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Category Archives: Power of God

Driven By the Light

31 May
Driven By the Light

We’re continuing our study through the letter to the Ephesian church. In my last post I discussed how we were to act in the body of Christ. Now Paul talks about why he gave those instructions.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10

This verse tells us that we should live the way a child of the light should live. The fruit of the light is the evidence that we’re walking in the light.

What is that light? The light in our lives is the knowledge of God. I don’t mean knowing about God. I’m talking about a personal knowledge of Him. The better we know Him, the more light we walk in.

That’s what qualifies us as children of light. We know the Lord, personally. We hear His voice and obey Him. We are children of light because we walk in the light of God’s Word.

This passage literally says that as children of the light, we need to test and approve what is well pleasing to the Lord. The more we walk in His light – the more we learn about pleasing Him.

It’s by pleasing the Lord that we secure the anointing. That’s a key concept that many miss out on.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1Thessalonians 2:4

I’ve asked this before. Where is your heart set? Who are you trying to please? Your anointing (God’s approval of your ministry) is resting on that answer. It’s not about how much you want it; instead, it’s wrapped up in the direction your heart is taking you.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21

What we have to realize is that in our own power we can never be well pleasing to God. It only comes from time spent in His presence. Only God’s power can secure our anointing.

We have to position ourselves to receive His power that works through us. We have to be driven to walk in the anointing.

This means that we have set our heart on it. It’s all about getting close enough in the spirit, to find out what’s well pleasing to Him. It’s the only way to get ourselves in the position to receive.

In the final analysis it can only be accomplished by His power at work in us.

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2 Corinthians 5:9

Be driven to please God.

Question: What is God calling you to do that will require His power to accomplish?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2023 in Anointing, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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The Path to Daily Renewal

15 May
The Path to Daily Renewal

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. In my last post I began talking about the renewing of our minds. We saw from Ephesians 4:23, that it’s a work that’s accomplished in the spirit.

…to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

Ephesians 4:23 NIV

Even the phrase be made new is full of meaning. It’s the Greek word ana-neoo. Neoo means brand, spanking new, right out of the box. Ana is a prefix that adds an intensive repetition. This renewal is to be done over and over again.

This is the only place in the Bible that this word is used. Every other place the word renew means to freshen or renovate. In this verse we’re talking about resetting everything back to the original factory settings. This is the ultimate do-over. But it can only be done in the spirit.

That’s why I place such a high emphasis on prayer in the spirit. Without it we have no chance of overcoming the sin nature or walking in the renewed life. I feel that the renewal of the mind is the most important part of the process. Without setting our mind correctly, it will never fully cooperate with God’s plan.

This is reiterated throughout Paul’s ministry. At one point he felt the need to remind Titus, a young pastor, about these things. He reminded Titus what they were like when they first came to God. They were just like everyone else in the world. They thought and acted like everyone around them.

…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…

Titus 3:5 NIV

The salvation process is described here in two parts. First, the washing of rebirth – the removal of the old man and the putting on of Christ. Then came the renewal by the Holy Spirit. We have to give up the idea that it’s just about reading the Bible.

As important as Scripture is to us, I know many people who aren’t even saved, who read the Bible every day. Their lives show no improvement because of this practice. The Bible will only bring change if it’s activated by the Holy Spirit.

That’s why this is not a one-shot deal. The word renewal contains the thought of repetition. We must continue in it day after day. Prayer in the spirit is not a holy “toy” that we take out of the box merely to play with on Sunday mornings. It’s a vital agent of change that needs to be cultivated day after day. We must continue to refresh and reset our minds.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

In the context of this verse, Paul is not talking about the entire church. We read this and think that every Christian is being renewed daily. That is absolutely not the case. In all of 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, Paul is talking about himself and his ministry team. Paul, who prayed in the spirit more than most believers of his day, was allowing himself to be renewed daily in the spirit.

This is why our daily time with the Lord is so important. We must take the time to read the Bible and pray in the spirit. Reading gets the written word into you. Prayer in the spirit activates that word and brings it to life within your heart.

That’s how you live in daily renewal, just like Paul. Not doing this is one of the biggest hindrances to serving Christ in His ability.

