RSS

Category Archives: The Church

Old-Time Saint…Cutting Edge Ministry

24 Aug

BrideWhere is the Lord trying to take His church in this generation? What’s His end-game? Have you ever stopped to think about these things? The reason I think these questions are important is that it’s easier for me to cooperate with the Holy Spirit if I know where He’s leading me to.

In talking about husbands and wives, the Apostle Paul wrote about it. He said that this was Christ’s goal…

…to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:26-27

It’s clear from this passage that God’s desire is to perfect the church. I must admit that sometimes I look at where we are and wonder how He could ever accomplish it. The simple fact is that I have to trust in God’s ability to do that which He’s promised.

Recently I was reading a biography of Charles Parham. He was quite a teacher who lived around the turn of the century (the 1900’s). I believe that his message was cutting edge, even by today’s standards.

Here’s a quote from this awesome man of God…

“At Christ’s Second Coming the Church will be found with the same power that the Apostles and the early Church possessed. The power of Pentecost is manifest in us. The Christian religion must be demonstrated. The world wants to be shown. Then let God’s power be manifest through us.”

These words resonate in my spirit. The church must become what we were meant to be. That’s the only thing that will turn this nation around.

In the past I’ve said that my ministry was all about seeing a revival in our generation. But as I reflect upon Parham’s words and the Scripture above, I’m starting to get a clearer picture.

I don’t merely want a revival like the many awakenings and movements that have happened in the past 100 years. I’m hungering for more than that. I want to see the church rise up to its full stature in Christ.

I don’t just want revival. I want complete restoration to what we’ve lost since the book of Acts. I want to see the message of Christ coming forth with power, signs and wonders. I want to see healings and miracles taking place on a daily basis in the lives of God’s people.

This is where I believe God is taking us to. He’s making us a radiant church – with His glory shining through us. He taking away our blemishes and our shame so that the world can see in us all that He is.

That’s my prayer…my goal…and all that my ministry is trying to reach toward. Make that your heart’s cry as well. And together, we can see God’s glory manifest through His church.

Question: What will it take for God to bring us to this level in Him?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
1 Comment

Posted by on August 24, 2015 in Faith, Power of God, Revival, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Master’s Investment

31 Jul

Our Supply in GodI’m posting about Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. In my last article we saw the instructions that the Master gave to His servants.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master’, he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master’, he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Matthew 25:19-23

Everything seemed to be going well. There was increase. Both of the servants ended up with twice as much as they were given. They had used the money they were entrusted with wisely. Their Lord commended them. Now they could expect the reward that they earned.

Finally, the last servant showed up.

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master’, he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”
Matthew 25:24-25

This servant took what was given to him and instead of using it and putting it to work, he just buries it. The worst part of this whole scenario is that he knows his master is expecting him to increase it.

He has no excuse. The servant even said, “I know you expected me to work with it and to make more because that’s the kind of person you are.”

Listen to the attitude. It’s heard throughout the church today. It’s the cry of those who have bought into the lie of the enemy concerning their lives.

This servant has the audacity to accuse the master of harvesting where he hasn’t planted. It was the master’s money he was entrusted with. The master was planting his own money into the lives of his servants.

I’ve seen this exact attitude in the church. “What has God ever done for me? I’m going to take care of myself first. If I have any leftover time, then I’ll worry about serving Him.”

The Lord gave them the very life in their body. They belong to Him. He has sown so much into their lives, yet they act like they’ve been given nothing and now have to make their way on their own.

Our attitudes play a big part in how we serve our Lord.

Question: What has Christ sown into your life?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 31, 2015 in God's Provision, Ministry, Return of Christ, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

In the Battle – Like it or Not

20 Jul

SwordIn many instances in the Scripture our spiritual walk is described as a battle. Light vs. darkness; Heaven vs. hell; good vs. evil. We need to know how to live with this truth.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:17-18

In this verse, Paul is talking about the authority and power of God. He wants to work these through us. There’s a battle raging on the earth right now. Unfortunately, many don’t even care about it. Do you?

