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Category Archives: Word of God

Applying the Shield of Faith

14 Jul
Applying the Shield of Faith

In my last post, we saw that the Shield of Faith is the first of the offensive weaponry given to us. It protects our whole life against the fiery trials of evil. It also identifies me as a member of God’s family.

Today I want to talk specifically about how to use your faith in the midst of the spiritual battles you face. Let me first warn you, because I’m going to say some things that you may not agree with. Stick with me and see where I’m headed.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…
2 Corinthians 4:13

There are many places in Scripture where we’re told to speak out our faith. This is important in using the shield. To use faith as a shield, I must speak what I believe.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

Paul talks about the fight of faith. It’s a shield fight. It can fend off the enemy when he first attacks. It’s all about having a good confession.

Wait a minute! Let me explain to you what I mean by “a good confession.” First of all, that word, confession, in the Greek means to speak the same as. This means that I confess the Word of God.

But be careful. I’m not saying to mindlessly repeat something over and over again. God’s Word is not some sort of magical spell. You can’t just repeat some words and get what you want.

The key is in the verse from Corinthians. I speak what I believe. If I don’t believe what I’m speaking, I get no results.

Think about when Jesus was confronted by the devil in the wilderness. The Lord was not victorious because He quoted the Scripture. He won the battle because He believed the Scripture that He spoke.

The point is that I can’t simply have God’s Word in my head. I need to get it into my heart.

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7

We’re told here to imitate the faith of godly leaders. They spoke the Word. But more than that, because they believed it, they lived it. It was a faith that could be seen and copied.

By spending time in God’s Word – reading, memorizing, speaking, and meditating on it – my heart begins to have faith in that Word. Then, in the middle of a spiritual battle, the Holy Spirit is able to use that Word as a shield to protect my life.

But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 3:6

As I said in my last post, faith shows that you belong to the family of God. The word, hope, in this verse actually means expectation. What do you expect God to do in your life? It’s time to start boasting about it.

We need to take our trust for God’s Word out into the open. People need to see the faith that’s in our hearts. When I speak my faith, evil will have a hard time sticking to me. My life will start to line up with the Word of God.

Question: What are you expecting from God in the near future?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 14, 2023 in Faith, Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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Righteousness as a Breastplate

30 Jun
Righteousness as a Breastplate

As we continue in the book of Ephesians, I’m going through the Armor of God in detail. We’ve already seen how the Belt of Truth protects your store of spiritual seed. Today we’ll move on to the breastplate.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…
Ephesians 6:14

The first thing we need to recognize is the placement of this piece of armor. It should be obvious that this breastplate protects your heart. That’s an important point.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23

Scripture tells us that the most important thing to guard is your heart. It’s where your life springs from. Why is that? And…if life flows from the heart, where does that life come from?

If we read the few verses preceding this one, we’ll get the answer.

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
Proverbs 4:20-22

It’s clear that everything I need for life and godliness springs from my heart. That even includes healing for my body. But that’s all based upon the assumption that I’m placing God’s Word in my heart.

We need to get the seeds from the storehouse (our mind) and plant them into our hearts. Jesus taught the same thing to His disciples. We find it in the parable of the sower.

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Luke 8:15

Without question, your heart is the good soil of your life. Whatever you plant in it will grow and bear fruit. The real question is; are you planting wheat or milkweed?

When we come to Christ, our life is a mess. The Lord comes in and the Holy Spirit begins the process of cleaning us up.

The good soil of my heart is cleared of weeds. Through repentance, I turn the soil over regularly. Soon I have a heart of rich, nutrient-filled ground. It’s ready for planting.

The problem is that you can only plant what’s readily available. That’s why in my last post I talked about the importance of filtering what we place in our minds. Too often we allow the enemy to plant his seeds in our soil.

Then we get into the cycle of planting, letting the weeds grow, pulling them up, and then starting again. Instead, we should be getting God’s Word planted in our hearts.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalms 37:4

Most people don’t understand what this verse is really saying. It’s NOT saying that if you delight in the Lord, He’ll give you whatever you want. It DOES say that if you delight in Him, He’ll put His desires into your heart.

