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Monthly Archives: October 2023

God Working Among You

30 Oct
God Working Among You

As we continue through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, he’s now coming to the final part. This verse is the last of his teaching section. We need to take it to heart.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 NIV

This is a final exhortation, and a promise that goes with it. To really understand what Paul is saying here, you need to know that everything in this verse is plural. That means he’s speaking to the church as a whole. It’s not about one single person.

We have to come to grips with this truth. God wants to work through the church as a whole. WE are the body of Christ. It’s not a one-man or one-woman show.

He tells us the result of all this is the God of peace being seen among us. That’s what we should all be striving for in our churches. For that to happen, we need to go through the progression that the apostle puts forth.

I think that the best way to understand it is to go in reverse order from how it’s laid out in this verse. That will show how our maturity can increase by following the example of those who are more experienced in the things of God.

First, there are the things that they saw in Paul. When we look at a mature believer, we see certain characteristics. We see how they follow Christ, their attitudes and actions. We should be taking mental notes on how that portrays Christ to us.

But, that’s not enough. We need to know how to apply what we’ve seen. Now you have to get in a position to hear from them. We need to listen to what they say.

Too often, mature believers are ignored because we think that they’re too strict. They follow Christ too closely. But, that’s the kind of walk we need to think about. We need to hear about what they learned and the struggles they went through to get where they are.

The next step is to receive from them. Actually, this Greek word means to receive near them. This requires us to be more intentional. It means that we start associating with these mature Christians. You have to realize that you become like the people you associate with.

That’s true whether you associate with strong believers or ungodly sinners. The more you hang with them, the more you pick up their attitudes; good or bad.

So, the best resource is to find someone who is strong in the Lord. Then, start to spend time with them. Allow their attitudes to work a change in you.

That sets you up for the next step. Once you’ve adopted the same attitudes, you can truly say that you learned how to live for Christ in maturity. That’s why we’re called to be disciples – not students. A student simply wants to learn what the teacher knows. A disciple wants to become what the teacher is.

That’s why, usually, a mature Christian walk is “caught not taught”. We learn maturity through our association with strong believers.

This is the reason Paul ended the sentence by saying to put these things into practice. That means doing them repeatedly, over and over again. Just because I help someone once, doesn’t mean I’m helpful. Helpful means that I habitually help others.

It’s the same in our walk with Christ. One act of godliness doesn’t make me godly. Godliness is a lifestyle. It’s picked up and carried on through an entire life of service to the Lord.

That’s how Paul ends the teaching portion of his letter to this church. We should understand the importance of this and follow through with it.

Question: How far along the journey to maturity do you see yourself?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 30, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Relationships, Spiritual Walk

 

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Your Thought Life 2

27 Oct
Your Thought Life 2

We’re continuing through the epistle to the Philippians. In my last post, we started looking at how we should manage our thought life. Paul gave us the areas we need to be dwelling on.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 NIV

Last time I talked about the things that are true, noble, and right. Now I’ll move on.

Paul tells us we need to be thinking about things that are pure. This word speaks of things which are clean or innocent. The Apostle John talked about this.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

1 John 3:2-3 NIV

This should be a big part of our thought life. We’re looking forward to the return of Christ. That causes a desire to be pure in His presence.

I don’t know how a believer can live in this generation and not be thinking about the return of the Lord. The evidence is all around us. Every day the news is lining up more and more with the Scripture. The time is now to let our purity be seen by the world around us.

Then, we need to be thinking on things that are lovely. This is an interesting Greek word that literally means toward friendship. We should be thinking of ways to be a friend to those we meet on a day-to-day basis.

So many people in society today are content to ignore others and to be ignored. That’s not what we’re called to. We are to be the salt in the world – the preservative in society. Thinking about ways to help others will spur us on to a life of service for Christ.

Another part of our thought life should be things that are admirable. This is talking about things that are of a good report. That should speak to us in this generation.

So often we seek out bad reports. When listening to the news, people tend to flock to the evil things that are happening. Most of the news on the TV, radio, and internet is bad.

As Christians, we can’t be dwelling on all that negativity. We need to focus our thoughts on the good that’s taking place around us. This helps us to have a heart of thankfulness before God instead of a mean attitude.

