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Category Archives: Prayer

Please Pray for Us

Please Pray for Us

As some of you who follow me may know, a couple of years ago my wife and I began caring for my parents who were in their nineties. We wanted to be a blessing to them.

Last March, my father went home to be with the Lord. He had cancer. He passed peacefully in his sleep.

At this point we’re caring for my mother. She’s 91 and has dementia which seems to be progressing rapidly.

Recently, she fainted multiple times, causing us to call 911. They admitted her into the hospital, where she immediately began hallucinating. They found some issues with her heart and are currently trying to stabilize her.

The problem is that she will probably be too weak to walk when this is over. Our hope is to get her into a rehab facility. Then, we want to continue caring for her at home.

This may require hospice services since she may need 24-hour care. The big issue is that her dementia makes her unaware that she is no longer capable of walking around and caring for herself the way she used to.

Currently, we’re in the process of changing the setup of our home to make it a safe place for her. It requires a lot of time and effort.

The reason I’m sharing this is so that first of all, you can pray for our family to have the grace to weather this season.

Secondly, I needed to explain this because I am temporarily suspending this blog so that I can prioritize my needs at home. I’m sure you will understand this.

So, for I while, I will no longer be publishing these posts. Please keep us in your prayers, and may God continue to bless you.

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2024 in Newsletters, Prayer

 

Pray Before Speaking

Pray Before Speaking

As we go through the book of Colossians, we’ve come to chapter 4. This is the final chapter of this short letter. You may want to read this chapter before continuing with this post.

In Colossians, chapter 4, Paul is giving some final exhortations and then he greets a number of people who will be receiving this. His first statement is about prayer.

Paul first gives us a general call to prayer. He gives us three important aspects of prayer. Devotion, watchfulness, and thankfulness. This is what our prayer times should look like.

The word, devote, means to be diligent. Prayer is not something to be neglected. It’s the most important part of your day, as a believer.

The Creator of the universe has given us total access to His throne. How can we neglect that great gift.

But, more than that, we need to be watchful, awake and alert. Our Lord is not simply a God who listens. He wants to speak to us as well. We need to be attentive for His voice in our spirit.

Finally, the apostle talks about thankfulness. That must be our overall attitude towards God. So often we stress over the little stuff. We get upset because we didn’t get a good parking space at the mall.

Don’t let that carryover into your times with the Lord. Come with a grateful attitude for the grace He has bestowed on you.

Then Paul exhorts them to pray for him. Specifically, so that he can proclaim Christ effectively. That’s important.

Instead of criticizing what church leadership says and does, we need to be praying for them. Pray for open doors of ministry. Pray for the effectiveness of what they say and do. Pray that they have clear direction and wisdom from God.

In this final part, Paul doesn’t specifically mention prayer, but I think it’s implied. How else can we walk in wisdom? James tells us that it comes through prayer (James 1:5).

If we start in the place of prayer, then we have the wisdom and grace that Paul talks about. Too often we answer out of our own thoughts or emotions. That usually causes more problems than it solves.

This is the best advice Paul could give us. Prayer first. When we prepare our hearts with prayer, the day goes a lot smoother.

In the final part of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he greets a number of people. In part of his encouragement, he mentions their pastor again.

Prayer changes things. We need to be diligent to see all of God’s will accomplished in us. So, the book of Colossians closes with a clear call to prayer.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 12, 2024 in Leadership, Ministry, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit

 

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Your New Clothes (Part 1)

Your New Clothes (Part 1)

Going through the book of Colossians, Paul has been writing about the changes God accomplishes in us. In my last post I looked at who we are in Christ. Today we’ll see what we’ve been endued with.

One thing that I want to point out from the start is the fact that the apostle says clothe yourselves. This is not something that we just sit back and wait for the Lord to do. I have to initiate it.

I’ve talked about this many times in the past. It happens as we pray in the spirit. These things are the characteristics of a walk in the spirit.

Compassion. This is a very important concept. The literal Greek words used for this is bowels of mercies.

That might not sound good to our modern ears. To the ancient people, the bowels spoke of the seat of our emotions. It’s a lot like we use the word, heart, today.

Many times, we don’t understand the way the word mercy is used in the Bible. In the past, I’ve talked about it in great detail. To see my series on mercy, click here.

To sum it up, mercy is God’s blessing on our obedience. However, unlike how we see things, the Lord even blesses us based upon our future obedience.

That’s where this comes into play in our ministries. I have to allow myself to be emotionally moved to see the potential in someone’s life. I need to see them through the eyes of faith – serving God at their best.

Even if they’re not where they should be right now, mercy can be a blessing and encouragement to them. It may spur them forward to a deeper walk with the Lord.