Question: How do you spend your daily time with the Lord?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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A Renewed Mind

12 May
A Renewed Mind

I’m continuing my posts about the teachings that the Apostle Paul referenced in his letter to the Ephesian church.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

My last few posts dealt with the putting off of the old self. Now I want to talk about the second thing that the Apostle Paul said was taught to the believers in Ephesus. He tells us that we need to be made new in the attitude our minds.

In the sequence of putting off the old self and embracing the new, the mind becomes the battlefield. It can be our greatest ally or our worst enemy. That’s because our mind can side either with the flesh or the spirit.

In order to win the war, our minds must be renewed. This can be a very quick process, if it’s done in the spirit. But the mind must be in agreement with submission to the will of God.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2 NIV

So many people have approached me over the years asking how they could find God’s will for their lives. The reality is that you can never “find” God’s will. According to Scripture, you must approve the will of God for your life. This will only happen as your mind comes into agreement with what God wants for you.

God has a perfect plan for your life. He developed it before the foundation of the universe. He knew you before you ever existed.

Even so, He’ll never implement His plan without your approval. That’s why we’re told not to conform…to the pattern of this world. That literally means don’t be forced into the world’s mold.

Instead, we are to let our mind be renewed. The word Paul uses for this is like the English word morph. We know about morphing in special effects in movies and on TV. When one thing changes into another, we say that it’s been morphed. That’s what God wants to do with our mind.

He wants to remove the thought pattern that we’re used to, the attitudes of the world. Then the Lord changes them into His thought patterns. In that way we’re renewed into His way of thinking. This is a work that the Lord must perform in us.

We’ve watered it down, in this generation, to the point where I’ve heard it taught that all you need to do to renew your mind is to read the Bible.

What is the Scriptural way to a renewed mind? It’s right in the second verse that we first looked at.

…to be made new in the attitude of your minds;

Ephesians 4:23 NIV

Again, the translation waters down the true meaning of this verse. We need to get back to the original meanings. The literal Greek of this verse says renew, in the spirit, your mind. Let that sink in. We need a spiritual renewal. How can we ever expect our mind to renew itself?

There needs to be an outside force at work in our mind. That’s where true renewal comes from. It’s a work done in the spirit.

I don’t know why we keep striving to do in the natural what can only be worked in the spirit. You may think that I’m wrong for continually emphasizing it, but our spiritual prayer life is more important than we realize.

Question: How has your thinking changed since you’ve been saved?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Baptism – The First Step to Victory

10 May
Baptism – The First Step to Victory

We’re continuing through the book of Ephesians. In my last post I started talking about how other generations of believers experienced the transforming power of God. I said that we needed to be retaught what they had learned. We looked at the following passage.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

According to Paul, the first thing we should be taught is how to put off the old self. This is talking about our flesh – the dwelling place of our evil desires. It’s the gift given to us by our ancestor, Adam.

According to James, this is where all of our temptation comes from.

…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

James 1:14 NIV

Contrary to what we see in the cartoons, it’s not the devil sitting on our shoulder that tempts us. It’s our own flesh that sees something it wants, and tries to get our soul to agree with it. The desires of our flesh – that’s where the battle starts.

Paul wrote a lot about this subject. It’s from his writings that we can learn how to overcome the flesh. It’s in Romans, chapter 6, that he begins dealing with the subject of sin. He tells us that it’s the grace of God that covers our sin.

Paul goes on to ask a question that may sound a little foolish, but it’s one we deal with all the time. Should we sin more in order to get more grace? Obviously not. But he uses the following argument.

By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:2-3 NIV

Here’s an important truth – in Christ we’ve died to sin. In the waters of baptism we’ve identified ourselves with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. So, we shouldn’t want to live according to our old life. But by the very question he asks, he implies that it’s possible to live in sin even though we died to it. How can we get the victory over this sin?

It all starts with our water baptism. This is where we identify with Christ. This is where we begin the process of removing the old man. Peter agrees with Paul’s assessment.

…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ…

1 Peter 3:21 NIV

The word pledge in the above verse means the asking, desire or demand. When we allow ourselves to be baptized in water, we are placing a demand on God for a good conscience. Because we desire to live rightly before Him, we take this step. It’s how we start down the road to remove the old sin nature.

