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Author Archives: Revzacc

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About Revzacc

I pastor a church in Watertown, Massachusetts. I also enjoy traveling, hiking, and enjoying new places and experiences.

Fullness in Christ

Fullness in Christ

We’re continuing our walk through Colossians. In my last post we saw that Jesus Christ is God. The fullness of deity is in Him. But that’s not the end of the story.

Paul continues the statement we looked at in that post.

That second half is the most amazing part. We’ve been given fullness in Christ. He wants us to take part in His power and authority. The Lord allows us to walk in this as we serve Him.

Jesus Christ is now in the highest place of authority. His name is above all others.

As I’ve said, Jesus Christ has the highest level of authority in the universe. But, He doesn’t just sit on His throne and watch the world go by. He’s an active participant.

In order to see His will accomplished, Jesus uses normal people like you and me. Anyone who will submit to His lordship comes under that authority. At that point, it’s passed on to those in submission to Him.

The Lord fully expects us to walk in and use His name in all of our activities. That means I need to strive to live the way He lived. That’s the only way I can adequately represent Christ to the world. It also means that I have a responsibility to seek the Lord’s way of ministry.

When we look at the world around us, we see people in spiritual darkness and captivity. They’re trapped in a world system that’s under the control of the kingdom of Satan.

It’s up to us, God’s people, to set them free and bring them to the cross. That’s where they can find true salvation for their souls.

In order for that to happen, there are some things that we need to understand. We can’t go into this battle with only half the information.

The first thing that we have to realize is that Christ has already won the war.

Jesus Christ has once and for all won the victory over all the power of the enemy kingdom. However, that doesn’t mean that the fighting has stopped.

Just like in WWII, when the Axis powers collapsed, the Allied forces had to mop up the remaining troops. They had to enter the concentration camps and free the surviving prisoners. That’s where we are in the spiritual war today.

The trouble is that even in defeat, the enemy is dangerous. He wants as few people as possible to be set free by the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The same power over the enemy that the Lord walked in has been conferred upon us. We have authority over the enemy’s kingdom.

As we spend quality time in God’s presence, we find the resources we need for the victory. Only then will we see lives transformed by the power of the cross.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 

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Jesus Christ is God

Jesus Christ is God

As we go through the book of Colossians, we see Paul dealing with the heresy of Gnosticism. In my last post, the apostle contrasted a false worldview with a Christian mindset. Now He talks about the person of Jesus Christ.

Let me just say “Thank You!” to the Apostle Paul for such a clear, simple statement about the divinity of Christ. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, no matter what anybody chooses to believe about Him.

The literal Greek is so undeniable. It even has repetition so there’s no mistaking what’s being said. In Christ ALL the COMPLETENESS of God permanently lives in bodily, material form.

That’s the foundation of what we believe as Christians. God took on bodily form and lived among us. Then, He took it upon Himself to bear our sin to the cross. Having risen from the dead, He proved that our salvation was complete.

There are many organizations who deny the deity of Christ. If you’re in such a “church”, then you are a part of a cult. You need to search the Scripture and find a Bible believing group of Christians.

Why do I say this? Jesus Christ, Himself, made the claim to be God in the flesh.

Jesus was talking to a crowd of His fellow Jews. He tells them, point blank, that He is the I AM. That is clearly the God who revealed Himself to Abraham in the Old Testament. The crowd knew exactly what He was saying, which is why they wanted to stone Him to death for it.

I know there are many who want to believe that Jesus was merely a great teacher. They feel that His teachings are a good example to follow. But the Lord doesn’t give us that choice.

I like the way the author, Josh Mcdowell puts it. He explains that Jesus Christ never wanted us to see Him as only a good teacher. He claimed to be God.

That means we have one of three choices to make. He knew He wasn’t God – which makes Him an evil liar. He didn’t know that He wasn’t God – which makes Him a lunatic. Or He was telling the truth – which means we need to follow Him as Lord.

