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 all know that it’s impolite to interrupt someone when they’re speaking. Have you ever thought about this in relation to Christ and His work in you? He speaks to us in various ways. Are we guilty of interrupting what He’s doing in us?
I want to look at an incident in the life of Jesus that illustrates this. It’s found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12. At this point in the Lord’s ministry, He’s publicly teaching somewhere when all of a sudden a loud voice interrupts Him.
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Luke 12:13
Can you imagine that? Jesus is walking down the street giving words of instruction and perhaps ministering to the sick when somebody yells out, “Tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance.”
It makes you wonder what type of individual would be so self-absorbed, that they would make a public statement like that. Well, that kind of presumption was enough to set Jesus off in a new direction of teaching.
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:14-15
When Jesus got done, that person probably felt as though he should have kept his mouth shut. Jesus used this interruption to teach the crowd about the foolishness of greed.
He told them a parable about a rich man with no common sense. This man got a big harvest, built bigger barns, and stored it all up. Jesus explained that the man ended up dying before he could spend all of his wealth. That foolish man lost the eternal to gain the temporary.
The Lord’s message to those gathered around Him was that our life does not consist of what can be accumulated. You’re not to worry about what you’re going to wear or what you’re going to eat. God will provide for you.
Worry about serving God. Worry about doing the Father’s will. In that way you’re laying up treasure in Heaven. Christ said that where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is going to be.
This got me thinking. The Lord is attempting to do a particular work in my life. He communicates His plan to me through a series of events. He speaks to my heart, allows circumstances to come my way, and teaches me through the lives and words of others.
How often do I “interrupt” His plan with a totally unrelated request? I get my eyes off His plan and onto my desires. When it comes to the Lord, I need to think before I ask.
We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit at work in us. Make sure that your requests are in line with His plan. Don’t be discourteous and interrupt the Lord.
Question: Have you ever found yourself guilty of interrupting God’s work in you?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, Christ speaks, eternal, Holy Spirit, interrupt, interrupt the Lord, interrupting, Jesus, ministry, my heart, self-absorbed, sensitive, serve God, temporary, the Father's will, the Lord, treasure in Heaven
I’ve been posting about how similar our modern attitudes are to the crowd in John Chapter 6. They seem to have their eyes on the temporary, while Christ is trying to point them to the eternal.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty…And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:35-40
Notice that Jesus repeats Himself here. Two times He said to them, “I will raise them up at the last day.” It’s a very simple statement. It’s so simple, in fact, that most Christians miss it as well.
He told them that if they come to Him and put their trust in Him, He’ll give them eternal life and He’ll raise them up at the last day. The key is that you must have this eternal life in you BEFORE you enter the grave. If you have this eternal life in you, then death will not be able to keep you any more than it could hold on to the Lord.
He said it twice yet they didn’t hear him. Look at their reaction.
At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
John 6:41
It went right over their heads. They missed it. The Lord said you can have eternal life and that He’d raise you up at the last day. All they heard was that He thinks He’s bread that has come down from heaven. “What does He mean He’s bread coming down from heaven?”
They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:42-44
Jesus is desperately trying to get it into their head that He wasn’t emphasizing bread coming down from heaven. He was trying to get them to embrace eternal life. Over and over again He said, “I’ll raise him up at the last day.” They just didn’t get it.
I think, that just like us, they didn’t want to get it. They could tell that what Jesus was talking about meant change. They would have to change their views and attitudes about God. The Lord would no longer be that big “candy machine in the sky,” but a friend with whom you must spend time cultivating a relationship.
Question: How do you deepen your relationship with Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: attitudes, bread of heaven, bread of life, candy machine in the sky, Christ, eternal, eternal life, friend, friend of God, God, Jesus, raise him up, relationship, temporary, the last day
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.
The Spirit and the Word 