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Category Archives: Faith

Faithfulness is the Key

01 Dec
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.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

Colossians 1:21 NIV

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!

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Colossians 1:22-23 NIV

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.

Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

Proverbs 20:6 NIV

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.

Question: How has God worked through you in the past?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

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

 

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The Supremacy of Christ

29 Nov
The Supremacy of Christ

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Colossians. Paul is giving truth that shows the fallacy of Gnosticism. For the last couple of posts, I talked about the place of Christ in creation.

Now Paul talks about the Lord’s place as Ruler and King.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Colossians 1:18-20 NIV

As I’ve said before, Paul is combating the heresy that places Christ at the bottom of the ladder of created angelic beings. He now gives us a picture of Christ in His rightful place.

First, we see the Lord as the Head of the church, His body on earth. The word, church, that Paul uses, means the gathering together of God’s people.

Jesus Christ is the beginning of it all. That word means the chief in order, rank, time, or place. Nothing would exist if not for Christ.

But, more than that, He is the firstborn from the dead. Not even death itself could stop the Lord from His assignment.

There were many who were raised from the dead in Scripture. But Jesus Christ is the only one who came back and stayed alive forever. All of the others, people like Lazarus, eventually had to die and go back to the grave. Not Jesus!

Paul makes the reasoning clear. This was so that in every area of existence, Christ is supreme.

The fullness of God was in Him. That’s one of the hardest things for us to grasp. The fact that Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man at the same time.

But, because of that, He was the perfect mediator. The Lord could deal with our sin and the holiness of God at the same time. Now we have peace with God through the blood He shed on the cross. The power released in that act is totally unimaginable.

Now, because of His sacrifice, we can stand holy, righteous, and clean before the God of the universe. What an amazing gift. His love is unthinkable.

When you look at all of this as a whole, you can realize why only He is worthy of our worship. All of heaven, and earth will bow before His Lordship. The best thing we can do is to choose this response now, before we have no choice.

It takes me back to a verse in 2 Corinthians.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NIV

This is the message a dying world needs to hear. How can we keep it to ourselves? Share the Good News with everyone who will listen!

Question: How is the supremacy of Christ evident in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2023 in Creation, Faith, Power of God, The Gospel

 

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Dark Matter and the Word

27 Nov
Dark Matter and the Word

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church, the apostle is giving them a clear picture of who Jesus Christ is. He explains the glory of God, the Son, in powerful terms.

But, before I start on today’s Scripture, I have to start with an introduction. As many of you know, I don’t have a religious degree. My degree is in the field of science. That gives me a unique perspective on the Word of God.

Contrary to what they say in the world, science does not disprove the Bible. Actually, in my experience, scientific FACTS only serve to prove who God is. The FACTS of science line up with the Word.

The problem comes in with the interpretation of those facts. Atheists come to the table with the foundational assumption that there’s no God. Therefore, they have to explain how those facts could work without God.

I see those same facts, and they only serve to increase my faith in the Lord. Today’s verse is one of those places that illustrate this. So, prepare yourself for a science lesson.

There are some things about this universe that baffle atheistic scientists. One of these is the FACT that there’s not enough mass in the universe to provide the gravity which holds it together. With the matter we see, everything should fly apart.

So, physicists have come up with a theoretical particle that they call dark matter. They say that in order for the universe to be stable, this dark matter has to provide the gravity necessary to hold everything together.

What baffles them is that you can’t see these particles. You can’t test for them. You can’t find them. You just have to take it on faith that they exist.

What does Scripture say? That brings me to today’s verse from Colossians. In talking about Christ, Paul says…

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:17 NIV

According to the Word, the Creator made the universe in such a way that it needed to be held together. It is God, Himself who holds it together.

Atheistic physicists describe their belief in dark matter as an invisible “spider’s web” holding the universe together. That sounds like misplaced faith to me. In order to hold on to their belief in “no God”, they trust an invisible array of dark matter.

However, if you listen to their belief, it’s even more incredible. One article I read (written by an atheist) actually said that our universe has been “finely tuned to support life”. Of course, they believe that nature finely tuned it.

Think about it. If I say that an Indy race car was finely tuned, does that sound like random chance to you? “Finely tuned” implies that someone took a lot of time and care to make it run exactly how it should.

These physicists say that our universe has exactly the right amount of dark matter to produce life. Too much and everything would come together in a big blob. Not enough, and everything would disintegrate. It had to be perfect.