As we place God’s Word in our hearts, His desires spring up. Then, we’ll bear the fruit of that Word.

That’s why we need to protect our good ground. This is where the Breastplate of righteousness comes in. In my next post, I’ll talk about how to use the breastplate to protect your ground.

Question: What have you planted in your heart that you desire to see bear fruit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 30, 2023 in Revival, Spiritual Walk, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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Applying the Belt of Truth

28 Jun
Applying the Belt of Truth

In my last post, I wrote about the Belt of Truth, found in Ephesians, chapter 6. We’re in the section where Paul talks about the Armor of God. Today, I want to deal with the application of this truth.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…
Ephesians 6:14a

In my last post, I showed that the Belt of Truth was the piece of armor that protects the seed of God’s Word in our minds. When we memorize Scripture, that seed is stored in our mind. We want it protected so that it can be planted to produce a good crop for the Lord.

How do I use this piece of armor? Paul talked about our spiritual weaponry in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

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

In this battle to protect the seed, I need to make my thoughts obedient to Christ. That’s the goal. I don’t want weeds affecting my harvest.

Jesus warned His disciples about the same things.

“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Matthew 16:6

We need to watch what we let into our minds – the things that we dwell on and rehearse. We can’t just swallow everything. There’s a lot of religious talk out there that sounds good. The real question is; does it line up with God’s Word?

The fact is, the more of God’s Word that we desire, the more the enemy will try to water it down. Guarding this is the most important thing you can do if you want a fruitful life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.
1 Timothy 6:20-21

Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, that he needed to guard the Word that had been deposited in him. Paul literally tells him to avoid those who have crossed the line with their empty words and conflicting theories of how they think God should do things.

The Greek people had a word that they used for this kind of person. It meant someone who just babbled on and on. The idiom they used literally translates as a seed-picker.

Are you letting the “seed-pickers” into your life? You need to be buckling the Belt of Truth around the loins of your mind. Let God’s Word be a filter to stop the wrong things from getting in.

When we hear something that could affect how we serve God; it should cause a question to rise up. Is this truth, or is it someone’s opinion? I don’t want to be found trying to please God based on an opinion.

Please understand that I’m not talking about stray thoughts. We all have them and there’s not much we can do about them. But those are thoughts that are not stored yet. I’m talking about the ones that we continue to dwell on. They need to be passed through the filter of the Word.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32

I’ve heard people quote this verse many times…usually out of context. Jesus was speaking to believers here. He explains to them that if they dwell, live in, His Word, they are truly His disciples.

As Christ’s followers, it’s only as we remain in His Word that we will know the truth. And it’s that truth that will set us free.

The more we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, the more freedom we can walk in. We will also have a great supply of spiritual seed to plant for the increase of God’s kingdom.

Question: How do you guard what’s stored in your mind?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2023 in Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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Truth – Protecting Your Seed

26 Jun
Truth – Protecting Your Seed

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Ephesians. We’re currently in the section we refer to as the Armor of God.

Now that I’ve talked about the spiritual battle that we face, we need to know how to prepare. To do this, the Lord has given us access to His personal set of armor. It will take me a number of posts to cover them in detail.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…
Ephesians 6:14a

The first piece of armor that we’re given is the Belt of Truth. We’re told that it needs to be buckled around our waist. Literally, the belt is buckled around our loins.

In Scripture, our loins speak about our seed. Not to be too graphic, but that’s where our reproductive organs reside. Our seed needs to be protected.

We’re told throughout the Bible that we need to be bearing fruit. That’s not going to happen without a good supply of seed.

First, I want to deal with some misconceptions concerning our seed. Some think that a few bad seeds mixed in don’t matter. That’s not true. Weeds grow and spread without any help at all.

Another wrong thought is that anything that we plant will grow. That’s not true either. Galatians 6:7-9 explains that you reap what you sow IF you don’t give up. It also matters where you sow your seed. They need to be planted in good soil.

With that understanding, we can talk about the seed that we want to see grow in our lives. How do we protect our precious, spiritual seed?

