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Category Archives: Spiritual Walk

The Holy Spirit – God in Us

08 Jul

DoveI believe that the church doesn’t fully understand the blessing we’ve been given. We have the Spirit of the living God residing in us. We need a greater awareness of who He is and His ongoing work in our lives.

Throughout history, God revealed Himself in various forms. In Scripture He describes Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus taught His disciples about what to expect when He was taken from them.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17

They were told that the Spirit of Truth is another Counsellor just like Jesus. The word Counsellor means the One who calls alongside. I’ve said before that He’s like a coach that’s constantly by our side encouraging us.

According to Jesus, the world can’t watch or know Him. He told the disciples that they already know Him because He was presently living with them. The good news was that soon the Holy Spirit would be living in them.

If this is another Counsellor, then just how much like Jesus is He?

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
John 14:18-20

Jesus promised the disciples that He would come to us and be in us. Wait a minute, I thought that was what the Holy Spirit would do. Please understand, Christ and the Spirit are one and the same person – they are both God, just different revelations of Him.

Hold on, there’s more.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
John 14:23

What a tremendous blessing we’ve been given. It’s not just a part of God we’ve been given, but along with the Holy Spirit we have the Father and the Son. God is one. He can’t be broken apart like pieces of a puzzle.

I know that for various reasons we have to teach about them separately from time to time. But the simple fact is that we have the full Godhead resident in us through the Holy Spirit. That’s why we need to deepen our relationship with Him.

The more we get to know the Holy Spirit, the more intimate we are with Christ and the Father.

Question: How would you characterize your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2015 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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It’s All About Me – Or Is It?

06 Jul

DifferentI’ve taken a few posts to talk about our fellowship. It’s more than we think it is in the modern church.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4

This verse talks about all that God has made available to us. Did you ever stop to think about this? Why has the Lord given us all of these great gifts?

“He loves me. He wants to bless me. He’s given me these promises.” ME, ME, ME!

That’s not the way it is. It’s not all about me. Listen to how this is written.

His divine power has given US everything WE need…through OUR knowledge of him who called US…he has given US his…promises, so that YOU (this is in the plural form) may participate in the divine nature…

This is about us as a body. When Peter says that we may participate in the divine nature; it literally says that we are fellowshippers in the divine nature.

What is the divine nature? It’s God’s way of doing things. Growth by germination. Planting, sprouting, growing, and bearing fruit. This can’t happen if I try to do it all on my own. I need the body of Christ. Only then can I escape the ruin that’s happening in the world.

God wants us to walk in a new nature. This only happens when I connect where God wants me in His Body. Only then will I experience the best He has for me.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11

The real question is; do we want to walk in the resurrection power of Christ? If so, there’s only one path to get there. I have to participate, fellowship, in sharing His suffering. This is the death process that my old man must go through.

It literally says that I have to take on the same form as His death. It doesn’t sound pleasant or convenient, but the result is worth it. The way Paul puts it, he wants to somehow – any way and at any cost – arrive at the resurrection power of the Lord.

But what will it take to accomplish this? Do you think that there’s any way to identify with Christ while ignoring His body on earth? Absolutely not! Fitting into the body of Christ plays a big role in conforming us to the image of Jesus.

Please realize that the suffering he’s talking about is not physical pain. It’s an internal discomfort to the flesh – our old sin nature. That’s why we need the church.

The growth doesn’t happen when the world revolves around me. But in the local church I need to think of the needs of others. I have to learn, by the Spirit, to be in unity with some people who are not like me. They might not think like me. There might even be some that I don’t like or, God forbid, that don’t like me.

It’s in the church that we grow together. We see things in us that need the work of the Holy Spirit to perfect. We learn about the grace of God operating in us. We find our giftings and callings.

Don’t take a light view of the fellowship we share. Without it we’ll never reach our greatest potential.

Question: How has fellowship with others changed your life for the better?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 6, 2015 in Fellowship, Ministry, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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It’s My Private Business

03 Jul

DoorI’m posting about the fellowship we share as believers. In my last article I asked if we saw ourselves as a part of something much bigger than ourselves. This is an important issue.

In dealing with the problem of idolatry in his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul made an important statement.