Yes, I believe our universe was finely tuned. The Good News is that I know the Tuner and Creator. When I see the choice…an invisible spider’s web vs. A loving Creator…my decision is simple. I place my faith in the God who has revealed Himself through the Bible and in Jesus Christ.

That seems the simplest choice to me. Over and over again throughout my life, it has proven to be the exact, right choice.

Question: Where do you place your faith?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 27, 2023 in Creation, Faith, Power of God, Word of God

 

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Are We Thankful

22 Nov
Are We Thankful

Since tomorrow is the day of Thanksgiving in the USA, I want to pause in my look at Colossians. I’ll start that back up on Friday. For now, I want to meditate on being thankful to God.

These thoughts on Thanksgiving come from reading Luke 17:11-19. In this section of Scripture, we see an interesting event in the life of Christ. It caused me to ask myself if I’m truly thankful for all God has done for me.

This story, from the life of Christ, surrounds ten lepers. These were men who had an incurable skin disease. They came to Jesus for a miracle and were not disappointed.

In these verses, we see everything needed for obtaining the blessing of God. There’s faith, obedience, and expectancy. Jesus’ response to them is simple.

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
Luke 17:14 NIV

There was no special religious display. The Lord didn’t touch them or even pray over them. He simply gave them a task to complete.

Then, something unexpected happened. As they were on their way to the priests, their healing was completed. By the time they got there, the leprosy was totally gone.

But that wasn’t the only unexpected occurrence that day.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
Luke 17:15 NIV

On the way to the priests, one of the men sees what’s happening to him. As he experiences his healing, he turns around. He begins to make his way back to Jesus.

As he does so, he starts yelling. The literal Greek uses the words mega-phone. This was not a quiet thankfulness of the heart. His actions must have attracted attention. And what’s more, he didn’t even care who heard him. He wanted to praise God because of His blessing.

What this passage taught me is that thankful people live out loud for the Lord. This is not just a church thing, but a lifestyle of praise to God.

That’s why I believe Thanksgiving is more than just “Turkey Day” or “Football Day.” It’s about what God has done for us. Even the disciples of Christ caught hold of this.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen…
Luke 19:37 NIV

This is a normal response to the hand of God at work. It doesn’t mean you have to yell all the time. What it does mean, is that God’s work should be abundantly evident in your life.

Question: What are you thankful to God for? Are you willing to let people know about it?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Healing

 

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Out of Darkness

20 Nov
Out of Darkness

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Colossians. Paul has been telling them of the power that’s available through their relationship with Christ. We’re no longer a part of the world’s system.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14

This is the key to most of our Christian walk. We were under the authority of darkness. The word authority basically means permission to act. Now we have been brought over into the King-dom of Christ. That’s the dominion of the King – the area of His Lordship.

When I was saved, I placed myself under His authority – in His kingdom. That’s why we can do things, and trust God for things that the world can’t.

All the things Paul talked about in the preceding verses are ours as a part of God’s kingdom. That’s why we strive to live worthy of that kingdom.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…
1 Peter 1:1

In the opening statement of his letter, Peter describes the believers that he’s writing to. He tells us that we’re strangers in this world. The word he used literally means aliens alongside, resident foreigners. We may live here, but we’re no longer a part of this system.

This is a theme throughout the New Testament. We know that Hebrews, chapter 11, is the faith chapter. Towards the end of this chapter, the writer makes a comment about all the Old Testament saints he lists.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
Hebrews 11:13

They were all still living by faith when they died. But more than that, they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. We need this mindset. We do not belong to this world. This truth is emphasized over and over again in the Scripture.

However, living in the world while being citizens of heaven places us in a unique position.

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20

Because of our position, in this world but not of this world, we have diplomatic immunity. We operate as diplomats – where I am, my kingdom is. Wherever I am, the rules of my government are in operation. That’s why every believer should endeavor to understand how God’s Kingdom operates.

I live in the world, but I don’t belong to this world. I live by a different set of rules. I live on a different level.

There are a lot of things that are going on in the world – who’s in power, the economy, the weather, etc. These things are important, and I need to understand what’s happening, but they don’t determine what I do.

That’s because I’m a part of a different kingdom. We are a part of the kingdom of God.

Question: How does being a citizen of God’s kingdom affect your daily life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Stay on the Clear Path

10 Nov
Stay on the Clear Path

We’re continuing our look at the book of Colossians. Paul started this letter by commending the faith and love that they’re walking in. Now he talks about who they learned it from.

