We use the term disciple very casually these days. Many are of the opinion that just being a Christian automatically makes you a disciple. It that the truth? Let’s see how it worked for the first disciples who came to Christ.
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
John 1:35-39
There are some things that this passage can teach us about what it means to be a disciple. We see two men who were following John the Baptist. Then they were pointed to the Messiah. That’s when their lives were changed.
A disciple follows Christ. There’s no way around that. The word follow implies that they took the same road as Christ. Many teach that a disciple is a student. I’ve attended enough classes to know that not all students aspire to be like their teachers. A student wants to learn what’s being taught. A disciple wants to become what the teacher is.
A disciple comes near to Christ. Jesus asked these men, “What are you seeking?” Their response, in the original Greek, was amazing. They replied, “Where is your dwelling place?” Being a disciple is all about what you’re seeking. Many say that they’re pursuing God. But in reality they’re only after the things God can give them. A disciple simply wants to be near Christ.
A disciple wants to experience Christ. These men went to the Lord’s house and spent time with Him. Hearing about Him isn’t enough. What are you seeking? Facts and figures about what God has done? Or do you want to meet with Him and experience His home?
A disciple lives in Christ. This is what truly defines a disciple. Do you want to live in Him? Jesus made this point very clear. When most Christians are asked about it, they usually reply, “Of course I’m a disciple.” The real issue is; what are you seeking? Anything other than His dwelling place and you’re not a disciple.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32 NKJV
Abide in Him. Let His word abide in you.
Question: What steps are you taking to be a disciple of Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abide, abide in Christ, become like Christ, Christ, Christian, disciple, disciple of Christ, dwelling place, experience Christ, follow Christ, His dwelling, Jesus, live in Christ, Messiah, near Christ, same road, seeking, word, word of God
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm…
Job 40:6
From time to time I try to get away to the wilderness and get alone with God. A couple of weeks ago I felt a prompting of the Spirit, so I spent three days hiking on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. I’m glad that I did.
The presence of the Lord was very real during that trip. I had some great prayer times with Him. But there is one thing that happened that I want to share in this post.
My plan was to start out early and park my car at the ending point of the hike. I had made arrangements with a taxi company to meet me there and take me to where I was to start. As I sat in my car, waiting for the cab to arrive, it started to lightly drizzle.
According to the weather, it was only a 20% chance of rain first thing in the morning, then clear skies later. Since there was no cell phone reception to call off the taxi, and I figured it would clear up soon, I decided to go forward with my hiking plans.
I put on my rain gear and took the taxi to the start of my hike. It started off fine. Under the cover of the forest, the slight rain didn’t even make it down to where I was walking.
However, the further I hiked up the mountain, the less cover there was. Then it happened – the sky opened up and I found myself in a torrential downpour. I had to scramble across slippery rocks, on the edge of a cliff, in the rain.
At one point the trees cleared for a bit giving me an incredible view. (That’s the picture I took at the top of this post.) It was at that moment that the Spirit of the Lord became wonderfully real to me. I had no choice but to stop, right where I was and worship God.
As I looked around, standing on the rocks on the side of a mountain, dripping wet in a rainstorm, I had the funniest thought. I told the Lord, “God, You even make rainstorms magnificent!”
It was an experience to remember. The sound of the rain and wind in the mountains. The sight of the clouds racing past me as I stood level with them. The expanse of the mountains and trees around me.
It all combined to inspire awe toward my Creator. I realized in that moment that I was experiencing something that few people ever will. Actually, few people would ever choose to be there!
In our Christian walk, if you desire to do great things for God then you will go through a spiritual storm. But in the middle of that challenge, know that the Holy Spirit is with you. If you turn the downpour into a chance to praise God, you’ll know the wonder of His presence with you.
Questions: Are you going through a spiritual battle at this time? Will you choose to give God praise during the tough times?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Appalachian Trail, awe, challenge, hiking, Holy Spirit, mountain, praise God, praise Him in the storm, praising God in the storm, presence of God, presence of the lord, rain, Spirit of the Lord, spiritual battle, spiritual challenge, spiritual storm, voice of God, wilderness, worship God
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
In this verse, Paul is referring to Moses. When he was leading the children of Israel through the desert, they stopped for a while at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Moses went up to meet with God. As he spent time in the presence of God, he started to soak in some of the glory. At one point, upon his return, the people couldn’t look at his face because it shone like the sun.