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
1 Corinthians 10:15-17

The first part of our fellowship that we need to understand is our fellowship with Christ. The words translated participation in this verse, are the same that are translated fellowship in the verses I looked at last time. We have a fellowship in the body and blood of the Lord.

In the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we’re showing a visible representation of our fellowship. It’s because of our connection to Christ that we are connected with each other. We all have a share in His body and in His blood.

It’s this concept of participation that should guide some of our actions. There are some who would say that it doesn’t matter what I do outside of the church. What I do in my private time is my own business. But is it?

Remember, it’s all about participation. Am I participating with the world in things I shouldn’t be involved in? That’s the issue Paul’s dealing with here.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
1 Corinthians 10:21

Those are strong words. In context he’s talking about idolatry in a pagan temple. But this could apply to us as well. There are many things in society that could be seen as modern idolatry. Gaming, the internet, the entertainment industry, and a whole host of other things can steal our devotion.

Actually, anything that we participate in that causes us to reject time with Christ is idolatry. No, I don’t think we should be worshipping 24/7. But only serving God two hours a week on Sunday morning is a symptom of a spiritual sickness.

Paul tells us the bottom line.

“Everything is permissible” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible” – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24

Even things that are permissible, with no evil aspects, can be detrimental to your Christian walk. The fact is, being a Christian is not all about me. I’m a part of something bigger than myself. The fellowship I share is on a spiritual level. The things I do in the natural can have a spiritual effect.

This is key to understanding the fellowship we share. What I do as an individual affects the whole. That’s life in a body. When I stub my toe, my whole body is affected. This is a lesson the current generation of believers needs to learn.

Question: How does a person’s private life affect the whole church?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 3, 2015 in Fellowship, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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What is Fellowship?

01 Jul

CrossMost believers have no understanding of what fellowship is all about. I want to take a few posts to talk about it.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
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. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:3-7

Our fellowship is in two directions. We have fellowship with God, as well as with other believers. We can’t live a healthy spiritual life without it.

It’s the basis of a joyful ministry and a fulfilled life. It’s how we tap into everything God has for us. Unfortunately, many Christians have no clue what fellowship entails.

The word itself, koinonia in the Greek, means partnership or participation. It comes from a root that means shared or common.

The Bible talks a lot about what we have in common. There’s our common salvation and our common faith. All of us who are in Christ have reached out to God – which is our common faith. We have all received from God – our common salvation.

The fact is, we’re all in this together. We’re all the same at the foot of the cross. But how do we view these things? Am I a part of something that’s much bigger than myself? Or do I view this walk as all about me? These are important questions.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42

This verse talks about the attitude of the early church. It tells us the things that they were devoted to. The word devoted literally means to be strong, steadfast toward. These were the things that the New Testament church majored on.

We would probably agree with most of them. Hearing the teaching of the Word of God. Going to church and celebrating the communion service. I don’t think anyone would question the need to pray.

But fellowship; what about that one? Do we really need to be strong and steadfast toward that aspect of our Christian walk?

We are all a part of the body of Christ. Fellowship should be one of our main emphases. Without it our spiritual lives would shrivel up. We need to understand the function of fellowship in the believer’s life.

That’s the basis of this new series.

Question: How do you view fellowship in your spiritual walk?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on July 1, 2015 in Fellowship, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Mercy and Perseverance

29 Jun

MountainI’m continuing the series about understanding God’s mercy. If you boil it all down to a simple phrase, here’s what I see in Scripture. Mercy is the favor God shows to His sons and daughters.

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 5:11

One thing that’s abundantly clear from Scripture, the walk of mercy will require perseverance. Of all the people for James to use for an example, did he have to pick Job? The simple truth is that Job drove his friends crazy. The big question on everybody’s mind is; why was Job at a standstill? According to his friends it was because he must have been doing something wrong.

That kind of thinking was absolutely incorrect. Job was being trained for a higher walk in God. As I’ve said before, promises are for spiritual children. In order to get them to obey you must say things like, “Clean your room and you can have ice cream.” Adults don’t live like this.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1

Many times I’ve preached from this verse telling my congregation the importance of laying their lives down as living sacrifices. But until I understood the concepts of Biblical mercy, it was always in a legalistic vein. Notice the motivation we’re to use to propel us to offer our lives before God.

