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Category Archives: Revival

Our View of Christ

12 Oct
Our View of Christ

Did you know that how you view your relationship with Christ determines your walk?  As I was reading Paul’s introduction in his letter to the Romans, it stood out to me.  It made me stop and assess how I view the Lord.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David…

Romans 1:1-3

There’s so much here that caught my attention. In my last post, I talked about how Paul viewed himself as a slave of Christ.

The next thing I noticed was that Paul talked about Christ’s human nature as being descended form David.  I wondered about that.  As a Jew; why not call Jesus a descendant of Abraham?

I started to look deeper into it and found that this was a big part of Paul’s message.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…

2 Timothy 2:8

The fact that Jesus was in King David’s family was a major piece of Paul’s message.  It seems to me that Paul placed this on even par with Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  The two go hand in hand in the Apostle’s preaching.

This truth is the key to Paul’s attitude toward the Lord.  It’s something that we need to return to in our generation.  Jesus Christ is King, Lord, and Sovereign.  There’s no authority higher than Him in the entire universe.

We like to refer to the Lord in a number of different ways.  We call Him Savior, Redeemer, and Friend of sinners.  These titles are all true of Christ and speak to us of what He’s done for us.  But I refer to them as “safe” titles.  They carry with them no inconvenience to us.

When we begin to look to Christ as our King, things start to change.  Now there’s a responsibility of obedience placed upon us.  Calling Him, Lord, means that my life is no longer my own.

Remember how Paul introduces himself in relation to Christ in that first verse.  He doesn’t call himself a follower of Christ.  He doesn’t say he’s a believer, a minister, or even a disciple.  He refers to himself as a servant of Christ Jesus.

This means that above all, Paul’s mission in life was to please his King. It wasn’t about doing something for the Lord “when he finds the time.”  His life was devoted to serving Jesus.

This is the attitude we need to return to in this generation of the church.  We need to once again discover the place of servanthood to Christ.  Yes, He is our Redeemer, our Savior, our best Friend, and a whole lot more.  But we live to please Him as our King.

As we live the life of a servant of Christ, this is one of the fastest ways to receive His power and authority in our lives.  We must pick up this attitude – “Lord, not my will, but yours be done in my life.”

Question: What role does servanthood play in your walk with the Lord?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Transferring Ownership

09 Oct
Transferring Ownership

In this post we start our journey through the book of Romans.  I love the way Paul starts this letter.  It says a lot about how he viewed himself.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…

Romans 1:1

Paul uses some interesting language in this verse.  He calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ – literally a slave.  It’s interesting, because on various occasions Paul made a point of proving his freedom.

Once he was arrested and he asked the guard why he was being denied his right to a trial as a Roman citizen.  The guard explained that he, personally, had to buy his freedom.  Paul, on the other hand, said that he was born a free Roman citizen.  (Acts 22:25-29)

At that time, if you were born a slave, you were expected to be a slave forever – there was no escaping it.  Under Roman law, a slave could find out his “sale price” from his master.

Then, if he saved enough money, he could pay the buying price to his master and have the ownership transferred to one of the many Roman gods.  Then, as a slave to that god, could serve as a free man.

I believe this was in the back of Paul’s mind as he penned these words.  We’re all born under slavery to sin.  That was our unfortunate lot for the rest of our lives.

Jesus Christ paid the “slave price” for us.  Now, just as Paul did, we need to transfer the ownership of our lives over to God.  As God’s slaves we can now serve as free citizens of the kingdom of Heaven.

We have to live under this knowledge if we’re to have a fulfilling life in Christ.  We don’t own our lives.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-8

Christ, Himself, set the standard of living that we need to follow.  He said that He came to live a life of service.  That should be our attitude as well.

The Apostle Peter also understood this truth.

Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

1 Peter 2:16

In the first verse above, Paul said that as a slave, he was called to be sent forth as an apostle.  Once we’ve transferred the ownership of our lives to God, our callings will open up to us.  We’re now free to serve Him to the best of our ability.

