RSS

Category Archives: Prayer

The Truth about Mountaintops – Clarity

27 Feb

 

ViewIn my last post I talked about how to climb to a spiritual mountaintop. You don’t just magically wake up there one day. You have to be intentional about doing the daily things that you know to do.

Today I want to expose another myth many people have about these spiritual peaks. They usually equate a mountaintop experience as an emotional high – a very happy time. As I said last time, you need to understand the physical to grasp the spiritual.

I’ve climbed many mountains, but I haven’t always been happy when I got to the top. I remember one time in particular when I fell and got a bad sprain on the trail. The only way back to the nearest road required me to continue up and over two mountains.

When I made it to the summit I was tired, hurting and very frustrated. In spite of this, what I found on the top was still the same as always. There’s something that happens that causes you to stop and take it in.

The defining characteristic of a mountaintop is this – clarity. Usually you get an unobstructed 360 degree view that goes on for miles. This is what being on the mountaintop is all about.

It’s the same for the spiritual. As we go through our daily routines, as boring and monotonous as they are sometimes, suddenly the view opens up. We hear from the Holy Spirit. We get a vision of where God is taking us to.

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

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 climb this mountain of revelation. They’re the ones who see God’s plan for their lives.

There is one catch, however. When I stand on a mountaintop I can see the next few mountains that the trail will cross. What I can’t see is the trail itself. In spite of the great view, I don’t know the exact route I’ll take to get there. All I know is that if I stay on the trail, I’ll get to my destiny.

Another plus of mountaintop clarity is that you can see where you came from. There are times when we think that God is taking us the wrong way. But looking back from the peak I can see that there was a lake that I had to go around – that’s why it took so long. It’s always good to realize why God took you the way He did. It inspires faith for the future.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
Ephesians 1:17

God’s will is for all believers to live at this level of spiritual insight. This clarity in the spirit is a wonderful thing. Once you’ve experienced it, you don’t want to lose it. So remember, mountaintops are not about being happy, but having a clear vision of where the Lord’s bringing you to.

Question: How clear is your vision of your destiny in Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 27, 2015 in Faith, Prayer, Revival

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Truth about Mountaintops – The Grind

25 Feb

MountainHave you ever heard people say, “Some days you find yourself on the mountaintop, and other days you’re in the valley?” What they mean is that there are good days and bad days. It also shows that they don’t really understand what it means to be up on a mountaintop.

I’ve told you before that I’m a hiker. I love going out on the trail for days at a time. This summer I plan on doing a two-week section of the Appalachian Trail. It allows me to have a lot of uninterrupted prayer time.

I’ve learned a great deal about how hiking in the natural parallels our walk in the Spirit with Christ. In my hikes I’ve been to the tops of many mountains. These summits are interesting places. I want to share a few things that I found as I listened to the Holy Spirit relating to spiritual mountaintops.

The first thing I want to do is to dispel one of the biggest myths about spiritual mountaintops. In all my years of hiking – hundreds of miles and many nights on the trail – I have never once gone to sleep in a valley and woke up on a mountain. It just doesn’t happen that way, even though I wish it would.

There’s only one way to find yourself at the summit. You have to put one foot in front of the other and continue walking uphill. There’s a natural resistance to your efforts that’s called gravity.

But it’s more than that. You have to continue this repetitive motion, step after step, indefinitely until you reach the top. It can become a boring, monotonous grind even if you enjoy hiking.

To make matters worse, every so often you come to a false summit. Up ahead you see what you think is the top of the mountain. Then when you get there you find out that it’s only a place where the trail flattens out for a bit.

What does this have to do with the spiritual?

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:7-9

This is a great spiritual truth. If we want to see the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then we have to continue to do the things we know to do. This is true even when we don’t feel like it, or it’s not convenient.

It continues on day after day, week after week. Sometimes it feels like you’re not making any headway. Sometimes the resistance of our flesh has to be dealt with. But if we want to see the outcome God’s promised, we have to continue on.

I’d love to tell you that there’s an easier way. Just pray this simple prayer and you’ll wake up on the mountaintop. It doesn’t work that way.