We should also be thinking on things that are excellent. But we need to understand that this isn’t the normal word for excellent. It actually means strong or valiant.

We need to be bold for the Lord. We should be thinking about how to step out of our comfort zones to bring the love of Christ to the world. It requires bravery to embrace change for the cause of Christ.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

The word, praises, in this verse is that same word that means strength and valor. We are called to walk in the light. That means we’re going to be noticed. That requires the courage of the Holy Spirit in us.

Finally, think about things that are praiseworthy. We should definitely be thinking on things that bring praise to God. He does so much for us. Sometimes we don’t even notice them, especially the little things each day.

We need to take the time to review all that the Lord has done for us. It’s surprising when you start to list them all. It should put a smile on your face.

Another area is music. Thinking about, humming, whistling, and/or singing songs of praise throughout the day will, without a doubt, change your attitude.

These are the things that will keep you thinking clearly in the uncertain days that we live in. Make sure that you’re focusing your thoughts in a positive way.

Question: How do you keep your mind on these good things?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 27, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk

 

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Your Thought Life 1

25 Oct
Your Thought Life 1

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church, the apostle is giving some final exhortations before closing. He now deals with our thought-life.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 NIV

This is one of the most important areas of your life. It will either make or break you. It’s always interesting to see what people do with their “down time”. I’m talking about the time during the day that you’re not having to concentrate on what you’re doing.

This is the time that you’re getting dressed, driving to work, or doing other things that don’t require a lot of thought. These are times where you have nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company. Using the time wisely can be very challenging.

Of course, with many people, this time is filled by their radio or smart phone. The last thing this society wants, is to think too deeply. Like it or not, we need to take the time to think about important issues.

It has become abundantly clear to me, through the Word of God and my own experience, that what you meditate on during these times will ultimately shape your character. If you are to achieve the maximum benefit from this, then you need to focus on what is spiritual – the Word of God, God’s calling on your life, and songs of praise and worship.

As these thoughts start to fill your mind, a change starts to take place in your heart. You start to be drawn upward to God. This idle time will now become a time of spiritual growth, renewal, and refreshing.

Take the opportunity today to turn off the external “noise”. Begin to steer your thoughts toward the things of the Lord. Discover the power you need for living as you fill your heart with the only thoughts that can bring lasting change to your life.

I want to take a couple of posts to talk about these “thought lines” that Paul tells us to dwell on. It’s a very important part of our Christian walk.

He first mentions things that are true. This doesn’t simply mean true things, such as one plus one equals two. The word Paul uses means things that are not hidden. That’s important.

There are times when I’m reading the Scripture, when suddenly it opens up to me. The Holy Spirit shows me something I’ve never seen before. It was always there, but before now, it was hidden to me.

That’s what Paul’s talking about when he tells us to think on these things. Think deeply about the things from God’s Word that He has personally revealed to you. The Lord has a reason that He shows you these things. It’s up to you to find out why.

Next, he tells us to think about things that are noble. That’s a word that not many people use anymore. The Greek word comes from a root that means devout or religious. It’s speaking of something that’s worshipful.

We need to be thinking on things that cause us to worship God. No, I’m not talking about praise. We praise God for things He has done. We worship God for who He is.

We need to be dwelling on who God is. Who is God to you? How has He revealed Himself in Scripture? Healer, Creator, Redeemer, Provider. He is all these things and more. These thoughts bring us into a place of worship. That’s the place of power in the spirit.

Then Paul tells us to think on things that are right. This actually means to think about things that are just. Our problem is that we think about things in terms of fair. Just is very different. One thing you have to realize is that God is not fair – and I’m so grateful for that.

Fair would mean that I paid for my own sin. It was supremely unfair for Christ to take my sin upon Himself and go to the cross. But, justice, was satisfied by what He did. God is not fair, but He is just.

That’s what we need to be thinking on. The justice of God should motivate us to tell others about what Christ has done. Forgiveness is available for all who ask.

In my next post, I’ll continue with this.

Question: How do these things affect your thought life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Place of Peace

23 Oct
The Place of Peace

We’re now going through the last chapter of Philippians. Paul is wrapping up his exhortations to that church.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 NIV

That’s some command. Don’t be anxious about anything. If the church ever needed to hear that, it’s this generation. There are more things to be anxious about than ever before. How do we find that place of peace, where anxiety is unable to touch us? Praise God for His Word!