That’s also how Romans chapter 6 starts. The first 10 verses describe our identification with Christ through water baptism. Then, in verse 11, Paul brings out the next step in the process.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:11 NIV

The words in the same way let us know that this is a new truth. You were baptized, and by faith identified with the death of Christ. In the same way that you trusted God for this, now go on to the next step of faith. I’ll talk about that step in my next post.

Questions: Were you baptized in water? How was your faith released during your water baptism?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Unity of the Spirit

19 Apr
The Unity of the Spirit

As we go through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, we must keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is beginning to emphasize our corporate walk. He’s showing us how to function together as the body of Christ on earth. This thought continues.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3

In order to grasp this, we must first define the term, unity. We must understand that there’s a big difference between unity and agreement. Most Christians use these two terms interchangeably. Actually, they’re two very different truths.

The Word of God is clear that agreement is when we think and believe the same way.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”
Matthew 18:19

In this verse, the Greek word that’s translated, agree, is sumphoneo. It’s where we get our English word symphony. It literally means to sound together. You agree on the facts, so you speak the same thing.

This means that if I believe Jesus is Healer, and you believe Jesus is Healer, we’ll sound the same when we speak. In that case, we’re in agreement. That makes it a function of our soul.

Unity is a whole different thing. Look at the above verse from Ephesians again.

In the same way that agreement is a function of our soul, unity is a function of our spirits. What we need to realize is that we’ve already been made one in Christ. It’s now our job to keep or guard the unity of the spirit.

In the Greek, the phrase, make every effort, means to use prompt and earnest effort. This tells me that it requires work on our part. There’s something we need to do. In order to keep this unity, it will require the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

It’s all about allowing the Lord to connect me to those around me in the body of Christ. Only then can we fulfill our calling together. Listen to Paul’s exhortation to the Philippian church.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel…

Philippians 1:27 NIV

Whenever I read this verse, I have to change the tone of my voice. This should be read like a general encouraging his troops on the eve of battle. Their goal is to have complete victory over their enemy.

It’s the same for the church of Jesus Christ. Everyday should be considered life on a battleground. As a matter of fact, Paul will get into that further on in this letter to the Ephesians.

Too many believers don’t understand this fact. They think that they can float through life caring only for themselves. That’s a recipe for defeat.

The Lord, Himself, as well as the apostles make it clear that we’re in a spiritual battle. If that’s the case, then it’s impossible to win this victory all by ourselves.

Paul’s commands are perfectly clear. We are to stand firm in one spirit. That’s the only way that we can be contending as one man for the Gospel. In order to do that, we need to line up our spirits with the Holy Spirit.

I believe that this means we need to be praying in the spirit. It’s this prayer in the spirit that unifies us for the spiritual war that we face each day. This is the unifying factor in the church.

Question: How often are you involved in corporate prayer in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 19, 2023 in Fellowship, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Love and Power

12 Apr
Love and Power

I’m continuing my look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. In my last post, I started talking about Paul’s prayer in chapter 3, verse 14. The apostle goes on to tell them a little more of what he prays for them. We need to take it to heart as well.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17b-19 NIV

This section of Scripture is absolutely loaded with truth. It even contains a couple of repetitive themes which are always important to understand.

But let’s start at the goal line. What is actually being prayed for in these verses? I see two things that the church is striving for. They are power and the fullness of God. Even in this generation, I hear prayers going up for these two blessings.

They’re both very much needed in the body of Christ today. We need to see the power of God manifest in the miraculous. That would definitely draw many people to Christ.

The same is true with the fullness of God. We need everything He has to offer us. We need the Lord’s wisdom, authority, strength, and boldness. We have to start walking as Christ did. That’s what will get the attention of the world.

The question is, what will it take to walk in the power and fullness of God? For that we need to start from the beginning of this section of Scripture. This literally says that we need to have our roots and our foundation in love.

That’s where it all starts. We have to begin with a love-walk. Please understand that I’m not just talking about a modern cultural “luv ya” kind of love. It needs to be a love that takes root deep in our hearts.

That’s where Paul’s prayer for power comes in. God’s people are always praying for power. We want the power for healing and miracles. We want the power of the Lord to increase our finances and give us influence with those in authority.