The last sentence of this quote is very important. It literally says, attending to this with all persistency and petition around all the saints. The emphasis is that this is encompassing all the saints.

The battle is all around you whether you want it or not. That’s why the apostle uses such strong language in his exhortation.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:10-13

Think about the church today. Picture the body of believers as an army standing before hell’s gates. Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. The question is; are we that victorious church that the Lord was talking about?

We should be, and in some areas there are local churches that have the enemy on the run. But that’s not the case everywhere. Are all the believers in their spiritual armor? Are all believers even willing to fight this spiritual battle? I don’t think so.

What about the enemy’s kingdom? Are they ready? Absolutely. They understand what’s at stake and they’re in it for the long haul. They won’t give in without a fight.

Right now the arrows of the enemy are flying all around us. Arrows are the first strike weapon. The truth is that you don’t have to be in the fight to be hit by an arrow. That’s why believers are encouraged to take the spiritual armor seriously.

How do you take the stronghold from the enemy? First, you put on the armor and pick up your shield. Behind the gates are the prisoners that need to be set free.

Understand this, as you approach the gates the fight goes from general to personal. It gets to the point where it’s one on one.

Paul is not talking to all believers here, but to the faithful. That’s who I’m talking to as well. The believers who want to make a difference in the world around them. For the next few posts I want to talk about this spiritual battle that we face on a daily basis. I’ll use Christ as our example for how to live an overcoming lifestyle.

Question: How is your life affected by the spiritual battle?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 

 
2 Comments

Posted by on July 20, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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

 
Leave a comment

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

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Your Wedding Clothes

25 May

DinnerIn my last post I talked about being immersed into Christ as the putting on of the new man. The church would look totally different if this were the case in most believers.

In reality, the world doesn’t need to look for Christ in us. What they truly long for is to see us in Christ. Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). But if you’re immersed in Christ, then the world can see His glory.

Jesus told a parable about a banquet. To understand it thoroughly you need to read both the way He set it up and His summary at the end. The reason for this is that many of the Lord’s parables sound similar, but have different purposes.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.”
Matthew 22:1-2

This parable is about the kingdom of heaven. It centers on how the blessings of the kingdom are bestowed upon those who would enter into it. The riches of God’s kingdom include blessings, provision, healing, fulfillment, and much more.

In the parable, we see the king inviting all of his friends. They agreed to come when they originally heard about the plans. When the day of the wedding arrived, however, they changed their minds and refused to show up. I believe that this refers to the nation of Israel who refused to acknowledge Christ as Messiah.

The king became angry over this and made a decision to fill up his banquet hall by any means necessary. He sent his servants out into the streets and highways to get anyone they could to come in and enjoy the feast. In short order the wedding hall was full of guests. Then something very strange occurs.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.”
Matthew 22:11-12

From our perspective this sounds strange. Why even ask this question? Isn’t it obvious? “I had no notice. I came in right off the street.”

That’s not the case. The customs of the day dictated that the person throwing the party was to provide the clothes for the guests. This man was given his party clothes the moment he agreed to come to the wedding. That’s why he was speechless. There was no reason for him to not be dressed appropriately.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Matthew 22:13

We need to understand the application. In many of Jesus’ parables, people get “thrown out” of places. Sometimes it’s to jail other times it’s into a fiery furnace, or in this case, outer darkness.

I don’t believe that this is referring to someone who is unsaved. He’s not thrown into hell, but merely the dark world outside the kingdom. I base this on the closing statement that Jesus makes to summarize what He’s trying to get across.

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:14

The issue is not saved versus unsaved, as would be the case if the man was thrown into the fire. Instead, it’s called versus chosen. I think this is an accurate picture of the church today. Many believers are walking around in spiritual darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth, because they refuse to put on the clothes that the King has provided.

Question: How does walking in the new man bring a life of blessing?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 25, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Our New Clothes

22 May

ClothesIn my last post I started talking about the new man that God created us to be. We saw that it’s something that we must choose to do. But it’s a path that few believers seem to want to take.