The word prayer in this verse literally means to draw near. When anxiety, worry, and confusion try to stir us up; there’s only one remedy. We must take the time to draw near to God.

As we draw near to God in worship, it’s like we’re being transported around His throne. That’s a wonderful place to be. That’s why we should all be worshipers. Look at where the Spirit brings us to.

Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
Revelation 4:6 NIV

In the book of Revelation and throughout the Bible, the symbolism of the sea speaks of nations. These are the saints of all nationalities worshiping Christ before His throne. But this sea is as calm as glass.

That’s because the place of worship is a place of peace. James talked about the negative reality of this truth.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6 NIV

Doubt and unbelief puts us in a troubled sea of confusion. That’s not God’s will for us. The Lord wants to calm our sea. How does that happen? It only takes place as we spend time worshiping in God’s presence.

We take quality time with the Lord. Paul says that it may involve prayer, petition, and/or thanksgiving. It’s when we spend this time in Him that the anxiety falls away.

The next verse in Philippians tells us that the results are supernatural.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 NIV

This peace is ABOVE your understanding. When we come near to God in worship the things that should be causing anxiety melt away in God’s presence. I’m reminded of a chorus we used to sing many years ago.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full on His wonderful face,
And the things on earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

That’s the place of worship. But we have to set aside the time for this. That’s usually our problem. We have plenty of time to wallow in confusion and doubt. But the very thing that will calm the storm just doesn’t fit into our schedule.

We need to get our priorities straight. I find that I’m much more productive when I’m operating in the peace of God. I think you will too.

Draw near to God with the things you’re anxious about. Let the place of worship bring peace to your storm.

Question: How has the Holy Spirit brought peace into your life in the past?

©2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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The Place of Rejoicing

20 Oct
The Place of Rejoicing

We’re going through the epistle to the Philippian church. At this point, Paul is wrapping up his thoughts. He gives them some important things to keep in mind.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:4-5 NIV

Paul tells us to always rejoice in the Lord. That literally means to be joyful. Unfortunately, many believers equate that with happiness. Actually, true joy has no connection at all with being happy.

The words happy and happen come from the same root word. When something just happens it’s a random occurrence. We get happy because something good happens. Joy, on the other hand, has nothing at all to do with what’s happening around us.

The textbook definition of joy is to be calmly happy or well-off. Scriptural joy goes further than that.

We need to understand God’s definition of joy. Jesus talks about receiving His joy in John, chapter 15. It doesn’t take much reading to see that the main emphasis of that chapter was for us to remain in Christ.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15:4 NIV

Here Jesus talks about remaining in Him and bearing much fruit. So, the fruit of joy must be included in that. But what, specifically, about remaining in Him brings us joy? The Lord goes on to talk about it with His disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:9-11 NIV

It’s a wonderful thing to be in Christ. But there’s another step to take if you want His joy. You have to cultivate that love relationship with Him. That’s remaining in His love.

When you’re in relationship with someone, then you know your place in that love. In a relationship, I love you, and I know that you love me. That’s what this joy is all about.

The joy of the Lord is the assurance from the Holy Spirit of who I am in Christ. It’s knowing who Christ is, and who I am in Him. If I’m in the Healer, then I’m healed. If I’m in the Provider, then I’m provided for.

It’s the sense of well-being that springs from knowing who I am in Christ. It doesn’t matter what comes my way. If something bad happens; that doesn’t change the fact that I’m in Christ and He’s already provided the answer for it.

A great example of this was the Macedonian Christians that Paul bragged about. When he was collecting an offering for the poor, he didn’t expect much from them, because they weren’t very wealthy.

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

2 Corinthians 8:2 NIV

Extreme poverty and rich generosity really shouldn’t be used to describe the same people. That is, unless they know who they are in Christ. That makes all the difference. That’s the place of rejoicing.

So, when Paul tells the Philippian people to rejoice always, that’s a command to always remain in Christ and in His love. The more aware we are of who we are in Christ, the greater our rejoicing. So…just like Paul, I’ll say it again – rejoice in the Lord always!

Question: What was a recent time that you saw God’s joy operating through you?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 20, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Chosen Together

18 Oct
Chosen Together

We’re continuing our study of the book of Philippians. Paul is now dealing with some final issues before closing this letter.