Reading, confessing and meditating on the Word of God. Prayer in the Spirit and praying with your understanding. Fellowshipping and worshipping with other believers. These are a part of the sowing that is required for us to reap.

Step by step we approach the summit. Sometimes it doesn’t look like we going very far at all. Then, all of a sudden, there it is. We’re on top of the mountain. But we didn’t get there by magic. It took a determination to reach the top and a consistent walk with the Lord.

In my next post I’ll talk about what exactly it is to be on a spiritual mountaintop.

Question: What are the daily steps you’re taking to reach the summit God has for you?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 25, 2015 in Prayer, Revival, Times in the Wilderness, Word of God

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unseeing the Seen

04 Feb

MountainI’m starting to understand the prophet Isaiah a little better lately. I’ve always wondered what it must have been like to have a calling like his. To hear from God and yet know that most of the nation of Israel would ignore your message. That was a tough calling to walk in.

Of all the Israelites living at that time, Isaiah was probably the most committed to the ways of the Lord. Yet when he had a face to face encounter with God, his reaction was immediate.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 6:5

The fact is that the prophet had received a view of the very throne room of God. He saw the Seraphim declaring the holiness of the Lord. He saw the glory, might, and perfection of the one true God.

The whole experience was overwhelming to his senses. That’s what made him cry out from the depths of his being.

“Woe to me! I am ruined!”

In that moment he saw the perfection of the Kingdom of God in stark contrast to the level at which he and the children of Israel were living at that time. When he said, “I am ruined,” I don’t think that he meant he was going to be judged and killed by God.

It’s more than that. He knew that from that point on, he could never go back to what his life was like even one day before. He could never unsee what he has just witnessed. The vision of the exalted Lord would overshadow everything he did from that day forward.

That’s why we need to see God’s vision for our lives. It changes everything and propels us forward.

It’s why I can’t stop praying for and speaking about revival. In my spirit, the Lord has shown me the victorious church. I’ve seen God’s people hearing a clear Word from God and walking in it. Through the eyes of faith I see a mighty manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power. It’s on the way.

Sure, I get frustrated when I see how far I am from where I need to be. I wonder how Christ will ever bring His church to this level.

But I can’t stop now. I can’t unsee what I’ve seen in the spirit. Though I’ve sometimes thought about what it would be like if I was just a normal person sitting in a pew each week. Smiling, clapping, and singing on Sunday; then chasing the world for the rest of the week.

I know in my heart that could never happen. I’ve seen the glory of God manifest in His church. I can’t stop moving forward until that day arrives.

We need vision. It only comes from time in the presence of the Holy Spirit. That where we see the unseen. Then, once you’ve seen it – God’s will for your life – you’ll never be the same.

Question: What’s the vision God’s placed in your heart?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 4, 2015 in Faith, Power of God, Prayer, Revival

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Look at Me when I’m Speaking to You

02 Feb

BeamI live in the Boston area. Maybe you’ve heard what our weather’s been like lately. Last week we had two feet of snow and now they’re calling for another foot this week.

Needless to say, I’m ready for spring. I love to go out into the woods to hike and pray. It’s a great way to meet with the Lord.

Did you know that this was a large part of Jesus’ ministry?

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Luke 4:42-44

Very frequently Jesus went off alone into the wilderness. Usually He would go to pray and to meditate on the Word while seeking the Father’s will for the days ahead. Many times He wouldn’t even tell anyone where He was going. This caused the people and especially His disciples to become annoyed on more than one occasion.

Most people don’t understand the power of solitude with the Lord. When you’re alone in God’s presence, you can see the way ahead more clearly. This is because there are less distractions around you.

I’ve been driving in the car with friends and talked with them the whole way to where we were going. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that those conversations aren’t very deep. I can talk and keep my eyes on the road if I don’t have to think very hard.

Intimate conversation, on the other hand, is very different. If what I’m saying is important, then I want you to make eye contact with me. I want to know that you’re giving me your full attention.

It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. We can pray and praise the Lord no matter what we’re doing throughout the day. That’s fine and it keeps our minds focused on Him.

But there comes a time when we need to enter a more intimate time with Christ – worship. This requires an undistracted heart. I’ve found that the outdoors provides just such an experience. It allows me to “make eye contact” with the Lord.