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1:13

Peter understood this concept. In this verse, the phrase, prepare your minds for action literally reads, gird the loins of your mind. Spiritually speaking, your loins, the storehouse of your seed, is your mind.

The reason for this is because your mind should be where you’re placing the truth. Every time you memorize Scripture, you’re placing good seeds in your storehouse.

The real question then becomes; how well do you protect your seed? It’s really easy to complain when nothing seems to be growing. We need to keep our seed from being nullified.

Jesus communicated this in His prayer to the Father. He wanted the disciples, and us, to bear much fruit.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17

We’re talking about the truth of God’s Word, not man’s word. The only way to protect your seed is to walk in the truth of God.

When we walk in doubt, fear, presumption, hearsay, or our own habits, we nullify God’s Word in us. We need to operate in the truth – “Thus sayeth the Lord.” Our goal should be, “I’m doing this because God said…”

We get into trouble because many times we plant a lot of unprotected seed. We need to learn the lesson from airport security. “Has your suitcase been away from your control?”

Please understand that this is not just a prayer you make in the morning. You can’t just confess the Belt of Truth when you get up, and then feed the spiritual pigeons the rest of the day.

We have to protect our seed if we want to see it grow. That means allowing the truth of God’s Word to saturate all that we do.

In my next post, I’ll talk about how to actually use the Belt of Truth in our daily lives.

Question: How much of God’s Word have you stored in your mind?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2023 in Revival, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

 

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Purchasing Time

05 Jun
Purchasing Time

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Ephesians. We’re looking at how we should walk in the light of the Holy Spirit. Paul continues with this thought.

What he tells us is the foundation for revival. I want to see revival in the church. It’s obvious from what’s happening around us that we need it. The real question is; do we want it? And more than that, are we willing to do what it takes to lay hold of it?

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16

In this passage, we’re once again told to be careful, to live wisely, and to pay attention. The days we live in are evil, hurtful.

I used to teach that inanimate things couldn’t be evil or good. After spending some time studying this verse, I realized that I was wrong. Things like days and money can be evil. It’s actually talked about throughout the New Testament. The times we’re living in are evil by influence and effect.

We’re told that we should be making the most of every opportunity. That literally means purchasing, buying time in the Greek.

God has set times where He wants to accomplish things through the church. But the times are evil. That means that it’s on us to redeem time.

We have been redeemed – from the law and the curse. Now we must redeem time from the curse. We must set aside times for God’s purposes.

We must purchase the time through prayer. That’s what he means by redeeming or purchasing the times.

We live in dangerous days. We want to see the hand of God at work. We must set the foundation through prayer and prayer in the spirit.

That’s why Paul goes on to say…

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:17-18

I’ve heard it said that we must pray the price. I never understood it until now. It’s time. Time to pray and purchase the appointed times for the move of God.

That’s what revival is going to take – time in the Lord’s presence. That’s where we find out what God’s will is. That’s where we receive His strategies for the days ahead.

That’s what Paul meant in talking about walking in the light and in the day. We are children of the light. More than anyone else, we should know and walk in God’s will.

It’s all based upon the prayers of His people. America desperately needs revival. Time set apart to Christ is the only way we’ll bring that to pass.

The unfortunate thing is that this generation seems to be extremely stingy with their time. If I said that a revival would cost a million dollars, we’d probably raise it pretty quick. But if I say it will take a week of meetings and prayer, where we clear our schedules for the move of God, few would take part in that.

It takes time to purchase revival. Those who want to discern the times and reap the harvest will redeem the time. We must pray the price, buying the time.

Question: How much time are you willing to clear up from your schedule for a move of God?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2023 in Ministry, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Driven By the Light

31 May
Driven By the Light

We’re continuing our study through the letter to the Ephesian church. In my last post I discussed how we were to act in the body of Christ. Now Paul talks about why he gave those instructions.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10

This verse tells us that we should live the way a child of the light should live. The fruit of the light is the evidence that we’re walking in the light.

What is that light? The light in our lives is the knowledge of God. I don’t mean knowing about God. I’m talking about a personal knowledge of Him. The better we know Him, the more light we walk in.