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Philippians 4:2-3 NIV

Here we see something happening that really grieves the heart of Paul. I think that this passage is overlooked too often. It’s something that we should understand – especially in our generation of the church.

In the Philippian church, there were two women, Euodia and Syntyche. They were both mature believers who were strong in the Lord. They were passionate about their faith.

Both of these women were deeply involved in evangelism. So much so, that they worked with Paul in preaching the Gospel and winning souls into God’s kingdom. What, then, was the problem?

As we see again and again, when people work closely together, sometimes their personalities collide. When we work together, we see each other’s quirks and weaknesses. Sometimes these will begin to annoy us. The important thing is how we handle these situations.

The world’s answer is to separate. Stop working together and go someplace different – start over. However, the world’s opinion is seldom the way things work in God’s kingdom.

What the world doesn’t understand is the concept of “calling”. Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that much of the church doesn’t understand it either.

Paul calls these women fellow workers with him. They were obviously called by God to work together with Paul. The word, plead, in this passage means to call alongside. So, the apostle made it a point to say, “I call alongside Euodia, and I call alongside Syntyche.”

In Paul’s mind, their calling hasn’t changed. It was only their attitude toward each other that was the problem. They needed to deal with the root of the issue.

James understood this and wrote about it.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

James 4:1 NIV

James actually says that wars and fights start within us. They’re caused by our own desires that are not lined up with the will of God. When our flesh wants something, that’s when the trouble starts.

I would say that most of our trouble with others is caused by something that we desire. Usually, our problems with others revolve around unmet expectations. Expectation is simply another word for desire. It’s your unmet desires that start the problems.

The fact is, when it comes to God’s calling on my life, my desires have nothing to do with it. When I look at the ministry I’m involved in, and the people I’m called to work alongside, it amazes me. In my fleshly thinking, I would never have chosen to work with some of these people.

But it wasn’t up to me. God does the “hiring and firing”. Because of God’s plan – bringing different people than I would normally be comfortable with – I experience a new level of growth. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you can’t experience growth without some discomfort.

Now, having worked with people who are much different than me, we’ve become very close. We’ve gone through spiritual battles together.

Do our personalities always agree? No! But our commitment to the cause of Christ becomes the overriding factor. We’re called alongside each other. That’s a lesson we all need to learn in this modern church age.

Question: What are the different personalities God has called you to work alongside?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 18, 2023 in Fellowship, Ministry, Relationships, The Church

 

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Politics of Heaven

16 Oct
Politics of Heaven

I’m currently going through the book of Philippians. The Apostle Paul has been warning us about the lifestyle of half-hearted believers. Now he talks about the glory of a committed life.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:20-21 NIV

Paul starts by talking about our true citizenship. We’re citizens of heaven. This statement, especially in the original Greek, is critical for understanding our place in this present world system.

If you were to look at the meanings of each word separately, you would get a rich view. The apostle says that our citizenship is in quiet submission under an eternal perspective. That’s a mouthful!

First of all, I want to talk about our citizenship. If we could understand this, it would change everything. The Greek word Paul uses for citizenship, is the word from which we get our English word, politics. That should speak volumes in this generation. As a believer, my political affiliation is not of this world.

I’m not Republican, Democrat, or any other label. I’m tied in with the politics of Heaven. I have no business debating over which worldly party is the best. There will never be a vote that can change the hearts of people.

Yes, I participate in our government. I vote in each election. But, I do so knowing that my vote is not enough to bring the changes that we need. It’s more important that we participate with intercessory prayer and a living testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need a full on move of God to sweep through our nation. That will only happen as God’s people see themselves as working outside the world system.

This comes as we realize our true citizenship. Paul uses the word, sky. Our citizenship is upward. We should have an eternal perspective on things.

Most of the worldly political battles are simply dealing with temporary issues. Finance, healthcare, infrastructure and the like are important. But the real issue is the spiritual health of the nation and its people.

That’s why our hope is in Christ. I’m not looking for a political party to save our nation. It’s the power of Jesus Christ that can bring everything under His control. He is the only Savior of our society.

When I put my hope in a man-made system, then I’m setting myself up for disappointment. Humanity will never be the salvation of humanity. I don’t care how wonderful their promises are. Christ is the only One who can bring lasting change.