We all want the life changing, victorious power of the Holy Spirit to be at work in us. What exactly was Paul’s desire for the power of God to do in their lives? It’s actually something that I never hear the modern church pray for in regard to power.

He wanted the supernatural power of God, so that they could grasp the love of God. That’s how absolutely beyond our experience this love is. It takes the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to grasp it.

That’s the first piece of repetition. Paul wants them to know something that goes beyond knowledge. Obviously, that’s beyond my ability.

So, in short, I cannot love God without knowing God. (God is love) I cannot know God and His love without His power at work in me. He has to reveal His love to me. Why is that so important? That’s the next step in the process.

Paul is clear as to why he wants them to know God’s love in a supernatural way. So that they may be filled with the fullness of God (The other repetition). Here’s another interesting thought I had. As I said, I’ve heard many believers pray for the fullness of God’s power in them. Yet, I never heard them pray for the power to understand and know His love. Maybe that’s why the church in America is not where it should be. We want power without love.

Christ is our example. Power and love in perfect unity and balance. That’s what we must seek. Press into the power. Seek the power to grasp the love of God. Only then will you be truly equipped to walk in the fullness of what God has for you.

Question: How does God’s love qualify you for His power and fullness?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2023 in Anointing, Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Beyond Myself

10 Apr
Beyond Myself

In today’s post, I’ll finish chapter 3 of Ephesians. Paul has been showing us the blessings of our “in Christ” position. Now he closes this section with an exclamation of praise to God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

He praises God for His matchless power. This is a power that the Lord uses for our sake. It’s more than we could ever ask for, or even imagine.

However, that doesn’t mean that I get everything I ask for. Neither do I get everything I imagine. What it does mean is that I get things I didn’t even know I could ask for. In the same way, the Lord blesses me with things that are beyond my imagining.

He’s a good God. And He’s done more for me than I could have ever deserved or hoped for. But the great thing about this is that God works these things in us.

God’s unlimited power is at work in us right now. The Lord is accomplishing everything He desires for us. We just need to lay hold of it. The real question is; how do I lay hold of all this?

Paul talked about it in one of his previous letters.

However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NIV

This verse is talking about the supernatural revelation of God. He wants to show us those things that are beyond ourselves.

Remember, a few posts ago, I talked about the manifold wisdom of God bringing His glory into the church. This is a huge part of it.

But, the revelation talked about here is not for those who simply live for themselves with no thought to the spirit walk. God reveals His plan to those who, through their daily walk with Christ, are seeking the mind of the Holy Spirit. They’re the ones who see God’s plan for their lives.

Prayer in the spirit is the gateway to this revelation knowledge. The power of the Holy Spirit takes us beyond our own human understanding.

“No eye has seen” – You can read the Bible from cover to cover and not see everything God has prepared for your life. “No ear has heard” – You can listen to every sermon, prophet, and apostle yet still not hear all God has for you. “No mind has conceived” – You cannot brainstorm, imagine, or even dream up everything that’s your portion in the will of God. BUT…God has revealed it by His SPIRIT.

He then goes on to explain that the spirit can investigate everything, even the deep things of God. I believe that Paul is talking about your own human spirit. Your spirit can search out all things.

You may think Google is good. The Bible tells you that your spirit is the greatest search engine ever created. I know that Paul was given an enormous amount of revelation. He wrote most of the New Testament under the direction of the Holy Spirit. How did he receive all of that? By spending time in the spirit.

Here Paul tells us the secret of this supernatural revelation. It can only be received in the spirit. He makes it clear that your flesh (eyes and ears) cannot grasp it. Neither can your soul (mind) come up with it. It has to be a work of your spirit.

It’s through this divine wisdom and revelation that we can lay hold of those things that are beyond all that we can ask or imagine. It comes through time spent with the Holy Spirit.

This only comes in a life that knows how to interact on the spiritual level. This means that you must know how to pray in the spirit in order receive the revelation that’s referenced by this verse.

Your body and soul can never search out the deeper things of God, it will only be accomplished by your spirit working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. We need to strive for this level of intimacy in our generation.

