Jesus made some surprising statements about His return. Don’t be one of those who are unprepared for what will happen before His return.
“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Luke 12:38-40
The Lord says that His return will come when you don’t expect it. Notice that it will not be a surprise because He comes before you expect Him. What is going to throw people off is that He will arrive later than they thought it would be.
The second watch of the night is from 9 o’clock to midnight. The third watch is from midnight to 3 in the morning.
What if I said to you, “Can I come over your house tonight?”
“Sure,” you reply and you wait for me to show up. 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock go by. At that point you’ll probably shut the porch light off. At 11 o’clock you will probably be in bed. If I then bang on your door at 3 o’clock in the morning, I’m sure you wouldn’t even get out of bed to answer the door, even though I told you I was coming.
That’s what Jesus is saying. He’s telling us that He’s coming later than we think. Most people would think that if you’re going to come for dinner you should arrive early.
Naturally, we think “suppertime.” But Jesus is asking how long after the suppertime is past are we prepared to wait? There will be a time when people start thinking that Jesus should be here by now, but He’s not. It’s midnight. A lot of people have these religious clocks that are set at five minutes to midnight. They think that the Lord is coming soon – at midnight.
I’ve got news for you. The Bible says He might come as late as 3 in the morning, spiritually speaking. There are many Bible teachers who have taken certain future prophetic events and defined them as occurring “after midnight.”
Someday the “prophecy clock” will strike midnight. If you’re one of the people who believe that He’s going to be here at this prophetic midnight, you might be disappointed. We’ve got to be careful. Most of Christianity is expecting Him to come at this midnight hour.
Jesus said, “I’m going to come later than you think.” As a matter of fact, what you’re going to find as we go through these Scriptures, is that whenever Christ warns us about being ready, He always qualifies it by saying that He will come later than we’re expecting.
Question: How far are you prepared to go if Christ delays His second coming?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: are you ready for Christ's return, be prepared, Christ's return, coming soon, expect, expecting, later than you think, midnight, prophecy, rapture, ready, return of Christ, return of Jesus, second coming, second watch, surprise, third watch
As I was reading the Bible the other day, I came across a Scripture that caught my attention. It was describing Christ and how He was revealed to the world. It got me thinking about our relationship to God.
…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4
Jesus Christ was shown to be the Son of God. Not just by someone’s testimony. It was an act of power by God raising Him from the dead.
That in itself was not news to me. The part that really spoke to my heart was who did the declaring. The passage says that it was through the Spirit of holiness that He was shown to be the Son of God.
That’s what I found to be interesting – the Spirit of holiness. Why did Paul not call Him the Holy Spirit? Isn’t that the more common term? Actually, this is the only place in Scripture where He’s called the Spirit of holiness.
Holiness is something that this generation of believers really needs to come to grips with. It seems that we tend to back away from any mention of holiness. We find it boring and old fashioned.
This is a subject of great importance in the Bible. It’s found throughout the New Testament. We are to be a holy people before God.
Holiness is related to separation. It means to be set apart for God’s purpose.
It’s like this. When Christ found us, we were like a dirty, cast off piece of pottery in the trash heap of the world. When we turned to Him as our Lord and Savior, He rescued us from that place – that’s our salvation.
He then took us as His own and placed us on display in His household. We are now to be exclusively used for the Lord’s purposes. That’s holiness.
As we remain in His house, Christ continues to clean us up and restore us. That’s our sanctification.
By using the term Holy Spirit, we mean the Spirit of God who is set apart from the world and the things of the world. The phrase Spirit of holiness brings it to a whole other realm.
He’s not only the Spirit who is set apart – but the Spirit who sets us apart. He is the Spirit of God who makes us holy. That’s where we try to water down the truth.
We like to think of the Holy Spirit as the power source of the church. Miracles, healings, signs, and wonders always draw a crowd. But separation, on the other hand, sounds too much like commitment.
This generation seems to want the power without the holiness. I believe that it’s time for us to seek the Spirit of holiness. At the place where we are separated for God’s exclusive use, we will find all the power we need to live victoriously and win the lost.