The glory of God was reflecting off his face. Moses had to wear a veil until things were back to normal. It’s interesting that way the Bible relates it. It sounds like Moses wore the veil so that the Israelites wouldn’t see the glory fading. His experience was great, but it didn’t last a long time. He had an incredible encounter with God, but it eventually faded back to the way it was.
Understand this, the Lord has greater plans for us. The Holy Spirit is working in us to make us like Christ. Each day we are becoming more and more like Him, if we submit to His plan for our lives. This is the glory of God in us.
This glory that God is clothing us with is different than that of Moses. First of all, it doesn’t fade. It’s a glory that’s always on the increase. My prayer in the presence of the Lord is that throughout my life people will see more of Jesus and less of me.
This is a wonderful thought. God is doing greater things in us than He did in Moses! We sometimes look to the pages of Scripture and wish we were a part of what God did back then. In reality, there’s no need to go back. God is working just as powerfully today – if we let Him.
Another aspect of this glory is that we reflect it with unveiled faces. It’s not a glory that frightens others and pushes them away. It’s the warmth of love and freedom that draws men and women to the cross. Don’t ever use your walk with Christ as an excuse to condemn or put down other people. That’s not what the glory of God is about.
We are here to draw men to Christ. It’s the love, patience and passion of the Lord that brings people to a knowledge of His grace. We need to use the same tactics that He does.
What should our goal be? We must desire to spend time in the presence of this glory. Let it continue to do its transforming work in us. By doing this we are making it our goal to reflect more of His beauty. That’s what will attract people to Christ.
Question: How much quality time do you spend in God’s presence?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, draw men to Christ, fading, glory of God, God's glory, Holy Spirit, increase, Jesus, love patience, Moses, Mount Sinai, passion, pray, prayer, presence of God, reflecting, reflecting God's glory, unveiled faces
In my last post I talked about the 5 symptoms of being addicted to ministry for Christ. It was based upon the KJV translation of a verse in I Corinthians.
I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
1 Corinthians 16:15
Today I want to talk about the steps that it takes to become addicted. Again, I took them from a pamphlet of the American medical community.
Curiosity causes you to check it out. Sometimes seeing what someone else is doing for Christ will cause you to ask if you’re able to do something similar. You step out in faith and see what happens. After all, we’re encouraged in the Scripture to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Comparing your life with Christ to your life without Him. How has the Lord changed you? If you’re like most people, then you can look back on a life of death, sorrow, worry, and guilt. Now, in Christ, your path should be marked with life, joy, faith, and freedom.
You develop a taste for it. Most of the things that cause addictions start out tasting horrible. It’s only after people get used to it that they get “hooked.” It’s the same with the ministry. Sometimes it’s hard working with people. But as you get used to it, and especially the rewards of seeing changed lives, it gets better. Pretty soon it becomes normal. Experts tell us that it takes about a month for a habit to develop.
You start to become uncomfortable when it’s taken away (withdrawal). Being a blessing to others causes you to become a giver. When that happens, you have to draw on the sufficiency of Christ. If something happens to stop the process, you feel like something’s missing.
As problems increase, your usage increases. It’s easy to tell when someone is in the final stages of a “Christ addiction.” When the normal believer faces a crisis – the loss of a job or a loved one – you don’t see them around for a while. After all, they need time to sort things out.
Addicted people are different. During times of crisis or turmoil you find them seeking more fellowship, prayer, or worship. Their goal is use the strength of the Lord and His church to get them through the tough times.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalms 42:1-2
David understood the concept. In my estimation, an addiction to Christ is the best thing you could ever experience. It becomes your strength in weakness and your channel of blessing. It will keep your walk with God from becoming stale or stagnant.
Cultivate this holy addiction!
Question: What’s your strategy to developing an addiction to Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: addicted, addicted to Christ, Christ, compare, curiosity, develop a taste, habit, hooked, Jesus, smptoms, step out in faith, steps, sufficiency of Christ, taste and see, usage, with and without Christ, withdrawal
I normally don’t use the KJV in my posts, but this verse gives me a lot to think about.
