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Category Archives: Spiritual Walk

Understanding the Word

17 Oct
Understanding the Word

We’re continuing our study through the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is now making His final trip to Jerusalem, where He will be crucified. He explains this to the disciples.

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Luke 18:31-34 NIV

Jesus is very clear about what’s going to happen when they reach Jerusalem. We need to understand that nobody took Him by surprise. The Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection was all a part of God’s plan from the beginning of time.

Now, He wanted to prepare His disciples for what was coming. They needed to be ready for these sorrowful events that would literally rock their world.

This passage is jam-packed with important truth. If you remember, in one of my recent posts, I said that when He was ministering on earth, Jesus fulfilled the same role that the Holy Spirit has with us now. We see that clearly in these verses.

Verse 34 actually reads, this rhema-Word was concealed from them. Jesus was giving the disciples a rhema Word. That’s a pure, unprocessed Word directly from God.

There are two more important words in this section. It says that the disciples did not understand, and they did not know what was being said. That’s a big problem.

When we spend time with the Holy Spirit in God’s presence, sometimes He imparts to us a Word from heaven. That’s a rhema Word to us.

Many times, we can’t readily understand it because of our human mindset. At those times, we need to guard it in our heart. We need to protect it and rehearse it. Jesus told His disciples why this is important.

If you remember the parable of the Sower, the seed stood for the Word being sown. Look at what Jesus said about what was sown along the road.

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Matthew 13:19 NIV

If we have no understanding of what’s being imparted to us, there’s a risk we could lose it. That’s what happened with the disciples. They let go of the Word and had to go through depression and confusion between the death and resurrection of Christ.

When we receive something from God that we don’t understand, we need to search Scripture about it. Then continue to meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the understanding we need. That’s His role with us.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 14:26 NIV

The issue with the disciples was that whenever Jesus spoke about His death, they never said anything. They didn’t know what He was talking about, but they never asked for clarification. So, when the time came, they were totally unprepared for the devastating events.

We should learn this lesson. Spend time listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then, guard that Word in your heart. Over time, and with the help of the Spirit, understanding will come, and you’ll see that which God has given you.

Question: What are some things that God has spoken to you?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 17, 2022 in Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Finding the Kingdom

14 Oct
Finding the Kingdom

In my last post, I talked about the rich, young, ruler who came to Jesus. He wanted a deeper walk with God. The Lord told him his next step – selling everything and becoming a disciple.

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:23-25 NIV

Jesus comments to the disciples that it’s very hard for the rich to come under the rulership of God. The word, hard, in this verse, means a picky, finicky eater. It’s someone who’s very hard to please.

Someone with great wealth usually is used to getting their own way. They want to set the terms of their service. In the kingdom, it has to be done God’s way.

Remember, this encounter comes right on the heels of Jesus talking about entering the kingdom as an infant. You have to start over. You can’t come to the Lord thinking that you’re an asset to His kingdom. We have nothing to offer Him, He has everything.

In my last post, I started to talk about the difference between salvation and the kingdom of God. The kingdom is the place of obedience, blessing, and fulfillment. There are many who have received salvation but have yet to walk in the fullness of Christ.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 NIV

This is an important statement for us to hear. No one can deny that the Pharisees and teachers of the Law followed the Law of Moses to the letter. They did everything according to the teaching of Scripture.

By that definition, before the resurrection of Christ, they were saved and on their way to heaven. Yet, Christ clearly said that they didn’t enter the kingdom. That’s because they never submitted themselves to God’s way of doing things.

They were missing out on God’s best for them. Of course, if they continued on this path after the resurrection – rejecting Christ as Messiah – they no longer had a place in God’s family. That’s because they would have rejected salvation under God’s New Covenant.

As Jesus spoke of the kingdom, the disciples didn’t understand these principles.

Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Luke 18:26-27 NIV

Jesus makes it clear that it’s not impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom. The power of God is able to change a life. But that person must be willing to let the Holy Spirit do His work in them.

At that point Peter interrupts.

Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”

Luke 18:28 NIV

As usual with Peter, I think he was looking for some praise from Jesus. Unfortunately, what he said wasn’t that accurate. We know from Scripture that Peter didn’t leave everything to follow Jesus. After the death of Christ, Peter was able to go back to his fishing business (John 21:1-3).

Jesus was very gracious to him. He ignores the untruth.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”

Luke 18:29-30 NIV

The Lord summarizes everything here. If you give up all for the kingdom, you receive the kingdom blessing. On top of that, you get the eternal blessings as well.

It’s a great deal. We give up the temporary to gain the eternal.

Question: How have you placed everything into God’s hands?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 14, 2022 in Faith, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Salvation and Rewards

12 Oct
Salvation and Rewards

As we go through Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus teaching the crowds. In my last post, He talked about entering the kingdom of God as a child. Upon hearing that, someone in the group was prompted to ask a question.

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good — except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'”

Luke 18:18-20 NIV

We have to remember that Jesus lived and ministered under the Old Covenant. This young man wanted to be sure of his salvation. He asked the Lord about it.

Jesus gave him the only way to eternal life at that time. In simple terms, He said to follow the Law of Moses. That was the road to life.

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

Luke 18:21 NIV

The young man was given what he asked for. According to the words of Jesus, this man already possessed eternal life. He was on his way to heaven.

However, Jesus could see by his response, that this man wanted more than just salvation. He wanted a fulfilled life. His desire was for more than simply life after death.

The Lord saw into his heart and answered the real question that was driving him. He wanted to know how to advance spiritually in his walk with God.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke 18:22 NIV

Jesus was basically telling this man that possessing eternal life is not enough. It was time for him to start accruing eternal rewards. It was time for him to start following the plan of God for his life.

There are a couple of things that we need to realize about this passage. First, the Lord operated, back then, in the same role that the Holy Spirit has for us now. Also, these instructions were a specific Word of God for this man in particular. It’s not a rule for all believers.

Jesus was telling this man that the next step in his spiritual development was to sell all and become His disciple. That would start him down the road to a fulfilled life. His riches were holding him back.

That’s because he had more than just a lot of money. According to the words used in Scripture, he had a large estate. He probably spent all of his time tending to the issues of maintaining and increasing his holdings.

This is where God’s plan for him was leading. Would he take the next step in the journey?

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:23-25 NIV

Here’s where a lot of people get mixed up. You have to realize that the kingdom of God is not the same as salvation. The kingdom is the rule of God. It’s the place of blessing based upon obedience.

The truth is, you can be a citizen of a kingdom, yet be living someplace else. You lose out on the blessings of being at home in the kingdom.

You may not want to hear this, but not all believers are walking in the kingdom of God. They’re saved, but they’re missing out on the kingdom blessings. Paul talked about this to the believers in Antioch.

…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

Acts 14:22 NIV

These are hard words to accept. Paul told the believers to remain steadfast in hardships. That’s what it takes to enter the kingdom. I’ll talk more about this in my next post.

Question: What’s the next step God has for you in your spiritual walk?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2022 in Ministry, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Entering the Kingdom

10 Oct
Entering the Kingdom

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. In chapter 18, we come to an event in the life of Christ that’s largely overlooked. However, I think that it’s important to understand its significance to us.

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Luke 18:15-17 NIV

In this passage, three groups of people were coming to Jesus. There were parents, infants, and children. These parents simply wanted the Lord to declare a blessing over their children. However, the disciples weren’t too happy about this.

Jesus tells them clearly that this isn’t an annoyance. Receiving the children was a wonderful thing to the Lord. We can learn a lot from this encounter.

First of all, the Greek word for baby in this passage is very important. Its primary meaning is an unborn child or fetus. That tells me that, in the womb, a child is capable of receiving a blessing. Of course, we know that’s true because when Mary visited Elizabeth, John the Baptist leapt for joy in her womb (Luke 1:44).

Jesus had no problem holding the infants and blessing them. He used this opportunity to teach the disciples some important truths associated with life in the spirit.

Jesus went a step further. He started calling the other children who were standing nearby. “Hey kids! Come over here so I can bless you!” I’m sure the disciples felt a little embarrassed because of this.