Paul finished off the verse by saying that he was set apart to the Good News.  That literally means that we’re set off by a boundary.  The Good News is our field of service.

This is the attitude that will push you to great things in the body of Christ.

Question: Have you transferred the ownership rights of your life to the Lord?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Are You Ungodly? – 5 Warning Signs

02 Oct

Ungodly.  The word usually makes us think of the unsaved.  The problem is that there are many ungodly Christians who are totally unaware of their condition.  Are you one of them?  Check out what the Bible says about it.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6

Paul tells us that we’re to examine our lives.  This word literally means to scrutinize how we live.

There are times that we need to test our walk with the Lord.  To do that it is best to be alone and quiet.  In this age of smartphones, it’s hard to have any quiet time at all.  I even feel that many people – without Christ – “plug-in” for the purpose of not hearing their own heart.

Many are afraid to examine their inner man.  It’s probably because they’re afraid of what they’ll find.  Please realize that it’s a healthy thing to take a long hard look at yourself.  You need to see how you measure up to Christ, His calling, how far you’ve come, and the direction in which you’re headed.

Do you know that Christ is in you?  Most Christians understand this concept.  They realize that Christ is in them.  When they asked Him to be the Lord of their lives, Christ made their heart His home.  Most believers will pass this test.

Does it matter to you?  This is where the test starts to get tough.  It’s surprising that many who belong to Christ really don’t give Him a second thought.  They go throughout the day without ever acknowledging Him.

It seems that they’re oblivious to the fact that Jesus is accompanying them wherever they go.  He’s a silent listener of every conversation.  If this was a reality to us, we would probably behave much differently.

Do you want to know God’s will?  Not only is Christ with us at all times, but He has a plan for our lives.  The question really comes down to; whose will is more important – mine or the Lord’s?  Many don’t want to know God’s will for their lives because they’re afraid it will interfere with their plans.

Do you want to accomplish God’s will?  Knowing God’s will is not the end of it.  What we really need to do is accomplish it.  Not only is Christ with us wherever we go, He expects us to represent Him and His kingdom to the world.  What many don’t realize is that unless we answer “yes” to this question, God will not reveal His will to us.

Are you seeking God’s approval?  This is the final and greatest test of godliness.  Who are we seeking to please?  Are we after our own pleasure?  That of our friends or family?  The Bible is clear that unless we’re “God-pleasers” our lives will be worthless – there will be no reward at the end.

How do these questions play out in your life?  A “no” to any of the highlighted questions should be a warning that you’re in danger of ungodliness.  If so, then repent of it and move on with the Lord.

It’s time for God’s people to live like they truly understand the Lord’s presence in their lives.

Question: What signs of godliness do you see in your life?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 2, 2020 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Which Jesus?

14 Sep

In the final chapters of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about their comparing him to other apostles.  He also deals with their acceptance of differing messages.  It’s something that we have to work through in our generation.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.  But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”  I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge.  We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
2 Corinthians 11:4-6

We see three things here that are a problem in our churches today, especially in the United States.  It deals with the mixed messages that come from “Christian” preachers around the country.

There is a true Jesus that we can follow.  He’s the Jesus of the Bible.  Yet so often we hear a sanitized version of His life and ministry.

There are many who try and portray the Lord as non-controversial and non-confrontational.  They say that He accepted everyone without judging them or their life choices.

But is all that true?  Here are some quotes from the real Jesus.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
John 8:11b

“See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
John 5:14b

“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”
Matthew 23:33

Truly, Jesus is the God of love.  But, He never compromises His righteousness.

Another thing that Paul said was that this church put up with a different spirit than the one they first received.  That’s very telling in our generation.

I was at a pastor’s retreat recently.  One of the speakers said something very interesting.  In describing the church he grew up in, he said, “The Holy Spirit was invited to Sunday morning worship, but He had to sit in the back and behave Himself.”