From the example of Christ, we see that walking in the Spirit is a lot more efficient than the trial and error method many Christians use.

“I’ll try going forward; if the door closes I’ll try another direction.”

When you spend quality time with the Lord seeking His will for your life, you don’t have to waste your time on all these dead end paths that lead nowhere. Jesus knew where He was going before He was surrounded by the crowd. Then they couldn’t sway Him from His path by their persuasive arguments. It’s that level of guidance you should be seeking from God.

If you’ve never tried it, spend some time with the Holy Spirit in the outdoors. Of course, you may have to wait until the weather breaks. Unless you’re like me and can’t wait. (I have a good pair of snowshoes!)

Find a nice solitary place that you can come undistracted into the Lord’s presence. You won’t be disappointed.

Question: Where do you go to seek God with no distractions?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
1 Comment

Posted by on February 2, 2015 in Prayer, Times in the Wilderness, Worship

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Time Economy

30 Jan

Time ChainI’ve been posting about our time as a commodity. How important is it that I give time to the Lord? It all comes down to God’s will.

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Ephesians 1:9-10

This verse talks about the mystery of His will. It’s unfortunate that the working of God’s will is a mystery to most Christians.

“We may never understand the way God moves.”

Whatever you call it – God’s will, His good pleasure, or His purpose; He made this mystery known to us. We, of all people should understand the working of the Lord’s will.

According to this verse, God’s will is put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment. The literal Greek of this verse says that God’s will is brought about in the economy of filling the time.

Economy – here’s another financial term the Bible associates with time. Did you know that filling time is a part of God’s economy? In my last post I said that we spend time, run out of time, save time, and lose time – just like money. We have to understand that there’s an economy of time in the Kingdom of God.

Time is something tangible. It can be traded and exchanged for stuff. That’s basically what you’re doing on your job. In effect, you’re trading your time for your employer’s money. It’s a commodity exchange.

In God’s Kingdom time purchases the fulfillment of vision and prophecy.

So right now we have evil days coming at us one after another. What do we do to bring about God’s will for revival?

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4-5

Did God create time? Yes! But I believe we’ll understand this concept better if we talk about money first. I don’t care where the money’s been before I got it. It’s mine now, and a part of God’s kingdom.

It all starts with how I receive it. I must receive it with thanksgiving. God is the One who ultimately supplies my need. But it doesn’t stop there. There must be a consecration. It must turn from evil money to good.

Literally, the word consecrate means to be purified, made holy. This is done by two things – the Word of God and prayer. The Word of God talked about here is more than the Bible. It means that I pray, hear His word to me concerning my money, and I obey Him.

We need to apply this process to our time. We thank God for every day that He gives to us. Then we consecrate those days by turning them over to the Lord for His use. I seek His will for my daily schedule.

This is how God’s will is brought about on the earth. It’s as God’s people invest their time in Kingdom work. Time is the commodity that will purchase revival in our generation. Don’t withhold yours from the Lord. Let Christ be Lord over your schedule.

Question: How can I turn my time over to Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 30, 2015 in Prayer, Revival, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Transformed by the Spirit

16 Jan

GalaxyI’m posting about Christ as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In my last article I showed how Christ walked in the power of this baptism as our example.

“For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.”
John 3:34

This is what the Lord said about Himself. Jesus had unlimited access to the Spirit.

I’ve heard people use this verse as if it only applies to Christ. Think about what it means to have the Spirit without measure.

Maybe you’ve seen the example of the glass that’s full of water. That’s like us being filled with the Spirit. Then if you take that same glass and immerse it in a fish tank; that shows what the baptism in the Spirit is like. I’ve used this example many times.

How much water does the glass have in the fish tank? There’s no way to measure it. That’s what Christ is talking about. He was the first one to experience a life that was baptized in the Spirit.

In talking about this to the disciples, the Lord said…

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:38

This can happen because I live in two realms. In the spiritual world I live immersed in the Spirit – the living water Christ talked about. In the physical, this water gushes out and is evident to those around me.