Question: Have you seen examples of the Holy Spirit setting you apart for His use?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Christ, commitment, exclusive use, God, God's purpose, holiness, holy people, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Lord, makes us holy, power of God, relationship with God, resurrection, savior, separation, set apart, Son of God, Spirit of holiness, the world
This is the final post about how Abraham positioned himself to receive God’s supernatural provision. At this point we find him with the knife raised, about to sacrifice his only son.
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Genesis 22:11-12
Abraham was able to come through this time of testing victoriously. But there was something that always puzzled me. God said, “Now I know that you fear God.” I thought God knew everything, so why would He say that?
The Hebrew word for know is Yada, which means to know by seeing. What God said was that now Abraham’s faith could be seen. His fear of God was now obvious to everyone.
That’s the reason for trials and testing. We may have faith quietly tucked away in our hearts. Without works, it’s not yet a living faith. It must be proved genuine.
It’s the trying of our faith that causes it to be seen by those around us. That’s why Scripture tells us over and over again that without trials we’ll never become mature in Christ.
It was when his faith was tested, and proved genuine, that Abraham’s eyes were opened to the provision of God that was before him.
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. [Jehovah Jireh] And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14
Jehovah Jireh – the God Who provides. There are many who think this name is a promise of unbridled wealth. They think that it’s all about their physical comfort. What they fail to see is that Jehovah Jireh is a place of supernatural provision in Christ.
As I said in the first post of this series, it’s a spiritual mountain that must be climbed. To get to that place in God, it will require the same thing from us that it did of Abraham.
It will take a life of immediate obedience to God, perseverance, speaking our faith, and a decision to give up everything for the cause of Christ. That’s the real mountain that Abraham had to climb. The physical mountain was easy in comparison.
As with all things in Christ, God has already provided everything we need for life and godliness. The problem is that we need to position ourselves to receive the provision of God.
That’s the point. Why do we want God’s blessing? To accomplish His will or ours?
If you want Christ to be exalted in you, then you’re in a position to receive.
I ask everyone who reads this post to pray and believe God for those who respond to the following question…
Question: What is God calling you to do that you need His supernatural provision for?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, Christ, decision, faith, faith that can be seen, fear God, genuine, God who provides, Jehovah Jireh, Jesus, living faith, mountain, obedience, perseverance, position, position ourselves, provision of God, receive from God, speaking, supernatural, testing, trials, trying of our faith, victorious, victory
We’ve been looking at Abraham’s example of what it takes to be in position to receive God’s blessing. The big question remains. How far are we willing to walk with God down this road of faith that He chooses for us?
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
Genesis 22:9-10
In this remote setting it would have been very easy for Abraham to have chosen differently. He could have taken Isaac with him, and left the area. Yet, he made the choice to follow God’s instructions no matter how painful they were to him.
It’s easy for us to look back and say, “Of course he trusted God.” We have the completed Bible to refer to. We have a knowledge of how the story ended. We know now that God never asks for human sacrifice.
There’s no way that we could ever fathom what it was like to be Abraham at that moment. All he knew was that he was about to take the life of the most precious person in the world to him.
When I see how far Abraham trusted God, it begs the question, how far am I willing to let my faith take me? How much am I willing to give up based solely upon God’s Word?
I think that this generation of believers are more like the rich young man who came to Jesus. The Lord told him to give up everything and come and follow Him.
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Matthew 19:22
In our society, this call is commonplace. Athletes are told to “leave it all out on the field.” In entertainment competitions they are told to hold nothing back.
Why do we get the idea that Christ is asking too much of us by saying that we must lay our lives down to follow Him? It’s only when I come to the place of total surrender at the feet of the Lord that I’m in the position to receive the strength and blessing that comes from His hand. Jesus held nothing back for our sakes, and now we must follow in His footsteps.
This may not sound like your typical “Six Steps to Prosperity” message. It wasn’t meant to. I’m not looking for the wealth it takes to fulfill my every whim. I want to see the provision I need to fulfill God’s destiny in me. I want to see and experience revival in God’s people.
It’s time for us to lay everything down before the Lord. If you can’t do this, then pray for the strength it takes to get to this point. Then watch what God will do on your behalf.