Unfortunately, that’s the description of too many of our churches.  We need a Holy Spirit led revival.

Finally, this church put up with a different Gospel.  It was a “good news” that wasn’t based in the Scripture.

Today, many preach a gospel of self-realization.  “We can do it.”  “Everything I need is on the inside of me.”

Unfortunately, the truth says something different.  Without Christ, I can’t do anything worthwhile.  I need the Holy Spirit working in me.

But that is the Good News because anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and changed from glory to glory!

Question: What are some of the different “gospels” that you’ve heard preached?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2020 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel

 

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First, Second, Third

11 Sep

We’re continuing to go through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  As we start chapter 11, Paul is beginning to wind down his final thoughts.

I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.  I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
2 Corinthians 11:1-2

Here he explains why he’s so forceful in his writings.  He actually could be writing this to any believer that’s reading this epistle.

He repeats himself.  He tells us that he’s passionate with a holy passion.  He was the one who preached the Gospel that they believed, accepted, and acted upon.

He sees himself as the one who betrothed them to one husband – Christ Himself.  His desire is for them to be holy and pure.  The goal is for them to have no other love interests.

For those of you who have been following this blog for some time, that theme should sound familiar.  Paul is not the first one to say this.

It’s the first thing we learned about the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.  (Remember…our Bible isn’t arranged in the order that God gave it to us.  James was the first of the New Testament books written.)

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
James 4:4-5

The first thing in Scripture that the Holy Spirit reveals to the church is that He’s intensely jealous.  We can’t be chasing after other desires and not expect Him to be grieved by it.

That’s why I try so hard to convey to everyone that the church is not an organization with a bunch of rules to follow.  It’s a relationship with a person…Jesus Christ.  The way we communicate with Him is through the Holy Spirit.

In his passion for the church, Paul felt he had to remind them of this fact.  They seemed to be wavering in their commitment to the Lord.

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3

There’s a deception that’s been dogging the church throughout history.  It’s the idea that I can give God first place.  That thought is a lie from the devil.

The Lord never said that He wants to be first among many.  He wants to be your all in all – your everything.

We need to come to the place where we once again understand that we’re in a covenant relationship with Christ.  That’s the same as a marriage. It’s not an agreement or a contract.

We need to place everything else in our lives under submission to the Lord.

Question: Are there things in your life that are a close second to your devotion to Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Looking Below the Surface

02 Sep

As we continue through Second Corinthians, Paul is talking about the authority we have in Christ.  We’ve been given powerful spiritual weapons that everyone needs to know how to use.

He now talks about why this is the case.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
2 Corinthians 10:6

The way this verse is written in English makes it sound like we get spanked for our wrongdoings after we’ve already started obeying.  That’s not really what it says.

In Greek, both the words disobedience and obedience have the root word of hearing.  There is no word, act, in the original.  This is about hearing and doing God’s will.

The disobedience that Paul is talking about could be either a misunderstanding or a willful ignoring of God’s will.  Now that the church has received correction from the apostle in his first letter, this has been resolved.

So, in essence, Paul is telling them that there is vindication because they’re now walking in obedience to God’s plan for them.  They listened to, and are now following Paul’s correction.

The key is, how well are they listening?  It goes toward motive.  When we know what God wants us to do, are we willing to obey?

This goes right along with something Paul wrote earlier in this epistle.  He referred to the sorrow and repentance that his first letter caused.

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
2 Corinthians 7:11

They had done some things that looked like they were ignoring God’s desire for them.  It might have been done innocently or willfully.  The point is that when Paul brought it to their attention, they repented and turned back to obedience.

That is what vindicated them.  Now they need to examine their inner man.

You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.
2 Corinthians 10:7

In this verse, Paul is simply talking about drawing logical conclusions.  Looking on the surface it’s clear that the Corinthian people belonged to Christ.  By that same line of reasoning, Paul and his ministry team belong to Christ as well.

