In my last post, I talked about true Biblical faith. We learned that you can’t just “set it and forget it”. Instead, it’s a process that must be walked out on a daily basis. Here is an illustration that Paul used to describe it.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16
Think about faith like a huge wooden shield, big enough for you to hide behind in the raging battle. What is it protecting you from? Paul says that it’s the flaming arrows of the enemy.
What does flame do to wood? We all know that wood is a fuel. As the weapons of the enemy hit it, the shield begins to wear away. If you just stand still in your Christian walk, you begin to lose ground. What you believed last year, you may not believe this year. Your faith begins to fade.
Scripture tells us that we must continually maintain our faith. That’s why prayer, reading the word, and fellowship with other believers are so vital to our walk with the Lord.
We need to continue in all of those things just to stand still. If that’s the case, then I really need to build my faith for moving forward in God.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
The words being sure in this verse literally mean setting under. The scriptural definition for hope is our expectation of what God is going to work out in our lives. So, in actuality, what this verse says is that faith is our support or foundation.
Faith is a support for our expectations. How can I continue to expect God’s best in the middle of the struggles of life? My expectations must be supported. It’s only through faith in what God has said that I can have this kind of foundation.
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Hebrews 3:14
This is really what we want from God. We want to share in what Christ has provided for us. The only way this will take place is if we hold firmly to our support. That’s why we need the shield.
If faith is not held firmly, it can be knocked out of our hands. Make sure that you are maintaining your faith. It’s what you need to support you through the rough times.
Question: How has your faith in God supported you in the past?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: expectation, faith, flaming arrows, foundation, give your life a solid foundation, shield, shield of faith, solid foundation, struggles, support
Many people talk about faith. Few live it out to its full potential. It all comes down to how you perceive it.
Is faith a single response to Scriptural teaching, or is it more than that? The next four posts will deal with this important concept. If you haven’t yet done so, take the time to subscribe to this blog via e-mail so that you won’t miss any of these life-changing installments.
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
Whether we want to admit it or not, faith is an on-going process. In our society we like to “set it and forget it.” That’s not the case with Biblical faith.
Faith is a walk. It’s the path God leads us on from godlessness to perfection. We start out our lives with no knowledge of Christ or His Word. God takes us from where we are to as far as we’re willing to travel with Him.
What we find in this walk is that along the way there are always choices. These choices come at regular intervals – usually when we least expect them. These points are like forks in the road ahead.
It’s then up to us whether we accept or reject truth when we see it. Each new piece of knowledge comes with a choice. Do I trust God and His Word, or do I continue in the old direction I was headed?
It may sound like a “no-brainer” as to which path we take, but based upon my experience, it’s a little more complicated than that. We sometimes tend to stick with what we’re comfortable with, even though it’s wrong.
Choosing to trust God in a new way is a big step. There are those who come to a hard decision and simply stall out. There are others who start out trusting the Lord, but then when the going gets rough, they “shrink back.” Why do we find it so hard to totally surrender to God’s will?
This is the problem – faith is an uphill climb on an icy slope. When we come to a new choice and decide to stop, we begin to slide backwards, whether we intended to or not. In the above verse, the word destroyed means ruin or loss. Just standing still causes us to lose the ground we’ve already gained.
In our Christian walk, you have to put effort into it just to stand still. If you want the power of God’s salvation working in you, then you have to keep moving forward.
Where are you in your walk with Christ? What choices are you wrestling with? If you find yourself at standstill – where did you stop, and why? Most Christians don’t deal with these questions because think that faith is a one-time event.
Make it your goal to make the tough choices and then keep moving forward in Christ Jesus.
Question: What’s the hardest decision that you’ve ever had to trust God for?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: biblical faith, choices, decisions, faith, faith walk, process, response, Scriptural teaching, shrink back, stall out, true biblical faith, true faith, truth, walk
In Scripture we read about how different men and women encountered God in the wilderness. Did you know that this is still something we can experience today? In this post I want to describe it to you.