Personally, I have chosen the last option. He is the Savior and Lord of my life. And, actually, He has made good on all that He and His apostles have said. I’ve never regretted my choice to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Now the ball is in our court. It’s up to each one of us to decide on our own. How do we handle the knowledge of who Jesus Christ is?

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you live. At any time you can say a simple prayer accepting Him into your life. Declare your desire to receive Him as Lord and Savior.

At that point everything in your life will change. Then, find a group of Bible believing Christians who will encourage you in your new found faith. You won’t regret it!

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 20, 2023 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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A Solid Foundation

A Solid Foundation

We’re going through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. In my last post, Paul talked about the basic fundamental truth of our salvation. That is the fact that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior.

Now the apostle wants to make sure that their foundation is secure. They need to possess a Christian worldview. That’s especially important in the age we currently live in.

He starts with a warning. To put it in terms of our language, he says, “Watch out!” There are those whose goal is to take your mind as a trophy for their point of view. That’s what the literal Greek of the verse says.

That’s what so many people of the world are doing these days. Their arguments sound logical and reasonable on the surface. But, taken to their conclusion, they only lead to wrecked lives.

Paul describes this as hollow and deceptive philosophy. These words speak of two things we should avoid. The first is human wisdom that the world is fond of. It’s a way of looking at the world that someone is comfortable with.

The second is empty delusions. These are conclusions based upon how I want things to be, rather than how they really are. That’s how much of the educational system of America operates these days.

Paul exposes the foundation of these worldviews. He says that they’re based upon human tradition and worldly principles. It’s interesting that the word, tradition, comes from a root that means to surrender.

By holding to a tradition, we’re surrendering to the way things have always been done. Or, we believe something because that’s what everyone in our sphere of influence believes.

Worldly principles means that you order things, prioritize things, the way the world does. That needs to be changed. As a believer, Christ and His will should be my number one priority. My whole life should be based on Christ.

That’s why our society is in such a sorry state. Suicides are out of control. Fear and anxiety are at such a level that counseling and therapy are a normal part of life. (Please realize that I’m not saying to stop counseling or therapy if it’s needed.)

What I’m saying is that we need to check our spiritual foundation. What are we basing our life upon? Where do I get my wisdom and opinions from?

In our generation, we need to be getting massive doses of the Word of God. I can’t base my life on what everybody around me believes. That includes the Christians around me. I need to check what they say against the Word.

I even encourage you to check my teaching. Be like the Berean Christians in the book of Acts.

What we need in our generation are more “noble” Christians.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
 

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How Did You Receive Christ?

How Did You Receive Christ?

We’re studying the letter to the Colossian church. Paul is encouraging them to continue on the course they started at their salvation.

Here, Paul is speaking to a church that he knows about because of the testimony of their pastor, Epaphras. They were evangelized by one of Paul’s spiritual sons, so he knew their foundation was solid.

But, that’s not always the case for us. I get concerned when I read a passage like this one. I have to ask myself some important questions. Unfortunately, there are too many times when we read through these verses without giving them a second thought.

The huge red flag that I see is the phrase, as you were taught. When we see a phrase like that, we have to ask ourselves, “Is that what I was taught?”

There were certain things that Paul and his team taught those who were turning to Christ. We need to judge our experience based upon these truths.

The first is…did I receive Christ Jesus as Lord? That’s a very important question. Too often in our generation we stress the fact that Jesus is Savior, and He is. But He’s more than that.

Our salvation is not just a matter of Jesus wiping our sins clean. I have to establish Christ Jesus as the Lord…supreme Ruler…of my life. Everything I am, must be submitted under His authority.

We need to stress this in our generation. At one point I heard a minister say that receiving Jesus as Savior is enough to start with. They can deal with the Lordship issue later.

Truthfully, I don’t see that way of thinking in the Scripture. I don’t have all the answers, but I wonder sometimes if you can be truly saved with acknowledging Christ as Lord of your life. I, personally, don’t want to take that chance.