Is it in view of God’s law? Maybe it’s in view of the promises? NO!!! It’s as we keep the Lord’s mercy in our sight that we have the drive necessary to lay our lives down on His altar. That’s how powerful the walk of mercy can be. In order to obtain it, it’s worth the greatest cost we can imagine. The total surrender of our lives to God’s plan.

God simply asks you to make the offer, wholeheartedly. Why do we make this life altering decision? It’s because we know that this is the Lord’s desire. No strings attached, no hidden agendas. “Lord I want to know You, because only You are worthy of the investment of my life.” We only obtain mercy through becoming a willing sacrifice.

This is why I made such a bold claim earlier in this series. This isn’t something that you can just try for a day. It would be just as foolish as trying a diet for a day, and then saying that it didn’t work. If we want the benefits of mercy, then this walk must consume our lifestyle. Only then will we have that “blank check” in the spirit.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:14-16

If you desire to walk this walk, you must know that mercy makes this the only rule. “Boast only in the cross.” Do you want power? Do you want to live above the law and the promises? Then you must learn to walk the way of mercy.

You must pursue God simply to know Him. You must offer all you are to God, simply because He desires it. Then, when you see the manifestation of His power in your life, boast only in the cross. This is the secret to how Jesus lived and ministered in the world.

Question: What must you do to begin walking in God’s mercy?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 29, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Sonship, Spiritual Walk

 

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Mercy and Sacrifice

26 Jun

surgeryIn my last post we saw Jesus rebuke the Pharisees for not understanding God’s mercy. The Lord said that God desired mercy and not sacrifice. I want to look at this truth. It’s through the power of God’s mercy that Jesus ministered the way He did.

So I ask you, do you want a higher walk before the Lord? Do you want to live above the promises? Do you want to walk as Jesus walked? If so, then you must learn what God meant when He said, “I desire mercy not sacrifice.”

“Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.”
Hosea 6:1-2

At this point in history, Israel was broken. But God was looking forward to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. They could be healed of their grievous wounds.

Please understand that they had the same problem with God that we have sometimes. It’s all a matter of perspective. From their perspective God was wounding them, cutting them and hurting them. From God’s perspective, He was performing open heart surgery.

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.
Hosea 6:3

Hosea calls the people to acknowledge God. The literal Hebrew means to know by seeing and experiencing. The phrase press on means to pursue. We pursue God in order to know and experience Him. The object should not be to know about Him, but to know God in person as He truly is.

“What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you.”
Hosea 6:4-5

Here God is showing Israel how they respond to Him. He tells them that their love like the dew or a mist. It’s here for a short time and dissipates in the morning sunlight. Think about the church of today. Sunday mornings we sing and cry out about our undying love for the Lord. We tell Him that we can’t live without Him.

Right after the service, however, that love burns off like the dew. It’s because of this that God said He has to perform the surgery. So the Lord carved His people by the prophets, stabbed them by His Word.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6

Here is the heart of the matter. This is the desire of God for His people. He desires us to obtain mercy by obeying Him out of a heart of love for Him. Mercy is all about pursuing God simply to be with Him.

Many in our present generation miss this. They pursue God, but it’s for healing, for prosperity, for a better job, or a new car. Many pursue God for the things that He can give us, not because we simply want to know Him more intimately. The walk of mercy is a walk that seeks to know God for who He is in that secret place.

Questions: How is your pursuit of God characterized? Why do you pursue God?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Mercy and the Power of God

24 Jun

Lightning 3In my last post I started talking about the mercy of God. I believe that it’s very different from what we think it is.

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

This is the power of God that changes us day by day if we’re submitted to it. As good as this verse is, that’s not the end of it. We usually miss the point because there’s a chapter change right after that verse. The original has no such break in the writing. This thought continues into the next verse.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
2 Corinthians 4:1

What we need to realize is that it’s through the power of mercy that we have ever increasing glory manifest in our lives. It should be obvious by now that our tiny view of mercy is inadequate to explain the great depth of this truth. The best part is that we can approach the throne of grace to lay hold of this mercy. At this point I want to show you exactly what it is.