Question: What things would be the hardest for you to give up if the Lord asked you to?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, choices, faith, follow Christ, follow God, God, God's blessing, God's destiny, God's word, hold nothing back, how far can you trust God, Isaac, lay down our lives, leave it all on the field, provision, revival, rich young ruler, road of faith, total surrender, trust, willing, willing to give up
I’ve been talking about Abraham’s example to us in receiving God’s blessing and provision. In my last post I said that we needed to speak what we believe from our heart. This is important because it’s usually our speaking that gets us in the most trouble.
Listen to the exchange that took place as Abraham was taking Isaac up the mountain. All Abraham knew at this point was that God was asking him to offer Isaac up as a sacrifice.
Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
Genesis 22:7-8
I can only imagine how much pain this question caused Abraham. I believe that there was a long pause while Abraham thought about how he could answer the boy. It amazes me how simply the answer was formed.
In spite of his confusion, and without anger or bitterness toward God, he spoke the truth in faith and love. This is a lesson we need to take to heart.
So many times we speak without thinking. We especially run into trouble when we talk from the hurt and anguish we’re experiencing. We say many things that we wish we could take back.
That’s why one of the secrets to positioning ourselves to receive God’s blessing is to watch what we say when we’re hurting. James understood this truth.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:5-6
James is looking at this from a negative perspective. Controlled by the spirit, the tongue can set your life on course for God’s blessing. Controlling the tongue is one of the hardest things we’re called to do, yet it’s one of the most important. What we say can set the emotional foundation for our eventual success or failure.
How we speak, especially in times of confusion and pain, will have a lasting effect on both us and those around us. Is what you’re saying building up or tearing down God’s work?
We must choose to keep a watch over our tongues. If needed, we can go to the Lord in repentance for things that may have been said in hurt or anger. We can ask for His strength to take control of this unruly member of our body.
If we will spend time in the Lord’s presence and meditate upon His Word, then there will be a greater chance that truth and love will come out during stressful times.
Question: When have your words either helped or hurt the situation you were in?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, anger, believe, bitterness, building up, controlled by the spirit, faith, God, God's blessing, God's work, is your tongue your problem, Isaac, mouth, pain, position, provision, receiving, sacrifice, speaking without thinking, tearing down, tongue, words
I’ve been posting about Jehovah Jireh – God my Provider. Specifically, I’ve been talking about how to enter that place of provision in Him. I’m using Abraham as our example as he was taking his son Isaac to the mount of sacrifice.
After days of walking through the wilderness, the Lord showed him the mountain he was to ascend. Abraham, Isaac, and his servants made camp at the base of the mountain. As he stands looking up at it he realizes that this is the place where he will offer up Isaac to the Lord.
What happens next goes beyond my comprehension.
He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together…
Genesis 22:5-6
Abraham tells his servants to wait by the goods. Then he says, “WE will worship and then WE will come back to you.” I believe that this is one of the most incredible statements of faith in the entire Bible.
The only thing that he had to go on was the original promise of God. The Lord said that it was through Isaac that Abraham’s descendants would become as numerous as the stars in the sky. As a matter of fact, the writer of the book of Hebrews tells us (In the 11th chapter) that Abraham believed that if he actually came to the point of killing his son, God would raise him from the dead.
What Abraham believed and what he spoke where in perfect agreement. He had the boldness to declare what was in his heart. We need to learn this lesson. If we are to be victorious under trials and see God’s provision for our needs, then we must learn to speak our faith, just as Abraham did.
Please understand that I’m not talking about denying our circumstances, as some do. I’m not talking about positive thinking, mind control, or wishful thinking. It’s not about speaking what you want to happen, or what some preacher has told you, but what God has already spoken.
We must speak what the Word of God says is true. This is a lot harder. It requires me to spend time reading the Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit. Only then can I declare what I’ve heard from the Lord.
As I spend time in His presence, I begin to understand what I’m called to do in His kingdom. This is important because my provision is intimately attached to my calling.
Abraham knew God’s will for his life and the life of his son. That’s why he could say, “We’re both coming back.”
Boldly speak what you’ve heard from God, and leave the provision in God’s hands.