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Colossians 1:7-8 NIV

What we need to know about this epistle, is that in all probability, Paul did not establish the Colossian church. While he was in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul won Epaphras to the Lord. With Paul as his mentor, Epaphras established churches in Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossi – cities in Asia Minor.

At this point, Epaphras is the pastor of the Colossian church. It’s been a while since Paul was in this area and “wolves” were creeping into the churches with false doctrines. These doctrines eventually became known as Gnosticism.

To put it simply, Gnostics taught that everything in the material world is evil. God cannot touch it. But he can touch an angel a little lower than Himself. So, a large number of spiritual beings were created, a little lower than the one before. At the bottom of the spiritual ladder is Jesus.

This was a blatant denial of the Lord’s deity. They also taught that since the body is evil, it will be destroyed, so it doesn’t matter what your body does. You can fulfill all your fleshly desires with no consequences. Clearly this teaching was devastating the church.

Because of this, Epaphras goes to Rome to consult with Paul who then writes this letter. Because he’s dealing with this subject, Paul gives us one of the clearest pictures of Christ in this small letter.
Knowing all of this, helps us to understand Paul’s next statement.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 1:9 NIV

The word, Gnostic, comes from the Greek word for knowledge. These heretics felt they had a knowledge that was above all other believers. Paul is letting the church know that there’s a knowledge even higher than what these wolves think they have.

Paul says that he’s praying for them. He’s expecting God to fill them up with the full knowledge of His will. This is a supernatural knowledge that goes beyond the normal human experience.

But, even more than that, God wants to give them all spiritual wisdom and understanding. These are two of the greatest gifts we can receive from God.

Wisdom is the ability to take the knowledge we have and use it to make right decisions. Understanding is the ability to take everything we see and put it together in order to understand the whole scope of what we’re experiencing.

What God has for us in Christ, is more powerful than anything these Gnostics were offering the church. So often, believers are looking for a shortcut to blessings. Unfortunately, these always lead to a dead end.

We need to keep to the path that the Lord has given us in His Word. That’s the true path to a blest and victorious life.

Question: What wisdom and understanding have you received from the Lord recently?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 10, 2023 in Faith, Spiritual Walk, The Church, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Growing Faith and Love

08 Nov
Growing Faith and Love

In my last post we started looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. He was commending them for the faith and love that was manifest in them.

…because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints – the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.

Colossians 1:4-6a NIV

In these verses, Paul shows us where this faith and love comes from. If we want to walk in them, then it will be no different for us. There are two things that cause faith and love to spring up in us.

We’re told that they come through the hope of what’s reserved for us in Heaven. In order to understand this, you need to know what the word, hope, means in the Scripture. It’s not talking about a blind wishful thinking.

In our society we say things like, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” It has no basis in fact. We’re simply voicing what we’d like to happen.

That’s not biblical hope. The Greek word used in Scripture means an expectation. It’s something that, based upon God’s Word, we fully expect and look forward to. In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about these as eternal qualities.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV

When we walk in the expectation of what God will accomplish, then faith and love are the natural results. But how do I get that kind of expectation?

Paul reminds them that they received it when they heard the Word of truth from the Gospel. This is key to us walking in the hope of what’s reserved for us in Heaven.

As we sit under anointed preaching and teaching, we hear Good News. We receive something we’ve never had access to before. As it does its work in us, hope – the expectation of God’s grace – is born in us.

Then, when we learn what our calling is all about, we walk in the faith and obedience to that Word. But, more than that, calling is about ministry to others. God starts to place a love in our hearts for the people around us.

This is what the Colossian Christians experienced. They learned to listen to, believe, and obey God’s Word. It’s how we should follow in their footsteps.

All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.

Colossians 1:6b NIV

Paul makes it clear that it’s the Word of truth in that Gospel that produces fruit. It’s not my good intentions, will-power, or work ethic. The fruit of the spirit can only come as a result of the Word working in me.

This is why it’s so important to hear godly, anointed preaching and teaching. And it’s not just a matter of hearing it. You need to lay hold of the truth. You must come to the point of understanding how it applies to your life.

That’s where the blessing of faith and love is born. When we hear, understand, and obey the Word of God, a whole new world of spiritual growth opens up to us.

Question: How have you seen faith and love grow in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2023 in Faith, Ministry, Power of God, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Colossians Begins

06 Nov
Colossians Begins

In my last post, I finished my series on Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. I’ve been systematically going through the New Testament in the order that the Holy Spirit revealed it to the church.

