings because our attitudes got in the way. What makes the difference?
Verse 22 shows the question the people of Nazareth were asking. It demonstrates what they were focusing on.
They spoke well of Him. They were amazed at the words from His lips.
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
They were concentrating on who was speaking – was He all that they were expecting?
Capernaum was a different case altogether. Verse 32 and 36 make it clear that they were amazed at His teaching. They recognized that His Word had power and authority. Who He was and what He looked like didn’t figure into their acceptance of the Word.
As a result, revival fell in Capernaum that day. Demons were cast out and all the sick that lived in that area were healed (Verse 33-40).
We need to learn this lesson. Sometimes the biggest show has the least anointing. On the other hand – there are times God wants to perform great miracles through His “unknown servants”.
We need to be asking, “What is the anointing, authority, and power upon this Word.” How big a following someone has shouldn’t figure into it. It’s all about the spirit behind the message, not the person God is using.
If we keep this in mind, then we’ll find the blessing of God in some of the most unlikely places. We will also open ourselves up to the miraculous.
Question: Have you ever received a blessing from God’s unknown servants?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: anointing, asking the right questions, authority, blessing, blessing of God, body of Christ, Christ, expectations, hero, hero worship, Jesus, message, ministry, power, preaching, questions, revival, showman, showmanship, teaching, unknown servants, word, word of God
Many people are looking for “the Anti-Christ.” Even Hollywood has done movies about it. If you’re a believer, then you need to realize that we are already facing the spirit of antichrist that’s at work in the world.
Can you recognize the working of this spirit? Do you even know what to look for? This knowledge is important for our spiritual well-being in these last days.
But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
1 John 4:3
The Apostle John tells us that there is a spirit of antichrist. According to him, it was already at work in his day.
What is it? Well, let’s think about it. The title Christ means the Anointed One. It was a description of the Messiah. Anti means that this spirit is actively working against the Anointed One.
When we bow our knee to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we place ourselves under His anointing.
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
We now have the Anointed One and His anointing active in our lives. This anointing is leading us somewhere. It is guaranteeing what the Lord want to accomplish through us. That’s the Spirit of Christ in us.
The spirit of antichrist is active in the world. There is an “anti-anointing” at work trying to neutralize what Christ is doing through us.
What we have to realize is that it’s all about Christ. Have you ever noticed that if you talk about God or a “higher power,” it’s okay? You can even talk about religion to some extent.
But, as soon as you try to talk about Jesus Christ, the conversation gets shut down. Using that precious name to swear is socially acceptable. Yet when I want to show how that name can transform a life, it becomes an “off limits” topic.
There is power in the name of Jesus. That’s where the source of our anointing comes from. We cannot minister without it.
That’s why the kingdom of the enemy is so adamant about trying to shut it down. The spirit of antichrist – this anti-anointing that’s in the world – wants us to remain silent.
That’s why it’s so important to recognize where this comes from. Even more important to know, is that our anointing is greater, stronger, and more effective than anything in the enemy’s arsenal. If we stand in Christ, then we cannot be stopped or silenced.
As believers, we need to recognize that this anti-spirit is active around us. But we must never fear it. Neither will we submit to it or compromise with it.
Question: Have you seen this antichrist spirit active in the people around you?
Tags: anointed one, antichrist, at work, Christ, God, higher power, His anointing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, Messiah, name of Jesus, recognizing the spirit of antichrist, savior, spirit, spirit of antichrist, Spirit of Christ, world
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10
This is a verse that we like to quote a lot. But, I want to know if it’s real to us. Do we understand the importance of seeking? And in all of our seeking, are we searching for what’s truly important?
I’m reminded of the children of Israel as they waited on the doorstep of the Promised Land. They selected 12 “spies” who were instructed to search out the land and come back with a report.
So they went up and explored the land…When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Numbers 13:21-25
God had promised this land to Israel. Now they were seeing it for the first time. They roamed up and down the whole area. Needless to say, they were very impressed with what they saw. The fruit was unmatched anywhere else. It was truly a blessed land that awaited them.
Their exploration of the land should be an example to us. We need to search out both the Scripture and the Mind of God to know our inheritance in Christ. It’s very important that we see what God has in store for us. Without that knowledge, we can’t go before God in faith to believe for the things that we need.
It’s unfortunate that most Christians have no idea the magnitude of the blessings there are in serving the Lord. They live their whole lives never knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for them. I believe it’s time for the church to live the abundant life that we were called to. This, more than anything else, will be an incredible witness to our generation.
That’s why the time you spend in the presence of the Lord is so important. Take the time each day to read the Bible, pray, and pray in the Spirit. That’s how you search out the things God has prepared for you.