So, we work for His kingdom. Our goal should not be to further an earthly political party. We want to see God’s kingdom advancing.

That means that we spend quality time with the Holy Spirit. We need to find the heavenly agenda. Then, in obedience to God, we move forward and see the effect that only God can bring about.

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Philippians 4:1 NIV

These are the attitudes needed in the uncertain days ahead of us. The only way we can stand firm is if we take on an eternal perspective. If I’m always looking at the things happening around me, it will produce fear, anxiety, and worry.

That’s not my portion. As a child of God, I’m a part of a different kingdom than what I see around me. I’m tied into a different system that makes me exempt from the fear and uncertainty around me. I know how it all will end. Jesus Christ wins. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

As I submit myself to His will and His ways, I’ll see the blessing of being a citizen of the eternal kingdom of God.

Question: How do you see the kingdom of God at work in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Return of Christ, Revival, The Gospel

 

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A Friend of the Cross

13 Oct
A Friend of the Cross

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he tells us that his focus is to move forward in Christ. We are to forget the past and press on to what we’re called to do.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Philippians 3:15-16 NIV

Don’t back down. Continue in what you know to do. This is how we see the fulfillment of God’s Word in our lives and ministry.

Now the apostle gives us a sobering warning that is just as applicable in our generation.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Philippians 3:17-18 NIV

The unfortunate truth that Paul saw in his day, and has turned into an epidemic in ours, is that many believers live as enemies of the cross. Please understand. They’re not really enemies – they would never think to put it into those terms.

They actually think they’re followers of Christ. But in reality, enemies try to avoid one another at all costs. That’s how many treat the cross.

You can see it in a church service. When the sermon starts heading in that direction, eyes start to glaze over.

“Yes, Pastor, we know we need to take up our cross. But I’d rather hear something that will get me a better job.”

Paul describes these people in the next verse.

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Philippians 3:19 NIV

Actually, this verse isn’t as bad as it sounds. What’s translated as their destiny is destruction isn’t talking about spending eternity in hell. What it means is that the destination of the road they’re on is ruin and loss.

It’s talking about what happens in this life. So much of the church is wallowing in ruin and loss. We spend so much time trying to come up with teachings that merely put a Band-Aid on the problem.

He also describes the objects of their focus. It’s all about their stomach, their shame and earthly things. Christians are involved in so much these days – a lot of them are healthy pursuits. Restaurants, gym memberships, sports leagues, and hundreds of other things.

Many of us give great sounding reasons for what we do. We want to be well-rounded people. Our lives need to be in balance. We want the world to see that we’re regular people. Paul, however, sees it from a different perspective.

Through the eyes of Christ, the Apostle breaks through our excuses and zeroes in on what’s really going on. It’s all about us. Our god is our stomach. Our desire is to fulfill the lusts and desires of our flesh. We look at the world around us and get jealous of all that they experience. We want to partake of the same things.

We glory in our shame. This is a hallmark of our society. I’m ashamed that I don’t look like the actor on TV with those washboard abs. I have to start a program at the gym to try and work on it.

My heroes are the singers on American Idol, so I need to take voice lessons. I want to be like the athletes I watch at the stadium, so I join a basketball league. Now, I’m too busy to do much for Christ.

It all boils down to the last statement Paul makes – their mind is on earthly things. It doesn’t matter how good you make it sound. The things that distract us from pursuing Christ will only pull us down to ruin and loss. It’s time for the church to wake up.

Question: How do we break free from the distractions of the world?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2023 in Ministry, Return of Christ, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Upward Road

11 Oct
The Upward Road

As we continue through the book of Philippians, Paul has been showing us his goals in ministry. That is, his desire to identify with Christ. But it’s not only a desire for the power, but in the fellowship of his suffering as well.

Now, he wants to make something very clear. He’s not perfect yet.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

Paul tells us two things that hasn’t happened yet. He hasn’t taken hold of it yet. And, he hasn’t yet arrived at the goal. He has to keep moving forward just like the rest of us.

What is that goal? It’s obvious from this verse that Paul doesn’t know the complete picture yet. He’s still hearing the step by step instructions from the Lord.