Question: What has God called you to do? Are you trusting Him to provide for it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, believe, Bible, calling, denying circumstances, faith, God my Provider, God's provision, Holy Spirit, Isaac, Jehovah Jireh, listen to the Holy Spirit, mind control, positive thinking, provision, speaking the word of God, the time to speak your faith, trust, wishful thinking
I have been posting about Abraham and his experience on the mount of sacrifice. He is an example to us of how to position ourselves to receive God’s provision in our lives.
In my last post I talked about how he was quick to obey the voice of God. But sometimes, even when we respond right away, things don’t happen when we think they should.
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
Genesis 22:4
We saw that God had told Abraham to leave home with his son. He also told Abraham that He would show him the place where he was to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham obeyed immediately, but that was not the end of it.
It’s now three days later and they’re still traveling through the wilderness. This had to be the hardest walk Abraham ever took. Yet he continued on, even knowing that he would lose his son in the end.
I’m sure he kept telling himself to just turn around and go home.
“You must have heard wrong.”
In spite of this constant internal pressure he continued to move forward. He did this not even knowing where his final destination would be.
This is the second key to being victorious in the face of trials and unlocking the blessing of God. We must cultivate perseverance. Sometimes it all comes down to the choice to put one foot in front of the other no matter how hard that is. We must continue to serve God day after day, even when everything around us looks just the opposite of what we think it should be.
It’s in times like this that we must place our confidence in the Lord. Drawing strength from Him is the only way to move forward when the going gets tough. Christ has promised us that He would never abandon us.
The good news is that situations can change. Just because things don’t look good now doesn’t mean that God is not in control. He is still on the throne.
The truth is that it’s not always easy to follow God’s leading. But the end result is always worth the effort. Don’t let the temporary problems rob you of the blessings that the Lord has for you.
Maybe you’re going through something right now that you don’t understand. You might not know how the Lord could possibly get you through it.
Take the time to draw upon the Lord’s power for you. Spend time before Him in humility, acknowledging that without Him you can do nothing. Place your future in His hands and commit yourself to seeing His plan fulfilled in your life.
Question: How has God proven Himself faithful to you in the past?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: choices, Christ, confidence, confidence in God, God's leading, God's provision, going the distance, Jesus, move forward, needs, perseverance, provision, supply, temporary problems, the Lord
In my last post I started a series about God as our Provider – Jehovah Jireh. I’m using Abraham’s experience on the mountain of sacrifice as our example.
Before Abraham ever called God by this name, the Lord asked him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. It was Abraham’s response that floored me.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Genesis 22:3
I don’t know what time of day God spoke to Abraham about taking his son to the mountain of sacrifice. But what strikes me the hardest is the fact that immediately – early in the morning – the next day, he was ready to travel.
If I were asked to give up a child, I could find so many excuses to put it off. I would want to spend some time with him. Maybe even throw him a going away party so his friends could say goodbye. I might spend nights in prayer so that I could get a “confirmation” that God really said what He said.
I remember when my middle daughter, Sarah, went away to a ministry internship in Texas. Even knowing that I would see her again from time to time it was hard to let her go. I can’t even imagine what Abraham was going through internally. I don’t know that I could have gone through with it.
Unlike me, Abraham did just what God had asked him to do. Not only did He respond positively, but he did it immediately when he was asked to do it. This is the secret to persevering under testing. We must be quick to obey God.
I have talked to so many people who have told me things like, “I know God wants me to do this, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Too often the things that God asks of us get put on the back burner. We are waiting until our goals are finished.
So often we like to put the teachings of Scripture into little bubbles. When we talk about God’s provision, we only want hear about how to tap into God’s supply.
Obedience is in a different bubble. That’s one we don’t want to hear about very often. In the life of Abraham we learn that everything is interconnected. How well I tap into God’s supply is dependent upon my level of obedience.
Don’t fall into the “bubble” trap. Review your life. Is there something you’re neglecting that you know is God’s plan for you. Repent of your inaction. Spend time with Him and commit yourself to His desire for you.
This could very well release a blessing that has been stalled out for a while.