The Bible is full of accounts of the people who met with God in the outdoors. Here is one such encounter.
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
Genesis 32:1-2
The name Mahanaim means double camp. Jacob acknowledged that there were two camps where he was staying. There was his camp and the camp of God. This is important because now that Christ has risen, we are in a “double kingdom.” We live in the world, yet at the same time we are in the kingdom of God.
Wherever we go, whatever we do, we take this heavenly kingdom with us. Whether we realize it or not, we have access to God’s kingdom at all times. Our problem is usually the distractions that keep us from seeking the spiritual.
I just returned from a camping trip. I spent a night, alone, in a nearby state park. I set up my tent at a secluded site and settled in.
The purpose was to get alone with God for a while. You might think that this sounds a little extreme. Maybe it is, but I’ve found that I can hear from God better without all of the distractions in my familiar settings.
When God gets me by myself like this, He can (and does) get my undivided attention. There are times He deals with me about things I may have been neglecting. Sometimes it’s about God teaching me something new, or giving me insight into the Word.
This trip I can truly say that God showed up in the camp. There were some things that He worked through with me and I received an “extreme makeover.” Looking back, I wouldn’t have missed that time with the Lord for anything else.
If you read through the Gospels you’ll find that praying in the wilderness was a major part of the life of Christ. I believe that this is one of the secrets of His intimacy with the Father. I want to follow His example.
The good news is that this type of encounter with God is available to every one of us. If you are able, I encourage you to give it a try. Go out with a tent and other supplies. Bring your Bible and a notebook. Then expect to meet with God.
I believe that He honors our desire to seek Him intimately. The Lord loves the quality time we spend together. Then He can deal with things that take time to work through.
I can truly say that spending alone time with God in the outdoors is an incredible blessing.
Question: Have you encountered God in the outdoors? Could you share about it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: camp, camp with God, camping, distractions, encounter God, intimacy, kingdom of God, Mahanaim, meet with God, outdoors, quality time, undivided attention, wilderness
“My neighborhood is in total spiritual darkness and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Have you ever felt like that? Do you see the enemy’s kingdom taking over your town, your schools or your local businesses? Do you feel helpless? There is an answer.
I was having breakfast with a friend of mine by the name of Dr. Randy Sprinkle. During the course of our conversation, he told me about a book he had written. The title was Follow Me – Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker.
I knew about prayerwalking. My church had been involved in it for a couple of years. We talked about it for a little while. Later on, he gave me a copy of his book. I thanked him, knowing that part of his ministry was going to churches and teaching on prayerwalking.
I must admit that the book lay on my shelf a while before I began to read it. Now that I’ve read it, I wish I had done so sooner. The book is absolutely life-changing.
It’s one of those “must read” books. Every believer needs to grab hold of the principles taught in these pages. That is especially true if we want to see the power of God manifest in our cities.
The book is just over 120 pages. But don’t expect to get through it in one sitting. It wasn’t designed for that. It’s written in the form of six weeks of 5 daily devotions. That’s why it can change your life.
Each day it starts with prayer. Then it’s followed by reading the Scripture, meditating on it, and getting some teaching. Next, it helps you to plan how you are going to implement what you just learned as you go throughout your day. The last part of each daily segment is an evening reflection that asks you think about what you did during the day. It’s a very powerful plan.
This book is well written and keeps you interested. Dr. Sprinkle gives teaching, examples, testimonies, and encouragement. I looked forward to my time in this book each day.
The fact is that we need to be a people of prayer. Not the “hands off” kind that keeps a safe distance from the ones in need. We need to be out praying on our streets. That’s how we win the spiritual battle for the souls around us.
We need to stop looking for someone else to do the work. Wherever you live, you are called to intercede. This book will equip you with everything you need to bring spiritual change to your area.
In Dr. Sprinkle’s words, prayerwalking is a “strategic, world-transforming activity that calls believers out of church buildings to intercede for the work of the kingdom while quietly walking through local neighborhoods and mission fields around the world.”
The book is available on Amazon. Click here to order Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker
.