Question: How much time do you spend in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival

 

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Resurrection Sunday – Persuaded

07 Apr
Resurrection Sunday – Persuaded

This Sunday will be celebrated all over the world. Most Christians regard it as Resurrection Sunday, it reminds us of the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. But not everyone believes this.

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

John 20:24-25 NIV

Thomas, one of the Lord’s own disciples had his doubts. Unpersuaded – that’s the story of our society.

“Unless I see it, I won’t believe it.”

What does it take to be persuaded? Jesus said blessed are those who don’t see yet believe (John 20:29).

Sometimes the facts persuade us. We like to check into things before we buy something expensive.

What about life? Why live your life without checking the facts first? Most people live based upon wishful thinking.

“Which philosophy do I like the best? It sure would be more convenient if there was no God.”

Do the research. It turns out that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most provable fact of ancient history. There’s more proof of the resurrection, than of Socrates and Plato ever existing. So, how can someone rise from the dead if there’s no God?

However, facts are not the only way to be persuaded. Actually, they’re the least effective. That’s because persuasion takes place in the heart, not in the head.

That’s why it’s not about convincing you to accept Christ. It’s not about making you believe the Bible. It’s getting you to see the hand of God at work. And there’s no better place than in the life of a believer.

…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NIV

Paul literally says, being persuaded of this. God is doing a good work in me. That’s what people need to see. It’s not about grand theological arguments. The world needs to see a life-changing God.

That’s because a changed life is persuasive. Change isn’t easy. Resurrection Sunday actually falls at a great time to illustrate this. It’s now just over three months from the New Year. How are your resolutions going?

No matter how good intentioned we are, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We’re aware of our need for change. We even want to change. But there’s a force trying to stop us called the flesh. That’s why we need an almighty God.

When I can see the hand of God working in you, it persuades me to trust in Him for my soul. God is not about trying harder. He doesn’t want you to make a resolution to be good or turn over a new leaf. The Lord wants to make you a new person.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

1 Peter 1:3 NIV

The term, born again, is not just a catch phrase. It’s not just hype invented by Paul to get your attention. It’s based upon the experience of accepting Christ’s offer to make you a new person.

A vast majority of Christians can honestly say, “I am a different person from the day I received Christ into my life.” That’s persuasive. It’s the power of a changed life. That’s why your testimony is so important.

We serve a God who raises the dead. He’s a God who can give you a new start – born all over again. Let Him do His work in you this day. Let this Sunday truly be Resurrection Sunday for you.

Question: How did Jesus Christ change your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2023 in Encouragement, Power of God, The Gospel

 

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Strength for the Journey

05 Apr
Strength for the Journey

We’re continuing our study through the book of Ephesians. Paul is writing to us about the riches we share as the body of Christ on earth.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Ephesians 3:14-15 NIV

Paul now gives us some insight into his prayer life. He’s constantly in prayer for the churches and people who have come to the Lord under his ministry. It was a great burden on his heart.

It’s important for us to see where this intercession starts. He doesn’t go right into the petitioning for God to bless these people. He starts out by kneeling before the Father.

That’s an important fact that we sometimes miss. Throughout the Bible, whenever worship is described, there are certain common elements. One of them is kneeling.

Whenever a body position is described, a worshiper is always kneeling down. Many times, they have their face to the ground. Most Christians don’t realize that this is the normal position for worship.

Because we call the songs before a service “praise and worship”, we think fast songs are praise and slow songs are worship. That’s an American church thing. It’s not the Scriptural definitions.

In reality, praise involves the body. It’s about what God has done. It could be music and singing, clapping, dancing, or loud declarations of thanks to God. Worship is very different.

Worship is about who God is. It’s an act of our spirit (John 4:23-24) with no body involvement. True worship is usually silent. It happens infrequently when a “holy hush” comes over the congregation. Most of the time we get uncomfortable and start to fidget, hoping the service will continue quickly.

Paul makes it clear that his prayer time starts with worship. He begins by quieting his heart before the Lord God. Only after his time of worship does he begin to lift up God’s people.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17a NIV

Paul wants to see the church walking in the power of God. That’s how we can fully operate in the spiritual life God has for us. But, it’s important to note that this takes place through our spirits.

Again, it has a lot to do with our worship of God. We need to spend time praying in the spirit to see the power of God increasing in our lives.