Question: Is there something God wants you to do that you’ve been slow to obey?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, back burner, God, God our Provider, God's provision, God's supply, immediate, immediate obedience, Isaac, Jehovah Jireh, link between obedience and provision, mountain of sacrifice, obedience, obey quickly, provider, provision
There are a lot of people who write about how you can have the blessing of God on your finances. I’ve been feeling lately that the Lord wants me to write about this truth for a couple of weeks in my posts. I’m hoping that it will be a benefit to you.
There’s a name of God that gets a lot of attention. Jehovah Jireh – which is Hebrew for the God Who provides. This is one of the names of God that has inspired so many songs and sermons.
It was on the mountain of sacrifice that Abraham used this term for God. This was the first and only time it was used in Scripture.
It happened just after God stopped Abraham from offering Isaac as a sacrifice.
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. [Jehovah Jireh] And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:13-14
There are many people who view this name as a promise of provision. What they fail to see is that Jehovah Jireh is not a promise but a place. It’s a spiritual mountain that must be climbed. To get to that place in God, it will require the same thing from us that it did of Abraham.
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
Genesis 22:1-2
Of all the things that come with the spiritual walk, testing has got to rank among my least favorites. Yes, I understand from the Scripture that unless my faith is tried and tested it’s worthless. But that still doesn’t mean I have to enjoy the process.
When we think about Abraham, we usually refer to him as the “father of those who walk by faith.” A lot has been written about the faith of Abraham. I’ve heard many people say that they aspire to have that same level of faith.
What’s sometimes forgotten, however, is that along with great faith comes great testing. Abraham was no exception. Because his faith in God had risen to such a high degree, he endured trials that I can’t even imagine going through.
Just as he is our example of faith, Abraham can give us insight into how to stay strong under testing. For the next few posts we will take a close look at this aspect of his walk with God.
As we take this journey with Abraham, I hope that you’ll find that place of abundant provision in Christ.
Question: Have you noticed that with each new step of faith, you enter another phase of testing?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: Abraham, blessing, blessing of God, Christ, faith, finances, God provides, Isaac, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Jireh is a place, Jesus, mountain of sacrifice, promise, provision, spiritual walk, testing, testing of your faith, the Lord will provide, trials
God is calling His church to a higher level in Christ. The return of the Lord is very close, yet sometimes the church seems to act like we have all the time in the world. Are you complacent about where you are spiritually? Or do you want to see a greater move of God through your life?
At one point in his life, Moses had a similar choice to make.
Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
Exodus 4:19-20
Moses had been away from Egypt for a long time. But in this time of his life, God was calling him to return to his former home. The difference was that this time he had a mission from God – to set his people free. Even so, it still required a long wilderness journey.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to start. The planning and organizing are usually pretty easy.
I enjoy hiking. There are times that I have spent a few days on the trail.
When morning comes and it’s time to move on, thats when the truth of this is made real. It’s not that tough to break camp and put things away into your pack. But when you finally put your pack on, and stand there with your trekking poles in your hand – a subtle transformation occurs.
Suddenly, without warning, the campsite that you’ve called home for the past twelve hours is no longer yours. Now you’re a part of the trail and looking for a new destination.
We may be very satisfied where our life is right now. But this isn’t our destiny – the Lord has a greater work He wants to do in us. When God calls us to a higher level, we can never be satisfied this way again.
Remember that we need to be a people who are packed and ready to go. This world is not our home and the things of this world will never truly fulfill us.
Sometimes we just need to go before the Lord and reiterate to Him our total commitment to following His path for our lives – no matter where it leads. We need to thank Him for the destiny that He has prepared for us. Then, we need to be open and listening for any course changes He may speak to us.
It all depends on our attitude. Am I satisfied where I’m at, or do I hunger to see what God wants to do in these last days?
Question: Do you desire to move up to a new level in Christ?
© Nick Zaccardi 2013
Tags: attitude, Christ, complacent, course changes, destiny, greater move of God, higher level, hunger for more, Jesus, Lord, Moses, move on attitude, moving on in Christ, return of Christ, satisfied, spiritual, spiritual level, the world
Jesus made some surprising statements about His return. Don’t be one of those who are unprepared for what will happen before His return.
The Spirit and the Word 