I think it’s because of the ramifications of the action.

It’s a total transformation of our lifestyle. It will radically change what we do and how we look to the world. Paul puts it this way…

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Romans 13:14

The new man is Christ, Himself. He’s the One we’re to put on. It’s His nature and character that will be seen manifesting in us. This means that we want Christ to be the only thing that the world sees in us.

Therein lies the problem. Is this true of the church in general? Is it what the average church member wants?

It doesn’t seem to be the case in practice. A look at how the church lives out its faith today proves my point that putting on Christ doesn’t just happen because we receive Christ as our Savior. There’s more to it.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27

If you’ve placed your faith in Christ Jesus, then you’re part of the family of God. In this series of posts, I’m not talking about whether you’re saved or not. If you’ve trusted Christ then you’re saved and going to Heaven. That’s beyond question.

What I am talking about, is the outward manifestation of that salvation. I want the world to see Christ in us. In the book of Acts we’re told that the Jewish religious leaders took note that the Apostles had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). They saw the same lifestyle and ministry that Jesus had when He walked the earth.

Look closely at what Paul says in the above verse. He starts with the group of all believers, those with faith in Christ. Then he moves on to a smaller group. He talks about those who were baptized into Christ. This group, according to Paul as inspired by the Holy Spirit, has clothed themselves with Christ.

We already know from previous verses that this doesn’t happen by accident. So we have to ask ourselves; what’s this baptism that Paul is referring to in this passage? The Bible talks about many baptisms. We can’t just assume that we know which is meant in this verse.

All of the people who I’ve heard preaching on this verse say that it refers to water baptism. Now that the Holy Spirit has had me study it deeper, I no longer see it that way. Whenever water baptism is mentioned, it says that the believer is baptized into the name of Christ. That’s a baptism into the family.

A baptism into Christ, Himself is a different thing. This baptism literally clothes you with Christ. The original Greek text of this verse reads, “For all of you who were immersed in Christ have sunk into Christ as into a garment.”

When I was young, there was an iced tea commercial on TV. A man came home from a long tiring day at work. His wife hands him a nice tall glass of iced tea. As he tips his head back to drink it, the camera pulls away for a wider shot. As he continues to drink, he falls straight backward into a swimming pool.

That’s the kind of thing that Paul is talking about here. We must let everything else go and fall backward (by faith) into Christ. We need to be immersed in Christ. This is what the modern church needs to attain to.

Question: How would the church look if we were truly immersed in Christ?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 22, 2015 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The New Man

20 May

 

MirrorI’ve been posting about the teachings that Paul referred to in his letter to the Ephesian church.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

I’ve talked about the putting off of the old self and the renewal of the mind. The final piece that these early believers were taught was how to put on the new man that was created to be like God.

This process can take place slowly or quickly, depending upon our obedience and understanding. In looking at the modern church, it seems like this is the step that we know the least about. We definitely have very little experience with it.

But, before I get into the “how” of putting on the new man, I need to warn you. What I found in Scripture, as I studied it, totally changed my perception of how God works in us. As I got deeper and deeper into the Word, I found that my definition of the words I was reading was inadequate and, in some cases, inaccurate.

As we go along, I will have to redefine some words that the church has watered down over time. It wasn’t done maliciously, but it’s had a negative effect on us none the less. Please keep an open mind as you prayerfully take in what the Word of God teaches us.

Keep in mind that this is what the early believers were taught, at least under Paul’s ministry. Through prayer in the spirit, they overcame and put off the old man. They won the war against the flesh and its misdeeds.

Also through prayer in the spirit they were able to grasp and retain the mind of the Lord. It caused their minds to be renewed in the process. They no longer thought the way they used to.

Now there’s a need to put on the new man. The old is gone, but we must replace it with something better. God wants to give a new nature that’s been manufactured, fabricated, to be like God.