Here’s where it starts to get interesting. The Lord begins to use this situation as a teaching moment for the disciples.

He tells the disciples not to stop them from coming. This is because these infants and children are the sort of people that make up the kingdom of God.

I’ve heard a lot of sermons preached about this, but in my mind, they fall short of what the Lord was saying. He’s talking about receiving the kingdom. You can’t receive something unless it’s given.

So, to understand how to receive, we need to see how the kingdom is offered. Jesus was clear about this throughout His ministry.

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:3 NIV

If you think about it in the natural, it should become pretty obvious. What’s the easiest way to become part of a kingdom? The simple answer is that you’re born into it.

What’s the easiest way to become a United States citizen? It’s to be born in the United States. That may sound too simple, but the greatest truths usually are.

Jesus makes it clear to the disciples, the only way in, is to be born into the kingdom of God. You have to be willing to start from infancy – spiritually speaking.

Our problem is that many of us were already indoctrinated in the world system before salvation. We think that we know how things work. Unfortunately, the kingdom of God works on a whole different level.

We must start from a position of infancy. We must leave everything behind that we thought we knew.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV

Life in the kingdom of God requires a whole new mindset. That’s why the first order of business is to renew our minds by the Word of God. Only then can we truly begin to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom.

Question: Where are you along your spiritual journey with Christ?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2022 in Revival, Sonship, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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Prayers vs Confessions

07 Oct
Prayers vs Confessions

I’ve been posting from the Gospel of Luke about Christ’s teaching on the Last Days. He’s preparing us for what was to come. This next parable, in Luke 18:9-14, is directly applicable to our generation.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

Luke 18:9 NIV

Luke’s introduction to this parable is clear. He’s speaking to those who are self-righteous. We usually call this the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax-collector. They were both in the temple praying next to each other. The Lord lets us in on what they were saying.

“The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”
Luke 18:11-12

We read this, but we don’t take it to heart. We know how it ends and who the Lord commends. But do we really listen to the prayer of the Pharisee. If we look closely at it, it sounds like a prayer that a modern Christian would offer up, filled with good confessions.

“I thank you that I’m the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath. I thank you that because I tithe you will rebuke the devourer and open the windows of heaven so that I cannot contain your blessing. Etc., etc.”

His prayer was filled with good confessions, and it was all true. He was different than the tax-collector. He did fast and tithe. The problem was that he had no power.

The issue is found at the start of verse 11. The phrase, prayed about himself could actually be translated as, prayed to himself.

This is a lesson that many believers in our generation need to learn. As good as confessing the Word of God is, confessions are not prayers. Confessions are toward me; they are for renewing my mind by the Word.

Prayers are directed toward God and are about His work.

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
Luke 18:13

It’s a wonderful thing to praise God for our position in Christ. I need to know who I am in Him.

However, I want to see a manifestation of these truths. At those points where the reality of my life doesn’t line up with God’s Word, I’m missing the mark. Missing the mark – that’s the definition of sin.

In our modern take on Christianity, we don’t like talking about, or dealing with, sin. We’d rather confess it away. “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”

That statement is a truth I can declare about my position in Christ. But I need God’s power to live righteously each day. I want that position to become a reality in my walk before God.

So, which of the above prayers produced life changing power? Christ was clear about it.

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:14

It’s obvious, from the Lord’s perspective, that the person who dealt with relationship tapped into God’s power. The Pharisee was focused on self. The tax-collector was dealing with that which separated him from God.

Is the power of God about what I’ve done or what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in and through me? When I go before God, my telling Him what I’ve done or who I am doesn’t impress Him. It will never move Him to work through me.

It’s only as I work on my relationship with Christ that I’ll see the changes necessary. If you want to flow in the power of God, then your relationship with Him is the positioning agent. It’s not about what you’ve done, but what He is able to do in you.