We need to see through the eyes of Christ.  Sometimes what believers do, doesn’t exactly line up with what the Lord wants them to do.  However, that doesn’t make them any less a follower of Christ.

We need to give people the opportunity to grow and mature without judging and accusing them.  Allow the Holy Spirit to work in His own way.

Question: What are some things that you’ve changed as you’ve matured in Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2020 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Spiritual Demolition

31 Aug

As we continue through Second Corinthians, Paul is beginning to talk about the spiritual warfare we find ourselves in.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4

Paul is very clear that we don’t fight on the same level as the rest of the world.  We don’t use fleshly weapons or tactics.  The battle is spiritual.

He says that our weapons are powerful through God.  As believers, all of us should be demolition experts.

The spiritual tools we have can totally demolish any spiritual stronghold or castle that has been erected against the knowledge of Christ.  Nothing can stand against us if we’re walking in the spirit.

What exactly are these strongholds that we should demolish?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5

The first thing we see is the demolition of arguments.  That word literally means logical computations.  This could be a part of the war that goes on within us – between our flesh and our spirit.

The fact is that we like to figure things out on our own.  While it does work some of the time; it doesn’t always work in the kingdom of God.  The Lord’s will doesn’t always seem logical to us.

We think that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.  Sometimes God takes us around the walls a few times before they fall.

The next thing that is demolished is every pretension.  That word means a high place or a barrier.

So our spiritual weapons have the power to pull down anything that rises up as a barrier to the knowledge of God.  This should be one of our most important tools in evangelism.

How could you ever hope to bring people the Gospel?  We must first tear down the barriers stopping them from receiving it.  It’s not accomplished by logic, but by spiritual warfare.

The final thing that our weapons do is very important.  They take thoughts captive at spear point.  That’s the literal translation of this section.

In doing this, they make our thoughts take seriously our obedience to Christ.  It forces our thoughts in line with God’s Word.  It should be very clear by now what this weapon is.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

I believe that the church should be using the spiritual weapons we’ve been given.

Question: How have you seen God’s Word change a life?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 31, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Warfare, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Giving Yourself to God

03 Aug

We’re continuing to look at the miraculous grace of giving.  Paul writes about it in reference to the Macedonian churches.  They were able to give supernatural offerings as a result.

For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
2 Corinthians 8:3-5

This is one of the most miraculous verses in the Bible. How can you ever give beyond your ability? I don’t know, but that’s Paul’s testimony of what they did.

I believe that the key to all this is found in verse 5. Paul said that they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.

Your first calling is not to a church or a ministry. It’s to God Himself.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t commit yourself to a church. What I am saying is that committing yourself to a church without first giving yourself to God is counter-productive.

These Macedonian believers understood the principle of success.  You need to present yourself as a gift to God.  That means we give up all personal rights over to His will. Paul understood what this meant.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:57-58

The context of this verse is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Paul goes into great detail explaining the importance of His rising from the grave.

Paul concludes this section by talking about our victory in Christ. The resurrection is the foundation for our victory in this life. We know that the victory is ours in Christ, no matter what the situation may look like right at the present moment.

So in this passage, Paul uses the word, therefore. It’s because we know that Christ is victorious – past, present, and future – that we can give ourselves fully to God. We already know the outcome, so we can give ourselves willingly.

The problem is, that willingly and fully are two very different things. I can willingly serve God with only part of my life, time, and resources. The real victory comes when I willingly give all to Christ.

Please understand that this has nothing to do with your abilities. It has everything to do with your willingness to fully commit your life to God. That’s the lesson the Macedonian churches had learned.

It’s only when you first give yourself to God, that you can accomplish something beyond your ability. That’s when people notice that it’s God working in you. Only then will God get the glory from your life, and people will be attracted to the Gospel.