What’s the sign of this transformation? According to the Scripture, it’s true righteousness and holiness in the lives of those who accept it. I’m not talking about positional righteousness and holiness. As important as these are, they don’t always manifest in the lives of believers. They must be laid hold of by faith.

I’m talking about the actual, physical walk of righteousness. It’s living out the holiness that God has for us. When this happens, the world sees something different in us.

Unfortunately, based upon this definition of the new man, much of modern Christianity has missed it. What we have is a church that can’t get out of its own way. God’s people are too busy chasing after the world and its pleasures. All the while we’re confessing Scripture and believing for the blessing of God. Any talk of commitment or devotion to God is seen as condemnation and we avoid it.

The simple truth is that we’ll never be like Jesus until we put on this new man. The phrase put on literally means to sink into like a robe. We must be immersed in it.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:12

It’s clear from this verse, and many others, that putting on the new man is a matter of our choice. It’s not automatic. Why would we be exhorted over and over again to do it if it would just happen by itself? It’s another step in our Christian growth.

For the next few posts I’m going to share what I learned as I looked deeply into the Scripture concerning this truth.

Question: How does the modern church compare to the life that Jesus Christ exemplified for us?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 20, 2015 in Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Living the Truth

04 May

 

ButterflyGod wants us to understand that living for Him is not just a single decision, but an ongoing walk. Sometimes I think that the modern church has lost sight of the spiritual life that the early church walked in. It’s a principle that many believers in former generations understood. We need to relearn some of the truths that we’ve let slip over time.

I like looking at church history. I read how those in the past lived for Christ. Sometimes the walk of these early Christians, and even my grandparents, amazes me. I see a walk of righteousness that we only dream about. It causes me to ask, why do we struggle with things that they overcame on a daily basis?

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve lost something over time. In the above verse Paul said, “You were taught…” What was it that they were taught? I believe it was how to walk according to the Spirit.

It’s not something you just grow into. You don’t just wake up one day mature in the Lord. These are things that we need to be taught. More than that, we must accept, apply and perform them.

We sometimes get in trouble theologically because we rip things out of context. We apply things to our lives that are not for us or that we haven’t attained to yet. We need to know who this verse was written to.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus…
Ephesians 1:1

Scripture wasn’t written in a vacuum.   There were things surrounding what was written. The letter to the Ephesian church was sent to a group of mature, faithful believers who were walking in the truths Paul was writing about. They understood these things – and I’m convinced that many of us in the modern church don’t.

Here’s what happens. We read the words in chapter 4, above, and we think that it’s true about us. We think that Paul is writing these words to us. No, on the contrary, he’s writing to a people who are living it; as an example to us.

If the things Paul wrote in that verse were true of us, then we would be experiencing it in our daily walk. Why then are we still corrupted by our deceitful desires? Why do so many in the church still have the same attitudes as the world? Why, in the church today, do we still not live like Jesus, with the same love and works that He operated in?

I believe it’s because we’ve lost some of the truth that these other generations possessed. There are three things in the above verses that need to be done. Paul said that they put off their old man, renewed their minds and put on the new man.

I’m convinced that these milestones are worked on after our initial salvation. Paul makes it clear that these were things that they were taught. Teaching requires time, and I don’t think it was time spent being taught before they received Christ.

This has been on my heart for a while now. I’m burdened not only for myself but for the church as a whole to experience this renewal. Because of that, I may be posting about this subject for longer than I normally take for a series. But I really think that it’s needed and relevant to the church today.

Question: What would the church look like if we were “like God in true righteousness and holiness”?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 4, 2015 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Sharing Fellowship

24 Apr

meLyRzsThe Bible talks a lot about the fellowship that we share as believers. Fellowship is an interesting word. We throw it around a lot in Christian circles. Usually we just mean that we get together for meetings. I believe that we need a deeper understanding of it.

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 what it was like in the early days of the church. These are the things that the Christians of that era devoted themselves to. One of the things mentioned was the fellowship.