Questions: How well are you positioned for the move of the Holy Spirit?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 7, 2022 in Legalism, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Last Days Prayer

05 Oct
Last Days Prayer

Continuing in Luke, Jesus is teaching about the Last Days. He used Noah and Lot as examples of what these times will be like. I also believe that the Lord is commenting on the fact that there will be “Noah Christians” and “Lot Christians” in the Last Days.

In order to encourage believers to be prepared, like Noah was, Jesus gives a parable about prayer.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1 NIV

The Lord wants us to see that, especially in these final days before His return, we need to be a people of prayer. His desire is that we continue to pray regularly, and not grow weary in this work.

He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”

Luke 18:2-3 NIV

In His parable, the Lord starts by introducing all of the characters. We are shown a local judge, who has no fear of God and shows no respect for anyone.

We then have a widow and someone who has done wrong against her. The word used, indicates that this wrong is self-evident. It’s something that anyone would consider to be an evil action.

She keeps coming to the judge for a decision against this adversary. But, the judge keeps putting her off. Undeterred, she keeps bringing her case before him.

Eventually, the judge becomes annoyed by this.

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'”

Luke 18:4-5 NIV

In the parable, this widow won the case because of her persistence. Literally, this says that the judge felt like he was getting beat up by the widow. Now, Jesus tells us the main point of what He’s teaching.

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:6-8 NIV

Look at the facts. The judge didn’t care about God or people. God is extremely watchful over His Word and His character. God has a high regard for His chosen ones. God’s attitude is nothing like this earthly judge.

Yet, even this unjust judge decided in favor of the widow out of annoyance. How much more does God delight in doing good in the lives of His people.

However, it’s the final question that seals it for me. Will the Lord find faith at His return? How do we receive faith? Faith comes as we hear God’s voice – His rhema Word (Romans 10:17).

Because of this, I believe that Jesus is talking about our spiritual battle here. Not between us and the devil. But between our spirit and our flesh.

The widow is an Illustration of our spirit crying out to God for victory over the flesh. The flesh is our adversary against everything God wants to do in our lives. As we cry out to God, it’s His voice that silences the flesh and puts it to death.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:13-14 NIV

I believe that the parable of Jesus is a picture of this principle being taught in the book of Romans. As we consistently remain in prayer, we will see victory over our adversary – the flesh.

Question: How consistent is your prayer life?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 5, 2022 in Faith, Prayer, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Last Days – The Days of Lot

30 Sep
Last Days – The Days of Lot

I’m posting about Christ’s teaching on the Last Days in Luke, chapter 17. After talking about the days of Noah, the Lord goes on to describe the days of Abraham’s nephew, Lot.

“It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”
Luke 17:28-29 NIV

This event is recorded in Genesis 19. You can read through that chapter to get the whole story.

Two angels arrived in Sodom to visit Lot. Lot invited them into his home, knowing who they were.

When the men of the city heard that travelers were in Lot’s house, they demanded that Lot turn them over to the crowd. According to the Bible, they wanted to rape these angels. Lot then tried to reason with the men of the city but they wouldn’t listen.

You probably know what happens in the city of Sodom. The two guests, who happen to be angels, come to Lot’s defense. They bar the way into Lot’s house and bring blindness upon all the men of the city who are trying to get in.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Genesis 19:15-17 NIV

With the coming of the dawn – THE DAY – judgment came upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Once Lot and his family were out of sight of the city it was all over. The day that Lot left the city was the day that judgment fell. Now bear in mind that the inhabitants of those cities had some warning. Lot spent the whole day before trying to convince them.

The angels told Lot that if he had any loved ones in the city he should go and warn them. The Bible says that he went to his sons-in-law and they laughed at him. The city was warned. But because Lot wasn’t as in tune to the Lord as Noah, they didn’t have as much time to prepare. In both Noah’s day and in Lot’s the people ignored the warning.

Now I’ll ask the same questions I asked in my last post. When it was all said and done, who was left? According to Scripture it was Lot. Who was taken? Again, according to Scripture, it was the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Twice in the verses from Genesis 19:15-17 the angels said that the inhabitants would be “swept away.” That concept is very important.

We need to understand what will happen when Christ reveals Himself at His return. In my next post we’ll look at how Christ summarized His teaching on this future event.