Another big issue that this passage brings up is remaining in Christ, being rooted and built up in Him. Jesus talked about this in His parable of the seed.

In Matthew 13:21, the Lord makes it clear that without being rooted in Him, your spiritual life will wither. As that occurs, you run the risk of falling away from the truth. That’s a dangerous place to be.

The last thing they were taught was to strengthen their faith. That comes from reading, memorizing, and meditating on the Word of God. Without this in place, there will be no spiritual growth.

So, this is the important question to ask ourselves. Were we taught these fundamental truths? If not, then we need to start implementing them today. According to the Word, the result will be a life that’s overflowing with thankfulness.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 15, 2023 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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Worshiping as One

Worshiping as One

We’re continuing to go through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He has given them some important instructions. Now he makes a statement that we need to understand.

In the past I’ve talked about true worship. The ability to worship Christ is one of the greatest gifts that we’ve been given. It takes place when we enter God’s presence. It doesn’t matter where we are on earth; it’s our position in the spirit that counts.

We find that it’s through worship that the body of Christ is brought into unity. That’s why Scripture calls it the unity of the spirit. When we pray in the spirit, we’re united with the Holy Spirit. Of course, if we’re united with God’s Spirit, then we are also united with each other.

The writer of the book of Hebrews saw this very clearly.

When we begin to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth, it’s like we’re being transported before His throne. As we enter into worship, we find that we’re a part of two groups.

First, we’re a part of the church of Jesus Christ on the earth. That’s what Paul was talking about when he told the church he was present with them in spirit.

But there’s another group that I find myself with when I worship. According to the above verse, I’m with the spirits of righteous men made perfect. I believe that it’s talking about those who have passed on and are now in the Lord’s presence.

We are worshiping with the saints on earth and in heaven.

When I come before God’s throne to worship Him, I’m together with believers from both the Old and New Testaments. It’s a mind-blowing thought – that I can enter the universal chorus of worship that surrounds the Lord’s throne.

Some people are just waiting for the day when they can be a part of this heavenly worship. Little do they know that they can enter it right now, wherever they are.

Take advantage of this great gift. Enter the Lord’s presence in spirit and truth. Allow yourself to be caught up in the unity that only comes from being with Him.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 

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Understanding in Christ

Understanding in Christ

As we go through the letter to the Colossians, I’ve been talking about the prize Paul is striving for. In my last post we saw that he wants to see all believers’ hearts united in love.

Now the apostle shares the reason for this desire.

The reason he wants us united, is because together, as the body of Christ, we can access the wealth of understanding in Christ. The concept of understanding in Scripture is very important, but most don’t realize it. The word, in Scripture, means to put together.

Understanding involves direction. It looks for the eventual outcome of a line of thinking. It tries to put together all the facts, and asks, “Where does the path I’m on take me?” This process exercises the mind to its greatest potential. It’s hard work, and sometimes brings unexpected results.

Because of this, most people will not seek understanding. Yet seeking is the only way to obtain it. And it’s only in Christ that we receive the full riches of understanding. That’s because this understanding opens up a whole new world to us.

Without this God-given understanding, we have no capability of knowing the mystery God. The fact is that Christ, Himself, is that mystery. I’m not talking about reading and studying the Bible to learn about Christ.

I’m speaking of truly knowing Christ in all of His fullness. That’s a mystery beyond our human comprehension. However, in Christ we have that ability. That’s where the riches are hidden.

This verse tells us that as we unite our hearts in love, we start to recognize and discern the wealth of the mystery of who Christ is. We start to see the glory of the Messiah working in us.

That’s where all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts. We get that from the Bible. Wisdom is the application of those facts. It makes right choices based on those facts.

But, as great as wisdom and knowledge are, they’re not enough. It’s the understanding of God that brings you to the next level.

King Solomon, the wisest man knew this.