I started with the four foundational books – James, First Thessalonians, Galatians and Mark. The next thing on the Holy Spirit’s agenda was to inspire books that dealt with our personal walk with the Lord. These books include Second Thessalonians, First and Second Corinthians, Romans, and Luke.

After that, the Lord gave us books dealing with our corporate walk. We need to understand life as a church. These epistles are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

The end of the book of Acts finds the Apostle Paul standing trial at Rome. This was his first Roman imprisonment. It seems that he had his own apartment while under house arrest.

It was during this time that these books were written. They are also called the prison epistles. It probably gave Paul a lot of time reflect on what it means for the body of Christ to be a living organism. We’re not just a social organization.

In this post I’ll start the book of Colossians.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints…

Colossians 1:1-4 NIV

Paul starts this letter with a commendation for the church. They’re obviously doing something right in their walk with the Lord.

The apostle says that he’s heard throughout the church community that the Colossians are known for their faith and love. That’s a big plus. Actually, it’s what we all should be striving for.

That’s because these two things, faith and love, are the two non-negotiables in the kingdom of God. Throughout the Scripture we see the command to have both of these in place.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 NIV

It’s not just hard to serve God without faith – it’s impossible. Also, it’s not simply enough to believe in God. You have to grasp a faith that sees His way as the best way of life. There’s no way to please God without this kind of faith.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2 NIV

Just as important, is love. The Bible makes it clear that even if you have faith, without love you are nothing. You must have love and faith working together to serve God acceptably.

That’s why Paul’s commendation of this church is so good. They’re operating as the body of Christ should be.

Question: How do you see faith and love at work in your Christian walk?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Ministry, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Content But Not Satisfied

01 Nov
Content But Not Satisfied

As we go through the book of Philippians, we’re coming to the last part of it. Paul is now giving some personal thoughts that let us know his attitude about life. We should follow his example of looking to Christ.

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Philippians 4:10-11 NIV

We need to remember that this is a letter to a church that has supported Paul throughout his ministry to this point. It’s a letter of thankfulness for how faithful they’ve been.

Here, he’s letting them know that he understands that even though they are constantly concerned about him and in prayer for him, they can’t always show it. He wants them to realize that it’s not a problem for him. He’s not writing because he wants another offering. He just wants to encourage them.

That’s important for us to hear. Too often I’ve heard ministries on TV or radio begging for finances. “We need your offering right now or we’ll have to shut down the ministry. You need to give sacrificially.” What does that even mean?

What kind of God do you serve? My God will supply everything I need for my life and ministry whether you give me anything or not. Beyond that, I don’t expect you to give “sacrificially”. I only want you to give what the Lord, Himself lays upon your heart.

Paul gives us a great truth in this section. He says that he has learned by experience, to be content. That brings me to two words we need to understand. That’s the difference between being content and satisfied.

Content speaks about what you have right now. You’re able to be blessed and thankful about the place God has you. You’re content in Christ, right here, right now.

Satisfied is very different. The root of that word means that you’re all filled up – you can’t receive anymore. That’s something we should never feel as we walk with God.

I always want to increase in Christ. I want to grow in maturity and continue to receive all that He has prepared for me. So, in that sense, I will never be satisfied until Christ returns. I believe every Christian should be content, but not satisfied. That’s where Paul was.

We see that in his next statement.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:12-13 NIV

Even though he’s content where he is, Paul knows that God has more prepared for him. This is the spirit of gratefulness that the apostle walked in. He thanked God for what he already received. But, knowing the things still needed, he had faith that God would never fail him.

We need that same spirit of faith. Too often we spend our time focusing on what we lack. We get anxious or even get mad at God. We start complaining to Him, asking why He’s taking so long to meet our need.

It’s funny, but there have been many times when I’ve experienced that scenario in my life – worried about the future or voicing my frustration with God. And, each time, once the Lord finally answers my prayers, I’ve had to admit that His timing was perfect.

Looking back, I saw that I had no need to worry or fret. God had everything under control. He knows the end from the beginning, and I don’t. So, I have to learn, like Paul, to be content where I find myself and let God work out the details of my future.

Truly, I can do everything that the Lord has called me to do as He provides the strength in me to accomplish it. I don’t have to come up with it on my own. I just need to walk in the faith and contentment that comes from knowing the Lord personally.

Question: How content are you in your present walk with God?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, God's Provision, Ministry, Power of God, 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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