Since it brings the power of God into our lives, we know it’s not by the law. It’s interesting to note that two times were recorded in the Gospels where Jesus made the same statement to the Pharisees. In both cases they were condemning Him for what He was doing. He did things like eating with “sinners.” The Pharisees were thinking, “How can the power of God work in you if you do that?”

Jesus had a stern rebuke for them.

“If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”
Matthew 12:7

This statement was directed at the Pharisees, But I have to admit that when I began studying about mercy I had no idea what He meant by it. I had always quoted the verse “to obey is better than sacrifice.” This view of the mercy of God was new to me.

The first thing I notice is that this is a desire of God. It’s not a command or a law. This means that the obtaining of mercy is optional. It’s not something that you need to have for salvation, or even for your growth in the Lord.

As a matter of fact it’s very rarely used in the body of Christ, because in this generation we strive to live by the promises. I’m here to tell you that living the walk of mercy is above the promises.

The walk of mercy is a blank check in the spirit. I’ve heard many preachers in the past talk about faith and the promises and they’ve said things like, “You can have a blank check from God, just fill it out by faith.”

The trouble is that I’ve walked what they preached and it didn’t work quite the way they said it would. In this case, however, I know for a fact that the walk of mercy brings you to that level. It’s how Jesus Christ Himself operated. You would never hear Him quoting promises to build up faith, He just spoke out the Word and it happened. That’s the type of walk I am talking about.

This is not an easy Word to fulfill. I’ve only started down this road myself, but I’ve already seen the “first few drops of rain” in the spirit. In this series you’ll find out what it will take to walk at this level of power.

Question: How is your view of God’s mercy changing?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2015 in Faith, Legalism, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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Do You Understand God’s Mercy

22 Jun

ThroneLet us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

This verse speaks about that place of intimacy that’s available to us in Christ Jesus. We have access to boldly enter the throne room of God. It’s a place of rest and peace in the Lord. According to this passage we can confidently approach the throne of grace for two things. The first is to find grace. The second, according to the literal Greek, is to take, lay hold of mercy.

This is one of the greatest yet unused blessings that God bestows upon His people. Unfortunately, we have no idea what God means by mercy in this modern generation.

When we use the word mercy it’s usually when we’ve done something wrong. We want to be shown leniency, so we say, “Please have mercy on me.” This is not the Biblical concept of mercy. The mercy of God is so much higher than that. I want to show you a glimpse of the power of mercy.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Matthew 9:27-28

This is a very interesting encounter in the life of Christ. It’s unlike any other which is recorded in the Word of God. While it’s true that many people asked Him to have mercy on them, and many blind people came to Him, Jesus never ministered like this any other time.

He waited until they were in a private place. Then the Lord asked them if they believed that He could do this. Believed that He could do what? Since there was no other request, Jesus was asking if they believed that he could give mercy.

I believe that Jesus looked into their heart and saw that they understood the concept of mercy and wanted them to confirm it with their lips. Why is this so important to us?

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”
Matthew 9:29-30

Again we see something out of the ordinary in the ministry of Jesus. He never asked them specifically what they wanted. He simply said that what they believed for was theirs. Apparently, they were trusting God to restore their sight because that was the result.

But the mystery doesn’t end there. Jesus warns them not to tell anyone what happened. Why would He do this? Everyone knew that Jesus gave sight to the blind. Why would He possibly say not to tell anyone about it?

I don’t believe that it was the healing that Christ was referring to. As you’ll see in the next few posts, only God can give mercy. This encounter was proof to the Jews of Jesus’ divinity. Whenever He did a miracle on that level, like raising the dead, He usually instructed the witnesses not to tell anyone about it.

I believe that there’s more to mercy than we could have ever imagined. That’s what I want to share with you in this series of articles.

Question: What’s your definition of the mercy of God?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 22, 2015 in Faith, Healing, Power of God, Spiritual Walk

 

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Getting Things in Order

19 Jun

SpotlightIn the last couple of posts I’ve been talking about how those of us in ministry run the risk of getting too busy. By that I mean we start to neglect our intimate times with the Lord. Specifically, what Christ said in the following verse.

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
Revelation 2:4-5

What do you do if you find yourself in this condition? How do you get your spiritual life back on track?