Question: How does this knowledge affect how we live for Christ?

If you want a more detailed teaching on the Second Coming of Christ, click here to check out my book: The Third Watch – It’s Later Than You Think.

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2022 in Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk

 

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Lord of the Kingdom

23 Sep
Lord of the Kingdom

As we go through the Gospel of Luke, we’re now in the middle of chapter 17. Jesus begins to talk about His return as King. I want to take some time to get a detailed look at this portion of Scripture.

I believe there are some things about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that we’ve lost sight of. There are some very surprising things that Jesus said in this text. But first, He had to correct the Pharisees’ view of the kingdom.

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Luke 17:20-21 NIV

The Pharisees were always looking for an occasion to accuse Jesus. They wanted to find something against Him. So, they came up with this question. When is the kingdom coming?

They knew that the Messiah was supposed to establish the kingdom. So, they decided to see how smart He was.

Please understand what these men were doing. They didn’t want to believe in Him. They weren’t looking for the arrival of the kingdom of God. They were just looking for a chance to test the Lord and to trick Him into saying something that would open Him up to some accusation.

How does Jesus respond to their question? In dealing with these men, He turns the tables on them and gives them an answer that refers to the spiritual kingdom instead of the physical. The Lord’s exhortation to them is that you will not find it by careful observation.

They first needed to understand what “kingdom” means. A kingdom can be any place. As I’ve explained a few times in this blog, a king-dom is the domain, or place of dominion, of a king. It’s any place or person over which the King has authority.

So, if the King of kings has authority in your heart, that’s where the kingdom of God is. Wherever the King has authority to rule is where the kingdom has been established. The kingdom of God could be among you or in you. It all depends upon whether or not you have received the King.

If you’re submitted to the King, you’re a part of the kingdom. If you’re not submitted to the King, then you are not in the kingdom and the kingdom is not in you. Instead, you will find that the kingdom of God is among you, just like in the parable of the weeds and the wheat (Matthew 13:36-43).

The wheat is a part of the kingdom, the weeds aren’t. Jesus was explaining the same concept to these Pharisees. He gives them the spiritual truth even though it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. They were asking Him for the physical manifestation of the kingdom.

The same applies to us today. Many believers want to receive the blessings of the kingdom without submitting to the King. We need to learn that you can’t have one without the other.

That’s really the basis of a question that Jesus asked earlier in this Gospel.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Luke 6:46 NIV

The very fact that we call Jesus Christ “Lord”, assumes that He has total authority over our lives. If there is any aspect of our life that we keep control over, then He’s not Lord of us. Lordship is all or nothing. That’s something we need to realize in the church.

Too many believers think that God’s kingdom operates by voting or popular opinion. Far from it. God sets the standard. He points the direction. We say, “Yes and amen!” and follow in obedience.

That’s the kingdom of God. That’s how we find peace and fulfillment in His presence.

Question: What does it mean to be submitted to Christ as King?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2022 in Return of Christ, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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Thankful People

21 Sep
Thankful People

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. Now, we see Jesus traveling throughout Israel. He’s preaching the Word and doing God’s will. As the Lord is walking along, some men with leprosy approach Him.

You may want to read Luke 17:11-19 before going on with this post. This section of Scripture gives us some insights into what it means to be thankful. It should cause you to stop and think; how thankful am I for all that God has done?

In this portion of Scripture, a group of lepers went to Jesus for healing. In these verses, we see everything needed for obtaining the blessing of God. There’s faith, obedience, and expectancy. Jesus’ response to them is simple.

He told them to go and show themselves to the priests. There was no special religious display. The Lord didn’t touch them or even pray over them. He simply gave them a task to complete. As they obeyed His command, they found they were healed along the way.

One former leper had a great response.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
Luke 17:15

The first thing he does is to come back to Jesus, yelling praises on the top of his lungs. The literal Greek uses the words mega-phone. This was not a quiet thankfulness of the heart. He must have attracted a lot of attention, but he didn’t care. He wanted to praise God for what happened to him. That’s the first thing we see…

Thankful people live loud for the Lord. We must learn to have a lifestyle of praise. It’s time that God’s people come “out of the closet” with their thankfulness.