Question: Have read this book? How has it helped you? Have you seen any results?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will help my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tags: book review, devotional, follow me, prayerwalk, prayerwalking, Randy Sprinkle, teaching
Many Christians are bound by legalism. Are you one of them? The trouble is that legalism can be very deceptive. You can be caught up in it and never know it – unless you see the warning signs. I hope this will be both a challenge and a blessing to you.
1. Elevating works over position. Do you worry about what you can do to please God? The correct answer is – nothing!! It’s the blood of Christ that makes me acceptable to God. Nothing I do can make Him love me any more or any less. While works can affect my rewards and blessings, they will never change God’s love and acceptance of me if I’m in Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. Seeing yourself more of a slave than a son. Yes, we do serve God and are expected to obey Him in all things. But the way we obey is as mature sons and daughters. As spiritual children we learn servanthood. It is the training ground for our growth in Christ. The purpose of servanthood is so that we can walk in maturity. The Lord desires sons and daughters to represent Him to the world. (Galatians 4:1-7)
3. Relying more on your confession than God’s grace. I believe in the confession of Scripture. Rehearsing and memorizing it is an important part of the believer’s life. Just as important is the reason we do it. The purpose of confessing God’s Word is to increase our faith in Him. But ultimately, it’s not my confession, but the power of God that will bring about the changes that I need. (II Peter 1:3)
4. Giving more time to studying Scripture than to intimacy with Christ. Scripture study is very important – it is one of my passions. I couldn’t live without it. But, spending quality time with the Lord is even more so. Jesus rebuked the Scribes and the Pharisees for diligently studying the Scriptures, yet not going to the Christ that they pointed to. It’s not enough just to know about Christ. I need to have an intimate, personal knowledge of Him that only comes from time spent in His presence. (John 5:39-40)
5. Being confident more in the comparison with others than abiding in Christ. Comparison is a deadly trap. the problem is that I can always find someone less committed than me. It gives me a false sense of security because I’m no worse than anyone else. On the other hand, I can spend my days feeling worthless, because I look at others who are farther along than me in the faith. I can’t base my self-evaluation on someone else’s life. My goal is not to be better than you, but to be like Christ. (II Corinthians 10:12)
Question: Have you battled with legalism? How have you overcome it?
© Nick Zaccardi 2012
Tags: abiding in Christ, comparing, comparison, confession, deception, grace, grace of God, intimacy with Christ, legalism, position, Scripture, self-deceived, servanthood, slave, sonship, warning signs of legalism, works
Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Many times I read the news of someone who is missing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Being lost in the wilderness is a frightening experience. When this happens, there is no course of action that is worse than wandering aimlessly. The best thing to do is either to stay put and wait for help, or to walk downhill and down stream.
As we look around at our society, we see many people who are wandering aimlessly with their lives. Without a compass or a direction for their soul, they live and die without ever reaching their destiny. It should be the number one priority to find your purpose in life.
This is why quality time with the Creator is so important in the life of a believer. It gives you the chance to set your heading with the Word of God and through prayer. Only by finding your God-given destiny will you be assured of living a life that means something.
Don’t allow yourself to live a life of wandering. Go before the Lord today and seek His plan for your life. Obtain vision from His hand. Live a life that reaps eternal benefits.
Tags: Bible, calling, compass, destiny, direction, God's plan, God's will, God's word, Holy Spirit, lost, mountain, prayer, presence of the lord, purpose in life, spiritual direction, wandering, wandering aimlessly
Jonah 4:3-5
“Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
If you haven’t noticed – sometimes our attitudes stink. There are times when we are mad at God, just like Jonah. He was upset because God was not going to destroy the city of Nineveh.
I have found the same things to be true in my experience. God doesn’t always carry out my plans the way I want Him to. He seems to never even consider my timetable.
Jonah found out how devastating it is when we desire God to do something that’s not in His will for our lives. Jonah’s response was to run away to a lonely hillside. Once there, he erected a shelter and waited. In spite of his attitude, God met with him there. Although the Lord didn’t say what Jonah wanted to hear, He was able to redirect some of Jonah’s thinking.