Kindness. This characteristic goes right along the same lines as compassion. If you study how this word is used in Scripture, you’ll come to the conclusion that kindness is blessing those who don’t deserve it.

Paul talked about this in the book of Romans in the context of not judging others.

With God, He wasn’t kind to us after we repented, but before, when we were undeserving of His grace. That’s how we need to treat others.

Of course, that’s why we need the power of God in our lives. Blessing people who we believe don’t deserve it goes against human nature.

Humility. This is another one that I’ve talked about in the past. There are many who get the wrong idea of humility. They think that it’s holy to put themselves down.

“I’m not where I should be in Christ.”

“I’m not mature enough to serve.”

Humility has nothing to do with any of this.

True humility is not about putting yourself down. It has everything to do with how you view others. Your desire should be to lift others up.

In my next post, I’ll continue with these characteristics.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 

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A Change of Clothing

A Change of Clothing

As we go through the book of Colossians, Paul is giving practical insight in serving God. In my last post we saw that we can put to death the misdeeds of the flesh through the spirit.

We have to move forward with this understanding.

We cannot just take these verses out of context. This is not just a set of rules for how we are to speak to one another. As I said in the previous posts, trying to follow the rules doesn’t change your behavior.

It’s clear from this passage, that Paul is speaking about the sins of our mouths. We need to change our speech patterns. However, we know from Scripture that controlling our speech is beyond our ability (James 3:7-8). Victory over our tongue can only be accomplished in the spirit.

The apostle now shows us the only clear path ahead.

In these simple verses we’re shown the best way to change for the better. It involves two important words. In this passage they’re translated taken off and put on.

Both of these words, in the Greek, deal with clothing. The first means to step out of your clothing. The second means to sink into them. That’s important.

In the natural it would be silly for me to tell you that you have to take off what you’re wearing, in order to put on something new. But that’s not the case in the church.

There are many believers who desperately try to hang on to their old way of life. At the same time they want to “wear” some of the blessings found in Christ. That doesn’t work.

We have to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in us. As we pray in the spirit, the Lord is able to remove the old, dead way of life we were living. Then, as we continue in Him, He clothes us in the new man, renewing our mind day by day.

His goal is that we show forth His glory. God wants the world to see His image active and working through us. That’s what will draw people to the Lord.

The good news is that it has nothing to do with who you were. The past has no bearing on your future.

Everything is washed clean under the blood of Christ. How you were brought up has no hold on you. Your past life with all of its baggage, burdens and bondage can’t hold you back. That is, if you’re willing to change your old “clothes” for the new set in Christ.

Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in your life. It will make you a whole new person.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 

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From Death to Glory

From Death to Glory

We’re going through the book of Colossians. Paul is writing to them about their walk with Christ. It’s a relationship that changes everything about them…and us.

In my last post, I talked about having an upward attitude. That’s because we know how it will all end. We win! In Christ there is the expectation of the final victory.

But what about here and now. Paul tells us how to live with this knowledge.

This is an important truth. Please read this carefully. Paul did NOT tell these people to stop doing these things. I know from experience that you can’t just make a New Year’s resolution and live perfectly forever after.

It’s not as easy as simply making a decision to live right. We need to draw on supernatural power. That’s what Paul is referring to here. He wrote about it to the Roman church.

This is a very interesting verse. That’s because it contains the word, “if”. This verse is telling us something we either could do, or we could choose to ignore.

There’s a battle that rages in my being. Even though I’m saved, my flesh is still subject to its sin nature. I find that even though I’m dead to sin in Christ, I continue to fall to the temptations that come before me. Paul wrote about this struggle that we all face. How do I overcome this dilemma?

Many people try differing methods to bring about the victory. Some try to live right in their own strength. I’ve found that if I live trying to use my flesh to overcome my flesh, by shear will power, I’ll fail miserably. The above verse tells us that if I use my flesh, then death will reign in me. The problem is, to use a computer term, there’s a virus in the software.

The good news is that I can use the power of God’s Spirit. I can use my spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh. This is a truth that we’ve missed in the modern church. You can use your spirit to change your flesh.

In simple terms, as you pray in the spirit, you place a demand on the Holy Spirit and it will change the way you live. This is a powerful change because you’re allowing God to change you from the inside out.

I’ve to come to the understanding that I can take authority over the flesh by the power of the spirit. This is the key to a whole new level of living.

This work is only accomplished in the spirit. The misdeeds of my body will never be put to death by any decision that I make – no matter how much I desire it. I can try and try in my own strength. The work is a spiritual breakthrough and only comes as I yield my spirit to the Holy Spirit.