That’s because this is a normal response to the hand of God at work. It doesn’t mean that you have to yell all the time. But I am saying that God’s work should be abundantly evident in your life. But there was more…

He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
Luke 17:16

Next thing we see is this man throwing himself at Jesus’ feet. This is the position of worship.

Thankful people live a life of worship. Because we’re thankful – we worship. Worship acknowledges God for who He is. We’re simply grateful because He allows us to come before Him anytime we want, clothed in His righteousness.

But that verse also said that he thanked Jesus.

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

Are we to thank God for everything? The actual Greek says over everything. I need to thank God over everything I receive. (I don’t receive sickness, etc.)

Thankful people thank God over everything. We know the source of life and blessing. Of all people, we should be the ones who are constantly thanking God for the good things we see in our lives.

But there’s one more aspect of thankfulness that we need to look at. It comes from Jesus’ reaction to the healed man.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17:17-18

This question gives us insight into the heart of God. We all want to be loved and appreciated. Where do you think that comes from? I’ll tell you – we were created in the image of God.

Thankful people are sought out by God. Thank offerings were not required by the Law of Moses. God wanted the hearts of the people to prompt them to be thankful. When we’re thankful, it opens the door for a richer walk with the Lord. We need to take the time to be truly thankful before God.

Questions: What are you thankful to God for? Are you willing to let people know about it?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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Profitable in the Kingdom

19 Sep
Profitable in the Kingdom

As we continue through Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about the subject of obedience. Many Christians want to hear Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But do we really know what kind of obedience Jesus looks for in a servant? Listen to what He tells His disciples.

“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?”

Luke 17:7-9 NIV

Christ shows us a servant, working in the fields. He comes home tired and hungry. Just as he sits down to eat with his family, he hears the master arrive.

Does he have the luxury of finishing his meal first? Of course not. He must immediately get up and tend to the needs of his master. That’s the life of a servant.

After he has served, he can go back to his meal. After all he did, does he now expect a bonus? No, he’s only done what’s normally expected of a person in his position.

God expects more from us than we expect from ourselves. In the passage above, the Lord goes on to ask a very fearful question. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I tremble at the implications.

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Luke 17:10 NIV

That’s a very deep question. Should you, as a servant, do as you’re told and then expect to be thanked? The word thanked means to be blessed, tipped or given a special reward. Actually, a servant is supposed to do what he or she is told.

If all we do in our ministry is what’s expected or normal for our kind of ministry, then we’re not operating in the excellent. As a matter of fact, Jesus calls us unworthy servants, meaning unprofitable.

There are always things that we must do or that we’re expected to do. The word unworthy is derived from a Greek word that means, not ought.

The thought is that you are not what you ought to be. To break into the realm of the excellent you must break through the “musts” and enter into the “oughts.”

Those who are not only doing what they have to do, but have found a way to do what they ought to do, are considered to be walking in excellence. When a person goes beyond the expected in his or her walk with the Lord we marvel at their spirit of excellence.

What does that mean to me? I must stop saying, “I ought to have…”, “I ought to do…”, or “I ought to be…” then with the next breath say, “But I have so much I need to do; I can’t.” When you develop the spirit of excellence, the Holy Spirit is now free to work in you to accomplish what wasn’t expected.

As excellence starts its work in you, you can tap into God’s excellent power, His excellent grace, and His excellent love. You’ll find out that God has all the resources you need to fulfill the call to excellence that He’s placed inside of you. That will bring glory to His name.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

II Corinthians 4:7

The word all-surpassing is the Greek word hyperballo – excellent. This excellent power does not come from our own strength. Don’t ever take the credit for the excellence in your ministry. The glory belongs to God.

Walking in the spirit of excellence is one of the earmarks of the power of God in your life, showing that you hear from God and are obeying His voice.

Question: What are some of the marks of God’s excellence in your life and ministry?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 19, 2022 in Anointing, Ministry, Spirit of Excellence, Spiritual Walk

 

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