Question: How fully committed is your life to God?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 3, 2020 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Godly Sorrow

27 Jul

In my last post, we looked at Paul’s joy over the repentance of the Corinthian Christians.  He now explains why this is so important.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

The first thing we need to see is that there are two types of sorrow or sadness.  There are both godly sorrow and worldly sorrow.

The difference is the object of sorrow.  Godly sorrow sees God as the injured party.  I’m sorrowful because I sinned against the Lord.

Worldly sorrow has me as the object.  I’m sorry that I got caught sinning.  Or, just as bad, I’m sorry that I’m not as perfect as I thought I was.

Godly sorrow brings us closer to God and His provision for us – the ongoing work of salvation.  Worldly sorrow produces death by causing us to shy away from God.

Look at the evidence of godly sorrow in a believer’s life.

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.  At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
2 Corinthians 7:11

These characteristics are how you can tell if you’re truly operating in godly sorrow.  They describe the road to repentance.

The word Paul used for earnestness, is the Greek word from which we get our English word, speed.  We want to deal with the matter quickly.

The phrase, eagerness to clear yourselves, is the Greek word for apology – to give a reason.  However, this isn’t you trying to justify yourself.  It’s an attempt to understand your own motives.  It comes from a desire to clean up your thought life.

The word, indignation is important.  It’s displeasure that moves you to action.  You want to see the situation changed and you’re willing to do something about it.

The word, alarm, is actually the word, fear – phobia.  This is the type of fear that causes you to change what you’re doing.  It affects you.  You’re afraid of doing something that could mess up your relationship with Christ.

Longing is an intense craving.  You have an overwhelming desire to get your life back on track again.  You don’t want to continue heading in the wrong direction.

The word, concern, is actually the word for zeal.  It means that your emotions are getting worked up over it.  You’re not going to rest until you make this problem right.

Finally, you want to see that justice is carried out – even if it’s against yourself.  That means if you owe someone an apology, you give it.  If some type of payment is needed, you do it.

All of these things working together bring us to the place of repentance.  Never let the sun go down on unrepented sin.  Allow the grace of God to forgive, clean, and make you right.

Question: How often do you find yourself in the place of repentance?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2020 in Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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The Place of Repentance

24 Jul

As we continue in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, we begin to see the back story of the situation.  In Paul’s first letter to this church, he was very strong in dealing with the sins of some of the members.

Later on, he sent Timothy as his representative, to see how things were progressing.  Now we’ll see the results of all of this.

For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn — conflicts on the outside, fears within.  But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.  He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
2 Corinthians 7:5-7

It turns out that Timothy’s report to Paul was better than expected.  The apostle was greatly encouraged by the response of the Corinthian church.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.  Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while — yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.  For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.
2 Corinthians 7:8-9

Paul’s joy was made complete because the Corinthian believers were brought to the place of repentance.  This had to be done in order for them to receive forgiveness.

Of course, we don’t like this word. It has a bad connotation for us. In Greek, it’s the word metanoia which means to change your mind. It also means to turn around.

“I was wrong. I want to change.”

Repentance is usually preceded by distress, sorrow, or sadness. We don’t like these feelings. In our relationships with other people, we would much rather use a word like apologize.

“If you apologize, I’ll forgive you.”

The fact is you don’t really want an apology. The Greek definition of the word apology is to give the reason. In that case, you might hear something like, “The reason I did that was that I hate you and I want you to be miserable.”

What you want from the other person is repentance.  It’s the same in our relationship with God.  He already knows why you did it.  He simply wants you to see that you were wrong and now you have a desire to change.

“I’m sorry over what I did.” (Godly sorrow) “If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t do it.” “I will never do that again.”

But we have to remember that with God, His forgiveness is given before repentance. It then takes repentance in order to position yourself to receive His forgiveness.

True repentance isn’t easy.  In my next post, we’ll see how Paul describes the road to repentance.

Question: How quick are you to go to God in repentance when needed?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 24, 2020 in Encouragement, Relationships, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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