The answer to this problem is clear from the Lord’s own words. The first step is to remember. Remember the height from which you have fallen. Think back to what your walk with the Lord used to be like. Allow a hunger to be birthed in you for the way it was. This will make the next step that much easier.

Step two is really the key to the whole process. Restoration always involves repentance. At this point, you may complain, “But I didn’t backslide – I still love the Lord, and I’m still doing the work of the ministry.” That’s probably very true. However, to God, the most important thing is your relationship with Him.

In any relationship, it’s not the fact that you love the other person that brings you closer. It’s the time spent communicating. If you haven’t deepened your walk with the Lord, through time in the Word and in prayer, then there needs to be repentance. I’m sure you already know that true repentance includes a 180-degree turn around to the right path. It’s time to renew your walk with Christ.

You also need to realize that if you ignore His call, you’re missing out on God’s best for your life. The words of the Lord in Revelation 2:3 above make it clear that if this condition is left unchecked long enough, then the church will suffer for it. Jesus said that He would remove the lampstand from its place.

It doesn’t sound fair that just because a church leader is out of relationship with the Lord, that the whole church can be dragged down with him or her. Unfortunately, that’s the way of spiritual things. Jesus said that if the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch. The church will never progress beyond the depth of the leadership’s walk with the Lord.

At this point I have to pause, and give a special exhortation to pastors and teachers. Too often we fall into the rut of self-deception. Sermon and Bible Study preparation time is NOT the same as a personal time in God’s Word. Interceding for your congregation is not intimate, personal prayer time with the Lord.

In my experience I’ve found that many leaders substitute the work of the ministry for the walk of relationship. The key to renewing your first love is to cultivate your relationship with God in personal time with God’s Word and in prayer. Above all else, we should be deepening our relationship with our Lord.

Question: How have you struggled in setting aside time for intimacy with Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 19, 2015 in Leadership, Ministry, Prayer, Spiritual Walk

 

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Remembering Your First Love

17 Jun

Snow HeartIn my last post I talked about time spent with the Lord. Sometimes the more work you do for God, the less time you have to spend in His presence. We looked at the following verse.

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
Revelation 2:4-5

Church leaders especially need to constantly be taking stock of their work. Why did you enter the ministry back then? What motivated you to work for the Lord?

It was the love of Christ that constrained you.   Why are you doing the work now? It needs to be done, no one else will do it, or it’s expected of you. If that sounds like you, than you’re letting your relationship with the Lord grow cold. You’ve lost your first love.

That’s why the Lord is seen as the one who walks among the churches. He’s the one inspecting the work. He’s checking not only what’s done, but also why it’s being done.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

Timothy was a young pastor. Paul was his father in the ministry. Even though this was written almost two thousand years ago, it should serve as a warning to all of us in the ministry today.

There’s an inspection process constantly going on in the church. The Chief Shepherd inspects the work of the under-shepherds.

This verse says that we should be approved. That Greek word literally means inspected and stamped with a seal of approval. It doesn’t matter what man thinks of you. Are you approved by God?

This calls for self-evaluation. Paul said that if we would judge ourselves we would not come under judgment. When you take a long hard look at your spiritual life, what do you see? Has it grown in depth since you started out in the ministry?

Has the fire started to wane, and you find yourself more and more “running on empty”? If this is the case, it’s an indication that you’ve lost your first love. Don’t let pride – the unwillingness to admit your situation – keep you from God’s renewal process.

Even pastors are not exempt from this. That’s the reason for the rash of “clergy burnout” that’s seen across America in this generation. One study showed that 80% of all seminary graduates had left the ministry after 5 years.

Another study tells us that 1,500 pastors per month leave the ministry because of burnout, problems, and moral failure. Without a living relationship with the all-powerful Creator of the universe, we’ll never find the strength needed to cope with all the stresses placed upon us by the church work we’re involved in.

Are you on the fast track to a spiritual derailment? Do you feel like you’re constantly giving out and never replacing your spiritual stores? If so, then the time is now to make a course correction that will affect the rest of your life positively for the glory of God.

In my next post I’ll talk about the specifics of how to get back on track.

Question: How do you regularly take stock of your spiritual life?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2015 in Leadership, Ministry, Prayer, Spiritual Walk

 

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