I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
1 Corinthians 16:15
What was it about Stephanas and his family that caused Paul to describe them as addicted?
I looked up some facts, not from Christian sources, but from the American medical community. How do they describe addiction? You may think you’re “all in” for the Lord. How does what these doctors say stack up to your experience?
You need an increased level to maintain the feeling. Are you feeling tired and burned out by what you do for God? Or are you hungering to go deeper with Him? Addiction means that the amount you’re doing now doesn’t satisfy you the way it used to. You want more, greater, and higher dosages in order to stay fulfilled. I believe that’s the excitement of the ministry.
You are obsessed with the ministry. What’s your thought life like? When you’re not actively involved in your calling, are you still thinking about it? Addiction means that it’s constantly in the back of your mind. You continually think about ways to improve and increase what you’re doing for the Lord.
Even in recreation times, a thought, word, or something you see will trigger an image of what you could be doing to further the Kingdom. Thinking about it is uncontrollable.
You are continually sneaking “quickies” throughout the day. Addiction to the ministry is a lifestyle. Do you find yourself sharing about Jesus at the mall, school or workplace? Are you prone to spontaneously be a blessing to people around you, simply for the enjoyment of it? Maybe you find yourself praying for people as soon as you hear about their need. This is a sign of an addiction to Christ and His ministry.
You undergo a change in your appearance. Does the knowledge that you represent Christ change how you present yourself to others? Does the fact that you’re God’s ambassador to the world make a difference in how you live? The more we become addicted, the more radical the change. How much has your ministry affected you?
You are in “denial” – you continue deeper even though others may argue against it. Some people may say that you’re doing too much for God. After all, look at the lifestyle of most believers. “God will let you get away with a lot less commitment.” Arguments like these don’t even faze you. You want to touch as many people as you can for the Gospel.
You may like to think that you’re addicted – after all, it sounds good. But the truth is, unless you’ve come to the place I’ve just described, it’s only wishful thinking. Hey, don’t get mad at me – this is what the American medical community says about it.
If you find that you’re not addicted and you want to be – my next post will be about the 5 steps to becoming addicted!
Question: How has addiction to the ministry affected your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: addicted to the ministry, addiction, addiction to Christ, argument, change, Christ, deeper, denial, excitement, God's ambassador, hunger, improve, increase, Jesus, lifestyle, medical community, ministry, obsessed, praying, radical, represent Christ, sharing about Jesus
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground – in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Deuteronomy 28:11-13
Israel was called by God to walk in excellence. To live at that level requires above average resources. Scripture is clear that along with the calling we can expect the supernatural equipping of God. He never calls you to a work and then leaves you to use your own strength and ability.
God wants you to have excellence in ministry. He wants you to have all that you need to fulfill that ministry. God has never been the God of “just enough.”
Some may say, “It’s too late for me. I’ve wasted too many years in mediocrity to be able to walk in excellence now.”
To you I say, “Let God be God.” You take care of your part, and He’ll take care of His. The above verse was written to Israel so they would know God’s perfect will for their nation, which was that they might walk in excellence.
There was a problem, however. In the next chapters, Moses went on to prophesy through the Spirit that they would fall away from their divine calling and lose the abundance of excellence. He then goes further into the future showing them that eventually they would repent and return to the way God had chosen for them to walk.
The next verse explains what God said His reaction would be when they once again returned to a walk of excellence.
Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers.
Deuteronomy 30:9
Praise God for the once again in the Lord. All God is looking for is someone to humble themselves before Him. This will require the person to admit his or her mistakes, repent, and turn back to the right path.
He wants the fruit of your hands to flow with excellent prosperity. You need to be listening for His voice and watching for His leading. If you find that you’ve blown it, then be quick to admit it, repent, and move on.
Question: How has God equipped you for your calling?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: excellence, excellence in ministry, excellence restored, excellent, God's will, humble, humility, mediocrity, repentance, resources, restoration, restoration of God, supernatural equipping, walk of excellence
Ungodly. The word usually makes us think of the unsaved. The problem is that there are many ungodly Christians that are totally unaware of their condition. Are you one of them? Check out what the Bible says about it.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5
Paul tells us that we are to examine our lives. This word literally means to scrutinize how we live.