Right now, Paul’s desire is to find out why God chose him. What is the final destiny that awaits him at the end of his journey? That’s the big question that we all wrestle with.

We have to serve God with this understanding. We will not know the full scope of our ministry until we get the final picture at the end of our earthly lives.

We serve a God who requires us to operate in faith. That means we trust God, not knowing where the road will lead us. The Holy Spirit guides us one step at a time.

That’s not the way I would choose to go. I like having my whole route mapped out before I start on a road trip. But, I’ve learned that it’s not my will which takes priority. God is the one in control. He sets the agenda.

So, it’s up to me to follow the Lord’s leading, even when it doesn’t make sense to me. Sometimes it’s a struggle to keep up. At times it’s inconvenient. That’s not the issue. It’s about who has the final say in my direction. So, I follow in His footsteps.

Paul makes it clear that we’re being called heavenward. That’s an upward call. It’s like climbing a mountain. You know it will be a great view at the top. So, even though it’s tiring, you keep going.

It’s not always easy to press on. Sometimes it’s an effort just to put one foot in front of the other. As a hiker, I’ve learned to just keep moving forward.

There have been times when I was hiking, when because of injury or pain, I’ve felt like giving up. It’s in times like those that I had to keep telling myself, “As long as you keep taking each step, you’ll come out to the end of the trail.”

It’s the same thing in life. It’s usually not the big things that knock us down, but the continual monotony of our daily lives, day after day, week after week. It’s the constant grind that saps our strength and weakens our spirit.

In order to overcome, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We know that if we keep to His course for our lives, we’ll come out with His result. We’ll lay hold of the prize for which He has called us.

Don’t give up. Go to the Lord today and ask for His strength for the road ahead. Don’t live a day without allowing His renewing Spirit to work in your life.

Question: How well are you persevering at this point in your walk with God?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Road to Resurrection Power

09 Oct
The Road to Resurrection Power

We’ve been going through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. For the past couple of posts, I’ve been talking about Paul’s view of his walk with God. I was looking at the following verses.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:10-11 NIV

The question is; do we want to walk in the resurrection power of Christ? If so, there’s only one path to get there. I have to participate, fellowship, in sharing His suffering. This is the death process that my old man must go through.

It literally says that I have to take on the same form as His death. It doesn’t sound pleasant or convenient, but the result is worth it. The way Paul puts it, he wants to somehow – any way and at any cost – arrive at the resurrection power of the Lord.

But what will it take to accomplish this? Do you think that there’s any way to identify with Christ while ignoring His body on earth? Absolutely not! Fitting into the body of Christ plays a big role in conforming us to the image of Jesus.

Please realize that the suffering he’s talking about is not physical pain. It’s an internal discomfort to the flesh – our old sin nature. That’s why we need the church. The fact is that we can’t do this alone.

We know that in Christ, we have everything we need.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

This verse talks about all that God has made available to us. Did you ever stop to think about this? Why has the Lord given us all of these great gifts?

“He loves me. He wants to bless me. He’s given me these promises.” ME, ME, ME!

That’s not the way it is. It’s not all about me. Listen to how this is written.

His divine power has given US everything WE need…through OUR knowledge of him who called US…he has given US his…promises, so that YOU (this is in the plural form) may participate in the divine nature…

This is about us as a body. When Peter says that we may participate in the divine nature; it literally says that we are fellowshippers in the divine nature.

What is the divine nature? It’s God’s way of doing things. Growth by germination. Planting, sprouting, growing, and bearing fruit. This can’t happen if I try to do it all on my own. I need the body of Christ. Only then can I escape the ruin that’s happening in the world.

God wants us to walk in a new nature. This only happens when I connect where God wants me in His Body. Only then will I experience the best He has for me.

This growth doesn’t happen when the world revolves around me. But in the local church I need to think of the needs of others. I have to learn, by the Spirit, to be in unity with some people who are not like me. They might not think like me. There might even be some that I don’t like or, God forbid, that don’t like me.

It’s in the church that we grow together. We see things in us that need the work of the Holy Spirit to perfect. We learn about the grace of God operating in us. We find our giftings and callings.

Don’t take a light view of the fellowship we share. Without it we’ll never reach our greatest potential.

Question: How has fellowship with others changed your life for the better?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2023 in Fellowship, Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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