Maybe you have an attitude toward God about some things that have (or haven’t) happened in your life. These could be bad news, life altering events or unfulfilled dreams. Whatever they consist of, take them to the Lord.
Use your time in His presence to really wait before Him for an answer. Spend some quality time before the Lord. Let God redirect and refocus your life. Only then can you overcome the problems of the past and make a fresh start.
Tags: attitude, attitudes, bad attitude, distractions, God's faithfulness, God's will, Holy Spirit, intimacy, Jonah, Nineveh, presence of the lord, problems, redirect, refocus, wait on God
I Kings 19:11-13a
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
There are many natural disasters reported in the news these days. There’s bad weather, mudslides, earthquakes, and forest fires, just to name a few. No matter what part of the country you live in, you need to be prepared to handle the threatening situations that can occur.
Unfortunately, we tend to blame God for all the bad stuff in life. A tornado wipes out a trailer park, so we call it “an act of God.” We figure anything that powerful, like floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes must be His doing.
The simple truth is that these things are not the work of God. He is not the God of death and destruction, but the God of love. His desire is to win the hearts of men and women through His gift of salvation. He wants relationship with His creation.
We should be listening for that “gentle whisper” that speaks to our heart. He uses this method to draw us to Himself. Instead of seeking Him in the destructive forces of nature – seek to hear Him in the stillness of a quiet place.
Tags: act of God, awesome God, death, destruction, gift of salvation, God's love, holy worship, intimacy, natural disasters, prayer, presence of the lord, problems, quiet place, relationship, salvation, still small voice, trust
Hebrews 12:22-25
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?
In the pages of Scripture, Mount Zion was called the Mountain of God. It was a place where the presence of God was felt very powerfully.
I’m so glad that the presence of the Lord is no longer confined to a specific place. That being said, there have been times in my life when I have encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. Other times He spoke with a “still, small voice.” When we come to Him in an attitude of expectation, He will speak to our hearts.
There is one thing I have learned in these encounters. When I hear His voice I must be quick to say, “Yes, Lord!” Sometimes He speaks a hard word – a word that calls for change – as He did many times in Israel’s history. Change is never easy, but when ordained by God, it’s for the best.
Seek to spend quality time in the presence of the Lord. But more than that; when He speaks to you, be the one who is ready and willing to agree with His plan for your life.
Tags: change, expectation, glory, God's plan, God's will, heart, Holy Spirit, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Mount Zion, mountain, mountain of God, mountaintop, presence of the lord, still small voice, testimony
Genesis 16:13-14
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.
We serve a God of many names. It is beyond the capability of human speech to adequately describe Him in one simple name. Each time someone met the God of Heaven and earth, they were inspired by the Holy Spirit to refer to Him by a new name.
He was called Jehovah Rapha, “God my Healer;” El Elyon, “God Most High;” and Addonai, “God Almighty”, just to name a few. Here Hagar has just come face to face with a new revelation of her Creator. She knows Him as “The God Who sees me.”
What an awesome thought. This is the God who created the universe, the One who upholds all things by His mighty power, the King of kings that sits enthroned above the earth. Yet in spite of all His glory, He sees me.
Think of it. God does not only see us, He sees me – personally. He knows my joys, hurts, frustrations, victories, and needs. The Lord knows me more intimately than I know myself.
As you go before Him today, acknowledge Him as the One who sees everything about you. This will allow you to rest in His holy presence, knowing that He cares about everything that concerns you. Bask in the assurance of His love for you.
Tags: destiny, encouragement, fellowship, God sees me, God's faithfulness, God's love, God's will, Holy Spirit, names of God, personal, running away, sees everything, trust
In my last post, I talked about true Biblical faith. We learned that you can’t just “set it and forget it”. Instead, it’s a process that must be walked out on a daily basis. Here is an illustration that Paul used to describe it.
The Spirit and the Word 