The church needs to once again learn this truth. We need to submit to the Holy Spirit to perform the change in our hearts. Only then will the world see the difference that will draw them to the cross of Christ. Only then will we experience the revival that we so desperately hunger for.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 

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An Upward Attitude

An Upward Attitude

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. In my last couple of posts, the apostle has been dealing with following rules to get closer to God.

He shows that this approach doesn’t work. It’s all about relationship. He closed chapter two by reminding them that they died with Christ. Now, the world’s system doesn’t work for them.

Now he continues with that thought.

Because we died with Christ, we’ve also been raised with Him. That’s the basis of an overcoming life. Sin doesn’t have the hold on us that it used to have.

Abraham learned this lesson.

That phrase; as good as dead, means to deaden. In the natural, Abraham saw himself as becoming deader and deader.

We all must acknowledge that the power of God will change us. Our walk, attitudes, habits, likes & dislikes, friends, etc. are all affected. This is all a part of the deadening process.

We desire to put to death the things of the flesh because we now have a higher calling. We kill off the desires of the world in order to seek the eternal.

That’s where we need to focus our attention. Paul says this in two ways. He tells us, set your hearts and set your minds on things above. Those phrases literally mean to diligently seek and obsess on things above, respectively. Our attitude should reflect an upward vision.

This is a very important truth. We receive from God when we seek the eternal. The writer of the book of Hebrews understood this.

Eternally minded people search for, crave, demand a home town. That’s why Jesus told us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We’re not looking for the temporary high that the world offers us.

The final result of this attitude is that God is not ashamed to be called their God. That’s interesting. Are there times when God is ashamed to be called someone’s God? I think this verse implies that He could be.

Before we pick up this eternally minded attitude, we’re only accomplishing what a man can do. Is God satisfied with what is merely possible – even without His help? Of course not. He expects us to do a God sized work.

When that happens; the world can see His glory. God’s people need to stop chasing the temporary pleasures of the world and focus in on the eternal glory of God. Let Him accomplish what He desires in you.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
 

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Rules vs. Relationship

Rules vs. Relationship

As we go through Colossians, Paul is now dealing with the subject of legalism. When the rules of life become more important than relationship with the Father, there’s something wrong.

Paul continues with this thought.

Paul brings us to the heart of the matter. We died with Christ. We’re a new creation. We don’t live according to the old way of life.

The world system has a way of doing things. It establishes rules for everything. Some of these rules are good and beneficial.

Go to work every day. Brush your teeth. Clean your room.

But then, there are other rules that society tries to place on us. Rules about what’s right and wrong. Rules about how to treat people. (“I can be mean to them if they’re mean to me.”)

Of course, there are religious rules. Read your Bible, pray, tithe, go to church. While all of these are good things, they don’t define a deep spiritual walk.

Paul talks about the rules of don’t handle, taste, or touch. None of that is relationship.

For instance, in the book of Genesis, God created Adam and Eve and told them not to eat of the certain tree. When Eve explained it to the serpent, she said they weren’t supposed to touch the tree (Genesis 3:3).

That change may have sounded good to her, but it didn’t stop her from eating it. That’s because the focus went to the tree, instead of her relationship with God. Paul tells us that this happens the same way with us.

Setting up rules for ourselves sounds like the logical thing to do. The problem is that they don’t change behavior.

I can tell you this from my own experience. I’ve gone on a lot of diets over the years. They all promised great results if you follow their eating rules. However, they all fell short of changing my behavior.

I do notice something else. The more I hang out with my friends, the more I become like them. I start to speak and think like they do. The truth is that relationships change who you are.

That’s the key. The more time you spend with the Lord through the Holy Spirit, the more you’ll see your life change for the better. Relationship with God always wins out over rules.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 

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Relationship is Better Than Rules

Relationship is Better Than Rules

We’re looking at the book of Colossians. In my last post I talked about the power of the cross of Christ. It was there that He won the victory for our salvation. Today, I want to write about another aspect of those verses.

This passage makes it abundantly clear that on the cross, Christ canceled – obliterated, blotted out – the rule book. God no longer wants us to follow Him by rule, but by the Spirit.

This verse tells me that all of Satan’s so-called power comes from the law. His only mode of attack is to enforce the law. That’s the power of his weaponry.

This verse also shows the basis of how Christ could disarm the demonic forces. On the cross, Christ obliterated the power source of the enemy. Satan’s kingdom is now an army of unloaded guns.

The only power they have is the power we give them, by subjecting ourselves, once again, to the law. That’s the trouble with our human nature. We all want rules. We’d rather someone tell us, “Do this.”, than to spend time with the Father and seek His will.