Paul wants to see this church, and us, operating at the highest level possible. That will only come through God-given understanding. He emphasizes this because the Colossians were on the verge of leaving it for human wisdom.

Don’t chase after the world’s way of thinking. Allow the Holy Spirit to impart to you the mind of Christ. It will open up a higher way of living in Christ.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2023 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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In the Arena

In the Arena

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. If you remember, this is a church that Paul never visited personally. It was established by his spiritual son, Epaphras.

In my last post, Paul talked about his desire to see all believers rise up to their full potential in Christ. The last verse we looked at in chapter 1 actually ties in to the first verse of chapter 2.

In both of these verses, he talks about how he is struggling. That’s an important word. Unfortunately, in the English language there are many kinds of struggling.

You could be struggling, climbing a mountain. You could be a soldier in a war against a bitter enemy. There are so many different ways you could interpret this.

The Greek language, however, gives us a clear picture of what Paul is referring to. This word, struggling, comes from a root word that means a gathering place, such as an arena.

So, this is a struggle that would take place in an arena. It’s a public spectacle like a boxing match or a race. It’s about struggling for a prize.

So, what’s the prize that Paul is struggling for? I’m glad you asked! It’s what every church leader should be striving toward. And, actually, it may take me a couple of posts to explain it.

This passage is full of important truth. Let’s start with the phrase, encouraged in heart and united in love. These are not two separate things – there’s no “and” between them in the original Greek verse.

The word, encouraged, means to be called together. It’s an invitation to join a group. They’re being called to one place, for one purpose.

There’s a clear reason for this call. The original says that it’s for their hearts to be united in love. Again, this needs an explanation in the English language.

The words that Paul uses literally mean that he wants their hearts to be compacted or coalesced together. He wants them mixed together in such a way that they form one whole.

Think of it this way. If you’re making a cake, you get many different ingredients. You have flour, milk, eggs, oil, and flavoring. But then, you have to blend them all together until they coalesce into one finished bakery item.

That’s what Paul is looking to accomplish in the church. Trust me, anyone in church leadership can tell you that this process is a struggle. It requires all the people involved to submit themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And this is only the first part of the prize Paul is aiming for. In my next post, I’ll continue with this thought.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 8, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Spiritual Maturity

Spiritual Maturity

I have been posting a series about the letter to the Colossian church. The Apostle Paul has been talking about his ministry to the body of Christ. His goal is the maturity of all believers.

Paul understood this aspect of his work as an apostle of Christ.

That’s the goal of the ministry. All who are in leadership are here to present everyone – not just a select few – perfect and mature in Christ. This requires supernatural strength and wisdom.

We cannot hope to perform this on a merely human level. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I need to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task.

The belief that this is impossible to achieve in our lifetime only serves to undermine the Lord’s goal for us. We need to recognize where He’s leading us to and cooperate with the Lord’s program for our development. After all, He’s bringing us on an incredible spiritual journey.

That’s exactly what the Lord taught His disciples.

This word, perfect, also means to be mature and complete. This is God’s desire for His people. That we attain to the same level of maturity as Christ.

The unfortunate thing is that many teach that this is impossible. Over and over, we are told that to walk like Jesus is beyond our reach. I don’t buy into this type of reasoning.

When I see the lives of the Apostles in the book of Acts, I don’t get the idea that they’re immature. I see the same signs and wonders that were performed by the Lord. I see thousands of people drawn to, and changed by, the Word of God. If it was possible for them, then the same is true for us – if we’re willing to walk the same road they walked to get there.

One of the key ingredients to us reaching this level is the ministry gifts God has given to the body of Christ. In talking about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, Paul said that they were given as gifts to the church. They have a very clear purpose.

The goal of the five-fold ministry is the maturing of the saints. The level of that maturity is beyond question. It is that we would live and minister as the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to write these words if it were not possible? We need to stop making excuses and start working towards the walk of maturity.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 6, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Passion and Pressure

Passion and Pressure

I’m continuing with my walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. In my last post, I talked about faithfulness. Now Paul shares his passion for the church.