The word, strengthen, in the above verse is not a one-time thing. That word implies an ongoing strengthening. We need to become spiritually stronger day by day. It’s a lot like becoming strong in the natural. I had to learn that lesson.

Now that we’re in the Spring season, my mind starts to think about hiking. Those who have read this blog for a long time will know that I love to get out and walk the Appalachian Trail. In order to be ready, I’ve been out walking whenever I can. I want to strengthen those lazy winter muscles.

Strength is a necessary part of the outdoors experience. When my wife and I started to add children to our family we stopped hiking because of the limited time we had. Since I’ve started back up again, I’ve lost 30 pounds. (Pounds that I had “found” up till that time!)

I can tell you by experience that out of shape people cannot enjoy hiking as fully as those used to the rigors of trail life. I remember well the pain in my legs and back when I first started. I had to stop every few feet while going uphill, just to breathe. Thank God, I’m starting to get in shape again!

More important than physical condition, however, is the shape of your inner being. The spiritual trail we’re on is far tougher than any wilderness trail. God wants to strengthen you for that journey.

It is going to take quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. That’s why prayer in the spirit is so beneficial. It builds you up internally. To do this you must free yourself from distractions so that you can concentrate on Christ.

As I’ve been saying, that’s what worship is all about. Spend time before Him just drinking in His Spirit. Take the time necessary so that your inner man is ready for the road ahead, no matter how rough the path.

Question: How strong is your inner man?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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God’s Wisdom

31 Mar
God’s Wisdom

We’re going through the Epistle to the Ephesians. Paul is talking about his calling and ministry. He knows that it’s not about himself.

Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Ephesians 3:8-9 NIV

This is the heart of how Paul sees himself. He says that he’s less than the least. That’s because he looks at how he started out. He was a prosecutor, arresting and murdering the saints of God.

Even though he knows the forgiveness of God, it still weights on him. He had to learn how to move forward in the Lord in spite of his past. We need to do the same.

How did he overcome these thoughts? He looked to the grace of God at work in his life. He was given grace – the power and ability of the Holy Spirit working in him – to bring the message of Christ to the Gentiles.

That’s a big deal. According to Paul, he preaches the unsearchable riches of Christ. That word, unsearchable, means that these Gentiles, us included, had absolutely no ability to find the riches of the Hebrew Messiah.

The Gentile world was ignorant of the plan of God. They knew nothing about sin, Christ’s redemption, and God’s forgiveness. But God gave Paul, a Jewish scholar, the ability to bring this Good News to a lost and dying world.

Verse 9 is really a wonderful statement in the Greek language. Paul says that his ministry is to shine a light on the fellowship of the mystery that was hidden in God. This is what was unsearchable by the Gentiles. There is now a fellowship between Jew and Gentile because of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

God has brought all people into one new man – the body of Christ on earth. The walls between us are gone. We’re all one in Christ. There’s a purpose to why God did this.

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV

God was very intentional in what He did through Christ. He brought us all together into one body of believers. The church is made up of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and people groups.

God wants to make something clear, to angels and demons alike. Through the church, the Lord wants to show forth His multicolored wisdom. It’s a wisdom that goes beyond anything we could come up with on earth.

God can do things through the church that no one could have ever imagined. Of course, that assumes we’re listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. If we’re in step with the Spirit, we display God’s wisdom.

We have to learn this lesson. God doesn’t just react to things that are going on down here. His purpose is eternal. He had His plan in place before anything was ever created. God is working all things out to the end He decided upon.

When I bow my knee to Christ, I begin my participation in that plan. My life starts to show God’s wisdom to the universe. Not because I’m great, but because He’s great in me.

If we could just get a grasp of who we are in Christ, it would make all the difference. I’m not just a product of my past. I now have the Creator of the universe at work in my life.

We go through our day, with all the little challenges that we face. Sometimes we focus on the problems. They don’t define us. We are who God says we are. We are a part of the body of Christ on the earth. Let that give you the attitude of victory needed to overcome the daily struggles.

Question: How does a knowledge of God’s plan change your view of the world?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 31, 2023 in Fellowship, Ministry, Power of God, Relationships, Spiritual Walk, The Church, The Gospel

 

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