In the past, I’ve shared about how following the apostles teaching as a rule opens us up to the sin of pride.

Here, Paul tells us that this is why many speak arrogantly against one another. Pride is the sin that caused the devil to fall from the place he was created for.

Don’t let subjection to the law ruin your walk with God. The tendency of using the Bible as a rule-book causes many divisions and problems in the Body of Christ.

Using the Bible as a rule book causes most of the arguments we see between believers. We get so passionate about our own pet rules. It’s all talked about in this verse.

Believers argue about what Christians can or cannot eat and drink. There are controversies over whether or not to celebrate Christmas; or whether to worship God on Saturday or Sunday. None of these issues have any place under the New Covenant.

The reality is that God wants a relationship with His children. He’s not looking for robots. The Lord wants us to seek time with Him so that He can teach us to follow Him.

I realize that I’ve had to deal with this subject very quickly here. But I’m sure I’ll get back to it again in future posts.

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 

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New Year 2024 – A Psalm for Israel

New Year 2024 – A Psalm for Israel

Today is the first day of a new year. As God’s people, we should understand the times we live in. That will help us to make sense of where we’re headed. I want to take this post give you some thoughts to pray on.

For many years, I’ve had a tradition when it comes to the New Year. I’ve only posted about it a few times.

A long time ago, I noticed that since 1901, the Psalms have pretty much lined up with what was happening in world events. For at least 20 years, I’ve been using them to prepare me, and those under my ministry, for the year ahead.

This year, Psalm 124, is absolutely on point. There’s no denying that God has His hand on world events. More than that, He’s still on His throne and in control. We just need to trust the Lord for the outcome.

First, let me say that this Psalm is specifically for the nation of Israel. It says that right in the first verse. But we can see right away that it applies here and now. It starts with a look back.

Wow! I couldn’t have put it better myself describing the events in Israel in 2023. King David saw a clear picture, in the spirit, of what was to unfold. He gets even more exact.

That was obviously the intent of Hamas. Of course, the devil wants to see Israel destroyed. But God will never let that happen.

Based upon this Scripture, I’m looking for a full restoration of the nation of Israel this year. They’ll be able to put this attack behind them and move forward.

But that’s not enough. They need to be evangelized. They need to see Jesus as their Messiah and Lord.

As believers, we should be praying for the peace of Israel. We should be interceding for their salvation. They must accept the Messianic message to fully enjoy the blessings of their God.

Then they can truly embrace the final statement of this beautiful Psalm.

My prayer for Israel and all God’s people is for a blessed and prosperous New Year!

© 2024 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2024 in Israel, Prayer, The Gospel

 

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Our Spiritual Surgeon

Our Spiritual Surgeon

As we’ve been going through the book of Colossians, we see a picture of who Christ is in all of His glory. We also see our relationship to Him.

Now, there’s something that Paul is hoping you’ll move into by faith. Paul describes this step to the Colossian church.

This is what we want to concentrate on – the putting off of the sinful nature. According to Paul, this is a surgical procedure that can only be done by Christ.

It isn’t a work I can perform. It doesn’t matter how much will-power I put forth. Only Christ, Himself, can bring it to pass in my life. I must submit under the blade of the divine Surgeon.

There are two prerequisites to this surgery. The first is baptism and the second is faith in the power of God. This means that I can’t look to myself and how well I can obey God. It’s all about how much I trust His power working in my life. How much am I willing to surrender to Him?

It’s the same as in the natural world. If I don’t trust the surgeon in a medical procedure, then I will not allow them to put me under the anesthesia. I’ll only let someone I trust have that much power over my body. Do we trust Christ enough to consent to His life changing work in us?

There’s another key point to this work of Christ in us. It can only be done in the spirit. It’s not something that I can physically accomplish. Neither is it a choice that I make in my mind.

The change is required in my heart. The old self has to be removed. How can my sin nature remove itself? It would never willingly choose to do that.

To get the old sin nature out of our heart requires outside assistance. That’s why it’s a work that only Christ can do, and it must be a spiritual work.

It’s for this reason that an understanding of the Word of God as a sword is so important.

The sword of the spirit is the scalpel that performs the work in our heart. In the past I’ve emphasized that the things of the spirit can only be received through prayer in the spirit. This is the work that needs to be done in us. It’s a work that must be done in the spirit. Only prayer in the spirit will accomplish the change that’s necessary in our hearts.

In order for God to do this work in us, we must yield ourselves to Him. As in any surgery, we must willingly go under the knife if our healing is to take place. This is true for our spiritual surgery as well.

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 

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