That’s what qualifies us as children of light. We know the Lord, personally. We hear His voice and obey Him. We are children of light because we walk in the light of God’s Word.

This passage literally says that as children of the light, we need to test and approve what is well pleasing to the Lord. The more we walk in His light – the more we learn about pleasing Him.

It’s by pleasing the Lord that we secure the anointing. That’s a key concept that many miss out on.

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1Thessalonians 2:4

I’ve asked this before. Where is your heart set? Who are you trying to please? Your anointing (God’s approval of your ministry) is resting on that answer. It’s not about how much you want it; instead, it’s wrapped up in the direction your heart is taking you.

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21

What we have to realize is that in our own power we can never be well pleasing to God. It only comes from time spent in His presence. Only God’s power can secure our anointing.

We have to position ourselves to receive His power that works through us. We have to be driven to walk in the anointing.

This means that we have set our heart on it. It’s all about getting close enough in the spirit, to find out what’s well pleasing to Him. It’s the only way to get ourselves in the position to receive.

In the final analysis it can only be accomplished by His power at work in us.

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2 Corinthians 5:9

Be driven to please God.

Question: What is God calling you to do that will require His power to accomplish?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2023 in Anointing, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Word of God

 

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Perfect Salvation

15 Mar
Perfect Salvation

I’m continuing to post through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church. I’ve been talking about the good things provided for us by Christ on the cross. The apostle continues with this.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

This work that Christ has done in us is totally His doing. It didn’t matter how good I was, being brought up in church. I’m just as guilty before God. It wouldn’t matter if I was a drug dealer, rapist, or terrorist. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover all of my sins.

I have nothing to boast about in my life before I met Christ. For years I continued to miss the mark of God’s righteousness. The Good News is, that it doesn’t matter if you missed it by an inch or a mile. God’s grace can cover it all. You just need to cry out to Him.

Our past had no bearing on His love for us.

…for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

The salvation of the Lord is all encompassing. But, as incredible as all this is, it’s not the end of it. Even though in one sense I have been saved, God’s work continues to have an effect upon my life. Salvation doesn’t end with the sinner’s prayer.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:2

It should be clear from the context of this verse that being saved is an ongoing process. The word for saved in this verse implies a continual work. That’s why there’s an “if” in this section. The process of salvation can only continue if you hold firmly to the Word.

I think that part of our problem in the modern church is our stubborn refusal to allow God to continue His work of change in our lives. We’re happy that our sins were forgiven. We look forward with joy to our home in Heaven. But right now there’s so many things that we want to do and experience in the world. The thought of God disrupting those plans for His purpose doesn’t sit well with us.

We need to see change as the natural outgrowth of our walk with God. His ongoing plan of salvation in us should never stagnate. There’s always something new to look forward to. That even applies to the return of Christ.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Romans 5:9

Not only is the saving work of the Lord active in me today, but it also gives me a future hope. I know that on the Day of Judgment I have nothing to fear. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, I will be saved from the wrath of God. Death holds no fear for the Christian, only the promise of a new address in the presence of God.

Question: How is God’s ongoing work of salvation continuing to change your life?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2023 in Faith, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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In Heavenly Realms

10 Mar
In Heavenly Realms

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

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

Ephesians 2:6 NIV

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

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

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

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

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

John 15:7-8 NIV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Philippians 3:14 NIV

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

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

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

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

 

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Sealed

24 Feb
Sealed

As we continue studying Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, we see more and more of what the Lord has done for us. So far we’ve talked about God’s plan…

…to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 1:10b NIV

That’s what I meant when I introduced Ephesians. With this letter, the Holy Spirit is beginning to reveal to the church how we are to work together as the body of Christ on earth. We are one organism.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:11-12 NIV

In this verse, Paul is talking about his own calling and that of the other apostles. They were the first to hope in Christ. This sentence is full of truth concerning the ministry. Let me give you my take on what this says after reading it in the original Greek.

Paul says that, in Christ, they were given an allotment. There’s a portion of the work that was set aside for them to do.