Here we see the heart of Paul for the people of God. He rejoices in his suffering for the church. But we really need to understand that word.

The apostle is not talking about a physical hurt. This is an emotion type of suffering. It’s the passion he has to see these believers walking in their true potential.

Then he goes on to describe another thing that he’s feeling. Paul lives under the pressure of seeing what’s lacking in God’s children. That’s what the word affliction means in this verse.

This combination of passion and pressure is what drives him forward. It’s something that we need to learn in our ministries today. Do I feel the passion and pressure to advance the church of Jesus Christ?

This is what’s needed for effective ministry. Unfortunately, there are too many times when we look for the easy way forward. We shy away from any kind of emotional hardship.

It’s through the passion and pressure that Paul has become a servant in the body of Christ. The word, commissioned, in the above verse is a Greek word from which we get our English word, economy.

In God’s economy, Paul has become a servant to those he ministers to. That’s one of the problems we have with Christian “lingo”. The word, minister, actually means a servant. Somehow, we’ve elevated it in church circles to mean the person in charge.

Yes, it does speak of leading. But it’s a servant leadership. The kind of leadership exemplified by Christ Himself.

According to Paul, it’s this kind of service that brings God’s Word to light. He wants to see this Word fulfilled in the lives of God’s people.

Until that time there was a great mystery. What was this mystery? The fact that God was going to call Gentiles into His kingdom. Jesus Christ came to seek and save all of lost humanity.

Until this time, God’s glory was reserved only for the Jewish people. Now, all of mankind can be a part of the glorious kingdom.

This is where the passion and pressure come from. Knowing that we have the answer to what the world is hungering for. That should drive us forward to bring the message of Christ to the world.

Let the Gospel consume you. Let the world see the glory of God in you.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
 

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Faithfulness is the Key

Faithfulness is the Key

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’ve been talking about the supremacy of Christ. He is Lord over all of Creation. He’s the supreme Commander – the Head of the church.

Now Paul looks at our relationship to Him.

Things didn’t start out too good for us. We began our lives as enemies of God. Everything in our beings wanted the opposite of God’s will for us. Thank God the story doesn’t end there!

Because of the work on the cross, Christ brought us back into right standing with God. Being fully God and fully man, He was the only one who could bring about such a great redemption.

Now I can enter the presence of God without fear, anytime I want to. Because of Christ, I now can stand before Him holy, clean, and without any accusations.

There are many who want to emphasize this point. They push the fact of our position in Christ. Some take this a little too far.

They almost get into the same ditch as the Gnostics. They feel that they can live however they want and still be considered holy, clean, and without condemnation. But, if you read this verse closely, you’ll find an “if”.

This is a big “if.” We all like to think that we’re unconditionally free from accusation. We quote that there is now no condemnation in Christ. But these verses are all contingent upon us continuing our walk of faith, trusting the Lord’s will for us. It’s not about me fulfilling my plan and desires.

On the other hand, if you’re truly walking in faith, then you’ll be obedient to what the Lord desires for you. You won’t be off doing your own thing, trying to fulfill your own wants and desires.

If you’re really trusting God, then you love Him and His ways. Unfortunately, with many it’s only lip service.

It’s easy to say that you love the Lord. The real question is; are you faithfully carrying out His will? It doesn’t matter how spiritual you make it sound. The only true sign of unconditional love is faithfulness to the plan God has set out for you. Apart from that, all your claims of “loving God” are merely empty words.

God’s people are a supernatural kingdom under the direct authority of a sovereign Lord. It’s not up to us to choose where and for how long we will work. It’s the King of kings who decides our destiny and, to tell you the truth, I have more faith in His ability to promote me than in my own.

What I need to do in the tough situations is to stand my ground and let the Lord work His will through me. Faithfulness will bring God’s reward.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 1, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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