As the Holy Spirit speaks to you, be quick to lay claim to the promise, blessing, grace, or strength that He offers. Walk each day in the faith that only comes through a living relationship with the Life-Giver.
Question: How intensely do you explore your “promised land”?
Tags: 12 spies, abundant life, ask, Bible, blessings, children of Israel, fruit, Holy Spirit, importance of seeking, knock, mind of Christ, our inheritance, pray, pray in the spirit, promise, promised land, promises of God, read, Scripture, seek, spiritual explorer, witness
Do you believe that we’re living in the Last Days before the coming of the Lord? Do you think that His return is close? If so, then what should our mindset be like?
At one point in His ministry the Lord talked about the importance of being ready. We’re not to be distracted by all the things the world has to offer.
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.”
Luke 12:35-36
In this verse Jesus shows us how to live in the last days. He tells us to be dressed. For us it means to have our spiritual armor on. Don’t go around without your protection from the snares of the enemy.
Too many Christians are walking around spiritually naked. Then they wonder why the enemy has such an easy time messing with them. The time is now to prepare for the conflict ahead.
The Lord also said to keep your lamps burning. We must be awake and alert. The world is in the dark and we’re supposed to be in the light. That’s the kind of constant preparedness our lives should be equipped with.
We are to be in an attitude of waiting and watching. The meaning of the word that He uses for waiting is to give access to.
In other words, I’m not living for myself. I’m at someone else’s disposal. I’m supposed to be ready at a moment’s notice to do something for somebody else.
The Lord must have 24 hour a day access to our lives. As soon as the Master knocks we should be at the door, opening it. Our schedule should not even factor into it. We live to please the Master.
Sometimes our attitude with the Lord sounds like this; “Oh, I’m sorry. I was reading a book, and I wanted to finish the paragraph.” Servants don’t have that luxury. We live to please Christ. We must be prepared to serve at a moment’s notice.
In order to fulfill this calling we must have the attitude of a waiting servant. Christ is coming, and we want to be ready when He appears. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, what I’m reading, or what I’m eating – when He arrives on the scene, I’m there to meet Him. “Lord, I’m ready for you.” That’s the ready attitude to have.
It’s time for the church to stop living like our wants and desires are the most important thing. Christ must be given the highest priority of our service.
Question: Does the church appear ready for the return of Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: alert, attitude, awake, Christ, church, coming of the Lord, distracted, distractions, end time, Jesus, lamps burning, last days, last days mentality, mindset, ready, return of the Lord, second coming, servant, spiritual armor
It’s hard to believe, but in reality the United States can no longer be called a Christian nation. Yes, there are pockets of Christian majorities on various parts of the map, but overall the influence of believers is almost gone. I believe this is because we have lost sight of the true message of the Gospel.
I was recently reading a post about 5 issues the church will have to deal with over the next ten years. It was by Ed Stetzer, the President of Lifeway Research. In it he made some startling statements that I may comment about from time to time.
The issue that caught my attention, was that the church of this generation needs a clear understanding of the Gospel. It wasn’t many years ago that the flames of renewal and revival were sweeping across many parts of our nation. How have we fallen so far from the message of Christ?
Where has the Gospel of Jesus Christ gone? In many churches we are taught how to be “good people.” There are messages on how to live a great life – overcoming depression and other negative qualities. It’s almost as if the modern church has become a group emotional-therapy session.
Paul’s words should bring us a much needed wake-up call.
2 Timothy 2:8
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…
We wonder why our impact on society has diminished. This just might be the key. The Gospel is not about New Year’s resolutions or turning over a new leaf. It’s not even about wanting to be a better person, spouse, or parent.
The true message of the Gospel is not about what I do. It’s all about what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He died, was buried, and He rose back to life on the third day. The Lord accomplished this so that we could receive His life and become a new person in Him.
Anything less than that is not the Gospel.
In his post, Ed Stetzer made a statement that I have turned into a question in order to check myself. As a pastor, I’m responsible for the message received by the people under my care. I’m going to be accountable for what I preach to them each week.
The question I must ask myself is this: Would the message I’m preaching still be true if Jesus hadn’t died on the cross? If so, then I’m not proclaiming the Gospel. It might be good and helpful to the listener, but it isn’t the Good News of the Bible. The Gospel is life-changing.
The church in America needs to return to the true Gospel message.
Question: How do you perceive a need for the Gospel in our generation?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, America needs the Gospel, believers, Christ, Christian, Christian nation, church, cross, good news, gospel, influence, Jesus, message, message of Christ, preaching, proclaiming, renewal, revival, true message, understanding, United States
I’ve been posting about the power of God at work in us. How far are you willing to go to walk in the power of the Spirit? Experience tells me that we would rather talk a good game and make excuses, than to put forth the effort to see the real thing.
The Spirit and the Word 