It doesn’t matter how much power I have to put out in ministry, in the spiritual it’s without limit. The truth is that we have that same unlimited access – if we live an immersed life.

But that’s not the best part, in my opinion! At one point Jesus took the three closest disciples up on a mountain to pray.

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Luke 9:29

This verse literally says that He was changed as He prayed and His face became different. Jesus was transformed by the Spirit. He had no sinful flesh as we do. But as He prayed His flesh, His physical appearance, was changed. He was transformed to a higher, more glorious appearance.

We’re told in Scripture that God desires to take us from glory to glory. How will this happen? I believe it’s through prayer in the Spirit. It will be accomplished through living an immersed life.

That’s why an understanding of the gift of the Spirit is so vitally important to this generation. We need it. In order to transform the church we need a manifestation of the power of God. We need the Holy Spirit’s life changing work.

It will only come as God’s people press in and do what Jesus did. Live a lifestyle of prayer in the spirit – a life of immersion.

Question: What will it take for you to live a life of immersion in the Holy Spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 16, 2015 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Christ Our Example

14 Jan

JesusI’m posting about Christ as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. In my last article we saw how Jesus manifested the power of the Spirit. How else did this power reveal itself?

The Lord healed the sick, but they did that in the Old Testament as well. Here are some other manifestations of the Spirit in His life.

One time, when dealing with the Pharisees, we’re told…

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?”
Mark 2:8

The Holy Spirit gave Christ the supernatural knowledge of what the Pharisees were thinking.

Another time, when the Lord went to the grave of His friend, Lazarus, the Scripture gives us some insight.

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
John 11:33

Literally this verse says that He groaned in the spirit and was stirred up. That’s the same thing the Word says about us. (Romans 8:26) We’re told that the Spirit uses groans that cannot be put into words. I believe one of the secrets to His power was His sensitivity to the move of the Spirit within Him.

In His ministry, Jesus sent out 72 men to go throughout Israel and preach. One day they came back and reported what happened.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”
Luke 10:21

The literal Greek of this verse will probably offend the legalistic, churchy crowd. It reads that Jesus jumped for joy, danced, and spun around in the Spirit. Many folks do not want to hear that Christ danced in the Spirit, but that’s exactly what He did. I believe that it happened on more than one occasion.

Let’s look at one more example. Once when Jesus preached in the wilderness, it started to get late. He sent the disciples across the lake in a boat. Then He dismissed the crowd.

After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them…
Mark 6:46-48

Christ saw the disciples. Miles away, at night, and in a storm. He didn’t see this with His physical eyes. It was revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit as the Lord prayed up on that mountain.

These are the same manifestations we see in believers who are baptized – immersed in the spirit. We should be doing the same things that Jesus did.

But in order for this to happen, we have to walk the same walk. We need the power of an immersed life.

Question: How would our evangelism be different if we walked as Christ did?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 14, 2015 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Christ the Baptizer

12 Jan

 

DoveI believe that America is ripe for revival. I also believe that prayer in the spirit will play a major role in this move. John the Baptist preached about this subject.

And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:7-8

We will need an understanding of this if we’re going to flow in revival to the level God desires. I want to take a few posts to talk about Christ, the Baptizer. He’s the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

But there’s a question that this brings up. How can Christ do that if He wasn’t baptized Himself? I believe that Jesus was baptized in the Spirit and prayed in the spirit.

Of course Jesus prayed in the spirit without the manifestation of tongues. The reason for this is that speaking in tongues is the reaction of our sinful flesh to the work of the Spirit. Our flesh can’t comprehend what’s happening when we pray in the spirit.

In the Gospels, we see John the Baptist witnessing something unique.

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”
John 1:32-33

This was unheard of in their day – the Holy Spirit remaining upon a person. This was the point where Jesus was baptized in the Spirit. I believe that from this day forward, Jesus prayed in the spirit.

But I think that the key word here is remained. The Holy Spirit remained upon the Lord and Jesus remained in the Spirit.

That’s something we need to see the importance of. Very often we think that what Jesus did was a special case. He said that the same works He did, we would do. But in order for that to happen it will take the same preparation.

We need the same remaining in the Spirit. You could also call it immersion in the Spirit.

