And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
In this verse, Paul is referring to Moses. When he was leading the children of Israel through the desert, they stopped for a while at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Moses went up to meet with God. As he spent time in the presence of God, he started to soak in some of the glory. At one point, upon his return, the people couldn’t look at his face because it shone like the sun.
The glory of God was reflecting off his face. Moses had to wear a veil until things were back to normal. It’s interesting that way the Bible relates it. It sounds like Moses wore the veil so that the Israelites wouldn’t see the glory fading. His experience was great, but it didn’t last a long time. He had an incredible encounter with God, but it eventually faded back to the way it was.
Understand this, the Lord has greater plans for us. The Holy Spirit is working in us to make us like Christ. Each day we are becoming more and more like Him, if we submit to His plan for our lives. This is the glory of God in us.
This glory that God is clothing us with is different than that of Moses. First of all, it doesn’t fade. It’s a glory that’s always on the increase. My prayer in the presence of the Lord is that throughout my life people will see more of Jesus and less of me.
This is a wonderful thought. God is doing greater things in us than He did in Moses! We sometimes look to the pages of Scripture and wish we were a part of what God did back then. In reality, there’s no need to go back. God is working just as powerfully today – if we let Him.
Another aspect of this glory is that we reflect it with unveiled faces. It’s not a glory that frightens others and pushes them away. It’s the warmth of love and freedom that draws men and women to the cross. Don’t ever use your walk with Christ as an excuse to condemn or put down other people. That’s not what the glory of God is about.
We are here to draw men to Christ. It’s the love, patience and passion of the Lord that brings people to a knowledge of His grace. We need to use the same tactics that He does.
What should our goal be? We must desire to spend time in the presence of this glory. Let it continue to do its transforming work in us. By doing this we are making it our goal to reflect more of His beauty. That’s what will attract people to Christ.
Question: How much quality time do you spend in God’s presence?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Bible, Christ, draw men to Christ, fading, glory of God, God's glory, Holy Spirit, increase, Jesus, love patience, Moses, Mount Sinai, passion, pray, prayer, presence of God, reflecting, reflecting God's glory, unveiled faces
I’ve been posting about walking in a ministry of excellence. There’s another benefit to the walk of excellence that’s not so readily apparent. This begins when your spirit of excellence starts to become evident to those around you.
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
II Corinthians 9:13-15
As other believers notice that you’re walking in the excellent grace of God, you’ll start to receive the prayer support that you’ve only dreamed of. This is especially important for those in leadership positions.
Church leaders need to be constantly covered in prayer by those they minister to. It’s the lack of prayer that contributes to the many who “fall out” of leadership positions every year.
I believe that one of the main reasons that church people aren’t coming together to pray is that most of them don’t see a ministry of excellence worthy of their prayer time. Those churches that are in the “excellent” category never seem to be without the prayer support that’s so necessary in bringing about the victory.
It’s that spirit of excellence that they see in you that will draw them to “buy into the vision” that God has given you. It will not happen with a man-sized vision. They will only throw their support whole-heartedly behind a vision that obviously only God can perform.
The above verse states that first it’s their hearts that respond to the grace they see working in you and your ministry. Then, after their hearts are affected, their prayers will follow.
So often I have seen leaders and Pastors trying to cajole their people to come together to pray. That seems to be the big question most churches wrestle with. Why don’t the people pray? If they know that it will be business as usual whether they pray or not, then why bother?
This verse makes it clear that nothing less than a spirit of excellence can ignite a spark of heartfelt prayer. There will be no need to force the people by using the guilt tactics that I see so many pastors wielding today. On the contrary, people will desire to pray for God to accomplish His will in the ministry.
We need to go after God’s vision for our lives then pursue it with all our hearts. This will encourage others to become involved and will start the spiritual “snowball” rolling.