The word fellowship in this verse is the Greek word koinonia. It meant a sharing or a participation. That’s different than what some people think. Many times we assume that just because we come together for church meetings we’re having a fellowship. Many churches even use the word fellowship in their names.

The reality is that without any sharing or participation there can be no true fellowship. It’s when God’s people come together and participate in each other’s lives that true koinonia takes place. It’s giving and receiving help, encouragement, love and strength.

Even in the English language this word fellowship has a much deeper meaning than most church people realize. It actually comes from an Old English word. It has two parts. Fell, which means property, and low, which means to lay down. All together it means laying your property down. How often do we think of fellowship in those terms?

It seems that many Christians go to church for what they can get out of it. Does the church have everything I’m looking for? Does it have childcare, great music, and a comfortable sanctuary?

That’s not the attitude of fellowship. Fellowship is all about what I can contribute to the whole. What can I put in that will make the church better.

No, it’s not just about money. It’s about ministry, encouragement, leadership and a whole lot more that you’ve been gifted with. You’re blessed with the talents and resources that others need. That’s what you bring with you into the body of Christ.

We shouldn’t be trying to find the church that can best fulfill our wants and desires. Instead, we should be looking for a body of believers that will be blessed by the things that God has placed in us. We need to be sharers rather than just consumers.

We are not to live and act like the world does. Attending a church should not be like choosing a restaurant to go to or finding a daycare for our children. It’s a local manifestation of the Kingdom of God where I can plug into for mutual edification.

Be a part of the church in the true spirit of fellowship. Seek to be a blessing to others.

Question: How are you a blessing to the church you attend?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on April 24, 2015 in Encouragement, Ministry, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Healing 201 – Let the Crumbs Fall!

22 Apr

CrumbsIn may last post I talked about healing as the children’s bread. I said that this was talking about healing under the covenant we have with God. This is how Jesus healed the sick in Israel.

There were times Jesus healed a sick person even when doubt was there. Some came to Jesus not being sure that He was willing to heal them. But in the end they left healed. Jesus never told them to come back when they had more faith.

The fact is that bread is the right of children. Through Christ I have been adopted into the family of God. As a result, He has agreed to feed me. Those are not my rules, but His.

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:9-11

How much plainer could the Lord have made it? It’s clear that in the Jesus’ mind the Father is obligated to feed His children. The teaching that God only heals under special circumstances or for great faith is man’s teaching, not God’s.

Think about what the woman said to Jesus. How does this apply to the church today?

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Matthew 15:27

Think about the implications here. Having raise three children from infancy I understand the truth of this statement. Crumbs are only falling when the children are eating.

If there’s not much healing taking place in the church…then there are fewer crumbs falling. If fewer crumbs are falling…then there’s not much miraculous healing taking place in the world. All because the children aren’t eating.

We need churches where the table is set. We need pastors and churches who are willing to serve the bread. Then the children will eat and the crumbs will fall.

You may not like what I’m saying or even agree with it. But it’s God who made the rules, not me. He says that if I go to the Lord I will get bread.

Stones and bread. We’ve heard that in another place in the Bible. Jesus was tempted by the devil to take a stone and turn it onto bread. Jesus’ response was, “No, the Father gives bread.”

Satan is the one who gives stones in place of bread. It’s God the Father who give good gifts to His children. You couldn’t ask for a better parent. How could we even imagine that an earthly parent would treat his children better than the Lord? God, forgive us for our unbelief!

Jesus paid for our healing with the stripes on His back. He is the bread of Life. We celebrate this every time we partake of the communion bread. We need a fresh revelation of Christ the Healer.

Spend time in His presence. Look to Jesus, knowing that in your covenant is everything you need for life and godliness. He’s provided the bread, we just need to see the Lord as our Healer and receive what He’s already provided.

Question: What would the church look like if it were walking in this to the extent that Jesus did?

© Nick Zaccardi 2015

 
1 Comment

Posted by on April 22, 2015 in Faith, Healing, Power of God, The Church

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts
Newer posts →