Do you know Christ is in you? Most Christians understand this concept. They realize that Christ is in them. When they asked Him to be the Lord of their lives, Christ made their heart His home. Most believers will pass this test.
Does it matter to you? This is where the test starts to get tough. It’s surprising that many who belong to Christ really don’t give Him a second thought. They go throughout the day without ever acknowledging Him.
It seems that they’re oblivious to the fact that Jesus is accompanying them wherever they go. He’s a silent listener of every conversation. If this was a reality to us, we would probably behave much differently.
Do you want to know God’s will? Not only is Christ with us at all times, but He has a plan for our lives. The question really comes down to; whose will is more important – mine or the Lord’s? Many don’t want to know God’s will for their lives because they’re afraid it will interfere with their plans.
Do you want to accomplish God’s will? Knowing God’s will is not the end of it. What we really need to do is accomplish it. Not only is Christ with us wherever we go, He expects us to represent him and His kingdom to the world. What many don’t realize is that unless we answer “yes” to this question, God will not reveal His will to us.
Are you seeking God’s approval? This is the final and greatest test of godliness. Who are we seeking to please? Are we after our own pleasure? That of our friends or family? The Bible is clear that unless we’re “God-pleasers” our lives will be worthless – there will be no reward at the end.
How do these questions play out in your life? A “no” to any of the highlighted questions should be a warning that you’re in danger of ungodliness. If so, then repent of it and move on with the Lord.
It’s time for God’s people to live like they truly understand the Lord’s presence in their lives.
Question: What signs of godliness do you see in your life?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: accomplish God's will, acknowledging Christ, Bible, Christ, Christ in you, danger, examine, God's approval, God-pleaser, godliness, heart, Jesus, kingdom, know God's will, presence, presence of God, repent, repentance, represent, reward, scrutinize, test, the Lord's presence, ungodliness, ungodly, ungodly Christians, unsaved, warning, warning signs of ungodliness
As I was reading the Bible the other day, I came across a Scripture that caught my attention. It was describing Christ and how He was revealed to the world. It got me thinking about our relationship to God.
…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4
Jesus Christ was shown to be the Son of God. Not just by someone’s testimony. It was an act of power by God raising Him from the dead.
That in itself was not news to me. The part that really spoke to my heart was who did the declaring. The passage says that it was through the Spirit of holiness that He was shown to be the Son of God.
That’s what I found to be interesting – the Spirit of holiness. Why did Paul not call Him the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that the more common term? Actually, this is the only place in Scripture where He’s called the Spirit of holiness.
Holiness is something that this generation of believers really needs to come to grips with. It seems that we tend to back away from any mention of holiness. We find it boring and old fashioned.
This is a subject of great importance in the Bible. It’s found throughout the New Testament. We are to be a holy people before God.
Holiness is related to separation. It means to be set apart for God’s purpose.
It’s like this. When Christ found us, we were like a dirty, cast off piece of pottery in the trash heap of the world. When we turned to Him as our Lord and Savior, He rescued us from that place – that’s our salvation.
He then took us as His own and placed us on display in His household. We are now to be exclusively used for the Lord’s purposes. That’s holiness.
As we remain in His house, Christ continues to clean us up and restore us. That’s our sanctification.
By using the term Holy Spirit, we mean the Spirit of God who is set apart from the world and the things of the world. The phrase Spirit of holiness brings it to a whole other realm.
He’s not only the Spirit who is set apart – but the Spirit who sets us apart. He is the Spirit of God who makes us holy. That’s where we try to water down the truth.
We like to think of the Holy Spirit as the power source of the church. Miracles, healings, signs, and wonders always draw a crowd. But separation, on the other hand, sounds too much like commitment.
This generation seems to want the power without the holiness. I believe that it’s time for us to seek the Spirit of holiness. At the place where we are separated for God’s exclusive use, we will find all the power we need to live victoriously and win the lost.
Question: Have you seen examples of the Holy Spirit setting you apart for His use?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, commitment, exclusive use, God, God's purpose, holiness, holy people, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, makes us holy, power of God, relationship with God, resurrection, savior, separation, set apart, Son of God, Spirit of holiness, the world
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…
Romans 1:1
Paul uses some interesting language in this verse. He calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ – literally a slave. It’s interesting, because on various occasions Paul made a point of proving his freedom.