That word, predestined, literally means to mark out beforehand. This means that before Paul was even born, God had marked out the path that He wanted the apostle to follow. Of course, if you know Paul’s story, you know what the Lord had to do to get him on that path.

But the simple fact is that God has a plan. He will accomplish it, with or without my participation. And even beyond that, God will get the glory for what He works out.

So now Paul turns his attention to the Ephesian church.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV

He makes it clear that this is not some exclusive club for the spiritually elite. All those who believe on Christ for their salvation are a part of this body. Here we see a detailed description of what happens when we receive Christ.

First, we have to hear the Word of truth – the Good News of salvation. Then, once we hear it, we respond to the faith that arises in our heart. At that point we’ve obtained this great salvation.

But, there’s more to it than that. Something else takes place on a spiritual level. This verse says that we were marked in Him with a seal. That’s actually all one word in the Greek language.

This is because we don’t do much with seals anymore. Back in those days, important people and government officials had special rings called signet rings.

When there was an important paper to release, a signature wasn’t enough. Anybody could pretend to sign something. So, what they would do to make it official, is to let molten wax drip near their signature. Then they would press their unique ring into the wax, leaving a mark that authenticated the letter as theirs.

That’s what the Holy Spirit is to us. He’s the One who makes the salvation official in us. The Holy Spirit in me is a sign to all of heaven and hell that I belong to the kingdom of God. I’m God’s property.

The rest of the passage says that the Holy Spirit is the down payment of the inheritance. Then, in the future, the full result of the purchase will be made manifest. That will happen when Christ returns to claim the full rights to His kingdom.

I can’t think of any place else I’d rather be than in God’s kingdom. I look forward in hope, to the day the Lord returns to claim His own. My desire is that you have that same motivation, driving you to serve Him with your very best.

Question: How important do you see your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 24, 2023 in Anointing, Faith, Ministry, Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Word of God

 

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The Time Economy

20 Feb
The Time Economy

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

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 1:9-10 NIV

This verse talks about the mystery of His will. It’s unfortunate that the working of God’s will is a mystery to most Christians.

“We may never understand the way God moves.”

Whatever you call it – God’s will, His good pleasure, or His purpose; He made this mystery known to us. We, of all people should understand the working of the Lord’s will.

According to this verse, God’s will is put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment. The literal Greek of this verse says that God’s will is brought about in the economy of filling the time.

Economy – here’s an important financial term the Bible associates with time.

Did you know that filling time is a part of God’s economy? I’ve talked about this in the past. I said that we spend time, run out of time, save time, and lose time – just like money. We have to understand that there’s an economy of time in the Kingdom of God.

Time is something tangible. It can be traded and exchanged for stuff. That’s basically what you’re doing on your job. In effect, you’re trading your time for your employer’s money. It’s a commodity exchange.

In God’s Kingdom, time purchases the fulfillment of vision and prophecy. Further on in this letter, Paul talks about the times we’re living in.

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

Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV

The Apostle tells us that because the enemy is in charge, the times we live in are evil days. So right now, we have evil days coming at us one after another. What do we do to bring about God’s will for revival?

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

1 Timothy 4:4-5 NIV

Did God create time? Yes! But I believe we’ll understand this concept better if we talk about money first. I don’t care where the money’s been before I got it. It’s mine now, and a part of God’s kingdom.

It all starts with how I receive it. I must receive it with thanksgiving. God is the One who ultimately supplies my need. But it doesn’t stop there. There must be a consecration. It must turn from evil money to good.

Literally, the word consecrate means to be purified, made holy. This is done by two things – the Word of God and prayer. The Word of God talked about here is more than the Bible. It means that I pray, hear His word to me concerning my money, and I obey Him.

We need to apply this process to our time. We thank God for every day that He gives to us. Then we consecrate those days by turning them over to the Lord for His use. I seek His will for my daily schedule.

This is how God’s will is brought about on the earth. It’s as God’s people invest their time in Kingdom work. Time is the commodity that will purchase revival in our generation. Don’t withhold yours from the Lord. Let Christ be Lord over your schedule.

Question: How can I turn my time over to Christ?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

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

 

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