Question: How often do you pray for your spiritual leaders?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: church, excellence, excellence and prayer cover, guilt, heartfelt, lack of prayer, leadership, ministry of excellence, pray, prayer, prayer cover, prayerlessness, vision, walk of excellence
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Today I’m thinking about cookouts, flags, and fireworks. Is that what being American is all about?
I’m grateful for having been born in the United States. There’s been so much going on lately in this country, much of it is negative. However, I continue to believe that the USA is still the best nation on earth.
We were founded upon Christian principles. The question is; are we a “Christian Nation” anymore? Does a Christian nation tell you not to pray in public? Does a Christian nation tell you not to display Christian symbols where everyone can see them?
While it’s true that many Christians live in this country, we have to come to grips with the obvious. The United States, as an entity, is no longer Christian. As believers, we need to live understanding that fact.
When David became king of Israel, it was recorded that many groups came from all over that nation to join the ranks of his army. It describes the weapons they used and their strengths. There’s one group in particular that stands out to me.
…men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command;
1 Chronicles 12:32
The only weaponry it tells about these men was their ability to understand the times and live their lives accordingly. This should be a lesson to us in the United States. The Apostle Paul echoes the same sentiment.
Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
We are called to be just as Issachar was. We need to be people of understanding. We live in a nation where the attitudes are very quickly turning against any kind of Christian influences.
I don’t say that to scare us or sour our mood. I’m trying to get us, as the people of God, to wake up to the fact that coasting along with the crowd is no longer an option. We don’t live in a place where godliness is applauded and sought after.
We now live on an active mission field. That means that our lifestyles should look more like missionaries than consumers. God didn’t place us here at this time in history to merely bask in the pleasures of this society. Church is not just a place where we celebrate our salvation.
We’re more than that. The church in America should be a counterculture that is actively seeking to change people’s lives for Christ.
So, this Fourth of July, celebrate and enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans. There’s nothing wrong with that. But also, pray for the spiritual understanding that it takes to live for Christ in this generation.
Pray for, and actively seek, a revival in our land.
Question: How are you living counter to the culture around you?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: America, attitudes, celebrate, Christ, Christian, Christian nation, Christian principles, consumers, cookout, counterculture, fireworks, flag, fourth of July, freedom, God bless the USA, godliness, Jesus, mission field, missionaries, pray for revival, revival, understanding, understanding the times, United States of America, USA
This is the final post about how Abraham positioned himself to receive God’s supernatural provision. At this point we find him with the knife raised, about to sacrifice his only son.
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:11-12
Abraham was able to come through this time of testing victoriously. But there was something that always puzzled me. God said, “Now I know that you fear God.” I thought God knew everything, so why would He say that?
The Hebrew word for know is Yada, which means to know by seeing. What God said was that now Abraham’s faith could be seen. His fear of God was now obvious to everyone.
That’s the reason for trials and testing. We may have faith quietly tucked away in our hearts. Without works, it’s not yet a living faith. It must be proved genuine.
It’s the trying of our faith that causes it to be seen by those around us. That’s why Scripture tells us over and over again that without trials we’ll never become mature in Christ.
It was when his faith was tested, and proved genuine, that Abraham’s eyes were opened to the provision of God that was before him.
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. [Jehovah Jireh] And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14
Jehovah Jireh – the God Who provides. There are many who think this name is a promise of unbridled wealth. They think that it’s all about their physical comfort. What they fail to see is that Jehovah Jireh is a place of supernatural provision in Christ.
As I said in the first post of this series, it’s a spiritual mountain that must be climbed. To get to that place in God, it will require the same thing from us that it did of Abraham.
It will take a life of immediate obedience to God, perseverance, speaking our faith, and a decision to give up everything for the cause of Christ. That’s the real mountain that Abraham had to climb. The physical mountain was easy in comparison.
As with all things in Christ, God has already provided everything we need for life and godliness. The problem is that we need to position ourselves to receive the provision of God.
That’s the point. Why do we want God’s blessing? To accomplish His will or ours?
If you want Christ to be exalted in you, then you’re in a position to receive.
I ask everyone who reads this post to pray and believe God for those who respond to the following question…
Question: What is God calling you to do that you need His supernatural provision for?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, Christ, decision, faith, faith that can be seen, fear God, genuine, God who provides, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, living faith, mountain, obedience, perseverance, position, position ourselves, provision of God, receive from God, speaking, supernatural, testing, trials, trying of our faith, victorious, victory
I’ve been posting about the discussion Jesus had with the crowd in John chapter 6. Having told them that He understood their motives; Jesus goes on to explain further.
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:27
The Lord is about to tell them that He’s the Bread of Life and He has the Words of truth. He goes on to explain that if they’ll come to Him in faith, they’ll never lack for life. The point is that you can’t spend all your time and energy chasing the things of this world. There’s a more important issue at stake here.
Too many believers spend their prayer time with the Lord running through their lists of needs and wants. While there is a place for petitioning the Lord in prayer, that should not be the major part. Prayer is where we get to know Christ in relationship. It’s give and take.
Yes, it is talking, but it’s also listening. If we’re going to be prepared for the last days, then we must get past this mentality that chases God around simply for what we think we can get from Him.
The crowd made their motives very plain to Jesus. Even in their answer, they show Him that His assessment of their true character was correct.
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
John 6:34
Their thoughts are, “You’ve got the bread from heaven. Give us this bread.” Again, they’re thinking in a material way. If His earthly bread was good, the heavenly must be even better tasting!
It reminds me of the woman at the well. Jesus said that He could give her living water so that she would never thirst again. Her reply was, “Great, then I won’t have to come to this well every day to draw water.”
Why are we all so foolish? Jesus longs to give us eternal, abundant life, yet we are content to simply ask Him for things. I know that in His Word He’s promised to take care of our needs. The problem is that we seem to major on the physical.
My true needs are so much deeper than that. He wants to satisfy the longing of our souls, but this will require that we spend time in His presence. We fail to enter the abundance that He has for us because we’d rather have the “quick fix” of more money or more stuff so that we can then get on with our plans. The better solution would be for us to bow our knee to the Lord and take up His plan for our lives.
Question: Why do the temporary issues of life seem so important sometimes?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: abundant life, bread of life, Christ, eternal, faith, Jesus, listening, needs, petition, prayer, relationship, temporary, temporary versus eternal, the Lord, things, things of this world, wants, word of truth
There were times in His ministry that Christ taught some things that the crowd didn’t like, mostly because they didn’t understand it. As a result, a lot of people left Him, even some of His disciples. These are some of the Lord’s most important teachings.
I want to take a few posts to look at one such section. Here’s some background to help you understand what’s happening in this passage of Scripture. Jesus had just miraculously fed 5000 people.
They were all on a hillside listening to Jesus and hadn’t eaten all day. The disciples found someone with five loaves of bread and two fish. They took this meager provision to the Lord. Jesus then broke the fish and bread and fed the whole crowd with what started out as just a little bit.
He then sent the disciples out on a boat to cross the lake and meet Him on the other side. As they were in the middle of the crossing a huge storm came up and the disciples feared for their very lives. In the midst of the storm, Jesus comes to them walking on the water and gets them safely to the other side.
Now, on the far end of the lake, the crowd catches up to the Lord on foot. They were surprised at how fast He got there. Of course, He went straight across. He didn’t have to go the long way around!
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”
John 6:25-26
Here we see Jesus going right to the heart of the matter. “Why do you care where I go and how I get there? The reason you’re following Me is for what you can get materially. You only want a free lunch.”
The trouble with the crowd was that they didn’t want to hear and obey His teaching. Instead, they liked the spread He put on. They weren’t following Him because He had the words of eternal life.
It’s a sad truth, even in Christian circles today. If you throw a church dinner everybody comes. If, on the other hand, you call for a week of special fasting and prayer you get a lot fewer people involved. It’s easy to see that the desires of the flesh haven’t changed in 2000 years.
Question: Why does it seem so hard to deepen our spiritual walk?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, church dinners, eternal life, fasting and prayer, hear and obey, Jesus, lazy, Lord, material blessings, teaching, the word
We live in a society where we have all but given up on understanding. In many schools we’re taught how we need to think. Don’t ask why, just agree.
We now have a generation of people who voice opinions, but don’t know why they have them. The media is constantly telling us what we need to wear, listen to, and watch. After all, “This is what everybody thinks.”
Scripture gives us a different perspective.
Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7
As believers, we are told to seek wisdom and understanding. We don’t just blindly follow the crowd. There is a reason we are on the earth and it’s our job to find out why.
God has a plan for everyone’s life. We’re not just random. Life has meaning. The problem is that most people are afraid to find out the meaning of life. They would rather just “go with the flow.”
The issue is that wisdom and understanding will cost you something. They bring responsibility with them and that’s what we’re really afraid of.
If we don’t understand, then we are not responsible for what we do. That’s the key. Understanding and the resulting responsibility requires self-control.
That’s the reason that many people choose atheism. If there is a God, then I’m responsible to live under that understanding. My actions will have to be controlled.
But there’s even more to it than that.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
2 Timothy 2:7
Paul literally tells Timothy to apply your mind to understand. Understanding takes initiative – it doesn’t just fall out of the sky.
The good news is that if we take this first step, then the Lord will give you the next level of understanding. The word insight that Paul uses is the Greek word suneisis. It means to put together.
The fact is that understanding puts truth together. We have to do this with many truths if we are to live a fulfilled life.
For instance – there is a God, He will judge the world, and I will live forever someplace. These are all truths that are important all by themselves. But when I put them together by wisdom and understanding they take on a whole new level of importance. Now my choices are more limited than when I thought there were no consequences.
That’s why understanding is the foundation of coming to Christ. We have to put together our need and His provision. Then I have to bring my actions – and faith – into line with my understanding.
Question: Do you actively seek wisdom and understanding from the Lord?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: atheism, atheist, choosing to understand, Christ, coming to Christ, following the crowd, God's plan, Jesus, meaning of life, media, opinions, purpose, put together, responsibility, self-control, thinking, truth, understanding, wisdom
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10
This is a verse that we like to quote a lot. But, I want to know if it’s real to us. Do we understand the importance of seeking? And in all of our seeking, are we searching for what’s truly important?
I’m reminded of the children of Israel as they waited on the doorstep of the Promised Land. They selected 12 “spies” who were instructed to search out the land and come back with a report.
So they went up and explored the land…When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Numbers 13:21-25
God had promised this land to Israel. Now they were seeing it for the first time. They roamed up and down the whole area. Needless to say, they were very impressed with what they saw. The fruit was unmatched anywhere else. It was truly a blessed land that awaited them.
Their exploration of the land should be an example to us. We need to search out both the Scripture and the Mind of God to know our inheritance in Christ. It’s very important that we see what God has in store for us. Without that knowledge, we can’t go before God in faith to believe for the things that we need.
It’s unfortunate that most Christians have no idea the magnitude of the blessings there are in serving the Lord. They live their whole lives never knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for them. I believe it’s time for the church to live the abundant life that we were called to. This, more than anything else, will be an incredible witness to our generation.
That’s why the time you spend in the presence of the Lord is so important. Take the time each day to read the Bible, pray, and pray in the Spirit. That’s how you search out the things God has prepared for you.
As the Holy Spirit speaks to you, be quick to lay claim to the promise, blessing, grace, or strength that He offers. Walk each day in the faith that only comes through a living relationship with the Life-Giver.
Question: How intensely do you explore your “promised land”?
Tags: 12 spies, abundant life, ask, Bible, blessings, children of Israel, fruit, Holy Spirit, importance of seeking, knock, mind of Christ, our inheritance, pray, pray in the spirit, promise, promised land, promises of God, read, Scripture, seek, spiritual explorer, witness
Have you ever thought, “If my prayer time was more satisfying, I would pray more.”? What does it take to have a prayer time that you can feel good about? I think the answer may surprise you. It surprised me.
I was reading an chart sent to pastor’s about their prayer lives. It was based on some research done through a survey. They asked a number of probing questions. I want to comment about their findings, which I think can apply to all believers, not just those in full-time ministry.
…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
The researchers broke down their findings into 4 categories – those who were very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, and very dissatisfied with their prayer lives. They found that the average pastor spends 39 minutes a day in prayer.
That might not sound like much to you. But, the last survey I heard before this one placed it at 20 minutes a day. So, I’m glad to see that the prayer time of most pastors is on the rise.
What I found very interesting, was the breakdown of averages. Those who were least satisfied in their prayer lives averaged 21 minutes a day. Somewhat dissatisfied – 29 minutes. Somewhat satisfied – 43 minutes. Very satisfied – 56 minutes.
I find that absolutely wonderful! The more time spent in prayer, the better you feel about it. That seems right to me.
The study also looked into what pastors include in their prayers. It was found that the average pastor spends 5 minutes in confession, 7 minutes in thanking God, and another 7 minutes in praise. They also averaged 8 minutes quietly listening and 12 minutes giving their requests to God.
How does the average stack up against those who were most satisfied with their prayers? It turns out that the pastors who were very satisfied with their prayer lives didn’t follow the crowd. On average, they spend more time listening to God and less time on their requests.
I think that this survey speaks volumes to us. My blog title was how to have a more satisfying prayer life. The answer is clear. The more time you spend in prayer – specifically listening for God’s voice – the more satisfied and fulfilled you’ll be in the place of prayer.
(The above was based upon an Ellison Research Survey for Facts & Trends 05/06/05)
Question: How does your prayer life compare to the research above? How satisfied are you with your present prayer habits?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: average, confession, feel good, how to have a more satisfying prayer life, listening, praise, pray, prayer, prayer habits, prayer life, prayer time, quiet, requests, satisfying prayer, thanks
Do you find yourself feeling dry – spiritually speaking? Do you even know what this means? In the same way we try to keep our body healthy, we need to tend to our soul.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 42:1-2
I enjoy hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I remember a trip I once took up Holt’s Ledge in New Hampshire. It wasn’t very high – under 3000 feet. But, because of poor planning on my part, I ran out of water. To make matters worse, there were no springs ahead on the trail until I went up and over to the other side of the ledge.
It’s an awful thing when you know that you’re dehydrating. First you start to get light-headed. Then, every muscle in your body begins to cramp up. Just putting one foot in front of the other becomes agony.
In that situation there was only one thing I could do. I walked on with the realization that if I was going to survive, I must get to water. It was tough, but I eventually made it to a water source. I drank my fill, resupplied, and started to feel normal. Later, I vowed never to let that happen again.
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:37-38
This is a great promise to us. Jesus said that those who trust Him will have streams of living water on the inside. We have access to that life-giving river all the time. The question is, do we draw from it?
Many Christians foolishly live in spiritual “dehydration” every day of their life. They ignore the presence of God and wonder why their spiritual life is so cramped up. Why is every step so hard to take?
We need to keep our souls healthy. This requires the same daily care that we give to our bodies. Make sure that you don’t suffer from spiritual dehydration – run to the stream of the Lord each day for refreshment.
Refresh yourself right now by spending time in His presence. Fill your soul with the living water only Christ can provide.
Question: Have you ever gone through a dry spiritual season? What did you do to overcome it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: Christ, cramping, dehydrated, drink, dry, dry season, healthy soul, Jesus, light headed, living a dehydrated life, living water, presence of God, spiritually dry, streams of living water, thirsty, water, water source
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Spirit and the Word 