Once he was arrested and he asked the guard why he was being denied his right to a trial as a Roman citizen. The guard explained that he, personally, had to buy his freedom. Paul, on the other hand, said that he was born a free Roman citizen.
At that time, if you were born a slave, you were expected to be a slave forever – there was no escaping it. Under Roman law, a slave could find out his “sale price” from his master. Then, if he saved enough money, he could pay the buying price to and have the ownership transferred to one of the many Roman gods. Then, as a slave to that god, could serve as a free man.
I believe this was in the back of Paul’s mind as he penned these words. We are all born under slavery to sin. That was our unfortunate lot for the rest of our lives.
Jesus Christ paid the “slave price” for us. Now, just as Paul did, we need to transfer the ownership of our lives over to God. As God’s slaves we can now serve as free citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.
We have to live under this knowledge if we are to have a fulfilling life in Christ. We don’t own our lives.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5-8
Christ, Himself, set the standard of living that we need to follow. He said that He came to live a life of service. That should be our attitude as well.
The Apostle Peter understood this truth.
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
1 Peter 2:16
In the first verse above, Paul said that as a slave, he was called to be sent forth as an apostle. Once we’ve transferred the ownership of our lives to God, our callings will open up to us. We are now free to serve Him to the best of our ability.
Paul finished off the verse by saying that he was set apart to the Good News. That literally means that we are set off by a boundary. The Good News is our field of service.
This is the attitude that will push you to great things in the body of Christ.
Question: Have you transferred the ownership rights of your life to the Lord?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: calling, Christ, citizens of heaven, freedom, God, Jesus, life of service, ownership, ownership of our lives, servant, servant of Jesus Christ, service, set apart, slave, slavery to sin, tranferred ownership
Last Thursday morning, I found myself sitting in a chapel at Word of Life Inn, Schroon Lake, NY. I was at a regional student convention, helping as a judge for various student competitions going on. We had a morning devotional and it was Pastor Dave Sangster speaking on the topic of “Let It Burn.”
Pastor Dave was phenomenal and the message was impactful. It made me start to think. I wanted to apply the changes to my life and I hope it has the same effect on you. I will be paraphrasing his devotional and adding some of my own thoughts. I hope you enjoy!
Reading in 1 Kings 19, we see Elijah being told by God to go and anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Elisha was an ordinary man and Elijah found him out plowing his fields with oxen.
Understand, that before Elijah called Elisha to follow him and succeed him as prophet, these oxen and the lands he was plowing were all Elisha owned and how he supported himself.
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ‘Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,’ he said, ‘and then I will come with you.’… So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
1 Kings 19:19-21
In this passage we see what Elisha did that solidified his commitment to working in the ministry. He took all he had, and all he had ever known – working his fields with his oxen and equipment – and destroyed it all. He killed his oxen, and burned his equipment to cook the meat on.
Some people might call this a bit extreme; Elisha couldn’t turn back now even if he wanted to. This is the point I want to make and why this blog is titled “Let It Burn”. God wants the same level of commitment that Elisha showed to be evident in us.
When we feel the call on our lives from God, and we find what our ministry is, he wants to burn up whatever our plan was for our life. It doesn’t matter how far we have moved up or how much we have achieved.
Another godly example is the author of this blog, Pastor Nick Zaccardi. He was in a great position with a great company making a good amount of money. However, when God called him out of it and placed him in a ministry in a different state, he left without hesitation and “let burn” the taste of success he already had achieved.
Be encouraged today to spend time with God, and find out what plans He has in store for you. And when those plans are revealed, be prepared to give up everything you know now to walk in His perfect will.
Question: How much are you willing to “let burn” for God’s calling upon your life?
Tags: call of God, commitment, Elijah, Elisha, everything, extreme, Heath Midkiff, let it burn, no turning back, plan of God, turn back, will of God
We use the term disciple very casually these days. Many are of the opinion that just being a Christian automatically makes you a disciple. It that the truth? Let’s see how it worked for the first disciples who came to Christ.
The Spirit and the Word 