Before He ascended to the Father, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for this gift. Don’t preach, don’t make disciples, don’t do anything, just wait.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

That was fulfilled in the baptism found in Acts chapter 2.

What about Jesus. He was baptized by John who testified that the Spirit remained on Him. Then Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days. There, the Lord was tempted by the devil himself, yet…

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Luke 4:14

What power did He walk in? The power of His immersion in the Spirit.   We need this same power to be evident in our lives. We must remain in the Holy Spirit.

Question: How does Christ exemplify the Christian walk?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on January 12, 2015 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Let Thanksgiving do its Work

26 Nov

GrapesI’m taking a couple of posts to talk about Thanksgiving from Psalm 118. In my last post I talked about how Christ has opened the gates of righteousness. Through thanksgiving, we enter those gates into the throne room of God.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Today is a great day to praise the Lord. God made this day – that we can enter His righteousness. This word rejoice literally means to jump, dance, and spin around under the influence of a violent emotion. God deserves the best of our praise.

In the original Hebrew this verse reads and in this rejoicing we will brighten up and be made glad. So, in reality, you don’t have to feel good to start with. Being thankful changes your emotions. David understood this truth.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:4-5

This is a lesson we all need to learn. As I thank and praise the Lord, I begin to feel good emotionally. Then, when our emotions change, our whole outlook on life changes for the better.

O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
Psalm 118:25-26

When we thank God for His work in us we’re actually admitting that we needed His salvation. Without Him we can do nothing. He is our strength and our success.

When I’m thankful – meditating on the good things of God – that joy gives me strength to move forward. So it’s my thankfulness that makes me strong. That’s why it’s such an important part in the life of a believer.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
Psalm 118:26

We’re supremely blessed in that Name above all names that Christ has given to us. In the name of Jesus we have all that we need for life and godliness. We have hope, healing, victory, peace, and salvation. That’s where the place of blessing is – in His name.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

My prayer for you is that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday this year. But more than that, I pray that you can live a life of thankfulness before God.

Question: What are you specifically thankful for that God has done in you this year?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 26, 2014 in Encouragement, Prayer

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s Become of Thanksgiving?

24 Nov

ThanksgivingIt’s interesting to see what’s happening in society. Stores have had huge displays for Halloween. At this point they have taken them down and have gone right into Christmas displays.

According to my daughter, Thanksgiving has become a “middle child” holiday – mostly ignored. That’s probably because both Halloween and Christmas can be merchandised for a huge profit. There’s no getting around the fact that Thanksgiving is about thankfulness to God.

To the believer, this day should be one of the most meaningful of the year.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4

I’ve read and sung this verse hundreds of times. It’s through giving thanks that we enter the gates. But what gates are being talked about here? More importantly, do I want to go in?

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.
Psalm 118:19-20

It’s obvious from this verse that they’re gates of righteousness. In this Psalm the writer is asking God to open wide the gate that only He can open. That’s why I’m thanking Him.

Righteousness is the package of all He has for me. Because of His righteousness I can live on a higher level than I ever thought possible. I’m made righteous in Christ so I can enter the Gate.

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone…
Psalm 118:21-22

This is an incredible truth. The writer literally says I thank you because you paid attention to me and you have become my salvation. The word for salvation here is Yeshua – which is Jesus in the Greek.

He was rejected for me. Yet He has become the chief stone of the pinnacle – the capstone.

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 5:21

In Him we are the righteousness of God. That means that Christ is the gate of righteousness through which we enter God’s presence.

Think about how we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We show forth the death of Christ in the bread and the cup. His work on the cross allows us to enter into a righteousness beyond our comprehension.

The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Psalm 118:23

It is absolutely incredible in our eyes. Only those who have experienced the life changing power of Jesus Christ can truly fathom it. That’s why no one should be able out do our celebration. It’s a shame that football teams and entertainers receive more praise than our God.

As we prepare for our Thanksgiving celebration this week, don’t miss the most important part. Make sure that your thanks and appreciation to God is central to what you’re doing.

Question: What are you thankful to God for at this time?

© Nick Zaccardi 2014

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on November 24, 2014 in Encouragement, Prayer, Worship

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →