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Category Archives: Revival

Seated in Heaven

13 Mar
Seated in Heaven

In my last post, I started talking about a verse in Ephesians that often gets taken out of context. I want to continue with that verse today.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…

Ephesians 2:6 NIV

In my last post I emphasized the need to remain in Christ and be in fellowship with other believers that God has joined us to. This allows us to see the manifestation of our heavenly calling in Christ.

But there’s more to it than that. The above sentence continues into the next verse. That fact is a very import one in understanding what’s being said.

…in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:7 NIV

God has a purpose for seating me in heaven in Christ. It’s not just so I can get a better view of everything around me.

The Lord wants to do a work through us. There’s something that He wants to make clear to all of heaven and earth, and both the natural and the supernatural realms.

God’s desire is that through us, all of creation will see the excellent riches of His grace. The word, incomparable, in the above verse literally means to throw beyond. It’s an athletic term from the Olympic games.

There might be some competitors who throw the shot put, and they all end up around the same area. Then, someone steps up who throws it far beyond all the rest. That’s what this word means.

God’s grace is far beyond anything we could ask, imagine, or hope for. It’s well beyond anything anyone else has ever done for us. It was a grace that’s totally unexpected.

How does anyone see that grace? According to this verse, it’s found in the kindness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. Kindness – now that’s an important word in Scripture – but do we fully understand it?

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…

Titus 3:3-5a NIV

Usually when we’re kind to someone, it’s because we feel they deserve it. We might feel sorry for someone and do a “random act of kindness.”

But that’s not the case with the Lord. His act of kindness was totally undeserved. After a lifetime of disregard for His ways, God saved us by the grace poured out through Christ.

The Lord didn’t ask us to change our ways before He would save us. He took us right where we were at and gave us a new life. That’s beyond anything we could have ever hoped for. His desire is to seat us in Christ to show the universe this great grace that was given to us.

This word, kindness, shows us something of God’s character. It implies that He’s a God who’s very easy to serve. It’s a joy being one of his subjects.

So often we pray The Lord’s Prayer from Scripture. We ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. How can God’s will be done on earth? It’s only as believers show forth the grace and kindness of God, and carry out His will, that we’ll see it take place in our generation.

Question: How has the grace and kindness of God manifested itself in your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2023 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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In Heavenly Realms

10 Mar
In Heavenly Realms

Ephesians is one of those books that regularly gets misapplied. There are Scripture passages that get taken out of their context and bring frustration when they don’t work “as advertised”. I’m going to look at one of these in today’s post.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…

Ephesians 2:6 NIV

This is an incredible truth. Christ did the work, and now we have complete access to the presence of God. Here, the apostle Paul is continuing to show us the incredible work Christ accomplished for us on the cross.

I keep repeating the fact that this letter emphasizes how we’re to serve God corporately. My calling is not as an individual, but as a part of the body of Christ on earth. This is important to understand.

Unfortunately, this translation misses the point of what Paul’s saying here. Reading this in the Greek, it actually says that God raised us up TOGETHER, and made us sit TOGETHER, in Heaven, in Christ Jesus.

That’s a mouthful. I think it’s important that I’m not seated in Heaven with Christ, but I’m seated in Christ. That makes all the difference. Why is that? I’ll let Jesus Christ, Himself answer this.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:7-8 NIV

There are many believers who simply think they can “claim” the manifestation of this position, without remaining in Christ. If you read all of John 15:1-11, it should be clear to you that remaining in Christ is not something that happens by default.

This level of walk requires a lifestyle of intimacy with Christ through the Holy Spirit. The more time we spend in the spirit, the more of His Word we retain inside of us. This is what elevates our walk into the heavenly realms.

However, there’s more to it than just that. There needs to be a corporate intimacy with the Lord. I showed that by highlighting the words, together.

As a matter of fact, when I read the words, made us sit together, I get flashbacks to my childhood. When my younger brother and I would get into a squabble, my parents would step in and discipline us. Then, they would make us sit or play together – whether we wanted to or not!

In the above verse from Ephesians, I see the Lord doing pretty much the same thing. He makes us sit together in Him. It’s not up to me who I fellowship with in the body of Christ. If it were, I might have chosen a whole different group to surround myself with.

That being said, now that I’ve come to know those who the Lord has called me to associate with, I’m very grateful for these relationships. I would have never experienced the growth and encouragement of being with people very different from my limited world view.

Now, as a part of the church of Jesus Christ (not a denomination), I can progress together with others of like precious faith. That’s an important part of our spiritual growth. It’s the goal of our daily walk with the Holy Spirit.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14 NIV

Being seated in Christ is a calling – “Come up here.” It doesn’t just happen by accident. It’s the result of a life dedicated to seeking and obeying God’s voice.

Question: How intimate are your prayer times with the Lord?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 10, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church, Word of God

 

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Cells in the Body

06 Mar
Cells in the Body

We’re continuing to go through the letter to the Ephesians. My last post talked about opening the eyes of our mind to see what God was doing in us. We need the understanding that only comes from the Holy Spirit.

Now Paul continues with the blessings of a mature walk with the Lord.

…and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1:19-21 NIV

This is what happens when we’re seeking and walking in God’s plan for our lives. We begin to see His power at work in us.

I’m not talking about a little glimpse of something now and then. This passage talks about the all-surpassing power of God. It’s the same power that was manifest in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He was dead and buried for three days. And, yet, by the power of God, Christ was raised back up to life again. That’s the power available to each one of us.

Not only did it bring the Lord up from the dead, but it seated Him in His original place on the throne of Heaven. Christ has the highest authority over the entire universe.

Paul makes that abundantly clear. He mentions pretty much every office of authority you can think of. He includes any name you can come up with. There’s no authority above that of Christ Jesus. That’s true not only right now, but forever into the eternal future.

The important thing is to understand what the Lord uses this great power and authority for.

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV

Here we see the reason for this victory. We have to realize that it wasn’t for Himself. He didn’t need it.

Before all things, Christ was the Creator and Owner of Heaven and earth. Everything was under His rulership. He didn’t have to do anything to be made the highest authority – He was all in all.

The reason Christ had to go to the cross was for us. Humanity was given authority when Adam was created. Then, in a grand act of foolishness, Adam surrendered that authority to Satan. Jesus Christ, in His love and mercy, went to the cross to buy it back for us.

Now, the Lord is not just Lord of all. He is Head over everything FOR THE CHURCH. That’s the important point which we cannot lose sight of. His whole purpose in redemption was to restore us to our rightful place in Him.

That’s why Christ calls the church His body on earth. This is what Paul is emphasizing in this letter. It’s about what God wants to do on this planet through the church. It’s not about what I am personally.

I am one cell in the body. It’s not all about me. It’s about us. It’s who we are supposed to be in the world. We are the body of Christ.

More than that, He has made the church full and complete in Him. I have to realize that truth. I can’t be complete in and of myself. I need to be connected to the body. Any cell that cuts itself off from the body will eventually dry up and die.

I want to be complete in Christ. That means there are two things I need to look at. First and foremost, how is my relationship with Christ? That’s what saves me and places me in His kingdom.

Then, almost as important, I need to check on my relationship to the church – the body of Christ on earth. That’s where I receive the power, authority, and life I need to be victorious.

Don’t ever lose sight of those two basic truths.

Question: What’s the strength of these two relationships in your life right now?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 6, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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The Eyes of Our Mind

03 Mar
The Eyes of Our Mind

As we continue through the book of Ephesians, we’re looking at the blessings of a mature walk with God. In my last post, I talked about the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Now, Paul will show us more of these blessings.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…

Ephesians 1:18 NIV

In this verse, Paul talks about something we should view as very important. The NIV translation is poor at this point. In the original Greek, the apostle says that he wants the eyes of our mind to be lit up. The mind being the faculty of our understanding.

We need to understand this. The eyes of our mind is an important concept in Scripture. It’s something that Jesus emphasized throughout His ministry. As a matter of fact, if you think about eyes that are lit up, the book of Revelation describes Christ as having eyes that blazed like fire (Revelation 1:14).

We have to realize that in the pages of Scripture there are two sets of eyes. There are the natural, physical set of eyes that we see the world with. But then, there’s another set of eyes that are always talked about. They’re our inner eyes.

That’s what Paul’s talking about when he says, the eyes of our minds. They’re the same eyes that Jesus talked about when He rebuked the crowds who were listening to His teaching.

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Matthew 13:15 NIV

Jesus is frustrated with these people because they’ve closed their inner eyes. Because of this condition, they couldn’t understand who He was or what He was offering them.

As believers, we can’t afford to close the eyes of our mind to the things God is showing us. It’s the key to all of our fulfillment in Christ. In another passage, the Lord put it in very clear terms – if you know which eyes He’s talking about.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Matthew 6:22-23 NIV

We need to walk before God with these eyes wide open. I have to be seeking Him and His ways no matter where His Holy Spirit leads me. That’s what faith is all about.

I agree to follow the Lord’s will for my life before I know what it is. I trust that the Holy Spirit has the best path worked out for me.

In the above verse from Ephesians, the word for hope literally means expectation. If I keep my eyes open – seeking God’s ways, I will know what to expect concerning my calling. I may not see the finish line, but I’ll know the next step that I need to take.

On top of that, since I know that it’s God who’s leading me, I also know that I have an inheritance with all the saints. I know that my reward is secure. My future is something to look forward to. I don’t have to worry about what’s happening all around me.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

1 John 1:5-6 NIV

This is the level at which Christ wants all of His followers to attain to. We should all seek to live by the truth with our eyes wide open. This requires intimate prayer times in the Holy Spirit. That’s the road to a victorious life in Christ.

Question: What’s the condition of your “inner eyes”?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 3, 2023 in Faith, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Wisdom and Revelation

01 Mar
Wisdom and Revelation

We’re continuing our walk through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. He’s writing to a church that exemplifies the mature walk of faith and love. Now the apostle wants them to progress further in their experience with the Lord.

The rest of chapter one is a view of the good things that come with maturity in the spirit. It should spur us on to seek the Lord with all of our heart.

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 NIV

The first thing that Paul wants for this church is a spirit of wisdom and revelation that comes as they seek to know God more intimately. Wisdom is the ability to take the knowledge you have and apply it to your situation.

Revelation is even deeper. That word literally means to take the cover off. There are things in society or in people’s lives that are covered up. The Holy Spirit wants to reveal them to us. But we must be mature enough to handle this knowledge.

This also includes the plans that God has for you. God wants to show us what we need to prepare for in our ministries. He always wants to reveal what’s ahead for His people.

We need to realize that in order to see this requires intimacy with the Father.

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

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.

If this is true, then you must know how to use your spirit in order to access this information. It 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 deep is your prayer life in the spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Who Owns Your Time?

22 Feb
Who Owns Your Time?

We’ve been continuing through the book of Ephesians. In my last post, I talked about clearing our schedules for a move of God. Did you know that this is how God operates through His people? It’s only when they turn over their time to Him that the Lord will move in a manifestation of His power.

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 NIV

We’re told in this passage, about the mystery of God’s will. Actually, Paul uses three different words to get this point across. He mentions God’s will, His good pleasure, and His purpose in Christ. These are the things that He wants to accomplish on the earth through His people.

If you remember, a few posts ago I talked about these things. In verse 5, Paul writes that we were adopted as sons according to His pleasure and will. This mystery has been given to us from the time of our salvation. We just need to learn to access it.

The question is, are we willing to position ourselves to let the Holy Spirit use us in this way? I’ve been saying that this requires our time. There’s no other commodity that will purchase God’s will.

How do I know this? The above passage is very interesting to read in the Greek. It says that this will, good pleasure, and purpose of God is put into effect in the economy of the filling of time.

Economy – that’s a financial term, like when we talk about the economy of the United States. Here we’re talking about the economy of the Kingdom of God. A large part of that economy is time.

In essence this verse tells us that God’s will is accomplished on earth as we deposit time into the bank of Heaven. God doesn’t need our money or our resources. What He really needs in order to do His work is our time.

Actually, who’s time is it? We like to think of it as all belonging to us. With that attitude, we schedule everything we want to do, then place the Lord’s work in any leftover spots.

I know there are things that we need to do. Scripture says that if we don’t work, we don’t eat. The Lord doesn’t want us to neglect our families either. There’s a place for all of these important matters in our schedules.

But are we really operating in the plan of God if there’s no time for the move of His Spirit? In our generation, we’ve learned to add so many good things to our schedules, that we’ve left no room for the best.

I’m truly convinced that if we want to see a move of God in our nation, it’s going to require us to make a sacrifice. Not of money, but of time. Peter puts it this way…

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do…

1 Peter 4:3a NIV

The church needs revival – we may even want revival. But are we willing to do what it takes to initiate revival? If I said that revival would cost a million dollars, I’m sure that someone would come up with it.

If, on the other hand, I said revival will cost 2 weeks of your time, very few people would make the investment. Scripture is clear. To see the next move of God, it’s going to take our time – that’s the commodity of the next revival.

Ours is not the first generation to run into this problem. But it’s something that needs to be straightened out – quickly. Time is short. Now is the time. We are the people God is calling to turn this nation around.

Question: Why is our time so hard to turn over to the Lord?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 22, 2023 in Revival, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Time Economy

20 Feb
The Time Economy

I’ve been posting through the book of Ephesians. Paul is talking about who we are in Christ and what we’re called to. He continues on, speaking about us in relation 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 NIV

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 an important financial term the Bible associates with time.

Did you know that filling time is a part of God’s economy? I’ve talked about this in the past. 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. Further on in this letter, Paul talks about the times we’re living in.

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV

The Apostle tells us that because the enemy is in charge, the times we live in are evil days. 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 NIV

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?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2023 in Faith, Power of God, Revival, Word of God

 

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Power to Witness

08 Feb
Power to Witness

This will be my last post from the Gospel of Luke. He ends his view of the life of Christ with some important words. It’s the great “take away” from his Gospel.

“You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Luke 24:48-53 NIV

Here we see the final interaction between the Lord and His disciples. The torch was being passed. It was now up to the apostles to bring the message of repentance and forgiveness to the world.

They were to go out and tell of everything the saw and heard under the Lord’s ministry. That’s a big assignment. They probably felt unprepared for such a task. Just like we do sometimes.

I like the fact that at His departure, Jesus blessed them. But it’s more than that. As He ascended into heaven, Christ continued to bless them. That tells me that the blessing is continual – even to us – as we proclaim the Good News.

However, there’s more that we need to see in this event. Luke gives us more details about it in his second volume – the book of Acts.

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:4-5 NIV

The Lord makes it clear that something had to be done in their lives BEFORE they could go out and evangelize the world. They needed the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. That is the baptism, or immersion, in the Holy Spirit.

We sometimes get confused by this. The truth is that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is different from the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is evident in the fact that the disciples were already filled with the Spirit before they were baptized (John 20:22). This took place after the resurrection and before the ascension.

Just before He left this earth, Jesus once again made this clear to the disciples.

“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

This is a part of receiving God’s power into your life. It’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes up residence within you when you’re saved. But the baptism is the immersion in the Holy Spirit.

I believe that this is one of the most important steps in the Christian walk. It opens us up to the power of God working in us. If we want all that God has for us, then we need to actively seek this baptism.

I know there are some who teach that this is no longer necessary for us as believers. But that doesn’t seem right to me.

The apostles walked with Jesus Christ for over three years. They heard His intimate teachings. They watched His life in public and in private. Yet, even they needed something more than just the teachings of Scripture.

How much more do I need the manifestation of the power of God in my life. Here I am, 2000 years after these things took place. I need the power of God activated in me. That’s what will get the attention of the world. It will draw them to the life changing power of Christ.

Question: How much of God’s power does it take to be a true witness of who Christ is?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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An Open Mind

03 Feb
An Open Mind

As we’re nearing the end of our study through the Gospel of Luke, we’re seeing the events surrounding the risen Christ. In my last two posts, I talked about His encounter with some of the disciples along the road.

They returned to Jerusalem to tell the others that Christ had risen. You may want to read Luke 24:33-45 before continuing.

As they talked together, the Lord appeared in the room with them. They were still confused and doubting what was happening. Jesus explained that everything was foretold by Scripture.

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

Luke 24:45 NIV

The word understand in this verse literally means to put together. The Lord opened up the minds of these disciples to put together all that was happening. This included the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Christ, as well as the Scripture that foretold it. They had to walk in a supernatural understanding in order to grasp what was happening.

We need this ability of the Holy Spirit in us to put together – understand and apply – all that’s in the Scripture. If I don’t cultivate my spiritual prayer life, then where will all of this understanding come from? We can receive these blessing nowhere else but from the Spirit.

Paul understood this and tried to make it clear to his readers. In the following verse, the apostle is taking an Old Testament verse and revamping it for a spiritual people.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV

What this verse actually says in the Greek is, “Who has known the mind of the Lord well enough to be knit together with Him.” But we hold, possess the mind of Christ.

What an incredible truth! In the spirit we have access to the mind of the eternal God. The big question is; will we lay claim to this gift by the Spirit?

It’s clear that the Holy Spirit is needed in order to renew our minds. But this renewal is more than just accessing God’s knowledge. It’s much deeper than that.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…

Philippians 2:5 NIV

This means that the direction of our minds should be the same as Christ. This is evident in our current church experience. So many of our prayers seem to go unanswered. We think we’re praying “in the will of God.” But we don’t see anything happening.

Many times, we don’t receive when we pray because we’re headed in a different direction than Christ. We want the blessings of God. We just want them for a different reason than He does.

We need to direct our mind like Christ. When the Lord walked the earth, His mind was directed by the Spirit. That’s what renewal is all about. It’s not just changing what we think about, but how we think.

This is a difficult thing to do in the natural. Actually, it’s pretty close to impossible. Trying to get the mind to renew itself is a losing proposition. Instead, the best way is to activate our spirit in order to keep our mind Christ-centered.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:2 NIV

This would be quite a challenge for us to do in our own power. I know I can accomplish this temporarily. I wanted to see how long during the day I could make myself think about the things of God. I found it to be a lost cause. The littlest things would distract me and refocus my attention on the things of earth.

Prayer in the spirit, however, allows you to zero in on things above for an increasingly longer time. Your mind will begin to follow the lead of your spirit. You will begin to understand the things of the spirit like never before.

In this way your mind will start to become reset and refreshed. When this is taking place, it goes a long way to changing how the outward man reacts to life. If we’re going to win the battle of the mind, then we must pray in the spirit regularly.

Question: How have you noticed your prayer life affecting your thought life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2023 in Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Lighting the Fire

01 Feb
Lighting the Fire

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. In my last post I started talking about the followers of Christ in Luke 24:9-32. They were discouraged and double-minded concerning Jesus’ death. After encountering the risen Lord everything changed.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:32 NIV

They said that their hearts burned within them. In order to understand what happened we need to go back to that point. According to the men, it was when Jesus talked with them on the road. Let’s look at what He said to them.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27 NIV

As they were walking along the road Jesus explained the Scripture to them. What would you give to have an experience like that? The Lord, Himself, explaining the Scripture to you. It turns out that you can.

The word explained that’s used in this verse is very special. It’s the word that’s normally translated as interpretation; as in the spiritual gift of interpretation. This explanation that Jesus gave them was no boring lecture. It was an anointed Word straight from the Spirit of God.

That’s what will ignite the fire, not only in those early saints, but in us as well.

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29 NIV

God declares to us that His Word is like a fire. That’s the Word that Jesus proclaimed to these men on the road to Emmaus. As He spoke to them, the Lord lit a fire in their hearts.

We can have this same experience today. As we spend time in the presence of the Lord, we must have a listening ear. When we hear a Word from the Holy Spirit it will ignite a fire in our heart.

My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue…
Psalms 39:3 NIV

God’s Word to us starts the fire burning. But as we meditate on it, the flames increase until it is all consuming. That’s a part of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church today. He brings a Word from God to our attention – if we’re listening.

That’s the key. I’ve heard people pray for God to “send the fire.” It’s not a matter of Him sending it, but of us receiving it. We need to hear a Word from God to get it kindled in our heart. Then meditate on that Word in order to heat it up.

That means we need to develop a sensitive, listening ear in the spirit. And that only comes as we spend time in the presence of the Lord. I’m talking about intimate times where we’re not doing most of the talking.

If you want to feel the fire of the spirit, then you must learn to wait upon the Lord to hear His voice.

Question: What has the Lord spoken to you lately by His Spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2023 in Anointing, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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